September 2002 Issue

------------------------------------------------------------
An Online Educational Community

A newsletter that educates parents, teachers, and
students.

September 2002 Issue #38
Austin Simms, Editor, mailto:editor@innovamultimedia.com
------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to the thirty-eighth issue of "An Online Educational
Community". To read past issues of our newsletter, visit
http://www.innovamultimedia.com/archive.htm 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.htm

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
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature
=> Contest - Win a Whale
=> This Month's Free Lesson Plans
=> More Great Education Web Sites
=> Whale Links for Whale Lovers
=> Whale Trivia
=> Feedback

------------------------------------------------------------
Feature
------------------------------------------------------------
Getting Off To A Good Start

The month of September has arrived and with it dawns the
start of a new school year. The first few days of the month
sees teachers busily preparing their classrooms in anticipation
of the arrival of their students who are nowhere in sight as
they revel in the last few days of summer vacation.

In preparation for opening day, rather than trust to memory,
teachers should compile a list of items to discuss with their
students. These items might include:

- Classroom Rules.

For example:

- Raise your hand to ask a question
- Sharpen pencils prior to the start of class
- Show respect for everyone

- Behavior in Class.

Lay the foundation for behavioral expectations early in
the school year. Review them frequently throughout the
year as well.

- Seating Arrangement.

You may decide to allow the students to sit wherever they
choose. Perhaps you randomly position the students
alternating boys and girls in rows. Whichever method you
choose, be sure to find out if you have students with
sight or hearing problems as they should be positioned
near the front of the class.

- School Supplies.

Some teachers insert a list of school supplies with the
students' June report cards so that the parents can procure
the proper items during the back-to-school sales promotions
in August. Others provide a list in September. In either
event, students should be given a list on opening day to
ensure that they have the correct materials to do their
schoolwork. Use the following analogy to point out the
importance of students coming to school prepared. Just as
a carpenter would not be able to build a house if he leaves
his hammer and saw home; you, too, would not be prepared to
do your work if you leave your textbooks and pencils at home.

- School Fees.

Provide the students with a list of school fees covering
items such as textbooks, consummable fee, locker rental,
student insurance, etc.

- Homework Policy.

Explain your homework policy to the class. Emphasize that
completing homework assignments on time illustrates student
responsibility and dependability.

- Fire Drill Procedure.

During the first few weeks of school, it is imperative that
teachers review the evacuation routes with all students who
use their rooms. Following this review period, the school
usually holds random unannounced fire drills to ensure that
everyone safely evacuates the building in the event of fire.

- Daily Planner.

Many schools require that students purchase a daily planner
to record their homework; field trip reminders; teacher notes
to parents, etc. Explain the benefits of the planner to the
students.

- Class Timetable.

Endeavor to provide students with a class timetable as soon
as possible. Quite often the finalized timetable is delayed
several weeks due to scheduling conflicts. Students and
parents then become quite impatient as they want to know the
daily schedule to ensure that the student comes to school
with their gym clothes and band instrument, etc.

- Washroom Policy.

Establish a policy regarding students leaving the classroom
to go to the washroom. Emphasize that students are not to
abuse this privilege and that they ask to leave the classroom
only when it is absolutely necessary. Be aware of students
with medical conditions that require frequent visits.

- Dress Code.

Discuss the importance of wearing the proper attire to school
as well as maintaining a clean and neat appearance.

- Incentives.

Explain any incentives that you will be using during the year
(e.g., Student of the Week Certificates; Perfect Attendance
Certificates; stickers; etc.) and what the requirements are
for the students to earn the incentives.

After discussing the list of items, have the students participate
in the ice breaker game: To Which Group Do I Belong?

Object: To discover which group each student belongs
to without speaking.

Materials Needed: 5 different sets of small peel-off stickers

How to Play:

Have the students close their eyes.
The teacher randomly selects small stickers and
places one on the center of each child's forehead.
When all students have a sticker placed on
their foreheads, inform them that they may
open their eyes but, from this point on, they
are not permitted to remove the sticker or
talk to anyone. If they do, they are out
of the game.
The students are to walk around the class
and group themselves so that all group
members have identical stickers.

Observations: There is a natural curiosity at first, for
many students to try to determine the identity
of their own sticker. Some will be creative
and try to see the reflection in the window
or some other object; while, others will
unsuccessfully try to communicate with other
students. After a while, one of the students
will forget about the sticker and will start
corralling students with identical stickers
into groups. When he/she has everyone corralled,
the others direct him/her to the appropriate group.

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
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.htm

Surf into Science 3 - "Living Things in the Soil" at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/sci3i.htm encourages children to identify things found in the soil.

Leap into Language 2 - "Sentences vs. Phrases" at
http://www.innovamultimedia.com/lang2g.htm encourages
children to distinguish between sentences and phrases.

------------------------------------------------------------
More Great Education Web Sites
------------------------------------------------------------

Check out these INNOVA recommended resource sites:

Break The Ice
http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/breakice.htm
The first day of class is usually spent in part by getting
acquainted and establishing goals. Ice breakers are techniques
used at the first session to reduce tension and anxiety, and
also to immediately involve the class in the course.

A New Teacher's Survival Guide
http://hannahmeans.bizland.com/
This site serves as a mentor for the new teacher and covers such
topics as: The First Day, Classroom Management, Discipline, and
Grading. Each of the topics comes with a comprehensive list of
subtopics. The site also contains a substantial list of helpful
educational sites for the beginning teacher.

Monthly Activity Calendar: September 2002
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/activitycalendars/2002/sep.shtml
This site contains a calendar of suggested activities for each
day of the month of September. Simply click on the activity to
go to crafts, printouts, Label Me! quizzes, and other activities.
Calendars are also available for each month of the year.

------------------------------------------------------------
Whale Links for Whale Lovers
------------------------------------------------------------

Check out these INNOVA recommended whale sites!

Colossal Dictionary of Whale Words
http://www.whaletimes.org/whadict.htm
Whale related words from ambergris to Ziphiidae.

Charlotte, The Vermont Whale
http://www.uvm.edu/whale/whalehome.html
An online museum dedicated to Charlotte, a beluga whale skeleton
found in an area over 150 miles from the nearest ocean.

Online Whale Identifier
http://www.aiinc.ca/demos/whale.html
Seen a whale recently? Identify it online by answering a
few short questions.

------------------------------------------------------------
Whale Trivia
------------------------------------------------------------

- Humpbacks use bubbles to help catch food. This is called
bubblenetting.

- There are about 90 kinds of whales in the world.

- The name "whale" is usually applied to all of the larger
cetaceans whether they are true whales, dolphins, or porpoises.

- Whalers called the gray whales "devilfish" because the females
were ferocious in defending their calves.

- The Beaked Whale is one of the few inedible whales.

------------------------------------------------------------
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.htm

------------------------------------------------------------

English Resources Newsletter for teachers and parents.

Free opt-in monthly newsletter with free units and puzzles.
To subscribe visit
http://www.ies.tradeplaza.co.nz
or email
ies@tradeplaza.co.nz and write subscribe in the subject box.

------------------------------------------------------------

NEW! Buy INNOVA's products online with delivery
via Internet or CD-Rom. For more info visit:
http://www.innovamultimedia.com/software.htm

------------------------------------------------------------
"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.

Where Learning Comes First!