Why Digital Leaders?
Pupils chosen to be Digital Leaders can have many benefits across the school, including promoting e-safety (children often listen to children more than adults), giving opinions on new technology before an investment is made, helping organise clubs such as Code Club and sharing expertise across the school. They are role-models for younger children and there is no limit to how many schools can have. Below are a selection of activities and resources you could try when setting up Digital Leaders in your school.
Pupils chosen to be Digital Leaders can have many benefits across the school, including promoting e-safety (children often listen to children more than adults), giving opinions on new technology before an investment is made, helping organise clubs such as Code Club and sharing expertise across the school. They are role-models for younger children and there is no limit to how many schools can have. Below are a selection of activities and resources you could try when setting up Digital Leaders in your school.
Application Form
As mentioned above, there is no limit on how many Digital Leaders one school has, it just depends on how big the school is. However, you need to make sure the children selected are committed so asking them to apply for the position is a good idea. The application form template below is a suggested framework that could be adapted to suit. Pupils applying for the position online (through whatever digital assessment tools your school uses) give more digital credentials. For example, pupils could use our Scratch Pupil Activities to produce an application. Here is an example by a Year 6 pupil.
As mentioned above, there is no limit on how many Digital Leaders one school has, it just depends on how big the school is. However, you need to make sure the children selected are committed so asking them to apply for the position is a good idea. The application form template below is a suggested framework that could be adapted to suit. Pupils applying for the position online (through whatever digital assessment tools your school uses) give more digital credentials. For example, pupils could use our Scratch Pupil Activities to produce an application. Here is an example by a Year 6 pupil.
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Clubs
Digital Leaders could help run lunchtime or after-school clubs for younger pupils to introduce digital skills or parent and pupil workshops. The Digital Leaders could decide between themselves which aspects they each want to introduce (they could use the activity packs on this website to give them ideas).
Digital Leaders could help run lunchtime or after-school clubs for younger pupils to introduce digital skills or parent and pupil workshops. The Digital Leaders could decide between themselves which aspects they each want to introduce (they could use the activity packs on this website to give them ideas).
E-safety
The Digital Leaders can share e-safety messages in a variety of different ways including speaking at assemblies and creating e-safety tips videos that could be shared on the school blog, YouTube channel or social media pages. Below is an example created by Key Stage 2 Digital Leaders. Pupils could use our iMovie Activity Pack to help them make a video.
The Digital Leaders can share e-safety messages in a variety of different ways including speaking at assemblies and creating e-safety tips videos that could be shared on the school blog, YouTube channel or social media pages. Below is an example created by Key Stage 2 Digital Leaders. Pupils could use our iMovie Activity Pack to help them make a video.
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Beta Testers
Schools often introduce new software and websites to children without fully testing the suitability. Trying new software such as programs, apps, websites with a small group of Digital Leaders can provide good feedback but also if there is a free trial involved or sample resources, then it can help inform decisions. You could use a website such as Survey Monkey to collect pupil feedback or create a Padlet. You will find a video tutorial for Padlet at the end of our Computer Networks Activity Pack. A good website to currently BETA test is Scratch 3.0 |
Help roll out new services/platforms
It can be difficult to roll out our new solutions/services across the whole school in one go. For example, if you want to introduce services such as Google Classroom or Showbie across a school to help with digital assessment, then rolling it out one class at a time can make the process easier. Digital Leaders can be trained up to support the class teachers with helping their pupils pick up the necessary skills. Digital Leaders can also create help sheets (see activity below).
It can be difficult to roll out our new solutions/services across the whole school in one go. For example, if you want to introduce services such as Google Classroom or Showbie across a school to help with digital assessment, then rolling it out one class at a time can make the process easier. Digital Leaders can be trained up to support the class teachers with helping their pupils pick up the necessary skills. Digital Leaders can also create help sheets (see activity below).
School Council Meeting
The Digital Leaders can attend a school council meeting with Headteacher with the focus being on the school's IT equipment and software provision and how pupils use technology at school and home.
The Digital Leaders can attend a school council meeting with Headteacher with the focus being on the school's IT equipment and software provision and how pupils use technology at school and home.
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Pupil Help Sheets and ebooks
Digital Leaders can create help sheet posters for school software, websites, services and procedures. This is a good use of their digital skills with examples being how to save documents to the network in Windows 10. Pupils can take screenshots of different software or website in Windows, iPad or Chromebook. Pupils could use our eBook Activity Packs to create ebooks with tips and help for using computers, these could also be shared online with parents. Digital Leaders can also come up with a list of suggested websites that pupils can use if they are allowed to use the school computers in after-care. |
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Trips
As a thank you/reward for all the work Digital Leaders (hopefully) do, they could be taken on a trip such as the UK Computer Museum in Cambridge or the National Museum of Computing in Milton Keynes.
As a thank you/reward for all the work Digital Leaders (hopefully) do, they could be taken on a trip such as the UK Computer Museum in Cambridge or the National Museum of Computing in Milton Keynes.
