Digital Learning

Canary – Mobile Digital Security In The Classroom

Canary is an all-in-one mobile security system, which the teacher can simply plug-in in the classroom and control remotely from his or her mobile phone.

Canary is an all-in-one mobile security system, which the teacher can simply plug-in in the classroom and control remotely from his or her mobile phone.

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      string(5632) "tools.Kerboodle is one of the first services of its kind from a UK publisher to linkstudent books with relevant online resources, whilst also offering the ability totrack and assess a student’s progress.  Learners are able to choose the waythey learn, and teachers are able to tailor lessons using the innovative facilityof adding annotations or voice clips, and uploading personal resources.The Suite, available for purchase as a complete learning solution or in part,includes online interactive resources, e-books and Apps.➥http://www.teachingtimes.comBETT Showcase 2012LapSafe ProductsLapSafe Products (StandH39) will be hosting anumber of events to enableteachers to learn from thebest practice of others.These include:Using the iPad in Education – Assistant Headteacher at Felsted School, anApple Regional Training Centre, Dr Nick R Dennis will discuss using the iPadin the classroom and explain how his school use the UnoCart™ for iPadscharging trolley on stand H39 at 11am Friday 13 January 2011.Free education guides – Visitors that follow the @LapSafe Twitter feed willbe able to download exclusive free educational guides offering informationon games-based learning, iPads in the classroom, practical science lessonsand ICT security.On show at H39 will be a selection of solutions to store, charge, track andmanage mobile ICT devices, including laptops, netbooks, tablets, gamingdevices and more.➥■■Order Hotline: 0121 224 7599 or Fax 0121 224 7598 www.thinkingonlinecatalogue.co.ukA River ChildBy Dr. Sue LyleTeaching about adistance placeA River Child offers an exciting way forward for schools byusing a Geography-led, thematic approach to promoting literacyacross the curriculum.The cross-curricular learning activities in this pack engagechildren with a true story guaranteed to fire their imaginations.This journey into the life of A River Child is perfect forcreating a class of Global Citizens. It utilises a ‘common needs’approach – by asking children to compare and contrast theirown lives with the lives of the children in the village of Gashaka.A River Child is full of exciting and original learning activitiesfor children, including: filming their own ‘NEWSROUND’report, writing their own storybook, designing their own game,map work, studying rivers and water cycles, studying Africananimals, and designing their own brochure.Tried and tested!Research shows that the pack demonstrates its power to motivateand inspire pupils as well as having a very positive impact onliteracy, geographical understanding and student motivation.Children find out about the life of Mohamed and his family.They discover how his family’s lives depend on the natural world.Pupils discover the threats made to Gashaka in 1993and how people from all over Nigeria worked togetherto prevent disaster. From this children can learn ecologicallessons about threats to the natural systems of Africa, whichcan be applied globally to other at-risk areas.Pupils find out about ‘Gashaka-Gumti National Park’as an example of turning a potential environmental disasterinto a success story.•••“At a time when stories of environmental degradationand destruction are the stuff of everyday news forchildren, it is important they hear ‘good news’ stories andrealise that things can get better if we all work together.”Dr. Sue LyleCross-Curricular links: Geography, Science, Designand Technology, English, Drama, ICT and Religion.What’s included in the packThe pack includes:Teacher’s Handbook with detailedguidance notes.Set of photocopiable masters to supportthe activities.Six copies of a full colour culturegramdepicting life in Gashaka Village.Five copies of the storybook Mohamed of Gashaka.CD with Powerpoint  presentations, templates  and resources.Four copies of brochures  from National Parks.••••••PhotocopymastersOFC A River Child-Activity sheet1   1MohamedofGashakaMohamed of Gashaka A5 book 4.ind1  11/3/11   16:06:29ARiverChildBy Dr SueLyleTeachers’ HandbookA thematic approachtopromoting literacyacross the curriculum forchildren age 9-12OFC A RiverChild-Handbook .indd1   14/2/11   12:10:46Price:£60.00http://www.teachingtimes.comSuppliers and Support ServicesWhat sort of teaching allows students to take ownership oftheir own learning?What will motivate and excitechildren’s curiosity and haul them outof passivity? What style of teachingwill develop their intellectual skillsto the point that they can becomeeffective agents of enquiry in anyfield?How can we make lessons exciting andcreative for students and teachers?These questions are the golden grailsof modern teaching. The governmenthas sought to address them bynumerous initiatives… But none ofthese initiatives have succeeded asthey might have done because theyignore the key question. ‘What sort ofteaching is needed to achieve thesegoals?’Intelligent Learning is a teachingpractice course, executed throughsix half hour video sessions, whichaddress in detail the changes inpedagogy you and your school needto introduce to start addressing theissues of motivation and becoming athinking and learning community.The central theme of the course is togive students the skills to ask moreand searching questions. …it’s thequestioning skills, not of the teacherbut of the student that really countsin developing their cognitive abilitiesand engagement. Their questionsdominate the learning agenda and theownership of learning follows.At the end of the course teachers willhave the skills and practical strategies to:facilitate more and moresophisticated student"
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Digital Learning

BETT Showcase 2012

22 Nov 2011

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      string(5544) "ResourceSIGNPOSTS TO SAFETY -TEACHING E-SAFETY AT KEY STAGES 1 AND 2Original DocumentSignposts to safety -Teaching e-safety at Key Stages 1 and 2. This booklet, published by Becta, explores all safety aspects of internet and ICT use at Key Stages 1 and 2 and makes recommendations based on its research findings.KeywordsTeaching e-safety, Key Stages 1 and 2, ICT, inherent safety, securitySummaryIn their exploration of the technologies, young people are not only developing their ICT skills, but also a whole host of ‘softer’ skills – creativity, communication and networking skills, for example – which will be muchin demand by the employers of the future. Some schools, understandably, have found it challenging to keep pace with this technological change, when faced with the inherent safety, security and knowledge issues.Main Findings:Evidence of ICT use among children:· Home access to the internet is growing (75 per cent), and school access is nearly universal (92 per cent). Two-thirds of children and young people (64 per cent) have accessed the internet outside school or home – for example, in someone else’s house or a public library.· Access platforms are diversifying (71 per cent of children and young people have internet access via a computer, 38 per cent via a mobile phone, 17 per cent via a digital television and eight per cent via a games console).· Most children and young people use the internet daily (41 per cent) or weekly (43 per cent), with many children using the internet for searching and homework (90 per cent).· Contrary to public perception, there is little reported interest in contacting strangers online, and most online communication is with existing friends. Generally, mobile phones are used in preference to email or instant messaging.However, the study also found that:· Children lack key skills in evaluating online content (38 per cent of pupils aged between 9 and 19 trust most of the information online, and only 33 per cent of daily and weekly users have been taught how to judge the reliability of online information).· Many children (30 per cent) have not received lessons on using the internet.· Children divulge personal information online (46 per cent).· More than half (57 per cent) of daily and weekly internet users have come into contact with online pornography.· One-third of daily and weekly internet users have received unwanted sexual comments (31 per cent) or nasty comments (33 per cent) online or by text message.E-safety and whole-school issues:· Breaches of e-safety are most likely to occur among older pupils in both primary and secondary schools. The most common breach is the viewing of unsuitable online material. However, the research found that when pupils were taught about e-safety, all breaches of e-safety were reduced.· Breaches are also more likely to occur when pupils are allowed to bring their own equipment (such as laptops or portable storage devices) onto school premises. In some cases, such as incidents of bullying via mobile phone, breaches are not only more likely to occur, but also occur with greater frequency when such items (in this case mobile phones) are allowed on the premises.· Teachers’ ability to deal with breaches of e-safety varies according to the training and support they receive, the policies and procedures in place in schools, and the effectiveness of technical systems.· Having a designated internet safety co-ordinator and an acceptable use policy better equips teachers to deal with breaches of e-safety.Action· On the basis of these findings, recommendations include that educational establishments take a strategic and integrated approach towards e-safety, with monitoring facilitated by local authorities.· Educational establishments need to consider alternative ways of managing the use of personal equipment brought onto their premises by pupils, and also to consider issues relating to mobile technologies in e-safety teaching and learning.· Targeted directives are required to counter breaches of e-safety within particular pupil groups, while teachers require support that is both tailored to their existing levels of expertise and which also takes account of the increased capabilities and wider uses of new technologies.NotesStudy authors notes: ‘Rather than harnessing the technologies that are already fully integrated into young peoples’ daily lives, schools primarily have a “battening down the hatches” approach. Responding to concerns about the safety of social networking sites, most schools block MySpace, YouTube and Bebo. Mobiles, iPods and other pieces of equipment are similarly unwelcome in the classroom. Meanwhile, teachers often do not feel confident using hardware or software – many know less than their students.’The authors of the study conclude that:  ‘…the risks do not warrant a moral panic, and nor do they warrant seriously restricting children’s internet use because this would deny them the many benefits of the internet. Indeed, there are real costs to lacking internet access or sufficient skills to use it. However, the risks are nonetheless widespread, they are experienced by many children as worrying or problematic, and they do warrant serious intervention by government, educators, industry and parents.’AuthorRaspal Chima, Questions PublishingDate CreatedApril 2007Enquiries to:rchima@qiis.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Teaching E-Safety At Key Stages 1 and 2

26 Apr 2007

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      string(5704) "‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sFeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comHow should mobile devices beused in schools?Smartphones are ubiquitous – the majority of people from the age of 11 onwards own one,which means that most of the population, across a wide socio-economic grouping haveaccess to the internet. There are two ways that schools commonly approach smartphones;the first is to say that they’re too difficult to manage so we’ll just ban them, and the otheroption is to embrace them and be proactive with the use of technology. Neil Watkins, MD ofThink-IT, offers best-practice advice for adopting mobile technologies in the classroom anddiscusses how teachers can use the technology to deliver fun and engaging lessons.http://www.teachingtimes.com‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sFeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comThe problem with the current discussion around banningsmartphones for security purposes is that children areoften pretty much attached to them and will likely try tofind a way to sneak them into their school anyway.Technology is a huge part of everyday life for children and it’s not ateacher’s job to try and change this, so it makes more sense to makeuse of mobile devices than ban from the classroom. The trick is to getto a place where schools can ensure their students’ mobile devicesare being properly monitored and managed, allowing teachers tofocus on what they do best; teaching.One of our partners, Mobile Guardian, recently worked with acouncil-owned grammar school in Kent who were keen to try out amobile device management programme with their Year 7 pupils.Gordon Christiansen, CEO, sees dual benefits to this: “A coupleof the teachers we worked with were really passionate about usingmobiles for teaching purposes. One particular teacher who taughtR.E. asked the children to use their smartphones as part of thecurriculum; they were asked totake photos, do web searchesand use multiple apps to enhancetheir learning. The knowledgethat the devices were beingused safely and in a managedenvironment gave comfort for theteacher and the children lovedbeing trusted to use their phonesin class!”When it comes to educationalapps, there’s no ‘one size fitsall’. There are over 200,000apps marked for education onthe app stores so the choice isoverwhelming. One of the things I would suggest is using a third-partyservice dedicated to filtering out the best apps, such as the Tablets forSchools Initiative or the Educational App Store. These initiatives existto demystify mobile devices and the content available – why spendinordinate amounts of time sorting through the available options whenyou can work from a pre-reviewed shortlist?  In addition, looking atwhich apps are being recommended on Twitter or teaching blogsfrom those that have used them before can help save a lot of time.For schools that wish to do their own due diligence when itcomes to selecting apps, there are some key factors to consider.Chris Bradford, head of BrainPOP UK, has spent time with expertteachers and shares his insight. “For a teacher or senior leadershipteam, the questions to ask are ‘what do we already use?’ and ‘howwell does this fit the curriculum?’ or ‘how well can I integrate thisinto my teaching?’” said Chris. “The next important thing to consideris how you can measure the impact on a student’s learning, whilstat the same time, keeping in mind issues such as privacy and dataprotection.”http://www.teachingtimes.com‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sFeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comChris also explained how one particular teacher used mobiledevices to teach a geography class, delivering an outdoor learninglesson on geo-caching which was particularly engaging. The studentshad GPS devices around their necks, and were given the necessarycoordinates they had to use.“They watched educational films on their mobile device tounderstand how GPS worked and how to estimate distance, andthen went out into the forest to search for geocaches,” Chris said.“The children then filmed and photographed their discoveries ontheir mobile devices, providing evidence of learning for their records.It was a great practical example of how technology was integral tomaking this lesson fun and exciting for the students.”Apps that integrate educational films are also a great wayof teaching a number of more complex concepts, particularly inscience, which requires students to acquire strong investigative andobservational skills and a solid understanding of the scientific method.“You can send your students home with particular films to watch,which will help them understand certain areas of the curriculum infurther depth and may lead to independent research,” Chris said.“Apps are a brilliant way to encourage self-led learning, if you canchoose the right apps to link back to your teaching strategy.”So what do we do to get the most from BYOD schemes? Chrisbelieves it often hinges on pre-planning.“So many teachers have reservations about using mobile apps inthe classroom, because it can be a very difficult task getting it right.For example, before introducing BYOD or buying a class suite ofiPads, schools need to look at their teaching and learning strategyand think about what they’re trying to improve. Every school that I’vespoken to says that if you have an idea of the educational benefitsthat you’re looking for, and an idea of what success looks like, thenthe scheme will be much more"
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Digital Learning

How should mobile devices be used in schools?

4 Aug 2016

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      string(5638) "eachother. Pupils can easily post links to useful resources into the group– meaning once exam periods arrive, they have an easily accessiblerecord or research resources and revision aids. Polling tools built intoFacebook groups enable a teacher to set up a series of questions ordebates for a group of pupils.Communicate with parentsYou can use Facebook groups to communicate with a set of parentswhen face-to-face meetings aren’t necessary – for example, to shareinformation about an upcoming school trip. You can invite parentsto join the Facebook group via email – and you have full controlover whether students also have access or not. The group acts asa central hub for information – so using the example of a schooltrip, you can use it to share relevant staff contact details, itinerariesand maps. You can even use it to keep parents updated during thetrip itself, for example by posting photos. As an administrator ofthe group, you can keep track of how many parents have seen andread certain items.http://www.teachingtimes.comThis month’sfeaturesEnable group project workSetting up Facebook pages can be a dynamic and interesting wayfor students to present project or group work. You can post news,photos, videos, comments, competitions, and information relevant toyour page. And at the heart of every Facebook page is a Timeline,showing all that page’s activity over recent days, months and years.Students can set up a page relevant to their project – forexample, a history of the Second World War – and then postrelevant images and articles to the Timeline, pinned to dates whenthose major events occurred. As they add more information, so they’llbuild a comprehensive Timeline of the era they are studying.Set deadlinesTo ensure your students don’t miss an upcoming exam or essaydeadline, you can set up an event on Facebook. Invite all the relevantstudents to that event – they’ll receive a notification of the invitation andthen when they accept, or join the event, they’ll receive alerts when youor other members post information or update the event details.Collaborate with other teachersFacebook groups can be a useful way to share resources and advicewith other teachers in a private, closed environment. Updates fromthe group will appear in your Newsfeed – but they can be set up sothey’re invisible to non-members, meaning whatever you post is onlyshared with other members.How to introduce Facebook at your school:Get leaders on board – Get your headteacher, senior leaders andgovernors to understand the benefits for learning, engagementand communication.Talk to ICT – identify and unblock Facebook access restrictions forteachers first so you can test ideas and projects with colleagues.Start simple – experiment with the use of a Facebook page orgroup where you can test the tools and technology.Privacy – if you are working directly with students, adjust your ownprivacy and security settings on Facebook and get them to do thesame.nnnnhttp://www.teachingtimes.comThis month’sfeaturesStart outside the classroom – Consider starting to use Facebookin an out of school hours learning activity like a sports team ordrama group.Test ideas – use fellow staff members and pupils to explore whatworks and doesn’t work to develop and test your ideas acrosssubjects to extend the reach of the initial project. Informally testand evaluate its impact.ConclusionsFacebook is a vital tool for teaching and learning in the 21st centuryand for making education more social. It is already being widelyused in colleges and universities across the UK and globally, but ithas the potential to be a game changer for teachers, schools and theclassroom.Education systems around the world are undergoing a revolutionin teaching and learning, with the advent and maturity of newtechnology driving new forms of engagement between students,teachers and the wider world, powered by the web. Digital andsocial learning often starts from the perspective of where youngpeople are accessing knowledge and learning for themselves.That learning is typically interactive, student-centred, collaborativeand on demand. It is often outside of school hours, in non-formalsettings and increasingly peer to peer via their own friends andnetworks. Teaching and learning is and will become much moresocial.This revolution coincides with the exponential growth and accessto smartphones and mobile devices that allow access to informationin real time, at young people’s fingertips.Allied to this, cheap and free online platforms are being used byteachers and students to create and share knowledge and learninginside and outside of the classroom and at home via virtual learningenvironments.Plus the new phenomenon of MOOCs (Massive Open Onlinenncourses) such as the EdX, Khan Academy, Udacity, Futurelearn andMozilla’s Open Badges have started to change the way highereducation and indeed learning is accessed, used and accredited.It is in this rapidly changing landscape that Facebook as a tool forteaching and learning can be placed.For those of you that are not convinced, here wepresent some compelling reasons why Facebook canbenefit your class:Almost every student is familiar with Facebook, and mostpupils would therefore be excited to be able to use the site forcollaborative learning.It’s free: Schools pay thousands of pounds for collaboration,digital storage and communication systems, but Facebookdoes all of these things — for free.Many teachers are familiar with Blackboard and otherclassroom community systems, but students"
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Digital Learning

Facebook in the classroom

27 Aug 2014