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Spring is in the air! Here in New Brunswick, Canada, the temperature is finally remaining consistently above freezing, the snow is rapidly melting, and plants will soon be sprouting new buds in anticipation of the summer months. Our days are getting longer, fishermen and gardeners are gearing up for new seasons, households are receiving annual cleanings, the boys of summer will soon begin another baseball schedule, and our school communities integrate seasonal activities into their daily activities. Indeed the vibrancy and promise of spring permeates the air! A warm spring welcome to all our monthly subscribers and daily visitors! With the enthusiasm this time of year brings, we invite you to join us as we embark on an exploration of the spring season, the Easter Holiday, and the promise of new beginnings this special time of year brings. In addition to this newsletter, keep checking Rick's Picks to learn more about these themes and many more. We are looking for you input! We are especially interested in learning about your own "Inspiring Story" related to the use of technology in your classroom. This month we also have a special gift awaiting you and your students in the Activity section of the Mentor Center. Check it out, and if you have activities that you would like to see share with other teachers, please send them along. We'll make sure to post them immediately and to give you credit. Send your ideas to rick@vitalknowledge.com |
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Easter is celebrated in different ways throughout the world. A good site at which one can learn about the different ways our global community celebrates this special occasion is EasterBunny's.Net. It features Easter traditions in a variety of countries. In Poland people splash each other with water. The Germans burn any remaining Christmas Trees as a sign of the final winter clean up. In Bulgaria tradition states that if you end up with the last broken egg you are destined to have a year of good luck. Many more interesting traditions, in many more countries, are shared. One word of caution, however…this site might be best viewed by teachers because it contains a number of advertising banners. You can learn about Easter in Scotland at Easter Pages. The Facts and Joke Books at this site are quite interesting. If you become hungry from viewing chocolate eggs and bunnies while surfing the Easter web sites, stop in to Easter Foods from Around the World. It's sure to whet your appetite! To have some fun reflecting on the lighter side of the Easter egg hunt, take time to read the stories submitted by young people at Finding Eggs Tips. One of the most interesting stories about Easter has nothing to do with this Spring celebration. Rather, it has to do with an island. Easter Island has fascinated many generations of people. Some have suggested that it is the remnant of a lost continent, or the result of an extra-terrestrial influence. It remains one of the most unique places you will ever encounter; an open-air museum showcasing a fascinating culture lost in the remnants of the many fascinating statues that dot the island. This might be just the right occasion to share some of the mysteries of this fascinating place with your students! |
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We are honored at Vital Knowledge to be hosts for a wonderful web site created by the students of Eel Ground for this year's CyberFair 2001. This site focuses on the leaders within this Micmac First Nation community. It becomes clear to anyone who visits the Eel Ground web site that the people of this community, young and old alike, take great pride in their community and look upon their leaders with a great deal of respect. As the students have noted, "The Eel Ground people are very proud of their community and its steps to keep up with the modern world, and yet keeping sacred, the values and traditions of their elders. It is this balance that makes Eel Ground a unique community." No wonder they have named their site, "Eel Ground, A Positive Community". In addition to reading about what the community is like today, take time to read about its fascinating history. Then read the interviews that the students conducted with their leaders. EelGround's first CyberFair Entry, The Miramichi River, was a truly inspiring story about how technology can be used to bring two diverse cultures together for a common cause. Eel Ground partnered with students from Nelson Rual School to achieve a fourth place finish in CyberFair '98. Their common thread was the river that ran past both schools. They looked at it from two different perspectives and, in doing so, developed a greater understanding of the impact the Miramichi River has had upon the lives of the people of their communities. The students from Nelson were received warmly by the people of Eel Ground who celebrated this wonderful liaison with a community celebration at the school. The Nelson students were treated to an afternoon of entertainment and feasting. It was an experience that all involved will never forget. We know that the community of Eel Ground will once again celebrate the wonderful work of its students. We congratulate them on another job well done! |
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The spring period not only brings new life to our natural environment, but also seems to rejuvenate the human spirit. It is not surprising, therefore, that traditional celebrations and commemorations mark this season. We thought it would be fitting to highlight some. Spring break has officially ended in Daytona Beach, but you can get an overview of the annual ritual at the Official Spring Break Site. With the sandy beaches, warm weather and fun activities, it is not hard to understand why Florida is such a popular tourist attraction for Canadians. Contests to predict when ice will break from rivers are popular around the world. For more than 80 years the citizens of Alaska, and more specifically the town of Nenana, have been hedging their $2 bets as to when the Tanana River ice will break up. The contest has grown in popularity so rapidly that hundreds of thousands of dollars are awarded to the lucky winner. You can find more information about "Alaska's coolest lottery" at the Nenana Ice Classic homepage. And if you want to purchase tickets, you better hurry as the sale ends at Midnight on April 5th. Since it's inception, Earth Day activities are becoming more and more popular around the world. This year the celebration will be held on April 22. Visit the official Earth Day site to find how you can become part of this annual celebration that first began in 1970. You may be interested in other spring customs around the world. Find out about spring customs in Romania, or check out the Irish Spring Festival in West Virginia. Indeed, spring customs and traditions thrive in countries across the globe including Germany, Slovakia, Spain, Ireland, and China. As the days grow brighter and the sun grows warmer, people spend more and more time outdoors partaking in the gifts Mother Nature offers. It is our wish that that this spring finds you healthy, happy, and full of renewed energy as we enter the home stretch of the 2000-2001 school year. |
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There are a wide variety of sites on the Internet with a multitude of resources to assist you in planning and implementing Easter and spring activities. The following are only some of the sites worth visiting: Easter Games and Party Ideas Happy Easter from the Holiday Spot! Happy Easter from ChildFun! Easter Time at Kid's Domain Spring Fun at Kid's Domain Nuttinbutkids Spring Rainbow Magic Spring Kid Exchange Spring Games and Activities The World Wide Web is overflowing with sites dedicated to special holidays and seasons. Most, like the ones above, contain a multitude of resources for use with your students and are easily found with the use of most search engines. |
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Still not convinced that technology can have a significant positive impact upon classroom learning, indeed upon the growth of knowledge within a community? Then check out the entries to this year's CyberFair 2001. The work of students from over 130 schools from throughout the world is on display. Their technological skills have bridged the gap that sometimes exists between their classrooms and the "outside" world, and they have built those bridges in very creative ways. They have linked their classroom curricula to the local and global communities via the eight categories that are suggested:
The winners in each of the categories will be announced May 10. In the meantime, take time to see the impressive work that has been done by the young people in our global village. Their work is a testimony to the bright future of our world as they become molded into the leaders of tomorrow. |
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Easter Bunny Hit by Car A man was blissfully driving along the highway, when he saw the Easter Bunny hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the Bunny, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of his car and was hit. The basket of eggs went flying all over the place. Candy, too. The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road, and got out to see what had become of the Bunny carrying the basket. Much to his dismay, the colorful Bunny was dead. The driver felt guilty and began to cry. A woman driving down the same highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong. "I feel terrible," he explained, "I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny and killed it. There may not be an Easter because of me. What should I do? " The woman told the man not to worry. She knew exactly what to do. She went to her car trunk, and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead Bunny, and sprayed the entire contents of the can onto the little furry animal. Miraculously the Easter Bunny came to back life, jumped up, picked up the spilled eggs and candy, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped on down the road. 50 yards away the Easter Bunny stopped, turned around, waved and hopped on down the road another 50 yards, turned, waved, hopped another 50 yards and waved again!!!! The man was astonished. He said to the woman, "What in heaven's name is in your spray can? What was it that you sprayed on the Easter Bunny?" The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said: "Hair spray. Restores life to dead hair. Adds permanent wave." From: Easter Jokes |
