November
13
November
10
links for 2008-11-10
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Interactive Models of Platonic and Archimedean Solids
Here are interactive versions of the Platonic and Archimedean solids that you can manipulate on your computer screen. There are two versions of each one; the vrml version requires a VRML viewer, and the java version requires java. -
These pages contain a collection of links to suitable activities to support & enhance classroom teaching & learning. The thumbnails & activities are the property of the authors/creators & only available due to their generosity in sharing their work.
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The MATRIX Project (http://matrixlearning.org) provides resources to improve middle school reading and mathematics achievement through the development of interactive educational games that use PDAs, iPods and video cameras, along with web-based resources including Quantum Simulations' online Artificial Intelligence Assessors and Tutors.
Our games can be played on a handheld or computer using the Flash Player™ application. Download the newest Flash Player for free, if you don't already have it. Send Us Feedback on the games, and check out games developed by our partners at New Mexico State University.
November
9
links for 2008-11-09
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These are early storyboards from Star Wars, from before the Falcon was changed to its current design. I took them from Hyperspace's Insider supplement, which means there's more to be had in Insider. I'll try and pick them up and see what this is about.
The text on the Hyperspace page (which requires membership), reads:
"Insider readers who enjoyed J.W. Rinzler's revealing "Pirates of the Boards" article from issue #91 can view the rare storyboard artwork here in an enlarged slideshow format — please see the original article for additional information regarding these rare images.
Be sure to check out Rinzler's continuing series of early storyboard art in the next five issues of Star Wars Insider!"
To my knowledge, the majority of these storyboards were done by Joe Johnston.
PS: I'm attaching a few more proto-storyboards storyboards to this set, as I find them.
November
7
links for 2008-11-07
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So, you're interested in origami and mathematics…perhaps you are a high school or K-8 math teacher, or a math student doing a report on the subject, or maybe you've always been interested in both and never made the connection, or maybe you're just curious. Origami really does have many educational benefits. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or just a casual surfer, I have tried my best to answer your questions, so please read on.
November
6
Added a translation tool
Just updated the blog with a translation page, so now you can read me in lots of other different languages (if you can read any). Since the only other languages I speak are computer languages, I wouldn’t mind some feedback in comments as to how accurate the tool is.
Click on the “Translate” page above.
Thanks to: http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/translate-your-blog-into-different-languages?replies=2 for providing the workaround for wordpress, and http://www.teach42.com/ for their 30 days to a better blog series for suggesting this. I love it!
November
4
links for 2008-11-04
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Learning for Sustainability is a partnerhsip website linking NSWTAFE New England Institute with the Liverpool Plain Land Management Committee, the Namoi CMA and the wider community . It is part of an Innovative E-learning project under the Australian Flexible Learning Framework. This site is evolving and is being built collaboratively. This site is currently set to be open to the World Wide Web for all to see but only members who join and sign into this site are able to edit and contribute to discussions.
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Make your own games
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The discussion moved from what really is an online learning opportunity to revealing a myriad of styles and approaches. Leaders expressed concerns about a lack of rigor and an absence of teachers in one example. Yet, others emphasized the extended one-on-one time and authenticity provided by incorporating social networking and web 2.0 tools
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Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning has sought to facilitate successful, transformational, ICT-related pedagogical change into the core of classroom practice in a K – 12 school in Sydney, Australia. This paper outlines the success of SCIL as a research and development unit, from its inception in 2005 through
November
3
Go Animate
Have been checking out GoAnimate for the last hour.
I read about this on http://www.teach42.com/ a blog that I’ve just recently discovered, that I’m loving. At the moment, I’m trying out their “30 days to a better blog”…but more about that later.
Since I have a fair amount of knowledge in Flash, I approached GoAnimate quite skeptically. After about 10 minutes fiddling around with their very simple interface, I think that it may be a great animation tool for those that know absolutely nothing (and don’t need to) about the technical skill of animation. I’m definately planning on implementing this into my Year 7 Technology (Mandatory) class, but also see it as a very simple tool for effective implementation of ICT into any curriculum.
I’ve done some claymation in class to teach complex problems, and have found this really easy to do, and very motivating for students. The best tool for this is JPEG Video, which is a free program that takes a sequence of images (for example, from a camera) and automatically pieces them together into an AVI.
Some ways to use this in the classroom involve:
- Digital Storytelling: English, HSIE, technology, Science, really any subject that involves any kind of narrative.
- Idea Communciation: A tool for presenting an idea that may (hopefully) stimulate conversation by students. Eg, “create a video presenting safety issues in the workshop”
- Responding to ideas: You could create a video log, responding to each others animations.
- Awareness Programs: Students could create awareness programs for relevant issues, such as health issues for PDHPE, Environment in Science, TAS, HSIE
- Interpretation of texts: Converting different texts in English to an animation. This could also be used for fairly fact based texts by presenting them in an unusual way.
- Mise en scene: Creation of animation helps in the understanding of setting the scene.
- Drama: creative interpretation
Advantages:
- Students can collaborate on ideas.
- Great for literacy skills
- Students plan out their animation before creating. Allows for development of storytelling/narrative skills.
- It’s very motivating. Students get really excited about it.
- You avoid the inevitable “But I can’t draw!” Comments
- Good for kinesthetic students that need to move things around to understand concepts
Overall, aside from being a little slow (on my connection), Go animate seems like an excellent tool for students and teachers, as they don’t need to know anything about animation, and is extremely easy to use.
For comments: What experiences have you had with animations in the classroom? Do students find it motivating? Is it a good learning tool?
November
3
links for 2008-11-03
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Welcome to the national training system's e-learning strategy, Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework). Here you will find the latest e-learning news and developments, as well as links to our many products, resources and support networks.
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check which web2.0 services have you registered for with your default name.
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Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.
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A drabble is an extremely short work of fiction exactly one hundred words in length, although the term is often misused to indicate a short story of fewer than 1000 words. The purpose of the drabble is brevity and to test the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in an extremely confined space.
November
2