|
| |
|
|
by h2\slewis on 20/02/2012 13:15:15
I have just released my second app called Targetboard Grids and I was surprised by how easy it was to do this time. All I needed to know was how to make a simple table in HTML and fill it in with numbers or letters. Add a splash of colour and it was ready to go to market. In this article, I'm going to show you how to make a really simple app that shows a teacher's class timetable. While I don't think this is a great idea for an actual app to put on marketplace, you might be able to use it on your own phone as a web app. You might have a couple of ideas of how to utilise this idea for some other project. What you need: - A HTML editor or Microsoft Word
- An Appmakr.com account
- A compression program like WinZip
I'm going to use MS Word as it's probably the easiest to work with. It's important to make sure that when you start a new document that you click, New Web Page. 
I need to make a table that will fit in times and the days so I'll need 6 columns and I'll start with 8 rows. Obviously, you tailor this to your own needs. 
Once you've filled in the subjects and times, it's time to make it look nice. There's two ways you can do this. You can save the file as it is now and then do some coding in CSS. However, in this tutorial I'm going to simply edit the table to make it look the way I like. I do this by right-clicking on the table and selecting the Borders and Shading option. Once I've changed my colours, I can change font sizes and colours too. 
It's now time to save your table. Click on File -> Save As and make sure to save your file as "index.html" and as a web page. You can check to see if this has worked by closing Word and finding the file you've saved. Double-click on the file and it should open in your web browser. We need to port it over to become an app. Go to the web site,http://www.appmakr.com, and get yourself an account. When you register, you'll need to create a new app so click on the Create a New App button. 
You'll have the option of creating an iPhone or an Android app. It doesn't really matter what you choose but the iPhone version has a better simulator to see what your app looks like so we'll choose this. You'll be given the option of adding an RSS Feed to start off but we'll skip this. At this stage, we need to give our app a name and put in some artwork. I'm going to skip all this and go directly to the "Tabs" section because this is where we're going to add in our timetable. 
Before we add anything, we will need to compress our index.html file and give it a decent name. You can use compression software to do this. I like 7-zip but anything will do. Once the file is compressed, I usually change the compressed filename to something readable like "ttable" 
Back in Appmakr, click on the Add An HTML/PhoneGap Tab button. Choose an appropriate icon. You'll see a green bar appear above with the word "html" in a white box. Change this to "Timetable." Click "Choose File" and select your compressed file. Then click Upload. Within a couple of seconds, a greyed out box should have the text: C:\fakepath\XXXX.zip depending on what you called the file. Have a look at the iPhone simulator to the side now. Click on the icon that you chose and your timetable will be there! 
In my example, I can see Monday to Wednesday but I can scroll across to the right to see the rest. (As I said, this idea of a timetable is probably not the best one!) You'll need to delete the default "Home" RSS feed from the list of tabs or you'll have an RSS feed from AppMakr on your timetable app. Click Save and you're almost there. You can now go through the rest of the tabs, adding images, headers, etc. Once you're done you can go to the Publish tab and set yourself up with a developer ID. I'm afraid after that, you're on your own! It costs $25 to be an Android developer or $99 for an Apple one every year. Both stores have their own unique instructions as to how to get your app online. Android makes it very easy, which means that your app could be in the Marketplace in a couple of hours. The downside is that there are a lot of apps that are in the Marketplace that might cause issues to your phone in the wrong hands as Google don't operate an approval system. To get your app up on the Apple AppStore, requires a load of steps, each more confusing than the last! You'll also need a Mac computer. Once you get through the steps, there's still no guarantee that it will be accepted by Apple. For example, I would be surprised if this one got through! So there you have it, a simple way to get you started with developing apps and the rest is up to your imagination.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
by John Hurley on 16/02/2012 13:43:00
In these times of cutbacks, it was great to see that Ministers Quinn and Rabbitte are determined to implement the promise of 100Mbps broadband for all second level schools. The plan is straightforward, there are 78 schools already connected, 200 schools will be connected by next September 2012, 200 more in 2013 and the final phase of 250 schools will be connected by 2014. 
There are however mixed reports as to the level of broadband usage by the 78 pilot schools. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of these second-level schools have struggled to effectively utilise this important resource. It appears that the majority are using it to surf the Internet and to view YouTube videos related to the curriculum. Of course, this is valid when used appropriately, however in many schools this is the primary use for broadband, and the new learning opportunities opened up by high speed broadband are not being exploited. High speed broadband can assist teachers to create such active learning settings where students are actively engaged. Bringing about such a change involves more than just providing a broadband connection, it involves equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills to create such active learning environments. So how can we ensure that this investment will deliver on the promise? It is clear from past experience that presenting a school with a high speed piece of wire will not, on its own, bring about change. The broadband is only one part of the solution; principals will need support to plan, resource and implement change; teachers and students will require access to interactive curriculum content (both commercial and non-commercial); teachers will require CPD and support new methodologies and ways of teaching; and students will require access both in school and at home. Most importantly, schools will need to set out a vision for themselves, secure buy-in from staff and show commitment resource and implement ICT integration throughout the school. This can only be done on a step by step basis and over a 3 year period. Transformation can be challenging and involves all parties adopting a holistic approach to bring about real change. As Ministers Quinn and Rabbitte have underlined, there is recognition that change is required; particularly at second level so that we have a 21st century education system capable of meeting the demands of today’s globalised economy. There is a backdrop of support for implementing such changes at this time and the roll-out of 100 mbps broadband can play a significant role in bringing about change.
|
|
|
|
|
|
by John Rust on 13/02/2012 09:43:00
Strand 6 of the Revised Primary School Curriculum examines Data and Stand Unit 6:1 focuses on Representing and Interpreting Data. In 5th and 6th classes pupils should be able to collect, organise and represent data using a variety of charts ranging from simple pictograms to more complex pie-charts. Currently the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) are re-presenting Mathematics Skills and Objectives on their website and of course Data is an important part of that re-presentation.
Although many teachers introduce their pupils to the charting wizard in MS Excel to produce data charts through ICT integration with the Maths curriculum, I thought it might be of interest to look at three Web 2.0 tools that can assist pupils to present their data in chart format.
Taking a step back for a moment – the term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that allow the sharing of information and subsequent collaboration on the Web. The first two tools – Richchartlive and Charts.Hohli produce effective charts and both site are well worth checking out. However my own favourite is Chartle.
What follows is a brief walk thru in the creation of a pie-chart using Data collected by pupils on how they come to school each day. 
Step 1 - Go to the website and Click on the "create your own" link. Step 2 Select your chart type - here I selected Pie-Chart 
Step 3 Click on the Data Tab and then edit the contents to reflect the data collected. We had four data entries, Walk, Bus, Cycle and Car. Segment colour can also be edited here.
Step 4 Click on the General Tab to edit the Chart title and other text attributes.
Step 5 Click on the Publish, Share or Embed button to view your completed chart.
Step 6 Copy the HTML code and paste into a page on your school web site or blog.
There are several charting choices that are not relevant to the Primary Curriculum; however the tool is really easy to use and it produces great charts!
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Paul Monroe on 08/02/2012 14:16:00
Brainshark is a tool for creating and video presentations. With a few clicks you can
easily create a narrated video to be shared with anybody.
Brainshark is cloud-based, so you can access and edit your presentations from
any computer. You start by uploading the content you want to include. This can
be powerpoints, photos, pdfs, word documents, videos and mp3 sound files. You
then record a voiceover for your presentation using the microphone on your
computer. Not sure what this might look like?
View the demo
or take a tour
You can share your presentation through email or post it on a social networking
site like Facebook. It’s also easy to embed it on your website or blog, or even
publish a copy of it on YouTube. Once your presentation is out in the world
Brainshark lets you track who views it, when they access it and where they are.
A basic account is free and offers unlimited presentations and views. Brainshark
Mobile provides apps for smartphone and tablet users that enable them to
view presentations, access content and download documents on the go.
The potential for e-learning with Brainshark is very exciting. Teachers could
use it to present material to students, include questions and then track which
students have viewed and responded to the material. Students could create
narrated videos for a variety of purposes e.g. reviewing books for your library
blog or school website or presenting digital content as part of a class project.
Viewers will be able to see all the great things you have happening and hear
the students’ enthusiasm.
Students can also use Brainshark as a presentation tool for their own work.
They can share it with you, their classmates and their families and easily
include it in their e-portfolios.
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Joelle Hendrick on 06/02/2012 19:49:00
 I am the type of person who embraces technology in all its forms. In the classroom, I am always open to new forms of technology such as interactive whiteboards, digital cameras, visualisers and anything else I can get my hands on! I also understand the importance of keeping up to date with the latest software, websites and the latest ways to use technology in my everyday teaching.
Without a doubt, having the internet available on “the big screen” (as my Senior Infants call it) is a major resource in my classroom. Personally, I am constantly coming across new websites to enhance my teaching, especially in the areas of literacy and numeracy. Often, I find a lot of these websites contain resources designed for American and British schools. This is usually no problem and something Irish teachers are well used to negotiating. However, we all constantly seem to be looking for the next snazzy website with all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect. It is a real minefield, not to mention very time consuming and sometimes very difficult to find what is relevant and useful to my class. However, sometimes we are looking so hard that we miss what is right in front of us! I can’t believe, that in my sixth year teaching, I am only just beginning to realise how useful www.scoilnet.ie is. I’m sure everyone is familiar with Scoilnet. In fact it is often the default homepage on school computers. (Unfortunately for me, it was one I always skipped past, usually to www.google.ie to search for a website/resource. )  According to the website itself, “Scoilnet is the Department of Education and Skills official portal for Irish education. It is responsible for the promotion and use of the Internet in education under the Government's ICT in Schools Programme. Launched in 1998, the website is managed on behalf of the DES by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE).” So essentially this means that Scoilnet is aimed exclusively at Irish teachers, parents and children which in my opinion distinguishes it from other websites/search engines out there.
The site is divided into sections for teachers, parents and students. The teachers section is then divided further into first level, second level and special needs sections. Scoilnet has organised all the websites and resources it sees as relevant, into class levels/subjects. A quick search for English resources for the infant classes, brings up 107 links. This might seems like a lot, but it is a fairly manageable amount, compared to searching in Google for “Infant English resources”, which returns 15,600,000. No wonder teachers often feel overwhelmed! Scoilnet has already picked out resources relevant to the Irish curriculum – it’s up to you to see how relevant they are to your own lessons.  I think that the resource finder is the most useful feature on the Scoilnet site, but it’s definitely not the only one. A personal favourite for me, would have to be the “Dates and Festivals” page. This lists all the dates and festivals for the current month, from the obvious such as Valentine’s Day to the more obscure, such as World Wetlands Day (February 2nd if you’re interested!) It’s always so much more interesting to the children to be covering topics that relate directly to the real world (not just the world of education) and as these dates often have a national or international involvement which can creates a real sense of worldly participation.
The link to Britannica is invaluable in providing reliable information for projects and general research in the classroom, Scoilnet also provide other websites which I know are well used in many classrooms, including www.imagebank.ie and www.iamanartist.ie. So although I know you have heard of Scoilnet before, I encourage you to take a fresh look and see what you can find for yourself! Personally, I’m going to set it as my homepage J
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Margaret Keane on 02/02/2012 10:28:00
"In 2009, 8,420 students sat higher-level mathematics; in 2010, it dropped to 8,390 and then last year further to 8,237. In 2010, 4,877 sat higher-level physics; last year it dropped to 4,782. In 2010, 6,298 sat higher-level chemistry; last year it dropped to 6,272. While the numbers sitting the Leaving Certificate in the last two years are almost the same, it really is worrying that there has not been a very strong surge in those wishing to lay a foundation for a scientific or engineering career. The technology sector is buoyant in the economy, exports are very strong, there is an acknowledged skills shortage, employment is immediately available for the right skills, and yet there has not yet been any significant increase in secondary school activity and interest. It really is astonishing and disturbing." Chris Horn, “The tech sector is buoyant, exports are strong, there are open job positions — where are people to fill them?” January 28th 2012
Much has been said recently about the skills deficit amongst school leavers and graduates in relation to the needs of the burgeoning technology sector in Ireland. In response we’ve had a number of government and agency initiatives. This week saw the launch of the “Joint Government - Industry ICT Action Plan: Meeting the High Level ICT Skills Needs of Enterprise in Ireland”. This initiative sees 750 new places made available on graduate skills conversion programmes, fast track 12 week courses which aim to help graduates transition into vacant IT positions. As the country tries to tackle the unemployment problem constructive schemes such as this are welcome but they should not be seen as a replacement for a overarching strategic approach to the whole issue of our national skills deficit.
The recent Forfás report on the Games Sector in Ireland is a helpful reference in this debate as it takes a global view of how industry and education can work together to bridge the skills gap. The report included two particularly interesting action points for Discover Science & Engineering and T4 Technology Subjects Supports Services respectively -
(1) Promote Awareness at Primary and Secondary School:
“Develop and implement a series of initiatives at primary and secondary level that can take advantage of the ‘cool’ characteristics of the games sector that would stimulate greater interest in the STEM subjects given their direct relevance to the games and digital content sectors, and that would promote a greater understanding of the sector as a professional, highly skilled sector”. ~ Page 51, Section 2.9
“Consider the introduction of game-based learning to the primary and secondary school curriculum to develop team work and problem solving abilities, and at the same time create a test bed within the Irish education system for innovative ‘serious games’ developers and elearning companies based in Ireland”. ~ Page 51, Section 2.10
For a variety of complex reasons Ireland is failing to produce a digitally literate workforce with high levels of numeracy and literacy, key skills which attract much needed inward investment. This matters. A lot. Chris Horn in his blog post mentions the absence of a response to this crisis at second level but we need to attack this issue at every level of the education system if we are to find a sustainable solution. Every coach understands that when you’re building up a team, you need to make sure that you have new talent coming through the ranks and that the rookies are supported at every level. We need a plan involving all of the stakeholders at all levels from pre-school right through to third level and including industry if we are to give our children the skills they will need to compete on the increasingly competitive global skills market.
One of the main problems appears to be that we have a system that fails to provide an adequate skills bridge between the education milestones, particularly when it comes to STEM. For Maths in particular we need to ignite children’s love of learning very early on and ensure that this fire is fed as they negotiate the school system and make those leaps between the education levels. According to the Report of Taskforce of Education of Mathematics and Science at Second Level (Feb. 2010):
“Engineers Ireland are concerned at the extent to which 'rote learning' is a teaching mechanism at Second Level for mathematical subjects rather than 'learning by understanding'.”
The introduction of Project Maths is a step forward in putting the emphasis on understanding rather than rote at second level.
We are borne with an innate need to learn and understand the world around us, to test ourselves and our abilities against our environment. Learning new things is fun. Go into any pre-school and you will see a huge level of engagement and creativity; however it seems that as a child progresses through the education system there is a greater risk of underachievement as engagement drops. We need to ensure that our children are fully engaged with their own learning and that what we teach has relevancy, as James Paul Gee, (Professor at Arizona State University and Author of "What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy") describes as “contextualised learning”. Maths in particular has so much more impact when the learning outcome is relevant, as in Applied Maths. And yet Applied Maths in particular is failing to attract students. In 2009 only 2.5% of Leaving Certificate students sat the Applied Maths exam. “This is despite the fact that some 25%-35% of students achieve an A grade at Higher Level Applied Mathematics making it one of the easier subjects in which students can achieve high grades”. Report of Taskforce of Education of Mathematics and Science at Second Level (Feb. 2010)
One great example of contextualised learning for Maths which I came across this week was from Steve Holmes, a Senior Software Engineer at Avaya, who in his free time teaches Scratch evening classes to primary school children at Gort VEC. Steve uses Scratch to introduce his students to complex maths concepts but by making the learning relevant to a particular Scratch problem, learning happens almost by stealth. One looks at these children and those attending the growing Coder Dojo movement and the recent First Lego League Finals and the question is “what skills deficit”?
 I’m one of the founders of MissionV Education, a not for profit organisation whose virtual worlds primary schools project that has been extended to 20 national schools across the country with the support of the NCTE. In November 2011, after a few shorts weeks using MissionV, we asked participating schools to take part in a virtual Science Week Event. Nothing could have prepared us for the level of creativity demonstrated in the resulting virtual simulations of everything from the Water Cycle, to DNA, to the Digestive and Circulatory systems. Padraig O’Beirne, Principal of Gortskehy National School in Co. Mayo, talks to the children in this video about their learning experiences and how they used MissionV and a suite of digital applications to produce their virtual tour of Atoms & Molecules.
Both Steve and Padraig are just two of many inspiring teachers (there are many, many more) that we have met through MissionV who’s primary goal is that their students get the education they deserve and the skills that they will need to carve a future in the smart economy. (Catch up with #edchatie, the twitter discussion group, every Monday evening to connect with a similar group of talented and questioning education innovators.)
Bridging the skills gap isn’t easy in an education system that has been left underfunded but it’s something we can no longer afford to ignore. Individual teachers and schools are showing the way, despite budget cuts. They and their students deserve the support of the department and industry in their endeavours. And quite frankly we all need them to succeed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Joanne Gilmartin on 30/01/2012 23:14:28
The uses for the digital camera in the classroom are endless. Both the teacher and the child can easily integrate this simple piece of technology into their everyday classroom activities. As the saying goes; “A picture speaks a thousand words”, and this is certainly something that we as teachers need to exploit this in our classrooms. The phrase refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single image and enables our stude nts to absorb large amounts of data quickly. The children can then discuss the activity and reflect on their own and others’ work. The pupils can note their own and their peers’ progression over a period of time. The use of the digital camera is particularly useful in my own multi-grade school setting. The infants are engaged in activities such as imaginative play, construction or sorting and counting. The older pupils then get the opportunity to photograph their classmates both during and after their activity. The infants really enjoy the affirmations and encouragement from their peers and are motivated in their task. The act of capturing a digital image is only the tip of the iceberg as to the potential of this piece of technology. This is where the teacher’s role is paramount in scaffolding, shaping and enriching the learning process. It is my own experience that children often focus more on the photograph taking than the reflection of the subject and content of the images themselves. In truth as adults it is not too uncommon to take hundreds of photos on our own cameras and never upload them onto our computers. The technical aspects are picked up very quickly by pupils as is the terminology such as ‘USB storage device’ or ‘eject media’. Hibernate mode is no longer restricted to hedgehogs in the e-Learning classroom! The children eject the memory card from the slot in the camera. They plug in the USB memory card reader into the laptop and insert their memory cards. They create folders and copy and paste the photos taken into their relevant  folders depending on the activity. This in itself is real life sequencing, classifying and sorting that stretches beyond the infant curriculum giving valuable life skills to our students. Over a number of weeks this integrated digital literacy activity has served as an excellent motivator for learning. The activity is differentiated according to ability and each participant is valued through either using the technology or having their work affirmed on the interactive whiteboard as a whole class reflection and share session. The following is a list of simple activities using digital cameras that can be adopted by even the most reluctant of teachers. -
photographing the school environment with a focus on the seasons; continuity and change over time -
photographing baby clothes from when a child was a baby; a digital class timeline -
use of images for classroom visual timetable or to promote class rules; this method is very effective in promoting and rewarding positive behaviour in pupils with Special Educational Needs -
Maths Trails such as a number, colour or shape hunt -
Spot the difference game where one item in an area of the room is removed and the two pictures are compared
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Clifford Brown on 26/01/2012 15:50:00
One of the great free resources for schools from Microsoft is Live@edu. This is a cloud-based service and it allows teachers and schools to deploy a full e-mail, calendar, tasks and office tools without the need for any software installation.
As it is a cloud-based service it is accessible anywhere and at any time and can be used collaboratively to share documents, PowerPoint presentations, calendars etc.
The Outlook web app functions like the software-based Microsoft Outlook. It possible to share calendars with other teachers, schedule events and see attendees availability.
It's easy for teachers to create contact lists or groups. The principal can use the application to communicate with all teachers by e-mail or with a class of students. Likewise a teacher could remind the class by e-mail to bring specific requirements to school for a lesson. Also in the event of a school closure the application can be used to inform students and provide them with activities to complete during the period of the closure.
Microsoft also provides each user with 25 GB of free storage space. This space can be organised into folders for various resources and can store documents, photographs and movies.
When logged in it is possible to upload documents very simply by dragging them into the application.
Once uploaded a document may be shared and it is possible to give editing rights so others can work collaboratively on the document.
With every teacher and student in school each receiving 25 GB of free storage a lot of resources can be built up easily.
There are full authoring tools available accessible from any computer. It is possible to create documents , spreadsheets and presentations within the cloud service .
A new feature of the service is the smartphone app that allows you to have access to your documents and other resources on your phone.
These are just some of the features and I would encourage you to investigate further. It is possible for an individual to have access to these services also. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/liveatedu to find out more and setup an account. You might find you can live your life in the cloud!
|
|
|
|
|
|
by John O' Mahony on 23/01/2012 20:30:00
World Education Games Many regular readers of the Teachnet Blog will be familiar with World Maths Day which is organised and facilitated by 3P Learning, the people behind Mathletics. In 2012, 3P Learning are organising the World Education Games which will be held from 6 - 8 March 2012. In addition to World Maths Day which takes place on 7 March 2012, there will also be a World Spelling Day on 6 March 2012 and a World Science Day on 8 March 2012. Pupils can access the games online both at home and in school once they have been registered by their teacher and have been given their own unique username and password. 
Registration for the games opens on 1 February and closes on 28 February. Once you register your class, the class is automatically registered for all three events. Once registered pupils can logon and get in some practice in advance of the big day. Pupils can engage in live games lasting one minute, playing against other pupils from around the world. An unique feature, is that each of the official competitions are open for a 48 hour period, while it is the 6 - 8 March somewhere in the world. The World Education Games are a very practical way to teach World Time Zones to senior classes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Enda Donlon on 20/01/2012 15:28:00
The Computers in Education Society of Ireland (CESI) will host its annual conference on February 24th and 25th, 2012, in Portlaoise. The theme for this year's conference is TEACHnology: merging teaching and technology in schools. 
As has become the format for CESI conferences over the last few years, there will be both a Friday evening and Saturday event. On Friday February 24th (7pm-9pm) there will be a CESImeet in the Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise. CESImeets are informal events which feature a number of short presentations (the majority are of seven minutes or two minutes in duration) and plenty of opportunity for discussion and exchange of ideas. You can get a sense of the format for CESImeets from this video.
The main event takes place on Saturday (February 25th) in Portlaoise College. There will be the usual mix of presentations and workshops, along with a chance to meet with experts and novices alike in the use of educational technology. The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Steve Wheeler, Associate Professor of Learning Technologies at Plymouth University. Steve specialises in research on e-learning and distance education with particular emphasis on social media and Web 2.0 tools, has authored more than 150 scholarly articles and is an active blogger and tweeter. You can view a video from last year's conference here and browse some photographs here.
Registration for CESI Conference 2012 is now open and you can avail of a number of different ticket types (including discounted rates for students and for those wishing to attend both the Friday evening CESImeet and Saturday conference) here. The conference homepage is http://www.cesi.ie/conference-2012 and you can view the Lanyrd page for this event here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|