Wednesday, 28 September 2011

The School With A Holodeck!

Cornelius Vermuyden School in Dinant Avenue, Canvey, has undergone a multi-million pound transformation, which has seen 90 per cent of the school reconstructed.

The work has been carried out with £20million of Government funding as part of the now axed Building Schools for the Future programme.

The second phase of the project is now complete with classrooms created from steel girders and an “immersive” room, which can transport pupils into a different world.

The walls and floor of the room are digital and touch sensitive, which means the schoolchildren can be transported to a virtual location, and can take a tour of a First World War battlefield or another part of history.
Hmmmm….

Sounds familiar!
Katy Hibben, assistant headteacher, said the whole school had an open feel which was largely influenced by the pupils’ own suggestions.

She said: “Some of the classrooms don’t have doors. It has a college-like feel as opposed to a secondary school.

“It is an open, airy space, it is what our pupils have asked for. They were quite involved in the design process. All of the teachers are absolutely blown away by this space.”
Let’s hope you can now teach the kiddiewinks to read, write and add up, eh? Or all the money spent will just be wasted.

Mind you, at least you'll still be ahead of some Essex schools.

11 comments:

Over the top said...

Pupils "can take a tour of a First World War battlefield"

That would be life in most secondary schools these days. But with mobile phones.

Captain Haddock said...

"That would be life in most secondary schools these days. But with mobile phones" ...

I doubt you'd find much in the way of courage, leadership, self-sacrifice etc in any Secondary School today ..

I think that comparing the men who fought & died in those conditions with the over-weaned, undisciplined, self, self, self type idiots portrayed in that series, is to do those men a grave injustice ..

Clarissa said...

Let’s hope you can now teach the kiddiewinks to read, write and add up, eh?

Given that Cornelius is a secondary school one would hope that the pupils can do all of those things before they arrive there.

That said, it is Canvey...

ivan said...

Will it still be working next week?

Woman on a Raft said...

Today, Tyson, you are going to find out what it is like to be chained to an oar.

Oh yes I can.

No, Shania, 'oar'.

Over the top said...

Captain Haddock: good point, but I was thinking less of bravery and dedication and more of grubbing around in a muddy struggle without end.

Beam me up said...

New skool holodeck:

Week one, the kids see history up close

Week two, someone tries to break in and pinch the plasma TVs they think are in there

Week three, kids get bored 'cos history has no facebook innit

Week four, holodeck breaks

week five, no money for repairs

week six, holodeck turned into storeroom for broken chairs

John Pickworth said...

Bloody hell, I'm all for moving with the times but we managed to teach a generation that invented computers, jet engines, space travel... with little more than slide rules, ink wells, blackboards and dusty old books.

Any chance them bringing back a good phasering from the Headmaster for those that misbehave?

microdave said...

"Which can transport pupils into a different world."

"Absolutely blown away"

Stop putting ideas in my head!

JuliaM said...

"That said, it is Canvey..."

Heh!

"Will it still be working next week?"

Damn good point!

"week six, holodeck turned into storeroom for broken chairs"

You must have worked in a school, then? ;)

"Any chance them bringing back a good phasering from the Headmaster for those that misbehave?"

If only!

David Gillies said...

"Some of the classrooms don’t have doors. It has a college-like feel…"

Huh? I worked as a researcher in a University for six years and my lab (and the whole damn building) was swipe-card entry only.