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Can texting and
technology improve exam results?
Bristol researchers have been awarded grants for three projects as part of a £3.5m funding round to test whether the use of technology in schools such as using iPads, texting parents and online preparation for lessons can help less advantaged pupils achieve beter results. The Education Endowment Foundation
(EEF) and Nominet Trust grant will fund 12 projects to work with 260 pupils in 1,800 schools across England. The project
will rigorously test ways of using digital technology to help understand the impact on learning and find new ways to engage with pupils and parents. Bristol's Centre for Market and Public
Organisation will assess the use of text messages to increase parental involvement in their child's education, the impact of physical activity on cognitive performance, and the impact
of teachers observing each others' lessons on their own effectiveness. The first project will test the benefit
of using text messages to increase the involvement of parents in their child’s education. Based on a similar scheme in the United States, which led to a significant improvement in results, 34 schools will use texts to provide information about homework, behaviour and upcoming tests.
PROMOTION PRIMARY SCHOOLS URGED TO DO MORE
Head teachers are being advised by a leading expert from Notingham Trent University to do more to prepare for major changes to computing. Dr Helen Boulton has
highlighted that changes to computer education being introduced in September 2014 will affect children as young as five – not just secondary school pupils. The new curriculum places
greater emphasis on the skills needed to write computer programs, rather than handling data and using software. ICT will become known as computing, and will cover information technology and digital literacy. Dr Boulton spearheaded the
introduction of a Computing in Education MSc and the creation of the Computing at School East Midlands hub at Notingham Trent University. These measures aimed to help
boost the knowledge and skills of current ICT teachers as they prepare for the new curriculum.
"We need to beter prepare
the next generation for careers in computer programming and computer science. The focus will be on computational thinking, digital literacy and problem solving," she said. “Improving skills over the next
12 months is a major challenge for teachers. Heads and their ICT teachers are starting to see the value of extra training and many are beginning to make contact with CAS hubs up and down the country. "But this interest is coming
mainly from secondary schools and is not being reflected among primary schools. "The curriculum applies to
all ages. We are talking about teaching the basics of algorithms to pupils at Key Stage One – that is, five- and six-year-olds."
Meru Wi-Fi selected by thousands of schools
Meru Networks has been chosen by more than 2,500 colleges, universities and primary and secondary schools in the UK and Ireland in the past 18 months, to help address rising numbers of mobile devices and the increase in traffic across wireless networks. The vendor has also
seen an increase in legacy competitive Wi-Fi being ripped out of classrooms, due to poor performance or redundant technology, and replaced by Meru solutions. Meru counts more
than 2,750 educational establishments among its customers, including Essa
MERU WI-FI IS AT THE BETT SHOW:
STAND NO. E340
Academy in Bolton, which has more than 2,000 mobile devices running over the network, and the Education Network in Northern Ireland, where Meru and partner Capita are delivering Wi-Fi to more than 350,000 teachers and pupils in more than 1,200 schools. Meru Networks is at
the BETT Show stand no: E340 and will be showing how its unique architecture puts the network in control, not the devices. The company will also
introduce visitors to its range of 802.11ac solutions – the superior new wireless networking standard.
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