1. After completing the Empowering Schools’ ICT project in June 2006, the level of teaching and learning of ICT at our school increased dramatically. In order to maintain this momentum, I felt that by attending Sett 2006, I would be able to embrace new ICT ideas and developments.
2. At the Sett conference, I attended a seminar on BBC Jam, which introduced us to the new learning activities freely available on the BBC web site. Activities in Numeracy and Literacy will be of benefit to pupils throughout the school, and these will be embedded into our schemes. ‘Assessment is for learning – More than two Stars and a Wish’, explained how Scotland was embracing self-assessment by pupils, parents and teachers. I have disseminated this information to our teachers and we are going to take on board some of the ideas I learnt, which will be a natural lead into the concepts, which will be developed, in our new Northern Ireland revised curriculum.
3. The children have already begun to use two stars and a wish, as a method of self-assessment. We have encouraged them to set their own targets and to be more subjective about their learning goals. The children are beginning to look at their work in a new light. The teacher’s comments are in response to the children’s targets and are therefore more meaningful to both the pupils and the teachers. Peer assessment will be also be introduced, but this will take time for the children to become more adept at being critical – both positive and negative of each other’s work.
4. Questionnaires will be given to teachers in order to evaluate the effectiveness and value of the new concepts being initiated. Pupil observation and teacher notes will be used to gauge the success of the implementation.
5. Teachers have received the information from Sett, which was disseminated to them by means of twilight seminars and crib notes. One to one sessions with some members of staff will be necessary in order for the new assessment procedures to be integrated.
6. Sett Glasgow was a valuable learning experience both for myself and with my companion from HolywoodPrimary School. I spent much time talking to Scottish teachers about the assessment process, which they have already been following and was able to learn valuable first hand, knowledge from them. These meetings were as valuable as the seminars I attended, as I was able to ask questions and to sort out any concerns I had. I was able to look at Personal Learning Logs; School Learning Logs and I viewed children’s work and teacher’s comments about the processes. Aspects of the revised curriculum will be easily implemented in our school as a result of the learning that took place at Sett.
7. As part of the Empowering Schools project last year, I worked within a cluster of schools across the education boards in Northern Ireland. I hope to meet up with these colleagues to share the good practice I witnessed at Sett. I will also be meeting up with my companion from Holywood primary shortly to collaborate our ideas and seminar notes and to draw up an action plan for this school year.