April 17th is Put A Poem in Your Pocket Day

For great ideas for planning your poem in your pocket day celebration visit: http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=720 for ideas and lesson plans.

New Project Idea!

MakeBeliefsComix is an online educational comic generator for all ages. You can use it to help children and adults share their ideas or as a therapy tool to help the deaf and the autistic communicate. You can also use it as a resource to encourage writing skills and to practice vocabulary or storytelling skills. The comic strip comes together at this site, where children choose a human or animal character, pick a mood and then fill in a talk or thought balloon (in English or Spanish).
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/

Give Your Brain a Workout!

If you think your brain and memory are dulling down, head to SharpBrain’s teasers and challenge yourself. This free site offers 50 fun ways to give your brain an entertaining workout. And as a bonus, you can read all about what actually makes your brain work. http://www.sharpbrains.com/teasers/

Scared to use Google Docs?

Atomic Learning recently announced a free tutorial series on Google Docs, the free Web-based word-processing program that allows users to keep documents up to date and allows selected individuals to update files from their personal computers. The Atomic Learning series, titled “Google Docs—A Focus on Docs,” includes more that 60 short, show-and-tell movies that guide users through the creation, implementation and use of Google Docs. Topics include working with documents, organizing files, document options, sharing and publishing, working with collaboration, and utilizing the edit, insert and revision tab options. The series is being offered, free of charge, through May 1, 2008 and can be accessed at: http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/google_docs/

Celebrate Día!

Celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), also known as Día, in your classrooms and communities on April 30, 2008 with brochures, posters and bookmarks featuring Dora the ExplorerTM. Día, which emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds, is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA). More information, including the materials, is available at: http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/diadelosninos/diadelosninos.cfm