Category: Connect News
connectsite 
14.12.17Guest Blog Post: Working With Virtual SEN Students Using C-Live
The biggest and longest running educational conference here in the UAE is GESS which takes place at the World Trade Centre each year. This year was the sixth time I have attended and in between presentations, I wandered the vast trade show looking for something new and inspiring. Over the years I have come across … Continued
Kirsty Macfarlane 05.12.17The Benefits of Using Virtual Reality for CPD
The House of Commons 2016-2017 Retention and recruitment of teachers report has found that continued professional development “improves teaching practice, professionalism and can help improve teacher retention.” However, the same report has also found that England has had a weaker commitment to CPD than most high-performing countries and that “many teachers will not be doing … Continued
Kirsty Macfarlane 04.12.17Introducing Our New Virtual Class
It’s time to say an extremely fond farewell to our current virtual class. While we’re sad to see Sean and his classmates go, we’re very excited to introduce you to our new C-Live class. C-Live now features a variety of classrooms with pupils in different year groups. We can also offer multiple class sizes, allowing … Continued
Alastair Fielden 29.11.17Connected Learning
The availability of technology for online learning has been around for well over a decade. The Anytime Anywhere Learning initiative that came out of the USA some years ago gained traction in the UK. This approach gives schools the room to develop their vision for extending and enhancing access to learning opportunities beyond the school … Continued
Kirsty Macfarlane 28.11.17C-Live is a Bett Award Finalist!
Connect are thrilled to announce that we are Bett Award finalists for 2018, with our teacher training service C-Live, the first virtual reality training platform in the UK. The Bett Awards, now in their 20th year, are one of the education industry’s most esteemed accolades, and celebrate innovation and creativity in educational technology. C-Live, which … Continued
Alastair Fielden 22.11.17Supporting Pupils With SEND – Looking beyond the ‘label’
During my teaching degree a group of us decided to put a pamphlet together about Special Needs. We all had various reasons for our interest in SEN and wanted to inform our colleagues. With input from one of our lecturers, we drafted the content from a mix personal and general experiences. The aim was to … Continued
Alastair Fielden 14.11.17It Takes A Village To Raise A Child
Mental health in schools has been given a lot of consideration with The Prime Minister stating in January that 1,200 secondary schools were to receive Mental Health First Aid training, while Prince William raised the issue of mental health when he talked about his own experiences. The charity Young Minds states, “1 in 10 children and young … Continued
Alastair Fielden 10.11.17How Do Small Groups Benefit Learners?
With increasing class sizes in many schools across the UK, it is understandable that many parents and carers may be anxious about how their offspring are coping in larger classes. It is not surprising that small group sessions, catch-up programmes and intervention strategies are being employed both in and outside of school time in an … Continued
Alastair Fielden 03.11.17Remember, Remember!
Learning relies heavily on our short-term or working memory. Some pupils seem to struggle with carrying out and completing tasks, while other pupils seem to have very few problems. Among the different reasons for struggle, working memory issues are a contributing factor. Picture working memory as a mental ‘note pad’ in which we hold a … Continued
Alastair Fielden 27.10.17Research Supports Writing Ideas
In my articles on encouraging reluctant writers over the past year or so, I have proposed various activities that can stimulate, motivate and assist our young writers with this process. These ideas emerged out of the need to support students of various ages, some with specific difficulties and/or memory issues which affected their writing processes, … Continued
