There was a wide representation of learners ranging from those in Year1 to those in Year 11-13. Most were of primary age with all ages represented. The secondary learners (KS4) were from Wodensborough and experienced the technology mostly in English or Batmans Hill where the majority of the learners did not attend mainstream school regularly.

All settings included the availability of data projectors and interactive whiteboards, the majority being SMARTboards.

Strategies

There was a range of strategies for introducing the visualiser.

• Selecting a limited number of activities and/or a single cohort of learners.
• Selecting a range of subjects and age groups.
• Introducing it to the staff via staff meetings, assemblies and whole staff training. Followed by booking the resource.

Curriculum/Activities

Here is a flavour of some of the activities and areas of the curriculum reported on. It is not exhaustive.

• Hard to reach learners created a poster/Powerpoint presentation using images captured with the visualiser.
• Y4 created short animations using Moviemaker. They used the same software to record responses in subject areas. Others included:
• Handwriting/letter formation.
• Modelling maths strategies
• Sharing texts
• Looking at artefacts
• Looking at scientific equipment
• Sharing test questions and modelling answers for GCSE English something that received positive comments from OFSTED.
• Use of the camera to record elements of Science, PE and PSHE lessons. Stimulating creative work in Drama lessons. Sharing work in the plenary part of a lesson.
• Year 1 used it to support their 'MiniBeasts' topic and also some of the cross-curricular links e.g. Art and Literacy.
• Year 6 Changing Circuits topic in Science. Here is a sample of how the visualiser was used - After changing their circuits, children were asked to draw the circuits they had built. I chose several different ones to put under the visualiser and show to whole class. The children quickly started to comment on the differences. Some had noticed different ones on their table, but seeing ones from different tables too, really got the point across. We were able to discuss the barriers involved if electricians, etc drew circuits without any set ways. The children loved seeing their own, and their friends work up on the IWB.

        In other areas of the curriculum:

• The visualiser proved invaluable when demonstrating techniques in Art and D.T.
• The children came up with the idea of a 'Maths Surgery' where children could share questions they were stuck on with the class and gain help from their friends. The problem in question would be put onto the visualiser, along with any jottings the child had already done. The rest of the class could then try and spot where they had gone wrong and help put it right. By seeing silly mistakes made by others, (such as not carrying or putting an extra zero on) children got into the habit of 'troubleshooting' their own work.
• When year 5 did a unit of work on micro-organisms last year, they used the visualiser to zoom in on the pieces of bread, which had been left in various places. The feedback I got from the teacher was very positive and they said the children got so much out of seeing the mouldy bread close up.
• Visualiser was set up and used in a Year 6 classroom. I have just started using learning walls to enhance teaching, so tried to integrate the success criteria with a visualiser in plenaries. For instance, if the lesson was the big write, the focus may have been to write a dilemma. The success criteria and lesson would have focussed on using short sentences, introduce a moral dilemma of some sort and to use questions to engage the reader. In the plenary we could use the success criteria to peer assess using PMI (positive - good points, minus - not so good, but leads the pupil to a target next time and I - Interesting point form the writing) and the visualiser. We could do a whole class PMI on a piece of work, 'spot check' a piece to see if we agree with the markers comments. Lower down the school, i would use 2 stars and a wish. But the key element was to always relate the visualiser to the success criteria.
• Children's work could be photographed and imported into ActivPrimary for later use. For example, when highlighting areas when success criteria had been met in a piece of writing.

        In other areas of the curriculum:

• 'Show and tell', which can move from being teacher led to being learner centred e.g. Assessment for Learning opportunities. Even with relatively simple activities the encouragement to practice speaking skills is very valuable, especially for some older learners.
• 'Show and record' which can be a recording of a teaching activity or a learners involvement creating a permanent record.
• 'Show and integrate' Creating a record of an event, which is then used with another device e.g. the interactive whiteboard and/or Learning Response System (LRS).

• The visualiser helped to create a supportive, sharing learning environment.
• Supported more risk taking by moving from teacher led to learner centered. Encouraged this because the device can be seen as shared. Increased positive involvement of speaking for feedback and sharing learning.
• More purposeful (interactive?) use of the computer to stimulate and capture learning.
• Sections of lessons can be more rapidly paced because of easy and instant access.
• The visualiser enabled a move away from using 'second-hand' images, i.e. clip art or the 'Internet!'

Teacher Feedback

• 'By helping each other, pupils became more confident'.
• 'Freeze and split screen were very useful, especially in the development of writing'.
• 'Most simple straightforward, useful piece of equipment to use. Doesn't stick, freeze or need to 'load up!'
• 'Pupils get an entirely different view of their work on the screen.'
• 'Children find it easy to use and often use it to share their work during plenary.'
• 'Eco-point - saves photocopying lots of sheets.'
• 'Fabulous for showing resources / artefacts especially those too small / fragile to pass around.'

Teacher Feedback

• Overall, the visualiser had a big impact on the children's learning. They were motivated to learn and were always keen to start working with the visualiser.'
• 'Children's concentration developed through-out the project as they were attentively looking and listening to something, which gripped their attention.'
• 'The visualiser was an appropriate tool to use with all children of all abilities ensuring that all children could work together throughout the project.'
• 'The children were motivated, more than other topics, and were able to draw clear and detailed observational drawings…'
• 'A change in children's behaviour was evident as more children behaved to have a turn on this Visualiser. Children showed confidence as they were keen to speak out and describe what they could see.'
• 'The visualiser also catered for those children with different learning styles, such as Visual, Audio and Kinaesthetic, (VAK).'
• 'The children themselves are confident with using the equipment; they are able to use many of the functions including zoom, freeze etc.'
• 'It has also led to a better level of competence when working with Windows Movie Maker (for children and teacher).'
• 'Some children, who find it tricky moving things around on the IWB with the interactive pen, have benefited from being able to move things around with their hands on the Visualiser. For example, when matching up circuit diagrams to photos.'
• 'Being able to demonstrate and show things visually meant the pace of lessons was increased. Children were eager to play a more active role in lessons, and so more work was covered.'
• 'Because children can see clearly there are no children at the back of the class who lose interest because of poor quality display.'
• 'Useful being able to capture onto (the) computer.'
• Record SATs results - 47% L5 in Maths and English overall.
• 100% L4 Science and 51% L5 in science (TBC).
• Engagement after SATs
• Engagement in plenaries
• Good way to see if success criteria works
• Y6 teacher got 'outstanding' in OFSTED inspection where visualiser was used.
• Year 6 Teacher (different) commentary:
• 'The visualiser proved invaluable in the run up to SATs.
• Once we began exam preparation in earnest it was used in every lesson. It was brilliant for both children and staff to model on in all areas of the curriculum.
• It worked really well when doing retrieval type questions and fastest finger first.
• We used it a lot to discuss how to achieve 3 marks in the handwriting.
• Used often as a magnifier to look more closely at various scientific processes.
• Also used it often to celebrate success.'
• The teacher of year 6 believes that the visualiser had a direct impact on the number of Level 5 readers we achieved, as it was possible to model to the whole class how to give the 'best' answers.

Learner Feedback

• 'You can see everyone's work to see if you can improve it.'
• 'It always helps me when my work is shown to the class - I feel good.'
• 'You can zoom in and out to see small things.'

Here are a selection of the enablers and barriers identified by colleagues.

Enablers

• Realising items could be displayed more effectively before printing. Chance to discuss with others and easily try different layouts.
• Ease of connection, when being used directly through the projector onto a whiteboard.
• Many 'less able' children shone in this area of computing and succeeded. As they displayed their skills to the class their confidence grew in advance, and a new personality shone from these children.
• A clear strategy for introduction and use.
• The initial briefing at Shireland and subsequent meetings were very useful, as ideas could be shared between teachers in similar positions (new to the technology) and we were shown the potential of the Visualiser, i.e. capturing video. These could then be taken back to school and tried out in the classroom.
• All the staff at Shireland were very informative and approachable. They offered phone numbers and email addresses and made it clear they were there to help if required.
• When the new visualisers were introduced, the change over was very smooth and so caused no disruption to the use of the visualiser in school.

Barriers

• Setting up could be difficult and required some technical support.
• The fact that the visualiser was kept in a central place for all to use meant it could not be used unless planned into the lesson.
• Space/Size was an issue in some of the smaller classrooms.
• Some technological errors - our schools fault really, using old teacher laptops and unreliable splitter boxes.

Transferability and Sustainability

• Each time I use the Visualiser I become a little more confident. By experimenting with the functions, I am discovering more about what I can use the Visualiser for.
• Practices are transferred through training and, more powerfully, through talking together and sharing the value of the visualiser in delivering lessons.
• The school has purchased its own visualisers for use in the classroom and on other occasions mentioned above. This has given more staff the opportunity to utilise its features across the curriculum.
• Many 'less able' children shone in this area of computing and succeeded.
• My practice is sustainable as my school has updated equipment and (being the ICT coordinator) I will make sure we have the correct equipment to sustain this practice in our successful school.
• I will make sure that all staff use this equipment to its full potential and all staff are able to transfer these skills and practise them in their class, with photographic evidence.
• Although it has been used mainly in year 6, I think all year groups would be able to make excellent use of the technology. The staff are aware of the intention of buying more visualisers in and they are all looking forward to using one in their classrooms when available.
• In the process of purchasing 6 visualisers for my school. We are a 2-form entry, so year groups will share them.
• They will support throughout the curriculum.
• My Deputy Head/ Literacy coordinator is especially interested in how it can support the teaching and learning of Literacy through shared reading (save on cost of buying big books/ class sets of books etc) and children sharing their work, followed by peer assessment and up-levelling
• I am also looking into buying a class voting system (something also shared at one of the meetings at Shireland).

John Henley October 2009