Welcome to my ICT Presentation all about Hants WizKiD By Gail Cox Gail Cox BA Primary Education

The Department for Children, Schools and Families expects all schools to be using integrated learning and management systems by 2012.

What is WiZKiD ? Wizkid is a learning platform which provides a safe environment in which children can work together across classes, year groups and beyond. But what is a Learning Platform? A learning platform is simply a term used to describe virtual learning, where multimedia applications are used to support teaching and learning. It opens the ability to share files, download information, , share discussion boards and much more.

Wizkid includes many multimedia tools, including video and audio lessons, making it simple to link websites and documents and also includes an environment for the children to chat and discuss their learning. Wizkid has huge potential for sharing resources across the county and for teachers and children to work together indifferent ways. Waite (2005:145) Suggests that “multimedia offers appeal to both visual and auditory learning styles.” Townsend (2005:94) goes on to discuss how the benefits of using ICT can facilitate the communication skills needed by children.

Provides opportunities for the children to continue activities related to the terms topics at home. Enables parents to know the topics for the term and allow them to support their child’s learning. Provides additional activities to enhance all curriculum areas, not just topic themes. How will WiZKiD benefit the whole school?

There are other types of WizKid sites Weather WizKids- A fantastic site covering all elements of weather in a very child friendly manner Creative Wizkids- Is an organization that encourages creativity in children and encourages families to participate in the creativeness of their children

“Home and school learning brings home and school together enabling parents to be directly involved with their son or daughter’s learning in a genuine partnership that provides learners with continuing and progressive success.” (Muirhead, Hicks and Bishop 2005:185)

“Support is particularly strong among the teaching profession, who believe that placing greater emphasis on the development of literacy, numeracy, ICT and personal development across the curriculum will give them the flexibility to help all learners make the best possible progress”. Rose (2009:54-55) A multimedia package such as WiZKiD provides the perfect place, for children to see all the work they encounter in the classroom as interlinking. They will also be able to receive the support from family members whilst embracing WiZKiD at home.

More from Rose! “A reasonable grasp of ICT is needed in education and employment, and it will become increasingly important to command ICT skills to prepare for technologies of the future”. (Rose 2009:69) Safe, informative and encouraging programmes such as WiZKiD provides children with such opportunities to develop their ICT skills.

The ever so slightly not completely positive side to WiZKiD!!! Not every home has a computer, or if a child’s home has a computer they may not have internet access. Although most children seem to be immensely keen to use computers, for a kinaesthetic learner this style of learning may not always be the style that suits the best. Setting up a virtual environment takes an element of skill and an unlimited amount of time. These are qualities that some practitioners may find hard to find.

The WiZKiD login Page

Bibliography Waite, S. (2005) “Personalising ICT” in Wheeler, S. (Ed) Transforming Primary ICT. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Townsend, M. (2005) “Meeting Individual Differences” in Wheeler, S. (Ed) Transforming Primary ICT. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Muirhead, G., Hicks, P. and Bishop, J. (2005) “Schools of the Future” in Wheeler, S. (Ed) Transforming Primary ICT. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Rose, J. (2009) Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: Final Report. Nottingham: DCSF Publications