According to one of my customers at Admiral Storage, there is a money-making scheme run by some particularly disreputable people that is currently doing the rounds.

He’s not part of it, of course, but over a coffee he told me a most disturbing story that calls the moral fibre of one or two people in the academic community into question.

The tale involves offering a conference for which delegates have to register in advance.  Anyone who then actually does turn up to the conference finds that, not only is it not taking place, but that the address for the conference that is given is in fact not a conference venue at all.  Generally speaking it is a pub. And not even an upper class pub at that.

These conferences can be on anything – “Climate Change” conferences (normally with the name “International” in the title) are particularly popular in this regard.  But choose an academic subject and you’ll find a conference on it going on somewhere this week.

The unsuspecting recipient of the promotional emails is invariably invited to submit a paper to be delivered at the conference, and when this is paper is accepted (as it always is) there is the request for an “administrative fee” to be paid by the speaker.

On the other hand delegates from developing countries can attend for free – a nice touch since it suggests there will be a big audience.

Of course, the address of the conference office is a fake, as is the address of the conference itself (pubs in north London seem to be nominated quite often – although I am not quite sure why.  Maybe addresses in south London don’t have the right ring).

So, I wondered, why would serious scientists be taken in by such a scam?  Wouldn’t they go a-checking before they submit their payment for delivering a speech or simply attending to listen to speeches?

Indeed I wondered that even more when I started to look at some of the email adverts for these scamferences as they have become known, because even without having any knowledge of or interest in some of the subjects that they deal with I could tell that the events were likely to be fraudulent.

The use of repeated exclamation marks (as in “delegates from developing countries can attend for free!!!!”) is normally quite a giveaway. As are the misspellings, the misuse of scientific jargon, and the complete misunderstanding of scientific measurement.

For example, in one advert I saw, a description of the space available in the “Main Conference Hall West” was accompanied by a statement that this is 300² m x 300² m – which would actually give us a room with four dimensions.  This, of course, could be fun and would presumably involve time travel, but doesn’t actually give one a sense that the organisers actually know about any science whatsoever.

However, as I discussed these matters with my colleagues at Admiral while contemplating the writing of this little note, I had it pointed out to me that the august “Central Hall Westminster” which is advertised as “Central London’s Largest Conference Venue” and most assuredly does exist, and does host some important conferences, has (according to its website) a “space” of “292sq”.  Square what, we are not told. Just square.

But, as I say, Central Hall Westminster is real and not involved in anything untoward. However the scamferences are completely unreal. So how is it that people sign up to go to them even when to me, as a total non-scientist, and indeed non-academic, I can see that this is not real?

I spoke to a few friends who are more in touch with the academic world than I am, and was told something rather alarming.

Obviously what I am going to reveal here relates to just a tiny, tiny, tiny number of people in the academic world, and not the overwhelming majority who are dedicated, hard-working people, who would never do anything amiss.

But it seems that there are a couple of reasons why a handful of scurrilous people could get involved.

The first is that participation in an international conference can look really good on a CV, and once the conference is over there may well be very few ways in which one can check that the conference actually took place.

However in this regard the scammers are themselves being scammed it seems, because in reality there is no need for the would-be academic even to register for the conference.  Just saying that he/she had been there could be enough.

The second is that some scurrilous academics are so certain that the administration of their august institutions is not all that it ought to be.  They are in fact simply looking for their institution to pay airfares and hotel bills and are certain that no one in admin is going to check that the event they are attending is actually taking place.

Indeed some (so I am told) even offer to pay for the admission to the conference themselves if the university will pay for the travel and residency costs.  “We’ll have to see receipts” says the administrator, attempting to appear efficient. And for this there is no problem.

It is indeed becoming a most murky world.

You can find more information about our facilities on our website at www.archive-document-storage.co.uk.  Alternatively, you can call us on 0800 810 1125.

Admiral Document Storage
Bloxwich Lane
Walsall
WS2 8TF
Tel: 0800 810 1125

Email: info@archive-document-storage.co.uk

www.archive-document-storage.co.uk

It is becoming more and more competitive in the real world and after years of study how can we give students an advantage to help with the next chapter of their lives?

Flooglebinder offer structured placements that give students the opportunity to build a range of wider key skills which employers look for, such as: planning, preparation, communication skills, critical thinking, leaderships, adaptability and cultural awareness.

These programmes are also integrated into the curriculum and can incorporate a range of subjects including Science, Maths, Geography, History and Art, as well as higher more specialist subjects such as, Marine Biology, Anthropology, Zoology, Animal Behaviour, Animal Management and Ecology.

Whether students know what they would like to study or would like experience in these subject areas we can customise these trips to meet their objectives from basic field experience to data collection and research. Our study tour programmes are written to cater for the needs of the student outcomes and learning module objectives. We also offer x1 free teachers place for every 10 participating students.

We offer programmes in Borneo, Greece, India, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, all of which have been tried and tested by us to offer students a secure and safe way to travel, develop and explore, whilst promoting the importance of sustainable travel.

The Flooglebinder team is made up of travel specialists, Marine Biologists, Animal Behaviour and Conservation Lecturers, Field Guides and Dive Masters. We would like to meet with you, and your students, to present Flooglebinder and discuss our amazing projects.

We looking forward to hearing from you.

Brad and Ian

The pressure for students to perform well during the exam years can become stressful for both students and staff. Managing this stress and supporting students to stay motivated throughout the year ahead and focus on their goals is essential.

Some students will need more support than others but everybody can benefit from exercises that challenge them to think differently about their situation, strive for more in life and align their goals with their values.

The earlier students are encouraged to develop their mindset and focus on resilience for the challenges they face ahead, the better. Raising motivation and ultimately grades does not happen overnight, you need a structured programme that can be used from the outset all the way to the start of the exams.

Our solution comes in the form of eight worksheets in a ready-made booklet – ‘Greatest Strength Workbook for Students’. It comes with a free teacher’s guide and is available as an instant download. A sample can be downloaded for free to give you an idea of what you get. The licenses to print the workbook then start from only £49.99.

Helping students learn to overcome stress, teaching them to motivate themselves, encouraging them to plan for the future and develop confidence to try new things are essential skills

To develop these skills, students must explore them. Finding time in the school day to focus on these areas can be challenging but could you find ten minutes to introduce an activity that was already prepared and ready to use?

The full details are available at: http://newset-training.com/students.html

Thanks and I wish you and your students the best during the year.

Clare Martin

Newset Training

We all know that the students who are able to focus for the longest periods of time on what we’re saying without their attention wandering are the ones most likely to retain the information.

Conversely the students with short attention spans are also the ones most likely to be disruptive in class. No news there.

We would all dearly love to be teaching classes full of students who behaved well and hung onto our every word. Realistically, a totally perfect teaching/learning scenario is unlikely, but can we improve the situation?

We believe we can! We’ve developed extremely quiet background music designed specifically to enhance information retention and improve concentration. Also, as a bonus, disruptive behaviour is reduced.

If you’d like to know more, go to: Further information and media

Where you’ll be able to see a Teacher’s TV programme explaining why and how it works, listen to samples and purchase downloads of 12 hours of Calmer Classrooms Music for £79.99.

Calmer Classrooms music can be used and is effective across all age ranges, nursery, primary and secondary schools.

If you have any questions or queries about Calmer Classrooms Music please do call me on 07801 067386 or email: vo.fletcher@btinternet.com

Vo Fletcher

For anyone who has never previously presented a case study or undertaken their own research, the whole notion of what they are being asked to undertake can be completely overwhelming and daunting.

Indeed, if there is one question on their lips at that moment when the issue is first raised, it is most likely to be “What am I supposed to do?”

The problem is, of course, that they find themselves not just coming to terms with the issue of what GCSE art is all about, but simultaneously with the question of what research is and how it can be presented.

A lack of understanding can lead to a lack of confidence in what one is doing, and as a result some students can dither, unable to start for fear of doing the wrong thing or present work that is inappropriate or way below the standard that you know they could achieve.

To help overcome this problem Pam Bradshaw has produced Presenting Research in Art and Design.

It starts by examining what a case study is and how to research, structure and present a comprehensive and successful piece of work.

It goes on to work through four separate examples with workpacks on a painter (Van Gogh), a designer (Vivienne Westwood), an art discipline (African masks) and an art movement (Pop Art).

Each workpack contains sections on contextual studies, objective description and subjective response, with worksheets on the compilation and ordering of information and its presentation.

There is also a section on both solo and group oral presentations – an area which is often a source of extreme anxiety for students. This section includes tips and exercises on research, structuring and the presentation skills required.

Presenting Research: Art and Design GCSE
Publisher’s reference: T1598emn       ISBN: 978 1 86083 637 4
Sample pages can be viewed on www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/T1598.pdf

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By phone with a credit card or school order number to 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=439

All organisations have a duty of care to keep their entrances and exits safe – which for schools means having them well lit for pupils, students, and staff, and for adult education classes coming and going in the evening.

And the thought of additional lighting to meet modern safety requirements might sound like an expensive operation – except for one thing.   For it is now possible to install external lighting that has zero energy costs.

Now to be clear, that is not “next to nothing” (meaning it costs you something but it may not be as much as you are paying now) but is in fact zero.  Not a penny.

This can be achieved by installing solar bollards that are charged by solar energy and which retain their energy especially well by giving off a low level light until someone approaches.  At this point the level of light is increased before dying away once the individual has moved on.

Better still, installation is very easy – there are no trenches to be dug, no cabling needed, and thus no resurfacing after installation.

There are pictures and summary details on our website and there is a complete set of information about installation and technical specifications here.

If you have any questions about the use of zero energy cost solar bollards for walkways, please do call us on 01280 701 093 or email sales@greenbarnes.co.uk

Michael Barnes

Learning-outside-the-classroom raises your school’s profile

Schools that regularly undertake learning-outside-the-classroom in their local area are able to form stronger links with groups and individuals in their community. And schools that regularly undertake learning-outside-the-classroom further afield are visible within the community through the school’s branding (uniforms, logos on the school minibus, etc.)

Your school thus has the opportunity to showcase its efforts and achievements and to communicate the school values which could lead to positive media coverage, impressing Ofsted and encouraging prospective parents to send their child to your school.

Reward, motivation and to boost morale

Not every school trip has to be based around learning. Sometimes, if there is time left at the end of term and the budget permits (or parents are willing to pay for it), the school might decide to plan a school trip as a reward for the work pupils have done, or to boost morale and further motivate them to future learning.

To ignite or re-ignite a passion for a subject

Benefit two links in nicely with benefit three. Learning-outside-the-classroom can be beneficial for pupils who are new to the school as it can ignite a passion for a subject which they may not have been introduced to before.

It can also be beneficial to existing pupils to re-ignite a passion for a subject, particularly after a period of exams, for example.

Improves pupils’ understanding of the world and where they (could) fit in

Learning-outside-the-classroom can also be highly beneficial to students when it comes to deciding which career they would like to pursue. School trips enable students to experience activities and events that they don’t have the opportunity to experience in the classroom, thus giving them a better understanding of where, in society, they (could) fit in.

Trust, independence and responsibility

With learning-outside-the-classroom comes an element of trust in terms of pupils’ behaviour as many school rules aren’t applicable when pupils are outside the school’s grounds. This thus devolves increased responsibility on to your pupils and encourages increased independence, which is of course a vital life skill.

Learning-outside-the-classroom can encourage diversity

Given that the demographics of pupils in a school are representative of the demographics of the people in the local area, schools located in an area where ethnic and cultural diversity is lacking naturally find it more difficult to fulfil Ofsted’s diversity requirements.

Therefore, by undertaking regular learning-outside-the-classroom activities (depending on where your pupils go, what your pupils do, and whom your pupils encounter) the school can offer good evidence to Ofsted that your school is encouraging diversity.

To cement the learning that they have done in the classroom

This is perhaps the most beneficial outcome of learning-outside-the-classroom. And there is not just one reason, but three that we can think of, for learning-outside-the-classroom being remembered more readily by pupils than learning-inside-the-classroom.

Firstly, learning-outside-the-classroom provides real-life applications of concepts learnt in the classroom which not only provides a greater understanding of these concepts, but also highlights to pupils why what they are learning matters.

Secondly, learning-outside-the-classroom often takes on a different type of learning style, steering more towards kinaesthetic learning than visual and auditory learning – styles which are used most commonly in the classroom. This therefore gives pupils, who learn best through movements and experience, the opportunity to learn in their preferred style.

Thirdly, some learning-outside-the-classroom can provoke an emotional response from your pupils which cannot be provoked in the classroom. Connecting their learning with emotion will ensure that the information they have learnt will be remembered more readily. This type of learning-outside-the-classroom might be a visit to a WW1 memorial or to a theatre production, for example.

Of course, as school minibus leasing is our area of specialty, if your school requires a (new) school minibus in order to undertake learning-outside-the-classroom, you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk for more information.

And to get notifications of school trip activity and location ideas and how learning-outside-the-classroom can be used to benefit your students learning and development, follow us on Twitter @MinibusLeasing or like our Facebook page – Benchmark Minibus.

How is it possible for a dedicated student to fail to get the grades s/he wants despite long hours of revision?

All too often, the answer is simple.  The type of revision that has been done at home by this promising student has been ineffective, focusing on knowledge acquisition rather than understanding.

It is this observation that leads to the thought that the knowledge one needs to give to students is that knowledge is not quite as important as they think.

The typical weighting for knowledge in a GCSE Geography exam is only between 30 and 40% of the marks.  But, despite this fact, left to their own devices some of my students would happily devote near to 100% of their geography revision time to the retention of knowledge.

Some, in pursuit of the magical A* grade, will recreate their notes into beautifully colour co-ordinated works of Post-It note art or elaborate mind maps. But still, despite all the work, these students will ignore the other 60-70% of the marks that are not knowledge based.

So, it may be argued that in the classroom the teacher no longer has to emphasise knowledge.  As creatures of habit, students will still spend plenty of time on knowledge acquisition, leaving the teacher free to fill their revision sessions with activities that enable them to practise applying that knowledge and honing their skills.

“The Secret to Successful Revision” makes clear that students retain more by actively re-working their knowledge in different ways than by reading revision guides or following revision lessons.  It deals with methods of revising geography which take into account the way exams are marked.  It covers “command words” and “maximising marks on terms and definitions”, simplifying case studies, using data from graphs and maps, and much more.

The Secret to Successful Revision is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues as often as you want.

There are sample pages from the book at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1808samples.pdf and you can order it at  http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=76_112&products_id=776

The price is £10 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

The Secret to Successful Revision is published by First and Best in Education, part of the Hamilton House group.  If you have any enquiries you can call 01536 399 011, or email sales@firstandbest.co.uk or write to us at First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH.

The full range of First and Best books can be seen at www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk

The English language is full of plays – which is not surprising really since people have been writing them for around 1000 years.

The trouble is that many have cast requirements or subject matter that mean they are not at all suitable for the classroom or theatre with the right amount of engagement per candidate and the right number of students involved within the cast.

What’s more, given the need to find scenes and settings which are not just extracts from published plays and the need for the play to have a unified sense, finding suitable plays gets even more difficult – especially if one wishes to avoid using the same plays as last year.

This is the problem that “Here comes Godot now!” by Lindsay Jones solves. It contains 12 plays that engage with themes not often found in other sources, such as dark comedy, fantasy, horror, humour and urban myths.

Thus the themes in this volume avoid the social topics such as drug taking which other volumes (and indeed assemblies and PSHE lessons) will already have covered extensively.

As for performances, the plays are written for a variety of combinations of participants from two boys or two girls up to four boys and four girls.

Because the volume is photocopiable (or printable from a CD rom) only one copy of the book need be bought, and it can be used among the class without further cost.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 856 9 Order code: T1820emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages incorporating one complete play can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1820.pdf

• Photocopiable book, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the book and the CD £36.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=790

As a proactive primary school leader, you’ll know that one of the cornerstones of effective leadership is having the support of a strong, motivated and passionate team.

But even with a close-knit team, it’s possible to miss areas where you can build on existing skills or spot opportunities to develop new skills that will help you fill gaps in your team’s practice.

Two former primary heads – Ann O’Hara and Heather Clements – have created a system that helps your team find and fix these gaps.

Their answer – called What is Good Leadership (WIGL for short) – has been developed over five years, working with primary leadership teams in a wide range of contexts and drawing on national and international research.

Written to meet the specific needs of primary schools, the WIGL tool kit is already helping leadership teams like yours to:

• Clarify expectations of leadership
• Systemise judgements on effectiveness
• Pinpoint areas for development
• Promote strategic leadership
• Support appraisal, development and effectiveness of middle leaders
• Help with job descriptions and appraisal targets
• Promote self-evaluation and 360 degree review of an individual or whole school team

So, What is Good Leadership?

What is Good Leadership is an in-depth, self review toolkit that provides clear descriptions of the expectations of middle leaders, specific to the roles found in most primary schools.

It is progressive – enabling future leaders to develop and improve their skills at each level and translate those skills into a more senior role over time. In fact, it helps teachers progress from early subject leadership through to senior leadership and headship.

Fully matched to Ofsted

It is also fully matched to Ofsted expectations, so schools using it can be confident that their judgements are soundly based.

Each tool kit comes fully loaded with a USB stick with guidance on using WIGL in a number of different contexts – from peer review to supporting mentoring, developing CPD and performance management.

The pack is priced at £175 + VAT and contains everything you need to start understanding and improving your team’s practice.

You can purchase What is Good Leadership directly from our bookshop.

Or if you would like to see some sample pages from the kit, or order directly from me, my email address is james@imaginativeminds.co.uk. My direct line is 0121 224 7584.

I look forward to hearing from you.

James Mason
Marketing
Teaching Times

Tel: 0121 224 7584 | Fax: 0121 224 7598

PS Paying by invoice? You can order from the bookshop and select the ‘Pay by invoice’ option at the checkout.

Perfect the Past Tense for GCSE French is a resource which will give your students structured practice in a complex grammatical area which is vital to their success at GCSE.

It comprises a pack of photocopiable worksheets which will guide them step by step through the rules and uses of the perfect tense and help them to gain a ‘C’ or above at GCSE level. Explanations are clearly illustrated with plenty of examples to work through, and answers are included at the back of the book. Most of the exercises are designed to be worked through on an individual basis but there are also a couple of games which can be played in small groups.

Perfect the Past Tense has been designed and written by French teachers and tested in class where it proved to be immensely beneficial.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/modlang/T1675.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 730 2; Order code: T1675emn

The volume is available as…

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book or CD…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=492

We all know that the students who are able to focus for the longest periods of time on what we’re saying without their attention wandering are the ones most likely to retain the information.

Conversely the students with short attention spans are also the ones most likely to be disruptive in class. No news there.

We would all dearly love to be teaching classes full of students who behaved well and hung onto our every word. Realistically, a totally perfect teaching/learning scenario is unlikely, but can we improve the situation?

We believe we can! We’ve developed extremely quiet background music designed specifically to enhance information retention and improve concentration. Also, as a bonus, disruptive behaviour is reduced.

If you’d like to know more, go to: Further information and media

Where you’ll be able to see a Teacher’s TV programme explaining why and how it works, listen to samples and purchase downloads of 12 hours of Calmer Classrooms Music for £79.99.

Calmer Classrooms music can be used and is effective across all age ranges, nursery, primary and secondary schools.

If you have any questions or queries about Calmer Classrooms Music please do call me on 07801 067386 or email: vo.fletcher@btinternet.com

Vo Fletcher