The Kingswood Partnership vLe:
not your usual vLe...
"There is no inherent meaning in information, it's what we do with that information that matters."
Beau Lotto, TED July 2009
The vLe is designed to enable students to use engaging technologies in collaborative inquiry-based learning environments with teachers who are willing and able to use technology's power to assist them in transforming knowledge and skills into new information ("A vision of K-12 Students today").
Most schools have a vLe nowadays. In most cases it is a vLe in name only and the 'vLe' is a bank of resources... a posh intranet, but not a vLe. This is why OFSTED has been overall not impressed with the impact most vLes have on learning. The vLe has not come of age and is still miles from the initial statement.
The Kingswood Partnership vLe is solely geared towards one target: raising standards. It uses techniques which have a clear track record and the resources it hosts are geared towards e-Learning: adding a dimension to our existing practice. It is anchored in the reality dictated by the new specifications and anchored in the subject's Scheme of Work. It represents the first step towards collaborative working.
This new vLe was born on the 2nd of November 2009 and whilst it uses the old platform, its focus is different.
As we want the vLe to have an impact on our current pupils, the development of the KP vLe has had to take drastic strides to be relevant to students now.
First things first, the Kingswood Partnership website is now supporting the development of e-Learning through the partnership by centralising the list of resources available. You will also see the resources that are available in Kingsfield school. If you want access to them and are not from the Kingsfield school, just let me know. We are already working on linking the City of Bristol Blackboard vLe to this website.
The other major change is of course in Studywiz. Everything is now held in the global resources area and organised properly. To use these resources and integrate them in your class you have to import the resources into your e-Locker and then move them to your class. We can transfer all the resources into your e-Locker for you if you want. Just let us know and we'll do it so that everything is a click of a button away! Simple.
There are talks of moving Studywiz to the newer 9.5 version. I am keen to involve the teachers who use 9.3 in deciding whether the 9.5 version is relevant or not.
The teachers' role is simple: plan/ deliver/ review progress. Our role is simple: provide the e-Learning dimension to the teachers' lesson.
A number of teachers have already contacted me and we have started some bespoke work. I take away the SOW and create interactive exercises for the students. Evidence suggests that the best way to use these exercises is to let the students know they exist, to display the marks in the classroom (including the marks of those who have not done anything!) and to promote positive peer pressure. As everyone can get 100% (they can re-do the exercises), the work is inherently differentiated but also targeted at the bottom line: results.
A number of subject leaders/ practitioners have yet to contact me. For them I have pushed packages of resources created by National Learning Network (NLN). The resources are of the highest quality and very suitable to be transformed as e-learning material. The only thing I ask is that you contact me and identify the packages you believe are totally matched to your Scheme of Work. I'll create the e-Learning component and I guarantee your students will start to work harder, learn more and get better results.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you want to add the e-Learning functionality to your course. It will not change how you teach, but it will have a massive impact on how your students learn.
That's a promise!
Daniel Esteve
Director of e-Learning and Innovation
Kingswood Partnership
