Big sporty scoop for young hacks

Tuesday 09 June 2015

Local youngsters are being given a sporting chance at becoming hacks and want all the Islanders involved in this month’s NatWest Island Games to get in touch and share their stories.

The new team of primary schoolchildren, some as young as eight, are being trained up to uncover the local unsung heroes at the Games.

ESC’s E-Safety and E-Learning Manager Jon Tarrant said: “Whether someone mows the grass, washes the kit, drives the buses, fires the starting pistol or competes in an event, we want to hear everybody’s story. This is not just about who crosses the finish line first but the story of the community behind the Games.”

The youngsters will cover every sport in the Games and will be sharing their stories with the world on Makewaves - a specially created social networking site.

Mr Tarrant said: “Whether it is a song, a dance, a poem, an interview or even something created digitally such as a podcast, stop-motion animation or greenscreen film, everything can now be safely shared for the world to enjoy.

“Learning to collaborate and communicate safely online is a key skill for young people today and the Makewaves platform allows schools to teach responsible social networking activities that will serve pupils well in the future. Combining that with the NatWest Island Games, we have a unique opportunity for pupils in Jersey to show what they can do with the digital media skills that we have been developing through our new computing curriculum.”

Most children already know how to use the Makewaves platform as it's now used widely in schools across the Island. Specialist technology trainer Alan Thompson of Hi-Impact and his team have been working to bring innovative technologies into classrooms.

Mr Thompson said: “Over the last year we have seen how keen teachers are able to enrich and enhance teaching and learning by embracing new technologies. When we heard about the NatWest Island Games, we knew they would offer real ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities that our Jersey schoolchildren would love. We are looking forward to becoming a very special part of the Island Games’ legacy in Jersey.”

Samares School teacher Carly Pallot said: “Makewaves has been a fantastic tool that we have been using over the past year. It really engages learners and gives them a purpose and audience for their work.

“The children have learnt many skills through Makewaves, including e-safety, presentation skills, speaking and listening as well as the obvious computing skills. We are really looking forward to taking this further with the forthcoming NatWest Island Games. This is a really exciting time!”

ESC Minister Deputy Rod Bryans said: “This exciting project stimulates curiosity, enhances soft skills and combines this with digital creativity and simple curiosity, which is a key skill of every good reporter.

“I look forward to seeing what they produce and hope islanders come forward to share their stories with our young reporters to make this a really special experience.”

If you can give the youngsters a scoop on the Games, get in touch with Jon Tarrant at j.tarrant@gov.je or call him on 449318.