Just Some Humor for the Day

Wish it ended differently, but you'll get the point. Plus, you can study up on your French language
skills.


Paper vs iPad from Juokorama on Vimeo.

 Maybe you've seen this commercial already, but it does make a point about iPads and how we live today. Enjoy. We all need a good laugh. Plus, spring is almost here!

 
cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by ashokboghani

Anyone Can Create Digital Stories

This short video presents a good overview of the digital story process. I like the index method for creating a storyboard or collecting ideas, but eventually I prefer to see my narration typed because reading from handwritten notes, whether I am reading them or someone else, is not as crisp as typed ones. However, if you're making digital stories with a group of students, notecards or typed notes cut out in strips for each student might work well to move the script along.

 

 For those using PhotoStory 3, here is a 7-minute video that incorporates the features you will need to use, including the reminder to also save your work as Project, so you can go back and edit it. Remember, if you need to download PhotoStory 3, only do so from the official Microsoft site. Other sites offering the download may be bogus and result in also downloading a virus. This is true for downloading in general, so exercise caution every time you try to download from any site.

 

Questions about the digital story project can be posted to our EDUC 584 Google Community which will expedite others seeing it in the event that they too have the same concern or have the answer to one of your questions.

In Celebration of Pi Day

Tomorrow, March 14, is Pi Day, so thought I would share some ideas for implementation in the classroom and for celebrating.

But first you might ask, "What is Pi Day and How Did It Originate." (See Scientific American post.)


In this blog post, PiDay! , find a list of activities, lessons, and more--including links to a variety of resources.

TeachersFirst Pi Day Resources lists activities by grade level to celebrate PiDay.

From Eutopia, check Celebrate Pi Day: Seven Classroom Activities for PiDay, with links to resources to lesson plans and more, including a link to the National Council of Teachers of Math site to find specific resources there.

And if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow NCTM at

From Flobabulary, click below to access information:

Circles: Circumference & Area

"All You Need is Pi and the Radius"

These resources are taken directly from the Annenberg Learner Update website under the category, Connecting Learning with Special Days:

"Pi Day (March 14) 
  
Celebrate the value of pi, approximately 3.14, with the following resources: 

We usually consider pi to be a universal constant, and it can be, but that depends on which universe we are talking about. Mathematics Illuminatedunit 8, "Geometries Beyond Euclid," explains why in a discussion on curvature and higher-dimensional space.  

Session 7, “Circles and Pi,” of Learning Math: Measurement investigates the properties of pi and its relationship to the measures of a circle.  

What do carpets have to do with pi? See practical applications of pi in the Math in Daily Life interactive. This section of the interactive demonstrates its value in home decorating.  

Elementary students use string and tape measures to approximate the value of pi in the lesson "Round About Pi."  

Here's a video you might want to share:

For younger learners, you might try this video:

 




What are your plans for Pi Day? Which of these resources were helpful to you? If we truly believe in interdisciplinary learning, then no matter what grade or level we teach, shouldn't we all be celebrating events like Pi Day and addressing mathematical concepts?