Resource websites that may be of use

Below are a few weblinks that cover a range of  subjects and ideas and may be of use somewhere along the line.  Check them out and see what you think. 

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55327/how-hands-on-projects-can-deepen-math-learning-for-teens

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55393/five-apps-students-can-use-to-make-podcasts

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/    (interactive History maps)

https://education.abc.net.au/home#!/home

http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1538       

http://www.eslgamesplus.com/fun-games/     (Printable board games)         

Couple of Weblinks to check out.

Below are a couple of weblinks that may be interest to some teachers.  Have a look and see what you think ....

With BloxMob, students and teachers can create apps and share them with others who have downloaded the BloxMob app.  They can download to access the apps that others have made - but the real fun is in creating original apps using the BloxMob website.  Students can start from scratch or work with a template - no coding experience needed.  
https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/bloxmob

The best interactive fiction apps are those ones that are like the usual choose-your-own adventure stories - but have an added set of graphs showing the consequences of your choices, on things like friendships, personalities and your moral standing on issues.  Often, the main character is customisable - plus the best ones also leave room for solving mysteries by entering solutions to problems.  As well, like all good fiction they raise some interesting ethical and philosophical issues to be discussed or pondered over.

https://seanhamptoncole.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/interactive-fiction-the-coolest-way-to-teach-critical-thinking-decision-making-ethics-social-skills-consequential-thinking-engaged-literacy/

I know that the Choose-Your-Own adventure books are pretty popular so these may also catch their attention.  It's always worth a try.

Carry on being awesome .....

Computer Coding and the Hour of Code

December 7th to 13th sees the 2015 Hour of Code run once again.  Every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science. It helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. By starting early, students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path. See more stats on code.org. 

This app is being offered free as an official app for the Hour of Code - see below. 
"Box Island: One Hour Coding - The #1 mobile tutorial for an Hour of Code™.  Officially featured by Code.org at https://code.org/learn.

Box Island purports to teach kids from 6+ about coding via a game and it’s currently free on the App Store https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/box-island-one-hour-coding/id1048373739

Take a trip on Box Island and help Hiro collect all the clocks scattered in the wilderness! In this fun mobile tutorial, students take part in a journey on Box Island that has been specifically designed for the Hour of Code™ campaign. Students are introduced to many of the basic fundamentals of coding through engaging puzzles in the tropical wilderness of Box Island.

Students are introduced to fundamentals such as:

* algorithmic thinking

* sequencing

* pattern recognition

* loops

* conditionals

* debugging

The tutorial is student-led and suitable for age six and up. The Hour of Code™ is a nationwide initiative by Computer Science Education Week and Code.org [code.org] to introduce millions of students to one hour of computer science and computer programming.

It could be handy for getting kids more involved in computers and computer science.

Websites of interest

I came across these websites on the Teacher Librarian's Listserv and thought that they may be of some use to class room teachers. They have been highly recommended by a number of teachers and library staff around the country, so are worth a look at least.

http://appsineducation.blogspot.com.au/ which is a site that looks at the apps on offer and posts a review about them. It says ‘One of the hardest things with using the iPad in the classroom is finding the time to go through all of the apps in the iTunes Store listed under the education banner. We have started to list some of the apps we've found under each of the Key Learning Areas.”

http://learningwithipads.blogspot.com.au/  - a blog by a Catholic school in Sydney about their experiences and ideas in using iPads with their students.

Well, last day of term is here and a weeks break is waiting for us all - but then Term 4 is looming on the horizon. 
So enjoy your week, relax, revive and of course, spend some time getting that life/work balance right and READING.

Train yourself to be Happy - really.

The latest offerings from the e_list.  Can you really train yourself to be happier?  Check out number 4 and find out.  The link for this site is at the bottom if you want to see what else they have on offer.  As I understand it, all of the sites they promote are free to use. 

6 apps that train your brain

1:     Elevate sends you games designed to improve your most needed cognitive skills

2:    Lumosity increases memory, attention, flexibility and speed with a daily training program

3:    Neuroscientists designed the games on CogniFit to improve memory and concentration

4:    Train yourself to be happier with Happify

5:    Eidetic helps you memorise things

6:    Fit Brains has over 360 unique training games and puzzles

http://the-e-list.tumblr.com/

The e-list Site

http://the-e-list.tumblr.com/

Some of the recent lists that have appeared on this site include:

• 4 tools to save your notes, resources and for inspiration
• 9 Youtube channels to keep you informed
• 4 one-app wonders - all your apps in one app
• 4 ways to store your documents securely in the cloud

The link is above so take a few minutes and have a look around.  You may find something that is of use to you.

Have an awesome day.