ICT Innovation Award
sponsored by Mimio
Awarded to the educational establishment that can demonstrate the most innovative use of ICT in order to further the learning experience of pupils and help improve results in curriculum based subjects.
2009 Winner: Monkseaton High School, North Tyneside
In August 2007, Monkseaton High School in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, became the first Trust school in the UK. Its partners include North Tyneside Council, Microsoft, Tribal Education, and independent chair Prof. David Reynolds of the University of Plymouth. Driven by headteacher Dr Paul Kelly, a respected educational author, part of the mission of the Trust is to develop new approaches that can be applied in other schools, and it uses an array of technologies to gather and analyse data about students, apply personalised learning strategies in and out of school, and administer school operations.
In addition to test scores, grade point averages, general social and economic data, and health histories, Monkseaton collects in-depth biological assessments of students’ current health, fitness, and body rhythms. The school also uses standardised methodologies to conduct student self-assessments of proficiency in all subjects.
By analysing student assessment data across a number of years, the school can determine if a student may be ready to take proficiency exams early, which can free learning time for potentially more productive lessons.
By assessing health and fitness, Monkseaton can improve students’ well-being. A student with a critically low fitness measurement and more than 60 percent body fat was able to lose weight and improve his health significantly through a personalised fitness program that included ongoing monitoring and assessment. By analysing body rhythms, the school can accommodate the biological timetables of some teenagers so that students can work on tasks during their most productive performance periods.
It has already been recognised that the pioneering work of Monkseaton has the potential to drastically improve the lives of its students, and it is a worthy recipient of the Education Business ICT Innovation Award 2009.
