Coding With Daisy the Dinosaur App

Coding With Daisy the Dinosaur App

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Daisy the DinosaurI came across a recommendation from Paul Hamilton on Twitter for the “Daisy the Dinosaur” app and thought teachers might be interested in it. It is an app for younger pupils to help them to learn their first steps in coding/programming. It really is a very basic version of Scratch or Hopscotch. Within the app, there are two play modes: Free-Play and Challenge. In Free-Play mode, there are some basic coding blocks, similar to Scratch, which allow Daisy the Dinosaur to move on screen. Commands include move, turn, grow, shrink, jump, roll and spin. There is also a “when” command read more…

Guide to Using Skype in the Classroom

Guide to Using Skype in the Classroom

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Skype in the ClassroomI was sent a link to this useful Guide to Using Skype in the Classroom and thought that it was worthwhile giving it a mention as it may be something that teachers might consider for the forthcoming school year. The Guide gives a step-by-step explanation on how to set up Skype and then gives some examples on how teachers are using Skype in the classroom. Some examples may be quite American and may not work here in Ireland, but the examples might spark an interest in teachers to use Skype in a different way. There are mentions of some Skype apps as well as pros and cons in using Skype in the classroom. read more…

Visual Poetry App

Visual Poetry App

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visual_poetryVisual Poetry from Image Chef is an app for iPhone and iPad which will transform a poem or phrase into a very pleasing visual image. Quite similar in many ways to Wordle and Tagxedo, this app allows pupils to insert text, which can be a short phrase or a complete poem, and present that text visually.

There is a range of custom shapes and themes to choose from read more…

How I Learn Fundit

How I Learn Fundit

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How I LearnHow I Learn is a crowd-sourced book about learning styles and experiences. Its aim is to change the way educators, parents and students learn, and how educators teach. It is the brainchild of Helen from the Anseo a Mhúinteoir website.  It all started as a  result of a tweet she sent looking for a guest post on her blog under the condition that it stuck to the theme of learning styles and experiences. The hashtag #HowILearn became a hugely popular feature on her blog and got a lot of people talking! read more…