TEACHER TIP

—Sherry Randall, OCT
AlphaLogic Career College, London, Ont.

When you think that most of your class has the answer, wait another few seconds. As teachers, we are experts in our subjects and process related answers at a quick pace. We often don’t slow down to wait long enough for students to respond. This tip will allow for more of the class to follow along during your lesson.

Got a great classroom tip to share with your fellow teachers?

Send it to us at ps@oct.ca. If we choose to publish yours, you will receive an Indigo gift card.

Have a knight’s life!

Give your students the royal treatment — travel back to the Middle Ages and watch history unfold at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Toronto.

In addition to a feastful of jousting, new educational programs now reach beyond Grade 4 social studies to other grades within the Ontario curriculum.

The Science & Technology Exhibit (March 20 to May 10) gives life to medieval structures and machines with a collection of working replicas to captivate your Grade 4, 7 and 8 students. A teacher-developed program guide and half-hour seminar complement the 18 pieces within the tour.

The Dramatic Acting program pulls back the curtains on the show while a question-and-answer session with the cast — available in English or French — reveals their acting techniques and behind-the-scenes tricks.

En français s’il vous plait! gives students the opportunity to practice their language skills during a French-only meal service and post-show chat.

High school students get in on the action, as they learn about marketing, customer service and human resources during the full-day Business of Chivalry course. “My students sharpened their critical thinking with regards to the business elements needed to create, produce and execute a winning product,” says Bayview SS business studies teacher Dwight Stewart, OCT.

—Randi Chapnik Myers

➞ For additional resources, visit educators.medievaltimes.com.
All educational programs are included with matinee tickets ($29.95).
Book seats at medievaltimes.com or call 1-888-WEJOUST ext. 2624
Financial assistance is available for schools in need.

Low-tech tablet

Looking for a new classroom tool that doesn’t require electricity or a big budget? Consider KleenSlate, an inexpensive device that uses non-toxic dry-erase markers on a whiteboard paddle. Each one comes with an eraser-capped marker that can be stored in its handle. The writing surface on either side is easy to clean and teachers who’ve used KleenSlate like its versatility and durability. Students enjoy the switch from pencil and paper, and like that it provides quick and fun communication with their teachers.

—Michael Bellrose, OCT

For more information visit kleenslate.com

Apps Analysis

MapMaster

Turn geography into a fun and competitive game with MapMaster. The app challenges students to locate famous places and capitals from around the world as they drag a virtual push-pin to where they think the city is located. Up to 10 classmates can play on a single Android device, such as the Samsung Galaxy and Asus Transformer tablets. Easy, medium and hard settings mean this app works for a wide range of grade levels; on the easiest — players are given a smaller potential area on which to locate the city in question. At the end of each round, an information card pops up with photos and facts about that particular city.

Device: Android
Source: Google Play, $1.65
Rating: 4+ (everyone)

— Sandra E. Martin


Virtual Canada-Wide Science Fair

Every year students across the nation battle it out to participate in the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), the granddaddy of science fairs. Give your students the competitive edge with the new Virtual CWSF app that allows them to browse thousands of the fair’s English and French project synopses dating back to 2005. Look up finalists by province, territory, region and student name or peruse projects by title, abstract, awards received, year and age category. Don’t have a PlayBook? No problem. Visit secure.youthscience.ca/virtualcwsf to begin your super scientific tour.

Device: BlackBerry PlayBook
Source: BlackBerry App World, free
Rating: G (general)

—Alex Mlynek


The Getty

Many students will never visit Los Angeles in their lifetime — so why not bring the city’s famed museum to your classroom? The J. Paul Getty Museum Highlights of the Collections app is your ticket to 150 works by history-making artists like Renoir, da Vinci and photographer Man Ray, complete with easy-to-read notes. Zoom in on each high-definition image and click on selected pieces for audio commentary. Plus, sneak a behind-the-scenes peek at American billionaire J. Paul Getty’s two museum locations: the Getty Center, the main museum that houses European and American art, and the Getty Villa, which contains antiquities from Greece and Italy.

Device iPad/iPhone, Android & Nook
Source: bit.ly/thegetty $2.99
Rating: 12+ (medium maturity)

— Sandra E. Martin