Mean Green House Winners 2014

Schoolgen (schoolgen.co.nz)has announce the winners in the Mean Green House Competition 2014. They are:

• Primary (Year 5-6): Waterloo School, Lower Hutt
• Intermediate (Year 7-8): Raroa Intermediate School, Wellington
• Secondary School (Year 9-10): Rangitoto College, Auckland

The competition challenges students to design a cutting-edge energy-efficient house that uses solar energy. Check out the winning videos.

What Is Tellagami?

Create and share a quick animated video with Tellagami (tellagami.com). Called a Gami, these recordings looks like a fun way to tell a story. Just customise a character, choose a background, record your voice or type a message, and share.
Platforms: Android and iOS

What is wideo.co – How to make a video online

Wideo (wideo.co) is an online video app that allows you to easily create and share video animations – aka Wideos – in minutes.  It’s similar to Powtoon but simpler to use for beginners or younger users.

Christmas Broadcast in 1957

Watching the ‘Queen’s Speech’ is a tradition for many on Christmas Day. See how it all began with the first televised Christmas Broadcast in 1957 (fizurl.com/queenspeech). Filmed in black and white, it’s an interesting glimpse of the young monarch and were the issues of the day.

Using InnerBody’s Anatomy Explorer

Explore the human body with InnerBody (innerbody.com). With 100s of interactive anatomy pictures and descriptions of 1000s of objects in the body, it will help you discover all about human anatomy. Just start your anatomy exploration by clicking on any of the systems, from Skeletal to Integumentary.

ExamTime’s Quiz Maker

Create an online quiz with ExamTime’s Quiz Maker (examtime.com/quiz-maker/). Test students’ knowledge using different question styles including multiple choice, checkboxes and true/false. Or add a timer feature to experience more pressured conditions.

More on ‘Green Screen’

Created by Do Ink (blog.doink.com), this is a simple-to-use way to incorporate the technique of green screening in videos. This is where images from multiple sources are combined into a single video. For example, it’s used in the movies to make it look like actors have landed on an alien planet or on TV to make it look like a news announcer is standing in front of a weather map.

The Known Universe by AMNH

Developed by the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium, Digital Universe (Haydenplanetarium/universe/) incorporates data from dozens of organisations to create a stunning 3-D atlas of the Universe. Download it and begin flying around, from our own Solar System to the edge of the observable space.

History – Design Behind the Bike

Create by The Open University, this is the first in a series of videos – the others cover Aesthetics, Wheels, Materials, and Frame design. It explores the origins of bicycles, the history and evolution of cycling, and the impact they have today. Watch it with your students and ask them to write about the history and changes in bike design.

Bikes in Schools

Since being launched by the Prime Minister John Key at St Mary’s Primary School, Hastings, in February 2010, 30 schools around New Zealand have implemented a Bikes in Schools (bikeon.org.nz/bikesinschools.html) initiative. Learn more about it with your students and watch the video to find out why cycling is good for us all.

Freeville School – The Donut Monster’s New Bicycle

Watch ‘The Doughnut Monster’s New Bicycle’, an animated video created by students at Freeville School, Christchurch. Hand-drawn characters and sets are used to remarkable effect. On his birthday, Doughnut Monster learns which bicycle and helmet will be safe for him to take to school.