Welcome to the February 2010 Newsletter. This month's newsletter has a special focus on some of the new products that were at BETT. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any of your 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

• Software amnesty from Kudlian Software - if you send your original licence for your animation software with your order for I Can Animate, you will receive 50% off any I Can Animate licence www.kudlian.net
• Mapcaster from Storm Educational software is now available as an online subscription. MapCaster allows you to insert images and videos to maps www.stormeducational.co.uk 
• Serif - Serif have launched a new version of Serif WebPlus and Serif PagePlus www.serif.com
• The Big Bus 2.0 - The Big Bus 2.0 gives you access to 45 modules many of which feature differentiation to support a wide range of abilities www.thebigbus.com

New Products

• Anithings from Stripey Design - lets children design and create their own characters and settings or use ready-made ones from the bank. Stories are animated by simply dragging the timeline slider and changing an object's position, colour or size, or by recording motion using the mouse. Ideal for younger children. www.anithings.com
• Mimic Books - digital books for Interactive Whiteboards. Mimic Books replicate the experience of reading a real book www.mimicbooks.com
• Musii is a new music-making tool using state-of- the-art technologies and creates a combination of art music and light that is compelling and instantly rewarding. It is an inflatable object that emits sound and is illuminated with colour when touched, squeezed or wobbled. www.musii.co.uk
• SMART Table interactive learning centre - the SMART Table is the world's first multi-user, multi-touch, interactive learning centre designed specifically for early education. The table's intuitive interface allows students to start working right away with text and audio instructions built into the activities. www.smart-table.co.uk
• SMART Board^™ SBD600 series interactive whiteboard with dual touch - The SMART Board SBD600 series interactive whiteboard with dual touch enables two users to touch or write on the board's surface simultaneously. Students and teachers have the option of using their finger or a pen to brainstorm, and engage with lesson materials while working within SMART Notebook software.

New on the Software Services 4 Education Web site

This month's showcase on the SS4E webs site is the new I Can Animate Teacher's Book from Kudlian Software. www.ss4e.com

FREE Resources

• Crocodile Clips - Crocodile Clips is offering four teachers in each of the UK's secondary schools a free copy of its Yenka simulation software. The offer is open to one teacher in maths, one in ICT, one in Science and one in Technology from each school. www.crocodile-clips.com
• *Sumo Paint - free online painting package www.sumopaint.com
• *Tuxpi- Make your pictures more lively and apply fancy effects and create real eye-catchers with this collection of easy to use photo effects. All photo tools on this site are browser based, very simple to use. www.tuxpi.com

Special Offers

The Sherston Mega Deal - With software worth over £20k the Sherston Mega Deal offers you over 100 titles designed for primaries covering many areas of the curriculum. The titles are provided on a robust portable external hard drive that connects via USB to your computer. You can then search for resources and titles, review each title, read about each title and access the user guide, run the title directly and install any title on your computer. Included is a site licence for each title. During February 2010 you can save a further £300 if you mark your order SS4E. Now available for £799 www.sherstonmegadeal.com

Alphasmart Keyboards - LT Scotland are offering the Alphasmart Neo and Neo 2 Keyboards at specially discounted prices. Extra discounts are also available for class sets of 10 to 30 sets. For more details and pricing enquiries@LTScotland.org.uk

Boardmaker Plus! - LT Scotland are offering discounts on Boardmaker Plus! software. Discounts are available for the full product and there is a low cost upgrade from ANY previous version of Boardmaker. For further information enquiries@LTScotland.org.uk  

**Software Savings from LT Scotland - Learning and Teaching Scotland has negotiated agreements with a number of the leading software publishers, including Microsoft, Apple and Adobe, to sell their products through software licensing schemes. These are unique to Scottish education and can help schools and authorities make substantial savings www.ltscotland.org.uk/aboutlts/resources/software

Events

Renaissance Learning is delighted to announce the launch of 'Read to a Million Kids', which takes place on World Book Day - 4th March. To take part and claim your FREE 'Archie the Reading Bug' poster, visit www.readtoamillionkids.co.uk

*Special thanks goes to Malcolm Wilson, Falkirk Council Education Services for passing on information on two of the free resources Sumo Paint and Tuxpi. If you have used any free resources that you think may be of interest to others, please let us know and we will include information. Email kim.conway3@btinternet.com

** Only available to Scottish education

 

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