As young learners across the country are getting out their school books after the holiday break, this year’s lessons already look more interesting. The Showtime resource, downloadable to any PC, is an interactive multimedia programme that demonstrates how the Royal Albert Hall staff, in a variety of roles, use elements of English, Maths and ICT in every working day. Each Showtime unit introduces a member of the Hall’s staff and explains the jobs they do. From learning about the importance of grammar and punctuation in the marketing department, to using Maths equations to solve lighting problems, the visually attractive resources use real people, in real work environments, solving real problems.
The programme has been developed by the Royal Albert Hall’s Learning & Participation Department which runs one of the most wide-ranging educational programmes in the UK. Designed in alignment with the National Curriculum Key Stages 3 and 4, Showtime will enable home-schooled pupils to complete exercises at their own pace.
The Royal Albert Hall is a registered charity and receives no public subsidy. Its purpose is to maintain the Grade I listed building and to promote the advancement of the Arts and Sciences. It has an unrivalled history of performances by the world’s greatest artists and musicians, with over 350 performances by artists from around the world each year. Through the new teaching resource, participants learn about the Hall’s history and activities, absorbing information about one of our great cultural icons through an engaging programme of information and activities.
Alastair Tallon, Head of the Royal Albert Hall’s Learning & Participation Department said, “Showtime is available to all learners who are studying at Key Stages 3 and 4 - whether those students are in formal education or being home-schooled. We have a good track record of opening the Hall’s learning and participation programme to all those in home education. With an estimated 50 thousand pupils learning outside the school system, we’re keen to offer as many as possible access to this resource. Showtime has been written to inspire learning, wherever you learn, and we’re really excited about how pupils up and down the country will engage with our latest initiative.”
Showtime can be downloaded for free via the Royal Albert Hall website. The package includes video-clips, tasks, educators’ notes and help functions. Using a combination of different technologies Showtime can be executed onto a variety of media including interactive whiteboards, monitor screens and projectors.
Although officially launched at BETT on 13 January 2010, an exclusive preview is available now via the Learning & Participation pages at http://www.royalalberthall.com/explore/showtime/default.aspx
Showtime has been funded by the Royal Albert Hall with additional support from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
