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August 23 Philadelphia SoFPhiladelphia School of the Future One Year On It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by already since the Philadelphia School of the Future launched last August. From the School District of Philadelphia website: “The School of the Future project is a unique partnership between the School District of Philadelphia and Microsoft to create a sustainable and replicable model for improved instruction and systemic reform through the use of organizational best practices and innovations in curriculum, architecture, environmental and technology design.” If you’d like to see a quick snippet of a documentary of the 1st year by Byron Karabatsos, click here August 22 Microsoft and BeboBebo and Windows Live Today Bebo announced they will be integrating Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Contacts across their social network.
This may not mean much to some people, but if you have a 14 year old daughter, like I do, you’ll know its part of your everyday life. I can’t think of one friend or relative of hers that doesn’t have a Bebo site. The quality and design and application attachment on some of them is inspiring. So I’m happy to see Microsoft aligning itself with a social network like Bebo. There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether or not Microsoft tries to buy Facebook. It will be interesting to watch this space in coming months because I’m researching how tools like these, along with IM and mobility will play a role in Education and Learning. A Silverlight SearchSharing your finds One of the great things about blogging is you get to share things you get on your own RSS feeds and no one calls it plagiarism. One such feed I had today was from Dan Fay’s Blogsite. Here he’s talking about Tafiti. It incorporates Silverlight and Live Search. Try it out. It is very cool and make sure you click on the Tree icon. August 20 Specialist Schools of Northern IrelandI thought I would put up the websites and contact details for the 12 Specialist Schools that were chosen through an intensive selection process run by the Department of Education NI. The STIC will be working with all of these schools plus several other outstanding schools in the coming year.
Some of the other NI schools the STIC will be working with this year are:
And many more.
I will also be looking to work with Innovative schools in the Republic of Ireland.
Daylight Savings Time and your computer(s)Daylight Savings Time (DST) in the US As you may (or may not) know, Daylight Savings Time in the United States changed this year. Back in March it changed to the 11th which was 3 weeks early this year. Now the traditional October change is being pushed back for a week to November 4th.
To get all of the relevant Microsoft information about how this may affect you and your computers click here Why have they done this? From the website of the California Energy Commission: “One of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that it saves energy. Energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. When we go to bed, we turn off the lights and TV. In the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.” For how DST came about, see the MSN Encarta item here Always remember, its- SPRING FORWARD—FALL BACK August 17 Homework HelperHomework Helper for Key Stage 3 and GCSE One of the great things about connecting to the Education blog communities is getting greater awareness of the multitude of tools and resources Microsoft and partners are working on. One such beta project I became aware of back in June on Microsoft UK Schools News Blog was Ray Fleming’s post showcasing the Homework Helper developed by his colleague James.Its curriculum focused, so give it a try and let James and his team know what you think.August 14 Windows Live @ EduIs your College or University looking for an email solution? Microsoft Windows Live @ Edu may be the answer you’re looking for. · The Windows Live @ edu program provides institutions of higher education with a suite of hosted communications services for students, alumni, faculty, and applicants. The centrepiece of the suite is Windows Live Hotmail, a brand new e-mail service from Microsoft built from the ground up.* Although Microsoft hosts the e-mail, your institution maintains control: you continue to create, delete, and store e-mail addresses for your constituents—as you do today. · With Windows Live Hotmail, you'll get: o Your e-mail, your domain (e.g. joe@rovers.contosa.edu or jill@acacia.ac.uk) o A 2-GB inbox per account** o Anti-spam and anti-virus protection o Shared calendars o One-click control over junk and spam e-mail o Co-branded web interface o A decade of experience Contact Microsoft in your country or region and ask for the Education Business Manager Teachers and Social BookmarkingSee the benefits of Social Bookmarking As a Teacher have you ever wanted to get access to websites you’ve bookmarked on you personal PC or Laptop but you just can’t remember the web address? This can cause a lot of frustration and redundant searching. You should look at a Social Bookmarking solution which will give you access to your saved bookmarks and much, much more. Take a few minutes and watch this video from Make Money from Kasper. It’s a simple explanation of a powerful online application that you and your fellow Teachers can all benefit from August 13 NI Primary Schools Launch Pupil ProfilingUnderstanding Pupil Profiling in NI Primary Schools 2007/2008 sees the start of Pupil Profiling in all Northern Ireland Primary Schools (years 1-7). This year it will rollout to years 1 and 5. The remaining years will subsequently roll out over the next 3 years. So what is Pupil Profiling? The Department of Education NI (DENI) has stated this on their site: “The Pupil Profile will contain a broad range of information on pupils’ achievements, progress, interests, aptitudes, and participation in enrichment activities such as clubs, societies and sports opportunities. This information will help parents to make informed choices. The Profile will be introduced in 2007/2008 for pupils in P5, and rolled out to all pupils in subsequent years. This will ensure that parents of the first cohort of pupils transferring under the new arrangements will have a Pupil Profile covering at least two years to inform their decisions. The Pupil Profile will not provide a single objective score that would allow pupils to be ranked and will not therefore be able to be used as a tool for selection. The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment has been developing the Pupil Profile over the last two years and has been testing and refining it with the help of teachers and parents.” The Council for Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has been running a series of pilots in NI Primary schools for the past 2 years. Their results and all related information is located on their website for NI Curriculum. There is also an excellent video explaining in “layman’s language” how it works, what the goals and reasons and the timeframe for roll are out. I should note that the EERIC/STIC worked with CCEA last year in piloting their Interactive Computerized Assessment System (InCAS) with Year 5 students at St. Eithne’s Primary School in Londonderry/Derry NI. There will be more information available in the coming weeks. August 12 Imagine Cup for 2008Microsoft Announces Imagine Cup 2007 WinnersThailand team named software design champions; torch passes to France for Imagine Cup 2008.The team- 3KC Returns were the overall winners for Software Design at Imagine Cup 2007 in Seoul Korea. They won in a field of 55 entries which were whittled down to 12 earlier in the week. Their Project Livebook earned the team $25,000 cash prize. This year’s competition had over 100,000 students from more than 100 countries. For the full list of results in all categories click here. Congratulations to all of the teams from around the world who worked so hard to make this year’s event a smashing success Apologies to 2 more Imagine Cup TeamsApologies to Team Red Dawn and The Seedlings I owe an apology to Imagine Cup finalist Team Red Dawn. In my haste to get the announcement out last week, I totally missed the Web-Development element of the competition. Team Red Dawn Ireland was one of only 6 countries entered into this discipline of the event. They were up against Singapore, France, Mexico and 2 teams from China. Team Red Dawn hail from the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and their entry was entitled: An Online Collaborative Development Environment (OCDE) I’m excited to say that Team Red Dawn took 2nd place for their entry loosing to France and their APB offering. Well done and congratulations I also want to also apologise to The UK Team entry- The Seedlings. They were part of the Software Design competition along with the inGest Team from Ireland. They are from the University of Hull in Hull. Well done on a terrific result!! Curriculum Changes in NINew Curriculum fro Northern Ireland Schools The 2007 school year will bring new changes to curriculum for Northern Ireland (NI) Post-Primary schools (Key Stage 4 and Post 16). The Department of Education NI (DENI) has mandated this change to be implemented starting 2007 and completed in 2010. It has been designated the Entitlement Framework. From the DENI website: “The Entitlement Framework will require schools to provide pupils with access to a minimum of 24 courses at Key Stage 4 and 27 courses at post-16. To ensure breadth and balance, at least one third of courses will have to be applied and at least one third general. As long as they meet these requirements, it is up to schools to determine what courses they will provide access to across the areas of learning in the revised curriculum. Schools will be encouraged to continue to provide pupils with access to extension courses and enrichment opportunities” August 10 An interesting discussion on Mobility and Education
If you’d like to see and listen to a terrific discussion about what the role of mobile devices will play in Education for the K-12 sector, go to see the Kyte.tv interview Robert Scoble did with Prof. Elliott Soloway, Professor of computer science at the University of Michigan. It’s an interesting insight from a real thought leader. It is two parts, but worth the time. August 09 Irish Team in Imagine Final 12Team Ireland make it to the final 12 at the Imagine Cup
A team from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth have won a place in the finals of the Imagine Cup 2007 with their InGest Project Signal software solution. From the team:
“We are developing a software solution aimed at educating people in the skill of sign language. We feel such a solution would greatly benefit the deaf community by providing relatives, friends and colleagues of deaf people an accessible means of learning sign language.” Congratulations and well done for a spectacular Irish effort!!
SEOUL SOUTH KOREA August 7, 2007-- It’s Day 2 of the Imagine Cup 2007 Worldwide Finals and the first round of competition is nearing an end. Some students have been up for more than 24 hours finalizing their projects. See how they’re feeling and learn about the top 12 Software Design semi-finalist teams!
Software Design Semi-Finalist Teams
Now in its fifth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a global event. This year, more than 100,000 students from 100 countries entered the competition. 111 teams and 372 finalists from all over the world are expected to travel to Seoul, South Korea to compete in the worldwide finals from Aug. 5–10, 2007. They will have a chance to win prizes from $8,000 to $25,000. But even looking beyond the prizes, the Imagine Cup is inspiring the next generation of technology leaders to apply their imagination and creativity to make a difference in the world. To see daily video update- visit Channel 8 To learn more about the Image Cup visit the Imagine Cup website Microsoft and NASAStudents and Science If you have an interest in space travel, you’ll want to see the work being done by Microsoft Labs and NASA. The development of the Microsoft Photosynth technology has given us incredible views of the space shuttle Endeavour. From the website: August 6th, 2007 Rocket Science. Synthing the Space Shuttle
Today, we’re announcing an exciting collaboration with NASA using Photosynth technology, to create three-dimensional environments of preparations for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour. For the first time ever, viewers can experience unprecedented views of shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad, interior and surrounding area of the Vehicle Assembly Building, and the return of previous flight Shuttle Atlantis atop a 747. Photosynth is able to capture the depth and complexity of the shuttle’s structure, providing exclusive images to viewers around the world enabling the unique ability to explore this NASA mission. Click here to install the Photosynth viewer or visit our video section to see the technology in action. In addition, Live Labs has collaborated with MSNBC to create a special multimedia tour of the Kennedy Space Center at http://spaceworld.msnbc.com August 08 Building Schools for the FutureMicrosoft and Building Schools for the Future (BSF) The world is changing. In a global knowledge-based economy we increasingly work and compete with people from across the world. To secure our future in this transformed economy, education must equip young people with the confidence and skills they need to compete on the global stage.
Putting the Student at the Centre Imagine a world where learning happens regardless of location. Where students and teachers connect to each other and the resources they need, simply, quickly and securely. And where education is seductive, engaging and personalised – so that every one of your students has the chance to reach their full potential. At the heart of this vision of transformed learning lies ICT. · Discover the future of education: see a video preview of the BSF showcase, and how students reacted
Creating a Vision of LearningTransforming learning is the ultimate aim of BSF. But what does transformed learning look like? Microsoft can help schools and local authorities create a clear vision of the future of learning, with a range of resources, processes and guidance that will support the successful implementation of your BSF programme. Our guidance addresses three key areas: · Educational scenarios: models and practical examples to show how technology can support improved educational outcomes · Business value: a rigorous process for scrutinising investments to ensure they lead to your intended objectives · Technology guidance: a solution for the development, deployment, support and management of a secure technology infrastructure Microsoft and Building Schools for the Future: download the brochure as a PDF (6.8MB) 6 reasons That Server 2008 MattersMichael Green’s 6 reasons the Server 2008 matter in School/University Environments Michael is a MS Windows Product Specialist for US Education. He has put together an easily digestible overview on why Server 2008 matters in the school/university environment. He discusses 6 areas: · Multicast · Granular Password Policies · Server Core · Network Access Protection (NAP) · Remote Access · Read only Domain Controllers, BitLocker and Device Management Be sure to visit Michael’s blog to read in greater detail. Microsoft Virtual Solution CentreMicrosoft Virtual Solution Centre - Demonstrating eLearning Solutions
The Microsoft Virtual Solution Centre is an online showroom that enables you to test the features and usability of a product before buying. This showroom is open for you to discover and try out Microsoft's web based education solutions on your own or with your local authorized Microsoft dealer. The Microsoft Virtual Solution Centre provides you with the opportunity experience Microsoft products and solutions without the need to install them locally. All you have to do is to simply register with this site for free. August 07 Connect your Hotmail to your OutlookMicrosoft Office Outlook Connector
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