WrightICT eNews
March 2016
Welcome
Welcome to the latest issue of WrightICT eNews.
Articles and further snippets via my website, Twitter and Pearltrees.
Forthcoming Events
Hull and East Riding Schools IT Conference & Exhibition
Date: 27th April 2016
Venue: Mercure Hotel, Willerby
How to tackle radicalisation in the classroom.
Date: Thu 26th May 2016
Venue: Horizon Community College, Dodworth Rd, Barnsley S70 6PD
Time: 13:00 - 16:00
Cost: £55
Scratch Day
Scratch Day is a global network of events that celebrates Scratch — and the young people who code and create with it. During Scratch Day, kids and adults gather to share projects and learn from one another.
This year’s Scratch Day is May 14, 2016 — but you can organise a Scratch Day any day.
Codebug
Unfortunately this is only being provided to Y7 pupils. However, now might be a timely reminder that Codebug is an option for primary schools to purchase.
It uses a familiar building block style of coding- like Scratch and J2Code.
Course coming in the summer, possibly autumn, term.
Cubetto
Chrome Music Lab
Or if you just want to stick to the drums, then Beat Maker might be handy.
Cyphers and Codes
It's a fun and practical activity focussing on ciphers and codes. The topic can be a bit dry, but this went down very well with Y5+6 @ Foredyke, so thought it worth passing on. If you are a Switched on Computing user, I'd recommend sliding this into the We Are Cryptographers unit. Direct links to Greeks and Romans if that helps.
Zu3D
BBC iPlayer for Kids
The BBC has unveiled a new version of its iPlayer app aimed specifically at children, which is set to offer more than 10,000 episodes of content each year.
BBC iPlayer Kids, launched on Tuesday, is a standalone iPlayer app which curates BBC content from both the CBeebies and CBBC channels for children depending on their age.
The app is free to download and allows up to four children to create profiles - with the content the app pushes to them tweaked according to their age.
Download iPlayer Kids app for Apple
Naace
I'm sure there are other benefits, but I'm still finding out.
Membership is open to schools and individuals and joining information can be found here.
I did mention a freebie, so here it is. It's a short and very readable eGuide on using QR for teaching and learning. The password to access the file is wrightict. As it's a semi-restricted document I thought I'd do my bit by not parking it up on the web without one.
Naace will release more of these over the year to members. There are 10 further ones planned.
For J2E users, creating QR codes in J2E5 is a breeze, either to link to existing J2E work or just use it as a QR code generator.
Sexting
SWGfL have provided resources on dealing managing sexting images. Free to download or printed copies can be ordered.
There are two posters
- How staff should Respond to sexting incidents
- How Designated Safeguarding Leads should manage sexting incidents
SATs
3d Printing
Olo. Use your phone as a 3D printer. Boys and toys? Guilty!
Public Information Films
Every public information film from 1945-2006 is now available online.
It'd be interesting, and possibly distressing, to see how far back your NQTs/RQTs go!
Snippits
Word Clouds. There are numerous word cloud creators on the web, Worlde probably being the most well known. However, many run the risk, however slight, of pupils bumping into inappropriate content as the sites save the clouds in an online gallery which aren't moderated. Word Clouds for Kids doesn't have a gallery, so this issue won't arise.
Padlet has recently released an Android app for its popular 'Sticky Notes' product. The iOS app is available here. Or you can just head off to Padlet.com and use it online.
I found this useful algorithm activity and thought it worth sharing. Simply, pupils plot a route between two London Underground stations and then check it against the Tube Map app. iOS or Android.
Noise Monitor. This is a noise monitor for Android. The traffic lights show red, yellow or green depending on how noisy your class are. Unlike some similar free behaviour management apps there are no ads.
Go Noodle. A great site to get your class moving with music, fitness and mindfulness videos.
Snapseed. A superb image editor app for Apple and Android.
If you're a school that uses YouTube to store and share videos then you might find it useful to be able to blur out a section of any video. Handy for those groups events where one child can't be identified. This article explains more.
ICT4C Corner
For a long time schools have been using filtering to help keep their pupils and staff safe from a range of different content both illegal e.g. child abuse images and content (CIAC) and inappropriate e.g. pornography. The use of filtering is recognised by all involved in education as a key tool and to try to do without it would leave ourselves vulnerable and our young people at high risk, particularly those who have additional needs.
In the past many schools took their feed from the Regional Broadband Consortia via their local authority who made sure the correct level of filtering was in place but as schools look to 3rd party organisations to provide internet services, that responsibility sits firmly with the school. To help schools make sure that they are using an appropriate filtering service, the Safer Internet Centre has provided a guidance document for schools on making sure this is the case for them. The full document can be found at http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/teachers-and-professionals/appropriate-filtering-for-education-settings
At the heart it suggests you check the following when considering filtering providers or systems;
● Are they IWF members and block access to illegal Child Abuse Images and Content (CAIC)
● Do they integrate the ‘the police assessed list of unlawful terrorist content, produced on behalf of the Home Office’
● Do they offer Age appropriate, differentiated filtering – includes the ability to vary filtering strength appropriate to age and role
● Do the controls have the ability and ease of use that allows schools to control the filter themselves to permit or deny access to specific content
● Does the filtering provider publishes a rationale that details their approach to filtering with classification and categorisation as well as over blocking
● Does the filtering system offer the ability to identify users
● Does the system offer filtering web traffic and includes the blocking of inappropriate content via mobile and app technologies
● Does the filtering work at ‘network level’ i.e., not reliant on any software on user devices
● Is there the ability to report inappropriate content for access or blocking
● Does the system offer clear historical information on the websites visited by your users
WrightICT
Email: paul@wrightict.co.uk
Website: www.wrightict.co.uk
Phone: 07917160770
Twitter: @WrightICT