In the year or so since the first edition of this was published, schools have made enormous leaps in IT provision. This progress is recognised in the updated version, which aims to help schools in several ways; there are detailed sections dealing with and offering advice on:

1. Setting up an effective ICT plan that will take account of national targets and reflect a school's needs and strengths. There is no room for complacency, however, as schools with ICT development plans in place are advised to revise and refine them. Plans must indicate how ICT is used to deliver the whole school curriculum with emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Staff development is important, but stress is also placed upon the value of ICT as a tool for management.
The key words used to assess the value of a development plan for ICT are:

• credible
• manageable
• sustainable

Advice is given on all of these.

2. Advising on funding and purchasing including clear information on the total cost of ownership of equipment. Schools are now fairly comfortable with budgeting for consumables, paper, print cartridges and the like, but sometimes forget the 'hidden' overheads, for example management and training costs.
Advice is given on different methods of funding, purchase, leasing and extensive information about managed services, an option that is becoming increasingly popular outside as well as within education. A case study involving a small, rural primary school serves as an example of why governing bodies may prefer a managed service.

3. Suggesting and explaining available resources including local area networks (LANs) and intranets, as well as digital cameras and interactive whiteboards. Clear explanations of all these terms are given.
Different types of computers, desktops, portables and palmtops are described and their relative merits and demerits discussed. Additionally there are brief paragraphs on peripherals - scanners, digital cameras, video conferencing, interactive whiteboards and data projectors, some with examples of how they can be used effectively.

4. Providing case studies illustrating good practice using ICT in teaching and learning as well as management. This gives good, clear information on using email and video conferencing, both as a learning tool and for administrative purposes. Unfortunately I felt some of the examples were rather lack-lustre. I found the section dealing with web publishing and design more informative and interesting, but perhaps this just reflects my own needs. Schools will find the checklist of issues to consider when publishing on the web of value.
There is even an extremely welcome section on copyright and the Internet.

Apart from providing a valuable framework, each chapter has as an appendix section entitled 'Going Further', providing further reading (whether this be paper-based or from the Internet).
This is a useful publication, particularly for schools who still have some way to go to reach government targets, and is available free of charge by telephoning the Order Hotline 024 7641 6669, or it can be downloaded direct from the Grid.

From Chalk Board to Internet is aimed at the non-specialist teacher who, perhaps, feels in need of a bit of hand-holding when taking the digital plunge. There are several handy check-lists dealing with such things as having the right equipment, and level of motivation. There is also something, too, for the more experienced Internet user.
The book is divided into seven sections covering such subjects as email and using the World Wide Web. An important section is the one covering issues, including safe use of the Internet. In addition there is a useful chapter on projects, giving suggestions of ways in which the Internet can be used to enhance teaching and learning in Maths, English and Science. There is also a glossary as well as a list of sources of further help; other URLs are given throughout.
I like the layout of the pages. Margins (in grey) give definitions, helpful hints and information about the text. Once or twice I did feel I wanted to know a little more about some aspects of the technology, but by and large this is a well balanced publication. My major problem with this book is that many of the illustrations are just too small. For instance, in the section on using search engines:

"For example, using the search engine HotBot to find sites on the 'Tudors' will offer about 1,100 sites, ranked in order of relevance to the word. However, as you can see from the picture . . . "

What follows is a screen shot measuring approximately 3 inches by 2 inches, I can hardly make out anything, and I certainly cannot read it. This is generally true of all of the screen shots in the book, which is a real pity.
This handy little book is written in language that everyone can understand, so making it a particularly valuable addition to every staffroom bookcase.

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