resources update issue 14

• 2Simple Software: Infant Video Toolkit
• 2Simple Software: 2Investigate
• Right2Learn: Right2Learn Website
  

• Entine Education: Match It: Pairs
• Longman Secondary Maths: Lessons for Framework
• MTRS: Music Teacher’s Resource Site

Infant Video Toolkit
2Simple Software

2Investigate
2Simple Software

A suite of six programs which share a common child-friendly intuitive interface that allows children to build and develop their ICT skills as they meet more sophisticated programs that use standard Windows interfaces.

Each program supports the early QCA ICT schemes of work as well as many cross curricular themes. Its strength is in its simplicity of use, and its ease of learning, yet it is a very powerful, differentiated teaching tool.

The software comes with over 70 videos that demonstrate how to use each program within the suite as well as giving ideas on how to use it with different areas of the curriculum. It is extremely good value for money and an essential resource for Key Stage 1 and is useful for some Key Stage 2 pupils.

2Investigate uses a number of features to create and use database, which is an area children often have difficulty understanding. It is both simple to use and yet powerful especially by a teacher who might wish to demonstrate how a database works or to sort items in a maths lesson.

The software incorporates a number of videos that explain how to use 2Investigate in detail. It has a simple, uncluttered interface with large drop down menus that are easy to understand.

Its strengths are that it demonstrates the whole concept of a database both visually and in real time and that it permits multiple users to enter data at the same time. This is a very good introduction to databases.

Right2Learn
Right2Learn Education

Match It - Pairs
entine education

Right2Learn provides online multiple-choice tests for primary school children in the key subjects of English, Maths and Science. Tests are timed and are in sections - children can take up to 20 minutes to complete each test. Each child can sit the same test twice; it could, for example, be before and after a unit of work to show how a child has moved on.

Teachers can track an individual’s progress or make comparisons with local and national results. These can be printed out or exported to an Excel file and saved. These tests can form a valuable resource as part of the entire spectrum of assessments made within a school. They expose children to the experience of taking a test in a non-threatening way, complementing the build up to taking more formal written tests.

‘Match It - Pairs’ is version of the classic memory game for 1 or 2 players. It can be used to consolidate visual discrimination in Foundation and early KS1 literacy and numeracy skills and can be used to help those pupils with special needs.

The program has ten options including shapes, letter, number recognition and object recognition The size of the playing board can be set at 4 stages, up to an option of 32 cards. The ability to set the amount of cards for the ability of the child works well and the actual ‘game’ takes only a short time to complete, so holding the attention of the younger child.

As the game is a ‘classic’ it is useful to use with older special needs children who do not see it as ‘childish’ software.

Lessons for the Maths Framework using ICT
Longman Pearson Education

Music Teacher’s Resource Site
MTRS Publishing

The program delivers key concepts well, making use of easy to navigate computer screens to provide simple tasks, which enable students to test ideas and theories and receive rapid feedback. The tasks become more demanding which allows for differentiation and topics are presented in a logical, dynamic way. All screens are very clearly laid out and uncluttered and are obviously designed to suit a wide range of students.

Many of the activities would be particularly effective when using an interactive white board when individual students could be invited to attempt tasks in front of their peers.

The supporting documentation provides full referencing to KS3 of the National Curriculum with detailed teacher advice and lesson plans. The software allows a great degree of flexibility in how the activities are presented and used.

The MTRS site is an excellent set of resources - Ask an Expert, Equipment & Instrument Reviews, numerous classroom projects, downloadable sheet music and audio files, exam boards comparisons, tips for music teachers, a discussion forum – extensive and extremely useful.

There are materials for teaching at KS3 & 4, teacher support materials & instrumental arrangements. Additionally, there are schemes for teachers, pupil worksheets, musical scores, flashcards, classroom projects and much more. There are information sheets, project sheets, downloadable audio files, and composing logs for each of the exam boards.

What really impressed me on this site is the variety of the materials available, ranging from simple flashcards to quite substantial materials for lessons covered by the non-specialist teacher.