How much do you know about Microsoft's free tools for educators?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><i>Submitted by Fiona Beal</i><br />Did you know that Microsoft has a number of free tools that can really make your  lessons come alive? Recently, when we attended the Partners in Learning (PIL) Institute week in Redmond, we didn’t spend very much time in the computer labs because the emphasis was on 21^st century lesson activities, yet the tools enhanced everything we did.  In this post I would like to show you some of the ways the PIL members used the tools. In future posts I will take each tool and explain it fully showing its potential in lesson activities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Photosynth</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>Photosynth<span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;"> (</span><a href="http://photosynth.net/">http://photosynth.net/</a>) <span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">is a web-based </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">software application from Microsoft Live that analyzes digital photographs and generates a three-dimensional model of the photos and gives a 360 degree view of a scene. With this application you can shoot wrap-around panoramas and easily share them with others. This has ENORMOUS potential for school outings.  I must confsss that I knew about photosynth before leaving for the USA but I hadn’t explored it. Now I can see that it is a simple yet effective programme that can make any outing memorable.  On most of our learning excursions PIL members took many different photosynths to share with others. This meant that everyone could benefit from all the excursions.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Neung made 10 different photosynths of the Seattle underground.  Here is one of them:</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://photosynth.net/embed.aspx?cid=f032feb0-2fc7-407c-90ee-67e13f3cab03&m=false&i=0:1:0&c=-2.4032:-0.225885:-0.0989103&z=603.469485023876&d=3.05778237455914:-2.22787423666449:-2.02439037975834&p=0:0&t=False&delayLoad=true&slideShowPlaying=false" width="500"></iframe></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;">One group took a photosynth of the Spaceneedle, one the highest points in Seattle. It is marvelous to still be able to still experience that  breathtaking panoramic view via the photosynth. </span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://photosynth.net/embed.aspx?cid=869b4d72-195a-437c-a1cc-395a544fb4d4&delayLoad=true&slideShowPlaying=false" width="500"></iframe></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">B<span class="Apple-style-span">art used photosynth to teach us 7 Dutch words in his kitchen when he got back home</span>.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://photosynth.net/embed.aspx?cid=5767adbc-f7b8-4d9d-ab38-7aec9558820e&delayLoad=true&slideShowPlaying=false" width="500"></iframe></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bing Maps</span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br />You know how it is when an application is introduced and it is good – well you tend to use that application even after others have been developed! So, I have been a Google maps fan and that is what I generally use in my lesson activities. I didn’t realize the potential of Bing Maps! There are so many interesting apps that go with Bing Maps that our learners will love using.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">In this overview I will show two interesting ways that PIL Institute attendees used Bing Maps.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Dan from the UK was first. Before we got there he asked everybody to think about joining <a href="http://about.me.com/">http://about.me.com/</a> and write a brief introduction about ourselves. He then joined these to a Bing Map. This is a great way to get to know who is going to be at an event before you meet them personally. Here is the map: <a href="http://binged.it/rry3gM">http://binged.it/rry3gM</a></span><span style="color: #222222;">. If you click on the image below you will be taken to the original in Bing Maps. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFk4u8FQ_UI1bDiOAnDdbLr-Y8ANcARxKYUkD_uc3cCLb_wy4hkF-FKqnXr96xg3tSERzvPO3cqEDMZ8waVhLA7qDP6Ansvrorrw1GHl2jNQEWyjMc4Ny62dGnOZlDOk3AnVAJZ80VG8/s400/dan%2527s+map.JPG" width="400" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Once you click on the person’s number on the map you can click on <em>‘more info</em>‘ and you’ll be taken to their <i>about.me</i> page. Dan is still adding details of everyone, but as he says, it is a great way to visually connect and possibly even collaborate in the future. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Bram from Belgium made a Bing Map of all the places the various teams visited in Seattle. if you click on the map below you will be taken to the original in Bing Maps.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div id="mapviewer"><div id="LME_maplinks" style="line-height: 20px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWgLzi1ARVenNj0nH-WfS6hcznBHPJoORMHY8i7dXGFHd2Fi3VHaR5EcJ6SQeJ-nDvbahgUEguwN3mS8VAlbdD-fk22bf8Tr1Elh3kmKYDuJ6ARAz5EQse6XE2YKX5mojJyNZH48po0Y/s400/Bing-Map-for-the-Partners-in-Learning-Institute-540x334.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Another interesting feature, I think, is that when you have created a photosynth about a place, you can submit it to Bing maps and if they like it they will add it to their map.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One Note</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />One Note is an incredible programme for keeping yourself organised. One of our presenters Sonja Delafosse used One Note instead of PowerPoint for presenting her sessions. One Note also has a great web app where you can share your notes. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Here is Sonja's YouTube video called 'What One Note can do':</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-JLuJ62rr04" width="425"></iframe></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Mo</b><b>vie Maker</b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Of course, Windows Movie Maker is the hit of all time. We all made movies about everything and uploaded them to YouTube in a flash. Nothing went unnoticed. </span>I don't think we'll ever forget the PIL Institute week because so many lovely movies were made about it by the attendees. Here is one I haven't used before:</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CI4XDd7CnvY" width="425"></iframe></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Songsmith</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: normal;"><b><br /></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This a great hit in schools. It is so easy to use and it does most of the work for you allowing you to end up with a very professional sounding version at the end.  W</span></span>hen our group was having a practice session on Song Smith, by the end of the session there was already a movie on YouTube!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-53nUeebcg8" width="420"></iframe></span><br /><div style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In the TeachMeet session there was a video about Songsmith within minutes.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u4EIVDZAH0U" width="425"></iframe></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Well, that ends my introductory post to some of the Microsoft tools and how they were used to make the week at the PIL Institute live on as an unforgettable memory forever. These tools are well worth exploring as you prepare your integrated lessons. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div></div></div>

Microsoft tools How much do you know about Microsoft's free tools for educators?

Submitted by Fiona Beal Did you know that Microsoft has a number of free tools that can really make your  lessons come alive? Recently, when...

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HG's Big Bowl of Breakfast

I would like to preface this post by saying that I contemplated not posting this because I forgot to take the picture of this dish.  *Sigh*  You'll just have to trust me on it ;)... it was very good!<br /><br />Below is the original recipe, with my modifications in italics.<br /><br /><blockquote><b><a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1283"><u>Hungry Girl's Big Bowl of Breakfast</u></a> - <i>8 Points+</i></b> (if you follow her instructions exactly it will only be 6 Points+)<br /><i>Ingredients:</i></blockquote><blockquote><ul><li>1 tray Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese Sauce</li><br /> <li>3/4 cup frozen potatoes O'Brien (like the kind by Ore-Ida) -<i> I used just the plain southern style frozen potatoes - I don't like the peppers :)</i></li><br /> <li>3/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)</li><br /> <li>1 slice Canadian bacon, chopped - <i>I used 2 slices of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon</i></li><br /> <li>2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese - <i>I used the WW shredded Mexican Cheese</i></li><br /> </ul></blockquote><blockquote><i>Directions:</i><br />Prepare broccoli & cheese sauce according to package instructions. Set aside.<br /><br />Bring a large pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add egg substitute and scramble for 2 - 3 minutes, until fully cooked. Place scrambled egg substitute in a microwave-safe bowl and set aside.<br /><br />Remove pan from heat, re-spray with nonstick spray, and return pan to the stove. Raise heat to medium-high and add potatoes. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thawed and lightly browned.<br /><br />Add Canadian bacon and cook until hot and a little crispy, about 1 - 2 minutes.<br /><br />Add potato/bacon mixture to the bowl with the egg scramble. Add broccoli & cheese sauce and mix to combine.<br /><br />Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the bowl, and microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, until cheese has melted. Grab a sturdy fork and dig in!</blockquote><br />I love breakfast bowls and this was a great interpretation of one.  I like the fact that the broccoli is hidden in there, allowing me to get a serving of veggies without my really knowing it.  However, I will say this: while I love broccoli, I only like the flower part (I'm probably one of the world's picky-est eaters!), and it seems as though the Green Giant tray only contains chunks of the stalk.  When I make this again, I will choose to use my own broccoli and add more shredded cheese if need be.  That's the thing I like most about Hungry Girl's recipes - she gives you a general concept that you can just do all sorts of things with.  For example, you could swap out the broccoli for spinach or change the meat and use turkey sausage links or ground turkey.. or whatever your heart desires!  <br /><br />Overall it tasted great and was even more special with some Texas Pete dabbed on top.  <br /><br />Do you have a favorite thing you make/eat for breakfast?

Weight Watcher Recipes HG's Big Bowl of Breakfast

I would like to preface this post by saying that I contemplated not posting this because I forgot to take the picture of this dish.  *Sigh* ...

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Compatriots

I sit with my 96 year old mother in her assisted living facility. She is not dying – not right away – but is in end stage congestive heart failure, has seriously high blood pressure, and seems to have had some mini-strokes. We are sitting in the common area where she does not like to be. She has been on the border of agoraphobia for decades. Her ability to focus and communicate is limited, so we have little to say.<br /><br /><br /><br />A group begins to gather for worship. I offer to push my mother’s wheel chair back to her room where we can continue our non-conversation. I do not recall her being in a church except for a funeral or wedding since 1959. She has never joined the services at this assisted living home. I don’t know why she avoids corporate worship. I suspect she doesn’t get the worship and doesn’t like the corporate. She has never spoken of it. In our family, religion is a private affair. I offer to facilitate her escape.<br /><br /><br /><br />To my surprise, she says, “Can I stay and hear it?” She does mean hear it – like hearing the mass – she does not sing and is quite blind – also deaf, but they sing loudly. I say “yes” and push her chair into formation with the gathered assembly – wondering what shift has happened in her and why. We are sitting in a worship service together for the first time in 50 years.<br /><br /><br /><br />We sing from the Baptist hymnal. While we sing, the demented old lady sitting next to us reaches over and steals from my mother’s shoulders a ratty-looking towel which she has wrapped around herself for warmth. The geriatric thief turns the towel to her own use. But my mother still has an attractive blanket worn like a shawl around her shoulders, so it is ok. We sing:<br /><br /><br /><br />“Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!<br /><br />May I thy consolation share,<br /><br />Till, from Mt. Pisgah’s lofty height,<br /><br />I see my home and take my flight.<br /><br />This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise,<br /><br />To seize the everlasting prize . . . .”<br /><br /><br /><br />What is my mother thinking as we sing this? Of my father, of my brother, of herself?<br /><br /><br /><br />Then the pastor speaks. He is from Myrtle Springs Baptist, the little country church where I walked down the center aisle any number of times to Just As I Am. He is a pudgy young man in a knit shirt and sneakers. I am grateful to him for being here and so I think charitably on his vague abstract message about how Americans should be grateful to God that even when things are bad here, they worse in developing nations. I am not grateful for that. But I am grateful to him. He has spoken of spiritual things to my mother and he is from the church of my childhood.<br /><br /><br /><br />At the end of the service, he passes through the throng shaking hands. He comes to me and I say, “When I was a boy, I attended Myrtle Springs. It is an important place to me.”<br /><br /><br /><br />It is an important place to me. Those words hold memories of Royal Ambassadors, sword drill, Sunday School, of friends now departed, of Brother Tate shouting his ruddy faced robust gospel, succeeded by Brother Bob whose message was friendlier but less interesting, memories of the choir’s red headed soprano just a year older than me, the one I stared at but never spoke to.<br /><br /><br /><br />“When I was a boy, I attended Myrtle Springs. It is an important place to me,” I said.<br /><br /><br /><br />“That’s very nice,” he said and walked on by.<br /><br /><br /><br />Double whammy. I had just been dismissively patronized the way old people are. He was in his patronizing-the-old-folks pastoral mode and was not able to shift gears fast enough to respond to me – bright, energetic, colorful character from Las Vegas that I am – and so he responded to me as he had to all the others. I learned something about my craft, about listening to people of any age and responding to them as if they matter.<br /><br /><br /><br />But that is only one of the whammies. The other whammy is not about age. It is about shared places which is actually my point. During my long decades spent East of the Mississippi, I would on very rare occasion see someone get out of a car with an Idaho license plate. I eventually learned better, but at first I would speak to them. It was like seeing a long lost family member, so I would speak, saying,<br /><br /><br /><br />“Idaho! I lived in Boise for over a decade, had a law office in Eagle, practiced in Canyon County too. Where were you? Did you eat Austrian Food at Peter Shott’s, drink beer at the Burger & Brew? What was that jazz piano player’s name?”<br /><br /><br /><br />And they would stare at me like a panhandler at best, more likely someone about to pick their pocket.<br /><br /><br /><br />In Las Vegas, I have twice at the gym seen someone with a Texas Longhorn shirt, and I have said something like,<br /><br /><br /><br />“Hook ‘em horns. I’m a Texas Ex. When were you there? Ever eat the schnitzel at Sholz’s Beer Garden?”<br /><br /><br /><br />They have looked at me nervously and moved away. Even Texans, the mega-cult of all mega-cults, the ultimate granfaloon, refuse to exchange the secret handshake based on sharing a common place in our past. These are not ordinary places. They are special places. To have been there is formative. To have been in the same place, when it is such a place, is to have been formed somewhat together.<br /><br /><br /><br />There are still a few places where those bonds can be invoked. New Yorkers still recognize each other.<br /><br /><br /><br />“I’m from New York.”<br /><br />“The City?”<br /><br />“Yes.”<br /><br />“Which borough?”<br /><br />“ Manhattan.”<br /><br />“I lived there in the late 80’s.”<br /><br />“No kidding. Where?”<br /><br />“Chelsea. Corner of 9th and 20th. How about you?”<br /><br />“Upper West Side.”<br /><br />“Cool. I used to work at John the Divine.”<br /><br />“O yeah? . . . . .”<br /><br /><br /><br />Places in common are precious in a transient society. This year I confirmed a woman in Henderson who turned out to be a lawyer with a Master of Divinity, and is now an aspirant for Holy Orders. There she was in Henderson, Nevada, and right away the first time I met her she said,<br /><br /><br /><br />“I’m from Macon, Georgia.”<br /><br />“No! How is that possible?”<br /><br />“Lived there from birth through college.”<br /><br />“What high school?”<br /><br />“Southwest.”<br /><br />“So you knew Marcia Aldridge?”<br /><br />“No.”<br /><br />“Oh that’s right, she was at Southeast. Which college? Macon State?”<br /><br />“No. Mercer. I had Mary Wilder.”<br /><br />“You’re kidding. She was at St. Francis.”<br /><br />“I know.”<br /><br /><br /><br />We are not just inhabitants of places. We don’t just own, rent, or pass through them. We imbibe them. They become part of us and we become part of them. And we can never fully leave them. Not by moving a thousand miles away or staying in exile for decades. They are woven into our identity.<br /><br /><br /><br />To have shared a place in our past is a bond. It may not make us friends. But it makes us compatriots – and that is a relationship. It is a relationship so rarely recognized that I just had to look up the word to make sure it means what I thought it did. It does. That pastor and I are compatriots. I could tell him a thing or two about his home if he would listen. And he could tell me what’s happening now. Those Idahoans and New Yorkers are my compatriots. The woman from Henderson and Macon and I are double compatriots.<br /><br /><br /><br />Before long my mother will be buried in the same Texas earth where my grandparents, father, brother, most of the family I have known, and a goodly number of friends are buried. Even if I lived in Istanbul, Texas has a claim on me; and I, on it. Those who are bound to the same land are bound to me; and I, to them.<br /><br /><br /><br />And what of those who share a place now? What is our tie to each other? There is a moral and metaphysical answer which is true regardless of what we acknowledge. To deny it is to cut ourselves off from reality. But the social and political question is: what tie will we own? Is our presence here an inconvenience or an asset to each other? Regardless of that, is our sharing of this space sacramental? Is the kingdom in fact among us waiting for us to live into it by acknowledging our earthy human bond?<br /><br />

Compatriots

I sit with my 96 year old mother in her assisted living facility. She is not dying – not right away – but is in end stage congestive heart f...

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Staying on Track with the August Goals

I have zero good pictures of me from the wedding weekend :(.  I'll still share some later this week though... the bride was a beautiful Peruvian Barbie Doll! <br /><br />I've been doing <u><b>AWESOME</b></u><b> </b>at keeping tabs on myself for the monthly goals of August.  A few simple Google spreadsheets have worked wonders!  These spreadsheets are also helping me keep things in perspective - we are 10 days into the month of August and it feels like I have been to the gym a boat load of times, when in reality I've only been there 4 times so far, and seeing that in black and white helps put me in my place.<br /><br />This week I was supposed to start the <a href="http://www.priorfatgirl.com/category/popular-subjects/new-rules-of-lifting">New Rules of Lifting for Women</a>, but I was behind on the reading, so it looks like I'll be starting a week late.  I'm doing this challenge with the ladies over at <a href="http://priorfatgirl.com/">Priorfatgirl.com</a>.  <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/assets/images/userPics/1291351871_9931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/assets/images/userPics/1291351871_9931.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I also discovered that they are doing another challenge over there (you can find out more about these challenges by going to the <a href="http://forum.priorfatgirl.com/viewforum.php?f=14&sid=bcac8a6dfbdb0534ecd3443eea3c3dd6">Community section of Jen's site</a>.  The second challenge is more about the mental aspect of getting healthy and losing weight.  This part may be even more important for me than the actual eating and exercising.  Afterall, I eat because I'm sad, bored, anxious, as a social activity, as an activity <i>period</i> - as in - "hey, do you want to go out to eat because there's nothing else to do?".  The book that goes along with this challenge is titled: <a href="http://www.beckdietsolution.com/">The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.constablerobinson.com/images/book/large/9781845298265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.constablerobinson.com/images/book/large/9781845298265.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><br />I plan on posting my results of each of these challenges here, so if you plan to participate in either of these challenges, let me know!!  <br /><br />I've also been making lots of delicious eats that I have NOT been posting on here, but I promise to get back at it starting tomorrow.   Come on back for Hungry Girl's take on a fast food breakfast bowl - <a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1283">Big Bowl of Breakfast.</a>

goals Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Loss Challenges Staying on Track with the August Goals

I have zero good pictures of me from the wedding weekend :(.  I'll still share some later this week though... the bride was a beautiful ...

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Norman Rockwell with a Twist in Hitchcock's America: Shadow of a Doubt

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMGCz3GnKzZTyGVFUxjWqEPj1NGpfSxVRzzspdrzp3nnYj89de7d_sSlFFsN_TEYwN0NJtZ3vnuPS5KxVLsurS0tOwDCA69VnIGLbeF_EA5ncDzKUaxJh2SNv7eFPJErta-6vQ9kSOaoM/s1600/Freedom+from+want+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMGCz3GnKzZTyGVFUxjWqEPj1NGpfSxVRzzspdrzp3nnYj89de7d_sSlFFsN_TEYwN0NJtZ3vnuPS5KxVLsurS0tOwDCA69VnIGLbeF_EA5ncDzKUaxJh2SNv7eFPJErta-6vQ9kSOaoM/s1600/Freedom+from+want+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...by Rockwell</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i></i><i><span id="goog_1901497116"></span><span id="goog_1901497117"></span>Shadow of a Doubt</i> (1943) was Alfred Hitchcock’s fifth American film and the first in which he believed he'd truly depicted America. His “first draft” attempt at this had been <i>Saboteur</i> (1942), but Hitchcock hadn’t gotten the cast he wanted, he felt the script was weak and that he’d been rushed into the project. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeMepiQC0ydLNWrfUsPWXbRICKWzz_lSGf1LT5oHwq7MsDaCNwQj-K8j2DcAJQdAtGnxs9-EWVfQDRFp04700t1_3Qc-KZO8YjiCL1AzNnK7mX6IMpZBBm16CgNxPOSLsgZAxD9FiN4b4/s1600/Hitchcock+not+Rockwell+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeMepiQC0ydLNWrfUsPWXbRICKWzz_lSGf1LT5oHwq7MsDaCNwQj-K8j2DcAJQdAtGnxs9-EWVfQDRFp04700t1_3Qc-KZO8YjiCL1AzNnK7mX6IMpZBBm16CgNxPOSLsgZAxD9FiN4b4/s320/Hitchcock+not+Rockwell+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...by Hitchcock</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The narrative of <i>Shadow of a Doubt </i>was based on a story called “Uncle Charlie” by Gordon McConell. For the adaptation, Hitchcock turned to Thornton Wilder, confident the author of <i>Our Town</i> possessed the vision of small-town American he wanted to incorporate into <i>Shadow of a Doubt</i>. Wilder, who helped Hitchcock select Santa Rosa, California, as the setting, wrote a prose outline for the story before he was mobilized into World War II. Hitchcock then turned to Sally Benson, another writer deeply steeped in Americana. Her “5135 Kensington Avenue” stories became the basis for <i>Meet Me in St. Louis</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU4-HpS-R1U27x7NwUzOUFsRnUKNsNxkmXvR_b_R8rrlpNuon-JHEnOOx3XjFE59Sv-oAHAbDX9fB7ajb4KzsA74cCeeo4FxR2D3jnO9bqr7oo0kHXQJHH9AIVlwAngRfxDSeD5qARGNl/s1600/shadow+house+santa+rosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU4-HpS-R1U27x7NwUzOUFsRnUKNsNxkmXvR_b_R8rrlpNuon-JHEnOOx3XjFE59Sv-oAHAbDX9fB7ajb4KzsA74cCeeo4FxR2D3jnO9bqr7oo0kHXQJHH9AIVlwAngRfxDSeD5qARGNl/s320/shadow+house+santa+rosa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once upon a time in America...</td></tr></tbody></table>Santa Rosa, scene of much location work, provides the idyllic setting: a tree-filled little town of two-story homes with broad porches, nosy neighbors, fussy librarians, crusty cops, busy churches and a stately and bustling bank. This is provincial America during “the war years.”<br /><br />The opening scenes of <i>Shadow of a Doubt</i> establish that the man we will soon come to know as Charles Oakley (Joseph Cotten) has troubling secrets and, by the time he descends on tranquil Santa Rosa and his sister’s family (the Newtons), we know something sinister is at hand. But Oakley is smooth; his voice is velvet and his manner insinuating. He has seen the world and dazzles with his money and his style. When he settles in with the Newton family, their staid community is charmed and responds with an open embrace. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Central to the film is a doppelganger theme personified by young Charlie (Teresa Wright) and her Uncle Charlie. They are avowed “doubles,” she was named for him and adores him; he openly favors her. The two Charlies seem to share a psychic link, a restless spirit and other traits.  Teresa Wright’s young Charlie is an intelligent and decent girl, impatiently verging on womanhood. Intuitive and determined, she grows up rapidly once she discovers her beloved uncle is not at all who she imagined him to be.  Joseph Cotten’s Uncle Charlie is a cunning sociopath of chilling charisma whose view of humanity snarls with cynicism:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>“Do you know the world is a foul sty? Do you know if you ripped the fronts off houses you’d find swine?”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qGb2TiPwBvBCAXnt8K3afdQ1H7flcLZftlppTFahYRgZJta1PPx4E7KZst8YaBf6AmmcWIZPS5G_TPyKbWsaC-DETld4kcjAfUP8-Ukt_o-HGbbja3hK_tjC2vmK53TQS6v1q2ABZqQh/s1600/wright+and+cotten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qGb2TiPwBvBCAXnt8K3afdQ1H7flcLZftlppTFahYRgZJta1PPx4E7KZst8YaBf6AmmcWIZPS5G_TPyKbWsaC-DETld4kcjAfUP8-Ukt_o-HGbbja3hK_tjC2vmK53TQS6v1q2ABZqQh/s320/wright+and+cotten.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Wright and Cotten play against each other in perfect counterpoint; she was never more fetchingly wholesome, he never more darkly complex. Supporting the two is a distinguished cast: Hume Cronyn in his memorable film debut as the Newton’s eccentric next-door-neighbor, Herbie; cozy and congenial Henry Travers as small-town-dad Joe Newton; underrated Patricia Collinge as fluttery and sentimental Emma Newton. Adding nuance and color are Edna May Wonacott as cheeky little sister Ann Newton and Wallace Ford as one of two detectives on Oakley’s trail. Macdonald Carey, as the other detective, is Wright’s love interest.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Shadow of a Doubt </i>has been called Hitchcock’s first fully realized masterpiece. I can’t ignore his direction and overall imprint on <i>Rebecca </i>or his early triumph with <i>Blackmail</i>, but agree that <i>Shadow of a Doubt</i>, multi-layered and meticulously constructed, is among his very best films.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LEoTXa_52A0" width="425"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Uncle Charlie revealed</div><br /><i>For a chance to win a DVD copy of Shadow of a Doubt and an autographed photo of Edna May Wonacott (Ann Newton), send an email to <a href="mailto:ladyevesidwich@gmail.com">ladyevesidwich@gmail.com</a> and include your mailing address. A random drawing will take place at noon (Pacific) on August 13, 2011, the 112th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's birth. The winner will be posted on this blog later that day. U.S. residents only, please...</i><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw96u8rdO0ezYMNE9Z2_WMUQpLMmhMpUexmiuRHQVpowUPeodVenTxtHsMBAQcSUZlH-k2jZg2n9DKM8KS3mu_DWFRVQ4tQWOKklPA3dGF_szm1kM0wLoiNTz4L6TqURzdK5aGFPQw6047/s1600/Drawing+Names+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw96u8rdO0ezYMNE9Z2_WMUQpLMmhMpUexmiuRHQVpowUPeodVenTxtHsMBAQcSUZlH-k2jZg2n9DKM8KS3mu_DWFRVQ4tQWOKklPA3dGF_szm1kM0wLoiNTz4L6TqURzdK5aGFPQw6047/s320/Drawing+Names+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Names in a bowl for the upcoming<i> Shadow of a Doubt</i> drawing</td></tr></tbody></table></div>

Alfred Hitchcock Shadow of a Doubt The Lady Eve (author) Norman Rockwell with a Twist in Hitchcock's America: Shadow of a Doubt

...by Rockwell Shadow of a Doubt (1943) was Alfred Hitchcock’s fifth American film and the first in which he believed he'd truly depict...

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Webinars - a great tool for professional development

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><em>webinarsSubmitted by Fiona Beal</em><br /><div closure_uid_69yzax="106">SchoolNet is planning to introduce regular webinars for educators in the areas of technology integration and good classroom practice. I am in the process of contacting South African educators that I know of who have expertise in certain fields to see if they would be willing to share their expertise and host a webinar somewhere along the line. But what about you? To start off we will confine this to SchoolNet Premium members. If you are a SchoolNet Premium member and you have something you would like to share that could benefit us all, please let me know. Initially the time span will be 45 minutes with another 10-15 minutes for interaction...and we'll take it from there! </div><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>30 tools in 50 minutes</strong></span><br /><br /><div closure_uid_69yzax="108">But now. let me talk about a webinar I listened to last night. It was wonderful. It was given by Steven Anderson  <a href="http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/">Web20 classroom</a> fame. I was keen to hear what he had to say about 30 tools in 50 minutes. Educators LOVE knowing about resources so the session was packed with people from all over the globe. (By the way the webinar was presented by Simple K12).</div><div closure_uid_69yzax="177"><br /></div><div class="separator" closure_uid_69yzax="176" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIg-11_9o_J56hyVsILI9QO5IniqYC1MLtLBur1sRnIYWHNYcUWxMPhNShzrZtHO3p1ZLAY8UTV6oylZu4YEnjNtdhn5-WFpm6ND7a8RVNfCRHQhRLO-d97wpEjEOyn3Md16DiLCjC4Y/s1600/30-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIg-11_9o_J56hyVsILI9QO5IniqYC1MLtLBur1sRnIYWHNYcUWxMPhNShzrZtHO3p1ZLAY8UTV6oylZu4YEnjNtdhn5-WFpm6ND7a8RVNfCRHQhRLO-d97wpEjEOyn3Md16DiLCjC4Y/s400/30-4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left">He divided his favourite tools into 6 categories. I liked his emphasis to start with. It is not about tools. The focus in any lesson should be on the content and good curriculum delivery.  The tools certainly spice things up and catch the learners' attention. It's a case of 'Right tool, right time, right job, right people'. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Images</strong></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) <a href="http://compufight.com/">Compufight.com</a> searches Flickr for images with the Creative Commons License. <br />2) <a href="http://flickr.com/">Flickr.com</a> for storing, looking for and sharing pictures.</span></div><div align="left">3) <a href="http://aviary.com/">Aviary.com</a> is a free Google very-easy-to-use photo editing site</div><div align="left">4) <a href="http://piknik.com/">Piknik.com</a> is another great photo editing site</div><div align="left">5) <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/">Big Huge Labs.com</a> to create varied fun photo items</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">OK, so I have tried Big Huge Labs and have created a mosaic and here it is!</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCwWq7_Mpue-bMzk0lEmeNsqPK98N87F9QRYxfAinsOVGBV8SlKcDpQ5lRmY1yxNAw-_RfZk4AyD9yQL6Dv_hf3DAovBZg7oSZmgHDU57hKN89fRi0mVOfng_43zG_dNnz6wnX74Lvfk/s1600/30-TOOLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCwWq7_Mpue-bMzk0lEmeNsqPK98N87F9QRYxfAinsOVGBV8SlKcDpQ5lRmY1yxNAw-_RfZk4AyD9yQL6Dv_hf3DAovBZg7oSZmgHDU57hKN89fRi0mVOfng_43zG_dNnz6wnX74Lvfk/s400/30-TOOLS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">What I love about using these free tools in the classroom is that the learners can go home and try them out there. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Audio and video</strong></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://vocaroo.com/">Vocaroo.com</a> is a very simple audio recording site. Great for sending a simple message to your students. </span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://screenr.com/">Screenr.com</a> is a simple, free easy 5 minute screencasting site - you can recap a way to do a Maths problem for example. </div><div align="left"><a href="http://jing.com/">Jing.com</a> Also for screencasting but can do a bit more than screenr</div><div align="left"><a href="http://skype.com/">Skype.com</a> for free computer ro computer calling. You can do screen sharing as well. What about getting authors to come in on Skype and say something about their book?</div><div align="left"><a href="http://voki.com/">Voki.com</a> sends a message. Use for introductions, instructions etc. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnwkTEAFywlBAsgToxDg9pdXjK1OwgndFjMQbnbkTB0dtxndnu9FM97npeVt6VWPvI0PjWjGJEh5fXi_DZF7TSHp2bp7gAbUSpDnAITrkdZG3vfisERFeFZrf_6fm6KqQs_9vBw7k0H8/s1600/30-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnwkTEAFywlBAsgToxDg9pdXjK1OwgndFjMQbnbkTB0dtxndnu9FM97npeVt6VWPvI0PjWjGJEh5fXi_DZF7TSHp2bp7gAbUSpDnAITrkdZG3vfisERFeFZrf_6fm6KqQs_9vBw7k0H8/s400/30-9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Collaboration</strong></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">1) <a href="http://en.linoit.com/">Linoit</a> is a corkboard brainstorming tool</div><div align="left">2) <a href="http://pbworks.com/">PBWorks</a> and <a href="http://wikispaces.com/">Wikispaces</a> for wiki collaboration</div><div align="left">3) <a href="http://ning.com/">Ning</a> a great collaboration site but no longer free</div><div align="left">4) <a href="http://google.com/">Googledocs </a>amazing for sharing - 100 can work on the same document</div><div align="left">5) <a href="http://google.com/">Google Forms</a> are very useful</div><div align="left"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSLrqKk_TcIvjty7dVkBDwHcIZxvSFmFFPqWKdFnpR5svtjDj7uHBdLT_yzEY1vbFAtLXRt6OVp3TFi9Zq_R9DFsEfCaANML_MAk9dzY1f-f1zNdz1EHP3uXt3YIpWaIKFN5hZHk8hOA/s1600/30-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSLrqKk_TcIvjty7dVkBDwHcIZxvSFmFFPqWKdFnpR5svtjDj7uHBdLT_yzEY1vbFAtLXRt6OVp3TFi9Zq_R9DFsEfCaANML_MAk9dzY1f-f1zNdz1EHP3uXt3YIpWaIKFN5hZHk8hOA/s400/30-11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Chat and backchannel</span></strong></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) <a href="http://todaysmeet.com/">TodaysMeet</a> is a really useful classroom tool. Very popular at conferences. </span></div><div align="left">2) <a href="http://tinychat.com/">Tiny chat.com</a> for video chatting </div><div align="left"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjvge-7dRyuYbf-g8db9qZMjlBMh_671z4JhA9Gch7YYxfYRR3qcpyh3DyFNXrtihyYP7IFDtHOxvqYnZHK-QauypR12xHzwTXN92EUi2oDn0o93UaCdP_xR1u292LxLsr0Tp41Wik3o/s1600/30-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjvge-7dRyuYbf-g8db9qZMjlBMh_671z4JhA9Gch7YYxfYRR3qcpyh3DyFNXrtihyYP7IFDtHOxvqYnZHK-QauypR12xHzwTXN92EUi2oDn0o93UaCdP_xR1u292LxLsr0Tp41Wik3o/s400/30-13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Presentation tools</strong></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">1) <a href="http://creativecommons.com/">Creative commons.org</a> has a great search feature on site </div><div align="left">2) <a href="http://sliderocket.com/">Sliderocket.com</a> has amazing, professional presentation templates and tools. You can also set up collaborators.</div><div align="left">3) <a href="http://prezi.com/">Prezi.com</a> for different kinds of presentations</div><div align="left">4) <a href="http://livebinders.com/">Livebinders.com</a> is a three ring binder on the web. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWogR8BiV9QnIlHFLT-MySHzjslk8ZttyMnCktjtNp8ODkV7baExt5OTvOrdnOS8F8M7Wf32ar_D9LxcwKV2Q6PCqnsys69VlQzgQhvYSewEDpk4bA0IAMIqZfOZOGaV5veOiktFPbbg/s1600/30-15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWogR8BiV9QnIlHFLT-MySHzjslk8ZttyMnCktjtNp8ODkV7baExt5OTvOrdnOS8F8M7Wf32ar_D9LxcwKV2Q6PCqnsys69VlQzgQhvYSewEDpk4bA0IAMIqZfOZOGaV5veOiktFPbbg/s400/30-15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Mindmapping</strong></span></div><div align="left">1) <a href="http://mindmeister.com/">Mindmeister.com</a> a free web-based mindmapping tool, very simple to use and exportable.</div><div align="left">2) <a href="http://bubble.us.com/">Bubble.us.com</a> is also a web-based mindmapping tool with less options than Mindmeister. Easy to use. </div><div align="left">3) <a href="http://lovelycharts.com/">Lovely charts.com</a> a bit more difficult with lots of icons</div><div align="left">4) <a href="http://popplet.com/">Popplet.com</a> is also a great mindmapping tool<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5uuCu9V6vEINho_g42040UKvdJpHdanULlKYfcYk4ARON8FxbQESIYUM5HtiUbgH8PNPmfFa1OwaGd92eHM4UJEY0XLkfgxcP8B3Y-Sw8-b-FoiU9GN1aFMUJOJWaN9AbfFfAeaz3YE/s1600/30-18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5uuCu9V6vEINho_g42040UKvdJpHdanULlKYfcYk4ARON8FxbQESIYUM5HtiUbgH8PNPmfFa1OwaGd92eHM4UJEY0XLkfgxcP8B3Y-Sw8-b-FoiU9GN1aFMUJOJWaN9AbfFfAeaz3YE/s400/30-18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Essential tools</strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) </span><a href="http://embedit.in/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Embedit.in</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> can embed s nearly everything into a blog or website</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2) </span><a href="http://zamzar.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zamzar.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> converts one file type into another one</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3) </span><a href="http://twitter.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is a must for every educator. 140 character microblogging tool.  </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4) </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1292099083"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Readit later.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> keeps track of information - anything you don't have time to read right now you just click.</span><br />5) <a href="http://diigo.com/">Diigo.com</a> allows you to keep bookmarks and also share your bookmarks. You can also automtically save them to delicious another bookmarking service.<br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">6) <a href="http://google.com/">Google calendar</a> keeps you updated amd you can share shedules. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD84o81ERwLdjeW6F_6cxGHrc89CkHvZVu-nRskjmbmsP4O8JckCpCa0yQAW_Ud2STcjC5VdvMzDiBIsosdobEqh3Lkixa9QObq4MTH8o_8JUYq-CxTOpaw7BbaI9tIzF5FTFljwohZRM/s1600/30-21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD84o81ERwLdjeW6F_6cxGHrc89CkHvZVu-nRskjmbmsP4O8JckCpCa0yQAW_Ud2STcjC5VdvMzDiBIsosdobEqh3Lkixa9QObq4MTH8o_8JUYq-CxTOpaw7BbaI9tIzF5FTFljwohZRM/s400/30-21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div closure_uid_69yzax="178" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="goog_1292099084" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />That's just a quick overview of a few useful tools. I wonder what you would add to this list? Please feel free to add some suggestions in the comment box. It would also be great to hear how these can be used in lessons.</span>  It would also be useful to hear what the problems are in using Web 2.0 tools in your classroom. </div></div>

webinars Webinars - a great tool for professional development

webinarsSubmitted by Fiona Beal SchoolNet is planning to introduce regular webinars for educators in the areas of technology integration and...

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Making lemonade...with a broken wrist?

I bet you thought I was going to say "making lemonade with lemons". My last few post have been trite sayings, albeit true. Especially the "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger".<br /><br />I'll be the first to admit I was a big baby yesterday. I was an emotional wreck. Going in for what I thought was nothing more than an x-ray that I was sure would prove nothing was wrong with me and the pain was totally imaginary, and then walking out with a full knuckles to shoulder cast was devastating. Add in the time of three months minimum in the cast and possible surgery, well, I guess I was in a state of shock. All I could do was cry.<br /><br />My first thought was my upper body weight lifting. I couldn't lift weghts for three months. That was like the end of my world as I knew it. Yes, I know. BIG BABY.<br /><br />Then there was all the stuff I couldn't do for myself. Open jars, do my hair, fasten my bra, carry more than one item at a time (like breakfast AND a cup of coffee). Let's not forget my job. I'm a software developer (among other things). It's hard enough to code and type with two hands. Try it with one hand. The list of what I <u>couldn't</u> do was endless.<br /><br />Of course, top of the list of what I thought I couldn't do was weight loss. My illogical thinking was, great, now I'm physically challenged. I can't exercise. I'll for sure want to eat ALL the time, and of course, lots of bad foods (and don't tell me there aren't any 'bad foods", because in my world there are such things). With no exercise, and eating like a pig I'll definitely balloon up to 300 pounds in no time. I'm doomed! Life as I knew it is over!<br /><br />That was yesterday. Today was a hell of a LOT better. <br /><br />I'm not saying any of this is easy, because everything is a  lot harder with only one hand. But it's not impossible. Except making a decent looking ponytail. I haven't figured out that trick yet. I just have to focus on being creative in figuring how to do simple tasks with only one hand when two would be much better.<br /><br />I'm off to bed now, Very tired.

Making lemonade...with a broken wrist?

I bet you thought I was going to say "making lemonade with lemons". My last few post have been trite sayings, albeit true. Especia...

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What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZZEgaD8XqUA_tML0imMvh5pigGxiWEY4CHnUHkPmvtUQbrf-VeWp5PaxaaZGurSuXVaOiQjCZU4BNDjVAUvpPuwLsRCfQUeMOm20KMtsz41jeAy8qDL-7bEbU_2xArBh9EB8uhJMgAeD/s1600/cast.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZZEgaD8XqUA_tML0imMvh5pigGxiWEY4CHnUHkPmvtUQbrf-VeWp5PaxaaZGurSuXVaOiQjCZU4BNDjVAUvpPuwLsRCfQUeMOm20KMtsz41jeAy8qDL-7bEbU_2xArBh9EB8uhJMgAeD/s200/cast.png" width="185" /></a></div>Don't I look miserable? I tried to smile but honestly, I just want to cry.<br /><br />I have a severe fracture of my scaphoid wrist bone. Only the most important bones in my wrist.<br /><br />A full cast for three months...if I'm lucky. The alternative is surgery in a month if it's not healing properly. I don't like either option but I hate surgery.<br /><br />Several of you suggested seeing a doctor after my bike accident. Since I was still having wrist pain I scheduled an appointment for this morning with an orthopedic surgeon. I actually saw three surgeons this morning. The first was a young intern, barely wet behind the ears, then the real doctor, then the #1 orthopedic surgeon in the area (at least that's what they told me), he just happen to be down to the Federal Way Clinic from the Seattle Virginia Mason Clinic. He's the one that made the diagnosis and had them put me in this miserable cast. <br /><br />This is life I guess. Ironic because I love doing upper body workouts. Well, that's not going to happen for three months. I guess I'll focus on abs and lower body. My cardio will have to be walking. Lots and lots of walking.<br /><br />Even worse than not being able to exercise my regular routine is that I can't type with my left hand. I type for a living, software development. Not good. <br /><br />I just want to cry.<br /><br />Before my day went to hell at the doctor's office, I weighed in at 188.4. That was a nice number to see (much better than 199.8 from two weeks ago). It's going to be a real battle to keep going with my weight loss with my arm out of commission, but I intend to keep up the good fight in spite of this setback with the cast.

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

Don't I look miserable? I tried to smile but honestly, I just want to cry. I have a severe fracture of my scaphoid wrist bone. Only the ...

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Overcoming the unemployed "stigma"

<div class="ArticleHeadline"><div class="cbmsnArticleImage" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/th/ar5l1186hws7js4tk5th.gif?time=7/12/2011 6:12:50 pm" /></div><div class="hdr_org_bld"><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Michael Froehls, Ph.D., author of "The Gift of Job Loss"</span></b> </div></div><div class="ArticleContent">In the movie "The Company Men," several managers get laid-off. One of them is afraid that the neighbors will find out. He dresses up in the morning, and then leaves home in a suit, only to return for dinner as if coming back from work. Apparently, he perceives the social stigma of unemployment to be higher than the many negative consequences of his behavior -- living a double life, missing opportunities within his network, and the inconvenience and inefficiency of scheduling an unproductive day. In short, a behavior that is emotionally destructive, wastes time and does not achieve positive results. <br />Let's take a closer look at the issue of social stigma. It comes in two parts and either one or both might apply to you:<br /><br />1. <b>Your own perception</b>: You blame yourself for job loss. Or you feel like a victim. Either way, you are in shock. You might even think that your worth as a human being has declined. You believe there is social stigma attached to your situation without even knowing whether this is the case or not.<br /><br />2. <b>The perception of others</b>: People might look down on you. Yes, for someone who has never experienced job loss and doesn't understand today's job market, unemployment is your fault. <br />The good news is that you can largely overcome both issues. Once you conquer your own fear and act accordingly, you will also raise the probabilities of overcoming any negative perception of others.<br />How to overcome your own negative perception<br /><br />1. <b>Understand the facts</b>. Losing a job is nothing unusual during your 30-40 years of work until retirement. You have to expect it. Your risk of being dismissed is independent of your level of hierarchy, education or skills. Even your performance might not matter. If a merger happens, or a cost cutting program eliminates your unit, your job is history. Bad luck. Don't blame yourself. Move on.<br /><br />2. <b>Don't view yourself as unemployed.</b> Don't call yourself "unemployed." View yourself as somebody "between jobs," somebody who is given time in exchange for losing a job. You might not even know at the time of lay-off whether employment, self-employment, or something else is in your future. <br /><br />3. <b>Use your time strategically. </b>Don't just apply for jobs and watch TV the rest of the day. Use your time wisely. Perhaps, you would have better job prospects if you were certified in your field? Go for it. Want to check out a different city with better opportunities in your area of expertise? Your time has come. Always postponed becoming fluent in a foreign language? Learn one now. Never had the time to shed unwanted weight? Put in the effort now. The options to use your time to lay the groundwork for your personal and professional future are countless. The benefits could be amazing. By staying active, you are less likely to feel sorry for yourself. You acquire new skills and become a better job candidate. Your energy and emotional well-being will show in the confident way you act in front of others. This includes the HR managers who will be impressed by you.<br /><br /><b>How to overcome the negative perception of others?</b><br /><br />1. <b>It does not matter -- disregard the noise around you</b>. Who cares what others think? Whether you are unemployed, belong to an ethnic, religious or political minority, or whatever perceived shortcomings you have, there are always people who look down on you. Disregard them. You can't please everybody. And should you come across companies that do not like to hire unemployed applicants, view it as their loss. <br /><br />2. <b>Change the perception of others through your actions</b>. Notwithstanding the above, you will be surprised by how you can turn social stigma into admiration, even inspiration. If you use, let's say, a few months of your time between jobs to invest in your job skills, get healthy, help a charity, and enjoy a long-postponed dream vacation with your spouse, you will be surprised at how others now might perceive you as smart and driven. Why? You were strategic and used your time wisely, while others just waited for better things to come. Your positive attitude plus the results achieved will make you a stand-out job candidate.<br />In sum, don't let perceived or real social stigma of unemployment weigh you down. Your attitude and actions can help you overcome your own negativity and the views of others. Your odds of landing your desired job have just gone up. <br /><br /><i>Michael Froehls, PhD, is an independent management consultant and former global executive. He is the author of "The Gift of Job Loss." After losing his job during the recession, he used his time strategically by traveling, learning, and spending quality time with family. See <a href="http://www.thegiftofjobloss.com/">http://www.thegiftofjobloss.com/</a>.</i></div>

Overcoming the unemployed "stigma"

Michael Froehls, Ph.D., author of "The Gift of Job Loss" In the movie "The Company Men," several managers get laid-off....

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How to connect with an employer via LinkedIn

Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder Writer <br /><br />Used right, LinkedIn can be a job seeker's golden ticket. <br /><br />Savvy job hunters can use the site to gain all kinds of advantages: information on the types of people a company hires, the name of the hiring manager for a particular job (and if they're really lucky, an email address) and even the ultimate "in," a personal connection at a company of interest.<br /><br />But, for every job seeker that expertly navigates the online networking scene, there are plenty of others who fumble their way through it, often over- or underestimating the role the site should play in their searches.<br /><br />"LinkedIn is a valuable tool, but sometimes when people search for a job they can confuse activity with productivity," says Tony Beshara, president of Dallas-based placement firm Babich and Associates, and author of the book "Unbeatable Résumés," for which he surveyed more than 2,000 people about their LinkedIn use. "No matter what activity you're doing, whether it's writing your résumé or browsing profiles on LinkedIn, if that activity isn't actually getting you an interview, it's not as productive as something that would get you an interview."<br /><br />If your online networking has been less than productive (read: if it hasn't actually lead to a connection to or interview with an employer of interest), then you might need to revamp your LinkedIn strategy. These guidelines will help ensure the time you spend on the site is most effective. <br /><br />When reaching out to your contacts:<br /><br />· Don't be shy<br /><br />The whole point on LinkedIn is to connect with people, so if you're hesitant to reach out to a former co-worker you haven't spoken to in a while, don't be. She's on the site for the same reason you are -- to network with people -- so she probably expects the occasional introduction request. <br /><br />"Interestingly enough, everybody that's on LinkedIn expects the same thing out of everybody else," Beshara says. "[The thought is] 'What I do for you today, you'll do for me tomorrow.' People are a lot more open to responding to you because they know that somebody else is going to do the same thing for them, or that you're going to do the same thing for them the next time." <br /><br />· Don't be needy<br /><br />When you do find someone in your network who has a connection or works for a company you'd like an introduction to, your approach will play a big part in the person's response.<br /><br />"Make it known early in the process that you're not expecting your networking connections to do the hard work for you," says Diane Crompton, author of the books "Seven Days to Online Networking" and "Find a Job through Social Networking." "In other words, if you want them to introduce you to a contact at their employer, say something like 'I'm not expecting you to endorse me for this position or intervene on my behalf.' This will take the emotional burden off of them should they feel too much ownership in your job search process."<br /><br />If your networking contact is new, or someone you don't know very well, it's especially important to make it know that you'll be the most active part of the equation, Crompton says. For example, "Ask if you can use your contact's name as a door opener to get the conversation going with your desired end recipient. By doing this you've taken them off the hot seat in terms of their involvement," she says.<br /><br />· Take it off line<br /><br />InMail, LinkedIn's messaging function, is great for making initial contact with someone. But once that's done, move the conversation to email or a phone call. Not everyone checks their LinkedIn profile consistently, so communicating this way is often ineffective and slow. <br /><br />If you're browsing your connections and find out that someone you know pretty well works at a company or has a connection of interest, you can even skip the InMail message altogether. <br /><br />For example, says Beshara, "Once you find somebody you know at an organization, call them up and say 'Hey Mary, this is Tony, I understand you work with Leroy, and I'd like to get a hold of him. Can you tell me a little bit about him, or what's going on at your organization?' That sort of thing." <br /><br />When making introduction requests:<br /><br />· Let your contact know it's coming<br /><br />If you plan on asking a contact for an introduction and have his email address, send him a "heads up" to let him know it's coming. Doing so will help you gauge his reception to your request, Crompton says. "[Plus], not everybody is active on LinkedIn everyday and this will ensure that your message doesn't sit in their LinkedIn Inbox for a long period of time," she says. <br /><br />· Make a good first impression<br /><br />Something that not all job seekers realize before they send introduction requests: "When using the 'Request an Introduction' function on LinkedIn, you'll need to create messages to your 'bridge' (middle) contact as well as to the end recipient," Crompton points out. "Keep in mind that both people receive both messages, so if you're on a casual name basis with the introducer you'll still need to keep the communication more formal and professional, knowing that your end recipient will also get the message you sent along to the middle connection."<br /><br />When researching companies<br /><br />· Find the hiring manager<br /><br />If you're interested in a particular job, try finding the hiring manager for the position on LinkedIn. Job descriptions will often include the title of the person the job will report to. <br /><br />If the position reports to the director of marketing, for example, pull up the company page, and see if you can find the person with this title. If you do find the hiring manager, "it's absolutely OK to reach out to him or her directly," Beshara says. If the person's email address isn't listed, you can often find the company's email format online (for example, FirstName.LastName@companyX.com), and you can plug his or her name into this format. <br /><br />· Look at who they hire <br /><br />Browsing company profiles and looking at the company's LinkedIn page will not only give you a better idea of whether or not you're the type of person the company usually hires, but will also clue you in about potential alumni connections you may have missed. <br /><br />"You can look at employee profiles and find out what kinds of people the company has hired in the past, what companies employees come from, if you went to school with any of them , etc.," Beshara says. <br /><br />If you find a common bond between you and someone you'd like to reach out to, "Use the transparency of LinkedIn to assess the best approach for communicating with your end recipient," Crompton suggests. "Customizing your message by using these commonalities will build rapport and make your initial approach that much more 'warm.'"<br /><br />Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow @Careerbuilder on Twitter.

How to connect with an employer via LinkedIn

Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder Writer Used right, LinkedIn can be a job seeker's golden ticket. Savvy job hunters can use the site to gai...

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EdTechConf eXtended @ Elkanah!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>This guest post is submitted by<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"> <a href="http://karenstadler.wordpress.com/">Karen Stadler</a>, </span></em><em>a Senior Primary technology integration co-ordinator at Elkanah House, a private school in Cape Town. Elkanah House has been consistently introducing many new technology initiatives in their endeavour to integrate technology with classroom teaching. You can read Karen’s post about how technology happens at their school at </em></span><a href="http://bit.ly/nXBeck"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://bit.ly/nXBeck</span></a><em><span style="font-family: inherit;"> . (This was actually a competition entry for which she won a trip to the BETT conference in the UK in 2010). One of the Elkanah House initiatives is to hold a technology conference at the school at the end of this term. Read on....</span></em></div><div style="color: #666666; font: 12px/17px Verdana; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">The day has arrived!  We are happy to announce that our school will be hosting the very first EdTechConf eXtended event at the end of September!</div><div style="color: #666666; font: 12px/17px Verdana; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">All the details are below – simply<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">click on the picture</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to register. We hope to see many new faces at our conference!</div><div style="color: #666666; font: 12px/17px Verdana; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">[<strong style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">PLEASE NOTE</span></strong>: If you attended the inaugural EdTechConf in May this year, we kindly suggest that you pass this invitation on to your colleagues. This will aid the EdTechConf team in their efforts to reach out to as many teachers and administrators as possible, and avoid disappointment due to possible content overlap. Thank you!]</div><br /><a href="https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=ICVEX01l6XZboo4vdZ95Xw"></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=ICVEX01l6XZboo4vdZ95Xw"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhSxsWSCH8WVpJDUvcy5tTjopYSPjKUl0BnOdgY27Zt6TiAdLETE13euOCNwsJBCprbwXFS25MyKQJW7_cLIfV-Vi8-eoEPM1TTz7u3bSPwD01GYXDNDQxrfhrslyUdkcnJz9tCD2xDo/s400/elkconf_invite+%25281%2529.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br /></div>

conferences EdTechConf eXtended @ Elkanah!

This guest post is submitted by Karen Stadler , a Senior Primary technology integration co-ordinator at Elkanah House, a private school in ...

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Another year older...another year better?

Today was my 56th birthday. I sort of felt like a wreck this morning. My injuries from my bike crash last weekend are still plaguing me. My wrist still hurts, my knee is still swollen and feels like a water balloon is attached to it, and to make things worse, I woke up with a sore throat and sneezing today. Happy birthday to me.<br /><br />We had plans to head up to Mt. Rainier to hike at Sunrise. The cooler was packed with healthy food and the backpacks with hiking supplies. I was very disappointed to tell my husband it probably wasn't a good idea for me to go hiking because I felt like crap. Luckily, I'm married to a very understanding person and what could have been a really rotten birthday turned into a day of fun. <br /><br />My husband brought me a dozen roses and a cute card with kittens that sang happy birthday with kitties meowing. I'm a cat person so it was very appropriate. He signed it "Love, from all of us!".<br /><br />We sat around in our bathrobes until noon and then ate one of the healthy sandwiches I'd made for lunch. Flatout bread, hummus, spinach, chicken breast. Yummy!<br /><br />Dessert was birthday cake of course. When my husband took it out of the box I was really surprised he'd picked out such a great cake. It had whip cream frosting with strawberries mixed into the frosting, and it was coated with white chocolate shavings around the outside edge. I was eager to take pictures, and was snapping away as he took it out of the box, making over what a pretty cake he'd chosen. He couldn't stop laughing, and I couldn't figure out why. Can you see what he thought was so hysterical?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtESGnpc5ng1cwNx2l8jUhg1VvjW14oEY-8szEF292QgoNsrkVnitm4OSctsHbWljsWHwcHyFxM7A8PXtoiEoJSq_GVMmZ8-42teWKl4dpxZ4gPQ7HTv0b0GmpLk9U4ynvvvqPLD3b_e5P/s1600/65.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtESGnpc5ng1cwNx2l8jUhg1VvjW14oEY-8szEF292QgoNsrkVnitm4OSctsHbWljsWHwcHyFxM7A8PXtoiEoJSq_GVMmZ8-42teWKl4dpxZ4gPQ7HTv0b0GmpLk9U4ynvvvqPLD3b_e5P/s320/65.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I didn't even notice it said 65! I'm 56, NOT 65! Funny guy. <br /><br />We decided to go see a movie we'd both had been dying to see and we both loved it! I love Westerns and I love Sci-fi. This was a perfect match! Oh, and now I'm in love with Daniel Craig. I hated him as 007, but he was great in this movie. Super sexy guy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBwoesmDljCjuZrx8vlV6oJYiKEvFI4w_KrVyMobTh1bX2VMH74-IaR2B0qavlah0c7N3zh7YXhsBROJOXAXwsoT_PXlta10vTYsmj1EEOgqJVZ1Ipq2dphMRnxxybEbenFPhPgLZw7MA/s1600/a%2526c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBwoesmDljCjuZrx8vlV6oJYiKEvFI4w_KrVyMobTh1bX2VMH74-IaR2B0qavlah0c7N3zh7YXhsBROJOXAXwsoT_PXlta10vTYsmj1EEOgqJVZ1Ipq2dphMRnxxybEbenFPhPgLZw7MA/s320/a%2526c.png" width="213" /></a></div><br />Then we decided to go for a walk down at the boardwalk at Redondo beach:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZIgh1LQtDk7TAYrMlauYaq9WtSx0bqTEEBTxQEFQS_NZTEQUIutyiS761lHuo83o6_flq0A8C5UriJEdE6Q-6F2KkjqF6fTRSEMUJSdRSsadktN7dA-ifljkBLBk9HdiQPXtNotIXgJ5/s1600/pier.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZIgh1LQtDk7TAYrMlauYaq9WtSx0bqTEEBTxQEFQS_NZTEQUIutyiS761lHuo83o6_flq0A8C5UriJEdE6Q-6F2KkjqF6fTRSEMUJSdRSsadktN7dA-ifljkBLBk9HdiQPXtNotIXgJ5/s320/pier.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe1m8xm6n6aMcCE4f-BWTpEfaDy-ygss8sMZqc_pC6e65oIqE-Ve225Y2SLyLT-h6xnaM6UfgJCW04peRmjvaN78buHJuSnO2F0x9zjkttuS2f7idGqa51g_qCvMu0jJ4uEMLYNfA9LeX/s1600/pier2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe1m8xm6n6aMcCE4f-BWTpEfaDy-ygss8sMZqc_pC6e65oIqE-Ve225Y2SLyLT-h6xnaM6UfgJCW04peRmjvaN78buHJuSnO2F0x9zjkttuS2f7idGqa51g_qCvMu0jJ4uEMLYNfA9LeX/s320/pier2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Me...56 years old! (that's my BodyMedia on my left arm).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtecdtPkbFRjyobA8dUkucU_aCGgyn6zfhIzkXOSbqwxjtUP8qMad_EAdsUUy9-EHy5MSQD4oqeZyvSZZUN9VCEGJKFA09vfD52wnWOBzE03SkJ1pK1-iRHjtaqLSsxo9iYV58xy2Axuc/s1600/me.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtecdtPkbFRjyobA8dUkucU_aCGgyn6zfhIzkXOSbqwxjtUP8qMad_EAdsUUy9-EHy5MSQD4oqeZyvSZZUN9VCEGJKFA09vfD52wnWOBzE03SkJ1pK1-iRHjtaqLSsxo9iYV58xy2Axuc/s320/me.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />After walking around for a about an hour we were hungry, so we went here for dinner. Not my picture because I forgot to take one! From their website.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PXsyc67OJz-4fCJBPlRHkyysrVPf47tzWpv59RLcZWRlhO6Yy3_OxeOYN-0KasszHmRVs6e07CKKsMxLZsZIjITXbh6_i07c2Sks7BvhBnBIKihRqswWC0nQbbAcdYSgDhRVM2pGfQL4/s1600/saltys.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PXsyc67OJz-4fCJBPlRHkyysrVPf47tzWpv59RLcZWRlhO6Yy3_OxeOYN-0KasszHmRVs6e07CKKsMxLZsZIjITXbh6_i07c2Sks7BvhBnBIKihRqswWC0nQbbAcdYSgDhRVM2pGfQL4/s640/saltys.png" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> My dinner...Crab and Shrimp Louie, and a glass of wine (yum..forgot how much I love wine). I only dipped my fork in the wonderful shrimp louie dressing...it was to die for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZD45SSJp67qTJ-QFGgNMKemNEVoO52XWm__oGtFM-HldCBTQHwMMhyvSNVPpanBlRnzW25pF-RfnRfKuFi7DkqnY9jTRfqXC2iYunCOJIUH0oHWzLu8-w1u0TS_L8OrK0mskqg8P_1Yfd/s1600/dinner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZD45SSJp67qTJ-QFGgNMKemNEVoO52XWm__oGtFM-HldCBTQHwMMhyvSNVPpanBlRnzW25pF-RfnRfKuFi7DkqnY9jTRfqXC2iYunCOJIUH0oHWzLu8-w1u0TS_L8OrK0mskqg8P_1Yfd/s320/dinner.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the way back to the car and the sun has gone down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUCyFnjTSqKwie-HOWZVuuHMtLiq8ETKUs1-AqkO63i2HFVbcZQbvRhd2KYyvcKlWZzuhxTud_mG0I5uf6YxMoc2_JrqP6I-VUJZ5rGaa78BenlVomKaLK3l4MOjXKNRIa02AMHuSWL4k/s1600/roadhome..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUCyFnjTSqKwie-HOWZVuuHMtLiq8ETKUs1-AqkO63i2HFVbcZQbvRhd2KYyvcKlWZzuhxTud_mG0I5uf6YxMoc2_JrqP6I-VUJZ5rGaa78BenlVomKaLK3l4MOjXKNRIa02AMHuSWL4k/s320/roadhome..JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSRRfDVWXpq29JxIoGQlIF9-S3vKQvFpsp6KY0xhzN7rXfL_ZbmRWhfeigQ5KsJ55Vh3EArWSxWgXI-FRlo2TTUgqRRMrwjW-JLI-Yu7wQwlyri2nOXSfG2W3M6MEemDH9hf_cRAS2nts/s1600/roadhome2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSRRfDVWXpq29JxIoGQlIF9-S3vKQvFpsp6KY0xhzN7rXfL_ZbmRWhfeigQ5KsJ55Vh3EArWSxWgXI-FRlo2TTUgqRRMrwjW-JLI-Yu7wQwlyri2nOXSfG2W3M6MEemDH9hf_cRAS2nts/s320/roadhome2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcbpBhH_vFE3Cpo89M_YgNJvrVn0thGc8Do3BL5xG49Bl1PkQc4KC2-1ZIoBX2uyucFbYsrtPN6J1aOOcTKVSyNBa6LcBKH3AJSkSZVLKbHswfDKHQ3dEzp7MZwqFLpXUh_DXuw-jzbfe/s1600/pier5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcbpBhH_vFE3Cpo89M_YgNJvrVn0thGc8Do3BL5xG49Bl1PkQc4KC2-1ZIoBX2uyucFbYsrtPN6J1aOOcTKVSyNBa6LcBKH3AJSkSZVLKbHswfDKHQ3dEzp7MZwqFLpXUh_DXuw-jzbfe/s320/pier5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />So overall, it was a pretty great birthday. Being 56 really isn't so bad. <br /><br />

Another year older...another year better?

Today was my 56th birthday. I sort of felt like a wreck this morning. My injuries from my bike crash last weekend are still plaguing me. My ...

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Why not hold a TeachMeet in your area?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Submitted by Fiona Beal</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can hear you asking, “A TeachMeet? What is that?” I asked the same question before attending the Partners in Learning Institute in July 2011. Baldev Singh, one of our presenters, who is a founder of imagineeducation.org in the UK introduced the idea to us. He said this informal type of professional development is starting to supercede other forms of professional development in the UK.  If there is one way to enhance the spread of technology integration in the classroom, this is it!  We soon discovered that TeachMeets are also popular in the USA (where they are often called EdCamps) and all over Europe. Oooh, I’d love to introduce this idea in South Africa!</span></div></div> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KYjJNSo1odxDMC56UxSK0PF2TpTB6YrFlQ5SemwK4gpKaAb5IhUQeYjDwtLg-NYxYEA623GbxffxYUsahAVPzdHTnGAxj67iA_bucSxTnQBPtcUGo0bKgkbByOJYJ8vxbDBVtwB3oOM/s1600/baldev+singh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KYjJNSo1odxDMC56UxSK0PF2TpTB6YrFlQ5SemwK4gpKaAb5IhUQeYjDwtLg-NYxYEA623GbxffxYUsahAVPzdHTnGAxj67iA_bucSxTnQBPtcUGo0bKgkbByOJYJ8vxbDBVtwB3oOM/s320/baldev+singh.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Baldev Singh from </span><a href="http://www.imagineeducation.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">www.imagineeducation.com</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So what is a TeachMeet?</span></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a nutshell, teachers choose a successful lesson they have done in technology integration, and depending on the time limits set by the TeachMeet organizers (can be 2 minutes, 3 minutes or 7 minutes), they use a data projector and computer and share their lesson. TeachMeets can be held anywhere and at any time. <br /><br />Before leaving for the PIL Institute week we were asked to watch this YouTube video on TeachMeets by Brainpop. </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://youtu.be/53KUW79lhrg">http://youtu.be/53KUW79lhrg</a></span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/53KUW79lhrg" width="425"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some of the ‘rules’</span></b></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span></strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />*<span id="goog_1400297682"></span><span id="goog_1400297683"></span>The teachers listening take notes, photos, videos, they tweet or just listen.<br /><span id="goog_165567202"></span><span id="goog_165567203"></span>*Presentations need to be short and sharp<br />*Can use technology to present i.e.  PowerPoint, video, photos etc.<br />*It is fine to hold up a poster or even sing a song.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> *You need to plan before the time</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of our teachmeets at the PIL Institute week</span></strong></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We loved the TeachMeet session where we presented to the USA Innovative Teacher finalists. If I can find any of the presentations on video I'll post them here. One that I did find on YouTube was from Dan Roberts from the UK. He cleverly got us singing a Songsmith song together using wireless microphones scattered around the room.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u4EIVDZAH0U" width="425"></iframe><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="http://youtu.be/u4EIVDZAH0U"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">http://youtu.be/u4EIVDZAH0U</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What happens if there are too many people wanting to share something?</span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The organiser uses some kind of random selector so that you never know who is next. If you are not selected this time, there will be another time…the next TeachMeet.  I found this random name generator on the internet:</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://classtools.net/education-games-php/fruit_machine">http://classtools.net/education-games-php/fruit_machine</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The organiser could alternatively draw names from a box, or use an Excel spread sheet random selector. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TeachMeets from our PIL group on other occasions</span></strong></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some more examples of TeachMeets given by two of our PIL Institute group members on other occasions back in the UK. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jan Web, a teacher from the UK,  organises TeachMeets. Here is a video from YouTube where she is presenting a TeachMeet on using Microsoft's free tool called Mouse Mischief.</span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3xCzQe8pTCU" width="560"></iframe><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/3xCzQe8pTCU"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">http://youtu.be/3xCzQe8pTCU</span></a><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact Dan Roberts from the UK  presented a TeachMeet at the Bett Show this year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jq8IuB5ijAU" width="560"></iframe></div><a href="http://youtu.be/Jq8IuB5ijAU"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">http://youtu.be/Jq8IuB5ijAU</span></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other examples of TeachMeets found on YouTube</span></strong></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few more TeachMeet videos from YouTube illustrating the essence of a TeachMeet. You’ll notice that these are slightly longer – 7 minutes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kerry Turner on a Schools' History Project teachmeet</span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N_Di1PB02X0" width="425"></iframe><br /><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/N_Di1PB02X0"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">http://youtu.be/N_Di1PB02X0</span></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Julian Wood on 'What is a PLN?' (‘We' is better than ‘me’)</span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VMisdq38P_M" width="425"></iframe><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="http://youtu.be/VMisdq38P_M"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://youtu.be/VMisdq38P_M</span></a></div><div 425?="" allowfullscreen="" class="Mso<iframe width=" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VMisdq38P_M"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What happens if the teacher talking goes on too long?</span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The organiser has some way of telling them time is up. They stop immediately, hard as it is. A stopwatch is essential for an organiser. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How long does a TeachMeet session last?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the UK apparently they are very common in pubs from 5 – 7pm.  The length of time depends on who is organizing but often it is a two hour session.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What are the benefits?</span> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems like there are so many benefits in our social media age. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">*Teachers meet teachers from other schools.<br />*Teachers share their great ideas and learn from others. <br />*After the TeachMeet you mingle and ask questions from people who shared something you liked.<br />*They are great fun. <br />*Teachers love building on ideas, and in the wave of technology integration that is happening they will be encouraged to integrate technology with the curriculum which benefits our digitally-minded learners. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Baldev Singh told us, every teacher is a source of knowledge and its our simple ideas which can transform another teacher’s classroom. It’s the power of collective wisdom.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Can you show us a preparation template?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the one created by Baldev Singh:</span></div><br /><div id="__ss_8789545" style="width: 425px;"><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/teachmeet-template" target="_blank" title="TeachMeet template">TeachMeet template</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/8789545" width="425"></iframe><br /><div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">fionabeal</a> </div></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please comment here about TeachMeets if you have attended one.  If you live in South Africa and introduce one, please let me know how it went.  If you happen live in Cape Town and introduce one, <em>please</em> invite me!  If you want me to help you organise one in Cape Town please contact me! (schoolnetsablog@gmail.com)</span></div>

teachmeets Why not hold a TeachMeet in your area?

Submitted by Fiona Beal I can hear you asking, “A TeachMeet? What is that?” I asked the same question before attending the Partners in Learn...

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I Love Lucy...A Few Reasons Why

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPEoXql9ZPem964Qzcw8U-5FRbH7KmOFQoeVwmW2uxyB_NhY_GRktbGcLBki9sEG4xTHUHRSxoMc81H12fyvbAnZZg8JkzMiTCYGXP6AXC9OFyBqTrws2M4916D26L3DtQ8-DIvgIK6rs/s1600/Lucy+by+Amsel+w+border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPEoXql9ZPem964Qzcw8U-5FRbH7KmOFQoeVwmW2uxyB_NhY_GRktbGcLBki9sEG4xTHUHRSxoMc81H12fyvbAnZZg8JkzMiTCYGXP6AXC9OFyBqTrws2M4916D26L3DtQ8-DIvgIK6rs/s640/Lucy+by+Amsel+w+border.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><br /> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lucille Ball by Richard Amsel</span></td></tr><br /> </tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span id="goog_250145484"></span><span id="goog_250145485"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This is my entry in the "Loving Lucy Blogathon" hosted by True Classics...for more, <b style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/the-loving-lucy-blogathon-entries/">click here</a></b>.</span></i> <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><br /> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDOimK1qDWbD7KKg7vEMwG9BZ3_HmYgoegDh8DnRg1xn7wUanqxLMNxj-TTVvmkTSqkQdcvs26viNVOxvgNpMgBGWdbODIdPeNxWuxu_R9HEYNi9kP3SBtHSr6ADGxbIqGqAlsKy-i_c6/s1600/lucy+ewww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDOimK1qDWbD7KKg7vEMwG9BZ3_HmYgoegDh8DnRg1xn7wUanqxLMNxj-TTVvmkTSqkQdcvs26viNVOxvgNpMgBGWdbODIdPeNxWuxu_R9HEYNi9kP3SBtHSr6ADGxbIqGqAlsKy-i_c6/s200/lucy+ewww.jpg" width="161" /></a></td></tr><br /> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ewwww!"</td></tr><br /> </tbody></table>One reason I love Lucy is that my mom always reminded me very much of her. Both were smart, attractive and there was more than occasionally something they kept from 'the man of the house' (how I remember the phrase, "don't tell your father"). Mom was talented, ambitious, determined and funny, like Lucy. There were times, in certain situations, that she would imitate Lucy's famous "Ewwww!" take. But mom was what was then called a "housewife," a homemaker extraordinaire and PTA queen - Lucy was the greatest comedienne television has yet known.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As has often been noted, Lucille Ball was in Hollywood for years before she broke out on TV. She'd been tagged "Queen of B-Movies," which is something, but clearly not enough for an actress who'd shared the screen with the likes of Tracy and Hepburn, Astaire and Rogers, The Marx Bros., Bob Hope and Henry Fonda. Her popular radio series, "My Favorite Husband" (CBS, 1948 - 1951) was the stepping stone that led to Lucy's television super-stardom on "I Love Lucy," which debuted on CBS TV in October 1951.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've always been especially fond of the Lucy episodes from seasons 4 and 5, beginning in February 1955, when the Ricardos and Mertzes traveled to Hollywood. These shows included cameos by various stars (including John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Van Johnson and Harpo Marx) and industry legends (Hedda Hopper, Dore Schary) along with the usual Lucy hi-jinks. But I think some of my affection for these shows is also tied to the fact that Lucy and her gang had come to Southern California, my own home ground.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />I don't know how many times I've seen this Lucy sketch with William Holden (Season 4, Episode 17, "L.A., at Last," first aired February 7, 1955), but it still makes me laugh out loud. It's my favorite Lucy routine of them all and one of her two or three very best. The lunacy begins when Bill Holden, whom Lucy has already accosted and made a scene over at the Brown Derby restaurant, arrives at the Ricardo's hotel room with Ricky. Lucy improvises...</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z76QqL_AozI" width="425"></iframe></div><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not long ago I watched the amusing <i>Miss Grant Takes Richmond </i>(1949), in which Lucy and Holden co-starred. He hadn't yet collaborated with Billy Wilder, a teaming that would launch the actor's great film stardom, and Lucy was still a year or two from her move to TV.  I have to think that the two must've relished working together in this 1955 sitcom classic, two former B-stars now both firmly ensconced on the A List, and having a great time of it.<br /><br /><b style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://evesreellife.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/another-lucy-classic/">Click here</a></b> for another of my favorite Lucy skits.<br /><br /><u><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Turner Classic Movies Schedule of Lucille Ball Films, August 6, 2011</b></span></u><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">6:00 am Eastern/3:00 Pacific, <i>Du Barry Was a Lady </i>(1943)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">8:00 am Eastern/5:00 Pacific, <i>Panama Lady </i>(1939)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">9:30 am Eastern/6:30 Pacific, <i>Without Love </i>(1945)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">11:30 am Eastern/8:30 Pacific, <i>Miss Grant Takes Richmond </i>(1949)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">1:00 pm Eastern/10:00 am Pacific, <i>The Fuller Brush Girl </i>(1950)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">2:30 pm Eastern/11:30 am Pacific, <i>The Long, Long Trailer </i>(1954)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">4:30 pm Eastern/1:30 Pacific, <i>Best Foot Forward </i>(1943)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">6:15 pm Eastern/3:15 Pacific, <i>Dance, Girl, Dance </i>(1940)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">8:00 pm Eastern/5:00 Pacific, <i>Stage Door </i>(1937)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">9:45 pm Eastern/6:45 Pacific, <i>The Big Street </i>(1942)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">11:30 pm Eastern/8:30 Pacific, <i>Easy to Wed</i> (1946)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">1:30 am Eastern/10:30 pm Pacific, <i>Lured </i>(1947)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">3:15 am Eastern/12:15 Pacific,<i>The Affairs of Annabel </i>(1938)</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">4:30 am Eastern/1:30 Pacific, <i>Annabel Takes a Tour </i>(1938)</span></div>

Desi Arnaz I Love Lucy Loving Lucy Blogathon Lucille Ball William Holden I Love Lucy...A Few Reasons Why

Lucille Ball by Richard Amsel This is my entry in the "Loving Lucy Blogathon" hosted by True Classics...for more, click here . ...

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Another New World Order ?

<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;">Austerity and the Destruction of Democracy in Europe</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Implementing austerity measures on PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) countries as envisioned by the IMF, Germany and France will lead to public uprising and undermine democracy. By tightening the screw on common people the establishment will foster radicalism and racism which will play in the hands of the far right as well as the far left political movements who could grab the opportunity to tumble democratic values of Europe by implementing autocratic political systems. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">When the economy is in turmoil and unable to recover, in most cases it ends in war. Europe is one of the few places in the world which has not had an armed conflict for more than 60 years. Statistically speaking it is overdue in order to “reboot” its economy and the signs of this to happen are imminent. Historically speaking, it was not rare that European countries waged wars among themselves because of cultural and political differences, thus one cannot rule out that history does not repeat itself and pave the foundation for another NEW WORLD ORDER. See: <a href="http://www.prisonplanet.com/new-world-order-still-a-conspiracy-theory.html">http://www.prisonplanet.com/new-world-order-still-a-conspiracy-theory.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhMxsu-54pY?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JfvHutiTL9s?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ttHYQUY-PO0?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

Another New World Order ?

Austerity and the Destruction of Democracy in Europe Implementing austerity measures on PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) countries...

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Happy Friday!

As I struggled to wake up this morning after a late night (more on this later), I was delighted when I stepped onto the scale to see a 1.4 pound loss this week!  Thank you Lord - I'll take a loss anyday... even if I have lost these sames pounds over and over again.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteL1GEXjwvmPZ9P4vgPW3SOGaJKDfWxLkx_uswzPAa1DBsAMMZjg81LRmCluzF148JkwG93PMZGwKpmQsUhKIz8hK9Y-2TT7wfh4jC5Body92LqDEe56oe5MsWdgHR9u-dODH17v399I/s400/happy+friday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteL1GEXjwvmPZ9P4vgPW3SOGaJKDfWxLkx_uswzPAa1DBsAMMZjg81LRmCluzF148JkwG93PMZGwKpmQsUhKIz8hK9Y-2TT7wfh4jC5Body92LqDEe56oe5MsWdgHR9u-dODH17v399I/s320/happy+friday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Last night we had a wedding rehearsal dinner for Joel's friends who will be getting hitched this Saturday!  I <3 weddings :).  The wedding is taking place in Baltimore, and that is an hour away from us.  We didn't get back from the dinner until around midnight.  I am a girl who needs her sleep, and so waking up at 5 AM was rather complicated after only a few hours of shut eye...<br /><br />I can already cross off half of an item from my <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/08/august-goals.html">August goals list</a>!  I printed out my goals and stuck them up at my desk at work...now I just have to do the same for the fridge at home.  <br /><br />Stay tuned for some wedding pics!

Loss Miscellaneous Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Watchers Happy Friday!

As I struggled to wake up this morning after a late night (more on this later), I was delighted when I stepped onto the scale to see a 1.4 p...

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