SENICT News and Resources from Ian Bean, April 2014

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Follow SENICT on Pinterest where you’ll find hundreds of pins sharing FREE cause and effect activities, fantastic interactive web sites, heaps of teaching resources and EVERY IPAD APP we have ever recommended during our training or on our Facebook page.
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Two brilliant interactive web sites

a STRETCHY HAND and purple blob of liquid lightning

Here’s two brilliant interactive web sites that you can use in school with your students. ‘Imagination‘ lets you create wonderful surreal patterns either by moving the mouse pointer or by touching the screen. I haven’t had time to try it yet but it should work with eye gaze systems too. Visit IMAGINATION web site

Stretchy Hand Toy is a delightful web site which lets you interact with a wibbly-wobbly, stretchy, sticky hand. Use the mouse pointer or the touch screen to move it about the screen. Works with iPad too.
Visit STRETCHY HAND web site

 


Workshops in Australia

RIDBC buildings

Colleagues in Australia might be interested to hear that Ian will be delivering two, two-day workshops for the RIDBC in Sydney and Melbourne later this year. For more information about the content or to book your place, click the links to the workshops below.

RIDBC two-day workshop in Sydney 4/5 August
RIDBC two-day workshop in Melbourne 7/8 August

 


Tried and tested free apps


App icons for T in blocks, a cute dog, a play video symbol, and NOT*!T


More useful app recommendations this month including the brilliant and free ‘Tynker‘ which provides a lovely introduction to programming on the iPad. Please note: While all of these apps were free at the time of writing, always check the price of an app before downloading it.
Many apps are offered free by developers but some are only free for a short period of time.

Tynker App screenshot

If you’re planning to deliver the new computing curriculum, you’ve probably heard of Scratch, which is a simple visual programming language. Tynker app is an engaging way for students to begin to learn the skills they will need to make the most of Scratch.

The app features lovely graphics and sound effects and is story driven which adds context to the programming activities. Although free you can add new stories and programming challenges for $2.49.
GET TYNKER APP

If‘ is a lovely story driven role play app that works to develop emotional intelligence skills. Hugely popular with colleagues working with children on the autistic spectrum this adventure based story app features lots of interactive activities that will help students explore and master their own emotions.
GET IF APP

It’s not often that an app comes along that you know you’ll use over and over. Guided Video App lets you create educational activities using video. Simply record a video (or use one you’ve recorded earlier) then ask a question about it. You can add up to 12 possible answers using words or photo buttons. Brilliant for making interactive social stories, vocational learning activities and more. This app comes highly recommended. It’s free too!
You can find out more about ways to use this app by visiting the GUIDED VIDEO APP WEB SITE.
GET GUIDED VIDEO APP

Not It‘ is a really simple app that does just one thing… it decides who goes first. Students put their finger on the iPad screen and the app will choose who goes first and the turn order for the others.
A fun way to overcome something that can a problem for some of our students. Free.
GET NOT IT APP

Ian Bean

Ian was the ICT teacher and curriculum coordinator at Priory Woods School in Middlesbrough which is internationally recognised as an example of best practice in the use of ICT to support teaching and learning for students with severe and complex difficulties including Autism. HIs leadership of ICT won for the school many local, national and international awards. The school web site which Ian designed and ran for many years and welcomes millions of visitors each month from across the globe. Ian left Priory Woods to lead the Information Team at Inclusive Technology where he was responsible for delivering training and consultancy to schools around the world. While at Inclusive, Ian worked closely with the development team to help design much of Inclusive's software output over the last seven years. This includes titles from the 'Big Bang', 'Switch Skills', 'Target and Touch' and 'Maker' series, each design underpinned by best practice research Ian carried out in schools and colleges. Most recently Ian worked on MyZone LP, an innovate switch accessible learning learning platform for children with SEN.