Author Archive: Tim
The Secret Door
The Secret Door (is a bit of (subtle) advertising for Safestyle Windows but also…) sets the challenge of guessing/working out, which one, of some of the world’s most fascinating places, you have been whisked off to.
In some ways, this is similar to Pursued, another streetview game. A fascinating experience. Go, be transported.
Powtoon
We’ve mentioned PowToon before, but it has come up again, a lot, recently. Powtoon is a simple way to create short presentations, in an original, and fascinating, way. The free version allows making many PowToons, (with a watermark) but you can’t download the end results. Still worth an explore, if only as a stimulus for discussion on the key elements, and techniques, of presenting an argument, message, or story, effectively.
Essendine Primary School, City of Westminster, London
A full on day, of picking up words, and juggling them, with children, and staff, from Essendine Primary School, City of Westminster, London.
Thank you to Diane Buckle, headteacher, and Lyndsy Killip, Lower Key Stage 2 coordinator, for organising our visit. We have worked alongside Diane before, when she was working in the Durham area. So, it was an honour to be invited to her new school.
Lynsy described Essendine as “a well resourced school with high numbers of EAL children who would benefit from an ICT hook”.
It is that “hook” that we investigated today. Building settings, and opportunties, where even those who wouldn’t normally want to pick up a scribbly stick, get to the stage where we had to persuade them to put that implement down.
In the morning, we set forth with a big group of Key Stage Two pupils, and went… almost nowhere! Well, in words this marvelous group of children covered a vast amount of distance. In “reality”, in the landscape we were exploring, we hardly moved… maybe four, or five, steps.
Scribbly sticks? Yes. Scribbly sticks. On our two day projects with schools, we splatter folk with so much technology they might pop! (We are looking forward to coming back in September, and starting the Essendine year with a vast amount of digital wizardry). But, today we focussed on an anlog response to a digital stimulus. Taking off, and flying, with wondrous words, to describe the sensations stimulated within us, by a magnificent, virtual world.
In the afternoon we ventured, adventured with another big group, this time Key Stage One children.
Sometimes, people hear about “this using games in your classroom thing”, they get hold of one of the games, and start playing it as a game. This isn’t where the power comes from. Standing still, contemplating, considering and recording our thoughts, in many ways, is where the transformational magic occurs.
TAKE YOUR TIME
No wonder children find it difficult to understand, because we can sometimes just be rushing them ahead. No time to stand, think, and develop ideas. (We’ve got maths, English, P.E., science, swimming, and, yes… I know it’s snowing outside… but come on…) Slowing their pulse rate down does not mean writing slower. It means bringing the world alive in the detail. Scaffolding, supporting, extending, and developing that detail, that imagination, is where we journeyed today.
Well done indeed to all of those who came with us on those adventures. Adventures of only a few paces, but at such pace, they were amazing to “Go For It” as they did. Thanks all.
There’ll be a huge amount more on this, when we return, in the new academic year, and go decidedly digital, with the staff of Essendine, in September. “Watch this space”!
Tools To Tell a Tale ~Cheltenham Literature Festival~ Oct 7th
Nelson Thornes have put together a fascinating event at the Cheltenham Literature Festival 2013
Oct 7th 9.30am – 4pm in The Salon, Imperial Square, Cheltenham
Join us, and literacy experts Pie Corbett, and Deputy Mitchell in the fantastic setting of Cheltenham Literature Festival as we uncover a wealth of accessible ways to fire the imaginations of your pupils.
We will be demonstrating the use of imaginative techniques and inventive tools, whilst interacting with pupils from around the globe as they “set the tale, develop the plot, enhance the drama and inspire the world in just six hours”.
“This one-day workshop will help inject the creativity back into your classroom, mixing digital methods with traditional writing strategies, and will provide you with a host of practical and simple ideas to apply in your KS2 and KS3 literacy lessons. The talented trio have a proven impact on standards, achievement and enjoyment – making this day a must for any English teacher”.
The day will include breakfast and registration in the Spiegeltent followed by mid-morning refreshments and lunch served in the VIP tent! Tickets on sale soon! Come and join us, for wondrous wanderings in the world of words.
Follow this link to make you booking: www.nelsonthornes.com/litfest
TeachMeet Clevedon ~ Making more mini planets
Great to, finally, make it along to one of the fabulous TeachMeet Clevedon events!
We have been trying to do so, for a very LONG time now, but have always ended up being in a different part of the world. Therefore, today, we splattered people with a “make your own mini worlds” in two minutes.
How about trying out some still, stereographic images?: Make a panorama, in something like CleVR. This, for free remember, will also make you a fully navigable, 3D panorama, at the same time.
Next, turn that panorama in to a sterographic world in something like Gimp (one of THE most unfortunate names for any piece of software, but a fantastic Photoshop alternative!) Online and free. To do so, follow this step-by-step guide from PhotoJojo.
How about go the next BIG step(-by-step) and use Google Streetview Stereographic to make explorable, tiny, globular planets, based on your location?
WHY? Well, if only to get children, of any age, mobility, and ability, …talking.
A massive THANK YOU to Mark Anderson @ICTEvangelist and Tamsin Chambers @tamsin_chambers for organising this superb evening.
A world of wonderful teacher-shared gems at the gem that is Clevedon School.
There were some remarkable sessions and Hywl Roberts @Hywl_Roberts started off with a giggle worthy keynote in the style of Peter Kay. He challenged us to link right angles with democracy, light with Medusa, area with religion, and… got us thinking: “Are our lessons WORTH behaving for”? We shouldn’t be slaves to a folder, but make sure we hook, lure, our children in to some enthusiastic, energetic learning. With the new Ofsted framework, what will we have to do to keep improving? “That was outstanding with elements of spaceship”. There are two types of teachers. One of them will ask children to “look at me” when an elephant walks outside a window!
“The professional capacity to forgive”…, “the potential to project themselves on to the learning, as empathy, and aspiration”… “Is it OK to have sensitivity on the curriculum”?
Alongside the buzzing version of the standard teachmeet format, (with such sessions as An app Smackdown @ICTEvangelist vs @gavinsmart, a session on using Edmodo in the classroom – Siaran Morgan-Lloyd @Siaranml, Rachel Jones @rlj1981, was “doing it for the kicks”!) Clevedon added a whole series of more extended workshops.
Martin Burrett @ICTmagic ran a workshop about tools which aid sharing and collaborating with students, teachers and parents to break learning out free of the school gate. His name was also in the hat to share 10 online tools in 120 seconds. He did wish us Good Luck in keeping up!
Favourite quote of the evening came from Dave Gale @reflectivemaths
“If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t use punctuation, like full stops, you deserve a really long sentence”!
Ivona – text to speech in different languages
Thank you to Gwynfor Owen (on the left here) for translating this. You could try Ivona to do some word juggling for you.
Hello, my name is Tim, We are looking at some IT to inspire you. This is an on line instrument which works in a number of languages, including the Language of Heaven, which is Welsh of course
Helo, fy enw i yw Tim. ‘Rydym yn edrych ar dechnoleg gwybodaeth i’ch ysbrydoli. Mae hwn yn offeryn ar lein sydd yn gweithio mewn llawer iawn o ieithoedd yn cynnwys iaith y Nefoedd sef Y Gymraeg wrth gwrs.
Ivona create some superb, paid for, text to speech software, but on their Ivona Home 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.#HwbMeet ~ Wrexham
A whiz up to Wrexham, to join the #Hwbdysgu team, for an fun evening, of sharing and learning, at one of their new series of HwbMeets.
The main part of HwbMeet is listening to real learning stories from teachers. This is not an event to present a product or theory or to try to sell something – this is a chance for teachers from all types of establishments to hear ideas from each other.
Gwibdaith sydyn I Wrecsam I ymuno a’r tim #Hwbdysgu, am noswaith o hwyl, rhannu a dysgu, yn un o’i cyfres o CwrddHwb.
Prif bwrpas CwrddHwb yw gwrando ar straeon go iawn gan athrawon. Nid yw hwn yn ddigwyddiad I gyflwyno cynnyrch neu theori, nac I werthu rhywbeth – mae hwn yn gyfle I athrawon o bob math o sefydliadau I glywed syniadau oddi wrth eu gilydd.
“Real Teachers – Real Stories – A real difference”.
There has already been a successful HwbMeet in Llandudno, and the next event will be at Parc Menai, Bangor (16:30 – 18:00) on 4th July 2013. Spaces are limited, so sign up now!
The Hwb team are keen to drive forward the sharing of Good Practice and use of Digital Technology in Wales, and beyond. We sincerely believe that there are amazing things happening in Wales and we want to give opportunities for educators in Wales to see these in action. We have arranged a full programme of Hwbmeets across Wales. Hwbmeets are 90 minutes of useful tools that can be used in any Digital Classroom. We will give you an update on the exciting projects of Hwb and Hwb +, however these meetings are aimed to drive forward the sharing of Digital Technologies in Wales to support us all in raising standards of Literacy and Numeracy.
We are very excited to announce that each Hwbmeet will be supported by a Keynote presentation from recognised leaders in education, and look forward to making all these presentations available on Hwb.
If you would like any more information or have any questions please contact me at mike.elliott@hwbmail.net
Mike Elliott, Hwb Education Content Adviser (Primary) Cynghorydd ar Gynnwys Addysgol Hwb (Cynradd)
If you get the chance, sign up and head along to one of the next Hwbmeets! If you’d like, take an idea to share, or just join in and listen. There is a focus on Literacy and Numeracy – but don’t be constrained, it could be on any topic from primary, secondary and tertiary. Feel free to talk about any innovative ideas that you are passionate about and have used in the classroom. Learn something new; be amazed, amused and enthused.
Anyone can share great ideas they’ve used in their classrooms, ask important questions or simply sign up to see what other people are doing. Education professionals from all sectors are welcome to take part. The whole thing is a voluntary chance to learn.
Mr Walker meets his Maker
Many of you will know Mr Walker, Tim’s & Sarah’s trusted companion, Tim’s walking stick & prompter of the question “But, why the holes”?
(Don’t worry ~ He is fine, fit & fruity, despite the title of this blog post)!
Today, we had the pleasure of heading up to Anglesey, North Wales, to meet up with Ray Brook, of Bamboozle.org.uk, the genius who created Mr Walker, and some other wonderful, and wholly holey, creations.
We were joined by Rob Shelley (@ITVRobShelley) and Mal, a film crew from ITV Wales, putting together a section for this evening’s news slot, & then a couple, from Huddersfield, who’d read about Ray’s flutes!
What a fascinating experience it was, to have Ray take us through the process, from “raw” bamboo, to finished instrument. Ray’s skill, at measuring the right place, to drill a small hole in for each note, and then use a red hot, metal, poker to burn a neater, finger hole, in exactly the spot for it to be in, pitch perfect, tune… admirable!
Ray explained how he heated the bamboo, to enable him to then use a blow torch, and craft some amazing patterns, and designs, on to each staff.
Walking stick flutes, with a variety of handle designs, Flutes of all kinds, Irish Flutes, (some with a gorgeous, french-polish finish), and deep, throaty Didgeridoos filled Ray’s sheds, all at different stages of life. Mr Walker felt very much at home!
Many, many hundreds of children, and big people, all around the world, have pondered that conundrum: Why IS Mr Walker full of holes? They have come up with some incredible, inventive, wild & whacky ideas:
In places such as Vietnam, India, Turkey, Qatar, Denmark, Poland, and many other joyous locations across the globe, ideas have sprung forth such as: ‘To make him adjustable’. ‘To help him breathe’. ‘A flute’. ‘A portable face cooler/eyebrow cleaner/earwax remover’. ‘A mobile air conditioner’, ‘A training pole for mini woodpeckers’ and ‘So the snake that lives inside the stick can breathe.’
In another part of Wales, for example, some ideas included: Eyes ~llygaid, Light saber~ cleddyf olau, Pencil holder ~daliwr pensiliau, Mrs Walker got angry with him and began punching…, Roedd Mrs Waklker yn grac gyda fe ac wedi dechrau paffio, Poison dart shooter ~saethydd dartiau gwenwynig, Flute ~ffliwt, Eyebrow cleaner ~glanhaydd aeliau, Breathing holes ~tyllau anadlu, A light show ~sioe oleuadau.
The “And finally” piece can be found HERE
A massive thank you to Ray, and the ITV team, for creating some magic for us, in beautiful North Wales. Bamboozling!
GetInstinct ~ Real (& virtual) Guitar Lessons
“A new way to learn guitar”.
~ GetInsinct A fun way to tune, and learn to play, chords and tunes on virtual, or real, guitars? The answer my friend is instinct. Get strumming!
Libre Office
There are a few alternatives when it comes to looking for Office type packages. Like Google Docs, LibreOffice is a free, comprehensive and quality set of programs which has just updated its offerings and is well worth investigating.
LibreOffice is available in more than thirty different languages and works on Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and Windows systems.
There is no need to worry about complicated licenses, costs, or annual renewal fees as it is free with a LGPL public license – “you can use it, customize it, and copy it”.
So if you need to write, calculate, impress, draw or share…
Instashare ~ i file transfer
Instashare enables transfer of files, quickly, from, and to, iOS and Mac devices. “Transfer files the easy way, AirDrop for iOS & OSX”
You don’t need to be connected to the internet, just use local wi-fi or Bluetooth to transfer files. You can transfer any file type, no restrictions. MP3, images, pdf, presentation and others. Just open app and start sharing files, no need to enter email or passwords. No need to pair devices or setup transfer. Designed for quick and easy file sharing. Windows and Android versions are currently in development.
The free version is ad supported but worth giving it a go. A potential problem solver?
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
