Next Generation Learning in Kent

Open Source - now its officially OK for schools!

2008-09-23T22:00:00Z

Becta has replaced its previous software framework agreement which expired in March 2008 with a new framework agreement, called “Software for Educational Institutions Framework”. The BIG news is that open source services provider Sirius has made it on to the framework with an ebullient press release . "Mark Taylor, who is president of the Sirius Corporation, founder of the Open Source Consortium and a noisy critic of Becta’s reluctance in the past to adopt open source software in favour of proprietary...(read more)

Data Handling in schools - epiphany or apocalypse!

2008-09-23T19:26:00Z

I recently posted on the huge shake-up that will result from Becta guidance on data management in schools. This week has seen the publication of detailed guidance in the shape of four guides: Impact levels and labelling available in Word (727KB) PDF (246KB) and OpenDocument text format (636KB) Data encryption available in Word (3.4MB) PDF (3.7MB) and OpenDocument text format (3.2MB) Audit logging and incident handling available in Word (662KB) PDF (288KB) and OpenDocument text format (563KB) Secure...(read more)

Stuff that's caught my eye - 230908

2008-09-23T19:01:00Z

BBC News School report - 11-14 year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience. Why the future is looking good - "visual computing" is a catch-all term encompassing anything driven by graphics. Pupils test multi-touch screens - School pupils are trying out desks with interactive screens that can recognise more than one person's finger presses. Takeover day! - The Children's Commissioner for England, is calling on schools to invite children...(read more)

Extended Schools and ICT - paradigm lost?

2008-09-14T14:44:00Z

DCSF recently published extended schools funding guidance . One expectation of Extended Schools funding is a ' core offer ' that includes community access to ICT. Extended Schools covers a wide range of activities, and for obvious reasons I am going to focus on ICT. Steve Smith of Ramesys in an article published in 2007 suggests there are four main ICT related extended activities. I believe ICT can be more broadly categorised as: Student Access - combinations of online portals, learning platforms...(read more)

ICT Managed Services in Schools - information

2008-09-12T07:11:00Z

In light of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) requirement for ICT to be a managed service, I thought I would point to a report commissioned by Becta . It usefully explains what a managed service is, and the experiences of its customers....(read more)

14- 19, keeping track when students move around!

2008-09-09T07:44:00Z

A continuing trend in education is the need to support 14 - 19 choice, and to achieve this schools join consortia to improve the range of courses on offer. This presents two problems: How do you move them around? How do you know where the student is? The first is still awaiting an answer, often involving taxis and minibuses at considerable cost to the school. The latter point may now have an answer. According to the Guardian Education supplement (9th Sept 2008) Edexcel are recommending that schools...(read more)

Stuff that's caught my eye! - 070908

2008-09-07T19:54:00Z

Database of children delayed Intel cites US education 'crisis' HP's plan to fix ailing planet - Hewlett Packard is up to two years away from starting to build a "central nervous system for the Earth", known as CeNSE. Tablet and other mobile PC case studies update. Lets just scare the #$%& out of them, OK? e-learning on a shoestring - resource kit for creative community engagement. Google Chrome edmodo - private micro-blogging for classroom and teachers. Taxonomy of Interactivity...(read more)

Online Reporting - Making it Happen.

2008-09-07T19:18:00Z

All Secondary Schools are expected to make the following information available to parents via secure online access [PDF 6300KB] by September 2010, and Primary Schools by 2012: Attendance and behaviour (+ve and -ve) Progress and attainment Special Needs. Becta has published a toolkit [PDF 6300KB], but as my previous post on the new requirements for managing personal data in schools highlights, setting up robust and secure systems for getting personal data online are a complex matter. Who is the parent...(read more)

Huge shake-up in school data management?

2008-09-07T08:41:00Z

It's no surprise that an on-going shake-up in the management of personal data at all levels of administration and government was going to affect schools sooner or later. As the main source of national pupil data through the school census, its where our most sensitive information about children is ciollated and held. It will also come as no suprise that not all schools protect their data effectively, with USB memory sticks, external hard drives and Virtual Private Network (VPN) access typically...(read more)

Northgate acquiring Anite?

2008-08-05T07:23:00Z

Northgate Information Solutions has agreed to acquire Anite Public Sector Holdings Limited , which incorporates Anite ’s local government and secure information systems businesses, for a total cash consideration of £54.3 million payable at completion, subject to the settlement of a £3.8 million receivable owed by Anite to Anite Public Sector and a working capital adjustment following completion. Why is this of interest? Northgate Information Solutions is of course the ICT Contractor in the Land Securities...(read more)

Stuff that's caught my eye! - 040808

2008-08-04T16:54:00Z

RM Gets Fingers into school biometrics market - RM's acquisition of Orchard Partners Ltd T/A Easy Trace . MP's report back from Internet's dark side . MPs have called on the government to install a YouTube Czar to oversee user-generated content sites and better labels for video games. Is BT shaping your broadband speeds? - tests show that BT may be using traffic shaping to manipulate performance figures. Microsoft's spherical touch screen technology. Young People and Social Networking...(read more)

Codename Midori: Microsoft's ascension from physical to virtual?

2008-08-04T15:59:00Z

It's no secret ... Microsoft software was born in an era where getting connected wasn't much of a concern as few had connections! Microsoft has moved with the times with constantly updated products, but they still largely install on hardware. The rise of virtualisation , where multiple operating systems can run on a single device, or across a farm of devices is shifting computing to the ' cloud ' ... data centres out there on the internet that serve up .. services (Interestingly DELL...(read more)

Science Content - The Periodic Table of Videos

2008-07-22T18:41:00Z

The Periodic Table of Video's is a modern version of the periodic table. Each element has an associated video explaining what it is and how it reacts. Great resource, but shame they chose YouTube ... the videos are blocked by most school filters (and KCC)!...(read more)

Stuff that's caught my eye - 220708

2008-07-22T18:22:00Z

OFSTED says tests narrow learning Students bring kit worth £6K School design labelled 'mediocre' e-learning 2.0 -= the need for a real 2.0 VLE Corporate social networks are a waste of money Richard Stallman: Free software and beyond Top 5 platforms for creating educational video games Is the ability to create visuals an important work literacy Education for a digital world: advice, guidelines and effective practice from around the globe. Opensim / Drupal integration for education Education...(read more)

If you read just one book ...

2008-07-19T18:13:00Z

Last week Jerry, a colleague handed me a short book, What's Next: 21 Ideas for 21st Century Learning by Charles Leadbeater , and published by the Innovation Unit . Jerry was emphatic as he placed it on my desk ... "This says what I believe ... ". The book is available free online . I read it in a fairly short time, its not long. On reading I realised I had noted a large number of key points in the margin of what is such a concise book. I'm not going to give away the contents, but...(read more)

Stuff that's caught my eye - 190708

2008-07-19T11:04:00Z

It's not the Gates, it's the bars - Anti-microsoft commentary from Richard Stallman, Founder of Free Software Foundation . Government launches data mash-up . Spam experiment overloads inboxes . Job shortage for unskilled youths. Rural diplomas to get extra help . Should employers doubt Diplomas . DCSF Consultation: Safeguarding children from sexual exploitation . QCA Consultation: GCSE subject criteria for 2010 (including ICT) Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) - Excellence Gateway (online...(read more)

Assessment is for Learning

2008-07-19T06:25:00Z

Thanks to Ewan McIntosh for highlighting the following Assessment is for Learning guide on the Learning & Teaching Scotland (LTS) web site. Thought I'd pass it on!...(read more)

Government Computers go green!

2008-07-18T12:34:00Z

With Gershon efficiency savings being imposed on Local Government, and cascaded down to schools, I picked up an interesting Cabinet Office news item from a colleague. A bold plan has been announced to reduce carbon emission caused by ICT in central government. The principles are just as applicable to Local Authorities and Schools; indeed there is currently a DCSF zero carbon consultation (call for evidence) aimed at schools being zero carbon by 2016, and all schools must have a prominent Display...(read more)

Harnessing Technology:Next Generation Learning - New Strategy in a nutshell!

2008-07-17T20:31:00Z

I thought that I would try to summarise the key features of the revised and updated e-strategy Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning ; a sort of ' Reduced Shakespeare Company ' version for those who don't have time to read the document. Key Strategic Aims Learner entitlement to technology . Personalised Learning - Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size...(read more)

Learning in class - the sequel

2008-07-15T05:43:00Z

The survey evidence from the harnessing technology: next generation e-strategy review, also shows that children prefer to learn: 1. In groups 2. Doing practical things 3. With friends 4. By using computers In that order!...(read more)

Learning in class?

2008-07-15T05:35:00Z

The chart above is taken from the recently published revision of the e-strategy, Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning . It shows the learning experiences of children taken from MORI survey evidence. Its quite an indictment that the most common experience is still copying from board or book, followed by listening to a teacher talk for too long. Creativity anyone?...(read more)

Parent Power? The case for online reporting.

2008-06-27T19:45:00Z

Becta commissioned survey of 2,058 parents 95 per cent of parents think the effective use of technology can help their child learn 77 per cent of parents think technology can help their child engage with difficult subjects 78 per cent of parents think technology can bring subjects to life 63 per cent of parents think using technology effectively can help improve exam results parents are more comfortable talking to their children about drugs, alcohol and bullying than technology! 94 per cent of parents...(read more)

Ikea Primary Capital Programme Bid? The flat pack school? Where's the Allen Key?

2008-06-27T15:48:00Z

Times Online has a news item that shows work beginning on building Britains first flat-pack school in Manchester. Delivered from Switzerland and shipped on 20 trucks, the three storey school is built from 600 computer cut panels. St Agnes CE Primary School should be open by next March. Their current website shows the history of the old building this replaces. For information, St Agnes is the patron saint of chastity, gardeners, girls, and engaged couples ( amongst other things )....(read more)

Disarming Britain

2008-06-27T15:38:00Z

Channel 4 has produced a 3D game for young people called ' Dead Ends ' as part of its ' Disarming Britain' season. You play on both sides of the law, as Keith Wilcox, a new gang recruit caught in a deadly situation he can't handle, and Detective Jameson, an officer investigating a gang killing that's turning up nothing but dead ends. Who killed Keith and why? To find out, you must interrogate witnesses, chase down suspects, pass gang initiation tests and escape through the...(read more)

Google Oil!

2008-06-27T15:30:00Z

Thanks to Ewan McIntosh for highlighting this little gem for Google Earth . The ( kmz ) file overlays world oil consumption on to the globe of the earth. Below are some pics so you get the idea. Wow, what a way to show the 'inconvenient truth' of how unbalanced world oil consumption is....(read more)

Scrapping subject lessons? replaced by themes ...

2008-06-26T05:03:00Z

I picked up this interesting report of a school in Totnes that has created a foundation year aimed at helping children to become good learners. Whilst the report claims they are scrapping subjects, the story affirms that children still cover the subjects, but not as silos. This follows the Cramlington Commmunity High School model that I visited last month, where learning to learn is having a huge impact, and reinforces my feeling that this approach is one of the most important advances in secondary...(read more)

Byron Recommendations? ... Online Information Card? ... Response?

2008-06-26T04:45:00Z

Following this weeks publication of the Byron Review Action Plan , which aims to protect the safety of children online, Times Online reports that the worlds most influential firms have launced their online 'Information Card'. Note that its' not called an identity card, but effectively thats what it does, including verifying a users age. Information Card Foundation membership includes Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Novell, PayPal and Equifax. With this sort of support, the Foundation may be...(read more)

Stuff that's caught my eye! 220608

2008-06-22T07:24:00Z

The computer that predicted the future - More than 20 years ago a generation of schoolchildren sat down to complete a questionnaire they were told would predict their future. One tonne baby marks its birth - Sixty years ago the "modern computer" was born in a lab in Manchester. Changing the way we think - Bill Thompson considers how our multi-media world is impacted the way we see ourselves. Harnessing the power of clouds - It is not unusual to find the computer you bought only a couple...(read more)

Todays ICT conference!

2008-06-19T08:29:00Z

The ICT conference 2008 Home Access conversation is now under way! For theose interested there is a conference blog. The Theme of the conference is the practicalities of Home Access. We are blogging through the day as we capture the conversation through Demos. Blog can be found HERE ....(read more)

Filmclub goes online

2008-06-16T07:21:00Z

As previously posted , Filmclub launched last week. This is aimed at encouraging children to watch and learn, and was set up with support from the UK Film Council . Apparently 60,000 films are being, or have been made available to support 7,000 schools over the next three years. Information can be found on the Filmclub website . According to the original press release Kent had/has 7 schools participating in a pilot: · St Edmund’s Catholic School, Dover · The Canterbury High School, Canterbury · Astor...(read more)