Mr P's ICT blog - Tech to raise standards!

Apple Clips is quickly becoming one of my favourite creative apps to use in class. Recently with Year 4, we have been using it to explore our teeth and how they differ to other animals. I love how creative my pupils are with it and how it helps them demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in a fun and engaging way. Check out some of their work here: For step-by-step tutorials for how to do this with your class, make sure you sign up and subscribe to MrPICT.com

Technology can be such a powerful tool to allow children to showcase their learning in creative ways. Especially for children who may not be able to articulate their ideas and learning as written text. Technology, such as the iPad, can remove these barriers allowing children to achieve. Recently, we have been using technology to allow children to document their problem solving in maths. A fantastic FREE app for this is Shadow Puppets Edu. Here was the problem set for the children: This is what the children produced through Shadow Puppets Edu. For step-by-step tutorials for how to do this with your class, make sure you sign up and subscribe to MrPICT.com

I recently discovered a bit of a game changer when it comes to accessing engaging texts to use in class, see the video here: It has inspired an incredible English project where we deconstructed the model text from the film before writing and performing our own audio descriptions over one of my favourite clips from Infinity War. Here is an example of the finished efforts from our pupils: There are so many possible ways in which this idea can be adapted to different films with audio descriptions. If you're interested in more detailed tutorials to create this, sign up to MrPICT.com. Over the past couple of weeks, I have added the option to subscribe directly through the website. There is also the option to subscribe as a school so your whole staff can access all the training videos and content. The subscriptions options are: Individual Teachers: £3.50 a month through Facebook - Click Here Individual Teachers: £3.50 a month through the website or subscribe an...

Last half term, Year 4 were looking at Digestion. As always, I wanted to explore how technology can be used to enhance learning and allow them to creatively share what they have learnt. There are some fantastic consumer apps that can help with this including the fantastic Curiscope Virtuali-tee app I have previously blogged about here. For a more in-depth tutorial for this tool, including an exclusive discount code to subscribers, click here. There is also a fantastic Google Expedition that links to the Digestive System which allowed the learners to jump inside the body to learn about each part of the digestive system and the job it does. Again, you can access an in-depth tutorial through MrPICT.com here. Once we had used these consumer apps to acquire knowledge, I wanted my students to use the technology to create content to show what they have learnt. This is what my pupils created using a range of apps such as Doink Greenscreen, Apple Clips and Shadow Puppets Edu....

This was a digital literacy lesson I did with Year 4 last week: I have also posted a more in-depth step-by-step tutorial for what we did and how we did it exclusively for the supporters of my Facebook page. You can access this and everything else on MrPICT.com by clicking the picture below:

I think Social Media is a tool for good. Unfortunately, at the minute not everyone is using it positively. It comes down to choices. In 2019, we don't have a choice about using social media, the choice we make is how well we do it. Just this week the DFE announced that lessons around mental well-being linked to the internet and social media will be compulsory next year.  I have been saying this needs to happen for the past few years. I do think education is crucial to prevent the issues we are seeing around mental health, screen addiction and relationships. Over the past few weeks, I have been working with my year 4 class to learn more about some of the social media apps they are aware of. I wanted to cover both the positives and negatives and make children aware of how to stay safe and act responsibly when they are old enough to use these tools. The genre in English was non-chronological reports and the children looked at three subheadings of: What is it? What are t...

I am a huge fan of technology that can not only enhance learning but save me time. Over the past year or so, the one tool that has stood out has to be Learning By Questions. There is a paid element to the tool, which I think is well worth the money. I will explore these features in more detail in the near future. In this blog post, I just want to explore what you can access through Learning By Questions for FREE by simply signing up. I posted this video exploring the thousands of questions you can access to support learning in English, Maths and Science: For more information on the exclusive CPD content you can access as a supporter of my facebook page, watch this: View this post on Instagram Head over to MrPICT.com and sign up through Facebook so you can enjoy Mr P’s CPD from the comfort of your own couch 🛋 👍✅ A post shared by Lee Parkinson (@ict_mrp) on Feb 15, 2019 at 10:51am PST

Today with Year 2 we were continuing out work on Money in maths. Rather than the suggested lesson from the scheme which involved a lot of time being spent printing, cutting out and photocopying. I decided to do something different instead: View this post on Instagram I had a great day in school today working with Year 2 looking at Money in maths. Using technology, I was able to create a lesson in a fraction of the time which worked brilliantly without any printing, cutting out or photocopying. I am not suggesting teachers do this all the time, but the key for me in balance and when the tech can help us #worksmarternotharder we need to embrace it. I have posted a step-by-step tutorial of the lesson for the supporters of my page. Sign up here - facebook.com/becomesupporter/ictwithmrp A post shared by Lee Parkinson (@ict_mrp) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:53pm PST The lesson worked fantastically well and the children were able to ac...

Tonight, I did a Facebook Live Video discussing a few thoughts around the proposed new Ofsted Framework, please give it a watch and let me know what you think. For more CPD support, visit - 

A few months ago, Facebook gave me the opportunity to launch a supporter aspect to my page. For £3.50 a month, teachers can subscribe to receive the following benefits: This platform, for me, is a way to bring my CPD training in schools online. I regularly receive messages from teachers saying that they would love to attend one of my CPD and Inset sessions, however, due to one reason or the other (location, school not allowing them to go etc) they can't make it. It gives teachers the opportunity to take ownership of their own professional development. I honestly think that the best resource in the classroom is the teacher and I want this platform to be a way teachers can build confidence in knowledge to best make use of the technology in their classroom. So far, it has been amazing to have so many people sign up and the feedback has been so positive, especially when you see teachers using the ideas and sharing the incredible work from their pupils. Over the ...

As much as I love technology, I will always talk about the importance of reading on my CPD sessions. It really annoys me when people like to blame technology as a reason why children don't read as much. We like to blame technology for a number of things but for me, it comes down to choices. I hope through this blog and my social media pages, I demonstrate how, when used effectively, it can transform teaching and learning. Unfortunately, I think too many of us make the wrong choices with technology. When pictures like this appear on my social feeds, it does wind me up because they both can be valuable and certainly enhance each other: For me, technology can enhance the reading experience allowing pupils to explore texts in more creative ways. This is something I wanted to promote in my yearly Christmas video. For the past 9 years, I always treat my pupils to a silly video at the end of our annual talent show. To see what I have produced previously - CLICK ...

I love using Christmas as a way to engage children in their learning. They are excited, inquisitive and generally really interested in anything Christmas. Recently, I worked with Year 2 where they created their own Interactive Christmas scene using Chatterpix Kids and Thinglink. Here is an example of what they created: I have posted a step-by-step guide for how to do this activity on the supporter part of my Facebook page. Sign up by tapping the picture below: This idea can easily be adapted to other areas of the curriculum, such as: Read more about this idea here. Read more about this idea here. Read more about this idea here

Since I posted  Completely innocent but dodgy children's drawings Vol. 1 , I have been sent even more brilliant images and I just had to share, you're welcome: View this post on Instagram Someone is excited to see the star 🌟 😮 A post shared by Lee Parkinson (@ict_mrp) on Oct 30, 2018 at 12:22pm PDT View this post on Instagram Then Little Red Riding Hood said, “Wow, Grandma what big..... you have!” 😂😂😂😂 A post shared by Lee Parkinson (@ict_mrp) on Oct 31, 2018 at 2:41pm PDT View this post on Instagram We will remember you fondly! 😂😂😂 A post shared by Lee Parkinson (@ict_mrp) on Nov 2, 2018 at 12:08am PDT View this post on Instagram Amazing Art 🎨 indeed 🤣 A post shared by Lee Parkinson (@ict_mrp) on Nov 3, 2018 at 3:50pm PDT ...