Today marks the end of the latest phase of Glow piloting. I have not had a huge amount of time over the last few weeks to try to get my head round the tools being piloted this time round. It does, however, appear to be coming together well. The interface is much smoother and most of the glitches which I had seen in earlier versions have all gone.
One of the things I was keen to try out was the Glow messenger. This is an instant messenging service fairly much like MSN et al. As this has been a pilot there have not been huge numbers of people around whenever I have had any time to try things out. To this end, I finally managed to get something sorted with our staff tutor. We are both at home this evening while our other halves are out. What do we do in such a situation. We go online of course. Anyway, I have finally managed to ascertain that the glow messenger works! There is someone else out there that I can IM.
Having worked out that it works, my next task is to work out whether it has any educational use or not. I don't think I am going to be doing that tonight, however. I can see that this sort of tool would be useful for teachers and pupils working collaboratively across schools or departments within schools. I can also see uses when you are trying to catch somebody quickly for a quck reaction. Email can be so slow for that. At the moment I am not sure whether I will use it beyond that or not.
Anyway, this version vanishes from existence tomorrow. I think that the next time we see it will be when we get the real version in the autumn. Roll on! We have done so much preparation work that I am really keen to get it into schools and get folk starting to use in their classrooms.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Me On-line
I noticed this in Kenny Mclaaghlin's blog. Weeworld is a site which allows you to create your own image for use in your blog, Bebo space, etc. It's just a bit of fun. It does, however, start to get me thinking about the image that we portray online. I wonder how many folk would recognise me if they met in the street based on what they know about me online? Am I the same online as offline? I aim to be an honest, open and accessible person. Is that how I come across (you don't have to answer that!!!)
Just a thought?
Just a thought?
Planning for Glow
Today has been a busy day. I spent the morning interviewing for an acting head teacher post and this afternoon with folk from Glow planning for the implementation of Glow in Renfrewshire. The morning was hard work and this afternoon required a fair amount of thought. As a result I am now very tired and have s sore head. The glass of winde in the garden before dinner certainly heped after a day like today.
The main focus of this post relates to the Glow implementation planning that we did this afternoon. As a local authority we are now lokking to ensure that all our schools are starting to us Glow as soon as it becomes available as possible. Our staff and pupils are already using EasyMail which is a produce from RM. The intention iss that all of our EasyMail accounts are transferred into GlowMail as soon as Glow becomes available. We spent a fair amount of time this afternoon discussing technical and operational readiness and ensuring that our schools are in a position to be able deploy Glow in September.
There is a still a lot of work to do, but I do feel that we have made a good step forward in planning for Glow. Let's see how things go after the summer.
The main focus of this post relates to the Glow implementation planning that we did this afternoon. As a local authority we are now lokking to ensure that all our schools are starting to us Glow as soon as it becomes available as possible. Our staff and pupils are already using EasyMail which is a produce from RM. The intention iss that all of our EasyMail accounts are transferred into GlowMail as soon as Glow becomes available. We spent a fair amount of time this afternoon discussing technical and operational readiness and ensuring that our schools are in a position to be able deploy Glow in September.
There is a still a lot of work to do, but I do feel that we have made a good step forward in planning for Glow. Let's see how things go after the summer.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Can ICT Raise Attainment?
The HMIe report published earlier this year on ICT in learning and teaching suggested that there was no clear link between the effective use of ICT and improving attainment. A report on the BBC website seems to contradict this conclusion. The study was undertaken by BECTA in three areas of England. The report highlights a number of aspects of the use of ICT in learning in England but certainly seems to be saying that there was a definite impact of attainment at both GCSE and primary test scores.
What can we conclude from this? The amount of ICT investment seems to be important alongside the quality of what it is used for. Does this mean that the use of ICT in Scottish schools is not of a high enough quality to impact on attainment or are other factors already impacting on attainment in Scottish Schools greater than those which would allow ICT to show an impact? More questions than answers really. The report is worth a read, however.
What can we conclude from this? The amount of ICT investment seems to be important alongside the quality of what it is used for. Does this mean that the use of ICT in Scottish schools is not of a high enough quality to impact on attainment or are other factors already impacting on attainment in Scottish Schools greater than those which would allow ICT to show an impact? More questions than answers really. The report is worth a read, however.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Japanese TV Tetris
I have lots of education related things that I need to blog including:
However, my brain is so scrambled with the week I am having that this is the best that I can manage.
Oh that TV could be of this quality in the UK! It takes computer games in learning to a whole new level
- additional teachers for schools;
- choices for life in Glasgow;
- Scottish education awards; and
- employability
However, my brain is so scrambled with the week I am having that this is the best that I can manage.
Oh that TV could be of this quality in the UK! It takes computer games in learning to a whole new level
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Is there anybody out there?
I have now managed to get round to trying out some more aspects of the Glow phase 3 pilot. I was keen to try out the messenger feature. However, as far as I can see there is no-one else on-line!
Anyone fancy a chat? We can set up a time to try it out!
Anyone fancy a chat? We can set up a time to try it out!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Social networking
This a meant to be a discussion starter.
Will the social networking tools available in Glow challenge sites like Bebo and MySpace?
I don't know what the answer is but the tools in Glow certainly give lots of versatility.
Will the social networking tools available in Glow challenge sites like Bebo and MySpace?
I don't know what the answer is but the tools in Glow certainly give lots of versatility.
Learning about GlowLearn
I got my first chance at using GlowLearn today. This is the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) part of Glow. It allows the teacher to organise resources in order to present them to a group of pupils. I have been involved with the working group related to this part of Glow. It's been hard going over the past few months. I am not sure that it has all been taken on board. The VLE is still probably the hardest part of Glow for teachers to get a handle on. I suspect it will be a long time before it is being utilised effectively in schools to enhance learning and teaching.
It does all seem to be coming together. Th elements I posted about on Tuesday night along with all the main elements really is beginning to like a really useful set of tools for enhancing learning and teaching.
I just wish I had a bit more time to get into them all. Unfortunately I need to get back to all the stuff that I have been ignoring for the past couple of days!
It does all seem to be coming together. Th elements I posted about on Tuesday night along with all the main elements really is beginning to like a really useful set of tools for enhancing learning and teaching.
I just wish I had a bit more time to get into them all. Unfortunately I need to get back to all the stuff that I have been ignoring for the past couple of days!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
RSS Feeds in Glow
Alternatively the URL of a web page can be embedded within the portal. This was very easy to do and gives a better view.
There are other options for embedding including wikis and blogs, flash animations and videos from Youtube.
I haven't spent much time on the tools this evening but the first impressions are good. The embedding of web 2.0 tools within the portal adds a lot of easy functionality.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Keep up Guys!
We have been working on Assessment is for Learning for years now! Dylan Williams published Inside the Black Box in 1999. This discussed the way theat teachers interact with children and considered issues such as wait time and giving children the chance to think before they answered. Part of the outcome of that was implemented through the AifL programme in Scotland from 2002 onwards. OK, so it's not fully embedded everywhere. Practice in some classrooms is far better than in others but many teachers now use wait time, think pair share, traffic lighting and all the rest.
Why is it then that the BBC has only just picked up on it! I heard the report on the radio yesterday when I was driving home from Stirling. I sometimes wonder if the media are on the same planet as the rest of us. Or is it me that is on a different planet?
Why is it then that the BBC has only just picked up on it! I heard the report on the radio yesterday when I was driving home from Stirling. I sometimes wonder if the media are on the same planet as the rest of us. Or is it me that is on a different planet?
Vocational Education
I was involved in a seminar at Forth Valley College in Stirling this afternoon. The aim of the discussion was to consider SQAs development of Skills for Work courses. These courses are aimed at Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 at the moment in a small number of subject areas including construction and early years education. They are 4 credit courses with no external examination. They are also ungraded. One of the key principles is that they should offer practical skills in a particular area alongside generic employability skills. The delivery of the course has to include an element of partnership working between the school and a college or local employer.
We have been involved with our local college in implementing some of these so this was a good chance to discuss some of the implications with others.
David Raffe from Edinburgh University presented a paper outlining an evaluation of the courses to date. Whilst there are many questions around the implementation of the courses it was noted that the initial implementation over the last couple of years has been broadly positive. Within the context of widening choice and seeking to meet pupils' needs the possibility of undertaking a Skills for Work course alongside other courses has been well received by parents, pupils and others.
The questions arising out of this approach are fairly heavy and I don't thin we are yet in a position to be able to answer very many of them.
1. Where will Skills for Work courses sit within the new curriculum for excellence framework for secondary schools? Currently these tend to be offered in S3 and S4. If there is a split at the end of S3 then this will need to change.
2. There is a high cost to these courses. Local authorities are trying to pay for college lecturers, transport and other areas from within ever tighter financial constraints. How do we continue to justify the costs of SfW over other provision?
3. College capacity is a very real issue. Most colleges cannot cope with the numbers of pupils wishing to undertake them. How do we manage demand and capacity issues?
4. Who should SfW courses be aimed at? Those who are most disengaged are unlikely to benefit without a large amount of other support. The high flying pupil looking to go on to do architecture might benefit from doing a course in construction. Or is it the group in the middle who are at risk of disengaging?
It was good to have the debate as it helps us to start to clarify our own thinking as to where we are going in this area. It will hopefully also help in the debate about what we do at SCQF levels 4 and 5 which Curriculum for Excellence is seeking to draw up proposals on at the moment. SQA will need to continue t consider how to implement the courses so it was good for them to hear from a variety of stake holders. So the debate will continue.
We have been involved with our local college in implementing some of these so this was a good chance to discuss some of the implications with others.
David Raffe from Edinburgh University presented a paper outlining an evaluation of the courses to date. Whilst there are many questions around the implementation of the courses it was noted that the initial implementation over the last couple of years has been broadly positive. Within the context of widening choice and seeking to meet pupils' needs the possibility of undertaking a Skills for Work course alongside other courses has been well received by parents, pupils and others.
The questions arising out of this approach are fairly heavy and I don't thin we are yet in a position to be able to answer very many of them.
1. Where will Skills for Work courses sit within the new curriculum for excellence framework for secondary schools? Currently these tend to be offered in S3 and S4. If there is a split at the end of S3 then this will need to change.
2. There is a high cost to these courses. Local authorities are trying to pay for college lecturers, transport and other areas from within ever tighter financial constraints. How do we continue to justify the costs of SfW over other provision?
3. College capacity is a very real issue. Most colleges cannot cope with the numbers of pupils wishing to undertake them. How do we manage demand and capacity issues?
4. Who should SfW courses be aimed at? Those who are most disengaged are unlikely to benefit without a large amount of other support. The high flying pupil looking to go on to do architecture might benefit from doing a course in construction. Or is it the group in the middle who are at risk of disengaging?
It was good to have the debate as it helps us to start to clarify our own thinking as to where we are going in this area. It will hopefully also help in the debate about what we do at SCQF levels 4 and 5 which Curriculum for Excellence is seeking to draw up proposals on at the moment. SQA will need to continue t consider how to implement the courses so it was good for them to hear from a variety of stake holders. So the debate will continue.
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