Great new iPad app

 On yammer I read the following post and then went and downloaded the app. I then felt I should share it with you. It is incredible!!

On the recommendation of a colleague I purchased an animated eBook "The Peldar Lady of Gushing Cross" by Jacqueline Rogers. For anyone interested in folk literature this is a retelling of an old story with rich readable language, superb narration and amazing graphics. It's the first time I've experienced a literary text in a technical format that matched my book reading experience. 

Moving Tales - Bringing Stories to Life on your iPad

MisterTeacher: Home of SMARTBoard MiniMovies

MisterTeacher starting publishing for his students but later decided to begin publishing for teachers. He says: Incorporating technology has always been one of my passions.

He is  constantly trying to think of new ideas for resources and am open to suggestions. Please let me know if you have any ideas for new web pages, animations, lesson plans, etc. that I can add!

Contact: Jamie Tubbs

For further information visit MisterTeacher

Science MiniMovies 

Web based Student Activities- Maths, Science and Scoial Studies

The Social Studies links are American based.

Fuel The Brain Games

See the widget at the top of the page for fun and games that "Fuel the brain!!!"

Are you in the KNO? This one sure suprised me...

From out of left field....
While no one was looking, someone revolutionized the textbook, higher education, and learning itself in one crazy, bold move.

Thanks to @benpaddlejones on yammer for the thumbs up on this one...

Image via Wikipedia
Kno Movie from Kno, Inc. on Vimeo.

Glogster is such a versatile tool..

Here is my latest creation that  the kids and I made in the library after reading 
 "The Cabbage Patch War." by Paul Jennings

These resources will help get you and your kids going:

GLOGSTER EDU – Poster yourself

Short video

Long GLOGSTER Training video

Dropbox to the rescue!!!!!

Put away your flash drive           

Stop emailing yourself files

With Dropbox the way of sharing and backing up your files will change forever.

It’s a useful app for moving files between computers. It is also a valuable way to keep a copy of your most important files in the cloud.

Go to Dropbox and watch a video to explain its features.

Read more: Top tips for using Dropbox at school.

You can access your files from Dropbox’s website and also any of the Dropboxes synced with your account. That means you can access your files from any computer.

No more USB sticks ever again!!

Click here to sign up and we both receive extra storage. Get your friends to join and you all get more storage-all for free.

Do you class struggle to get going with debating? Here is a cool new tool to try.

Using aMap in the classroom!

aMap is short for 'argument map'. 

The idea's very simple - to get more people arguing by mapping out complex debates in a simple visual format.

>> Background to aMap and its uses in education

At its heart, aMap is about helping people get to grips with complex (or otherwise) issues and getting people thinking – so are ideal for use in the classroom for lessons like Critical Thinking and other philosophical based subjects . . .

The underlying structuring of aMaps is based around “informal logic” – this is the logic people use to argue in everyday life.  Informal logic has a four-tiered structure:

- Your position (I think . . .) – what you think overall

- Propositions (Because . . .) – reasons that support your position

- Arguments (As . . .) – supporting arguments that back up each of your propositions

- Evidence (Supported by . . .) – supporting evidence to back up your arguments

 Create your own aMap

Explore these examples:

Cat or dog?

Is downloading music without paying for it stealing?

Share your ideas of how aMap could be used in the classroom.

aMap would love to hear from educators to help them develop up aMap further to be used for formal educational purposes. We’re also interested in partnering with teachers / lecturers to help develop up a whole series of educational aMaps for the classroom.
  "The art of persuasion"-arguing convincinly!!
 

Playing to learn....the era of gaming....

 Playing to Learn on Prezi

Seth Priebatsch: The game layer on top of the world | Video on TED.com

 By now, we're used to letting Facebook and Twitter capture our social lives on the web -- building a "social layer" on top of the real world. At TEDxBoston, Seth Priebatsch looks at the next layer in progress: the "game layer," a pervasive net of behavior-steering game dynamics that will reshape education and commerce.  Posted August 2010

Are you ready to start exploring blogging-#NSWDET teachers -BlogED is here!

Enjoy Barbara Schaffer's Prezi presentation.

Engaging Learners with blogED on Prezi

Search this Blog Live Binder for more sites and support.

Look at these young scientists succeed!! Most exciting!

Image via Wikipedia Wallsend Public School. NSW presents:

Students in 3/6H have been doing some serious inventing. Lately they have been clearing the room of their desks and chairs and making some awesome projects. Presently the students are studying the works of Rube Goldberg......who liked to over-complicate simple inventions.

Rube Goldberg. Mark II from Khym Harris on Vimeo.

Quest Atlantis-Learning in a virtual world

Mission

The Quest Atlantis team is committed to bringing together the power of videogames, academics, and participation in socially-meaningful activities. Participation in this game is designed to enhance the lives of children while helping them grow into knowledgeable, responsible, and empathetic adults. The QA project will foster an awareness of seven critical dimensions in order to actualize them in the lives of children:


Creative Expression – "I Create"

Diversity Affirmation – "Everyone Matters"

Personal Agency – "I Have Voice"

Social Responsibility – "We Can Make a Difference"

Environmental Awareness – "Think Globally, Act Locally"

Healthy Communities – "Live, Love, Grow"

Compassionate Wisdom – "Be Kind"

Online Teacher Professional Development Support Materials
 
Teacher's Professional Development Plan

Cheryl Hill, (Specialist Technology Teacher, Lindfield East Public School, Sydney, Australia) shares her tips from : TOP TIPS for implementing Quest Atlantis.
1. Ensure that QA is working properly and that your class is set up. Technical difficulties turns kids off very quickly.

2. Model to the students how to navigate in the world, reviewing compass directions if necessary.

3. Allow plenty of time to get the class logged on for the first time.

4. If available have a couple of students who are familiar with QA to act as peer tutors - they love this!

5. Assign a couple of easy quests for fast finishers to do while the slower students complete their introductory mission.

6. Try to assign easy and fun quests at the beginning so students can really enjoy the experience of exploring QA.

7. Only after doing all this try to attempt doing a mission or unit as a class.

8. Keep a bank of quest reponses in a separate word document that you can copy and paste while reviewing. This saves writing responses from scratch for every review.

Have fun and learn with your class!

For further support and information go to my Quest Atlantis Livebinder.

New book trailer by Emma Quay

 Emma Quay (2010 Early Childhood CBCA gold medal winner for 'Bear & Chook by the sea') presents Shrieking Violet:



Scholastic Australia presents "Shrieking Violet", a new picture book by award-winning author/illustrator Emma Quay. Violet is the world's noisiest, messiest little sister. But her big sister is determined to be the star of this story! In her endearing, colourful illustrations, Emma Quay brings to life the fun, silliness and occasional frustration of life with a younger sibling.



Shrieking Violet; Text and Illustrations copyright © Emma Quay, 2010; First published by Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd, 2010 www.scholastic.com.au; Reproduced by permission of Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd; Music and sound courtesy of Partners in Rhyme & SoundBible.com

Virtual Dice for fun and games in learning

 Virtual Dice 

Choose from 6, 8, 10 or 12 faces

You can customise the dice to suit your learning activities. Suitable for IWBs. 

Celebrating a birthday can be fun!

Create a virtual birthday cake 
 Variety no 2

This would be so much fun for students in your class! Very little mess!!

Discover what happened in the year of your birth.

Explore the music was popular on your birthday.