Common Craft videos

Common Craft have put out a great new video about Google Reader:

Cool Planet

Cool Planet is from Oxfam and is a site for teachers and students. Each part of the graphic has links to use.

For example I clicked on "Milking It" to go to an area where students are asked to compare the lives of two dairy farmers in very different countries.

• How are they affected by international trade rules?
• Who makes these rules?
• What can we do to change them?

There are activities for the students to do as well as resources for the teacher. Great site for classroom teachers.

Educators and ICT usage

In Australia a report was commissioned, using McGregor Tan Research, to provide informed data to enable the development of new products and services relevant to educators and its key markets.

This findings from this report would, I suspect, be similar to one done in New Zealand.

Key findings include:

• 85% of participants use the internet daily but
• 41% said that they experienced barriers or blocks to effective use of the internet
• a lack of investment in providing teachers with the techniques and strategies to use computers in their classrooms.

Free online mindmapping

Here are some videos showing how to use different online mindmapping.

Bubbl.us




Gliffy

Storm in New Zealand

Last week I was in Nelson to teach the students up there. During this time a storm hit New Zealand. A few doors from where I was lecturing a tree was uprooted nearly hitting a passing car. Someone videoed the scene as it was happening and posted it on YouTube.



I am pleased I was not outside at the time!