How it all started!
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You had to ask:
We have had so many people asking, "How did this whole
Frankie thing get started." We thought we'd show you.
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Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997
To: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
From: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
Subject: Reporting from the road
>Sara,
>
>I am going to be traveling with a group of 6 elementary school teachers (K-4) from
>around the country to the monarch sanctuaries at the end of February. I would
>be glad to bring the bear along and create a few web pages centered around the
>reporting. It would be a nice way for all of us to think about reporting
>on what we've done. It would also be a nice way for students to learn
>about what all we find. We will be visiting rural and urban schools,
>Papalote Children's museum and sanctuaries around Angangueo.
>
>Interested? Let me know.
>
>
>-karen
>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 16:45:00 -0400
To: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: Re: Reporting from the road
Karen:
Wo-oa!! More than I expected, much more!!! That sounds great!
You may have gotten some of the background on my efforts...I'm the
technology coordinator at our school (a rural school in West Virginia) and
I'm trying to promote teaching with technology as an enhancement (not a
replacement) to traditional instruction.
I assisted the first and third grades in gathering info on the Monarchs
(and both classes had "babies" that they released and tagged in the fall).
The third grade also sent "paper monarchs" as part of the project and hope
they all return in the spring with a message from their Mexican
counterparts.
So, this has been an on-going project and any input that you and others can
give will greatly enhance their learning.
"Frankie" is a cuddly brown bear with a built-in backpack. He has a
journal introducing the class efforts and a disposable camera. If it will
not be too much trouble to take him along on this expedition, it will be
greatly appreciated. (I am also in the process of writing a homepage
outlining all my "roving reporter's" missions--there's 5 in all--and I hope
to have it completed by the end of the schoolyear.
Frankie's ready to go, so all you have to do is give me the word--and the
address!! Hope to hear from you soon...
Sara
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 19:05:19 -0400
To: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: Re: Re: Reporting from the road
Karen--
It's been a while since we touched base...Did you receive
"Frankie," our roving reporter? Was he able to make the trip to Mexico
with you and your group? How about your expedition, did it go well??
Please be in touch if/when you get a chance--
Sara McClintic
Date: Tue, 11 March 1997
To: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
From: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
Subject: Frankie made it to Mexico and back
Sara,
Yes. Frankie made it and he was quite popular down in Mexico.
It was great! Our first day back at work was yesterday, so
I have been overwhelmed. I will send a URL with Frankie
photos soon. Maybe even later today.
We really had fun with Frankie.
-k
Date: Mon, 24 March 1997
To: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
From: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
Subject: Frankie Pages
Hi Sara,
Have you been able to access the Frankie pages?
We are re-doing some of them because of requests from the schools.
Frankie arrives in Watertown, MA tommorow morning at 9:00am.
Deb King and Laura Newman are his hosts there. We would like you
and your students to ask questions that students at each school
will respond to.
Deb and Laura teach 2nd/3rd grades.
To get an idea of how will we use the questions look at this page-
http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/monarchs/frankie/journal/journalhosmeradd.html
They can also ask questions to the other students.
1) Avocado Elementary - Homestead FL
3rd grade gifted classroom
Frankie will be going with them on a fieldtrip to Epcot Center.
2) Buckman Elementary Arts Magnet in Portland, OR
3rd and 4th grade classroom
3) Ross School - in San Francisco, CA
Kindergarten
Send responses to me or to 2us@smm.org, we will be
putting the individual classrooms addresses on each page soon.
Thanks again.
Frankie has been a real catalyst for creative thinking.
-karen
____________________________________________
Here is an email that I got from Deb King this morning -
The Hosmer School anxiously awaits the arrival of Frankie. Laura is making
a graduation cap and ( among other activities) we plan to take him into
Harvard to receive an Honorary Degree this afternoon. I checked our main
office and he has not yet arrived but the school is on the look out!!!
I almost forgot...one thing we have planned for Frankie is an interview
with a reporter from our local newspaper. Can you give me some background
on him. Where in W. Virginia does he come from (name of town, school
etc.). How does he connect with people initially? Where has he been? Any
other bits of info you think of. If you can give me a fax # I will fax a
copy of the report to you.
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 19:13:26 -0400
To: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: Re: Update
Karen--
Great to hear from you! Yes, I did view the Frankie pages, but not
on my own station. I still can't access any of the URLs, but we'll be on
Spring Break next week, and I hope to solve that problem.
I'm so happy to hear that Frankie has been a help and not a
hindrance to your efforts. I didn't know how this project would be
received. The response and acceptance has been overwhelming. I do have to
present the basis of the project to the Bell-Atlantic School division on
April 8, so I will be developing some web pages to link with what you've
already done. (That, too, will have to wait until Spring Break!)
Please let me know of any/all URLs about Frankie and the project. I want
to link them all when I get my part finished.
********Some background on Frankie: (Officially a "roving reporter" for
Frankford Elementary School in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Part of
an Internet Curriculum Development project developed by Sara Hill
McClintic, Technology Coordinator)
I found him just "hanging around the mall" (literally) over
T-giving break. Knowing that I needed to develop a springboard for my
Internet curriculum projects, my mind was constantly mulling over ideas to
get the students interested, while at the same time developing an
educational activity.
On the day that I found Frankie, I was strolling through a local mall with
my daughter, when we saw the cutest little bear "pajama bags" hanging on a
vendor's display. Upon inspection, I found that they had velcro closures
on the back side designed to hold pj's. Thinking this would be a great
notebook/field supply holder, I purchased two of them--thus my project
began.
Frankie and 2 moose cousins were on display at J.C. Penneys--right across
the mall divide. As soon as I saw those 3, I knew they belonged with the
pj "ragamuffins" I'd just purchased.
On my way home, I pondered different I-net assignments for each of my
little guys and by the time I got home, I was ready to brief them on their
"missions!" I rushed them to my home office; issued each one a notebook, a
disposable camera, and their individual assignments. During that
introductory session, I took still-image videos of them getting to know
each other and learning about their assignments. I plan to use those
images in my homepage to explain our efforts.
Each "roving reporter" has a unique assignment:
Frankie was to go to Mexico to locate the monarch butterflies and report
his findings. (He's sponsored by our 3rd grade classes who tagged
some monarchs in the fall and participated in the paper butterfly
exchange.)
Toby, one of the pj bears, is now in Dallas, Texas, with the
Cowboys. He is being chaperoned
by a former student from our school who now works as a trainer for the
Cowboys. (He's part of a 6th grade project to promote Math and career
exploration.)
G. R., another pj bear, is traveling the state of West Virginia (in
less than 80 days, we hope.) We've kinda lost track of him, but I put out
an APB over our state k-12 tech list, so I hope to hear from him soon.
(He's part of a 4th grade West Virginia studies/Internet awareness
activity.)
Rudy, a stuffed moose, is in Germany with a 2nd grade class. He
has been communicating with us through e-mail and also sent a long lost
cousin, Pretzel, to our second graders. (Pretzel was dressed in
traditional German clothing when he arrived.) Rudy is part of a 2nd grade
class activity to promote e-mail/snail mail penpal activities and cultural
awareness.
Clem is also a moose--a white one with a big red nose. Clem is in
Alaska now with a 5th grade class. His mission was to follow the Iditarod
dogsled race and record notes in his journal. Although the race is over,
his hosting class asked if he could stay a little longer so they could
continue to tell us about life in Alaska. (He's part of a 5th grade
project to learn about current events; word processing activities; Internet
awareness; U.S. history.
That's basically the story of the "Roving Reporters." They were
just a bunch of "animals hanging around the mall," but now they've all
fulfilled the missions I asked of them--and seem to be off to even bigger
things. They all have a special place in my heart!
(By chance all these reporters are boys. Girls would have been just as
capable, but they weren't in the right place at the right time--maybe next
year!)
************
Sorry I got so long-winded, but as you can see, it's an evolving
project--and I still don't know how it will all end...I have made so-o-o
many Internet contacts through this project. It truly is a "world-wide
web!"
S
Date: Tue, 25 March 1997
To: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
From: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
Subject: Re:Re: Update
Sara,
Thanks for the "behind the scences" info on Frankie,
I plan to include that in the website too. Stories
like that always make things more personable and fun.
Regarding Frankie pages -
We are going to put the new Frankie pages in place of
the old (all of the old stuff is still there - it is just
enhanced now!)
You'll be able to access the - Donde esta Frankie pages
directly from the Monarchs and Migration site
(starting at 10pm tonight)
http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/monarchs
-k
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 20:49:38 -0400
To: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: Re: Update
Karen, I just got into the "Frankie" pages (I had to load Netscape--my old
browser wouldn't access the site). Anyway, GREAT!!! I really like the way
the pages were laid out--journal style. I will be working on my
presentation about Frankie and his other buddies all weekend. Hopefully,
I'll have an address you can check out soon. (I may wait until after my
meeting in case there are suggestions/changes/etc. from other curriculum
team members.)
Did you, by chance, keep the "history of the roving reporters" that I
zapped you about a week ago. I didn't save a copy of it, but would like to
use parts of it to preface the background for my presentation. And, I'll
admit it, I'm too lazy to rewrite/rethink it!!! If you have a copy, just
zap it back to me; if not, I'll dig it out of my "clogged" memory!?!
Thanks for everything (and I'll be back in touch)...
Sara
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 19:00:30 -0400
To: karenw@mail.sci.mus.mn.us
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: Frankie!
Cc: brantley@ace.miamisci.org.mscott@pps.k12.or.us.dking@hosmer.watertown.k12.ma.us
WOW!!!
I've just spent the past 2 hours catching up on Frankie's travels. I am
amazed that so much has evolved from what I considered to be a "small"
project when it all started--and on my end it has, indeed, been
minimal--but everyone else has gone above and beyond!!
When the basis of this project started (back in the fall), our school was
to be hooked up to the 'net by the end of December. We're still not hooked
up and probably won't be until summer. Thus, I have printed out most of
the info (once I loaded Netscape...my original browser wouldn't let me
access your URLs) and have shared the info and pictures of Frankie with the
classes involved.
Because of the delay in getting our Internet connection at school, the
students have not been nearly as involved as I had intended (it's kind of
like "virtual
Internet" right now.) They do enjoy getting the info that I send and are
looking forward to Frankie's return to "hear" it from him!!!
Thanks for caring, sharing, and making this a true "worldwide" project!!
Sara
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 19:43:36 -0400
To: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: FRANKIE
Cc: dking@hosmer.watertown.k12.ma.us
Karen/Debi...
I stumbled across your communications about the Mixed-up Flight
Plans RE Frankie. Hope this hasn't been too frustrating. I realize how
difficult it has been trying to coordinate Frankie around Spring Breaks,
Open House, illnesses, etc. He has permission to further extend his
travels through May. Our school will be out for summer on June 9, so if we
get Frankie back in early June, the students will have time to enjoy his
findings!
I have only served as a catalyst on this project, but I am
overwhelmed by the response and acceptance of Frankie as a spokes"bear" for
the monarch effort.
Our school is not yet wired for Internet, so I print out most of
the info at home and share it with my classes at school. I've also had
some trouble sending e-mail through my Netscape Navigator (it bombs my
system whenever I try :-{, so we haven't been able to respond/or ask
Frankie direct questions.
Through your notes, I get the idea that you might be interested in
doing a similar project (with up to 5 clones!) next year. I hope, if you
do pursue that avenue of thought, that you will contact me, as I would
again like to be a part (even it's just providing the catalyst as I did
this year.) I think the Science Museum is doing some really great things
with educational Internet!
Tell Frankie "Hi" and to continue on with his extended mission.
The more education he gets, the more we'll get!!--and we've never had a
bear from our school receive a degree from Harvard!!!
Thanks for being so patient and creative with this project...
S
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 19:20:08 -0400
To: karenw@sci.mus.mn.us (Karen Wilkinson)
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: Re: Update
Status: RO
Karen--
I've just been checking out the Frankie pages. Looks like he's
having a great time at Hosmer. We just finished our school carnival; it
appears similar to the circus Frankie attended.
We received a batch of paper monarchs about 3 weeks ago, but they
were all written in Spanish! Our students had no idea what they said (and
neither did I), so we've arranged with the Jr. High Spanish teacher and her
students to translate into written English. This is another extension to
the original project that I didn't foresee when making plans...
I will also be displaying Frankie's mission and pages that I've
pulled down about his travels next week at our project fair. The things
that have been done above and beyond Frankie's original mission have really
added to the project. Thanks to you and all the others who have provided
the enthusiasm to keep this activity going...
S
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 17:56:16 -0400
To: Karen Wilkinson
From: smcclint@access.mountain.net (Sara H. McClintic)
Subject: Re: Frankie
Hey, Karen...
Hope all is well. I have been following Frankie's progress across
the web! He's really had a fantastic journey. Let me know when you guys
are ready to send him back.
Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and participation in this
project. All my little guys have successfully completed their missions and
the students are really having a great time reading journals, looking at
photos, etc.
There were times that I wondered if it was all worth it (when I was
having a really difficult time tracking all of them), but the payoff has
been great as far as what the students (and I) have learned. I have
"virtually met" some really great people through these projects.
Notes: (1) I saw my first monarch of the season yesterday in my
backyard!!
(2) The paper monarchs arrived about 3 weeks ago, but our students
couldn't read a word of Spanish!!!, so we requested the assistance of a
local jr. high Spanish class. They did a nice job with the translations
and enjoyed being involved!
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