iGoogle is simply the new name for the Google Personalized Homepage. If you have never looked at iGoogle, it is a lot of fun. I just set it as my home page. There are thousands of gadgets to pick from to add to your page. I chose things like sports news, quotes of the day, weather for my town, a clock, etc. Google says there are tens of millions of people who have already created their own personalized home page -- OK so I was a little slow to adopt this.
Try it out and let me know what you think.....
Friday, December 14, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Fun Day with New Toys
I've been having a lot of fun today. I discovered two new educational "toys". You may call them tools but toys sounds like more fun.
I spent some time checking out http://voicethread.com/. (Thanks to Darren Kuropatwa) I created an account and then created my first Voice Thread! It was really easy and a lot of fun. In the matter of a few minutes I had uploaded photos, arranged them in order to show, recorded a narrative to go with each one, and created annotated notes on them. All I needed was an internet connection, an email address to set up the account, and a microphone. Then I set this file up to share with some other teachers at school. I wanted to show them how easy and fun this was. I am definitely going to use this with my students next semester!
The next place I went was http://www.slideshare.net/. This allows you to share any PowerPoint on the Internet. That might not seem so great but it also allows me to browse for other people's slideshow. In a matter of minutes I was able to find and see slideshows uploaded by other teachers. No more recreating the wheel!
I am sure if you looked for it you could find "bad stuff". However, one of my responsibilities as an educator is to teach my students how to sort out the good from the bad.
I'm excited about these new finds. Check them out. You might like what you see ........
I spent some time checking out http://voicethread.com/. (Thanks to Darren Kuropatwa) I created an account and then created my first Voice Thread! It was really easy and a lot of fun. In the matter of a few minutes I had uploaded photos, arranged them in order to show, recorded a narrative to go with each one, and created annotated notes on them. All I needed was an internet connection, an email address to set up the account, and a microphone. Then I set this file up to share with some other teachers at school. I wanted to show them how easy and fun this was. I am definitely going to use this with my students next semester!
The next place I went was http://www.slideshare.net/. This allows you to share any PowerPoint on the Internet. That might not seem so great but it also allows me to browse for other people's slideshow. In a matter of minutes I was able to find and see slideshows uploaded by other teachers. No more recreating the wheel!
I am sure if you looked for it you could find "bad stuff". However, one of my responsibilities as an educator is to teach my students how to sort out the good from the bad.
I'm excited about these new finds. Check them out. You might like what you see ........
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Braves Sign Autographs for Cancer Research
OK, I'll admit that I was a little rough on Tom Glavine. So now, I'll give a good report. Tom Glavine and Tim Hudson are scheduled to make an appearance at Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn tomorrow night. They will be signing autographs from 4:00 - 6:00. Autographs cost $10 and all proceeds go to Children's Cancer Research. This is a part of what has become the Annual Carter Martin Classic at Providence. Carter was a second grade student at Providence when he died from cancer. This event is set up to coincide with a home basketball game and all the proceeds from the gate and the concession stand will also go to Children's Cancer Research. There is also a silent sports memorabilia auction on their campus that night.
Although it hasn't been publicized, rumor has it that Lilburn native, Jeff Francoer, may also be present for some autographs.
Directions to Providence Christian Academy can be found at http://www.providencechristian.net/Directions.aspx
Although it hasn't been publicized, rumor has it that Lilburn native, Jeff Francoer, may also be present for some autographs.
Directions to Providence Christian Academy can be found at http://www.providencechristian.net/Directions.aspx
Friday, November 30, 2007
Quizlet
A friend of mine showed me the best site for studying vocabulary words. It is at http://quizlet.com/. It is free. The only thing you have to do to get started is set up an user name and password. You have to supply an email address.
Here's how it works:
You enter a vocabulary list
Quizlet gives you a specialized learning mode, flashcards, and randomly generated tests.
Here are some neat features:
Quizlet keeps track of the words you know and only retests you on the ones you don't. You can import words from a file without having to retype them into Quizlet. Quizlet has accent buttons for typing letters in foreign languages.
I typed all my daugher's first semester Latin vocabulary into it last night for her. She sat and practiced for a long time and actually enjoyed it. This is a great way to prepare for her exams.
You can search the database and use other people's tests as well as your own. Your "dashboard" remembers where you have been so you don't have to search for it again.
All the French and Spanish accent symbols were there, you just have to click on show symbols. For Latin, I had to go into the preferences and add the symbols. It wasn't hard. I put them on a Word document from the symbols in Word and then copied and pasted them onto the Quizlet symbols. They'll stay there for her under her log-in.
Here's how it works:
You enter a vocabulary list
Quizlet gives you a specialized learning mode, flashcards, and randomly generated tests.
Here are some neat features:
Quizlet keeps track of the words you know and only retests you on the ones you don't. You can import words from a file without having to retype them into Quizlet. Quizlet has accent buttons for typing letters in foreign languages.
I typed all my daugher's first semester Latin vocabulary into it last night for her. She sat and practiced for a long time and actually enjoyed it. This is a great way to prepare for her exams.
You can search the database and use other people's tests as well as your own. Your "dashboard" remembers where you have been so you don't have to search for it again.
All the French and Spanish accent symbols were there, you just have to click on show symbols. For Latin, I had to go into the preferences and add the symbols. It wasn't hard. I put them on a Word document from the symbols in Word and then copied and pasted them onto the Quizlet symbols. They'll stay there for her under her log-in.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Before you do your holiday shopping ...
It's time for holiday shopping again!
And, if you shop through GoodShop.com, they'll donate an average of 3% (and up to 37%) of all of your purchases to Wesleyan School.
GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which features hundreds of great stores including Best Buy, Macy's, Apple, Nike, eBay, the Gap, Target, and more.
It's easy, just go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ and click on Who do you GoodShop for? At the top where it says to enter your charity - type in Wesleyan School and click on verify. Then simply click on the store's logo and shop as your normally would! You get the exact same prices and service as if you went directly to the store's website.
The computer will remember your charity each time you come back. If you should go to use another computer, simply set up Wesleyan School again. It's easy. It's fast and the money we raise goes directly into the technology budget at Wesleyan.
And, while you're searching the web, don't forget to use GoodSearch.com which makes a donation to our school for each search. I wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
And, if you shop through GoodShop.com, they'll donate an average of 3% (and up to 37%) of all of your purchases to Wesleyan School.
GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which features hundreds of great stores including Best Buy, Macy's, Apple, Nike, eBay, the Gap, Target, and more.
It's easy, just go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ and click on Who do you GoodShop for? At the top where it says to enter your charity - type in Wesleyan School and click on verify. Then simply click on the store's logo and shop as your normally would! You get the exact same prices and service as if you went directly to the store's website.
The computer will remember your charity each time you come back. If you should go to use another computer, simply set up Wesleyan School again. It's easy. It's fast and the money we raise goes directly into the technology budget at Wesleyan.
And, while you're searching the web, don't forget to use GoodSearch.com which makes a donation to our school for each search. I wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Steelers vs Dolphins
Well the football game in Pittsburgh was an ugly affair on Monday night. A terrible field and dreadful weather caused an unlikely outcome. The first place Pittsburgh Steelers with a record of 7-3 were facing the Dolphins who were 0 -10. One would have thought that the Steelers would have trampled all over the Dolphins. However, one look at the footing on the field and you just hoped a miscue wouldn't be the difference in the game. The game remained scoreless for over 59 minutes. With just 17 seconds left, Jeff Reed's 24-yard field goal gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 victory. It was the league's lowest-scoring game since 1993. The game was delayed by lightning and heavy rain. The rain washed away nearly all the yard lines on a new grass field that had been in place less than 24 hours. Whose bright idea was it to lay new sod with the rain coming in and a game to play?
One of the problems is that the Steelers share their facility with the University of Pittsburgh and various high school teams. In fact 7 football games were played in this facility in an 11 day span. No field can take that and the rain.
One stat that almost goes unnoticed is that the 0-10 Dolphins sacked Big Ben five times while Pittsburgh only sacked the Dolphins rookie QB John Beck four times.
Still a win is a win and the Steelers are in first place with a record of 8 - 3. This game will quickly be forgotten by a lot of the fans. However, I would imagine the players will remember it for a long time.
Go Steelers!
One of the problems is that the Steelers share their facility with the University of Pittsburgh and various high school teams. In fact 7 football games were played in this facility in an 11 day span. No field can take that and the rain.
One stat that almost goes unnoticed is that the 0-10 Dolphins sacked Big Ben five times while Pittsburgh only sacked the Dolphins rookie QB John Beck four times.
Still a win is a win and the Steelers are in first place with a record of 8 - 3. This game will quickly be forgotten by a lot of the fans. However, I would imagine the players will remember it for a long time.
Go Steelers!
Pitch Count
I was continuing to think about the baseball salaries. I'm not picking on Tom but just using him as an example.
Major League baseball pitchers are typically limited to about 100 pitches per game (if they are doing well enough to stay in that long). Therefore, if you take the $250,000 per game that Tom Glavine will average and divide by 100 (knowing that he won't throw 100 pitches in all his starts) then with each pitch he makes $2500.
These kinds of calculations help students get an idea on how big the number 8 million is. Free agency has driven up salaries until multiple year contracts totaling over $100 million dollars seem common place. It is really hard to get a grasp on how big that number is. I'm not sure the players themselves have thought through how much they are making.
You can do all kinds of baseball math. You could have students calculating batting averages, ERAs for pitchers, each player's percentage of the total payroll, it goes on and on. If you love stats, there are lots to do. It is a great way to get boys involved in a math project.
Major League baseball pitchers are typically limited to about 100 pitches per game (if they are doing well enough to stay in that long). Therefore, if you take the $250,000 per game that Tom Glavine will average and divide by 100 (knowing that he won't throw 100 pitches in all his starts) then with each pitch he makes $2500.
These kinds of calculations help students get an idea on how big the number 8 million is. Free agency has driven up salaries until multiple year contracts totaling over $100 million dollars seem common place. It is really hard to get a grasp on how big that number is. I'm not sure the players themselves have thought through how much they are making.
You can do all kinds of baseball math. You could have students calculating batting averages, ERAs for pitchers, each player's percentage of the total payroll, it goes on and on. If you love stats, there are lots to do. It is a great way to get boys involved in a math project.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine returns to the Braves next year and we are glad to see him come back. He came for a discounted price of $8 million dollars. (He turned down $13 million with the Mets.)
What exactly does that mean? Major League Baseball teams play a 162 game season. Pitchers play 1 game in 5. That means if he is healthy, he will start about 32 games. That means he will make about $250,000 for every game he starts. If he averages 7 innings a game, he will make over $35,700 per inning. While I know he is a good pitcher and I know many other pitchers make more money than Tom, surely anyone can see that this is still an outrageous salary. I will teach my entire career and not make 1/4th of what he will make in this one season. In fact, most starting teachers don't make in a year what he makes in an inning.
This could make an interesting math problem for some math classes. You could have students compare the salaries of some of the top baseball players. Comparing the fielders who play most of the games and the pitchers. Then you could compare the salaries of baseball players to the salaries of football players, etc.... You could do some neat graphs in Excel.
We're glad you're back, Tom. We wish you health and success! Go Braves!
What exactly does that mean? Major League Baseball teams play a 162 game season. Pitchers play 1 game in 5. That means if he is healthy, he will start about 32 games. That means he will make about $250,000 for every game he starts. If he averages 7 innings a game, he will make over $35,700 per inning. While I know he is a good pitcher and I know many other pitchers make more money than Tom, surely anyone can see that this is still an outrageous salary. I will teach my entire career and not make 1/4th of what he will make in this one season. In fact, most starting teachers don't make in a year what he makes in an inning.
This could make an interesting math problem for some math classes. You could have students compare the salaries of some of the top baseball players. Comparing the fielders who play most of the games and the pitchers. Then you could compare the salaries of baseball players to the salaries of football players, etc.... You could do some neat graphs in Excel.
We're glad you're back, Tom. We wish you health and success! Go Braves!
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving was good. I enjoyed my time off from work. The time with my family was fun. The food was great. We enjoyed our time of shopping. Now it is on to the next holiday. I finished my indoor decorating for Christmas - except the tree. I finished addressing all my Christmas cards. I have most of my shopping and wrapping done.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Dreaming
I am dreaming of a day when I don't have to work so hard. A day when I don't have to commute 45 minutes in rush hour traffic in Atlanta just to get to work. A day when my child is grown and on her own and I don't have to worry about book reports. A day when I don't have to grade projects any more. A day when my students come in loving everything they are learning - OK I think I have that one down.
I have the distinct pleasure of teaching Web Design this semester. I was lucky enough to get a class of boys (I wish I had some girls, too.) who love what they are doing. They are not all the best students but they are focussed and working the entire class period. I am currently using Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Flash with my class. We have completed all the lessons and they are entering into a three week period when they get to create their own web site on any topic they choose. They have to use all three programs to complete their final project. It has to be educational. They have to do research and then write the pages themselves - not copy someone else's work. They are truely loving the process of creating this project. I am anxious to see them when they are done.
I love to teach. I love the experience of a seeing a child work hard and then finally "get it". I love the excitement and energy that they bring to class everyday -- and I teach high school!
I am dreaming of the day when I get to move back to PA. We are trying to buy a piece of land with the idea of building a house and moving there one day. It is the most beautiful place in the world. It is at the foot of a mountain and has a trout stream passing right through the property. We hope to close on the land soon. We would have somewhere around 13 - 15 acres. See our web page about this land http://home.comcast.net/~hornertrio/land.htm
Well, dreams only take you so far. In order to accomplish some of my dreams, I must continue on in this reality. I must continue to commute. I must continue to nag about completing book reports. (My daughter hates to read.) I must continue to grade projects because our educational system requires numerical assessments of what our students have learned. (I think they have learned far beyond what grade I can assign to them.) I must continue to live in this present time and location but I can dream ....
I have the distinct pleasure of teaching Web Design this semester. I was lucky enough to get a class of boys (I wish I had some girls, too.) who love what they are doing. They are not all the best students but they are focussed and working the entire class period. I am currently using Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Flash with my class. We have completed all the lessons and they are entering into a three week period when they get to create their own web site on any topic they choose. They have to use all three programs to complete their final project. It has to be educational. They have to do research and then write the pages themselves - not copy someone else's work. They are truely loving the process of creating this project. I am anxious to see them when they are done.
I love to teach. I love the experience of a seeing a child work hard and then finally "get it". I love the excitement and energy that they bring to class everyday -- and I teach high school!
I am dreaming of the day when I get to move back to PA. We are trying to buy a piece of land with the idea of building a house and moving there one day. It is the most beautiful place in the world. It is at the foot of a mountain and has a trout stream passing right through the property. We hope to close on the land soon. We would have somewhere around 13 - 15 acres. See our web page about this land http://home.comcast.net/~hornertrio/land.htm
Well, dreams only take you so far. In order to accomplish some of my dreams, I must continue on in this reality. I must continue to commute. I must continue to nag about completing book reports. (My daughter hates to read.) I must continue to grade projects because our educational system requires numerical assessments of what our students have learned. (I think they have learned far beyond what grade I can assign to them.) I must continue to live in this present time and location but I can dream ....
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