Are Your Ready for a Challenge? I am...

Are Your Ready for a Challenge? I am. Always.


How do you accomplish big things? By setting goals and making them public. There's nothing like quite like a good old fashioned challenge to see what we are made of, to push the boundaries and test the limits as it's only when we overcome these types of trials and challenges that we reap the sweetest rewards in life.


February 2nd is an important date not just because it's Groundhog Day and we all want to know if Punxsutawney Phil (the Groundhog) sees his shadow.


More importantly, it marks the date when thousands of people from around the world make the decision to accept the challenge that will change their life for the better and I mean much better.


With that in mind, I thought I'd recommend a resource to help you get things done. If you're
tired of struggling with debt, fearful of the current economic crisis, paralyzed by the pace of change, here's the best way for you to control your future starting today..


It's called the 100 Day Challenge.
It's from Gary Ryan Blair, otherwise known as The Goals Guy.
I finished 2008 with the 100 Day Challenge and loved every minute of it while accomplishing more than I ever imagined possible!


He has put together something cool. Check it out...

Click Here!!


The 100 Day Finish Strong Challenge is a structured performance improvement program where challengers compete against themselves to achieve a number of challenging goals and start the year with a bang.
I like it.


To get on the priority notification list for the challenge, go to this website now and watch
a really inspiring video as well:


Click Here!!


I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year and encourage you to dream big dreams and take the necessary actions to make them reality!


Think BIG,

Kathy Cothran

A Hundreds Day Study For Upper Elementary Students-How Much is a Hundred?

Hundred's Day is so much fun in the early grades, but it can also be fun when you add the older children into the celebration.

One focus in this activity is comparing how one hundred can be big in size, or one hundred can be small in size. For instance, one hundred could fit in the palm of a hand if you were holding about one hundred staples or one hundred grains of rice. A hundred can be huge if you are looking at one hundred cars in the parking lot or a pile of a hundred coats.

How stinky do you think one hundred shoes might be?

Could you read one hundred books? Even that could be compared. 100 textbooks versus 100 paperback picture books. Those stacks would be an interesting comparison!

Upper elementary aged students have a spectacular time creating a movie to be shown to the younger students in honor of Hundred's Day.

Digital still pictures are required, yet many students wanted to use the video camera and add the commentary with their comparisons. Both are nice!

In addition, when doing this with a class, the younger grades had made collections of one hundred objects in many different ways and upper elementary students photographed these projects and quickly dropped them into the end of the movie for added excitement from the younger children. One class had to wear their collections on their T-shirts so those photos were great with the smiling youngsters. Other classes had to put them on a poster board, so those photos were easier to take before the day of celebration.

The upper elementary classes that made these movies can join in the celebrations and have a spectacular time while also learning comparative mathematical skills along with photography, digital movie making, and cooperative teamwork skills.

Find the reproducibles for using this activity tomorrow in the product section of http://mastermindgroupofeducators.com

Join Kathy and a group of educators dedicated to improving student learning through technology in the Mastermind Group of Educators http://mastermindgroupofeducators.com for continued support, resources, book discounts and community in educational technology.

Super Bowl Activities to Use in the Classroom

With the upcoming sporting event captivating the interest of the nation, why not use that enthusiasm to inspire learning?

The Super Bowl is filled with statistics, history, and opportunity.

When looking at this sporting event through the eyes of a teacher, one might see first the opportunity to have students plan a trip to the event. This requires finding flights, accommodations, transfers between the events, purchasing tickets, finding other things to do around the city, along with figuring out expenses. How much would it cost to take two people to the Super Bowl? To take this activity even further students could log the information into a spread sheet.

Geographically speaking, the Super Bowl has travelled throughout the United States. Students can find the locations of all the Super Bowls and then put that information onto a map of the United States.

Evaluating the history of the entertainment for the National Anthem and the half-time show is another activity. Why were these people selected? What types of groups performed? What was happening in the country at that time?

The tickets to the Super Bowl are also reflective of the location. Looking at tickets from the past is interesting. Thinking about what a ticket would look like if your city was hosting the Super Bowl is another activity. What aspects of your city are highlights that would warrant being a part of the design of the ticket?

Evaluating the data of the team members provided on the team rosters is another activity worth exploring. Are there any team members that came from colleges in your state? How do the two teams compare based on the information on the rosters?

Statistics are readily available through the National Football League. If you review the statistics of all of the teams throughout the season, did the very best teams make it to the Super Bowl, or are there other teams with betters stats?

Create your own playoff series, and gather and evaluate statistics by having your own "football" games. Fold the piece of paper, make footballs, and then flick them across the table to hold tabletop football games. Gather data and evaluate.

The learning opportunities that come from seemingly celebrating a national sporting event can inspire students to enthusiastically learn new skills while creating engaged minds!

Want these ideas ready for classroom use? Download the free packet of activities at http://technologylessonsforteachers.com

Join Kathy and a group of educators dedicated to improving student learning through technology in the Mastermind Group of Educators http://mastermindgroupofeducators.com for continued support, resources, book discounts and community in educational technology. Kathy Cothran is an elementary media specialist committed to helping teachers engage students through the uses of technology.

Inauguration Day Links

I did some searching and came up with a couple resources for Inauguration Day just in case you were looking for something to do with your students.

This site is filled with essential questions and activities to meet the objectives.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/socialstd/files/inauguration-day-es.pdf

Inauguration 2009 countdown kit
http://www.smithsonianstudenttravel.com/splash/inaugurationcountdownkit/default.aspx

Students will learn about the inauguration process as well as what our constitution states about who succeeds the President of the U.S. when the office is suddenly vacant.
This site also links to audio and video files of other inaugurations.
http://www.firstladies.org/curriculum/curriculum.aspx?Curriculum=1689

And, there are current events in Time for Kids
http://timeforkids.com

Martin Luther King, Jr. Links

Here's a collection of helpful links about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This site includes a biography, a selection of speeches, sermons and letters, and a photo gallery.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/special/mlk/index.html

Scholastic
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=11388

The National Civil Rights Museum
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/home.htm

Powerful Days in Black and White: shocking photos brought the civil-rights struggle to all America. Relive it through the eyes of photojouralist Charles Moore.
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/moore/mooreIndex.shtml

Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/MLK/MLK.shtml

Dr. King Timeline Page: Illustrated by young children
http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools-c/pages/buckman/timeline/kingframe.html

After listening and/or watching the "I Have a Dream" speech, children write their own dreams and then print using this page. (Link for audio/video on the page)
http://www.digitalpencil.org/Projects_AllGrades/IHaveADream/IHaveADream.aspx

Dr. King on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

Dr. King on TeacherTube (This includes lots of great ideas for how your students can create projects on this topic.)
http://www.teachertube.com/search_result.php?search_id=Martin+Luther+King&search_typ=search_videos&x=34&y=13

Mastermind Group of Educators Intro at the Mackinac Bridge!

http://mastermindgroupofeducators.com Join this online group now to be a part of an innovative group of educators and qualify for the introductory incentive!

Sorry about the bit of wind that was in the Straits of Mackinac the day we filmed this!