Here are some other questions you might have...and the answers!
1. What medium should we use to create the pictures for the dictionary?
If you have access to computers, that is the best, because the
pictures/words will already be in a format to post. Use any program you
have that will allow you to create and save.
Pictures should be .jpg or .gif format. (However, if you can only
create bmp, we can translate to the correct format.)
Words can be any word processor...well, almost any. We can read Word,
MSWorks, AppleWorks for Mac or PC.
Works done on paper are also acceptable, if you scan them, or take
pictures of them with a digital camera. In that case it is usually best
to scan the picture and the sentence separately, and save them as .gif
files, or scan/photograph the pictures and type the sentences in a single
word processing file.
As a very last resort you will be allowed to send paper through the
mail. This will slow the process of your tale being posted, because
it will mean having to scan the work at this end. However, that's where
the middle school kids are a great help!
2. Do you have a permission form that you have parents sign so that their
child's artwork/work can be "displayed" on the web?
We use a simple 1/3 sheet stating" _____has permission to publish
his/her work on the Internet. Work will be identified only with first
name and last initial." Then a spot for parents to sign. Check within
your own system; if there is no form, create something simple. Parents
are usually very pleased to know their child's work will be available
for "grandma, grandpa and great aunt Tillie" to see on the Internet.
3. Are the tales you select "familiar" tales?
You can choose your tale. Non-familiar tales add to ALL
kids knowledge of tales and the more that are included in this collection
the better!
Let us know though, which tale you will be taking.
We will then post it in the 'coming soon' section so other can see
what has been taken.
4. What is the timeline for receiving the title of the tale we are assigned
and then actual submitting of the dictionary pages?
Since classrooms and requirements to do other things vary from
school to school, we've left this pretty open. We'll "reserve" your
tale for a reasonable amount of time, but if we don't hear from you
in..well,
say it's been 3 months and we didn't hear ANYTHING ...we'd email you
to find out if you were still with us.
An occasional email saying.."we're working" or "we have to wait until
spring" ...is
enough!
5. How do you expect the participants to submit the dictionary pages?
Attach files to email;
send to jbarnstable1@comcast.net
6. What if it is near "impossible" to create pages for certain alphabets?
(ie. for the "x," "z," etc.) Any suggestions?
Too good ones are always "x marks the spot where....." and I
LOVE the "Z" one from Little Red..."the wolf got zero in the end." The
letter word does not have to be the first one in the sentence. If you
really get stuck, we'll put the word out to the others working on the
project and see if they have any ideas.
What do you think? Should we be honest with the kids about the letter
"X" and allow things like eXtra, eXcellent, and all the others with
the "X" sound? I think they should learn that most of the time "X"
is really "EX".
The Spanish alphabet doesn't have any words with "k" or "w." (The only
words with these letters are foreign words.) We DO have a tale in Spanish
which does not use these letters. It there was a tale in Spanish where
is was appropriate to use foreign "English" words for these letters,
that would be OK too.
7. Is it possible to create your own fairy tale for this project,
of does it have to be an already existing one?
It seems to me that every fairy tale or folk tale had to have a start
somewhere. The tale you create today may be remembered as a classic
in 100 years!
8. I notice that some tales have animations. How is that done?
I'm actually a teacher of middle school students. One of the things
they learn to do each year is create animated gifts and FLASH animations.
The CyberDictionary
is a 'required' starting point for them to learn the process. (And
the younger kids can just think it's magic ;-) or you can tell them
about
their 'big brothers and sisters' who live in Oak Park, Illinois.)
They tend to pick pictures that have a lot of white space because this
makes
the chore easier for them.
9. How can my tale be one that is turned into puzzles?
The puzzle javascript works only with '.gif' and not '.jpg' files,
so first off, the pics have to be in .gif format. Second, the majority
have to have not too much white space or the puzzle will be too difficult
with a lot of white pieces. (This is just the opposite of how pictures
are picked for animations.) The last requirement is one at this end:
the time to do the work!
10. How do the pictures get picked for the "posty"?
Illustrations for the postys are chosen based on their universality.
Some illustration that can have an appeal for multiple occasions
and/or be universally recognized as something like "love, peace,
togetherness."
11. Who writes the story on the first page of each
tale?
You and your students should re-tell the tale in
your own words. Do not copy the story out of a book, because that's
plagerism! If you have told the tale to the students and had them
generate word lists and sentences with you, it will be an easy
thing for them to retell the story. You can even use their dictionary
sentences put together to create the story. Then add whatever they
think is needed to tell the whole story.
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