Welcome to the 2nd edition of the South Yorkshire Education Project
e-newsletter. We hope it provides a useful roundup of best practice and a forum for sharing success and expertise in education.
According to the Government’s e-Strategy; ‘e-learning and ICT should help to develop more ways to learn and develop skills in a technology-rich society... with learners spending more time learning in groups, working with other learners, being creative, learning through challenging, game-like activities and materials that adjust to the level and pace appropriate to them, with clear personal goals that learners help to set.’
e-Learning
Through the South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme, we are helping to make this possible through; funding the provision of ICT, digital equipment and e-learning resources in schools, communities and businesses. Supporting new ways of teaching through developing bespoke resources and interactive technologies and software packages, the programme has helped to re-engage, motivate and personalise learning. In South Yorkshire it is becoming ‘the norm’ for students to learn and develop new skills using a range of hand-held devices, digital animation software and interactive games.
Vocational Education
To support 14-19 vocational education programmes across South Yorkshire, a website has been developed to provide general information about vocational education to; students, teachers, parents/ carers and employers. The web site;
To find out more about vocational education in South Yorkshire visit; www.voced.co.uk
If you have any inspirational stories about educational excellence in South Yorkshire that you would like to share, please email Alison.firth2@sheffield.gov.uk
For more information on the South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme or to contact a member of the team visit www.syelp.org.
Latest News
In response to the Government’s intention to develop a prospectus of learning opportunities in each area of England by September 2007, South Yorkshire local authority prospectus sites are now up and running. The aim of each site is to provide information about the range of courses available to 14-19 year olds in their area and we would encourage the use of these alongside other publications. To find out the range of courses available in south Yorkshire, visit...
http://www.voced.co.uk/findacourse.
e-Attain 2007: RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH
e-LEARNING, CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION Tuesday 20th November 2007, Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
From slate and chalk to paper and pen through to mouse and iPod...the classroom is evolving, but what will be the next technological development to transform learning? Witness the future of learning first-hand at e-Attain 2007
www.e-attain.co.uk featuring a series of presentations from world-renowned experts in the field of e-learning and workshops hosted by the young people directly benefiting from ICT in the classroom.
Using mobile learning in education
Nick Jeans (Content Team Manager, SY e-Learning Programme)
Mobile Learning using small handheld computers (Personal Digital Assistants - PDAs) or Smartphones (mobile phones with larger screens and access to the Internet) offer the potential to use e-learning in less formal settings, outside the classroom. The most obvious advantage is their compact size and portability. They require minimal storage space, and students and teachers can take them almost anywhere - to the library or on field trips.
In South Yorkshire, mobile devices are currently being used to create newspaper articles as part of a student journalism project and to develop digital heritage guides for local areas of interest. They are excellent tools to support learning, having the capacity to produce Word documents, photographs, video and sound-recording.
Schools across South Yorkshire are using GPS and hotspots to develop guides around the Shirebrook Valley, Rother Valley and Cannon Hall and they are also being used on field trips to identify local flora and fauna. They offer huge potential by providing learning opportunities for young people to re-engage with formal education, making contact between students and teachers easy at all times, without obliging the learner to be at a desk or even sitting at a PC or laptop.
“The advantage of choosing a vocational course is that you get stuck in and learn as you go along.” Daniel Creswell, Doncaster
Daniel didn’t think he would like to stay on at school because poring over dusty books didn’t appeal to him. However when introduced to the GNVQ media course where he was shown how to use camera equipment and editing software, this motivated him to further his education and go on to do a level 3 level media course. Daniel felt that learning in this way was more relevant to what he wanted to do when he left school.
Media course tutor, Simon Wells, introduced the vocational course with industry professionals and pitched the fun, hands-on course to those he thought would be motivated and creative like Daniel. Simon said;
“The GNVQ is a vocational course and is more hands-on. It is worth the equivalent of 5 GCSEs. It motivated Daniel to continue in education because it was practical and gave him the experience of what he would actually be involved in if he decided to take up a career in the creative and media industry. “
Daniel said;
“Through the course I learned how to produce and edit films and have produced a number of films for the college as a result. It was only by doing this course that I decided I would stay on at school as the style of learning suited me. As part of the course, I have worked in small production teams and taken on professional roles covering everything from pre-production to production and post-production. This has been an excellent experience as we have had the opportunity to work on professional briefs and produce work that is of industry standard.”
Daniel is currently in his second year of the level 3 course and hopes to get a job in a media company in South Yorkshire after his studies. Eventually he wants to pursue a career in film.
“I am excited that many media companies have relocated to South Yorkshire recently and I’m lucky to have had a good grounding at school of practical media applications. I would recommend the vocational route to anyone that likes to get stuck in and learn as they go along.”
“Being more of a ‘hands on learner’ I wanted to learn about nursing by looking after patients rather than reading about what to do in textbooks.” Bethany Pearson, Barnsley
Bethany started her nursing career when she was 16 after taking an NVQ level 2 and level 3 in acute ward nursing. She chose the vocational route because she is more of a ‘hands on learner’ and wanted to do the job rather than learn through text books.
“ I wanted to learn the job through actually caring for patients and found that vocational training suited my learning needs and would provide a very good grounding for my future career. The course also gave me two extra years learning the fundamentals of nursing care and being able to care for patients in a ward environment before I went on to university.”
Having completed the NVQ Bethany went onto the University of Sheffield to do the ADNS (Advanced Diploma in Nursing Studies) course. She is now enjoying a career as a registered nurse at Barnsley hospital and says,
“If you are considering a career in nursing this path is an excellent choice. When I was a little girl I always dreamt of being a nurse and that is what I’m doing now, looking after patients, caring for people and making them better.”
“Work placements enabled me to get a feel for the job and realise it was the right career choice!” Vicky Bramer, Sheffield
At school Vicky had the ambition to find a career that would help her travel the world. Having discussed this with her career advisor, it was suggested that she take a BTEC National Diploma in Travel and Tourism, a two-year vocational course that included a number of work placements.
Having studied for the BTEC advanced level in Travel and Tourism, Vicky undertook a number of work placements including one at a local travel agency in Sheffield where she is working now.
“Having started in the agency as a Saturday girl I gradually increased my hours and responsibilities and here I am now! The vocational route suited me because I gained the theory and practical from college with the advantage of being able to deal with customers and earn a wage at the same time.
The good thing about the course is that you do work placements that enable you to get a feel for the job. This helped me realise it was the right career choice for me.”
Vicky feels really lucky to have travelled the world and meet people who are still her friends today. It gave her the confidence and skills she needed in the travel industry and she hopes to go on to do another qualification to become a trainer in the near future.
Students learning French develop confidence through Podcasting
South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme has been working with year 7 pupils at Clifton School to create a series of episodes for a French podcast that will be used by their peers, feeder primary schools and other secondary schools.
Students involved in the project developed skills using Apple Mac software, recording and editing audio and adding music. They were keen to take control of the technology and were happy to stay behind after school to write scripts and record themselves speaking French.
Ruth Wilson, Head of the MFL Department at Clifton said:
“With regards to the project and the 'perceived impact on learning', pupils who have been involved in producing the podcasts have gained in confidence when speaking French. They are more willing to contribute to class discussions and are keen to help others in the class. They are enormously proud of the work they have produced and this has improved how French is perceived by many other Y7 pupils.”
Other classes using the podcasts have been impressed with the work produced and liked the fact that they were listening to their peers speaking in French - a real confidence boost when learning a new language. The school feels that the project has been fun and motivational for all involved and will continue to use the technology to raise the profile of Modern Foreign Languages in school.
Working closely with the South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme to deliver the project after school hours, Ruth said;
“The project has been really well organised and we are grateful for the planning that Catherine (SYeLP learning technologist) put in to get the project going and then pull it all together once the pupils had finished recording.
Most importantly the pupils have really enjoyed using the French they have learned in class and have produced a top quality piece of work. Producing the podcasts has given them a situation where their French has been used for a purpose. This is what every Modern Languages Teacher is searching for!”
Clifton school is keen to continue using the equipment to produce other language podcasts and is looking at the possibility of using them to help GCSE pupils with their speaking exams.
Groundbreaking heritage project uses latest digital technology
Year 6 students in East Sheffield have been part of a groundbreaking heritage project using the latest in digital technology. Students from Stradbroke, Woodhouse West and Intake primary schools were tasked with creating a digital hand-held guide to the Shirebrook Valley area using GPS technology to give visitors information on the history of the area as they walk through it.
The project was made possible through equipment and training from the Objective 1 funded South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme in collaboration with Sheffield East City Learning Centre and the Shire Brook Valley Heritage Group.
To create the guide, students collected data by carrying out a geographical survey of the valley and through speaking to older local residents to build up a picture of the history of the area. This information was then input into a computer to match up the historical insights with ordnance survey points on a map.
Ian Chowcat, Director of the South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme said, “The project is great for developing students’ ordnance survey skills and incorporating the past with the present - using pictures and audio from or about the past while students walk through the valley as it is now.”Digital games help students retain knowledge
Students studying NVQ level 3 Beauty Therapy at Doncaster College are benefiting from an interactive resource that is making the learning of technical concepts easier and more enjoyable.
The resource is just one example of a range of learning support mechanisms that have been produced by the South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme to help tutors teach difficult topics in a way that engages and retains learning.
Designed to support the learning of the technical terminology in the Anatomy and Physiology unit of the NVQ, it consists of subject content plus a range of interactive exercises including; word search, hangman, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, crosswords, flashcards and labelling exercises.
Holistic Therapies programme leader Karen Carr said,
“The course is helping students learn about the fifteen systems of the body required for the level 3 exam. Being a visual and interactive resource it appeals to all learners, helping them to retain knowledge through repetitive exercises without getting bored.”