The boy had just demonstrated how to calculate the opacity of variouscoloured slides by using a data-logger, then turned to his teacher to ask her to tie his shoes. Tying your shoes when you are six is difficult even for a computer expert.

From Haslemere to Halifax from Lampeter to Llangollen, the judges of the ICT in Practice Awards have trekked across the UK. Run by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), BT and The TES, the awards are in their second year.

All the teachers and lecturers show great generosity in sharing their work with others. Sharing is what these awards are about; the competitive element takes second place. When you see a teacher in a special school who has used ICT and liberated a child’s mind imprisoned after a traffic accident, the technology is doing more than enhancing learning. Another dedicated SEN teacher has put his children through GCSE by driving both them and the examination board.

The work of many of those who have taken part in the awards will be featured in Becta case studies, Becta seminars, and in The TES.

These people are pioneers using the technology to improve retention and impact on creativity.

It has been a long process. Final entries came in July. The shortlist was drawn up in August and judging took place in September and October. In November two from each category are invited to Becta in Coventry to present their work to a panel. The winners and the runners up will be invited to the BETT show in January to receive their rewards.

The award categories are: advice and support; innovation and change; management; subject teaching; inclusion.

The main themes for awards are:

* Commitment to the use of ICT for teaching and learning * An understanding of how ICT is contributing to raising standards * The ability to inspire and motivate students and colleagues * Visionary and sustainable ongoing plans.

Someone asked recently if all these people who had entered had one thing in common. There isn’t any one thing, just more. They have a passion about what they are doing and are great communicators. Above all, they are sharers. In an age when schools charge other schools for the resources they have created with taxpayers’ money it is refreshing to see the open-handedness, energy, drive and curiosity of all who have entered.

We were amazed listening to the teacher who explained that she did not have a budget for ICT so she had raised pound;100,000 by running courses and seeking grants. That was done in one of the most deprived areas of the UK. Teachers doing so much with so little in very difficult circumstances also challenged us.

Teachers in schools who are not well resourced have demonstrated some great ideas and strategies. That should not be used as an excuse to reduce funding; those teachers would do so much more if they had more resources.

These awards are important because they show ICT in action in real schools rather than sketched out on a guru’s PowerPoint presentation. Practically every teacher in the UK has something to learn from the practice of these teachers and lecturers. If you have nothing to learn, perhaps you should enter next year so we can learn from you.

www.becta.org.ukpracticeawards