I think that rather than think about what would we miss = from BECTA,=20 a more important question would be what could BECTA do differently under = new=20 circumstances of reduced funding, not simply to justify their own = existence, but=20 to assist the many LAs and schools in the financial challenges that they = face.

I=20 wouldn't miss their work on ICT Mark and Single Review framework as = these will=20 continue without BECTA at the level that schools want to adopt = them. As for=20 research papers it is unlikely a £50M per year organisation will = be retained=20 just to produce these (that's nearly £2.5K per school by the way). = This leaves=20 us with procurement frameworks which BECTA claim to save £250M, a = 500% return.=20 But of course money is saved by the efforts of Regional Broadband = Consortia and=20 Local Authorities with the actual development of the frameworks only = part of the=20 process. These frameworks would be missed but less so with procurement = reducing=20 as financial constraints kick in.

So=20 BECTAs past activities don't = secure its=20 future any more than the past activities of any of us mean that we = have a=20 useful role in the future. Some of their activities are devalued = through=20 the time they have run, the impact that they have and, more importantly, = the=20 changes due in finances that we all have to deal = with.

That does not mean that BECTA do not have a very useful future = role but=20 like all of us they need to focus on reducing the cost of ICT through = methods=20 that do not depend on procurement but=20 on helping to reduce current=20 expenditure. The = successful and=20 widespread adoption of Open Source could be led by BECTA if only they = would bite=20 the bullet of perceived resistance from the commercial sector. The = sharing and=20 exploitation of infrastructure across Local Authorities and even across = other=20 sectors could be another which in turn would mean greater = standardisation=20 and reduced costs. This needs more = than just=20 putting procurement frameworks in=20 place.

There=20 are undoubtedly many people in BECTA with great knowledge, expertise and = commitment and I empathise with = what they=20 must be feeling right now - but I question the focus they have = and the=20 direction they work in if they don't evolve what they do, and quickly. Parts of a single = community come=20 together to support each other when they are working together on = a common=20 agenda - BECTA need to change with the times to survive the times, = as we=20 all have to do.

http://agent4change.net/in= dex.php?option=3Dcom_content&view=3Darticle&id=3D443:becta-saves-= more-than-it-costs-stephen-crowne&catid=3D91:government-strategy&= Itemid=3D461

http://agent4change.net/index.php?option=3D= com_content&view=3Darticle&id=3D476:why-ict-budget-cuts-can-be-a-= good-thing&catid=3D94:platform&Itemid=3D464

Kind=20 Regards

Gary=20 Clawson

Chief=20 Executive

North=20 West Learning Grid

eGovernment=20 National Awards 2006

Excellence=20 in Education - Winner

-----Original Message-----
From:=20 secondary-admin@talk.naace.org = [mailto:secondary-admin@talk.naace.org]On=20 Behalf Of Mike Bostock
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, = 2009 2:58=20 PM
To: advisory@talk.naace.org
Cc:=20 secondary@talk.naace.org
Subject: [Secondary] Re-evaluating = Becta in=20 a time of budgetary restraint

Dear Colleagues

With the pressures on = education=20 budgets and Quangos a clear target for cuts, I am hoping that those = areas of=20 Becta's work that Naace members most value could find support through = a strong=20 voice from this association. An obvious question is 'If there were to = be cuts=20 to Becta's work what things would members miss the = most?'

For me, it would be their research publications = and any=20 kind of activity that encouraged teachers to get involved with = professional=20 development. I would put high on my list initiatives that enhanced = Naace=20 members' ability to get more involved with school developments - the=20 commissions that we have seen from time to time. I had experience of = the =20 Future Learning and ICT Knowledge Base work which drew from the = expertise of=20 nearly 100 members, and this example would fit my template=20 perfectly.

I would also include the ICT Mark as something = that can be=20 tracked into positive change in many schools.
My chief criteria = seems to=20 be 'impact' and 'involvement'.

But I know too that there is an enormous = amount of=20 activity in the field of regulation and responding to government, but = I am=20 affected much less by that. And there will be other stuff that I = possibly=20 should know about but don't. Others will no doubt make a case for the = value of=20 such things.

So. A couple of questions:

1. =20 What would Naace members wish to see = retained=20 in any revision of the work of Becta?

2. =20 What criteria would members use in = judging=20 those areas of Becta's work that is of the greatest value for=20 them?

Mike Bostock

------=_NextPart_000_0077_01CA7FDD.93CF3250-- From bobharrisonset@aol.com Fri Dec 18 12:27:13 2009 From: bobharrisonset@aol.com (bobharrisonset@aol.com) Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:27:13 EST Subject: [Advisory] RE: [Secondary] Re-evaluating Becta in a time of budgetary res... Message-ID: <24c3.152d7f5d.385ccf21@aol.com> --part1_24c3.152d7f5d.385ccf21_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thanks Gary, Please do not forget BECTA has a wider remit than schools. It does valuable work in FE and Work Based Learning. Best Wishes, Bob Harrison, Education Adviser, Toshiba Information Systems(UK) Ltd Consultant ,BECTA and National College for School Leadership Support for Education and Training 16 Meadowgate, URMSTON, Manchester M419LB 01617498987 07957856117 bobharrisonset@aol.com _www.setuk.co.uk _ (http://www.setuk.co.uk/) _www.twitter.com/bobharrison_ (http://www.twitter.com/bobharrison) " While this study has looked closely at the impact of ICT on how pupils learn and how this might be enhanced....it has not addressed the impact of what they learn or where learning takes place and whether the schools of the future will be the physical entities we have today" The Impact of ICT in schools-a landscape review-Becta 2007 "Using technology to improve education is not rocket science...it is much,much harder than that" Diana Laurillard, Opening Up Education 2009 "An intensified activity in this area will lead educational institutions to realize that they are embedded in a globalised and constantly evolving knowledge society, and that, as a consequence, they will have to redefine their role within society and within the learning process." Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 2009 --part1_24c3.152d7f5d.385ccf21_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Thanks Gary, Please do not forget BECTA has a wider remit than school= s. It=20 does valuable work in FE and Work Based Learning.

Best=20 Wishes,

Bob Harrison,
Education Adviser, Toshiba Information=20 Systems(UK) Ltd
Consultant ,BECTA and National College for School=20 Leadership
Support for Education and Training
16=20 Meadowgate,
URMSTON,
Manchester
M419LB
01617498987
07957856= 117
bobharrisonset@aol.com=20 www.setuk.co.uk www.twitter.com/bobharrison=20

" While this study has looked closely at the impact of ICT on= how=20 pupils learn and how this might be enhanced....it has not addressed the im= pact=20 of what they learn or where learning takes place and whether the schools= of the=20 future will be the physical entities we have today" The Impact of ICT in= =20 schools-a landscape review-Becta 2007

"Using technology to improve= =20 education is not rocket science...it is much,much harder than that" Diana= =20 Laurillard, Opening Up Education 2009

"An intensified activity in= this=20 area will lead educational institutions to realize that they are embedded= in a=20 globalised and constantly evolving knowledge society, and that, as a=20 consequence, they will have to redefine their role within society and with= in the=20 learning process."
Joint Research Centre
Institute for Prospective= =20 Technological Studies 2009

--part1_24c3.152d7f5d.385ccf21_boundary-- From neil@beaconict.co.uk Fri Dec 18 13:38:16 2009 From: neil@beaconict.co.uk (Neil Adam) Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:38:16 +0000 Subject: [Advisory] The Web 2.0 [Google-based] VLE Message-ID: <20091218133815.B897A14100A7@cust-smtp-193.fasthosts.net.uk> I know that there's all kinds of issues around security, privacy etc, but Doug Belshaw (http://www.google.com/profiles/dajbelshaw) just posted this link on Twitter. I thought it well worth sharing: http://electronicportfolios.com/google/GoogleAppsEd5.jpg Oh, and Happy Christmas all Neil Neil Adam Beacon ICT Twitter: NeilAdam www.beaconict.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 122 Beacon Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 3DQ Mobile 07720 288540 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please note: Emails and documents sent from this computer are continually checked for viruses using a recently updated version of Norton AntiVirus. Nevertheless, recipients should always ensure that their computers are adequately protected. This email and any attachments are intended only for those in the address list above. If it has come to you by mistake, please let me know, delete the message and any attachments, and please do not forward the material to anyone else. From paul.springford@naace.org Sun Dec 20 17:16:02 2009 From: paul.springford@naace.org (Paul Springford) Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:16:02 +0000 Subject: [Advisory] ICT and Physical Education Message-ID: --00032555b50a9e7d4a047b2c20b2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Colleagues On 24th February 2010, the VT Group are organising a conference entitled 'Play to Learn: Using Physical Activity, P.E. and Sport to Improve your School's Learning Culture', at Wembley Stadium. This conference is for the Primary school phase. (www.vtfours.co.uk/conferences) VT have approached Naace as they are looking for someone with the right expertise to lead a workshop on ICT within Primary PE. If this is of interest or if you would like more information before putting your name forward, please contact Bee Heller at the VT Group as soon as possible: Telephone: 01372 834 061 Mobile: 07540642236 E-Mail: beatrice.heller@vtplc.com Best wishes Paul Paul Springford Professional Officer Naace --00032555b50a9e7d4a047b2c20b2 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Colleagues

On 24th February 2010, the VT Group are organising a conference=20 entitled 'Play to Learn: Using Physical Activity, P.E. and Sport to Imp= rove your=20 School's Learning Culture', at=20 Wembley Stadium. This conference is for the Primary school phase. (www.vtfours.co.uk/co= nferences)

VT have approached Naace as they are looking for some= one with the right expertise to lead a workshop on ICT within Primary PE. I= f this is of interest or if you would like more information before putting = your name forward, please contact Bee Heller at the VT Group as soon as pos= sible:
Telephone: 01372 834 061
Mobile: 07540642236
E-Mail:=20 beatri= ce.heller@vtplc.com

Best wishes

Paul

Paul Springford
Professional Officer
= Naace
--00032555b50a9e7d4a047b2c20b2--