Triptico – an essential interactive whiteboard resource for teachers
I have written about Triptico a few years ago, but it’s worth mentioning again since the site, and their resources, has had quite a revamp since then. Triptico has changed from being a website of online resources to a downloadable application which runs locally. Triptico uses the Adobe Air platform, so as long as your school network allows you to install it then you’ll have no problems. You might need to have a word with your technician just in case….
The Triptico resource application currently contains 20 different interactive resources – all of which are easy to edit, adapt, save and share. You can access them all with one simple download… everything is completely free – and you will receive updates whenever new resources are added!
There are some great resources that teachers will find useful for their interactive whiteboard. Each one can be customised and saved – ready to use whenever you need it.
Here are just a few:
Word Magnets has lots of different uses. You can create drag and drop sentences, adding adjectives to create “better” sentences. Or create a quick Fridge Magnet Poetry activity.
Find 10 asks the students to select the 10 correct items from a grid of 15 different things. The grid can be customised with your own items. Would make a fun lesson starter activity.
There are countdown timers, student name pickers, Image and word spinners. There is even a resource you can use when running a class quiz – keeping track of each team’s score.
You can view a screencast of the various Triptico resources here.
David Riley at Triptico has done a fantastic job in creating all these resources. And the fact that they are free is even more impressive. For the latest updates to Triptico then it is well worth following David on Twitter or go take a look at his blog.
I definitely think that Triptico is an essential download for anyone who has an interactive whiteboard, whatever brand you have. You can download your free version of Triptico here : http://www.triptico.co.uk/
Thanks to Jose Picardo, who reminded me about Triptico via his blog.
What do you think of Triptico? Let me know via the comments…
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YouTube Launches New Site for Teachers
Teachers who love YouTube will be interested to know that today YouTube have launched a channel specifically aimed at teachers : http://www.youtube.com/teachers.
It contains guides on how to use YouTube in the classroom, as well as curated video playlists that will be suitable for teachers to use. For teachers who have yet to really use YouTube it’s a great place to start. Experienced users may still learn something new.
You can also sign up to the YouTube Teachers Community and receive regular updates from the YouTube team, including tips and tricks for incorporating YouTube in your classroom, best practices from other teachers, and great new content uploaded on YouTube.
According to Mind Shift, the new teachers site is part one of two big YouTube projects for teachers. In the next couple of weeks, a bigger announcement will be made about huge changes that will address many of the concerns teachers have had about using YouTube videos in the classroom.
This still won’t help you if your local authority/school block access to YouTube for everyone. Try and get them to at least open it up for teacher logins – there are so many useful resources out there it’s a shame to block access.
Don’t forget that there is also YouTube Edu which has lots of educational videos on it as well.
Read MoreFree Logo Creation Tools
Here are three websites that let students create logos to use in design projects.
Online Logo Maker : http://www.onlinelogomaker.com/applet/logomaker/
LogoEase : http://www.logoease.com/LogoEase.aspx
LogoMaker : http://logomaker.com/
Each one lets you choose from ready made logos/shapes and then change and tweak the various components and colours and add your own text.
LogoEase and LogoMaker want you to register to get features such as saving – but you could bypass the need for this by screen grabbing the finished logos and pasting them into other drawing software. Online Logo Maker will let you download the logo as a png file without the need for registering.
All three use Flash so they are not suitable for use on iPads.
10 Fab Flickr Groups for Teachers
Tom Barrett yesterday tweeted a link to another excellent “Interesting Ways” presentation: 28 Interesting Images to use in the Classroom.
This got me thinking about one of my favourite sources of images, the Flickr website, and how many amazing images there are on there. Many of which are able to be used by teachers under a creative commons licence.
One of the great things about Flickr is the social aspect with Flickr groups. Anyone can set up a group on any topic, and people can add relevant images to those groups. Not suprisingly there are lots of groups with images that teachers would find interesting.
So, in addition to the wealth of groups devoted to places around the world, or groups of animals etc, here are some Flickr groups that teachers might find useful :
Atrocious Apostrophe’s – photographs of badly placed apostrophes on signs and other places. Good for “what’s wrong with this picture?” starters.
Bad Maths – dodgy special offers found in stores. Again could use as a “what’s wrong with this picture” starter activity.
In Numerical Order – numbers in the real world. Sequential – no repetition of numbers. Inspire children to find numbers around them.
Images to teach languages – signs in lots of different languages.
Geometric Beauty – lots of shapes for maths lessons
Fractals in Life – again good for looking at shapes and patterns for maths.
Classroom displays – ideas of good classroom displays. Get inspiration from others.
The Physics Classroom Flickr Group – images for physics teachers
Life Sciences Teaching Resource – images for biology teachers
Abstract Faces (and also Found Faces) – some of these would make great story starter images… use as characters etc.
If you have any favourite groups – add themto the comments below!
Enjoy!
Image Credit : Lisa Stevens (@lisibo)
Read MoreMathematics eToolkit for any Interactive Whiteboard
The Everyday Mathematics eToolkit is a collection of maths tools which you can access via your browser. It has a variety of different manipulatives for demonstrating a variety of maths concepts along with pen, text and line tools. There is also stopwatch, timer, and a calculator along with various backgrounds and other tools.
The fact that it runs in a browser makes it a very useful tool for users of IWB’s where their own packaged software is pretty limited, it also makes it platform independent so it’s useful in schools with several different types of board installed.
It’s very similar to the McGraw Hill Virtual Manipulatives that I wrote about last year, in fact it looks like a reskinned / updated version of the same resource.
It’s an interesting site, and well worth a look, visit The Everyday Mathematics eToolkit here.
Thanks to Jonathan Wylie over at The Education Technology Blog for the link
Read MoreMoving On – PSHE / Careers Resources
Moving On is a free interactive online PSHE and careers resource from the BT Learning and Skills programme. It is designed to help young adults aged 14-19 and beyond to learn more about themselves, the skills they need in life and work, and how best to develop and demonstrate these as they identify and apply for jobs that are a good fit for their personality, interests and skills.
Through a mix of videos, online animations and activities students learn how to identify their own skills, how to market themselves, and how to apply for jobs that are a good fit for their personality, interests and skills.
The activities are structured into three modules: Who do you think you are? Brand YOU and Putting it all together. Each module includes videos, graphical sequences, and for teachers, one or two lesson plans with differentiation, a short activity and extension ideas. An additional module provides links to extra resources. (access Moving On here)
Topics covered in this resource include CVs, job applications, interviews and careers. In addition, while seeing how other young people have succeeded in their chosen careers, students have the chance for reflection and analysis of their own abilities and areas for improvement. Insights from employers help students to think about issues such as their social media activity, what employers are looking for, and how to think about answers to interview questions.
Students discover, discuss and apply ideas as they:
- reflect on their abilities and areas for improvement
- identify the skills employers value and take control by planning how they can develop and demonstrate them
- consider their personal ‘brand’ and draft a winning CV
- explore and experience job applications and interviews
- reflect on their experiences and plan their next steps towards a career.
Moving On would be a useful resource for Careers and PSHE teachers. The module has been mapped to the PSHE Curriculum for KS3 and KS4 in England, as well as other relevant PSHE-related curriculums in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A pdf file of the curriculum links can be downloaded.
Read More10 (more) Science Websites for your Interactive Whiteboard
Last year I gave two lists of science websites that would be useful for your interactive whiteboard entitled “10 Primary Science resources” and “10 Secondary Science resources“. As that seems to have been very popular, I thought I’d share a few more of my favourite websites for supporting Science on your interactive whiteboard.
So here’s 10 more that you might like!
Google Body Browser
http://bodybrowser.googlelabs.com/
This is Google Maps for the human body! Google Body is a detailed 3D model of the body. You can peel back anatomical layers, zoom in, click to identify anatomy, or search for muscles, organs, bones and more. At the moment this won’t work in most web browsers, you will need to get the beta of the new Firefox or Chrome, but keep an eye out later this year for an update.
The Children’s University of Manchester
http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/
This excellent resource is aimed at KS2 and covers subjects such as electricity, health and space. There are a number of interactive Flash games that you can use, and even better they come with a “full screen” option which makes then much easier to display and use on your board. There is also information about real scientists working at the university and what research they do.
Succeeding with Science
http://www.succeedingwithscience.com/
Created by Sellafield Nuclear Power Station, this website contains many different interactive activities and downloadable resources. There are resources here for both primary and secondary teachers on a number of different topics. There’s also information about the power station itself.
National STEM Centre
http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/search
This site contains a wealth of resources to support the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in Key stages 1 – 5. There are interactive resources, but also downloadable PowerPoint presentations. There are some excellent resources produced by the Association for Science Education (ASE) as part of Science year which are now archived on the site. You need to register to download all the resources, but it is free to do so.
BP Science Resources
http://www.bp.com/retailhomepage.do?categoryId=8040&contentId=7037096
The BP Educational Service (BPES) produces curriculum-linked teaching resources about BP and the Energy industry for 5 to 19 year olds. There are some great interactive resources on the site. Primary teachers will really like their Young Science Investigators series. Secondary teachers should check out the Science Skills unit. The online resources also come with downloadable teachers notes and worksheets. A login is required to download the full packs, but again it is free to register.
ChemCollective Virtual Lab
http://www.chemcollective.org/vlab/vlab.php
The ChemCollective is a digital library of online activities for KS3/KS4 chemistry teachers which aims to engage students in more authentic problem-solving activities than those found in most textbooks.
Their virtual lab will look slightly familiar to anyone who has ever used Crocodile Chemistry. It’s a free simulation which allows mixing of different chemicals and provides information such as pH and temperature as the chemical reaction takes place. Comprehensive guides are available on the site which explains what to do.
As always, virtual simulations should not replace actually doing the experiments for real. But sometimes, for revision purposes, or for times when a lab is not available, being able to access these kind of online simulations can be very useful.
O2 Learn
https://www.o2learn.co.uk/
O2 is building a video library of great revision lessons, from teachers across the country. Teachers can submit videos of themselves delivering short guides to different topics. Students can also request help on difficult areas. Would be good for revision.
NGFL Cymru
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/
The Welsh National Grid for Learning website is a wealth of resources for all key stages and all subjects – but in particular science. Available in both English and Welsh.
TES I-Board
http://newserver.iboard.co.uk/player/
Some excellent, free, resources for KS1 science (and other subjects) which work great on an IWB.
SnagLearning
http://learning.snagfilms.com/
SnagLearning is dedicated to bringing high quality, award-winning documentaries to an online audience around the world. The site features carefully selected films from their library of over 1,600 documentaries that are appropriate for students from KS2 upwards. Our titles cover nearly every classroom subject and many are produced by well-known educational sources, including PBS and National Geographic.
As before, it is always very hard to narrow down my favourites to just 10. There are so many good websites out there. You can find more links to great science websites via my delicious page www.delicious.com/dannynic/science+iwb.
Read MoreSpace Shuttle Launch Video
I’ve been trawling the internet looking for some good videos to use in my PGCE science session next week. I want a good example of space shuttle or rocket launches to use as a scene setter – to give them an idea of something they could use with their pupils.
And I found this rather amazing HD video of the Shuttle Atlantis being launched, which is just beautiful:
I also found a few videos that include the countdown, including this one of Atlantis:
And also this one that puts you in the cockpit with the astronauts before and during launch:
I also found this video montage of high resolution photographs of Apollo 11 on the moon:
All of these videos could really help to put a space lesson in context – or be the spark for some creative writing based on what they have seen. What must it be like to be in that Shuttle as it takes off? How would it feel?
Read MoreJapan Earthquake Data in Google Earth
I’m a little late to blog about the terrible events in Japan over the past 10 days, but the story is still continuing and my thoughts go out to all those affected by the earthquake and Tsunami.
If you use Google Earth then the US Geological Survey have produced an interesting plug in which shows real-time and historical information on earthquakes around the world – including all the aftershocks in Japan. It also shows plate boundaries and their direction and speed of movement. You can download the KML file here.
Thanks to Bill Belsey for showing this to me at the T2T conference.
The US Geological survey have also produced a PowerPoint slide which explains what happened in the Japan Earthquake which would be useful for teachers. Download it here. Also check out their list of Tsunami resources.
For images of the aftermath of the Earthquake/Tsunami then the excellent Big Picture site has some powerful images that could be used in class discussions or assemblies.
You can also see some interactive Before/After shots of various places in Japan via this special ABC News site.
And of course, if you can please donate to one of the charities helping the relief effort such as the Red Cross.
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