I recently set up a new site to accompany my existing collection of Teaching Websites. The new site is called Teaching Events and is a place where you can find:

• Events which could be used as a starting point for a range of classroom activities.
• Conferences, exhibitions and shows which teachers can attend for their own professional development.

www.teachingevents.co.uk

Followers of Teaching Ideas on Twitter and Facebook have already had a sneak preview of the site and the response so far has been extremely positive. I would love to hear your feedback if you are able to look at the site. I would also like to hear about any events that you already use in your classroom:

• Special days, birthdays and anniversaries which you already use as a starting point for school / class activities,
• Charity events which schools can get involved with,
• Professional development events which other teachers might be interested in.

Please email me with the details of any events or use the form on the site. Thank you!

I am planning to add new events as I discover them and build the site into a useful calendar of educational events for schools and teachers. I hope that you like it!

Edtechroundup is a weekly online meeting between teachers and educators. It is open to all and the conversations take place via Flashmeeting. The discussions are about education and teaching with a particular focus on the use of ICT.

www.edtechroundup.com

You can find the links to future meetings on the Edtechroundup wiki. You can also watch / listen to the previous conversations there if you have missed any. There is also a Twitter page which allows you to keep up to date with the latest meetings and events. Why not take a look and get involved in the meetings yourself?

Here are links to some useful video sites which can help you and your colleagues to learn new ICT skills. Many of the videos also suggest possible ways of using different tools in your classrooms:

Teacher Training Videos – Russell Stannard has created a large collection of videos to help teachers to learn how to use a wide range of software and online resources.

www.teachertrainingvideos.com

Learn it in 5 – This site contains a library of how-to videos, produced by technology teachers, for the purpose of helping teachers and students create classroom strategies for today’s 21st century’s digital classroom. Thanks to Mandy Barrow for sharing this via Twitter.

http://learnitin5.com

ICT Video Help – This site, created by Phil Bagge, offers a wonderful set of videos which cover lots of different software.

www.ictvideohelp.co.uk

Why not share these sites with your colleagues in your next staff meeting?

Naace, the professional association for those interested in advancing education through ICT, offers free on-line continuing professional development opportunities via their ICTCPD4Free site.

Undertaking a course allows registered users to gain certificates of completion provided they undertake the number of online hours allocated to each course. Each course also gives participants a number of credit hours towards the Naace Online ICT Diploma.

The PDF embedded below offers more information:

Visit the ICTCPD4Free site to find out more and to get involved yourself.

Frontier is working with Edexcel to offer a new TEFL programme – The BTEC Advanced Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This is a customised course which is accredited by Edexcel as a level 3 qualification.

Volunteers taking part on Frontier’s teaching projects for 4 weeks or more are able to sign up for this qualification which combines self-study, an intensive training weekend and practical work experience in a foreign country. On completion of the placement, volunteers submit a portfolio which is assessed and then verified by Edexcel.

If you’re interested in finding out more, visit Frontier’s site.

The National Sustainable Schools Conference is taking place in June 2010.

Their site explains that… ‘Schools have a vital role to play in ensuring that the next generation has the skills and knowledge to make sustainable lifestyle choices. New resources and support are being created around the National Sustainable Schools Framework initiative from DCSF and many schools are aware of the government target of all schools being Sustainable Schools by 2020.

www.se-ed.org.uk/conference2010

This conference will draw together thinkers and practitioners and allow teachers, NGOs and Local Authorities to engage in dialogue to help plan the sustainability journey for schools.’

Spaces are limited so confirm your place now by registering online here. Early bird discounts are available until May 22nd.

Here is a Youtube video which outlines the thoughts of those who attended the event in 2009:

ICT Video Help is a wonderful site with a huge collection of videos which show children and teachers how to use a wide range of ICT tools. At the moment, there are videos covering these topics:

www.ictvideohelp.co.uk

Phil Bagge has done a fantastic job with this site… it will keep you educated and entertained for hours. Could you use it to learn about a new software / online tool, or could your pupils use it as they explore a new program?

Don’t forget that you can find more educational videos at www.teachingvideos.co.uk.

Lots of new Teachmeet events are being planned, including one in East Anglia on 19th June and a ‘Primary Edition’ on 27th April.

For those who have not been to a Teachmeet before, ‘TeachMeet is an informal  and enjoyable gathering of those curious about teaching and learning. Anyone can share great ideas they’ve trialled in their classrooms, ask important questions or simply sign up to take part in learning conversations.’

I have attended a number of Teachmeets and have always come away with lots of wonderful new ideas to explore in my own classroom. If you would like to attend these exciting events, visit the Teachmeet sites shown below and add yourself to the list. You can even sign up to give a presentation if you wish!

http://teachmeet.pbworks.com/TeachMeet-Birmingham%3A-Primary-Edition

http://teachmeet.pbworks.com/TeachMeetEast

If you can’t make it to either of these TeachMeets, there are always lots of other events taking place, so visit the main Teachmeet site to see the others.

I recently discovered Teacher Training Videos from @marynabadenhors on Twitter.

The site has… as the name implies… lots of wonderful teacher training videos. The videos cover using a range of tools in the classroom, including Fronter, Audacity, WordPress, downloading from Youtube, podcasting and lots more! It is a fantastic resource for teachers, and for anyone interested in improving their ICT skills.

As a school leader you have four main roles; to plan and make decisions, communicate to others, build relationships and manage the performance of your team/school which in my opinion can be the most challenging of them all.

The style of management you choose to use in any given situation is governed by two things, your willingness to support and your willingness to challenge.

You may find yourself needing to offer a high level of support and play the role of counsellor in a situation where it’s not about a persons’ capability but about their confidence.  In this instance your job is to listen, encourage and reassure.

And, when you get the feeling that people are wasting your time or deliberately trying to create a smoke screen or confusion then a high level of challenge is required.  In this situation you become a task master who is assertively laying down the rules and boundaries.

Coaching is the ideal style of management because it requires both a high level of support and a high level of challenge and even if it feels like a massive investment in time, the payback is far greater than any other management style.

A willingness to support is about …

• Being able to listen carefully to others’ opinions, ideas, information and concerns
• Checking to test for understanding and clarity
• Offering guidance, help and reassurance as necessary
• Empowering others to act with backup if required
• Considering other’s needs when offering support

A willingness to challenge is about…

• Expressing your views as clearly and assertively as possible
• Setting high expectations
• Stating the actions or results you want
• Pointing out the positive or negative consequences of not meeting expectations
• Offering alternative views and ideas

The secret is in the balance and often as managers we lean one way or the other and get it wrong by offering support when challenge is required or visa versa.  For those who hate conflict they believe the softly, softly support approach is the right one, but not always.

And for those who like to take a harder line sometimes challenging too much as act as a de-motivator and have the opposite affect.

Dot Struthers specialises in leadership and management development for teachers.  If you would like some free resources and a monthly CPD newsletter register at www.merechats.co.uk

Image: ‘after view of my classroom‘