Here are some links to a selection of education-related news articles from this week:

• Teacher cleared of attempting to kill boy – A teacher who struck a pupil with a dumbbell has been acquitted of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Following this acquittal, the NAWUWT called for tighter controls on use of mobile phones in schools.
• Schools in Scotland may strike for first time in 20 years – The largest teaching union in Scotland is considering a one-day stoppage over cuts in school spending.
• Banish Ofsted inspectors from schools – The annual conference of the National Association of Head Teachers hears that headteachers should prevent inspectors entering their schools until the government changes the inspection regime.
• Bad sportsmanship affects school sports – A pupil survey has revealed that bad sportsmanship is regularly witnessed in school sports matches, with many pupils willing to cheat in order to win.
• Many parents failing to read to their children – A survey shows that many children are starting school having never been read a story.
• Computers for primary school children in East Africa – The One Laptop Per Child scheme hopes to deliver 30 million laptops in the area.
• High Tech High School pupils build robots and develop games – Teenagers at this San Diego school write video games, film sketches, make robots and use heavy duty power tools to build a boat.
• Primary schools under pressure for places – Schools in some parts of England are ‘full to bursting’.
• Online school reports – This article shows some of the steps that schools are taking to prepare for the provision of online reports for their pupils.
• New NSPCC resource helps schools meet safeguarding standards – The NSPCC has launched ‘Improving Safeguarding in Schools’, the first online self-assessment and development resource to help schools improve children’s safety and well-being.

Image – Newspaper

BETT, the ‘world’s largest educational technology event’ took place last week and I was very lucky to be able to spend a few days there. Here are some of the things that I discovered:

• Anithings – A ‘creativity tool’ which lets children create animations by simply dragging objects around on screen. It costs £250 for a site licence, but there is a 10% discount during January.

• Interactive Resources – This company makes the (extremely useful) Maths Packs, Teaching materials and Primary Games which can be used on interactive whiteboard and / or individual computers. During BETT, I was given a quick tour of the new online version of their site, allowing teachers (and pupils) to access the resources online at home and school. Teachers can also filter all of the resources by subject / topic and allocate activities to students who can try them when they next log in.
• Story Stage – I watched a demo of this software from Scholastic and was really impressed at the ability to connect multiple mice to the same computer, allowing children to work collaboratively. Why doesn’t all software allow multiple users like Story Stage?

• Smart – It was nice to hear about the release of Smart Notebook 10.6 (available now) which brings compatibility with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard on the Mac. It also has a ‘transparent’ tool which makes the Smart Notebook interface disappear, as well as a number of new Maths tools.
• 2Simple – I managed to get a final copy of 2Create a SuperStory, as well as trials of 2Assess ICT and the Online Tools. I’m really impressed with the potential of the online tools, allowing children to use creative software at home and school and save their work to an online storage area. Anthony Evans showed me 2Design&Make (built into the online tools) to make some fantastic 3D models.

• Linkbun.ch – Allows you to share lots of links with one small link which can then be shared via email / Twitter etc. Thanks to @ianyorston for sharing this gem.
• Stupflix – This looks a little like Animoto (as both allow you to combine audio / photos / video) but Stupeflix seems to have more customisation options. Shared by @digitalmaverick.

• Dabbleboard – An online collaborative whiteboard. I’ve used Dabbleboard at home once or twice, but never in the classroom. @bevevans22 talked about this during a Teachmeet Takeover session and I can definitely see it being a valuable addition to a lesson.
• Scratch – Scratch is a programming language which I’ve always thought was a bit complicated. However, @mberry gave us all an entertaining 7 minute demonstration of the program and made it all look incredibly easy. Downloading and trying Scratch is now high up on my ‘to do’ list.

• Newseum - @digitalmaverick mentioned this during his Teachmeet Takeover session about Glogster. The Front pages section lets you view the front pages of a huge collection of newspapers from around the world.
• Class blogging - Oliver Quinlan gave a really inspiring presentation about his class blogs and how time is given for the children to respond to each others’ blog posts. We regularly post items on our school website / blog but children rarely have time to add their own thoughts… something that is sure to change now!

Did you go to BETT? What did you discover?

Safer Internet Day will be taking place on Tuesday 9th February. This event is organised each year to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world. The topic for 2010 is “Think B4 U post!“.

Here’s a short advertisement which is being used to advertise the day and promote the message:

www.brainpop.co.uk/designandtechnology/ictcommunicatingandcollaborating/onlinesafety/

Here is some information about an exciting competition from Dell’s Edu4U blog…

“Today, learning is no longer limited to the four walls of a classroom. Students around the globe, no matter how young or old are developing 21st Century Skills and are increasingly comfortable with technology. You can look up the definition of a word, learn about current events happening hundreds of miles away and connect with people on other continents with one touch of a button. In this digital age, we are learning continuously.

Starting from October 15, we are bringing you the Where Do You Like to Learn photography competition. We are kicking-off the month-long contest, where we want you to show us where you like to learn!

Whether it’s in your favorite bookstore or on your living room floor; in your neighbourhood park or your best friend’s backyard, we can all be a little more creative with where we choose to study. Learning can take place anywhere!

Entering is easy. And, the reward even bigger! Simply email your photograph(s) to edu4u@dell.com for the chance to win the competition. The winner nominates a school and student under the age of 18 to receive the grand prizes – a tablet PC for the classroom and Dell’s new Latitude 2100 netbook for the student.

You can also follow us on Twitter @edu4u and send us a link to your photo sharing site. Each contestant is allowed up to four photographs. You have until November 15, 2009 to enter. A group of judges will determine the top 5 finalists. And, starting November 20, 2009, you’ll have a chance to pick your favorite photo! The photo with the most votes at the end of the voting period will be our winner. The grand prize is a Latitude 2100 for the student and a tablet PC and projector for his or her classroom. Parents or teachers must enter for children under 18 years of age. Full contest rules, judging criteria and answers to frequently asked questions about the competition can be found here.

Let the photo sessions begin! Be sure to join the Edu4U community and check back to vote.”

See Dell’s blog post for more information.