The Naace Annual Strategic Conference and Exhibition opened in Torquay in early March 2008. This is the definitive ICT Conference in the UK for all those involved in advancing education through the use of modern technologies in learning and teaching.

Naace has introduced a 'hot-seat' where invited colleagues field questions over a four week period. Our guest in the 'hot-seat' will either answer online at specific times, or at pre-arranged regular intervals. We look forward to hearing from you!

Broadgreen are one of the few high schools across the country that run a baccalaureate programme. The programme is highly successful one for their students and are Becta's ICT Excellence Awards 2008 - joint runner-up award winners for the Best whole school in the North West category.

Neil Oldbury at The Elizabethan School has a real interest in questionnaires and analysing data to improve systems throughout the school. He wanted to know which subject areas and teachers were using the computer suites throughout the school and whether the use of computers was impacting on raising standards.

Crossley Heath have used their Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in so many ways to improve teaching, the delivery of the curriculum as well as the enjoyment of learning taking place. The following description highlights the way the schools secure email system is being used to help students make dramatic improvements in the quantity and quality of assignments set.

Naace have been successful in securing a TDA bid won by Steven Coombes based at Bath Spa University and being delivered as a 'Visual Learning Course' by Christina Preston and John Cuthell at MirandaNet (based at The Institute of Education, London).

We return to the topic of 'personalisation' as a direct result of flurry of responses initiated by John Cuthell from the MirandaNet 'MirandaLink' asking what personalisation meant to them. Below are several statements from John which Geoff has responded to. Underneath are some points I picked out as particularly relevant to the idea of 'personalisation' - with Doug Highall from Kirklees reponding to the points I made.

My thanks go to Ewan McIntosh for his link to the East Lothian Council who have kindly allowed Naace to share their guidelines for starting off a blog. To see further information regarding advice on blogging try their really helpful website: http://edubuzz.org/support.

After several colleagues sharing their views on what they see important within an e-portfolio - this week Ray Tolley defines what he sees as a rationale and structure to what he sees as the reason to have e-portfolios and what should go in them ...

To continue the debate from the last issue - several more colleagues express their concern over the way Interactive Whiteboards are used ...