A resource to share!

I am posting this blog with my mind still racing from my course at the Guardian last week. Hopefully some of the speakers will be visiting the city in October where all are invited to an engagement conference. The location and date is still to be confirmed- all schools will be contacted with invitations as soon as things are organised. Meanwhile if you want to find out more you can search Guardian on line where most of the days presentations will be shared. Instant information!

We have set up some basic twitter accounts for teaching and learning groups across southampton. Our next job is to get the cities security to allow us to view it!

Another excellent site we were sign posted to was a site called visuawords. (google it !) This could be used in a variety of ways. In schools lucky enough to have laptops for children directly on their workstations, the resource could be used as an interactive thesaurus. Alternatively  as a discussion tool using the interactive whiteboard. It is a good way to introduce other ways of planning- the visual nature of the links is a good model for developing children's thinking.  If you are using the resource or have any others that you want to share do email me at Sally.craig@southampton.gov.uk. I will then add your ideas to this Teaching and Learning in Southampton blog.

If you want to see some of the latest innovative interactive teaching resources in action try the Oakwood Junior school site. The school is using film-pod casting- tagwords widely across the school- they have uploaded much of their work onto the school's amazing website.  Take two minutes to visit you will not be disappointed. 

This has so much potential, my mind is racing!

I was lucky enough to attend an excellent seminar at the Guardian News Room on Friday. (Do go to the education Guardian Newsroom site as all the shared ideas will be posted there!)  

One of the guest speakers was a chap called Dr Baldev Singh, head of strategic IT development at Imagine Education Ltd. He shared a great deal, one of the excellent company's he has been working with is Voicethread.

I see this resource being one full of potential for all levels of education-from special schools to those children identified as gifted and talented.

If you want to know more contact me on my email and I will send you and invite to join our Southampton Teaching and Learning Twitter where we will be sharing ideas and asking questions of each other. 

http://ed.voicethread.com

This site allows you to upload a photo for a designated group, this group can upload their photo/comments/sound thread. An excellent idea for A of L.  do have a go and share your thoughts!

The beginning of something helpful.

This is something I have wanted to set up for a while. Hopefully this will be a way of posting links to support as well links to  a multitude of ideas available for engaging  the children we teach.

I am lucky to be able to work with some very inspiring people, meet enthusiastic practitioners as well as interacting with professionals at the forefront of projects undertaken to engage and motivate the children in our classes.  Sometimes these ideas take time to get to those of you in the classroom, hopefully this blog will instantly pass on any news or links I come across in my role as Teaching and Learning Adviser for Pupil engagement in Southampton School's.