I just updated my Delicious (social bookmarking account) account with some fun holiday electronic content that you might be interested in. I know that my students will be surprised when some of the following content appears on the wiki!
Create your own old-school portrait without the long lines and K-Mart blue light announcements. Pho-ho-hoto Booth let's you upload an image, choose a body, then a background. Adjust the contrast to match the surroundings. Keep it for yourself or share it publicly. Free.
Want flames without the heat or smoke? Check out this computer-based fireplace. High-quality streaming holiday music included! Free.
In order to help parents with bed time on Dec. 24th, NORAD continues it's annual tradition of monitoring Santa as he makes his way around the world. Google has joined forces with the military of the United States and Canada and now we can track Santa's circuit around the world in 3D using GoogleEarth. The link is found here both for GoogleEarth and the special file (available Dec. 24). Free.
Have a great winter vacation!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Does anyone have ideas for songs to play in the classroom?
We tried using the song "Fireflies" by Owl Moon (with lyrics, without lyrics) as an auditory timer while we were cutting out our word sorts and it worked like a charm. There seemed to be less chatter, more quiet focus. The task was also completed faster compared to when we just put our online timer up on the screen during the previous week.
One final benefit: There is something eerily peaceful about listening to people whispering along with a song like this.
I'd love your suggestions if anyone has any...
We tried using the song "Fireflies" by Owl Moon (with lyrics, without lyrics) as an auditory timer while we were cutting out our word sorts and it worked like a charm. There seemed to be less chatter, more quiet focus. The task was also completed faster compared to when we just put our online timer up on the screen during the previous week.
One final benefit: There is something eerily peaceful about listening to people whispering along with a song like this.
I'd love your suggestions if anyone has any...
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Basic Rules For Basketball
Jedi II is sitting here next to me watching a video that is explaining the basic rules of basketball online (the one embedded above) to prepare for the Nuggets game that we'll attend tonight.
Why is this important? He's learning from an actual basketball coach and a couple of his players that are showing violations much better than I can. Even if we were to go outside today, it would only be the two of us and neither of us has the expertise/background to show the violations that are being demonstrated online.
He also watched the video three times in order to get all of the information that he needed; the last time he was "shouting" out answers to me/new vocabulary/nodding confirmations to me of facts he was just learning.
Sample of new vocabulary: Pivot foot, advance, three-point line, violation
Now he is on the floor flipping through a three-ring binder that has belt loop and pin requirements, trying to find the page(s) that I can sign off for him (which is also antiquated since we now enter his achievements online).
When he does find the page, there are links under each requirement that help us find what he needs to do online.
Wow has life changed! I wonder what it will be like to learn how to use a pocketknife from a master carver instead of a soap carver like me.
Why is this important? He's learning from an actual basketball coach and a couple of his players that are showing violations much better than I can. Even if we were to go outside today, it would only be the two of us and neither of us has the expertise/background to show the violations that are being demonstrated online.
He also watched the video three times in order to get all of the information that he needed; the last time he was "shouting" out answers to me/new vocabulary/nodding confirmations to me of facts he was just learning.
Sample of new vocabulary: Pivot foot, advance, three-point line, violation
Now he is on the floor flipping through a three-ring binder that has belt loop and pin requirements, trying to find the page(s) that I can sign off for him (which is also antiquated since we now enter his achievements online).
When he does find the page, there are links under each requirement that help us find what he needs to do online.
Wow has life changed! I wonder what it will be like to learn how to use a pocketknife from a master carver instead of a soap carver like me.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Three Leads
Draft of a Setting Lead:
The snow carpeted the barren hill and muffled the sound of cars crawling along the icy road. Kids stared longingly through frosted windows at the slope, pleading with their parents to take them to the Sledding Hill.
Draft of a Dialogue Lead:
"You're not taking him on the Sledding Hill, are you?" my wife asked, hands on her hips and leaning over the porch.
"Yeah! He can handle it!"
Jedi II wrestled the three-person inflatable sled into the back of the pickup truck, and jumped into the booster seat.
Draft of an Action Lead:
We both jumped onto the sled together at the same time. The sled took off down the hill like a moon rocket. A puff of powdered snow billowed up into my face, blinding me long enough to almost run over a teenager trudging up the hill with his plastic toboggan.
The snow carpeted the barren hill and muffled the sound of cars crawling along the icy road. Kids stared longingly through frosted windows at the slope, pleading with their parents to take them to the Sledding Hill.
Draft of a Dialogue Lead:
"You're not taking him on the Sledding Hill, are you?" my wife asked, hands on her hips and leaning over the porch.
"Yeah! He can handle it!"
Jedi II wrestled the three-person inflatable sled into the back of the pickup truck, and jumped into the booster seat.
Draft of an Action Lead:
We both jumped onto the sled together at the same time. The sled took off down the hill like a moon rocket. A puff of powdered snow billowed up into my face, blinding me long enough to almost run over a teenager trudging up the hill with his plastic toboggan.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"SNOW!"
"SNOW!"
Being awoken this way is not atypical in our house, however it is better than a large meaty thump followed by a snowballing cry. Those are the rough mornings.
Yesterday we were scheduled to go to my parent's house to help them with their kitchen remodeling project (I don't need a ladder to reach the ceiling which decreases the construction time exponentially), but plans changed the minute that my crew woke up and looked outside. I then spent most of the morning negotiating who would ride what sled when and dodging cranium-crushing snowballs delicately tossed off the deck by my wife.
After Princess Ballerina was lured back inside with hot cocoa ("ckocklate" she says), and a warning from Mommy that lunch would be in an hour, Jedi II and I strapped down our three-person tube sled in the bed of the truck and drove to The Sledding Hill, now currently known as Sledding Hill Park (directions).
Since this was Jedi II's inaugural trip to the Sledding Hill, I briefed him along the way on what to expect (minus the gory stories of splintering sleds and firetrucks roaring up the hill to care for injured sledders). The most important thing: Always look uphill.
We parked and picked our launch spot. I scanned the dirt-smeared slope for sled-busting rocks while Jedi II scanned for prairie dog mounds that would make great jumps and tall weeds to sled through (just like I did when I was his age). With a shove and a warning ("Always look uphill"), he was off.
About ten feet down the slope he fell off and was almost hit by a kindergartner on a red plastic toboggan, which then almost led to him being side-swiped by a high-schooler standing up on a kneeboard.
He made it back to the top, then continued sledding for two or three more runs safely.
By the time we got back to our house we missed lunch and had to explain to Princess Ballerina where we had been before she would lay her head down for her afternoon nap.
Needless to say that bedtime was not a struggle yesterday.
Being awoken this way is not atypical in our house, however it is better than a large meaty thump followed by a snowballing cry. Those are the rough mornings.
Yesterday we were scheduled to go to my parent's house to help them with their kitchen remodeling project (I don't need a ladder to reach the ceiling which decreases the construction time exponentially), but plans changed the minute that my crew woke up and looked outside. I then spent most of the morning negotiating who would ride what sled when and dodging cranium-crushing snowballs delicately tossed off the deck by my wife.
After Princess Ballerina was lured back inside with hot cocoa ("ckocklate" she says), and a warning from Mommy that lunch would be in an hour, Jedi II and I strapped down our three-person tube sled in the bed of the truck and drove to The Sledding Hill, now currently known as Sledding Hill Park (directions).
Since this was Jedi II's inaugural trip to the Sledding Hill, I briefed him along the way on what to expect (minus the gory stories of splintering sleds and firetrucks roaring up the hill to care for injured sledders). The most important thing: Always look uphill.
We parked and picked our launch spot. I scanned the dirt-smeared slope for sled-busting rocks while Jedi II scanned for prairie dog mounds that would make great jumps and tall weeds to sled through (just like I did when I was his age). With a shove and a warning ("Always look uphill"), he was off.
About ten feet down the slope he fell off and was almost hit by a kindergartner on a red plastic toboggan, which then almost led to him being side-swiped by a high-schooler standing up on a kneeboard.
He made it back to the top, then continued sledding for two or three more runs safely.
By the time we got back to our house we missed lunch and had to explain to Princess Ballerina where we had been before she would lay her head down for her afternoon nap.
Needless to say that bedtime was not a struggle yesterday.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Circle Map Ideas
List of Family Stories
-Great-grandmother sitting on a apple pie
-Causing my brother to choke on a plastic bead (he barfed up potatoes!)
-Sledding down the hill on a trash can lid
-Throwing mud balls against the wall to make dirt cookies
-Joey the goose biting my brother between his knees and his belly button
-The time my brother fell and broke his arm
-The time I pushed my brother and he broke his toe against the refrigerator
-The time that my dog Cody died after eating too much chocolate
-The time that my sister lied and said that my brothers and I took Oreos from the cookie jar
-My great-grandfather's peach tree
-The time my son poked his handlebars into his stomach
-The time that I almost flipped the truck on the way to school
-Great-grandmother sitting on a apple pie
-Causing my brother to choke on a plastic bead (he barfed up potatoes!)
-Sledding down the hill on a trash can lid
-Throwing mud balls against the wall to make dirt cookies
-Joey the goose biting my brother between his knees and his belly button
-The time my brother fell and broke his arm
-The time I pushed my brother and he broke his toe against the refrigerator
-The time that my dog Cody died after eating too much chocolate
-The time that my sister lied and said that my brothers and I took Oreos from the cookie jar
-My great-grandfather's peach tree
-The time my son poked his handlebars into his stomach
-The time that I almost flipped the truck on the way to school
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Science Isn't Always Easy
This video is about a man who uses science and estimation every day.
I posted this here because sometimes we forget how science and math support each other like teammates on a football team.
I wish him the best of luck! Please post your feedback in our wikispace.
I posted this here because sometimes we forget how science and math support each other like teammates on a football team.
I wish him the best of luck! Please post your feedback in our wikispace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
