ICT

for Education

Helping teachers with todays technology

An ICT Media Publication Bett Preview 2014 www.ictforeducation.co.uk

The Be t t Show 2014

A preview of new technologies and ICT solutions for schools

Endorsed by Bett

Introduction
Setting the scene for the UKs biggest education show

Show preview
A wide range of innovative solutions for schools

Leadership
Mike Briscoe describes the EXite leadership programme

Digital strategy
Making the case for social media in education

January 2014
3 Editors letter
A wide range of innovative solutions for schools

Contents

Editors letter S
chool spending on ICT continues to reach new heights and it is not difficult to see why with Bett 2014 hosting towards 700 exhibitors of innovative products and services designed for the education sector. Spending reects the increasing sophistication of many schools in their use of ICT for teaching and learning, professional development, school efficiency and community projects. But it is not all plain s ailing, with schools facing changes to the national curriculum in 20 1 4, including new programmes of study and attainment targets for computing. With a little time on its side, Bett 20 1 4 offers numerous teaching solutions to support the new computing curriculum as well as a number of seminars and workshops designed to help teachers familiarise themselves with the req uirements. Beyond new curriculum solutions, visitors to Bett will be able to find out more about products and ser vices they are considering for their schools, try out innovative products that may not be on their shopping lists, and gain inspiration from the many teachers and independent education consultants who will share their experiences and opinions during the shows

45 The best of Bett

8 The EXite programme

Mike Briscoe describes the aims of the EXite leadership programme

10 Tools for learning

Alex Findlay looks at the inbuilt capabilities of tablets

Julia Skinner on IT confidence

12 Building confidence 16 Creativity

Learn Live workshops and seminars, the School Leaders Summit and in the Bett Arena . Whether you are visiting Bett with a plan of action, or looking for inspiration, this ICT for Educa tion Bett preview covers some of the is sues and opportunities you can explore at the show, as well as technologies that are gaining popularity and proving succes sful in schools and academies acros s the UK. When Bett is over, join us at one of our regional ICT for Educa tion conferences, where you can gain further insight into the best use of ICT from inspiring and informative speakers, develop your expertise and practical skills, network with colleagues and discus s the computing q ualifications and ICT skills that will help students bridge the gap between education and employment. To find out more visit www.ictforeducation.co.uk Best Regards,

Ren Lydiksen looks at the barriers to creativity in the classroom

Whatever your vision or need is for your school, we can work together to make it happen using ICT
Were proud of what weve achieved over the past forty years in supporting teachers to teach and learners to learn. But more importantly, were proud of the way in which weve done that by working closely with you, and evolving our solutions as your needs have changed. Absolutely everything we do is focused on addressing your vision and solving your needs and ideas through technology. So whatever your vision for ICT in education, come to our stand C240, C250 and lets talk about how we can work together to make it happen.

18 Secondary computing

Mike Briscoe outlines a seminar on meeting the requirements of the new curriculum

22 Digital strategy

Jos Picardo makes the case for social media in education

Sarah Underwood Editor

Editor Sarah Underwood su@ictforeducation.co.uk 0208 255 0602 Publisher Ian Loosemore il@ictforeducation.co.uk 01983 812305 Design & Production PC Consultants Ltd www.pcconsultants.co.uk 01983 811711

ICT for Education

LIVE

Come and see us

Stand C240, C250

National Conference Programme 2014 ter s i g e Maidstone 7th March 2014 r Pre- FREE! fo r
ICTfE Bett Preview 2014 3

Bett Preview 2014

Bett Preview 2014

The best of Bett

This years Bett Show covers a wide range of smart technologies including innovative solutions to support the computing element of the new national curriculum, cost-effective cloud options, dedicated mobile devices and sophisticated school learning, assessment and management platforms

Sarah Underwood

ett celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year with towards 700 exhibitors showcasing ICT products and services designed to support teaching and learning, improve school management and extend communication between parents and schools. Some of the products are new, others are tried and tested, but they will all be under the scrutiny of increasingly savvy purchasers intent on choosing and investing in technologies that will provide a real return on investment for their schools. As in previous years, key themes are emerging at this years Bett. The computing element of the new national curriculum is high profile, but so too are products and services required by an increasingly mature market with an appetite for best-ofbreed products that can be integrated into a whole school ICT environment.

writing and testing simple programs at Key Stage 1 to using two or more programming languages and understanding advanced programming logic and structures in Key Stage 3. On a larger and more virtual scale, Cambridge University Press will demonstrate Cambridge GCSE Computing Online, a free to access Massive Open Online Course or Mooc developed by the Cambridgebased partnership of Cambridge University Press, the Raspberry Pi Foundation and exam board OCR, and designed to support teachers and GCSE computing students. Introduced last September, the Mooc has already attracted 4,000 unique visitors, 2,500 student registrations and 1,500 teacher registrations.

Cloud technologies
Already widely adopted in the corporate world and characterised by cost and people efficiencies, cloud technology is beginning to make its mark in the education sector. Among those exhibiting cloud solutions at Bett are Smart Technologies with Smart Amp, a powerful cloud-based platform designed for learning anytime, anywhere with any device and to enhance teaching and learning by simplifying how teachers, students, displays and devices come together. As the glue that connects disparate devices, Smart Amp allows a seamless transition between learning environments, supports teachers with access to collaboration rich resources and offers students the opportunity to make the most of their academic journey. Smart will also demonstrate the Smart collaborative classroom that includes a number of its products and, more specifically, the Smart Board E70 interactive flat panel that combines a touch experience with the power of Smart Notebook software on a 70-inch high definition. With up to eight touch points, using Windows 7 or 8, the E70 support multiple student collaboration. Capita SIMs will be joined at Bett this year by Capita Manage IT

Computing curriculum
As the introduction of the new national curriculum approaches in September 2014, many ICT providers are offering solutions to support the computing element. Microsoft promises a product that will help non-specialist staff inspire pupils about computer science. The company will also kick off the next round of its nationwide Kodu Kup competition, encouraging pupils to use their computer science skills to develop a Kodu game. Kudlian will demonstrate a number of resources that can support teachers in delivering the computing curriculum, among them AppFurnace, a software solution that allows pupils to design and create smartphone and
4 ICTfE Bett Preview 2014

tablet apps. As well as giving pupils hands-on experience of the technical aspect of the computing curriculum, AppFurnace can be used by students to develop apps across the wider curriculum. 2Simple will introduce 2Code at the show. The software works with the companys Purple Mash platform, providing a familiar interface to existing users, and is designed to enable teachers of any specialism to create and teach lessons in computer coding, without the need for prior IT training or coding knowledge. 2Code includes ready made, structured lesson plans and instructional videos, as well as an open-ended environment where children can explore and develop their knowledge. In this free code mode, pupils can create their own characters, backgrounds and games with the clipart supplied. More advanced learners have the option to view source code and write directly in JavaScript. Debugging is also included in the software. Espresso Education, part of the Espresso Group that was recently

acquired by Discovery Education, has a new Espresso Coding service that teaches Key Stage 1 and 2 students how to code and make their own apps. The group will also show a range of Espresso Primary models designed to meet 2014 national curriculum requirements and extended Clipbank video content for secondary school. Education City has also upgraded its online platform to meet the requirements of the new curriculum. The platform has new English, maths, science, French, Spanish, English as an additional language and computing content, as well as enhanced teacher features for personalisation, differentiation and tracking, and free access to a mobile app Flash browser that enables teachers to access EducationCity.com material anytime, anywhere. Providing computing on a practical level is the Fuze for Raspberry Pi, a workstation that houses a Raspberry Pi and is configured with a customised version of the Basic programming language. This solution supports computing across key stages from

solutions with the latest version of My-School, a cloud-based learning portal that provides 24x7 access to school applications, systems and services from any device with an internet connection. My-School can integrate with a wide range of virtual learning environments, management information systems and school applications, and schools can decide how much or how little information should be made available to different user groups. New features of My-School include Blackboard Collaborate, which enables teachers to hold virtual lessons, and Equella, a centralised content management system that can deliver all available resources through one portal to multiple schools. European Electronique joins the cloud crowd with Freedom, a cloud service designed specifically for education. Freedom allows all operating systems, applications and data to be stored in the cloud and accessed by students and teachers across a range of personal mobile devices, laptops or desktops. Cloud solutions of this type can be used by schools to support 1:1 and bring-your-own-device schemes. These types of schemes, as well as big data and data visualisation techniques will be explored by Professor Stephen Heppell with the help of European Electronique representatives and school children who may soon use them in the classroom.

access to curriculum content and next generation apps, LearnPad includes access to ClassConnect, an easy to use web-based management solution that helps teachers manage and control tablets and content within the classroom. Matching the growing number of tablets in the market are secure storage, charging and synchronising solutions. These come from a variety of suppliers that are showcasing products at Bett and include Leba Innovation, LapCabby, LapSafe Products and Chargebus. With so many mobile devices in the market, solutions range from simple laptop storage boxes to sophisticated sync and charge containers that can manage a variety of devices. Mobile devices and particularly those used in bring-our-own-device and 1:1 schemes also require robust wireless network infrastructure if students and teachers are to make the most of them. Wireless network specialists at the show include Meru Networks, Lynx Networks, Netgear and Xirrus Wireless.

Best of the rest

Beyond these categories of products and services there are plenty more interesting ideas to investigate at Bett. Assessment systems for whole school improvement are on the rise and these will be demonstrated by expert suppliers including Frog, which has some new tools, and Classroom Monitor, which has updated its interactive assessment solution to play into the requirements of the new national curriculum. Then there are learning platforms, including Bett Award 2014 finalist Firefly, and increasingly innovative home-toschool communication systems from suppliers including Groupcall, Contact Group and Teachers 2 Parents. For something a little more quirky take a look at Dragons in Europe, which will be presenting its primary school Chinese portal and Kung Fu Kingdom, an online games portal designed to help primary pupils master Mandarin.
ICTfE Bett Preview 2014 5

Mobile devices
While the Apple iPad was an early starter in the education market for tablet devices and continues to be the device of choice in many schools, it is increasingly challenged by tablet technologies from alternative suppliers. Bett showcases tablets designed for educational use from companies including Avantis, HP, Acer, Toshiba and Samsung. The Avantis LearnPad provides a good example of a tablet designed with the classroom in mind. As well as providing safe and secure

Leadership

The EXite programme

Helping school leaders develop strategies for ICT in education

Mike Briscoe

orking with teachers and school leaders, hearing from young people and talking to colleagues in industry, local authorities and the wide group that supports ICT in education tells me that although change is challenging, in some cases it is welcomed. What is not so welcome, however, is any lack of clarity around expectations or poorly formed advice, particularly in the area of technology in education. This is particularly true for those who have seen the difference that well implemented technology can make for learners, but who are not entirely confident about how to make changes in their own settings and do not know who to turn to for advice. Traditionally, we would look to government to set expectations through national policies or strategies. I could make an argument to say there is a clear national policy for ICT in education in England. Equally, I could argue that such clarity does not exist. What we do see are elements of policy or guidance on specific issues, rather than a coherent strategy. Explicit government references to technology are now mostly couched in terms of computing (or computer science), with little reference to the broader potential and impact of technologies. Yet almost every press picture I see of government officials in schools includes technology being used in the classroom but rarely for noncomputing or coding tasks. We also see and hear many references to concerns about e-safety, cyber bullying and risks to young people online, but I do not see a clear policy or concerted funding for these issues, nor do I see protected funding to ensure schools can access excellent and unbiased advice and guidance. Expectations remain high. There is a clear requirement that schools must meet the new computing expectations
8 ICTfE Bett Preview 2014

of the National Curriculum and an explicit expectation that we will ensure our young people are safe and equipped to be safe online. Of course, there is also a more general assumption that schools will exploit technology to the full to enhance learning, efficiency and effectiveness. Despite these expectations, support continues to be compromised. There is little coherence in support, reduced advice and guidance, and continuing reductions in funding for local support that is often valued by schools. So, how are school leaders at all levels to make sense of this and do so without being directed? And how can leaders in schools equip themselves to at least understand the key issues around technology and develop their own strategies that will work in their schools? Colleagues in schools do not want dictatorial approaches, yet they do want to develop clear and explicit understanding and guidance on how to find solutions for their own settings. It seems that something between the highly knowledgeable, but sometimes constraining, local authority team guidance and the specialist expertise of industry without the expected sales pitch would be about right. Looking to fill this gap is the EXite programme. Developed and led by the architects and directors of the hugely successful national SLICT programme, EXite is a dedicated programme for those with school leadership responsibility who want to develop their own views and strategies for ICT in education. Headed by Mike Briscoe and Hannah Jones, EXite operates as a not-for-profit programme and has had great reviews from around the country. The programme offers clear

leadership strategies to exploit technology in education at a time of increased delegation and freedoms in a vacuum of guidance and independent advice. EXite Exploiting Information Technology in Education focuses on providing high quality support for school leaders and teams to enable them to embrace new developments and review leadership, data, curriculum and models of teaching and learning with ICT provision. With a mix of faceto-face activity, online support, excellent resources and a growing peer network, EXite gives school leaders access to best practise in other schools and the opportunity to challenge present models of learning and ensure strategies are robust and future looking. The peer supported programme requires two days out of school and includes pre-programme activity, supported online activity, targeted resources and follow up engagement. Delivered by the EXite team in partnership with teaching schools, local authorities and similar organisations, the programme has received excellent evaluations from delegates who say: A really informative and well organised programme leaders have a huge amount of knowledge and were very useful Really well organised, practical advice, great ideas inspiring speakers Very informative and inspiring! Fantastic ideas to implement in school tried and tested by others Very engaging and helpful well led by passionate practitioners Very approachable team willing to help with a variety of aspects and challenges Well organised, presented and inspirational. To find out more about EXite and discuss a local programme in your area, please contact Mike (mike@exite.org.uk) or Hannah (Hannah@exite.org.uk) or visit www.exite.org.uk .

Looks good, works hard, costs less

See u s BETT at the S stand how B310

Theres nothing like a GoCabby

There are three excellent reasons to choose GoCabby for storing, charging and transporting classroom tablets.
They look great unlike other tablet trolley manufacturers we think you deserve something a bit more stylish than a big black toolbox! The price is right as youd expect from LapCabby, the GoCabby is extremely competitive, costing as little as 949RRP including integrated synching. They do more GoCabby accommodates up to 16 of any kind of tablet, including LearnPads, even when theyre in their protective cases. And at this years Bett Show well be exclusively unveiling our latest products for classroom tablets. Come and take a peek!

Thats why theres nothing like a GoCabby.

Visit www.lapcabby.com/ICT or call 0115 982 1771 to nd your nearest LapCabby stockist.

Mike Briscoe is co-director of EXite

Tablets

Tools for learning

Harnessing the inbuilt functions of a tablet together with a few select apps can provide an effective tool for everyday learning

COMPUTING for Key Stage 3

Series editors: Mark Dorling and George Rouse Publishing Spring 2014

Alex Findlay

pple iPads, iPods and other types of tablets are becoming more commonplace in the classroom and schools are filling their devices with lots of apps. By doing this, teachers could be missing valuable opportunities to truly embed the use of technology into the curriculum. If teachers were offered just one device that was a camera and video recorder, had access to the internet, was a calculator and had a note taking feature, how delighted would they be? It is astounding how much the inbuilt functionality of tablets is overlooked as schools become preoccupied with downloading apps. From experience, the overloading of apps and games can devalue the device as an educational tool from a pupils perspective. Instead, here is a brief overview of some tablet features and an insight into the scope in which a tablet can be used with a few basic apps. Evidence of learning: Documenting and recording evidence of learning is time consuming and not always straightforward. The camera app extends the possibilities as photos and film making are a perfect way to capture work and provide instant feedback, whether it is in a PE lesson, where pupils review their technique, or a science lesson, where pupils film their experiment and playback as they write it up. Screen sharing: Whole class screen sharing is also simple with the iPad as most classrooms have a projector connected to either a desktop or laptop computer. An iPad wirelessly connected to the projector becomes a mobile visualiser, allowing teachers to teach from within the classroom, or pupils to share their work from their desk either by displaying a photo or movie of their work, or by opening
10 ICTfE Bett Preview 2014

Are you ready for the new KS3 curriculum for computing?
Are you looking for authoritative and imaginative resources to help you plan for and teach the new Key Stage 3 Computing programme of study? Are you looking for lessons that deliver the key strands of the curriculum and core skills of computational thinking, planning, programming and review? with a meaningful record of pupil attainment and progress? Do you want to feel condent in assessing learning outcomes to provide you
the camera app and sharing and demonstrating their work live. Always on: The ICT suite, or laptop trolley are much sought after resources, but the always on internet access that Safari provides allows pupils to research information as they work, rather than having to wait for the ICT suite to become available. By combining research with the use of the Notepad app, storing information is quick and simple. Notes can be searched from anywhere on the iPad making it very easy for pupils to retrieve their work. Calculator: A calculator that can be accessed on the device is a practical and useful addition to the device. There are plenty of free calculator apps and most will display a regular calculator in portrait mode and a scientific calculator in landscape mode. Alternative free calculator apps can provide a halfway house between a spreadsheet and calculator, allowing pupils to go back and edit calculations. Dictionary: Pupils perception, rightly or wrongly, of a paper dictionary can be that information is slow and cumbersome to access, making the dictionary a resource they are reluctant to use. Using the often overlooked inbuilt dictionary on the iPad enables pupils to use a dictionary while reading an ebook or researching on the internet. Submitting work: Many primary schools do not use the email function on the iPad, especially on shared devices, so submitting work directly to the teacher can be problematic. Using Wordpress, or a similar blog site, the submission of work becomes simpler. The Wordpress app is user friendly and can handle text, images and movies. Wordpress also has the advantage of being device agnostic and accessible through any internet enabled device. Cross curricular links: Finding cross curricular links can sometimes be challenging. With the iPad, creating short cross curricular stop-animation movies is easy. For example, pupils studying World War II can create cartoons to re-enact episodes from the war, combining art, IT and history. Additionally, retelling or providing an alternative ending to a known story is easy to do with stop-animation, bringing elements of art, IT, drama and literacy together. Join Alex Findlay at Bett 2014 on Thursday 23 January, from 12:30 to 13:15 in the Schools Learn Live Theatre 1

If so, we have the complete solution for you

Compute-IT comprises three students books, three teacher packs and a suite of digital resources powered by Dynamic Learning, all written and edited by a team of expert educators. Join us at BETT 2014 on stand B236 (Hodder Education) to: Take away sample material from the rst Students Book and Teacher Pack Try out lesson ideas with our Teaching and Learning Resources from Dynamic Learning, the award-winning online subscription service Talk to our highly experienced representatives about all the secondary computing and ICT resources Hodder Education has designed to meet your teaching needs and your budget!

Alex Findlay is a secondary qualified specialist IT teacher, Apple distinguished educator and has worked as an ICT advisor for two local authorities.

Blogging

Building confidence
Teachers who do not feel confident about using IT in the classroom may find blogging a good place to start

Julia Skinner

or technophobes, the internet and all the gadgets and gizmos flooding the market bring with them a great deal of trepidation. This is not the first time people have had to overcome their incredulity of the new. Back in the 1890s, audiences screamed as they ran out of cinemas frightened of the moving pictures they saw on the screen. Around the same time, stable owners were reassured that the motor car will never last, horses are here to stay. A personal anecdote of how fear can turn to joy is my husbands computer club. He ran a club after school for any members of staff who were nervous about using the internet in class. His group consisted mainly of teaching assistants who were increasingly expected to support work done on interactive whiteboards and laptops iPads hadnt arrived at that point. He was not an IT geek. He had been a computer programmer and a systems analyst, but he was not into the minutiae of technology. Once the staff had been reassured that they were unlikely to break the PCs and that they could undo anything they had done, confidence began to grow and it wasnt long before one of them was shopping online and another was using Excel. They all had a project connected to the training as part of their performance management and all passed with flying colours. Around 2002, the Department for Education introduced its laptops for teachers scheme. This project was intended to increase teachers access to computers. Within four years or so, in most schools every teacher had a device, but confidence in using the laptops beyond a word document was still cause for concern. Training was often aimed at the ICT co-ordinator

who, even now in some schools, is the geeky one who you call when your PC doesnt work. Things have moved on, but there are still a great many teachers who do not feel confident with IT, despite having the hardware in their classrooms. For these teachers, blogging can be a good start as it fairly easy to get to grips with. Some use it simply to interact with parents and send them information about the class, while others are moving to use it as a teaching tool as it provides a different medium for children to use for their work. As it has links to social media, it also has a cool label for the children and can appeal especially to reluctant learners. The 100 Word Challenge (100wc.net) and its sister, the 5 Sentence Challenge (fivesc.net), provide a link between old and new. A prompt of a picture or a few words is set and in the case of 100WC, the pupils produce a creative piece of writing using a maximum of 100 words. This is then posted on the class blog and linked to 100wc.net. Some teachers have started using it just as a writing exercise in class, in books. Once the link is made to the class blog and to 100wc.net, the magic of the extended audience comes into play. By linking pieces to a blog, they are available to the whole world

to read. As well as the opportunity for peer commenting from many countries, a team of volunteers, Team 100, has been set up to provide regular comments. They follow a set of guidelines to comment on 10 posts each week. They are not all teachers, but people who enjoy the opportunity of helping young writers to improve their skills. The power of these comments can be seen not only in the increase in entries to 100WC, which are running at over 1,000 a week, but also in the improvements teachers report in writing progress. Children are motivated to write because they are excited by the prospect of someone from another part of the world taking time to read their work. The 100 Word Challenge provides an ideal link for teachers and nonteachers who are nervous about this new technological world. To hear more about the potential of blogging join Julia Skinners seminar, 100 Word Challenge case study: Honing creative writing skills through social media, on Friday 24 January, from 11:10-11:40 at the School Leaders Summit

CM

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CMY

Julia Skinner is a retired headteacher whose 13 year headship was in schools in areas of social deprivation.

12 ICTfE Bett Preview 2014

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Creativity

Creativity in the classroom

Why are there barriers to bringing more creativity into learning, when so many agree that it is a vital ingredient?

Ren Lydiksen

reativity ranks highly in surveys a recent Lego pilot study included and is on the list of priorities among teachers, parents and politicians. Education secretary Michael Gove recently extolled the importance of creativity in schools, yet creativity is not assessed by the new Ofsted inspection regime. Ofsteds 2013 45-page school inspection handbook mentions creativity just once, in a section on judging a schools overall effectiveness. When looking for evidence of pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, inspectors are asked to look for instances where children use their imagination and creativity. Mirroring the notion that what you measure is what you get, it seems that from the perspective of a schools performance, creative approaches simply do not figure. Where is the incentive to innovate, introduce new technology or try more creative approaches? Perhaps one difficulty for educators is that creativity is hard to pin down or define, although plenty of definitions exist. For instance, Sir Ken Robinson defined creativity as a dynamic process of having original ideas that have value. He, together with numerous teachers we regularly speak to, is concerned that curriculum programmes are too linear and prescriptive. For Sir Ken, too much prescription is a dead hand on the creative pulse of teachers and students alikethe real driver of creativity is an appetite for discovery and a passion for the work itself. When students are motivated to learn, they naturally acquire the skills they need to get the work done. So, is creativity a skill you can teach, an approach to teaching or simply a byproduct of a good education? However you choose to define or understand creativity, there is growing consensus that we need more of it. Creativity is closely linked to success in the future workplace, it is often cited as one of

the 21st Century skills as defined by the OECD and, without doubt, it resonates with pupils. Jobs that are perceived to be creative are appealing to young people. According to a study in March 2013 by the UK Commission for Education and Skills, more than a fifth of 15 to 16 year olds dream of a career in culture, media or sport, while in reality jobs available in this field will account for just 2.4% of new and replacement jobs over the next decade. Should the first steps towards bringing more creativity into the classroom be to try and nail the myth that creativity is only present in media, design or sport, when in fact the creative possibilities of computing/ICT, science, technology and engineering are almost endless? The question is how can we bridge the gap between young peoples perceptions, aspirations and, ultimately, the skills needed in tomorrows economy? Lego Education believes that by finding ways to embed creativity at the core of how we teach our children in all curriculum subjects we will answer the needs of both students and society. For this to happen it is crucial to encourage and support teachers in adopting a more playful and handson approach to teaching. This means finding opportunities for students to tinker, explore and come up with their own solutions to problems. It is about creating learning opportunities that are more open-ended, which requires the teacher to become a facilitator of learning processes. Essentially, it is

about providing more hands-on learning experiences for students because hands-on learning is characterised by experimentation, exploration and discovery. In that process students manage their own learning. They learn together, they learn through failure and they learn by doing things. Through the process they become creative problem solvers, innovators and collaborators. They develop important skills as they acquire and consolidate their curriculum knowledge and understanding. Lego Education believes this approach would focus on teaching skills as well as knowledge. In Lego Education studies, teachers say it can be difficult to find the time and space to plan for how students will develop skills such as communication, critical thinking and collaboration in lessons. At best, these skills are considered by-products of teaching, even though their importance is not questioned. More focus on creativity and hands-on learning would mean employers would be happier and they would start to see the kinds of skills they are looking for in school leavers. Schools that have the confidence to embed creativity throughout the curriculum should be celebrated as they are providing students with experiences that will ensure they develop the skills, knowledge and mindsets that are important for their futures.

The universal education portal has landed.

Discover it for yourself at Stand C340
Complete cloud and local portal BYOD and device independence Anytime, anywhere access Enables learning and engagement Supports hybrid cloud computing

Ren Lydiksen is managing director at Lego Education Europe

16 ICTfE Bett Preview 2014

www.cse-magellan.co.uk

Case study

Secondary computing
Mike Briscoe outlines a Bett 2014 seminar covering innovative approaches to meeting the requirements of the new curriculum

Manage your resources the easy way

eeting the new curriculum demands may be daunting, but with the right approach, the right advice and the support of others, the outcome can be amazing. The Minster School is a National Teaching School and National Support School in Southwell, Nottinghamshire. It has taken the curriculum demands by the scruff of the neck and developed a rich, deep and enjoyable new computing curriculum that works for the school and also supports primary computing. Its recipe for success includes stock and a few special ingredients including: : A careful analysis of new Department for Education expectations A sound knowledge of learner needs Excellent teachers and support staff An outstanding environment that supports teaching and learning Condence to try new approaches and tweak their design Teachers who understand both learning and computing A powerful network of peers and others with great ideas Trusted, independent experts who offer, nd and provide guidance and support Opportunities to work with others and in a variety of schools. Mike Briscoe will host a seminar at Bett with John Partridge and Paul Stevens from The Minster School

as they share their design and their journey, the practical and pragmatic approaches they have taken, and, of course, their successes and new learning. They will include examples of new approaches, explain why working with others is important and also offer tips and advice about what can help you in your school. Mike Briscoe is well known in the education and technology field and is a director of IET Associates, a not-for-profit company specialising in technology in education. With 40 years of experience in the education sector, Briscoe is known for leading change, building networks and excellent programmes for leadership in education and technology. He is a passionate speaker and enthusiast for learning and how technology supports great learning. He is also committed to supporting leadership and peer working. He leads the Leading Leaders Network and is codirector of the EXite programme. John Partridge is an assistant headteacher at The Minster School, a high performing school, with responsibility for student e-learning. His curriculum model for computing is being developed and implemented in schools across the country

to assist in delivering the new curriculum in computing. In addition to his work in secondary schools, Partridge co-teaches a new MSc course on computational thinking. In 2013, he was awarded the Naace Secondary Impact Award for his contribution to the ICT and computing community. Paul Stevens is an assistant headteacher at The Minster School with many years experience in teaching ICT, computing and mathematics across a range of schools. He has an outstanding reputation in the field of exceptional teaching and was the first AST in ICT and computing. Stevens regularly contributes to the CAS regional hub in Nottinghamshire and works nationally in schools to help them deliver outstanding ICT and computing lessons. He is a lead coordinator for the ICT Mark and Third Millennium learning awards in schools and achieved the Best Whole Schools Award from Becta in 2010. The Minster School is a mixed voluntary aided Church of England comprehensive school in Southwell, Nottinghamshire. It has 1,650 students on roll including 400 in the sixth form. With a long and proud history as part of the ancient foundation of Southwell Minster, it is also the choir school for the minster and, unusually for a state comprehensive school, has a junior department for choristers and instrumentalists who have passed tests of musical aptitude. In 2007, the school moved into new accommodation and was recreated to reflect its ethos and aspirations. The Minster School is a National Teaching School and National Support School. Join the seminar at Bett 2014 on Wednesday 22 January. It will run from 13:30-14:15 in the Schools Learn Live Theatre 3

smartphone app!

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18 ICTfE Bett Preview 2014

Unmissable Workshops
Oxford Brookes University
Using ChromeBooks in the Diplomat LMS
Wednesday 22 January - 11:00

At Bett 2014 on Stand F186

Digital Leaders fromYsgol Y Preseli

Wednesday 22 January - 14:30

How they use and manage iPads in Wales

Elm Park Primary School
Making the most of iPads

Bringing Science to Life Workshop

Presented by David Price, Science Made Simple
Friday 24 January - 11:30

Thursday 23 January -14:30

Science Made Simple

Science busking on our stand throughout Friday 24 January

ALL WEEK

Live Demos

2-3 Wakes Hall Business Centre, Wakes Colne, Colchester, Essex, CO6 2DY T: +44 (0)845 230 1010 F: +44 (0)845 230 1020 E: sales@lapsafe.com W: www.lapsafe.com @lapsafe /lapsafeproducts

Leadership

Digital strategy
Making the case for social media in education

Jos Picardo

ast September I started a new role as assistant principal at Surbiton High School. My brief is the schools digital strategy. I am not the first person to be appointed to lead a schools digital strategy, but I am one of the first to be appointed directly to the senior leadership team with the specific purpose of devising and implementing a digital strategy to support teaching and learning. And I wont be the last, and this is why.

amount of unsubstantiated enthusiasm, towards technologies that can really make a positive impact to the outcomes of their students. In my view, this voice has to be that of a teacher. A teacher leading on digital strategy would ensure that teaching and learning determine the shape of the schools ICT network, not vice versa.

Technology for learning

Ask your students and they will tell you that what they want from school is this: Teachers with excellent subject knowledge Feedback that is delivered sensitively and effectively Resources that are media rich and engaging. These student preferences are supported by all the latest research in cognitive psychology and all of them can be supported by the use of technology, which, by the way, your students do want you to use. However, prevalent discourse often presents technology in opposition to academic rigour, as if you can have one but not the other. This is nonsense and does not stand up to any form of serious scrutiny. Technology also enables learning to take place more easily outside the classroom. Many insist on viewing this as an alternative to learning in school. It isnt. A good digital strategy ensures that learning in school is extended and supported by the use of new technologies that enable students to continue learning beyond the school walls and act as a link between formal and informal learning.

Technology for teaching

Research shows that lessons are most effective when they are structured like this: An initial review of prior knowledge A formal presentation Guided practice Initial feedback Independent practice A follow-up review. All these aspects of a lesson can be supported by technology. From this perspective, a good digital strategy ought to take into account how lessons are most effective and put in place the means and support to enable teachers to use technology in a way that improves the quality of teaching and learning when it is possible and appropriate. There is a great variety of tools that claim to support teaching and learning, some of which are more effective than others. Too often, teachers are presented with tools that portray technology as a spell-binding elixir or a magic solution to all their problems. It is none of these things. This does not mean that we should disregard the important role that technology can and does play in education. This silver bullet portrayal of technology has harmed teachers perceptions and has created large pockets of vociferous cynicism, hardly any of which is well informed. Teachers need an informed voice that can guide them past this cynicism, as well as a not insignificant
22 ICTfE Bett Preview 2014

Behaviour
The social aspect of the internet has revolutionised the way we communicate. Hidden among all the sensationalist headlines decrying how we are alone in a sea of constant, inane chatter is the fact that we are writing, reading and communicating with each other

on a previously unprecedented scale. This presents both opportunities and challenges. The opportunities come from being able to use these communication tools to enable teachers to network and learn from others wherever they may be in the world, to support teachers in passing on their subject knowledge to learners and to add a new dimension to the process of feeding back to enable learning to progress. The challenges, such as bullying and other kinds of inappropriate behaviour, are released from the confines of the school corridors into our social networks, which to this day remain a no-go area in most schools for this reason. However, a problem arises when schools confuse controlling access to social networks with total disengagement, thus depriving students of models of appropriate behaviour. We then often accuse children of not behaving appropriately online when it was our job all along to educate them. Every school policy that does not help students learn how to use social media appropriately should be accompanied by an admission of failure. The problem is compounded by the fact that many of the adults involved in education simply lack the experience and skills to be appropriate role models in the use of social media. This is why a greater, more concerted and more constructive involvement of schools in the digital lives of their students is necessary if we want students to understand how to be good all-round citizens. Simply ignoring this dimension of pupil behaviour seems to me to be grossly irresponsible. Jos Picardo will present Learning is social: Making the case for social media in education on Friday 24 anuary, 1:30 to 2:15, in the Schools Learn Live Theatre 2

ECDL, still attracting points

The Department for Education has conrmed their allocation of 2016 school performance points for our popular Level 2 ECDL Certicate in IT Application Skills (QCF). The new Computing curriculum requires that every child leaves school digitally literate, so make ECDL the cornerstone of your digital literacy agenda.

www.bcs.org/ecdl/schools
BC565/LD/AD/0114

Call 01793 417 445 or visit

Jos Picardo is assistant principal at Surbiton High School

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is the business name of the British Computer Society (Registered charity no. 292786) 2014

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NoteCase

oteCase is a robust, compact and highly mobile storage unit to store Charge and Sync iPads and tablets. With wheels and telescopic handle the case can accommodate your devices with covers, and utilizes the manufacturers cable to ensure your product is always ready for the future. The case has a patented ventilated lid to allow you to manage the devices securely with the lid closed and the built in NoteSync fan adds extra airflow. There is even a place to store your notebook or Mac. The LCD display enables you to see at a glance which iPads are ready for use and which are still being charged or if in sync mode. NoteCase is available for 16 and 32 devices, and we can also provide a smaller case for iPad Minis or 7 tablets & iPod Touch.

oteCart Lite is one of the smallest carts on the market, a compact steel construction to store and manage 16 devices,. Whether you need charge only or a charge and sync solution. This trolley is built to be future proof and change as your needs do. NoteCart Lite offers the flexibility to manage laptops, netbooks, tablets and iPads With lockable castors and push/pull handles, this Cart comes with multipoint key locking and rear security panel. Strong and secure, but lightweight and compact, with built in soft start and surge protection as standard to protect your devices and ensure your safety. Upgrade options are available to hold 24 and 32 units.

Perfect for the new curriculum!

Introducing AppFurnace. Create your
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eries 8 is an 8 way USB Hub to charge 8 devices, no matter of make, as long as they use USB to charge you can plug them in here. The display shows charging progress and gives an indication of when your phone, or tablet is fully charged. This unit also has a party mode, when selected this will respond to sound and light up the display.

KS 2, 3 & 4 Mac & PC Create apps for iOS & Android Meets the needs of the new Computing Curriculum Free teacher resources Prices start as little as 99 per year

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NoteBox

oteBox is a strong static option to store your iPads and Tablets. Wall or desk mountable, this locker offers secure key locking and security screw wall fixings. The horizontal shelves can accommodate iPads and tablets with most covers, and can provide a charge only function, or a charge and sync facility. It has an upgrade option to enable you to manage 30 or 32 Mini iPads and small tablets, making this the smallest solution for that quantity on the market.

Also available, our fantastic tools for education...

Come and see all of these solutions on our stand at the BETT show 2014, we are at E283 near to Microsoft. We look forward to seeing you
u 0800 779 7384 u sales-uk@leba-innovation.com u www.note-cart.com

Visit us on stand E118 at Bett!

Complete Asset Protection

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Mark, label and track all types of valuable assets within your organisation
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Labelling
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Wireless networks that work

Meru puts the network in control, not the client device, unlocking the full potential of 802.11n standards to transform the once uncontrollable Wi-Fi environment into a secure and stable network. A wireless network with switch-like reliability and the scalability to handle the ever-increasing device density, diversity and demand for Wi-Fi service.

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* Selectamark visible marking is a Secured by Design accredited product