|
|
The editor's view |
|
|
• Keeping abreast of change One of the nice things about being a small company is that we can experiment with designs. It is something you can do on a digital platform that you cannot do in print. Most of it goes on behind the scenes, and you may not really notice. But browsers are always changing behind the scenes, too, and we have to try to keep up with them, and that might result in changes of layout and function from time to time. This screen is one of them. Just to tease you into finding all the changes, can you spot changing features on this home screen? Just empty caches, click our logo top left, and stare at the screen for about thirty seconds. Hint: more than one thing changes. • The age of cost-effective responsive books Some of the opportunities from increased browser functionality are really helpful. If you are a long-term member of the platform, you will have seen the way that the books have steadily become more responsive. Now – with the latest transformation a month or two ago – they do not need to load fully to get going, nor do they just flip, but pages can be enlarged and dragged (fabulous for whiteboards), and every book can be searched (the search bar is top right on the book page). On vertically-held tablets and phones the books are displayed one full page at a time and are a joy to read. Swipe to move on. Best opened in tabs, so you can go back to the home screen and keep the book window open, too. As a result of these improvements, books have become much more useful and flexible. Of course, given the state of school financial affairs, and the possible worsening due to Brexit, or not as the case may be, our digital platform provides by far the most economical way to let staff have books and other materials to use at home and on whiteboards and also students to use with their parents at home. As publishers of printed books we are not trying to see the demise of things you hold in the hand, but we all have to do the best with the finances available. It's why all publishers have cut back on new books. On the other hand, we produce new digital books every week because the capital cost (and so risk) is so much lower, to say nothing of response time. A few years ago I would not have thought books would become so quickly useful. But our books (with their full colour pictures) are now the most common way people browse at home, on bus and on train. Just work it out for yourself: divide your membership cost by 900 (books) to see how cheap the books alone now are, to say nothing of videos, worksheets and all the rest. • Drones with a useful view If you look at our newest videos you will see that we have started to get drone views. Want to fly over Edinburgh Castle while telling its history, want to see a lighthouse flash out its message on the Dorset coast, want to visit a walled Tudor town in Shropshire, want to see what Hampton Court or Canary Wharf or Dartmoor are like? No problem. Our licensed pilot doesn't get in anyone's way, but is helping us to deliver a clear perspective all over the country. Check them out for yourself in our new clips link on the home page. There are many more to come. • Binge-watch our videos? No, I don't really expect you to do that. But with people now browsing from video to video online on the major on-line video platforms, we wanted to have the same kind of facility ourselves, to help you to see quickly what the new videos are that we have added, as well as a few all-time favourites. If you watch the ones under the '1500 more' tab on the home screen, currently you could binge for 4 hours solid – and that is for watching less than 100 of our 1500 videos! To start either click '1500 more' or 'must-see' video' and then look above the video to see the navigation and go left or right to others, or click the page symbol to go to a list. And remember you don't always have to come back to this page to see them because we put them in appropriate search pages and subject lists. It's just there to give you a shortcut to what is new. And to binge! • We need you as champions I also want to tell you about how to explain to colleagues how to use the new platform. If you are reading this, you are probably already one of our champions, so here is how to spread the word to even reluctant staff members. Get them to have a look at the teaser 'Curious Question' that changes each day on the home screen. Then get them to click through it to a simple answer and click through again to one of our search pages. Scrolling down the page to the bottom and they should quickly see how easy it all is and how it moves to links and books as well as videos right off the page. So the next time they want something, they might well be more persuaded to try a search for themselves. And we keep our membership prices stable by adding to our membership base, so if you have friends in another school, do tell them about us, as the more the members, the less likely it is that prices have to rise. • Here the the upcoming curious questions Curious Questions are ideal for settling children down at the start of a session, but do also encourage parents to look at them with their children over breakfast, for example, so the whole family has a teaser to start the day. As valued members, I want you to know what the curious questions are in the upcoming month, so here they are by day, so if you want to start your lesson with one you can be all prepared. 1. What is wrong with a styrofoam cup? 2. How is a pine tree vital for mummies? 3. Why do you see catkins in winter and not in spring? 4. Can I live without eating fat? 5. Why do sausages have more fat after they have been cooked? 6. What are the secrets to reducing fat in food? 7. Why do small birds like robins and thrushes have such loud voices? 8. Which fly fastest? Small birds or large ones? 9. Can I take a shower or be in a car when lightning strikes? 10. Can I crush pills? 11. Why is blood red and veins blue? 12. Why mite you need to worry about dust? 13. Do I eat micro-plastics? 14. Why is something you can't see good news? 15. How do you cool a spice-burning mouth – with water or milk? 16. What do people really pay for in a coffee shop? 17. How much water is needed to grow an avocado? 18. Why can't I make golden crisps at home? 19. How far will you walk in your life? 20. Why don't crisps crush in the bag? 21. Does eating fish fingers harm the ocean? 22. Do you know what 100 calories look like? 23. How many potatoes are in a pack of crisps? 24. Why should you never poke your ears to get rid of wax? 25. Can a city really sink? 26. Does standing up equal exercise? 27. Are extra vitamins doing you any good? 28. Do you need to knead dough? 29. Where do the oodles of noodles come from? 30. Where does the malt in Maltesers come from? 31. Is it good to kill all germs? And if you have a comment, do let us know; it makes our day when you get in touch.
Brian (Editor:Dr Brian Knapp)
|
[ASK HERE FOR A FREE SCHOOL TRIAL] |
|
|
|