morag.macdonald

A clamshell iBook has been found at Dunoon Primary. We have located the yoyo adapter but no plug for the wall. I borrowed a plug from Tighnabruaich and the computer works perfectly so I am on the lookout for the necessary cable. Can anyone help? I was bidding on eBay for one but got pipped at the post at the last moment. Haven’t managed to track down a supplier, despite having surfed the net.

The staff at Dunoon have thought of a novel use for the whiteboards……as the heating was off yesterday it was decided that a virtual fire projected onto the board might convince us we weren’t as cold as we felt!

Today was a management day for me. I successfully installed 2Simple Infant Video Toolkit onto the Pre-5 computers having failed to do so last week. Borrowed the CD from Tighnabruaich and it worked.
I also caused quite a stir by changing one of the laptops in the office from OS9 to OSX at the mere touch of a button and restart of the computer!

Today I used a previously downloaded PDF file found on the British Wildlife Centre website to show information about the red fox. Projected onto the whiteboard the children could all see and read the text together. The text and photo were then left on view as the children completed their worksheet which came from Enchanted Learning

Have spent some time this evening on the free online tutorial for Level 1 of Promethean Activprimary. No real difficulties as I had already tried out most of the features so far. The biggest drawback is that my version is slightly different from the one the tutorial uses ( how quickly things are changed). When it comes to the assessments I therefore make the occasional error due to the difference in the look of a button or its function. It is also designed with PC users in mind, right clicking instructions , so perhaps the interface is also different on a PC. Hope to finish the tutorials tomorrow.

I can get a photo to work, but any ideas for Bubbleshare?

Today I “helped” to write the Pre-5 development plan for our area. Being the new kid on the block I offered to type up the plan as others more knowledgeable about these things told me what to write!

Being proficient in Appleworks and relatively speedy at the keyboard what could go wrong. Well the fact that it was a Word document and us primary folks are Mac orientated didn’t help. Fortunately my colleagues all have proficiency in various aspects of Word and we got there in the end, though not after considerable teeth gnashing and hair pulling.

Perhaps our authority should offer training in Word as they did for Appleworks and then much valuable time would not be wasted? And before Andrew complains about having to show people how to use applications, a day devoted to becoming aquainted with an application, in the presence of a knowledgeable colleague, is a valuable experience (in my opinion).

Having been off work for some time I am now back and raring to blog.

Check out http://sparklebox.co.uk

for some great free downloadable resources for the primary classroom. Other resources are less than a couple of pounds and can be bought using Paypal for all you ebayers out there.

I have also resubscribed to Enchanted Learning which although very American is packed with some useful things for the primary teacher.

In class I have set up the Promethean whiteboard again which had become redundant in my absence. My next task will be to offer some CPD on the basic use of the board in anticipation of the new ones arriving.