RE: Cambridge Science Festival

After a long while working in journalism, you will have met a lot of well meaning people who seek and are mostly pleased to receive space in your paper. Typically money changes hands when say, a company wants space in a commercial paper. The money could pay for an advertisement and it could pay for PR. It's wise to consider using both of these marketing tools.

But suppose the situation is not a commercial one. Suppose there are two community or charity or government organisations and suppose one wants the media coverage offered by the other. And better still, they have a common goal. What could each party expect to happen?

To take a small but real situation, Cambridge University wants and deserves promotion for the Cambridge Science Festival. They approach local media such as the community radio station. It's from here that we broadcast and podcast the fortnightly Science Show on Cambridge 105.

Last year our coverage of the Cambridge Festival included two shows devoted to it. Over the two week event, the Science Show team also prepared and put out twice-daily bulletins on the Breakfast and Drive Time shows. We broke our backs to help. I twice asked the Cambridge University festival office to give us a mention on their web site. We got doodly-squat.
One year later, the same office's Sophie sent round the call to promote the 2013 event - and indeed we do in good measure. But instead of some understanding of a shared purpose, I have their precious note below. It's a wonderful example of an outfit that's good at doing some things. Except, it seems for helping us in return. So, anyone out there, please help me find some understanding.

Our official media partner is BBC Radio Cambridgeshire so unfortunately we would not be able to offer you any interviews or on-the-day coverage, but we can certainly provide you with some information on our highlights and key events if you wish to talk about this on your show. 

*****


Cambridge Science Festival at cam.ac.uk/sciencefestival runs from 11 to 24 March 2013 around Cambridge University, England. UK. Not to be confused with Cambridge Science Festival at cambridgesciencefestival.org which runs from April 12-21, 2013 around MIT, Harvard University, the City of Cambridge, Massachusets, USA

*****

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sophie Dawson Date: 5 February 2013 10:59
Subject: RE: Cambridge Science Festival

Dear Chris and Roger,

Thank you for such a prompt response.  It would be great if you could promote the Festival on your show, and we are delighted you are interested in featuring something on our events.

Our official media partner is BBC Radio Cambridgeshire so unfortunately we would not be able to offer you any interviews or on-the-day coverage, but we can certainly provide you with some information on our highlights and key events if you wish to talk about this on your show. 

Please do let me know how you would like to progress with this, and if you require any further information do not hesitate to contact me,

Kind regards
Phie

Sophie Dawson, Festival and Outreach Assistant Office of External Affairs and Communications
University of Cambridge, The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RP

T: +44 (0)1223 766766 F: +44 (0)1223 764062 E: sophie.dawson@admin.cam.ac.uk

****
Hello Sophie

I run The Science Show on the Cambridge 105 FM, a community radio programme. We have long been looking forward to being your festival media partner and wonder if you will also help us in return.

Roger F
The Science Show on Cambridge 105

Listen to the free podcasts on iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/science-show-on-cambridge/id554635186

Access a podcast with notes and links http://wordpress.rogerfrost.com/radio/

****

Re: Cambridge Science Festival promotion

I am writing in the hope of promoting the 2013 Cambridge Science Festival on your website or radio station. The Festival takes place 11 - 24 March 2013, and bookings for events are now open. With over two hundred events for all ages, the Festival aims to give everyone the opportunity to discover, question and take part in scientific activity at the University of Cambridge and partner organisations.  Over the two week period, guests will be able to explore research that is leading the world at events that discuss science and its place in our lives – covering subjects from astronomy to zoology, with hands-on experiments and talks from leading researchers and celebrities. The Festival web address is: http://www.cam.ac.uk/sciencefestival

Categories: Archaeology, Biodiversity, Biology, Brain, Chemistry, Computer Science, Construction/ Industry, Earth Science, Electronics, Engineering, Environmental Science, Evolution, Food, General Science, History and Philosophy of Science, Materials Science, Maths, Medicine/ Healthcare, Nature, Physics, Psychology, Space Science, Sport Science, Technology and Topical Science

Thank you for your support,

Kind regards
Phie

Sophie Dawson, Festival and Outreach Assistant Office of External Affairs and Communications
University of Cambridge, The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RP

T: +44 (0)1223 766766 F: +44 (0)1223 764062 E: sophie.dawson@admin.cam.ac.uk

 
****
Here's another story. This time a media company want to use a professional journalists work, they ask him for permission to do this, and for him to rewrite it, all for free. 
 http://natethayer.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-freelance-journalist-2013/

Be verbose - Important Service Announcement from Vital

The note is not really that important. I can find a minute to deal with it in the next few days. But the minute I did have a minute ago has been taken away reading a very long communication with the same message stated several times over.

The use of login details for some services is not unique to this message however. I don't see the sense of them. I have almost certainly forgotten my login details for almost cetainly everything but a couple of things. Has anyone a tip for handling them?

Vital is transferring to Jisc. Act now to keep your membership active. www.vital.ac.uk.

Important changes to your Vital registration. You are receiving this email because you are a registered user of the website www.vital.ac.uk. Vital is currently operated by the Open University, however as of 1st April 2013 ownership of the website and subject portals will be transferred to Jisc. When you registered, we promised not to share your personal data with any other companies. We are therefore unable to transfer your registration details to Jisc without your permission. To retain your account and free access to the subject portals, you need to give us permission to pass your registration details on to Jisc by 20th March at the very latest. Giving us permission is quick and easy to do, just click here and login, then tick the box on the banner that will appear. To check your registration details and see whether you have already opted in or out of the transfer, click 'My Account' from any page on the Vital website, then click the 'Edit' tab and navigate to 'Personal Information'. More information about the handover to Jisc is available from www.vital.ac.uk/jisc. If you have any questions about the transfer process, please don't hesitate to contact us. Best Wishes, Peter Twining, Programme Director

Copyright © 2013 Vital, All rights reserved.   unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Know what you're doing: BETT Show moves to Excel

The exhibition wing of EMAP, EMAP Connect has been spun off as a separate company. EMAP is to become the Top Right Group, saying goodbye to the lovely old school name of East Midlands Allied Press. In 2008 EMAP itself was bought jointly by the Guardian Media Group and the spectacularly huge investment group Apax Partners. And I’d thought that EMAP was huge.

The change will allow EMAP’s exhibition wing, which accounts for 40% of the group’s turnover, to establish its ‘own culture, location and business plans’. Throwing away a brand and wiping the floor clean is something that some firms are able to do. They must surely know what they are doing.

However, it was in January this year that I wondered if EMAP knew what it was doing. The BETT technology show in London was being moved to ExCel in Docklands. The show had been at Olympia for numerous years, in which time companies had fought for cherished spaces in the floorplan. It’s funny how a trade show lives for a few days each year. For the rest of the year hundreds of companies to do months of talking on “our stand at BETT”.

The ExCel venue offers a massive tidy exhibition space that can expand. As a new venue, EMAP wipes the floorplan clean and starts fresh. It’s like planning your shopping mall to offer some sense of organisation – it’s surely something to do when you have so many hundreds of firms as at BETT. For example, sections of the hall can be dedicated to certain markets or informal ‘zones’ that guide the visitor.

EMAP didn’t think that was a thing to do. When the new 2013 floorplan appeared, the only evidence of such thinking was an area labelled ‘software’. However, pretty much every exhibitor sells software so the silliness of this title was soon noticed. The ‘software’ area was tippexed off the plan. Something easier like 'BETT marketplace' would have lasted.

Was that a one-off goof? No this is the goofing has been happening for a while. EMAP has a show that grows in size, never fails and thus it goofs as it wishes.

No longer does the BETT Show nod to teachers’ subject associations and academic bodies, who represent the teaching profession. It is now irrelevant that the curriculum drives the resources that people buy. To be fair, EMAP is unable to have a dialogue with academic bodies beyond a couple. And the academic bodies don’t get the point of the dialogue either. Can anyone work out why one of this year’s show themes was ‘3D learning’? So random. Double-U tea ef.

Show visitors and exhibitor numbers rise each year with no help from outside. So I guess they know what they’re doing. Commercially, nothing needs doing. Greedy wins.

Let the computer do it: Edexcel is a Pearson company

Edexcel, a Pearson company, is the UK awarding body with a web for examiner recruitment. Edexcel proves the idea that the more money you have to develop a website, the more wacky features you'll build into it. In this case, the company uses its web to make decisions, and rather wrong decisions, as this story tells.

George, a highly experienced ex-teacher applied for a job as an examiner for Edexcel where they could spend just a few weeks a year marking the exam scripts of students. Reading through the job specs, George easily qualified. Furthermore he had a career's worth of experience; high level work as a teacher trainer and he had contributed majorly to numerous textbooks for this exam through the rest of his career.

Application for a job at Edexcel is done online. Trying the web form for myself: I can confirm it makes stupid decisions as you enter data.
George complained that he found that he was not even allowed to apply to  mark the subjects he had actually taught! He was only allowed to apply to be a senior moderator and chief examiner for almost any subject he did not teach. But he could not apply for work he was good at.

George continued, "When I finally pressed send on my application, the website immediately emailed all my referees because I heard back from them within minutes. Both my (very good) referees filled in an online form and responded quickly because within an hour I received the shock of a rejection letter".

It's bad enough that Edexcel wastes his referees time regardless of him being in the running for the job. It is however stupid to reject George without considering his wider experience. As you see from the mails below, he had no recent teaching experience so that was the end of the line for him.
(Never mind the fact that George knows the chief examiners at Edexcel and the subject leaders. None of them have recent teaching experience either).

As well as George, I feel for the young who have many more job applying years ahead of them than me. Personally I'd like the job of whoever specced this web and doesn't know how to match skills to a job. Maybe that is exactly how that person got their job.

REJECTION LETTER 

Re: Your application for Examiner GCSE/ International GCSE Chemistry C2 (5038F)

Thank you for your interest in working with Edexcel. I am sorry to inform you we are unable to offer you an appointment with us.

If you wish to discuss this decision, please contact the AA Recruitment Team at aarecruitment@edexcel.com and a member of the team will respond to you as soon as possible.
Please do not reply to this email directly as this message has been sent from an automated email system, and your response will not be received. 

Tara Tierney, AA Recruitment Manager

REQUEST FOR EXPLANATION

Our recruitment criteria for this position requires an applicant to have at least one academic year’s full-time teaching experience (not in a tutoring or supply role) within the past eight years and delivering a qualification and subject relevant to their application. As your last relevant teaching experience was in 1988, we were unfortunately unable to continue processing your application. Apologies for any disappointment caused. Kind regards,

Gareth Topping Assessment Associate Recruitment Assistant
E: gareth.topping@pearson.com
D: 0207 190 4571

REQUEST FOR EXPLANATION

Response (Steve Bowler) 09/03/2012 01.14 PM

Thank you for your enquiry. As my colleague stated, one of these is to have had at least one academic year’s full-time teaching experience within the past eight years. As you last taught in 1988, I am afraid we are unable to process your application. Best Regards,
Steve Bowler
Subject Advisor (Admin)

Make random choices: Michael Gove to ask Google and Microsoft what should be taught in schools

How Michael Gove may ask Google and Microsoft what should be taught in schools.

Although it's decided that pupils should learn to code, I read that Mr Gove will be asking Google what sort of computing should be taught in schools.

Is there a definition of 'what is computing?'? Mr Gove and many start their thinking about computing with that box on a desk in a school IT room - so that's where I'll start.

If someone proposed a change to science teaching you would soon poll reactions from the community. Decades of research back them up. Set beside science, maths and traditional curriculum subjects, "computing" has zero pedigree. Without history as to what the 'computing' the subject is, people more follow and than lead when there's a strong lead on what to do. The British computer society (nee computer club), and others* ape the call to have kids code. Hence, 'computing' can be seen as the subject that has been made-up as it went along. 

Yet I've been waiting for anyone, even someone like Gove to say what a pile of pants ICT is. It takes no genius to observe that lessons based around the features of Microsoft Office are laboured. This Microsoft Office is taught through too many school years, over and over. For example, when Microsoft added new apps like 'Access', or 'OneNote' to Office, some schools thought it was another half-term module to teach. How sad. 

While few teachers are qualified to teach computing, there are teachers with vision. There are teachers and schools doing fabulous things with computers. There's a school getting their pupils to code and develop apps; it's given the kids a taste of entrepreneurship too; there are some who use blogging; video; collaboration tools; social tools and more. In short teachers are using things that seriously, creatively and entertainingly enhance the curriculum. Some are driven by the technology itself, but there is good practice galore. Schools and kids aren't getting credit for doing all this. 

Then Mr Gove picks one thing out of a hat of things to teach and says that's the good way to do it. He says schools should do "programming" and that's too random. And narrow. How sad it's been to hear people follow so readily. On the one hand it's a better choice than teaching Microsoft Office, on the other this will miss what good can come of using computers and computing.

So what can schools teach? 

• Teach kids how to design new systems that do things better. Read other pieces in this blog and you'll see the problem: you'll see how unclever is the way that technology has been adopted.
• Teach kids to design and critique applications and interfaces; understand and devise intelligent systems that know what you're looking for as you search; that know what you want to buy. And if you've the experience, teach them how to exist in the online world. 
• Don't teach kids to do much coding. Unless you're teaching maths, we don't gain by teaching kids a lot of coding. We really don't need that many coders. We more need people who can communicate with coders. We need coders who can understand human needs. Beside, coding has been outsourced to clever people in low-wage economies and it's not likely coming back. Most days of the week, coding is as useful as Latin.
• Teach kids to use ICT in their other subjects, solving problems; communicating; measuring; recording; analysing; calculating and doing other important processes.
• Teach kids about computers? It's worth a lesson or two
• Teach kids to use applications such as Office; Dreamweaver? Yes but only just enough.

*Why all our kids should be taught to code - The Guardian's John Naughton gets carried away and confused. If most computer apps were full of bugs we would need more better coders. Some kids could opt to be taught how to code. But for most of the population it's as soporific, and useful, as learning Greek.

Let the computer run it for us: Public Contracts Scotland - Portal Update

I get, or used to get mails like the one following. I had needed to sign up to Public Contracts Scotland to bid for a tender a few years back. I have bid to handle several educational projects in my life but never ever have I been expected to declare my *exual orientation in the process.  What the flip is it to them?

I've now happily unsubscribed from the mailings of PCS, a self-congratulatory group that's claiming to handle tenders better. If they are indeed handling them better than anyone else, I do suggest that they have words with the author of the grossly pointless mailing below. I hope you enjoy reading it. 

Dear Supplier

The developments detailed below have been released on the Public Contracts Scotland service as of 12th August 2011. The developments made to the service were carried out after consultation with buyers and suppliers across Scotland. We would be grateful if you could click on the links provided to documents which provide further details.

SUPPLIER FINDER

Supplier Finder is the supplier sourcing directory for the Scottish Public Sector. It builds on the information already held within Public Contracts Scotland, allowing suppliers to provide buyers with detailed information regarding the goods, works or services which they can provide. The service will further help connect public and private sector business.

Buyers will use the tool to source suppliers for low value/low risk quotations. Completing a Supplier Finder profile may enhance the chances of a 'Quick Quote' being sent to your registration. Buyers may also use the information to analyse particular supply markets prior to commencement of the contracting process.

Please see the Supplier Finder user guide for more information: http://www.millstream.eu/guides/en-gb/Scotland/Supplier%20Finder%20-%20Supplier%20Guide.pdf

Other developments released at this time are as follows:

- NOTICE ALERT SERVICE - REGIONAL E-MAIL ALERT FILTERING
- SUPPLIER CONTROL PANEL
- SUPPLIER QUICK QUOTE CONTROL PANEL
- ADD SUPPLIER TO DISTRIBUTION LIST

A document detailing these changes can be found here:

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/guides/Guide_Download.aspx?id=881

We hope that you find these development useful. Please don't hesitate to contact the Public Contracts Scotland Support Team for further information or support - Tel 0844 561 0673.

Regards

Gary Robinson
Procurement Development Manager – Scottish Government

Know your audience: Termination of the Interim ULN Agreement

Following the letter sent by Stephen Meek on 10 December 2010, the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) and the Skills Funding Agency have been working together to ensure that the Interim ULN Agreement is replaced with an Awarding Organisation (AO) ULN Agreement to create and verify ULNs. The agreement was presented to accredited Diploma component awarding bodies in January 2011 and following a consultation process it has now been finalised.

The next steps are to terminate the Interim ULN Agreement and replace it with the AO ULN Agreement after the completion of this year's Diploma awarding period. Read the termination of the Interim ULN Agreement. The Termination Notice has effect on the signing of the replacement AO ULN Agreement or by 15 September 2011, whichever is sooner.

A paper copy of the Termination Notice will be sent to your office.

Yours faithfully

Una Bennett, Head of the Learning Records Service

Richard Fitzpatrick, Head of Diploma Delivery, QCDA

 Privacy policy | Copyright | Disclaimer | Accessibility

A new UK Government took office on 11 May 2010. As a result the content on this site may not reflect current Government policy. All statutory guidance and legislation published on this site continues to reflect the current legal position unless indicated otherwise.

Computers scare us: Are the IT Crowd in your school - Cardiff Council

Just off the phone from a call where a school has asked IT to install a tiny plugin so that they can get along and do some chemistry teaching. It hasn't happened, I'm unable to help and feel frustrated. It's not the first call of the kind nor a first experience: science teachers in the most relaxed of schools cannot get software installed.
It was for this reason that I made my own software easily accesible over the web - trying to rid the need for a plugin is pretty hard (eg try doing without say, Flash) - but clearly we must try harder.

If anyone has asked their IT deparment to install something and it hasn't happened, please spare a thought for what they have to do. This 'bounce' from an email to Cardiff Council shows the IT department have their hands full. I am so glad they are finding things to do:

From: MIMEsweeper@cardiff.gov.uk
Sent: 22 March 2006 12:38
Subject: RE: Invoice - Course Description

Cardiff Council - Images policy
----------

Your e-mail bound for:
x

Subject - Invoice - Course Description


YOUR E-MAIL HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO THE INTENDED RECIPIENT.


An image attachment was detected (such as .jpg, .bmp or .gif), which may
be part of a Powerpoint (PPT) file or E-mail background.


A copy of your E-mail has been held in accordance with Cardiff Council's
ICT security policy, and Audit will routinely check these images to
assess their appropriateness.


Any technical queries, please contact the ICT Helpdesk on 029 2087 3333.


Any queries regarding this policy, please contact the Authority's Audit
Manager on 029 2087 2275.

We can't work IT, maybe you can: Places where an IT department's talents have no beginning - Dundee

-----Original Message-----
From: purchase.ledger@dundeecity.gov.uk
Cc: purchase.ledger@dundeecity.gov.uk
Attachments:
Subject: Dundee City Council

Please note :-
The Dundee City Council payment remittance for the date shown is attached. (IGNORE the headers.txt file). With most email systems you should be able to double click the '.html' attachment and view the Remittance Advice.
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* Outlook ***************
If you are using Microsoft Outlook and our attachments fail to appear, click the FORWARD button on your toolbar, in most cases the attachments are then available to view.
* Outlook ***************

If you have any problems with this email please email purchase.ledger@dundeecity.gov.uk and we will try to help. If you have any queries about the content of the email you can email as above or phone Dundee City Council on 433135 and ask for the purchase ledger team.
****************************** IMPORTANT ******************************
Dundee City Council recipients please note:
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OR MOVED IT TO YOUR OFFLINE FOLDERS.
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Government depts run by nasties: Public Contracts Scotland - win a tender - do the work - and wait wait wait for payment

Everyone but me knows that you need stamina to handle a tender for a government project. The stamina required isn't just for the several late nights to ensure your bid complies with the rules; it's also about being able to wait for your money. So what was supposed to be a series of payment milestones was bulldozered by a "Procurement dept" into one final payment which arrived three months late.

A tip on submitting a tender is that if you do include a timeline for your project, you should expect it to be used and abused in your contract. No discussion will be allowed if the procurement dept decides that the project needs to finish on a date of their choosing. You will find that your payment milestones are unachievable and so you'll not see money so soon. 

Do ensure you send only one address and one bank account. If you are outside the UK and have a UK contact, the procurement department will by default post to the address requiring the cheapest stamp. As a result of this we received our contract to sign by the time we were 75% of the way through. Cheques were sent to the wrong account and payments that were said to have been made, repeatedly turned out not be made.

Public Contracts Scotland may have its own one star iphone app. It may also be fair and immune to past cronyism in public tenders. It may also break new ground by asking new suppliers what their sexual orientation is - hec how groovy but incredible. Expect to feel bullied, not just into answering such a question in this context, but bullied all through your contract. And be sure to price for the time you will spend stuck inside its strangulated hernia of a bureaucracy.

Blog post file under: work I wish I had never done;

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/

Joining-up old business and e-business: New vendor application

Dear Sir

I  attached the vendor form for you in this email. Please fill in and sign the’ Request for New Vendor Part1’ email or fax or post to us so we can follow up to make payment to you for your invoice. We will not be able to make payment to you as a payee unless this is completed.

Thanks

Today's e-business evangelist works at Westminster City Council who asks for the information that they already have to be filled into boxes on their form. 

-->

REF: REQUEST FOR VENDOR’S BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS

Dear Sir/Madam

 

... we use the council’s payments system, our remittance advice will therefore come from City of Westminster.

In order to include you as a supplier, please find attached a blank copy of Part 1 of the Council’s ‘Request for New Vendor Details’ form and a copy of the Council’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Business. I would be very grateful if you could read and complete Part 1 of the form and return it (along with all relevant supporting documentation) to me at the above address.

 I require these details to enable the Council to make payments for the goods or services which Grey Coat are procuring from you.  Please note that all invoices received must request payment in sterling.

Yours sincerely,

Marie Holmes

Bursar

Allow programmers to communicate and you get information about information

Thankfully only once in a while do I receive a reminder that my magazine subs are due. I've a sub to a "listserv" that just too regularly reminds me, it reads as below. This odd piece of communication is a part of the history of academic mailing lists. It has nought to do with the organisation mentioned (becta) other than the fact that there are better ways to make yourself look good.

I can imagine how many million academic-minutes of time are used each time the list software fires off this facinating piece of information. I half-want to have a conversation with the person who programmed this and is responsible for IT crimes I have yet to list:

***** The message reads:

Please do not reply to this email.

This is an automated reminder, sent out once a month, about your lists.becta.org.uk mailing list memberships. It includes information about your subscriptions and how to use it to make changes to your subscriptions or unsubscribe from a list.

You can visit the link(s) below to change your membership details and settings, including unsubscribing, setting digest-style delivery, turning off these reminders or stopping delivery altogether (e.g., while you are on holiday). You will need the password(s) for your list
membership(s) which can be found below.

In addition to the using the link(s), you can use email to make changes. For more information, send a message to the '-request'
address of the list (for example, mailman-request@lists.becta.org.uk)
containing just the word 'help' in the message body, and an email message will automatically be sent to you with instructions.

If you wish to contact the person who runs a list send a message to the '-owner' address of the list. You can also find this address in the footer of the relevant list options page below.
To post a message to a mailing list simply email the address of the relevant list below.

Robots run our firm: Distribution list for Becta's monthly content developers' bulletin.

Today's mail was this interesting:

This bulletin is also available to download from the Becta website [ http://www.becta.org.uk/industry/newsletters ].

1. News headlines
Interoperability framework recommended
ICT funding 2008-11: Harnessing Technology Grant

2. Focus on... Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning strategy

3. Education updates

3.1 Schools
Consultation on new-look GCSEs
Early years: New curriculum under review
Independent review of mathematics teaching
Shakespeare for all
Funding announced for speech and language development
Games in the classroom
Nintendo DS in Japanese schools

3.2 Post-16 and 14-19
New Diplomas: funding for training
New Diplomas: funding for innovative projects

3.3 SEN and inclusion
Alternative formats for new resources
More educational materials for blind and partially-sighted pupils

4. Technical news
Web security: Captcha images
Web security: FIRECAT 1.4 released

5. General news
Byron Review action plan
Combining handheld devices, e-assessment and e-portfolios
TechNews
Edupunk
Handheld Learning Awards

6. Events
Delivering Diplomas for 2009

7. Feedback and unsubscription information

Make News Riveting: Contentdevelopersbulletin Digest, Vol 36, Issue 1

Send Contentdevelopersbulletin mailing list submissions to
contentdevelopersbulletin@lists.becta.org.uk

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://lists.becta.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/contentdevelopersbulletin
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
contentdevelopersbulletin-request@lists.becta.org.uk

You can reach the person managing the list at
contentdevelopersbulletin-owner@lists.becta.org.uk

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Contentdevelopersbulletin digest..."

Hopelessly unencouraging: ENABLE NEWS 30 JULY 2008

GENERAL NEWS
Latest facts and figures for the self-review framework

· Total number of schools using the self-review framework = 12,885
· Most used element = Leadership and management
· Schools accredited with ICT Mark = 1,083
1,000th school gets ICT Mark

Earlier this month St Dunstan's Cheam Church of England Primary School, in Sutton, Surrey, became the 1,000th school to be awarded the ICT Mark.

Created in 2006, the ICT Mark recognises schools that make good use of technology to raise effectiveness and efficiency throughout school life: pupil assessment, learning and teaching, staff development, leadership and management. Becta research has found that, in Ofsted inspection reports, schools with the ICT Mark are four times more likely to be rated ‘outstanding’ for overall effectiveness. The research has also shown that pupils at ICT Mark schools achieve better results.
The Becta press release has more details.