Did you know that the NZ Ministry of Education have purchased licences for Google Sketch up Pro so that NZ schools and students can use this within their learning?

This is a sophisticated programme that allows students to plan ideas and see them in 3D before even considering how it might come together.  I know in speaking with some people in industry that Sketch up Pro is comparable to many of the expensive industry based programmes and now we have access to it in our classrooms!

To access your licence in order to have this deployed across your school please e-mail DSV.MOESupport@datacom.co.nz

This freeware was mentioned in the latest Interface edition.  It is a great wee piece of free software that allows you to download videos from Web 2.0 sites such as YouTube etc.  You simply copy in the URL and the program does the rest – even easier visit the video site, open aTube and the URL goes in automatically.  Simple and Free!!  What better result could you get?

On a flight to Brazil in November I enjoyed the light hearted (but based on a true story) movie of Julie and Julia. Young Julie idolised Julia Childs. Julia Child’s early cooking story is intertwinedof with that of blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book. Julie cooks everything and blogs about it as she goes.

Recently on looking at wedding photos online of a wedding we recently attended, I came across the photographer’s blog where she was challenging herself to share a different photo each day in January. What a great idea!!

The latest Interface arrived today and I am continually amazed at how many new ideas, programmes and sites emerge and could be utlised in the classroom . . .  I am also continually frustrated that I never get the time (or should I say MAKE the time) to look, or explore at many of the programmes and sites that come out in this wonderful magazine . . .

so . . . (what am I getting myself into??)

here goes my challenge to myself . . . I intend to add a new site/resource/programme every school day this term (or should it be for the year)??? Let’s start with a term – and see how we go!!  I will be up front and honest now – I won’t be using all of my own experiences – I will probably be using Interface to guide me – this will be my chance to really look into and explore what is being shared.

I’ve already started – the previous post tonight lets you know of a fabulous site that will teach you a lot about a lot of programmes.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

The latest copy of Interface arrived at school today and like usual we all (the teachers) got excited to see it in our pigeon holes. It is testament to the plethora of tools there are ‘out there’ in the Web 2.0 world and the challenge that we have as teachers to utilise them as best to engage and enrich our students and their learning.

Here is a wonderful site of video tutorials for a HUGE range of programmes. The videos are of an appropriate length to talk you through skills, utilities and abilities in programmes. You can search through programmes and then through the functions of that programme. This really is a one stop tutorial shop!

The next time you need to find out the more intricate details of a programme – check out http://www.lookah.tv/.