                      Strategic Development Fund


Name of School : Tideway School, Newhaven.


Name of Project Co-ordinator : Mr J Fanning


Outline of Proposed Project :


The creation of classroom based computer resource materials by pupils.
Initially the project would look at local historical sites.


This would be a three term project, involving :


- Summer term 1996 site visits to Tide Mills 'Village', Newhaven.


- Autumn term 1996 residential visit to Battle.


At each of the  sites  involved,  pupils  will  create   a database of
computer information/resources that  can  be  distributed  and used by
local secondary/junior schools in curriculum delivery.


- Spring term 1997 visits to local junior schools to work with small
  groups of pupils in creating a school specific resource e.g. a guide
  to their school.


Aims :


- explore ways in which National Curriculum History can be delivered
  through the application of information technology.


- improve computer literacy amongst the target group of pupils.


- examine and use commercially available computer applications and the
  ways that they can be used in school and in the study of history.


- create a database of computer resources on local subjects, that is
  created by pupils and tailored to specific local needs.


- improve and expand links with junior schools. Establish a shared
  base of computer software and equipment. Explore ways in which
  senior pupils can link with junior pupils to produce 'pupil
  centred resources'.


- explore the effect that use of such software has by parents with
  the relevant computer equipment at home.


Process :


March 1996. Junior and secondary  schools  mailed  with details of the
project and asked for  requests/ideas/suggestions  as  to the computer
material that they would find useful in school.


Tide Mills Project (Target Group : Year 10 pupils).


The project would operate through April  and  May, with the writing of
reports and the distribution of software in June and July.


The project will involve a small  group  of Year 10 pupils. There will
be a strong emphasis on  extra-curricular  work, in terms of gathering
resources and field-study visits to the site.


April :


Weeks 1,2,3 & 4. Visits to local library to examine and collect source
material. Two site visits to Tide  Mills. One initial visit to explore
the area with the relevant  maps.  One  site  visit to collect digital
material that can be used in computer applications.


May :


Weeks 1,2 & 3. Work in school to produce computer resources.


The following software would be in use :


PC - Microsoft Works; Picture Publisher; Genesis MultiMedia Authoring.


Acorn - 1st Word Plus, Paint, Genesis MultiMedia Authoring.


Genesis allows the creation  of  'stand-alone'  programmes that can be
used without access to the main authoring programme.


The package of  resources  created  using  these computer applications
would include :


   - a library of .pcx/.bmp images of the site and photographic
     sources (for use in multi-media presentations, Desktop
     Publishing packages, etc.).


   - text files in ASCII format.


   - Genesis multi-media guide to the site.


   - Genesis 'workbook' that can be used by pupils to create and
     store their own work.


   - suggestions and examples of work that pupils could be involved
     in on a classroom basis.


Battle Project (Target Group :Year 7).


September :


Weeks 2,3 & 4. Identify  a  group  of  10  year  7 pupils who would be
interested in the project. Create a  database of primary and secondary
resource material that is available in school.


October :


Week 1. Week-end residential visit  to  Battle  to explore the site of
the Battle of Hastings (taking  in  the  town  museum and local parish
church) and record material - digital,  video  and audio - that can be
used in a multi-media presentation on the site.


Week 2,3,4 :


Creation in  school  of  the  relevant  computer  material  that would
include :


   - a library of .pcx/.bmp images of the site and photographic
     sources.


   - text files in ASCII format.


   - Genesis multi-media guide to the site.


   - Genesis 'workbook' that can be used by pupils to create and
     store their own work.


   - suggestions and examples of work that pupils could be involved
     in on a classroom basis.


At the end of the  Spring  and  Summer,  after  software has been made
available to local schools, these schools  will be asked to respond on
the effectiveness and value of the software.


If these two projects are successful,  in  the Spring term 1997, small
groups of senior pupils (Years 12  or  13)  will be sent out to junior
schools to work with small groups of pupils in producing, initially, a
computer guide to their own school.  From this, further suitable sites
for such studies would be identified.


Ways in which  these  schools  could  access  Tideway  School computer
resources will be examined, including the  possibility of setting up a
shared base or  pool  of  computer  software  (suitable licenses being
available for commercial software) and computer equipment e.g. digital
camera, printers, etc.


Intended Outcomes :


- creation of locally based computer resources that meet specific
  local needs, that are royalty free and can be easily disseminated.


- clear examples and guides to the application of information
  technology in the national curriculum.


- an improvement in specific information technology skills amongst
  pupils.


- improved links between junior and secondary schools.


- the creation of a pool of specialist software and equipment.


Proposals for Dissemination of Outcomes :


- distribution of software in Acorn Archimedes and PC format to
  local secondary and junior schools.


- copies of the software could also be distributed to those parents
  who are interested and who have the relevant computer hardware
  at home.


- copies of the software created to be lodged with national Public
  Domain libraries (and it may be possible to explore the ways in
  which software and reports can be distributed by e-mail or over
  the Internet).


- a written report distributed to each of the local secondary and
  junior schools.


- explore the possibility of a half day INSET conference at Tideway
  School, dealing with the creation of computer resources in school.


- written reports of the project to relevant educational and
  computer press. e.g. English Heritage
                       History Today
                       Times Educational Supplement


Footnote :


- it would be interesting to explore the possibility of creating a CD
  ROM authoring base in school, for the creation of CD Roms that
  contain the relevant software and that could be distributed as the
  discs in the the initial project were (April 1997 onwards).
