WrightICT eNews
October 2015
Welcome
Welcome to the latest issue of WrightICT eNews.
Articles and further snippets via my website, Twitter and Pearltrees.
Forthcoming Events
ICT4C Event. Make a Noise About Bullying. Hatfeild Hall, Aberford Rd, Stanley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF3 4JP. Friday 20th November. Time: 08:30 - 12:00. Cost: £85.00.
The Hour of Code is Coming
What’s the Hour of Code?
The Hour of Code is a self-guided tutorial anybody can do, with just a web-browser or smart-phone (or even unplugged activities that don’t require a computer at all). No experience is needed, and participants of all ages can choose from a variety of self-guided tutorials.
Rising Stars Progression Framework Launched
The framework is available here.
If you are a J2E subscriber then this framework is one of a number available via J2Review.
Free Maths Resource
For teachers who are new to the system, Matific is a free, multiple award-winning collection of online maths activities and worksheets aimed at children from reception age through to Year 6.
Joining Matific is free for teachers, click here for more information.
Free eSafety Course for Pupils.
Online cross-curricula content delivery platform, Petra’s Planet Share, has launched a free e-safety course for primary school children, helping to teach a wide range of National Curriculum mapped e-safety topics.
Delivered through an innovative walled-garden social media platform, the free e-safety course involves three distinct, 45 minute lesson plans in which children go from building an online identity through to understanding what cyberbullying is and how to report it.
To get involved with the free e-safety course and win a badge for your school, simply click here for more information.
NASA Add to Online Photo Gallery
Click here to view.
Dash Gets a Launcher
Anyway, Dash is soon to get a new accessory. The Launcher. This accessory transforms your Dash Robot into a projectile-launching machine.Pupils can learn how simple machines like a lever works in a fun way. Comes with 3 projectiles and 6 stacking targets that can attach to LEGO®-compatible bricks to build intricate targets.
If you'd like to see Dash and Dot let me know and I'll arrange a viewing for interested schools.
Staying Safe on Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the world’s most popular games, especially with children (find out more about how it works and what the appeal is in this What is Minecraft article).
The chances are, if you have primary age children, Minecraft will be part of their world, or their friends' worlds. So what should you know about helping children play safely?
This article from ParentInfo provides some useful information about being safe whilst enjoying the benefits of playing Minecraft.
ICT4C Corner
Getting your head around radicalisation
It seems to be the issue of the moment with schools now having to respond to the new Counter Terrorism Act. The new Act includes a more rigorous set of expectations for schools when compared with current advice on working with other agencies to protect against terrorism. There are a five key points all school need to know to meet new duties but 3 of these impact on the eSafe environment in schools
Staff training
Schools should ensure that their staff are equipped to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism, as well as challenge extremist ideas. They should know how to refer children and young people for further help. The Home Office’s free training product about radicalisation awareness, Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP), may be a suitable option. Whatever they receive should help them with the:
· Developing and understanding of what is meant by radicalisation and why young people may be vulnerable to being drawn in.
· Knowledge to identify children at risk of being drawn into extremism, both violent and non-violent
· Skills to challenge extremist ideology, but not just the current high profile ones
· Awareness of how to refer young people for further help and the measures that are available to prevent them being drawn in.
Have you staff had recent eSafety update training to ensure that they are fully aware of the issues faced by young people today?
IT policies
Schools are expected to ensure that children are safe from online terrorist and extremist material in school, typically via appropriate levels of filtering or through the use of forensic software to monitor network and device traffic. It is advisable to check with your ISP to see if they are using the Home Office terrorism blocklist to block terrorist content per Government guidelines.
Have you checked with your provider to ensure that your filtering is up to date?
Monitoring and enforcement
Ofsted inspectors will assess a school’s approach to keeping children safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism and how the school responds when it suspects that pupils are vulnerable to these threats. This includes maintaining appropriate records to show compliance with responsibilities and provide reports where requested.
If a school is considered to be failing in this regard or if their staff or children’s safety is threatened, maintained schools will be subject to intervention and academies or free schools may be subject to termination of funding. It should be pointed out that Early Years settings are also covered by this monitoring provision.
of these are;
How do you know what is happening on your school network or on devices owned by the school?
To help schools understand the rhetoric around ISIL, London Grid for Learning have worked with Sara Khan at Inspire to produce some really useful explanatory videos, these can be found at http://counterextremism.lgfl.org.uk
To help schools understand how social media is being used by terrorist groups such as ISIL to encourage travel to Syria and Iraq, the DfE, in partnership with the Home Office have released a briefing note for schools. It covers the approaches being taken, the language used and how a range of social media channels are being used. To get a copy of this briefing paper, go to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-use-of-social-media-for-online-radicalisationSnippets
It covers everything including Spyware, Scareware, Facebook rules, password protection and downloading apps.
Flat. A superb collaborative platform for composing music with a good range of instruments to use. The notes sound each time you add one, and you can play back your work. Invite others to compose with you across the web and see their changes in real-time. Perfect for helping students as they are composing.
Mission 2110: Addition & Subtraction. A great futuristic adventure game from the BBC where players must use their skills at adding and subtracting to save the world.
Testmoz is An easy to use online quiz maker. Share the link with your children. No sign-in required.
WrightICT
Email: paul@wrightict.co.uk
Website: www.wrightict.co.uk
Phone: 07917160770
Twitter: @WrightICT