RSA Team

Dear all

Despite the appalling weather conditions for many of us for quite some considerable period in January we still managed between us to deliver 16 workshops with over 160 delegates attending – some of you were truly heroic in your efforts given the snow and ice!! Thank you to all of you for your continued efforts – the evaluations have been excellent and show how much your input has been appreciated.

Impact
We are now into the final two months of the support programme, and you will be aware from a previous communication that a number of us will be meeting on February 22nd to evaluate the programme. I would be grateful if you could feed any anecdotal evidence you may have on impact – the degree to which schools/departments have made changes to their curriculum – either to your regional co-ordinator or to me sometime before then so that can be brought to that meeting. You are most likely to have this evidence if you have an AST role as well or if you have done a workshop in this phase in a school/LA where you did one in phase 2.

Invoices/monthly reports
Thank you to all those of you who have sent me your monthly report for January. Could I please ask all of you who have any days to claim from either last term or January to let me know how many days you/your school are claiming and for what as soon as possible- many thanks.

Database
Thank you also to those of you who have entered your delegates onto the database so promptly. Just a reminder that this should be done as soon as possible after your event and in any case within 5 days, as we are required to do under the contract. Could you check when you do this that the event is “complete” and that the region and dates are correct.

Events
If you have any events booked, or are booking any dates between now and the end of March could you make sure that your regional co-ordinator has the details of these to pass on to me and/or you let me know direct as soon as possible so that I can keep track of what has been done where. At the end of each month I have to produce a report for CfBT of our activity and I need this information for it to be as accurate as possible – thanks.

Liz

Dear RSA

As most of you probably know, Language World is only just over two months away so could you all try and publicise it at your workshops from now on. You will probably have received the programme now, mine dropped through the letter box this morning, but here it is in PDF format should you wish/need to forward it.

LW2010 brochure

Liz

Dear RSA

Our final meeting as a group of RSAs will be on Wednesday March 10th at the Japan Foundation London Language Centre, Russell Square House, 10-12 Russell Square, London WC1B 5EH. It is just a few yards from Russell Square underground station. (http://www.jpf.org.uk/map.html).

Start: 10.30am, with coffee from 10.00am (would be grateful for a couple of volunteers to help set up the room from 9.30am)

End: 3.30pm

The agenda has yet to be finalized but Kathy has invited both Lid King and Fiona McConnon (Links national manager) – they have yet to reply. Part of the meeting will also look at how some support can continue to be delivered through the Links centres post March and we are also planning to include a celebratory element…..

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ATTEND. It will be assumed that you don’t need accommodation unless you indicate that you do (only for journeys of over 3 hours). Please book travel in advance to take advantage of low cost fares

I do hope as many of you as possible will be able to make this meeting and look forward to seeing you then

Liz

Dear RSAs

I have just uploaded several resources to the Resources page. Click on Various resources and scroll down to where it says “New 07.12.09!!”

They include some materials for workshop activities on the PLTS and creativity, some slides from Andrea on the KS3 framework, and some of the materials we have been using for workshops in London using a “themed” approach.

Liz

Dear RSAs

November has been an excellent month in terms of workshops run by RSAs. There have been 17 local events attended by some 270 + teachers. These numbers have been really encouraging given the gloom and doom of the “rarely cover” scenario, and feedback on the evaluation forms has been overwhelmingly positive. In addition there have been cross curricular conferences held in the North East, West Midlands, South East, Yorkshire and Humberside and London with some of the other subject associations, which some of you have been involved in – these too have been very well received. At those conferences each subject association had to produce an 8 minute presentation capturing the essence of their subject and what makes for compelling learning in that subject. A copy of that presentation is available below:

8 minute presentation

I shall also be uploading some workshop resources in a separate posting.

Now that the end of term is drawing near could I also just give a couple of gentle reminders:

Activity log/invoices
Thank you to all those of you who have sent me your activity log sheets. If you have days to claim for up to the end of November, could you make sure that either you or you school sends the invoice to the ALL office and could you also send me a note of the number of days you are claiming so that I can keep a track of this. I know that a few of you have workshops coming up this week so you may wish to wait to the end of the week and include these as well.

Evaluation forms
Thank you to all those of you who have sent me your forms. Just a reminder to use the Phase 3 form (available on the blog – send me an email if you can’t find it) and send them to:

4 Lancaster Road
St Albans
Herts AL1 4ET

Events
CfBT have asked me to pass on their thanks for the prompt entry of delegates names onto the database. Please keep up the good work – delegates’ names should be entered onto the database within 5 days of the event. Please do get in touch with me if there are any issues over this.

Advertising events
Please do try to advertise your events on the Links website, particularly if it is a twilight event as these, by and large, are open to a wider audience. You can also indicate if the event is open only to teachers from a particular LA or LAs. If you use the online form, you can put the following into the final field (link to website)
http://www.all-nsc.org.uk/nsc/?q=node/69 This will take them to the events page and there is now an email address events@all-nsc.org.uk that can be used for people to get more information and to register an interest in an event. On the online form the start and end date are one and the same for an event on a particular day. If you have any problems with the online form you can contact Jo Shelton J.Shelton@soton.ac.uk who will be able to help you out. She can also upload details if you send her the information direct; alternatively local Links centres can help out.

And finally, if you do organize your own events please could you make sure that I and you co-ordinator know the details.

Thank you for all your hard work and effort that has gone into making our part of the support programme so successful this term. I hope you all enjoy a well deserved and peaceful break over the Christmas holidays.

Best wishes

Liz

Dear RSAs

Here are a couple of slides advertising the ALL website, the Links into Languages website, the LinkedUp award scheme and Rachel’s book: Final slide for workshops2 I’d be grateful if you could add these to your presentations when you do a workshop – if time is short the first of the three would be sufficient + a mention fo Rachel’s book.

Could I also just give a couple of gentle reminders:

Activity log/invoices
If you have days to claim for up to the end of October, could you make sure that either you or you school sends the invoice to the ALL office. Could you also send me a note of the number of days you are claiming so that I can keep a track of this.

Events
Could you try to enter the delegates names on the database as soon as you are able after the event. Technically we are supposed to do this within 5 days, though I do appreciate that this is sometimes not possible. Please do get in touch with me if there are any issues over this.

Advertising events (I have already sent this to co-ordinators)
If you have organized an event could you advertise it by uploading the details onto the Links website, particularly twilight events which by and large are open to a wider audience. You can indicate if the event is open only to teachers from a particular LA or LAs, in fact some LAs are already using Links to advertise their events. If you use the online form, you can put the the following into the final field (link to website)
http://www.all-nsc.org.uk/nsc/?q=node/69 This will take them to the events page and there is now an email address events@all-nsc.org.uk that can be used for people to get more information and to register an interest in an event. On the online form the start and end date are one and the same for an event on a particular day. If you have any problems with the online form you can contact Jo Shelton J.Shelton@soton.ac.uk who will be able to help you out. She can also upload details if you send her the information direct.

And finally, if you do organize events could you make sure that I and you co-ordinator know the details.

Many thanks
Liz

Here’s another go at uploading this document of Sara’s. This version is in Word 2003. Hope it works! Let me know if it doesn’t.

Overview of PoS and framework strands

Liz

Dear all

I hope the first month of the new school year has gone well. I know that many of you have met (or are about to meet) in your regional teams to plan events for the coming two terms. Could I request those of you who have days to claim to send me your activity report for this period. Some of you have already done this, for which many thanks.

The CfBT database seems to be playing funny tricks at the moment. When I logged on this morning it wasn’t showing any of my events (or anyone else’s for that matter)! However, this is just a reminder that in this phase we should be logging events within 5 days of them happening. I’ll contact CfBT to find out what is happening with the database. Could you make sure that you use the Phase 3 evaluation forms (downloadable from the blog) and send them to me as and when: 4 Lancaster Road, St Albans, AL1 4ET

Do let me know if you are unable to access things that have been uploaded to the blog – I am aware of a problem with one of the documents that Sara did, which I uploaded last week, so I’ll have a go at uploading that again. If you have resources you would like to share, do either upload them yourself or send them to me to upload.

Liz
01727 842875 07814 658416

Many thanks to Sara Vaughan who has done some sterling work on how the PoS and the framework link in with each other. She has produced two documents which you can access here:

Visual overview of PoS and renewed framework

Overview of PoS and Framework strands

Dear all,

Alison Edwards has sent the following  information to clarify how to access the various resources relating to the KS3 Framework.

Best,

Kathy

——————————————————————————

Quick guide to accessing the Modern foreign languages (MFL) e-learning modules

The modules are available from http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/mfl.

The box on the left hand side, ‘Sections in Modern foreign languages’ has a link to CPD (continuing professional development – http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/search/mfl/results/nav:49828)

Selecting this takes you to a page listing the modules.

To access the modules you have to join the course covering these modules. To do this:

1. select the top link – ‘Modern foreign languages (MFL) e-learning modules’ (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/171044)

2. ensure you are logged-in (if you are not logged-in select ‘Log in’ at the top right of the page)

3. select Join (bottom right of page)

The modules will then be listed, along with a brief description of each, and you can select the one you want.

If you have already joined the course and you are returning to the site (make sure you are logged-in) you can go directly to the Modern foreign languages (MFL) e-learning modules page at: http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/171044 and select the desired module from there.

Quick guide to accessing the Key Stage 3 Framework for languages

• A PDF of the Learning objectives can be downloaded at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/187051
• A PDF of the Exemplification can be downloaded at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/189433 and the accompanying Glossary of terms at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/189379.
• Guidance on the Framework is listed by chapter and sub-chapter at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/search/mfl/results/nav:49830

Quick guide to accessing the Key Stage 3 Framework for languages

The components of the new Framework are available from http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/mfl.

The box on the right hand side, ‘Key Stage 3 Framework for languages’ has links to:

• the Learning objectives (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/169162)
• the Exemplification (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/189541)
• and the Guidance (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/search/mfl/results/nav:49830).

On the Learning objectives page:

1. select the year required

2. select individual substrands or all of the strands and substrands

3. go to the bottom of the page and select ‘Go’

This takes you to the chosen substrands.

Alternatively, to view an individual substrand, select it directly from the links listed on the left hand side of the page.

You can also download a PDF that lists all the objectives by selecting the link (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/187051) in the introductory text.

PDFs of the Exemplification and glossary can also be accessed from here.

On the Exemplification page

The panel on the right hand side contains links to PDFs of the Exemplification (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/189433) and the Glossary (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/189379).

On the Guidance page

The chapters of the Guidance, with introductory text, are listed in order. Some chapters contain several parts, which are listed as indented text underneath the chapter introduction.