ICT Tim's Blog

Useful Websites

2011-06-04T16:38:00.004+10:00

Upper Primary onwards

This is a program allowing students to create Flash games using the drag and drop concept of the MIT designed Scratch application.

Story Cove

Primary

A collection of Multi-miedia folktale stories from around the world.

Read Write Think

Primary to Secondary

A great selection of resources from the International Reading Association

ESOL Courses - Free English Lessons

Primary to Secondary

A selection of useful reading resources

Spiderscribe

Primary to Secondary

An online collaborative mind-mapping and brainstorming tool

Great video about the use of technology in a classroom

2011-03-06T15:14:00.002+11:00

Catering for boys in primary education

2011-02-19T09:34:00.002+11:00

I found this video talk to be extremely inspiring. As a male teacher in a primary school I agree with many of the points made in this talk. Well worth watching!

New year - new posts!

2011-02-14T17:45:00.003+11:00

I haven't posted for a while, but have been busy working on a new class blog for 2011. I really find it a useful tool for communicating with the parents, a portal for students to access useful websites and to encourage students to improve their ICT skills.

Great video explaining project-based learning

2011-01-29T12:32:00.003+11:00

Creative technology!

2010-11-30T10:00:00.004+11:00

Music and ICT

2010-11-18T13:24:00.005+11:00

Here are some sites for students that have a focus on music.

Music Editors - a great range and for those who don't use a Mac and garageband - some real alternatives!

Myna Audio Editor

Others worth looking at are:

Soundation

Jamstudio

Looplabs

Other Music Sites

The Science of Music

This is a fantastic site that lets children investigate different sounds and make their own mixes.

Other sites worth looking at:

The New York Philharmonic Kidzone

DSO Kids

ICT Tim's Corner - November

2010-11-07T12:46:00.002+11:00

ICT Tim's corner October 2010

New ICTEV website

2010-10-27T17:29:00.003+11:00

Check out the new ICTEV website!

"ICT in Education Victoria is the pre-eminent Victorian professional association that provides support and leadership to all educators in the use of ICT in teaching and learning. ICTEV is an education body that aims to provide exemplary professional services to members and a vibrant, expert presence within the Victorian educational community. ICTEV promotes ICT within all levels of education and advocates the positive role ICT plays in enhancing teaching and learning."

Sir Ken Robertson animated

2010-10-16T09:58:00.002+11:00

Interactives

2010-10-12T09:43:00.004+11:00

I came across this website when searching for some resources for a web quest on 3D shapes for my grade 3/4 students. Interactives provides educators and students with strategies, content, and activities that can enhance and improve students’ skills in a variety of curricular areas including math, literature and language, science, history, and the arts. The site has great webquest/interactive activities on a variety of subjects for first through twelfth grades.

Great Resources from ACMI

2010-09-14T09:53:00.004+10:00

ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, has produced some brilliant resources for students to learn about video editing. The ACMI Generator site has a range of resources including copyright free video clips and special effects.

Another really useful section is the Storyboard Generator - well worth a visit.

The Zimmer Twins

2010-09-14T09:39:00.006+10:00

This is a great website for kids to learn about video editing and improving their literacy skills at the same time!

"The Zimmer Twins is a site devoted to kids and creative storytelling. Since 2005, the Zimmer Twins has invited children to create and share their own animated stories.

The Zimmer Twins is the brainchild of Jason Krogh the founder/director of zinc Roe design. Jason set out to create an online tool that would let kids use their imagination and exercise their storytelling powers. Jason teamed up with creative director Aaron Leighton, who developed the characters and set out the visual style of the project.

The project found an enthusiastic partner in TELETOON, a national animation cable channel in Canada. Working with TELETOON, the Zimmer Twins launched in 2005 and selected movies from the site were broadcast from coast-to-coast. In subsequent years partnerships were formed with ABC in Australia and qubo/NBC in the United States." The Zimmer Twins Website

Cyber Safety Discussion Questions

2010-09-13T09:45:00.001+10:00

I created a slideshow of questions for my students to discuss in small groups on the topic of cyber safety.

Cyber Smart discussion questions

Study Ladder

2010-09-12T10:44:00.002+10:00

I have been using the site "Smart Kiddies" as an additional tool to improve numeracy with my grade 3/4 class. I have found it extremely useful. It has evolved into "Study Ladder" incorporating a lot of new resources including literacy. My login and class details remain the same - very easy!

A brilliant talk

2010-09-08T15:55:00.002+10:00

"The best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most."

Useful Blog

2010-09-08T15:23:00.006+10:00

This is a great resource for teachers, well worth a look! I get updates on my news feed on Facebook...

Cacoo

2010-07-18T15:34:00.004+10:00

Cacoo is a free online collaborative diagram designing tool. This application has great potential for students planning projects together as well as creating mind maps and visual thinking diagrams.

Useful Teaching Resource - A Visualiser

2010-07-18T15:20:00.004+10:00

I purchased a visualiser for our school and have found it to be an invaluable resource for teaching. It is basically a modern version of the old overhead projector.

All you need is to plug it into a power socket and into a digital projector. It projects anything placed under the camera onto the screen, books, student work, models and 3D objects. You can take screen shots, record video and split the screen for a variety of purposes. It is a great way to share student work, share a story, observe a student editing their work, project a lesson on a hand held device and many, many more applications.

Latest Sir Ken Robinson talk from TED

2010-05-26T08:41:00.000+10:00

Maths Resources

2010-05-24T18:00:00.004+10:00

A colleague at school told me about an Australian based mathematics website called "Smartkiddies". I team teach in a grade 3/4 class and have enrolled two classes into this site. It is well worth a look, not only can you find an amazing range of resources relating to all areas in the maths curriculum, but you can also assign different tasks to different children, leave messages, track students and their achievements as well as engaging children in games and activities. Here are some other useful maths based websites:

Tutpup: Great for practising time tables and number facts.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives: An excellent site and really supports interactive whiteboard use.

Small Blue Printer: Perfect for space and measurement.

Free Rice: Practise maths for a worthy cause.

Bamzooki: A fantastic problem solving activity

Other general maths game sites:

Maths is fun

FunBrain

Cool Maths Games

A Celebration for ACEC2010

2010-05-18T22:19:00.006+10:00

Here is a video recapping the fantastic conference we organised for ACEC2010:

And yours truly accepting award for ICTEV Teacher of the Year 2010:

Teaching videos site

2010-05-04T09:47:00.003+10:00

A website in the United Kingdom, Teaching Videos, has a great range of educational videos well orginised into useful categories. Here is an example from the ICT area on social networking:

ACEC2010

2010-03-31T15:24:00.000+11:00

Texting and Literacy

2010-03-16T15:52:00.003+11:00

I found this on TeacherTube and found it interesting.

Interactive Whiteboards

2010-03-13T11:04:00.002+11:00

I found a couple of sites that have some links to activities and applications that can be used with an interactive whiteboard.

http://www.avenelps.vic.edu.au/interactive_whiteboard_sites.htm

http://eduscapes.com/sessions/smartboard/

ACEC2010

2010-03-13T10:01:00.005+11:00

HURRY!

Only 25 days to go! Check out what is on offer at the ACEC2010 website.

Useful Math Resources

2010-02-23T09:55:00.004+11:00

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives has a comprehensive collection of interactive mathematical activities for use in the classroom. They work extremely well with an Interactive Whiteboard. The place value activities are particularly useful.

Small Blue Printer

2010-01-21T16:41:00.005+11:00

This great free program is great for students in the area of measurement in mathematics. Students can design a floor plan of their classroom, home, etc and then wander through in 3D mode. There is also an option for a more detailed plan with plenty of options for them to choose from.

History of the Internet

2009-11-10T08:46:00.006+11:00

Found this great video about the history of the Internet, following is an interesting (albeit sexist) video about future predictions in 1969.

Pencil - Free Animation Software

2009-11-09T19:48:00.003+11:00

Pencil is a free software tool for creating hand drawn animations. It is free and very easy to use. Visit their website for download and examples of its potential.

Quest Atlantis

2009-11-02T12:36:00.002+11:00

Following on from the success of SuperClubs Plus, another social networking site for students aged 9 - 16 years is called Quest Atlantis.

"Quest Atlantis is a virtual reality software program created by Indiana University professor Dr. Sasha Barab. Virtual Reality Software is a software program that creates a three dimensional world with multi-user environment. This particular program, Quest Atlantis, includes games and a story line to assist children with both reading and decision making. This particular model places students in the role of junior scientists, political advisors, business managers, and national park rangers. Students tackle a variety of subjects trying to solve problems in this virtual world.

The greatest results have been seen in students who are the poorest performing readers and with disadvantaged students. These students are typically the hardest to reach, and the program has given them incentives and rewards for their work. These students often do not enjoy school but now have great interest due to this interactive world. The game style approach appeals to the students and keeps their interest." Courtesy Wired Educator

Meet my CyberTwin

2009-10-16T10:18:00.003+11:00

I remember a computer program on my Apple II in the eighties called ELIZA. She was an artificial intelligence simulator that you could converse with. Click here to revisit this old program.

Well, now you can create a version of yourself...

Busy, unavailable or just relaxing - then let your CyberTwin do the work for you! A CyberTwin is an artificial intelligence character that functions on your behalf. You can train your CyberTwin to be just like you and represent you online.

Chat to my CyberTwin online now!

SuperClubsPLUS Update

2009-10-13T12:49:00.003+11:00

At the beginning of August, I wrote a post about signing my class up for SuperClubsPLUS. After the initial success with my own class, I now have all of our five 3/4 classes signed up and the response from the students has been overwhelming. This initiative has been an amazing success and I cannot recommend it enough! There is so much to offer to students, both in learning about web 2.0 technologies and general ICT skills. Here is an article I have written for the next ICTEV journal:

SuperClubsPLUS -

Here are some videos about SuperClubsPLUS:

ABC News coverage of SuperClubsPLUS Australia from Martyn Wild on Vimeo.

Super Cool SuperClubsPLUS! from Martyn Wild on Vimeo.

Wireless Electricity

2009-10-11T16:53:00.004+11:00

As a technology enthusiast I realise the need for electricity and access to it. I have many cables running under my desk and an array of power boards, just about any new gadget requires electricity either to run it or charge it - and a cable and powerpoint as well! As an educator, I see huge tangled messes of cables in all classrooms that have computers.
I love having a wireless mouse and keyboard, but have often thought wouldn't it be great to have wireless electricity. I once told someone and they said it was impossible. Check this out...

21st Century Learning

2009-08-28T09:10:00.001+10:00

A Staff Meeting Presentation using Prezi.com

2009-08-12T09:21:00.009+10:00

Here is a presentation I did the other day using prezi.com - a great presentation tool:

from prezi.com

The three video links are here - I don't think the links work on this embedded presentation:

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Another inspiring talk

2009-08-02T16:57:00.004+10:00

This talk is about the power of communication technology to enable global change.

SuperClubs Plus

2009-08-02T16:39:00.006+10:00

I have just signed up my grade to Super Clubs Plus and I am most impressed. Super Clubs Plus is a closed online community for students, where kids can join to safely talk in club forums, build Home Pages and get help with their homework. As you can see (VELS documents below), it covers many areas of each states curriculum comprehensively. Students have to earn stars and badges as they progress by initially completing a cybersafety quiz to get their first star. Once earned, students can build their homepage (like a website) and can also choose one of their pages to be a blog. They can email, visit kids from all over the world's homepages, leave comments, join a great range of clubs (in doing so can earn badges) and join on 'hotseat' forums with authors and many other exciting and engaging people.

VELSwithstars -

StarswithVIC -

Click here to see some kids from England talking about their experiences with Super Clubs Plus.

Xtranormal | Text-to-Movie

2009-07-19T19:11:00.003+10:00

Xtranormal is website where kids can create simple animated movies. Students choose their characters and type in the dialogue, in minutes they have created a simple animated movie. Here is one I made:

New Cyber Safety Website for Australian Schools

2009-07-14T13:17:00.003+10:00

After a two week holiday, I am back online and looking forward to posting more ICT information for my readers!

The Australian Government has just created a brand new website called Cybersmart:

"Cybersmart provides activities, resources and practical advice to help young kids, kids, teens and parents safely enjoy the online world.

Cybersmart also offers training and resources for schools and materials for library staff.

Developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, Cybersmart is part of the Australian Government’s cybersafety program."

Fantastic sites for kids

2009-06-20T17:48:00.004+10:00

I have been using the website, "Tutpup" with my kids and it has been an overwhelming success. They can practise their quick response to basic number concepts, times tables and spelling. The reason why it is so successful, is that the kids compete with other kids from all over the world or with someone on the computer next to them. Children can create their own account at home or, as I have done, a class account can be created and you can track their progress. If you are trying to find a fun way for kids to practise their maths skills, then I thoroughly recommend this website.

Note: It is still in beta (prototype) stage.

Another website worth visiting is Tikatok, a place where children can create and share online storybooks. One interesting feature is, for a fee, they will publish the student's book and send it professionaly bound.

Sir Ken Robinson in Australia

2009-06-18T18:54:00.004+10:00

As you may or may not know, I really am a fan of Sir Ken Robinson - an expert in creativity and educational reform. Well, he has been in Australia and interviewed on one of our most respected current affairs shows. The interviews were aired over two nights and these are the links:

Interview Part One

Interview Part Two

Definitely worth a look!

Cyberbullying - digizen.org

2009-06-18T18:41:00.003+10:00

I came across this website the other day called digizen.org and I was impressed by the section on cyberbullying. There are videos and plenty of resources for teachers to discuss this isuee with their students. You can watch the main video and then see the individual interviews with the characters, powerful stuff. This site is aimed at upper primary and lower secondary students.

Robin Hood Primary School

2009-06-15T09:44:00.003+10:00

There is a school in Birmingham, England called Robin Hood Primary School that does some fantastic things with ICT education. Have a look at this video and then visit their website.

Learning beyond the boundries of the classroom

2009-06-11T18:05:00.007+10:00

I would like to write a post about my class blog. It has been almost half a year since I started it and feel it is time to reflect on a few things:

Why did I create it?

As ICT education is a real passion, I wanted to find a way to provide my students with access to learning via technology beyond the classroom wall. I also thought it would complement our home learning program by providing engaging and enjoyable activities that support a range of learning areas. It was also a way to share the student's work with the community via the Internet.

How has it been recieved?

I have had many parents provide postive feedback about the blog. It has been wonderful to see comments by relatives of the students who live far from the school, but through the blog have a portal to their learning. The children enjoy the challenges and activites that cover all learning areas. As we are a global community, the responses from children overseas has been rewarding.

Where to next?

I teach a grade 3/4 class and am pleased that three of my grade 4 boys have created their own blogs. A grade 4 girl from another class has decided that they need their own blog and I have assisted her in creating one. I hope this trend continues, however from this experience I would like all my students to eventually use a blog to document their learning.

Check out the latest puzzle on my class blog - it is a real beauty!

Local animation and web development company

2009-06-08T13:46:00.002+10:00

Came across a company called, touchmypixel, that is a Melbourne based game and website developer. They have created a game called, "Scary Girl" and is well worth a look. The graphics are amazing! Have a look at their other projects as well.

A great talk

2009-06-02T11:54:00.004+10:00

This was a video recommended by a fellow State Council member, Rob Rankin, from a Twitter post.
"An inspirational man!!! Watch Benjamin Zander before taking your next class."
Thanks, Rob!

ICTEV State Conference 2009

2009-05-31T16:18:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to all for another great conference yesterday! Our keynote speaker, Bruce Dixon (director of Ideaslab), was truly a great speaker and got everyone inspired for the fantastic range of presentations that followed. Although a bit cold and windy, there was plenty of great coffee and hot food throughout the day! It was five years ago that I was nominated to be on the State Council of ICTEV and I feel really proud to be part of such a great teacher's association. I hope all who came to the conference had a great day and we all look forward to ICTEV hosting the National Conference, ACEC2010, in April!

Very clever...

2009-05-29T17:46:00.002+10:00

HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam . Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands. Take a look at HEMA's product page. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch, but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens.

Sir Ken Robinson - newest talk

2009-05-28T18:15:00.004+10:00

I really connect with Sir Ken's philosophies and once again found his talk engaging. I have just purchased the book he is talking about, "The Element", using Fishpond - a great local book buying website.

Art Project and Tumblr

2009-05-27T18:30:00.002+10:00

About two weeks ago my grade 3/4 class and another were involved in a project with some students from RMIT (The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). Their project was about endangered animals and students using art to represent their thought about how they might adapt to changing environments. The project, ArtAptation, uses a new blogging application (well new to me!) called Tumblr. Please take a moment to see the wonderful work these students did, but also check out Tumblr - I think I would like to use it for my next blogging project!

Animation from Buenos Aires

2009-05-26T11:22:00.004+10:00

I came across this website a while ago and thought the animation was just outstanding, not to mention bloody amazing! The website, Blublu, has some fascinating links. So, here it is:

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

The video sharing site, Vimeo, has some fantastic videos covering a range of topics from stop-motion animation, time-lapse videos and some other fantastic creations!

Our school's video sharing website using Fliggo

2009-05-17T12:37:00.004+10:00

I am very excited about Fliggo, a place where you can create your own video sharing sites. I have created one for the students at our school to share the animations they make at school and at home. The site is called Animation@PHPS and all videos and comments are moderated by me, so no nasties getting through!

A selection of maths websites

2009-05-16T21:57:00.002+10:00

I have found a selection of quite useful maths websites:

Math Playground - has a selection of games as well as instructional videos.

Math.tv - has a lot of useful videos, although mainly for secondary maths

IXL - Another site full of useful games, etc

Note: These sites are from the USA, so some of the activities around money and measurement may not be relevant to Australian school children

Dimdim

2009-05-16T16:35:00.001+10:00

Just a quick one here. If you want conduct a web conference for your school or classroom then check out Dimdim a free web conferencing tool.

2009 Innovation Showcase

2009-05-16T10:38:00.002+10:00

Yesterday, I went to the 2009 Innovation Showcase at the Palladium, Crown Casino. This yearly conference is organised by the state government. It was a fantastic day and the keynote speakers (Jason Smith, co-founder of TeacherTube, and Martin Westwell, Director of the Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century) were extremely engaging.
I found out lots of new things at the conference and will endeavour to showcase them in future posts. To start of with I learnt about a Ning, a place where you can create your own social network. So have a look at the Educator's Guide to Innovation Ning and find out all about the Innovation Showcase.

Teaching Animation Techniques

2009-05-15T19:22:00.004+10:00

I don't need to go on about my love for animation if you are familiar with my blog, and if you are not - I think animation is great for education. Recently I had a well-known animator, Anthony Lawrence, visit our school for a session with our grade 3/4 unit. One thing he said sticks in my mind, it was...

"Animation is all about problem solving."

So, as I have been trying to inspire animation I have some things to share!

Firstly, this one is from Aniboom - my kids loved it! Unfortunately I tried to imbed this video but there problems with their new format that make it slightly imperfect. I must admit I am a perfectionanist when it comes to this kind of thing - if it is worth watching...so here is the link:

A great animation about animation!

Secondly... I would love for all my kids to do clay-mation projects, but time and technology are in short supply. So, I showed this next video to my kids as a way of saying; "Hey, you don't need lots of colour and a huge story..."
Well, maybe when you watch you will see what I mean.

Another gem from TED

2009-05-13T18:15:00.014+10:00

This is an amazing documentry that only goes for six minutes. It is about the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) program in Columbia.

I have had problems fitting this video in and so click here to go to the website and see it full screen.

The future of education...a timely reminder

2009-05-12T19:31:00.007+10:00

I do not often get philosophical on this blog, but with the first installment of the national testing today I feel it necessary to replay an insipirational talk I used in one of my earliest posts! So, as the first day of the Australian NAPLAN, a country wide test for years 3 and 5 in primary school and years 7 and 9 in secondary school, on literacy and numeracy was implemented I wanted to play this video, because my question is how do we assess creativity and is it important in education, now and in the future?

"Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. He challenges the way we're educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence."

Docstoc

2009-05-12T12:38:00.004+10:00

I was fortunate to be contacted from the business development team at Docstoc.com. They offer a 'complete blogger's toolkit' and here is a brief of their tools:

"Tool #1: The first of these is the Docstoc Embed, which has been used by HuffPo, NYTimes and Atlantic Monthly to name a few.

Tool #2: Our newest tool is called Docshots and it turns any document link into a hoverable link that enables a feature-rich pop-up window. It is great for incorporating documents of any kind into a post without consuming site real estate.

Tool #3: Finally, we are also thrilled to announce our recent partnership with Lizzer, a great new bookmarklet that makes it easy to insert links and embed a variety of content (i.e. Docstoc Documents) into your blog posts or web-based email. Lizzer also lets you use your Docstoc account login information to easily access and embed all of your saved Docstoc Documents wherever you are on the web."

As an example, here is a 15 page booklet I wrote a couple of years back for students to create digital portfolios using PowerPoint - still quite useful!
Digital Portfolios -

Pivot, Droidz and Shapeshifter

2009-05-12T11:51:00.004+10:00

Pivot and Droidz

My fascination with animation and providing opportunities for students to express themselves in this genre continues. I have mentioned in previous posts about the stick figure animation program, Pivot. This free download is a great introduction to animation techniques for all ages. In previous posts I have explained how a Pivot animation can be turned into a movie file (see my 50th post for an example of this).

The latest news is about a website called droidz.org. This site has thousands of pivot figures and items that can be inserted into a pivot animation. Note: some of the figures and shared animations are extremely violent, so this site really is for more senior students (even though I found out about it from my grade 4 students!)

Shapeshifter

I have previously mentioned the fantastic site, Aniboom. As well as the amazing creations that are posted on this site, there is a section for creating animations as well. This is an online program called, Shapeshifter. Using only four geometric shapes, using this program can create some amazing animations. This would be a great stepping stone from Pivot to Flash animation. I would thoroughly recommend this one for students moving on from Pivot.

Scribd

2009-05-11T11:35:00.003+10:00

I found another document sharing website, Scribd. There are plenty of interesting documents covering a huge range of topics. I put one on my class blog as a reading activity. Here is an example of a document that has some useful ICT links (click on the box in the top right hand corner to see full size):

ICT in the Junior School ICT in the Junior School sharpjacqui Presentation on tools, software and Websites you could use for ICT in the Junior School. (5yrs - 7yrs)

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work Brochures & Catalogs How-to-Guides & Manu integration Presentations & Spre

RSS web feeds

2009-05-10T13:57:00.005+10:00

Have you seen this image on websites, blogs, etc? This is a RSS web feed button. It enables you to get the latest posts and news from your favourite blogs, news sites, video and audio sites.
This video is a great start to help understand RSS feeds...

Free Rice

2009-05-05T07:56:00.003+10:00

There is a website, Free Rice, in which students can have a go at a range of multiple choice questions on a variety of subjects. For every correct answer 10 grains of rice are donated through United Nations World Food Program. This website is well worth a look and it is great for kids because they can actually see the rice they earn piling up!

History and Technology

2009-05-02T12:32:00.004+10:00

I was having a look at the revamped Teacher Tube site (it now includes audio, documents, photos and blogs) and found this animation about the Bayeux Tapestry. It is not really a tapestry but an embroidered cloth that is 70m long and tells the story of 1066 Norman invasion of England. At school, our children are looking at animation as part of our unit of inquiry, "Our World through Media". I really like the way something so historical can be made more accessible to a new generation through the use of technology!

This video can also be seen on YouTube.

ICTEV 2009 Conference

2009-04-29T20:33:00.002+10:00

As I have just been to an ICTEV meeting I thought it was timely to put out a reminder about our state conference, "ICT for Tomorrow's Learning". This will be held at Melbourne Grammar, on Saturday May 30th. This will be ICTEV's 30th conference and the theme is weaving ICT into all areas of education. Check out the website and have a look at the conference program and details!

StudyTech

2009-04-29T12:04:00.003+10:00

I met with a representative from StudyTech, a company that works with school to improve their ICT network and technical challenges.

"For Studytech, education is not a branch or a sideline, but the focus of our entire business. StudyTech exists to respond to the needs of students, educators and the wider education community with the understanding that reliable results, useful innovation and fixed costs translate into exciting outcomes for the end user...the teacher AND student.Having spent years working in the school system, we understand the school culture, its needs, including the inherent frustrations and joys! "

I would recommend having a look at their website. They have been involved in some fascinating projects and the implentation of a MOE (Managed Operating Environment) could a solution for many schools.

Scratch Day - May 16th

2009-04-27T11:29:00.002+10:00

I have mentioned Scratch in previous posts, so I thought it important to acknowledge Scratch Day on May 16th:

"Meet, share, and learn with Boston-area Scratchers at Scratch Day MIT!

Participate in hands-on workshops, exhibit your favorite Scratch projects, and share ideas with members of the MIT Scratch Team. We'll be organizing sessions on getting started with Scratch, integrating Scratch into classrooms, controlling Scratch with sensors, and more. Scratchers of all ages and levels of experience are welcome!

Online registration is now available at http://sdmit.scratch.mit.edu"

From the Scratch Website

Find out where events are being held all over the world, click here.

Google SketchUp - Project Spectrum

2009-04-25T16:50:00.004+10:00

I decided to write this post about the application, Google SketchUp. This is a 3D graphics creator that is a free download. SketchUp is related to Google Earth and you able to see 3D sketches of famous buildings as well as creating your own. SketchUp can be used in upper primary (elementary) and all through seconday school.

The main reason for this post is to inform you all about Project Spectrum. It is a project to provide people with Austism an avenue for creativity. The educators section provides plenty of information. This is from the site:

"Project Spectrum was created to give people with autism the opportunity to express their creativity and develop a life skill using Google SketchUp 3D modeling software.

The idea for Project Spectrum originated when we began getting phone calls and emails from users telling us about how much kids on the autism spectrum were enjoying SketchUp. As the calls kept coming in, we learned that people with autism tend to be visually and spatially gifted—that, in fact, they think in pictures. When people with these gifts get their hands on powerful, easy-to-use 3D design software like SketchUp, sparks tend to fly."

My (current) favourite gadget - part 2

2009-04-25T13:45:00.005+10:00

I purchased a "Flip" camera to trial in the classroom. Well, I am very happy with it indeed. It takes up to 60 minutes of great quality video and is extremely easy to use. When you have finished filming, just press a button and the USB connection flips out. Once connected to the computer, the software gives you plenty of options, such as saving the selected video to file or editing the footage.

The 50th Post!

2009-04-24T14:05:00.003+10:00

I thought the best way to celebrate the 50th post for ICT Tim's Blog was to include a piece of work created using ICT by one of my students. Enjoy...

Anthony Lawrence - Animator

2009-04-23T12:03:00.006+10:00

Today we had an incursion from a famous Australian animator, Anthony Lawrence, to talk about his work to our grade 3/4 students. He showed the students the many elements in creating backgrounds, the staging of the animation and puppet creation. It was an inspiring presentation and the children are now keen to create their own. You can have a look at a range of his animations on his website in the Animation Gallery.

Here is one of his first animations, "Looking for Horses" 2002 (Direction/Photography/Animation by Anthony Lawrence Written by Chrissie McMahon Awarded Special Distinction 2002 Annecy International Animation Festival):

A slight change!

2009-04-22T18:31:00.004+10:00

Don't worry, there is nothing wrong with your screen. I have slightly changed the colour scheme of the blog as a celebration towards post number 50. Let me know what you think...

...and for those who have never seen my blog before, it used to be kind of green.

My (current) favourite gadget - Part 1

2009-04-22T17:15:00.004+10:00

I am absolutely loving my wireless laptop modem.

As a Victorian State School teacher, a lot of websites are blocked by our education department. I do not necessarily disagree with that, however it is useful to be able to show clips from Youtube and using Google images (both one of many blocked sites). Having a wireless modem for my laptop has been fantastic, as I can access anything on the Internet that would normally be blocked. We are doing a unit that has an animation aspect to it this term and was able to show some of the amazing animations from Aniboom, a website that is blocked by the department.

Also, I have been very impressed with the speed. I normally use ADSL at home and thought wireless would be a lot less slower, however I hardly notice the difference. A good indication of speed is watching a video at a video sharing site (see list of links in right hand column).

Note: Altough the image is of an Optus modem (which I use), I do not promote any particular ISP it is just I have all my other connections with the one company - and thus a better deal.

Scratch Success

2009-04-22T11:35:00.005+10:00

I introduced 'Scratch' today with my grade 3/4 students and decided the best way to begin was to let them explore the website and see what other children have created. They were to look at least five 'Scratch' creations and evaluate them:

What was it about?

What could you do with it?

What did you think of it?

Well, they were really into it and had a great time looking at the great range and variety of creations on the website. They are now all really keen to learn how to use the program.

There are some great resources and 'how to' videos in the support section of the website, but here is a great video to introduce programming with 'Scratch':

Scratch Update

2009-04-21T18:24:00.004+10:00

In a previous post, I introduced the free programming language for students called "Scratch". This free download was created by Mitch Resnick, from the MIT Media Lab. As I am about to introduce this to my students, I have included this video about the program:

I will be posting about how my students go...stay tuned!

Web Browsers

2009-04-20T11:58:00.003+10:00

I am trialling a new web browser, Opera, and am very impressed with it so far. I was using Mozilla Firefox, but for some strange reason it does not work with my Optus wireless modem on my laptop. Although I have no major problems with Internet Explorer, I have found that other browsers work better when creating blogs and viewing videos. So if you are using Opera or another web browser leave a comment on what you think.

Brainstorming Tool - bubbl.us

2009-04-19T15:17:00.002+10:00

If you want free brainstorming or mindmapping tool then take a look at bubbl.us It is free to use and if you register you can upload share your maps. Here is just a brief example:

The Hat

2009-04-19T14:42:00.002+10:00

As term two is about to begin (for Victorian teachers anyway) I have found this free download call The Hat. It is a fun way for selecting partners for activities or for choosing individual children for particular classroom roles. I might use it for randomly seating students at the beginning of the term.

Another photo sharing website

2009-04-17T17:46:00.004+10:00

Found BubbleShare, another convenient way to share your photos. Here are some pics from my holiday to Adelaide as an example.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Play some Online Games.

Useful application - hott notes

2009-04-15T17:34:00.004+10:00

Hott Notes is a great application for putting virtual sticky notes on your desktop. It is completely free and I use it a great deal - I do tend forget things!

Although on holiday...

2009-04-12T16:03:00.002+10:00

If you want a different (and fun) way to share your holiday pictures, visit Slide - I used it to create this montage of images from my trip to Apollo Bay.

Positive opinions on video games and children

2009-04-12T13:35:00.005+10:00

I found this article (Games 'valuable learning tool') in "The Age" (a popular Melbourne newspaper), April 9th 2009. I certainly agree that video games, in moderation of course, can be beneficial to children. With new platforms, like the Wii, there are more opportunities for interaction amongst young users. The article is based on the research by Don and Patricia Edgar, who are authorities on children's media, education and social trends. Their discussion paper, "Television, Digital Media and children’s learning" is a fascinating read! They wrote the paper by invitation from the VCAA (The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority) about the potential of media technology to improve children’s learning.

...and then there is this:

Technology News

2009-04-07T18:37:00.003+10:00

"THE Federal Government has announced the "largest infrastructure decision in Australia's history" after deciding not to award the national broadband network contract to a company.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the Government would lead the development of a national fibre-to-the-home broadband network up to "100 times faster than what many people use now".

The ambitious project will take up to eight years, cost $43 billion, create tens of thousands of jobs and will see fibre-optic cable laid out to individual houses.

The fibre-optic network, providing speeds of up to 100 megabits per second, will cover 90 per cent of Australians, while the rest will have access to a mix of wireless and satellite connections."

text courtesy news.com.au

SEE NEWS REPORT HERE

One year to go...

2009-04-05T17:16:00.005+10:00

In 365 days it will be the opening of ACEC2010. To celebrate I have found a video with a range of clips from the movie 2010, an adaptation of the Arthur C. Clarke book. For entertainment purposes only...

Pivot Animation - Save as a movie file

2009-04-04T15:55:00.002+11:00

As previously mentioned I use Pivot Animation with my students - a great introduction to animation skills. Here are some useful tips...

Save your Pivot animation as a movie file:

When you go to save the animation there will be options down the bottom - choose the "Save as type" option and then choose the "Gif" option. Save the file.
You can now edit and put together your animations using Movie Maker

Insert a background:

Choose the "file" option from the top left. Now choose the "load background" option. If you want to use more than one background - save each seperate a animation as a gif file and then put them all together using Movie Maker or other video editing software.

Hole in the wall project

2009-04-03T10:35:00.001+11:00

Speaking at LIFT 2007, Sugata Mitra talks about his Hole in the Wall project. Young kids in this project figured out how to use a PC on their own -- and then taught other kids. He asks, what else can children teach themselves?

ACEC2010 - Social Activities

2009-04-02T08:50:00.002+11:00

As part of my role on the organising committee for the National Conference (ACEC2010) is organising social activities for the participants. I have created a blog, Melbourne ACEC2010, to promote social ideas around Melbourne.

The Ultranet

2009-04-01T20:32:00.004+11:00

Here in Victoria the schools are taking on a new ICT initiative, the Ultranet program. From the Victorian Government Website:

"The Ultranet is a student centred electronic learning environment that supports high quality learning and teaching, connects students, teachers and parents and enables efficient knowledge transfer. It will establish a schools environment for the future that improves the educational outcomes of all Victorians."

The question is, are schools ready? This diagram is also from that website.

Would love to hear from schools in Victoria about their thoughts and experiences.

Fantastic Animation Website

2009-04-01T20:15:00.003+11:00

Hi all, as you may have guessed - I have a real passion for animation and especially the learning in ICT that it promotes. Please take the time to check out this website, StopMotionAnimation, and make sure you click on the "links" option - a brilliant resource! Also, please checkout the "handbook" link, once again some fabulous resources there too!

Bamzooki

2009-03-30T10:37:00.003+11:00

Have you used "Bamzooki" with your kids yet? This free downloadable program is produced by the BBC in the UK. Students can create online creatures that use a range of mathematical and problem solving techniques. Students can then test their creations in a range of activities. This program really promotes high-level thinking.

Robin Hood Primary School

2009-03-30T09:08:00.008+11:00

I found a wesbite for the school, Robin Hood Primary School in Leeds, England. I really recommend having a look at what they are doing with ICT education. I really like the "Connecting Classrooms" link they have and hope to set up communication with my class here.

Please also check out this video about ICT excellence at this school.

If you know of any great school websites from around the world, please let me know.
hawkins.tim.r@edumail.vic.gov.au

A funny animation

2009-03-25T19:45:00.003+11:00

I must confess I am a bit tired at the moment, bad cold, end of term, building works, etc - so, I found this funny on Aniboom... thought we could all do with a laugh!

Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom

VELS: Concept and Skills Charts

2009-03-25T14:29:00.002+11:00

I have included a link to a useful overview of ICT in the Victorian Curriculum - Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS):

Concept and Skills in ICT

The Future of Learning Spaces

2009-03-21T14:55:00.003+11:00

I found this slide show on SlideShare, titled "School Design: Be the Change...". It was produced by an ESL teacher at Middle School in Eastern Oregon, USA. As my school is about to undergo major building works I found this presentation of great interest.

School Design: Be the Change...

View more presentations from esltechnology.

Great Online Activities

2009-03-20T15:35:00.003+11:00

I recently found this website, Read - Write - Think by the International Reading Association. There are great number of online activities to support literacy. I really recommend you take a moment to scroll through the range of activities.

Acknowledgment

2009-03-19T19:34:00.003+11:00

I really want to promote (and thank) Adam Bowman for his fantastic creativity. He makes fantastic gadgets or widgets (the fun bits on the side or bottom of blogs) and his skill is amazing! The stingray at the bottom of my blog is one if his.

Creative Genius (or thinking about the high flyers)

2009-03-18T18:54:00.003+11:00

I saw this video on TED:"Ideas worth spreading" and a colleague of mine was most impressed, he immediately thought of highly gifted children and their, sometimes, difficulties dealing with their particular genius. I am passionate about ICT education and believe their are many, extremely gifted children who are capable of amazing things with technology. If you are a teacher who has taught such a child or are teaching one now - this will get you thinking!

Animation Program

2009-03-18T18:24:00.004+11:00

I really enjoying the creativity that ICT lends itself to, especially animation. Pivot is a program (free download) I have used for many years. It is still on of the best introductory programs that exposes kids to the elements of animation. However, I was interested in other ways to expose kids to animation techniques that were free. Of course you can do animation using PowerPoint, the animation function is quite a good way to teach children basic animation techniques. I still wanted to find something else. I found this the other day, FluxTime Studio, and am trialling it at the moment.