Weblinks
Unit 1.1: What do teachers do?
TEACHERLINE and the Teacher Support Network is a 24-hour confidential counselling, support and advice service. This is supported by the Teachers Benevolent Fund, London, tel. 08000 562561
http://teachersupport.info
Teacher Training Resource Bank is a resource designed to give you access to evidence base underpinning educational practice.
http://www.ttrb.ac.uk
Each of the following units in this book lists the websites specific to the unit. It is recommended that early on in your ITE you become familiar with the central government curriculum websites listed in the units in Chapter 7.
Unit 1.2: The student teacher's roles and responsibilities
Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB) and the associated subject-specific, behaviour management, teaching English as a second language and diversity and special educational needs websites can all be found through http://www.ttrb.ac.uk. This is supported by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).
TeacherNet is supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk
For information about the qualifications and curriculum authorities for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales see Units 7.4 and 7.5 in this book and Units 7.6 and 7.7 on this site.
In the UK there are four main teachers' professional associations (unions): Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL, http://www.atl.org.uk/); National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT, http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/), National Union of Teachers (NUT, http://www.teachers.org.uk/) and Voice (previously the Professional Association of Teachers, http://www.voicetheunion.org.uk/). In addition to offering direct advice and support to members on employment-related matters, the associations produce useful newsletters and publications on a range of topics, offer special concessions, e.g. on car and travel insurance, and training courses.
Ofsted reports and other DCSF information and publications can be accessed on the Ofsted and DfES websites:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk
The General Teaching Councils of England (http://www.gtce.org.uk), Northern Ireland (http://www.gtcni.org.uk/), Scotland (http://www.gtcs.org.uk) and Wales (http://www.gtcw.org.uk/) and govern professional standards in teaching. You will be required to register.
Voice Care Network is a registered charity with subscribing members. They provide advice and training to help people to keep their voices healthy and to communicate effectively. Their booklet More Care for your Voice is intended to help people whose voice is needed for their work.
www.voicecare.org.uk
Unit 1.4: Using ICT for professional purposes: an introduction
The 24 Hour Museum provides links to over 3000 museum and gallery websites
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/
Specific information relating to special educational needs is scattered across the Internet so a starting point that gathers many of them together is useful. Such a site can be accessed through the teachers' area of the BECTA website:
http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=tl
Further help and advice for teachers working with gifted pupils can be obtained from the National Association for Gifted Children
http://www.nagcbritain.org.uk/
The website for the British Education and Communication Technology Agency provides the most recent information about ICT in education
http://www.becta.org.uk
The British Educational Research Association provides access through websites to research papers from conferences around the world: http://www.bera.ac.uk. In addition, you will find information about research into the use of ICT for educational purposes on BECTA's website (see note 1) and as part of the Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB) (see note 20).
Reinforcing the message about safe Internet use is the responsibility of all teachers regardless of the subject being taught. The CEOP website Think U Know contains information for children, parents, teachers and student teachers:
http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
The DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) website provides up to date information about legislation and initiatives for schools:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/
See, for example, ‘ePALS Classroom Exchange’ available at http://epals.com/ and ‘Windows on the Worlds’ by the British Council available at http://www.britishcouncil.org/wotw/.
The European Computer Driving Licence is supported by the British Computing Society:
http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.5829.
Access to European government supported educational websites is easily found through the European School Net:
http://www.etwinning.net/ww/en/pub/etwinning/index2006.htm
The Geography Association similarly provides resources for teachers:
http://www.geography.org.uk/
Global School Net:
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.cfm/
The Mathematical Association is one example of a professional body providing information, ideas and resources for teachers:
http://www.m-a.org.uk/
The Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM) also produces a range of classroom resources including ICT-based activities:
http://www.atm.org.uk/
The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) website not only provides reports on school inspections, it provides subject summary reports and reports on educational issues:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk
For the QTS skills test in England see http://www.tda.gov.uk/skillstests/ict.aspx. Information about the content and structure of the ICT Skills Test for QTS can be found on the TDA website.
Schoolzone is an independent organisation providing information, resources and ideas for teachers:
http://www.schoolzone.co.uk/
TeacherNet can be accessed on:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk
The Teacher Resource Exchange provides opportunities for teachers and other educators to share lesson plans, teaching materials and ideas:
http://tre.ngfl.gov.uk/
The Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB) is intended to be a one-stop-shop of information and resources for student teachers and their tutors:
http://ttrb.ac.uk
By registering with Teachers' TV, you will be able to download video clips to incorporate into your own presentations:
http://www.teachers.tv
Virtual field trips:
http://www.field-guides.com/
The home of the webquest, providing background information, research articles and hundreds of examples across a broad range of subjects, is:
http://www.webquest.org/