AKA Riptide Furse

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You become the predator, the hunter/huntress. You’re goal is to stalk your prey by using your eyes and your wits. You follow your prey clue after clue with each one comes a little reward but you want more. Team up to make it easier and more fun or go the hunt alone and rely on your own skills.

Join us on Wed., July 22 at 5 PM SLT (8PM Eastern) for the Predator/Prey workshop where you will learn about 3 hunts that are happening right now in Second Life. One hunt is just for the guys. Another hunt is for the ladies that fancy themselves a princess. The third hunt is for that perfect slice of summer.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%20II/132/131/22

Here is a rundown of what we covered in the workshop held in Second Life on Sept. 7, 2008.

The first thing we did was explore the Environment Editor in the Second Life viewer. To get to the editor follow these menus: WORLD -ENVIRONMENT SETTINGS - ENVIRONMENT EDITOR

When editor window pops up you can click Advanced Sky and another window will pop up. At the top is a drop down presets menu currently labeled DEFAULT. In the workshop we just changed the settings to the presets and took pictures to show how it changes what we see.

We then talked about post processing our pictures. There are many photo editors out there now. The 3 that I use the most depending on where I am when I need to edit are Picasa (Windows and Linux), iPhoto (Mac) and Picnik (Online).

With almost every photo or picture I upload to Flickr I do 3-4 basic edits. CROP - EXPOSURE - SHARPEN - and sometimes SATURATION.

Here is a series of pictures so you can see the difference each makes. This is the one photo I remembered to take yesterday and the edits were made with Picasa.

Environment Workshop 3832×2312

Here is the original picture taken within Second Life.

Environment Workshop 3832×2312 cropped 2361×1943.png

In this picture I cropped the picture.

Environment Workshop 3832×2312 cropped 2361×1943 exposure 2361×1943.png

I changed the exposure a bit on this photo making the tree a bit brighter and also changing the blue of the water for the better.

Environment Workshop 3832×2312 cropped 2361×1943 exposure 2361×1943 Sharpen 2361×1943.png

With this picture I sharpened it a bit to bring out the texture of the rocks

Environment Workshop 3832×2312 cropped 2361×1943 exposure 2361×1943 Sharpen 2361×1943 Saturation 2361×1943.png

In this last edit, I changed the saturation. You can notice the difference in burgundy sweater I am wearing.

a quickr pickr post

Dear Teachers,

I am emailing to let you know that MHz NETWORKS, in conjunction with Metz Middle School in Manassas, will be offering a 2-day workshop for teachers on integrating filmmaking into the classroom.  This past school year, Metz and MHz worked together to produce 4 math curriculum films that were conceived, written, filmed, and edited by students in the 7-8 grades with teacher supervision.  This intensive workshop will take teachers through that entire process – from scripting to shooting and editing – so that teachers may in turn execute these techniques in their own classrooms.

WORKSHOP INFORMATION:

Date: August 21 & 22

Place: Metz Middle School   9950 Wellington Rd.   Manassas, VA 20110

Time: 10am – 3pm each day

Cost:  $20  -   to cover the costs of  the instructional/curriculum booklets and DVDs that each participant will receive.  The cost of the actual workshop is free to teachers in the Northern VA area.   

Certification: Certificates will be given at the end of the workshop stating the number of hours participating – can be used towards recertification points.

Lunch: Each day, participants will need to bring their own sack lunch.

Equipment & Materials: All equipment and materials will be provided.  Registrants will only need to bring materials to take notes as desired.

If you interested in learning how to incorporate these techniques in a classroom of your own please let me know ASAP.  SPACE IS VERY LIMITED.  There are only a few more seats available and we will need a definite commitment to attend so as not to have any empty seats come time for the workshop.  If you need more information, please feel free to contact me with questions. If you would like to sign up, please send your name, email, school & district information, and phone number.  It will be first come first served.  Thanks.

Agatha Jenkins

Education Outreach Specialist

 http://www.mhznetworks.org/education/workshops/teachers/

MHz NETWORKS

8101 A Lee Highway

Falls Church, VA  22042

t. 703.770.7148
f. 703.770.7112

MHz NETWORKS is an independent,
noncommercial, television network
delivering international, educational
and arts programming.

Wed Workshop at the DEN in SL - Creating your class website with WebBlender | Discovery Educator Network

Wed Workshop at the DEN in SL - Creating your class website with WebBlender
Start: 07/09/2008 - 9:00pm
End: 07/09/2008 - 10:00pm
Timezone: Etc/GMT-5

WORKSHOP: Creating your class website with WebBlender

PRESENTER: Faythe Fouroux

DESCRIPTION:Creating and maintaining a class website doesn’t have to
be hard and scary! WebBlender makes it easy and fun. Come learn what
WebBlender can do for you. WebBlender is a Tech4Learning product and
you can learn more about it at
http://www.tech4learning.com/webblender/index.html

SLT TIME: 5:00 P.M. SLT ( 7 PM CDT, 8 PM EST)
Street Address:
SL - Eduisland II
Hyperlink:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%20II/75/100/22

Technorati Tags: workshop, webBlender, deninsl, professionaldevelpment, secondlife, sl

Thanks everyone, registration is now closed.

SMART - Professional Development Series Mid-Atlantic SMART Board Users Conference

Here is the registration info for the conference that I wrote about previously. It’s FREE and will be in Arlington, VA on August 21, 2008.

Koshland Science Museum - Upcoming Event: Free Family Day: Mosquitoes and Larvae and Ticks, Oh My! (06/21/2008)

Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Location: Koshland Science Museum

Time: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Cost: Free

Do
you know how to identify insect pests when you see them? What should
you do to help protect yourself and your family from getting West Nile
virus and Lyme disease? Do people get dengue fever and malaria in the
United States? Dr. Jorge Arias and Fairfax County Health Department
staff will be here to give demonstrations and answer your questions.

Dr. Jorge Arias, an expert in vector-borne diseases of the Americas,
currently serves as the Environmental Health Supervisor of the Fairfax
County Health Department. In this role, he is responsible for directing
the Disease-Carrying Insects Program for Fairfax County, Virginia,
which focuses on West Nile virus and Lyme disease. His fascinating
career has spanned medical entomology in Brazil to various infectious
disease positions within the Pan American Health Organization,
including Professor, Advisor and Consultant. Dr. Arias received his
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from Whittier College
and his Ph.D. in entomology from the University of California at
Riverside.

This family day event is free to the public. Fairfax County Health
Department staff will be on hand to show visitors live insect specimens
and answer questions.

Contact the Koshland Science Museum at 202-334-1201 or ksm@nas.edu for more information.

If you are in a school district in the North Tier of Virginia, make sure you look at registering for a summer class.

North Tier school districts are:

Alexandria City Public Schools
Arlington Public Schools
Clarke County Public Schools
Culpeper County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
Falls Church City Public Schools
Fauquier County Public Schools
Frederick County Public Schools
Fredericksburg City Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools
Manassas City Public Schools
Manassas Park City Schools
Prince William County Public Schools
Spotsylvania Public Schools
Stafford County Public Schools

The courses sound really good this time as well.

Technology in Support of the Struggling Elementary Math Student
During the course participants will read and watch videos that spark thinking, engage in both
targeted discussions and open-end forums focusing upon individual concerns and needs, and
spend ample time visiting web-based and other technology resources in order to be able to use
them with struggling math students. At the end of the course, teachers will be asked to choose
between doing a lesson plan or writing a report on implementation of a strategy learned in class.

Using Digital Portfolios to Foster Student Learning
Participants will be introduced to a wide variety of tools that can be used to create and
assemble digital portfolios, and investigate criteria that may be used to select components
that would be included in the portfolio. Participants will leave the workshop with detailed
plans for implementing a digital portfolio project in their respective classrooms. This workshop
was influenced in part by a workshop designed by the Amherst Public Schools in
Amherst, Massachusetts.

Using Graphic Organizers to Promote Higher Order Thinking Skills
During this online course, participants will learn how graphic organizers can be utilized to
increase student learning and develop higher order thinking skills. Participants will develop
graphic organizers to use with their students and become familiar with the different options
available for integrating activities into the classroom. By the end of this course participants
will have developed graphic organizers that will help students determine relationships, cause
and effect, and the sequences of events, situations, and activities, make connections and
demonstrate the understanding of processes.

Teaching Writing in the Middle School Classroom
In this workshop, participants will examine two common essay types—informative and persuasive—
as they are approached in several non-traditional ways. To complement these alternative
ways of teaching these two essay types, this workshop will also re-examine the writing process,
writing motivation for teachers and students, and formative evaluation methods for writing progress.

The Changing Role of Technology Resource Teachers
The position of Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, or ITRT, is still new; so new that
the title ITRT is only one of many acronyms associated with the job. This course is intended
for new and experienced ITRT’s to assist them in: defining their roles, developing a vision for
the position, and identifying those who can assist them in navigating this unique position.

Transforming the Classroom with Project-Based Learning
This workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the principles of Project-Based
Learning (PBL) and strategies for implementing PBL projects in their classrooms. Throughout
this six-week workshop, exemplary projects will be analyzed, critiqued, and evaluated
for applicability to participants’ classroom needs. Each participant will leave the online
workshop with a detailed plan for a PBL project

Introduction to Blogs
This online course will help participants explore questions such as what is a blog?
Do blogs have any implications for educators? How can blogs be used with students?
How can someone start a blog?

Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 tools
In this workshop, participants will be exposed to many of the tools of the Read/Write
Web and will get the chance to experiment with new tools each week. The final session
will focus on how educators can help students to use these new tools safely.
Discussions will help participants focus on how these tools can be integrated into the
classroom to make the most of their potential to enhance student learning.

Information Literacy
Using the Big6(tm) Information Literacy model, this course will focus on best practices
in teaching information literacy skills. We will be using available hardware and software
to integrate online research. The focus will be on the skills needed to locate,
analyze, interpret, evaluate and record information and ideas using online resources.

Promoting Reading Comprehension Skills in the Elementary Classroom
In this workshop, participants will examine teaching practices that help students in grades
three through five develop concrete strategies for constructing meaning from both narrative
and expository text. The goal for strategy instruction is to prepare students to become
active and purposeful readers who think about their text before, during and after reading.

Reading, Writing and Really Using Technology for Learning
Close the digital divide and seamlessly integrate technology into your Language Arts
curriculum. Educators must understand the techniques of teaching reading and language
arts while incorporating the use of technology into their curriculum if they are
going to create an enthusiastic environment for learning and literacy with their students.
This course is designed to provide teachers in the K – 5 setting with a variety of ideas to
use with reading, writing, spelling, and grammar curriculum.

Special Students in Regular Classrooms; Technology, Teaching and Universal Design
The basic premise of UDL is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible
and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with different backgrounds, learning
styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts.
This workshop is designed to acquaint participants with UDL principles, and provide practical,
hands-on experience using software tools and digital media for learning support. Participants
will explore how these tools can be incorporated into their classroom practice, and
begin preliminary steps to design a curriculum unit that utilizes these tools.

Creating Educational Podcasts
In this workshop, participants will explore the use of educational podcasts in regular
curricula activities.

Daily Digital Images
During this course teachers will learn not only how to find and create digital images but
also how to use them on a daily basis in their classroom to enhance higher level thinking
skills.

Cycling Through Science 2.0
This exciting workshop will overview of science standards and explore the use of online
data sources and Web 2.0 tools to enhance inquiry-based teaching and learning in the
science curriculum.

Finding the Best Web Based Resources
Participants in this workshop will explore the range of educational material available on
the Internet and learn time-saving skills to more effectively search the Web for useful
curricular resources.

Designing a Virtual Field Trip
This online course enables participants to use Internet resources to design a ―virtual field
trip,‖ as well as tips and tricks to ensure their success.
Best Practices for Vocabulary Instruction in the Elementary Classroom
In this workshop, participants will examine best practices for direct vocabulary instruction in
order to build the breadth and depth of students’ vocabulary for both comprehension and written
expression in grades three through five.

Classroom Assessment Enhanced by Technology
This workshop introduces participants to numerous ways that technology can support classroom
assessment. Classroom assessment at its best can be a powerful catalyst for informing
instruction and improving learning. Participants will explore a range of online tools and resources
for finding, designing, and incorporating effective classroom assessments into their
daily teaching practices.

Getting Ready for Algebra by Using Virtual Manipulatives
This course is structured around the 12 content and skills readiness indicators and will
introduce a collection of virtual manipulatives that will help curriculum planners and classroom
teachers meet the demand to prepare students for Algebra I.

You can find out more info here http://www.mhznetworks.org/northtier/courses/

Technorati Tags: professional delveopment, training, workshops, course, classes, teachers

Smart Users Group Proposal Form
Invitation to present:NoVA/DC SMART Board Users ConferenceAugust 21, 2008Hosted by Kenmore Middle School, Arlington, VA

You are invited to submit a proposal for a presentation at the Northern Virginia/DC Area SMART Board Users Conference. The conference will be held at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, VA on August 21, 2008. If you are interested in presenting please complete the proposal form including a brief session description (50-75 words) by May 30, 2008.Concurrent sessions are 45 minutesHands-On sessions are 90 minutesAll presenters will receive complimentary registration for the conference.Thank you - we look forward to receiving your proposal.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=ps9-lNbtfhzYT3l0UeACDQw

SAVE THE DATE

August 21, 2008

VA/MD/DC area SMART Board Users Conference

Hosted by Kenmore Middle School, Arlington, VA

SMART Board users mark your calendars for this very special event – VA/MD/DC area SMART Board User Conference.

At this full-day conference, you will have the opportunity to attend a variety of hands-on and concurrent SMART Board sessions led by experienced SMART Board users. You will also get the chance to share SMART Notebook lessons/ideas and network with other teachers who teach the same grade level/subject as you. This conference will provide you with a great opportunity to learn more about your SMART products and help you prepare for the new school year.

So mark your calendars for August 21, 2008 and plan to join us!

Registration information will be coming soon…

SMART Technologies

WOW Cal Kjeller is doing a great job showing people Moodle at the Discovery Educator Network in Second Life. Awesome job Cal! I want Moodle for my schools.
posted by Riptide Furse on Eduisland II using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]

Another thing you may want to add to Firefox is the Google Toolbar. This extension adds easy access to many of the Google’s services such as search, news and Gmail. There is also a form filler and a “send to” button for easily sending a page link to either Blogger, Gmail or as an SMS message to a cell phone. Make sure you read all of the agreement sections and then take time exploring and experimenting with the different options that this one add-on has to offer.

Ok I was going to focus on creating a howto on installing a different extension for Firefox to go along with the previous one for Del.icio.us but I was going crazy with the all of the ads on the web pages. Adblock Plus is one of the first extensions I install when I do a new installation of Firefox. Therefore I am not used to seeing very many if any at all advertisements on web page. If you follow this tutorial, you might end up the same way too.

If you have a favorite Firefox extension let me know in the comments.

Firefox allows you to add extensions. What these extensions do is make the browser your own. You can pick and choose the extensions or addons you want that make your browsing more pleasurable and more productive. If you have ever said to yourself “why can’t the browser do this?” or “There has GOT to be an easier way!” most likely there is and you just have to find the extension for it.

Here I have made a howto on how to add the Del.icio.us extension to Firefox. It allows you to easily tag web pages for your del.icio.us account.

I’ve been meaning to write about the awesome experience that I had attending the virtual conference. I had a great time assisting in the VA DEN/DEN in SL event at the Discovery building in Silver Spring. It was even better seeing the many people that I connect with in my personal learning community in different events. I learned so much.

Tracy Standhart created this FANTASTIC group of links from the different presentations. Head over to her Google Pages page and check out these very valuable links.

http://tstandha.googlepages.com/denvirtualconferencecooltools