Virtual Teacher Newsletter No. 152 October 20th 2007 - CEREBRAL FLATULENCE
THE FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
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CONTENTS
1. Welcome
2. Mind Candy
3. WWWinfo CEREBRAL FLATULENCE
4. New Printables - LEARNING PAGE
5. Technical Stuff - LEOPARD
6. Web Site Focus - AIR GUITAR
7. CATHY'S FORUM ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD
8. Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10 Next Issue
11. Code of 'Netizens'
12. Tips
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1. WELCOME EVERYONE. Hope you all had a great break.
I may have been a bit carried a way this week, love the title
cerebral flatulence, it will especially appeal to some of those
trickier students, I also love the collections of graphic organisers
on this site. The new Mac OS is astounding, make sure you look
at the videos on line for these. The real treat is the air guitar
this is a performance piece requiring as much improvisation
and acting as anything else and should be wildly amusing as
well, something all Christmas concerts can do with.
Have a great fortnight. ciao Cathy
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2. MIND CANDY
Nearly everything I’ve done seemed like a good idea
at the time.
(Clinton Ford, 2005)
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It's an education project, not a laptop project.
— Nicholas Negroponte
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Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a
second-rate version of somebody else. (Judy Garland)
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We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl
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And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole
world around you because the greatest secrets are always
hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't
believe in magic will never find it.
Roald Dahl
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You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint
paradise, then in you go.
Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (1883-1957)
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We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in
the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.
-Roy Amara, engineer, futurist
(b. 1925)
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Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now
-- always. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician,
musician, Nobel laureate (1875-1965)
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I want to assure you with all earnestness,
that no writing is a waste of time,-
no creative work where the
feelings, the imagination, the intelligence must work.
With every sentence you write,
you have learned something.
It has done you good.
It has stretched your understanding.
Brenda Ueland
http://www.writedesignonline.com/philosophy.html
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3. WWWinfo - Cerebral Flatulence
I love this title, sorry. The site offers a great number of graphic
organisers, which are valuable instructional tools.
http://www.writedesignonline.com/organizers/cerebralflatulence.html
The site philosophy is great.
http://www.writedesignonline.com/philosophy.html
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4. NEW PRINTABLES - Learning page
http://www.learningpage.com
Theme Sheets
http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/galleries/oceans.html
Basic Sheets
http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/galleries/basics.html
Free Membership
The dinosaurs are great.
http://www.learningpage.com/pages/clip_dino_ff.html
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5. TECHNICAL STUFF
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/10/19/apples.leopard.tour/
Love the stacks, Love cover flow and quick look - an upgrade of the bridge
concept - time machine finally a great backup solution, and looks
so cool smashing,
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New Mac OS server software
http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/features/
Want a server that works and is easy this is the one. By pass
DET use this, and your done. Ships on October 26th.
Does everything the DET software promises, only better, quicker
more intuitively and more reliably. It is also open source and will
be regularly upgraded with non intrusive revisions, rather than left
to die, with ever increasing irrelevance.
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6. WEBSITE FOCUS - AIR GUITAR
This is a fantastic idea for some light relief after exams or toward
the end of the year. I know, I know, it's only the beginning of
fourth term, but YOU know how it goes, it's Christmas in no time
and you haven't had time to plan anything. Well here it is -
minimal preparation and loads of fun.
AIR GUITAR
Take a look at the video. Read all the latest air guitar news.
http://usairguitar.com/home.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_guitar
See Dainoji - World Champion
http://www.airguitarworldchampionships.com/home
This idea has huge potential.
YOU CAN TAKE IT further and make it - air violin, air drums or my
personal favourite air trumpet, or even a whole air band or orchestra.
I think I'll been doing one of those jazz bands with a little
Yehudi Menuhin.
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7. CATHY'S FORUM ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD
It's an education project, not a laptop project.
— Nicholas Negroponte
Our goal: To provide children around the world with new opportunities to
explore, experiment and express themselves.
http://www.laptop.org
A great project a great idea. The reasons for this imperative are given here.
http://www.laptop.org/en/children/
These are exactly the reasons students should use computers here.
Exactly the reasons each child should have a computer in Australia.
And not just any computer, one that is easy to use, works
and most importantly opens the world to them. Schools are
still struggling with maintenance, access, cumbersome protocols
and horrendous superstructures like the DET portal. It has to be
easy, quick and fantastic. I bet there'll be no complexities with the
computers from the one laptop per child program, just access.
THERE'S A DOCTOR IN THE MOUSE
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/classroom/mouse.html
This is an article I wrote a while ago, and yes there is a Doctor,
a lawyer, a teacher, a policeman, a philosopher, a pilote, and
a candlestick maker in the mouse.
What are your thoughts?
What do you think? Please share your thoughts.
Does it Matter? It sure does
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8. GREAT SITES
HOT SITES U-TUBE - the hottest of the Hot.
U-Tube has become a default election campaign platform.
In the US
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2033910820070720?feedType=RSS
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=US+election&search=Search
Follow the Australian Election on the people's platform at Utube.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=australian%20election&search=Search
Get your students to upload their u-tube video and join the debate.
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9. READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
All off on holidays, well I'm glad, it's great to have time totally
off during the break. But now we're back so I'm expecting some
great stuff coming through. Let's get right back into the nitty
gritty, WHAT ARE YOUR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ides, what
great ideas do you have for Christmas concerts, Oh, and
any of that other teaching stuff you would love to share.
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10. NEXT ISSUE - Photoshop CS3, and Christmas concert ideas.
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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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