CALVIN

CALVIN
CALVIN - THE KING

Wednesday 20 August 2008

ME

Im on this medicine.. Its called abilifyI hate it so much, but no one will listen to me I miss my old depressed self.. It made me feel . nobody in the world would understand what im saying, but when i was depressed i could jot my feelings down in a little book and make poems but now i feel blank so im left to righting rants, whatever this is.. maybe i should do blogs,, i dont knowWell just jotting my feelings down.

Wednesday 13 August 2008

Are Smart Boards SMART?

First, what in the world is a Smartboard? If you don’t know… according to Wikipedia, a Smartboard or interactive whiteboard is a large, touch-controlled screen that works with a projector and a computer. The projector throws the computer’s desktop image onto the interactive whiteboard (usually in the front of a room), which acts as both a monitor and an input device. Users can write on the interactive whiteboard in digital ink or use a finger to control computer applications by pointing, clicking and dragging, just as with a desktop mouse…
Now that you know a bit about this new technology, I refer back to my original question. Are Smart Boards smart? Maybe yes… and maybe no!
There is no doubt that this colorful-board technology rocks for educational uses. You can have students come up to a board in front of a class, and by using his or her fingers, can interact with a board to discuss many “hands-on” topics for a fun activity. But where the boards fall short — is in the depth of your pockets. You see, Smart Boards are VERY expensive to purchase for your average K12 School. They cost about $1,200 to $3,000 per unit, and that is not including the cost you will need to have a fast computer to run a board, and you also will need a current projector to show the image onto a screen.

Activity to Explore the Outdoors


For a quick and easy way to get preschool and school-age kids exploring the outdoors, try this simple leaf rubbing activity. All you need is:
a few pieces of paper
a couple of crayons with the paper wrappers removed
a hard, flat surface (smooth table top, floor or hard cover book)
a bucket, basket or bag for collecting leaves
1. Explain to kids that they need to collect a variety of different leaves or other flat objects in their bucket. Then we’ll use the paper and crayons to make cool rubbings.
2. As the children collect their leaves, encourage them to take their time and look at and feel the textures they encounter. Point out some of the features of the leaves, plants, trees or landscape you are exploring. Keep an eye out for insects or other little creatures you might come across. Don’t worry if they collect things that you know won’t work well for rubbings. It will be a great learning experience as they try it out. Also, don’t worry if you’ve spent so much time exploring the outdoors that you run out of time for the project. After all, the whole point of the activity is to get the kids to pay attention to nature, so… mission accomplished!
3. Once you’ve got a nice selection of items, show the children how to lay one out on the flat surface and cover it with the paper. Hold the crayon so it is lying across the paper and rub it across the leaf. Encourage children to press firmly and rub all around the flattened leaf under the paper.
4. Enjoy the oohs and aahs that are sure to erupt from the children’s mouths as they watch the images of the leaves appear.
Take it a step further by talking about the types of marks that appear after the rubbing. Which leaves make better rubbings? What didn’t work so well? After trying a few different leaves, can you predict what will make for a good rubbing image?
This activity is great for active learners as well as nature lovers and those who love crafts. It appeals to kinetic, natural and spatial intelligences, and the discussion questions can also help those with linguistic and logical/mathematical strengths also get involved.