Search Results for 'welsh'
2011- 2012 (The 499th post of this year)
A joyous year. The last eleven months have seen a lot of travel for @timrylands & @sarahneild including (but not just):
Hutton North Somerset, Durham, Derby, Helsingør, Denmark, København, Denmark, Newcastle upon Tyne, Penarth, Wales, Cowbridge, Wales, Pentrepoeth Wales, Evesham, Brøndby, Denmark, Uttlesford, London Stansted, Warsaw, Poland, Copenhagen, Denmark, Stockport, Doncaster, Wirral, Blackpool, Doha, Qatar, Cheddar, Somerset, Wirral, Birmingham, Geneva, Berlin, Brislington Bristol, Swansea, Taunton Somerset, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Knockholt, Kent, London, Hendon, London, Chepstow, Wales, Doha, Qatar, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Middlesbrough, Mumbai, India, Keswick, Cumbria, Huddersfield, Cardiff, Tidworth, Wiltshire, Kirkby, Knowsley, Chorley, Exeter, Devon, Salisbury, Canterbury, Voorschoten The Netherlands, The Hague The Netherlands, Derbyshire, Brislington, Bristol, Cefn Coed, Wales, Ynysowen, Wales, Hutton, North Somerset, Clevedon School, North Somerset, Birmingham, Istanbul, Turkey, Kirkby, Plymouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Goole, North Yorkshire, and Gateshead, (& other places in between, such as Egypt, Andalucia, Tunisia &, occasionally, a little village called Biddisham, tucked away in deepest Somerset).
Thank you to all those we have spent time with, friends old and new, and to all of our readers of the blog. 
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Mapzone
The MapZone website aims to present British and European Geography in a fun and eye-catching mannner which will appeal to children.
The majority of the information is accessed through interactive activities, animations, quizzes and map-based games.
There are also printable resources.
Pupils are able to strengthen areas such as using grid references, compass directions and knowledge and understanding of map symbols.
Pupils are able to contribute to the ‘Favorite Places’ area of the site which will hopefully build up to become a useful resource.
The Homework Help area of the website provides pupils with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of a range of map skills.
Although this site has been designed for Key Stage 3, it is an appealing website that has the potential to be used as a useful teaching tool in Key Stage 2 as well.
The site is available in Welsh and English, and covers a wide range of Geographical skills and concepts, including map symbols, grid references and understanding scale.
Myst at Cwm Garw in BBC News report
A lesson at Cwm Garw School, in the worlds of Myst III:Exile, featured on BBC Wales News, today.
The report, about a new five-year plan aimed at raising poor literacy standards in Welsh schools, which has just been published, included some familiar faces for us.
We were lucky to work alongside the folk of Cwm Garw School, developing ways of bringing words alive, in Welsh and English. It was a joyous visit and one that broke new ground for us – recording some wondrous writing in both languages.
You can hear some of the children’s superb reading of their descriptive narrative, with harp accompaniment, HERE.
Assembly Education Minister, Mr Leighton Andrews, visited the school today, to launch the National Literacy Framework.
The Minister was treated to a year 5/6 lesson using the Myst computer game and follow up descriptive writing work on iPads. The BBC, ITV, S4C and Real Radio covered the event which went very well and helped to emphasise the Ministers message regarding the importance of reading and writing.
The National Literacy Programme sets out what the Welsh government will do to improve results and change the way literacy is thought about in schools.
Mr Andrews told BBC Wales: “The National Literacy Programme will introduce greater consistency and clarity into the way we track pupils’ progress while also providing the support, challenge and accountability needed in our schools.”
“What we must do is ensure that all learners benefit from excellent teaching of literacy and develop the skills that are so vital to their future success”
Well done Cym Garw, & great to see you still exploring possibilities so inventively, 5 years after our first steps together.
Ivona – text to speech in different accents
Ivona create some superb, paid for, text to speech software, but on their Ivona Recordings page, you get the chance to hear your words spoken by some quite convincing voices, as a free preview. What is good is that you can do so in English, Welsh, English with a Welsh (or Australian) lilt, or other languages such as Italian, Castillian Spanish, Polish & Brazillian Portuguese.Ysgol Treganna a Than yr Eos, Cardiff – Day 2
A glorious second day with Ysgol Treganna a Than yr Eos.
What a cracking bunch! Staff, children, visiting colleagues, all a delight to “travel” with.
Thank you, one and all, for a thoroughly enjoyable two days. Diolch yn fawr!
We look forward to following your adventures, and journeys, in the months to come… Continue Reading
Ysgol Treganna a Than yr Eos, Cardiff – Day 1
A great day at Ysgol Treganna a Than yr Eos, Canton, Cardiff. It is really good to be back spending a couple of days in Wales, and at a gorgeous Welsh Language School.
This welsh medium county primary school was established in 1987 in the present buildings with only one classroom. Today, every pupil in the school is a resident of Canton. The old Victorian building has been completely refurbished. Every classroom is situated on the ground floor and the school boasts a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
Every subject is taught through the medium of Welsh in the Infant Department. Both English and Welsh are accorded equal status as mediums of education in the Junior Department Continue Reading
ICT For Education Magazine Conference, Swansea
Two further keynote sessions at the ICT For Education Magazine Conference, at The Liberty Stadium, at Swansea.
A few of September & October’s “Useful ‘n Interesting” links
During our joyous travels, since August, we have put up “a link a day” to some things we hope might be useful.
Here are some of them:
Welsh Medium Go Large
Ysgol Iolo Morganwg, Y Bontfaen/Cowbridge
A huge THANK YOU to Wendy Farleigh, Deputy head of Ysgol Iolo Morganwg for a remarkable whirlwind of proactivity today and for this live write up.
More Able And Talented Young Writer’s Day For Vale Of Glamorgan Welsh Cluster Schools at Ysgol Iolo Morganwg
Diwrnod Ysgrifenwyr Ifanc Mwy Abl A Thalentog Ysgolion Clwstwr Cymraeg Bro Morganwg
Excitement and apprehension mix together as the children, from the six different Welsh schools finally enter the classroom. Tim Rylands is waiting for them, smiling brightly in welcome before plunging straight in to introduce himself in a loud funny voice that immediately caught everyone’s attention.
He then introduces Sarah his assistant and her monstrous black camera. This piece of equipment is fondly joked about as an “unfortunate nose” and we should just try to ignore it, “as Sarah might feel sensitive”.
Children and adults alike laugh at this albeit a little uncomfortably thus getting the response he obviously wanted as it makes the children relax like he did with the teachers on the INSET session the previous day. He’s funny and warm and the children respond immediately and are already unaware of the camera that will be following them all day!. (And Sarah is also far from ugly either!) Continue Reading
Welsh Medium Schools Day 2- Ysgol Iolo Morganwg, Cowbridge, Wales
The second day, 27th of September will be held at Ysgol Iolo Morganwg, Cowbridge with a group of 28 children and staff from each of the cluster schools. And, oh!, what experimental fun we had! More to follow on the digital and analogue inventiveness from this group of creative children and adults. Continue Reading
As well as our events, we like to share interesting, and more often than not, FREE tools, resources and ideas, some old, some new, and we hope you might find something useful. We'd love your thoughts. Tim & Sarah
