Kinaesthetic learners, or tactile learners as they are sometimes known, learn most effectively when motion becomes part of their learning process. The latest research suggests that 15 percent of the population learn primarily in this way.

As a result of this learning preference, kinaesthetic learners can struggle to learn from the usual teaching methods of reading and listening, and they really do benefit from alternative approaches.

When this happens, kinaesthetic learners remember their learning by going back in their minds to what their body was doing at the time of the learning.  They recall the action and the learning as one memory, and are able to use that memory as well as any child using more common learning approaches.

But the question then arises, how can you effectively teach literacy to these learners?

One answer comes from a rather unexpected source: inflatable balls with words on them. With these “Phoneme Balls” and “High Frequency and Tricky Word Balls” children stand in a circle and throw the ball to each other. Whoever catches it has to call out the phoneme or read the word under their hand. It is kinaesthetic learning in practice.

Both ball packs, which cost £14.99 + VAT each, are now available from SuperStickers. To take a look at these unique teaching materials click here.

You can order in any of these ways:

• By freephone on 0800 318192
• By freefax on 0800 027 2833
• By post to Motivation in Learning, 4 Balloo Avenue, Bangor, Co. Down, BT19 7PJ
• On the website where we are pleased to welcome all orders, including online school orders on account.

It’s not a trick question. The answer is simply, to tell the recipient who is sending them good wishes.

And what of the recipient – would they be happy with a card signed simply, ‘your friend’?

It would be fair to say that most people would prefer to know who has made the effort to choose a particular card and get in touch, who has remembered their special day.

Rewards that show your name have the same effect on your pupils: they emphasise who cares how well they are doing, and that personal touch makes the praise worth so much more than an ordinary reward.

And now you can create a variety pack of up to 336 Quick Customised Stickers in the time it takes to type your name. And they are cheaper than ever before; 35% cheaper than buying traditional customised stickers.

All you need to do is tell us what name or school name to add to the bottom of the stickers. It really is that easy to make your pupils feel special – try it here!

You can order in any of these ways:

• By freephone on 0800 318192
• By freefax on 0800 027 2833
• By post to Motivation in Learning, 4 Balloo Avenue, Bangor, Co. Down, BT19 7PJ
• On the website where we are pleased to welcome all orders, including online school orders on account

I have written before about the problem of teachers’ voices becoming strained, and there is no doubt that this winter the voices of many teachers will suffer from the combination of dry, heated rooms and colds and infections.

I’m back on this subject because for teachers there is a voice disorder risk 5 times greater than other professional voice users.

Put another way, it seems that teachers in nearly 60% of schools complain of voice strain.  As a result short- and long-term voice problems cost schools millions of pounds each year.  In a small number of cases teachers are forced out of teaching because of recurrent voice strain.

Obviously as a vital tool of what we do in school the voice needs to be healthy, strong and sustainable, and no one is immune.  Indeed one of my colleagues who has always proudly pushed the microphone aside at parents evenings with a gruff, “I don’t need these machines,” went down with laryngitis last autumn.  It can affect anyone.

However I am told that female voices can be especially vulnerable. Some evidence suggests that as many as 35% of teachers feel that their voice isn’t up to the job.

Given the importance of the voice to teachers, I remain surprised that no one ever mentioned the voice during my time in teacher training, and I have never seen a CPD session on the voice. In fact, it’s hardly mentioned at all.

So I was rather interested in a new booklet, A Voice Fit for Teaching, Guidance on its care and use, which the publishers offer as something for schools to buy in and give out to staff.   I’ve had a look at it: it’s easy to read and full of good advice from an expert who has worked with the profession and in teacher training (although obviously not mine) for many years, and who is a long-time member of the Voice Care Network.

The booklet also covers body language, breathing, stance, tone, projection and the like – it is comprehensive.

The booklet (24 pages, A5) costs between £1.95 and £1.07 per copy, depending on the quantity ordered. There is also a free, downloadable mini-workshop on the publishers’ website that is ideal for use in a staff meeting.  So providing a copy for all staff is not expensive and the benefits are likely to be substantial.

There’s more on the firm’s website at http://www.southgatepublishers.co.uk/schoolmanagement.html#voicefit

Here are the ordering details (the publisher has asked me to state, “please quote VEM0810”)

You can order…

• By post to Southgate Publishers, The Square, Sandford, Crediton, Devon EX17 4LW.
• By phone (you can pay by credit card or order and we’ll invoice) to 01363 776888
• By fax to 01363 776889
• By email to info@southgatepublishers.co.uk
• Online: you can view details about the booklet and place an order: http://www.southgatepublishers.co.uk/schoolmanagement.html#voicefit

A problem faced by students lies in the fact that core philosophical arguments are very often buried in discursive text and can be difficult to discern. This new resource book of philosophical arguments presents and discusses such arguments, and where relevant looks at individual philosophers, in a way that is accessible and comprehensible to students. After each argument there is an explanation – where necessary – of each part of the argument, followed by discussion of any problems or issues arising. Finally there are questions and points for discussion.

Philosophical Arguments by Paul Hill is written primariy for students who are taking the AQA AS level course in philosophy. It covers the modules concerning Theory of Knowledge, Moral Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion.

Some of the material on God and Moral Philosophy will also be useful to students of A level Religious Studies whose course includes some Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. Of particular relevance are sections on: arguments for the existence of God; faith, reason and belief; religious experience; God and morality; miracles.

There are sample pages from the photocopiable book at  http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/re/T1706.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1706EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 771 5

Prices

• Photocopiable book: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the book and the CD: £32.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1706EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HHBy fax to 01536 399 012On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=536

Teachers TV, the website and digital channel for the education workforce, will be moving exclusively online from the 31 August 2010.

According to the TV station, “the move follows significant growth in the online audience as Teachers TV has seen a 42 per cent increase in the number of people watching online or downloading video content from our website www.teachers.tv. The online service is now the dominant platform for teachers and will be the first broadcaster to offer an entirely online service.

“Moving exclusively online will release savings for the Department of Education and reduce public expenditure by up to one million pounds annually.”

In case you are not a regular user – if you go to the website and look on the left side you will see the sub-heading “subjects” – wherein you can click on any part of the list to see a full list of all the on-line productions available.

Art and Design at Key Stage 3 provides  students with support, advice and information about their course and the subject and the skills, methods and materials that they will use. The book contains details of the requirements of the course, followed by a large number of projects which will build knowledge, understanding and skills.

The projects require students to look critically at other artists’ and designers’ work and then show evidence of a clear line of visual enquiry in art work. All projects cover the areas of exploring and developing ideas, investigating and making, reviewing, adapting and researching into the work of others, and making critical analyses of the work they review. Hand drawn illustrations are included.

The projects in Art and Design at Key Stage Three are divided into section by year group which are intended to be given as handouts to students. For example Year 7 covers Texture and Mark-making, Colour theory, Portraits, Mixed Media, and Ancient Egypt.  There is also a comprehensive selection of extra lessons.

It is available as a copiable book (also available on CD Rom so that it can be loaded onto the school’s learning platform).

You can see a full list of the topics at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/T1711.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1711EMN      ISBN: 978 1 86083 791 3

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1711EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=539

This 88 page study guide will enable students to analyse, explain and make judgements about events, developments and interpretations relating to Henry VII’s reign as required by all the examination boards. It provides a synthesis of the published work on the reign of Henry VII and thus provides GCE students with a comprehensive description and explanation of Henry’s reign as well as an introduction to the various historical debates to which the period 1485 to 1509 has given rise. Invaluable guidance on how to approach key questions is included in each section of the book.

The Reign of Henry VII 1485 – 1509 by John Goode. A contents list and sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/history/T1696.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1696EMN      ISBN: 978 1 86083 716 6

Prices

• Photocopiable report: £21.99 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £21.99 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £28.98 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1696emn

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=521

The previous Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families was Ed B****.

I can’t write his name here because if I did there is a chance you would not be able to read this as an email. Instead it might be treated as a malicious attack on your school and blocked.

The same would be true if I happened to move away from the subject of ICT and instead talk about the history of slavery, with a passing reference to children being sold into slavery and bond***.

Of course, not every school’s system blocks individual words, and as with many things in education there’s lots of variation between schools in the way e-safety issues are handled. Indeed, each school and LA finds its own balance between safety and allowing the students free rein.

What is important, however, is ensuring that students know about the potential dangers of the Internet and that they can turn to their school as a source of help and information, even for issues such as privacy settings on Facebook.

Very few students, for example, are aware that there are sites such as “YourOpenBook” that allow Facebook profiles to be searched readily.

Internet safety makes up a significant part of the new content covered in the Boardworks KS4 update. Some of the key areas we look at include:

• Understanding what is safe and responsible behaviour

• Understanding the importance of privacy

• Knowing how to act.

Students already have a vast exposure to the Internet and the integration of web-based media into their personal lives, and this is only likely to increase. Discussing Internet safety with students is one of the best ways of raising issues that may otherwise go unnoticed and cause pain.

Click here for more information about Internet safety and how you can teach it at KS4

Imagine showing your class of children some photographs to start the day.

In one a man in the street has a strange looking machine and two women are standing close by.

In another a child seems to be disappearing into the pages of a book.

In a third a man is hauling himself along a wire under a walkway in the midst of the countryside.

What is going on?

Stimulating pictures such as these help develop Thinking Skills – and the activities they generate are an essential part of the Learning for Life programme.

Through the study of pictures such as these the children consider alternative solutions to problems and focus on possibilities and options.

Is the picture of the man with the machine from current everyday life?  Let’s look at the clothes people are wearing….

Are the women afraid of the man – let’s look at how they are standing and what they seem to be doing?  (In fact one appears to be getting money out of a purse).

What about the man hanging from the wire – is he escaping from the enemy or just larking about? (Again the clothes give a clue…)

Pictures such as these are just one tiny fraction of the resources that you get each week with Good Morning Children – and if you want to stimulate your class with some start-of-the-day thinking you will certainly find these pictures will do the job.

The resources at www.GoodMorningChildren.com can be used on a free trial basis.  Just visit the site, click on the free trial link and fill in the form.  You’ll also find testimonials and many other details about our work.

Or if you have any specific enquiries you can contact us by phone on 0870 446 1020 or by email at enquiries@goodmorningchildren.com.

Probably the biggest set of resources on sex and drugs for use with teenagers is the Drugscope series from Hit.org.uk.

We have decided to offer discounts of up to 50% and more in some cases on all our Drugscope products as long as stocks last.  For instance, our D-Rom Multimedia Interactive Drug Encyclopaedia has now been reduced to £1 (originally £20)!

This applies to all orders up to 1 September 2010.

In all there are 16 products in the Drugscope series ranging from wall charts to student information booklets, from large scale teaching resources to manuals for teachers.

Full details of all 16 drugscope projects can be found at http://hit.org.uk/Publications/Browse.aspx?cid=65

You can also order the products:

• By fax on 0844 412 0973
• By post to: HIT, 3 Paramount Business Park, Wilson Road, Liverpool, L36 6AW
• By phone on 0844 412 0972 citing a school order number
• By email stuff@hit.org.uk citing a school order number

If you have any enquiries or would like to talk about any of our products please do call the HIT team on 0151 949 5340 or email stuff@hit.org.uk.