--- TIC-TECH message:
Thank you for taking the time to share such rich resources and thoughts,
Mark. Even with this wonderful tool for communication, most of us don't
take the time to do what you've done here. The fact that you found the time
in addition to hosting this forum - and thank you so much for doing that
again this year - is a bit humbling.
Roberta A. Johnson
Instructional Technology, AX-668
rjohnson@seattleschools.org
Phone: (206) 366-2612, Fax: (206) 366-7911
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Ahlness [mailto:mahlness@cks.ssd.k12.wa.us]
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 10:10 PM
To: TIC-TECH@tic.ssd.k12.wa.us
Subject: Tic-Tech: A few things to share...
--- TIC-TECH message:
Hi All,
Maybe it's because the end of the year is so close, maybe it's because
it's been so quiet here lately, or maybe it's because I have to tell you
all - I just don't know. Anyway, here are a few things I just have to
share:
Mae is a Grandma, Smoke is a Dad!
Three years ago my classroom of third graders had the honor of naming one
of the two peregrine falcon chicks born to Mae, on a power plant
smokestack near Minneapolis in 1998. We named him "Smoke". There was a
"birdcam", and it was incredibly exciting. I put together a slideshow:
http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/falcon/ to document the event. So now,
three years later, having survived a 75% mortality rate for first year
peregrines, Smoke has a mate (Sophia) and his own nest - and guess what?
He happens to be on another birdcam site! Here is mother Mae's site:
http://www.xcelenergy.com/community/birdcamking.asp - and here is son
Smoke's: http://www.xcelenergy.com/community/birdCamHighBridge.asp - My
class has been watching, zoomed in on our classroom TV, which is hooked up
to a computer, which is on a web site which sends a picture of the nest
every two minutes. We started watching when there were four eggs. Now
Mae's chicks are big birds, preparing to fledge. Her three grandchicks in
Smoke's nest are a couple of weeks behind.... It's on all day long, and
it's a part of our classroom this spring.
The Random Thoughts of Louis Schmier
http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
I've been maintaining this for Louis since 1995. There are over 300
"Random Thoughts" archived, but a real classic is
http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/tobeatea.html - "..... So, here is what I
am going to tell the students about what I think it takes to be not a
history teacher, but a teacher of anything at any level: "If you want to
be a teacher, you first have to learn how to play hopscotch, learn other
children games, learn how to watch a snail crawl, read "Yertle the
Turtle", and watch "Bullwinkle". If you want to be a teacher, you have to
blow "she loves me, she loves me nots" with a dandilion or pull the
indiviudal petals of a daisy, wiggle your toes in the mud and let it ooze
through them, stomp in rain puddles, and be humbled by the majesty of a
mountain. ...."
This is a place to get inspired, challenged, angered, and to have beliefs
and ethics questioned. It's why we do what we do. As we run on fumes
these last weeks of the year, it's nice to remember.
A Tribute to Jim Holloway
http://www.plu.edu/print/holloway/
Jim was the music professor murdered on campus at Pacific Lutheran
University in Tacoma recently. My wife teaches voice at PLU, and was a
good friend of Jim. She was doing a recording with him this summer. She
walked by the very spot where he was killed five minutes before he was
randomly shot by a stalker, who was looking to kill a PLU faculty member.
It could have been her. Random violence against the education community.
Our lives have changed forever. Jim was a truly beloved teacher and an
incredibly gifted musician. The community there will not be the same for
a long time. The outpouring of support for this man is stunning. Read the
"Message Board". Marvel at the influence possible from a teacher. Think
about your students, your loved ones, and your legacy.
All of the above web sites are here to share and learn from because of
this new technology. A few years ago there would have been no such sort
of exchange. Thanks to the many who make it a worthwhile medium. - Mark
Mark Ahlness
mahlness@cks.ssd.k12.wa.us
Teacher, grade three at:
Arbor Heights Elementary School
http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jun 07 2001 - 10:47:27 PDT