Social Bookmarking - del.icio.us

Captain's Blog: ICT date 2007.12.21.1 - I can't resist writing that, I just want to sit in that chair like Picard and say 'engage'...

Hi guys,
If you have heard of this, but don't know much about it, this 3 minute video may help. I'd be interested to know what you think of it, as we may use it at our next (or a future) briefing - sorry if that ruins a surprise!
http://experiencecurve.com/archives/brilliant-video-on-social-bookmarkeing-even-your-mother-will-understand

If you are interested in bookmarking (what! as well as blogging!), try http://del.icio.us/ and start an account. I have tried. It's quite easy. In saying that not had much need to use it yet, as I tend not to use a range of PCs. However I have started a derbyshire one, that I think may be a useful vehicle for derbyshire teachers to access, instead of hyperlinks on a word doc etc. Again your thoughts would be interesting. (If you can spare any thoughts at this time of year)

Merry Christmas everyone, and let's hope for a prosperous, healthy New Year.

Try this:

Musical Interactive Christmas Card...!

Click on the reindeer to turn them on and off.

The old ones are the best!

Haha - I've been elf-ed!

Try this - you can elf yourself!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1504084219

I don't think there's any pitfalls - but check it for yourself. Add your own faces ( a whole picture can be accepted - just drag the face to the circle) and then can resize them on the site as you move on. Click on NO for the voice question... Otherwise you could be making a call to America to put your voice message on the picture. I don't know if you get charged, (it does say free call). I used the cancel button before it had the chance!

What a scream!

Pete

Class Blog

So having been inspired by the ICT blog, I decided the only real way of finding out if there is a use for blogs in education was to start one with my class.

We now have an Alligators class blog. So far the children have been really enthusiastic about it. Even some reluctant writers went home and got straight on it - writing messages to each other.

I hope their enthusiasm doesn't wane too quickly.

I have included a picture of them all dressed ready for the Christmas performance, a link to a 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' powerpoint that the children wrote the quesations for on our body topic and yesterday we wrote letters to Santa.

I think the main place for blogs is to improve links with parents. They can look on the blog and see what their children have been learning about. I imagine that when the Learning Platform arrives it will work in a similar way.

It will be interesting to see how it goes over Christmas and how much use the blog gets.

Parables: Captains Blog: ICT date 20071213.1

Many thanks to Pete for the following:

Then Jesus took his disciples up the mountain and gathered them around him.

He taught them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are they that mourn.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are they that thirst for justice.
Blessed are you when you are persecuted.
Blessed are you when you when you suffer.
Be glad and rejoice for your reward is great in heaven."

And James said "are we supposed to know this?"
And Simon Peter said "will we have a test on this?"
And Phillip said "I don’t have any paper."
And Bartholomew said "do we have to spell correctly?"
And Mark said "do we have to hand this in?"
And John said "the other disciples didn’t have to learn this."
And Matthew said "may I go to the toilet?"

Then one of the Pharisees who was present asked to see Jesus' lesson plan and inquired of Jesus:
"Where are your learning and assessment objectives?
What range of teaching strategies did you draw from?
Did you provide a differentiated provision?
Can I see a cross section of pupils work?

And Jesus wept.

8 members!

We now have a group of 8 contributors! 2 from the local authority , 1 headteacher and 5 teachers - all leaders of ICT for Derbyshire pupils. Thank you for sharing ideas so far.

My First Blog

Hello everyone,
Sorry don't have anything much to share at the moment -just too many vague ideas buzzing around. Does anyone else feel like that after the ICT Conference? Thanks for the thinkuknow site will mention it in my letter when I send the knowitall cds out. I'm sure you all use the Woodlands site but will include a link anyway (just to practice). The penguin is new to me - the kids have loved it and so far no rude messages!! They've even been practising touch typing on it! http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/teacher/christmas.html#online

My 1st Blog - E-safety

Just trying my first blog! It is great to have somewhere to play around and try things out.

I discovered the e-safety website a few weeks ago when I was trying to rewrite the school ICT policy. It has some really good stuff. There is also a CDrom that you can order from the DFES (as was) called 'Know it all for parents'. You can get enough copies for every parent absolutely free.

I am thinking of having a day/week promoting internet safety in school when we move to our new school building in February. I have also drawn up an e-safety contract for parents and children to sign. I have to say that when I heard about the move to blogging and webcasting etc my immediate thought was how to allow the children access to these sorts of things whilst keeping them safe.

Look forward to reading about everyone else's experience of blogging especially if any of you use it with the children at present.

Christmas website (Captains Blog 20071210.1)

http://www.netstrider.com/music/christmas/ - music and songs
http://www.northpole.com/ - activities
http://www.gandljdean.co.uk/resources/WhereIsFC.ppt - old adventure game
http://www.schoolportal.co.uk/GroupDownloadFile.asp?GroupId=174535&ResourceId=627516 - same game tranlated into French!

Enjoy. Please add your own ideas, and share nicely.

Plain English Videos

I've seen this site before for a simple video on 'social bookmarking video even your mum will understand' - however there are videos that help to explain blogging, RSS, wikis and many others! Might be interesting for some of your less knowledgable staff?

http://www.commoncraft.com/ the video on the homepage is for blogging, but scrolling down shows that others are available.
P.S. The duck isn't relevant, just practising importing images!
DrJ

Talking of....

... children and parents being able to see their work together at home... I'm also running one of these google blogs as a class diary. It's all tightly locked up with only one username and password so that only my class and their parents can get to it. It's only been going since the beginning of November and there's 72+ posts already. I've just added the link to the 'thinkuknow' site for them to find at home.

This has just been posted by a Y6:

"Mum's a wizz at the music quiz. I can't believe my ears. Mum beat my score of 12 on the music quiz. She got a whopping score of 13 / 13 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was fun listening to her guessing the answers."

Have a go at the Music Quiz...

There's quite a lot of information on the page, you might have to refresh it if the music doesn't play straight away!

E Safety

Have used Cyber Cafe and the children really enjoy it
It looks like it's been updated which is great
We also use CD roms- Email detective and Internet detcetive which both cover aspects of safety.

eSafety: (Captains Blog: ICT date 20071205.2)

I love blogging - I'll slow down soon, just so many things whizzing around my head, and so keen to get your ideas about what you are doing in class/in school with ICT.
Speaking to Fairy G about her JunkBot competition (please tell us more about it G?)- it can be so easy to get pupils (and parents) involved at home too. Pete's pupils accessing their movies at home too - they must be so proud! Anyway, this website is excellent, currently for 8-10yr olds, with 5-7 coming in 2008. It covers so many aspects of eSafety - we must tell our pupils and parents about it. Let me know what you think.
http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/

Jan 2008 (Captains Blog: ICT date 20071205.1)

Blatant self advertising, under the guise of sharing information, but just to let you know what's happening in Jan.
The BETT show is running at Olympia, London from Weds 9th-12th Jan and this year we may even be going! If you can't go, we'll try and tell you all about it at our coordinator briefings. These are running the last week of Jan/first week of Feb. Dates will go on the extranet soon. Also our Textease course is now split into a half day and a full day. The first half day is 24th Jan, if any of your staff are feeling unfamiliar with probably the world's favourite software ;-) then maybe they should apply?

Blogging

Still trying to get to grips with blogging
but really pleased that the community is growing
love the signposting to good websites and the top tips

New Addition to the Family...

Hi all...

Not looked at Santa things yet - But I don't suppose it'll be long..

We've been playing with SM Animator and creating some first attempts at animation. We've added the MP3 music with Windows Movie Maker. I discovered that you need an extra file (lame_enc.dll) to export MP3 files from Audacity but it was easy to find. The children now have access to a project website and can view and download their films at home.

You're welcome to click here and have a look!

Another Santa TV idea?

Nice idea Fairy G.
Looking at that website it would be very easy for the chn to mimic that.
Tiling background in Textease, insert images, and then hyperlink to videos they create with digi blue cameras? Save as html...
Could be a pre-cursor towards that website you were talking about making for your school?

Santa's Television

Watched some of Santa's television. Brilliant! I love it! Only certain elves can become Santa's elves!! Christmas around the world would be good, linking geography and PSHCE. I'm going to write the website on the staffroom board!

Christmas (Captains Blog: ICT date 20071204.1

On a training course last week someone shared this site with me:
www.santatelevision.com

I believe this needs a java plug in. I'll add it to the del.icio.us account under the tag 'christmas'.

DrJ

del.icio.us (Captains Blog: ICT date 20071203.1)

I've decided to start using this too. Whilst I have my own personal list, I've started one for us all to contribute too.
http://del.icio.us/DerbyshireICT

I have a password which I can let you have, if you wish to add your favourites. Haven't got the time to populate it properly at the moment... but I will if you do!

Version 2 of the same video

ALthough I prefer the first version of this video from previous link, this one is easier on the eye... if you can get youtube! Amazing statistics!

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

I'm now a blogger!

I've managed to create my account and am now writing my first blog! Tried to find video you mentioned but not having much luck. Hoping this works and looking forward to sharing some ideas with everyone.