One More Story brings illustrated children’s books to life to help English language learners with pronunciation, intonation, vocabulary and fluency – and of course reading skills – and is now available to all itslearning users through the itslearning App Library. One More Story is an online library of over 60 illustrated children’s books set to music and read aloud by professional story-tellers – and is an ideal teaching aid for English language teachers or teachers of early learners. Developed ...

In the second release this year we're happy to introduce a new course tool called 'registrations' that allows teachers to create events their students can register for. We have also focused on improving the planner, video quality and the app library, in addition to many other exciting updates. Note: Whereas in the past we updated all sites simultaneously, we will now start updating groups of sites.

In June 2011, Bærum municipality in Norway switched from Fronter to itslearning. After just two months the schools were ready to use the new learning platform. But how did they manage to get the system up and running so quickly?

Imagine a country where all educational IT can effectively communicate together. When a student moves school, all their information and electronic work will be immediately available at the new school. And if a teacher changes jobs, they would still be able to access their resources and work.

Would you have dared to turn the traditional classroom teaching upside down? Teacher Anne Cathrine Gotaas at Sandvika Upper Secondary School in Norway claims there are good alternatives to traditional classroom teaching. She has used 'flipped classroom' in her economy and mathematics classes since 2007, and has since seen a clear rise in student attainment as a result.

50 teachers from across the world participated in the Best use of itslearning awards 2011. In the competition, teachers shared uses of itslearning that have shown to increase student achievement. Dee Kerwick-Chrisp was one of the two winners for her use of individual learning plans to improve student behaviour.

Horten videregående skole (Further Education College) is a leading light in Norway’s push to increase the use of IT in schools. In 2009, the College conducted a survey of all students and teachers to find out how it can get the best out of itslearning…here’s what they found out. About Horten Further Education College A Norwegian national demonstration school in the use of IT in education, Horten Further Education College has around 220 teachers and more than 1200 students.

Most teachers create their own teaching materials every now and again. And when they find something that works, they use it again and again. itslearning can make creating and sharing materials easier than ever before.

How should schools deal with students that leave class to go abroad – for example on vacation? Is it possible to turn their absence into something positive? Yes, says Marit Spildo, the inventor of an itslearning-based project aimed at students who go abroad for shorter periods of time.

At the end of 2011, YouTube announced something that the educational community had wanted for years: YouTube for schools. A specially filtered YouTube site with thousands of educational content, it has a great deal to offer; but you still need a good learning platform to make sure the videos apply directly to students’ learning. Here are a few ways to do just that.

Secondary school teacher Elisabeth Engum from Bergen, Norway, has been described as a prime example of how personal learning environments can contribute to innovative teaching. Inspired by the ideas of the "flipped classroom" she is finding new ways to structure her teaching and motivate students.   Basically, flipping the classroom means to deliver instructional videos online that students can watch outside of class and move the homework into the classroom.

Just2Easy is dedicated to bringing creative tools to the classroom so students can create, share and learn in a safe environment. For the third year running, Just2Easy has made the BETT Awards shortlist – and four of their tools are available as apps inside itslearning with free trials. Just2Easy’s tools are designed to allow students to become creators.

Recent research of 1,000 students in England reveals what students think of itslearning – and how they like to use it. About Albin Wallace With 30 years of experience in the field of ICT and education in Australia and the UK, Albin holds a firm belief that teachers are the key to achieving sustained ecological change in schools. Since May 2003, he has been Group ICT and e-Learning Director for the United Church Schools Trust and the United Learning Trust, one of the most diverse and success scho...

How can you make your vocational training directly applicable to work situations? Anne Brunborg is a nurse by profession and works as a health education teacher at Røyken Upper Secondary School in Norway. To make her nurse training course more practical, she uses itslearning to create a fictional nursing home and uses storyline – a pedagogical method for active learning – to bring life to the teaching.

A new free teaching module from Bridgeman Education enables students to explore past Olympic posters, and place them in a historical and artistic content, before creating their own posters for London 2012. Ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, Bridgeman Education has teamed up with The Olympic Museum to launch a free Olympic Games teaching module. The topical, self-contained learning unit helps both teachers and students to explore the history and message of the Olympics in the lead-up to London 20...

Inger Skjøstad of Arstad School in Hedmark, Norway, was one of the nominees in the Creative use of itslearning category during the Share & use Conference in Sandvika in 2010. She was nominated for her work with individual learning plans (ILPs) for pupils in 5th to 7th grade. "In my opinion the ILP is the best feature in itslearning," says Inger.

A teaching content revolution has begun in the Netherlands that could change the face of teaching across the country. The idea is simple: to make digital content available for all teachers and students via itslearning. The vision is huge: to have a fully plugged in teaching community that gets fresh and current content every day.

Technology is changing the way students learn and teachers work. Here are five skills that every teacher should have in order to be able to prepare today’s students for tomorrow Basic computer literacy You don’t need to be a computer geek, but you do need to be use basic programs (at the very least, Microsoft’s Word, Outlook and PowerPoint). The good news is that most computer programs share common features and icons, which means skills learnt in one program are usually transferable.

Research has shown that a systematic approach to assessment for learning can increase learning outcomes for learners, which makes it a priority area in education. We talked to itslearning's assessment expert Inger Alice Andersen about assessment for learning. But first, what is assessment for learning?

Most students moving from primary to secondary school have diverse backgrounds. Rådalslien School in Bergen, Norway, accepts new students from a range of different primary schools, and experience has shown that their computer skills are varied. The school saw the need for a common introduction to ICT, and teacher Jonny Eriksen was assigned the task of creating a solution.

Which new technologies will have a big impact on education in the next five years? Here are six to watch out for. About the NMC The New Media Consortium (NMC) is an international not-for-profit consortium of learning-focused organisations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media and new technologies.

One of the leading researchers on blended learning, Michael B. Horn from Innosight Institute, has identified six main blended learning models. Will one of these models work in your school?

A clearly set out and structured course plan is important – not only for teachers and students, but also for parents. In itslearning, teachers can create a plan for each course that keeps all teaching materials associated with the subject in one place. This article gives you some useful tips and tricks on how to get the most out of the itslearning planner.

Cloud computing is basically a way of running your IT without doing all the hard work. And it could be the next big thing in education. Here are eight reasons why educational institutions around the world are shifting to the cloud.

Many countries have education acts that say students have a right to participate. But how can teachers put this into practise? Kjersti Engelstad Stokke – administrative head of studies and economics teacher at Sandvika Upper Secondary School in Norway – lets her students actively participate when creating semester plans in itslearning.

YouTube is packed with funny and educational videos that you can embed in course pages to use in class. But finding them isn’t easy. Here are a few of the best that we’ve come across.

A learning platform gives you a digital environment where students can explore social media without exposing their data to the outside world. Here are five things you need to consider to ensure your student’s eSafety.

How can you combine sound and video with itslearning – and how can both teachers and students benefit from using multimedia? In his experience with sound and video, Alexander Aak Eide, a teacher at Skranevatnet School in Norway, has found that using technology not only enhances creativity and interest from a student perspective, but also saves him time. "In itslearning it's just as easy to insert sound and video as it is to write text.

How can educational institutions do more with less money? And how can they use technology to better prepare their students in the 21st century? In a recent webinar, award-winning ICT evangelist, author & broadcaster Russell Prue showed how educational institutions can use technology to teach students the creative and problem-solving skills they need in the 21st century – without breaking the budget.

Elin Måge is a Norwegian language teacher at Risenga Secondary School in Asker, Norway, and she's known as an itslearning addict. She updates itslearning on a daily basis, and also makes sure that her colleagues can benefit from what she produces.   "I'm addicted to itslearning," Elin confesses.

How can itslearning help lecturers at a university or university college improve their teaching? Tor Haugnes, a historian and lecturer at the BI Norwegian School of Management, has found that itslearning makes teaching more efficient – and improves student results. In higher education, there are often a large number of participants in each course.

What’s the best way to judge the success of a learning platform implementation project? According to Global Business Development Manager Trond Skeie, the answer is usage. The best projects get more than 80% of staff and students using the learning platform regularly within a year of implementation, but how do they do it?

How long does it take to get started with itslearning? According to Torunn Gjelsvik, itslearning project leader at BI Norwegian School of Management, it’s possible to get more than 20,000 students and staff imported into – and actively using – itslearning in less than 10 months. Before starting with itslearning, teachers and students at BI used two different systems: a self-made tool called Apollon and a commercially available learning platform.

Individual learning plans help students better understand and take responsibility for their learning, but how can you make them work for your students? 

itslearning gives you a digital environment where students can explore the opportunities offered by internet without exposing their data to the outside world. But even though the information on itslearning remains within the school, there are still a number of issues you need to consider to ensure your student’s eSafety – and this includes using the privacy and policy features in itslearning. How does it work?

The world is changing and schools need to change with it. Here are ten things that we think will be obsolete by 2020. 1.

What new features can you expect from itslearning this year? According to Market Research Manager Morten Fahlvik, the major details in the 2011 roadmap have already been finalised. “As a learning platform, the reason itslearning exists is to support educational practice,” explains Morten.