Make-a-guide with your favorite birds-- for FREE!

I've been finding a number of bird-related websites in preparation for a summer bird camp I'll be helping a colleague with in June. Today I came across a wonderful FREE tool that allows the user to create a custom bird guide with up to 5 user-selected birds. You can also subscribe for a reasonable fee that allows you to create and print unlimited guides with any number of birds in them. You'll find this on the http://www.whatbird.com/ website by Mitch Waite. Here's an excerpt from the press release for the make-a-guide:

"Disrupting the status quo. My favorite thing" is the mantra of Mitchell Waite, former publisher of computer books who was among the first to include CD ROMs, posters, 3D glasses, and software in the back of tech books. Now Mr. Waite has a new spin on book buying: ala carte publishing, or what he calls the Make-a-Guide. Mr. Waite's spin on buying books is to let the reader choose just the content they want, and this may open a new chapter in the publishing industry.

His first example of the technology is birding guides. The site where the first MAG is found is www.whatbird.com, a search engine for identifying birds. The Make-a Guide lets you build a field guide answering the questions in a set of screens, selecting for example all the birds of a particular state or family. Then a PDF of the book can be downloaded or a custom printed book ordered -- usually for much less than the cost of a traditional guide.

You and your students can make your own bird guide here: http://www.whatbird.com/MAG/Make-A-Guide.aspx

To catch a predator, aka "The Shame Game"

While reading the comments on a blog post by Pete Reilly on Ed Tech Journeys, I came across a link to an excellent article on the Columbia Journalism Review entitled "The Shame Game." It's a rather lengthy article, but, I feel, well worth your time if you believe that the online predator scare has been overhyped by NBC's "To Catch a Predator" program.

It turns out that the decoys employed by Perverted Justice have at times encouraged the so-called "predators." Here's a quote from the article: "Many express doubts about what they’re doing and have to be egged along a bit by the decoys, many of whom come off as anything but innocent children."

And later this: "That doesn’t mean Internet sex predators don’t exist, but Dateline heavily skews reality by devoting hour after hour of primetime programming to the phenomenon. As Poynter’s Tompkins notes: “Is there any other issue that’s received that much airtime? The question is whether the level of coverage is proportional to the actual problem.” "

Is it any wonder that parents are hypersensitive and that school administrators won't allow teachers to engage in Web 2.0 learning as cited by Pete in his blog post?

So what's the solution? Let's educate our students (and our parents) about the real dangers on the internet, but let's not allow the perceived threat to eliminate the wonderful learning opportunities that are now available. As Pete points out later in the comments section of his post, if we eliminate everything from our schools because of the potential for danger we'd never have field trips (strangers), sports (injuries), playgrounds (injuries, bullying)….

Totally worthless but WAY cool!

I am the choir director at our church. I've wanted to find the episode of Andy Griffith where Barney "sings" a solo-- well, actually, he lip syncs, but he thinks it's his voice. But I digress.

LocateTV.com is a website that will tell you the next time your favorite episode of a TV show will be on in your area, along with the channel. You can even set your service provider by inputting your zip code and then selecting from a list of providers in your area.

I'm happy to say that "Barney and the choir" is on THURSDAY, May 15 at 7 PM on TV Land. I've already emailed the choir members.

BTW, you can also embed a reminder badge in your blog or webpage like this:

I know, I know, totally useless information, but we all have our favorite shows, and it's nice to be able to set the VCR, Tivo, or DVR to record them.

Check out these GREAT student videos!

Last July, while vacationing in New Orleans, I came across a group of students with video cameras, digital cameras, and GPS devices. I inquired what they were doing and eventually met up with their teacher, Craig Howat, from Luling Elementary School.

He just emailed me with a link to their completed videos of famous New Orleans landmarks, like St. Louis Cathedral, the Mississippi River, and the Cornstalk Fence.

They are SO GOOD! You've got to see them for yourself: http://www.stcharles.k12.la.us/webpages/chowat/news.cfm

Craig tells me they'll be posting them to YouTube and/or Google video soon.

Detroit, we have a problem!

Here's the ESPN Video!

Feel good story of the week from ESPN

I saw this story on Sportscenter today. If I can find the video, I'll embed it later. For now, the story is on ESPNs website. Here's an excerpt:

"Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky had never hit a home run in her career. Central Washington senior Mallory Holtman was already her school's career leader in them. But when a twist of fate and a torn knee ligament brought them face to face with each other and face to face with the end of their playing days, they combined on a home run trot that celebrated the collective human spirit far more than individual athletic achievement."

Read the rest of the story here and try not to get a lump in your throat!
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?id=3372631