Virtual
Teacher Newsletter No. 106 March 30th 2005 GOD DEBONO & ME
THE
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
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CONTENTS
1.
Welcome
2.
Mind Candy
3.
WWWinfo Career Guidance
4.
New Printables - Six Thinking Hats
5.
Technical Stuff SteadyCam Stagecast
6.
Web Site Focus - COOKıS DIARIES ONLINE
7.
GOD DEBONO AND ME
8.
Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10
Next Issue
11.
Code of 'Netizens'
12.
Tips
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on
DeBono, the White Hat. We used a background and added
WHITE
HAT- INFORMATION to the picture.
The students comments
We
are making our own worlds. Can I
make another world? I can
decide
how many trolls go under the bridge, itıs 17. This was a
kindergarten,
working on KidPics, using thinking tools, integrating
with
maths and literacy phew. Great
stuff, great time, great
learning. Check out the stagecast demo offer from
Edsoft,
this
program is a knockout, talk about creating your own worlds
what
power. The Captain Cook info from
the NLA is fantastic,
this
is the way databases should be used user friendly easy
and
amazing. Check out the steadycam
instructions you wont
believe
it give it to some smart students as a building project.
Please
enjoy.
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2.
MIND CANDY
Some
Latin
Ad eundum quo
nemo ante iit - To
boldly go where no
man has gone before (Star Trek)
Age. Fac ut
gaudeam - Go ahead.
Make my day!
(Arnold
Schwarzenegger)
Amantes sunt
amentes - Lovers are
lunatics
(My son)
Amicule,
deliciae, num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Baby, sweetheart, would I lie to you? (CHARLES AND EDDIE)
Annus
horribilis - A
horrible year (The
Queen)
Annus
mirabilis - A wonderful
year (not the Queen)
Aquila non
captat muscas - The
eagle doesn't capture flies
(don't sweat
the small things)
(Richard Carlson)
Appareo Decet
Nihil Munditia? - Is
It Not Nifty?
(Cleaner circa
2005)
Te capiam,
cunicule sceleste! -
I'll get you, you wascally wabbit!
(Yo Samedy Sam)
Tibi gratias
agimus quod nihil fumas -
Thank you for
not smoking (circa 2004)
Tu, rattus
turpis! - You dirty
rat! (James Cagney)
http://www.yuni.com/library/latin.html
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I
like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy
is a necessary ingredient in living,
It's a way of looking
at life through the wrong end of a
telescope. Which is
what
I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.
Dr. Seuss Curtsey Greg Alchin
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3.
WWWinfo CAREER GUIDANCE
I
like this site - helps you think about making choices - don't miss the
'The Magical Genie Personnel Officer'
http://www.careersonline.com.au/disc/
some
others are................
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4.
NEW PRINTABLES RED HAT GREEN HAT
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/redhat.pdf
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/greenhat.pdf
and
al the other hats
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/bluehat.pdf
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/blackhat.pdf
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/whitehat.pdf
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/yellowhat.pdf
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5.
TECHNICAL STUFF
Calculate
your students Chronological Age
http://www.agsnet.com/calc/AgeCalculator.html
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Securing
your personal computer plays a crucial role in protecting
our
nationıs Internet infrastructure.
The
National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is a public-private
partnership
focused on promoting cyber security and safe
behavior
online.
http://www.staysafeonline.info/
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THIS
IS A GREAT IDEA
Make
a steadycam for a digital video camera for around $20.
Make
it with your class at school, all the instructions are here.
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/
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Hi All,
Just
thought you might like to know that Edsoft has just been
appointed
today as the Australian Distributor for Stagecast.
If
you weren't aware of this title, Stagecast is an excellent
cross
platform tool suitable for Yr 4 - 10 for developing
simulations
and games completely visually, without a
programming
language. Students can make their characters
using
pictures they import or draw yourself. Students then
apply
'rules' to characters to make them interact. That said
it
uses JAVA at the lower level to
seamlessly and invisibly
do
the programming routines. Stagecast is easy to use,
yet
powerful enough to create sophisticated 2D games.
Students
can then distribute their games as stand
alone
sims or can be embedded in web pages. The
open
nature of Stagecast allows students to demonstrate their
knowledge/understanding of any curriculum area in
quite
a deep manner through developing games and simulations.
Useful
Links on using games as a cross curricula tool
StageCast http://www.stagecast.com/
(Can
download a demo here) If you experienced problems downloading copies of
StageCast from the developers site. visit site http://www.ideate.org.au/
and
click on Resources in the menu frame you can
download the software there,
Marc
Prensky -
Digital Game-Based Learning http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/default.asp
Lloyd
P. Rieber,
Professor, Instructional Technology http://it.coe.uga.edu/~lrieber/publications.html
Student
developed projects http://www.nowhereroad.com/gallery/
I
think it is a brilliant product I hope you do too.
Hope
this of value.
cheers
Greg
Alchin
Hi
All,
Hope
this helps
cheers
Greg
Alchin
This
program looks great SO far Iım loving the demo.
Has
anyone else used it??
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6.
WEBSITE FOCUS - COOKıS DIARIES ONLINE
Cook,
James, 1728-1 ph 779.. Journal of the H.M.S.
Endeavour,
1768-1771 [manuscript].
This
is another fantastic resource fom the national Library.
Years
ago I read
the entire journal to a year 3
class
they
loved it. We plotted the journey each day according to
the
journal entries - a great learning experience. Unfortunately
the
script is tricky to read on the screen, but it is still amazing to think that
this
resource is available online at the click of a mouse.
http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.ms-ms1
A
transcription is available of the journal at:-
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/index_voyaging.html
as
well as journals of Banks, Parkinson and Hawkesworth
Maps
from the Voyage are at:
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/journals/maps/contents.html
Amazingly
the South Sea Companion provides details in
alphabetical
order of an amazing range of things including
the
people o board the endeavour
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/browse.htm
South
Seas Voyaging and Cross-Cultural encounter
in
the Pacific is a central index
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/index.html
Also
view the images, and maps from this voyage, these
images
are amazing and really put this voyage into it's
historical
perspective - incredible to have all this online.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-nk1428-4
Online
Pacific Database Listing
http://www.nla.gov.au/pathways/jnls/newsite/browse/multi.html#Pacific
==============================================
(or more
correctly God Debono and Iı)
ME FIRST
Where I am coming
from, whatıs my purpose?
Is pretty
simple. I love to learn new
things, find out,
discover,
invent?
AND
I like to share
them with everyone else, and spread
the thrill.
These are the
most exciting motivating things I believe you
can do in your
life.
WHERE IS GOD
COMING FROM
Thinking is
absolutely essential in every area of education
and life.
We need as much
information as we can get, we need to
think about how
to get it, where to look for it. We need to
think about the
best possible use for it. We need to think
to set up
possible ways of putting information together.
The traditional
notion that information is sufficient is
old-fashioned and
dangerous.
There is only one
being who cannot think- and cannot
have a sense of
humour.
That is of course
GOD.
Thinking
involves moving from one state of knowledge
to a better
one. Since God has perfect
knowledge,
He is always
there already. So thinking is not only
superfluous but
impossible. Nor can God have a
sense
of humour since
there can be no surprises when the punch
lines have always
been known.²(De Bonoıs Thinking
Course Edward
De Bono 1982 MICA UK)
It is only our
lack of complete information that makes
it necessary for
us to think.
So if your not
GOD you need some thinking
tools.
Hands up all
those who are not GOD,
So we all need
some thinking tools thank God for
De Bono, he has
quite a range.
PMI, CAF, APC,
EBS, ADI, OVP etc, and of course
the Six thinking
Hats.
Download the
Thinking Hats above
and get some great Thinking Tools , Check out the DeBono
sites on the
Internet and get some DeBono books to read.
==============================================
8.
GREAT SITES
HOT
SITES
Lesson
Notes for Parents and Teachers
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikiversity:School_of_Mathematics
Mathematics, is the study of abstraction. The first abstraction
was probably that
of numbers, whole positive numbers.
The realization
that two apples and two pears do have something
in common, namely
that they fill the hands of exactly one person, was a breakthrough in human
thought. Following this the interactions of
numbers, for
example addition, were abstracted.
In the end, many
mathematicians work for purely aesthetic
reasons, viewing
mathematics more as an art ('pure mathematics')
rather than for
its practical application ('applied mathematics');
this is the same
kind of motivation as poets and
philosophers may
experience, and no more explicable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics
Absurd
Math is an interactive mathematical problem
solving
game series.
http://www.learningwave.com/abmath/
Interactive
Mathematics
http://www.learningwave.com/lwonline/workingfront/frontwave.html
==============================================
9.
READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Hi
Cathy
Thanks
for your fantastic articles. I
have a year 5 class and
I am
looking for info on student motivation, if anyone has
anything
to suggest I'd be happy to read it. Thanks
Julie
Pienaar
-------------------------------
This
is an incredibly broad topic, I donıt know where to begin
Take
a look at webquests
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/Vt44.html
Look
at the last news letter under number 7. EQ EQ SQ
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/VT105.htm
Project
based Learning use the google tool on the VT site
to
find more does anyone else have specific ideas to add.
-------------------------------
Relaxation
rooms
Cathy,
Perhaps
Toni would be interested in the following link:
http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2033039
Regards,
Angela
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Hi
Cathy,
Any
idea where I could get Aboriginal clipart, free or
otherwise?
I teach Aboriginal adults and would love to give
them
some relevant clipart for making their community posters
on
the computer. Clips of people and page borders would be
really
useful but I haven't been able to find any.Any tips would
be
much appreciated.
Thanks
Maggie
Herten
Melbourne
-------------------------------
Hi
Maggie,
Some
places to start. Some images are
available from websites
-
appropriate permissions would need to be gained. You may
wish
to write to these folk and ask them - please let me know
if
you have any success - I will also ask readers of VT in the
next
newsletter.
http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/culture.php
http://emsah.uq.edu.au/linguistics/austlang/
http://indigenousaustralia.frogandtoad.com.au/art.html
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/edsites/auabid.html
-------------------------------
Thanks
Cathy!
No
luck yet but maybe others will have suggestions.
By
the way, thanks for your newsletters. I look forward to them even though I
teach adults. I still pick up useful tidbits that make it worthwhile.
Regards
Maggie
Herten
-------------------------------
Hi
Cathy,
My
name is Allison and I am a pre-service teacher studying
at
Deakin uni in Melbourne. We are
currently required to
produce
a maths portfolio for our primary maths subject by
the
end of semester. One section of
this folio is a research
section,
where we are to include text readings, journal articles
and web information that is relevant to
primary maths education.
This
is the section I am having the most trouble with as I don't
know
where to look. Do you have any
suggestions?
The
readings need to be relevant to primary maths education
and
we need to be able to justify why we have included them.
Thanking
you in advance,
Allison
Easther
-------------------------------
The
VT link has everything you need -
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/maths.html
-------------------------------
Book
Review - Managing ICT By Terry Freeman
I've
just re-published this as an ebook
http://www.terry-freedman.org.uk/ebooks/doc_page10.html
and I
was wondering if I could quote from your review on
my website
and in newsletter please? Would appreciate
it
very much also if you would be able to mention this
relaunch
-- it's doing well already.
I'll
be mentioning your newsletter in my next issue
(due
out in the next few days) also.
Also,
I've recently launched a premium subscription service.
----------------------
Terry
Freedman, Independent ICT Consultant
For
latest issue of Computers in Classrooms, visit
http://www.terry-freedman.org.uk/cgi-script/CSMailto/forms/frm_sample.htm
Terry
Freedman's blog is at http://www.terryfreedman.biz
------------------------------------------
Thanks
so much for finding that site for me.
Makes
me think - awesome really
Warm
regards
Kath
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Hi
My
name is Chris Hutchison and I am a teacher at Elanora
State
School on the Gold Coast. As a
technology teacher
for 2
years my biggest challenge was to create our school
Intranet
while also teaching 40 lessons per week and keeping
242
computers ( + printers, switches, server etc) up and
running
at the same time.
The
above information is so that you know I know my way
around the shop. I thought if Meredith needed any
help with
her
Frontpage lessons I would be willing to help.
I
have found NO books that have given me the information
necessary
and am self taught. The program I
use is not the
latest
but the one before which differs very little to the current program.
Chris
Hutchison
-------------------------------
Thanks
for this Chris, This is just what
it's all about - assisting
other
folk - if you are self taught - i imagine you were also
given
generous assistance along the way like me.
ciao
-------------------------------
Hi
there Cathy, I really like the yellow hat download.
Are
other hats
available
too?
jacira
-------------------------------
Hi
Jacira,
All
six hats will be available for download shortly - current
hats
are available at
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/teachtool.html
just
scroll down the page to templates
-------------------------------
Hmm...
I'm
wondering why schools shouldn't consider anything less than having a DVD
player
and a CD burner? Why would every computer in a school need these
things?
Do all computers in a classroom have to be used for Internet access?
Saying
that many programs can't be used on them implies that all schools
should
be using THE most up-to-date software on THE most up-to-date
technology.
This is like saying that last year's encylopaedia's are not
acceptable,
or that a text book written two years ago is worthless.
Maths
has not changed, reading has not changed, nor has spelling in the fast
time
that technology has - there is plenty of older software that runs on
older
computers that is highly worthwhile in the classroom. You may not be
getting
great IT outcomes from their use, but the subject material contained
in
them is still relevant.
As if
schools can afford to update computers to the cutting edge every time
something
new comes up, anyway.
I
understand the issue you make about time wasting on maintenance, but how
can
time be wasted on computer usage? If a cheap (or free) computer is in
your
school and it is being used, where's the waste of time? Surely it is
better
to have another, if slightly older, computer in your classroom than
none
at all; if only for using that good quality, older software that has
worked
well for years.
I
hope that the people who subscribe to your list and who read this have the
computer
knowledge enough to make their own judgements on this issue.
I
don't believe that every time a child uses a computer that they have to be
learning
something new about computers, or gaining some new IT skill. It
would
be ideal if they could, but not always practical.
At my
school we have some laptops that are into their sixth year of use -
and
boy have they been used! They still run Word, Powerpoint, Internet
Explorer
and all of the Government Published CD-ROM material, as well as the
Tasmanian
Ed Dept. produced OpenIT programs. We even use 'Crossing the
Mountains'
and 'Maths Circus' (both of which will run on anything that still
works...)
While
I'm on the topic, are you aware of the Tas Ed Dept WebCT programs that
were
created a few years ago (about 5)? They can be found on the Internet at
www.discover.tased.edu.au/netlearn/courselst.htm
There
are some great online units in there...
That's
probably enough from me, then.
Ciao
Deon
Scanlon
-------------------------------
Hi
Deon,
I
totally agree with you older computers are great in schools. they can be used for simple programs
and do not need be attached to the network. Every school I know has a large
number of older computers, and they are put to this sort of use - great.
however:-
when
you are buying additional computers for a school buy new ones with current
industry standard specs a the moment this is P4 + 512ram.
Why?
1. it
takes about an hour to install and set up and configure a computer.
2.
new software and the internet often won't run on older computers
3.
new computers require less maintenance
4.
new computers are under warranty so cost less to maintain
5.
newer computers are more reliable and less frustrating to use.
6.
all schools have plenty of older computers, in various stages of decline -
these should be used for simpler programs until they no longer work.
7.
the new computers will one day be 6 years old and it is important to have
continuous upgrading in schools, so that schools offer the opportunity for
students to work on the most up-to-date technology.
8.
when our students are adults even the new equipment they are working on will
seem positively antiquated.
Buying
older computers is the problem, using existing older computers is not. Older computers cost money to set-up
and will become non functional sooner, and will cost more time in ongoing
maintenance.
I
would disagree also - maths, reading and spelling have all changed and should
change a great deal more. Methods
of teaching them have altered and diversified as has syllabus content, witness
the continuous rollout of new syllabus documents. The 'content' particularly in maths has increased
exponentially, and selecting the material we believe 'core' to the subject has,
well, become more subjective and unfortunately, is still heavily and
inappropriately largely arithmetic.
Government
schools are allocated a computer budget, this should be spent on new computers.
Yes they can afford them.
The
website looks interesting, thanks for that shall check it out.
-------------------------------
Hi
Cathy
I
have just joined Virtual Teacher and think it is an awesome website. I hope to
use it with my class----even though I am at a NZ school.
This
term I am doing a unit on De Bono's 6 Thinking HAts and wondered if you could
send me a printable of the green,white,red and black hats. I
have the printable of the blue and yellow from your newsletter.
Cheers
Christine
Jansen
-------------------------------
Other
hats are coming soon as well as award hats.
==============================================
10. NEXT ISSUE - DeBono Thinking
awards.
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!!!
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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
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