SchoolNet Global  My Home Gallery  Global Curriculum  The Project  Research  News  Search  Contact	Deep-Sea Diver helps Standards Soar Deep sea diver inspires high quality writing - Steven Woodhurst, Curriculum Development Adviser (ICT), Essex Education Authority, England. I was head of English at a school in Colchester and looking for ways to lift my year 9 students' writing through imaginative and exciting opportunities in ICT. SchoolNet was an immediate hit with my students. They loved the interviewing process and even managed one interview with a deep-sea diver on his oilrig! Writing Standards Soar! As for the writing - I have seldom seen such care and revision. The students quickly grasped the concept of a potential worldwide audience, and as one of them said, "If it's going on the Web, it had better be right!" ICT Capability Gains They uploaded their own work - what a learning curve! Digital cameras, scanner settings, jpeg formats - they took it all in their stride and by so doing reminded the staff of the importance of allowing challenge - their motivation was simply inspirational. Into the Community A memorable sequel to this work was a Cyber Café afternoon organised for the students' interviews, and I well remember Tom showing his 75-year-old Grandmother how to use a mouse. It was her first experience of a computer and she looked in wonder as Tom's article, and the photo of herself as an ambulance driver in World War 2 appeared on the screen. An Influence on the LEA As an ICT adviser for Essex LEA, I now have responsibility for The Essex Grid for Learning, a curriculum website for teachers and learners in Essex. A key feature of the Essex Grid for Learning is the Gallery, where students can upload art, poetry, articles, stories, etc. The Gallery is a great success in Essex, and yes, I did "borrow" the idea from SchoolNet!