resources update issue 64

• Softease Limited - Textease Draw
• Softease Limited/Sherston Software Limited - Tizzy's First Tools
• School of Colour - What is Colour
• ISData Ltd - SEN-Diary
  

• Certified Computer Solutions - MS CERT
• Nottinghamshire Education Business Alliance (NEBA) - x:plore Applied Business & Enterprise Skills GCSE CD-ROM
• RM - Easiteach Animated Books
• KKR - 'The Time Challenge' - Words and Sentences 1

Tizzy’s First Tools is a CD-ROM containing seven different ICT tools, aimed at children aged 4-7 years. The product is bright, with eye-catching colours and graphics. It aims to introduce and with differentiated levels, extend the use of the seven ICT tools in order to cover most of the QCA Schemes of Work for Year 1 and Year 2 as well as being able to deliver the Key Stage 1 NC objectives for ICT. The usage of this product is potentially very flexible, but most likely to be used as a teaching tool with an interactive whiteboard and follow up activities on a stand alone or networked computers. Teachers are supported by a clear and easy to read Users’ Guide offering effective ways to use the tool.

The x:Plore Applied Business GCSE CD-ROM has multiple course applications and clear applications to vocational GCSEs as well as GCSE and A-level ICT courses. It takes students on a virtual tour of Capital One credit card business, helping students understand how large corporate business operates in the work place. The virtual tour comprises of: customer care, operations, marketing & analysis, administration & ICT and Personnel. Every section includes video clips, taken from the perspective of the entire organisation and individual employees. Students are able to get a first person glimpse into the working life at Capital One. Each section contains at least one student activity, which can take the form of a tutorial or are research based. Students can save their responses for review by themselves or for assessment by the teacher to monitor progress.

What is Colour?

School of Colour

What is Colour? is a book with a CD-ROM that contains an animated version of the story of light and colour in an easy to understand format. Poppy the cat and Cuddles the dog, tell the story light and how it is made from invisible colours. There are cross-curricular links with art, science and literacy. The text appears in speech bubbles making it suitable for shared or guided reading. Although covering a difficult subject, the content is put across in a clear and enjoyable way. The software is uncomplicated to use even for the youngest children who found the story fascinating and loved the ‘tadpoles’ of light. The story had an impact with the children and later in the day I was told that all the light had gone into a pair of shoes to make them black.

The Easiteach range of animated books are designed to be used for whole class teaching during the Literacy Hour (covering many of the NLS objectives for Foundation and Key Stages 1 and 2) and are most effective when used on an IWB. There are a range of animated tales and animated facts available for the Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2 and additional animated poems for KS2. There are different styles of artwork and navigation icons used in the books, providing a stimulating ICT experience for the children. There is an excellent range of supporting materials for teachers and pupils, designed by Hamilton Reading Project. The animated tales are designed and written for interactive use, with colourful animations combined with spoken text. The animated facts provide information for non-fiction topics.

This software is intended for SENCOs working with pupils at all Key Stages. It is designed record and monitor all information about pupils on their SEN Register featuring children’s needs, IEPs and details for reviews etc. The program can be used on a PC or on a network. It enables teachers to access the information but its content is controlled by the SENCO. The timed to-do lists, which alerts the SENCO to updates of IEPs or dates for reviews are a great feature. It also enables the SENCO to keep well-structured notes leading to wellfocused reports. It also has an option, which would enable the monitoring of pupils who are of concern to teachers but for whom it is not felt necessary to place them on the SEN Register.

This product is aimed at pupils aged 7 plus. It helps children practise and improve their literacy skills and includes phonics and spelling, sentence construction and comprehension, in an interesting format for this age group. The activities are at different levels and get progressively harder. Children can set their own targets enabling them to be independent and reflective. It is based on NLS objectives and colour-coded to match book bands.

This useful piece of software supports children with SEN in literacy and should be used alongside other programs. I used it with a selection of SEN children in my Year 4/5 class who were extremely excited to play with software that they could both read and enjoy. The software does motivate and challenge the children to improve their basic skills through replay and repetition.

How closely does this resource match the curriculum?
• Check that there is enough relevance to justify the expense.
• Check what the product actually covers, and in how much depth.
• Consider whether you’re looking to plug a particular gap, or need an overall resource.
• Look at whether the resource can be used to teach all aspects of a topic, as a whole lesson or a lesson segment. Does the resource enable teachers to introduce, consolidate or revise the topics with the pupils?