Books and Pets Our Friends for Life

I found an interesting document from Arizona titled Books and Pets Our Friends for Life Arizona Reading Program Manual which is a reading program in collaboration with the Arizona humane society. The program is a collaboration also with the humanities council and libraries. The manual gives information on the running of the reading program in communities across Arizona. The set up of the manual is very useful in creating your own program with evaluation material, bibliographies of humane education books, and games for kids. It also give set up instructions including incentives and prizes for students. There are also areas to help plan for the success of your own individual program.

I personally think that it is great for educators and students to work together with reading and collaborating with the community. Bringing books to students and teaching about humane education is great. This gives me a great idea for using technology with this same format. Why not have a humane education ebook library so that this program really could be put in place for every child. This way if the children live in rural areas they can read the same books as their peers and work toward these educational goals together. Also having this program available with ebooks t can work in the classroom too. Finally as long as you are near a computer you can read the book. This way no one ever has to wait for a book to be returned especially if all the children are reading the same books.

In the News

In October 2006 a K-12 principal in Minnesota resigned after some parents were upset that he used a firearm to shoot orphaned kittens on school property. He killed the kittens because their mother had been caught in a trap on school grounds set by the principal. He did not want the kittens to suffer so he shot the animals after school when there would be no risk to students. Several students and parents were at the school and heard the shot. The principal may be charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property and reckless discharge of a firearm, a misdemeanor. The principal has since resigned his position.

This is a very interesting news item. With the killing of kittens and their mother, on school property, by the principal, and while students and parents were near enough to hear the shot. So which issue stands out most? The animals deaths? This Principals choices?

Article from USA Today

Movie Maker Sounds Easy Enough

I am working on a project involving Windows Movie Maker. I am currently working out the idea and the script but I wanted to share my excitement for the possibilities this software has. You can easily add pictures, animation, and sound to create digital movies mainly by dragging and dropping. This way any educator can work with this software and create a quality movie about any subject. History, math, science, and any other subject could be used with movie maker. It could also be used as a reward system if the class would like to make there own movies about the class after a year well done.

I plan on making a movie about choices. I think it would be good to show students how choices they make affect the entire world. I will show how their choices affect animals, people, the economy, and environment then I will empower them with new more sustainably choices at the end. My project this time will be for higher grade levels than my last. I am planning on making this film for middle school.