An email from a Principal last term brought to my attention that there were no resources on the Shambles website to help when writing Indemnity forms.

There is a section now - if you have an indemnity form in your own school that you are willing to share then please let me know csmith@csmith.info

"Shambles takes absolutely no responsibility for bad actions resulting from the reading or digestion of this newsletter or for any resultant changes in the weather"
 

If you missed the IWB Convention in Hong Kong last month then you should find the following opportunity of interest. IWBNet, with the support of the University of Hull will be conducting between 10 –22 October 2005 the first global, online conference on the use of IWBs in schooling.

IWBNet 2005 will examine the latest developments world wide with interactive whiteboards (IWBs) that can improve teaching and learning.

Interactive WhiteBoard areas on Shambles are at:
• General IWB Information : www.shambles.net/pages/staff/intwhiteb
• List of free software and content for IWBs : www.shambles.net/pages/staff/IWBcontent

"A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation."

It appears that the use of webquests has been used as a learning resource by USA curriculum schools before others. Often teachers evolve through using virtual field trips and scavenger hunts before stepping into the world of WebQuests themselves.

WebQuests were the original conception of Bernie Dodge from San Diego State University. The original WebQuest site can be accessed at http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html there are now many other sites.
A UK site, WebQuestUK at www.webquestuk.org.uk/, holds true to the original concept but attempts to link quests to the UK National Curriculum.
   

An online course from the Institute of Education, University of London
30 June application deadline for next cohort
This internationally focused course is suitable for senior managers in schools and colleges or in government or other agencies concerned with schooling.
The course is made up of four modules and a dissertation supported by specially written materials and additional readings. Groups of 10 students work together online under the guidance of a personal tutor.

Students studying these programmes:

• will consider strategies to improve educational organisations and reflect on the values that underpin them.
• will gain a critical understanding of the policy context of education and its practice.
• will be encouraged to reflect on key areas of theory and empirical research relating to their own unique work environment.
• will develop a greater appreciation of their own and colleagues' professional development needs .
• will be taught using innovative computer conferencing within a purpose-designed Virtual Learning Environment

to download a poster for the staffroom noticeboard click here (pdf file 500KB)
to download a comprehensive detailed leaflet click here (pdf file 213KB)
to see a sample of one of the sessions click here (Word .doc 23KB)
 

The theme of the 33rd IASL Conference is: Information leadership in a culture of change ... venue University of Hong Kong

The conference will focus on five key sub themes: information literacy, information policy, knowledge management, social responsibility, and leadership.

Even the pre-conference hands-on workshops are attractive on their own ... on Friday 8th : "Collection Evaluation" and "Assessing Information Literacy: Cycles of Inquiry"
 

It used to be straight forward when there was just the plain old copyright symbol even though it was not much practical use .. you could either use the work or not.

Creative Commons (USA) took up the challenge to offer creators of digital materials more choices than just "open to all with no control " or " open to no one "
Free for Education (Australia) has a number of different licence symbols specifically for education.
The Creative Archive (UK) "is a new BBC led initiative to provide access to public service audio and video archives in a way that allows the British public to find, share, watch, listen and re-use the archive as a fuel for their own creative endeavours. In other words, you can rip, mix and share the BBC."

This US Geological Survey department has produced a new resource to support a topic that is taught in classrooms all over the world : The Water Cycle.

The reason for mentioning it here is that they have produced not only an impressive illustration but they have versions available in over 50 languages.