Posted on 06 July 2010. Tags: cartoons, clipart, DT, games, History, ofsted, Recommended Sites, software, twitter, video
Twitter is an amazing way to discover new and interesting information. Here are links to some of the things that I have found recently:
- Design 2010 – An online exhibition celebrating the achievements of students in Design and Technology. Shared by Gareth Davies.
- Aviary Education – Aviary, who produce lots of fantastic online tools, are now offering a free service for education users. Shared by Paulo Simões.
- History Pin – A digital time machine that allows users to pin their own old photos onto modern Street View scenes. Shared by Claire Jones. Here’s a Youtube video which explains more:
- Countdown Numbers and Letters Games – Online versions of the games from the popular TV show. Shared by Danny Nicholson.
- Learn it in 5 – A powerful library of how-to videos, produced by technology teachers, for the purpose of helping teachers and students create classroom strategies for today’s 21st century’s digital classroom. Shared by Mandy Barrow.
- Sculptris – Free 3D modelling software. Could you use this in your classroom? Shared by Suki.
What have you found on Twitter recently?
Image – Run!
Posted in DT, Featured Articles, History, ICT, Recommended Sites, Resources
Posted on 19 March 2010. Tags: ICT, online, Recommended Sites, Resources, software, tools, web 2.0
apps4class is a new wiki from Jan Webb and Julian Wood, offering a place to group together the various web 2.0 sites and share ways of using them in the classroom.
http://apps4class.wikispaces.com/
The wiki is growing on a regular basis and has links to a wide range of online tools, including animation sites, games to use in the classroom and how-to guides showing teachers how to use the resources.
Posted in ICT, Recommended Sites
Posted on 27 February 2010. Tags: applications, favourite, iphone, software
Following a post about ‘My Favourite Mac Apps‘, here is a list of my favourite iPhone Apps…
Apps I use (almost) every day:
- Tweetie - A Twitter client. This is one of the apps that I use the most on my iPhone (along with Mail and Byline).
- Countdown - A simple application which counts down to particular dates and events, or counts up past them. This is really handy for finding out how long it is until Christmas or a relative’s birthday, or for seeing how long it has been since something has happened. I use it to count how long I’ve been married and surprise my wife with little gifts on special anniversaries!
- 1Password - This syncs with the Mac version of 1Password, giving me access to the passwords that I use for various online services.
- Byline - A client for accessing Google Reader. This also caches Starred Items so that they can be accessed offline. I use this multiple times per day.
- Instapaper - When I’m using my computers and I come across an interesting web page which I don’t have time to read, I hit the ‘Read Later’ bookmarklet in my browser. This then saves a copy of the page which I can access via the Instapaper app on my iPhone when I have more time.
- WeatherPro - An easy way to quickly access weather information for different areas.
- Memiary - Lets me view and update my Memiary account.
- WunderRadio - I use this to listen to different radio stations online. It’s very useful for listening to the radio while I’m out walking the dog!
- Evernote - My note taking application of choice. This syncs with the Mac, Windows and online versions of Evernote so that all of my notes are available anywhere I go.
- Radio Times - This is useful for checking what’s on TV… although I seem to be watching less and less TV nowadays.
- OmniFocus - OmniFocus syncs with the Mac version of the software to show me the different school / website / personal tasks that I have to complete. This is in regular use throughout my day.
Web / Work Apps:
- Teaching Ideas - This isn’t an app, but it’s a link to my Teaching Ideas website. To make icons for your own site, make a 57×57 PNG file, save it as ‘apple-touch-icon.png’ and then add the following code to the <head> of the pages on your site.
<link rel=”apple-touch-icon” href=”/apple-touch-icon.png”/>
- TeachingUK - This is an application which gives information from my Teaching Websites. I made it using AppMakr but I’d love to be able to code my own one day!
- Analytics - A fantastic tool for accessing Google Analytics web statistics for my websites.
- Ego - A simple little app which shows you the number of Twitter followers you have, along with subscribers to any Feedburner RSS feeds, as well as some simple Google Analytics data.
- Voice Memos - I use this regularly to record notes to myself, particularly when it’s easier to record audibly than type on the iPhone’s keyboard.
- AppBox Pro - An app which contains lots of apps… including some very useful ones.
- Remote (Keynote) – Turns your iPhone into a remote when you’re giving Keynote presentations. This is useful for staff meetings or assemblies.
- Remote (iTunes) – A remote for iTunes… this is fantastic for controlling the AppleTV.
- RemoteTap - A tool to control my entire Mac over a network. This has screen sharing, so I can see what it happening on my Mac’s screen via my iPhone.
Games and Fun Stuff:
- Tap Tap Revenge 3 - My favourite game… you simply have to tap along to the tunes being played. If I ever get time to play a game, this is the one I usually choose.
- Riddim Ribbon - A relatively new game, from the makers of Tap Tap Revenge. Tilt your iPhone to keep the song playing at the right speed and try to hit the bonuses.
- Minigore - Another of my favourite games, this one involves running around a dark forest, shooting ‘furries’. Very addictive.
- Words with Friends - Play Scrabble online with friends. You can play up to 50 games at once, dipping in and out of the game, adding new words when you get time.
- Pocket God - A fun tool where you interact (aka torture) the cute islanders (who you can name after your friends and family!)
- Koi Pond - A relaxing app where you can splash the water and feed the fish. This is an old app now, but I still find myself using it now and again.
- Gudeballs - I used to play this on my Amiga (when the game was called Logical). Sort the coloured balls and use them to blow up the spinning discs. Great fun.
- ColorSplash - Edit digital photos (taken when the iPhone’s camera) by changing particular areas to colour / black and white. This lets you create some interesting images.
- Spawn - Another relaxing app where you control the coloured lines that fly around the screen. It’s a really pretty application which isn’t very useful, but this is another one that I find myself using now and again.
- Comic Touch - An iPhone version of Comic Life, which lets you add speech / thought bubbles to digital photos.
- Cube Runner - An relatively old game which involves guiding a craft through a field of cubes by tilting the iPhone. The graphics are very simple, but this can be quite addictive too.
- Trism - This is one of the first games that I bought for the iPhone, but I still use it regularly. Move the lines of coloured triangles and try to match up the colours.
Other Apps:
- Backgrounds - Lets you find iPhone-friendly images for the home screen background. When will Apple give us a more useful home screen, which shows events / tasks for the day?!
- Announcer - One of the many ‘sound board’ type of applications available which play different sounds on command. This is made by the X-Factor voiceover man and could be useful in the classroom.
- LOVEFiLM - I’ve been a subscriber of LoveFilm for many years and this new application lets you add items to your account. Very useful.
- vouchercloud - This lets you find discount vouchers for shops and online services. Great for when you’re out and about doing some shopping – get discounts just by using this app!
- Avatar Creator 2 - Lets you create a wide range of avatars.
- Shazam - An amazing app which finds the name of any song just by listening to it. It’s a shame that I always seem to want to use this app when I’m driving and listening to the radio.
- RedLaser - Scan a barcode and this application tells you the item’s price at a selection of retailers. It’s great for comparing prices when you’re shopping.
- Ambiance - This application lets you find and play different background sounds… from dogs barking to seaside sounds to helicopters. This can be useful for finding relaxing audio, or for use as background audio when you’re doing drama / role play work in the classroom.
- Amazon UK - I often find myself using this application to check prices of things on Amazon. It’s far too easy to buy things directly from the app though – far too tempting!
- eBay - Useful for when you’re buying / selling things with the online auction site.
- aNote - A wonderful note-taking application. I don’t use this much now that I’m using Evernote more, but I can’t quite face deleting it yet.
- Boxcar - This sends push notifications for Twitter and is invaluable.
What are your favourite iPhone applications?
Posted in Technology
Posted on 15 February 2010. Tags: applications, creative, favourites, mac, software, tools
Following in the footsteps of Doug Belshaw and Kevin McLaughlin, I have decided to record the applications that I use on my Mac computers most often:
Daily Essentials:
- Launchbar - An amazing timesaver which lets you open applications, copy and paste, perform operations, search online, find contact information and much more… all using the keyboard. Also has a multiple clipboard feature, so it will remember the last 20 things you have copied and let you repaste them over and over again. I’ve been using this for years and would struggle without it!
- Path Finder - I’m currently in my 30 day trial with this software. It makes file management much easier and is just how the standard Mac Finder should be.
- OmniFocus - As well as teaching, I also run a number of different websites. This productivity software helps me to keep track of all of the different tasks that I need to complete in different aspects of my life. It also syncs with the iPhone version so I can manage my ‘to-dos’ on the move.
- Skitch - A wonderful piece of free software for taking and editing screenshots. Also uploads images to an online server with a single click.
- 1Password - This stores the different passwords that I use for online services (shopping sites / social networking etc.). It integrates with your web browser and also has an iPhone version so you can check passwords when you’re not at your main computer.
- Tweetie - My Twitter application of choice, always running in the background.
- iCal - Unlike every other teacher at my school, my diary is kept digitally. iCal isn’t the best calendar tool out there I’m sure, but the iPhone syncing via MobileMe makes life much easier.
- Dropbox - Allows the storage of files which can be shared between Windows / Mac machines and the iPhone. As essential tool which every teacher should use.
- Evernote - My second brain which is used on a daily basis. I use Evernote to save anything that I want to remember (e.g. examples of web coding), notes for school (stored as photographs on which Evernote can identify the text) and more.
- Reader Notifier - A simple menubar application which shows the number of unread items in my Google Reader account.
Web / Creative Tools:
- Dreamweaver - This is an old version but I regularly use this to make / edit web pages.
- Fireworks - A REALLY old version of the image editing software. I really ought to upgrade, but this seems to do everything I need at the moment.
- Coda - Coda is great for editing HTML / CSS really quickly.
- Feeder - Used for updating RSS feeds for various sites that I have. Publishes the feeds online too.
- Transmit - FTP software which lets me upload files to various servers. Great for updating my websites and downloading files.
- Art Text - This generates WordArt-style text but with a much wider range of options and at a much higher quality. Very useful.
- Comic Life - Every teacher should be familiar with Comic Life… it lets students make comics with their digital photos. I mostly use it to create fancy text and logos using the wonderful fonts and styles available.
- Shape Collage - Creates beautiful photo collages using your digital photos.
- BackupSites - This is an app that I made using Automator (free with every Mac). Automator is a really useful (and incredibly powerful) tool which can carry out repetitive tasks quickly. Once you’ve set up your procedures (using the drag and drop options), Automator then creates a program for you. This program runs backup scripts on my various websites, saving me having to load different scripts / websites individually. A huge timesaver.
Other Useful Apps:
- AppZapper - Deletes applications if you no longer want / need them. Also gets rid of any stray files that might otherwise be left behind.
- I Can Animate - We use this at school to make stop-motion animations. Great fun.
- Moneydance - I use Moneydance to record my bank statements. It lets you download statements from online banks, categorise transations and generate reports.
- Garagesale - Garagesale lets you list items on eBay really easily and using eye-catching themes.
- Handbrake - For backing up / storing the contents of DVDs on your Mac. Great for transferring films on to my AppleTV and iPhone.
- Cocktail - A Mac utility which runs lots of maintenance scripts. Macs don’t seem to need the regular updates and cleaning programs that Windows machines use, but I do use this occasionally to keep things running smoothly.
- Superduper - Generates a bootable backup of my computers onto an external hard drive.
- Email Backup Pro - Backs up my rather large collection email (in Apple’s Mail software) automatically.
- JungleDisk - Backs up my important documents to an online service (Amazon S3), so that I always have an off-site backup of my files. Can you tell that I like keeping backups
- Pages, Numbers and Keynote - Apple’s word processing / publishing, spreadsheet and presentation software. Just as useful as Microsoft Office but much prettier and easier to use!
- Notebook - Smart Notebook, which I use regularly with our Smartboards at school.
- TypeIt4Me - This isn’t an application, but a System Preference pane. It is a fantastic timesaver, as it stores huge amounts of text which you type by entering a particular keystroke. For example, if I type ‘bw’ (in any application), TypeIt4Me replaces that text with my email signature (Best wishes, Mark… followed by links to my websites). I use it to quickly update RSS feeds and enter large amounts of HTML code with short keystrokes. Very useful.
I discovered lots of these applications via Maczot or MacUpdate promotions, at ScreencastsOnline or via Twitter.
What are your favourite Mac applications?
Posted in Technology
Posted on 01 February 2010. Tags: animation, anithings, ICT, offer, software
I came across Anithings at a visit to BETT a few weeks ago. It is a fantastic piece of software which allows children to create their own animations on screen. They can design their own characters and backgrounds or use the ones provided. Recording the animation simply involves pressing the record button and then animating the characters by moving them around.
Here are some demonstrations of how to use the software. The first shows how to make a simple animation:
This video shows some of the more advanced features, such as drawing tools, storyboards and speech bubbles.
Any animations created using the software can be posted online and then embedded into school websites or VLEs.
UPDATE – This offer is now closed.
The team at Anithings have kindly offered visitors to Teaching Ideas and Teaching News a 10% discount on any orders of the software during February. To receive this discount, simple quote ‘Teaching Ideas‘ or ‘Teaching News‘ when you place the order. Schools and teachers using either of these codes will also receive a pack of 90 Anithings stickers featuring characters from the program… great for a display or as a reward for children who create amazing animations with the software!
Posted in ICT, Offers, Recommended Sites
Posted on 06 January 2010. Tags: 2simple, blog, ICT, Recommended Sites, software
Lots of primary schools in the UK use software by 2Simple. They offer a wide range of ICT tools which are incredibly simple and easy to use, whilst offering lots of creative opportunities. The company have just set up a blog which is worth following if you use their software.
http://2simpleblog.wordpress.com/
The blog has examples of the programs being used by children, ideas for activities to try, as well as sneaky peeks at up and coming developments.
Posted in ICT, Recommended Sites
Posted on 11 October 2009. Tags: ICT, open source, software, Technology
I recently received an email with a link to this useful blog post. It features a list of 100 open source applications for educators to use. Open source applications are free, and often have specific uses which can be extremely useful for schools.
Take a look at the list and discover some exciting new software to use in your classrooms!
Posted in Recommended Sites, Technology
Posted on 10 October 2009. Tags: ICT, kent, offer, software, Technology
As featured on the Kent ICT blog recently, Sherston have an amazing deal which is only available until 30th November 2009.
They are offering over 100 of their best multi-award winning software titles for £1099. All titles come with full site licences so you can install them across your entire school networks. Visit TAG Learning to find out more and to take advantage of the offer.
If you work at a school in Kent in the UK, read the Kent ICT blog to find out how you can get this deal for £799 (but you have to order before 23rd October 2009).
Posted in ICT, Offers
Posted on 02 October 2008. Tags: film, Geography, History, ICT, keepvid, Literacy, maths, panoramas, Professional Development, smartboard, software, staff meetings, tutpup, typing
Every so often at school, I’m able to run a staff meeting. I always enjoy these, as it’s a chance for me to share new ideas about ICT with other members of staff. Many of our ICT meetings are linked to new software or equipment that has arrived in school, but I wanted this one to be more general. Rather than focussing on one particular idea (which may not be appropriate to every year group), my aim was to share a number of different tools / tips / websites, which staff would then be able to choose from, to try within their teaching where appropriate.
As well as giving information verbally, I created a Smart Notebook file with further information, which is saved on our school’s network, so that staff can refer to it in the future. I’ve also uploaded the file here, in the hope that readers of this blog might be able to pick up a few tips as well.
Download Staff Meeting Notebook File
(Smart Notebook required)
If you don’t have Smart Notebook, here’s a brief outline of the things that I’ve mentioned in the file:
- Independent Maths Activities – using RM Maths and TutPup.
- Using Film in Literacy – with instructions showing how to download Youtube videos using KeepVid. I also added a link to the Film for Literacy wiki, which has examples of films that can be used in particular Literacy units.
- Travel the World – using sites like panoramas.dk and gigapan.org to develop Literacy, Geography and History skills.
- Smartboard Tricks – Children sometimes have difficulties dragging objects across the board, so you can use two fingers to make them jump from one place to another.
- Tools for making displays – Using 2Publish+ software to create banners, and blockposters.com to produce giant images.
- Typing Skills – helping children to type more quickly using 2Type, Dance Mat Typing or Sense Lang.
Which sites / applications / tools would you recommend if you were asked to run an ICT staff meeting?
Image: ‘three thirty‘
Posted in Professional Development, Resources
