I’ve just spent the last two days at the Drumossie Hotel, Inverness where I had the pleasure of talking with a considerable number of Gaelic teachers from around Scotland. There were delegates from Highland, Western Isles, Argyll & Bute, Glasgow, and East Dumbarton………..and probably some more.

I’ve been involved with various Gaelic teachers and advisors over the past few years due to the usefullness, in languages, of much of the software that we use in additional support needs. i.e. good multi-sensory, multimedia packages such as Textease and Clicker 5 which lend themselves to bookmaking, sentence construction, annotation, etc – and in any language you want. It’s so easy to record your own voice messages to these applications and teachers can use existing resources and make their own tailored to their own pupils.

I delivered 5 sessions on Textease – its use as a great interactive ‘blackboard’, how it can be used as the foundation and repository for ‘virtual topic boxes’ and its ease of use as a desktop publisher and presentation tool. Most teachers tell me that they had no idea the software could do all these things. A reflection of the prevelent notion that I often hear – that it’s a wee word processor for the infants!!!!!

My recommendation is that you take another look at this especially if you now have a digital projector in your classroom – you’ll not find a more flexible and easy-to-use package to prepare and deliver punchy teaching presentations.

The ’stuff’ I mentioned during the presentations can be found here.

I didn’t manage to attend SLF this year for a variety of reasons. I was really disappointed at not having the opportunity to link up with colleagues at the event but I am pleased that so many reports and links have flooded into my various feed collectors this week.

Firstly – the Keynote speeches and interviews with the speakers can be found here.

The very important and growing initiative that is Teachmeet. One of the short presentations at this year’s Teachmeet was Robert Jones making use of GoAnimate in maths. This fantastic summary of all of the features came in from David Muir.

See GLOW games at LTS GlowScotland page. Thanks Andrew Brown for the pointer – Wordpress, disappointingly, won’t allow embed code for me to post this myself.

The ever-present Ewan McIntosh provides his contributions in his own prolific manner.

John Connell comments on the ‘I can generation’ points in Charles Leadbetter’s keynote.

And there’s more………….maybe later!!!

Neil Winton’s work on Wikis to support CfE looked very interesting.

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Sandaig John provides a look into getting Web 2.0 tools into Glow.

Ollie Bray and Seonaid McGillivray presented on their Guitar Hear transition project…..

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Derek Robertson posts on the Dr Kawashima Challenge run at this year’s SLF.

My wife, who is expecting our second child, passed her due date yesterday without incident so we must now be getting very close to the event!!! As a result, last week was spent in anticipation and I could only manage local visits. This week looks to be shaping up in much the same way. Apologies to those of you waiting for a visit!!

I’ve been using the time productively though. We’ve registered our other ‘new baby’ -  WriteOnline from Crick software and are readying ourselves to deliver some training in its use as well as getting it out to some pupils. This on-line word processor with speech output, prediction, and topic word-grid support allows a pupil to work at any Internet enabled computer. So working between home and school should become easy. There’s no software to install and what the pupil has at school will be exactly the same as they will see it at home.

Actually there is much more to this application than we first realised. There’s online storage space for files, free resources on many common curricular topics, and facilities to enable both pupil and teacher to comment on work in progress.

Can’t help feeing that this would sit beautifully inside GLOW to provide an excellent all-round writing support tool that would enhance inclusion on a number of levels. Must speak to Learning & Teaching Scotland about this!!!

We’ve also been looking very closely at Clicker 5. Although this has been around for quite some time now it’s only recently that schools in Highland have been getting it on refreshed equipment in any numbers. We will be delivering training in the use of this software very soon – watch out for news in the CPD calendar. Clicker 5 has a vast array of ready-made materials that are free to download but is also supported with add-on packs that cover early language development, ESL, common topics, as well as many inclusion features for pupils with additional support needs. It’s a real step up from the already excellent Clicker 4.

Strathpeffer was the centre of attention yesterday: Doug Dickinson was in town (village just doesn’t sound right!) and tickets for two Kaiser Chiefs‘ gigs went on sale. I think whoever secured the Kaisers’ gig for the rejuvinated Strathpeffer Pavilion is very smart – injecting new life-blood and providing what young people want into such a historical, and perhaps, perceived traditional building must be one of the best ways to maintain it as a venue and secure its future. It made me ask what we are doing, as agents of educational development, to keep abreast of and maintain the interests of young people in our schools?

I had ‘booked’ Doug to talk to some of our school leaders about the use of ICT for today’s learners and the ways in which it may help them meet futures that are less predictable than ever before. The talks were, in equal measure, frank, provocative, interesting, and amusing. Doug raised many issues and challenges, as well as suggestions for our school leaders about how we can maintain our schools as relevant, exciting venues for learning.

Using the recently published outcomes for literacy and technologies from Curriculum for Excellence, Doug exemplified ways in which teachers and students could utilise a variety of tools to develop a multimodal approach and to capitalise on the ‘white space’ for learning that exists within the new structures. The new guidelines make specific mention of the use of text messages, blogs and social networking sites, web pages, catalogues and directories, and that, It is essential that all practitioners, in each sector, in each department and in all settings, find opportunities to apply reinforce and extend ICT skills. Accordingly, there needs to be serious reassessment of attitudes to, and practice in the usage and overall place of ICT in our schools. Teachers need to be better equipped, i.e. know the right techniques and have the correct equipment to make use of ICT for teaching and learning within their classrooms. This necessitates teachers making the decisions about what ICT they need rather than technical support teams specifying equipment and the levels of availability of software tools and content on their behalf.

Doug suggested that students will find ways to bypass any technology barriers schools put in their way – if they haven’t already done so. Current ‘block and stop’ practices such as overbearing Internet filtering, and a limited range of appropriate tools will make them look elsewhere for the information they need and for ways to use their chosen methods of communication. It is through educational support that children will learn how to appropriately use and be safe on the Internet rather than by, as he put it, ‘removing all the knives from the kitchen’.

I’m looking forward to the formal feedback from the day, but from discussions I had over coffee and lunch with a number of those present, there didn’t seem to be much disagreement.

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Read Doug’s own blog here.

Notes, links, files mentioned or used during Doug’s presentations in no particular order.

As previously mentioned – also appearing in Strathpeffer (although not everyone’s happy about it): Kaiser Chiefs - Listen here: Time Honoured Tradition or Modern Way

Book your tickets here.

ps – Good luck to Doug with his participation in the British Orienteering Championships being held in Culbin Forest (by Nairn).

pps – Well done

The ATS Service has arranged a training day to help schools prepare for the inevitable increase in the number of pupils with Additional Support Needs who will opt to sit their exams using ICT.

Our friends at the CALL Centre, Edinburgh University have been developing this work with the SQA over a number of years now and have delivered training to large numbers of staff from schools around the country.

The Highland day is set for Tuesday 10th June and we hope to offer all our secondary schools a couple of places at this important event. The details of the course can be seen on the CPD Calendar but we’re targeting this at PTs of Support for Learning and SQA Co-ordinators.

Some of the schools who have been using digital question papers have begun to create interactive digital versions of other resources such as Prelims, NABs and worksheets and so we will look at tools and techniques for creating such resources.

The course presenters will be:

Paul Nisbet, Senior Research Fellow, Communication Aids for Language and Learning (CALL) Centre

Patricia McDonald, SQA Project Manager, National Qualifications Product Development

Margaret Dearman, Support for Learning, Buckie High School

Related links:

CALL Centre: http://callcentrescotland.org.uk

SQA Digital Exam Papers: http://www.AdaptedDigitalExams.org.uk

Books for All: http://www.booksforall.org.uk

Books for All blog: http://pauln.edublogs.org/

Doug Dickinson is to speak with 40 Highland Heads and Deputes this Friday – he’s on a bit of a tour and we’re glad he’s able to come north to see us. He’s actually delivering in Strathpeffer Community Centre but the trip was organised via the Dingwall Office so I’ll allow him the alliteration in his latest post.

Dumfries (and Galloway), Dundee, Dunbarton (well nearly) and Dingwall … a Scottish tour !

Monday with over 100 teachers in Dumfries. Their first day back after the Easter holidays but what enthusiasm. We explored the changing definitions of text in educational contexts and looked at the wider picture illustrated by Article 13 of the UN Charter for children. This led us to look at the way Textease Studio CT handles multimodality, in particular the power of adding sound to text in a variety of ways.

Keeping reading records as ‘live’ sound recordings was the innovation here as many teachers had not imagined that they had the technology to do this simply and quickly. Tuesday in Dundee with 60 or so enthusiasts in a fantastically impressive hall with a huge presentation screen. Again we looked at the way Curriculum for Excellence had a clear focus towards the future and how the definitions of text opened up opportunities to look at multimodality, blogging and social networking.

More from Doug on his blog at dougmuses.

I’m looking forward to Friday!!

The ATS Service had the pleasure this week of spending two days with staff from one of our special schools. We met with nine staff over the two days and made use of the excellent facilities and surroundings of The Storehouse of Foulis.

The time had been set aside to help raise ICT awareness and build confidence in deploying the various technologies in the context of teaching and learning for the wide range of pupils who attend the school. Writing about the days like this doesn’t reflect the buzz that existed as the teachers immediately saw the possibilities such tools could have for themselves and their pupils. I certainly left with new ideas as a result of the discussions and feedback we received.

All the teachers made voice recordings using Audacity software, took and downloaded photographs before making use of these in other software applications such as Jigworks, ChooseIt Maker2, and Softease Presenter. We painted using 2Paint a Picture and published using 2Publish+ from 2Simple software, looked at the benefits of click and drag software, Comic Life for picture story telling, and so on……..

The idea behind building confidence in these areas was to look beyond the keyboard and ‘through’ the technology to the opportunities for the pupils to express themselves and to give teachers a variety of tools to help build alternative resources – to change the way we teach and the way we allow the children to learn.

One teacher’s comments on the morning session.

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There’s some discussion now to be had back at school then we aim to follow up, in more detail, any of the strands the teachers want to further develop.

Due to an ongoing staff shortage it has been impossible to run the courses that we normally do throughout the year. However, we we’ve been having withdrawal symptoms from not being in contact with teachers and schools for CPD and have decided to put together a few days which we hope will be useful.

First up, we’ve invited independent ICT consultant, Doug Dickinson , to speak to Head Teachers about developments and new technologies that will affect our schools over the next few years. He’s going to talk about the educational use of multimedia tools, podcasts, and social networking. Doug’s a non-techie ICT supporter and he’s very enthusiastic about getting the most exciting tools for teaching into the classroom. We hope the Heads who attend will be able to guide their teachers towards the integration of such tools throughout the curriculum and across all subject areas. (18 April, 2008 – am & pm sessions)

Under our own steam, we’re offering up 6 dates for courses – two of which are ‘out of hours CPD’ as they’re to be held during the first week of the summer holiday.

Switching on to the digital classroom. (12 May, 2008 & 30 June, 2008) An opportunity for teachers who want to develop their use of ICT in terms of presentation of materials via data projectors and wireless technology/interactive whiteboards. Teachers will have the chance to consider how they can develop teaching and learning materials as well as having the opportunity to see and use a range of software resources that may be new to them.

Clicker 5. (4 June, 2008) Although Highland hasn’t upgraded to Clicker 5 many schools have gone ahead and bought this much improved version of the software. Clicker 5 works slightly differently from its earlier versions and so those making their own materials will benefit from this day where the ‘edit mode’ and its functions will be explored. We’ll also be able to show participants many of the available resource packs that are available and how to make use of the re-vamped ‘learning grids’ website for the obtaining and sharing of resources. If time permits there will be a chance to see and use the WriteOnline and the New to English materials produced by Crick software.

Blogs, Podcasts, and Wikis. (5 June, 2008 & 1 July, 2008) A day for teachers who have not already used or started a blog, recorded a podcast, or worked on a wiki. We’ll hopefully have participants starting their own blog and wiki pages during the day and giving consideration to how these might be useful within the classroom or as a professional development tool. It’s hoped that we’ll evaluate the day by way of a podcast rather than in the traditional paper-based way. This is a ‘high participation’ day so we’d ask those signing up to come along prepared to talk and write about matters that are important to them!!! We’ll fit in as many Web 2.0 gizmos as we can – all for fun!!!

Creating Audio (Resources). (20 June, 2008) We hope to get teachers making use of the audio options that are available to them in their computers to: create podcasts, talking books, responses from pupils. We’ll look at how Windows Media Player and iTunes can, by themselves and in combination with MP3 players/iPods, support teaching and learning through the accessing of downloadable podcasts, stored music, video, slideshows. One discrete section of the day will look at the setting up of an audio library – an important inclusion strategy for all schools to consider to help promote the engagement of poor/reluctant readers with literature.

We hope to see some of you on these days!!!

I’ve just returned from two very interesting days at Stirling Management Centre where Learning & Teaching Scotland hosted an event for members of the Scottish ICT Development Group (SICTDG) on the theme of Future Technologies.

John Low, Andrew Brown and Derek Robertson from LTS put together a range of new applications, games, and presenters who are breaking new ground with their efforts in teaching and learning through ICT.

The technologies being discussed and on display were certainly not of the future but of the here and now. Most was included for its potential to become part of the kitbag of tools demanded by our new curriculum. All had the potential to help teachers and pupils achieve the outcomes envisaged under Curriculum for Excellence.

Main topics, many of which have featured already in this blog, were:

(Please note that while links to pages may be useful for teachers they may not be suitable for browsing by pupils or for use within a school environment.)

Ultra mobile PCs for 1:1 learning (Asus minibook and Samsung Q1Ultra)

Blogging & tracking of blogs and online tools such as Avatar creation and comic strip software.

Educational benefits from Games technology

Islay High School Schools of Ambition project

Geotagging

Virtual worlds technology such as Teen Second Life

Read (and comment on) the LTS Future Technologies Blog here for detailed information and outward links to areas of interest.

Our colleagues at CALL produce a regular update on new and interesting developments in the world of assistive technology. Here are a few sections from their latest publication. The complete New in CALL booklet can be downloaded here.

Making Accessible Books for All

In April 2007 the CALL Centre completed a project to investigate the need for, and availability of, learning resources in accessible alternative formats for pupils with additional support needs. The project was funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department and the report was published on the Scottish Executive web site* (and the CALL web site) in June 2007.

Local authorities are obliged to consider how they can provide material in suitable alternative formats for pupils with disabilities ‘if the pupil may have difficulty reading information provided in standard written form’. Many local authorities provide learning materials in Braille, enlarged text or audio format to visually impaired students and Disability Discrimination legislation requires consideration of how this provision can be extended to any pupil who has difficulty reading or accessing information. (Read more.)

Using Technology in SQA Exams

Every year thousands of students in Scottish schools require ‘reasonable adjustments’ to sit SQA exams. Many of these students are using technology to assist with reading and writing tasks on a daily basis in school, but have to use a reader or scribe in exams. (Read more.)

Assistive Technology on YouTube

The YouTube web site is not just a collection of video clips of teenage girls lip-synching into hair brushes and boys pulling faces – there is also a lot of material that is interesting and useful for people using technology to support people with disabilities.

AbilityNet, for example, have set up their own page on YouTube with a small collection of their own videos (mostly tutorial material for using the screenreader) and links to their ‘Favourites’. The favourites are particularly interesting with links to over 100 video clips of people using or talking about assistive technology. (Read more.)

Introduction to Clicker Phonics

Clicker Phonics is a new set of add-ons for Clicker 5 that provide a comprehensive set of resources for use with any phonics scheme (though it is based on the Jolly Learning scheme). A total of six CDs are available, under the headings Get Ready! & Get Set!

(Read more.)

Go to the Clicker website to read about Clicker Phonics.

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