Title & Brief Outline |
Presenters, Downloads & Links |
Building Schools for the Future
This workshop commenced by looking at how we all are using ICT in our daily lives. The technology we use, often web 2.0, such as video sharing websites, social networks, discussion forums, blogs, and the list is endless. The way in which we access these technologies is evolving with many people using their mobile phone or games console to access the internet. This means the school of the 21st century will want to make effective use of the developments in technology, many of which have yet to be invented!
We considered technology in the 21st century school and the challenge to us all with planning for the future. Many schools find supporting and developing ICT a challenge. Technical support, value for money and time implications are just some of the concerns expressed by delegates.
Building Schools for the Future BSF is a government initiative focused on transforming learning in secondary schools. The aim is to replace, refurbish or revamp schools and an integral component is Information Communications and Technology ICT. Schools will receive significant funding to become 21st century centres of learning with ICT fully embedded in all aspects of learning and school life. This will involve schools having a fully managed service, some of which is already being provided to Hertfordshire schools such as connectivity, email and Learning Platform.
Primary schools will have the opportunity to by into part or all of the Managed Service as would be helpful. They will also be part of the Primary Capital Programme PCP which will provide some limited funding for some schools.
Special schools will either be part of BSF or PCP depending upon their phase. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Podcast of the Workshop
This sound recording presents edited excerpts from the workshop.
Play on-line (21 minutes duration):
This text will be replaced by the flash music player.
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Or Subscribe to it:
 xml podcast file, 21 minutes/1 episode Building Schools for the Future
Note: Do not click on the link, do a right hand mouse click, and choose copy shortcut, then paste into your Aggregator (eg iTunes)
For more details:
Ann Layzell
ICT Curriculum Team Leader & eSafety Adviser
Chris Seviour
HGfL Technical Adviser |
Your platform to the future
Learning Platforms can transform the learning and teaching experience and greatly enhance the personalisaton of learning. What does the Hertfordshire Learning Platform look like and what can it do? This workshop will include a Case Study based on the experiences of a Hertfordshire school using the Learning Platform. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
More Information:
Geoffrey Mitchell
Assistant to the ICT Technical Adviser
Hilary Cliff
Head Teacher Camps Hill Community Primary School |
eSafety
The internet and related technologies play a vital and exciting part in our lives but how aware are you of the potential issues and risks for our children and young people? This workshop lead by Sarah Meadows, ICT Adviser, raised awareness of these potential issues but provided opportunities to reflect on how to develop a safer whole school community. The workshop looked at how children and young people are accessing the Internet in a variety of ways and ways in which staff in schools can be supported in keeping children and young people safe.
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Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Sarah Meadows
ICT Curriculum Adviser |
Trailblazing Ideas to Improve Literacy using ICT
Alison has been overseeing a 'Hertfordshire ICT and English' project to 'trailblaze ideas' to improve literacy using Wikis, Blogs, Podcasting and Movie Maker. The project is ongoing. This is a reflective session containing broad ideas on where the future of ICT may be moving to support teaching and learning. All of the examples have been taken from Hertfordshire Schools. Don't be put off if you don't know what some of these things are - come along and find out!
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Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Alison Wood
English Strategy Consultant |
Podcasting
It’s never been easier to give young people a voice and enable them to broadcast across the internet.
This seminar demonstrated how powerful podcasting can be and discussed ideas on how they may be successfully used in schools. Important questions such as What is podcasting? How can I publish Podcasts? and What will I need to make a Podcast? where all answered. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Chris Carter
eDevelopments Adviser |
Primary Strategy County Maths/ICT project
Jenny Gould, PNS Consultant, started the workshop by presenting on the role of ICT within the Primary Framework and demonstrating the location of the available ICT resources on the Strategy website. Jenny went on to then share the work of the county Maths/ICT project thus far, which has looked at embedding ICT into Block C and will culminate in teacher developed IWB resources being available on the Grid at the end of the summer term.
A brief section of the workshop also looked at ICT techniques that could support the development of Maths activities such as inserting ITPs into SMART Notebook. |
Primary
More Information:
Jenny Gould
PNS Consultant
Sue Pennington
ICT Curriculum Adviser |
E2BN
The Seminar Leader was Kathy Olsson, E-Learning Strategy Manager E2BN (East of England Broadband Network)
E2BN is the learning network for the East of England. The workshop focused on the following learning resources:
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Cookit – designed to engage pupils in healthy eating. Kathy explained how to upload recipes and pictures, the use of the recipe calendar for planning cooking eg for religious festivals, the history cookbook which features historical meals and recipes as well as many ‘food facts’, the ‘tried it and now I like it’ sections and also the section on school dinner favourites.
- Making the News – an online publishing/discussion system – Kathy explained that the key point of this resource is that pupils are able to publish to a real audience. Writers can comment on other people’s stories but the comments must be moderated – eSafety issues were explained. Additionally Kathy considered the licensing implications of downloading music clips for educational use, from sites such as Audio Network and Free play Music
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Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Kathy Olsson
E-Learning Strategy Manager
E2BN
(East of England Broadband Network) |
Mobile Technology
With 95% of teenagers owning some sort of powerful handheld device, more and more schools are looking at how these technologies can aid teaching and learning. This workshop looked at Barnwell School’s innovative use of iPods together with video and podcasting. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Secondary school case studies, but concepts covered are also suitable for primary and special schools.
Marie Hart, Geography teacher Barnwell School, and Matt Roberts, Assistant Head Barnwell School |
Video Conferencing
More and more educational establishments are offering lessons and content via video-conferencing. Tim Boundy from the JANET Video Conferencing Service talked about some of the content available and how to find suitable lessons and video conferencing partners. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Tim Boundy
"Schools Content Coordinator" for JANET (the Joint Academic Network.) JVCS is part of that and stands for JANET Video Conferencing Service |
Self Review Framework - ICT Mark
We were very pleased that Simon Shaw from Becta was able to lead this workshop as Becta have been instrumental in coordinating and developing the SRF with other agencies such as the national strategies and QCA. The workshop started by looking at where we are with ICT. Funding continues to increase, teachers regularly use ICT in their classrooms and the 2006 figures tell us that nationally the computer to pupil ratio is 1:6.2 for primary pupils and 1:3.6 for secondary.
Simon took delegates through starting points for the SRF and described a maturity model for developing good ICT. He then briefly explored some of the eight elements and discussed how schools can use the SRF. Delegates were able to looks at specific aspects of the SRF and see how they fit in with national priorities such as eSafety.
Hertfordshire has a number of schools, from all phases, who have achieved the ICT Mark. Evidence is beginning to emerge from Ofsted that ICT Mark accredited schools are considerably more likely to be rated as ‘outstanding’. Recently Hertfordshire and Becta worked together to offer schools the opportunity to attend, at no charge to themselves, a number SRF and ICT Mark courses. Hopefully we will be able to repeat these courses in the future. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
More Information:
Get started and register:
Simon Shaw
Becta |
Pupil Assessment Made Easy!
Maralyn Pomeroy, MIS Project Manager and Helen Colliss, MIS Consultant, ran this workshop to give delegates a flavour of the functionality of the Assessment Tracking system they have produced, working with SIPs and the Primary Strategy team.
Using the Hertfordshire model for tracking and recording pupil assessments, it is now easy to analyse data using pupil attributes directly from Assessment Manager 7 and the Sims.net database.
Maralyn explained that although MIS was considered by many to be just a tool for the school office, it was also a very useful tool for teachers. She took the delegates through the various Distribution sheets that could be generated from the Sims.net reports – which would give the numbers and percentages at each level. This is a very useful tool for headteachers and teachers alike.
The new templates devised by SITSS give the ability to collate, analyse and display data in a variety of different ways. Half day training sessions are available. |
Primary
For further details on courses:
Maralyn Pomeroy,
MIS Project Manager
Helen Collis Primary
MIS Consultant
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A wander through the wondrous world of words
During Tim Ryland's workshop teachers had the opportunity to continue exploring the game Myst that had been introduced during the Keynote speech: investigating the landscapes, looking for evidence, making deductions, solving problems etc. The potential this game (and others could have) for inspiring children’s descriptive writing, and developing their speaking and listening skills was immediately evident. Tim demonstrated how the children's powerful use of strong language could be extended. Children want to explore and find new things, and the role of simple computer games in this was shown. It was easy to see how the use of such media could help develop a passion for learning.
Tim emphasised that it was our role, as classroom practitioners, to give the children an understanding of what they are looking at and the need for us to give them time to 'look'.
The audience was certainly inspired and left with ideas to try on return to the classroom. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
Tim Rylands. 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.
For further information visit his website:
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Using ICT to connect classrooms across Europe
John led an interesting hands-on session during which he described how his school had developed links with European schools through the British Council’s e-twinning project. He screened a fascinating film clip in which pupils from his school talked to French pupils, developing their French language skills by using them in this real situation.
He went on to discuss the financial aspect of engaging in an e-twinning project, explaining the grants which were available to support e-twinning work.
Attendees were then guided in exploring the e-twinning site:
- www.etwinning.net
and registering for participation in the programme. They wrote profiles for their proposed e-twinning project and were encouraged to log on again when they were back at school to check for responses.
The potential for pupils and the strong links to PSHE and MFL were evident and attendees shared their excitement at this way of making other cultures and languages accessible and relevant for learners. |
Primary, Secondary and Special Schools
John is a feverent advocate of the benefits of ICT in helping teachers teach and pupils learn. John’s school has been involved in a number of successful European and International Activities and were awarded the 'eTwining' Quality Mark as well as being runners up in the Annual eTwining Awards 2007. John is currently one of 25 teachers across the UK appointed by the British Council as Ambassadors to promote European school partnerships.
John Warwick, Deputy Head of St Lukes School, Redbourn.
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