Interactive Resources

Thanks to the latest edition of the Promethean Planet E – Newsletter for recommending the Crickweb Website:

www.crickweb.co.uk

It contains hundreds of great interactive whiteboard resources which are free to use on all types of board or stand alone. There are resources for all key stages and most curriculum areas. Within each section there are a range of resources to download with a brief description of the activity. The editor of the E – Newsletter was particularly taken by the fish tank game within the Early Years section, where you have to catch fish with your net and see them in a fish bowl. Pupils further up the school may wish to try the function machine which includes the option to set all operations and numbers.

Please let me know of any other websites with interactive resources.

        

The Big Day Out

Aimed at key stage 1 ‘The Big Day Out’ provides open ended modelling activities. The way it is structured allows pupils to create a postcard or a scrapbook of the places they have visited. Provided by the SWGfL all the activities have a South West regional flavour ranging from taking a canal boat through a lock in Wiltshire to piloting a hot air ballon in Bristol.

We now have a Wiki!

Working with colleagues in the South West we have put together a Wiki or collaborative website as a way of gathering together all we have found out about new Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging and podcasting, and how they can be used to support learning in a primary classroom.

It was very easy to set up a free PBwiki, and then add new pages and edit contributions.  If you would like to contribute to our wiki then please e-mail me for a password. However, If you just want to read what is on there so far, then follow the link to: http://web2inprimary.pbwiki.com/ 

Kaleidascope Painters

If it’s got to that time in the term when you’re tearing your hair out trying to think of constructive activities to amuse your pupils. Or perhaps you need amusing whilst others are still trying to get things finished , try some of these. A range of sites that allow the user to create the most amasing onscreen visual patterns. Also really good for SEN pupils who respond to strong visual images and Early Years pupils.

If you want to test and develop ICT capability, why not try copying the image (use Screen Grab Pro or Snippy to capture an image from anywhere) and editing it in a graphics package such as Revelation Natural Art.

Kaleidascope Painter   Java Kali   DrawToy2    Byokal17 Kaleidascope   Reactive Colours

Topic Box

Regular visitors to the Coxhoe Durham or Snaith Primary websites will appreciate just how useful it is to have all those online educational resources in one place. I have just read about a new one called Topic Box on the Little Miss Teacher blog and have been to have a look around. The brightly coloured and easy to navigate website aims to electronically replace those dusty old plastic storage boxes which look promising but generally fail to deliver. Already there are 2131 resources in 174 different topics which can be rated by anyone who downloads them. Tell your friends and let me know if you come across any other similar sites.

 

The Studley Green Radio Show

As promised in a previous post, the first broadcast of The Studley Green Radio Show has now been published. It includes an interview of head teacher Mr. Wigley and some great (their words not mine!) jokes. Of Podium’s 5 Ps, all the preparation, producing and performing was done by children in year 4 , all I had to do was type in the required password to publish and a little promoting. To listen click here or to subscribe to future broadcasts click here. Notes on how to subscribe to a podcast can be found below.

More Podcasting!

The link below will allow you to listen to the first attempts at podcasting by a group of six Yr 3, 4 and 5 pupils from a Wiltshire Primary School.

After an initial input, they spent 1/2hr or so experimenting with the software, recording their voices, adding sound effects and editing the content. They then chose a play to record, allocated roles and rehearsed the script. Those not allocated speaking parts looked for suitable sound effects to add to their play. The group came back together to perform and record the play and then worked together on editing and adding sound effects. They wrote an introduction and ending and hey presto…we’re there!

Despite the challenging behavior sometimes displayed by some members of the group in other classroom situations, they remained focused, worked collaboratively, and were able to work together to overcome any problems and difficulties relating to the project. They respected the views and contributions of others and were supportive of each other and able to offer constructive criticisms to help the combined project. A review of the afternoon reflected the fun they had all had and their keenness to share their work with others.

After the initial input, the ICT became an invisible tool that allowed them to perform the tasks required to complete the project, this surely is where we want to be with ICT? I had a really good afternoon and so too, I believe, did the children who were delight to work with.

Please do listen and let us know your thoughts.You can subscribe to our podcast by copying the following hyperlink and pasting it into your favourite podcast player (e.g. iTunes).

http://www.podiumpodcasting.com/~182488/HGSTNQ100707192621/rss.xml