News Archive
WebPlay shortlisted for Education Resources Awards 2008
January 08
The Education Resources Awards 2008
The National Motorcycle Museum
29th February 2008
Now in their tenth successful year, The Education Resources Awards highlight the quality and diversity of educational products and resources, excellent educational establishments and the most dedicated members of the teaching profession and supplies industry, all working together to encourage the very best in education.
WebPlay has been shortlisted for Supplier of the Year and Innovator of the Year at the Education Resources Awards 2008.
Click here to view the complete shortlist.
WebPlay launches first links with India
January 08
We are thrilled to report that WebPlay India is now underway. A six week pilot programme linking schools in Bangalore and Harrow will start in January, after a generous grant from the Sony Europe Foundation enabled us to extend our plans to link up students from around the world.
Based on the principles of our successful WebPlay Local programme, WebPlay India will focus on learning about an international community through online research, peer communication and speaking and listening skills.
“The students are very excited about the project,” says Shashi Desikan, the London-based teacher who is working with WebPlay to help develop our partnerships with schools in Bangalore. “The students in Bangalore are very keen to work with their partners in London and are looking forward to finding out more about living in each other’s worlds.”
We extend a warm welcome to Kendriya Vidyalaya, Nehru Smaraka Vidya Kendra and BGS National Public School in Bangalore and to their partner schools in Harrow, Priestmead Primary School, Earlsmead First and Middle School and Newton Farm First and Middle School.
WebPlay’s Sydney Thornbury and Bryony Lawrence will be visiting Bangalore in December to lead teacher training sessions with the participating schools.
"WebPlay India is an exciting opportunity for us", says Sydney. "If the pilot is successful then we hope to roll out the programme further in the coming years. Taking WebPlay to India enables us to support our UK schools in delivering both their International Schools and community cohesion agendas. It will also provide our schools in the US with the opportunity to further expand the boundaries of their classrooms."
Revised WebPlay programmes gives boost to pupil and teacher learning
Oct 07
This year we have revamped our National and International programmes to deliver a more exciting experience for children. We have been working with a team of teachers to ensure the programmes help schools achieve curriculum targets, while supporting teaching staff throughout the process.
Bryony Lawrence, WebPlay’s UK Programme Manager says “We have made changes which will really help children guide their own progression through the programme, while the extended range of resources available to teachers give children even more opportunity to personalise activities according to their own learning style.”
This year also sees a much greater emphasis on drama, which has been incorporated into every phase of the programme. Our Big Picture film explains to pupils exactly what they can expect throughout the year, and how each weekly activity will help them produce plays about their partner area.
“This gives the pupils a real sense of achievement at the end of every week because a new skill has been learned and used purposefully”, explains Web Manager Jon Williams.
As always, our high quality ICT and drama training is proving a hit with teachers: “Teachers are telling us that the training sessions really help boost their confidence, providing them with practical tips, invaluable resources and a rare opportunity to spend time with other teachers to explore sites and navigate the internet together”, says Bryony.
In the UK, the newly formed WebPlay Workshop Team has been busy this term creating a series of films designed to help teachers lead drama exercises in the classroom. The team of seven are all highly experienced drama facilitators and will be visiting every WebPlay school to support teachers during lesson time.
In the US, Program Manager Gillian McCarthy has been going into schools and meeting students to find out how they are progressing this year: “It’s great to visit classrooms and see how excited students are about all aspects of the program. They are enjoying going on-line to do research and they are particularly excited about interacting with their partners and creating their plays.”
Useful links:
Jon Williams, WebPlay’s Web Manager, describes the Big Picture http://www.webplay.org/big_picture.php
See the Workshop Team in action http://www.webplay.org/workshop_videos.php
Think.com receives prestigious award
July '06
The Oracle Corporation has been awarded Business in the Community’s prestigious National Excellence Award for Investing in Young People, for their work with Think.com and WebPlay. The award application featured WebPlay’s special partnership with Think.com, especially highlighting WebPlay and Think.com’s influence on the pupils at Newick House Special School. We were delighted that Sydney Thornbury, WebPlay Executive Director and Gill Perry, Head at Newick House School in Sussex were able to join Oracle on stage to receive the award from BITC President, HRH the Prince of Wales.
A delighted Sydney said:
‘Think.com has been instrumental to WebPlay’s success and the impact that our programme has on children’s learning.
Working in partnership with Oracle and Think.com has allowed us to provide a safe online environment that children from across the world can use to learn about theatre and each other. Evaluations have confirmed that WebPlay is highly motivational and effective at developing children’s learning and we are grateful to Oracle for their ongoing support to help us bring the programme to more children every year.’ Congratulations to Oracle on this outstanding recognition of their excellent work with Think.com
WebPlay Local Pilot Launched
June '06
WebPlay Local has been launched in the UK with great success. This latest
programme is a ten-week pilot which links up primary schools from the same area
to help them explore and celebrate their local community, with the help of
imaginary global travel agency 'Jet Set and Go'.
The children assume the roles of 'top secret' investigative agents and are given weekly assignments from Jet Set and Go's 'president' Sinclair St John. This month, thirty-eight classes have been attending 'secret' meetings in Bracknell, Nottingham, London and Sussex to meet their fellow agents and receive their latest 'top secret missions' from Sinclair St John's special agents.
By the end of the programme, the children will have created electronic local guidebooks which will be posted on the shared pages of www.think.com early in July. We'll be helping our local 'agents' celebrate the successful completion of their 'missions' with certificates of completion and prizes due to be distributed to participating schools very soon.
The pilot is being supported by the the DCMS, Culture Online, the Association of London Government and the John Lyons Charity and feedback has been enthusiastic and encouraging so far. We are looking forward to the national roll-out of the programme next summer.
To register your school's interest in joining WebPlay Local next year, please contact karen@webplay.org or look out for future updates on www.webplay.org.
Funding News
June '06
We're thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £56,265 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The grant will make a significant contribution to the development of the Page to Stage Platform, an online platform that WebPlay is developing which will enable children's theatre companies to communicate and collaborate directly with schools. Look out for more details on the Page to Stage Platform later in the year.
We have also received funding from the Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust and the Baron Davenport's Charity to support our work with schools in the Midlands next year.
In the US, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs has awarded WebPlay $13,000 and we have also received $2,000 from the California Arts Council.
WebPlay Makes a Difference
June '06
Linda Jeffery, Head Teacher at Myddle School in Shropshire, has made some interesting observations on the effects of WebPlay on the development of her pupils:
'Writing plays and learning the techniques of playscript writing certainly aided my pupils' development. When they sat their Year 6 English SAT test... they found it extremely helpful that they had done playscript writing through the project - 100% pass rate at level 4, with 67% of pupils achieving a level 5. The ICT skills in my class are now quite amazing and I believe the project has contributed to this.
'WebPlay has been a great success. The children have thoroughly enjoyed participating in it and I know they are looking forward to being in it again.’
WebPlay Roving Reporters
June '06
Here are the latest contributions from WebPlay's growing band of roving
reporters. Many thanks to everyone who has made contributions this year:
'Hi my name is Patrycja and I'm from Lockwood Ave. School. I'm here to tell you about my experiences with WebPlay. It was really cool to be the only class in the whole school to be doing WebPlay. We got special privileges like using computers and staying after school. I learned a lot about Leicester like instead of using the word diaper they use the word nappy. We also got nominated for an Oscar for the Best Script, and we won!!! We had lots of fun with WebPlay. I'm really glad my class got picked to participate in WebPlay.'
Patrycja, student, Lockwood Avenue Elementary, Los Angeles
'Dear WebPlay
I think that Lifeboat was a very good play. The actors were very good and I liked the way Beth changed her voice into her dad's voice'
Harry, student, Minsterley Primary School, Shrewsbury
WebPlay - The Musical
'In the Autumn Term my class (5c) were introduced to a very exciting topic. WebPlay. We started to create our new web pages linking on to our partner classes pages to find out some info about New York City. The first thing I learned was that the name of the school was: PS145 and it was in Brooklyn.
The rest of the term flew by and before I knew it we were back at school for the Spring. I think that the best thing of this term was going to Catford to see a play in Broadway Theatre (No, I don't mean in New York) called Lifeboat.
Then there was next term. This by far, was the absolute best term. We launched straight in having our performance and our Webplays to get done. In my play, it uses American language, currency and even a bit about Baseball! Eventually, the head WebPlay cameraman came in to film us. It went very well.
Now we are learning our performance with 5G, with me playing the one, and only...FRANK SINATRA!! '
Milo, student, Brookfield Primary School, London N19
'I enjoyed making the play because it has given me the chance to act and work together with other people. I would like the chance to do this sort of work again.'
Mohammedluqmaan, student, Coleman Primary School, Leicester
And the winners are...
June '06
Many congratulations to everyone who created and performed their WebPlays
this term - you should be very proud of what you have achieved! All the WebPlays
were brilliant and we have had great fun watching them on-line and voting for
our favourites.
This year, our 'Oscars' have been awarded to the WebPlays who received the most on-line votes. The winners are:
WebPlay International:
Best Script - Comic Capers, Lockwood Avenue Elementary in LA
Best Direction - The Earthquakes, Sacred Heart RC Primary in Leicester
Best Design - The King and Queen are Missing, Fletcher Drive Elementary in LA
Best Performance - The Crash, Myddle CE Primary in Shropshire
Best Factual Representation - Independence Day, Little Spring Primary in Buckinghamshire
WebPlay National
Best Script - Sundown Mayhem, Beaumont Lodge Primary in Leicester
Best Direction - The Fire at Baschurch, Kings Norton Primary in Birmingham
Best Design - Evacuation, Welford Primary School in Birmingham
Best Performance - Thomas Cook Tours, Carnarvon Primary in Nottinghamshire
Best Factual Representation - Lady Jane Grey, Mount CE Primary in Nottinghamshire
WebPlay 2005/6 launches!
Nov '06
We are excited to announce the launch of WebPlay 2005/6! This year, over 4500 children from 96 classes are participating in WebPlay from across the US and UK, including London, Birmingham, Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicester, Sussex, Los Angeles and New York.
In addition to running the International and National programmes, we are also expanding last year's successful WebPlay Local pilot in Los Angeles and launching it in the UK.
But wait, there's more! WebPlay teachers in London are conducting Action Research Projects on WebPlay's impact on whole school development, employee volunteers from Cable and Wireless and Ernst&Young will be going into specific WebPlay classes to support pupils and UCLA's CRESST will begin a three year evaluation of WebPlay's impact on student learning, as part of a prestigious grant from the US Department of Education.
It's going to be a big year! We're going to need a lot of coffee.
WebPlay is awarded prestigious AEMDD grant from US Dpt of Ed
Nov '06
WebPlay has been awarded an Arts Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD) grant from the US Department of Education. Only 14 grants were awarded across the whole of the US. These grants support the further development, implementation and expansion of standards-based arts education programs and the integration of arts instruction into the core curriculum.
Working in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District's Local District 4, we will run WebPlay International and WebPlay local in 40 classes from 20 of the district’s lowest performing schools, aligning the programme to support and enhance Local District 4's overall strategies for school improvement, especially teacher professional development, intervention programs and parent training. In addition, UCLA’s CRESST will undertake a three year evaluation of WebPlay’s impact on teaching and learning.
We are extremely honoured to be the recipients of this award and we especially thank Richard Alonzo, Superintendent of LAUSD Local District 4, for his long-time support of WebPlay. We are very excited to be working with the district and the 20 partner schools. For more information on the AEMDD grant, go to: http://www.ed.gov/programs/artsedmodel/2005awards.html
Thank you to this year's partners
Nov '06
A big thank you to all of the schools and partners who are supporting WebPlay this year:
UK:
Department for Culture Media and Sport's Culture Online,
Arts Council England,
NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts),
Cable and Wireless,
Ernst and Young,
The Oracle Corporation,
Newark Extended Learning Initiative (NELI),
Leicester SDSA
Bracknell LEA
US:
The Skirball Cultural Center,
The US Department of Education,
The California Arts Council,
The Los Angeles Unified School District,
Local District 4,
The New York Board of Education,
Region 4 and The Los Angeles Central Library,
Children's Services Department