California DEN

In many school subjects, we use timelines to account events
throughout history. We not only
consolidate data and make our own timelines, but we view timelines to help us
visual the context in which these events occurred. Google now offers the ability to have your
search results displayed in timeline format! What a neat feature! Check out
this example of a Thomas
Jefferson search result in Google Timeline format.

If you haven’t tried the online office suite, Zoho, you’ve
been missing out. While Google Docs and
Spreadsheets and Think Free are great tools, Zoho usually ranks at least as
good or better according to reviews in many major magazines/websites. 
 

Anyway the good folks over at Zoho got their creative
juices flowing again and came up with another great idea! With ToonDoo, you or your students can create
visually appealing cartoon strips based on content standards. Toondoo has a simple interface that allows
a user to insert any image or background from the premade library or even
upload a custom image. The best part is
the use of captions, speech bubbles or thought clouds. 

 
Toondoo is easy to learn, hosts your product on the web and
will even give you code to embed your comic in another web page. This is a great opportunity to incorporate
simple project based learning into your curriculum. Sign up for a free account and see just how
simple it is. 

 
One thing I’d like to see the folks over at this site do is
add the option for longer strips or more cells. Of course you can always just create more than one and embed them one
after another. Lastly, remember that
students need to have their comic strip storyboarded out before getting on the
computer. Please share any creations
that you or your students have made by linking in the comments section.

Many thanks to Katie Warren for setting up our next local DEN event. We hope everyone can join us .  Hey, it may not be light out, but it’s still the beach!  See the PowerPoint below for more details.

If you cannot view this post please see the comments section for more info.

Katie Warren at kwarren@gusd.net
RSVP-Contact

I don’t really have much to blog about under this topic, but I really wanted to continue with the theme "Amongst Us."  I guess I could add a note about my thoughts. Today,  my class went on a field trip to a local ecology center and I watched as my fourth graders were outside building miniature shelters with rocks and sticks.  I really didn’t have much to "teach" as there was a teacher for the center there. 

I forgot how much fun it could be to just "hang out" with the kids without having to cram in standards, constantly monitor classroom management and be stuck inside a four walled "box."  It’s invigorating to take a step back and just enjoy watching the students interact with one another and to talk with them on an informal level and tell jokes that aren’t sandwiched between division problems.  I have a feeling teaching doesn’t have to be so formal and that we can be ourselves more than we allow.  Maybe that’s something to think about.  Anyway, I’d ponder more, but I have to get ready for STAR tests next week…

Just wanted to get a reminder out to everyone that tomorrow (Friday) is the Discovery Science Connection webinar with astronaut, Ken Reightler.  It’s at 10pm PST. What a great opportunity to engage your students and share with your colleagues.  Check out the DEN national blog for more information.

As a DEN community, we need to
recognize the achievements of our fellow DEN members. We are very proud
of San Diego middle
school teacher, MaryCay  Densmore for being one of only 15 winners of Time
Warner Cable’s National Teacher Awards.  The award  "recognizes outstanding teachers who develop
creative learning experiences using cable television programming or technology."

We take pride in having such a diverse population of talented
educators. Have you applied for any grants, awards, contests or programs lately (or even purchased any lottery tickets)? You never know when it could happen to you!  Congrats Marycay; and to all
fellow DEN members, please share your experiences, awards and well… anything
else!

If the moon is made of cheese but it’s in a vacuum of space, could you smell it? Find out tomorrow, May 4 in a special webinar with a producer from the Science Channel and an actual astronaut. Tune in at 10am (PST) with your students for this exciting opportunity. For more details, go to http://www.discoveryeducatorabroad.com/earthandspace/

To join the webinar directly go to  https://discoveryed.webex.com/discoveryed/j.php?ED=90071047&UID=0