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 PRESS RELEASE ARCHIVEPress Releases 2006
Press release navigation Latest Press Releases | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
Cardiff-Based Birchfield InteractiveTackles Teenage Anti-Social Behaviour & Bullying As truancy levels reach record heights and new statistics from the Institute for Public Policy Research reveal that UK youths are the most badly behaved in Europe, Birchfield Interactive, a Cardiff-based specialist in educational software, is helping to combat anti-social behaviour and truancy with Let's STOP Bullying! This secondary school software title helps children to understand the impact of bullying and deal with this complicated and sensitive issue. The Bullying Online Charity recently revealed that a staggering 85% of young people have seen someone else being bullied. Schools need to encourage childre to speak out about this problem, and Let's STOP Bullying! certainly helps. Using video case studies, animation, narrated text and role-play, teachers can use Birchfield's software to explain the psychology behind aggressive behaviour and stimulate class discussion and debate. Teachers can also use the software to educate the perpetrators, outlining the consequences of their actions and how they can improve their behaviour. Douglas Smith, Head of PSHE, commented: "Birchfield's titles to support the teaching of Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) help educate pupils about different forms of bullying and anti-social behaviour. By using role-play in the classroom, young people can learn to emphathise and understand the victims' and perpetrators' views. Many bullies have low self-esteem and by informing and educating their students, teachers can begin to take steps to combat bullying both inside and outside of the school gates." Jonathan Case, Chief Executive at Birchfield Interactive, added: "The National Bullying Survey 2006 highlights the extreme misery some pupils suffer at the hands of bullies, and also concludes that more and more teachers require guidance to deal with bullying. Let's STOP Bullying! offers a solution, explaining to young people how to deal with bullies in a non-confrontational way. It also provides adults with the framework to openly discuss such unacceptable behaviour." Sold directly to educational institutions, Let's STOP Bullying! is available in two easy-to-use formats - either as Instant Lessons (£99.95) or as a Lesson Kit (£149.95). Ready-made, curriculum-based lessons, exercises and assessment are included as standard in both formats. However, the Lesson Kit takes teaching to an even higher level, enabling teachers to create bespoke lessons from an extensive library of multimedia resources that perfectly match the needs and abilities of all pupils. Schools wishing to find out more about Birchfield's Instant Lessons and Lesson Kits, including the numerous benefits for teachers and pupils, should visit www.birchfield.co.uk, where they can download video demonstrations of both options in seconds.
Boost your ICT Confidence with Birchfield's Instant Lessons Educational software specialist Birchfield Interactive is helping teachers who lack the confidence to integrate technology seamlessly into their classrooms with a new range of Instant Lessons.
Although a recent report published by the British Educational Suppliers Association concluded that teachers’ ICT confidence has steadily improved since 2000, over 40% of secondary school teachers remain unsure how to best use ICT to support learning in their respective subjects. Birchfield’s new Instant Lessons range provides an effective solution to this problem.
Using 3-D animation, video footage, narration and simple navigation to present curriculum information in an engaging and modern way, each Instant Lessons title will challenge pupils’ knowledge through a variety of activities, games and puzzles. Progress can be monitored via an Assessment Tool, to identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and enable teachers to develop personalised learning plans. Teachers can also view an outline of the content within each topic or print out teaching resources and content maps, which illustrate the core curriculum areas covered by the software.
Comprehensively spanning 153 topics across 15 curriculum subjects, Instant Lessons titles include Forces and Motion for Physics, Diet and Hygiene for Physical Education, Business and the Government for Business Studies and The Rise of Hitler & the Nazi Party for History.
Jonathan Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive, commented: “With only a quarter of UK secondary schools currently making the best use of ICT resources available, we are delighted to offer a new format that will benefit any type of teacher, be they a proficient user of ICT or an absolute beginner. Written by award-winning specialists in their respective fields, our launch of Instant Lessons will encourage all teachers to seamlessly incorporate and expand technology into their lessons.”
15-06-2006 Monitoring the reactivity of enzymes at a molecular level is now possible with Enzymes, the first title in a series of A-Level and Higher Still Level simulation CD-ROMs from educational software specialist Birchfield Interactive. The program is altering the way the study of enzymes is approached and enables students to view molecular changes that happen when enzymes interact with substrates. Classroom enzyme experiments in the past have only allowed students to see the end results of a biological reaction. With 'Enzymes' from Birchfield, students can view each step of the process from start to finish, offering an exclusive glance into the world of molecular reactions and ensuring they have a comprehensive understanding of the process that takes place. Students use the program to simulate enzyme activity and precisely monitor and measure how different variables, such as pH, temperature and the presence of inhibiting molecules affect the reaction. The software is broken down into three zones. The first simulation looks at how free enzymes react when the variables are altered. The second offers a comparison to the first by enabling students to monitor the reactions of immobilised enzymes (enzymes suspended in jelly and hardened with calcium chloride to form beads). Both simulations allow students to zoom in on the reactions, using the Enzyme/Bead Cam, which provides a close-up of the reaction. Results from both zones can be plotted on a chart in the Graph Zone, enabling students to physically demonstrate the differences in reactions. Enzymes from Birchfield is designed to support the study of A-Level and Higher Still Level Biology, along with Nucleic Acids & Genetic Engineering (AS Level) and Cellular Respiration (A2 Level), two new titles being released in the popular Lesson Kit format. The Lesson Kit offers a combination of three tools which work together to provide a complete teaching solution. Instant Lessons are designed to provide staff with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules, whilst the Lesson Builder offers tools and resources to create interesting tutorials featuring 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Both the Instant Lessons and the Lesson Builder take advantage of the Assessment Tool, to monitor student and class progress. Jonathan Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive, enthused, "Enzymes is an interesting topic, but it has traditionally been difficult to teach. Having the simulation live on screen reinforces student learning by allowing them to see the reactions at a molecular level. This has never been done before and we are proud that our new simulation titles offer students an added level of comprehension." Enzymes can be purchased with a full site license for £99.95. Nucleic Acids & Genetic Engineering and Cellular Respiration are also available, priced at £149.95 each.
12-05-2006 Physical geographical processes that take place over thousands of years are being revealed in seconds thanks to the exciting Work of Rivers title from secondary software specialist Birchfield Interactive. The title, one of a plethora of updated geography titles developed by Birchfield, will allow teachers to take advantage of the £2 million pledged by the DfES to support geography in schools. Some aspects of geographical study, such as erosion, deposition and landform creation, have traditionally been difficult for students to understand as they are rarely encountered within the immediate environment. Using high-quality 3-D animations, Work of Rivers compresses millennia into seconds and shows students how these processes change our landscape. Birchfield has taken visuals in geography to the next level by using animation to demonstrate concepts in a way that students can understand. Work of Rivers covers all of the key content and skills required for a successful understanding of this important topic. It takes the Key Stage 4 learner through the background of flow field geography by addressing the elements, such as transportation by rivers and drainage basins, involved in the dynamic systems of rivers. Pre-designed lessons and interactive exercises take the students along the river's journey from its source to the sea, explaining the landforms that it creates along the way. A role play exercise and case study help students to put the issues into context and allows teachers to highlight the enormous effects rivers can have. Work of Rivers is one of 10 titles that make up Birchfield's new Lesson Kit for Geography. Instant Lessons are designed to provide staff with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules packed full of engaging activities, whilst the Lesson Builder provides teachers with the tools and resources to create interesting tutorials featuring stunning high quality 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Students can also use the lesson builder to create presentations, which can be exported to PowerPoint® and delivered to their colleagues. Integral to both options is the Birchfield Lesson Assessment tool, which automatically monitors pupil and class progress and produces detailed reports itemising time spent and results achieved. This provides necessary assessment for learning, as it indicates areas that are not being fully understood, whilst providing teachers with an instant mark book and saving them time. Keith Phipps MBE, Head of Geography at King Edward VI Camp Hill School, has been delighted by the impact Work of Rivers has had on his classes, "We use 40% of our brains to understand visual concepts. By using videos and animation to explain difficult river concepts, Birchfield has made it easier for the students to understand. The title also allows me to use my interactive whiteboard and data projector to their full potential, showing how ICT can be appropriately used in geography teaching." Jonathan Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive, commented, "We have spent a long time developing our 3-D animations so that they are the best quality they can be. We are delighted that they can now be effectively used to help students understand the complex processes within the river system."
8-05-2006 DIY disaster programmes may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to Product Design & Flat-pack Furniture, an exciting software title from specialist educational software provider Birchfield Interactive. The program is giving secondary school students an early induction into the concept of build-it-yourself furniture by tying it in with the design and technology curriculum studied at Key Stage 4. The software can also guide AS/A level students, with key topics such as manufactured boards, knock-down fittings (easily put together using basic tools), anthropometrics and ergonomics (measuring human proportions and designing to reflect them). Recognising different materials and fittings enables students to select appropriate materials for their coursework projects. Suitable across all exam boards, Product Design & Flat Pack Furniture uses a combination of animations, text and voice-overs to teach students in product design and resistant materials. Teachers can use pre-programmed lessons or export animations and text into PowerPoint® presentations, to deliver to the whole class via a data projector or interactive whiteboard. The software can be uploaded onto a virtual learning environment (VLE), for students to then access at break times or at home. Drag and drop and labelling exercises are available throughout the application, to test how much the students have learnt. Completion of each section is rewarded with a fun game, where students have to answer questions to save a character called Mr Flat Pack from being sawn in half, James Bond style! These quizzes and games are linked to an assessment tool, which automatically monitors students' progress as they tackle them. Product Design & Flat Pack Furniture is one of ten titles that make up Birchfield's new Lesson Kit for design and technology. Instant Lessons are designed to provide staff with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules, whilst the Lesson Builder offers tools and resources to create interesting tutorials featuring 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Both the Instant Lessons and the Lesson Builder take advantage of the assessment tool, to monitor pupil and class progress. Birchfield's unique use of humour differentiates this title from other design and technology products. Understanding what motivates the learner has made it an incredibly successful motivational tool. Jonathan Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive, enthused, "Resistant materials and product design can be uninspiring to study in the early phases. We have endeavoured to provide a product which suits the needs of both students and teachers, but is also fun for the learner to use. We believe we have succeeded with Product Design & Flat-pack Furniture."
17-03-2006 The Elizabethan period that brought us plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet is being brought to life with Responding to Shakespeare, a new English literature title from educational software specialists, Birchfield Interactive. The new program, designed to be used to support the study of Shakespearean texts at Key Stage 4, engages pupils, especially those who do not traditionally respond well to literature, by opening doors to understanding the relationship between the drama and the real world. The application aims to teach students the skills required studying Shakespearean plays by providing a framework upon which to build an interpretation of their chosen text. It provides a comprehensive overview and can be used throughout study, to highlight different sections and to aid comprehension whilst analysing the chosen text. The title is designed to be used with any Shakespearean text, offering a conceptual overview by looking at topics such as Elizabethan beliefs, the theatre and the stage. It does not attempt to offer interpretations, but instead provides the tools to help students understand what lies within and beyond the text. This involves looking at the language (such as Shakespearean insults), the imagery and the context of Shakespearean theatre. Interactivity plays an important part in engaging the learner, and Responding to Shakespeare offers games and exercises at key points along the way. Drag-and-drop and reveal-the-answer quizzes offer a respite from the formal information delivery phases, and completion of each section is awarded with a game to test the students' knowledge gained throughout. There is also a Teacher Zone and an Extended Quiz Zone that can be used post-studying to revise or reiterate elements taught. Responding to Shakespeare is one of 280 applications available in Birchfield's Lesson Kit format, launched in January of this year. Instant Lessons are designed to provide staff with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules packed full of engaging activities whilst the Lesson Builder provides teachers with the tools and resources to create interesting tutorials featuring stunning high quality 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Integral to both options is the Birchfield Lesson Assessment tool, which automatically monitors pupil and class progress and produces detailed reports itemising time spent and results achieved. Jonathan Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive plc, enthused, "Shakespeare is often a difficult topic for students to grasp. We have designed this new title to encourage an understanding of Shakespeare's world, which will in turn aid in the understanding of his plays, which we believe will be a very successful approach."
15-03-2006 Birchfield Interactive plc is making teaching the secondary curriculum significantly easier with its Lesson Kit curriculum software titles (PC DVDs) for secondary education. The new range features two lesson delivery options - Instant Lessons are designed to provide staff looking for a "quick fix" with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules packed full of engaging activities and the Lesson Builder, a program that provides teachers with the tools and resources to create interesting tutorials featuring stunning high quality 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Integral to both options is the Birchfield Lesson Assessment tool, which automatically monitors pupil and class progress and produces detailed reports itemising time spent and results achieved. Spanning 14 curriculum subjects, Birchfield Interactive's award-winning portfolio of secondary titles is already used in 80 per cent of all UK secondary schools, is matched to current syllabuses and is suitable across all exam boards (www.birchfield.co.uk). Ideal for whole class teaching on an interactive whiteboard or independent study, Birchfield's ready-made Instant Lessons combine engaging curriculum content, animations, narration and challenging activities to create an engaging environment designed to appeal to visual, kinaesthetic and auditory learners alike. Written text is supported by high quality 3-D animations to help visual learners understand challenging concepts and all text is fully narrated to support auditory learners. Exam style tests, useful for kinaesthetic learners, provide the facility to carry out summative assessments and can be found in the Extended Question Zone. The Drag and Drop zone also contains several formative assessments which are based on the academic content. The number of attempts is monitored and a percentage score is calculated. Knowledge across different sub-topics can be tested within the Quiz Zone, which features a range of different games-based activities. Banishing the need to surf the internet for hours on end, Lesson Builder provides teachers with the tools and resources to create visually stunning lessons, featuring high quality 3-D animations, text and voice-overs. Lessons created by teachers can be exported to PowerPoint® with the minimum of effort and individual resources can be imported into Word® or Excel®. These individual resources can also be shared between departments or uploaded to a Virtual Learning Environment. A key driver in developing pupils' thinking and creativity skills, this resources module can be used by students to create original multimedia presentations and websites. Teachers keen to meet their learning assessment requirements can monitor class and pupil activity using the Lesson Assessment tool. This software manages data from all Birchfield titles on each PC or network and automatically collates reports detailing the time spent by pupils and results achieved. Reports are presented in a mark book format or displayed as graphs, saving Teachers significant time. Data can also be exported to any spreadsheet package for further manipulation and voice-recordings or typed responses can be replayed or viewed. Pupil strengths and weaknesses can thus be identified and a more personalised approach to learning adopted. Commenting on the new Lesson Kit range, Jon Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive said, "We've listened to feedback from our users and developed our new range of software accordingly, incorporating a wide variety of key enhancements requested by the education community. The Lesson Kit range is a truly all encompassing solution to classroom teaching and pupil coursework needs. With site licences for titles starting at just £149.95, the new range also represents exceptional value for money."
15-03-2006 Specialist educational software provider Birchfield Interactive is attempting to reduce tensions caused by racial hatred, with the launch of its new religious studies title, Faiths and Beliefs - Judaism. The software, designed to support religious education teaching at Key Stage 3 and 4, promotes an understanding of the Jewish faith and celebrates the diversity of beliefs and practices that enhance our multicultural society. The software has been created to engage, inform and help pupils to understand global problems that have stemmed from racial tensions, such as the Holocaust and the Israel/Palestine conflict. Pupils will gain a comprehensive insight through an introduction to Judaism, examining the history of the religion, as well as including Jewish worship, scriptures, festivals, rites of passage, the home and the different branches, such as orthodox and reform Judaism. Developed to meet the needs of pupils of any ability, the software helps less able students to grasp the beliefs behind the religion by using engaging content, such as graphics and animation, to place the faith into the context of the real world. Similarly, it opens the door for more able students to think about the religion in the broader perspective and develop an understanding of Judaism in modern times. As with all Birchfield titles, Faiths and Beliefs Judaism is an appropriate teaching tool for both whole-class teaching and independent study. The visuals provide an immediate talking point, engaging teachers and students in discussion and creating a collaborative learning environment. At Key Stage 3, it offers a stand alone study guide to teach the subject; whilst at Key Stage 4 it is great for introducing the background behind the religion. Faiths and Beliefs - Judaism is one of 280 applications available in Lesson Kit format, launched in January of this year. Instant Lessons are designed to provide staff with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules packed full of engaging activities whilst the Lesson Builder provides teachers with the tools and resources to create interesting tutorials featuring stunning high quality 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Integral to both options is the Birchfield Lesson Assessment tool, which automatically monitors pupil and class progress and produces detailed reports itemising time spent and results achieved. Jonathan Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive plc, enthused, "We are in times of great racial tension. It is important that students understand the differences between themselves and others of different faiths from an early age, in order to promote respect for alternate religions. We hope that our new title will not only help students to meet curriculum requirements, but also to accept people with different beliefs to their own."
15-02-2006 Students at St Teresa's School can celebrate March's National Science Week in style this year, thanks to a great new chemistry pack, worth over £1,000, from specialist secondary software producer Birchfield Interactive plc. The software is the result of a national competition launched by SecEd, the weekly educational publication circulated to all the secondary schools in the country, and Birchfield Interactive back in November of last year. As the winner, St Teresa's, an 11-18 boarding and day school in Dorking, will join a growing number of schools to experience the company's brand new Lesson Kit titles, launched only last month at the BETT 2006 educational technology show. The new Lesson Kit software, currently available in a wide range of curriculum subjects, features Instant Lessons, which are designed to provide staff with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules packed full of engaging activities. The Lesson Builder, also included in the Lesson Kit, provides teachers with the tools and resources needed to create engaging presentations featuring stunning high quality 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Integral to both options is the Assessment Tool, which automatically monitors pupil and class progress and produces detailed reports detailing the time spent and results achieved by pupils when using the software. Dr Sarah Parish, Head of Science, St Teresa's School enthused, "This is wonderful news for the students and the staff at the school, especially as we are currently expanding and updating all our ICT facilities in the science department." Jonathan Case, Chief Executive, Birchfield Interactive plc, commented, "At Birchfield, our aim has always been to develop the best software that we can. We are pleased that St Teresa's students and teachers can now benefit from the exciting new ways of learning and teaching chemistry that our new Lesson Kit range has brought them." As well as the chemistry titles, the curriculum subjects presently covered by the Birchfield Lesson Kit include: biology, physics, business studies, design & technology, English, history, geography, ICT, maths, modern foreign languages, physical education, PSHE & citizenship and religious studies.
14-01-2006 Students at Stanground College, an 11-18 comprehensive in Peterborough, have started the spring term in style, winning over £30,000 of new software titles from secondary software specialist Birchfield Interactive. As the winner of a massive competition, launched by the Times Educational Supplement's Online magazine and Birchfield Interactive, Stanground College can look forward to being the first school in the country to experience the new Birchfield Lesson Kits, recently launched at the BETT 2006 educational technology show. Presented to school principal, Malcolm Ellison by Birchfield Chief Executive Jonathan Case at the BETT show on 12 January, the new Lesson Kit software, currently available in a wide range of curriculum subjects, features Instant Lessons, designed to provide staff with a wide selection of ready-made class work modules packed full of engaging activities and the Lesson Builder, a program that provides teachers with the tools and resources needed to create engaging presentations featuring stunning high quality 3-D animations, narrated text, voice-overs and music. Integral to both lesson delivery options is the Assessment Tool, which automatically monitors pupil and class progress and produces detailed reports itemising time spent and results achieved. Mr Ellison enthused, "This prize from Birchfield is a big boost to the College's improvement agenda. In providing a wealth of support for effective lessons, it will help to ensure that Stanground students are at the cutting edge of e-learning." Jonathan Case commented, "At Birchfield, our aim has always been to develop the best software that we can. We are pleased that Stanground College students and teachers can now benefit from the exciting new ways of learning and teaching that our new Lesson Kit range has brought them." The curriculum subjects presently covered by the Birchfield Lesson Kit include: biology, physics, chemistry, business studies, design & technology, English, history, geography, ICT, maths, modern foreign languages, physical education, PSHE & citizenship and religious studies. Stanground College will also benefit from all the new titles developed during 2006. |
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