Watch this inspirational video made by students.

Read this article and write your opinion on the debate. Do you agree with the school or not? Does the school have a valid argument for what it did? Let me know. Write a post on your own blog giving your opinion.

Julian Opie was an artist who came to fame following his creation of the iconic Blur album cover in 2000. I recently came across a website called ArtisanCam (courtesy ICTmagic) that lets you create a portrait in the Opie style. However, I had to chuckle as my students have already ‘been there – done that’, and all by themselves! Check out their examples on the Class News page through the link on the right and I’m sure you’ll agree they’re very cool. The art was created using the Brushes app on the iPads, using layers over an original photo (uploaded via Dropbox). Give it a go yourself as, like they said to Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man, “We have the technology…”

If you’re a little bit musical and have a leaning towards the beat box sound, perhaps mixed with a little acapella or even barbershop, then this fun site will certainly be of interest. Incredibox offers all of the above in a wonderful and quite addictive bundle. Check it out here, but be warned, you may eventually look up and wonder where the day went!

Well, this one’s a little bit different. This time I want you to do a review (yes, again), but this time an oral review. Think of a product you currently use, one very relevant for your age group that other people may be thinking about using. It could be a hair product, hygiene product, make-up or hair product, technology application, that you are currently using or have just begun to use. You then need to produce an oral review, lasting 60 seconds or less, that includes a description of the product and a score out of 10. I expect you to give reasons for your rating, be them positive or negative. Think of this as a public service infomercial, the type of which you can find easily on You-tube. I have posted two videos on Edmodo, the “Homework Help” page, for you to watch. Both are from people describing, testing and rating a product.

When you have written your review you will need to record it and present it via Voki before posting it on your blog. If you feel you are a natural, then you can try and record it in one go, without the writing; this is a genuine oral activity. I am looking for useful information, a good description, an honest rating and, above all, a relaxed, friendly and natural style of speaking, NOT a formal style. Have fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cartoon From Andertoons

 

The last blogging task completed by the students (to explain which app was one of their favourites) brought some interesting responses. The following is a list, in no particular order, of the apps the students are using at the moment.

• 2XL Supercross HD
• Instagram
• Youtube
• Minecraft
• Derby Quest
• iMovie
• Stickman BMX
• Skype
• Avatar Fight
• Fashion Icon
• Cam Wow
• Go SMS Pro
• Facebook

 

I came across this great poem from one of the students at Penbank, a school I’ve linked to on this blog (see links below). Have a read and leave a comment if you wish – it’s very descriptive. A Dog’s Life.

 

When writing about your favourite app remember to include:

• The name of the app
• Where you use it (iPhone, iPad…)
• What you use it for
• How easy it is to use
• How often you use it

Remember, if you don’t use any apps then listen to the Kid Friday blog (link on this page) and write a review of that. If you wish to include an image make sure it’s free to use and that you include the attribution.

There’s been quite a lot written about the use of games in education, including here on this blog (just check the previous posts). The use of games can be a positive experience on a number of levels: they motivate students; develop inquiry and logical sequencing skills; improve and instill an understanding of the need for literacy skills; promote analytical thinking and a grasp of cause and effect; promote comprehension through the storytelling components inherent in games; in fact the benefits are not only clear but are exciting from the perspective of educators. Knewton have created a fabulous infographic which explains the research behind the rationale for using games in education.