Many publishers provide FREE educational support materials to help teachers and students get the most out of their products and services.

These can be in the form of

  • bite sized videos - online videos giving introductions to new and existing products and demonstrate how they can be used in the classroom
  • educational case studies - see how software can be implements across a whole school or is being used in the classroom
  • examples of good practice
  • worksheets - ready made resources available to download and use in the classroom

SS4E will continue to add to to this list of FREE resources, so please come back on a regular basis to see what is new. Why not subscribe to the SS4E newsletter to make sure you are kept up to date.

Asda’s School Matters website is a free educational resource for teachers, parents and children. The website, which supports the Food Standards Agency’s core competencies, can be used to assist in the teaching of a broad range of subjects, with a particular focus on food education. Each section of the website aims to educate children and give them a practical awareness of food safety and food hygiene, the importance of diet and health, and the journey of food from the farm to our forks! http://school.asda.com/parents-teachers/

Chemistry past papers are now available for SMART Response. Anyone wanting a copy please email Anne Forrest anne.forrest@steljes.co.uk

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

Go Wild Over Waterways - The many resources and activities you will discover here have been created for children aged 7-11 years, their teachers, group leaders and families. They are designed to help you safely explore the canals, river and waterways of Britain. Learn more about the history, wildlife and technology of our waterways - including new downloadable resources for the Scottish Lowland and Caledonian Canals. Also includes Gaelic text option. www.wow4water.net

Interactive Visual Timetable for Working Life - produced by the Down's Syndrome Association, it is ideal for sequencing any series of events, including what will happen during the day. Available from the Inclusive Technology web site http://www.inclusive.co.uk/downloads/downloads.shtml#timetable

Learn Your Tables - free online resource that provides teachers with a printable assessment of how their pupils are at their 'times table' skills. There are two levels of practice questions. www.learnyourtables.co.uk

Microsoft

  • UK Innovative Teachers Network - this network connects a global community of educators who share a common interest in enhancing teaching and learning through the use of technology. Within the Communities you can connect with your peers in your country and around the world to share ideas, exchange content and create virtual project teams. Find teacher created and tested educational content such as Virtual Classroom Tours, lesson plans and quick ideas that you can use right now. You can also take part in discussion on hot education topics http://blogs.msdn.com/teachers/archive/2009/09/30/video-ideas-to-help-your-teaching-and-learning.aspx http://uk.innovativeteachers.com/

  • FREE Developer Tool for Students - Microsoft DreamSpark is simple, it's all about giving students Microsoft professional-level developer and design tools at no charge so they can chase their dreams and create the next big breakthrough in technology - or just get a head start on their career. For the first time, Microsoft is giving its valuable software developer and design tools directly to students worldwide at no charge! This enables students to download professional-level Microsoft developer and design tools to unlock their creative potential and set them on the path to academic and career success, by supporting and advancing their learning and skills through technical design, technology, mathematics, science and engineering activities. www.dreamspark.com

The Great Britain Historical Geographical Information System is a unique digital collection of information about Britain's localities as they have changed over time. Information comes from census reports, historical gazetteers, travellers' tales and historic maps, assembled into a whole that is much more than the sum of its parts. This site tells you more about the project itself and about historical GIS. A separate site, funded by the UK National Lottery, has been created to make this resource available on-line to everyone, presenting our information graphically and cartographically.  This site is called A Vision of Britain Through Time and presents the history of Great Britain through places. www.visionofbritain.org.uk

Serif Tutorials - Serif has produced a range of comprehensive tutorials that can be downloaded and used in the classroom http://www.serif.com/education/tutorials/drawplus.asp

Sumo Paint - free online painting package www.sumopaint.com

Tuxpi- Make your pictures livelier and apply fancy effects to 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