Learning Platforms

[Lorna]

Hi All

 

As part of my performance management I have to find out about Learning Platforms and make a list of pros and cons.

So a little background... I have down loaded relevant reading materials from Becta.

 

Are there any infant schools out there that have there learning platform up and working?

How do you use it?

Do you children have individual email?

How did staff adapt to using it?

Does it save you time or create you more work.

 

Any other points of interest.

 

Hope someone can help

 

Thanks Lorna

[Guest]

Hi Lorna,

 

It's been a couple of years since I was in my last primary school and I worked with a brilliant learning platform but can't remember what it was called! It was used across the school by both staff and pupils, providing email, chat and as a document bank. It was also used to promote home-school links enabling children to access homework - Parents were also given a user name and password so that they could access newsletters, the school calendar and communicate with the the school office. I used it extensively with with my mixed YR/1 class.

 

Each class had their own area (access set up by IT tech/co-ord) exclusive to themselves and the class teacher could set up that area as appropriate. The children would log on and go their welcome screen where they would be able to see emails, and resources. I used icons /avatars so that all children could access easily what they needed. I would post resources for the children to use as part of literacy, numeracy and ICT activities as well as cross-curricular activities. If for example I was teaching a literacy lesson and the independent activity was a game on the bbc website, I would copy the link insert it on to the resource page and then give it an icon so that the children knew which one to use. This was great - it saved me and my TA going from machine to machine typing in the website address, then finding it the long way! This way all children were able to access independently.

 

To enable the children to use this, we adapted our SoW for ICT to teach the children how to use the system, send emails etc. We were also able to use the email as part of our literacy too.

 

Some staff as there are in every school didn't want to use it, wouldn't use it, but there were some enthusiastic staff (inc. me) who used it a lot and were able to show what could be done with it and share that knowledge with them and support them in setting it up for their class. Initally, it was a lot of work to set it up but as with all planning etc once you have done it the first time, it was easier when you went to use it the following year. When children moved classes, they kept username/password but their access to class materials changed. The children's level of IT skills developed at a good rate and by the time they were in Year 5/6 they could show you how to use a few features or two.

 

I would thoroughly advocate the use of a learning platform at Infant level - have you thought about visiting BETT to see what is on offer at the moment? It's on 14-17 January (I think)

 

Please feel free to PM me if you would like more info.

[Lorna]

Thanks for that- interesting reading.

[MrsWeasley]

Just out of interest - What is a learning platform?

From what kittyknits said, it sounds a lot like something we had at my secondary school!

 

Mrs Weasley

[Susan]

I expect it was, MrsWeasley.

 

Im due to be trained in the summer term Lorna, can you not access anything through your LEA?

[Lorna]

I was meant to go on a course last year that was cancelled... will mention it again and see if i can go to glean some more knowledge.

 

Thank you.

 

To find out what a learning platform is look here http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?sect...e&rid=12887

[Guest heleng]

We had our training about this on Monday. It is basically a website for the school that parents and children can access and see school info, access homework and stuff like that.

 

We are just starting out so I don't know much about it. But you can see examples at www.school-portal.co.uk

[Guest]

Hi Lorna

 

We use the learning platform in our LA and many of our nursery and reception classes are using it very successfully. Some people just set up a generic page with newsletters, photos and resources. The best practice is where staff have set up folders for each child that can only be accessed by their parents. The folders allow practitioners to save photos and assessments about individual children which allows parents to keep track of what their child is achieving. Some of the children are now proficient at saving their own work to the folders, which is great. The blog part of the page is also brilliant for parents adding comments or asking questions. The LA offer support to all settings for working with the Learning Platform, I'm sure there must be something like this in your LA.

 

Ange

[Lorna]

Thanks for that- Hampshire use studywizz.

Will be looking into it after I have trained staff to use our school website and upload info.

 

L

[emmajess]

Hi Lorna

 

We use the learning platform in our LA and many of our nursery and reception classes are using it very successfully. Some people just set up a generic page with newsletters, photos and resources. The best practice is where staff have set up folders for each child that can only be accessed by their parents. The folders allow practitioners to save photos and assessments about individual children which allows parents to keep track of what their child is achieving. Some of the children are now proficient at saving their own work to the folders, which is great. The blog part of the page is also brilliant for parents adding comments or asking questions. The LA offer support to all settings for working with the Learning Platform, I'm sure there must be something like this in your LA.

 

Ange

 

Thanks for that, Ange, it's really helpful. Our school is just developing its learning platform and its very exciting, but all the training and ideas have been delivered from KS2 teachers, so I've been trying to think about how best to adapt it for Reception. The stuff they're doing with it in KS2 is incredible, though!