Online FUN!

All of these sites come from –
http://hoagiesgifted.com/brain_teasers.htm

a great site for kids, and parents too!

Visual Puns -
http://rwmarketing.com/News/VisPun.html


Wordies –
http://www.wordies.ca/wordies.htm


illusions –
http://psylux.psych.tu-dresden.de/i1/kaw/diverses%20Material/www.illusionworks.com/html/hall_of_illusions.html


plexers –
http://www.huensd.k12.ca.us/GATE_01/gate/plexers.htm


just open a new web page, and paste into the address bar.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MELODIES concert photos!

Check out this site (copy it and put it in a new internet address page)

Post a comment back to me on what you think of the photos!

Thanks to Ashley's mom for this link!

Love,
Mrs. Perry

http://cougardavelinktrackphotos.exposuremanager.com/g/2009_pulaski_melodies_christmas_concert

CHAT - lets talk!

Ok everyone, its just about time for a holiday break. lets stay in touch through my blog. Let me know how you are doing and how your vacation is going.

I want to take this time to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderful break with your family.

Read a good book and listen to wonderful music. Relax and enjoy life. Try something new and play some games. Life is fun!

Love, Mrs. Perry

Snowville Novel Readers:

For those of you reading My Daniel -

http://search.eb.com/dinosaurs/dinosaurs/

and
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/index.html

and
http://www.quia.com/jg/56321.html

For those of you reading In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson -

http://www.arthur.k12.il.us/arthurgs/56lang.htm

and
http://edhelper.com/books/In_the_Year_of_the_Boar_and_Jackie_Robinson.htm

and
http://web.bsu.edu/00smtancock/cyberlessons/yearofboar.html



For those of you reading The Green Book -

http://www.quia.com/jg/82931.html

and
http://worldroom.tamu.edu/Workshops/Migration06/USMexicoImmigration/Articles/Immigrants%20to%20a%20New%20FrontierTexas.pdf


Other literature activities -

http://mrsdell.org/quiaactivities.html



Now - be sure to copy the link, open a new internet page, then paste into the address bar. Then, after you work, come back to my blog to post a comment.

Get to work!
Mrs. Perry

Create your own blog

This is a FREE site! But, you must have an email account to have your own blog. Just go up to the top of this page and click on "create blog." It will walk you through.

So . . . if you decide to create your own blog, then please let me know your blog address so I can visit your site.

Blogging is COOL!

Don't forget to come back to my site and post your blog address in the comment box.

Thanks

Mrs. Perry

THANKS FOR BLOGGING

:)
Mrs. Perry

P.S. I would like you to continue to talk using my blog on these issues, and invite your friends and family to share their thoughts too.

IF there is a new topic, then post a comment with suggestions.

But, please continue to let me know what you hope your ideal school experience would look like. Come on . . . DREAM! Your ideas about how we can improve school are VERY IMPORTANT!!!

Graphing with excel

Here is a great site for basic information about using excel and the chart wizard feature to create bar graphs.

Again, minimize this page, open a new internet web page and insert the address below into the address bar.

http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/res/gt/gt-bar-home.html#cb1

Take a look at both the single and double bar graph examples.



OK - here is a site that will walk you through using excel to make a pictograph.

http://staffweb.wylieisd.net/staff/moniquew/pictograph.pdf

This one is very similar to a lesson that I teach about chicken farmers.


NOW - can you make up your own lesson and data that will help students learn how to use this tool? Post it as a comment, and thanks.

Mrs. Perry

Students, take a survey!

Here is a great survey to find out your learning styles. Minimize this page, open a new internet browser page and insert into the address bar the address below:

http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html


Try it, then post a comment letting me know how accurate you think that this particular survey is.

If you don't like this one, then try another one:
http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/questions.asp?cookieset=y

this one is longer!

You will find this interesting information to have. Why? I think that you can use this information to be a better student. If you are a verbal/visual learner, then you can always ask your teacher to write an example on the board. This will help you understand. If you are a kinesthetic learner, then you should choose projects that require movement or action.
Just a suggestion!
Mrs. Perry

TEENS - pros and cons

Ok teenagers, let me read your comments about the pros and cons of school. Also, do you think that school is falling behind in using technology for learning? What would you suggest for improvements?

Thanks,
Mrs. Perry

Grouping by ability for math

There are two schools of thought concerning grouping in education and I know that this is an issue that causes conflict in school buildings, especially at the middle school level.
There is some research that supports heterogeneous grouping becuase there are concerns about the quality of teaching. The concerns are that the classrooms with lover ability students sometimes are led by marginal teachers.
And there is also much research that supports homogeneous grouping in mathematics when teaching is of a high quaility in both types of classrooms. This type of grouping lets our students move at their own skill level, and helps the United States compete with other nations who are truly ahead in math education.

Where can we find a consensus in this issue? How can we make good decisions for all stakeholders? Will these decisions hold back those who are truly gifted in mathematics? Are their rights as important as those of school districts who wish to maintain a philosophy? Are we not really inclusing the rights of those with lesser math abilities? Why can'g grouping be more flexible?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this issue.

D. K. Perry

Pulaski County Melodies

Announcing that Pulaski County Melodies is doing our county-wide tour on December 15th. We will perform at Dublin Elementary School, Dublin Middle School, Wheatland Hills retirement center, and then Riverlawn Elementary School.

This is a wonderful group of 62 students from all schools in Pulaski County.

We will sing a mixed program of holiday tunes, patriotic and popular songs. This choir sings in two-part harmony. This year, we have 21 boys in our choir!

I am proud of our graduating 6th graders, and these singers are featured soloist in our concert program.

For more information, call 643-0735.

Thanks
Deb Perry, director Pulaski County Melodies

Reader's Theater

This is a fantastic site with lots of scripts:
http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE.html

Here is another great site:
http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm

Another site with different types of plays:
http://www.storiestogrowby.com/script.html

I LOVE doing theater in school becuase it gives everyone an opportunity to express themselves through another character. It teacher comprehension of the reading material and students also get to understand plot, character and setting by actually participating in a play.

TONS OF FUN!

Mrs. Perry

More game ideas for gifted children

Here is another site for top 10 games for gifted children:

http://giftedkids.about.com/od/booksandtoys/tp/top_ten_games.htm

It says:

Gifted children enjoy many of the same games, like Monopoly, that other children enjoy, but their love of learning and need for challenge means that they will enjoy games where they can learn, show off their knowledge, and be challenged. Whether your gifted child loves dinosaurs or space, language or logic, or anything in between, you can find the perfect game. Here are ten great games for gifted kids that the whole family can play.

1. Set: The Family Game of Visual Perception
Set is an all-time favorite of gifted kids. The object of the game is to find sets of three cards by following specific grouping rules. Each card has one of three shapes on it (a squiggle, a diamond, or an oval). The card can have one to three of those shapes on it and the shapes will be one of three colors displayed with one of three patterns. Gifted children are usually quick to pick out the sets from the twelve visible cards. It is a great game for the whole family.

2. Cranium Cadoo for Kids
This board game is a 2001 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner, and it's no wonder it received that award. It combines elements of some traditional favorite games like Charades, Name-That-Tune, and Trivial Pursuit, and adds elements of drawing and sculpting too! Players draw cards which tell them what task they must complete before the musical timer goes off. The game is fun for the entire family, from the youngest to the oldest. Any number of players can join the fun starting with at least two.

3. Apples to Apples
Another multi-award winning game: Family Fun Toy of the Year Award and Mensa Select Award, among others. This game is for four to ten players, with a recommended age of 12 and up. Cards have either a noun or an adjective and players must match one of each card. A judge then decides on the "best" match, but throughout the game, players take turns being the judge! Some younger gifted children could play the game, but there is also a children's version. It's fun for the whole family!

4. Mad Gab Game
Mad Gab is a hilarious language game based on sounds and pauses in speech. Players have to read a phrase from a card and their opponent must guess what the "real" phrase is. While the sounds are basically the same in each phrase, the sounds are broken up with pauses in between different sounds! "Dew Wino Hue," for example, is actually "Do I know you?" The game is for 2 or more players aged ten to adult. Gifted children who enjoy language love this game.

5. Spy Alley Board Game
What do you get when you cross Monopoly with Clue? The game Spy Alley! Players in this game are assigned secret spy identities, which they try to protect and which other players try to guess. The goal of the game is to complete your mission, which includes collecting various items such as a password and a disguise, and then landing on your country's embassy. It's a game the whole family can play and enjoy.

6. DaVinci's Challenge Game
This is a game of strategy and ancient symbols. The game board is a pattern known as the Flower of Life, a pattern made of ovals and triangles. A player's goal is to create specific symbols by placing oval or triangle pieces on the corresponding shapes on the board, while preventing his or her opponent from creating symbols. The whole family will enjoy this challenging game, although if there are more than two players, they will have to play as teams. The game is for ages seven to adult.

7. The Game of Coda
Gifted kids who love codes (and which ones don't?) will love this game. The rules are simple, but the game is challenging. Each of two to four players has a secret sequence of numbers (a code), which the other players must figure out. Players try to break their opponent's code by guessing numbers in their opponent's code. A correct guess reveals an opponent's number, while an incorrect guess reveal one of the player's numbers! The goal is to be the player whose code has not been "cracked."

8. Cogno: The Alien Adventure Game
Players take on the identity of an alien who must travel through the galaxy which contains, among other things, black holes and mystery planets. To move around the board, players must answer questions about how the universe works. The game doesn't provide simple answers to those questions, but full explanations in an accompanying book. What space-loving gifted child wouldn't love this game? The whole family can play this game, which is for ages seven to adult.

9. Dinosaurs & Things Board Game
This sturdy board game is perfect for dinosaur lovers. Players must make their way through the various eras, like the Jurassic, collecting dinosaur cutouts as they go. The cutouts that are placed like puzzle pieces over a picture of the dinosaur's skeleton. Players make their way around the board by answering questions about dinosaurs. However, multi-level play makes the game fun and challenging for dinosaur lovers of all ages. It's for two to four players, ages 8 to adult.

10. Risk Godstorm Game
This strategy game is a twist on the classic Risk game. In this version, players enter the ancient world of mythology and attempt to control five ancient cultures: Greek, Celtic, Babylonian, Norse and Egyptian. Gods can be summoned and battles can be fought in the underworld. For those who love mythology and strategy games, this game is ideal. The recommended ages are twelve and up, so families with older children will enjoy playing this game together.

Teachers

Teachers - try to expand your thinking to brainstorm beyond the limitations of our current system, primarily limited by funding and archaic structures. What are some crazy ideas that you have thought about which you think might improve public school education?
- funding issues
- curriculum changes
- organizational issues
- scheduling problems and solutions
- great lesson ideas
- themes
- development aspects

etc.

Thanks
D. K. Perry

Fun Brain Site

This site has a lot to offer.

http://www.funbrain.com/


Math Arcade
Reading
Arcade
Playground




Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Amelia Writes Again
Brewster Rockit
Silent Kimbly
On the Rocks



Math Baseball
The Plural Girls
Proton Don
Grammar Gorillas
Math Car Racing
All games




Entertainment Center


AND - you can also find a game by grade level. TRY IT!

Mrs. Perry

Movies vs Novels

Ok everyone - have you already read Fantastic Mr. Fox?v So, since the movie is coming out soon, I think ou should read the book first. I think that a book is always better than a movie because the movie in your head (as the reader) is always better than the movie.
Can you think of any novels you have read where the book is better than the movie?
AND - can you think of any movie that is better than the book?

Also, with much dicussionm at Snowville Elementary, many students have commented that there are some movies that require the viewer to read the book first. Many children have mentioned that Harry Potter movies require that the book be read first. The book helps fill in the information that is found in the movie - like the expository and character details. This way, viewers can better understand the Harry Potter movies. But, most of my students think that the Harry Potter movies are for the most part better than the books.

What do you think?

Mrs.Perry
P.S. Don't forget about other movies that have been released this year. One of my favorite movies this year is Up. What has been your favorite movie so far this year?

Students

Hello students, send me a blog about yourself. I want to get your opinion of how your school year is going along.

Think about:
- what is going on in your classrooms now, and what are the special things you are doing now?
- what are the great ideas you have been having while you are learning in school?
- what would you like to do for others over the holidays?
- what would you like to have given to you (or done for you) as a holiday present?
- what favorite books have you been reading lately, and why would you recommend them?
- will you be traveling or visiting family during the holiday break?

Gift Ideas

Great ideas for Holiday gifts!

1. Math Dice: http://foximaging.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_23&products_id=12

2. Crazy Bubbles!: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000ISPB?tag=thehoagiesgifted&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B00000ISPB&creative=373489&camp=211189

3. Keva Contraptions (for builders!): http://www.mindwareonline.com/MWESTORE/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid={924480d7-e247-4881-a904-b19e08896934}&SG=AA1011&

4. Hugg a planet: http://www.peacetoys.com/huggplanet.html

5. Oops!: http://foximaging.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_23&products_id=15

6. Word Sense: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00021H92O?tag=thehoagiesgifted&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B00021H92O&creative=373489&camp=211189

PARENTS - here are some prompts for your feedback:

- what did you like that your child experienced in school?
- what was a bad experience that your child experienced in school?
- what would you like to see included in public education that was not available for your child?


THANKS for your thoughts!

Puzzles

Here are a few puzzles:
Just copy and paste into your address bar:

http://www.conceptispuzzles.com/index.aspx?uri=puzzle/euid/010000005a1db74672929056d0bd4c5474d68bdf8b8d8d33cded9e435a6a3002fdad7dca6409d593b8515f2fb291a8786617b3ca/play

This will bea basic logic fill-a-pix.

Or do you like optical illusions? Try this site.
http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/index.html

But get your eyes ready!

Greetings

Hey, hope all is well.

Here are a few sites I like. Try them out! These start at a site for parents or kids & teens called hoagiesgifted.com.




You can find links and lots of ideas. There are also lots of games too. Like:


What sites do you children like?