You can download the slides from this presentation here.
If this interests you and you would like to know more, you can meet Ollie and listen to his keynote at our Partners in Learning Forum in November, this whole day event is free to attend. You can find out more details here
Don’t miss out, Microsoft UK Partners in Learning Forum- Free to attend - register today – Early Bird Registration now open
The 8th Microsoft UK Partners in Learning Forum is a one-day conference, free of charge to all teachers and educators who wish to attend. The workshops and keynotes this year have a STEM ‘flavour’ and address the theme of ‘Teach more, learn more, inspire more.’
This forum connects Teachers with Teachers, Educators with Educators, allowing you to share expertise and learn from each other, giving insights into how you can inspire your students with teaching through technology, that connects them with their learning.
This year the Forum is being held at the Microsoft Headquarters, Thames Valley Park in Reading on the 24th Nov 2011.
We have a rich STEM focused agenda that includes as Keynote speakers, the world renowned Ian Livingstone OBE, Life President of Eidos and co-author Next Gen, Alex Bellos, the author of the popular science book Alex's Adventures in Numberland and Ollie Bray, the National Adviser for Emerging Technologies at Education Scotland
In addition, delegates will be able to choose from a range of practical workshops covering areas such as using free software, inspiring Maths learning, the XBox 360 and Kinect in the classroom , Outdoor Learning with Mission explore, Games based learning and computer science.
Also, find out who are Microsoft’s 2011 Award-Winning Innovative Teachers.The awards will be presented to Teachers who have submitted projects that illustrate the innovative use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Not only will they receive award recognition, but have the chance to be invited to the next Worldwide Education Forum and win a Xbox 360 and Kinect package for their school. These projects will be on display at the event.
Don’t miss out, register today – Early Bird Registration now open
In this session Isobel Bryce , Headteacher at saltash.net community school in Cornwall, describes how creating and fostering good partnerships with outside agencies are a vital, if not an essential element in the school transformation process.
Isobel outlines how the school has made been able to move forward successfully in its use of technology in learning, through partnership with Microsoft Partners in Learning. She describes how teachers and students have benefited from the Partners in Learning programme and how it has helped in creating a school for the 21st century.
Here’s a date for your diary - 24th November 2011
The 8th Microsoft UK Partners in Learning Forum is a one-day conference, free of charge to all teachers and educators and will look to address the theme – Teach more, Learn more, inspire more This year it will be held at Microsoft UK Headquarters , Thames Valley Park , Reading on the 24th Nov 2011
This forum connects Teachers with Teachers, Educators with Educators, allowing you to share expertise and learn from each other, giving insights into how you can connect your students with technology and connect them with their learning.
Registration for the event will be on first come , first served basis and be available along with a full agenda on this blog next week.
So write it down now before you forget , November 24th, we will see you there.
I have not had chance to explore this in any school yet, as I have only seen it today. But, this is so fantastic that I thought I should share this piece of free software with you. I am sure like me you will see the great potential it has in school.
Mouse without borders is a research project from The Garage, a project that encourages Microsoft employees to develop their own ideas. This project by Truong Do, allows you to reach across your PC's as if they were part of one single desktop. I have three PC laptops that I regular work with, using Mouse Without Borders I can move my mouse between the 3 screens, on each different PC from the other two. What’s more, I can move files between the 3 computers simply by dragging them from one desktop to another. You can control up to four computers from a single mouse and keyboard with no extra hardware needed. Brilliant!
This is amazing stuff and I am sure you will find many uses for it in your own use and in the classroom. It would be great if we could collect your ideas and share them with the Partners in Learning Community. Please leave an idea to share as a comment below. I look forward to seeing them.
You can download Mouse without borders here
One of the many pleasures of working in Microsoft Partners in Learning is when teachers in our network spontaneous begin to collaborate. A great example of this happened recently , when four teachers began developing and sharing their ideas and developments of using the Kinect SDK , to create applications for learning.
These four teachers from the UK have shared, supported and challenged each other. Communicating through Twitter, these guys met virtually via the Partners in Learning Network. Together Alessio Bernardelli ( @asober), Jimmy Edwards (@jimmy_edwards), Gareth Ritter ( @ritzertech) and Ray Chambers ( @lanky_boi_ray) are the Face, Murdock, B.A. and Hannibal respectively. As the TV series sort of said ‘ If you have a problem with the Kinect SDk and no-one else can help, then you need the K Team’. You can find their discoveries and resources on their blogs or contact them directly via Twitter, tell them @innovativeteach sent you.
But, joking aside, I think these four epitomise the characteristics of a 21st Century teacher. They are all great teachers, that is a given, but in addition they all utilise and have developed a professional learning network through a variety of social media, they all blog and show a high degree of professional generosity, but above all, they have their learners at the heart of everything they do. I would be interested in what other characteristics a 21st Century Teacher should exhibit. Please leave a comment we would love to hear from you.
If you are, or know a typical 21st century Teacher doing some great things with technology, then why not enter or get them to enter the UK Partners in Learning Awards, it could open a world of possibilities.
Alessio’s Blog - http://alessiobernardelli.wordpress.com/
Jimmy’s Blog - http://techlemur.wordpress.com/
Gareth’s Blog - http://www.askthemusicteacher.co.uk/
Ray’s Blog - http://raychambers.wordpress.com/
You can download the Kinect SDK at - http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/kinectsdk/default.aspx
There are 9 million citizens in the UK who do not have regular access to a PC and are not enjoying the benefits of the internet. The last significant barrier to getting people connected is the cost of a PC at home. BBC research shows that everything you do to inspire and encourage people – and to give them the right skills to go online – will gradually slip away if there is no PC at home to keep the excitement alive and provide easy, instant access to the internet.
It’s not enough to go online once – our goal is to make it possible for them to stay online – and to feel the wonderful benefits of Skype-ing with friends and family – unlimited video calls to any part of the world; to find information just when they need it; to make the most of learning opportunities and develop their particular passions. You can help your students, parents, friends, family, neighbours and even yourselves overcome this final barrier by visiting the GetOnline@Home website – the best place to buy a no-nonsense, affordable computer, which will give anybody chance to stay online for good and to enjoy all the benefits we take for granted.
BT, the Post Office, 3, Microsoft and many other Race Online 2012 partners are behind the GetOnline@Home offer which includes:
The GetOnline@Home team and Microsoft
It was three years ago the current UK Partners in Learning Team announced itself to the world via this blog. It was at that time Kristen joined to lead the team. You can read her first post here . That was the start of a 3 year adventure, that has resulted in the success of the UK Partners in Learning Network today.
We have some had great highlights, last years Partners in Learning Forum in Manchester, the Worldwide Forum in South Africa and the launch of our Innovative schools programme. We have also had some, well I won’t call them lowlights, interested experiences is a better description, in particular, Scottish hotels, Viennese beverages and some scary moments with soup ! (I won’t elaborate any further)
I am sure all of you who have been involved in Partners in Learning will have appreciated the passion and drive Kristen has brought to all aspects of the programme, at the heart has been her goal of improving opportunities for the learners in your classrooms and schools. I think you will very much agree a goal she has achieved.
Kristen is now leaving the UK to take up a Senior post with the OECD in Paris, I sure you would all like to join me in wishing her and her family every success, and to thank her for such great work and commitment to the Microsoft Partners in Learning Network. We will all miss her immensely.
Please feel free to leave your own thoughts for Kristen to take with her and if you have any anecdotes about her time with Partners in Learning please feel free to share by leaving a comment below.
We are pleased to announce we are now accepting entries for this year’s Partners In Learning Innovative Teacher Awards. These annual awards, now in their 8th year, showcase some of the best uses of technology to support teaching and learning across the curriculum. If you're thinking that you're not doing anything innovative or creative with technology, then think again, because you probably are.
The application process is simple, complete our Virtual Classroom Tour (VCT) template, that contains just two documents for you to complete to describe your project, keep the whole thing under 10 meg and email it to itnukteam@hotmail.co.uk .
We will present the winners with their awards at our annual Partners in Learning UK Forum, being held at Microsoft UK Headquarters in Reading at the end of November. Watch this blog for the complete details and announcement.
You will need a Windows Live ID to access and join the Partners in Learning Network (if you're not already a member) and join the the community, with information about the Forum event itself.
The closing date for submitting a project as a Virtual Classroom Tour is November 1st 2011. So there is plenty time to document an existing project or even begin a new one. The authors of the 10 best Virtual Classroom Tours will be presented with awards at our Partners in Learning UK Forum Event. We will also select the four best projects to represent the UK at the Partners in Learning Worldwide Global event , to be held as yet at an undisclosed Global destination towards to the end of 2012, these four will also receive an Xbox 360 console and Kinect Package for their school.
What do to next?
Images from last year's Microsoft Partners in Learning UK Forum 2010 in Manchester