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Welcome to the April 2010 Newsletter. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to colleagues that you think would be interested in any of the items below. Please note that all prices quoted are exclusive of P & P and VAT. Remember to mark your order with SS4E. If you have any comments or suggestions on this newsletter, or indeed any special requests for special software offers, please email them to kim.conway3@btinternet.com 

News

  • New Licensing Scheme from LT Scotland for ink.learning- LT Scotland have negotiated with ink.learning to make single user copies of their software Primary Steps Maths and Primary Steps Phonics available under a licensing scheme. Single user licenses of First Steps Maths and First Steps Phonics are available at a cost of £35 each. CD-ROM available at £18 each. Each title has been written to support Curriculum for Excellence. Go to www.inklearning.com and register for your free 14 day trial.
  • Serif - look out for Serif's updated web site which will incorporate mapping of the Serif Design Suite to the Technologies experiences and outcomes in Curriculum for Excellence www.serif.com
  • Kudlian Software - Weather Studio from Kudlian Software is now available for both PC & Mac. For more information, or to download a free 14 day trial visit www.kudlian.net or email james.long@kudlian.net
  • Renaissance Learning's MathsFacts in a Flash software is now available for the NEO 2 http://www.renlearn.co.uk/renprod_am_mathsflash.html
  • FileMaker - new version of FileMaker Pro is now available, latest version FileMaker Pro 11 www.filemaker.co.uk
  • British Assistive Technology Association (BATA) - the association for anyone interested in assistive technology. Three levels of membership are available full, associate (free) and registered subscriber (free) www.bataonline.org  

New to SS4E web site

  • This month's Showcase is First Steps Maths and First Steps Phonics both from ink.learning
  • New Case Study - see how SMART Audio was used in Borders College. SMART Audio is a powerful and practical classroom amplification system that distributes sound evenly throughout the room, so every student can hear clearly over the background noise, no matter where they are sitting.

Special Offers

From Sherston - Any size of school can purchase a year's subscription to either Crystal ICT or Gogglebox for £99

  • Crystal ICT - The ICT Channel is full of high quality adventure software, engaging activities and flexible resources. Also included is a 100 page Classroom Guide, designed to support planning and implementing effective ICT teaching. The Guide contains detailed information about topic areas, exciting lesson ideas and photocopiable support sheets. Register for a free 14 day trial
  • Gogglebox -The Humanities Channel from Sherston Gogglebox is topic based, cross curricular learning at its core, Gogglebox is based around hundreds of broadcast video clips and thousands of activities and resources and it has the facility to save work on the online gallery to be accessed later. Register for a free 14 day trial

Free Resources

Free Microsoft Tools for Teachers - Microsoft produces many free tools for helping teachers in the classroom - this video pulls together all of these tools in one presentation showing how these tools can be used for great effect in the classroom

Competition

Adventi supports Computing Best Practice Competition and Award - This competition is looking for transformational projects where the teacher and learners have built a strong learning community. Learners will have worked on an exciting open ended project which they have helped to plan. Teachers must demonstrate the ability to: inspire enthusiasm for learning; communicate their own enjoyment of computing or information systems; encourage collaboration in learners and work in partnership with colleagues (possibly in other school departments).

Teachers are asked to post a short video online where interested parties can vote. The top five highest ranked videos will be considered by a panel of judges with the winner announced at the Look to the Future conference at Heriot-Watt University on June 11th 2010. The winning teacher's school will receive all the technology required to develop applications for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad from Adventi and training from re-wire to get their App developed. Training covers all aspects of App development from Problem Solving to Programming and Entrepreneurship. info@adventi.com http://www.adventi.com/pdfs/0310_computingbestpractice.pdf)

Dates for your Diary - CALL Scotland Software Information Days - CALL Scotland is hosting a series of free Software Information Days during May 2010. If you would like to attend any of these events please contact CALL Scotland.

  • 10th May 2010, Dolphin Computer Access - Dolphin provide a range of software products which can be used to translate text documents and resources into a variety of formats, including Large Print, Braille, MP3 and text-to-speech. They are also specialists in software to support people with a visual impairment.

  • 20th May 2010 - 2Simple Software - new products from 2Simple Software including 2Create a Superstoy, Lego Mindstorms and Online Stories as well as an opportunity for hands on with titles such as 2DIY.

If you require further information on the above please click on the appropriate web link. Please feel free to circulate this newsletter to any colleagues who may be interested. Feedback on this newsletter is welcome; please email kim.conway3@btinternet.com with your comments. If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter, you can remove your address from the distribution list by sending a blank email with the subject 'unsubscribe' to kim.conway3@btinternet.com