Group items tagged

"The pupils use the Scratch tool, developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which gives them them ready-made lines of code that they put together to make games and movies. The aim is that eventually they will begin to adapt the code and eventually write their own. They have been learning coding in their citizenship lessons with teacher Juliet Heppell. She says you don't need to be a computing expert to get children started on the path to becoming confident computer coders. "I am self-taught. I can do some very basic things, but beyond that I just know where to send them to learn more," she says. "

a Quad four schools/classes including your own. Each Quad has a co-ordinator who is responsible for making sure each of the quad members know what is going on and when. Each week one blog is the focus blog with the other three blogs visiting and commenting during that week. In week two, another school/class blog is the focus with the other three visiting and commenting. This is repeated until each of the classes/schools has had their week in the spotlight. The cycle is then repeated. However, this time, your pupils know what is coming - They will work harder than you have seen them work in order to get content on their blog!

"With a keen interest in ICT and maths, I have been exploring the ways in which iPad apps (other than the "I can do maths….2+2 etc" type) can enhance pupil progress and motivation. I believe that, when done the right way, gaming can play a huge role in learning. If you are going to try any of these ideas in class its best to be quite familiar with the apps and how they work."

"Over the last few days I've been working with my school's technician to rollout 30 iPads; 10 for staff and 20 for pupils. We'd both never done this before, and didn't really know what we'd find along the way. But we finished today, and I wanted to share the process we went through."

"A group of children took part in a series of literacy lessons centred around the popular game Bike Baron by Qwibooand Mountain Sheep as outlined in detail athttp://mrandrewsonline.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/part-1-raising-standards-in-boys.html. The aim was to raise standards in writing. The work is based on the success of the Controllable Vehicle project which demonstrated that the iPad can significantly enhance pupil understanding and interest in a topic leading to accelerated progress in speaking, listening and writing."

Graham Attwell reports that the English education minister has called for an open source curriculum. "Gove said three main things that technology can do for learning: - Disseminate knowledge incredibly widely. - Change the way teachers teach, with adaptive software personalising learning. - Allow teachers to assess pupils in more complex and sophisticated ways." Stephen Downes

"- Management of iPads. - Maximising the iPad's camera. - Teaching with the iPad. - iPad Workflows and Pupil Examples. - Film-making, screen-casting and eBook creation. - Early Years and more. The book also includes over 40 minutes of video tutorials and many classroom based ideas for all year groups"

Useful aide to support teachers and/or pupils embarking on blogging

"From September 2014, a change to the curriculum means the study of computing - and specifically coding - will be mandatory across all state primary and secondary schools in England. The government has announced that 2014 will be its 'Year of Code', as it attempts to tackle a skills shortage in an increasingly digital world. But are teachers ready for the move and how will they engage pupils with the subject?"

Throw away the paper, and use this iPad app instead to keep track of your pupils progress...

"iPads are becoming an important part of education resources, whether as a learning tool for pupils or a teaching aid. The devices are being used in many subjects, often creating opportunities that were previously not possible. Both Primary and Secondary schools have embraced the technology but the road to iPad success is not always smooth and deploying the devices (on whatever scale) can be a challenge for all. "

Sshh

Help pupils make connections in their learning with a metro/underground map.

"The new school term is well under way and the early efficiencies are slipping and bad habits are slipping in. Homework is already being completed late and stuffed into heavy schoolbags before the kids stagger off again. In my own case, I seem to spend way too much time each day trying to persuade my son to take a day's worth of kit to school, rather than a week's. The problem is that the sanctions that come with forgetting sports kit or books is worse, in a child's mind, than the possibility, long hence, of back pain. But there's things that parents and teachers could do, which help take those damaging decisions out of the childrens' hands:"

"Schools in the Netherlands have shunned textbooks and only use Apple tablets for teaching and learning. A year in, journalist Sarah Marsh investigates how pupils and teachers are faring"

"Whether you're a student looking to get into the film industry or a teacher looking for reference points to help your pupils, you'll need all the online resources you can find. To make things a little easier for you, the film section of Tuppence Magazine has put together a list of the 25 best learning resources for film studies available online. It covers everything from film theory and study points to filmmaking, behind the scenes advice and useful inspiration, providing a wide range of options for teachers and students alike."

"A "traditionalist" school, founded with the explicit intention of bringing the values of private education to a deprived corner of north-west London, has decided to stop setting pupils homework. Michaela Community School was set up by Katharine Birbalsingh, the headteacher renowned for receving a standing ovation at the 2010 Conservative Party conference, after she decried the state of English education. But now Michaela's assistant headteacher, Joe Kirby, has explained that the school has decided to "replace…setting, chasing, checking, marking and logging homework with revision, reading and online maths"."