Group items tagged

Avatar maker using human and animal parts

A link sent to me by the wonderful Jaclyn C. "The above activity (webpage) is in English, but I think it could be useful to label in German. Ich habe Fluegel und Pfoten. Mein Fluegel sind schwarz und orange. Ich habe Horner. Ich bin schoen aber gefahrlich. Ich habe kein…… Viel Spass Jaclyn"

Bogus or hoax websites are a wonderful resource to use with students to develop their critical evaluation skills.

A wonderful set of posters based around "fake" science principles. Loads of fun to stimulate science discussions.

"Bill Murray approaches the teaching-learning system as a game in which students, teachers, and others play various roles. He wonders whether the game itself encourages cheating, and suggests that teachers could restructure the game so that cheating is less rewarding and less likely."

Fascinating essay about assessment and cheating, and how teachers have created this situation.

"Well the iPad has really hit the news in education circles since it's release last year. I'm sure lots of teachers are wondering whether it's hype and what the true potential of these devices are as tools for learners. I've had my iPad for about 8 months now, so I've decided to share my reflections so far on what I like about the iPad, what potential I feel it offers for developing course books and course materials and some of the problems."

Good iPad review listing some pros and cons. The time is ripe to get staff thinking of how to use these in their classroom.

Only open and available for a short time....wonder if you know where the Shakespeare lines actually come from?? You could make a game of that on a friday afternoon

It is important to understand that an iPad is not a laptop replacement. It is also not a shared device, not really suited to a class set however it a wonderful personal asset for teachers and students in the classroom. I've been lucky to have had an iPad now since day 1 in Australia and I'm a big fan of them as a support for teaching and learning. I see the iPad and devices like them being essential companions for students and teachers in the near future.

"Ever wondered how Alfred Hitchcock would have used YouTube? Many of his techniques work well with video, for example, the sharp editing, cutaways, sudden sounds and pacing. These nine ways will jazz up your videos and turn the most ordinary scenes into more compelling videos."

Good resource that explains with some examples, how to jazz up your videos.

"Last week my wife and I told our 13-year-old daughter she could join Facebook. Within a few hours she had accumulated 171 friends, and I felt a little as if I had passed my child a pipe of crystal meth. I don't mean to be a spoilsport, and I don't think I'm a Luddite. I edit a newspaper that has embraced new media with creative, prizewinning gusto. I get that the Web reaches and engages a vast, global audience, that it invites participation and facilitates - up to a point - newsgathering. But before we succumb to digital idolatry, we should consider that innovation often comes at a price. And sometimes I wonder if the price is a piece of ourselves. "

Wonderful Robert Sabuda's webpage has a dedicated subsection packed with pop-up designs you can print and create yourself, including animals, celebrations and a whole series of Star Wars designs! For each pop-up design there's a template to download and print, followed by detailed photo tutorials taking you through the process step by step.

"Integrity1 My daughters class flip chart list to describe Integrity. Can you name a few people around you, or in the public spotlight, that seemed to have missed that day in first grade? Promises Mrs. Dillon's first graders are well aware of the power of keeping promises. They know that promises are a contract between two people. One person expects things when that promise is made. Multiple kept promises, those smart kids know, helps build trust. They feel comfortable making friends with those they trust. In class they know it is much easier to finish things together if the other kids keep their promises. The really bright ones know that promises and promises kept are the deposits and withdrawals into and out of the account of collaboration, effort and success. Things get better when you manage that account- you know, positive change. Truthtelling Those little ones know early on what it means to not lie, to lie and to be dishonest. What Giordan's class has figured out is that being aware of the truth and revealing it, even if you know the result might be hard to deal with, is a good thing. The one who added this to the list might have done something wrong, separate from a lie, felt bad and fessed up. Smart he/she was to know that those consequences were much less severe than the ones that follow silence. Mistakes These kids are 7. I will let you figure out who, in the public limelight in those years, might have made mistakes and never admitted them- despite resounding evidence to the contrary. They have some negative role models. On their own level they know there is lots to be learned from having to explain a mistake, from gathering the courage to do so and from the connection that gives you to better future decision making. altruism First grader, kids in general, have a knack for the real kind of black and white. The kind where you know if someone might get hurt, you know if you might get hurt and you just feel what is right or wrong. They al

This highly amusing look at the world of Web 2.0 as viewed through the INTERNET-AGE WRITING SYLLABUS AND COURSE OVERVIEW is a salutary reminder to those of us who have latently become besotted by the wonders of social networking that "All that Twitters is not told". As Mr McSweeney suggests the course is the perfect antidote to those who are worried what to do; "As print takes its place alongside smoke signals, cuneiform, and hollering ......." I 4 1 wll B signing up 4 I cn hz writng skls

Have you ever really listened to young people conversing and wondered if they were speaking in the same tongue you were used to? If you want to make some sense of the colloquial conversation of many of today's youth then Word Up will give you an in. This site is basically a living dictionary, drawing on user input to record. In the Resources section is a great pdf looking at the most common of these words along with a neat discussion of how communication is constantly changing. The ongoing research project is an initiative of McCrindle Research.

some really great uses and ideas for using iPod Touch in the classroom. Have to wonder what's more powerful in learning - this or a laptop

This is, I believe, the original source article for the 90% lurkers 9% and 1% contributors quote. Whilst the article from Jakob Neilsen explains the basis for his assertion then it also goes on to explore the upsides and downsides of this situation as well as some ways to overcome the downsides. The article was written in 2006 so some of the context may have changed though I wonder whether the fundamentals are not still the same.

"Email is one of contemporary life's contradictions: at the same time a wonderful invention and a sure and steady productivity killer. A lot of people say the trick with email is to only do it at specific times, but I disagree. If, like me, you are a full blown email addict and need your hit, time management strategies simply aren't going to cut it. "