We have put together a list of suggested websites, apps and online resources that may be of use to schools and families during this difficult time.
Some useful advice from National Online Safety
“In the current environment, many of us are using different ways to try and keep in touch with our friends and family. One app that has risen in popularity is Houseparty, which gained the no.1 spot on the app store after becoming one of the most downloaded apps since social isolation was introduced. ”
Click on the image below to download a pdf of this handy poster
Hello Everybody!
Well, we have all survived our first week of home working and learning. It has all been a little strange for us as well as yourselves. We are missing the day to day interactions with school visits and the smiling faces of your lovely children visiting us.
We have connected with many of you via e-mail and Google Meets. Such a fantastic resource that we all have to keep us in touch. It has been great to catch up with some of you and to hear what is going on in your school communities. There have been some lovely uses of social media and your school websites to stay in touch with your school families and share information. We are particularly enjoying the bedtime stories being shared by our colleagues around the borough.
We have created a new section in our website entitled Learning@home and this is where you will find all of the links we are sharing. We don’t want to bombard you with pages of new information and links to home learning suggestions. We realise everybody will be just getting to grips with the changes that have been put in place. We are sure you have had a hectic time but thought we would continue to share a few of the resources that have been coming through to us over recent days.
Please remember we are here to help. Keep in touch and don’t hesitate to ask for any support or guidance at this rather topsy turvy time. Even if it wouldn’t be something we could usually support you with, we may just have the solution or be able to connect you with somebody who can.
Best wishes
Stay safe
ICT in Schools Team
Please see attached Minister Ford’s open letter to the SEND sector.
the past week.
You can also read the storybook and download some resources to help your child understand and cope with their feelings about the virus by clicking here.
Safer Internet Day 2020 – Purple Mash
Jan. 16, 2020
Over the years, Safer Internet Day (SID) has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar, with schools across the world getting involved to create a safer environment for all online. It’s now celebrated in over 150 countries worldwide. From cyber-bullying to social networking, each year Safer Internet Day (February 11th) aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and chooses a topic reflecting current concerns, this year having the theme of Free to be me: Exploring identity online. Whatever your school is planning for Safer Internet Day 2020, don’t forget to register as an official supporter of the day, to download your school’s certificate.
At 2Simple, we’re celebrating Safer Internet Day with Purple Mash offering several free resources that you can use in your classrooms. By focusing on identity online, we’re offering pupils the opportunity to consider how they can express themselves online and the implications of this through the following resources:
The resources below are free whether you subscribe to Purple Mash, or not.
Friendbook
Friendbook Party
Social Networks Debate
Dilemmas
Making Choices
Being a good online role model
My Identity
Social Networks
- Friendbook – encourage your pupils to discuss how online services are using the information we share to identify and profile us by introducing social networking sites.
- Friendbook Party – Sophie has publicly shared details of her party on Friendbook. Allow your pupils to work in groups to discuss the dangers of this and how to protect your online identity using privacy settings accurately.
- Social Networks Debate – discuss whether children should be using social networking sites. We have a worksheet to prepare for these debates with prompts to help your pupils out.
- Dilemmas – this allows children the chance to explore oversharing, private information, app permissions and much more. Write about ways in which you should deal with these dilemmas and how to express their worries.
My Online Identity
- Making Choices template – helps your pupils write about the choices that they’d make online. Use the prompts to set your own discussion points, with some already pre-set such as, private information, using a device that isn’t yours etc.
- Being a good online role model – help your pupils express who they want to be online. Use this template to create a leaflet for your pupils to help other children become good online role models.
- My Identity writing template – pupils can write about aspects about their identity; their family, appearance, friends, hobbies, religion etc. This can lead to a discussion about what aspects of their identity should be shared with the public and what shouldn’t be shared, showing them how to be free to be themselves whilst keeping safe online.
Purple Mash Subscriber Specials
Creating Avatars
If you’re a Purple Mash subscriber, we would recommend allowing your class to create their avatar on their account. To create your avatar, simply click on the image next to your name and start creating! Give your class up to 20 minutes to get creative and see what they can come up with. After each pupil has created their avatar, hold a discussion about why they have chosen their avatar to look how they have. This can be a way of introducing your identity online in a safe environment.
Do you know that if the class all have avatar images, you can create a 2Investigate database called Class that will automatically import records for the class with their avatars and names and teacher could then add fields like ‘Do you use avatars online?’, ‘what are your hobbies?’, ‘your ambitions?’, ‘do you use your real name online?’ and other identity-related fields. This is an easy way to collect everyone’s ideas and display in a safe way.
2Email
2Email is one of our most popular resources in Purple Mash and our Confidential Information activity will support your pupils in learning about what is safe to share online. Our simulation is kept within Purple Mash, so is a safe environment for pupils to learn about email and how to respond.
Prejudice is another of our 2Email simulations in which Cyber Cop probes questions surrounding prejudice which can occur online teaching your pupils about bullying and prejudice online.
If you’re not currently subscribed to Purple Mash, start your FREE 14-day trial here to access these resources.
Download any of the free resources above this Safer Internet Day to help you with your teaching of online safety. You can access Safer Internet Day’s FREE resources here.
Share your Safer Internet Day activities on Twitter @2SimpleSoftware and @SafeInternetDay with the #FreeToBeMe.
Here is our new video on how to set parental controls on your child’s devices.
Dear Student,
Technology has changed our world, allowing us to accomplish tasks in much simpler ways. Instead of riding a horse long distances to school, we can now get there much quicker on a bus. Instead of writing a letter that a mailman’s hand delivers to another person’s mailbox, we can send a text message that instantly arrives on a cell phone. In the field of science, our lives are simpler and more efficient in a variety of ways because of robotics. In fact, the bus or car you take to school was probably built by robots working along an assembly line.
Consider how robots have changed our world. One small invention can completely change how we live or interact with each other. No matter how large or life-changing an invention is, it starts with a very small concept: an idea. Every great invention started as a thought in someone’s head. Many inventions have resulted from ideas generated by kids! Kids thought of better ways to do things, and they were able to put their ideas into action. You are the next generation of innovators! What are some problems that you would like to solve with an invention?
Since you are the future of our world and will shape the world of tomorrow, you will be given the opportunity to work with a team of students to determine a problem or need that you feel needs addressing. Your challenge is to create a Lego Mindstorms robot that will:
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- be used for space.
- be used to improve life.
- be used to explore unknown areas.
- be used to explore museums virtually (see this explanation).
- solve a unique need (create a robot that will be useful to your community).
During the last week of this competition, your team will submit a video of your robot to be evaluated. Your team may also choose to prepare a report or digital presentation on how your robot solves your problem. Once the judges evaluate all of the robotics, based on the project rubric, the winning team will be announced!
Good luck! Happy inventing!
For full information – CLICK HERE
The festive season will no doubt see a rise in the number of our young people who have access to internet enabled devices with many techy gadgets and games at the top of their Christmas lists.
Check out the latest blog from CEOP with some good advice for parents and carers.