2010 March | Keen2Learn Blog

Archive for March, 2010

Home Improvements Spar with Exams Results to Increase Value of House

Friday, March 12th, 2010

An outstanding primary school can now add 20,000 pounds to the average home value in the latest review. So if you want buck the trend in house prices just make sure all the kids at your local school do well it in their SAT’s.

Sarah Beney should extend the scope of home improvements to also include school SAT’s exam results. The coordination starts with the foundations of the teaching resources of the school. Are they sound and able to support the schooling process? The old adage that many hands make light work can also be applied to the school project. Learning can benefit from additional support from tutors and parent’s playing the many educational games available that stimulate children and also practice the lesson content.

The educational project perhaps compares favourably to the cost and effort required to knock a wall down, rewire or re-plumb the house. At the moment which project would generate the greatest financial benefit? How much will the house improvements generate in a depressed house prices market compared to 20,000 pounds increase in house prices from being near a good school. The school catchment area is probably the best bet by far. And your kids get to do well in school, pass exams and get a great job. May be worth considering the priorities in the housing market. Sorry Sarah.

Tags: educational games, home improvements, primary school, sarah Beney, school catchment areas, teaching resources
Posted in Opinion | Comments Off

Bullying Does Not Have To Be Tolerated

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Everyday children, teenagers and young people are being bullied! Why? Probably because it was accepted childhood behaviour years ago; yet today it is one of the key topics of concern among adults, parents/carer’s, teachers, youth workers, mentors and counsellors. The serious social and emotional affect bullying has on children and young people is now thought about in-depth, especially as the extremely serious consequences of being bullied has devastating effects on young people where the trauma has resulted in some committing suicide.

By Sue Scott-Horne keen2learn

As adults some of us know what it can feel like to be bossed around and bullied by our work colleagues, friends or family. We have had to learn skills to help us deal with the effects. A child or young person having to cope with bullying is a very challenging and confusing place to be. Being bullied can make people feel very lonely, isolated with their self esteem at an all time low as they begin to feel the power of the bully. Shockingly up to 50 per cent of children are bullied at some point during their school years.

The UK Children Act 2004 set out the framework that professional’s delivering children’s services must follow. The ‘Every Child Matters’ (ECM) element of the framework has five objectives:

Be Healthy
Stay Safe
Enjoy And Achieve
Make A Positive Contribution
Achieve Economic Well-Being

A support system must be put in place for these positive outcomes to be supported throughout the school journey. The elimination of Bullying is a fundamental intention of the ECM objectives. Schools have to ‘co-operate to improve well-being’ by promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. The Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) for Children’s Services and Skills evaluate and inspect and how schools contribute to meet the ECM outcomes.

Recognising bullying behaviour and its consequences can be very confusing for a child. When children know they are being bullied some actually think this is how life is and that people behaving in this way are therefore acceptable. It is our responsibility as adults to stop this confusion and focus on the changing behaviour of the child who is being bullied as well as the bully. This is especially relevant if they are not prepared to tell or too frightened to tell someone it is happening.

The tell-tale signs that a child is being bullied include:-

Not wanting to go to school, starting to truant or not socialising.
They may become very quiet in their behaviour and shut themselves away in another room, feeling very unhappy.
Complaining of not feeling well, have stomach aches or headaches.
Seeming agitated and not sure of themselves.
Felling sick and trembling.
They may not want to use the phone or computer as texts or email notes are sent to them telling them nasty things.

(Cyber bulling) Seek support at www.cybermentors.org.uk

A gentle talk may help but sometimes if the child is extremely bullied the bully may have threatened them not to tell or something could happen to them. This state of flux and anxiety can make the child look quite unwell. Intervention has to be appropriate for bullying to be prevented! The first port of call for an educator is to contact the parent and vice versa. If the parent contacts the educator they can talk through the support system to help the child being bullied and put a coping skills system in place for them. During this phase hopefully the bully’s name will emerge allowing the school to stop the bullying as part of their Anti-Bullying Policy that legally all schools must have in place for immediate action.

The Anti-Bullying policy recommendations should involve:

Giving a member of staff specific responsibility for Anti-Bullying work.
Auditing current practices and implementing changes to the policy.
Developing Anti-Bullying Policies as part of the School Behaviour Policy.
Ensuring the policy covers all forms of bullying especially relating to Special Educational Needs, disabilities and Cyber Bullying.
The policy should also refer to bullying of staff as well as pupils.
The policy should explore all available support e.g. a Behaviour and Attendance Consultant.

Bullying can take place over a few days, weeks or months. It is important to try to establish what has caused it. It may be jealousy, wanting to divert attention away from a popular or a gifted child doing well academically or good at physical sports, dance or football. It could equally be a quiet child who does not mix or socialise well. Staff and parents must be vigilant and focus on the group(s) social mix and not let a lonely, special needs or disabled child be a target. Racial, religious or homophobic bullying can also take place; whatever the reason it must be immediately resolved by working through the problems, seeking professional guidance and support where necessary.

There are many places outside of school or youth club settings that bullying can occur. It must be dealt with immediately. There is no time to waste in supporting, intervening and preventing bullying.

Support and guidance leaflets and DVD’s can be obtained from:

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk

No Hiding Place For Bullies

http://www.bullying.co.uk/

Childline

Tags: anti bullying help, bullying, childline, DCSF, directgov, Ed Balls, teachernet
Posted in Information Library | Comments Off

New Educational PSHE Games Get Families Talking

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

What is your Dads favourite hero and why, who is your Mums favourite author and what bugs you the most about….? A couple of new educational games in the form of discussion cards gets everyone talking like never before. Suddenly meal times take on a new look and everyone can open up the conversation.

These new ice breaker games in the form of discussion cards are ideal to get the conversation flowing and get everyone to open up and share their thoughts. As a PSHE educational games it gets even the reluctant talker to join in.

Regular mealtimes help families develop more than just good eating habits. As the conversation flows around the dining table, children learn to share views and ideas, develop listening skills and gain mutual respect.

As interesting discussions take place, there is an opportunity for the family to really get to know each other and to find out family traditions. Sharing love, laughter and fun brings a family closer and regular time together offers children a deep sense of security and stability.

We all know that mealtimes offer families an opportunity to come together, reconnect and share their day, but due to our busy lives dinner often becomes a “meal on the move”. To make life easier we end up with dinner on our laps, teenagers permanently plugged into their MP3 and six year olds glued to the TV. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone was happy to come to the table without persuasion, and willingly stay there for the duration of the meal. Fink cards make mealtimes enjoyable for all the family.

The new Fink cards have had some rave reviews:

“ Lisa Warner’s Fink Cards are some of the most exciting and creative ideas I’ve ever seen to stimulate family conversation and connection. Any family would want them in their home as a key component to the harmony and understanding we are all looking for.” Lynne Franks

“If you’re having trouble persuading your taciturn children to do more than grunt at mealtimes, mother-of-four Lisa Warner’s new Fink™ Cards could be just what you need.” Raising Kids

“We have had so much fun with these cards and all learnt new stuff about each other. They have been a brilliant way of getting kids to want to sit and eat their tea. Sophie has taken to them so so much she wants to play them with her friends too. They have made all of us get involved in talking to each other – such a simple idea but works fantastic. I would recommend these for all ages most definitely. My mum asked if she can borrow them at Christmas as it would be brilliant fun with lots of us!”

Fink cards from keen2learn

“What a great idea” Chris Evans Radio 2 DJ

What is your Dads favourite hero and why, who is your Mums favourite author and what bugs you the most about….? A couple of new educational games in the form of discussion cards gets everyone talking like never before. Suddenly meal times take on a new look and everyone can open up the conversation.

The new Fink cards have had some rave reviews:

“If you’re having trouble persuading your taciturn children to do more than grunt at mealtimes, mother-of-four Lisa Warner’s new Fink™ Cards could be just what you need.” Raising Kids

“What a great idea” Chris Evans Radio 2 DJ

Tags: educational games, family meal time, pshe games
Posted in New Products | Comments Off

Schools Suffer Further Restrictions To Educational Trips.

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Organised school trips, already in decline, are about to get further restrictions. These stimulating visits to museums, theatres and historic locations staff are being chopped.

Teacher contracts have a new clause which limits the time that they are allowed to cover for colleagues. This is despite a government push in 2008 education needs learning outside the classroom This cost reduction measure means teachers who are leading a school excursion cannot have their normal lessons covered by colleagues. Teachers are now being instructed to use the cover for occasions classified as minimal, rarely or at best never! Some educational games being played here with the teaching resources. If the many benefits of school visits are to be recognised then the teachers must be granted the capacity to effect them.

Exploration and the practical application of learning, gives greater credence to classroom teaching resources. It is possible for parents to step up the plate and take over but the element of coordination to guide the parents could absorb more of the teachers time than the event itself. Tony Thomas of Council for Learning Outside the Classroom said “ In the time span of one generation, the number of visits by children to parks and open spaces has halved” Maybe we need a local excursion service that could provide a specialist resource for several schools.

Tags: educational trips, field trips, learning excursions, learning outside the classroom
Posted in News | Comments Off

Mealtime Trauma Is Transformed Into Conversation With Educational Fink Card Games.

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Our modern lifestyle can often interrupt the flow of conversation in families. Mealtime, once the ideal opportunity to talk can be fragmented. Ideas, comments and observations can be excluded from the normal discussion platform. That was until highly popular Fink Discussion cards that include games for the Family, Teenagers and Travel and were launched that are now part of the Keen2learn range of PSHE educational games.

Developed by a mother of four Lisa Warner said “As a child I was nervous and awkward, I hated socialising and was very shy. When I had children I knew that more than anything that I wanted them to be confident and not afraid to talk to others. I made some cards to help us at mealtimes, as they were often stressful when the children were young. It was pretty chaotic; my husband and I would end up getting stressed and shouting at the kids. The Fink discussion cards really transformed our mealtimes and we haven’t looked back! What started off as a great way to amuse the kids at mealtimes became something much more, I couldn’t believe the confidence it gave us! Speaking to others seemed natural and not awkward at all. My children grew into confident young people and I found a love of conversation.”

The games, ideal for family use can also used as teaching resources in school and youth groups. The Warner family, are chatty, confident, communicators. Every night at 6.30 you can find them round the dining table eating, laughing, arguing and generally having a great time. Mealtimes often roll into the evening with everyone staying to chat long after the dinner is finished. The household is alive and vibrant!

“If you’re having trouble persuading your taciturn children to do more than grunt at mealtimes, mother-of-four Lisa Warner’s new Fink Cards could be just what you need.” www.raisingkids.co.uk

“Everyone in the office loves them! We’ve now got a daily ritual of having a cuppa in the afternoon and a Fink card. They are absolutely brilliant”. Commissioning Editor – Real People Magazine

Tags: family games, Fink cards, pshe educational games, teenager games, travel games
Posted in New Products | Comments Off

What Do You Do When Your Child Did Nothing In School Today?

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Asking your child what they learnt in school is inevitably met with a curt answer “Oh nothing much.” Don’t feel alone, 82 percent of parents feel isolated from the reality of their child’s schooling. Yet research shows children’s performance improves significantly when parents talk to them about what they are learning in school.

Recent research conducted by BECTA, the educational technology association, revealed most parents don’t know what the child is learning at school. The only contact point being parent’s night or end of term reports. By then any benefit of parental involvement may have gone cold and the opportunity of their assistance in educational support lost forever. Yet the educational maths and science games used as teaching resources in school and great fun to play can create a huge learning bond when played at home between parents and children.

In the meantime a conundrum of lost opportunity exists. Teachers find it difficult to get in touch with parents, often geography and shift work conspiring to fragment contact. Parents in turn find it difficult to extract information from their children and lastly most children are reluctant to share information or find it difficult to speak to parents. BECTA see a huge opportunity in the combined teaching resources of parent and teacher. Their research shows parental support of learning in the home can account for 80 per cent of a child’s academic success back in class.

Many of the problems stem from homework. Children see it mostly as a boring chore. Often text and exercise book driven, it tends to exclude parent or peer support – apart from a copy quickly obtained on the bus to school! Parents see home work as a necessary exercise from school and see their role to ensure its completion rather than any interactive participation. Many claim they don’t want to interfere; the teaching resources have changed since they were at school, or they never understood the subject themselves. But there is a huge opportunity ahead driven by technology. Soon most schools will have on-line links to children and parents. Schoolwork and homework can be completed on-line.

Replacing the historic end of term reports with weekly or daily updates will allow timely parental involvement in the schooling process. Achievement, problems, help and homework tasks will be able to be seen dynamically by parents.

Children working on-line get greater enjoyment from the task reflected in their achievement in school. Parents, especially fathers can rediscover the joy of helping their children in educational games that support the National Curriculum. The school parent contact speed could even be increased with email updates sent to work addresses. Capturing parent’s thoughts before seeing their child at the school gate or home can allow some preparation for the quality time to support their children. Above all mutually supporting their progress with the learning practice involved in playing educational games could rekindle their own interest in learning.

The Home Access scheme launched by the DCSF in January 2010 will provide 270,000 poorer families with a free laptop and broadband access. This allows a huge additional tranche of parents to give their child a better opportunity in school. This alone could provide the learning breakthrough many schools and children richly deserve.

Tags: educational games, end of term reports, homework, maths games, National Curriculum, Science games
Posted in News | Comments Off

School Homework Doesn’t Work So Why Bother?

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Is homework all its cracked up to be? Many educational institutions believe it is a fundamental part of the learning process providing essential practice at home. Yet research in Australia showed there is little evidence to prove this. Developments in technology in teaching resources have superseded the text book based homework and replaced it with fun based educational games in maths and ICT that can be played at home and also engage parents in the process.

The schooling process has incorporated some startling learning developments yet is often reluctant to adopt radical change. Homework was first introduced into the schooling process in the 1950’s. But we now live in a totally different world and with it a huge rate change of in technology, world economics, politics and population growth. Yet
conventional homework comprising of text and exercise book tasks still prevail despite little evidence this form of exercise has any short or long-term academic benefits.

Teachers advise that conventional homework is the principal way to get children to practise the lesson and learn how to work on their own. The critical objective is to master the curriculum, SAT tests and GCSE exams rather than develop the learning process. The majority of parents see it as an essential process to comply with the school rules. Children see it predominantly as a boring chore to be delayed until the very last moment as it is a huge interference with their recreational fine.

But positive change and technology lies ahead, The opportunity to practise the lesson content has taken on new forms. The ‘learning pyramid’ focusses on the critical benefits of practise in the retention of learning. But little time exists in the busy classroom for this activity. These teaching resources fight for position along with class registration, calming disruptive children and setting out homework. Precious little time is left to practice and perfect in the lesson especially if a child is struggling with the lesson content.

Setting conventional homework can therefore have reduced benefit. Parental support can be isolated with many parents feeling remote from what is going on in school and therefore where they can best help. But the practice function can be turned into an educational game that parents and children can join in. Virtually the whole National Curriculum has an educational game to support the lesson. Developed by educationalists , many of whom are ex teachers with years of experience of what works these same maths, science and English games can be played at home with parents, grandparents and with peer support. And as 80 per cent of a child’s academic achievement in school stems from support at home it is well worth the investment.

Tags: educational games, GCSE, ICT games, maths games, sat's, school homework
Posted in News | Comments Off

Big Bang Can Lead To Big Career In Stem Subjects

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

The Big Bang kicks off in 2 weeks. This is the ideal opportunity for parents to see what the future holds in STEM subjects for children.

Based in the Manchester Central Convention Complex this great event will run from 11-13th March 2010. Key day for parents and children is Saturday 13th March.

Despite the recent shenanigans over GCSE science exam marking, engineering and science are key areas of the curriculum and possibly the most rewarding. Frankly they are probably the most essential future roles for the UK. Bankers are merely a necessary evil, but then I’m an engineer and can clearly see the benefits to society and the world at large from the STEM guys! You doubt it? Well I guess we are still to hear of a single invention from a banker apart from sub prime. So if you want your child to follow a worthwhile career, boy or girl, and they are keen2learn as we say – get them along to the Big Bang.

Tags: Big Bang, science technolgy engineering and maths, STEM curriculum
Posted in New Products | Comments Off

Family Educational Costs Of Children Rise To £52k .

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Over the last six years the cost to parents of a child’s education up to the age of 21 has risen by a staggering £20k to a total of £52k. There is some relief; in the last year the rate of increase has slowed to 1.6 per cent. But is this investment good value for money when we hear of failing schools and the huge number of children floundering in maths and numeracy?

Judging by this week’s Channel 4 TV “Dispatches” documentary “Kids don’t count,” the answer is probably not. Despite the huge cost increase to parents, and a government investment over the past 10 years costing billions, many of our primary schools are still failing to deliver in maths. Over 1500 schools are currently classed as failing. Twenty per cent of all children have inadequate competency in maths to cope with secondary school. In all, 30,000 children a year are failing in maths at primary school level. Worryingly the results in primacy school have been shown to reflect the probable performance at GCSE.

The government focus on numeracy was designed to give children 50 minutes of maths a day. Unfortunately this is largely taught by teachers without maths qualifications doing the best they can. Frequently the schedule is overridden, time tables are not learnt and fractions, which elude many teachers, are untouched. Consequently children drift. Practise exercises, the essential ingredient for learning retention are frugal. To cap it all new learning is suspended for 25% of the school year whilst children rehearse for the SAT’s test.

Whilst schools continue to be judged by target performance achievement they will understandably focus on this objective and defer new learning. The consequential gap that emerges is almost impossible to recover in school but this is an ideal opportunity for parents to step up to the plate. Playing maths educational games at home is a fun way to complete the lesson practice. They can lighten things up at home, allow parents to get practically involved and help a child to moving forwards throughout the year – especially during the SAT’s hiatus. Playing say maths games as a board game, bingo or CD-ROM revision quiz is fun, instructive and matched to the national curriculum. But watch out – you may get to enjoy them and learn a stack of maths yourself.

The Dispatches TV documentary focused on Barton Hill primary school in Bristol. The likeable Headteacher knew he had a problem with maths – both with his teaching staff and his personal ability. He called on a retired man specialist, Richard Dunn, to teach both children and teachers in how to get excited about maths. An objective achieved with impressive results in tests taken by the children. Unfortunately his efforts were curtailed during the SAT interregnum. His 16 weeks programme displaced for nine weeks whilst the SAT rehearsals took place. If only he was uninterrupted continue goodness knows what the final results could have been.

Richard summarised the national situation on maths saying “Parents should be worried about how maths is taught in school. Bringing maths alive will make all the difference to visualising maths.” The DCSF had already drafted specialist teachers to provide one to one maths support for struggling children but the revelation that 30,000 children needed assistance is a huge task. Without the support of these maths specialists and assuming they can be found, children failing in primary school can look forward to a similar fate in secondary school.

As adults, 25 per cent of us have maths and numeracy skills equivalent to an 11 year old. And 75 per cent of all adults have maths skills that are lower than GCSE. This is causing significant concern with employers who inherit the problem and find it essential to train new staff in maths. MacDonald’s and Sainsbury’s are part of a long list of retailers who run their own academies to teach maths to employees. A task they object to but have little alternative. The billions of pounds invested by the DCSF in maths education has predominantly been a waste of time and money. Notably only the UK makes maths compulsory up to the age of sixteen, most other countries extend maths on into higher education.

Children who failed numeracy in primary school will struggle significantly in secondary school unless there get a really strong maths teacher in the first year of secondary school. As secondary school teachers believe the problem should have been resolved in primary school the skills gap could fester. This could take some time to resolve so despite the increased educational cost to parents there is an essential need for them to step in the ring. And with the educational games and teaching resources now available they certainly have a very real and enjoyable chance to make a difference. After all 80 per cent of a child’s achievement in school is influenced by what they do at home.

Tags: educational games, educational standards, fraction games, maths educational games, maths results, National Curriculum, Primary schools, sat's
Posted in Opinion, Parent Information | Comments Off

DCSF Plan To Boost Science and Engineeing Education Has Goal Post Moved

Monday, March 1st, 2010

It seems incredible that a concerted plan by the DCSF to encourage children into science and engineering education is condemmed by an adjustment in GCSE marks.

Teachers, schools and children are on the lookout for disappointing exam results as thousands of GCSE results are to be marked down. The reason, too many have children have improved their grades. This form of undisclosed handicapping holds some merit in levelling the field towards a higher standard, but the timing of the disclosure leaves a lot to be desired in the motivational stakes.

Whilst we are attempting to generate interest in these subjects, building towards a better resource base for the UK., it is crass to slap the initiative in the face with an unannounced manipulative approach in the exams. It will serve to dispirit kids and convince them to switch back to the soft subject options. We will end up with a country of media studies students. The in-fight bewteen the various exam authorities; Ofqual, OCR, AQA and Edexcel may prove that there are too many cooks in the kitchen and not enough science and engineering students.

Tags: AQA, DCSF, Edexcel, exam results, OCR, Ofqual, science and engineering curriculum
Posted in News | Comments Off

How To Move Up Two Grades In School Achievment

Monday, March 1st, 2010

One of the biggest breakthroughs in education is under way. The DCSF launched the Home Access scheme to help poorer families gain access to broadband. Not just a free laptop and broadband which the scheme provides, but the means to link parents to the school and teacher. Progress reports can be dynamic identifying areas where help is needed. Homework suddenly takes on a new dimension. No longer the text book exercises that isolate children and parents, now the teaching resources can be fun and encourage leaning. Research proves this is a huge opportunity welcomed by teachers, children and parents. We take a look at the top benefits researched by Becta and the BBC.

1.   Microsoft showed 37 per cent of secondary pupils used computers for study every day at home.

2.   Pupils are more likely to use computers at home for their schoolwork than they are at school

3.   85 per cent of secondary school learners believe that technology makes it easier to do homework.

4.   More recent evidence has suggested that having a computer at home associates with a 2 grade             improvement in one subject at GCSE. This means that a pupil who would have got a D, could, with the effective use of technology at home, now get a B at GCSE

5.   Children who have access to a computer at home are more confident and capable users of technology and more independent learners overall.

6.   More than 90% of secondary level pupils, aged between 11 and 18, used a home computer for schoolwork at least once a week.

7.   And more than a third were using their family’s computer for homework or revision every single day.

8.   There have been concerns about the “digital divide” – in which children from better-off families get an advantage in school from better computer equipment at home. The government says there are about a million children without the internet at home – leaving them at the other end of the scale from the two in five pupils who are using computers at home every day for schoolwork.

9.   As well as using computers for homework, they have become a major feature of leisure time – identified by 71% of young people as being among their favourite activities.

10.   There is also a strong belief among parents that having a computer at home is valuable to their children’s education. Children spent an hour a week more for learning than a comparator group who had existing access.

11.   Microsoft’s Ray Fleming suggests the higher levels of computer use at home for schoolwork is a reflection of the limitations on computer use in school “School use of information technology can be very scheduled – it’s often structured around particular lessons,” he says. At home children look for information on the computer in a more informal way”. And he forecasts that this trend for studying at home with a computer will increase. “There is an increasing blurring between learning-time and leisure-time and so computers in the home are becoming as important as those in the classroom.”

12.   ”There are so many sources of information, that the challenge now is not about finding information but finding the most useful questions,” he added.

13.   Earlier this month the government announced a £300m Home Access scheme to give a laptop to 270,000 low income families and free broadband access

14.   Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said that being without the internet at home leaves pupils “at a disadvantage to their peers”. Computers are no longer a luxury for the few, but are as essential a part of education as books, pens and paper

15.   Overall, 65 per cent of beneficiary parents agreed that their child is spending more time on homework since gaining access

16.   81 per cent believed home access increased their involvement in their child’s learning

17    97 per cent of parents surveyed believed that home access would help their children do better at school.

18.      Overall, 65 per cent of beneficiary parents agreed that their child is spending more time on homework since gaining on line access

19.      81 per cent of parents (94per cent in black and minority ethnic groups) said home access would improve their confidence in using technology.

The opportunity to maximise the learning capacity of children through support at home is huge. It can also be great fun, involve parents and allow real time awareness of progress and achievement. Not something that was possible with end of term reports.