Arty websites to use in class

OK, here are some more websites to play around with. They have an art focus although they are versatile and can all be used easily. I can't guarantee that these addresses won't change or that you might get spyware or something but it has't happened to me!

Cool text allows pupils to create their own... erm, cool text really quickly. They can be "saved as" as picture files and used in most applications (word, powerpoint etc...)

Websketch is a fun and pretty versatile sketch tool. There's a floating tool bar and you're able to ply back your drawing as an animation.

Sticking with the art theme, if you want to show pupils how a sketch develops, you might want to try doodlebug. There are a large bank of illustrations here.

Not enough cash for Photoshop?

Photoshop is amazing. To create art, manipulate images and generally have fun with computers you can't beat it!

We've used it across various subjects (art and design, of course but also History (you can realy go all Stalin-esque on photos and re-interpret history!), English (book covers, film posters, character interpretation), Geography (weather reports, town planning) and loads more.

However, Photoshop can be a little expensive (although the elements version represents great value for money) and particularly if you want it across all your computers in your school (and what sensible-thinking person wouldn't?!?)

There are alternatives. Perhaps the best and most obvious is Gimp Shop. Unfortunately named (Pulp Fiction, anyone? It actually stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)) but brimming with features that are as powerful and intuitive as photoshop.

It's free. It's open source. It's here.

Really, if you're still reading this and not downloading Gimp Shop you need to reassess your values!

Blogs

What is a blog? It seems like every TV and radio show has one.

Well, this is a blog. There are hundreds of them. Thousands. More!

In fact, all a blog is a very simple to create website which acts a little like a diary. This blogsite uses blogger.com but there are loads out there.

You're able to upload images as well - which makes blogs an ideal opportunity for:

- online art galleries

- tracking reading records in a reading diary

- a collaborative class diary

Once pupils have created a blog (an it's an easy 3 stage process with blogger.com) they'll be able to make as many as they want about anything.

Also, people are able to post comments to blog postings - which can be moderated easily.

The best way is to try creating your own blog site and then see it's potential.

Fun/educational websites

Not wishing to give the impression that I spend too much time surfing the net but this posting is really just list of links which have amused/interested/inspired me. click on the links and have a browse through them but don't blame me if you waste hours of your life...


Art Pad is a lovely little painting simulator (the replay function is great!).

Mr Picasso head is a fast way to create Picasso-style daubings (the final part - the signature - is the icing on the cake).

Try making the horses sing here.

Heromachine allows you to create your own superhero (download the 1.1 free version)

Create a photofit of yourself here

What's the time?

Explore the industrial processes of a variety of products here.

Most fun "freeware" ever?

I hesitate to call this freeware - the free version is fully functional but there is a paid version which has more features - but the basic free version is really all you need to get into CAD quickly and painlessly.

If you haven't tried Google Sketchup you really must! The tutorials are among some of the best you'll find - you could easily just sit down and let them run your lessons for you (not that we endorse that approach here, you understand) - and the results are stunning.

Design and technology are the obvious users of this program but it's so simple that you could use it to create drama sets, places of worship, trenches, space stations - well, anything really.

This software counts among the best - and most impressive - we've seen. If you already teach CAD (computer aided design) please try this - it's perfect to get pupils into the area.

Download it here NOW NOW NOW!!!
Here are some examples, starting with something simple:

Wikis

What are wikis? Have a look at this video for a good intro:




At Parkviewclc we have been dipping our toes into using wikis. Of all the wiki "farms" we decided to go with wikispaces.com. We've had a few problems but generally we're very excited by them. You can see what we started doing with a year 6 class here.

From here you can link to the groups and their own individual haunted house. This project lasted for about 6 hours in total and was run at the school using their own ICT suite. Problems encountered were:

1. Not enough PCs for 1 per pupil
2. Login/email issues
3. Some inappropriate advertising on sites

These were in no way unsolvable problems. We paired up pupils to support each other which helped ease PC demand. After the first session, we created 30 users for wikispaces (which took less time than you'd think!) and then assigned pupils their own login. The final issue isn't too bad - on the free version of wikispaces you get advertising down the right side of the site. They aren't as bad as you'd find on other "mainstream" sites but they can be completely removed by a small paid subscription.

Pupils and teachers were very engaged by the wikispaces and as preparation for SATs and creative writing skills it has been a great success. It helped that the school we worked with (St Saviour's) were very responsive to innovations in ICT and were quick to see the benefits. To see a "completed" wikispace on creative writing (although whether you can ever have a "completed" wikispace is an interesting question...) here.

The real bonus for us as a CLC is that once we left the pupils and teachers were able to continue their sites at school and at home using the logins we provided.

Wikispaces are a great tool for a wide variety of uses. Here are a few exemplars that might spark off some ideas:

Burr and Burton Academy

http://westwood.wikispaces.com/

http://podcastjazz.pbwiki.com/

Free software 2 - Audacity

With Audacity we get KS2 and KS3 pupils to create a radio programme in an hour. That's pupils who've never used Audacity before!

Basically, it's a free, open-source multi-track sound editor. It allows you to import sounds and music or to record your own with a microphone. Each "track" can be manipulated (change the pitch, tempo, add fades, distortion etc...)

It's a great tool for music, but also too create plays (the 3 witches scene works well), science "lectures", historical accounts - the list is endless. Of course, the finished product can be put onto a website later and then you've got a podcast!

Download it at:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/