Happy Anniversary, Franklin!

I regularly enjoy the newspaper columns written by Cary Clack and today's piece provided me with the perfect avenue for me to resume my blog! In his July 31, 2008 article, Franklin: A Trailblazer in "Peanuts", Mr. Clack celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first appearance of Franklin, one of the members of Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" gang. Much to consider about this anniversary--social history and the influence of the graphic novel and comics come to mind.  Go to Snoopy.com and click on Franklin to read the original July 31, 2008 strip.  Enjoy!

Thing 20: YouTube and TeacherTube

Youtube is a virtual repository of media on any topic and created by anyone, expert or novice. I'd love to see their server farm! Teachertube is a little more defined, but many of its offerings are available on YouTube. In a school setting, TeacherTube might be a safer choice.
On Youtube I searched "ed tech" with "Date added" as a qualifier and found a short video titled "Empowering Children Through the Use of Technology". I was really impresssed with the clearly stated presentation of the mantra for the education of our children in the 21st century. It was added to YouTube on July 2, 2008 by FengLynn.



I love Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Star the Fire" and in the past I have suggested it to history teachers as a research topic. Many renditions are available on TeacherTube, but I preferred the layout and photographs used in this one by Scott Allsop.