eLearning Laura

On my iPad I have developed a folder of tools I use in the classroom I have called ‘accelerators’. They don’t necessarily add huge value when used alone, but as part of a workflow they have quickly become firm favourites. There are literally hundreds of apps that perform functions like these so finding something that [...]

Getting students writing isn’t always easy, especially in a foreign language. My search for writing apps for the iPad has been focussed on clean, unfussy experience and an emphasis on productivity without frills that distract in the classroom. Here are the results of our roadtests in MFL classrooms. Here’s my pick of the best writing [...]

This week I have been reading a lot about BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). It offers a solution to the fact that schools have been spending a fortune on hardware for far too long (be afraid, RM, be very afraid) and perhaps it’s time to invest in connectivity and network architecture instead. Given that most schools’ tech [...]

The other week I asked for some volunteers from my Year 8  group to come and have a look at the new ASUS Eee-Pad Transformer and tell me what they thought of it. Thrilled with the idea of offering their expert opinions, they turned up at lunchtime full of enthusiasm and curiousity. Firstly I showed [...]

It’s no secret with my students that I like it when they use digital media to make learning more interesting. Anything that helps grammar rules to stick is a good idea in my view, so I was really pleased when one of my Year 10 students made this video about the Perfect Tense in French. [...]

I watched this video with interest, hoping for a real insight into how this school in Singapore has gone about waving goodbye to textbooks and making a leap into a new era with the use of iPads for students. I certainly admire the sentiment, but am unclear about the quality of input and how the [...]

Am I late to the party on this? That’s the way it seems looking at blog posts and videos from nearly a year ago trumpeting the importance of the iPad as it arrived on the market. The pace of change is so fast in this field that you can blink and miss a major new [...]

I watched this clip with interest and am now looking at how to develop the use of the iPad for the Languages classroom. Reading this Getting Started guide from Apple on using iPod touches in the classroom was a great starting point. Good news: there’s a new help guide coming out soon to include using [...]

The Commons Education Select Committee reported this week that teachers “need better qualifications” (read the BBC report here), with at least a 2:2 in their first degree. Poor literacy, numeracy, ICT skills and subject knowledge are clearly a worry; and in a bid to raise standards, the bar is being moved higher for entrants to [...]

My team is currently developing our vision for what ICT should look like at our school. It’s shaping up as follows: Our school will provide a technology enriched interactive environment which acts as a hub for lifelong learning in our community. Learning will be high quality, engaging and aspirational, and will prepare learners for economic [...]