Virtual Teacher Newsletter No 116 15th October 2005 – ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
THE FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
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CONTENTS
1. Welcome
2. Mind Candy
3. WWWinfo - FESTIVALS
4. New Printables - ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
5. Technical Stuff – I-MAC
6. Web Site Focus – DYSLEXIA AND TYPOGRAPHY
7. PICTURE ME
8. Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10 Next Issue
11. Code of 'Netizens'
12. Tips
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WELCOME EVERYONE. This last week has been a tricky week.
We have had to deal with tricky people, things that usually take
15 minutes, taking 3 hours, a litany of cars breaking down, traffic
delays, out of stock items urgently required, and situations
in which you find yourself doing the most amazingly crazy things
after a seemingly reasonable progression of decisions. I’m
glad it’s over. So this week I have declared to be
Absolutely Fabulous Week. If you would like to celebrate
Absolutely Fabulous Week, just download the print out below.
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2. MIND CANDY
there are holes in the sky where the rain gets in,
but they're every so small that's why rain is thin
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Down the stream the swans all glide:
It's quite the cheapest way to ride.
Their legs get wet, their tummies wetter:
I think after all the bus is better.
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I'm not frightened of Pussy Cats
They only eat up mice and rats,
But a Hippopotamus
Could eat the Lotofus!
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Education isn't everything, for a start it isn't an elephant
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All above quotes by
Spike Milligan
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WWWinfo FESTIVALS a searchable collection of events and festivals aroundthe world.
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4. NEW PRINTABLES Absolutely Fabulous Week Print out.
Blow it up to A3 even take it to your local print shop and have
them blow it up on their plan printer to A1 size if you like.
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/Fabulous.pdf
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5. TECHNICAL STUFF New Imac
Apple is really getting it together with their new Imac, slim line –
no box at all, including built in:-
iSight(little video camera)
wireless internet
bluetooth
microphone
stereo speakers
superdrive
It ships with all the great Apple software – ront Row, iLife ’05
(includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand), Photo Booth, Mail,
Dashboard, Spotlight, iChat, Safari, Sherlock, QuickTime, iSync, iCal, DVD
Player, Address Book, AppleWorks, Quicken 2006 for Mac, 2006 World Book,
Nanosaur 2, Marble Blast Gold.
This package is fantastic – check it out at:-
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6. WEBSITE FOCUS – READING TYPOGRAPHY FOR DYSLEXICS
At last a typography has been developed with dyslexia in mind.
Reading Regular treats each letter as an individual and is designed
to make reading easier for any youngster, we may well see all
children’s books in the future written using the type.
Read Regular is designed with an individual approach for
each of the individual characters, creating difference in the
actual characters of b & d itself (not mirroring the b to make the d),
to create a large character differentiation.
The character shapes are simple and clear, creating consistency.
The characters have been stripped down from all unnecessary
details –such as a two storey a and a two eyed g.
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7. PICTURE ME - GIVE THE KIDS THE CAMERA
From Kindergarten to Year 12
Most digital cameras likely to be used in schools need a good amount of
light and are best used to take shots of small groups. Use a template such as the storyboard template
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/film.doc
to plan a series of photos props and locations
use the photo vote form to vote for your favourite photo
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/photovote.doc
Explore these options, one of the latest options is to print images – this allows you to print full sized images of all your shots (A4 or A3) direct to your printer – it will do a fit to page or to produce a proof sheet of all the photos – great.
What can you do with photos after that:-
Turn them into a PowerPoint with captions, insert them into a word document, use them as a background image in an excel graph, use the in a movie etc.
New research shows that, contrary to popular belief, children as young as four years old show a remarkable aptitude for photography and are perfectly capable of framing a portrait shot.
Kids Photo Projects
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,120043,00.asp
Nature of Light
The image and the Eye
Photo History
How Cameras work
Photographers through time
http://www.ted.photographer.org.uk/photoscience_form.htm
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8. GREAT SITES
HOT SITES
Digital photography and digital video. At the Adobe Digital
Kids Club — a special site created for teachers, students,
and parents — you’ll find the essential digital photography,
video, and imaging resources you need to unleash the
creative freedom that digital media products offer.
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/
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Kodak Site
Lots of tips here – check out their 1o top tips.
http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=2/3/38&pq-locale=en_US
Free Photoshop Elemnts Tutorials
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/training/pse_videos.html
Learn That has a wide range of FREE tutorials including photoshop
http://www.learnthat.com/search/search.asp?zoom_query=photoshop&Submit=Search
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9. READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Hello cathy,
The Qld syllabus is very clear re long division in yrs 6 and 7 , it is optional and
up to the teacher's discretion whether to teach or not according to
the student's ability. In the new syllabus which I believe is to be
intro'd next year, long division is not mentioned for primary school
at all as far as I am aware.
Thanks for your newsletters, I really enjoy them
regards,
Susan
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Hi Cathy,
Advice for Sherree re.long division and regarding the show of hands you asked for...
As much as a pain long division can be, it is also ESSENTIAL for kids to have a handle on it before going into high school. "The reason?" I hear you ask.
Well the complete understanding of and confidence with long division is an absolute
pre-requisite for division of polynomials and if a student is only able to divide large
numbers with a calculator, they become completely un-stuck when the time comes
to do large algebraic divisions as they cannot punch the letters into the calculator.
When they are learning all these new and foreign mathematics concepts in high
school they have enough new knowledge to get their heads around, so ALL the
numeracy skills with whole numbers needs to be mastered in primary - it also really
should be understood when dividing decimals (and really, I think kids should have
the power to choose to do long division, nothing should be withheld when it
comes to mathematics.)
If it's taught properly, it's not that big a deal - in fact, it's dead-set easy!
I have covered it in my upper primary MathsPOWER lessons. (5-6 and 6-7) I shall try to
get our tech. guy to email you the exact lesson for you to have a look at in the next few
days (hopefully the file won't be too big to email, as it has full sound explanations as well
as colour graphics). If it is too big, I might try to condense it or put it as one of the samples on our web-site.
Take care and CONGRATULATIONS for putting together the newsletter while moving house! Go Girl!
Regards,
Felicity Tannous
Thanks Felicity
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Greetings Cathy
Just to put you in the picture, we have a 'local' website established now with Australian prices as well.
Product listing http://www.vernier.com.au
Current prices http://www.cpsoftware.com.au
Our sister company Connecting Point carries all matters MAC and IBM
http://www.connectingpoint.com.au
I hope to be offering a session at ITSC-Woollongong in November on HOT ICT-Higher
Order Thinking with ICT the website for this is in preparation with a dates reminder currently listed.
by the way ..there is now an 'new improved' motion detector which now connects directly
to computer (any computer with USB!) and the software allows for direct capture
into the analysis application (iSight or webcam)
Hope to see you in Woollongong
regards
gary bass
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Dear Cathy,
You might like to visit and perhaps include the "Maths Is Fun"
http://www.mathsisfun.com website on Virtual Teacher.
It has many K-12 math concepts explained in easy language,
plus puzzles, games and worksheets. It has been around for
5 years, and is reasonably popular with schools.
Yours,
Rod Pierce
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10. NEXT ISSUE – I will take a look at the new breed of
iKid, and how their brains work. ciao Cathy
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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.
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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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