The last time that I did a study on the use of podcasts in education was about a year ago. That's a long time in technology! It's time to examine again how teachers and students are using podcasts. I have decided to do this study in chunks. First, I want to look at some podcast directories. Although some directories include resources and advice on producing podcasts, my interest is to listen to and/or watch actual podcasts which are being used.
I have listed some directories in this blog entry. A few comments and some listings of podcasts are shared for each directory. Two additional comments need to be made about each directory. First, a comment on one or two podcasts in each directory cannot come close to illustrating the richness of these directories. Each one deserves some time exploring its podcasts. Second, if you choose to use any of these podcasts with students, be sure to listen to and/or watch it first to be sure it's appropriate for your students. Remember that many of these directories contain non-educational podcasts and are not censored.
EPN: The Education Podcast Network
http://epnweb.org/
The Education Podcast Network is designed to provide podcast resources for teachers to help them use 21st-century tools when they teach. Educators have produced most of the podcasts in the network. Readers / listeners are encouraged to share their podcasts with others through the network.
The directory lists these contents:
Education: 21st-century tools
* Professional Philosophy & ICT (133)
* Strictly ICT (20)
Student and Class Podcasts
* Elementary Grades (50)
* Middle School (35)
* Secondary School (36)
Subject Specific Podcasts
* Computer/Technology Skills (70)
* Dance Education (6)
* English Language Arts (97)
* Healthful Living (46)
* Information Skills (19)
* Mathematics (7)
* Music Education (36)
* Science (60)
* Second Languages (61)
* Social Studies (78)
* Theatre Arts Education (16)
* Visual Arts Education (24)
* Career Development (33)
* Current Events (55)
* Miscellaneous (107)
EPN provides directions for finding a podcast in the directory and for subscribing to a podcast. The directions for subscribing to a podcast are very specific… great for a beginner!
One of the podcasts I checked is from a teacher in Bangladesh… complete with photos. Very interesting. Another well-done podcast is from a high school mathematics teacher. Another section of the directory lists many podcasts, including quite a few produced by persons whom I recognize as excellent bloggers. This directory is worth spending some time to find useful podcasts.
Podcasting News
http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/link_6.htm
The directory for Education at this site lists these categories:
Higher Education (121)
Audio Classes (31)
Do It Yourself (How-to's, DIY, tutorials) (28)
Homeschooling (homeschooling, unschooling, free learning, lifelong learning, for learners of all ages) (13)
K-12 Education (Pinckney Community Schools) (114/11)
Language (Chinese, English, Esperanto, Japanese, Spanish, Tibetan) (38/96)
Music Education (26)
The site is designed to facilitate the sharing of news and information about podcasting. Features such as registration, forums, polls, announcements, and sticky topics help make the posting of news easier. Administrators, moderators, and usergroups keep communications working.
Registration (free) gives you access to features such as private messaging, emailing to fellow users, and usergroup subscription. The site recommends that you register. Forums are available (usually for registered users). Polls are easy to create. Announcements and “sticky topics” often contain important information and should be read as soon as possible. Administrators control board operation, including setting permissions, banning users, and creating usergroups or moderators (and their capabilities). Moderators look after the daily running of the forums. Users can belong to more than one group.
Available podcasts that I looked at / listened to included one on ADHD and another on music. There is a large variety of high quality podcasts on this site.
Resource pages that are available include:
* iPod
* Mactel Podcasting Applications
* Mobilecasting - Mobile Podcasting
* MP3 Players
* Podcast Directory List
* Podcast Hosts
* Podcast Software (Clients)
* Podcasting FAQ
* Podcasting Glossary
* Podcasting Resources and Services
* Podcasting Software (Publishing)
* Podcast-Legal Music
* Podcasts
* Press Info
* Promote Your Podcast!
* Syndicating Podcasting News
* Video iPod Software
Links are provided for:
* DopplerRadio
* Feed Validator
* IndieFeed
* iPodderX
* iPodLounge
* jPodder
* Nimiq
* OpenPodcast
* Podcast Feed Debugger
* Prime Time Podcast
* RSSRadio
* Video Podcasting News
Podcast Alley
http://www.podcastalley.com/index.php
The goal of this site is to be the “biggest and best directory of podcasts (podcast directory) available on the Internet.” News and tutorials are included on the site. The site currently has 28,208 podcasts with 144,030 comments on 1,226,752 episodes. In the Education category, there are 1,224 podcasts.
Checking out the podcasts at this site, I found a podcast for digital photographers, a one-minute how-to podcast, an audioblog about media literacy and technology and how they will change education, the complete works of Shakespeare (one act per podcast), and an opportunity to have stories read to the listener.
Categories
* Podcast Alley News (23)
* Podcast Promos (39)
* Podcasting News (223)
* Random (16)
Websites of Interest
* PCA Blog Homepage
* PodShow, Inc.
* PodSafe Music Network
* PodcastAlley Homepage
ed-cast The Higher Education Podcast Repository
http://ed-cast.org/
Ed-Cast is a repository for higher education podcasts. It contains international higher education lectures, conversations, speeches, and podcasts. Although designed for higher education, K12 educators will find interesting content at this site.
I’ve listed some of the podcasts that K12 educators might find interesting.
Title / Category / Format / Length / Keywords / Author(s) / Date of Submission
* Learning Community / Presentation / Audio / 3 / online, learning, community, networking / Cynthia Gautreau / Wed, 21 Jun 2006 11:09:40 GMT
* Rod's Pulse Podcast / Conversatio / Audio / 20 / educational technology diy podcast blackboard e-learning / Rodney B. Murray, Ph.D. / Wed, 07 Jun 2006 18:50:43 GMT
* Blogs, Wikis and Writely! / Lecture / Audio / 66 / web 2.0, blog, wiki, writely / Ray Schroeder / Wed, 15 Feb 2006 12:48:00 GMT
* Thoughts on Web 2.0 / Lecture / Audio / 16 / Web 2.0, podcast, participatory, read-write web / Burks Oakley II / Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:50:40 GMT
podcast.net: THE PODCAST DIRECTORY
http://www.podcast.net/
Approximately 100 podcasts show when you search Podcast.net for Education. What a variety! You have to look through the list title by title to really understand the wide range of topics… a podcast for part-time university instructors, technology teachers talking, ideas from two middle-school teachers, interview clips of Japanese American World War II veterans… A quicker way to find podcasts that may interest you is to use the search function on the home page.
Apple Education: Podcasting in Education
http://www.apple.com/education/products/ipod/podcasting.html
You may find some of these podcasts on Apple’s site interesting:
Educational Podcasts
Higher Education
* Knowledge@Wharton Audio Articles
* Thermal and Statistical Physics
* Campus MovieFest
* American Presidents
K-12
* MobiStories - Virtual Books for Kids
* English as a Second Language
* Radio WillowWeb
* A School in the Coulee Podcast
Professional Development
* Cut to the Core Essential Podcasts for Educators
* TeacherCast | Newshour with Jim Lehrer Podcast | PBS
* John Merrow Education Podcast
* ScreenCastsOnline
Podcast Directory.org.uk
http://www.podcastdirectory.org.uk/
A teacher in Scotland maintains this education podcast directory. A search for Education lists a podcast with Chilean music, another with “quick and dirty tips” for grammar, and one on child suffering from UNICEF Radio.
PODCAST SHUFFLE
http://www.podcastshuffle.com/
This podcast directory lists 1914 feeds. Of those, 34 feeds are in the Education category.
Some of the podcasts in the Education list include:
* Disability411: Provides information on disability-related topics for those who work with individuals with disabilities, including… K-12 special education teachers.
* John Kenneth Fisher: Speeches and sounds that helped define our world. From Cronkite to Churchill, Kennedy to Reagan.
* Moodle Journal: Blog describing the experiences of using Moodle to help implement the elearning program at Bromley College.
* OPAL Podcast: Online information for librarians and their users.
* Podictionary: Daily podcast for word lovers with a new word in each episode.
* Room 208 Podcast: Podcast by elementary students in Maine.
* Student Financial Aid News Podcast: A regular audio broadcast for financial aid information.
* The ADD Dad Show: A father talks about the effects of ADD on his life and children.
alpha fresh podcast.com
http://podcast.com/home.php
Podcast.com is designed to help you…
* browse podcast directories and search for podcasts
* manage podcast subscriptions
* listen to audio podcasts
* watch video podcasts
* learn about podcasting
* read news about podcasting tools
...and more!
Listen to the audio tutorial for the site to learn how to do all these things. The Education category lists a Chinese podcast, another from PBS: NOVA, and The Word Nerds. The Word Nerd podcasts are about “words, language, and why we say the things we do.” Episode topics include prepositions, thanks and gratitude, sports language, derivatives, and others.
PodcastBlaster
http://www.podcastblaster.com/
The PodcastBlaster podcast directory is tracking 22,662 podcasts with a total of 431,454 episodes.
Education podcasts include:
* CSI AudioCast: CSI Education
* Education 548 Podcast
* PodcasterNews.com Education
* DV in Education Podcast
* PodcastPromos.com Education
* Podcasts in education
* Investment Education Podcasts
Some of the education episodes you might want to check include:
* Nature Podcast
* Animal Talk, Naturally!
* Podcasts from Learn 4 Life - Innovation in Education in the UK
* The Kedou Adventures -- A Little Bear's podStories
* Club KidCast
* Youth Voices Coast to Coast: NYC and Utah
* Robin And The Giant - Sleepy Time Theatre
* French For Beginners
* Digital Photography Tips From The Top Floor
* Storynory: Free Audio Stories for Kids
* DragonflyTV . Podcast | PBS KIDS GO!
* Stories of the Week | NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Podcast | PBS
* Rolling R's: Spanish Lessons (Video Podcast)
Learn on-the-go
http://www.learn-on-the-go.com/directory/
This site promotes lifelong learning through the use of audio and video podcasts.
Categories include:
* History (16)
* Health and Fitness (41)
* Science and Technology (26)
* Business (11)
* Languages (56)
* Religion and Inspiration (28)
At this point the site has 178 links in 21 categories. A search for Education locates eight podcasts. Of these eight, two look particularly interesting: one on mobile learning—blogging on cell phones, PDAs, and iPods—and another on the role of technology in online education.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Very Interesting Web Sites for Educators
You are most likely familiar with eSchool News, an online source for news and resources dealing with the use of technology in education. One of the free resources available is ClassroomNews. You can subscribe (at no cost) to this monthly PDF newsletter for technology news and resources for the classroom at the eSchool News site (http://www.eschoolnews.com). The interesting web sites I have listed (below) are from the January 2007 edition of ClassroomNews.
STUDENTS AND SCIENTISTS PROBE THE SECRETS OF LONGEVITY
http://www.bluezones.com
An online learning project from the Quest Network will look for reasons why the inhabitants of a particular location in Central America live so long. This three-week, inquiry-based project begins on January 29. This is the second Blue Zones Quest. It provides free curriculum that promotes collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication skills.
These quests try to find areas in the world where people live very long lives… and figure out why. The expedition team provides text, videos, and photographs. The students involved can direct the team’s approach. And together they can try to determine what factors help us to live long, healthy lives. Additional materials are available for teachers so they can extend the project.
NEW TOOLS AND RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ON C-SPAN’S CLASSROOM WEB SITE
http://www.c-span.org
Middle and high school social studies teachers will find it easier to support their lessons with elements from C-SPAN’s public affairs and political programming.
You can:
* download free video clips,
* search archived and current video by keywords,
* create personalized user areas for favorite clips, and
* use lesson plans, discussion questions, and other resources (including podcasts).
The classroom video content is copyright-free. Resources are tied to state and national social studies standards. And all of this is available free.
BEST EVIDENCE ENCYCLOPEDIA HELPS EDUCATORS EXAMINE CURRICULUM PROGRAMS
http://www.bestevidence.org
Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE) contains summaries of research on educational programs and links to the complete scientific reviews. The summaries use easy-to-understand symbols like those used in Consumer Reports. Topics include elementary mathematics, technology in reading and mathematics, reading for English-language learners, and others. BEE provides information about the evidence that supports many programs for students in grades K-12.
CITEd WEB SITE PROVIDES FREE ONLINE TOOLS FOR INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY
http://www.cited.org
The Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) has developed a new web site with an impressive set of free online tools. EdTech Locator is an interactive tool that helps educators determine where they are in the technology-integration continuum. It also helps them understand the various stages of technology integration. Another tool, Tech Matrices, helps educators search for resources to support reading and mathematics instruction for special needs students.
The site has three main areas: the Learn Center, the Action Center, and the Research Center. The Learn Center helps educators select resources for using technology to help meet the needs of all students. The Action Center helps in the planning and implementation of professional development activities. The Research Center contains CITEd’s syntheses of research practices in content areas. Educators can use this information to help them find ways to integrate technology in their classrooms.
TEACHADE: ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR TEACHERS
http://www.teachade.com
Educators can learn so much by collaborating with each other… and Teachade helps us do that. Teachade is an online site that educators can use to share resources, create online learning communities, and communicate with colleagues. In other words… online social networking for teachers! Registration is free and available for K-12 teachers, pre-service teachers, student teachers, and college professors. You can join groups based on common interests such as music, supporting educational technology, or elementary grades science. Calendars and storage of favorite files (such as lesson plans) are also available.
STUDENTS AND SCIENTISTS PROBE THE SECRETS OF LONGEVITY
http://www.bluezones.com
An online learning project from the Quest Network will look for reasons why the inhabitants of a particular location in Central America live so long. This three-week, inquiry-based project begins on January 29. This is the second Blue Zones Quest. It provides free curriculum that promotes collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication skills.
These quests try to find areas in the world where people live very long lives… and figure out why. The expedition team provides text, videos, and photographs. The students involved can direct the team’s approach. And together they can try to determine what factors help us to live long, healthy lives. Additional materials are available for teachers so they can extend the project.
NEW TOOLS AND RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ON C-SPAN’S CLASSROOM WEB SITE
http://www.c-span.org
Middle and high school social studies teachers will find it easier to support their lessons with elements from C-SPAN’s public affairs and political programming.
You can:
* download free video clips,
* search archived and current video by keywords,
* create personalized user areas for favorite clips, and
* use lesson plans, discussion questions, and other resources (including podcasts).
The classroom video content is copyright-free. Resources are tied to state and national social studies standards. And all of this is available free.
BEST EVIDENCE ENCYCLOPEDIA HELPS EDUCATORS EXAMINE CURRICULUM PROGRAMS
http://www.bestevidence.org
Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE) contains summaries of research on educational programs and links to the complete scientific reviews. The summaries use easy-to-understand symbols like those used in Consumer Reports. Topics include elementary mathematics, technology in reading and mathematics, reading for English-language learners, and others. BEE provides information about the evidence that supports many programs for students in grades K-12.
CITEd WEB SITE PROVIDES FREE ONLINE TOOLS FOR INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY
http://www.cited.org
The Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) has developed a new web site with an impressive set of free online tools. EdTech Locator is an interactive tool that helps educators determine where they are in the technology-integration continuum. It also helps them understand the various stages of technology integration. Another tool, Tech Matrices, helps educators search for resources to support reading and mathematics instruction for special needs students.
The site has three main areas: the Learn Center, the Action Center, and the Research Center. The Learn Center helps educators select resources for using technology to help meet the needs of all students. The Action Center helps in the planning and implementation of professional development activities. The Research Center contains CITEd’s syntheses of research practices in content areas. Educators can use this information to help them find ways to integrate technology in their classrooms.
TEACHADE: ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR TEACHERS
http://www.teachade.com
Educators can learn so much by collaborating with each other… and Teachade helps us do that. Teachade is an online site that educators can use to share resources, create online learning communities, and communicate with colleagues. In other words… online social networking for teachers! Registration is free and available for K-12 teachers, pre-service teachers, student teachers, and college professors. You can join groups based on common interests such as music, supporting educational technology, or elementary grades science. Calendars and storage of favorite files (such as lesson plans) are also available.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Educational Technology Trends to Watch in 2007
A recent poll by eSchool News (http://www.eschoolnews.com) caught my interest. It asked if "text-speak" should be permitted for use on school tests and assignments. The results were
13% "Yes, most of the time"
38% "Yes, but only in some circumstances"
49% "Absolutely not"
0% "No opinion"
It will be interesting to see how much "text-speak" becomes embedded in school projects. How would you respond to the poll?
_______________
Education and the role of technology in education keep changing. eSchool News (http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?Articleid=6781) lists six educational technology trends to watch for their impact on schools and colleges in 2007.
Trend No. 1: The leveling power of the World Wide Web
You can create content--in writing, audio, or video--without expensive equipment and post your content so the world can view it. You don’t need the backing of a publisher or studio or lots of money to make it happen. YouTube is the current example of how easy this is to do. Record some video, edit it--or not--and post it on the web. Student projects--whether done for school or college or just for fun--now have a real medium for distribution.
Trend No. 2: Cloud computing
We’re all used to client/server computing—a group of clients (our individual computers) and a central server linked through a network. The speed of that network is becoming fast enough that the network can serve as the computer (to loosely quote Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google). So, instead of using a spreadsheet that resides on our computer, we can use a web-based spreadsheet… or other software.
"We call it 'cloud computing,'" [Schmidt] proclaims. "The servers should be in a cloud somewhere. And if you have the right kind of browser or the right kind of access, it doesn't matter whether you have a PC or a Mac or a mobile telephone or a Blackberry--or new devices still to be developed--you can get access to the cloud."
Trend No. 3: Service-oriented architecture
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is the creation of software by putting together bundles of single functions such as “cancel school bus route.” Designing software in this manner isn’t new; however, what’s different is building it on the web. Standard SOA tools make the process of creating this software much easier.
Trend No. 4: The gathering SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)
The next trend--Sharable Content Object Reference Model, or SCORM--comes closer to individual teachers. SCORM is a set of standards and specifications that allow digital learning materials to be accessed and reused. These specifications can help to ensure that digital content can be used in any learning management system (LMS) software. Hopefully, educators will be able to access reusable online content and incorporate portions into their own instruction.
Most of the major LMS software used today complies with the standard. And Moodle is on its way toward becoming compliant. With standards that allow teachers to share and reuse content or modify it for their own needs, instruction can be designed to meet the needs of the learners.
Trend No. 5: Telepresence and anytime, anywhere education
See how eSchool News describes a telepresence videoconference…
Trend No. 6: 21st-century learning
Every student in America needs specific knowledge and skills to succeed in the 21st century. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, our students need:
* Information and communication skills
* Thinking and problem-solving skills
* Interpersonal and self-direction skills
* Global awareness
* Financial, economic, and business skills and
* Civic literacy.
The technology is available for these six trends--the flattening influence of the internet, cloud computing, SOA, SCORM, telepresence, and the drive for 21st-century skills. All we have to do now is bring the politics and the finances together with these trends to make some very effective differences in how we teach and how our students learn.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://21stcenturyskills.org
"Gathering SCORM could transform eLearning" (eSN Online, April 2006)
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6249
"'Telepresence' adds realism to video conferencing" (eSN Online, October 2006)
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6661
13% "Yes, most of the time"
38% "Yes, but only in some circumstances"
49% "Absolutely not"
0% "No opinion"
It will be interesting to see how much "text-speak" becomes embedded in school projects. How would you respond to the poll?
_______________
Education and the role of technology in education keep changing. eSchool News (http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?Articleid=6781) lists six educational technology trends to watch for their impact on schools and colleges in 2007.
Trend No. 1: The leveling power of the World Wide Web
You can create content--in writing, audio, or video--without expensive equipment and post your content so the world can view it. You don’t need the backing of a publisher or studio or lots of money to make it happen. YouTube is the current example of how easy this is to do. Record some video, edit it--or not--and post it on the web. Student projects--whether done for school or college or just for fun--now have a real medium for distribution.
Trend No. 2: Cloud computing
We’re all used to client/server computing—a group of clients (our individual computers) and a central server linked through a network. The speed of that network is becoming fast enough that the network can serve as the computer (to loosely quote Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google). So, instead of using a spreadsheet that resides on our computer, we can use a web-based spreadsheet… or other software.
"We call it 'cloud computing,'" [Schmidt] proclaims. "The servers should be in a cloud somewhere. And if you have the right kind of browser or the right kind of access, it doesn't matter whether you have a PC or a Mac or a mobile telephone or a Blackberry--or new devices still to be developed--you can get access to the cloud."
Trend No. 3: Service-oriented architecture
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is the creation of software by putting together bundles of single functions such as “cancel school bus route.” Designing software in this manner isn’t new; however, what’s different is building it on the web. Standard SOA tools make the process of creating this software much easier.
Trend No. 4: The gathering SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)
The next trend--Sharable Content Object Reference Model, or SCORM--comes closer to individual teachers. SCORM is a set of standards and specifications that allow digital learning materials to be accessed and reused. These specifications can help to ensure that digital content can be used in any learning management system (LMS) software. Hopefully, educators will be able to access reusable online content and incorporate portions into their own instruction.
Most of the major LMS software used today complies with the standard. And Moodle is on its way toward becoming compliant. With standards that allow teachers to share and reuse content or modify it for their own needs, instruction can be designed to meet the needs of the learners.
Trend No. 5: Telepresence and anytime, anywhere education
See how eSchool News describes a telepresence videoconference…
Imagine a conference room with six chairs, three on each side of a conference table. Envision a clear glass panel running down the center of the table.Direct eye contact, flawless streaming video, and perfect audio make it seem real. Full telepresence is expensive now; but, eventually, that cost could lessen. Videoconferences are effective now. Telepresence videoconference take that effectiveness a step higher.
Walk into this room while a high-level parlay is under way, and you'd see six executives deep in conversation. But here's the catch: Only three of them are physically present. The three participants closest to you actually are in the room--in Chicago, say. The others are in San Jose, Calif., but their life-size, high-definition images are on the glass partition in the Chicago conference room.
Trend No. 6: 21st-century learning
Every student in America needs specific knowledge and skills to succeed in the 21st century. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, our students need:
* Information and communication skills
* Thinking and problem-solving skills
* Interpersonal and self-direction skills
* Global awareness
* Financial, economic, and business skills and
* Civic literacy.
The technology is available for these six trends--the flattening influence of the internet, cloud computing, SOA, SCORM, telepresence, and the drive for 21st-century skills. All we have to do now is bring the politics and the finances together with these trends to make some very effective differences in how we teach and how our students learn.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://21stcenturyskills.org
"Gathering SCORM could transform eLearning" (eSN Online, April 2006)
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6249
"'Telepresence' adds realism to video conferencing" (eSN Online, October 2006)
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6661
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Historical Sites Are Educating With Podcasts
Historical sites are taking advantage of podcasts to educate visitors. Read an interesting article about three of these sites and follow the links to learn more.
• Colonial Williamsburg has podcasts which provide visitors with information about its history.
• Jefferson's home has podcasts on its web site, including one that deals with restoration efforts and another, with the Declaration of Independence.
• Richmond National Battlefield Park has a podcast of a Civil War battle that took place at Malvern Hill in 1862.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstory.cfm?ArticleID=6428
image and license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/azuquin/3203961171/
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Interesting Education Blogs to Read
What blogs are you reading? You may find one or more of the following education blogs interesting. A description of the blog, the author, and the blog's URL are listed for each one. When you visit these blogs, check out the other blogs their authors recommend.
Learning.Now, at the crossroads of Internet culture & education with Andy Carvin
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/
“Explores how new technology and Internet culture affect how educators teach and children learn... offer[s] a continuing look at how technology such as wikis, blogs, vlogs, RSS, podcasts, social networking sites, and the always-on culture of the Internet are impacting teacher and students' lives both inside and out of the classroom.”
Education/Technology
http://tim.lauer.name/
Tim Lauer is principal of Lewis Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. He maintains a blog about how educational technology “can be used by teachers and students to gain a greater understanding of their world, and as a means to tell their stories…”
weblogg-ed: the read/write web in the classroom
http://weblogg-ed.com/
“During the past year I have learned more from Will Richardson about expanding the boundaries of learning than anyone.” –Alan November, April 2005
“Maintained by… Will Richardson, “Learner in Chief” at Connective Learning and the author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms published by Corwin Press... site is dedicated to discussions and reflections on the use of Weblogs, wikis, RSS, audiocasts and other Read/Write Web related technologies in the K-12 realm, technologies that are transforming classrooms around the world.”
Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch
http://kathyschrock.net/blog/
“Webster's defines kaffeeklatsch as 'an informal gathering to drink coffee and chat.' It is a perfect analogy for a blog! (And you are welcome even if you don't drink coffee!) I will be posting thoughts, discoveries, and ideas here as I discover them, mainly on the topic of educational technology, and I invite you to do the same!”
Moving at the Speed of Creativity: the weblog of Wesley Fryer
http://www.speedofcreativity.org
“Wesley Fryer is an educator, author, digital storyteller and change agent... addresses a range of topics related to education, technology integration, distance learning, and twenty-first century literacy... won in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest in the Education Theory category...”
Applied Science Research
http://appliedscienceresearch.blogspot.com
“Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482. The Applied Science Research Program Blog: Designed to promote students' understanding of concepts by exploring and sharing ideas with other students. Developed and maintained by Frank LaBanca... won in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest in the Classroom Instruction, Students category...”
Eduwonkhttp://www.eduwonk.com
“Written by Andrew Rotherham, co-founder and co-director of Education Sector... A higher-education administrator who mixes insights on education theory with sound, practical advice... won in the K-12 Administration category in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest...”
Bill MacKenty: Technology strengthens, deepens, and broadens our learning...
http://www.mackenty.org
“I'm an instructional designer at Hunter College High School. I help people integrate technology into the curriculum. I am also very keen on the role of games in education.”
Practical Theory: A View from the Classroom
http://www.practicaltheory.org/serendipity/
“Chris Lehmann, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA (Opened 9/06)... What I did: Technology Coordinator / English Teacher / Girls Basketball Coach / Ultimate Coach at the Beacon School, a fantastic progressive public high school in Manhattan.”
Assorted Stuff
http://www.assortedstuff.com/
“Tim Stahmer, an Instructional Technology Specialist working in the Office of Instructional Technology Integration for an overly large school district on the Virginia side of Washington DC... Observations on the state of public education in the United States and the perpetual efforts to reform it... plus comments on instructional technology, movies, TV, the web, other media, a very small dab of politics, and the everyday oddities of life that pop up... which is why the site is called Assorted Stuff... won in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest in the Classroom Instruction, Teachers category...”
Teaching and Developing Online
http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/vschools/
Darren Cannell is the author of this online learning blog from the Saskatoon Catholic School System. “The Cyber School has recently launched its first set of elementary lessons and resources based on technology for grades 4 and 5 as well as mathematics resources for grades 7 and 8... Cyber School has further advanced its contributions to the education system by developing and launching 'Online Teacher Learning Communities'... These 'Learning Communities' serve as a collection of useful resources for grade levels from kindergarten to grade 12 and encompass all subjects from Physical Education to Aboriginal/First Nations Education... The resources are for both online uses as well as printable copies for classroom use.”
2 Cents Worth
of believing that learning about the world can be as exciting as the world really is
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/index.php
David Warlick “explores the changing nature of information and ways that it changes our notions of what it means to be literate in the 21st century.”
Learning.Now, at the crossroads of Internet culture & education with Andy Carvin
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/
“Explores how new technology and Internet culture affect how educators teach and children learn... offer[s] a continuing look at how technology such as wikis, blogs, vlogs, RSS, podcasts, social networking sites, and the always-on culture of the Internet are impacting teacher and students' lives both inside and out of the classroom.”
Education/Technology
http://tim.lauer.name/
Tim Lauer is principal of Lewis Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. He maintains a blog about how educational technology “can be used by teachers and students to gain a greater understanding of their world, and as a means to tell their stories…”
weblogg-ed: the read/write web in the classroom
http://weblogg-ed.com/
“During the past year I have learned more from Will Richardson about expanding the boundaries of learning than anyone.” –Alan November, April 2005
“Maintained by… Will Richardson, “Learner in Chief” at Connective Learning and the author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms published by Corwin Press... site is dedicated to discussions and reflections on the use of Weblogs, wikis, RSS, audiocasts and other Read/Write Web related technologies in the K-12 realm, technologies that are transforming classrooms around the world.”
Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch
http://kathyschrock.net/blog/
“Webster's defines kaffeeklatsch as 'an informal gathering to drink coffee and chat.' It is a perfect analogy for a blog! (And you are welcome even if you don't drink coffee!) I will be posting thoughts, discoveries, and ideas here as I discover them, mainly on the topic of educational technology, and I invite you to do the same!”
Moving at the Speed of Creativity: the weblog of Wesley Fryer
http://www.speedofcreativity.org
“Wesley Fryer is an educator, author, digital storyteller and change agent... addresses a range of topics related to education, technology integration, distance learning, and twenty-first century literacy... won in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest in the Education Theory category...”
Applied Science Research
http://appliedscienceresearch.blogspot.com
“Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482. The Applied Science Research Program Blog: Designed to promote students' understanding of concepts by exploring and sharing ideas with other students. Developed and maintained by Frank LaBanca... won in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest in the Classroom Instruction, Students category...”
Eduwonkhttp://www.eduwonk.com
“Written by Andrew Rotherham, co-founder and co-director of Education Sector... A higher-education administrator who mixes insights on education theory with sound, practical advice... won in the K-12 Administration category in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest...”
Bill MacKenty: Technology strengthens, deepens, and broadens our learning...
http://www.mackenty.org
“I'm an instructional designer at Hunter College High School. I help people integrate technology into the curriculum. I am also very keen on the role of games in education.”
Practical Theory: A View from the Classroom
http://www.practicaltheory.org/serendipity/
“Chris Lehmann, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA (Opened 9/06)... What I did: Technology Coordinator / English Teacher / Girls Basketball Coach / Ultimate Coach at the Beacon School, a fantastic progressive public high school in Manhattan.”
Assorted Stuff
http://www.assortedstuff.com/
“Tim Stahmer, an Instructional Technology Specialist working in the Office of Instructional Technology Integration for an overly large school district on the Virginia side of Washington DC... Observations on the state of public education in the United States and the perpetual efforts to reform it... plus comments on instructional technology, movies, TV, the web, other media, a very small dab of politics, and the everyday oddities of life that pop up... which is why the site is called Assorted Stuff... won in the eSCHOOL NEWS blog contest in the Classroom Instruction, Teachers category...”
Teaching and Developing Online
http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/vschools/
Darren Cannell is the author of this online learning blog from the Saskatoon Catholic School System. “The Cyber School has recently launched its first set of elementary lessons and resources based on technology for grades 4 and 5 as well as mathematics resources for grades 7 and 8... Cyber School has further advanced its contributions to the education system by developing and launching 'Online Teacher Learning Communities'... These 'Learning Communities' serve as a collection of useful resources for grade levels from kindergarten to grade 12 and encompass all subjects from Physical Education to Aboriginal/First Nations Education... The resources are for both online uses as well as printable copies for classroom use.”
2 Cents Worth
of believing that learning about the world can be as exciting as the world really is
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/index.php
David Warlick “explores the changing nature of information and ways that it changes our notions of what it means to be literate in the 21st century.”
More About Wikis
In an earlier entry, I wrote about wikis. David Jakes adds more interesting information about them in an article he wrote for techLEARNING. He covers how wikis work, their educational benefits... and the potential concerns, their maintenance, available wiki tools, wikis to watch, and how you can learn more about them. This article is definitely worth reading.
http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=191801354
http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=191801354
News Sources, Family Resources, and a Video Project Tool
Which sources do teens use to keep current with the news? What's a good source of web sites to share with families? How do you and your students plan your video projects? Check out these web sites for answers to these questions.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-09-22-hs-media-usat_x.htm
Online, television, newspapers… which source do high school students access for news? Which do they think is the most accurate? Which do they rate as the easiest-to-use source? Do their high school teachers agree?
Read the interesting results of a survey of more than 14,000 students and almost 900 teachers last spring at this site.
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/index.html
Check out this site for activities for preschool, K-12, and parents. Younger children can listen to nursery rhymes being read (http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/nursery/index.html) while they view beautiful illustrations. ESL teachers may find these pages useful for their students and primary teachers can print the illustrations to use as manipulatives for teaching sequencing. Additional preschool activities include theme activities, letters and numbers, and a “read with me” section.
Study sites, best books, puzzles, and word wonders make up the K-12 section. The study sites are categorized by topic and grade level.
And parenting features, gifted and talented, special education, and web resources are available for parents. The parenting features include information on safe surfing on the web.
http://www.atomiclearning.com/storyboardpro
If you use or are thinking about using a video project in your class, you may want to consider using StoryBoard Pro, a free tool from AtomicLearning.com. (You do not have to subscribe to Atomic Learning to download this freeware software—for Macs or Windows-based computers --or to view the 16 free movies that are available to learn about the software.) This tool helps you to plan ahead when you or your students create video projects.
The AtomicLearning.com web site lists these features for StoryBoard Pro:
* Enter shot titles and descriptions, complete with planned lengths and edited order.
* Indicate shot types: video, still, audio, music, or titles.
* Enter film tips for your camera person when videotaping the shot and editing tips to be used when editing in iMovie, Movie Maker 2, Final Cut Pro, Premeire, or any other editor of your choice.
* Import existing video clips, still pictures, and sounds to better illustrate each shot.
* Create, save, and import templates for video projects.
* Print copies of your storyboard for use while filming or editing.
* Print blank storyboard worksheets for brainstorming new ideas.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-09-22-hs-media-usat_x.htm
Online, television, newspapers… which source do high school students access for news? Which do they think is the most accurate? Which do they rate as the easiest-to-use source? Do their high school teachers agree?
Read the interesting results of a survey of more than 14,000 students and almost 900 teachers last spring at this site.
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/index.html
Check out this site for activities for preschool, K-12, and parents. Younger children can listen to nursery rhymes being read (http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/nursery/index.html) while they view beautiful illustrations. ESL teachers may find these pages useful for their students and primary teachers can print the illustrations to use as manipulatives for teaching sequencing. Additional preschool activities include theme activities, letters and numbers, and a “read with me” section.
Study sites, best books, puzzles, and word wonders make up the K-12 section. The study sites are categorized by topic and grade level.
And parenting features, gifted and talented, special education, and web resources are available for parents. The parenting features include information on safe surfing on the web.
http://www.atomiclearning.com/storyboardpro
If you use or are thinking about using a video project in your class, you may want to consider using StoryBoard Pro, a free tool from AtomicLearning.com. (You do not have to subscribe to Atomic Learning to download this freeware software—for Macs or Windows-based computers --or to view the 16 free movies that are available to learn about the software.) This tool helps you to plan ahead when you or your students create video projects.
The AtomicLearning.com web site lists these features for StoryBoard Pro:
* Enter shot titles and descriptions, complete with planned lengths and edited order.
* Indicate shot types: video, still, audio, music, or titles.
* Enter film tips for your camera person when videotaping the shot and editing tips to be used when editing in iMovie, Movie Maker 2, Final Cut Pro, Premeire, or any other editor of your choice.
* Import existing video clips, still pictures, and sounds to better illustrate each shot.
* Create, save, and import templates for video projects.
* Print copies of your storyboard for use while filming or editing.
* Print blank storyboard worksheets for brainstorming new ideas.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Some Interesting Facts About MySpace
True or False: the majority of US visitors to MySpace are 35 or older.
True. Surprised? Elinor Mills shares this and some other interesting data about MySpace in an October 5, 2006 article in CNET News.com (http://news.com.com/MySpace+drawing+older+visitors%2C+study+finds/2100-1026_3-6123266.html
).
51.6 % of the U.S. visitors to MySpace in August 2006 were aged 35 or older
39.5 % were aged 35 or older in 2005
MySpace now has more video than YouTube.com...
1.5 billion streams in the US in July 2006 for MySpace
649 million streams for YouTube.com
25 % of total visitors to MySpace were aged 12 to 17 in 2005
12 % of the visitors were in the same age range in August 2006
19.6 % of the total visitors were 18 to 24 in 2005
18 % of the visitors were in the same age range in 2006
The more than 55.8 million unique visitors to MySpace this year is more than twice the number who visited the previous year.
True. Surprised? Elinor Mills shares this and some other interesting data about MySpace in an October 5, 2006 article in CNET News.com (http://news.com.com/MySpace+drawing+older+visitors%2C+study+finds/2100-1026_3-6123266.html
).
51.6 % of the U.S. visitors to MySpace in August 2006 were aged 35 or older
39.5 % were aged 35 or older in 2005
MySpace now has more video than YouTube.com...
1.5 billion streams in the US in July 2006 for MySpace
649 million streams for YouTube.com
25 % of total visitors to MySpace were aged 12 to 17 in 2005
12 % of the visitors were in the same age range in August 2006
19.6 % of the total visitors were 18 to 24 in 2005
18 % of the visitors were in the same age range in 2006
The more than 55.8 million unique visitors to MySpace this year is more than twice the number who visited the previous year.
Preparing for SAT, ACT, and GRE
The September 27, 2006 issue of techLEARNING includes an article--Online Test Prep--in its Assessment and Evaluation area. You can also read it online at http://www.techlearning.com/edge/showArticle.php?articleID=192203040 .
This article recommends Number2.com (http://www.number2.com/), a free site, which has received a good review from Consumer Reports Webwatch. Students can use the site to help prepare for the SAT, ACT, and the GRE. Tutorials, practice sessions, and vocabulary-building exercises are available. There are also reports which can be used to monitor student progress.
This article recommends Number2.com (http://www.number2.com/), a free site, which has received a good review from Consumer Reports Webwatch. Students can use the site to help prepare for the SAT, ACT, and the GRE. Tutorials, practice sessions, and vocabulary-building exercises are available. There are also reports which can be used to monitor student progress.
Using Video-On-Demand (VOD)
In No Fuss Video in the September 15, 2006 issue of techLEARNING (http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192700192), Al Doyle discusses video-on-demand (VOD), specifically unitedstreaming. He offers tips for effectively using VOD in the classroom, including the following:
* Always download and preview the video before using it. This way you’ll know if there are any broadband issues.
* Permit student questions while you show the video. Periodically pause the video to ask questions and check that the students understand.
* Use handouts--pre-, post-, and during-the-viewing activities. Discovery Education's unitedstreaming has blackline masters that work well.
* Project the video on the blackboard or a SmartBoard rather than show the video on a computer screen.
* Assign students a videoediting project using iMovie or MovieMaker. They can combine unitedstreaming’s clips with clips they create with a camcorder. unitedstreaming permits this use with some of its clips.
* Use a video playlist to create specialized archives of content.
* Always download and preview the video before using it. This way you’ll know if there are any broadband issues.
* Permit student questions while you show the video. Periodically pause the video to ask questions and check that the students understand.
* Use handouts--pre-, post-, and during-the-viewing activities. Discovery Education's unitedstreaming has blackline masters that work well.
* Project the video on the blackboard or a SmartBoard rather than show the video on a computer screen.
* Assign students a videoediting project using iMovie or MovieMaker. They can combine unitedstreaming’s clips with clips they create with a camcorder. unitedstreaming permits this use with some of its clips.
* Use a video playlist to create specialized archives of content.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
A Few Good Web Sites
This is a collection of a few good web sites. One--recommended by a colleague--provides reinforcement/review material. A set of sites from Alan November help you to check out other web sites. And the third site is for the astronomer or astronaut in each of us.
edHELPER.COM _____________________________________________________
edHelper.com was created by teachers to provide for teachers a single site for many educational resources. Portions of this site may be used for free. Other features require a subscription. You may subscribe to the site as a K-8 teacher, as a grades 9-12 teacher, or as a K-12 teacher. Individuals or schools may subscribe.
A free newsletter is available. It highlights the theme units designed for the current month and it points out the new items which have been added to the site.
edHelper’s Table of Contents lists these areas...
Reading and Writing: Reading Comprehension, Literature Units, Writing
PreK-3: Kindergarten, Phonics, PreK-3 Themes
Language: Language Arts, Spelling, Vocabulary, Enter Word Lists
Special Education: Special Education
Foreign Languages: Foreign Languages, Spanish, French, German, Italian
Mathematics: Mathematics, Middle School Mathematics, Algebra
Social Studies: Social Studies, Geography, United States
Science: Science, Health, Animals
More: High School, Test Prep, Art, Classroom Helpers, Make Puzzles, Monthly Themes, and Daily Skills Review
If you teach K-12, you should check out this site at least once. You will probably find some review or reinforcement activities that you would like to use with your students!
TIPS FROM ALAN NOVEMBER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC WEB SITES
http://Easywhois.com... find out who owns the web site
http://www.archive.org... select the "way back machine" to see past versions of web sites
Use a search engine to find which web sites link to the web site you're investigating. Type link:URL (e.g., link:http://www.whitehouse.gov) in the search box.
Use a search engine to find the web sites to which the web site you're investigating link. Type host:URL (e.g., host:whitehouse.gov) in the search box.
ASTRONOMY PHOTO OF THE DAY _______________________________________
Here is a link to an interesting web site from NASA featuring a new picture of the universe every day. A scientist provides an explanation of what you are looking at in each picture...
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
edHELPER.COM _____________________________________________________
edHelper.com was created by teachers to provide for teachers a single site for many educational resources. Portions of this site may be used for free. Other features require a subscription. You may subscribe to the site as a K-8 teacher, as a grades 9-12 teacher, or as a K-12 teacher. Individuals or schools may subscribe.
A free newsletter is available. It highlights the theme units designed for the current month and it points out the new items which have been added to the site.
edHelper’s Table of Contents lists these areas...
Reading and Writing: Reading Comprehension, Literature Units, Writing
PreK-3: Kindergarten, Phonics, PreK-3 Themes
Language: Language Arts, Spelling, Vocabulary, Enter Word Lists
Special Education: Special Education
Foreign Languages: Foreign Languages, Spanish, French, German, Italian
Mathematics: Mathematics, Middle School Mathematics, Algebra
Social Studies: Social Studies, Geography, United States
Science: Science, Health, Animals
More: High School, Test Prep, Art, Classroom Helpers, Make Puzzles, Monthly Themes, and Daily Skills Review
If you teach K-12, you should check out this site at least once. You will probably find some review or reinforcement activities that you would like to use with your students!
TIPS FROM ALAN NOVEMBER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC WEB SITES
http://Easywhois.com... find out who owns the web site
http://www.archive.org... select the "way back machine" to see past versions of web sites
Use a search engine to find which web sites link to the web site you're investigating. Type link:URL (e.g., link:http://www.whitehouse.gov) in the search box.
Use a search engine to find the web sites to which the web site you're investigating link. Type host:URL (e.g., host:whitehouse.gov) in the search box.
ASTRONOMY PHOTO OF THE DAY _______________________________________
Here is a link to an interesting web site from NASA featuring a new picture of the universe every day. A scientist provides an explanation of what you are looking at in each picture...
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
Word Case Changes, Borders, and Charts
Microsoft Office’s word processing application, Word, has some interesting and helpful capabilities. Included in this blog entry are three techniques, some beginner level and some intermediate level. All three techniques are described for both Macintosh and Windows computers. The Macintosh techniques are explained first and the Windows techniques follow.
MACINTOSH _______________________________
Technique #1... Change case
If I were writing this tech tip in Word, I might decide that I preferred that the subhead-- MACINTOSH--be done in mixed case letters--Macintosh--rather than in upper case as it is. Rather than retyping the word I could simply highlight it and then select Format > Change Case > Title Case.
Format > Change Case…
Choices are…
* Sentence case
* Lowercase
* UPPERCASE
* Title Case
* tOGGLE cASE
Five choices are available, four of which are oftentimes quite useful.
Technique #2... Place a border around text
Sometimes I want to make a section of text stand out from the remaining text. Placing a border around the section of text can do that.
Highlight the text and…
Select Outside Border on the Formatting Toolbar
or
Format > Borders and Shading > Borders tab > Box
Technique #3... Create charts from Word tables
Select your table
Insert > Picture > Chart > Microsoft Graph Chart
OR
Insert > Object > Microsoft Graph Chart
The above action will open your graph program
Graph > Quit and Return to Document
Changes in the data in the table will NOT automatically show up in the chart… You must go back to the graph program and make the change there… and that will show in the chart.
WINDOWS ________________________________
Technique #1... Change case
If I were writing this tech tip in Word, I might decide that I preferred that the subhead-- WINDOWS--be done in mixed case letters--Windows--rather than in upper case as it is. Rather than retyping the word I could simply highlight it and then select Format > Change Case > Title Case.
Format > Change Case…
Choices are…
* Sentence case
* Lowercase
* UPPERCASE
* Title Case
* tOGGLE cASE
Five choices are available, four of which are oftentimes quite useful.
Technique #2... Place a border around text
Sometimes I want to make a section of text stand out from the remaining text. Placing a border around the section of text can do that.
Highlight the text and…
Formatting Toolbar > Border Button pulldown menu and choose the border type you want
Technique #3... Create charts from Word tables
Select your table
Insert > Picture > Chart
A datasheet and chart will appear
Changes in the data in the table will NOT automatically show up in the chart… You must go back to the datasheet and make the change there… and that will show in the chart.
MACINTOSH _______________________________
Technique #1... Change case
If I were writing this tech tip in Word, I might decide that I preferred that the subhead-- MACINTOSH--be done in mixed case letters--Macintosh--rather than in upper case as it is. Rather than retyping the word I could simply highlight it and then select Format > Change Case > Title Case.
Format > Change Case…
Choices are…
* Sentence case
* Lowercase
* UPPERCASE
* Title Case
* tOGGLE cASE
Five choices are available, four of which are oftentimes quite useful.
Technique #2... Place a border around text
Sometimes I want to make a section of text stand out from the remaining text. Placing a border around the section of text can do that.
Highlight the text and…
Select Outside Border on the Formatting Toolbar
or
Format > Borders and Shading > Borders tab > Box
Technique #3... Create charts from Word tables
Select your table
Insert > Picture > Chart > Microsoft Graph Chart
OR
Insert > Object > Microsoft Graph Chart
The above action will open your graph program
Graph > Quit and Return to Document
Changes in the data in the table will NOT automatically show up in the chart… You must go back to the graph program and make the change there… and that will show in the chart.
WINDOWS ________________________________
Technique #1... Change case
If I were writing this tech tip in Word, I might decide that I preferred that the subhead-- WINDOWS--be done in mixed case letters--Windows--rather than in upper case as it is. Rather than retyping the word I could simply highlight it and then select Format > Change Case > Title Case.
Format > Change Case…
Choices are…
* Sentence case
* Lowercase
* UPPERCASE
* Title Case
* tOGGLE cASE
Five choices are available, four of which are oftentimes quite useful.
Technique #2... Place a border around text
Sometimes I want to make a section of text stand out from the remaining text. Placing a border around the section of text can do that.
Highlight the text and…
Formatting Toolbar > Border Button pulldown menu and choose the border type you want
Technique #3... Create charts from Word tables
Select your table
Insert > Picture > Chart
A datasheet and chart will appear
Changes in the data in the table will NOT automatically show up in the chart… You must go back to the datasheet and make the change there… and that will show in the chart.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Academic Links for Students
Some outstanding academic web sites for students are listed by David Colker in "Pay Attention, Students: Link, Look and Learn" in the August 2006 LATimes.com (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-technopolis24aug24,1,3751833.column?ctrack=1&cset=true). Check the whole list... It covers many areas!
ACADEMIC ALL STARS
http://www.ipl.org
The Internet Public Library site was begun by the University of Michigan. It provides links in many academic fields. Other schools have since joined Michigan in this well-done project.
http://www.sparknotes.com
This Barnes and Noble site features study guides for novels and nonfiction in addition to free reference guides for biology, mathematics, physics, and other topics.
http://www.howstuffworks.com
Check this site to find out how simple (pencils) and complex (atomic clocks) items work.
http://www.ask.com
Find answers to questions such as "When was Benjamin Franklin born?"
http://www.google.com
You've got to list a good search engine!
ANATOMY
http://www.anatomyatlases.org
The "Atlas of Human Anatomy" has excellent images of various parts of the human body.
http://www.bartleby.com/107
This 1918 version of Gray's "Anatomy of the Human Body" is still helpful.
http://www.innerbody.com
Identify body parts and learn about their functions in this interactive site.
ARCHEOLOGY
http://archnet.asu.edu
Links to museums and other resources from Arizona State University.
ART HISTORY
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's timeline of art history from 20,000 BC to 2001.
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
Links to art periods, artists, and museums.
http://artchive.com
View images of works by prominent artists. It's a bit challenging to navigate this site, but it's worth the effort.
BIOLOGY
http://www.biology.arizona.edu
Links from University of Arizona.
http://www.mnstate.edu/weibust/internetresbiostu.htm
Links from Minnesota State University.
CENSUS
http://Factfinder.census.gov
Official US population numbers, by ZIP code, from the federal Census Bureau.
CHEMISTRY
http://www.chemicalelements.com
Periodic tables of elements... originally begun as part of a student's science project.
http://www.chemdex.org
Links--more than 7,000--from the University of Sheffield in England.
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/index.shtml
Quizzes, glossaries and tutorials from Frostburg State University in Maryland.
CONVERSION TOOLS
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/conversions.html
Metric conversions of distance, area, weight, speed, temperature and more. Also converts fractions to decimals.
http://www.xe.com/ucc/full.shtmlConverts world currencies.
LANGUAGES
http://translation.langenberg.com
Translates words and phrases in 13 languages.
http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/
Conjugates verbs in many languages.
http://www.ethnologue.com
Information on nearly 7,000 languages.
LITERATURE
http://www.gutenberg.net
Collection of 18,000 public-domain books, including all works by Shakespeare, "Moby Dick," and many religious texts. Selections can be downloaded to be read either on the computer or on paper.
http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=3
World literature links from UC Santa Barbara.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com
Cliffs Notes study guides to many books can be read on the website for free. There is a fee to download a PDF version.
MATHEMATICS
http://www.algebrahelp.com
Algebra practice problems.
http://www.mathplayground.com/flashcards.html
An online version of flash cards.
MUSIC
http://www.music.indiana.edu/music_resources
Links from Indiana University.
http://www.carolinaclassical.com/links.html
Links organized by era.
http://www.classical.net/music
Links, CD reviews, and recommendations.
PHILOSOPHY
http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy contains short essays on nearly 1,000 names and concepts.
http://www.epistemelinks.com/index.aspx
Links organized according to philosophers, eras and topics.
http://www.philosophypages.com/dy
Dictionary of names and terms.
PHYSICS
http://www.aip.org/history
Interactive exhibits from the American Institute of Physics on discoveries in the field.
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/index.pl
An interactive site from the University of Colorado at Boulder demonstrates physics principles.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
http://thomas.loc.gov
The Library of Congress site includes the daily Congressional Record and updates on pending legislation.
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/official.htm
Links to government web sites worldwide.
PSYCHOLOGY
http://allpsych.com
A glossary of basic terms.
http://www.psychology.org
Links to publications and resources.
REFERENCE
http://dictionary.reference.com
Enter a word to learn its definition.
http://www.encyclopedia.com
Brief entries from the Columbia Encyclopedia.
http://www.infoplease.com
Almanac of statistics and information on politics, business, sports, weather, and entertainment.
WORLD FACTS
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook
The CIA's public directory of countries which includes information such as population, government type, terrain, agriculture, health systems, languages, and broadcast stations.
ACADEMIC ALL STARS
http://www.ipl.org
The Internet Public Library site was begun by the University of Michigan. It provides links in many academic fields. Other schools have since joined Michigan in this well-done project.
http://www.sparknotes.com
This Barnes and Noble site features study guides for novels and nonfiction in addition to free reference guides for biology, mathematics, physics, and other topics.
http://www.howstuffworks.com
Check this site to find out how simple (pencils) and complex (atomic clocks) items work.
http://www.ask.com
Find answers to questions such as "When was Benjamin Franklin born?"
http://www.google.com
You've got to list a good search engine!
ANATOMY
http://www.anatomyatlases.org
The "Atlas of Human Anatomy" has excellent images of various parts of the human body.
http://www.bartleby.com/107
This 1918 version of Gray's "Anatomy of the Human Body" is still helpful.
http://www.innerbody.com
Identify body parts and learn about their functions in this interactive site.
ARCHEOLOGY
http://archnet.asu.edu
Links to museums and other resources from Arizona State University.
ART HISTORY
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's timeline of art history from 20,000 BC to 2001.
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
Links to art periods, artists, and museums.
http://artchive.com
View images of works by prominent artists. It's a bit challenging to navigate this site, but it's worth the effort.
BIOLOGY
http://www.biology.arizona.edu
Links from University of Arizona.
http://www.mnstate.edu/weibust/internetresbiostu.htm
Links from Minnesota State University.
CENSUS
http://Factfinder.census.gov
Official US population numbers, by ZIP code, from the federal Census Bureau.
CHEMISTRY
http://www.chemicalelements.com
Periodic tables of elements... originally begun as part of a student's science project.
http://www.chemdex.org
Links--more than 7,000--from the University of Sheffield in England.
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/index.shtml
Quizzes, glossaries and tutorials from Frostburg State University in Maryland.
CONVERSION TOOLS
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/conversions.html
Metric conversions of distance, area, weight, speed, temperature and more. Also converts fractions to decimals.
http://www.xe.com/ucc/full.shtmlConverts world currencies.
LANGUAGES
http://translation.langenberg.com
Translates words and phrases in 13 languages.
http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/
Conjugates verbs in many languages.
http://www.ethnologue.com
Information on nearly 7,000 languages.
LITERATURE
http://www.gutenberg.net
Collection of 18,000 public-domain books, including all works by Shakespeare, "Moby Dick," and many religious texts. Selections can be downloaded to be read either on the computer or on paper.
http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=3
World literature links from UC Santa Barbara.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com
Cliffs Notes study guides to many books can be read on the website for free. There is a fee to download a PDF version.
MATHEMATICS
http://www.algebrahelp.com
Algebra practice problems.
http://www.mathplayground.com/flashcards.html
An online version of flash cards.
MUSIC
http://www.music.indiana.edu/music_resources
Links from Indiana University.
http://www.carolinaclassical.com/links.html
Links organized by era.
http://www.classical.net/music
Links, CD reviews, and recommendations.
PHILOSOPHY
http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy contains short essays on nearly 1,000 names and concepts.
http://www.epistemelinks.com/index.aspx
Links organized according to philosophers, eras and topics.
http://www.philosophypages.com/dy
Dictionary of names and terms.
PHYSICS
http://www.aip.org/history
Interactive exhibits from the American Institute of Physics on discoveries in the field.
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/index.pl
An interactive site from the University of Colorado at Boulder demonstrates physics principles.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
http://thomas.loc.gov
The Library of Congress site includes the daily Congressional Record and updates on pending legislation.
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/official.htm
Links to government web sites worldwide.
PSYCHOLOGY
http://allpsych.com
A glossary of basic terms.
http://www.psychology.org
Links to publications and resources.
REFERENCE
http://dictionary.reference.com
Enter a word to learn its definition.
http://www.encyclopedia.com
Brief entries from the Columbia Encyclopedia.
http://www.infoplease.com
Almanac of statistics and information on politics, business, sports, weather, and entertainment.
WORLD FACTS
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook
The CIA's public directory of countries which includes information such as population, government type, terrain, agriculture, health systems, languages, and broadcast stations.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Swamii... A Personal Search Engine
Swamii (Beta): The What’s New Engine
Is there a news story you want to follow? An interest you want to keep up-to-date on? Swamii (http://www.swamii.com/) can be your personal clipping service to tell you what’s out there… on the web, in newspapers, in peer-to-peer networks, blogs, the TV guide, and picture/video sites.
Registering is easy. All that’s needed is your name and password. Then list your interests. Swamii will search--for free--to let you know when “new, relevant and cool stuff” arrives.
What might you want Swamii to search for?
• Keep track of a current event as it unfolds…
• Get an alert when The Bishop’s Wife (my favorite old Christmas movie!) is going to be on TV…
• Be notified when a new Manhatten Transfer video clip appears on YouTube…
• Search for news on your favorite interests... Italian cooking, the Olympics, the Cleveland Indians, GroundWorks, …
• Get all the news for a particular subject in one place.
When you indicate your interests, you can use AND, OR, and NOT to add logic to your search. Quotes can be used to specify an exact phrase. You can even use parentheses. So an interest might be “online learning” NOT videoconference. Or it might be blog AND (mathematics OR science).
Swamii shows you new results each time you check in. You can save the results by bookmarking them so you can view them any time. Just select the bookmark icon next to the search result to save it to your bookmarks page.
Swamii.com is for academic use only. (Swamii Business is available for commercial use.) It is designed to give you the most up-to-date results. Swamii Post is a free service that sends your Swamii results directly to your email inbox. You may also choose to save your email address with Swamii in case you forget your password.
Swamii is in beta version; but, it appears to work very well. Using Swamii is like having a personal assistant who provides a free clipping service for you. Try it... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you see the results.
Is there a news story you want to follow? An interest you want to keep up-to-date on? Swamii (http://www.swamii.com/) can be your personal clipping service to tell you what’s out there… on the web, in newspapers, in peer-to-peer networks, blogs, the TV guide, and picture/video sites.
Registering is easy. All that’s needed is your name and password. Then list your interests. Swamii will search--for free--to let you know when “new, relevant and cool stuff” arrives.
What might you want Swamii to search for?
• Keep track of a current event as it unfolds…
• Get an alert when The Bishop’s Wife (my favorite old Christmas movie!) is going to be on TV…
• Be notified when a new Manhatten Transfer video clip appears on YouTube…
• Search for news on your favorite interests... Italian cooking, the Olympics, the Cleveland Indians, GroundWorks, …
• Get all the news for a particular subject in one place.
When you indicate your interests, you can use AND, OR, and NOT to add logic to your search. Quotes can be used to specify an exact phrase. You can even use parentheses. So an interest might be “online learning” NOT videoconference. Or it might be blog AND (mathematics OR science).
Swamii shows you new results each time you check in. You can save the results by bookmarking them so you can view them any time. Just select the bookmark icon next to the search result to save it to your bookmarks page.
Swamii.com is for academic use only. (Swamii Business is available for commercial use.) It is designed to give you the most up-to-date results. Swamii Post is a free service that sends your Swamii results directly to your email inbox. You may also choose to save your email address with Swamii in case you forget your password.
Swamii is in beta version; but, it appears to work very well. Using Swamii is like having a personal assistant who provides a free clipping service for you. Try it... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you see the results.
Friday, December 8, 2006
SMART Boards are Becoming Popular Classroom Tools
What technology that was developed in 1991 has become the popular “emerging technology” for today’s classrooms?
The first blackboard was used in a Philadelphia school in 1809. The blackboards were made from lumber. Their covering was a mixture of egg white and carbon from charred potatoes. Chunks of chalk were used to write on the surface and the erasers were cloth rags. “Blackboards” later became “green” boards, although they still required chalk.
Black/green boards eventually became “white” boards and we used markers to write on them.
What eventually replaced black/green/white boards?
The answer to both questions is the interactive white board. Although there are several versions of this tool, the best-known one is probably the SMART Board.
Whether you want to learn more about how to use SMART Boards before you have one in your classroom or you’re searching for resources to use with the SMART Board already in your classroom, you will find lots of information on the Internet. Here are a few sites to get you started.
If you know of some other great sites, please share them!
RESEARCH...
I looked for results of research concerning the use of SMART Boards in the classroom. I expected to be able to create a list of advantages and a list of disadvantages discovered when using SMART Boards. Well, the two lists are a bit lopsided!
Web sites examined to learn about the research…
http://www.waukesha.k12.wi.us/WIT/SmartBoard/benefits.htm
http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk/pubs/smartboard.htm
http://www.techlearning.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=51200657
http://tusdstats.tusd.k12.az.us/planning/surveys/online/exsums/smrtbrd.asp
Advantages
• collaborative
• easy to use
• effective for whole class instruction
• enthusiastic and positive classes
• improved overall student learning
• improved student attitudes
• improved student behavior during class
• increased student engagement
• increased students’ levels of participation
• instruction is more organized
• interactive
• lessons were clear and dynamic
• points could be highlighted using the pens
• proved successful in many subjects
• quick to learn to use
• reliable
• students received more attention from the instructor
• students were motivated
• visualizing complex phenomena may help some students
Disadvantages
• initial problems, such as classroom movement and setting up of the SMART Board
• initial cost and eventual replacement cost of computers, data projectors and their replacement bulbs, and the SMART Boards themselves
LEARNING HOW TO USE SMART BOARDS…
http://www.atomiclearning.com/smartboard
Atomic Learning has a series of tutorials for the SMART Board Notebook for Windows computers. Two of the videos in the series may be viewed by anyone; the remainder of the series is available to subscribers.
http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/macintosh/trainingmaterials.asp
SMART training center, training materials for Macintosh users
http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/windows/trainingmaterials.asp
SMART training center, training materials for Microsoft Windows users
http://wiki.monroe.edu/index.php?title=SMART_Board%2C_Introduction_to
introduction to SMART Board
http://pdtogo.com/smart/?page_id=28
SMART Board lessons podcast
RESOURCES…
http://client.cant.ac.uk/gii/home.asp
great information and communications technology ideas
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/
SMART – educator resources
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/SAP/default.htm
SMART – accredited software
http://www.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/SB/SB.html
SMART Board resources
http://www.d131.kane.k12.il.us/Bardwell/smartboard.html
SMART Board ideas
http://www.iwb.org.uk/
free interactive whiteboard resources
http://www.juliethompson.com/SMART.html
great K-3 SMART Board sites
http://www.taconic-learning.net/b2evo/index.php?blog=10&title=search_strategies_for_finding_web_sites_&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
search strategies for finding web sites useful for SMART Boards
The first blackboard was used in a Philadelphia school in 1809. The blackboards were made from lumber. Their covering was a mixture of egg white and carbon from charred potatoes. Chunks of chalk were used to write on the surface and the erasers were cloth rags. “Blackboards” later became “green” boards, although they still required chalk.
Black/green boards eventually became “white” boards and we used markers to write on them.
What eventually replaced black/green/white boards?
The answer to both questions is the interactive white board. Although there are several versions of this tool, the best-known one is probably the SMART Board.
Whether you want to learn more about how to use SMART Boards before you have one in your classroom or you’re searching for resources to use with the SMART Board already in your classroom, you will find lots of information on the Internet. Here are a few sites to get you started.
If you know of some other great sites, please share them!
RESEARCH...
I looked for results of research concerning the use of SMART Boards in the classroom. I expected to be able to create a list of advantages and a list of disadvantages discovered when using SMART Boards. Well, the two lists are a bit lopsided!
Web sites examined to learn about the research…
http://www.waukesha.k12.wi.us/WIT/SmartBoard/benefits.htm
http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk/pubs/smartboard.htm
http://www.techlearning.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=51200657
http://tusdstats.tusd.k12.az.us/planning/surveys/online/exsums/smrtbrd.asp
Advantages
• collaborative
• easy to use
• effective for whole class instruction
• enthusiastic and positive classes
• improved overall student learning
• improved student attitudes
• improved student behavior during class
• increased student engagement
• increased students’ levels of participation
• instruction is more organized
• interactive
• lessons were clear and dynamic
• points could be highlighted using the pens
• proved successful in many subjects
• quick to learn to use
• reliable
• students received more attention from the instructor
• students were motivated
• visualizing complex phenomena may help some students
Disadvantages
• initial problems, such as classroom movement and setting up of the SMART Board
• initial cost and eventual replacement cost of computers, data projectors and their replacement bulbs, and the SMART Boards themselves
LEARNING HOW TO USE SMART BOARDS…
http://www.atomiclearning.com/smartboard
Atomic Learning has a series of tutorials for the SMART Board Notebook for Windows computers. Two of the videos in the series may be viewed by anyone; the remainder of the series is available to subscribers.
http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/macintosh/trainingmaterials.asp
SMART training center, training materials for Macintosh users
http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/windows/trainingmaterials.asp
SMART training center, training materials for Microsoft Windows users
http://wiki.monroe.edu/index.php?title=SMART_Board%2C_Introduction_to
introduction to SMART Board
http://pdtogo.com/smart/?page_id=28
SMART Board lessons podcast
RESOURCES…
http://client.cant.ac.uk/gii/home.asp
great information and communications technology ideas
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/
SMART – educator resources
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/SAP/default.htm
SMART – accredited software
http://www.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/SB/SB.html
SMART Board resources
http://www.d131.kane.k12.il.us/Bardwell/smartboard.html
SMART Board ideas
http://www.iwb.org.uk/
free interactive whiteboard resources
http://www.juliethompson.com/SMART.html
great K-3 SMART Board sites
http://www.taconic-learning.net/b2evo/index.php?blog=10&title=search_strategies_for_finding_web_sites_&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
search strategies for finding web sites useful for SMART Boards
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Helpful Web Sites for Teaching
I've found some very interesting web sites this week, including several which have lesson plans and other activities for the classroom. Although I suspect that you will be most interested in those that match the grade level or subject which you teach, I think you may find some of the others fun to investigate, too. Enjoy!
CHRISTMAS: Cultural and Historical Resources for Christmas for Teachers
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/christmas.htm
The history of the Christmas celebration, how it is celebrated in different countries and cultures, and some crafts and activities are the topics of these lessons. One of the sites shows webcam views of Christmas celebrations in other countries.
ECONOMICS: Stock Market
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001931.shtml
Information about the stock market--stocks, shares, markets, investing, and the history of the New York Stock Exchange--is all available here. Interactive games, timelines, interviews, and quizzes can be used with students. Resources dealing with personal finance and budgeting are also included.
HOMEWORK HELP
http://www.teachersfirst.com/tfsearch_homework.cfm
General tips and subject-specific sites that parents can use when supporting their children with homework are available at this site.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Reading
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/tr
Share family reading and activities around a monthly theme.
MATHEMATICS: And Around We Go!
http://ohiorc.org/ohiorc_resource_display.aspx?recID=5810
Students use numbers and operations, fractions, statistics, and graphs as they conduct a survey to determine their classmates' favorite sports, soft drinks, music, and colors. Guiding questions, summary questions, assessment tasks, lesson extensions, a survey sheet, and activity sheets are included in this best practice lesson for grades 5 and 6.
SAFETY FOR CHILDREN
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001938.shtml
Safety rules, lesson plans, games, and activities deal with safety for children and young adults in a variety of situations. Many of the sites focus on safety when using the Internet.
SCIENCE: Energy… Renewable and Non-Renewable
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001930.shtml
Learn about different forms of energy--both renewable and non-renewable--hydropower, fossil fuels, nuclear, wave energy, fuel cells, solar, geothermal, wind, and biomass.
SCIENCE: Life Science for Teachers
http://learner.org/redirect/november/life9.html
Eight sessions with video, print, and web components focus on life science for teachers.
SCIENCE: NASA’s Image Gallery
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/index.html
NASA images, audio files, and video at this site are not copyrighted, for the most part. You may not use the NASA logo, however.
SCIENCE: Reactions in Chemistry
http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/chemistry/
This eight-unit workshop features students, teachers, scientists, and experts who share their ideas about chemistry teaching and learning. Downloadable lessons and activities you can use with your students are available.
SCIENCE: Rediscovering Biology… Molecular to Global Perspectives
http://learner.org/redirect/november/bio6.html
Thirteen units--video, text, learning activities--focus on new developments in biology.
SCIENCE: Weather
http://learner.org/redirect/november/weath12.html
Explore the forces behind weather: the atmosphere and the water cycle. Look at the results: powerful storms, ice, and snow. Understand forecasting and the changing climate. Check out other weather-related web sites.
SCIENCE: Weather
http://ohiorc.org/ohiorc_resource_display.aspx?recID=3279
This best practice instructional resource for grades 3 to 5 includes lessons that allow students to investigate weather locally and around the world. Through these explorations students develop a basic understanding of how weather can be described in measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind, and precipitation.
SCIENCE: Worms
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001940.shtml
Watch an earthworm being born, take an interactive quiz on a worm’s anatomy, view worm art, learn how worms keep soil healthy, take a tour through a virtual worm, and learn about composting with worms and how to keep worms in the classroom.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Making a Difference Through Giving
http://learner.org/redirect/november/sslib13.html
Students in grades 3 to 5 are prompted to consider their responsibilities as global citizens. In this lesson a teacher challenges her fourth- and fifth-grade students to develop realistic solutions to some problems of the world.
SOCIAL STUDIES: World History
http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/worldhistory/
Bridging WORLD HISTORY: Professional development and classroom materials to support the study of world history… Bridging World History Units include content, readings, and activities for 26 units organized chronologically. Videos, an audio glossary, and interactive elements are available for these units. The World History Traveler consists of three interesting sections: (1) What is World History? provides materials which facilitate looking at world history from multiple perspectives, (2) Archive is a database of more than 1,500 images and maps which can be used in the classroom, and (3) Audio Glossary allows you to hear how more than 300 names of places and people are pronounced.
WRITING: Conclusions
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001917.shtml
Six different conclusion styles and when to use which, types of conclusions to avoid, what a good conclusion should do, and ten common types of conclusion are explained. Resources are available for writing essays, research papers, and paragraphs.
CHRISTMAS: Cultural and Historical Resources for Christmas for Teachers
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/christmas.htm
The history of the Christmas celebration, how it is celebrated in different countries and cultures, and some crafts and activities are the topics of these lessons. One of the sites shows webcam views of Christmas celebrations in other countries.
ECONOMICS: Stock Market
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001931.shtml
Information about the stock market--stocks, shares, markets, investing, and the history of the New York Stock Exchange--is all available here. Interactive games, timelines, interviews, and quizzes can be used with students. Resources dealing with personal finance and budgeting are also included.
HOMEWORK HELP
http://www.teachersfirst.com/tfsearch_homework.cfm
General tips and subject-specific sites that parents can use when supporting their children with homework are available at this site.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Reading
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/tr
Share family reading and activities around a monthly theme.
MATHEMATICS: And Around We Go!
http://ohiorc.org/ohiorc_resource_display.aspx?recID=5810
Students use numbers and operations, fractions, statistics, and graphs as they conduct a survey to determine their classmates' favorite sports, soft drinks, music, and colors. Guiding questions, summary questions, assessment tasks, lesson extensions, a survey sheet, and activity sheets are included in this best practice lesson for grades 5 and 6.
SAFETY FOR CHILDREN
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001938.shtml
Safety rules, lesson plans, games, and activities deal with safety for children and young adults in a variety of situations. Many of the sites focus on safety when using the Internet.
SCIENCE: Energy… Renewable and Non-Renewable
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001930.shtml
Learn about different forms of energy--both renewable and non-renewable--hydropower, fossil fuels, nuclear, wave energy, fuel cells, solar, geothermal, wind, and biomass.
SCIENCE: Life Science for Teachers
http://learner.org/redirect/november/life9.html
Eight sessions with video, print, and web components focus on life science for teachers.
SCIENCE: NASA’s Image Gallery
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/index.html
NASA images, audio files, and video at this site are not copyrighted, for the most part. You may not use the NASA logo, however.
SCIENCE: Reactions in Chemistry
http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/chemistry/
This eight-unit workshop features students, teachers, scientists, and experts who share their ideas about chemistry teaching and learning. Downloadable lessons and activities you can use with your students are available.
SCIENCE: Rediscovering Biology… Molecular to Global Perspectives
http://learner.org/redirect/november/bio6.html
Thirteen units--video, text, learning activities--focus on new developments in biology.
SCIENCE: Weather
http://learner.org/redirect/november/weath12.html
Explore the forces behind weather: the atmosphere and the water cycle. Look at the results: powerful storms, ice, and snow. Understand forecasting and the changing climate. Check out other weather-related web sites.
SCIENCE: Weather
http://ohiorc.org/ohiorc_resource_display.aspx?recID=3279
This best practice instructional resource for grades 3 to 5 includes lessons that allow students to investigate weather locally and around the world. Through these explorations students develop a basic understanding of how weather can be described in measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind, and precipitation.
SCIENCE: Worms
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001940.shtml
Watch an earthworm being born, take an interactive quiz on a worm’s anatomy, view worm art, learn how worms keep soil healthy, take a tour through a virtual worm, and learn about composting with worms and how to keep worms in the classroom.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Making a Difference Through Giving
http://learner.org/redirect/november/sslib13.html
Students in grades 3 to 5 are prompted to consider their responsibilities as global citizens. In this lesson a teacher challenges her fourth- and fifth-grade students to develop realistic solutions to some problems of the world.
SOCIAL STUDIES: World History
http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/worldhistory/
Bridging WORLD HISTORY: Professional development and classroom materials to support the study of world history… Bridging World History Units include content, readings, and activities for 26 units organized chronologically. Videos, an audio glossary, and interactive elements are available for these units. The World History Traveler consists of three interesting sections: (1) What is World History? provides materials which facilitate looking at world history from multiple perspectives, (2) Archive is a database of more than 1,500 images and maps which can be used in the classroom, and (3) Audio Glossary allows you to hear how more than 300 names of places and people are pronounced.
WRITING: Conclusions
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001917.shtml
Six different conclusion styles and when to use which, types of conclusions to avoid, what a good conclusion should do, and ten common types of conclusion are explained. Resources are available for writing essays, research papers, and paragraphs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)