Virtual
Teacher Newsletter No. 62 November 29th
2002 FANTSTIC PHOTOGRAPHIC
THE
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
==============================================
CONTENTS
1.
Welcome
2.
Mind Candy
3.
WWWinfo Anything Anytime
4.
New Printables - Photo Vote
5.
Technical Stuff Emac and Ibook, Seminars in Queensland
6.
Web Site Focus - Niehs Kids Pages
7. Digital
Imagery - Fantastic Photographic Competition
8.
Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10
Next Issue
11.
Code of 'Netizens'
12.
Tips
==============================================
1.
WELCOME EVERYONE.
I am
still getting subscribers writing to me about receiving garbled
VT
newsletter. Particularly from melb.catholic.edu.au,
and sa.edu.au,
vic.edu.au,
at the moment. This is because
SPAM software is
used
on these ISPs. You can test this
by using yahoo email,
or
most other online email service providers. Set yourself up with
an
email address and subscribe to Virtual Teacher. The VT you
will
get will be just fine. The only
thing to do is to let your ISP
know
you want VT to be white listed, or use a free email adderss
like
yahoo to subscribe to VT. This is
a bit of a pain in the neck,
and
these ISPs should be told that you don't like having your mail
garbled
before you get it. Take some
action and let them know
you
want your mail left alone. If you want to filter your mail just
select
aspects of email you regularly receive that you don't want
ie
the 'senders' email address and send them straight to the trash.
I am
much happier to look after my own SPAM than have the
SPAM
police do it indiscriminately for me.
==============================================
2.
MIND CANDY
Hereıs
a few more fourth term jokes to make everyone laugh.
Give
them out on as a set and ask students to present them
for
the laugh. Add some of your own.
Timing is everything.
FATHER:
How are your grades, son?
SON:
Under water, Dad.
FATHER:
Under water? What do you mean?
SON:
They're below C level.
SMART
STUDENT: I'm taking French, Spanish, and Algebra
this
year.
LESS
SMART STUDENT: Okay. Let me hear you say
"good
evening" in Algebra.
If
April showers bring May flowers then what do May
flowers
bring?
Pilgrims!
What's
in the middle of a jellyfish?
A
jellybutton
Why
did the parrot wear a raincoat?
So he
could be polyunsaturated
Why
do elephants never forget?
Because
nobody ever tells them anything
Why
did the baker stop making donuts?
He
got sick of the hole business
Why
were the suspenders sent to jail?
For
holding up a pair of trousers
==============================================
3.WWWInfo Anything Anytime on VT
Find
anything anytime at the Virtual Teacher site easily
Just type
in your request in the Google search engine on the
directory
page
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/directory.html
Job
Vacancies Independent schools
=====================================
4.
NEW PRINTABLES
Fantastic
Photographic Competition Voting Form.
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/photovote.doc
Use
this to assess the results of the Digital photos
Competition
- Outline below.
==============================================
5.
TECHNICAL STUFF
The
new Apple EMAC is a real winner.
The educational prices
on
this machine make it fantastic for teachers and schools.
It
has the superdrive, which means a CD/CDRW/AND DVD rom
http://www.apple.com.au/education/emac/
The
price on the Emac is a incredible. Itıs just $2,295 include GST
http://store.apple.com/133-622/WebObjects/australiastore
The
Ibooks are brilliant as well
portable computers to swell
classroom
computer numbers when required.
Great for report
writing
anywhere anytime.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here
are some upcoming events at The Learning Place
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace
1.
LEARNING WITH ICTs: VACATION WORKSHOPS
You
and your colleagues are invited to join us for a 3 day
vacation
workshop on course building using online genres and
The
Learning Place.
Dates Monday 20th January to Wednesday 22nd January
More
information at
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/html/learnicts.html
2.
HOP ONLINE WITH FROG WEEK
December
8 to 13, 2002
During
Frog Week, The Learning Place will feature Frog experts who will
participate
in a range of online chats and forums for students and teachers.
Visit
the Learning Place today and register for Frog week.
For
more information, contact Sonya Watts.
sonya.watts@qed.qld.gov.au
http://education.qld.edu.au/learningplace
3.
ONLINE DISCUSSION: LEARNING PLACE PROJECT ROOM
Visit
this project room to find out more about Learning Objects and how they
can
be used in the curriculum. Visit the
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/
then
select Chat then Project rooms -you will need your learning place login
4.
ONLINE DISCUSSION: LEARNING PLACE FORUM
Join
this forum to discuss Productive Pedagogies and how they have impacted
on
teachers
work.
Visit the http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/
then
select Forums then Teachers Forum -you will need your learning place login
5.
ONLINE COURSES
'Writing
Online Courses'
Get
started using The Learning Place to transform classroom learning
activities
using online pedagogy and tools as part of your integrated range
of
strategies. Courses starting now
http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/learning/courses/
'Basic
online skills'
A
free course on Windows and basic Internet skills available to Education
Queensland
staff. Individual school course sites are available on
application.
6.
CASE STUDIES
View
the work of QUT students in creating an online course for teachers
about
the use of spreadsheets and databases. Look for Case studies under
Spotlight
on the Learning Place home page.
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/
PLOT
Professional
Learning Online Tool
PLOT
is an online resource to support professional learning at a whole
school
level.
PLOT
contains concrete 'pictures' of quality learning and
teaching
in action, and the very practical 'how-toıs of building a
professional
community of adults.
PLOT
provides you with a powerful professional learning
resource
for your staff.
Joan
Dalton author of 'Adventures in Thinking', 'I Teach' and PLOT
will
maintain the site and contribute to the forums in PLOT.
Education
Queensland has entered into a 'Standing offer
arrangement'
with PLOT so our schools receive PLOT at a 70%
discount
for a year's subscription.
Subscribe
online and an invoice will be posted to your school.
For
more information contact info@plotpd.com
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/
==============================================
6.
WEBSITE FOCUS Niehs Kids Pages
This
is a fantastic site well worth a couple of hours to look over
Great
for Primary/K-6 children and their teachers.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/
They
have a great selection with audio of songs
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/music.htm
==============================================
7. DIGITAL IMAGERY Fantastic Photographic
Competition
This
is a great idea, Fantastic in fact.
A photographic competition
for
everyone.
1. Students
take digital photos The Sony Mavica is a great
Camera
for this the floppy disk version. http://www.sony.com.au/content.asp?go=products.asp
2.
Import them into PowerPoint as
backgrounds or full screen shots.
VT TIP:
Make up a template for each class or group within the
class,
this is easily done by duplicating slides and then saving
presentations
with different names eg Y1, Y2, group1, group2,
martians,
neptunians, jupitarians etc. Use the labels below,
standardise
the fonts and Bob's your Uncle.
3.
The slide preceding their photo contains the following:-
Title
Description
Photographer
Class
4.
Insert all the smaller slide shows into one big slide show
(PowerPoint,
insert menu, slides from).
Then
promote the FFFanastic Photographic Competition,
invite
one and all, and have a mega showing.
This is just
great
using a digital projector ( the Sony VPLCS5 1800 Lumens http://www.sony.com.au/content.asp?go=products.asp
is perfect and well prices )
on a
big screen in the assembly hall with mums and dads
watching
and marveling at their children's work.
Quite spectacular.
5.
Each viewer is asked to choose the entry they like the
best. Use the criteria in the printable, one
to each man
woman
and child. They vote for the best
picture. This can
be
done by using the computer on the big screen, goto slide
sorter
view in PowerPoint and select the slide number.
6. 4-10
"winners" from the vote count, every voters feedback
sheet
can go back to the original photographers. Present the
winners
with a certificate and/or prize.
7.
Blow up the winning entries and frame them for the school foyer.
Learning
outcomes in this activity are huge.
Use of digital
camera,
importing photos onto computer, inserting pictures
into
PowerPoint, adding text, using the slide sorter, making
judgments
about pictures to do with composition, emotion,
and
what makes a good photo. The best part is the response
from
the audience for the studentsı efforts.
You
can also choose a topic for the Photographic competition
like,
School Daze, Shine, or my personal favourite Smile.
This
is a goody all round, good PR value, good learning outcomes,
motivational,
not too time consuming, not to teacher intensive,
Spectacular
results. Go forth and Photograph..
==============================================
8.
GREAT SITES
HOT
SITES
More
for Christmas
A
great idea for Christmas is to take digital photos of students or
teachers
and let the children turn them into Christmas Cards.
The
best ones I have seen are teachers turned into Santa Claus.
The
children think this is soooo funny, just print them on the front
of
some red paper and let the children fill in the words inside.
http://www.virtualchristmas.com/
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/christmas.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mindless
useless time wasting site - I just love it, pop bubble
wrap
until your heart's content - supposedly very therapeutic
after
a hard year of teaching.
http://www.urban75.com/Mag/bubble.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Journey
into Amazonia (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/journeytoamazonia/
Journey
into Amazonia features the swollen rivers, flooded forests, and
dense
canopy of the vast rain forest recognized as one of Earth's
natural
wonders. Classroom Resources are designed to help you use this
Web
site, other material on the Internet, and the Journey Into Amazonia
videos
(not required). These materials are designed for upper
elementary,
middle, or high school students (grades 5-10) although
extension
suggestions may help you modify them for younger or older
students.
Divided into 3 episodes that correspond to the PBS broadcasts:
1)
Waterworlds, features the churning waters of the world's mightiest
river;
2) Land Reborn, reveals a new world teeming with predators; 3)
Episode
3: The Big Top, the luxuriant mantle of the world's greatest
rainforest.
Also includes an interactive game.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graphics
Library Index
Direct
links to free graphics of the sort we're always looking for. In
return
for providing a link back to the site, you may use any of these
graphics.
According to the site, these images have been collected from
various
newsgroups and public domain sources, and all are believed to be
free
of copyright (always a good idea to double-check). Sections
include:
African American related, Out West, Kith 'n Kin (vintage
graphics),
"Hot" Desktop Wallpapers, Backgrounds, School Daze, Creature
Corner,
Baby Book, and Seasonal.
==============================================
9.
READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Hi
Cathy,
I am
a 3rd year Education student (primary) at Deakin Uni in
Melbourne. A teacher I am on rounds with
emailed your newsletter
to me
as I was really interested in good sites.
Cathy,
I neeeeeeed to subscribe to you, so could you please forward
the
info to me please.
I
think your site is brilliant!
Thank
you,
Kay
Panna.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome
Aboard
Panna
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy
I am
writing to inform you of my new email address.
I am
coming out from the UK in January to teach in a school in
Northam
WA. This will be a whole new experience for me.
Have
you got any tips or advice
to
pass on?
Kind
Regards
Rosemary
Hi
Rosemary,
What
a change, WA is a beautiful State, I don't know much about
Northam. You will find it all more relaxed and
easy going, and
much
more casual. Good teaching is good
teaching everywhere,
however
I think generally in Australia we are developing towards
a
much more child centred approach to teaching based on
negotiation
and meeting specific children's needs.
I notice the
authority
is passing in some situations from the teacher to the
student,
the student taking responsibility for the learning.
Iıll
run the letter in the next newsletter and see what comes back.
Ciao
Cathy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What
advice can others offer???????
------------------------------------------
GıDay
Cathy,
As a
classroom teacher Iıve enjoyed your newsletter for a while
its
time get my school more involved too.
Keep
up your marvelous work.
See
you later,
Paul
Petersen
Principal
Jamberoo
Public School
"Service
to others is the rent you pay for your room here
on earth."
Mohammed
Ali
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Paul,
Thanks a lot. Paul anytime you would like to send in some editorial please do, input is greatly appreciated.
ciao
cathy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy,
I am a primary school principal who enjoys reading your newsy and well
produced fortnightly newsletter. I have suggested to all my teachers that they
subscribe. Thank you for providing great ideas, links and feedback to the
education community. Keep up the good work!
Paul
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could
you please include my friend Lin on your list? Her e-mail is
and
she would really appreciate receiving the newsletter.
I
certainly enjoy many of the different activities and hints you have
contained
in it.
thanks Margaret Leditschke
Hi Cathy,
Thanks
for your prompt reply; I have enjoyed being able to read the newsletter
finally.
I spoke
to my webmaster and he suggested that I should have chosen text message? for my
newsletter choice. If thatıs the case I had better change to that delivery of
the newsletter.
Thanks
for help
Cheers, Leon
Hi
Leon,
Donıt
think Text message will change the format of the newsletter received, let me know if it does so I can tell
others with this trouble.
==============================================
10. NEXT ISSUE - Will be the last newsletter for the year. I have
been
chatting with the folk from Learnz, a wonderful new online program
and
will let you know about this next newsletter.
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
==============================================