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Virtual school lets Charlotte join in lessons
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| School days: Charlotte Abercrombie hard at work, using her laptop to talk to classmates |
A TEESSIDE youngster is joining in lessons with her classmates - despite being in hospital more than 40 miles away.
Charlotte Abercrombie suffers from chronic renal failure and has had to attend dialysis sessions at Newcastle's RVI Hospital three times a week for the past four years.
But thanks to revolutionary technology and the support of Stockton City Learning Centre (CLC), she is now able to join in lessons via a virtual classroom.
Charlotte, a pupil at Hartburn Primary School, in Stockton, said: "I think it's great because I can now take part in lessons which I normally miss - like music, which I love -- and I like hearing my classmates talking, even though I'm not with them."
The virtual learning environment runs from a laptop computer, which has a two-way live link.
It also allows Charlotte's classmates to send messages to keep her included in other playground activities, allows teachers to support her studies out of class time and even enables Charlotte to hand in her own work for the teacher to mark.
Val Brooks, from Stockton CLC, said: "Children need continuity in education, and this isn't always easy when pupils have health problems which may take them away from the classroom for long periods.
"Hospitals can be very isolating, but this opens up a whole new world for the children.
"The technology is truly revolutionary, and the first lesson was 100 per cent successful. We are continuing it with Charlotte and are hoping that other schools and children will take the same opportunity to use it."
Kath Collinson, Charlotte's teacher, said: "The children have really enjoyed linking up with Charlotte, and their faces were a picture when they realised that she could actually hear them and could write on the whiteboard."
Councillor Alex Cunningham, Stockton Borough Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "It's a credit to Charlotte and her classmates that they have embraced the technology with such enthusiasm."
Charlotte is due to have a kidney transplant soon and will continue to use the virtual technology while she recuperates in hospital and at home.
9:55am Thursday 6th July 2006
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