Enjoy the images of GPS Trackers on sleds.  Click the picture to view a larger image.

GPS Trackers make it possible for race fans to follow the mushers more closely by viewing their journey along the Iditarod Trail on the GPS Tracker map.

There are a limited number of places to choose from, but mushers get to decide which spot the tracker is attached.  The activated tracker begins to transmit a signal.

If a tracker malfunctions during the race, the tracker needs to be replaced.  This is not a simple process because the Ion Earth team needs to be at the location where a musher is, to replace the tracker.   That means, a tracker just can’t be fixed instantly.  Weather, trail conditions, a musher’s location, and other factors are involved in how long it takes for repairs.

A link to GPS Tracker can be found at www.iditarod.com

A link to the Current Standings, which is the ‘Official Race Standings’ can be found at the same location.

Providing a musher’s tracker is working properly,  the GPS Tracker data is the most accurate information.  The Current Standings information will have a ‘lag’ time because the race data is sent by race volunteers via Internet to Race Headquarters in Anchorage.  The data is then put on the website.  Sometimes, the data doesn’t ‘push live’ for 15 minutes or more.

Between the Current Standings and the Tracker, following the race is exciting!  Don’t forget to watch the Insider Video clips, too!

Learn about Iditarod Insider at this link.

Each musher’s sled is equipped with a GPS Tracker so that the musher’s  location and other  important information can be transmitted to the website.

Sometimes, a GPS Tracker develops a problem.   If you are following the racers using the GPS Tracker, you may have noticed the wrong data or no data from a musher. To fix this, a spare tracker may be sent to replace a tracker on a musher’s sled.  Although switching out a tracker only takes a few minutes, the Ion Earth team may have to fly to the musher’s location.  Weather or available flights may delay this process.

If a musher’s tracker isn’t working, depending on the situation, it may take a while to get it fixed.

Meet Jacinda Yonker.  She’ll be attending this year’s teacher conference, the start, and the restart of the race.

Join us via Jacinda’s Glogster’.

Are your students already talking about the Iditarod?  Sled dogs?  Mushers? Alaska? Engage your students in their learning by creating, analyzing and synthesizing different aspects of the Iditarod while using sites like VoiceThreads, GlogsterEdu, and Photopeach. Teaching and learning become more exciting when these come together.

The Iditarod can be incorporated within your state frameworks in any content area. Using the Iditarod I am able to teach specific skills in ELA such as summarizing main idea & supporting details, exploring climate and weather in Science and Social Studies and estimating in Math.  The Iditarod allows for authentic learning which is totally motivating.

Students begin researching the Iditarod using several different resources such as books, DVD’s and other sources from the website, Iditarod.com.  Each day you will be amazed as the excitement builds and builds until finally the day of the race actually arrives. By then the kids are hooked with anticipation and ready with information.  Once students have gathered all their research, the planning of a presentation becomes the next buzz in the classroom.

Using Web2.0 tools such as Voice Thread (pairing pictures with student voices), Glogs (online digital posters), Photopeach (pairing pictures, text and music), or Notaland (an online collaboration site) students work together and create a unique product using unique tools to share all their Iditarod knowledge. Each of these may be learned quickly, are user friendly and can almost be self-taught through exploration. Students often find shortcuts to share with me!  The students love these tools because they are allowed to choose their own means of expression while using current technology.  Knowing their final projects will be placed on our class website to share with families and community members makes the project all the more exciting.  Waiting for “on-line comments” (a feature all these tools employ) from teachers, classmates, family and friends makes creating the project all the more rewarding.

My students love designing, creating and presenting their products to their classmates.  The pride they exude is unmistakable and heartwarming.  They are invested in their work because they love learning about the Iditarod, they have control over how to share what they have learned and they love using Web 2.0 tools!

View Nancy’s Glogster project.

Receiving the quilt was another opportunity for my 7^th graders to connect technology to the world around us.  As soon as we opened the box, the students gathered around to discover the clues of Quilt’s past and the inspiring messages it offered. While the students took charge of this activity, another student captured our discussion using the FLIP video camera.

Afterwards, our plan was to develop ideas to share the story of the Iditarod and the traveling quilt with the other classrooms within our K-8 campus.  One group designed several PowerPoint slides to teach about the Iditarod. Another group helped to create a quilt scavenger hunt activity.  Each day the students planned and organized pieces of the interactive lesson.

Our first collaborative lesson was with Mrs. Mekel’s 4/5 combo class. The lesson started with the students tracing both hands on paper and labeling one      hand “What I Know” and the other “What I Learned.”  My class shared facts about the Iditarod within small groups.  The goal of the lesson was to define words related to success, search for synonyms, and brainstorm action words with 3 or more syllables. Students were encouraged to help each other answer the scavenger hunt questions and explore the quilt.

Through our discussions and activities we learned:

“Obstacles are just excuses.”   –Isamar R.

“The Iditarod is spectacular.  During the gloomy weather, the mushers conquer their fears. They struggle on the dangerous path and care for each dog.  The racers see the finish line and sprint as quickly as they can without a panic.”

–Madison S.

“In the Iditarod you have to persevere.”

–Michael H.

Quilt also visited my daughter’s Junior Girl Scout Troop. Several girls said they had read an article about the dog sled race at school.  Once the quilt was spread out, the girls sat around the outside to discuss the meaning of each square.

By the end of the month, Quilt also had a visit from Mrs. Krause’s 3^rd grade students and Mrs. Mendes’ 6^th grade students.  Mrs. Mendes said her class had read several of Gary Paulsen’s novels, and they were excited to see the author’s signature.

Next, before I sent the quilt off to Nome, my principal Mr. Barker presented me with our school’s Heart of the Dragon Award for using my quilt lessons with Del Sur students.

Thank you Quilt for sharing the spirit of the Iditarod with our classroom.  You have taught us the importance of believing that anything is possible if you just set your mind to it.

Best Wishes,

Mrs. Rickert’s 7^th grade class

Click here to view Mrs. Rickert’s lesson plan and information.

View site »

Click here to view a PDF document of Mrs. Rickert’s Powerpoint presentation.

Sheryl was a guest speaker at the 2009 Winter Conference for Educators, Anchorage, Alaska.

Click here to visit Sheryl’s website and learn more about Idita-Learn!

Have you wondered what it is like out on the Iditarod Trail?  Are you looking for pictures taken at the checkpoints? What do mushers do during the race?  What do volunteers do? What is a snow hook?  How do you go about training sled dogs?  What kind of goals do mushers set and how does that compare with the goals students set for themselves?  What are the meaning of certain Iditarod and mushing vocabulary words?  What is going on at Iditarod Headquarters?  Are you looking for an interesting read for your students?  Have you wondered how to get your students involved in writing?  Your answers await you at Zuma’s Paw Prints.

Zuma’s Paw Prints is your place on the website for your readers and your writers.  FOUR K-9 journalists, Zuma, Gypsy, Libby, and Sanka W. Dog write articles to provide you with news and information that your students can use.  Each journalist writes in a different style and for a different level of a reader or for a different purpose, making it possible for you to focus on the writing of one journalist— or all of them, depending on the needs and abilities of your students.  Students can comment back to the journalists at the blog site.  Zuma can still be emailed, too.

That is NOT ALL!

Watch for a special project for your students—-  soon to be announced on Zuma’s Paw Prints.   (Hint:  What can you do to help the local animal shelters in your community?)

Click on the scrapbook at Zuma’s Paw Prints to view pictures that you can use for educational purposes with your students.

If your school filters or blocks blogs, keep in mind that by asking your school’s technology department to view Zuma’s Paw Prints and requesting it to be unblocked, you often can get the site unblocked.  This has been the case for most schools who have contacted us.  Check with your technology department if you have trouble viewing Zuma’s Paw Prints or other areas of our website.

Zuma’s Paw Prints can play an important role in helping your students to be better readers and writers.  Make sure you check our information for teachers that is found at Zuma’s Paw Prints.  A message to teachers, provides you with tips and information.  Click here to read the message to teachers.

Visit Zuma’s  Paw Prints.   Click here.

Alaska Cam (Downtown Anchorage, 4th and D)

Bear Cam at the Alaska Zoo

Nome Camera:  View of Visitor’s Center and Norton Sound

CLICK HERE!
Hey Hobo Jim! This class would enjoy singing on stage with you sometime!