Teacher's and Student's Corner: February 2011

List of Philippine Holidays 2011 - Proclamation No. 84

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Malacañang has just released the list of the dates of holidays in the Philippines for the year 2011.

President Benigno S. Aquino III today signed Proclamation No. 84 declaring the regular holidays, special (non-working) days, and special holidays (for all schools) for the year 2011.

The holidays in the Philippines no longer has to be moved to the nearest Monday of the week. Proclamation No. 84 mentions Republic Act No. 9849, which stipulates that holidays be moved to the nearest Mondays. RA 9849 also states that it can be modified by law, order or proclamation.

Proclamation No. 84 modifies RA 9849.
List of Philippine Holidays for the Year 2011

Here are the dates of the holidays which are to be observed in the Philippines:

A. Regular Holidays

New Year’s Day – January 1 (Saturday)
Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Saturday)
Maundy Thursday – April 21
Good Friday – April 22
Labor Day – May 1 (Sunday)
Independence Day – June 12 (Sunday)
National Heroes Day – August 29 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Wednesday)
Christmas Day – December 25 (Sunday)
Rizal Day – December 30 (Friday)

B. Special (Non-Working) Days

Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Sunday)
All Saints Day – November 1 (Tuesday)
Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Saturday)

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)

EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Friday)

Proclamation No. 84 also has provisions for observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha, the dates of which shall be determined based on the Islamic calendar. Once the dates are determined, new proclamations will be issued.
Source: http://www.philippinegovernment.info/

Why the DepEd Early Registration is a Must?

The Department of Education is conducting a special one-day registration for incoming kindergarten, Grade 1 and first year high school students on January 29, 2011.

This one-day pre-registration will be done simultaneously on all public schools nationwide on the last Saturday of January 2011.

The early registration targets all 5 year olds to be enrolled in kindergarten and all 6 year-olds in Grade 1. Early registration is also mandated in public secondary schools to guarantee the enrolment of incoming first year students in their preferred high school.

Why does DepEd need an early registration?

According to the Department of Education, the early registration will give them enough time to come up with education interventions and prevent students from dropping out of school. They want to ensure that all those who have to be enrolled already enrolled even before June.

They would also want to measure how many pupils will be in school this coming school year to estimate the expenses they will need to provide sufficient facilities and services.

The early registration would also save parents from the long lines during the enrolment on June.

Source: http://www.philippinegovernment.info/

Get the Heart of Your Audience

Friday, February 18, 2011

Dale Carnegie once said, “There are always three speeches for everyone you actually gave - the one you practised, the one you gave and the one you wished you gave.”

The ability to prepare and deliver a powerful winning speech can be your trump card in any profession or forum. Many aspire to be successful public speakers but few make it.

To begin with, let us see what successful public speakers do once they accept an invitation to speak.

Establishing speaking goals

The first and most important step in preparing for public speaking is to clearly identify the speaking goals.
>Whom are you speaking to — what is the audience profile?
>What do you wish to communicate? What should the listeners take home from your speech?
>Why will people come to listen, implying the value or worth of your speech?
>Why have you been chosen to speak? This will tell you how you are different from other speakers who have been invited.
>Which are the areas or topics where highest impact is desired?

Answers to these questions should give you a clear idea of what needs to be achieved at the end of the speech. Take special efforts to speak to organisers about these facts and you will have all the information you need to start preparing.

Important fact-finding steps

>Ask organisers for important details regarding date, time, venue, agenda for the programme, names of other speakers who will address before and after you.

>You must also ask for language preference for the speech. If you want to win the audience, speak to them in the language they are most comfortable with. Public speaking is not about proving your oratory skills. Its true success lies in conquering the heart and mind of listeners and enrolling them to your school of thought effectively. So run that extra mile to talk to people in their preferred language.

>A very important piece of information is the time limit, how much time have you been given? Listeners are restless when speakers exceed time. We ourselves do not like speakers who go on and on without showing sensitivity for others’ time. Some speakers overstep time to the extent that other speakers, who are scheduled after them, have to cut down their speeches! It is said: make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening. However well prepared you may be, it is important to resist the temptation of exceeding your time.

>Which public address system is available? Are you going to be behind a podium? Or can you use a collar mike or cordless mike and move freely? How big is the auditorium and how are the sound speakers placed? This will help you to plan your delivery technique and body language. Some people feel very comfortable to speak from behind a podium whereas some feel they can connect better when they move freely with a collar mike or cordless mike. Ask for the arrangement of your choice to avoid last minute surprises.

>Use of communication aids needs to be confirmed. You may want to use a projection or slide show to support your speech and it is advisable to inform organisers about it well in advance. Also, the arrangement for proper audiovisual relay of the projection to every corner of the auditorium needs to be confirmed. This will ensure that every section of the audience can see and hear you and the presentation clearly.

Supporting facts for your speech

It pays to enhance your basic script with the latest fact and figures, stories, humour, audiovisual clips and even with elements of surprise. Do not deliver the same speech again and again in the same format. Every audience is different and needs different incentives to keep their interest alive. Captivate people with value added information and present it vividly.

You can also use newspaper clippings or research documents to endorse your views and establish credibility. Listeners like interesting bits of information and you may even find them jotting down when you speak. I have come across occasions when many speakers use similar material and data for a given topic and the audience goes through repetitive speeches helplessly. Be unique, think differently. Work hard to gather information that will keep the audience hooked.

Next week we will share more about effective public speaking. Until then remember, “There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.”

(The author is a corporate soft skills trainer and a motivational speaker)

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/

Integrating the Internet into the classroom

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Integrating the Internet into the Classroom

View more presentations from sspengler.

Integrating ICT in the Classroom

Integrating ICT into the classsroom

View more presentations from Miguel Mendoza.

Health Benefits of Whole Grains

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Eating a fiber-heavy diet helped reduce people's risk of death from heart disease, infectious or respiratory disease, or any cause by 22%, according to a new study.

What's more, people who were in the highest fiber-intake group (29.4 g per day for men and 25.8 g for women) were also less likely to develop those diseases than people with the lowest levels of fiber consumption (12.6 g per day for men and 10.8 g for women).

That's good motivation to adhere to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which called on Jan. 31 for increased consumption of fiber through whole grains, enriched foods and fresh fruits and veggies. The DGA recommends 14 g of dietary fiber per 1,000 calories per day — which totals about 25 g of fiber a day.

Dietary fiber is the edible part of a plant that is difficult to digest — found in wheat bran and green, leafy vegetables — and is known to improve health in a number of ways. It is thought to lower risks of heart disease, some cancers, diabetes and obesity, and it's known to reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. According to background information in the study, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, it also binds to potential cancer-causing agents so the body can flush them out.

For the study, researchers looked at mortality data for 219,123 men and 168,999 women, who completed questionnaires about their eating habits between 1995 and 1996 as part of the longitudinal National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study.

During nine years of follow-up, 20,126 men and 11,330 women died. People who ate the highest amounts of fiber were 22% less likely to die of any cause than people who ate the least fiber. Further, men in the highest quintile were 24% less likely to suffer from cardiovascular, infectious or respiratory diseases than men in the lowest quintile, and for women the reduction in risk was 34%.

Researchers noted that fiber from grains, such as in whole-grain bread or brown rice, but not fiber from fruits, was associated with the reduced risk of death in both men and women.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/

A History of the Science of Love

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Love isn't just fodder for poets. For as long as people have been falling for each other, scientists have worked hard to locate the roots of love somewhere in the body. The ancient Greeks and medieval men of medicine believed that imbalances in bodily fluids like phlegm and blood were responsible for that weak-kneed, goofy-smiled condition of longing, but as early as the 1660s researchers had begun to grasp at the brain's role in romantic love. Modern-day scientists know a lot more about how the emotion works — it involves the brain's reward centers and pleasure chemicals like dopamine — but it's still up for debate whether science or poetry describes it better.

Tips to effective note-taking

Monday, February 14, 2011

Did you know that without review, 47 percent of what you just learned is forgotten in the first 20 minutes and after a day, you forget 15 percent more of it? This is why it is crucial to have good lecture notes for you to review and remember lessons.

Writing things down enhance retention of lessons and learning. So, what are you waiting for? Get your paper and pen ready. Write down the following tips on effective note-taking.

Use a three-ring binder notebook In this way, pages can be easily removed for reviewing, and handouts can be inserted in your notes for cross-referencing. You can also insert your own out-of-class notes in the correct section of your notebook.

Get the clues Whenever teachers make a comment like, “This is an important topic,” or “Make sure you understand this,” it is very likely it will be on the exam. You know that those parts are something you need to know so take note of them.

Go to class with a positive attitude This allows you get most of the information presented. Make a conscious effort to pay attention. Enjoy taking down notes and understanding new lessons!

Develop a note-taking method that works for you Fine-tune the structure and organization of your notes to improve your note-taking speed and comprehension. Develop a system of abbreviation and symbols for efficiency.

Start each lecture on a new page, and put a date and number on each page because the sequence of material is important.

Leave blank spaces as this allows you to add comments or questions as the lesson progresses.

Make your notes as brief as possible. Avoid writing down sentences when it could be summarized in a phrase.

If you wish to see some examples of note-taking formats, click here.

Pay close attention to content Take note of details, examples, explanations, definitions, enumerations, information written on the chalkboard, including drawings or charts, and points that are emphasized by your teacher.

Review and edit your notes. Review your notes within 24 hours. Edit with a different colored pen so you know what you wrote in class and what you added in later. Compare your notes with the textbook and fill in important details you missed writing down.

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools

Do Fatty, Processed Foods Lower Children's IQ?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Parents already know giving children too much junk food can make them obese, but a new study says all that greasy, processed food may have a negative impact on their brains as well as their bodies.

Researchers from the United Kingdom and Canada found an association between foods high in fat and sugar and slightly reduced IQ. Using questionnaires that asked how often parents fed their children junk food, the researchers found that children whose dietary patterns consisted of fatty, sugary foods at age 3 had a lower IQ at age 8-1/2 than their peers who ate a lot more nutritious foods.

"This suggests that any cognitive/behavioural effects relating to eating habits early in childhood may well persist into later childhood, despite any subsequent changes (including improvements) to dietary intake," the authors wrote. The work was led by Kate Northstone, a research fellow at the University of Bristol in England.

But that doesn't mean that feeding kids a lot of pizza, hot dogs and potato chips will cause a lower IQ. The authors found an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship.

The researchers also say there could have been other factors, such as parenting style, that led to some children's lower IQs.

Additionally, IQ was only lowered by a little more than one point -- statistically significant but still small. There were nearly 4,000 children assessed, which is a large number and can lead to statistical significance.

"With a large enough sample size, you can show statistical significance with a small increment, but it may not mean anything clinically," said Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y.

Diet Affects Us 'From Head to Toe'

Despite the study's limitations, nutritionists say the study reinforces the need to get children started on a proper diet early.

The authors said they took numerous factors into account that could have contributed to their findings, including stressful events the child experienced, parental education level and social class.

"I want to see more about parenting styles," said Ayoob. "Do the parents interact with the children, do they eat dinner together -- these are things that can also influence IQ."

The authors found that dietary patterns between the ages of 4 and 7 did not have an impact on IQ.

"A possible explanation for this is that the brain grows at its fastest rate during the first three years of life. Studies have shown that head growth during this time is associated with cognitive outcome, and it is possible that good nutrition during this early period may encourage optimal brain growth," the researchers wrote.

Junk Food and IQ

This study isn't the first to look at the relationship between nutrition and IQ. A recent study found that children breastfed for six months did better on tests in school than their classmates who were formula-fed. The current research, however, is one of very few studies that look at the effects of overall diet on IQ development, the authors say.

Dieticians say the new study combines with others to send a very important message.

"It's a reminder that our whole body, from head to toe, is impacted by what we eat," said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis. "It's a real eye-opener that the foods we feed our children lays the impact for not only their physical health, but also their mental health in terms of intelligence as well."

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/

NASA pics show Sun 'in stereo'

The US space agency has released the first pictures of the full Sun from front to back, taken by NASA's twin solar spacecraft which have captured it from opposite ends.

"For the first time ever, we can watch solar activity in its full 3-dimensional glory," said Angelos Vourlidas, a member of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) science team.

"STEREO has revealed the sun as it really is – a sphere of hot plasma and intricately woven magnetic fields."

The STEREO project was launched in 2006 and studies the flow of energy and matter from the sun to Earth, NASA said.

In 2007, the spacecraft took the first 3-D images of the Sun, and in 2009 it observed in 3-D the hot eruptions, known as coronal mass ejections, that can disrupt communications, satellite, navigation and power grids on Earth.

Scientists say the information from the latest STEREO mission should help advance the field of space forecasting for Earth.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration already uses STEREO's 3-D models to improve space weather forecasts for airlines, power companies, satellite operators, and others.

"With data like these, we can fly around the sun to see what's happening over the horizon – without ever leaving our desks," said STEREO program scientist Lika Guhathakurta.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech

Key Events in the Life of Angelo Reyes

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Former defense secretary Angelo Reyes died Tuesday morning, February 8, in an apparent suicide. Here are key events in his life:

March 17, 1945 – Born in Manila

1966 – Earned his bachelor’s degree from the Philippine Military Academy

September 21, 1969 - Married Teresita Pernia Reyes

1986 – As colonel, defected from Marcos government and joined People Power 1

1999 – Appointed Armed Forces chief of staff

2000 – Presided over takeover of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Camp Abubakar by government troops

January 2001 – Led the withdrawal of support from Joseph Estrada and helped install Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as president.

March 2001 – Appointed secretary of National Defense

July 2003 – Mutineers, mostly young officers, sought his ouster, citing corruption and his alleged involvement in the Davao bombings

August 2003 – Resigned as defense chief

September 2003 – Appointed Ambassador-at-large for Counter Terrorism

October 2003 – Appointed chief of National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force

March 10, 2004 – Appointed Anti-Smuggling Presidential Adviser

July 2004 – Appointed secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government and concurrent chairman of the National Police Commission.

2006 – Appointed environment secretary

2007 – Appointed energy secretary

May 2010 – Ran as nominee of partylist 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-Utak) but was subsequently replaced shortly after the elections.

Reyes and his wife Teresita have 5 kids: Pablo, Angelito, Marc, Carlo and Judd. His parents are Pablo Reyes and Purificacion Tomas Reyes, both professors.

Source: Newsbreak

The Benefits of Videoconferencing in Schools

Videoconferencing is fast becoming a popular learning tool in many schools and you may be wondering how this technology can benefit your students. Let us take a look at what this medium can do:

Expands learning opportunities – Videoconferencing technology can connect students in schools across places. Guest lecturers can be introduced to classes from different educational institutions. Students can interview experts in other provinces. Researchers can also collaborate with other students on a regular basis without the loss of time due to travel.
Moreover, many museums, science centers, and colleges provide special educational programs via video teleconference that schools anywhere can access.

Another great area of study where videoconferencing can be helpful is geography. Many schools are already asking their students to prepare a presentation on their hometown or city. They then present this to other schools via video conferences. Students get to hear from a different country’s residents about their hometown and that experience can make new places more real to them.

Adds excitement to traditional methods – When students learn about real life topics directly from their peers, they become more receptive to the information being shared. Using videoconferencing can add a level of interest and diversity to the classroom.
Through a video conference, students can experience “virtual field trips” which can provide them with enriched learning experience. Small schools can use these technologies to pool resources and provide courses, such as in foreign languages, which could not otherwise be offered.

Teaches planning and organizational skills – Since a video conference usually involves a presentation, it requires some level of preparation beforehand. Students tasked to research a topic or prepare an in-depth presentation have to learn how to organize facts, prioritize these facts, and combine them into a clear and concise presentation.

Allows practice of public speaking skills – Anytime students have to present in front of others, they are forced to communicate more effectively. The nature of a video conference often requires more focus on clarity of dialogue.

Here are some other resources related to videoconferencing:

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools

School Project Stretches a Hand to Schools and Hospitals

Monday, February 7, 2011

Ghana School Project GSP) a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has donated items worth GH¢31,200 to some schools, governmental departments, and health centres in the country.

The items, consisting 150 computers, tables and chairs, blackboards, sports clothing and wheelchairs, were donated to the Ga South Assembly yesterday in Accra.

According to the Chairman of the NGO, Mr. Sulley Paa Alidu, the GSP was aimed at improving the life of the people, and since it began operations in 2005, it has made remarkable achievements in the areas of education and health.

He stated that the GPS had noticed the difficulties some parents had in catering for the health needs of their children, for which the organisation has sponsored over 345 children for health care.

Mr. Alidu promised that the NGO had future plans to reach out to other Basic and Senior High Schools with more learning materials and computers.

The NGO has shown similar gestures to the Osu Children's Home, the Dzorwulu Special School, Adeiso Health Centre, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, and other schools in the Eastern and the Central regions of the country.

The Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga South Assembly, Sharif Nii Otu Dodoo, who received the items on behalf of the pupils and teachers, thanked the GSP for the gesture.

Source: http://allafrica.com/

Scholarship applications for indigent students now open

The EDS Manufacturing, Incorporated (EMI) through Yazaki Scholarship Foundation, Incorporated (YSFI) is now accepting scholarship application to all qualified freshmen high school and college students in the province.

Marinela A. Jaro, assistant senior manager of EMI, said the scholarships are open to the poor but deserving grade school or high school graduates.

She added that to qualify, applicants must have a pre-final average of not less than 85 percent or its equivalent. The applicants must be an incoming freshman high school or college student but not a recipient of any scholarship grant or financial assistance from other institutions. And most importantly, the applicants have no relative in the company up to the fourth degree of consanguinity.

Applicants who passed the preliminary interview will take the final examination, and the final interview that will be announced by the YSFI Human Resources Department (HRD).

Upon confirmation by the YSFI coordinator, the HRD will release the list of new scholars in which they will be notified through registered mail or contact persons.

The scholarship applications, according to Jaro, started last January 7 and will continue to accept applicants until February 24 of this year.

Jaro concluded that YSFI’s continuing commitment for education to indigent students are part of their social and moral obligation to the province, adding that the private sector will continue to nurture the importance of education to all but deserving poor students in the province.

Source: http://pia.gov.ph/

Resources for PowerPoint Presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most–if not the most–widely used tools for presentation. Here are the factors which contributed to its popularity:

It brings more energy and visual impact. Using PowerPoint tools, you can save time and money with easy-to-create photo effects that look sophisticated, without paying for additional photo-editing software programs.

Videos can be embedded. You can easily trim your embedded video to show only relevant sections, or bookmark key points in the video for quick access.

Presentations can be viewed on different formats. PowerPoint 2010 presentations can be sent out as a URL so people can view it on the Web, or as a video with narration.

Presentations can be accessed for viewing and editing from more locations with different devices. If you post your presentations online, you can access, view, and edit them from the Web or your phone. Microsoft PowerPoint Web App allows you to edit your work from anywhere with an Internet connection. Microsoft PowerPoint Mobile 2010 is also available suited for a Windows phone.

Captivate audience with transitions and animations. Transition and animation effects that look similar with those you see on TV can be easily added to your PowerPoint slide. Access, preview, apply, customize, and replace animations to your liking, for an improved and engaging presentation.

Further information about PowerPoint is available here.

For more resources though, here are some links about PowerPoint:

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools

Using Search Engines Effectively

Friday, February 4, 2011

Using search engines is simple. You just have to type what you are searching for in the search box and hit ‘enter’ or click the ‘search’ button. The search results page will appear right after.

Most of the time, you immediately get what you need after doing a basic query. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your searches.

Basic things to know:

Every word you type in the search box matters.

Searches are always case-insensitive, so upper-case and lower-case letters do not matter. If you type ‘The Philippines’ and ‘the philippines’, the search results are the same.

Punctuation and other special characters are ignored by search engines.

Ways to better searches:

Keep it simple. If you’re searching for a company, just type its name or what you can recall of it. If you’re looking for a Chinese restaurant in your area, just type in Chinese food and the name of your town. There’s no need for unusual syntax or advanced keywords when it comes to search engines.

Use words that will most likely appear in the page. If you think of how the page you are looking for will appear, then you will probably type ‘headache’ instead of ‘my head hurts’ to be directed to a medical page you can use.

Put focus in your search terms. Describe what you need in as few words as possible, because each additional word limits the results. Instead of typing ‘weather report in Cebu’, just type ‘weather Cebu’.

The more unique the word, the more relevant the results, so choose the most descriptive words you can think of. The words ‘document’, ‘website’ or ‘info’ are not needed. Using the keywords, ‘Beatles ringtones’, is also more specific than ‘celebrity sounds’.

How to do advanced web searches:

Advanced web searches help you find sites that match very specific criteria. To do an advanced search, just click the “Advanced” link to the right of the search box. Keep in mind though that the more restrictions you set on your search, the fewer results are returned.

Here are some shortcuts for your advanced search:

1.If you want to search for all the words, insert ‘and’ or ‘+’ between the words.

2.If you want to search for at least one of the words, type ‘or’ between the words.

3.If you want the exact phrase to appear in the site, place quotation marks around a set of words.

4.If you want to exclude words from your search, insert ‘not’ between the words or ‘-‘ before a word.

When doing web searches, it also helps to be practical. Limit search results to those that have been updated in the past three, six or 12 months. If you know that you are looking for a government site or an educational site, add ‘.edu’ or ‘.gov’ in the search box also.

Similarly, restrict your search if you’re looking for a specific type of file like .doc or .pdf or .ppt. Otherwise the search engines will follow default settings and search for all file types. Some search engines also take into consideration the particular country the website comes from.

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools

Top 33 Fonts of All Time

Thursday, February 3, 2011

To say the least, ranking fonts is an obviously hard task… how does one measure aesthetic quality, the benefit of an item, its value to humanity and so fourth?

Well, in this particular German publication, the judges ranked the fonts by their objective and various other weighted measurements:

FontShop Sales Figures: 40%
Historical Value/Meaning: 30%
Aesthetic Qualities: 30%

It is also worth noting that this evaluation consisted exclusively of licensed or commercial fonts only. Free fonts or operating system fonts were not considered, nor were fonts integral to standard software (i.e. Arial, Verdana, etc.). Font variations, which over the centuries have been individually interpreted by various Foundries, were uniquely evaluated as a class and the best variant was entered into the main judging process.

Below is a preview of the top 33 fonts :

SOURCE: http://justcreativedesign.com/

Cyber Crimes

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Cyber crimes are one of the fastest-growing criminal activities in the world. It ranges from financial scams, computer hacking, pornography, virus attacks, and stalking, among others. It is defined as the use of any computer network for crime. Here’s a list of several cyber crimes and their basic definitions:

1. Hacking- refers to activities of computer geniuses who challenge the IT systems of governments and big corporations by hacking them. The “love-bug” virus for example crippled at least 45 million computers worldwide, and caused billions of dollars in damage.

2. Fraud and Extortion- some hackers break into the computer systems of banks or businesses to steal money or credit card information. There are also scams by cyber-criminals wherein they set up fake companies on the Internet and tempt unsuspecting buyers with low prices. Once credit card details are supplied, the site suddenly disappears.

Online auction sites also provide opportunities for fraud since money can just be pocketed without the goods being delivered. As long as the website is credible-looking, there is no way of checking if the site owner is legitimate.

3. Identity Theft- criminals check public databases or social networking sites for information such as date of birth, social security number and addresses. They then use these data to apply for credit cards.

4. Pornography- the availability of pornography on the Internet is mind-boggling. Pedophiles use the Internet to exchange pornographic images of children, and there are hundreds of thousands of obscene images on the Web. Be careful not to mistakenly access these sites especially that web browsing histories can be viewed.

5. Piracy- be it gaming, music, movie, or software piracy, it all means a loss of potential revenue to certain companies/individuals. There are a lot of websites where movies or albums can be downloaded, which in turn are burned into CD-ROMs to be sold. The MP3 format has also made it easier to distribute music files over the Internet.

6. Gambling- virtual casinos operate in cyber space, and they are oftentimes based in countries that do not regulate them.

7. Cyber-stalking- unwanted e-mail from a persistent sender can amount to harassment, and it gets difficult to catch the culprit if he or she manages to conceal his or her identity. Stalkers often try their best to obtain personal information about their victims online.

Here are some additional reading on cyber stalking:

8. Hate Sites- there are websites run by extremists to promote racial or religious hatred. Sometimes, even just publishing someone’s name and address on the Internet can constitute to a threat in their safety.

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools

The History of Photography

Photography comes from the Greek words photos (light) and graphein ("to draw"). It is a process of capturing and recording images by the action of light and reflection on a sensitive material.

A lot of your students probably take photos themselves, be it with their cellular phones or digital cameras. These are useful gadgets, especially when it comes to documenting a school presentation or coming up with necessary graphics for school projects.

For further appreciation on photography, below is a timeline on its history:

1826: First Permanent Image

French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce is regarded as the first person to come up with a successful permanent photograph. He used a camera obscura (darkened chamber room) to burn a permanent image onto a chemical-coated pewter plate. He coined this technique as heliography, which means "sun drawing."

I839: First Photo of a Person

Daguerreotype is the first practical process of photography and was named after French painter and chemist Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre. The daguerreotype requires long exposure times which mean that moving objects do not appear in the photo. At one instance, however, when Daguerre was capturing street scenes in Paris, an unidentified man who stops for a shoeshine remains still long enough to inadvertently become the first person ever photographed.

1861: First Color Photo

The first color photo was made possible by Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell. He created this by superimposing onto a single screen three black-and-white images each passed through red, green, and blue filters—red, green, and blue. This technique paved the way for better color innovation, especially the one developed by the French Lumißre brothers.

1946: First Photo Taken From Space

The first ever photo taken from outer space was initiated by the researchers working with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. They tied a 35mm camera to a German V-2 missile before launching the rocket. Photos were captured every 1.5 seconds as it soared higher. The 35mm camera then plunged back to the earth, with the undamaged film still inside. The photos taken were the first photos of the earth captured from space.

1991: First Digital Still Camera

It was in 1991 when the first commercially available professional digital camera was made available. Released by Kodak, this camera uses a Nikon F-3 camera body that comes with a digital sensor. It was very expensive and was heavily marketed to advanced photographers.

Five years later, more companies launched and released inexpensive models that can be afforded by the general public.

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools

Best Educational Mobile Apps

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Here are some of the best educational apps that you can try:

Organization - for making notes and to-do lists

Evernote - keeps track of everything you want to remember. You can scan tickets, book notes and phone numbers and also enables you to type notes to yourself.
30Boxes -logs important appointments and days off of school.
Voice Memos - the best voice recorder for notes, lectures and interviews
Assignments -allows you to input and view your class assignments and notes
Read It Later - lets you save interesting articles you want to read
Stanza – this application is handy when you have a lot of reading to do. It has more than 100,000 free downloadable books. There is access to textbooks, how-to’s, manuals and classic and modern literature.

Communication - for keeping in touch with group mates, classmates, and teachers

WordPress - an essential download especially if you are into blogging
Blackboard - helps you collaborate, access grades, and put assignments and tests online

Reference - for looking facts up in a hurry

Dictionary! - helps you find the spelling and meaning of over 200,000 words
Google Earth - mobile version that can allow you to look at any place in the world
Poptiq - enables you to watch all kinds of educational videos from anywhere
QuoteBook -aids you in finding relevant quotes
Roget’s New Thesaurus -shows synonyms for any word
Where - shows what are the latest news and where are the closest stores, restaurants, landmarks, weather, and other information useful in research. It is available on all major smart phone platforms
Google Mobile - offers instant information such as videos and scholarly articles
BBC Reader -makes it easy to keep up with world news from the BBC

Topics

This Day in History-find out what happened on any day of the year in the past
Maps of the World-can help you look up any country and pass on the information
VocabDaily Free-learn a new word each day or find new words
Talking Phrasebooks-learn how to say basic phrases in almost any language
Bookshelf-allows you to read e-books in your iPhone
Margins- take notes as you read with this helpful tool
Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms-to brush up on literary terms
Starmap-track the progress of the stars through the sky with this application
EleMints- take the periodic table with you everywhere with this tool
The Chemical Touch-a simple reference about the properties of the elements, the standard amino acids, and the nucleobases.
Formul8-get access to the most-used formulas for Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Science, and Chemistry
Math Ref Free-provides reference tools for geometry, algebra, trigonometry
Animoto-make great animations you can use for reports and projects
FlipBook Lite-make simple flip-book style animations with this tool

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools

Online Game Activities for the Classroom

If you are looking for activities that can encourage students to be actively involved, try online games and interactive websites. There are websites which provides information and resources along with practice, simulations, and other learning activities.

Examples would be Frog Guts and the Leonardo's Workshop games, as well as traditional drill and practice like Funbrain or book quizzes like Book Adventure.

Below are some sites that come with activities you can use to design lesson plans:

Amazing Space – Online explorations including Planet Impact, Hubble Mission, and more are available here.
Biotechnology Australia- Explore interactive activities for high school students such as DNA profiling, DNA zoon, gene probe and gene splicing.
Brain Teasers and Math Puzzles - All the brain teasers and math puzzles provided are interactive with immediate scoring.
Creative Puzzles - This site promotes creative and cognitive thinking.
Game A Day – This site challenges educators to use puzzles and games across the curriculum to encourage critical thinking and development of problem solving skills.
Geosense – Test world geography knowledge alone or against other online players.
If You Were President – This simulation asks students questions and then creates a newspaper about becoming president.
Learner.org – Has interactive, online exhibits on topics such as Amusement Park Physics, Ancient Civilizations and the Middle Ages.
ThinkPort from Maryland Public Television - Explore their Online Field Trips of interactive activities.
Nobel Prize Simulations and Games – Games based on award-winning work.

Can’t get enough of the resources above? Here are some more:

Source: http://smart.com.ph/SmartSchools/SmartTools/ClassroomOnlineGameActivities.htm

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