Monthly Archives: October 2012

Launch of ‘Lights! Camera! Action! borough-wide Film/Animation competition

The information pack outlines the rules, guidelines, dates and additional information for the competition

Sharing Good Practice

Teaching and Learning

Successful use of iPads for music and connecting to the whiteboard to share pupil work

A Science film scripted, acted in, directed, edited and produced by pupils

Using Kodu to engage and enthuse pupils

Systems

What should be on a school website (tick-list of essential, desirable and other elements)

Google Calendars to share important dates with parents, pupils and staff

DB Communicator to manage and disseminate information to staff, pupils and parents

EYFS – help with daily admin

An app from 2Simple – 2 Build a Profile enables the use of a phone or tablet for taking photos and adding notes to record an experience. The experiences can be linked to learning goals. A pdf report for an individual child or class can be emailed from the device.

The device used should have a camera. The following will work:

• an ipad
• an android tablet running android 3.2 or higher (an Acer A100 7″ is used at the 2Simple office for testing purposes )

Note on tablets: There are rumours that an iPad mini tablet will be announced soon. So those really really wanting an iPad should wait to hear whether that will meet their needs.

Learning Platforms

Some schools do not want to use a learning platform and some have found Fronter to be cumbersome. A company supplying a learning platform for primary schools (DB Primary) have been in touch. If anyone wants to investigate this further, do let me know and I can arrange a demo.

It should be noted though that the successful implementation of a learning platform may not be related solely to the product used.

A possible approach to CPD

From the DFE:

A new bursary for computer science has been introduced … Funding for the current information and communications technology (ICT) courses will end at the same time to reflect the disapplication of ICT curriculum.

The new ICT Programme of Study is likely to have a computer science focus too.

Therefore, I tentatively propose that a GCSE in Computer Science is available as CPD to existing primary ICT Subject Leaders. If a participants wants to, he or she can take the exam to gain a qualification.  If you would like to tale part in this or have further questions, leave a comment or email me.