We are delighted to have been asked to participate in the Highland Innovation and Skills Event being run by Fujitsu as part of the Inverness Science Festival. The event is being advertised to educators, young people and local business’s.
The event being held on the 2nd of June at Eden Courts aims;
To raise awareness of the skills required by local industries to secure their future growth
To demonstrate the accessibility of such skills
To ensure that young people in the Highlands are aware of the opportunities available to them – in terms of both education and employment.
We are really looking forward to being part of the event. It would be great to see you all there!
Oh, there is nothing better than a nice relaxing Easter Holiday! Well, apart from a nice relaxing Easter Holiday playing with your new iPad – but that is another story.
As some of you are getting into the ‘swing of things‘ on your Half-Term Break, up here in Bonny Scotland we are preparing for that time of year when teenagers disappear from the streets and retreat to their study rooms in preparation for the upcoming SQA exam diet. For many teachers this can mean a reduction in actual class contact time in the senior school as pupils embark upon days of long lies and Jeremy Kyle Study Leave.
This is the perfect time to dip back into your Teach-IT pack and look for inspirational ideas for the coming term and new school year. Have you looked at our Teach-IT Outdoors pack as you continue planning for CfE? Why not pop your TI open (or Log-Into on our redesigned landing pages), plan some new lessons and let us know how you get on.
On a slight tangent, it was lovely to hear from Andy McLaughlin over on Twitter the other day (@Mr_McLaughlin). Andy tweeted in response to a pretty serious question posed by Tom Barrett (@tombarett). I will let the tweet speak for itself…
Thanks Andy, its nice to know we are well thought about!
As you know Do-Be are always looking for ways to improve the services and support we provide our schools.
This week you may have noticed we have redesigned our Teach-IT landing page after you sign in.
The new design gives you better functionality so you can access the Teach-IT series more effectively. Your own personal school login gives you access to the various resources available in an interactive web format complete with hyperlinked text and examples.
Combined with great teaching we believe that there are two things that can really encourage learning, Technology and the Outdoors. Why? Well, learning with technology and learning through the outdoors provide exciting contexts and a brilliant set of tools to help motivate children and young people.
We are not alone in our thinking this BBC article and short video reinforces that many people believe teaching al fresco, whether it is on a field trip or simply in an outdoor classroom, improves concentration and can make lessons more interesting.
Do-Be also believes that where it gets really exciting is when you combine the two and create technology rich outdoor learning. In the past some people have been critical about the use of technology in outdoor learning. But the reality is technology can really enhance outdoor learning from planning, though doing and then during refection activities.
The possibilities are endless and all you really need is a good sence of imagination, for example:
Teachers work with learners to collaboratively plan an outdoor experience using Bing Maps and check the weather forecast using a smartphone app.
While away on a school trip learners capture the experience using a variety of digital media such as digital photographs, digital video and digital voice recordings.
After returning from an outdoor experience learners use Google Earth to re-trace their steps and reflect on where they have been and how they felt during their time in the outdoors.
We wanted to help teachers make the very best use of these opportunities and that is why we have created Teach-IT Outdoors!
Just like our other Teach-IT products Teach-IT Outdoors is a fun, easily accessible and very practical guide to making the best use of technology linked to outdoor learning opportunities.
If you want to know more why don’t you check out our sample lesson ideasor even enquire about an in-service training course.
We have had some exciting news this week. A school has been in touch from China and purchased our Teach-IT 1, 2 and Outdoors online resources. Thats the FULL HOUSE!
Our newest friend here at Do-Be, Emma Deeney got in touch after her probationary Teaching year in Scotland and she is the ICT Coordinator for school and they are trying to improve their ICT resources. Emma knew that Teach-IT would be a great resource to help give the staff ideas on ICT and she will be working with staff in school on how to incorporate ICT into the Units of Inquiry within the classrooms.
Think International Kindergarten and Primary Schoolhas Reception (4-5 year olds) through to Grade 6 (10-11 year olds). They have an international teaching staff consisting of Canadians, English, Scottish, New Zelanders and Chinese teachers from Putonghua. They have an international student body with local Hong Kongese children, Indian children, European and Canadian children. They are currently a PYP candidate school working towards accreditation.
We are delighted to be partnering with Think International Kindergarten and Primary School and look forward to hearing about all the exiting work they get up to.
I was reading through my Instapaper bookmarks today and found a little gem from August last year that I must have forgot to Blog about. It is from the ICT Magic Blog and is titled ‘Try IT this year – Ten Techie Things to try this year‘.
Reading through the list is great inspiration for many of the tools we advocate here at Do-Be and I can personally say I am heading towards 8 of the 10 goals so far.
Following on from the success of Teach-IT 1 and 2, Do-Be are delighted to announce the availability of Teach-IT Outdoors!
Teach-IT Outdoors is designed to build teachers confidence in delivering quality, creative and regular lessons outdoors. What makes these lessons unique is the use of the latest technologies to support learning outside.
As with all of our products, we have made a conscious effort to make Teach-IT Outdoors a jargon-free, fun and inspirational resource. It can be used in any nursery or school regardless of surroundings. Teach-IT Outdoors comes as both a handy pocket-sized paper pack and a dynamic, easy to use website. All lessons are curriculum linked and contain step-by-step guides so it’s easy for you to deliver quality learning experiences outdoors.
Lesson ideas will help you to:
Use ICT to plan meaningful lessons outside
Deliver fun and creative practical activities outdoors
Record, reflect and share your experiences with the wider world
One of the great things worth shouting about here at Do-Be are our FREETeach-IT lesson resources. We have a number of free lesson ideas taken from our successful Teach-IT and Teach-IT 2 packs. They are great for dipping into and trying out with your class or for personal CPD. I recently attended a CPD event focused on our new curriculum hosted by Education Scotland and was pleasantly surprised to see them promote an ICT tool for developing literacy and engaging through the use of ICT. That tool was Wordle. (From Teach-IT 1).
You can download our FREE Wordle-IT lesson resource from this link and try it out for yourself – the applications are endless and the results produced are fantastic for display on classroom walls and notice boards.
It’s that time of year again, Apple have launched the iPad 3 oops, sorry, the NEW iPad. In keeping with the conservative approach to upgrades on their mobile product line, the new iPad isn’t so much revolutionary, more resolutionary (that isn’t even a real word) as Apple advertise. The ‘new’ device features a faster processor, voice dictation, the 5mp iSight camera, 4g Wireless speeds and a rumoured 1gb onboard RAM.
Needless to say I am getting my very own NEW iPad this week and cannot wait to try it out. Why, when I already have an iPad 2? Well, the iPad is a fantastic device. I have been using the iPad in education and in the classroom since the launch of the product line. For a while it was seen as a ‘gimmick’, a novelty, a fad that would pass.
As time passed the quality of apps for teachers improved and my iPad is now by my side every minute of the working day (that is when pupils aren’t blogging on it, searching the interwebs or playing Temple Run).
I use it first thing in the morning (Instead of the newspaper or TV) for the pre-emptive reading of management emails, ensuring I arrive at school prepared for the day. It is my lesson planner, pupil organiser and grade tracker as well as the most powerful productivity tool in my possession for problem solving, providing near instant feedback and producing resources for pupils, colleagues and our school community.
The new iPad brings something new to the table but I would not call it a necessary upgrade for the casual user. Apple have differentiated the device to provide a ‘high end’ tablet for power users (in my opinion). The ability to record HD video in full 1080p is essential to me as a school blogger and video/photographer as well as being able to record lessons for my own personal reflection.
Not a necessity if you already have the iPad 2, more a luxury if you can afford it – but again, Apple ensure they stay ahead of the curve with competitive product pricing and outstanding aesthetics and functionality.
I will blog some images once I get mine and let you know how I get on with it next week.
Colin Robertson had 3 minutes on the TED stage to tell the world about his solar-powered crowdsourced health care solution. He is apparently “attempting to make the world’s first crowdsourced solar energy solution” Or is he? And then…
Colin Robertson is a young entrepreneur with a single, world-changing idea: crowdsource solar energy solutions to the global climate crisis. He is a passionate believer in the idea that we can solve all of our problems by coming together in groups.
He is also a fictional character created by ImprovEverywhere for a special prank at TED2012. He is played by Eugene Cordero, an actor and comedian based in Los Angeles, and a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Have a look at this video, it is only 3 minutes long and is sure to put a smile on your face this lazy Sunday…
In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning — creating conditions where kids’ natural talents can flourish.
Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs “childish” thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids’ big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups’ willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.
Help us to help a VERY good friend of Do-Be ltd by clicking the links in this post, registering and giving the video 5 stars.
Frank Bannon, from one of our Glasgow Do-Be schools, has uploaded a podacast to the O2 Learn program and is seeking support to win technology for his his school.
Do you have 5 minutes to spare to sign up and support him? You simply register on O2 Learn and like his video by rating it (5 stars of course).
Whilst you are there you can view the other resources O2 Learn has to offer.
What a surprise it was to receive a link to issue 18 of the Fife Business Matters E-Zine in my mailbox today. Its a lovely interactive magazine that showcases innovative and exciting business men and women in the Fife area.
I decided to have a browse through it at lunch today and low and behold – our very own LOUISE is spotlighted on page 11.
I don’t want to ruin the surprise of the article (big international information) so i will let you click through for yourself and take a look with your own eyes.
Well done from everyone involved with Do-Be Louise!
Did you know that 27% of self-employed people in the UK are women?
Hi my name is 'Doobs' and this is my Blog. As you get to know me I would like to get you thinking.
How do you Engage, Enthuse and Inspire the 21st Century Learner?
Do you Innovate as you Educate?
Do you see ’social’ schools as the norm?
Can you offer your experiences to this new network that will allow us to truly ’share good practice’ for the benefit of our Learners?
Are you, like me a teacher or educational specialist who wants to make use of Web 2.0 technologies?
Can you answer these questions or are you that person? Then you are in the right place!
