Adjusting the power scheme on your laptop

Adjusting the power scheme on your laptop:

  • right-click on your desktop background
  • choose Properties
  • click the Screen Saver tab
  • click the Power button
    • click on the drop-down arrow for the Power schemes (presentation works well)
  • view the different schemes and settings
  • make any changes you desire
  • click OK

This will keep your computer from going to sleep too often.

National Geographic Magazine Links

ngexplorer.jpg
If your class receives one of the monthly editions of National Geographic Explorer, you might want to check out the website that goes with the magazine!

National Geographic Young Explorer (Grades K-1)
Even if you don’t subscribe to the magazine, you will love this site! Here you will find an interactive version of the magazine posted online. It will read the stories to the students and allow them to virtually “flip” through the pages.

Suggestions:
Talk about a great way to use the Smartboard! Have your students find and underline important words, sounds, or punctuation and/or write in the answers to the question with the Smartboard pens.


National Geographic Explorer (Pioneer Edition) (Grades 2-3)
National Geographic Explorer (Pathfinder Edition) (Grades 4-5)

Here you will find online activities (games, quizzes, videos, pictures) to go with each month’s topics. They also link to the full text of one of articles in the magazine.Suggestions:
Have the students individually complete the online activity with the laptops after reading the corresponding article. If time is limited, the class could also complete the activity together using the Smartboard. Also, use the Smartboard to read the online version of the article together. Use the Smartboard pens to find important context clues, vocabulary words, main ideas, facts, etc. directly on the online version of the article.


Also…while you are looking at National Geographic, make sure to check out the main kids site… National Geographic for Kids
I could get lost on this site for hours. It contains articles, games, pictures, videos, news, activities….all in a very interactive and kid-friendly way.

Suggestions:
Have students watch videos and play games that align with units in Science, Health, and Social Studies. Read the stories and complete activities and games in Language Arts (like Photo Fill-ins or the Cartoon Factory). Have students research animals for projects and find information in the form of pictures, words AND video. Check out the Young Explorer World Atlas in Social Studies. There are so many things to choose from…take a look and see what you find!


How Your Students Can Find These Links:
I’ve posted a link to the site on the SCS Links for Kids Page. To find it, go to your school’s website and click Students > Links for Kids, choose your grade level, and look under Science.

Suggestions from a 5th Grade Teacher

Participate in the free K12 Online Conference
It’s been a crazy week in my personal life, so not much “free time” to really surf the net…and not much time to keep up with K-12 Online Conference. But I’m not worried…that’s the great part…most of the conference (all the presentations, at least) will be there waiting for me when things are more manageable on the home front.

That said, I have had the chance to check in on a couple presentations. This one really caught my attention:

Obstacles to Opportunities Keynote: The Why’s and Wherefore’s

Brian Crosby is a 5th grade teacher in Nevada and a blogger on Learning is Messy. He shows actual projects that he has done with his at risk 5th graders…that’s why I was really drawn to this presentation (click here to see).   It is really worth the watch!!

For a list of other great presentations available through the K12 Online Conference, click here. Pay no attention to dates….once the link is posted, most of these presentations will be available whenever you have the time to watch/listen. There are a few live events…but these too will be archived so you can watch later.

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