Virtual
Teacher Newsletter No. 44 February
22nd 2002 -Year of the Outback
THE
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
-----------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe:
http://mojo.epicentre.org.nz/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?flavor=subscribe&list=Virtual_Teacher
Or
visit: http://www.virtualteacher.com.au
Unsubscribe:
http://mojo.epicentre.org.nz/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?flavor=unsubscribe&list=Virtual_Teacher
Contact:
cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
Website:
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au
Newsletter
Archives can be found at:-
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/archives.html
==============================================
CONTENTS
1.
Welcome
2.
Mind Candy
3.
WWWinfo - WORLD TIME
4.
New Printables - Amazon Swallowing
5.
Technical Stuff - Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, Wavelet Modulation
6. WEBSITE FOCUS - 2002 THE YEAR OF THE
OUTBACK
7.
WEBQUESTS ARE THE BEST
8.
Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10
Next Issue
11.
Code of 'Netizens'
12.
Tips
==============================================
1.
WELCOME EVERYONE.WOW what a week, 2 Olympic Gold
medals
for Australia, I have loved watching the coverage, the
jump
was phenomenal. on these hot steamy summer days in
Sydney
it is great to watch some COOL sport. There was a
problem
with Winter Olympics Link in Netscape from the
last
newsletter - the new link is
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/winolymp.html
I
have placed a link for the Year of the Outback at VT, some
great
sites and fantastic ideas there.
The Wavelet Modulation
Technology
may offer some hope for increased Internet access
speed
and reliability in schools, it's
an interesting new technology.
the
maths sites on Tessellations are real sockdolagers.
Enjoy
==============================================
2.
MIND CANDY
It is
with the heat that one sees rightly: what is essential
is
invisible to the eye.
Antoine
De Saint-Exupery, the Little Prince
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"
If you say I give up, you lose. If
you say I'll try,
you
might just win; But only you've got the power to choose."
---
Author Unknown ---
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our
task is to provide an education for the kind of
kids we
have... Not the kind of kids we used to have...
Or
want to have... Or the kids that exist in our dreams."
Mary
Kay Utech
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Education
is not a preparation for life; education
is
life itself." John
Dewey
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken
joy
in creative expression and knowledge."
Albert
Einstein
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It
might look like I'm doing nothing, but at the cellular
level
I'm really quite busy." -Unknown
==============================================
3.
WWWinfo - WORLD TIME
What
time is it in ??????????????? Be
the time master.
Goto
the Full world Clock and pick a city, when does the
sunrise
there, do they have daylight savings, what does
GMT
stand for, what is the GMT time of the city you have
chosen?????
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/full.html
Make
a calendar for any city in the world, for any year.
=====================================
4.
NEW PRINTABLES
Amazon
Swallowing
interview
with the person swallowed in an article
I
read recently, I have put it on the web for download.
The
steps "What questions would you ask this guy?
Now
what would his replies be??
(think
of 5 questions and answers).
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/amazon.doc
==============================================
5.
TECHNICAL STUFF
Media
personality Adam Spencer has recently sponsored
a new
Prize for secondary students as part of the 2002
Australian
Museum Eureka Prizes.
With
co-sponsorship from his alma mater, the University
of
Sydney through the School of Physics, the prize offers
$10,000
in prize money for lateral thinking by students.
The
new prize will involve secondary students entering
a
real time competition through the Australian Museum's
webpage
at 2.00pm EST on Friday 17 May.
Students
will
be asked to answer a number of logic/problem solving
questions and to submit a short essay
outlining their
imaginative
solution to a social/economic problem
facing
Australia. See
http://www.amonline.net.au/eureka/lateral_thinking/index.cfm
for
more info, sample questions etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wavelet
Modulation - 10Gbps -Maybe this is the answer
for
our schools' slow/non-existent, internet access
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20020131.html
Soon,
It's Gonna Rain. A New Modulation Technology
Promises
to Turn Your
Cable
Connection Into a 10 Gigabit-Per-Second Digital Fire Hose
One
of the great problems with technical progress is that it
often
requires throwing away much of a previous investment.
At
the heart of Rainmaker's business plan is an awful truth:
The
part of the network most resistant to change is the wire itself.
Plugging
in a new box is easy, but replacing the wire that is in
our
walls and under our streets, well, that takes decades and
isn't
undertaken lightly. If it was easy, we'd all have optical
fibre
connections to the Net, yet few of us do. The very heart
of
network infrastructure, then, is the wire, and Rainmaker
claims
to have a way to use the same old wire to carry 10
times
as much data or more.
Perhaps
this is a possible solution to our School internet
connections - check it out - I'd certainly love 10
times the speed.
==============================================
6.
WEBSITE FOCUS - 2002 THE YEAR OF THE OUTBACK
2002
year of the Outback
By reading on
through our web site you'll be taken to numerous
outback
destinations just waiting to be explored; given access to
an endless list
of fascinating "Outback 2002" events that are
scheduled
throughout the Year Australia-wide; and given the
opportunity to
actually participate in the year by staging an
Event/Project of
your own.
http://www.outback2002.com.au/
Students participating
in Postcards Around Australia will travel
around all
Australian states, visiting one coastal town/region and
one outback
town/region on their virtual trip.
They will send an
electronic
postcard from each of the 14 locations to their email partner.
http://www.beenleigss.qld.edu.au/postcards/index.html
Wanpa-rda Matilda
Centre is an excursion centre with a difference.
Wanpa-rda
(pronounced waarn-pra-da) is a Wangkangurru word f
rom the
Birdsville district and means "to carry". Hence, Wanpa-rda
Matilda means
"to carry your swag". From this Centre, you can visit
42 sites from
Winton to Birdsville and from Barcaldine to Boulia.
These sites
capture the uniqueness of the Outback and challenge
visitors with
their great natural beauty and historical significance.
Comprehensive
resources.
http://www.wanpardaeec.qld.edu.au/
NSW
Country Areas Program
Check
out Aust newspapers on Net and then go to the
newspaper
of choice and search for info on the outback.
http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/npapers.html
Search
the ABC site at
VT
page with all the above links is at:-
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/outback.html
==============================================
7.
WEBQUESTS ARE THE BEST
Article
from 0z-teachers newsletter which was great
http://rite.ed.qut.edu.au/oz-teachernet/
Examples
Shipwreck
Island Adventure:
A
Mystery Island WebQuest
Grades
2-4
http://www.richmond.edu/~ed344/webquests/shipwreck/island.html
Journey
Into the Unknown:
A
WebQuest on the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Grades
5-8
http://www.richmond.edu/~ed344/webquests/lewisclark/
Hello
Dolly:
Cloning
WebQuest
Grades
9-12
http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/dolly/main.htm
Webquests
from VT
Mythical
creatures
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/mythical.html
Rainforests
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/rainforests.html
People
and Their Beliefs
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/beliefs.html
Cool
Fuel
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/coolfuel2.pdf
First
Fleet
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/firstfl.pdf
There
are more webquest sites on the
directory
page of VT.
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/directory.html
Each WebQuest
contains similar components,
including
a central theme, "do-able" task, detailed process
and
predetermined evaluation method or expected outcome.
All
are critical to a successful online learning adventure.
More
than 500 WebQuests are available online, ready
for
use in your classroom. You can scour this collection
of
examples for integration into your tried-and-true learning
activities.
WebQuest
Examples Matrix
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/matrix.html
Creating
WebQuests
Once
you've experienced the power of WebQuests, you'll
want
to create one of your own. Dodge has assembled a
wealth
of training resources and creation tools to help
you
get started. Be sure to set aside a block of time
to absorb
this incredible collection of knowledge.
WebQuest
Site
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/
A
WebQuest about WebQuests
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquestwebquest.html
WebQuest
Creation Overview
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/templates/lesson-template1.htm
WebQuest
Building Blocks
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/buildingblocks/p-index.htm
WebQuest
Components
1.
Introduction
Every
WebQuest begins with an introduction -- a concise
paragraph
or two that supply students with background
information
and motivation for completing the assignment,
such
as an intriguing problem to solve, exciting role to play
or
interesting scenario.
2.
Task
The task
provides a clear outline of what students will
accomplish.
It should be doable and important, plus fun
for
students. Developing a compelling task is often the
most
creative and difficult part of authoring a WebQuest.
Consult
the Taxonomy of WebQuest Tasks page for ideas.
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/taskonomy.html
3.
Process
The
process is a detailed, step-by-step guide each student
team
follows to accomplish the task, complete with Web
links
embedded in each step. The final step in the process
asks
students to translate what they've learned into a written
report,
Web site, video production, oral presentation, etc.
4.
Resources
The
resources collection contains a list of the information
sources
(Web sites, print books, magazines, atlases, etc.)
your
students should use to complete the task.
5.
Evaluation
Create
a rubric for evaluating the work of each student
team.
The rubric should be clear and fair and should
relate
specifically to the central task. More information
about
creating a rubric can be found online.
Creating
a Rubric for a Given Task
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/rubrics/rubrics.html
6.
Conclusion
This
critical step wraps up the activity and gives students
a
chance to reflect on what they've learned. Set aside
some
time to discuss what they thought of the process
and
outcome. Allow them to offer you advice on revising
the
activity to make it more meaningful and successful.
Once
you've created your WebQuest, turn it into a simple
Web
page and post it online. Thankfully, a helpful set
of
templates will help you publish your WebQuest in a
flash.
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/LessonTemplate.html
Consider
providing tips for using your WebQuest in other
classrooms,
plus an email link or form to allow your peers
to
send you feedback or success stories.
Finally,
use this handy rubric for evaluating your new
WebQuest.
You're sure to discover dozens of ways to
improve
your activity before using it with students
for
the first time!
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquestrubric.html
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/
==============================================
8.
GREAT SITES
HOT
SITES
A great
site. AMOL Discovernet is touted as the "Learning gateway
to
Australian museums and galleries". Its museum locator alone
makes
it worth a look.
http://amol.org.au/discovernet/index.asp
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DID
THE SOIL APPEAR BY MAGIC?? answer these an other
intriguing
questions at:-
http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/squirm/skworm.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*****
Gigafloppingly Brilliant TESSELLATIONS *****
Mathematicians
define "tessellate" as
covering a plane with a
pattern,
and it is a concept that interests scientists and
artists,
as well as mathematicians.
Intriguing
Tessellations
http://members.aol.com/tessellations/
Marjorie
Rice discover four new tessellating pentagons in
the
late 1970's.
Tessellating
Animation
http://www18.big.or.jp/~mnaka/home.index.html
Japanese
artist Makoto Nakamura has taken tessellations a step
beyond
the plane with his awesome animations.
See his
tessellated
birds fly, his tessellated fish swim, and his
tessellated
dancers dance. Next, visit
Nakamura's Jigsaw Puzzles
reassemble
tessellated cats, pigeons, gorillas and more.
Tessellation
Tool
Pattern
Blocks
http://www.arcytech.org/java/patterns/patterns_j.shtml
Virtual
Manipulatives
http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/enu/navd/frames_asid_169_g_1_t_2.html
Totally
Tessellated
http://library.thinkquest.org/16661/
Don't
skip over this opening splash screen too quickly. Take a
few
moments to scroll through the image gallery by clicking on
the
tiny Load New Images link. It has
a section on M.C. Escher,
the
Dutch artist and father of
modern-day
tessellations.
What
is a Tessellation?
http://mathforum.org/sum95/suzanne/whattess.html
This
Math Forum page is a great introduction to tessellations
for
those who know some geometry.
==============================================
9.
READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Thank
you for adding a link to "Color Theory for Kids and
Teachers"
at:
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/art.html
The
URL for this site has changed to:
http://members.cox.net/mrsparker2/
(NOTE:
no WWW)
Lazzelle
Parker
art
teacher/webmaster
http://www.rcs.k12.va.us/csjh/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy
Your
endangered animal site has been written in yellow text
on
white background which makes it impossible to read,
particularly
for young children. Perhaps this could be altered.
Rosalind
Bell
Hi
Rosalind,
Site
is fixed - seems background image dropped out - I have
replaced
it with black. A good site for
printables is:-
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/search?key=endangered+species
The
site now works
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/comfilm1/endangered.html
As to
your other problems - I would say you have some systems
conflicts
- difficult to fix via email. I
have attached the pdf of
coolfuel. Open acrobat reader and open this file
directly in there -
hope
it works.
ciao
cathy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
website of P.L. Duffy Resource Centre, Trinity College has
a
huge collection of links on curriculum related and educational
topics.
Use the search facility
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=8988864
Freefind P.L. Duffy Resource Centre Site
Search and site map
http://library.trinity.wa.edu.au/site.htm
P.L.
Duffy Resource Centre Site Map to explore.
Unfortunately
for those who are used to accessing it we have moved.
Owing
to massive re-organisation, the
P.L.
Duffy library has moved to
http://library.trinity.wa.edu.au
Rosemary
Horton
Teacher
Librarian
P.L.
Duffy Resource Centre
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Cathy, Congratulations on a wonderful website, it is great to
find
something Australian for teachers.
I work in a special needs
school
in Perth and we have been using a terrific free program from http://www.readplease.com
which allows the children to listen to
emails and word documents
rather than
read them (great for struggling readers in mainstream
schooling). I was wondering if there may be
a teacher or class
from a
small outback school who would like to become our email
penpals
for the year of the outback. Just a couple of sentences
emailed
each week is all that is needed as our students love to
listen
to their emails and then send one back.
Thanks
and keep smiling
Jo
Vernon
Technology
Coordinator
Durham
Road School
jowaynevernon@hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cathy!
Any
help with ants in the apple program would be appreciated -
my
daughter has just received her first posting as a teacher to a
kindergarten
class -
help!
Subject:
Re: Ants in the apple
From:
Marg Howard
Thanks
Cathy! You're amazing!
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Songs/alpha/a.html
This
is a great site for Kindergarten - includes the music and
words
for this phonics song.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just
wanted to let you know that some of the links of the
webquests
are not working, therefore unusable for my students.
(Gold,
Gold, Gold) Hoping you can
investigate!
Thanks
Cindy
Hi
Cindy,
Think
I have fixed up all the broken links - just double check for
me. A few seemed to have vanished into
oblivion. Hope it works
for
you now.
ciao
cathy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy
Thanks
for all the information about upcoming conferences.
Can
you make it a regular item?
Pam
Rosser
I
will add conferences as they come to hand.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Cathy
This
link loads the html page as text so no clickable links:
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/winolymp
Can
you fix it please - I know a teacher at my school is
focusing
on the Winter Olympics with her class this week and
I'm
sure she''l want to know about your site.
Thanks
Jude
Hi
Jude,
A
netscape problem eh! - tried a shortcut - worked alright in
IE
but netscape needs the html tag - fixed the directory page
here's
the new link
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/winolymp.html
ciao
cathy
Fantastic
- thanks a lot, Cathy!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy
Thanks
heaps for the comments about A Maths Dictionary for
Kids
and for including it in your VT directory page.
I
made it after work at the kitchen bench and submitted it to
some
lists two weeks ago. I've had a Yahooligans "5 Cool Sites"
mention
last week and some 53000 visitors so far with consistent
positive
feedback ... so I'm stoked as they say on the beaches
up
here.
Again,
many thanks,
Cheers
Jenny
This
is a great site and there is a link to it on the directory
page
of virtualteacher.
==============================================
10. NEXT ISSUE - A few folk have
pointed out dead links
on
the VT site - thanks for this any feedback is great and helps
me
keep everything up to date. Feel
free to direct link from your
site
to these topic link pages so that your students can have
access.
Next Newsletter will look at thinking strategies and
teaching
strategies and some reporting program software.
Any
ideas send them along.
ciao
cathy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.
Code of the 'Netizens'
This
Newsletter is not free, despite the misleading advertising
above.
The Fee is now due. Each week you must help one
colleague
on the Internet who has less knowledge than you.
Help that
person even if you have to visit their classroom or
do a
little research and get back to them. Trust me, this will
help
a lot of people get their computer classrooms running better.
OK
I'm trusting you!!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.
TIPS
1.
Double click on highlighted URLS to open in browser.
2.
Send in your Questions, Questions will be published with
Answers,
send in your Answers, if you have expertise to share.
3.
Nominate a brilliant site for review and inclusion in this
newsletter.
4.
Nominate a fantastic school site for review and inclusion in
this
newsletter.
5.
Make contact with other schools using fantastic programs.
6.
Prepare and innovative article for this newsletter.
7.
Tell 2 colleagues about this newsletter.
==============================================
The
opinions expressed here are purely those of the editor,
Cathy
Brown. All other small print clauses apply. Such as:
Use
at your own risk. Nothing in life
is guaranteed. If it doesn't
work
for you send me an email.
Editor:
cathy brown mailto:cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delivered
FREE to your e-mail box every fortnight.
Online
Lesson Plans, Great Sites, Free Stuff, Tips, Time savers,
and
templates.
Computer
Solutions for Teachers. Subscribe today! It's
totally
Free! Just type subscribe in the subject and send it to me.
cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
==============================================
Reach
a growing audience of teachers, by
advertising in the
Virtual
Teacher Newsletter or on the Virtual Teacher site.
For
more information contact,
cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
For
information about inservice and training contact me at
cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
==============================================