Geeks Love The Internet: Boom De Yadda, Boom De Yadda

by Sandra Foyt on February 8, 2010 in Digital Learning | 0 Comments

 

We LOVE this video!  Inspired by a xkcd webcomic, Olga Nunes and Elaine Doyle have produced a new video spoofing Discovery Channel’s “Boom De Yadda” commercial.  I love the odd cast of nerd characters (Muppets ,Neil Gaiman, Mr. Toast?) and their playful contributions, all set to a darn catchy tune.  Boom De Yadda, Boom De Yadda.

Via Cory Doctorow’s Boing, Boing.

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Let Children Learn, and Adults Too!

by Sandra Foyt on February 1, 2010 in Digital Learning | 5 Comments

things to learn from Matt Edgar on Vimeo.

After a gloriously unplugged day, I booted up my laptop and rediscovered why I love being connected.  One of my most inspirational online friends, Jeanne of Soultraveler3, retweeted a video link from social media superstar, Guy Kawasaki.  They were sharing a video created by a Dutch group, Kinderpostzegels, that might as well have been made just for me. 

Before I tell you about the video, I just want to stop for a second to admire the beauty of these connections and the media-rich world that we live in.  Soultraveler3 is a family on an extended world adventure, currently living in Spain.  Guy Kawasaki was born in Hawaii, and currently lives somewhere in America where sushi is not called bait.  If I had to guess, I’d say he’s somewhere in California.

Here I am, on a snowy morning in Upstate New York, watching a video made in Holland and shared around the world instantaneously.  Social media is full of warts, but there is no denying that it’s full of marvels too.

Using English captions and brilliantly simple illustrations, the video reminds us to let children learn at their own pace, and in their own creative ways.  Although targeting children, I believe the message of allowing learning to take place, in its own, sometimes unexpected way, is relevant at all ages.

I was curious about the organization that prompted this video, and decided to explore the Kinderpostzegels website.  Since I don’t speak Dutch, I had to rely on a free online translator to figure out it’s purpose.  Apparently, the organization encourages Dutch children to raise funds for less privileged children by selling postage stamps.  The idea being for children, by children.

That’s a great idea, as children learn important skills and are empowered as they help other children.  Of course, service learning benefits all life-long learners, and not just children.  An individual learns as much about themselves as they do about others when they take on service projects.

Thank you, my online friends, for sharing this video.  It’s a lovely reminder of  the power and beauty of learning, anywhere and anytime.

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Got A Sweet New Ride For My Birthday

January 30, 2010

It’s my BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!  Yes, I know, I’m 45 years old now, and I shouldn’t get so excited about another birthday.  But, I’ll only get to be 45 years old once in my life.  I’m celebrating with a special treat, and a sweet new ride.

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About Enrichment On Living By Learning

January 29, 2010

Way back when I was a child, my parents didn’t discuss the relative merits of various enrichment programs.  In that regard, they were typical of most 1970’s parents who practiced benign neglect, turning kids out to play until dinner time.
At the time, I was incredibly envious of a friend who took piano lessons.  I [...]

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Get Published: 7 Reasons to Diversify Your Writing

January 22, 2010

I now have another excuse for not keeping up with On Living By Learning blog posts: AlbanyKid.com.  Another blog?  Yes, another blog.  At this point, you’re probably wondering why in the world anyone would want to launch another blog when they’re barely managing to keep up with the first one.
Diversification, my friends, diversification.  In [...]

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Homeschooling, Unschooling, But Not "No-Schooling"

January 15, 2010

For the record, here in the On Living By Learning Household, we are in full compliance with New York State regulations regarding home instruction.  Not only do we cover every subject that we’re supposed to cover, we go above and beyond.  It’s just not always on the typical school schedule.
Our Typical Home School Day
When Teen [...]

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Get Published: Start Writing and Establish a Writer’s Platform

January 13, 2010

Before you can get published, you have to write. Duh.
I know it sounds obvious, but apparently, not so much to the students in Ariel Gore’s writing class:

Maybe it goes without saying that if you want to become a famous writer before you’re dead, you’ll have to write something. But the folks in my classes with [...]

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Home Instruction Quarterly Report, 4th Grade II

January 12, 2010

This is our second Home Instruction Quarterly Report for the 2009-2010 academic year that I just emailed it to my school district today:
Name: Alex
Blog Website: http://leperdy.com
Grade: 4th
Hours of instruction this quarter: 225
Arithmetic: Alex completed the Singapore 4B Fraction Unit that includes: Equivalent Fractions, Adding and Subtracting Fractions, Mixed Numbers, Improper Fractions, and Fraction Division. This [...]

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Yes, I Filed My New York Home School Lesson Plans

January 11, 2010

I know I’m a little late, okay, a lot late in posting our Fourth Grade Lesson Plans.  But, I did turn them into my school district back in September, or was it October?  More or less, when they were due.
If you’ve been following the news, you’ve heard that a local couple was charged with [...]

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Home Instruction Quarterly Report, 4th Grade I

January 11, 2010

This is the first Home Instruction Quarterly Report that I filed with my school district in early October, 2009:
September 30, 2009
Name: Alex
Blog Website: http://alexhomegate.blogspot.com
Grade: 4th
Hours of instruction this quarter: 225
Arithmetic: Alex has achieved mastery of addition math facts (100 problems in 5 minutes,) and he is well on his way to achieving mastery of [...]

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