Virtual
Teacher Newsletter No. 107 May 14th 2005 THINKING AWARDS
THE
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
===========================================
CONTENTS
1.
Welcome
2.
Mind Candy
3.
WWWinfo BUZZTRACKER
4.
New Printables - DE BONO AWARDS
5.
Technical Stuff TERRY FREEMAN AND QUICKTIME 7
6.
Web Site Focus WEIRDSTOP COOLSTOP
7.
CHILDRENıS BOOK AWARDS
8.
Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10
Next Issue
11.
Code of 'Netizens'
12.
Tips
==============================================
1.
WELCOME EVERYONE. The De Bono
awards are now
downloadable
from the site, folk seemed enthusiastic about
the
total hat package. So get into it, and give your students
the
tools they need for thinking. Check out the buzztracker
a
great way to view world events. The Weirdstop and
Coolstop
cdıs a well worth a look as is the rest of Libbyıs
site. Also take a look at the Shortlist for
the Childrenıs
Book
of the year awards. Let me know
how your hats are going.
Have
a great fortnight.
==============================================
2.
MIND CANDY
The quality of our future will depend entirely on the quality
of our thinking.
De Bono De Bonoıs Thinking Course revised ed 1994
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the
ground and miss.
--Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top
20 Oxymoron List
20. Government
Organization
19. Alone
Together
18. Personal
Computer
17. Silent Scream
16. Living Dead
15. Same
Difference
14. Taped Live
13. Plastic
Glasses
12. Tight Slacks
11. Peace Force
10. Pretty Ugly
9. Head Butt
8. Working
Vacation
7. Tax Return
6. Virtual
Reality
5. Dodge Ram
4. Work Party
3. Jumbo Shrimp
2. Healthy Tan
1. Microsoft
Works
==============================================
3.
WWWinfo WORLD NEWS MAPPED
Check
the hot topics around the world.
=====================================
4.
NEW PRINTABLES DE BONO AWARDS
As
you probably know I am not in favour of teacher
given
awards. I prefer to let student
assess their own
work
and evaluate it themselves. These awards could be
given
by the students to the students.
Other
Awards can be found at:
http://www.in2edu.com/downloads/awards.htm#thinkcert
==============================================
5.
TECHNICAL STUFF
Computers
in Classrooms
ISSN
1470-5524
For
colleagues who teach or manage information and
communication
technology
(ICT) in schools ~
Edited
by Terry Freedman
Home
Page: http://www.ictineducation.org
Weblog:
http://www.terryfreedman.biz
Email:
terry@ictineducation.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUICKTIME
7
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
Is now
out just released FREE to download. Another little bit of magic from Apple
The
Pro Version retails for around $45.00 is Amazing
Watch
movies full screen? Save your favorite movie trailers on your
computer
to watch over and over again? Create compelling slideshowscomplete with a
soundtrack? Record video and share
it
with friends and family?
Massive Quality, Minimal Files
H.264
uses the latest innovations in video compression technology
to
provide incredible video quality from the smallest amount of video data.
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/pro/
http://www.apple.com.au/macosx/features/quicktime/
==============================================
6. WEBSITE
FOCUS COOLSTOP and WEIRDSTOP new
CD
ROMs from Libby Hathorn
Libby
Hathorn is an award winning author who has written over
40
childrenıs books
Two
of her knockout books are The
Gift(read recently and
Crown
St to great effect by Dr Robyn Ewing) and
The
Painter fantastic.
At
her site . http://www.libbyhathorn.com/lh/
there
are images of the author in her study and a description
of
what she is up to. You can also
contact Libby directly using
her
email address and also order her books, videos and
games
via email.
The
Letıs Play section allows you to trial Weirdstop http://www.weirdstop.com/ws/ms/
as
wells as Poetry on Parade and the Wishing Cupboard
(these
later sections are still in development)
Weirdstop
won the AIMIA in 2005 here you can
see
Libby
getting her award.
http://www.aimia.com.au/i-cms_photo
All
this adds up to a great profile of
the author,
you feel like you
are reading books written by a friend and
that you have a
personal interest in them a great motivator.
COOLSTOP AND
WEIRDSTOP
Are computer
based stories, games and integrated units of work.
The are designed
for students 10-14yrs.
In WEIRDSTOP
climb through ice caverns, swim through
underwater caves
and zoom through cyberspace, interacting
with the
characters in this weird and wonderful, inventive
story collection.
In COOLSTOP scoot
down hills on a mountain bike,
globetrotting
with elephants, and conquer the soccer field.
I
gave Coolstop and Weirdstop to some 9 and 10 year olds in the
computer
lab, to test for me. I had to
prize them off the
computer
at start of school and at lunchtime.
They had a ball
they
loved the interactive games and managed to workout the
programs
without any assistance.
They
enjoyed reading the stories from the screen, but they did this
After
they had played all the games, and often flicked between
stories
and games with comments like, Yeh, I get it now, so
thatıs
what it means.
The
only question they asked me was to print out
the
worksheets, so they could take them home.
I
love these types of programs students are engaged and
self
directed and thinking for themselves.
Of course you
have
to trust your students and you have to chat, but if you have
seen
students take hold of this opportunity and fly, it is wonderful.
There
are other ways to use these titles in a more formal
context,
as a whole class activity. Check
out the suggestions
by
Rosemary and Bill in their review
for Edsoft
http://www.edsoft.com.au/default.aspx?pageId=117
==============================================
7.
AUSTRALIAN BOOK COUNCIL SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED
http://www.cbc.org.au/short05.htm
Get
the books, and get voting, see if you can pick the books
the
judges will choose. Check out the resources for Book week.
READING
ROCKS and the merchandising at this site.
NSW
Branch site
http://www.cbc.org.au/nsw/index.html
Arrange
an Author visit
http://www.pa.ash.org.au/authorvisits/
==============================================
8.
GREAT SITES
HOT
SITES
International
childrenıs digital library Explore the fun - read
611 free children's books online....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Childrenıs
Songs and Rhymes from Africa
http://www.mamalisa.com/world/africa.html
==============================================
9.
READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Thanks
Cathy for your newsletter. I
was just sitting at my computer
thinking
how I have missed your newsletter for the last couple of weeks
and
was really keen to see what the next thinking hat would be, as
these
posters are fantastic.
When.....'you've got mail'....what a great
surprise
to have all the hats included.....Thanks Cathy.....your
newsletter
is always very interesting and motivating.....a great read.....
I
always look forward to receiving it.....keep up the awesome work!!!
Cheers
Bernadette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doesn't
Dirty Harry i.e. Clint Eastwood say "Make my Day"?????
Tiffany
-------------------------------
I've
got to tell you that "Go ahead. Make my day!" is Clint Eastwood
as
Dirty Harry.
Ah-nold
did "I'll be back!"
Deb
in TX
-------------------------------
You
are absolutely right
------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy
Thanks
so much for posting the remaining hats in the latest newsletter.
I just
went into my e-mails and "voila" there they were--fantastic.
Once
again thank you
Cheers
Christine
Jansen (NZ)
==============================================
10.
NEXT
ISSUE Star Wars and Hitchhikers guide to
the
Galaxy. 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!
For
information about inservice and training contact me at
===========================================