GENERAL

Competitions - GRAFTAs 2006

Just a quick reminder that the closing date for this competition is Friday 8th December. Please remember to put the school name clearly on the CD. Should you want to see last year's entries, please go to:
http://www.ict.oxon-lea.gov.uk/graftas2005/index.html

P.S. - Last year's GRAFTA winning entries have been shared internationally with teachers in Prague!

Audio Network Ideas

Just a reminder that Oxfordshire Schools have access to 3,587 high quality MP3 audio music files that can be used to enhance pupils' work and teachers' lessons. Full details of the license can be found at: http://www.ict.oxon-lea.gov.uk/audio/ Website: http://audio.lgfl.org.uk/

Idea of the Week: New World is a piece of music that is ambient, calming and tranquil. You could use this particular piece during reflection time in RE, when you ask the children to think quietly about the day or the ideas they have shared with each other during the session.

http://audio.lgfl.org.uk/track_details.asp?type=4&trackid=494&l1=&l2=&l3=&l1c=&l2c=&l3c=

British Computer Society

Sophos is a sponsor of the design a website a competition which is being run by the BCS. They have recently published an updated issue of their popular booklet 'A to Z of Computer Security Threats.' This booklet contains information about computer related security threats. It has help for you in choosing a safe password and gives you an insight into the history of computer related viruses or threats and gives practical information on each type of threat.

Sign up on the BCS web site (http://www.oxon.bcs.org/webcomp), to indicate your interest in entering the competition, and you will receive one of these books together with an information pack on how to make an entry.

Teachers TV

Resource Review: ICT Special - Primary Geography (15 mins) Paula Richardson, an educational writer and schools geography advisor recommends three great resources for teaching primary geography: Global Eye - a free website magazine; Virtual Geography - an interactive CD-Rom; and Staffordshire Learning Net - a regional website. To view click on the following link: http://www.teachers.tv/video/3279

Resource Review: ICT Special - Secondary MFL 1(15 mins) Marilyn Hunt, a lecturer in MFL teacher education, recommends three great ICT resources for teaching secondary Modern Foreign Languages: Task Magic - authoring software for PCs; Zut - an interactive website; and KLAR - a website for budding German speakers. 29 Nov 1.30pm or use the link to view on the website: http://www.teachers.tv/video/4876

Other ICT related video clips can be viewed at: http://www.teachers.tv/video/browser/951

PRIMARY

I-board Free Monthly Resource

"Weather Reporter" allows pupils to use weather icons and a map to script an animated weather report -they can then watch it played back. I-board hope this will encourage pupils to role-play being weather reporters and perhaps film their own show. This and other new weather activities are freely accessible from the I-board website at http://www.iboard.co.uk/thismonthfree

RM Primary ICT Conference

Gavin Williams from RM has been in touch to say that there are still a number of places available for the RM Primary ICT Conference to be held on Monday 4 December at the Holiday Inn at the Pear Tree roundabout.

The conference is aimed at primary school ICT Coordinators, Teachers and Senior Management. It will cover ICT News and Updates, an introduction to the new Windows Vista operating system and ICT Across the Curriculum. The conference will run from 12:45 - 16:00 and will include a buffet lunch served at 13:30. All schools need to do to book is to follow this link. There is no charge for attending the seminar.

http://www.rm.com/Primary/Events/EvtDetail.asp?cref=EVT741171&SrcURL=/Primary/Default.asp

SECONDARY

DiDA

If a student starts a Level 2 project brief but fails to perform at Level 2 you can use a special 'truncated' assessment grid to mark their work. Truncated grids for all four units will be published on the Edexcel site shortly. In the meantime, check that the entry for these students is correct. Even though they have done a Level 2 brief they should be entered at Level 1. (Please note there is late entry charge for making/amending an entry after the deadline.) If you have any queries about this please email: didateam@edexcel.org.uk

OCR B

The report aspect of this course can be a wholly verbal submission (audio/video) and the project itself can be on paper, disk or PowerPoint. Teachers might like to be aware of this especially for students who are reluctant or struggle to write in depth.

Best wishes,

The ICT Advisory Team

Back to Index