| Digital - teacher | Education in a technological world

New year. New start. New attitude.

2011 - A year of unbelievable ideas, suggestions and flawed thinking from the Department of Education, and in particular from Michael Gove and his Chamber of Ofsted.

The Call

We knew it was coming. We just didn't know when. I suppose we were lucky that it has been deferred for a year - they wrote to us and said our results meant they wouldn't be coming until at least September 1st 2011. Well, it's September 12th and today we got....<shudder> that phone call.

Happy Snapping

Each time I use the iPhone to take a photo I get more and more impressed with just what it can achieve. Not only the quality of the image, but also how - through the use of the multitude of apps available - the image can be enhanced, tweaked, cropped, tilt-shifted, bordered, saved and even published whilst still out and about.

It's not what you tweet...

I am a frequent tweeter. I find it really useful to get ideas, inspiration and advice from others in, and on the edges of, the education community. I value the replies and responses from the variety of users to the many questions I have, and (when I can) I'll happily respond with advice to others when I know the answer. However, not everyone does the same.

It's almost over...

It's now September, summer(??) has gone, and it's time to get back into work mode. However, just before I return to my classroom I had one last relaxing visit to the local nature reserve on a lovely sunny September day. 

5 reasons why [some] teachers don't teach programming

Since being invited to a meeting at Bletchley Park to discuss the lack of 'computing' in schools, I've been thinking about several of the reasons given during the day as to why this is. Yes, there are exam constraints at secondary school, but not in primary, and not outside of school too, so what else could be a cause?

Programming in the Primary Classroom

Yesterday I drove down to a meeting at Bletchley Park. It was hosted by @jasongorman who had invited other primary ICT coordinators, independent school secondary ICT teachers, consultants, learning technologists, as well as representatives from Google, the BBCAcademy, Thoughtworks, and other companies too.

Aftercare

For the past week I have been computerless. Well, no that isn't exactly true because I have been able to use alternative devices to maintain my IV connection to the web, but I have been without my MacBook.

Photosynth - what an app

I downloaded an app to my iPhone last week - Photosynth, from Microsoft, ready to have a go at creating a panoramic image of the moors around Haworth, seeing as we were going there towards the end of the Easter break.

Are you wanting to create Graphic Novels...

...or comics!? We use a great piece of software on the Windows machines at school called 'Comic Life'. It was originally only available for Macs, but now both sets of users can use it to design wonderful creations. However, Comic LIfe does have issues, and the main one is trying to add multiple images to a single 'cell' on a page.

Ever wanted to be like Charlie Chaplin?

I discovered a lovely little iPhone app whilst looking through the iTunes appstore yesterday. It's called "Silent Film Maker", and was [at the time] on offer at 59p.

What does the Internet know about you?

Shortly after the New Zealand earthquake struck, my mum rang me with news of my Aunt and cousin who both live in New Zealand. The news from my Aunt was good; she lives in Invercargill and had escaped the worst effects. My cousin though lives in Christchurch (about 1 mile from the centre of the city) and experienced the full horror of the quake.