USW Digital Champions
April Newsletter
Welcome!
In this month's newsletter Sarah Hawkins shares her Top Tip for April, Sarah Smart encourages you to explore new apps and Scott Hann explains how you could win £2000 for your school! Plus, in our Reading Corner Mat Pullen takes a look at Apple's announcements at their Keynote in Chicago.
By Sarah Hawkins
Pressure.
Imagine the scene...you’re at the front of the classroom providing input for a lesson. You’ve got to make sure you get the facts right so you play a Clips video to provide the input to the lesson so learners can meet the objective.
No pressure.
Using Clips can provide the teacher with
- time to monitor learners
- assurance that all key areas are covered
- full participation and engagement of learners
- time for class collaboration and discussion while the video is paused at key moments.
To give you an idea of what's possible, click here to watch a Clips video I made all about the Catapult Challenge!
If it’s something you’d like to use but are unsure how, contact any of the digital champions for help!
Follow Sarah @MrsHawkinsUSW
DVLA Code Challenge 2018
By Scott Hann
If you're a school or group that is keen to engage in a project that really could inspire your budding coders, why not register for the DVLA Code Challenge 2018?
The competition is open to schools, clubs and groups working with children aged 14 years or under based in Wales, and entrants have to create a game based on one of the following themes:
Fire Service
Build a game to identify fire hazards in the home and how to avoid them
Police – Tarian Rocu
Create a game to prevent the cyber criminal from hacking into your computer, and staying safe on the internet.
STEM
Planet Gaia is very fragile and you have to create a way to live on this planet, feed yourselves, keep warm, build homes, travel around, and make life comfortable without destroying the planet as this is your last chance of survival.
Air Ambulance
Build a game where you have to get the right air ambulance to the right hospital on time, deciding which helicopter to allocate (depending on its location) and which hospital to take the patient (based on the injury/illness)
Incredible Oceans
Killer whales are searching the sea for fish to eat, but instead they are encountering plastic everywhere. Build a game that tackles the problem and helps the killer whales survive.
The ARMY - MOD
There is an urgent need for humanitarian aid following an earthquake at one of Britain’s Overseas Territories 4000 miles away! Design a game that brings together all the Armed Forces trades to ensure your Unit can reach the area safely in order to support the re-building of the school.
Teams aged 7-11 years old will build their entry in SCRATCH, and teams in the 11-14 group design and build their entry in whatever language they prefer.
The competition closes 12th October 2018, so you still have plenty of time to take part!
With a potential £2000 prize for the winning group, why wouldn't you want your school to be joining in the fun?
If you're interested, you can read more about the DVLA Code Challenge at http://dvlacodechallenge.dvla.gov.uk/
Follow Scott @MrHannUSW
How 'appy' are your digital skills?
By Sarah Smart
I know we don’t get a lot of spare time, but whenever you do get some down time I strongly urge you to engage with new apps. It's much better to gain confidence in using them in your own time, rather than waiting until you're standing in front of a class of 30, and as a teacher you'll be even more pushed for time!
Enter the classroom equipped with knowledge that can help learning come to life for the learners. Impress your mentor and other staff by showing them how to use an app they haven’t used, or be able to confidently suggest ways technology can improve the learning taking place in the classroom.
Need pointing in the right direction?
Bring characters to life using the Morpho app! Use it to develop great reading skills or get the learners to record a voice-over for their characters - great to use as evidence of oracy skills. Maybe even get your class to demonstrate their Welsh speaking skills in the process, all easily evidenced!
Creating a mock CCTV video to hook learners at the start of a lesson is amazing, they know it isn’t 'real' but children are great at suspending disbelief so they'll love it all the same! If you do decide to get creative, we'd love to see what you've made! Send us your 'CCTV footage' and we'll feature it right here in future newsletters!
iTunes U has so many courses available to help with you with your CPD, and some of us have been using it to create a digital portfolio. Interested in finding out more? My code is ECR-BTJ-CMH - why not take a look?
There are thousands of apps to discover - if I can do it, so can you!
If you could benefit from advice, tips or just a little more confidence in using technology to benefit learners, drop us a message and we'll be happy to help you!
Follow Sarah @MissSmartUSW
The Reading Corner
Apple Updates for Education 2018
In his latest blog post, Mat Pullen explains what impact these announcements could have
https://mat6453.wordpress.com/2018/03/29/apple-updates-for-education-2018/
Would you like your blog featured in our next newsletter? Or maybe you know a blogger you'd like to nominate? Drop us a DM on twitter @USWDigitalChamp
Interested in joining the Digital Champions?
If you're enthusiastic, keen to develop your tech skills and willing to contribute in your spare time, why not become a Digital Champion?
Interested? Click here to express your interest and we'll be in touch!
If you're not sure or have any questions, get in touch @USWDigitalChamp - we don't bite! (usually)
Thanks for reading! We'll be back in May!
If you have any suggestions of technology, apps or strategies that have worked well for you, get in touch! We’d love to hear your experiences and winning ideas! Contact us via our twitter account @USWDigitalChamp
This newsletter was produced with contributions from Scott Hann, Sarah Hawkins and Sarah Smart. Many thanks to Mat Pullen for his blog.