Virtual
Teacher Newsletter No.83 HAVE A
MERRY ONE November 30th 2003
THE
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
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CONTENTS
1.
Welcome
2.
Mind Candy
3. WWWinfo JSMAGIC
4.
New Printables - SIGN FOR EVERY
SCHOOL
5.
Technical Stuff - EVIL HTML EMAILS
6. Web Site Focus AURORO
BOREALIS
7. PD for the HOLS - PHOTOSHOP
8.
Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10
Next Issue
11.
Code of 'Netizens'
12.
Tips
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1.
WELCOME EVERYONE.
I have spent a bit of time at the
Randwick
Childrenıs Hospital lately. Not
the best Sunday
Afternoon
activity, but the staff at this hospital are fantastic.
I
have never had an experience like this in any organization before.
Whatever
your reason for being in a hospital, itıs tricky,
emotional,
emotional children, uncertainty, fear, all the
things
that can make for poor social relations.
NOT HERE.
They
were brilliant. The printable in
this newsletter comes from
RCH,
a sign suitable for all schools.
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 take a look at a few of the free
PD programs on the web. Have a Merry one.
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2.
MIND CANDY
"Light
a Fire" movie
http://www.surfnetkids.com/movie/
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codswallop
(KODZ-wol-uhp) noun
Nonsense.
[Of
unknown origin. According to a popular story, a fellow
named
Hiram Codd came up with the design of a soft-drink
bottle
with a marble in its neck to keep the fizz. Wallop
was
slang for beer and those who preferred alcohalic
drinks
dismissively referred to the soft-drink as Codd's Wallop.
This
story is unproven.]
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"The
joy of learning is as indispensable in study as breathing
is
in running." ~~ Simone Weil, French philosopher and activist
==============================================
3.
WWWinfo
Nothing
is quite a spectacular on the Internet for
Christmas
as as jsmagic. The Emissary is a
spectacular animated gif representation, everyone will love. Younger children will enjoy the
spectacle. Older students can use the images to create teir own versions. The
clipart here is free, so long as source is acknowledged. Most images can be
dragged directly into powerpoint, so students can develop their own stories and
ideas using this clipart collection. Show it using I digital projector if you
have one. Click in active image area to progress.
Scenes
from the Nativity
http://www.jsmagic.net/xmasgraphicsnativity/
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4.
NEW PRINTABLES SIGN
FOR EVERY SCHOOL
In
caring for our children we also
care for our staff.
Bad
language and threatening behaviour is unacceptable.
Any
person acting in an inappropriate manner will be asked
to
leave the premises.
Sign
and Randwick Children's Hospital.
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/caring.pdf
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5.
TECHNICAL STUFF
Evil
HTML Emails - VT is sent in plain text, how are you
sending
your emails.
http://www.vexen.co.uk/notes/htmlemails.html
A
really bad Idea
http://www.delux.com/articles/HTMLmail.html
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FREE PD
ICTPD is moving its online content to Moodle for 2004.
Moodle is
available for testing and provides free PD for you
until the end of
Feb 2004.
Check ICTPD
Free on the left. You
will need to set up a
New Account on the next screen and know the
enrolment key .
If you don't have
an enrolment key , you
can email bj@ictpd.net
.
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ICT
activities,
World
Events for Students
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/wsis/activities.asp
==============================================
6.
WEBSITE FOCUS Aurora
Borealis
So
itıs the downhill run to Christmas.
Why not focus on something
A bit
different this year. The Aurora
Borealis might just be the ticket.
These
totally amazing sites, are inspirational for art, writing,
Photography,
science and even mathematics.
JSMAGIC
- brilliant
http://jsmagic.net/whatsaurora/
Photographs
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/images/aurora/jan.curtis/
How
to film the Aurora
http://www.ptialaska.net/~hutch/aurora.html
Aurora
Borealis forcasts
http://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/~pfrr/AURORA/INDEX.HTM
Causes
of Aurora, folklore etc.
http://www.imv.uit.no/english/science/publicat/waynorth/wn1/contents.htm
What causes the
northern lights? When are they
most visible?
What creates the
different colors? What do the
auroras look
like from space?
Lesson Guide
http://www.ktca.org/newtons/10/aurora.html
Top
Story from NASA
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20011025aurora.html
This site will
show you what auroras look like on Earth and from
space, explain
how they are created, and show you where they
can be found.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/
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7.
PD for the HOLS - PHOTOSHOP
Take
some time to our the latest greatest techniques in
Photoshop
at:-
http://www.adobe.com.au/events/roadshows/pastroadshows.html
Russell
Brownıs(no relation) Mini Online Videos are inspiring
http://www.adobe.com.au/events/roadshow_ps7/main.html
Adobe
Resources for Educators
http://www.adobe.com.au/education/main.html
The
GURU
http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/
Tech
Tutorials
http://www.gp.k12.mi.us/ci/ce/computer/tutors.htm
Also Check out these sites:-
http://user.fundy.net/morris/redire...photoshop.shtml
http://www.stridingstudio.com/tutorials/
http://www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/2d/
http://www.phong.com/tutorials/
http://www.carbonfour.com/tutorials/
http://www.dreaminfinity.com/tutorials/ps.shtml
http://www.thinkdan.com/tutorials/index.html
These should keep you busy for
awhile.
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8.
GREAT SITES
Strategies
for Reading Comprehension including BLMs.
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/readquest/strat/
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Australian
Canned Food
Comprehensive
Cute Graphics Easy to navigate.
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Discover the many
ways that women have influenced and
enhanced the
practice of medicine. The individuals featured
here provide an
intriguing glimpse of the broader community
of women doctors
who are making a difference. The National
Library of
Medicine is pleased to present this exhibition honoring
the lives and
accomplishments of these women in the hope
of inspiring a
new generation of medical pioneers.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/
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9.
READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Hereıs
an offer from MathsPOWER. I am reviewing this program
for
years K-3 at the moment and so far I am very impressed
more on that later. MathsPOWER
Has
an offer for some more adventurous folk that you may like
to
try. Here is some more info about
it, if you are intending to take
them
up on this generous offer please let me know as I would like
to
follow your progress
MathsPOWER
All
people involved in the production and development of the
program
have an education background except for three
programmers
who are IT qualified.
I am
at liberty to tell you that the primary program has been
written
and developed by my wife, Felicity Tannous. Felicity is a
qualified
primary teacher. I think you will be even more impressed
with
our primary program.We currently have programs available
for
Kindy and Year 1, Year 1-2, Year 2-3 with Year 3-4 due for
completion
within the next 4 weeks. Years 4-5,5-6 and 6-7 will all
be
available by February.
We
have incorporated extensive revision into each program so,
for
example, the Year 1-2 programme is
actually a Year 2 program
with
extensive revision from Year 1 etc.
The
really big news is the project that we are launching at the end of
November.
We have been working on this program for almost six
months
and the recent media hype about difficult HSC exams
prompted
us to contact a number of students who had been
using
our programs.
We
asked these students if the exams had presented any
concerns
for them. Without fail, the response from these students
was
quite the contrary to the newspaper
headlines.
Remembering
that many of these students only took our
program
because they were struggling (in some cases less
than
6 months ago). The students told us that they felt they were
well
prepared for the exams as a result of using our programs.
This
was confirmed by the Head of maths at St Clair high
school
in western Sydney. Mr Joe Assad confirmed that the
students
who had been using our program to revise and
reinforce
the work from school were quite confident that they
had
done well in the exams.
I
have attached some details on what we are calling the
MathsPOWER
Challenge.
Very
briefly, We are going to allow just 10 families from each
school
across Australia the opportunty to get our programs for
just
$275 for high school students and $225 for pinfants or
primary
school students.
If a
family has more than 2 children at school then that
family
will pay a maximum of $495 to receive all the revision
work
required to re-learn concepts from the past as well as
all the
work they will need for the next 1-2 years.
Currently
our clients are paying up to $1000 for the whole
high
school program and $1200 for the primary program.
We
will be sending the family their needs based on the
childrern's
school reports or other information provided
by
the parents.
This
will be a web-based project with all family registrations
to be
effected via our web site
So if
the teachers who receive your newsletter are aware
of
this project then they may inform families with students
who
may need some extra help at a very affordable price.
Our
experience tells us that most families cannot afford to
spend
$30-40 per session for tutoring help. Our
program
may be
the answer.
Let
me know or call me for any other information
you
may need.
Regards,
Anthony
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Hi
Cathy,
Just
a little bit of additional information regarding Project Gutenberg:
If
anyone is interested in contributing books a great way to do this is through
Distributed Proofreaders at http://www.pgdp.net/
If
anyone has a large amount of server space available (In Australia) we are
looking to create a Distributed Proofreaders in Australia site and I'd be
interested to hear from anyone willing to donate some server space for this
great cause!
Sjaani
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10. NEXT ISSUE Early February
Although would still like
to
hear about great Holidays destinations over the break
so
send them along.
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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