Hillside School - Using ICT and Multiple Intelligences
What is this?
Hillside School is a small residential facility for boys aged 11 – 16. Most students at Hillside have had difficulties in coping with mainstream schooling because of emotional, behavioural, or social difficulties.
This project will allow staff to enable greater creativity in the curriculum, through their enhanced awareness, and facilitation of Multiple Intelligences. By making wider, and more advanced use of ICT in preparation and delivery of National Units, we will be in a position to offer the suite of Access courses via a broader range of teaching and learning styles. Class organisation will become more flexible through team teaching opportunities, integration of school learning with each pupil's 'home', use of the enhanced ICT area, and trials of alternatives structures to the school day.
All staff will have the opportunity to develop skills in Word, PowerPoint, the Internet, and Excel via the PC Passport/Microsoft suite of qualifications. Additionally, up to 3 teachers will work towards the new E-learning and E-assessment qualifications. These staff will work towards developing teaching materials and amended NABs for existing and newly-introduced National Units.
We are focusing on the concept of human beings having Multiple Intelligences. We aim to link this concept with opportunities in ICT. Resources will be developed to improve access, delivery, and assessment of: existing Access and Intermediate cluster, courses and units within the school, and strands of the 5-14 curriculum.
Through using the facilities in collaborative (and individual) teaching preparation, we also aim to develop meaningful homework tasks/projects (deliverable in the unit setting), thus providing a model for the extension of the school week (a major national priority for Residential Schools for LAC). All of the above will be available through our secure Virtual Learning Environment. It is envisaged that this would be available online towards the end of the project. Teaching and assessment resources that are developed would be made available to the education community.
This resource would allow pupils to, for instance:
- Maintain a video diary/short film of the 'Leisure Time Activities' or 'Sampling Work' aspects of the course
- Provide evidence (other than written) of performance in areas such as 'Parenting Skills' and 'Interview Skills'
- Self-assess.
A video conferencing facility will be set up within the resource area. This would enable pupils to access educational experiences out with their current environment. Development of knowledge and skills in subject areas such as History and Modern Foreign Languages would take place. Additionally, international projects would be undertaken through work with Global-Leap.com and The British Council. As the project develops, the facility would be used for virtual Access Network meetings and on-site conferences/workshops involving the wider education community.
FLaT involvement?
FLaT support is provided to enable the use of ICT and Multiple Intelligences to improve access to, and delivery of, national units.
Links with National Priorities?
1. Achievement and Attainment
2. Framework for Learning
3. Inclusion and Equality
4. Values and Citizenship
5. Learning for Life
Project aims?
- To improve teaching, learning, and assessment resources available to nation-wide providers of National Qualifications
- To improve attainment levels in, and range of, National Qualifications
- To enable the school to become e-literate
- To offer all units in all Access clusters
- To establish links with educational establishments outside the UK
- To form a Young Enterprise Scotland company.
Project outcomes?
- School-wide understanding of Multiple Intelligences is achieved through INSET training. The theory is applied to TARSIS IEP writing and lesson planning
- A model for extending the school week in a residential school for LAC
- The facility is used to alternatively assess performance criteria in: Social Subjects, PSE (Independent Living)
- Up to three staff trained to SQCF Level 8 in e-learning and assessment
- Off-site monthly ICT meeting at café facility with Ethernet
- Access Network conference and workshop takes place at Hillside
- Each leaver leaves with DVD showcasing work across a range of "intelligences".
Timescale?
The project was started in January 2005 and is due to be completed by December 2006.
Level of Support?
FLaT support is a grant of £10,000.
Who are the evaluation team?
Not yet appointed.
Contact person:
David Noble, Hillside School, Aberdour KY3 ORH. Tel 01383 860731. Email: noble_d@hillsideschool.co.uk