I guess today more than any other date - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - people have had a golden two minutes to stop and reflect about war, what it means for previous generations of people and for our generation of today.

And when do people ever have the opportunity to stop for two minutes silence and think of other people who have given so much for our freedom?

The title of this blog article ‘People of the Great War’ really fits in what we’re remembering, it’s people that war affects, people who make the sacrifices and people who feel the freedom that people fought for. Take the Battle of the Somme;  over 60,000 people died on the first day. That’s 60,000 families who lives were never the same again.

Remembering Today

One of the most memorable words spoken by the last remaining living WWI veteran, Harry Patch, who died aged 111 years old, was that we should ‘never forget’. People do still need to remember, making sense of the past to understand the future, which is where education can play a huge part in helping pupils to answer the question - ‘why remember?’

Imperial War Museum

The recent partner work published on Promethean Planet for the Imperial War Museum - taking their ‘People of the Great War’ resources and providing them as interactive content, is a good as any place to start.

There are three resource packs, Love & Loss, Rest & Relaxation, & Going to War, all providing first-hand insight into what war meant in the early 1900’s.

This picture (above) from the Love & Loss resource pack, of a father holding his two daughters, sums up unimaginable heartache for thousands of war children, and lots of questions for the classroom - what do you think he’s feeling? Do you think he saw them again? Some of the questions have been integrated into this ActivInspire flipchart for the Imperial War Museum, a good start point for any lesson on the effects of war on people.

The Unknown Australian Soldier

Audio can be a very emotive way of learning. We don’t see any images, just hear a voice, so we have to imagine the rest. In the ’stimulation society’ we live in, it’s quite a back-to-basic approach that’s an incredible means of communication. To try this out, take this Remembrance Day speech in 1993 by the then Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating,  about the ‘Unknown Australian Soldier‘, just one of the 45,000 Australians killed in battle. Again, put yourself in the shoes of someone who’s lost a loved one in war; listen to the speech - what would you feel? Anger or sadness, or both?

A Soldier’ Experience

To bring the impact of war back to 2009, why not introduce students to some of the people who are experiencing war this very day? YouTube contains a vast source of first-hand accounts of war in Iraq & Afghanistan (though make sure you check the comments under the video as some may need censoring for the classroom). One example of this is an interview with two US soldiers, talking about how they prepare for conflict. Real people, in real-life situations.

Perhaps by seeing how the generation growing up besides us is still fighting for the same values that we fought for in 1914, students can understand better why we should never forget?

ShareThis

Making healthy eating an important part of meal time for busy mums (and dads!) is challenging at the best of times -  how do you introduce children to their greens when the only green they want is usually in the E numbers of their favourite candy?

Perhaps the education needs to start in the classroom before they reach the dinner table, making it easier for families to create healthy options and not have to fight the battle of why carrots are good for you.

With this in mind the Planet team recently partnered with the British Nutrition Foundation to help bring their Food - a fact of life module of study into flipchart format. This range of resources, including flipcharts and video resource packs, aims to provide  a progressive approach to teaching about healthy eating, cooking, farming and food, from ages 3 to 16 years.

The Planet team caught up with Claire Theobold, Senior Education Officer for the British Nutrition Foundation, to find out why healthy eating starts in the classroom.

How important is it for teachers to play a role in educating school children on healthy eating?

Everyone has a role to play in educating children about healthy eating, but children spend a large part of their day at school so teachers are in an excellent position to help children learn about, and practice, healthy eating.  For example, there are many great opportunities for teachers to deliver key healthy eating messages through the curriculum.  Areas such as science, personal, social, health education and technology (designing and making) offer exciting possibilities for food in the curriculum.

An example might be making bread.  This could involve tasting different breads;  finding out about types of bread eaten in different countries, e.g. pitta bread, bagels, baguettes; carrying out questionnaires and collecting data on the most popular breads; designing their own bread by researching recipes and experimenting with different ingredients, e.g. adding grated cheese or dried fruit; making their own bread and using it to create their own healthy sandwich.

There are also great opportunities in the school day such as break and lunchtimes where teachers can advise and encourage children and parents to provide healthy snack and lunches, and help children make healthy choices.

How would a teacher go about approaching the subject in the classroom?

It is important to give children the right messages.  People naturally have their own thoughts on healthy eating, but there are important facts that children should know.  The resources on the Food - a fact of life site have been developed to ensure continuity and progression for primary school children learning about healthy eating, cooking and where food comes from.  These resources include teachers notes to support the structure and content of lessons, and lots of resources such as card activities, presentations, interactive activities, posters and worksheets to embed key messages.

Would you encourage school children to become practically involved in food, for example, making the chunky winter vegetable soup that’s featured in one of your resources?

Definitely.  Learning through practical hands-on activities makes learning fun and memorable.  It also allows children to see the practical application of healthy eating.  For example, planning and making a fruit salad helps children to learn about different fruits, how they are prepared and what they taste like.

Children are generally more willing to taste something they have prepared themselves so a practical session like this or one involving a vegetable soup would be a great way to teach and reinforce the 5 A DAY message.  Understandably, primary teachers sometimes feel anxious about teaching food in their primary classroom which is why we created lots of supporting resources.

On the Food –a fact of life site there is a hygiene and safety checklist, guidance on how to prepare a primary classroom for a cooking session, simple recipes for primary aged children, video clips showing how to prepare foods safely and recipe video clips showing how to make different dishes.  We have lots of ‘cool creations’ recipes that do not require heat, such as smoothies, salads and dips – these are ideal for introducing food skills and if an oven is not available in school.  All these resources have been designed to help primary teachers feel more confident about teaching food in the primary classroom.  They can be found in the Cooking module on the Food – a fact of life website.

Do you have any advice for parents to help with nutrition and food, outside of the classroom?

Parents have a very important role in helping children learn about healthy eating and its key messages. One of the most important messages is for parents to encourage their children to eat a balance and variety of foods.  Parents can get their children interested in food and healthy eating by involving them in the weekly shopping trip, e.g. asking them to help plan meals and write the shopping list, letting them choose items like fruit and vegetables.
Parents can also get their children involved with preparing meals, e.g. making a salad to accompany a meal. Further information and tips on  healthy eating can be found on the British Nutrition Foundation website and on the Food Standards Agency’s site

Are there any plans for producing secondary school resources?

We have developed a draft set of resources for secondary teachers covering the areas: Energy and Nutrients, Diet and health, Ingredients and Food Science and Production and processing.  We are currently collecting comments on these resources with a view to  finalising them in the near future.

For more information and to download the Food - a fact of life resources, please visit their Partner page on Promethean Planet.

ShareThis

Here in the northeast U.S. we are enjoying the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. Thousands of people make a special pilgrimage for ‘leaf peeping’ in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.  As I have been enjoying the changing season and the vitality of color in our landscape, it has prompted me to reflect on the effects of color and learning…and most notably in the use of color in lesson plan design.

When you bring in visual images and colored digital text into the classroom, I believe it has a profound effect on learning and this effect is still being researched and documented.

Questions to consider:  What color shall I use in a classroom environment? How do we prepare a classroom environment for learning? What colors for the walls?  What colors are used in posters and graphics? What colors are optimal for lesson plan design on your interactive white board.

When considering color, consider commercial logos for color combinations that work…the top name brands offer logos and color schemes that catch the eye.  Also consider home décor or restaurant choices that seem to invite an atmosphere for learning.

Browse an interesting and comprehensive multidisciplinary discussion about color on the Color Matters website where Jill Morton writes “Color plays a vitally important role in the world in which we live. Color can sway thinking, change actions, and cause reactions. It can irritate or soothe your eyes, raise your blood pressure or suppress your appetite.”  In the pages of this site, you can explore the social, cultural and brain stimulating effects of color as well as some interesting comments on color theory.

Whether you are a teacher who has resorted to using repetitive color schemes…or a teacher who is always experimenting with the use of color, please read on.  You may want a rationale for spicing up your concept of using a unique color palette. 

Did you know that there are some students with Dyslexia, headaches and other visual impairments that can be corrected with the use of color? Have you heard that some students who could not read black words on a white page can read printed words using colored overlays? You may want to observe how students react to color in your classroom. It may have a more profound effect than you realize.  If colored overlays can help with reading…what can happen if we change the background color on a lesson page in the ActivClassroom?

The research and documentation of the Irlen Institute can be a good place to begin. Using a diagnostic test and nine colored overlays, adults and children are matched to the color scheme for optimal learning. The use of colored eyeglasses also can have an effect on people who suffer from Irlen syndrome headaches.

I propose that color has an effect on many more learners than indicated by the Irlen research. The widespread gain in academic achievement using the ActivClassroom could be analyzed with color use in mind.  I posted this simple assessment lesson to get teachers started as they poll their students about their preferred colors. Using the ActivClassroom the teachers can customize their color palette to match the Irlen diagnostic colors. If course the quality of the color is dependent on the quality of the classroom projector.  Use the fill tool to change background colors readily and consider the effects of filling text with color in order to optimize learning.

Please consider researching this concept and share your stories of success here or in the Promethean Planet Forums!

ShareThis

Some of you may have noticed that our community is growing not just in terms of numbers, but also languages. You can now access Promethean Planet in seven languages, taking advantages of resources prepared by teachers from global ideas, but in a local language.

The latest edition to the Planet family is Promethean Planet Arabic, which was recently launched at a big technology event in Dubai, called GITEX. GITEX is the main event in the Middle East for teachers looking for the latest in classroom technology and the ideal place to bring Planet and introduce it to Arabic teachers.

One of the people who will be helping teachers with their interactive journey in the Middle East is Promethean’s latest TLC (Teaching & Learning Consultant), Hussain Al Sharakhi (pictured left). Hussain himself has three years teaching experience practicing in Bahrain at a Secondary and an Academy school, so he knows first-hand how Planet can help teachers.

In a short interview, we caught up with Hussain at GITEX to hear how even teachers in the Middle East can still learn from the English language Planet sites, proving just how small the teaching community can become with the internet and a bit of ambition.

How important do you think Promethean Planet is for Arabic teachers?

Planet Arabic is crucial for the Middle East so that our teachers can have some sort of community to share creative ideas and cultural differences amongst each other. It also enables them to be connected with the latest updates, best practice teaching ideas and of course, lesson plans.

How do Arabic teachers differ from other teachers when it comes to sharing resources?

I don’t think that it differs too much from other nationalities, some of the ‘fears’ that teachers have here are the same just as others in say, Europe. The one difference we have to remember is that some Arabic teachers come from quite closed cultures so they can be quite shy, which is especially true for females. Many of them feel afraid to fail or are worried about receiving a negative reaction to their resources.

I am hoping though that the launch of Planet Arabic, and especially the Arabic forum, will help us smooth their fears and start to encourage them to submit and participate with other teachers.

Do you think that Arabic teachers can still take something from the Planet.com site?

Absolutely. In particular, in the private education system here in the Middle East, the first language which pupils are taught is English and many lessons are also delivered in English. I often encourage teachers to switch to the English language site for lesson ideas to see what they can convert to their own language. Plus, there is Themes, Teacher Features, both of which we hope to bring to Planet Arabic soon.

So where do you see the ActivClassroom taking Arabic teachers?

There is huge potential for teachers here to take traditional teaching equipment and bring it up to western standards. We have an education saying that that children now learn NOT like how their parents did, which references that the classroom has changed since they were learners and that technology has moved on so much.

Our students live in a digital age and the new technology we have around us today is being developed so fast that the potential to learn, and help bring out the best in our teachers, is very serious. The ActivClassroom allows us to do that, whilst Planet Arabic brings them closer to an important community of teachers who can share and learn, regardless of language or distance.

ShareThis

Keele University, in December 2008 published a document called Enabling Enhanced Mathematics Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. 

If you are interested you can see the whole report here :  http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/ed/iaw/docs/ncetmreport.pdf

The “assumptions” they made throughout their research are listed as

• the mathematics classroom is a collaborative classroom where pupils regularly work in groups (not just pairs) and discuss their mathematical experiences
• lessons are interesting and motivational (more than just colourful) and involve pupils in mathematical thought and discussion rather than consisting of exposition, example and exercise - it is not enough just to do well in examinations and tests
• the “at the board, in the head, at the desk” activities are fully integrated
• all electronic resources and links are stored with the IWB software file
• questioning begins at Bloom’s analysis level* (using for example “What can you see?”) rather than at the knowledge level
• wherever possible work is targeted at Bloom’s higher levels
• activities at the board will often involve the use of “virtual manipulatives” used in an exploratory way - a virtual manipulative, is for example, an onscreen version of a graphic calculator, geoboard, protractor, fraction wall (there are many of these available from the internet)
• the use of the “virtual manipulative” by the teacher does not replace the use of real manipulatives by pupils, but complements their use
• teaching will involve a variety of approaches that will cater for all learning styles (although we do not necessarily accept theories about such learning styles we recognise that the IWB allows a variety of approaches including visual, oral and kinaesthetic)
• the IWB software allows for a variety of means of interaction (e.g. drag and drop, hide and reveal etc) that can (and should) be used in innovative and imaginative ways
• linear presentations (as often seen in PowerPoints) are not the best way to prepare for such lessons as they constrain the teacher to demonstrate and display rather than use other means
• mathematics lessons are not about exposition, example and exercise

*http://www.educationforum.co.uk/HA/bloom.htm

There is so much listed in the above which should be “shouted” from the rooftops and I am sad that I only stumbled across this report (actually handed to me by a colleague) and that “such gold” should go by without receiving the attention it should.

The teaching of mathematics at both Primary and Secondary is often seen as “specialist” FAR AND BEYOND any other subject.  Maths underpins so many subjects not because we need to know that 2×2=4, but because if taught well, it allows children to reason, modify, discuss, justify and most importantly adapt their thinking.  These skills form the basis of “life” and should be enhanced and explored at every opportunity in children’s learning.  Apparently it still seems acceptable to say “I can’t do maths”, but would an equivalent phrase of “I can’t read and write” be heard in the same quantity - I doubt it!!

These were the top ten websites that the report recommends :

www.prometheanplanet.com  great to see this appearing on the list!!

curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/mathematics/index.aspx

The website for the new national curriculum of 2008. The aims for this new curriculum ‘… should inform all aspects of curriculum planning and teaching and learning at whole-school and subject levels. The curriculum should enable all young people to become: successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve; confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives and responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.’

nrich.maths.org

Essential site that ‘… supports teachers and learners of mathematics with thousands of free resources which are designed to develop subject content knowledge and problem-solving and thinking skills. We aim to offer engaging and challenging problems, articles and interactive environments that offer opportunities for exploration.’

www.bowlandmaths.org.uk

Materials that ‘…look very different from most maths teaching materials. They consist of innovative case study problems, each taking 3-5 lessons, designed to develop thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills – as in the revised Key Stage 3 curriculum. Each case study is different, but all provide pupils and teachers with problems that are fun and engaging, while also being a rich maths experience.’

www.itemaths.org.uk

TDA commissioned Subject Resource Network for initial teacher educators but within this site contains links to most of the main mathematics organisations (subject associations, government agencies etc.) that have an interest and are involved in policy and strategy concerned with mathematics teaching and learning. Also contains resources that are helpful for those involved in initial teacher education.

www.iwbmaths.co.uk

Most of this advert-free site is free. It has pages that change daily, weekly or monthly. A subscription section (£50 a year for a school) has ICT training part and an interactive file section that links to over 800 interactive ‘virtual manipulatives’ that are usefully indexed by mathematics topic.

www.iwbmathstraining.co.uk

A free, advert-free site that has ideas and files for use with ACTIVstudio and Smart notebook software, training materials and interactive whiteboard versions for all the ‘Improving Learning in Mathematics’ topics developed by the Standards Unit as part of the Maths4Life project. The site is constantly being updated as part of Keele University’s work on IWB materials.

www.ncetm.org.uk

Portal for the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching that ‘ … provides effective strategic leadership for mathematics-specific CPD. It aims to raise the professional status of all those engaged in the teaching of mathematics so that the mathematical potential of learners will be fully realised.’ Has links for research, mathematics self-evaluation, courses and a Mathemapedia.

http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/

Website that contains hundreds of interactive, open-code Demonstrations–created solely in Mathematica by users from around the world. The “Wolfram Demonstrations Project brings to life ideas in math, science, and many other areas, from elementary education to front-line research”. You can download all demonstrations and use with the free Mathematica player (must install on your computer).

www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/secondary/framework/maths/fwsm

This website is where you find the ‘… renewed Framework builds on the original Framework for teaching mathematics, which was produced in 2001. It is based on the programmes of study for the new secondary curriculum. The Framework is designed to increase pupils’ access to excellent teaching and engaging, purposeful learning that will enable them to make good progress through Key Stages 3 and 4.’

This raises a  number of points for further discussion and exploration and maybe we should do more, for example, to discourage PowerPoint in teaching and learning on an iwb, but the trouble is people need training and that of course takes us into a whole new topic, but maybe this link could go somewhere to helping…

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=nav.20252

ShareThis

.

The list of “Actions” in the “Action Browser” within Inspire is pretty extensive.

If you are like me, you use a few actions over and over, but never really explore many of the other actions.  By the way, my favorite is “Hidden” ( little x through eyeball icon).

Many of the actions are pretty self explanatory, such as a link to a website or switching to pen or magic ink. However, some actions come with an odd parameter field that may need an explanation.  Ever wonder what those parameters do?  Ever wonder what the difference between stretch top incrementally verses size top incrementally is? Me too!

Within the following link is a pdf attachment that answers many of your burning questions regarding actions!  Click here for All About Actions.

ShareThis

Continuing our recent exploration of Google Earth 5 with the Activboard where we explored then blogged about ocean data and using Google Earth to plot  GPS coordinates , we then decided to explore the Apollo moon landings using Google Earth 5 ‘layers’ and ‘Moon Gallery’ feature.

Where Shall We Go Today, Class?

For this simple experiment we were using out ActivBoard 330 Pro and our Flip Video camera, a great way to capture instant moments of inspiration and ideas, with minimum fuss.

We started at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, to see where the beginnings of the moon landings took place. Then, using a new icon in Google Earth 5 on our toolbar, we toggled between views of Earth, Sky, Mars or Moon, and selected to visit the moon (see image below).

By holding down the right-click function of the ActivPen we were then able to zoom into the moon without losing our reference point and without crossing the page to use the zoom functions provided by Google Earth.

Using Google Earth Layers

The layers facility in Google Earth 5 provides us with an opportunity to investigate the moon further. From here, we selected the ‘Moon Gallery’ and drilled down to ‘Apollo Missions’, choosing the Apollo 11 landings. We were then able to exlpore the surface of the moon, looking at craters and learning more about the landings.

A Rich Mix of Media for the Classroom

Perhaps the best feature of Google Earth 5 (apart from being free!) is that it also gives you access to further materials for learning. When we visited the Apollo 11 landing site we were able to view a YouTube video of Neil Armstrong citing those famous words and look at other resources relating to the landing.

Overall, what we’ve illustrated is how easy it is to deliver a complete learning experience mixing different media (ActivBoard, Google Earth 5, YouTube) to deliver an engaging lesson…just watch the video to see how it’s done and try it for yourself!

ShareThis

Not many people would look behind when going forward, but what if we all took a step back to revisit our history - could this make sense of a sometimes clouded future?

Over the past couple of months, Promethean Planet has been working with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (NURFC) in Ohio, to bring to the Planet community resources that focus on African- American heritage, in particular, the slave trade. All of these resources, flipcharts, podcasts and images, can be downloaded from Planet.

As part of this series of thought-provoking resources, the Planet team are honored to be blogging with Mr Carl Westmoreland, Senior Advisor for Historic Preservation at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Mr Westmoreland talks about the importance of remembering our heritage, how the museum helps people understand our past and what messages teachers can pass on to their pupils.

How important is Heritage to the Freedom Center?

The documented and vetted history of the history of the Underground Railroad, the civil rights movement which lead to the Women Right’s  movement and today’s Human Rights movement, is vital to the need for people of dissimilar backgrounds in developing a positive  understanding of the multicultural world in which we live.

Objective research teaches us that the documented history of all ethnic groups in the world is varied and important, and understanding of the cultural heritage that is unique to the world’s population is needed to avoid global conflict, genocide, political and economic domination that has destabilized an ever shrinking world.

How does the museum help pupils to understand about African-American slavery?

Using objective research which, for example, we quote Dr. Ira Berlin, University of Maryland History professor, who in his book Many Thousands Gone (Harvard University Press, 1998), documents that the value of free enslaved labor in 1860 had a value of 3 billion dollars in 1860 money, we are able to build an outline that creates a base for the understanding of enslavement in America.

Dr. Berlin and other scholars openly quote John Calhoun, Senator from South Carolina in the 1850’s and 1860’s and the Vice President of the Confederacy Alexander Stevens, as well as Stephen F. Austin of Texas, all of whom publicly stated that slavery was the basis of the Southern agricultural economy in the 18th and 19th century.

We put a human face on the numbers that quantify the value to the United States’ economy of enslavement and the use of visual images throughout the museum, such as the image in the Tom Feelings mural in the Slave Pen gallery which depicts the tragedy of an infant being separated from its mother, communicates directly to children that during enslavement, the Black family had no legal standing and no social legitimacy in America.

Children are exposed to the truth that it was against the law in the North (Ohio), as well as in the South, that it was against the law to educate children in the 19th century.  The Black Codes of Ohio (1802) were derived from the Virginia Slave Codes a fact that demonstrates to contemporary children that slavery impacted the lives of all Africans in America, enslaved or free.

[See post to watch Flash video]

What are the most important messages for teachers to remember when teaching about slave history in the classroom?

Slavery could be compared in the classroom to the life of a child that is traumatized in infancy by the onset of asthma.  This narrative, if examined in depth with sensitivity, would explore the dark side of an infant being challenged for every breath.  It would also explore the parental response of seeking medical assistance that would enable the infant to run free.  A student would need to understand that no miracle drug will bring instant relief to the asthmatic, that there is no permanent cure, but with medication, parental supervision and the pain of exercise, many asthmatics have emerged as Olympic champions in a wide range of sports and tens of millions of asthmatics live relatively normal lives.

Enslavement, like most chronic diseases, foreclosed the free movement of the Black body, forbade the development of the Black mind, and was designed to eliminate any thought of a future that included freedom.  The physical act of escaping on the part of the enslaved was combined with the desire of the enslaved to become educated and employed is inspiring.

The National Underground railroad Freedom Center staff works constantly to open young minds to the opportunities available to them that will permit them to achieve an expanded reality and personal freedom.

What strategies may be suggested for teachers to inspire their students to take courageous steps for freedom today?

At the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, there is a constant effort to draw parallels between the history of enslavement  and the deprivation of human rights of people who represent  the landless, the powerless, the other based on race, gender, religion, sexuality.  We attempt to make our visitors aware that depending on locality, nationality, etc., all races are a despised minority somewhere, and quite often their basic human rights are ignored.

In Africa, inter-tribal conflict still exists on a daily basis at the cost of lost arms and limbs, sexual and military exploitation of children, and ethnic cleansing based on religion (the Sudan, Dafur, Ethiopia, Ghana).  In Europe the religious conflict,  between Irish Catholics and Protestants still simmers, and the multi-century conflicts between those two groups have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

It will take an abundance of courage, a small army of informed social activists, business and political leaders to open the wounds of America’s past transgressions, and to listen to the airing of the pain caused by our callous expansion. It is our belief that with such a protracted enterprise, healing can begin and a more perfect union will be the result.

How do we go about keeping the stories, the memories, and the understanding of the Underground Railroad alive?

The first challenge of keeping the stories of the Underground Railroad alive is to use the historical icons, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, etc. as a launching point to explore the thousands of slave narratives that were developed in 1937 by the WPA (Works Progress Administration).

There are millions of unopened letters, Bibles, and archival materials in the Courthouses of the South, the storage rooms of African churches in America, plantation records and the trunks of Black America.  These documents contain narratives that chronicle and celebrate the day to day miracles of ordinary people who through their own efforts and the efforts of people who looked like them began a physical journey from slavery to a lifelong pursuit of education, employment in an effort to retain respect.

The acquisition of Wilberforce University by Bishop Daniel A. Payne and other leaders of the A.M.E. Church in 1866 in Wilberforce, Ohio, is a perfect example of a journey from enslavement and powerlessness to freedom that extended beyond the artificial date of the Emancipation Proclamation.  It also establishes the reality that physical freedom is only a beginning.

The joy and the challenge of continuing the effort can be fed by the knowledge that ordinary people were the heroes of the Underground Railroad, that in fact they were the great grandparents of the thousands of anonymous African Americans who in the summer of 1963 filled the jails of the South.  They rode buses into fire, and beatings in Birmingham, and they climbed the bridge at Selma showing the world the mettle, and the perseverance that had come down to them from those who had walked the same roads in chains.

ShareThis

How many of you can still read a road map? Or do you rely on your GPS to ensure your timely arrival at an appointment? What do we do on those “searching for satellite” days? Even my five year old niece inquisitively asked,  “what is that folded piece of paper (map) on the table and what does it do?”

What about phone numbers? As a kid I recall committing to memory all important phone numbers. Today it seems the only numbers I have committed to memory is 911 and 411. And now, sadly, I must use my mobile phone’s address book to recite my own home phone number to store cashiers.

I even vaguely remember grade school providing me with countless spelling lessons and tests. Unfortunately I would not have made it through this blog post without the handy use of spell check! What did we do before the time of Word aiding us in our grammar?

So, I ask you all - Has technology changed the way we think? Recalling basic information is no  longer the first step in my process of thought. (Explore Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy by Andrew Churches).

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

I recently read a wonderful article titled: Is Google Making us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr and can’t help but ponder these thoughts on a different level. Nicholas makes wonderful points about the use of the internet and how it is changing the way we read and ultimately think.

Google and other search engines have given us a new perspective on skimming text. We have honed our skimming skills as we scan results looking for keywords and phrases that might lead us to that perfect website. Newspapers have quickly caught onto this phenomenon as you can often locate short summaries of events within the first few pages of a paper in lieu of lengthy detailed articles that we are less inclined to read.

Yes, some of you are saying that this is just a sign of the changing times. However, perhaps the most eye-opening point that Nicholas makes is the link between reading and thinking: “its a different kind of reading, and behind it lies a different kind of thinking.” Reading and how we read shapes thinking and how we think.

Connecting Lessons to Teaching

So as I ponder this thought and try to connect its lessons to teaching and learning, I can’t help but wonder where this leads us in the 21st Century classroom. Sure we’ve made physical changes from chalkboards to interactive white boards, but where do we notice the shift in learning and knowledge? I recall often telling my chemistry and physical science students not to memorize the elements on the periodic table, but rather learn how to use the table.

This is quite a shift from when I was in school and had to memorize the elements. Cursive penmanship taught in the 3rd grade here in Pennsylvania is often not reinforced beyond that year. Over the years I have had quite a few 8th grade students who could not read the cursive instructions I had written on the board.

Will the day come that spelling lessons and penmanship are gone with the chalkboards? I don’t think the question is one of will but when. Perhaps more importantly - how will these changes reprogram the way we think?

ShareThis

I recently visited a school district in suburban Philadelphia and encountered a very rare and wonderful experience. I was scheduled to meet with two of the district technology coaches (teachers who also have a supplemental position as a liaison for the teachers and the technology department) to show them the features and functions of ActivInspire.

Prior to the meeting, I thought that during the meeting I would be conducting most of the presentation and demonstration. To my surprise and delight, it turns out the coaches had a fully created flipchart presentation developed and that they just wanted to consult with me to find out if I thought any additional information should be included. I was very impressed and asked that they post their presentation on Promethean Planet so that other coaches/teachers could use the flipchart for in-house professional development.

The Ultimate Goal In My Work

This may not sound like a very miraculous event but as a Teaching and Learning Consultant for Promethean, this type of meeting was the ultimate goal in my work.

This district has coaches who can provide FREE professional development to all of their staff on the schedule of the district and they do not have to rely on anyone else to make this happen. The coaches gain their knowledge of Promethean through attending regional workshops that I host, utilizing the many free courses and webinars on Promethean Planet, and they take their own time to practice and develop their skills relative to the software so that they are able to present to the staff in their schools.

Learning From Other Teachers

With tight budgets and cut-backs everywhere, schools want training for their staff at no cost when they purchase expensive technology equipment. From a business perspective, providing on-going free professional development does not make sense. What does make sense is using the internal resources that every school has - their own staff!

Every school has at least one or two teachers who are technologically inclined and interested in learning how to effectively utilize the technology they are given. These are the teachers who should be attending free regional workshops (where available) or going to the Train-the-trainer courses offered through Promethean’s Professional Development Department.

“From face-to-face training to online Activtips, webcasts with key industry educationalists to group workshops, our Professional Development options are both flexible & comprehensive.”

Once a few key teachers have the training, they are able to present on in-service days, during staff development workshops, at staff meetings…where and whenever it is appropriate for that particular school/district.  And the best part is, it is always FREE!

ShareThis

You may have received an email a while back from Promethean stating that our latest software, ActivInspire, is now available in x number of languages.  That number is growing all the time, but I think there are about 22 languages currently. My guess is that most teachers typically use one language and stick with that. However, if you check your settings, you will find that the second option from the top gives you the ability to change the software language.

I’m guessing a lot of foreign language teachers or teachers of English learners have been using this feature to assist their students in language acquisition, but… what about teachers who teach English to native English speakers (the majority of teachers in the US)?

Why not change the application language just for the fun of implicit language learning?

Obviously you want to keep the titles in English when you or your students are getting used to the software, but there can be a lot of implicit learning involved by simply using the software in another language for some time.  It reminds me of when I watch TV in Spanish with subtitles on! My next task is to find out the exact differences between the three English’s listed

ShareThis

Sadly there have been many celebrities who have passed away in the past few weeks. But there is one death that did not receive much attention, yet he probably had more effect on your students life than most would realize, Les Paul.

In the 2007 Speak Up study done by Project Tomorrow, the number one use of technology outside of school for high school and middle school students was downloading music. Yet, even without the statistics to back it up, I think it is fair to say that students enjoy music. However, many of them do not realize that many of the songs they hear today would not have the same sound were it not for the inventions of Les Paul.

Almost every major band uses the Les Paul solid-body electric guitar . From Eric Clapton to the current day heart-throbs, The Jonas Brothers, they all use a Les Paul guitar. (Although for me, it still doesn’t make The Jonas Brothers sound or play any better! How a group can sell that many records without the seeming ability to sing or skillfully play their instruments is beyond me.)

Why not use this story as a reason to bring sound into your classroom? In Inspire, adding sound is as easy as going to Insert>Media. You could play some songs from bands that have used a Les Paul Guitar in the background of your lesson. In an English setting, use Les Paul as a starter for a short writing assignment. While some music is playing, ask the class to write as Les Paul and how he would view music today.

You could use Les Paul as a way to teach electricity and Thomas Edison or Nichola Tesla. Les Paul saw a problem with the current day electric guitars and recording processes, so he created a solution with his solid-body electric guitar and the multi-tracking recorder. This is an opening for teaching problem-solving, starting with music.

I’m sure that you can also think of many other ways to weave Les Paul into your classroom. And when you do, make sure to insert some music to go along with it. As stated above, we agree that students enjoy music, so it is fair to assume that they are going to enjoy lessons with music more than lessons without. And if your students are engaged and enjoying the lessons, you are going to see their achievement rise.

Though while it is nice to connect with your students, I would still suggest picking more Clapton and less Jonas Brothers!

ShareThis

Adora Svitak is an 11-year-old author and presenter who shares her passion for reading and writing with audiences around the world. She uses ActivClassroom technology in her presentations, and is featured in the Planet News story, A Kid’s Eye View of Technology in the Classroom.

Power to the people! Power to the students!

You may wonder why I declare this. Today’s disenfranchised youth cannot vote; the lower grades cannot drive; we can’t even open up a bank account without adult supervision. In general, minors are not the decision-makers. Where should minors have some control? Education.

When kids of my age are told to do things, we generally are not so excited about doing it. Think in the vein of “take out the garbage” and “eat your vegetables.” When the educator is always at the head of the table, students may not be so apt to eat, or, in other words, to learn.

One of the best ways to get kids engaged in the classroom is to give us some control in our learning experience. I know this first-hand as a student and a teacher. When I teach writing, one of my favorite activities is collaborative writing. Instead of giving each student an individual assignment from the get-go, I instead have students lead the way by suggesting words, characters, and even storylines in response to questions. This gives students a feeling of accomplishment and a feeling of control in the writing process. I use an ActivBoard to show students their ideas come alive in real-time.

As a student, I know how control gets me interested. I attend an online public school, and I am able to learn at my own pace, deciding when to learn what lessons, and where. Although a brick-and-mortar school might have a more standardized approach, there are many ways to get students more involved in the learning process. These include blogs, wikis, interactive whiteboards, and online document sharing.

Blogging

“Writing is the mark you make on the world, and you want to make sure that mark is something you are proud of.” This is one of my favorite mottoes to share with students. Posting student work on a class blog does many things; it makes students aware that they have an audience, and more considerate of the quality of their writing; at the same time, it gives students who want their writing in the spotlight a chance to demonstrate their work. A blog allows students to reach higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, through editorials, stories, and essays. A blog could act as a paperless class newspaper, and can be circulated to a wider audience on the World Wide Web. 

A blog is also a powerful organizational tool. If you have ever seen the inside of a grade-schooler’s binder, you may reconsider giving them back that masterpiece writing assignment without making an online copy first! The weblog allows you to easily save student work—because even the most eloquent of essays can get lost somewhere in the shadowy depths of a backpack. 

Wikis

Another powerful tool is the wiki. Wikis allow a class to collaborate on a project or get more in-depth on a topic. One way to use a wiki is to create a list. A wiki could be used effectively as a site for students to brainstorm ideas for a project.

A wiki could also be used as a writing tool. For instance, if the life science class is learning about the difference between plant and animal cells, the teacher could set up a wiki for a compare-contrast article and write a paragraph introducing plant and animal cells to get the wiki started. Next, Student A could note that plant cells have cell walls and animal cells do not. Student B could add a few lines about how plant cells have chlorophyll. And the wiki goes on. Every student becomes a part of the project.

The ActivBoard, Google Documents

I have an ActivBoard in my home, and I use it every day when I teach schools and classrooms around the world through distance learning. I’ve found that Promethean’s technology has been a big help in giving power to the students. Learner response systems like ActiVotes and ActivExpression allow students to respond to questions without a fear of “standing out.” Interactive flipcharts allow students to take control of the learning process by getting involved in activities on-screen, giving your students more control in the learning process. 

I am a big believer in the power of free stuff in general (think dumpster diving), and my philosophy applies to education, minus the dumps. Well-respected online document sharing programs like Google Documents can be excellent collaborative writing tools. They let students exchange ideas back and forth. One plus of using Google Docs is the privacy; Documents only allows those people who have been approved by “Collaborators” to contribute to a piece of writing.

Not only do these technology options give your students control, they are all fairly user-friendly and do not require too much technological expertise. Although technological expertise should not be something you—or your 21st Century students—are lacking in.

For more information, read the Planet article A Kid’s Eye View of Technology in the Classroom, or visit Adora’s website.

ShareThis

With the launch of ActivInspire 1.2, teachers now have the option to take advantage of new ‘Self Paced’ functionality with their ActivExpression sets.

The Planet team decided to catch up with one Planet member, Alison Lydon, Head of Junior School ICT at The Mary Erskine and Stewart’s Melville Junior School, Edinburgh, to see what her initial thoughts were to Self Paced Learning in her classroom

Background

We have just started to use ActivExpression in the classroom and whilst there are lots of fantastic uses, they are still a desirable item rather than an essential. This is about to change though as our school, The Mary Erskine and Stewart’s Melville Junior School, was lucky enough to take part in a trial of the new Self Paced Learning using ActivInspire and ActivExpression handsets.

The 7 and 8 year old children in the class I chose for the pilot had used ActivExpression handsets before and were keen to be some of the first children in the world to test drive the system. We had great fun. The children loved it, the ease of use was staggering and the teaching/learning potential massive.

Now I can ask  my class all the same question, get individual answers from each child and see how long it takes each pupil to respond whilst simultaneously giving them the next question when they are ready. Does this seem like the future? Well it is the present, as our Primary 4 children experienced. Let me explain…

Making the Questions

As the questions are displayed on the handsets rather than on the board, I had some setting up to do (although I could have chosen the random maths question generator- I decided to really test the software!)

When I opened up the Self Paced question wizard everything seemed really obvious.  I decided to make my own questions rather than use the built in generator so I could try a variety of question types with the children.
I chose to make about 20 questions at level 1 and level 2, this way, I could specify how many level 1 questions the children had to answer correctly before they moved up  to level 2.  I also chose to shuffle the questions so they appeared randomly (so no copying their neighbours!)

Using the System

All I had to do was  hand out the ActivExpression devices to the children and press a button. Before my eyes a chart appeared on my screen showing me who had answered what question, what their response had been and how long it had taken them to answer. Once they had finished I could export the summary tables (that’s the marking done) , see which questions posed the most problems  and use the data to plan my next lesson based on real evidence.

The Benefits

The children really were able to work at their own pace.  Questions appeared quickly on their screens and children who were able to answer questions easily were not held back by others who took longer. Children could progress to harder questions when they were ready to, rather than when a teacher thought they should.

The second biggest benefit was the excellent data I had to help plan my next lessons. I could see how long a pupil took to answer a question, which pupils were on which level, the time it took each child took to answer the questions and how many right and wrong answers each child made. I was also able to look at the statistics for each question to see which concepts were understood and which needed revising or re-teaching.

So now I have a whole new and exciting way of using Expression in the classroom - a way which will allow my time to focus on using instant and up-to-date data to teach and plan lessons based on the specific needs of a class. What will they think of next?

Alison Lydon - Head of Junior School ICT

* Alison can be contacted via her blog or Twitter page

ShareThis

There is a great contest, sponsored by The History Channel, currently happening, where you can animate transformative speeches from American history.  To learn more about this contest click here.

What a great use of Activsound, to help you record your students voices for this project.  Then you can project and review all their submissions on the board.  You could even do your own class contest where students use the screen recorder tool to animate and record audio from great American speeches.

The deadline for submissions is September 2nd, so get recording quickly!  If you do enter this contest, or create your own classroom contest, go ahead and create a thread for it in the Forum and post your videos there.  I’m sure that others would love to see what your students create!

ShareThis

Until today, I have taken Ted Kennedy’s presence for granted.

Being a lifelong Bostonian and watching the funeral celebration of Senator Ted Kennedy’s life, I cannot help but think of how the Kennedy vision of public service has shaped my life. My parents, aunts and uncles of the Catholic-Baby-Boomer generation recall a sense of pride in JFK and his idealistic views that inspired their young-adult life.

A call to service to our country and a call to “make the world a better place” were a refreshing hope emerging from the war and post-depression era. My grandparents were proud of their hard working children who served in industry, education and public service.

My godparents inspired me since I was a child to make a sacrifice and a difference in the world. Aunt Linda Thayer was a 30+year science teacher at the Jeremiah Burke High School, one of Boston’s struggling Public Schools. Uncle Bob Durbin, after college in Boston, served in our country’s Vista program and has persevered in his public service to the folks in the city of Richmond, Virginia.

My mother rallied behind Jackie Kennedy’s example in her most important vocation to do the best she could to raise her children to the best of her ability. She always taught us that we had a special job to make the world a better place. She has been the inspiration for me to raise my three children with faith, hope and courage. In addition to motherhood, I wanted to make a difference in the world as a whole and I have always searched for that opportunity for meaningful work in my life…

To work for Promethean has been a great gift… I have eagerly rallied behind the cause to serve as a leader to empower and engage teachers and students. This ideal drives my motivation to serve the leaders and administrators and teachers who ultimately serve the children — the hope of the future. I want to thank my colleagues at Promethean for the opportunity to work hard for this mission to make the world a better place through the power of education.

I knew about Senator Kennedy’s great work…but my husband was truly one of his most devoted followers. The Tan family was spared immigration red tape as Ted Kennedy’s office intervened on their behalf to speed their entry to America from war-torn Cambodia in the 1970s. My high school friend, now sister-in-law, Sophie and my husband Patrick are very devoted to the Democratic party. Their devotion and faithfulness hinges on the fact that their family was given a second chance for opportunity in America.

Just recently, my good friend Elaine Cusick, Special Education Coordinator at the John Silber early learning center in Chelsea, MA and former peace corps volunteer, requested help from Senator Kennedy’s office. She was experiencing the red tape of foreign adoption for a child who had slipped through the cracks of bureaucracy and corruption in Guatemala and within a week, Senator Kennedy’s staff had righted the situation and given an innocent child a second chance.

My purpose in my role as a Promethean Teaching and Learning consultant is to bring a renewed hope to the classrooms we service…most especially to the children and teachers in our cities… who need us to believe in their future.

For the past three years, I have worked with the teachers at Boston’s Parkway Academy of Technology and Health and have enjoyed collaborating with the teachers and principal, Dr. Pamela Hilton. This brings meaning to my work, since I feel as though the torch has been passed from my aunt who has recently retired from BPS. These students are the hope for our future as well as the teachers and students I am serving in New Haven, CT, Stamford, CT and New York City among other urban and suburban districts in New England. I find each day to be most challenging and rewarding.

I will strive to emulate Senator Kennedy in his example of preparedness, resilience and hard work…while filled with love and compassion for the people…and a confidence in the next generation of American immigrants who appreciate the freedom, democracy, and education that offers a second chance.

Thank you for your friendship, encouragement, partnership and support in this shared mission…in this journey we make every day in our own way…to “make the world a better place” for all.

ShareThis

It’s amazing to think how something as simple as a flipchart can take your class to the other side of the globe. That’s the beauty of being part of a global community, such as Planet, where you can connect, share and collaborate with other teachers/students from a classroom so completely different to your own.

The Planet team recently caught up with Elementary teacher, Heather Hamker, from Erieview Elementary School in Avon Lake, to hear about her personal story. Heather, a previous Planet Teacher Feature, along with a group of teachers from the USA and Australia, decided to create their own ‘Traveling Flipchart’ exchange program using the Flippy resource pack on Planet.

To help all teachers who are interested in a similar program, we caught up with Heather to learn how she went about creating global citizens of her class.

Can you tell Planet members about your ‘Traveling Flipchart’ experience?

During the 2008-2009 school year a group of classrooms was involved in a project called The Traveling Flipchart. This project connected students around the world through the use of the Activboard. Each classroom created a flipchart about their communities and school environments using Promethean’s mascot, Flippy. Students were able to visit other communities without leaving their own classroom.

Why did you think it was worthwhile your pupils doing this?

Part of our curriculum is to have students compare and contrast their community with other communities. This project fitted perfectly with the curriculum and created more awareness of the students’ own community, since they had to think about what they wanted to share in the class flipchart.

Do you think global citizenship is an important topic?

Global citizenship is a topic that deserves a place in every classroom. Students in the primary grades are generally more focused on their immediate world- their friends, family, school, and other activities. They know of other places in the world, but they are mainly marked by points on a map.

Getting students to learn about or meet people in those places will help create more awareness and empathy towards people living differently than the students I mainly teach.

What did you and your class receive from it, benefit and knowledge wise?

By participating in the Traveling Flipchart project, my class was able to compare their daily life with lives of students from around the world.

After viewing a flipchart from a class, students would often ask questions about that particular part of the world.  They developed not only a sense as to the location of the featured classroom, but also to the similarities and differences in how the students lived and learned in those areas.

Since students couldn’t hop on a plane and physically visit these classrooms, the Activboard was beneficial in bringing those classrooms to mine and vice versa.

As a teacher I was also able to learn from my students during this project. I learned what was important to them in their community. The items they wanted to share brought me into their world which helped me understand them even better.

Have you any tips for other teachers thinking of setting up a similar initiative?

The most important tip for any other teacher thinking of participating in or developing a similar project is to make sure enough time as been set aside to fully implement the project.  The project can only be as successful as the participants make it.

Make sure students are involved from the development of the class flipchart to the activities that will follow.  Once you begin a project like this one, you’ll be surprised by what students want to know or share. In the end, you’ll find you’ve learned as much about your students as they have about other classrooms!

Download the Traveling Flipcharts!

If you’re interested in downloading the flipcharts created by Heather and the other teachers, please visit this Planet news article.

* Editor’s note - why not take part in the latest ‘Where’s Flippy?’ competition to be in with a chance to win an ActivClassroom!

ShareThis

Disrupting Class – How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns by Clayton Christensen, Michael Horn, and Curtis Johnson, is termed a “blueprint for educational transformation” by Joel Klein, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education.

Wikipedia defines disruptive technology or disruptive innovation as “an innovation that improves a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, typically by being lower priced or designed for a different set of consumers.”

The personal computer is a classic example of a disruptive innovation to the mainframe computer.  It didn’t matter that the personal computer wasn’t as good as the larger, more expensive computer because it was good enough to market to a consumer for whom there had been NO product at all.  After a decade, the mainframe market was declining to the rising personal computer and a disruptive innovation had taken root.

The authors suggest that two disruptive innovations – computer-based learning and student-centric technology - are already present in our educational system and two critical factors are now present that will enable the innovation.  The first is a platform that can generate the creation of user-generated content.  The second will be the emergence of a user network.

Enter Promethean!  The ActivInspire software is already transforming classrooms by providing media-rich content.  But Inspire is now freely downloadable to put on student lab computers for our students to create their own “learning objects” in their preferred learning style.  Parents of home-schoolers can also download Inspire and create lessons specific to their child’s dominant mode of learning.

Watch this space as Planet continues to grow and develop!  Imagine Planet as THE learning destination – a disruptive innovation is in the making!

ShareThis

Professional Learning During the Summer

In late July, almost 100 teachers from Broward County Public Schools got together at Rock Island Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to increase their knowledge of the Promethean ActivClassroom.  For three days, these teachers gave up their summer to focus on professional development.  They proved that they truly are ActivEducators!

During the first two days, the participants had a chance to attend sessions and learn new ways to engage their students using the ActivClassroom.  Throughout the event, teachers worked individually or in small groups to create flipcharts incorporating the lessons they learned.  On the last day, they had a chance to share their flipcharts with the group.  It was amazing to see what they came up with in three short days, and it will be exciting to see what they are capable of in the upcoming school year!  Check out the slideshow below to see some of the fun we had at the Broward County Promethean Summer Institute.

A Community of Collaboration and Sharing

If you took the time to watch our slideshow, hopefully you saw the community of collaboration and sharing that was encouraged throughout the event.  In today’s 21st century classroom, we need to not only teach 21st century skills, but practice and model these skills as well.  By establishing professional learning communities, educators can build their knowledge of digital tools while also creating relationships with other educators who share a common vision.

While producing outstanding lessons was the main focus of the Summer Institute, we also strived to create a community of collaboration and sharing.  The participants were encouraged to connect with each other to build professional learning communities within their schools and throughout the district once the new school year begins.

Check Out Broward’s New Promethean Planet Resources

Participants of the Promethean Summer Institute were encouraged to share their creations on both the district’s email server as well as Promethean Planet.  Check out these links to some Promethean Planet resources created during the Broward County event:

3rd Grade Math - Measurement Mania by Marjorie Archer

8th Grade Math - Simplifying and Identifying Parts of a Variable Expression by Colleen Skervin

K-8 Computer Skills - Key Strokes by Jodi Tesser

4th Grade Social Studies - Native Floridian Tribes by Heidi Fredricks

Thank you to all of Broward County’s ActivEducators for making this event a success. We are already looking forward to next summer!

ShareThis

Here’s a tip for teachers who occasionally write letters or formal documents on their computer and then email them off without wanting to touch a sheet of actual paper. For instance, if you apply for a grant, write a parent letter or email a document to your office staff, it needs to be signed, but how do you sign it if you are just emailing it?

You will learn how to create a simple image file that you can then insert into any document you want. This makes it look like you actually signed your doc!

Step 1-Sign your name neatly on the board in black. Adjust the pen thickness as desired. You may want to insert a nice horizontal line to level yourself. You can always delete the line later.

Step 2- use the camera tool (area snapshot) to select just your name, getting as close as you can to the outside of your letters without cutting them off. When you take your snapshot copy it to your clipboard.

Step 3- Open an image editor and “paste” your signature in. You can do this with a Mac or Windows Vista without and additional image editor. On Windows XP, you can use MS Paint (already included in Windows). Now crop it so there is very little white space around the image.

Note- You may need to change the contrast or brightness to make the image more clear or eliminate any difference in background color.

Step 4- Save it as a .jpg or other common image format. You can’t keep it in .flipchart or .flp format, as you won’t be able to insert it later on.

Whenever you need it, just insert your new file as an image and drag the bottom right corner to resize it. I suggest keeping the original relatively large in case you ever need it.

BTW, if you have have the good fortune to use Microsoft Office 2007 on your computer, then you know that you can install a small add-on that will save your docs in .pdf format if you want. You could also use Open Office.org and do the same thing. The benefit of exporting to pdf is that it “flattens your document so the reader won’t be able to tell if you actually signed it or just added your digital signature!

Sincerely,

.

.

.

ShareThis

The Student Loan Forgiveness Program

On July 1, 2009, a new government program, called the Student Loan Forgiveness Program, went in to effect to financially assist people who take on careers in public service, such as teachers.

As a former classroom teacher who incurred a great deal of student loan debt through four years of college and two years of graduate school, I feel that this program is well deserved and long-overdue. There are stipulations, of course, but the program serves to help teachers get out of debt sooner and perhaps remove some debt they incurred while furthering their education to become a high-qualified educator.

Is student loan forgiveness program too forgiving?

Here is the link to an interesting article, published last week, that offers two sides of the discussion, “Is student loan forgiveness program too forgiving?”.

My answer is “NO”…read the article to see what you think.

ShareThis

Continuing with our recent blog post on using Google Earth to map GPS Data, we thought we would explore the possibilities of the ‘Layer’ function to display volcano information, using our Activboard.

Using Layers

The layer function within Google Earth 5.0 (see left image) allows teachers to overprint extra data on to their map.

At the click of a button, you can choose to display a wide range of geographical information from earthquakes to cities. In this situation, we decided to take a look at the volcano information that layers offers.

Using Google Earth 5.0 with the Activboard

With a simple right-click of our Activpen we were able to zoom in and out of the map withour having to switch to the Google zoom function. This enables us to examine some of the tectonic plates of the Earth’s crust and start a whole load of discussion with the class about volcanic positions:

• What patterns can you see from the plates?
• Which countries would have the most volcanic activity?
• How much of the Earth is made up of water?

We shot this brief video clip of us demonstrating this feature on the Activboard using our FlipVideo camera - a great way to capture instant moments of inspiration!

[See post to watch Flash video]

ShareThis

During my first year with the New York City Department of Education, my Principal decided to implement a Program called Resolving Conflict Creatively. This program is part of Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR) and helps develop social skills and other qualities of character that students need to succeed. These qualities are beneficial, not only in school, but for children to become contributing members of their community.

Theory into Practice

My class was chosen to participate and we were visited by a member of the ESR staff on a monthly basis. In addition to these visits, I incorporated many aspects of the program into my class with daily discussions, circle gatherings, role plays, writing extensions, and other hands-on activities that would help build a peaceful and empathetic learning environment.

The goal: My students would take these peaceful, empathetic attitudes into their inner-city community and would someday make a positive change in the world.

Using the ActivClassroom to Resolve Conflict

Recently, I was asked to work with some teachers on ways to use their ActivClassroom to teach an Anti-Defamation Unit. I was immediately brought back to my early days in the classroom and was excited to merge the two aspects of my career!

How can ActivEducators utilize their ActivClassroom to resolve conflict, manage behavior, and build positive social skills like decision making and manners?

• Behavior management templates allow for positive reinforcement
• Competitive and non-competitive games create collaboration between students and encourage them to discover similarities in interests and strengths
• ActivExpression and ActiVote learner response devices provide anonymity, deepen class discussions, and bring students together in a team atmosphere
• Random name pickers create a non-competitive selection process
• Reveal strategies ensure that all students are focused on the same concept or information
• Students can brainstorm ideas together
• Interaction: Writing Prompts, Role Play Scenarios, Sorting, Links to Interactive Websites, Embedding Video Examples, Choose Your Own Adventure
• Lessons can be created around specific strategies, differences, or texts that demonstrate social skill situations and point of view (i.e. Felita, by Nicholasa Mohr, Mr. George Baker, by Amy Hest, The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson, and Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare)

Resources to Assist

Go to www.PrometheanPlanet.com > Resources > Lessons > Character Education or Classroom Management (in the Subject Area drop down) or these links for examples.

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.22341

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.22279

Search to view Conflict Resolution, Manners, Responsibilities, and Social Skills flipcharts for all curriculum areas and all grade levels.

Please feel free to upload your own as well!

ShareThis

One of the best things about Promethean is that we are surrounded with some fantastic technology, but it’s technology with a purpose. We love exploring new ways of using technology but also integrating it with other cool applications. After all, isn’t the learning experience so much better when we bring together the best-of-the-best, for a rich, blend of media, and all through the Activboard?

This is something we were recently exploring on our new ActivBoard 300 Pro. using Google Earth 5.0 We decided to explore the option to sync your GPS data from a journey, with Google Earth, to display an overview of your travel history.

To do this, it’s actually incredibly simple. With our Garmin eTrex device we were able to connect the USB cable from the device and plug it into the USB port on the new Activboard 300 Pro.

With Google Earth 5.0 running, we then simply went to Tools > GPS > Device > Import.

This then brought up the journey we’d previously plotted, from start to finish, overlaying on to Google Earth the route that we’d taken.

Using this date we could then explore the journey, observing the distance, the habitat, the geography of the surrounding area, zooming in to Google Earth using our Activpen.

Top-Tips for Google Earth With the Activboard!

We shot this video with our FlipVideo - a great way to record instant moments -to show you how easy it is to plot GPS data over Google Earth.
[See post to watch Flash video]

We’ve also included in the video a top- tip on how you can use your Activpen to zoom in on locations with a right-click, rather than having to use Google’s zoom function.

If you’ve any great tips for or videos of your class using Google Earth on the Activboard, feel free to contact the Planet team and you could be reading about yourself very soon!

ShareThis

Plugged in. Online. Connected. Our students are using technology resources in increasingly connected ways through online communication tools and social networks. As a result, digital citizenship was a common topic of discussion at NECC this year.

With more students online at home and in school, educators are actively seeking resources to help students learn how to safely interact and connect online. BrainPOP and Promethean teamed up to promote Internet Safety, and provide educators with rich resources for supporting digital citizenship in their classrooms.

Resources for Online Safety

As Director of 21st Century Learning at BrainPOP, I presented a flipchart on Online Safety in the Promethean booth at the conference! The flipchart, titled ‘BrainPOP Online Safety’ is available on Promethean Planet & highlights BrainPOP resources on online safety. BrainPOP’s many resources include our movie, quiz, fyi’s, timeline, and interactive pages.

The flipchart also features ActivExpressions, used to solicit background information about time spent online and engage students in dialogue about online safety. At NECC, the flipchart was used to showcase our BrainPOP quiz integration with ActivExpressions, too! Attendees actually took the BrainPOP quiz on Online Safety with the ActivExpressions student response devices.

Helping Students Make Safe Online Choices

The flipchart itself walks teachers through an entire lesson on Internet Safety. Many teachers joined us at the Promethean booth to learn more about how to teach their students safe online choices including: keep your identity a secret, avoid talking to strangers, protect passwords, be nice, and get help – 5 smart tips shared by Tim and Moby in the movie.

The flipchart encourages students to apply the new online safety rules featured in the movie to computer scenarios featuring Tim and Moby. It culminates with the development of class internet safety rules or a list of safe sites, such as BrainPOP with the free BrainPOP Internet Safety poster.

The flipchart links to a variety of additional BrainPOP resources to support the development of digital citizenship, including a special Digital Citizenship spotlight that will be featured in September for back-to-school. Topics include: blogs, computer viruses, copyright, cyberbullying, digital etiquette, email and IM, social networking, and more. BrainPOP Junior, for K-3, offers topics on Internet Safety and bullying. The flipchart also features a brainstorming web graphic organizer from BrainPOP Educators, our free online community for educators.

Celebrating 10 Years of BrainPOP with ActivExpression!

In addition to promoting digital citizenship, BrainPOP also had something to celebrate at the conference! Tim, Moby and the whole BrainPOP gang turned 10! To celebrate, we held a “BrainPOP Turns 10” event on Tuesday afternoon at the BrainPOP booth. BrainPOP enthusiasts competed in a BrainPOP challenge – a BrainPOP trivia quiz taken with ActivExpression devices! The grand prize was a 12-month premium subscription to BrainPOP and netTrekker, along with a set of 32 ActivExpressions, for the school of the winner’s choice. We also sang happy birthday to Moby and ate yummy BrainPOP themed treats!

Offering Rich Resources for Educators

NECC is always a powerful conference, as educators from across the nation and the world make connections that impact classroom practice. 21st century learning, web 2.0 technologies, and important topics such as digital citizenship were woven throughout conference sessions and conversations at NECC 2009. I look forward to next year’s event in Denver, where BrainPOP and Promethean will continue to offer rich resources for educators!

Dr. Kari Stubbs
Director of 21st Century Learning, BrainPOP

* Editor’s comments: You can follow Kari on Twitter and also download an exclusive BrainPOP resource pack on Planet.

ShareThis

In my role as a Promethean Australian Resource Developer, I make flipcharts for teachers about a range of topics in the Australian curriculum. Prior to this, I was a primary teacher and a Planet Teacher Feature.

I really enjoy finding ways to make the resources interesting and thought-provoking, but the questions I’m often asked is ‘Where do I start?’

I would always suggest to start small and grow big, so here are five simple strategies that I keep in mind when creating flipcharts.

1. Make the most of images

When you have a Promethean Activboard, you have a huge canvas to display beautiful, engaging images to your class! Use the resource packs available on Promethean Planet, or search for Creative Commons images to use lovely full screen images which will draw your students into a topic.

This title page of my Australian Government flipchart showcases a gorgeous painting from 1901 of the opening of the Australian Federal Parliament.

• Download this flipchart

2. Use the functions of the program to create exciting content

Activsoftware is the most powerful interactive whiteboard software in the world – so why not learn how to use a new feature to enhance your flipchart?

In this example, I’ve utilized layers and the Magic Ink tool to create an exciting interactive map about the Australian gold rush. Why not visit the Activtips section on Promethean Planet to learn a new skill?

• Download this flipchart

3. Look for ways to make text interactive

Text is an important way to convey information to your students. But large blocks of text will often lead to glazed eyes! Use simple tools like the pen, highlighter, or fill tool to identify key words and get your students on their feet.

In the screenshot, I’ve applied the ‘Deconstruct text’ property to the paragraph of text about gold mining. Students can click on a word to get a copy, which can then be dragged to a notepad.

4. Turn static into interactive

When you are presenting or reviewing information, look for a way to make it interactive for your students. I wanted my students to learn about the Eureka flag, an important symbol of worker’s rights in Australian history.

To make it more memorable, I used the shapes in the Activsoftware library and set students the challenge of recreating the flag.

5. Use the ready-made templates to save time

The Activsoftware resource library contains hundreds of ready-made templates which can be used to encourage discussion, analysis or reflection.

In this example I used a page from the library to help students identify the advantages and disadvantages of Federation in 19th century Australia.

I also added some sound clues at the end of the page to prompt their thinking – e.g. a train whistle to remind them about the difficulties of moving trains between colonies with different railway gauges.

Rosie MacAlpine
IWB Teaching and Learning Advisor

Concept AV
Suite 71, City West Centre
Plaistowe Mews WEST PERTH   WA 6005
Ph: 08 9429 4333   Fax: 08 9429 4332

* Editor’s comments: You can also follow Rosie on Twitter, YouTube and her blog.

ShareThis

As a Teaching and Learning Consultant for Promethean, it is my job to go out and work with teachers. I get to provide teachers with information and ideas to help them create more interactive and engaging lessons that will make learning more fun for their students, and in turn, their job will be more enjoyable and easier.

During my 5 years in the classroom, when the students were engaged and excited about the lessons I created, I was also more enthusiastic. Excitement in education is just contagious that way. Happy students=Happy teachers and vice versa.

Assistance in the ActivClassroom

In general, when I am conducting a workshop, the teachers are so grateful to be getting some assistance with incorporating their Promethean ActivClassroom and the content they are required to have to teach. Many feel overwhelmed and stressed that they don’t have enough time or knowledge to effectively utilize these tools. I hear lots of positive feedback about the excitement the students and teachers have over the technology being available along side some trepidation about inexperience with use.

Turning students on to technology

The other day, however, I had a very different experience. I was poised with a question I have never been asked by a math teacher from a rural community in Eastern Pennsylvania - “What if my students hate the Promethean board?”

I tried to clarify and understand what he was saying by asking several questions back and what it boiled down to was that the students did not actually ‘hate the Promethean board’ but that the teacher was using it in an ineffective way that made the students feel on-the-spot and self-conscious about getting up and involved in their learning.

Students at any age don’t want to feel stupid or inadequate in front of their peers and it is important to keep that in mind when tasking students with coming up to the Promethean board to work on an activity.

Promoting positive feelings

Here is an idea that someone shared with me to help promote positive feelings about coming up to the board and also increasing student attention and whole-class engagement. Rather than randomly calling on a student and requiring them to come to the board, use the Dice Roller tool in the Activ software to generate a random number.

Each student in your class should be assigned a class number. If the dice rolls their number, they go up to the board. But here’s the kick - that student is not necessarily responsible for knowing the information, answer, or how to offer a solution. That student is only responsible for manipulating the activity or writing on the board. The rest of the class is responsible for feeding the “scribe” the information they need.

This is a great opportunity to have a whole class discussion, partner work, or small group collaboration. By changing the attitude towards coming to the board, any teacher can change the level of excitement and interest and foster a sense of positivity in their classroom!

ShareThis

Who remembers reading the “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories? I remember going to the library each week to check out a new one. It was very exciting to be part of the story and be able to change the character’s destiny of the story.

Here are some websites that offer many “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories.

On Choose Your Own Adventure, there are several different sections to choose from. Since this is a Wiki Page, people are adding and editing these all the time. Make sure to stick with the “Family-Friendly Stories” or the “Kids Stories” (10+) for age appropriate stories.

On The Never ending Tale, there are more stories for older readers than younger readers.

National Geographic also has an adventure with Lewis and Clark that lets students decide what to take on the trip, paths to take, and other decisions explorers had to make for a successful journey.

How to use these sites:

-Select a story for your class to read together

-When the choices appear for the next event, students can use their ActiVotes or ActivExpressions to vote on their choice. The majority of the vote will be the next choice for the story.

Have students create their own “Choose Your Own Adventure”

Have students can create their own stories using the ActivSoftware. They can use the images and backgrounds from the Resource Library. Then create links between the pages to guide the reader through the story.

ShareThis

I am honored to be a to able to write about the new “My Planet” app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Having purchased an iPod Touch a few weeks ago I was able to be among the first to download and experience the My Planet app.

My name is Susan Jenkins, and I work as a Technology Integration Specialist (TIS) in Bullitt County, Kentucky.  One thing that my co-workers and I spend a great deal of time on is training teachers in our district on the use of Promethean products and the ActivStudio Software.

A huge resource for teachers

Promethean Planet has been a huge resource for us. Teachers, new to the site, are always amazed at the availability of Flip Charts on so many topics and the plethora of other training information. They also love the user friendliness of the online site. This user-friendliness has translated very well to the new iPhone/iPod Touch App. One thing that I enjoy doing is finding out what a teacher is currently covering then finding a flipchart or a resource on the Planet to share with them. This encourages them first to use the equipment and secondly, encourages them to research further themselves to find lessons. With the Planet App on my iPod I can search for these anytime I am on the run!

Information - anywhere, anytime!

What I love about having the Planet App on my iPod is that no matter where I am sitting, whether waiting for an appointment, riding on a long trip, or just need something to pass my time, I know I will always have something productive to read or research while I wait for time to pass. I am one of those people who like to read, but I’m not a huge fiction fan. I guess I have more of the “research” mode in me and like to read about things that I am dealing with day-to- day, which usually translates into things for my job.

I enjoy the fact that now, with a quick touch, I have access to the latest news from Promethean Planet, blog posts that cover a wide range of interesting educational technology issues, including, but not limited, to just Promethean information.  The discussion forums are also easily available within the app for that interaction aspect that many of us enjoy.

For those of those of us who have a hard time just sitting still, the My Planet App was an ingenious creation! I also look forward to putting the app to use as I travel my district when I am not always packing around my laptop. I can whip out the iPod Touch and demo Promethean Planet to a teacher right then at the point of need, without having to wait and boot up a computer or wait to bring up the site on the computer.

Looking forward to a new school year

I am looking forward to beginning a new school year and having the My Planet App to share as just another wonderful resource that Promethean provides through customer service and trying to make things easy for users. Please feel free to contact me using the email address at the end of this post for any advice or information you need about the implementation of Promethean products and Promethean Planet from a user’s point of view.

‘I love teaching again!’

I want to close this post with a story/quote from a teacher in our district.  This Elementary teacher had been teaching for close to thirty years and was close to burn-out and getting ready to retire at the end of the school year. That same year, the school that she was in did a full install of projectors and ActivBoards. After using the board for a couple of weeks her comment after seeing how engaged her students had become was, “I love teaching again!”

Yes, it was fresh and new, but students are engaged and have remained engaged at this school in the two years that they have had ActivBoards. This teacher did end up taking retirement but she came back  as an instructional tutor just to work with small groups of students on reading skills. And yes, she used the ActivBoard, ActivStudio, and the Promethean Planet resources to do so.

Susan Jenkins, Technology Integration Specialist

Bullitt County Public Schools
Shepherdsville, Kentucky

www.twitter.com/ssjenk6

Susan.jenkins@bullitt.kyschools.us

ShareThis

Over the next coming weeks the Planet team are going to be blogging about some of the aspects of the new Planet (referred to here as Planet 2.0) that will make your life in the classroom a whole lot easier.

Our whole ethos here at the Planet is amount minimising lesson preparation time, whilst helping you to connect with other teachers, access quality resources and best practice advice, to help make YOUR lessons go that extra ActivMile.

Skimmed navigation, straight to the point

Let’s face it, we want to take you straight to what you’re looking for so we’ve reduced the amount of navigation it takes to find Resources, Teacher Features & Themes.

We’ve brought more of these functions to the top layer and put links to some of the most requested information, straight at your finger tips.

Faster, faster, faster!

We’ve listened to your comments and responded with a major investment in new technology behind the scenes, such as a new Content Management System, to make your Planet 2.0 experience faster for both browsing and downloading.

Planet 2.0 uses .Net based applications which serve out requested information much quicker. As well as this, there’s an amazing new Community system coming to the new Planet, which is fully Web 2.0 compliant.

Like a premium coffee, we’ve refined for a smoother taste!

To make the user experience even more easier, we’ve looked at the way that teachers use the site and refined the ‘journey’. Take for example our resources section - a simple search can now be done from any page and all relevant resources will be grouped by new curriculum areas (more on that in another blog entry).

To summarise…

• We’ve made the user experience easier
• We’ve enhanced the technology to make the site quicker
• We’ve reduced the layers to get straight to what you need

Join us next week as we blog more about Planet 2.0 and talk about what’s new with the Resources section!

ShareThis

I recently finished a great book called Purple Cow, by Seth Godin. The thing is, this wasn’t a book about education, it was a book about marketing.  Why is marketing relevant to education? Because marketers spend billions of dollars every year to get our attention! Remind you of the millions of hours teachers spend to get student’s attention?

In short, the Purple Cow is something new and interesting that your students have not seen before.   The story goes: the author was driving along the French countryside and was in awe at the storybooklike cows grazing in the green pastures alongside the road.  It was amazing to him and his family. However, after 20 minutes they found themselves saying “Oh, another cow”

The point is, something that may seem incredibly novel and intriguing will eventually lose its power over time.  What would be interesting after fields of black and white cows?  A purple cow of course!  As educators, our job is to keep finding that purple cow! We know that even a field of purple cows would get stale after 20 minutes so the lesson is:

Keep them guessing what you’ll do next.  Don’t always rely on your old bag of tricks.  Don’t use the same reveal methods every time.  Keep structure and routine to your pages, but give them enough variety to to engage your students. remember when you first showed your student the ActivBoard? It didn’t matter what you used it for, they were engaged. Now you need to change things up a bit. If something is “cool” to students on the first day of school, it’s bound to be ancient by the last day of school. So go find your Purple Cow!

Aside from the traditional reveal techniques, you may want to download and install this “Hiding Things” resource pack to get some ideas.

ShareThis

ActivSharing , an interactive technology best practice event, comes to South East London

Last week, the first ActivSharing event took place in England. Hosted in London at Lewisham CLC, teachers from several London boroughs attended and we even had two teachers representing France and Germany.

An afternoon of interactive workshops

Both primary and secondary practitioners were able to enjoy an afternoon of interactive workshops led by teachers. The sessions covered topics such

as translating shapes, algebra and money, to using sound to create imaginative stories with young learners. The CLC was extremely accommodating, giving us access to four of their ICT suites, which ensured attendees were involved in 3 out of the 4 workshops to maximise their afternoon.

This event presented a great opportunity for teachers to share their experiences, exchange tips and tricks, as well demonstrating some lesson ideas and examples that they had created themselves. Each attendee was then able to take the resources away with them to practice.

Feedback

Promethean’s latest interactive software, ActivInspire was also demonstrated to showing some of the exciting opportunities within the learning arena. Teachers w:re then asked to feedback their thoughts on the afternoon using ActivExpression learner response devices, with over 95% stating that they would attend a similar Promethean event!

The teachers’ presentations are now available to download from Planet:

• ActivShare on my Promethean Board by Claire Webb
• Independent Work for Literacy Lessons by Jackie Sippitt
• Children Using Activprimary by Karen Hamilton
• Indian Musical Instruments by Sophie Mount.

ShareThis

Do you ever wonder who actually gets the grants you take so much time to fill out an application to receive? If you apply for them and are not one of the lucky few who receive them, then you probably don’t know who did (unless there is a website to go to for that information). Well, don’t give up on writing them!

I know how it feels to get the letter telling you that your grant wasn’t approved. I also know what it feels like to actually receive one. I taught for twelve years before coming to Promethean and had the amazing opportunity to receive a Promethean ActivClassroom the last two years I taught. I must say that those were the best years I had as a teacher, and (IF I ever had to go back) I don’t know that I could go back into the classroom without having those pieces of technology.

Applying for grant funds

The way I was fortunate enough to receive my complete ActivClassroom was through a grant. Several districts in my state received money from CISCO and our school district was one of the lucky few. We received a three-year grant to help provide technology in the classrooms. Well, how do you determine what to buy and who gets it with that type of grant? The way our technology department decided to go about this was to allow teachers to write a grant to the district, and then they would decide who would receive the technology purchased with the overall grant funds.

Purchasing Promethean

The decision had been made to purchase Promethean ActivClassrooms (board, slate, votes/expressions, tablet, projector) with the money provided from CISCO. We (meaning teachers) really didn’t know much about what we were getting (we rarely ever went to any large technology conferences due to budgets), but we were all very excited when we found out we had been chosen.

There were a lot of teachers who didn’t bother writing the grant because they thought the actual products would be something else they would have to learn how to use and it would take too much time.

Over the course of the next year, many teachers wished they had taken the time to write that grant, and after seeing the teachers using the equipment in the classroom and hearing about the improvements in student grades…..well, let me just say that the number of applications the second year tripled! The technology department went from having about 35 applicants to over 100. Everyone wanted the technology after they saw what it did in the classroom!

Take your time and do your research

Did it take a lot of extra time that those hesitant teachers thought it would take? Yes, it took time to learn and time to prepare, but it was all worth it! Those teachers who were reluctant to try it even saw its potential and decided it might be worth the risk.

I wrote all of this to say - Take the time to write the grant. Don’t shrug off the idea of something new just because you may not be technology savvy and think it might take too much time to learn. Everything takes some time to learn, but you never know what you can do with it until you try using it!

ShareThis

Research has shown that pupils who are more aware of their heritage and ancestral background are more likely to perform better at school. Our latest Theme on Planet for ‘Heritage in the classroom’ looks at ways that Planet can help teachers facilitate this, but how does this actually transfer from research findings to practical ideas in the classroom?

To show what can be achieved,  the Planet team met up with Alistair Geddes (pictured below), a Newly Qualified year 6 Teacher at John Gulson Primary School in Coventry, UK, to find out how theory becomes practice.

Alistair is well placed to offer practical advice on acknowledging the importance of heritage and culture, with  children attending his school from a wide range of backgrounds - Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, India, North African, Malaysia and many more! Over to you Alistair…

How important is it to make pupils aware of their heritage?

The range of cultures, ethnicities and nationalities in the catchment area for our school is huge, and this diversity is also therefore reflected in the children. Across the whole school, all members of staff are encouraged to celebrate the unique benefits that this gives our school, and to try to incorporate these elements in interesting ways across the curriculum.

How important is this for the school to recognise?

This is really important for us and the children, because we feel that the connection between heritage and identity is a very important one that should be nurtured. This isn’t to say that any child’s heritage creates a fixed identity for them, but that children who are strongly aware of their own and their family background, and equally aware of those of other children, are more likely to feel comfortable in a mixed-heritage environment.

Does this recognition impact on their confidence?

I personally think that children find it a huge confidence booster to have a secure understanding of how they ‘fit in’ with other children from similar and different backgrounds. I suppose the main goal here, is to improve confidence and self-esteem, and therefore increase childrens’ success in all aspects of school and home life.

How do you go about teaching heritage in the classroom?

Our PSHE / SEAL theme at the moment is ‘It’s good to be me’, and so we have held a lot of discussions based around the things that make us all different, all the same, and all great. Many of these sessions have naturally evolved into discussions about Heritage, and the children in my class are instinctively very proud of their backgrounds, and talk very ‘romantically’ (and sometimes dillusionally!) about their countries and the good things that can be found there. One recent SEAL project around this theme worked in the following way:

Each child has a blank postcard. On it, they anonymously write five things about their background - it can be based on any factors relating to their Heritage - cultural, ethnic, religious, social etc. The postcards are then mixed up, and given to the teacher. The teacher reads out one item from a postcard, and children have to try to guess who wrote the postcard. If they cannot guess correctly, the teacher continues to read more items from the list, until it becomes clear who wrote it.

This sounds a great way to start the class thinking about diversity

The children really enjoyed this activity, and many of them learnt a lot about other children in the class. We then continued to follow up the activity with research about the different countries that children or their families have lived in.

We also have a ‘Global Citizenship’ project run by a (mostly voluntary) local community group. They do a lot of small activities (such as map work, team games, research etc.) that often involve some aspect of other countries. The volunteers are also all from different worldwide backgrounds. This helps to give the children a good perspective of the range of different cultures and ethnicities that can be found in Coventry, and helps them to be less (negatively) judgmental about people from backgrounds different to their own.

Finally, the children’s most recent history topic has all about looking at their local environment and the history of Coventry, and this has given them a great sense of how the area has changed, both physically and ethnographically, over the past 100 years or so.

It is really useful for them to see how history is not necessarily ‘fixed’! Much of the stimulus here has come from images and other sources, most of which can be found online and presented in a flipchart. The History Learning Curve website is very useful for finding historical sources.

What tips do you have for other teachers thinking of teaching heritage?

1. My main tip would be to ensure that you have you class in the right frame of mind before doing work about Heritage. Because it can be quite a sensitive issue for many children, and sometimes actually a focus point for children who bully, it is vital that children are considerate of other childrens’ feelings and careful about how they choose to phrase things.
2. You can encourage this by talking to the children about your own Heritage, and hence they will appreciate that it is an important issue to the teacher as well, and therefore something to be mature about.

How can technology help your class become ‘global citizens’?

Using technology, there is an almost infinite number of options you have, which can help encourage children to be ‘global citizens’ - i.e. to be aware of the changing, dynamic world around them, and to integrate themselves successfully into it.

One idea that we are about to start using is a website called Post Crossing. It allows children to send postcards (you can do this on an individual or whole-class basis) to places all over the world, and also to recieve them. It has fantastic potential for improving communication between children all over the world, and also as a great learning tool. Children are highly motivated to write as well as they can, when they know someone else will be reading it! It’s also free.

Another great use of technology to support an awareness of Heritage and issues in the wider world is photostories. They are a visual presentation of still images, often with a soundtrack or narration. I have recently used one from the website Foto8. This story follows some Kazakh Eagle Hunters, and it proved to be a fantastic source of inspiration for the children - both in terms of the discussions we had about how other people live, and for the ideas it gave them for writing.

Make sure that you check any photo stories that you use for suitability before using them however, as the images and themes of some photo stories can be unsuitable for children.

I would also suggest that teachers investigate podcasting as a means for children to research themes such as Heritage, and to then present their ideas and findings, not only to classmates, but also to the rest of the school and even a world wide audience.

Alistair Geddes teaches Year 6 at John Gulson Primary School in Coventry, UK

ShareThis

Continuing with my recent theme of turning pupils on to those ‘turned off’ subjects, I wondered what there was on Planet that could provide some inspiration…and then I remembered about a teacher from South Morningside Primary in Edinburgh, Scotland, called Bruce!

I visited Bruce in 2008 for his Teacher Feature debut and saw first hand his numeracy lesson and the engaging way he was using his Activboard with his young learners.

Here’s just some of my notes that I took away from Bruce’s lesson about how he sparked their imagination with his lesson, titled,  ‘Using Coins up to £1′.

Set expectations

At the beginning of the lesson, Bruce gave the children an idea of what they would learn, setting his expectations for the lesson.

Concentrate

In Bruce’s own words, he only concentrates on one learning objective per lesson, so as not to confuse his young class or set expectations too high.

The Money Box

Bruce uses a simple drag-and-drop method to match the coin shape up to the written value. There are only six boxes in his ‘money box’ so the class know they have to find six coins to make up the correct value.

Start Simple

Bruce’s lesson started simple, keeping the task to making 50 pence, a nice round number that the pupils could identify, particular since the shape of a 50 pence coin (a heptagon) is so recognisable.

Shapes for Shopping

To take the lesson into the real world, Bruce made a ’shopping’ activity using fruit from his resource library. Each fruit had a value and the class had to not just move the shapes but identify the coins you would use to purchase the fruit.

Finding Money!

By adding an element of suprise, Bruce took away the familiar so that his pupil’s didn’t know the outcome. He put coins behind a hidden layer, which each pupil had to drag out and then add to create a value. By doing this he could also involve the class - ‘who can identify this shape?’

Participation

It was evident from the queue of pupils lining up to drag out a coin how involved they were with the lesson, particularly, how much more focussed on activity they were when they knew they had a chance to guess correctly themselves.

Bruce’s lesson can be downloaded from Planet and you can also watch this lesson in action from his Teacher Feature page.

Note: Whilst this lesson uses UK currency, the principles could be applied for other currencies - just simply replace the coins with your own equivalent!

ShareThis

I was recently browsing through the Becta Twitter site and came across a link to a Teachers TV video about those ‘hard to teach’ subjects (this one was for Secondary English), and how teachers have been using ICT in the classroom to turn ‘hard to teach’ into ‘I want to learn’.

The Planet team have worked for over a year now with a publishing company (Self Made Hero) that run Manga Shakespeare, an abridged version of traditional Shakespeare but set in modern-day times and using Japanase manga illustrations.

There are the traditionalists who will prefer the full, original William Shakespeare version (we also provide this on Planet!) but for teachers looking to turn on teens to poetry or Shakespeare, delve into these ideas…

Illustrations - Manga uses some top graphic and comic illustrators. With the increase in popularity at the cinema with comic book characters (think Watchmen, Spidermen, Transformers) what do you think your pupils can identify with the most?

Words divide - As Manga is a visual medium using text and images, why not create your own scenarios using some of the Manga Shakespeare resource packs on Planet? To make it even more relevant, have your teens take pictures of their own environment (e.g. a housing estate scene), which you can insert into a flipchart and place the characters on top of.

Get dressed up! - Why not take the Manga from the book and into the classroom? Maybe there’s a scene in Macbeth your having difficulty portraying - have your teens act it out, stop and start the act where you want it and take the drama from the book (or the IWB) to the classroom.

There are some more ideas for teaching Shakespeare using Manga in the Manga Shakespeare partner resource area on Planet. Make sure you download the free resource packs as well for Macbeth, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar & more.

ShareThis

Has this ever happened to you?

Throughout the course of my day, I create a lot of new files on my computer.  Sometimes, I make sample flipcharts that I only need temporarily, sometimes I create a brief audio or video recording using one of the recorders in ActivStudio/Inspire other times I may simply download a read-only file that I need to alter and then delete.

Whatever I may be doing, I usually end of up with tons of random files, usually on my desktop. Most of these files are things that I won’t ever need again, yet needlessly litter my computer for months until I get around to deleting them.

Of course, the process of deleting them is never as easy as we’d think. First, you have to open the files,then preview them and then figure out why you created the file in the first place.  Eeek!delete icon

Solution: When creating a file that you know you will be using on a temporary basis, simply name the file “delete.” Subsequent files can be named delete1,2 or even “delete me.” Now, when you see these files bullying other files on your desktop, you can send them packing without any further headache.  Now that’s one less bit of clutter in your life!

ShareThis

Whether you live on the coast, or far inland, every one of us is connected to the ocean. Celebrate this connection to the wondrous sea and its creatures in your ActivClassroom on World Oceans Day, June 8, 2009.

The concept of a “World Ocean Day” was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Since that time, a growing number of nations have joined the celebration, promoting awareness of the fact that we are all responsible for preserving these amazing resources for future generations.

As of 2009, World Oceans Day has been officially declared by the United Nations as June 8 every year! This year’s theme: One ocean, one climate, one future, calls to attention the impact of climate change on our oceans, and how we can help.

Following are a few ideas about how to celebrate World Oceans Day:

• Wear blue in honor of the ocean
• Read stories and conduct activities about the ocean in your classroom
• Download and teach ocean-themed lessons from Planet’s Oceans theme
• Download and post the World Oceans Day poster in your classroom
• Attend a World Oceans Day celebration in your area

For more ways to celebrate and promote the preservation of our world’s amazing oceans, visit The Ocean Project.

ShareThis

As you know, manga is growing in popularity with our students.  This is due to the visual style with which the content is being delivered.  One example of how to effectively use manga or graphic novels in your English class is teaching Maus along with the Diary of Anne Frank.

Another way to integrate manga into your classroom is to use the Manga Resource Packs created on Promethean Planet.  But what if you want to use your own pictures in the lesson?  How can you transform those pictures into “Manga Style”?  One resource that I recently found can help you, it is a website called Be Funky.  It allows you to upload your own pictures, then use a number of effects to transform them!  Here is an example of a picture of me.  (This is what happens when you know the people who take the school pictures, you are able to play around a bit!)

Now after using some of the photo effects on Be Funky, here are some of the ways that I was able to transform my picture.

Using the Desktop Tools and Camera Tools in Inspire, I was easily able to take these images off the website and drop them into Inspire.  Imagine the possibilities!  You could transform pictures of your students and put them in their own manga story!  You could transform pictures that you and/or your students took to create a manga backdrop!

Enjoy!

ShareThis

Now that the school year is coming to a close, it’s time to think about how you can further sharpen your ActivClassroom skills during the summer break. Whether you’re looking for short online tutorials, or would rather take a complete workshop, the Planet can point you in the right direction.

Free Activtips Video Tutorials

Access these short, helpful video tutorials at your convenience either on the Planet, or on your mp3 player through our Activtips podcast. You’ll find videos for both ActivInspire and version 3 software.

Free ActivInspire Webinars

Get a thorough introduction to ActivInspire with these free, two-hour webinars. All you need is a phone, a computer and an internet connection. These webinars will be offered throughout the summer, but they’re filling up quickly, so check out the schedule and register today!

Free and Low-Cost Online Courses

ActivLearning offers free tutorials, as well as low-cost online and face-to-face workshops to support ActivInspire. For those who have not yet upgraded to ActivInspire, you may still find courses for version 3 software on the Promethean Learning site.

Cost-Effective Live Workshops

The summer schedule for Promethean’s live workshops, held in Atlanta, GA, is now available! Choose from ActivInspire Foundations, ActivInspire Classroom Integration, Using Assessment Tools in Your Classroom to Assess Learning, or ActivClassroom Instructor Training Course. Customized training courses are also available.

Don’t forget to visit our Best Practice section for the latest research and theory into teaching and learning from educational experts around the world. You’ll also find some great how-to flipcharts for ActivInspire created by our Innovations Team by visiting the Resources page and searching by keyword “ActivInspire.”

ShareThis

If you want to ensure a smooth start for the 2009-2010 school year, it’s a good idea to prepare your classroom now before you lock it up for the summer.

Promethean’s Customer Care team is here to help, and has created a checklist with End of School Recommendations to assist you in preparing your equipment and safeguarding your files while you’re away from school. Some of the tips you’ll discover include how to:

• back up your files
• safely store your Promethean equipment
• protect your login information
• stay up to date by visiting the Planet during the break!

You might also want to check out the blog article, Cleaning Your Projector With Len Lamp & Fanella Fan.

ShareThis

The following was written by Kerry Arens, a High School English Teacher at Kirkwood High School in St. Louis Missouri.

Making the Activboard More Interactive

When I first received my Activboard, I used it mainly as a large display tool, projecting my PowerPoint presentations and other documents.  I shared the Activpen with my students, but I was the one creating and sharing most of the knowledge.  The appeal of adding in video and images that our visually demanding students could analyze during a lesson was powerful and began to shape my daily lessons.  Soon I realized that my student-centered classroom was shifting back to a teacher-led structure, where I was the one spending hours on learning and creating, but my students were passively receiving the information instead of engaging with it.  However, with a simple shift in lesson design that placed my students in control of both the Activboard and their learning, my students began constructing their own knowledge instead of simply consuming information.  My new focus for lesson design became creating ways for my students to physically manipulate ideas and information through their tapping and dragging with the Activpen.

This new way to build knowledge could easily be seen by their use of containers with Activstudio 3 and the Activboard.  One Friday, I asked students to prepare to learn about simple grammar concepts; they groaned and shifted around in their desks.  I reassured them that it would be fun, and they looked at me as if I were crazy.  Then, I showed them an Activstudio flipchart I had created in about 15 minutes that had three containers on it, one for active verbs, one for linking verbs, and one for helping verbs.  Ten sentences hung above the containers, waiting to have their verbs identified and placed in the correct box.

I asked for a volunteer who could correctly identify the verb in one of the sentences and use the Activpen to drag the verb to the correct container.  Rachel volunteered, and she correctly dragged the verb ran into the action verb container.  Once the verb was correctly placed, she heard canned applause coming from the Activboard.  She smirked, proud of herself, and held up the pen to see who else wanted to give it a try.  The students who were dreading a grammar lesson at the beginning of the hour now were waving their hands in the air, trying to be the next in line for the Activpen.  John grabbed the Activpen and dragged the verb is into the linking verb container.  This time the Activboard cheered for him, and he took a bow.   Then John asked what happened when the verb was placed in the wrong box.  Someone else grabbed the pen and gave it a shot, dragging the verb could into the action verb container instead of the helping verb container.  As soon as the verb was dragged into the container, it flew back to its original place.  It would not let a student put it in the wrong place.  My students cheered, realizing that the software would give them as many chances as they needed to figure out the correct answer.

At the end of the container “game,” my students wrote definitions for each kind of verb, using the knowledge they created from the activity.  Because the students viewed the game as fun and challenging, they worked diligently to build their understanding.  Seeing their joy in learning more about grammar gave me even more reason to love Activstudio, and it caused a shift in my lesson planning.  No longer would I simply use Activstudio to create visually appealing lessons that I could present.  Now, I would focus on how to give my students time to construct knowledge through Activ play.

Click here to view this flipchart.

ShareThis

If it is and you live in Australia, can I make a suggestion? RUN!

For those of us who live with the safe knowledge that the most harmful thing we could encounter is a calorie loaded pizza, I feel secure in viewing at a distance (on screen only of course) the Carpet Python from Australia, knowing that me and it, are separated by 9,000 miles of land and sea.

But the great advantage of our digital age and online communities such as Promethean Planet, is that information is closer than you think, opening up a world that many of us will never see or experience. For example, I never knew that a species of Python would ever be named after a carpet, but it was only when viewing the recent Australian Snakes resource pack I discovered it.

I then explored some of the other resources, Australian Birds, Mammals and Spiders to see what other creepy creatures would be awaiting me down under, and here are my Darwinesque discoveries…

The Carpet Python Morelia Spilota

Mainly found in Indonesia, Australia and New Guinea, they are one of the largest snake predators alive and can grow between two and four metres. Pythons are also constrictors, meaning they squeeze their prey to death, rather than relying on venom.

• Download Australian Snakes Resource Pack

The Australian Bilby Macroft Lagotis

A desert dwelling marsupial, this little creature’s name originates from the Yuwaalaraay Aboriginal language of New South Wales. Interestingly, they don’t drink water, but instead, obtain all the fluid they need from their meal!

• Download Australian Mammals Resource Pack

The Christmas Spider Sarcalogos Nemus Arachnia

Known as the jewel or spiny spider, this spider carries an armour plated shell with six spines. They received their name from appearing in the summer months leading up to Christmas. Not a present I’d like to see under my tree this Christmas!

• Download Australian Spiders Resource Pack

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Cacatua Galerita

Believe it or not, this bird can live up to 70 years and can be considered a pest in Australia, though it is protected under Australian Commonwealth Law.

• Download Australian Birds Resource Pack

It was only by downloading these resources that I could find out the names of these creatures, quickly link to Wikipedia for information on them and their habitat, and then breathe a sigh of relief.  After all, I don’t think a Carpet Python would like the wood floor in my flat.

ShareThis

As a teacher, there is always something new that is being asked of you. Along with your everyday classroom responsibilities of teaching, lesson planning, classroom management and grading; you are asked to sit on committees, attend workshops, participate in faculty meetings, plan parent-teacher meetings, learn everything new in the world of education and still maintain some life outside of the classroom. A complaint that I frequently get when working with teachers is “Who has the time?”. I understand this complaint and can sympathize with classroom teachers who feel this way…to an extent.

During a recent user conference, this common complaint resurfaced and sparked a discussion among the TLC’s working the conference. We all agreed that we were getting a little tired of hearing the complaint about time because if teachers would just take a small amount of time and dedicate it to learning something new each day, they would really improve their skills and enhance their instruction.

Activ software (Studio, Primary, Inspire) all come with a wealth of resources built into the software in the form of the Resource Library or Resources Browser. These FREE lesson building resources are well worth the time it takes to explore them. During the aforementioned conference, I conducted a break-out session that discussed many resources available to teachers. The resources built into the software programs are often overlooked. These resources are content and grade-level specific and valuable tools to help teachers create more exciting, interactive flipchart lessons. Both new and seasoned users of the software applications should take some time out to review these resource folders and see if they can find useful tools to create lessons for their classrooms.

Free resources, right at your fingertips….as a teacher, I think exploring these is worth the time!

ShareThis

As part of a Global Marketing Project, Eastbourne C of E Academy from Darlington in the North East of England teamed up with Promethean to film some key sequences for a video that will be seen worldwide.

Eastbourne Academy were chosen for this task because Alan Dick, the Assistant Principal, is an avid promoter of the Promethean solution, and is using Inspire software, Activexpression, Activslates and Activ sound as part of the daily teaching regime. The school is also going to be equipped with the full Promethean solution when they move to their new BSF build in September 2009.

Alan and a dozen students visited Beamish Museum to film key sequences for the video in the 19^th century school building. Accompanied by representatives from Promethean and a crew from thinktank video, they changed into period costume and experienced school life as our grandparents knew it.

In the afternoon, they returned to school and repeated the experience in the ActivClassroom environment to compare and contrast the way education had evolved over the last century.

As a thank you for their hard work and patience, the Promethean Teaching and Learning Consultant for the North of England presented the group with some gifts as the school’s PR department created a piece for local media. Keep an eye out for the finished video on prometheanplanet.

www.beamish.org.uk

www.thinktankvideo.co.uk

www.eastbourne-ce-academy.org.uk

ShareThis

John Adams is the ICT Subject Leader at Fosters Primary School in Welling, UK, and a pioneer of using Elluminate technology & other ActivConnect ideas to connect his classroom with Rock Island Elementary, Florida.

Elluminate, a free service to Planet members, creates a virtual classroom connection between two schools via an interactive whiteboard - all you need is the internet and webcam, easy!

By linking up the two schools, John’s pupils have exchanged more than just lessons; they have learnt first hand how the hurricane season effects Rock Island, discussed America’s new President and exchanged popular music culture.

In this interview, the Planet team caught up with John to find out what it’s really like using Elluminate technology to bridge the Atlantic and connect children with a different community.

I believe this isn’t the first ‘live’ session you’ve participated in?

We have “met” successfully online three times this year – once per term.
In our first meetin both schools shared a flipchart prepared by Promethean Teaching & Learning Consultants (TLCs) Selda, from the UK, and Shannon, from the USA, to find out a little about each other’s school.

We used Elluminate to share control of our ActivPrimary/Studio/Inspire software. Pupils were able to write responses to the questions using the interactive whiteboard pen and the writing instantly appeared in the other classroom on the other side of the Atlantic!!! We then used Skype for the audio and video part of our communication.

The second time we met up, opupils from both schools put together some flipcharts using the Promethean FlipPals. My class produced flipcharts on entertainment, the local area, our school & transport.

What ideas did you come up with to swap virtually?

For our final meeting, we gave both sets of pupils the same  brief: “write and perform either a poem or song with words linked to their UK-USA link experience.” The pupils had one afternoon in groups/pairs to come upwith original material.

For this the USA performed songs live in front of the webcam. In the UK we recorded our performances beforehand as not everyone was keen to do it in front of a live camera. We uploaded the videos to our webserver and sent a page of links to the USA so they could view them before our linkup. They then talked about how much they enjoyed what we sent and asked lots of questions.

How does it benefit your pupils from linking with another school?

Our link has been absolutely fantastic in terms of the childrens’ learning. Children were able to extend work on natural disasters covered in their literacy lessons by asking questions about America and the hurricane season.

The FIRST HAND experience/information the USA children gave my pupils was incredibly valuable. They were able to speak to children who actually have to board up their windows when hurricane warnings are given – this made the issues very real, as opposed to just reading about them in books.

View some of Fosters Primary School’s Elluminate sessions…

What other value has the sessions given your pupils apart from exchanging lessons?

From this they have been able to draw comparisons between life in the UK and life in Fort Lauderdale, noting linguistic, geographic and cultural differences.

It was also great for the children to see outside of their own school environment and into another, realizing that technology that enables them to do so much is used across the world.

This has also tied in well to other countries we have been studying through topic work, where such technology is not available. It has drawn children’s attention to the fact that there really are great differences in provision across the world and made them realize just how lucky they are and how much they take for granted.

How easy was it to set up an Elluminate session?

With the support of Selda and Shannon the project has been a breeze. Dates for conferences have been set well in advance.

Suggestions as to activities to be carried out in the sessions were made and Elluminate rooms were set up - as a class teacher all I had to do was click the emailed link.

After installing Skype I was able to video conference with Selda and was taught how to use the Elluminate software through web-conferencing! For our video conference we used Skype as it provided a much more real life communication environment. Schools may need to check that necessary ports in their firewall are open before starting to use Elluminate and I would recommend a test connection beforehand.

John Adams is the ICT Subject Leader from Fosters Primary School in Welling, the London Borough of Bexley, UK.

ShareThis

I saw a quote in Wired magazine the other day.  It was in a product review for a Flip camera, the ubiquitous tech-toy so many people cherish these days.  The review called it “so simple, even an adult could operate it.” Not only did that make me laugh, but it made me think.

I can’t remember when we reached this point, but we are certainly in a place where digital natives can assimilate and understand new technology faster than their more wrinkle-prone counterparts. Our students really seem to have an incredible aptitude for new technology. We see many teachers  being tutored by their own students on features of the new LCD projector, laptop, software or doc cam.

What are the implications of this?  Nothing we don’t already know. We need to teach them/reach them in their world using their learning style and their tools.

So my question is:

How would your educational experience have been different if your teachers had used an Activclassroom?

What do you notice about your students when you use your Promethean tools?

What would happen to your students/you if your tech tools were suddenly removed?

image in Creative Commons public Domain: G. Andrew Page

ShareThis

Teaching about responsible pet ownership is now firmly planted in the UK curriculum, with the responsibility falling on teachers to educate their students about how to treat animals with care and sensitivity.

Thankfully, help is on hand from one of the world’s most famous animal welfare organisations, the RSPCA, a registered charity. It has been assisting teachers in England and Wales for many years, offering tailored lesson plans and practical demonstrations for Key Stage 1 to 4 classes, all for free.

To help teachers understand the options available to them and how the RSPCA can visit them at their school to develop an individual plan of study, the Planet team caught up with Neil Barnett, RSPCA Education Adviser for the North West of England. Neil was an experienced primary head teacher for 13 years and has been an ambassador for the RSPCA for the past five years.

How would you summarise your role?

As RSPCA Education Adviser for the North West, it is my responsibility to work with teachers and trainee teachers to help them develop a scheme of work that raises awareness of responsible pet ownership through the national curriculum.

So it is actually a national requirement that school children understand about caring for pets?

Absolutely. For the Key Stage 1 Science curriculum as part of ‘life processes’, pupils have to understand and learn about treating animals with care and sensitivity.

Does it help to start educating children at as early an age as possible?

The aim of RSPCA Education is to promote kindness and develop empathy skills amongst children. The younger we start, the better, as attitudes towards animals are likely to be much more positive when developed over a period of time.

So if a school is interested in using your free services, what is the process?

In all circumstances, we have a preliminary meeting to discuss what they want to achieve and what scheme of work they are planning. We look at the various curriculum-aligned lesson plans offered by the RSPCA and always tailor them to the individual needs of the subject co-ordinator and the needs of the school.

Can you help deliver the actual lesson?

We can offer to deliver one or two lessons for the teacher or even joint deliver the lesson until the teacher is confident to do this themselves. However, our ultimate goal is that teachers will feel empowered to deliver the scheme of work themselves and embed the scheme of work into a whole-school approach to planning.

Can you tell us a bit about how your lesson plans are used?

The RSPCA has developed a range of flexible lesson plans (some are available to download from www.prometheanplanet.com/rspca) aimed at each key stage. We recommend using a variety of interactive learning techniques to engage with the class, including some class participation work. We would encourage pupils to actively get involved and take responsibility for decisions themselves.

We’re not trying to make animal welfare a separate subject, but to use it as a focus or context for delivering the curriculum so that pupils can empathise with animal welfare and make informed decisions about pet ownership.

What advice would you have for parents considering purchasing a pet?

In all cases, research the particular pet that you’re interested in first. Obtain knowledge about the animal and research its needs – it’s not just the animal’s food and water needs that should be taken into consideration!

It’s also important to remember that anyone who is responsible for a pet has a legal responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to make sure the animal’s welfare needs are met, as well as the moral aspect to pet ownership.

These needs include:

• A healthy diet, including fresh water
• A suitable place to live
• Any need to be housed with, or apart from, other animals (companionship)
• The need to behave normally
• Protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease

How can teachers find out more?

Please visit the RSPCA Education website and use the ‘contact us’ option to get in touch. The local education adviser for your area will then contact you to discuss your requirements.

ShareThis

As a Teaching and Learning Consultant for Promethean I would have to say the best part of our job is the people that we encounter each day. We are sent out to inspire, educate and touch the lives of the education world, but often the favor is returned and it us who receive the inspirational lessons. Well yesterday was no exception, I met a gentleman that has a “Bucket List” a mile long and truly enjoys his teaching career at Parkview Baptist School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I was invited by the Technology Director to assist the teachers in gaining a better understanding of how the ActivExpressions would work in a high school classroom. Mr. Shawn Liner entered the room and sat quietly at a desk in the front row. He had a serious and stern look about him as he asked several questions about management and functionality of the devices. About halfway through the demonstration he wanted to share a lesson he had put together through PREZI.com. Once he pulled up his lesson on electricity he immediately began smiling and everyone in the room could feel his excitement. He began throwing out ideas of how to use the Expressions to evaluate student understanding throughout his entire lesson. Being in the education field we all know that one of the hardest tasks in a classroom is maintaining student attention and interaction. Mr. Liner has found his solution to this problem and it all lies within the “Expressions” in his classroom.

Link to Mr. Liner’s presentation: http://prezi.com/22558/view/

ShareThis

Currently in the midst of a multi-year independent research study, Marzano Research Laboratory has recently published their interim findings entitled, “A Evaluation Study of the Effects of the Promethean ActivClassroom on Student Achievement.”

This study involved over 3,000 students, 79 teachers and 50 schools throughout the United States engaged in a thorough analysis of several key research questions all centering on the effect of the entire Promethean ActivClassroom: Promethean ActivBoard, ActiVotes or ActivExpressions, ActivSoftware, ActivPD and Promethean Planet.

So what can teachers do to apply the findings of this research into their classrooms? Well, how about with the exclusive Marzano Research Laboratory Learning Goals Templates resource pack on Planet?

Teaching is an Art

Using principles from Marzano’s book The Art & Science of Teaching, this resource pack includes 20 templates that can help you set clear learning goals and track students’ understanding of these goals. You can start at the beginning (they unpack in order) and use the first template to set the learning goals, and continue to work through the resource pack until you end with the plenary template.

Use with ActiVote or ActivExpression

These templates are perfect with your Learner Response Systems as they include voting options incorporated into the pages - use them to determine how much your students knew about the topic before the lesson and how much more they know after the lesson.

Revealing More Than Just Answers

In addition to giving your students clear learning goals, the templates can also reveal more than just the answers. For example, who doesn’t understand the topic? Who needs me to explain more? What did we not cover that you still need to know?

ShareThis