CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK - BOOK SAFARI

June 24, 2009

Geraldine Giraffe on a “Book Safari”

To help celebrate Children’s Book Week this year the team here at CMIS Evaluation- (really it was clever Jean),  decided to decorate a book trolley so we can enter a competition in the USA held through Unshelved, the Library Comic Strip website. We plan to take our trolley - “Geraldine Giraffe” on Safari through our building to promote Book Week.

Why don’t you “Dress up Your Book Trolley” and let us know about it - a great T&E exercise and book promotion at the same time. With the help of a post tube, some sponge packaging and some animal print material - Geraldine was created. We have thought about an elephant too - it may yet eventuate.

We’ve uploaded Geraldine onto the CMIS Eval Flickr page where there are other photos available to view and use.

On the CMIS Evaluation page there’s information about how you can really make an impact during Book Week.


Refugee Week

June 15, 2009

June 14 - 20 is International Refugee Week.

What is a Refugee?

Today, 42 million people around the world have fled armed conflicts and are searching for safety . They are children, women, and men living in temporary shelters, camps, or shanty towns, struggling to survive in new and often hostile environments. Those who have sought refuge in another country are refugees, a status which entitles them to certain rights under international law.

Those who are seeking refuge within their own countries are officially called internally displaced persons (IDPs). They have fewer rights than refugees, yet make up almost two-thirds of the people around the world today who are seeking safety from armed conflict and violence. [MSF Website]

With the numerous incidences of conflict around the world, and the increasing effect of climate change forcing people from their homes, raising awareness about the displacement of people is a key element of Medicins Sans Frontieres - Doctors Without Borders. This organisation works in Refugee Camps around the world tending to those people who have sort refuge. The website includes an interactive Refugee Camp game and video about the Refugee Camp in the City project.

The Oxfam website Refugee Realities has a learning space where students can not only learn about refugees but also play online games such as Against All Odds - from UNHCR, which includes teacher resources.

Print resources such as The Arrival, My Dog, Home and Away, Ziba Came on a Boat and Refugees are all useful additions to any work on this topic. For further Fiction titles the CMIS Resource Bank is a useful source


John Marsden Prize 4 Young Australian Writers

June 5, 2009
Keyboard The John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers is a national competition open to young writers under 25 years of age.
What to do: Write an original poem or short story/first chapter of a novel under 3000 words long and submit it!

Entry is free for all applicants under 18.
For 18 -24 year olds, the $10 entry fee includes free Express Media Membership and a monthly newsletter on events, grants and competitions.

Entries close 5pm Friday 28th August, 2009. Entry forms are now available using the link below.

John Marsden Entry Form 2009.pdf

First place winners will be printed in the December issue of Voiceworks.
Second and third place winners, and those with honourable mention will be published on the Express Media website.

The CMIS Resource Bank contains reviews of many of John Marsden’s works.

Visit the CMIS Authors & Illustrators page for extensive links to both Australian and International authors and illustrators including John Marsden.


Why learning about emerging technologies is part of every librarian’s job

May 25, 2009

This is a slidecast created by Kathryn Greenhill of her presentation at Educause Australasia 2009

Educause Australasia 2009, [Perth Western Australia 5 May 2009] session papers are available online from this conference webpage.

The CMIS School Library Support pages provide library staff with information about normal school library operating processes as well as background information relevant to the purpose of the school library.


WolframAlpha

May 18, 2009

WolframAlpha was announced in March 2009 by British physicist Stephen Wolfram, and was released to the public on May 15, 2009. Unlike Google, which searches for web resources to match a query, WolframAlpha generates answers to factual queries by computing the answer from available data.

Watch Part 2 of of the video.

Related CMIS blog posts include:

Take a look at the CMIS webpages on Search Tools


‘Your Planet Needs You’- World Environment Day - June 5th

May 8, 2009

World Environment Day is recognised as an important part of the school calendar.

 

 

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Each year a theme is set by the country which hosts the day. 
This year’s theme is ‘Your Planet Needs You’ .

With the emphasis on combatting Climate Change, the UN has released a Fact Sheet with information on how each one of us can help.

The CMIS Theme pages have a number of related topics which can be used in the classroom, including Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Sanitation, Sustainable Schools Project, Threatened Species and Frogs.

The Department of Environment and Conservation is holding special biodiversity and conservation activities at two of their centre - Hills and Henderson, for students in Yrs 4-7.
For further information contact the Coordinator - EcoEducation Lisa Ingram
 (08) 9295 6149 7: (08) 9295 3247 *lisa.ingram@dec.wa.gov.au


Australian Ballet Blog: Behind Ballet

May 8, 2009
Dance enthusiasts and students can discover interesting information, photographs, music and video clips from the world of dance through the Australian Ballet’s new blog.

Behind Ballet looks at dance through the arts, fashion, music and literature:

  • Ballet questions answered
  • Profiles, interviews, articles on Australian Ballet dancers,  choreographers and productions
  • Programs, projects by the Australian Ballet
  • Books with ballet themes
  • Flashbacks to favourite dancers of the past
  • Articles on fashion and costume
  • Dance themed video clips

 


Japanese Language Speech Contest

May 8, 2009

第40 回日本語弁論大会
The 40th Japanese Language Speech Contest

The Japan Foundation is again holding its Speech Contest for Australian students. This is the 40th year of the contest and is open to Year 11 and 12 students across the country.  There are several different divisions covering all stages of competence.

Prizes include return airfares and accomodation packages to Japan. State winners in each section are expected to proceed to the National Final.

Guidelines and other Contest information is available from the Japan Foundation Website

The WA Final is on July 30th and the Western Australian contact for the contest is:

Chris Graham
Japanese Language Teachers’ Association WA
PH: (08) 9495 7439/ FAX: (08) 9390 4082
Email: chris.graham@det.wa.edu.au
WA State Final: Thursday 30 July
Please visit JLTAWA website
http://www.jltawa.org.au

Other information for Teachers of Japanese is available on the CMIS WACE Pages Japanese : Second Language


Sky Watch

May 7, 2009

I’ve been out most evenings this week looking to the heavens to catch sight of the International Space Station as it passes over this part of the world. It really is worth seeing. I was surprised at how bright it is.
Predictions - generally pretty accurate - about the passage of the space station can be found at the Heavens Above website.

Teachers and students will find masses of information on many different subjects included on other parts of the site.

The CMIS Astronomy theme page is a good place to start a Space Study to incorporate the International Space Station.


New Frogs for “Save the Frogs” Day

April 28, 2009

 


Kimberley
TinyToadlet
© WA Museum  Frogwatch

April 28 is the inaugural
  “Save the Frogs Day

 The day has been initiated by Save the Frogs group dedicated to amphibian conservation. On their website there is a great amount of information about frogs. 

 Coincidentally and in time for this celebration, the Western Australian Museum “Frog” Team have dicovered two new species in the Kimberley. Read about this exciting discovery and much more at the museum’s Frogwatch pages.

Students and teachers can also learn more about Frogs on the CMIS Frog Theme page.