Creating A Timetable

   Just thought I would update you with another website that I find useful, and one that I would reccomend. Getrevising has a tool that you can customize so that you can view your weekly timetable online, and you can also print it, so you have a hard copy for yourself. On the timetable you can add classes and also other activities or hobbies that you do in the week. Study time can also be added, which in my opinion is a really helpful tool to plan out the amount of studying that you do in the week, and balance it out with other activities. This helps to motivate me to stick to a study plan, and also stick to deadlines, which can even be added in to the timetable.

Below is an example of what you can create.

An example of a timetable

Another Useful Online Tool...Animoto!

   Here is another post about an online tool that could assist with revison or would even help teachers present a lesson in class. The website is called Animoto.
   I tried out this website, and put together an example video below.

     

    As you can see, my creation isn't the most artistic/original piece of work. The video took under five minutes to create, using some of the many provided images, and one of the provided themes. You can also add your own videos or pictures to personalise videos, and choose the music that you can use. I think that this site would be more useful in terms of presenting rather than revision, as there is not much text that you can put onto the animation. There is an extensive gallery of videos, themes, music and images that you can use for free in your animoto creation, and choosing these was something that I really enjoyed doing.

   A negative point of this app is that you have to sign up to use the service. The website is free to use, but there is only a limited amount that you can do with it. For example, the length of the video can only be thirty seconds long. This is a downside as some people might want to make a longer video.

   Overall, the website is restricted as to what you can do, but it is useful and the finished creations are very appealing to look at.

ABCdoes.com

    

   This blog is a recommended educational blog that I follow, specifically aimed towards the early years part of education. The author of this particular blog has been a head teacher for ten years, therefore giving him expertise to talk about education in particular. Advice is provided to assist children with literature and reading. The blog is updated regularly, which is something that I particularly look for in a blog.
   The blog has resources for early years teachers to use, for example, play dough recipes to encourage learning/play. There is also information about any conferences that the author is taking part in, so teachers can gain useful ideas about teaching, an example being Excellence in Early Years.
   I think that the most valuable part about this blog is the experience that the author has in education. The ideas in the blog are really interesting, and provides very useful activities that teachers could try out. These activities are all tried out by the author, who would want to provide blog readers with a tried and tested way of teaching.
   Despite this, I think what would be useful with this blog is if there were to be more resources to help teachers, as there is a very limited amount on the website.
   Overall, I think that this is a great blog for anyone who would want ideas for teaching children in the early years. Many useful activities are suggested, by an author who has much experience in the field of early years education.
  

Future Technology in the Classroom

   Future technology is an interesting subject to think about, as there are many different possibilities. There has been a lot of change in education and how they use technology over the past hundred years. From the introduction of computers into the classroom to today, with ipads being a common feature in some classrooms.

   

   The above youtube video shows an example of what a typical classroom could look like in the future. Holograms are used and each student has their own personal device to interact with during the lesson, to take notes or write projects. The tables are also interactive to assist with learning. As you can see, the students are not using books as part of their day.
   Technology has gradually become a part of everyday life and is increasingly become more and more common in education and in classrooms.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

   The video above is very inspirational to me. It is a video clip from a TED talks conference, where speakers get together and talk about certain issues in the world today. The topic covered by the speaker is quite a controversial one, if schools kill creativity. Sir Ken Robinson attempts to tell his message to the audience in a funny, humorous way. Education was something in my experience that I did enjoy, but I personally felt that it was very restricting in the way that work was expected to be completed. Success is measured by academic achievements in schools, but creativity is not viewed as success compared to academic.