Nike teams up with Discounts for Teachers to offer savings for education staff
Discounts for Teachers, the free membership scheme, has joined forces with sports retailer, Nike, to offer a 10 per cent discount code to anyone working in the education sector. The discount code can be used by Nike members on full price products (T&C’s apply) and is available now for education staff via the Discounts for Teachers website. Discounts for Teachers offers a wide range of perks and offers for members from popular retailers, travel companies, utility providers and more. Discounts For Teachers’ research shows that members have saved an average of £2,262 per year through the free membership scheme. A further 91 per cent of their members say that discounts help them to afford a higher quality of life. In addition to helping teachers make valuable savings, Nike and Discounts for Teachers hope to inspire education staff to stay active and take care of their mental health and wellbeing. Jacqui, a teacher who is a member of Discounts For Teachers, said: “Discounts For Teachers really affects my wellbeing and arguably my quality of life, because it means I can afford to treat myself.” Storm Postlethwaite, Managing Director of Discounts for Teachers, said: “The cost of living crisis is taking its toll on nearly every sector, and education is no exception. “To offer hard-working education staff a small reward for their efforts and the chance to make big money savings is at the heart of what we do, so we’re extremely happy to partner with Nike and extend this exclusive discount code to members. “Whether it is purchasing a new pair of running trainers to get outdoors or a t-shirt for a loved one, the discount enables education staff to take care of themselves.” Discounts for Teachers’ members can also earn cashback on purchases at over 80 retailers with the Ode Card. This is a Visa Prepaid card that can be used online or in-store to earn cashback at retailers such as Asda, Sainsbury’s, Argos, Boots, Primark and many more. Learn more about the Ode Card here. For more information about Discounts for Teachers and to access the exclusive 10% off Nike discount code, please visit: https://www.discountsforteachers.co.uk/retailers/nike-929
Discovery Education launches King Charles coronation resources for UK primary schools
Editor’s blog – what’s the value of parental help with homework?
Your school, like most I imagine, probably asks parents to help their children learn. It’s fairly routine, especially at primary level, for schools to give parents the responsibility of making sure their kids do homework and assist their learning for weekly tests. But is it worth it? It would seem it depends on both the subject and other socio-demographic factors. A new study by the University of Manchester has found that the time parents spent helping children with maths, art and music had almost no effect on their school progress as rated by teachers. Instead, family class and income, and the parents’ educational level, were much more important. Sadly the disparities in results have little to do with effort or intent of the parent, with the research finding that ‘lower class’ parents spent more time trying to teach their youngsters maths, reading and writing. Lin Ding from the university analysed data from the Millennium Cohort Study survey of over 8,000 children in the UK at the ages of seven and 11, recording their teachers’ assessment of their progress in maths and in creative subjects, and the amount of time parents spent with them on various activities. Ms Ding found that parents’ time spent helping their children with maths, reading to them and going to libraries made children only a few percentage points more likely to be classed as above average or well above average by teachers. Going to bed at a regular time also helped the children slightly. Parents’ time spent on musical or physical activities with children had no effect, she found. However, having parents with degrees, or who were well-off or from a high socio-economic class approximately doubled the chance of their children being assessed as above average. “The effect of various parenting activities is much less significant than parents’ class, income and educational level,” Ms Ding told the British Sociological Association’s annual conference in Manchester this week. “Family income has a greater impact on children’s performance in core subjects than in creative subjects. “The relative insignificance of parenting activities in these models may be due to the fact that high frequency of parenting activities does not necessarily equate to high quality parenting. “The method and quality of parenting may be crucial. For example, parents from different social classes may all read to their children, but the selection of reading materials and the explanation that comes with reading may differ. “Middle-class parents may have more advanced educational methods that may better involve their children in academic activities, mainly by helping them adapt to the school environment earlier. On the other hand, lower-class parents may be more inclined to focus on and take remedial measures only when their children encounter learning difficulties.” The data showed that for children aged seven: • Parents’ help for their children’s schoolwork, reading to their children and going to libraries had a small positive effect, while musical and physical activities with children had no effect. Going to bed at a regular time was linked to better teachers’ assessment.• At age seven, children who received daily help with maths from their parents had only a 1.8% increased chance of being assessed as ‘above average’ by their teachers.• 39% of the children from the highest class families were rated above average in maths, compared with 21% of those whose parents were manual workers, the lowest of five classes used in the analysis. The relative difference was even greater for those in the ‘well above average’ class: 12% for children from the highest class and 4% for those from the lowest. The three intermediate classes showed results in-between the highest and lowest classes.• The gap was slightly less when considering creative subjects such art and design, and music: 28% of the children from the highest class were rated above average, compared with 14% of those whose parents were manual workers.• The figures were similar when comparing children with parents from the richest class and poorest class, and those with parents with degrees and those without qualifications. The data were also similar for children aged 11.• When aged seven, children from the highest social class spent more time in libraries than those from the lowest class, and their parents read to them more often. But parents in the lowest class spent more time teaching their children maths, reading and writing. Ms. Ding, who conducted this research as part of her PhD studies under the supervision of Professor Yaojun Li and Professor Andrew Miles, adjusted the data to compare people of the same gender, ethnicity and other factors in order to isolate the effects of parents’ class, income and education. She found that the effects of parents’ class, wealth and education far outweighed those of time parents spent with their children. She also looked at whether the teachers’ assessment matched the maths scores students achieved in tests at age seven and 11, and found they were accurate. • The study used the five categories of NS-SEC based on SOC2000 to measure social class, which are widely recognised: higher managerial/professional; intermediate; small employers/own account (self-employed); lower supervisory/technical; and semi-routine/routine occupations.
Applications are now open for the 2024/25 Technical Teaching Fellowships
Awarded by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 following a rigorous selection process, the Fellowships are open to exceptional technical teachers in the FE and Training/post-16 sector. Following a review of the impact of the Technical Teaching Fellowships programme since its inception in 2018, the Fellowships are now included in the Royal Commission’s portfolio of permanent awards, alongside other prestigious awards. The decision means that an increased number of ETF-Royal Commission Fellowships – up to six – will be awarded for 2024-/25. It also means an extension of the geographical reach of the Fellowships, with applications welcome from practitioners demonstrating excellence working in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. With the support of the Welsh Government, the programme is also being made accessible to Welsh speakers. Fellows are recognised as outstanding practitioners, with high-impact teaching practice, who deliver effective outcomes for their learners and apprentices of all ages and levels, and in diverse subject specialist areas and industry sectors. They play an important role in driving quality improvement in FE technical teaching and training, facilitating CPD for sector colleagues and sharing effective practice, thought leadership, resources and ideas. Through these knowledge exchange and transfer activities they enable others to develop their pedagogy and professional practice so that they can meet current needs, and plan to meet the future needs, of individuals, businesses and communities. Successful applications are characterised by: The deadline for applications for the 2024/25 Fellowships is 5pm on 24 November 2023. On being awarded a Fellowship, successful applicants will: The awardees become alumni of the Royal Commission and will also be made Fellows of the Society for Education and Training (SET). Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM FRS FREng, Commissioner and chair of the Industry and Engineering Committee of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, said: “An effective and highly regarded FE sector is vital to developing and maintaining the skilled workforce so needed by businesses across the UK. I have been particularly impressed by the way previous recipients have used their Technical Teaching Fellowships to extend the visibility and reach of their work. Through working with employers, driving curriculum developments, sharing best practice and inspiring others, they are supporting widespread improvements in technical teaching to the benefit of many learners.” Cerian Ayres, National Head of Technical Education at the ETF, said: “Technical STEM teaching and training has a fundamental role to play and the Technical Teaching Fellows are helping to drive the quality of that provision. The addition of the Technical Teaching Fellowships to the Commission’s select portfolio of permanent awards is testament to their effectiveness and impact and we look forward to receiving Fellowship proposals for 2024/25 from outstanding practitioners across the UK.” Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Education and Welsh Language said: “I’m so pleased that Welsh institutions will have a chance to apply for Technical Teaching Fellowship for the first time. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our talented PCET sector, and to learn from leaders in the technical sector across the UK. I encourage our outstanding PCET practitioners to send in their applications.” The Technical Teaching Fellowship programme, which was launched in June 2018, exists to celebrate, develop and disseminate exceptional practice in technical teaching. The scheme is designed to support and empower the industrial and technical expertise of individuals who support the progression of learners to higher levels of technical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) study and employment. The 2023/24 Fellows received their awards at the Royal Society in March 2023. Further details and the application form are available on the Technical Teaching Fellowships programme page of the ETF website. Potential applicants can contact ETF National Head of Technical Education Cerian to find out more.
Immersive storytelling resource Lyfta wins Bett 2023 award for transformational impact on learning
Lyfta has been recognised for its positive impact on students’ outcomes with a prestigious Bett 2023 Transformational Impact Award. The Bett Awards are an annual celebration of outstanding achievement in education technology. The Awards recognises the most innovative resources and services that are helping to transform education and improve learning outcomes. Lyfta was chosen by judges for its proven impact in making learning more effective, accessible and inclusive for students. The resource combines interactive 360° spaces with short films of real-life human stories, and links them to curriculum-aligned lesson plans to help students experience a broad range of people, places and perspectives. With a focus on connecting students with different people and cultures from around the world, Lyfta brings global learning to life in the classroom through its fun and interactive platform and provides access to experiences that might otherwise not be accessible to all students. From Ethiopia to Finland and China to Greece, the human stories span a diverse range of experiences and complex themes. This includes migration and cultural contrasts to coping with bereavement and challenging gender stereotypes. Michael Brothwood, Curriculum Assessment Lead, Djanogly Sherwood Academy, said: “The most powerful tool I have seen in education is definitely Lyfta. The conversations, student engagement and real world actions we have had from using the platform have been truly inspiring. Lyfta has made our school a better place and the children feel like they have a place they belong.” The resource supports teachers to build cultural capital and prepare students with key skills needed to thrive in life, from developing empathy, resilience and understanding to teamwork, leadership and problem-solving. With many children not having the opportunity to experience different countries and cultures, Lyfta aims to close the disadvantage gap and ensure all students have equal access to a rich diversity of perspectives, to help them grow into well-rounded individuals. Commenting on Lyfta’s impact, the Bett 2023 Awards’ Judging Panel said: “The judges were extremely impressed by Lyfta’s unique product and the focus it has on global citizenship and inclusivity. Lyfta’s support to schools in teaching global awareness, understanding and inclusivity speaks to a critical current need that is hard to teach well. A go-to resource to share globally rich experiences.” At a time when many schools are dealing with limited budgets and resources, it is vitally important that edtech solutions can show a proven impact on student outcomes. In the current economic climate schools have particularly benefited from the resource, as it allows them to continue providing rich cultural experiences and exposure to new thinking and ways of life, in a virtual setting at a time when other horizon broadening experiences like school trips are limited. Paulina Tervo, co-founder and chief content officer at Lyfta, said: “Impact is at the heart of everything we do and our reason for being, which is why we were thrilled to be nominated in this category. We had an inkling in 2016 that the authentic real life stories we were bringing to light through our immersive storyworlds could help shape the way young people see the world and themselves. Seven years on, thousands of teachers and children have confirmed this in the case.” Serdar Ferit, co-founder and CEO at Lyfta, said: “We couldn’t have done this without our amazing community of schools, teachers and students all over the UK and the world, and would like to thank everyone who has been on this journey with us. Our vision is that by the time a child completes their education, they will have had a meaningful and humanising learning experience in every country in the world. We would love to make this an entitlement for all children. ” Designed to reduce teachers’ workloads, the resource includes hundreds of ready-made, National Curriculum-aligned lesson and assembly plans in a range of subjects for teachers to use off the shelf, or easily adapt to suit their needs. The content is further aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help schools easily weave these into their curriculum.
Discovery Education’s Augmented Reality App Wins Bett Award
Discovery Education—the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place – was last night announced as a winner at the 2023 Bett Awards. Sandbox AR – Discovery Education’s cutting-edge augmented reality app launched at last year’s Bett – was awarded first prize in the Hardware, AV, AR/AV, Robotics and Digital Device category. The Bett Awards celebrate the inspiring creativity and innovation that can be found throughout technology for education. Recognised by many as the most important awards in the industry, BETT winners are seen to be at the forefront of edtech provision to schools. Discovery Education’s Sandbox AR app empowers students and teachers to create, share, and even inhabit virtual environments. Within Sandbox AR, users can create virtual worlds and populate them with some of the hundreds of unique objects from history, the built world, science and nature, and more. Sandbox AR also gives students new ways to express themselves and demonstrate their learning through a feature that lets learners take photos or record a video walkthrough with their own voice over. Sandbox AR even offers a mode that allows users to scale up and inhabit their own life size virtual environments. For those new to AR, Sandbox AR includes many pre-built sandboxes exploring diverse subjects such as ancient Egypt, space exploration, Mayan civilization, road construction, and more, with additional sandboxes coming soon. Discovery Education is also making available several free, pre-built lessons educators can use with the app to familiarize themselves with integrating AR into classroom instruction. Sandbox AR is available for download here. The development of Sandbox AR was led by Discovery Education’s UK-based Immersive Learning team who have been pioneers in creating Virtual and Augmented Reality experiences for schools for over 30 years. Sandbox AR received its world premiere at the BETT Show last year, where it was launched on the Main Stage with London-based educator Simon Pile sharing how he has used the app in his school. “We’re delighted to be presented with a prestigious BETT award, one of the highest accolades in the industry”, said Howard Lewis, Managing Director, UK and International, at Discovery Education. “Since its inception, Discovery Education has been an early mover in bringing innovative technologies—such as streaming video and digital textbooks—into the classroom. We’re excited to put the power of augmented reality into the hands of educators with the Sandbox AR app!” Find out more about the Bett 2023 Awards at www.bettawards.com . Explore Discovery Education’s award-winning digital learning services at www.discoveryeducation.co.uk.
The winners of the Bett Awards 2023 have been revealed
Held in association with BESA, the ceremony took place at The Brewery, London on 29 March 2023, rewarding 25 inspiring companies and recognising an additional highly commendable product. Among this year’s finalists were a range of innovative solution providers transforming experiences for students worldwide. From flexible learning platforms to interactive resources, these awards are the most effective way to recognise excellence in EdTech. As technology revolutionises the industry and the world becomes increasingly interconnected, offering learners the ability to inspire curiosity is evermore important. Knowledge AI – KAIT, was awarded in the Class Aid or Educator Support category for their innovative AI-driven platform that helps educators to understand exam data better. And, Lyfta, a platform that transports students and teachers to immersive 360° spaces across the globe, won the Transformational Impact award. Having amassed over 20 years of experience in education, this year’s Company of the Year (less than £3m) award went to CreativeHUT, which develops programs & activities by educators that focus on building confidence in STEAM and developing 21st-century skills. Other winners were focused on accessibility and assistive technology tools to identify language difficulties or stimulate student’s senses for a better learning experience. OxEd and Assessment – LanguageScreen won the Early Years Digital Product or Service award and Inclusive Technology – Inclusive Stories won the SEND Resources, Products & Services award. By setting a precedent for inclusive, innovative technologies such as these, a world of opportunity is opened for students to become more independent learners, problem solvers and innovators. BESA acted as the chair of judges, overseeing the impartiality and fairness of the robust, two-stage judging process by a panel of 30 experienced educational professionals. Louisa Hunter, Bett Director, said: “As technology continues to change the way we learn and teach, it is inspiring to see these trailblazers pave the way with EdTech solutions that are making a difference in schools and universities. The Bett Awards 2023 go beyond acknowledging the excellence of these technological advancements and also highlight their crucial role in upskilling educators and learners. The Bett Awards recognises the way that these innovative solutions and platforms are opening up a world of opportunity for the next generation – for them to become problem solvers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners.” For a list of all Bett Awards 2023 winners, please see below: Category Winner Collaboration with a School / Schools CREATE Education #InspiringLancashire Innovator of the Year White Light – University of Portsmouth Transformational Impact Lift Education Educational Resource for Parents or Home Learning Mussila – Mussila Family Solution Wellbeing, Digital Wellness & Safeguarding Resources Lightspeed Systems – Lightspeed Alert Company of the Year (less than £3m) CreativeHUT Company of the Year (£3m to £12m) Arbor Education Company of the Year (more than £12m) IRIS Education Early Years Digital Product or Service OxEd and Assessment – LanguageScreen Primary – Free Digital Content, App or Open Educational Resource Oddizzi – 2041 School – Champions of Antarctica Primary – Digital Learning Product – Language & Literacy Crick Software – Clicker Primary – Digital Learning Product – Numeracy & Maths BBC Education – BBC Bitesize Reception Maths Primary – Digital Learning Product – Broad Curriculum (other) Charanga Musical School – Featuring YuStudio, an Accessible DAW for Schools Secondary – Digital Learning Product Collins – Adapt Secondary – Free Digital Content, App or Open Educational Resource PG Online ClearRevise / Ludenso Higher Education – Digital Learning Product ThingLink SEND Resources, Products & Services Inclusive Technology – Inclusive Stories The Education Show (non-EdTech) Award for School Resources & Equipment for Teaching and Learning Picture News Hardware, AV, VR/AR, Robotics or Digital Device Discovery Education – Discovery Education Sandbox AR Class Aid or Educator Support Knowledge AI – KAIT Technical or IT Support Service Joskos Solutions Assessment, Planning & Progress Monitoring Educate International Digital Educational Resource Fiction Express Education – Fiction Express Leadership and Management Solutions iAM Compliant Outstanding Achievement Award Nigel Canin, Founder, 2Simple Highly Commended Primary – Digital Learning Product – Numeracy & Maths SchoolOnline Classroom
Could An Educational Game Help Close The Engineering Skills Gap?
We need engineers Engineers will be vital for our society as we meet the challenges of the climate crisis and work towards our net zero goals. Their knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills are needed to develop new technologies and combat climate change. However, not enough young people are entering the profession to meet current, let alone future, demand for core engineering skill. A recent report from EngineeringUK found that there is still a significant gender gap at all levels of the education pipeline. 150,000 more girls need to study A Level maths or physics to equal the number of male undergraduates studying engineering and technology degrees. The number of young people beginning engineering apprenticeships is declining as well. The amount of young people beginning such apprenticeships is 9% lower than in 2014/2015. EngineeringUK estimates that society will need 124,000 engineers and technicians every year to meet current and future demand. While this is a complex problem, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) believes that an engagement programme for 16–18-year-old students called the ICE CityZen Award may be part of the answer. The CityZen effect Now in its second year, the ICE CityZen Award is already having a measurable impact on the students who participate. Of the 540 students who took part last year, one third said they were interested in civil engineering as a potential course or future career at the beginning of the competition. By the end of the experience, nearly 80% of students who took part in CityZen said they would consider civil engineering as a career. The competition’s reach has nearly doubled (45%) since it launched, with 982 students taking part in 2022, bringing the total number of student competitors who have taken part to 1,522. When asked what they enjoyed most about the competition students from the Gold Award winning team of Hillhead High School in Glasgow said: “We’re very grateful to take part in this amazing competition and have our suggestion for the wonderful city of Glasgow listened to by the civil engineering industry. “We really enjoyed the weekly challenges and had so much fun filming our project. – we hope our hard work and effort can make a truly positive impact and that this will open up opportunities for us and others in the future. “We would like to say a special thanks to our ICE STEM Ambassador Mhairi Porteous from Fairhurst who mentored us through the process.” Other students who participated echoed the themes of wanting to help their communities and make a difference. “I really enjoyed researching projects that would aid my community as I felt like I was making a big difference in the world.” (A Year 12 student) “Working collaboratively as a team to research, think of ideas and design the project. Also making the video and talking to the bursar about potential sites. I also loved how the project came together.” (A Year 12 student) Seán Harris, director of membership, the ICE said: “Although enrolment in civil engineering courses remains strong, the ICE still has an important role to play in allowing young people to see that a career in engineering is within their grasp – we need more young people to bring their ideas and passion to the wider industry. “We established the ICE CityZen Award as a virtual alternative to work experience, and it is fantastic to see participants’ interest in the industry growing as a result of their involvement.” CityZen participants are the future of civil engineering The ICE CityZen Award is a two-part competition aimed at 16- to 18-year-olds in full time education. Part one is a digital game in which student tackle real-life inspired civil engineering challenges. They then apply the lessons they’ve learned in part two and create a video submission to pitch an idea to improve their local community. The winners of this year’s ICE CityZen Award have responded directly to infrastructure problems in the headlines, namely improving public transport and tackling the high cost of energy bills. Hillhead High School in Glasgow won the Gold Award with their plan to improve connectivity between central Glasgow and the city suburbs with a tram line. Their proposed route would connect Glasgow Central Station, various entertainment hot spots, the Queen Elizabeth hospitals and Barehead Shopping centre. Silver Award winners from Mayfield School in East Sussex suggested a geothermal heating solution for their village, which would help lower heating bills for residents and local businesses in the long term. The team was inspired to tackle the cost of energy because a beloved local café had to shut its doors after nine years due to rising costs. Bronze Award winners from Norwich School in Norwich, also tackled public transport woes in their proposal to introduce trolleybuses to the city, which they believe will help address traffic congestion and environmental concerns from diesel pollution. Seán Harris said: “It was amazing to review these submissions from young people all over the UK. The judges were impressed not only by the students’ creativity, but also by how well their proposals responded to the challenges faced by their communities.” “This is how civil engineers think and address problems. If this is the future of the civil engineering profession, we’re in good hands. Congratulations to all the winners and to every student that took part in the ICE CityZen Award this year. We look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the future.”
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