South Gloucestershire ICT Information Update » BETT

Opening Keynote at the BETT Show

ictteam — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:38:17 +0000

The minister for schools, Jim Knight, provided the opening keynote speech for the BETT show. He focused on three main areas which are listed below.

The Importance of Technology

This blurs the boundary between formal and informal learning as children can log on where and when-ever appropriate and it enables direct and immediate communication between schools and parents through web sites, text and e-mails.
Technology is also an essential tool to help teachers plan, assess and monitor progress.
The most effective schools provide clear evidence that technology is helping to improve achievement and open up choice through innovation

ICT Test at Key Stage 3

The minister outlined that the test has real potential to support assessment for learning, but that to realise this potential, teachers should be able to use the test at any point when pupils are ready, as a resource which can indicate student’s strengths and weaknesses.
The KS3 online test is consequently not being made statutory but will be available for use throughout the whole key stage and there is an intention to revise the piloted test and to focus on developing materials which can be used more flexibly throughout the key stage.

Digital Divide

Reducing the digital divide is seen to be crucial in ensuring every child benefits from the advanates offered by technology and an aspiration for universal home access to technology and the internet was stated.
The Computers for Pupils initiative is giving access to technolgoy to disadvantaged families at home and there will be further support. South Gloucestershire schools do not currently benefit from this initiative.
The DfES want to build on the success of the 20% of secondary schools who already operate home loan schemes.
They also want to open up after school access to pupils and their pareants through extended schools.

The minister closed with the following statements

‘ So classroom practice will have to adapt to the knowledge that children can access resources at home.’ ‘…we will be pro-active in seizing the opportunities technologies offer rather then being overwhelmed by the pace of change. That we will support our workforce to ensure that these opportunities are understood and accepted in the classroom.’

The entire speech can be downloaded from the DfES web site.

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/speeches/search_detail.cfm?ID=468

BETT Show Award Winners

ictteam — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:02:41 +0000

The winners of the prestigious BETT awards 2007 were announced on January 10th 2007. The annual BETT awards represent a partnership between Becta (the Government’s lead agency for ICT in education), BESA (the trade association representing the educational supply industry) and Emap Education who organise the show. It is the largest educational technology show in the world. The awards recognise outstanding education sector products and learning solutions. Judges review the entries based on criteria including design, cost-effectiveness, support of higher order skills and effective learning and teaching styles. They also focus on technical criteria relating to the robustness and resilience of each product. This years winners in each category can be viewed on the ICT web site.

http://www.learningwithsouthglos.org.uk/ICT/curriculum/training/Conferences/BETT2007/index.htm#NomineesAndWinners

Ofsted Speech at BETT

ictteam — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:12:04 +0000

Cathy Morgan provided a summary on the Ofsted report 2005/6 at the BETT show. This was organised under the headings relating to Every Child Matters. A summary of the report can be accessed on the ICT web site at http://www.learningwithsouthglos.org.uk/ICT/curriculum/training/Conferences/BETT2007/index.htm. Several changes to the SEF were highlighted in relation to ICT.

There is now a focus on showing how learners adopt safe practices in using new technologies, including the Internet
Schools will be asked to report on the extent to which ICT capability enables learners to improve the quality of their work and make progress.
Schools will be asked to comment on the development of literacy, numeracy, ICT, enterprise capability, economic and business understanding and financial capability in relation to economic well-being.

Effective practice is occurring – good schools focus on teaching, learning and achivement issues. Ofsted now use similar gradings to those being used in the self-review framework and good schools are using evidence from the self-review framework to feed in to the SEF. Ofsted will be looking for greater use of the self-review framework next year.