Curriculum changes

Interesting new developments in the curriculum for primary schools have been leaked according to The Guardian. Prescriptive rules about which topics and areas of history to study are being scrapped in a move which should lead to more creativity possible for individual schools and teachers, but there is bound to be criticism of the new emphasis on digital forms of communication.

No, primary school children do NOT need to learn Twitter! But they do need to be aware of the tools of communicaton. Though whether they need to be taught them is another matter - in most schools it's the children who are capable of teaching the teachers about digital literacy.

FREE WORKSHOP: Creative Classroom Approaches to Diversity

WHEN: Wednesday 21st January 2009 from 3.45pm - 5.15pm

WHERE: Benson Community Primary School, Benson Road, Hockley, Birmingham B18 5TD.

• Are some of your topics getting a bit stale?
• Do you want some new ideas to help embed diversity into your curriculum?

This Primary Colours Workshop will give you lots of practical guidance on topics and methods which you can introduce now to both embed diversity and add more creativity to your teaching and learning.

Click Here to register now via email!

Digital Christmas ideas

Online advent or seasonal calendars are all the rage.

I did one last year - the Advent of Technology calendar for ELKS at
http://drillbit.omnium.net.au/elks/modules/showcase/gallery.php?id_galleries=7

Here are some ideas for any classroom as the end of term approaches
http://web.me.com/concetta.gotlieb/Site/Christmas.html

Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity

One of the most inspiring speakers I've ever heard in the education arena is Sir Ken Robinson. I heard him talking in 1999 about his incredible report, All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (The Robinson Report).

Recently he's been talking again about creativity and children and schools. I can't believe it's taken me until now to do aYoutube search for him. It was well worth it though:

JISC collections for schools: online subscription respources

This JISC project launched in April 2008 and offers "The highest quality online subscription resources at the lowest ever prices."

For the first time, schools can benefit from nationally-negotiated terms for a range of specially-selected and high quality online subscription services - from newspaper archives and image databanks to catalogue of invaluable resources covering history, science, art and music, modern languages and much, much more.

Some of the benefits include:

• the discounted pricing on offer enables schools to offer cost-effective, 24x7 access to trusted and regularly updated online resources - already widely available in further education colleges - in many cases for the first time.
• remote access is available, so teachers and learners at subscribing schools can access the resources from wherever they are.
• there is no limit on the number of teachers or learners who can access a resource simultaneously.

The web’s good for children!

Following the publication of Dr Tanya Byron’s report "Safer Children in a Digital World" for Ofcom, much is being said in the news media about the dangers for children online. Parents are being frightened into believing the only safe solution is to sit beside their child whilst they are online, or turn off the computer and watch TV instead.

The web is a great place for kids! There are lots of websites that are good for children – offering help with homework, support for their interests, safe social spaces and even advice and education on staying safe online. What do these excellent sites have in common? Good moderation practices.

Moderation means that there are people behind the website, people who monitor and if necessary edit or delete the content that children put up, often before it reaches the web. People who make sure that your child is not seeing anything they shouldn’t, or being contacted by anyone inappropriate.

The Byron report specifically recommends the development of an independently monitored voluntary code of practice on the moderation of user-generated content, including making specific commitments on take-down times. Good children’s websites are already following best practices.

Reach Further Ltd. (reachfurther.com) is a Leeds-based specialist in online community and training moderators. Consultant Liz Cable said: “Parents should look for safe online communities designed for their child’s age group, not allow random access to social networking sites. There is a difference, and the difference is safety.”

One of the oldest sites on the Web where children can contribute is Kids on the Net (kidsonthenet.com). Editor Helen Whitehead says “Every piece of writing submitted by a child is checked by a moderator BEFORE it even reaches the website. No information is published that can uniquely identify a child and they cannot contact others except via the moderator. Parents and teachers can be assured that children can enjoy reading and writing in a safe space.”

Links for teachers - inspiration in education

Here are some interesting links for teachers - truly inspiring individuals (sorry they're all American - I'll find some European or others soon!)

Lucy Gray's blog A Teacher's Life. Lucy is an Apple Distinguished Educator, teacher and teacher educator.

She's a contributor to The Infinite Thinking Machine "designed to help teachers and students thrive in the 21st century" with a blog and video podcast.

Wesley Fryer describes himself as a "catalyst for creative educational engagement." His blog, "Moving at the Speed of Creativity" won 2006 "Best Learning Theory Blog" from eSchoolnews and Discovery Education.

Changes in Government responsibility for Education

Ed Balls is now in charge of in charge of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) which will have a "co-ordinating role on children's health, welfare and child poverty”. The old Department for Education and Skills no longer exists.

Ed Balls went to Nottingham High School (so he must be local to my city, originally), Keble College, Oxford, and Harvard. He joined the Commons only in 2005, representing Normanton in West Yorkshire and is married to fellow minister Yvette Cooper. Quite a fast rise to prominence.

According to the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6248648.stm :

In a ministerial statement setting out the structural changes to government departments, Gordon Brown said the new department would for the first time bring together "key aspects of policy affecting children and young people".

The Dept for Children, Schools and Families will be responsible for

• Schools
• 14-19 changes
  
• Children's health
  
• Child protection
  
• Youth and family policy
  
• Respect agenda
  
• Anti-drugs work

Even without the Universities and skills sector it still sounds pretty challenging work, especially for someone who hasn't been in the Commons long. Good luck to him.

Scrap tests for under-16s?

The BBC is reporting on a Call to scrap tests for under-16s

Apparently the General Teaching Council (GTC) believes the tests are failing to raise standards and placing "added stress" on pupils, teachers and parents.

It's true that there are stresses - even though exams and tests are part of students' lives. The problem is that national tests have consequences for the schools and the schools can't help but put pressure on the kids.

But as my daughter said immediately she saw the news item: "what about those who take their GCSEs at 15?" - she was, herself, 15 when she took her GCSEs. I'm guessing they don't mean that though: they mean anyone under Year 11. But it pays to remember sometimes that children are as much as a year different in age during the same test. My son is a case in point - a whole year older than his sister (minus three weeks!) at each point - and how different his path through school is!

More people seem to want to delay school than to get children in ahead of their age, but as someone myself who was a "year ahead" (I was a September birthday too), I would like to see children grouped according to ability and maturity and not strictly by age.

What do you think?