Learning Innovations
iPod touch scheme
Almost 150 Year 7 students opted into the iPod touch scheme and we also have iPods available for loan via the Libraries. We would like to thank parents for all of the support they have given this project so far.
Students should now be using their iPod regularly in school, and they should bring it with them every day. A teaching ‘iPod Ambassador’ has been appointed in each department, and they are working to embed the use of iPods in lessons across the Academy.
If you are still having trouble getting logged on to iTunes, and couldn’t make it to the recent ‘iPod Information Evening’, this video provides instructions for how to get set up.
You can also find the iPod touch manual here.
iPods in school
iPods in English
Miss Thompson’s Year 7 class used their iPods and the free app ‘Splice’ to film their own unique versions of the famous witches’ spell from ‘Macbeth’. NO COMPUTERS WERE TOUCHED IN THE MAKING OF THIS PRODUCTION: ONLY IPODS WERE USED.
QR Codes and iPods
A QR (Quick Response) code is like a barcode: it carries information which can be ’read’ if you have a QR code reader. There are many QR code reader apps, and, as our students now have access to iPods, a number of the iPod Ambassadors have been trialing the use of QR codes in the classroom and around the Academy.
QR codes can carry both and graphical information and can also be used to link to files and websites. They can, therefore, be a very powerful classroom ‘tool’. There are many websites which produce QR codes. One of the best we’ve found is www.qrstuff.com.
Miss Walker’s Year 8 group recently completed a test paper and, rather than give them written feedback, Miss Walker videoed herself (using an iPod) going through the individual students’ papers and showing them exactly what they’d done right and what they needed to do to improve. She then uploaded these videos to the server and generated a QR code (at http://www.qrstuff.com) for each student which provided a link to their own video feedback. She printed out these codes and pasted them on the front of each students’ paper. When they received their marked papers, they simply ‘scanned’ the code with their iPods and watched her speaking directly to them about their work.
The PE department been making good use of them too: there is now a display on South Site for the Year 7s which uses QR codes to provide information about what students need to do to progress to the next Level, and Mr. Booth has carried out a QR orienteering activity. Miss Rothnie has used them for a ‘find the matching question and answer’ activity in French and Mr. Olphert has used them in conjunction with the graph-generator ‘Quick Graph’.
Some schools, such as Soar Valley College in Leicester, have already taken their use of QR codes even further, using them to generate 3D animated information through a package called ‘Second Sight’ (http://www.mysecondsight.com). As you scan QR codes, you might see a moving 3D solar system, a running dinosaur, or the inner workings of the human body. These ‘augmented reality’ possibilities are incredibly exciting and we’re planning a trial soon. In the interim, you can see what is on offer by visiting the Second Sight site and downloading their ‘experiences’.
iPods at Home
There are thousands of educational apps out there which students can use to support their learning at home. You can find out about, and source apps here.
Here are just a few FREE apps that we recommend. We’ll be making new recommendations regularly, so watch this space.
BrainPOP
A New Movie EVERY Day! Learn something different each day with the free BrainPOP Featured Movie App for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch! Watch BrainPOP’s daily animated movie, then test your new knowledge with an interactive quiz. Topics covered include cover Science, Math, Social Studies, English, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Music, and Health . All movies are captioned, making it easy to read along.
Mathster lite
Mathster is a fun, exciting and challenging Maths brain training game. With challenges for all ages and skills levels, become the master of equations in no time!
WordWeb Dictionary
The WordWeb British English dictionary and thesaurus: fast searching, spelling suggestions, definitions, usage examples, synonyms and related words.
FREE German Tutor – 24/7 Language Learning
Learn or refresh your German, anytime and anywhere with your own personal language lab.
FREE French Essentials by AccelaStudy
This app helps you understand and pronounce words in the shortest possible time.