All New Tablet Project

As we all continue to experience the government’s austerity measures, the evaluation and acquisition of new technologies can sometimes fall by the wayside. If only there was a way that learning providers could access a collection of cutting-edge pieces of technology to evaluate their relevance and suitability to support business objectives...for free?!

Well, due to the recent success of our mobile technologies project we have elected to once again provide a similar opportunity to all sectors in a new initiative, our Tablet Devices Project.





For this project we are now looking for learning providers who wish to explore a variety of popular tablets devices and to see how these might benefit their own organisation. There are six brands of tablet devices available, each with differing features and specifications. This is to offer providers the opportunity to evaluate a number of sizes, specifications, and models.

Learning providers will be able to loan a set of five different devices for a period of six weeks. During this time you are encouraged to use them with staff and learners and at the end of the period feedback your findings to us via a short survey. RSC staff will support you throughout the duration of the project and via our usual support channels and answer any queries you may have about the devices.

At the end of the period, the tablet devices must be returned to us. At that stage we hope you will be better informed as to their potential and perhaps in a position to make your own purchasing choices should you wish to do so.

Who can apply?
This initiative is open to all of our supported learning providers; all that is required is a willingness to see what tablet devices can do for you, and to complete a short survey at the end which will be used to feedback your findings.

Where can I find out more?
A wiki page has been created to offer further information about the project. Here you can find out more about the aims of the project, which devices are available, how to apply and how to gain access to a number of tools and resources to support you during your evaluation of the equipment.



Who can I speak to?
For any queries relating to this project please contact:

Theresa Welch, eLearning Advisor - Work Based Learning,
Tel: 01902 518976,
theresa.welch@rsc-wm.ac.uk


Jason Curtis, Learning Technologies & Information Officer,
Tel: 01902 518986,
jason.curtis@rsc-wm.ac.uk

Munch, Poke, Ping

Vulnerable Young People, Social Media and E-Safety



I thought it was worth putting a post together based on a Guardian article entitled “Mobile phones have they made some young people more vulnerable than ever”.

The article examines the issues surrounding young vulnerable people using smart phone technologies to access and use online social media platforms.





The heart of this article is a report entitled Munch, Poke, Ping! Which focuses on vulnerable young people, social media and e-safety and was commissioned by the UK government’s Training and Development Agency (TDA) and authored by Stephen Carrick-Davies.

Many professionals working with vulnerable young people who were interviewed for the report said that for these young people, the mobile phone has become the single most important activity that gives identity, connection and a sense of community. Indeed, with the array of apps and features on smart phones, such as private message services (BlackBerry Messenger, for example), the opportunity to poke (a virtual nudge to draw attention), ping (broadcast to many) or use "munch" apps (which grab and save what's on the screen), is it any wonder that the mobile has become a young person's portable, private and personal life-support system?

In the report, it is argue that the technology no longer simply mirrors or amplifies offline interactions and communications. The new social web has changed the platform to that of an incubator; it is a place where communication is captured, aggregated, added to, morphed, changed and re-hatched as a new broadcast or ping. Those with the skill and confidence to narrate their lives online, manage their reputation, mitigate the risks and build up resilience, may well be able to survive and thrive. Those who have few supportive adults, low levels of literacy and are unsupervised and vulnerable to abuse, are far less confident and hence more at risk.

The report goes on to say that " Better training and support for staff working with vulnerable young people would help protect them from risky situations online. It is time to embed e-safety within the wider teaching of emotional, social and digital literacies. A new three Rs of literacy would help us to understand the risks, better manage online reputations and together build resilience to cope with the contradictions and opportunities of the online world".





Futher resources associated with the Munch, Poke, Ping project include:








Full findings, recomendations and resources.


Full report



It is well worth taking the time to read the Guardian article, read Munch, Poke, Ping and to check out Stephens blog.





Jason