MANAGING ICT


When it comes to learning platforms, it is often the smallest of ideas that has a big impact with students. We asked a range of schools to tell us about their innovative ideas


Juke Box


Using music to aid learning, St John the Baptist School in Surrey has created a juke box on its learning platform. Music is categorised by areas such as motivation, revision and problem-solving. “It’s all about selecting the right music for the right


activity,” explained Anna Dwyer, head of maths and the virtual learning environment (VLE) co-ordinator. “I have used it in maths for revision exercises where I need students to work quickly. By having the music pre-loaded I can access it really easily. Students are definitely motivated by it and it aids their memory recall.” While most of the music is lyric-free so as not to


be distracting, staff and students can suggest music to be uploaded or erased, thereby involving them in the process.


Mentoring


Rednock School in Gloucestershire has transformed post-16 mentoring. Conversations can now be recorded online, tutors and students can access past and current sessions, and easily review their targets and progress – all through the learning platform. The centralised online system is more intrinsic


than a paper-based system as it keeps all information in one location. It is also more visually appealing and engaging for students. Forum threads have been introduced whereby each student adds their own targets and comments. Andrew Wallis, head of media and e-learning, said:


“This has improved tutor-student communications and students now have a clearer view of how they should be


innovations


Learning platform


progressing. It has proven such a success that we plan to roll it out across the school later this year.”


Community league tables


Rednock School has also created virtual community league tables. Students traditionally collect points as a reward for good behaviour, attendance and achievement, which are added up each week to establish the winning “community”. This is now announced through the learning platform noticeboard, creating healthy competition and discussion among the school’s communities. The communities comprise of all year groups and are named Darwin, Hubble, Jenner and Brunel – all science-related names that were voted for by the students, as the school is a specialist science college.


Smart noticeboard


Finally, at Rednock, the school has implemented a smart noticeboard on the learning platform. Empowering individuals and improving the efficiency of communications, staff can now post messages aimed at


the whole school and opt to have the message displayed on the school plasma screens at the click of a mouse directly through the learning platform. Information can also be dispatched to the student area when appropriate.


Forum discussions


Sawston Village College in Cambridge has embedded forums into its learning platform to generate fresh ways of learning. James Woodcock, assistant headteacher, explained: “Forums can be used to train students in particular skills of argument and discussion. We have found that the best discussions involve students responding to teachers and peers in a dialogue which develops over time.” The school equips students with advice on how to


word their contributions and integrates discussions into classroom learning by referring to them in lessons. Mr Woodcock continued: “The key to successful forums is to be provocative and ask intriguing questions. Contributions should aim for a response, dialogue and development. They should avoid simple contradiction, ignoring of others and repetition.”


Quiz widgets


Wesleyan With Profits ISA 2% off initial charge until 28 April 2011


Back at St John the Baptist, the school has created its own quiz widgets on the learning platform, enabling staff to quickly and easily create quizzes, ranging from match-up games to anagrams, hangman and Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Wipeout-style quizzes. These are being used in lessons as starter activities then linked to department websites where students can revisit them at a later date. Students have also used them to make revision quizzes for homework.


Random name selector


Cramlington Learning Village in Northumberland has a “no hands up” policy when it comes to questioning to ensure that all students expect to be asked questions during discussions and that they are alert and ready to contribute. As their learning platform recognises the classes and who is in each class, the school has been able to produce a random name selector. The teacher clicks on a class, clicks on the random


name selector button and the system scrolls through the student names until the teacher clicks to stop. Phil Spoors, assistant headteacher, said: “When


used alongside teacher-directed questioning (where the teacher chooses students to ask differentiated questions) this is a very simple and powerful tool for learning.”


Suggestions box 2% off initial charge


Limited offer available for lump sum investments and transfers over £5,000 into the Wesleyan With Profits ISA before 28 April 2011.


To find out more about the Wesleyan With Profits ISA:


0800 316 7181 quoting reference 60527 www.wesleyan.co.uk/isaoffer


Wesleyan for Teachers is a trading name of Wesleyan Financial Services Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Wesleyan Financial Services Ltd is wholly owned by Wesleyan Assurance Society. Registered No. 1651212. Head Office: Colmore Circus, Birmingham, B4 6AR. Fax: 0121 200 2971. Website: www.wesleyanforteachers.co.uk. Telephone calls may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes.


WFT-AD-59-03/11


Also at Cramlington, the school believes that students should be empowered to have a voice on school issues. Whether an individual student needs to express something or a collective group have a common opinion, it wants to ensure the tools and structure is in place to facilitate this. On their learning platform they have a suggestions box. This is basically a forum which allows individuals


to voice an opinion or raise a topic for discussion. It is monitored by both staff and by student moderators and many of the ideas from this forum have been implemented (for example, allowing students to have a range of themes to choose from on their VLE).


Student cabinet


Cramlington also has a student cabinet to represent the views of students on different areas. Their learning platform allows candidates to post a profile and run an election campaign. Then, by using the system’s votes and polls, it allows the elections to take place. These elected students then hold regular meetings with key members of staff to put forward the views of the school community. All candidates can be contacted by students via the in-built email system. Mr Spoors said: “This not only encourages each


cabinet member to be responsible, it also provides all students with an appropriate route to air their views. Of course, the important thing is that we then listen to those views and respond to them.”


10


Top ideas: Harefield Academy students on their VLE (top), and the popular jukebox page on the St John the Baptist VLE (above)


Remote access


The Harefield Academy in Uxbridge has found that parental access has had a positive impact. The regular updates on punctuality, attendance, behaviour and rewards information has meant parents feel better informed about their child’s day-to-day-progress. Students are aware that information which the school


records on its behaviour management system can be accessed easily by parents which can reduce disputes. The remote access to student drives and “shared area” allows students to access their files outside of school, allowing those who are not physically in school to access work set and keep themselves up-to-date. Paul Quinn, vice-principal, said: “For our post-16


students who need access to specialist software for project work, the remote login feature allows them access to more expensive and specialist software we would not expect them to have at home, so they can be much more flexible with their working patterns.”


Choir


Tiffin School in Kingston has created a shared space on the learning platform for its choir. Having access to copies of the sheet music, mp3 files and relevant YouTube links, all in one place, has transformed the way in which the choir learns. All of the students are now able to arrive at rehearsals already knowing the music in far greater detail and depth, which means that they can now rehearse as a professional choir would. This has sped up the rehearsal process by around five times.


Peer assessment


Also at Tiffin, students are set homework to contribute to forums in German. All students are expected to contribute to the forum, in the German language, and any errors are corrected by their peers. The teacher in charge then provides feedback on the overall contributions made. This use of peer-assessment empowers the learners, helps share ideas, encourages autonomy, and produces higher quality language in different settings.


SecEd


• The schools featured in this article all use the Frog Learning Platform.


Further information


• Cramlington: www.cramlingtonlv.co.uk (Cramlington will be sharing the many ways in which they use their learning platform as part of their annual conference in June).


• St John the Baptist: www.sjb.surrey.sch.uk • Rednock: www.rednockschool.org.uk • Sawston: www.sawstonvc.org • Harefield: www.theharefieldacademy.org • Tiffin School: www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk


SecEd • April 7 2011


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16