551.57 Snow: A Surprise Visitor

The weatherman kept saying it might happen...and it did! Snow fell within the city limits of Houston today...the first time in over 4 years!


It was a major news event all day...and caused all kinds of excitement...it actually feels like Christmas around here! (as opposed to the feeling one gets in December when you are STILL swatting mosquitoes.)

It was a good feeling...my old dog Mr. C was actually frisky after walking today...another new neighbor and I met each other for the first time and actually stood out on the sidewalk and let the flakes accumulate on our jackets as we exchanged our first neighborly tidbits...it brought out the bloggers around here and here as well!

But the WEIRDEST part of it all (and the main reason I ended up posting) is I hit (literally) on this YouTube video THIS EVENING by accident...it was fate! Enjoy!

Pretty cool, isn't it?...and I'm somebody who just doesn't "get" spreadsheets at all...I admittedly have "spreadsheet" envy on something like this!

P.S. I hope this bit of winter weather wonderland doesn't create a mess in the morning for all the drivers!

[Video from the Google Collaborative Spreadsheet Art collection on YouTube converted by Zamzar so it will be visible in district]

511.51 Graphing Websites: Fun Math!

Want to know what you blog or other website looks like as a tree graph? Websites as Graphs will do it for you! This is just too much fun!

The different colors represent different aspects of the particular website...and of course the branches are based on algorithm information. I won't even pretend to understand that part!

The top example is this blog and the one below is my very favorite web page! The basic difference in color has to do with one having pictures and the other having none! if you enter the same address more than once, you will get a different tree, but you notice similar parts (the clumps!). and it is very interesting to watch the tree "grow!"

My other blog looks like this .

Found this at Miss Rumphius Effect...you can see what that blog looks too!

P.S. These are screen shots...the only way I could figure out how to show them to you. You can also go to Flickr and use websitesasgraphs as the search term. Mine will be there...soon!

641.8 Cookies: 'Tis the Season!

So many choices! So little time! I see math problems, maybe? Tie in with When the Doorbell Rang?

P.S. There are lots more seasonal activities that can be used for a variety of reasons.

428.1 FreeRice: Practice Vocabulary & Contribute...Multitasking At Its Best

At FreeRice, practice (and at the same time, learn) vocabulary and, as a big bonus, contribute to funds to help with world hunger issues.

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For every correct answer, ten grains of rice are donated to United Nations efforts to end world hunger. Needless to say, you won't be able to stop after just 10 grains. As you make correct word choices, the bowl fills up to make bundles of 100 grains.

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Your vocabulary level is measured by your right and wrong answers. The number of people who miss the same words also affects the leveling. Good language arts activity.

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Contributing...good community member.

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What else?

Math...use the statistics available to do some "real-world" math.

Geography...use the maps and information about the countries involved.

Social Studies...ALL the information about the social issues, history, etc. about the problem of world hunger and poverty.

Even Science...health issues, food production

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More information. Short video about the program from the director of the UN food program.

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Now I just hope it opens in the district!

428.007 Using Technology with ESL Students: It Can Be Fun

I worked with some teachers of ESL and LEP students after school today. I had been invited to show them how to use some of our online resources and some technology to aid in improving the students' English. We looked at things across the curriculum---lots for reading and things like vocabulary-building, but we also looked at several things helpful for social studies, science and math.

We took content samples from our subscription databases including Facts on File, Teaching Books, Tumblebooks, Discovery Education videostreaming and worked in PowerPoint. Not that we produced slideshows, but we looked at how users can use visuals...be they clipart, photos, maps, etc. and manipulate them for use in PPTs and other things. The participants also found out how easy it is to download and use pieces of videostreaming.

One of the things I also emphasize in this type of staff development is to look "outside the box"... think about how a historical photo can be used to teach word meanings or use a science video to explain a particular idiom. And my favorite part...using picture books to introduce a concept or ideas for end products the students can create themselves!


Another idea that came out was that by including lots of visuals and silly bits of video, a teacher will have captured the attention of his or her students so that even MORE learning can take place. Our kids are visual learners these days and it is a shame not use as much "stuff" as possible.

And yes, we had an oops moment...something to always expect when working with technology. You gotta learn to roll with the punches. What was our oops?...the screen shot I made would NOT paste to the PPT so we could manipulate it. That was a first for me! But that's ok..we still practiced with the crop tool and the grouping technique and turned our "pretend" screen shots into the weirdest new bird---a wingless chicken with a Sphinx head! Names anyone?

One other thing I did...I challenged the group to "play" 15 minutes a day...mess around in an online resource, play with PPT tools, READ blogs (yep---showed them the blogroll!), but do SOMETHING with technology or explore an online resource EVERY day. Sounds simple enough, but I know...even 15 minutes will be hard to squeeze out of the days of most of these people...their plates are very full...but it WILL be worth it...they will benefit...and more importantly, so will their students!

How did we end this action-packed day? Animoto of course!
Sample: http://animoto.com/play/a6df2b2069bf9260b24c6c822387db3a
(I can't get it to embed!!)

I hope some of the participants will share their classroom ideas here in the comments...

...and you know what else...these things will work with ALL students!

027.8 Collaboration: Popping Up Everywhere

In checking out a new resource (to me), Teaching PreK-8, look what I spied in the menu.

What a great idea!

Nice group of activities and lessons in many other categories as well!

370 Teacher Resources: FREE ones!

I know we are all familiar with dot-gov sites like American Memory and Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids. As per usual, I was looking around for something totally different and came upon a nice site that brings many of these dot-gov resources together in one place.

Here is sample list of some of the topics covering a variety of subjects...science, health, geography, math, and on and on!

Oh, btw... FREE, yes indeed. F - R - E - E as in Federal Resources for Educational Excellence. Despite the many woes that are often discussed at length in the blog world, OUR government is on our side with these resources. You must admit that!