No: 176
09
10
2013
VT's FREE Newsletter for Educators - Insight, Inspiration and Ideas that Work!

SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY!
10 Rules for Being Human
Hello everyone
I naturally like trying new things.
What really inspires me is that moment where the person I am teaching starts to see things in a different way. The moment they see more deeply.
Take a look at the visual Literacy section and see more deeply.
And Jack Dorsey's different way of looking at transactions. This is what our students will use in the future, maybe like Jack they will think of things differently and invent.

If you have something different to share please send it in I love getting feedback.
MATHSPOWER - FREE ONLINE MATHS TRIAL
Don't miss out try it now. It will make your life sooo much easier and your students will go ahead in leaps and bounds.
MADE for Australian students
DESIGNED BY Australian teachers
Thank you for your support & contribution! You can become a supporter too. Maths Hammers has sold some more copies with the purchasers most enthusiastic, especially some year 5 non-multipliers. Put it up on the whiteboard - click to videos and crack some jokes, it's a great resource for an instant lesson.
Spread the Word about VT, email this newsletter to someone you think might love it.
ciao
Cathy
TweetTweetTweet
Be like a duck. Always calm on
the surface, but paddling like
dickens underneath
Michael Caine
A feisty little old lady was among a group looking at an art exhibition in a newly opened gallery. One of the contemporarypaintings caught her
eye and she inquired of the tour guide,
"What on earth is that?"
He smiled condescendingly.
"That, dear lady, is supposed to be a mother
and child."
"Well, then," snapped the little old lady,
"Why isn't it?"
“Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.”
Bill Watterson
“Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” ~ P.J. O’Rourke
“She had the unequalled gift… of squeezing big mistakes into small opportunities.” ~ Henry James
“It is not necessary to understand things to argue about them.” ~ Pierre Beaumarchais
“The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.” ~ David M. Ogilvy
Visual Literacy
The ability to decode, interpret, create, question, challenge and evaluate visual images, and multi-media. Visually literate people can read the intended meaning in a visual text, interpret the purpose and intended meaning, and evaluate the form, structure and features.
What is seen with the eye and what is “seen” with the mind.

Visual Literacy Questions
How does the image make me feel? Why?
What colours are used? What do they Evoke?
What appeals to you about the image?
What techniques are used to produce the image? What impact does the technique have?
What can you tell about the characters? Are they friendly or ferocious?
What do you think the illustrator wished to convey?

Audio Visual Questions
Include the above and add:-
What do you think about this video?
What is the visual message?
Who's perspective is it from?
Focus your eyes ears and hearts
What sort of images are used, closeups, extreme closeups, long shots, wide shots etc.
What are they doing?
Who do you identify with?
What is the tone?
What transitions are used?
How long are the cuts? What impact does this have?
What is the music like? Is it soft, loud , fast slow what style is it?
How does the music impact on the message?
Here's a fabulous image to get started with. Use all of the above Visual Literacy Questions. You might also like to take it into photoshop and change the HUE - see how the colour changes impact on the message. Love to hear how it goes.
Media Smarts: Kids Learn How to Navigate the Multimedia World
Critical-thinking skills -- and fluency in multimedia production -- are integral to media literacy.

Visual Literacy Across the Curriculum - some ideas and questions to think about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQNbAtK3c3g
SQUARE
Square is the new startup by Jack Dorsey, the inventor of Twitter.

Square is a simple, user-friendly app that takes card payments, sends virtual receipts, helps protect against fraud and best of all, it’s FREE.
Square quickly helps you set up an account, sends you a free small card reader that plugs into the mobile device for effortless photo and signature verification. Credit and cash transactions can instantly be processed and followed online by e-mail receipts or through your mobile device.
WOW what do your kids think of this?
MIRROR ACTIVITY TO BUILD COMMUNICATION SKILLS
WHAT IS IT?
Mirrors is a well-known group activity. It gets kids working together and paying close attention to each other.
There are lots of options. Music is extremely helpful while playing Mirrors. Have a variety available, including soft mood music, upbeat dance music, and music that will appeal to different emotions. The music will effect the types of movement the students come up with.
Have the students pair off. Each pair has a leader and a mirror. The mirror follows the leaders movements exactly - just like a real mirror.
Periodically, you will call out "freeze!" And switch mirrors and leaders.
Mirror Exercise – Classic Drama Warm-Up Activity
 WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
Take a look at the video

WHY IS IT USEFUL?
Mirroring body language is a useful skill to learn use when you want to create rapport with someone. This communication skill is sometimes also called body mirroring.
Lets look at where this skill is useful to you.
Mirroring body language can be used whenever you want to create trust with somebody. The other person experiences you as being the same as them. This sameness happens on an unconscious level and it is one of the ways that humans decided who was with the tribe and who wasn't. read the rest

 INTERESTING ARTICLE
Drama Therapy and Autistic Spectrum Disorder Interesting article. You can watch the video as well.

Global Education Teacher Resource
The heart of global education is enabling young people to participate in shaping a better, shared future for the world.
Global education promotes positive values and assists students to take responsibility for their actions and to see themselves as global citizens who can contribute to a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
Australian global educators place particular emphasis on developing relationships with our neighbours in the Asia–Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and Sustainability
Take a look at some of the images, videos and Teaching Resources available at this site. The Teaching Activities are well-defined and explained and align with the Australian Curriculum.
David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean.

National Geographic for Kids
National Geographics for Kids is a great site for visual imagery as you can imagine.Check out some of their fabulous photos, amazing videos and fun stuff.
How would you be feeling?

REWORDIFY
Rewordify This is a great (no cost) tool for simplifying more difficult English and has a ton of features to aid in reading comprehension and vocabulary development. Be sure to watch the demo to get an overview but don't forget to check out the learning games at the bottom that are generated with the user content.
      I do answer all emails so send them along with your questions ideas and great sites.
      Dear Cathy
      My name is Silvina, I teach English as a second language in Israel. (though I am originally from Argentina, where I started my teaching career).
      Your newsletter is very interesting, but most of all, INSPIRING. I love teaching. The newsletter fills me with new ideas and perspectives, and makes me reflect upon my work, improving it all the time.
      Thanks a lot for your great job,
      Hi Silvina,

      Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me. I always hope the newsletter inspires. Let me know if there are any specific topics you would like covered.
      I think the best teaching starts with inspiration.
      What is it like teaching in Israel?
      Teaching is really fabulous when you get students thinking and creating.
      Please pass the word around about the newsletter.

      ciao
      Cathy
      Hi there,

      Just wanted to say thanks for creating your page http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/VT146.html. I found some great resources on there that I hadn't seen elsewhere.

      I also thought I'd pass along another useful resource that you might want to add to your page:

      "The Ultimate Poetry Resource Guide" -
      http://www.freebooknotes.com/ultimate-poetry-resource-guide/

      Let me know what you think - have a great day!

      Best wishes,
      Bev
      Next newsletter I will take a look at De Bono and his Thinking Hats - one of my favourites. I promise next newsletter.Tweet
      Please send in any other great ideas or websites, whiteboard sites or fabulous things you are doing.
      Tweet
      Join the VT conversation on twitter.
      ciao
      Cathy
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      Editor: Cathy Brown cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
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