According to Don McMillan, here is a humorous yet insightful viewpoint on how people (teachers included) should not be using PowerPoint.
There's a simlar one "Stop Killing Your Students with Powerpoint" at Teacher Tube. Teacher Tube was created in response to the popular You Tube. You Tube's content is user generated and subjects are varied, while Teacher Tube is generated mostly by educators to teach students and fellow teachers. Unfortunately, You Tube is blocked in most schools and districts, but many of the instructional videos posted on You Tube can be found on Teacher Tube. You can also post your own instructional videos there!
How Not to Use Powerpoint
Award Winning Children's Book Authors Interviewed
If you're in elementary ed or exceptional ed, have children or love good books, you'll be interested in the latest award winning books. Winning authors were interviewed on the Today Show this week:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
U Can change the Future? (UCF!) Digital MeStories
meStories is a digital film competition and showcase in which undergraduate UCF students are given the opportunity to express their views and ideas on contemporary topics. This competition is open to currently enrolled undergraduate students. Students can enter individually or in groups (limit 4 students per team). The general theme for this competition is defined by UCF's Unifying Theme. This year's theme is:
"Our Planet.Our Education.Our Future".
In keeping with this theme, the title of this year's MeStories contest is "U-Can-change-the-Future"
For this competition you are to assemble a two to three minute personal story that is recorded on video about change.... and how you, as an individual, could be the catalyst to change the world. The topic should relate to you and the environment.
The Essential Question is:
"How could you change the World (i.e., environment)?"
See the rules and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and then check out this example by a College of Education student:
WebQuests
Several of you have asked about WebQuests. In short, a WebQuest is a classroom-based lesson in which most or all of the information that students explore and evaluate comes from the World Wide Web. It was developed by Dr. Bernie Dodge of San Diego State University. The WebQuest has six parts and is designed to help students learn, think, problem solve, become more cooperative and collaborative through the activity.
You can find a short tutorial here.
There are thousands of already developed WebQuests available on the web for you to use. Or you can create your own once you've learned how to do it! You might find this valuable for another course!
Digital Don'ts!
Be careful where you get your images for your presentations, scavenger hunts, and other assignments! Copyright! Copyright! Copyright!
There are so many great photos of almost anything you are looking for on Flickr. Many can be used in your presentations under a Creative Commons license. (We'll be talking about Creative Commons in an upcoming lesson.)
Flickr Photo: PDA mosaic
Need a Topic for Your Scavenger Hunt?
February has several holidays, you know...there's President's Day, Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day and of course you know it is Black History Month. One of the online groups I follow faithfully has a member who publishes a list of "special events" for each month. One of them might make a good topic for your group project, the scavenger hunt. Others are just interesting. Some are just silly, but it just goes to show that there is something to celebrate every day!
February 2009 is...
AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
American Heart Month
Bake for Family Fun
Festival of Camellias
International Boost Your Self Esteem Month
International Expect Success Month
Library Lovers' Month
Marfan Syndrome Awareness Month
National African American History Month (also Black History Month)
National Bird Feeding Month
National Cherry Month
National Children's Dental Health Month
National Laugh-Friendly Month
National Parent Leadership Month
National Pet Dental Health Month
National Senior Independence Month
National Time Mangagement Month
Prevent-a-Litter Month
Relationship Wellness Month
Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month
Sweet Potato Month
Unchain a Dog Month
Wise Health Consumer Month
Worldwide Renaissance of the Hearth Month
Youth Leadership Month
Children's Authors & Illustrators Week (2/1-2/7)
International Coaching Week (2/1-2/7)
National Patient Recognition Week (2/1-2/7)
Publicity For Profit Week (2/1-2/7)
Solo Diners Out Week (2/1-2/7)
Women's Heart Week (2/1-2/7)
International Networking Week (2/1-2/7)
Candlemas (2/2)
Bonza Bottler Day (2/2)
Ground Hog Day (2/2)
Imbolc (Imbolg, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Feast of Torches, Feast of
Waxing Light, Bright's Day, and Oimelc) (2/2)
Halfway Point of Winter (2/3)
Japan: Setsubin (Bean-Throwing Festival) (2/3)
National Girls and Women in Sports Day (2/4)
Paczki Day (2/5)
Solar Eclipse (2/9)
Japan: Founding Day--660 B.C. (2/11)
Lincoln's Birthday (2/12)
Valentine's Day (2/14)
National Engineers Week (2/15-2/21)
President's Day (2/16)
Brazil: Carnival (2/17)
National PTA Founder's Day (2/17)
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (2/22-2/28)
National Pancake Week (2/22-2/28)
Read Me Week (2/23-2/27)
Washington's Birthday (2/22)
Bun Day in Iceland (2/23)
International Pancake Day (2/24)
Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans (2/24)
Spay Day USA (2/24)
Ash Wednesday (Lent Begins) (2/25)
National Polar Bear Day (2/27)
Panoramabama!
Want to see the impossible? Check out this photo from the Obama inauguration. 
As David Pogue of the NY Times says,
"What’s so cool is that you can pan and zoom in on the resulting mega-photo—way, way in. Can you find Yo-Yo Ma taking a picture with his iPhone?" Use the controls to zoom and pan around the photo. You can also double click to zoom in and double click again to get even closer. Can you find Denzel Washington, PDiddy, or Whoopie Goldberg? It's sort of like a real life Where's Waldo? You can also take a "snapshot" from the photo if you find something or someone you want others to see. Kevin Kelly is right.We have to start believing the unbelievable!
p.s. I borrowed the title "Panoramabama" from Pogue. Just too good not to!
Past, Present and Future of the Web
Did you know the World Wide Web has been around LESS than 5000 days? What will the next 5000 days bring? Watch this video for one expert's predictions. "We have to get better at believing the impossible."
Vote for Me
Your classmate Kayla wants you to vote for her in the next election...and her dog Kacie, too!
I HOPE you will!
(Thanks for submitting this, Kayla!)
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