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Keep calm and carry an iPad

Early last year, Orewa College embarked on a much-publicised BYOD programme using iPads. Here teachers Linda Rubens and Christine Wells explain its impact so far on learning and pedagogy, and how the devices are bringing a sense of calm to the classroom.

Stretching your ICT dollars

You won’t need a lesson in economics to know that finding the funds to implement your school’s ICT strategy can be a challenge. Catherine Murray looks at ways you can improve your purchasing power and make your tech dollar go further.

To iPad or not to iPad?

That is the question Tara Fagan and Tania Coutts set out to answer. Here they outline some of the results from their research into iPad use by young learners.

FYI, ICT goes DIY and saves a pile of NZD

Cutting more than $60,000 from a school’s annual ICT budget may seem fanciful but that’s exactly what Mangawhai Beach School has done, writes Lee Davis.

Gaming opens up new worlds of possibilities

Her students’ obsession with computer game Minecraft inspired Tracy Tindle to try something new. Not only did the resulting ‘Life Forms’ project prove a success but also it won her ‘Best Teaching with ICT’ in last year’s INTERFACE Awards.

Before you pay, choose how you should display

Data projectors have become a common sight in classrooms, mostly with a screen, sometimes with an IWB. Their status in schools as the default display technology, however, is coming under threat from flat-screen panel solutions, writes Jenny Barrett.

Lesson Ideas

13.01 – The ‘virtual’ keypunch: Experience how computers used to work with a virtual keypunch card

13.02 – The blood typing game: Learn about human blood types for transfusions

13.03 – Classroom characters: Create a cartoon image to represent a student

13.04 – Five important places: Identifying locations that have a particular significance

File Share

Geo Games, OLogy, Science Friday, Reflap, YoWindow, Smore, and more.

One-minute guide: Edcanvas

Expanding URLs

Ruben the road safety bear

Looking for answers? Q&A websites

Mobile Apps

From the back of the class: School’s in for summer

During the summer, 19 enthusiastic students chose not to spend their time at the beach, hiking or hanging out with their friends. Instead, they were exploring the world of open source software, writes Kristina Hoeppner.