Author Archives: Dee

About Dee

I am a working wife, geek, and mother of two with opinions about just about everything which I plan to share here.

A Saint Goes Marching

I am not from this community and when you are a “transplant” you don’t know all the history and the long-time relationships between families and the community.  I have lived here long enough, however that some of the recent history of the community has become mine as well.

My kids were both band nerds and for several summers I had kids playing in the summer concerts in the park put on by the municipal band.  Musicians from high school age on up would gather to practice once a week and on Friday nights we could drag our quilts and lawn chairs to the park and families would gather around the pavilion to hear them play.  The concerts always begin with the National Anthem and end with “I Love Paris”.

These concerts are one of the things I have grown to love about my adopted community.  What a picture of small town America and like any small town, the picture has it’s own flavor because of the characters involved.

We lost one of those characters this week.  I knew him and his family through work but my favorite memories will be of him introducing the songs at the summer concerts.  Ever a teacher and music enthusiast, he saw that we had a little piece of information about the different composers and the music.  A regular composer each year was Henry Fillmore.  Because of Pat I know that Mr. Fillmore was known as the “Father of the Trombone Smear” and that he married an exotic dancer named Mabel May Jones. When his introduction began, as soon as he mentioned Henry Fillmore, those of us who were “regulars” for several years would chuckle because we knew that he would mention Mabel next.

I know that Pat was loved by his family, friends, and community and this is my favorite memory of him.  I will always think of my kids and their years in band when I hear a march being played but  now I will also be listening in my mind for Pat to tell a story about it.  I know you are a saint who is marching in right now.  Thanks Pat,  and God speed.

Beginning To Use iPhoto

To import pictures from your camera – open iPhoto.  Plug your camera in using the usb cable or using a card reader – plug your memory card in.
Open iPhoto, click file < Import pictures

Your pictures will all be in the iPhoto library – all your pictures.  One way I have seen this described is that iPhoto is a database of all your pictures.

iphotolibrary

Let’s look at Events and Albums.

Every time you import a picture from your camera or through drag and drop, iPhoto creates an event.  It’s iPhoto’s way of automatically organizing your photos according to the date they are added.  So an Event in iPhoto is just an instance of adding photos, whether it is one photo or fifty.

Albums are YOUR way of organizing your photos according to ways that make sense to you.

A photo can only be in one event because it can only be uploaded one time.

A photo can be in as many albums as you want because it doesn’t really physically move the photo – it just is a way of saying that you want to view all photos that fit this criteria you have set.

Lets use Christmas as an example.  Maybe you have taken pictures for ten years at christmas.  You have ten Christmas picture events because each Christmas you took pictures and each time you took those pictures you uploaded them to iPhoto,

Now at the end of those ten years, you want to see just the pictures of little Susie at Christmas so you can see how she has grown.

You create an album called Christmas Susie.  To create that album you just click File < New Album and give it a name. You will now see it in the list of folders on the left sidebar.

Now all you have to do is click on Library < Photos and drag the photos you want to see when you click that album and drag them in it.  You haven’t actually moved any photos.  You can still click on Library < Photos and see all of them.  But if you click on the album you will ONLY see the pictures you added to it.

If you want to make iPhoto actually work FOR you, you can create something called a “smart” album.  Just like creating an album you go to file < new album.  This time, choose smart album (give it a name) and a new box will pop up letting you choose criteria for what goes into the album.  If you want to specify more, just click the plus sign and you will get another box to add more criteria. From now on, any picture that fits that criteria will automatically be placed into that album for you by iPhoto.

You can customize your bottom toolbar a bit to fit your needs.  To do this, click view up at the top and select “show in toolbar”.  Whatever you check will show.  You can change this at any time.

Now if you want to create a cd of some photos you can select the album you have created and click burn in the bottom toolbar making sure there is a cd in the drive.

I hope this helps you get started organizing your pictures with iPhoto.

Are You Sunny or Gray?

There was a lesson at church this week on how we are most like satan when we are accusing our brothers or sisters.  The bible talks about whispers – you know what I’m talking about.  A better word is probably muttering.  Doesn’t that paint an attractive picture? The negative things we say that get back to people or even if they don’t, they color our attitude about that person and everything in general.  They also color us.  When we slop muddy paint on someone else we can’t help but get some on ourselves.

I wish we were like those big trucks that make the loud beeping warning sound when they are backing up.  When we start backing up into bad behavior the warning beeps would help us stop in our tracks and turn.  BEEP BEEP you’re not being an encourager!  BEEP BEEP You’re not controlling your tongue!  Danger Will Robinson!!

I’ve been trying to meditate on it all week and a friend of mine once said something that seemed so profound and at the same time, so simple.  We can’t always change our circumstance but we can always change our attitude towards our circumstance.

Our attitude is sometimes the only thing we DO have control over, or I should say, God has control over.  I can’t stop backing up into bad stuff but I can pray that God will put the brakes on and show me which direction to turn.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Maybe they could invent “Good Attitude” the drug.  We could have a pump like they use for morphine.  Every time we feel a negative attitude coming on we could just hit the little button and POOF – we are sunny and yellow instead of muddy gray.

The thing about attitude is that it is catching like a virus.  In ministry when there is encouragement – people get saved, churches get planted, people do ministry.  When there is muttering and whispering the very opposite happens.  It applies in our jobs and families the same way.  We have the choice to lift up or drag down.  I want to do better at the lifting up.  I want more sunny yellow and less muddy gray.  I’m not good at it, but I’m going to work at it.

I had a really bad day.  I tried to keep the muttering to a minimum.

pictures by http://flickr.com/photos/botheredbybees/ and http://flickr.com/photos/ir0cko/

Photography Tips From a Friend

A blogging friend of mine has posted some great tips and explanations on photography.  I thought I would share with you – go visit her blog “Fruit on the Vines”.

Photo Tip – Shutter Speed

Photo Tip – Depth of Field

Photo Tip – Aperture + Shutter Speed

Photo Tips – But What If My Camera Doesn’t Have the Ability to Shoot in Manual?

She did such a good job even I understand some of this 🙂

The Secret Life of Bees

What a glorious story.  How beautiful women’s spirits can be and how blessed that we can change the world in big ways in small areas through that spirit and through love.

Stories of life seem to me to be of two kinds.  Either the serendipitous kind that leave us shaking our heads and wondering at the inexplicable twists of the world that cause life to follow paths that seem to make absolutely no sense.

Then there are the stories like this one that seem to complete a circuit that has a beginning and an end that shine with the authorship of god Himself.

Maybe these are actually one and the same, the only difference being that our perspective is too narrow to see the full circle.  Whatever the truth, this is a story that will leave you feeling good about the world.  With all the evil and pain, God is at work healing and lifting us up through the very frailties of His kids.

Favorite Secret Life of Bees Quotes

“Don’t writers just imagine things you can’t see?
Why don’t you just imagine yourself another future?”

“Finding out the truth is only half of it
It’s what you do with it that matters, right?”

Great movie.  Great story.

Moving To Mayberry

This is a repost – I first typed the original post in Microsoft Word and just copied and pasted it into WordPress. Unfortunately this caused problems if you viewed it in Internet Explorer. Hopefully I have resolved that issue and thanks to Denise for letting me know!

This morning I was cleaning house and in between chores, checking email and drinking my coffee. Dale had Andy of Mayberry on the TV and I got interested in the show.

Lets think about the story line in Mayberry this morning.

The man who has delivered milk for years with his horse and cart, has been told he has to start driving a truck. He buys the horse from the company because he has been with her for years.

Commitment, Satisfaction in doing a job well, dependability

He goes for a short vacation and hires Opie to go out to his place and feed the horse while he is gone. Andy is hesitant to allow Opie to take the job on because he recalls the paper route that he had to complete for him. He gives Opie a chance.

Responsibility, Accountability, Active parenting

Opie goes to feed the horse in the mornings before school but the horse refuses to eat. After discussion at the barbershop, they decide that maybe the horse wants to eat in the afternoon.

Concern for a living creature, beyond what is required in a job, problem solving, relationships with community members who are the “village” it takes to raise a child.

As Opie has to mow the yard he promises a friend a quarter if he will go feed the horse. The friend gets worried the horse will die and walks him to Opie’s house. Opie hides the horse in the garage, planning to return her in the morning.

Illustration of a situation where an adult needs to be consulted

As Opie and Andy and Aunt Bea eat supper they hear what has to be the horse kicking the wall in the garage. Opie tries to keep everyone’s attention diverted but of course they go out to see what the noise is. It has been suggested that a neighbor might be building something to and Opie jumps on that saying yes he might be. Andy tells Opie “Let’s have it” and the story comes out. Aunt Bea gets involved and the next thing Andy knows, the vet is called and everyone is looking to him to fix the problem. Aunt Bea suggests that the horse is missing his owner. The vet tells Aunt Bea he may start calling her for consultations and she is pleased and embarrassed. At one point Opie reminds his dad that he didn’t really lie. Andy tells him that it is very borderline.

First of all – a family sitting down to dinner together! Second – said family having a conversation at the dinner table! A parent waiting for an explanation with the expectation that the child will have one. Aunt Bea – humility and an innate sense of right and wrong and a joy in taking care of others.

The teachable moment where the blurry difference between a lie and the borderline “truth” are pointed out.

Of course the owner returns home, the horse still won’t eat but they figure out that she is missing working and she ends up walking behind his truck everyday.

Flexibility in coming up with a solution that may not be convenient, or fit in with out modern day insurance considerations but that becomes a part of the character and history of a small community

I’m moving to Mayberry.

A Friend’s Passing

It has been a long day and I have things I could post but I’m too tired to think LOL.  I stayed to keep the lab open and left there just in time to swing by and pick up Dale and go to church. I didn’t get to walk but I skipped supper so I guess that evens it out.

A friend from our first church here in Paris died this morning.  He has been sick for awhile and his passing is sad.

The first time we went to that church Dale wasn’t with me.  He was working and I took the kids and went in our old van.  John was the first person to talk to us and after church I couldn’t get the big sliding door on the side of the van to latch and John helped me hook a bungee cord onto it so I could drive home.

The last year he sat near the back of the church and threw peppermints at another friend over a private joke. Whenever you asked him how he was, he always said “Better than I deserve”.  I sat next to his wife in the choir and he often cooked beans and fish for annual dinners.

Those are my memories of him and I wanted to mark his passing by sharing them.

Big Bang Theory Jewels

It has been a strange day and not altogether good.  I have been playing escape tonight watching Big Bang Theory which was a repeat that I had somehow missed. Here are some of my favorite things from the show tonight.

Penny?
Oh don’t tell her…
We’re playing klingon boggle!
Aww…
What like she didn’t know we’re nerds?

I LOVE Big Bang Theory!

Word for the night : vociferous – conspicuously and usually offensively loud

phrase for spam and forwarded emails – internet banality

The guys one lab accident away from being a super villain

Sheldon:Woman you are playing with forces beyond your ken
Pennie: Well your ken can kiss my barbie!
___________________
Penny: I will not apologize
Sheldon: Well then I suggest you get a very long stick and play panty pinata
___________________

Penny is smart to hang out with the nice nerdy guys.  Nerdy guys are much nicer than girls.

But God…

The lesson this morning was from Ephesians again.  The scripture that was the focus was Ephesians 2:1-7

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

I looked up the phrase “But God” on Bible Gateway and there were 10 examples before you even get out of Genesis.

In Ephesians we were dead in our sins and transgressions….But God loved and saved through grace.

I never really understood the difference between sins and transgressions before. It was explained that sins are simply missing the mark.  In order to get to heaven on our own works all we have to do is be perfect like out Father,  Well that’s a snap huh? Miss the mark?  Just by a little LOL

A transgression is a willful act of disobedience.  We know the direction we are to walk and we turn around and walk our own way instead.  If you have ever raised a child you may have had a time when you told your toddler not to touch something only to have them reach for it anyway – sometimes while they are looking right at you!  That’s us.

The bible has so many “But God” examples.  We sinned, God sent a flood, But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Gen.8:1

Joseph’s brothers threw him into a well and then sold him into slavery and he ended up being in a position to save their lives. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Gen. 50:20

David his from Solomon fearing for his life: David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. 1 Sam. 23:14

Those who trust in themselves are destined for the grave…But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Psalm 49

The so-called religious leaders looked down on Jesus. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight. Luke 16:14-15

Peter preached to the people – not easy Christianity, but strong words.  You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. Acts 3:15

Money or marital troubles that you can’t see how to fix?  You may not know how you are going to get through it – “But God“!

Trials with your health, job or family that seem to big for you alone?  They may be to big for you “But God”!

Afraid that you can’t walk in the way God wants you to walk?  You can’t in your own power, “But God“!

But God….

A Walking Valentine

What do you give someone for Valentines Day when they are on a diet?  Especially someone like me who thinks chocolate is a major food group!  NOT chocolate.  Dale asked me what I wanted and I told him I wanted two new remotes for our tvs.  One old one doesn’t turn on or shut off.  It was the one for our bedroom tv and you would have to get up and walk across the room to shut the stupid thing off. I know that’s whiny but it sort of defeats the whole getting sleepy thing if I have to get out from under the covers and walk.  I am then wide awake and have to read even longer to fall asleep.

The extra one for the living room (the one I use of course) is the original one that came with the tv and it would do everything except turn the volume down.  Because I am a silly creature of habit I would pick it up, try to turn down the sound, growl and hunt for the other remote…EVERY time.

We now have two new ones but getting them programmed was interesting.  I followed the directions and pressed the device (tv) button and then held down the power button until it came on and stayed on.  Then for the old tv in our room there were about 12 sets of 4 codes that you had to enter.  The power button was supposed to blink each time you entered a set.  It did not.  I tried twice.  I read the instructions again.  I tried again.  I growled.  No luck.  My son picked it up and looked at the codes.  He pointed it at the tv, held down the tv button and entered the first code.  It worked.  I read the instructions again and NO WHERE did it say to do this.

I also asked for a pedometer so I could keep up with how far I walk.  I’m not obsessed about it – I just wanted a ball park figure.  I took it out of the package and like the remotes, this required a chainsaw, jackhammer, and much growling.  The instructions said to slowly pull the battery protector tab that was sticking out of the battery door on the back off the pedometer.  There was no tab and nothing came on.  We got out a tiny screwdriver and took the cover off and sure enough, there was the tab, folded double inside.

The last thing I asked for was another set of hand weights to have at the house, since I carried the other set up to school.  The only thing I had to do to them was cut the string that held the tag on.

Dale was not sure about these gifts.  He didn’t think they were very romantic but I appreciate all three gifts and have already used them all.  The frustration of getting the first two working gave me a headache, but walking with the last one helped get rid of the stress that caused so it all evened out.  Maybe next year I’ll stick with chocolate.

David Merrill: Siftables, the toy blocks that think

I seem to be on a toy kick but these are just the coolest things.  I would love to play.  If you haven’t discovered Ted Talks you may be in for a treat.

From their website:

“TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).

This site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free. More than 200 talks from our archive are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted. ”

You can subscribe through your feed reader or just check out the site from time to time.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/

“MIT grad student David Merrill demos Siftables — cookie-sized, computerized tiles you can stack and shuffle in your hands. These future-toys can do math, play music, and talk to their friends, too. Is this the next thing in hands-on learning?
About David Merrill

David Merrill works on Siftables, tiny computer blocks that interact with each other to make networks (and music).”

http://www.ted.com/talk/david_merrill_demos_siftables_the_smart_blocks.html

I Want To Be a Kid Again!

Just for the toys – ok, forget the kids.  I may have to buy one of these for myself. They are just too cute!

crayolamp3player

“The Crayola MP3 Player is designed for children 4 and older and has a fun lozenge-shaped control panel with five large differently colored buttons for each function. The MP3 player also features a built-in voice recorder and speaker, for more interactive play. It holds 2GB of music and comes with earbuds as well as colorful letter stickers enabling kids to affix their names to the unit. The player runs on one AAA battery (not included) and can be plugged into the Crayola AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio dock.”

They aren’t out yet and are supposed to run about $49.00.  I can see a whole class of first graders, wearing their little earbuds, and listening to their teacher podcast.  I love these!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Description from Amazon

“Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games.” The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat’s sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.”

The boys and girls who are chosen are taken to the capital and fed, dressed, interviewed, and the entire games are televised – the ultimate in reality tv.  I found myself unable to hate some of the characters who were part of the cruelty and at the same time, disliking some of the “tributes” as the boys and girls are called even though they are the victims.  Like real life, the lines are not sharp – and the good have the ability to do evil while the evil have moments of good.

Katniss is strong and fearless and intuitive where her survival is concerned and you will be cheering her on.  I can’t wait to read the next one.

For a much better review than I could possible write see here:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/90029009.html

and here:
http://professornana.livejournal.com/173630.html

I’ll be passing this one on to my daughter and later donating it to the school library.

thehungergames

Sunday Morning Blessings

This morning we were singing a song I have sung many times before, but all of a sudden in the middle of the verse I got a lump in my throat and my eyes were tearing up.

“I’m forgiven, because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit lives within me
Because You died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That You my King, would die for me
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honor You
In all I do, I honor you”

I was overcome with gratitude for all that has come my way.  Dale is doing well. The kids are both doing ok.  I had a wonderful trip to Austin, time with old friends, got to know new friends a little better, the weather has been wonderful.  My health has been good, work has been good.  Most of my friends have been blessed lately.  Little things, big things, all things!

All I could think was thank you.  Thank you God for all you have done for me lately.  I have concerns I lift to Him of course, like everyone.  A friend in particular that needs a job, he and his family.  I pray that God will bring something for him and that he will have this same blessed feeling.  That’s the thing about this feeling.  I want to share it with everyone I know.  I’m a much nicer, kinder person when I have this attitude of gratitude.  Instead of spending all my time looking in, I am looking up and out.

The lesson was on Ephesians.  The Wealth, The Walk, and the Warfare.  We are still in the wealth and it was such a fitting lesson for how I am feeling.  The blessings of God the Father, God The Son, and God the Holy Spirit and the wealth they give us as believers.  The power they give us to walk, not on our own strength, but in our weakness, letting God be strong and do battle for us.  The power of prayer that lets us join with others anywhere in the world.  The surrender that comes, not from saying I will sit back and let God do it all, but from saying I will let Him direct what I do so that I DO honor Him.

I know that there will be trials and that I will do more than stumble – I will fall flat on my face repeatedly.  It never ends well when I rely on my own strength or wisdom.

Calvary Chapel Paris is planting two new churches.  One in McKinney and one in Idabel.  I pray that the blessings I have received at this church will go out from the two new ones and bless others.  It’s amazing to me that this church that had maybe 25 people coming on a regular basis when we started and was housed in a metal building out on 271, now has about 400 people attending and multiple active ministries.  The praise team, Children’s ministry, home fellowships, women’s ministry, ministry classes, hebrew class,  youth, and others are all strong and ministering to so many.

I have a box full of notebooks full of notes from Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights., and those notebooks are precious to me.  They are my “real world” journal as this is my online one.

I try not to mix the journals too often but this morning this feeling was just so overwhelming.  Just wanted to share it with you. Amazing.  Love.

Heading Home

I meant to get this posted this morning but ran out of time (and battery juice) so I am sending it on now 🙂

I am sitting in the lobby of the Sheraton, listening to Coldplay and reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (which I will be blogging about later – awesome book).  There was a fire on the legendary Sixth Street and several businesses were affected.

TCEA was enjoyable and I learned some new things.  I have blogged my notes and will try to round up the links that I found,  I have enjoyed my first stuffed avocado at Trudy’s (yum) and visited with friends, shopped, had a Hula Hut and Mozarts night (thanks Tony and Paige!) and just had a very nice trip. The company on the ride down and back was great (thanks Paula and Missi!) and it was good to get to know some folks better.

On the ride home we stopped for lunch at Freebirds and had a discussion about Stuckeys which had Missi googling on her phone for more information. We all had fond memories of their divinity.  There was the traditional stop at West (I did eat a cream cheese kolache – NOT diet food) and a stop for cold medicine for Paula.

I’m now looking forward to a peaceful weekend, laundry, sleeping in my own bed, and getting back to my walking routine.  Monday will be here before I know it but I think I will be a bit nicer, a bit more enthusiastic, and have a few ideas for some things to share with teachers.  I’d say it was worth the trip 🙂

A Milestone!

Sometime during TCEA I passed the 400 post mark.  It is hard for me to believe that I have found that much to write about but according to WordPress this will be post 406.  It’s kind of appropriate that I would reach this milestone here at a technology conference.  Here is a list of somethings I have learned at this conference (not technology)

1. Photoshop sessions are very popular.  I nearly didn’t get in one that I wanted to see today.

2. Don’t bother going to a session in a room that you want to stay in for the next session.  Volunteers have the dubious pleasure of making you exit and get in line with the rest of the folks ( a pet peeve of mine – immature, I know )

3. Whatever session you want to attend next will be at the opposite end of the conference center than the previous one.

4.  The little freebie backpacks do NOT have padded straps and will move from annoying to painful before the day is over.

5.  Roll around carts are easy to trip over.  I now HATE them.  I can see why they are banned from some conferences.

6.  The slowness of the people in front of you will be in direct proportion to how late you are for the next session you want to attend.

7. Take snacks just in case – nothing at the conference center will be cheap

That is all I have for now.  Tomorrow we will be heading home and after what I hope is a restful weekend it will be back to work.

Using Google Earth to Drive Your Lessons to Victory Lane TCEA09 Notes

Susan Anderson and Jim Holland Arlington isd
http://googleearthlessons.wetpaint.com
www.curriculummagic.com

the students would have two kmz files and a powerpoint
there would already be some basic prerequisite skills
lesson called Lost
geographic labeling of the earth
based on reinforcing that skill
a little on time zones

an alien has landed on earth and really doesn’t know where they are but will give you as the students, clues to help discover their location

this lesson probably targets 4th or 5th grade

TEKS come from grades 2,3 and 5

technical difficulties – they are trying to get to google earth

they have folded cards with abcd and yes, no, false, true for the “student” participants to hold up to answer questions (this would be great with writeon wipe off boards too

Asking geography questions as students hold up answer cards about hemisphere and latitude, longitude

Showing Australia – this country is not A continent, B Country, C island, D isthmus
Teacher asks why this place is not

What line of longitude is opposite of the international dateline a equator, b rime meridian, c tropic of cancer, and d tropic of capricorn

when it is summer in the western hemisphere, it is winter in the eastern hemisphere true/false

In order to navigate around the earth I can grab it with the hand or double click on the earth and it will turn. zoom in, push it around with the hand, use the rotaion
can turn off automatic tilt while zooming if you like

version 5 released Sunday

to add a placemark
click on pushpin choose add placemark
give it a name and type info into description
now if you click on the placemark the info in the description will be displayed
you can change the icon from the yellow placemark
right click on placemark to edit it choose properties
add custom icons – any jpg pr gif
right click and save place as
native extension is kmz so it will be whatever name you gave it.kmz
kmz files are very small so easy to share

all about me in the handout is a great way to intro google earth

a teaching tip with google earth – have students turn their mouse upside down (it’s hard to sneak quietly

around the world are placemarks – many with question marks

eliminate placemarks that do not have alien clues
rightclick and turn off
so now only placemarks you need to see will be displayed

Lost has a list of cities in one column and the other column is for students to write why that city was eliminated

eg if a clue said it’s a place where penguins live then you might want to eliminate Mexico city

first one done together for guided practice

first slide
students will double click on the Lost kmz file which will automatically launch google earth for you

Hi my name is Nan I’m from the planet ning I think I’m lost can you help. I’ve got a few clues to help – I am not on an island

you can password protect a ppt file
save, choose where and under tools on 07 and 03 – choose general options on 07 security options makes you enter a password
his would be useful for a ppt you want students to use so they couldn’t modify it
password can be needed to open or just to modify

can go to view menu and choose grid to see the gridlines

online tools available on their wiki
online stopwatch – you can give students specific amount of time for an activity
www.online-stopwatch.com
can be embedded into a blog or wiki

ctrl mouse properties
pointer options
show location of mouse pointer when I press the control key

also on the wiki is the random name picker (or random vocab word
classtools
random name/word picker

kml files – things like timezones can be contained in kml files
you can turn on and turn off some of these overlays if you only want it on long enough to do a task
some of the overlays make it hard to see anything else.

At this point I had to move on to the next session but most of what you would need is on their wiki