FIFA 2010 World Cup in Inverclyde!
Overview
Inverclyde's World Cup Group
Diana Rolland is ICT Support Teacher and Glow Development Officer for Inverclyde Council. She has supported the roll-out and adoption of Glow in Inverclyde since its inception. One of her many tasks has been to promote the usage of Glow in schools in the authority by creating local authority level groups to enhance learning and teaching. She has created the FIFA World Cup 2010 Glow Group for this purpose and made it available to all schools in Inverclyde. In this Cookbook we will look at the work Diana has done in putting the group together.
In this cookbook, we will find out:
• What the Inverclyde FIFA World Cup 2010 Group looks like
• How Diana created a Graphical Interface on the Noticeboard page
• How this interface was linked to hidden pages within the Glow Group
Context
The pages in the group
Diana wanted to create the local authority level group for 2 main reasons. Firstly, she wanted to practice creating a graphical interface and linking this to hidden pages within the Group. Diana also wanted to provide a resource for schools that teachers could use towards the end of term and over the summer holidays. She wanted to increase the use of Glow in a fun way by introducing pupils to the use of document libraries, web links, picture galleries and discussion boards. Diana is also keen to introduce less experienced teachers to Glow by giving them a resource to use which is already set up for them.
In this Cookbook we will look at how Diana has used different web parts to give access to a wealth of resources freely available on the web but organised for the pupils and teachers in Inverclyde into the one simple interface. Using the discussion boards also involves the pupils in a much more collaborative approach to looking at the World Cup than only interacting individually with resources.
Ingredients
The Graphical Interface Noticeboard
Noticeboard Graphical Interface
The FIFA World Cup 2010 Glow Group is visually stimulating. Almost all areas can be linked to from the South African Flag on the Noticeboard page. To keep the interface simpler all of the pages linked to are hidden pages. This means there are not a multitude of page tabs strewn across the top of the Group.
Each Group within the competition has a page which begins by displaying flags for each of the nations involved within that group (which link to websites on each country) and a document library containing lots of tasksheets on the strips of the different teams. There is also a discussion board where pupils are asked to post match reports and ideas on the best player from each group. Diana felt that this would introduce pupils to document libraries and discussion boards and allow them to become familiar with these central tools in Glow.
Along with each of the groups linked to from the South African Flag interface are links for Websites and Documents. These give access to hidden pages containing lots more resources for teachers and pupils.
Also on the Noticeboard page is a News web part where Diana has targeted news out to the pupils and teachers and a What’s On web part listing when all the matches are being played. Diana has created a web part displaying a Countdown to the Final using MagicWidgets and a web part which links off to a Brainpop movie about the World Cup. At the very bottom of the page is a Contacts web part with Diana’s contact details so that pupils and teachers can request additional functionality for the group.
Other pages
Other Pages of the Group
Outside of the Graphical Interface links on the Noticeboard, there are additional pages available on the tabs along the top. The first of these is the Players page where pupils are given templates in Word and Textease and asked to create biographies of their favourite football players and upload these to a document library. The next page is a Wives and Girlfriends’ Page where pupils are encouraged to design a handbag. The information for uploading a photo of the handbag is given in a News web part along with instructions about editing the properties of the photo within the Picture Gallery to give it a name and a description. The next page, recently added by Diana is called Photo Gallery and is for schools to upload any displays or work related to the World Cup with the last page being a Country Fact File for the pupils to share additional information they have picked up on the countries they have been looking at.
Click here to see some of the handbag designs
What did Diana need to do to build activities around the World Cup and give pupils and teachers access to this local authority Glow Group?
- Create a Glow Group at local authority level in Inverclyde
- Create hidden pages within the group for the different activities
- Hotspot links to these pages from an image in a text editor web part
- Find appropriate images and activities on the web without copyright restrictions
- Find supporting videos from the web and link these onto the pages
- Create a Countdown widget to the Final
- Rename existing pages and create additional pages for Players, Wives and Girlfriends, Photo Gallery and County Factfile
- Set pupils and teachers from across the authority with Reader with Discussions access to the group
- Send out targeted news publicising the Group and any new pages
Recipe
The first video below is a virtual tour by Diana of the FIFA World Cup 2010 Glow Group. Please note, that as the usage of the group grew Diana added more content and the video was recorded before some of the extra pages were added. The videos that then follow show how some of the elements within the Group can be recreated. Details are:
What does the Inverclyde FIFA World Cup 2010 Glow Group look like?
How to add text editor web parts onto the Noticeboard page with glitter text
How to add a Flag image with text into a text editor web part to act as a graphical interface
Creating a hidden page with new document and discussions web parts
Working with a text editor web part and hotspots on the hidden page
How to create hotspots on the image in text editor to link to the various hidden pages
How to create a Countdown widget on the Noticeboard page
Impact
Click here to see Scared Heart Primary's Cameroon Display
As we’ve already mentioned, Diana set up the Glow Group for 2 main reasons. She wanted to have a practice at using a simple graphical interface and hidden pages within Glow and she also wanted to encourage pupils and teachers across the authority to use Glow. She was also setting out to establish a Group which would allow pupils to be able to use Glow over the summer holidays.
“I wanted to increase the use of Glow in a fun way, so I hope I’ve achieved that by giving them lots of different activities.”
Katrina Flaherty, Head of Gourock Pre-5 Centre has begun to use the Group. She thanked Diana for creating it and let her know how she’s been using it with her Pre-5s.
She printed off the flags and gave one to each child to take home where the parents were asked to help them find out information about their country. Some have already begun to do this. She has put up a map of the world in the classroom with the childrens’ flags fixed to the map to identify where each country is. The children will then take turns telling each other what they have found out about the country.
Katrina noted, “This is parental involvement, investigative learning and use of ICT to increase their knowledge and understanding of the world”.
She intends to create a graph and if their country scores a goal, each child will add a sticker to the graph.
Click here to see Gourock Pre 5 World Map
Diana has added a page to the Group for the schools to upload photos and Katrian has agreed to photograph her wall displays to go up into this gallery. The Centre had also recently been to Blair Drummond and took lots of photos which Katrian is also going to add to the map of the world.
Diana Rolland speaks about the FIFA World Cup 2010 Group
Links with Curriculum for Excellence
Through their involvement in the FIFA World Cup 2010 Glow Group, the pupils have been actively engaging with a range of Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes. This range will depend upon many factors, namely, which web parts were used and the age and stage/level of the pupils accessing them. Amongst others, they include:
EXA 0-02a – I have the freedom to discover and choose ways to create images and objects using a variety of materials.
LIT 1-01a – I regularly select and listen to or watch texts which I enjoy and find interesting, and I can explain why I prefer certain sources.
I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to create texts of my choice.
LIT 1-20a – I enjoy creating texts of my choice and I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to suit the needs of my audience.
LIT 2-23a – Throughout the writing process, I can check that my writing makes sense and meets its purpose.
SOC 2-16c – I can discuss issues of the diversity of cultures, values and customs in our society.
TCH 0-03a – I explore software and use what I learn to solve problems and present my ideas, thoughts, or information.