Digital Leaders

We only two ICT staff last year, a Digital Leaders programme was almost impossible. We opened the facilities as much as possible but it was exhausting. Now with three staff, fewer discipline issues, we have a structured support programme. At least one ICT room is open every break and lunch time for all students, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons were originally set aside for Yr 11 Workshops, although this has been extended to include Yr 10s aswell.

Wednesdays are now officially the Digital Media and Gaming Club sessions. It combines teaching the students simple ICT skills, set out in a small curriculum (to be designed), and networked gaming opportunities in the second half of the session. My colleague Andrew Sangster is doing a great job here, sourcing and testing the games.

‘The Digital Media and Gaming Club (DMGC) blasted off on Wednesday after College and it was fantastic!! There were about thirty students there but Mr Sangster wants to make it sixty, class room vs class room! Virtually of  course! We all gave in our small donation, a few silver coins, and got cracking. First we learnt how to access our users areas and email remotely and then we played Urban Terror, a great first person shooter.’

Incorporated into these extra curricular session are the Digital Leaders, positions of responsibility within IT that we hope will have a significant role in promoting ICT at Hamble College. We have sent in our proposals to HIAS to see if we can get some much needed financial support.

ICT Digital Leaders, Digital Media and Gaming Club (DMGC) and Generation Y projects

ICTAC Netbooks Project – Proposal

We are currently in the progress of developing a Digital Leader project which also encompasses the (DMGC) and Gen Y projects and a second project that investigates the feasibility of Netbooks at Hamble Community College. Although separate projects each draws on the benefits derived from the other.

Our aim is to address four key areas of ICT at Hamble Community College which we expect to impact ICT attainment in KS 3 and KS OCR Nationals

1. Student Behaviour in ICT (focusing on low achieving boys)
2. ICTAC, specifically showcasing, trailing and advertising new software for cross curricular use
3. ICT CPD through the subsidiary GEN Y training programme
4. ICT for Gifted and Talented

Senior Digital Leaders and Digital Leaders posts are currently being advertised. The advert is available here.

Digital Leader posts are attached to the Attitude to Learning assessment. Students are expected to work towards an ATL grade 1 or 2. Students who are not achieving this benchmark will be able to attend the workshops not will have restrict Gaming time / roles during gaming (eg non captain roles, reduced playing time).

A number of the workshop activities are planned, focusing on IT access, use of software for academic learning, (Microsoft Office, Outlook and Internet, specially linked to Assessment Outcomes in Unit 1) Digital Art (linked to Unit 4 Design and Use Multi-Media Products and branding aspects of in Unit 1), collaboration (google docs and social-book marking), new technologies (netbooks and busbies) but also PC and printer maintenance (Gen Y). These workshops will also be used to showcase, trial and advertise new software, for example Comic Life, preparing students to support staff in using ICTAC. These workshops will also provide an opportunity to extend learn for the gifted and talented students, an addition to extension activities in class.

Gen Y used the outline and inspiration from the genyes programme, especially the GenYES (students helping teachers with classroom technology) and TechYES (student technology literacy certification and peer mentoring). We aim to develop a students training programme, introducing the Digital Leaders to the College VLE in an effort to facilitate staff CPD.

All FLOSS software will be shared with HIAS staff TRAINING iSC