World Map: A clickable map of world countries :-) Shown above The map above is a political map of the world centered on Europe and Africa. It shows the location of most of the world's countries and includes their names where space allows. Representing a round earth on a flat map requires some distortion of the geographic features no matter how the map is done. The map shown here is a terrain relief image of the world with the boundaries of major countries shown as white lines. This map is also a Mercator projection centered on Europe and Africa. Mapping This page offers interactive Flash based activities to help the user gain a number of skills in understanding maps. These activities can be used by a teacher as a demonstration tool or by the student in the classroom or at home. There are three lessons available. Clicking on the links to the left will bring up the activities. Activity 1: Using grid lines - this short activity is designed to help the student understand the basics of using grid lines. Paper Based Grid Activity - this .pdf document can be printed. The activities on this site require the free Macromedia Flash plugin. shockwave/flash
Teaching Essential 21st Century Skills Today’s students need more than just instruction in the core topic areas. They also need to learn key 21st-century skills that will serve them well in a globally competitive, information-based society, such as problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration—as well as digital literacy skills such as how to find, evaluate, synthesize, and present information. These skills will be critical for success on the new Common Core assessments set to begin this year. But teaching and measuring these competencies can be a challenge, which is why a growing number of schools are adopting new approaches to instruction and assessment—such as project-based learning—that give students ample opportunities to develop these skills. With the generous support of Learning.com, we’ve assembled this collection of resources to help you integrate 21st century skills into your own curriculum. eSchool News Articles 5 steps to a problem-solving classroom culture Additional Resources
Australia Online Puzzle | Geography Learning Game Australia is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun around 65,000 to 70,000 years ago, possibly with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea-crossings from what is now Southeast Asia. Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a federation of six states, together with ten federal territories. The Australian mainland consists of five of the six federated states and three of the federal territories. Included in the game states and territories of Australia: 1. External territories of Australia: Australian Antarctic Territory Heard Island and McDonald Islands Ashmore and Cartier Islands Christmas Island Norfolk Island Cocos Islands Coral Sea Islands Too small to drag: Jervis Bay Territory
Mapping ICT is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum. The existing programme for ICT, however, has been suspended as dull, boring and unsatisfactory and replaced by new courses of ICT study. These are expected to prepare the pupils for the increasingly digital world and give them the necessary knowledge and skills to find decent jobs. The Responses to Changes of the National Curriculum for ICT Study The leading experts and the ICT industry support the changes of the National Curriculum for ICT Study. The suspended National Curriculum for ICT Study did not prepare the students adequately for the needs of the industry or give them computer skills they need to succeed in life. The Difference between the Old and New ICT Programme The new National Curriculum for ICT gives incomparably more freedom to schools and teachers in what and how they will teach their pupils relevant skills and make the courses more exciting. Challenges of the New Curriculum for ICT Study
MLA Formatting and Style Guide Coming Soon: A new look for our same great content! We're working hard this summer on a redesign of the Purdue OWL. Worry not! Our navigation menu and content will remain largely the same. Summary: MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. Contributors: Tony Russell, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli, Russell Keck, Joshua M. The following overview should help you better understand how to cite sources using MLA eighth edition, including the list of works cited and in-text citations. Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in MLA. Creating a Works Cited list using the eighth edition MLA is a style of documentation based on a general methodology that may be applied to many different types of writing. Thus, the current system is based on a few guiding principles, rather than an extensive list of specific rules. Here is an overview of the process: Author Said, Edward W. Number
Mapping 1 | 2 Description (Page 1) The People's Republic of China is the world's fourth largest country (by total area), and one of only five remaining Communist states in the world. As with the ancient Roman and Egyptian empires, China led most of the world in the arts and sciences for hundreds of years. Pre-history began with civilizations that originated in numerous regions along the Yellow River and Yangtze River valleys over a million years ago. By 2100 BC the Xia Dynasty had formed, becoming China's first dynasty - according to ancient historical records. Following the Xias, the Shang Dynasty rose to power, and then were ultimately overrun by the Zhou Dynasty in 1066 BC. Emerging from the Yellow River valley, the Zhous were the longest-lasting dynasty in China, establishing their rule under a semi-feudal system. The use of iron and the evolution of written script into its modern form were both introduced during the Zhou Dynasty. Description continued...
6 elements of a successful iPad implementation By Samantha Messier and Stephanie Schroeder 11/17/2014 Topics: Mobile Learning, 1-to-1, Professional learning As more districts across the United States move to 1:1 initiatives, a common barrier is financial resources, and a common temptation is to regard these initiatives as technology enterprises rather than instructional transformations. In a three-year pilot project, the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) addressed these challenges by implementing a creative approach designed to entice public funders by providing all students with equitable access to digital devices. A key feature of our model was synergy among multiple, interdependent program elements: Community engagement A strong instructional model Digital devices and apps for students Logistical support Guidance toward high-leverage resources Ongoing, embedded professional development None of these elements alone is sufficient. 1. We also made every effort to include one of the most important stakeholder groups: parents.
THE PIPELINE: Influence--7 Rules (And You Can’t Just Do One!) They always say that in polite company we don’t talk about politics, religion, or sex. Because, well, it runs the risk of offending someone and sparking fights and passionate opinion. I never believed that, and I love engaging in the good fight for the rights associated with the basic human condition. That said, when we talk about school library funding, you can get a similar reaction. Some say it’s like the weather: Too many people talk about it but few really do anything about it. In today’s world, access to information, learning, and technology is a human right in an advanced civil society and especially in a democracy where an informed and educated electorate is critical. Nearly everything we do requires more influence and oversight than it used to. So, here’s a short list of what leaders have built and tried in our profession to influence the success of libraries for learners: 1. Lord knows we have impact studies coming out of the horn of plenty like a tornado spins off cows. 2. 3.
A New Way of Looking at Public Library Engagement in America The Pew Research Center’s Internet Project has intensively studied the changing world of public libraries for the last three years. The first stage of our research explored the growing role of ebooks, including their impact on Americans’ reading habits and library habits. Our second stage examined the full universe of library services, as well as what library services Americans most value and what they might want from libraries in the future. In March, we released a report from our third and final stage of research—the fruits of a representative national survey of 6,224 Americans ages 16 and older. provision of digital content is certainly a key element of the services that make libraries useful. This approach is a little new for us. Instead, we used statistical analysis to cluster individuals into groups based on their usage of, views toward, and access to libraries, in order to discover larger insights about how libraries fit into American culture. Other insights in the data
21st Century Librarian