MID-SUMMER UPDATE

It's been an interesting summer, so far. I took a temporary job, which brings in immediate cash, but leaves me unable to take advantage of many summer workshops. OTOH, I do get to spend the day in air conditioning. The last few weeks, that was a definite advantage.

I am keeping busy, however. I've been posting to my other blog regularly. With all the activity happening in current events, there is much to comment on.

I've been learning how to draw Manga - it's a Japanese cartoon style. It's kind of fun to learn something so removed from other aspects of my life. I'd really enjoyed drawing when I was a kid, but, like so many of us, once I'd decided that I wasn't talented enough (how much is "enough"?), I gave it up. This time, the point isn't to satisfy someone else, it's just to make me happy.

Have a wonderful summer!

CREATE YOUR OWN LEGO FIGURE

If you click on the titel of this post, you will find a page called Chris Doyle's Reasonably Clever.Com. He has an application there to create a customized Lego graphic, just like the one below.

My Lego Figure

Posted by Hello

Don't have room to store every poster? Try taking a picture of the end project.

Posted by Hello

Escher picture

Posted by Hello

When good chess pieces go bad

Posted by Hello

JUNE SITE OF THE MONTH

You have absolutely GOT to try this new game I found - it's the most addictive thing I've found in years.

Some of you will remember 24 - the math game that became very popular, both as a teaching tool, and because it's fun to play. Eventually, educational uses of the games led to tournaments.

This game is even better. Many of the puzzles can be completed in 10-30 minutes, so it's nice to have some puzzles available in the classroom for those students who finish a lab or project early. It doesn't require a partner, although students can team up to solve more challenging puzzles, so it lends itself to use in home schooling as well as classrooms.

According to the developers of the software version (pictured above),

Lots of puzzles and games teach you some kind of math. Such as simple arithmetic in parchisi, calculating the odds in backgammon, or combinatorial theory in poker.

Sudoku is different. It's not mathematical. It's one of the few puzzles and games that rewards Applied Logic. It encourages you to apply principles of deduction and induction – skills which you don't often get to exercise. It sharpens your powers of concentration and reasoning.

I'm not a player of most math games. I've never been very proficient at mental math, preferring to use pencil & paper to solve problems. I'm more of a visual processor, and need to literally see the problem laid out to get a handle on it.

But, this number game, I'm good at. Because it doesn't require me to juggle numbers in my head, it works with the way I think.

THE TRUTH HURTS

I was checking out a favorite blog, Critical Mass, a blog devoted to education. The question arose, how should writing be taught to ensure that students will become competent writers?

My belief, based on my experiences, is that nothing beats practice, practice, practice. You have to slog through the process of assigning the initial writing, marking it for errors, and helping students go through the correction and re-writing process.

It takes time. It takes effort. It takes some knowledge of the English language.

I have a small suggestion how teachers whose subject matter isn't English might approach the matter. Make an agreement that, each week, you will assign a short essay (3-5 paragraphs). You will provide the expertise about your subject (including spelling and usage), but the English teacher will correct for syntax, organization, and the like. If you share the load, students could get credit for both classes.

Too many students dash off the first draft, and assume that one pass at the assignment is sufficient. The essence of writing is re-writing.

ANOTHER USE FOR LEGOS

I found this cool use of Legos and CDs on Natalie Solent, a blogger who sometimes posts about technology issues.



The completed sextant

What can this sextant be used for? It fulfills the state objective for teaching about the early history of science, as well as giving students the opportunity to make an instrument that they can use to locate their position on Earth.



An early sextant

A good follow-up activity is to show them how to use GPS units.

DON'T BE SHY - TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY THINK

WARNING - THIS LINK IS NOT WORK-SAFE. THE LANGUAGE IS OLD-FASHIONED, ANGLO-SAXON, AND VULGAR. IT ALSO IS HIGHLY INFLAMMATORY.

But the link is also funny, pointed, and from the heart.

The subject?

Have you ever wondered why colleges and universities have to offer remedial reading, writing and math classes?

The obvious answer is because your precious little gift to mankind is an idiot. That is the primary reason.

After that shot, the post gets REALLY straightforward. You may not agree, in full or in part, but I think it's worth reading.

MEETUPS

I'm waiting for a Meetup of the Cleveland Webloggers group. I just checked the site, I'm early - it's not until 7 pm.

So, I'll be using the time before the others arrive to update my blogs.

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I'm still waiting to hear about the job, but, as it's 2 1/2 weeks since my interview, offhand I'd say that I didn't get it. They did say that they would be interviewing for 2 weeks, but my experience is that when you're the chosen one, you hear sooner.

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I've been working on another business deal, involving ads for blogs. The idea is to aggregate many blogs, so the lesser-visited ones can also benefit from the arrangement. If you have a blog, and would like details, email me, and I'll send you information about it.

SOME NEAT ANIMATIONS

I've been doing sound lately, and I found several sites with animations and information on the topic:

• Interactive Sound Ruler (Flash version)
  
• Fundamental Frequency & Harmonics
  
• The Physics of Sound
  
• Sound Site - some hands-on activities

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Have you ever found a site that irritated you? Made you wish you could wipe it off the face of the planet?

Well, now you can.

Netdisaster - Destroy the Web! is the answer to your problem. You enter the web URL, and select the disaster you want to befall the site. Among the choices are:

• Slow burn
  
• Dinosaurs
  
• Nuke
  
• Meteor shower

Have Fun!

THE GREATEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY YET

OK, I know you've gotten used to the hyping of great technology from me, but trust me - this is ABSOLUTELY the greatest invention yet.

INSIDE THE SAUNA

This is the time of year that I HATE teaching.

Nothing to do with the kids, the job, or the parents - it's the fact that schools never seem to get the temperature level correct!

If the building doesn't have windows that can open, you can bet the air conditioning won't work.

If the windows should open, they'll be stuck shut. Or, like some at a school my husband taught at - fall out if you try to open them.

Worse, I was treated to display of skin that I didn't want to see - and that was just the student teachers!

I'm hoping that tomorrow is cooler.

When lab partners go BAD! 

Not only fulfilling the instructions, but really pretty, too. 

Another approach to the set-up instructions 

One approach to the roller-coaster challenge. 

MAY WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

I found this gem on the Joanne Jacobs website. Though he is not a technology or science teacher, I selected it because he writes about his struggle to teach in terribly difficult circumstances in London, England:

Possibly the choicest, fruitiest discovery of the extended Easter break was realising I'd contracted worms from my delightful students.

Threadworms. Pinworms. Intestinal parasites.

Think about that.

At some quiet, unnoticed moment, these paragons of hygiene, this new model army of well-scrubbed cherubs have passed from their hands to my hands trace fecal matter, and I have gone on to ingest the stuff.

Ugh.

I need to say that again, just once. Ugh.

AN EXCEPTIONAL WOMAN

This is not technically related to teaching or education. It is the story of a VERY brave woman



who used the technology she had access to, in order to stand up for what was right:

During the tense days of Ukraine's presidential elections last year, Dmytruk staged a silent but bold protest, informing deaf Ukrainians that official results from the Nov. 21 runoff were fraudulent. Her act of courage further emboldened protests that grew until a new election was held and the opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko , was declared the winner...

Go - check out the link - you won't regret it.

HOW-TOS ON BLOGGING

I've been blogging for some time, but there's a lot I don't know. So, I appreciate it when someone explains how some feature or concept works.

The Mudville Gazette offers some pointers on blogging, including using Blogrolling to "ping" when you've updated your blog. Now, I'm sure that many more experienced bloggers know about this, but if I ever read it, I'd forgotten it. Apparently, without using a ping, those Blogrolls don't show the Update Message next to the link.

I can't wait until summer - I'm going to go into learning mode, and get up to speed on all the features of my favorite software and services. I know I'm going to learn how to do all the things I probably should already be doing, but just don't know are easily within reach.