TWTW          

Teaching with the Web

 

The Instructional Technology Journal of

Greenwood School District 50

 

http://www.gwd50.org

 

Volume 3, Number 13

February 15, 2008

2/15/08 Presidents’ Day, originally known as Washington’s Birthday, is celebrated on the third Monday in February.  This year, Presidents’ Day falls on February 18th.  Another revered president, Abraham Lincoln was also born in February (12th.)  While the holiday is still officially known as Washington’s Birthday, it has become known as “Presidents’ Day,” honoring Washington, and Lincoln, as well as all men who have served as president.

«http://holidays.kaboose.com/presidents-day/presidents-day.html
 
«http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/presidentsday/

Important Teacher Notes

eProficiency

If your teaching certificate or your technology certification expires by June 2008, you have already been contacted about renewing your technology certification.  By this time, you should have taken your self-assessment(s) and you should be working on your portfolio.  This is just a reminder that no matter what level your self-assessment determined you to be, you still must complete a portfolio on your level to document your proficiency.  (Even if you self-assessed to be a level 3 or 4.)  ePortfolio classes & portfolio advisement are ongoing at the Genesis Education Center.  Check your monthly staff development calendar for dates and times. 

News Writing

(From EduHound’s Classroom Tools and Tips)

 

By focusing on who, what, when, where, why, and how questions, students will learn to thoroughly analyze and create effective news pieces.

§   GIST: A Summarizing Strategy for Use in Any Content Area
This lesson comprises a series of activities in which students are introduced to the GIST summarizing strategy.  They read newspaper articles obtained from newspaper Web sites and identify the "5Ws and H" of journalism. 
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=290

§   Creating a Classroom Newspaper
This lesson provides students with the opportunity to write authentic newspaper stories.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=249

§   "5 W's + 1 H" Lesson
Students will approach a familiar story (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) from the perspective of a newspaper reporter and apply the 5 W's + 1 H to it.
http://www.kidzone.ws/plans/view.asp?i=60

§   What's in the News?  Summarizing a Novel Using the 5 W's
Students will use important events from a novel to create a 2-page newspaper featuring news articles about each event.
http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/act/grade8/act8.asp?ID=1092

§   PBS: Newspaper Reporting and Writing
In this PBS lesson students author a newspaper about Hemingway's life, especially his interests and travels.  Students identify the many characteristics of a newspaper and create a published document.
http://www.pbs.org/hemingwayadventure/class2.html

§   The Whole Story: Learning to Write Informative and Thorough News Articles
By focusing on who, what, when, where, why, and how questions, students learn to thoroughly analyze and report on important world events.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030314friday.html

 

 

 




Site Survey:

Websites that Educate, Enlighten, Entertain, and Engage

·   Astronomy Expert
http://www.astronomyexpert.co.uk/
According to Education World, “This site provides teachers and students as well as the general surfing public useful and interesting information about celestial objects and phenomena that exist outside the Earth's atmosphere. The articles are grouped into ten categories: Astrobiology, Cosmology, Galaxies, Our Solar System, Small Bodies, Star Watching, The Moon, The Planets, The Stars, and The Sun.”

·   Kidipede: History for Kids
http://www.historyforkids.org/
This site offers resources and information on North America, China, India, West Asia, Greece, Egypt, Africa, Rome, Islam, Germany, and the Middle Ages for students in grades 5-8. It is written in language that is appropriate for middle school students and has lots of visuals to supplement the text.  The resources focus mostly on the ancient world and the middle ages and are written by a history professor and other scholars.  A page for teachers offers guides for each section of the site as well as other ideas for using the site in the classroom.

·   Carmine’s Landscape Adventure
http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/play/landscape1/
Carmine’s Landscape Adventure is a game for children to learn about art while having fun.  It offers short, simple tutorials that demonstrate the basics of painting landscapes.
  Children will enjoy learning about the use of depth, light, and atmosphere in creating landscapes in this interactive game.  The simple tutorials teach children about setting the mood, using size to make objects look close or far away, and how to use lighting and objects to show the weather.  Simple interactive quizzes throughout the games reinforce the basic concepts.

·   Probability Tutorials (grades 9-12)
http://www.probability.net/
This site offers twenty tutorials on various aspects of probability designed “as a set of simple exercises, leading gradually to the establishment of deeper results."  These tutorials are accompanied by a page of Proved Theorems, a glossary of terms, and a history page with links to biographies of all the mathematicians mentioned in the tutorials.  The solutions to exercises are provided and can be printed.  Included is a discussion board, a page describing the notations used and links for further exploration.
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The Laptop-and-Projector Project Website

Tech Project:  http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/TechPlan2006.htm

Instr. Resources:  http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/StaffDevResources.htm

Previous TWTW Issues: http://www2.gwd50.org/techplans/TWTW-Index.htm

Instructional Technology Specialist:http://www2.gwd50.org/hughesc/Hughes1.html