ICT Management

ICT across the school

Secondary

A look at the education technology on offer at the 2010 BETT show

Get ready for BETT 2010, with a look at what's new in education technology and interviews with some of the show's exhibitors. Reporting from the first day of the show, Matthew Tosh finds out what exciting innovations are being launched including Boardworks' MyWorks, an assessment package that integrates with school VLEs, and an animation package from Stripey Design called Anithings. We also get a look at the updated Us Online from Roar Educate, a VLE integrated software package that teaches e-safety and e-citizenship, as well as Shakespeare in Bits from Mindconnex, the Skoog musical instrument and Kudlian's Weather Studio. Finally, he looks at some of the nominees for the prestigious BETT Awards including Mantra Lingua's TalkingPen and Serious Games Interactive's 'Global Conflict: Palestine'. BETT is world's largest educational technology event, with over 600 exhibitors, and around 30,000 visitors.

BETT 2010 Review

The challenges facing schools when they implement VLEs

Director of e-learning at Queen Elizabeth School, Mark McNulty provides a frank appraisal of what's involved in rolling out a new learning platform. Mark has been working with a VLE for over two years. In this programme, he analyses the problems of converting reluctant colleagues and the pressing need to get the right IT support. His candid approach helps ICT staff and leadership teams face the tough decisions they will need to make when choosing and then implementing a learning platform. This programme also looks in detail at the debate around open source, free software and packages provided by the big commercial suppliers.

Choosing a VLE

Discover radical proposals for the future of assessment and exams

The radical developments in assessment and exams, which could change the face of teaching and learning forever, are the focus of this whole-school video on ICT management in Key Stages 2-4. Assessment regularly hits the headlines as the media and employers debate the value of exam results. Away from the spotlight there are developments in e-assessment for primary and secondary which are potentially far more important in the long term - and likely to provoke even stronger reactions. This video looks at using mobile phones to test KS2-KS4 pupils at the time of their choosing, abandoning the idea of ascribing numerical marks to students' work and even letting students know exam questions in advance.

E-assessment - Where Next?

How two schools use ICT to ease pupils' transition to secondary

The way two secondary schools are using ICT to take the trauma out of transition from primary and secondary teachers is the focus of this whole-school video on ICT learning. Painsley Catholic College in Staffordshire uses video conferencing to ease primary pupils into the school. The Year 7 intake can be brought onto site and given the same lesson by the same teacher across five different classrooms. The school aims to extend this video link into the primaries themselves to give them a greater taste of secondary education. Fear of transition has been even greater at the King Edward VII High School in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. The school, which has 2,000 pupils but a Year 7 intake of 100, has created a centre for lower years that features its own dedicated wireless network. This provides easy access to a website and portal dedicated to Year 7 pupils. The new students visit for two days but are encouraged to log onto the portal from home for virtual tours of the classrooms and curriculum.

Hi Tech Transition

See the ICT initiatives set up by a Becta award-winning school

Frances Stickley, chair of governors at Kings Langley School in Hertfordshire, visits The Bishop's Stortford High School to see what lessons she can learn. Frances discovers that the headteacher at Bishops Stortford, which won a Becta award for excellence in 2007, was instrumental in drawing up a vision for ICT at the school. Their initiatives included the implementation of a wireless network, laptops for all teachers, and the appointment of a director of e-learning. The school also introduced an ICT Strategy Committee to drive and oversee all aspects of ICT at the school. Niel McLean of Becta also gives an overview of the current ICT initiatives which governors should be aware of, such as the provision of an online personal learning space for all students, and real time reporting.

The benefits of investing in ICT and e-learning software

The Sir Bernard Lovell School recently used their devolved capital formula (DFC), combined with a bank loan, to invest £250,000 in ICT hardware. This investment coincides with an upgrade in software for e-learning. The school believes that education continues after the lesson and their strategy to invest in ICT is focused on supporting teaching and learning. Teachers, students and pupils will be given access to an e-learning network that is supported by the new hardware investment. The project is managed, independently of the LEA by business administration manager Liz Griffiths in collaboration with Andrew McCauley, the ICT systems manager.

An assistant principal tries to improve ICT facilities

Bridgid Nzekwu and DCSF procurement expert Claire Dicks visit John Kelly Girls Technology College in London to see if it's possible for the school to update its ICT provision and save money. The school is about to become an Academy and assistant principal Ross McGill is determined to take the school into the 21st century. Half the desktop computers need replacing and the server is so old that pupils spend valuable lesson time trying to log on. He visits Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough, which has won several awards for its ICT provision. It has a 'thin client' system in which most of the computing power is in the server, doing away with the need for individual desktop computers. Later, Ross contemplates whether a similar system might work in his school. It would be a big upfront cost but are there ongoing savings to be made. Meanwhile, Bridgid and Claire research the costs and return to the college to report back.

ICT Provision

See how one academy has introduced a new vision for ICT in school

Find out how New Line Learning Academy in Kent has implemented an integrated approach to ICT to support its learning programme. As part of this approach, every pupil has been given a portable tablet computer, the school has provided wireless internet access, and has designed a virtual learning environment called Schoolbuk. This programme shows how the academy has been developing a classroom of the future, with the school hall converted into a high tech Learning Plaza where open plan areas allow students to work in small groups, and an area for whole-class presentations. Find out how the use of teaching materials, setting of tasks, assessment and feedback have all had to change to accommodate this new vision of ICT in learning.

New Ideas in Secondary ICT

Teaching and learning strategies that use the internet

Introducing learning and teaching styles that recognise the impact of the Internet. In this programme Dan Buckley, vice-principal of Eggbuckland Community College in Plymouth, talks about his responsibility for turning the school into an e-learning organisation. Year 8 and 9 groups are seen being taught in laptop groups with wireless internet access whilst teachers Adrian Daw (maths) and Paul Reynolds (science) talk about teaching groups in this way. The excitement and innovation of the project bring practical challenges and Dan Buckley and college principal Katrina Borowski comment on the future facing the school as the scheme develops. The programme shows: Pupils offering feedback from their classes, reflecting on the initiatives in student leadership, access management and digital creativity Four pupils involved in peer-to-peer teaching at a local primary school Access managers who supervise ICT suites in breaks and at lunchtime

Secondary ICT - E-Schooling

Two schools reveal what they spend their ICT money on and why

So, you've got the money in place, but what do you spend it on? Just as finding money for ICT can be a difficult process, so spending the money successfully can be a nerve-wracking undertaking for schools. The aim of this programme is to look at different models for spending money on ICT and the issues that need to be addressed. In Money for ICT: Spend It, we focus again on Waldegrave School and Greensward College, but this time compare and contrast what the two schools spent their money on and why. Through conversations with the key representatives we consider: How they budget for hardware or software What the hidden costs are What advice/support is available to them How they evaluate their ICT needs Who is involved in the decision-making process

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

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