smartleydoesIT » religious education http://smartleydoesit.co.uk Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:45:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://smartleydoesit.co.uk http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/files/2007/12/favicon.ico smartleydoesIT Makeover! http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/09/06/makeover/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/09/06/makeover/#comments Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:39:39 +0000 smartley http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/?p=336 TrueTube is a FREE, award winning education site for schools, designed to support the teaching of PSHE, Citizenship and RE at Key Stages 3 and 4.   And they’ve just completed a brilliant makeover.
If you don’t know about TrueTube, read on! The site has hundreds of high quality short films on a wide range of social, ethical and moral issues. Some of the films are personal, some provocative or opinionated, some objective and factual. Some are made by professional film makers, whilst others are created by teenagers. In addition, there are many classroom resources available.

TrueTube also have a training division: Boldface ProductionsThey run courses, classes and workshops for aspiring young film-makers from a wide variety of backgrounds.

If you teacher PSHE, Citizenship or RE, this is a site not to be missed! Check it out!

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/09/06/makeover/feed/ 0 National Memorial Arboretum http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/08/17/305/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/08/17/305/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:44:02 +0000 smartley http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/?p=305 I have known about the National Memorial Arboretum for some time and was spurred on to visit, after watching the Countryfile programme on BBC1. What an amazing place! I was wanting to look at the site from the point of view of Learning Outside the Classroom and specifically how it could be used in RE or spiritual development contexts. I was not disappointed. So many opportunities, from the silence and reflection in the chapel at 11am every day, to the individual memorials, which not only give visual, sensory and tactile experiences but are rich in multilayered symbolism.

I am immensely grateful to Randie Cush, Education Officer, for her kindness and generosity in taking me round the site and for the opportunity to share and discuss ideas. Even if your school is too far away to bring a group of pupils, a personal visit to the NMA will give you many ideas which could be adapted and used in the school grounds or locality.

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/08/17/305/feed/ 0 Celebrating RE http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/05/21/celebrating-re/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/05/21/celebrating-re/#comments Fri, 21 May 2010 13:46:11 +0000 smartley http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/?p=256 Picture 2

Do you know that March 2011 is Celebrating RE month? Click to go to the website and find out how religious education can be celebrated.

Watch the movie and get involved!

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/05/21/celebrating-re/feed/ 0 REsilience http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/03/10/resilience/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/03/10/resilience/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:15:38 +0000 smartley http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/?p=250 resilience_cmyk_150dpi

Are you involved in teaching RE in a secondary school in England or Wales?  If so, REsilience is for you.

Many of the most interesting issues that arise in RE lessons are contentious, and the REsilience programme is being developed to help boost teachers’ confidence in handlng them.

Whatever your level of experience, and whatever your qualification in RE, REsilience has been designed to help you identify where (if at all) your confidence needs boosting and then to plan just what to do about it.

Want to find out more? Click here to visit the website.

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2010/03/10/resilience/feed/ 0 Learning Outside the Classroom http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/10/04/learning-outside-the-classroom/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/10/04/learning-outside-the-classroom/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:44:36 +0000 smartley http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/?p=39 A new resource has been created to give ideas for providing high quality experiences outside the classroom. This can be found on the Learning Outside the Classroom website.

In addition Sacred Space part of the new REonline website for RE practitioners, provides inspiring ideas for quality RE and spiritual development in sacred space.

There are a series of case studies together with some advice to prevent withdrawal from visits. There is also a booking form to hire banners and order bookmarks to raise the profile of LOtC in sacred space if holding a conference event.

Take a look at the impact LOtC can have on RE and spiritual development by clicking here.

There is additional information about Sacred Space on the official Sacred Space section of the LOtC website.

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/10/04/learning-outside-the-classroom/feed/ 0 Blogging in RE is alive and well …. http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/06/13/blogging-in-re-is-alive-and-well/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/06/13/blogging-in-re-is-alive-and-well/#comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:15:19 +0000 admin http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2007/10/15/blogging-in-re-is-alive-and-well/ …. and positively thriving at Nodehill Middle School, Newport, Isle of Wight. Take a look at some of the great things that are happening there and get some ideas for setting up a blog for your RE department! You can also go there from the sidebar widget.

Also have a look at the St Thomas More RE blog. It’s great to see RE flourishing in the world of blog!

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/06/13/blogging-in-re-is-alive-and-well/feed/ 0 Boring, irrelevant RE? http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/06/13/boring-irrelevant-re/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/06/13/boring-irrelevant-re/#comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:09:51 +0000 smartley http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/?p=37 Have you got students (or parents) who ask why it is necessary to study RE? Check out this YouTube video!

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2008/06/13/boring-irrelevant-re/feed/ 0 Podcasting in RE http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2007/06/08/11/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2007/06/08/11/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:17:44 +0000 admin http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2007/06/08/11/ Either click here, or on the orange icon in the sidebar to listen to the Bible Heroes podcast created by Year 6 pupils at St Francis of Assisi VA Primary School in Ingleby Barwick (link to school website). Click on Episode 1.

Link works with Internet Explorer 7.

To listen to this podcast with iTunes:
Open iTunes>Advanced>Subscribe to podcast. In the window which opens, copy this URL:

http://www.podiumpodcasting.com/~182439/Y6atSTF210607000355/rss.xml

and paste it into the iTunes URL window.

The eight Year Six pupils I was working with, had chosen the theme of Bible Heroes. They first listened to a podcast in the role of “audio critics”, selecting elements which they thought were good, but also made comments about where there was room to improve.

Pupils worked in pairs to write their scripts, then loaded these into the Podium software to rehearse and record. The ease of use of the software meant that the children could concentrate on their speaking and listening skills, practising and performing until they were satisfied with the result. They also evaluated each other’s podcasts and made useful points to improve the quality.

When asked at the end what they had learned from the experience, they made comments such as:

  • it made me realise how important deadlines are
  • you need to work as a team
  • it’s important to speak slowly and clearly
  • you have to make it sound interesting
  • you have to be responsible, otherwise it doesn’t work
  • it makes you think about what you are going to say and how you say it

During the remaining weeks of the summer term, these eight “podders” are now going to teach podcasting to Year 5 pupils and so pass on the expertise they have learned.

If you want to know more about what podcasting is or read some ideas for how it can be used in RE, then click to watch this slideshow. (You can see a larger version by clicking on the SlideShare icon.[slideshare id=60810&doc=podcasting-and-religious-education-7393&w=425]

]]> http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/blog/2007/06/08/11/feed/ 0 Consultancy and Training http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/training/ http://smartleydoesit.co.uk/training/#comments Mon, 21 May 2007 14:37:38 +0000 admin smartleydoesIT offers a wide range of consultancy, training, and support to individual schools, local authorities and dioceses. Courses include:
  • supporting primary and secondary RE
  • creation of interactive materials for RE and Collective Worship
  • Enhancing RE through ICT and higher order thinking skills
  • RE and assessment
  • RE – using interactive whiteboards to enhance lessons and engage learners
  • skills training in using an interactive whiteboard Promethean or Smartboard
  • Holocaust Education
  • podcasting
  • support for church schools pre and post Section 48 inspection (SIAS)
  • blogging
  • setting up blogs
  • stop frame animation
  • creative presentations with PhotoStory, MovieMaker and Web 2.0 applications
  • support and training for Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and LOtC Quality Badge
  • website development
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