Northern Grid for Learning - School Broadband, eSafety, Learning Resources and More
Search ResourcesTags
 CurriculumItems relating to all aspects of the curriculum. 
Teaching Control Technology in the Primary Curriculum16 November 2011A head teacher from a primary school in one of the Northern Grid partner LAs recently asked about teaching Control Technology and what equipment was needed. Susie Arnott, who has worked with Northern Grid regularly over the last few years, has produced this helpful guide. For more information contact support@northerngrid.org or contact Susie by email susie.arnott@mac.com on Twitter @darktigerlily or via her website http://www.storywebs.co.uk Teaching Control Technology in the Primary CurricuumTeaching control technology starts in Early Years.Many Early Years settings will have lots of role play toys such as microwave ovens etc. that have buttons to start timers, noises etc. Old “real’ items, such as old mobile phones also offer opportunities for important play and talk. Adults should draw attention to the “cause and effect” of pressing buttons etc., and also discuss the control switches, dials etc. on real-life machines and gadgets. The most frequently seen “formal” equipment is the BeeBot which has a simple set of control buttons to make it move forwards, backwards, turn to right or left and make a sound. There are lots of accessories to add, such as additional shell tops to transform your BeeBot into a variety of different characters/colours, and play mats that encourage the planning of routes. Play with BeeBots (and other programmable toys) begins in an experiential way. Structured, adult-supported activities are needed to supplement free play in order to develop the important sequencing strategies for making complicated actions in one go. With the addition of some support materials for planning or recording moves, children’s development in understanding of this technology can be extended greatly. This can be as simple as providing a set of teacher-made cards which match the buttons on the toy and setting them out in a sequence to show the buttons to press to complete a specific action. Many schools also have ROAMER. This is more suitable for use with children in Y2 up – if they are to develop sequencing and programming skills they need to go beyond the one-move-at-a-time stage. In addition, Roamer can have procedures saved to memory to be called up later. Work with Roamer can be greatly extended by integrating it with RoamerWorld software – so Roamer can be programmed on a computer and the instructions downloaded to the toy for it to carry out the commands in the “real world”. Having the software on the network allows all children to work at programming, then turns can be taken to download their instructions to the robot. http://valiant-technology.com/uk/pages/roamer_rworld.php The latest Roamers, RoamerToo can have additional activity behaviours installed (many are free downloads from Valiant) and the battery technology is vastly improved (this was a management issue with the original Roamers.) Valiant claim the RoamerToo is suitable for Early Years as well as older children because of these additional behaviours. The Valiant website has an excellent research library section giving explanations of the pedagogy behind control technology – from Seymour Papert, the inventor of the Logo programming language, to topics on SEN etc. There are other robots available, including Pippin (replaces PIP) and Pixie from Swallow Technologies, but BeeBots and Roamer are most likely to be in schools. The next step in developing control technology is based on using versions of Logo on the computer. There is no one de facto Logo standard, but schools can download free versions. Commercial companies produce versions too, usually with a range of scenarios included. Examples:
Logo could be integrated with Lego at one time, allowing children to control lights, motors and sensors, but since the development of Lego Mindstorms, Lego have opted for a different programming language. The NXT robot linked to Lego Mindstorms software (or the 2Simple 2NXT interface) is a powerful combination, allowing children to program both inputs and outputs, and to learn about the use of sensors to control events remotely. The computer interface uses drag-and-drop units of coding, so children do not have to type instructions, but rather create a sequence of “blocks” which contain the coding instructions. Children create the program on the computer and download it to the robot which then performs the instructions on the floor. A free piece of software with similar coding blocks is Scratch from MIT. Children can create animations, games, music and art, it has its own education community and an area to showcase projects. Coding for Kids has become the place to go for teachers wanting to develop this aspect of their teaching. http://codingforkids.org/wiki/Main_Page Also follow @codingforkids on Twitter. Codecademy also used by some teachers – a free set of interactive coding tutorials. Others are exploring Kodu, which is a free programming tool for the X Box, from Microsoft. Having a go at writing simple html code to create web pages, even if these only live on the school network, is another rewarding activity for children, and again, gives some insight into the real world. Following the adventures of space technology, such as the Mars Rovers, links control technology work into the curriculum very well. A word of warning about “coding blocks” I have observed many children learn to program with Logo, and feel that learning to write commands is a powerful skill, giving real insight into what is being “controlled”. I worry slightly that sticking coding blocks together might lose a little of that powerful understanding. Lots of discussion about what is being created would help alleviate this. Interestingly, it’s not always the brightest children who get to grips with writing commands – sometimes children who rush in thinking they’ve grasped all the concepts make lots of mistakes and get frustrated, while others taking a slower approach can achieve great results and achieve huge satisfaction from their “creations”. So, with a small investment - some BeeBots, one or two Roamers plus RoamerWorld software, a version of LOGO, a Lego NXT robot (more if you can afford it) and some free software downloads, schools can be right up there in teaching control technology in the primary school. Finally, the most important investment needs to be in CPD for teachers – without this the whole project will be blighted, because it is teachers who need to drive and support this with passion and enthusiasm as well as sound understanding of constructivist pedagogy and willingness to learn some programming themselves, even this happens alongside, or just ahead of the children. How ICT Has Been Developed at St John's Primary School05 January 2011
This Case Study by St John's Primary School, Darlington, details how the school have developed ICT. The Case Study includes samples of work and some example policies for schools to use. 
Also labeled: Case Studies, Case Study - Curriculum Policy & Practice, Documentation, eSafety, Guidance, Head Teachers, ICT, Social Networking, Awards Case Study Videoconferencing for Music Learning21 January 2010 Learn how the success of a pilot project involving primary school pupils taking music lessons over videoconferencing, encouraged Dumfries & Galloway Council to invest in upgrading their broadband network to deliver cost effective teaching to a greater number of pupils. Download this Case Study below
Copyright Resources21 January 2010We use Delicious to continuously bookmark useful resources about Copyright. Something for Nothing - Introduction to Creative Commons
Also labeled: 14-19, Design & Technology, Documentation, eSafety, Early Years, Foundation, Geography, Guidance, Head Teachers, History, ICT, KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, Learning Platform, Literacy, Modern Foreign Languages, Multimedia, Music, Numeracy, PE, Poetry, Presentations, PSHE & Citizenship, Publications, RE, Science, SEN, Students, Teachers, Video, Case Study - School Content Bid Evaluations , Copyright/IPR We Are The People We've Been Waiting For Movie24 November 2009
A documentary, based on an idea by Lord Puttnam, which examines the potential for a radical transformation of the way young people learn is released online today. Useful online activities for learners in key stages 3 & 4. How would you like to see education change to better meet the needs of learners? Comment Below!
Digital Literacy Resource now available on the NEN02 November 2009
Digital literacy is a combination of functional ICT skills, critical thinking, collaboration skills and social awareness. Developing young people’s digital literacy in schools is a vital step in enabling them to become e-mature and safe participants in an increasingly dense landscape of technology and media developments. The importance of digital literacy is recognised in the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum and in reforms to the secondary curriculum. Developing digital literacy is also a key aim of the Government’s Digital Britain strategy, aiming to increase young people’s ability to engage effectively with the world through technology. Digital literacy relates to skills associated with:
Commissioned by Becta, NWLG has developed a Key Stage 3 resource focusing on the knowledge and skills related to accessing, understanding and evaluating digital information. Learners can navigate their own way intuitively around the resource and make independent choices based upon personal preference and interests. They are then encouraged to question their knowledge, understanding and behaviours through the use of magazine style quizzes providing them with feedback on their internet ‘personality’. Learners then select areas for further investigation. Each area provides them with information that challenges their assumptions and then allows the learner to test and practice their understanding through a game. The resource is not intended to be a complete digital literacy course but serves as an introduction to encourage the learner to reflect on and question their current practices. Start this ResourceGreat World War II Resources09 September 2009
It has been just over 70 years since the start of the Second World War.
We've compiled a list of some great World War 1 and 2 resources for you to use.
Chopwell Wood Heritage Trail24 August 2009 Start the Chopwell Wood Heritage Trail The Chopwell Wood Heritage Trail is a resource containing worksheets and interactive activities covering the areas of Art, Design & Technology, Geography, History, ICT, Literacy, Numeracy and Science. Heritage is about history and how the past has shaped how we live today. There has been woodland where Chopwell Wood is today for thousands of years. Over all those years people have always used wood for all sorts of things from building their homes and furniture, to burning it as fuel for cooking and to keep warm. Woodcrafts developed, and many ancient woodcrafts are still practiced today. For example, coppicing is an ancient woodcraft in which young stems on trees are used to make things like fences, shelters and, brooms. Coppiced wood has also been used to make charcoal for hundreds of years. The associated craft of green woodwork has also taken place for hundreds of years, making things like spoons, bowls and chair legs. These ancient woodcrafts are part of our cultural heritage. The types of trees found in Chopwell Wood and the uses of the timber from them, have changed over time. It wasn’t until the 20th century that conifer trees arrived in great numbers when the Forestry Commission took over management of the woodland. Chopwell Wood today is used mostly for recreation purposes, but it is also a commercial working forest supplying wood to the timber industry. Forestry is part of our industrial heritage. Chopwell Wood also has lots of natural heritage. There is a great variety of wildlife, including birds, animals and insects and they live in habitats amongst the trees, wildflowers, streams and ponds. Modern conservation work and looking after these habitats is an important part of maintaining the natural heritage. The area also has many types of industrial heritage including the forestry industry, which developed rapidly during the 20th century. From the 18th century, there was paper making at the mill at Lintzford near the south west corner of Chopwell Wood. Water from the Pallis Burn, a stream that flows through Chopwell Wood, was used in the paper making process. There were some settlings tanks, made from bricks and stones, on the Pallis Burn that were used to collect the water. Paper making stopped at the mill in the 1920s, but these settling tanks can still be seen today. Even earlier, coal was discovered in the area and mined from the 15th century onwards, with rapid developments in the coal industry and the related building of railways from about 1850. All the villages, such as Chopwell and High Spen that developed around Chopwell Wood did so because the collieries were there. Lots of aspects of this industrial heritage can be seen in Chopwell Wood and its surrounding villages today. Much of the industrial heritage also gave rise to built heritage. The former railway bridge on Stoney Road is a good example. The bridge has been there since 1894. The village of Fiddlers Green in the middle of Chopwell Wood developed from a training centre for foresters in the early 20th century. The head forester lived in the cottage that is still at the entrance to Chopwell Wood near Hookergate. So in and around the woodland we call Chopwell Wood, there is a large variety of heritage sites to see. They also give opportunity for lots of related activities, which we hope you will enjoy in the classroom. Click to start the Chopwell Wood Heritage Trail
Also labeled: Art, Design & Technology, Games, Geography, History, ICT, Interactive Activities, Literacy, Northern Grid Created, Numeracy, Science, Students, Teachers, Worksheets National Curriculum site09 July 2009ICT planning and assessing the curriculum for students with learning difficulties
Also labeled: SEN Curriculum documents from Ickburgh School, Hackney09 July 2009These documents were kindly provided by Ickburgh School, Hackney. You can find them attached to this page
Curriculum planning documents from Deborah Moppett09 July 2009These documents were kindly provided by Deborah Moppett from Ickburgh School, Hackney. You can find them attached to this page
Inclusive Curriculum Links06 July 2009This material is being hosted on the Northern Grid SEN site. It has been produced by David R Wilson from Harton School, South Shields. If you find other useful links please let us know so that we can update the lists. Inclusive Curricula: Subject Teaching and Special Educational NeedsHere is a series of links to websites featuring the teaching of National Curriculum subjects to students with special educational needs. Click on a category to view links for that subject.
Also labeled: Art, Design & Technology, Geography, History, ICT, Lesson Plans, Literacy, Music, Numeracy, PE, PSHE & Citizenship, RE, Science, SEN, Modern Foreign Languages PMLD Curriculum Resources02 July 2009Using ICT with SLD and PMLD studentsThe following very detailed information and recording sheets are from Ian Bean at Priory Woods school, Middlesbrough. You can find an MS Word document version of this resource attached. Assistive TechnologyOver the last few years, the computer has developed into a valuable resource for teaching children with severe learning difficulties. Rapid advances in processing power have enabled manufacturers to provide sophisticated hardware and software solutions to the access and learning needs of disabled people. This 'Assistive Technology' was best described by Professor Stephen Hawkin, himself perhaps the most famous assistive technology user, as "A bridge to independence". Curriculum Planning Documents07 February 2002These documents (in MS Word format) have be kindly provided by the staff at Greenfields School in Northampton. Contact Dave Murts Tel:01604 843657. |
Teaching & Learning |
