At BETT last week we saw a number of new technologies and approaches. Click below for a quick intro into some of the things that we found interesting.
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TrackbackThis event was held in May at West Bromich, Albion Football Club. It was an opportunity to find out about future developments from the 2Simple team (Nigel, Max, Katie and Julie). Guest speakers included: Margaret Zglinski from Sandwell LA, who talked about how they used 2Simple software in their successful creative projects for KS1 and Early Years called Time to Talk and Time to Think. Simon Widdowson from Porchester Junior School, Nottingham showed examples of how 2DIY has facilitated teaching and learning in his school. There was also feedback from schools who piloted the new online tools. There were demonstrations of the newest software -2 Do it yourself, 2Simple French and Maths city 2.
2DIY is designed to allow pupils to easily create their own activities and games. Children click, drag and insert items on screen and save as a flash file(.swf). Teachers can also use it to create personalised resources for children in minutes.
You can view (or add) samples of 2 DIY creations at
2Simple French has over 200 activities and children learn correct pronunciation by listening to french speaking robots and watching how their lips move. There are also developments in 2 Simple Spanish and a suggestion to create a 2Simple English as an additional language.
2Simple Maths City (shape, space, number and measure) – foundation stage children explore these concepts through topics – The Birthday Party, The Building Site, The Shoe Shop, The Fruit Shop and Underwater World.
www.2simple.com/mathscity2/video
2Simple are also in the process of developing “2Assess”. It will be a snap short tool of skills and is not intended to give a level or measure ICT capability or to develop self reflection. It will be an additional tool to annotated work. There will be videos to go with each activity.
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A number of schools have asked us about alternatives to CD or tape listening stations. Storyphones (www.storyphones.co.uk) fulfil this requirement –a set of 6 robust wireless headphones which play mp3 files independently or all together. You can access stories in mp3 format from the Storyphone library or children can record their own stories, or even download from the Net. The system is pricey, but very versatile and the headphones are robust enough to withstand the primary environment!
Comments rss Trackbackwww.earlyvision.co.uk make early years software which provides high quality video stimulus for role play, including subjects as diverse as a Chinese take away or a garage. The videos are shot from a number ofperspectives, so children get to see aspects of the areas they would normally be excluded from. The DVDs also include ideas for activities and many resources to use as part of the role play area. Well worth a look!
Comments rss TrackbackLooking for new online resources for the children to use in your classroom? Have you tried Sherston’s free online Activity Site? There is a wide range of activities covering ICT, Basic skills, Literacy, Numeracy, Geography and a new selection of Science materials.
ICT activities include typing practise, mouse skills, instructions on using a spreadsheet or tying in a URL, directional language and ‘Modelling and Changing Variables’. In the Literacy section there are reading and listening activities, an Adjectives Grammar show and many other ideas. Explore a map with Barnaby Bear in the Geography section or get familiar with the British Isles Map. In the science section you can practise your circuit skills, investigate forces and friction and find out about life processes or materials. There are sample activities for children aged 3 to 11
Comments rss TrackbackDrove down to Stratford today to see Mr Tennant playing Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost. On the journey my partner asked my daughter and me to imagine a villain-line across the windscreen and place characters from Shakespeare along it. We soon had Richard III beyond the central reservation! Were we right? Next came heroes and heroines.
Great idea, but not her own. On Friday she was at a ‘Shakespeare’ day in Dudley with the RSC Education Department (need to get one in Shropshire) and the idea for the villain-line came from ‘Shakespeare for all ages and stages’ published by DCSF. This contains ideas and guidance for teaching Shakespeare from Foundation Stage to KS4.
DCSF are also offering Primary Schools a free copy of Shakespeare Animated Tales and Secondary Schools can download podcasts of the Globe production of Much Ado About Nothing.
For Shropshire schools there is a resources section devoted to Shakespeare on the Shropshire Learning Gateway.
Comments rss TrackbackGot a pile of art work that needs assessing? Sort it into groups of about 6 and spread out on the table. Make a set of individual name cards for your whole class – big enough to show up in a digital photograph. You might want to use different coloured cards for your groups so names can be found quickly. Cards will last longer if you laminate them . Put a name card next to each piece of work and take a clear photo. You will only need about 5 photos for your whole class and you have a record of their work in minutes. You can also use it to record model making and you can use the cards again and again. You may want to share the photos with the class or with parents.
Got a display or classroom layout that really works well? Photograph it and put away in your planning folder for next time.
Comments rss TrackbackAs I was preparing for an Early Years course the other day, I came across a case study which talked about children using a ‘create your own Mr Man’ site, which (as well as being enormous fun) had the added benefit of the practioner helping them to talk about expressions and emotions. You can find the site here – and I have also added it to our early years delicious site - why not have a look?
Comments rss TrackbackAs a pilot we have purchased a one year licence for the use of the Iboard resources, in practice this provides us with access until 31st March 2008.
These resources are intended for use in the foundation stage and KS1 with learners supported by an adult. They are not for independent learning and there is no assessment material. The resources can be accessed from
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Taken from NAACE newsletter (17th February)
Our children are growing up in an ICT-rich environment to which they are exposed from a very early age. We need to ensure that they have meaningful ICT experiences in school which enables them to further develop their understanding of ICT and its potential.
QCA have produced ICT foundation stage guidance materials which contain short case studies with teacher guidance demonstrating how a range of ICT might be used purposefully in the foundation stage. It covers three ICT stepping stones and the ICT early learning goals. The case studies focus on a range of ICT including music keyboards and programmable toys.
You can download a copy of the guidance materials from the QCA website
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