March 2011 Newsletter – Secondaries
Welcome to the March edition of the JCS newsletter, and the onset of Spring!
This month, with the Royal Wedding fast approaching, we’re using JCS resources to explore historical, political and artistic content related to this topic. We will also point you towards our top March news items on e-learning and related topics.
There is also news about a potential partnership with Schools Library Services, an update on our thriving schools’ subscription consortia, and an invitation to join us at our workshop in Suffolk on 31st March.
Enjoy the newsletter, and feel free to get in touch and let us know what you think!
Topic of the month – Royal Weddings
Whatever your perspective on the subject, royalty is certainly on people’s minds given the fast-approaching weddings of both Prince William and Zara Phillips, and the huge interest in the film, ‘The King’s Speech’. Now is therefore the perfect time to spark pupils’ imaginations and stimulate discussion with the help of JCS resources. The following are just a few illustrations of the reference material, images and video contained within many of the resources available through JCS.
Be sure to request your free trials now so you can use the resources in the lead up to the wedding – Friday 29th April!
Credo Reference
William and Kate are following the royal tradition of marrying in Westminster Abbey. Explore the history and significance of this architectural icon:
Westminster Abbey. (2006). In All Things Chaucer: An Encyclopedia of Chaucer's World. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/abcchaucer/westminster_abbey/
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History Reference Center
Delve into the history of royal weddings: History Reference Center allows us to see a very different side to Queen Elizabeth on her own wedding day at Westminster Abbey:
Copyright: ©Hulton Archive. Royal Wedding Bridesmaids arranging Princess Elizabeth's veil and train as she arrives at Westminster Abbey, London, with her father King George VI, for her marriage to Lt Philip Mountbatten. Original Publication: Picture Post - 4438 - Royal Wedding - pub. 1947 (Photo by Bert Hardy/Getty Images) -- Image Date: 20/11/1947 -- Image Date: 20/11/1947
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History Study Centre
Many royal weddings of recent years have been between royals and commoners, but this has sometimes proven a thorny issue for the royal family. Find out more by reading original historical documents provided through History Study Centre:
Copyright © 2001-2011 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.
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Bridgeman Education
What’s your favourite royal wedding dress? Compare some gorgeous designs:
Left to right:
- The Marriage of the Prince of Wales with Princess Alexandra of Denmark in St. George's Chapel,...Forestier, Amedee (1854-1930) (after) Private Collection. ©Bridgeman Education
- Wedding dress of Katharine Worsley, Duchess of Kent, 1961. English School, (20th century) Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK. ©Bridgeman Education
- Wedding dress worn by Mary, Princess Royal, 1922 English School, (20th century) Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK. ©Bridgeman Education
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Scran
Learn more about how major royal events are marked in local communities:
Children play at Royal Wedding 1981. ©The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk.
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Heinemann Video Galleries
Stimulate discussion and provide a front-row view into history with the Heinemann Video Galleries:
© Pearson Education Ltd 2011
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Consortia and Partnership news
Collaborative working with Schools’ Libraries Services
We’re delighted to announce that JCS is in discussion with Schools Library Services across the country about JCS resources being offered through SLS membership packages. Schools Library Services are our natural partners, and we hope to collaborate with as many as possible to enable SLS member schools to benefit from greatly increased discounts through regional SLS consortia.
If you work for a Schools’ Library Service and would like to find out more, please get in touch with Joyce Martin by email at joyce@jcsonlineresources.org.
Regional and Academies Schools’ Consortia continue to grow
Due to the steadily increasing number of schools subscribing through JCS, more and more resources are now becoming available at consortium discount pricing in regions across the UK. The more schools in each region that subscribe, the cheaper the resources become.
- Contact us if you would like to find out how to benefit from consortia prices
- Request free trials of the resources
Please remember, the more subscribers the better the discounts so don’t forget to tell your colleagues about the benefits of JCS and the range of resources that are available.
In the News...
Highlights from recent press coverage on education, literacy and e-learning that may be of interest to our readers:
- Chief executive of Ofqual says exams in schools should be taken online because students ‘use IT as their natural medium for identifying and exploring new issues and deepening their knowledge’. Read more
- A new study finds that ‘By the end of primary education, pupils start to shun relatively difficult texts’, fuelling concerns about UK children’s literacy levels. Read more
- The Guardian is asking children about their ideal school in ‘the school I’d like’ series. Michael Anning, age 11, suggests an ‘internet link-up scheme with schools from a different part of the EU to themselves so we can make friends with children from other EU countries to create an EU family feel’. Read more
- Copying hits the headlines – Recent high-profile plagiarism cases highlight how important it is to educate pupils about this issue from an early age. Read more.
If you are concerned about plagiarism you can find help and advice at www.plagiarismadvice.org. The resources available include Ofqual guides:
‘Ofqual, in partnership with plagiarismadvice.org, has published three guides to give teachers, students and parents/carers a greater understanding of how to produce honest, authentic and correctly referenced work. The guides are available for download by clicking the links below. Using sources is a guide for students, and describes how good quality sources can be located, checked for authenticity, authority and accuracy using a range of techniques, including specific advice about popular wiki resource. Authenticity is a guide for teachers and covers current best practice to help ensure that student work is authentic, including the increasingly popular use of originality checking services such Turnitin, which is currently used by awarding bodies. Avoiding plagiarism outlines issues for parents and carers.’