Links
Below are some links that I have found useful, interesting, or just plain fun. Following each link is a brief explanation of what I like about it. Enjoy.
- Science-Class.net: This incredibly useful site belongs to Mrs. Poarch, a 7th and 8th grade science teacher. I discovered this site when I was teaching in Texas and it was very helpful in establishing a timeline with the curriculum. I love the projects that Mrs. Poarch has developed and especially appreciate how willingly she shares her ideas and creations.
- Japan Update: Living in Okinawa is great, but there is a language barrier. The written language is so unfamiliar to me that it makes no sense at all. Thankfully there is Japan Update, a weekly overview of what's happening in Okinawa... and it's in English. It's informative to browse the archived articles, which provide a great introduction to Okinawan festivals and culture. The classified ads are updated daily, and if you like you can search for a specific item.
- W3 Schools: This site contains all the information you need to build your own webpage from scratch. There are complete reference lists for HTML, XHTML and CSS. The site includes hundreds of examples, and it's all based on the official W3C standards. There are also handy links that allow you to validate your work (which basically means checking it for errors and compliance).
- Weather Underground: Since I live literally within a stone's throw of the ocean, I have to stay informed about any severe weather that might be headed my way. Weather Underground keeps me up-to-date with the latest tropical weather warnings, and every typhoon or tropical storm advisory links to a map that tracks (and projects) its position, course and intensity.
- JigZone.com: Puzzles are my favorite form of entertainment, and that's what you'll find at the JigZone. Every day offers a new puzzle which I can tailor to my liking by setting the difficulty level (i.e., number of pieces). Then I can challenge myself to solve the puzzle faster than I did before, with the computer keeping track of time. There are hundreds of archived images to choose from, or I can upload an image of my own. And best of all, I don't have to clear off the dining room table to enjoy a good puzzle.
- Set Daily Puzzle: Set is my favorite game, and I've even used it as a warm-up in the classroom. It's a pattern recognition game in which you are challenged to pick sets of three cards out of a group of twelve cards laid face-up on the table... and to do it more quickly than your opponents. The daily puzzle is good practice. It challenges you to find six sets in the cards on the screen, and times your results.