Primary SLICT Program March 23rd

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 26th, 2007

Bromley LA and the NCSL are running their third Primary SLICT program led by David Broadfield and Anne Aston. (former Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher at Robin Hood Primary School).

Just a quick reminder about the school visits scheduled for the 23rd and 25th April. See enclosed program.

You can also download the Action Planner sheets, David referred to in his presentation.

 Web Sites for review

Podcasts

LGFL Podcast Page

BT Education Podcast Page

Blogs for Kids

Edublogs

Blogs in Education

Educate and Motivate your students with an Education Blog

Article by Harmony Kartchner (Feb 7th 2007)

Please nominate any other web sites in the Comments area

Managed Learning Environment Update

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 21st, 2007

As you are no doubt aware, the major priority for schools in 2007 and 2008 is the development and implementation of an integrated learning and management system which all schools will have in place by 2010.
 What will this mean to you?
At the moment, through the LGFL all Bromley Schools have access to a Virtual Learning Environment through the Digitalbrain portal which is the starting step in this process. A Virtual Learning Environment allows online interaction between pupils and teachers. Teachers can put electronic content such as web sites, documents, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, sharing these resources with their colleagues as well as their pupils. Students can access these resources and participate with their peers and teachers through email or moderated discussion groups. With the Digitalbrain VLE, teachers can also set online tests or run online polls.
 The Managed Learning Environment takes this concept a step further. A Managed Learning Environment can incorporate a School VLE  with additional features that make it possible for all aspects of the school program to be accessible online.
 A Managed Learning Environment will

  • Allow tracking student activity, attendance and achievement through individual student portfolios
  • Provide a wider range of customised tools so students and teachers can manage and publish their blogs, podcasts and eportfolios
  • Allow teachers to moderate and carry out online assessment of students work.
  • Link into to other administrative systems both in house and external
  • Provide access to synchronous collaboration tools such as whiteboards, online chat and video conferencing
  • Provide access and create Multimedia resources.
  • Foster and enhance individual student learning plans
  • Achieve greater flexibility for student learning.

The story so far..
Last Thursday 15th March, LGFL/Fronter presented their Managed Learning Environment solution at the Education Development Centre. Those delegates who attended, found the experience exciting and rewarding. (Visit http://ictbromley.ethink.org.uk to see responses). For more information on Fronter, visit http://www.fronter.com
 (For those of you who missed the presentation and would like to learn more about what a Managed Learning Environment can achieve for your school, The LGFL are hosting another Fronter presentation in London  on the  29th March 2.30pm – 4.30pm, BT Centre, The Auditorium, 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ) You will need to pre-register via www.events.lgfl.net )
 Is there another choice?
Viglen are also presenting their Managed Learning Environment Solution on Tuesday 17th April at Bromley Education Development Centre, commencing at 1:30pm. Those of you who attended the Fronter presentation may wish to attend in order to compare both products as well as learn more about the possibilities of what an MLE could offer your school. If you wish to attend please email mailto:course.bookings@bromley.gov.uk  quoting MLE102
 

For more information about Viglen’s itslearning solution visit http://www.itslearning.co.uk
 

Both solutions have been endorsed by Becta

Download Fronter Information here

Download Viglen Itslearning Information here Both solutions have been endorsed by Becta     

 

 

 

 

 

NAACE Primary Classroom Resources

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 14th, 2007

The NAACE Site hosts a range of curriculum programs accompanied by teacher notes. Most of the resources were developed under the MAPE but some have been developed through NAACE and are only available to NAACE Members.

Click here to get to the site.

Try the software and let us know how you go by leaving a comment.

London ICT Technicians Update Conference March 29th 2007

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 13th, 2007

School Network Managers and Technicians

Please note:

The London ICT Technicians Update Conference is approaching. The Conference will take place at the BT Centre, 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ on the 29th March 2007.  This event is free-of-charge and commences with registration and coffee from 8.45am, and will be completed by serving lunch at 1pm. 

Program includes

      

  • Balancing Security against Creativity
  • Strategic Technologies
  • Total Cost of Ownership
  • FITS
  • Sophos Anti-Virus
  • Equipment Security
  • Email Content Control
  • Video Conferencing
  • e-Safety
  • New MLE

    • Mobile Learning Technologies

     

 

Places are now limited, so colleagues that have not yet registered should please do so at www.events.lgfl.net  

Primary Strategic Leadership in ICT (SLICT) Program 9/3/2007

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 13th, 2007

Today’s program was the culmination of a month long  ICT Leadership journey for 19 Primary School Head teachers and ICT Coordinators participating in the Bromley SLICT program.

 

slict.jpg

 

Participating schools included Bickley Primary, Blenheim Primary and Nursery School, Castlecombe School, Clare House Primary School, Dorset Road Infants, Hawes Down Infants, Hawes Down Junior, Holy Innocents Catholic School, James Dixon Primary School, Malcolm Primary School, Manor Oak Primary School, Mead Road Infant School, Pratts Bottom Primary, Royston School, St Antonys RC,St Johns CE, St Peter and St Pauls and the Tubbenden Federation

Led by David Broadfield and Anne Aston (former Head and Deputy Head at Robin Hood Primary School), the delegates were given practical advice and support for reviewing their schools’ ICT vision and action plans. The SLICT process also included the opportunity for delegates to visit nominated schools to learn how they approached the issue of strategic ICT leadership and the impact on children and the communities they served. Areas addressed by the propgram included

  • Developing e confidence
  • Elearning and Teaching
  • Prioritising and planning
  • Leadership and Management

Another SLICT program for Primary Schools will commence at the EDC on the 26th March. Still not too late to apply… Visit the LAS Web site for more details

 

BECTA Advice-ICT Funding Guidance and Priorities 2007-2008

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 9th, 2007

Information for Head teachers and ICT Coordinators

The booklet provides advice on the process and procedures for funding ICT for 2007 and 2008 along with the funding models. You might want to take note of the Learning Technologies priorities on Page 9Becta_FUnding_Guidance

Click here for your copy

MLE Briefing Bromley EDC 15th March

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 9th, 2007

Fronter has been selected as the recommended solution by the LGFL for schools interested in setting up their Managed Learning Environments.

Click here for more details

To provide more information about what this may mean for your school, a briefing session will be held at the Education Development Centre at Bromley on the 15th March commencing at 1:00pm.

Programme 

  • Introduction by Local Authority and/or LGfL 

  • Solution overview 

  • Live demonstration 

  • Break 

  • Case studies 

  • Training and implementation 

  • Pilot and September deployment 

  • Summary and Q&A 

If you wish to attend please send an email to course.bookings@bromley.gov.uk

Update

Will the LGFL be withdrawing support for Digitalbrain?

In short, the answer is no. See enclosed link or further details

 

Effective Use of ICT in Teaching and Learning

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 8th, 2007
 

After the Primary ICT Leaders forum, I received an email from one of the delegates asking about training programs that focus on best use of ICT in supporting teaching and learning. One of those emails that make you have a bit of a think..

When I visit schools, I often see that the controllers of the technology are the teachers, with children passively looking on. Our CPD programs have addressed  ICT and teaching through numerous courses on using the Interactive Whiteboard, MS Office courses etc. But I often wonder where  ’learning’ and ‘children’ fit into the equation and whether we have done enough in this area.

 We often wonder what the classroom will look like in the next three to five years (assuming that the word ‘classroom’ will still be around.) I would take out my crystal ball and predict that these classrooms will see children as much more self reliant learners. The challenge for us as teachers will be on how we manage the process to bring about greater self reliance among our learners

Here are some of the things that I would expect a self reliant learner to be doing

  • making greater use of tools such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, interactive whiteboards and computers to create their own films and or animations based on classroom themes planned by the teacher.
  • demonstrating an active role in monitoring their own learning through compiling their own e-portfolios. E-portfolios are available as commercial packages or they can be set up on the children’s personal web page available through the school VLE (LGFL Digitalbrain). The self reliant learner will use their web pages to upload their best work along with their reflective comments. Teachers, parents and other children can use their email accounts to respond. (Currently we have a number of schools trailing the use of a commercial eportfolio product (Spider Net).) I would also expect to see teachers using self reliant learner’s eportfolios as a tool for assessment
  • making effective use of  Web 2 software products for collaborative activities such as Blogs, Wikis, podcasts etc.They will also use elearning tools like Hot Potatoes and Quandary to present their work. These tools would be available for children to access out of school hours via the school’s Virtual Learning Environment site.

 How can we plan for this?
The EDC has been running SLICT courses for head teachers and school leadership teams both last year and this year. The next one available for Primary schools commences on the 26th March. Further information is available from the LAS web site.

We have four ICT marked schools in the Bromley area. They are  Highfield Infant, Darrick Wood Junior School ,Valley Primary School and Darrick Wood School.

The head teachers and ICT Coordinators in these schools would be more than happy to accommodate any visits to see best practice in operation.

All Bromley primary schools should have a copy of the ‘Learning and Teaching using ICT’ kit of resources produced by the Primary National Strategy. This kit contains examples of best practice from Foundation to Key Stage 3. If you don’t have a copy please let me know and I will arrange to get one delivered to you. You might want to distribute the kit to teachers in different year groups, asking them to go through the materials and reflect on the possibilities of undertaking similar activities at your school.

Naturally, change won’t happen unless there is someone in the school to act as model for their colleagues. With this in mind, I am happy to come and assist you or one of your staff members in implementing up the following possible projects in your school to run over a period of 6-8 weeks. In some cases I can, on a limited basis arrange to loan you some kit that may assist.

These activities could include:

  • Developing your schools Virtual Learning Environment
  • Poetry Pod Cast Challenge (We could loan you a USB microphone, Sonic Music Loops and assist in the installation of Audacity (Podcasts Program Creator)
  • Creating films /animations using Digi Blue Movie Creator cameras (Cameras are booked at the moment)Webquests on life in Ancient Rome (using ‘Caesar’ - a simulation program plus the web.
  • Setting up student web blogs (Literacy)
  • Creating adventure games using Quandary or worksheets using Hot Potatoes
  • Building and implementing web quests

Over to you….

Primary ICT Coordinators Meeting 6/3/2007

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 6th, 2007

Hi folks

Glad you managed to make it to the meeting. We will be covering a pretty wide agenda including

Pivot Stickfigure

Software Tasting

Pivot and Artrage- two freeware programs demonstrated by Alison Tanner

What’s new with Espresso -Christine Eastwood

Building your ICT Policy and Action Plan

Workshop session for delegates to re-examine their school’s current ICT Policy and Action plans using the BECTA Self Review Framework

For those of you who missed the meeting you can download support documentation and resources by clicking here.

Didi you find the session useful? What type of activities would you like to see for the next session on June 21st?

NAACE Conference Torquay 28th Feb-2nd March

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 3rd, 2007

 

There was an exciting series of presentations at this year’s NAACE Conference. As usual, the best presentations on hand were the ones that shared and modelled great practice. I was particularly impressed with the way some LA’s and schools were making use of the next generation of  Web Tools (Web 2)

Steve Beard from Shropshire CC demonstrated the practical use of Web 2 programs such as blogs, WIKIS, podcasting and use of Google documents and spreadsheets in collaborative activities. (This session inspired me to set up Bromley’s first education blog site!!).

You can learn more about Steve by visiting his blog

As you can see, blogs are quite easy to set up. Visit Sandaig Primary Schools Blog site.  Epals also have a site to help schools, teachers and students  set up and manage their blogs. Do you think that one could be useful on your school’s VLE? Are they just a gimmick? Are any of the Bromley schools using blogs in their curriculum programs?

NAACE 2007

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