#TheFeed - Issue 9 - March/April 2017
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MARCH/APRIL 2017 WINDOWS 10 — DEVICES TO SUIT ALL BUDGETS MIEE REPORT — DEMENTIA ART SWAY PROJECT STUDY REVEALS ONENOTE CAN HELP DYSLEXIC CHILDREN THE FOSSE WAY — SPECIAL SCHOOL REPORT UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY
Transcript of #TheFeed - Issue 9 - March/April 2017
MARCH/APRIL 2017
WINDOWS 10 — DEVICES TO SUIT ALL BUDGETS
MIEE REPORT — DEMENTIA ARTSWAY PROJECT
STUDY REVEALS ONENOTE CAN HELP DYSLEXIC CHILDREN
THE FOSSE WAY — SPECIAL SCHOOL REPORT
UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY
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Great teaching combined with empowering technology can really achieve amazing things
Tim Bush
Mandeep AtwalEducation Audience Manager
This month’s issue of #TheFeed is dedicated to accessibility and touches on a wide range of heart-warming stories about how technology can make a real difference in the lives of those students with learning dif�culties.
Kicking off this issue is a great overview of the project Microsoft has been running with the British Dyslexia Association and Knowl Hill School. This 11 week project tracked how OneNote and Learning Tools can help dyslexic learners improve their reading and spelling.
It is estimated that 10% of children in the UK have some degree of dyslexia, which can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling. With this in mind, the impact of a study, such as this, can be signi�cant and has the potential to positively impact factors that lead to improved outcomes for young learners, among others.
In fact, the results from the study showed that children made more progress than would generally be expected for children of their age over the same period by using
OneNote and Learning Tools throughout the project. The impact on the con�dence of these learners alone was great to see. An amazing achievement! Take a look at the full article to learn more.
Continuing the accessibility theme, in this issue of #TheFeed we also look at how Fosse Way School have used both Surface and Office 365 to help close the ‘gap’ which they typically encounter between themselves and mainstream learners.
The ability to refer to work wherever they are and interact with other students and staff in real time has revolutionised the way that students work. The key output being that it’s given greater freedom and time to educators at the school to develop the skills of individual learners.
It’s inspiring to see how technology, such as Of�ce 365, has allowed the school to teach in new ways and look
forward to following this school and story more closely. Changing focus, in this issue we also have an inspiring story about a schools journey, Saint Joseph’s Nursery School and Bolsover Primary School, to become a Microsoft Showcase School.
Putting the Showcase School status aside, the thing that really jumped out to me from their story was the impact on the children’s independence and engagement which has been better than ever. Great teaching combined with empowering technology can really achieve amazing things.
Saint Joseph and Bolsover Primary School is living proof of the dramatic change and impact that can be made when you embrace change and adopt a growth mindset. The Saint Joseph Nursery and Bolsover Primary School story has only really just begun and we all look forward to seeing what other
great things this school will achieve as their innovative use of technology develops further.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the issue and any ideas for things you would like to see in future editions just drop us a note via Twitter - @microsofteduk. We would love to hear your thoughts!
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contents chat with us… TWEET US @THEFEEDUK @MICROSOFTEDUK
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2 EDITORS PICK
4 MICROSOFT’S ONENOTE CAN HELP DYSLEXIC CHILDREN READ AND SPELL
8 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
12 SPECIAL REPORT: THE FOSSE WAY DOCUMENT
17 DEVICE REVIEW: WINDOWS 10 DEVICES
TO SUIT ALL BUDGETS
20 SHOWCASE SCHOOL: COLLABORATION, ENGAGEMENT & ENHANCED TEACHING AND LEARNING
24 MIEE REPORT: DEMENTIA ART SWAY PROJECT
27 MOS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: JOIN THE MOVEMENT
31 SIGN UP TO A MICROSOFT TRAINING SCHOOL WORKSHOP
32 MEET THIS YEAR’S SHOWCASE AND ASSOCIATE SHOWCASE SCHOOLS
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO CO2DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY STUDIO [email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]
A WELCOME HELPING HAND FROM OUR TEAM FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
Merlin John Follow me � @merlinjohn
Gerald Haigh Follow me � @geraldhaigh1
Paul Dredge Follow me � @EasiPC_Paul
Paula Lowry Follow me � @LowryMrs
Lee Whitmarsh Follow me � @l_whitmarsh
Andrew Griggs Follow me � @griggsa
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Microsoft’s OneNote can help dyslexic children read and spell.
WHAT’S NEW WITH MICROSOFT
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Microsoft’s OneNote digital notebook has helped dyslexic children improve their reading and spelling skills in a trial led by a top UK school. The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is encouraging educators to look at the potential for using the technology in the classroom after OneNote was found to increase reading skills and boost confidence among young people with the condition.
Teachers involved in the project said they intended to continue using the tools as they have benefited their pupils, especially older students.
Microsoft, in conjunction with the BDA, loaned Surface laptops to Knowl Hill School, in Woking, Surrey, which specialises in teaching children with dyslexia and learning difficulties. Installed on the devices was OneNote, a digital notebook that allows users to write down ideas and keep track of notes as well as draw and sketch.
It automatically underlines incorrectly spelled words in red, while the Immersive Reader feature reads out what children have written.
Results from the small-scale trial, conducted by the BDA, showed that the children “made more progress than would generally be expected for children of their age over the same time period” for single word reading, spelling, reading �uency and reading accuracy.
The BDA found the same results after tests involving alliteration, rhyme, spoonerisms and non-word reading.
The children made the “normally expected rate of progress” on processing speed, but OneNote had given them “more strategies to apply” during
resits of this particular part of the test, which was seen as a positive development.
Overall, 11 out of 16 of the young people in the trial moved from one band of standardised scores into the next band up, which is “indicative of potential good improvements in reading comprehension skills”,the BDA noted.
ONENOTE DIGITAL NOTEBOOK COMBATING DYSLEXIA
“ It is estimated that 10% of children in the UK have some degree of dyslexia, which can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling.”
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DYSLEXIA FACTS
Take the Dyslexia test here:http://dyslexiatest.me/DyslexiaDifficulties
of children in the UK are dyslexic.
At secondary level, over a third of young people failed to achieve the expected level of an A+ to C in English in 2011.
A+ to C
UK pupils fail to master the basics of writing at the end of primary school.
1 in 5
1 in 8UK pupils fail to master the basics of reading at the end of primary school.
UK adults are functionally illiterate, meaning they cannot read a medicine bottle, food label or fill out a job application.
6,000,000
with their level being below that expected of an 11 year old.
That’s around…
3 children in every classrooMare dyslexic and struggle with literacy.
1,200,000 children
In the UK, there’s on average…
77777
“Emotional well-being, self-esteem and self-confidence are often key issues for dyslexic young people, who may have experienced a sense of failure within the education system due to their struggles with the acquisition of literacy skills and other related problems,” the BDA stated in its report.
“Often for these young people, one of the first steps in helping them is to enable them to believe that they can be successful learners, and this can involve considerable rebuilding of their self-confidence and self-esteem.”
Before and after the tests, the children also answered questionnaires on emotional distress, which measured stress, behavioural difficulties, hyperactivity and concentration difficulties, difficulties getting along with other young people and kind and helpful behaviour. The BDA found that 16 out of 18 of the students who took part in this questionnaire showed improvements in at least one of the above areas. Notably, 15 out of 18 of the young people recorded a decrease in their “Emotional Distress” score.
In a statement, the BDA said: “We would encourage educators to explore greater uses of technology to meet the needs of young people with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.
“Although this is a small-scale trial, this project offers some interesting insights into the use of such tools and the potential of these to positively impact factors that lead to improved outcomes for young people. These may be in terms of assistance and supportive features, but also may potentially provide added value in the effectiveness of dyslexia-friendly teaching. Further, extended research would be appropriate, using larger samples and a longer implementation period.
“It’s important that young people believe that they can learn, grow and thrive in the classroom”
This is particularly appropriate given the time required to become familiar with the use of technological tools.”
Ian Fordham, Director of Education at Microsoft UK, said: “Confidence and emotional resilience are crucial parts of the learning process for all children. It’s important that young people believe that they can learn, grow and thrive in the classroom, and giving them the best tools is a big step towards achieving this.
“The results of the BDA’s trial at Knowl Hill School are small scale but very promising and we would welcome a closer look at how OneNote and our
wider technology tools can further benefit learning across the curriculum.
A key feature of our work at Microsoft is narrowing the achievement gap and supporting inclusion in mainstream and special schools, and we are delighted to have supported this pioneering project with the British Dyslexia Association.
Microsoft UK Follow me � @microsofteduk
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIPBY MERLIN JOHN
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Inclusion starts with a frame of mind, doesn’t it? There are plenty of helpful technologies, and codes of practice, to support learners with special educational needs (SEN), but the most powerful force for progress is an educator’s ability to put the child clearly in focus and then systematically help to remove the obstacles to her or his learning.
That’s a view echoed by one of the UK’s leading SEN advisers, Carol Allen. “You can have all the technology in the world, and an inclusive environment,” she says,“but if you don’t have a person who can
make it happen then the whole thing is pointless. Often it’s just one person, but it’s best when the consciousness has become part of the school culture through good leadership.”
She recounts a visit to Albania’s Kennedy Foundation, sponsored for charity by UK �rm Inclusive Technology, to support teachers who were concerned some children were being institutionalised because staff couldn’t demonstrate that they could learn and develop.
Using the assistive technology she and her colleagues took with them Carol worked with a teacher to help a young girl with cerebral palsy, Sindi, work independently with a computer. By the end of the visit Sindi had written enough poetry to publish a bilingual book of poems.
The most powerful force for progress is an educator’s ability to put the child clearly in
focus and then systematically help to remove the obstacles to her or his learning.
Technology gave her a voice… and it gave her parents a way to demonstrate that she has the right to an education and a job and a life, rather than being shut away in an institution. It’s powerful, but it needed training for the teacher so he knew how to support her and release her voice.
“Technology gave her a voice,” explained Carol, “and it gave her parents a way to demonstrate that she has the right to an education and a job and a life, rather than being shut away in an institution. It’s powerful, but it needed training for the teacher so he knew how to support her and release her voice.”
Despite the local government cuts in recent years, the UK still has a healthy community of experts like Carol Allen. But Christmas 2016 brought sad news with the sudden death of Jamie Munroe, an expert in the use of mobile technologies, particularly tablets, with children with special needs.
Jamie Munroe was an adviser with Inclusive Technology, a leading special needs supplier, and his presentations on tablets for SEN and switching devices were real eye-openers.
People are often passionate about their favoured tablets, so Jamie had to be even-handed and dispassionate to avoid sparking endless platform arguments.
He would start with the most important element, the children. What was needed to help them progress and what was already available in schools in the way of switching devices for those who have dif�culty with standard keyboards and mice and touch?
His presentations gently but thoroughly questioned the uncritical adoption of iPads for special needs environments requiring switching devices.
Because the fact is that tablets with USB slots, such as Microsoft Surface, can happily use most of the switching devices and rollerballs that schools have already invested in: iPads can’t. But it certainly wasn’t a “don’t buy iPads” line (he was complimentary about their inclusive aspects), just one that started out — and stayed — with the children and what teachers wanted to do with them.
INCLUSION IS A FRAME OF MIND — KIDS FIRST!
TECHNOLOGY GIVES A VOICE
SAL’S TIPS FOR TEACHERS
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…through this partnership between the users and the developers, and the pace at which technology is moving — I can foresee within the next �ve years or so tremendous progress.
CAPTURE THE SPOKEN WORDThink about voice recorder apps to take notes in class or to brainstorm ideas, and encourage students to use voice recognition software to get a first draft on paper.
Make better use of the keyboard
Design for Accessibility
Think predictive text and keyboard shortcuts. Help students to set up Autotext and Autocorrect so they can type in abbreviations. Why type Brexit when you can set it up as “bx” in Autocorrect and let the computer do therest, right down to the capital letter?
Design for accessibility. If you’re using coloured fonts or backgrounds, you can use online accessibility checkers to make sure that your tasteful blends offer suf�cient contrast for readers.
Freelance writer and consultant Sal McKeown has a great deal of experience with SEN and literacy. A former teacher, she was part of the inclusion team with the former government edtech agency Becta. Here is her list of key literacy tips for teachers to share:
‘TALKING’ TEXT IS POWERFUL Literacy is a hugely important area for inclusion and the use of technology. The capability of computers to read written words aloud has long been exploited (remember RM Talking First Word?), but the practice isn’t exactly ‘embedded’. That may be set to change.
A Sky News item about an 11-week pilot at Knowl Hill School in Surrey, reported that Immersive Reader, part of Microsoft’s OneNote software, “improved pupil’s reading comprehension and emotional well-being”. The software can read out a pupil’s writing without the help of a teacher or helper. It was hearing mistakes, rather than having to identify them visually, that helped children improve their writing.
The report stated that 11 out of 16 pupils demonstrated improved reading comprehension while 16 out of 18 exhibited improved behaviour. And it quoted Kate Saunders, chief executive of the British Dyslexia Association:
SAL’S TIPS FOR TEACHERS
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Offer different routes for gathering informationFor gathering information, for assessment and to inspire learners. Podcasts and videos can be more effective than text for presenting information.
Merlin John Follow me � @merlinjohn
References On Monday March 6 Microsoft sponsored the launch of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology by the Rt Hon John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons in Westminster.
Sophie Bailey’s Edtech podcasts.Shirelands.Joint BDA/Microsoft interview. Interview with Kate Saunders, CEO, BDA. Interview with Microsoft’s Mike Tholfsen.
Make sure all text can be read aloud
Text-to-speech can be a lifeline for many so ensure PDFs, text in pictures and presentations can be read out. Add alt text (alternative text — it goes in the HTML) and captions to all images: for websites, spreadsheets, PowerPoint and documents. The text should be as accurate and simple as possible, for example ‘Man walking dog in park’, not ‘Man’s best friend’.
Click here to �nd out more.
‘EVERY CHILD ON THE PLANET’ — WE MEAN IT
Where are we heading with ICT and inclusion? The progress anticipated by British Dyslexia Association’s Kate Saunders is close to the heart of Microsoft UK’s recently
appointed director of education, Ian Fordham. In a discussion at the BETT show in January he said: “Golden threads for our work in the UK, are inclusion and social mobility,
so matching the potential of technology to those people who don’t have those opportunities is very important to us. We know that if we tackle the digital inclusion gap then we can also
improve learners outcomes.
“What do we do for special educational needs? As a parent of a child who
is severely autistic, my personal circumstances has not been something
I have really pushed out there in my previous roles, but Microsoft has shown
through its commitment to accessibility globally across all its work and I feel we can
really turn the dial in the education sector.
Inclusion will be a calling card of my work at Microsoft in the coming years. We know
schools in Britain are doing some amazing impactful work and I want Microsoft to enable
that to happen for all. When we say ‘every child on the planet’ we mean it,” interjected his boss,
Microsoft’s vice president of education, Anthony Salcito, who was over from the US to visit BETT.
“And that includes children who have a variety of learning and physical disabilities that we have to make sure our technology and support and efforts are inclusive of. He said that in this area discussions about relative merits of Microsoft, Google or Apple were not important. “All of us are behind the kids and we have to make sure we can do the right stuff and put the students’ success at the forefront of what we are all motivated and driven to do…
“I can tell you the thing I am most proud about the work with Microsoft; it is mission-driven. We want to make great technology and want schools to use Windows and Of�ce etc but we have to support the needs of teachers and students as the core of what that is. And that will not only drive us to innovate but it will put us in the right context for school leaders to not be afraid about Microsoft’s ambition or what our motive is.
Our motive is to actually help kids change the world, fuel economies, grow employability etc. That has impact, and on Microsoft’s own
future. And that should be true for every technology company.
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Special ReportTHE FOSSE WAY DOCUMENT
Special ReportTHE FOSSE WAY DOCUMENT
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The full report, fully argued and referenced, can be viewed here…https://education.microsoft.com/
Fosse Way School, a special school for 209 pupils, a majority on the autism spectrum, in Radstock, near the City of Bath has just had a complete update of the way technology is used for learning.
In preparation for the change, Justin Philcox and Graeme Athey, respectively Principal and Assistant Principal of the school, engaged in a fundamental re-think of the place of technology in education in general, in special education in particular and, most immediately, in the
context of their school’s needs and future plans. The detail of this preparatory thought and study, which probably goes further and deeper than is usual in schools considering changes to technology, is set out in a very full but highly readable think piece by the two authors.
It’s available in full here , fully argued and referenced, and we’ll return to its main points, but for the moment it’s worth starting at the other end and looking at some of the changes that have come about at Fosse Way.
Special ReportTHE FOSSE WAY DOCUMENT
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The most radical of these has been the formation of a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) by opening a new special school, The Mendip School, in Shepton Mallett. In order both to upgrade the IT infrastructure, and enable the schools to work together, Microsoft Gold Partner Joskos was engaged to provide a Cloud-based solution that worked across schools. As Philcox and Athey explain,
After extensive market research it was decided to purchase a class set of Surface 3s. The main reasons being, as the discussion paper explains, that it fills key requirements:
We fully embraced the idea of working with Microsoft Office 365 recognising the opportunities it presented for both students and staff to work across different settings
The school already had a post-16 Enterprise Centre, located in a nearby business park, and, thanks to the generosity of local businesses, equipped as an office rather than a classroom. As part of the technology upgrade it was decided to equip the students there with devices to support Office 365.
A ©exible device that was portable
An adaptive device allowing for
individual needs
Opportunity to blend tablet and PC
Students viewed the Surface as ‘cool’
A business oriented interface
Special ReportTHE FOSSE WAY DOCUMENT
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The Surface devices, together with easy access to Microsoft technologies such as Outlook, both supports learning and considerably enhances the school’s emphasis on employability and enterprise. OneNote has also become important.
‘Extensive use of OneNote allows for students to create journals to record their work. The staff have ensured that Class Note enables all students to be able to work independently on their tasks without adult direction all of the time.
The constant ability to refer to work wherever they are, interacting in real time with other students and staff
has revolutionised the way students work. This gives staff greater freedom and time to develop individual skills with students.’
The constant ability to refer to work wherever they are, interacting in real time with other students and staff has revolutionised the way students work. This gives staff greater freedom and time to develop individual skills with students.
Key points from the Fosse Way PaperEducational technology can reduce the learner’s dependence on adult mentoring or direction; in some case redirecting it to the technology itself – provided that technology is adequate to the task and affordable.
This is particularly important in the case of children with SEND who, with appropriate technology, can be provided with a level of access to learning which increasingly closes the ‘gap’ which they encounter between themselves and mainstream learners. The paper sets lists examples of two ‘mind-sets’ .
‘The first mind-set assumes that the contemporary world is essentially the way it has been throughout the modern-industrial period, only now it is more technologized or, alternatively, technologized in a new and very sophisticated way. In addition, the second mind-set assumes that the contemporary world is different in important ways from the world we have known, and that the difference is growing. This is related to the development of new digital electronic internet worked technologies and new ways of doing things and new ways of being that are enabled by these technologies.’
The importance of that last point in the SEND environment cannot be overestimated.
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If it’s good for special needs, it’s good for everyone – remains as true as it ever was, and is given massive impetus by the arguments of these two deeply thoughtful school leaders.
Traditional pedagogy is based on knowledge and instruction, and simply adding technology to it is to court failure. And yet simple technologies, known and used by children with smart phones, and listed in the Paper, ‘…bring about emancipation and equity among young people, regardless of disability.’
The real skill, then becomes not the collection of facts, but, ‘…the ability to discern, qualify, question and consider validity in relation to the individual.’
Importantly, this does not downgrade the role of the teacher, but demands that the teacher/student relationship be renegotiated.’
In my opinion, the paper from Fosse Way is well worth reading in full and discussing. The key message, for me, is that the authors, by necessarily bearing in mind the requirements of SEND learners, have done a huge favour for all learners.
Once again, an old rubric which I learned from an authority adviser long ago – ‘If it’s good for special needs, it’s good for everyone’ – remains as true as it ever was, and is given massive impetus by the arguments of these two deeply thoughtful school leaders.
Special ReportTHE FOSSE WAY DOCUMENT
Gerald Haigh Follow me � @geraldhaigh1
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When working in schools I’m always asked the question “We want to buy some new devices for our students but what should we get?”
Before I even consider answering that question I ask how much they would like to spend and what they want that device to do.
Going back a few years, this would have been a major problem because schools didn’t have many options as to what they purchased in the way of hardware.
They could either buy an expensive laptop, or a cheap netbook that would only last them 18 months. Since the revolution of the tablet and the cloud, options to schools have become a lot broader and prices have significantly dropped.
There are three classes of devices available, the budget device, the mid range device and the best you can buy. In an ideal world I would tell all schools to buy the best that they can but it always comes down to budgets and what the schools needs actually are.
MICROSOFT KINDLY PROVIDED ME WITH THREE DIFFERENT TABLETS THAT SIT PERFECTLY ACROSS A RANGE OF PRICE POINTS. A VIGLEN DUO TAB, HP X2 210 AND A SURFACE PRO 4.
DEVICE REVIEW
WINDOWS 10 DEVICES TO
SUIT ALL BUDGETS
SURFACE PRO 4SURFACE PRO 4SURFACE PRO 4VIGLEN VIGLEN
DUO TABDUO TAB HP X2 210HP X2 210HP X2 210HP X2 210
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There isn’t much… Between the HP and Viglen device. The main attraction is that the
HP device is cosmetically more appealing.
The Viglen Duo tab is the budget tablet that currently costs £179. Don’t let that price tag fool you though as when I say ‘budget’ tablet I don’t mean it will only last a few months and break easily.
The Viglen Duo Tab is a sleek 2 in 1 tablet. The 10” touch screen unclips from the keyboard and
features a rear facing camera enabling your students to use the device to take pictures and use it in a tablet form.
Subsequently they can snap the screen back onto the keyboard and it can be used like a laptop. The device comes with 32GB SSD and 2GB memory along with the usual ports USB 3.0, Mini USB,
Mini HDMI, headphone jack and micro SD expansion slot providing you with the ability to expand the storage of the device.
Viglen state the battery life will last around 8 hours so will certainly see you through the whole school day.
The HP X2 210 is the mid range tablet that costs around £280. Again, like the Viglen Duo Tab the HP X2 210 is a 2 in 1 tablet. When paying that little bit more, one would expect the device to be of better spec. However, there isn’t much difference between the Viglen and HP device.
The HP x210 comes with 64GB SSD storage space and 4GB of memory. The extra 2GB of memory certainly makes the device run a lot smoother but, in terms of performance, there isn’t much difference between the HP and Viglen device. The casing of the HP has a more premium look to it with the mouse and keyboard feeling a lot more robust than the Viglen device.
The HP also sports Bang & Olufsen front facing speakers, which gives out a very crisp sound, but in an everyday classroom this isn’t something that would be needed.
The device comes with a USB-C port for charging which offers faster charging than the Viglen Duo Tab and also includes USB 3.0, Mini USB, Mini HDMI and a headphone jack. One thing the HP really lacks is the rear facing camera, which makes it a bit limited in it’s tablet form. The battery life of the HP again isn’t much different from the Viglen Duo Tab and lasted around 9 hours when testing.
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The final device Microsoft sent me was the king of tablets, a Surface Pro 4. This really is the crème de la crème when it comes to tablets. When Microsoft first released the Surface Pro series they set out for it to be the device that could replace your laptop. With the Surface Pro 4 I think they have achieved just that.
With it’s pricing starting at just over £600 this is a higher end device, but when you look at the device you can see that it’s worth every penny.
The performance of the device is head and shoulders above it’s competitors and is a thing of beauty to look at.
The Surface Pro 4 that I received from Microsoft came with 4GB of memory and 128GB SSD of storage. It also features an Intel i5 processor, which means it is capable of running those high-end applications.
The Surface Pro 4 series does offer a range of specifications with the top end containing 16GB of memory and 512GB SSD storage along with an Intel i7 processor.
The �ap on the back is now fully adjustable so you can have the device positioned however you would like it so there’s no need to sit awkwardly with it on your lap. There is nothing I hate more than going to use a device and finding that the mouse is clunky and non-responsive or the keys are spaced too close together and very clicky.
The Surface Pro 4 provides you with a keyboard and track pad that work just as they should.
You can find a more detailed insight into the Surface Pro 4 in issue 4 of #TheFeed.
Paul Dredge Follow me � @EasiPC_Paul
SO WHAT IS THE RIGHT DEVICE FOR YOU AND YOUR SCHOOL? There is no right or wrong answer here. I think the question you will need to ask first
is “What do you want from that device and what do you want it to do?” If you want a device that’s going to sit on your school domain and work faultlessly with whatever
you throw at it then the Surface Pro 4 is what you need. However, if you want a device that will be used to access the likes of Office 365 and work in the
cloud then a cheaper device like the Viglen Duo Tab is perfect for you.
The thing I love most about the Surface isn’t how sexy it looks, the faultless performance or the accuracy of the pen, it’s the keyboard and mouse.
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OUR MICROSOFT JOURNEY
Showcase School
Saint Joseph’s Primary and Nursery school
Bolsover Junior school &
Collaboration, Engagement and Enhanced Teaching & Learning
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This vision has been fulfilled beyond our expectations and the positive impact it has had on the children and staff has to be seen to be believed.
In the summer of 2015, the schools embarked upon a journey with Microsoft. This began with the wider management team across both schools using OneNote - we were astounded by the ease at which we could collaborate and share documents and notes and this sparked the idea of using it not only with the staff but
with the children. After this initial trial the decision was made to launch it across both schools with all staff with all key Stage 2 pupils, people may have believed that this gave us a mountain to climb but we built in a rigorous staff development programme to ensure that the roll out was able to take place with a view to going paperless from September 2015. The vision for this was driven by Rowena Herbert, Executive Head teacher, along with myself and Kristy Griffin. One of the problems that people often face
with new initiatives in school, particularly with technology, is that staff can be reticent and reluctant to try something new – especially as they may feel that they don’t have the skills. We had a positive ‘we can do it attitude’ towards the project and this became contagious amongst the rest of the staff; who may have been considered to be ‘technophobes’ embraced the new approach and were telling others how amazing it was! Our aim to be paperless was fully embedded by October 2015.
Saint Joseph’s Primary and Nursery school & Bolsover Junior school
Looking back on the journey that the schools have taken with technology in the last 18 months is unbelievable. Both Saint Joseph’s Primary and Nursery school and Bolsover Junior school are located in economically deprived areas in Derbyshire and our vision for technology grew from a desire to give the children in our schools the very best start, to prepare them for global learning and to raise aspirations.
We had a positive ‘we can do it attitude’ towards the project and this became contagious amongst the rest of the staff.
Showcase School
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At this point in the journey we hadn’t been accredited or even recognised for the amazing work we were doing; Mark Labio, one of the Managing Directors of Mercury AVS, put forward the idea of becoming a Microsoft Showcase school and for myself and Kristy to become Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts – we embarked on this next steps a little tentatively; not believing that what we were doing was ground breaking –
but from talking to Mandeep Atwal and visiting other schools we knew that it was. In November 2015 we were given the recognition we deserved and from there the schools have grown from strength to strength.
Anyone who knows our Head teacher, Rowena Herbert, will know that she is passionate about moving to the next challenge and striving to be better than we already are.
We began to look at the other waffles in Office 365 that we weren’t utilising and exploring how this could further enhance teaching and learning.
We explored using Of�ce Mix to reduce teacher’s work load – this add in to PowerPoint enabled teachers to plan in a much more productive way, utilising the mix tools to enhance pupil’s engagement during delivery and the notes section to add teaching points
that in the past would have gone on a traditional planning proforma.
This took off quickly so we then moved on to SWAY, this had a dual purpose – we taught the children how to use SWAY to present work and it was also used by staff to plan and provide independent activities.
One of the unique points of Saint Joseph’s is that the school has an
Early Years unit as well as Key Stage One – traditionally technology with younger children is far more difficult to embed; staff in early years fully embraced the technology to enhance teaching but using it with learning is far more difficult, however technology has really come to life as our teachers began to use Skype to remove the walls within their classrooms.
Observations of teaching and learning showed that children’s independence as well as engagement was better than it had ever been.
Showcase School
Saint Joseph’s Primary and Nursery school & Bolsover Junior school
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This really came to life during the Skype-a-Thon 2016 when the children in our Nursery and Reception communicated with classrooms around the world singing and collaborating and the impact which this had upon their speaking and listening skills at such a young age was amazing to see.
This is not the end for us but just the beginning, more recently we have embarked on Online Homework using Microsoft classroom, engaging parents is our next hurdle to overcome and this is still in its infancy, as well as the homework we have recently used Forms to survey parents – we had the biggest response that we have ever had and analysing the data is so much easier!
Using Microsoft technologies, the CPD offered through the Microsoft Educator Community (MEC) as well as establishing links and contacts with other schools has transformed the learning experience for the children in our schools and St Josephs and Bolsover are great places to learn. We feel that together with Microsoft the technology we use daily is enhancing our children’s curriculum and both inspiring them and equipping them to explore the world around them. Just over a year on in our journey and we continue to feel this is just the beginning and the steps we will continue to make with Microsoft will keep enabling us to ensure the very best learning for all of our children. Paula Lowry
Follow me � @LowryMrs
Using Microsoft technologies, the CPD offered through the Microsoft Educator Community
Showcase School
We had the biggest response that we have ever had and analysing the data is so much easier!
Saint Joseph’s Primary and Nursery school & Bolsover Junior school
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MIEE ReportAlsager Partnership and Alsager School
Lee Whitmarsh
Community Dementia Art Sway Project
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John Poulson, Kath Reader and Maria Ashdown from the Alsager Partnership invited Alsager School to create a community art project as part of the town’s bid to become a Dementia Friendly Town. The starting point was the wish to create an innovative and collaborative community art project that raises awareness of dementia and positively impacts the lives of people living with dementia in the local community.
It was important that the art project re�ected, involved and celebrated the community spirit of Alsager in which students from Alsager School were given the opportunity to lead the art
project working creatively with the local community and developing their 21st century skills.
As a school, we are working with Microsoft and we wanted to use the school’s innovative use of technology and the exciting opportunities that Of�ce 365 offers students to develop an art project for the community that we hope will positively enrich and support people living with dementia and their families.
Our aim was to combine aspects of Reminiscence therapy with art and digital Sway workshops. We wanted to give people living with dementia and
their families the opportunity to share their life stories with students and to make and create their own mixed media art collages inspired by the artwork of Robert Rauschenberg. It was important to us all that we gave students the opportunity to blend traditional art techniques with contemporary use of technology re�ecting 21st century practices. We wanted the art project to be focused on creating personalised interactive Sway life stories using the very artwork and photographs we have been privileged enough to have had shared with us by people living with dementia.
We are very excited to be given the opportunity to share with Microsoft’s #theFeed how we are developing a community dementia art Sway project. Alsager School students working in collaboration with Alsager Partnership are running several art workshops that will lead to a personalised interactive Sway Life Story for people with dementia and their families and carers.
“Our aim was to combine aspects of Reminiscence therapy with art and digital Sway workshops”
“It was important to us all that we gave students the opportunity to
blend traditional art techniques with contemporary use of technology”
MIEE ReportAlsager Partnership and Alsager School
Community Dementia Art Sway Project
MIEE ReportAlsager Partnership and Alsager School
Community Dementia Art Sway Project
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The �rst step was teaching the students how to use Sway and we took this opportunity to ask the students to produce a Sway presentation on the artwork of Robert Rauschenberg. This was a great way for the students to explore the many different options for presenting content such as image stacks, comparison sliders and adding video clips. The aim is to teach this group of students how to use Sway and then for them to become Alsager School ‘Digital Leaders’ and teach other students and staff across the school.
We then set up a series of workshops in school where we could trial the project with families. We held a coffee morning in school in which art students met with couples and shared stories, photographs and memories about their lives. It was a wonderful meeting and it was a privilege to have seen different generations coming together to share their stories.
The next steps involve the students leading an art workshop with the couples in which we will collage copies of the original photographs to create mixed media collages in the style of Robert Rauschenberg.
Through this making process students will be able to ask more questions about the photographs and the stories behind the images, collecting as much information about the person’s history and life as possible to then use in the Sway.
The student created Sways will be uploaded to Microsoft www.docs.com and will be presented to the couples in a Sway workshop in which the students will guide and support the families on how to use and engage with the Sway presentation.
The long-term aim is to build the dementia community art Sway project into the school’s art provision so we can support the amazing work the Alsager Partnership is doing to become a Dementia Friendly Town supporting people living with dementia and their carers in the local community.
As sway can be viewed on any Internet enabled device at any time of day, multiple people can view the Sway at the same time at any point they wish. The software has no barriers to learning, it is free and accessible by anyone with Internet access. It also allows families to edit and to add more content to differentiate the Sway to match their changing needs.
We have a fantastic working relationship with the Alsager Partnership and local community and this has driven the community art project forward. The Alsager Partnership have been inspirational and are developing an exciting and supportive programme of events to raise awareness and provide more support for people living with dementia, bringing the local community together in a common cause. The Partnership will be launching Alsager’s very own dementia café called the Memory Café in the local library and we will have the opportunity to present the Sway Life Stories as part of the grand opening on Friday 28th April.
To get the project up and running it was important that we approached it as a collaborative enterprise and placed the needs of the person living with dementia and their families at the forefront of our thinking. It was important to all involved that the project would only be a success if the person living with dementia would bene�t from being involved in the project and feel part of the process.
Lee Whitmarsh Follow me � @l_whitmarsh
“…we approached it as a collaborative enterprise and placed the needs of the person living with dementia and their families at the forefront of our thinking.”
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The UK has a great recent history in the MOS World Championship with 2 World Champions in 3 years.
What is the MOS Championship?
The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship (MOSWC) is a global competition that tests students’ skills on Microsoft Office, managed in the UK & Ireland by Prodigy Learning (Prodigy).
In its 15th year, the 2016 MOS World Championship (MOSWC) attracted more than 700,000 unique candidates from 120 countries who took a MOS certification exam to demonstrate their mastery of Microsoft Office products.
Last year’s competition saw regional competitions held worldwide and 150 student finalists from 48 countries competed in the final round of competition in Orlando, Florida.
The UK Championship had entries from 100 academic institutions with 20 finalists invited to the UK Final at Microsoft UK in June 2016.
Since this time, Microsoft has gone some way in the UK and beyond in supporting schools to transform their technology environment and approach to digital literacy.
How long has MOS championship been running?
The launch of the 2017 MOS Championships will see the start of its 16th year. The UK has a great recent history in the MOS World Championship with 2 World Champions in 3 years.
Three years ago in Washington D.C. Kieran Youngman (from Sawtry Community College) was crowned World Champion for MOS Word and in San Diego in 2011, Rebecca Rickwood (also from Sawtry Community College) was crowned World Champion for MOS Excel. In Las Vegas in 2010, Robert Phipps (from Royal Grammar School in Guildford) was crowned Third Place Winner.
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To participate, students must first take and pass a qualifying MOS exam in Word, Excel or PowerPoint (2013 or 2016) […]
Who can participate?
To compete in the final round of the Championship, students must be enrolled in an approved, accredited Certiport Testing Centre and be 13 to 22 years of age (as of 15 June, 2017). To participate, students must first take and pass a qualifying MOS exam in Word, Excel or PowerPoint (2013 or 2016) during the Qualifying Round to be eligible for invitation to the UK & Ireland Final.
Qualifying will be operated on a Regional basis with 3 Finalists each from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales chosen to represent their Region.
This regional approach will effectively create four Regional Championships, maximising reach and geographic diversity at the Final.
The “top-score method” (highest exam score and lowest exam-taking time) will be used to calculate the regional finalists.
To compete, students must:
be enrolled in an approved, accredited
Certiport Testing Centre.
first take and pass a qualifying MOS exam in
Word, Excel or PowerPoint (2013 or 2016).
be 13 to 22 years of age (as of 15 June, 2017).
MOS Championship 2016 in numbers:
150 48 100 20Student finalists
worldwideCountries in the final
UK academic institutions
UK Champ student finalists
Word, Excel and Powerpoint qualifying passes.
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What Impact have you seen within Schools, Colleges and universities?
The MOS Championships have brought a fun edge to learning with some big prizes on offer for students. Success for the Schools is also helping to promote the great work of their students and staff which is being recognised in local media. Schools are now starting to take the competition very seriously with the Ormiston Park Academy now running specific sessions for students to prepare for the Championships.
We are also seeing a demand from FE and HE partners to deliver local “Test Fests” which are a day of exam revision
and mass testing! Test Fests last year saw hundreds of exams delivered in a single day and some locations even offered free pizza for students participating!
How can Imagine Academy Membership prepare students and institutions for this?
An annual Microsoft Imagine Academy subscription contains a number of key resources which will help an academic institution to setup for MOS testing. Firstly, by being a member you receive free Certiport Testing Centre setup which enables delivery of MOS exams. 10 MOS exams are included in the membership for Teacher/Instructor
development which allows staff to understand the exam process before delivering MOS curriculum to students. To support teaching, ebooks, teaching resources and online learning are all provided and are mapped to the exam objectives.
Imagine Academy subscription provides Test Centres with a chance to purchase cost effective Exam Packs via Microsoft volume licensing and through Prodigy Learning. The exam packs can make MOS certification as little as £5.00 per student.
The importance of digital skills in today’s and tomorrow’s job market, is indisputable. Independent research consistently ranks skills in Microsoft Office among the top five attributes that employers look for in prospective candidates…
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Why are certifications and skills learnt from MOS so important to the students?
The importance of digital skills in today’s and tomorrow’s job market, is indisputable. Independent research consistently ranks skills in Microsoft Office among the top five attributes that employers look for in prospective candidates.
MOS Certifications are a great way for students to not only develop these crucial digital skills required by employers, but to show that they are competent and accomplished in the tools and working methodologies that businesses need workers to use on a daily basis. However, as well as the developmental benefits of working towards a MOS Certification, there is also the opportunity for some healthy competition and fantastic prizes through the MOS World Championship!
MOS certification is the only official Microsoft-recognised certification for Microsoft Office globally and serves as a powerful instrument for assessing student skills and preparing students for real-world application.
Andrew Griggs Follow me � @griggsa
Find out more about MOS UK and watch the 2017 trailer here:
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Sign up for our free Microsoft in the Classroom training events hosted by Microsoft Showcase Schools to explore how teaching and learning can be transformed through technology and a 21st Century Curriculum.
A free and delightful day that will show you why you should LOVE Windows 10 and Office 365. Inspire you with ways to use Microsoft technologies to assist with engagement and attainment, and provide a hands-on environment in which to explore and evaluate technologies.
Pick a location near you
Register for a date that suits!
Treorchy Comprehensive School, South Wales
Shireland Collegiate Academy, West Midlands
Bolsover Church of England Junior School, Chester�eld
SPECIALIST: OneNote, Skype, Surface in Education & Windows 10
SPECIALIST: Imagine Academy, Hwb Office 365 & Windows 10
Simon de Senlis Primary School, East Midlands
SPECIALIST: 21st CLD, Windows 10 & Office 365
Dates: 08.03.2017 26.04.2017 19.06.2017
SPECIALIST: Office 365, Microsoft Classroom Surface in Education, Windows 10 & Minecraft
Dates: 09.03.2017 25.05.2017 22.06.2017
Danes�eld School
Dates: 15.03.2017 22.05.2017 21.06.2017Dates: 15.02.2017 Dates: 16.03.2017 17.05.2017 21.06.2017
SPECIALIST: 21st CLD, Windows 10 & Office 365
FIND OUT MORE
https://doc.co/JNCZMo
#Bett2017MICROSOFT TRAINING ACADEMIES.
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Recognising Education Innovation
At Microsoft, we believe that technology alone cannot develop the 21st century skills students require. Technology is an accelerator, but alone it does not enable change. We believe in the power of schools and the impact school leadership can have when they are brought together around a community of professional practice.
The Microsoft Schools program is a leadership-focused initiative to highlight innovative leading and teaching across globally recognised schools.
What are Showcase Schools?
Showcase Schools are recognized leaders in personalized learning, ampli�ed by 1:1 deployments effectively using Microsoft solutions (e.g. Surface, Of�ce 365, Of�ce Mix, OneNote, Skype), to enable anywhere, anytime education for all students. A Microsoft Showcase School work in an open-hearted and collaborative way towards improving the life chances of the students.
Ark Swift Primary SchoolCentral London
Bolsover Church of England Junior SchoolDron�eld
Cadoxton Primary SchoolVale of Glamorgan
Broadclyst Community Primary SchoolExeter
Copenhagen Primary SchoolLondon
Danes�eld Primary SchoolReading
Darran Park Primary SchoolWales
Dulwich CollegeLondon
Fosseway SchoolBath
Hardenhuish SchoolChippenham
Myddelton CollegeDenbigh
Oasis South Bank AcademyCentral London
Old Buckenham High SchoolOld Buckenham
PennthorpeRugwick
Ribblesdale High SchoolClitheroe
Repton SchoolDerby
Sandymoor SchoolRuncorn
Sevenoaks SchoolLondon
Shireland Collegiate AcademyBirmingham
Simon De Senlis Primary SchoolNorthampton
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High SchoolWigan
St Joseph’s RC CE Primary and Nursery SchoolChester�eld
St Mungo’s High SchoolFalkirk
Sydenham SchoolCentral London
Tapton SchoolShef�eld
Treorchy Comprehensive SchoolWales
UTC ReadingReading
Wellington CollegeCrowthorne
West College ScotlandScotland
Wymondham High SchoolNorfolk
Ysgol Bae BaglaPort Talbot
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MEET THIS YEAR’SMEET THIS YEAR’SSHOWCASE SCHOOLS:
Showcase School
Browse online or download straight to your device, for free. Never miss a copy.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPIES HERE:doc.co/yj8jag/mn48vq
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