The Family Spot

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Surfing the Net with Kids Newsletter (via RSS)

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Sponsor's Spot
3. Weekly Topic: Dog Breeds
4. What You're Missing This Week 5. Related Games
6. Quote of the Week
7. Subscription Management

#1. June 25, 2008

Dear Reader,

Although I haven't documented them yet, I thought this morning I'd point out a few new tagging features over at SharingLinks.com.

First, for those not familiar with the project, here's a quickie overview. SharingLinks.com is a social bookmarking project for educators and parents and anyone interested in educational use of the Internet. The purpose is to "share" our bookmarks and great site finds by posting them at the site. In a nutshell, the entire experiment is dependent on "tags" which are keyword phrases that each user adds to their shared bookmarks. Join our beta test project by using the code "betatest" at:
http://www.sharinglinks.com/register/

Okay .. now here's a sneak peek at one of new tag enhancements at SharingLinks: in addition to the boolean "AND" operator, we now also have a boolean "OR." Or, if you prefer, we have union as well as intersection. Here are some examples.

First we have all bookmarks tagged "keyboarding"
http://www.sharinglinks.com/tags/keyboarding

Then we look in the Related Tags box in the upper-right of the page, and we see tags such as typing, keyboard, games, alphabet, and so on. Clicking on any the tags, will bring up a list of the the bookmarks so tagged. But notice the + and |. These are our boolean operators "and and "or" respectively. Noticing that some users use the tag "typing" INSTEAD of "keyboarding" .. we get a more comprehensive listing of bookmarks by looking at those that are tagged EITHER "keyboarding" or "typing". We get here by clicking on the | symbol next to the tag "typing"
http://www.sharinglinks.com/tags/keyboarding|typing

Your comments and questions welcome at:
http://blog.sharinglinks.com/boolean-tag-operators/

See ya on the Net,
Barbara J. Feldman
"Surfing the Net with Kids"
http://www.surfnetkids.com

#2. Surfnetkids Web Widgets

Looking for fresh, fun, free daily content for your family-oriented website? Newspapers around the world pay for my weekly syndicated Surfing the Net with Kids newspaper column, but these online products are free! Sign up today and get two Flash games to add to your website as a bonus for joining.

Click here for Surfnetkids Web Widgets:
http://www.surfnetkids.com/widgets/

#3. Dog Breeds
by Barbara J. Feldman
http://www.surfnetkids.com/dog_breeds.htm

Dog Breeds Printable (** for premium members only)
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/dog_breeds.pdf


Whether you are trying to find the right dog breed for your family, or just want to learn more about dogs, you'll surely find these sites both educational and entertaining.

American Kennel Club: Breeds

The American Kennel Club has an excellent collection of breed descriptions, but the reason I included their site was their Kids/Juniors section. Highlights include printable activity sheets (such as Responsible Dog Ownership Crossword, and Which Breed Doesn't Belong?), lesson plans for teachers and homeschoolers, and the 2008 Kids' Corner Drawing Contest. Deadline to submit a drawing of your favorite AKC breed is September 30, 2008.

Animal Planet: Dog Breed Selector

"What level of energy would you like your dog to have? Most people think they want an energetic dog. Think twice before you choose a high-energy breed, however, because a dog in constant motion may be unnerving or annoying to you." Answer ten easy questions to get suggestions about which breeds are a match for your needs. Results include thumbnail photos, and links to breed summaries. My profile yielded eighty-four large dogs, ranked from 98% to 87% compatible.

Dog Luvers: Dog Breeds Selector

Start your pet search by selecting a dog trait that is important to you, such as Watchdog Abilities or Sociability. Then drill down with sub-categories, until your results are displayed in alphabetic order. To explore related dogs, you can follow tags such as groups (Working Dogs or Pastoral Dogs), dog size, or temperament ( loyal, obedient, or friendly). Dog Luvers also organizes their dog breed summaries in an alphabetic, encyclopedia format.

... Click to continue Dog Breeds.

#4. What You're Missing This Week

Printables Club Members also get the following free downloads to use in the classroom or to send home with students:

Dog Breeds Printable
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/dog_breeds.pdf

Dog Breed Wikipedia Printable
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/Wiki/wiki-dog_breeds.pdf

*** Are you curious? Get your own ten-day trial membership:
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables-club.htm

#5. Related Games

Dog Breed Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/dogs-ws.htm

Dog Coloring Pages
http://www.freekidscoloring.com/animals/dog_and_puppy/

Cute Dog Dress Up
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/cute_dog_dress_up.htm

Dress Up Eski
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/dress_up_eski.htm

Dress the Hound
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/dress_the_hound.htm

(Learn how to make kids games just like these with my How to Add Games to Your Site step-by-step manual.)

#6.Quote of the Week

"The only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves." ~~ E.M. Forster (January 1, 1879 – June 7, 1970) English novelist.

Click here for more reading quotes.

Daily Education Quote via Email
http://www.light-a-fire.net/daily-quote-newsletter/

#7. Subscription Management

Get your own free weekly subscription via email or RSS:
http://www.surfnetkids.com/emailedition.htm

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ReplyToBarbara.com

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