Issue 1

WARNING

This is our old Web site. It is still usable, but will no longer be updated. Click here to go to our new Web site at

www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk

About the Author

My name is Andrew Trythall. I have been a teacher at Sir Robert Hitcham’s Primary School for 3 years. I have recently been appointed as lead teacher for the Thomas Mills Pyramid of schools to assist the primary schools in creating and using the Internet. Money has been made available from the Technological Colleges fund for this work.

What is Thomas Mills PINTs?

Thomas Mills PINTs will be a termly newsletter informing primary school teachers within the pyramid of useful Web Sites created by our pyramid of schools, and details of projects that are currently being undertaken. This will allow the sharing of good practice between our collection of schools.

How can it help our school?

The funding is for two years, and may be extended to three. I will be working in partnership with Brendan Routledge at SLAMnet to offer more support for teachers:

Supply cover for teachers for training and Web development

Training for teachers in creating Web sites as an educational resource

Working alongside teachers in classrooms to help pupils create their own Web sites

Technical support in uploading and updating a school Internet site

Giving Web site access to standalone machines, so that they can use educational material created by the Pyramid

Resources are already available to pyramid schools. On the Sir Robert Hitcham Web Site there are: Synagogues, Mosques, Materials, Living Key, Objects from India, Habitats and Patterns. On the Wickham Market Web Site there is the Rivers Project.

The PINTs audit of Internet use

There is an audit form available to be completed by every teacher. This is a necessary step in this pioneering work in using the Internet as a resource within a pyramid. A similar audit can be taken at the end of the project as evidence that the work undertaken has made a difference to the quality of education we can offer.

Please complete this form and return it to your headteacher, who will then pass it on to me. If there any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Email me if you have any problems.

What’s going to happen next?

After some negotiation with headteachers about how I can best help the school, I may be able to come and help you use currently available resources, even if you have a standalone machine (one that is not connected to a network or the Internet), create new resources, release you from your class for training, or work alongside you in the classroom to develop the children’s own Internet use.