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| ICT Newsletter #293 |
18th June 2007 |
GENERAL
OCN Consultation
Colleagues will be aware that the Local Authority is consulting with schools' representatives concerning the ICT services which schools need for teaching and learning. This also includes consultation on the future direction of a local authority endorsed Learning Platform.
The consultation is being facilitated by Cambridge Education Associates and there will be four consultation sessions over the remainder of the Summer term.
The consultation group representing schools consists of a number of primary and secondary teachers, primary and secondary ICT technicians, governors, and headteachers along with representatives from the ICT Advisory Team and colleagues from ICT Services.
The first consultation session was held on Thursday 7 June and delegates were asked to consider a vision of learning and teaching in the year 2020 and then to consider the types of ICT tools and services which would be required to deliver that vision. Subsequent sessions will consider the requirements and functional specification for a future learning platform, details of other ICT services as well as the governance arrangements for the OCN moving forward.
Colleagues can participate in the consultation process by accessing the OCN Consultation conference on the OCN. (Everyone > OCN Consultation). In that conference you will find the names and contact details for members of the consultation group, some background information as well as notes and presentations from the first session. The second session will be held on the afternoon of Tuesday 19 June. Anyone can contribute to the consultation by posting their thoughts in the Consultation conference.
Courses
The following courses still have places available:
If you would like to attend please apply to the Inset section at Cricket Road or online at: http://intranet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/links/intranet/oqsaapply
The pin-me-up sheet for next term is now available in school in the latest copy of Ox-On-Line.
Competitions
There are some exciting competitions coming up. Look out for the fliers in your school:
· Foundation "Design-a-postcard" Competition on the
theme 'Summer Holidays' entries due Friday 22nd June
· Graftas (back by popular demand) entries due Friday 6th July
Young Film Critic Awards
The contest to find out who will be the Young Film Critics of the Year 2007 has begun! The Young Film Critic competition is a must for so many teachers for its very rare quality; having immediate and natural appeal to all young people! Whether you wish to enter all your students as a class project, or whether you have one particular budding young journalist in mind for an individual entry - the Young Film Critic of the Year competition is sure to capture everyone's imagination.
Young Film Critic: - Judged in two age categories (11-14 and 15-18), students should write and submit an original film review (250-word max) of any film from the past year
Junior Film Critic: - Students aged 7-11 should write and submit an original film review (250-word max) of any film from the past year
Mini Film Fan: - Younger children aged 3-7 are invited to create an eye-catching film poster or draw a scene from their favourite film - using the materials of their choice.
Sensory Impaired Students: Film Education is proud to be working in partnership with DTS, NDCS, RNIB and RNID to ensure that all sensory impaired students throughout the UK are given the opportunity to enter in complementary awards in each age category. Entries from deaf and hard of hearing, blind and partially-sighted children will be judged in an additional category in each age group. Please make sure you mark the entry form where indicated if you wish to enter into one of these categories.
How to Enter: The competition can be entered via http://www.youngfilmcritic.org where teachers and students can download the criteria and entry forms or by sending the reviews with the school details direct to: Film Education, 21-22 Poland Street, London W1F 8QQ
Prizes!
The winning student in each age category will receive a Yamaha Theatre System as well as a school prize of an Interactive White Board and film resources. The nominees in each age category will be invited to the Awards Ceremony at London's Odeon West End in October.
DEADLINE: FRIDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2007
Smartboard Connections
Do you have older model 500 Smartboards that have the 'blocky' serial adaptor at the end of the cable? If so you may find that newer laptops and computers do not support the serial connection. This can be easily resolved by purchasing a replacement cable that has a USB connection (about £45) from either RM (http://www.rm.com/Primary/Products/Product.asp?cref=PD792124) or Steljes (phone 08450 758 758) and simply swapping the cable over. You might need to peel open the trunking to swap the cables over.
Lean on me: local support providers
Sometimes it's good to let others take the strain. Nowhere is this more true than when trying to manage a school network while juggling a demanding role as a teacher - so why not lean on the support of an expert technician?
RM works closely with local technicians through their Affiliated Technician Support Service (ATSS) to offer you the combined solution of RM's award winning support along with the peace of mind that comes from a local company, readily available to give you help and advice.
If it's a priority for you to have a reliable network that just works, freeing up teacher's time to teach then choosing an ATSS technician will provide you with a solution to achieve this. ATSS technicians work closely with RM to keep up-to-date with training which can be a hard thing for busy teachers to do. And as one customer points out, "It's a cost effective support solution too."
To find out more about ATSS please visit http://www.rm.com/atss
PRIMARY
Primary ICT Conference - June 20th 2007
This is your last chance to book your place on the Primary ICT Conference 'Putting IT into Practice'. The action covers three rooms and is timetabled throughout the day so that you can pick the sessions that interest you. We have an exciting "goody-bag" for those attending for the whole day including free full-version software. If you have not yet applied and would like to attend please apply to the Inset section at Cricket Road or online at: http://intranet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/links/intranet/oqsaapply
Espresso Latest Updates
Espresso won the Royal Television Society Educational Award: Primary Interactive for the Toy Design module!
According to the judges, Espresso's winning Toy Design module "supports an area of the curriculum which has often been neglected by software designers and developers. All the resources worked together to create a complete product that teachers would find both supportive and inspirational in teaching this subject." Espresso's French service was also shortlisted for the award. The Royal Television Society Awards are highly regarded awards in the television industry. The Educational Television Awards specifically recognise the best in audio-visual support for learning.
SECONDARY
OCR Nationals
A reminder to those of you considering OCR Nationals next year. Are you are
planning to deliver the two GCSE equivalent, the OCR Level 2 National Award
which is the equivalent to 180 guided learning hours? If you deliver this through
three 60glh units and students fail to achieve all three they cannot be submitted
for the OCR Level 2 National First Award equivalent to one GCSE. This award
must be comprised of one 60 glh unit and one 30 glh unit.
Best wishes,
The ICT Advisory Team
