Bits and Bytes
February 2009




How May We Help You?
   We love being your ITRTs!  We are blessed to be able to work with such a great bunch of educators.  Many of you are requesting our time for research projects, Thinkquest activities, etc.  We LOVE it!  We would love to support your efforts in the classroom by helping you find more ways of integrating technology into your instruction.  Please don't hesitate to ask us to pitch in.  We absolutely adore working with you and your students.


Training Updates

Amherst Elementary, Central Elementary, and Madison Heights have completed Thinkquest training, except for two grade levels at Central. Gail is discussing with her principals the best times to train in her buildings.  This is an amazing tool that is supported by the VDOE.  Lots of you are excited about this tool and we would love to help you use it.  This is a tool that will grow with the students.  They will be able to use it from kindergarten all the way through to their senior year.

Some suggestions that were made during training:
1.  Have your students add you to their buddy list.  This will prevent them from having to search for you.  You may want to add your building admin persons as well and any other teachers that the child works with on a regular basis.
2.  Reinforce internet safety rules  Caution them about cyberbullying and inappropriate language in their writings.
3.  It is not a good idea to encourage them to upload music or movies.
4.  Note their user name and password in their agenda so that parents can view the students' pages.

Web cams are complete at all schools except Amelon and Amherst.  We would love to know when you use them.  In each building there were several teachers excited and curious about how to use this tool. Please invite us in and we will assist you in the beginning steps.  Also, invite the SAO or school board in to watch a lesson.


Wonderful Websites
Groundhog Day History
Learn about the history behind Groundhog Day and scroll down to see the predictions he has made throughout the years. Click on "Present Weather" at the top to see what the temperature is in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

ESL Quiz: Groundhog Day
Try this interactive quiz about Groundhog Day.

Enchanted Learning: Groundhog Day Crafts
This page has instructions for making several crafts relating to Groundhog Day. NOTE: The site includes ads.

The Official Site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club
This is the official site from Groundhog Club. This Teacher's Corner page includes lesson plans and activates for kids.

Groundhog Day
Learn how old German tradition to celebrate the Candlemas Day and watch a shadow from a badger turned into well-known American Groundhog Day.

EdHelper: Groundhogs
Find out what kind of animal a groundhog is and what its habits are especially around February 2nd. Mark a correct answer in a multiple choice quiz.

EdHelper: Introduction to Groundhogs
Learn more about groundhogs and take a quiz.

ABC Teach: Groundhog Day Word Search
This is a worksheet with a printable Groundhog day word search.

ABC Teach: Groundhog Coloring Page
Color this page and write a story about a groundhog and the Groundhog Day.

ABC Teach: I'm a Groundhog
Learn and sing this fun groundhog song.

Monkey Celebrates Groundhog's Day
Find out about impotency of the Groundhog Day and select the "Special Ground Hogs Day Cookies" link for the recipe. Click on the "Quick Guide" to learn what groundhog likes to do on February 2nd.

FactMonster: Groundhog Day
Students can read about this holiday and then vote on an animal that might replace the groundhog if he retired. NOTE: The site includes ads.





Black History Month
 These sites are about Black History Month. Learn about the contributions of African Americans in different fields. Includes quizzes, an interactive timeline, and other activities. There are links to the Negro baseball league, famous African Americans, the Emancipation Proclamation, the slave trade, and the Missouri Compromise.

Enchanted Learning: Black History Month  Here are links to many biographies, printouts, and quizzes for Black History Month.
The African-American Mosaic Exhibition This is a listing of the Library of Congress's holdings on black history. Topics include colonization, abolition, migration and WPA. Entries include a wide range of books, periodicals, maps, and graphs. Click on any of the links to get entries for a particular time period.
BrainPOP: Brown Vs. Board of Education  Click on "Social Studies," and then "Brown V. B.O.E." Watch this movie to learn about the landmark case in which segregation was declared unconstitutional. There is also a BrainPOP video on Civil Rights. NOTE: The website is available by subscription; only those schools with a subscription will be able to access this movie.
Timeline of African American History  A more in-depth timeline on the history of African Americans. The census data from certain years is included. This site was developed by the Library of Congress.
The Emancipation Proclamation This site is about the Emancipation Proclamation. It includes an audio clip and pictures of the primary documents. The text itself is geared more to older students.
Culture and Change: Black History in America  This site contains a variety of information for grades 3-8. Includes an interactive timeline, biographies, and research topics. Find out more about African American inventors.
Scholastic: African American Articles  An archival site from Scholastic, this page has many articles about African American history. Be sure to scroll to the bottom for more resources on Black History Month, including book titles for various age groups. NOTE: The website includes a link to websites with ads.
Time for Kids: Black History Explore this website to find an interactive timeline, biographies of African-American artists, famous speeches regarding civil rights, and more.
Mrs Lewis' MLK site I created this page to celebrate MLK.  I encluded a voice thread, Quia games, and other links.


Valentine's Day

EdHelper: Valentine's Day Theme Unite Here are many links to stories, math problems, and puzzles with a Valentine's theme.

Celebrating Valentine's Day Internationally Find out how people from all over the world celebrate Valentine's Day.

ABC Teach: Valentine's Day Worksheets  This site has many links to crossword puzzles, reading comprehension exercises, and many other handouts. NOTE: The site includes ads.
 
Enchanted Learning: Cards and Crafts for Valentine's Day Here are hands-on activities to make for Valentine's Day. NOTE: The site includes ads.

Monkey's Valentine's Day Fun Explore links on this how to bake special Valentine cookies, customize a box of candy, learn valentine making tips, and much more.

Be My Valentine Here are a variety of printable Valentine's Day cards and other crafts.

 PBS: Crushes  This site has advice for how students can deal with crushes.  Includes online polls.  Nice for older students.

 Scholastic: Teacher Share Teachers share Valentine's Day activity ideas for the classroom in this three-page PDF file.

Scholastic: Get Ready for Valentine's Day  Here are a variety of craft ideas for elementary students.
Valentine Candy Count  Here is an activity in which students count their candy and then create graphs. NOTE: The link to the "Math Graphing Lesson" is broken.

Celebrate!  Learn about some of the history behind the holiday.

Yahooligans e-Cards  Send a Valentine's Day e-Card to your friends and family.

FactMonster: Valentine's Day Here are links to love stories, quizzes, and crossword puzzles for Valentine's Day. NOTE: The website includes pop-up and banner ads.