Group items tagged

Need help creating a Science Fair at your school? Click “How to do a Science Fair Project” for helpful tips. Want to help your students brainstorm their topics? Use the brainstorming tool to get their creative juices flowing. The first 1,000 entries receive a fabulous, free Kids’ Science Challenge Kit  in the mail. The Kit is filled with give-aways and activities for hours of science fun.

The Kids' Science Challenge is a free nationwide competition for 3rd to 6th graders to submit ideas and experiments for scientists and engineers to solve. Play science games, watch videos, do fun activities and enter to win awesome prizes and trips!

The Kids' Science Challenge is a free nationwide competition for 3rd to 6th graders to submit ideas and experiments for scientists and engineers to solve. Play science games, watch videos, do fun activities and enter to win awesome prizes and trips! The Kids' Science Challenge is a project of Jim Metzner Productions, Inc. and made possible by the National Science Foundation.

The 2012 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is now open! This national sustainability challenge empowers K-12 students to develop and share environmental solutions that may just change the world. Students from kindergarten to high school develop environmental solutions for their schools, homes, and communities for a chance to win prizes for themselves and grants for their schools. Teams of students work and compete with other students across the United States. The challenge is open August 24, 2011 through March 15, 2012. Prizes include scholarships and school grants – up to $50,000 for the first place team! For more information go to the contest website: WeCanChange.com

 I recently ran across the BBC Bitesize Trapped! Punctuation game.  It couldn’t be a more perfect way to practice punctuation in October.  It has all the elements that students will enjoy: a challenge in the form of a story, spooky characters and setting (but not too spooky), a built in extra game challenge to get from one level to the next.

I like that these games are not your typical drill and kill.  They aren’t simply choose the right answer and move on.  There is an additional problem solving component built into each game.  Can’t beat that!

Introduction to copyright, fair use and using images in blog posts You can’t just use any image you like in a blog post. Why?  Because unless stated otherwise, the law automatically grants full “copyright” over any creative work a person makes.

I’m sure you’re probably thinking it is okay because as educators, we have a few more flexible rules, called “Fair Use”, to play by.  Fair use, in some cases, if an image, text, video, etc. is being used for educational purposes, means you may have more flexible copyright rules. The trouble is, most of the laws and rules that cover fair use and education were written well before the invention of the web.  They don’t apply to use of copyright material on the Internet.  Using copyright material leaves you open to copyright infringement. So what does this mean? You need to: Learn what images you are and aren’t allowed to use, and why. Learn how to attribute images you are allowed to use. Educate your students that you can’t just use any images off the Internet in their blog posts, show them how to source and attribute images they are allowed to use. Understanding digital copyright is an essential skill we need to understand and teach our students.  This post focuses on use of images.

SciTech Tucson is hosting Southern Arizona Hour of Code Week – March 24th-30th, 2014. Whether you are a K-12 classroom teacher or an after school club advisor, SciTech Tucson challenges you to open the door for your students to experience the world of computer programming. The largest initiative of its kind, the Hour of Code is a campaign to recruit 10 million students to try computer science for ONE HOUR. It is so easy, you do not even need experience as a computer programmer to engage your students. You also do not need access to computers for your students to participate. Register, and engage your students for an Hour of Code, to receive certificates for you and each one of them!*