[Advisory] use of learning platforms in primary
Addison, Ian (EdICT)
Ian.Addison@hants.gov.uk
Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:53:03 -0000
Hi
I echo everything Fiona and Emma have said and agree with Andy in that
it is a long journey, but one the majority of our schools are enjoying.
I could give many different examples of great primary VLE practice
within Hampshire, but let me just give you one example from an infant
school I met with today.
They didn't strike me at the beginning of training as the most confident
of ICT teachers, enthusiastic yes, but confident? Not so much. Today
they came bounding into training eager to thank us for the VLE work we'd
been doing.
They have seen children completing homework that hadn't done so for
months. Children eager to upload, share and comment on photos of their
half term holiday and the adventures they had been getting up to. They
have had an overwhelming response from parents saying how fantastic it
was to be able to access resources from the lesson to recap what the
teacher had taught, but then additional activities if the child wanted
to continue at home such as websites, games and videos. The teachers
said every single child in their year group (y2) has logged on in the
past few weeks at home or in a couple of cases, came into school with
their parent and used the ICT suite after school.
Their next step is to launch with Year R and 1.
To hear some of the things they have been doing after only a few months
is amazing. This is one of many schools like this we have in Hampshire.
Yes, it has been hard work launching it with 420 schools in 2 years, but
we are just at the start of what can be achieved within our primary
schools.
Ian Addison
Learning Platform Project Consultant (EdICT)
ICT Mark Assessor
-----Original Message-----
From: advisory-admin@talk.naace.org
[mailto:advisory-admin@talk.naace.org] On Behalf Of Andy Preston
Sent: 23 February 2010 16:08
To: Goto, Emma (EdICT); Fiona Aubrey-Smith; advisory@talk.naace.org
Subject: [Advisory] use of learning platfroms in primary
Hi,
I think still only a few schools are quite mature, settled in sustained
use.
Pupils, staff do seem to enjoy learning outcomes from a mix of ( quick
win, workload reducing) weekly literacy,numeracy tasks ( creating
habitual use) alongside (time willing, sats ingnoring ) fun creative
practice with exciting media. Head teachers who go for it are basking in
the glory of excellent ofsted reports re community cohesion.
It is a really long journey though, all the people management issues
mentioned are very real and often fear is rife, hence high quality
leadership, services, support are all paramount as well as judgement in
choosing staff that are change agents with the confidence, open and able
to grasp the opportunity to do things differently to do things better.
Andy Preston
Programme Director - edujam cic
Email - andyp@edujam.org
Mob - 07733264984
Creative producers - Engaged learners
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-----Original Message-----
From: advisory-admin@talk.naace.org
[mailto:advisory-admin@talk.naace.org]On Behalf Of Goto, Emma (EdICT)
Sent: 23 February 2010 15:16
To: Fiona Aubrey-Smith; advisory@talk.naace.org
Subject: RE: [Primary] Re: [Advisory] Infant Moodle
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.hant
s.go
v.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
Telephone: +44 7825 940 827
Address: Soane Point, 6-8 Market Place, Reading, RG1 2EG
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http://twitter.com/FionaAS <http://twitter.com/FionaAS>
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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
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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.hant
s.go
v.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
Chris Sutcliffe
Education Consultant
WESTCOMtraining
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Lowther Road, Clay Flatts, Workington, CA14 2TQ
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