World-renowned percussionist Evelyn Glennie is recognised for the pleasure she gets from working with education, and as part of the digital creativity promotion package on offer to TES readers, The TES is delighted to have one of her tracks, Chase, available to be freely downloaded for use in classrooms. Specially recorded for Audio Network, a sponsor of the promotion along with Apple and other companies, the track is part of the free package of training and downloadable materials available at the Digital Video in Education website, run by David Baugh of Denbighshire local education authority.

www.dvtraining.org.uk

BEHIND THE DISABILITY

While you’re at it, visit Evelyn Glennie’s site, which has an education section. One of her bugbears is the desire of media interviewers to explore her “disability” (she is profoundly deaf), which diverts attention from more important issues. The text of a disability speech she gave to teachers of children with special needs, presented on the website, should be required reading on this issue.

www.evelyn.co.uk

WHEELS OF INDUSTRY

Revolutionary Players (no, it’s not an activist faction) celebrates the significance of the West Midlands for science, manufacture and culture in its role as a motor of the Industrial Revolution. Funded by the New Opportunities Fund, it uses locally sourced historical materials to look at significant personalities and ideas. You can explore by time, place, people or theme. Registered users can upload their own materials.

www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk

TAKE MY WIFE...

The Women’s Institute for Financial Education site www.wife.org offers women advice on saving money. It’s a partner organisation for a new US website set up to help children with special needs learn how to handle money - Practical Money Skills for Life. Created by Visa USA and the Council for Exceptional Children, it has sections for teachers, parents, students and consumers, and while its use of the US dollar may curtail direct use of many of its activities, there is lots of interest for teachers in this area.

www.practicalmoneyskills.com

DO-IT-YOURSELF ONLINE

Some ICT people think creating a website is a walk in the park. So why don’t all schools have sites? Maybe they cut the walk short once they hit a steep learning curve. Now a group of teachers has created a web-hosting service for schools. Your School Site aims to provide a simple route to creating a website. It comes with a range of templates so teachers can contribute and update from any computer anywhere that’s connected to the internet. The pound;350 annual subscription (eligible for eLearning Credits) includes five email addresses and technical support. A 30-day free trial is available.

www.yourschoolsite.co.uk