The future of digital learning at Bishop Gore

As this is the last blog post of the year, it is quite timely to review our progress in terms of digital technology. A summary of the developments so far are as follows:

Year 13 pupils all have access to their own iPad, with plans being discussed to extend this provision to our year 12 pupils as well.

Over 200 iPads are available for use by years 7 and 8 pupils.

Plans are being drawn up for other year groups to have access to iPads, with the aim of us being a 1:1 school with all pupils having their own device for use at home and at school.

A new Mac Music and Art studio has been set up containing a number of iMacs, music keyboards and so on.

We have started to replace interactive whiteboards with LCD televisions.

All of the initiatives above are very exciting and x their introduction into the classroom environment has created a very positive feeling BUT the key issue now is to ensure that the new technology has an impact on learning. To do this we must ensure that:

Pupils and staff have the skills required to identify when accessing digital technology will impact positively on learning, in much the same way as carrying a pencil case and deciding when to use it and what to use.

Following on from the last point, pupils and staff need access to the technology when they need it and not have to queue/book.

Pupils and staff need to be aware of the apps that are available that will impact on learning. Often these are ‘generic’ and not subject specific in that they can be used across most disciplines.

The digital technology needs to be used as a bridge between school and home. Parents and carers need to be involved in learning and this provides us with an excellent opportunity to do so.

Learning and teaching has to change in order to exploit the best elements of digital technology. Pupils, parents and carers can now access learning in a way we never imagined to be possible and the way in which we, as teachers, plan learning activities has to change fundamentally in order to facilitate this.

Finally, to be successful, digital technology needs to be combined with the other teaching and learning strategies that have been developed over the years.

We are at a crucial stage of our development in terms of the use of digital technology. The future is extremely exciting and we must ensure that Bishop Gore is not left behind.

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Another busy week

This has been one of those weeks that has been both exhausting and incredibly exciting.

On Tuesday, we had a wonderful training session led by Sarah Reece from Casllwchwr Primary School. The theme of the session was the impact of iPad technology on literacy and numeracy. Sarah showed us a range of apps that she uses in her school, all of which have real links to the development of literacy and numeracy skills. It was obvious that these are making a huge impact in Casllwchwr and it our challenge to implement these strategies in Bishop Gore.

On Thursday, we held our Sixth Form Open Evening. This was an undoubted success with a huge turnout from pupils, parents and carers from our school and other institutions. It really is important that we continue to develop our sixth form provision as we all believe that the 11-18 learning environment is so important for our pupils to experience. This evening proved that there is very strong support for our sixth form and bodes well for the future.

 

 

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Digital parents and carers

As we progress through the term, the important role that digital technology plays in learning is becoming ever more evident.

Pupils and staff are developing an increasing range of digital skills with an iPad often being as important as a pen or pencil in an increasing number of lessons.

The next stage for us is to ensure that parents and carers feel able to play a role in digital learning.

The graphic above highlights how digital learning that takes place in school can also involve parents and carers. As can be seen, pupils and teachers are using a range of apps to help with their learning and now, as these resources are digital, it should be easy for us to involve parents. This is our next challenge.

 

 

 

 

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Autumn video newsletter........

Autumn Newsletter from Bishop Gore on Vimeo.

 

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End of a digital half term

It only does seem like yesterday when we we returned to school after the summer break and it's half term already!

Over the last few weeks, we have seen some major developments in the way in which we use digital technology in learning.

• Our year 13 pupils now all have iPads which they can use at school and at home
• Year 7 and 8 pupils now have access to iPads on a 1:1 basis for their development block and other work
• Our pupils for whom English is an additional language, now have access to iPads throughout all lessons
• A number of staff now have access to ipads

As you may have read in previous posts, the intention is to move towards a sitaution where every pupil has access to an ipad in the near future.

We look forward to seeing all pupils when we return on Monday 4th November and to sharing with you the next stage of our digital journey.

 

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1:1

We are beginning to see how access to iPads is having a positive impact on learning outcomes as pupils access those that are available in school. We have seen some highly creative use of iPads by our pupils, with the best use being when they are able to have access to the device when it is needed for their learning. Having to book a device or a room is simply not good enough any more as pupils require access to digital technology when they feel they need it most.

The solution is to ensure that all pupils have access to iPads, at any time, without having to share. To be able to achieve this, we are currently working with the eLearning Foundation to develop a programme which would allow all pupils to have access to an ipad at home and at school. This would be funded by a system of donations from those parents and carers who are able and wish to participate in the scheme.

Here is a short video explaining how the programme works. Our governors have discussed this briefly and will be meeting again in November to look at the programme in more detail.

 

An introduction to the elearning foundation initiative. from Bishop Gore on Vimeo.

If you have any questions about this exciting initiative, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

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Developing learning

It is amazing how time flies. It is just over a year since we launched Curriculum 2012. This is our new skills based approach to learning in Key Stage Three. The model offers pupils the opportunity to learn in two main formats:

Learning Blocks - skills and knowledge delivered in subject areas

Development Blocks - skills-based thematic projects drawing on the work completed in learning blocks

As the model has now been in operation for just over a year, it will now involve years seven and eight pupils.

The development block challenges (which have been designed by our staff) offer pupils incredibly exciting opportunities to extend their knowledge, skills and understanding. What is different this year is that, as pupils are working through their challenges, they will all have access to an ipad (whereas last year they had to share). We feel that the impact that this level of access to digital technology will have is bound to have a huge impact on the outcomes from this already very successful curriculum model.

If you would like to know more about the way in which we are developing learning and teaching at Bishop Gore please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

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Music for all

At Bishop Gore, we recognise how important music is. The benefits of performing are well known. However, the wider impact on learning in other subjects is also something that taking part in such an activity brings.

Recently, our amazingly talented peripatetic music staff, together with some of our pupils and staff, performed a taster concert for our new year 7 pupils.

 

Music Showcase At Bishop Gore from Ryan Davies on Vimeo.

No charge is made for music tuition at Bishop Gore; all we ask for in return is a commitment to participating in the numerous performing arts activities which take place throughout the year. This is a small 'price' to pay for first class tuition, access to fun and enjoyable activities and also the 'spin off' in terms of the impact it makes on other subjects and learning.

The importance of music should not be under-estimated!

 

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i-Assembly

Today we held the first of out i-assemblies with our sixth form pupils. Our year 13 pupils have all been issued with their own ipad which they are expected to use to help with their learning at school and at home.

The i-assemblies give our pupils the opportunity to have a say in how the use of iPads is developed in school. The assembly is led by the pupils, who present their suggestions to be considered by a panel of staff.

Here is a short video of today's assembly-

Year 13 I-assembly from Ryan Davies on Vimeo.

Some of the ideas put forward today include having the YouTube app installed, allowing music to be downloaded and allowing pupils to download apps themselves through their own iTunes account. There is certainly a lot to think about. It is so good to see our pupils taking control of their learning.

 

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New year and a new start.....

It is great to see so many pupils returning to our sixth form. All sixth form pupils have been faced with quite a few changes on their return....

Last year, after meeting with our senior prefects, it was decided to do something that would get the sixth from noticed around the school and in the wider community. One simple idea was to relaunch the school sixth form uniform. The sixth form tie (which was worn a number of years ago) has been resurrected, with all pupils now wearing black trousers/skirts and a white shirt. It is amazing how you can plan many complicated initiatives in order to make some kind of impact in a school but it is often the simple things that make the biggest difference - the sixth form uniform is a good example of this.

Another major change to our sixth form provision has been providing all of our year 13 pupils with an iPad. The intention is that they use this in all aspects of their studies as they build up to their final examinations in June. On Monday 23rd September we shall be holding our first of our regular monthly i-assemblies with our sixth form pupils. This will give our pupils the chance to present their throughts on the apps they are using at the moment and the apps they would like to use. If their argument is convincing enough, the changes they propose will be made. This is their opportunity to influence how digital technology can impact on their learning.

Exciting times!

 

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Happy New Year!

At the start of another academic year, there is so much for us to look forward to. We are very pleased with the results which were published in August and are now working hard to ensure we improve on these still further this year.

Over the past few months we have invested heavily in ensuring that our pupils and staff have access to the technology that will enable us to provide the outstanding learning opportunities which we aspire to. We are all really excited about the fact that pupils and staff will now have access to iPads and a whole school wireless network and know this will make a real impact on learning.

What is important is the fact that we recognise that these developments will only make the desired impact if they are used as a tool alongside the many other learning and teaching strategies which we have in place. Used effectively, they will make a huge impact - but not on their own.

Our year 13 pupils will be the first year group to have 1:1 access to iPads throughout the school day. It will be very interesting to see the impact this will make on their learning and how they will quite quickly become 'digital leaders' for the rest of the school.

This year promises so much already!

 

 

 

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What a year!

Here is a short video which was used in our last assembly. The images are taken from our Twitter feed.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

End Of Term Video from Ryan Davies on Vimeo.

 

 

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Developing our vision for ilearning

The impact of iPad technology as a learning and teaching tool is one that is recognised as being important to the whole school community. Using iPads will help us to deliver our aim to offer highly personalised learning experiences to all pupils. It is a tool that will help drive learning, but it is not the only tool available to pupils, teachers and parents and carers. The iPad at Bishop Gore will be as important as the pencil case was in previous years.

An i-day in the life of a Bishop Gore pupil:

Digital leaders are sent from their form base to a year office to collect the iPad boxes which are then distributed to pupils during form time. Pupils log-on, check their gmail for feedback and instructions. They share notes using Notability taken during lessons yesterday with a pupil who was absent. The teacher marks the register with the iPad and then displays the daily bulletin on the screen.

During their first lesson, the class teacher undertakes an experiment which many of the pupils choose to record. They later edit and annotate the video using iMovie and share it with the teacher, who gives them feedback on their work. Pupils share their movies with the whole class by linking to the Apple TV box. Some of the pupils have taken photographs of the experiment which they manipulate using Skitch. The teacher thinks it is really important to highlight this work to parents and carers and messages them with this information.

During their next lesson, the teacher allows the pupils to work on their project. The pupils are using Book Creator to create an interactive multi-media project. Some of the pupils have asked for additional input as they are finding a concept difficult. The teacher has recorded an explanation using ShowMe which she shares with the class. Some of the class watch this in their own time.

As part of the next lesson, the pupils have been asked to read and make notes on their set text. They are using ibooks and the annotation facility within this. The teacher wishes to check that the pupils have annotated their work correctly – pupils search for their annotations and email them to the teacher as one document. Pupils have to work through the next chapter for homework, they put this in to their calendar – which allows their parents and carers to see this at home as well.

On entering their next lesson, the pupils notice a series of new displays around the room. The teacher tells them that their lesson is going to be delivered using the displays and tells them where to start – which they do by scanning a QR code using QR reader with their iPad. The QR code directs them to a website and instructions for further activities follow. They are asked to scan a particular display using Aurasma which in term takes them to a series of short video clips which enhance the display. Pupils are making notes using Notability which they will use later when completing their homework (they use their dictionary app to check their spelling). As part of their research, pupils use BBC News to investigate a relevant article on the topic.

At the end of the day, digital leaders collect the iPads and return the boxes to the year office where they are recharged ready for the next day.

At home, parents and carers access the Google accounts of the pupils and can see all of the work that has been uploaded during the day. They quickly check the calendar and tasks for any homework and messages from teachers.

Some of the class teachers have asked pupils to share their work – which they then annotate using Notability and send back to the pupils.

And this is only the beginning…………………………..

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Review Day the digital way

As we approach the final two weeks of the academic year, there are a number of events which are due to take place in this final , busy period. One of the key events is our Review Day, which is taking place next Thursday (11th July). This is a day for the pupils, parents and carers of years 7, 8 and 10 to review learning targets and set further targets for the next few months (y9 and sixth form pupils have a normal timetable that day).

Review Day has made a big impact at Bishop Gore. The fact that the form tutor is able to pull together so much data on each pupil and present this is the form of learning targets during the meeting, means that pupils and parents and carers are able to get a clear and concise overview of learning progress across all areas. It is really interesting to note that the attendance at Review Day is always over 85% whilst attendance in our traditional parents evenings is around 40%.

Whilst our Review Day model has been very successful, it certainly puts a strain on resources - especially paper. We use reams of paper to print out the data required for the day. In addition to this, letters, target sheets, appointment lists and so on are all are printed on paper.

Using technology would significantly reduce the amount of paper and provide an even better quality experience for pupils, parents and carers. For example:

Review Day appointments could be made and confirmed online

Data could be shared during the meeting using a tablet - meaning it is up-to-date and allows access to a wider range of data

Targets sheets can be completed using a tablet and then emailed to parents and carers, pupils and other teachers

Technology will never replace the personal contact that is so important in education, but it can help to make a more effective and efficient experience for all.

 

 

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Exam fever....

Well, that's it for another exam season. Tuesday saw the last external exam being sat. Pupils have, once again, responded so positively to what is, a very challenging period.

Some basic exam facts:

• The formal exam period started on May 13th and ended on 25th June
• 121 different exams/papers were sat
• The largest exam was the GCSE RS short course with 206 candidates
• To reflect the multicultural nature of the school exams were sat in Begali, Persian, Portuguese, Urdu, Arabic, Dutch in addtional to Spanish, French and Welsh
• The longest exam was 3hours (AEA Maths) and the shortest was 35 minutes (languages listening exams).

We now await the results in August with A level/BTEC results day being on Thursday 15th August and GCSE/BTEC the following Thursday (22nd). Judging by the positive way pupils have approached the exams, I am sure they will do well.

Now our thoughts turn to the 'prom' and celebrating with our year 11 pupils their time with us at Bishop Gore. They deserve a party!

 

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Distance revision

 

It is that time of year when pupils who are sitting external exams are working 'flat-out' as they prepare for that final test.

In the past, if pupils wanted to see teachers to discuss any issues with revision they may have it often involved waiting until the school was in session and then hoping the teacher concerned was free at that moment. This often resulted in extra stress for the pupil who really needed to have contact as the revision was being undertaken.

This has all changed now as pupils and teachers are demonstrating that digital technology can help bridge the gap between self and supported study. A good example came in the form of one of our year 11 pupils who was recently preparing for an Economics exam. He was working through a past paper at home and needed feedback from his teacher. He decided to take an image of his response, he then uploaded this in to Edmodo (a social learning platform used by the school), where he has able to get instant feedback.

Once again, we see pupils leading the way when it comes to developing creative digital responses to learning. Fantastic!

 

 

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Blast Off!

Bishop Gore Head's Blog from Ryan Davies on Vimeo.

 

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End of a digital half term

So much has happened this half term with, once again, the impact of digital learning playing a key role.

Our pupils and staff are beginning to use iPads to make a real impact on learning. A good example of this was the recent development block (Blast Off) which offered pupils the first real opportunity to use our brand new iPads. Even at this early stage, and with a limited range of apps, pupils really did demonstrate the power of iPads as a learning tool.

During the week, pupils worked on a wide range of tasks, combining the best elements of traditional project work with the highly creative and flexible use of digital technology. The enjoyment amongst the pupils was obvious and there was much evidence of high level learning. This surely is the model for learning in the future.

 

Above you can see parents and carers enjoying the self created PE display as part of the project. The involvement of our parents and carers in development block projects has been another positive feature of our new curriculum model.

Have a good half term break.

 

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Our brilliant pupils!

Our pupils have, once again, demonstrated their extraordinary talents in a very successful day at the Teen Tech event which was held at the Liberty stadium. Pupils from years 8 and 9 won 6 out of the 10 overall prizes with competition from over 30 schools from West Wales to Newport, including:

- Best Engineering award

- Airbus Design award

- Best innovated app

- Best overall app

- Chemistry Innovation award

- JVC awards

Mrs Stevens led the day and commented:

"They all did us very proud and their behaviour was exemplary. They thoroughly enjoyed the day."

Another example of the wonderful talents of our pupils came in the recent 'Side by Side' productions at the Grand Theatre. Here is a comment from Mrs Williams that sums up just how amazing our pupils are:

"We know how brilliant our pupils are but we demonstrated that in spades both on and off the stage at The Grand this evening. They were an absolute credit and their discipline and maturity whilst waiting to perform was exemplary and especially backstage and in the wings".

Our pupils are excellent ambassadors for the school and continually demonstrate the high standards we aspire to at Bishop Gore. Well done to them all and a huge thank you to the teaching and support staff who support events such as those above; as,without this support, these opportunities would simply not exist.

 

 

 

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The future of Post 16 learning

I had a brilliant meeting last week with our new head boy and girl (Callum and Sophie). We talked about many of the issues surrounding sixth form provision and plans for the future.

One of the if issues facing any post 16 provider is ensuring the viability of all courses. The financial pressure is such that courses are faced with closure if numbers are too low.

One of the possible solutions we are considering is using digital technology to enable pupils to access learning. Our vision would be to issue iPads to all of our sixth form pupils. Sophie and Callum both agreed that this would have a major impact on the quality of their learning experiences and would fundamentally change the way lessons are delivered. It was also agreed that the use of digital technology would help pupils to organise themselves as well!

In terms of those courses that are not running could a combination of face-to-face teaching combined with digital learning outside the classroom be the answer? We think so and it something which we are going to focus on over the next few months.

 

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Traditional v Digital Workflow

Over the past few weeks, we have seen how digital technology is having a huge impact on many people's lives.

For example, during the recent measles vaccination clinic at Bishop Gore, there was a great deal of press attention. It was amazing to see just how reliant members of the press were on using technology. The reporter from the Guardian, (together with his MacBook) used our reception area as his mobile office for most of the day!

How far are we from being a paperless school? I think you could argue that no school will ever be completely 'paperless' but digital technology is certainly moving us in that direction. The following video highlights the impact moving away from reliance on paper could have in the classroom:

 

 

 

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The world-wide power of iPads

Much has been written about the power of iPads in the learning process but there is nothing better than seeing them in action. In the following brilliant video, iPads can be seen making a real impact in schools in South Africa. Truly inspirational!

 

 

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16th April 2013

We all enjoy having holidays but when so much is going on in school it is also good to be back!

You should have received a text message regarding the measles vaccinations that we are offering in school on Wednesday and Thursday his week. If your son/daughter has brought a letter home, this means the ABMU trust has identified that they need to have the vaccination. I would urge you to return the letter in order to ensure all pupils have the best level of protection possible.

This term will see us continuing on our iPad journey as we aim to provide our pupils and staff with access to the best mobile digital learning tools there are. Here is an interesting graphic describing the route we could take over the next few months:

Source: Mike Elliott mikeondigital.com

 

 

 

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15th April 2013

Here is my latest blog entry in video format. Let me know what you think!

Bishop Gore Head's Blog. 15th April 2013. from Ryan Davies on Vimeo.

 

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Taking teaching to a new level

There are so many apps out there, the choice is often bewildering. Every now and then, you stumble across an app that really causes you to stop and think about the power that it has to change the way learning takes place in school (and at home). Nearpod is one such app.

I have spent the last few days investigating the amazing features of this app and have to say, it is incredible. The app allows teachers to create interactive presentations, which pupils access on their iPads in class. The presentation can be quite exciting but it is the interactive nature of this app that really does set it apart.

Consider the situation in our school at the moment. Lots of teachers will spend a great deal of time creating presentations and so on. These, whilst a huge improvement on the presentations of years ago, are still teacher centred, learners have to move at the pace of the presentation regardless of their learning needs. In addition to this, the teacher will have to rely on pupils responding to questions and will often not have the time to question everyone.

Nearpod allows pupils to move through presentations at their own pace. They can review parts of the presentation that they feel need more work. The teacher can set assessment tasks within the presentation and, as the pupils complete these, instant feedback is given to the teacher enabling a more personalised approach.

The future of learning is so exciting.

Twitterific!

We are increasingly using Twitter as a means of communication at Bishop Gore and we now have nearly 600 followers, with this number increasing on a weekly basis.

Twitter is used by us in a number of different ways:

One of the most interesting ways is the 'live Tweet' which is where we use Twitter to give regular updates on events. We used this recently to great effect in our Eisteddfod and our Talent Unleashed concert. We plan to use this this more and more - including in this week's Presentation Evening.

Pupils, parents and carers have also started to use Twitter to communicate with us. We often receive Tweets on Sunday asking 'what week are we on next week' and so on. It really is helping to improve our communication channels with members of our community.

It will be interesting to see how the use of Twitter as a teaching and learning tool develops. Pupils being able to ask questions before, during and after a lesson will hopefully become an important part of the pedagogy at Bishop Gore.

Meanwhile, if you haven't done so yet, please follow us on @bishopgore!

Pupils lead the way in being responsible digital citizens

We had a brilliant day last Friday. Our annual Eisteddfod took place and was a fantastic celebration of our Welsh culture and emphasised the importance we place on this at Bishop Gore. We also held the launch event for our latest year 7 development block entitled 'Footprints'. The school is always a special place to be, but even more so on Friday.

Sadly, some people who really have nothing to do with the school, decided to spread malicious and completely untrue rumours using Faecebook and Twitter. Apparently, we were not celebrating St David's Day.......... Of course, we thought this was hilarious until the comments became highly personal, targeting individuals and groups within the school.

As is always the way at Bishop Gore, we shrugged this off and carried on with what really matters - learning together as a community. It did upset us, we were angry but we never allowed it get the better of us.

If there ever was a time when our pupils could have used social media in a negative way, it was last Friday. When they read (as many of them did) the disgusting comments made about Bishop Gore, they could have joined in. This didn't happen, pupils that did contribute to the discussion responded in a mature and accurate manner - unlike those many years older than them that caused such upset.

Our pupils have proved that they are truly responsible digital citizens.

Work experience

Our year 10 pupils are undertaking their work experience this week. This is a really important week for them and I am sure they will make the positive impression that our pupils always do on this week.

Wouldn't it be fantastic if all of our pupils were equipped with an ipad as they completed this week? For example, they would be able to record observations from their experience, interview work colleagues, upload and send information back to school, keep a diary and so on. Often, on return to school, pupils tend to forget much of the detail from the experiences of the week - using a iPad would help to to ensure their experiences are recorded in one place and will be also easily shared with others on their return.

One of our problems as teachers, is ensuring that we visit all of the pupils when they are on placement - with iPads we could FaceTime or Skype pupils and their supervisors as they complete the week (as well as trying to visit them all).

What do you think?

Creative pupils

One thing that continues to amaze me is the way in which our pupils use social networking in such a fluent and creative way. What is annoying is the fact that the negative issues surrounding social networking sites are often the only ones which are reported. There has been (and still is) innappopriate use of sites such as Facebook, Twitter and so on. Those that do behave in this way are wrong and need to accept that they can often do a great deal of harm. On the other hand, there are so many outstanding examples of pupils using social networking in a way which is making a phenomenal impact on their learning.

This half term, I have noticed just how many of our pupils have accessed our school Twitter account, often asking questions to ensure that they are ready for learning. During the last week many of our pupils and staff have used Edmodo - it has been so exciting to see learning taking place using this platform.

Let's not ignore the obvious resource that is our pupils. They often have the solutions to the communication problems we are puzzling over!

Finally, just to emphasise how much talent is out there, take a look at the following Ted video in which 12-year-old Thomas Suarez talks about the apps he has made and how he is now using his skills to help other app developers. This just goes to prove that we need to encourage such talent and not put up barriers.

http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_suarez_a_12_year_old_app_developer.html

Half term - or not......

That went quickly! This is our last day as we break up for half term and we all return to school on Monday 18th February.

For many of our pupils, there will not be a half term break as they will be involved in various activities including extra coursework sessions in school supported by our wonderful LSAs and teaching staff. Some of our pupils will be taking part in the Technocamps Enterprise Bootcamp at the university.

It just goes to prove that the traditional model of learning only taking place in the classroom during 'normal' timetabled lessons is rapidly disappearing.

Mobile learning

It is quite simply amazing to see the growth in the use of personal technology in school. We allow pupils to bring phones/tablets and so on into school as we all recognise the impact these can have on learning.

I remember 5 years ago, some of our pupils were not behaving in a responsible way when using technology which was causing a number of problems. This resulted in us trying to enforce a complete ban on mobile technology - which lasted only a few days! It quite quickly became apparent that pupils would continue to use their mobile regardless of any school policy - attempting to ban them was futile. More importantly, recognising the impact on learning that could be made by integrating this technology into teaching was an important step for us as a school. in addition to this, it was recognised that the school could play a role in teaching pupils how to use these responsibly.

Now we are in the position where pupils are using their iPads, Smartphones, Galaxy tablets and so on in the canteen, on the fields, in corridors and, of course, in classes. It is wonderful to see the major impact this is having on learning now - and look forward to enhancing this further by giving pupils access to iPads provided by the school. Exciting times are ahead!

Review Day

Well, that's another Review Day over with. This is our fourth year of running these and it only seems like yesterday since we launched the first one.

Review Day is a chance for pupils, parent, carers and the form tutor to meet twice a year to review progress and to jointly agree learning targets.

The relationship which is developed between the form tutor, pupils, parents and carers is invaluable. As form tutors rotate with their form groups, this will often mean that they will have this contact for 5 years. At Bishop Gore we recognise that the form tutor is in a unique position in that it is only he/she that has a complete overview of the school experience for the pupils in the form. It is this overview which makes the Review Day dialogue so important.

How will Review Day develop in the future?

We need to ensure that form tutors have access to the most up-to-date learning information from subject areas and are able to communicate learning targets quickly and efficiently to all concerned. We also need to reduce the amount of paper that is used during the day and improve the appointments system. We need to have a regular dialogue with parents and carers in-between Review Days. The key to this must be IT - we recognise the enormous potential of using IT in the Review Day system and will be working hard to develop this over the coming months.

So much talent

I am writing this just after experiencing another fantastic round of auditions for our talent competition - Talent Unleashed. So many of our pupils wanted to enter, we had to set up a number of rounds of auditions as we simply could not fit them all in to one round!

The talent on display is quite simply breathtaking. Pupils from all year groups in the school participated and the final (March 14th) promises to be a fantastic event. We even had a special guest appearance from Molly the dog!

What was really interesting was the way large numbers of pupils used technology to record the auditions. This was completely unprompted and demonstrated, once again, that there is a huge momentum in terms of the use of digital technology amongst our pupils. They seem to be ever more creative in the way in which they work both inside and outside the classroom.

A snowy day....

It was a difficult day in school today. The snow around the school wasn't particularly bad this morning, but did get worse towards the end of the day. It became clear early on that the snow had hit pockets of Swansea and beyond. Whilst some pupils and staff found it relatively easy to get in, others found it more difficult.

When making a decision about whether to open the school, the most important consideration is that of health and safety. This is where we have to evaluate the impact of snow on the school, it's surroundings and also whether we can provide adequate staff coverage. Every effort is made to ensure the final decision is communicated to all concerned as soon as possible but because of the complexity of this, it sometimes takes a little while.

The pupils that did manage to attend school today had a normal timetable (and some great snowball fights) as we attempted to operate as normal. We will always try to stay open as long as it it safe to do so. Learning time is important!

Once again, yet another aspect of school life demonstrated how important technology is as we ensured that the messages about the school were communicated to all concerned. The school website (bishopgore.net) had a banner headline stating the the school was open and we used our Twitter account (@bishopgore) to give regular updates. This seemed to work well.

Finally, thank you to the pupils who attended and who responded in such a positive way and to the staff who, in many cases, had to struggle through significant snowfall to get in to school.

Snow v technology

Having an unplanned day off school can be very enjoyable for those who were able to spend the day relaxing, sledging, throwing snowballs and so on, it can also be quite disruptive. There will be many of our parents and carers who will have had to make child care arrangements at short notice and this is something which we consider when making a decision to close the school.

The day off also meant that our year 11 and sixth form pupils who are preparing for exams missed crucial learning time. This is a very short half term and, as is usual at this time of the year, every single lesson is extremely important.

How could we have made better use of technology to make up for the lost time? Even on a simple level, we could ensure that all pupils have contact with their teachers during such days. The school has a Twitter account, and it seems to be incredibly popular with our pupils at the moment - we need to bring the two together. All it would have required is for some simple instructions from the class teachers to ensure that at least some learning could have taken place last Friday. Of course, there are many other applications we could have used (for example, Edmodo). The facilities are there, it just takes a little bit of organisation and thinking in a different way.

Once again, this has proved just how powerful digital learning can be. It is up to us all to ensure it works for all learners.

Listen to the learners!

It is amazing to see how creative our pupils are when it comes to digital learning and how, given the scope, they really are independent learners.

We have so many pupils who are already utilising their own technology to assist with their learning. In this way, it is often the pupils that are offering professional development to the teachers as they share their learning.

In one year 8 geography class today, two pupils were using their iPads and it was obviously making a real impact on their learning. When asked, the whole class were able to articulate, quite eloquently, how they felt access to iPads would make a massive difference to their learning.

This is an opportunity too good to be missed - all of our pupils have to have access to this technology now!

Why iPads in school?

I have just come across a great blog by Ian Wilson who is a freelance Apple Education mentor. In one of his posts, he discusses why iPads should be used for learning. Here is an edited extract (full blog can be found at ipadineducation.co.uk):

1.It occupies a new space in technology, one which is still undefined to some extent, yet which is likely to be significant over time. The space is between the mobile space occupied by phones and iPods, and the portable space which is where laptops and netbooks live.

2.It will help to personalise learning - it is widely recognised the 1 to 30 one-way knowledge-transfer model is fast becoming redundant. As teachers and lecturers begin to create new ways of tackling this issue, the iPad could play a useful role in this transformation.

3.The end of networks? - the iPad could be the beginning of the end of the dominance of managed networks in education. How much time is wasted not being able to ‘log in’? How often is the network ‘down’? The iPad could hold all the apps a learner needs for a day/ week/ month/ term’s work. The only network needed will be robust wifi throughout the school buildings and in as many open outdoor spaces as possible.

4.No more ICT suites - too many schools segregate their technology from everyday teaching and learning by placing it often in a dark, windowless room and timetabling when learners can access computers. Children are then herded in large groups along the corridor to use the computers. Thus technology becomes compartmentalised and discrete rather than ubiquitous and generic.

5.It’s a blank canvas - the scope for apps written specifically for teaching and learning is huge. Educationalists can work with developers to create new and innovative software which reflect the learner’s needs and expectations in technology. Essentially the iPad is a tactile and engaging mobile device which could transform the way people learn.

6. When all the potential functionality of the iPad is added up, its form factor, the iOS, the cameras, and the apps, it becomes clear that the iPad is a Personal Learning Studio. It can be a science lab, literacy tool, research station, history archive, language lab, art canvas, music studio, video editing suite, games console and library.

What do you think?

Reflection at the end of the week....

Once again, the development block challenge was a great success. Pupils in year 7 have now completed two challenges with the third (led by the humanities cluster) coming next.

This challenge was led by the languages and English cluster and required all pupils to take a trip around the world. On the first morning pupils were briefed and issued with their passports before having to proceed through security! During the week, pupils completed a wide variety of tasks as they travelled the world including food tasting, salsa lessons, ordering food in a cafe, researching native animals and much more.

At the end of the journey, parents and carers were there to meet the pupils in the arrivals lounge. The excitement was obvious as the pupils shared their learning experiences with each other and their parents and carers before finally having their passports stamped to confirm completion of their challenge.

This was another mind-blowing learning experience for all concerned. We can't wait for the next challenge!

Coming in to land....

The second development block challenge is coming to an end. What a week it has been! It has been busy, loud, chaotic, fun........

So much learning has taken place is week, the key being that the learning activities inspired and enthused our pupils.

It would be wrong to assume that these pupils have had a week off timetable with no learning taking place - this was probably one of the most high impact learning weeks for our pupils ever!

All aboard....

Our 'Around the World in 5 Days' development project has really 'taken off'. Today, some pupils were experimenting with foods from around the world.

Tomorrow, some pupils will be taking on the role of cabin crew as they role play using the aircraft simulator at the college.

Brilliant, exciting learning which will only be enhanced still further when we introduce iPads as learning tools - the sky's the limit!

What will our timetable look like in the future?

When asked for their opinions on our new curriculum model pupils will invariably state how much they enjoy having 'blocked' learning time. The new model allows pupils to control the pattern of their school day. No longer do they have their learning interrupted by the sound of the bell - no longer do they have to waste valuable learning time by having to pack up their belongings and traipse around school (the teachers come to them).......

A few years ago we introduced our 'super learning' model which was used with our year 11 pupils who needed a more intense period of learning in a particular subject area. I remember the initial negative reaction of many of the pupils and staff when they were told that for 3 days they would be working with their English teacher on developing their understanding of Macbeth. Quite quickly they realised how much more productive and relaxed their learning was. Pupils and staff now ask for 'SuperLearning' and it is a permanent feature of our key stage four provision for all pupils.

Much has been written about the fact that, in a 60 minute lesson, the productive learning time can often be a little as 15 minutes. First the pupils have to find the class, settle down, find their equipment, chat about what happened last night and then they are ready to learn......at the end of the lesson there is a cool down period as well. Allowing pupils to work in blocked time immediately increases the opportunity to achieve productive learning time.

In secondary schools, why do we persist with timetables that really do not suit the learning needs of pupils? After all, primary schools have been doing this for years.....................

Year 7 Time Travellers

Today saw the launch of the second development block challenge 'Around the World in 5 Days'. This time, the challenge given to our year 7 pupils is for them to complete a series of tasks which will take them 'around the world'.

The very first task pupils had to undertake was to create a learning plan from the activities included on the challenge menu. Here is the challenge menu they will be working from this week (click on the image to enlarge):

And here are some of our pupils working hard at creating their learning plans-

Blooming technology.......

As we begin our iPad learning journey, the above graphic (click on it to enlarge) really does fit in well with the work we have been doing on our new Key Stage 3 curriculum.  Our development block challenges are underpinned by Bloom's taxonomy and have got off to a fantastic start even without access to iPads.  Now that we are beginning to use iPads as a learning tool, the possibilities are endless!

Timing is everything!

As we approach what many say is the most important term of the year, it is important that all pupils who are preparing for exams this summer plan the next few months very carefully. It may seem like a long way off now, but every year there is that usual panic as pupils (and staff) feel they are running out of time.

Some basic facts:

5 weeks until half term

6 weeks after Half term until Easter

Plan your time carefully!

Bishop Gore Young Playwrights

It is exactly one year until the centenary of the birth of our most famous pupil -Dylan Thomas. We are planning a series of events to celebrate this and the next few months will be very busy with a number of exciting announcements likely to be made.

One of our major events is to host a young playwrights competition which will be held in early 2014. We will be inviting  pupils to submit scripts for short plays which will then be judged with the winning scripts being performed by other pupils in the school.

In the clip above we can here Dylan Thomas reading one of his most famous works 'Do not go gentle into that good night' which he wrote for his father (who taught English at our school). We are proud to be part of the life of one of the most influential twentieth century poets and authors.