Friday, 5 December 2008

North East Digital Awards



The Digital Awards celebrate the achievements of businesses and organisations across the North East of England that have recognised, developed and practiced digital techniques to best effect.
This region clearly has some very innovative businesses with strong digital elements. Last year we recognised the fantastic achievements of 44 regional businesses, chosen from over 250 award entries. This year the profile of the Awards and the level of participation from the region's businesses will be even greater and more prestigious.

Education Takeaway have once again entered the awards and needs your help. Please vote for us.

Friday, 17 October 2008

Jolly Phonics Whiteboard Software



EVERTHING YOU NEED TO TEACH JOLLY PHONICS ON THE WHITEBOARD

The software provides a full and extensive year's programme for teaching Jolly Phonics thoroughly on an interactive whiteboard. It enables teachers to deliver lessons in a fun and engaging way to children using a wide variety of activities for whole class and individual use. With all the resources a teacher requires at a touch of a button, the programme is fun and easy to use.




Structured daily sessions for teaching each of the letter sounds, letter formation, blending, identifying sounds in words, tricky words and alternative spellings of vowels.



Handy step by step teacher's notes are available for every session. These can either be viewed on screen or printed off if required.

Interactive lessons with lots of blending, spelling and writing practice, ideal for whole class or independent use. Audio option for hearing the letter sounds, Jolly Jingles and Jolly Songs. Lots of printable worksheets, templates and games that can be used in class to reinforce the teaching. These can also be given as homework for the child.

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Tests scrapped for 14-year-olds

There will be no Sats tests for 14-year-olds next year, announces Ed Balls
National tests for 14-year-old school pupils in England are to be scrapped, following this summer's Sats marking "shambles".
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said an expert group would develop a system of assessment by teachers.
But the tests taken by 11-year-olds, and used for the primary school "league tables", will remain.
A new system of report cards showing schools' academic attainment and pupil well-being is also to be introduced.
Mr Balls said that the decision to stop Sats tests for 14-year-olds was "not a u-turn" - and that the wider principle of the need for testing and accountability remained.
"But if you ask 'are we abolishing half of the national tests?', the answer is 'yes'," said Mr Balls.

Saturday, 20 September 2008

Social Bookmarking

In an attempt to get our site ranked higher in Google we have gone down the line of Social Bookmarking. So follow me on my adventure of Social Bookmarking and if you have any suggestions I am more than happy to listen to them. Visit our Squidoo lens with info on Jolly Phonics. Add yourself as a fan of our Facebook page, Stumble us or Digg our site. We will be watching over the next few months to see what kind of resluts we are getting. We look forward to getting to know our customers and learning all about Social Bookmarking.

Sunday, 7 September 2008

Sats Test

From BBC Website

The Sats tests could end next year, Schools Secretary Ed Balls has hinted.
They may be replaced by assessments tailored to the ability of each child, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.
The national tests are taken by about one million children aged seven, 11 and 14 across England each May, but this year's marking was a "fiasco", he said.
A five-year contract with ETS Europe was scrapped after it failed to get papers marked in time, and the next contract will be for one year only.
"The current system is not set in stone," said Mr Balls.
"We are looking currently at a way in which we could assess progress child by child with individual level tests where the tests would be chosen in a way which was right for the child, rather than everybody doing the same test on the same day.
"For 2009, we are going to do the same kind of tests as in previous years before the problems with ETS, but for the long term I am really keen to get this right, to listen."

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

New pupils have to stay until 17

From the BBC Website

Children starting secondary schools in England this week will be the first to be legally required to stay in education until they are 17.
The rise in the age at which pupils can end their studies is just one of several changes taking effect in English schools this term.
New diplomas for subjects such as engineering and construction are also being phased in.
Head teachers say too many initiatives are being introduced at once.
The increase in the education leaving age is the first such change since 1972, when it was raised from 15 to 16.
There are also major changes to the curriculum for 11 to 14-year-olds and to GCSEs and A-levels. The latter will have a new A* grade to help distinguish the very best exam candidates.
But the head of the Association of School and College Leaders, has warned that too much change is happening all at once.
The rise in the leaving age is part of a previously announced government policy to have pupils continue in some form of education or training education to the age of 18. This will take effect for school leavers from 2015.

Sunday, 17 August 2008

Do you Know your child's Learning Style

What do we mean by learning styles? It is the way a child concentrates on, absorbs, processes and retains what they are learning. We all have a preferred way of, learning not just children. For example, do you prefer to read instructions or would you just get on with something and figure it out as you go along.

Learning Styles fall in three primary categories.

Auditory
Kinesthetic
Visual

Auditory - children can often follow directions very precisely after being told only once or twice what to do. Some auditory learners concentrate better when they have music in the background, enjoy talking and something may even talk to themselves, they may prefer listening to a story rather than reading one.

Kinesthetic - children usually like to play games and are very active. When learning anything new they will want to get on with it rather than read instruction or listen. Hence they may also fidget and won't be able to sit still for long periods.

Visual - children will prefer to see pictures, colours, maps and drawings. They will enjoy watching a demonstration rather than listening to a story or even just talking about something. They will enjoy drawing and especially doodling.

Knowing your child's learning style can help you, not only when they start school but at home when you are looking for things to do to keep them occupied. Sitting them down to watch the TV when playing a board games would be more appropriate, or going to the cinema when they would prefer to play in the park, can make parents life a little easier.