ICT_Tools

MyPortfolio is a Ministry-provided resource that enables students to share and showcase their learning. We have a number of staff using it with their classes, and someone will be running a workshop on it later in the year. Sign up at [] and request to join Pakuranga College
 * MyPortfolio**

We have site installation of Clickview. Access the Clickview Player from your Start Menu. For each video, there are typically some supporting resources - look under the tab on the bottom right. In theory, we can use the Clickview server to store other content, such as DVDs you have on the shelf. But we need to overcome some technical headaches first.
 * Clickview**

BrainPop is a fun online resource to support other learning activities. It has been found to be particularly effective for Science activities, and has a few good items for other subjects as well. Go to [] and use "pakuranga" as the user name and password. The whole site has a very US-centric feel, but this matters less for some subjects than for others.
 * BrainPop**

We have a subscription to [] Any teacher or student can log on, pick a subject/topic and work through a tutorial and/or a test. Username is sch_PAKUC Password is 7491 Our ScholarNET license covers: ScholarNET often works well as a revision resource for students.
 * ScholarNET**
 * Junior Maths
 * Senior Maths
 * Science Online
 * Economics Online
 * English Skills Online
 * Computer Skills Online
 * Chemistry Online

Google documents initially feels like a "lite" office suite. However, it has some features that mean it is actually better for our students than MS Office:
 * Google Documents**
 * Access documents anywhere, from any device. Google docs are web-based so if you have a device with a browser, you can access/edit any of your docs
 * Collaborative tools. All Google docs have collaboration tools built in. Students can work on the same doc at the same time and see each others edits. "Chat" is built in.
 * Can use "forms" to quickly gather data and opinions from the class.
 * All students have a Google Docs account - when they sign into their school e-mail, they follow the link from there. This means they can quickly link up with their classmates from home.
 * Because it has a "lite" feel, students spend more time working on content rather than formatting.

Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint are the most used, and need no introduction. However, not everyone knows that **OneNote** is part of the MS Office suite, and how useful it can be. **OneNote** is a powerful organisational tool, particularly well-suited to collating resources and ideas for a new module of work.
 * MS Office**

If you are a design specialist teacher, you will be using this already. For most of us however, a less daunting option is also intalled on computers - **Paint.Net.** If you just want to crop a photo, adjust contrast/brightness/colour or add some text, and MS Paint is not up to it, then **Paint.Net** is probably the right tool. SharePoint Designer 2007
 * Adobe Design Suite CS3 (Photoshop etc)**

Digistore is a collection of "Learning Objects" - generally interactive Flash activities. They often make good extension and revision work. Unfortunately the log-in system is a bit clunky, and the process of creating "Learning Pathways" for students can be a bit hit and miss.
 * Digistore**

Scratch is a programming language that doesn't look like one. It is handy in maths for simulations and a bunch of other maths-specific topics. It could arguably be used in other areas... I've attached a couple of documents (in resources, on the right) that should give a flavour of what it can do.
 * Scratch**

Inspiration is installed site-wide. Our version is a bit old, so sometimes it plays upwhan you start it and pretends to be re-nstalling itself. Just keep cancelling and it will start up fine. Inspiration is the best available tool for mind-mapping at a Secondary level. Don't forget that a mindmap can be turned straight into an essay plan...
 * Inspiration**