============================================================= TeAch-nology.com's- Weekly Tips For Teachers **Issue #42** "The Web Portal For Educators!" We're up to 3708 subscribers http://www.teach-nology.com ============================================================= This newsletter is only sent to the users of TeAch-nology.com, but feel free to forward it to all your friends. ============================================================= **It's Finally Here!!** *The TeAch-nology.com Lesson Plan Center* Just think...now you can search over 17,000 lesson plans, teaching ideas, and worksheets from one page! This page also features tutorials, other lesson plan directories, and much more! See for yourself at: http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/ **New Worksheets!!!** *Using Parts of a Book* We added a great worksheet that was actually submitted by one of our users (Linda Owens, 2001). The worksheet explains the parts of a book and then asks pointed questions relative to the topic. Just click on: http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/research/book/index.html *Fractions!!!* Two new worksheets focus on Greatest Common Factors and Least Common Multiples...these new worksheets include answer keys! Both can be found at: http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/math/ **New Screen Saver** *Animals Screen Saver* Our newest screen saver scrolls through various animals and has a fun musical background. Pictures range from majestic elephants to glaring flamingoes! Check it out at: http://www.teach-nology.com/downloads/screen_savers/ **New Generator** *Oral Expression Rubric Generator* This rubric assesses oral expression. You can use it to assess student's' skills in areas such as body language, eye contact, introductions and closures, pacing, poise and voice. For more info., just click on: http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/oralex/ **Free Teacher Calendar** If you haven't already checked out our FREE teacher's calendar, you are really missing a good thing! You won't regret it! Just click on: http://www.localendar.com/cobrand/teachnology **Monthly Motivators on CD** We have added a section for "Purchase Orders"...now you can order the first edition of the Monthly Motivator CD with a school purchase order. These are original Macro Media Flash productions designed to motivate and inspire teachers to reflect on topics that are current and that most teachers are concerned about. Order your copy at: http://www.teach-nology.com/orders/ ============================================================= 1. Site of the week- abcteach- http://www.abcteach.com/ abcteach is a wonderfully developed site to provide teachers, soon-to-be teachers, and students with a large array of easy to access printable materials. The materials provided can be adapted for all grade levels. abcteach is the creation of Sandy Kemsley, a twenty four year veteran elementary teacher from Waterford, Michigan. Sandy believes that "every child can learn and that kids have different learning styles." Her dedication and sheer passion for encouraging learning are evident with every click of abcteach. A truly original and outstanding section of abcteach is the "abcteach THEMES" section. Providing over forty themes, Sandy has put together printable crossword puzzles, word searches, journeys, and even maps on a variety of interdisciplinary themes. This is a site the you will definitely want to check out! ============================================================= 2. You have to check this out! Talk To Old Friends! Go to ClassMates.com! Your 24-Hour Online High School Class Reunion. Keep the promises you made at graduation to stay in touch. ClassMates.com!!! Finding Old Friends!" Click below, to visit this great site! http://by.advertising.com/1/c/22592/9728//17008 ============================================================= AOL users click here ============================================================= 3. Quote of the week- When teaching, light a fire, don't fill a bucket. ~ Dan Snow ~ ============================================================= 4. Free Stuff For Teachers & Students- Join over 2 million Fools who are taking control of their finances! Register for free with The Motley Fool and receive: * Free investment offers * Free 13 Steps to Investing Foolishly guide * Answers to all your students financial questions Become a Fool today! Click here: http://by.advertising.com/1/c/22592/12288//17011 ============================================================= AOL users click here ============================================================= 5. Jokes You Can Tell In Class- "Pack a Parachute" A photographer for a national magazine was assigned to take pictures of a great forest fire. He was advised that a small plane would be waiting to fly him over the fire. The photographer arrived at the airstrip just an hour before sundown. Sure enough, a small Cessna airplane was waiting. He jumped in with his equipment and shouted, "Let's go!" The tense man sitting in the pilot's seat swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air, though flying erratically. "Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make several low-level passes." "Why?" asked the nervous pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures!" yelled the photographer. "I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures." After a long pause, the "pilot" replied: "You mean, you're not my instructor?" ------------------------------------------------------------- Like Jokes?? Check Out Our Cartoon Of the Day, Click Below: http://www.teach-nology.com/news/ ============================================================= 6. A New FREE Site For Anybody Who Works. Check It Out! Cut Paperwork! Be more productive! Instantly automate routine business tasks with online time cards, expense reports, invoices, payroll, forms and more All for FREE! Get automatic reminder messages and instant reports too! Click Below, To Try Freeworks today: http://by.advertising.com/1/c/22592/10466//17011 ============================================================= AOL users click here ============================================================= 7. Download of the Week- PC Download: Kelsea's Classroom- "Kelsea's Classroom is a program to help children improve computer skills, mouse and keyboard skills along with an alphabet and mathematics learning experience. The program is designed to be as child proof as possible. Examples are that when in the ABCs screen only pressing a letter or number keys should produce a result the, others will do nothing. All of the screen's control boxes to minimize, resize, or exit are not available." ------------------------------------------------------------- Mac Download: ClockWorx ATW- "ClockWorx ATW is a simple clock program that features up to 24 customizable time zone locations, a time zone map, and customizable color schemes. Great for teaching time and the concept of time zones! Note: In this demo, customization is disabled. Registration costs $7." ------------------------------------------------------------- Click Below, To Download These Applications & Others For FREE: http://www.teach-nology.com/downloads/ ============================================================= 8. A New Freebie For Anybody In Need Of A Career Change: Fire Your Boss and Work at Home! Forget the suit and the commute. Use your computer to Earn $125 - $175 per hour! FULL TRAINING. Vacations, bonuses and incentives. Bilinguals also needed. Download your FREE E-BOOK NOW! Click below, to check it out: http://by.advertising.com/1/c/22592/12476//17011 ============================================================= AOL users click here ============================================================= 9. Ask Our Experts- ************************************************************* A question from Anonymous: "I am currently seeking national board certification. I am tring to use Energy as my big ideal. During this unit I will be teaching energy sources, engery transfer, different forms and the many uses of energy am I on the right track? How can I relate this to other interdisplinary subjects. Or how do I relate enery to the world? I know the standers but I am having a hard time relating this to fifth grader. Please help!" ************************************************************* TeAch-nology.com's Staff Response: "Energy is a good topic for a unit, especially in this day and age. To find out more about the subject area, click on: http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/subject_matter/ and then go to "Science." Interdisciplinary planning can be done with Language Arts (reading and writing), Math (concepts related to energy, formulas, etc.); and Social Studies (historical events, famous people,geography). Breaking down the subject matter into bits and pieces that children can follow is always the challenge of teaching. One thing that may help is using a task analysis in your plans. A great resource for task analysis is: http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/methods/models/ then go to "Task Analysis." Good luck!" ************************************************************* A question from Anonymous: "How do you get students motivated who hate to write and who never seem to have any ideas how to get started?" ************************************************************* TeAch-nology.com's Staff Response: "You can find some really good ideas at the following link: http://www.teach-nology.com/ideas/subjects/writing/ To get students motivated depends on their interests and what is going to grab their attention on any given topic that you want them to write about. Always start with a pre writing activity to generate interest. The best way to do this is by presenting something that will focus their attention and get them to share what they are thinking...get them to share their thoughts and record their ideas as they are expressing the ideas. Use those ideas to expand further discussion about the topic and get them to begin organizing what is important about the topic. If they have trouble generating ideas, then ask them to express their ideas graphically (by drawing or illustrating, or cutting and pasting). Once you get them to engage in expressing their ideas in one way or another, you're half way there (the hardest part is accomplished). The bottom line??? Don't be afraid to be unconventional in approaching the writing process. Good luck." ************************************************************* A question from Anonymous: "Why is the "Classical age" called the Classical age??" ************************************************************* TeAch-nology.com's Staff Response: The "classics" represent any work that sets a particular standard. During the Classical Age, there were many works that were regarded as artistically sophisticated and accepted as quality and endurance and setting the standard of the highest rank. These "classics" are used as the basis for works that borrow many characteristics and styles. In other words, they 'live forever.' A great site to study this further can be found at: http://classics.mit.edu/ Good luck. ************************************************************* A question from Anonymous: "how does American Citizenship relate to Global Citizenship?" ************************************************************* TeAch-nology.com's Staff Response: "American citizenship relates to global citizenship because America has always been rich in diverse cultures and backgrounds representing countries from all over the world. As a multi cultural nation, Americans can claim global citizenship, yet be loyal to their country's heritage." ************************************************************* A question from Anonymous: "who is credited with inventing calculus?" ************************************************************* TeAch-nology.com's Staff Response: The English physicist Isaac Newton and the German mathematician G. W. Leibniz, working independently, developed the calculus during the 17th century. For more on "calculus," this site can help you: http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/subject_matter/math/calculus/ ************************************************************* A question from Anonymous: "WHO SAILED UNDER ANTARTICA AND WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE SUBMARINES USED?" ************************************************************* TeAch-nology.com's Staff Response: "In 1773 British navigator James Cook traveled farther south than anyone before him, reaching latitude 71°10' south. He explored the edge of the pack ice and was the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. Cook saw no land, but judged correctly that the massive icebergs around him could have accumulated only on land nearby." Source: "Cook, James," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. More can be found at: http://encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?mod=1&ti=034E8000&page=2#s24 ************************************************************* A question from Anonymous: "I am a new middle school history teacher and would like to know how to utlilize the textbook for teacher instruction?" ************************************************************* TeAch-nology.com's Staff Response: A textbook should be used as one of many resources that supplement the curriculum that you are required to teach, be it in content and/or skills. "Textbook teaching" is out-dated and short changes the students from receiving the best possible learning experience. Teachers who utilize many other sources ( in addition to the textbook) to teach a lesson are far more effective than those who solely rely on textbooks to teach. The bottom line???? Textbooks provide a "hard copy" for students to have as a resource that provides them with most of the content that they need to know...however, use the textbook as a "supplement" to other sources that provide more stimulating experiences for your students. Good luck! ============================================================= 10. Buy One, Get Two! The Cheapest Print Cart. On The Net! ** Buy One Inkjet Cartridge - Get Two FREE! ** -Buy One Get Two FREE! Everyday!!! -No nonsense - Easy ordering -Free Shipping on orders $25 or more CLICK HERE for complete list of cartridges and media paper. Click below, To Check It Out!: http://by.advertising.com/1/c/22592/12201//17011 ============================================================= AOL users click here ============================================================= 11. "Our Latest Idea That Worked!" By: Teddy Sawyer, Social Studies Teacher "Know How I Feel" "This activity is geared toward elementary students. You can have students arrange themselves on your class rug in a circle. Then, have laminated strips of paper prepared--enough for each student. On the strips, depict faces (human or animal or other character) with six or seven different emotions. Students enjoy pointing to the emotion which matches what they are feeling and explaining why they picked the face." ------------------------------------------------------------- Click Below, To Visit Our "Ideas That Worked!" Section: http://www.teach-nology.com/ideas/ ------------------------------------------------------------- To Submit An Idea That Worked For You, Click Below: http://www.teach-nology.com/ideas/tell_us/ ============================================================= Please take the time to visit our sponsors, this newsletter would not be possible without their support. ============================================================= Teachnology, Inc. makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, about the truth or accuracy of the content of the TeAch-nology.com newsletter. ============================================================= If you are interested in sponsoring this newsletter place your order online at: http://www.teach-nology.com/advertising/ ============================================================= © 2000 Teachnology, Inc. All rights reserved ============================================================= You are currently subscribed to the TeAch-nology.com newsletter. 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