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Virtual Teacher Newsletter No. 109 June 11th 2005 THE FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER 8,021 subscribers =========================================== CONTENTS 1. Welcome 2. Mind Candy 3. WWWinfo CONFLUENCE 4. New Printables – WIKIHOW 5. Technical Stuff – CS2 ADOBE SEMINAR & NSWCEG Mini-conference 6. Web Site Focus - WESTLINK 7. BLOG & BLOGOSPHERE 8. Great Sites 9. Readers' Requests/Comments 10 Next Issue 11. Code of 'Netizens' 12. Tips ============================================== 1. WELCOME EVERYONE. Based on the idea that predicting the future is notoriously tricky, the 2 things that can be said about the future, are that thinking and technology will be important. Last newsletter the technology went haywire, you probably received a pretty crazy newsletter, I had to think about it and fix it. Hopefully this newsletter will be much better. In the near future goto the CS2 free seminars from Adobe and think about photo manipulation and imagery. Use technology to help you blog your thinking online. Thanks for the great subscriber sites sent in lately BRILLIANT. Have a great fortnight. ============================================== 2. MIND CANDY Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy. --Albert Einstein ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you can dream it, you can do it. --Walt Disney --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The child begins to perceive the world not only through its eyes but also through its speech. And later it is not just seeing but acting that becomes informed by words. " Vygotsky
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Thought is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them. " Vygotsky ============================================== 3. WWWinfo Check out images from around the world at this site and join the project by adding your own images to photograph the world. Great for lessons on Longitude and Latitude The project is an organized sampling of the world. There is a confluence within 49 miles (79 km) of you if you're on the surface of Earth. We've discounted confluences in the oceans and some near the poles, but there are still 12,344 to be found. You're invited to help by photographing any one of these places. ================= -==================== 4. NEW PRINTABLES WIKIHOW HowTo wikiHow is "a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest how-to manual." So Cool. Examples: How to Start a Blog How to Switch from Yahoo Mail to Gmail How to Carve a Coconut ============================================== 5. TECHNICAL STUFF Free Seminar Adobe CS2 http://events.adobe.co.uk/events/cgi/event.cgi?country=pa&eventid=2252 SYDNEY Wed 15 June 05 9:00 15:30 Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney CANBERRA Thu 16 June 05 9:00 15:30 Rydges Lakeside, Rydges Conference Rooms, Canberra BRISBANE Thu 16 June 05 9:00 15:30 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre,, South Bank, South Brisbane HOBART Mon 20 June 05 9:00 15:30 Wrest Point Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Hobart MELBOURNE Wed 22 June 05 9:00 15:30 Carlton Crest Hotel, Melbourne ADELAIDE Thu 23 June 05 9:00 15:30 Hyatt Regency Adelaide, Adelaide PERTH Fri 24 June 05 9:00 15:30 Hyatt Regency Perth, Perth DARWIN Tue 28 June 05 9:00 15:30 Novotel Atrium Darwin, Darwin CAIRNS Thu 30 June 05 9:00 15:30 Hilton Cairns, Cairns BENDIGO Tue 5 July 05 9:00 15:30 All Seasons Quality Resort Bendigo, Bendigo WOLLONGONG Tue 5 July 05 9:00 15:30 Novotel Northbeach Wollongong, Wollongong East ALBURY Thu 7 July 05 9:00 15:30 Country Comfort Albury, Albury NEWCASTLE Thu 7 July 05 9:00 15:30 Crowne Plaza Newcastle, Newcastle ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NSWCEG Mini-conference
The NSWCEG (Computer Education Group) is a professional association representing educators from pre-school to tertiary using computing technology to enhance their teaching and student learning.
This year they have moved away from their traditional 4 day conference at Bathurst and will instead be holding a 2 day mini conference on the 2nd - 3rd July on the Central Coast. This is essentially an IT focused conference organised by teachers, for teachers and is cross sector. The theme for this year is PD:ICT - Bring a Team.
Gene Bias, educational Technology Consultant, will be giving the keynote address:- It's All About Teamwork. Find out more about Gene and read his abstract at http://www.nswceg.org.au/Speaker.htm
In a move away from the short sessions traditionally offered at most conferences NSWCEG are opting instead for more in-depth training opportunities so that teachers have the opportunity to do, rather than watch, with enough time to really evaluate a range of resources and to explore ways in which they may use them to support teaching and learning in their school. The range of courses is available from the web site
The courses will run over both days of the conference and should be a minimum of 5 hours duration. Linda Zugai Vice President NSWCEG ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A complete Web Authoring System for Linux Desktop users as well as Microsoft Windows and Macintosh users to rival programs like FrontPage and Dreamweaver. Nvu (pronounced N-view, for a "new view") makes managing a web site a snap. Now anyone can create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- School Grants Although this is an American site there are some good tips and ideas about writing submissions. ============================================== 6. WEBSITE FOCUS WESTLINK Westlink M7 Find the toll calculator as well as maps and trip planner to find your way around. SEE how it was built. SEE what it will cost Why was it built? Check out the maps and photos. ============================================== 7. BLOGGING Blogging is writing your thoughts into your blog, and the "blogosphere," a term coined by William Quick (2001), is the "intellectual cyberspace" that bloggers (i.e., those who blog) occupy.
Social Interaction is hugely important in learning. Based on the theories of Vyogotsky http://www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Vygotsky.html making meaning is seen to develop through the social process of conversation over time. As students learn and transform knowledge they also need authentic opportunities for publication.
Enter the Blog, providing both conversation and publication opportunities. Blogs provide multiple coherent “views” on a distributed discussion simply because each author tries to make his weblog meaningful. Some of the benefits of blogging:- The use of blogs helps students become subject –matter experts. The use of blogs increases students interest and ownership of knowledge. All students can participate and publication brings students thought and ideas to a limitless audience. Blogs provide opportunities for a huge variety of perspectives There are a lot of options available for blogging. Free options are:- You can create a blog on these services in about 5 minutes. There are plenty of help files and set-up information at these sites. If you are interested in hosting blogging software:- http://www.movabletype.org FREE http://radiodiscuss.userland.com inexpensive Read all about blogs at:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogosphere ============================================== 8. GREAT SITES HOT SITES Cloud Appreciation Society – Great Site Join it, submit photos, poetry, join in the chats, make photoshop imagery. http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Information Technology http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.com Physics Einstein Image and Impact http://www.aip.org/history/einstein Hands on Physics Maths Famous Curves Index http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Curves/Curves.htm Pascal's Triangle http://www.krysstal.com/binomial.html Geography Urban Ecology Australia http://www.urbanecology.org.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out tools and tips to help you get creative http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/fivesteps/ ============================================== 9. READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS Hi Cathy, This months Virtual Teacher came through to me all squished together. I dont know why but could you please have a look at it please? Keep up the great work, love the newsletter! Kind regards Elicia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Cathy, Sorry to tell you this, but this is how the newsletter arrived. You do a fantastic job by the way -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Cathy, This term, the Year 6 teachers at our school decided to concentrate on description as a text type. There is very little information on description as a text type, and I have spent a long time on the net looking for something exciting to assist me with my lesson plans, because the textbooks that I have, concentrate on all of the other text types, and have nothing on description. Does anyone know of some information or a site that will engage the students? Thanks for your help Jenny ----------------------------------------------------- Try these teacher's resources for writing Inspiration on the Web Pizazz Creative A site for Writing and Story Telling Ideas http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/%7Eleslieob/pizzaz.html Memaw's Creative Writing Corner http://web.tampabay.rr.com/memawscorne/Memaw's%20Creative%20Writing%20Corner.htm Co-operative learning - Logical Activities http://www.coedu.usf.edu/%7Emorris/writact.html
Read some of Steven Herrick's Poems Scroll down the page and write a 'refrain poem' or a 'monologue poem' http://www.acay.com.au/~sherrick/workshop.htm Art can be great inspiration for writing. Complete the Art Safari at this site. If you don't want to submit your story - copy and paste it into Microsoft word, copy and paste the artwork as well, don't forget to give the appropriate credit for the painting. This might also help http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/writers.pdf
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Hi Cathy,
Your newsletter is great! Unfortunately, for this issue, I was unable to click and access any links. The layout seems to be different as I opened the newsletter. Help!
Patricia McGoldrick Goldberg History Teacher St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School ------------------------------------------ Dear Cathy, Where do you get all the energy to consistently come up with sites ?
I have one for you that is for the music nuts. It is an on line piano that shows all the scales and chords that anyone professional or student could possibly need. It plays the chords and scales and it is free.
Another site of interest to music students and teachers is which has song sheets transcriptions. Good for the young and serious keyboardists.
Best wishes from Peter Whitford Bentleigh Secondary college Indonesian department -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks Peter these are great sites -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Cathy.
You have no doubt listed many internet sites for English teachers and probably the one I am going to suggest now, however I thought I would send it just in case.
I am actually a social science teacher but this year, have been given 3 periods of year 7 English. It has been generally good fun and at the moment challenging as I am teaching poetry - what is really exciting is the group of students is enthusiastic so in order to keep their enthusiasm up I am constantly looking for different ways in which to teacher them. I stumbled across the following web site and thought you might like to share it with your other subscribers. http://www.poetryteachers.com Meredith Mackenzie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take a look at this one too, great stuff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cathy, A great site and I love it. The format was a bit crazy this issue – the former format was better if you don't mind me suggesting. I have K-12 PD Making Meaning OnScreen workshop every month at my studios in East Redfern. I've trained over 1,200 teachers in NSW, Singapore and Thailand. Throughout regional NSW also. Could you mention my next workshop in your newsletter? Getting the message to schools is virtually impossible with Inform magazine defunct now. Any suggestions?
Keep up the great work......teachers and education need you and this valuable newsletter.
Many thanks. Talk soon, Colin Schumacher, Adjunct Professor, Boston University - Sydney Campus, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cathy, can you please send me info on Online lesson plans, free stuff, tips, and time savers for visual spatial learners. thank you sussanne -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you do a search of my site from the directory page – the google search engine is available there, it will list many of these. http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/directory.html ============================================== 10. NEXT ISSUE Your feedback on blogging would be great. 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 ==============================================
10. =========================================== 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 ===========================================
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