Posts made in December, 2008

Whiteboard Twitter

Posted on Dec 31, 2008 in Interactive Whiteboards | 4 comments

I’ve been using Twitter for quite a while now, and I think it’s a great way of building up a network of like-minded people. I’ve lost count of the number of cool web applications and tips I’ve got from people via Twitter. There are some very experienced educators out there talking about IWB’s as well as cool uses of Web 2.0

It seems like many companies are finally embracing Twitter as a way of releasing information. In recent weeks both Smart and Promethean have started using it. It will be interesting to see how much will be two-way dialogue with users, and how much will just be pushing out press-release or company info. Only time will tell. Promethean have already been posting sneak peaks of the ActivStudio 4 Beta, which looks interesting.

If you do want to follow Smart on Twitter they are on there as MySmartSpaces and Promethean is on there as Activtweets and also as Activeducator. Worth keeping an eye on them anyway. And of course, I am on there as Dannynic if you want to add me to your following list.

Last post of 2008. I’m looking forward to 2009. I’m at the ASE conference again next week, then it’s time for BETT09. Should be some good stuff on show again this year I hope.

So thanks for following this year, and I wish you all a very happy 2009!

Merry Xmas

Posted on Dec 23, 2008 in Site Stuff | 1 comment

No posts for a while. And won’t be posting for a few days while I enjoy an Xmas break.

Just wanted to wish all the readers of this blog a very happy Xmas and thank you all for visiting over the past year (and today I realised I missed the anniversary of setting this blog up earlier this month)

Hope you have a great 2009!

Tooble Video Downloader

Posted on Dec 8, 2008 in Interactive Whiteboards | 1 comment

I’m indebted to Tom Barrett for making me aware of a fantastic little application called Tooble. Tooble may very wel be the ultimate YouTube video downloader.

Tooble runs on your computer and lets you search YouTube for keywords (or you can give it the direct URL to the video you want). All you need to do is check the box next to the videos you want to download, and Tooble gets to work downloading them onto your computer.

I gave it a test run with one of my favourite clips from Brainiac; the Walking on Custard clip. Tooble quickly downloaded it as an MPEG file with little fuss. By default it puts it into your Music folder and even imports it into your iTunes library but you can change these settings if you wish. You can change the file quality to best suit playing on an iPod too!

This could be the ultimate tool for any teacher who cannot get YouTube in their school because of filtering, or who wants to snag a clip to make sure they don’t lose it if it’s removed or net access is not working when they give their lesson.

Go download Tooble now!

Simple Science Videos

Posted on Dec 8, 2008 in Science Resources | 0 comments

Here’s a great site for using songs to help the teaching of Science in the classroom. Simple Science has videos for many KS2 topics with songs, and also explanations of some of the concepts; http://www.simplescience.net/

Videos are hosted on Vimeo, which means they are higher quality than YouTube, and also means they are accessible in schools that have blocked YouTube.

The videos are free on the website, but if you like them, you might want to buy a DVD of the high quality versions.

4F Electricity Song from Simple Science on Vimeo.

New Flyer

Posted on Dec 8, 2008 in Interactive Whiteboards | 0 comments

Over the last few weeks I’ve been involved in producing a new flyer to advertise my services as an IT trainer. I have just had them back from the printers and I am very pleased with them. I’ve just uploaded an electronic version to the Think Bank website, and I’d like to share it here as well.

Think Bank Flyer

If you do want any kind of IT training in your school (or elsewhere) then get in touch and we can discuss your needs. I think it really helps to be trained on your site, on your kit. Alternatively, look on the sidebar for the courses I deliver at venues around the UK.

Digital Storytelling 2

Posted on Dec 4, 2008 in Literacy Resources | 0 comments

While on the subject of Digital Storytelling, I found another website the other day that I’d like to share.

It’s called Storynory and the idea behind the site is to provide audio files of children’s stories. Some of the stories have some very nice illustrations to accompany them. And even better, the site is free!

There is a mix of classic stories, such as the Grimm fairytales and Aesops Fables but also some original stories unique to the Storynory site such as The Monkey Who Loved Chocolate.

The audio files can be played through the website, but can also be downloaded to be played offline, if that is easier for you to do so.

I don’t know if the authors have plans to do anything more “whiteboard friendly” – maybe turn them into big books or anything like that. But for now if you want some nice stories for your class to listen to, then Storynory is well worth a visit.

Digital Storytelling 1

Posted on Dec 4, 2008 in Literacy Resources | 0 comments

I received this comment on one of my posts last night, and I thought it was worth reposting. It’s from a new children’s author and you might find the videos fun to play to the class as a story starter activity;

I’m a young children’s author. My first book, Hazel’s Phantasmagoria, was published by Quercus in March. It was well reviewed, and has sold respectably, and I’ve just been commissioned to record a BBC audio book of it. Previous to writing it, I have worked as an actor in theatres like the Globe, the Birmingham Rep, and the Unicorn Children’s Theatre.

I’ve now read in 3o schools this year, from Blackburn to Guernsey. The point of the readings for me is a) to promote the book, but b) to spend as much time with children as possible, getting their honest response – as I am neither a parent nor a teacher. I hope the schools I’ve read at have been pleased with my work.

I have recently recorded a film of me reading two chapters of the book, in the style of the old BBC Jackanory shows. I’d really appreciate it if you could perhaps post it on your blog, so i could get some feedback from people who know what they’re talking about. The idea is to do something to bring the reading of childrens’ fiction to Youtube, and the digital world.

You can see the videos here -

http://uk.youtube.com/user/leanderdeeny

and they’re also on my website – which also contains any information about me you might like to know -

www.leanderdeeny.com

Any advice or feedback would be hugely appreciated – I really hope that these might be of some use in encouraging children to read.

If you do want to give the author some feedback, then visit his website, or leave comments in his YouTube channel.

WordPress Training Videos

Posted on Dec 2, 2008 in Interactive Whiteboards | 1 comment

Thanks to Patricia Donaghy for posting about a great site that provides training videos for WordPress blogs and how to do various things with them.

The site is called, no suprise, WordPress Training, and it’s well worth a look.