Being green is never easy

Environmental issues are always on the classroom agenda, but now they are joined
by green ICT. Of course, we all want to do our bit for the environment, but is ‘green’
being done effectively in ICT? I had to look up quite a few articles to get a grasp of
green ICT as it isn’t covered in teacher training. Perhaps it’s assumed we know what
it involves, but do teachers even understand the term? I asked a few and none had a
good understanding. What about teachers who don’t use ICT very often? Would they
know what to do in a computer suite to save energy? And how do students treat the
equipment?

Some green ICT measures recommended shutting down computers after use, but this
isn’t practical. I teach in ICT suites where computers are used all day. It would be
impossible to turn them off every time they have been used, not to mention expecting
students to do this. As well as practical concerns, green ICT raises funding and
responsibility issues, but where will investment come from and where does responsibility
lie? Often, not with the ICT department or the technical team. Considering these are the
two groups who use ICT equipment the most, you may think they would have considerable
influence. The environment is important to schools, but green ICT will only be an enabler
forchange if it is included in teacher training. 

Laura Mulholland is a trainee teacher of ICT at south west teacher training