Bromley ICT Forum Blog

OCR is hosting the above free conference (see conference program) to showcase the ICT Nationals to interested schools/colleges that are not delivering this qualification at the moment. For more information about this exciting conference please see the attached invitation, which has been sent to many schools/colleges in the South East. We are inviting you (the local ICT consultants and advisors) to this confierence and we would be grateful if you would:

- Make your local schools/colleges aware of this conference via email and/or in person.
- Ask interested centres to book onto the conference by the end of term.
- Feedback to me anything else you think we should be doing as part of this conference.

To book your place at the conference please contact Melissa Hasprey, using the details below:

- By email - melissa.hasprey@ocr.org.uk
- By telephone - 02476 856 163
- By fax - 02476 851 604

12,00 high quality music files are available from the LGFL web site.

These files have been created from a cooperative of professional British composers. This is a ’paid for’ resource provided by the NEN RBC’s , saving schools up to £95 every time they download a clip for use in teachers adn pupils work.

The Audio Network Licence has been extended for another three years with lots of additional files to download. Great for podcasting

Like the real world, the online world has good and bad in it. And going online is like going out in the real world. We need to take care. London Grid’s unit on e-safety gives practical advice and activities to help you use the internet safely. Find US Online either through the LGFL Content Grid for ICT (KS2) or go directly to www.usonline.lgfl.net

Now available in the KS2 and 3 ICT menus. www.ict.lgfl.net

(from Neil Adams NAACE)

Climate change is very much in the minds of many young people, but how do we know that the dire predictions are true? It’s all about the application of silicon chips rather than crystal balls and gives ICT teachers a route into discussing models, at least with brighter students or as a summary of the principles that have already been taught.

Models are based on variables and rules designed to represent a real world situation, whether of the travel of a roller coaster, the flight of a moon rocket or changes to the environment. The variables represent known quantities like the global temperature and levels of carbon dioxide, whereas rules are mathematical statements of the assumed linkages between the parts of the system. A simple rule may state that if the level of carbon dioxide doubles the global temperature will rise by 2C. Of course it is not so simple, since a further doubling of carbon dioxide would be expected to raise the temperature rather more.

Continue Reading »

A new video conferencing programme for schools run by Parliament’s Education Service

As part of a new video conferencing programme offered by the Education Service at the Houses of Parliament, these pilot sessions focus on the issue of Prison Reform in order to bring to life the role of Parliament, both historically and in the present time.  The conferences include the opportunity to talk with a member of the House of Commons or House of Lords
Set amidst the backdrop of Victorian prison reform, the session is based in 1878 as the government takes control of the prison system.  Your students will meet a Victorian prison governor and a long-time prisoner as they talk about their experiences of life in Pentonville Prison.

During the workshop, your group are encouraged to engage with both characters, played by costumed actors, and to ask questions before being led into a debate on the issues surrounding the prison system and its purpose.

Students will explore what prison is for and whether it works from both historical and contemporary angles; developments in the prison system and the role played by Parliament in its reform; as well as the future of prisons today.

A member of the House of Commons or House of Lords will be invited to conclude the workshop and discuss the role of Parliament in relation to this issue*.

A pack of preparation materials will be sent to you in advance of the session, including background information and discussion topics, to help your students prepare their arguments in advance of debating the issues involved.

To book, please call the Education Service on 0207 219 2105

Available: 12 May – 23 May 2008
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: free of charge
Suitability: Years 8 and 9 (KS3)

*Please be aware that on occasion due to the nature of Parliamentary business, Members of both Houses can be called away at short notice.
Parliament’s Education Service
Parliament’s Education Service works with schools and Members of both Houses of Parliament to support young people in developing their understanding of Parliament and democracy. It runs a busy visits programme all year round and provides printed and online resources for schools.
http://www.parliament.uk/education

Reprinted from the NAACE Newsletter

There are two objectives for this article: describing the podcasting project we have established in Halton and inviting your participation. This principle of participation and collaboration lies at the heart of the project.

We decided that any project aimed at producing teaching and learning outcomes through podcasting needed to acknowledge the following key factors

Continue Reading »

Since Bob Usher’s  course in January, many of our schools are now beginning to incoporate Podcasting as a strategy in the delivery of engaging curriculum activities.

We have  examples of teachers using podcasts as a strategy for supporting children with their homework such as teacher,  Karen Easterling’s ‘Division using Chunking’ podcast at Farnborough Primary School. We can also see examples of  students recreating and processing their learning in the form of their own podcasts such as the Year 6 Flashback at Darrick Wood  Junior Primary School. Churchfields Primary School (Christmas in Argentina ) and Warren Road Primary School  have also been very active in using podcasts to supplement their curriculum program.

Podcasts are not hard to do and they can offer  great value to the school’s curriculum program. They can be used successfully from Reception to Key Stage 4.

The LGFL offer a site for hosting podcasts produced by teachers and children. Schools can set up their accounts and load their podcasts to be shared with other schoools. The site also has some great suggestions for incorporating podcasts into currioculum planning along with tools to help you get started (and most of those tools are free). Visit Podcast Central for more information. (Use your LGFL login and password to get cracking…).

If you are interested in having your class participate in a podcast ICT Project Adventure please email me. If any other Bromley Schools (or from any other borough for that matter) are using podcasting, please share your thoughts with us on the blogsite. I would be really keen to hear from your, especially any secondary schools)

New Voices, Old Vic

Under Kevin Spacey’s direction, the Old Vic Education section has employed professional directors, writers and actors to work with pupils and students from South London schools on a variety of projects to encourage them to think about the creative use of drama in other subjects. The first project was a joint collaboration with the Imperial War Museum around the theme of the first day of the battle of the Somme in 1916.

LGfL has agreed to host this and subsequent OVNV projects to make them available permanently as an anytime, anywhere resource for the National Education Network. Each project comes with full lesson plans and videos to help teachers and students create their own version of the project in their school.

Find this in the KS3/4 English and History menus or directly at www.ovnv.lgfl.net

From Oscar Stringer

This brief email is to let you know about two animation courses happening this term at the Institute of Education, London.

-Introduction to animation 29th Feb 2008

-Advanced animation 18th March 2008

Both courses are being run by Oscar Stringer.

More info and booking forms can be found here on the digital creativity for education site.

To watch films made on the last teacher training event, Click Here.

If you know of any teachers who are interested in learning more about animation, feel free to pass on these details.

I can forward more details and a booking form on request.

We have received this invitation from our colleagues in iEARN Pangea (Spain) to participate in their public art project - this uses photography, environmental considerations and ICT to promote the consideration of the public spaces around us. Further information is contained in the invitation:-

Dear friends in iEARN,

We would like you to remember that the enrollment in the Public Art Project is open.
This project is designed to promote the respect for the urban environment and to encourage relationships between students in Europe countries.

*Deadline for subscription is near!!!*

It is a didactic proposal that applies the use of ICT in several curricular areas and promotes the attainmentof several basic competences.

We have thought the project for 10-18 years students, the participation is with every country language as well as English. The schedule of participation run from February 4-
April 30, 2008.

For more information see our web site: http://www.iearn.cat/publicart