Thoughts and Reflections

Read a personally significant Blog post this morning that really resonated with my thoughts and indeed some of the conversations I’d had during this last week. Discussing the constant and ever present, dynamic, changing face of Web 2.0 technologies the writer highlights the need to embrace and cultivate such change positively, rising to the challenges presented by the multi faceted dynanism of progressive technologies. The summation of the post provides a reflective and contemplative annotation of my own role as an ICT Co-ordinator engaging with and promoting Web 2.0 technologies, as a valuable asset for teaching and learning and that as such I am indeed a learner seeking to lead the way in my learning environment.

Thanks to http://web20forschoolleaders.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/we-live-in-unce-2/

Communication4All

This is a fabulous site with brilliant resources for all year groups and covering the whole curriculum. All the resources are attractive, purposeful and engaging whether for teaching and learning or display. I have been using this Website for a long time and each time I visit there is always something new to find. I particularly like the interactive ICT and e-safety resources and the Blogging posters will be a fabulous adition to my new Blogging Display in readiness for next term. so a big thank you to Communication4All for those.

Fabulous Podcasts

Some of our KS2 children have been engaging in podcasting within our Learning Platform...Remarkable how conscientious they suddenly became, really wanting to impress and read with their most powerful and expressive voices. They all immediately recognised and innately knew how to apply improvements to their reading. It certainly drove home to me the power of such application for successful engagement and independent learning. Will be promoting further use of Podcasts for all year groups both in the classroom and our Learning Platform. Already developing ideas for extending their use for Literacy and reading. WELL DONE to all the children.

Christmas Advent courtesy of ICT Magic

Take a look at and enjoy the fabulous interactive Christmas Advent Calendar courtesy of ICT Magic, you'll find the page link on the side bar. This little advent is a wonderful, captivating host of individual activities that children of all ages will find engaging as they discover it on their Website. Take the time to explore it yourself first - Simply click on the side bar of this Blog or the link below and you will be taken to the Christma Advent page where you find the Advent Calendar embedded and a further link to the ICT Magic Website.

http://theclassroomcarousel.blogspot.com/p/christmas-advent.html

Podcasts

Finally finished creating an introductory Podcast and lots of, hopefully engaging supportive documentation for our staff meeting next week centred on our Learning Platform. So now it’s fingers crossed for the successful implementation and the effective development of Podcasting in our school. A bit disgruntled that I couldn’t add an engaging background to the Podcast, instead of the large white space that engulfed the screen, but when I tried to add a background the recording was lost and vice versa, regadless of which way I tried to add it; so that’s a new learning curve for me, but I need to find out if it’s possible first! Must say, was pleased with the Podcast though, really good, hope everyone else thinks so, too, but more importantly, hope that we can begin to adopt Podcasts within our classrooms.
Now to move on to planning the remaining portion of the meeting focusing on, ‘Effective Blogging in the Classroom.’ Already made great headway with this but looking to provide perhaps an engaging video or presentation. Really need to capture the essence and the purported excitement of creating Blogs within a learning structure. Need to show that they don’t necessarily need to be more time-consuming than any other teaching methodology, but rather show their desireability in producing creative and effective results with the children. So continuing with the drawing board, so to speak…Any ideas let me in on them, please.

Museum Box

Exploring the idea of using Museum Box - It looks really good! I'm busy researching its use aand am quite impressed with its apparent potential for teaching and learning. Project or Topic work seems to be an obvious starting point. I think it could be quite an engaging tool, offering a dynamic means of gathering information and relevant resources and compiling them in a dynamic and interesting way. I am also wondering if it could provide a relevant methodology for teachers to gather resources for lesson or topic planning? How feasible and appropriate, and indeed useful would such a medium be? I think I need to aquire some hands on experience of using it as a tool for primary learners and as a tool for teachers. So I sense a rather large exploration project looming! This will ultimately highlight its relevance for our school. Obviously I need to focus on something very relevant to make it worthwhile and useful in its entirety; have a couple of ideas in mind. I must say I'm quite excited about using Museum Box, it seems so innovative and I love the idea of beig able to add sound and audio and video files alongside documents and images; even web links can be incorporated and all compiled in one quite attractive little place!
http://museumbox.e2bn.org/
Please let me know your thoughts if you have given Museum Box a go...I would be really interested in hearing from anyone who has given it a go and the way you found worked best for your learners.

Resource Hub

Finally managing to create a resource hub that includes Web 2.0 tools and links to how to PDFs and video links, on our Learning Platform; a bit of a slow process but should be worth all the hard work in the end. Devoting some time each night to this task and it’s beginning to take good shape. Will also be including ideas as well as how to information for effective blogging and Wikis. Engagement and empowerment are the key words associated with ths development initiatve. So for now it’s watch this space…

ANIMOTO

Wow, this is brilliant!! I can't believe how quickly I put together this test video; it was about 10 minutes! The result was more than I ever anticipated...I couldn't believe the fabulous video that I was presented with. I felt instantly hooked. IMAGINE what you'd get if you took your time and really planned it beforehand! WOW! It would be a fabulous tool for presentations aswell as photographic slideshows. The children could use it to create and present group work and as a teaching and learning tool, well the world's your oyster; just imagine how it could enhance your lessons!
http://animoto.com/education

Zondle - So Cool, So Engaging

Wow, just discovered Zondle! The site that turns questions into engaging children's games. My mind is a buzz with ideas...Could be used for a whole class quiz during the plenery or as a personalised learning tool, intervention activities or even homework activities as games can be embedded into school's Website or Learning Platform. Could also be useful for providig purposeful and meaningful activities during after school clubs. Explored lots of the Numeracy topics already created and played a couple of the recommended games to go with the topic questions then created a set of questions; I even made my own avatar!

My New Blog UPDATE!!

All sorted, up and running...Must say that i quite like it; lots of features that I haven't got this Blog, but "Tweeting" is much simpler here! So happy with the result. Now to enjoy using it!

Teaching Essentials

Wow! What a fabulous site Teaching Essentials is…Love the Reading and Writing Level Target and sub level sheets that can be printed for display. So child friendly with their use of child speak and visually engaging…Children can see at a glance where they are and what their next steps need to be. Not simply informative, but an empowerment tool, too.
The Reading and Writing Level Targets are just one of the many resources available to help engage learners and the organisation of the classroom. It’s certainly on my list for a revisit…Hopefully their Blog will keep me informed of new additions.

Manga High

Just checking out the recommended Maths Games based Website, Manga High…Anyone familiar with it? Would appreciate your thoughts,

Its a Book

I love it....Let me know what you think...

Problems, Problems, What A To Do!!!

Well, after all the hard work, preparing my new Blog to be accessible from school, which unfortunately, this one, which I love, isn't! The comments aren't working on my new Blog, a technical glich! What good's a Blog without comments? Not a lot...It looks wonderful and has some fab features and has received a lot of hard work, but, well, sadly, it's on hold, for a little while, until I can sort it out. So it's not that I've been out of touch, on the contrary I've been fully engaged and busy organising and setting up for the future enhancement of my Blog use for school.

Exploring Via My New Found Friend Twitter

Whilst exploring some excellent teaching and learning resources via my new found friend Twitter, I was lucky enough to come across Infant Encyclopaedia and Junior ICT Companion. These excellent resources are just two of the brainchilds of Simon Haughton, a talented primary school ICT manager, who generously shares his creative endeavours with others. I already have many ideas on how such resources can assist the teaching and learning in our classroom and how useful the Junior ICT companion will be for all year groups. I will certainly be keeping up with Simon's blog and wait in anticiption of more of his brilliant ideas piped through the Twitter channels.

#ukedchat

For the first time, yesterday evening I signed into Ukedchat, via my Twitter account and engaged in the online live education tweet forum. I even found myself posting some replies! Was I impressed? Although it’s fast paced, it also illuminated many pathways to learning and my professional development. Following up on some of the avenues highlighted has led me to sharing in some fabulous teaching and learning ideas and assisted my direction of my new role as ICT Coordinator. If I embrace this resource fully it may turn into an effective additonal source of CPD. Will keep you posted.

Scratch

Just beginning to explore Scratch, http://scratch.mit.edu/ Anyone ever used it before? would be interested in your viewpoint. It certainly seems quite exciting and creative. I'm sure there will be many ways to incorporate it into the teaching and learning. I'll keep you posted on any ideas, and don't forget to let me know what you think about Scratch, too.

Twitter

As a novice using Twitter and someone who still requires step by step instructions on how to tweet, retweet, add mentions and use hashtags correctly I am bowled over by the educational diversity and sources available. It's a professional treasure trove just waiting to be discovered by each individual who chooses to embark on a new learning journey and develop their professional use of ICT in the classroom. Can be utilised as a brilliant teaching discovery tool offering new ideas and a place to share some of one's own, opening up new avenues for professional dialogue and introductory exploration of emergent thought. Used proactively as a learning tool, for professional development many avenues of exploration can be found to actively cultivate and challenge thought. Whilst Twitter remains a personal challenge, at the present time, I look forward with anticipation to a time when my Twitter skills will no longer be emergent but will be developed sufficiently to allow me to participate fully with confidence...

Roald Dahl Inspired Vokis

Well, what a fab resource Voki is...The children used Voki to create Roald Dahl inspired characters. Some chose to recreate the great author himself, whilst others chose significant characters from his books. Matilda had a significant following, as did the Grand High Witch and George, the boy on a mission to cure Grandma's grumpy and ill-mannered ways. Even Mr Stringer found his way into our character gallery along with Grandma and the Brown Hen way before the medicine had been administered.
The children had to think carefully about the dialogue to be spoken by their mesmerising characters. Super fun Literacy! We all loved it.

Quentin Blake Podcast

Our class engaged with the brilliant Quentin Blake, Virtually Live Podcast, the afternoon of Wednesday 28th September. WOW! What a fantastic way to learn.
The children had spent some time during the previous week discussing and sharing ideas for questions that they would like to ask him. Of course there were many about when and how he met Roald Dahl, about his life and growing up, his favourite book and his favourite illistration. In addition to the fantastic and unique experience of hearing Quentin Blake speaking about his life and work, as the illustrator of Roald Dahl books, was the aweinspiring and engaging element of watching him actually draw and discuss how he developed characters. The whole experience was as exciting for the staff as it was for the children. I for one wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Mathsticks

Check out this fabulous site where you will find a multitude of engaging Numeracy resources for all age groups. I absolutely adore the character imagery, which is most suitable for KS2 children who still need to focus on cementing elements such as number bonds. Pay mathsticks.com a visit - I'm sure that you won't be disappointed!

Back After a Really Busy Start to the New School Year!!

Yes, a really busy time, getting to know the children and responding to their learning needs...September, the hub of the year, transition and assessing, tweaking new ideas and setting everything in motion...The hustle and bustle of settling in and settling down; the start of a new learning journey; and that's just the staff! No seriously, I love this time of year, new colleagues and new children, amazing little people with so much potential and diversity, most eager to please and so ready to learn.
Apprehensions abound amidst infectious smiles, moving forward together with goals to achieve, a classroom of hopes and teaching and learning dreams.

Getting Ready for the Return...

Hello Everybody,
I expect you're all busy getting ready for the return to school, next week; thinking about it, many of you may have already returned to the classroom, and will be getting to know your new class. I am hoping that, upon our return, my blog is met with interest, by my colleagues and at least generates some good comments and reviews. So too, and more importantly, I am hoping that everyone finds it worthwhile and useful, and maybe offers some suggestions for its development, and requests for resources for their, classrooms.
There are many new and exciting ideas beginning to emerge on The Classroom Carousel, now, many of which develop the use of, and assist the purposeful embedding of ICT. Some links may appear to duplicate the ideas of others, this is deliberate and allows for individuality of both practitioners and children, when working as a whole class, in groups, pairs or as individual learners. A one size fits all idea is not the aim or purpose of the resources, identified, on The Classroom Carousel, but one that is supportive of variety, choice and individuality. It is hoped that The Classroom Carousel becomes a resource within itself, that supports the needs of practitioners working with ICT at all levels; whether that be merely for links to printed display requisities or new ideas for developing the use of ICT with purposeful applications to engage learners.

Back After a Fabulous Time in the Beautiful New Forest

Hi there, Finally back home after a wonderful family holiday in the beautiful New Forest. Cut off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life with no mobile signal or internet to distract us, we had a fabulous family break and tons of quality time with our children. Our rented cottage was in such an idyllic setting, surrounded by swathes of purple heath and lush green foilage and the garden held many hidden secrets along the rivers edge. It was a truly beautiful and relaxing setting (as you can see from the photographs, below) and we all enjoyed every moment, creating lots of happy memories.
Now it's back to the grindstone, so to speak, in readiness for the new school year; very quickly approaching. I prefer to think of it as an exciting time with new challenges and new opportunities ahead.

Amongst the developing and expanding Blog posts and Web Links to the many classroom and learning activity resources, on The Classroom Carousel BlogSpot, you may also encounter links and mentions of some of the inspiring sites I've come across, on the Web. Some are from farther afield than the UK and hold some fabulous ideas and inspiration for teaching and learning. The Internet creates marvellous opporunities for exploring classrooms in other countries providing valuable insight into their culture and teaching and learning ideas, opening up a whole world of diversity at our fingertips. A concept that would have at one time only been available to a priviledged few, but now available for us all to embrace, at our leisure. So too, some fabulous Blogs create opportuities to share in the ideas of our colleagues within the UK, too. I hope that you find them as interesting and as useful as I do.

Just Over a Week In The Life of a Blog.....

Well, just over a week has passed since I began my Blog and it's starting to come together. Of course it will always be dynamic, ever fluid and ever changing, full of growth and hopefully some inspiration, too; aspiring to become a resource,in itself, offering valuable and time-saving teaching and learning ideas and tools.
A big thank you, to you all, for taking the time to visit my blog, I look forward to seeing you all again, soon.

Discovering Spelling City

Signed up to a fab site, Spelling City, today. It's a treasure trove of activities and ideas, offering direct links to your own homepage, that you can customise with learning activities, to meet your children's specific learning needs. It allows you to create your own spelling lists thereby catering for groups as well as individual children. I am only just beginning to explore the site as there is so much available and not just centred on spelling. So I'll keep you posted how I get on learning to use Spelling City, effectively, and don't forget, if you use, or have used Spelling City, I would love to hear from you; hints and tips, for getting the best out of the site, gratefully accepted...

Voki...Really want to explore this!

Am quite excited about Voki, wondering how we can best utilise this in our classroom, to enhance the children's learning.

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

Wallwisher

Wallwisher
I discovered Wallwisher some time ago and informed my colleagues of its potential. I would really like to explore it further, durng this next school year. I think it would be really useful both administratively and as a teaching and learning resource. Using it on the IWB would allow children to have hands on visual participation when sharing ideas during Science investigations or brainstorming ideas for a new project or for group work. We'll see what happens and how we can develop its use to enhance the children's learning...
If you've used Wallwisher yourself, I'd be interested to know what you think and how you have utilised it in your classroom.
Be sure to place a comment and let me know.