ICTeachers - The Independent Voice of Teachers

ICTeachers Magazine May 2006

Definitely the best least monthly independent educational newsletter in the world!

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ICTeachers is a legend amongst the teaching world.  Teachers huddle in dark corners and in hushed tones recite words of wisdom gleaned from these pages.  On the other hand it could be a group of teachers trying to work out what to teach for another week!  ICTeachers is me, ICTeachers is you and ICTeachers is that person eating the chocolate hob nobs over there.

Message from the Editor

Hello all,

The date on the last newsletter says that I produced it in May of last year? I have no recollection at all of doing it. My father passed away at the end of January 2005 and it's really only just struck me how weird my behaviour has been over the past year since it happened including the writing of a whole newsletter where I didn't mention it once in either the letter that goes with it or the newsletter itself.

It was something I knew would happen, death, taxes and OFSTED are inevitable, but it is the call you never expect and the one that as your parents, those fortunate of us to have them, get older, you expect.

Once it happened, I scoured the internet looking for traces of my dad, any mention, any reference, but nothing. The internet, which its vast quantities of information fails to record any reference to the full life of one man. How about us, is the internet the ultimate in Books of Remembrance? After we are gone will our relatives be able to find our cyberghost locked in this perpetual purgatory, splintered and scattered? How long before we see virtual graveyards, repositories for glimpses of our past indiscretions, an electronic monument for our families, our message to them from beyond the grave?

So forgive me while I indulge.

My father was a boy soldier and became the bandmaster for the Middlesex Regiment. After 22 years of service he became a publican and then moved to Scotland where he became a music teacher and an itinerant musician around the various pubs and clubs with his band. He was born in Ireland and moved to Liverpool as a child with his family where he attended the local grammar school and did well excelling in boxing as well as his music. Working in the shipping office at 15 and seeing the soldiers coming home after the war he decided to run away and stowed on a ship bound for South Africa. When discovered he was allowed to remain because he could play the piano but before being returned they beat him up to make sure he didn't do it again. He enjoyed it so much he joined the army at 17, the Royal Hussars but joined the Princes Own to became a musician. A hard drinker, which really did ruin his life or perhaps his life was the cause of his ruin, his softly spoken saintly Irish mother from Limerick would often say, "Give up da drink, John, twill be the death of you.", and so it eventually was, at the age of 74.

All through my youth we argued like a couple of dogs, but I always loved him, and he always loved me. Even though he couldn't live up to my expectations of fatherhood, he loved me the best way he knew how, and that's all I could ever ask of him.

"Peacefully on Mon Jan 31st 2005, John McShane A.R.C.M., aged 74 years, (Musician), of Cornhill, dearly loved husband of Myra, much loved father & grandfather. Funeral service was in Moray Crematorium, Broadley, Buckie on Mon Feb 7th 2005 at 10.00am."

Love you dad. xxx

The Editor
md@icteachers.co.uk

The comments of the Editor in no way reflect the views of ICTeachers Ltd and do not claim to be either well researched or even vaguely coherent.

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School Websites

Sites include primary, infant, junior, secondary, community and special schools.

Here's what our customers think...

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"Thanks for the info and the cost! It is well within my current ICT budget and I am very interested. I have already gathered a lot of photographs ,info etc but can't seem to find the time!! I will speak to my head on Monday morning and will be in touch. Thanks for help."

For a no obligation discussion contact our sales consultant Fiona
fiona@icteachers.co.uk or phone 01934 811132

Go to www.icwebs.co.uk for more information

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E-learning - analysing learning in online forums

‘Issues of collaboration and co-construction within an online discussion forum: information ecology for CPD' Maulfry Worthington, Children's Mathematics Network

Below is the abstact to give you a taste.  To access the main body click here.
 

Abstract

In the past online learning has often resulted in a re-creation of teachers’ normal, pedagogical practices (Cooney & Stephenson, 2001; Alexander & Boud; 2001). My interest in e-learning arose through personal experiences in providing ‘traditional’ (face-to-face) continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers over a number of years. I had questioned the extent to which my provision had any lasting or deep impact on teachers’ thinking and practice: Feist (2003) has similar concerns. E-learning appeared to offer a new means of supporting teachers in CPD.

This study was conducted within a collaborative e-learning project in which there were discussions in an online forum. Teachers elected to participate in this online community of practice, an additional and significant factor which may also have contributed to its success.

The online forum allowed teachers to develop their understanding about the content of discussions which was an aspect of young children’s mathematical development and its related pedagogy. 

Analysis of the dialogue through ‘cohesive ties’ techniques (Stokoe, 1996), highlights rich language use and collaborative meaning-making. Analysis of transcripts of telephone interviews emphasises the extent of teachers’ meta-cognitive concerns and is a significant indicator of deepening levels of learning through this means of CPD. The findings indicate that the dialogical context can be enriched with the use of e-nat-graphics when they are contributed by the participants in the forum and are sourced from the children in participants’ own classrooms. 

Woven through the study, questions concerning teachers’ views about joining the project in pairs (with a colleague) led to a number of positive outcomes. There are also indicators of impact on teachers’ own practice during the short duration of the project (summer term 2003) which extended to some other colleagues: these findings suggest significant benefits for teachers who are involved in CPD through e-learning. As a consequence of their involvement, the Early Years teachers in this project also reported increased confidence and enthusiasm about their own use of ICT.

To access the main body of this excellent paper click here.

If you are interested in mathematics in early years that visit thier new website

http://www.childrens-mathematics.co.uk/members.htm

Maulfry Worthington & Elizabeth Carruthers: Founders

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Possible solutions for bed wetting!

As you may remember, I was (and still am having) trouble with one of my children wetting their bed. I cried out in desparation via this newsletter and was grateful to receive the responses I did.  I share them here that others might be encouraged and know they are not alone.  The names of the contributors have been changed to protect the bedding!

From Anne

I don't admit this to many people but I wet the bed until I was 7... I was cured when a series of things were done. No Orange Squash 2 hours before bed time.  Going to the toilet before bed and again when my parents went to bed. A chart was drawn up and each night that the bed was dry I got a star next to my name and when I had a dry night I got a small present or privilege, then after a few times I had to stay dry for 2 nights before I received anything and then 3 days and then a week, two weeks etc. It took a couple of months but I finally managed it!

From Jane

My son is three and some bed  wetting ideas  they worked for us anyway. Limit drinks near bedtime  we gave him only water  take to the loo just before bed. We let him choose his duvet etc at the shop and made a big fuss about how great his bedroom looked.. and the bed was a very special place  well it  is it is shaped like a car!! Just my ideas  might not work.

From Samantha

Re bedwetting have you got cotton type care mat from ERIC? They are washed each morning but its not much trouble. My grandson wet his bed until he was 9,so did his mother and her father. I put it down to small bladder and deep sleep (at certain times during the night) we used disposable ones for holidays.

From Pam

Bedwetting is solvable. If it is connected to nightmares or something similar, do a fun activity to exorcise the demons that at some point your child believes to be there - you'll have to talk to them to identify the ghoul and then do a role play where you and mum and the child rid your house of the demons, "you'll never come back to our house!" as you bang the front door shut, having led them out the bedroom down the stairs etc. Ham it up. Your child must perceive the essence of your exorcism to be as present as the demons that are the trouble. Laughter is OK because it will help the child find a warm and safe place if the demon feelings come again. Then you monitor liquid intake from supper time onwards, obviously keep to a minimum. Then take child to loo before their bed, again before your bed, and if necessary, set your alarm for the middle of the night and do it again (painful in the short term).  After two weeks the child will take this behaviour on for themselves, knowing that needing the loo means getting out of bed etc. Likewise, wet beds are not to be punished in any way, but equally are not to be sympathised with or a route to your gentle and loving attention. They are matter of fact and an inconvenience. Dry beds are to be celebrated by all parenting people - praise and attention not rewards. Let me know how it goes. If it doesn't work I'll start teaching history.

From Diana

Which child? How old? When our youngest had this problem much longer than we thought was normal we tried everything that people advised (fewer drinks / lifting at night / toilet before bed etc. etc. Nothing worked! In the end, we went to the Dr. Who  (No, not Dr Who!) said that about 1 child in ten goes on bed wetting until after the age of 8 (I think it was - it may have been 10), that they usually grow out of it and that it was usually nothing to worry about; that dealing with it is part of being a parent and just don't make a fuss and make the child feel bad about it; and if it went on too long, there were treatments, the most commonly used one (at the time - and probably still) being a nasal spray - I think it is an mild anti diuretic. And, oh yes, Charlie did grow out of it (as far as I know :-)

From Ron

Bed wetting - relax. all that happens is everyone gets very wound up. We did alarms, medication, nappies etc. In the end they eventually grow out of it. In our case 11 years old. Be prepared when going away, and have a reliable washing machine. In the great scheme of life, while it might appear to be a big thing it really isn't. Alternatively you can always shoot them!

From Chris

We have had problems in this direction recently. We went though the GP to put us in touch with the Enuresis Consultant at the local hospital. The consultant was great and she suggested numbers of different approaches from star charts to sprays to mini alarms (these are great!).  Still not 100% yet but very close. Enuresis Resource and Information Centre is at

www.eric.org.uk  0117 960 3060

Good luck - I had problems myself until I was 11 or 12 and it was horrid. As parents, lots of TLC, understanding and being 'OK' about it is very important!

From John

Don't make a big thing of it. It's probably due to something beyond your immediate control. (My divorce affected my son every time he saw and stayed with his father.) It went for 3 years then stopped when things stabilised. Always explain it's not their fault and make it easy to change in the night. Run a quick bath as wee is cold and sticky, have an emergency sleeping bag to avoid too much work, put plastic under bottom sheet.

Good luck!

From Martha

Bedwetting is easy - just chill.......stop fizzy drinks (n colours!) show the wee (!) person where the laundry basket is and treat it as normal.......sometimes for lads it is a hormonal chemical thing, which disappears in adolescence......(alarms and drugs didn't work for mine - but at least they have no hang ups now they have grown out of it!)

From Robin

Ref bed wetting - probably due to all that nocturnal reading BUT I gradually overcame my 2nd sons problem by not making it a big issue - strip the bed together each morning - saying soothing words such as "Oh dear well never mind - lets get this stuff into machine" buy loadsa spare bed linen - and a rubber under sheet or three - (not a noisy sort perlease) and loadsa PJs - have him help strip and put wet stuff into washing machine - do the chores together - make it "not a Big deal" except when not necessary - then have a little celebration - but let this gradually subside into the dry being Normal - waking and getting him to have a go whilst still half asleep is also useful

From George 

My son wet his bed for years - and suddenly it stopped - best to just not make any issue of it - get plastic liners on bed - never get angry - stop talking about it - he will just outgrow it beautifully. No problem! It can be genetical - and last till he is about 8 - younger if you are lucky. Good luck.

From Joy

Hi, Neuro Developmental delay may have one cause, it may have many .  With the problem of bedwetting it is linked to one of the  reflex actions built into babies to help them be born . A kind of wriggling action of the hips as they come down the birth canal.  If this reflex is not "used up" during the birth process then there is a "left over" reflex or perhaps part of a left over reflex. This particular reflex ties in with control of the bladder which is only noticed when  the little person is older. There is a lot more . If you would like to know more then let me know.

From Mike

As a dad and a teacher who took bedwetters camping in the lakes I've worked on basic but very successful routines against bedwetting!

1) No drinks within a couple of hours of bedtime

2) Even if they don't need a wee at bedtime, still go to the toilet and have a go 'think weeing!' it's amazing how often it's possible even if they didn't think they wanted to!

3) Every time they wake or turn over in bed during the night, get up and go.

These three basic routines have worked with my own children (no wet beds since the ages of 1 1/2), and the boy who wet the first two nights of camping (at the age of 14) never wet again (at least 'til after leaving school!)  Good luck

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Teachernet UK - by teachers ... for teachers ...

Teachnet UK is offered to primary and secondary teachers across England by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust in partnership with the Teachers Network Organisation in the United States and Teachnet Ireland, with sponsorship from Citigroup Foundation and Adobe. Its aim is to encourage teachers, either working individually or in small groups, to develop a broad spectrum of digital resources that cover 4-5 hours’ teaching and which focus on the effective and innovative uses of ICT in their subject.  Online support and professional development workshops are offered throughout the programme, so that teachers can develop the skills required to complete their projects – these workshops are also delivered by teachers who are willing to share their expertise. 

Once completed, the resources are uploaded to the Teachnet UK website – http://www.teachnet-uk.org.uk – and freely accessible by subject colleagues around the world.  The UK website links directly to the US and Irish partner sites so that teachers can access subject resources from all three nations. 

The SSAT has a few places left on the 2006 programme – those interested in applying for this or next year’s programme should visit http://www.teachnet-uk.org.uk/programme-2006.htm or email Glyn Barritt – glyn@ssatrust.org.uk

Or simply feel free to visit the websites and download resources to use or adapt for use with your own students!

Glyn Barritt

Teachnet UK Programme Manager

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News from the Vaultman!

Things have been a bit slow in the deeps of ICTeachers Castle lately. I have a great heap of new links to check and pages to check but have been rather busy preparing my new career - I've left full-time teaching and have set up my own venture.

I have added a few new resources and a few new photos (Check the dates on the menu pages to see which pages have been updated). I now have 29 more working days to go and then the updating really begins...In the meantime here are a few great sites I have found / been told about:

For those working in Foundation Stage (or with young children at home) Red Fish http://www.poissonrouge.com/flash.htm is great and so is Boohbah http://www.boohbah.com/. Both sites use Flash animation and have very little writing but lots of things to do.

Maths: I really like David Hellam's site http://www.hellam.net/. It doesn't look very flashy but there are lots of interactive maths games and programs and all for free. Well worth exploring.

Geography: www.wunderground.com Great weather site. Forecasts and a superb collection of weather-related photos.

Rather difficult to categorise, the Puppet Tool is quite weird and wonderful. Go to http://www.lecielestbleu.com/html/main_lceb01.htm and scroll down until you find the little link...

Poetry: Have you ever tried to find that poem you can only remember a line or two of ... Try www.poemhunter.com
 
Mike

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Links you might find useful

Tony Poulter, supreme ITT ICT geek, offers some great links! Some great links!

First off, there is Photo Story 3 (free from Microsoft):

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

There are some great free art packages on the Net (as I'm sure you know) but I hadn't heard of this one. 

Highly recommended:  http://www.ambientdesign.com/artrage.html

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Dubble Fairtrade Chocolate

Dubble Fairtrade Chocolate is planning to run a competition for schools across the UK for young people to come up with the idea for a simple computer game that communicates the concept of Fairtrade and chocolate. The winners would get their games made for real by a computer games designer and the games would feature on various Fairtrade related websites.

We would be ‘dubbly’ grateful for some help and guidance from ICT teachers in the planning stages for this competition. In particularly, we would love some advice on how to make the project a useful resource for teachers in the classroom/computer suite.

If any teachers are interested in getting involved please contact Ben Yeo on the contact details below.

Dubble Fairtrade Chocolate is made by the first farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolate company, it is also the only chocolate bar with added Comic Relief! We have recently relaunched the website www.dubble.co.uk, a space for young people to change the world chunk by chunk by campaigning for Fairtrade! The Dubble website supports our other recent website launch www.papapaa.org which is a resource for teachers to teach about Fairtrade and cocoa.

In partnership with Comic Relief, Dubble has run several national competitions through UK schools to try to get young people to engage with the concept of Fairtrade in creative ways. These have included:-

Dubble Vision – a competition where young people came up with the storyboard for an advert. The winners got their adverts made for real with Samantha Mumba - you can see the amazing results on Dubble TV http://www.dubble.co.uk/funandgames/television.shtml

Chocolate Rappas – a competition where young people wrote and performed a rap to communicate the Fairtrade story. The winners got their raps professionally recorded with rap-star Shystie. You can hear the fantastic results on Dubble Radio http://www.dubble.co.uk/funandgames/radio.shtml

The success of these competitions has been down to teachers getting behind the idea and using the competitions as a practical project with their children. We are aiming to make the computer game competition a useful resource for ICT teachers, but we need some help to shape the competition.

With dubbly good wishes,

Ben Yeo
ben@divinechocolate.com
www.dubble.co.uk

4 Gainsford Street
London
SE1 2NE
0207 378 6550
 

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This Newsletter is produced by ICTeachers Ltd
Contact: md@icteachers.co.uk
Copyright ICTeachers 2006