TWTW Teaching with the Web	The Instructional Technology Journal of Greenwood School District 50 http://www.gwd50.org Volume 3, Number 12 February 1, 2008
Groundhog Day 2/1/08 Did you know the first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania? The Punxsutawney Spirit’s editor, Clymer Freas, proclaimed: "Today is groundhog day, and up to the time of going to press, the beast has not seen its shadow." Read about this and other Groundhog Day facts at: http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/punxsutawney/a/groundhog_day.htm. Some other Groundhog Day sites are: National Geographic Preschool Coloring Book Groundhog.org Stormfaz Weather Almanac Groundhog Day	Important Teacher Notes · eProficiency – A reminder for those of you who are required to recertify this year (teachers have been notified): the portfolio you complete for your level needs to be uploaded and approved by May 1, 2008. eProficiency sessions are ongoing at Genesis Education Center. Check your staff development calendar for information or contact Cindy Hughes (hughesc@gwd50.org) if you have questions. · OnCourse – All teachers should have their lesson plans online at this time. Thank you to the School Technology Leaders for your diligence in training your colleagues! Thank you, teachers, for your willingness to learn! · Teacher Laptops - District 50 has paid for the warranty on your laptop. If anyone else opens that laptop to work on it, that warranty could – and probably will be – voided. District 50 has also paid for accident protection for your laptop. If you accidentally damage the machine, we can have it repaired or replaced without additional cost.
Valentine’s Day Web Resources Every February 14^th we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Have you ever wondered: Why we celebrate? How many Valentines are exchanged each year? Who created the first card? How did Cupid become a symbol of Valentine’s Day? Why do people sign an “X” for a kiss? What about all of that chocolate? To answer these questions and learn all you ever wanted to know about Valentine’s Day, check out these sites: Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day WebQuest: Hunt for the Hearts History.com’s Valentine’s Day Kaboose: Valentine’s Day History Valentine’s Day Trivia and Legends Brain Candy Holidays: Obscure but interesting information and facts about Valentine’s day BrainPOP History: Chocolate	Site Survey: Websites that Educate, Enlighten, Entertain, and Engage · Southern Highroads Trail http://www.southernhighroads.org/south-carolina “The Southern Highroads Trail is a unique scenic highway stretching across North Georgia, Western North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee that offers a wide variety of arts, entertainment, shopping, dining, lodging & outdoor activities for the entire family.” Check out the South Carolina portion of this four-state trail. · Mango Languages http://www.mangolanguages.com/ Need to brush up on your French or Spanish or any of eleven other languages? Mango is the place to go to learn foreign language at your own pace and in a fun and engaging way. Teachers and students can use this site to easily add practice to the curriculum or the general public can use it to sharpen their mind by learning a new language. The lessons are FREE, but you must register to access the lessons. · The Open Vault http://openvault.wgbh.org/ The Open Vault, presented by public television station WGBH’s Media Library (MLA), is a free resource available to enhance classroom lesson plans and students' independent study. It provides access to select video clips and interview transcripts drawn from WGBH program archive from 1968-1993. This site is a goldmine of information and resources for teachers and students.
	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