In honor of Memorial Day:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080525/ap_on_re_us/memorial_day__miracle__marine

When I first started teaching, this was the song that was at the top of the charts. In my US History class, we would listen to the song and then I’d have the students each research one or two of the events so they could explain the significance to the class. Then we’d all listen to the song again. It was a really fun activity that I would save for the end of the year when kids (and teachers) were starting to tune out.

I realize that this is more for Social Studies, but it’s a fun little video, so enjoy and have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday!

We Didn’t Start the Fire

This site has been making the rounds for quite a while. Thanks to Jennifer C. (with an e) for pointing it out to me, again.

It’s a wonderful way to practice vocabulary while at the same time providing food for needy countries. Check it out!

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

Check this out!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/245

Creating an interactive whiteboard using a Wii remote? For about $50?!?! How cool is this?!?!

And it’s cool on a lot of levels.

First of all, it’s cool because it might give educators an inexpensive option for a great instructional tool. Comparable technology like SmartBoards runs upwards of $2000/install.

Secondly, it’s cool because it’s taking technology and seeing beyond its obvious uses and truly envisioning its potential. Most of us look at a computer and see just a tool. Others look at a computer and envision a whole different realm of possibilities.

The Battlefield HS ITRT, Keith R., has already successfully duplicated Mr. Lee’s prototype. This has sparked a whirlwind of emails within the ITRT community about copyright and whether or not creating and using this device has violated any laws. Keith is investigating and the outlook is good that this type of innovation resides on the right side of the law. While we have to always be cognizant of possible copyright infringement, I do strongly believe that exercises like these need to be encouraged–not just within ourselves, but most definitely within our students.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to assign this as a project to a group of our students?!?!

And if you are interested in giving it a try, or checking out any of Mr. Lee’s other ingenious projects , here’s the direct link to the Wii Board directions.

Special thanks to our band director, Dennis B., for bringing this particular TED video to my attention!

This week’s Feel Good Friday post is in honor of Mother’s Day. I realize, however, that most of these apply to BOTH parents (except for #21, at least)!

You know you are a parent when…

1. You’ve signed a check with a crayon.
2. Your feet stick to the kitchen floor, and you don’t care.
3. You’ve accidentally brushed your teeth with diaper rash ointment.
4. You’ve caught vomit in your hand, and haven’t been grossed out by it.
5. You can recite Goodnight Moon by heart.
6. You consider the person who invented Sippy Cups a genius.
7. You see a mom from your child’s playgroup at the mall and know her son’s name but not hers.
8. You consider it a major triumph if you manage to shower by noon.
9. You own the entire Baby Einstein DVD collection.
10. You find yourself humming the Dora the Explorer theme song in the shower.
11. You’ve considered trading your whole life savings for just one good night of sleep.
12. You’ve spent an entire week wearing sweats.
13. You really hope that ketchup is a vegetable since it’s the only one your kids will eat.
14. Your child finds an old french fry under the seat, eats it, and it doesn’t gross you out.
15. You get to work only to realize your shirt has spit up stains on the shoulders.
16. You’ve sniffed your child’s bottom in public to determine if he/she needs a diaper change.
17. You tell everyone in your business meeting that it’s time to take a “potty break”.
18. You’ve discussed your child’s bodily functions over dinner.
19. You’ve ever uttered the statement, “Because I said so, that’s why!”
20. You’ve used spit to “wash” your child’s face.
21. You only have time to shave one leg at a time (if at all).
22. The only place you can go for “alone time” is the bathroom, and even that gets interrupted.

It’s that time of year — SOLs, AP tests, and then final exams. Testing can be a VERY stressful time for students, parents, and staff. So, I thought the best website to share this week would be one that was all about taking a break and having some fun. When it feels like testing will never end (I think I’m already there, and SOLs have only been going on for a few hours….), do yourself a favor and take a break. Here is a fun site where you can design your own kaleidescope. It’s very cool!

I know that we are all very busy, but it’s important to take mental breaks once-in-a-while.

I know all of you are just as despondent as I am to know that the end of the year is rapidly approaching and that we are faced with seemingly endless summer weeks without our daily dose of classroom wondrousness.

With that in mind, it’s highly advisable to back up your data on a regular basis. At this point in the year, you probably have gigabytes of worksheets, notes, tests, etc., that you have worked long and hard on. If you haven’t been doing it on a regular basis already, now is the time to back everything up to a thumb drive! There are many different ways you can backup your data, but here’s one way for you:

1. Go to Start/My Document (Note: if you have your files stored somewhere else on your C Drive other your My Documents folder, then use these steps to copy those, too)
2. In the My Documents window, highlight all your documents and folders.
3. On the left pane, click Copy the selected items. The Copy Items window displays.
4. On the Copy Items window, select your Thumb Drive (this is usually your E: drive). Click Copy.

And that’s it!