The Ultimate guide to Writing Letters

Writing letters today is becoming somewhat of a lost art form in comparison to what it was before computers, twitter and text messaging.  The fact is though that we still need effective letter writing skills to communicate at a professional or personal level via email or on good ol' pen and paper.

Letter Writing Guide has got you covered no matter what sort of style of letter you are trying to put together and is full of excellent information on structuring a specific style of letter and also has an example letter for over 20 different styles of letter writing.

So if you are going to write a love letter to a long lost girlfriend or terminate an employee's position be sure to get it right by visiting Letter Writing Guide

Woopid - Tech Tutorials for teachers and students

Woopid is site that lets users watch video tutorials about all things technology. It is an easy to navigate site with hundreds of videos on using software and hardware products on all major computer platforms. A great site for technology trainers, teachers introducing basic computing functions to students, or just anyone who wants to learn something new.

Useful tutorial on how to do long division for teachers and students

I have to teach long division tomorrow for the first ime in a long time and all i remember about it is that it is a long, confusing and involved process.  Instead of fumbling through text books to refresh my memory I was straight on to the web and found this brilliant step by step tutorial (below) that I will work through with my students.  It is really comprehensive and easy to follow.  I hope you enjoy it and get some use out of it.

Long Division Tutorial

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How to use Spreadsheets in the classroom

I am finding my students are increasingly using spreadsheets to solve mathematical problems in class and represent their data and findings in meaningful ways.  There are a few options in the spreadsheet market including Google Doc's, Apple's Numbers but the king of all spreadsheets is still Micorsoft Excel.

I came across these great tutorials on using Excel in the classroom and would highy recommend them to others.  they include advice on using spreadsheets to assit students and teachers in maths and science and also in creating graphic organisers.  Loads of great lesson ideas and there are even ready made workbooks for you to download and begin using straigh away.  Check it out here.

Learn it in 5 - Teaching ideas simplified

Learn it in 5 is a must see resource for every teacher.  It contains lesson ideas, video tutorials, visionary apps and loads of tools and content you can access quickly and easily.  I don't regularly promote other peoples blogs but this one has some real worthwhile content that you cant go past and it is always great to find something new and innovative to try with your students.  Check it out here.

Some great Audacity Tutorials for Teachers and Students

Audacity has been around for a long time and has for right or wrong been considered a very poor cousin to Garageband.  Regardless of how it compares to other products Audacity is still a great tool for teachers and students and it is completely free.  I came across these great tutorials that are primarily focused at creating podcasts but can be applied to any aspect of Audacity.  Your students would be more than capable of following them with ease and they are a great starting point for staff who have little experience with Podcasting or Audacity.  Check them out here.

Learning from 60 Second Videos: Literacy Lessons for Goldfish

60 Second Recap is an interesting concept that I must first say is done very well regardless of it's value as a powerful educational tool  It takes complex tasks such as retelling the key ideas and provocative concepts behind famous pieces of literature such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and breaks them down into 60 second videos for the time poor learner.  Is it for everyone?  I don't think so??? but it definitely has a a place for disengaged teenagers.  Here is the official word from the team behind it. 

The 60second Recap aims to break this cycle of canonical irrelevance. We want to help teens (yes, teens of all ages!) engage with literature. We want to help them see it not as some chore to be endured, but as -- dare we say it? -- the gift of a lifetime. How? Through the language of our time -- the language of video. Video that's focused, engaging, informative ... and short enough to hold just about anyone's attention.

Smirk if you must. Consider this yet another mile-marker on civilization’s road to perdition. But here's the fact: You won't get non-readers to read by forcing them to read more. You'll get them to read by opening their eyes to the marvels awaiting them between the covers of that homework assignment.

With the 60second Recap, teens finally have an alternative to the boring, text-based study guides that have burdened them for generations. And -- who knows? -- maybe that's just what they'll need to begin a love affair with literature, one that will last a lifetime.

Mission

The 60second Recap wants to make the great works of literature accessible, relevant, and, frankly, irresistible to today's teens. Through our 60second Recap™ video albums, we seek to help teens engage with the best books out there ... not just to help them get better grades, but to help them build better lives.

Love it or hate it you really need to see it.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Is it a step forwards or backwards?

Activity TV - Hundreds of Free Creative Lesson Videos and Tutorials

Find lots of fun activities for kids, with video instructions and printables. There's a great selection of craft ideas including gifts, games and holiday items. Learn easy magic tricks, or try the fun and easy kid-friendly cooking recipes. Check out the simple, safe and fun science experiments or very cool paper airplanes. Other categories inlcude cartooning, cheerleading, juggling, origami, jewlery, puppets, and more. Just follow along with the setp-by-step videos.   Check out Activity TV here.