Here’s something to get your learners’ week off to an engaging start. Stimulate their creativity! Encourage your students to do some brainstorming and graphic design in one fell swoop. Mutapic is a free, intriguing online digital image generator that’s great for rapid design.
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On this day, November 10th, in 1975, the freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald (a taconite carrier) sank during a storm on Lake Superior. All of the crew, 29 nine men, perished. The event was memorialized in the lyrics of singer Gordon Lightfoot’s popular ballad, the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Though sad, this historical event presents an engrossing opportunity for students and teachers to collaborate and engage in interdisciplinary research. It’s a perfect storm of learning. Delving into what lead up to the tragedy allows pupils to explore elements of:
Diving into this and other historical events, using them as case-study investigations into why and how things happen, makes learning more rewarding and allows students to integrate technology resources in a more meaningful manner.
Related resources:
creativity, environment, learning, literature, math, music, nature, science
Many commercial software packages contain all kinds of clip art. Over time, learners become dependent on the ready-made store of images. Instead of promoting such behavior, introduce your classroom to the Open Clip Art Library and other similar sites. Encourage young scholars to use pieces of clip art and images that are free of copyright restraints. This is especially if important if students are participating in events such as science fairs where their media-rich products may end up being broadcast or released to audiences beyond the confines of your classroom and school.
The best way to avoid copyright issues is to have students capture and/or create their own images. If they do not or cannot capture and/or create their own pictures, they can search for copyright-free images from the following sites:
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Site |
Terms and usage |
| http://edupic.net/ | Free for use by educational professionals and the students they serve without permission |
| http://gallery.usgs.gov/
See also: |
Most USGS-authored or produced data and information are considered to be in the U.S. public domain. Some non USGS photographs, images, and/or graphics that appear on USGS Web sites are used by the USGS with permission from the copyright holder. These materials are generally marked as being copyrighted. |
| http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/ | All photographs within this collection are public domain; therefore, signed releases, permissions, and payment for use or reproduction are not required. For any use made of a photograph, credit should be given to the individual photographer and the U.S. Geological Survey. |
| http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/home.asp
Public Health Image Library (PHIL) |
Most of the images in the collection are in the public domain and are thus free of any copyright restrictions. If you look directly beneath the image you will see a fair use statement that tells you if the image is public domain or copyright protected. |
| http://photo.itc.nps.gov/storage/images/index.html
National Parks |
All images posted on this site are free, and may be used without a copyright release from the National Park Service. |
| http://tinyurl.com/usdaimageshttp://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/ | All of the photographic images are USDA property and, consequently, are in the public domain. For questions about copyright issues, please contact Alice Welch at 202-720-0901 or alice.welch@usda.gov |
| http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/bpd.html | Many of the images in this web site are considered public domain and may be used without further authorization from the BLM if photographic credit to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in the following manner:
Bureau of Land Management, or |
| http://www.fws.gov/digitalmedia | A wide assortment of selected images, publications, video and audio clips that are in the public domain. You are free to use them as you wish – no permission is necessary. Site does ask that you give credit to the photographer or creator and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. |
| http://www.fws.gov/digitalmedia | Not all the information on this site is in the public domain. Some images/graphics are licensed for use under the copyright law. Such content is identified as material used from sources outside the Service. |
| http://www.morguefile.com/archive/ | Varies: ranges from freedom to adapt the work, use the work for commercial purposes, and use without attributing the original author |
| http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/for_images/imagegall.htm | The images in the collection are in the public domain and are thus free of any copyright restrictions. |
| http://www.pdclipart.org/ | Images have been collected from sources which either place their images in the public domain, abandon their copyright, or have expired copyright and are considered to be freely available for any use by the public. |
| http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/mvey/index.htmlhttp://www.photolib.noaa.gov/collections.html | Most NOAA photos and slides are in the public domain. Educational use is encouraged. The few photos in the NOAA Photo Library that are known to have copyright restrictions are so noted in the caption information associated with those images. Credit MUST be given to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce. Where a photographer is noted, credit the photographer and his/her affiliated organization as well. |
| http://www.pics4learning.com/ | May be used by teachers and students in print, multimedia, and video productions |
| http://www.public-domain-photos.com/ | All photos on this web site are public domain. You may use these images for any purpose, including commercial. |
| http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/ | All pictures are free for commercial and personal use |
| http://www.reusableart.com/ | All of the images appearing on this site are copyright free and in the public domain in the United States, in countries that are part of the Berne Convention and any country that grants copyrights to artists up to 70 years after their death. As these images are out of copyright and now in the public domain, they can be used for anything you wish with no restrictions. |
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I’ve been keeping my eye on an extremely promising project that should enhance critical thinking skills, student engagement, creativity, and reveal the joy of learning. The object of my attention is Pseudoform. It’s a project dedicated to creating an engrossing, near-addictive “first-person puzzle-solving” game. Although no downloads (beta, alpha, or otherwise) are currently available, I’m hungry for an opportunity to tinker with what Pseudoform is promising. An exploration of the site’s media collection is enough to make visitors to play with its developing product.
While waiting for Pseudoform to take form, educators and students interested in interactive multiphysics simulation resources have a number of related diversions to keep them occupied. For example, Microsoft Physics Illustrator (also referred to as Magic Paper), is a 2D physics simulator developed by MIT’s Design Rationale group that’s as fun as it is informative. Although it was originally developed for use on tablet PCs, the application can be used with non-tablet PCs as well. For a more amusing and game-like experience that will get mental wheels turning nonetheless, teachers and pupils can explore the principles of physics and work their way through a goodly portion of confounding fun with Crayon Physics. It’s a pleasurable means of learning about physics that was designed by a fantastic Finn named Petri Purho, who showcases his work at Kloonigames. While watching and testing hypotheses centered around gravity, mass, kinetic energy and the transfer of momentum, those using Crayon Physics will most likely get an itch to investigate the game’s descendant, Crayon Physics Deluxe. And finally, there’s Phun, a “2D physics sandbox” that encourages users to take a constructionist approach to learning about how and why things happen the way they do
My daughter, a collector of cryptids, maven of mythology, and avid aficionada of all manner of animals, recently shared a wonderful book with me. We were away from home at the time, visiting relatives in another city. Making the most of her journey, my little scholar paid a visit to the Washington Memorial Library, a branch of the Macon/Bibb County Public Library system. Having long ago traversed the mythology sections in libraries near our home and exhausting their tomes of mythological lore, she spent a happy Friday afternoon and Saturday morning searching Washington Memorial’s collection for books for new literature about fanciful animals. Her earnest bookshelf browsing uncovered an excellent find.
“Look at what I found,” she said, excitedly handing me a volume by writer and illustrator Keith DuQuette, “I really like this book!” After taking in the striking cover of a phantasmagorical cross between a cow and a rooster (a cooster) and reading the first few pages, I could see why she was so elated. Cock-a-Doodle-Mooo! is a treat to devour! Setting the tone for young readers, the author reminds his audience that the blending of beasts is a time-honored tradition. He also wisely adds that anyone can create a variety of varmints.
But that’s only the beginning. DuQuette launches into a most fanciful demonstration by introducing the world to a conglomeration of contemporary chimeras. In addition to the comical descriptions of his new bevvy of beasts in witty rhymes, the author also serves up a heaping helping of intriguing illustrations. It’s a pleasure to see the books as much as it is to read it aloud.
For example, readers will discover the meandering Mouscodile who, we are told, is…
Not your average timid mouse,
he’s moving freely through the house.
Sassy, bold and getting fat,
he skipped the cheese and ate the cat!
Other blended beasts like Squoodles and Firefligeons engender a welcome dose of humor and wonder. With charming and alarming creatures, students of all ages will want to grab Cock-a-Doodle-Mooo! and find a comfortable spot for reading. The delightful denizens of DuQuette’s imagination are great catalysts for creativity. Introduce the book to your pupils and ask, “What if?”
What if…
Books like Cock-a-Doodle-Mooo! are a great springboard for creativity. They inspire new ideas and suffuse young minds with the power of possibility. When combined with a little technology, fanciful works of literature also tend to engage students. For example, after reading DuQuette’s book, learners will be thrilled to visit SwitchZoo. It’s a site where students have an entertaining opportunity to mix and match animals.
Related resources:
At 12:00 PM, Eastern Time (ET) today, President Barack Obama delivers a national address to the students of America. Other presidents have done this kind of thing before. President Ronald Reagan happily addressed and took questions from students from four area middle schools on November 14, 1988. His successor, President George H.W. Bush, interacted with students as well on October 1st, 1991 from Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, D.C.. Apparently, presidents think it’s a good idea to demonstrate a willingness to promote the importance of learning.
In his address, President Obama will speak directly to our nation’s pupils. He will urge students to roll up their sleeves and do the hard and necessary work of learning. His speech will call upon students to set educational goals, persevere (especially when the work is neither fun nor easy), and ultimately resolve to be responsible for their own learning. The U.S. Department of Education is understandably excited about the occasion. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has released a letter to school principals inviting students, teachers, and other administrators to participate in the event by watching the president deliver the address.
Sadly, though, as MediaMatters points out, some people are attempting to derail this promising educational message and steer it into a political divide. Opportunistic, venomous critics of the President are fanning the flames of fear and ignorance, encouraging parents, administrators, Boards of Education to not even entertain the idea of listening to President Obama’s appeal to students. A civilized society allows and requires its citizens to debate the merits of an idea. However, before one can debate the merits of an idea, one has to listen to the idea.
President Obama’s message to students is not a secret. Anyone–even those who oppose the president’s address–can read an advanced copy of the speech. The White House has made the Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama Back to School Event available online. Despite all the dire warnings that demagogues and other incendiary media schismatics are voicing, the President’s address is not a dastardly plot to subliminally deliver a partisan political agenda into vulnerable young minds.
What’s wrong with challenging students to dedicating themselves to working hard, working smart, staying in school and dramatically reducing dropout rates? Why wouldn’t our nation want its president to echo such a sentiment? ANY president of the United States, no matter what his or her political affiliation, should be able to inspire America’s students to be dedicated to serious lifelong learning. Of all the things people could worry about negatively influencing young minds, President Obama’s address to students isn’t one of them. A small minority of splenetic critics and opportunistic instigators are going about the detestable business of corrupting what should be a unifying message to students–education is so important that ALL of our parents, educators, business experts, and political leaders, regardless of other beliefs, agree that dedication to learning is vital for success and a wise nation.
Whether you are a parent, a superintendent, a principal, a media specialist, a teacher, or a student, you have the the right to make decisions. Do what wise people do: listen to another individual’s ideas–in this case, President Obama’s address to the nation’s pupils–and carefully analyze those ideas before you decide who or what to believe. The President’s message will be streamed live on WhiteHouse.gov/live at at 12pm ET, and broadcast live on C-Span. Thanks to technology, anyone with access to the internet can check facts and thoroughly inspect the merits of ideas.
Think for yourself...it’s what Americans do.
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In a time of standardized tests and misguided attempts to cover lessons rather than help students understand and apply concepts in real life situations, we’re losing–if not outright outright ignoring–opportunities to inspire pupils to fall in love with science. Intersection’s sciencebloggers Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum both suggest that we desperately need to get busy finding nascent scientists. Their book Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future is a sobering wake-up call.
We can do better. We must do better. We need new scientists and it’s up to us to find them.
How would you describe a potential scientist? Could you spot one in your classroom? Are you doing all you can to nurture these rare individuals? Why are they so rare to begin? Can anyone be a scientist? If educators are going attempt to answer these questions and help budding researchers bloom, they’d be wise to follow the work of Sloan-Kettering Institute Chairman Emeritus, Richard Rifkind.
Once a scientist, Rifkind is now a filmmaker who wants viewers to “stand in the shoes of a scientist at work in a lab, glimpse the world of research as it really is, and understand what it takes to fill an ample pipeline of future scientists.” He’s passionate about finding and cultivating a new generation of scientists. Toward that end, Rifkind has produced a moving documentary called Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist. In addtion to producing the film he has also sharing rich resources for exploring ideas presented in the film via the Naturally Obsessed Blog.
Are you curious enough to investigate?
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There’s no doubt that studying history is important. After all, how can we know where we’re going if we don’t know where we’ve been? That said, thinking about the future is equally vital. Yet, how often do we challenge pupils to look forward in time? Making predictions about what is yet to come calls for a great deal of high order thinking. Coming events create ripples that attentive minds notice. There are a number of highly respected institutions dedicated to anticipating how history will unfold. They include:
Why not challenge students to create a series of future-timelines in which they make forecasts based upon current trends in politics, education, technology and culture?
For a thoroughly engaging example of this kind of generative thinking, visit Future Timeline. It’s a site where visitors will encounter speculations steeped in both fact and fiction about possible-futures. Literture teachers guiding learners through the pleasure of science-fiction will appreciate the imaginative visions of what is yet to be.
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Teachers who work with pre-k and kindergarten students and want to introduce their pupils to an interactive whiteboard or digital slate, should plan a vibrant visit to thecolor.com. This chromatic conucopia of point-and-click coloring pages is an excellent means of acclimating little learners to the conventions of tools like those available from GTCO, Promethean, and SMARTBoard. Fast, fun, and free, thecolor.com. can also be used as a means of providing elementary pupils with readilly accessible images. they even have coloring pages for cryptids and superheroes.
Related resources:
Drawing is a powerful tool for learning. Humans have harnessed the potential of graphic representations for millennia to communicate ideas. With the advent of interactive whiteboards and digital slates like those available from GTCO, Promethean, and SMARTBoard, teachers and pupils still have the option of creating illustrations as a means of presenting, exploring, and refining ideas. Effective 21st century educators consistently model and facilitate the use of digital illustration to
Employing the built-in features of the software that powers interactive whiteboards and digital slates is worthwhile. After all, each package allows users to create geometric figures with both ease and accuracy. That said, don’t allow the features of the program to confine illustrations to one computer in one classroom. Learners should be able to share drawings with audiences outside a classroom, school, and district. Think beyond the classroom computer to a web-based tool for drawing.
Check out Odosketch. It’s a Flash-powered drawing resource that’s been around since 2006, thanks to Odopod, a digital agency that works with a number of major brands. This bare-bones artist tablet and colors doesn’t create accurate geometric shapes. However, users don’t need an account to use Odosketch (although, registering for one makes it possible for artists to save their work). Visitors who want to draw need only mouse over the toolbar at the bottom of the canvas. Colors, brush strokes, and other options will appear. It’s a simple means of sketching quick or detailed pictures.
By allowing pupils to use an interactive whiteboard or digital slate in conjunction with Odosketch, educators facilitate the kind of powerful communication skills explored in Dan Roam’s primer for creating problem-solving pictures, The Back of the Napkin.
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