Author

1. Homework – Numeracy and Literacy, Thinking Skills, Online Collaboration, Community Forums, Virtual Learning Environment Project Overview Learning Areas Levels Primary 7 (AGES 10 AND 11) Description Pupils access materials used in the classroom to support their learning. The resources are placed in the Learning NI environment provided by C2kNI and they are then supported as they complete homework. There is email support from the class teacher as well as online discussion forums for the children to participate in. I also give the children opportunities to develop debating skills to learn the ability to negotiate. Software Keywords Microsoft Community Clips, Microsoft Movie Player, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Learning NI environment, Internet Explorer, Encarta Encyclopedia, Adobe Reader, ACTIVprimary. Parental Engagement and Collaboration; Homework Support; Family Learning; Social Inclusion; Lifelong Learning. Cultural Barriers Cross-Community Collaboration Barry Corrigan, Millennium Integrated Primary School, Saintfield, Co Down, Northern Ireland Author Objectives Enthuse Children Engage Parents Bridge cultural divides between school and home Bridge cultural divides in our communities

2. What is an integrated school? Why is it so important to bridge divisions? Windows Live MovieMaker film I composed about Integrated Education in Northern Ireland Our education system separates children according to their religion! Integrated schools were started as a means of addressing the violence in Northern Ireland.. Religious differences were at the heart of the violence If the children could be educated together, then we could make progress on improving the lives of everyone by breaking down suspicions and sectarianism. Integrated schools break these religious barriers, bringing children together for a common purpose – understanding each other, building bridges and to giving an innovative education! An Integrated Primary School gives parents the chance to leave the ‘old ways’ of Northern Ireland behind and make a new beginning!

3. Why did I feel it had to be done?

4. Children – set the cycle

5. Parents – want to break the cycle

6. Teacher – breaking the cycle

7. Teacher Planning and Management • Come on – get involved! • Background & Planning: • Video– Classroom Practice and Homework Follow Up • (See how the classroom is extended into the home environment) • My pupils love using ICT resources in class. • If they enjoy it – why not use it? • Parents see their children using the computer for educational purposes. • The new Curriculum in Northern Ireland is placing an increased importance on ICT in learning – both in school and at home. • I want that to be a point of contact between the children’s learning and their parents. • Classroom Images: • Look at how I build the link between school and home. Documents

8. Teaching Resources Student Project Overview: LearningNI is the virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that the children access for their homework. Community Clips Video showing some of the areas within LNI Due to Child Protection live LEARNINGNI access will be available on the floor in Cape Town

9. Assessment and Standards So – have we seen the end of the school bell? Is the school day effectively extended into the home? Am I meeting my objectives? Parent Evaluation: What do the parents think? VIDEO – Parent discussing the benefit for her child who has specific needs VIDEO – Excellent video of a parent, who is also a teacher, discussing how she sees LNI working for her child. Classroom Assistant: Looking in from the outside (Superbly entertaining video demonstrating the excitement of my ‘mature’ Classroom Assistant about the work going on in class and at home) VIDEO

10. Assessment and Standards - continued Pupil Evaluation: What do the children think? PUPIL A VIDEO - How homework has changed for him PUPIL B VIDEO - Discussion Boards PUPIL C VIDEO - Using the Library Resources Teacher Evaluation: What do I think? Assessment and Pupil Tracking: See how the learning is tracked. COMMUNITY CLIPS VIDEO (Showing the data screens within LNI)

11. Assessment and Standards – Meeting The Objectives Children – the cycle is changed Can’t understand the schoolwork Access the resources to extend learning Find the homework difficult Find the school work interesting Don’t want to learn Can’t wait to learn Email support if needed No support or help

12. Assessment and Standards – Meeting The Objectives Parents – see the cycle broken Can’t understand the schoolwork Understand the homework activities Find the homework difficult Can see the classroom activities Frustrated Interested Can use the resources to offer help Can’t support or help

13. Teacher and School Information Millennium Integrated Primary School(School Website) Barry Corrigan Who am I? I am the Vice-Principal, Primary 7 (age 10-11years) teacher and ICT Co-ordinator. Why do I do it? I have a keen interest in computers, especially gaming, and have ambitions of having this medium accepted more into mainstream interest through the use of the Nintendo ’Wii’ for Dyspraxicchildren; incorporation of Nintendo DS into maths classes and future use of Sony’s PS3 game ’Little Big Planet’ for collaborative game design. Have a look at some of the regional television coverage we have received highlighting our innovative use of technology - VIDEO Who are we?(Link to school prospectus) Millennium Integrated Primary School opened in September 2000 with just 10 pupils in a house in Newtownbreda Park, Belfast. Five years later it opened its building on the present site on the Belfast Road, Saintfield. The school now has 226 pupils, including a Nursery Unit which opened in September 2008. Our kids made this excellent video about the school’s history in 2007 PART 1 PART 2 We like to feel that we develop independent, creative and interested pupils.