Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 Freebies

Check out the vast multitude of free printables for Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2, at
http://www.kutasoftware.com/freemain.html You'll save hours of time. You won't regret the visit to this site. 'Nuff said! (for now)

ESL Resources

The following are some "tried and true" web resources for supplementing your ESL materials and instruction:

• http://www.literactive.com/Home/index.asp (interactive, downloadables, free!)
• http://www.eslcafe.com (THE ESL Guru!)
• http://www.esl-lab.com (Grab your headphones, kids!)
• http://eflclassroom.ning.com (Network with ESL educators from the world over!)
• http://cuentacuentos.ning.com (Storytelling and Song For English Language Learners)
• http://a4esl.org/q/h/grammar.html (Oh, those parts of speech, contractions, plurals, and more!!!)
• http://www.manythings.org Do NOT pass this one up! You'll regret it!
• http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=113&DID=1583
• http://babelfish.yahoo.com Translate between many languages. Great for sending home notes in native languages.
• http://imtranslator.net/plugin-tr.asp(ImTranslator 3.2 for Internet Explorer and Firefox - WAY COOL!)
• http://www.literactive.com/Home/index.asp Great for beginning readers AND for English Language Learners, too! VERY interactive.
• http://www.readwritethink.org/index.asp Set the alarm, or you'll lose track of time at this site!
• http://a4esl.org Powerful! Talk about a site that covers the parts of speech! This is the place!
• http://english-zone.com/index.php (...the BEST English-Learner's site on the 'Net!)
• http://www.mes-english.com Free printables For teachers.
• http://www.readingrockets.org Focuses upon reading for early childhood, but many strategies can be adopted for ESL students, too.
• http://www.theschoolbell.com/Links/read_enviro/read1.html Try the “Word Detective” game, which uses signs found on many school campuses. Students are asked to use what they know about spelling and decoding to answer prompts about the words. Teachers can print pages to send home; encouraging parents to read and decode street signs with their children.
• http://www.quia.com/shared Check out the ESL and ESOL sections for activities that are interactive. Those related to irregular verbs are numerous and engaging!
• http://medtropolis.com/VBody.asp Learn about the human body in a virtual environment. Available in English and Español.
• http://public.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php Type or copy/paste in the text, select a voice (American, of course), and let it speak for the students. Pronounces contractions and suffixes properly.
• http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=156 The ProTeacher Community forums cover so many topics, but this link in particular goes directly to the ESL message board and subtopics. To see what all else is available, go back to the main page at http://www.proteacher.net
• http://www.harcourtschool.com/storytown Check out "Grammar Glossary"!
• http://np.harlan.k12.ia.us/reading_center.htm Different facets of reading instruction with a multitude of links to many entertaining activities. From the Harlan Community School District's New Park Elementary School (New Park, IA).

享用 (Enjoy!)

Really Nasty Malware - AntiVirus 360

Recently several people have contacted me, reporting that their PCs have been infected with a "virus" that keeps bugging them to purchase a program called "AntiVirus 360". it reports that their computer is loaded with all kinds of viruses, malware, and trojans.

Antivirus 360 is a rogue anti-spyware program intended to fool users into purchasing a fake product. Persistent pop ups and system tray warnings pound users with fake system alerts. Often -- without knowing -- users are tricked in to thinking these fake alerts are official "Windows Alerts". AntiVirus 360 is a nasty program running silently in the background which kills PC performance.

So...the facts is that AntiVirus 360 IS malware. Really REALLY bad malware. Some have taken their computers to repair shops and had the hard drives totally reformatted to get rid of it. That doesn't have to be done, though. There's a "triple-whammy" that I've used to get rid of the pest.

First, I disable "System Restore", the screen saver, and disable Hibernation mode.

I start by keeping my LEGITIMATE antivirus program, Norton Antivirus, up-to-date. I don't use the Norton Security Suite. It's a resource hog. I just use the plain-Jane Norton AntiVirus. It's updated at least every week, then I run a full system scan.

I also use Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware. It's free. I also update it and run a scan to remove threats. Ad-Aware is also used. It, too, is free. It requires updating, scanning, and the removal of any threats found.

Using all three of these programs in concert has successfully removed AntiVirus 360 from three PCs without having to reformat the hard drives. Keep the programs up-to-date. Scan your PC regularly. Make backups of your files.

Hint: Be wary of buying a program claiming to be a tool that removes AntiVirus 360. It just might be more of the same.

Lock & Trace Your Other Laptop(s)

Our district has installed software that traces stolen laptops, and has successfully proven itself.

You, too, can install similar software on your own laptops for FREE. You can also control it remotely once you realize that it's been stolen, as long as it's been connecting to the Internet. Best of all, you can delete or encrypt files and even track the location right down to the state, city, and street location!

Did I mention that the cost is zero, zip, zilch? I've tried it. It works!!! Go to http://www.thelaptoplock.com and learn more. You can register as many laptops as you want. For free. All you need is an email account.

Now: Couple that service with another FREE program that serves as a motion sensor and, if your laptop has a built-in web camera, will take a picture of the suspected thief, upload it to an FTP server of your choice, and record the IP address from which it connected to the Internet. Couple this information with that provided by LaptopLock, and you've got a powerful security suite that increases the chances of recovering your laptop and securing or even deleting sensitive data. The name of this additional program? Yaw-cam. Get it from http://www.yawcam.com.

Next: Where to get a free FTP server? Try http://www.drivehq.com/ftp. You can get 1 GB of free storage; more than enough for this setup.

Enjoy the feeling of added security!

Student Writing: Online, Anywhere, Anytime, Integrated

WRITEIT! LIVE, an online student writing platform, appears to offer a untold potential! Accounts start as low as $4.00 per student as of this posting. The publisher offers a myriad of educational products, but this one in particular catches my eye.

Visit the publisher's site at http://www.ftcpublishing.com or go directly to the writing site and sign up your school (up to 250 free fully functional trial accounts) at http://www.writeitlive.com.

Another site to explore is JAYCUT. This site is free, and allows you to audio, video, and photos. You can also create transitions and special effects. Great for podcasts and digital storytelling! http://www.jaycut.com.

As an aside: While performing recent installs of DIBELS software, I can say with confidence that the vast majority of computers need antivirus definitions updated. This is a very important "maintenance" procedure. If you'd like a refresher on how to perform this simple task, let me know. I'll be glad to assist you.