Today a new safety application has been available on Facebook which adds safety features to your Facebook profile. We’d strongly suggest that all users of Facebook enable this feature on their profile – as part of sensible and safe internet practice. Of course, continue to use the excellent Cybermentors site too (which has the button included without you even needing to setup any sort of app).

Should you need to report such issues you can also go directly to the report abuse CEOP webpage

CEOP have released the following information this afternoon:

As you may have seen in the press this morning, Facebook and the CEOP Centre have joined forces to make young people safer online by launching the new ‘ClickCEOP’ application.

Launching today, all young users of Facebook – and their parents – are invited to add the new ClickCEOP ‘app’ to their profile. Through this app, they will be able to access advice, help and support from the CEOP Centre. Crucially, young people will be able to report instances of suspected grooming or inappropriate sexual behaviour directly from their profile to specially trained investigators.

The ‘app’ is the outcome of collaboration between CEOP and Facebook who have combined Facebook’s expertise in connecting and communicating online with CEOP’s expertise in helping young people stay safe.
Once added to their profiles, young users will receive regular messages from CEOP and its partner organisations who operate ‘behind the button’ to make children safer. CEOP’s new Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ClickCEOP) will also contain polls, news alerts and status updates. The page will look at topics that teenagers care about, such as celebrities, music and exams and will link these subjects to questions about online safety.

Users can either add or bookmark the ‘app’ so it appears on their profile, as not only a constant source of help and reassurance for them but also as a strong visual signal to their friends, family and others that they are in control online.

The move is also being supported by an advertising campaign on Facebook that will encourage take up. This will include an automatic advert appearing on every profile of users aged between 13-18 years inviting them to add the app.

Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre said:

“Today represents a huge step forward. By adding this app, Facebook users will have direct access to all the services that sit behind our ClickCEOP button and this should provide reassurance for the many parents whose teenage children use Facebook.

“We know from speaking to offenders that a visible deterrent could protect young people online. We urge all Facebook users not only to add the app, but also to bookmark it so that others can see that they’re in control online. Our dialogue with Facebook about adopting the ClickCEOP button is well documented – this is a good day for child protection.”

Joanna Shields, Facebook’s Vice President for EMEA said:

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our users, which is why we have invested so much in making Facebook one of the safest places on the internet. There is no single silver bullet to making the internet safer but by joining forces with CEOP, we have developed a comprehensive solution which marries our expertise in technology with CEOP’s expertise in online safety. Together we have developed a new way of helping young people stays safe online and backed this with an awareness campaign to publicise it to young users. It is only through the constant and concerted effort of the industry, police, parents and young people themselves that we can all keep safe online – whether on Facebook or elsewhere.”

ClickCEOP in Facebook…

If you would like to support CEOP and Facebook’s initiative, please feel free to use any of the following updates for your Facebook or Twitter accounts or website.

1. Facebook status update
(Your organisation /fan group) …is / are supporting the ClickCEOP app on Facebook – if you are interested in keeping young people safe online, add the app

2. Twitter update
If you work with young people, help them stay safe in #Facebook and get them to add the new #ClickCEOP app from www.facebook.com/ClickCEOP

3. Web site content
Every young person on Facebook needs the ClickCEOP app – this is why
If you work with teenagers, then you’ll know most of them will be using Facebook. You might even be using it yourself… if so, you will want to know about a new, free application in Facebook that is designed to keep young people safe while they are having fun networking online.

ClickCEOP is a new ‘app’ launched today (Monday 12 July) which links the young user directly from their Facebook profile to help, advice and reporting facilities of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre – the police agency set up to tackle child abuse.

By adding the app, young people and parents can get support from CEOP on a range of issues – viruses, hacking, dealing with bullying online and they can report someone who is acting inappropriately towards them online.

If you have a Facebook profile, app and bookmark the app. If children in your care are on Facebook, get them to search ‘ClickCEOP’ in Facebook and give them to chance to be one click away from help – if they should ever need it.

www.facebook.com/clickceop

kind Regards,
CEOP

On Tuesday 10th November the ICT & Business faculty took a lucky group of sixth-formers to Adobe UK headquarters. We had a fantastic day with superb support and guidance from Adobe representatives. Special thanks to Liz Wilkins and all her colleagues for making us not only feel extremely welcome but also for sharing such an excellent range of ideas and insights into a major corporation.

We had presentations and discussions that covered the history and ethos of Adobe, current & future technologies, marketing & related strategies, role & importance of social networking, the roles & responsibilities of an IT technician and requirements for the successful 21st century workplace. It was excellent to have just a diverse range of perspective during the day – covering education, employment, utility, marketing, support and business ethos.

Presentations included:
Introduction to Adobe – Liz Wikins (Education Marketing Manager, Adobe)
How to get a job in IT – Stuart Rowland (EMEA Talent Acquisition Manager, Adobe)
How businesses use Adobe products – Steve Burnard (Adobe evangelist)
How Tidalwave use technology to deliver engaging marketing campaigns – Huw Paisley (Account Director, Tidalwave)
How do use Social networking to your advantage – Ian Usher (eLearning at Bucks County Council)
What do the IT guys do? – Kevin Green (IT Support, Adobe)
How to succeed in the 21th century – Liz Wilkins

The photos below provide a glimpse of the day. Students will add their thoughts to this blog post too.

Congratulations to the whole college community. We have just heard we have been re-designated as a Mathematics and Computing college for another 3 years, following the community’s efforts in increasing achievement at all key stages and introducing innovative approaches to learning. We look forward to another 3 years of success, innovation and continued national recognition. Well done.

Thank you to everyone who attended the evening. Attendance: 172 people, all to support the year 11 students in preparartion for their mock exams. Keep trying different revision techniques to ensure you are well prepared. Tonight we had a look at Mnemonics, image chains, mind mapping, SAM learning and our own college website. I am keen to see if the methods we used tonight have been useful or if you have any other techniques that work. I welcome your comments and alternative suggestions. Mr D’Cunha

Voki example:

Today we are presenting a brand-new fully updated 40 ICT ideas in 40 minutes to the Specialist Schools Trust Maths and Computing Conference.

More details later – when we’ve hopefully delivered the workshop successfully. A copy of the presentation will be uploaded here too

As many of you discovered, we will always do our very best to update the blog (and consequently) the College website with information when we encounter bad weather.

We were delighted that so many people get involved sharing ideas and comments.  Please do continue to do this – using the blog in a positive way to communicate.  Over the last few days the College blog and website was visited over 4000 times – which is as many as we normally get in a whole month.

We’ve even written a section on the Open Source Schools project about how the blog was used during recent days – it shows how Neale-Wade has been yet again leading the way through the use of our WordPress blog.

Thank you for your support and contributions

Involvement and enjoyment was the aim of the evening and it did not disappoint.

The first of three Parent Involvement Evenings was held last Tuesday, more than 160 parents and students came to partake in an interactive experience focussed on helping prepare for year 11 mock exams.

The informal evening covered mind-mapping, image chains, mneumomics, on-line learning and some advice from last years GCSE groups.  We look forward to the next evening.

This is an additional technique that we’ll be adding to the revision page for students to use.  It is a really clever concept that makes great use of Flash.

Perhaps a slightly contrived name, but the online tools at http://www.glogster.com allow you to become a glogger and create glogs to help you with your revision.  The tools can actually be used for a range of uses but one great way would be to collect together revision resources such as videos, weblinks, notes and even interactive quizzes.

1. Go to http://www.glogster.com/
2. Click on ‘Become a glogger now!’
3. Start creating!

For example, if you wanted to do some GCSE history revision you could put together all the online resources to create your own interactive revision poster.  You could even include audio from your own podcast, copies of a revision map you’ve created together with your own key words.

It might end up looking something like this: http://nealewade.glogster.com/endofcoldwar/

Give it a try and do post if you have any further questions.

Students, staff and governors are celebrating record breaking GCSE results at Neale-Wade Community College.  68% of Year 11 students gained at least 5 A*-C passes.  This are the best results in the College history.  42% of students gained 5 A*-C passes which includes passes in English and Mathematics.

A number of students produced outstanding results, special mention should go to:

Luke Barron and Andrew Kerr who both achieved 8 A* and 2 A grades
Georgia Midghall – 4 A* 5 A and 1 B grade
Hannah Foad – 3A* 6 A and 1 B grade
Alexa Ferguson – 3 A* 5 A grades and 2 B grades.

College Principal Tim Hitch said “I am delighted that the students’ ability, enthusiasm, commitment and hard work have been rewarded by these results.  I would like to congratulate students on their success and join with them in recognising the support, encouragement and high quality of teaching they have received at Neale-Wade.  It was also very pleasing to see students achieve high grades in both the ‘traditional’ academic subject and vocational subjects.”

Mr Jim Doherty, Chair of Governors said “We are extremely fortunate in having so many excellent teachers at Neale-Wade Community College who dedicate so much of their time, helping students to achieve their potential and parents who are willing to support the College.  I am delighted by the continued success at the College and I congratulate students and staff.”

.pdf link: GCSE results 2008

On Friday 13th June we shared our ideas for the ICT vision within Cambridgeshire.  This was part of the BSF Bidder conference.  At the same event Mr Hitch shared ideas and proposals supported by students involved in previous consultations projects.

Bidder Conference – 13th June 2008

Our Bidder Conference took place on Friday 13 June 2008.  The agenda included the opportunity to hear our aspirations for the project and updates from the Council Council team and schools involved.

Find details on the Cambridgeshire BSF website or also download the .pdf version of the ICT vision presentation.