skills using ICT
Numbershark A program to help anyone improve their basic numeracy. It addresses many of the difficulties which lead students to dislike maths, including poor short-term memory, attention span and sequencing skills. The program features 30 totally different games covering addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in ways which add meaning and understanding to these operations.
Contact White Space on 020 8748 5927
RM Talking First Word 4.11
Designed for primary schools, this package can be adapted for adult learners. A curriculum writing package that combines pictures and sound with a flexible range of word processing tools. Features an in-built tool to allow you to further customise levels and change settings to suit your teaching or your pupils' needs. Allows you to add your own pictures to RM Topic Bank, the in-built collection of curriculum-relevant words and pictures.
http://www.rm.com/Pr imary/Products/Produc t.asp?cref=PD1100
Starspell 2.2 Starspell 2.2 is a computer program to help learn spelling. It uses the Look-Say-Cover-Write-Check approach. It has a progressive approach to English spelling, and many lists of key words for subject areas. Every word is spoken, and has an accompanying sentence. Adding your own lists is easy. Specially designed games and worksheets reinforce learning.
Contact Fisher Marriott on 01394 387050 or email sales@ fishermarriott.com
Target Skills- Initial Assessment Entry Level Literacy Entry Level Numeracy Level 1 Literacy Level 2 Literacy Entry 1 Literacy Resource Bank Entry1 Numeracy Resource Bank
Series of CD-ROMs/web resources that provides computer- based initial assessment against the new national standards for literacy and numeracy. Also provides explanation, practice and tests for a range of literacy and numeracy skills. Can also be used online, where you can gain access to further material, enhance learner management and planning features and communicate with other tutors and learners.
Contact Cambridge Training and Development Ltd on 01223 470480 or Fax 01223 470841 or via www.ctad.co.uk textHELP! – Read and Write 6
Text-to-speech software with word prediction which has choices for the way the words are ordered, spell-checking based on phonic errors, a thesaurus with dictionary definitions and homophone checking with meanings. It works with most Windows programs using a floating menu bar which contains all the buttons for the various facilities, including a speaking calculator and logging function to see spelling improvements. The voices, speed of speech and tones can be altered and all versions include the L&H RealSpeak voice which is felt to be much clearer and easier to listen to when working with large passages of text. Changing background colours, font colours and size of text is also easy.
Contact textHELP! on 0800 328 7910 or via web site www.texthelp.com TUC Communication Disc
Multimedia resource that provides language and literacy training, using workplace issues to provide a stimulating and involving context.
Contact the BSA order- line on 0870 600 2400 or email basicskills @twoten.press.net
TUC Numbers Disc Flexible CD-ROM that is designed to improve very specific numeracy skills as well as a firm foundation in working with numbers. Covers areas such as wages, measurements, health and safety, handling money and timesheets.
Contact the BSA order- line on 0870 600 2400 or email basicskills@ twoten.press.net
Web-enabled Slideshow builder
This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool which allows you to put together pictures, sound and text very simply, and then play back your presentation on a multimedia computer. This product can be used by teachers to create stimulating introductions to topics, by instructors to demonstrate techniques, and by learners to create ‘electronic essays’ or evidence towards competence-based qualifications. It allows you to create an audio-visual presentation very simply. You can put one image in each slide and a limited amount of text and audio. Because functions are limited, the interface is much simpler and easier to learn to use.
Contact Cambridge Training and Development Ltd on 01223 470480 or Fax 01223 470841 or viawww.ctad.co.uk
Title Description How to order
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Words in Action Version of The New Reading Disc. Provides instruction andhelp in developing a full range of communication skills.Contact the BSA order- line on 0870 600 2400 or email basicskills@ twoten.press.net
Wordshark Combines the excitement of computer games with the serious task of learning to read and spell. It offers 36 different games which use sound graphics and text to teach and reinforce word recognition and spelling.
The program includes phonics, homophones, spelling rules, common letter patterns, visual and auditory patterns, prefixes, suffixes, roots, word division, high frequency words, use of words in context, alphabet and dictionary skills and more.
Contact White Space on 020 8748 5927
Worksheet Generator Upgrade
Designed to help teachers and trainers to create and develop worksheets to support basic skills training.
Contact the BSA order- line on 0870 600 2400 or email basicskills@ twoten.press.net
Title Description How to order
Using CD-ROM and Internet resources not designed for basic skills learners This is really where the digital divide is most in need of bridging – access to everyday information on special interests, hobbies, booking holidays, shopping etc. Often, the focus here is on creating materials that make these resources accessible to the learner, using a step-by-step approach with screen shots, leading to a specific task to find information. Later in the handbook and accompanying CD-ROM, we will show you how to do this using Microsoft Office.
An excellent range of thematically arranged specialist subjects can be found on http://www.ictcentre.org.uk/curiosit/Fun4Fun/ as part of CuriosIT; ICT activities developed for UKonline centres.
There may be materials encountered on the Internet or on non-specialist CD-ROMS that are unsuitable for some users. Precautions should be taken where necessary. For online tutor evaluations of materials, see http://www.basic-skills.info/
Before purchasing any of the wealth of available software, or using web sites with learners, it may be useful to work through the following evaluation exercise with sample software as a staff activity. Also, let learners evaluate a range of resources themselves as part of courses. A sample checklist is provided to show how this might be done.