resources update issue 50

• Maths Connect Interactive Presentations 1
• My Modelling Toolkit 1
• Interactive French for Starters CD-ROM
• Granada Learning ContentCache - Primary

• Easiteach English as an Additional Language KS3
• Designing and Making Automata
• Black's Academy Educational Database
• Easiteach Science Tools and Content

Maths Connect Interactive Presentations 1 is an invaluable piece of software for teaching key mathematical concepts in year 7 with an IWB or data projector. It is clear and easy to use for pupils and teachers alike and it will stimulate and engage active learners providing whole-class lessons linked directly to the Framework for Key Stage 3 Mathematics.

The bank of teaching tools - such as number grids, coordinate grids - and readymade presentations to introduce important concepts, are supported by lesson notes for the teacher ensuring minimal preparation with scope for amending or extending existing lessons or even preparing new ones using the teaching tools. It makes excellent use of an interactive whiteboard in a purposeful, clear way without being contrived or hindering learning.

Easiteach EAL content pack provides over 90 contextually rich whole class teaching activities, designed for use with an interactive whiteboard. It aims to support pupils who speak English as an additional language, through the subject specific language of the three core subjects at KS2 & 3. Many of theses activities have been created in partnership with Hounslow Language Service.

Easiteach EAL is part of the Easiteach Family. A licence for Easiteach Studio is required for the computers that the EAL resources will be used on.

EAL links to the National Curriculum learning objective and supports word level, sentence level work and aims to encourage pupils to use more academic vocabulary whilst understanding the context. The files can be accessed as either language focus or curriculum focus.

My Modelling Toolkit 1 is an appealing piece of software designed primarily to meet the requirements of QCA ICT Unit 1A, but also includes lesson plans for the Early Learning Goals. The bright friendly interface, large intuitive icons and voice support makes it easily accessible to pupils. The software is flexible to use and is very effective when used with an interactive whiteboard.

The program has 6 activities; two of these are designing a bedroom and making a creature. There are two levels enabling differentiation and photocopiable work sheets are available for each activity. When used with year 1, the scene was set by reading The Gruffalo during literacy hour. Pupils extended this by using the software to create their own ‘Gruffalo’. The children were engaged throughout.

This is an interactive teaching program which includes the topics: design, development, mechanisms and machines, materials and construction. Once purchased, it can be used by pupils at home as well as at school. The software offers everything a student requires in order to produce work of an excellent standard, in a fun way.

There is a really lovely section which shows how popular mechanisms work: a bike brake acting as a lever, cams move valves in a car engine, a gear in a fishing reel and many more. There are help boxes which pop up, sound which can be on or off and movies which show how the popular and complex mechanisms work, making it easier for pupils to understand the concepts.

Hodder Murray

The Interactive French for Starters CD-ROM provides interactive support material designed to complement any KS3 course book. It is aimed at pupils of lower ability to give them confidence and the experience of success in all four language skills, especially in listening.

The CD-ROM covers a wide range of topics and contexts on three progressive levels. The teacher’s booklet provides descriptors for NC levels and explains the relevance of both the National Literacy Strategy and the KS2 strategies for teaching phonology. Both aid the progression of the lower ability learner. The teachers’ planning chart, includes the language points, vocabulary range, National Curriculum levels and KS3 framework objectives for each section. Activities include individual, pair, group and classwork, and give clear objectives for both teacher and pupil.

This web caching appliance hardware is designed to be installed onto a network in order to speed up access to the web-content and other e-learning resources. The procedure to follow in order to add websites and e-learning material for the children to access is straightforward and clear. Children easily move around the frames and are able to select the relevant sites with ease. It is a very useful way of directing children to suitable websites without feeling concerned about what their searches will turn up, or needing to laboriously type in long addresses.

This piece of hardware is a huge asset to the school’s network system. As of yet we are not on broadband and this has increased the potential for more children to be accessing e-learning simultaneously.

The software is designed for interactive teaching at all stages of the Primary Curriculum. There are direct references to the science QCA units and navigation through activities is intuitive. It offers video clips, simulations, concept cartoons and investigations. These activities are part of the content, but the teaching tools enable you to create and save your own set of pages. The tool bar is clear and easy to use, you can draw life cycles and web diagrams, use measuring tools, audible timers and have text read back, albeit through a computerised speech simulator. The software is engaging, stimulating and interactive and enhances science teaching and learning. Simulations help to teach simple and abstract concepts, which are otherwise hard for pupils to visualise. Comprehensive teaching notes accompany each activity, referencing key learning objectives.

Check the support offered by the publisher
This is particularly important for new, expensive or sophisticated titles
• Check whether any training is offered by the publisher
• Schoolzone evaluations also comment on the ease of installation and support materials, including handbooks, worksheets etc