Hungry For Resources? Indulge In a British Buffet! March 30, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : All Subjects, Language Arts, Math, Science , comments closedStarving for quality educational fare? Our friends across the Atlantic have flavorful resources for students and teachers that are guaranteed to whet an appetite for learning. Drop by the BBC’s resource-rich Schools homepage and take a gander at the menu–what a banquet! The content is cognitively delicious and educationally nutritious. Make sure to sample the KS2 Bitesize treats. Enjoy!
To Search or Not To Search… March 29, 2007
Posted by Craig Ellison in : Arts, Language Arts, Literature, Reading, Writing , comments closedHere’s a cool Shakespeare website for all of our Language Arts/Drama readers. Shakespeare Searched is a database of William Shakespeare’s work. Teachers and students can search through the entire known collection of Shakespeare’s work by using keywords or character names. Search results can be queried by poems, sonnets, or character names. Each results page provides a citation and either entire works or individual acts of Shakespeare’s writings. Use this website to integrate technology into your current Shakespeare lesson or create a new one based on this website. Look under the “Teacher” section to view two example lesson plans.
Hot Idea: Firedoodle
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Emerging Tech, Productivity, Technology, webtools , comments closedThanks to forward thinking administrators and tech directors, many schools are finally beginning to install digital projectors, interactive whiteboards, and other, similar devices. Classrooms are now incorporating resources from a variety of vendors–GTCO’s Interwrite Pad, Mimio, Promethean’s ACTIVBoard, and SMARTBoard, just to name a few. These resources have the potential to make learning much more engaging. What about teachers who’ve been fortunate enough to get a projector but are waiting for an interactive whiteboard or related device? Many schools can only afford projectors.
The folks at Firedoodle have a solution to this type of problem. Visitors to Firedoodle can download a simple, Firefox Add-On (what, you’ve never heard of Add-Ons?). The Firedoodle add-on makes it possible for users to annotate webpages. That way, anyone can have interactive whiteboard capablities while surfing the web without actually owning an interactive whiteboard. Oh, and it’s free!
The Journey Continues with Marco Polo March 28, 2007
Posted by Michael Stokes in : All Subjects , comments closedTaken straight from eSchool News: MarcoPolo has merged with the Verizon Literacy Network to become a single digital learning platform called “Thinkfinity,” which Verizon defines as “endless possibilities for learning and infinite intelligence.” The new Thinkfinity contains more than 47,000 educational resources, such as lesson plans and interactive student activities, across seven academic disciplines. Offered in partnership with eight educational organizations, Thinkfinity is commercial free and accessible from any internet-connected computer at no cost.
Turn Over a New Leaf: Tree-Nation
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closed
Earth Day’s coming. Why not prepare and teach your students a lesson in sustainability? Help your students plant a tree or offer to sponsor the planting of a tree. Supported by the United Nations Environmental Programme, the folks at Tree-Nation have some excellent resources and ideas to help you and your learners get started.
More Mapping Moxie: Click2Map and Others March 27, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Social Studies , comments closedQuicker than you can say, “Hey, what’s that?” here are some more map-related resources. Still hungry for new tools for map-making? If Tinymap was enough to whet your appetite for cutting edge mapping resources, you’re in luck. Take a gander at Click2Map. Its creators haven’t even finished developing it yet! Don’t let that put you off, though. Click2Map has some promising features. Also worthy of investigation are WikiMapia, GooPs, and the whimsical but relatively useful MapMSG and Goggles.
It’s a Small World After All with Tinymap.net March 26, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closed
With all of its layers and dynamic content, there’s no doubt that Google Earth is a great mapping resource. For that matter, Google Maps is a nifty resource as well. However, there’s value in being able to accomplish a task in more than one manner. Smart teachers know that when individuals learn novel ways of performing a basic skill, the skill becomes more meaningful and readily available when called into action in a variety of circumstances. Students as well as other individuals need opportunities to forge multiple neural pathways by learning new ways to do the same thing. Generating maps is no exception.The next time you or your pupils need a digital representation of a map, check out tinymap.net. This spiffy, web-based tool for geo-visualization allows users to create customized maps complete with points of interest. You’ll and your learners will have control over placemark icons, line color, and learn a new way to make your maps in the bargain.
Oh, My Stars!: Wikisky March 24, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Astronomy, Maps, Science, Technology, webtools , comments closedLongtime SEGATech readers know that our blog’s founder, Wayne County School System’s very own Tech Center staffer and avid astronomical amateur, Michael Stokes, frequently pens posts on the newest space-related content to hit the net (like why scientists are having such a good time exploding virtual stars). Michael knows that many of the tech-rich resources that the world enjoys today are a direct result of space exploration. Mike’s an enthusiastic supporter of aspiring astronomers everywhere. He knows that space exploration and technology innovation are interconnected and regularly uses this blog as a means of directing Science teachers and nascent scientists to web-based interstellar resources. That’s why I got excited when I dropped by Metafilter recently and read Jimbob’s most excellent post about the Google Mapish qualities of Wikisky. I’m pretty sure that the stellar-minded Stokes as well as many educators will appreciate Wikisky’s navigational features, not mention the sites’s Astrophotos. Maybe this resource can help all of us better understand the massive solar storm that’s due to hit us in 2010 or thereabouts. Ad astra and enjoy!
What If… March 23, 2007
Posted by Daniel Rivera in : Reform, Teaching & Learning , comments closed“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler
I love that quote, and have often seen it used in discussions about 21st Century learning & change. Many people don’t really know who Alvin Toffler is, though a quick check on Wikipedia will turn up a bit of information.
Recently, I was reading Edutopia magazine. I noticed the publication had an interview with the venerable futurist in which the interviewer asked “What’s the most pressing need in public education right now?”
Toffler’s answer: “Shut down the public education system.”
Ok, that’s radical. Naturally, I kept reading to see what this crazy guy really meant. As it turns out, he has some truly amazing things to say (and has written several books on those ideas). I encourage our readers to take a moment and read the article – it’s online and free, click on the image or link above. Keep in mind that Toffler is looking at a Utopian society, at what could be possible. Try not to let grim reality kill the ideas he presents, because we will never truly have vision if we limit our thoughts only to what is impossible now.
Or, as Toffler puts it, “You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.”
Where is Education going with Open Source March 22, 2007
Posted by Michael Stokes in : Emerging Tech, Hardware, Productivity, Reform, Technology , comments closedThat is a big, big question with new updates that you have to buy every few years and the price that keeps rising with every new release. CoSN is doing a study sponsored by Apple, IBM, Pearson Education and the Wm. & Flora Hewlett Foundation. It is an initiaive to support the adoption and utilization of open technologies in the K-12 environment. The CoSN website will help educators and technology staff with planning, evaluating, decision-making, and implementation of open technolgies.