The Beauty That Still Remains April 30, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closedOn this day in 1952, the Anne Frank’s autobiographical works were published in English for the first time. Considered a resounding voice for the irrepressible human dignity of our species and clearly one of the most influential 100 people of the 20th Century, Annelies Marie “Anne” Frank walked this weary earth for all too short a time. Anne was less than seventeen years old before she penned notes about her daily experiences and philosophy. She succumbed to typhus while imprisoned in the Bergin-Belsen Concentration Camp. Though students can use technology to get a better understanding of autobiographies, the power of writing, and Frank’s life by visiting web-based resources such as
the most powerful lesson they can learn from her is that even in the midst of cultural chaos, incomprehensible brutality, and fear is that there is still hope that we can change for the better.
How important are her ideals? True, they won’t be assessed on any standardized test. However, we’d better hope that our students–and all of us–learn about her beliefs anyway and take them to heart.
“I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.“
–Anne Frank
The Power of What If April 27, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Science , comments closedWhat if? Those are two powerful words! A good dose of curiosity mixed with a healthy serving of imagination and a dash of instructional technology does wonders for learning. Take Science for instance. Students might be a little more interested in the content they’re expected to understand if they examined the way Science often converts a fantastic idea into current reality. For excellent examples of far-fetched concepts that came true, integrate technology and explore the power of what if by surfing over to Technolvelgy, where science meets science-fiction. Take some time to examine ideas about what the future will hold for us.
Color Me Creative: Learning With the National Gallery of Art April 26, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Arts , comments closedThankfully, many educators are beginning to realize the value of art in learning. Asking pupils to be academically and artistically creative is an investment in scholastic improvement. Last year, my wife introduced me to the National Gallery of Art’s wildly interactive NGAkids Art Zone. Since then, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time playing with this site’s excellent tools that are designed for creating online art. The NGAkids Art Zone is so rich and so fun that I am continually sharing it with educators and administrators. When combined with innovative approaches to education and interactive whiteboards like those produced by GTCO, Promethean, and SMARTBoard, learning becomes fun. In addition to the excellent online resources available at the National Gallery of Art is the institution’s NGA Classroom (complete with featured lessons) and its Art Loan Program.
Hereditary Holiday: National DNA Day April 25, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Life Science, Science , comments closed
Yep, it’s that special time of year again when Biology teachers everywhere urge students to appreciate the wonder and complexity of deoxyribonucleic acid. Savvy science teachers and students throughout the country are using technological resources to celebrate National DNA Day. Whether they are listening to a spoken article (using an open source application such as Songbird to hear an Ogg Vorbis file) from Wikipedia, converting a DNA sequence to sound, virtually heating DNA to denaturation temperatures to form single strands using HybriSim, visiting the PBS 3D DNA Explorer, or playing with an interactive DNA resource, learners are enjoying the excitement that only a double helix can deliver. After contemplating DNA from the Beginning, puttering around in the DNA workshop, extracting DNA, identifying DNA segments by measuring how long they are, doing a little DNA microarray analysis, and sending a DNA-o-gram to their friends, pupils will have a better appreciation of nature’s building blocks of life.
Discover The Past…Discover Babylon April 24, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closedIraq is a topic being discussed in and out of classrooms throughout the world. Petroleum, politics and power, have obscured the historical significance of the nation. Long before the current crisis in Iraq, events in this region of the world–specifically, Mesopotamia–laid the foundation for human development. Give your students a better understanding of the historical importance of Iraq by pulling back the curtain of time and allowing them to explore how written language, mathematics, and law came into existence. How? Consider applying some instructional technology in the form of Discover Babylon. It’s an engaging game developed by the Federation of American Scientists Learning Technologies Project, UCLA’s Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative, Escape Hatch Entertainment, and the Walters Art Museum designed for learners ages 8 through 14. By pairing game play with assorted educational resources, research, and discussions, pupils have an opportunity to develop a better appreciation of Iraq’s contributions to civilization as we know it.
Hands-On Geography: Atlas Gloves April 23, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Emerging Tech, Hardware, Social Studies, Technology , comments closedSocial Studies teachers: Looking for a way to integrate technology and get your pupils excited about geography? Fire up Google Earth and have your students slip on a pair of Atlas Gloves. Don’t have any Atlas Gloves? No problem–make your own.
PowerPoints Galore! April 20, 2007
Posted by Michael Stokes in : All Subjects , comments closedThis comes to us from Audrey Mallard from Wayne County High School. The Nebo School Disctrict in Spainish Fork Utah used a TLCF Professional Development Grant to create powerpoints for everything you can think of. You just have to take a look at these. I guarantee you will find something you can use as-is or to give you ideas for your own project.
Got A Sleepy Mac? Use Caffeine!
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closedIf your students get annoyed when their Mac laptops start drifting off to sleep or slipping into screen saver mode, consider installing Caffeine. It’s a nifty little application that’ll keep the OS X machine alert, awake, and ready for action even if students walk away for a moment or two.
Seeing Stars: Neave Planetarium April 19, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Astronomy, Science , comments closedSEGATech readers know that our blog’s founder, Wayne County School System’s very own Tech Center staffer and avid astronomical amateur, Michael Stokes, loves to share information about space-related content. He continually reminds us to reach for the stars. It’s a worthy goal. If Michael’s mission appeals to you as well, check out Neave Planetarium, where your students can use a mouse to manipulate the night sky and discover information about the name and magnitude of stars. Afterward getting a taste for web-based astronomy, consider directing your students to Stellarium and Celestia.
The Circle is Now Complete… April 18, 2007
Posted by Daniel Rivera in : Current Events, Software, Web Authoring, webtools , comments closed
“Now witness the power of this fully FREE and ONLINE office suite!”
Ok, enough with the Star Wars jokes…
Google has officially announced at the Web 2.0 Expo at it will soon launch a free, online PowerPoint clone, completing their already very appealing office suite (they already have a Word and Excel clone at Google Docs). Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt confirms the news.