Welcome to the latest update from Redbridge Primary ICT.
Image uploaded byJellybeanz
Hello Again
I hope you have all been enjoying the snow. When the first flakes began to fall on Sunday night the blogosphere erupted with snow based activity on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. On all of these sites people tagged their snow pictures with the tag '#uksnow'. At 8pm on Monday I posted some of the first pictures on Flickr with this tag, three bland shots of the front of my house in a gentle blizzard. By Midnight tonight the number of pictures posted on Flickr with the tag #uksnow has risen to almost 4,000. Have a look at this growing stream of images, teachers could perhaps use some of these to inspire some writing or art work.
There is so much I could have fitted into this issue, which means inevitably some things will be left out. This is the nature of ICT and the information age we live in, so much comes to us, that it is hard to prioritise and sift out through the blogs and updates, well that's where this blog comes in. Its here we aim to pass on the relevant, interesting and exciting news in Primary ICT.
As usual please post your feedback in the comment box, or via email to Anthony Evans
In this issue:
- Dates for your Diary
- Film Competition Launched
- DS in Review again
- Sites mentioned at Headteachers forum
- Special Offers
- Its Fronter only a bit of a better Interface
- Safer Internet Day
Dates for your Diary
Don't forget the following :
February 11th - Teaching the Control Element of ICT at Key Stage 2, this course will give you a through knowledge of LOGO and Lego Robolab software. It is run by Gary Stevens, a former inner London adviser for ICT and London Met Lecturer. This is one of best courses and guess what places are still available!! - Book now via Redbridgepdc
March 12th - Primary ICT Subject Leaders Meeting - I see the usual suspects have booked already and we welcome you again, but there are still some unfilled spaces. This is a supply cover paid event, which all ICT coordinator are entitled to go to, we'd love to see you!
If you can't or don't want to come, please let us know why (anonymously) in the box below, as we are trying to serve you, not just be in the business of running events.
Note Please bring your laptops to this event - agenda will be posted here soon
See redbridgepdc for other courses
LGfL Annual Conferences for Technicians
These information-packed and oversubscribed conferences for school ICT Technicians will again be held at the prestigious Auditorium, BT Centre, St Pauls. Further details will follow shortly but for now please note the date : 30th March am and repeated for a second sitting 30th March pm
____________________________________________________________
Film Competition finally Launched
Are there any budding Spielberg's in your school, or better still teams of four Spielbergs. Redbridge Primary ICT and Alex Rees have launched a competition to create short films of up to 3 minutes on anyone of the fours suggested themes on the Film Competition website.
To register see the 'How to Enter' page of the Film Competition website:
http://webfronter.com/redbridge/redbridgepict_filmawards
All schools entering will get a free Flip Ultra camera for their school. So what are you waiting for.
Coming soon a Film competition blog containing entries and Primary films past and present.If you have done any films in the past please send me the links.
Please note an email or Facebook message to me is not registering
________________________________________________________________
New Blogs on the block
Time to mention some more school blogs that are springing up like buildings in Google Earth:
Saint Bedes - there appears to be a lot of hard work gone into this series of linked class blogs, with each class contributing news, images and videos. Class 1l look like they have been particularly busy and active recently, while over on Mr Kirby's 5K blog, parents are kept up to date with class activity by a succession of short video clips, including biscuit making and an example of good interview skills.
The front page of the Saint Bedes Blog shows them proudly collecting thier ICT Mark @Bett, I am sure other schools in our borough will follow soon.
Saint Aidans blog is just getting going and the authors are already posting videos and images of class story telling and the visit to Kingswood by Year 6. I am keeping an eye on the work posted by the ICT Club.
More blogs next time
____________________________________________________________________ Nintendo DS - Feedback
The Nintendo DS mini consoles recently spent a term in Saint Peter and Pauls primary, where the teachers and students really enjoyed using them. Michael Corcoran, the deputy and ICT Coordinator has submitted this presentation, detailing the project.
Also-we hear that Luton ICT team have asked Dawn Halybone to go and present at their ICT conference on using the devices in the classroom. And she will also be at the Games Based Learning conference . this term.
___________________________________________________________________
Sites mentioned at the Redbridge Headteachers Forum
Last week I gave a short update to our Redbridge Headteachers. I mentioned a number of websites around online gaming and learning, these were:
http://www.spellingcity.com/ see a video made by Nicholas and I which explians this site
and
http://tutpup.com/
I also showed a tool that analyses text for the most commonly occurring words, before making a graphical represnetation of this - Wordle of course
http://www.wordle.net/
I also mentioned Twitter and how some teachers are using this in Geography and literacy.We'll come back to this in another post.
_____________________________________________________________________
Its Fronter only a bit of an easier Interface
While at Bett and the recent Redbridge Show and tell of Fronter Use, we saw the new Entrance Hall device for Fronter. In a nutshell this provides children with a far more visual opening screen, in place of the rather unprimary text screen that currently greets them when they login. This should arrive in March whne Fronter issues its next update. I laos look forward to visual mail, which is a similarly image based tool. Here users can click on an image of another pupil or teacher, they wish to email, rather than having to type in a long email address. This is very well suited to children in Key Stage 1 and Founadtion and for some children who need a more visual prompt.
__________________________________________________________________
Special Offer
Last week we brought you some savings on the Flip camera. This week I have a trial of Sherston’s Googlebox Key Stage 2 channels for four Redbridge Schools for Free until the end of the academic year.
Matt from the BLI group, who some of you will remember from Subject leaders has provided this offer in return for though he would like the schools to blog the channel experiences. Have a look at the Sherston Channels/ Gogglebox, and decide for your self whether you'd like your school to trial this product. According to Matt, you will have all singing, all dancing fully functioning content for school use, home use, parent use….. until the end of this academic year
If you are interested then you will need to:
- Be a Redbridge school
- Be ICT marked or in the process of completing the Self Review Framework
- Commit to posting regular (fortnightly) blog posts on the use of the Sherston Channels in your school
- Feedback your findings at Redbridge ICT Subject Leaders
Interested, then email Anthony.Evans by February 16th and I'll liase with Sherston to get the account set up for your school.
.) Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day Assemblies
To mark Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 10th February 2009, CEOP has made available two new short assemblies: original, thought-provoking films which, within ten minutes, incorporate the very latest online safety advice from the CEOP Centre.
The assemblies, which come with comprehensive guidance notes, suggested lesson plans and child protection information, are available to teachers registering at https://owa.redbridge.gov.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers for both primary and secondary school audiences. They focus on children’s risk taking behaviour – particularly in social networking sites and the way their personal information can be manipulated by offenders and peers.
These resources have been developed in partnership with CEOP’s youth panel and a group of education professionals to ensure that they are relevant and up to date with the latest risks and technologies.
Safer Internet Day 2009 - file://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/sid09
Please visit this link to view the Safer Internet Day area. In this area you can:
View the European Commissions film on cyber bullying
Check out the Virtual Fair
View the new parental webcast
Access the SID portal (below)
Safer Internet Day 2009 Portal - file://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/sid09/portal
Leading up to Safer Internet Day a number of key stakeholders have produced new materials and content for a range of target audiences. The portal aims to give the end user access to a plethora of resources and links to raise awareness of internet safely and security.
They have has over 3000 registration to Safer Internet Day through the TUK. CEOP have extracted the top initiatives across the country and these will appear on a map so people can search for activity close to their locality
Last minute links
- Facebook safety - remember children under 13 are not permitted to us this service - more info here
- Comprehensive video tutorials on maing animated videos from Kent TV - click here
- Create a quick and easy checklist with this checklist geneartor - ok so I guess you could scribble it out by hand - click here
- Create your own Mr Men or Little Miss - click here here is one I made earlier:
Love your mr man.
ReplyDeleteThat video of fronter is great ;o)