26/3/09 -BBC SCHOOL REPORT During the past week, the e-Learning Centre has worked in close partnership with three city schools - Ellis Guilford, Emmanuel & Fernwood to produce simulated TV news programmes for the BBC's "School Report". Teachers and pupils from the participating schools learned how to research and collate news items of the day and write original scripts for the studio presenters to read during the "on-air" recordings.
To view the completed news broadcast videos and to learn more about the sessions, please visit our specially created "School Report" website at: WWW.NELC.NET/SCHOOLREPORT
7/2/09 -3D Science Workshops The e-Learning Centre is hosting a week of innovative and inspiring workshops for pupils of KS3/KS4 science. The workshops are focused on explaining Newtonian gravity and the workings of the universe. Each session includes an interactive 3D show (with pupils using interactive voting pads and, yes, 3D glasses!) plus practical experiments & digital media tasks using the latest cutting-edge technology. This is a great opportunity to extend the learning done in the classroom and enthuse pupils in science.
The day-long workshops will run from the 23rd-27th February and are provided by the Digital Learning Foundation at no cost to the participating schools. For more information or to book one of the days for your school, please contact David Ellis on 0115 915 9511 or email: david@nelc.net
4/11/08 -Soundbeam music innovation workshops The Soundbeam is an innovative "instrument" which uses a variety of infrared sensors and physical switches to trigger everything from musical sequences to lighting displays. Originally invented for use by professional music & dance performance artists, the Soundbeam has found a unique place within education and particularly SEN.
The system offers teachers and students new opportunities for contemporary forms of composition and group music making. It has been shown to benefit children and adults with a range of conditions and syndromes including Autism, ADHD, dementia, Down’s Syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, depression, Alzheimer’s Disease and challenging behaviours.
Soundbeam provides a medium through which even profoundly physically or learning impaired individuals can become expressive and communicative using music and sound. The sense of control and independence which this provides can be a powerful motivator, stimulating learning and interaction in other areas.
The e-Learning Centre is offering to provide workshops and training sessions using the Soundbeam to teachers and pupils of all ages and abilities.
For more information, please contact David Ellis on 0115 915 9513 or e-mail: david@nelc.net
25/9/08 -Casio launch "slow-motion" ultra high speed camera Casio's new EX-F1 ultra high speed video camera looks set to revolutionize the use of video in classroom experiments and open up a whole new world of video-based teaching resources.
The camera is capable of shooting 60 frames per second at 6 mega-pixel resolution or upto an astonishing 1200fps at a slightly lower resolution - which means that when you playback the footage, you're able to view incredibly fine detail which the naked eye would otherwise miss.
The camera has already been used extensively in Higher Education to record science experiments, sport/dance performances and for creating resources for virtual learning environments (VLE's).
We are looking to collaborate with schools/teachers on projects were the use of slow-motion video technology could provide pupils with a totally unique insight into their area of study.
For more information, please contact David Ellis on 0115 9159513
7/8/08 -Summer School 2008 Straight after the long summer term, the North Nottingham e-Learning Centre, together with its sister centre at the south, sprang into action to run courses for Gifted and Talented pupils as part of the City’s G&T Summer School 2008 programme.
Three workshops were offered at the North:
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CGI Movie Artist Workshop: 3D CGI Animation
Movie Composer: Composing Sound Tracks for Films
Lights, Camera, Action!: Film Making
During the first week, a group of pupils worked with David Ellis for two days learning the principals of 3D CGI animation and producing a variety of 3D models and short films. This exciting technology is used in the creation of animations and special effects in movies such as ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Star Wars’. The pupils were really challenged by the process of creating original models and using professional software. Everyone had a great time and some of their work can be seen here.
This workshop was swiftly followed by another 2 day workshop which was aimed at pupils with an interest in composing music specifically for film. After analysing examples from Hollywood trailers, pupils worked as a group to develop their composition techniques and demonstrate their knowledge of genre. By the second day, they were eager to work independently and produce original soundscapes which were then converted into short video clips. Click on here for a flavour of what was produced.
The second week of Summer School 2008 saw Marie-Line Antoine work with her colleagues James and Jennifer to offer an extensive 5-day course in film making. A variety of activities gave pupils the opportunity to develop their filming and editing techniques. This year it was decided that location work would feature prominently and the whole group went to the lakes of Bestwood Country Park to spot the best locations and plan their narratives accordingly. Unfortunately the temperamental English weather did not play its part well and we had to think fast on our feet to come up with alternative ideas so that the week did not finish on a low. Back at the centre, pupils had a great time working in front of the chroma key screen. The final day was spent working hard on all the various films to compile a show reel for parents, siblings and friends. The behind the scenes film captures the highlights of the week very well. So, don’t delay. Click here to watch the clip.
6/6/08 -D&T Gets Animated A group of Year 10 Design and Technology students from Fernwood school visited the centre to learn how 3D CGI software can be used alongside regular CAD modeling and product design. The software, Cinema4D, is able to import 3D designs from CAD applications such as "ProDeskTop" and uses extensive material, lighting and animation tools to produce cinema-quality films, presentations and video advertisements. Taking Pixar's famous animated logo - "Luxo Jr" - the students adapted a pre-made 3D model lamp produced by Jamie Tinney, the D&T e-learning consultant, by adding camera effects, animation and even hair! The students spent the day working on their project and found the whole process hugely rewarding and entertaining. They all agreed that the skills learnt would be most useful in their subject. Dave who led the workshop was thrilled to see how quickly the students picked the necessary skills in such a short space of time. Who knows there might even be a budding CGI animator in the making! 3D CGI software offers an extensive set of features not found in regular CAD and therefore it enables students to greatly extend the quality and professional look of their work. You can also apply your skills and knowledge gained using this software in other areas of the curriculum such as Art and Design, Media Studies and Mathematics. For more information about CGI and the curriculum, please contact david@nelc.net
6/6/08 -The Asus Eee put through its paces The Asus Eee has taken the world of computing by storm. Millions of users, more familiar with Windows, are being exposed to Linux - renowned for free software and open source development, where all source code can be freely modified, used and redistributed by anyone. The e-Learning Centre staff have been busy exploring the small, light, cheap and Linux-powered Asus Eee. The model we purchased was the 701 but, as with all things technological, this has already been superceded by the 900 version within just a few months! You can access the internet through a wireless connection, opening a whole array of opportunities such as email, research and general browsing. The built-in webcam and microphone allow you to skype - make free phone calls and video-chat with anyone, anywhere, anytime provided the other person has Skype installed on their computer as well. It comes with open source office applications such as word processing and you can also play videos, music and games. How do we rate the Asus? It was easy to use the internal microphone or plug in an external one to record podcasts. We were able to install other free software to extend its versatility. Just for fun (apologies to Linux) James Millichip, one of our techies, installed Windows on it. It worked fine but there was not enough hard drive space for much else. We liked its portability, size and the fact that you can install free software and access the internet for such a small price - under £200. If you are interested in this little computerand how it may be useful in education, please contact us for further details.
6/6/08 -FREE "Podcasting" training "Podcasting" is one of the latest buzz-words to hit teaching and learning. The concept is simple: You use a microphone and a simple, inexpensive, piece of audio software to record and produce a sharable broadcast - a "Podcast"! You can make a podcast about virtually any subject and share it with others or upload to the web. Podcasting is a great way of engaging pupils and encouraging communication between students, teachers and even between schools around the world. Maybe you're on a field trip?...then why not take a few digital photos or a video clip as evidence of what you discovered and include them in your podcast too? If you're a teacher and would like a FREE Podcasting training session, please contact David Ellis via e-mail: david@nelc.net
