IBoard is a new site for Interactive Whiteboard activities for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Each LA has 70 free activities: visit the site here to use them. If you register your school, you get another 30 free activities, then others cost 99p each.
IBoard February 5, 2009
Smart Notebook 10 October 13, 2008
The latest version of the Smartboard software is definitely worth downloading. There a number of new features and an enhanced gallery, but by far the best thing is the new Lesson Activity Toolkit. This enables you to create, really simply, little interactive games to use with your children. If you have at least one Smartboard in your school, why not put the software on all the children’s computers: it doesn’t have to be used on the board, and children can use the Lesson Activity Toolkit to make fun games for each other. Your technician can download the program from here.
Tux of Math Command October 7, 2008
Tux of Math Command (otherwise known as TuxMath) is another free program from the people who brought you TuxPaint and TuxType. It’s basically practice on the four operations, but a lot of fun as, when you’ve chosen your level, you type the correct answer and press Enter to shoot the question down in a Space Invaders-type game. The questions get faster and faster (but no more difficult), and if you are too slow they will melt a penguin’s igloo, causing a very cross penguin. It’s great fun, and a good thing to suggest parents download at home, though you may want to turn the sound off! Tux of Math Command can be downloaded from here.
SwindonWiki launched August 27, 2008
Announcing a new site: SwindonWiki! This is to replace my previous links site, freeict.com. The purpose is for me to be able to share links and documents easily, as the previous site was, but also that any Swindon teacher or TA who wants to can contribute too. Please have a look, and if you would like to contribute, please contact Anna Fairhurst (afairhurst@swindon.gov.uk).
Yenka 3D Shapes August 27, 2008
For quite some time, I’ve been a big fan of Crocodile Clips Elementary, the free electricity simulation. Now the company which does this, Yenka, has produced a Maths version, Yenka 3D Shapes. You can combine 2D Shapes, create nets, drag the sides of the nets to make 3D shapes (and play this backwards and forwards as a film) and stack shapes. It’s very appealing and easy to use. They have been cunning and stopped the free version from having rectangles, though you can get round this by pulling a triangular pyramid net apart. However, if you like it, the full version is only £200 for a site licence for schools with under 600 pupils, including free home access. To install, you will need to download a basic Yenka program from here and then download the 3D Shapes bit from here.
Online surveys March 21, 2008
Setting up an online survey allows data handling to stretch beyond the classroom. You or your children can set up surveys and questionnaires with a wide variety of questions and ask people to fill them in either by emailing them a link or by putting a link onto a web page (or blog/ wiki). The survey tool will then collate the results and present them to you in a variety of ways. http://www.surveymonkey.com/ is a good free example.
To complete my survey on the usefulness of different online tools, including the tools which will come within Merlin, please click on this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3WxA0fMl31Ibbruroi6nug_3d_3d
Big Day Out March 21, 2008
The Big Day Out is a set of modelling activities aimed at Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, though many are suitable for older children. The online communication element is where children can email what they’ve done in a “postcard” or, at school, send their work to a class scrapbook where they and their teacher can add comments. To use the scrapbook feature, you need to be at school and the teacher needs a password (which Anna can provide for Swindon schools).
