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VT's FREE Newsletter for Educators - Insight, Inspiration and Ideas that work!
Warning! Warning! ROBOTS are Dancing
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Danger Will Robinson
Hello
Robotics is a great way to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering, maths and dancing.
I won't be be dull, and I warn you, it will be exciting. You will have a bunch of excited students on your hands. And they will love it.
Ever since I first worked with Logo/Turtle maths and read Mindstorms. I will be looking at Robotics over the coming newsletters - send in your great sites. Some Great sites and ideas below.
This year, National Cyber Security Awareness Week will be held from 20 to 24 May 2013.
Read about the event and resources below. I am looking forward to talking with a number of groups over this week about Security online.
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If you would like to book a seminar or series of workshops just drop me a line. A number of the topics are online on the VT website or by specific topics by request.
Thank you for your support & contribution! Become a supporter. Spread the Word about VT, email this newsletter onto someone you think might love it.
ciao
Cathy
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The Three Laws of Robotics:
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;
2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;
3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law;
The Zeroth Law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
- Isaac Asimov, I, Robot
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
Albert Einstein
In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have.
- Lee Iacocca, automobile executive (b. 1924)
I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their jobs!
- Samuel Goldwyn
original working title of KING LEAR was actually, Estate Planning: A Trouble-Shooting Guide for the Wealthy Land Owner.
- Brenda Pontiff
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Yong Zhao US vs. Chinese Education
This is a must see video. Many elements in the American and Chinese Systems resemble our own in Australia. If you believe that the quality of Education is based on Standardised tests then you will loose music, arts, creative thinking and you will loose what makes you unique. Watch on the VT site
Cultured flashmob recreates Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch'
Shoppers in Amsterdam get a shock as Rembrandt's masterpiece "The Night Watch" is recreated before their eyes. Performers takepart in a large-scale flashmob recreation of Rembrandt's famous painting "The Night Watch".
The stunt was organised to coincide with the return of the painting, considered one of the Dutch artist's greatest works, to Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum.
The museum will reopen on April 13 after a decade-long renovation project.
"The Night Watch," which was completed in 1642, is one of the most famous paintings in the world.
Watch on the VT site you'll love it - love to try to set up some live paintings with a group of students?
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Endless ALPHABET App
Great app for learning alphabet FREE
The Endless Alphabet app lets students manipulate letters on the screen, tapping on each letter to hear its name. Students spell out words too, adding to their vocabulary as they learn the names of letters. Great for the primary classroom or English Language Learners.
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ROBOTICS
Robotics is a great way to get kids excited about
science, technology, engineering, and maths.
And yes they WILL be excited
They WILL use their imaginations
They WILL us their brains
Studies show that it is highly effective in developing team-work and self-confidence.
There are some great robot building packages.
I love the Mindstorms packages. The LEGO Mindstorm series of kits contain software and hardware to create small, customizable and programmable robots. They include a programmable brick computer that controls the system, a set of modular sensors and motors, and LEGO parts from the Technics line to create the mechanical systems.
Mindstorms was developed in conjunction with Seymour Papert one of my all time heroes. He said in 1965 that every child should have a computer. Amazing
"In my vision of this field its professionals will need special combinations of competences. Apart from a foundation in scientific knowledge and technological skill they will need high degrees of psychological sensitivity and 'artistic' imagination. For the ones who will make the greatest social contribution will be those who know how to mold the computer into forms which people will love to use and in ways which will lead them on to enrichment and enhancement...." (from Solomon, p.133)
Studies of Robotics can also incorporate investigation of all the great movies like
Forbidden Planet with Robbie the Robot,
Lost in Space - Robot D-9,
Star Wars R2-D2 and C-3PO right through to
Data in StarTrek- Next Gen.
Studies of industrial Robots and their impact. And researchable with fabulous YouTube Videos.
Also amazing are the number of Robotics competitions available and the free Robotics workshops all around the world and some right here in Sydney at the UNSW.
Send through any other great links - I will be be adding links over the next few weeks.
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This year, National Cyber Security Awareness Week will be held from 20 to 24 May 2013.
written  and easy to navigate. it covers 10 Tips for online Safety. And alos has special sections for Kids and Teens, Home Owners and businesses. It is most comprehensive.
The main message in all of this is:-
THINK BEFORE YOU DO
Think before you open an email, set a password, click on an attachment, enter your password, use your credit card etc.
You can also subscribe to an Alert Service which I recommend you do and keep up-to-date with any recent online threats and find out how they can be managed. This is a FREE Service.
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This is a fabulous site for delivering online great looking content to students
Edcanvas is a FREE service that makes it easy for teachers to organize and share educational
materials in a visually pleasing format. The "canvas" part of Edcanvas is where you arrange
videos, links, images, and files around any topic of your choosing. Edcanvas has built-in search
tools so that you do not have to leave your Edcanvas account in order to locate resources.
Watch the thirty-eight second video(yes it takes just 38 seconds to learn how to do this) on the
site to see how easy it is to create an Edcanvas canvas.
Constant assessment and feedback is absolutely crucial to guaranteeing that students are
growing and moving forward with their learning - Edcanvas allows you to mix assessment
with your content to keep a pulse on how your students are progressing!
You can create a quiz on any empty canvas tile by clicking “Add Quiz”
Quizzes take seconds to make, and are also instantly and automatically graded, providing
you with a detailed and easy-to-use report. This means more free time for you to give students
SUMO PAINT
Sumo Paint is an online painting program. You can start with a blank canvas or improt a file
from your computer to paint. it provides a number of brush options and adjustments the
give you a huge range of options.
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I do answer all emails so send them along with your questions ideas and great sites.
I currently develop online resources and eLearning solutions in music education as well as mentoring teachers in the classroom and advising leadership teams in same. Here is my blog about the teaching and learning in the Strings Program http://captivatewithmusic.wordpress.com
Music Educational Resources - click on the link to free resources - you need to sign the
download form but this is just to track who is signing in - I try to make the quantity and quality of free instructional video, sheet music and backing tracks worthwhile
Regards, Phil Rooke
Phil has some fabulous videos and free resouces here. Sift through them I am sure you will find something to delight. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.
Hello Cathy.
Just a quick congratulations on the newsletter. I subscribe to a number of newsletters (US based) but am constantly frustrated that the contents aren't really relevant to an Australian context.
Keep it up.
Cheers, Peter
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More on Robotics next newsletter so send in any ideas you have. Hope you love the Flash Mob Rembrandt Video - send in any photos of students making their own liver versions of great art.
What great things are happening in your school, send them in and I'll feature them here. If you have any great links - please send them in and I can do a special feature on them.
Any upgrading links or suggestions please send them in.
Tweet or email your answers. |
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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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1. GOT SOMETHING TO SAY - Send in your Questions, Questions will be published with Answers, send in your Answers, if you have expertise to share.
2. NOMINATE A BRILLIANT SITE for review and inclusion in this newsletter.
3. NOMINATE A FANTASTIC SCHOOL WEBSITE site for review and inclusion in this newsletter.
4. MAKE CONTACT with other schools using fantastic programs.
5. WRITE and innovative article for this newsletter.
6. TELL 2 COLLEAGUES about this newsletter.
7. BECOME A VT SUPPORTER CLICK HERE $5 per year, and keep a good thing going. Your name + a hyperlink if you, like will appear on our supporters list.(unless anonymity is requested)
Announce your support for innovation and change in Education.
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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 an email or tweet me.
Editor: Cathy Brown cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
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