Kent ICT Blog

19 January - a whole day workshop for 200 Kent teachers.

This new and exciting Kent project has been inspired by the work of Tim Rylands, who has been described as “an extremely gifted and inspirational teacher, with a love of the creative potential of technology and an excellent rapport with his pupils” 

Tim has over 20 years of experience in schools as far afield as the West Country and West Africa. He has gained notable recognition for using the games in the Myst series to inspire children’s creative confidence in many areas of the curriculum e.g. creative writing, speaking and listening, music and art.

Using the computer game Myst, children are not only loving creative writing, but also improving attainment as a result.  (See www.timrylands.com/html/statistics.html.). Myst supports all kinds of writing including first person description, character portraits, instructions, poetry and problem solving.

Myst’s wow factor, engages children of all ages and gender with boys finding it particularly motivating. It immerses children in a world using sound and images of very high quality.

When will the project be launched?

On 19 January 2009, Tim Rylands will lead a whole day hands on workshop for Kent teachers at the Hop Farm near Paddock Wood.

This will be followed by Tim giving whole day demo lessons in each of the following nine Partnerships (Clusters): Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Cranbrook and Paddock Wood, Gravesham, Malling, Maidstone 1, Maidstone 2, Dartford East and Dartford West.

What will be the format of the day in a Cluster school?

Tim will demo three lessons – Year 1/2, Year 3/4 and Year 5/6.  The demo lessons will take place in a school hall and each lesson will be watched by around 30 teachers from other Cluster schools. We would suggest that schools send 1 or 2 teachers to the morning sessions and a different teacher or two to the afternoon session.

Further information will be given out at the ITN ICT Twilights

Contact mandy.barrow@kent.gov.uk