Welcome to Blogging

Welcome to this sample site on how Blogging could be used to enhance learning and teaching in the classroom. 

I hope you enjoy your visit and start to think about how you might use Blogging to enhance learning and teaching in your classroom.

Some ideas To Get You Started

Blogging can be used to enhance learning and teaching, as a distance learning tool; to support critical and reflective thinking; to support home-school links; as a means of showcasing pupil work (portfolio) and as a way to encourage new ways of working.

1. History:  Empathy writing. Blogging from the Front line – WW1/2, Blogging from the Titanic – as the ship goes down
2. Geography:  Reports from field trips with accompanying photographs.
3. Science:  Tool for writing up experiments and acting as a revision site
4. English:  A tool to encourage creative writing at KS3 and GCSE e.g. poetry anthology; story-writing; online diary etc.  A method of making notes and publishing them online – exchange of ideas/poetry anthology
5. Journalism:  Getting published –a tool for supporting GCSE journalism by publishing and sharing stories/reports online
6. Home Economics:  healthy eating blog; recipes online; research and reporting online.
7. Music:  reports on the great composers; discussions about concerts; posts about musical influences and styles.
8. French:  improve written work in target language by posting responses to topics; completing projects; verb bank etc.
9. Technology:  information on technology trends; safety in workshop; notes on key topics; revision materials
10. RS:  discussion and debate about key moral and social issues; debating forum; notes and revision materials
11. Art:  reviews of the great artists; reviews of artistic styles; discussions about the nature of art and the different materials used in art
12. General:  a class/form information/bulletin board/ sports notices; reports from educational visits; match reports; school events etc.

How To Display Your Videos using Blogger and C2K Video on Demand Service

This video is linked directly to the Video on Demand server within C2K system

This allows videos to play back directly on your blog when using a C2K system.

How To:

1. Upload your video to C2K Video on Demand Service
2. When you video has uploaded, preview it to check it is working.  Then select and copy the embedded object code for your video from the Video on Demand service
3. Switch to Blogger
4. Create a new post
5. Click on Edit HTML (top right of the post section)
6. Paste the embedded video code the into your new blog post
7. Click on Compose
8. Add text as normal
9. Publish your post
10. The video will display on your blog

Multimedia Blogging on C2K System

You can use Blogger on C2K systems to create multimedia blogs.

This blog entry was created entirely on a C2K computer to prove that blogger is accessible and can be updated via C2K computers.

However, some (all?) of your video clips may not be viewable on a C2K system.

You can even upload video files from C2K

And it all works fine!

So, Blogger can be used on Legacy and C2K networks, from home and in school.

Happy blogging!

Video and Audio Blogging

Video Blogging

You can create a video blog using a normal video camera - the camera must be able to save files in either .avi or .wmv format.  A good choice of camera is the Logitech Pro 9000 camera, supplied by C2K to your school for Video Conferencing.  Once you record the blog using the software that came with the camera, you can then upload these files direct to your blog. 

Audio Blogging

You can create an audio blog in Windows Movie Maker by

1. Start Movie Maker
2. Record your blog using the Narrate Timeline option
3. Import a suitable picture and drag it out to match the full length of your audio recording
4. Save your blog as a video file using the following options
5. Select Save Movie File
6. Movie Location:  Select My Computer and click Next
7. Enter a suitable file name and click Next
8. Choose Other Settings and Select Video for Broadband (150kbs)
9. Click Next
10. The files is converted to a video and saved in MyVideos folder
11. You are now ready to create a blog post and upload your video podcast.



Philosophy in the Classroom - Week 1

Schools require rules, without which, chaos would reign

Discuss

Citizenship: Should We Have Rules on Who Can Become a UK Citizen?

The government are proposing introducing stricter tests on who can become a UK citizen.

The current situation is explained below.  Study the guidelines and then respond to the questions that follow.

Home Office Guidelines

Questions

1.  What are the current rules if you wish to qualify as a British citizen?

2.  Which of these rules are sensible?  Explain your answer.

3.  Which rules are too strict?  Justify your answer.

Safety in the Lab: Excellent Site

Click on the link below to learn more about Lab Safety

Safety in the Lab

Religious Education: Ethics 101

In a typical GCSE ethics question you are asked to consider if "Is killing someone every morally right?"

Working in groups, I would like you to formulate arguments for and against a moral case for killing.

You should consider the following areas:

• War
• Self-Defence
• Trespass
• To prevent greater harm e.g. suicide bomber
• To prevent further suffering e.g. terminally ill relative
• Regime overthrow e.g. Iraq, Tunisia

Earthquakes

In this lesson we will be learning to

• Understand what Earthquakes are
• Understand why Earthquakes occur
• Understand how Earthquakes are detected and measured
• Understand the impact of Earthquakes on population centres by studing the recent earthquake in Japan

Things to Do

Watch the video and answer the questions that follow

Questions

......

Learn French Numbers and Colours

In these videos you will learn how to count from 1-10 in French and learn the names of colours

Getting a Reaction

In this experiment you will be learning to:

• Understand how chemical compounds change from solid to liquid to gas
• Understand what a chemical reaction is
• Understand why a chemical reaction occurred
• Understand the outcome of a chemical reaction
• Take appropriate safety measures when using scientific apparatus

Method


Write Up

This Weeks Recipe: Chocolate Cake

 

 

Ingredients

• 110g/4oz dark chocolate, melted
• 1 orange, finely grated zest only
• 6 eggs, separated
• 110g/4oz caster sugar
• 110g/4oz ground almonds
• 55g/2oz chocolate cake or crumbs
• 310ml/11oz double cream
• 140g/5oz dark chocolate pieces

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Butter and sugar the insides of 8 metal pudding moulds.
3. Mix the melted chocolate and orange zest together. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale.
4. Fold in the chocolate mix, followed by the almonds and crumbs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the chocolate mixture.
5. Divide the chocolate mixture between the moulds and cover with rounds of buttered tin foil.
6. Bake in the oven in a bain marie for 20 minutes until risen and just firm to the touch
7. Whip the double cream with 1 tbsp caster sugar until stiff and refrigerate.
8. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to the boil and add the chocolate pieces.
9. Unmould the puddings onto warm plates and spoon a little chocolate sauce over each one and spoon some chilled whipped cream on the side.

Mozart and Modernity

In this lesson we will compare and contrast the music of Mozart with modern rock band Guns and Roses

Paradise City

Creative Writing Assignment: The Stranger

From a distance, the stranger's silhouetted shape, standing on the shore cast a dark shadow against the sky ....

Plot Lines for Class Play

Year 9:  Drama Classes

This term we will be concentrating on writing a play about Bullying.

Each class has been divided into writing groups and asked to develop one of the following plot lines by writing dialogue and stage directions.

• Bullying in School
• Bullying at Home
• Bullying in the work place
• Being a bully
• Being bullied

Deadlines

Plot lines must be submitted to this blog by 17th March.   Other students will then have the opportunity to PEER review the plot lines and submit comments (keep positive)

Drama Production

Latest Rehearsal News

Please meet in the Main Hall at times shown


Monday 14th  -        3.30-4.00                Full Choir
                                4.00-4.30                Principals


Wed     16th            2.00-4.30                Full Dress Rehearsal

Collage Display - Samples of Year 10 Work

How to Create a Clock

Year 10:  Technology - Project 1 - Clock Making

In this lesson you will learn how to create a Clock

Process

.....................

Footage of Life during World War 1

Causes of World War 1 - Video 1

Video Material

Causes of the First World War

In this week's lesson we are learning to:

• Identify the causes of the First World War
• Decide between major and minor causes
• Write short paragraphs of notes on the causes of the first world war

Things to Do

Study the following cartoons and consider the questions that follow:

Questions

Q1.  According to the source, why did Russia declare war on Austria-Hungary?

Q2.  Why did Germany get involved in the war?

Q3.  .....