What You Might Have Missed in March–What’s up in April

Here are the most-read posts for last month:

Here’s what’s coming up next month: (more…)

April is Financial Literacy Month

Financial Literacy Month is recognized annually in Canada in November, and the United States in April. It’s purpose: to teach how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits.

When kids read America’s almost $37 trillion debt is accepted by many as ‘business as usual’, I wonder how that news will affect their children. Do they understand the consequences of unbalanced budgets? The quandary of infinite wants vs. finite dollars? Or do they think money grows on some fiscal tree that always blooms? The good news is: Half the nation’s schools require a financial literacy course. The bad new is: Only half require a financial literacy course.

If your school doesn’t teach personal economics but would like to, there are many online sites that address the topic as mini-lessons. Some are narrative; others games. Here are some I like. See if one suits you (check here for updates on links):

BizKids–games to teach business and finance
Cash Crunch–games for youngers and olders (HS and college)
Financial Literacy Games for Students
Financial Literacy Quizzes–in a variety of financial topics for high schoolers
General Financial Literacy Course
Living Wage–what’s it cost to survive–by state, cities, counties
Personal Finance for MS
Personal Finance Lab–stock market game
Practical Money Skills
Spent
Stock Market Game

Curriculum

Banzai
Budget Challenge
EverFi–course in financial literacy for high schoolers
Financial Literacy for High School Students–a course
General Financial Literacy Course–an online course in meeting financial literacy needs
Next Gen Personal Finance

Calculators

Auto and home load calculators–from Arizona Central Credit Union

–image credit Deposit Photos

Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:

https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm

“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

17 K-8 Digital Citizenship Topics

Education is no longer contained within classroom walls or the physical site of a school building. Learning isn’t confined to the eight hours between the school bell’s chimes or the struggling budget of an underfunded program.

Today, education can be found anywhere, by teaming up with students in Kenya or Skyping with an author in Sweden or chatting with an astrophysicist on the International Space Station. Students can use Google Earth to take a virtual tour of a zoo or a blog to collaborate on class research. Learning has no temporal or geographic borders, and is available wherever students and teachers find an internet connection.

This vast landscape of resources is often free, but this cerebral trek through the online world requires students know how to do it safely, securely, and responsibly. This used to mean limiting access to the internet, blocking websites, and layering rules upon rules hoping (vainly) students would be discouraged from using an infinite and fascinating resource.

It didn’t work.

Best practices now suggest that instead of cocooning students, we teach them to be good digital citizens, confident and competent in 17 areas:

(more…)

National Library Week–Resources, Links, Ideas

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.

In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee’s goals were ambitious. They ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.”

In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read!” The 2023 celebration marks the 65th anniversary of the first event.

Subscriber Special: Discounted Curricula School License

Every month, subscribers to our newsletter get a free/discounted resource to help their tech teaching. Not a subscriber? Click the button below.

20% discount on school curricula

Code: KZJ8MBNV

4-2-23 through 4-7-23

What’s a School License?

A School License is a multi-user PDF of any curriculum student workbook. It can be used on every digital device in your school–iPads, laptops, netbooks, smartphones, Chromebooks. All of them, no matter whether they’re in a classroom, the library, the tech labs. As many as the school wants.

Purchase a School License for:

Who needs this

It is well-suited to schools with an LMS like Google Classroom, a 1:1 program, who wish to place the curricula on a server, or are teaching remotely and need to provide access to PDFs at home and school, where there may or may not be WiFi or Internet.

Benefits of a School License for Teachers:

Access to full text PDF from every recognized desktop, 24 hours a day
Student workbooks are available in the computer lab, the library, the classroom, the laptop carts, the student’s home, and the District server for the same low fee
Because they’re PDFs, they require no internet, no WiFi (once downloaded)
License includes a digital copy of the teacher manual for each grade level selected

Benefits of School License for Students:

Easy access to monthly lessons, how-tos, rubrics, project samples, practice quizzes, grade-level expectations, homework, check lists (like Ready to Move On)
Convenient place to take notes
Because they’re PDFs, they require no internet, no WiFi (once downloaded)
Encourages students to be independent and self-directed, work at their own pace. This is great both for students who need more time on a topic and for those who ‘get it’ fast and want to move on
Quick way to spiral up to the next grade level for quick learners or back to earlier resources for student needing to fill holes in their learning

How to get started

Select whether you want one grade or all, whether you are interested in the technology or keyboarding curriculum.
If necessary, in “Special Instructions”, tell us which grade you want
apply the coupon code when you check out (KZJ8MBNV)

Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:

https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm

March 31st is World Backup Day

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World Backup Day–March 31st Every Year

March 31st is called World Backup Day. At least once a year, I remind you to backup your data files to an external drive (like a flash drive). This is one that isn’t connected to your local computer so can’t be compromised if you get a virus. Cloud drives are good, but once a year, do the entire collection of data files to what is called an ‘air gap’ drive–one separated from any internet connection.

How to do this

You can back up data to an external device or a cloud-based backup service, or both. You might make more than one backup to external storage devices and keep the two copies in different places.

PC/Windows” Use Windows Backup:

Click the start button.
Go to Control Panel
Select ‘Backup and Restore’
Select ‘Backup Now’

From there, select a drive with sufficient space and start. Be forewarned: If you have a lot of data, it takes a while. You can work on your computer while it’s backing up; it’ll just be slower.

Mac: Use the Time Machine tool.

Chromebook: No need. Everything is saved to the cloud. Now if you want to backup your cloud, use a service like Backupify.

(more…)

Websites that add sparkle (and learning) to Spring

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A few spring websites, lesson plans, printables, activities:

7 Science Experiments that Teach About Spring
Books from Scholastic about Spring
Spring Puzzle
Spring Garden–click to find flowers
Spring Games
Spring Vocabulary (video)
Spring Word Scramble
Spring Word Search
What Happens in Spring (video)
What Happens in Spring–PS (video)

Life Cycles

Click for ideas from TeacherVision:

Printables

Lesson Plans

(more…)

The Intersection of Physics and Everyday Objects

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The Intersection of Physics and Everyday Objects

Physics might sound like something confined to textbooks and whiteboard scribbles, but it’s at play in our daily routines. It’s the force behind flying planes, the sparkle in our smartphone screens, and the whispers in our wireless headphones. Yet, most of us barely give it a second thought—a silent magician bringing everyday objects to life.

The Mysterious Maglev: Hovering Trains

Picture trains levitating on tracks without a single touch. Introducing magnetic levitation trains, or maglevs. With magnets defying gravity, these trains speed commuters from A to B in record time. They float, frictionless, offering a surreal ride atop a powerful physics trick. Maglevs also reflect the elegance with which physics turns weight into weightlessness, claiming new limits in transportation. By manipulating magnetic fields, maglev technology reduces almost all physical resistance, demonstrating the pure potential of movement unbound by conventional constraints.

Maglev technology isn’t just a scientific curiosity—it’s a path to environmental sustainability. With reduced friction losses and increased energy efficiency, maglev systems could significantly lower carbon emissions compared to traditional rail systems. As the demand for greener transportation solutions grows, innovations like maglev promise a future where fast, reliable transportation doesn’t have to come at an environmental cost. Moreover, with fewer moving parts, maglev trains face less wear and tear, potentially reducing maintenance costs and extending lifespans, further contributing to cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

Gyroscopes: Spinning Wonders of Balance

From the wheel in your bicycle to your smartphone’s compass, gyroscopes are hidden heroes. This rapid-spinning gizmo stabilizes and guides, keeping you oriented whether you’re navigating a trail or piloting an aircraft. The secret? Angular momentum holds its ground, a scientist’s magic trick ensuring balance. On a more grand scale, these devices play a vital role in stabilizing large marine vessels and space stations, proving that, no matter the size, balancing forces play an important part in maintaining harmony against the forces of motion.

Gyroscopes have permeated sports and gaming sectors, adding depth to user experiences. Controllers and smartphones equipped with this technology allow for intuitive controls, making virtual environments more immersive. Detecting subtle tilts and movements, gyroscopes bring tactile realism to digital adventures, bridging the gap between the physical and digital realms. As entertainment industries continue embracing these dynamics, users experience a newfound synergy between movement and on-screen action, illustrating the evolving capabilities of gyroscopic innovation.

In the vein of precision measurement, smartphone sensors also facilitate groundbreaking tools such as smartphone-based goniometers, allowing accurate angle measurements in an accessible form. Such innovations highlight how even the most intricate movements can be captured and analyzed with everyday tech, further illustrating the seamless union between physics and present-day conveniences.

Thermal Imaging: Seeing Warmth

Engineering a vision into the unseen, thermal imaging devices capture heat. At night or behind walls, they reveal the world in reds and blues, turning warm bodies, even cool machinery, into vivid portraits. Heat detection isn’t just for spies; it informs safety checks and saves lives. Beyond safety, thermal imaging has also found purpose in medicine, offering non-invasive diagnostics by revealing underlying inflammation or circulation issues, truly extending the line between vision and intuition.

Thermal imaging has ventured into new territories, discovering uses in agriculture and environmental monitoring. In farming, thermal cameras help assess plant and soil health by spotting areas of water stress. Environmentalists use these devices to monitor wildlife habitats and detect abnormalities, contributing to conservation efforts. Such applications showcase how thermal imaging can penetrate fields far removed from its origins, yielding insights with far-reaching implications both on micro and macro levels.

Smart Lightbulbs: Playing with Light

Flipping a switch to light up a room feels mundane. Yet, beneath the glow, physics dances! Smart lightbulbs manipulate photons to brighten or dim your space. Through concepts like lumens and wavelengths, light transforms into an orchestrated show at your fingertips. Interestingly, smart bulbs can also adjust to your mood or time of day, elevating your home’s ambiance effortlessly. This simple act channels complex concepts of color temperatures and energy efficiency, enhancing our lives in subtle yet remarkable ways.

Beyond aesthetics, smart lightbulbs offer a gateway to energy conservation. By allowing users to customize brightness and color temperature, they can optimize lighting to suit different activities and moods while significantly reducing energy consumption. Integrating these bulbs with home automation systems also means they can respond automatically to natural daylight, further reducing unnecessary power usage and lowering electricity bills.

Wireless Waves: Invisible Highways

Every time you stream a song or text a friend, electromagnetic waves are hard at work. Wireless communication can’t exist without them. These waves traverse invisible highways, bringing data to your device in a blink. It’s the very foundation of our connected reality. At its core, wireless technology enables seamless interaction by allowing waves to jump between frequencies. These waves skip effortlessly through urban landscapes, ensuring reliable communication even in the most unexpected corners of our bustling environments.

Quantum Tunneling: Microscopic Magic

In the microscopic realm, quantum tunneling champions the bizarre. Electrons defy boundaries, traversing barriers with inexplicable ease. Essential for devices in medicine and computers, this mind-bending phenomenon rewrites the rules we take for granted in the macroscopic world. Such behavior allows for innovations in semiconductors that power our everyday devices and fuels breakthroughs in computing power, highlighting how minute dynamics hold colossal potential for technological progress.

Conclusion

Physics isn’t confined to labs or lectures—it’s intertwined with everything around us. With every step forward, every gadget grasped, we engage in a dance with forces those familiar formulas attempt to explain. The intersection of physics and everyday objects is where the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary.

–image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-newton-s-cradle-in-close-up-photogaphy-60582/

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https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm

How to Change the Dynamics of Peer-to-peer Learning

Here’s what most educators and parents innately know as a truism of education:

“If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” –Albert Einstein

Peer-to-peer learning–acquiring knowledge from a peer group–has become a popular strategy as teachers move from a “teacher-lecturer” education model to “teacher-guide”. Often, it is a less stressful way to develop lifelong learners. As a pedagogical strategy, it can be effective in reinforcing critical thinking, cooperation, creativity, and problem solving–traits that are difficult to teach but essential for students who want to become productive, happy adults.

What is Peer-to-peer Learning

Peer-to-peer learning is where individuals learn from and with each other rather than relying on a traditional teacher or instructor. It involves collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among peers—typically people at a similar level of expertise or experience—working together to achieve a common learning goal. Participants exchange ideas, explain concepts, ask questions, and provide feedback. The process fosters critical thinking, communication skills, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter, as teaching others reinforces one’s own knowledge. Examples include study groups, coding boot camps where participants critique each other’s work, or online communities where users share expertise. It’s built on the idea that collective learning can be just as effective, if not more so, than top-down instruction, leveraging diverse perspectives and real-world problem-solving. (more…)

Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog

A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month here. If you follow WordDreams, you may have already seen this: