The Artist’s Toolkit is an interactive website that allows teachers and pupils to explore the tools that artist’s use such as line, colour and shape to build works of art. These are referred to as the visual elements and principles.

The website provides teachers with the opportunity to create their own toolkit with a customised menu for their pupils to work with. This therefore means that the teacher has total control over which areas and elements can be accessed and settings can be updated as and when required.

How can this be used in the classroom?

This website could be used to introduce and explore primary and secondary colours. Pupils can watch an example of how colours are mixed together and are exposed to famous paintings which show this in detail. This can then be taken forward within the children’s own work in the design mode or the classroom. There are options which allow the children to print their work for assessment and display purposes.

The site also contains an encyclopedia, an in depth guide to learning more about the process of art, as well as an opportunity to see artists in action.

Mathszone is a website which provides links to interactive games for all areas of the maths curriculum.

Although designed for the national curriculum in England, the sites can still be used in Scottish education as key objectives are given for each level. The website is split into key stages with sub topics within each key stage.

Mathszone should be accessed by teachers to find relevant reinforcement activities. The activities can also be used as an integral part of active learning within the classroom.

Tiny Planets

This website uses stories to explore different topics within curricular areas. The characters Bing and Bong visit different planets such as light and colour, self, nature, stuff, technology and sound to explore different concepts within these areas. The website is interactive and has specific areas for teachers, parents and younger and older children. It is accessible to all and is child friendly whilst being visually exciting.

An example of how Tiny Planets could be used within practice

The topic of healthy eating was introduced using the story of Sweet Temptation

The story involves Bing and Bong visiting the Planet of Self where they discover that one half of the planet is covered with sweets and cakes whilst the other half of the planet is covered with fruit and water. Bing and Bong then notice the difference in each “flocker’s” personality and physical appearance as a result of their diet. Using this story the teacher encourages the children to think about how the different diets on the planet affects the “flockers” on each side. This story was used using the interactive whiteboard to capture the children’s imagination and promote interest.

Within this website there are games, videos and different activities for children and teachers to explore and enjoy.

Within this blog you will find information and useful links to interesting websites that we have discovered throughout and during our time at university and school experience. We hope that you will find this information useful.

Please feel free to add your comments and thoughts.