News New pilot develops teaching methods for ‘free instruments’
A pilot project from Musical Futures is aiming to get pupils making music with instruments they can access for free: their voices and mobile phones. Launched in February as a response to the funding cuts to many music departments and the need highlighted by Ofsted for better quality singing and music technology teaching in schools, the national scheme will trial teaching strategies and resources for Year 7 pupils, based on singing and mobile phone music-making apps. After being oversubscribed with applications to take part in the trial, Musical Futures is now inviting interested teachers to road-test the new resources via an online training, networking and support programme, prior to them being made freely available to all music departments in May. Abigail D’Amore, Project Lead for Musical Futures, said: “We’re aiming to involve as many music teachers as we can in the development of these new resources, which could transform the way music is taught in Year 7 classrooms. Using
pupils’ mobile phones for exploring and creating music may help break down barriers to young people getting involved in music at school.” In partnership with The Sage Gateshead, the
vocal strand will focus on showing pupils how they can use their voices as instruments. The music technology strand will involve expert Phil Heeley supporting teachers to help them use readily available, free mobile phone apps to engage their pupils in creative composition. The pilot faces severe barriers as many schools ban the use of mobile phones in classrooms, despite their potential as highly creative learning tools. Over 100 schools applied to take part in the new projects. Unsuccessful applicants, and any other schools that want to get involved, are being recruited as ‘co-pilots’ to try out the resources in their classes as they are developed and report back on their effectiveness through the Musical Futures website. The website will also host online discussions and support sessions with experts.
Musical Futures in use at Benton Park in Leeds. Photo courtesy of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation/Emile Holba
uGo to
www.musicalfutures.org to get your school involved in the future of music.
Enter your students into this year’s most powerful competition!
The Sunwise ambassadors, the Sunwise Set Ode to sun safety
NIVEA SUN and Cancer Research UK are launching a competition to scour the UK for the most creative primary school pupils as part of their Sun Safety Awareness Programme. To enter the competition and be in with a chance of winning, students need to create a poem about enjoying the sun safely that incorporates the line: ‘the sun has got his hat on’. The entry form is available from
www.thesunwiseset.co.uk/competition and entries must be submitted by 31st May 2013. The winning four pupils will receive their prizes at a prize giving ceremony for their class delivered by NIVEA SUN and Cancer Research UK. The competition is one element of a wider schools programme aiming to raise awareness of the importance of enjoying the sun safely. The programme provides resources and information on sun safety in line with the National Curriculum, and can be easily linked to many subjects and learning stages, from science to literacy.
Barry Goode at NIVEA SUN said: “We have been running our sun safety schools campaign for over 15 years ... We see a huge variety of great competition entries every year and expect 2013 to be no different – we’re really looking forward to seeing what this year’s pupils have in store!”
uMore information about the competition and how your school can get involved, lesson plans, assembly packs and related teacher resources will be available at
www.thesunwiseset.co.uk
6
British Gas Generation Green is launching a nationwide competition to give students their say about the future world of energy. The competition is a response to the findings of a new study among 7-14 year-old students and teachers, that found children have a strong desire to play an active role in solving major challenges that will affect the world’s future. These include avoiding food shortages and ensuring there is enough energy and water for everyone.
Results from the study found that 46 per cent of students believe that they and their friends will be the people most likely to solve major challenges and 49 per cent think our biggest challenge in the future will be making sure we don’t run out of energy – almost twice the proportion of teachers that were concerned about it when they were growing up. The research also sought teachers’ views on how well prepared schoolchildren are to help solve major future challenges, showing three- quarters of teachers rarely talk about what the world will look like in the future, whilst almost half do not think the curriculum provides children with the skills they need to solve major future energy challenges.
As part of the competition, during the second half of the Spring term, all Year 5 classes in
www.education-today.co.uk
England, Scotland and Wales will be invited to co-create The Powerful Story – a story of the past, present and future of energy. Popular children’s author and TV actor Ciaran Murtagh and illustrator Lee Cosgrove have started the first chapter and are handing over the remaining 12 chapters to schools across the country. They will be asked to invent the adventures of 11-year-old twins Billy and Zoe Spark and their great, great, great grandfather Jeremiah through the world of energy, to a future fictional world set 50 years from now. Once complete, the story will be turned into an interactive exhibition at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The exhibition will run from 25 May- 2 June, and will be free to visit.
The written contributions and illustrations of up to four winning schools in each region will feature in the story and in addition, one champion school from each region will receive a special visit from author Ciaran Murtagh.
uTo get involved, visit
www.generationgreen.co.uk/powerfulstory
Ciaran Murtagh, children’s author and actor who will kick start The Powerful Story
March 2013
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 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32