Esafety Ideas For Teaching Esafety to Primary School Learners
A local primary school contacted Northern Grid and asked for a session on resources for teaching esafety to their pupils, and it was agreed that I would deliver a session during their weekly staff meeting.
This is an interesting area for staff development and on one level is a fairly basic task in identifying (often online) activities for children to try. There are many useful and accessible online activities available on websites across the world and for local examples we need look no further than and www.childnet.com and CEOP's www.thinkuknow.co.uk.
Whilst these activities and associated resources will provide some support for the young people in our care I feel that esafety and safeguarding support needs to move beyond specific focused and sometimes isolated activities at the computer in the ICT suite. Our challenge is to ensure that we help our youngsters become confident, safe and considerate digital citizens, unlike many of the adults online across the world, who currently model inappropriate and irresponsible behaviour for our youngsters to emulate.
We can see the most inappropriate and unsafe online behaviour by adults of all ages on forums, newspaper and media websites and across social media including Twitter and Facebook. If the children in our primary schools are to mature to become responsible, thoughtful and valued digital citizens then our esafety support must extend through all our teaching and not be seen as something that is only addressed in the ICT...
“We were all very happy with the session. We loved the booklets and will be using them in other lessons / sessions. We thought that the students were engaged ..I have also seen some of the booklets this morning and I have heard 2/3 students already today talking about what was said and having a go at students for messing about on their phones and explaining that if they do not use them sensibly then they will never be able to use them in school."
12 October 2011
Northern Grid provides a range of CPD and in-school support for all schools, and one area where there is a significant demand is; managing online and digital identities.
I delivered a session for all the staff at Nunthorpe School earlier in the term and I've been asked to work with all the students in Year 7 with specific reference to Facebook and cyberbullying. The first of these sessions took place on 12 October 2011, and a further five are scheduled throughout the remainder of the school year.
Each session lasts a little over an hour and with over 50 students the impact of the sessions will inevitably be limited. It is important that the teachers are present during the session so they can continue to develop the students' understanding beyond the session.
I introduce the session by making it clear to the youngsters that this is not a 'lesson'. It is an opportunity for them to listen, engage and reflect on t...
Northern Grid has been working with Northumbria Police to develop teacher resources within a web resource that contains a wealth of crime prevention information and personal safety advice aimed at youngsters. Issues such as alcohol, awareness, drug misuse and bullying are all featured on the site, with information on where to get help and what is and isn't legal.
More about ebeat
Young people, parents and teachers can now get information about Northumbria Police at the touch of a button after the launch of a new youth website.
Called ebeat, it's been designed with help from school pupils and teachers and features interactive sections, advice and information and a range of educational resources.
Resources available include specially developed lesson plans which teachers can use in school. The first lesson plan, covering alcohol awareness was launched earlier this year, with an interactive tie-in game also available on the site.
The second set of lesson plans have just been added and cover anti-social behaviour.
The new site also contains a wealth of crime prevention information and personal safety advice aimed at youngsters. Issues such as alcohol, awareness, drug misuse and bullying are all featured on the site, with information on where to get help and what is and isn't legal.
There is also advice on a career with the force, including how to go about becoming a Northumbria Police officer.
Web Services Team Leader Ian Sparham, said: "We're always looking at ways of making our information as accessible to as many as possible but...
Parliament's Education Service works with schools and Members of both houses of parliament to support pupils to develop their understanding of Parliament and democracy.
They provide free online resources to support citizenship for teachers and pupils from 5 to 18 years old. These include games, videos, whiteboard resources and lesson plans.
They also provide school visits, an outreach programme and printed resources.
Get Involved and promote good practice in this region.
Childnet’s Film Challenge was launched last year and received some great entries from young people. Childnet are hoping to build on last year’s success and see another batch of fantastic 60 second films promoting the positive uses of the internet (previous winners can be seen on at http://www.childnet.com/film/).
Positive and inspiring use of the internet is at the heart of Film Challenge 2011 and we at Northern Grid know from our visits to schools and entries to our awards that there are many great examples of this going on in the region.
Childnet is inviting all schools and youth organisations in the UK to enter the challenge. Two separate projects are in place for primary and secondary aged children. The theme will be revealed to entrants on Tuesday 26th April 2011.
All shortlisted finalists will then be invited to a private screening of their film with a judging panel at a cinema in London and will be awarded some fantastic prizes!
For your information the dates for the competition are as follows:
Competition opens: Tuesday 26th April 2011 @ 9am
Competition closes: Monday 6th June 2011 @5pm
Finalists notified: Monday 13th June 2011
Screening & finalist event: Monday 11th July 2011
If you would like to register a group of young people for the challenge please do so at
On March 27th 2011 the great census was taken and schools connected to the National Education Network are invited to join a project where they can compare the present with the census of 1911, undertaking their own research with online support and guidance. This is a great opportunity for schools to take advantage of broadband provision and join in this census based research project, that encourages schools to look not just at the census for 1911 but at their own communities in 2011. Free access for schools to the 1911 census online database is kindly provided by findmypast.co.uk until the 31st July, 2011.
The census 2011 project is a History / Literacy project where access to census data will enable pupils to explore changes linked to a range of topics including employment, transport, families and the role of women. It is an exciting opportunity for pupils to investigate and discover how their local area has changed over the past 100 years. It is also an opportunity for pupils to develop their literacy skills with a nationally recognized team of tutors and authors. Pupils taking part in the project are invited to use their local area to explore the characteristic features of Edwardian times. The children will be challenged to write effectively and make links between past and recent events. To support their written presentation, pupils will also have the opportunity to take part in “themed” web conferences and work with the famous author...
Shaping Learner Landscapes is a project set up by North Tyneside School Improvement Service to allow schools to explore enquiry based learning over an extended period of time supported by ICT.
This case study looks at one particular Shaping Learner Landscapes project with Norham Community Technology College’s Y7 history students.
Hypotheses explored included:
Enquiry based learning, supported by ICT over an extended period of time improves learner skills dramatically!
Free, easy to access 24/7 ICT tools aid understanding, creativity, communication and
engagement.
Student understanding and skills are deepened by utilising extended periods of time.
The students worked in groups of four to explore whether evacuation was successful by answering an open-ended question. They used a range of online tools to help them research and collaborate to produce a presentation as their response to the question. Students then assessed each other's presentations.
This is the latest in the very popular Young Science Investigatorsseries (see the other resources in the series here:www.bp.com/bpes/ysi) of free teachingresources for 7-11 year olds/KS2
YSI: Cool Creations is an online set ofmaterials to teach Science through exciting Design and Technologyprojects such as Paper Spinners and Electric Helicopters. The materialsinclude skill-builder videos, animations, worksheets, photos anddetailed teacher guidance and curriculum links
This is a highly interactive free teaching resource for 11-16 year olds / Key Stages 3 and 4 to develop science skills such as making predictions, planning investigations, working with variables etc.
Students are presented with six real-life science challenges from BP's business. Video briefings, interactive experiment labs and information sheets help them to answer questions and ultimately solve the challenges. Each...
Choices is an e-safety film for young people, which forms part of a comprehensive e-safety pack. Following the on-line exploits of Chloe and her mum, the film centres around the activities and choices that many of our teenagers make and deal with on an everyday basis. Written, acted and directed by industry professionals, the whole process has involved the young people from Darlington secondary schools throughout.
After months of planning, doing and polishing, Choices is now a "wrap!"
The film package, including a framework of teaching and learning materials with over 60 lessons for students from EYFS to KS4/5 sourced from best practice providers, is priced at £45, inc VAT
The Met Office is hosting a series of free video conferences for schools and colleges in England. Offering a unique and interactive aid to learning in the classroom, each 45 minute presentation is bespoke, having been tailored around the questions your students want to put us and is delivered by our own weather and climate experts.
Find out more about the Met Office VC sessions and how to book here: Met Office VC
You are invited to take part in an International School VC event on Immigration and Human Movement.
The event, for students aged 8 to 18, will consist of a series of expert presentations from the US and UK between 20 September and 15 October 2010. Students groups are also invited toprepare presentations for an international videoconference on 19 October.
A flyer is attached and more information is available on the project website. To register for the expert presentations or to provide a student presentation visit http://k20.internet2.edu/immigration
The Northern Grid for Learning Annual Conference 2010, held on the 25th June 2010 at Newcastle, was a great day for all!
Over 140 great delegates, over 30 exciting exhibitors, over 20 amazing sponsors, 10 enthralling workshops and 2 incredible keynote sessions all packed into 1 day!
Mark Hickson wrote an extremely positive summary of the event over at MerlinJohnOnline which highlighted that the conference helping to lift the current feeling of uncertainty in ICT and education by showcasing the amazing use of technology throughout the curriculum.
For those of you who couldn't make it, or for those who want more information about the other workshops that were on during the day, we've compiled a list of presentations and notes from the workshops.
Workshop Presentations & Notes
Workshop 1a - Creativity & Communication Made Accessible Through ICT
Carol Allen SEN & ICT Advisor, North Tyneside
All learners have the capacity to express their ideas, thoughts and dreams and gain pleasure and enjoymentfrom doing so, but how are...
Wondering what to do with your Summer Holidays? Want to head to a festival but don’t have the cash? Well look no further as Rob da Bank and his team have joined forces with BRIT Class Act to offer you the ultimate summer holiday music prize.
Enter BRIT Class Act's video competition and you could be playing on stage at Camp Bestival this summer. Not only that, but you’ll also win weekend passes to the festival for yourselves and your family!
Check out the Camp Bestival website and look at all the acts you could be performing alongside. Then it’s time to get cracking and enter your music video into the competition. All you need to do to enter is head to www.britclassact.co.uk and follow a few simple steps.
The Young Darwin Prize is a competition to find the best nature news videos.
If your school or community group is doing something practical to conserve biodiversity, why not make a short news report about it and enter our competition?
There are two entry categories:
ages 7–11 years (Key Stage 2 or equivalent)
ages 11–14 years (Key Stage 3 or equivalent).
Groups of up to 10 children submit a short video, no longer than two and a half minutes, reporting on a local biodiversity project.
Entries can be uploaded and viewed on the competition website from 22 May 2010. The closing date is 31 August 2010.
The first prize is £500 for the winning group in each age category to visit to a local biodiversity site of special interest and class copies of a biodiversity book. Winners will be invited to a VIP event at the Natural History Museum to collect their prize and present their film. They will also go on a behind-the-scenes tour and meet a Museum scientist. Second prizes are class copies of a biodiversity book, free exhibition tickets and the opportunity to meet a Museum scientist.
The Young Darwin Prize is organised by the Natural History Museum, supported by Defra.
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More about ebeat
Parliament's Education Service works with schools and Members of both houses of parliament to support pupils to develop their understanding of Parliament and democracy.
Shaping Learner Landscapes is a project set up by North Tyneside School Improvement Service to allow schools to explore enquiry based learning over an extended period of time supported by ICT.
Download Case Study
Download PDF of Tweets
Wondering what to do with your Summer Holidays? Want to head to a festival but don’t have the cash? Well look no further as Rob da Bank and his team have joined forces with 
