Sunday, December 30, 2007

Octavis focuses on Japan


Octavis focuses on Japan
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Landius: Australia's outback


Landius: beautiful Australia
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Jemiah: goin' to Texas


Jemiah: goin to Texas
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Faith's Arabia


Faith's Arabian peninsula
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Rocio says "France!"


Rocio says "France!"
Originally uploaded by trudeau

US Alex


US Alex
Originally uploaded by trudeau

California Kacie


California Kacie
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Shelly's going to India


Shelly's going to India
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Sarah's on the Baltic coast


Sarah's on the Baltic coast
Originally uploaded by trudeau

An alternative to Word: software found free at GoogleDocs


View from teacher's laptop
Originally uploaded by trudeau
In a NYTimes article entitled "Yes, There Can Be Life After Word," Damon Darlin writes, "Google let me slip Microsoft’s monopoly. Its Google Docs is a free suite of office applications. You can find it at docs.google.com.

It works just like Office, but you use it online. The software that makes it work isn’t on your computer, but on one of Google’s.

You use the word processor just like Word, or I should say, the version you might remember from the early 1990s, before Microsoft added all the bells and whistles that you never need.

I had tried to use the stripped-down word processor from Microsoft that came installed on the notebook, Microsoft Works. But it didn’t allow me to paste 500 words into a document, or even a fraction of that, so it seemed too hobbled to use.

Google Docs also has a spreadsheet program that apes Microsoft’s Excel and a presentation application that can substitute for PowerPoint. There is also Calendar, replacing one function of Microsoft Outlook.

The advantage to Google Docs is that you can work on a document at home on one computer, store it and then grab the same document on another computer, even at the office.

You could work on the document with any computer that has an Internet connection. (There’s the hitch: you can’t work on it while on a plane.)"

GoogleDocs represents a new game and an end to the near-monopoly enjoyed by Microsoft for many years. Clearly, smart students and teachers are going to know GoogleDocs.

Cynthia likes Czechs


DSCF7814.JPG
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Geographic illiteracy endemic to US, says Chicago reporter Stevenson Swanson

Educators attribute the problem they call "geographic illiteracy" to several factors, says Chicago Tribune writer Stevenson Swanson.

As a large country separated from the rest of the world by two oceans, the U.S. has not had to concern itself as much with such fine points as knowing that Guinea is a country in Africa and that New Guinea is an island north of Australia.

Also, with English the dominant language of international business and culture, it's easier for Americans -- as well as Canadians and Britons, who also rank low in geographic knowledge -- to overlook the fact that the world is made of multiple cultures.

"We tend not to give as much importance to other cultures and languages as we might otherwise," Garcia said. "We don't travel outside our own country as much as people in other countries. We don't speak multiple languages as people in Europe commonly do."

In recent years, another factor has been the priorities of the No Child Left Behind Act, aimed at improving academic performance in U.S. schools. The law's testing requirements emphasize reading and mathematics. Although geography is listed as one of nine key subject areas in the law, it is the only subject that is not provided with teaching funds under the act.

"With No Child Left Behind, it's geography that's being left behind," said Kimberly Crews, executive director of the National Council for Geographic Education, a professional organization that works to improve the teaching of geography. "Especially in the last five or six years, we've witnessed a decline in the teaching of geography."

The council is lobbying Congress to pass pending legislation that would provide $15 million a year to fund college and university programs to train elementary and secondary instructors to teach geography, either as a stand-alone subject or as a topic that is woven into other subjects.

The article also points out people trying to make a difference in geographic learning. Swanson cites the GeographyZone.com. and MyWonderfulWorld.com.

He completes the story the way do at CMHS: with a mult-choice, open-notes quiz. Here 'tis:


How's your geography IQ?
Test your knowledge of the world with these five questions from the National Geographic bee. Hint: all of the countries are on the same continent.

1. This tiny city-state, located on one of the world's most strategic straits is one of the busiest ports in the world.

2. Israel captured the Golan Heights from this neighboring country in the Six-Day War in 1967.

3. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are states with significant oil reserves in this country.

4. The nations of Turkmenistan, Usbakistan and Tajikistan all border this landlocked country in the Hindu Kush Mountains.

5. Goa, which has been influenced by both Hindu and Roman Catholic traditions, is a state in this country.

- - -

Geo-answers

1. Singapore

2. Syria

3. United Arab Emirates

4. Afghanistan

5. India

Most of my students and readers should have gotten #2, 3, and 4, IMHO. With the new semester we'll have student Zoe Auld as a guest who knows about Goa because her mother's family resides there.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Maya's in Atlanta


Maya's in Atlanta
Originally uploaded by trudeau

California as seen by Jarrett


California as seen by Jarrett
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Shamanda likes Egypt


Shamanda likes Egypt
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Karen's France


France, by Karen
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Jordan for Kirsten


Jordan for Kirsten
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Alison's in Greece


Alison's in Greece
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Lev and the Philippines


Lev and the Philippines
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Jonathan in the Western Mediterranean


Central America's jungles via Jonathan


Linzy's Levant


Linzy's Levant
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Laptop for a 14 year-old? Yes, indubitably

My 11 year-old will get his own laptop at age 14, according to my plan. I hope he'll be able to use it in several classes. As long as students are monitored, I believe such units make a great addition to classroom instruction and practice.

Especially for students who are advanced and prone to boredom, a portable device with wireless function gives a student the ability to deepen his awareness of classroom topics and of the skills of reading comprehension and composition that are the key to the future.

That's Colton Gardner above, a terrific lad and a responsible laptop user.

Artful maps in the window at E205

My kind of decor, of course.

Artful map project: Massachusetts 07

The teacher finally finally finished his project. Although I must say that this is the first draft and I'm looking forward to several more versions. Colors aren't right, compass rose not right, needs general tweaking.


Send me your favorite holiday photo as you visit, play and explore. That's trudeau@earthlink.net.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Matthew's view of Florida


Matthew's view of Florida
Originally uploaded by trudeau

California with Jennifer


California with Jennifer
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Europa via Mary


Europa via Mary
Originally uploaded by trudeau

India by Rebecca


India by Rebecca
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Tenitra's in Israel


Tenitra's in Israel
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Alex's grandad is in Brazil


Alex's grandad is in Brazil
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Kazakhstan? Ask Brian.


Kazakhstan? Ask Brian.
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Jamaica by Jonathan


Jamaica by Jonathan
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Antarctica via Armond


Antarctica via Armond
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Outback by Paige


Outback by Paige
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Zach in Jerusalem's Old City


Zach in Jerusalem's Old City
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Alethia's Antarctica


Alethia's Antarctica
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Brittany's on Christmas Island


Brittany's on Christmas Island
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Michael's version of Vietnam


Michael's version of Vietnam
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Amanda's Nebraska


Amanda's Nebraska
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Jinan's view of Puerto Rico


Jinan's view of Puerto Rico
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Italy: Ben's family's home


Italy: Ben's family's home
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Alaska by Symphony


Alaska by Symphony
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Downtown Tenaha, Tx, by Emma


Downtown Tenaha, Tx, by Emma
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Emerald on the Mediterranean


Emerald on the Mediterranean
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Hallie's family is from New Mexico


Rosalind's Europe


Rosalind's Europe
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Ascha's view of japan


Ascha's view of japan
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Louisiana by Celeste


Louisiana by Celeste
Originally uploaded by trudeau

California a la Juliana


California a la Juliana
Originally uploaded by trudeau