------------------------------------------------------------ An Online Educational Community A newsletter that educates parents, teachers, and students. December 2000 Issue #17 Zigmond Snook, Editor, mailto:editor@innovamultimedia.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to the seventeenth issue of "An Online Educational Community". To read past issues of our newsletter, visit http://www.innovamultimedia.com/archive.html or to learn more about us, check out our website at http://www.innovamultimedia.com If you think a friend might be interested in reading this newsletter, pass it along in whole or in part. You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, fill out the form at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/newsletr.html Each month we will focus on a different educational theme and base our feature article and learning tips around that particular theme. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => What’s New at INNOVA => Feature => Contest - Win a Whale => This Month’s Free Lesson Plans => More Great Education Web Sites => Whale Links for Whale Lovers => Webmaster’s Wanderings => Feedback ------------------------------------------------------------ What’s New at INNOVA ------------------------------------------------------------ New LessonBuilder Download For those of you with trouble downloading LessonBuilder because of slower or unreliable modem connections, we have segmented the LessonBuilder download into smaller components. You can now download LessonBuilder in pieces, rather than one large file. Please visit http://www.innovamultimedia.com/lbuilder.htm ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURE ------------------------------------------------------------ This Year, I Resolve . . . Now that the New Year has begun, it’s time to mount a challenge to our usual teaching habits. And if you are teaching in a "wired" classroom or have convenient access to a computer lab, then the internet can be an excellent source of such innovation. Here are some suggestions to get your brain churning: - When assigning a project to your class, give students the option of substituting a web page for a paper-based project. Emphasize some of the advantages of a web project, such as the environmental sustainability of a paper-free project, the ability to communicate your ideas globally, the ability to link to different web sources, and the ability to interlink the material in the students’ own project. - In a similar vein, assign a collaborative project for the internet that encourages groups to specify tasks for each member. One student could be in charge of gathering media images and sounds, another for writing the material, another for finding web sites with useful reference material, and another for putting the information together in HTML format. - Parents complaining about not knowing what homework their kids have? Try posting daily homework assignments for each class on a web site of your making. Or, create a mailing lists of students/parents for each class, then send out the daily homework assignment via e-mail. - Make your e-mail address available to students and parents and encourage them to use it whenever they have questions. This provides an additional advantage of having a written record of communications. - Encourage your school administration to provide the technical assistance, training, and software to put computer knowledge within the reach of less technologically aware teachers, students, and parents. Take the first step yourself and begin offering regular workshops to teachers who would like to have better integration of computers in the classroom. Encourage students to get involved too, and offer extra credit as an incentive. - Set up a weekly one-hour brainstorming session with interested teachers, parents, and students for ways to improve the school system though computers using small-scale, cost-effective volunteer projects. Take notes, research your ideas, and put out regular newsletters (on a web site, perhaps) on any projects you might undertake or hope to undertake. - become an active agent of change by seeking to promote your best ideas within the educational community, encouraging others to follow suit and even surpass your accomplishments. ------------------------------------------------------------ Contest - Win a Whale ------------------------------------------------------------ INNOVA Multimedia Ltd. is giving away TEN of our "A Whale of a Tale" educational software lessons and the latest version of LessonBuilder, a custom course creation utility, as a FREE DOWNLOAD on our website! Visit http://www.innovamultimedia.com/lbuilder.htm to download your free copy. When you download LessonBuilder you are automatically entered in our contest to win a free CD-ROM from our "A Whale of a Tale" series. Good Luck! Congratulations to our most recent winner: Peter Shing, Hong Kong ------------------------------------------------------------ This Month’s Free Lesson Plans ------------------------------------------------------------ Teachers, check out free "A Whale of a Tale" lesson plans on our website at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/lp_index.html Dive into Math 1 - "Cross the Stream" at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/math1e.html encourages children to identify numerals 0-19. Surf into Science 2 - "Parts of the Water Cycle" at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/sci2d.html encourages children to identify the parts of the water cycle. ------------------------------------------------------------ More Great Education Web Sites ------------------------------------------------------------ Check out some of these INNOVA recommended resource sites: Middleschoolteacher.net http://www.middleschoolteacher.net A website dedicated to middle school teachers and students who want to "hang ten" on the internet pipeline. Anglo-Australian Observatory Astronomical Images http://www.aao.gov.au/images This page is the gateway to a unique collection of wide-field astronomical photographs, mostly made with the telescopes of the Anglo-Australian Observatory by David Malin. Printsville http://www.hp.com/printing_ideas An hp virtual town populated with projects designed to help you express your personal style at home, school and the office. Using your computer, color printer and imagination, you can choose from hundreds of instant-print projects sure to impress friends and family. Essay Writing http://www.essaypunch.com This web site takes users through the actual steps of writing a basic essay Newton’s Window http://www.suzannesutton.com This site tackles the problem of learning math, and offers real help. At Newton’s Window, their purpose is simple. To bring you into mathematics, and make you want to stay. To give you the resources to connect you to its power, and your own. Mathematics with Alice http://library.thinkquest.org/10977 Mathematics with Alice is for anyone who is interested about Mathematics, or who is interested in learning more about Mathematics, but who find the style of Mathematics textbooks too dry. If you want some fun while learning Mathematics, this is the site for you! Understanding Color http://library.thinkquest.org/50065 This site is designed to provide you with information on how color plays a role in our lives by examining the properties, theories, meanings and effects of color. A Science Odyssey http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tech How much time do you spend at your computer? How about listening to CDs or the radio? Watching TV? When was the last time you used a microwave oven? Try to imagine going through a day without these items. They all make use of technologies developed in the 20th century. Color Landform Atlas of the United States http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states Offers maps and satellite views detailing the major topography of each state. Each page also includes links to related sites that offer weather, news, and other information. (EdGate) AAA Math http://www.aaamath.com Hundreds of pages of Basic Math Skills. Interactive Practice on every page. An Explanation of the math topic on each page. Several Challenge Games on every page. Math Problems are randomly created. ------------------------------------------------------------ Whale Links for Whale Lovers ------------------------------------------------------------ Check out these INNOVA recommended whale sites! The Bryde’s Whale (Balaenoptera edeni): http://whales.magna.com.au/DISCOVER/BRYDES/brydesg.html They discuss the different characteristics of the Bryde’s Whale and their migration routes. Beluga Whales: http://www.uvm.edu/whale//BelugaWhales.html Beluga Whales are small (3 - 5m) toothed whales that inhabit coastal and estuarine areas, often with pack ice, in arctic and subarctic areas of the northern hemisphere. ------------------------------------------------------------ Whale Trivia: ------------------------------------------------------------ The Narwhal (Monodonmonoceros) is a medium-sized whale found in Arctic waters. The species not only lacks a dorsal fin but the male Narwhal has a distinguishing feature unique in the world of whales: a tooth that grows into a long, spiral tusk that may reach 9 ft. This forbidding tusk can serve as a weapon in disputes. Narwhals have a cylindrical body, with a blunt head and small mouth. Males average about 16 ft. in length; females about 13 ft. The at-birth length of a calf is usually about 5 ft. Though measured in tons, Narwhals are far from whale heavweights. Mature males usually weigh about 1.8 tons, females somewhat lighter, around a ton. Young Narwhals are bluish gray in color, but adults are distinctively marked with leopard-like spots. The Narwhal diet consists mostly of squid, crabs, shrimps and fish. Narwhals are also among the most vocal of whale species, producing a variety of clicks and whistling sounds. Estimates of population size for Narwhals ranges between 10,000 and 20,000. ------------------------------------------------------------ Webmaster’s Wanderings ------------------------------------------------------------ Screen Savers http://www.innovamultimedia.com/screensv.html Everyone loves screen savers! Check out our five screen savers featuring Little Blue and his friends. The screensavers are easy to instal and are fun for the whole family. ------------------------------------------------------------ Feedback ------------------------------------------------------------ If you have comments or suggestions concerning our online newsletter or website, please direct them to mailto:editor@innovamultimedia.com Your comments and suggestions will be published in the feedback section of future issues. Past Online issues can be found at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/archive.html ------------------------------------------------------------ ITSAWORLD OF ANIMALS Interesting facts that will delight animal lovers of all ages. Join us on a "tour" of unique animal habitats around the globe. Pet care tips, updates on endangered species, and more! A section for kids including coloring, puzzles, jokes, contests. mailto:subscribe@ItsaWorld.com?subject=IOA http://www.ItsaWorld.com/ezines ------------------------------------------------------------ "An Online Educational Community" may only be redistributed in whole or in part in its unedited form. Written permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter.

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