http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/index/ News from the tutor2u team and partners en tutor2u Copyright 2014 2014-01-10T12:00:20+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/the-engaged-learner-effective-teaching-strategies-for-every-classroom Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/the-engaged-learner-effective-teaching-strategies-for-every-classroom#When:12:00:20Z The Engaged Learner is a new CPD course from tutor2u that is packed full of practical ideas to improve the quality of teaching and learning within every classroom. The Engaged Learner will provide teachers with an amazing collection of resources and strategies that can be used immediately within the classroom allowing teachers to deliver more creative, effective and outstanding lessonsDuring the day we will be looking at:An array of bellwork and starter activities to inspire and engage learners from the moment they enter the classroom;Plenaries allowing teachers to effectively review student progress against the learning objectives;Questioning techniques to expand and deepen student learning Strategies for whole-class, individual, and group-work including activities to promote collaborative learningWinning techniques to promote higher order thinking and independent learning tutor2u News, Teacher Conferences, 2014-01-10T12:00:20+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/game-based-learning-at-its-best-zondle-powers-ahead Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/game-based-learning-at-its-best-zondle-powers-ahead#When:19:17:38Z What an amazing year 2013 has turned out to be for our sister company zondle!In the last six months of 2013 alone, the free game-based learning platform added just short of 250,000 new users. Over 20,000 of these new "zondlers" were teaching colleagues from around the globe. zondle is now fast approaching 1 million registered users, making it one of the fastest-growing EdTech startups worldwide.zondle's users were busy in 2013 too. There are now approximately 1.5 million questions available covering over 130,000 topics. Around 1 million zondle games are now being played each month and that activity level is rising every week. I can only imagine how busy zondle will be as we head into the traditional exam revision season in the Spring and Summer of 2014.I think it's fair to say that we are delighted to have invested in zondle in 2011 and with a further substantial investment during 2013.zondle is a unique web and mobile platform that empowers teachers, engages students and enhances learning. Among many other features, teachers can create games to match exactly their teaching aims (any subject, any level, any language) and their students’ learning needs (to consolidate classroom learning, for formative or summative assessment, or to prepare for high‐stakes tests and examinations).Doug, Wayne and Ben have added some fantastic new functionality to zondle during 2013. Some of the key developments to zondle during 2013 have been:Introduction of video to zondle Team Play sessionsSupport for text, image and audio support for question references to the zondle Team Play remote BYOD systemImproved monitoring of student activity. You can now see exactly when students logged in, played games, created topics and redeemed Teacher Goodies in a quick and easy to use graphical interface.Setting folders of resources to students on zondle and zondle MobileThe release of a zondle Raspberry Pi game programming kitLaunch of summative assessment using zondle topicsNew, easier to use, teacher console released!The ability to zondle Team Play between schools anywhere in the world, in real timeA new teacher support systemNew feature. Gradebook snapshotting“Connect to zondle” Edmodo App released!We highly recommend that you take a little time to visit zondle, register for free and have a go at using free game-based learning in your teaching! tutor2u News, tutor2u & Zondle, 2013-12-30T19:17:38+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/get-your-free-copy-of-the-entrepreneurlive-2013-booklet Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/get-your-free-copy-of-the-entrepreneurlive-2013-booklet#When:16:12:29Z One of the many highlights for tutor2u in 2013 was the EntrepreneurLIVE! 2013 roadshow which connected over 3,000 students and business teachers to a fantastic group of young and successful Entrepreneurs.We still have a few copies left of the EntrepreneurLIVE! 2013 student booklet. This full-colour booklet contains useful profiles of the entrepreneurs who presented, their start-up stories and further teaching & learning resources for student follow-up. If you would like one of the remaining free copies, just visit the link below (the booklet is at the foot of the page), add it to the cart and checkout. We'll pop it into the post for you.http://tutor2u.net/acatalog/Business-Teaching-Resource-Collection.htmlAlternatively, you can download a pdf version of the booklet from this link:https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4368634/EntrepreneurLive2013Booklet.pdf Student Events, 2013-12-30T16:12:29+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/grab-a-free-cpd-teaching-learning-resource-taster-pack-from-tutor2u Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/grab-a-free-cpd-teaching-learning-resource-taster-pack-from-tutor2u#When:16:05:39Z In the two weeks before Christmas the team in the tutor2u office were busy shipping hundreds of CPD resource taster packs TBBLE, WOW! Economics and WOW! PoliticsWe still have a few left - have you requested yours yet? If not, please go ahead. Here are the links:http://www.tutor2u.net/acatalog/wow-economics-taster-pack.htmlhttp://tutor2u.net/acatalog/tbble-taster-pack.htmlhttp://www.tutor2u.net/acatalog/wow-politics-taster-pack.htmlWe're also working on the final details for CPD taster packs for the following CPD courses:Law: http://tutor2u.net/acatalog/WOW--Law-Taster-Pack-2986.htmlGeography (GCSE): http://www.tutor2u.net/acatalog/wow-geography-resource-taster-pack.htmlHistory (GCSE): http://tutor2u.net/acatalog/wow-history-2014-resource-taster-pack.htmlIf you have colleagues teaching Law, Geography or History who you feel might like a resource pack, please share this blog link with them! Teacher Conferences, 2013-12-30T16:05:39+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/ib-business-management-case-study-2014-the-imperial-hotel Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/ib-business-management-case-study-2014-the-imperial-hotel#When:15:29:44Z The IB Business & Management case study for 2014 has been released. It is based on the hypothetical hotel - The Imperial. Once again the tutor2u IB Business & Management blog will provide a range of lesson ideas and activities to help your student prepare for the May and Nov 2014 exams.A tutor2u Case Study Pack on The Imperial, written by Paul Hoang, Margaret Ducie and Urvashi Sharma, will be available in mid-January 2014.The Case Study Pack can be pre-ordered now and will be sent to colleagues as soon as it is completed.Order the Imperial Case Study Pack online:http://www.tutor2u.net/acatalog/ib-bm-the-imperial-case-study-toolkit.htmlDownload a printable order formhttp://www.tutor2u.net/assets/orderforms/toolkits2014.pdf Business Studies Resources, 2013-12-30T15:29:44+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/christmas-quiz Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/christmas-quiz#When:14:14:10Z Jon and Graham have been busy in the tutor2u Learning Lab creating a new seasonal PowerPoint Learning Game.In this classic editable quiz, students are challenged to reveal and answer the 24 questions behind the advent calendar windows. Which student team will come out on top? They'll have to be quick - they have a maximum of 60 seconds to answer each question.We've pre-loaded 24 Christmas trivia questions in the free download version of this game. Of course you are free to edit those questions - perhaps by adding in some subject-specific ones! As with all our PowerPoint Learning Games, this is real easy to do. Feel free to share this with all your teaching colleagues!To request the download link, please complete this simple form and we'll automagically email you the file.The PowerPoint file comes with full teacher instructions and also a team answer sheet. Team scores are managed within the game, although you can always use a different way of keeping score if you wish. tutor2u News, 2013-12-07T14:14:10+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/new-teaching-learning-activities-you-can-share-with-every-department Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/new-teaching-learning-activities-you-can-share-with-every-department#When:07:29:57Z Jonny and Graham have locked themselves away in the tutor2u Learning Lab over the last few weeks and they've just emerged looking somewhat weary, but proudly carrying new teaching & learning activities which we're sure will help engage your students and enliven learning. Just launched are Trapdoor! and Focus Circle. In Trapdoor, students have to identify which of the 16 suggested answers are correct - can they avoid falling through the floor? An ideal bell work activity or something to break up a longer lesson - and great fun too! http://tutor2u.net/acatalog/PowerPoint-Learning-Game---Trapdoor.html Focus Circle is all about concentration and topic knowledge. Students are shown the Focus Circle which has up to 4 topic areas (categories) inside and up to 18 words/ phrases around the circle which belong to the different categories. Students select 1 of the topic areas and decide which of the key words/ phrases belong inside the Focus Circle (words that are specifically related to that topic area) Focus Circle can be used as a bell work activity (an activity that is on the board as students enter the room), a starter or plenary for topics that have recently been covered or as a way of introducing new information that has not previously been covered http://tutor2u.net/acatalog/PowerPoint-Learning-Game---Focus-Circle.html With all our PowerPoint learning activities, all you need to do is add some content - maybe some definitions, a few multiple-choice questions or some key terms, dates or quotes. Each activity is fully editable and are ideal for sharing with other departments and teachers in your school or college! Each resource is provided as a network licence for the whole school or institution. You can see our full collection of resources here: http://tutor2u.net/acatalog/powerpoint-games-based-learning.html Alternatively, download a printable order form, decide which resources you'd like for your school or college and send it to us! http://www.tutor2u.net/assets/orderforms/pptlearninggames.pdf 2013-07-15T07:29:57+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-and-zondle-announce-closer-partnership Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-and-zondle-announce-closer-partnership#When:07:41:58Z tutor2u, the leading digital education publisher for Business, Economics & the Humanities, has agreed to take a substantially increased stake in zondle, the fast-growing specialist in games-based learning. zondle is managed by Wayne Holmes, Doug Lapsley and Ben Barton (ex Pearson, Granada Learning, Rising Stars & Harcourt) and has seen huge growth in users and traffic (doubling both since January 2013) and has begun generating revenues in the UK. Commenting on tutor2u's investment, Jim Riley (Managing Director, tutor2u) said: "We are delighted to take advantage of the opportunity to invest further in zondle which has developed hugely since we first took a stake in the business. zondle's innovative games-based learning platform has already enabled tutor2u to broaden our offer to teachers and students in our core subjects and we are now rolling this out across a wider range of curriculum areas."“zondle’s platform is a core part of our investment in teaching & learning resources that can be accessed and delivered via mobile devices. We have also commissioned zondle to develop a new student portal within the tutor2u website”."The UK educational system faces significant and disruptive curriculum change over the next two years and our teacher and student community will look to partners like zondle and tutor2u to support them as the changes take effect.. Many of the larger print-based educational publishers are still struggling to meet the needs of digital education and the combination of tutor2u and zondle will enable us to continue to grow rapidly through outstanding innovation, quality and value".“As the tutor2u and zondle teams have worked closely together over the last 18 months, it has become clear that we share the same core values. Both tutor2u and zondle love education – wherever it takes place – and we are both committed to working directly with teachers, students, parents and other educational stakeholders to improve the quality of teaching and learning.” Ben Barton from zondle commented: “We are so pleased that our partner, tutor2u, has agreed to significantly increase its investment in zondle at this time. tutor2u are clearly market leading in developing content that teachers actually use to support their students and the growing tutor2u team understands technology and the new landscape of education which will help zondle build on its early successes.”“The closer ties with tutor2u and the increased investment mean a step change for both our organizations as we take on the more established resource providers in the UK and abroad and continue to deliver fantastic support for teachers and students.” tutor2u News, Investor News, tutor2u & Zondle, 2013-05-17T07:41:58+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/get-daily-updates-with-new-resources-from-the-tutor2u-subject-blogs Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/get-daily-updates-with-new-resources-from-the-tutor2u-subject-blogs#When:08:05:55Z We've recently moved over to a new service which allows you to have daily digests sent from any of our subject blogs. This is a great way to keep in touch with new resources as they are added and to get first news of student and teacher events. To sign-up for this service, please complete the form below and then reply to the confirmation opt-in email that will be sent to you. 2013-03-31T08:05:55+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/revision-toolkits-for-pre-release-economics-business-exams-in-summer-2013 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/revision-toolkits-for-pre-release-economics-business-exams-in-summer-2013#When:11:09:15Z A quick reminder about our collection of revision toolkits for pre-released case studies and stimulus materials. These are popular support materials in the run-up to exams this summer and many are now available. We're working hard to complete the remaining toolkits by the end of March. Business Studies Resources, Economics Resources, 2013-03-27T11:09:15+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/introducing-the-super-teacher-utility-belt-powerpoint-teaching-learning-uti Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/introducing-the-super-teacher-utility-belt-powerpoint-teaching-learning-uti#When:22:42:16Z Jon Clark, our Head of Innovation, has been hard at work creating this new resource which is likely to be useful to and shared by all the departments in our school or college!Of course, you could just keep it a secret to yourself!Super Teacher Utility Belt comprises four easy-to-use and quick PowerPoint utilities to help teachers in make their lessons more interactive.These are a:Random Name Generator: allows you to randomly pick a name from your classScoreboard: a simple scoreboard to add up scores for any team-based exercise in your classEggTimer: uses a Powerpoint slide as an egg-timer for any activity in classCountdown Clock: gives a simple on-screen message about how long there is left until a significant event (e.g. deadline for assignment or exam date) The Super Teacher Utility Belt (1) can be ordered directly from our online store here 2013-02-12T22:42:16+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-partners-with-zondle-to-launch-resource-collection-for-grammar-pun Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-partners-with-zondle-to-launch-resource-collection-for-grammar-pun#When:14:24:15Z Teaching and Practice Resources from zondle and tutor2uAre you looking for great resources to help your Year 6 children achieve their potential in the new Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test?  zondle and tutor2u have been working with primary teachers across the UK to develop a comprehensive set of resources to help teachers deliver a structured programme of preparation for the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Tests being held for the first time in May 2013. Together, we’ve created two flexible resource packages which will keep your students motivated as they prepare for the test and will keep you informed about your students’ progress. Most importantly, these resources will save you lots of work!  tutor2u News, 2013-02-06T14:24:15+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-launches-new-collection-of-powerpoint-based-learning-games Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-launches-new-collection-of-powerpoint-based-learning-games#When:13:29:30Z tutor2u has today launched a new collection of games-based learning resources which use editable PowerPoint files as the basis for engaging and effective classroom learning.The first three game formats are:Bingo! - The classic bingo format with a neat educational twist! In our version, students match the definitions given to them as part of a ‘bingo card’ with key phrases shown on the randomly drawn ‘bingo balls’ on screen.Hangman - Another classic format given a shake-up by allowed you to determine how many incorrect guesses are allowed before grisly gallows are completed!Memory Blast - a new memory-straining format which helps students test understanding of key definitions. Can they handle duel task of identifying the definitions of key phrases whilst remembering where those definitions are placed on the screen?Millions of teachers and students use PowerPoint everyday in the classroom and tutor2u's PowerPoint games-based learning collection is being developed to provide schools and colleges with cost-effective ways of making learning more engaging and effective.Each PowerPoint game is provided as an editable PowerPoint file. All you need to do is add some content suitable for the topic or lesson you are teaching. Some of our game formats are designed to support definitions and/or key terms. Others use multiple-choice questions.  They are ideal as lesson starters, group activities or even whole-lesson resources.  2013-02-06T13:29:30+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/diary-dates-for-the-spring-2013-term Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/diary-dates-for-the-spring-2013-term#When:15:15:58Z Welcome to 2013! We hope you had an enjoyable and relaxing break and that your students put in some suitable revision during their holidays too!We're now hard at work preparing for our busiest-ever programme of CPD and Student Revision Workshops this term. I thought I would drop you a note with a quick summary of the programme together with links for more information if there is something of interest to you and colleagues.Here are the upcoming diary dates and links: Teacher Conferences, Student Events, 2013-01-04T15:15:58+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/economics-business-studies-cpd-coming-up-in-the-spring-term-of-2013 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/economics-business-studies-cpd-coming-up-in-the-spring-term-of-2013#When:15:48:36Z We’re fast approaching a well-deserved break for all Economics & Business Teachers everywhere!  We’ve had quite a few calls into the office recently asking for suggestions for CPD courses in the New Year so I thought I would highlight the courses that we are running early in 2013.Places at all our CPD courses in 2012/13 are priced at £190 (+VAT) for a single delegate and £125 (+VAT) for departmental groups of two or more delegates. Business Studies Resources, Economics Resources, Teacher Conferences, 2012-12-08T15:48:36+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/economics-classroom-resource-uk-economy-chartroom Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/economics-classroom-resource-uk-economy-chartroom#When:06:54:03Z Bring your Economics Classroom Right Up-to-date with the UK Economy Chart Room 2012 An updated and thoroughly revised UK Economy Chart Room poster set is now available for immediate dispatch The aim of these posters is to provide teachers with a set of colour A3 data charts offering students a sense of how the figures have moved over recent years but also bringing them up to speed with the latest developments. The sixteen charts in the latest edition of UK Chartroom cover the following data series: Tracking the Economic CycleComponents of Aggregate DemandBase Rates, GDP growth and InflationReal Value Added in Selected IndustriesRPI and CPI Inflation ratesThe Cost of Borrowing in the UKSterling Exchange Rate and the Trade BalanceHousehold consumption and the savings ratioUnemployment rates - claimant count and LFS Regional unemployment rates in the UKUnemployment in selected OECD countriesUK Fiscal Balance and Economic GrowthUK Bonds, Government Borrowing & the Output GapYields on 10 Year Bonds - A European PerspectiveBalance of Payments on Current AccountEstimated Trend Growth Rates These posters make an ideal classroom resource and can be referred to many times during an AS or A2 macro course. A complete set of A3 posters together with a digital copy of each is available for just £20. Order your copy of the UK Economy Chartroom here Economics Resources, 2012-12-01T06:54:03+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tad-gram-style-takes-on-eton-style Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tad-gram-style-takes-on-eton-style#When:21:53:57Z Many tutor2u regulars will know that there is a connection between Tadcaster Grammar School (located in a leafy part of the lovely North Yorkshire) and Eton College (in a similarly beautiful part of Berkshire).  Geoff is a Master at Eton, whereas my offspring (Miss T2U and Master T2U) attend TGS.A couple of weeks ago, the boys at Eton launched what turned out to be a viral hit version of the gangnam dance - Eton Style.But now Tadcaster has hit back with a typically gritty, northern version (i.e. telling it as it really is).So, in the interests of balance (and family harmony), we proudly present the two videos... 2012-11-08T21:53:57+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/join-the-tutor2u-subject-team Written by:Jonny Clark http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/join-the-tutor2u-subject-team#When:21:34:53Z We know our teaching colleagues love to have great resources to help make lessons more engaging and revision more effective.So, we've decided to build a comprehensive suite of multiple-choice questions and topics, across a wider range of subjects, to support our major investment in games-based learning.Could you be a subject expert and leader in the tutor2u team?Do you have the skills and experience to help us build a fantastic collection of high-quality questions that would be ideal for revision and classroom learning?We'd love to hear from you if you would like to know more about what is involved.At this stage, all you need to do is fill in this short form linked below and I will reply with more information on how you can get involved, the benefits to you and the next steps.For the right candidates, we're offering a generous payment option and we'll also ensure that your school or college benefits appropriately from the teaching resources you help us create.For Phase One of this project, we are specifically looking for experienced contributors with expertise in one or more of the following subjects at Level 2 (e.g. GCSE, BTEC First) and Level 3 (e.g. GCE, BTEC National):Accounting | Business Studies | Economics  |  Politics | Mathematics | English Literature  |  English Language  |  Law | Sociology | Psychology | History | Geography  | Chemistry | Biology | Physics | MFLPlease follow this link   below to show an interest in joining the team. And don't forget to pass this opportunity onto colleagues in other departments who you think might be suitable and interested in getting involved. tutor2u News, Authoring Opportunities, 2012-11-01T21:34:53+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/introducing-the-tutor2u-revision-app Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/introducing-the-tutor2u-revision-app#When:07:13:39Z You may remember that this time last year we took a stake in a games-based learning platform called Zondle, with the aim of developing resources for mobile learning. Well It’s here!  Version 1 of our new revision app. Details below about the new App, how to get hold of it, what you can do with it and our development plans. http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/introducing-the-tutor2u-revision-app The app is available right now from for Android and Apple device users: download it from: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.tutor2u.mobile http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tutor2u/id555936061 We’re now busy adding content that can be accessed via the mobile app - you’ll see this appear in the tutor2u resource folder structure when you access the app. This content includes the weekly Biz Quiz and Economics in the News quizzes.Please note; you'll need a free Zondle user account  to be able to access all the app resources. tutor2u News, Business Studies Resources, Economics Resources, tutor2u & Zondle, 2012-09-25T07:13:39+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-testimonials Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-testimonials#When:12:48:37Z We've been grateful to receive many positive testimonials about tutor2u in recent years, including several hundred when we were named as the Smarta 100 winners in 2011. Here are some of the comments which we've received which makes us all proud of what has been achieved to-date and also determined to continue improving and expanding the tutor2u service. About tutor2u, 2012-09-17T12:48:37+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/edexcel-unit-4a-supergroup-toolkit Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/edexcel-unit-4a-supergroup-toolkit#When:11:19:07Z A quick note to let you know that Mark Tottman’s superb strategic analysis of Supergroup is now available. Mark has provided a comprehensive analysis of the pre-release material on Supergroup, taking each piece of evidence in turn to help explain to students the key issues raised. The strategic issues facing Supergroup and the options available to them are then analysed and evaluated in some depth. The Supergroup 4a Toolkit can be ordered here We’re also maintaining a section on the Business Studies blog which provides updates on developments at Supergroup as we go through the period up to the exam. Business Studies Resources, 2012-09-04T11:19:07+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/3-activities-for-your-economics-students-this-week Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/3-activities-for-your-economics-students-this-week#When:08:55:25Z Here are 3 suggested lesson activities to get Economics students up and running this term… The Economics blogging team are fired up and raring to go, with the aim of supporting you and your students throughout 2012/13. As we start a new school year we thought you might like a selection of lesson activities that could help engage your students with our wonderful subject… Global Economy Top Trumps New to Economics: Finding Economics Around You! Economics in the News Quiz - Summer 2012 Edition Do you have a resource or teaching activity that you find works really well with returning or new class sets? If you do, we’d love to share it with thousands of colleagues around the world via the Economics Blog. Get in touch if you’d like to get involved [http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/contact-us/] and join the Economics blogging team. ...and don’t forget that there are now almost 300 Economics & Business teachers over in our Linkedin Teacher Community sharing ideas and resources. You are particularly welcome to join the community Economics Resources, 2012-09-04T08:55:25+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/3-new-business-lesson-starter-activities Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/3-new-business-lesson-starter-activities#When:16:02:23Z A new academic year starts for most of us this week. So here are three new business studies lesson activities that might help get the students thinking about the real world of business. Name the Business Person Each time you launch this interactive quiz, ten well-known business people are drawn from the quiz database. Can your students work out who they are? Name the Brand A relatively simple (and easy?) task of spotting the business brand, part of which is displayed on the worksheet. Olympic Sponsors Wipeout Which businesses decided to become sponsors of the London 2012 Games and which did not take part? Our PowerPoint Wipeout format is used for this quick activity. We’ll be adding lots more resources to the Business Studies blog over the next week - so do keep visiting regularly. Don’t forget that we also now have a growing Business Teacher community over on Linkedin (200+ colleagues have joined this week alone) - another great way of sharing ideas and resources as we begin a fresh school year. Visit the Business Teacher Community here Best wishes Jim & the team Business Studies Resources, 2012-09-02T16:02:23+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/join-our-community-of-economics-business-teachers Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/join-our-community-of-economics-business-teachers#When:16:08:56Z Something new from tutor2u for 2012/13 and already this is proving a popular feature for our growing network of enthusiastic Economics & Business Studies teachers! Our Economics & Business Teacher Community over on Linkedin is a very much like a virtual departmental staffroom. No students. Just time to read, discuss topics with like-minded colleagues and share ideas and resources. If you’d like to get involved, please do come over and join the group. http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4585435 Lots of interesting topic discussions already, not the least being some disquiet over the standard and method of exam paper marking this summer. I’m sure you and your colleagues have a view on this too - come over and share it. tutor2u News, 2012-09-01T16:08:56+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/7-new-business-revision-quizzes Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/7-new-business-revision-quizzes#When:16:48:28Z The tutor2u Business Studies team are hard at work creating loads of new teaching & revision resources for 2012/13. Just uploaded to the Business Studies Blog are some additional revision quizzes.  Here are the links: Working in Teams Communication Basics Communication Methods Basics of International Trade Sectors of the Economy Business Growth Basics Business Activities Business Studies Resources, 2012-08-29T16:48:28+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-adds-9-million-unique-user-visits-in-2011 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-adds-9-million-unique-user-visits-in-2011#When:09:32:53Z tutor2u has recorded a 9 million increase in unique user visits to www.tutor2u.net, rise of 64% over 2010. In the twelve months to December 2011, unique user visits are expected to reach 22.5 million compared with 13.6 million in 2010. The tutor2u website continues to draw visitors from a broad range of international schools, colleges and other educational institutions.  Whilst the UK continues to be the leading source of visitors (38% in 2011), significant user growth was sourced from India (8.5%), Malaysia (3.3%),  Singapore (1.9%), Hong Kong (1.8%) and the UAE (1.8%). A noticeable feature of the user growth was the growing use of mobile devices to access the tutor2u teaching and revision resources. Visits using smartphones and tablets increased by 332% in 2011 and now represent over 5% of visits. The user statistics exclude traffic for tutor2u’s other family of websites including the Moodle VLE which currently hosts over 5,000 A Level students and teachers. The most significant growth in user visits has arisen in the current academic year (2011/12) and, as a result, it is expected that traffic in 2012 will exceed 35 million visits. tutor2u News, Investor News, 2011-12-23T09:32:53+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/coming-soon-from-zondle-our-new-phonics-resource Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/coming-soon-from-zondle-our-new-phonics-resource#When:08:24:37Z The team at tutor2u’s sister firm Zondle have been hard at work developing a superb new resource for primary phonics teaching and learning.  Watch this space in early 2012 for the launch.  Here is a sneak preview: tutor2u & Zondle, 2011-12-19T08:24:37+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/zondlescape-05 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/zondlescape-05#When:08:16:17Z Welcome to zondlescape 005, more ideas, news and links from the team at zondle! Primary/elementary ideas of the week: @Primarypete_ has written an excellent blog, explaining how he’s very successfully using zondle in his classroom! Secondary/middle/high topic of the week: Review your ‘German Greetings and Polite Phrases’ whilst playing Crystal Canon! Thanks to Frau Mahler for this superb topic! Did you know… You can create your very own zondle! Make your own personal zondle avatar, to represent you on zondle! Choose colours, clothes and bizarre hair!! Zondle Connect of the week: ‘Is it a noun? Is it a verb?’ (created by jejal) in Penalty Shootout, embedded into the ‘Student Vocabulary Study Room - roots, prefixes, suffixes’ page on Mr Tedesco’s - English Class blog by apprentice zondle power user joetedesco! Other stuff: A balanced view of games-based learning in the Huffington Post. An easy and informative read. Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can make zondle better for you! Doug and Ben ZONDLE tutor2u & Zondle, 2011-10-18T08:16:17+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/zondle-some-great-new-functionality-for-games-based-learning Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/zondle-some-great-new-functionality-for-games-based-learning#When:20:36:16Z You may remember that tutor2u recently announced it had invested in Zondle.com, a provider of free games-based online learning. We caught up with the Zondle team and it’s fair to say that we’re even more excited than ever about how Zondle is progressing and growing. Doug, the ace developer at Zondle has been been hard at work adding new features, including one suggested by a tutor2u blogger (Gareth Williams!). I have described these upgrades further below and also used the excellent Zondle video guides which show you the new features in action. If you have a moment, please do go over to the Zondle site. Its a terrific platform to enable you (and your students) to create and share lesson activities. Zondle topics and quizzes are ideal for revision too. Best of all, Zondle is free! Here is the link: www.zondle.com 2011-10-14T20:36:16+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-scoops-marketing-prize-and-4th-place-in-smarta-100 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-scoops-marketing-prize-and-4th-place-in-smarta-100#When:13:00:00Z tutor2u, the provider of online resources for teachers and students, wowed the judges of this year’s Smarta 100 with its innovative marketing strategies and canny use of social media to scoop the Special Award for Marketing. tutor2u topped a shortlist including hair salon Charlotte Murray, Gower Cottage Brownies, games developer Neon Play, and natural gum makers Peppersmith in this year’s Smarta 100 Awards.  Over 500 companies were nominated in the awards with the final shortlist of 100 coming together for a star-studded awards evening at the O2 Arena in London. The O2 Smarta 100Special Awards were decided by a judging panel consisting of King of Shaves founder Will King, Bebo founder Michael Birch, PR guru Lynne Franks, TV’s Sarah Beeny, creator of MySingleFriend.com and Tepilo.com, Smarta’s Shaa Wasmund and O2’s Simon Devonshire. 2011-09-22T13:00:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/how-should-exams-be-run-a-new-investigation Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/how-should-exams-be-run-a-new-investigation#When:10:46:00Z An important announcement from the House of Common Select Committee on Education yesterday which I know will be of interest to many colleagues and departments.  Details below if you wish to get involved. 2011-09-13T10:46:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/a-personal-request-from-geoff-and-jim-at-tutor2u Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/a-personal-request-from-geoff-and-jim-at-tutor2u#When:14:43:01Z As you may have heard, the hard-working team at tutor2u were sent some good news – we’ve been shortlisted for The O2 Smarta 100 ‘Business of the Year’ award.  Almost as soon as the news broke, an amazing, switched-on flashmob of tutor2u supporters raced over to the Award Voting page and left some lovely messages about us – we’re still gobsmacked by how supportive these messages are.  They mean the world to us - every one of them. Will tutor2u beat the other 99 candidates to win the title in 2011?  It’s down to you, because it all boils down to a public vote. Like X-Factor. But luckily without Louis. Please vote for tutor2u by clicking here. You just need to register first but it’s simple and quick, and you don’t need to sign up for the organiser’s email newsletters.  You can leave a comment too – the judges will read them all and they might make the difference!  We’re loving reading what you have to say about tutor2u and our team - please do take a few seconds to sign the guest book! Now, some of you may be thinking - how can we really get behind tutor2u in the voting process?  The answer is - help spread the word!  We’re up against some very impressive and effective PR agencies who currently top the leaderboard. your help in encouraging people to vote for tutor2u really will make the difference. 1. Ask your friends, family, fellow students, everyone in the staff room, the Headmaster, the dinner ladies, any visiting Ofsted Inspectors etc to vote. Send a text; email them; post a tweet. 2. To become our special hero, please update your Facebook status with this link http://www.smarta.com/smarta100/2011-winners/tutor2u Thank you so much for supporting us. We find out on 21st September so we’ll let you know how we go. And many thanks for your continued support… Geoff and Jim 2011-09-08T14:43:01+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/introducing-give-it-a-go Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/introducing-give-it-a-go#When:10:53:00Z We’re thinking ahead to school year 2011/12 right now and we’ve got a new resource for you which we hope will support your teaching in the months ahead. Give It A Go! is our new teacher resource blog - and this one is a little different.  It is designed to provide support for the whole school in terms of ideas, approaches and resources which can be used across the curriculum and shared between departments. The focus of the blog is on creative teaching - ways to engage students, encourage participation and make learning memorable. The Give It A Go Blog is now up and running with an initial selection of ideas - come over and take a look. http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/giveitago/ You can keep up-to-date with the latest Give It A Go resources by following the blog on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/t2uGiveItAGo) or by opting to receive the email digest whenever new materials are made available to download or try. To receive this digest, please follow this link: http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=tutor2u/giveitago&loc=en_US We hope that you find the teaching ideas on the new blog useful.  Please let your colleagues know about it - particularly in other deparments who you think might like to try some new approaches to creative teaching and learning. tutor2u News, 2011-08-02T10:53:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-enjoys-record-visitor-growth-for-2011 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-enjoys-record-visitor-growth-for-2011#When:09:12:00Z tutor2u has recorded record visitor statistics for the year ended 31 July 2011.  In the 12 months to July 2011, the main tutor2u website (www.tutor2u.net) received 18.4 million visits, a 65.3% increase over the previous year. The number of visitors referred by tutor2u’s daily blog digest system increased by 45.6% in the year.  Over 14,000 teachers now receive a daily update of new teaching and study resources as they are added to the 12 subject blogs maintained by tutor2u. Social media also played a key role in the website traffic growth.  tutor2u’s Facebook page added 19,500 fans during the year resulting in a 368% increase in visitors directly from Facebook.  Visitors from Twitter also increased, by 167% compared with 2009/10. An increasing number of visitors found tutor2u using their mobile devices.  Visits from the Facebook app, for example, grew by 4,755%  Almost 100,000 visits came from iPad users (a 3,171% rise) and 175,000 iPhone users logged into the blogs during the year (a fourfold increase). tutor2u’s 18.4 million visitors came from a total of 232 countries/territories. The top countries were UK (7.4m), USA (2.6m), India (1.5m), Malaysia (0.6m) and Australia (0.5m). 2011-08-01T09:12:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/school-year-2011-the-end-of-year-wrap Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/school-year-2011-the-end-of-year-wrap#When:13:05:00Z We’ve just returned from our two Economics & Business Studies conferences with memories of some fantastic speakers and meeting so many colleagues over the two days (300 in total!).  The session presentations are available now on the blogs below together.  We’ll be adding further reflections on the sessions and follow-up blogs over the coming days. 2011-07-07T13:05:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/write-for-tutor2u-revision-questions Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/write-for-tutor2u-revision-questions#When:09:44:00Z The Summer of 2011 will be busier than ever for tutor2u as we expand into new subjects and, particularly, into games-based revision & learning. We recently announced that tutor2u has become a shareholder in Zondle - an innovative e-learning start-up which we’re really excited about.  Zondle will provide the platform for us to develop a comprehensive and, most importantly, FREE collection of revision and other learning games.  Now all we need is to build curriculum content to make these games come alive! 2011-06-22T09:44:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-joins-forces-with-zondle Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-joins-forces-with-zondle#When:22:08:00Z We’re excited about the news that tutor2u has agreed to take a shareholding in Zondle, a fast-growing specialist in games-based learning.  The press release is provided below. tutor2u News, Investor News, About tutor2u, 2011-05-29T22:08:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-backs-junior-cricket-in-yorkshire Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-backs-junior-cricket-in-yorkshire#When:10:46:00Z tutor2u has agreed to sponsor the Wetherby Junior Cricket League (WJCL) for the 2011 season. The WJCl is one of the most active junior cricket leagues in the UK with teams competing at all age groups from under 9s to under 17s.  A total of over 1,000 junior cricketers are registered with the league in 2011, participating in over 650 league and cup fixtures. Commenting on the league sponsorship deal, Jim Riley (Managing Director of tutor2u) said: “We are delighted to be associated with the WJCL and to have the opportunity to support such a superb example of how to encourage youngsters to get involved in sport.  The standard of cricket in the WJCL is improving and we are impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm of the junior team coaches who help young cricketers gain so much from a wonderful sport.” Tom Kilby, Head of Junior Cricket at the WJCL commented: “The support we receive from tutor2U is vital for the development of an improving league, not only financially in providing coaches and equipment, but also the genuine interest and enthusiasm shown by tutor2u for local sport within the area.  With the improvement being seen the league are starting to provide players for county age groups, something almost unheard of a couple of years ago.” tutor2u News, 2011-05-24T10:46:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/new-revision-qas-for-economics Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/new-revision-qas-for-economics#When:10:37:51Z We’re pleased to announce the publication of three new revision Q&A guides which I’m sure will prove very helpful for students taking AS & A2 Economics exams this summer.  Each has been written by Richard Young and follows the successful and popular format of the existing Q&A series. As students enter the final part of their revision, some find that they have incomplete notes. Others may be unsure of exactly what they need to know. Our Q&A format is designed to address these problems - to focus students on the essentials of each topic in each unit. A comprehensive glossary summaries key terms and concepts. Students can cover the syllabus in rapid time, knowing that they are focusing their effort in the remaining time. The three new Q&A are designed to support: - OCR A2 Economics Unit F584 - Transport Economics - AQA AS ECON 2 The National Economy - Edexcel AS Economics Unit 2 Managing the Economy Each of these Q&As is available via our normal network licence (£40 per school/college - unlimited distribution) and can be ordered online here: You can also download a printable order form from here: Economics Resources, 2011-05-03T10:37:51+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/extra-revision-support-for-a-level-economists-in-summer-2011 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/extra-revision-support-for-a-level-economists-in-summer-2011#When:14:59:00Z The AS & A2 economics exams are approaching fast and we’re providing a new series of revision resources on the Economics blog to help students over the finishing line! Our UK Economy at a Glance 2011 is a one-page summary of the key UK economic variables updated to April 2011 so students can refer to up-to-date information in their exam answers.  Download it from here: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/uk-economy-at-a-glance/ The blog also features a new category - “Exam Advice” with a new series of posts which explain how students can improve their exam technique in economics.  There are two fresh posts already, with more lined up to appear over the next week or so.  Here is the link: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/C594/ tutor2u News, Economics Resources, 2011-04-17T14:59:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-achieves-53-user-growth-in-2010 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-achieves-53-user-growth-in-2010#When:10:57:00Z tutor2u (www.tutor2u.net) has announced a 53% growth in unique user visits during 2010.  In the 12 months to December 2010, the main tutor2u site had 13.8 million visits, an increase of 4.8 million on 2009.  Revenues from the sale of Teacher CPD events, student workshops and digital learning resources increased by 52% over the same period. tutor2u News, 2011-01-05T10:57:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/meet-sir-terry-leahy-and-kirsty-henshaw-in-2011 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/meet-sir-terry-leahy-and-kirsty-henshaw-in-2011#When:11:31:00Z A quick note to let you know about our speaker programme for the Business Teacher National Conference on 30 June 2011. We’re busy inviting people who we think would provide an inspiring end to a long academic year - and we’ve had two early invites accepted! First up is Sir Terry Leahy, currently CEO of Tesco plc and perhaps Britain’s most respected business person.  Sir Terry is currently working for a week at the checkouts of his local Tesco stores (something he does every Christmas) as a way of keeping in touch with customers and employees.  Sir Terry will lead a conference session helping us understand the challenges of growing and managing a complex, multinational business. I can imagine there will be plenty of questions too from colleagues keen to get the inside track they can share with their students on topics such as leadership, branding, retailing and much more! I’m also delighted that Kirsty Henshaw has agreed to join us and talk about how her appearance on Dragon’s Den has led her to become one of the most talked-about young entrepreneurs in the UK.  Did you see Kirsty in the Den?  It was perhaps the most emotional, inspiring pitch the Den has seen.  With backing from Peter and Duncan, Kirsty has gone on to achieve enormous success during 2010 with her Worthenshaw’s Freedom range.  A terrific case study for just about every business specification - and I’m hoping we can arrange a product tasting session too! We’re hoping to have some other “big” news about speakers shortly.  In the meantime, provisional bookings for the conference are now being accepted - the link is below: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/business-teacher-conference-2011/ tutor2u News, Teacher Conferences, 2011-01-04T11:31:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/economics-teacher-update-4-january-2011 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/economics-teacher-update-4-january-2011#When:10:11:00Z Happy new year and welcome back!  A quick update here on some new economics resources and events coming up this Easter term. European Economy 2011 Revision Guide http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/european-economy-2011-revision-guide-launched/ Just published, our 2011 European Union Economy Revision Guide is designed to support A2 students taking papers in June 2011. Exam boards require students to have an understanding of how developments and policies in the European Union can affect markets, industries and the overall macroeconomic performance of the UK. This new guide provides comprehensive coverage of all the key topics and issues relating to the European economy. Rory Sutherland To Speak at 2011 Economics Teacher National Conference http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/rory-sutherland-to-speak-at-2011-economics-teacher-national-conference/ This should be fun!  Rory Sutherland, Vice-Chairman of the Ogilvy Group UK, has agreed to join us as one of the speakers at the 2011 Economics Teacher National Conference at the British Library on Wednesday 29 June 2011. Rory is a passionate and gifted communicator who has specialised in analysing how ideas drawn from behavioural economics can be harnessed in marketing and in developing public policy. His two TED talks (Life Lessons from an Ad Man and Sweating the Small Stuff) have fast become legendary on the internet and a great hit with Economics teachers and students alike.  Not to be missed! Teach GCSE Economics 2011 - Fresh Ideas for Teaching KS4 Economics http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/teach-gcse-economics-2011-a-new-tutor2u-cpd-conference/ Lots of bookings coming in now for our first CPD conference dedicated to the teaching of GCSE Economics.  Amy Chapman and Innes Robinson - our two superb GCSE Economics Blog editors - are putting a terrific programme together for the day.  It will be suitable for all exam boards and will cover a range of approaches, resources and teaching ideas to make your GCSE Economics course even more successful and enjoyable.  The day will also be suitable for teachers who deliver the economics elements of business specifications and who want some new ways of engaging with their students in a fast-changing subject. The date for Teach GCSE Economics is on Friday 11 February 2011 at the Guoman Charing Cross. UK Economy in Focus 2011 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/uk-economy-in-focus/ Our free, regularly updated main macroeconomic presentation on developments in and prospects for the UK economy is now available. All of the data charts have been brought up to speed and the resource is available as a streamed presentation and also as a pdf handout. AS & A2 Economics Revision Workshops March 2011 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/7250 Our AS & A2 microeconomics revision workshops prior to Christmas 2010 were a sell-out and its looking like our macro-focused workshops in London & Manchester will be full too.  Please get your provisional bookings in as soon as possible to get an allocation of places whilst you wait for students to confirm their attendance. tutor2u News, Economics Resources, Teacher Conferences, Student Events, 2011-01-04T10:11:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-announces-results-for-november-2010 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-announces-results-for-november-2010#When:20:34:00Z tutor2u, the online elearning community for Business, Economics, Politics and related subjects, has announced 65% growth in website traffic for November 2010 compared with the prior year. In Nov 2010 tutor2u’s main website (www.tutor2u.net) recorded 1.78 million unique user visits, an increase of 65.3% over Nov 2009. Direct traffic accounted for 20.9% of visitors, with a further 10.9% from referring sites.  Search engine and social media visitor referrals were 66.7% of the total. Cumulatively for the four months to 30 Nov 2010, tutor2u’s website traffic was 5.4 million users, an increase of 70.3% over prior year. Social media has been a key factor in driving visitor growth to tutor2u in recent months.  Referrals from Facebook.com have increased by 367% over 2009 following the growth of tutor2u’s Facebook page which now has almost 5,000 fans. 2010-12-03T20:34:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/some-ways-of-encouraging-students-to-collaborate-and-share-their-learning Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/some-ways-of-encouraging-students-to-collaborate-and-share-their-learning#When:20:38:00Z How to encourage students to collaborate and share their learning - that has been the underlying theme of several popular new resources on tutor2u this week. These approaches work across all subjects, though the examples give below are for Economics & Business Studies. tutor2u News, Business Studies Resources, Economics Resources, Politics Resources, 2010-11-22T20:38:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/3-resources-for-business-knicked-from-the-economics-blogs Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/3-resources-for-business-knicked-from-the-economics-blogs#When:20:56:00Z Who says you can’t make better use of some good ideas for the business classroom from your colleagues who teach economics?  Here are three examples of resources that the authoring team over on the GCSE Econ blog have added over recently which are ideally suited to support business teaching: Business Studies Resources, 2010-11-15T20:56:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/a-selection-of-some-more-economics-teaching-ideas-and-resources Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/a-selection-of-some-more-economics-teaching-ideas-and-resources#When:21:02:00Z A great selection of economics teaching ideas and resources on the blogs this week.  Here is a selection of some of my favourites: Chips as a demerit good Michael Owen spots this neat school-related example from Northants: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/chips-a-demerit-good/ Will Ferrell and the Marginal Revenue Product of Labour Eddy Reynolds has found this useful data about filmstars http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/will-ferrell-is-hollywoods-most-overpaid-actor/ New Movies on the Financial Crisis Mo Tanweer highlights some new movies on the global financial crisis that might be worth using in economics lessons: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/economics-at-the-movies/ The £7 chocolate bar Geoff Riley provides some cocoa price data and supporting links that suggest we might be able to pay much more for a favourite treat http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/watch-out-for-the-7-chocolate-bar/ An unnoticed effect of cost push inflation - shrinking toilet paper Innes Robinson has found this disappointing tactic of the major toilet paper companies: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/an-unnoticed-effect-of-cost-push-inflation-shrinking-toilet-paper/ Demand and Supply in action - is the wristwatch on its way out? Amy Chapman highlights the decline of the wristwatch - who wears those anymore? http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-is-the-wristwatch-on-its-way-out/ Economics Resources, 2010-11-12T21:02:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-announces-results-for-october-2010 Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-announces-results-for-october-2010#When:22:25:00Z tutor2u’s main website (www.tutor2u.net) has recorded a 72.0% increase in unique user visits for October 2010 compared with the same month last year.  In total there were 1.58 million visits in Oct 2010, an increase of 658,000 over 2009. Cumulative website visits for the 2010/11 school year (three months to Oct 2010) were 3.57 million unique users, up 1.50 million (72.9%) on 2009. These visitor statistics exclude tutor2u’s satellite domains, including its popular Moodle-based VLE which now hosts over 4,000 students and teachers. tutor2u has also announced website revenue for the three months up 55.5% compared with the same period in 2009. Commenting on the results for Q1, Co-Founder Jim Riley said “We are delighted that the tutor2u website continues to grow, both in terms of new fresh content and the regular user base.  We have added over 30 new teacher contributors since the start of September 2010 which has made a very positive impact on our resource offer.  I am particularly pleased with the success of our Facebook Fan page which has grown from a zero base on 1 September 2010 to almost 3,000 fans.” 2010-11-02T22:25:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/behavioural-economics-update Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/behavioural-economics-update#When:18:11:00Z Dan Ariely, one of the world’s foremost authorities on behavioural economics was on sparkling form in a lecture to a packed audience at the LSE last night.  There were several tutor2u teaching colleagues there amongst the audience and Geoff has written a detailed blog entry summarising Dan’s key points.  We’ve also made available to download Mo Tanweer’s superb econoMAX article on behavioural economics which provides an excellent introduction for students. Read the blog entry and download Mo’s article here: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/the-upside-of-irrationality-dan-ariely-at-the-lse/ We’ve now gathered around 100 resources (videos, articles, books etc) on behavioural economics on the AS/A2 Economics Blog and there is now a dedicated section for all these materials.  Here is the link to that section for you: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/C11/ Both Geoff and Mo are part of the tutor2u presenter team at the forthcoming AS & A2 Economics student revision workshops in London (30 November) and Manchester (6 December).  There are still a few places left for each workshop, athough we normally get a rush of bookings in the first few days after half-term.  To organise some places, please complete this online booking form: http://tutor2u.wufoo.com/forms/economics-revision-workshops-novdec-2010/ Economics Resources, 2010-10-28T18:11:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-used-around-the-world Written by:Jim Riley http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/site/comments/tutor2u-used-around-the-world#When:18:11:00Z We’re proud of many things about tutor2u, but one thing stands out. In the last 12 months alone, our website is used by teachers and students in over 230 countries and territories.  As a result of our global reach, we’ve exported subscription-based resources to over 110 countries in the last two years, including over 95% of International Schools teaching in English.  We love the fact that tutor2u is seen as a valuable support to teachers and students all around the world! Our teacher contributor team reflects the international nature of our website audience. We are delighted to have several authors from Hong Kong, Australia, China and New Zealand amongst our subject blog experts.  They provide a fantastic international dimension to our blogs and their writing is very popular. Here’s a list of the most popular countries and territories in terms of visitors to www.tutor2u.net during 2010: (percentage of visitors shown after country/territory name) United Kingdom 38.66% United States 15.00% India 8.22% Australia 3.52% Malaysia 3.18% Philippines 2.37% Canada 2.07% Singapore 1.99% Pakistan 1.81% South Africa 1.30% Hong Kong 0.98% Kenya 0.95% Ireland 0.89% United Arab Emirates 0.78% Germany 0.77% New Zealand 0.74% Sri Lanka 0.74% China 0.70% Nigeria 0.69% Netherlands 0.60% Indonesia 0.55% Mauritius 0.52% Vietnam 0.46% France 0.44% Trinidad and Tobago 0.44% Thailand 0.44% Ghana 0.43% Jamaica 0.43% Bangladesh 0.40% Switzerland 0.28% Egypt 0.28% Saudi Arabia 0.27% Russia 0.27% Spain 0.26% Poland 0.26% Uganda 0.26% Italy 0.25% Zimbabwe 0.23% Turkey 0.23% Denmark 0.22% Tanzania 0.20% Sweden 0.19% Nepal 0.18% Belgium 0.18% Malta 0.18% Greece 0.17% Mexico 0.17% Bahrain 0.17% Romania 0.16% Maldives 0.15% Finland 0.15% Japan 0.14% South Korea 0.14% Botswana 0.14% Ethiopia 0.14% Brazil 0.14% Brunei 0.13% Oman 0.12% Czech Republic 0.12% Austria 0.12% Portugal 0.11% Ukraine 0.11% Qatar 0.11% Cyprus 0.11% Lebanon 0.11% Kuwait 0.11% Norway 0.10% Zambia 0.10% Taiwan 0.10% Bulgaria 0.09% Lithuania 0.09% Namibia 0.09% Iran 0.09% Hungary 0.08% Barbados 0.08% Israel 0.08% Colombia 0.08% Jordan 0.08% Slovakia 0.08% Saint Lucia 0.07% Cambodia 0.07% Fiji 0.07% Serbia 0.06% Argentina 0.06% Latvia 0.06% Morocco 0.06% Croatia 0.05% Kazakhstan 0.05% Sudan 0.05% Malawi 0.05% Isle of Man 0.05% Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.05% Bahamas 0.05% Peru 0.04% Guyana 0.04% Rwanda 0.04% Puerto Rico 0.04% Ecuador 0.04% Dominica 0.03% Macedonia [FYROM] 0.03% Slovenia 0.03% Lesotho 0.03% Guernsey 0.03% Chile 0.03% Estonia 0.03% Jersey 0.03% Papua New Guinea 0.03% Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.03% Cameroon 0.03% Macau 0.03% Myanmar [Burma] 0.03% Antigua and Barbuda 0.03% Palestinian Territories 0.02% Tunisia 0.02% Mongolia 0.02% Syria 0.02% Albania 0.02% Afghanistan 0.02% Georgia 0.02% Belize 0.02% Venezuela 0.02% Costa Rica 0.02% Moldova 0.02% Gambia 0.02% Bhutan 0.02% Azerbaijan 0.02% Algeria 0.02% Dominican Republic 0.02% Luxembourg 0.02% Panama 0.02% Djibouti 0.02% Iraq 0.02% Belarus 0.02% Bermuda 0.02% Grenada 0.02% Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.02% Libya 0.02% Seychelles 0.02% Cayman Islands 0.01% Swaziland 0.01% El Salvador 0.01% Iceland 0.01% Gibraltar 0.01% Uzbekistan 0.01% Guatemala 0.01% Côte d’Ivoire 0.01% Armenia 0.01% Mozambique 0.01% Yemen 0.01% Netherlands Antilles 0.01% Sierra Leone 0.01% Anguilla 0.01% Uruguay 0.01% Liberia 0.01% Senegal 0.01% Laos 0.01% British Virgin Islands 0.01% U.S. Virgin Islands 0.01% Guam 0.01% Bolivia 0.01% Angola 0.01% Solomon Islands 0.01% Nicaragua 0.01% 2010-10-17T18:11:00+00:00