LET DATA SING IN YOUR CLASSROOM - 200 COUNTRIES, 200 YEARS, 4 MINUTES

ENABLING YOUR STUDENTS TO APPRECIATE THE TRUE IMPACT OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY - YOUR WAY IN...!!!

We were trying to introduce the IMPACT MOBILE PHONES had had in our world to a great class of YEAR 8 STUDENTS, (13 and 14 year olds), at one of the Schools we work closely with.

You might well find actually emphasising this MASSIVE IMPACT very difficult for these young people to truly appreciate - mainly because they have simply grown knowing nothing else than either owning or seen mobile phone technology. being used all around them. For many, of course, SMS communication is a everyday necessity..!!!!

Therefore, a great way, we have found, of initially bringing home these massive developments in such a short time frame is to introduce the subject by  showing them the following great movie we found - Go ahead and have a viewing::

By the way ...........it's fantastic if you can get hold of one of the first early 1970's "BRICK LIKE" HANDHELD PHONES to show them

GETTING ALL TOUCHY-FEELY ...........WITH SKINPUT

Wouldn't it be great to strip away completely the need for our smartphone etc., and use our most natural device, the body, as the actual touchscreen.....??

Indeed, this vision is not that far away with the development of SKINPUT, a collaboration between Chris Harrison from Carnegie Mellon University, and Microsoft Research.

Using the bodies natural muscle movements and tensions when touched SKINPUT will allow users to automatically move through menus and select different options that are projected onto different areas of your hands and arms. When combined with the newest generation of small projectors, they are able to present a very clear and truly body interactive experience - Now interaction with your your whole body will provide the only truly mobile device you will ever need.

So .......... please check out the video below:

Help Create Your Schools Vision TODAY- time to use VISION MAPPER



 Our schools seem driven by the pressure to stimulate INSPIRATIONAL long-term planning and decision making strategies to drive our organisations forward.

Where do you go, what resources can/should you use....???

A great starting point on this journey is to take a look at the web based resource called VISION MAPPER.

It  provides  a whole range of longer-term planning questions/strategies which then go onto present some "key" decision making which your school both as individuals, groups, and as a whole  can get into and investigate. It is also great to report that this resource actually will enable your school to create concrete plans which are both REALISTIC and ACHIEVABLE

And, to top it all - this great vision creating resource is absolutely FREE and waiting to be used straight away.

Go and check t out over Christmas - just in time for the new year/termly planning - http://www.visionmapper.org.uk/

THE RETURN OF FABULOUS FLASHCARDS - WITH A POWERFUL TWIST

We have just checked out the new O2 LEARN website - whereby students, teachers parents etc can share the best revision and teaching/learning resources through uploaded videos.

As they say we thinlk -"what goes around comes around", (or ist it the other way around), and it is great to see the return OF  FLASHCARDS - but with a technological twist...!!! - These present a great personalised method for keeping your notes, testing, and a ready revision aid - try them they do work!!! - and THE FLASHCARD SOFTWARE IS A FREE DOWNLOAD

TOP TIP FOR LEADERSHIP SKILLS - GET YOUR FIRST FOLLOWER ON BOARD

Much has been researched, written, and spoken about what make an EFFECTIVE LEADER. How many courses and training events have we all been on to truly master the art of LEADERSHIP.

Now .....just look at this great video below, and remember, that it is all about getting your FIRST FOLLOWER(S) ON BOARD - They are your true friends, and leaders. - PLEASE ENJOY.....!!!!!

ESCAPING THE EVERYDAY - VANCOUVER ATTRACTIONS

During the summer it’s tradition, (we are ALL ex-teachers), to take a month vacation. Talking to friends it seems that vancouver attractions offer a range of thrills, spills, culture, and relaxation myself and family are desperate for. In particular, those truly famous quality retreats situated by the turquoise waters of Moraine Lake, Banff National Park provide a fantastic backdrop for fishing, rafting, and horseback riding - on my “must do” list.. Alternatively, I have been told the spectacular McKenzie Beach near Vancouver Island is a must visit, showing the diverse range of what vancouver attractions clearly offer.

THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR CAPITAL - OR CLOGGING UP OUR ARTERIES...!!!!

They say every city has a beating heart. If the examination of London's major road arteries by designer Pedro Miguel Cruz is anything to go by, the UK capital is heading for cardiac arrest.

 This July, Cruz -- based at the University of Coimbra in Portugal -- took GPS tagging data from 140 vehicles belonging to delivery company eCourier. He then mapped the speed and position of each of them over a 24-hour period to show traffic movement. Shown ABOVE is the snapshot of data monitored at 10am.


In the visualisation, each vehicle leaves a colour trail corresponding to its speed. "Green means 50kph, but most are a yellowish colour meaning the speed is less than 25kph," says Cruz. " The red areas mean the vehicles are at a standstill." The amber glow illustrates that the majority of the city centre is filled with cars travelling at little more than walking speed.

Could it help rethink traffic management? "Yes, it's a good tool to spot problematic areas," says Cruz. "But it's nothing traffic-control companies don't know already"

UTILISING TECHNOLOGY TO REINFORCE GREAT LEARNING HABITS FROM AN EARLY AGE

The team were fascinated to hear about how drug company BAYER have created new device  linking up brilliantly yet intuitively with the Nintendo DS.

Called their DIDGET DEVICE, it simply, and brilliantly, encourages children to take their necessary pin-brick blood sugar tests for diabetic children- by then linking it to any Nintendo DS. The more you do this, the more points you receive within the game playing environment of the DS.

Deliciously simple - we would love to see this time of interaction with game based technology in schools. The possibilities are surely endless... !!!! - ONCE AGAIN SIMPLE WINS..!!!

THE EVOLUTION OF MARIO - A GREAT ACTIVITY TO DO IN THE CLASSROOM

Over the past three weeks we have been investigating with group of 10 year old children the EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER GAMING. They really find it hard to understand where gaming started, and how basic it ALL used to be

Working alongside we have just completed the EVOLUTION OF MARIO. It appears to be the very same iconic character - but is he????

TRACKING WHAT MATTERS - USING GPS TRACKING TO CHECK OUR PRODUCTS MOVING AROUND THE WORLD

 Fortunately we ship products ALL AROUND THE WORLD. We have found over in the USA here is a gps tracking solution which keeps track of shipments enabling customers to see where and when there shipment actually is.


Perhaps more importantly, this creative application of gps tracking is leading to a system whereby parents easily and unobtrusively keep track of their teens when they are on the road, or alternatively helping to have piece of mind with elderly mum.

AUSTERITY MEASURES START TO HIT OUR LOCAL COUNCILS??

I was visiting one of our well known LOCAL COUNCILS to see how we could put together a cost efficient way of using technology better in their schools.

As I walked down one of the corridors I was amazed to see a machine which was selling our old favourite - THE FLOPPY DISC - Indeed, I then tried to buy one, but of course the machine only took the old 50 pence piece!!


So ...... no wonder our schools are finding it difficult to harness the power and potential of new technologies

WANT TO USE NEW TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR PRIMARY CLASSROOM - CHECK OUT THE LATEST FUTURLAB PODCAST