We are very pleased to announce a number of training sessions across the south-west on using the South West Water Espresso Computer Modelling resource. This training session, delivered by Espresso, will allow delegates to explore the range of resources available as well as gain ideas of how to implement them into planning and use them creatively across the curriculum. The course will run for half a day, including plenty of time for ‘hands on’ exploration of the module.The morning session runs from 9am to 12pm and is repeated in the afternoon from 1pm to 4pm.

This session is open to any classroom teacher or subject leader currently working within a primary school. It will particularly interest those with responsibility for Maths, ICT or Geography.

Click here to find out more and learn how to book.

There are some really useful outward-facing Merlin sites now. Swindon LA are using Merlin for their site, as are Bristol LA. The Public Shared Places are coming soon. Have a look at SEN and Languages. Here is the Public Shared Place homepage if you have a Merlin login. These links should work soon:

www.merlin.swgfl.org.uk/psp

www.merlin.swgfl.org.uk/sen 

www.merlin.swgfl.org.uk/languages

www.merlin.swgfl.org.uk/functionalskills

www.merlin.swgfl.org.uk/vc

I have just come across an online document processor called j2e, which stands for "just2easy" apparently. It looks fantastically like Textease, (these are the Textease developers), so is highly suitable for education. I have really liked the online collaboration of Google Docs, but it is very MS Word-like. j2e has all the Textease-type features. It seems that j2e has been shibbolethised, so will work within Merlin. What a fantastic tool this would be in Merlin. Interesting to follow developments on Geoff's blog

 

SWGfL are delighted to announce the launch of SWGfL Merlin, a new service for learners across the South West.

To find out more, visit the Learning Platforms section on our website, http://www.swgfl.org.uk/services/learning_platforms/ 

There's an introduction to the service and what it offers schools and educational establishments in the South West in  'SWGfL Merlin - An introduction' .

To learn more about the features of SWGfL Merlin and how it can support your school, check out the section entitled What will SWGfL Merlin provide?

To find out more about the implementation of this new service in your local area, visit the section entitled Training and Support.

 

 

 

Since the announcement in February 08 of the partnership with RM and Netmedia to deliver SWGfL Merlin, the SWGfL team have been hard at work with Local Authorities on the development of SWGfL Merlin.

February saw the construction of the infrastructure to deliver this unique service, and in March focus groups worked to develop the interfaces for the service in preparation for the pilots.

We're now in the pilot phase, working with LAs and schools across the region to explore the functionality of the service, and ensure effective processes are in place for MIS integration at a school level.

SWGfL are also working closely with local authorities to prepare for roll out of this exciting new service across the region, on track to go live from August 08. There'll be a host of materials to guide schools as they prepare to implement SWGfL Merlin. There'll be a focus on support for change management so that school staff feel prepared, as well as plenty of top tips for starting points, depending on your school's needs.

The latest timelines for SWGfL Merlin are as illustrated below.