A day at Caldicot School, working with staff and students on the wonderful worlds of words and beyond.

There is SO much to cover, and I felt we had only just glimpsed the tip of the metaphorical iceburg. Well done to all of the staff and students today for rising to challenges and exploring the worlds of words with us.

I discover new things every day. Often, through Stumbleupon.

 Stumble Upon is a great tool, and, as a few folk have also asked for a link to the site, I will mention it again here.

StumbleUpon is a web browser plugin that allows you to discover and rate webpages, photos, videos, and news articles. These webpages are typically presented when you — known within the community as a Stumbler — click the “Stumble!” button on the browser’s toolbar.

When you install the toolbar, and on your first use, you fill out a form to say what your interests are (no - not like a dating agency - don’t worry!) StumbleUpon chooses which new webpage to display based on your preferences, ratings of previous pages, ratings by your friends, and by the ratings of users with similar interests. i.e. it is a recommendation system which uses peer and social networking. There is also one-click blogging built in as well. You can rate, or choose not to rate, any webpage with a thumbs up or thumbs down, and clicking the Stumble button is like “channel-surfing” the web. Toolbar versions exist for Firefox, Mozilla Application Suite and Internet Explorer.

Basically, it is a great way of finding new “stuff” that interests YOU! Be warned though it can be addictive! Remember to do other things, like eat, sleep and talk to your family!

Fleck is a free web application (it doesn’t even require a download!) that allows teachers or students to add notes and bullets to any web page. The annotated pages can then be posted on a blog or shared with students or colleagues. This is amazing! Fleck also provides you with a history of all the pages you have Flecked so that they can be updated and visited again and again. Fleck makes the Internet a collaborative learning experience. 

How to integrate Fleck into the classroom: Fleck can be easily integrated into any curriculum. Imagine finding a really great site on the Civil War that you want to share with your students. It is a very comprehensive page and has more information than they need. Fleck the site with your sticky notes about important information. Add bullet points to the information that you want them to be sure to read. Share your Fleck with your students and they will be able to complete an activity independently as though you were sitting their with them and guiding them through it! Students could use Fleck while they are completing research projects. They can bullet important information on sites as they are gathering information. When students are working on group projects that require the Internet, they can share their Flecks with each other as they research. This is a COOL tool. I know that you will come up with other incredible uses for Fleck. Be sure to share those ideas with in a comment!

Fleck will allow you to add notes to web pages without an account, I recommend a free account so that you can share your Flecks and save them. 

I have had the pleasure of working a lot in Wales, mostly in Bridgend and Monmouthshire, and beyond. It was a joy today to meet a lot of new folk from Bridgend , Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil,  and Rhondda Cynon Taf 

The conference was also looking at implementing and using the BECTA Self Review Framework (SRF)

After a presentation from myself, Sally Davies, from Edwardsville Primary School, shared some of their good practice using the SRF. There are links to some examples of good practice on the ESIS Wiki.

Pam Mahoney also presented some impressive work from her school Maes-yr-Haul Primary in Bridgend. Visit both of these schools’ expansive websites.

Throughout the day, I worked with groups looking at Communication in the 21st Century, and ways to inspire children of all ages and abilities.

A great site I stumbled upon recently, and one that I refered to today, encourages great discussion and interaction in a range of classes:

‘Inanimate Alice’ tells the story of Alice, a young girl growing up in the
first half of the 21st century, and her imaginary digital friend, Brad.

Over ten episodes, each a self contained story, we see Alice grow from an eight
year old living with her parents in a remote region of Northern China to a talented
mid-twenties animator and designer.

‘Inanimate Alice’ tells the story of Alice, growing up in the early years of the 21st century. Written and directed by writer Kate Pullinger and digital artist Chris Joseph, this series of multimedia, interactive episodes uses a combination of text, sound, images, and games as Alice takes us on a journey through her life from the age of eight through to her twenties. Alice becomes a games animator; not just any animator, but a creator of characters for the most successful games company in the world.

And one character stands out: Brad, Alice’s only true friend in life. The ten episodes of ‘Inanimate Alice’ become increasingly interactive and game-like, reflecting Alice’s own developing skills as a game designer and animator. ‘Inanimate Alice’ is a study of human/computer relations in a world where having friends means never having to meet them.

I promised I would put a link to a couple of the sites I refered to today…

blogs4schools

A really useful tool when recording podcasts or filming films with a large amount of script (e.g. reading out some Myst writings) is Cue Prompter, a free autocue.

Cut and Paste text into the window and it automatically scrools up the screen at the speed and size you find most useful.

Try this nifty little tool: an on screen/ whiteboard friendly way to make your own word magnets. This clever idea transforms your text into ‘magnets’ which can be dragged around the screen, colour coded and re-sized. You can also add new magnets at any time and remove any magnets that you no longer wish to use. Great for writing a shared text or looking at word order in sentences.

Thank you to Louise and Tina, and their colleagues at ESIS for a superb, very well organised and motivating day. Thank you.

A very enjoyable day again today. This time, as Master of Ceremonies at The Cambridge Young People’s Film Festival at The Cambridge Corn Exchange

Posh frocks and DJs were the order of the evening.

The categories were really motivating and related to the new literacy frameworks across all Key Stages. You can view all of the superb films HERE

I had the opportunity to interview Will Poulter on stage during the event. Will is one of the stars of Son of Rambow.

I have the pleasure of working with some remarkable young folk around the country and, indeed, the world. However, I haven’t met many lads as enchantingly “there” as Will. He was almost exhausting to keep up with when it came to signing autographs and relating to our audience. Well done Will budd, for answering questions in our on-stage witter, in a way that really captured the imagination of all of the crowd,of 1000 +, there tonight.

Son of Rambow has one of the cleverest strap lines:

“Make believe. Not war.”

It is about a pair of lads who set about making their own film.

Set in “a long, hot summer in the early ’80s”, the film is a coming-of-age comedy.

It tells the story of two schoolboys who are inspired by the film Rambo: First Blood to make their own action adventure film, which they hope will win them a young film-maker competition.

Neglected youngster Lee Carter (Will Poulter) — the worst-behaved boy in school — has access to the home video equipment used by his bullying elder brother’s video pirating enterprise.

Will (Bill Milner) couldn’t be more different; quiet and shy he comes from a family that belongs to the strict Plymouth Brethren religious sect. Will is forbidden to watch films or television and is made to leave his classroom when the teacher puts on a documentary film. In the corridor he meets Lee, thrown out of another class for bad behaviour.

At first, Lee sees Will as an easily manipulated lackey but after Will sees a pirated copy of First Blood and throws himself into the film making experience, the two realize how much they each need a best friend.

Their movie takes on a chaotic life of its own, as they fight to keep control of it, and also to keep it secret from Will’s family.

Ultimately it changes the lives of both boys, and their relationships with their friends and families. (Wikipedia)

There is a good interview with Will at the Popcorn site. A trailer can be seen HERE

A few of the films entered into the Cambridge film festival were stop motion animations. The super AnimateClay site is full of examples.

Try visiting a few of these great film related site: FilmEducation, Pixar, Film Street, arkive and my friend Oscar Stringer’s Animation For Education

Oscar is the best guy to get in if schools want to develop their film making skills. Try his new website HERE

Photostory is, of course, a simple and “cool” way of creating movies from still images. Try creating a film of the school trip, mixing sounds, text and photos effectively. And it’s FREE.

Computer Clubs For Girls (Primary and Secondary) has free resources and fun modules encouraging film making. Registration is free. You also receive a wealth of free software and “cool” (again, these are the words of the children who use these things!) rucksacks!

And the winners are… Thank you to Gareth, Mazzie, Jo and Sally, of the Cambridge Education ICT Service, and their colleagues for an event to rival the Oscars!

Now THAT was really good fun!!

I was honoured to be asked to present an extended keynote for the afternoon of the Kent ICT Conference 2008.

About 200 folk at the Ashford International Hotel.

It is a huge risk for an authority to ask someone to witter away for a whole afternoon! But, it was a very enjoyable experience because everyone was up for some fun, and challenges too.

I provided more than a few “heart in the mouth” moments too, as I nearly disappeared through the backdrop a couple of times. I blame gravity rather than my wobbly leggies!

A superb event, with speakers and suppliers from all around the country.

I was amazed to find out that 2Simple are in the last few days of an incredible 10th birthday offer: an 80% off everything deal.  Incredible isn’t it!!!

Schools get 28 programs on site licences forever! PLUS – they are giving all the children at those schools access to Simple City and 2Type online so they can use them at home too!

A remarkable and VERY generous offer - get in quick!

Well done to Carolann, who won an Asus minibook and survived The Doors of Doom Challenge.

Discovered Issuu recently. A way to publish online.

Some super FREE music at the Sounds Font site

I mentioned the use of Quick Time VRs again today. www.panoramas.dk is one of the best sites for finding these great little ways of stimulating discussion and creativity.

 Mentioned these recently but, a really useful tool when recording podcasts or filming films with a large amount of script (e.g. reading out some Myst writings) is Cue Prompter, a free autocue.

Cut and Paste text into the window and it automatically scrools up the screen at the speed and size you find most useful.

Try this nifty little tool: an on screen/ whiteboard friendly way to make your own word magnets. This clever idea transforms your text into ‘magnets’ which can be dragged around the screen, colour coded and re-sized. You can also add new magnets at any time and remove any magnets that you no longer wish to use. Great for writing a shared text or looking at word order in sentences.

Also, come up with your own Thriller Story titles.

Don’t forget to take the time to stand still in each QTVR (Quick time virtual reality) Panorama and write or discuss - before you even think about moving. It is the first movement that creates a bit of magic when using these with children.

Have fun!

Thank you to Cathie Edwards, Doug Smart and colleagues for a super day. Thank you too, to Graham King for pickies through the day.

We had a huge amount of definitions of Ellie’s new word “Fligminkle” We’ll post ‘em on the blog when we get a chance…

A few goodies included: when ICT equipment, which was working a few moments ago, fails. “My interactive whiteboard fligminkled in front of an Ofsted inspector!” (Heather Bird)

Fligminkle: The muck I scrape off the boittom of my boat (Robert Dudridge)

Fligminkle: “What lingers at the bottom of a child’s tray at the end of term!” (Rachel Nash)

Fligminkle: “That feeling, when you have just started the dishwasher and you find a mug on the living room floor” (Lucy Henderson)

See what you’ve started Elles.

More to follow… In the meantime, don’t be shy folks. File a comment, my widdlers.

(Due to admin-itis, if I haven’t contacted you and you were one of the bods interested in more (!!!) drop me a line )

UPDATE: Instead of replying to the truly lovely E-MAILS and comments after today’s event, can I thank all those so far for your generous and thoughtful comments. Some enchanting new definitions of “Fligminkle” too.

Perhaps the most delightful definition I have heard so far is from Carolyn Lewis: Fligminkle- the fluttering touch of a moth’s wing against a lit window at night.

Last year, Glastonbury turned into an endurance test of enjoyment.

Not so this year. Great weather. Great music. A great collection of humanity. A people watching sushi bar!

A fun day at the Northamptonshire ICT Conference 2008

Thank you to Rachel Ager and colleagues for a great event.

“I do enjoy looking at old predictions of the future. Eventually, the future arrives and we can compare it with the predictions. Sometimes, the predictions are better than the reality. Sometimes, reality outpaces not only the predictions but even the dreams of the past. And sometimes, the predictions end up being pretty-much spot on.

That’s the case with a piece about the “answer machine” of the future, which appeared in the book Childcraft Volume 6: How Things Change, published by Field Enterprises Educational Corporation in 1964. (Thanks to Paleo-Future for bringing this to our attention.)

Here’s how it starts:

the Google version:

Here’s some more of what “The Answer Machine” do for us:

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