A Fascinating Music Site -- Musipedia

Boasting tools that allow you to enter notes (pitches & note values, including rests), or indicate melodic contours, or whistle a tune....whatever your method, this site claims to be able to help you identify those ditties or tunes you either can't get out of your head or can't remember the name of the song.

Go to Musipedia!

Lizards and Snakes......Alive!

Come and visit this site at the American Museum of Natural History about -- well, yes! -- Lizards and Snakes. What's not to love about 'em?

More Patently Silly?

In case you've ever wondered what some of those "stars" out there expect (or demand?) when they're on tour or in some performance venue, you can check out the expectations on the part of about 200 performers at the Backstage link at the Smoking Gun website.

Some pretty amazing (and fascinating) details!

Patently Silly Is Right!

Thomas Edison these folks aren't. This site is dedicated to calling attention to actual inventions that have been awarded U.S. Patents. Well, not just to any invention but to inventions that are both patented and -- yes! -- silly.

Maybe not laugh-out-loud hilarious, a number of them will at least bring a smile to your face.

What were they thinking????

Patently Silly - The Humor of Invention - presented by Daniel Wright

Incredible Picture of Sydney Bay, Australia

If you'd like to see a nighttime shot of the harbor of Sydney, Australia that is a beautifully (and incredibly) detailed combined shot made up of 10 separate images stitched together, go here.

Now, you might be asking.....why would I want to do that? Well, the photographer, Scott Howard, has produced such a detailed photo, you can click wherever you want on the image and zoom in and zoom in and zoom in. Unbelievably, if you zoom in enough, you can get to the point where you can see individual people in the high-rise office buildings.

Apparently, this single image is near 800 MB. Talk about mega-pixels!

It's a beautiful, night shot. Take a look.

PNAIS "Share" Technology Conference -- Follow-ups and Resources

Yes, I know......I don't typically post on weekends but I thought it best to post these follow-ups and great resources that I gleaned from the PNAIS Conference sooner rather than later. So, it may be Saturday, but here they are! :-)

The following are listed for my own sake so I have some record of some things mentioned that I want to keep for one reason or another, in no particular order:

Portable MP3 player -- Olympus DM-20 digital recorder (CD quality audio, MP3 or WMA formats, highly portable, 45 hours recording time), remote control doubles as external mic (!), USB docking station

International Radio Project -- Is this the correct site where one can get student podcasts distributed? a very brief visit to radioproject.org didn't look like it . check into

Wireless mice for use in classroom -- Gyration is company (http://www.gyration.com/en-US), recommended product (at UPA) is one of their air mice (and possibly wireless keyboard) -- possible alternative to SmartBoards

Pixma i9900 (Canon) color inkjet printer was highly recommend especially coupled with after-market ink tank system (not sure where to find this)

PaperCut program for monitoring printer usage on network -- http://www.papercut.biz/pcpl/free_print_logger.htm

Hamachi.cc -- easy vpn

UW Classroom Presenter -- software tool helping make the use of tablet pcs much more interactive in class -- http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/dl/presenter/

Getting Started Guide is at: http://www.cs.washington.edu/research/edtech/presenter/doc/gscp.htm#connecting

Streaming video from Annenberg Library (Annenberg Media Leaner.org) -- http://www.learner.org/

Wikimapia -- combination of a wiki and Google Maps -- http://www.wikimapia.org/

Edline mentioned as possible alternative to Moodle: http://www.edline.com/

Webhosting possibilities -- bluehost.com http://www.bluehost.com/

and what I thought was littleorange.com but could only find asmallorange.com http://www.asmallorange.com/

Ruby on Rails -- open source programming tool http://www.rubyonrails.org/

and Ruby -- object-oriented programming http://www.rubycentral.com/

Designing Web Projects and/or Digital Assignments -- WebQuest Taskonomy -- http://webquest.sdsu.edu/taskonomy.html

point teachers here for food for thought as they design assignments using technology

Student Video Editing resources -- AFI Screen Education site -- http://afi.edu/ (American Film Institute)

Atomic Learning was also mentioned

Other video resource -- ScanTV -- http://www.scantv.org/ (which is Seattle Community Access Network)

one person said they came out and did a video-taping project at his school, brought all the equipment, etc.

Online bookmark, collaboration resources (folksonomy? [wikepedia definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folksonomy ] such as

Connotea ( http://www.connotea.org/ ) and del.icio.us ( http://del.icio.us/ )

PNAIS "Share" Technology Conference -- Day 3

The morning session I attended on Friday was "Instructional Roadkill: What Didn't Work and Why". (Now as I'm sitting here days afterward, I'm thinking that maybe John mentioned the classroom management challenge at this session rather than the earlier one. In any case, the kinda lack of agreement as it being a problem for others out there remains.) I'm going to have to consult the notes from this one, too, because I didn't take any of my own. I do think that the overall sense of this was again a bit more positive than I was expecting....in other words, some people spoke about things that didn't work but more of the comments ended up being positives, which was good to hear. There were a few tidbits of deadends and lowered expectations which will be good to refer to at some point.

The final session of the conference was our third "megasession" where we all met together, just as we had started the conference two days before. The focus was "Why We Do It: Best Practices and Best Examples of Technology Integration in the Pacific Northwest." Jim Heyndrickx moderated this session and presented three examples gleaned from volunteers among our very own group. I remember seeing Josh's Little School highlighted but have forgotten the others (again I didn't take notes relying on the Wiki or notes sent out). Although a little fatigue/overload was beginning to set in, there was enough energy left to look at these examples as ones to celebrate and acknowledge. It was a great way to end the conference.

We were sent off to head home with much learned, much enjoyed, much experienced, and a box lunch. I think the organizers did a fantastic job of putting together the event, finding such an ideal location for it (okay, I guess I will have to admit that sharing a room was a tiny downside.....I would have gotten better sleep without the company but it could be that Islandwood did not have the extra rooms, or we didn't want to pay the extra cost, or some other reason, but, if it were up to me, that is one thing I'd change for next time), great food, great company, stimulating sessions (almost all of them), and a group that was big enough to have much variety in it but small enough where you could get to know people you didn't already know (having "family style" meals helped a lot in this, too). I hope they make this an annual event.

PNAIS "Share" Technology Conference -- Day 2

First session of Thursday began at 9. I went to the one called "AV in the 21st Century." Put on by Eric Stratton from University Prep (in Seattle), there was some general discussion about multimedia in the classroom and the shift that has taken place over the recent past. The main thing Eric had to present was the changes they've made to their rooms at U Prep. Over the last two/three summers they have upgraded around 40-50 classrooms with installations that include a ceiling-mounted digital projector, a large display screen (8 ft.), DVD/VCR capability, surround sound. Cheryl Wolotira, from the Northwest School, was another presenter, and her emphasis was on the use of document cameras (although the one she had to demo was not working). This was useful and cemented my belief that we can do more at the MS to upgrade the installations there, especially with the audio & assuring the ability to show DVD/movies. I think that 8 ft screens would be great, but until we see how far and wide SmartBoards are going to spread at the MS, we might hold off on mass replacement of smaller screens.

After a break came the second session of the morning. I attended the one called "K-12 Computer Science Curriculums: Is Symbolic Reasoning Essential for All Students?" and was presented by Jim Heyndrickx from Oregon Episcopal School. Jim started with a fairly impassioned advocacy of moving beyond merely automating tasks we already do (moving from hand-writing text to typing it into Word) to info-mating material, meaning primarily that the tools afforded by technology give us an opportunity to re-think how we collect, present, and distribute information. I believe the "automate" "info-mate" distinctions come from his ready of a book by Jane Healy where she lays out these principles (I believe in her book, Failure to Connect). He went on to strongly advocate for programming to be taught starting in early elementary (with programs such as Microworld), moving on to Squeak. In middle school, he advocates for robotics to be the center of the programming effort, moving to Alice 3D programming (http://www.alice.org/) in high school. He is working right now to get a computer science graduation requirement added to his high school's curriculum.

Then it was time for lunch break and another quite enjoyable Islandwood meal.

In the afternoon, the first session was another full-group (or "mega-session") called "The Dark Side of Technology". Meant to prompt discussion of some of the things that didn't quite live to up the promise or hope, it was an interesting exchange of things people have tried and the results. I didn't take notes during this session and am looking forward to the notes being sent out soon (or on the Wiki). I believe it was in this session that John brought up a concern that I certainly share, which is "classroom management." Surprisingly -- at least to me -- there was not much follow-up on that subject. Maybe it's just an issue that we are challenged by more than other school environments. I think that one of the reasons there is some wavering of support among some Middle School teachers about the laptop program is due to the amount of time/effort/persistence necessary to maintain focus and concentration in the classroom. More time than I would think necessary seems to be devoted to policing laptops rather than making optimal use of them. Other subjects discussed during this session seemed more positive and less "dark" so, again, I'm looking forward to the notes.

The second afternoon session that I attended was "Digital Multimedia Authoring: How to Integrate Creative Digital Media Technologies in the Classroom". The areas of focus here were 1) Digital Storytelling (stories told through pictures & text; simplest in terms of technology; final product often PowerPoint or web-page); 2) Stop Motion Animation (story told with pictures & text but with motion added; can use drawings or physical media; might require special software/hardware; often results in movie); and 3) Digital Video Authoring (story told through pictures, text, sound, and video/film; can use existing or student-produced footage; also often requires special software/hardware, and end product is usually movie [video]). We were reminded that the formula for most digital (multimedia) projects is 80% planning/20% "doing" & 80% content/20% technology. Also: K.I.S.S. (aka "Keep It Simple and Straightforward") and guideline that for every minute of finished video count on 3 or more hours of post-production. All these principles are very important to bear in mind when putting a multi-media assignment together. As much as we want to challenge our students *and* get them to use technological tools to boost their creativity and learning, we also want to program into the assignment/challenge as much success for them as possible. Forgetting some of the basics of what it takes for them to put together an effective, successful digital media project is going to lessen the learning and probably hamper the creativity.

Next came a free time in the late-ish afternoon. I took this opportunity to walk as many of the paths in Islandwood as I could. I had seen in the Welcome Center a map that laid out the grounds and the landmarks....buildings, paths, and so on. I also had heard of a couple that were not on the map including a tree house that sounded quite amazing. So off I went looking for some of these things I had seen only on a map. I found the Bird Blind, the Tree House (which is truly amazing...hugging the trunk of the tree, substantially built, with a great view of the bog below), then headed the other direction and found the suspension bridge, Mac's Pond, and a fairly long walk. The scenery was great and the walk wonderful after all that sitting. Another tasty dinner followed and not long after dessert came the presentation in the Great Hall of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". That was fun to see after having seen it way back when!

PNAIS "Share" Technology Conference -- Day 1

Arrived somewhere around 2:30, found a place to park, packed up my miscellaneous bags, and headed for the Welcome Center. First impressions of Islandwood School was that this is quite a natural, unspoiled setting. The buildings are wooden, large but not out of place in the wooded area that is Islandwood. Checked in with the folks in the Welcome Center and traipsed off to where I was going to stay. First encounter after checking in was with a deer who was chomping on grass in a meadow adjacent to one of the housing structures. She looked up at me, gave me a good checkout, and resumed her grass munching. We were maybe 10-12 feet apart. The quiet and that sense of nature (and, dare I say, peace and relaxation) that was manifested there was a great introduction to Islandwood.

Our group assembled in a large meeting room for our first meeting which was scheduled for 3 p.m. Called the "Great Hall" no doubt because it is the largest open gathering room among the buildings, it still is not a huge place. We fit in there nicely. Noticed there was no air conditioning (the first observation about the "nature friendly" spirit of the facilities and all the amenities -- I didn't see a television once!) although the temp inside the building was very comfortable.

The introductory session was called "Cool Stuff" and pretty much turned out as billed. People volunteered a series of programs, strategies, etc., that worked for them. This entire conference was billed as a series of "sharing" sessions and this first get-together did just that. I hope the notes that were taken get shared. (At our final group session, it was stated that a wiki was going to be started that would grow out of these three days of sessions and I look forward to accessing & contributing to that resource.)

After a break, we had our first "break-out" session. I went to the one entitled "Choosing the right SIS (Student Information System). Much of this information was new to me. It involved various experiences, programs, strategies people were using at their schools to create, maintain, and share databases within the school community. There was a fair amount of discussion about one fairly widespread (the name of which I forgot!), SASI, and a couple others. We use our own in-house system, some of which is commercial (i.e. business office system) and some is custom software by Tom Rona. Although not exactly relevant to what I do, it was still very useful to hear about all the aspects of running a school -- including student records, grades, comments, but also development, alumni relations, finance -- that ideally would be great if it would work together seamlessly. In most schools, it sounds like this remains a dream much sought after.

A social time came next followed by dinner. The food was great (chicken, rice, tossed salad, steamed potatoes/carrots/beets) and dessert.

After dinner was unscheduled time. Some people finished get checked in -- my two roommates arrived at this time: William Larrimore, Technology Manager of the Meridian School in Seattle (in the Good Shepherd's Home in good ole Wallingford; and Kwame Pobee, who is the Network Administrator at Annie Wright in Tacoma. Nice guys and we had a little time to chat.

80 Days That Changed The World

Go to this TIME Magazine site to be reminded of historical events that have been monumental in their impact on our lives.

I suspect, as soon as you see the pictures scroll across the screen, you'll understand exactly the import of these events.

Virtual Skies: Aeronautics Tutorial: Introduction

I've always wanted to fly. Yes, me, actually fly. Not just in an airplane, but all by myself. Like most of you, I've dreamed of floating around and have, on a couple occasions, almost convinced myself that I could fly by flapping my arms.

Well, before that really happens, I'm going to have to conquer the realities of aeronaturics.

No better place to learn about what it takes to join the birds in the sky than the site below. A very well-written tutorial.

Virtual Skies: Aeronautics Tutorial

"Common Sense" Copyright Licensing

We spend a lot of time in our Laptop Prep classes talking about copyright, copyright law, and fair use.

In these days of great amounts of information -- with so much available at the click of a mouse -- the issues involved in complying with copyright, in spirit and by the letter of the law, is daunting.

The Ceative Commons movement seems to be gaining more prominence as more of a "common sense" response to the challenges to copyright.

Creative Commons is a way to license creative works so that they can be more widely shared while maintaining some protections for authors/creators.

To quote their opening paragraph:

Creative Commons licenses provide a flexible range of protections and freedoms for authors, artists, and educators. We have built upon the "all rights reserved" concept of traditional copyright to offer a voluntary "some rights reserved" approach. We're a nonprofit organization. All of our tools are free.

This is a subject worth exploration in much greater depth. I hope to cover it next year in the unit on copyright.

Welcome | Creative Commons

Leonard da Vinci -- The Real Artist, Not The Movie

I'm not sure how I feel about the release this week of the movie based on the book, The DaVinci Code. I've never read it and there has been so much publicity -- and this week so much hype -- about the movie that I'm going to stay on the sidelines and not rush out to this flick.

However, da Vinci, the artist, deserves on-going attention in a big way. I've run across an online exhibit at the Institute and Museum of the History of Science called:

The Mind of Leonardo -- The Universal Genius At Work. Get your mouse pointing in this site's direction. A wonderful site. (This site, by the way, is available in both Italian & English.)

Oddly Enough There Is News Of The Weird

Once you've been to and left the Oddly Enough site at Reuters news service, click your way to Craig Shepherd's News Of The Weird. Check 'em out!!

In Case You Don't Have Enough To Do

Why not check out the case against Ken Lay and cohorts at the Enron trial. All you'll ever want to read and know is right here at the US Department of Justice site.

National Baseball Hall of Fame - Dressed to the Nines

Now that baseball season is underway, why not have a link to a historical look at one of the distinctive aspects of the game: the uniform.

Click on the following link:

National Baseball Hall of Fame - Dressed to the Nines

The Immigration Debate in the Classroom 2006

Today President Bush is making a speech to the nation on the subject of immigration. Some educational resources for this important topic and its many implications are available at the links below.

The Immigration Debate in the Classroom 2006

Public Agenda Issue Guide: Immigration

The Price Of Gold Back When

I'm not sure why this resource seems so fascinating to me. It's a site that will tell you the value of gold by various measures --- the official British price from 1257 to 1945, the official US price from 1786 to 2001, the London market price from 1718 to 2001, among others. All you have to do is select the price measure you want, plug in the year or span of years, and it will tell you.

A bit fascinating, I'd say.

Economic History Resources - What Was the Price of Gold Then?

They Test the Driving Tips

This portion of Edmunds.com is a place to go to find out how the "great" driving tips you get actually pan out. In this day of ever-rising gas prices, it's not a bad place to start and see what the real skinny is on saving gas and improving mileage.

We Test the Tips

Visual Learning - Example diagrams

We're all aware that our students -- heck, even ourselves -- have different learning styles. We have worked with kids we would classify as "auditory learners," "visual learners," and various combinations.

The software application, Inspiration, is an especially helpful tool to use with visual learners as it provides a way to show ideas and their relationship to each other in a visual fashion (you may have heard of this referred to as 'conceptual mapping').

Here are some lesson plans and ideas that use Inspiration in Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math, among others.

Visual Learning - Example diagrams

More Da Vinci

Here is a site that focuses on Leonardo's famous painting, The Last Supper. You're able to view some of the restoration work as well as preparatory drawings by the artist as he planned his panoramic painting.

Cenacolo - Last Supper

MySpace, Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites: Hot Today, Gone Tomorrow?

Sites such as MySpace are garnering a tremendous amount of publicity. Some of it positive about the changes such sites are making in terms of "social networking." Others are very concerned, especially parents who wonder if & how their child might have a site on MySpace and how much personal information they are sharing....not to mention the extent to which their child may be communicating with who-knows-who on the Internet.

Check out this article that examines the current and future implications of such sites.

MySpace, Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites: Hot Today, Gone Tomorrow?

(For those who may not be that familiar with how sites like MySpace operate, click here to go to an article at the HowStuffWorks site to get some background info.)

Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body: Home Page

I suppose I add this type of site to this blog at my -- and your! -- peril. Just exactly does "forensic views of the body" mean??

Still, with the popularity of TV programs such as CSI, a number of us are fascinated with many aspects of crime-fighting.

So, without further ado:

Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body: Home Page

School Technology Plans Online

Although, as we all know, technology is changing all the time, including the way in which we use technology in the classroom, it is important to have plans that look at where we are now and plot a course in the next few years.

We can learn a lot from each other, so here's a collection that Dr. David M. Marcovitz of Loyola College has put together of the technology plans of a group of schools.

School Technology Plans Online

Wacky Recipes

In our household, I generally do the cooking, at least for the main meal (dinner) on most days.

I wouldn't say I'm the most imaginative cook; I have a range of "specialties, but I realize there is a cycle of "favs" and that some of them do return now and then.

So, what could be better to run across than this website to whet my appetite for new fare at the dinner table.

Despite the "wacky" name, the recipes themselves are not way-out and more than a few are worth trying. You can also submit your tried-and-trues, too.

Visit Wacky Recipes!

The Challenges Of Being A Responsible Digital Citizen

The world is indeed changing and the cliche is that the world of technology is changing the fastest. Don't know for sure if tech is changing faster than anything else but it is certainly moving at a clip.

The challenges for all of us is how to be residents of this digital world in a way that's safe and responsible. And for those of us who are parents and teachers have the added responsibility of trying to help the kids we work with learn to make "safe" decisions about how to use and be part of the digital world.

The link below will take you to a page on the Lowell School website that has some useful resources to think about and learn about digital citizenship. Quite a useful site.

Lowell School - Washington, DC

We Sure Can Use Some of This Every Day

Everyone should make a stop here at least once a day!

HappyNews.com - All The News That's Fun To Print

The Best of the Humanities on the Web

This is a collection of many interesting and useful humanities-related sites on the Internet. A terrific place to start exploring

EDSITEment - The Best of the Humanities on the Web

San Francisco Earthquake

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the 7.8 Richter scale earthquake that hit (some say "devastated") San Franciso at 5:12 a.m. Then, following the earthquake came the fires.

A few sites you might consider if you're interested in viewing this calamity that took the lives of more than 3,000 San Franciscians (some thing many more than that).

The 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance

Eyewitness accounts

The Wikipedia article about the San Francisco earthquake and fire

San Francisco Chronicle coverage

Another potentially useful tool....and it's free!

ScreenHunter Free is a screen capture tool that I discovered and will try. Thought you might find it useful, too. There are version that are not free, but this version (which is) seems to have a lot going for it.

Go to:

ScreenHunter Free Screen Capture

Wonder If You're Clogged Up With Duplicate Files

From what I've read, this utility is a boon to those of us who have saved a file in various places on our computer.....and we can't remember where all those places are. It will help you find them, delete them, or move them where they need to be.

Go to:

DoubleKiller - find and remove duplicate files (Big Bang enterprises

A Handy (Free) Media Conversion Program

Check out Digital Media Converter.

Go to:

Media Conversion Software: Digital Media Converter

Out Of This World!

Google has added a new "out of this world" website for those with an eye for other-worldly places.....Mars!

Try Google Mars!

Greatest Apps of 2005

According to Dion Hinchcliffe, here are his choices for the Best Web 2.0 Software of 2005. Certainly worth taking a look. You might some very handy (and maybe free!) programs to try out!

That Amazing Benjamin

Today marks the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, one of country's founders and, many would argue, one of the heroes in the process that led to the formation of our country and our break with our colonial stronghold, England.

Many sites are out there that speak to and cover the life of Mr. Franklin. The one I choose to highlight is the one that offers online reading of his autobiography.

Here is the introduction on the Archiving Early America website:

A year after Benjamin Franklin's death his autobiography entitled "Memoires De La Vie Privee...," was published in Paris in March of 1791. The first English translation, "The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin, LL.D....Originally Written By Himself, And Now Translated From The French," was published in London in 1793. (Please see the title page at the left)

Known today as "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin," this classic piece of Americana was originally written for Franklin's son William, then the Governor of New Jersey. The work portrays a fascinating picture of life in Philadelphia, as well as shrewd observations on the literature, philosophy and religion of the time. Franklin wrote the first five chapters of his autobiography in England in 1771, resumed again thirteen years later (1784-85) in Paris and later in 1788 when he returned to the United States. Franklin ends the account of his life in 1757 when he was 51 years old.

Considered to be the greatest autobiography produced in Colonial America, Franklin's Autobiography is published here in 14 chapters.

I encourage you to visit and continue to read about Mr. Franklin's eventful live.

And, while we're talking about Mr. Franklin, consider visiting a site dedicated to making available his writings. Thanks to the Library of Congress, there's a site called Benjamin Franklin.....In His Own Words. As you discovered in his autobiography, he's a great writer.

To Be Thankful For

One of the aspects of life in the United States for which (at least in my opinion) we all should be thankful is our freedom of press. Leaving aside the possible threats to that freedom in the current day, I invite you to visit the Newseum.

Its mission: to help the public and the news media understand one another better.

Cool.

Cable Crossing

This PBS site is dedicated to documenting the laying of the first translantic cable. Most fascinating.

Giving Thanks For Things Nice

I came across this web presence that just seemed to be a great antidote for a lot of the wringing of hands and concerns being voiced in many quarters these days....at school and elsewhere.

The site is called NiceNet.Org. Here's their philosophy:

Nicenet is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free services to the Internet community. Nicenet's primary offering, the Internet Classroom Assistant (ICA) is designed to address the pedagogical needs and limited resources of teachers and their students.

Before the commercial frenzy of the "dot com" years the Internet was home to a thriving culture of openness and sharing. This culture was born from the distributed, peer-to-peer nature of the Net, a model that to this day stands in stark contrast to the one-to-many print and broadcast commercial mass media. Nicenet's foundation was built upon this spirit of free flowing ideas and new possibilities.

The first project at Nicenet was aimed at educating the masses about the unprecedented potential of the Internet. Nicenet's founders soon realized that merely espousing the virtues of this new medium was not sufficient and set out to create their own contribution to the Internet community. Thus, the Internet Classroom Assistant (ICA) was born.

The ICA was first conceived as a web-based classroom environment that could be used by post-secondary teachers with their students. The system was designed not as a replacement for the classroom, but rather as a supplement allowing greater communication and sharing of information among students and between teachers and their students. However, Nicenet does not restrict the use of the ICA for any purpose and our users have frequently found creative and unimagined uses for the ICA.

The power to utilize the Internet effectively must remain open to everyone for its potential to be realized. The advent of the World Wide Web provided a perfect forum to offer a solution that could be easily adopted by teachers directly, without the need for institutional support, technical expertise or financial resources.

Nicenet set out to provide a tool that is very easy to adopt and use. The ICA requires only a web browser and a connection to the Internet, so there is no software to install or servers to manage. The simple format of the system is highly intuitive with a very low learning curve, requiring no formal training. The interface has low graphical content to make it easy to use through a standard modem. Such a model allows teachers to incorporate the ICA based on their personal pedagogical priorities rather than institutional infrastructure.

Nicenet strongly believes the classroom should not be a marketplace. The ICA is offered free of charge with no advertising, allowing even classrooms with modest resources access to powerful tools. Nicenet relies on the generosity of our supporters and volunteers to continue to provide the Internet Classroom Assistant.

This gets two thumbs up from this reader!

Just Ask Gammaw

Although I think the webmaster/originator/teacher that has created this actually named "Fran", I gather that there are some folks who call her "Gammaw".

Anyway, this Gammaw has her own website with all sorts of tutorials and other aids/tips/handy info at her Gammaw Geek site.

Lots here!

Can't Read That, Huh?

I've occasionally been accused of having handwriting that is -- well -- a "challenge". Palaeography is the study of making sense of challenging handwriting, typically in historical (obviously handwritten) documents.

Courtesy of the National Archives is a set of resources, including a tutorial, that will give you tips on how to decipher that old (or more recent) scratch that is just not making sense.

Stealing Ideas

Discovery Channel (cable) has a program called, It Takes A Thief. I'm going to have to catch this one. Apparently the set-up is that the program follows and films some actual (former) thieves as they try to break into a (pre-arranged) home. We get to watch their techniques and, afterward, glean ideas on how to better protect our own homes from this kind of instrusion and violation.

What will they think of next!?

A Defiant Tacoman

Although I've been gone from Tacoma for more years than I would care to admit, I know the town where I grew up has not entirely left my consciousness. I've already brought you a link about the "Galloping Gertie" Narrows Bridge.

Now I take you to a very picturesque part of Tacoma: Point Defiance Park. Here is a site dedicated to this refuge from the city streets and noise. You can walk, run, bike, and (yes) drive through miles of trees and nature. You can also stop at Fort Nisqually and play our some historical dramas, if you have a fancy to.

Point Defiance Park is a place filled with a number of great childhood memories -- of family picnics, swims on the beach, eating at waterfront restaurants, watching the ferry leave for or return from Vashon Island.

It's a great place!

Copy That

One of the challenges we teachers face is keeping ourselves and our students aware of, and in compliance with, the concepts (and laws) surrounding copyright and fair use.

In the school setting, one issue that is often on the minds of teachers -- perhaps more so in high school and college, than in middle or elementary school -- is plagiarism.

Click here to go to a good resource for information about all these related realities of today's classroom.

Make Mine Vanilla

Here is all you need to know about that favorite for those of us who love vanilla ice cream....the vanilla bean!

What A Way To Go

In case you've wondered if there are a set of recommendations about how to take your leave in as environmentally-friendly way as possible, read this article from Mother Earth News.

Choosing A Career

One of the biggest challenges, I imagine, for some kids anyway is deciding what to do with the rest of their lives once they're out of school.

One online resource that can help kids (and maybe grown kids, too) hone in on that thing they might want to explore as a college pursuit and career is TheFunWorks.

You can take a quiz to help identify your real interests and get hooked up with some great career tips and resources.

Keep It Hoppin' And Poppin'

Guess what? October is National Popcorn Month!!! Now I'm a fan of popcorn, but in our family we have a couple people who need a popcorn fix every day.

Click here for a gathering of pages about popcorn. There are some activities and games, too. Enjoy....and keep your microwave busy all month!

So You Wanna Learn Something?

Well, then, go to SoYouWanna.com.

Here's their succinct summary of the mission:

SoYouWanna.com teaches you how to do all the things nobody taught you in school.

Fascinating place, well worth a visit!

Once Upon An Eon

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has a unit devoted to the study of geological time.

Called, Geologic Time: The Story of a Changing Earth, this site presents the visitor with all kinds of information about the phases in our earth's formation and history.

This is the place to come to get some sense of the span of time the earth has been evolving to where it is today. We might think that life goes by in the "blink of an eye." Seeing this timeline, and realizing how many billions of years have passed, will put our time on earth in a completely different perspective.

Help Resource For Hurricane Survivors

As a sort of follow-up to my earlier post regarding resources for Katrina survivors, I add the US government's attempt to help people out.

Housed at FirstGov.gov, the "federal government's official web portal," there is a Hurricane Recovery site dedicated to providing information and links to those affected by these disasters and those who want to help those made homeless or who were injured during, or in the aftermath, of the storms.

There are linked resources for Finding Family and Friends, How To Get Help, Shelter and Housing for Survivors, and so on.

In fact, even at the FirstGov.gov home page, there are many, many resources listed for information and help.

Another terrible storm

Hurricane Rita has arrived after days of ominous progress toward the Gulf area of the U.S. I mark this event with a link to an article summarizing Rita's birth, development, progress, and devastation on Wikipedia, the free, online encyclopedia "that anyone can edit."

My reaction toward this whole idea of there being an encyclopedia -- something I've always associated with an absolute and ultimate authority on a vast range of topics -- that this would be a resource that could be edited by anyone has evolved. I used to assume that such a thing could not possible have any validity to a more moderated attitude which is a mixture of curiosity and "hmmm, maybe they're on to something!" More about Wikipedia later.

Click here for the article on Hurricane Rita.

Help Resource For Katrina Survivors

A wiki site has been assembled that has collected a number of resources for people injured, displaced, separated from family, out of work, homeless, and otherwise in need of help.

Click here.

Looking At New Orleans From Many Perspectives

The New York Times has an interactive set of maps of New Orleans that shows us a number of aspects of this disaster.

The first map gives us a chance to see a satellite image of the city (dated August 31). By clicking on various buttons you can view the area by elevation (above & below sea level) or by population density, by non-white population, and by median income. Being able to see this information helps bring into much sharper focus the realities of the scope of the catastrophe including the topological layout of the city. The sociological ramifications are also inescapable.

The locations of some of the primary landmarks we see and hear about in news reportsand (i.e. the Superdome, the Convention Center, the 17th Street breach of the levee, the French Quarter, etc.) are labeled which help orient us to the geography of the area.

Other maps at this site indicate regional updates which show where refugees are finding shelter and help, and yet another map has additional (and updated) satellite images of the region.

For those of us who are trying to visualize the levee system, there is a map that clearly lays out the incredibly intricate system that has protected New Orleans for so long and its pumping stations.

Two additional maps are there. One displays the evacuation routes which give another indication of the widespread damage as it shows how many roadways are closed. Finally, there is a map that shows the location of the oil platforms out in the gulf and graphs that show why the potential impact on the oil industry is so great.

As difficult as it is to grasp what has been and is going on in that part of our country, this series of maps help a great deal in getting some idea of the exceptionally daunting challenges facing the people who live in that area, have been completely uprooted, and have nothing left.

It also helps us see the challenge all of us as US citizens face as we continue the task of helping many thousands of our fellow citizens regain their health, their homes, and their lives.

The American Red Cross

I don't imagine that there is any group or organization in this world that is perfect, either in its mission or in how it carries out its mission.

However, over the years as we've seen various disasters in this world -- including the ones that have happened in the US (many previous natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, extreme weather) -- it seems to me that the International Red Cross (International Committee of the Red Cross/ICRC) and the American Red Cross are both heroic and absolutely crucial in times of great need.

If not "perfect" in mission and actions, it seems to come darn close.

At times like these, I cannot think of another organization that needs our financial support more than the Red Cross.

The web site for our local (Seattle) chapter is available by clicking here.

Celebrate the (ahem) Colon, the Semi-colon (oh, now I get it), the Question Mark, Period and More

Yes, folks, today is National Punctuation Day. Every August 22nd.

"A celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotes, and other proper uses of periods, semi-colons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis."

Party Hardy!!!

Bob Moog ---- 1934-2005

Although I spent some years teaching electronic music at the school where I've worked for a bit, I didn't ever actually use a Moog synthesizer in my electronic music lab. But I knew that none of the keyboard synthesizers I did use would probably have existed were it not for the pioneering work of Bob Moog.

Today marks his passing. Although I don't know many of the details, I understand that he suffered from a brain tumor.

I took this occasion to visit a site that is dedicated to Moog Music. There is, naturally, much information gathered here that promotes the music and instruments developed and inspired by Bob Moog. At the moment, there is also articles that celebrate the life of this energetic and creative force in music.

Mummies, Ancient Egypt, and Your Here-after

A website -- Museum of Science - Ancient Egypt, Science and Technology -- presents not only a range of fascinating information about one of my favorite subjects: mummies, but much, much more.

You can explore Egyptian excavations and learn about Egyptian afterlife.

Not only that, there is a link on this site where you can start planning your afterlife (it's a site called "Eternity Travel.com". Talk about using technology to plan ahead!

(Don't miss the opportunity to send a "buried message", too.)

Amazing Migrations Of Some Amazing Birds

Thanks to some great deaktop wallpaper I saw at a colleague's workstation, I have found a website with a wealth of information about migrating birds. Somewhat unusually, in a sense, the starting point for this breadth of information about migration, migration patterns, migration routes, habitat, and other aspects of the birds presented, is a website promoting a major studio's film. Sony Pictures Classics released Winged Migration back in 2001 and it was met with generally favorable reviews. Great for Sony to have kept this site up for this long and, we can hope, for a while yet.

Whether or not you end up wanting to see the movie on DVD, visit the site. You can explore the movie, check out links for the birds whose migration the movie showed, and even download a few images for your desktop wallpaper, if you wish.

It's On Its Way!

The Mars Reconaissance Orbiter did get off today. As the MRO website says:

Next Stop, Mars! - 8/12/05

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter lifted off this morning at 7:43 AM EDT from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The spacecraft is healthy and communicating with ground controllers and the team is overjoyed!
Hurray! Now we wait for the next phase at the red planet.

By the way, I heard today that the programmers on the MRO mission have reprogrammed the MRO to be able to communicate with the Mars Rovers who are still working -- long after their expected life expectancy. Amazing!

More MRO

Well, the Mars Reconaissance Orbiter didn't get off the ground today as scheduled. Today's problem an apparent computer glitch unlike yesterday's question about properly operating gyroscopes.

Click here for updates on MRO.

I've also decided to link a couple NPR stories to provide more details about the Rover and MRO missions to Mars from Talk of the Nation, as well as a background piece from All Things Considered: NASA Preps Mars Probe for Launch.

Back To Mars

NASA is about to launch another unmanned exploratory mission to our neighbor planet, Mars. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was originally set to launch today but has been put off at least twenty-four hours until tomorrow.

After our previous effort -- the duo of Mars Rovers that are still sending back pictures of the surface of the "red planet" -- the prospect of more information about Mars is of great interest.

Click here to go to a part of NASA's site devoted to the MRO. There you'll find a countdown read-out leading up to the launch plus much background about the mission and Mars, too. And, of course, once the orbiter gets off the ground, this site will provide constant updates about the status and progress of the MRO mission.

Like To Have That Weightless Feeling?

The return on the Discovery crew today has brought a number of commentators -- people who have been on a shuttle or in the space station before -- to interviews talking about what it's like to live in a weightless environment.

Not many of us earthbound types can have this experience, but there is a site that gives us a view into that world....at least a terrestrial version of it. These folks use airplanes to recreate a zero or near-zero gravity world and spend a few precious seconds or minutes flying free.

To hear them tell of their experiences and see pictures of them flying around, go to Space.com's site caled Zero-G.

A Roadtrip To Remember

Although I wasn't a big fan of the TV show, it was enough of an institution on the tube that the phrase, "you'll find it on Route 66!" is firmly fixed in my past.

Guess what? There's a Route 66 University which, it says, is "destined to become the premier source of online information for America's most famous highway, variously called the Mother Road, Main Street of America, Route 66, and U.S. 66." You'll be amazed at the information (and, for me, bit of nostalgia) that's collected here. I can easily believe one can earn an "advanced degree" through Route 66 University!

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Lausanne Laptop Institute -- Day 4

Today’s keynote speaker, Dr. Milt Dougherty, gave a talk entitled “Schools of the Future: Reality over Illusion.” Dr. Dougherty is apparently a sought-after consultant and speaker. He gave a well-presented presentation the main point of which was that we are in the midst of a real change in how we, as teachers, and schools, as institutions, educate our students. He spent some time having us look back to the schools we knew in the past and how they focused on preparing students to become workers in factories. He presented many statistics illustrating how this scenario will not work if our goal is to prepare students for the world in the 21^st century. He made much of the failure of our schools and society to produce the workers that our industries will need in the future. He made many thought-provoking points. The over-riding principle is how we must individualize the educational experience and make learning a “doing” experience. He urged us to abandon the scenario where the teacher goal is to try and pour the knowledge the teacher learned in school/college into the minds of the students….and hope they retain it. Passive learning – as opposed to engaged learning – is no longer acceptable as the student experience in the 21^st century.

Dr. Dougherty is the superintendent of USD#444 in Little Rivers, Kansas. He also has his own consultant company, Milt Dougherty and Associates. Dr. Dougherty was a very charismatic and effective speaker. If there was one theme to his remarks, it was that we are educating our kids for the past and not the future. That we are ignoring the reality that countries such as India and China are producing people with the skills that are going to be needed in the future (engineers, programmers, information technology) and we are not. I hope to get access to his presentation online when it gets put up on the Lausanne Institute website because he produced many thought-provoking ideas and statistics.

Session I was focused on using Microsoft OneNote in the classroom setting. The presenter was Cindy Salkeld, a member of the technology team at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, TN. OneNote is a program that I believe is available on our upcoming 7^th grade laptops, and it is also on the recently distributed faculty Toshibas. Based on Ms. Salkeld’s presentation, there seem many potential uses of this program. One of the untapped uses is using OneNote for kids to create paperless notebooks. While that’s fairly useful, if a bit mundane, OneNote can also be used collaboratively….sort of like one big SmartBoard. The teacher can start a “session” which will allow individual kids or an entire class to access the teacher page (or kids could do this with each other) and, depending on how the teacher sets it up, teacher and kids can all contribute to the session, making additions or editing the notebook page(s) in real time together. The notes can be saved and/or e-mailed….or not. All the notes are searchable. I came away from this session wanting to spend quite a bit of time exploring OneNote and being ready to advocate its use to some of our teachers.

Session II is called “Spinning the Web: Collaborative Learning with Web-based Projects” and the three presenters were Michelle Koetke, Kathryn Gazso, Rose Wong, and Kathryn Civetta – all teachers from School of the Holy Child, Rye, N.Y. In some ways it was unfortunate to end my Lausanne experience with this presentation. While nothing was wrong with it, per se, it was a bit of a re-telling of another school experience moving to a laptop program. That plus the fact that a couple of these four presenters were not the most skillful or effective speakers.

I also spent some time talking with one of the exhibitors at Lausanne….that of finalsite. finalsite (no caps) is a company specializing in designing web presence for schools, among other tools. The rep I talked to was Jon Moser and I will pass his name (and the access to some schools sites finalsite now has in development or near-release) on to Maia M. in case Lakeside is considering a re-do of their web presence. A number of other attendees had very positive things to say about their own experience with finalsite (and a few with a competitor, WhippleHill).

Looking back over these four days of Lausanne, I consider the experience to have been well worth it. I came home with a bundle of resources to explore. I also came home with a lot to think about from all three keynotes, not to mention Tom Daccord’s session. I have found a great deal of value in other “conventions” I’ve attended like GIS, NCCE, and NECC. The big plus, I think, for an experience like Lausanne as compared, say, to those more grand scale gatherings is that, with 300 attendees at Lausanne, the fact is that you will run into some of the same people day-after-day. You have conversations that begin and then continue after you’ve had some time to digest new ideas and present your own. It was also great that they offered us meals together, again an opportunity to strike up new connections or build/maintain ones already establish. Everyone who was there was so open, friendly, and energetic. It was an invigorating and very enjoyable atmosphere that was professionally rewarding, too. That’s a great combination, I think, and I hope to go again next year. Actually, I plan on offering a couple possibilities for presentations that I’d like to give next summer. We’ll see if Stewart takes me up on it!

Lausanne Laptop Institute -- Day 3

Today’s keynote was by Dave Berque from DePauw University and his subject was “Pen-Based Computing: An Emerging Technology with Pedagogical Promise” This is another keynote that I want to back to when the talk is posted on the website. Mr. Berque presented many convincing examples of how pen-based computers – especially tablet PCs – are going to offer far more interactive and creative work on the computers by students. He provided some examples, one of which is a program he either wrote or was closely involved in as it was developed. The program is called DyKnow and the little that I saw about it in his talk, it sure does sound like something worth investigating. For example, it seems to offer many of the interactive tools that Mr. Berque obviously values (he was fairly brutal in his criticism of PowerPoint as a presentation tool, sure, but a very passive, non-interactive one). DyKnow offers products that have the interactive power that Dr. Berque talked about as well as another that helps supervise and control student access (similar to Classroom Secure, apparently). I don’t know about the price – and, frankly, I’m not that knowledgeable yet about what all DyKnow can do – but I do think this is something to look into. All in all, Dave’s keynote was another stimulating talk. It certainly piques interest in what the Tablet PC might offer in the classroom.

Session I today was “Blogging Can Enhance the Learning Environment” and the presenter was Gail Braddock. Gail’s presentation was really an advocacy of using one particular blogging service: Blogmeister (http://classblogmeister.com). One reason is that Blogmeister is the idea and initiative of David Warlick who is a dedicated educator and technology advocate. She had us set up a Blogmeister account for our school. The case she made for the educational use of blogs was somewhat focused on the difficult-to-deny fact that blogs are getting much attention these days. Just a bit of “they are the rage, so they must be good!” Gail called attention to resource materials by people other than David Warlick who are very involved in the educational use of blogs such as Anne Davis (http://anne.teachesme.com/) including Ms. Davis’ “Think Abouts” (http://www.eschoolnews.com/eti/2004/10/000182.php). A later presentation included more positives about blogging but came out strong for a service such as TypePad (which costs something like $149 per year for unlimited blogs) rather than Blogeister, though the latter is free. Another person she recommended who is quite involved in the realm of blogging in schools is Will Richardson and his Weblogg-ed website (http://www.weblogg-ed.com/about).

Session II, presented by Tom Daccord – Noble & Greenough School, was next. Tom’s position at Nobles is “Academic Technology Advocate” and a number of people seemed to recognized the appropriateness of this moniker…..it acknowledges what a number of us do. His talk was called “The Effective Laptop Teacher: Tools, Strategies & Lessons.

Tom began with a series of recommendations that we quite practical and in the realm of what some of us might consider “common sense.” His advice to us, as we consider working in a laptop classroom, included such things as 1) think about your “strategies for minimizing distraction” among your students (or yourself!); 2) make sure the plug-ins and add-ins you need for your materials and web resources; and 3) projector placement and control. He went on to talk about some laptop integration strategies including such good ideas as making sure you come up “authentic tasks and complex inquiry,” “interactive learning,” and “constructive learning.” Tom advocated the use of online chats for encouraging (and capturing) classroom discussion (Tom has a set of criteria to maintain the proper tone and focus of chats that all students must conform to). He also spent some time talking about his use of blogs, especially advocating TypePad as a method of creating and hosting blogs and having each student have his/her own. Tom has a major web presence with his Best of History Websites portal (http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.html) and Center for Teaching History With Technology (http://thwt.org/).

The first session of the afternoon was called “The Road To Technology Integration.” Presenters were Cathy Kyle and Martha Turner, both of whom teach at Presbyterian Day School in Memphis. Although not without interest, this was mostly a retelling of the process of setting technology goals and strategies – including a multi-year technology plan. It was good to hear how some of their plans were actually accomplished sooner (rather than later) than planned. PDS is a day school for about 573 boys, starting with pre-schools to 6^th grade. The have a take-home laptop program for 6^th graders (school-owned machines) with carts of laptops for 5^th grade and below. The presentation followed the line from roughly 1995 ‘til now. Cathy showed us the various stages and put some focus on the additions they were able to make to their staffing (e.g. they have built up to the point where they now have three people devoted to curricular integration). It sounds like PDS has a successful program.

The final session for me today was “SmartBoards in the Math Classroom” presented by Thaddeus Wert, a math teacher (and department head) at Harpeth Hall School which is a “college preparatory school for girls grades 5-12” (http://www.harpethhall.org/). He gave a good (and convincing) presentation about how to use a SmartBoard. He had not touched a SmartBoard a year ago but saw a workshop about SmartBoards a year ago (at Lausanne, by the way), convinced his school to put them all the Math rooms and has not really looked back. Strong interest in SmartBoards has spread to teachers in other departments, so more will be installed at Harpeth Hall school in the coming year. Tad also showed some tools for using a virtual Texas Instruments calculator on-screen and Geometer’s Sketchpad. I haven’t looked at the contents of the CD he passed out but it apparently contains some useful (and free, I think) programs he recommends. (The projector went out a couple times during the presentation to due to an incredible lightning and rain storm going on outside. The bus ride back was amazing as we wove our way around [and sometimes through] lakes of water in the roadway and many, many cars backed up all over the place. Quite a dramatic gullywasher!)

Lausanne Laptop Institute -- Day 2

This day began with a 6:30 wake-up call. The bus was ready to take us to Lausanne at 7:30. First item on the agenda was coffee and breakfast, followed by a short welcome message from conference organizer, Stewart Crais, who is also Lausanne’s Director of Technology and Media Services. He immediately set the tone of a friendly, casual, interested sponsor and host. We certainly felt welcomed to the Institute.

Stewart introduced the keynote speaker, Howard Levin. Howard has a Northwest connection, first at Overlake School and later at the Jewish Day School. Now he’s at the Urban School in San Francisco. Howard’s talk was called, “Making the Laptop Disappear: Moving Toward Seamless Integration.” His emphasis was on the notion that we need to get to the point where the focus is not on the laptop (the hardware) but rather on the information and results…..and, of course, the learning taking place by the students. I found much to think about in his talk. Stewart said the keynotes and the other workshops will be on the Institute website in the near future, and I hope that includes Howard’s presentation. I hope to go back and look again at Howard’s talk. The notion of having the laptop “disappear” – again, where the emphasis is not on the hardware but on the learning – is a concept that I completely agree with. I don’t know how soon it might happen; the “toy” features that computers in general – and laptops in particular – offer kids (and adults) seem to be quite tempting and seductive….I mean, you gotta admit that there are a lot of fun things a person can do using a laptop computer. As great a help it can be in organizing and helping gather information, it’s also great for games, going all over the place on the Internet, and playing music, movies, editing pictures/graphics….not to mention spending hours playing around with screensavers, desktop wallpaper, emoticons, etc., etc., etc. My sense is that computers are far from a mature technology and our users are pretty far from making consistent mature use of them in the context of teaching and learning. The hardware itself also keeps morphing, getting smaller, lighter, faster, more capacity, more features, more multimedia. In any case, as I say, I look forward to going back to review what Howard had to say and continue to reflect on his ideas.

Session I for me was “Managing the Laptop Classroom” by Thomas Haynes from The Culver Academies. I happened to ride on the shuttle bus with Tom this morning and got a bit of a preview of his talk. We also chatted about the open source content management system – Moodle – which I’ve been looking at recently. In our chat on the bus ride, he talked about some of what he is doing at Culver. He mentioned that his school uses Moodle widely and is very positive about it. He included Moodle in his presentation, too. The bulk of what he had to say had to do with some pretty common-sense guidelines for classroom management, such as enforcing lids down (with no exceptions), and by being absolutely consistent in a whole series of expectations he demands in his laptop classroom. Another tip was if kids insist that they have to take notes on the laptop (when that is not necessarily the classroom practice or expectation) that they send a copy of those notes to the teacher. He strongly advocated not allowing kids to resume work on their laptop if they finished a test early….or to go off to freely surf if they used their laptop to take the test. Letting them go off on their own as soon as they finish runs the risk of encouraging kids to speed through tests/quizzes so they can get back to do what they want on their laptops. He seems to be a teacher that kids might label “strict.” In this last example, if kids do go off on their own on their laptop after finishing a test without his okay, they get a zero on that day’s work….no exceptions. These sorts of strategies stem from the right spirit – namely thinking ahead about the guidelines and tone you want to exist in your laptop classroom, and then be absolutely consistent about enforcing them – even if I might differ with Thom somewhat on this or that specific rule.

Next came Susan Artkras who presented “Computers in a Writer’s Workshop.” Susan describes herself as “a 7th grade English and social studies teacher in a 1 to 1 laptop classroom in the Webster Groves School District in Missouri.” Much of what Susan presented was a wide-ranging list of websites for writing and collaborative projects that she recommends. I’ve bookmarked her resource lists and definitely want to spend time exploring the places because there does indeed seem a lot of potential there. In some ways one of the nice features of Susan’s fairly low-key session was the amount of enthusiasm, good ideas, and resources that came from the others in the room.

After lunch I went to an open roundtable session for curriculum integrators. The subject we talked about was teacher training. It was quite interesting to hear about the challenges faced by other trainers in situations somewhat similar to mine. Schools do have different policies in place – some require hours of training in every teacher’s schedule (e.g. an hour every two weeks), some expect an explicit technology goal (or goals) in each teacher’s (and probably administrator’s) professional development plan, and some schools require department heads to develop explicit technology expectations (often in collaboration with the tech integrator in the building) which are then transmitted to department members. Department heads are responsible for tracking the accomplishment of those goals by each of her/his department members. Whatever the institutional practices/policies, all agreed to the importance in finding ways to foster an environment where faculty members challenge themselves to seek new knowledge. The role of the school and the department head, then, is more to enable, encourage, support and reinforce the individual initiative for greater technology integration among their department members.

Session IV of this day was called “Now That You Have It…..How Do You Use It??” and the presenter was Lucie Calvin from St. George’s Independent School in Collierville, TN. Ms. Calvin seems to be a very strong proponent of using PowerPoint, emphasizing that this part of Office can be used for much more than presentations. She seems concerned about the need to be responsive to the visual learners in her room, and uses PowerPoint to put together quick, one-slide current event “bell ringers” and quick quizzes. She went on to talk about using cameras for photojournalism and presented sample worksheets. In her examples the websites and other resources that students are to use are listed. Wide-open web searches are requested of her students sometimes, but she more generally recommends having teachers search out the most useful resources and providing those links to students. The final portion of her presentation was an attempt to give us some sites that have “ready-made activities” and a quick word about blogging.

The Institute provided a sit-down dinner at the Hilton which was quite enjoyable. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

Lausanne Laptop Institute -- Day 1

We took the shuttle from Memphis Hilton (where I'm staying) to Lausanne Collegiate School for registration and check-in this afternoon.

In the late afternoon/early evening, another shuttle bus took the conference attendees who are staying at the Memphis Hilton to the Isaac Hayes Restaurant in downtown Memphis. We were served a very enjoyable buffet dinner and were shuttled back to the Hilton. It was a great opportunity to meet a number of conference attendees and sense the interest and enthusiasm of the people there. At my table were a 4^th grade teacher from Arizona, an 8^th grade teacher also from Arizona, and a vendor/exhibitor (Step Up 4 Learning). The evening was a good send-off for the conference with both pretty good food and a lot of great people to meet.

Memphis, Here I Come!

I bid Seattle adieu and made my way to Sea-Tac Airport (and Northwest Airlines) to take off for Memphis, Tennesee. Why? To attend the Lausanne Laptop Institute which starts tomorrow. The sponsor is the Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennesee. I'm looking forward to it!

Looking Back To 1969

Today doesn't mark one of those typical anniversaries -- 10th, 20th, 25th, 100th -- but I can't help but mention the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (supported by Michael Collins back in the command module) landed on the moon on this date 36 years ago.

It is so easy to forget about this amazing accomplishment, and there are many people in the US that weren't alive way back then.

Check out Surfing The Net With Kids Site Man Walks On The Moon.

Movie Magic

If you're interested in the most recent news about special effects in the movies, you might check out the blog, vfxblog.

A Cosmically Smashing Success!

Yesterday, right on schedule, a man-made space satellite released a refridgerator-sized probe and aimed it on a collision-course with a comet some 83 million miles out there somewhere. The purpose of this crash was to use the resulting explosion of dust and debris to study the nature of the material on this comet. What sort of dust/dirt/ice/??? is up there? What can that information tell us about the role comets played or did not play in the formation of planets and the introduction of minerals or water to our own planet Earth.

From what I've read, it seems like the project could not have gone better and the data and pictures the team is getting from the satellite (and observations using powerful telescopes from earthlings) are quite cool.

Check out the Deep Impact website by clicking here. You'll be amazed (and impressed)!

Fourth of July Lore

If you need any reading material while you're waiting for the skies to darken tonight and for your local (or personal) fireworks display to start, you need go no farther than the Fourth of July Celebrations Database. Concerning things The 4th -- you got the question, they've got the answer.

Also, if you want a more historical slice of what happened on July 4th, check out the Library of Congress site -- Today in History: July 4th

Hungry?

The George Mateljan Foundation has a website devoted to the World's Healthiest Foods. Next time you're hungry but you conscience demands you eat something "good for you". check out the many food choices here....and also find out why they're so good for you!

Make Sure Your 4th Is Safe

Maybe this should have been on my list before July 4th, but, perhaps as you plan for next year's July 4th. Called the National Council on Fireworks Safety, this organization is dedicated to:

to educate the public on the safe and responsible use of fireworks. Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council works closely with retailers and manufacturers of fireworks on a national basis. Additionally, the Council, through its relationships with trade organizations like the American Pyrotechnics Association, and safety organizations like the American Fireworks Standard Laboratory, is very proactive in maintaining high standards in the manufacture and sale of fireworks.

If you plan on putting together your own fireworks show, I urge you to take advantage of the safety information available here.

Eminent Domain

A decision announced at pretty much the end of the Supreme Court's term this year had to do with the state's ability to condemn privately-owned property in order to use that land for another purpose....one, of course, supported by the city, town, state, or county with jurisdiction.

The justices seemed to say that pretty much any purpose the governmental agency decides is legitimate is enough justification to take over that land from the private landowner.

Much discussion about the principle of "eminent domain" has ensured and FindLaw for the Public has a page that explains this concept and how it has been applied. Click here to get to that page (you might have to enter in your zip code before the article appears).

Frankly, My Dear

In case you've ever wondered what the 100 best lines from movies are, you can find a list at the American Film Institute. You'll find the list here, and, yes, #1 in by Rhett in GWTW -- "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." I suspect you guessed it already. Some of the others may surprise you!

Oh Canada!

If you've ever wondered what the national holidays in Canada are -- or needed a list -- click here.

I told you this blog would be filled with "this & that"!!

Watch Out For Those PhisherMen and PhisherWomen

For those who don't know, there are people out there trying to steal other people's identity. And they're getting more clever (or desparate, depending probably on your point of view) all the time.

"Phishing" is the process by which fraudulent e-mail is sent out under the guise of a bank, credit card company, or other service (like an ISP or eBay or PayPal) claiming that the addressee's account numbers, PINs, and other personal information needs to be sent back or accounts will be closed.

For those who believe these scammers, they end up divulging personal financial information that is then re-sold or otherwise distributed to creeps who steal identities.

There is an online quiz you can take that present 10 actual scenarios that you rate as legitimate or phishing/fraudulent. At the end, the quiz gives you your score and also explains why each example was either legit or a fraud.

It's probably a good idea for everyone to take this test and see how savvy you are about this. Go to MailFrontier's Phishing IQ Test.

Some Great Nature Photos

Stop by Richard Seaman's Flying Kiwi website. Some great photos of many critters including insects, birds, reptiles, fungi, and "the underwater world."

Is It Getting Warm In Here?

Convictions of the current administration in Washington aside, a number of serious-thinking people are concerned about the warming of our planet. It's not so much that they wonder if we're gradually warming. They can see from the shrinking Arctic & Antarctic ice packs that global warming is indeed happening.

Visit the Global Climate Change Research Explorer site to get a great deal of information about what careful scientists are doing with research on this "hot" topic. Something must be done!

More Lewis and Clark

I've already posted once before (twice?) on sites related to those two amazing -- and I'd argue quite important in US history -- explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

National Geographic also has an amazing site full of information and interactive pages. You can retrace the trip and read journal entries and see drawings and other images related to the trip.

Check National Geographic -- Lewis and Clark

Endanged Species, Conservation, the Environment

The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) offers an entire website dedicated to providing students (they indicate high school but it could be any interested student) about endangered animal species, conservation, and environmental issues. There are links to help with homework, ideas for projects, and a number of resources relating to specific animals that are deemed endangered.

This seems like an important and useful site when it comes to issues such as the biology of our earth and the care we must take, as humans, in protecting it.

WWF High School

King Tut

I well remember the hubbub and excitement when relics from King Tut's tomb made their US tour some 20 years ago. Now another tour has started and, while not as much todoo is being made, there is still a great deal of interest in the remaining worldly items from the burial site.

National Geographic has a website with interactive illustrations & pictures, not to mention narration that seems quite good. The site is called: Unraveling the Mystery of King Tutankhamun

Mad Cow Disease

With another apparent case of Mad Cow Disease (this time from Texas, I believe), much publicity is once again focused on this kind of scary disease. Part of the reason it seems a bit scary is because it also seems a bit mysterious.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has this page dedicated to passing on information about this disease (which is technically called: BSE -- bovine spongiform encephalopathy). A serious issue, certainly, but an instance where the more you know the more balanced and thoughtful your reactions will be.

Roller Coaster Info Galore!

If you're a big roller coaster fan -- as I am but I'm stuck in a region of the country where the biggest roller coasters are pretty meek and mild compared to elsewhere -- you should check out the Roller Coaster Database. Here's site that has all you need to know about roller coasters not just in the US but all over the world.

Reading Material From Smalltown USA

If you've ever had a hankering to check out what's making the news outside of the metro areas of the country, take a visit to Small Town Papers. A great way to get a glimpse into the pulse of places outside (one would think) of the fast pace of big city life.

Surf's Up!

Although not a Californian, I guess I'm a sucker when I see things like "Surfin' Scientist". Courtesy of the Australian Broadcasting System, there is such a guy!

His site -- called, you won't be surprised to learn: Surfing Scientist -- has a host of fun and imaginative experiments to try. I guess he even visits schools, although I doubt he makes it to many schools on this side of the equator.

Definitely something to check out. Teachers will like the teacher resources and the kids will like the science tricks and experiments. You can even ask the Surfing Scientist a question of your own.

Cool dude!

One Summer Outpost For Fun -- Themeparks!

If you thinking about taking a trip to one of the many themeparks in the US -- and would like information, advice, safety evaluations, or even hotels in the park's area -- visit ThemePark Insider for all the info you'll need!

How To How To

If you've ever had a hankering to write a How-To manual, the wikiHow and eHow partnered websites give you your chance to write a guide that actually is clear, concise, and helpful.

In true Wiki tradition, you can write your best and then others contributors will tweak and (maybe) improve on your manual. It's all one great big collaboration.

Certainly worth a try! Their motto is: Clear instructions on how to do just about anything!

Blogs and Education

Ran across this site -- Blogs and Education -- that offers a host of information about blogs in the school setting. Impressive.

Webby Awards 2005

One year ago I made my discovery of the Webby Awards and included them in a post a while back. This is what I said then:

Each year The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences presents The Webby Awards designed to showcase the best there is out there on the web.

For this year's nominees and winners, click here. You'll find a wide range of categories, some of which include: Best Practices, Community, Education, Film, Finance, Government/Law, Health, Humor, Living, Music, Print+Zines, Politics, Children, Science, Travel, and more.

Also, don't miss a whole category of winners chosen in the People's Voice Awards. A lot of great sites!

Now we have the new awards....just announced. It's the 9th annual set of awards. The link above should take you to the list of this year's winners.

Some of the sites are interesting enough that I will make individual posts highlighting them. But if you're interested in get a look at the whole list right now, click here.

Oh, and one thing I think you'll notice is that they've added many more categories to recognize web sites of excellence. What an amazing diversity out there!

Crawlly But Not Creepy

Here's a site that you will really dig. Worm Watch is dedicated to that critter that some people don't think much of but is a vital part of our eco-system.

Much to learn about this earthy character.

If You Love Limericks

The Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form is in the process of reviewing and verifying a whole dictionary's worth of limericks. Here you'll find limericks on all subjects from computers to cats.

The many dedicated souls working on this "limerictionary" from 13 countries in which English is spoken are working their way through the alphabet. As of today, they've covered words starting with letters "aa" up to "ba". I'm not sure how long they've been at it, but it appears as if this project will be going and going and going for years to come. But someday there will be a breadth & wealth of limericks quite unbelievable! Even now, there are more than you might imagine just starting with letters aa through ba.