For those of us already convinced of the educational value of ICT, the interim report makes very welcome reading. The following extracts provide a flavour of the Review’s comments on ICT in the Primary curriculum: “The Review’s remit insists that literacy, numeracy and ICT must be prioritised. Primary schools must make sure that the best professional practice is brought to bear on teaching these essential skills directly, with ample opportunities for children to use and apply them across the curriculum.” “It will also be increasingly important that children have the ICT skills which will enable them to apply the technology of the future and meet the challenges of an uncertain world, with confidence and flexibility. A sound grasp of ICT is fundamental to engagement in society, and the foundations for this engagement must be laid in primary schools. Along with literacy and numeracy, the use of technology to develop skills for learning and life should be at the core of the primary curriculum.”“Because ICT has the unique capacity and potential for developing and enlivening all domains of learning, including literacy and numeracy, it should also be taught both discretely to capture its essential knowledge and skills, and through its applications across the whole curriculum to deepen understanding.”To see the full report go to: http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/IPRC_Report.pdf
The Primary ICT Improving Together Networks (ITNs) provide an invaluable opportunity for ICT Subject Leaders and Leading ICT Teachers to receive advice, guidance and updates on local and national initiatives.
The agenda for meetings this term includes:
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Update on the Kent Theme approach for ICT skills and assessment
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Learning Platforms/Kent Learning Zone updates
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Future ICT courses and conferences
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E-safety
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Accreditation for engaging in the Becta Self review framework
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Hands on Support projects taking place this year and local available support
Please visit the Kent ICT website for dates and venues for each LCSP during Janaury and February 2009.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/ict/ITN/
For those unsure about how to start using Learning Platforms / VLEs with younger children, Fiona Aubrey-Smith (Head of Education, UniServity) offers the following ideas
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Phonics: Wiki Wordbanks
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Assessment for Learning / Plenary: children respond to their outcomes through podcast
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Maths: Counting in... quizzes (also useful for keyword spelling, phonic graphemes etc.)
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Student Speak: Sound Recorded ‘Worry Box’
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Talking Stories for book week – writing for an audience / feedback
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Bean Diary: Growth blogging, photo diary, Q&A with peers through text / sound / film
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Virtual Tour (Images / Sound linked – Speaking & Listening
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Reading Diary Blogs (Parent & Teacher through text / Child through sound)
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Ask the Expert: Father Christmas Forum Fun
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This Week’s Learning Objectives: Class feed off to activities within & beyond the Learning Platform
You can also read her article at http://www.naace.co.uk/178 and will find a PowerPoint on the Ranvilles Infant School website: www.ranvilles-inf.hants.sch.uk/FRONTER-VLE.ppt
Access Apps, a collection of over 50 open source and freeware programmes that can be run from a USB stick, has won the 2008 Scottish Open Source Award for Education Excellence. Worth a look.
"AccessApps will run without needing to install anything on a computer and provide a range of e-learning solutions to support writing, reading and planning as well as visual and mobility difficulties."
http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/accessapps/
"Sharing is caring" Many thanks to Alexandra Chapman from Hartsdown Technology College, Margate, for producing this excellent end-of-term PowerPoint quiz, and sharing it with us.
The Geography Christmas quiz takes about an hour to complete, so you may wish to move answer slides to the end of each round if you have shorter lessons and wish to "mark as you go". Click on the snowman (both on the questions or the answers) to take you back to a menu of the various rounds.
There are 16 rounds: 1.Name the personality 2.Name the movie 3.Entertainment 4.World Capitals 5.Name the country 6.Name the team 7.Sport 8.In the News 9.Geofacts 10.Higher or Lower 11.Bling that Thing 12.Who's who? 13.Christmas round 14.Food 15.Song Lyrics 16.GeoAnagrams
Click here to download the Geography Christmas Quiz PowerPoint
If there are any teachers who are unable to join the Kent launch of the Myst project in Paddock Wood on 19th January, you would be welcome to join us in Urban Swale on Tuesday 6th January, at Fulston Manor School, Sittingbourne. Tim will be introducing his work in the same way, just at a different venue. We have not had the uptake we hoped for, so places are being made available more widely.
The day is free to Kent teachers, but supply cover is only available if you are in an Urban Swale school. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Gemma Cullen gemma.cullen@kent.gov.uk to reserve a place. Unfortunately the deadline is Monday 15th December pm, so please act quickly to avoid disappointment.
Carolyn Lewis
Primary ICT Consultant
A new website to support school and local authority leaders involved in the Primary Capital Programme and Building Schools for the Future processes is now live. The Future website provides resources and news, and access is free. Go to http://future.ncsl.org.uk/
Karl Newman from Sevenoaks Primary sent me a link that I just had to share! Three children from Karl's Year One class had been using 2Create A Story to write about 'Sam The Spaceman'. They used a USB microphone to record their voices. Once they had finished they saved their work and ticked a box labelled 'SWF copy'. This gave them a Flash version of their story, (.swf file in the same folder as the saved 2Create A Stry file). Karl then put it on the school website.
http://www.sevenoaks-pri.kent.sch.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=Sam+the+Spaceman&pid=148
I just love it! James:)
Leading ICT Teachers and Hands on Support Providers will be aware that all HoS activity should be recorded for monitoring and evaluation purposes. When planning local HoS provision, HoS Providers should conduct a prior assessment of needs and at the outset jointly complete a HoS Agreement with each teacher / school they support.
HoS Agreements are now available in both paper and electronic formats. The online Hands on Support Agreement is available at www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?hosactivity.
Use of the online form replaces having to send a copy to Maryan Wyles.
If you have any questions in this respect please do not hesitate to contact Heidi Barton (Lead Primary ICT Adviser) or the appropriate Hands on Support Consultant:
Carine Jacquel - Secondary
Mandy Barrow - Primary (West Kent)
Phil Bracegirdle - Primary (Mid / East Kent)
Please may we remind all schools of the following:
Children should always be supervised by a responsible adult when using the Internet.
Teachers should evaluate any websites fully before they use them with their students. This includes websites going to be shown on the interactive whiteboard as well as websites accessed directly by the pupils. Often this will mean checking the websites, search results etc just before the lesson. Remember at all times, what may be considered a safe site today might not be tomorrow.
Particular attention should be paid to image advertisements as they can change each time the web page is accessed.
Schools may like to add the following wording to pages on their school websites where there are links to external websites:
"The links on this page are to external websites. All these links have been checked, but we cannot accept responsibility for the content on, or links from these sites. Children should always be supervised by a responsible adult when using the Internet."
There are still a few places available for the following ICT courses in January:
08/01/2009 – E-Safety in the Primary School (Stour Valley)
14/01/2009 - Using ICT to Enhance Learning and Teaching in Science at Key Stage 2 (Oxford Rd)
28/01/2009 – Enhancing Learning and Teaching by using ICT in the Foundation Stage (Stour Valley) For more information on the course content visit
www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/news/courses or www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?asktraining
Alternatively contact Maryan Wyles on 01622 203800Ext 292
I teach first grade (6 yr. olds) in Alabama (United States). Each year the other first grade teacher and I (eight total) do a Christmas Around the World project. Each teacher takes a country or part of the world and we learn about the traditions, etc. of that country. They make a little student passport where they travel classroom to classroom learning about the different countries. This year I'm thinking of doing England. Would you be interested in some sort of mail exchange? Our last day of school before Christmas break is December 19 and I know the mail takes awhile. So we would have to plan fast. Are you interested?
Shaynna
First Grade Teacher
Daphne Elementary School
If your class would be interested please email mandy.barrow at the usual kent.gov UK address.
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/
There's a new metal detectors page on Kent NGfL. It includes instructions for how to use the metal detector and downloadable .pdf files for printing.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/metalDetector
Ideas include shape bingo, bear bingo, phonemes on shells and ordering numbers to 20.
Watch out for metal in your tables and chairs. These ideas are best used on the floor.
Plea from a Kent teacher:
"I'm setting up a computer club for my school but was looking for ideas to include. If you have any projects or sessions that have been really successful in your school please can you leave a comment. Thank you."
Ideas submitted on a previous post about Computer clubs
Free Computer Clubs for schools
http://www.cc4g.net/
Practise Touch Typing using the BBC site or other software.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
The Teaching Ideas website has an article from a school who has created computer games during their ICT club.
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/ict/creatingcomputergames.htm
Visit the homepage of the Kent ICT Blog
Our website is www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/
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