Virtual
Teacher Newsletter No. 81 IMAGINE AGAIN November 1st 2003
THE
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
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CONTENTS
1.
Welcome
2.
Mind Candy
3.
SMART QUESTIONS
4.
New Printables - Next time
5.
Technical Stuff G5 + Seminars
6.
Web Site Focus New Look PBS
7.
MATHS POWER
8.
Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10
Next Issue
11.
Code of 'Netizens'
12.
Tips
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1.
WELCOME EVERYONE. This fortnight I
have been busy
evaluating
a new type of software, I think weıll see more of this
type
of software in the future. It
offers a comprehensive basic
skills
program in mathematics. Students can work at their own
pace,
and evaluate their own work, this is a much better solution
to
learning basic skills than the current methods of whole class
teaching
and is an excellent use of technology for the classroom.
It
frees the teacher to do the real work of teaching, inspiring,
challenging,
discussing and praising. Check out
the Maths
Power
article below.
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2.
MIND CANDY
Make definite assertions. Avoid tame,
colorless, hesitating,
non-committal language. Rule 12
William
Strunk,
Jr.
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Surely
the world we live in is but the world that lives in us.
Daisy
Bates
Social
Worker 1863-1951
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"It's
not me who can't keep a secret it's the people I tell
that
can't." --Abraham Lincoln
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I
have found the best way to give advice to your children is
to
find out what they want and then advise them to do it.
--Harry Truman
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"Never again will we stand
On the threshold of a new age.
We that are here now are touched
In some mysterious way
With the ability to change
And make the future."
- from Ben Okri's
Mental Fight: An anti-spell for the 21st Century
Phoenix House, London, 1999
ISBN 1-861591 64
0.
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"Things
are more like they are now than they ever were before."
--Dwight D. Eisenhower
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3.
SMART QUESTIONS
How did I happen to be here? (past)
How do I feel about being here? (present)
What would I like to have happen? (future)
http://webseitz.fluxent.com/wiki/ThreeUniversalQuestions
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4.
NEW PRINTABLES
Next
Time Iıll have some Christmas Templates, if you have
Some
great ones send them in.
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5.
TECHNICAL STUFF
Release
of panther http://www.apple.com.au/macosx/
Mac
OS X has evolved. The fourth major release in just
three
years, Panther offers breakthroughs in innovation,
ease
of use and reliability that wonıt be seen in other
operating
systems for years, if ever.
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ACEC
2004 : "Research,. Reform,.. Realise the Potential!"
http://cegsa.sa.edu.au/conference/acec04/default.htm
Call
for proposals (papers, symposiums, workshops, and posters)
³We
would like to invite you to attend ACEC2004 and
submit
proposals for papers, symposiums, posters and
workshops.
The proposals will examine the use of
information
and communication technology in education
and
training. Proposals on papers,
symposiums and posters
will
be reviewed for inclusion in the conference program.
Accepted
papers and symposium summaries will be published
in
the refereed conference proceedings.²
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FREE
MACROMEDIA DEMONSTRATION FOR SCHOOLS
Are
you using Macromedia products in your school and want
to
know more about the new features in Studio MX 2004?
Do
you want to encourage more of your staff and students
to
contribute to the intranet and the school web site?
If
you answered ³yes² to either of these questions then
donıt
miss out on attending this free Macromedia demonstration.
When:- Thursday
6th November
Time:- 4.00 pm 6.00 pm
Coffee
and tea from 3.30 pm
Where:- Cheltenham
Girls High School
The
Promenade ( off Beecroft Road )
Cheltenham
Presenter:-
John Treloar
Macromedia
Country
Manager
Australia
and New Zealand
To
register for the seminar please contact Linda Zugai at Edsoft.
Email
l.zugai@bigpond.net.au
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The
Young Australian Readers Award - this year's children's choice is
Diary
of a Wombat, http://www.harpercollins.com.au/jackiefrench/
written
by Jackie French http://www.jackiefrench.com/bio.html
and
illustrated by Bruce Whatley.
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For
any one-topic group discussion, use the QuickTopic free bulletin boards instead
of just email! Your messages will be in a private central place, and each of
your friends can opt to participate by email or just use the web forum. That's
because QuickTopic's super-easy single-topic web bulletin boards are also fully
email-enabled : you can get and post messages via email. Use it on your web
site too. Over 200,000 served.
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Seminars
Adobe Australia
http://events.adobe.co.uk/events/cgi/main.cgi?country=pa#2003-11-06
³Imaging
Solutions Aust presents BRUCE FRASER
in a series of
inspiring SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
DON'T
MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM ONE OF THE MASTERS. Bruce Fraser is an
internationally known authority
on
Digital Imaging and Colour Management. In addition to speaking
and
consulting on these topics, he has co-authored Real World
Colour
Management and The Real World Adobe Photoshop
series
of books, and is contributing editor for Macworld
magazine
and www.creativepro.com. The National Seminars
and
Workshops will explain the new features of the latest Adobe
Photoshop
and will demonstrate colour management in detail
from
the master himself. The Bruce Fraser Tour is sponsored
by Adobe
Adobe
Creative Suite is the complete design solution for
print
and Web publishing. Featuring new and full versions
of
Adobe's most famous software, Adobe Creative Suite
combines
Adobe Photoshop CS, Adobe
Illustrator CS,
Adobe InDesign CS
and Adobe GoLive CS with Acrobat 6.0
Professional and
the new and innovative Version Cue - the
enhancement that
brings your files together and your ideas to life.
Seminar -Monday
17
November, 2003
10:00am -
4:30pm (9:30am registration)
Sydney Maritime
Museum - ANZ Theatre, 2 Murray Street,
Darling Harbour
Workshop
-Wednesday
19 November, 2003
10:00am -
4:30pm (9:30am registration)
College of Fine Arts -
Computer Lab No 1, Greens Road,
Paddington
To help you
discover the full functionality of Adobe Creative
Suite, Adobe is
holding a series of free, one-off
in Australia
and New Zealand.
At our special
event we will show you the real business
benefits
of using the Adobe Creative Suite in your digital
workflow.
You will also see how tight integration allows you
to
switch applications without slowing down, thanks to
common
commands, tools and palettes. And, of course,
we
will include in-depth demonstrations of each new
version
of the component products.
Get
Creative Suite Premium:
Canberra
Thursday, 6th November
Bradman
Theatrette, National Convention Centre
Melbourne
Wednesday,
12th November
Palladium
A/B, Crown Entertainment Complex
Sydney
Thursday,
13th November
Wesley
Theatre, Wesley Conference Centre
Brisbane
Friday,
14th November
Ballroom
North, Sheraton Brisbane
Adelaide
Thursday,
20th November
Hall
A, Adelaide Convention Centre
Perth
Friday,
21st November
Ballroom,
Duxton Hotel Perth
Auckland
Wednesday,
26th November
Ballroom,
Crowne Plaza
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6.
WEBSITE FOCUS -The New Look PBS
PBS
is a great site with lots of reliable info. As well as online
quicktime
movies and interactive components.
Try
the Gallileo section
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/
or
the excellent section on The Runaway Universe
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/universe/
or
Check out the 18 ways to make a baby
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/baby/18ways.html
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7. Maths Power Software designed for
Australian
students by
Australian Teachers
Back to the
Future Education
IMAGINE, thereıs
that word again, one of my favourites.
Imagine a lesson
in which you explained a concept from
beginning to end
logically, with a little flair, a few insightful
comments and NO
interruptions. No knock on the
door,
visit from the
head teacher, collections for charity, reminders
about the Sports
Carnival, loud speaker announcements,
giggles from the
2 boys at the back, pencils dropped, thrown,
sharpened, pencil
cases opened, closed, dropped, recovered,
no absolutely
urgent questions about the lunchtime activities
for the junior
school open day in 2 weeks time, no emergency
gossip, visiting
parents, late notes, toilet requests, injury
reports; STOPı,
she says, IF YOUR NOT ACTUALLY
BLEEDING
PROFUSELY NOW, then youıll just have to
wait till I have
finished speaking, type of interruptions. Imagine it,
the power, the
learning, the satisfaction.
The Maths Power
folk have given a teacher this opportunity,
and it is
brilliant. The voice over teacher
explains each Maths
concept
logically, in a consistent manner.
He asks questions
to provoke
thought and engage the listener. I
enjoyed listening
to the Mr Chips
type voice, not patronizing more informative,
it makes you feel
as if you are being let in on Mathematics
little secrets.
Each mini lesson is approximately 2-6 minutes
in total. Not to long, in fact a length
ideally matched to the
attention span of
most students. These small bites of information
do enhance
learning. Like any good teacher, the Maths Power
Teacher breaks
problems down into smaller components and
consistently
solves problems using the same logical steps.
The instructions
are simple and clear and it seems as though
the teacher is
talking directly to you. The lessons work from
the simple to the
complex in logical steps, and with no
interruptions,
even algebra can seem easy.
So how does it
all work.
First you load in
the program and then login with your
name and
password. The first screen that
comes up gives
the grade level
access to the program you have purchased,
in our case years
7 & 8. The next screen lists the topics.
The program
suggests you start with some ³limbering up²
exercises to
practice speed and number skills.
The speed
skills are beat
the clock fast answers to the simple arithmetic
questions and are
completed on the computer. The sound is
quite addictive
and Catherine and I wanted to beat the clock.
The number skills
are done on the computer, and practice
more complex
multiple digit calculations. . All
results are
recorded to track
progress. There is also a neat chart for
recording results
of speed tests, to print out. The suggestion
in the manual is
that you start each session with these
limbering upı
exercises, a great idea and a great learning
habit to train.
You will need to use the Numbers Lock and
Numbers keypad
for entry of answers to the games and speed sections.
Then itıs onto a
selection of a topic, and a sub-topic. My first
choice was
Algebra II, Indices 1. Lessons are
figures/numbers
only, with areas
highlighted as the teacher speaks emphasizing
the lesson points
and concepts. This is most effective and you
can watch videos
as often as you want, youıre in charge.
After watching the video, the you can print
out a set of
questions with
all the answers at the bottom of the page.
I thought the
answers at the bottom of the page was a flaw,
but no, these
guys have it worked out well.
The answers are
in random alpha
order, enough answers are tantalising close
to make it quite
a challenge. Once the questions are
answered
using good old
pen and paper, the alpha equivalent is entered
into the results
grid on the computer. Click OK, and all the
incorrect answers
are highlighted, YOU CAN HAVE A SECOND
TRY. This is
great, you really feel in charge, you have the power.
Correct those few
pesky little mistakes. Click OK again and
your results are
recorded, sans silly mistakes. The
program
keeps a record of
your results and progress, you can also
keep a written
record on the sheets provided in the folder.
There you have
it, Bobıs your uncle. Slick effective and
NO interruptions.
The presentation
is simple, it doesnıt try and get too complex
and uses
predictable procedures. Headphones are an
advantage, a none
interruptable clear concise explanation of
mathematical
concepts is a dream.
This program
represents a new style of software.
It provides a
comprehensive
program covering the core mathematics syllabus
for most
curricula. It allows students to
progress at their own
speed and
evaluate and control their own learning, to repeat
lessons as many
or as few times as they need.
Students who
learn quickly are
accommodated, students who learn slowly are
accommodated. Using these types of programs the
pressure is
off the teacher
to pitch a lesson to the whole class. Basic
mathematics can
be learned individually by students at their own
pass in their own
time. Mini lessons can be given in an ordered
logical manner
without interruption. Once basic
skills are nailed
by a program such
as this teacherıs can get on with the real
business and
enjoyment of teaching mathematics:-
Like discussing the lives of some the great
mathematicians,
Erdos, Heptia, Pythagoras, Euler, Mandelbrot, http://physics.hallym.ac.kr/reference/physicist/mathematician.htm
discussing some of the great mathematical problems
like,
The Bridges of Konigsberg or The Value of Pi or
Puzzle of Primes or The Problem of Points or
A Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem
http://mathforum.org/isaac/mathhist.html
and discussing some contemporary mathematical
problems,
why are their traffic jams, why do buses come in
threes,
how can we solve the canteen queues and get lunch
quicker.
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/mathspower.htm
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8.
GREAT SITES
Great
Dictionary Site
http://www.dictionarylink.com/
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Sun
monitoring screensaver downloads the latest images from
the
SOHO (The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) every
time
it starts up. Check out the official SOHO homepage
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
Download
the SS directly here
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/screensaver/SohoScreens.exe
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Grammar
by
Barbara J. Feldman
http://www.surfnetkids.com/grammar.htm
The
following recommendations bring the study of grammar into the
Internet
age with their use of email, forums, and the Web.
11
Rules of Writing
http://junketstudies.com/rulesofw/
Today's
first site condenses English grammar down to just eleven
rules. Drawing heavily from The Elements of
Style, an anonymous
college
teacher created these rules based on his experience
grading
freshman papers. Each rule is
hyperlinked to examples
of
correct and incorrect usage. For
questions not covered by
the
eleven rules, peruse the Frequently Asked Questions page.
And
for extra credit, click on the New Word of the Day (at the
bottom
of the page) to scroll through some high-school level
vocabulary.
Blue
Book of Grammar and Punctuation
"Effective
Writing. Rule 1. Use concrete
rather than vague
language."
As the title implies, Jane Straus's guide is divided
into
two sections: grammar and
punctuation. Each is further
organized
into rules with examples (navigate these with the
drop-down
menus), exercises and tests.
The quizzes are not
interactive
(try printing them instead) and include answer keys
on
the same page. A print edition of
The Blue Book is also
available
for purchase.
Common
Errors In English
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/
From
"AM/PM" to "your/you're," this clickable alphabetic list
of
errors is fun to peruse. Sometimes the easiest way to learn
proper
grammar, is to learn what NOT to say.
For example, did
you
know a "pompom" is a large gun, but the fuzzy end of ski
hat
is a "pompon"? And a
narrow confining garment is a
"straitjacket"
not a "straightjacket."
Just click on any
phrase
for the complete skinny.
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9.
READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Dear
Cathy,,
I am
making a school intranet page of websites for primary
school
children and teachers to link to when searching for information.
I
would like to use a copy of the title image ³logo.jpg² as the
image
for my link to this page
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/directory.html
and
am asking for your permission to do so.
Judy
Miller
Teacher/Librarian
Happy
Valley Schools
South
Australia
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Hi
Judy,
That
will be fine.
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Hello
Cathy,
I
received your newsletter today with the green light of our fantastic
highlights
on SmithsonianEducation.org for educators, families and students
online.
Thank you for your interest in sharing the rich content of this site
with
your visitors! I look forward to reading the well of resources shared
in
your future newsletters.
In
addition, how many readers is your newsletter distributed to monthly?
I
look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Katherine
Foster
On
behalf of SmithsonianEducation.org
Connors
Communications
katherine@connors.com
------------------------------------------
Hi
Katherine,
Keep
me updated on all new Smithsonian events - currently I have over 5,500
subscribers WW - many newsletters goto schools - these are distributed amongst
staff of between 10 plus staff.
ciao
cathy
------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy
I'm
not sure if you have already told your readers about this great new
search
engine. It is excellent for children to use.
The
URL is http://www.mooter.com
Thanks
for your brilliant newsletter. I finished my BEd next month and I'm
looking
forward to going out teaching and having the chance to use some of
your
fantastic suggestions.
Many
thanks
Louise
Camden
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What do you think of this search engine??
10. NEXT ISSUE -
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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!!!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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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