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Welcome to May! We invite all our monthly subscribers and daily visitors to join us as we as we explore the numerous online resources available to celebrate the many themes and special days in the month of May. In addition to this newsletter, keep checking Rick's Picks to learn more about great things teachers are doing in the classroom. 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 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 A Welcome To May I bid the welcome, fairy May, |
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Advances and innovations in information technology have led to increased partnerships among schools from all over the world. An excellent example of this is NetVision, an online television station collaboratively developed by students from Martin Luther King Jr. High School in the United States, Himeji Higashi High School in Japan, and Athens District High School in Canada. Athens High School was first place recipient in the schools category for the 2001 Childnet Awards. The award is presented to students who develop "outstanding internet sites and activities which directly benefit other children". Along with NetVision, Athens students are also to be commended for creating and maintaining the Canadian Aid For Chernobyl website. It is not only an excellent web site, but also a fine example of a school community serving their fellow man. Spearheaded by Tim Taillon, a student leader at Athens, NetVision is a global interactive television station that includes audio and video created by teenagers for teenagers. We think you'll enjoy the many features found here such as Life in a Day, News, Interactive Videos, and Online Fun. We also think you'll agree the students from all three schools have collaborated to create a quality web site worthy of the award they have received. You may also be interested in visiting the Childnet web site to find information about how your school may enter the competition for the 2001-2002 school year. |
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Inspiration for teachers can come in many forms, but perhaps none so powerful as thanks for a job well done. Rather than focusing on one inspiring story for our May newsletter we thought we would focus on how schools celebrated Teacher Appreciation Day in past years. So join us as we surf through the web and visit pages created to highlight celebrations in thanks to teachers. A word of warning - many of these pages contain pictures of food, food, food. Here's hoping the temptation does not spoil diet plans of our readers. Parents, students, and administrators certainly know the fastest way to our hearts! The teachers of Maranatha Christian School were treated to gifts and a wonderful buffet. Don't say we didn't warn you about the food! Check out the letter Rachel Paxton sent to her school district in appreciation of the staff at Hanford Middle School. What a great affirmation of the many rewards found in the teaching profession! The parents of Geneva Elementary School turned the staff room into a Hawaiian paradise! The parents of Carmel Clay Schools have an online nomination form so parents and students can nominate teachers to the Carmel Clay Educational Foundation. In lieu of a gift, a donation is made to the foundation that returns it to Carmel Clay schools in the form of educational grants. Teachers receive a congratulatory note and certificate and are placed on the foundation's Honor Roll! Finally, we thought we would visit China to see how teacher contributions are celebrated in Yangzhou. We aren't actually visiting China, however, but pages created by the students and staff of Coleytown Middle School. |
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Here in New Brunswick, the rivers have finally broken free from the heavy layer of ice that covered them during the long winter months. Fishermen now anxiously await the water to recede to a level where they can throw their flies into the water. The world famous Miramichi River will soon welcome back thousands of salmon from the Atlantic Ocean. John is sure it will be another great season and that Rick's catches will once again pale in comparison to his. The love of fishing is instilled in most people who engage in the sport from a young age. Many of us remember rising early on summer days and heading to the local stream with our father. Why not give your students an opportunity to be introduced to a wonderful sport. You may not actually be able to take them fishing, but you will be able to implement fishing lessons and activities into your daily curriculum. The following are only a few of the many sites found on the World Wide Web with resources to apply fishing activities to your classroom teaching: Texas Gulf Coast Fishing is has great resources for kids such as information about rods and reels, tying knots, fishing ethics, conservation, and more. Big Fish Kid's Corner has tips for buying tackle and getting started as well as coloring and information about fish species. In-Fisher Kids has coloring, jokes, mazes, word searches, lessons, and more! Kids and Fishing has great resources for teaching children to fish. Finally, you may wish to explore how your students can get involved in the Trout in the Classroom project. |
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Like other months of the year, May has a number of special days that are celebrated around the world. The following are a few of these days with accompanying web sites you can visit to find resources for classroom activities: May 14 is Mother's Day. Among the many sites on the Web, Education World has resources and lesson plan ideas for marking this occasion. You can also find other resources at The Holiday Spot, The Craft Library, 123 Greetings, and Kid's Domain. Memorial Day is the last Monday in May. Honor the sacrifices made by war veterans with the use of resources found at Education World, 123 Greetings, The Gift Idea Center, or Holiday Lesson Plans. The month of May is also Older American's Month. Whatever your nationality, you may wish to take time to celebrate the many contribution the elderly make to our lives with resources from About.com. Better still visit the many children's sites that have crafts, e-cards, or other gifts that can be inexpensively given to our seniors. If you are a senior you may enjoy a visit to Senior Link, Computing Corner, Golden Years, or 65 Plus. May 8 is National Teachers Day and May 6-12 is National Teachers Week! Once again take some time to celebrate teachers regardless of your nationality. Have your students or children show their appreciation by sending a special greeting card from 123 Greetings, or India Express, or find some great ideas to thank teachers at the Learning Network. Finally, when deciding which days to highlight in this section of our newsletter, we couldn't neglect what we so much anticipate. Were not sure when this was first declared, but we (Rick and John) wholeheartedly endorse May as National Barbeque Month! You may enjoy a visit to the Barbeque Man, the National Barbeque News, or Frank's Barbeque Recipes. |
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With Mother's day arriving on May 14 we are sure you will be planning classroom activities to help students honor their mothers. In our Teacher Discoveries section we highlighted some web sites with resources that can assist you in planning activities, but we thought we might go a step farther and highlight how students from around the world celebrated this day in the past. Check out the following pages: Students and staff of River Valley Primary School in Singapore have developed a wonderful photo album of their 2000 Mother's Day celebrations. You'll be impressed with the reverence shown to mothers at Sriwittayapaknam School in Thailand! The student's of Granville Village School in Vermont posted explanations of why their Mom's are so special on their web pages. Students at Ennis National School in Clare, Ireland submitted poems on the topic of "Mother". Check out the winners. We think you'll agree students at Van Asselt Elementary School in Seattle made large, beautiful Mother's Day cards! Finally, the school community of the Cyesis Teen Parent Program in Sarasota Florida had a Mother's Day breakfast. Children, young mothers, and grandparents had a wonderful time if the photos posted on their web site are any indication. |
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If evolution really works, how come Mothers only have two hands? A friend asked a single Mom what her son was taking in college. With a sigh she replied, "Everything I have." When a teacher closes his eyes, why should it remind him of an empty classroom? Because there are no pupils to see! Why did the teacher wear sunglasses? Richer than Gold
-Strickland Gillilan (1869-1954) |
