Electric Chalk

5-way headphone splitter

We discovered these a few weeks back looking for headphone splitters for a classroom set of laptops. We needed them for group work on media editing avoiding drowning out the whole room with tinny laptop sounds. Most splitters cater for 2 headsets but we needed more for groups of 3 or 4.

It’s called the Rockstar by Belkin and it’s really an iPod accessory but works fine with computers. We got them for around £6 each from a regular business IT supplier.

Nothing revolutionary but though it might be useful for someone.

Here’s a wasted opportunity.

Amazing Grades have a series of podcasts done on a range of topics and you can preview them here.

Is it too much to expect that if you get Harry Hill to do a podcast on Galen that it might be funny? I’m not being trivial here. I was quite excited about listening to this podcast and I imagine that a lot of kids would be grabbed by the possibility, too. How many would switch off and do something else after 2 minutes of listening to Harry reading off a dry, uninspiring script?

Here’s a tip: If you’re getting into podcasting materials for your students think about the quality of the writing. Just sticking you talking onto an MP3 in the hope that it will find its way onto their iPods might be a waste of time.

Don’t be afraid to be funny, controversial even a little dramatic. A little cheese sometimes goes a long way.

Ever struggled to find video, pics or audio on the web to use in your teaching resources that won’t incur the wrath of the god of intellectual property?

Creative Commons is an alternative legal structure from normal copyright rules. Anyone can post creative work on the web in certain places and then specify that people are free to use it with certain provisos.

Have a look at Creativecommons.org for a full explanation and methods of searching for stuff.

Also have a look at these useful sites that allow you to download content. Some may need you to sign up or use a schools broadband connection.

Video
Fourdocs
Pathe
British Film Institute
Teachers’ TV

Music
Audio Network

Sound Effects
Free Sound Project