GCSEPod

  • GCSEPod

Anthony Coxon, co-founder of GCSEPod, explains why winning the title of Technological Innovation of the Year 2014 meant so much for everyone involved…

T&I: First of all, we must say congratulations once again on winning the ‘Technological Innovation of the Year’ award for 2014 – what does this kind of recognition mean for the whole team?

AC:

We were actually quite overawed when we heard! From the beginning we set out to create the best possible product, to not only help schools, but also make a real difference to students’ lives. This award has really helped to reinforce that within our team. It‘s given the whole team a huge lift, especially after reading the independent judging panel’s comments. These observations from industry experts gives everyone here recognition for the work which has been done, and also confidence that our development pathway will continue to support students.

You do seem to get out and about a lot, with a busy schedule of conferences and other events. Why do you make such an effort to meet teachers?

Since we launched GCSEPod 2.0 at BETT 2014, some of the best development suggestions have come from the teachers and school managers we meet at the conferences we attend.

Nothing beats listening to the people on whose shoulders rests the responsibility for enthusing and educating today’s teenagers. It also gives us an invaluable chance to show people in person what GCSEPod is, and why we’re so enthusiastic about its benefits - for example exam-mapped content and reporting features. Come and see us and we’ll show you!

Once schools have subscribed to GCSEPod, what sort of ongoing support can they expect from you?

Our support is carefully tailored to each school’s individual needs and our aim is to empower educators towards the successful integration of GCSEPod to support the achievement of whole school objectives. Every school is assigned a dedicated Project Manager, providing unlimited support, guidance, training and technical help. As well as managing the swift inital technical setup, we spend time guiding schools to create a fast and effective launch strategy. We schedule regular calls to monitor usage, track progress towards set goals and help to maximise the resource’s potential.

How are you able to help schools use GCSEPod to raise attainment?

Our research shows that watching as few as six podcasts can contribute to an evidenced raise in attainment, and in order to support high and broad usage learning about the school structure, what other interventions are in place and the training needs of staff and students is a vital first step. Goal setting is the next step and then we provide practical advice and coaching to support the school as they begin to utilise GCSEPod for lesson enrichment, effective homework setting, knowledge gap analysis, consolidation, flipped learning and intervention.

What will be happening at your stand this year?

Virtually the whole team will be there, because we all get such a buzz from meeting contacts excited by what we can offer their students and staff. We will also have volunteers from subscribing schools ready to share their experiences. We have some great BETT deals for those who come to the stand ready to sign up. Oh, and because we specialise in mobile learning, we can even charge up your phone for you. Come and ask questions, check out how we support your GCSE exams, challenge our assumptions – we don’t bite and we like to keep busy!

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