CityFibre’s guide to digital learning tools

As we enter another month of social distancing, it’s safe to say that most of us are still adjusting to the new normal that is everyday life. For many of us, this means juggling the task of educating young children while also trying to do our day job at home.

Every day, residents across Peterborough log on to access workplace systems, join conference calls, stream lessons or access videos and games. As you might expect, this is placing huge demand on the nation’s broadband infrastructure, which is why CityFibre is working hard to progress its roll out in Peterborough and provide citywide access to reliable, high speed, high capacity digital connectivity.

With full fibre access, communities can benefit from a platform for growth – one that drives productivity and innovation, breaks down digital divides and unlocks services for all, like e-learning, for instance. Home working and educating can be challenging, but with the right tools, it can contribute towards increased efficiency, improved work life balance and better outcomes. Here are five digital services that are helping families home-school during these challenging times:

Visit www.cityfibre/queenbee to find out if you can connect and register your interest for full fibre broadband.

1. itslearning

The itslearning platform allows education professionals to personalise learning by collating curriculum resources, instructional strategies, objective-based lesson plans and assessments, and real-time reporting all in one easy-to-access central location. In addition, the system provides many different opportunities to develop interactive/engaging lessons as well as offering different paths for students to collaborate with their teachers and easily share materials, allowing teachers to spend more time on teaching their students.

2. Google Classroom

Google has teamed up with educators across the country to create ‘Classroom’, a streamlined platform which offers a number of key useful features to teachers and students where anybody can sign in from any computer or mobile device to access class assignments, course materials, and feedback. Following this, practitioners can track the progress of their students so they know where and how to give extra feedback. With simplified workflows, there is more time for teachers to concentrate on giving students constructive, personalized recommendations. Most importantly, it is also totally free to use and set up!

3. EdPlus Kids

Fairly new to app stores, EdPlus Kids has been developed by an Oxford University Spinout with the aim of making out-of-school learning easier for parents and more fun for learners. Specialising in maths, it also offers study subjects in a range of subjects including science, English and other foreign languages. What’s more, it keeps learners motivated by allowing them to unlock games as a reward as they complete tasks. Parents and guardians can also keep an eye on progress by receiving notifications when milestones are achieved.

4. Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs is built around the school curriculum and provides an excellent source of resources and strategies that make learning to read both rewarding and fun. The programme was developed by an experienced team of teachers, educational writers, animators and web developers, so you can be sure that it offers a quality learning experience for young learners.

5. Masterclass

Masterclass is an online streaming website where subscribers can learn and participate in workshops taught by the world’s leading professionals. The site includes online masterclasses in sports, cooking, business and much more held by individuals such as Gordan Ramsay, Serena Williams, Jodie Foster and Chris Voss.

These are just a few examples, but there’s plenty of quality resources and applications out there, all designed to help learners, whatever their age, stay focused and develop their knowledge and skills.

CityFibre is working to roll out full fibre to up to 8 million homes across the UK, ensuring that even more of the population has access to the high-speed, high-capacity internet that lets us enjoy these fantastic resources without the lag so many of us have grown used to.

Construction to build Peterborough’s full fibre network has begun and, once complete, almost every home and business in the local area will be able to access gigabit capable services over full fibre. Our networks, however, are about more than just bringing gigabit broadband services to residents.

We also serve thousands of critical healthcare, education and community sites too, including hospitals, GP surgeries, community buildings, schools and council offices. As key workers, CityFibre has been asked by the UK Government to continue to expand the nation’s digital capacity. All contractors are being urged to follow the social distancing protocols as outlined by Public Health England to ensure our build partner’s safety.

For more information about our Gigabit City Programme and our response to the COVID-19 outbreak, visit www.cityfibre.com