Supporting the curriculum

ICT KS2

We can be a  teaching activity around which to deliver the learning objectives and learning outcomes for ICT  key stage 2  in particular units: 2a, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c.

Developing ideas and making things happen
2) Pupils should be taught:
   a. how to develop and refine ideas by bringing together, organising and reorganising text, tables, images and sound as appropriate [for example, desktop publishing, multimedia presentations]

Exchanging and sharing information
3) Pupils should be taught:
   a. how to share and exchange information in a variety of forms, including e-mail [for example, displays, posters, animations, musical compositions]
   b. to be sensitive to the needs of the audience and think carefully about the content and quality when communicating information [for example, work for presentation to other pupils, writing for parents, publishing on the internet].

Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses
4) Pupils should be taught to:
   a. review what they and others have done to help them develop their ideas
   b. describe and talk about the effectiveness of their work with ICT, comparing it with other methods and considering the effect it has on others [for example, the impact made by a desktop-published newsletter or poster]
   c. talk about how they could improve future work.

Case study

Craig y Don in Llandudno, takes their year 6 children (their newspaper / web-site group ) in to their computer suite every Friday. See Craig yDon's whole day of posts in one page.These news items were the sole creation of the pupils, they came up with the topics and created them with thumbnails and links.

They post new items, and refine them over a few weeks and at home. Adding images and arranging them aesthetically as well as finding and adding more information with links to other sites to further the stories (2a).

By reviewing and commenting on others' postings via the comments feature they help others learn through collaboration (4a).

They need to think what goes into each news posting, and what shouldn't, for pictures of themselves or other children with their full names as well as exposed email addresses (3b).

When other people from Llandudno, parents and pupils, and other people from across the world add their thoughts and comments, pupils learn what effect their news writing has on others (4b).

As the weeks go by, they work on how to make their news posting more interesting and informative, and subsequent postings are improved (4c)

Art and Design KS1

We design the look and feel of the site for you, but we can also create a theme from pupils work. One great idea is to use the plain base theme and set the design as a competion. Following is Art and Design KS1. Much could be written on the same project for KS2, KS3 and KS4.

Exploring and developing ideas
1) Pupils should be taught to:
   a. record from first-hand observation, experience and imagination, and explore ideas
   b. ask and answer questions about the starting points for their work, and develop their ideas.

Evaluating and developing work
3) Pupils should be taught to:
   a. review what they and others have done and say what they think and feel about it.
   b. identify what they might change in their current work or develop in their future work.

Case study

Bodnant Infants in Prestatyn, held a competition amongst their 7 year olds to design the graphics for their website. See the design on the front page of their website, by Zarnaz, aged 7.

They tried many different ideas of what should be included, based around their town, Prestatyn. (1a). Along the way the teacher discussed their work and helped them to develop their ideas (1b).

The winning design was chosen by the whole class as it summed up the area very well. (3a)

We're hoping that they'll add more designs over the year, for Christmas particularly. (3b)

English KS2

Writing onto the web is a great way to gain confidence in English, together with the feedback loops (comments and discussion groups) a range of Curriculum units across reading and writing are supported.

Composition
1) Pupils should be taught to:
   e. use features of layout, presentation and organisation effectively.
Planning and drafting
2) To develop their writing on paper and on screen, pupils should be taught to:
   a. plan - note and develop initial ideas
   b. draft - develop ideas from the plan into structured written text
   c. revise - change and improve the draft
   d. proofread - check the draft for spelling and punctuation errors, omissions and repetitions
   e. present - prepare a neat, correct and clear final copy
   f. discuss and evaluate their own and others' writing.
Standard English
6) Pupils should be taught:
   a. how written standard English varies in degrees of formality [for example, differences between a letter to a friend about a school trip and a report for display]
Breadth of study
11) The range of readers for writing should include teachers, the class, other children, adults, the wider community and imagined readers.
12) The range of forms of writing should include narratives, poems, playscripts, reports, explanations, opinions, instructions, reviews, commentaries.

Case study

A review of a play by two year 6 pupils in Craig y Don, began with a draft, which they published, for only themselves to see.

Then they edited and refined the text until they were happy with it (2a, 2b, 2c) proof reading the text, in preview mode (2d).

Upon which it was published to the front page of their website (2e). Then, others commented on the review (2f) others included pupils, teachers and visitors to the website (11)

Along the way they found out that a review has a certain format, that's different to other written texts (6a).

Other forms of text have appeared on these websites, including poetry from Aberystwyth's Plascrug Community Primary. (12).

Another poem from a pupil at Walsall's Pelsall Village Primary, drew comments from two teachers. See many postings from Walsall's Salisbury Primary's 'blog club' for more examples of pupil's writings.

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