P.O. Box 1234
Worthing
BN14 7YX
tel: 01903 500606
fax: 01903 505645
What is Curriculum Online?
Launched by the DfES in January 2003, Curriculum Online
(www.curriculumonline.gov.uk) is a highly searchable, online catalogue of
thousands of multimedia resources, all linked to the curriculum of subjects
taught in schools in England.
Resources cover Foundation/Early Years to Key Stage 4, and SEN. It is the
definitive list of all resources which can be bought with a school's eLC money
(eLearning Credits). Many are free. eLCs are available to all Government-
funded nursery, primary and secondary schools in England, up to and
including Key Stage 4, as well as Foundation and SEN.
How can teaching professionals use the site?
Users can search the website by subject, title, size of resource or supplier.
They can also search specifically for SEN, Foundation or interactive
whiteboard resources; or for free resources only. There is the also the option
to browse resources relating to a National Curriculum Programme of Study or
a QCA Scheme of Work.
The site also offers help and advice on a number of ICT related topics
including eLCs, as well as video case studies and guidance on using
multimedia resources in the classroom.
What resources does MathSphere provide?
All our software is registered with Curriculum Online.
Our product Ids are:
MathSphere Primary Pack (6in1): MATH-6IN1
MathSphere: It's All Figured Out is: MATH-AFO
MathSphere Maths Booster KS2 is: MATH-BOO
MathSphere Interactive Calculations Key Stage 1 Pack is: MATH-ICKS1
MathSphere Interactive Calculations Key Stage 2 Pack is: MATH-ICKS2
MathSphere Interactive Calculations 1 is: MATH-ICY1
MathSphere Interactive Calculations 2 is: MATH-ICY2
MathSphere Interactive Calculations 3 is: MATH-ICY3
MathSphere Interactive Calculations 4 is: MATH-ICY4
MathSphere Interactive Calculations 5 is: MATH-ICY5
MathSphere Interactive Calculations 6 is: MATH-ICY6
MathSphere Interactive Numbers 4 is: MATH-INY4
You can still order in the usual way, by phone, fax, letter, email or on-line but
please quote our product ID or let us know that you are using your eLCs.
Further information about Curriculum Online can be found below.
The impact of ICT in the classroom
Research attests to the positive impact of ICT in the classroom. For instance,
research shows that pupils who make frequent use of computers – in or out of
school – enjoy both greater motivation to learn and higher levels of
achievement. (Source: ICT in Schools Survey, 2003).
According to the major ImpaCT2 study (DfES 2002), ‘ICT has been found to
be positively associated with improvements in subject-based learning in
several areas.’ For instance, the study found that:
- At KS2, high ICT users outperform low ICT users in National Tests for
English by 0.16 of a level, or substantially accelerated progress
- At KS3, high ICT users outperform low ICT users in National Tests for
Science by 0.21 of a level, or the equivalent of an additional term
- At KS4, high ICT users outperform low ICT users in science and design &
technology by approximately half a GCSE grade
What other benefits can ICT bring to teaching and learning?
- It helps to prepare pupils for a world already dominated by the computer.
- It appeals to pupils’ natural enjoyment of technology, using devices and applications with which they are already happily familiar in the rest of their lives.
- Multimedia resources offer teachers developmental possibilities too, a
chance to build new skill sets and adopt fresh approaches to familiar
material.
- It helps to prepare pupils for a world already dominated by the computer.
- It appeals to pupils’ natural enjoyment of technology, using devices and
applications with which they are already happily familiar in the rest of their
lives.
- Multimedia resources offer teachers developmental possibilities too, a
chance to build new skill sets and adopt fresh approaches to familiar
material.
- According to the 2003 ICT in Schools survey, the majority of Government-
funded schools report that ICT ‘helps reduce teacher workload in terms of
lesson preparation, planning and assessment’.
What are eLCs?
eLC money (eLearning Credits) is cash given to schools to spend specifically on multimedia resources to support teaching and learning.
How much money?
For the academic year 2003-04, for instance, schools in England received
£100million to spend on multimedia resources. Every eligible school received
£1000, plus almost another £10 per pupil. This money is allocated to
individual schools by their LEA. It is available to all Government-funded
nursery, primary and secondary schools in England, up to and including Key
Stage 4, as well as Foundation and SEN.
How are eLCs distributed?
eLC money is distributed via LEAs to Government-funded schools, which
decide locally which resources to purchase with it. (Except where schools
decide to pool their allotted eLC money to make larger purchases for shared
use. Schools may also decide to ask their LEA or Regional Broadband
Consortium (RBC) to spend eLC money on their behalf – for example, to
obtain a greater diversity of products or to make bulk purchases.)
Teaching professionals buy resources through their school’s eLC budget
holder, who may be a governor, the head, or the ICT co-ordinator. But of
course, every decision-maker and teaching professional in every school can
have a say in which resources their school buys with its eLCs.