T-Learning

Taecanet Springboard - "A Wonderful Learning Facility"

2010-10-07T11:01:00.003Z

T-Learning are very pleased to welcome Carsic Primary School in Nottinghamshire into our teaching and learning community. Although the school have only subscribed recently, they already seem to be reaping the benefits of Taecanet Springboard to help promote personalised learning across the curriculum.

Teacher, Neil Pacheco, commented;

"Thanks for all you have done for our children to enable the whole school to access this wonderful learning facility. I have shown the site to our technician who provides IT support for other schools in Nottingham and he was very impressed and will no doubt pass this on to the other schools".

Many thanks to Neil and his team for their continued support and for implementing their training so quickly. Carsic Primary have raced up to the top of our user stats, becoming T-Learning's 'School Of The Month' for September!

More information on Taecanet Springboard can be found at www.taecanet.com and any email enquiries can be directed to support@taecanet.com

T-Learning Annual School Survey 2010 - Results!

2010-08-12T10:01:00.006Z

So, the results of T-Learning's annual survey have come in! All schools within our community have been given the opportunity to complete our survey so that we can learn more about trends in usage as well as potential ideas for development.

We received inputs across Primary & Secondary Schools as well as Hospital based education centres who all use Taecanet Springboard to deliver personalised learning resources to pupils from home as well as in school.

A few of the outcomes are noted below, which have been submitted by teachers:

71% of pupils enjoy using Taecanet Springboard.

100% of Primary School teachers agree that Taecanet Springboard has a positive effect on pupil attainment.

64% of teachers think that it is easy to allocate work using Taecanet Springboard and to monitor student progress.

In addition to a number of other uses, 93% of teachers use Taecanet Springboard to deliver homework.

All of these outcomes are very positive and reinforce what we have heard over the years in terms of pupils enjoying and benefiting from the resources. Ease of use for teachers is also at the heart of what we do, which appears to be recognised in this survery which is also encouraging.

What is a little surprising is the significant number of teachers who use Taecanet Springboard to deliver homework.......a staggering 93%. We have heard from teachers that using the service in this way really helps to tidy up and simplify the whole homework process. No more pleas of 'Sorry Miss, the dog ate my homework!' By virtue of the fact that all of the resources have already been created by other teachers, work can be allocated in seconds, and all of the marking is done automatically makes this online tool very homework friendly. In addition, with access to technology (including broadband) becoming more pervasive, it seems this is a real opportunity for schools to work more efficiently by delivering homework online, which will engage students and help to improve attainment.

Many thanks to all of the teachers who took part in the survey. If you would like any more information on the Taecanet Springboard services, please contact chris.davison@t-learning.net or call 0871 288 4580.

Boost PE Theory Results With Taecanet Springboard For PE!

2010-04-09T13:31:00.005Z

Schools and Sports Colleges are being encouraged to use the Taecanet Springboard for PE 'Revision Packs' to help students revise for GCSE exams in the coming weeks. This makes allocating work a much easier process for teachers by enabling them to allocate all GCSE PE Units at one time. This means that 13 Units of work (encompassing over 200 learning activities) can be released for a class of pupils in roughly 20 seconds. Efficient working indeed! As all of the work has already been created by teachers in Sports Colleges, this process couldn't be easier.

To add to this, all marking takes place automatically saving teachers even more time. Real-time reports on class & pupil progress helps teachers to pin-point areas of weakness, which can help planning and teaching.

A function which can make work even more time efficient for students is the 'Revision Mode' offered by Taecanet Springboard. This allows students to access a variety of assessment questions related to a particular topic of work (or all Units in the case of the Revision Packs). Students can answer all questions, which should take between 5-10 mins. Once the test has been completed, the student will receive an accurate score and percentage, which is automatically fed back to the teacher online. For any questions the pupils get wrong, they are looped back to learn about the areas where questions have been answered incorrectly. This means that the system can effectively 'gap fill' for every pupil in the class. Pre-exams, this is a very useful capability for both teachers and students.

So far, the PE resources have proved a great success in schools. Please email chris.davison@t-learning.net for more information on special offers for low cost access before summer exams.

Sports Colleges Conference 2010 - Summary

2010-02-11T19:13:00.007Z

Today was the final day of the Sports Colleges Conference in Telford, which was a great success for all involved. Many thanks to Ian Cawley, and team, from Youth Sport Trust for his great support, and for putting on a good event. You can see our stand (730) pictured left.

T-Learning have been working with YST for a number of years now, and we were at the show to help spread the word about our collaborative project. We have worked together, along with four Specialist Sports Colleges, to produce interactive resources for GCSE & BTEC PE Theory. These are now being used on over 60 schools to help students engage with PE Theory in a new and innovative way, while improving standards both in delivery by teachers, and in attainment for students. By offering access to shared, community generated resources, it seems that all parties are benefiting. If you would like more info on the project, and would like to see the impact that Taecanet Springboard for PE has had on GCSE results, please follow this link http://www.taecanet.com/yst/conference.htm

We had a lot of interested parties visit the stand, and as revision is vital at this time of year, this was the focus of many discussions and demonstrations. Surprisingly, quite a few teachers wanted to explore the other resources we offer (such as Science, History, Geography, RE & Citizenship) as they were so engaged with the offering across PE.

Our community based PE learning network was also represented at one of the 'Sharing The Challenge' sessions where supporters; Tony Downey (Blessed Robert Sutton School), Mick Tizard (The Cavendish School) & Kirstie Hartwell (Charters School) were on-hand to describe the project to interested parties. These teachers have experience of the project, ranging from strategic organisation to building the actual content used within the network. All of these perspectives were valuable when informing teachers about the community and the impact it has had on PE Theory education so far.

Many thanks to everyone who was able to visit the stand. We hope to see you all again very soon and I would encourage any interested parties to contact chris.davison@t-learning.net

Bridgewater School See Benefits Of Mobile Project

2010-02-09T13:04:00.004Z

Bridgewater School in Manchester (http://bridgewater.publishpath.com) are taking part in the mobile learning project, supported by T-Learning, 1000Heads & Nokia.

The School were recently trained on how best to use the devices by Nokia expert Phil Campbell and it seems the students are fully up to speed already, capturing valuable content for the project.

Science teacher, Chris Percival, commented;

"We are working on the learning journeys. We have videoed a great debate about nuclear power which was a whole lot of fun. We hope to plan a field trip too!"

It seems that mobile devices are very useful at capturing content in a number of different formats which can be used to enhance education. The real benefit will come when we have been able to share the resources with the other schools involved.

For more information on this project, please contact chris.davison@t-learning.net

Sports College Conference, Telford 2010

2010-02-09T12:46:00.002Z

T-Learning will be attending the YST Sports Colleges Conference 2010 at the International Centre, Telford on stand 730.

Here, we will be showcasing the output of the collaborative project between T-Learning, YST, and 4 Specialist Sports Colleges. Taecanet Springboard for PE is helping students to improve motivation and results in GCSE PE Theory by providing access to shared learning resources.

Following the roll out of the project in 2008/9, 80% of Sports Colleges who took part in the project reported improvements to their GCSE PE results.

More information on the project can be found at http://www.taecanet.com/yst/index.php, and you can follow the link to the Conference 2010 information.

Furze Platt School - Mobile Revolution Continues

2010-02-08T10:15:00.003Z

We have been working with Furze Platt School in Maidenhead (www.furzeplatt.com), as part of a mobile learning project. By enabling students to use Nokia devices to create and share valuable learning resources, we hope it will engage and motivate students, as well as producing some great content that others can use to help with their teaching and learning.

Furze Platt Science teacher, Jill Heales, had this to say about the familiarisation session with Nokia expert Jay Montano, as well as the project in general;

"The session with Jay motivated the pupils, and gave them a good idea of what they need to do to capture and upload content. The project is going great but the only thing holding back our progress is a lack of time to meet regularly and agree how to move forward, as school life is so busy. That being said, all of the students are really enjoying what they are doing".

We are really pleased that everything is going well, and we really look forward to seeing what intersting content the schools come up with later this month.

Jay Montano's blog can be found at http://mynokiablog.com . For any further information on this project, please contact chris.davison@t-learning.net

Independent Schools Begin Nokia Challenge

2010-02-01T17:54:00.009Z

Both Bridgewater School (Salford) & Claires Court (Maidenhead) Schools have now been trained as part of the T-Learning Mobile Learning project. This means that three out of the four schools now have the capability to begin creating and sharing educational content.

These sessions took a familiar theme with representatives from T-Learning and 1000Heads hosting the session. However, the main part of the training saw Nokia experts train the pupils and staff on how to capture and share valuable resources.

At Claires Court, Steve Lichfield (pictured left) was the nominated expert, and he was able to show the pupils all they needed to get up and running. By using Vodafone as the network provider, access to Ovi Share worked seamlessly, and pupils were able to upload content during the session. Steve's blog can be found at http://www.allaboutsymbain.com/

The Bridgewater session was run by Phil Campbell. Again, the group were taken through the major 'capture' functions of the phone, and how to upload to Ovi Share. Phil went into detail about the various applications, which can be used on the devices to further prepare the students and encourage innovation. Phil's blog can be found at http://blog.me.dm and a specific post on the project can be found at http://blog.me.dm/nokia-loopback-bridgewater-school

It looks like all the fun work begins here for these schools! Thanks to Steve & Phil for their time and expertise.

Please contact chris.davison@t-learning.com for any further information on this project.

Mobile Project Gathers Pace!

2010-01-26T19:40:00.004Z

Students from Furze Platt School in Maidenhead are now officially underway. There are definative plans afoot for content creation, and the students are really engaging with the Nokia N85 handsets, which are being used for the project to create valuable Science resources.

One of the students from Furze Platt commented;

"I'll be making a video of a reaction, probably cutting it and slowing it down in Final Cut. I continue to be amazed by the phone; with it's WinZip compatability, the FM transmitter and the WiFi".

We are so pleased to be working with such motivated individuals, and we look forward to the final results in a few weeks!

Keep up the good work, I say!

Nokia/Ovi Announcement - Free Nav!

2010-01-22T13:54:00.003Z

Nokia's worldwide unveiling is now over and the major announcement for Nokia/Ovi is that they are now offering free mapping/navigation services through their devices!

This will be a big blow to external sat nav providers and gives further proof of the inevitable convergence of disparate services onto mobile devices. For more info on this, you can visit the official Nokia site at http://events.nokia.com/ovimaps/index.html

For more informal information and opinion on this release, please visit http://www.womworld.com/nokia

This seems a fitting time for T-Learning to be running our mobile elearning project. By enabling students to capture and share valuable learning resources through mobile devices we hope we can add real value to education by utilising technologies, which are prolific throughout the younger population. Mapping and navigation could be a valuable assest here.

Mobile Learning Project Underway!

2010-01-15T08:51:00.006Z

We have now completed the first training session for the T-Learning mobile learning project, which took place at Furze Platt School in Maidenhead.

This school has been handed six Nokia N85 devices and has created a 'team' of 5 students and one teacher. This team was trained yesterday afternoon by Nokia expert Jay Montano, who travelled all the way from Cardiff to help get this project underway. Many thanks to Jay for his help! Jay's blog can be found at http://www.mynokiablog.com

Over the next month, this school team will be using the devices to create valuable educational resources linked to Key Stage 4 Science. The devices will be used to capture and upload content, which will then be used to create 'learning journeys', which can be shared amongst our community of schools. Three other schools will also be partaking in this project, working on different Scientific areas, and I will post updates on progress in due time.

T-Learning are experts in the creation of online learning communities. This project underlines our focus of providing shared user generated content as a way of helping students to engage with education. By helping to share best practice, we also hope to make life a bit easier for teachers.

Further updates will be available through http://www.womworld.com/nokia . For more information on this project please contact chris.davison@t-learning.net

Hackney School Rewarded After Completing Online PE Homework!

2009-12-15T16:24:00.003Z

T-Learning will be presenting a prize at Hackney Free & Parochial School in London on Thursday 17th December. This is to commemorate the fact that a student within this school completed the 3,000,000th Taecanet Springboard learning journey on 8th November 2009 at 9.56pm.

The school will receive a financial donation from T-Learning and the pupil in question will also receive enough iTunes vouchers to keep them occupied for the next few weeks!

This caps a great first year, following the release of our PE elearning resources, which over 60 schools are now using. The first year has proven a great success, with 80% of Sports Colleges partaking in the project, reporting improvements in GCSE PE results.

T-Learning have teamed up with Youth Sport Trust and 4 Specialist Sports Colleges in order to produce interactive learning resources for GCSE & BTEC PE. For more information on the collaborative project, please visit www.taecanet.com/yst/index.php or contact chris.davison@t-learning.net

PE Resources Score Big For Schools!

2009-11-06T13:06:00.003Z

Following our collaborative PE project with Youth Sport Trust (YST), our schools have been prolific in their use of the KS4 PE resources so far. Over 100,000 learning journeys have now been completed, which equates to over 3,500 hours of extra tuition across the 60 schools involved. What was the result of all of this activity?

Students completed work both inside and outside of school online, and feedback suggests that they were motivated to learn, which matches feedback from our other subject areas. Teachers also saw significant improvements in attainment with 80% of the Sports Colleges involved reporting improvements over last years GCSE grades. Although these stats are unverified at present, we are very encouraged by this initial release.

We have also seen evidence of improved results across other KS's & subject areas, which strengthens our belief that Taecanet Springboard can motivate pupils and improve attainment through the provision of personalised learning.

T-Learning are experts in the creation of sustainable elearning communities. Our PE community was established some months ago with the help of YST and 4 Specialist Sports Colleges, in which teachers produced the resources which now populate the service. Schools are now beginning to see the benefits of this project. For more information on this project, please contact chris.davison@t-learning.net or visit www.taecanet.com/yst/index.php

T-Learning Deliver 1 Million Learning Journeys In 7 Months!

2009-07-23T15:13:00.005Z

So, we have come to the end of another school year. We have reached some interesting milestones while helping schools to deal with key objectives such as personalised learning, assessment, inclusion, intervention and home access.

Within this school year, our community of schools have completed over 1 million learning journeys! This is testament to how useful schools find Taecanet Springboard in helping with the above factors and for continual learning, revision and extension work across the curriculum.

At T-Learning, our model is simple. We collate knowledge and resources from hundreds of teachers, and share that with the wider schools population. This means that ALL teachers can get involved (no matter what their ICT capability) and easily involve themselves in the provision of ICT to enhance education. The ease of use from the teacher's point of view is matched by the pupils ability to log on 24/7 and complete motivational and interactive learning journeys with rewards throughout for good work. All of this student activity is tracked and reported to the teachers in order to help with personal or whole class intervention.

As well as the cross curricular learning community, we have also recently undertaken work to set up a sustainable online PE learning community with the help of Youth Sport Trust (YST). This work has now been completed and enables both BTEC & GCSE PE teachers and students to benefit from a similar formula as described above. Within this school year, over 60 schools have completed around 100,000 learning journeys in PE, which is really encouraging.

For more info on T-Learning's innovative services, please contact chris.davison@t-learning.net

Internet Implications For The 'Have Nots'

2009-06-01T07:43:00.004Z

I have found an excellent article on how technology is helping to keep homeless people connected to the 'real world'. Even with limited resources, this shows how anyone can keep connected with news, local events and useful forums online. After all, equal opportunity is one of the things that drives the internet forward and this proves that money does not have to be a critical factor.

A fascinating read http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB124363359881267523.html

Calling All 'ISA Affiliated' Independent Schools

2009-03-06T11:15:00.006Z

This is a call to arms!

T-Learning are working with the Independent Schools Association (ISA) and a number of it's member schools to help create an Independent Schools learning community designed to share resources and distribute best practice. T-Learning are experts in the creation of community learning initiatives, with an existing state sector project involving hundreds of schools. Thus far six subjects have been created in this space at KS1-KS4 through teacher generated content, providing over 5,000 Learning Journeys for students or teachers to access immediately helping to save teachers time and to improve school standards.

We would encourage any ISA school to join this community as it will provide an invaluable resource to help teachers improve standards, and to deliver personalised learning to students.

To help teachers join in, there is an online social network which is live today! This is a free provision, currently available to all ISA members. For an invitation, please contact ian.nairn@t-learning.net or James Wilding head@clairescourt.co.uk with your email address and school details.

James is the Principal of the Claires Court group (http://www.clairescourt.com/) and one of the founder members of the ISANet community. All new members will be given a warm welcome and have the opportunity to network immediately with existing members. Already, blogs, videos, photos and more are being shared. There are also different groups being created all the time, so ANY subject specialist should be able to find like minded colleagues to converse with.

Come on down!

Join Our Growing PE Learning Network!

2009-02-25T16:20:00.005Z

Following on from the Sports Colleges Conference earlier this month, I would like to welcome: The Lammas School in Leyton, Wood Green High School in Sandwell, Cumberland School in London and Wey Valley School in Dorset into our teaching and learning community.

This is a positive indication that Sports Colleges and other schools alike see the benefits of developing personalised learning across the GCSE & BTEC PE courses. Initial feedback has been extremely positive and we look forward to working closely with the above schools in the coming months.

If you would like to know more about the collaborative PE project, please go to http://www.taecanet.com/yst/index.htm . Here you can learn about the origins of the project and submit any questions/comments you may have.

We look forward to expanding our PE community, as we have with other subjects across the curriculum.

For more general information about Taecanet Springboard please visit www.taecanet.com where you can hear how schools are using the service to deliver personalised learning and to help engage and motivate students. To find out more about how schools are using the service and what impact it has made, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm

Need Help With PE Theory Revision? Talk To T-Learning!

2009-02-20T15:00:00.008Z

Many thanks to everyone who managed to attend the T-Learning stand at the Sports Colleges Conference in Telford last week (pictured above). I'm pleased to say it was a huge success with over 100 schools visiting the stand over the two days, which certainly kept us on our toes!

Thanks also to Ian Cawley and his team from Youth Sport Trust (YST) for their invitation to the exhibition and for their excellent support in making our collaborative project a success to date. We are delighted to be part of this collaborative network made up of 4 Specialist Sports Colleges, YST and T-Learning, in order to distribute best practice and deliver effective teaching and learning resources for KS4 PE. With revision high on the school agenda at the current time, it could not be a better time to get involved with this project.

So far, feedback from schools has been extremely positive. Scott Cordon form Chasetown Sports College described Taecanet Springboard as "absolutely fantastic" and he "could not speak highly enough of it students love it and staff like the service too, because Units are easy to set up and teachers get instant feedback of student progress”. At present, with revision occupying much school time, this instant feedback through Reports is key to guiding teachers on targeted revision activities for whole classes as well as individual students. For a full copy of the case study, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/yst/casestudy.htm

Following on from the show, we would like to welcome Wood Green High School in Sandwell, Lammas School and Sports College in Waltham Forest and Cumberland School in Plaistow, London, into our teaching and learning community. We very much look forward to getting you started in the coming days to help with your immediate revision needs.

Visitors to our stand will have all the info needed to get involved. However, should you like further information please visit www.taecanet.com and follow the YST link at the foot of the page. Otherwise, please email ian.nairn@taecanet.com with any specific requests.

Independent Schools And The Personalised Learning Agenda

2008-11-28T17:24:00.002Z

T-Learning were very pleased to attend the recent Independent Schools Association (ISA) Annual Conference in Oxford. Following our success in working with Independent Schools such as the Claires Court group (mentioned in numerous other articles below) we were able to present our ideas to the attendees. This presentation was chaired by James Wilding, Principal of the CC group, who was able to give the delegates a unique insight into how we have helped their schools to achieve personalised learning across all 3 sites.

The event was an undoubted success and we would like to thank Maggie Turner and her colleagues at ISA for a great few days.

We are working to help Independent Schools to take ownership of the personalised learning agenda, as we feel they have traditionally been thought leaders in personalised learning. By creating a specialised online Independent Schools learning community, we hope to enable this sector to be the leading force in this field, and to take control of shaping their own destiny.

If you wish to know more about the presentation, and our work with ISA, please email ian.nairn@taecanet.com

Help Us To Help You!

2008-10-08T11:37:00.001Z

Our attempts to quantify whether Taecanet helps to improve student attainment continue. We now have much feedback and case study material attesting to the fact that learning on Taecanet Springboard does help to improve results, as well as helping student motivation levels.

We have recently heard from Ian Fergus, Headteacher at Woodside Primary School in the Forest of Dean (SW England). The school is very small, with only 100 students and Taecanet Springboard was originally implemented in 2006 to help support teaching and learning in Science. Initially, Years 5/6 were the main users, but since then, younger students have begun to use the service across different subject areas as well. They really enjoy using the service and seem to have a real appetite for all things Taecanet, which is great news! Teachers also find the service a great help for class work, in terms of finding and utilising content for whole class sessions.

So what was the impact on learning?

Results at KS2
06/07 100% L4 Science 35% L5 in a group with 33% SEN
07/08 100% L4 Science 66% L5 much more able group but still exceeded targets.

This seems quite a marked improvement, even taking into account the factors stated. Even the 06/07 stats show Taecanet can be used to help students with varying levels of ability to achieve.

For any schools who wish to know more about improved results and general school feedback, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm or email enquiries@taecanet.com. We are very proud of our contribution at Woodside Primary, as well as all of the other schools we are currently helping.

Thanks to Ian Fergus and his team for their continued support.

Middlesbrough ICT Event

2008-10-03T10:14:00.001Z

Many thanks to everyone who attended our stand (above) at the Middlesbrough ICT Event at the Riverside Stadium last week. It was a great venue, and a pleasure to see some of our existing customers, as well as some new faces. I have to say that the food was great too!

We have a number of subscribers across Middlesbrough (as well as the rest of the NE), and events like this give us the chance to spend some face to face time with these schools, as well as introducing our service to new parties. Feedback from the event was that local schools think Taecanet Springboard offers an easy-to-use service, which is helping students to learn in a way that suits them. Personalised learning allows students to learn as individuals by working at their own pace. The fact that teachers and students can access the service online means that 24/7 learning can be achieved for students, and planning and preparation is completely flexible for teachers. Students really enjoy the activities and are highly motivated while using it. Teachers can save hours in terms of planning & prep and even marking, by tapping into our teaching and learning community. The service has been created BY teachers FOR teachers, therefore meeting teacher's needs.

Taecanet Springboard has a positive reputation for helping schools to improve results. For more info on this, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm. For a free guest account, or to arrange a visit, please email chris.davison@taecanet.com with your request.

Thanks again and I hope to see you in the coming weeks, if not, next year!

More Schools See Exam Improvements Using Taecanet!

2008-09-18T13:06:00.003Z

Feedback is key to any service related business, in order to help improve standards. Taecanet is no different and we are now receiving feedback from many different schools. One such school is Blessed Sacrament Junior School in Liverpool, and their feedback on our online elearing service is as follows.

Following an initial familiarisation session, teachers now get together to discuss and set appropriate Units of work for students. Multiple Units are set at one time, usually a mix of subjects.

Their main focus is home use and students who cannot gain access at home are allowed into lunch clubs. They use this technique to reinforce class learning. Parents have reacted very well and like the fact that they can play a role in the education of their child. Some parents have even brought PCs based on how much they are beginning to see the benefits of learning through ICT. This is a very encouraging shift, as it shows the transparency that using ICT in education can provide across both school and home. Teachers report that lessons are more productive when Taecanet work has been completed. Science results were 8% better than LEA guidelines and teachers were very candid in suggesting Level 4 SATs improvements were down to Taecanet! Another example of improved knowledge was when a student in class told the teacher a fact about Henry VIII. The teacher was not aware of this fact and when quizzed about where they learned it, the student suggested it was on Taecanet Springboard. The teachers attest to the fact that students learn even more than they need to on the service, and more than through text books because of the wealth of info contained on Taecanet, which leads to a more rounded learning experience.

Teachers use the teacher centre to track student Reports online from home, so that they have prior knowledge when they return to class the following day. This gives them a distinct advantage over traditional homework. Teachers and parents like the focused nature of the service, meaning increased safety and less distraction for pupils. They even suggested that Taecanet helps to improve the family unit, as there is more shared info across the family as well as more collaborative tasks such as homework. Even though some teachers in the school have limited ICT skills, they are still able to use the service. Even teachers who were initially resistant are now accessing the service, and taking that valuable ‘first step’ into using ICT, thus improving their skills. The school are now interested in booking further training to help staff reach the next level of competency.

The above feedback suggests that Taecanet Springboard is doing what we set out to do! It helps to: engage pupils, improve results, open up access outside of school and help teachers....to name but a few things. We look forward to hearing back from more of our schools in the future.

To find out more, please visit www.taecanet.com where you can apply for a free guest account. Please contact enquiries@taecanet.com if you have any questions.

Some Good News For SATs Results!

2008-07-31T11:14:00.001Z

The vast majority of people involved in education have the same goal; to help students learn, improve and achieve as best they can. A key requirement to facilitate this is to provide both students and teachers with a comprehensive tool set, which meets the needs of the parties involved. As teachers are increasingly busy, ICT is now playing a valuable role in helping schools to modernise education, provide teachers with excellent interactive resources, and giving students increased ownership of their own learning. With ICT giving teachers so many options, and by giving students a platform on which they enjoy learning, student motivation is increased and results can be improved.

Taecanet Springboard provides teachers with a live online teaching and learning community, and by sharing best practice, both teachers and students can thrive in the ways described above. Students can benefit from personalised learning, engaging materials and the fact that they can access the service online, 24/7. Teachers can benefit by having access to a pool of resources from hundreds of teachers, as well as time saving features, such as automated marking (making it easy to spot strong/weak areas) and the rapid release of work, meaning that a Unit of work can be released to a class in about 30 seconds!

Year on year, we have received feedback from schools suggesting that Taecanet Springboard has helped to improve results and in some cases, massive improvements have been witnessed. To see case studies relating to this, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm. We have most recently heard from Woodside Primary School in Gloucestershire (http://www.woodside.ik.org/).

In the case of Woodside Primary, not only did they achieve their best ever results for Science (100% Level 4 & 66% Level 5 - against predicted results which were 94% Level 4 and 54% Level 5) but they also for the first time achieved 100% Level 4 for Literacy & Numeracy, with Taecanet making a positive impact on Literacy through improved reading levels.

This is brilliant news, and to this end, we would encourage more schools to get involved to see if we can help in the same way. Please visit www.taecanet.com to apply for a free guest account, or call 0871 288 4580 to speak with the team about how we can help in your school.

We have also previously outlined feedback from Claires Court School in Berkshire, describing how using Taecanet Springboard has helped their students to achieve fantastic results in the new 'SOSCA' online assessments. For more information on this, please see the blog article below this one.

We would like to thank all subscribing schools for their on-going support, and also welcome interest from new schools and other interested parties. We will be detailing other 'good news' stories in the near future and look forward to continuing this trend of improved results next year!

Can E-Learning In Schools Benefit Future Life Skills?

2008-07-17T11:54:00.000Z

At Taecanet, we like to think that our services transcend traditional educational boundaries, and this is reflected in our nationwide customer base. Taecanet Springboard has been successfully implemented in high & low achieving public sector schools, Independent schools, PRUs (Pupil Referral Units), Home and Hospital Services and more.

We can help schools to improve attainment, to engage pupils and learn in a way that suits them. For more info on how this has been achieved, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm . Taecanet can also offer much more than increased curriculum knowledge, as the online format helps to bring education into the 21st Century, and can therefore help to improve life skills for students (and arguably teachers too).

James Wilding is the Principal of Claires Court Schools in Maidenhead, Berkshire (http://www.clairescourt.com/). Claires Court is made up 5 school divisions on 3 school sites: Co-ed Nursery, single sex boys and girls at junior and secondary level and a co-ed 6th Form. The school has been using Taecanet Springboard for a number of years to deliver cross-curricular elearning. They have also recently taken part in KS3 'SOSCA' assessments, set up by the University of Durham. This assessment takes place on a PC, and James reported a strong correlation between students who use Taecanet Springboard for curriculum work, and students who fared best in the SOSCA tests. James commented;

"Our top end learners are now expected to pass on-screen assessments for Law, for medicine, for entry to Imperial College and post degree for most blue chip schemes – over 15% already for University entry."

"....assessments on screen are really hard to use if you are wedded to paper and pencil problem solving, and we reckon we need to give the boys and girls a lot more practice at working on screen."

"Our SOSCA science performance was stunning…and when spoken to about why, those candidates that performed the science assessment felt that the variety of work that they had completed using springboard was one of the key reasons."

We are obviously delighted to play a role in any sort of school improvement, and we look forward to continuing our successful working relationship with Claires Court, as well as all the rest of our subscribers. For more information on Taecanet's services, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/ or email enquiries@taecanet.com

Content Overload! Help Needed

2008-07-15T09:06:00.001Z

Many millions of people use the internet every day, and it's potential power as a tool in the educational sphere is unquestionable. Almost any topic is available in milliseconds, but when it comes.....it comes in droves. This brings up somewhat of a quandary for us all. The content is all there.....probably in it's entirety! But do we want to, or do we have the time, to sift through this mass of content to find what we are looking for? The answer is more than likely 'no'.

As a worker in the education field, I typed '1066' into Google as a test, and I got over 50 million hits! If I were a teacher, or even a student, where would I start? If teachers can easily harness the good aspects of the internet, and filter the bad, then it makes the internet a unique and very exploitable tool. That is where Taecanet comes into play, as we have taken the concept of filtering the internet so that educators can benefit. For more information on how Taecanet is helping schools, visit www.taecanet.com

'The Filter' is a service, taking this concept to the entertainment market. Advertising has already adopted this technique to target specific interest groups, and The Filter aims to learn your taste in entertainment and deliver appropriate content directly to you. This is decided by a mathematical approach of probability, based on your designated preferences. Please visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7489345.stm for the article.

As it happens, Peter Gabriel (ex Genesis), is one of the backers, and he commented on web content;

"You feel like you're drowning sometimes - there's just too much stuff, and you really want the good stuff, the stuff that's going to excite and inspire you......filtering is coming in a big way".

It just goes to show that content delivery is getting smarter along with the daily growth of the internet. At best, this tool is an invaluable facility making exciting multi-media content available at the touch of a button. At worst, it is like sifting through a skip to find something you may wish to use. Thankfully, with innovative 'filtering agents' like Taecanet and The Filter, coming to the fore, we can expect more of the former!

Easy Personalised Learning for PRUs

2008-07-11T11:27:00.001Z

Last week saw the National PRU Conference at Eastwood Hall in Notts (pictured above). The venue and event was a great success, and we would like to thank Neil Finbow for his organisation and assistance. There were a range of suppliers exhibiting, offering educational board games to online learning. Taecanet offered a workshop on Friday detailing how PRUs can improve the provision of personalised learning for students, which seemed to go down very well. For more information on this workshop or for a copy of the presentation slides, please contact david.holden@taecanet.com

We met a number of people from various centres around the country to tell them about Taecanet and how we are helping to connect teachers and provide an easy way of sharing in best practice, saving teachers' time, and offering personalised learning for students. We also saw some existing customers as well, which is always a pleasure.

Taecanet's ethos is simple. We combine the knowledge of hundreds of teachers, so that other teachers can benefit! By doing this, we have created a vast network, which is helping teachers to deliver effective online elearning that can benefit whole class work, as well as individual work plans for students. On this basis, we are attracting sustained interest from PRUs (and groups of PRUs) due to the fact that we can help engage students, and give teachers assistance in setting work for individual pupils in a matter of seconds. If this sounds too good to be true, please call 0871 288 4580 to find out how.

Taecanet offers a range of services designed to meet the needs of mainstream schools, as well as PRUs, and we have a special pricing structure for PRUs which makes 24/7 personalised learning affordable to every PRU in the country. To find out how PRUs are benefiting from Taecanet, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm where you can find a PRU case study at the foot of the page.

Following on from the event, we would like to welcome the Compass Centre PRU, Bolton, into our teaching and learning community, and we look forward to getting the centre up and running early next term.

Please contact chris.davison@taecanet.com for more information on Taecanet's services for PRUs, or for more general information please go to www.taecanet.com

Collaborative Learning - Sharing Knowledge Through Teacher Networks

2008-06-13T09:04:00.007Z

Some would say collaboration in education is the best way of efficiently sharing best practice in order to help raise standards. By sharing techniques and resources, schools can improve efficiency and the quality of output. This thinking underpins the Taecanet model, and with hundreds of teachers acting to collaborate, the rest of the teaching population can significantly benefit. After all, why should teachers continually re-invent the wheel?

We see ourselves as integral to the dissemination of this 'knowledge share' to which teachers, themselves, actively contribute. Teacher's expertise for teaching is matched by our expertise to build their input into educationally valuable digital objects, and distribute them online. In this way, easy access is achieved, and so far, millions of Learning Journeys have been completed. In many cases, results have also improved accordingly. To find out more about how Taecanet are helping schools, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm

As a result of this successful collaboration between education and industry, Taecanet are now undertaking more specialist projects. A collaborative project is now underway involving Taecanet and the Youth Sports Trust. This project was initiated by Tony Downey, Headteacher at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Sports College (http://www.robertsutton.staffs.sch.uk/), who saw Taecanet as a valuable partner to help facilitate shared knowledge across a number of schools. Mr Downey commented;

"I very much liked the process of collaboration between schools and industry, and I think Taecanet are undertaking work that I have not seen from anybody else".

"What I liked about the service, was how receptive I was as a learner. The user is invited to learn and improve, and then undertake assessment. The mixture of engagement and interactivity, which make up the learning process, is the closest thing that I have witnessed to a real life school scenario."

"I have been impressed with the output of materials so far, and I look forward to the finished product and it's release in the future".

Other schools, such as Charters School, Cavendish and Kingdown Schools have now joined forces in order to create KS4 G.C.S.E and BTEC P.E. modules, which will be distributed through the Taecanet Springboard service. There will be an Autumn Term trialling process involving 20 schools, before the results are presented to the Sports Colleges Conference 2008. A significant proportion of the work has been completed by the teachers involved, and Taecanet are delighted to be involved in this innovative and exciting project. Please click here for the full article from the Youth Sports Trust website.

If you would like any more information on this project, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/contact.htm and type 'P.E.' before entering your query. More general information on Taecanet's services can be found by visiting www.taecanet.com

'Learning Within A Digital Community' - East Riding ICT Exhibition 2008

2008-06-11T16:32:00.001Z

We are very much looking forward to attending the East Riding ICT Exhibition on the 19th June 2008, especially as it was such a success last year. The title of the event, 'Learning Within A Digital Community', fits in perfectly with our approach to elearning, as our national 'knowledge share' fits the bill exactly.

We will be able to show delegates just how easy it is to get involved with a live teacher network, and just how much they can benefit. By tapping into our online community of teachers, schools can save a huge amount of time and money in locating, and effectively using valuable teaching and learning content. We would welcome schools and LEAs looking to roll out their VLEs in the future to come and see us to find out how we can help.

This event will be taking place at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Willerby on the 19th June 2008. Please contact chris.davison@taecanet.com if you wish to book a time to come and see us.

SEN thumbs up for Taecanet!

2008-06-10T15:33:00.003Z

Over the years, we have gained much experience in the world of ICT in education. Taecanet Springboard has been successfully implemented in hundreds of schools, and we are now seeing an increased awareness and interest from centres outside of the 'mainstream schools' market. PRUs (Pupils Referral Units) and Home and Hospital Services still have a responsibility to provide valid educational experiences for students under their care. In some cases, the plan is to return these students to mainstream education in the future, and therefore, maintaining curriculum links is vital. Even if the students have been permanently excluded, their education provision should not suffer. In fact, it should be used as a focus to facilitate achievement and motivation.

We have recently received feedback from Rob Davies at The Summit Centre PRU in Wigan. The staff were recently trained in using the service, and the centre has seen a good take up of Taecanet Springboard to date. It seems that the students are really keen too! Rob commented;

"Its going really well. Sometimes we have a problem getting the young people off Taecanet to start normal lessons!". I hope the second sentence is somewhat tongue in cheek, as we don't want to partake in starting a student mutiny!

This is excellent news, and further proves that Taecanet Springboard can engage students from a diverse range of ability levels and educational extremities, ranging from high level achievers in traditional mainstream to SEN (Special Educational Needs). Along with effective teaching, ICT can unite and invigorate learners and in some ways, level the educational playing field. By providing flexible and motivational materials, teachers can decide what work to set, and how to deliver it, based on the individual needs of students. Inexpensive, shared valuable teaching resources will work to benefit everybody; not just the privileged few. This is where Taecanet's role is so vital.

For more information on how Taecanet Springboard can help SEN centres, including PRUs, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm where you can also read case studies from mainstream schools. To arrange a demonstration or for more information, please contact enquiries@taecanet.com

Taecanet @ NAHT - Continuing To Share Best Practice in Education

2008-05-08T16:03:00.001Z

I am very pleased to announce that the NAHT Conference 2008 was a great success for Taecanet. The Echo Arena was a stunning venue for this event, and proved to be a great draw, with around 600 school leaders in attendance. The complimentary wine was welcomed by all on the Friday night following the opening, but there was still serious business to attend to over the Bank Holiday weekend. As a local company, it was great to see some local schools visit the stand (pictured above), and we have made some very useful contacts for the future.

Every person who visited the stand was entitled to a free guest account, which will be sent out imminently. You can also apply for an account via our website at www.taecanet.com so please feel free to have a go and see how other schools are benefiting! We are helping to improve results and positively impact the use of cross-curricular ICT in hundreds of schools across the country. To get an insight into how schools are benefiting from using Taecanet Springboard, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/casestudies.htm where you can choose from a range of Primary, Secondary and SEN related case studies.

Many thanks to Michael O'Hanlon from St Francis Xavier School in Liverpool, who was on-hand to show interested parties how students use the service, which was a great help. He also managed to rub shoulders with Dame Kelly Holmes, double Olympic Gold medalist who was speaking at the event! See above picture.

I'm sure Dame Kelly would approve of the projects which Taecanet have initiated in her field. As we have done with many other subjects across the curriculum, we are working to share best practice in P.E. by pooling excellent teachers' contributions from a number of schools. I certainly hope we can spur on some stars of the future as well. For more info on this project or on Taecanet in general, please visit our website or email enquiries@taecanet.com

Technology Savvy School Is Rewarded!

2008-04-07T12:38:00.005Z

Friday 28th March saw the unveiling of a plaque by Teresa May MP at Holy Trinity Primary School in Cookham, Berks. This was to celebrate the school's completion of the 1,000,000th Learning Journey on Taecanet Springboard, and the day proved quite a success!

As you can see by the top picture, the event was celebrated by (from left to right): Arthur Burgin (School Governor), Graeme Aldous (Headteacher), Rt. Hon. Teresa May MP, students, Ian Nairn (Taecanet founder) and Fiona Tattershall (Head of PTA). We were also joined by some local journalists covering the event, and there was press coverage in the Maidenhead Advertiser newspaper and on Time106.6 FM.

As well as the plaque being unveiled, the school also had the opportunity to try out their own Virtual Classroom, which was offered as part of the prize to the school for reaching this milestone. Holy Trinity shared a live online lesson with the Virtual School in Florida. This meant that students on both sides of the Atlantic were able to share a live lesson; a feat that would have been near impossible otherwise. This was extremely successful, and again highlighted just how much ICT can impact education, and can make things happen that were simply not possible before its introduction.

Mr Aldous commented "Today was just the start of expanding our horizons internationally using ICT. The students just loved the experience and the technology is easy to use and exceptionally effective". Glowing praise indeed! We are delighted to be able to help put Holy Trinity on the international map, and will continue to support their activities in the future.

Taecanet's ethos is of collaboration, in order to help spread best practice. Our offering of both synchronous and asynchronous learning tools helps to make the concept of blended learning a reality, meaning that different learning styles are easliy catered for. We make teachers the focal point of our services, so that students (as well as other teachers) in the UK and abroad, can benefit and achieve even more.

Many thanks to all involved for a great day. For more information, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/news.htm where you can read the press release, or contact enquiries@taecanet.com for more information on Taecanet.

Avoiding a new digital divide

2008-02-25T13:45:00.002Z

The Digital Divide was once considered to refer to the separation of people with access to technology and those without. But, as the machinery and technologies have developed at a rapid pace, so has the meaning of this term.

As the opportunities to join in the technology driven twenty first century increases continually, new hurdles spring up which threaten to keep a digital divide firmly in place.

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach has described that in the past “we just tried to keep up, with new technologies often simply bolted onto traditional curriculum practices. However, today, with three decades of digital experience under our belt, the time is ripe to begin instituting true change”. To visit the article, please click here

This means that the role of student and teacher is dramatically readjusting. Whilst students often embrace these new ways of learning, teachers can be hesitant of new technologies.

K. Bechtel highlighted how “students in the low technology use classrooms are not seeing the benefits of technology, the opportunities created with technology, or improving their own skills at using technology. …..Two classes next door to each other could be providing their students vastly different educational opportunities depending solely on the level of technology experience knowledge of the teachers. Thus the divide continues”. Full article can be found here

Therefore if a student is inadvertently shown how fear can be associated with technology, they will in turn learn to be weary of it. Whereas if they observe their teacher demonstrating limitless learning opportunities with enthusiasm and excitement, they will be excited by it, and see it as a key tool in their life.

This leaves the teachers with a big responsibility. If less confident teachers can overcome their concerns, they can begin to shatter the digital divide and join in the exciting transformation that sees the face of learning change forever.

In order to make this transition into the world of online learning, teachers can be guided with assistance of companies like Taecanet. (www.taecanet.com). Taecanet offers a quality, e-learning service which places teachers in control of what their students learn and when they learn. But it does so by ensuring it is simple to operate, and offers continual guidance and assistance so that the teacher’s first step into the digital world of e-learning is a seamless one.

Do Teachers Make Effective Use of ICT?

2008-01-29T17:27:00.000Z

I have come across an interesting article suggesting that a third of the teachers still struggle to make good use of technology in their teaching. To add to this issue, the research also suggests that 62% of teachers think that ICT improves student attainment. What a quandary!

This research was conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), in which 1000 teachers were quizzed. A major reason for the lack of ICT usage in schools was due to lack of resources and poor reliability. In my opinion, the only way to improve this is through strong leadership and to make time available to teachers to improve skill levels. This was also reflected in the research where teachers suggested that ICT Leadership needs to be improved, and a poor 44% of teachers consider their schools use of technology to be 'innovative'. For the full article, please click here

Given the possibilities that ICT affords many schools, this does paint a stark picture. Although technology in schools has been well funded in recent years (to the tune of £3 billion) by the Labour Government, you have to ask whether this funding has been spent effectively. This research suggests not. Although much hardware is in place, questions must be asked on whether training and implementation have met the needs of teachers. What good is a PC if you don't know where the 'On' button is!?

Would suggesting that teachers are incapable be accurate? Or is it more that a lack of leadership and strategy has let them down? Another article taken from Times online promotes even more stark figures by suggesting that 80% of schools are failing to make good use of ICT (for the full article please click here) This would suggest that leadership does need to be improved, and negative attitudes surrounding ICT altered, so that the massive investment to date can reap the rewards that we know ICT can provide.

Taecanet Springboard (www.taecanet.com) offers an extremely easy to use, easy to access service, which is proven to raise attainment levels. We, at Taecanet, hope to play a part in improving and sustaining the use of technology in education, so that teachers can see the true value of blended learning.

ASE 2008 Round up

2008-01-08T15:03:00.000Z

ASE 2008 was a great success, and it was a pleasure to meet a host of attendees, as well as a number of existing customers. This is one of the better events of the year, mainly due to the fact that attendees have a genuine interest in helping to raise educational standards. Thanks to everyone who was able to attend.

During the three days, I was unfortunate enough to be pulled out of the crowd to pet a giant millipede at the open exhibition section. This was a (not so) pleasant surprise, but it is nice to witness more enthusiastic people out there, who are bringing science to life for students. We also had a visit from Galileo (pictured left), who wowed his audience with his tales and theories. This seemed to be the biggest draw at the event, only bettered by the free tea and coffee stand!

I think the reason that teachers are drawn to Taecanet, is because we offer a very 'teacher centric' approach to teaching and learning. We simply facilitate a huge knowledge share designed to disseminate best practice, so that both teachers and students can benefit from the strongest learning materials available. Our role is to harness this knowledge and create the teacher generated 'Learning Journeys' that schools use to help improve their results and bring subjects to life. Hundreds of teachers have contributed to our service, so that ANY teacher and ANY student can benefit from their combined knowledge. Teachers tell us that they can save hours in terms of searching for, and delivering appropriate content, as well saving time by using our automated marking system and teacher Reports. Students can learn at their own pace, both in school and at home via the web (or anywhere online), making homework easy and accessible. We have a good reputation in helping schools to improve results, including SATs. For more info on this, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/Addlestone.htm

For all those who entered the free Prize Draw, this is the moment of truth! I am very happy to announce that Liz Boakes from Michael Primary (IM6 1AJ) on the Isle of Man is the winner! Your school licence will commence today, and will be valid until 8/1/2009. It includes access to Yr 2 - Yr9 Science, History, Geography, Citizenship and R.E. Please call 0871 288 4580 to claim your prize and we will then begin to load your school up, so that you can begin using Taecanet Springboard. Congratulations to Liz for winning this prize.

For any other interested parties, please call the above number to book a free on-site visit, so that we can fully explain our approach to teaching and learning, and offer you a demonstration of Taecaenet Springboard. Alternatively, please email chris.davison@taecanet.com to book a visit. Feel free to visit http://www.taecanet.com/ for more information.

Thanks again to all ASE attendees. Best wishes to you all for 2008.

ASE 2008 in Liverpool

2007-12-19T14:58:00.000Z

We very much look forward to attending ASE 2008, which is taking place between 3rd - 5th January. We have attended this national event for the past two years and so far it has proved one of the better events throughout the year. Please click here for more information on ASE 2008.

As a company based in Liverpool, we felt it was paramount to attend this year once we heard that the venue was the University of Liverpool! Despite having customers from as far afield as Cornwall and Cumbria, we like to maximise local links. We have many Liverpool schools using Taecanet Springboard, and the whole of Knowsley LEA within our community of schools. We are also in talks with the Culture Company regarding two initiatives designed to tie in with the 2008 European Capital of Culture award. The first one will be to use Taecanet Springboard to release some unique 'Liverpool' based units of work for Primary and Secondary schools, with associated competitions and prizes. The second initiative would be to broadcast ongoing events using our Virtual Classroom. This could provide a live feed via the web, meaning the events could be broadcast to any destination instantly. It would also provide the opportunity for an interactive element, meaning that both points of the broadcast (send/receive) could communicate effectively.

If you would like to know any more about this initiative, or any of the Taecanet services, feel free to come and visit us at ASE 2008 at stand D41. If you would like to book a time to come and see us at this event, please call 0151 907 2946 or email chris.davison@taecanet.com

1 Million Journeys!

2007-12-11T11:53:00.000Z

Taecanet, and our associated schools have reached a huge milestone in the last few days with the One Millionth Learning Journey being completed!

At 16.31 on the 5th December 2007, a pupil from Holy Trinity School in Cookham, completed Journey number 1, 000, 000 as part of their homework. As it turns out, this could have been awarded to any number of schools, as this accolade went down to the wire. Schools from Bracknell Forest and Gloucester were completing journeys mere seconds before and after number 1 million. Ian Nairn, founder of Taecanet said;

"Pupils from literally dozens of schools were simultaneously doing Taecanet homework online; Holy Trinity beat other schools to the 1,000,000th journey by only two hundredths of a second!".

Headteacher, Graeme Aldous was very pleased that his school had won this award.

"We are all excited by the success and looking forward to making good use of our prizes. Having been one of the earliest subscribing schools and the one that completed the 1,000,000th learning journey is an unexpected and very pleasant surprise".

As a reward, the school will win a free 1 year subscription to Taecanet Springboard, as well as a free Virtual Classroom licence. This will help Holy Trinity to connect with other schools, either locally, or internationally.

Mr Aldous, on a more general note, went on to say the following about Taecanet Springboard.

"Our teachers and pupils find it an innovative, creative and enjoyable online learning service, it brings all the benefits of the internet with none of the drawbacks, it has made a genuine and profound impact upon our Key Stage 2 Science SATs".

For the full article, please click here. If anyone would like more information on Taecanet Springboard, please call 0871 288 4580.

Congratulations to everyone at Holy Trinity and all of the other schools who have contributed to this achievement!

SSAT 2007 prize winner......

2007-12-05T15:30:00.000Z

Many thanks to all those who were able to visit us at the 2007 SSAT Event in Birmingham. We had a lot of interest in Taecanet Springboard from schools all over the country from as far afield as Dorset to Leeds! The thing that sets the SSAT events apart from many others, is the quality of the delegates. I get the feeling that the teachers at SSAT have a genuine interest in finding solutions to their problems, and raising standards in their school, which must be applauded.

To that end, I think teachers can see that we are on the right lines by offering a content and assessment based 'knowledge share', in order to disseminate best practice and save teacher's time. The beauty of Taecanet is that it is teachers who generate the content for the service, and we merely use our expertise to harness and spread this knowledge to our 500 school subscribers.

Our Virtual Classroom facility uses the same philosophy by offering schools the chance to collaborate online, in real time. This is an excellent way of sharing expert teachers across networks of schools without the need for anyone to move physical locations. In terms of mentoring or specialist teachers collaborating with local clusters, this technology can be prolific.

We were also offering a free prize draw for every person who visited the stand, to offer a free Taecanet Springboard Licence for one year, starting today. I would like to congratulate Heathcote School (E4 6ES) in London as the winner! We met Barry Hersom, the Headteacher, who expressed an interest in our service, and the school can now benefit from the knowledge of 100's of teachers. This licence will provide you with coverage of KS1-KS3 History, Science, Geography, Religious Education and Citizenship, as well as any other subjects added over the next 12 months. Please call 0871 288 4580 in order claim your prize.

Many thanks to everyone that visited our stand, and welcome aboard to Heathcote School! If any other schools wish to book an on-site appointment with us, please call the number above or email chris.davison@taecanet.com

Taecanet @ SSAT National Conference 2007

2007-11-27T17:21:00.000Z

Please come and see Taecanet at the 15th National SSAT Event! The venue is the ICC in Birmingham, and the date is 29th & 30th November 2007. We have always enjoyed a good relationship with the SSAT on a number of levels. As we are based in the NW, Sue Moore has always been very supportive of our approach to teaching and learning. Some of our very first trial schools were SSAT schools, and many SSAT teachers have contributed their knowledge to the Taecanet Springboard service, for the benefit of others. Our collaborative learning service is now implemented in many SSAT schools throughout England and benefiting their teachers and students alike.

For more information on this event, please visit http://imm.specialistschools.org.uk/natconf/

We are very much looking forward to this event, and meeting the delegates.

Visit stand E27 in order to enter our free prize draw, where schools can save up to £1800!

Taecanet @ NW Education Technology Show from 21/11/2007

2007-11-19T18:28:00.000Z

Taecanet will be attending the North West Education Show on 21st & 22nd November 2007! The venue for this event will be the Last Drop Village Hotel in Bolton (BL7 9PZ), and we very much look forward to meeting the local teaching community to share our ideas.

Personalised learning is at the very core of Taecanet's approach to teaching and learning, and our ethos of 'shared knowledge' is currently benefiting over 500 schools in England, and over 100 in the NW region. Schools report huge improvements to student attainment levels after using Taecanet, and we would be delighted to show you how your school can benefit as well.

To book a time to visit us, or if you are generally interested and wish to know more, please contact chris.davison@taecanet.com

Taecanet at Longton CLC 29/11/2007

2007-11-19T17:45:00.000Z

Taecanet will be attending Longton CLC in Stoke on 29th November. We have joined up with the CLC in order to spread the word and to assist local schools with how to create more of a community focus, while at the same time improving student attainment. To see how schools have seen up to 50% improvements in SATs results, as a result from using Taecanet for revision http://www.taecanet.com/Addlestone.htm

Schools can benefit from sharing a common approach to elearning and sharing best practice, which actually mirrors Taecanet's approach to teaching and learning. Also, a common learning tool can greatly assist pupils in the transition from Primary to Secondary Education. By providing a bridge between KS2 & KS3 work, Taecanet Springboard can help students to remain focussed and motivated, which will assist with reducing the dips in performance associated with this transition. Teachers can save hours of work in planning and preparation by benefiting form our 'shared learning' approach. You can gain the collective knowledge of hundreds of teachers!

We are working with many school clusters around the country, and often work out preferential rates for clusters, making Taecanet Springboard even better value for money.

For more information or to book your place, please contact sue.waller@taecanet.com

Over 500 schools can't be wrong! Come along and see if you wish to join our school community.

Sketchcasting anyone?

2007-10-29T16:14:00.000Z

I came across an excellent use of technology today, which I think could have profound implications on the way that people can distribute their ideas online.

'Sketchcasting' (http://sketchcast.com) has been released largely as an aid to blogging, but I can see this having a massive impact in the education sphere. You can sign up for free and start creating in seconds. You can watch this video which describes my version of how Taecanet operates. Teachers with questions (Q) on how to implement technology, sometimes do not know where to turn for answers. Other teachers with knowledge and answers (A) should be the first port of call. Taecanet (T) facilitates this exchange between these disparate groups by ensuring everyone has the answers.

I apologise for the 'simplistic' (terrible) artwork, but for me, this is one of its significant assets. I think this type of communication will be huge in many a sector. Watch this space (or rather create in it)!

Slow internet - fast students!

2007-10-19T13:23:00.000Z

It can indeed be a problem for some schools, trying to offer effective online elearning to pupils, while having to deal with limited bandwidth. However, this does not necessarily mean that such learning has to stop, as there are a multitude of ways to make the most of current provisions. From my personal experience, here are some such options when using Taecanet Springboard for teaching:

Whiteboard activities - It is easy to use Taecanet Springboard on an interactive whiteboard. Teachers can guide students through Learning Journeys on the board in order to help weaker readers, or simply to increase class participation. Students can be invited up to control the board, and press the buttons in order to go through the Journeys. By doing this, students can be polled for correct answers and whole class participation is acheived extremely easily. This will be motivational for students as they are learning in a new and exciting way, and at the same time, teachers can benefit from the integrated content that is easily accessible through the service. As there is only one PC being used at a time, the internet connection should be fast and efficient.

To facilitate such activities, all teachers are provided with 'student' usernames, so that they can guide their class through work on the whiteboard, or simply gain confidence with the system in their own time. Another way to promote this usage would be to access the 'Help' file as a teacher. Within there, teachers can access all of the content within the service, in isolation. By using the 'Unit Explorer', ALL available content can be accessed in seconds, without the need to use the pre-prepared Journeys. This section gives teachers increased ownership on how they would like to use the materials, and it will provide an excellent starting point for personalised research. No longer do teachers have to sought through millions of web hits through search engines, because we have already paid teachers to do this legwork! Save hours in terms of planning and preperation and take advantage! If you are doing a topic next week, see what you can find in the Unit Explorer!

Homework - As Taecanet Springboard is an online resource, teachers can easily allocate work for students to complete at home. With more and more households being equipped with broadband, this will increasingly be an option for schools. For those students who cannot gain access at home, teachers can set a longer timescale and perhaps create 'homework clubs' where students can get online in at lunch or before/after school. This has been especially effective in a number of schools that I have visited. This technique will reduce the need for large bandwidth by staggering student's use of PC's, while retaining your delivery of essential personalised learning. Some will complete their work at home, some may come in at lunch, some after school.....and so on. This will ease the impact on your school systems, and give students increased ownership over their work. Win win.

These are just a few basic ideas that I can point to through my experiences of working with classes. Please comment below this article if you know of any more!

And the lucky winner is........

2007-10-15T11:11:00.000Z

Taecanet would like to welcome Hallwood Park Primary School in Runcorn into our teaching and learning community!

We initiated a free Prize Draw through our emedia publications, so that even more schools can benefit from our approach to teaching and learning. Hallwood Park can now benefit from the collaboration of hundreds of teachers, who have worked to create a motivational and fun elearning service, which aims to meet both teacher and student needs. Taecanet can save teacher's valuable time in searching for, and delivering relevant content, in dealing with assessment, and helping to extend the use of ICT across the curriculum. Students can learn at their own pace in an interactive and rewarding way, ensuring personal needs are being met.

This licence will start today, and will expire 15/10/2008! In terms of curriculum coverage, full access to History, Science, Geography, Religious Education and Citizenship from Year 2 - Year 9 is included. This means that higher level materials can be accessed in order to stretch your more gifted students, or to help with issues caused by the transition into Secondary Education. As Taecanet is accessed online, home usage is also covered, making it easy to allocate online homework. We will also be adding to our portfolio of subjects over the coming months and such additions will also be covered in this licence.

I wish to thank everybody for their interest in Taecanet Springboard, and to that end, please call 0151 907 2907 if we can assist further. We can offer free on-site demonstrations, so that you can decide if you would like to partake in our teaching and learning community.

Finally, congratulations to Mrs Howard (Headteacher) and the Hallwood Park staff and student population. Please call 0151 907 2907 in order to confirm this prize.

E-Learning Made Easy......

2007-09-13T17:21:00.000Z

Summer time was not a restful period for the Taecanet team! A new set of updates and improvements have now been added to the service, based on teacher's comments and feedback. As a result, Version 5 has now been unleashed, and schools are already benefiting from its delivery. In fact, on visiting Bugthorpe Primary School in Yorkshire last week, one of the students commented 'The person who invented this must be a genius'. Praise indeed!

As a reminder to all of those associated with Taecanet, we are now offering full coverage of Citizenship, and Religious Education from Yr2 - Yr9 (to add to our existing portfolio of Science, History & Geography). Some of the Citizenship Units look especially strong, and this is a testament to our network of teachers who are always striving to find the most exciting materials to share in our teaching and learning community. More exciting and interactive materials are being added to Taecanet all the time, to assist in motivating students and presenting them with tasks that are fun, but have serious educational value. The young man at Bugthorpe will certainly attest to that!

Our preferred method of updating and improving Taecanet is to use teacher feedback in order to direct these changes. A major step forward on this front is our introduction of optional 'voiceover technology' in order to assist weaker readers. This has been something frequently requested by our teachers, and it is now in place across the service. Instructions, questions and some content now contain optional voiceover in order to increase our effectiveness in reaching weaker readers.

The omission of such a technology has previously worked in the favour of some students as Claire Allen (St Paul's Primary School, Addlestone) attests to.

"A single student who was a Level 2, or at best Level 3 in Literacy....achieved a Level 5 in Science and this must be down to Taecanet as he used it extensively" (for the complete article, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/Addlestone.htm). However, this addition has increased the possibilities of personalised learning for all, and will give teachers increased peace of mind that their students will be able to complete all of the necessary tasks by learning at a pace that suits them. This is crucial to our approach.

Other changes include a new rating system for students in the Peer Assessment section. Previously, students rated each other with 'Good/Average/Poor' ratings, but teachers suggested that a 'one star/two star/three star' system would be a much better way of protecting pupil's confidence levels. This has now been implemented.

We will soon be creating our new subject areas, and Numeracy has been highlighted as an area of interest from many of our users. To that end, if there are any interested teachers reading this who would like to become part of our content creation team, please email chris.davison@taecanet.com

To follow this theme of additions, we have also added a number of 'services packages' available to all schools from as little as £150 per anum, which will include a number of on-site visits. This will ensure that schools have all of the necessary training and support needed throughout the year in order to successfully implement Taecanet into their teaching plans. This training can be tailored to school needs and will give schools a much better chance of making best use of our innovative teaching and learning tool.

SSAT Event at Elland Road 15/6/2007

2007-06-18T20:34:00.000Z

We finished last week with an event organised by SSAT (Specialist Schools and Academies Trust) at Elland Road in Leeds. Special thanks to Sue Moore for the invite and ongoing support of Taecanet. It was a very enjoyable event, and we met a really good mix of existing customers and new interested parties, which was excellent to see. One thing that struck me about the attendees at this event was that everyone had a focus and an interest in what was going on. Sometimes, at other events, teachers can be more closed minded, and would prefer to go keep themselves to themselves, so it was very nice to see a group of motivated teachers, who obviously had their student's best interests in mind. And just as importantly, teachers who knew how to deliver them.

As well as being on-hand to speak to people about Taecanet, and how we are helping to connect teachers, I also attended one of the seminars in order to increase my level of knowledge on Moodle. This was delivered by Mark Greenwood, of Our Lady's Catholic High School in Lancashire, and I was very impressed with the impact that a successfully implemented VLE can have on students and teachers alike. All too often, when speaking to schools, we will hear comments like 'We don't need Taecanet, as we have Moodle' (for eg) and I always find myself baffled by such responses, as we offer such differing services. Schools are increasingly finding Taecanet very useful as a source of content that can sit within a VLE, but some teachers lack the correct guidance and level of knowledge to make these calls which, in reality, will have a huge impact on our children's education, and skill sets of the future. It was very nice to see a high level of direction and purpose in the teachers that I met at this SSAT Event.

After scribbling down two pages of notes on the talk by Mark, I have picked a couple of sections which I thought were particularly potent and noted them here.

On conception of the Moodle project, it was decided that it would be the teachers who would train each other, which I think is one of the reasons they have had such profound success to date. Teachers have a trusted relationship with each another, and can easily relate to success/failure stories from one another, and therefore any advice coming from within the school walls will perhaps be better received than external advice. This is something that I can attest to in my experience of working with teachers, and this is the reason that we, at Taecanet, have had such success in harvesting local clusters, due to such 'word of mouth' appeal. In Mark's case, this type of training and support meant that within one month, all teachers and pupils were able to use the service, which is a very rapid take-up.

Another thing I was impressed with was how much of a Community focus the school had developed as a result of using Moodle. It has become very much more than an 'education repository', and has become a virtual area, which actually reinforces a sense of 'belonging' in the school community. By posting up pictures and slide shows of school life, this takes the concept of a VLE to a different level, by revealing a "positive school experience" (sorry if I have misquoted you there Mark). Parents can even gain a greater idea of their on child's experiences by becoming a part of this community, which can only help the school/pupil/parent dynamic, by offering a level of transparency and sharing. This concept of the 'shared experience' is something that we very much adhere to within Taecanet by offering 'shared learning' and an opportunity for teachers to become a part of our global knowledge share.

For the Departments which were slower on the take-up, regular 'show and tell' sessions were set up in staff meetings, so that teachers could share experiences. This meant that the teachers were introduced to different ways of thinking in order to expand their creative influences. Again, I think it was paramount that this was undertaken teacher-to-teacher. I was also impressed by how the English Department had developed a 'forum' to discuss various topics. Such discussion arenas will not only help to develop pupil's analytical skills, but also help to develop life skills on a number of different levels. By giving students responsibility in this way, Mark suggested that there have only been one or two 'unsavoury incidents'. This shows that children do not need an overbearing level of protection online. This is something that we also encourage in Taecanet, with children being allowed to share knowledge and ideas with each, we have also found that there have been a minimal number of incidents. Although there must be a mechanism in order to deal with such events swiftly, we should not feel the need to control output fastidiously.

There were many more things that I was impressed with, but in my opinion, these are some of the key proponents, that have made this scenario work for Our Lady's. I am sure it will develop further, and continue to be successful, and I think that by harnessing today's innovative technologies, schools can truly bring education into the 21st century.

To see how we are helping to connect schools, please visit http://taecanet.blogspot.com/2006/10/groundbreaking-day-at-ase.html and email chris.davison@taecanet.com if you would like to know more about our innovative approach to teaching and learning.

Taecanet at The West Midlands Technolgy Show 13th/14th June 2007

2007-06-14T15:36:00.000Z

We have just recently returned from the 'West Midlands Education Technology Show' at the National Motorcycle Museum, near Birmingham. Despite a severe lack of attendees, it was very nice to meet up with a number of local teachers, and discuss their take on elearning. The exhibitors must have outnumbered attendees by about 20/1, but it must have been a very useful exercise for the teachers, to get a really in-depth look at 'what's new' and exciting in elearning.

There were many talks going on over the last two days, detailing how to make best use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom, and how to provide personalised learning to pupils by harnessing modern technologies. This is an area in which we have significant expertise, and this was proved by the level of interest that we received. To that end, I would like to welcome Daw End School, and Dudley Home and Hospital Tuition Service into the Taecanet Community. We very much look forward to working alongside you, in order to help raise standards. Both of these institutions saw Taecanet as an affordable and easy way of delivering personalised learning to their students, no matter what their location. This is one of the huge benefits afforded by online learning, as we can deliver high quality educational content to students anytime....anywhere. Many thanks to everyone who attended the stand for your interest, and special thanks to those listed above for the significant trust that you have shown in signing up to our service.

We are currently doing a lot of work in the local area, and are working with over 100 schools in the West Midlands area, so please contact sue.waller@taecanet.com if you would like to arrange a free demonstration for your staff. I hope we will see all of you again soon.

East Riding User Group Session No.2 at Airmyn Park

2007-03-26T11:26:00.000Z

Many thanks to all of those who were able to attend the second East Riding User Group meeting on 20/3/2007 at Airmyn Park Primary School, and for Peter Denwood for agreeing to play host for the day. There were around 10 teachers present from Airmyn, Eastrington , Reedness and Howden Junior Schools. We are getting a core group of users in the area, who are able to provide us with some important feedback, as well as being able to share best practice among the group, which is the key objective for these sessions. Below is a short overview of the major outcomes from what turned out to be a very useful event.

Mike Sibley, from Howden Junior School is one of our most avid users, whose class has completed over 6000 Learning Journeys since January of this year! Mike spoke to the group for around 15 minutes about his usage and experiences to date, which gave us all a great insight. He suggested that he used the web in his teaching already, so Taecanet seemed like a natural progression to enhance his teaching delivery. His students are also familiar with learning online, so the extra security and time saving capabilities that we offer represented a significant step forward to assist with their learning. The students all log in from the school website (http://www.howdenjunior.eril.net/pages/viewpage.asp?uniqid=10928 ) via a small Taecanet icon, which negates the need for them to have to remember a new URL address. This seems a sensible way of keeping access as simple as possible.

Mike is releasing one Unit per week for his students to access, which matches his in-school activities. This means that students can access Taecanet on a 24/7 basis to reinforce the learning objectives that Mike concentrates on in school on a homework/revision basis. He reported that this seems to be working really well, with the Revision test being used to help his Year 6 students prepare for exams. In Mike's case, the revision aspect is proving to be the most powerful application for Taecanet, with the Explore section being left open for the more Gifted and Talented students to enhance their own knowledge in their own time. He suggested it is also a good starting point for projects due to the fact that children no longer have to research the internet, which can often take up value leaning time. Although it could be argued, internet searching provides students with a different 'skill set', this way of saving time and creating a direct link to the most appropriate materials was a welcome addition in helping to keep the task more structured, yet still offering a great degree of flexibility. Mike is then able to check the 'Detailed Student Report' to see how the children are getting on, and this enables him to identify any areas of weakness for the individuals, as well as to see which areas these students have been exploring. This ability to track individual students, as well as whole classes is something that Mike said is really useful. Although Taecanet can be used to give complete personalised ownership to students, Mike feels that retaining a level of structure helps. By advising the class that an ICT lesson will be a Taecanet lesson, and the students should complete Journeys 1-4 (for eg), this provides enough structure for the students to work more efficiently.

In terms of the rest of the session, all of the teachers present were shown the video diary of St Paul's, Addlestone, which I hope gave everyone a new perspective on how Taecanet can be used to help improve results. A direct link to this Case Study can be found at http://www.taecanet.com/Addelstone.htm .

The teachers were then given the chance to talk amongst themselves with a view to sharing ideas and best practice, and some 'cross-teacher' training and advice even took place, which was great to see. Other schools suggested that Taecanet is predominantly being used for Revision, with both in-school and home usage being exploited. Others are using Taecanet more as a whole class activity on a whiteboard (through the 'Unit Explorer' in the Teacher's Help Centre), rather than as a personalised learning tool. By offering a direct link to thousands of researched web resources, the teachers saw this as a good way of bringing subjects to life, while having the ability to lead the class, and offer some guidance for those students struggling with reading.

Other feedback related to the need to use a whiteboard for some of the KS1 topics, as some of the content is not 100% suitable. This is entirely understandable, and one of the restraints that we currently work within is the fact that we do not retain any editorial control over content, and therefore we are limited in our ability to create bespoke content. As ever, differentiation was a hot topic, and this is a feature which will be increasing as we further develop. During the meeting, I described our plans to create an assessment package which will differentiate assessment, and give teachers a better idea as to which Curriculum 'level' the student is working to, which was seen as a welcome proposition.

Mike Sibley also offered some good ideas regarding further developments. He suggested changing the layout of the Teacher Login page, so as to make it more obvious which centre you are about to log in to. As an extension to the reward 'tokens' and congratulations forms, Mike suggested that we could offer a type of reward (virtual badges for eg) that students could accumulate and post on a board to track their progress and achievements. Personalised messaging capability from teacher to student was also discussed, which would provide teachers with an email option to communicate with their class and pass on ongoing personal assistance and support. We also discussed whether we would be able to offer a pricing structure which makes it easier to buy KS2 (for eg) in isolation, which is something we can look into for the future.

Many thanks again to Peter for hosting the event and all of the teachers present for their valuable contributions. We have another event booked in for 10/7/2007 at Howden Junior School, where I look forward to another great session.

National ASE Event in Birmingham 2007

2007-01-10T19:49:00.000Z

Our annual pilgrimage to ASE (Association for Science Education) has come and gone for another year. As with last year it, was a great event and gave everyone in the field of Science education the chance to see what innovations and teaching solutions exist in this area. On the flip side it gives small companies like us the opportunity to reach a much wider audience and see many people that we otherwise may never have met. We are already looking forward to next year's event which is being held in Liverpool.

In terms of International focus, there were lectures from such bodies as the 'Institute of Education in Stockholm'. Their focus was on 'Creativity in the Science Classroom' and how best to promote and maintain interest in Science education. The outcome was that variety and creativity in teaching must be implemented in order to create continued interest amongst a heterogeneous student population. This is something very much at the heart of the personalised learning agenda offered by Taecanet, which is giving teachers the opportunity to diversify teaching methods based upon student needs.

On the home front, an interesting lecture that caught my eye was on 'Co-operative Learning in the Chemistry Classroom' offered by Jan Apotheker form the University of Groningen. This talk focussed on collaborative learning in the classroom, and how such innovative teaching methods such as 'peer review' can be used to create useful and engaging discussion in class. Again, it is very encouraging that such pedagogical models are being discussed by experts in this field, as Taecanet offers a 'peer review' mode which allows students to learn reflectively from other students (and expert teachers) in our learning community. It is nice to know we are on the right track and indeed playing a part in revolutionising the way that pupils learn.

From a personal point of view, the exhibition was a great success and we had over 100 visitors to the Taecanet stand. As well as seeing some familiar faces from our subscribing schools, such as Pam from Sacred Heart and Nimet from John Kelly Girls Technology College, we also made lots of new contacts whom we hope to follow up with over the coming weeks. Many teachers thought that on first impression Taecanet looked like a very powerful teaching and learning tool, and to follow this up, we will be offering free demonstrations to all those we met at the event (interested parties please contact chris.davison@taecanet.com) We had prolonged dialogue with members of NAGTY (National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth) about how Taecanet could be used to stretch the most gifted learners and it was very nice to meet up with Barry Meatyard and his associates again.

There was also a lot of interest in the Virtual Classroom, which offers the chance for schools to collaborate on work in real time online, without having to leave the school walls. To view how schools are using this tool to connect with one another and share knowledge, please link to http://taecanet.blogspot.com/2006/10/groundbreaking-day-at-ase.html which gives an insight into a collaborative project at a previous ASE event. For more information on this innovation, please contact ian.nairn@taecanet.com

I wish to extend my thanks to everyone who visited us at the stand, and we look forward to meeting all interested parties for more in-depth discussions in the near future.

"Please Miss; can I have some more homework?"

2006-12-07T15:37:00.000Z

Excuse me!? I know when I was at school, more homework was certainly not top of my priority list! But then again, students in 2006/7 have the opportunity to learn in so many different ways, rather than being taught in a 'one size fits all' learning environment of years gone by. As individual students differ greatly, so must teaching methods to help reach every pupil in the class.

When we started out with Taecanet, we hoped that we would see students engaging with their school work in a new and interesting way. Our initial trials suggested that we were on the right track, but until we could judge whether it had any effect on children's attainment levels, these trials and research were largely academic. Following on from a summer of SATs exams, a number of schools have reported significant levels of improvement to their predicted results due, in part, to using Taecanet.

Below, you can link to a case study from St Paul's CofE Primary School in Addlestone, Surrey. Claire Allen, Assistant Head, had been using Taecanet for four months as a revision exercise, and saw up to a huge 50% improvement to her predicted results. She commented;

"There was considerable overall improvements in our SATs results and also some exceptional results that were far beyond anything we could have expected.....It was projected that about 74% of Year 6 pupils would achieve a Level 4 in Science; the actual achievement was 91%". Claire went on to say that higher level results were also dramatically improved. "It was projected that about 26% of Year 6 pupils would also achieve a Level 5 in Science; the actual achievement was 52%. Taecanet also makes learning fun and I am sure this contributes to achievement"

These figures are quite staggering, and this is something that we hope to repeat all over the U.K. and abroad. To read how Claire and her pupils were able to exceed their expectations by using Taecanet, please link to http://www.taecanet.com/Addelstone.htm to read the whole case study.

East Riding cluster event 28/11/06

2006-11-29T18:02:00.000Z

Many thanks to Liam Jackson, Headteacher of Eastrington Primary School, for hosting this event which proved a great success for all involved. We had teachers from Rawcliffe Bridge, Reedness and Airmyn Park present, as well as a good turn out of staff from Eastrington, which was very nice to see. As it was my first time in the area, it was a pleasure to meet the members of this cluster. I have noted below some of the feedback that came out of the session.

Firstly, we heard from Liam that he and his staff think that Taecanet has been a great success in their school. They have used it mostly in lessons with the Year 4 students and for homework, which has resulted in children asking for more, which is very encouraging. Liam also suggested that the new Reports system within Taecanet is a welcome addition. He told us that as teachers have so much raw data to process, it makes a nice change for everything to be so easily accessible and presented so simply.

We mostly hear about how students respond to learning on Taecanet, but the group also told us that Taecanet is a very useful teacher tool. The fact that other teachers have already done the time consuming work to search for material, retrieve it, and then give it an educational context was seen as a bonus. As the end user has minimal input (in terms of simply administering the work) this seemed to be appreciated, meaning that it was freeing up teachers valuable time. This is a direct result of the research that we undertook before we built the service, with teachers telling us that a resource which was 'pre populated' and 'ready to go' was important to them. Liam also came up with a nice anecdote, telling us about how his daughter came home asking questions about tectonic plates, some of which he could not answer. His response to this was 'let's check Taecanet' and there was a ready made unit of work for him to use as a reference point. This proves that 24/7 access to a learning resource can have a great impact on the eager learners of today (as well as helping the adults whom they can depend so much on). In terms of motivation, we were also told that the younger students can be motivated to complete the work so that they can access the games. We heard this at the Holy Trinity RBWM cluster meeting too, which you can view on this blog (posted 24/11/06).

Taecanet is being used in a number of ways amongst this group, such as: as a homework tool, as a revision exercise, as a whole class resource (with teachers using the 'Help' file to gain direct access to the online materials), and with small groups of students, all of which seem to be working well. These small groups of students apparently respond very well to working on Taecanet and often wanted more work to get on with. I wish I had Taecanet in my school as this idea of 'more work' was just beyond me!

In terms of improvements, we had a very open discussion with the following outcomes: 'Differentiation' was a hot topic with teachers expressing an interest in being able to allocate differing levels of work to different student groups, which is an idea we are exploring. At a previous cluster meeting in Bath (http://taecanet.blogspot.com/2006/11/bathnes-cluster-meeting-7112006-update_09.html) it was suggested that differentiation should be present through the assessment questions, rather than the actual materials, but we appreciate all feedback and will consider it all for future developments. On this theme, some of the reading within Taecanet was seen as a slight problem for some students, but this is being dealt with in a number of ways. Firstly, the voice over technology which we will be adding, will reduce the need for reading, and also as the content improves and expands within Taecanet, we are passing on advice to our content creation teachers about which materials work best. Proof of this is coming to light in the fact that the new content we are adding into the service is taking longer to load than it has previously, due to the vast improvement to the interactivity and the quality of our new content. Some teachers also expressed that on occassions home use had been hampered by technical problems, which is probably due to home PC's lacking some of the most recent free software upgrades that are available. We will have to create a simple document which will enable parents to check these details and upgrade if necessary.

Other suggested areas for development were that ICT as a subject would be a welcome addition to the Taecanet service, as well as Modern Foreign Languages, specifically French and German. The idea that teachers may one day be able to pick and choose existing Learning Journeys to create their own Units of work was well received, meaning that more cross curricular topic based work, such as 'exploring Brazil', would be better catered for. With more schools moving away from the linear QCA method of teaching, this is something that we must consider implementing.

All in all, it was a great session and Peter from Airmyn told us that it was such a useful session that he would gladly host the next one, which we have now pencilled in for 20th March 2007. We look forward to working with this cluster and hope that we have even more positive reports next time. Most teachers agreed that before exams, many Taecanet units will be allocated, so that students have the chance to revise their units of work, so we should expect some heavy usage around this time by the sounds of it!

Thanks again to all involved.

Holy Trinity cluster meeting update 23/11/06

2006-11-24T18:10:00.000Z

Many thanks to Graeme Aldous, Headteacher of Holy Trinity Primary School in Cookham, for hosting the cluster event yesterday. It was a good turn out with representation from schools in Windsor, Maidenhead, Cookham, Wokingham, Slough and Knowl Hill, as well as Tracey Martin-Millward from the RBWM LEA. I wish to extend our thanks to everyone who made it and we felt it was a very worthwhile session in terms of updating everyone on our new features, as well as helping to establish a working group and sharing best practice. I have noted a few of the main points that were raised below.

Graeme suggested that Taecanet had worked well in his school for pre-learning activities which was echoed by other members of the group. The fact that Taecanet introduces the personalised learning agenda to students was also seen as a benefit. Even when students were left to their own devices, with no pressure to complete work, Graeme and his staff would often see a high level of completion, with students finishing work 'off their own back' which is very encouraging. He was also of the opinion that Taecanet offered Gifted and Talented learners an opportunity to learn by exploration which resulted in them learning more. If you would like to see what Graeme has to say about Taecanet, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/

Some of the teachers reported that Taecanet is a good homework tool due to the fact it is safe and can be accessed via the web. It was also said that the service helps to reduce the workload for teachers in terms of marking, and it was very useful for showing parents what homework their children have been set. The group told us that it was very useful in terms of introducing topics to students and giving the class a good baseline of knowledge on that topic.

Taecanet is being used in a number of ways in these schools, which is something that we would very much encourage and in fact, almost every teacher that sees Taecanet, sees a potentially different use for it. It is currently being used across these schools in these ways: as a revision tool, for extension work, for research, for homework, and to support other in-school teaching. We were told that some students would react well to working on Taecanet, but some may not, which is to be expected as students learn in different ways. This is a fair point and at the end of the day, Taecanet is simply another available resource to be used within a blended learning environment. This seemed to be recognised by the group, with one teacher commenting that you can 'dip in and out' of Taecanet.

We were also told that students thought that Taecanet was a 'game' and that they learned without realising. It was also put to us that some students responded well to the fact that they did not have to write. After all, this is not everyone's strong point and it is just pleasing that students are engaged in learning. However, it is vital that these key skills are also addressed in other areas of that child's education. Children enjoy the 'rewards' for learning by collecting the gold coins and being able to access games, which is good news as they were designed to be both motivational and rewarding.

In terms of improvements, the idea of 'timing journeys' was brought up, which would enable the teacher to gain a valuable insight into how long it takes students to complete journeys/units. This would give teachers the opportunity to see if the students may need to be challenged with more difficult work, or whether their students are struggling with the work depending on how long it takes them to complete it. This may be of value to teachers and this sort of information should not be too difficult to extract. One teacher also made the point that students are able to use the 'Back' arrow to navigate and replay the games, which is something that we are aware of and working to put right. Voice-over technology was a popular idea, and we will implement this into the service to aid the weaker readers. The Virtual Classroom was largely seen as a valuable addition to Taecanet, and a few schools expressed and interest in finding out more, which will be followed up soon.

Many thanks to all involved, and I hope the next meeting is even more productive. If any Taecanet users require any more in-school support then please contact me and I can arrange some follow up training or advice. You can email chris.davison@taecanet.com

RBWM Cluster meeting 23/11/06

2006-11-21T17:50:00.000Z

Headteacher, Graeme Aldous, has thus far reported a great degree of success after using Taecanet to help raise his SAT's results in the Summer Term (http://taecanet.blogspot.com/2006/07/taecanet-proves-significant-learning.html).

He has kindly offered to invite all local Taecanet users from Reading, Bracknell, Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead to a cluster event designed to share best practice amongst the group. This is of special interest to all involved so that we can strengthen local ties, and also get people talking about how Taecanet is being used in their school.

This is due to take place at Holy Trinity Primary School in Cookham, Berkshire, on Thursday 23rd November at 4pm. To hear what Graeme, his pupils, and his teachers are saying about Taecanet, please visit www.taecanet.com . Any interested parties are more than welcome and we all look forward to this event.

I will post an update following on from this meeting with our findings.

BATHNES cluster meeting 7/11/2006 update

2006-11-09T14:32:00.000Z

Many thanks to Chris from Peasedown St John Primary School for hosting this event. It was an enlightening session for all involved, allowing teachers to share ideas and experiences. It was also beneficial for us at Taecanet to gain some invaluable feedback from these schools on how the service is being used, and which areas of improvement we need to concentrate on. Some of the comments are highlighted below.

Teachers on the whole found that Taecanet was highly motivational for all ability levels, especially lower ability students due to the way that the learning materials are delivered in a self-paced manner, allowing students to learn using what they consider a 'game'. Many students do not even realise that it is a learning exercise, as it engages them in a way which combines more enjoyment and less 'forced' concentration. We also heard that the 'completion' element of the service worked well as students appreciate getting immediate feedback when completing questions and whole Units of work.

For the teachers, this 'game' mentality did not detract from the learning outcomes as many students appeared to have a greater understanding of the topics in-class, after using Taecanet for pre-learning activities. It was also noted that Taecanet is a good resource for supporting class learning, whether it be as a revision tool, or as an introduction to the subject for students. It is obviously very encouraging that teachers are finding their own uses for the service which supports our concept of allowing a great degree of flexibility, so that teachers can mould the service to meet their own needs whether it be revision, class work, homework or pre-learning.

In terms of future developments, the teachers that we spoke to suggested that an in-school report of usage and Units completed would be beneficial, which we will look to implement. Differentiation is another hot-topic (both for us and for schools), and it was suggested that this should be realised in the questions rather than the material itself. More gifted students should be able to answer more difficult questions, or explain their answer in more detail. We could employ 'key word' technology to allow these questions to be rated appropriately and this could also lead to a situation where Taecanet can tell teachers which 'level' their students are working to. This is something that we already have in mind and we are working towards a situation that will make this more commonplace in the service.

There was a lot of interest in the Virtual Classroom project for collaborating on school projects and sharing resources such as expert teachers. This will allow the cluster to work more efficiently and create a stronger bond between local schools which we are very supportive of. The Friday 13th ASE project (http://taecanet.blogspot.com/2006/10/groundbreaking-day-at-ase.html) also sparked a lot of interest and allowed all of the teachers to see just how powerful this tool can be. Ian Nairn will oversee these developments within the cluster and I will keep you posted on this front!

Many thanks to the staff from Peasedown St John, High Littleton and Farmborough for their continued support and feedback.

How do teenagers use digital technologies and Second Life?

2006-10-30T17:24:00.000Z

A number of weeks back, I touched on the emerging phenomenon that is Second Life (see post 4th Oct 06). I have just read an excellent blog post by Arlene Goldbard relating to the use of digital media by teenagers today, under the title 'Worlds within Worlds'.

Her opinion is based on having read hundreds of essays by members of the teenage American population on the topic, and she has made a number of valid points. These points relate to the significant level at which ICT is embedded into teenage lives, and how they perceive a negative distrust amongst their parental figures, where devices such as the Internet are concerned.

Arlene's post develops to discuss Second Life and how these teenagers use Teen Second Life to prepare for their 'real world' future (otherwise known as First Life). This can be found at http://arlenegoldbard.com/?p=183 . It is a great piece and I found myself asking many questions about how such technologies could be harnessed by educators, as they seem to capture the imagination of students so well. It seems an ideal place for a strong educational presence by making the best educational materials available to all. I'm sure there are many people who would be interested in re-visiting topics of interest in this new and free format.

On the Internet and in Second Life, all the bounds of traditional schooling have been freed and the power now lies with the learner.

A list of the best elearning blogs

2006-10-25T11:25:00.000Z

For a comprehensive list of the best elearning blogs visit http://blog.articulate.com/the-19-best-elearning-blogs/ . Here you can read a brief synopsis of these outstanding contributions to elearning debate, and also link to them if you would like more info.

Although mine is not featured (an obvious omission) I am working on it for the next list!

Are schools set up to cater for 21st century students?

2006-10-18T14:25:00.000Z

Does teaching in schools today prepare our 21st century students with the necessary tools to succeed in the real world? This is a very hard question to answer and obviously we will probably never hear a resounding 'Yes', due to the homogeneous make up of the student and teacher population. However, we must be in a good position to judge whether we are delivering materials in a relevant way, and testing these students in the correct way to get the most out of them.

My personal opinion is that we are not. I think students now, need to be challenged more now than ever to create their own paths to a learning objective, with as much choice and differentiation as we can offer them. There are a number of factors holding students back such as: content, assessment methods and pedagogy. I will explain what I mean.

I feel the baseline of what is taught in schools must change in order to be relevant to learners in 2006 and beyond. The 'one size fits all' testing procedures must also be altered to squeeze the maximum amount of potential from each student. Rather then 'getting a level 4' after a stressful 2 hour exam, students should be assessed upon what they have collated and learned throughout the year using a number of assessment models. And finally, I think there are stark questions that need to be answered in terms of whether the way teachers deliver the curriculum is successful in the outcomes needed today. To quote Andrew Watt "How do we change the teacher from 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side'? Why are we wasting time presenting information when kids can take their time - and go faster - finding the same information on the web?."

The rest of this article can be found at http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2006/10/andrew_watt_on_.html and I think it exposes some fundamental questions regarding whether education today is relevant to students and the world they live in. My angle is that in elearning, teachers have many tools with which to reach every student in the class. This will hopefully allow more students to reach their potential by learning in a way that suits them, and at a pace that suits them. We must adapt testing procedures to replicate this type of 'personalised learning' being pushed by the Government in 2006.

A Groundbreaking Day at ASE

2006-10-14T12:35:00.000Z

So Friday the 13th has come and gone, and it actually proved a huge success for us at ASE. The Virtual Classroom experiment worked well and students from 4 schools in 4 different locations were able to collaborate on a project and present their work to each other in real time. Ulverston Victoria in Cumbria, Bluecoat in Oldham, Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith and Beechencliff School in Bath were each given seven questions relating to the number 13 and superstition. Their results were then shared, via PowerPoint presentations and voice via headsets amongst the group.

As it turns out, most students did not think that the number 13 was unlucky. Most UK streets have a house number 13, and this was proved to be the case both in the North and South. Also, it was discovered that many famous people such as Robbie Williams were born on the 13th day of the month. Such celebrities were thought of as being 'lucky' people therefore deducing that the 'unlucky' tag associated with the number 13 was nothing more than superstition. The point of this exercise was to get a network of schools online at the same time to disseminate and discuss their findings. Schools that otherwise may never have had the opportunity to meet each other in person, were able to collaborate on a piece of work and share their new found knowledge with each other.....and us, in real time. It was a groundbreaking day for Taecanet, as well as all of the schools involved, and ASE who kindly hosted the event.

The rest of the day was also very positive with some significant interest in the Taecanet Springboard service from teachers and LEA representatives alike. There were a number of other exhibitors present some with exotic creatures, as you can see from the photo. We were treated to a Galileo performance describing some of his work, and also a firework display at the end of the event by Dr Jackie Akhavan. This was an obvious highlight with an in-depth explanation, and demonstration of the chemical processes involved in the detonation of fireworks. This was a rousing end to a great event and my thanks to Gaynor Sharp for her support and organisation.

Three Days - Two Exhibitions!

2006-10-12T20:33:00.000Z

Thanks to all involved with the BITES Exhibition in Birmingham yesterday. It was a great day out and was enjoyed by all (including this lucky man being shown the ropes by Sue and Huida). Many of the bigger names were present such as RM, SAM Learning and Promethean, as well as a host of smaller companies. This simply confirmed the diversity of the elearning market. With services ranging from mobile digital mixing decks for schools to class monitoring software, there was something there for everyone.

It was very nice to be situated in one place and be able to talk to so many people during the day. As teachers are so busy, much of our time is spent on the phone chasing shadows, so it made a nice change to be the proverbial honey pot, with interested parties swarming around us. I think I could get used to that!

Another day, another exhibition! Tomorrow sees us attend the ASE (Science Association) Exhibition in Leamington Spa where we plan to deliver a Virtual Classroom showcase. Four schools from differnet parts of England will be live online delivering conclusions to their joint project; both to our audience, and to each other. This will show the power of collaborative learning and how it is possible for schools to share knowledge across any geography, without even having to leave the classroom!

This may have huge repercussions on how we share knowledge. Using our Virtual Classroom, subject experts can deliver the very best tutorials to all students regardless of their location or status. Just imagine if Shakespeare could have taught our kids English Literature......the mind boggles.

BITES Exhibition 11/10/06

2006-10-09T16:40:00.000Z

Taecanet would like to announce our attendance at the BITES Exhibition in Birmingham on Wednesday 11th October 06 at Thinktank, Millenium Point. This Information Technology Education Show is one of the largest ICT events in the area and showcases services from over 70 IT suppliers.

The theme for this event is 'Transforming Learning' and with debate centred around 'eSafety' and 'Schools for the Future', it promises to be an innovative event with one eye on the future, as well as offering practical solutions to today's elearning needs.

For more information, please visit http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/convention/conference/conference.cfm?id=206 and come and visit us at stand 5b, where we will be happy to answer any of your questions and arrange for a demonstration.

BECTA ICT Advice Alert

2006-10-05T09:29:00.000Z

BECTA provide a good support and advice foundation for schools. One of their latest releases is the 'ICT Advice Alert' guide (http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=il&catcode=nwslttr_index&icttypeid=3&icteditionid=28) .

This details a number of important areas to consider for the implementation and prolonged usage of ICT in schools. You can link to sections such as 'Assess your ICT infrastructure' for personalised school advice. Also there is a section on 'Supporting the Primary National Strategy', where schools can review how their approach may (or may not) fit in with the national strategy.

A must read for schools looking to evaluate their approach to ICT.

Social Networking and Second Life

2006-10-04T09:34:00.000Z

On watching some late night television on Sunday night, I rather stumbled across a great TV show on BBC 1 called 'Click' relating to the web, and general internet news (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/default.stm). The focus of this particular programme was social networking and online communities. This sparked some interest for me as I see this aspect of the internet being especially poignant to todays' youth culture in many ways.

For the first time, personal media publishing is the norm, and no longer are the participants going to be considered 'geeks'. In fact, the proliferation of social networking sites such as 'My Space' have brought underground musicians into the public arena through these virtual social channels. Lilly Allen and The Arctic Monkeys are two such examples of just how powerful this type of social media can be. My feeling is that there has been such a dramatic shift in this area that the kids who are not involved in this virtual space will now be considered the 'geeks', if you will. Oh how the worm has turned!

Of course, the same communicative principles can apply to the educational market, where a meeting of minds and sharing of know-how can deliver a much stronger and efficient 'knowledge economy', where all users can be equal. One such platform on which this goal may ultimately be reached is on 'Second Life', a web based 3D world where you can create a virtual persona and interact with other members. This appears to be the ultimate virtual networking environment which may have profound implications on how we learn in the future. For more information on Second Life visit www.secondlife.com

Taecanet additions for the new school year

2006-09-20T16:41:00.000Z

There has been little respite for our technical team over the summer 'holidays' with a number of ongoing activities designed to improve both the functionality of the Taecanet service, as well as the number of curriculum subjects on offer. Many thanks to our Content Creation Teachers for all related contributions. To add to our existing portfolio of KS (Key Stage) 2 & 3 History, Science and Geography, these teachers have been hard at work to improve Taecanet for all involved. We sent out a ballot to all of our school customers last term to canvas opinion on what we should develop next. Key Stage 1 materials as well as R.E. and Citizenship topped this list, so this is what we have produced! Taecanet are now offering these new subjects and KS which should be fully launched and available at the end of October.

In terms of functionality, we have also made improvements to the 'Groups' section to allow multiple user import/export as well as offering a search facility to make finding particular students much easier. There is a very useful 'explore' section available (in the Help file) so that teachers' access to valuable web materials is made even easier. We have developed a much improved Reports system as well to give teachers more information relating to individual student performance, as well as whole class information.

Virtual Classroom (see previous post 29/9/06) is also proving an interesting concept for schools, especially those with one eye on community projects such as SSAT (Specialist Schools and Academies Trust) affiliates. This service will soon be available through Taecanet and I will keep you posted on any progress regarding this valuable initiative.

We hope to continue to improve Taecanet based on feedback received from the teaching community, as this way we can truely support teacher's needs.

For some recent Case Study material proving that we are on the right track, please visit http://www.taecanet.com/ where you can view a short video diary of Holy Trinity Primary School in Cookham, Bucks. They have reported significant learning gains as a result of Taecanet usage which is great news for all involved. Long may it continue!

Taecanet to attend ASE Regional Conference 13/10/06

2006-09-20T15:42:00.000Z

We would like to announce that Taecanet will be attending the Association for Science Education (ASE) Regional Conference in Leamington Spa on the 13th of October 2006. We attended the Annual ASE event at Reading University in January 2006, which we very much enjoyed, despite the near freezing conditions! I was lucky enough to meet with Gaynor Sharp who is one of the event organisers. She was so taken with our concept that it was subsequently agreed we would also attend the Regional Event in October. We are now in a much stronger position with nealy 350 school customers, and therefore we are looking forward to an even more productive day out amongst the West Midlands Science teaching community.

We will be located in the 'Innovation Zone' and would we would welcome the attendance of any interested parties. We will be available to discuss our approach to elearning and education as well as showcasing the Taecanet service. Details for this ASE event can be found at http://www.ase.org.uk/htm/regional/event.php?MeetingID=593&RegionID=7 . We look forward to meeting all involved. If you would like to arrange for specific discussions at the event please contact ian.nairn@taecanet.com

Online Educa Exhibition update

2006-09-11T15:35:00.000Z

With the ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN conference and exhibition just around the corner (November 29 - December 1, 2006), they have released the Preliminary Programme for the event detailing a number of hot topics in the elearning arena. The link for this programme can be found at http://nl.xeu.de/j.cfm?i=308455&k=92046 which outlines the order of events for the relevant days.

Subjects such as 'Learning by Playing' are on the agenda and there will also be a session detailing 'Promoting Inclusivity in E-Learning'. For more details on this topic, please visit
http://nl.xeu.de/j.cfm?i=308458&k=92046 . This article touches on how using ICT's in teaching can benefit many groups of learners such as children with dyslexia, or other SEN characteristics in a way that traditional teaching cannot.

Elearning affords teachers a multitude of tools with which to choose from in order to meet the individual needs of all students....not just strong readers and writers that traditional schooling can be seen to favour.

Strategic ICT advice for schools

2006-08-24T12:14:00.000Z

I recently posted an article relating to 'Simple steps to understand ICT' (posted 10th Aug) which is a must read for teachers who may be a little bemused with the sheer volume of available elearning services, and the question of which ones may best suit their school.

I have found another piece relating more to the organisation and strategy of ICT implementation, which I hope will compliment my original post by offering more of an advisory and planning angle to the topic. This link is from BECTA and is called 'Moving your Organisation Foward with ICT' and it covers some very relevant points such as 'your staff and ICT', 'developing ICT partnerships', and 'using ICT to help students develop life skills'.

Please access http://ferl.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?page=847 where you can view an interactive diagram and advice, and you can also link to the whole BECTA document by following the 'Moving Your Organisation Forward with ICT' hyperlink.

It makes for an interesting read and may help to clear up some strategic issues that school are currently facing with this necessary shift in teaching practices.

Taecanet offers Elluminate virtual classroom

2006-08-21T15:19:00.001Z

At Taecanet, we have an ethos of 'community learning' which is being realised by creating easy links between educators and learners from many different geographical regions worldwide. Networked learning is a valuable medium in the education sphere and its significance will only strengthen with the proliferation of ICT in schools. As many schools now have internet access, the possibilities are endless and it has never been easier to connect learners in order to share knowledge and assist in helping schools to raise standards.

On this theme, we would like to announce that Taecanet will be offering access to a Virtual Classroom facility via 'Elluminate' to our customers from September 2006 onwards. This means that we can offer a virtual class facility for teachers and students to share, making real time collaboration easy. This will allow multiple users to occupy the same learning space, even though they might be in completely different geographical regions. This could have huge implications on the concept of shared learning and will add considerable value to Taecanet as a teaching and learning resource. By using Elluminate through Taecanet you can communicate with others visually, verbally or simply through typing on your keyboard which will allow subject experts to be linked with thousands of students in real time.

If you would like to know more about Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/about.jsp where you can access their website.

We are obviously thrilled with this valuable addition to the service and we will be posting more information on this topic in the future.

Simple steps to understand ICT

2006-08-10T14:45:00.000Z

Many teachers are bombarded with information on 'the next best thing' as far as elearning services are concerned as there is such fierce competition in this sector. This can create much confusion about which technologies will best represent the schools vision for the future, as well as their current needs. Many teachers need to think about the basics of what they would like to buy into rather than seeing a 'knockout demo', signing up, and thinking about implementation afterwards. Only with clear planning can effective elearning implementation be achieved.

I have found a good article covering the basics of elearning technologies and jargon, which is a must read for teachers who are a little confused about the basics....let alone which VLE, ISP, ICT, ABC to use! Please link to this piece written by Alan Day from Kent County Council http://www.clusterweb.org.uk/docs/LPAdvGuid_260506.pdf as it is a valuable first step to understanding educational ICT.

DOPA, social networks and how to keep young people safe online.

2006-08-08T14:03:00.000Z

I have found an interesting post relating to the U.S. Government's drive to block access to social networking websites and chat rooms. The DOPA (Deletion of Online Predators Act) serves to effectively block communications in public internet locations such as libraries.

I would argue that such places are of vital importance to individuals who cannot otherwise gain access to the internet. Therefore, to outlaw valuable social networking tools merely serves to reduce the effectiveness of publicly funded technology as a vital communicative device. Rather than blocking access, front end users should be educated in sensible usage and advised of the 'do's and do not's' of Instant Messaging or Online chat services. I can understand the other side of the arguement in terms of online safety, but it is surely the responsibility of the web service to provide a level of security for its users. This Big Brother-esqe protection is not an effective long term solution.

The benefits which can be derived from online communication can far outweigh any negative connotations by providing both educators and students with a managable tool with which to disseminate best practice and share ideas effectively. This must help to raise standards and aid the creation of valuable online teacing and learning networks.

"DOPA is intended to protect minors from online predation but AoC NILTA, the independent voice of the post-16 sector in ICT and e-learning, says that it is a ‘step backwards in social and education terms’ and will not work." For a bitesize article relating to this visit this link or for the full AoC NILTA article visit http://aocnilta.co.uk/2006/08/03/dopa/

Where will this control end?

The Web as an Online Learning Resource

2006-08-03T15:56:00.000Z

If you have read my previous posts, you will know I am a huge advocate of using the internet as a teaching and learning tool. The huge variety of information and sources makes the internet a unique resource which should be harvested effectively by schools in order to enhance their students education. Many students spend a considerable amount of spare time on the web, and therefore I feel if schools and teachers can replicate this kind of 'research and retrieve' learning, many students would show improved levels of motivation and engagement.

This, I feel, is because they are in control and feel a greater sense of responsibility. Rather than being spoonfed information, students can learn at their own pace, follow their own interests and interact with the materials while at the same time developing valuable life skills for the future.....and the present.

I have found a good article detailing how young people use and interact with the internet. There are some interesting stats that have been gathered from a number of countries from around Europe. For a bitesize article visit http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2006/07/09/british-schools-stand-up-well-in-european-canadian-research/ where you can link to the whole article.

It also suggestes that only 11.3% of the people questioned did not have access to the internet at home. As the internet supports 24/7 learning, this is a very postive statistic for educators to bear in mind. We must of course consider that this is not a world wide statistic, but I do feel that students will increasingly have access to these type of resources at home.

Online Educa Conference 2006 in Berlin

2006-08-01T14:19:00.000Z

The virtual learning space is taking on a physical guise towards the end of the year at the Online Educa Conference between the 29th November and 1st December 2006 in Berlin. It is the 12th such event on 'Technology Supported Learning & Training' and promises to have some distinguished speakers from both the Government sector as well as the service providers and internet pioneers themselves.

On the agenda will be discussion explaining - how to unlock the potential of elearning, elearning and the community and learning through gaming; all topics at the heart of elearning today.

For a link to this conference newsletter as well as the opportunity to subscribe to a monthly letter please visit http://www.icwe.net/oeb_special/news1.php

I will keep you posted on any developments and relevant updates.

Taecanet Proves Significant Learning Gains

2006-07-21T14:35:00.000Z

As predicted, it has been a hectic end to the term with many schools pre-occupied with exams, admin duties and the summer holidays just around the corner, which has made it difficult to engage with schools. We have however, come across some success stories proving that we are on the right track.

Two schools thus far have fed back to us that they have seen significant learning gains in this year's SATS, which has largely been attributed to Taecanet's personalised teaching and learning resource. Claire Allen, Deputy Head at St Paul's CofE Primary School in Addlestone, Surrey, commented "There is no doubt that results have improved as a result of using Taecanet". Within our first year of live service to schools, we have been hopeful of such results, but until now we have not had the means to confirm these learning gains through consistent usage. This now appears to be changing as schools are reporting improved results following summer exams.

To further support Claire's comments, Holy Trinity Primary School in Cookham, Berkshire, have pinpointed some statistics which lead to the same conclusion. The Headteacher, Graeme Aldous expressed his joy that "Taecanet has helped my Science SATS results improve dramatically. We have been using Taecanet for only four months but it has helped us increase our Level Four achievements by 10 per cent from an expected 85 per cent to 93 per cent. Our Level Five improvement is even more marked, with an increase of over 40 per cent from an expected 55 per cent to an achieved 77.5 per cent."

This is excellent news for us, and for our community of schools. Hopefully I can add some more success stories in the coming weeks as more results are published!

The BBC dinosaur wakes up!

2006-07-20T15:14:00.000Z

The beeb has finally realised that they need to adapt to the modern media era. Consumer practices are in transition and the most established broadcasting organisations need to change in order to survive.....especially those within the Public Sector. As it is paid for using the much maligned 'TV Licence', audiences are now looking for added value in this media savvy consumer market of today.

The 'personal media' revolution has rocked the established dinosaurs such as the beeb with more innovative institutions such as Sky offering hugely diverse and dynamic viewing packages. The Internet offers even more variety by way of 24/7 personalised access to a wealth of free content.

The same shift, I hope, will apply to other areas such as the BBC's provision of educational content. Again, as fee payers we are entitled to squeeze as much usage out of our licence fee as possible, and the BBC seem to recognise this and are keen to move away from the old media broadcasting methodology. The BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, comments "The BBC should no longer think of itself as a broadcaster of TV and radio and some new media on the side. We should aim to deliver public service content to our audiences in whatever media and on whatever device makes sense for them, whether they are at home or on the move."

For the full press release, click on the following link:-
Press Release Link

The previously creaky old organisation appears to be transforming in order to put the Licence payer in the driving seat. It's about time!

Educating the Educators

2006-07-14T11:14:00.000Z

To continue the theme of the previous post, I feel that the time constraints felt by teachers have led, in some cases, to a generation gap occurring. Technology can sometimes bypass the teachers and end up directly in the student's lap. This can reverse the traditional teaching balance by essentially cutting out the middle man, allowing students to directly access educational materials. The students are now the ones with the know-how AND the tools to further educate themselves. This is an understandably uncomfortable position for many adult teachers.

We need to find a way to reach and inspire teachers, in order to address this unbalanced equation before school time becomes a time of 'dumbing down' for students, who may able to learn independently and perhaps more effectively outside of school. The internet and other media such as National Geographic, Discovery and History channels are available to many students either through digital television or simple web searches. This independent and interactive learning is proving a vital tool for students to further their own knowledge on a plethora of available subjects.

But it is teachers who must be sparked into action in order to continue to make school a fun and innovative space in which to learn. Christopher Sessums has written an interesting article detailing this problem. He quotes Putnam and Borko (2000) stating “teacher educators have long struggled with how to create learning experiences powerful enough to transform teachers’ classroom practice”. For the full article by Sessums visit; http://elgg.net/csessums/weblog/124446.html

We could always get the students to teach the teachers! This might just be outlandish enough to work!

In-School Planning for ELearning Growth

2006-07-12T14:41:00.000Z

I have no doubts as to the potential of elearning platforms as a time saving mechanism for teachers. The ablility to access personalised student information, administer work, or plan effectively at the click of a button, will enable teachers to free up valuable time. This time can then be spent on meeting individual student needs while at the same time meeting administrative requirements.

However, as a far reaching concept, I think we are some way from this being a reality within many schools. Teachers are currently bogged down with traditional planning, marking, and general admin which means that elearning solutions are often pushed down the order of crucial tasks. Very often, essential planning for the future is replaced by a 'what do I need to do for today' mentality. This means that although teachers may have completed their immediate obligations, when tomorrow arrives, they will face the same dilema. A vicious circle indeed.

In my opinion, teachers with a specialised role for planning the future growth of sectors such as elearning, should be given special dispensation to deal with such matters effectively, rather than having to juggle it with a deluge of other roles. This would mean that planning and research could be much more effective, resulting in a more cohesive strategy designed to get the best package for all teachers as well as students.

The sooner teachers with this huge responsibility are able to work effectively, the better. The elearning revolution is as much about teachers as it is students.

Personalised Media Solutions

2006-07-07T16:47:00.000Z

Today, we live in a world of personalised media rather than the mass media sphere of years gone by. We are now in charge of how/where we shop, how we package our music to suit our exact requirements, and even how and when we choose to view television programmes on our own schedule. Everybody has differing requirements and therefore, by being able to decide how WE want to operate in so many arenas, allows us to make media work for us rather than being constrained by its singular usage.

This can also be seen in school requirements for elearning. The very fact that every student and every teacher has different requirements, means that schools are now, more than ever, in a position to blend different learning styles and approaches to suit their students. Schools are able to choose from an array of teaching and learning tools that can be tailored to the specific requirements of the target audience. This must be beneficial to schools. With issues such as Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Gifted & Talented students to deal with, often under one roof, the ability to piece together your own flexible sloution will increasingly help to raise standards.

The content sector of elearning has exploded in recent years, giving teachers the perfect platform to explore teaching and learning solutions for all students. Elearning must continue to diversify in this way to give teachers the oppertunity to decide for themselves which services are most appropriate to match their personal requirements. Long may this 'personalised media' revolution continue as a way to offer a democratic solution for all.

Blended Learning in the 'New World'

2006-07-04T11:42:00.000Z

In my opinion, schooling needs a major turnaround if it is to keep pace with today's young and curious students of the world. Along with technological advance, comes a change in learning styles, skills and communication.

Learners in today's world are able to learn through personalised advance rather than a 'one size fits all' approach offered by traditional schooling. 'Blended learning' is now an essential mechanism for reaching every individual in the class. This will make it far easier for students to reach their potential by adopting a learning style to suit them.

There is a stark contrast between 'Old World' (OW) and 'New World' (NW) learning, both in terms of the media used to teach, and from the more intrinsic personal way that people relate to these media. These can be seen on so many levels. For eg. OW single task activities are being replaced by NW multi-tasking, OW individual learning tasks are being replaced by NW community learning, OW produce and consume learning are being replaced by NW search and retrieve learning. For a great piece relating to this topic, please visit the following link:-
-Link to article

These are arguably the learning modes of the future, but they are already a part of modern consumer activities used by both children as well as adults and can therefore be classified as 'life skills'. Elearning is an ideal bridge between these apparently distict entities. Whilst it is important to remember that traditional schooling can still play a significant part in education, these new learning styles must be considered if schooling is to remain relevant and motivational for our NW students.

David vs Goliath

2006-06-26T20:21:00.000Z

In a typical retail scenario, I would generally take the safe option and side with the big corporate machine for the 'known quantity' peace of mind that a well established business can provide. We feel safety in numbers and therefore when buying into an established brand, we feel comforted, safe and secure in our decision.

If only more of us decided to go out on a limb and follow our gut instincts, the world would be a much more interesting place. This David vs Goliath conundrum set my mind wondering about the potential benefits of siding with the small ballpark player and although there may be a perceived greater risk involved, there is always a chance that the benefits will far outweigh these negative connotations.

The chance of seeing a fledgling concept grow to a succcessful conclusion would obviously hold a degree of satisfaction. But these benefits can be far deeper in scope than this. An organisation that is rapidly able to turn customer feedback into an improvement action must stand a great chance of consistently matching customer requirements. The big lumbering corporation has so many voices and opinions to consider that any rapid response would be slowed by the sheer weight of numbers. A small business can keep customers in the loop by conducting a reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship, whereas large companies may have to deal with experimental 'focus groups' in order to guage opinion which may be a false indication of a wider consensus.

My humble observation is that we should increasingly support small businesses as these are the organisations that can truely innovate and consistently meet our requirements. It is the ability to keep abrest of 'on the ground activities' and act upon these rapidly changing circumstances that gives David the ammunition to defeat the big brute that is Goliath.

Collaborative Learning and the www

2006-06-15T13:35:00.000Z

In today's 'global village' there is no reason for schools to act as distinct entities and in my opinion more schools, teachers and pupils should be actively encouraged to share experiences and ideas in order to help raise standards. This concept can be applied to a local geographical region, across the UK and now worldwide using today's technologies.

If teachers can share their knowledge with others, is this not the most effective way of saving time and effort, whilst gaining valuable insights into what constitutes best practice? It must be. There is no reason for a teacher with an expertise or an affinity for a particular subject to withhold that knowledge anymore. I want my kids to be taught by the very best teachers around, and using the Web they will be able to do so. No longer will a fat wallet or a postcode govern the quality of our childrens' education. As a media to support school teaching the Web is the teaching and learning tool of the future.

You can also argue the same 'share and share alike' benefits can apply for students. Surely collaborative learning can help students on a number of different levels. By sharing knowledge and experiences students will also develop functions such as teamwork, communication and responsibility, which are all invaluable life skills.

To learn more about collaborative learning in schools please visit: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html

E-strategy

2006-05-19T15:13:00.000Z

The Government continue to put ICT at the head of educational reforms as part of a strategy spanning three terms in office. For all of the bad press that the Labour Government receive, their financial backing in these areas has been outstanding. Many schools now have the hardware to successfully integrate ICT into teaching and learning, which in turn has spawned a proliferation of content specific e-services.

The next step must be to create a coherent leadership strategy, to ensure that high level planning is effective. This is a vital 'cog in the machine' to make sure that investment to date will not go to waste. This process however, will by no means be complete with the implementation of this strategy. The rate of technological advance dictates that leaders will constantly have to review and improve these processes to ensure a parallel level of fluidity.

Michael Stevenson (Director of Technology at DfES) has in fact commented ‘equipping leaders to understand how important technology is in working out how to run the organisation they are responsible for, make it more efficient, more effective and above all, a better setting for teaching and learning.’

Classrooms of the future.

2006-04-27T11:14:00.000Z

In recent times, there has been much rhetoric regarding schooling in the futute and in my mind, the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative is a fundamental step towards 21st century schooling. In the current climate, most schools do not truely reflect how students 'choose' to learn in their own time. Access anytime anywhere learning is the future, where students will take responsibility for their personal learning agenda with a much more varied learning pattern than the current 'spoonfeeding' approach offered by traditional schooling.

Schools need to change focus and re-evaluate what the goal of schooling actually is. Traditionally, it has been to prepare people for their working role outside of school. However, the rapid development of technological advance means that some of the jobs that these students may one day adopt, do not yet exist. (For more information on this, feel free to link to this article http://davecormier.com/edblog/?p=20)

Therefore, creating a classroom that can inspire and innovate must have untold potential. By allowing students to work in a technologically advanced environment that is rapidly becoming a students natural 'playground', I think we will see a more inspired workforce of the future who know no bounds as to what can be acheived.

Welcome to Taecanet

2006-04-27T10:05:00.000Z

Welcome to the Taecanet blog where you can find the latest thoughts and ideas from the Taecanet team. We welcome your comments and feedback. More information about Taecanet can be found at http://www.taecanet.com