March 2009 - Posts
A BIG thank you to the schools who have now started to upload and share their Myst resources and pupils' work on the Kent ICT Myst Microsite. Please may we encourage other schools to do this as well. If you are on sure how to do this, please visit our guide to using the Microsite. Mandy is also availabe to do training, in your school for your local schools, on how to use the microsite and upload work. Please contact her if you would like some training..
Parts of the Kent ICT Myst Microsite are for registered users only as they contains resources shared with us by Tim Rylands. However, all work produced by schools can be viewed by anyone. These pages include:
Mandy :)
A report published by Intuitive Media suggests that when looking at children's everyday online behaviour, there is still significant leeway for them to stray into risky behaviour online with over a third of children (38%) using their computers alone in their rooms giving them the opportunity to surf the web unsupervised and take part in private online conversations without their parents' knowledge.
And, despite most children (80%) claiming they do understand the risk of giving personal contact details out to strangers online there is still a minority (15%), that don't. In addition, 15 per cent of children said they wouldn't tell their parents, teachers or friends if someone they met online came to their house (14%) phoned them (16%) or asked for their contact details (17%).
Download the report at www.intuitivemedia.com/gm.html
TeacherLED
Interactive Whiteboard Resources For Teachers
www.teacherled.com
Interactive Whiteboard Resources for Teachers. A variety of free, easy to use IWB resources, for teaching a variety of subjects. New resources added weekly.
Follow this link for an overview of the resources they have on the website
Mandy :)
Conflicker/downadup Worm detection and removal
The Kent Schools broadband team have identified activity within the network which would indicate several hosts are infected with this worm.
Symptoms that a PC is infected with this worm are:
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Slow performance
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Unable to access Microsoft Website
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Unable to update AV definitions
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Unable to access websites which relate to security
This worm spreads by exploiting a vulnerability in windows. (MS08-067) PC’s that are unpatched will be vunerable and more than likely become affected.
EIS recommends Schools review all PC’s connected to the network and ensure they are all fully patched and antivirus definitions are up to date.
Follow this link for more information on the EIS website
Personal computers
Microsoft recommends you download the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. Note: This is not a replacement for anti-virus software, rather an additional defence.
Mandy :)
Kent TV's new animation series consists of six short episodes ideal for showing in the classroom as part of a lesson. The video episodes demonstrate how to make animated films and also include advice from industry experts, including Bagpuss co-creator Peter Firmin. They cover a variety of different animation techniques, from producing a flick-book (ideal for younger children) to creating human characters out of Plasticine.
To watch the first episode, simply log on to www.KentTV.com/animate1
Kent TV is also running a competition for schools and their students
Children can enter as individuals or with their primary or secondary school and the prize is a fantastic animation kit for the school they attend, presented at a special screening ceremony. There are also plenty of runner-up prizes too, including signed Aardman DVDs.
The idea of the competition is for young people to watch six episodes on www.KentTV.com/animate to watch and then upload their own animation for others in Kent to see. The episodes are less than ten minutes long and can be watched on any computer that has broadband internet access. The episodes show the children a step-by-step guide to making different types of animation – from simple flick books to making their own Plasticine characters. They can upload their creations onto Kent TV before the closing date of Friday 24 April 2009 (this date is the new extended date).
Visit www.KentTV.com/animate for more information.
Mandy :)
200 Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils from seven schools across Kent took part on Friday 27th March 2009 in the Weather Watch Online Music Concert. During the project many of the pupils used ICT to:
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Listen to different types of weather music
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Record and review their own music
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Add different instrumental layers to their compositions
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Perform their music live on line
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Publish their music on the internet for others to play and download
Sharing our Music with others
To participate in the conference the schools used FlashMeeting. Follow the link below to watch the concert
http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/ed1803-5580
Prior to the concert many of the pupils had used Audacity to record and publish their work as an mp3 file on the National Education Network Gallery (sound folder.) Between Monday 23rd March and Friday 27th March 2009, 925 schools in the Kent ICT Weather Watch project and around the world visited the site.
NEN Gallery (Weather Watch Music files): http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery13634-.html
Consider this!
Pupils visiting the NEN Gallery either in school or at home can right click on any track to save the music to their computer or to download and save it on to their mp3 player or Ipod!
Schools who participated in the online concert were:
Ashford Oaks Primary
Bower Grove School
Bromstone Primary
Colliers Green Primary
Pembury Primary
St Mary’s C.E Primary Folkestone
Sundridge and Brasted Primary
Mandy :)
"Dig IT is an exciting opportunity for Key Stage 2 pupils to investigate and write about the people and events associated with some of Kent's most famous historical sites."
The DigIT website was launched on March 14th 2009. www.segfl.org.uk/microsites2/digIT
The probable dates for the Activity Day at each site are listed below. Schools on the project will receive an e-mail before April 3rd to confirm these arrangements
20th May 2009 Richborough Castle Theme: “Invaders at Dawn
5th June 2009 Lullingstone Castle Theme: “A death at the Villa”
8th June 2009 Bayham Abbey Theme: “The case of the missing relic”
ICT Training Dates
To enable teachers and schools to use ICT to support the project we are organising training sessions for each of the groups in Term 5. Each session will last approximately 2 hours. The use of ICT is an important element of this project. Please ensure you are able to attend one of the sessions.
21st April Richborough Project Group Newland Primary 2.30 – 4.30 p.m
24th April Richborough Project Group Holy Trinity Primary 1.30 p.m onwards
27th April Bayham Project Group East Peckham Primary 1.30 p.m onwards
5th May Lullingstone Project Group Brent Primary 2.30 p.m onwards
Part 1: DigIT – Publishing and Sharing our Work with other project schools
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What is a Micro-site?
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Uploading and adding images and documents
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Creating an article
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Using the Forum
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Using FlashMeeting to interview Ian Coulson and CAT Staff
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The Project “Blog”
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Publishing our pupils photographs on the NEN Gallery
Part 2 – Resources to support the project
Mandy :)
The Kent ICT has teamed up with Science Advisor, Andrew Berry, to run a Science/ICT project entitle 'Save the Gardens of Kent'. As part of the project, schools from around Kent have been taking part in 'Ask an Expert' where they have been using FlashMeeting to ask questions to experts including:
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David James RSPB (North Kent Marshes)
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Heather Chantler RSPB (Dungeoness)
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Lyn Merrick Independent consultant – Identification of UK organisms
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Fancisca Thompson Butterfly Conservation
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Gary Cliffe Centre Manager Horton Kirby Environmental Educational Centre
Read about what Chilton Primary School have been doing and see the FlashMeeting session they had with David James
Mandy :)
According to the Guardian newspaper, the new primary curriculum will allow schools greater flexibility in what they teach. It will also include more modern media and web-based skills such as blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/25/primary-schools-twitter-curriculum
From September 2011, the revised primary curriculum will see ICT as one of the central “skills for learning and life which should be developed across the curriculum”, along with literacy, numeracy and personal development.
It is expected that ICT will support and be developed in each of six proposed “areas of learning”:
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Understanding English, communication and languages;
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Mathematical understanding;
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Scientific and technological understanding;
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Human, social and environmental understanding;
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Understanding physical health and well-being;
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Understanding the arts and design.
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/primarycurriculumreview/
The plans of the revised curriculum have been drawn up by Sir Jim Rose, the former Ofsted chief who was appointed by ministers to overhaul the primary school curriculum, and are due to be published next month.
Mandy :)
A big “THANK YOU” from us to all the schools who are taking part in the March activities listed below:
Weather around the World Fortnight (16th – 27th March 2009)
Visit “The Project Micro-site” and “Super Clubs Plus” to read and view all the work posted by pupils and schools over the last 7 days. Have you read about the damaged weather station on Mount Sniesuz published by Ivana Konesca (Szkola 707.) http://www.segfl.org.uk/microsites2/view_page.php?id=1165
Encourage your pupils to visit the sites over the next 7-10 days as more reports are added.
The BBC is taking part in Weather Watch – Wednesday 25th March 2009
Thanks to Colette Cotton (Shepway 1 Leading ICT Teacher) schools from Kenya, Estonia, Scotland, Australia, The Czech Republic and the UK will be linking with the BBC Weather Centre this Wednesday. A wonderful opportunity for the children to learn about the weather in different parts of the world and question Kaye Forster (BBC Weather Team) about the weather changes we can all expect over the coming weeks.
To learn more about the activity visit the micro-site this week-end for a report about the event and to replay some of the FlashMeeting sessions.
Weather Watch Online Music Concert – Friday 27th March 2009
The online music concert is just days away. To watch the concert live or replay it later contact Philip.bracegirdle for the secure Flashmeeting link
Alternatively, following the Concert visit the National Education Network Gallery to listen to and download all the pupils' music.
http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery13634-.html
Mandy :)
Promethean Planet have teamed up with English Heritage NMR (National Monuments Records) to bring to you a fabulous range of new History interactive resources - flipcharts and resource packs for promethean boards
lipcharts
Resource packs
- Roman Remains - images of mosaic floors and ancient dwellings
- Women at Work - images of women working in mills, shops and typist pools
- Past Shopping - images of street markets and Victorian shops
Promethean Planet is Promethean’s free online community designed to provide Activclassroom teachers around the world the ability to share new and innovative lessons, access a wide variety of professional development materials, and connect with fellow Activclassroom teachers from around the Planet. http://www.prometheanplanet.com/
Mandy :)
2Simple's brand new program, 2Do It Yourself (2DIY), lets you and your primary pupils create your own cross curricular, Flash resources in minutes. Now TESconnect partner with 2Simple have launched a competition where the winner can win a laptop with all the 2Simple products installed. Click here to find out more
There are many excellent examples of activities created using 2DiY on the 2Simple website. They show a wide range of the many possibilities that can be achieved using this fantastic software by children (and adults).
http://www.2simple.com/2diy/examples/
2DiY events in Kent
Support with 2DIY Action script
Mandy :)
To inform our work in 2009/10 and help to better meet your needs, we are asking ICT Subject Leaders to tell us about ICT in their school. If you'd like to participate in our online survey, this is available at www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?ictinschools and should take no more than five minutes to complete.
I was contacted by a colleague who enquired if anyone was interested in the collaborative writing competition being run by Think Quest
Details can be found here: http://thinkquest.org/competition/narrative/index.html but the ideas are noted below
Create rich content about an educational topic that interests your team
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How can humans and animals live together harmoniously?
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How do you imagine the school of the future?
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How can we provide access to safe drinking water for everyone in our world?
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How can we take better care of our world and its resources?
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How can we end hunger in our world?
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What beliefs do people have in different parts of the world?
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What role does art or music play in our lives?
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What can we learn from the world of sports?
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What lessons have you learned from a favorite book or film?
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What lessons have you learned from history?
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What kind of business would you start to serve your local community?
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What can you do to lead a healthy life?
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What is life like for people in your local community?
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What makes a good world citizen?
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What leader do you most admire, and why?
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How would you introduce a tourist to your home town (or country)
What do I need to do?
Assemble a Team
All teams need a Coach (teacher) and 3 - 6 students. There are 3 age groups: 19 & Under, 15 & Under, and 12 & Under.
Express Your Ideas
Using ThinkQuest Projects, express your ideas on globally relevant topics. Rules and Evaluation Criteria are available on http://www.thinkquest.org
Win Prizes
Prizes for ThinkQuest Competition winners may include a trip to California, laptop computers, digital cameras, and school monetary grants. Every team that enters will have a chance to have their entry published in our Library.
Please visit the Competition portal for more information at the link: http://thinkquest.org/competition/narrative/index.html
Carolyn
Are you a Year 6 teacher - looking for a Science revision site. Have you visited www.compare4kids.co.uk/learn yet.
This is a website that links to other useful websites to help with Science SATs revision to save teachers lots of time searching the web. Thank you Rachel for putting this together. I'm sure many teachers will find this valuable.
The site could also be used to give you ideas and links to support with topics you are teaching even if you are not in year 6.
Many thanks also to Susan Taylor from Stone St.Mary's for highlighting this site
Tim Rylands is gradually working his way around Kent showing teachers how visual literacy using gaming software such as Myst can inspire children to write. Last week he spent two days in the Ashford Partnership working along side over 100 teachers. (Day 1 demo lessons and Day 2 Teacher Day) There are plans for Tim to visit the two Thanet Partneships next.
Kent Myst Microsite
The Kent Myst microsite is a website to support teachers using Myst in the classroom. It contains an introduction to the project, a getting started guide, teaching ideas and resources and work & lesson ideas by Kent schools.
There are two main sections to the site:
*Kent has always had an open policy to make resources available to all. We are keeping the resources shared by Tim for Kent teachers only to repect Tim's copyright and also because we feel to get the most out of using Myst in the classroom teachers need to see Tim in action. Any work creaed by Kent teachers will be open access to all.
Schools are beginning to share their ideas using Myst in the classroom and it is hoped over the coming months more schools will also publish their work on the Kent Myst Microsite. Click on a link below to read about how some schools in Kent started using Myst in their classrooms:
Further links
How to guide to using the Microsite
Kent schools click here to register to access the teaching resources and ideas
Follow up session to Tim Rylands training
Mandy Barrow is running free follow up sessions in Partnerships enabling teachers to come together to share ideas and resources, learn how to use the microsite and to create multimodal powerpoints to support learning. The next session will be a twilight in Dartford on 30 March.
Please contact Mandy for further information or if you would like to host a session on behalf of your Partnership.
The Myst Software
There has been a sharp increase in the cost of the Myst software and It is becoming increasingly hard to get hold of copies. Mandy has a few copies, provided by Tim, which schools can buy.
Kent Celebration of the Myst Project - 2 July
Schools will have the chance to celebrate their work using Myst at the EIS Conference on 2 July. During the conference, Tim Ryands will also be sharing new ideas on how schools can take the next step in using Myst. Watch this space!
Mandy :)
Poisson Rouge
www.poissonrouge.com
Poisson Rouge is a fantastic site for Early Years and Key Stage 1. It contains lots of free fun and educational games and activities for children.
With thanks to Jo Rickards for recommending it for Website of the Week. Jo is one of the brains behind Kent's highly popular www.sebastianswan.org.uk
A literacy website aimed at Key Stage 1 children and teachers
Our website http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/
Mandy :)
The report, The importance of ICT: information and communication technology in primary and secondary schools 2005/8, can be found on the Ofsted website www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/070035.
Here is a brief summary:
Government investment and better planning in schools have contributed to improvement in the quality of school information and communication technology (ICT) lessons, yet not all pupils are benefiting, according to a report published by Ofsted. The picture was most positive in primary schools, where achievement and standards rose as the survey progressed. In secondary schools students were adept at using ICT to present their work and communicate ideas, but standards in using spreadsheets, databases and programming were low. Assessment was the weakest aspect of ICT teaching.
Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said: 'Around 77 per cent of the workforce now uses information technology in their job and the demand for these skills is likely to continue to increase. Schools must equip young people with the tools to ensure their employability. ICT needs to be given high status, both by the government and in individual schools, in line with its importance to young people’s future economic well-being.'
The report recommends all schools:·
- evaluate the effectiveness of their provision for teaching pupils and students how to keep themselves safe when online and record incidents where the safety of individuals may be compromised·
- ensure that they achieve value for money by implementing the principles of best value in evaluating, planning, procuring and using ICT provision
- improve the assessment of ICT by establishing pupils’ and students’ attainment on entry and by tracking the progress of individual pupils, including their achievement when using ICT in other subjects ·
- audit the training needs of teachers and teaching assistants and provide extra support to improve their subject knowledge and expertise, particularly in data logging, manipulating data and programming.
"I have unsuccessfully been trying to get animation of the ground at our school.
I found 2Animate was too simple and didn't allow for enough slides to make a composition appropriate to Year 5 or 6 needs.
I was pointed to the free download Monkey Jam which I found to be excellent in ease of use, but neither my computer at home, nor our laptops at school can seem to handle the compression required when the animation is "finished", so we end up with huge file sizes for 15 second animations and these can't then be handled by WMP etc. Our technicians are good, but can't see a way through this.
What software do other schools use?
Thanks,
Peter
Mandy :)
Weather around the World Fortnight 16th - 27th March 2009.
It is not too late to sign up for Weather around the World fortnight which starts next week and is open to schools all around the UK and the world. It is an opportunity for schools to upload and share weather data and publish images of the weather in their local area.
Schools who are interested in taking part should contact either one of the following:
Colette Cotton - Shepway 1 Leading ICT Teacher
E-mail: colette.cotton@intuitive.media.com
Phil Bracegirdle - ASK ICT Hands on Support Consultant
E-mail: philip.bracegirdle@kent.gov.uk
27th March 2009 – Weather Watch “Online” Music Concert
Remember “Live Aid” and “Ban Aid?” Your pupils are invited to take part in the Weather Watch Online Music Concert. An opportunity for your pupils to use FlashMeeting to web conference and play live and share their music with other schools across the Globe!
Mandy :)
East Kent
16 March 3:30pm - St Mildreds Primary School, Saint Mildred's Avenue, Broadstairs, Thanet, (2DiY and 2Simple French)
West Kent
18 March 9:30 - 12 Woodlands Junior Tonbridge
18 March 1:30 - 4pm St John's Primary, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells
19 March 9:30 - 12 Lamberhurst Primay, Cranbrook
To book a place contact 
Mandy :)
I've liked the downloadable stopwatch from www.online-stopwatch.com for some time now. I noticed today that they've added some great new versions.Theres an egg timer, a clock and a bomb with a fuse!! All with variable times.
www.online-stopwatch.com/download-stopwatch/
The Kent one doesn't really compare, but just in case, here it is:
www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/countDownClock.html
Have fun
James:)
Do young people realise who reads what they publish online and the possible conseqences of this? A 16-year-old girl from Essex was fired after she described her office job as "boring" on her Facebook page. Go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7914415.stm for the full story.
Alice, 13, is one of 700 kids using a new website to help give advice to children who are being cyberbullied. They're called CyberMentors! Go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7910000/newsid_7919800/7919838.stm to find out more.
Teachers TV is a great resource for finding videos to support teachers CPD and also to find video clips to use in the classroom with the pupils. If you register on the site (its free), you will be able to download the videos and then embedd them in IWB software, create multimodal powerpoints or play them straight from your computer.
Teachers TV have created short starter clips for use on interactive whiteboards in your classroom, covering primary maths, science and literacy. Click on play or login to download
Primary ICT - Whiteboard Science - Seven Lesson Starts on one video
http://www.teachers.tv/video/28260
Primary ICT - Whiteboard Maths - Eight Lesson Starts on one video
http://www.teachers.tv/video/23315
- Using angles to find Pirate Kate's lost treasure
- Using fractions and percentage to help Nateisha with her packed lunch survey
- Using division in both The Thief's Problem and The Puppy Problem
- Exploring volume and division in Mrs Hanson's Problem
- Using multiplication in both Piggy's Problem and The Train Problem
- Using percentages in The Cake Problem
Primary ICT - Whiteboard Maths - Eight More Lesson Starts on one video
http://www.teachers.tv/video/25557
Can you break the Cat Burglar's code? Which puppy weighs the most? Who's scored the highest in the dance competition? the beginning of each problem.
Primary ICT - Whiteboard Literacy: Story Starts on one video
http://www.teachers.tv/video/13826
Suitable for Years 1 - 7, (6-12 year olds) each of the short clips sets up an environment or a narrative that can be used to fire the children's imagination.
Primary ICT - Whiteboard Literacy - Nine More Story Starts on one video
http://www.teachers.tv/video/23316
Each story start presents a different scenario and characters which are open to interpretation by pupils and teachers, including:
- a girl who wanders into a spooky basement
- a kite that causes trouble in high winds
- a piglet that explores a farm
Each individual story start ends on a cliff-hanger, encouraging pupils to continue the story from this point.
Primary ICT - Whiteboard Literacy - Nine More Story Starts
World Maths Day , a free annual event run by Mathletics, is an opportunity for students to play against each other in mental arithmetic games in real time. The questions are appropriately leveled for different ages and abilities.
Teachers can register their classes to take part. (Click on the orange button on the website).
E-safety concern
You will be asked for pupils names. Only use first name and an initial for the surname e.g. Mike S
http://www.worldmathsday.com/
More than 2,000 clips from BBC programmes on Learning Zone Broadband ready to play in your classroom.
BBC Class Clips
www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/
See also:
Britain From Above
See your world from the air. Great resources for geography, history and much more.
Science & Nature
Search BBC Science and Natures for clips from landmark programmes.
plus many more resources
www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/link.shtml
Collaborative writing with other people can be a very productive and fun way to produce/edit all forms or writing. Online document collaboration has changed the way how teachers and their students share and edit documents with more than one person being able to access and make changes to the same document, up until now this feature has been very popular in Google Docs.
Etherpad is an online collaborative text-editing application that, like Google docs, does not require downloading or installation of any software packages. However, unlike Google docs there is no registration and you can see changes made instantly.
How to use Etherpad
Simply click “Create a Pad” on the homepage and you will open a new editing session. Just like Flashmeeting, you can then copy and send the URL of the session to whoever you would like to join the session.
e.g. 
Each person is assigned a different highlight colour thus making it is easy to see who has typed what. Each person can also write simultaneously and the text is updated in real time.
Click on the link below to read more about Etherpad and ideas for using it in the classroom
http://www.kented.org.uk/internet/etherpad/
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How did I come across Etherpad?
Etherpad is yet another great resource I have discovered via my Twitter network of teachers. Twitter is a social networking site that has given me access to the most creative, influential, and innovative minds the world has to offer. Through Twitter, I have been able to share and gain ideas and resources for use in the classroom, with other educators from around the world.
Why not come and join us? http://twitter.com/mbarrow