Online Research Databases - Reliable Research Info in a Click

When MIA, I have been learning more about online research databases and giving workshops around the Lower Mainland. We have access to a couple of fabulous, reliable online research databases. World Book Online, EBSCO Research Databases, and the Encyclopedia of British Columbia Online. World Book offline you are familiar with, but there a lot of extras in the online version. World Book has incorporated primary source documents, maps, timelines and e-books. World Book has also incorporated Canadian Sources. I was very pleased to see among the 24 Canadian e-book titles Pauline Johnson's Legends of Vancouver and Robert Service's The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses.

EBSCO Research Databases include 1,750 periodicals, 8,300 journals, 100,000 primary source documents, 300,000 photos, maps and flags and 520 full text education journals. The Canadian Student Reference Centre has full text for many magazines as well as thousands of historical essays and biographies. All full text articles are assigned a reading level indicator. It also includes over 100,000 primary source materials and more than 300,000 images.

For teacher reference, EBSCO includes over 260 titles of teacher and administrator journals, periodicals, and books covering education topics such as Assessment, Continuing Education, Current Pedagogical Research, Curriculum Development, Instructional Media, Language Arts, Literacy Standards, Science & Mathematics, and more.

Access in the school is automatic. Drop by the library for the passwords for at home access - our license allows for this.

Please encourage our students to go beyond Google and Wikipedia to use these databases - make it an assignment requirement. It will be databases such as these our students will be accessing in post secondary education and at the public library.

I'd be happy to come and do an intro lesson with your class - fyi all the grade 8's become familiar with World Book Online during orientation.

Check out the video about Online Databases, you might recognize a few familiar faces... our students were great... I'm not a fan of being on camera;)

Paperless Classroom Challenge

Here's some follow up information to the Paperless Classroom Challenge I proposed at last week's prod.

The idea of a paperless classroom challenge was bantered around last year between Lesley, Bryan, Audrey and I. Given our extraordinary photocopying costs last year, I thought it would be an interesting idea to float for two months - November and April.

The idea came to Lesley and Bryan through a blog they read.
Educator Shelly Blake-Plock writes about the paperless classroom on his blog TeachPaperless.

A few posts from his blog you might find interesting as an introduction to the paperless classroom concept:
I Was a Paper Junkie
Cost Benefits of Going Paperless
At the End of the Anomaly of the Age of Printed Books

Have no fear, the later is not about giving up books, it is about how information is printed today!

The Paperless Classroom, written by a San Diego State University graduate student, offers a good overview of the pros and cons of going paperless, and offers links to other resources.

We are fortunate to have the technology at Sutherland to take a stab at going paperless.

Think about a unit, a lesson, a presentation, a student assessment option that could be given paperless - plan to reduce your paper use in November and April. Think about adopting a speedgeeking application to assist with your paperless goals or revisiting the pdf scanner to digitize your already fabulously created lessons and exercises.

Plan for a paperless November and April!!!

Speedgeeking Start Up

Let's begin where we ended in June!

Last week the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies in the UK posted its list of 100 Top Tools for Learning compiled from learning professionals worldwide.

At our Speedgeeking session back in June you were introduced to applications found in the top 10 of the survey.

Now that we are back, which application would you like to spend some time getting to know this year - Google apps, Delicious, Blogs, Wikis, Twitter, or Skype?

You can revisit the speedgeeking handouts in a couple of locations. The info handouts are still in the Novacom Sutherland staff conference. I am also in the beginning stages of creating a wiki for the library - you can link here to the Staff Stuff and scroll down to the bottom for the handhouts.

Those of you who put your speedgeeking introductions firmly on the summer back burner, see if you can move one forward into this school year.

Happy to help you get reintroduced to your speedgeeking date.


Graphic used under Creative Commons license by Daniel F. Pigatto http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigatto/332193181/

Multiple Uses for Multi-Media Projector Access

I came across this blog posting that lists 50 ways to use a projector in the classroom. Many of the 50 suggestions are already in practice here, but there may be a few you might not have thought of before or that may spark an adaptation idea - I'd love to hear about those!

FYI, last week parents I know from my past life over the hill, who are now on the Carson Amalgamation Response team, asked to meet with me to talk about the advantages to teaching and learning available in a new, technology rich building. Part of that discussion was certainly about the computer/projector set up in classrooms. They also spoke to a student, who commented that she felt her comprehension had increased because of the use of computers and projectors to provide explanations and/or visuals to supplement lessons.

To Blog...

After a bit of a hiatus from my blog, it's time to dive right in again. Where have I been? Good question. In my offline meanderings I've been talking and teaching with technology, and keeping a Google doc of blog entry ideas - it's quite the list. A figure it's about time I practice what I preach.

So, where to start? Let's start back at the beginning, why blog?

For me, I'm hoping to develop this into a place to think and reflect on practice, to introduce technology, new teaching and learning ideas and resources, and to disseminate information.

Why do others' blog?

Well, this is what's happening in our building... great blogs for teaching and learning!!!

Jacquie, Kevin and Norm blog their lesson plans and homework for their Social Studies classes. Tina blogs weekly descriptions of course activity, copies of handouts, and links to curriculum-related sites for her English classes. Tracey uses blogs with his English class to explore non fiction issues. Darcy uses blogs with his English class to initiate discussion and respond to literature. HwlieLie posts daily Math homework on her blog. Jen posts "spanglish" assignments, quizzes, and test dates on her blog. Tara and Jen use a blog with their Journalism class for students to write and collaborate on the Sabre Trooth.

Have I missed anyone? I'm happy to add in.

Looking for blogging ideas or inspiration, check out:
What does blogging do for you or your students?, a seven point summary from the You are Never Alone: communicate and collaborate in an online world blog, and the Why Should Teachers Blog? Practical Theory blog has an interesting comment by Will Richardson posted about blogging, with a follow up discussion.

Will Richardson has a great blog himself Weblogg-ed: learning with the read/write web.

Here are some links to other school bloggers. This wiki indexes Educational bloggers: teachers, principals, classroom blogs, individual student bloggers, blogs about literacy, and professional development blogs - to name a few.

I really like this graphic - a great brainstorm of possible blog characteristics and posted information.


Graphic used under Creative Commons license by Mexicanwave
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mexicanwave/2404978535/

Country Online App

Here is a really easy to use online application called Visited Countries. This was created just for fun, by Douwe Osinga who works for Google.

I see a few applications for his Visited Countries:
Countries in conflict;
Countries where specific languages are spoken;
Countries you have visited;
Countries where the Olympics have been held.

I've created a map of where our students come from, based on the Peace messages conveyed at our Rememberance Day Ceremony.



If I have missed anyone, please let me know... happy to add, the more the merrier!

If you come up with another curricular idea to use the application, please comment and share.

National Symbols and Statues... et al

Ok, my very last post about Ottawa, I promise. Those of you who know me well, know that red and white run through my veins. I am very patriotic and I celebrate all things Canadian (and Australian, for my other passport;). To this point, I had seen more of Canberra than Ottawa. I'm happy to say this has been corrected. Everywhere you turn in Ottawa, you are reminded of being Canadian. Aside from it being our nation's capital and the home of Parliament, you are surrounded by our national symbols. I took numerous pictures of our provincial coat of arms which, along with all our province and territory coats of arms, flowers, and flags can be found either laid in wood, stone, doors, walls, ceilings, fountains, stain glass, carpet, or flying in stands.

Throughout the halls of Parliament are paintings of our Prime Ministers and Monarchy. On the grounds of Parliament are many statues, including some of our Prime Ministers and the Famous Five. This is a picture of me having tea with Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby, and Louise McKinney.

Across the street from Parliament is a statue of our Canadian hero, Terry Fox. Just down the block from Parliament is the National War Memorial.

Our country's flag flies everywhere... inside buildings, in front of buildings, on top of buildings. It was National Flag of Canada Day my last day in Ottawa - that is when the picture of Parliament Hill on the last post was taken.

I visited the Canadian War Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of Civilization - each absolutely amazing! I also walked on the Rideau Canal and eat a Beaver Tail.

My visit to Ottawa was unique because of the Teacher's Institute; however, I encourage everyone to visit our capital and the opportunity to reflect on all things Canadian whenever the chance arises.