"Using ICT to inspire a creative approach to writing - Emerging from the Myst."
For Key Stages 1, 2 and 3
This new and exciting Kent writing project has been inspired by the work of Tim Rylands, who 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. 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.
Click here to find out more about
the Kent Myst writing project.
Book today to avoid disappointment
Tim Rylands will be running a whole days workshop at the Hop Farm near Paddock Wood on 19 January. Due to the popularity of Tim's work we can only offer a maximum of one place per school. Places are going fast already.
To book a place:
Please email /fax the booking form to joanne.harber@kent.gov.uk or Fax to Jo Harber 01622 759648
Download Flyer for the whole day workshop
Download the Booking form
Major new research into the use of Web 2.0 technologies, such as wikis, blogs and social networking, shows that young learners are prolific users of these technologies in their leisure time, but the use of Web 2.0 in the classroom is still limited.
Click here for more details
Definitions
Web 1.0 - In the beginning, the internet was a place where books, newspapers and music all moved into a digital format. The internet was read only place.
Now we have ....
Web 2.0 - Sharing of ideas and resources between people and websites. People communicating and interacting with websites and websites communicating and interacting with other websites. The internet has become a read and write place.
Just around the corner is ....
Web 3.0 - The internet is becoming a more personalised place as computers become more intelligent and are able to talk and think in a similar way to humans. It is known as the Sematic Web.
David Cearley, vice president of emerging trends at the technology-research firm Gartner, sums up Web 3.0 well when he described it "as something that will allow the Web to understand itself". This is the future, our future and it is just round the corner.
The Prime Minister has announced top line details of the Home Access project which will see some £300 million spent on providing computers and broadband internet access to families so that children can enhance their learning at home.
Click here to find out more
The Primary ICT and Hands on Support Team are looking for examples of projects / activities which have had a positive impact on pupils outcomes. Do you have a case study you would like to share with us? If so please contact Heidi Barton by email at heidi.barton@kent.gov.uk or telephone 01622 203800 ext 292.
Becta are conducting some research into the views of Headteachers, ICT Subject Leaders and Teachers on ICT CPD. If you would like to share your views and so inform future strategy in this respect you can go to www.e-ictaudit.org/survey
Embedding ICT across the curriculum
Kent Weather Watch 2008-9
A project for primary and secondary pupils around the UK and the World
Following the success of Kent Weather Watch we are pleased to announce that the project will be continued to July 2009. Managed by a Team of county Leading ICT Teachers and Geography AST’s schools participating in the project will have the opportunity over the coming months to:
- Use ICT to creatively share information about the weather in their local area with schools in and outside the United Kingdom
- Compare and contrast the climate in different locations around the world
- Investigate how changes in the weather can affect the everyday lives of all living things
Weather Watch Launch flier
Click here to find out more about the Weather Watch Project
World Wide Collaboration
The Weather Watch 2008-9 Digital Photograph competition
Weather Watch 2009 – How to Register
Schools planning to take part in the project should complete and return the registration form or visit the Weather Watch 2009 website to register online.
Registration Form
Click here to register online
All details about the project will be posted on the project microsite.
Once schools have registered they will receive a microsite login and password. Teachers will also note that each school in the project will be given a web page where they can publish information and pupils work for other schools to view.
Weather Watch Special Events Day
The Project Team plan again to organise Special Events days throughout 2009 to show how ICT can be embedded across the curriculum. The first of these days will be a repeat of the very successful “Operation Storm Warning” in February 2008.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/weatherwatch/
Free Entry! ------- WIN A PRIZE -------- Free Entry!
Click here to download the flier
Introduction | How to participate | How to submit photos | Curriculum links
The Weather Watch 2008-9 Digital Photograph competition is open to all pupils aged between 5 and 16 who attend a school in the county of Kent. Between now and Friday 7th November 2008 pupils are encouraged to upload add digital images to the National Education Network Weather Watch Gallery.
Copies of the digital images taken by the winners and runners-up in each category will be published on the Weather Watch website after Monday 10th November 2008. An email and letter with details about how to collect prizes will be sent to each pupil later that week.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/weatherwatch/photocompetition.html
Spelling City
www.spellingcity.com
Spellingcity.com is a free spelling tool that can help make the teaching of spelling more exciting. With online spelling games, spelling reviews, and spelling quizzes, pupils can memorise their weekly spelling words while having fun.
In the practice test, students click to hear the word and a sentence containing the word. They type in the word and check for correctness. Pupils login with the class information to access that weeks spelling list. They also have the option of creating their own lists.
You could use your interactive whiteboard to play games with a whole-class weekly spelling list. You could also use the website in various other subject areas to teach keywords e.g. science terms.
To get the most out of Spelling city, you should register. It is a free service. Once registered pupils will be able to log on at home, and involve their parents in the learning process.
N.B This is an American site so remember their Grades are different to our Year Groups. Also if you decide to use any of the many pre-made lists you will need to check for American spellings.
By now Leading Teachers, ASTs and Hands on Support Providers will have received invitations to our Leading ICT Teacher Conference on 20th November 2008. We are delighted that Russell Prue will be delivering a keynote presentation entitled:
"Transformational Learning – looking at free technology that improves learning".
Russell is an award winning ICT evangelist, author, inventor and entrepreneur. He has been working in learning technology for over 23 years and is one of the most engaging speakers in education today, described by the Times Educational Supplement as ‘the best known ICT evangelist in the UK’.
Using videos and live demonstration, Russell presentation will look at new and existing technologies and suggests new ways that colleagues can take advantage of these in their subject teaching. He will be featuring in his presentation, among other products, his latest invention designed to motivate reluctant writers. The cre8txt keyboard is based on the key layout of a mobile phone and so embraces the text skills that young people have developed themselves. Russell will also be showing how he as used SecondLife to setup an office and training room that can serve customers 24 hours a day and how colleagues may like to experiment with this virtual world.
Russell’s presentation “Transformational Learning – looking at free technology that improves learning” will appeal to both primary and secondary colleagues. He will be taking a refreshing look at how we could use new social networking technologies in our learning and teaching spaces. Russell will propose new learning strategies and then demonstrate live how colleagues may like to use them. It is all about making ICT more learner centric, engaging learners on their terms using their technology, which is often available FREE.
Please bring your mobile phone with you to participate fully in Russell’s session.
At the recent Swale ITN, Morag from Tunstall suggested we look at http://www.tutpup.com/ for encouraging pupils to practise and speed up their maths and spellings. A teacher will need to create a free account for their class, and pupils can register with a pseudonym as part of the class. Then they can go online and attempt the challenges, timed, against pupils from all over the world. No personal details are exchanged but success gains awards and entry into league tables. The youngsters at Tunstall love it, and it is completely free, at least while it is in its Beta stage, with no advertising evident on the website.
TutPup was featured Website of the Week back in June 2008
"It is free, has no ads, doesn't grab kids personal data and allows them to play competitive maths games against their friends or students from around the world in a safe educational environment."
www2.shidonni.com
This weeks Website of the Week comes via a Tweet from Angela Maiers who recommended Shidonni on Twitter.
Shidonni is a fun website where pupils can draw an animal and then click a button to see it come to life! Even better than this, they can also draw items of food to put in the animal's fridge, watch as their animal eats the food and draw habitat for their animal to live in.
e-safety warning - entering personal data
The site requires free registration and requests an email address and birth date. I was able to create an account with a bogus email address and would recommend schools do this for each of their students (e.g. sam@school.com). Actual birthdates of children should not be entered. Instead make up the day and the month and only use the correct year they were born.
If you are using this in a classroom you’ll probably want to create the student accounts in advance
Social media are internet-based tools using audio, video, image and text technologies for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with a wide range of people. As an ICT consultant, I use a variety of social media to help me keep up to date with the latetest trends in ICT and to share and discuss new ways of using ICT to enhance teaching and learning. The two most useful social media tools for me are:
Twitter (http://twitter.com/)
Twitter is a micro-blogging site limiting posts to 140 characters so succinctness is the key. It’s a way of keeping up to date with others and of discussing often random ideas, regardless of time or place, using either a computer or mobile phone. Through Twitter I have met teachers and ICT consultants all round the world and have learned so much from them. (http://twitter.com/mbarrow)
Twitter is the new way that teachers are sharing ideas with each other.
http://resiever.edublogs.org/2008/09/14/steal-this-please/
Please note: you may not be able to access Twitter at school.
Del.icio.us
Del.ico.us is a social bookmarking website that allows users to save and share web links. I find it particular useful as I can access the links from any computer. Have a look at all the fantastic web links I have discovered so far http://delicious.com/kented
Other forms of Social Media include blogs, wikis, podcasts and social networks.
Why not give social media a try today? You may be suprised at what you discover.
Becta guidance, to be published this month, states that protected data must be encrypted before it can be removed from a school.
“Until new technology or enhancements to your existing ICT infrastructure can be put in place, you are likely to need to make operational changes,” the Becta guidance says. “This may mean that certain types of sensitive data may no longer be accessible away from the school in the short term.”
Becta puts breaks on home access - TES 19 September 2008
Into the Book:
Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies
reading.ecb.org
Into the Book is designed to enhance the teaching and learning of reading comprehension strategies for primary students. The website focuses on eight strategies that proficient readers use: using prior knowledge, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, evaluating, and synthesizing.
You can download posters, songs and worksheets from the Teacher's Area. The videos are ideal to show on the interactive whiteboard.
Students and Teachers need a key to begin exploring. Please remember never to use full names on the internet.
You can have a quick look round the site using my key kent00001
Title of Conference
Safeguarding for an Online World
Where
Kent Police College, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9DW
When
The same conference will run on Tue 07 Oct 08 - 1 day - 9:00 to 16:00 and Mon 03 Nov 08 - 1 day - 9:00 to 16:00
Designed for:
Headteachers from Kent & Independent Primary, Special and Secondary Schools; e-Safety and Child Protection Co-Ordinators; ICT Co-Ordinators, and Police Officers.
Aims:
Raise awareness of the e-Safety environment. Implementing and updating procedures within the School.
Other information:
Talks will be given by a wide range of speakers including those from Kent Police, the International Charity Childnet, KCC Children, Families, Health & Education Directorate and Advisory Service Kent. School Students will also give their views on e-safety.
Cost:
£50.00
Click here to find out if spaces are available and to book
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
Have you ever wanted to make your photos wall-sized? Here is a totally free website to upload a photo and then create a saveable .pdf file with all you need to print, cut and stick your own. http://www.blockposters.com
Amaze your class with a 6ft picture of you!!!! - or make a walk-in landscape.
(Thanks to Tim Rylands for the tip.)
The Maths and Literacy games pages have changed over the summer. www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games
There were two purposes for this..... firstly to provide more help information for each game. As some of the games are indecipherable! Secondly I wanted all of the game icons to be visible on the same screen simultaneously. This removes the need for little ones scrolling down a long page. The old pages are still available and a link to them can be seen at the bottom of the games page.
I'm hoping that these changes will make the resources far more friendly to use. I'd be very grateful if anyone has any comments or recommendations as to how these pages could be improved! Incidentally, I'm thinking of changing the 'Make and Do' section into more of an interactive classroom with drawers and shelves.
New games:
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Box Maker (Y1 & 2) Design your own box for a product and write the instructions for how to use your item. You can write on every panel. This resource was suggested by Emma Wills from Warden House Primary in Deal, thank you!
www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/boxMaker_v5.html
Have fun,
James.
Please leave a comment below. You may need to click on the comment link to add your message.
How does your school keep parents informed, and involved, in the homework process?
Do you use email to inform parents that their child has a particular homework due in on a given day or to send out homework tasks?
Do you set homework tasks via a blog? (http://watsongowtsblog.wordpress.com/)
We would love to hear how schools are using ICT to keep parents more informed. Please share what you do by leaving a comment below.
Heritage Explorer
www.heritageexplorer.org.uk
Heritage Explorer provides classroom resources and accessible information to create a one-stop shop for teachers seeking to inspire classes at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. All the information can be downloaded and used for free.
Heritage Explorer provides image-based resources for teaching history, citizenship and many more subjects. With over 360,000 pictures, including historic views of daily life, aerial photography, and modern shots of listed buildings, it combines a wealth of inspirational images with accessible information and a range of teaching ideas.
Heritage Explorer incorporates four main facilities for teachers:
Teaching Activities
This area of the website takes specific images and associates them with a teaching idea to provide a starting point for a lesson plan. Each image has a ‘Key Question’ attached to create a starting point for lessons, supported by activities, worksheets and interactive white board downloads. These can be used ‘off the peg’, or adapted by teachers according to their own lesson requirements.
Images by Theme
These are selections of images grouped into curriculum-based themes. They include Victorian and Edwardian life, WWI, WWII, Women and Children at Work, Slavery, Tudor Buildings and many more. This is a fantastic facility both for teachers preparing lessons, and pupils carrying out their own research.
Interactives
Heritage Explorer hosts a variety of downloads that can be used by teachers on interactive white boards, or by individual pupils at their own computers. These include resources such as interactive time lines that give an overview of a topic; and ‘Tell and Test’ activities. ‘Tell and Test’ interactives give pupils information about a topic and include an activity designed to test and reinforce their knowledge.
Search
Teachers can also use Heritage Explorer to search for and download images of landscapes, buildings or historic scenes to be used to support a host of classroom activities. The search facility also allows teachers to seek out images from the local area, supporting any local community heritage classroom projects.
See previous winners.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/siteoftheweek/index.htm
"A VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world."
http://voicethread.com/
The Voicethread 4 Education wiki, started by Colette Cassinelli, is a comprehensive collection of VoiceThread examples from students and teachers of all ages and groups. The purpose of this wiki is to gather examples of how educators are using Voicethread in their classrooms (or for professional development) and to share those examples.
http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/
Alisa Miller @ Smartteaching.org has created a useful list of "100 Awesome Classroom Videos to Learn New Teaching Techniques ". "Whether you are a new teacher storing up tips and tricks or an experienced teacher who could just use a fresh perspective, you are sure to find something helpful among these videos."
http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-awesome-classroom-videos-to-learn-new-teaching-techniques/
In Kent, we have many schools eager to use the computer game 'Myst', after being inspired by Tim Rylands at our recent ICT Conference. January 2009 is the official launch of Kent's writing project using the computer game Myst, when we will be inviting Tim back to Kent to run a series of workshops and lesson observations.
Whether you are joining in with the official launch or considering doing a unit of work using Myst, I am sure you will find the following two websites interesting:
A Myst project in Scotland
A case study looking at the use of the Myst game in schools in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Have a look to see how paired writing tasks were initiated and how it has motivated reluctant writers to write.
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/ICTineducation/gamesbasedlearning/sharingpractice/myst/introduction.asp
How a class teacher used launched a mini project in his classroom
Tom Barrett, an inspiration classroom teacher, has written his reflections on making a start with a games based learning approach to writing using Myst.
Emerging from the Myst: Being inspired and making a start. ( Tom Barrett, writes about his experience of ict in the classroom on his blog. It is well worth reading!)
Please let us know if you come across other Myst resources on the internet.
Google has launched Lively, a new social network built around the concept of each user creating an avatar and a personal virtual room that can be embedded anywhere on the Web. Although, as with all pupblic chatroom, we can't see Lively being a safe tool to use it schools, it is being used with educators to meet and chat.
Getting Started
To use Lively, you need to sign up using a Google account and download a browser plug-in. From there, you are able to create your own avatar – starting from a “template” character which then has customizable attributes like skin tone, hair colour, and eye colours. You can also dress your character with clothing and accessories.
Teachers
A special room, EducBlogger Lounge has been created by Frank from Mexico for fellow educators and Twitters to meet. If you do decide to try out Lively please drop by. Click here to go directly to the room.
The clock will be turned back to Victorian times again at the Museum of Kent Life in October. Children will take part in a carousel of 6 workshops with a Victorian theme.
This year's workshops are The Victorian Dinnertable, Meet the Toymaker, Victorian Schoolroom, See the Blacksmith at work, What happened in the Scullery, and Learn a Victorian dance.
Children are encouraged to come dressed up in Victorian costume to heighten the atmosphere. We have been able to keep our cost the same as last year at £7 per child. This includes admission to the Museum and all 6 workshops. All teachers and helpers come free of charge.
Dates still available are 13 October and 15 October 2008. Times of programme are 10:00 - 14:00. If sufficient interest, more days in the week starting 17 November 2008 will be added.
For more information or to book, please contact the Learning & Access Officers Claire or Marieke on 01622 621246 or visitors2@museum-kentlife.co.uk.
From 31 July 2008 the national contract which provides the British Pathe film archive to schools at zero cost will end. Schools may continue to use downloaded film material to the end of August 2009. After that date such material will have to be deleted. The low resolution film material will still be available.
For further information, please see attached document.
British Pathe Letter [Size: 96Kb] .
The Downs CE Primary School's Wiki
http://thedowns.wikispaces.com/
Planning for an ICT Club has just got easier with the help of Mark Warner, at The Down's Primary school.
Wikis, like other tools (content management systems, weblogs), are being used by educators as effective teaching and learning tools. The Downs Primary School in Walmer, Kent have created a very interesting and useful Wiki on resources for ICT Clubs.
Many schools have approached me asking where they can find avatars for their children to use on the internet instead of using photos. Have a look at The Downs Web Generator page for links to a variety of websites.
19 January - a whole day workshop for 200 Kent teachers. Contact mandy.barrow@kent.gov.uk for further details
After Tim's inspirational afternoon presentation at the EIS ICT Conference, we are inviting Tim down to Kent for the last two weeks of January 2009 to kick start a whole unit on using Myst to develop Literacy and ICT skills.
Tim will be visiting Maidstone, Tonbridge, Malling, Darford East, Cranbrook & PW and Tun Wells in January and we have space for three more Clusters. To register your school's / Clusters interest please leave a comment below or email mandy dot barrow at kent dot gov dot uk.
Tim will also be visiting Canterbury and Ashford, but at a different time.
BBC News item on Tim
A two week block will be kicked started with a Myst training day for 200 teachers. This would be followed by teachers being invited to observe Tim in action teaching Year1/2 , Year3/4 and Year 5/6 classes throughout West/Mid Kent. Observations will take place in school halls so that 30 teachers can attend each session. Schools taking part must be prepared to share pupil's work via the internet.
Not sure whether to get involved or not?
“Vocabulary, especially descriptive, has improved considerably.....
Sentence construction is better and they are more willing to have a go with punctuation. Their writing is much more interesting and they think more carefully about the content. Spelling still needs improving but then so does myne”
“Myst has improved my confidence in teaching writing and added a much more creative approach to writing and literacy.”
“Children are naturally writing in paragraphs!”
“Boys have been really motivated”
“Great SAT’s results!”
Visit Tim's web site to view some samples of students' writing e.g.
‘I stepped out into a landscape of almost unbearable beauty, a feathered sky stretching out across the silken sea, warm sand beneath my feet. Turning, I saw steps, foot worn and timeless, winding downwards. Where would they lead me?’
Ben, aged 10
You can also read about what the press say, the impact on pupil attainment and also see Tim in action on YouTube.
http://www.timrylands.com/html/media.html
www.bishopsinaction.com
The bishops of the Anglican church worldwide meet at the Lambeth conference every ten years to discuss issues which concern the church and pray together.
The ‘Bishops in Action’ website:
- contains material for Religious Education, particularly at KS2
- includes powerpoints for the interactive whiteboard, photos, posters and fact files about bishops and their role in the church
- encourages multi-cultural, global perspectives in teaching about Christianity
- provides 5 acts of Collective Worship for Primary schools
The Kent ICT Conference was another huge success with the added bonus of an afternoon enthralled with the imaginative ideas of Tim Ryland. Tim, who is mainly well known through his work using Myst to inspire children’s writing, captured his audience attention right from the start with his wit and imagination and, over two hours later, we all left wanting to know more! ThanksTim.
Click here to visit Tim's blog about his afternoon with us.
"WOW!! It’s a mark of a good afternoon when 2 hours vanish as quickly as 5 minutes. Great resources and ideas presented in such an inspirational and witty way. I’ve aleady used the powerpoint idea of making notes - brilliant! Have ordered my myst game and can’t wait for the new term to start."
Sonja Weed
"I was lucky enough to have a day out of school visiting the Kent ICT conference. This was a chance for me to find out more about VLEs, and to explore any new and exciting ideas / products available. The highlight of the day though, and the bit that I was looking forward to the most, was definitely the afternoon session with Tim Rylands."
Mark Warner, teacher at The Downs School and creator of Teaching ideas website.
Read more about Mark's thoughts on the day and Tim's presentation
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