ISANet Half-term Newsletter Monday 13 February 2012

Dear All
No doubt the exertions of the first half-of-term have got to most of you; thanks for the really quite lively response to my ISANet post of last week – http://goo.gl/n8Qjj

It could just have been a dead cat bounce (http://goo.gl/4aOTe) and when I met with Dave Orchard earlier today from Canbury School, he was indeed afeared that ISNet colleagues were struggling to keep their vital digital signs alive. Now it may be that many ISANet colleagues are planning their Google Teacher Academy application (go-on, have a go, 2 minutes of form filling and a quick face to camera on your mobile phone), or otherwise polishing their Digital agenda.

The Good news is the 100th Individual through the Google Apps trainng program is walking through the doors of the Sixth GAPPs course at my Alma-Mater on Wednesday – be assured the prize is worth winning – the teacher together with 6 students from their school is to visit the Google London Offices in Victoria, London, meet William Florance, CEO EMEA EDU, have the opportunity to learn about Google & have some of their questions answered, lunch in their restaurant and … sometime this summer term, the 200th visitor will be through our training academy, so each milestone is worth working to and for – the ISA Google Apps for Education project will keep the buzz+ going.

Do you think you have a 13-18 year old young sicentist capable of inventing something? $50,000 Google prize for further education PLUS $50,000 Science in Action prize PLUS a trip to the GALAPAGOS islands for 13-18 year old plus 15xChrome books for regional winners. We are hosting at Claires Court, 1 College Avenue Maidenhead Berks SL6 6AW the first UK based Introduction to the Google Science Fair. Saturday 25 February 9am-12 noon, free for child and adult, a knock-out for any keen young scientist and parent – read more about the Science fair here – http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/

Booking for the Claires Court Schools’ event is here – http://goo.gl/Y68Mp – I am delighted to report that the Association for Science Education is supporting the event, and we’ll either have no-one or loads! Consider this like so many other ISA events – great to take part in, and there for the children!

And finally, I’ll give you an otherwise link-free half-term break. Please do get involved by blogging your own ideas on the ISANet, please encourage your other colleagues into action too, and help build our ISA community still further.

I’m off to Berlin with Year 11 Historians at 4am in the morning – brrrr! All part of the joy of working in the UK – I can’t imagine the PISA leaders in the league tables have time for some real hands-on education, but hey, thats’ the joy/price of being allowed to think for ourselves.

BW
James Wilidng
jtw@clairescourt.com
@james_wilding