Embedded Video - Thirty Day Challenge The Getting Of Ideas…

Hmm… I’ve been thinking that it sounds a lot like generating a thesis topic in school, but I won’t mention it to some of the writing-phobic Teens.

Anyway, we have no problem generating a huge, long list of interesting topics.  And, since we’ve been warned to turn off our internal editing monitors, we’re just going to leave it at that.

Now, since it’s Friday, and time for the weekly Friday Find, I’m going to share one of the coolest sites online to put you into a creative mood: Moodstream.

Spin a wheel to select music and images tailored to your mood, then add image and song selections to a mood board.  After customizing your mood board, save it to play whenever you need a little inspiration.

And, since the footage and photos are from Getty Images, you can be sure that they are gorgeous and often thought-provoking. 

Hopefully, you’ll stay focused on the task at hand, whatever it is, and you won’t be inclined to create an Ed Dale Tribute (like my daughter) or veer off into Change Me - The Power of Imagery To Create Change.  Oh, well, I’m sure there is value in tangential thinking. 

Yes, I know there is.  Don’t you think?

For more wired world ideas that you can share with your family, be sure to visit previous Friday Finds:

Zipcode Zoo - Identify the flora and fauna in any area, and learn lots about animals.

Green Dimes -  Stop unwanted junk mail and share ways to “green up” our world.

Kids Cooking Activities - Ideas and resources to inspire budding chefs.

Wordle - Turn your words into a work of art

Animoto - Create a music video with your photos.

Instructables - Discover instructions for all kinds of projects - from recipes to robots - or post your own.

Mr. Picassohead - Unleash your inner abstract artist.

Hulu - Watch a movie or catch up on your favorite TV shows on your computer.

Don’t miss the best of the web on Friday Finds.  Sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

Tags: wired, writing, Friday Find

Today’s Friday Find will take you offline and into the kitchen with Kids Cooking Activities. 

I’m not much of a cook, but this web site is an incredible resource for any cooking project - from cooking with your kids at home to exploring international cuisine with youth groups.

You can find cooking lessons sorted by age group, from toddlers in the kitchen to the 16-18 year old Senior Chefs.  Yeah, even I can handle learning how to cook this way, especially with the photo and video illustrations.

And, I know my Girl Scout troop will enjoy the Junior Chef (12-15) Cookie Baking Lesson that includes a video demonstrating how to bake Oatmeal Cookies and a recipe for Snickerdoodles.

Just the cooking lessons alone make the Kids Cooking Activities site a worthwhile resource; however, there is so much more.  From Theme Dinner, Kids Cooking Party, and Kids Crafts ideas to an incredible array of recipes, this is one website that I’ve bookmarked for frequent use.

I love the wide variety of recipe ideas.  Kids Cooking Activities includes:  Easy Kids Meal (suggestions with 6 or less ingredients that are tied into the age-leveled Cooking Lessons); World Studies (international recipes with country background information); and Seasonal Cooking suggestions.

However, my absolute favorite part of this website, and the section that I want to point out to anyone who loves children’s books is the Cooks with Books section.  You’ll find recipes tied to popular illustrated books such as Blueberries For Sal or The Carrot Seed.  Be sure to check out the Mice Cookies recipe that goes with If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.  They’re adorable!

Do you have a favorite children’s book cooking suggestion?  Post a comment - I’d love to hear about it!  Perhaps we could turn it into an Instructable (see below.)

For more wired world ideas that you can share with your family, be sure to visit previous Friday Finds:

Wordle - Turn your words into a work of art

Animoto - Create a music video with your photos.

Instructables - Discover instructions for all kinds of projects - from recipes to robots - or post your own.

Mr. Picassohead - Unleash your inner abstract artist.

Hulu - Watch a movie or catch up on your favorite TV shows on your computer.

Book Resources:

Blueberries for Sal: Robert McCloskey: BooksISBN: 0670175919 ISBN-13: 9780670175918

The Carrot Seed 60th Anniversary Edition: Ruth Krauss, Crockett Johnson: BooksISBN: 0064432106 ISBN-13: 9780064432108

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (If You Give…): Laura Joffe Numeroff, Felicia Bond: BooksISBN: 0060245867 ISBN-13: 9780060245863

Don’t miss the best of the web on Friday Finds.  Sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

Lots of people are already Yahoo Group members, but they don’t know that these groups can be used for more than just Email.

Others have never even heard of Yahoo Groups.

If you fall into the second group, you may be thrilled to discover this totally free way to communicate with a large group, and receive support from new friends who share your interests.

And, if you’ve heard of Yahoo Groups, but have only used it as an Email tool, you may be surprised to discover that you can also use Yahoo Groups to share photos, files, links, and much more with a group that can be as public or private as you like. 

Create a Yahoo Group - It’s free!

1. Go to Yahoo Groups and create a Yahoo ID, if you don’t have one already. Then, click on Start your group today.

2. Select a category for your group.  Mine are all in Schools & Education/Student Organizations.

3. Describe your group (Ex. On Living By Learning Group) and fill in  the Email address for your group (Ex. onlivingbylearning@yahoogroups.com.)

4. Verify that you’re human and you’re done. 

5. Actually, you’re not done because you can play with the Group Settings (in the Management section) to select open or restricted membership; member access to web tools; and the group’s description and appearance.

Join a Yahoo Group - It’s free too!

Joining a Yahoo Group is easy.  You can browse through thousands of groups sorted by categories on Yahoo Groups.

Or, you can go directly to the On Living By Learning Group where you can click on the big blue button labeled “Join This Group.”

You will be asked to sign in with a Yahoo ID.  If you don’t have one, it’s still possible to become a group member, but this requires linking your Email address to a Yahoo profile.

What can you do with a Yahoo Group?

Some Yahoo Group members - not you! - never visit the home page of their group.  They receive and reply to messages from their personal Email account, and never discover the many available options.

Take a look at the sidebar on the left side of The On Living By Learning Home Page  (or your own Yahoo Group home page) to find a list of Web Tools including: Messages, Files, Photos, Links, Database, Polls, Members, Calendar.

Keep in mind that the Yahoo Group Moderator decides if these tools will be available, and if members can modify these, or not.

Messages

On the home page of your Yahoo Group, you’ll find a tiny hyperlink at the top labeled “Edit Membership.”  Here you can choose between: Individual Email where you’ll get an Email anytime anyone posts a message; Daily Digest where you’ll get all the messages of the day in one Email; and Web Only where you have to visit the Yahoo Group web site to see the messages.

If you choose to view the messages online, you’ll notice that when you select a message, all the related replies or preceding messages are listed below.  This allows you to follow the complete discussion on a topic.

Files

Many school groups use a binder to store all the documents necessary for running a volunteer committee, but now there is a much better way.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to rewrite letters and forms because I crashed a computer, or because I received a binder with only paper documents.

Instead, you can create a virtual volunteer committee binder.

In this Book Fair Sample found in the Files section of the On Living By Learning Yahoo Group, you’ll find that I used the “Create Folder” link to create a Book Fair Folder.  Then, I used the “Add File” link to upload documents from my computer.

Now, anyone can open those files, and save and edit them to suit their needs.

Photos

Share your photos in a Yahoo Group album, where only group members can view the pictures.

Photo albums can be used to remind volunteers of an event layout or to share the memories.  Group members can copy and save photos to their own computers.

Links

In this Book Fair example, I’ve added a couple of links to companies that provide resources for book fairs. 

On other Yahoo Groups, I’ve added links as project resources or as reference material for a topic.

Database

The Database section can be a simple way to record information.  Yahoo Groups provides templates for creating Contact Lists, Phone Books, an Inventory, FAQ, Recipes, etc. 

However, you can modify the tables to record whatever you need.

For example, on our Girl Scout Troop Yahoo Group, we created a database table to log in TV viewing hours for a Couch Potato Interest Project.

Polls

Polls can be a good way to access interest between different options.  I’ve included one poll sample, but you can imagine many more.

I’ve seen polls asking whether homeschool educators should be certified and another, created by my daughter, that sought to discover the most popular candies.

Calendar

The group calendar is arguably the most useful Web Tool for many Yahoo Groups.  You can record all the events of the year, including detailed notes for program planning.  And, you can set reminders to alert group members of any upcoming events.

My Yahoo Groups

I’ve joined many Yahoo Groups.  Here are some of my favorites:

Local Homeschool Groups -

• CDHE - Capital District Home Educators in NY’s Capital Region.
• capitaldistricthomeschool - Another Yahoo Group for homeschool families in NY’s Capital Region.
• FERNetwork · Family Educators Resource Network in the areas of Columbia, Rensselaer, and Albany counties in New York and in Berkshire county in Massachusetts.
• SaratogoHomeschoolers - Homeschoolers in the Saratoga, NY area.
• NYHEN-Support - This list is hosted by the New York Home Educators’ Network (www.nyhen.org) and provides resources for anyone homeschooling in New York.

Homeschool -

Gifted Education -

Girl Scouts

Education -

Writing and Homeschool -

Do you have a favorite Yahoo Group?  Please share in a comment.

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One of the many things that I like about Girl Scouts is that the girls learn new skills, and quite often, it’s from each other.

In this photo, taken at an Outdoor Cooking Class, Zali taught Kayla and Rachel how to slice onions for a Campfire Beef Stew.

While slicing onions is a common cooking skill, the girls soon discovered some unusual cooking techniques that allow campers to create a grand variety of recipes.

From baking in a box (Box Oven Pizza) to baking on a stick (Cinnamon-Sugar Biscuit Stick), there really isn’t anything you can’t cook in the Great Outdoors.

And for a sweet treat, forget about s’mores, try the Banana Dessert Tin Foil.

Outdoor Cooking Links:

Outdoor cooking traditions have been handed down for centuries, but now the Scouting movement is largely responsible for upholding and sharing this knowledge.

Find recipes sorted by cooking technique or food type at Outdoor Cook.  I’m intrigued by the Ziploc Bag Egg Buffet, and I can assert from experience that the Apple Squish is delish. 

The Netwoods Virtual Campsite includes many favorite Scout camping recipes and it provides illustrated instructions for making a box oven or a vagabond stove.  WARNING - Be sure to use hot coals - not recycled sterno cans -  as the heat source for your vagabond stove, otherwise you may find yourself taking an hour to make one grilled cheese sandwich (like me!)

Chuckwagon Diner sorts recipes into categories that includes Kids As Cooks, Rubs and Sauces, and the tempting Pie Iron Recipies.

Enter to win a cash prize in the Outdoor Cooking Contest for the best outdoor cooking recipe or just peruse this extensive databank of recipes.

Find kid-friendly recipes on Kids Campfire Cooking.

The Eight Basic Skills lists Girl Scouts outdoor cooking recipes within a progression guide to help select cooking projects by age level.

What’s your favorite outdoor recipe or technique?  Please share in a comment.

If you would like to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by email, click this link.  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

Citing concerns about America’s overprotective environment, Gever Tulley, founder of The Tinkering School, makes a persuasive case for encouraging and empowering kids by allowing them to take on risks.  In this TED talks video, Tulley lists five dangerous things you should let your child try:

1. Play with fire.
2. Own a pocketknife.
3. Throw a spear.
4. Deconstruct appliances.
5. Break a law.
6. Drive a car.

Right away, I could see that our family hasn’t been providing an overprotective environment.  My husband and I used to balance each other - he allowed great risk, while I kept it well in check.  But, as the kids survived all those experiences, my comfort level grew.

I used to be a nervous wreck on camping trips, worried that the kids would catch on fire at the camp ring.  I watched them like a hawk the first few times that they tried whittling with their marshmallow-roasting sticks with a pocketknife.  Now, I relax by the fire, my only concern being to achieve the most perfectly golden marshmallow, and I let the kids fend for themselves.

Somehow, they survive my lack of attention.

At our last Cub Scout Den gathering we built a campfire in our backyard woods, and let the kids run wild.  I even suggested letting the boys practice their spear throwing skills until I received the WHAT-are-you-CRAZY look in response.

So, maybe, some might argue that I’m not protective enough. 

Then, again, I’m NOT letting my kids drive a car until they are at least sixteen, and perhaps, not even then.

Would you let your child drive, even in an empty lot?  Do you think any of these 5 items are too dangerous?  Are there other dangerous things that you think kids should try?

More TED Talks:

A Wish For Students: Imagination In Action

Do schools kill creativity?

If you would like to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by email, click this link.  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

What are barriers? They’re different things to different people. All of us face barriers, but for disabled persons, barriers are curbs and steps, and attitudes like fear, embarrassment, and apathy. (GSBLC)

Girl Scout Service Unit 133 in the Northeastern NY Council sponsored the Disability Patch Program, created by the Girl Scouts of Beaver and Lawrence Counties Council in Pennsylvania, to help girls learn about these barriers. (more…)

Let the Make it a Hit! Girl Scout Cookie Sales Program begin.

Today is the first day that Girl Scouts in the Northeastern New York Council can start selling the much anticipated cookies. 

Much like the eggnog and peppermint bark in the winter, or the marshmallow peeps and Cadbury eggs in the spring, Girl Scout cookies are a seasonal treat that I look forward to all year.

In my home, we each have our favorites.  My son and I crave the chocolaty caramel goodness of the Samoas, while my daughter prefers the peanut butter cookies such as the Tagalongs or the Do-Si-Does.  We have also discovered the delights of Thin Mints in the freezer.  Yum!

Spreading joy with Girl Scout cookies should be sufficient reason to participate in the cookie sales program, but there is so much more behind the sweet facade.

Troop Fundraiser

Cookie sales are the primary source of our troop income.  The money that the girls raise pays for their activities, service projects, and trips.

As the girls get older, their projects and travel plans are more ambitious.  Our girls want to help renovate the local food pantry.  They also want to go to the Hershey Park Girl Scout Camp-O-Ree this Spring.   Next Winter, they’re talking about a trip to Puerto Rico. 

These ambitious trips will, hopefully, be funded by cookie sale income.   Our six girls have set a team goal of selling 1,500 boxes of cookies.  This is a big, audacious goal but I bet that that they will surprise themselves and surpass this number.

Entrepreneurial Training

The reason that I think that they will surprise themselves is that, for the first time ever, these girls will take full advantage of the Girl Scouts eEntrepreneur program.  Our troop will be using all the tech tools that are available to put the girls’ leadership into action:

• Excel Goal Action Planner - A tool for budgeting and tracking sales.
• Marketing Plan Guide - In six simple steps, the girls will create a marketing plan like the pros.
• PowerPoint template - This can be used to create a polished presentation to use when contacting businesses.
• Business card template - All serious professionals need business cards.
• eCards - A fun way to announce that it’s Cookie Season.

A Gift of Caring

The cookie program will help the girls develop the skills to succeed with their biggest, boldest ambition this year. 

Last year, Girl Scouts in southern California had a huge ceremony to celebrate sending the one millionth box of Girl Scout cookies to armed forces overseas as part of Operation Thin Mint - “A taste of home and a note to show we care.”

Girl Scout cookies are one of the most requested items by deployed American soldiers.  And Girl Scouts all over the USA are responding by collecting donations to send to these brave men and women through programs like Operation Taste of Home or Operation Gratitude.

The response has been staggering.  In Nevada, a huge shipment of 4,000 boxes went out in May, 2006.  Tens of thousands of boxes have gone out from Hawaii.  In Arizona, the Council’s goal is to send 250,000 boxes of cookies this year.

These huge goals are powered by a simple desire to offer comfort and gratitude to the Americans who are sacrificing so much.  The Arizona Daily Star recently interviewed a soldier in Afghanistan:

When Air Force Tech Sgt. Jim Fisher was stationed in Afghanistan from February to August, eating off base meant donning heavy body armor and taking a chance at getting blown up.

Troops ate on base only.

So when care packages made their way to them, Fisher acknowledges that he developed a slight addiction to the chewy, coconut-caramel Girl Scouts cookies known as Samoas.

My troop hasn’t come up with a catchy name for our Gift of Caring to deployed American soldiers.  The girls aren’t even thinking that they can collect donations of thousands of boxes.  But, why not?

Sometimes, it really is worthwhile to dream big.

Help Us Dream Big

Can you think of a catchy name for our Gift of Caring to the overseas military troops initiative?  And, what kind of cookies do you think we should send?  Which is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?  Post a comment to share your suggestions.

If you would like to donate cookies to deployed American soldiers, contact a Girl Scout troop or your local Girl Scout Council. 

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Incrementally, I’m reducing the paper mountains and embracing digital technology but I’m not ready to let go of my loyal companions - the files and binders in my life.

Although I use Quicken to track our family’s finances, I still have a manila file for every billing or investment account. I like knowing that I have tangible evidence that I can produce if ever there is a question about our accounts.

I’ve launched a Yahoo Groups account for the Girl Scout Service Unit that I manage and someday I hope to have every document that we need available in this forum. Nevertheless, I keep a binder next to my computer with the calendar, directory, and current project information. It’s much faster to reach for a binder than it is to get to the relevant page online.

Similarly, although there are many excellent online planners for homeschool educators, I’m not giving up on the convenience and permanence of files, binders, and paper planners. Twenty years later, I haven’t forgotten my experience losing an entire semester at Columbia University due to a computer error!

Homeschool Record Keepers:

• Homeschool Tracker - Free Windows based software that allows you to keep track of assignments, reading logs, lesson plans, and field trips.
• Edu-Track Homeschool - $60 software program for tracking records and generating report cards, certificates, teacher’s journal, and much more.
• Homeschool Reporting Online - Record keeping and electronic storage of student records.

I won’t be letting go of my files and binders, but I’m willing to try wired learning solutions for saving time and trees.

For more help getting organized visit Homeschool Planners and Organizers at The Homeschool Mom.

What is your experience with these programs? Any other recommendations? Please post a comment to let me know.

Related Posts:

Homeschool Quarterly Report

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Every day, I’m thankful for our military men and women.

Last week, our Cub Scout Pack visited the New York Army National Guard facility in Latham, NY. A pilot instructor gave a tour of the facility, including the helicopter hangar. The boys, both young and old, were fascinated by all the gadgets - Kevlar helmet, night vision goggles, and bullet proof vest - but the biggest attraction was the Black Hawk helicopter. Visiting a military facility is a great way to introduce kids to the people and technology that help protect our country.

Learn more about America’s Military and discover how you can help support our troops:

• Soldier Mom - This children’s book by Alice Mead is a fictional account of how a young girl and her baby brother fare while their mom serves with the Army Reserves during the Persian Gulf War. Recommended for ages 8-12.
• America Supports You - Homefront groups or individuals can find lots of ways to show support for our troops through this nationwide program launched by the Department of Defense. This resource lists 100+ ways to support our troops, including A Million Thanks, Sock Monkey Ministries, and Trees For Troops.
• Support Our Troops Girl Scout Patch Program - 10 Activities to learn about and show support for our troops.
• The Popcorn Project - Boy Scouts are collecting donations of popcorn for our troops.
• Operation Cookie Drop - Find out how Girl Scouts collected and delivered over 70,000 boxes of cookies for the military last year.
• Collection For Hospitalized Military Members - Read about a Girl Scout who earned her Gold Award service project by sending items for hospitalized military persons in Kuwait.
• New York National Guard Youth Program - The National Guard sponsors a variety of programs for youth including The Corps of Cadets, a year-round program for youth aged 11-17 that challenges members thru activities ranging from drill and ceremony to water survival and rappelling to community service and training in leadership and drug avoidance stratgies.
• Why We Serve - Read the stories of recent veterans or arrange to host a speaker. This program, created by the U.S. Armed Forces, was designed to give returning veterans the opportunity to share their personal military experiences with the American public, while answering the call for more first-hand accounting from the front lines.
• National Association for Uniformed Services - Advocacy group representing the interests of all servicemembers.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America - Learn about the issues facing veterans; host a War Tapes Party; or find out how to take action online.
• US Department of Defense - Get all the current news from the front lines, visit the Blogger’s Roundtable, or read speeches such as Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates’ remarks on November 15, 2007 when receiving The Boy Scouts of America “Citizen of the Year” Award.

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The YMCA is a great place for scout groups to meet. The pool, indoor basketball court, and race tracks all offer wriggly kids a place to burn some of their endless supply of energy. Recent renovations at our local YMCA has added a Youth Room that was a “hit” at our last Wolf Den meeting!The spacious Youth Room has a huge, padded mat area where kids can do their calisthenics or work with exercise “toys” from a well-stocked closet. Other exercise options include a row of cycle cardio machines or a set of unusual electronic cardio machine where the object is to rack up points by smacking a light. This triggers a light & sound display. What a great way this is to get the Game Boy generation to move!

I was impressed by the kid-sized (age 7-14) weight training circuit which looks very similar to the adult weight circuit. Unlike the adult system, these machines do not need to be adjusted, except to change the resistance. This makes them very easy to use.

Even more more impressive was the way in which the Youth Program Director who led our tour was able to corral these usually bouncy kids. They listened and willingly followed directions as they learned many ways to have fun while exercising their bodies. The Den parents were unanimous in wishing to have this Program Director lead all of our meetings!