Thursday, 12 April 2012

FREE iPad Educational apps for various KLAs

-Free for a limited time-----Hurry...Will not last long ** FREE for a limited period!
Thanks to 
Digital Storytime Logo and
Free App Alert




Salad Maker, Cooking game
This is a fun cooking game which is designed for boys and girls.
Do you like salad?


Custom View is a new application for organization and playback of video clips on your iPad geared for sales presentations and grouping by project or themes.


Videos are added via iTunes file sharing. Connect the iPad to your computer, then drag and drop user created clips onto the Custom View app


MARTIN, THE NOSEY PENGUIN
An interactive adventure around the world


Martin is a little penguin who wears glasses, is inquisitive and who loves finding out about things, a true nosey parker!


He likes discovering all kinds of different habitats, landscapes and ways in which animals live and he’s also interested in getting to know different cultures and cities; how inhabitants all over the world play and live, particularly children. To find all this out he has to travel and this is what Martin likes doing best. He’d like to spend his entire life going round the globe!


In each book, Martin leaves his home in the Antarctic to start a new adventure somewhere in the world. As the world is round, readers must turn their iPad to go all the way round it.


Each page reveals surprises! Touch, turn, make music, drag the people around with your finger and discover what can happen!


With Martin, the Nosey Penguin you will find out about natural diversity and habitats as well as the cultural wealth of the world in a highly entertaining way. Martin goes all over the place and you can travel with him. In each story, you will find new landscapes, new cultures and make new friends. Martin hasn’t been traveling for long and he already has lots of friends.




Gravity Ball HD is a literal curveball in the classic two-player ping pong arcade game genre. Summon black holes from your paddle in order to influence the ball's trajectory and outplay your opponent.




Music Island is a music game, it tests player’s ability of reflection and sense of rhythm, even if you are a novice you can done well. Do you think you can handle different rings and make it “Perfect”? Do you think you can make different instrument embed in this game sounds like music? Do you believe different animal’s can sing a wonderful music? When you come to the island, everything could be possible.



 Discover the Extreme World by Miles Kelly Publishing.


Get ready to explore our awesome planet with Extreme World! Produced in association with Discovery Channel™, Extreme World gives you action-packed text, astounding facts, thrilling photography, dynamic design and amazing video footage.


Have you ever wondered…?


• Which are the largest, fastest animals in the world?
• Who holds the current land speed world record?
• Which water dweller has teeth in its throat?
• Why does a volcano erupt? 
• Which animal blows up like a balloon?
• How does a submarine dive?
• What is gypsum used for?
• Which is bigger, salt or pepper?

Consonant Blends and Digraphs

Help develop phonics and literacy skills in early childhood learners (ages 3-8) with this simple matching game that teaches and reinforces consonant blends and digraphs.  Understanding how to decode words at an early age is an important component of literacy success! This little App makes learning fun!


Developed for your iPad, this game will teach and reinforce simple rhyming. Rhyming Word Match requires 3-5 minutes for a young learner to complete, making this iPad app ideal for students with limited attention spans or those requiring highly visual or tactile learning experiences. Additionally, these activities have been uniquely designed to lock and play only in the portrait mode in order to simplify game play and eliminate an orientation switch if young learners jostle the iPad while playing.




Good Neighbor Press has specialized in the development, illustration, design and production of educational material since 1991. High quality, developmentally-appropriate educational material with clean, charming instructional design is our specialty! For additional information on our activity book series, downloadable worksheet units, or student planners please visit www.hellopress.net.

 School of Maths HD


Target Audience - This application is intended to teach basic Maths to kids in the age range of 5-8 years.


Learning basic Math has never been more fun. You will love to see your children making progress in their arithmetic skills while being entertained. School of Maths for your iPad is an ideal way to master Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. 


Researches have revealed that teaching could be most effective, if it is presented to kids in a way they really like to learn. Kids learn through various methods, like playing games, by playing interactive toys, devices etc. Animation is one area which has always held the interests at high. Kids like animations, and the impulse to play these games make them learn quickly than any other source.


Astrid & Siri

This is an adorable book app staring a girl named Astrid and her little friend Siri, an Artic fox. Astrid has a strand of magical purple thread and a talent for making clothing for the animals of the forest. Her designs are imaginative and include a series of outfits for the sheep, made from their own wool. She calls her designs the "Arctic Fairytale" collection, made for her Midsummer's Eve soiree.
Click on the review link for more of the review by: Carisa Kluver 

18 beautifully illustrated pages that transport the reader into Astrid & Siri's magical Arctic world. 


Astrid and Siri is the story of an Arctic girl who, with the help of her magical purple thread, creates clothing for her Arctic animal friends. Follow Astrid and her best friend, Siri, through the design process, where they use wool from the Sheep family to make clothing. But with winter approaching what will Astrid do for the Sheep?


Imaginative and beautifully illustrated with unique interactivity ...

Meet Biscuit

Meet Biscuit introduces the world’s most adorable puppy, a longtime family favorite with over 16 million copies in print, and tells the story of how Biscuit got his name. Parents and their children can enjoy learning to read with Biscuit together or young readers can explore on their own through independent play. As an after school activity or bedtime story, children will not only enjoy the story, but also activities such as a digital coloring book, memory game and puzzle that are perfect for little fingers. The completed coloring masterpieces can be shared with friends too.


Author Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrator Pat Schories bring the well loved Biscuit The Little Yellow Puppy to life in this wonderful and popular book. Join Biscuit as he plays with the Little Girl and chooses his name.


Features include:
• Improve reading comprehension by selecting between two narration options: “Read to Me” or “Read to Myself”.


•Reinforce cause-and-effect with silly animations and humorous sounds throughout.


• Enhance pre-reading skills with a fun memory game, which encourages young readers to match pairs of characters.


• Promote creative thinking with the fantastic coloring book—the color-in-the-lines mode is perfect for little fingers, and the art can be shared with friends.


• Bonus: There are hidden balls on every page. See how excited Biscuit gets when you find them all!


The Raven 

✌ Featured in "New and Noteworthy" and "What's Hot" on the App Store! 


Experience "The Raven", as it comes to life, like you've never seen it before: an innovative double play mode interactive book, featuring a world-class audio performance of Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem. 


Go back to the place where it all began, in the midst of a dreary night - the kind, the ghosts of our past (that come back to haunt us) find irresistible. Relive this poetic, frightening and sad tale of love and soul forever lost, in a charming new light. 


With a powerful original musical score, that resonates deep within, and contemporary original art, that rivals some of the most expressive illustrations of the past - this is an experience you will never forget. 


A must have for the literary highlights of your iPad.

  
Join Jon-E Bionic and his friends in an iBookstore first-ever Activity Comic and Coloring Book.  Loaded with amazing art, stunning sounds, and beautiful animation, “Jon-E Bionic: The Rescue of Professor Books” brings a new and exciting experience to children of all ages.  

The world of Jon-E Bionic is further brought to life by world-renowned voice actor Corey Burton, whose prior work includes Count Dooku in Star Wars: The Clone Wars; Brainac in the DC animated Universe; Spike and Shockwave in the Transformers Universe; and many other Cartoon Network and Disney characters. 


Team Bionic needs your help! 

Interactive Activities:

•  Color Jon-E Bionic, his dog Zip, and the rest of the team using fun “Touch 'n Fill”™action!
•  Play Connect-the-Dots to escape the Maze of Doom and board the team’s spaceship!
•  Assemble pieces of Deton8 to escape the evil clutches of Dr. Vargas.


WHY KIDDY ART? You might have been helpless when your kids asked you to teach them how to draw an object or an animal, or when then they ask you how to paint and what is the next step? We have made an honest effort in collecting data on what kids would love, how they can learn and what will make them glued to it. Based on this ground work we have designed this app for your kids to learn the right thing the right way. 


With the advancement of technologies and features like touch screen available on your iDevice, you will certainly harness the best possible way to teach your kids how to draw and paint. Kiddy Art teaches your children how to draw and paint colorfully, just like the way they draw on paper and canvas. It’s easy to use and we are sure that your kid will love this app. 


Download Kiddy Art now and give your child a gift that will entertain and teach them how to draw. Invoke the artist within them and make them feel happy and you’ll feel good knowing that you’re providing your children with a drawing tool they’ll love to use. 


FEATURES: 
☼ Drawing tool 
☼ Painting tool 
☼ Multiple images to learn drawing 
☼ Kids can paint existing images
☼ Designed for easy use 
☼ Teaches children drawing with step by step method 
☼ Background image and color can be changed 
☼ Pencil can be made visible/invisible just by tapping on it 
☼ Change Pencil thickness and color as needed 
☼ Undo Redo option 
☼ Save your kids drawing or painting 
☼ Share it with family and friends by email 


Princesses Learn Sight Words exposes children to high frequency words in English. Sight words provide an excellent base for reading at an early age. They are often called sight words because some of them can’t be sounded out, and need to be learned by sight.


The application features all 220 sight words from the Dolch Word List, grouped by class level. You can listen and learn to read each word. They are in the My Cards section. They are free.


The sight words are used in a fun context, through stories, games and songs.


Each book features 10 to 13 sight words. The 1st book, Snow White, is free. Other books are available for purchase within the app (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty). Once you purchase a book, you can view it on iPad, iPhone or iPod. You are charged only once.


What makes Princesses Learn Sight Words different?


#1: We believe in a story-based approach: helping children identify sight words in the context of a story.


-Each story will make you discover new sight words, integrated in timeless tales. The stories are told by professional narrators
-Enjoy classical music by Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty)
-Practice spelling the sight words featured on each page with the help of the Princess icon on the bottom of the page


#2: We believe that learning should be fun: Games and songs help reinforce the learning


-Play: Games allow you to play and recognize sight words
-Memory: Find the 2 matching cards. When you match the cards, you hear the word
-Bingo: Listen to the word, and find the right card.
-Stickers: Find the right location for each sight word.
-Color: Learn to spell the color names while coloring an image.
-Sing: A song to make spelling fun. Tap on the musical notes to hear parts of the song.





Thursday, 5 April 2012

Latest Education News from ETIS available now!


ABC Radio and TV – Education News and Stories    March 2012
Download audio for the following programs:
1 March 2012
Finland is consistently at the top of international school tests. So what's the secret of their success?

The Gonski Review recommends a fundamental change to the way schools should be funded. The review argues that schools need a 5 billion dollar top-up directed to schools with the greatest need. Natasha Mitchell talks with parent representatives of the three school systems.

Listen now Download audio 20 March 2012
In January this year, Minister for Tertiary Education Chris Evans introduced a demand driven system to Australia’s university funding model. The government now provides funds based on the number of undergraduate students who enrol in a university. What happens when the logic of markets are made central to higher education? And does the move to demand based funding necessarily spell the end of the idea of university as we know it?

Listen Download 19 March 2012
We’re encouraged to read to children as early as possible but how can we encourage the early learning of mathematics? Maths educator Robert Huntley believes parents can provide opportunities to explore concepts and build a positive attitude before children start school.

Listen Download 19 March 2012
As a parent or carer, is helping a teenager with their homework cheating, or helping to keep options open?

Listen now Download audio  6 March 2012
A dynamic school principal can really lift the quality of a school. But is it getting harder to do the job? According to a new survey, school principals are experiencing increased physical violence and threats. At the same time, principals are under pressure to manage school budgets, hire and fire teachers, be curriculum leaders and maintain academic standards. As baby boomer principals leave the profession in the next few years, will the next generation step up, or decide there’s too much work and not enough money in the job of school principal?
Download audio 1 March 2012
Gemma Sisia started the School of St Jude, Tanzania with just a block of dirt and a talent for persuasion. Ten years on the school educates over 1,500 students, has 200 teachers and is celebrating its tenth birthday. We celebrate their story with deputy director Kim Saville.
Radio National
Listen now Download audio 11 March 2012
Dr Glyn Davis, vice chancellor of the University of Melbourne, was at the National Press Club earlier this week introducing a broad audience to the new reality for Australian universities—higher educational institutions that now operate in an entirely open market but a market in which the only regulated component is the fees they charge.

Download 3 March 2012
Historian Marilyn Lake is concerned by the drop-off in interest, and thereby enrolments, among students wanting to study Australian history at university level.
Listen Download 6 March 2012
Three parents have commenced a legal action against the Victorian Department of Education. The trio are arguing that religion classes in state primary schools discriminate against their children, who have 'opted out' of these half-hour weekly classes
March 30, 2012
Parramatta Marist High in Sydney's west is finding success with project based learning that has students working collaboratively.

1st March 2012
Teach for Australia is designed to put extra teachers in disadvantaged schools, but it's extremely expensive - almost half of its recruits have dropped out after two years and critics say six weeks is simply not long enough to train a teacher.


5 March  2012 
A survey released today by the Primary Industries Education Foundation shows that student and teacher knowledge related to food and fibre production has declined to worrying levels.


Wednesday, 4 April 2012

April is Autism Awareness Month!

 Autism, a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), is an incurable and complex neurobiological disorder that affects the communication, behavior and social relationships of the patient. The disorder is known to affects 1 in 110 people.
Photo: CARE/David Rochkind, Design: Kim Conger

 Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life. The rate of autism in all regions of the world is high and it has a tremendous impact on children, their families, communities and societies.


 Summary of Secretary-General's Ban Ki-moon's Message for 2012


Let us all continue to join hands to enable people with autism and other neurological differences to realise their potential and enjoy the opportunities and well-being that are their birthright.
Reaching out to people with autism spectrum disorders requires global political commitment and better international cooperation, especially in sharing good practices
.


As highlighted by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with autism are equal citizens who should enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.


April is Autism Awareness Month, a time to learn more about the neurological condition which affects one in every hundred Australians. 

United Nations

Your school or local library may have some of these resources to raise people's awareness of autism and Asperger's Syndrome Disorder (ASD). 

All Cat's Have Asperger's Syndrome
Book Review: All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome 
Sue Larkey has provided teaching activities from the author, Kathy Hoopman.

"This looks like one of those cute gift books, but it's got a serious purpose: to provide a description of Asperger syndrome behaviors in the context of a creature for whom independence and aloofness is a point of pride. It's a clever, charming package." Book Review

John Elder Robison has narrated the abridged version. He has a flat voice and cadence that suits autistic kids.





"Look me in the eye: My life with Asperger's" by John Elder Robinson. This is a non-fiction and very well written. Maybe suitable for older teen or adult.
   Look Me in the Eye   A book about what autistic and ASD kids CAN do!! 


Learning To Love, And Be Loved, With Autism talks about coming of age, love, autism and finding their place in the adult world.This is a very difficult area and one that many professionals and parents feel ill-equipped to deal with. 


http://www.nellefrances.com/ - this lady is fantastic. She's a mum of an asperger boy, a teacher & the auther of the Ben & His Helmet books. 

"Marcelo in the Real World'' by Francisco X. Stork (asperger's and bordering on autism) a Scholastic Press book suitable for 12-14 year olds

Picture book call 'The Red Beast Controlling Anger in Children with Asperger's Syndrome'.  It is written by K.I.Al-Ghani.


The Jill Sherlock Memorial Learning Assistance Library. This library is managed by Disability Programs and has a large collection of resources aimed at assisting students with learning difficulties.
Library services are available to an anyone in NSW, with free delivery across the state.
They have numerous resources on Asperger's and autism spectrum disorders that are suitable for teachers, parents and allied professionals. We also cover literacy, numeracy, behaviour and a wide range of related areas.


A beautiful book Pedro's Whale about a boy who has autism - the word is never used but shows children how some of us need a little more time to adjust to change and how they can with the special item such as a toy whale. 
By Paula Kluth, Ph.D., & Patrick Schwarz, Ph.D.   Illustrated by Justin Canha
Pedro's Whale 


My Brother Has Asperger's -short reflection of an eleven year old boy.

The Best Asperger's Books list Check out the sections in the left sidebar for further support.

ASPERGER READING LIST: a list of some of the most popular books about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Thanks to the NSWTL listserv for sharing these 


United Nations                             AUTISM AWARENESS
Stamps Announced


The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) will issue stamps and first day covers on 2 April 2012 in recognition of World Autism Day. The stamps, and the artists who designed them, will together raise awareness about this important global




To purchase these stamps when they go on sale on 2 April 2012 and find out more about their release, please visit http://unstamps.un.org.

Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Claiming the date: Friday 25 MAY is our bookfair day!!


Our Scholastic SHOWTIME Bookfair will be held on 
Friday 25 May 2012 from 8am to 6 pm.
There will be plenty of fun and games!!

We will provide more details down the track...Stay tuned!

 We are also celebrating National Family Reading Month 
What is National Family Reading Month?
Now in its 16th year, this initiative was designed to get more kids reading with their families. In May 2012 we challenge your students to read for 15 minutes every day with a family member.They can go online during May and enter a draw to win one of 25 Reader Prize Packs valued at $250. If a student at your school wins then your school will also win a $1000 Scholastic Gift Voucher.

National Family Reading Month Competition 


 Will your school be a winner?

Monday, 2 April 2012

Seeking influential teachers.....research

I am posting this to request your assistance with a Macquarie University Research project.

Please pass this link on to any friends who'd have the time to complete the survey below.

Anthony (Fennell) is conducting a research study together with Dr Penny Van Bergen from Macquarie University’s Department of Education, Faculty of Human Sciences.

They are researching the impact that influential teachers can have on their students, even years after teaching them.

They’re looking for volunteers who’d like to participate in a short (10-15min) online survey about their experiences in school and their memories of influential teachers. Volunteers do not need to be teachers to undertake the survey.

https://macquariehs.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1AJWYnoqDzpyjs0

Don’t forget to Like this on Facebook and spread the word!
The facebook link is:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/335137879867267/



Thank you in anticipation for supporting Anthony's research project.

Friday, 30 March 2012

Gifted and learning disabled in one!

How is it possible for a child to be both gifted and learning disabled?


Dawn Beckley  University of Connecticut   Storrs, CT in 

Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students  states that twice -exceptional students are  "atypical learners who are often characterized as smart students with school problems.  These students often tend to be aggressive, careless, and frequently off-task and they can also cause classroom disturbances."

Dr Mike Marcela defined the twice-exceptional child as: "A student who is identified as demonstrating high performance ability or potential in academic and/or artistic areas; who also has a permanent or temporary cognitive, physical, behavioural, or emotional disability; and who needs an educational program beyond that normally provided by the general school program in order to meet [his/her] potential."


One article I suggest you read is: Imagine Teaching Robin Williams -- Twice-Exceptional Children in Your School  Mary Ruth Coleman of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina states that "the education system is not designed to address the needs of the child who is gifted and has disabilities." 


Proposed guidelines for identifying and meeting the needs of Twice-exceptional (2e)students can be downloaded at http://www.2enewsletter.com/2e_Newsletter_Issue_16.pdf
Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities : Lost Treasures concludes that "the secrets to reaching twice exceptional children are teaching to their strengths, assistive technology, and accommodations in the classroom, such as untimed tests and shorter written assignments."


Cindy Little, managing editor of Gifted Child Today and a PhD candidate at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, agrees. Little, a teacher who has more than 10 years experience in primary level classrooms, notes that schools "want to serve gifted children, but they don't know how to do it. A lot of kids aren't being identified." Watch out for uneven development which should act as a red flag to teachers. Little emphasizes. "If you have a child who can't spell but is a whiz at math, look a little closer."
There are a number of helpful classroom strategies, identified in this article, that you can use with gifted children who have disabilities.

If you would like to learn more about giftedness, LDs, and twice-exceptional children there is much to be found about #twice-exceptional at http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/twice_exceptional.htm and visit 2e Resources Links
Twice Exceptional  also produce a newsletter 6 times per year http://www.2enewsletter.com/ There are a number of sample issues available at http://www.2enewsletter.com/topic_about_sample.html
You can join their mailing list to receive their complimentary e-mail briefing  or choose to find out about events or special offers of interest to the 2e community.


Have you recognised any 2e students in your class? How have you been able to facilitate their learning so they achieve their potential?

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

Where are we as Educators?



Thoughts about the trends and issues educators face in a world where students are self-directed, self-taught, technology rich, and engaged in social media products at astounding rates. This asks the tough questions educators need to consider when thinking about how to address social media and the new skill sets they need to teach digital-age learners.
via Sue Fennell   Robotics
Macquarie ICT Innovations Centre