The kids wrote schemes of work and individual lesson plans for their teachers by comparing information across lots of websites, but without any deep knowledge of, or personal engagement with the subjects involved.

Okay, I’m fibbing. That didn’t happen. Y5s may well be capable of Googling and contrasting the results they find, but it would be absurd to see this as a substitute for the knowledge, informed reasoning and practical skills wielded by teachers when designing a curriculum.

And yet, this is how the artificial intelligence (AI) behind chatbots such as ChatGPT works in practice – with a mentality similar to that of a 10-year-old blankly surfing the net. So why are so many voices trying to persuade us that AI in education is the biggest thing to ever happen to schools, with the potential to fundamentally transform what they do?

Febrile climate

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launched a £100m taskforce to exploit the use of AI across the UK. Education was high among said taskforce’s priorities.

At around the same time, however, some of the Silicon Valley moguls who have been instrumental in building AI platforms – including the likes of Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak – penned an open letter warning us all of the technology’s potentially calamitous impacts.

They even called for a temporary moratorium on further development.

The Oxford academic Toby Ord recently told The Spectator that around half of AI researchers harbour similar fears about human extinction stemming from the use of AI. Indeed, one of AI’s foremost pioneers, Geoffrey Hinton, went as far as quitting Google over his concerns regarding the existential risk that machine learning poses to humanity.

What are teachers to make of this febrile climate, in which we herald intelligent machines as both saviours of education and destroyers of civilisation?

The fearful response to AI seems of a piece with the apocalyptic mindset we’ve been encouraged to adopt in response to all contemporary global challenges, be they viral, climate-related, military or economic.

Using AI in education

Yet spending just a few minutes toying with ChatGPT or Google Bard should be sufficient to persuade even the most sceptical of how ingenious these tools are, and the myriad potential applications they can be put to in education.

There can be little doubt that AI in education is going to improve the standard of learning resources and free up valuable teacher time. Just as with any disruptive technological development, jobs could be at risk. But on balance, the future will be better with AI.

“On balance, the future will be better with AI”

That said, let’s not get carried away. AI is, at least for now, really, really dumb. John Warner, English teacher and author of Why They Can’t Write?, has previously argued that we should be careful in how we talk about the data handling carried out by machine learning algorithms.

Change in consciousness

Warner makes the point that what we’re seeing from them isn’t genuine reading or writing. The so-called ‘Large Language Models’ that currently drive AI don’t actually know anything. They’ve yet to experience any change in consciousness through their learning.

Elsewhere, the musician Nick Cave has written that AI, “Can’t inhabit the true transcendent artistic experience. It has nothing to transcend! It feels such a mockery of what it is to be human.”

All AI can presently do is identify patterns it has seen before and copy them. There is no imagination at work. No new ideas are being generated; only reworkings of what’s already been. AI bots are mere plagiarists, a pastiche of intelligence. Or as the technology writer Andrew Orlowski memorably put it in The Telegraph, “ChatGPT – the parrot that has swallowed the internet and can burp it back up again.”

Simulated understanding

AI cannot impart meaning to anything. Meaning can only ever reside in a human mind. This is crucial for education, which is the creation of meaning by another name.

If platforms like ChatGPT have any use at all, it’s only because human beings have previously assigned meaning somewhere inside them.

The engineers currently fretting about how intelligent AI could become might be better off paying more attention to just how, well, artificial it still is.

These issues have been hotly debated over many years, ever since Alan Turing first proposed the ‘Turing Test’ in his 1950 paper, ‘Computing, Machines and Intelligence’.

To answer the question of whether machines could think, he hypothesised a game played between a person and an unseen machine. If the player can’t tell that their opponent isn’t human, the machine passes the test.

Strong vs weak AI

30 years later, a paper titled ‘Minds, Brains and Programs’ by the philosopher John Searle boiled the question down to focus on whether a machine could ever truly understand a language – a situation he called ‘Strong AI’ – or merely simulate understanding, which he dubbed ‘Weak AI’.

He concluded that machines of sufficient complexity could be devised to pass the Turing Test by manipulating symbols, just as the ELIZA project created by computer scientist and MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum appeared to do, way back in 1966.

As Searle noted, the machine wouldn’t need to understand the symbols it was manipulating in order to provide an illusion of cognition sufficient to pass the Turing Test. Computers running software, on the other hand, wouldn’t be able to achieve Strong AI.

To truly come to terms with the role of AI in education, we need to invoke Searle’s distinction between the understanding, and mere simulation of understanding needed to pass a test.

He suggested that the difference between them lies in intentionality – the human quality which always directs mental states towards a transcendent end.

Demoting the teachers

What end are we seeking when we educate? What is a student’s real intention when they learn? Do programs like ChatGPT produce knowledge, or a mere simulacrum of it, resulting from mindless rule-following? It’s the answers to these kinds of questions that will ultimately determine the use of AI in education.

Machines aren’t going to ‘take over’ our schools because they simply can’t. This is regardless of whatever spooky stories their creators like to frighten themselves with.

If kids are using ChatGPT to cheat on their assignments, that should just tell us that we’re setting the wrong sorts of tests. Education isn’t a Turing Test. AI is weak. Machines will always be dependent on humans for any supposed ‘learning’ they achieve.

“If kids are using ChatGPT to cheat on their assignments, that should just tell us that we’re setting the wrong sorts of tests”

There is, however, one genuine risk. The more teachers come to rely on AI, the more likely it is that AI will reshape and define the meaning teachers give to their own role.

If we end up reducing education to a matter of machine learning, then it follows that teachers might begin to approach their vocation more mechanistically – almost as an automatic process of efficient information transfer perhaps best suited to a production line or call centre.

In such a milieu, the experience of becoming an educated mind, and the struggle and delight involved in that expansion of intellect, could start to seem increasingly irrelevant, rather than what they actually are: the point of the whole exercise.

The threat to education here isn’t posed by machine intelligence superseding that of teachers. It will come from teachers demoting themselves into becoming mere machines themselves. This will cheapen the ideal of learning and undervalue the meaning we assign to education itself.

Gareth Sturdy (@stickyphysics) is a former teacher now working in edtech

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E.a.R.L. 2 is our brand new and improved robot! He’s packed with a host of fabulous features to make him irresistible to children of all ages, and with his friendly alien face and light-up transparent green body, he’s sure to engage even the most reluctant of learners. 

Here are five reasons we think you will love E.a.R.L. 2 as much as we do…

1. Hands-on experience 

E.a.R.L. 2 provides a clear, physical link between understanding what algorithms are and implementing them as programs on a device.

Children can see and feel what they are doing and have a multisensory connection to the tasks and the outcomes. Important foundations are laid for developing children’s interest in computational thinking, giving them a real understanding of cause and effect and the belief that what they are doing will have immediate success.

The colourful keys, engaging noises, and lights will ensure children want to interact with E.a.R.L. 2 again and again. As children’s confidence grows, the instructions can become more complex, with up to 250 steps in one sequence, 90° turns and a pause facility. 

“The colourful keys, engaging noises, and lights will ensure children want to interact with Earl 2 again and again.”

2. Compatible with Scratch 2.0 

After children have had plenty of hands-on experience, their computational skills can be extended by programming E.a.R.L. 2 remotely. This is done using Scratch 2.0. 

Scratch is a block-based programming app that’s simple and free to use. It’s a great way to introduce children to coding as it breaks the process down into simple, visual steps. 

When pupils use Scratch, E.a.R.L. 2 is not limited to 90° turns, and can instead be programmed to turn any number of degrees to create any number of shapes and angles.

3. Extra sensory appeal! 

E.a.R.L. 2 has five coloured LED lights and sounds that can be heard as he moves. This is very appealing to younger children (but the sounds may easily be switched off when not required). 

As well as providing sensory stimulation, the sounds and lights provide additional programming opportunities when used in Scratch. Alternative sounds (including children’s voices) can be recorded and added via the inbuilt MP3 player.

4. Cross-curricular learning 

In these financially challenging times, resources should be as cost-effective and useful as possible. E.a.R.L. 2 covers many areas of the computing curriculum for key stages 1 and 2, but also has many cross-curricular applications: use E.a.R.L. to add an extra element in maths, English, geography and science, or wherever your imagination takes you.

Several mats and extra resources are also available to add to your E.a.R.L. collection! 

5. Teacher support

We want to offer busy teachers all the help we can and take any stress from the computing curriculum, so with E.a.R.L. 2 we offer the following free downloadable resources:  

• User Guide 
• Teacher Guide  
• Scheme of Work.

Teach coding like a pro and bring lessons to life with E.a.R.L. 2! For more information, phonics inspiration and support materials, plus latest prices and promotions, visit hope-education.co.uk/primary-computing 

The post 5 reasons to love E.a.R.L. 2 – Hope Education’s new coding companion! appeared first on Teachwire.

30 Second Briefing

1. It’s easier than you think 

Whether you’re already teaching computing or you want to move into the subject, it’s vital that you have in-depth knowledge and understanding of computer programming. 

In just eight weeks, the Teaching Teachers Tech: Computing with Python subject knowledge enhancement programme is designed to improve and update your knowledge in Python programming to teach at GCSE standard. 

2. Enhance your future career 

Coding skills are in demand, as are computer science teachers due to declining recruitment numbers. The course contains four assignments and once you have finished them, you’ll gain a BCS-branded certificate of completion.  

On completion, the door is open to be able to teach computing with Python and deliver a quality learning experience, as part of a computer science course or as a stand-alone course that provides the best outcomes for your students. 

3. Increase your school’s digital capabilities

The world is becoming more digital so it’s vital your school has the necessary capabilities to deliver the best outcomes for children, ensuring they’re prepared for the future.

As such, the course covers the programming elements in computer science GCSE and beyond, as well as the programming elements in computer science IGCSE. You’ll learn about the following:

• Box variables 
• Concatenation 
• Calculations – Counters and incrementing 
• Calculations – Modulo 
• Selection – If, elif and else statements inc Nested 
• Loops (Non-Deterministic and Counter controlled) 
• Lists and Multi-dimensional lists 
• Loops with lists 
• Nested loops 
• Functions with parameters 
• Bubble sort 
• Linear search.

“Providing your teachers with opportunities to learn, expand their skills, and develop their career paths is a great strategy for increasing staff-retention rates.”

4. Improve teacher performance and retention

Providing your teachers with opportunities to learn, expand their skills, and develop their career paths – whilst empowering them to succeed – is a great strategy for increasing staff-retention rates. It also creates an attractive culture to those coming to work for the school, and will help boost your school’s reputation. 

The course is a minimum of four hours per week and is done all online, with dedicated round-the-clock support from our expert tutors, so can be easily completed in your own time.

5. Anyone can learn, so what’s stopping you?

The programme is open to everyone looking to boost their knowledge in Python and teach programming at GCSE standard, including:

• Teachers 
• Aspiring teachers 
• College lecturers 
• Anyone with a genuine interest in developing their skills in Python.

There are no exemptions or required qualifications to start, which makes this a great solution to upskill non-specialist staff.

If you’re already teaching the subject or have completed other courses, for example, a computer science accelerator, this certification is designed to build on that knowledge and provide a deeper understanding of the subject. 

Sign up now and receive the first module to try for FREE.

The post 5 reasons to try… Teaching Teachers Tech: Computing with Python appeared first on Teachwire.

Teachers can access free curriculum-linked lesson plans and materials to engage students which support the development of AI learning in UK classrooms.

By taking part, schools will have the chance to win prizes, including £2,500 worth of tech products for the winner and a £2,500 donation to their school.

The 20 runners up will also receive an Amazon gift card to the value of £250, redeemable on Amazon.co.uk, and £500 will be donated to their school. 

Following the research

New research – commissioned by Amazon from YouGov – found that 79% of STEM teachers have limited access to AI resources and 64% to computer science resources in general, highlighting the difficulties schools face when trying to engage students in this growing field.

Of the 72% of secondary school teachers surveyed who agree that schools should be making an active effort to increase education and resources around AI and computer science, three-quarters (75%) say that without this, there will be long-term skill gaps. 

The research showed strong support for boosting AI learning in UK schools among secondary school teachers, students and parents, with 65% of secondary school teachers agreeing that AI should be part of their school’s syllabus, and 87% of the UK STEM teachers surveyed believing access to free AI and computer science learning resources linked with the national curriculum would help students better engage in computer science.

In all, 69% of all secondary school teachers surveyed believe that education in computer science better prepares students for future careers in all sectors.  

Exploring new possibilities

By taking part in the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge, students will explore the possibilities of using AI to help solve societal issues ranging from climate change and healthcare, to poverty and homelessness.

Winners will be selected in two age categories, together with 20 runners-up, by a panel of expert judges:

• Technology Director at Amazon and UK Ambassador for Amazon Future Engineer, Lauren Kisser
• YouTuber and computing graduate Tobi Brown, who is a member of The Sidemen
• TV presenter and STEM education advocate Carol Vorderman MBE
• Computer scientist and entrepreneur Professor Sue Black
• Maths and computing prodigy, and Stemettes founder, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon.  

AI is ‘science fiction’ to one in three secondary students 

Teaching AI in secondary schools will also help the almost half (46%) of secondary school children surveyed who said they would like to know more about careers using computer science and AI. One-third (33%) of secondary school children surveyed said they have only heard of AI in science fiction movies and literature. 

To help remedy this, Amazon is also offering virtual Class Chats with schools across the UK, where Amazon leaders and current apprentices will share insights from their education and career journey, and discuss the future potential of AI with teachers and students.

This comes as research reveals that 82% of secondary school teachers believe their students would be more interested in AI and computer science if they had the opportunity to speak to industry leaders in these sectors. 

The Alexa Young Innovator Challenge reinforces Amazon’s commitment to support the education and skills development of learners from all backgrounds.

It forms part of Amazon Future Engineer – Amazon’s comprehensive childhood-to-career programme that inspires, educates and enables children and young adults to realise their potential in computer science through bursary schemes, teacher training, and online tutorials.

Since launching in 2019, Amazon Future Engineer has reached over 280,000 students across the UK. 

The deadline to enter the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge has been extended by four weeks to make sure as many students as possible can take part, so submit your entries by 11:59pm on Friday 3rd March 2023 to be in with a chance of winning. 

For further information about the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge, visit www.amazonfutureengineer.co.uk/ayic.

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Those that could inspire a class to go above and beyond what they thought was possible. Those who could distil a complicated concept into its bare essentials. And those who could structure a lesson without even knowing that’s what they were doing.

Yet, even these inspiring and experienced teachers often sheepishly came to confess to me that they didn’t know how to teach computing. Or, they didn’t find their computing lessons were as effective as their other lessons.

To remedy this, I created some core ingredients that every good computing lesson needs. I hope they help you, too! 

Prior knowledge

Never underestimate the wealth of skills you already have in teaching and learning. All of these are still relevant in computing lessons.

Consider things like linking to a learner’s prior knowledge and knowing where they will progress to next, and structuring lessons so that pupils understand the context.

Beyond this, recap key concepts throughout and revisit the learning objective at the end of the lesson, perhaps assessing children’s understanding or encouraging them to apply their learning in a new context.

Think carefully about the steps, or success criteria, that lead pupils towards achieving the learning objective, ensuring they’re specific and achievable.

These are skills that all teachers have honed throughout their career – claim them and use them. 

Computer equipment

One reason computing lessons can be more challenging than other subjects, is because of the expensive equipment and sometimes the need to move rooms.

This is exciting for learners, but can can cause disruption for teachers. I have three top tips for managing this: 

• Set your expectations. There are likely additional rules for when you are using technology – what are they? Do the learners know them? This could include how you move around the classroom, what to do if something isn’t working or if children see something that upsets them online, and how equipment should be taken out and put away at the start and end of the lesson. 
• Take time to practise. Putting equipment away correctly, knowing how to hold it as you move around the classroom, and knowing what the rules are when using the equipment all takes time. Often we can feel pressured to rush through it. However, making time at the beginning of term sets up the rest of your lessons. This includes teaching pupils to log on themselves (regardless of their age!). You can find extra support on this process at helloworld.cc/logging-on 
• Choose the environment that works for your lesson. In computing, more than in other lessons, we often feel stuck with the desks in a particular layout, or using a certain room in a certain way. Yet this can often hinder what you’re trying to achieve. For audio recording, a table on its side can act as a great sound buffer; or if you’re recording video, utilising a hall or playground gives everyone space for you to monitor behaviour whilst not shouting over each other. Don’t feel you have to use your classroom the same way in each lesson. 

Skills vs tools

Another difference between computing and other subjects is that you don’t just have to teach the skills and the concepts, but also how to use the ‘tool’ itself.

This could be something like video editing software, or a floor robot.

For teachers, this can feel like an additional thing to learn ahead of a lesson. But, there are some key considerations to remember which should reduce that pressure: 

• The aim of your lesson is never to teach learners to use a specific tool. You want them to learn skills and concepts they can use across different software and hardware as they grow in experience and understanding. Therefore, you should aim to understand the primary purpose of the tool, rather than the ins and outs of everything it can do. There are some great resources to help with this at rpf.io/computing-what-how 
• The need to meet curriculum outcomes sometimes causes us to rush towards conceptual understanding. Often before learners properly know what a tool does or how to use it. This is really challenging for learners, as they are then having to do two things at the same time. They need to both learn the tool and understand the concept. Giving yourself, and learners, time to become acquainted with the tool first, with several basic, open-ended tasks, will mean it is much easier to achieve conceptual understanding later. 
• ‘Follow-along’ is more challenging than it seems. When introducing how to use a new tool, or how to use it to complete a specific task, it can be tempting to get all the pupils in your class to click along with you. However, the whole class never works at the same pace. You keep having to go backwards and forwards to recap things and then some learners do bits twice! The best approach is to show and talk through each of the steps, getting children to suggest what might come next (using their experience with other tools). Then encourage them to work to achieve the same outcome independently. This shows pupils that there is more than one way to complete the same task. It also ensures they are actively engaged in the process.  

Learning context

The name of this subject can often be misleading for both teachers and learners. But, it’s important to remember that not every computing lesson, or activity, should include equipment.

If you think about it, using a computer to try and understand how a computer works can be really challenging. How do you untangle what it can’t do from what you don’t know how to make it do?

There are a range of activities and pedagogical approaches (rpf.io/ped-book) that you should utilise which do not use computers: 

• Concepts first. As teachers, you already know to focus on the core concepts you need to teach. It’s no different for computing. Using hoops on the floor to make venn diagrams could be the best way to understand how data is organised; or you may want to draw out a plan of how a program might work on paper. Equally, if pupils are learning how to change the colour of text, they don’t need to waste time typing it first – you can provide it. The concept drives your activity.  
• Context for learning. Our children regularly experience technology in the world around them, but it’s often so commonplace they don’t even realise it. Whether it’s self-service checkouts in the supermarket, traffic lights to cross the road, or even TV streaming services choosing adverts based on what they watch, whenever you’re introducing something, try and link to a child-friendly, relatable context.  

Sway Grantham works for the Raspberry Pi Foundation developing free computing resources and online training for primary teachers. Follow Sway on Twitter @SwayGrantham and learn more about Raspberry Pi at raspberrypi.org

The post Teaching computing – configure your best lesson yet appeared first on Teachwire.

A supply teacher needs a laptop. The visitor cannot connect to the projector in assembly. Another teacher’s interactive board conks out mid-lesson.

All of these will see a child (or maybe a bashful member of SLT) knocking on your door and asking for help.

If a device contains a battery and a CPU, it ends up coming under your purview at some point.

Which also means you may well need to advise or even budget for buying this equipment, too.   

Budgeting. The very word can instil fear into the heart of a subject lead.

Especially when you are in charge of computing and could very well be advising on spending tens of thousands of pounds.

But how do you go about writing a computing budget? Where to start? How do you try and address all the competing needs in your school?  

How to write a computing budget

As odd as it sounds for a computing lead, try not to think about your subject. Even better, try and pretend for a moment the subject does not even exist.

With that in mind, which devices do your pupils come into contact with the most every day? Is it a laptop or a tablet?

Actually, it’s neither: it is more than likely the teacher’s computer and the classroom’s interactive board.  

How many hours of learning time are lost each year due to the teacher’s computer crashing mid-flipchart or PowerPoint?

It can be a lot more than you think. Whilst a crash shouldn’t harm a device, it does have an impact on how staff might treat it (usually with a lot less care and a lot more shaking).

There is also the morale factor, as teachers work in a constant state of mild terror that the next spinning up of the CPU fan heralds a whole morning’s lessons going awry.

So, when forecasting spend, I plan for £500 per teacher laptop.

This affords a mid-spec business machine such as a Dell Vostro or HP ENVY 15 with an i5 processor, providing enough grunt to run multiple programs at once and run two screens with ease.

Schools do not pay VAT on their purchases, so your money goes further than your average company.  

Having decided what to buy, when should you buy it?

For full time staff, devices will last between three and five years depending on wear and tear. For part-time staff, five years is a good plan.

With this timeframe in mind, you can plan to spread the spend over multiple years, replacing 33 per cent of devices each year.

This means teachers always have excellent kit, and you also have a supply of used but still good-quality equipment.  

Managing devices in school

With all this high quality and (hopefully) mildly used equipment, you will have a good cache to redeploy within school.

This is where your good planning starts to pay off: when TAs need devices you can redistribute them.

TAs will put less load on equipment, drawing out a few more years’ use.  

It’s also a good idea to plan on putting one or two laptops aside to act as donors to keep your part-time teachers’ laptops working.

This is where having a good relationship with a reliable IT support company squeezes further value from your equipment.  

All of this requires keeping good records of who has which piece of kit. I do this via the serial number on the base of the device, keeping track of which ones we can redeploy and which are only good as spare parts for repair.

To aid in this process, I email staff each term asking them to update me on the state of their equipment.

To make this quick and easy, I give a series of statements that staff can copy and paste into their reply. These range from: ‘Grade A. Bought in the last 12 months and is working well‘, to ‘Grade E. Zombie grade. Has been resurrected from the dead more than once and is in need of being put out of its misery. (Please detail)’.  

Tech for children

Having talked to staff, how do we plan for student spending?

This is where it is easy to put the cart before the horse, buy shiny equipment that ends up unused or underutilised.

So instead, look to the curriculum. Not just for computing, but for every subject.

What is tech used for? If it is like my school, mostly for online research or reading longer guided reading texts on-screen to reduce photocopying.

For these uses, laptops are a poor choice. Logging on takes time and the costs can be prohibitive. Which is where lower budget, Android tablets are great.

Lower spec laptops (which are still worth buying) can be £350, yet Lenovo make a very good Android tablet for £99.

When buying tablets, budget for cases, screen protectors and cabinets or trolleys to store the devices. This will protect your investment long term, and many trolleys can be easily re-wired should you buy new devices in the future.

Tablets should last three to five years. However, because they’re low cost, it’s easy to replace one or two that may break, as needed.

You could buy iPads, but if children are using the screens for online search, do you need to spend significantly more per device for no better utility? 

In terms of laptops for children, you still need a good spec. Not quite teacher spec, but a lower range business style device with an i3 or equivalent processor will be cost effective whilst being long-lasting and reliable.

This means more learning time for children and less stress for staff. There is also another bonus to buying more upmarket laptops. If they are by the same manufacturer as your teacher devices, common faults are easier to identify and plan for.

With the tablets picking up lots of the work, your more expensive laptops will last much longer. I plan for a five to seven-year life span, although we have a set of laptops in my school older than that, which are still working very well.  

Spreadsheet budgets

With all these numbers and ages to track, a spreadsheet with a five-year spending plan is a good way to keep things organised.

With a little Excel knowhow, you can even programme in price inflation over the five-year timespan.

And putting all those numbers on a spreadsheet makes them look a lot less scary too! 

With the current nature of school budgets, detailed planning allows you to move spending into the future if needed.

As discussed earlier, keep a track of your spending priorities, focusing on impact  – which can mean putting off investing in student devices.  

Having talked time and numbers, maybe planning your next computing budget will not be quite as scary a proposition. To use the old maxim: buy once, buy well.  

Matthew Lane is a primary teacher and subject leader in Norfolk. Follow him on Twitter @MrMJLane and see more of his work at theteachinglane.co.uk

The post Computing in primary schools – how to get the most out of your budget appeared first on Teachwire.

Starting in 2004 and coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, Safer Internet Day sees thousands of organisations get involved to promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns. It covers cyberbullying, social networking, digital identity and more.

When is Safer Internet Day?

Safer Internet Day takes place on Tuesday 7th February 2023.

What’s the theme of Safer Internet Day 2023?

The theme for Safer Internet Day 2023 is ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online.’ This year the campaign is focusing on the following questions:

• What issues really matter to children and young people?
• What changes do they want to see?
• How can we all work together to advocate for them moving forward?

Read on to discover some of the best resources for Safer Internet Day this year.

Clickbait lesson plan for Y5-6

Even though they may still seem young, the way primary-aged children are using the internet is changing. You may need to go beyond basic e-safety lessons nowadays.

This free UKS2 lesson plan teaches pupils about clickbait. They’ll learn how to avoid it and will write their own examples.

Safer Internet Day official resources

This year, primary schools can get involved in Safer Internet Day in a number of ways. This includes uploading short films to the website about pupils’ online experiences. Watch the submissions so far on the Video Wall.

Find additional resources for primary schools on the UK Safer Internet Day website, including resources for children age 3-7 and 7-11, as well as assemblies for KS1 and KS2.

Safer Internet Day resource packs

This resource pack for KS2 from Plazoom explores the positives that our online lives can bring us, while also exploring how to stay safe. It focuses on online games and apps.

The pack includes teaching slides, a worksheet, discussion cards, planning sheets and themed writing paper.

There’s also a similar resource pack for KS1. Pupils will have the chance to create a poster, leaflet or letter explaining to others how they should keep safe online.

Digital Matters free teaching resource

Digital Matters is a free online platform to teach online safety through interactive activities and dynamic storytelling.

Created by Internet Matters, Digital Matters covers a range of online safety topics including cyberbullying, misinformation and password security. New modules are added regularly.

The detailed teacher packs contain lesson plans, offline handouts, curriculum links and more.

Verifying online sources lesson plan

When we teach internet safety in schools, we often make the mistake of focusing on online predators and other scare
stories. Instead, we should try to model responsible behaviour and give children the skills they need to spot these perceived risks and threats.

This KS2 lesson plan aims to teach children digital literacy and hammer home the importance of questioning online sources.

UKS2 consent resource for Safer Internet Day

Barefoot Computing has created this resource for upper-KS2 called Stop, think…do I consent?.

In this activity, pupils learn about the terms and conditions of a variety of social media organisations. They’ll reflect on the personal information which people consent to ‘giving away’ when they sign up to such websites.

Pupils will create a ‘data gift’ which they can place next to their computer. This will remind them of the importance of knowing what they are consenting to.

The lesson is continued at home as pupils become the teacher. They can ask older siblings, parents or carers to reflect on what personal data they too might be giving away in their data gift.

Pupil objectives are to:

• Know what consent means when we agree to terms and conditions online
• Know the rights we give to social media organisations to use our personal information
• Understand the value our personal information has to social media organisations

Be Internet Legends resources from Google

Making sure children get the full benefits of our connected online world while protecting them from harm is a fine line to walk.

And the internet moves so fast it’s hard to keep up. Whether it’s identity theft, fake news, cyberbullying, phishing scams or just inappropriate content, there’s always something to keep an eye on.

Thankfully, Google is taking this kind of thing seriously with Be Internet Legends. It’s a site full of information and resources for schools and students to educate children in responsible internet use.

It’s been created in association with Parentzone, The PSHE Association and Internet Matters too, to ensure that every element of the programme addresses things that families and teachers need to know.

Scheme of work

The Be Internet Legends Scheme of Work gives you the tools and methods you need to teach internet safety. The materials, developed by Google in partnership with Parent Zone, enable you to bring the most important information into the classroom.

Included in the scheme of work are lesson plans for the five pillars, with suggested activities and worksheets. All elements of the scheme of work:

• Work alongside the national curriculum
• Require no personal information or login details
• Can be used across devices
• Are free for everyone

Lesson posters

Download and print a colourful daily reminder of the five pillars of the Internet Legends Code.

Interland online game

Interland is an adventure-packed online game that makes learning about internet safety interactive and fun – just like the internet itself.

Here, children will help their fellow Internauts combat badly-behaved hackers, phishers, oversharers and bullies by practising the skills that they need to be confident online explorers.

Google for Education teacher training course

It’s easy to teach digital literacy skills to pupils of all ages with the Google for Education Digital Citizenship and Safety module, available worldwide.

Be Internet Legends certificate and badges

Proof of Internet Legend status comes in the form of an official certificate and GIF badge for each lesson.

Internaut papercraft activity template

Once the kids have had fun playing Interland, this hands-on paper activity lets the Internauts come off the screen and into real life. This printable PDF comes in four colours so students can cut out and create by simply folding and gluing.

Get families involved

A family commitment to being safe and confident online starts at home. This is reinforced with this pledge to practise being an Internet Legend – sharp, alert, secure, kind and brave – when online.

This PDF family pledge certificate will get everyone on board with being safe online.

More advice from teachers

We’ve got plenty of advice about saying safe online right here on Teachwire. Get yourself a cuppa and have a read…

• Emily Firth asks if there’s a link between young people’s social media use and their mental wellbeing
• Nicola Morgan explains what you need to know about teenage life online
• Nicole Ponsford explores how much screen time is too much. She also looks at how to ensure children’s digital use is healthy and productive

We’ve also got advice on teaching online safety with children and phones and how resilience, rather than resistance, to social media use could be key.

The post Safer Internet Day 2023 – Best teaching resources and activities for KS1 and KS2 appeared first on Teachwire.

Much though we might wish to offer our own perspectives, however, these things often benefit from having an experienced, expert guide. Which is where Digital Matters comes in.

Created by Internet Matters with support from digital security company ESET, Digital Matters offers schools and parents everything they need to teach online safety effectively.  

Aimed at Upper Key Stage 2 children, it provides detailed lessons covering a range of topics such as online bullying, privacy and security and managing online information. They are based on the UKCIS Education for a Connected World framework and many of them are accredited by the PSHE Association.

What’s more, they can be accessed by parents and carers so that they can see what their children are being taught and continue the learning at home (and probably pick up a thing or two themselves while doing so). 

Most importantly, these well-pitched and thoughtfully presented resources are highly engaging and interactive. This will no doubt come as a great relief to anyone who has tried to explain to youngsters the potential dangers they face online, only to be greeted with a “What would you know about it?” look. 

Featuring a cast of relatable, manga-style cartoon characters, Digital Matters addresses a range of knotty issues through a combination of interactive quizzes and realistic narratives. These help pupils to not only test their knowledge but also enter into discussions about their own behaviours and perspectives.

I particularly liked the stories as they provide a number of points at which you have to pause, think and make a decision. If necessary, you can call on your chosen Digital Matters friend to offer some useful hints and advice while still leaving it up to you to make your choice.  

“These well-pitched and thoughtfully presented resources are highly engaging and interactive.”

At the end of each lesson, there is the opportunity to print off a summary of your story. As well as providing a record of your choices, this includes some questions to help you reflect on your performance.  

I have no doubt that these resources will offer invaluable insights to young people. Any suggestion that I, personally, learnt a thing or two whilst road-testing them for this article is fake news.

Digital Matters resources are available free of charge through their online platform, www.internetmatters.org/digital-matters.

The post Review – Digital Matters appeared first on Teachwire.

Valentine’s Day EYFS ideas

Water beads sensory board

This Valentine’s Day activity for kids uses a cardboard cut-out and water beads. The preparation is quick and the results are effective.

Valentine’s bubble foam

This fun Valentine’s Day bubble foam sensory activity is also simple to set up and a great way for children to explore colours and smells.

Valentine’s sensory bottles

Another fun option is these Valentine’s sensory bottles. Add pom-poms, glitter, coloured rice, heart sweets, food colouring, sequins and more to glass bottles – adding water if you like – to create beautiful shakers and swirly creations.

Messy play in the Early Years isn’t something to shy away from. It’s a chance for children to explore through mixing, squeezing, pouring and squishing sensory materials.

This open-ended play allows children to discover and investigate at their own pace while developing creative and cognitive skills.

So, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, mum and childminder Clare Maher has put together her 10 favourite messy play Valentine’s Day EYFS ideas for kids from around the web…

Messy heart painting

This messy heart painting activity from Arty Crafty Kids is definitely one you are going to want to get the painting aprons out for. Painting on foil gives a fun alternative to paper and you get a beautiful Valentine’s craft at the end of it.

Candy heart water play

Add a science element to your messy play with this candy heart water play idea from Fantastic Fun and Learning. Do the hearts sink or float? How long until they take to fizz away?

Valentine soap foam letter search

This soap foam letter search from Inspiration Laboratories involves hiding letters under lots of soapy foam before letting little hands search for them. It helps reinforce letter recognition or sounds as well as simple sight words.

Valentine’s messy ice hearts

Mixing cold hard ice with super soft shaving cream is a fantastic sensory experience – and guaranteed to get messy. Check out this Valentine’s messy ice hearts activity from Crafty Kids at Home to see how they got on.

Valentine’s Day sensory tub

If you’ve ever put rice in a tray and given it to a child you’ll know within seconds the majority of the contents will be outside of the tub – but it’s still a wonderful messy and sensory play activity.

This beautiful Valentine sensory tub from Nurture Store is full of different textures to explore.

Valentine’s Day soup

Great for creative play as well as messy play, this Valentine’s Day soup from Fun at Home with Kids is bound to be a hit. Little ones also get a great fine motor work out trying to pick up those little hearts.

Shaving cream messy play

Whip up some Valentine’s Day shaving cream for children to explore.

You will need:

• Shaving foam
• Red liquid food colouring
• Heart shaped gems and/or sprinkles (optional)
• Shallow tray (or tuff spot)
• Spoon

I used a sensitive shaving foam and made sure none of children had any known allergies to it beforehand.

This messy play was so quick to set up and I was able to involve the children in it by letting them take it on turns to shake the can of foam and spray it into the tray.

They were fascinated watching it fill up the tray and expand as it came out of the can.

Once satisfied we had enough foam I added a few drops of red food colouring, let them drop in the heart gems and sprinkles and gave them spoons to mix it up.

The foam very quickly turned a lovely pink colour and it didn’t take long before they abandoned the spoons and got stuck in with their hands.

It took a while before they were even interested in seeking out the hidden heart shapes that buried under the foam.

They were quite content with just using their hands to explore the tray and found it hysterical when then tried to shake the foam off their hands only for it to end up on the wall/floor/hair.

We played a game of hiding and finding the gems as well as counting them out onto the table.

All three were engaged in this messy play for 25 minutes with one staying at the table for another 10 minutes afterwards.

Valentine’s Day gloop (oobleck)

If you haven’t played with Gloop (or oobleck) then go and make some now! Cornstarch and water is guaranteed to completely fascinate children (and adults).

Rainy Day Mum used her Valentine’s Oobleck recipe as a fun spelling practice as well as a chance to get messy.

Edible Valentine’s Day slime

If you work with children who like to still explore through taste then this edible Valentine’s slime from Kids Activities Blog is a perfect way to ensure even younger children can join in with some super messy play.

Valentine’s Day play dough

Playing with play dough provides so many benefits and it’s so easy to make your own. Our final Valentine’s Day EYFS idea is this pink sparkly strawberry scented play dough. It provides lots of imaginative, as well as messy, play opportunities.

The post Valentine’s Day EYFS ideas – Easy activities to try in Early Years appeared first on Teachwire.

If your answer is yes, then the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate has just what you need, in the form of the British Army’s exciting live assembly on Tuesday 17 January at 11am.  

Centred around the theme of ‘Developing character for the future’, the assembly will give students the chance to hear directly from junior officers and instructors about life at AFC Harrogate, why they decided it was an option for them, and the key skills they have developed for the future such as leadership, communication and self-confidence.

Students will also get the opportunity to ask a question to the panel themselves through the online chat facility.  

Transferable skills

As economic and technological advances increase the pace of change in society, today’s young people need to be able to adapt more than any other generation. With AFC Harrogate, students gain not only military skills but also improve their knowledge across English, maths and computing.

Without exception, AFC Harrogate is a place which builds young people’s character and equips them with a raft of core transferable skills that they can call upon in any career. 

“AFC Harrogate is a place which builds young people’s character and equips them with a raft of core transferable skills that they can call upon in any career.”

Prospective students can expect to be taught and trained on a variety of military aspects such as the qualities of a soldier, fieldcraft and battlefield casualty drills. However, AFC Harrogate is not just focused on skills for the Army.

Through the unique exercises on offer, students are given opportunities to develop their communication, teamwork, problem-solving and leadership skills. Whether they decide to return to civilian life or not at the end of the programme, they will come away better equipped to tackle the jobs of tomorrow.  

Pre-assembly resources

To help prepare your students for the live assembly, the British Army have created an engaging ‘survival challenge’ pre-assembly resource that can be completed in one short lesson. It will introduce the concept of ‘character’ and get your students thinking about what character means, how it develops, and why it is important for their future.  

On the day itself, radio presenter and host Jordan Lee will be the special compere. Jordan, whose father has a military background, presents KISS Sundays, Hits Radio Pride Breakfast and Heat Radio Drive, and has hosted events from BAFTA to the Brit Awards.

The post Join the British Army’s free live assembly appeared first on Teachwire.