Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 7/5/13

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!
Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.


Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers


Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Birth and Death Rate Word Map - a visual of the world’s birth and death rate. (L:M,H; SA: SS,S)

Natural History Museum - online science museum (L:G; SA: A)

Mark Twain - see Mark Twain’s home in Google Maps (L:G; SA: LA)

StoryToolz - resources for authors (L:G; SA: LA)

National Gallery of Art - “NGA Images is a repository of digital images of the collections of the National Gallery of Art. On this website you can search, browse, share, and download images. A standards-based reproduction guide and a help section provide advice for both novices and experts. More than 25,000 open accessdigital images up to 3000 pixels each are available free of charge for download and use. NGA Images is designed to facilitate learning, enrichment, enjoyment, and exploration” (L:G; SA: FA)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Happy Fourth Of July!

Today is Independence Day here in the United States. There will be plenty of barbecues and fireworks today. I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. If you are shooting off fireworks, make sure you wet your yard really well, have buckets of water nearby in case of fire, keep the children away from the fireworks, and be smart as well as safe! If you are celebrating with alcohol, please don’t drink and drive. If you are with a group of friends, enjoy yourself and enjoy life! Be thankful for all that we have here in the USA. Sure, like any family or any country, we have our problems but life isn’t perfect and neither are we - as individuals or a nation! Happy birthday USA! I’m glad I live here!

Image: 'Independence Day!'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38633611@N00/180639714
Found on flickrcc.net

Run of Bad Luck

If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’m not sure we would have any luck at all. Lately we have had a run of bad luck. Here is our sad saga…

We left on a Sunday to go camping and were excited about camping at the same campground as my in-laws. We headed out early and were halfway there when I noticed smoke from our Tahoe back right wheel. My husband thought the car was on fire! So, he immediately pulled in the gas station at that intersection. We ended up calling AAA and my in-laws came to rescue our travel trailer. They towed it on up to our campsite while AAA towed the Tahoe back home to the shop that had just put new brake pads on. Of course it was Sunday so we had to wait until Monday to talk to them. They had it fixed by 4:30pm and put on a new caliper, brake hose, and rotor on the left side of the car. Not really sure why the smoke came out on the right side but they checked both sides. We finally got to the campground that night around 8pm and had a lovely time.

We got home on a Thursday so I could go to my Friday meeting and left as soon as I returned from my meeting. We were heading to Orlando, FL but planned on spending the night somewhere in Georgia. We found a great campground in Darien, Georgia (Cathead Creek Ranch and RV Park) for only $25. We got up bright and early on Saturday morning around 5am to continue our journey. About 90 minutes later we had a blow out on the trailer tire on the right side. We called Good Sam’s Roadside assistance who sent out a company to help us but about 40 minutes later they called and said they weren’t able to change a trailer tire. I had to call Good Sam again and we waited about 70 min. for another provider to come help us. While changing the tire, his jack got stuck and he had to get a 2nd jack so he could remove the first jack! Not to mention that it was pouring down rain at this point!

Meanwhile, I’m calling places trying to find someone who sells trailer tires. Camping World sells them but has to order them and it takes 3 days! I found a Tire Kingdom who was able to get a tire for us and install it. While I’m there, I’m texting my sister in law who tells me to check the date code on the remaining tire. When we do, we find out these tires are 11 years old and probably dry rotted which caused the blow out. So, we have to get another tire for the other side of the trailer!

Okay, we finally get on our way and follow the directions from my Ipad to Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, FL where our campground reservation is. Unfortunately, my directions brought us to an entrance that doesn’t take us to the campground. I call and they say I have to backtrack and go about 10 miles around to the main entrance on the other side of the lake! Okay, we finally arrive and check in. Then on the way to the campsite, my hubby tells me he has noticed a problem with our brakes on the Tahoe again just as the alarm sounds on the car that we have a brake system problem!

We make it to the campsite and set up. That is when we notice we can’t find the adapter for the electric cord to hook up the camper! I had lost it at the campground in Georgia! So, we head out to Walmart (about 5 miles away) praying our brakes work. We get some food while we are there in case we are stranded at the campground but on the way back, the brakes worked fine. We decided to set up our EZ Up canopy (10’ x 10’) because rain was expected. We used the huge nails to stake it down in case the wind comes by.

The next day we decide to go to Epcot and just relax from all these traumatic experiences. We had a great time and when we return, we find our EZ Up Canopy upside down, bent in all directions, and tore up. It bent the legs sideway where the stakes held the base in the ground! So we will have to throw it away and find another one. Of course we loved this canopy and had it for years and they don’t make it anymore!

On Monday we went to Animal Kingdom and had a great time before the torrential rain started. Then we decided to leave the park. At dinner we decided to head for home the next day so we packed and organized as much as we could that night.

Yesterday, we left the campground about 6am and got home 12 hours later. Luckily nothing happened on the way home and I’m so glad to be home! This had to be one of the most miserable trips we have been on.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

If the World Were a Village- A Book Review

I recently read the book If the World Were a Village by David J. Smith; illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong which was mentioned on The Picnic Basket. This is the review that I gave the book (I am not being paid to give this review):

This wonderful picture book was written for upper elementary level students but I think it would be great for middle school too. For some discussions, I could see it even being used in a high school class for visual demonstrations. I love how the book breaks down numerical information into usable, understandable information that any person can put into perspective. I think that is why pictographs are so well liked because it is a visual representation of hard to process information. This book puts world figures into a manageable amount so we can understand the different concepts. By doing this, the uses in the classroom are endless! This book can be used for discussion of the different statistics given. It can be used in a math, social studies, or science class. I can even see creative writing being done using these facts. This book should be in every school library!

I would definitely give this book a 5 out of 5!

Monthly Review of Goals from June

Another month has flown by and it is now July! It is time to review my goals and see how I did last month. All of my goals can be found here.

For the year:

1. I want to spin the alpaca fiber that I processed with some wool. ( I accomplished this!)

2. I want to knit a sweater. (I am finished two this year! I finished The Old Man and the Sea cardigan by MSkiKnits last week.)

3. I want to dye yarn. (We have been doing lots of traveling in my new camper that I haven’t really had time to do this yet.)

4. I want to spruce up my gardens this year. (We have gotten three truckloads of mulch so far and I’ve done a lot of weeding! )

5. I won’t commit to more to more than I can handle. (I am still doing a great job with this so far. I’m finding out that saying no doesn’t make me hated by others and I feel so much better about myself!)

6. I will find something good in each day. (This has been challenging when we have hit some obstacles like our car having to be towed but we had AAA so it didn’t cost anything, the tow truck driver was nice, and we weren’t hurt even though our brakes went kerplooey!)

7. I will learn archery. (We only have 1 month left to use the coupon so I need to get on this!)

8. I will nurture old friendships. (We really weren’t home enough to do this. )

9. I will lose at least 20 lbs. this year. (I have lost 10 lbs. since I joined this online group and 15 lbs. overall since January. My hubby has even noticed a difference. I’m ecstatic!)

Daily:

1. I will eat healthy. (I have learned that I need to eat at least 1200 calories so my body doesn’t go into starvation mode and starts storing sugars and fats. I had always thought eating less was better but I’m learning that is not the case.)

2. I will exercise. (I have been walking on the treadmill and walking in the park.)

3. I will stretch. (I haven’t done as well this month with this. I really need to start up my yoga again.)

4. I will read my bible. (I’ve gotten really slack this month! I need to get on the ball.)

5. I will do something that I have been avoiding. (I guess reading the bible has been one thing that I have avoided because I’ve come up with excuses. I need to do better about this.)

6. I will contact a friend and let them know I am thinking of them. (There are some elderly ladies that I think about and plan on dropping them a note in the mail. I still haven’t done this.)

7. I will be happy. (My hubby and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary in June! I am definitely happy!)

I think this month has been good but I can do better. I need to print out my goals again and tape them to my bathroom mirror so I can see them every day. Monthly reviews have helped but I need daily reminders!

Have you reviewed your goals or resolutions you made at the beginning of the year? How are you doing? If you haven’t achieved something yet, don’t give up. Just begin now.

Image: 'La Jolla Goal Wall'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30011527@N05/3876577832
Found on flickrcc.net