| Digital - teacher | Education in a technological world

DVLA - the third chapter...

Well, I sent off the *replacement* tax disc for a full refund (see previous post) to Poole, and a very helpful lady who works there. Today she replied to me. She has now sent my request for the refund from her department in Poole to the refunds department in Swansea. More waiting!!

As well as that, she also informed that I will more than likely not receive a notification that my *current* disc is about to expire when it is due to. This now has me thinking that if I don't get the reminder, then the computer doesn't know it's about to expire, so the computer must think I'm still using the *replacement* disc, and when I apply for the next disc I'll then receive a reminder later on in the year for the one that I sent back. I can see this going on and on and on and on for ever.

Computers - designed to make life easier. Don't they do a great job!

Literacy Matters

Brought to the attention of Digital-teacher by another ICT teacher, Literacy Matters has free downloadable literacy lesson plans for primary ages from pre-school to Year7.
In addition the site has sections for parents, and a teachers forum to discuss issues, as well as many other pages too.

Music for All

Announced today by 8 orchestras, is the idea that ALL primary children will at some point during their years in primary school have the opportunity to visit a classical concert for free.
the scheme has the backing of:

• Marin Alsop, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
• Sakari Oramo, music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• Vladimir Jurowski from the London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Valery Gergiev, the London Symphony Orchestra's principal conductor
• Christoph von Dohnanyi, principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra
• Vasily Petrenko from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
• Daniele Gatti, music director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Mark Elder, music director of The Halle.

Their campaign, Building on Excellence:  Orchestras for the 21st century,  promises within 10 years they will:

• Aim to perform live for every child, during their time at school, free of charge
• Establish a new high-profile prize for excellence and innovation in classical music
• Make Britain the world centre for orchestral composition
• Ensure that orchestras reflect their local communities
• Double the number of people involved in community music-making
• Support UK trade missions abroad with orchestral "cultural missions".

Ofsted and the fraud!

Just before Easter I went through an Ofsted at school. I then moved to a new school for the new term and have just been through another Ofsted. Two inspections in as many months!!

The strange thing was with the second one, I felt like a fraud. I'd been in school a total of 6 days when the inspector came a calling - and three of those days half of the class I've inherited were away on a residential visit.

So, the children are new, the procedures are new, the technology I'm using is different, and I personally have not formally assessed any of my class; and then an inspector arrives to look how they are getting on. What can I say? "I'm new here"!!

What an answer - I felt like I was making excuses, the pressure was on everyone else around me and all the time I was feeling that I should know more.

Well, at least it went OK - everyone did a grand job, and they all deserve to rest.

Me? Can't really take any credit, and fully intend not to. I didn't do a thing, and that means that I'm not going to steal others thunder. Credit where credit's due I say.

Totally Dotty

Imagine taking a normal photograph and being able to turn it into a dot to dot. Well imagine no longer, because it's possible with picture dots.

This website does all the hard work for you. Simply upload the image you want to use, then click wherever you want a dot to be placed. They are automactically numbered for you, and once completed you can print off a pdf of your creation.

A wonderful resource.

Possible pay review?

Rumour has it that the current two year pay deal for teachers across England and Wales may be reviewed and recalculated due to the rise in inflation.
The original settlement included a section stating that if the inflation rate was to rise above 3.25% there could be a review. Inflation currently stands at 3.1%, but the headline rate is 4.8% - triggering the review.
If the School Teachers Review Body is given the go-ahead for a review, it will take fresh evidence and cover both school years from 2006-07  to 2007-08.

For the love of books

LoveReading4Kids is a website dedicated to the best in books for , well children of course!
It has been created to be the ultimate children's online independent bookstore using the experience of parents and book lovers, who want children to read great books.
They currently have a special feature on the 70th anniversary of the Carnegie prize, and the 50th anniversary of the Greenaway prize.

In addition, they have two sister sites; lovereading (for grown ups) and lovereading4schools. The latter  encourages schools to sign up, and then for every £100 parents spend on books, the school receives 5% in vouchers to build up class / library books.

Mispent evenings

Oh dear. I guess this is confirmation of what I had feared!
The Simpsons is 20 this year (yes, can you believe that it's been 20 years of watching and laughing at the worlds most dysfunctional family), and the movie is on its way this July. To celebrate these two great stories, the BBC website  have a quiz to see how much you know about them.
I got 100% on my first go - not a single question wrong, and worse than that I didn't even need to guess any of the answers, or even think about them, I just knew them.
This is bad. I watch too much television. N0 - let me rephrase that. I watch too much of the WRONG television!!

DirectgovKids

As the site says; "is designed to help you find out about the world around you"

With three sections - children / parents and teachers clearly defined, they've obviously thought about this one. Within the childrens area the main text can also be spoken to you - a feature many websites overlook or don't consider important.  The "world" itself that children can explore is eye catching. Each location opens up a new section, focusing on a particular aspect - for example the police station explains just what the police do, plus there is a 'game' where you can decide how to punish misbehaving children.
Alongside the games, there are animations, slideshows and other sections to visit.
In the parents area there are worksheets to use with your children, and for teachers lesson plans are provided linking into PSHE, citizenship, ICT and more.
Well worth a look!

Time for a takeover?

Tony Blair's privately sponsored academies are poised to take over state primary schools, it has been disclosed.

From The Independent;

The Prime Minister hopes the primary schools will then forge the kind of links that exist between leading fee-paying schools and their junior "prep" schools. Mr Blair, speaking at his monthly press conference, said the idea had been raised by the academies, which were "looking to incorporate into their set-up primary schools as well".

Some academies - including one planned to take over from Islington Green in north London (the comprehensive overlooked by the Blairs for their own children) and one of its feeder primary schools - plan to take in pupils from the age of three to 19. "This is something that is normal in the independent fee-paying sector, so one pupil often moves from one school to another," said Mr Blair. "I don't see why that shouldn't happen in the state sector."

The first link-ups between academies and primary schools will be unveiled when the Government reveals details of the first schools seeking to take advantage of the opportunity to become trust schools.

 

Modern Ways

A recording of the play Much ado about nothing at the Globe Theatre in London is available as a free download from the Department for Education and Skills. The comedy, a set text on the curriculum for younger teenagers, can be downloaded as an MP3 file, to be played back on for music players. It also includes interviews with actors and the director. This podcast project aims to deliver the play in a format that will be familiar and easy to use for the iPod generation.

And so, the new lines being placed into Shakespeare texts are to be;

• To blog or not to blog that is the question...
• Is this an iPod I see before me...
• Alas, poor windows I knew it well...
• Technicians, Experts and Geeks, lend me your skills...
• The course of an upgrade never did run smooth...
• It is the Internet, and Java is from Sun...
• Out, damned virus! out, I say...
• Now is the Windows of our discontent...

Would you believe it

Residents in north London believe they have found one of the shortest yellow lines in the country in their street.

The 18-inch parking restriction in Highbury Crescent in Highbury is just about long enough to fit one wheel. More.