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I've been using a lemonde-lush FREE tool from a US friend called Dropbox
My mate has a mac lappy, desktop and iphone plus some other gadgets and he travels quite a bit. He finds that emailing himself docs evertime he goes from work to home to elsewhere is a pain and gets confusing.
Dropbox means that he can put his files in his drop box online, or just save them to the drop box on his machine, and the software on his computer means that whenever his other device goes online it automatically updates the copy on his machine. No matter where he goes he always has the latest copy. I think it's useful anyway. :)
FilmClub - NOT Fight Club!!!
I love films and I've used them in my own teaching - something lots of children and young people can relate to - well worth a look.
Every teacher knows that a subject – no matter how difficult to grasp it may seem on the surface – can be brought to life through pictures. T hat’s why so many schools are now creating a space in their extended day for FILMCLUB: a government-backed initiative, free to state schools, which provides teachers and pupils with access to thousands of films that they mig ht not get the chance to watch elsewhere.
This summer, the organisation is promoting films from around the world as part of a ‘Film Journeys’ campaign, which aims to show young people that there is international cinema to be discovered in addition to Hollywood blockbusters. These films in particular can introduce children to people, places and ideas that otherwise might be hard to understand or relate to. If you would like to take your students on a journey with a difference, visit www.filmclub.org/fastregister , or call 020 7288 4520.
Laptops4Teachers - free entry to a laptop draw
On the icteachers.co.uk website you can sign up for laptops4teachers where they pull your name out of a virtual hat every month. In exchange you agree to open two emails a week from advertisers a week. Sounds reasonable I guess.
Family News
Big news from me, I'm leaving my job as an e-learning specialist at the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services. Hard to believe I joined them 6.5 years ago having done my NPQH as a dep head of a primary school, I will miss them, it's been a great opportunity to build into the lives of so many colleagues in the teaching world and by implication raise children's life chances and outcomes.
But what will I do?
Well, I'm going freelance making my way in the world by working for a company called WiredTrust which makes sure companies offering online services for children come up to standard in online safety, I'll do some supply of course, I do miss teaching, and some e-consultancy work using my MSc in Advanced Learning Technology. More about that another time.
John did a UKMT test is one of the top 500 mathematicians of his age group so he tells me!Lizzie continues to be 12 and has announced she now wants to work in film and stage, a far cry from working in Africa with the poor when she had been planning...or is it? James is much, much happier at school. His teacher, an NQT, is very good, lively like him, of course i dread next year and not knowing if we're going to be plunged back into despair but we shall see! Perhaps he's old enough to handle it at 9?
Have a lush summer term all, can't beat that sunshine so get out of doors with the kids and do something whackey! At least read them a story under a tree..but don't go to sleep like I usually did. : )
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