Central Birmingham CLC Blogsite

We are now called Central Birmingham CLC!

2009-09-08T07:04:00.001-07:00

As of Monday 12th September, Park View City Learning Centre will be known as Central Birmingham City Learning Centre. Give us a call at the office and try to catch us out as we get used to the change!

Science and ICT

2009-07-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

This week we had pupils from Parkview Secondary School attend to do sessions in Nxt Programming. A variety of tasks were given to pupils which would enable them to gain an insight on how robots work and can be programmed to do specific manoeuvres.

Pupils worked really hard inputting accurate programs to allow their NXT to navigate around a pre marked board. Allowing them to achieve set objectives for various levels in the key stage.

Also this week saw the completion of Calthorpe's Robin Hood Project.

Pupils from Calthorpes School acted out scenes from Robin Hood and who wants to be a millionaire, adding their own script and dance choreography. All the scenes were filmed by the CLC staff and then edited to produce a dvd which was premiered at Calthorpe School.

TA Training

2009-06-18T04:09:00.001-07:00

This week teaching staff from Wyndcliffe Primary School attended a CPD session for 'ICT in the classroom'.
The session in which T/A's explored a combination of online resources to support their year groups and curriculum areas. These included creating vodcasts, games and resources both online and portable. These resources could be used to support the creation of displays and build on pupils exsisting knowledge in subject areas.
The sesion was aimed at providing opportunities to support the Excellence and Enjoyment Initiatives. Feed back was excellent and follow up sessions will be done online to support this training.

Art Rage in Portraits

2009-06-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

This week pupils from Calthorpe school visited the centre to take part in a Digital Portrait session using ArtRage. Each pupil went through steps using a graphic tablet and pen to create a portrait of themselves.
By inserting a photograph of the pupil as tracing paper each pupil went over the outline of their face and then added colour. They worked really hard and created some beautiful pieces.

Also this week pupils from Al-Hijrah Secondary School attending various ICT sessions learning different aspects of Photoshop, Spreadsheets and Access Databases.

Live Radio Show with Russell Prue!

2009-06-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today the CLC was utilised to run a live radio show with Year 8 pupils from six different schools within the Central and Oaks Collegiate.

The live radio show is based in the year 2050 and will give a perspective of what the students world will be like. The pupils will give reports on the news, sports and advertising features for that year.

The rehearsals were organised and actioned in excellent form by the pupils who were praised by Russell himself.

The live show is due to go live around 1530 today and Russell will be giving twittering updates throughout the day.

Robin Hood and his Merry Dancers

2009-06-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks the CLC staff have been supporting Calthorpe School in creating a Video depicting the adventures of Robin Hood.

The script was written and rehearsed by the pupils in preparation for the CLC to film the show. Filming took place using various equipment including the Green Screen facility. Once filming was completed it was then edited to create a finished video.

All the participating pupils were enthusiastic and worked really hard.

Also the CLC ran several Science Space Days where various schools attended to learn how an astronaut lives in space by trying out various activities.

From Earth and Beyond!

2009-05-13T02:11:00.001-07:00

The past couple of weeks have been all about Science, Geography and Dance.

Staff of the CLC visited Calthorpe School to help with a dance project they are doing. Initially pupils were filmed while playing out various dance routines to create a movie which will be edited at a later date. All pupils participated enthusiastically and gave brilliant performances.

Also St Edmunds Primary School attended two days of Astronaut Training sessions, where the pupils of years 5 and 6 ran through various activities to understand what life would be like living in space. They ran through both mental and physical challenges which included learning how to make rockets and space food tasting. Rockets where launched and the one which went furthest determined a winner who recieved a certificate. Pupils worked really hard and produced some good rockets.

Al-Hijrah Secondary school attended Geography sessions in which pupils of year 8 created powerpoint presentations on predicting the weather forecast for the week. Interpreting raw data from UK weather reports, the pupils completed various maps and charts which were then used in a Green Screen filming session. Pupils in pairs of two where filmed using their presentation to create a Weather account for TV. The pupils produced some excellent videos.

Next week the CLC will run more Space day sessions this time with Al-Hijrah years 7, 8, and 9 pupils and also continue collaborating with Calthorpe school on their dance project.

Parkview City Learning Centre

2009-05-12T02:59:00.000-07:00

This week the CLC ran several sessions concentrating on the Maths curricullum; also, two CPD days concentrating on using ICT in the classroom for use in a wide range of subjects.

Pupils from Al-Hijrah visited on two days to attend Maths in Movement. These morning sessions enhanced pupils estimation skills for calculating distance . By obtaining the circumference of two different sized wheels, pupils had to manouvere around challenge boards accurately programming their robots to reach a specific destination.
Also Yardleys Secondary School attended a Maths in Motion session in which pupils had to program a virtual racing car to run laps round the Silverstone race track. Firstly by measuring all the straight lines and angles accurately, the pupils then had to calculate percentages using the information they had obtained. Finally allowing them to race their cars against each other to show a winner. All the pupils worked really hard and achieved their set objectives.
Also this week, the CLC ran two days for CPD sessions for using ICT in the classroom. One day was aimed at Teaching Assisstants and the other was for History teachers from various network schools. Both days attendees learnt how they could utilise various software in the their lessons. These days proved to be very successful.

Rockets Rock It!

2009-03-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last week the City Learning Centre ran several INSET sessions for our Network school education providers. Different courses were run throughout the week ranging from TA resources to music and movie making sessions for teachers. Each session gave the attendees the opportunity to try out various software that could be used in the classroom to enhance teaching. Garageband CPD allowed music teachers to record, edit and create works of music which was burned to dvd for them.

After each session the teachers and TA's were awarded completion certificates for their keeping.
Also, Small Heath Secondary School attended some Maths in Movement and Maths in Motion sessions, in which the pupils of year 9 enjoyed completing various tasks and activities like programming NXT robots accurately using the circumference of a wheel; and tuning car engines to run fast around long straight roads or slow on tight bends using percetange and angle calculations. Each pupil worked well in their groups and produced some excellent work.
This week Calthorpe School, enjoyed the company of our staff to run sessions of Rocketry on site of their school. Calthorpe incorporated our sessions into their Space week theme in which several pupils designed and built their own rockets with the help of staff. These rockets were then launched both indoors and outside to see which rocket would go the farthest. Pupils participated with enthusiam and enjoyed taking their rockets home.

Also this week year 8 pupils of Waverley Secondary School attended a session on Movie making using istop cameras, green screen facilities and imovie software to create a news report based on the story of Romeo and Juliet.

Each pupil worked collaborately within their group to write scripts, roleplay act, record, add sound and edit their movie which was then burned on a DVD for their viewing. All the pupils participated with different ideas and produced some excellent work.

Up To Now!

2009-02-27T03:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome back from a well deserved half term break, here's a recap of what sessions we ran at Parkview City Learning Centre in the past few weeks.

Just before we broke up, the CLC had a busy week running sessions which included various curriculum topics such as Science, English, Maths and ICT. We had pupils from various network schools visiting the clc to participate in learning via a more practical approach.

For example at a Forensic session, which was run for the Central Colegiate, seven secondary schools joined together bringing four to five pupils from each school to work on activities in solving a crime. Pupils ranged from years 7, 8 and 9. This session gave pupils the opportunity to work as part of a team which included a mix from all the schools. Everyone worked well together producing some excellent work.

Also, Waverley Secondary School attended an English session using the Green Screening facility to create a news report about their school. This involved the pupils acting out a script where an interview was taking place. This was recorded using imovie to generate and edit their own video clip. Pupils enjoyed the session and worked really hard.

At St Albans school the staff of the CLC participated in a ICT Super Learning Day by showing pupils how to create a game using Mission Maker. Mission Maker enables pupils to design a 3D game which allows the player to move around various hallways, pick up objects, open doors and various other operations. Each game designed by the pupils was impressive.

Yardley Secondary School attending some sessions with year 7 pupils for Mathematics. The session which uses a Maths in Motion software allows each pupils to calculate averages and circumferences and other maths calculations which are needed to programme a computerised racing car effectively. The car is then run in a challenge for which certificates were handed out to the winner. This is an enjoyable session which kept the pupils involved.

This week the final session of an Art project for Bordesly Green Girls School was run. All pupils created some excellent art work using a graphic tablet and pen.

Parlez, Lisez et Écrivez le Français

2009-01-20T02:13:00.000-08:00

Last week Bordesley Green Girls School took part in a session on developing linguistic competence in a language. The pupils developed the skills of speaking, listening and writing French in a range of situations and contexts. Curriculum based themes were chosen like 'Myself' including hobbies, friends, school and my town.

Writing French
Pupils took pictures with a digital camera and placed them strategically in a comic format using comic life, outlining information about themselves in french. They worked individually and showed edited results to teachers and peers.

Speaking and Listening
Pupils also created a vodcast (video podcast) using photostory to highlight information about their school and town.

Creating a Webpage
Using Google Sites, pupils created a webpage, to which they uploaded their comics and vodcasts to share with teachers, peers and parents. Pupils showed great enthusiasm in learning new skills like using a digital camera, creating webpages and vodcasts also working collaborately on a project.

Also Last week the City Learning Centre ran a session on Forensics, where pupils from Holy Trinity year 11 class investigated and analysed a crime scene.

Books, Radio and More.

2008-12-12T02:15:00.001-08:00

Parkview Secondary School visited us last week to take part in an English Book Club Project. The Year 7 pupils had to read the fiction book 'Coraline' and create their own version of events that took place in the book.
Using Photoshop and Comic Life, the pupils created a presentation based on the events of the book. Using shots taken on a digital camera, the children manipulated pictures from the graphic novel to included themselves into the presentation. Then using Comic Life they created a visual page which depicted their own version. Pupils produced brilliant work which will be put forward for the KS3 Chills Book Award 2008. Good luck to them.

Also, last week the fictitious Mr Mooney was resurrected when the CLC transformed into a Forensics Crime Scene. Pupils from Holy Trinity year 11 ran through several scientific tests to identify a murder suspect from a given scenerio. The children enjoyed themselves and showed some good understanding.

This week Photoshop CPD sessions were run for teachers at Parkview Secondary School, giving them basic knowledge of how to use Photoshop in their classroom.

Also, St Saviours year 6 pupils attended sessions on Podcasting and how to create a radio broadcast on Theme Parks. Given an example the children were shown how to effectively get their point across using key words and different voice makeovers. The children came up with some briliiant work.

In The Mix

2008-12-01T02:07:00.000-08:00

Last week has been very busy for the CLC, with a variety of sessions having taken place. Small Heath School attended to take part in our Maths in Movement class where pupils did maths challendes to work out circumferences and averages of different sized wheels using NXT Robots. The pupils enjoyed the challenge and completed every task with confidence.

Also, last week Al-Hijra Secondary school attended on several days to take part in Programming Lego NXT challenges, Podcasting - creating a radio broadcast and Website building.

Using google pages the pupils were given their own login and password to create a website based on their personnal interest. They then had step by step guidance on how to add new features and colours to enhance the look of it. The pupils produced some very good work.

Also, Moseley School were given the opportunity to try out handheld learning equipment which could be incorporated into their MFL classes. The outcome will be updated later this month.

Langues étrangères modernes (MFL)

2008-11-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

The the staff of the CLC ran five outreach sessions at Washwood Heath Secondary School. Pupils from years 7, 8 and 9 attended each session to create a Digital Presentation using Comic Life to support role place scenarios. This also included speaking and listening, fostering communication and discussion.

Parkview CLC staff supported the MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) Department in Urdu, Arabic and French in creating a Digital Presentation for display, set around the themes of either 'holidays' , 'my school' or 'about myself'. This involved taking pictures relevant to the themes and discussing them in groups then creating a presentation using the Mac books, which were provided.

Pupils worked really hard and the teachers were very impressed with the standard of work.

Podcasting

2008-11-13T06:16:00.000-08:00

This week Year 6 of Parkfield Primary School visited the Centre to create their own radio report using Audacity.
Using a script which they have been working on at their own school, the children created a podcast giving a news account of either an escaped crocodile or a tornado. Each pupil worked hard and enjoyed the session.

NXT in Line

2008-11-04T03:41:00.001-08:00

This week the CLC was in full robotic flow with St Albans Secondary School attending sessions throughout the week for NXT Programming.

The children learnt about how a NXT Robot can be programmed to do specific tasks, then participated in organised challenges using all the skills taught. Also each child had an opportunity to build and run their own Judder robot which was then placed in a Judder Race. Certificates were given to the winners.

Also the CLC visited Washwood Heath Secondary School to start a project on Handheld Learning. Details of this project will be posted at a later date.

Build your own Future.

2008-07-11T02:42:00.000-07:00

This week the CLC ran a cross curricular DT, Geography and Citizenship session for St Albans and Bordesley Green Girls school.

The pupils had to design and plan a community for the future by working in groups to discuss what features should be included. Looking at the geographical features of the land and practical ways to improve energy effieciency; the pupils had to build 3D models and decide where to site them in their community taking into consideration sustainability and renewable energy technologies. If your interested to see more information on this session click this webpage http://yourbuild.googlepages.com .

Watch this Space!

2008-07-04T02:36:00.000-07:00

This week Bordesley Green Girls School completed their P.E Perfomance Analysis for a part of their GCSE exam. Recording a game of rounders then watching it back to see how each pupil performed allowed them to take on board various techniques and errors which occured.

Also Al-Hijrah School participated in the CLC Space Day. The Pupils from years 7,8 and 9 learnt about micro gravity and the effect it has on a person. Looking at aspects such as food, drink, leisure and exercise gave an outline of the habitual enviroment for an astronaut. The day was full of engaging mental and physical exercises which everyone enjoyed.

Activities ranged from designing a space station using Google sketchup to building rockets and launching them in the playground using pressure launching equipment.
Pupils recieved certificates to state the completion of the space day and winners of the Rocket Challenge got an extra certificate for their part.

Project, Program and Performance.

2008-06-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

There is alot to write about this week as the CLC ran a variety of sessions for our Network Schools. The week started off with the pupils of year 8 from Parkview Secondary School participating in some Lego Robolab sessions. There were four sessions in total and each class had to run through various programming tasks which allowed them to make a Robot follow specific instructions. Each session included exciting challenges which allowed the pupils to compete for best teamwork and best programming champion.

Also this week saw the start of our Modern Foreign Languages Project, which we are running alongside Washwood Heath Secondary School. The MFL project involves several primary and secondary Language teachers using video conferencing to enhance their lessons. Group meetings will be held to discuss new and exciting ways in teaching languages. Progress on this project will be updated in the future.

Pupils from Year 10 Bordesley Green Girls School attended a P.E Performance session this week which allowed them to evaluate and recognise strengths and weaknessess, plan strategies and improve their performance of doing physical education. This session will make 10% of the GCSE mark for P.E. Working in small groups the pupils made videos of themselves playing rounders and watched it later to analyse their playing method. All pupils were very enthusiastic and followed instructions carefully.

Last but not least, another Access session was run this week but this time pupils from Al-Hijrah girls school learnt about creating forms and reports in a database. Another successful outcome was seen by the pupils.

Access Accepted!

2008-06-20T04:39:00.000-07:00

This week the CLC created forms and reports using Access software with the pupils from Al- Hijra Boys School. The aim of the lesson was to learn how to create a form and a report incorporating pictures, graphs and the various other formatting features.

The pupils of year 9 visited the centre and were introduced to the 'CLC Movies 4 U' database. They then had to complete several tasks which allowed them to practice inputting and retrieving specific data to place in a form and on a report. The pupils worked really hard and showed some excellent understanding of databases.

Super Science!

2008-06-13T02:42:00.000-07:00

At the CLC this week the Catholic Partnership attended a crime scene scenario and were given the opportunity to investigate, through different activites, how to solve a murder. The various network schools who were involved arrived with three pupils from their school to take part in the session. Grouping everyone into specific teams played a major role in this session as it allowed the pupils to build confidence in interacting with pupils who were not known to them.

Each team then worked through a total of six tasks like blood analysis, finger print matching, toxicology and more to try and solve a crime. Everyone worked well together and the session was enjoyed by all.

Also year 10 pupils from St Albans Secondary School took up the CLC Space Challenge, where each pupil went through mental and physical challenges to understand what life would be like for an astronaut. Again the pupils were very keen and quick to learn.

Robots 'n' Space

2008-06-06T03:58:00.000-07:00

Robots and Astronomy were the main sessions taught this week at the CLC. Al-Hijrah Secondary School attended Lego Mindstorm classes where the pupils of year 7 and year 8 were shown how to program robots to do specific jobs like moving in a straight line, square, sounding alarms and displaying pictures and text.

Using sensors and sound sensitive equipment the robots were also programmed to do specific actions upon hearing a certain sound and move into various directions when coming into contact with an object.

Also Nansen Primary School attended astronaut sessions detailing what life was like for an astronaut. Each child was put through physical, mental and reaction challenges. They were also given facts on lifestyle and food up in space. All the children this week were enthusiastic and enjoyed all the tasks given.

ICT Champions

2008-06-03T03:39:00.000-07:00

As previously mentioned Parkview City Learning Centre initiated the 'English for ICT Champions' project just before May half term. The aim of the project is to train and equip innovative English Practitioners in delivering exciting and engaging classroom content.

Each teacher was given in induction pack and kit which compromised of a Ferarri Laptop, a camcorder, a digital camera and various other essentials needed for the project; both the kit and software will be loaned for a year. Group meetings will be held regularly to discuss and exchange best practice. Also all resources will be stored in an online repository to be accessed by the wider teaching community. Updates of this project will be given throughout the year.

Back in the Trenches!

2008-05-16T03:34:00.000-07:00

This week World War One History was taught to pupils of Small Heath Secondary School in a new and exciting way. The year nine pupils enjoyed animating pictures of soldiers, women and even rats using Crazy talk software. This gave the children a new perspective of how lives were effected by the misery of war. The children all produced work that was very well thought out.

Also, Parkview CLC started a project called 'English ICT Champions', in which four English teachers from various network schools were given the opportunity to learn new ways of teaching their subject using ICT. The project includes training in different techniques and how to apply them using equipment which is also provided by the CLC. The kit includes among other items a Ferrari laptop and digital camera. We will keep you updated on the progress of this project in following weeks.

Lego It!

2008-05-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Parkview Secondary School enjoyed creating more animations using iStop Motion last week. Not only did they write good storylines but they also incorporated music which had been created using GarageBand software. All in all it was a good day.

Also, last week the CLC ran INSET sessions for 'Podcasting in the classroom' and Kar2ouche. Various network school teachers attended and enjoyed the different aspects of the training given. Some created their own podcast and learnt how effective it can be when used in the classroom and others learnt how to utilise the Kar2ouche software in different subjects.

AniMania!

2008-04-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

Pupils from year 9 Parkview Secondary School participated in another session of Animation using Lego City Buildings. The pre constructed buildings gave the pupils the basis for their storyline. Each child worked hard and produced some excellent animation.

Also the Chrysalis Club visited the CLC to take on some Kar2ouche Training. Positive feedback was given after the session which praised both the staff and the training methods.

Forensics Fun

2008-04-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

This week various network schools came together and attended the CLC run Forensics day. Pupils from Hallmoor, Golden Hillock, Bordesley Green Girls and St Albans school participated in various tasks to investigate the outcome of a crime scenario. The children were divised into specific groups allowing them to interact with other pupils outside of their own school.
Also, pupils from Year 9 at Parkview Secondary School attended a session on creating animation using Lego. All the pupils worked in groups of two and produced some brilliant work using iSight camera's and iStop Motion software.

SATS Revision

2008-03-14T08:04:00.001-07:00

Crime Suspicion Interrogation

2008-02-29T03:58:00.000-08:00

Mathematics was on the agenda for Al Hijra boys school this week with pupils running through motion and movement tasks. The children completed questions on topics like percentages, angles, multiplication and division successfully using mindstorm robots and various software packages.

Also this week the CLC ran a 3D Forensics session for the pupils of Holy Trinity School. Pratical tasks were completed by each pupil which involved solving a murder by analysing hair, fabric, fingerprints, blood samples of both the victim and suspects. Also running toxicology experiments to determine the cause of death. This was a fun session where the pupils learn how science takes place in a working enviroment. Next week more on forensics along with pictures to demonstrate the tasks.

Movement, Motion, Mation.

2008-02-22T02:35:00.000-08:00

This week proved to be a productive week for both the CLC and Al-Hijra Secondary School. Taking Animation to the next level, the pupils were given specific tasks to create both a story and then animation using Lego City Buildings. A hospital, airport, factory and house were among the various scenerios to choose from. The children worked enthusiastically editing the Lego masterpiece incorporating Garage Band music and Audio dialogue effectively.

Also this week, percentages, division, diameter and perimeter were some of the topics covered in our Maths in Movement and Maths in Motion sessions. Introducing fun tasks for the children to understand the concepts of mathematics made these sessions very much enjoyable. Next week we have more sessions in Maths and also some Forensics to look forward to.

Space And Beyond

2008-02-05T01:31:00.000-08:00

Last week Bordesley Green Girls School attended a session on Space and it's Mysteries. Firstly, designing a Functional Space Station using Google Sketchup, the children were put through several rigourous tests to show a habitual enviroment for astronauts when up in space. The pupils went through tasting different types of food and attempting various exercises which then led them onto the final stage of the session. In this stage pupils added data modules to support extended scientific research such as Space tourism etc. All in all the day was very much enjoyed.

Operation Montserrat

2008-01-25T02:44:00.000-08:00

This week Holy Trinity School conducted an e-Mission session collaboratively with National Space Centre, Leicester. Operation Montserrat is an electronic mission that challenges students to apply their science and math skills to an authentic crisis situation.
During the full day session, five teams are organised into groups, which are given various titles eg, Hurricane Team, Communication Team etc. Each group has to analyze data in order to avert possible disaster and save the lives of the people living in Montserrat. The pupils worked very hard and had a productful day. Also another outreach session to Golden Hillock in Textiles proved awarding. The pupils worked very hard on each of their projects producing some excellent pieces of work.

Crazy Climate

2008-01-21T04:15:00.000-08:00

Climate change effects everybody and the Year 5 pupils of Nansen Primary School visited the CLC to learn what the causes are and what measures can be taken to minimise the risks.

By using Photostory the pupils created a presentation dipicting Climate Change and what we can do to slow the process down. The work they produced included audio, visual and musical skills, which was taken away with them at the end of the session. Also staff ran an outreach session at Golden Hillock Secondary School for Year 11 pupils to learn various techniques in Textiles using ICT.

BETTer Technology!

2008-01-18T03:09:00.000-08:00

Members of the CLC visited the BETT show, which was hosted in London last week. They were quite impressed by the range of services and new technology which is now available. We will be sending details of some exciting links and software in our weekly bulletins over the next month.

Also, James Brindley School attended a session in Art and Design creating their own piece of Aboriginal Art. Once completed, the pupil's work was transferred onto T/shirts for them to take away. Some excellent work was produced by the class. To subscribe to our weekly bulletin's please contact us with an email address that will be added to our mailing list.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-11T03:43:00.000-08:00

Now that 2008 is upon us, Parkview CLC would like to notify you of up and coming events at the City Learning Centre. This year we will be running various CPD Inset Courses for our Network Teachers like Podcasting, Creating Websites quick and easily, CAD and many others.
Alongside the CPD days we shall also be running sessions for both Primary and Secondary classes in our Network Schools like Wikispaces, Lego Robolab, Ocean Odyssey, Animation, Journeys and many more. All the information can be found on this website and future dates for courses will be posted shortly.

Scream Green Screen

2007-12-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

Members of the Parkview Book club at the Business and Enterprise Secondary School scripted, produced and edited a news video based on the story 'Snapshot' by Robert Swindells.

Using Green Screen technology the children produced a 3 minute film incorporating the facts of the book and trying to get readers to choose this book in the Key Stage 3 dares competition . They created an excellent piece of work using various skills: writing, creating and adding the music, acting and finally editing all the pieces in an organised manner.
Also last week, Bordesley Green Girls School enjoyed the company of the clc staff in their final session of an Art and Design project which was based on Portraits.

Art and Media Medley!

2007-12-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

This week Bordesley Green Girls School will complete their Art and Design project in creating self portraits. Using Photoshop, the pupils will learn how to apply various techniques to a picture and produce a self portrait in different colours, shades, textures etc. Also, a visit to Small Heath Sixth Form will have A' Level students creating their own animation for a Media Studies session. This is an ongoing project that has a couple more sessions left before its completion. More on the outcome of these stories at the end of the week.

Animation and More!

2007-11-28T04:04:00.000-08:00

Last week Parkview City Learning Centre went to Small Heath Sixth Form to help the students create coursework for their 'A' Level Media Studies Project. Students were asked to produce, script and direct the opening credits of an original childrens TV show. Students came up with some very creative ideas including a Panda rock band and also aliens in the shape of letters.
Over the course of six weeks pupils will produce a final film which will be submitted as coursework. Parkview CLC ss enjoying working with such creative and well motivated students and looks forward to hosting some of their work on this site.
Also this week pupils of Parkview Secondary School came in to complete their sports commentary Podcasts with music and sound effects. We hope to have a special Podcast page up soon.

Wacky Wiki Writing

2007-11-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Creative Writing was on the agenda this week for two Year 6 classes. In the early part of the week, Parkview CLC enjoyed the company of the pupils from St Saviours Primary School who came to learn some new creative writing techniques.

The children navigated through a virtual Adventure Island, constructing Wiki Links from one page to another. They were introduced to new ideas using the internet which allowed them to write a description about certain places in the World; leaving the CLC with their own Wiki Web Page that can be updated in school. Other events included Kar2ouche Training and an Outreach Art - Photoshop session to Bordesley Green Girls School. On the Agenda next week we have some Moodle Training booked at the CLC and more outreach sessions for Art and Design and Media Studies.

RSS reader

2007-09-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

RSS feeds are a great way of saving time - they send updates of websites and blogs to you without you having to visit your favourite websites all the time. Have a look at the video below for an intro...

Nice Summer project?

2007-07-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the academic year is thundering to a close and we are getting ready for next term. We're hoping to run a large number of INSET courses, new sessions and some old faithfuls. Have a look at our website at www.parkviewclc.bham.org.uk for more ideas and to book us.

Anyhow, I came across this website and I thought it'd be a great summer project using disposable cameras (or maybe digital). You could use google pages to create a website of the pupil's photos too.

Whatever you do, have a great summer and get some rest for that long Autumn term!

New website coming!

2007-06-28T04:40:00.001-07:00

Staff at Park View CLC are beside themselevs with excitement about the upcoming new website which will be hosted here. Those of you with a nostalgia for poorly constructed websites might want to check out our old site before it is subsumed by our new IMPROVED site.

Of course, it'll take us some time to populate the website properly - we're looking at September for it be nice and full! We'll be uploading session info, worksheets, reports, media an other stuff. The idea is to make it easier to see what we do and what we can do for you.

This blogsite will continue to be updated regularly. Thanks to all who have visited!

Powerpoint comedy?

2007-06-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't think Powerpoint would be a rich vein for comedy, but these videos might change your mind. I'm still trying to find some better quality versions, but for now have a look at these. They'd be useful to show just before someone presents their own Powerpoint!

Survey tool - teachers

2007-06-18T05:53:00.001-07:00

Here is the link for teachers to use to take our survey:

Click here to take my survey

Using ICT in RE

2007-04-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

This week we are running the first of our "Places of Worship" sessions. This involves researching the symbols, objects and requirements of religious places. Pupils will use our specially created website to research links and then create a paper-version of their design. They will then use Google Sketchup (see earlier blog post!) to create a 3d representation of their space.

We are then going to send on their designs to the relevant faith community representatives in Birmingham to assess how appropriate the design is for the needs.

Web 2.0

2007-04-20T04:39:00.000-07:00

This post isn't designed to explain Web 2.0 (does it really exist?) but to highlight this interesting video on it. Whatever we term it, Web2.0 is a handy hook on which to hand all the new innovations that are happening on the net. The increasing amount of participation that is happening with content (wikipedia is a famous example) is a major opportunity for educators. Anyhow -watch the video and get inspired!

New Art Gallery for Park View CLC

2007-04-20T02:58:00.000-07:00

Created using the wonderful Google Page Creator (what, you're not using it already??? It's one of the easiest and quickest ways to publish webpages - and it's free!) our new art gallery is online. Have a browse through the pictures, admire the creative talents of the young people we work with and contact us if you want to know more.

Climate Change wikis

2007-04-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today we trialled a new session we are offering concerning Climate Change. The pupils from Year 9 St Alban's School were split into groups and assigned overall tasks - how they divided up the tasks and time was up to them.

They created a website (wiki), podcast, logo and researched information on 3 areas: recycling, energy saving and transport.

The results can be seen here.

Survey Shack Link

2007-04-17T02:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blogsite, St Alban's. Click here to complete the CLC survey:

Click here to take my survey

Websites for English teachers

2007-04-02T04:01:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of. These websites should get creativity flowing and help with story/descriptive writing. We all know that the blank page can be intimidating so these should help.

Want a jump off point for a story? well, nothing is better than an evocative title. This site gives you 6 titles each time. Perhaps for a homework or classwork you could just simply press the button and the pupils could choose their title. genre, characters, plot - well, they'll all flow that little bit easier.
When I pressed, the titles I got were:

Lovely Secret
The Obsessed Truth
Flames of Prince
The Captive's Past
Storm in the Tower
Missing Voyage

I have tried this many times now and haven't come across any titles that are offensive, although given the random nature of the generating I can't guarantee you won't. But, as with all web use, the pupils need to learn - and be taught - appropriate surfing skills. That's part of your job!

We all know that a character's name is important. It can reveal truths about them and evoke a certain archetype (an AST I work with, Miss Stoneman, insists the names of the characters from Lost indicate a deeper truth (Sawyer, Locke, Jack) but, personally, I am just confused by the whole affair now and Season 3 isn't helping!).

Charles Dickens knew this. Honeythunder, Sweedlepipe, Pumplechook??? Anyhow, a great way to generate a character name to promote discussion or just fill in detail on that character you've lost your way with are Name Generators.

There are loads online and some are inappropriate. Some which I've used (and my name from them) are:

Fairy names (mine is Feather Snowwitch)

Lord of the Rings names (hobbits, elves etc. My hobbit name was Riappi "the fat" Ness of Hardbottle)

And this site has lots of generators. I've used some of them and they work well. This is, however, a large site and I haven't been able to look at it all - there may be inappropriate content (although I didn't find any). Lots here, though.

Finally, what use is text if your audience can't understand it? You can use dialect/accent convertors to put some realism into your text. This paragraph, for example, put through the Black Country dialect would turn out like the paragrpah below. We are, after all, a Birmingham City Learning Centre and I am Black Country by birth!

Finally, what use is text if yaw audience cor understan' it? yaouw can use dialect/accent convertors ter put sum realism into yaw text. this paragraph, fer example, put through the black country dialect ood turn ert loike the paragrpah beloo. we am, after all, a Burminum city learnen centre an' I yam black country by birth!

The website is here. Of course, there is a potential for misuse of this tool as it also includes: posh, irish, scouser, Ali G, cockney, Geordie and others. However, used properly it is fun and really shows off the variety of dialects/accents that we have in the country.

It can also create a real sense of character. For example, at key moment someone saying, "I love you, my darling. I always have and always will. Remember my face and tell the children I did it for them" as a character plunges to their death might read differently as: "i golden dove ya, me Briny Marlin. I always 'ave and always will. remember me Chevy Chase and tell the kids I did it for them"

Have fun!

Arty websites to use in class

2007-03-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

OK, here are some more websites to play around with. They have an art focus although they are versatile and can all be used easily. I can't guarantee that these addresses won't change or that you might get spyware or something but it has't happened to me!

Cool text allows pupils to create their own... erm, cool text really quickly. They can be "saved as" as picture files and used in most applications (word, powerpoint etc...)

Websketch is a fun and pretty versatile sketch tool. There's a floating tool bar and you're able to ply back your drawing as an animation.

Sticking with the art theme, if you want to show pupils how a sketch develops, you might want to try doodlebug. There are a large bank of illustrations here.

Not enough cash for Photoshop?

2007-03-23T02:41:00.000-07:00

Photoshop is amazing. To create art, manipulate images and generally have fun with computers you can't beat it!

We've used it across various subjects (art and design, of course but also History (you can realy go all Stalin-esque on photos and re-interpret history!), English (book covers, film posters, character interpretation), Geography (weather reports, town planning) and loads more.

However, Photoshop can be a little expensive (although the elements version represents great value for money) and particularly if you want it across all your computers in your school (and what sensible-thinking person wouldn't?!?)

There are alternatives. Perhaps the best and most obvious is Gimp Shop. Unfortunately named (Pulp Fiction, anyone? It actually stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)) but brimming with features that are as powerful and intuitive as photoshop.

It's free. It's open source. It's here.

Really, if you're still reading this and not downloading Gimp Shop you need to reassess your values!

Blogs

2007-03-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

What is a blog? It seems like every TV and radio show has one.

Well, this is a blog. There are hundreds of them. Thousands. More!

In fact, all a blog is a very simple to create website which acts a little like a diary. This blogsite uses blogger.com but there are loads out there.

You're able to upload images as well - which makes blogs an ideal opportunity for:

- online art galleries

- tracking reading records in a reading diary

- a collaborative class diary

Once pupils have created a blog (an it's an easy 3 stage process with blogger.com) they'll be able to make as many as they want about anything.

Also, people are able to post comments to blog postings - which can be moderated easily.

The best way is to try creating your own blog site and then see it's potential.

Fun/educational websites

2007-03-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

Not wishing to give the impression that I spend too much time surfing the net but this posting is really just list of links which have amused/interested/inspired me. click on the links and have a browse through them but don't blame me if you waste hours of your life...

Art Pad is a lovely little painting simulator (the replay function is great!).

Mr Picasso head is a fast way to create Picasso-style daubings (the final part - the signature - is the icing on the cake).

Try making the horses sing here.

Heromachine allows you to create your own superhero (download the 1.1 free version)

Create a photofit of yourself here

What's the time?

Explore the industrial processes of a variety of products here.

Most fun "freeware" ever?

2007-03-01T05:07:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to call this freeware - the free version is fully functional but there is a paid version which has more features - but the basic free version is really all you need to get into CAD quickly and painlessly.

If you haven't tried Google Sketchup you really must! The tutorials are among some of the best you'll find - you could easily just sit down and let them run your lessons for you (not that we endorse that approach here, you understand) - and the results are stunning.

Design and technology are the obvious users of this program but it's so simple that you could use it to create drama sets, places of worship, trenches, space stations - well, anything really.

This software counts among the best - and most impressive - we've seen. If you already teach CAD (computer aided design) please try this - it's perfect to get pupils into the area.

Download it here NOW NOW NOW!!!
Here are some examples, starting with something simple:

Wikis

2007-02-28T02:34:00.000-08:00

What are wikis? Have a look at this video for a good intro:

At Parkviewclc we have been dipping our toes into using wikis. Of all the wiki "farms" we decided to go with wikispaces.com. We've had a few problems but generally we're very excited by them. You can see what we started doing with a year 6 class here.

From here you can link to the groups and their own individual haunted house. This project lasted for about 6 hours in total and was run at the school using their own ICT suite. Problems encountered were:

1. Not enough PCs for 1 per pupil
2. Login/email issues
3. Some inappropriate advertising on sites

These were in no way unsolvable problems. We paired up pupils to support each other which helped ease PC demand. After the first session, we created 30 users for wikispaces (which took less time than you'd think!) and then assigned pupils their own login. The final issue isn't too bad - on the free version of wikispaces you get advertising down the right side of the site. They aren't as bad as you'd find on other "mainstream" sites but they can be completely removed by a small paid subscription.

Pupils and teachers were very engaged by the wikispaces and as preparation for SATs and creative writing skills it has been a great success. It helped that the school we worked with (St Saviour's) were very responsive to innovations in ICT and were quick to see the benefits. To see a "completed" wikispace on creative writing (although whether you can ever have a "completed" wikispace is an interesting question...) here.

The real bonus for us as a CLC is that once we left the pupils and teachers were able to continue their sites at school and at home using the logins we provided.

Wikispaces are a great tool for a wide variety of uses. Here are a few exemplars that might spark off some ideas:

Burr and Burton Academy

http://westwood.wikispaces.com/

http://podcastjazz.pbwiki.com/

Free software 2 - Audacity

2007-02-21T04:17:00.000-08:00

With Audacity we get KS2 and KS3 pupils to create a radio programme in an hour. That's pupils who've never used Audacity before!

Basically, it's a free, open-source multi-track sound editor. It allows you to import sounds and music or to record your own with a microphone. Each "track" can be manipulated (change the pitch, tempo, add fades, distortion etc...)

It's a great tool for music, but also too create plays (the 3 witches scene works well), science "lectures", historical accounts - the list is endless. Of course, the finished product can be put onto a website later and then you've got a podcast!

Download it at:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Free software - Photostory 3

2007-02-21T03:19:00.000-08:00

At Park View CLC we are trying to use more and more open-source or freeware software. Whilst the actual licensing agreements might differ, there is a lot of high quality software available which is completely FREE and easy to use.
In deciding which piece of software to promote first, we decided it had to be Photostory 3. When this is used with classes and shown to teachers the response is always completely positive and it tends to engage pupils entriely.
Simple and powerful, it allows a user to put photos or pictures into a film, add narration, music, effects and camera movements - Year 5 pupils can pick it up in ten minutes!
It's a nice alternative to Powerpoint presentations, an easy way to create a film and can be used in all subjects.
It's a microsoft product too, which means it has support on the website, quick download time and authenticy. Try it with your holiday snaps first and see how impressive it is!

Download it at:

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/
digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

A brand new day...

2007-02-21T03:11:00.000-08:00

After many requests on teaching tips and software we have decided to succumb to the pressure of the zeitgeist and create a blog. Everyone and their dog has a blog site lately, and it has to be said they can be a wonderful tool for self-expression and they allow communication with a wide audience.

All too often though they can be insular and of interest to only a small audience. We hope that the software and teaching ideas flagged up on this blog will be of genuine benefit both to our network schools and anyone else that happens to come across this site.

It is a site, therefore, not celebrating all the achievements of Park View City Learning Centre but instead to offer helpful advice and support to teachers everywhere. Feel free to post comments, ask questions or make suggestions!

Stephen Fessey

Asst. Manager Park View CLC