Once Upon a Picture

Once Upon a Picture is great looking website, similar to Pobble 365 I wrote about a while ago.
Its got pictures to be used either to inspire writing, promote use of interesting vocabulary, to teach skills such as inference, deduction and prediction, or to use for cross-curriculare lessons. Watch the trailer below:

Once Upon a Picture.. on Vimeo.

Videos for Emotion Talks

Using video can be a powerful method for learning and teaching. They can be a great way to learn skills for comprehension, deduction and inference. Some of the clips we've looked at before in development sessions are below to save you searching for them.




Further sources for film clips:

• Film trailers are published on YouTube and Vimeo - a good way to watch scary clips, or ways to build atmosphere.
• The Kid Should See This - great to see awe inspiring videos for discussion/ further activities on body sensations or other aspects of the sequencer
• The Literacy Shed - worth searching for a huge range of emotive films
• Any posts on here with video clips are now tagged at the side (ETvideo)

Inspiring Videos

The Present from Jacob Frey on Vimeo.
This is a lovely little short animated film which would be great to use in class, and could be used in a variety of ways. You can also watch it here. There are ideas for writing at The Literacy Shed website. I think it would be great to use and refer to the Emotions Talk sequencer, as you see the range of emotions expressed by the main character, and you could discuss strategies for feeling better. It might be good to pause the video before the character opens the present and reflect on when we feel happy, then reflect on his reaction to the present. It also lends itself well for work on resilience and growth mindset.

You might have seen this on TV - It could be fantastic as a stimulus to discuss positive self talk. The Paralympics start on the 7th of September.

Chatterpix

Kay recently recommend this fab app - Chatterpix. It creates animated talking pictures. You take a photo, draw a line on it to make a mouth, and add other features. You can then record your voice and the picture will become animated, 'saying' whatever you said. It would be a great way for children to practise talking clearly, and practising their Spanish, French, German or English.

It's free to download on the app store.

Website recommendation

The EAL service recommended the collaborative learning website for printable resources to support all pupils.

Noise getting too much?

Calm Counter

Bouncy Balls

 I've found these two websites are great visual ways to remind your class to use quiet voices when it all gets a bit too hard to think during group work. Its possible to have discussion and chat without having to shout to be heard, and these websites help remind the children of that.
Click here for the calm counter, and here for some animated bouncing items that are activated by sound.

Videos

Got a few minutes that you'd like to use in a worthwhile way? Take a look at this site for videos suitable to show your class. It's a collection of news stories and viral videos from around the world.
You'd be able to generate some interesting group or class discussions and probably some follow up work too (eg note taking, summarising, predicting) - or you could just watch and enjoy them.
A personal favourite: