Up To Now!

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

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.

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

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)

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

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

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.