The BBC have updated their Bitesize app for Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.bbc.bitesize
Tag Archives: Apps
Free iPad training from iTeach
As schools across Scotland are developing strategies for effective ways to use digital technology in Learning and Teaching – iTeach are here to help.
They can offer no-cost training to any schools who wish to look at making learning mobile, personal and powerful using iPads.
If your school have purchased iPads and would like to find ways of effectively using them in school – or if you are considering purchasing iPads they can support you with a number of planning and training sessions tailored to where you are and the vision that you have for your school.
iTeach work as education partners on the government procurement framework, their trainers are all teachers with local experience of Scottish education, and they are the largest educational training organisation in the UK.
In addition they support schools with free resources for coding through the ‘iCode’ initiative ( http://www.iteach-uk.com/programmes/icode) and help to run effective student digital leaders programmes with ‘Digital Leaders’ ( http://www.iteach-uk.com/programmes/digital-leaders).
If you are interested in any or all of the above please contact Anna Millar, Region Manager for Scotland at anna@iteach-uk.com
Exciting Twig/Tigtag news
Twig features over 1700 award-winning three-minute films for Science, Maths and Geography.
Check out the list of all 1700 films here!
The great news is that a new player has just been released which allows users to download and play Twig / Tigtag films offline.
To download films you must first install and run the Windows (only) Twig Player software application.
The same information will appear on the Tigtag and Tigtag Junior sites for users who log in with Glow credentials.
Twig, Tigtag & Tigtag Junior
Tigtag and Twig online resources are currently accessible via the Glow login and are used by schools across Scotland. These award-winning resources provide high-quality videos and accompanying learning materials for sciences, mathematics and social studies. They were procured by Education Scotland in July 2015. The contract was for one year initially with the possibility of a one year extension.
Education Scotland and Twig World agreed to the further one year extension in March 2016 which means that both Twig and Tigtag, and also Tigtag Junior and Reach Out CPD, will continue to be available to state schools through Glow until 31st July 2017.
It will not be possible for Education Scotland to extend the contract further beyond this date. Scotland Excel, the local authority procurement organisation, will include Education Software and Digital Content as an additional lot within their re-tender of their Education Materials framework with a start date of 1st April 2017. It will therefore be for local authorities or individual establishments to purchase digital content via this route in the future.
Please take advantage of these resources while they are freely available to you. I have ‘priority placed’ tiles for each site on the Glow Council Launchpad. Please log in to Glow and have a look. Please then try and find a little time to leave some feedback.
You can leave your feedback here.
April Online Learning Opportunities
Bitesize
The BBC have updated their Bitesize app for Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.bbc.bitesize
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education
Twig is a premium resource for Maths, Geography & Sciences available for free, once logged in to Glow
https://www.twigonglow.com/Shibboleth.sso/RMUnify?target=https://www.twigonglow.com/secure
Scholar
All Stirling & Clacks Senior Phase pupils were sent Scholar cards earlier in the year, and should now have access to their Scholar accounts – which they can use without a password if they are logged into their Glow account (password only needs to be entered once).
The next Scholar online live session is National 5 Maths (http://scholar.hw.ac.uk/Resources/Live_Online_Sessions/Upcoming_Sessions.html)
Scholar have also updated their ‘watch again’ service with a wide range of subjects – please share this with pupils.
BrainPOP
A reminder that as part of the e-safety competition, we have free access for all Stirling and Clacks pupils and staff to BrainPOP resources until 30th April (closing date for the e-safety competition). BrainPOP includes resources for English, Maths, Science, Technologies, Humanities, Arts, Health & Wellbeing, Computing as well as e-safety.
To get free, immediate access to the BrainPOP resources, please log in to Glow, then select the Council Launchpad, then select the BrainPOP tile.
You will be automatically logged in and able to access all resources. You will be directed straight to the digital citizenship resources (to support the e-safety competition) but you also have free unrestricted access to all of the other curricular related animated videos and teaching materials.
Please see below for further information on BrainPOP:
BrainPOP creates cross-curricular award winning cross-curricular digital content that engages students through animated movies, learning games, interactive quizzes, and supports teachers whilst adding excitement to lessons.
- 700+ topics; 10,000 hours of teaching material
- Animated movies explain concepts from across the curriculum
- English, Maths, Science, Technologies, Humanities, Arts, Health & Wellbeing, Computing and online-safety
- Interactive quizzes and high quality educational games
- Lesson ideas, worksheets, and graphic organisers
- Non-fiction research texts
- Vocabulary guides
- Printable activities
- Mapped to the Curriculum for Excellence for primary and secondary schools
New Apps in the Glow App Library
Find out about the latest apps in the Glow App Library to accelerate teaching and learning…
LiteracyPlanet
LiteracyPlanet is a comprehensive online program for the development of key literacy skills. For ages 4–15, it features 1,000s of interactive exercises for pre-reading, phonics, sight words, reading, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, grammar and punctuation.
Read more
Good2Go
Whether it be a simple post, an encouraging comment, a skill share, blog or photograph, Good2Go enables children to express themselves, reflect on their passions, skills and qualities, and importantly raise each other’s aspirations and sense of self-worth.
Read more about Good2Go
Q-Files
Written by specialist children’s writers, Q-Files is the world’s first fully comprehensive, free-to-user, advert-free, and regularly updated, online encyclopaedia. It has been designed specifically for children.
School Cloud Systems
On offer from BETT award-winning company School Cloud Systems is a helpful room booking system, allowing staff to book IT rooms, iPads, meeting rooms and sports facilities with single sign-on.
Find out more about School Cloud Systems
Blogs
This month’s blog posts provide a quick and helpful insight into how to achieve even more from Glow:
- Good2Go provides solutions to some of society’s toughest challenges. Find out how
Digital Media Literacy – Do you know?
Should we have a “huge distrust of the increasing use of ‘brands’ in education which leads to increasing competition between the ‘haves’ and further disadvantage among the ‘have nots’?”
Dean Groom discusses…
https://deangroom.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/media-literacy-5-key-concepts-to-teach-this-year/
There are FIVE things that kids need to know about and apply.
- All media messages are constructed.
- Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.
- Different people experience the same media message differently.
- Media have embedded values, opinions, and points of view.
- Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.
iPad app wheels & posters
Be sure to open/download these links on an iPad – every poster has ‘clickable links’ for each app…
The Original!!! Blooms/SAMR. With ‘live’ embedded links!
http://www.unity.net.au/padwheel/padwheelposter.pdf
iPad Apps for Learners with Dyslexia/Reading and Writing Difficulties
http://www.callscotland.org.uk/Common-Assets/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Wheel_0f_Apps_V1_0.pdf
iPad Apps for Complex Communication Support Needs:Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
http://www.callscotland.org.uk/Common-Assets/ckfinder/userfiles/files/iPad-Apps-for-Complex-Communication-Support-Needs.pdf
Apps for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/pedagogy_wheel.pdf
Bloom’s Taxonomy (Teach with your iPad)
http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/Blooms+Taxonomy+with+Apps
Moving beyond iPads – Android App Wheel!!!
For those establishments who can see open-source community (and pricing) benefits of Android, it may seem a little harder to find help/support for Android devices. Fear not! Stirling & Clackmannanshire are ‘device agnostic’ in our approach. We aim to support all devices that support learning & teaching.
More Android (and Windows) posts to follow….
In the meantime, click here, for an ‘Android app wheel’ poster PDF for Learners with Dyslexia / Reading and Writing Difficulties.
android-apps-for-learners-with-dyslexia
As with the other app wheels, it is best to download/open it on the Android device itself, as all of the images on the PDF are ‘clickable links’.
The credit for this particular wheel again, goes to our colleagues in Call Scotland. Se more here:
http://www.callscotland.org.uk/blog/the-wheel-of-android-apps-for-dyslexia/
