Virtual
Teacher Newsletter No. 49 May 10th 2002 – THE BIG BANG
THE
FREE ONLINE FORTNIGHTLY IT TEACHERS' NEWSLETTER
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==============================================
CONTENTS
1.
Welcome
2.
Mind Candy – BIG BANG
3.
WWWinfo - BIG MAC
4.
New Printables - ENVIRONMENTAL ED
5.
Technical Stuff - FREE WEBSITE SEARCH ENGINE
6.
Web Site Focus - History of Computing
7.
AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY WEEK
8.
Great Sites
9. Readers' Requests/Comments
10
Next Issue
11.
Code of 'Netizens'
12.
Tips
==============================================
WELCOME EVERYONE. I attended a few fabulous Adobe
seminars last Wednesday. These seminars provide a
fantastic opportunity to learn about programs, get
all the tips and tricks, and just find out how a program
works. Adobe usually imports the best from O/S and also
included the best speakers from OZ. The shows are great,
entertaining and last Wednesday I even won a FREE Adobe
Acrobat program.
They give out T-shirts, pens, juggling
balls, and copies of Adobe programs. the sessions are held
in excellent venues, with displays by both hardware and
software Adobe partners. Most importantly these Sessions
are FREE FREE FREE.
I attended several general sessions
for imagine professionals, and also a seminar called Adobe
School. The
Professional seminars were packed out, 500
or more people, the Schools Seminar was lucky to have
30 participants. A real shame, as Adobe an other folk
may decide it is not worth the trouble. I cannot recommend
these seminars more highly to you. They are a breath of
fresh, I return with new ideas and a better understanding,
and also have a great time - far better than reading the
manual.
I have not attended many inservices that have been as
enjoyable and professionally presented. Other suppliers like
Edsoft and Apple also hold these free seminars. Look out
for them, go to them, I cannot recommend them enough.
Log onto their sights and see what is coming up. Book
mark these seminar sites and check them regularly.
I will also let you know about them as often as I can.
Email
Linda for info about Edsoft Seminars
Linda.Zugai@bigpond.com
Adobe
Seminars and Events http://www.adobe.com.au/events/main.html
Apple
have seminars from time to time
==============================================
2.
MIND CANDY
The
cosmic calendar (Sagan, 1977)
Where
the age of the universe is compressed into a single year:
January
1 BIG BANG
May
1 Formation of the Milky Way
September
9 Formation of the solar system
September
14 Formation of the Earth
September
25 Origin of life on Earth
October
9 Oldest bacterial fossils
November
12 Oldest eukaryotes
December
1 Earths' atmosphere fully oxygenated
December
16 First worms
December
19 First fish
December
20 First land plants
December
21 First insects
December
22 First amphibians
December
23 First reptiles
December
24 First dinosaurs
December
26 First mammals
December
27 First birds
December
28 First flowering plants, dinosaurs extinct
December
29 First primates
December
30 First hominids
December
31 First humans (at 10:30 pm)
December
31 Domestication of fire (at 11:46 pm)
December
31 Cave painting in Europe (at 11:59 pm)
December
31 First neolithic cities (at 11:59:35 pm)
December
31 Invention of the alphabet (at 11:59:51 pm)
December
31 Bronze Age (at 11:59:53 pm)
December
31 Iron Age (at 11:59:54 pm)
December
31 Roman Empire (at 11:59:56 pm)
December
31 Crusades (at 11:59:58 pm)
December
31 Renaissance in Europe (at 11:59:59 pm)
Now Space exploration, GenCB 455
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"
For those who love the philosophy of hypocrisy and ambiguity.?"
Don't
sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
If
man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have
Monkeys
and apes?
What
if there were no hypothetical questions?
Is
there another word for synonym?
Isn't
it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do
"practice"?
Where
do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"
What
do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an
endangered
plant?
Would
a fly without wings be called a walk?
If a
turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
Why
don't sheep shrink when it rains?
Is it
true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste
funny.
What
was the best thing before sliced bread?
How
is it possible to have a civil war?
If
you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?
If
you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
Why
is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
If
the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane
crash,
why isn't the whole damn airplane made out of that stuff?
Why
is there an expiration date on sour cream?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject:
What's the answer?!?
cowgirl03@nac.net
A FEW
OF LIFE'S UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
** Why doesn't glue stick to the inside
of the
bottle?
**
**
Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic
Wins
Lottery"? **
** Why is "abbreviated" such a
long word? **
**
Why is a boxing ring square? **
** Why is the man who invests all your
money
called
a broker? **
** Why is the third hand on the watch
called
second
hand? **
**
Why is the time of day with the slowest
traffic
called rush hour? **
**
Why is the word dictionary in the dictionary?
**
Why isn't there mouse-flavoured cat food? **
==============================================
3.WWWinfo
- BIG MAC
This
site gives the cost of a Big Mac in countries
worldwide. Just click on the 'detail' to bring up
the
list
of countries and the price of a Big Mac. A lot of
economic
theory if you like, or some good fun and
good
mathematics, or all 3.
http://www.economist.com/markets/bigmac/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1098872
=====================================
4.
NEW PRINTABLES/Links this time
ENVIRONMENTAL
ED
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/environ.html
Here
is a mass of Environmental Links – Nancy kindly sent
them. Take a look and send me your reviews
– I haven’t
had a
chance to check them all out – I usually like to
review
each one – and have only about 10-12 on each
link
site – the best of the best – so send in your recommendations,
and I
will cull the list over the next fortnight.
==============================================
5.
TECHNICAL STUFF
Virtual
Teacher now has its own site SEARCH ENGINE HOORAY!
Now
you can search for anything on the site, anything
from
past newsletters, anything from all the page links,
just
anything your heart desires. AND
it was down simply
easily
smoothly marvellously from the wonderful folk at
google. If you want to replicate this on your
site just
click
along to
http://www.google.com/services/free.html
This
is one of those terrific things that actually does what it says.
As
Homer would say Whoo Hoo!!!!!
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FREE
ONLINE Training
http://www.adobe.com/education/educators/training.html
==============================================
6.
WEBSITE FOCUS - History of Computing
also
history of computing, info on powerpoint
http://www.ascbc.nsw.edu.au/Computing/ae/index.html
Amazing
you only need one site for this, the links are
Comprehensive
and information is fantastic.
==============================================
7.
AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY WEEK
(From
oz-teachers list)
Library
and Information Week (LIW) will be in the week of
20-26
May 2002.
The
national focus will be on success stories that,
from
users' perspectives showcase how library and
information
services make a difference in a
knowledge
society. Theme: Libraries Change Lives!
Australian
Library and Information Association
ALIA
is the professional organisation for the Australian
library
and information services sector. It seeks to
empower
the profession in the development, promotion
and
delivery of quality library and information services
to
the nation, through leadership, advocacy and mutual
support.
Services available from the site include news
and
events information, access to online journals and
magazines,
education and employment resources, and
links
to related sites.
Australian
Library and Information Association - School
Libraries
Section
http://www.alia.org.au/sections/school/home.html
The
School Libraries section of ALIA provides teacher-librarians
With
seminars, workshops and other activities; publications
on
topics such as computers and school libraries, children's
literature,
information skills,
cooperative
planning and teaching; news of current
activities
through the ALIA news magazine, inCite;
and a
network which supports and provides links
between
teacher-librarians and lobbies on issues
of
concern to teacher-librarians.
Australian
Library and Information Association 2001
TAFE
Libraries Conference - Proceedings
http://www.moreton.tafe.net/alia/program2.htm
The
theme of this conference was Passion Power People
-
TAFE Librarians Leading the Way. The site provides
downloadable
versions of the conference
papers,
covering issues such as online learning, information
literacy,
partnerships and career directions for librarians.
Australian
Library Week
The
event is an opportunity to showcase libraries and
information
agencies and their professional staff, and to
introduce
new services and skills to the community.
Provided
by the Australian Library and Information
Association,
the site presents information on the
background
of the event, points to State and Territory
activities,
and links to previous celebrations. Available
from
the site are press releases, an online media
kit
with activities and useful ideas on promoting the event,
web
cards, and other publicity materials.
ASLA
is the Australian School Library Association Website
.....
on the ASLA (NSW) site there is a fairly long list of
links
to pages with info. on Australian authors of interest
to
school students at:
http://www.asla.nsw.edu.au/ausauthors.htm
==============================================
8.
GREAT SITES
HOT
SITES
Discover
Our Earth - High School and Extension for
Primary
5-6 and High School
http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/education/index.html
Created
by Cornell University, this website contains a
range
of information related to the Earth sciences,
accompanied
by images, graphs, maps, and movies.
In
addition, there are two Java-based, interactive
data
analysis and mapping tools that will allow customised
access
to a large variety of Earth science data sets
that
are used by research scientists. The Teachers
section
provides teachers with background information
about
selected Earth science topics, and suggest a
number
of student activities and exercises that can
be
employed in classroom settings.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If
you are talking primary age, a recent BTN story on
littering
would be a good starting point.
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/scripts/2002/03-26/litter.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/scripts/2002/03-26/litter.pdf
http://www.hotkey.net.au/%7Egargoyle/CDL/index.html
==============================================
9.
READERS COMMENTS/REQUESTS
Well
Cathy, the time I have waited so long for has finally arrived.
With
a fellow researcher named Nicky Cowie we have created a
new
website of a very high standard.
We hope to be able to show
both
sides in an unbiased manner. It is aimed at those serious
about
their research into the story of Ned Kelly and we hope will
be of
use to students of all levels. Please have a look and let me
know
what you think. We have just launched it and have much
work
to do. Your comments will be most welcome, also let us
know
if there is something else you wish to see.
Kind
regards Dave White.
http://www.bailup.com/bailup/home1.htm
Would
you like to learn what errors there are in the information
you
may have read about the Kelly gang?
This
Ned Kelly site has always been one of my favourites.
Go
take a look.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G'day
Cathy,
As
the subject title suggests I am a beginner in the teaching
game.
In fact I am less than a beginner, I am a 3rd year student
of
education so I have yet to experience the harsh reality that is
full-time
primary classroom teaching.
I am,
however receiving your newsletters and I noticed the 'Fee
of
Subscription' that I have yet to pay.
I
promise that when the moment presents itself I will help
someone
out
so don't get too impatient and pull the plug on me because
eventually
I will come through.
I'll
just finish here by saying what a brilliant site you have for
resources
(there don't seem to be very many Australian sites)
and I
recommend it to all my friends (don't get too excited,
there's
not that many of them). Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks,
Paul
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi,
Cathy,
I
noticed you are adding environmental websites to your next VT
newsletter. While surfing for my habitat project,
I've created a list
of
many of these sites, which I've attached for your perusal. Sorry
it's
so long, but the names will give you an idea of which might
interest
you. The one for 'Green Maps' is
great for kids everywhere.
Good
luck with your tireless efforts!
Warm
regards,
Nancy
Environmental
website link here
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/environ.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Cathy,
Gillian
asked about ideas for fabric for boys. I am not a teacher
of
that subject, but what about a visit to a textile mill where they
make
fabrics and possibly design etc. That could be quite instructive.
And
much more fun for boys.
Just
a thought, - John
------------------------------------------
Hi,
Cathy,
As
you know, I'm a public school teacher, but I attempt to keep
up
with, discover, and incorporate information from many
education
resources. I am also a great
advocate of homeschooling,
despite
my inability to participate in it.
I
checked out the homeschooling site listed and agree there's a lot to
offer. It's very organized and thorough. Clearly, Sarah has put a lot
of
work into it, and her dedication to homeschooling shines!
Unfortunately,
not being a member, I could not log onto the actual
lesson
plans. The only suggestion I might
offer would be to perhaps add
a
listing of interactive websites.
They are extremely appealing to
students,
and they allow opportunities to work as teams or independently
on
curriculum activities. [Please
forgive my comment if these sites are
already
displayed in the 'members only' sections.] If Sarah is
interested,
there is a listing of some interactive sites at
http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/habsites.pdf
Below,
I've attached the website for "Home-Ed" magazine. I've
subscribed
online for over a year, and I find this magazine and the
information
it offers valuable to homeschoolers and in-school teachers
as
well.
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/
Best
of luck to Sarah and all the intrepid homeschoolers! Keep up the
wonderful
work you are doing to offer quality education in a more
intimate
environment.
Nancy
Sklavos-Gillett
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Cathy!
Hi! My name is Kris Thurgood and my twin
sister and I
(both
former teachers), run "I Love
That Teaching Idea!"
Our
website is
http://www.ILoveThatTeachingIdea.com
We
offer FREE K-6 worksheets, reproducibles, and ideas for math,
science,
social studies, language arts, holidays, character ed,
service-learning,
and more! I invite you to take a look at our site
and
please consider adding our site to yours as a resource for
teachers
and parents. Thank you for your time and I look forward
to
hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Kris
Thurgood
What
do you think of this site????
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This
is such a great site - thank you.
I
need some assistance in teaching Music, especially beat and
rhythm. I am a student teacher and music is not
my strongest skill.
I have
my own person tutor trying very hard to teach me the concepts
of
music. My theme on my teaching
rounds is world music.
Does
anyone have ideas for teaching this.
Very
much appreciated.
Ibi
Can
anyone help??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On
behalf of my pupils I'd like to thank you all for volunteering to help
making
aussies "real" people instead of some that you read about in books.
I
know that not all of you have been contacted, but your help was
still
much appreciated...
Regards
Peter
Olsen,
Thisted,
Denmark I
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks
Cathy, I have been surfing your site also. I love all that history.
Kind
Regards Dave White and Nicky Cowie.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi. I
just thought I'd inform you that Boggle's World teacher's
Resources
has moved to http://bogglesworld.com
The
link that you are currently listing may go dead in a few months.
Cheers,
Chris
Gunn
Boggle's
World Teacher Resources
Fun,
Effective, and Free resources for ESL.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Cathy,
I am
coming to Sydney in the first week of June.
Could
you please tell me of some School Resource Centres in
Sydney.
I would like to buy materials etc for our distance education
children
particularly Primary as that is my field. My time is short there
so I
don't want to waste time trying to locate places if they are not going
to be
of help. I would really appreciate your advice and or direction of
who
to contact.
Many,
many thanks for your Virtual teacher. It has very big impact on our
school.
Regards
and in appreciation.
Margaret
Paterson.
I
suggested Dominie and Edsoft – does anyone else have any
great
ideas to pass on.
==============================================
10. NEXT ISSUE – I will be
looking at Biographies and Autobiographies
so
send in your ideas. Have a good one.
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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==============================================
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For
information about inservice and training contact me at
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==============================================