Great Site for Content Delivery - Schoology

Once again, I have to recommend a great CDS (content delivery system) for your classroom. I've been an online educator for nearly 10 years. I have taught using Desire2Learn, Blackboard, and Moodle. While each of these have positive and negative aspects, I've recently found a website that does EXACTLY what I need it to do and best of all IT IS FREE!!!

That is right! No high costs like Desire2Learn or Blackboard and no server knowledge needed like installing Moodle on your web server. The website I'm talking about is Schoology!

I can design lessons, post assignments, have students submit assignments, do discussion boards, post links, do webquests, take tests and do entire learning modules on Schoology!!! It is one of the best finds EVER. Every teacher should use this.

Once of the best things about it is that it has a social network like feel - very "facebook" like. The kids can customize their profile and it gives them several options. The site is private and kids must sign up for an account and then have to get a code from you to join. I just can't say enough about how much I enjoy this site. Check it out!

The Walking Dead - WOW

What a night!? AMC's The Walking Dead is probably one of the best shows of all time. I didn't know a show could get any better than HBO's True Blood.

WARNING: SPOILERS!

Shane dies. Not only does he die, he turns into a walker first. The initial reaction to these events was complete surprise. I couldn't believe that Shane had done this for the sole purpose of killing Rick. Then it struck me. Perhaps, rather than wanting to kill Rick, he wanted Rick to kill him. Shane knew, after his conversation with Lori by the windmill, that he had no chance with her. He has permanently damaged his relationship with the entire group and just perhaps, Dale's death pushed him over the edge.

The other curious even that has been building over the last few episodes is the fact that now, apparently just dying makes you a walker. I can see where this could lead to some very interesting events. Herschel is pretty old. If he dies while they are all boarded up in the house, will he become a walker among them? Does this mean the pathogen that causes walkers is mutating. If it mutates, what could be the next mutation? Affecting animals? Is sure is an interesting twist.

I've always known I was into TV WAY too much, but after watching an episode of The Walking Dead, you start to put together a plan on how to keep yourself safe in a zombie apocalypse and THAT makes for good TV. When you can get people thinking that walkers could happen, you've probably achieved success. If you haven't been watching The Walking Dead, you are really missing out on good television. What are you waiting for?!

UCCP Open Access

Since I am a Biology teacher and have been for 14 years, lots of people ask me about my favorite site for Biology resources. My first answer is always, "Hey, what about MY site?" (http://www.pisgahscience.com) or "Hey, what about my YouTube channel?" (http://www.youtube.com/pisgahscience)

Of course, I'd love for you to enjoy those sites because, after all, that is the reason I created them. I wanted to make a resource to use with interactive white boards and that was my goal in creating my Biology Online Site (http://pisgahscience.com/bioonline/)

However, I have to say, one of my very favorite Biology websites for a variety of reasons is UCCP Open Access. According to their site:

Welcome to UC College Prep's open resource for students and teachers. This content is brought to you by the University of California and is assembled from UC-approved college prep courses. It is intended as supplemental material only.

Although most of the content of our college prep courses can be accessed here, assessments are not posted. Courses presented in Open Access are not credit-bearing. Credit-bearing courses with assessments may be licensed to California schools directly from UC College Prep.

Please note that there is no enrollment in Open Access courses and no teaching, grades or credit are provided.

The most exciting item on the page is the Biology Section and then Online LABS they offer. Not only are there labs for basic biology, but for AP Biology as well. I've used their materials in nearly all of my classes from basic biology all the way up to my adjunct classes at a community college. The best part is there are other classes on the website BESIDES science! It is definitely work checking out!

Intolerance of Intolerance?

Today I was accused of being intolerant on Facebook. The article I was commenting on involved a recent interview with the famous Christian evangelical Kirk Cameron. In this interview he goes on to say:

"I think that it's unnatural. I think that it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."

I posted the link to Facebook with the comment that I can't stand him and wonder how he could be so wrong on so many issues. Now keep in mind that I also take issue with the bad science he and his colleagues keep promoting including misrepresenting the theory of evolution.

A person my friend's list posted the following comment:

And yet, he is entitled to his opinion. If people want tolerance they need to give tolerance. Now, he had a national audience that most people will never have.....and he was cornered into answering those questions.....and he answered with his beliefs

My question to the general audience is, is it ok to be intolerant of intolerance? Personally, I think if a person spreads lies, misinformation, and completely distorts real science then I have the perfectly legitimate right to call BS. If you watch the video, he stumbles around each question he gets asked because I honestly believe even HE knows he is wrong to discriminate. I can honestly say that I am SO glad he is not MY father. And besides, I like Mike Seaver better!

A Little Bit of Everything Else

Welcome to the Blog.

I've toyed many years with starting a blog and in the end it always seemed like something that I WANTED to do, but finding time always seemed to be a problem. Hopefully, now that I've actually started one, I'll do my best to post as much as possible and keep up with the writing.

I think I've always secretly wanted to be a writer, but I've never been very good at writing despite actually writing my own Star Trek series (http://www.stlost.com). Like this blog, it is still a work in progress. I started writing that series in 1986 and so far I have over 100 episodes written. I haven't written anything new in a while because I'm busying "digitizing" those episodes. They are really getting old in the binders I have them in. In either case, it is interesting to go back and look at how the 17 year old Wesley wrote compared to how I would write it now. I'm tweaking certain things, but trying to maintain the idea that was at the heart of the story. It is taking a lot more time that I imagined it would, but it is worth it.

To those that don't know, my partner and I just moved to Maryland from Mississippi. I have to say it has been an awesome move. I love being this close to Washington, DC and I love the new environment. Sometimes I do miss my friends and family in Mississippi, but I get to keep in touch with them with Facebook. It has definitely been an experience for a small town Mississippi boy moving to the big city.

Hopefully, you will enjoy the things I have to say. If not, maybe we can discuss it.

Needless to say, please subscribe and follow the blog. While you are at it, go to my youtube channel . Make sure to favorite, subscribe, and like all my videos!