October 2011

The know zone

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    Why don’t legislators pay more attention to the facts when they attempt to adjust the law on exclusions, wonders Richard Bird. More
  • Lead vocals
    Quotes from Pericles the Olympian, John W Gardner, Sam Ewing, Joan Wallach Scott and Florence Nightingale More
  • Life lessons
    Keith Sudbury spent 31 years in education, the last ten as head of two schools in Nottinghamshire that he successfully led out of special measures. His retirement plans were overtaken by a tragic family illness, however, and he’s back in schools again to inform teenagers about blood, stem cell and organ donation with the support of the Anthony Nolan charity. More
  • A safety .net
    Trainee teachers and NQTs are the focus of the latest set of resources from award-winning charity Childnet. More
  • Adding value
    On the piste? Check the smallprint... More
  • Concerns over 'free' status
    Is the government right to pursue its policy of free schools? Many in education have expressed scepticism but are there contexts in which free schools are beneficial? Leaders share their views. More
  • Nomograms: they're not what you think...
    Think spreadsheets are tricky? Bamboozled by equations? Sam Ellis has an old-fa shioned technique for calculating pupil-teacher ratios which just might help. More
  • Focussing on new benefits
    Social mobility needs to focus on more than getting disadvantaged students into university. Changes to curriculum and qualifications need to help tackle the problem and should draw on the experience of school and college leaders first and foremost, says Brian Lightman. More
  • Deal or no deal?
    The nerd? The idler? The incessant sniffer? Find out who’s coming with this game of student teacher top trumps. More
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Trainee teachers and NQTs are the focus of the latest set of resources from award-winning charity Childnet.

A safety .net

What’s on offer?

E-safety content produced by Childnet International for the TDA is now available online. The three resources – part of the Know IT All suite – are designed to help trainee teachers and NQTs understand the e-safety issues within schools, as well as find advice for their own use of technology.

Does it cover social networking?

Yes. There is a guide on how to use social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter in a way that doesn’t pose any danger to oneself, pupils or one’s job. It looks at questions such as whether or not teachers should be friends with pupils online, setting privacy settings, protecting one’s professional reputation and dealing with cyberbullying. It also touches on whether social networks can be used in teaching and learning in class. The materials have recently been amended to take account of changes in the privacy settings for Facebook.

What else is there?

A checklist sets out issues for newcomers to teaching to bear in mind when using technology at home as well as school. It flags up the need for teachers to familiarise themselves with their school’s policies on acceptable use, e-safety and other matters. It also highlights issues to be aware of when using the internet in class – checking the online content that you plan to use beforehand, for example, to ensure it is appropriate and/ or hasn’t been blocked by the school’s filtering system.

Are there teaching resources too?

A matrix of teaching resources offers guidance on teaching e-safety topics for use with Key Stages 1 to 4. For Key Stage 3, for example, there’s a short film examining the consequences of cyberbullying, downloadable activity sheets and lesson plans on social networking, and an animated game looking at online friendships. For Key Stage 4, there are films on online grooming and strategies to prevent it, plus materials on dealing with peer pressure and ’sexting’.

What is Childnet?

A non-profit organisation dedicated to e-safety. It has a long track record of work with schools and young people and links with other organisations around the world. It works in three key areas:

  • Access – helping children and young people to use the internet constructively and highlighting good content
  • Awareness and advice – helping children and young people develop their online literacy; giving advice to industry, organisations, parents, teachers and carers about internet and mobile safety
  • Protection and policy – working with others to protect children from being exploited in online environments; influencing and responding to policy changes

The award-winning Know IT All suite of education resources for teachers, young people and parents on how to use the internet safely is available as a CD-ROM and online. Know IT All for Secondary Schools shows how safety can be embedded in the curriculum and comes with an interactive guide to leading e-safety resources for use in school.

Where can I find the resources for trainees and NQTs?

Visit www.childnet.com/kia/traineeteachers

A safety .net

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