COLLABORATION WITH A SCHOOL / SCHOOLS

Arduino Education – Colegio San Jose de Las Vegas for the Medellín Challenge 2023

Arduino Education collaborated with the Colegio San Jose de Las Vegas for the Medellín Challenge 2023. Students participating in the challenge experienced a transformative arc during an intensive three months. From the early days of choosing their challenges to turning their innovative ideas into tangible prototypes, their journey was supported at every step by Arduino Education’s state-of-the-art technology resources, including the Explore IoT Kit and the Arduino Cloud.

An experienced Arduino Education trainer teamed up with the teachers and students during the prototyping stage to provide direct in-person technical support throughout the design phase, and provide ongoing feedback.

Just some of the sustainability solutions that the teams of students devised with Arduino included:
– Building a smart farm and designing tutorials so children in the Medellín communities could learn how to grow their own food, and potentially create a way to make an income.
– Creating a virtual platform linked to a solar-powered car that visits local communities to bring learning experiences, such as environmental, technological and entrepreneurship education to children.
– A device that makes use of the water lost from natural sources in different activities: washing clothes, watering gardens and fish tanks.

Bromcom – Coventry City Council

At Bromcom, we are known for innovation and ground-breaking partnerships. The most significant one last year was our collaboration with Coventry City Council, who oversee a thriving city of 379,000+ people. Together, we were able to migrate 45 of their 60 schools from their previous Management Information System (MIS) provider to our own solution in a 3-week period – one of the largest projects of its kind ever undertaken in the UK.

Ollie Burnett – ‘Our partnership with Bromcom has been game changing, a breath of fresh air. From start to finish, the process was smoother than I could have hoped for and we are now in a place where all our schools are collaborating and helping each other, rather than depending solely on our support. Each school will have certain parts of Bromcom they use more, but overall Bromcom’s one-stop shop solution means we have saved money across the board on third party bolt-ons because everything is built in! To sum it up, the unanimous feeling is that, if we went back in time, we would choose Bromcom again’.

Logitech – Ark Globe Academy

Logitech launched its ongoing collaboration with Ark Globe Academy, a London-based primary to sixth form school, in June 2022 to carry out a ‘Mouse of the Future’ design challenge, which was developed as an extracurricular project to help computer science students in Year 9 develop their design, digital and teamwork skills.

Logitech equipped each student with a Logitech Pen stylus and Chromebook tablet to support small group work. For six weeks, students in groups of five researched, designed and collaborated together. At the end of the design challenge, they presented their unique mice to a group of Logitech judges, taking into consideration factors such as shape, materials, and potential use cases.

Against a backdrop of increasing demand for digital skills in the workplace, introducing technology into the classroom is becoming more important so students can build their IT literacy and be better prepared to enter working world. Through the project, Logitech and Ark Globe Academy aimed to provide a fun and accessible way for students to develop these skills.

Lyfta – Pontefract Academies Trust

Lyfta’s partnership with Pontefract Academies Trust exemplifies a visionary collaboration that is creating a real impact on student outcomes. In a world increasingly shaped by technological advancements, the ability to nurture intercultural and socio-emotional skills is paramount. Lyfta’s interactive platform connects learners in the classroom with the world and the global community, enabling students to explore diverse ways of living and being and a multitude of different people, places and perspectives.

The case studies demonstrate how Lyfta transcends social and economic boundaries, closes gaps and opens up the world. It empowers students, regardless of background, with global competences, enhancing retention and fostering empathy. This transformation extends to educators, making teaching more enjoyable and enhancing student engagement.

The case studies also delve into the strategic integration of Lyfta into the curriculum, highlighting the Trust’s dedication to continual improvement.

Measuring impact through surveys and student voice demonstrates that Lyfta enriches students’ cultural capital, expanding their awareness and understanding.

Lyfta’s collaboration with Pontefract Academies Trust bridges the gap between students’ norms and global realities, preparing them for an increasingly complex world and the feedback and a shared vision, are contributing to personal development, intercultural competency development and academic learning.

Pearson – King’s InterHigh

Online schools are forging ahead in supporting a growing demand for flexible education that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. However, one of the biggest challenges for parents, carers, students and the schools themselves, remains high- stakes assessment.

Traditionally, these students must source brick and mortar exam centres to take their exams with peers across the globe, putting additional pressure on this group of learners.

In response to this emerging challenge, Pearson and King’s InterHigh, delivered a first-of-its-kind pilot this summer, which saw 150 students (the majority based in the UK) choose to complete their exams from home via Pearson- enabled remote invigilation.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a pilot of this scale has been delivered in the UK for this type of high -stakes qualifications.

Promethean – East Ayrshire Council

William Mcllvanney Campus in Kilmarnock was awarded ambassador status by global education technology company, Promethean, in recognition of a commitment to embedding and disseminating digital best practice in education. As the first ambassador site in Scotland, this recognition will see East Ayrshire set the benchmark for local authorities to raise educational standards through the effective use of technology.

The Promethean ambassador award is part of SLA Accord, a focused programme that empowers Scottish local authorities to align digital strategy with pedagogy, equip teachers with key skills and confidence, and ensure edtech investments benefit the learners of tomorrow.

Having successfully met the ambassador programme criteria, which included 16 teachers achieving certified trainer status across Kilmarnock Academy, James Hamilton Primary School, and the Gaelic School – Sgoil na Coille Nuaidh, the site is now a beacon of best practice for East Ayrshire and throughout Scotland.

ReadingWise – Star Academies

ReadingWise and Star Academies partnered to improve all aspects of reading across all Star Academies secondary schools. Through the collaboration an additional 1,357 pupils have become fluent readers as measured by standardised assessment.

This strong impact is reflected in all cohorts including among special educational needs, EAL, and under-resourced (disadvantaged) pupils.

ReadingWise offers evidence-based, online reading programmes to improve reading quickly and effectively. Star Academies is one of the highest achieving multi-academy trusts in England.

Covering comprehension, vocabulary and phonics/decoding, ReadingWise was carefully rolled out across the schools. Standardised assessment was used to benchmark pupils and allocate the appropriate reading programme. Wonde was used to streamline administration.

The success of the ReadingWise and Star Academies collaboration is founded on great leadership, evidence-based programmes, solid understanding of pupils’ needs, and methodical roll out and planning.

Harnessing innovative technology to deliver a dramatic impact on reading, the most critical foundation of learning, demonstrates the aspiration of both ReadingWise and Star Academies to ensure every pupil gets the education they deserve.

SMART Technologies – Lumio and Sandford Hill

Through 2022-2023, the Lumio team worked collaboratively with the Stafford Hill team to enable teachers to save time, craft more interactive lessons, and transform their teaching with technology.

Lumio is an education platform designed to engage students through interactive lessons, game-based activities, collaboration tools, and assessments. Stafford Hill was looking for more ways to enable students and get all teachers bought into their new digital learning initiative. Daniel Jones, Sandford Hill’s Digital Learning Leader, collaborated with the UK Lumio team to implement the platform and support teachers with bespoke training for school staff, and more.

The impact of Lumio at Sandford Hill can be measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Key quantitative indicators include improved student outcomes, a significant reduction in lesson planning time (over 3 hours per week), and substantial cost savings on printing.

Qualitatively, Lumio is enhancing teaching and learning. It’s maximising the use of student devices, promoting collaborative learning, and increasing engagement. Teachers and students express enthusiasm for Lumio, and how it allows all students to participate actively, including those with disabilities.

The success of this collaboration led to positive feedback and adoption by other schools in the region, demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing classroom learning and operational efficiency.

Texthelp – Midlothian Council

Texthelp partnered with Midlothian Council to make learning more inclusive, using their Read&Write literacy software to support 14,000+ students and staff in 38 schools. The partnership has reduced stigma attached to assistive technology and has boosted accessibility tool engagement.

Working closely with Midlothian Council, Texthelp strategically rolled out Read&Write. Their Universal Design for Learning approach removed stigma and reduced assistive technology referrals by 90%, fostering student literacy independence.

Students extensively use tools like Word Prediction, Text to Speech, and Digital Dictionaries, empowering them to work independently and engage in literacy. Educators commended Read&Write’s support in addressing diverse student needs, enhancing confidence, and improving classroom outcomes. Midlothian’s Read&Write training received high recommendations, with 98% of staff reporting skill improvement.

This partnership showcases the transformative power of education collaboration, promoting inclusivity, independence, and empowerment. It’s a journey toward breaking down learning barriers for every student’s success.