Virtual Teacher Newsletter No. 119 26th November 2005 – MINI SAGAS
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
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1. WELCOME EVERYONE.
There are a lot of great stories out there in the naked
teaching city. London's Telegraph newspaper has long
sponsored an annual mini-saga contests.
Mini -sagas are extremely short stories - just 50 words long.
I'd like to read some mini sagas from all of you. I have attempted
one below – Oliver’s story. I’m sure you all have some great
stories to tell. Send them in and share them with everyone.
This will be the last newsletter from VT this year.
Next newsletter will be beginning of February 2004.
Have a fantastic Holiday, relax and enjoy, and perhaps
do some of drawing and writing. Have a Merry one.
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CONTENTS
1. Welcome
2. Mind Candy
3. WWWinfo VOLCANOES
4. New Printables - CLASSROOM PRINTOUTS
5. Technical Stuff - ONLINE LEARNING
6. Web Site Focus - DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN
7. MINI SAGAS
8. Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10 Next Issue
11. Code of 'Netizens'
12. Tips
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2. MIND CANDY
"One remarkable recent study found that self made millionaires
are 4 times more than the rest of the population to be dyslexic
." Charlotte Gill, "Dyslexics Bank of Disability". courier Mail
(Queensland Australia)(Knopf, 2003, 366)
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The key to success is to risk thinking unconventional thoughts.
Trevor Baylis, inventor
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The story - from Rumplestiltskin to War and Peace, is one of the
basic tools invented by the human mind for the purpose of
understanding. there have been great societies that did not use
the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.
Ursula K. Le Guin
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Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic, they are
ideally set up to understand stories.
Roger Schank cognitive scientist.
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Story exists where high concept and high touch intersect.
Daniel H. Pink
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3. WWWinfo WORLD’S PREMIERE RESOUCE ON VOLCANOES
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vw.html
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4. NEW PRINTABLES – CLASSROOM PRINTOUTS
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/
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5. TECHNICAL STUFF
ONLINE LEARNING
http://www.edutopia.org/onlinelearning/
Take a look at the future. Virtual Classrooms. Online Learning.
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6. WEBSITE FOCUS – DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN
This interesting site – through drawing seeks to engage the
creative right side of the brain.
Take a look at the series of drawings in the gallery
http://www.drawright.com/gallery.htm
with a bit of training, drawings improve tremendously, and most
of the training involves engaging the right side of the brain
and quieting the left.
Try out the exercise
http://www.drawright.com/vaceface.htm
and read the theory
http://www.drawright.com/theory.htm
This is a simple and intriguing site that students can investigate and ==============================================
7. MINI SAGAS - STORY
Mini Sagas
Try to write a mini saga your self, it's addictive. Mini-sagas are
extremely short stories--just fifty words long...no more, no less. http://800ceoread.com/excerpts/archives/cat_a_whole_new_mind_by_dan_pink.html
Oliver's Story (50 word mini saga)
Oliver, scratched his leg, put the paper in front of his face.
"Oliver, do you want to tell your story on camera?" Oliver took
charge and did it.
‘Oliver, you can do anything you want to, it's your decision.
Yes I did, didn’t I, I did it, yes I did…
Let's Face it Roaches are Spectacular
Listen to this Bug off story
http://www.storycorps.net/audio/linares.mp3
Listen to other Stories from some amazing people
http://www.storycorps.net/listen/
Story Corps Question Generator
http://www.storycorps.net/participate/question_generator/
The Six Types of Stories you Need
http://www.storytellingcenter.com/resources/articles/simmons.htm
Selected Stories for Peace and Conflict Resolution
http://www.storytellingcenter.com/resources/articles/neile3.htm
Basic Digi Story Telling Tools
http://www.digitales.us/tools/toolkits_macintosh.php
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8. GREAT SITES
HOT SITES
Brain Gyms – exercises to enhance learning
http://esl.about.com/library/lessons/blbraingym.htm
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9. READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Hi Cathy,
As I was 'liquid learning' - I came across the following:
INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN SCHOOLS –
A HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS How ICT
Can Create New, Open Learning Environments (UNESCO, 2005).
Some of your
readers may be interested - retrieved from:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001390/139028e.pdf
Ta Jasia
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This is in response to Tracie Walker's post about teaching blind student in kindergarten.
Hi Tracie,
I have a few suggestions. I t sounds like you need some information and encouragement. I found several websites that should be helpful.
**This is a good place to start.*
National Braille Press
http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/braille/literacy.html
This website has information on how Braille came about and is
used today. It is has a link to their bookstore where they sell
popular books in Braille. There is also information on a free
booklet offered “Because Books Matter: Reading Braille Books
with Young Blind Children.” In addition to this there is a link to
fill out a form to order your own free embossed Braille alphabet
card. This would be a good place to start because it offers a
lot of free information and background information.
Here are two other websites I found as well.
Literacy for Blind Students:
http://nfbcal.org/nfbc/journal/fw2004/literacy.html
California Standards for the Blind: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/as/documents/ab2326rpt.pdf
Good luck and I hope these websites have been helpful.
Sincerely,
Laura Lever
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10. NEXT ISSUE – Send in your mini sagas, I would love to
here them. I will also be looking more closely at brain gym exercises
so send in you ideas. 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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