Saving videos and animation for your classes

As a teacher I love the 'net. There are thousands, more, millions of great videos, tutorials and animations to use in classes. But the problem with the internet is that nothing stays the same, pages come and go, problems happen, schools block youtube and then you loose that great 5 minute video explaining photosynthesis.

So save them, copy them, download them and then share them. But some sites do not allow you to copy them. Here's how, use firefox and add these two neat add ons.



https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006 for videos.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/201 for animations

A casestudy “The Ecological Footprint Dilemma”

This case study is a “clicker case.” It combines the use of student personal response systems (clickers) with case teaching methods and formats. The case is presented in class using a series of PowerPoint slides punctuated by questions (called “clicker questions”) that students respond to before moving on to the next slide. In this way, students work through the material to understand (and usually also solve) the problem presented in the case. Specifically designed for use in large introductory science classes, the method integrates lecture material, case storylines, student discussion, (clicker) questions, clarification of answers to those questions, more lecture, and data.

The world’s resource base is quickly becoming depleted and a steady increase in the human population is a concern as we seek long-term solutions to a global, environmental crisis. In addition to this, affluence in industrialized countries constitutes another challenge for a more equitable distribution of resources in the pursuit of a better quality of life for more people. For these reasons, this case study will be of interest to students in an introductory biology course. As they work through the case, students calculate their ecological footprint. They are then asked to decide whether a new parking lot is more effective in accommodating the needs of an expanding university campus than a community garden. Campus greening is becoming a challenging component of the experience of millions of college students throughout the world. Many institutions of higher education are committed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as a way to educate students to become better stewards, and are actively seeking viable strategies to better control global climate change. The American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) counts among its membership hundreds of colleges and universities in the U.S. Moreover, since 2006, about 400 presidents of institutions of higher education have signed a petition to reduce CO2 emissions from their campuses.

Written for a non-majors introductory biology class, this case would also be suitable for courses in ecology, environmental science, conservation biology, environmental studies and general biology. The case is designed to be taught at the end of an ecology unit of the curriculum. Students should be familiar with population ecology concepts (richness, distribution, carrying capacity, competition, symbiosis), including human population ecology, growth, and competition.

Using Word Clouds as a teaching activity

Whether they’re mastering scientific vocabulary, writing poems, or analyzing presidential speeches, students are immersed in words. Encourage lively conversation about words with the help of tools that turn text into visual displays.

Wordle (wordle.net) is a free tool that turns a block of text, or simply a list of words, into a cloud pattern. Words that are used most frequently are displayed most prominently. You can play with layout, font, and colors to change the appearance or highlight certain vocabulary.

Teachers across subject areas and grade levels are finding good uses for this simple to use tool. For example, as a prereading activity, you might use Wordle to highlight key vocabulary. Are there unfamiliar words here that students will need to understand? Patterns to pay attention to while they are reading?

Students can create Wordle displays using their own writing, too. They will gain new insights into word choice. Are they using certain words too often? Or is their word repetition deliberate? This information can lead to more productive writing conferences and will help them as they move on to the revision stage.

Some teachers recommend Wordle as a tool for reflection. By combining students’ reflective entries into one Wordle display, you can see at a glance what students are
thinking about. Their “hot topics” can be the jumping-off point for a lively classroom discussion.

from http://www.edutopia.org/files/existing/pdfs/Edutopia-10-top-tips-for-teaching-with-new-media.pdf

mobile phones and water

Went to a fun park in a place called Dufan in Ancol, north jakarta today. Roller coaster rides, ferris wheel etc, all good fun. towards the end of the day we decided to go on the 'bumber boats' a bit naff but they were ok. As I was getting out of the boat my mobile phone slipped out of my pocket into the water ! Doh!

2 metres deep! Doh! - anyway one of the attendants apologised (I'm not sure why, it wasnt his fault) another one stripped off and went swimming in this murky brown water, he found the phone, but surprise surprise it doesnt work, i took it to the bathroom and dried it under the hand dryer - still no luck!

It was only 3 months old, guess i need a new one, but in the meantime i feel quite naked without a phone! fortunately the SIM card works, but no phone numbers on it either!

mai pen rai attitude

I have a very nice watch, its an Omega Seamaster and about 40 years old, belonged to my father first. For years I've had to use non-omega watch bands with it since the Omega Dealership and registered repairer in Bangkok, where i used to live told me that omega do not make band to fit this style of watch anymore, I asked them could they purpose build one, answer no!

recently my band on the watch broke again and looking for it to be repaired was proving difficult. I asked some friends what to do with it....

and guess what? Genuine Omega Spring Bars

Omega do make pins and bands to fit it - the all too common thai sales attitude of cannot do, dont have, mai pen rai had been at play again!

I didn't even realise. Having lived in thailand for a number of years, I like to think that i'm reasonably savvy when it comes to cultral idiosyncracies so why did i think that an authorised Omega dealership would be any different! Wot an idiot I am. Guess i'll get it fixed next time i am in Aus.....