Blog Action Day Returns in 2008

It is that time of year again. Blog Action Day Returns in 2008 with a new topic but the same mission. Have as many people around the world post their blog on a single topic on a single day. If you have never participated in Blog Action Day, this is your year to begin. If you have already participated, this is the year to continue. The topic of Blog Action Day 2008 is Poverty. Will you talk about how rampant it is? How we can eliminate it? Groups and programs that are successfully working to eliminate poverty? You decide and write your blog post on Poverty for Blog Action Day 2008 on October 15, 2008. Click on this badge to go to the Blog Action Day website and register your blog right now.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

American Robins On Their Way

Spring is on its way in North America. As our part of Earth tilts and revolves back into Springtime in the Northern Hemisphere, it seems that everyone is worn out from the Winter weather, snow, ice, rain, sleet, thunder and lightning, where I live.

Children, adults, and even the animals anticipate Spring. We are eager for Earth to return to its Spring position. We actually live in a place where there are four seasons, even though Spring and Fall are fairly short-lived.

Around here, the bad weather won't stop, but the temperatures will increase. As the increase begins in the Spring, all the animals who took a vacation in the warm southern climes will return to their summer homes here.

One of those returning is a pretty little bird named the American Robin. The robin arrives before most other migrating songbirds, and it has a beautiful mix of songs and chirps for the important new beginnings of Spring.

Now, if you ever hear the expression(idiom, saying), "The early bird gets the worm!", you will know what it means. The people who coined this phrase originally referred to the American Robin, the early bird. When the robin moves north, the temperature is just right for earthworms to begin moving above ground.

The earthworm is a major food source for the American Robin. These birds need them to feed their new American Robin hatchlings once they arrive on the scene. Hungry babies need food to help them grow.

This epic migration is all a part of the cycle of life in North America.

To celebrate the arrival of the American Robin in North America, I have constructed a short Voki. I hope you will appreciate another aspect of Voki. Teachers and students could use Voki to animate or provide information in a variety of lessons or projects.

I hope this Voki example helps you think of even BETTER ways to use Voki in your classroom AND at home. Let's don't forget our own babies;D



Get a Voki now!



Please comment about the Voki or the American Robin. I would love to hear from you;D

Make Way for Sun-Earth Day!

Even though Sun-Earth Day 2008 is not until later in the year, on or near the Spring Equinox, I know that teachers work schedules and plans become very full from now until the end of the school year....if that comes for you. It is easier to add something to your teaching protocol, lesson plans and fun activities if you have had time to think about it.

Throughout the next few months, I will provide information about activities, groups and lessons that you can use, or not, for Sun-Earth Day. Most of these can also be used in Science or Social Studies classes, even if you aren't making a special effort for Sun-Earth Day.

The pedagogical reason I make a big to-do over Earth/Sun Day is two-fold: one for the study of the environment and two for the study of MANY related science strands.

Besides, Earth/Sun Day is a great time of year to bring your learning activities outdoors, and so it is a great reason to have a learning party. UH-OH! I know I said party and learning in the same breath, but it is OK! Don't you like to learn? Isn't it fun when you learn? Don't you want to share that fun with your students, peers and community? Then what better way than participating in project based learning that culminates with a celebration of all that was learned?


This is my choice for the Blog Action Day for the Environment blog entry for Classroom2.0. It seems to me that ecolibris is a community action group that ties the virtual world with the real world in a sustainable manner.

Earlier in the year, I wrote about various online groups and activities that are oriented towards sustainability and the environment. One of those groups was Eco-Libris, so I went back to their website and checked on their progress. First I am including a "quote" from one of blog postings from CR2.0 for Blog Action Day, on October 15, 2007. Then I will close this posting with a summary of what I found during my update at ecolibris' website.

Bloggers Unite - Blog Action Day

Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have favorite activities that probably require excess energy. I know most of us read books or still use paper....even though we are working to establish a "paperless" environment.

Each book that is published represents some pulpwood that was used to make the pages of that book. What if you could help by planting a tree for every book you read? For some of us, that would mean planting and entire forest.

Check out ecolibris, and see if their community project if something you would like.

I checked out Eco-Libris, and they have gained more partners, as well as acknowledment. They also have opportunities for collaboration (project based learning) for book clubs and other oriented towards selling and reading books. Here is a short summary of what EcoLibris is all about.