Learning World

This is my personal favourite of the sites. There are four main areas: Eye On, a country study with maps, good photographs and information file; Focus On, which concentrates on specific development issues; On Camera, which provides good quality photographs and images that form bases of pupil activities; and Competitions which offers an opportunity to win prizes for group and individual work.

There’s a fabulous selection of activities for both primary and secondary pupils offering several different writing genres. The cartoon-style graphics are very appealing and the links are simple for pupils to access.

The teacher notes are a little difficult to read because of the colour and font, but the primary and secondary home pages are both colourful and inviting. Pupils are immediately invited into another world with three characters, Harry, Cecile and Jack (a parrot!) guiding the user around the Caribbean. This is the 10th issue and I couldn’t wait to download the back issues through a user-friendly link! An excellent site.

The site provides detailed information of pilgrimage within five religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. The introduction includes good, clear instructions though it does not give a general overview.

The layout and categories are different for each religion. The Christianity page, for example, gives good information on the birth, life and death of Jesus. The Hinduism and Sikhism areas are clearer than the Christianity section, with an introduction area which provides an overview of that religion. The pictures are great and there are some very good links. Judaism has more limited links. The section on Islam, which has a similar layout to the Christianity and Judaism sections, provides solid background information and an excellent diagram. In short, it’s a competent teacher resource.

This site of history resources by and for teachers is very useful and fits well into the curriculum. The range of activities is good and user-friendly, with interactive simulations, educational arcade games, virtual interviews, worksheets and lesson plans, and lists of resources.

Interactive interviews with historical figures such as Henry Vlll and Adolf Hitler allow pupils to take control, set the pace of and choose the questions. This helps motivate and inspire them to discover more about each character. In another activity, pupils take the role of a person in history and control the actions and responses of their character.

A wide range of topics ensures that this website is suitable for all stages of primary and secondary school. One downside though is the large number of links, which can be a distraction, and certain areas are only accessible when an annual membership fee has been paid. That said, pupils of all ages and abilities will find something here to capture their interest, and teachers will appreciate the comprehensive list of resources.

This site is easy to access and displays a wide range of geography and related topics. Each topic has its own lessons, activities, worksheets, stories and homework materials.

There are excellent links to maps, outcomes that span the curriculum, and interesting stories from children around the world that address the topics. Stories include pictures of the person, which help make it more real for pupils, and the language used is student-friendly. The stories also contain very good precise background information for teachers to gain greater understanding of topics. Some activities, such as writing a haiku (17-syllable Japanese verse) or a kenning (a form of poem from Old English) appear to require more time than others. Overall, however, there is enough scope in the activities for teachers to choose and adapt them to suit a class of varying abilities.

Other activities, such as those contained in the Fair Trade topic, contain activities that extend children’s knowledge of the issue, while developing other skills, such as data handling, in an interesting way. There is such a wealth of good material here – my only concern is how to fit it into the timetable!

Setting up creative partnerships across the world is much easier with the help of a new ‘one-stop shop’.

The Global Gateway is a new international website, enabling those involved in education across the world to engage in creative partnerships.

It is a ‘one-stop shop’, providing quick access to comprehensive information on how to develop an international dimension in education. The Global Gateway helps to ensure that education crosses national boundaries and that young people become true global citizens. It also provides quality-assured information and links to resources and activities that will help raise standards in education.

The Global Gateway is being developed for the Department for Education and Skills by the British Council.

Next issue

Coming up…

In the April 2005 issue of Learning World we will be looking at global perspectives in education. Do write in or e-mail us if you’ve been involved in British Council programmes related to this topic.

Our contact details are:
Learning World, British Council,
10 Spring Gardens,
London SW1A 2BN
e-mail learningworld@britishcouncil.org