Talks Andrea Ghez: The hunt for a supermassive black hole

With new data from the Keck telescopes, Andrea Ghez shows how state-of-the-art adaptive optics are helping astronomers understand our universe's most mysterious objects: black holes. She shares evidence that a supermassive black hole may be lurking at the center of the Milky Way.

Google now has "BOOKS" as a category!

Google Books Settlement Agreement

Important Update: On November 19, 2009, the Court granted preliminary approval of the Amended Settlement. If you're an author, publisher, or copyright holder, please visit the settlement administration site for information.

The Future of Google Books

Our groundbreaking agreement with authors and publishers.

Three years ago, the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers and a handful of authors and publishers filed a class action lawsuit against Google Books.

Today we're delighted to announce that we've settled that lawsuit and will be working closely with these industry partners to bring even more of the world's books online. Together we'll accomplish far more than any of us could have individually, to the enduring benefit of authors, publishers, researchers and readers alike.

It will take some time for this agreement to be approved and finalized by the Court. For now, here's a peek at the changes we hope you'll soon see.

1. Book Search today
2. How Book Search will change
3. Three types of books
4. The Book Rights Registry
5. Libraries and universities
6. Looking forward

New! Read what people are saying about the Google Books settlement

The Muppets: Ringing of the Bells

Do you have to be over 35 to enjoy the Muppets? Who is your favourite Muppet character? Leave a comment and let us know. Have a Merry Christmas.

Our Legacy - Historical Info on Aboriginal Peoples of Saskatchewan

This is a great site where you can find historical information on Metis, First Nations, and Inuit people in Saskatchewan. When you go to the site you will see a list on the side of all the different regions that have material posted on the site.

Link to Main Site: Our Legacy

Northern Saskatchewan Archives has info from northern areas, but make sure you check out the other areas (Prince Albert Historical Society) as they also have items related to northern Sask.

The material on this site was made available to the public online by:
This site developed by the University of Saskatchewan Archives, University of Saskatchewan Library, and Pahkisimon Nuye?ah Library System

This is a must see site. Enjoy!

Connecting with change

Someone told me about TweetDeck a few months back and I filed it somewhere in the recess of my gray matter knowing that it would resurface when I needed it. What I remembered was that this was another way to leverage the "groupthink" of twitter for for my own purposes. We all have different reasons and applications for tools. My purpose in this was an effective a way to connect to professional learning network talk. This morning I selected a post from Alec Curous to one of his students. ( http://nwgnr.wordpress.com/2009/12/ ) It turned out to be an interesting glimpse of change. This is an e-portfolio of an undergraduate student at the University of Regina specializing in K-5 education. This person is an avid gamer with a learning philosophy that defines the teacher as "the most experienced student in the classroom".
I occasionally take the time to connect because I know that if I don't, I am .....disconnected and likely out of touch with the the daily changing digital world. I think that TweetDeck offers another way to quickly monitor the talk. The other side of this is being a part of change and being able to participate in the conversations.
The way we choose to use the tools around us defines our capabilities. If we expand our abilities to use new tools then we have one more way to interact with the world. Learning to use tools in a creative or innovative way is no different than a trapper in a remote area leveraging the materials at hand to get something done. Often circumstances suggest a new way to do something.

Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight | Video on TED.com

Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight | Video on TED.com

Shawn Atleo on The Hour

This 15 minute interview with Shawn Atleo, AFN Grand Chief, that George Strombolopolous did on The Hour, covers several areas. The intro is a quick overview of First Nations history. The item begins by talking about the meanings of Shawn's names, then touches on the issues and challenges he faces while in office and ends with him showing his impressive break dancing skills. Click here to watch it.

Searching this blog

We use this blog site to post a huge variety of interesting links to resources, ideas, offer inspiration, share accomplishments, and to occasionally rant at the moon. One of the results of these random postings is that it becomes difficult to find something we know was posted previously.
While we are busy posting new and fresh ideas, we still need the ability to find artifacts and re-visit posts from the past. Scrolling and searching through titles just doesn't cut it, but the new blog search tool (upper right top) is great for digging up previous topics.
Type a topic or keyword and see what you can find.
Cheers.

Working over Christmas Holidays

The great thing about online learning is its FLEXIBILITY. Although our office will be closed from Dec. 19-Jan. 3, 2010 you can still continue working on your classes. If you get stuck on a question, skip it and move on to the next section. You could also try researching your question on the internet or check it out using online tutor websites (ex. Math Tutor). Try asking a friend or family member to help you. If you have children you would be amazed how well they can work on computers. The key is to not give up and schedule time in to work on your classes. Pick a time and place that works for you. Remember if you are a "night owl" or an "early bird" work with it, don't fight your biological brain clock unless you want to work on changing it. For example, if you want to be an early bird train yourself by getting up 10-15 minutes earlier for a week, then 10-15 minutes earlier the next week, and so on. The body has a better chance of changing over time rather than shocking it with too much change, too soon.

Open Teaching and Learning

I was delighted to read about this worldwide system of providing open educational resources to everyone who has access to the Internet. Take a look by clicking on this link.

Youtube sensation from 2008!

Plato Web Learning Network

My name is Elizabeth Hill and I have been hired by Northlands College as the new PLATO Coordinator. PLATO is a web-based learning curriculum that delivers more than 5,000 hours of basic-to-advanced-level instruction in reading, writing, math, science, and life and work skills. Content can easily be adapted to meet individual needs, and learners can access the program 24/7 as along as they have access to the internet. Personalized instruction allows learners to work at their pace while improving skills and building knowledge. Anyone interested in learning more about PLATO Web Learning can contact Northlands College @ 1-888-311-1185

Being Appreciative

Feeling grateful to or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value in your life. - By Christian Northrup

It is interesting that you do not appreciate things until you no longer have them. For example when you are healthy you do not appreciate it until you are sick. We should always take the time out of our busy day to show our appreciation for others and be content with what we have.....

Equinox

just twice a year, day and night fall into perfect balance. Some claim that astronomical phenomenon, called equinox, inspires ancient structures to reveal hidden secrets.

Math Lab On-Line Course

Check out this web site for on-line math instruction.

http://www.mymathlab.com/

Well played

There is no shame or sadness in doing the very best that you can do. For anyone who witnessed the Grey Cup game on Sunday you know what I mean. The spirit, courage and drive of the players on both teams was remarkable in this movie style football thriller. According to the Canadian Press, more than 14 million or nearly 43% of the Canadian population watched the game on Sunday. This huge Canadian sports event is singular in the way it appears to engage fans across the country. The game on Sunday was no disappointment. The excitement of seeing the underdogs rise against the favored Montreal team, the turnovers and superb marches down the field and defensive walls were enough to raise the eyebrows of even the most disinterested fans. The ending was everything one might expect in a classic football thriller. Right down to the last second of the last play, the game was undecided. Unfortunately in the world of competition, only one team gets to take home the trophy. In the end, if we are able to live every day of our lives with a small fraction of the energy and raw will displayed on Sunday, we will be able to say to ourselves, "well played"!
-Live well. Sieze the moment!

Watermelon Heads in Calgary

Sunday is the big day for us Rider Fans!!
Go Riders Go!

Apparently there will be no shortage of watermelons in Calgary for the Rider fans thanks to Safeway stores who have had a special shipment of 3000 watermelons sent to their stores.
Picture belongs to CTV News

See the story on the CTV News site - Story titled
Watermelon Shortage Averted Ahead of Grey Cup.

Get all the Rider hooplah at Riderville

Are you feeling low on energy? Watch the video of the assembly.

November Assembly Recording
"Recharge Your Battery"
http://breeze.edcentre.ca/p80529486/
If you missed the November assembly this past Wednesday you can watch it now.
It will help you get more energy and reach your goals!  If you watch it before Dec.4th/09 let Kona know and you will be entered into a draw for a prize!

Tomatosphere Project

Want to be a part of space experiment - the Tomatoshpere might be something you would like to check out.
Students plant tomato seeds in different conditions and then report their results. You can register now to be a part of this cool project for 2010.

Tomatoshpere Project Website

Now this is interesting: Seeds for 2010 project are on board with Julie Payette from KSC in Florida, to the International Space Station. They will be brought back to Earth from the International Space Station later in 2009.

Tomatosphere has teacher and student resources for.

* Grades 3-4: How to Feed a Martian - a unit with a nutrition focus for astronauts' trips to the Red Planet
* Grade 6: Surviving on the Red Planet - Recycling breathable air
* Grades 7-8: The Martian environment - a weather station on Mars
* Grades 9-10: The Energy to Survive - nutritional requirements for long duration missions

Olympic Torch Run

My son and his classmates were part of the entertainment at the Olympic Torch Relay celebration in La Ronge. Special thanks to their teacher Pascal Chabot.
Great job kids!

To get vaccinated? or Not to get vaccinated?....that is the question

If you are still considering whether to get vaccinated or not. Here is some information that may or may not help you decide. I have had this debate with family and friends over the past four weeks and have heard many "Myths" around the debate. I found this information helpful (especially the point made that a can of tuna has four times more mercury than the type of mercury found in the flu shot). I hope this information can help you make the right decision.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/fs-fi-pregnancy-grossesse-eng.php

Considering the Options – Getting the flu versus getting a vaccine or taking an antiviral

When considering your options about vaccination there are a number of factors that you need to think about. This chart explains the risk of getting the flu versus the benefits and risks of getting an H1N1 flu vaccine and/or taking antiviral medication if you do get the flu.

If you catch the H1N1 Flu

If you are pregnant and become sick with the H1N1 flu there is a chance you could develop severe flu symptoms and be hospitalized.

There is a chance of early delivery or miscarriage.

Knowledge is your best defence. Take steps to protect yourself.

	Getting the H1N1 Flu Vaccine	Taking antivirals after getting the H1N1 flu.
Benefits/Facts	Vaccines have proven benefits. Getting the H1N1 flu vaccine is the single best way to protect yourself and those around you from the H1N1 flu virus.	Antivirals may decrease the severity of sickness.
	You cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine.	Antivirals MUST be taken within the first 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
	Vaccines are safe. The dangers from vaccine-preventable diseases (like the flu) are many times greater than the risk of a serious reaction to the vaccine.	Very little of the medication is passed through the placenta or through breast milk.
	The H1N1flu vaccine is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Most people have no side effects from flu vaccines.	Recently Health Canada approved the use of antivirals (oseltamivir) for children less than one year of age.
	After receiving the H1N1 flu vaccine you will have some immunity to the current strain of the H1N1 flu virus within 10 days.	If you have the flu, talk to your health care provider about treatment options. Antivirals may be one of many treatment options that they might recommend.
Risks	Vaccines can have side effects but they are usually mild. You need to weigh the risks of side effects with the risks of serious health problems if you catch the flu.	There is a risk of side effects with any medication including antivirals. The most common side effects of the antiviral oseltamivir include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and headaches.
	The most common side effects of flu vaccines are soreness in the arm where the vaccine was given, sore or red eyes, itchiness and for some a mild fever. Most people experience no serious side effects from flu vaccines.	The flu virus can adapt and develop resistance to antiviral drugs – this means that the drugs would no longer be effective in treating the H1N1 flu.
	About one person for every 100,000 doses of vaccine distributed will have a severe reaction to a flu vaccine, including anaphylaxis or Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).	Rare cases of anaphylaxis and serious skin reactions, including toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and erythema multiform, have been reported with the antiviral oseltamivir.
Myth Busting	Thimerosal is a form of mercury used in the H1N1 flu vaccine to stabilize it and maintain its quality during storage. Thimerosal is a different form of mercury than the mercury known to cause health problems. The amount in flu vaccines is much less than the daily limit recommended – for example a can of tuna fish has four times the amount of mercury as the thimerosal in the H1N1 flu vaccine.	Antivirals are not appropriate for everyone. Talk to your health care provider about whether taking antivirals to treat the flu is appropriate for you.
	If you receive the H1N1 flu vaccine you are at no greater risk of acquiring Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a neurological condition that occurs in approximately two in 100,000 people per year and is most often associated with foodborne infections. The possible risk of acquiring GBS from the flu or the flu vaccine is very small.	Antivirals are taken in pill form (oseltamivir) or as an inhaled medication (zanamivir). They are not given by injections.
	An adjuvanted vaccine is a vaccine that includes a substance that boosts an individual's immune system and increases their response to a vaccine. An unadjuvanted vaccine has no "booster" element. Adjuvanted vaccines are included in common vaccines such as tetanus and hepatitis B. The adjuvant in Canada's H1N1 flu vaccine is made up of natural ingredients such as water, squalene oil and vitamin E. Unadjuvanted vaccines are preferred for pregnant women when the flu virus is not yet in the community. This is because there are less safety data available on adjuvanted vaccine use during pregnancy.	Antiviral drugs given for treatment of the flu usually need to be taken for five

How Bacterial Talk

Powerful video breaks Youtube!

Check out the video that breaks Youtube.

Remembrance Week

November 5 to 11 is Veterans' Week - a time to think about those who have lost their lives serving our country. For me it is important to take time to remember as my father was a veteran and many family members lost their lives when they served in WWI and II. It is also a time to think about what is going on in the world today and reflect on the tasks that our soldiers are currently engaged in in Afghanistan and other places around the world. It is also time for us to think about our relations with other countries and how important it is to protect Canada. We should be thankful for our great country and the quality of life that we all have here.

There are many resources on the internet that you can go to learn more about Canada's Military and their role in past wars, current missions and the protection of us as citizens of Canada. I have provided a few links to some sites.

Enjoy the musical rendition of in Flanders Fields and make sure you visit the site to see more resources. (Picture of the plane my Dad flew in WWII - Lancaster Bomber)
Websites:
Flanders Fields Music
Veterans' Website
Canadian Military History Gateway

Check out the Olympic Torch's relay route in Canada

Vancouver Olympic Torch Relay Interactive Map

Language Culture and Identity

I was poking through a blog this evening by a grade two teacher from North Battleford visiting Ottawa to attend a conference on federal politics. I was looking at different versions of O'Canada posted for the class when I found the Cree version sung by Akina Shirt at a Calgary Flames game. So much for the blog....I was off into YouTube to find more. There are a few videos up on YouTube of the song, but I found a clip that includes some background to Akina's courageous performance.
The message is clear.....language, culture and identity are inextricably bound together. This was an inspiring re-visit to last year's news.
Aboriginal languages are disappearing. What does this mean for First Nation communities across the country? What is to become of Dene and Cree language in Northern Saskatchewan? What implications does loss of language have for Northern Saskatchewan communities? How are aboriginal people holding onto culture and identity? Students in the Native Studies 10 class have been asked to respond to this video and offer their views of how language is tied to identity. Thank you for the inspiration Akina Shirt. Please comment below. Share your own thoughts and reactions to the video.

Cyberchase

I have posted about Cyberchase before, but I thought it was worth mentioning again. My kids love this show. CYBERCHASE teaches kids that math is everywhere, everyone can be good at it, and it's fun!

The show can be seen weekdays on PBS and Discovery Kids.

The website is full of games and other stuff. It is worth the visit. Best of all, KIDS LOVE IT!

Sharing Ghostly Stories

Storytelling has been an important means of passing on oral history over the centuries. Yesterday we visited the site of a former building in La Ronge that was said to be haunted. Our monthly assembly was devoted to ghostly stories and the origins of Halloween. This live web conference was attended by online learners who took time out from their personal schedules to participate and share their stories. We connected a laptop to a wireless modem, turned on a web cam and strolled around the site of the haunting during the conference.
After the conference was over, the laptop and camera found it's way up to the CBC La Ronge studio to visit with Tom Roberts.
If you would like to see what took place, listen to some stories and find out more about the origins of Halloween, click on the link to the recorded session. The recording is approximately 45 minutes in length.

You are invited to join the Scary Story Web Conference

Come if you DARE!!
Tuesday, October 27 could change your life!!! A live web conference will be held to share scary stories and talk about the true meaning of HALLOWEEN. All edcentre.ca students are invited to participate in this session. Think of a short story to share if you want to be considered for the ultimate frightening story. Participants will be allowed a maximum of 3 minutes to scare us all. Every community has it's scary place where strange things have happened. People are reluctant to go there even during the daytime. Do you know of such a place? Tell us about it on Tuesday.
Be there.....be prepared to be verrryyyy affraaiiiidddd!
To enter the web conference on Tuesday, enter The PIT at 1:50 and click on the headset.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR SASKATCHEWAN YOUTH AWARD

Do you know a talented, innovative or caring person between the ages of 15 and 24 who deserves recognition for their achievements or contributions to their community? Nominate them:

"We have amazing young people in this province," Premier Brad Wall said. "It is important to honour and recognize the achievements and contributions of our province's youth as they work to secure a bright future, not only for themselves, but for Saskatchewan."

All nominations are adjudicated by an independent committee, comprised of members of the Saskatchewan Honours Advisory Council and youth representatives. Each year, nominees will be recommended based on a broad range of achievements and endeavours including, but not limited to, leadership, volunteerism, innovation, artistic or cultural accomplishments, academic excellence, athletics and other personal achievements.

The nomination deadline is December 31, 2009. For a nomination form, or more information on the Saskatchewan Youth Award, call toll-free 1-877-427-5505 or visit the website at www.ops.gov.sk.ca/sya

House by the River

Here is a website set up to share what a house building hobby looks like: House By the River This is the sort of thing an online teacher (or anyone else for that matter) can do to "unplug" after each week of being connected to computers and gadgets.
Please post comments.

If you have ever thought you might like to create your own web site, the time is now. The opportunities to create, share and collaborate are endless. Gone are the days when you had to learn code and be some sort of "Geek" to build a website. Now anyone can do it in a very short time without a great deal of fuss.
Try this tool just for fun. If you create something that you want to let others know about, please send us the link at the school. We would love to share your links.
weebly.com

Share your stuff

If you are looking for an easy way to share "stuff" online in an easy way, look no further.You can be sharing ideas and images with the rest of your online class, your family, or friends in a very short time. Maybe your teacher wants you to do a project or write something to be shared with others.
Posterus is an easy to use tool that will share whatever you want easily without any complicated set-up. You can have an instant blog, with a place to share pictures and ideas instantly.
All you need to do is go to the link and begin using the tool.
posterus.com
We are always finding amazing things on the Internet that other people have made. Now you can share your own amazing things. This isn't exactly Bebo, or Facebook, but you might find it useful for sharing things with your class, your family, or the world.
If you make something that you want to share, please send the link to school@edcentre.ca so that we can link it to this blog.

Do you want to learn Cree online?

Do you want to learn Cree? Check out this site for translating and cool syllabics. ka-kiskinohamâkosihk kinisitohten ᑭᓂᓯᑐᐦᑌᐣ http://www.creedictionary.com/

Classroom Twitter

If you can get past social networking policies in your school , this might be of interest. If you are a student, show this to your teacher....If you are a teacher, show this to your principal or superintendent. If you are an administrator, see the slides and consider the possibilities. (Select full view in the lower right.)

Free website for education

http://education.weebly.com/

Wiki in plain English

2009 Lt. Gov. Awards

Here are some photos from the Lieutenant Governor Awards. The winners from edcentre.ca were Aaron Mckenzie and Rachel Madsen! Just click on the image below to see the video.

From 2009 Lt Gov Awards

Mobile Learning

What is Twitter?

Are you having fun?

What is the edcentre?

Click the play button to move around

Another embedded slide show

An embedded google slide show

U of T Ancient Discovery

A U of T professor explains how the story of humankind is changing after the discovery of 'Ardi,' a hominid who lived 4.4 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia.

Calling all Northern Students! NASA needs a logo!

Northern Administration Student Association (NASA) is a social network for Northern students attending post secondary away from their hometown and to assist them in their transition to city life. NASA is run by students for students and offering you an opportunity to become involved! NASA is looking for a logo for our group and we would like to challenge you to show off your artistic skills by helping us come up with one. Submissions should focus on Northern Saskatchewan, wilderness elements, and academics but all ideas are welcome. All Northern students are encouraged to participate and prizes will be as follows for the entries chosen:

Kindergarten – Grade 4: $100.00
Grade 5 – Grade 8: $200.00
Grade 9 – Grade 12: $300.00

Submissions will be accepted until October 30, 2009 and winners will be contacted by December 15, 2009. Please write your name, grade, and school and school address on the back of your submission. In addition, there is no limit to the size of submissions and you may use any medium you choose; so let your imagination run wild! Submissions can be sent to:

Northern Administration Students Association
Outreach and Transition Programs
Dean’s Office, College of Engineering
University of Saskatchewan
57 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, Sk.
S7N 5A9
Telephone: (306)-966-6959
Toll Free: (888)-966-6959
Fax: (306)-966-5237

For more information on the contest or about NASA (www.nasa-sk.ca) in general, feel free to contact John Desjarlais, jwd758@mail.usask.ca or Amy Lafontaine, adl237@mail.usask.ca.
Please note, NASA reserves the right to use submissions how we deem appropriate and more than one submission may be used.

Roof Ripped Right Off Building in Moose Jaw

+ 90km/hr winds ripped the roof off this building in Moose Jaw, Sk. on Tuesday morning.

"The roof of the building, a multi-story apartment block, lifted straight up and just flipped over and onto the building beside it. There was bits and pieces flying with one great big gust of wind that nearly knocked cars off the road."

Are you ready?

Are you ready to learn online?

This survey (from ocean.edu) will ask you to assess your own confidence level with many of the technology and learning skills you will need to succeed in online course work. Please click on the number that best matches your own confidence level at this time. When you are finished, click the Check My Score button to see your score for each skills category.

Based on your skills rating, the results page may also display suggested links for you to improve certain skills. The rating score of this survey is for your own purposes. Your answers are not sent to or stored in a database.

Click on this link to see the survey.

GED 2009

Here is a 2 minute GED celebration with a small group who worked together to pass their GED tests. Take a look.


Here in Northern Saskatchewan there are at least 3 people working with the edcentre.ca to get ready for the GED tests this year. Help is available at the edcentre.ca website or at 1-888-299-5680 or in La Ronge at 425-5680.

Technology in Our Schools - How do we rate?

Recently PBS presented "Digital Nation- Life on the Virtual Frontier" on Frontline. There is a video that is of particular interest to educators, parents and students that provides us with many things to think about.
Is technology being used effectively in your local school?
As a teacher, am I using technology effectively to provide engaging learning activities to students?

Watch the Video: How Google Saved a School

There are other videos on the page - be sure to watch them.

What do you think - is your local school making use of technology? Comments welcome.

Fall equinox is here.

Remember this? It comes after fall.

The sun rose due east and will set due west today.
Twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness mark the fall equinox. Today the day is as long as the night.

On September 13, 2009, at 8:45 A.M., Ethan and Big Daddy Brent Endicott ran the 3km Mini Marathon in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Marathon itself was divided into four separate categories:

• Kid’s 5-10 Division (ages 5-10)
• Youth 11-17 Division (ages 11-17)
• 1/2 Marathon
  
• Full Marathon
  

What a FANTASTIC event, with more than 3,650 REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS FROM 7 PROVINCES & TERRITORIES, 10 STATES AND 3 COUNTRIES taking in part in this race.

Congratulations Ethan on a run well done!!!

A lecture about English

An English Professor was lecturing to his class one day. "In English," he said, "A double negative forms a positive. For example, 'We don't need no education' actually means, 'We need education.' In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

September 17

Have you ever had "one of those days" when nothing works? Today is"one of those days" when maybe it would have made a difference if I had just turned over in bed and let the day pass by.
If you have ever experienced this, please leave a comment below.

This week

This has been a short but interesting week at edcentre.ca. We have processed over 100 applications and courses are beginning to fill up quickly. Online learners are finding their way into their course areas and have begun to sort out how to approach the learning activities and maintain contact with teachers.
Debbie Richardson visited three communities over three days and came back excited and exhausted. She met with students, principals, student support staff and teachers.
Tuesday was Literacy Day and the edcentre.ca staff had a table and display set up at the event. Brent Endicott chatted with students and onlookers from his home office in Moose Jaw through the live web conference room. Kelly and Ted were available to answer questions and show people how the edcentre works. There were hot dogs, face painting, displays, and hundreds of donated books for families to take home.
On Wednesday afternoon Kona attended a presentation provided through the Ministry of Education about Provincial Exams.
Thursday morning Brent met online with a group of students from Creighton High School. Yes...you guessed it ......from his home office in Moose Jaw.
This morning Kona and Kelly hosted a pankcake breakfast at the edcentre. (See Kelly's post) Now here we are again on Friday afternoon trying to stay caught up with new students.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

edcentre.ca Pancake Breakfast

Kona wanted a Pancake Breakfast to start off the school year, so we had one. Thanks to the students and staff who were able to attend.

James Balog: Time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss

About this talk

Photographer James Balog shares new image sequences from the Extreme Ice Survey, a network of time-lapse cameras recording glaciers receding at an alarming rate, some of the most vivid evidence yet of climate change.

Josh Silver demos adjustable liquid-filled eyeglasses

About this talk

Josh Silver delivers his brilliantly simple solution for correcting vision at the lowest cost possible -- adjustable, liquid-filled lenses. At TEDGlobal 2009, he demos his affordable eyeglasses and reveals his global plan to distribute them to a billion people in need by 2020.

About Joshua Silver

Atomic physicist Joshua Silver invented liquid-filled optical lenses to produce low-cost, adjustable glasses, giving sight to millions without access to an optometrist.

Information about H1N1

Hi everyone,
Welcome back to another great school year. I have attached a link below with information about the H1N1. I hope you and your family do not get it. However, there are some ways to protect yourself and your family. The website also gives steps to take when a family member is sick or shows symptoms.
Take Care,
Kona

http://www.fightflu.ca/sym-eng.html

Back in action

Everyone is back at the edcentre checking course material and planning exciting online learning experiences. If you are a returning student you will notice some changes with the way the courses are laid out. We have upgraded the software for housing course material and moved everything into the new space. There are some new features that should add to our ability to communicate and enhance what we are able to do in the course areas.
Remember, if you have questions call the school.

Fall is in the air

Have you noticed the leaves? Have you seen the crows flocking?
Yes, it IS that magical time again. Fall is here and everyone will be back at the edcentre on August 24. If you are enrolling in classes for the fall, you can fill out an application form and fax it to the school right away. We will contact you during the last week in August.
If you have questions or need more information, call the school at 1-888-299-5680 (425-5680 if you live in the La Ronge area)

Have a great summer!

Kelly, Kona and Debbie represented edcentre.ca in the annual Northern Lights School Division Golf Windup. Our score was a respectful even par in tough conditions at the Eagle Point Golf Course. Have a great Summer!

Photos from the Awards Assembly

Celebration beside the Montreal River

This has been a fast and furious school year with many interesting twists and turns. We spent the afternoon yesterday beside a bend in the Montreal River celebrating accomplishments. The warmth of the sun and majesty of the river were a fitting setting. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us. We have recorded the event for anyone who would like to have a look.
Celebration by the River: Graduation and Awards Ceremony

Kona's Convocation 2009

Here we are in the final week of the 2008/09 school year. As the school year draws to a close we don't seem to have a lot of time to reflect on learning and what all of this means. We are in a mad rush to "get it done" .....whatever "it" is. The REAL knowledge that we create and access is the stuff that is important to us. I hope that in the process of "getting it done" we have all found something new, valuable, useful and important within our own worlds. Thank you to everyone who participated in the online learning community at edcentre.ca this year. We hope to see you at the online awards session on June 24 at 3:00.

Pelican Narrows Student Visit

Kona, Brent and Kelly made a trip to Pelican Narrows on June 17th. It was Brent and Kelly's first Trip to the community and Kona's millionth. The students (Tina, Tammy, Margie, Vanessa, Serena and Maureen)and their instructor (Marnie) welcomed us with Chinese Food and a Pizza. After we ate, speeches were made, awards were presented and laughter was plentiful (my cheeks are still sore). Thank you again for your hospitality!

Mrs. Cassidy's Blog

I watched part of a presentation in Texas this morning by 2 guys from Canada. They were talking about teachers engaging learners in real things using the Internet. One of them decided that they would check to see whether Mrs. Cassidy was in her classroom in Moose Jaw. Sure enough they spoke with her in the middle of their presentation. Mrs. Cassidy's class invites the world into their classroom to help them learn. There are all manner of interesting things in this classroom.....the really cool thing is that you can stop in and say Hi to Mrs. Cassidy and her class of six year olds (without driving to Moose Jaw). Mrs Cassidy uses a walkie talkie tool called Yackpack on her blog that allows you to connect live to speak with her class.
What Mrs. Cassidy is doing is a clear demonstration of the power we have to connect and share learning on a global scale.
....Another great illustration of The Schools We Need

Way to go Debbie!

Congratulations to Debbie for 30 years of dedicated service to the Northern Lights School Division. She was one of 20 retirees recognized by Chairperson Frank Durocher, and Ralph Pilz.

What Should Schools Look Like?

Access to information and the world around us is changing dramatically. The question is.....how are schools reflecting these changes? There are some really important questions we need to challenge ourselves and others with every day. Watch this...respond with a comment below.

Rap from Hobbema

I have to be honest....I'm not really that interested in rap, but this one caught me off guard. The video has all of the rap cliches and urban LA stereotypes that appear to be an accepted part of the genre. We all need a sense of community and belonging.
One for one....one for all......you live....you give


I found the following summary on the K-net site:
"War Party is an award-winning Cree hip-hop group from Hobbema, Alberta. Founded in 1995 by Rex Smallboy, the group won the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Rap Album in 2001, and was nominated again in 2002 and 2003. As well, they were the first First Nations rap group to have a music video aired on Much Music. "

What do you think? Share your comments.