Heads' threat to parents over computer games

The teachers claim some games contain inappropriate levels of violence

Head teachers in Cheshire have warned parents they will report them to the authorities if they allow their children to play computer games rated for over-18s.

The letter was sent by the Nantwich Education Partnership group to parents from 16 schools in the county.

The heads claim games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty contain unsuitable levels of violence.

They warn parents they could be reported for neglect in some cases.

'Keep safe'

The heads state that playing such games or accessing certain social media sites can increase early sexualised behaviour in youngsters and leave them vulnerable to grooming for sexual exploitation.

Mary Hennessy Jones, the head who drafted the letter, said: "We are trying to help parents to keep their children as safe as possible in this digital era.

"It is so easy for children to end up in the wrong place and parents find it helpful to have some very clear guidelines."

Prime Minister David Cameron announced this month that adults in positions of responsibility could face prison sentences of up to five years if they failed to report allegations of the neglect or abuse of children.

Safer Internet Day 2015

This weeks WOW is about 'Safer Internet Day' (SID) which is next week, Tuesday 10th February.

The theme is 'Let's Create a Better Internet Together' The idea behind the theme is to make a better internet by doing something to help someone online or to help someone in the community have a better experience on the internet.

Cyber Seniors for example help older people learn about different websites and how they can make their lives easier and more enjoyable.

Watch this video: http://cyberseniorsdocumentary.com/

How could you make a better internet?

Questions to consider:

What could you do online to help someone or make someone feel better?

What could you do in the community or at home to help someone have a better / safer experience online?

Some other examples:

- Teach a parent how to secure Facebook privacy settings.

- Teach a young brother or sister on how to have a good reputation online.

- Compliment a friend online.

In your pigeon holes I have put a Up2Us pledge card. The ICT department would like to make a flipagram similar to this one http://flipagram.com/f/QHTqc1naYH . This will be added to the SID social media campaign #Up2Us twitter page. 

If you can please can you write a pledge as a tutor group using the card provided on the theme of ''Let's Create a Better Internet Together'. Can you then take a photograph of it (does not need to have person in photo) and send it  to c.james@wildern.hants.sch.uk.  

For more information here is the SID website, we have been added to Supporter page!

Improving writing through blogging

This is a re-blog post originally posted by Ben Hall, and published with kind permission.

The original post can be found here.

Blogging is a fantastic tool to engage writers by providing real purpose and audience. There are also lots of ways you can use strategies which work in the classroom on blogs everyday. Here are a few ideas, some you may have already tried and some which might be new.

1. Use tools which are already out there

There are so many fantastic sites dedicated to encouraging children to blog. My favourite is the 100 word challenge. This site offers weekly challenges aimed at KS2 children, encouraging participation and providing a wide audience for writing. See my video on how to post a 100 word challenge.

From the creators of the 100 word challenge, there is also the 5 sentence challenge. This is aimed more at KS1 children and offers a simple prompt for writing. Both these ideas can also be adapted to suit whichever topic or genre you are looking at.

2. Use constraints for differentiation

The possibilities are many and varied here. Using the tools above it is very easy to differentiate. You could use slow writing (an ideas showcased to me by Lee Parkinson) to encourage children to think carefully about their choice of vocabulary and sentence structure. You could incorporate into this Alan Peat sentence types (or which ever writing scheme you follow) to embed them further into the children’s writing. For higher achieving children you could challenge them to omit a particular letter – a great way of widening vocabulary.

3. Use comments

Comments are a wonderful and often overlooked tool. They are a great way for a teacher to provide timely feedback, and you can build a conversation with children to show that they are understanding and finding ways to progress. You can also use comments for up levelling. Once a child has done an initial post, encourage them to review it and post an improved version as a comment – a really easy way of showing progress. Comments are also great for peer review.

Comments are also a way of providing a demonstrable wider audience. If you are writing about a particular author tweet them and ask them to comment. My daughter was delighted when Benjamin Zephaniah commented on one of her posts. If you have links to other schools through initiatives such as Quadblogging or The Blog Exchange then don’t be afraid to ask them to comment.

4. Incorporate speaking and listening

Some of the best learning takes place in quick 1:1 conversations, you can preserve these by recording them in audioboo and posting them below the child’s writing. A really quick effective way to assess and show progress.

GCHQ's first tablet app targets future cyber sleuths

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The government's electronic monitoring agency GCHQ is releasing its first tablet computer app.

Cryptoy was created by three industrial placement students and tells the story of four historical cyphers, including the German Enigma code, cracked at Bletchley Park during World War Two.

The free app for Android devices also encrypts messages using the codes.

GCHQ says it is hoping it will help to encourage teenagers to be the next generation of cyber security experts.

Cryptoy also showcases the substitution and vigenere cyphers, and the shift, which dates back to Roman times.

A spokeswoman for Cheltenham-based GCHQ said the app is intended as a "fun teaching aid" to help 14-16 year olds studying at the Key Stage 4 level learn something about code making and code breaking.

'Extremely relevant'

She said it aims to encourage them to become interested in associated disciplines such as mathematics, as well as problem solving and the necessary programming skills to create such an app.

"All of this is extremely relevant to today's world where information security is increasingly important and where we need young people to study the subjects necessary," she added.

The app was initially produced by the industrial placement students for the Cheltenham Festival cultural event last year.

The GCHQ spokeswoman said the agency was keen where possible to be open about some aspects of its work.

The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said the public should have no qualms about downloading the app.

Cryptoy will be available to download directly from Google Play or through the GCHQ website. It is understood that a version for Apple iPads will not be available until next year.

KS3 eSafety Assembly

KS4 eSafety Assembly

eSafety Briefing 2014