Bromley ICT Forum Blog

(from Brian Durrant) 

Start the new term with Video Conferencing - act before 30th June!

Video Conferencing is a powerful medium for communication, collaboration, teaching and learning. The London Grid for Learning offers a number of packages to suit your school, as well as a programme of activity throughout the year to enhance your video conferencing participation.   However, we regret to inform you that increased manufacturing and delivery costs, and unfavourable changes in the Euro exchange rate, will subject the provision of video conferencing equipment, hardware warranties and software updates, to an increase of up to £1000 per unit beginning 1st July 2008.  

If you are interested in purchasing Video Conferencing equipment to use in September, we strongly recommend placing orders before the 30th of June. Orders placed by 30th June will be priced at existing rates.  

We regret this unavoidable change in prices and the short notice available, and hope this does not exclude you from including video conferencing into your school’s curriculum.  Please contact the Synetrix LGfL sales team on 01252 405 600 or write to salesadmin@synetrix.co.uk

London Grid for Learning would like to promote an opportunity for Primary and Secondary Schools in the new school year.

National Poetry Day Competition and Video Conference - October 9th 2008

London Grid for Learning partnering with Havering LA would like to invite you to take part in this National Competition. The theme for this years National Poetry Day is `Work`. In order to celebrate this we would like children to write poems about different jobs. We have lined up Alan Peat and Gervase Phinn to judge the finalists.

We would also like to invite you to take part in a videoconference for primary and secondary schools during National Poetry Day, on October 9th 2008, hosted from Engayne Primary School, starting at 8.50 am and ending at 3.30pm.

Opportunity: National Poetry Day

Organiser’s Profile: Mina Patel at London Grid for Learning

Visit the National Poetry Day site find out about the rules, prizes, programme details and how you can take part www.poetryday.lgfl.net

“Teachers here in the UK have the job of ensuring that children grow up with an understanding of the interconnectedness of the world and the positive role that they can play in today’s global society.”    Department for International Development/DCSF Bringing the World into the Classroom 2008

 London’s Development Education Centre, the Humanities Education Centre (HEC), based in Tower Hamlets, is working with London Grid for Learning to promote the global dimension and poverty reduction agendas in our schools. It aims to support all groups and providers working in or with schools to frame what they are doing within the global dimension. HEC has been working with Tower Hamlets City Learning Centre and e-Learning Team over the past few years exploring ways of using ICT to deliver the global dimension.

It has now launched a global portal that has areas for teachers and their students to start exploring, across the curriculum issues such as water, gender, health, transport, food, trade, tourism etc, and there are webquests exploring how the DfID works, what is sustainability, how to be a UN Special Rapporteur for human rights…

Visit the Global Portal; book HEC to run a free session for your CLC or PDC or conference or professional development day; or for advice and support contact: e-mail: hec@gn.apc.org  global portal: www.global.lgfl.net

tel: 020 7364 6405                     fax: 020 7364 6422 

website: www.citizenship-pieces.org.uk

http://www.globaldimension.org.uk 

On behalf of

Michael Newman

Global Citizenship Project Worker

Humanities Education Centre and City Learning Centre

Tower Hamlets Professional Development Centre

There is an exciting new feature for schools and colleges on the JANET Collaborate site - “VC Partners”.

JANET Collaborate VC Partners enables schools and colleges to find another partner school or college to videoconference with. The JANET Collaborate VC Partner opportunities are open to all schools and colleges in the UK and abroad. The first partnership has already been formed between Year 1 classes from schools in Wigan and Exeter.

To find out more about how you can find a videoconference partner, read the full news story on JANET Collaborate.

Link to the full VC Partners news story here or copy and paste the URL below into your browser:

Tim Boundy, JANET Collaborate Project Manager. collaborate@ja.net

Ahh! Three words specifically designed to bring a smile to any Head Teacher’s face! 

iEARN UK works very closely with the British Council and they have advised us that they have funding available to award grants to schools involved in partnerships with other international schools.

Grants are available for reciprocal visits (deadline 1st November) or for specific global curriculum projects (deadline 1st March 2008).

This is the perfect opportunity to enhance your own project links or get involved with an iEARN project to apply for funding.

Visit the  British Council web page today for more information.

Message from Roger Bloxham

WE ARE NOW OPEN FOR SCHOOLS TO JOIN LONDONLIVE AS OBSERVERS/COMMENTERS “ TWENTY PLACES ONLY!”

I attach the almost complete programme.  We are waiting for the last few presenters to agree timing amongst themselves. Schools that join as observers/commenters will be connected for the entire session (morning, afternoon or both) but can choose to watch whichever items they wish. IF THE MICROPHONE IS MUTED THE SCHOOL CANNOT BE SEEN so there are no security issues

BOOK DIRECT WITH ME VIA EMAIL. ( roger.bloxham@heartoflondon.org ) We look forward to having you with us next Wednesday.Roger Bloxham
CLC Consultant
07967 347735
020 7598 4838

At the recent Primary ICT Subject Leaders Forum, delegates were given to the opportunity to see how Click to Meet can be used to facilitate successful conferences.

Continue Reading »

Well folks! It’s almost time for the next forum meeting..And what a meeting that will be!

The forum will focus on the theme of Collaborative Learning using Video Conferencing.

On the agenda we have:

Continue Reading »

CDEC have proposed a partnership project with Bromley to enhance the quality of teaching and learning through the application of Video Conferencing in schools.

What does it involve?

The project involves schools undertaking a collaborative curriculum project requiring them to link with other schools and  experts around the world  using Video conferencing units that would be supplied on loan by CDEC along with technical and curriculum support for a limited six week period. Participating schools would, in return, be expected to maintain a journal recording their experiences and the impact upon the students

Continue Reading »

Attention Year 8 History teachers

In February the SEGfL funded the development of a new VC workshop at the National Archives based on the English Civil War, and due to its popularity and success another week of Civil War video conferences is being run this May.

The session is targeted at KS3, year 8 and will be based on a role play that will take you and your pupils back in time to 1642. The key characters will lead your pupils, who will be Royalists and Puritans alike, in an inspiring debate on the causes of the civil wars. Together they will argue the causes of the civil wars and the attitudes of people to them at the time. In order to prepare for and research their part in the debate, a pack of preparation materials and teacher’s notes, are available online at http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/workshops/civilwar.htm. The pack includes copies of original documents and simplified transcripts, such as the very important ‘ Petition from the citizens of London, Sept 1640’ on which the pupils structure their arguments.A flyer is attached with all the details on the workshop and how to book. The week of workshops will take place 14th May to the 18th May 2007 and are free and open to all.