Spotlight

Image via Wikipedia

If you are a musician looking for some specific sheet music, check out MusicNotes.com. Not only can you buy sheet music for reasonable prices, but you can get 10% off this week (March 22, 2010). Music from the television show GLEE, Celtic Woman and Shrek are all available in addition to the classic music for an orchestra. The Shrek version of Hallelujah is only $5.25 before discount. Enjoy!

These sites are recommended in the April 2010 edition of MacWorld Magazine on page 43. They are for preteens and can go as low as toddler. Enjoy!

• TuxMath ages 5-8 - One or two player arithmetic skill games
• kids.discovery.com
• kids.nationalgeographic.com
• kids.yahoo.com
• americangirl.com/fun
• nick.com
• nickjr.com
• kidshealth.org/kid
• si.edu
• smithsonianeducation.org/students
• scholastic.com/kids
  

Image via Wikipedia

Here are several links for your enjoyment for Pi day:

• How to celebrate Pi Day
  
• A Teachers Resource for Pi Day
  
• http://www.avoision.com/experiments/pi10k/index.php
• http://www.piday.org/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_Day
• http://www.exploratorium.edu/pi/
• http://mathforum.org/t2t/faq/faq.pi.html
• http://www.pidaychallenge.com/news/pi-day-2010-announcement
• http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson335.shtml
• and Many videos on YouTube, but you should review them before showing to your class.

Personally, I like apple pie with vanilla ice cream!

Image by L1mey via Flickr

You can get UV widgets, smartphone apps of the UV Index for your town at this site. Post the widget to your Facebook or school page for all to see. There are teaching materials, such as presentations and lesson plans available here as well as a song: "Sunscreen Dance". If you wish more information and teaching materials visit www.epa.gov/sunwise The username is toolkit an the password is foryou.

Find all of these great resources and more at : http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/schools.html

SunWise has an 11.5 minute video about sun safety on the site. Be one of the first 10 to spot an error in the video and they will send you a pack of ultraviolet (UV) sensitive beads. Email them at: SunWise@epa.gov

There is even a "NO FRY DAY" set for the day before Memorial Day weekend.
Details are at the site. Why not have a UV alert mailed to your email. Then you can plan ahead when you know the prediction for the next day!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Tanning addiction can be deadly (healthzone.ca)
• Winter Sun Warrants Sunscreen (nlm.nih.gov)

Image via Wikipedia

Last week PBS aired the show Digital Nation about how our world is changing by use of electronic devices and gaming. I would suggest that you visit their website to see more details.


When my kids were younger we used to have "electric free weekends." It helped all of us to focus on our relationships more. But as they got older, I got involved in teaching online, we neglected to do that at a time where we should have been doing it more.

We have no dining room, but 2 computers a tv and an xbox set up there(a bit cramped). But we were communicating about our enjoyable hobbies. Sharing our interests, the high points of a game, a new zoo created or a funny YouTube video. If kids and parents take their tech to another location, there is no sharing. As a result, we would all be in the computer room on the TV, phone or one of the computers at the same time. The sharing became something different. We shared what we were doing online or a show because we at least were in the same room. I learned a lot about zoos and about what different animals need in their environments. now I am learning about farming from my daughters Facebook game.

I saw that show too and was fascinated by some parent reactions as several educational bloggers have mentioned. When my son was 13 or so I realized he was on the computer for several hours(before the dining room setup) and finally asked him to stop. "but Mom, I am making a cool map for the game". He has been working on his passion of map making for his favorite game. He would upload the maps to the game site for others to use. I had no idea this was possible. Now,7 years later he is at Full Sail in the gaming program so he can be a map and level designer for video games!

My point is that monitoring is still the key to communication and knowledge of what your kids are doing online and encouragement or punishment can affect the direction of their participation. Ask what the game is, or what part they play, and be interested in their world. It matters to them and creates some crazy conversation, even if it is about how zombies walk funny!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rushkoff's Digital Nation documentary tonight on PBS (boingboing.net)
• PBS Presents Digital Nation (thetechscoop.net)
• Study: Video game revenues up $20 billion in three years, thanks to online games (joystiq.com)

Image by alicepopkorn via Flickr

Perhaps you have participated in past Earth Days. Each year the celebrations become larger and more public and more promoted, so get involved. NASA has prepared resources for you to use with your classroom on this site. Or try one of the following sites:

• The Earth Day Network
• EPA - Earth Day
• History of Earth Day
• WWF Earth Day
• PlanetPals -elementary activities
  

Image by just Luh. via Flickr

Vocabulary words in video. A-List Education has created a large number of videos using pop culture and humor to get a message about using words everyday. Many of the vocabulary words are done as parodies of current television shows like Lost, Gossip Girl and The Office. There is a small subscription for this service with discounts for custom licensing. If you can't afford the fees, then have your own students create this type of classroom instructional video.

Image via Wikipedia

The underground Railroad has roots around the whole of the East coast. Many routes passed through the county were I live. The local tourist bureau runs tours showing guests the routes, homes and various locations where slaves were moved or stayed on their run for freedom. Scholastic has put together this site: Underground Railroad: Video, Audio, Timelines providing resources, worksheets, and reference material for teachers. There are many links on the page, so don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom for some additional curriculum resources.

There is a teacher's guide, along with a web hunt, vocabulary, timelines and maps that follow the many routes.

Other Links:

1. National Geographic Underground RR site
2. PBS information about URR
3. Scholastic sources
4. William Still
5. National Underground RR Freedom Center
6. 42Explore many links and resources
7. Kennett Square URR Center
8. If you have an account, DiscoveryEducation resources
   

Related articles by Zemanta

• Relive history at these B&Bs with Underground Railroad ties (gadling.com)

Image by Kid's Birthday Parties via Flickr

This site, Movie Sheets, offers you some guides worksheets to go with movies. There are categories for many movies, or you can create your own and upload it to share with others. There are worksheets to go with Bill Nye science movies, Scott Resources, NOVA, and the Eyewitness Series. Here is a sample of what worksheets are available for the topic of English:

Akeelah and the Bee	2006
Are We Done Yet?	2007
Catch a Fire	2006
Equilibrium	2002
Oedipus Rex (1957)	1957
Romeo + Juliet (DiCaprio)	1996
Shakespeare in Love	1999
The Luck of the Irish

There are many more topics to explore.

If you missed the virtual conference from DiscoveryEducation SciCon then you can see the archives of the day's activities here! There are videos, presentations and downloadable pdf files of documents you can use in your classroom. Other links on the page lead to DiscoveryEducation Science Class, Integration Station, and Learning Lab. You don't even have to log in to Discovery to get to this page of resources., or this page of Thinking Green. There is also a link to homework helpers for science at this link.

It is worth looking around the site to find some little nugget you can use in your curriclulum! Enjoy :)