Check out the new additions to the Software for Learning collection. On the search page, choose ‘social’ on the ‘Type of software’ field to find the 19 newly listed, free social software sites and their descriptions.

Keep an eye on the New Zealand ICT pulse – read this Ministry of Education report outlining the proposals for the development of a framework for the resourcing of ICT across the schooling sector.

Shed some light on social, collaborative tagging practices and read about terms such as tags, tag cloud, and folksonomies. This report (PDF 1.95MB) also offers concrete examples on the educational use of social tagging and bookmarking.

Discover why screencasts are useful, how to create them, and find software tools that can help.

Check out this software for screencasting listed in the Software for Learning collection:

• Captivate
• CamStudio (freeware)

Use this page to search for software based on the ‘need that it meets’ (such as alternative access or using the mouse) or ‘type of software’ (such as text-to-speech, or non-visual desktop access). An amazing repository of special needs resources.

Discover this huge UK education research project which looks at how ICT can be used most effectively to enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Allow students to learn the basics of computer science by programming their own robot, using very easy programming language. This software is free to download.

Check out this good source of online projects for education. Students can interact by talking with others, collecting data from remote sites, or going through a series of problem-solving activities using this type of approach to learning.

In response to the changing nature of the Internet, TKI will now link to selected social software (Web 2.0) sites. Social software allows users to contribute content and to collaborate with others using blogs, wikis, and other tools. These sites will have the head and shoulders icon to show that they contain user-contributed content. While all sites are still subject to rigorous quality-assurance processes, teachers are advised to evaluate this category of sites carefully for relevance and accuracy, and to consider any privacy and security issues before using them with students.

Do you use e-learning in innovative ways and want to improve your understanding of what works for learners? Watch for the opening of applications for 2009 e-fellows, expected early August. Successful applicants receive individual, specialised support from researchers to develop their inquiry project, this year focusing on innovative e-learning practice in literacy.

Apply this simple formula from the Media Awareness Network to help identify credible online information sources when using the Internet. This resource is useful for students and teachers.

Use this resource from the Australian Government’s NetAlert website with your students. Good, succinct, and useful information.

Australia’s online network for educators, edna, has

• a large collection of resources for using ICT in the curriculum
• a continually updated list, for educators, of online resources about the Olympics and Paralympics.

INTERFACE magazine has begun an online directory of blogs written by teachers in New Zealand. You can read what others are doing, or even add your own activities.

Find out how to make an interactive whiteboard for the price of a few dollars and a Wii remote. Discussion is hot on the ICT Teacher Talk forum (scroll down to find the posts). Find information and links on how to set it up, and read what teachers are saying about it.

Make it real – get your students (years 1–10) to assist with primary school health education in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. This technology, social studies, health and physical education curricula project takes place in term 4.

If you can show how your school can use Microsoft® software and other ICTs to provide, support, or enable learning, and to develop collaborative relationships, you may qualify for funding for a pilot project running October 2008 – June 2009. Applications close 18 August. Further information is available from Pete Sommerville, email pete@heurisko.co.nz.

To be eligible to share in $35,000 worth of prizes, students can create a website based on something they’ve learned in school – registrations close 3 September.

The Canterbury Computers in Education Society (CCES) 2008 Computing Competition will be held on Sunday 31 August. This is a practical computer competition (with seven different entry categories), open to all students who are at primary, intermediate, or secondary schools.

Get your students (anyone up to 20 years of age is eligible) – in a group or individually – to make a short film about sustainability. Prizes include the broadcasting on television of the 20 winning films. The deadline is 19 September.

Currently in development, these are designed to provide a flexible and coherent approach to the teaching and learning of digital technologies in the senior secondary school sector. Schools interested in being involved in the development phase (July 2008 – July 2009) should register their interest with Tracy Bowker before 25 August, email tbowker@cognitionconsulting.co.nz.

This competition aims to encourage primary, intermediate, and secondary school students to get started in robotics. One national and four regional competitions will be held. Registrations close for Christchurch on 1 August, Wanganui 8 August, and Auckland 22 August.

ICT PD Online looks at blogging to support teaching and learning, in particular, the key competencies from the New Zealand Curriculum. Online discussion running from 4—15 August will be available for those involved in the ICTPD contract (including a synchronous audio conference on Wednesday 13 August 4—5pm, with special guest Allanah King). Material will remain online after that.

Are you an innovative teacher? Win this trophy and you could be one of four teachers off to Kuala Lumpur to attend the Microsoft Asia Pacific Partners in Learning Innovative Teachers' Conference in June 2009, one of whom will go on to attend the worldwide conference, being held the same year. Complete the online application form by 25th August 2008 (free registration required).

Digital Conversations is a free videoconference program, which enables teachers and students to meet and speak with local and international experts across the curriculum. To join the mailing list, receive email notification of upcoming videoconferences, and make suggestions for conversations between your students and a particular expert, contact digitalconversations@cwa.co.nz

Teacher Talk enables teachers and educators to ask questions, share knowledge, and offer insights on a range of subjects on a public forum. Please feel free to begin a new topic, or contribute to an existing conversation thread. You can locate Teacher Talk from the Interact page of TKI. Check out the current ICT forum discussions.