WrightICT eNews
Issue 4
Welcome
Welcome back to the new academic year and the 4th issue of WrightICT eNews.
Articles and further snippets via my website and Twitter. Details of both at the foot of the page.
Microsoft Surface Educational Pricing
For schools that are looking at extending their range and/or quantity of mobile technology, this pricing is very attractive.
Several Hull schools have ordered these, but have yet to take delivery, so I'm unable to comment on them. However, if you're looking for a device that connects to the web and can access online resources, be it email, J2E, Prezi, Padlet, your Learning Platform and a host of other online sites that schools use, then these devices might be worth considering at a starting price of £133.
To find out more about MS surface, click here.
My blog about choosing devices is here.
Naace Impact Awards
Deadline for submissions: 2 December 2013
Smore
For more information, click here.
SearchyPants.
Powered by Google Safe Search, this site offers a degree of school control unavailable in other browsers, such as the ability to add your own school logo, background images and more.
It's possible to grab your own site name (if it's not already been nabbed of course) and customise it to add links that you use on a regular basis.
Computing Curriculum
Facebook Privacy Settings and Common Sense
Naace Competition for Schools
Naace will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014 and to mark the occasion, we woud like to invite schools to enter this year's competition.
Class of 2044 - how will technology be helping us learn and teach 30 years from now?
Further details here.
Switched on ICT iPad Units
In response to teacher requests, Rising Stars have launched a new pack of two complete KS2 units designed especially for iOS apps. These iPad projects explore digital storytelling and mapping the local community.
Your Rights to Your Information
RM Unify
It's fully secure and no personal information is passed around the web.
As well as simplifying log-ins, RM Unify also has icons to act as shortcuts to these services, so no more typing in tediously long web addresses.
In the free version, you can have a limited number of these icons, but the paid for version allows you to create as many as you like, as well as linking directly to your MIS system to keep all your users up to date.
I do know that some technicians have already registered schools they support with RM Unify, so if you try and your schoolname is already taken, talk to them first.
A short video of RM Unify is below.
Handy Apps and Sites
See some examples here and a detailed review here.
J2Launch. The J2E Launch iPad app has been upgraded and now allows you to upload video to your J2E documents. Also, if you have IOS 6 on your iPad, you are now able to send files done in other apps to you personal J2E file store* where they're accessible from any connected device.
* As long as you are a subscriber of course.
SpeechMaker. The SpeechMaker site allows a user to write a speech, annotate the text with prompts and notes about its delivery and then record their speech. By listening to their own delivery a user can identify improvements and changes. With spoken English being identified as an area for improvement in so many schools, this site really is worth exploring.
(SpeechMaker uses Flash, so won't work on iPads/Pods).
WrightICT
Email: paul@wrightict.co.uk
Website: www.wrightict.co.uk
Phone: 07917160770
Twitter: @WrightICT