November 2008 - Posts
Teachers accessing social networking sites for personal use during school hours
"A primary school teacher accused of spending hours on the internet during class time, using social network sites including Facebook, has been found guilty of professional misconduct." Read the full article here
Should teachers have Facebook and other Social Networking pages?
There have been a number of incidences in the press where pupils (and parents) have been able to access their teachers Social Networking pages and have found "inappropriate" comments and photos. Comments such as "I hate my students" and photos showing teachers drinking and behaving in an approriate manner, are just a couple of examples of what has been seen.
What do you think?
Should teachers be stopped from using social networking sites for personal use?
Forty schools from around the world are taking part right now in "Weather around the World."
www.segfl.org.uk/microsites2/view_project.php?id=95
Many of the schools have already published work on their project web pages including:
Peponi House Kenya, Brattåsskolan, Sweden, Pembury Primary, Whitstable Community College, Christchurch Junior, Ramsgate, ZS Rudna Czech Republic, Szkola 707 Poland, Kenton College Preparatory School Kenya,
Bower Grove, Dalat International School Malaysia, Ecole Delaroche Calais France.
KCC and Kent Police are hosting a further e-Safety Conference at Kent Police College, Maidstone on 21 January 2009. The conference is aimed at Kent and Independent Primary, Special and Secondary Schools, Headteachers, Police Officers, e-Safety & Child Protection Co-ordinators and ICT Co-ordinators
Places are limited and there is a charge of £50 per person to cover the cost of refreshments and speakers.
For more details please see the conference flyer below. To book a place please complete and return the attached booking form below.
Conference flyer: http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/communication/comms_docs/programme.pdf
Booking form: http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/communication/comms_docs/booking_form.doc
If you have any enquiries, please contact EIS Tel: 01622 683708 Email: eis@kent.gov.uk
A big thank you to Russell Prue and everyone else who contributed to another successful Kent Leading ICT Conference. Everyone who attended came away with lots of new and exciting ICT ideas to share with schools right across Kent.
The official Kent Leading ICT Conference website is the only place where delegates can down presentations and resources. The address is on the postcard handed out to all delegates at the end of the conference. If you have mislaid yours please contact Maryan Wyles.
As always, we would like to invite delgates to leave comments on our Kent blog about the conference and what excited them most about the day.
Spelltube
www.spelltube.co.uk
"Spelltube brings the weekly spelling list into the technological age."
Spelltube is a fun spelling website that allows teachers to assign video-based spelling lists to their pupils. At present it is aimed at KS2 pupils but it is hoped to extend this at a later date.
Spelling videos have been created for each of the 3000+ words in the National Spelling Bank, from which teachers can generate and assign a word list to their Key Stage 2 pupils. Memorable characters help to reinforce spelling concepts in an enjoyable way that will appeal to various learning styles.
See previous Website of the Week
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/siteoftheweek/
Visit our website
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/
Many congratulations to St Teresa's Catholic Primary School in Ashford. It is the latest school in Kent to be awarded the ICT Mark and is the first school in the AS1 Partnership to achieve this prestigious award. Well done to everyone at the school! Oh and good luck with Ofsted today!
A group of Herefordshire teachers have produced some high quality interactive whiteboard Promethean flipchart resources to support the teaching of Literacy within the Renewed Primary Framework.
www.cs.herefordshire.gov.uk/
See also our IWB pages with resources for all makes of boards
www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/ict/IWB/
To mark European Safer Internet Day, schools can download a pack of resources including brand new stand alone KS2 and 3 assemblies (which will be launched on the day). CEOP will be also be signposting to all the resources schools will need for SID 2009 including those focussed on cyberbullying and other issues.
Go to http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/sid09.aspx, register and CEOP will keep you up-to-date with developments. You will be able to download the resource pack early February 2009.
If you are a registered user of the Thinkuknow website, please login before registering your interest for the Safer Internet Day Assemblies. This will preclude you from having to fill out more registration forms!
The downloads will be available from the "Resource Area" early February 2009 but only to those who have registered and been verified.
Becta has unveiled the new Next Generation Learning campaign website, as part of its drive to parents, learners and employers to get the most out of technology in education.
The website is a key resource to find out more about the innovative and exciting ways that technology is already being used by some schools and organisations to improve engagement, motivation and results. Exemplar schools include John Cabot Academy in Bristol, where students are using their PSPs (PlayStation Portables) in PE lessons to see how their long jump techniques compare to the professionals, and where sixth formers teach software designers some tricks of the trade.
New on the Next Generation Learning website is a postcode search facility for parents to find out which schools in their area are using technology effectively. These are the schools that are already using technology to a high standard and have received the prestigious ICT Mark. Research indicates that ICT Mark accredited schools are four times more likely to be rated as outstanding in the overall effectiveness category of Ofsted inspection reports. Pupils at ICT Mark schools are also more likely to achieve better results.
For more information go to the Next Generation Learning website at www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk
Learn Your Tables
www.learnyourtables.co.uk
Learnyourtables is an advert free site where pupil's can practice individual tables and take online assessments for both individual tables (18 question tests) and mixed tables (40 question tests).
Click on a table in the green rectangle and then one of the options in the white boxes.
The software was going to be added to the main set of SUMS Maths activities, the recent winner of a NASEN prize - see their main www.sums.co.uk website. When the Learn Your Tables software was completed, SUMS decided that it was too valuable a resource to be restricted to their own client base. They wanted as many pupils as possible to benefit, both in the UK and overseas. Obviously they also hope that it will in time lead schools to their paid-for resources, but there is no obtrusive advertising on the website. The software is clearly very useful - rare for a free resource.
See previous winners.
Visit our main website www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/
We are pleased to announce that Mike Temple will be addressing the conference next week.
Mike is an independent consultant from The Life Skills Company specialising in the areas of behaviour management and ICT. His background includes:
- 13 years in special education
- the last 6 years as Head of ICT
- he is an Advanced Skills Teacher
- he has spent 4 years within ASK working in both ICT and behaviour management
From the early days of “Talking Worksheets” through to the “Edublogs Tutorials” and “Open Resource Centre” blogs, he has extensively researched resources and distilled approaches that will both engage and stretch the disaffected as well as the more able.
His focus has always been on sharing expertise and experiences and in this keynote on “Making Connections” he will be inviting you to do just that.
Kent's 'Weather around the World' runs from Monday 24th November to Friday 5th December 2008
To find out more about the forthcoming “Weather around the World” fortnight you are invited to attend a training meeting at Ashford Oaks Primary School on Wednesday 19th November 2008 from 3.15 – 5.00 p.m.
The meeting is an opportunity for all involved in the Weather Watch project to meet the Project Team, find out more about planned events and learn more about using ICT to support this project.
We hope all involved will be able to organise release cover and be able to attend.
Planning to attend?
Please e-mail Phil Bracegirdle (ASK ICT “Hands on Support” Consultant) to confirm you will be attending. E-mail: Philip.bracegirdle@kent.gov.uk
Taking place this week
Taking place between Monday 3rd - Friday 7th November is our photographic competition. Click on the links below to see some of the digital images posted by Gerard O'Sullivan and students at Homewood School, Tenterden. We hope over the coming weeks (as we approach Christmas) to add many more images from schools registered in the project. Ideally we would welcome receiving at least 10 images from every school.
http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery2446-.html
http://www.segfl.org.uk/microsites2/view_page.php?id=573
For information about how to publish your images please visit
www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/weatherwatch/photocompetition.html
What happens if we send our images after November 7th?
That will not be a problem. Our aim is to create a bank of copyright free resources for all project schools to use. To thank everyone for supporting this activity we will be sending a CD of the images to every school before the end of this coming term.
For your images to be included on the disc please ensure they reach us by Friday 5th December 2008.
Next Activity - Coming Soon!
Weather Around the World (Monday 24th November - Friday 5th December)
Have not registered yet?
It is not too late to register your school to be part of Weather Watch 2009
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/weatherwatch/
Virtual Fireworks over well known places in Kent
www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/festivals/fireworks/
Dover Castle fireworks
Fireworks exploding over Dover Castle
Could be used to inspire creative writing/poems - includes a wordbank
Information about Bonfire Night and traditions surrounding this special day
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Guy.html
Gunpowder Plot Game
Test your knowledge of the Gunpowder Plot with this interactive quiz. Answer the questions against the clock to track down the fizzing fuse. Fail and disaster is certain!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/
Welephant's Special Bonfire Night Story
Read all about how Welephant and Spikey enjoyed a safe bonfire night with a special feature story "Safe Firework Fun". It also provides the Firework Code for you to print out.
http://www.welephant.co.uk/
Teaching Resources on Firework Safety
Resources cover key stages 1, 2 and 3 and are available from the DTI. They are designed to communicate the firework safety message through use in the literacy/citizenship elements of the national curriculum but the materials also contain cross-curriculum links where appropriate.
http://www.phoenixfireworks.co.uk/kids-fireworks-safety-training-resources.htm
Visit the homepage of Kent ICT Blog
Our website is www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/