2nd – 6th July at Magna Rotherham

Yes that’s right – free, which is why there’s not much time get book your places. This is a national event with schools from all over the country taking part but as it’s in Rotherham, we’d like to make sure that YHGfL schools make the most of this fantastic opportunity. Sign up for as much or as little as you want. Take your pupils or just go yourself, it’s all free and runs over 5 days so loads to choose from:

• 5 days of hands-on interactive and inspiring workshops and lectures from leading figures in education and industry.
• Fully inclusive workshop schedule – from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5.
• A fully engaged curriculum – Coding/Programmer/Computer Science, Art, Maths, Physics, English, Drama.
• 750+ workshop places and 2000+ activity places – applications encouraged from schools across the country.
• 250 CPD opportunities for teachers and educators to develop existing and new digital skills taking game creation back into the classroom.
• Industry-lead careers surgeries, vital advice and guidance for schools and young people.

For every you need to get the most out of this event, visit the website or download the Planning Your Visit document. They’ve even done your visit risk assessment for you!

http://www.gamesbritannia.com/2012/assets/planningyourvisit.pdf

http://www.gamesbritannia.com/2012/index.php

Tickets for workshops, talks and for entry into the REPLAYED arena are now available to Games Britannia registrants on a first-come-first-served basis.

Additions To The Schedule

Games Brittania are delighted to announce that Alex Warren will be delivering two Creative Writing/Literacy/Puzzle Solving workshops using Quest his free Text Adventure creation tool, and Bruce Grove, the General Manager of OnLive UK will be talking about the future of gaming – specifically cloud based systems that are set to revoluntionise how we play videogames at home and on the move.

Star Wars videogame writer comes to Sheffield

A Sheffield Hallam University graduate who now lives in Austin, Texas, is returning to the city to pass on her experiences of working on one of the world’s largest multiplayer online video games.

Jo Berry, who studied a master’s in creative writing at Sheffield Hallam, is a writer on Star WarsTM: The Old RepublicTM, a ‘massively multiplayer online role-playing game’ based in the Star Wars universe.

For more information and to book your free places:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/org/1178088293?s=7706373

Are you starting to hear things about Kodu? Interested in finding out more? The Microsoft Schools UK blog has some case studies, stories from teachers and links to the free download.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ukschools/archive/2011/05/11/kodu-bringing-fun-to-learning-in-the-classroom.aspx

If you’re a YHGfL member don’t forget you can request a free online training session to get you started on Kodu. Simply email us and we’ll make all the necessary arrangements.

contact@yhgfl.net

If you’re considering making the most of the YHGfL deal on Microsoft licensing you might want to take a look at the new deal on Office 365. Under the new arrangements Office 365 is free to students and staff.

‘Office 365 for education includes everything available in Office 365 for enterprises – Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online, Office Web Apps, and Office Professional Plus desktop software. And the suite also will include templates and pricing designed to meet the unique needs of schools, their teachers and students.’

For more information contact Phoenix Software on 0845 256 1265 or yhgfl@phoenixs.co.uk.

UK’s founding father of interactive entertainment to open videogame festival

The co-author of the Livingstone-Hope Next Gen report in 2011, which prompted the government to address ICT in schools, will officially open the Games Britannia videogames education and careers festival in July.

Ian Livingstone OBE, co-creator of the Fighting Fantasy series of interactive adventure books, has given the festival organisers the go-ahead to run a Fighting Fantasy themed workshop. The session, which Ian will help facilitate, will show children how interactive fiction can bring the art of story-telling to videogames.

Ian said: “Interactive fiction is becoming more prevalent in games as players look for deeper, more engaging story-telling and increased scope for decision-making.

“The Games Britannia festival will give children a real look at how videogames involve writing skills and story-telling to create interactive fiction. I hope the Fighting Fantasy workshops will promote a passion for literature and encourage sometimes reluctant readers and writers to …read and write!”

The Fighting Fantasy series of workshops will showcase a new interactive fiction tool, created with writers and schools in mind and completely free of charge, by new creative start-up company inkle

Created by a pair of former videogame developers, Jon Ingold and Joseph Humfrey, inklewriter requires no set-up, no programming and no drawing diagrams – and it enables young people to write and share interactive literature.

Co-creator Jon Ingold said: “Before founding inkle, Joe and I both worked in the videogame industry and we know first-hand the importance of events like Games Britannia, to get kids thinking about how games work and how they’re made.

“It’s a real treat for us to be involved, especially in collaboration with Ian and Fighting Fantasy. We can’t wait to see what the students make with our inklewriter tool!”

Ian Livingstone will also be showcasing his brand new Fighting Fantasy title at the festival, called Blood of the Zombies.

The videogames education and careers festival will take place from 2 to 8 July at the MAGNA Science Adventure Centre, and will celebrate the strength of the UK industry and inspire the next generation of British videogame talent. The festival includes Games Britannia: REPLAYED, which opens the Games Britannia doors to the public for a weekend of games-based learning and entertainment.

Games Britannia, incorporating Games Britannia: REPLAYED, is organised by a partnership including Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Sheffield Hallam University, Brinsworth Comprehensive School Academy Trust, Replay Events and UK Interactive Entertainment, and is backed by industry companies including Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

To find out more about the festival, visit  www.gamesbritannia.com/2012/

You have until April 11th 2012 to respond to the government consultation on removing the duty on  schools to follow the information and communication technology (ICT) Programmes of Study, Attainment Targets and statutory assessment arrangements from September 2012. Here are the questions which you are invited to respond to:

1a)  Do you agree with the Government’s proposal that the statutory Programmes of Study for ICT should be disapplied in maintained schools in Englandfrom September 2012?
1b) Do you agree with the Government’s proposal that the statutory Attainment Targets for ICT should be disapplied in maintained schools in Englandfrom September 2012?
1c) Do you agree that the statutory assessment arrangements for ICT at Key Stage 3 should be disapplied in maintained schools in Englandfrom September 2012?
2a) What would be the likely impact in schools of disapplying the existing Programmes of Study and Attainment Targets?
2b) How might this vary between different types of school or differentially affect different groups of pupils?
3a) Do you agree that schools should be encouraged to deliver a more challenging, rigorous, discipline-related curriculum in ICT, especially by focusing on the foundational principles and practices of computer science?
3b) How can schools be best supported to engage with the ICT industry and subject associations in curriculum development, in order to develop innovative and creative approaches to ICT teaching, including the teaching of computer science?
4) Do you have any other comments you would like to make about the proposals in this consultation document?

To have your say, follow the link below:

http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?CFID=3887057&CFTOKEN=63121951

Monday 26th & Wednesday 28th March 2012

A free taster session for developing good practice in primary classrooms.

Come along and get hands on experience setting up, maintaining and delivering lessons using ipads, to promote excellence in teaching and learning through technology. Find out about vital apps to motivate and support pupils in their reading and the wider curriculum.

In association with Primary ICT Support, Delivered by Andy Gamble, ICT AST, Deputy Head

Low Road & Windmill Primary School Federation , Windmill Road, Belle Isle, Leeds.

For further information email  events@yhgfl.net and we will forward your request to Andy.

Please note the sessions are primarily for Leeds schools but  would welcome interest from other prospectives.

Now available on NGfL Cymru are a series of resources to support the teaching of Unit IT3 (Use and Impact of ICT) which is part of the WJEC specification for ICT.  Whilst the resource is tailored for a specific exam board it can be easily adapted to suit any scheme of work. The resources are structured according to the nine elements in the specification and can be used by the learner or by the teacher with the whole class utilising a whiteboard and digital projector.  Each element is introduced with a PowerPoint file which also includes animations to explain difficult concepts and to support the learning.  Mind maps and a series of past exam questions are also included.

Authored and developed by Cynnal and commissioned by DfES.

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/eng/ict-advanced-level-resources

For many schools MFL is now firmly back on the agenda and using ICT is a great way to engage students with MFL. This video from Teachers TV highlights how Voki- a free web tool has been used to great effect in a year 9 Spanish class.

http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Secondary-Modern-Foreign-Languages-Using-ICT-6085031/

YHGfL are running a workshop in the Autumn Term which will give MFL teachers a chance to try out Voki and a range of other freely available online tools.

http://www.yhgfl.net/CPD/CPD-programme/%28month%29/9/%28year%29/2011

Have you responded to the National Curriculum consultation yet? The consultation, which started on January 20th is your chance to have a say in shaping the National Curriculum. The consultation is also aimed at Parents/Carers so why not share it with your wider school community?

Taken from the DfE website

“Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, has announced a review of the primary and secondary National Curriculum in England. The National Curriculum was originally intended as a guide for study in key subjects which would give parents and teachers confidence that students were acquiring the knowledge necessary at every level of study to make appropriate progress. As it has developed, the National Curriculum has come to cover more subjects, prescribe more outcomes and take up more school time than originally intended.  We want to hear your opinions and evidence about the National Curriculum and start a debate about what is taught in our schools. By answering the questions in the Call for Evidence you can give your input to the discussion at this early stage.”

This is your chance to have an impact on the future of education. What are you waiting for?

http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=conDocument&consultationId=1730&menu=1