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Codecademy
Codecademy is website with step-by-step tutorials for learning programming in javascript, CSS and HTML. Each block has a short example and then gives the opportunity to try it out yourself. The site uses points and badges to encourage pupils to “stick with it” & celebrate successes.
Wonderville
Wonderville is a fun, and FREE, interactive destination for children to discover the exciting world of science. This award-winning site encourages exploration and curiosity, and is brought to you by the Science Alberta Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to increasing science literacy and awareness.
Adventure through the wide selection of more than 30 games at Wonderville, then take a look at the activities section. There are videos that explore real-life applications of science concepts, and behind the scenes look at science-based careers, and comics about engaging science facts.
Take a look at the teachers’ section for lesson ideas & more.
British School in the Netherlands, “JSD”, The Hague
A second day at The British School in the Netherlands, and now with children and colleagues at Junior School Diamanthorst, Mariehoeve, The Hague.
What a pleasure – to spend a day with inventive minds who are up for a challenge. Picking up words and juggling them is such a fun thing to do, whatever age we are. Well done to all the “big folk” for mucking in, modelling, scribing and chipping in with some great thoughts and ideas.
After yesterday’s deluge of digital delights, we were decidedly analogue on many levels today. A huge amount of respect to the children and staff, for taking off and flying in the world of words.
A lesson not centered around the use of technology, but instead one using technology to inspire creativity, stimulate ideas and give learners the freedom and confidence to express themselves in a encouraging environment.
The hot air balloon on the roof (well the builders resurfacing with tarmac) did little to pull children out of their new world, created in Myst IV Revelation. Once the children had entered this new, exciting and mysterious environment they thought, talked, discussed and wrote… What’s that over there? Who put that there? Why is that happening? Where are we and where shall we go next?
A sprinkling of similes, a handful of metaphors and a multitude of other literary devices used by the children added detail to their writing and helped them bring their ideas to life. Once their worlds had been created we met some inhabitants from the area (some on screen and some on stage) and investigated who they were, what we knew about them, what we didn’t know and what we wanted to find out.
Speaking and listening, thinking skills, problem solving, creative thinking, confidence building and… writing. All stimulated by the very simple use of a different world.
I thought it was really interesting, I liked the way you got us to use similes. We got a chance to be ourselves and have a good time in lessons but always making sure we were doing something. Charlotte D
The virtual village was exciting, a great thing to get us writing. Juliet M
I liked Mr Walker, he didn’t say much but brought a lot to the lesson. Joe M
We got a chance to ask a funny question or give a funny answer. Sarvesh S
It was fun imagining what could have happened in that village and working out its location. Alberto S
Mr. Rylands had a lot of humor and was great fun! It was really nice being taught like that and it’s the first time I’ve had so much fun while being taught! It was awesome!! Alice (Year 6 JSD) Continue Reading
Reflection – project multiple IOS devices
Sat with Julian Coultas (@DigitalRoadTrip on Twitter) in his session on iPads at The British School in the Netherlands, in Voorschoten, and his iPad shows up sparkly and full screen on the big projected image infront of us. We too have iPads, iPods & iPhones and Julian invites us to join him by showing what is on our tablets – all at the same time. How?
ReflectionApp is a powerful tool for any classroom, or presenter, using a single iPad, or multiple pads. Whilst it isn’t free, it does create a lot of freedom when you want to project, or mirror, your pads & pods for all to see the gems you have created. You can also show what you are photographing, or filming, with your handheld’s camera, so that you have multiple visualisers across the desks in your learning environment as well. Powerful.
British School in the Netherlands – Workshops
In our “Beyond a Game!” workshops, we gave our groups the chance to explore virtual worlds for real, then find out how to make their own resources that engage, motivate, inspire and differentiate, children of all ages and abilities.
Many of the workshops today were led by memebers of staff from across the schools that form The BSN. Junior School Leidschenveen, (known as JSL), Junior School Diamanthorst (or JSD), Junior School Vlaskamp (JSV) and the BSN Senior School in Voorschoten, where we have been today. Continue Reading
British School in the Netherlands Conference, Voorschoten
Great to be invited to “top and tail” the day at the British School in the Netherlands, Voorschoten, near The Hague, for their second annual all staff conference. The BSN Staff ICT Conference is a one-day event to which all BSN Staff (teaching and non- teaching) are invited. Part of the focus this year is about the creative use of ICT to enhance learning.
Martin Coles – Principal, at BSN, introduced the day with these thoughts: Continue Reading
Zooniverse
The Zooniverse is home to “the internet’s largest, most popular and most successful citizen science projects”. You, and your students, could find out about scientific processes, and contribute to REAL research, whilst you are doing so.
Find out about, and add your own input to, how galaxies form, how galaxies merge, & exploding stars, in Galaxy Zoo. Marvel at explosions on the sun Solar Stormwatch, and in Planet Hunters you can become involved in finding planets around other stars, whilst The Milky Way Project, helps students to discover how stars are formed originally.
Slightly closer to home, can you help identify craters and features on the surface of the moon at the Moon Zoo? Learn more about the Moon, it’s geology, atmosphere, formation & evolution, and our history exploring it. Study the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, and classify images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Help scientists recover worldwide weather observations made by Royal Navy ships around the time of World War I, in Old Weather.org. These transcriptions will contribute to climate model projections and improve a database of weather extremes. Historians will use your work to track past ship movements and the stories of the people on board.
At Ancient Lives.org it is possible to study the lives of ancient Greeks. The data gathered by Ancient Lives helps scholars study the Oxyrhynchus collection. Transcriptions collected digitally are combined with human and computer logic to identify known texts and documents. Transcribe some ancient writing.
Go deeply scientific in the realms of seas with Whale.fm. Did you know that Killer Whales (Orcas, which are actually the largest dolphin species) can talk to each other in quite sophisticated ways? Each family of Killer Whales has its own dialect! You can help categorize sounds in order to understand what whales are saying.
Looking forward to some analogue time? Enjoy a breather, if you can take one…
Online-convert.com – convert media files into other formats
Convert media free, fast and online from one format into another. No software installation needed. Some very useful Video converters, Ebook converters, Audio converters, Document converters, Image converters. I’m converted.
Musicovery
Music can enhance our mood (or really wreck it!) Have you ever wanted to tailor an internet radio station to the particular mood you’re in at THAT moment? To listen to something new in a particular style, and not just a 30 second clip? To listen to an internet radio station WITHOUT that irritating host?
A lot of our listening pleasure is provided, at the moment, by Musicovery.com … Create, and enhance, a classroom mood.
Choose your style, choose your frame of mind, click and unwind. (Crumbs! I should be writing their marketing blurb!)
