Take 5! Integration Update - April 28, 2010 (Vol.1/#10)

Here is your 10th installment of the Take 5! Integration Update.
“Take 5” is a weekly email update containing information related to teaching and learning for today and beyond...

Take just 5 minutes (or less) to look over these resources and see what might be helpful for your and/or your students. Better yet, set aside at least 15 minutes a week to focus on finding resources and ideas that will improve student learning and prepare them for their future!




Tips and Tools for Teachers


1) Blaberize - http://blabberize.com/
A talking llama!??!?! Make pictures talk... Perhaps a famous historical figure, an animal, yourself, or your students! Teachers have used this for introducing topics, “guest speakers,” and having students role play a famous person. 

2) Snopes - http://www.snopes.com/ 
Gotten any email rumors lately about some new thing to be fearful of, invest in, or spend your precious time doing? Before forwarding the message to hundreds of your closest friends, check it out on Snopes first! (One negative - this site has lots of ads, but it has good info and allow you and your students to practice your information literacy skills – discern ads vs. content!)

Here are some favorite “fakes” debunked on Snopes -- (i.e., these are ALL FALSE, they’re FAKE, NOT TRUE...)

• Child doing a science or social studies project where you are to add your name or an asterisk next to your name if listed.
  
• Mormons own the Coca-Cola Company.
  
• (better yet...) Little Mikey of LIFE cereal fame died from mixing Coke w/ Pop Rocks candy.
  
• Chewing gum takes 7 years to pass through the digestive system.
  
• (and one to be debated in science classes everywhere...) Dropped food remains germ-free if picked up within 5 seconds — ie, “The 5-Second Rule.” Just because we want things to be true does not make them so! (see link for more details - http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/dropped.asp )

Ponderings

   OUNCE OF PREVENTION: When was the last time you backed up your computer files? (or at least the ones you’d be sad to lose!)

Learning Opportunities 

   REVS’ trainings & workshops calendar - http://ed-tech-integration.pbworks.com/Workshops (Summer offerings coming soon!)

Just for Fun! ;-)

   The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)
http://bit.ly/25analogies
(NOTE: I used bit.ly to shorten the full URL/web address)

Take 5! Integration Update - April 21, 2010 (Vol.1/#9)

Here is your 9th installment of the Take 5! Integration Update.
“Take 5” is a weekly email update containing information related to teaching and learning for today and beyond...

Take just 5 minutes (or less) to look over these resources and see what might be helpful for your and/or your students. Better yet, set aside at least 15 minutes a week to focus on finding resources and ideas that will improve student learning and prepare them for their future!




Tips and Tools for Teachers

1) Common Sense Media - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

Reviews for parents and teachers about popular media (movies, video games, websites, TV, and music) and lessons for teachers on Digital Literacy and Citizenship.

2) Flame - http://www.escapemotions.com/experiments/flame/index.html#top

Artful creations with your mouse (good for PPT backgrounds or student artistic creations). Here’s a sample...

Ponderings


Short Video (~8 min.)
Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids (TED talk) http://www.ted.com/talks/adora_svitak.html


Point to Ponder...
What have you learned recently from kids/students? Is your classroom a reciprocal one?

Learning Opportunities... Next issue!

Just for Fun! ;-)  Next issue!

Take 5! Integration Update - April 6, 2010 (Vol.1/#7)

Tips and Tools for Teachers


1) Our Courts – 21st Century Civics for middle school students (a site envisioned by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor)
 http://www.ourcourts.org/


2) Education World Templates (an oldie, but goodie website) - Assessments, Awards/Certificates, Classroom Organizers, Election/Government Templates, Graphic Organizers (Venn, KWL, Family Tree, Story Map, etc.), Classroom Coupons,  Monthly Newsletters, Notepads, Posters/Signs, and MUCH MORE! Find your favorites and share with your team/department!
http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/index.shtml


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Ponderings


Short Reading


40 Interesting Ways* to use your Pocket Video Camera in the Classroom – Now that each building has at least ONE camera to use... Here are some ideas: http://www.slideshare.net/mbelinsky/forty-interesting-ways-to-use-your-pocket-video-camera-in-the-classroom  
Or read an article from the March 2010 T/H/E Journal “Flippin’ Out” -- Students and teachers alike are enthralled by the Flip Video camcorder, an easy-to-use project tool that is charging up the classroom in a way not seen since the arrival of the iPod. - http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/03/01/flippin-out.aspx




Point to Ponder... What project/assignment can be redesigned to include digital video (at least as an option for students)?

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Learning Opportunities

FREE Ed-Tech magazines... Sign up for free issues or read them online (put on your calendar each week to spend some time w/ one of these):

• T.H.E. Journal - http://thejournal.com (online and print magazine versions... At least for now...) 
• EDUTOPIA – http://www.edutopia.org/magazine – from the George Lucas Foundation (yes, that George Lucas) -- only in an online version (not print) as of recently

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Just for Fun! ;-)  ... Next issue (as there’s nothing funny about the first week back after Spring Break!)