The Teacher Toolbox

A huge thanks to Sharon in Scotland for suggesting stripcreator.com to go with the others free online comic strip generators listed on my site. It certainly has a lot more options than some of my older tools.

As an introductory activity to comic strip creation I have the kids bring in the ‘lamest’ joke they can find. They then have to create a comic strip out of it. It is an excellent way to discuss pun. For the ‘the usual suspects’ that don’t bring you a joke, Yahooligans has a really good lame joke section that they can peruse.

Here are a couple of ideas from my webpage for using sites like these:

- Use the websites provided to produce a short comic strip about something you are passionate about.

- Using the websites above create a comic strip of a joke that will make an adult laugh. NB you will need to use a clever play on words rather than something that will make a child laugh.

- In a group of 4 convert a fable into a comic strip. Hints - You will need to sub-task a lot and be very clear on the design decisions you all make.

After a great time in Rose Bay Kincoppal Sydney and sold out gigs at Expanding Learning Horizons Lorne, Dr Jim and I will be running a workshop at Lauriston Girls’ Sept 4.

So if you are keen for some high class professional development or know someone who is keen feel free to send out out flyer.

http://www.adrianbruce.com/blogimages/Aug08/DrJim&Ad.pdf

During the day we Jim will cover all sorts of really useful Web 2.0 tools with a strong emphasis on powerful pedogodgy. I will focus on creative processes, co-learning, blogging, podcasting, digital art and Computer Aided Design.

Quote from Rose Bay session, ‘Guys this has been one of the best PD sessions I’ve been to in years. I’ve got so much practical stuff that I know will work with my students’.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Adrian

Advances in technologies mean that it is so easy to infuse almost real time science into your classroom. I firmly believe that you can do all sorts of stuff for children’s attitude development towards Science by having lots of little ‘tit bits’ happening.

Currently I receive Tweets from two sources off world. One source of messages is from The Phoenix Lander which is the current Mars Mission. I also receive messages from the Cassini probe which orbits Saturn. These messages tell of up coming events, finding and links to some of the most current images.

Check out the the Martian sunrise for yourself http://twitter.com/MarsPhoenix and the icey jet eruptions on the moon Enceladus http://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn.

cheers

Adrian

Over the years I’ve had students investigate if black really is the colour with the least amount in a jelly beans pack? Are there less blue Smarties in a pack than any other colour? and this year I had a go at M&Ms.

Now these are hardly earth shattering investigations but I have found them highly engaging and a nice ‘in’ to introducing tallys and graphing.

Tonight I’ve made a webpage that outlines this M&M graphing activity. I’ve included a few questioning ideas and a link to a nice, easy online graph creation website.

see what you think

Ad

I love bringing new puzzles to class. I focus on the most approprate strategy e.g. ‘constant manipulation’ is probably going to work best for you with this puzzle then give the kids about 20 minutes to try and solve it.

While the kids are working on the puzzle I model trying to solve the puzzle myself on an overhead projector. I put the pieces on the panel, slip on my sun glasses and manipulate the pieces constantly and try to create a square

Once the 20 minutes is over the pieces of the puzzle go into envelopes and are kept in desks. The kids are encouraged to take the puzzles home to frustrate parents. Heaps of fun for the whole learning community. hehehe

Have Fun

Adrian

Tonight whilst multi-tasking (yes blokes can walk and chew gum at the same time)… I was Skyping a person who is about to give a keynote here in Oz & working on an electronic jigsaw based on ‘air’ words @ the same time.

So… what’s my point?

I guess it is that the free tools we now find ourselves immersed in are extremely powerful and it is up to us to harness their power in creative and powerful ways.

So that said, ‘What are you doing it harness the power of modern tools?’

Or more to the point… ‘What could you be doing to harness their power?

It’s worth a thought!

Adrian

In the beginning adrianbruce.com was a means for me to put the stuff I use with my classes online for the world to use so people don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Now, as time goes by, I’ve become aware that the navigation of the site is (insert nice word for become very difficult).

So at the moment I’m working on putting a ‘google search field’ on each page as well as ‘breadcrumb’ navigation i.e. at the top of each page you’ll see - adrianbruce.com (which will get you back to the homepage) / Math ( which will get you back to the Math Page ) and then the page you are on.

Hopefully this will enable people to find their way around my teaching resources a little more easily.

That said, today I’ve updated lots of stuff… Feel free to check out and use it with your kids…

The calculator game

Place Value game

Olympic Diving

Addition Doubles

& Place Value Charts - Thousands, Millions, Billions, Trillions, Quadrillions

catch ya soon

Adrian

Tonight I’ve made a phonics poster for ’soft g’ for you to download and add to your Word Wall.  I’ve also taken it just a little further by making the poster into an electronic jigsaw with a program from Tibo Software.

I’m hoping that people can run it on their networks from a data stick or by placing the *.exe file in a shared folder.

You can download the soft g poster here and the jigsaw puzzle here.

Enjoy

Adrian

I’d just like thank David Warlick for the opportunity to Skype into his keynote in New York to discuss the benefits of blogging with students.

I hope the delegates received a little food for thought and enjoyed my Aussie accent

Here are the dot points I made for the guest spot. I hope they made sense as the clock approached midnight here in Oz.

Chatting with Dave in NY

- increased motivation to want to write because of ‘audience’

- biggest ‘movers’ = special needs students - exposed to models of writing - motivated to finish pieces - love the feedback via comments

- draft process = winner - peers conferencing- discussion of writing - ‘How best to say something’

- real purpose - authentic audience

- teacher models problem solving - ‘If we are going to advocate producing lifelong learners then surely we need to demonstrate being one ourselves’ - ie How do you use this new technology? - uploading   plays, podcasts, inserting pictures etc.

- Give this stuff a go - don’t be afraid to fail but fail forward.

cheers

Adrian

(Note to self - learn how to record Skypecasts hehehehe)

I love having examples of traversable networks up around the walls of my classrooms. It is so cool to watch students try and solve them.

Tonight’s addition has a hint that may lead the students to discovering Euler’s rule for traversable networks.

Here is the new problem and just in case you missed them, here are the older problems.

Have fun with these.

Adrian