Tux Paint - much improved free software download.

Katie Betteridge from Moons Moat First School has e-mailed me to remind me of a free downloadable paint program, TuxPaint.  She says it has "so many tools and magic effects, its far better than anything I've used before!".


Having revisited it for the first time for a couple of years, I can fully endorse what she says!  It has moved on incredibly and is worthy of consideration for primary school use.  You can set it to limit the tools for younger children and the stamps are a seperate download (for those who love to hate such things and might not want to bother with them!).

If you have a problem downloading it in school, just give the Broadband team a ring and they will stop it being blocked when you need it to be available.

Of course, the children can have it on their computers at home as well, so extending it's use beyond the school.

2Simple goes PURPLE!

Have you noticed that 2Simple’s online tools have become Purplemash?

Purplemash contains all the tools as before plus 2Type, Simple City, Maths Games and 2Investigate online as well as a whole load of new apptivity templates which are currently being added to daily and are free to non subscribers. Non subscribers can save the children's work locally or print rather than save to a child's own area to edit if they did subscribe.


The free apptivities are for KS1 and 2 and can be found at http://www.purplemash.com/ put in ‘all’ into the search to see all the free activities.

Early Years blogs

Take a few moments to delight in some of the offerings available from New Zealand via this Early Years blog. Parents must find it really valuable to ba able to see their children at work in 'kindy' (nursery) and what must it do for the children's sef esteem to see themselves in starring roles? Click here for Naketa's early childhood blog
Naketa is a qualified early childhood teacher with over 10 years of experience in the sector. She is currently working for CORE Education Ltd as a Regional ICT Facilitator Here you will find a mix of random musings about life, Pasifika/Māori delights, Music, ICT, Early Childhood Education and more.

BETT 2010

Are you joining the coach for the annual Worcestershire pilgrimage to BETT this year? Going down under your own steam? However you get there leave some comments here to let other people know what you found that was interesting to the first, primary or middle phases.

Add anything you like that you think others should know about... regardless of cost, platform, etc. All schools have different budgets and needs. Sadly, many colleagues are unable to be released from school to see what is new and exciting in the world of educational ICT... share your thoughts and help others in the Worcs ICT community to keep up to date.

Primary ICT Progressions

If you haven't already seen them you might find it useful to access the new planning materials created by our colleagues in Herefordshire. We have linked them into Edulink via the route: Teaching and Learning> ICT> Resource Menu.

If you are moving to a more integrated style of curriculum planning (whatever you may call it) you will find these materials invaluable to ensure that you embed ICT directly into the curriculum providing children with bite sized chunks of ICT teaching to use to support a learning context.

Of course, planning in this way requires a rethink about tracking experiences and identifying progress over time. APP style forms and tracking sheets are also available here.

It is hoped that this blog will help Worcestershire teachers to share good practice which will support others as they change the way they develop their curriculum.