Espresso are running FREE Writers Workshops for Kirklees primary schools. The following information comes from Helen Daykin of Espresso:
‘I thought you might want to know that we are running some FREE Writers Workshops in conjunction with the YHGfL. The workshops are aimed at Literacy and ICT Co-ordinators although anyone with a teaching responsibility is more than welcome to attend. The workshop looks at how to engage the reluctant writer with the use of digital content using Photo Story and Movie Maker. The content we use will be taken from Espresso but if a school doesn’t have our service they can use other digital content that they may be using in school.
As well as walking away with many great ideas to use with their pupils at school the attendees can opt for a full 4 week free trail of the Espresso content for their school if they don’t already subscribe. This is great way of teachers having a look and a try of Espresso with their pupils and teachers in school enabling them to make an informed decision. Schools can just opt for a trial if they aren’t able to make of the half day workshop sessions.’
I have just received this in an email from YHGfL, book now if you are interested:
World Book Day – VC workshops with Kate Holden ( illustrator ) Thursday March 3rd and Friday March 4th
YHGfL are running a series of videoconferences with the comic illustrator Kate Holden.
Katherine E. F. Holden (Kate to friends, also known online as ‘Darth Mongoose’) is an illustrator and comics and manga artist based in Cumbria in the north of England!. Her illustration and design clients include Nintendo, Climb Magazine, GoUlverston.com and LMB Design.
Kate will be will be discussing her work as an illustrator and demonstrating some of her drawing techniques. Children will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Kate would also welcome students to send in drawings they would like to share with her.
Sessions can be modified to suit key stage
You can see examples of her work here http://www.kateholdenart.com/index.htm
To book a session please goto: http://www.yhgfl.net/News-and-events/eLearning-Events Free to YHGfL member schools
A few useful resources have come into my radar since last posting.
An interesting online art application, ‘Artpad’ . This is relatively limited in terms of actual tools for creating your work of art (resizeable brush, Pollock-style splash, text). However, the thing I like about this is the ability to ‘replay’ the creation of your masterpiece. I’m put in mind of the likes of Tony Hart and Rolf Harris with the words ‘Can you tell what it is yet?’ resonating in my head as my own humble creation replayed before my eyes. The site also gives artists the option to share their (framed) work in a gallery and view others’ works – although this feature is blocked on the schools’ network for (presumably) reasons of proprietry given the ‘unpredictable’ nature of others’ artwork.
Selenia’s World of Science Comics is a site focussing on Scientific enquiry and materials. In my opinion, this site is something of a Curate’s Egg so you may need to dig around to see if there’s anything there that you might find useful.
You may like this Telescopic Text site. Starting with a simple, 3-word sentence ‘I made tea’, you click on the words and see how it expands before your very eyes. I could imagine this being a useful Keystage 2 Literacy stimulus.
I had one of life’s ‘moments’ yesterday morning. I got up and stumbled bleary-eyed and barefoot into the living room only to place my foot directly onto a lego brick. This particular moment was only rivalled by the time a year or so ago when I hopped out of bed, putting my bare foot onto an upturned 3-pin electric plug. Anyway, I digress. I am a huge fan of Lego and their excellent website. However, such pain might have been avoided had the brick been ‘virtual’. Yes, virtual Lego is now available here. I’m not suggesting a replacement or substitute for ‘real’ Lego, but the virtual stuff is certainly less painful! While we’re on with blocks, David Merrill’s ‘Siftables’ look pretty cool. In fact, I want some!
Adventure Island“Adventure Island is a web-based tool for classes, schools and groups to create an interactive online island that other people are able to visit and explore. You can create descriptions for each area of your island, and these can be written in either the style of a story, diary, guide or game, as you wish.” You need to email them to obtain usernames and passwords.
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