Welcome to the first e-Learning newsletter!

This collection of ideas, inspiration and information about

e-learning will be coming to your inbox every week this term! (and every half term next year…) There’s something
for everyone here - from technophobe to technical expert. Just click on the links to try out these ideas! If you’re not
too sure what you’re doing or want help getting started? Just book in some time with us… DCO, DHA, JSW, NPD, VJE

If you only try ONE THING this week...

Wordle www.wordle.net is a tool for generating “word clouds” from any text that
you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more
frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts,
and colour schemes.
It’s really easy to use… Go to the website, click on Create, paste in text or the URL
address of a website, click on Go/Submit, edit how it looks. To keep your Wordle -
use the Print Screen button on your keyboard, copy into Word, crop, resize, save,
print… and you’re done!
For ideas on using Wordle try reading 35 Interesting Ways to Use Wordle or 23 ways
for using Wordle in the MFL classroom (transferable ideas for all subjects)

If you liked that, why not TRY THIS...

Visuwords www.visuwords.com lets you look up words in an online graphical
dictionary and thesaurus to find their meanings and associations with other words
and concepts.
Brilliantly visual. Great for investigating language, exploring links in science,
humanities...

Moodstream moodstream.gettyimages.com from the Getty Images

collection, is a constant stream of video, audio and images, based on the mood
you select from it’s control.
A visual "brainstorming tool" specifically designed to take people in unexpected
directions. Great for setting mood, inspiring discussion, prompting writing...

If you're the ADVENTUROUS type...

Ideas to Inspire www.ideastoinspire.co.uk is a website giving you a huge
collection of ideas for engaging lesson activities using ICT . It’s been put together
as a result of collaboration by teachers using ICT in the classroom all around the
world. Includes heaps of great ideas for using Google Docs, Google Earth, Twitter,
Voicethread, Wordle, Wikis...

Prezi www.prezi.com allows anyone who can sketch an idea on a napkin to

create and perform stunning non-linear presentations which zooms into details.
Beautiful and fantastically unusual presentations… just take a look at their example
presentations at the bottom of the homepage and be amazed!

Help wanted!
As part of her MSc in Education, Technology and Society, Vic Jenkins is researching the provision of ICT training for
teachers. A survey about your experiences of ICT training across your career will be coming to your e-mail soon
and Vic would be really grateful if you can find five minutes to respond!
Twilight CPL Sessions - OLC, this Wednesday (10 June)
Delicious (Social Bookmarking) - DHA and VJE
All your favourites stuck on one computer?
• Find out how to store and share favourites (bookmarks) online
• Pinch website ideas from the sblonline bookmark collection
• Add your favourite links to the SBL collection for other teachers to find

SIMS student/teacher view - NPD

• Easy ways to use SIMS to find out information about pupils attendance and behaviour
• Find staff timetables, plus loads more information you never knew you knew or wanted to know
• Learn how to run useful reports.

Find out more about upcoming training in the CPL Twilight sessions booklet in your pigeonhole...
• Wed 17 June Rafi-ki, iGoogle accounts/start pages
• Wed 24 June Finding images, Internet starters for staff, e-mail
• Wed 1 July Y6 induction evening - Fun stuff for starters, plenaries, tutor
• Wed 8 July More Web2.0 eg Googlemaps, timelines, mind maps, cartoons/storyboards, Voicethread
• Wed 15 July International Week - Drop in session - requests taken! Let us know what you want to learn...

Promethean ActivExpression
Increase engagement in your lessons - introduce voting to your class with a learner response system
which lets pupils text multi-choice answers, complete sentences and numerical responses.
John Sweet can offer training and support in introducing ActivExpression to your classroom and in us-
ing the software and the school set of handsets. Just see John about booking in some time...

Mac users
Did you know our school is a Regional Training Centre (RTC) for Apple? Keep an eye out for the RTC
bulletin and for details of David Collins’ Mac Surgery sessions coming up soon.
Twilight Training sessions on offer this term include: Podcasting, Digital Storyboarding, Photography,
iTunes/iPod/iPhone, PowerPoint and iWorks - check the CPL booklet in your pigeonhole for dates.

Rent-a-Teacher!
Donna Hay’s work for Leadership Pathways is focused on ICT training. She is offering her time and expertise to
advise individuals and curriculum teams on using and integrating technologies in the curriculum. This term she is
available Tuesday and Thursday mornings and can discuss options, train you in using technology and, if you would
like, support you delivering ICT in your lessons. Just contact her to book in some time.
Vic Jenkins can offer support, training and advice in using ICT in the classroom across the curriculum including:
Web 2.0 collaborative tools, interactive whiteboard software, VLE. Available for individual or group training sessions
during the school day (not break or lunchtimes). Find her in the OLC to arrange a time to meet.

Looking for great resources?

Want ideas for resources online? Try these! Or take a look at the sblonline Delicious account for more ideas...
www.show.me.uk A collection of fun, interactive 'stuff' from UK museums, suitable for lower KS3. eg:
• Art - Artisancam: watch artists at work - Anthony Gormley setting up 'Field for the British Isles'
• History - Be a Victorian Millionaire
• History - Shopping in the war (WWII rationing multi-choice interactive activity)

NGfL Cymru - Welsh National Grid for Learning website: heaps of interactive and other resources for
all Key Stages (some are Welsh specific, but the majority of them have content useful for all schools)
CLEO - Cumbria and Lancashire Education Online: lots of quality resources including great use of film