One Man's Journey ... and Back

Thank you to Roy for sharing this amazing story ... I'm sure many of you can relate to this adventure into the heart of darkness and back. 


My name is Roy and I'm neurotic (This is where I think you all say "Hi Roy")
Now for the disclaimers. There is nothing that follows that you need to read. You're being sent this because you've either recently expressed interest in my marathon and Cn tower climb journey, or once upon a time you've expressed interest in them. If you no longer have interest in these tales (or to be honest never did and have been patronizing me) or never have and have told me to stop sending them (yeah I'm talking to you Frank!) feel free to delete and be done with this.

If you're still reading, you're doing so at your own risk because you know I like to ramble. The marathon tale is a marathon in itself.

When we last met, I had completed my first full Marathon in Oct 2011. At the time, I was somewhat satisfied with my time of 3:42 even though the last 10 km were an experience in pain and inability to go forward owing to the symbolic wall that I had hit. This was followed by my best ever CN tower climb in April 2012 of 12:29 and best ever half marathon of 1:38 in May 2012. A summer full of training which included runs in Vienna, Austria, Mont Tremblant Quebec and Markham Ontario, the normal shedding of weight which led to the inevitable comments of "Hey Gandhi how's it going " or equally risque comments of "If you lose any more weight, I'm going to have to sponsor you on World Vision", and the total denial of alcohol, deserts and fried food. By the morning of the marathon, I weighed 140 lbs which was the same as last year. My pants were no longer fitting and I found myself longingly thinking of burgers, beer, wings and most of all CHIPS! OF course all of this was part of my belief that a healthy and low weight body would get me my best time (to save you the suspense of wondering, it didn't!)

It was a mild but wet morning on Sunday Oct 14 as we made our way down to the Marathon start line. I was feeling relatively good after a Sat night of lying on the sofa in prone position with the tv on (a rarity and maybe even a first for me). Only slight issues were a throbbing toe (never, EVER kick a door with a marathon less than a week away - there's a story behind that that I will only share if you buy me a beer or three), and a massive crowd that I knew would be in my way at the start. Nonetheless, I was aiming for a sub 3:39 time. The race started and it was a slow, SLOW start. Many, MANY people in the way. I passed some but found it tough to get into the pace I wanted. I uh passed a guy in full hockey gear - apparently he was trying to get into the guiness record book for fastest marathon in full hockey gear. Maybe I should have contacted guiness to see if I could aim for the fastest bald brown principal with a throbbing toe. There can't be THAT many of us out there!

At the 6 km mark, I was running at about a 5:10 pace which was 15 -20 seconds per km behind where I wanted to be. I didn't completely panic but did try and pick it up a bit. By the 11 km mark, I was still about 2 minutes behind where I wanted to be and would never in the end make up that time. Nonetheless, I was feeling fine with only a bit of foot and leg pain. Passed my cheering section at the half way point still feeling fresh and exchanged my water bottles as well. By 30km, doing alright and victory of victory I passed the 32 km mark still feeling o.k. I was going to do this . I was going to be alright. I was not going to hit the wall. And I didn't. What did happen however is that I fell apart mentally by the 34/35 km mark. My general plan is to run 5km segments and take a 30-45 second break to refuel at those points. All was going according to plan until about the 34/35 km mark when I suddenly started to fell incredibly drained and was taking breaks of over a minute ever 1 km or so. My pace which had been right around the 5 min per km mark for so long started to creep up and then soar up to over 6 min per km. The breaks kept getting more frequent, my time started going out the window and I knew that wall or not, something had gone wrong. At that point the mental shut down began. Negative self talk is a powerful thing. I despaired for the result I was heading towards but couldn't pick myself up. I kept taking longer and more frequent breaks. Someone told me the 81 year old was beating me. For the record, the 81 year old crushed me with a time of 3:31 - a time I still can't seem to get. As I reached the 40 km mark, I made a solid commitment to not stop anymore but my pace was that of a shuffling slow SLOW knee replacement surgery patient (no disrespect to any knee surgery patients out there because in truth you might of have been faster than me at that point). Couldn't even manage a final kick. Apparently Chantelle who rarely shows emotion cried as she saw me approach the finish line because I looked like I was coming from the grave. A future Halloween costume - Roy of the Dead - The Marathon Finish!

I crossed the line at 3:47 which was a full five minutes slower than last time. I was demoralized and spent, and only made it home because Lisa managed to get under the barrier and let me lean on her literally until we cleared the labyrinth of the post marathon walk - an experiment in sado masochism if you ask me. You finish a marathon, let me out instead of another seemingly endless walk! It probably is a sign of how little I weighed that Lisa COULD support my weight. At that point I was completely disconsolate. Brian was more than little annoyed at my lack of pride in my accomplishment but I didn't consider it an accomplishment at that point and still only KIND of do. Yes I finished but all that training and all those hopes for a 5 minute slower race? Excuses? None. Wind was o.k. Weather was ok and my foot didn't impact enough. I just couldn't do it. Now all I do take solace in is that the more I read the more I know that it's the last 10 km that are the issue in a marathon. First one I caved at 32 km. This one I caved at 34. I've said I am NOT doing one next year but whenever I do, maybe I'll get to 36 or 37 before I break. Time will tell.

Post Marathon was an interesting graphic story of hurling several SEVERAL times at home to the point that the next morning I weighed 137 lbs!!! Fun stuff.

The marathon was on Oct 14, Oct 15 was off and then Oct 16-18 CN tower training

This email is already too long so condensed version of cn tower climb is this. Wasn't expecting a good time going into CN tower climb because my foot was starting to throb and calf muscles were tight.

Got up at 3:40 am. on Saturday and at the tower by 4:45 am. 20 people were already waiting in line. There are LOTS of sickies out there! Climb seemed to go well and while I didn't have a pb time, I did have my third fastest time at 12:41. 12 seconds off my pb from last April. Take a look at the results so you can see my name in the top 15.

http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/climbforunitedway/CNTowerResults20Oct2012-bytime.pdf

Notice I didn't send you the marathon results (go to sportstats.ca for those results)

All told, I was satisfied with the CN tower climb, and sadly I've decided NOT to retire yet. The day will come when I start getting much slower. On that day, I'm done. Until such time, the training regime will continue but for next few months, it's more about getting muscle mass back.

For the record, I've gained 10 pounds since the marathon and about 7 since CN tower climb. I doubt my one day of weight training can account for that so maybe it's the 3 bags of chips I've inhaled as well as the snacks and deserts. At the very least, my pants are starting to fit again. So thanks for reading or deleting and you won't have to hear anymore until April when the journey of the neurotic brown man continues!

Roy

Bloom's Revised Taxonomy - yet again!

Bloom's Taxonomy ... Revised for the 21st Century, again.  I really like this version and the essence of it and how it applies to education and the classrooms is wonderfully explained.  You've got to visit this website ... http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html - there's a lot to see and read.  Also, teachers will find the site easy to read, follow, collect ideas, and utilize in the classroom. Wonderful anchor charts!

Using iPads for Learning

Great site ... check it out!  After the Contents page, it may be blank ... just click on the link below and go to the Site directly.  Well worth the time if you plan to use an iPad in your classroom.  This is a good starting place. Check it out!

iPads for Learning Getting Started

Reading Games ... Flash Learning for Grades JK to 3

http://www.mrcpl.org/literacy/lessons/sight/index.html
Learn Dolch Sight Words: Try these Macromedia Flash Learning Games ... Brought to you by the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library - They have provided this easy-to-use site for students and teachers.  The focus is on READING ... Students can play various games like MATCHING, SENTENCE BUILDING, SIGHT WORD STORIES, PICTURE WORDS, and CREATE A STORY.  This is an interactive site that young students will have fun and learn.

Literactive - Teaching Children to Read

http://www.literactive.com/Home/index.asp

Literactive is one of the leading providers of reading material for pre-school, kindergarten and grade 1 students available online. The program is comprised of carefully levelled guided readers, comprehensive phonic activities and a wealth of supplemental reading material which gradually develop a child's reading skills in a sequential and enjoyable manner. All the material is available for free from this site but you need to register. You can select activities focussing on ... PHONICS, GUIDED READING, READING SKILLS ACTIVITIES, E-POETRY, E-PICTURE BOOKS (independent reading), BLMs to download and even ESL (Spanish). Teachers can use the site in the classroom and even provide link to parents. 

Fractured Fairy Tales - ReadWriteThink

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/fractured-fairy-tales-30062.html

This is a very simple website for students to use.  They can enjoy reading well-known stories - but, with a twist!  Students of all ages can also write their very own fractured fairy tales.  Especially a lot of fun for Primary students too.  This site is great for educators as well as it readily provides lesson plans for teachers ... From JK - 8, teachers will have really good activities to use in order to cover the curriculum.  This site is fun, educational and worth visiting.

Khan Academy ... Flipping the Classroom

Videolicious

Videolicious is a super easy app to use with your ipod or smart phone ... make neat videos in 3 easy steps ... great little projects for students when away on class trips, sports outings, or on family vacations. Check it out - click the title or picture and go to the site and download the app ... FREE! Thanks Jordan.

PSA: Toronto Police Force ... Teaching Kids about 9-1-1

This link is from the Toronto Police ... we encourage schools to encourage parents to watch the video link and teach their children how to call 9-1-1. This is part of a current awareness campaign of not only how to use 9-1-1, but also proper use of the system. Please, encourage all to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP8zM-EW7qY&feature=share

PreDio - Lake St. George (TRCA/TCDSB)

Press Play and watch ... you click on Play again to Pause and click again to Play.

This is an example of a PreDio.

For those Parents coming to view info on Lake St. George, you can view this one or the presentation later on (further into the Blog). Additional information is available on the blog entry further in.

How to Embed a PowerPoint on Blogger

Using Slideshare ... Embed your PowerPoints on Blogger ... Easy

Adding Powerpoints to our class blog

View more PowerPoint from mrstaceysclass

Lake St. George Parent Information Nite

Parents, here is a brief presentation that was delivered to all parents for Parent Information Night.  If you missed it, no problem.  You can view it here at your convenience.

Storybird - Artful storytelling

Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print. Read them like books, play them like games, and send them like greeting cards. They're curiously fun. You can embed them in a blog or wiki ... you can even make them into books (you pay for this feature). All in all, the website gives you tutorials on how to sign-up, setup your class, use the program, and produce good looking stories.

This is a nice and easy site to use, as Toni says, "For all students from Grade 1 to 8." Check it out.

Thanks Toni for the link ... another wonderful link for teachers. For more information, visit http://storybird.com/

Revolver Maps - Free 3D Visitor Maps

http://www.revolvermaps.com/?target=home

Great to add to your site ... red dots indicate the locations of those on
your site - Live!

Best New Edublog 2009 | The Edublog Awards

http://edublogawards.com/2009/best-new-edublog-2009/

Best blogs of 2009

The 2010 Edublog Awards | The Edublog Awards

http://edublogawards.com/2010awards/

Check out the best of 2010

Presentation/Slideshow

http://pinterest.com/dkapuler/presentation-slideshow/

David K's Pinterest Board

Child Safety Coloring Sheets & Coloring Book Pages

This is a very nice website for parents and teachers ... it has plenty of information and downloadable/copiable handouts and booklets broaching the topic of child safety and abuse prevention programs.

Easy to read and discuss with a child. Easy for all caregivers to use. Thank you for the wonderful information Anna!

http://www.keepyourchildsafe.org/safety-coloring-sheet.asp

Top 10 Sites for Educational Resources

by David Kapuler
There are many resources for educators and students all over the web, but it would take an eternity to decipher what's good and what's junk. So, David has created a list of his picks for best educational resources. You should also visit his blog (noted at the end) for more top websites and tools that are worthy!

Thinkfinity - One of the most popular educational resource sites on the web. Created by Verizon Foundation with 1000s of lesson plans, interactive tools, etc.
Teachers.net - A wonderful site with lesson plans created by teachers for teachers. A ton of classroom projects in all subjects and grade levels can be found here too.
Edhelper - A great collection of educational resources on all subject areas. This is a paid service for a low cost which can be purchased in teacher packs of five as well.
Shmoop - One of my favorite sites for education. A very fun and friendly site with a variety of resources such as links, lesson plans, guides, etc.
teAchnology - 1000s of lesson plans can be found here as well as other resources on holidays, events, etc.
Super Teacher Worksheets - A massive list of free printable worksheets for teachers on a number of subject areas.
Educational World - A great site with lesson plans and other materials for teachers.
TeachAde - A social network designed for educators with lots of free educational materials and a beautiful user interface.
Cybraryman - An excellent site with multiple links and resources for educators and students.
FREE - Free Resources for Educational Excellence. This site has it all -- lessons, videos, documents and more.
David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com

The 50 Best Websites of 2011 - TIME

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2087815,00.html

Time Magazine's Top Lists ...and also from 2010, 2009

Dear Photograph

http://dearphotograph.com/

What a great and simple activity to do ... nostalgic, fun, making
connections, writing, posting on blogs, family can get involved, and best of
all, FREE and EASY TO DO!

realshow presenter

RealShow Presenter:

 

http://www.freewarefiles.com/RealShow_program_63190.html

 

RealShow provides a simple technique to integrate popular PowerPoint slides, freehand drawings, text typing, web pages, and direct teacher’s video view in one single window. It allows teachers create video and flash content using several translation techniques, including facial expressions, natural gestures, and sign language, which help convey messages.

RealShow encourages teachers in developing nations to produce video content using a cost-effective solution and share their content via RealShow website and electronic or mobile media, which can be used to bridge many gaps.

 

 

280 slides

280 Slides:

 

http://www.ilovefreesoftware.com/02/webware/280slides-create-and-share-presentations-online-for-free.html

 

Wow!That was the reaction I had as soon as I opened the 280slides online PPT editor. Having seen and reviewed some of the best free software, it is not usual for me to gasp like this. But 280Slides really left me amazed. It is hard to believe that 280Slides is a web application. It seems like a software that you have installed on your desktop. The website has been designed beautifully, and using this website is really amazing. Absolutely love it!

280Slides is a free website to create presentations online. It is completely free, and it comes with amazing features. First thing that will thoroughly impress you is the nice interface. Everything is so obvious to use in the interface. Creating a presentation online with 280Slides is a really easy process.

 

 

powerbullet presenter

PowerBullet Presenter:

 

http://wareseeker.com/download/powerbullet-presenter-1.44.rar/332339

 

Powerbullet Presenter is small, simple to use and of course free. Use it to create presentations in the Flash™ format. You don't need any experience to create slick, animated presentations, and it has loads of functionality to get you up and running quickly. Simply type, click and drag. Entirely free, no ads, no catch.

 

Powerbullet is a small, simple program for creating presentations in the Flash format. You should have minimal startup time in getting your first presentation together if you're familiar with using a basic word processor.

 

Most commonly-used operations are available with a button click or two, and there are handy keyboard shortcuts for most operations. For instance, using the up and down arrow keys - in conjunction with the Control and Shift key - dynamically increases or decreases the font size, giving you instant feedback.

 

Powerbullet Presenter is specifically designed for creating multi-page presentations that are commonly used in electronic sales brochures and catalogues, splash screens, tutorials, slide-shows and student projects.

 

You can also create a self-running show, specifying delays on each page, or you can link the timing to the sound attached to each page.

 

Your presentations can be exported as an HTML page with an embedded Flash for playback on any platform that supports a web browser and Flash. You can also create an independent Windows executable file.

 

Create standard presentations easily or customize You can easily create presentations using drag and drop, or you can hand tune the HTML data which describes the Powerbullet Pages and create your own animation sequences.

Unusual fonts

Your text is converted to Flash format, so unusual fonts can be displayed on any machine.

Online or Offline Presentations

Your presentation will be exported both as Flash (embedded in HTML) and as an executable file (.exe), so you can use it for the web or run it as a Microsoft Powerpoint-like presentation on any Windows PC (without requiring any special software to be installed).

Presentations for every purpose

Powerbullet Presenter is specifically designed for creating multi-page presentations that are commonly used in electronic sales brochures and catalogues, splash screens, slideshows and educational projects for both teachers and students.

 

 

zoho

Zoho:

 

https://show.zoho.com/login.do

 

Introducing Zoho Show 2.0: The online tool for making powerful presentations.Whether you are a professional, a teacher, a student, a businessman, a salesman or anyone looking to put together a cool presentation, you have come to the right place. Zoho Show's pre-built themes, clipart and shapes coupled with features like drag-and-drop makes it an easy application to use.

 

 

 

PreZentit:

 

http://prezentit.com/

 

With PreZentit

◦Create presentations in a few clicks, wherever you are.

◦You only need a web browser.

◦Work with your team in the same presentation at the same time.

◦Your presentations can be private or public. And each one has its own web address.

◦Download your presentations and show them even without an Internet connection.

◦There is no limit in the number or length of the presentations and you have 250MB to store your images.

◦The presentations are web pages (HTML) so you could even edit them manually (if you want it)..

 

 

KIZOA

Kizoa:

http://www.kizoa.com/creating-slideshows?gclid=CKv7z9DZ16sCFcsBQAodSieIOw

Create a Free Photo Slideshow with Music, Text and Special Effects.

Making slideshow’s with Kizoa is free, fun and easy! Get started by clicking on the button above and create your account. Once you have created your Kizoa account, you'll be able to create truly amazing slideshows in seconds.

With Kizoa's unique text, music, animation and other special effects, there are unlimited possibilities to customize your slideshow!

                            

Get started today! There's no software to download, and it's free!

10 Great iPad Apps for Autistic Children

Below are 5 basic skills which autistic children learn by playing games and puzzles on their iPad:

1. Social skills
2. Fine motor skills
3. Language and communication skills
4. Sensory skills
5. Stress reduction

Education experts are raving over the Apple iPad, but not for its ability to help kids with their homework or influence secondary language fluency; in the spotlight today is the way Apple’s new iPad touchscreen device is revolutionizing the way we teach children with autism.

http://www.b12patch.com/blog/autism/10-great-ipad-apps-for-autistic-children/

EduGAINS ... Ontario Curriculum Docs

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/index.html

Great site for teachers to get information about Ontario curriculum.  Great site for what docs are new and

EduGAINS ... Building individual and collective capacities to improve teaching and learning in Ontario ... The Pulse of the Province

Here's an example:

Paying Attention to Literacy K-12 Paying Attention to Literacy K-12 compiles key learning from an extensive body of current field experience and research-based knowledge in literacy, and provides a framework for conversations about processes and strategies that will help improve literacy learning and teaching in Ontario schools. Click on < Leading Change > in the left menu on the LiteracyGAINS home page.

Google+ Hangouts: Six Practical Uses for Online Education

Google+ Hangouts: Six Practical Uses for Online Education 
by Jeremy Vest : Learning Solutions Magazine

What is a Google+ Hangout? A Hangout is a video group chat in Google+ for up to 10 people. If you click “Hangouts with extras” when you start a Hangout, you will see that it has a whole lot more power then just a Web chat feature. (Figure 1) In fact, it’s very close to the power of the best online meeting websites. For very small classes, this might be a good alternative to expensive online meeting Websites

If seeing, hearing, or sharing with your online students could help the learning process, then Google+ Hangouts could be a great, engaging venue for your students. Considering that many students use Social Media as one of the primary ways to communicate, this might be a way to better engage younger generations.

Interested? Click the link below:
http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/772/google-hangouts-six-practic
al-uses-for-online-education

Wordle - Beautiful Word Clouds

This is a very easy website to use.  Great for teachers and students of all ages.
Click on CREATE and you are on your way!

http://www.wordle.net/

Glogster ... Online Multimedia Posters

Glogster is the leading global education platform for the creative expression of knowledge and skills in the classroom and beyond.  GLOGS are online multimedia posters - with text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds, drawings, data attachments and more.  
THIS IS NOT FREE TO CREATE, BUT YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL 
ALSO FREE IS THE ABILITY TO SEE THE MANY ALREADY MADE GLOGS.  

For Educators:
-A creative, collaborative, dynamic, and innovative digital outlet that makes teaching and learning more fun.
-A private and safe platform, monitored directly by teachers.
-A valuable teaching tool that integrates diverse core subjects including math, science, history, art, photography, music and more.

For Learners:
-A fun, imaginative, and powerful learning experience that fosters independent and creative self expression, positive teacher-student relationships, and teamwork on class projects.
- A vibrant, multi-sensory learning experience that integrates student knowledge and skills with traditionally text-oriented subjects, and inspires intellectual curiosity.

www.edu.glogster.com

To see already posted GLOGS, go to:    http://edu.glogster.com/glogpedia/

Spies in the Shadows ... How Real Can it Get?

http://www.spiesintheshadows.com/

Study espionage in the classroom ... An historical study of the role of espionage in Canada. WHY SPY? What is espionage and why do governments, companies, and people spend major resources on it? Perhaps this question was best answered by the hero of the Napoleonic Wars, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who was “guessing what was at the other side of the hill.” The goal of espionage, intelligence, or spying, is usually to find information, especially regarding knowledge (what do you know that we don’t) or intentions (what do you plan to do, and why?).

Intelligence is about understanding an adversary, whether military, business or personal. Governments gather intelligence to become informed about what other countries are planning to do, whether to improve their own negotiating position, or to anticipate what repercussions intended or unintended actions might create. In the private sector, companies seek information about their competitors and their products. Stealing technology is often cheaper and faster than paying for independent research. Investors also perform “due diligence” investigations on companies that want to borrow their money.

In countries like Canada, most intelligence comes from open source intelligence: sources like newspapers, television, or the internet. In fact, most intelligence in the western world derives from publicly available sources. However, sometimes “what was at the other side of the hill,” or in an enemy’s filing cabinet, or tactics being transmitted to soldiers, all represent secret, highly sensitive information. For this, the goal of espionage – agencies, tools and tactics— is to learn what others try to keep secret.  Learning couldn't get any easier and more real ... Check out this site ... no, better still, have your students check it out!

Link to Learning ... A Good Place for Intermediate and High School Teachers

Link to Learning ... http://www.linktolearning.com/

Linking you to websites supporting the Ontario curriculum ... Grade 7 to 12.

You'll find Web-Based Student Learning Activities and this site is just for teachers.  You'll see:

-Ontario Curriculum Expectations by Grade
-Lesson Plans and Teaching Ideas
-Assessment and Evaluation

Want to learn more ... visit:  http://www.linktolearning.com/

Put a Prezi in Your PowerPoint

http://www.slidedynamic.com/slidedynamic-addin/download-trial
Here's how you can put a Prezi in your powerpoint ...

Use “slidedynamic” (amazing little add-on) to embed a powerpoint in a prezi ... easy and no cost to you. You’ll need to download something called an add-on for your PowerPoint ... This particular add-on is called “Slidedynamic”
[A] PowerPoint add-on to embed a Prezi in your PowerPoint Presentation (2007 and 2010):
1. Download and Install “Slidedynamic” add-on for PowerPoint (see url below)
http://www.slidedynamic.com/slidedynamic-addin/download-trial
Go to the bottom of the page where it says “download” and click it ...
2. Save it to your desktop ... it saves a zipped folder to your desktop
3. Unzip the folder (right clicking on it and choosing “extract all”) ... it will put another folder onto your desktop (called Slidedynamic_lite).
4. You can leave it here or cut/paste onto your C: drive (Up to you)
5. Go into the folder and click on SETUP ... this will begin to install the add-on for PowerPoint (follow the directions ... it’s a no-brainer to do)
4. Once installed, it will open PowerPoint for you and automatically place another tab in your PowerPoint toolbar area called “Slidedynamic”
You are ready for the next step
[B] PowerPoint:
1. Start your PowerPoint and add whatever slides you want
2. Go to the slide where you want the Prezi embedded
3. Save your PowerPoint Presentation in a folder somewhere ... make sure you remember where you saved it – this is the hardest thing of all we’re doing here.
We’ll come back to this ...
[C] Download your ready-made Prezi from the website
1. Download and save your Prezi from the Prezi.com website
2. Unzip Prezi zipped folder that you downloaded (This is called your “offline Prezi”)
3. Find your unzipped prezi and you’ll see 3 things in the folder
4. Copy the 2 folders (called “data” and “prezi.app”and paste these both into the same folder you saved your already started powerpoint document (Step [B] above).
5. Great ... you’re done here. Now, go back to your PowerPoint
[D] In the PowerPoint presentation ... the one you already started from above
1. Go to the slide where you want the prezi embedded
2. Click the tab “Slidedynamic”
3. Click “insert offline prezi”
4. Your prezi will be there ... it’s the rectangle with an “x” through it ... don’t worry, it’s there!
5. You can resize if you want.
6. Click “slideshow” to watch your Powerpoint ... and in this case, your prezi. Control the prezi as you would any prezi.
You’re all done! That read and looked harder than it actually was. It’s really not as hard as the instructions look ... once you do one, you’ll see how easy it is to do. I hope this has helped you.
For more help (and visual assistance), check out my favourite place to learn how to do stuff...
YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKpeHMC6h6s

Enjoy!

How to Make a PreDio (Prezi-Video)

Do you have a cool Prezi with pictures, video clips, and neat animation and motion? Do you want it on your blog, but it's not online (with html embedding code)...Oh, you have it saved as an offline Prezi. You're okay with the computer, but all this embedding stuff, downloading, using online software and converting drives you crazy and worst of all - it's time consuming. You just want the presentation you worked so hard to do on the blog as fast as possible!! Well, here's a simple solution for you. Make a PreDio - you got it - a Prezi-Video.
The way you make a PreDio is ...
1. Make a Prezi
2. Have screen capture software available (screencast-o-matic)
3. Load screen capture and ready
4. Start Prezi to play (home)
5. Start screen capture
6. Start Prezi at a rate easy for all to follow ... play all of it
7. As Prezi is playing, you are recording it.
8. When done, stop Prezi back at home and stop screen capture
9. Save file as .avi or .wmv or whatever format it allows
10. Now, you've got a PreDio (Prezi-Video) to embed on your blog
That was Easy!

Super Teacher Worksheets

This website is a simple link to worksheets ... some you need to register, but most are free to download and print ... topics include math, language, social studies, science, puzzles, brain teasers, and more. Enjoy
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/

WorksheetWorks.com

Get worksheets for English/Language, Math, Geography, Puzzles, and miscellaneous stuff (e.g., scissor-cutting practice). A wonderfully easy site to use and no computer knowledge is really needed. It's a nice site where you set the parameters (you choose things by selecting options) and then they create a pdf for you of the worksheet you created. Then, you just download (save and print) your created worksheet.

http://www.worksheetworks.com/

K-5 Computer Lab

This is a site with Gr. K-5 lesson plans ... there are activities using a variety of multi-media tools. This is a very resourceful website and very easy to use - you can get ideas, download lesson plans, see tangible examples of what you should be looking for. Best of all, everything (technology software, tools, sites) used on the site can be accessed or downloaded for FREE - it is shareware or freeware. A wonderful site to use if you're starting a new grade and want to implement technology into your everyday teaching - a good way to start, no doubt about it. To get started, use the drop-down links on the left-hand side of the site. Enjoy!

Web 2.0 teaching tools to enhance education and learning - Edjudo

Don't know where to find a web 2.0 tool or better yet, you don't know if such a tool exists? You want to do something, but where to look - don't fear. On this link, you'll search for an existing website, add-on, downloadable or whatever it is that you can use. It's broken up in catergories and gives a brief summary. This blog belongs to a high school teacher and he has a lot of fantastic content on it. One stop shopping, but not overwhelming in the least. Two thumbs-up!!

http://edjudo.com/web-2-0-teaching-tools-links

It's called GLASS

THIS IS REALLY, REALLY NEAT, A MUST SEE. THE FUTURE IS ALMOST HERE, THIS IS CORNING GLASS, AND THE IDEAS ARE MIND BOGGLING, yet scary, especially for those who find it hard trying to catch up with technology.
CLICK on GLASS

A Trailer from The Sundance Film Festival

A constant topic for Media Literacy class ... Miss Representation ... Women and the Media Also, don't forget to check out "Onslaught" by Dove and Greenpeace's version too - both are classics. Remember to check out "Evolution" by Dove. Type the titles into search above or on YouTube - You can't go wrong with the discussion these short clips will generate.

Speaking of Creativity ... SlideRocket

SlideRocket is a revolutionary new approach to business communications designed from the start to help you make great presentations that engage your audience and deliver tangible results.

The New Way To Present ...

Go Mobile: You never know when you might need to deliver an impromptu presentation. On a plane, on a train, "in a box, with a fox".

Social:Engage your social graph with SlideRocket's social and audience feedback features to turn your online presentation into a conversation.

Collaborative: Find new ways to work with your peers, your partners, your colleagues, your students ... tap into their collective consciousness.

Creativity and Collaboration

The power of innovation and imagination hold hands. Creativity is applied imagination. Click on the link ..

http://www.youtube.com/embed/63NTB7oObtw

CC Prose ... Watch, Read, and Listen

CC Prose is dedicated to making classic literature accessible to people around the world. By combining high quality audio, large print text, synchronized closed captions, and machine translations in multiple languages; they provide something for everyone.

Learning to read? What better way than to follow along with an expert?

Learning English? They include English audio and text in all the videos, but also provide subtitles in over 50 languages (these are machine translations, so they are not perfect, but they can be just the ticket for trying to follow along).

Vision impaired? The large, High Definition (HD) text based video should be just what you need.
Hard of Hearing? They've got you covered with text embedded on the video and in subtitles.
Just enjoy audiobooks? Well, they have you covered there, too, on your Android phone, your iPad, your tablet, your computer, or other web-enabled device.

Check out the Video Books on this site or visit The CCProse YouTube Channel.

And do I need to say it? - Okay, it's all FREE

Without Teachers There Can Be No Revolution

Just a few quotes that I thought were inspiring ...

Sir Ken Robinson, “Human communities depend upon a diversity of talent, not a singular conception of ability. At the heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of ability and intelligence.”

“We have built our education system on the fast-food model.”

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come out with anything original.”

“People are opting out of education because it doesn’t feed their passion.”

“Human flourishing is not a mechanical process; it’s an organic process.”

“Moving from an industrial model to a more agricultural model – personal and more meaningful.”

HAD I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
W.B. Yeats (1865–1939)

Tread softly as we tread on the dreams of our kids.

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! Be Disenthralled!

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! Video on TED.com

This is Sir Ken's talk at TED in 2010 ... another good piece of passion, learning, and putting education and work in perspective. This is a talk about what makes you passionate, creative, and love what you do - EDUCATION is the key, but the system is being fixed or reformed ... but it needs to be more than an evolutionary process. Sir Ken talks about REVOLUTION ... "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country." - Abraham Lincoln, 1862. I ask you: Are we not enthralled with concepts, ideas, and beliefs that were applicable to and coped with circumstances of the past and quite frankly, really have no purpose or function in today's society?

TED ... Behind the Scenes with Ken Robinson

My teaching is stronger now than ever before - I now see with a clearer lens so much in what Sir Ken says and does ... my teaching with kids and with adults falls nicely into the realm of Sir Ken's views. The pedagogical aspect is so clear - the next step is that as a system we need a paradigm shift and a better understanding of what truly is important. How do we foster that which we all call "creativity". Computers are tools for creativity, but they are also dust collectors if used (or misused) a certain way. The teacher's role is so different these days - the teacher is the new deliverer of the message and how that message is delivered varies in every classroom. After spending so much on curriculum and standards ... why aren't teachers the focus?

Click on the link to go to the site or just watch below ... you'll be inspired to be passionate, follow your dreams, and do what you do without knowing what you're going to do. I use this as inspiration when I need to talk to a large group. Who's qualified to give such talks? Nobody, really. Remember, your students (children and adult) "spread their dreams at your feet ... tread lightly". We are living in changing times ... revolutionary, not evolutionary!

Behind the TEDTalk 2010 from m ss ng p eces on Vimeo.

Passion ... What floats your boat?

Here's an article by Sir Ken ...

An original meaning of “passion” is to suffer or endure, as in the Passion of Christ. Its modern meanings have evolved to include love, attraction and pleasure. Finding our own element is also a journey from endurance to enjoyment. It’s a vital step, too, in moving from being one type of person to being the other type.

Creative Leadership ... Misconceptions and Afterthoughts

Here Robinson talks about making creativity a priority, his disdain for the term creative industries, leadership from the middle, and why in times of economic crisis creativity is an urgent imperative.

"Creativity is not some exotic, optional extra. It's a strategic issue," said Robinson while in Cannes where he was invited to speak about the necessity for creativity in innovation. "So what people are faced with is having to think very different about how to run organizations."

Creativity is NOT a priority with our education system ... right now, we're busy with standardized testing and comparing ourselves with other nations. How is our education system? How are our students doing? How is the money being spent. The optics of a school over-ride the fundamental necessities of the school. This direction and goals do not inspire creativity ... nor they do acknowledge, nor value creativity. In the words of Sir Ken, "If you want people to be literate, you have to get them passionate about reading and that's a creative job. To think of it as an afterthought or in conflict of the core purposes, is a misconception of what creativity is. Creative leaders get that. And if they don't they will."

Click on the title and read the whole article. A good read for administrators, superintendents, and teachers.

Personalized Learning

Learning from failures ... creativity is always something that comes out of failure. We must embrace failure, encourage failure, and build from failure. We should not pity failure, deny failure, nor should be degrade failure. If we encourage failure (not being afraid to fail), creativity is the offspring.

Taken from the article:

For Robinson, it’s simple: Teach students the way they learn.
“Personalized learning, to me, is the process of contouring learning to the individuals that you’re dealing with, recognizing that we all have different strengths and weaknesses, different interests [and] different ways of learning,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday from his Los Angeles base.
“It isn’t that everyone has to learn different things, although eventually our interests will take us in different directions,” he continued. “But in terms of the things we want all people to learn ... personalized learning is finding the best ways to engage with people with different interests, passions and ways of thinking.”
It’s what good teachers have always known, he added. “That their job is not to teach subjects, but to teach students.”

The Global Search for Education: More Arts Please

Creating a paradigm of shared ideas that will shift our current path ... funding the arts should increase and not decrease. Funding technology should be guided with this in mind. Just buying hardware is not good enough. H.G. Wells once said, "Civilization is a race between education and catastrophe". Where are we in this? Are we using education to live in the world and make it a better place or are we heading towards catastrophe? Are we trying to fill the vessel or start a fire?

Click the link to read the article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-m-rubin/the-global-search-for-edu_9_b_932670.html

(Taken from the article)

"To lose our culture is to lose our memory."

More Leonardo da Vincis, more Martha Grahams, more Ludwig Van Beethovens, more Luciano Pavarottis, more Marlon Brandos, more Antoni Gaudis, more Coco Chanels, more Bob Dylans, more Zhang Xiaogangs, more William Shakespeares, more Julia Margaret Camerons, more Gustav Vigelands, more Andrew Lloyd Webbers, more Francis Ford Coppolas, more Meryl Streeps, more Alice In Wonderlands, more Anna Pavlovas, more Michael Jacksons, more Vincent van Goghs, more Harry Potters, more Phil Knights, more Rabindranath Tagores, more Pablo Picassos, more John Steinbecks... Please Sir - can we have some more?
Sir Ken Robinson, PhD, is one of the internationally recognized leaders in the development of education creativity and innovation. He has received numerous honorary degrees from universities, and many awards from cultural organizations and governments, all over the world. He was knighted in 2003 by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the Arts. He has advised governments in Europe, Asia and North America on the Arts. In 2005 he was named one of Time/Fortune/CNN's Principal Voices. His book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, is a New York Times best seller and has been translated into 21 languages. His latest book is the 10th anniversary edition of his classic work on creativity and innovation, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative.
Sir Ken, what do you believe an arts curriculum should look like in primary and secondary school education?

Understanding Creativity ... Ahh, to be creative!

With Sir Ken Robinson ...Understanding creativity in order for us to meet the extra-ordinary challenges of the 21st century. Administrators and teachers need to watch this ... creativity shoudl not be an afterthought - it should be the means to inspire, motivate, and move forward. Creativity is the passion that drives humanity.

Prezi ... The Photostory Experience

This is amazing! Knowing nothing about the product, I registered and watched the how-to videos and then watched again. In all, after about 1 hour of playing and watching, I made a simple presentation that rocks. As an educator, you can get a version of Prezi that is very good and your cost is ... $0.00
Awesome and easy to use. It blows PowerPoint out of the water and adds a twist to your presentations. Visit the website and have fun. Watch and be amazed at this one ...This is it ... The Photostory Prezi ... completed in 2 hours (That includes 45 minutes of watching how-to videos). I can only get better with this stuff.

The first video is a crude and rudimentary effort, but I like it. This prezi was recorded with a screen capture and converted to avi and saved to moviemaker as a wmv ... to show as a video (easiest way to display on blog for fast turn-around) ... crude, but you'll get the point of how Prezi works and how Photostory works.




The second video was done using screen capture software (screencast-o-matic, like above - saved as an avi file) and then using avc (any video converter), converted to wmv format. This is faster and a little better quality. I did both rather fast to get it done and saved in lowest quality ... you could save to highest quality - it just takes longer to download to blog ... but worth it!

Prezi ... Presentation Software

This is amazing! Knowing nothing about the product, I registered and watched the how-to videos and then watched again. In all, after about 1 hour of playing and watching, I made a simple presentation that rocks. As an educator, you can get a version of Prezi that is very good and your cost is ... $0.00
Awesome and easy to use. It blows PowerPoint out of the water and adds a twist to your presentations. Visit the website and have fun. Watch and be amazed at this one ... Later, I will show you mine. Keep pressing PLAY button or ... Press MORE button and select AUTO PLAY

Coca Cola Company on Prezi

Top Ten Ways to Inspire Others to Be Their Best

Presented at TCDSB Leadership Strategy (Session 1): Thanks to Lori and Gary for bringing this up ... Sometimes we forget that the easiest and most natural thing to do is also the best thing to do. This list is compiled by Michael Angier. We all know people who are inspiring. But just how does one inspire others? Here are ten simple ways you can inspire people to be their best:

1. Be a good example. People watch what you do more than they listen to what you say. Be someone worth emulating.

2. Care about others. People don’t care about how much you know
until they know how much you care. Ask questions. Take a genuine
interest in people.

3. Encouragement. Everyone goes through tough times. When you
support people and encourage them through these times, you’ll be
inspiring them to see the best in themselves and in the situation.

4. Be inspired yourself. Look for people, ideas, environments and
knowledge that you find inspiring and motivating.

5. Share from your own experience. You have more to share than you
realize. Mine the rich experiences of your life and share your wisdom
from your unique point of view. You may be the only one who can
touch someone with your inspiring message.

6. Be vulnerable. Be willing to share your failures as well as your
successes. Others will relate to you. They’ll understand that they’re
not the only ones with challenges.

7. Tell stories. Facts tell and stories sell. They inspire, too. We learn
best from parables and we all need to develop our own inspiring
stories.

8. Be a good communicator. Increasing your ability to communicate
effectively is a critical element for you to inspire others. Watch how
you speak and what you say. Invest in your communication skills.

9. Challenge people. Many of us have had teachers who at times
seemed more like tormentors than mentors. They challenged us to do
our best, and we were better for it. Practice "carefrontation"—the
careful and caring confrontation of others.

10. Read. It may not follow that all readers are leaders, but certainly all
leaders are readers. Stay informed. Share what you read with others.
Tell people about books that have inspired you. Share the knowledge.

© Copyright Success Networks International

Changing Education Paradigms

This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award. Sir Ken's work is incredibly thought-provoking and makes you think about your role in the world of teaching and learning. I can't say enough about this man's lectures and talks - worth a million bucks. For more information on Sir Ken's work visit: http://www.sirkenrobinson.com/

What Motivates You?

This RSAnimate video, adapted from Dan Pink's talk at the RSA, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace. A good watch and makes you think ... uhm!

Yahoo Kids ... Explore

There is a parent link and a study zone link here too. This site is full of fun, interactive, and educational activities. Here are some of the things you can do on this site:
Play games
Watch music videos
Check out movies
Learn about science
Read jokes
Send ecards
Learn Internet Safety
Get homework help
Look up words
Ask questions
Explore an encyclopedia

Kidsclick ... The Freedom to Explore

KidsClick! is a web search site designed for kids by librarians - with kid-friendly results! Make your selection using key words or by category and then choose from various sites and choices.

International Society for Technology in Education

Need I say more? - Want the latest info on what's happening out there, check out ISTE.

Link to Learning (Secondary)

Just like the elementary link ... click on our link here and go to places for resources and websites to cater to secondary needs. Thanks to Frank for this link.

ReadPlease - Software that Lets Your Computer Talk

ReadPlease 2003 is a free version that never expires. ReadPlease Plus 2003 has a free trial period of 30-days after which you may purchase a registration code to unlock the software.

This download includes both versions of ReadPlease.Free Languages (Lernout & Hauspie Voices), (download here...) ReadPlease 2003 / ReadPlease Plus 2003 Trial (11MB).

This program reads any text you see on your screen - all purpose text-to-speech software.

Link to Learning (JK - 8)

Start here and see where you want to go ... select your subject, strand, concept, whatever ... it will guide you to places all around the world that will be beneficial and suitable to your needs. Enjoy!

A Plus Math

Welcome to Aplusmath.com! This web site was developed to help students improve their math skills interactively. Visit the game room and play exciting games like Matho and Hidden Picture...Test your math skills with the Flashcards! Try out the Math Word Find puzzle. Create and print your own set of flashcards online using the Flashcard Creator! See the Worksheets section, where you can print worksheets to practice offline. Try the Homework Helper to check your homework solutions. Find out What's New! MATHO now available for Android Phones and iPhone/iPod Touch.

The Good Ole Hockey Game ... A New Season of Hope Begins

Sing a long if you want ... it's the best game I can name.

Canada Vignettes ... Faces

I couldn't resist this one ... it's soooo neat. This is wonderful. The discussion and art lesson that can come from this short clip is incredible. I'm tempted to post all the vignettes, but then this would be nuts! Enjoy the many faces of Canada.

Canada Vignettes ... NFB on YouTube

Amazing short little videos ... Canadian heritage and good jumping points for greater and more in depth discussions. This is but one example of the many classics available on YouTube!

Gamestar Mechanic

This is a site that provides a total curriculum in game theory including design, authoring, and construction. Gamestar Mechanic will undeniably overwhelm the average educator and even the above-average computer user. Keep in mind that the theory of Game Star Mechanic is to allow the teacher to facilitate - that's right facilitate. It is the students that will become the experts and collaborate with each other while providing one another with needed help. The best way to learn about the site is for the teacher to spend lots of time checking out the various elements to the site, and then take your students there (maybe a select few) and let them check it out. If they're oooowing and wowing all the way, then it's a keeper and worthy of your time. Worth the trip? ... This is no easy-to-use or quickie website. This takes a lot of planning and preparation. It will be HARD WORK the first time you use it, but the results will be worth it. And, it gets easier the next time. The teacher learns the basics and essence of the finished product, but the kids learn a ton getting to the finished product. Highly recommended for older students (High School).

Math Snacks ... You'll Never Go Hungry

Smart and yummy educational animations, mini–games, and interactive tools that help mid-school learners better understand math concepts. This website is absolutely amazing - even the oldest students will enjoy the bits and bites this site gives. A truly fantastic site to watch, play, print out, write, and play some more. I can't say enough about this site. So, if you and your students have the appetite to dive for a deeper understanding of math, your classroom could be ready for a math snack. Learn more about the awesome development team behind Math Snacks and visit the download page for all that is available - FREE. Make sure you check out those great accompanying resources found in the PDF files for students and teachers. Most appropriate for Grades 5 and up. Bon appetit!

PBS ... Between the Lions

Sure we've done this one and not too long ago either - but a good thing needs to be seen twice or in this case 3 times. That's how good this site is. Nicely designed and easily navigated and enjoyed by the youngest of kids on their own. You start with the games that focus on a variety of educational areas, as do the video clips, which are taken from the popular show Between The Lions. Next, the stories—featuring everything from new books to old folktales to original and classics. This website does a splendid job of introducing kids (and reminding teachers) to a wide variety of storytelling methods and subject matter. Accompanying each story is a story-specific game to extend either the vocabulary or phonics found in the story itself. You can connect with Learn360 to download the video episodes to make connections. Exit stage left, stage right even!

LearningPlanet - Tons of Free Resources

Thank you to Michael for this site ... and here's his description, "Another free site with a multitude of resources. If you wish to pay a little you will discover even more resources, and without the banner ads. The site is set up for students to play and learn, and for teachers to discover resources to use in their lessons. There are four categories for students including pre-school through kindergarten, first through third, fourth through fifth, and seventh and up." I particularly liked playing "Word Mayhem" ... just like "Making Words" and fun to see if I could be Judy ... I can't believe she's a kid! I tried my best and still couldn't top her score of 5400!

Coolmath4kids ... Addictively Engaging

I think I owe thanks to Mario (and a couple of others) for this one ... According to Michael Gorman, "The site is an amusement park for math, especially designed for fun, fun, fun! All of those imporatnt math standards are presented in an engaging manner." Take some time to visit the site, but beware you won't leave to soon because the games are somewhat addictive and I know that I had to win or at least finish ... failure was not an option.

StarFall

Do I need to say it again? - Yep, that's right ... this is another blast from the recent past. The Starfall website's method of instruction motivates children in an atmosphere of imagination and enthusiasm, provides opportunities for child-directed instruction, and supports English language learners and struggling readers learning alongside their peers. The website and companion printed materials are clear and effective tools to help the teacher implement proven methods. Still a wonderful site to use in the classroom for all kids and it pays to let them work in partners too!

GameGoo - Educational Games

You will soon find out that this game based site truly involves ”Learning That Sticks”. Once you get away from the urge of moving the mouse around the screen to see all the animations and hear all the sounds, you will begin to note its true value and worthiness. The easy to use interface lets you know what is for beginners, intermediates, and advanced! I am sure you will find some fun at this site from the people at Houghton Mifflin Company! Addictive fun is what's in store!

Funschool Kaboose

This site includes all the core subjects, plus it also includes sports and the fine arts! It provides games and activities for students in kindergarten through the sixth grade. Make sure you visit the teacher page for a complete listing of all this site has to offer. I promise that you will not walk away empty handed. Well worth your time to check out ... Yes, I know we've seen this site before too, but again I have to say it is worth putting up again.

PBS ... Still A Good Place for Kids

Another old time favourite that is worth revisiting ... it provides some even more awesome activities and games for elementary kids. You'll see puzzles, animals, and dinosaurs - all the things a kid would like to see! And what would a trip to PBS be without some of the superhero games featuring a few PBS characters. Very impressive visual and audio reinforcement that young children will enjoy has made these games even better today as compared to 2 years ago (last time we visited PBSKids). Best of all kids will be rewarded with prizes and rewards.

Using Websites ... FREE to learn with!

This website was mentioned a short time ago, but worth mentioning again ... FUNBRAIN ... is just that, Fun for your brain! And these "games" are not just for the little kids. This site includes fun engaging activities that even an eighth grader would like ... okay, I even had some fun on this site! Funbrain offers more than 100 fun, interactive games that develop skills in math, reading, and literacy. As an added attraction, kids can read a variety of popular books and comics on the site, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Amelia Writes Again. There's even a link for downloadable games to take with you (i.e., camping) where there is no internet to speak of ... educational? - Yes ... fun?- You bet!

Primary Games - A Fun Place to Learn!

Kids games for Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, and more! As the site proclaims… “A fun place to learn”. There are 15 different categories including subject areas, puzzles, downloads, virtual worlds, postcards, and even arcades. Perhaps that will get you to click the link and discover hundreds and hundreds of possibilities! Do you work with mobile devices? Then check out the mobile site for primary games! I know you will find an activity that will take your students beyond primary and into the 21st century of learning!

Educational Computer Games for Children

ABCya.com is the leader in free educational kids computer games and activities for elementary students to learn on the web. All children's educational computer activities were created or approved by certified school teachers. All educational games are free and are modeled from primary grade lessons and enhanced to provide an interactive way for children to learn.

Grade level lessons incorporate areas such as math and language arts while introducing basic computer skills. Many of the kindergarten and first grade activities are equipped with sound to enhance understanding. Good for Grades JK-6.

21st Century Education and Technology Wiki

This wiki devoted to free and inexpensive resources to support 21st century learning. You will find in depth resources and ideas that support this Blog. Visit it and welcome to the future!

Linoit … Digital Collaboration with Online Stickies

Linoit is a digital online tool that can serve educators and students in multiple ways. Imagine an electronic classroom display board. One that could leave the classroom and be visible on any computer screen anywhere. Now, dream about the ability to create it in minutes using multi-color post it notes, pictures, drawings, web links, and even videos. Better yet… kids can contribute by being given a URL… no log in needed! Best of all it is fast, easy to use, and dependable. This is just the beginning, because Linoit can be valuable as you plan and organize for your classroom and school needs.

*See more details on Michael Gorman's Blog.

TitanPad ... Digital Collaboration (Google Docs made Easy)

Welcome to a post that will inform you of an amazing collaboration tool for your 21st century classroom. This tool promises ease of use, no student log in, and limited teacher set up, allowing for just in time use. You will soon see that TitanPad is really just a rather simplistic Google Doc… without the fuss! All that is needed to use TitanPad is a visit to http://titanpad.com/… and a press of a button called Create Public Pad. After this quick process, a new public pad is created for the user in TitanPad. The user then shares the URL of the created pad with others. Whatever is typed from wherever, is displayed on the page in real time. Yes… I did say “real time”! There is even a chat window! This is a great tool for those that need to bring up a quick collaboration tool on the fly.

*Another tool (and information) borrowed from Michael Gorman's blog. Great site to visit!

TodaysMeet ... Digital Collaboration

Introducing… a Web 2.0 site entitled TodaysMeet. TodaysMeet gives you and your students a somewhat isolated room where you can see only what you need to see. Plus, your audience doesn’t need to learn any new tools like hash tags, log-ins, nor do they need to create accounts. It really is quite easy to use. Once you enter the TodaysMeet site you are asked to submit a room name and the length of time you wish the room to stay active. This can vary between 2 hours and 1 year. It is best to give the room name a code that is not easily remembered. It is quite simple, but you may wish to read these facts from the site. Once the room is open you are given a unique web address which is usually http://www.todaysmeet.com/ followed by the room name you submitted. You then give the room name out to individuals (your students) and have them enter the room. Upon entering it will ask for a name. Remember that students should never give their full names or enter any personal or other revealing information in the chat room.
Excerpts from the blog of Michael Gorman . Thank you for this wonderful collaboration tool.

New and Improved

Now, you can share these posts, comment on what you see, and navigate more easily throughout the blog. Use the search tool in the top-left corner to find things you need.

If there's a worthy piece of information, website, program, tool or anything (that has to do with Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century) you want to share, send it to jamash07.21stcentury@blogger.com ... Please note your name for proper credit and if it's worthy (and appropriate) it will be on the blog.
Thanks,
Johan