Learning & Teaching: Articles
FANTASTIC FREE SCIENCE CONTENT!
All secondary schools can now have FREE access to Plato Learning’s Multimedia Science School, the interactive resource for biology, chemistry and physics.
From exploring the urinary system in a series of seven highly-interactive animations to seeing how a magnetic field creates a current, the Multimedia Science School will assist in delivering inspiring, enjoyable and successful multimedia lessons.
To enjoy the fantastic content schools need to simply download the program from the Leeds Learning Network intranet site.
All secondary schools will shortly be receiving an instruction booklet in the post and a key file for installation via email. If you have not received this please contact Leeds Learning Network Service Desk.
Michelle Watts, Secondary Science Consultants believes:
“Multimedia Science School is an extremely useful resource for teaching the more difficult aspects of KS3 and KS4 science, for example illustrating blood flow through the heart. The animations can be used for demonstrating these aspects to groups of students whilst the accompanying worksheets can be used by students individually.”
There are a number of schools already using the program and the response has been fantastic.
For further information please contact the Leeds Learning Network Service Desk 0113 2144420
A FREE brilliant new resource from Primary Games for Primary Teachers
Developed to meet NNS objectives. Great for children to use in their numeracy lessons and superb for use on the whiteboard. To view the resource got to the Leeds Learning Network intranet site.
School Burglary Advice
Article from West Yorkshire Police:
You may be aware there has been an increase in school burglaries, particularly targeting valuable IT equipment.
There are a number of things you can do to reduce the chance of your school being targeted. Please consider the following crime reduction measures.
If you need any help or advice about any of the issues above please contact the Crime Reduction Officer at your local police station.
Are you ready for the KS3 ICT On-Screen Exams?
In March 2005, ministers announced that following successful pilots in KS3 ICT On-Screen testing in 2006 and 2007, the exam will become statutory for all schools in 2008.
This means schools will only have two opportunities to ‘practice’ the test before it will become mandatory. It is important all schools register on www.ks3ictpilot.com to get their school onboard the pilot schemes.
The tests are computer marked and improvements suggested from the pilot tests are currently being implemented.
The tests are often referred to as ‘Online’ but the exam is actually downloaded onto the school computers. Schools will have to check their networks to ensure they will be able to run the tests successfully.
For further details contact the KS3 ICT Test Customer Service Team on 0870 870 1025 or contact the Strategic Advisory Team on 0113 2144105.
Critical Thinking Applies to the Internet Too!
Alan November is renowned for his provocative, stimulating and eye-opening speeches and his visit to Leeds on 21st November proved no different.
Alan presented two workshops at South Leeds CLC during the day and again spoke to around 200 attendees at the Royal Armouries in the evening.
Alan’s speeches focused on the need to equip our children with the relevant skills to compete in a global market.
One of those skills is highlighting the need to effectively understand and implement the most popular means of research for students today – the internet.
The same set of critical thinking skills we all use for paper print resources are not translated to online print. Who published the document, who wrote the document and when and just some of the questions students should be asking of the websites they source as research but more often than not don’t.
One example of the way in which the internet can manipulate and deceive the reader is the website www.martinlutherking.org.
What initially appears to be an innocent website from the Martin Luther King Organisation is actually a front to disguise the views and content from a white supremacist group, Stormfront.
How do we know this?
If you copy the URL, www.martinlutherking.org and go to the website www.easywhois.com and paste the URL into the search box, you will see information about the site www.martinlutherking.org.
This will provide you with information which can help you validate the website in question. However it is not the only means of exploring the authentication.
If you didn’t already know, websites are ranked by search engines not by how many hits they receive but by how many front or back links they have. This means when you search for something in Google the top website you come across is likely to have the most back links to it i.e. have the most sites making reference to the site in question. To find out who are these back links you can copy the URL and go to the search engine www.altavista.com
You then type into the search box Topic: and paste in your URL. Press enter and all the back links into your original URL will be displayed.
You can focus the back links to being country specific by leaving a gap after the URL in the search box and typing in host: and then the country code i.e.
Topic: www.martinlutherking.org host:UK
The search engine opposite to Google which ranks websites on the number of front links it has i.e. the number of links it has going out, is www.teoma.com. This is what is called a cluster search engine.
The internet is undoubtedly a mine field of information. To help you find the most appropriate search engine to begin your web research go to www.noodletools.com
Alan advocated that students need to be Web Detectives. They need to be inquisitive and investigate the reliability, validity and authenticity of everything they research on the internet.
The key three questions students need to ask of the websites they are using for research are:
1. What search engine did I use?
2. What do the front links tell me? (Look for bias)
3. What do the back links tell me? (Look for commentary)
There is a wealth of information to be found on Alan November’s website about implementing critical thinking to the web www.novemberlearning.com
Other useful links include: www.samspade.org or www.netcraft.com or www.dnsstuff.com
Teacher’s TV is an innovative channel by showing practical ideas and information for teachers and schools.
Funded by the Department of Education and Skills, the programmes are tailored to the national curriculum for primary and secondary teachers and learners and all level of needs.
It is broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on Cable, Satellite and DSL.
For money saving deals on digital suppliers providing Teacher’s TV click here.
Awards for All
Awards for All, which provides small lottery grants of £500 - £5,000, is welcoming applications from schools for certain activities.
We are a joint lottery programme supported by: Arts Council England, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England.
The aims of the programme are to:
Mainstream schools can apply for activities that take place outside of curriculum time. Applications must demonstrate a link with the wider community, such as another school or a community group. We cannot fund projects that only benefit children from the applicant school.
These two rules do not apply for special schools, mainstream schools with pupils with special needs or LEA nursery schools.
Case studies
A secondary school staged a half-term holiday programme of singing, dancing
and stage performance in conjunction with local primary schools.
One primary school worked with its local allotment society to develop a children's gardening club and allotment.
A rural primary school created a playground area, which was open to the local playgroup, youth group and village children.
How to apply
You can apply at any time. The application form is short and simple. You
will be told the outcome within eight weeks.
We provide guidance over the phone and run advice events.
Full details of application are available on our website at www.awardsforall.org.uk
The application pack is available from our website or by calling 0845 6002040.
Contact details
Awards for All Yorkshire and the Humber
2nd Floor, Carlton Tower
34 St Paul's Street
Leeds, LS1 2AT
0113 224 5345
yorkshire.humber@awardsforall.org.uk
Youth Matters
"Youth Matters" is clearly the most important document for many years in terms of co-ordinating and developing services for young people aged 13 to 19. Its implementation will be a key aspect of Children's Trusts.
The DFES has established a consultation process which closes on 4th November. For Leeds we hope that two general principles will guide consultation responses: -
This approach was endorsed at a recent meeting of the Children and Young Peoples Strategic Partnership (CYPSP) Executive.
Your organisational group is therefore invited to attend a consultation event to be held on THURSDAY 29th SEPTEMBER at the ART GALLERY, An invitation flyer is attached. Registration is from 9.00 am for a prompt 9.30 am start. Lunch will be provided and the event will conclude at 1.00 pm.
The aims of the consultation event are to: -
Following the consultation event were encouraging organisations and individuals to send consultation responses to the DFES by 28th October and, at the same time, to send a copy to one of three contact points who will then co-ordinate additional responses on behalf of: -
This process will be explained fully on September 29th. Bookings for the consultation should be returned by e-mail or post to: Stacey Thompson, Administrative Assistant, Youth Service Development Team, 180 Chapeltown Road, LEEDS LS7 4HP. Please do not respond directly to this e-mail!
A booking form is attached, please note that the capacity for the venue is 200 and that bookings are, therefore, strictly on a first come first served basis.
John Paxton Doug Martin
Head of the Youth Service Strategic Co-ordinator CYPSP
Digital in Digital Application (DIDA)
DIDA is a revolutionary suite of three paperless qualifications which offers progression from the Award (AIDA) which is equivalent to 1 GCSE, Certificate (CIDA) to full Diploma (DIDA), equivalent to 4 GCSEs.
Child Internet Safety
If you are a parent or carer, this document will help you find out what you need to know to keep your children safe when they use the Internet.