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Bringing Humanities Lessons To Life - HistorySeptember 29, 2008The use of ICT throughout the curriculum enriches learning experiences. It can provide a medium by which students feel confident expressing themselves and can help teachers to illustrate concepts in a way that captures the imagination. Here are some suggestions on how ICT can be used in your class.
Schools Demand Answers Over SATS "Shambles"July 28, 2008Thousands of Key Stage 2 & 3 pupils are left in the dark over unmarked and inaccurate SATS results. This year’s marking has been labelled ‘a shambles’, leaving schools and parents wanting an explanation.
Future Looks Bleak for PhysicsJuly 3, 2008A recent study paints a worrying picture for the future of physics in England, as specialists teachers are declining in favour of those trained in general sciences. The increase in tuition fees introduced in 2006 has been seen as the reason behind this trend.
Temporary School Exclusions on the RiseJune 25, 2008Teachers are being praised for bringing permanent exclusions in schools down. This is thought to be linked to the rise in temporary exclusions, which according to the government reflect a new culture of nipping bad behaviour in the bud
New Scheme to Open Opportunities in MusicJune 23, 2008Lord Adonis has announced a new scheme to encourage children to learn a musical instrument. The project ‘In Harmony’ is being chaired by cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and will receive government funding of £3m over 3 years.
Review Recommends Changes in Maths EducationJune 17, 2008A government commissioned review into primary school maths education has recommended a scheme to create maths specialists, at a cost of £20m per year. Despite improvements over the last decade, the report claims more progress can be made.
Government Gets Tough on Failing SchoolsJune 11, 2008The 638 worst achieving schools in the UK face ‘tough love’ from the government under the National Challenge Programme. The initiative proposed that schools which failed to see significant turnaround would be closed or converted into academies.
Interesting WebsitesJune 11, 2008Whether you want to teach children about the environment by having them keep a virtual polar bear alive by answering questions about environmental issues, demonstrate the potential of design, 3D animation or interactive sites, keep your students safe online or even just show them something beautiful, the internet has the answer!
Diploma Debate Continues to RageJune 6, 2008Diplomas have been criticised this week for their failure to adequately prepare students for university or work. A study released from a senior Professor at the University of Buckingham dubbed the diploma as “a disaster waiting to happen”.
British Universities to Publish Content on iTunes UJune 5, 2008Universities in Europe are following a US initiative, making lectures from leading academics available to students through the free iTunesU section of the online store.
14-19 Diploma aided by £81m in Government FundingJune 4, 2008Schools Minister Jim Knight has hailed teachers as the key to the success of the education overhaul, and has devised a multi-million pound scheme to ensure teachers are given adequate training.
Academics Criticise Government Education PolicyJune 4, 2008The government has been labelled the greatest problem facing education by academics. In a letter to the Independent, professors were critical of the “frenetic pace of change” and the government’s reluctance to fully trust the education community.
Teachers Urged to be Careful OnlineJune 2, 2008The decision of the General Teaching Council of Scotland to issue a code of conduct to teachers in Scotland following concerns over student- teacher relationships and the internet has been welcomed. The guidelines are designed to protect teachers.
Dyslexia "Miracle Cure" Centres Close Down Across the CountryMay 30, 2008Thirteen centres across the UK which claimed to ‘cure’ dyslexia have closed down amidst controversy over their effectiveness and lack of funds.
Microsoft Offer Sneaky Peak of Windows 7May 29, 2008Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer offered a limited demonstration of Windows 7’s multi-touch features at the All things Digital conference in San Diego.
The Virtues of Virtual EnvironmentsMay 28, 2008As video gamers become younger, with over 150 online games targeted at children, are virtual worlds a valuable learning environment for children or are they responsible for a decline in pupils values?
Mixed Response to the 14-19 DiplomaMay 27, 2008UCAS releases new figures: more and more universities are backing the new diplomas despite only half the predicted take-up from students.
Teachers should have more influence in the classroomMay 2, 2008According to Oxford academics, teachers are the best placed people to decide what is actually taught in classrooms, not ministers or employers.
GCSE results highlight economic gap between studentsApril 22, 2008Recent figures looking at GCSE results show that there is an increasing gap between students from different economic backgrounds.
Autodesk to hold UK training event for teachers & lecturersApril 15, 2008Autodesk are holding an exclusive training event for teachers and lecturers in the UK on the 30th April 2008 at the Energy Clinic in London.
More concern over student behaviourApril 1, 2008Student behaviour is getting worse, according to teachers who claim that they have little or no support to deal with the problem.
National strategy for child internet safety announcedApril 1, 2008A ground-breaking report by child psychologist Dr Tanya Byron will be used to set out the government’s first national strategy for child internet safety.
Youth Music announces Build a Band campaign for Glastonbury 08 and Rough Trade partnership.March 27, 2008Build A Band is a unique opportunity for young musicians aged 14-18 to be chosen to play in a brand new band created specifically to perform at Glastonbury 2008 in a primetime Sunday slot on the festival’s biggest undercover stage, The Left Field. The competition is for individual musicians in any genre.
Matthew Boulton FEED event - A Fashion showcase in a new landscapeFebruary 27, 2008Two young fashion designers walked away with £10,000 each on an unforgettable night in February.
The prizes were given to two students at the FEED project at Matthew Boulton College for their stunning designs, which wowed the judges at the lavish New Landscape event on the night of February 21st.
The Young Creatives’ Roadshow (YCR) in Doncaster on the 6th and 7th March 2008.February 25, 2008Jigsaw’s education team will be at the University Centre Doncaster for Apple’s Young Creatives’ Roadshow. Around 250 schoolchildren and their teachers will be attending the 2-day event to take part in various workshops and watch demos.
Using technology to defeat exam cheatsFebruary 25, 2008The QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) is investigating the possibility of using automatic alert systems to detect anomalies in exam results, namely GCSE and A level marking.
Diplomas More Popular In The North?February 25, 2008According to estimates released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families earlier this month, more schools in the north are set to offer the new diploma courses more than anywhere else in the country.
Pilot Advises New Diplomas Need SupervisionFebruary 25, 2008Nottingham's Djanogly city academy is piloting the new diploma qualifications ahead of September’s official launch. The academy, alongside the Nottingham Bluecoat school and technology college, is trialling two groups of 14 to 16 year old students with IT courses closely matching the content and approach of the new IT diploma.
Reed School installationFebruary 12, 2008Reed School are the latest educational establishment to benefit from a Jigsaw installation, with an Apple Xserve, UPS and networking equipment.
Technophobe schools are wasting millionsFebruary 4, 2008The Government says Britain is the European leader in installing IT in the classroom, which seems feasible when it comes to installing the equipment. But what about using it?
Schools use software to tackle plagiarismFebruary 4, 2008Over 100 UK schools and colleges use Turnitin, the worlds leading plagiarism detection software.
Schools told to avoid Microsoft VistaFebruary 4, 2008Becta (the UKs education technology agency) recently published a harsh report on Microsofts newest operating system, Vista, and the productivity suite Office 2007.
Schools Minister demands broadband for every studentJanuary 31, 2008Jim Knight recently announced his intention to make computers and broadband accessible for every student in the UK.
School reports go electronicJanuary 31, 2008A proposal to replace the traditional written school report with electronic real-time reports was revealed by Jim Knight at the BETT educational technology show on January 9th 2008.
Jigsaw are now Promethean resellersDecember 20, 2007Jigsaw are now resellers for Promethean interactive whiteboards and voting systems.
Dearne High School installationDecember 19, 2007Dearne High School in Rotherham, South Yorkshire are the latest educational establishment to commission Jigsaw to install a new Apple solution.