Visionary English at TSTC

A small but select enthusiastic group met to look at some of the tools for learning. We aslo had time to share the blog and how to do it!

Ideas worth sharing

When I first found this web site I was glued to it for days. It certainly beats anything the TV has to offer.

Try searching for Dave Eggars. He appears on a short film sharing ideas about homework clubs, totally inspirational.

http://www.ted.com

 

Please leave comments and ideas to share!

Please leave comments on this site. To do this you click on the word comment under each posting-a smaller screen should appear and you can then leave feed back. 

Ideas worth sharing are most valued. The aim of this site is to share just some of the excellent teaching and learning being undertaken across the city. Please leave a clue to whom you are so that if we want to know more you can be contacted easily.

Please remember that this is a professional forum.

Sally Craig

Twitter to contact parents! just one call for admin....

Ian Taylor at Oakwood Junior is using the social networking tool 'twitter' to enable quick and easy contact with parents. http://twitter.com/

I can think of many reasons that a school may need to contact the parents of perhaps a whole class. Using 'twitter' it is not only free but your admin will only have to make one call and all parents in a group will be contacted. Just think there are company's offering packages to do this that cost the earth, the only cost is that parents need to text your twitter site to register in a network group. Then all is free.

Ever forgotten how to use a programme

This Web site developed by an AST in a Hampshire school gives video tutorials to many of the programmes used in the KS2 and KS3 IT curriculum. The site also gives ideas to link IT capabilities to science. Well worth a visit!

http://www.ictvideohelp.co.uk

Jim Knight's Harnessing New Technology - fed into Wordle

Show and Tell: Applying for the BECTA SRF

An excellent day was spent sharing  outstanding practice focussing on the harnessing of new technologies to engage children across the city.

A group of teachers started the day being inspired by the children at Oakwood Junior School in Southampton. ( Aided by head teacher Mr Taylor) Colleagues were introduced to:

Blogging- children at Oakwood Junior school participate in creating the school's interactive online blog. All hosted at no cost to the school.

Twitter- Using this social networking tool, Mr Taylor is able to contact all parents and staff by sending one FREE message from the twitter site. An invaluable tool for communicating important information to parents and he wider community.

Film making using you tube- Children demonstrated a range of films that have been made and posted to you tube for parents and families to view from home.

Speaking and listening with the smart board- Children demonstrated how they share their written methods in numeracy with the wider community as well as demonstrating to their teachers that they can use a range of written methods.

Planning- making the use of both the school's network and SMART technologies- The head teacher demonstrated how he has freed his teachers up to focus on the content of their lessons linked to Assessment for Learning.

Teachers then visited Shirley Warren Primary to observe IT being used to support learning in all areas of the curriculum.

Here colleagues had the opportunity to interact with the new Becta SRF framework and to share their own long term action plans.

Many thanks to the host schools, who engaged all in the day, they are well worth a visit! 

As well as a big thank you to all the children undertaking the challenge of new technologies with relish and enthusiasm- Perhaps I should film these days so that all school's could share in the experience.............

Secondary NQT day

A practical and hands on  digital Media day was had by a large number of the cities NQT's. Each undertook in a small group a task to create a short 30 second film. This was taken on with much enthusiasm by all in attendance.  

Participants returned with cameras full of clips of Portswood High Street, ready to be edited into inspiring films!

The Task

Each group was given an adjective to represent....e.g. beautiful (Portswood High Street is...)

Do enjoy the films.