Alice and Scratch

I discovered Alice, from Carnegie Mellon University and Scratch, from M.I.T., last year. This year I'm planning to teach the basics of both programs to my middle school students. Has anyone been using these programs? If so, do you have any words of advice and/or example projects?
Thanks,

Norm

Middle School Blogging

I want to have my Middle School students "blog" with classmates at other schools on a local, state, national and international level. I am concerned with safety issues, so I am looking for any advice from colleagues who have already begun such a program or are in the process of implementing one.

Thinkquest

I am just beginning the Thinkquest competition for the first time. We are using PC computers. The whole thing looks a bit overwhelming! Has anyone done this and if so can you recommend software we should use for creating our projects? Any helpful hints for this project would be greatly appreciated.
Jackie

Recycling computers

I had planned on recycling some old - but still working - imacs through Apple - but apparently now you have to box them up and send them yourself. Does anyone have another solution?

janine

iMac Screen Scrambled

I have new imacs and after sleeping for a couple of periods when the screens come back on the top looks like giant pixels and the screen gets scrambled. I have emailed Dave. Was just wondering if anyone else was having this issue.

janine

MacBook battery issue

I had an iChat with Dave Marra about the issue:

Hey Dave, My battery issue: battery in my Macbook (2 GHz Core Duo) will go from 100% to reserve to sleep in about 15 minutes!!! Sometimes it will just shut down. Any thoughts?

Dave responded:
"This battery update should fix it."
>>> http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/

Out-of-District workshop/conference policy

I've heard that some districts have a new policy that in order to go to a workshop or conference you have to submit a request six weeks prior to the event for the Board of Ed to approve. Is this true? What's the policy in your district? Will it effect going to monthly NJECC meeting?

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