Who are the Digital Learning Team?
Looking for FREE, friendly, techy and tailored support for your curriculum? You've found the right people!
by Simon Curtin
Thanks for taking the time to check out our Substack! This is a new format for us, so we are excited to see what you think.
Feel free to drop us a comment at the bottom of the page, just to say “Hi!”
Who are we?
In short, we’re teachers. We teach full time in primary schools, with all of the rewards and challenges that entails. Stephen and I have decades of experience working in classrooms in the North East and we share a love of teaching with tech. Although we’re based in Hartlepool, our connected world has allowed us to work with colleagues from much further afield.
Where did we come from?
COVID-19 was a huge challenge for us all. All of a sudden, the use of technology in schools shifted from something we were passionately trying to embed in classrooms, to an everyday essential for our children and staff to be able to connect with each other. Almost overnight, we moved from teaching with technology, to teaching through technology. What a time to be involved with computing in a school: some were well prepared, some were in need of support.
With this in mind, the Digital Learning Team: Hartlepool was assembled to try to provide support for schools to make sure that remote learning was possible for all children in the town. We were there when schools really needed help getting started with digital learning and workflows; to help to quickly move over to platforms such as MS Teams; and also just to have a (virtual) chat and a coffee about what was working well, and what needed some refinement. In the end, we were able to support schools in providing their children with a good level of connectivity during one of the most challenging times for our young people.
What was remote learning like for you? Drop us a comment below and share your experiences… good or bad!
How have we grown?
Our role has changed over the years, as schools have settled back into ‘normality’… whatever that means for a school! After nearly fifteen years of being a teacher, I can say with some certainty that there is no such thing. However, the kids are back in the building. Actual bums on actual seats. So our job in supporting with remote learning needed to evolve.
Working as a small team (myself, Stephen and Charlotte who has now moved on to work in North Tyneside) we dedicated ourselves to sharing our wealth of experience in the classroom with colleagues in the area. Our goal: help teachers get the very best out of what tech they had, and point them in the right direction for further development.
But it didn’t stop there. The team were also driven to better themselves, taking on additional training and responsibilities, whilst also trying to connect with as many schools as possible.
What can we do for you?
First things first: we’re free. We’ll always be free. And we’re teachers, just like you, so there’s no judgement here! We know it’s the hardest job in the world. So no matter where you are with your curriculum, your use of technology or your school priorities, we’ll be happy to sit a chat about your next steps… even if it something simple. You make the brews, we’ll bring the biscuits!
Can we help with the following things?
Looking at your current devices and seeing how best they could be used in your school.
Working with your staff to share some great teaching ideas, using tech to enthuse and engage.
Planning your computing curriculum for the next term / academic year.
Supporting with your curriculum planning across the Key Stages.
Working with your Leadership Team to discuss key priorities for your school, and how technology could be used to help to achieve these.
Staff CPD on a wide range of tech (Microsoft and Apple)
Between us, we hold many accreditations, including:
Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE)
Apple Teacher (with Swift)
CEOP Ambassador for Online Safety
Showbie Certified Educator
Want to know more?
We’d love to hear from you, so please drop any enquiries into the comments below, or send us an email if you’d like to arrange an informal chat (virtual, or in person).
simon.curtin@jesmondgardens.com
smolyneux@throstonschool.org.uk
In the meantime, check out our YouTube channel where you will find lots of video tutorials about some of the cool things we are using in schools at the moment, as well as our Podcast, “DLT&Biscuits”
Thanks for reading!
Simon