Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Darkness cannot drive out Darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Dr. Martin Luther King.

Whether you are in school today or not, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, civil rights hero and Nobel Prize Laureate, is a teachable moment. Whether you prefer to present something to your class or direct them to explore the internet on their own, there is a wealth of material that you will   find useful. Here are just a few.

Parade Magazine has a web site of quotes from Dr. King. They can be accessed at www.parade.com/king.

A great deal of information and video clips can be found at www. Bio.com. Much of the material available at this site is from film productions for the Biography Channel.

The Martin Luther King web site, www.martinlutherking.org, has quizzes for students as well as other classroom activities.

For original documents, recordings, and photographs, please take a look at the Library of Congress web site http://www.loc.gov/search/?q=martin+luther+king&in=original-format%3Aphoto%2C+print%2C+drawing. Students can spend hours at this site retrieving a wealth of information that will certainly add to a better understanding of the man and his mission.

A wonderful biography of Dr. King is also available on the Nobel Prize web site, http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html.

The Ebenezer Baptist Church web site will provide students with more information about Dr. King’s ministry work, http://www.historicebenezer.org/

Finally check out the site of the Martin Luther King National Historic site at http://www.nps.gov/malu/planyourvisit/ebenezer_baptist_church.htm.

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” ( MLK)

c. 2014 J. Margolis

The 3 D Printer and Education

What will the role of the 3D printer have in the field of education?

The uses of this new resource are endless but there are some uses that will fit right in to the classroom.

1) Teachers will be able to develop 3 dimensional visual aids specifically for use in their classrooms raising the opportunities for students to become more engaged in their learning.

2) Students who are visual learners will have an opportunity for more “hands on “manipulatives and be able to touch and feel as well as visualize objects and concepts

3) There could be more interactive activities. Teachers will be able to create models of inventions, a simulation of the human brain, etc. all which make learning more exciting.

One company has apparently stepped to the forefront in championing the educational uses of 3D printers. The company, Makerbot, has announced that as part of its corporate mission statement, it would like to see a 3D printers in every school in America. Since the product is not cheap- a base model sells for a little under $3000, not including supplies- Markerbot has partnered with Donorschoose.org to aid teachers in crowdfunding to raise money to be able to purchase a printer.

I invite you to take a look at Makerbot’s website (www.makerbot.com) and explore the exciting possibilities of the 3D printer in the classroom. If you happen to live in the Northeast, Makerbot presently has three retail stores- New York City, Boston, and Greenwich, CT. At these locations you will be able to take classes and learn what the printers can do. They also offer special classes for children. Currently they are offering a “ make your own Valentine “ project.

(Please note- I have no financial or any other interest in this company.  There may be other companies out there with similar products and I would appreciate it you would let me know so that I can post that information on a future blog.)

Best wishes for a successful and meaningful teaching year in 2014.

c. 2014.J. Margolis