Daydream Education

Visitor Tips for BETT 2012

2012-01-09T03:50:00.001-08:00

1. Register for the show in advance to get fast-track entry. This will eliminate the long wait to get in when you arrive.

2. Plan your visit. BETT has an exhibitor list on their website and you can search by products, subject or education level. Download the floorplan and make a note of the stand numbers of the exhibitors you want to visit.

3. Book meetings in advance. You can book a meeting with most exhibitors; however, many like us at Daydream are happy for you drop by for a chat.

4. Attending a seminar? Make a note of them and the times they start.

5. Olympia is huge; make sure you plan a break. There are cafes and bars in Olympia; however, these can be expensive. Bring your own food, or pop out for some lunch.

6. Ask your colleagues what they would like to find out or if there are any specific exhibitors they might be interested in for resources for their class.

7. Dress comfortably. It’s a long day visiting BETT and you will be doing a lot of walking.

8. Finally, enjoy the day. Talk to the experts, find out about new products and resources and take advantage of being able to preview resources up front.

Ignite their Imaginations with Educational Wall Charts

2012-01-06T03:34:00.000-08:00

5th January, 2012

Providing anything in a visual format can have a great impact from a learning point of view and that’s why educational wall charts have evolved over the years to thrive in this digital age. While the growth of the internet has changed the face of education in recent times, traditional methods sustain and will always remain a powerful force in any child’s learning.

By using educational wall charts you can bring a subject to life and these charts have evolved over the years to become vibrant tools for any teacher. They have also developed to cover every subject on the curriculum and the choice of wall charts within that subject is virtually limitless.

There is a science to the development of wall charts today and it’s no accident that they are a vast improvement on the drab, text heavy items that have existed in schools in the past.

Essentially, they are designed for optimum visual impact and the vivid colours draw people in to view the content. The balance of text and graphics is also much better and they hold the reader’s attention for far longer than wall charts would have done previously.

All areas of the curriculum are covered and from the very basic letters of the alphabet, teachers can cover everything, right up the most complicated areas of study.

Certain subjects can only be brought to life visually and no matter how much text is offered to pupils, a wall chart literally completes the picture and makes the content stay in the minds. The human body is a great example of a study area where the subject is made more appealing with the introduction of visual study aids.

Diagrams of the human skeleton and the internal parts of the body can be quickly identified on the relevant wall charts and it becomes far easier for pupils to retain the information.

Research has continually proved just how important wall charts of this kind are in any child’s education. A visual image makes a subject more interesting and when you place them at strategic places in the classroom or in other areas of the school, learning is almost taken on board subliminally.

Technology may be increasing in the classroom but it’s true to say that some traditional teaching methods will always remain and educational wall charts have improved so much over the years that they still have a vital role to play.

Daydream Interactive Case Study by Jonathan Boyle

2011-03-14T03:02:00.001-07:00

Daydream Education now develop exciting interactive titles for schools that really impress. Yes, they still produce a multitude of wall charts that made them famous. You know the ones. They add glamour to the news when a politician appears at a school to discuss, ahem, league tables!

Having watched Daydream Education secure a significant part of the interactive whiteboard market has been masterful. They have a format of presentation that is quite distinctive and easy to digest. Suitable for a range of learners and underpin knowledge where topics have been met with before. They have developed a polished product that encourages the user to have a go.

On firing up just one of the extensive curriculum resources, you are met with clear instructions that indicate that this is tailor made for an interactive whiteboard. In practice it works a treat. I have been using these resources with my students at school for over a year now and have been delighted in how they complement what has been taught. With frequency in teaching it is repetition that 'hammers home' a learning point and these interactive resources can be used to revisit what has been learned previously or indeed Daydream Education resources can be used as a significant chunk of a topic. The Interactive Wall Charts sit happily on our school network and can be called on to blend with and enhance our existing online curriculum.

Students are drawn to getting their hands on the whiteboard and get excited when they are able to tackle one of the simple, but effective games. The fun activities are short at about one and a half minutes per game on average and plenty of students get to have a go which is important.

Don't begin to think that this is just a set of slides as there is breadth and depth to this product! The user can select a topic to match the work that is being done and also follow up with interactive quizzes, tests and worksheets. The worksheets are particularly useful for homework and whilst saving preparation time actually relate directly to the unit of work.

Having immersed myself in Music, English, ICT and D & T for some time I can say that the novelty does not wear off. I like the real photographs that that enhance the interactive wall charts and in Design and Technology, this is a real bonus.

If you are lucky enough to have access to a suite of computers at school then students can engage in more independent learning. Additional features enhance the depth to which students can write an assignment or do some research.

The tweaking of a Daydream Education product is minimal apart from deciding how you want the onscreen information to be relayed to your students. Text and graphics are either on or off to start, you decide.

In summary, this is a recommended product. It is a most comprehensive resource for work at Key Stage 3 and plenty of relevance to what I teach at KS4 too. On visiting the Daydream website, you can download over £130 worth of software from a range of subjects. A generous offering indeed and will get the juices flowing to get your hands on more. At £299 per subject, it is one of those purchases that you should feel proud of. I do!

Learn to Love Literacy

2010-12-17T03:52:00.000-08:00

English Interactive Case Study

Background

Gors Community Primary School is situated in the northern outskirts of Swansea. The school caters for pupils aged from three to eleven who are taught through the medium of English with Welsh taught as a second language. About 30% of the school population has English as a second language and these pupils come from a variety of backgrounds encompassing fifteen languages, resulting in a diverse, stimulating and rewarding school community.

Spelling Programme

The spelling section with its phonics programme has been used very successfully in KS1, for which it was specifically written. However, it has also been used to reinforce aspects of spelling in lower KS2 and also with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) children. The programme has allowed the teacher to make a natural progression from the visual patterns and spelling of familiar words at level 1 to the more complex level 5 work of visual patterns of irregular spellings and the correct spelling of words with inflectional suffixes, which require doubling or vowel deletion more suited to the able and talented pupils.

Teachers have used the Activity Generator as a class, paired and individual exercise which can be differentiated to suit all abilities. The results have been used as part of assessment. Reinforcement of sounds covered is easily catered for by the worksheets, and these have been an excellent homework resource.

The programme has also been used by both SEN and EAL teachers. The children have benefitted from the visual and auditory aspects of the software, which has fostered the improvement of pronunciation and facilitated recognition of sound. Children worked individually to practise sounding out. EAL teachers have also been able to use the phonic programme to help assess the pupils when they first take up their places at Gors. This information can then be easily passed onto the class teacher who is able then to set up an Individual Education Plan with areas catered for within the software.

Forms of Writing

Each half-term, in KS2, a new form of writing is studied, practised and perfected throughout the curriculum. A baseline piece of writing is produced and then another, which is completed at the end of the topic studied for assessment. The software provides an opportunity for shared and guided reading, analysis of the text and a breakdown of the key features. The work is easily differentiated by adding as many of these as becomes necessary for the current level of learning. These are introduced to the pupils, discussed and used in their own writing. This is particularly relevant to SEN and EAL children.

The clear definitions and highlighted features have made it easier for the children to succeed at what, at first, is a daunting task. They now have a clear example to follow, a plan and a writing frame to develop their own ideas. As the formats of all the forms of writing are similar, the children have adapted and become more confident in producing their own individual independent writing. The frames have formed an important impetus in all writing styles. They have also been used freely in other areas of the curriculum.

The Fun Features in this section, particularly story writing, have been excellent resources for oracy. They can be organised into class, group or paired activities with children at the same or different linguistic ability. They are also successful when used by a teacher to model a pattern of working for the children to follow and develop.

The teaching and learning of poetry has become a pleasure when used alongside the excellent examples in the programme. Its simple but effective definitions and colourful screens give the pupil the necessary skills to write their own poems. Pupils have been able to research different forms of poetry, identify the key features and adapt this to their own writing. Class poetry books, verses for cards and poems for assemblies have been produced.

Grammar

A key objective at KS2 is children’s grammatical awareness and ability to construct sentences and use punctuation in purposeful writing. The grammar section of the software lends itself ideally to ensure a comprehensive and systematic approach to support children’s development as writers.

I have used this section in a variety of ways: as an introduction to a single grammar topic; as a plenary; to teach common grammar weaknesses identified in independent writing and as a tool for assessment for learning. It can stand alone or be utilised to compliment other language work. When a section of work has been completed, I have used the Interactive Quiz to test degrees of understanding of the topic and knowledge gained. In most cases, children are able to peer-mark, thus allowing an opportunity to consolidate the work through question and answer and explanation. Here again the Printable Worksheets provide a convenient resource for class or homework to consolidate learning.
The Interactive Quizzes are used on a regular basis throughout the term to revise and reconfirm use of language rules. They also allow for the recording of scores which can be taken into account during assessment and report writing.

The Fun Features have been used as an independent activity on the computer during and after a lesson topic. This has been particularly useful for the SEN and EAL pupils who often struggle with the very simplest of tasks. The audio facility has allowed for total independence from the rest of the class.

The success of using the English software can be measured by the reaction and excitement of the children who have used it.

Daydream interactive software contains all the ingredients required to improve the delivery of all area elements in English lessons, i.e. Spelling, Grammar and Forms of Writing.

Daydream Education & Memory4Teachers

2010-11-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to be involved in Memory4Teachers' exciting initiative for education.

Every free memory stick provided by Memory4Teachers is pre-loaded with a selection of Daydream's fantastic Interactive Content Packs for English, Geography, Music and Science.

Passionate about empowering teachers and improving the learning experience, Daydream has always contributed free content to educational establishments, offering 10% of the product for free, with no obligation to buy.

Working with Memory4Teachers on this project, will further our ambition to provide teachers with a wide range of high-quality educational resources.

Learn more here!

Daydream Education Summer Offer

2010-07-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

With the summer arriving in spectacular fashion this year, we've gone a bit mad! Allow us to present - Freebie Friday! Taking place every Friday until September 3rd!
All you have to do is join our Twitter or Facebook page on a Friday and post My favourite Daydream is , and your favourite Daydream product.
Then send us a direct message with your name, mailing address and preferred subject and we will send you one free product for your chosen subject.
Remember to tell your friends and colleagues!

Daydream @ ISTE 2010

2010-06-22T03:52:00.000-07:00

Collect over $70 worth of FREE Interactive Whiteboard Software

Daydream Education, the poster specialist, will be unveiling its new Interactive Whiteboard Charts at this year's ISTE Conference. Based on the content of its award-winning posters, Interactive Whiteboard Charts take classroom presentations to a whole new level, allowing teachers and students to interact with powerful and engaging lesson activities on the Whiteboard.

Compatible will all Interactive Whiteboards, Projectors, Tablets/Slates, PC's and Macs, the ready-made curriculum based software provides comprehensive, exciting and stimulating content enabling teachers to fully integrate technology into every lesson.

Why not visit booth #2165 to see how Daydream can help invigorate your classroom presentations and to collect over $70 worth of FREE Interactive Whiteboard Software, and exclusive ISTE Conference offers!

We're also offering up to 20% discount & FREE Shipping on all orders placed at ISTE!

Daydream Education in the Educational Dealer Magazine

2010-06-21T03:09:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from the Educational Dealer, The Magazine of the School Supply Industry.

If you're looking for software for your Interactive Whiteboard, this piece written by Tina Manzer gives you an idea of what to look for when trying or buying whether you're a teacher or a retailer!

Our very own Kristina Petricas gives her account of what she has experienced when attending exhibitions and speaking with a variety of professionals.

Here it is>>

You Say You Got a Real Solution

Yes, it’s the interactive whiteboard. At Ed Expo, exhibitors displayed new content software and showed dealers how to take advantage of the growth of this market.
by Tina Manzer

Interactive whiteboards are leading a technology revolution in classrooms around the world. Teachers are embracing this bells-and-whistles teaching tool because of the way it captivates and engages all types of learners. By next year, predicts one international research company, 6.2 million interactive whiteboards (IWBs) will have been installed in schools around the globe.

More than 100,000 boards are being installed each month in U.S. classrooms alone, says Paul LaPorte of San Diego-based Classroom Complete Press. LaPorte was one of several IWB software publishers who exhibited at NSSEA’s Ed Expo, and he recently spoke with us about the ways school supply dealers can fit into the IWB distribution stream.

Comprehensive lesson activities from introduction to assessment

Kristine Petricas, account manager for software publisher Daydream Education-North America, had an experience similar to LaPorte’s at the show. “Many of the retailers who came to my booth said, ‘I don’t want to sell the interactive whiteboards in my store, but teachers are coming in asking for content. What do I sell them?’

“We provide that content,” she continued, “so without getting into the function of interactive whiteboards at all, retailers can sell the software as long as they know what ones work with IWBs and what each one will help teachers do. With our titles, for instance, retailers can tell teachers: ‘Here’s a comprehensive lesson activity from introduction to assessment.”

“Our software starts at $12 a title,” she added. “A teacher can, in fact, go into a dealer store, purchase a title and have it loading on her system that day. When teachers shop for their back-to-school classroom supplies, they’ll see software for their interactive whiteboards and grab it. In my mind, especially at $12, I would buy it and try it anyway, even if I was oppositional.”

Petricas noted that while a lot of companies sell software as well as curriculum, some of the programs are complicated and costly, requiring district and tech-coordinator approval, plus training. “I don’t see as many titles that are ‘plug-and-play’ like ours.”

Paul LaPorte noted, “Teachers are looking for curriculum-based lesson plan software in all subject areas and in all grades. It is difficult and very time-consuming for teachers to create their own comprehensive lesson plans for an IWB. The result is a greater need for more content publishers to enter the market.

“There is limited quality product on the market right now,” he added. “I would caution distributors to carefully choose the software they offer. There are varying quality levels and no standards. I would suggest testing and viewing each product before adding it to their mix for this category.”

At only $12 a title, interactive whiteboard software from Daydream Education will be something teachers grab while they’re shopping for other back-to-school supplies, predicts Kristine Petricas, the company’s account manager.

Curriculum drives the use of technology

Integrating technology into classroom instruction, the hottest topic in education right now, is more than simply teaching students basic computer skills. “The goal is to have every lesson – each and every math, science, English, music, everything – technology-based,” said Petricas. “While students are learning the lesson and the fundamentals of that topic, they are also using technology.”

According to The George Lucas Educational Foundation’s edutopia.org, a website that provides practical advice and best practices for using technology in the classroom, tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that deepen and enhance the learning process. “In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts,” said one article there. “Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent, and when technology supports curricular goals.”

An IWB is today’s best tool for meaningful, classroom-wide technology integration. “It provides engaging, multimedia technology that appeals to today’s students,” said LaPorte. “The boards become a platform for making lesson plans come alive. You can add a high level of interactivity, color, motion, audio, video, embedded flash to reveal correct answers and much more. The teachers who embrace this technology find they can offer a more enriched and interactive learning experience to the true benefit of the students.”

“When I would go into a classroom to demo an interactive whiteboard, the students would immediately light up when I turned it on,” said Petricas, who worked for an IWB reseller conducting training sessions before she joined Daydream Education. “They became a captive audience immediately.”

She related a story about a presentation she did in a classroom of students with behavioral problems. The teacher warned her that one particular student would sleep throughout the presentation while another would simply ignore the whole thing. “But when I turned on the whiteboard, shy students raised their hands and struggling students did their best to follow what was on the board,” Petricas said. “I saw students collaborating as teams to solve problems together and learn from each other. The environment became engaged and peaceful for all the different types of learners in that classroom.”

Teachers who apply their own teaching strategy to IWB technology quickly become passionate fans. “You can almost see the feeling of relief come over them when they witness how the students interact with it,” said Petricas. “They can captivate their entire audience at once.”

Not that there isn’t resistance. “It is new technology, which can be intimidating. The teachers think, ‘Is it going to explode? Am I going to look silly up here if I do something wrong or it freezes on me?’ But that resistance dissolves once I show them what they can do with it. They want to learn how to use it,” she told us.

When I asked her if interactive whiteboards had a downside, Petricas said, “Only when the teachers have them and don’t use them.

“I’ve gone into schools where the boards are up but they’re not connected. I’ve seen boards upon which teachers have taped posters and used them as bulletin boards, or as dry-erase boards and have written on them with markers. I’ve talked to the maintenance people at schools who have told me, ‘Oh yeah, we got two of those last year but they’re still in their boxes.”

“It breaks my heart,” she said.

More more more

Paul LaPorte believes that the IWB market has another five years until saturation. It stands to reason that if every classroom has an IWB, hardware sales would decline.

But will they be in every classroom?

“I would say yes, the grand goal would be to have an interactive whiteboard in every classroom” said Kristine Petricas. “Research shows that proper use and application of an IWB or some sort of fully integrated technology in a classroom produces higher test scores. Obviously, there are many schools that already have IWBs and more are lining up to get funding. How far it goes will depend on whether or not funding is available.”

She sees the demand for software increasing faster than the demand for hardware, in part due to proactive teachers who are purchasing curriculum-based content themselves. There’s also a demand among proactive parents. “We’ll see more of some kind of take-home solution like the use of tablets, not iPads, but tablets that work along with IWBs. A parent can purchase the same content software as a teacher, from the same store, so the student can work at home. Work in the classroom and at home can synchronize.

“More companies are going to break into the interactive whiteboard market, as well is into the content market,” she concluded. “As with all technology, the newest will probably be the most affordable and readily available to customers.”

Daydream Hall of Fame!

2010-06-18T02:30:00.000-07:00