Whether to allow pupils to bring their own technology into the classroom is a subject that divides opinion. Will BYOD, short for bring your own device, help schools to save money by reducing spending on school owned ICT? Or, is permitting pupils to use their own laptops or tablets in lessons a security nightmare waiting to happen?
Although many are yet to be convinced of the benefits of using student ...
If you are unfamiliar with the ‘9 dot problem’ (or have forgotten it) then, before reading this article, I would urge you to attempt the puzzle first:
The 9 dot puzzle:
Task: cover all 9 dots with four (or less), straight, continuous lines without tracing over the lines. Do not read on until you have had a go. The solution is at the end of the article.
What is a creative curriculum and how can we implement it? The National College report, Lifting the Lid, says that a creative curriculum makes creativity central rather than a bolt-on. We link to case studies from Leading Aspect Award, and programmes such as Creative Partnerships.
Defining a creative curriculum
Lifting the Lid on the Creative Curriculum was a landmark 2007 report from the National College for School Leadership (NCSL). It focused ...
How are schools using mobile phones to promote learning? We link to a Becta study into mobile phone use in the classroom. Hertfordshire Grid for Learning lists handheld devices and possible mLearning applications. Finally, we cite two blogs on MFL ideas and general classroom uses for mobiles.
The computer company, Apple, whom you may have heard of from such products as the iPhone, iPad and iPod, made an announcement in the Big Apple on the 19th of January 2012 that has started to create waves in the education system in the States – waves that will likely ripple across the pond to us in the UK.
What was the announcement?
Well, there were two main parts:
1. a new online ...
How can staff evaluate INSET training and CPD courses? We link to proformas for evaluating different aspects of CPD, such as: taking practice back; Guskey’s ‘five levels of CPD evaluation’; and outcomes for pupils. We also link to an example INSET training policy.
Taking practice back into schools
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) has a continuing professional development (CPD) evaluation sheet for schools.
It includes spaces to set out ...
We are continually seeing new trends in education technology. In 2011, we saw the prominence of social media, QR codes, and the use of iPads™ in the classroom. So when twelve months roll around and a fresh year begins, we can’t help but wonder what developments will arise in the near future. This is an important thing to ponder considering our desire to keep our classrooms competitive! With this said, ...
The concept of blended learning has gone viral on the Internet and in classrooms. For those who aren’t familiar, blended learning is a method that takes traditional in-class teaching and interlaces it with an online element. The beautiful thing about blended learning is that it prepares students to be digital citizens, which is vital in a society full of technology. One vital element to digital citizenship, and what is ...
As we regularly visit schools, we find ourselves in contact with the local police quite often, to discover crime in the area that we are visiting and the main problems with relation to bullying. A recurring theme in all regions is that ‘Cyber bullying’ as well as ‘underage drinking’ is a major problem.
In every school I visit, I observe students raising their hands to say that they’ve been ...
I get this question often - and it pops up frequently on my IT teacher forums and Nings. IT teachers as a group are struggling to understand their future role: are computer skills to be taught in dedicated computer-room-based IT lessons, or should the teaching of these skills be integrated into standard classroom lessons?
Here are a few points to consider.
How can we commission services better in our school? This article explains the commissioning cycle, passes on tips on effective commissioning, and links to the Commissioning Support Programme and DfE guidance.
What is commissioning?
The Commissioning Support Programme (CSP) defines strategic commissioning as follows:
Commissioning is the process for deciding how to use the total resource available for children, young people, parents and carers in order to improve outcomes in ...
Laptops are fantastic learning tools, but it is no secret that mobile devices can pose issues for schools when it comes to managing and deploying equipment. Although laptop trolleys were created to resolve these problems, it is still important to have an action plan in place to get the most from your mobile ICT.
To make organising your school’s ICT equipment that little bit easier, I’ve put together ...
