Fantastic Animations

A couple of people have asked me recently where my animated Elmo has come from and how they can get their hands on one.  Unfortunately I cannot take the credit for writing these fantastic codes and actually got them from http://www.animationbuddy.com/.  There are lots of fun animations on there, so have a look and get some little friends for your own blog!

Multiple Intelligences

It is snowing again outside and the stew is cooking nicely on the stove, so I think it's time to reflect on last weeks ICT lesson.  We were asked to read a short journal about Multiple Intelligences and how technology can be used to implement this in the classroom.

In 1983 Howard Gardner released his theory of Multiple Intelligences on the world.  He believed that everyone is different and has their own unique strengths in one or many of the following categories.  

He believed that this could be used to help children learn and we tried this out for ourselves today.  My group were given the task of explaining how the heart works using a public announcement.  I was a little dubious to begin with and did not want my voice to be recorded but then we had the fabulous idea of using the computer to change the way my voice sounded.  So I took one for the team, recorded it and watch this space 1b's Wiki for the finished piece.

Ben Saunders - Why Bother Leaving the House?

I have always considered myself to be a bit of an adventurer and whenever possible I love to find a challenge and more importantly win.  Even as a child I was always active, running around, climbing trees, taking part in outdoor activities and anything that involved being out of the house.  My parents always took us for days out and I used to love running around castles with my brother pretending we had conquered the highest tower.  As I have got older this has not changed and one of my biggest achievements was completing the Inca Trail in Peru.  

This is why I find Ben Saunders' speech so inspiring.  In this video he talks about some of the greats who inspired him to decide to ski to the North Pole and become the youngest man to do so.   He speaks of how he felt while enduring the expedition and how hard it was.  He tells us he is now planning to walk to the South Pole and then back again following in Captain Scott's footsteps but this time hopefully succeeding.  

His adventures and challenges are slightly more extreme than anything I have achieved in the past, however, I believe there is no such word as can't and it is never too late to try.  While watching this I didn't just think I must book my next skiing holiday, but that there is an important underlying message. We simply don't get out of the house enough any more   More people believe they can find everything they need to know simply by using the internet or watching a documentary on television.  I could not disagree more.  You may be able to look up Machu Pichu on the internet and find pictures but I can guarantee just by doing that you will never feel the satisfaction and see the beauty that I did, as I entered The Sun Gate after two and a half days of hard work.  

Again this is an extreme example but I refer back to my childhood experiences.  When I visited those castles I put myself in the soldier's positions and saw what they saw for myself.  Children learn by seeing for themselves and this means moving them away from their PlayStation's and away from the sofa. The world is big and there are still many places which are unexplored and if we don't change our attitudes there will be no ambition and therefore no explorers of the future.

Box Of Tricks

I would like to introduce you to a very useful blog called Box of Tricks.

At first glance this Educational blog does not look anything special.  It's not overly appealing to the eye, looks a bit boring and wouldn't appeal to children.  Take a closer look however and you will realise it's designed to make teachers lives easier. With so many websites available today it takes a lot of time to sift through the bad ones to get to the good ones.  This website does it for you. 

It was set up by the head of Modern Foreign Languages at Nottingham High School.  Jose Picardo highlights the importance and usefulness of emerging technologies to help keep the classroom interactive and transform teaching and learning.  This shows how important technology has become across all subjects, after all, who would have thought technology could be so useful when teaching Spanish?

Box of Tricks reviews useful websites and Apps that may be used in education.  It gives ideas and tips on how and when to use them, as well as giving you a bit of background on why.  If there is a charge for downloading a recommended App or for using a website then it tells you and recommends a free alternative if available. 

The latest post is about an App called Wordfoto, which uses graphics to show words.  As you can see below, this word creates an image in your head which is not easy to forget and helps children to remember it.



There is an extensive list of approved websites listed on the A- Z tab, giving you lots to explore, including ideas to add to your own blog. Although the blog reviews haven't been updated for four months, this list was last updated on the 5th January 2013, so clearly the author is still actively using the site.

Comments can be added so you can give your own reviews and you can email Jose direct with questions.  There are various links to Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites giving you more options to contact him or gather more ideas from people.  This is not a man who is lurking in the shadows and instead seems very proud of his website.

I have gathered some great ideas from this website already and will be having a good scan through these recommended websites for more.  

Back to the Grindstone

This week we returned back to university after a fantastic Christmas break and what a week it has been. 
We received our first exam results back for Essential Skills and I am very pleased and relieved to say I passed.  

Tthis week has mainly been preparing us for our end of month exams.  If I said I wasn't worried and I was completely relaxed about them I would most definitely be lying.  However, at the beginning of the week I had not got a clue what to study and despite reading about Vygotsky and Piaget's ideas, on the days I wasn't travelling around Europe over Christmas, I didn't think any of it had sunk in.  I am however, pleased to report that after the quiz we did in 21st Century Learning today something has sunk in.  It has made me feel slightly more relaxed and a bit happier about the exam ahead.  
I was also concerned about what to revise for Inclusion and Special Educational needs but again I now feel I will be able to tackle the questions and hopefully pass.  
I am not taking anything for granted though and armed with 5 books from the library, this is what I will be reading over the next couple of weeks.
There is one problem however.  The second exam for 21st Century Learning is on my birthday. Oh well once it is done I will be able to go out and celebrate being 21 again and end of exams for a couple of months.  So time to get back to the books!

       

Seeing in 2013!

Krakow Old Town and Main Square, Krakow

Imagine the above but approaching midnight, the square packed with people and fireworks taking off from various points around the square.  This is how I spent my New Year 2013 and it was brilliant!

This vibrant, bustling, up and coming city was not at all what I was expecting when I agreed with friends to spend my New Year there.  We stayed four nights and I would go back tomorrow as there is so much more I would like to see.  

With its beautiful Cathedral, Castle and Market Square there is plenty to attract you.  A highlight of the trip was a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mines which once was the main income of Poland.  I have tried to find a video to show you but unfortunately nothing does it justice.  Over 100 metres below the surface lies a treasury of statues and even a Cathedral made entirely of Salt (including the Chandeliers), most of which were carved by miners.  It is quite amazing and even though you must pay £15 for the tour our tour guide, Tomas, made this completely worthwhile.

This however, was the most money we spent in one go in Krakow.  A three course meal with wine in a top restaurant was enjoyed every night for less than £20 and a pint of the local lager would cost us less than £1.50 Kogel Mogel was one of these venues where we feasted on Meat Dumplings and award winning Duck.  

It was not all fun and laughter though and we soon sobered up with a visit to Auschwitz. Even when I stepped on the plane at Bristol I was still unsure whether I would take this journey but I am glad I did.  I studied this period in History last year so I kind of understood what had happened here however, even after the visit I still cannot understand why.  As I walked around the two camps of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkenau, I was shocked by the size of the camps and the magnitude of the terror that had taken place there.  The fact so much pain and suffering was able to take place for so long and less than 70 years ago too is beyond my understanding.  I find the use of the word "extermination" particularly offensive after all this word should be used for talking about such things as rats and not to approve the murders of millions of innocent, men, women and children.

The camps seemed so organised and regimented and I could still feel the evil in the air.  I will never forget how cold, quiet and vast the camps were and unless you visit the camps for yourself you cannot even begin to imagine it.  This however is a very big decision and one you should make yourself and not be pressurised into.  

It was a sombre train ride back to Krakow as we reflected on what we had seen and decided it would be a good time to visit the Jewish Quarter.  Here we found warm, friendly people who directed us to a bar where we sat around sewing machines, drinking shots translated as "Mad Dog", containing Cherry Syrup, Vodka and Tabasco Sauce.  Despite it's make up and name it was surprisingly tasty. 

I will never return to Auschwitz but I am glad I have done it.  I will however, return to Krakow as there is still so much I would like to see.  What I imagined to be a poor, run down area of Europe, turned out to be a bright and astonishing city break location with something for everyone.

Facebook

I remember sitting in my friends living room, watching television and eating Chinese, when sounding slightly panicked and startled, I exclaimed "I have had a friend request from...................... my MOTHER!!!"  An alert had just appeared on my phone and it suddenly occurred to me that my mum would now know virtually everything that was happening in my life.  I use this as an example of how Facebook is now being used by virtually everyone, all over the world, as an everyday tool in life.

This Web 2.0 site is a social networking site and now reports having over 800 million active users.  As many people will know it was originally founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard University room mates and was only meant for Harvard students to use as a support network.  It quickly grew though and as time went on it was opened up to more and more universities before making millions of dollars and being used all over the world.

If used properly this is a very useful interactive website.  Once you have set up your own page you can 

• express your opinions and ideas, 
• stay in touch with new, old and current friends, 
• share your pictures and videos or download them from the internet to show others, 
• keep up to date with birthdays and
• play games free of charge.  

For me it is extremely useful as I have travelled all over the world and have many friends, so it is a great way of keeping in touch with them.

You need to be very careful and aware when using it though.  

• Ensuring you have your security settings in place is extremely important as I personally do not want everyone all over the world to be able to view my profile and use my information against me.  
• The example I use of my mother is a good reminder that what you write on Facebook can be seen by all your friends, therefore, if you don't want people to know then don't post it.
• Cyber bullying is a big problem with this application and although you should be aged 13 to use the site many parents cannot control what their children are looking.  Fake pages have been set up against people, which can mean bullying no longer stops at school and has on rare occasions ended in tragedy.  
• Some children have been placed in very dangerous situations too, after agreeing to meet up with who they believe are other children only to find out they are in fact grown adults.  This is an example of how security is very lax and you can pose as anyone.
• The site can now be accessed so easily and quickly using your laptop, mobile phone and IPOD and in today's busy world this can be a great thing.  However, last year's London riots were an example of how this speed is not good, as Facebook was used quickly to organise mass meetings, causing ultimate chaos.

I use the site as a support network at university and this has been very useful.  It has helped when I have a question I am worrying about and often reassures me I am not the only one confused.

If monitored, set up and used correctly this is a great Web 2.0 Application which has proved very useful and now feels like we could not live without it.  If I was a parent however, I would certainly be thinking twice before letting my child use it.