Digital exclusion in classrooms fuelled by lack of access to devices and connectivity
Southampton University has launched a report, commissioned by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., analysing how digital exclusion is being fuelled in classrooms by a lack of access to devices and connectivity. By surveying teachers, lecturers, students, IT support staff and educational sector regulators in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, the research measures the impact that a lack of devices and connectivity is having today – as well as the effect an ongoing shortage will have on the connected classroom and education in Europe. Educators and students across Europe are acutely aware of the challenges and disruption caused by Covid-19. As parts of Europe start to emerge from the worst effects of the pandemic, 2022 will be a critical year as the Education sector seeks to return to something approaching normality. The pandemic has changed many elements of teaching and learning, making 2022 a critical inflection point as the Education sector analyses learnings from the pandemic and asks how it can best equip itself to deliver on the promise of the future of the classroom. A key question will be how to close the digital divide which became even more apparent during the pandemic, with some students effectively locked out of certain education methods due to a lack of suitable devices or connectivity – and sometimes both. Based on responses from 2,571 European respondents, the study demonstrates there are few boundaries to the digital divide. Across the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, over one third (36%) of respondents described the effect of the digital divide as “high or very high”. An additional 39% described the impact of the digital divide as “medium” with only 25% describing it as “low” or “very low.” Disadvantaged areas are experiencing the same digital divide barriers as pre-Covid conditions The research unravels how respondents in educational settings perceive hybrid learning environments and compares access to on-campus and in-classroom connectivity vs home Wi-Fi, showing that plenty of students across Europe have been grappling with accessibility to technology which impedes access to learning and educational opportunity. In 2020 the World Economic Forum (WEF) revealed that more than one billion childrenacross the globe are currently locked out of classrooms because of quarantine measures. Regardless of the fact that countless schools are running daily online classes – many of these children simply cannot take part. The uniquely challenging conditions of the past two years have only exacerbated the issue, creating serious obstacles for students and educators. A lack of connectivity and access to devices left many low-income families across the world at a disadvantage during the previous 20 months – with “hybrid” teaching and learning taking place in the classroom and virtually based on the rate of infection at the time. However, we know that innovation and technologies like 5G, combined with support from governments and the technology industry in terms of up levelling agendas, government initiatives and discounted plans and devices, can play a critical role in closing the digital divide. For a significant number of families, this digital divide will remain a reality long after the pandemic, so it’s vital that organisations work to ensure the availability of 5G, devices and programmes well into the future. Hybrid learning environments will remain the new normal for Education As we navigate through the next phase of the pandemic, variants with high transmission rates are causing staff shortages and student sickness is plunging education institutions back into hybrid learning environments. According to the research, a significant number of respondents (80%) indicate that hybrid learning will remain an important element of instruction practices going forward. Given the wide pool of respondents across multiple educational settings, this hyper-relevant sample of respondents in the heart of the Education sector, confirms that hybrid learning is long term, everywhere, and the Education and Technology sectors must work together to overcome this global challenge. Internet connectivity on-site vs at home When examining the strength of internet connectivity in higher education and University settings, in terms of very poor and poor Wi-Fi quality, the findings demonstrate that students with access to high-speed internet connectivity at home often experience worse Wi-Fi quality while in class/on campus. At home, where many students have found themselves throughout long periods of the pandemic, a total of 15% of students reported having only poor (3.9%) or fair (11.1%) Wi-Fi. Poor or fair Wi-Fi is likely to cause issues for online education either in terms of availability or speed of connection – or both, which may prevent students from taking part in teaching sessions conducted over video calls. The quality of home and school Wi-Fi networks may be influenced by the pressure on school Wi-Fi due to the sheer volume of students all trying to connect to the same connection, compared to home Wi-Fi where the number of connected devices will be significantly less. In a school setting students may be further away from Wi-Fi access points (e.g., a router) than they would be at home. Perhaps in part for these reasons, students reported experiencing more connectivity issues in their classrooms, libraries and campuses compared to at home when accessing high-speed Internet using computing devices. According to our research, a digital divide is felt both at home and in classroom settings. This is an important finding because it shows that initiatives to address the digital divide should not take education settings for granted and must focus on accelerating connectivity inside and outside of the classroom alike. This is particularly important for students who may not be able to learn from home. Separate research from Statista shows that all the five countries included in this research, to some extent, have an Internet penetration gap. For instance, the UK has 92.17% Internet penetration, meaning there is still scope to address the Internet connectivity gap in the Global North where it might otherwise be assumed that access to connectivity is generally no longer a problem. The University of Southampton research highlights a technology knowledge gap contributing to the connectivity gap. The study asked respondents for their views on Always Connected Personal Computers (ACPCs), which combine the
Fire risk warning over school kitchen extraction systems
Hundreds of schools across the UK could be at risk of devastating fires because the commercial extraction systems in their kitchens aren’t being cleaned to required industry wide standards. All kitchens in a commercial setting now need to be cleaned by specially accredited technicians in order to adequately remove dangerous volumes of grease which quickly build up in the extraction ventilations systems. Due to the flammable nature of the greases and oils in large-scale kitchens, there is a real risk that any fires could rapidly spread throughout school buildings. It is estimated that an entire building could be devastated within just 10 minutes. To alleviate the fire risks, a Building Engineering Services Competence Assessment (BESCA) Vent Hygiene Elite (VHE) scheme requires all commercial kitchens to be cleaned to what is known in the industry as TR19 level. However there are fears many organisations across the UK are unaware of this specification. Cumbria-based Hy5 Commercial Cleaning is one of only a handful of companies in the UK with the necessary BESCA accreditation, and its team is warning businesses of the potential dangers of not adequately removing grease from their kitchen extraction. Keith Simm, the Founder and Managing Director of Hy5, said: “All commercial kitchens will routinely be cleaned but many establishments will be totally unaware of the requirement to have the commercial extraction systems cleaned to such a high standard, and why it is so important to do so. “Over time, the amount of grease which builds up in the system is vast and they can easily catch alight due to the nature of them being around intense heat and open flames. These greases are highly flammable and once they catch fire, the flames spread extremely quickly. “It does not bear thinking about the worst case scenarios in schools and care homes where you could have hundreds of vulnerable people trying to get out of the building at the same time. “This is why the BESCA VHE exists and why we have significantly invested in becoming accredited because safety is of paramount importance to us. We are leading the way nationally in grease hygiene, and we want to raise awareness about the new specification to prevent any major disasters.” The BESCA VHE has the backing of all major insurance providers across the UK, and the companies will only provide full fire cover to establishments which have been serviced by accredited technicians. Keith added: “If commercial kitchens have not been cleaned by BESCA VHE accredited technicians, then they will not be properly covered by any insurance policies. “If there is sadly a fire, not only are you counting the cost of any damage, but you won’t get any payout from your insurance company either.” The VHE has been introduced by BESCA to provide a management process for controlling the risk of grease-related fires associated with commercial kitchen extraction systems. By cleaning the kitchen ventilation system to such a high standard, businesses remove contamination from the cooking processes to significantly reduce the fire risk presented, improve system performance and ensure the surrounding area is well ventilated. “When it comes to fire safety, the need for competence and compliance cannot be overstated,” said Duncan Sibbald who administers VHE on behalf of BESCA. “Many parts of our industry were effectively unregulated for years and initiatives like VHE were the result of responsible firms and individuals trying to take a stand against those less than scrupulous operators who seemed unperturbed by the fact their work was putting lives at risk. “Since the Grenfell tragedy, that work has taken on even greater significance and we are delighted that firms like Hy5 are clearly committed to improving professional standards right across our sector.” BESCA acts as a certification body as part of the wider Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and aims to help UK businesses and individuals to meet industry standards, ensuring compliance and promoting best practice among the industry.
Schools are under cyber attack – here’s why
School leaders are being urged to make sure they are keeping their systems secure amid a growing amount of cyber attacks. Here’s why schools are being targeted and what can be done about it. Education is a unique sector, with tech savvy but perhaps naïve students having access to the internet with limited filtering, as well as the need to access a variety of sites for research purposes. Back in March 2021, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a warning to educational facilities, as a sharp increase on ransomware attacks were noted. This continued into May and June of 2021, with notable hacks such as that of Oxford University laboratories and Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust, which affected 50 schools for just under a week. Schools are under attack daily, but why, and how can the risk be reduced? Breach numbers by type of education Across the education sector, there’s higher risk of a data breach the older the students get. According to data from the government’s Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2021, 26% of further education facilities reported a breach, 15% of secondary schools reported a breach and just 6% of primary schools reported breaches. This spread across the age categories shows that as pupils get older and get more unrestricted access to the internet, the rate of data breaches, which includes any cybercrime related ones, increases. Why do breaches and hacks affect the education sector? With a combination of naïve students, hundreds of users logging in to the same devices and long periods of inactivity during the summer months, it’s no wonder that schools can be seen as an easy target. Now that most secondary schools are no longer run by the government, instead through academy trusts, the central support network of resource has to be sourced by the trust, who may have less experience and the lack of a designated cyber expert who can assist in times of trouble. On the same tune, the budget to upgrade hardware, especially in state schools, is not there. Old computer systems, limited access to modern software and the extensive cost of firewalls all contribute to higher risks and easier targets. These, coupled with the number of financial transactions processed by one person or a small team, and the number of parent’s bank details that the school may hold. The data on each pupil, and the value that this data, as well as the detrimental impact that no access to computers has on the education of young people all contribute to the increased risks that schools face daily. How can you protect your school? As headteachers and senior leadership, there is a responsibility to provide training and education to both staff and pupils at your schools, and to ensure that there are people who are trained to understand cybersecurity and the risks it brings. Learn what a phishing email may look like Phishing emails, whereby an email that appears genuine is actually malicious, can be hard to detect to the untrained eye. By clicking on a phishing link, you can give a hacker access to details such as computer information, a route into your emails or worse, installing ransomware on your device. However, with some basic knowledge and training, your staff and pupils can begin to detect the phishing emails amongst the ones they actually need. Similarly, you should also have a reporting process for phishing attacks, and make sure everyone is aware of this process. Create passwords that are strong By having the same, or similar, passwords for everything in both your home and work life, you should instead have different passwords for everything. However, remembering these is tricky and can be hard when moving around computers all day, as is typical in schools. As well as writing them down in a notebook, which isn’t secure, you also shouldn’t save them to your browser where possible. Password managers such as Dashlane or Last Pass are highly secure ways of storing passwords, and both come with a mobile app, as well as browser extensions. Rather than using your mother’s maiden name and your first pet combined with the letter one, try and combine two random words together. Update devices regularly Whether you have staff who work on laptops around the school, or office staff who work part remote, it’s important that updates, especially security patches are done regularly. Your IT team should send round reminders when people need to install updates on staff computers and have a schedule for general use computers to ensure all receive updates at the same time.
Autism campaigner backs calls for significant improvement in diagnosis waiting times
A leading autism campaigner has backed calls for significant improvement in diagnosis waiting times. Anna Kennedy OBE, founder of national autism charity AnnaKennedyonline, has spoken out after the National Autistic Society sent an open letter to Rishi Sunak highlighting the lengthy waiting times for an autism assessment. Anna has campaigned for many years on autism diagnosis and the importance of early intervention. She said: “Promises are made however, we see little very little action. “I’m flooded with message across social media snd through the charity about wait times for an assessment for an autism diagnosis for their children. “Parents are complaining of waiting between two and five years for a diagnosis for their child, and it is very much a postcode lottery.” Recently Anna read an article that in central London families were waiting over a year for just for a referral diagnosis appointment, despite waiting time guidelines of three months. Anna says the government has yet to complete previous promises by a host of Health secretaries to officially record the waiting time figures. Anna says she was told that their were complex reasons for the delays, including increased demand for the assessment which had increased “significantly” in the last few years due to wider awareness about autism. More families may believe their children are on the spectrum due to charities like AnnaKennedyonline forging ahead to raise awareness and acceptance. Anna says the access to special needs services, which includes an educational psychologist’s report and a limited amount of free speech and language therapy on the NHS, appears to vary hugely depending on what part of the country the child lives in. Not all local authorities, health or education services provided equally strong support according to the parents she spoke to. Waiting a long time for a diagnosis means a window for early intervention could be missed. She added: “It has an impact on the child, it has an impact on the school, which doesn’t know what they are dealing with. It has an impact on the siblings, and obviously the family.” While some parents Anna has spoken to over the years campaigning did avoid seeking a “label”, others told Anna of being dismissed. In its letter to Mr Sunak, the National Autistic Society reveals an estimated 88,000 children are waiting to be assessed for a diagnois. It says: “You have the opportunity to end the autism diagnosis crisis in your Spring Statement, by allocating the urgent funding that the NHS in England needs to both increase the number of assessments carried out and tackle the backlog. No one should have to wait years for a life-changing autism diagnosis.”
Pupils across the UK encouraged to get creative in competition to find the art and everyday maths
To get children across the country thinking about ‘everyday maths’, leading edtech provider Renaissance Learning has today, on World Maths Day, launched an exciting drawing competition for primary schools. On World Maths Day (23 March) research has revealed that, due to the pandemic, 61% of teachers in the UK are finding that their students are less secure in their understanding of maths being taught whilst 44% are worried that their pupils risk falling behind in the subject and almost half (46%) have covered less of the maths curriculum than normal. Amid these concerns over the impact the pandemic has had on maths in particular, Renaissance Learning is looking to encourage a passion for maths among all primary school pupils. Pupils are being asked to think big about how maths can be found in the everyday and create imaginative artwork showing their vision of where they can see and experience maths in the world around them. The overall winning school will receive £2,000 towards a trip, whilst the individual winners from each of the three age categories will receive a Kindle Fire and a year’s subscription to Freckle and Star Maths for their class or school. Winning entries may also appear as future ‘Depth of Knowledge’ questions in Freckle. Every entrant will receive a certificate to thank them for taking part. Renaissance already works with over 800 schools in the UK through the provision of adaptive solutions that support the practice and assessment of reading and maths. As part of this competition, however, participating schools will be offered free access to Freckle, Renaissance’s new primary maths practice solution. Catherine Magee, Teacher of the Year in a Primary School Silver Winner and Head Judge for the competition, says: “I’m delighted to be involved in judging the entries received from schools. It’s so important that we engage children in maths in an exciting and accessible way and this competition will give teachers and pupils the tools to do that.” Sarah Haythornthwaite, Marketing Director at Renaissance Learning, says: “We’re really excited to be launching the “Sum it up in a picture” competition in a bid to encourage children to think about how maths is all around us in everyday life – and we hope to stimulate fun in the subject by getting pupils really engaged with their artwork! We want students to take ownership of their learning by connecting maths to their everyday experiences. We’re also proud to be supporting teachers and schools with their mission to keep pupils excited about learning maths, which is why we’re making Freckle freely available for use at school and home.” The competition will be supported by a range of inspirational school resources to bring maths to life and help fire up the imagination of pupils to create colourful, eye-catching artwork capturing how maths is used in the world around us. The deadline for entering the competition is 6pm on 29th April 2022 with winners and highly commended pupils announced shortly after. Details on how to enter can be found at www.renlearn.co.uk/sum-it-up alongside more information about Renaissance and Freckle.
Exhibition gives insight into children’s play in pandemic
New research from the University of Sheffield, University College London (UCL) and play specialists from Great Ormond Street Hospital has revealed the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on children’s play. Contributions to the collaborative Play Observatory study have been used to curate the Young V&A’s first ever online exhibition, Play In The Pandemic, which will be launched on Wednesday 23 March 2022, exactly two years on since the prime minister announced the first national lockdown. Spanning 2020 to 2022, the Play In The Pandemic research project invited children, their families, schools, groups and organisations to submit their experiences of play during the period through the Play Observatory’s online research survey led by the University of Sheffield School of Education. The public call-out generated 100s of global submissions from the UK to Australia ranging from music videos to digital magazines and artworks created by children, alongside films by parents showing their kids splashing in puddles or making snow angels. Dr Julia Bishop from the University of Sheffield School of Education, said: “The research showcases how children responded to the challenges of social restrictions experienced all over the world in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Children used digital technologies to innovate new ways to engage with, and learn from objects, settings, and the people around them. Creating ways to connect to each other through performance, art and online interaction, as well as updating traditional games such as ‘tag’ for a digital setting, with the ‘chaser’ now being a coronavirus.” She added: “We also found children explored alternative ways of connecting with others closer to home, recording their experiences interacting with the outdoors by adapting traditional games like scavenger hunts to explore nature and wildlife in their communities. “We found that children expressed their understanding of the world and the events happening around them by incorporating them into their play, using their recreation time as a way to transcend some of the pandemic’s constraints or find humorous moments within the situation mirroring children through the ages inventing their own games and rules to make sense of their world.” The research project, which is still accepting contributions from children around the world, and exhibition show how resourceful and creative children and their families were during the successive national lockdowns, and their experiences give invaluable insights into the pandemic for future generations. Dr Yinka Olusoga from the University of Sheffield School of Education led the online research survey for the project. She said: “Our survey aims to preserve information about children’s experiences during the pandemic which can be used as a historical record. We placed the child at the centre of our design as we want to hear about children and young people’s play from them, and their families, in their own words. “One source of inspiration for the study was the work of Iona and Peter Opie and their surveys of play and folklore in the second half of the 20th century. 21st century technology means that as well as children’s own words, contributions have also included drawings, photographs, and films. These illustrate the numerous ways in which children have maintained and adapted play to connect, communicate and create.” The interactive online experience, a first for the Young V&A, is based on contributions from the research project and takes the form of an unfolding origami house. Inspired by children’s activities, the playful design reflects how homes were the settings for many pandemic experiences. Capturing moments of fun and light-heartedness including Barbies taking part in Joe Wicks’ PE classes, face painting, and beach walks, the exhibition juxtaposes these with expressions of anxiety and grief recorded in children’s art and poetry from the time. The exhibition shows that even the youngest contributors were aware of Covid-19 and how the pandemic became integrated into their playtime, including toddlers Covid-testing their teddy bears and creating make-shift face-coverings for hospital role play and finding extreme escapism though dress-up and imaginative play. Katy Canales, Online Exhibition Producer at the Young V&A, said: “The devastating effects of the global pandemic have impacted everyone – especially children and young people, who saw their lives upended as schools and playgrounds closed, were isolated from their friends and extended families, and restricted to their homes. “Championing, co-curating and co-producing with children is central to Young V&A’s approach – and the Play In The Pandemic project strives to capture and amplify their voices and experiences, celebrating their resourcefulness, creativity, and empathy through a new playful online interactive experience. By collaborating with families and working alongside researchers at UCL and University of Sheffield, this project has caught a unique moment in children’s lives, providing insights into the pandemic for generations to come.” Project lead, Professor John Potter, from IOE and UCL’s Faculty for Education and Society, added: “I am immensely proud of this project, the work of the whole team and our collaboration with Young V&A, the University of Sheffield and Great Ormond Street Hospital. We owe a great deal to the contributors, the children’s parents and carers who shared their experiences with such honesty and enthusiasm. We have put the spotlight on play as something which can foster wellbeing and resourcefulness of children and their families in difficult times. “We’ve also heard about when things didn’t go well and about the deeply mixed feelings and strong emotions children felt since Covid started affecting their lives. This project has enabled us to move the discussion on from ‘learning loss’ as the only effect of the pandemic on childhood and given us a chance to reflect on how children may respond now and in the future to crises and emergencies. I hope the exhibition and project will move those who interact with it and help to illustrate how play is not just ephemeral and transient, but something which is central and essential in our lives.”
ukactive Kids and Nike expand Active School Hero to every school in the UK following huge success in England
ukactive Kids, in partnership with Nike, has announced a nationwide campaign to recognise unsung primary school staff who have inspired physical activity among schoolchildren. The Active School Hero Award, backed by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of Britain’s greatest Paralympians and Chair of ukactive, has now opened for nominations and will see finalists nominated from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, ahead of a UK winner, to be announced at the ukactive Awards. A recent Government report revealed that due to the impact of the pandemic, many schools reduced the amount of PE time that was made available to children and young people. Studies have shown that physically active children do better in school – and in life – and it is where school staff can make a real difference, not only teaching, but motivating, empowering and inspiring children to get active and realise their full potential. ukactive Kids and Nike created the Active School Hero Award to shine a spotlight on the amazing work these heroes do and to share their stories, to inspire others. It is available to all primary school staff – whether they teach PE or not – and those deployed to work in primary schools, who create fun environments for children to be active. The Award, now in its fourth year, is open to nominations from all primary schools in the UK, following huge success across the nine regions of England in 2021, and in Birmingham and London in 2020 and 2019. Last year’s winner was Joe Danquah, a PE Teacher from Byker Primary in Newcastle. During the nomination process applicants will be encouraged to demonstrate how their ‘Active School Hero’ has encouraged an inclusive school environment by positively engaging under-served groups of young people to become more active. In addition, nominees will be asked to share how they have been creatively tackling inactivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once nominations close, a shortlist of 20 people will be chosen by ukactive for each of the four nations. The shortlists will then be reviewed by a judging panel made up of representatives from Nike, Sport England and ukactive, in order to choose two winners for each of the four nations. The eight finalists will be invited to the ukactive Awards ceremony at The International Convention Centre in Birmingham on Thursday, 30 June 2022, where the overall UK winner will be announced. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chair of ukactive, said: “We are delighted to expand Active School Hero to the whole of the UK this year, which gives us the chance to celebrate school staff inspiring kids to be active in every community. “Primary school children and staff have faced another tough year as we recover from the pandemic and try to establish a stable environment for growth and learning. Unfortunately, the catching up of children’s education has come at the cost of a reduced number of hours of PE in many schools. “The Active School Hero Award is our way to recognise the primary school staff making sure that children and young people can enjoy being active every day, particularly at such a critical time in reducing our health inequalities and recovering from the pandemic.” Dan Burrows, Nike’s Senior Director of Social & Community Impact, EMEA, said: “At Nike we believe in the power of sport to positively impact the lives of individuals and their communities. We know that active kids do better and that’s why the role of those that inspire kids to be active is so important. “When it comes to getting kids excited about – and committed to – playing sports, school staff can make all the difference. That’s why as part of Nike’s Made to Play commitment to get kids moving, we’re proud to partner with ukactive for a fourth year to celebrate the heroes in primary schools across the country. “Rising to unprecedented challenges, these extraordinary individuals have gone above and beyond to remove barriers and create more inclusive environments so that all kids have the opportunity to access and benefit from play and sport.” Any adult can nominate one or more Active School Hero before the deadline on Monday 11 April – just visit www.activeschoolhero.com/nominate
Schools invited to take part in Just One Tree Day
JUST ONE Tree has announced the dates for the fourth iteration of its highly popular JUST ONE Tree Day, which is an international event that brings together hundreds of schools and encourages children to bring in £1 to plant a tree and help reforest the planet. The day highlights to children and young people how their individual actions can make a difference in the fight against climate change and the biodiversity crises. It is the flagship event of JUST ONE Tree, a British not-for-profit dedicated to removing CO2 from the atmosphere through global reforestation. A tree is planted for every £1 raised. JUST ONE Tree Day is open to both primary and secondary schools. Schools taking part can access free lesson resources that fit in with the national curriculum. As part of their fundraising activities, children learn about photosynthesis, the benefits of trees for both people and wildlife and the vital role they play in reducing the impacts of climate change. The 2022 dates are: England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Friday 14 October Scotland: Friday 30 September International: Friday 14 October JUST ONE Tree founder, Amanda Bronkhorst: “JUST ONE Tree Day was born out of my passion to make a difference – not only for my young daughter, but for the future of all children. JUST ONE Tree Day has resulted in over 200,000 trees planted by pupils from over 500 schools and I know that this year the ‘children’s forest’ can grow even bigger. “School participation is doubly important because not only does it raise funds, the forest planted on their behalf helps compensate for a school’s environmental impact. “Many children today struggle with climate anxiety, caused by the reality of our climate crisis. But JUST ONE Tree Day tells them that we can all make a difference with a simple action. By taking direct action it spreads hope and positivity. It’s important to involve our young, helping them tackle their worries of today while setting them up for a sustainable lifestyle that aids their future.” The money raised is used to plant the ‘right trees in the right place’ – supporting reforestation projects in Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal and Zambia, including mangroves and kelp forests. What our schools said: ‘Our JUST ONE Tree Day is always a day that seems to raise spirits as well as money. It has become a part of our Shotley School Annual Calendar and is enjoyable for children and staff. We always display the certificate, and details of carbon dioxide removal from the trees they have planted, and in terms of equivalent weight. i.e. a baby elephant!’ Shotley Community Primary School, Suffolk, UK ‘Everyone was extremely supportive of this wonderful event. As a school we are keen to take part again next year.’ Kingsham Primary School, West Sussex, UK ‘This is one of my favourite charities and we are honoured to take part each year.’ Grimsdell Pre-Prep School, Mill Hill, UK ‘The day was spent dressed like a tree, doing lots of wonderful things inspired by trees, sharing stories about the importance of trees and much more. JUST ONE Tree Day was a complete success!’ Ottery St Mary Primary School, Devon, UK To take part visit https://www.justonetree.life/just_one_tree_day_registration_2022.html
Twinkl launches new augmented reality resources for British Science Week 2022
Twinkl has created interactive learning materials for the classroom to coincide with British Science Week 2022 (Mar 11-20) British Science Week, (https://www.britishscienceweek.org ) is a wonderful way of celebrating pioneering developments in different scientific fields. In order to make this come alive, Twinkl has created a selection of augmented reality (AR) resources that can be used with Twink’s LeARn & Explore App. The LeARn & Explore App uses AR to provide students with different tools to foster interests and talents by supporting their learning with the use of technology. British Science Week is a ten-day event, organised by the British Science Association* to celebrate science, technology, engineering and maths. Their theme this year is ‘Growth’ and allows children to engage with various types of scientific development. This ranges from, ecology, construction and animals, to how plants can grow on Mars and the solar system. The resources have been created by Twinkl experts specialising in science to ensure high quality and varied materials are produced. They offer a variety of science resources suitable for ages four to 16 covering the theme of this year’s British Science Week, ‘Growth’. In addition, educators will be able to access resources, including display packs, quizzes, e-books and more. These new resources enable educators to choose from a collection of carefully prepared, engaging, content to inspire their children. Gemma Barker, Primary Science Product Owner at Twinkl, said, “Science helps to develop a lifelong curiosity in all young people as they develop an interest in the sciences and the world around them. British Science Week allows educators to go outside the areas they usually teach around science to give children the chance to do something different as they venture more deeply into the exciting world of science and the range of opportunities it has to offer.” The new resources can be used in conjunction with the Twinkl LeARN & Explore App to develop children’s scientific knowledge. This is done through exploring a range of habitats around the world. Children are able to dive into the coral reef and interact with the marine animals they find or learn about food chains by exploring woodland habitats, plus much more. The app brings learning to life through the use of augmented reality (AR). The LeARn & Explore App was launched in 2020 to enhance classroom experiences. The app is an immersive learning experience that supports children as they begin to explore new concepts. It combines computer-generated graphics with real-life environments to bring learning to life in classrooms. Darshna Valand, LeARn & Explore Product Owner and Digital Product Manager at Twinkl, said, “As an experienced teacher, I know that children love to learn in an immersive way. I am a big believer in enhancing classroom experiences. For children to grasp abstract concepts, what better way than using the interaction that Augmented Reality (AR) technologies offer? I love that through the use of Twinkl’s 3D and Augmented Reality models, children can be part of a whole learning experience – in a fun and exciting way!” The app is updated regularly with new resources and can be easily accessed through mobile devices by downloading it for free from GooglePlay or AppleStore. It is fully customisable to your needs, with content being organised into featured packs allowing you to browse a range of different topics. It is free to use with any full Twinkl subscription. For more information about British Science Week here at Twinkl, or to access our resources, please visit our website https://www.twinkl.co.uk/