So fundamental is the notion of Enterprise to our society that it is rather sad to think that many young people leave school – and indeed many leave university – without much of an idea as to what enterprise is all about.

One way or another they earn money, and generally speaking they spend it. But the whole basis of the system, and their part within it, can often remain a mystery.

It was because of the utterly fundamental nature of enterprise within our society, and the fact that so many young people don’t seem to grasp what it is all about, that we commissioned “Enterprise Education: The Course Book”.

Written by a teacher who went on to set up his own successful business this copiable volume starts from a detailed review of what Enterprise Education is, and then helps the students come to terms with what the world of business is all about.

The volume explores the notion of Enterprise and how it can be applied throughout the school, as well as examining the career implications of enterprise.

The volume then covers the setting up of a work-related programme before going into examples of enterprise opportunities including simulations, school generated projects and engagement with business.

At the end of the book there is a set of forms that can be used in terms of an agreement with companies over work experience, report forms, placement letters, etc etc.

Enterprise Education: The Complete Coursebook includes everything that is required for the successful implementation of the Key Stage 4 Enterprise Education programme, from classroom teaching materials to an in-service training programme, from work-based learning modules to simulations and live enterprise projects.

Enterprise Education: The Complete Coursebook is available as a book or on CD and includes:

• INSET activities – as a result of which staff will feel confident in their knowledge and understanding of the enterprise culture within industry and how it will impact on pupils who are exposed to it.
• Champions of Enterprise: Pupils can evaluate local business enterprises and draw their own conclusions as to which firms are truly involved in enterprise culture.
• Simulations: Mini-enterprises in which pupils can engage in an enterprise activity in a controlled environment.
• School generated projects: Pupils organise an actual event or act in the local environment in a planned and organised way.
• Real life situations: The Coursebook sets out programmes which ensure that the organisation, the school and the pupil all work together to generate a true understanding of enterprise.

The copyright licence allows the copying from either the book or the CD, so that all students can have pages relevant to their study at any time. It is also possible to place the CD on the school’s learning platform, so that students may access it at any time.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 8606

Price:

• £25.95 for the book or CD, plus £3.95 postage.
• £32.94 for the book plus CD, plus £3.95 postage.

You can order in four different ways. In each case please quote our reference T1790emn. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed prior to ordering on http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/business/T1790.pdf

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House Mailings plc, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH
• By fax on 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or with an official school order number on 01536 399 011
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=51&products_id=552

Sparked by technology such as the Internet, we have entered a new era of globalisation – a level of interconnection unprecedented in world history. One of the most important results of this new wave of globalisation is our heightened awareness of how the importance of human rights, the vast differences between rich and poor, the spread of disease and the use of the Earth’s resources affect us all.

The Global Issues for Students Series of 7 DVD resources provides in-depth analysis of current world problems. Programmes in this series focus on modern global issues, their historical roots and the exploration of varied viewpoints and solutions.

Using comprehensive news footage and commentary from some of the world’s leading experts, students will gain a greater understanding of the most important issues affecting the world today.

“…well-crafted…employs striking video footage from newsgathering resources as well as interviews with experts in each field to present the particular issue in an effective and interesting manner…A very worthwhile series for high school social studies and current events courses.“– School Library Journal

“This documentary series pulls no punches. Authoritative narration coupled with news footage and riveting still photography set the stage for student discussion and interest.“– Teacher Librarian

“Balanced examinations of the topics are appropriately presented for the intended audience…This is a very valuable series that covers a range of very difficult topics succinctly and thoroughly… Highly recommended.“– Library Media Connection

Each 23-minute chaptered DVD includes a printable Teacher’s Guide with Pre-viewing Discussion ideas, Focus Questions, Follow-up Discussion and Further Activities – click here to view sample support material

Global Issues For Students is available as a complete set or as individual titles:

• Africa: Challenges in the 21st Century
• Genocide
• Global Economic Issues
• Global Environmental Issues
• Global Science & Technology Issues
• Human Rights
• Latin America: Challenges in the 21st Century

Click on the links above for individual programme details, preview clips and online ordering, or click here for the complete set of 7 programmes

SAVE 25%* – quote promotional discount code: HHM125 or click here for a printable PDF information sheet and discounted order form

Orders / enquiries may also be made by phone, fax, email or post to:

Viewtech Educational Media
7-8 Falcons Gate
Dean Road
Yate
Bristol
BS37 5NH
————————————-
tel: 01454 858055
fax: 01454 858056
tel/fax: 01454 313272
email: info@viewtech.co.uk
http://www.viewtech.co.uk
————————————-
Viewtech Educational Media is the trading name of Viewtech Audio Visual Media Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under number 4205240. A member of the British Educational Suppliers Association. *Please contact us for terms and conditions. E.&O.E.

What’s the most effective way to help an NQT, support teacher and other colleagues with behaviour management?

Some behaviour management books run to hundreds of pages, and if you are writing a thesis on the subject or running courses for other teachers they might be exactly what you need.

But sometimes there is a need to go back to the beginning – especially if you are looking to help NQTs, support staff or other colleagues who are having some difficulties in the classroom.

It’s for this reason we have produced Behaviour Management: or what do I do now?

The aim of the booklet is simple – to set out the basics in behaviour management in a short simple format, so that anyone interested can take the information and transform their work in the classroom immediately.

The focus is the simple question: “What do I do with young people who have anger and behaviour issues?” It is in fact a straightforward first information pack for staff who are looking to make progress in this own classroom environment.

The booklet covers such topics as “The Conflict Cycle”, aggressive signs and signals, ways of managing anger, the “solid relationship”, the “CALM” technique, body language etc etc.

Behaviour Management: What do I do now? is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues as often as you want. You can also put it on your school learning platform so all staff can access the document – and indeed you can make it part of the induction documentation for new members of staff.

You can obtain Behaviour Management: What do I do Now? by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=744

The price is £10 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

Behaviour Management is published by First and Best in Education, part of the Hamilton House group. If you have any enquiries you can call 01536 399 011, or email sales@firstandbest.co.uk or write to us at First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH.

The full range of First and Best books can be seen at www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk

First and Best in Education
Earlstrees Road
Corby
UK
NN17 4HH

Website: www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk
Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk

The music curriculum requires schools to use music to increase self-confidence, creativity and a sense of achievement. 

But how is this to be done?

It has perhaps not been the focal point of a lot of discussion so far, but the 2014 curriculum does require that schools see an increase in pupil self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement as a result of their musical experiences within school.

This is a particularly challenging issue in the National Curriculum, because there is so little agreement as to what creativity actually is, let alone how to develop it.

For the problem with creativity is that there is such little agreement as to what the term actually means. Most would agree it is not just about novelty, for few value novelty for the sake of novelty. But then, what makes us say x is creative, and y is not?

We might agree that endlessly banging a drum, irrespective of what is happening in the immediate environment is not “creative” while improvising in a novel way with feeling and understanding around an existing artistic framework, is “creative”.

But still this is difficult territory, and it is not fully clear how Ofsted is going to make its own judgements on how musical experiences in school are increasing pupil self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

Which is why we have developed ABC Creative Music at this point: to help both music specialists, and classroom teachers who are not musically trained, to bring a genuine creative music-making culture into the classroom.

How is this done? Quite simply, through placing decision-making and performance at the heart of children’s musical experiences.

By providing innovative approaches to improvisation and composition ABC Creative Music helps children become experienced at creating and performing their own music, and listening to and assessing the music of others.

From reception onwards, children explore music through age-appropriate activities and notation that develops in sophistication as they grow.

Structured auditions, peer feedback, and rehearsal activities provide smart support for group creativity and rehearsal driving engagement and instrumental and vocal skill development.

The programme also gives lots of original songs and activities, exploring many musical styles from around the world.

In short ABC Creative Music answers the dilemmas posed by the new curriculum, allowing children to experience and experiment with all the elements of music in a truly creative way.

If you would like to see ABC Creative Music in action please click here for a free trial course.

For more information on how ABC Creative Music meets the aims of the new music curriculum please click here. 

And if you have any enquiries concerning ABC Creative Music and how it might be used in your school please do either:

• Call me on 01875 898340
• Or email me at phil@abccreativemusic.com

Phil Bancroft

It is inevitable that most school exams will soon be computer based. It might not happen next year or even the year afterwards, but it is going to happen, because the advantages are clear and significant.

Computer-based exams will mean less marking, faster results, less paper and none of the hugely expensive logistics required to move millions of exam papers around the country. And where certain exams still have to be manually assessed, if they are typed then their legibility is always guaranteed.

But will pupils be prepared? For pupils to be able to perform well they won’t just need to know their subject. They will need the skills to be able to get it down in the time allowed. So their keyboard skills will have to be more than adequate with the ability to type fast and accurately, preferably at around 40 words per minute. The problem is, in a recent survey conducted by Type&Test Ltd – a company that specialises in online typing training for schools – whilst 80% of schools think it’s a good idea to provide typing training for pupils, only around 15% do so, and many of those are using woefully inadequate free online programs.

So the majority of pupils are typing at less than 20 words per minute, which is slower than handwriting speed, and their accuracy is poor.

Now is the time to address pupils’ typing skills. Even if computer-based exams don’t arrive in the next five years, pupils are using computers regularly today. So it makes sense to give them the skills now that will benefit them so much in the years ahead, not just for those school exams but beyond when they go on to further or higher education and enter the world of work.

The problem is that most schools don’t have the budget or the time to deliver typing training in class. So Type&Test has come up with a solution called ‘Practise at Home’. You can find out more about this exciting and innovative scheme by clicking here. Rather than dig a hole in your budget, it will earn your school extra income.

If your school does have a budget for typing training and the Practise at Home scheme is not for you, then Type&Test has a range of options, using the highest quality online courseware, outlined on its web site at www.typeandtest.com . Simply complete their online enquiry form and you will be emailed more information without obligation. Or you can telephone them on 01480 861867 if you want to chat through the options.

What is the most cost-effective and time-saving way of increasing student engagement within maths lessons?

That question involves two vital concepts: getting the students more engaged without your having to spend ever more time and money in doing so. 

The answer, I firmly believe, is to make maths ever more graphic, while at the same time using a system that is as near to intuitive as possible, and which allows work that has been prepared, to be shared constantly with all the students to whom it is relevant. 

And there is the question of using photos and images as backgrounds in order to bring STEM topics to life. You might well want to import a sports or architectural photo, fit a curve and find its equation. 

In fact you might well want to bring in any data, and analyse statistics with ease, and visualise maths concepts and models in 2D and 3D. 

There’s lots of software out there, but nothing until now which ticks all those boxes, and which every maths teacher in your school can learn to use within the hour. 

Better still, it works on interactive whiteboards, PCs, Macs, and is controllable by tablets and iPads. 

All your graphic activities and explorations can be utilised by students anywhere – this year, next year, and the year after. Licences are permanent – there’s no future cost. 

It’s a lot to ask, but there is software that does all this. It is the very latest edition of Autograph, complete with its expanded and improved image handling, dynamic geometry and exportation to dynamic web pages. 

If you would like further information or you would like to see examples of Autograph being used in the classroom, take a look at our website.

Alternatively, please do give us a call on 01204 811001.

This study guide to Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella and Charles I provides invaluable information and guidance for GCE students looking at this period of history. It gives a comprehensive description and explanation of events setting them in the context of the prevailing political, social, religious and economic influences. It looks in particular at the religious policy of the crown and the effect this had on the Church.

As well as an insight into the dynamics of the period, Spain 1469 to 1522 gives advice on how to structure essay questions in order to achieve better grades.

The book is available in photocopiable format so you only need only buy one copy which you can then share with colleagues and pupils as you wish. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/history/T1673.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 715 9; Order code: T1673emn

The volume is available as…

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book or CD…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=490

What every student needs to know…

36 Cyberspace Issues Discussion Cards

Cyberspace Issues will help to engage young people in meaningful discussions and debate about the use and misuse of the Internet, social media and mobile phones, in a range of contexts in and out of the school environment.

The 36 discussion cards cover a wide range of topics which can be used in a number of ways with whole classes, small groups, paired discussion or individual use for research activities.

Topics for discussion include: ·Texting in lessons ·Cyber bullying ·Sexting ·Taking pictures then posting them on social media ·Online dating ·Texting or talking ·Misuse of social networking sites ·Social chat rooms ·Banning electronic devices ·Online gambling ·Texting in company ·Online shopping ·Job interviews ·Phubbing·Grooming ·Plagiarism ·Cyber blackmail ·Gaming ·Cyber evidence in court.

The cards also provide an opportunity to establish a considered and agreed set of ground rules to ensure appropriate behaviour is adopted in a consensual way throughout the school.

36 cards All ages

Cyberspace Issues Discussion Cards Ref: 2-265-80 £24.95 + VAT
TO ORDERCLICK HERE

TO ORDER:

By phone: (01604) 870 828
By fax: (01604) 870 986
By email: orders@loggerheadpublishing.co.uk
By post: Loggerhead Publishing,P O Box 928, Northampton, NN7 9AP
By the website: www.loggerheadpublishing.net

What are the most effective methods of teaching and learning in the classroom?

There is a fundamental difference between the technology used in teaching (the whiteboard, the ipad, etc, etc) and the actual method of teaching.

And yet, over recent years, much of the focus has been on the technology – perhaps because many companies selling the equipment that emerges from the technology have invested huge sums in advertising their products.

Meanwhile the issues surrounding the actual method of teaching and the methods of learning that students employ have remained largely untouched.

To put this another way, it is possible to deliver a lecture to a class using your voice on its own or your voice plus a diagram drawn on a chalkboard, displays on an interactive whiteboard, a whoe video, or anything else.

But whatever technical additions are used, it is still a lecture.

Which is fine as long as the lecture is the best method of teaching the particular subject that you have in mind. If it isn’t then the lesson will still be limited by the fact that it is a lecture.

Now of course, very, very few teachers ever deliver a lecture in class these days because we all know that lectures are fairly ineffective ways of teaching. But that still raises the question: what are the most effective ways of teaching?

And as we ask that question, what implication does this have for the various methods of learning that the students then adopt?

These are the questions posed and answered by the volume “Methods of Teaching”. The book has articles which can be shared with teaching colleagues, policy statements on methods of teaching, a review of methods of learning, and 22 articles on methods of learning that can, over time, be provided to students to help them organise their own learning.

There are also eight active learning assignments for the students, plus a series of articles on memory which will explore the ways in which teaching and learning can be organised in such a way that the topics and issues under consideration will be retained in the memory for years to come.

The third edition of “Methods of Teaching” is probably the most powerful book on teaching and learning available today. It is available both as a photocopy master and on CD (so that it can be put on the school’s learning platform, or printed out from the disk).

Cat No: 978 1 86083 830 9 Order code: T1784emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/education/T1784.pdf

• Photocopiable book, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the book and the CD £36.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=313

There are two different ways of raising grades at GCSE and A level which work well together. But not every school uses both.

The most obvious way to raise the grades of students taking exams is what we all strive to do: raise the quality of teaching and learning.

So dominant is this approach that the notion of there being an alternative is often not considered. After all, what else is there to do?

The answer, which perfectly complements the first approach, is managing stress and increasing motivation. This is essential because the level of stress that students experience seriously affects their ability to learn and their motivation to succeed.

However, the problem is that managing stress and fostering self-motivation is not something most of us are trained to do and we may feel that the time and resources to try are limited.

Helping students learn to overcome stress, teaching them to motivate themselves, encouraging them to plan for the future and develop confidence to try new things are essential skills. They help to build mental resilience and enhance overall mental well-being.

To develop these skills, students must explore them. Finding time in the school day to focus on these areas can be challenging and you may not have the resources or ideas to hand to achieve the desired result. But could you find ten minutes to introduce an activity that was already prepared?

Our solution comes in the form of eight worksheets in a ready-made booklet – ‘Greatest Strength Workbook for Students’. It comes with a free teacher’s guide and is available as an instant download. The teacher’s guide and a sample can be downloaded for free to get you started. The full license is currently only £29.99.

When you start to see the benefits of this kind of personal development, setting aside a small amount of time to complete a specifically designed task becomes easy.

The full details are available at: http://newset-training.com/students.html

If you have any questions then please email: clare@newset-training.com or call 07811 356 283

I look forward to hearing from you.

Clare Martin

Guaranteed to engage and challenge your students…

Looking for an Applied Maths resource that will engage and challenge your students and cover key areas of the curriculum?

Why not take a look at our Global Investor business simulations? Many UK secondary schools are using the resource to help students

√ apply mathematical techniques to real world situations

√ increase their confidence in handling data

√ understand financial mathematics

√ interpret and communicate statistical information

Global Investor is also a great resource for Business Studies and Economics, so you can share the cost with your colleagues.

There’s no minimum annual licence – you can purchase the Finance Lab simulation monthly as required if you wish – so it’s also great value.

To find out more visit www.globalinvsims.com There’s a free demo on the website or you can sign up for a full evaluation trial.

Get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Liam

Liam Barnes,Global Investor
Office: 01225 484 721
Mobile: 07880 527 872
www.globalinvsims.com

Does your school or college have classroom chairs with a warranty which lasts until 2024?

Do you qualify for a £50 “money-off” voucher?

One obvious advantage of such a warranty is that there will be no maintenance or replacement costs for a decade. This could mean significant financial savings compared with alternative products.

But that’s not all……….

Postura Plus chairs are designed to encourage good posture as well as being easy to stack and move from room to room.

The Postura Plus chair is manufactured here in the UK and is available in a range of 15 attractive colours. The ten year warranty (and its associated benefits) means that these chairs will be one of the best investments that a school or college could ever make.

Furthermore, if you order 80 or more Postura Plus chairs from Central Educational Supplies Ltd before 30 October 2014 you will receive a £50 “money-off” voucher.

Further information about Postura Plus chairs (and how to obtain a sample for evaluation) may be obtained from:

Central Educational Supplies Ltd.
PO Box 999
London
E14 6SH
Tel: 020 7515 1797
Email: signpost@talk21.com.

Details are also available on the website: www.centraleducational.co.uk

PS. Please don’t forget that the £50 “money-off” voucher is a time limited offer which ends on 30 October 2014.

PPS. In addition to the Postura Plus chairs described above you’ll also find details of desks, tables, storage units, cupboards, etc, on the Central Educational Supplies website.

What is the benefit of having the first lesson of each and every day already prepared and ready to go?

The answers to this question are multifarious – for there are benefits in having the first lesson already prepared, both for the teachers and for the children.

For the teacher it means that the amount of preparation needed each day is significantly reduced, because one knows the first lesson is always there, ready to be used.

For the children the impact not only goes through the first lesson, which they find engrossing and interesting, but continues through the day in terms of motivation and levels of attention.

This is what is offered through Good Morning Children. It is an endless stream of focussed, mentally stimulating lessons for the children, incorporating challenges for the more gifted children.

The lessons, each of which is designed to last about 10 minutes, develop a range of thinking skills which reinforce independent learning via a whole range of educational activities drawn from 50 different topics. All the activities are prepared, so there is no further preparation to do.

There are separate lessons for early years and each year group through key stage 1 and 2. You can see a sample of a typical extract of one day’s lesson for each year at www.goodmorningchildren.com

Each week we upload a new selection of our resources, one for each school day, in each of the eight different age ranges. Additionally hundreds of resources that have been presented previously are archived for paid members to use.

An example of a single day’s activity for each year group is shown on http://www.goodmorningchildren.com/ or click the next link for a 30 day free trial. The service is available for individuals or across the school, for prices from £16 a year.

If you have any enquiries please call 0870 446 1020

Or email enquiries@goodmorningchilden.com

Mike Hutchins

This exciting series of 7 DVD resources examines the underlying causes and dramatic effects associated with revolutions throughout world history.

World Revolutions for Students will provide students with an understanding of the historic motivations for revolution, such as poverty, oppression and foreign domination, and relate how concepts such as human rights, popular sovereignty and nationalism combined with the power of dynamic and influential figures have inspired people to struggle for reform and seek a better way of life.

Join us as we explore the revolutionary philosophies and strategies of world leaders, and determine the social, political and economic conditions that helped spark popular uprisings.

World Revolutions for Students is available as individual titles a complete set:

• Gandhi & India’s Independence
• The French Revolution
• The Russian Revolution
• The South African Anti-Apartheid Movement
• Castro and the Cuban Revolution
• Revolutionary Mexico (1910-1940)
• The Chinese Revolution (1911-1989)

Each 23-minute chaptered DVD includes support material featuring Pre-viewing Discussion ideas, Focus Questions, Follow-up Discussion, Time-line, Vocabulary and Further Activities.

“This series could be used for introduction or review in world history classes or as a supplementary resource to help students understand how these revolutions influenced events… They are a very good choice for any middle or secondary collection.” – School Library Journal

Available on approval from Viewtech Educational Media

Discounted Price: £24* each or only £18* each when purchasing the Complete Set of World Revolutions for Students DVDs

*price including public performance rights for use within a single educational establishment, excluding P&P (standard UK delivery = £3.50 for 1 DVD, £5.50 for 2 DVDs, £7.50 for 3+ DVDs) & VAT.

To order online simply click on the title links above and add to order – quote promotional code: HHM403 at the checkout for discount.

For a printable information sheet & discounted order form click here

Orders and enquiries may also be made by phone, fax, email or post to:

Viewtech Educational Media
7-8 Falcons Gate
Dean Road
Yate
Bristol
BS37 5NH
—————————————–
tel: 01454 858055 / 313272
fax: 01454 858056
email: info@viewtech.co.uk
http://www.viewtech.co.uk
—————————————–
Viewtech Educational Media is the trading name of Viewtech Audio Visual Media Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under number 4205240. A member of the British Educational Suppliers Association. E.&O.E.

How to create professional multimedia
websites for free

When teaching web design, it can be a challenge to keep high achieving students engaged and introduce HTML while building confidence in younger students to create sites to a high standard.

Serif’s powerful WebPlus X7 enables students to quickly create interactive multimedia websites – without needing to know HTML. More advanced students can view the HTML code and CSS behind, insert their own HTML fragments or even create HTML pages from scratch.

WebPlus’s ease-of-use quickly builds every student’s confidence. The site manager allows them to easily create a suitable site structure while still adding interactive elements, animated banners and photo galleries, podcasts and even online forms – all without having to know complex code.

And Serif will even send you a free copy of WebPlus X7 to keep – so you can see how it makes professional web design accessible to every student.

For your free copy of Serif WebPlus X7, email edusales@serif.com with your school’s details.

Offer limited to one free copy per school – we guarantee you’re under no commitment.

Claire Macdonald
Education Business Manager
Serif (Europe) Ltd

t: 1800 937 327
e: edusales@serif.com

What are the most effective methods of teaching and learning in the classroom?

There is a fundamental difference between the technology used in teaching (the whiteboard, the ipad, etc, etc) and the actual method of teaching.

And yet, over recent years, much of the focus has been on the technology – perhaps because many companies selling the equipment that emerges from the technology have invested huge sums in advertising their products.

Meanwhile the issues surrounding the actual method of teaching and the methods of learning that students employ have remained largely untouched.

To put this another way, it is possible to deliver a lecture to a class using your voice on its own or your voice plus a diagram drawn on a chalkboard, displays on an interactive whiteboard, a whoe video, or anything else.

But whatever technical additions are used, it is still a lecture.

Which is fine as long as the lecture is the best method of teaching the particular subject that you have in mind. If it isn’t then the lesson will still be limited by the fact that it is a lecture.

Now of course, very, very few teachers ever deliver a lecture in class these days because we all know that lectures are fairly ineffective ways of teaching. But that still raises the question: what are the most effective ways of teaching?

And as we ask that question, what implication does this have for the various methods of learning that the students then adopt?

These are the questions posed and answered by the volume “Methods of Teaching”. The book has articles which can be shared with teaching colleagues, policy statements on methods of teaching, a review of methods of learning, and 22 articles on methods of learning that can, over time, be provided to students to help them organise their own learning.

There are also eight active learning assignments for the students, plus a series of articles on memory which will explore the ways in which teaching and learning can be organised in such a way that the topics and issues under consideration will be retained in the memory for years to come.

The third edition of “Methods of Teaching” is probably the most powerful book on teaching and learning available today. It is available both as a photocopy master and on CD (so that it can be put on the school’s learning platform, or printed out from the disk).

Cat No: 978 1 86083 830 9 Order code: T1784emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/education/T1784.pdf

• Photocopiable book, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the book and the CD £36.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=313

Travelling by air is cheaper than you think

Nothing it seems can stop the constant growth in air traffic. Which is good news if you are looking for an alternative low-cost way of organising a school trip.

For the growth in air traffic has meant four things: lower costs, more capacity for group travel, more flights, and more airports.

So whereas it used to be the case that schools were left with few alternatives to the traditional coach + ferry + coach journey or waiting to see which flights had spaces available at the end of the booking period in order to try to find a low cost booking, now it is cheaper to book sooner rather than later.

This means that you can plan exactly the visit that you want and then find a low-cost flight to fit with that rather than having to build your trip around such flights as have space left.

This approach of choosing your flight and booking it early not only results in a much simpler journey but, when booked via the German Travel Centre, there is a further benefit.

For it also involves one person processing everything from the initial enquiry through to the production of tickets, making this a singularly smooth and stress-free transaction.

Such a way of arranging a school trip both reduces flight costs and cuts travelling time considerably by using air flights to the destination of your choice.

Indeed, given that it is normally possible to fly from an airport near to the school to an airport close to the final destination, such arrangements can add up to three more days spent in the desired destination.

Additionally you have the option of choosing the hotel that is right for you and your students rather than one selected by the tour operator. You can choose the price range, and you can choose a hotel near the airport or within the city or region that is your final destination.

In short, the latest reservation technology enables us to give you the most up-to-date travel options, all the time. We book and issue our own tickets enabling us to keep full control of your booking and ensure your journey meets your needs.

What’s more, as we are ABTA and ATOL holders you can be assured that you and your students are fully protected (as recommended by the Health and Safety Executive for schools) should the airline fail.

Because we have so many locations to and from which we can fly, the best way to explore the possibilities is either to call one of our specialist group reservation advisors on 020 8429 2900 or email us at groups@gtctravelgroup.com with the details of your requirements.

You can also go to our website for more information.

Either way we’ll come back to you with our suggestions and prices. You’ll be surprised how much time can be saved and how low group air fares can be.

Join us on Facebook
Join us on Twitter

Arguably one of Shakespeare’s finest History Plays, this one-person adaptation features historical accuracy with much of Shakespeare’s original text. A modern day Chorus takes us back to the dark dangerous days of 1415, when an insulting gift of tennis balls from the headstrong Prince Dauphin of France provokes King Harry of England. These two young men eventually meet in a bloody war that climaxes with the Battle of Agincourt.  The subjects of provocation, invasion and who holds the moral rights to a just war are as relevant today as they were in 1415. This spirited production combines an innovative recipe of one actor and a ‘supporting cast’ of lights, sound, special effects and an evocative and original live music score. The result is 70 minutes edge-of-the-seat excitement. 

“A towering, quicksilver show… quite brilliant.” Stratford-upon-Avon Herald “A Henry V to stir the imagination. A truly vivid theatrical experience, comic, ironic and deeply moving. The arrows hiss upwards and you chill inside… a miracle. The battle sequence at Agincourt is a tour de force.” Birmingham Post. “Hennegan’s Henry is an adventure story for today… this will surely exorcise the ghost of schoolroom Shakespeare for good. Theatre at its best. Cry God for Harry, Shakespeare and Nick Hennegan” Birmingham Evening Mail  “A tremendous story… a truly superb theatrical experience – a tour de force” Edinburgh Fringe News 

 Nick Hennegan M.A.  Artistic Director The Maverick Theatre Company, Second Floor, 12 Fouberts Place, Carnaby Street, London, W1F 7PA  
nick@mavericktheatre.co.uk0208 090 5082. 0789 495 0176.

A set of 14 Energy and the Environment wallcharts printed in full colour on 135 gsm art paper, size 500 x 690mm.

A comprehensive guide by one of the world’s leading scientists in climate change. 35 diagrams, 41 photos + text.

1. The global carbon cycle
2. The accumulation of fossil fuels
3. Fossil fuel usage
4. How the climate system operates
5. How scientists observe climate
6. Effects on current and future world climate
7. Planetary consequences of global warming
8. UK impact of climate change
9. The impact of climate change on individuals
10. Short and medium term solutions for global warming
11. Long term solutions to global warming
12. Getting it right for the future
13. Questions and answers about climate change
14. How the stratospheric ozone was saved

Click here to see the wall charts in more detail

600 sets remain of 2,000 printed being offered at a special 50% discount price via Hamilton House.

1. Paper printed £25 +pp and VAT, quote HHP
2. Encapsulated £60 +pp and VAT, quote HHE

Request a brochure or view online.

Order by fax, post, phone or online.

Phone/fax: 01263 823 373
Mobile: 07500 557 393
Email: sales@sportspectrum.co.uk
Web: www.sportspectrum.co.uk

You can download a free poster from a new set of 23 print-your-own posters in French and English about the World Cup.

The posters cover all aspects of the Cup and its history.

They are brilliant for displays and for capturing students’ interest and widening their vocabulary.

http://www.carelpress.co.uk/hh_coupe

Regards
Ann Batey
Office Manager
Carel Press
(01228 538928)
www.carelpress.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/carelpress

What is the simplest way of keeping track of all the equipment that the school possesses?

It is probably true to say that schools generally have no problem knowing what equipment they possess. As new equipment comes into the school, it is logged, and that’s that. It’s on the list.

The real issue is being able to identify and track all this equipment – especially equipment that can be moved around the school.

What is needed is a system that allows you to put a label on every piece of equipment from laptops and tablets to musical instruments and medical items, from mobiles to hand tools.

This label is a label that cannot be easily removed. A label that is engraved giving a permanent high contrast, durable and tamperproof image which is suitable for all environments.

A label that can include a serial number and/or bar code thus making it possible to contain a lot of data in a small space, and better still the text cannot be ‘wiped off’ as it is permanently engraved into the surface.

Furthermore, because the data is engraved into the surface of the label, then the label is effectively resistant to chemicals and cleaning materials.

Should anybody attempt to remove the asset label or switch the label onto some other equipment, the material will break into small pieces, thus announcing the fact that the label has been interfered with.

Use of these labels enables the school to maintain a detailed register which enables anyone to instantly view which equipment is available, the expected return date and the condition before and after it has been loaned.

Dantech Mini Mark labels can be provided with white text on black or silver material with black text. There is more information on our website at www.idassetlabels.co.uk/asset-labels/minimark-asset-labels.html

Alternatively call us on 01354 688488 or email us at sales@dantech.co.uk for more information.

Take life a little easier with TaskForceCO2 ..
and cut your costs!

Its an age old problem. Students rush home leaving PCs on full power and teachers are too busy to manually shut them down.

You implement a script only to find its not working or they are getting out of control with the different departments and requirements.

It can be a real nightmare.

Relax! TaskForceCO2 is here to help.

TaskForceCO2 lets you shut down, hibernate, wake up any and all of your PCs the easy way. You can have different power requirements for different PCs at different times and you can group PCs by your power management requirements.

Currently used by hundreds and hundreds of Schools TaskForceCO2 is available as a simple, no-nonsense Unlimited Site Licence which means you aren’t removing one problem and introducing another one with licence issues.

During our offer, you can get a completely unlimited Site Licence with 50% off AND get 2 years free support and upgrades included too.

Take a look today. Prices and a free trial are available here.

Most customers save the cost of TaskForceCO2 during the trial period so why not take a look.

Offer ends 31st July 2014.

PeachWorx LLP

Can I ask you which features you expect from an online backup?

Would they be 100% durability of data, sensible pricing and agents to back up every system you maintain?

We have been providing online backups for over 10 years and the software we use currently protects more than 10,000 servers worldwide.

Every one of your devices will receive a 20GB quota and charges thereafter are only 5p per GB.

Features

• Every client has a complimentary 20GB storage allocation. 5p per GB thereafter.
• We use UK ISO27001 data centres.
• SEED bulk data in and out same day to our DCs.
• Built-in agents for Exchange mailboxes and mailstore, SQL, Hyper V, VMware, SharePoint, bare metal, MAC and more.
• 100% durable backup system.
• Managed remote installs.
• White label for £10 per month.

Contact us for a remote demo of the platform or download the fully featured clients from http://www.businessonlybackups.co.uk/resell-online-backups.php

Regards
Carlos Mantini | New Business Manager
T: 0800 907 8238

What is the approach to CPD that most young
teachers find most useful?

It is no secret that many teachers (especially younger teachers) find the notion of being watched by colleagues somewhat difficult, and sometimes even disturbing.

But it is not that they don’t value the CPD that can spring from evaluation, or don’t appreciate the need for it. They do – just as they recognise that their teaching could always be improved.

They, like everyone else, want their students to get higher grades. However there is still that concern about “being watched.”

Fortunately there is another way around this, and it is a way that many schools are now adopting.

It involves the videoing of lessons within the classroom, but on the strict understanding that no one, other than the teacher concerned, is going to see the lesson.

Indeed the technique for some goes even further than this. The teacher has the video equipment in the room, but doesn’t even set the video to record for the opening two or three occasions, using the sessions to get both the teacher and the students used to there being equipment in the room.

Then, without telling those students, a lesson is recorded, but only for the teacher to watch.

Even then, in these restricted circumstances, some teachers find it hard to watch more than a few moments of themselves in action, and gradually have to get used to it, lesson by lesson.

(Incidentally, if this is not your experience, I would beg you not to dismiss this point – there are some people, no matter what their profession, who find watching themselves extremely difficult, even though they try to hide it.)

However once started down this route, most teachers are eventually happy to allow videos of themselves to be seen by others, and ultimately used in evidence presented to the inspectorate.

One of the most commonly used approaches in this regard is that of the Classwatch Video System through which lessons can be filmed, watched privately, reviewed, shared and discussed as and when desired.

To book a free lesson recording, email us at info@classwatch.co.uk with your name, your school name and a contact number.

Alternatively, for more information take a look at our website or call us on 0800 043 9510.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Ravencourt Ltd are now giving schools and colleges 25% discount off all clocks

Simply enter Voucher Code EDUCATION25 at checkout

Sizes range from 25cm classroom clocks up to huge 60cm Exam and Hall clocks.

Safety glass lenses are a superb feature for schools making them vandal resistant and safe.

Clear Easy to read dials Ideal for Exams

Radio controlled clocks set themselves to correct time and automatically adjust for summer and winter time, saving you time and making sure all clocks are always correct.

For more information or to place an order go to www.ravencourt.com
Or phone: 01780 489100, fax: 01780 489099
Don’t forget to use code EDUCATION25 to qualify for discount.

Automatic 30 day account for all UK schools and colleges.

Primary teachers are apparently “nervous but enthusiastic” about the new programming elements of the Computing curriculum this September, according to an article by the Guardian.

Compatible with the free programming tool SCRATCH, Serif DrawPlus provides a creative way teachers can combine vector drawing for sprite design, with SCRATCH to teach pupils how to code.

And if you email computing@serif.com – Serif will send you a free copy of DrawPlus X6 to keep.

In DrawPlus, pupils can draw and animate objects to create their own sprites, before saving as an Animated GIF to import into Scratch, or choose to use one of the many characters from the DrawPlus clip art gallery. Creativity isn’t often associated with programming, but by using DrawPlus with Scratch, pupils can be imaginative and inventive.

For your free copy of DrawPlus X6 (worth £79), email computing@serif.com quoting ref ‘DPSCR’

Offer limited to one free copy per school, with licences available from just £13 a user – but we guarantee you’re under no commitment.

Claire Macdonald
Education Business Manager
Serif (Europe) Ltd

t: 0800 376 6868 e: computing@serif.com