[Primary] Re: [Advisory] Infant Moodle

[Goto, Emma (EdICT)]

Hi,
I have to agree with Fiona that I have seen some great practice using our learning platform right across primary. In fact during the recent snow learning continued in the snow in many schools across the county despite the buildings being closed! I have also seen two infant schools using two different learning platforms in the county to revolutionise learning. It is not about the product but the pedagogy therefore I have purposeful not mentioned the products involved. If you are committed to using the technology effectively to personalise the learning experience of children you will be effective with whatever product you use. 
As a county we have provided a lot of training, to representatives from each school, based around the pedagogy and how we can make our learning platform use accessible to even the youngest learners. I think the schools that have then gone on to give plenty of time and support to all staff to develop their skills have moved practice forward most quickly.
Best Wishes, 
Emma Goto
Learning Platform Project Consultant, EdICT  
IT (Children & Schools)
Hampshire County Council, Nashe Way, Fareham, Hants, PO15 6UD
E-mail:                 emma.goto@hants.gov.uk
Web:            http://intranet.hants.gov.uk/ictinschools <https://owa.hants.gov.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://intranet.hants.gov.uk/ictinschools>  

________________________________

From: advisory-admin@talk.naace.org on behalf of Fiona Aubrey-Smith
Sent: Tue 23/02/2010 12:57
To: 'Roger Broadie'; Ray Tolley; primary@talk.naace.org; Advisory talk
Subject: RE: [Primary] Re: [Advisory] Infant Moodle



 

I'm a genuinely baffled by some of the previous emails on this thread... 

 

You'll see from my Twitter feed (@FionaAS) that I link to hundreds of examples of Infants (and other age ranges) using their learning platform to achieve significant Impact-Upon-Learning every day! There are thousands and thousands of such schools! 

We (the UK) already have a fabulous teaching workforce in this country doing a brilliant job in classrooms across the nation day-in, day-out. 

 

If you're looking for a Learning example or Learning idea and can't find it let me know and I'll point you to someone doing it. Yes, that's a confident statement, but there are so many brilliant teachers out there, that I haven't yet been unable to do so. I'm not the only person - NAACE is full of people who can point to examples & ideas; that's why it's such a great organisation. 

 

The research that I carried out looking at Infant School learning platform use, which Peter very kindly highlighted (http://www.naace.co.uk/178) contains a number of conclusions, but one of which rings particularly true for this conversation given that my 2007 research used 1 learning platform, we also explored 3 others in our school/with our LA, and I'm now working for a company providing yet another learning platform. Important thing = how it all impacts upon learning.

 

Conclusion = 

If you focus on the 'product' you're only going to achieve Product Outcomes.

If you focus on the 'tools' then you're only going to achieve Tool related Outcomes. 

If you focus on the 'learning' then you'll achieve Learning Outcomes.  

 

Please can we get back to focusing on Learning??? I thought that's what we are all here for?! 

 

Best wishes, Fiona

 

Fiona Aubrey-Smith

Head of Educational Development

UniServity

 

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From: primary-admin@talk.naace.org [mailto:primary-admin@talk.naace.org] On Behalf Of Roger Broadie
Sent: 23 February 2010 12:20
To: Ray Tolley; primary@talk.naace.org; Advisory talk
Subject: [Primary] Re: [Advisory] Infant Moodle

 

 

Ray,

 

Yes - Frog launched a primary Frog at BETT. I refrained from mentioning it because though there are some primary schools using Frog successfully, they have specifically not promoted Frog to primary until now.

 

The reason for this is actually pretty relevant to this discussion, so with health warning - though I have reverted to being an independent consultant I am doing an impact study for Frog - this is the rationale.

 

 

The two critical factors in the success of schools using the Frog platform are:

 

- good leadership of change management, and it is a major part of the Frog sales and implementation process to make sure schools understand this clearly right up to the Head.

 

- all the staff in the school having creative control of areas of the platform. Teachers, assistants and admin staff must be able to have that thought whenever they are trying to improve any aspect of teaching/learning or school operation, "If we had an online system that.......... we could improve this process much more powerfully". And then to be able to create and refine that system themselves.

 

 

The problem with Frog in primary up to now has been that though anyone can build interactive Frog pages with almost no tuition, adding extra buttons to the main platform and changing navigation needs a bit more expertise, as does good visual design. This expertise exists in secondary schools but often not in primary. So giving primaries the right degree of creative control to develop their platforms has been harder. And the whole point of Frog is to enable schools to develop their platforms for changing needs.

 

What makes it possible for Frog to promote to primary now is Frog Widgets, that allow Facebook-style drag-drop editing, and tools in the primary Frog to add complete new ready-made topic or class areas without having to build them page by page (that can then be tailored).

 

 

The reason why I say this is relevant to this discussion, is really Emma's point that platforms need 'tweaking' to be appealing to, and to work for younger pupils. Frog has had some secondary schools that have had completely different user interfaces for KS3 and KS4 pupils, and separate (but linked) 6th form platforms. The change in interface needed as children progress from nursery through to top of KS2 and transition is probably even greater than that in secondary.

 

So I would recommend people looking at platforms for infants to ask themselves two questions:

 

i) what does a platform provide that could be used simply by young children, but quite possible have a very significant impact? I've just had an impact scenario contributed to the Impact Group from an infant school. 6 yr olds using a favourite book forum on their VLE, which strikes me as possibly having a very big impact on their attitudes to reading.

 

ii) what degree of tweaking will the school be able to do to the platform, to fulfill desires to use it in different ways and to make it more appealing and accessible to very young pupils.

 

 

Roger.

 

 

 

 

 

On 23 Feb 2010, at 11:28, Ray Tolley wrote:





Roger,

 

I thought that Frog was looking at a Primary version?   Certainly I have always felt that Frog was the only VLE capable of meeting the needs of Primaries.  I, too have seen some good examples of pupils working at KS2 on other systems but in these cases the interface was still not really appropriate with small fonts and deep-boring menus.

 

I really feel that there is need for some real CPD delivery required in this field to be demonstrated and circulated amongst all Primary teachers.

 

BW

 

Ray Tolley  FEIDCT, NAACE Fellow, ACQI, MBILD

ICT Education Consultant

Maximise ICT Ltd

P:  http://raytolley.v2efolioworld.mnscu.edu/ <http://raytolley.v2efolioworld.mnscu.edu/> 

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W:  http://www.maximise-ict.co.uk/eFolio-01.htm <http://www.maximise-ict.co.uk/eFolio-01.htm> 

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From: advisory-admin@talk.naace.org [mailto:advisory-admin@talk.naace.org] On Behalf Of Roger Broadie
Sent: 23 February 2010 10:10
To: Advisory talk; primary@talk.naace.org
Subject: Re: [Advisory] Infant Moodle

 

 

Chris,

 

I have been watching development of VLEs in primary for years, and it seemed to me that despite quite a few schools achieving great things with younger children, that there has not been a consensus on the imperative to use VLEs at this level.

 

But what Emma says really agrees with what I have been thinking - that the imperative is developing around surfacing of the pupils' creativity, first for sharing and afl in the school, then powerfully with parents to drive parental engagement.

 

I also have a string feeling that it will be a combination of VLE + Visualiser that will make this explode, so that all sorts of non-digital work and activity can also be made visible. Particularly if the pupils are enabled to use the visualiser to digitise their work. (Some good examples on http://www.visualiserforum.org/)

 

Roger.

 

 

 

 

 

On 22 Feb 2010, at 20:16, Goto, Emma (EdICT) wrote:






Hi Chris,
I believe VLEs can have a real impact with younger children but people just need to do some tweaking to make sure they are using them in a way that allows children who are not yet confident readers to access them independently. It's about simple things like uploading or embedding a picture to link to a website from. To support emergent readers try recording and uploading sound files to talk the children through the learning platforms (e.g. 'click on the picture below to go to a fun website'). VLEs can be used to share photographs that describe the learning that has been going on in class and for sharing children's next steps - great for another way to engage parents and carers. Use the VLE to develop pupil voice. Ask questions through the forum and listen to and act upon what children have to say (e.g. What do you want to learn about ......?). If the VLE has a voice simple voice recorder built in to the forum that's even better because children can record their responses. VL!
Es are great for sharing embedded video too - very engaging and children can go back to watch the video as and when suits them and they're learning. Try putting videos or weblinks into the forum so children can record responses about the video or website and what they have learned. Altogether VLEs are great for joining up learning inside of and outside of school - something us early years practitioners have been working on for years.
Sorry I don't know of any Infant School's using Moodle but I hope you find what you are looking for.
Best Wishes,

Emma Goto
Learning Platform Project Consultant, EdICT  
IT (Children & Schools)
Hampshire County Council, Nashe Way, Fareham, Hants, PO15 6UD
E-mail:                 emma.goto@hants.gov.uk
Web:            http://intranet.hants.gov.uk/ictinschools <https://owa.hants.gov.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://intranet.hants.gov.uk/ictinschools>  

________________________________

From: advisory-admin@talk.naace.org on behalf of Chris Sutcliffe
Sent: Mon 22/02/2010 18:18
To: primary@talk.naace.org; advisory@talk.naace.org
Subject: [Advisory] Infant Moodle



Hi all 



Just wondered if anyone can point me in the direction of a good Nursery and Infant School Moodle? Also your thoughts on the pedagogy and practice of VLE's at this age level would be appreciated. 



Thanks,



Chris



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