Page 2 - Abingdon News

2 January 2014
NEWS
The Skills for Tomorrow
In a world driven by technology, schools needs to give pupils the skills that re!ect the
world they live in today and which they will work in tomorrow. To this end, Abingdon
encourages its pupils in all forms of ICT. Last term all second-years were given iPads
as a trial of tablet technology, which judging from the feedback appears to be going
very well. In December, the School participated in Computer Science Education Week
with its emphasis on computer coding, a skill increasingly in demand by employers and
of growing interest among the boys themselves. This is in addition to the Other Half
activities that encourage familiarity with software programs, like the ones the boys use
to produce The Blazer and The Abingdonian. There is a Robotics Club, where the boys
work with Lego Mindstorms robots combining programming with engineering techniques,
and a Blogging Club where they learn about the wonderful world of blogging. Q
Staff Pro"le:
Grant Baldwin
Grant Baldwin is the School’s Senior
Science Technician. He has worked
at Abingdon for the last "ve years
where he is part of a team of six
technicians who provide support
for teaching across all the science
subjects.
Grant worked for many years at
Harwell Laboratory in the "eld
of environmental research and
consultancy. He was involved in
a range of projects dealing with
hazardous materials in the UK and
overseas, including the investigation
and clean up of land and buildings
contaminated with anthrax, mustard
gas and mercury. In the early 1990s
he was engaged as an expert witness
in a court case where his opinion and
technical evidence helped secure a
conviction.
During the late 1990s he was a
Chemistry Technician at Henry Box
School in Witney, before returning to
Harwell to supervise a team surveying
the site for the environmental legacies
left by both the nuclear research
programme and the original use of the
site by the RAF.
He is married with two daughters, and
enjoys cycling, gardening and music. Q
Using Pages
to produce
The Blazer
Robotics Club
iPads in Latin
iPads in RS
Computer
Coding Club
Robotics Club