Three Key
Features:
- The programme uses a
unique diagnostic and evaluation tool to measure self-confidence,
awareness of personal safety and expression of feelings
- The programme pulls together
all on-going, multi-agency work on emotional well-being in brightly-illustrated
non-text based materials.
- The programme combines
a high-quality workbook with an interactive web site and a special
stage play reinforcing key safety messages.
HOW CAN WE BE SURE
THE DOT COM PROGRAMME IS EFFECTIVE?
The simple-to-use, non-threatening
evaluation tool illuminates and generates data, using a draw-and-write
research strategy developed to discover how this teacher-led, classroom-based
Learning Programme impacts on:
- The children’s growing
sense of responsibility for their own personal safety and well-being.
- The children’s changing
views of how confident they feel to ask for help when they have problems
or concerns.
- The children’s demonstration
of increasing self-confidence to find a voice to express their feelings
HOW DOES THE SELF-EVALUATION
TOOL WORK?
- The teacher uses simple
draw-and-write response sheets one full week before beginning to teach
the Missdorothy.com Learning Programme, to record baseline information.
- Three full weeks after
teaching the last lesson the teacher repeats the research.
- The written statements
on the pre and post-response sheets are then analysed to provide two
sets of quantifiable data.
- A simple analysis framework
is included in the evaluation tool materials.
- The children are reassured
that this is not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.
- Children with poor writing
skills ask a “scribe” to whisper what they want to write down as their
responses.
- To ensure the validity
of the research component, the teachers are advised that it is critical
to be precise in following the scripted instructions and the actual
script to be read out to the children, explaining the research exercise.
- The added value of the
tool is that it provides teachers with evidence of their own professional
development.
WHO SAYS DOT COM’S
APPROACH TO PERSONAL SAFETY AND RAISING SELF-ESTEEM IS UNIQUE?
Andy Windsor, Head Teacher at St. Monica’s School in Bootle
(pilot in Sefton LEA):
“I can honestly say the
missdorothy.com materials have been of inestimable value in giving a
kick-start to the emotional literacy framework being developed at our
school. The Missdorothy programme made us really focus on the key message
that if children don’t feel safe and cared for they can’t and won’t
learn. The Dot Com lessons highlighted the problems which are the main
barriers to learning. The pilot was central to our development of the
emotional health of children at our school. We’ve made a quantum leap
in learning about the emotional well being of our children and as professionals
we’re positive this has impacted on the children’s learning. Our evaluation,
as professional teachers, is that our children have made enormous improvements
in their learning attainments as a result of introducing the Missdorothy
programme. Teachers have so much on their plates that they’re delighted
to seize on a programme like Dot Com, which pulls everything together
on building self-esteem and developing emotional well being. And I would
emphasise also that the materials are relevant to all our children,
whether they’re from the golf course-suburbs or the docklands areas
of this very diverse borough .”
Steve Beynon, Director of Education, on the pilot in Thurrock LEA:
“We were delighted to pilot
the Missdorothy.com Learning Programme and even more delighted when
we got such strong and positive responses from teachers and children
who completed the term of work. The teachers reported real evidence
of significant improvement in self-esteem of some of the least confident
children, the attendance levels were up overall, there was greater interest
and attention during lessons, less bullying and bad behaviour, and a
stronger bond was made between the teacher and the pupil. The pilot
was so successful it’s being rolled out to all Key Stage 2 children
in the Thurrock area.”
Anthony Wills, Borough
Commander, Metropolitan Police, Hammersmith & Fulham:
”I saw the opportunity to
use the Missdorothy.com Learning Programme as a means of influencing
the behaviour of young people early in life. Early intervention, before
behavioural habits are formed, can have real results in producing law-abiding
citizens and reducing anti-social behaviour. I could see the Dot Com
learning materials were engaging for young children and that was why
I was happy to commit £20,000 from my Crime and Disorder budget
for a joint police and education programme which would give every child
in the borough access to the Dot Com learning materials.”
Anne Timothy, Head
of Study Support, Durham County Council:
“I think the uniqueness of
the Dot programme is the opportunity it presents to link it into other
subjects and areas of Citizenship such as racism and bullying…plus the
fact that there’s the web site. Dot and her friends are imaginative
characters, so the children can identify with them. And the resources
don’t indicate anywhere that the programme is targeted, so all children
enjoy doing it. And it’s those children who perhaps we really want to
target who will benefit most. The pilot we did within Durham was in
an out of hours setting, with a variety of different groups of children
... but the most unexpected result was with a group of children with mental
health problems. They were taken through the Missdorothy programme and
even the educational psychologist said how amazed
they were with the progress the children were making through the books.”
Duncan Taylor, Head of Citizenship, Caedmon School in Whitby:
“There is stuff out there but a lot of it is text based and a lot of
the kids who are confronted with the kinds of issues which this explores
are not the students who most readily take to text material. This is
a more immediate, a more 21st Century way of approaching the subject.
Those students who need it will be more likely to react to this kind
of material than they would if they’ve got to start to wade
through text to actually start generating the thought processes.”
Sophie, Elchester Primary School:
“The course has been very useful, especially the look at the website.
The children and I love the booklets that they are given to work in,
lovely bright colours. The change this has made to certain children,
the confidence it has given them has been amazing and probably the most
important thing we can give them in primary school.”
Elizabeth Ivil, Oakley
Cross Primary School:
“Very impressed with project especially the links to I.C.T. Teachers
will be excited at this new approach to meeting some of the demanding
I.C.T programmes of study. Thank you for this cross-curricular approach
to emotional learning.”
Jane Katsambis. St.Hilda’s College CE aided Primary:
“Excellent philosophies
and…underpinning!”
