Our transition from traditional teaching into technological learning has paid off as Barton Peveril College has been shortlisted for a national Times Education Supplement (TES) Award.
Barton Peveril is the only college in Southampton shortlisted for the ‘outstanding use of technology for improving teaching, learning and assessment’ category for this year’s ceremony.
Now in its sixth year, the annual national TES (formerly known as the Times Educational Supplement) Awards look to celebrate and recognise the dedication and expertise of the people and teams who continue to make a significant contribution to improving the skill levels of young people. This year there are 16 categories including best teaching and learning initiative, sixth-form college of the year and teacher of the year.
Barton Peveril applied for the award because of the success seen since adopting ‘Google Classroom’ within our Humanities Department. The new blended learning platform gives students better access to resources and lesson materials, enhances collaborative work between them, and allows the monitoring and grading of assignments in a paperless way.
Mark Robinson, Director of Humanities who submitted the award entry said: “Humanities have been a driving force behind using Google Classroom for teaching and learning at Barton Peveril. Since adopting this technology within our lessons, we’ve seen a dramatic difference in student engagement and significant improvements on value added outcomes. We are championing Google Classroom across college and being shortlisted for a TES Award is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the continued hard work and achievements of our staff and students.”
Two of Mark’s students say they’ve found Google Classroom hugely beneficial to their studies.
18-year-old Chris Toward from North Baddesley who’s studying A Level History at Barton Peveril said: “Google Classroom has been an absolute gift. Being able to work anywhere, anytime on any device makes me so much more productive. I also like the prompt feedback that I receive from my teacher online after submitting a piece of work. We’re currently exploring the Tudor religion and this digital way of working allows our class to be collaborative and access materials freely and easily.”
18-year-old Elizabeth Pound from Totton is also studying A Level History. She said: “Using Google Classroom ensures that I’m fully prepared before my lesson as my teacher will send me push notifications direct to my phone with the pre-work that I have to do. I like traditional teaching, but this technology has enhanced our courses and encourages students to share ideas and work in different ways. I love using it because it’s fast, direct and a great support both inside and outside of our lessons.”
Barton Peveril will go head to head with seven other colleges across the country for the accolade at an awards ceremony to be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on February 24.
