Reading Games Take On Technology To Become The Storyteller

Storytelling is under threat from technology. Children, distracted by Nintendo, video games and Wii leave little quality time available for parents to read to them. But technology fights back in the MightyBook on-line reading games now available to help parents and children to enjoy this vital activity. See the full article =>
Keen2learn blog

Maths Failing To Add Up At Primary Level.

A recent report has revealed 23 per cent of children at primary level fail to reach the standards expected of them in maths.

Despite a massive injection of 2.3 billion pounds during 2006 – 07 for teaching maths we still fail a huge number of children. The financial investment has been analysed as following the law of diminishing returns. Last year 66,000 children did not make the progress anticipated by their early achievements. This poses significant concern for their ultimate performance in the GCSE. The report also predicts that primary schools will continue to miss government targets by a wide margin in 2011. The situation is “far from rosy” said Edward Leigh, chairman of the committee of Public Affairs.

Although improvement has been made, clearly the target is being missed and the question of the root cause is far from resolved. Although training of more teachers in maths is one clear objective there is also a massive opportunity to enlist parents in the recovery plan. There is another way.

Schools use a significant number of maths games as teaching resources. These are ideal for use at home with parents, siblings and relatives joining in. Turning maths into an educational game brings an element of fun; an opportunity that can be highly productive. The techniques in the games are common with the school as the maths games have been developed to meet the National Curriculum. They are a significant step forward over the conventional text and exercise book approach that previously isolated many parents from homework support.

Considering there are 7.4 million households with school aged children, converting a small percentage to assist their children for 30 minutes a week at home would increase the effective teaching capacity. It would also induce a one to one relationship between parent and child and provide parents with a dynamic view of progress.

The drawback lies in the conversion of parents, many of whom shy away from the opportunity believing their knowledge of teaching procedures is different from current techniques. Many schools are addressing this misconception through family learning events where many adults discover their schooling experience is still extremely relevant. The historic drawback is the number of parents who would attend such events.

The report also indicated that children from Chinese and Indian ethnic groups perform better in maths than white and black children. It is perhaps no coincidence that parents in the far east are far more interactive in the schooling of their children.

Without a sea change there is a growing danger that many children will be left behind. If they are struggling at primary level the leap to secondary schooling with the commensurate jump in the curriculum will become a bridge too far for many. The burden on teachers to resolve this is an almost impossible task. Despite the recent influx of recruits in the teaching profession, spurred in part by the economic situation, the availability of inspirational maths teachers in the cohort is still to be revealed. A further concern is the staying power of such recruits. The safe harbour during the current climate may fail to retain some when the better times return, leaving schools and children high and dry.

The one constant are parents. There are c. 450,000 teachers who could potentially engage the active support of many of the 13 million parents of school children. If we are going to win the maths war we could look to the engagement of more troops.

Teaching Resources Come Home To Ruth

The lifestyle of any busy mum can impact on the schooling of children. Ruth Kelly, Minister for Transport, and ex Educational Secretary packs in parliament to give more support to her children.

Every mother suffers from guilt! It’s natural, goes with the job, is very difficult to overcome and causes considerable angst. Fathers as a rule, preoccupied with their latest bout of man flu do not suffer from this syndrome quite so much. Ironically a father’s contribution to support a child’s schooling can have a dramatic effect. This is in addition to any conventional help with their child’s homework. It is all about spending regular quality time with children and having educational fun. At least it should be the essential bedtime story, and ideally extended to give support through maths games, literacy, ICT games and science games to cover the curriculum where any problem exists or where their child just wants to have some support or fun with Mum and Dad. These educational games - used in school are designed to improve understanding through fun games that can turn the classroom lessons into practice at home.

The advent of computer games and online services add a significant new dimension to the range of educational games now available. Even the bedtime story can be accessed online where animated reading resources add entertainment in developing reading skills.

Why then has Ruth Kelly, the ex Secretary for Education and high flying cabinet minister, quit her post to devote herself to her children and their schooling. A courageous move, yet the undertone raises concern. Is the modern pace of life, ideals and social environment at odds with raising children? Are parents becoming distant from the bosom of their family? Long hours, pressure of work and stress take their toll on the relationships at home and children often miss out.

If the hugely resourceful ex Minister of Education sees such a flaw in the system that can only be resolved by leaving a focal role in government, is this a condemnation of our schooling system? Is there a disconnect between the state educational provision, the needs of industry and commerce coupled to a modern lifestyle.

Clearly the state education system is not firing on all cylinders. Billions spent in the UK, and likewise in the USA and Australia (the problem has international dimensions) have failed to improve standards in literacy or numeracy. Yet this is 2008 and these are first world countries who excel in many areas, banking accepted, so why are we falling short of our standards in school? In this age of extraordinary technical achievement, rapid communications where we can text or email virtually anyone in the world in seconds, do we fall behind in basics of effective schooling?

Perhaps Ruth Kelly has the answer. It lies at home. Instead of abandoning our children when they go to school maybe parents, both mum and dad, should be coerced into providing a minimum period of schooling time with their children. This could be measured and even incentivised through some payment or tax relief. The substantial effect of parental support in the schooling process could be supported through the educational budget. But would this work ? Research in the UK and USA show the 80% of a child’s academic success of relies in what parents do with their children at home.

I imagine that Ruth Kelly also spotted this fact. As an ex minister for education and parliamentary high flyer perhaps she should be given a new role as minister for home educational support - working from home of course.

Alistair Owens Keen2learn

Educational Games Introduce Fun To Facts

Educational games, toys and puzzles are being used to overcome one of the biggest drawbacks of teaching; how to quickly grab the attention of the class at the start of the lesson. Boys tend to take much longer to settle down and some children are notoriously late. Ten minutes of the class can be lost before teaching really gets going. But now there are options.

A daily dose of maths computer games can boost maths attainment according to a study carried out in Scottish schools.

Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) - the main organisation for the development of the curriculum - analysed the effect of a "brain training" game. It also found improvements in pupils' concentration and behaviour.

Less able children were found to be more likely to improve than the highest attainers and almost all pupils had an increased perception of their own ability.

LTS worked with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and the University of Dundee to see if the pilot results were replicated on a wider scale. Researchers found that while all groups had improved their scores, the group using the maths game had improved by a further 50%. The time taken to complete the tests dropped by five minutes, from 18.5 minutes to 13.5 minutes. The improvement in the games group was double that of the control group.

The study also found reduced absence and lateness in some classes. Derek Robertson, LTS's national adviser for emerging technologies and learning, said the results offered the first independent, academic evidence that this type of computer game could improve attainment when used in an educational context.

He said: "Computer games help flatten out the hierarchy that exists in schools - they are in the domain of the learner as opposed to the domain of the school. This intervention encouraged all children to engage and get success in a different contextual framework; one in which they don't know their place."

The educational games used in the trial were one of the growing numbers of computer games developed with education at the core. Modern technology harnessed to present a platform that is interesting and appealing to the young mind sets the challenge. A form of learning in disguise acceptable to a wide range of ability, age and both girls and boys is paying dividends in accelerating learning.

The games can be played in class and at home. They are having a marked effect in settling the class at the start of the lesson, and the number of late arrivals has noticeable reduced.

Technology in the form of a chemistry game or physics games generates the practice activity essential to learning retention. Compared to conventional text and exercise book activity that can be one dimensional, computer games have the major advantage of capturing peer support. Children also learn from other children. How else do they pick up the detailed operation of a mobile phone? Certainly not from their parents or the school national curriculum. So the next time you see a child buried in a computer game on a PC, laptop or Nintendo take comfort this is a great way to help them learn.

Settling the class down can be eased with lesson starters; computer games that set a quiz based on the subject, or a combination of questions and clues to open the next level of the game. Some games even let the player design the next portion of the game.

The help of parents is fundamental in supporting the teacher to enhance the schooling of their children. Educational games are the easiest entry point. Playing the same game or puzzle at home as in school is the most effective way to help. You do not to need to be proficient in the subject background and you never know how much you will enjoy the challenge.

Alistair Owens keen2learn

The Exams That Need To Be Examined

The last thing any child wants, after the trauma of completing an exam, is to find out that the SAT assessment against the UK Key Stage 3 in the National Curriculum itself has failed.

The SAT key stage 3 system recently imploded in a spectacular fashion taking the hopes of 1.2m children with it. Despite effective teaching resources, Britain paid £156m to contractor ETS to handle the marking of key stage 3 SAT’s over a five year period. The initial shock from the amount of the fee was quickly followed by fury that the exam marking process had failed, the contractor sacked and a partial refund demanded.

And now the fight. Understandably due to the size of the contract ETS has lodged a counter claim. They say that the National Assessment Agency ( NAA), a division of The Qualification Agency (QCA), withheld information, delayed decisions and changed the terms of the contract.

You couldn’t write the script! But more importantly we have government departments that seem either remote or so aloof of the facts they appear to fly in the face of common sense and the views of the professionals involved. How can a body such as of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) be completely ignored? This august body has the brief to develop policies, proposals, ideals and solutions based on years of hands on experience. They identified a solution to the current crisis five years ago. And appear ignored. ... read the full article

Alistair Owens is not a teacher but believes that teachers are largely ignored in developing the solutions to many of the problems that beset our educational system. He writes regularly for a teaching resources and educational games web site www.keen2learn.co.uk

What Teaching Resources Do We Really Need?

Government educational policies striving to improve standards are criticised. If the pass rate improves it’s down to easier exams, and it they deteriorate it’s due to the wrong teaching resources or technique. But the rate of change in the now global markets is placing different demands on the educational content. Are we matching the output with the actual demand?

In the space of 10 years the world as we know it can change dramatically. The schooling content seen as essential at the start of a decade can be almost irrelevant at the end. So are we programming the right curriculum for our children as they start their 10 year schooling journey and making the best use of modern educational games in our teaching resources?

Remember Y2K ? The 1st of January 2000. The world was scheduled to stop revolving, lifts jam mid floor, bank accounts freeze and computers implode. The computer gurus had overlooked the implications of the date code of the new millennium. Suddenly we were desperately short of ICT personnel to rewrite operating programs and manufacturers to build new computers, servers and networks. The world at large joined in the furore, angst and paranoia.

The hot ticket career in ICT reacted to a demand that nobody foresaw. Inflated salaries, bonuses and a massive workload reflected what turned out to be misjudged panic. Thankfully Y2K passed like a damp squib. The world managed to continue to spin controlled by clocks and computers that continued to work. But there were huge economic consequences. Operating budgets were raided, projects cancelled as funds for replacement computers and services were rushed into place. And then….nothing.

Hardware manufacturers had a ball. Everyone had the latest specification computer, ICT guys had earned a fortune. But the bubble burst. The demand evaporated and the market flooded with skilled ICT professionals looking for a job.

Doubtless we have learned something from this maelstrom. Since Y2Y we have seen the centre of gravity in ICT support moving to Bangalore, manufacturing to China and possibly the Financial Services market to Frankfurt? We need to reprogramme our teaching resources so children can meet the changing demands of a global market. Matching the future needs in the curriculum is complex, and critically, would require decisions a decade in advance.

In the meantime we see continuing conflict in the performance in the key stages of the National Curriculum. A huge number of children in primary school fall short of reaching an acceptable level in maths, English and ICT. The problem is passed to secondary school where teachers, already stressed, attempt to correct shortcomings as well as meet their own standards and targets. Perversely, success in exams is tempered with concern they have become too easy. GCSE’s are criticised by the Confederation of British Industry that their content fails to meet the demands of the modern commercial world. The DCSF and OFSTED wail, gnash their teeth, change policy and muddy the water.

The government have announced changes to the GCSE. Designed to encourage children and provide a better chance of success, on the surface the syllabus is to be brought up to date and coursework will become modular. But this laudable intention has met with an immediate backlash; schools claim their workload will become intolerable as they try to meet the demands of children at varying stages of progress and attainment. Critics claim it would be impossible for the children not to gain good grades. But is the final outcome for the children ideally matched to the career market they are to enter?

Change will always induce reluctance, yet if we do nothing then nothing will change. Forty years ago the pace of change was more regulated. Children had some idea of a career in mind when selecting GCSE and “A” levels. Engineers went for physics, accountants for maths, doctors for the sciences. Today the changing employment options have left children with less focus. Historic careers have vaporised or can radically change within the schooling journey – e.g. the Y2K syndrome and global market forces in manufacturing. Without specific career objectives children are bound to select subjects on their exam success potential. Maybe we should assess children for their likely career potential at an earlier stage to help programme their educational journey more efficiently. Pundits from the respective industry should be involved in the curriculum planning such that the syllabus incorporates developing techniques.

The World Wide Web, email and computers revolutionised communications in the space of 10 years. We are intimately aware of environment issues; global warming, animal migration and climatic changes that are all in state of flux. We need to consider what teaching resources are best suited to the educational objectives that best suit this fast evolving world.

Alistair Owens Keen2learn

Alistair Owens believes education should be fun and use technology to meet the needs of commerce, industry and the environment of tomorrow. Modern teaching resources in the form of educational games and toys use technology to enthuse and make learning fun at school and home.

Educational games using modern technology are already helping to teach children in school and at home. You can see examples here http://www.keen2learn.co.uk/l/64/ICT_Games.php.

Forget the Olympics the Educational games are about to start

Back to school! A fearsome thought for teachers, children and parents. The start of a new academic year, new class, new school, new teaching resources. Welcome back, the educational games have just started.

If you’ve been anywhere near the shops over the summer you couldn’t fail to notice the constant “back to school” promotions. They seem to start on the first day of the holiday ignoring the anguish of teachers, children and parents who dread the thought. Surely holidays are fun and should not be confused with the slog of learning. Fun is relaxed, enjoyable and something you look forward to. School is, however, far from being fun epitomised by adverts relating to shoes, clothing and stationery! But what if the schooling process could become filled with educational toys, games and fun? Is this possible? Surely we should be beating ourselves up with textbooks.

We look forward to something we enjoy and tend to put off something we don’t. Most people enjoyed watching the Olympic Games where medal winners excelled through years of dedication. Hard work, hours of daily practice to improve performance proved the difference between Olympians and “also ran’s”. Above all they enjoy what they do.

Performance is dynamically measured, results seen immediately, giving elation with an improvement, and a challenge with a setback. Determination is the key; Olympians enjoy the challenge to improve. What about school and homework? Can school be enjoyable? Could a child’s performance at school be measured dynamically using modern facilities or has it to rely on textbooks, tests and end of term reports? The answer lies in the latest educational games where parents and siblings can join in. Modern homework can be set as a game replicating the work in progress in the classroom. Setting homework as maths games, English games or science games is “learning in disguise” providing an opportunity for the child to practice whilst enticing effective parental involvement.

The busy classroom of 30 leaves minimal time for the teacher to encourage practice in the classroom. Yet 75% of learning retention is achieved through practice. The International Olympic Committee can be compared with the national curriculum setting the competition ground rules and standards. Teachers are the team mangers but parents are the individual child’s coach. The one to one relationship giving guidance, encouragement and participation can reap huge rewards in performance improvement.

Recent research by the National Confederation of Parents Teacher Associations discovered a massive 80% of a child’s academic progress is influenced by what they do at home, and only 20% emanates from the school environment. Back with the Olympics analogy it may seem obvious that the coach has a huge influence on an individual’s performance.

Teachers and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, aware of this phenomenon, are urging parents to become more active in the schooling process. This is in no way dereliction of duty but highlights a fundamental shift in the training duties a parent or PTA can now effect. Historically, helping with homework has been difficult because the teaching resources were one dimensional. Text books induce reluctance in parents. Unwilling to interfere they are concerned they would use different teaching techniques, or may appear to struggle in the subject area in front of their children. But the modern educational games, toys and puzzles used in school by the teacher are now available for use at home.

In class these educational games take the form of board games, quizzes, puzzles, bingo, toys and software – and are ideal for home use. The short burst in a class of 30 can be extended to 30 minutes at home on a one to one in fun game. This parental involvement means that the child gets the extra time to practice. Parents can assess progress dynamically rather than waiting for end of term reports, and children benefit from a coach at home to boost their performance back in school.

Alistair Owens Keen2learn

Save Energy Through Educational Games.

The assiduous onset of global warming, reducing oil stocks conspire to threaten the world that will ultimately pass to future generations to resolve. Our school children need teaching resources to be groomed on the significance of alternative energy sources, and receive our apologies for getting it so wrong.

The International Energy Agency projects that the world’s electrical power generating capacity will increase to nearly 5.8 million megawatts by the year 2020, up from about 3.3 million in 2000. However, the world’s supply of fossil fuels - our current main source of electricity - will start to run out from the years 2020 to 2060, according to the petroleum industry’s best analysts.

Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources will never run out. In one day, the sunlight which reaches the earth produces enough energy to meet the world’s current power requirements for eight years.

On a global average, each square metre of land is exposed to enough sunlight to produce 1,700 kWh of power every year. The average output is between 850 kWh/m2 in Northern Europe, 1,200 kWh/m2 in Central Europe and 1,200-2,000 kWh/m2 in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Only a percentage of the potential held by renewable resources is technically accessible. According to scientists and the solar industry, acknowledging the current state of technology, this percentage is still enough to provide just under six times more power than the world currently requires. Nature offers a variety of options for producing renewable energy. It is mainly a question of how to convert sunlight, wind, biomass or water into electricity, heat or power as efficiently, environmentally friendly, and cost-effectively as possible.

Renewable energy technologies, which have a positive impact for our environment, include wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and organic bio-energy. These are a lot friendlier to the environment than conventional energy technologies which rely on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels contribute significantly to many environmental problems - greenhouse gases, air pollution, water and soil contamination - while renewable energy sources contribute very little or none at all. Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons) surround the Earth’s atmosphere like a clear thermal blanket allowing the sun’s warming rays in and trapping the heat close to the Earth’s surface. This natural greenhouse effect keeps the Earth’s average surface temperature at about 33°C (60°F). But scientists believe the increased use of fossil fuels has significantly increased greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, creating an enhanced greenhouse effect known as global warming. Both pollution and global warming pose major health risks to humans as this contributes to lung disease, including asthma, lung cancer and respiratory infections. A significant global effort in clean energy technology research is needed to develop, collect, store and deliver energy efficiently without harming our planet.

Securing our energy holds many political problems, especially since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Foreign oil dependence has resurfaced carrying significant political and economic risks. This conventional energy source is vulnerable to political instabilities, trade disputes, embargoes and other disruptions.

Because renewable supplies are predictable and abundant, they can help stabilize energy costs and free consumers from the volatile price swings in the natural gas and oil markets caused by supply and demand issues. Technological improvements and federal production incentives have made the cost of electricity from some renewable sources more cost-competitive compared to generating power from conventional sources. In fact, technological improvements and market growth are making renewable sources more cost competitive.

Some countries are using renewable energy as one way to encourage economic development and stimulate local economies. In many instances energy needs result in a community going to outside utilities or energy suppliers. By developing renewable energy sources, which often employ native resources and local production, energy money is spent in the local economy, helping to generate local revenue.

A renewable energy teaching resources set has been developed to demonstrate the workings of clean energy technologies on a miniature scale. Using an educational games approach can let children build an entire miniature renewable energy system and configure the system in different ways to visualize the complete system from start to finish. Children can learn about direct renewable power generation using solar photovoltaic technology. Experiments with electrolysis shows how to generate and store hydrogen and discover how hydrogen can be used as a renewable “energy carrier” that can power many applications via fuel cell technology.

The combination of science games provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the exciting prospects of renewable energy, as well basic physics and chemistry principles. Seeing how renewable energy can be harnessed, stored, and re-used is an essential ingredient in children’s understanding that can inspire novel developments of the future. Their inheritance may have been eroded over the last few generations; this is a way to start putting something back for the future.

Alistair Owens www.keen2learn.co.uk

Ten of the Very Best Reasons for Using Educational Games

Over the past 15 years, we have raised the question, “Why do you use educational games?” to our clients and workshop participants. From their feedback we have constructed a list of the ten very best reasons for using learning games. We hope these 10 descriptions will remind and stimulate you to consider learning games as a training alternative; and, then to consider one of our fine, field-tested, fun-to-play, classroom proven products.

1: Games are Fun with a Purpose
Games create a cognitive engagement between the learner and the topic in a flowing, smiling environment. Games celebrate your topic and reward individual and group achievement. Games bring fun and energy into a buoyant learning zone, but with the focus on learning.

2: Games Provide Feedback to the Learner
Learners want and need feedback on their performance. Games give them immediate feedback on the quality of their input — their successes and their errors. With the appropriate corrective feedback, this can become an invaluable learning opportunity.

3: Games Provide Feedback to the Trainer
Games provide a practice field where learners interact with the topic, demonstrating their knowledge and ability to apply the information. By observing this real-time demonstration, the trainer can adjust the subsequent level of lecture, readings and interventions, accordingly.

4: Games are Experiential
Today’s learner needs to do and to try things on her own. Games provide an environment that transforms the passive student into an active part of the learning process where she can connect her own dots and experience her own ideas. Games also remind both player and teacher that energy in the classroom is a good thing.

5: Games Motivate Learners
Games engage players and then motivate them to interact with the topic. This interaction drives players to demonstrate their understanding of the topic in a friendly contest where successes are memorable moments of shared triumph and celebration and where mistakes mean only that the learner is being stretched to his or her own limits.

6: Games Improve Team Work
Games are real-time activities that bring players into teams, demonstrate the rules and roles of working together as a team, and underscore the value of team collaboration. Games give your learners a chance to know their peers as they share the same real-time experiences, allowing for strong networking and bonding.

7: Games Provide a Less Threatening Learning Environment
Because the game format is playful, the inherent challenge of the material, even new or difficult material, is less threatening. During game play seemingly difficult questions and scenarios are “just part of the game.” And, teachers can use the window following classroom responses to build a bridge between the topic and the learner.

8: Games Bring Real-World Relevance
Games allow you to present real-world information in the form of questions, scenarios, role-plays, and so forth. In this way, players learn not only the “what,” but the “why,” of the topic from a real-world perspective. Players also observe their own behaviour and that of others during game play. Post game debriefings give insights into those behaviours in thoughtful examples observed during game play.

9: Games Accelerate Learning
Games allow you to compress your topic and demonstrated learning into shorter periods of time, accelerating the speed of learning. The visual presentation, oral interactions, and active participation of game play appeals to all of the learning styles (visual, auditory and kinesthetic), involves both the rational and experiential mind that helps players remember what they have learned.

10: Games Give You Choices for Your Classroom
Games allow you to add variety and flexibility to your teaching menus. Games allow you to do any or all of the following:

* Vary the level of learner involvement
* Vary the level of skill level and knowledge
* Customize to any size of audience, even one-on-one
* Vary the type and level of activity
* Vary the level of classroom control
* Introduce or review topics, or both
* Vary the mix of theoretical and practical information

Steve Sugar
www.thegamegroup.com

Steve Sugar (MBA) is the President of The Game Group and the writer and teacher of learning activities and games. Steve is an Adjunct Professor of Management at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and has served on the faculties of The John Hopkins University, the New York Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland University College (UMUC).

Damned If You Do Damned If You Don't Exam Results

August is a crazy month. The outcome of years of blood sweat and tears of schooling are revealed in the exam results that tumble through the letter box. But it’s not just the kids that are on the receiving end, teachers, schools and the entire educational system are judged by the verdict.

Our teaching resources, education procedures continue to fail at primary level with increasing numbers failing English, maths and science. We even managed to fail the exam marking system. The knock-on passes a considerable burden to secondary schools who, beset with their own issues and objectives, have little capacity to correct the shortfall.

At secondary level exam results come into further criticism. Improved pass rates are put down to easier exams. And those choosing to leave school at this point face employers claiming the Key stages are unmatched to their needs and expectations.

And at “A” level children working hard and long to pass exams face an association with lowered exam standards and concern from Universities unable to detect the student likely to excel from the borderline case.

The education journey continues to meet censure at each successive stage point. But the overall the system is failing the children rather than the other way round. Maybe a solution would occur if the National curriculum and examination became the responsibility of the receiving body. Primary schools syllabus would be set and marked by secondary schools. GCSE would become the responsibility of the CBI, and “A” level would be controlled by the universities.

We would then process children through a system matched to evolving market needs, and utilise the practical skill and judgement of academia and commerce.

Maths Games Used To Remove Homework Conflict

The cry of anguish from a Mother. “My daughter hates homework and it's a struggle every week to get her to do it. I work 4 nights a week so I am limited to how much I can help in the evening. My husband has to be forced to help her when I am at work but they disagree on so much that it becomes a battle and she gives up or he sends her to bed with nothing done!”

The mental block that can easily occur in the busy classroom frequently has little chance of easing at home.. No child actually enjoys parents and teachers being angry with them but there have always been a significant number of UK students who simply cannot retain maths properly when taught the traditional way in school. No matter how hard they try, they require a different teaching method altogether. This is where the latest Maths games and worksheets now available for home use can make a huge difference.

Educational games played at the learning pace of the child provide an enjoyable approach that help children and parents to overcome the block to learning. Putting fun at the forefront in the parent child relationship provides a more practical rapport to coach a child through this difficult transition. Turning the block into a maths game the fear and frustration can be broken The ‘Independent Learning’ method used by ConquerMaths delivers the UK secondary maths curriculum via CDs, or online in brilliant mini-tutorials. Each lesson has its own worksheet and automatic marking that builds into personal progress summaries. Only the essential parts of each lesson are given but the huge benefit of the system are the audio explanations explaining the theory that are synchronised with the onscreen graphics, making the maths much, much easier to understand and take in.

Parents can relax to a large extent, because whilst providing moral support and involvement the ConquerMaths system specifically recommends children get on with their homework independently. They soon enjoy being in total control as the program can be paused and rewound to repeat sections to increase understanding, embed facts and go over anything the child is not sure of to catch up missing knowledge from the class. It is like having a personal teacher going over the lesson with you until you understand. And parents can bring themselves up date too, if they wish!

One ConquerMaths parent, Julia Martin of Buckinghamshire writes “As a person who always found maths a serious challenge when I was at school, I have found this course to be a Godsend. My nine year old son is flying through the tutorials and understanding everything because they are put across so clearly, in 'bite sized' lessons. I am no longer worried about having the ability to teach him maths - in fact, I am learning stuff I never properly understood at school by using the program myself! (I wish we'd had it in my day!)”

Building confidence in children is an essential building block in learning. The time spent in class is much shorter that most of us imagine and a busy lesson with 30 children can leave the struggling mathematician feeling isolated. Using maths games at home in a relaxed environment can pay dividends in boosting understanding, confidence and performance back in class.

Val Constable ConquerMaths Alistair Owens Keen2learn

Can't Read Can't Write TV Shocker Reveals Teaching Resources Opportunity

he new TV documentary highlights the dilemma. Accepting the inevitable slant TV puts on many programmes to add drama, last night’s docudrama featuring a group of nine mature and illiterate students was still shocking.

The reality of this staggering statistic is a body blow to the educational standards in the UK. We still fail to provide the very basics of education to all our children. The TV teacher chosen to lead the recovery demonstrated passion and commitment to the role. But worryingly he was at considerable odds with the teaching resources he was advised to use. If the reading support, including worksheets and procedures developed by the hierarchy were regarded by the teacher as complex, arduous and missing the point what hope is there it will work.

The slightly over emotional teacher, previously a musician, admitted he had never taught anybody to read in his life. Initially he seemed a strange appointment but his direct approach proved the skill of a good teacher can outweigh a multitude of ring binders of arduous theory. His novel approach using educational games supported his passion in the role that started to break through decades of frustration and neglect. Turning reading support into fun and providing one to one support has started to overcome the many reasons for the student’s illiteracy, epitomising what good teaching is all about. Once the inertia is overcome we can expect rapid progress.

Each of the nine students had been failed by the initial schooling process. They had suffered the law of averages, inevitably casting students operating at the bottom of the class into the inevitable realm of exclusion from the lesson. The point emphasized by the illiterate plumber set word search puzzles at school and sent home at midday.

Teachers facing the constant pressure of attaining academic targets are bound to focus on the average and brighter student to boost the score. In place of spending vast sums of money on complex procedures maybe we need to listen more closely to the operational experience of teachers. Investing in a policy where no student should leave primary school whilst failing in literacy or numeracy would deal with the problem at source. This perhaps brutal approach should receive vital direct funding where it will help give all children the best chance to thrive academically in secondary school. The “Every Child a Reader” literacy scheme introduced by the government has to be a prerequisite in any target judgement.

The sterling work completed by the reading support organisations such as the “Volunteer Reading Help” ( primary schools ) and “Reading Matters”(secondary schools) provide 1:1 support to struggling readers in school. Both are registered charities and reliant on volunteers. Should government funding be extended to develop the services offered by these groups? A greater number of trained volunteers to help teachers in more schools and perhaps adult classes can only help - provided they do not loose their independence.

The TV program’s refreshing angle showed the element of fun through reading games overcame many of the issues faced by the students, and that illiteracy is not down to a single cause. The musical introduction to reading skills introduced enjoyment to the process that seemed adequately to displace the complex procedures. But learning to read through English games involves teaching phonics - the sound of words - ironically where the “ph” of phonics is of course pronounced as “f” which is where we came in!

Lost Education To Be Recovered At Home

A growing concern voiced by many teachers is the level of disruption occurring in the average class. Ranging from the severe to a simple case of horseplay at the start of the lesson it has a dramatic effect in draining the teaching resources as well as impacting on the development of children in the class All is not lost as parents can affect a striking recovery plan that helps their child and the teacher.

Edward Lazear of the Hoover Institution found that, “If, on average, each student disrupts the class just 1 percent of the time, the time available for learning drops to 74 percent for a class size of 30.” Even the best teachers can only do so much, and many have cited disruption as the most stressful element of teaching. It is no wonder that the “teach to test” syndrome is one consequence of a school’s need to grasp some vestige of achievement by streamlining the teaching content to hit targets Regrettably this results in a veneer of knowledge, presenting a smart image on the surface but with little depth. Now it is possible for parents to use educational games at home to give greater practical support in the teaching activities of their children.
Read more

Waste Not Want Not

Here's a view from a "humbug". We continually hear of the plight of schools that lack equipment both in the developed and underdeveloped world. Wouldn’t it be a grand gesture if children celebrated their end of school prom in a more modest fashion, and donated the saved expenditure towards equipment for their school or a third world school. A lasting benefit to future generations, not socially devisive and not a stretched limo in sight.

The Education A Bedtime Story Gave A Mother And Her Famous Son.

Paddington bear popped home yesterday, not to Peru but keen2learn. Bet you thought he was born in Peru and resides in Paddington. Well he does, but the bedrooms at Home Farm in Burghwallis, now the base for keen to learn, echo to bedtime stories read many years ago by Shirley and Eddie Clarkson. The kitchen table witnessed Shirley make the very first Paddington bear as a Christmas present for her children, Joanna and Jeremy, and brought the stories to life. Friends upon meeting the character in the flesh wanted one, and the rest is history.

Shirley has just launched her book “Bearely Believable” coinciding with the 50^th anniversary of the Paddington stories by Michael bond. It’s the amusing story of the fun they had living in Home Farm and the trials and tribulations surrounding the development of Paddington bear. The kitchen table was quickly outgrown, and production moved to the spare bedroom, then across the yard to a converted cowshed and finally to a local factory. Shirley revisited Home Farm recently - with the original Paddington - after a 21 year absence to record these events for the BBC.

Bedtime stories turned Paddington into a firm favourite in the Clarkson family. The imagination that bedtime stories trigger in a child’s mind develops their learning process. Parents reading stories and playing other educational games with their children throughout the schooling process helps stimulate learning. And the interaction between child and parent becomes mutually rewarding with obvious benefits back at school.

Our modern lifestyle leads to many parents being time poor. Coupled with a frequent reluctance to read aloud the essential bedtime story has taken a back seat with 54% of Dad’s. But modern technology has come to the aid of the busy parent. Subscriptions to on-line stories narrated by actors and including animation and highlighted script turn a PC or laptop into a world of imagination. An educational game, the service enhances reading and literacy skills in children, is easy for tired Dads to join in and learn how to read a story aloud.

In a world of TV, Internet, Wii, Nintendo and computers it is all too easy to assume children can amuse themselves. Encouraging developments in the Electronic Media to include educational games is a positive move. However, parents and grandparents still have a vital role to play. Help, encouragement, mutual involvement and interactive feedback can all inspire a child to learn more. They love to share their experience and show how they are doing.

Electronic Media has the advantage that it never tires of repetition, something the tired parent can be grateful of when the same story or game is played yet again! Predicting what happens next is an essential part of the learning curve, children love to be able to foretell and repetitive feedback is part of this process.

So how is Paddington doing after all these years? The stories are still popular and the Paddington bear figures are still in shops. Production has moved from the bedroom at Home Farm to China. Marmalade sandwiches are probably deep fried. If you want the full story read Shirley’s great book. And did those bedtime stories read by Shirley and Eddie Clarkson help the children? One of them is Jeremy Clarkson; author, journalist and broadcaster – with an innate ability to tell a great story.

The Ice Journey

The Ice Journey

This book is an interesting blend of fact and fiction, which could be used effectively in several different ways. One of the stated aims for the author is to encourage and enable grandparents to participate in their grandchildren’s education. Many grandparents have an active part in caring for grandchildren today and this book provides a story they can read to their grandchildren. The fact that the book is written as a grandmother reading the story to her grandchildren positively reinforces the idea of the grandparent having both interesting and even educational information. I feel one of the great advantages of this book are the activities listed at the back. These could be done in a classroom situation but equally could be done in the house with Grandma after reading the story. The idea of making a DNA sweet model struck me in particular as an activity which grandmas would be happy to organise. Grandmas love to give their grandchildren sweets but may be accused of spoiling the children. This they can show is an education activity in which sweets are essential!

I feel the bilingual edition will be of benefit to both learners and native speakers. As a Welsh learner I found the audio Welsh version easy to understand but it did not sound like ‘learner’ material which gave me a greater sense of achievement because I was able to understand it. There is a lack of Welsh language material for learners and native speakers. This bilingual work has the added advantage of providing an opportunity for non-Welsh speakers (parents and grandparents) to become involved in their children’s Welsh medium educational experiences. Non-Welsh speaking grandparents could play the audio version but use the English language text and activities to allow them to discuss the material with their Welsh-speaking grandchildren.

The illustrations blend well with the text, which must have required a great deal of work in the bilingual edition. Single pictures cover a double page with the text in both languages fitting round it. Other pages contain different yet appropriate images on the Welsh and English pages.

In an age where the ‘Google generation’ may shun the printed word, this book may provide a bridge between ‘grandma’s world’ of books as a source of information and the Internet where so many children would ‘google’ to find the information and its links to relevant websites.


Ellen Harris
Learning Resources Adviser
Learning Resources Centre, Trinity College Carmarthen

Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Are Just Coded Maths Games

Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Are Just Coded Maths Games

I always found math to be a difficult subject to learn at school. I put most of my failing down to the fact I sat too close to an old fashioned pot-bellied stove. This provided a great source of warmth but also destroyed my concentration. At least I learnt to spell soporific in a written defence during a subsequent detention, but the absence of maths sense slowed the learning curve for some years. Maths was always a struggle; the pot bellied stove inflicted collateral damage but I believe the real culprit was the boring way maths was taught.

Mathematics can be described as a series of fantastic codes. Once they are broken the maths games that can be played are endless and enjoyable. The modern technique of using educational games as the base makes life far more interesting and pays dividends in the attention paid by the average child. It also allows parents to repeat say a maths game at home

Like many things in life once a code is understood the task becomes far easier. This is the case when we come across a new computer program. Initially it is hard work and intuition fights with or against the operating manual. Once mastered a host of shortcuts and shortcomings are revealed and in no time our learning curve overtakes the computer and we start to identify areas where the program could be improved.

A recent example of breaking a mathematics code appeared in the form of the crop circle in the south of England. The intricate pattern that was pressed into a wheat field at first sight appeared as just another artistic pattern in a crop circle. In reality it was a complex diagram that an astrophysicist decoded to reveal its meaning as a fantastic way to represent the value of pi to the first 10 significant places. Guaranteed 99% of us who looked at the crop circle failed to understand that it was a mathematics code rather than a decorative pattern. Obviously the perpetrator knew what he was doing and set this elaborate game to challenge mathematicians. Once the code was broken the answer was obvious.

Leonardo Da Vinci was artist and a great mathematician who used codes to set out his theories. Used by subsequent generations of scholars even today they provide educational games that require ingenuity to crack the code. Some areas of maths have a number of different ways of expressing the same information. Fractions and percentages express similar information in slightly different form. This feature allows us to mask the details by expressing facts in a form of code.

Recently Ed balls, the schools Secretary in the UK, announced that two fifths of all secondary schools are underperforming. He could of course have said that 40 per cent of all schools are failing which conjures up a much bigger image. Expressing the number of schools as a fraction is code to mask the actual hard fact. He could have just also revealed the actual number, but to say that 638 schools are failing would come as quite a shock to parents of the children involved. More startling perhaps would be an announcement that there are around 1,215,000 children at these 638 schools many of whom are potentially failing at maths. That’s a much bigger number than we might associate with two fifths! Codes are designed to initially hide or abbreviate the facts. Mr Balls could be said to be masking the facts, but he has only been in the job for a few months. Let’s hope he can quickly crack the code to improve the educational performance of future generations of children in the UK.

Do We Still Speak The Queen's English?

The English language being an amalgam of many other languages is possibly the most adaptive in the world. With complex and changing content the tricks you can play with English has made it one of the best games in education. But although the constantly changing “rules” refreshes the fun it can trip the unwary and make examination success hazardous.

Many parents, keen to provide active support in their child’s schooling are concerned this may be problematic; citing changes in teaching techniques that may leave them exposed or detract from their child’s progress. Clearly teaching techniques must evolve else we will fail to benefit from progress, but what if the subject matter, English, is evolving at such a rate that can see significant changes occurring during the schooling journey of a child.

English, as any language is the basic structure behind communication. Yet the world of communication is changing fast. The internet has seen exponential growth in speed, usage and range of access to information on a global basis. An historic search for information probably involved a dictionary, thesaurus or encyclopaedia to check spelling, meaning, and synonym or to learn facts. Inevitably during the searching process other words, meanings, interpretations and facts would be revealed across the page which broadened our knowledge base. But has the internet changed the process? Spelling is less critical. even in a search using Google – the system itself suggests “did you mean” corrections to spelling. The resultant search, being computer driven, can be extraordinary rapid and far more targeted, but are we missing the opportunity to absorb knowledge from a ramble through additional facts.

The evolution of the English language has developed at a greater pace over the past ten years. The spread of English, fuelled by the internet, cinema, DVD and TV has established a global first language in communications. The arbitrators in education need to be equally dynamic. Spelling games and exams must be a nightmare for teachers and examiners as the content and rules change. To see the full article take a look here

Learning To Read Hidden In Educational Games

Learning to read; the essential foundation of all learning doesn’t come easy to all of us. But the onset of broadband technology has provided a fantastic new reading support opportunity that helps children to learn to read. Stories in the classroom and bedtime stores at home take on a wonderful extra dimension.

When I was a lad a few years ago, I won’t mention the year as I don’t want you to be able to work out that I’m 59 (doh!) I went to one of the first comprehensive schools in the UK. This leviathan, based in the exquisite surroundings of Holland Park in London caused considerable angst. Local residents were aghast at construction in their very nice backyard; parents were in awe that their children could be taught in what was considered to be a learning factory. Children were phased by it’s vast size. Educationalists oscillated between the boundaries of visionary and crazy. London County Council the education authority ( as it was then) stood firm, the Head teacher stood firm, the children quivered.

At 11 years old, fresh from a small and very personal primary school about 5 miles away, I crept through the gates into the bewildering new world that was Holland Park. Home to 3000 souls, four huge multi story teaching blocks, four gymnasiums, a swimming pool and a vast central auditorium that could hold the entire school. Class size ballooned to 48 pupils comprised of five ability steams from A to E with two classes per stream per year and a different teacher for every subject. The concept needed considerable adjustment to both pupils and staff. The battalion of teachers required, many lasting a term, some not, meant teaching continuity was fragmented. Our music teacher shot himself playing Russian Roulette, thankfully off the premises. His death did little to improve the averages.

Welcome to my baptism in secondary schooling and my excuse for being an initial struggling reader and academic pariah. Anyway it’s better then owing up to any possibility that it could just be me.

See the full article by Alistair Owens

Schools Reading Support Service

Reading Matters was established in Leeds in 1997 as a training and volunteer network. Based in Bradford, West Yorkshire as a registered charity not-for-profit social enterprise, Reading Matters recruit, train and place volunteers in secondary schools to work as Reading Mentors. Here they work using reading support materials on a one-to-one basis with children who are struggling with their reading.

Reading is a basic life skill that most people take for granted. Imagine for a moment you cannot read the instructions on a bottle of prescription medicine or that you find it difficult to read the job adverts in the local paper. In the UK today an estimated 5 million adults do not meet this basic standard of literacy.

It is vital that children are encouraged to become competent readers in order to benefit from secondary education. Reading Matters offers a range of tried and tested interventions and training programmes that can have a direct impact on this statistic.

The Reading Matters training course for Reading mentors includes:

• understanding of why some young people struggle to read confidently
  

• practical techniques to help support reading
  

• guidance on choosing books, games and other resources to motivate the reluctant reader
  

Reading Matters has linked to Keen2learn to provide logistics support with a selection of key resources to encourage reluctant readers. Selected from the market leaders suppliers the reading resources comprise of reading games, special books developed for reluctant readers and an on-line reading service MightyBook.

To see the full report see Reading Support at keen2learn

Turn A Shower Into An Educational Game

They say education is a lifelong journey. Difficult to comprehend when you are at school slogging through lessons and exams but learning can be greater fun when turned into an educational game. Take a practical application and apply as many subjects that have been learned in the classroom.

This morning I took a shower, a frequent occurrence I hasten to add, but today I had one of those eureka moments – a tribute perhaps to that other rather more famous bather. Have you ever thought how much science is involved in the process of taking a shower?

To highlight the point I have used the following abbreviations as each topic appeared during my ablutions.

• Biology (B)
• Physics (P)
• Chemistry (C)
• Maths (M)
• Citizenship (City)
• Psychology (Psy)
• Geography (G)
• Geology (Geo)
• English Language (Eng)

The first question to loom up is why we take a shower? The experience is functional in removing body odours created by bacteria, (B) but also physiological as it induces endorphins that help wake you up and make you feel good (Psy) Removal of body odours also makes you a little less undesirable to others nearby ( City).

The water is fed from a header tank under gravity- thanks to Newton (P) – and as I’m a devout wuss, heated. Energy is consumed to heat the water by the conversion of electrical energy into heat P). This is measured in watts, the result of multiplying volts by amperes (M +P).

Responding to marketing persuasion I have been attracted to the delights of a power shower. The increased force (P) boosts the endorphins (B) but unfortunately uses 12 times the amount of water (Geo) than the gravity shower all of which has to be heated (P ) This is draining the natural resources, literally, of water and power causing environmental concerns (forgot to add the code for the environment – that’s an (E). The availability of water depends on geography (G) and the natural storage which locally are aquifers (Geo).

Being male I have a predilection to B.o.g.o.f offers ( buy one get one free) in supermarkets and anything in blue packaging (Psy) The resultant over purchase of needless stock (M) led to a ban by my wife (City)that means all shower products used have her stamp of approval and sensible supply level.

Today’s showering experience was a cornucopia of non blue ingredients. The shampoo promised a “Fruitful Infusion” to produce a “Dazzling Shine” (Eng) from the passion flower, patchouli and vetiver ingredients(B). The conditioner provided “Tangle free hair with uplifted volume” enhancing the dazzle effect by way of a “Citrus lift”(Eng) from tangerine, lemongrass and aloe vera (B) And the rest of the body below the head was in turn subjected to “Serious pampering”(Eng) from fennel (B) and sea mineral (C) based in a silky smooth shower gel (C).

The post shower application of talcum powder, contained talc mineral (C+Geo). The deodorant, promising to maintain a “desert – dry”(Eng) atmosphere under the arms (B +G) from aluminium zirconium trichlorohydrex (C). The aftershave contained alcohol ( C).

In the space of 5 minutes I had consumed 150 litres of water, 4 kilowatts of energy (P), half an alpine meadow of additives, and drained the lot away to the water treatment works where they will use bacteria (B) to break the ingredients free from the water, and off we go again.

Taking a simple shower will seem a lot busier from now on. My shower involved 34 applications of science and learning and a lot of fun to see just how many links with education can exist.

Alistair Owens operates an educational games web site and writes on educational matters for a wide range of publications.

Self Esteem Learning for Children

It’s off to school; hat, coat, school books, dinner money and a great slice of trepidation are ready. Our ability to learn may be linked to intelligence and concentration, but the greatest influence is the feeling of well-being. Self Esteem plays a critical role in commitment and our ability to excel.

So what influences our feeling of self esteem? Clearly as a significant function it needs careful analysis and nurturing to ensure the optimum condition prevails. We need to understand where we can support those who would benefit from this attention and in what form.

The annual performance appraisal in adult circumstances can be extremely rewarding for both parties if used properly. Equally it can be disruptive if misused as the opportunity to castigate and focus on the negatives elements of performance. I am a great believer in the need for continuous appraisal. It takes the sting out of a situation, provides immediate beneficial feedback allowing corrective or progressive actions to be taken promptly.

Storing problems merely to coincide with an appraisal is a total waste of the opportunity to encourage an individual to develop. Schoolchildren need a regular check more than ever up to reassure, encourage and provide positive corrective support. Yet this element is predominately overlooked. “How was it at school today” is hardly an approach that will reveal the full facts. A child with low self esteem may miss the opportunity to open up preferring anonymity than having to explain their feelings.

The skill is to overcome any reluctance for a child to open up. How often have we heard of incidents of a child being bullied at school that has gone unmentioned or a child struggling in lessons which only came to light in the end of term or annual report? Low self esteem has a self destruct element. Careful and progressive handling is required to nurture a positive response that can make the world of difference. Lessons become enjoyable personalities develop, general outlook and demeanour develops a positive theme and individuals become less of a target with bullies.

There a number of books and games developed to encourage positive self esteem. Possibly one of the best is the range developed by two sisters, both mothers who are passionate about children feeling good. With backgrounds in Psychology, complimentary therapy, counselling and Art and Design the sisters put their skills together to design and produce a fun, educational range of products including board games, books, relaxation CD’s and positive affirmation cards.

The range developed as educational games features four fun, funky, multi cultural characters called the Feel Good Friends who help children in different ways to gain confidence and self esteem. The range teaches children about feelings, emotions, empathy, kindness, sharing and caring and helps to change negative beliefs into positive beliefs. Most importantly children get to explore their feelings and emotions in a fun, safe way.

The products are popular with Parents, Teachers, Foster Carers, Social workers, play therapists, members of the Children and Family Court Service and other professionals working with children.

Since launching in 2006 Feel Good Friends have won business awards and a community Impact award. The Feel Good Faces board game was short listed for the UK TES and NASEN Inclusive Resource for Primary Classrooms Award as well as being highly recommended at the Toy Awards 2007

Parents Playing Truant At Parents Meetings

Traditional parents’ evenings are becoming less popular and schools should consider other ways to communicate with families, the schools secretary, Ed Balls, said today, 7th May 2008

Speaking at an event today on the government’s Parent Know How programme, which aims to develop new and innovative ways of helping parents access information and support, Balls said research shows parents prefer informal chats with schools staff instead of parents evenings and want to get information on their children’s progress on-line.

While evening meetings will continue to have a role, Balls urged schools to keep parents up to date in ways that better fit their busy lives.

A survey of 5,000 adults for the Department for Children, Schools and Families showed that since 2001 the proportion who saw parents’ evenings as the “most useful” way of communicating has dropped from 43% to just 19%.

Parents now see communicating with schools through “informal discussions with school staff” as the most useful way of finding out about their child’s progress.

Half of parents felt very involved in their child’s education in 2007, up from 29% in 2001. Two-thirds of parents (65%) wanted to be even more involved, the research found.

Balls said: “We know parents are increasingly involved in their child’s education - and want to do even more. See the full report in the Guardian

Dads Falling Behind In the Bedtime Reading Stakes

The vital role of dads in bedtime reading is under threat, new research by the National Year of Reading reveals less than half of dads (42 per cent) say they regularly read bedtime stories to their children, while mums are twice as likely (76 per cent) to do so, despite bedtime reading being one of the best ways of establishing the reading habit in children.

Work pressures including stress and long hours were the main barrier for 58 per cent of dads, while a lack of confidence meant one in ten felt the role was better suited to mums. Boys are falling behind girls when it comes to reading* and more male readers as role models would help redress this.

The study of over 2,000 adults was conducted by the National Year of Reading and YouGov as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the pressures dads face and the impact this has on children’s reading habits. Read the full article

Are Parents, Children or Schools Responsible For Failing Exams?

The trepidation of waiting for the annual exam results does not just apply to school children. At the moment parents are discovering if they have been successful in their application for their child's place in a preferred school. Naturally we regard the performance of a school is entirely due to the skill of the teaching team, but one of the greatest influences in the teaching environment is the effect parents have in the performance.

Changes in the social environment, and the assumed responsibilities of families have evolved over the years. Many schools cite increasing pressure and workload from dealing with issues that have been abandoned by the family. Discipline seems to be the greatest concern, creating problems with the control of the classroom and a challenge to authority. Hardly conducive to a focus on learning and inevitably the prerequisite to a dysfunctional adult life for the child involved.

The schools best able to cope have retained a level of control and a teaching team that achieved good results for the children. No surprise that these schools are much sought after and strive to maintain their position in the league tables. But they suffer from their own success as a proportion of parents have been resorted to lie and cheat to meet the entrance criteria. Unbounded by any social responsibility this regrettable activity hardly sets the ideal role model for their children and wastes valuable resource in its detection.

Around 240,000 children fail to get into the school of their choice each year so it is easy to see the temptation to manipulate the application details and accept that some parents would feel they had failed if they did not. It’s a double edged sword. But now more grist to the mill; figures announced in May 08 reveal 24,000 teachers are classed as failing and should not be in the job, up from the 17,000 assessed as failing last year. At 5% they are a small percentage of the c.450,000 full time equivalent teachers in the UK but lets say the figures are still understated by 20% and really there are 28,800 failing teachers. The outcome is staggering as these failing teachers are involved in teaching children who are subsequently penalised. The average class size is 30 thus 720,000 children suffer as a consequent but this assumes the poor teachers only handle a single class. In reality they handle several classes at secondary level. Let’s assume five classes and the resultant number of children disadvantaged reaches a staggering 3,600,000. Doesn’t bear thinking about, but what are schools doing about it? The procedure to remove a poor teacher is so arduous that many schools have taken the alternative route to persuade them to move on to another school merely recycling the problem. So can we really criticize parents wanting to get their children into the better schools.

The ideal outcome would be the appearance of a greater number of good schools and the allocation of greater involvement of parents in the schooling process throughout their child’s attendance at school. This would swell the teaching numbers with an auxiliary team drawn from the 7.4 million households with school aged children. Suddenly the teaching capacity of the UK is swelled by a huge reserve that can only benefit our children. Parenting issues that clutter the school can be effectively redirected and schools allowed to focus on academic content. Modern teaching resources used in class to support lessons are predominately educational games. These are ideal to replicate the lesson content at home as practice. All we need now is the coordination of this massive resource, at least it will help compensate for a child failing to gain entry to a preferred school, being taught by a failing teacher, or a school cluttered by social burdens

You can see an example of the educational games and teaching resources used in school .

Sage Or Technocrat As The Ideal Teaching Resources.

The role of a modern teacher is not easy. The objective to impart knowledge, instil a learning ability, an interest in learning and ultimately groom their students towards examination success posses many challenges in modern schooling. The expectations of parents, educational authorities, the schools inspectorate and changes in society are a growing challenge to the average teacher resulting in a significant number falling by the wayside.

The dilemma is how to provide the ideal modern teaching resource extending from early learning through primary to secondary and high school. We need to compare the honed skill of the experienced teacher applying the traditional approach, able to control a class of mixed ability, with that of a computer literate vogue fledgling teacher. But in the contemporary school which has the greater relevance? Modern technology has resulted in significant changes to the teaching resources now used in school. Sophisticated software and a games approach to learning can enliven the class lesson content immeasurably compared to 15 years ago. Educationalists have developed a fun learning approach to education, turning many a dull subject into educational games. This approach has even spurred eminent scholars in education research on the University campus to recognise the advantage of applying greater video game content in education.

But still that question, which of the teaching skills is therefore better matched to the modern classroom. The mature disciplinarian versus the technocrat. A few years ago I had a conversation with a large supplier of “whiteboards” that have appeared in many classrooms. This sophisticated piece of modern electronic wizardry allows the teacher to project information onto a class sized interactive screen and interface with a computer program. The problem is the computer literacy required to make them work effectively is not second nature to many otherwise skilled teachers and many have tended to switch them off having spent most of the lesson trying to master the operation. The supplier found a significant number being used only as a modern “blackboard” with dry wipe pens used instead of chalk. This expensive technical stand-off can be perhaps personified by the “video chasm”, where parents rely on children to operate the video or DVD recorder.

Yet technology is a core element of the curriculum and needs cohesive introduction, or does it? Can anyone recall giving instruction to children on the operation of a mobile phone? Doubtless the skill wasn’t taught at school yet the average child’s speed of operation and use of a phone’s features is phenomenal. Children learn from experimentation, the buzz of immediate feedback and peer support. The hands -on approach has a significant benefit. It would seem there is a need for a mixture of instruction at school and experimentation that might have to extend beyond the school timetable.

So who does make the better teacher; the mature disciplinarian or the technocrat? I believe the mature approach has the edge. Learning is a process that benefits from a sound structure that can be enhanced by technology rather than replaced by it. The early building blocks for learning need to be put in place correctly to guide and enthuse. If this is enhanced through an element of fun in learning English games rather than pure text book slog then so much the better, but in the long run it is the steady experienced and proven approach rather than the fashionable that wins through. Yet the time served teacher is under threat as many are leaving the profession early due to the mounting pressures of the role. And of equal concern the young fledgling that would ultimately become the next generation of mature teacher is also falling by the wayside, with a significant number of new teachers leaving the profession within three years.Perhaps we need to turn education inside out and really get to understand the needs, motivation and experience of teachers and how the system should be best configured. Maybe the experience of an Ofsted inspection on the bureaucrats behind the system could be the start.

From Couch to Coach

From Couch to Coach

The biggest concern of most parents as their child goes to school is how are they are going to cope. Suddenly you are reliant on third parties to handle a crucial role that could influence the entire future for your child. The intimate bond with your child is interrupted; your omnipresence substituted for a class of around 30 children of mixed ability, and a school teacher who is frequently overworked, stressed, seeking alternative employment or early retirement. Hardly conducive to a relaxed state of mind, but there is an extremely practical role parents can take to support their child and teacher.

The teaching resources used at school are carefully selected as part of the lesson plans, mainly taking the form of educational games or educational toys they have the significant advantage of being equally valuable as learning resources for use at home.

A search of the web reveals the range of fun based interactive learning games available on-line. These can be used to support the early years as a primary classroom resource through to the finals in high school. Children being able to play for example a constructive maths game at home benefit significantly from the opportunity to practice the school lesson with their parents. This

family approach to learning maintains the involvement of parents in any number of lessons using educational games, toys, educational software and puzzles.

The link between home and school becomes dynamic rather than a once a term or an annual event, and playing the games at home reveals the progress being made in English, math, science, reading, history and geography far better than a couple of sentences in the end of term report. The regular content check by parents using a game provides a map where help is needed and a search of the web for educational games reveals the teaching tools available.

Practice helps learning retention, building the bedrock that provides encouragement, enthusiasm and knowledge back in the classroom. The additional teacher resource that emerges provides a multimedia approach to learning. This can positively modify the engagement towards their studies that can alter a child's perception of learning. Being regarded as fun generates a natural interest from children. Using educational toys and interactive games provides the chance for children to excel. The chance to beat parents, siblings and peers is far more enjoyable that the chore of conventional homework. Studies become more enjoyable and

progress at school benefits from the increased team strength of child, parent and teacher. Governments in many countries are concerned at the lack of material progress in schooling standards. Maths and literacy in the west display declining trends despite huge corrective investment over the past 10 to 20 years. Yet in the Far East educational standards are improving. The key is the different approach from parents; in the east they see it as their duty to maintain a level of active involvement. The outcome is a substantial improvement in exam results compared to the UK., and the USA.

Transformimg Maths From a Chore to a Challenge

A well proven fact states if you fire the imagination of children you also gain their attention – an essential ingredient towards efficient learning. A school in Nottingham in the UK has proven the point by adopting a central Harry Potter theme to lessons.

Maths has adopted a series of spells and codes to enthral and encourage. Science has included “Herbology” as a new theme, and teachers have been dressing up to set the scene. It proves that education can be fun, and fun can be highly educational. By turning lessons into games much of the resistance to learning is removed and the results prove the effort to be well rewarded. Pupils at the Robert Mellors school in Nottingham have moved from the bottom 25% to the top 25% of schools in England in just three years.

A clear case of “Learning in Disguise”; Dona Chambers, the Headteacher said “They don’t realise we are ticking boxes in the National Curriculum during the games. It has had a phenomenal impact on the whole school. Because learning is so much fun, pupils want to be engaged”.

Supporting this form of fun activity is a large range of educational games used in school. They are now available for use at home to turn that boring homework session into a fun entertaining and imaginative approach to learning. And as the saying goes Practice makes perfect, or more appropriately in learning - Practice make Permanent. Many parents ideally like to maintain a role in the schooling process but do not want to interfere in the teaching process. Developments in teaching techniques have benefited from advances in technology and the text book of yesterday has been supplemented by the interactive DVD.

A whole range of educational games and educational toys have emerged over the last decade. Designed to tie in with the school curriculum by educationalists and ex teachers, the key is the element of fun they induce to learning. Children look forward to the games and suddenly learning takes on a hidden dimension. But perhaps the real key is the opportunity for parents to join in.

Learning retention is a combination of different inputs. The classroom environment steers children through the lesson presentation, demonstration and discussion activity, a process proven by the National Training Laboratory (NTL) to achieve 50% retention in learning. The key activity derived by the NTL research is the practice function which a highest level in the retention in learning. This activity is sometime difficult to achieve in class due to lack of time or equipment or the spread of abilities in an average class. To overcome this gap in the learning process inevitably the practice function is transformed into homework exercises.

This single activity is seen to be dull, boring and regarded by children, parents and teachers alike as a necessary chore. But there is an alternative. The maths games referred to earlier are an ideal way for parents to play an interactive role with their child at home. Playing educational games as a form of homework generates the practice function which can be lacking in school and according to the NTL achieves a massive 75% retention in learning.

Fun Educational Games Versus Dreary Homework

The possibility of any child learning through playing educational games is considerably higher than is achieved by reading a text book or listening in class. Unfortunately the chance to play these games in school is limited to the timetable, equipment available, and inevitably a shared experience. Although this has some merit as children learn quickly from their peers it lacks the opportunity for a child to practice the content at their own pace.

Teachers, welcoming the involvement of parents have sought many ways in the past to mobilise parents with mixed success. Now the same maths games, science games and reading games etc. used as classroom resources can be used at home to make a real difference.

Learning seen as fun naturally attracts a child's attention helping them to excel. Used to supplement conventional homework that is mostly seen as a chore, these games present a fantastic chance for parents to get pro-actively involved from foundation to GCSE.

Alistair Owens: The Future World Leaders And Scientists Are In School Right Now.

Alistair Owens: The Future World Leaders And Scientists Are In School Right Now.

The Future World Leaders And Scientists Are In School Right Now.

The Future World Leaders And Scientists Are In School Right Now.

The world is a small place. Rapidly expanding and almost instantaneous transfer of information, we are reaching parts of the world that were, until a few years ago, impenetrable. Previously a dearth of knowledge led us to believe that such countries were different, alien and held disparate views on life. Perhaps the greatest surprise once a door is opened is the amazing similarity in the aspirations and fears held by parents for their children. Paramount, irrespective of race, creed and colour are concerns over the health and education of their children. Despite the development in technology, the removal of many barriers to freedom and the realisation of a global market, schooling of children remains an international and fundamental concern.

Learning starts early and involves parents playing educational games with their children. The element of fun is a fantastic stimulus that should be present throughout life’s learning journey, but is largely lost as children go to school.

Parents in Fairfax County USA have the same fears and aspirations as those in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and the UK. Our knowledge base and influences are becoming international rather than parochial. Globalisation is instigating vast changes in our society, for example just flip over the nearest manufactured object and see if it is not made in China.

If parents view education as a global concern, expressing concerns with current schooling standards why are we unable to correct falling standards. The English language could achieve the status of a global first or second language within a generation thanks in no small part to the spread of the internet. Should we therefore consider a global curriculum with international investment? Vast sums are wasted in localised attempts. Britain as an example invested 22 billion of pounds Sterling over the last 10 years is witnessing falling standards in numeracy and literacy. Many children inadequately equipped to progress from primary to high school subsequently fail to thrive.

The world’s population is expanding yet the number of teachers is not. Stress, changing attitudes in society and pressure to achieve influence many to leave the profession early. So how do we overcome this mounting issue? Whilst computers have infinitely greater processing capacity than three years ago, and many life saving drugs have been developed, academic achievement fundamental to the progression of this cycle is not improving at the same speed. Educational experiments have failed and we are re-introducing teaching techniques contemporary during the lunar landings.

The scaling benefit of a global curriculum would reduce resource costs and widen the application. Perhaps it should also encourage parents to take an active part. Educational games are still fun, stimulate learning and play a crucial role as a teaching resource in school. But they can be used with additional impact at home to replicate the lesson at the pace of the child. The mobilisation of vast numbers of parents providing this additional focus can help overcome the fall in educational standards, and as the saying goes; many hands make light work.

Alistair Owens

Wales Chief Inspector For Schools Wants Parental Involvement

SCHOOLS must do more to involve parents in school life, according to Wales’ new chief inspector for schools. In just six months Dr. Bill Maxwell warned that Wales was in danger of losing its tradition of respecting and valuing education unless more was done to engage parents and carers.“Good schools are taking notice but some need to try harder,” Dr Maxwell said.

“A lot of countries, including Wales, talk about a dip in performance in the early secondary school stages. One of the ways to counter that is to keep that engagement strong between parents, kids and the school.

“Parents tend to get engaged again when their children do exams but in the early years of secondary things can drift.”

A positive role to be considered by parents is to reinforce the classroom lesson. Homework can take on a new dimension and to help are the range of maths games, literacy games, and teaching resources that follow the curriculium.

“Parents want to be involved if they are welcomed in, but that depends on the head. If you are not high up the educational ladder you may feel you don’t understand what the teacher says or be intimidated and more needs to be done to get these parents involved.”

Steven Bowden, head of Porth County Community School, in one of the most deprived parts of Wales, has upped parental involvement by getting them to help run activities and learn with their children.

Take a look at the full article in icWales