"The Pupil Participation Project in the Welsh Assembly Government is here to help YOU! We want you to have the support you need to make pupil participation really effective in your school. On this site you will find useful information, resources and training materials, contact details, and links to related sites. There are also fun things to do as well, because you've told us this is important to you.
If you would like to let us know what your school is doing to make sure that all pupils can play an active role in decision-making, send your case study to: RightsandEntitlementsBranch@Wales.gsi.gov.uk "
"The discussion begun which participants talking about what they viewed as disruption. Most people agreed that swinging on chairs, being late and calling out were disruptive to learning (although many felt that the root causes needed to be identified and addressed), but there was genuine disagreement about pupil interaction and banter with some UKEdChatters saying this was an inappropriate distraction, while others said they enjoyed and welcome this, at least to a point."
"Create quiz questions for your pupils to answer on their own devices via the browser using a class code or a link. Unlike many another platforms, you create a quiz by ticking individual questions, which gives you much greater flexibility. See analytics of your pupils' performance instantly."
"Business and the media are constantly screaming that problem solving skills and creative thinking are the keys to innovation and success (and the beat the robots trying to take your job), yet many teachers feel that the skills and opportunities to develop them are often an add-on, an after thought, or taught in isolation during special activities, like a STEM week. Even these activities have a particular expected method which the pupils must 'discover', rather than completely new and unique solutions. How can we develop the skills to help our pupils think of the unexpected?"
"A simple online group buzzer, where pupils can connect using any web-enabled device to 'raise a virtual hand' to answer quick-fire quiz questions. Connect as many pupils as you wish, see who presses first, while the others are locked out."
"Create polls and quizzes for your pupils to answer using their devices. Invite pupils to contribute to quiz questions and collect detailed data for assessment and feedback."
"Enter your custom questions and answers, and let your pupils play battleships where only the right answers will bring victory. Each play has a question sheet for them to answer, and the answers for their opponent, so the pupils can peer assess the answers being given."
"At the age of 11, in England, pupils sit their SATs papers, assessing their progress mainly in Literacy and Maths (some school also check progression in Science). Although there have been subtle changes to the system over the last few years, many schools, observers, parents and politicians still hold the tests in high esteem, so pressure is placed on pupils to do the best they can."
"Create links & auto generate QR codes on paper strips to glue in books to show pupils when their work or a display has been shown on social media or on your blog. Great for parent's consultations and evidencing for others. But more of all, the pupils love it! Adaptable so you can add your own social media icons."
The website for the BBC Micro:Bit has lots of coding resources to use with and without a Micro:Bit device for both teachers and pupils, including program creators with a choice of programming languages.
Create videos of drawings & animations with narration on iOS devices. Record audio as pupils move elements of the picture on the screen and then share the videos.
Yay, another new year! Where does the time go? Being a teacher is a stressful job, but one of the most rewarding vocations available. Sometimes, it is possible to lose sight of the important things in life, as the stress of the job takes over your life. We all make resolutions with good intentions, but reducing work stress is critical for ensuring that the job doesn't absorb every waking moment in your life.
Below are 12 suggestions on how teachers (and school leaders) can reduce stress, for themselves, for colleagues, and for pupils. Some of the suggestions might seem obvious, but it's nice to be reminded, and to allow you to reflect on opportunities you have to reduce some of the stress in your life.
Possible the quickest and easiest way to create a simple, text-based website. Great for giving quick instructions to pupils, and colleague or a supply teacher.
http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools
I'm a so-so fan of Skype. I've used it on an infrequent basis and have had more than a few dropped calls. Audio and video alike.
However, it's a cheap way to make long distance calls and seems to work better over wi-fi and the video quality is improving on a regular basis.
So therefore it's probably a great tool for the classroom. But how can you use Skype to do more than just make calls? Well, there's a pantload of interesting ways! Check out these fun ideas:
Collaborate!
Meet with other classrooms:
One of the most common projects educators utilize Skype for is setting up exchanges with classrooms around the world, usually for cultural exchange purposes or working together on a common assignment. The program's official site provides some great opportunities to meet up with like-minded teachers and students sharing the same goals.
Practice a foreign language:
Connect with individual learners or classrooms hailing from a different native tongue can use a Skype collaboration to sharpen grammar and pronunciation skills through conversation.
Peace One Day:
Far beyond classroom collaborations, the Peace One Day initiative teamed up with Skype itself and educators across the globe to teach kids about the importance of ending violence, war, and other social ills.
Around the World with 80 Schools:
This challenge asks participating schools to hook up with 80 worldwide and report back what all they've learned about other cultures and languages.
Talk about the weather:
One popular Skype project sees participants from different regions make note of the weather patterns for a specified period of time, with students comparing and contrasting the results.
Collaborative poetry:
In this assignment, connected classrooms pen poetic pieces together and share them via video conferencing.
Practice interviews:
The education system frequently receives criticism for its failure to prepare students for the real world, but using Skype to help them run through mock-up
A nice collection of tools and resources for your classroom, including a quiz maker, 'Who wants to be a millionaire' game, a random pupil name generator and more.
http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Cross+Curricular
A great eco Apple/Android app featuring a polar bear. With plenty of games and environmental lessons, it is a good resource for helping your pupils go green.