TpT Newsletter - My Freebie!

Kahoot!

KAHOOT!  How had I not heard of this amazing teaching tool? 

https://getkahoot.com/

I observed a student teacher using this with his class to review for a final exam in his course.  It was brilliant!  Students follow along with their cell phones, or iPads, and answer questions by selecting the correct answer for each question.  Kahoot! tracks every participant's results.  The teacher knows how well students know the material and can take time to reinforce learning.

Later that day, I went to the Kahoot! web-site and tried a few.  If you search the database, there are SO MANY files already in place in a huge range of TOPICS.  It is quite impressive.  Just be sure to remember your login name and password.

I then went to the TpT web-site to see if teacher-authors had Kahoot! lessons.  Yes, indeed, they do.  Some are designed to explain how to use Kahoot! while others are linked to specific Kahoot! lessons.

I was then curious about the terms and conditions of Kahoot!, as it states clearly that it is FREE!  I sent them an email asking about it.  Here is the response:

Thanks for reaching out about this.
Per our Terms and Conditions, "Attempting to copy, duplicate, reproduce, sell, trade, or resell our Resources is strictly prohibited."
Also, "any content posted by you using any open communication tools on our website, provided that it doesn't violate or infringe on any 3rd party copyrights or trademarks, becomes the property of Kahoot! AS"
With those statements, selling access to specific kahoots is a violation.
I hope that helps! Let me know if there are any other questions.
Happy Kahoot!'ing!Bryan

So, now we know.  Use, make, share, but don't break copyright.  It really is a great resource for teachers.  I recommend it!  

Emily Carr

March 2, 1945 Emily Carr passed away in Victoria.
I just finished reading my second book, this one by Doris Shadbolt, about Emily Carr last week.  Because Emily wrote journals, which were published, many of her thoughts are repeated in the writings of others, myself included. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Emily-Carr-Quotes-2084798  I so admire her.  If you've never read her writing, or seen her art, please do so. She was an original.

This CBC article is a great introduction:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/arts/late-bloomer-emily-carr-paintings-group-of-seven-interview-1.3465841

Emily Carr lives on!

Ted Talk - Communication

Do you show Ted Talks in your classroom?  I have and do.  Today I watched Celeste Headlee talk about communication.   She was spot on. I'd recommend this to high school students.  Follow the link.

Check out this amazing TED Talk:
10 ways to have a better conversation

https://www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_better_conversation

I could see a great writing assignment to follow this up. 

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I finally saw MY Logo on the TpT home page advertising Teacher-Authors.  One year ago today was my first sale with TpT and tomorrow is my actual birthday.  It feels like I received a present!  I am celebrating!

I feel very blessed to do what I do and to know that what I have to share is appreciated and wanted.  

I am putting my ENTIRE STORE ON SALE for 24 hours in celebration!  Please come share in the party!  Happy Birthday to me!  

Winter Be Gone!

Today was proof that the groundhog may have gotten it right.  Frosted car windows, fog on the road, and chilly fingers means spring is not quite here yet.

Today I thought I'd share my little trick for teachers needing to defrost their car windows in a hurry.  I have never been late for school, but I did burn out my wiper blade motor because the blades were frozen to the window.  EXPENSIVE LESSON!

 

Forget the scraper and don't turn on the wipers to use the antifreeze de-icer.  If your blades are frozen, it will be the beginning of the end.

Simply put the antifreeze de-icer in a squirt bottle and spritz your window.  Wait only a few minutes, and presto, the blades will move freely and the ice will be melting in a hurry.  

Truly, I don't scrape any windows anymore, ever.  Why did it take me so long to figure this one out?  Not sure, but I think it is pretty clever.  Feel free to share.  

This was my drive to school today.  The fog didn't lift for hours.  I had a good day today.  Did you?

Oh Georgia!

Georgia O'Keeffe - American Artist.  What's not to love about her art?  I usually include a painting assignment based on her enlarged flowers in my senior art curriculum, which my students have completed with great success.  I used to show them an hour long DVD, trying to include art history into my lesson.  The information was great for me, but too long for my students.  I have since changed how I introduce Georgia to my students.  The key to art history is to keep it short, visual, and interesting.  More information is not necessarily better.

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum has a great introductory video for students, and is under fifteen minutes long.  I keep my longer DVD for students who want more, but most are satisfied with a base knowledge.

When teaching art history, I have come up with a plan that seems to work.  I create a teacher cheat sheet of twenty facts students should know about a particular artist.  I find facts that are unique to each artist and choose specific details that have a "that's interesting" factor.  I also try to include things that are not necessarily on the video.

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't like history in school, and my university art history course was no exception. There was just too much to learn and memorizing names and dates wasn't my thing.  But, give me interesting facts and tidbits of trivia, and I have a better chance to remembering something.  And so I began a very long quest on how to introduce art history to my students.  I think I got it!

Creating a word search is great for reviewing vocabulary and terminology, but if you don't know what the purpose or context of those words are, then I believe a learning opportunity has been missed.  I now pair the word search with a Q and A sheet, using the same vocabulary.  The question and answer sheet may involve either listening skills, as I may have verbally given them the details of the artist, or students may have to find the answers on-line.  This pairing of information is ideal for reinforcing what I want my students to learn.

I have created just such a pairing of a Word Search with a Q and A sheet for Georgia O'Keeffe. Let me tease you with five facts:

1. How many paintings did Georgia do in her lifetime?
2. How old was she when she went river rafting down the Colorado River?
3. How much did her painting "Jimson Weed" sell at auction for in 2014?
4. How did Georgia O'Keeffe stay cool in the hot New Mexico desert?
5. How old was she when she knew and declared she would be an artist?    

So, do you know the answers to these?

Answers:

1. Georgia O'Keeffe painting over 900 paintings!
2. She was in her seventies when she went river rafting down the Colorado River in 1961.
3. "Jimson Weed" sold for $44,405,000 at auction in 2014.
4. Georgia used to lie under her Model A Ford car to keep out of the hot sun.
5. At age ten Georgia declared she would be an artist.

Georgia O'Keeffe was a true artist, dedicating her life to expressing what she loved.  She would leave her husband for months at a time so she could paint without interruption.  Her body of work is impressive and worthy of study and admiration.  Every art student should be exposed to Georgia's work.  Google search her images, put up a slide show on your smart board, teach colour blending, and let the painting begin!