Welcome to William P. Breitsprecher's homepage and
Web portfolio,
BreitLinks
-- Glad you stopped! As the name implies, this
page represents a collection of links to some of my work
on the Internet. For more information about
BreitLinks, please click
HERE. Each of the links on the
left navigation bar points to a Web that I have created. Each
of these Webs is a collection of resources I have created and links
to additional
Web sites that support the purpose of that page.
Internet Safety
(NOTE:
Must use INTERNET EXPLORER for quiz to score itself).
Kids love the Internet and the many different types of
fun and educational Websites. We need to teach
kids to be safe online. Here are 2 short videos
for kids that review basic ideas about safely using
the Internet - each video is presented with a short
multiple-choice "quiz" to help students show what they
have learned. They can review the videos, as
needed, to review and help them master my Internet
Safety unit.
Telling Time
(NOTE:
Must use INTERNET EXPLORER for quiz to score itself).
Children enjoy learning numbers - an important basic
math skill is telling time. This presentation is
designed to be an introductory lesson for preK-Kindergarten
students. It would be a great review for first
and second-graders. The short video has a catchy
song that kids love, "Tick-tock, tick-tock, what's the
time that's on my clock?"
Dinosaurs
(NOTE:
Must use INTERNET EXPLORER for quiz to score itself).
Here is a self-contained lesson for elementary or
middle school students about dinosaurs. It
consists of 3 short (8 minute) videos that make
learning fun. Kids love learning with multimedia
and this style of presentation enables classroom
teachers to work one-on-one or in small groups with
students, starting with those that have the greatest
needs and working around the room to provide guidance,
remediation, or enrichment based on each student's
needs.
Light
& Colors(NOTE:
Must use INTERNET EXPLORER for quiz to score itself).
This self-contained lesson for elementary students
about color and light. It consists of a short
video (4 minutes) that reviews important concepts and
then 2 short interactive quizzes to assess learning.
The lesson is designed to allow teachers to engage
students independently or in small groups (they love
this style of presentation).
Mr.
B's Dewey Challenge!
Ready
to master Dewey Decimal? Ready to master information science? Are you
ready to find your way around virtually ANY library?
If you answered "YES", then you can start our
online quiz by clicking
HERE. Each question shows you a book
and has 3 answer choices - choose the one that correctly identifies
which general Dewey number the book belongs in. Good Luck!. Click
HERE if you want to
review Dewey Numbers
before you take the Dewey Challenge. Good Luck!
Bear Snores On Karma Wilson is a
popular children's book author that is increasingly
getting the attention and affection of young readers.
She has a wonderful, whimsical style that uses rhyme
and repetition to delight children.
Paddington Bear One of the most
popular bears in the world, one of the most popular
series of chapter books in the world, is Paddington.
He is a bear that came to London as a stole-away from
Peru. This "book-talk" video presents the main titles
in the Paddington series.
Tadpole's Promise Written by
Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Tony Ross, Tadpole's
Promise is a delightful book and was nominated for a
Golden Archer Award in 2007/2008. This video also
reviews the lifecycle of butterflies and frogs.
Where's My Teddy? Having a
routine, a set of things we do at bedtime, can help us
get a good night's sleep. For many children, going to
bed means huddling and cuddling their own teddy bear.
Here's a fun story about a boy, a bear, and the teddy
bears that they love.
Corduroy.
Children love their teddy bears! Many adults love
bears too. Written by Don Freeman, the book Corduroy
is one of the most popular picture books in school and
public libraries. This timeless classic has
entertained generations of kids and helped get them
ready to read.
Folk Tales & Fairy Tales. Learning
about genres is the key to connecting young readers
with fun books - there are many different types of
stories and books, different genres. Let's get started
by comparing and contrasting folk tales with fairy
tales.
Doin'
Dewey: Nonfiction. The
library bears are back! Join Bogey Bear and Fuzby as
they talk about getting started with Dewey Decimal
Numbers - Melvil Dewey's system for organizing
nonfiction books in the library. Dewey Decimal numbers
are used in libraries all around the world!
Finding Fiction Books.
Mr. Breitsprecher always likes it when students and
other friends stop by the library. Join Bogey Bear,
Fuzby, and Mr. Breitsprecher as they review the
alphabet and how fiction books are shelved in the
library - they are in ABC order by the author's last
name.
Your
Library: Finding Fiction and Nonfiction Books.
Mr. Breitsprecher and his friends review an old video
about libraries, call letters for fiction, and Dewey
numbers for nonfiction. This project shows how
older videos can have good information if you look for
useful clips that are still valid.
Amazing Grace: Hope, Change, and Freedom. This lesson
celebrates African American Heritage by reviewing
slavery in America, the inspiring story of the song
Amazing Grace, and what that song has meant to
different people over the years.
I Love It When You Read To Me.
Children love to sing - they love songs about books.
I wrote this to share a love of books with the young
students I read to. The kids love it and they
love the books we share too.
Author Study: Jeanne Willis. A popular author from England who
has written more than 80 books for children, Ms.
Willis' book Tadpoles Promise is one of
the 2007/2008 Golden Archer Award nominees. This
video also features a presentation I made of her book, Mayfly Day.
Wisconsin's Golden Archer Award 2007/2008. Each
year, Wisconsin students nominate books and a popular
vote determines the "winner" as determined by the
state's young readers. It's a lot of fun and
promotes a love a reading. Learn more with this
short video.
Caldecott
Awards.Children love to sing -
they love songs about books. I wrote this to share a
love of books with the young students I read to. The
kids love it and they love the books we share too.
Fiction & Nonfiction Books.
The first thing we need to
decide when looking for a fun book to read is (1).
Do we like to read stories based on imagination
(fiction). or (2). Do we want to read
information books (nonfiction). This video was
produced for elementary students.
Happy Birthday Book Talk. What day is more fun than a birthday - it's a special
day just for you. Let's celebrate by looking at
some great picture books, including an all-time
favorite, Dr. Seuss' Happy Birthday To You!
Plagiarism & Citing Sources.
Giving others credit for their ideas and words is
important. It's the right thing to do.
Let's review how to avoid plagiarism and look at a
simple way to cite sources - a format based on APA
that is used in with primary students at the Herman
School District.
Barlow
Park Media CenterThis is my library media center and the Website I have created
to support it. Barlow Park Elementary School is
K-2 building - I have never had so much fun in school;
this is a joyful place. These children are fun to
work with, excited about school, and enthusiastic about
learning. I hope we can find ways to nurture this
and help these children keep positive attitudes
throughout their experiences in school.
My
Library Lessons.
I am working in a school library media center wtih
K-2nd graders, perhaps we will also pick up some lessons
with Pre-Kindergarteners too. I am excited -
sharing picture books, children's literature, and
information & technology literacy skills with that age
group is going to be a lot of fun.
Issues in Urban Education
Historically, public schools have never met the needs of diverse learners –
especially those from disadvantageous socioeconomic
backgrounds. This is especially true in urban areas with
high concentrations of poverty and/or unemployment.
In America, these burdens more-heavily fall on people of
color, especially African Americans and Hispanic
Americans.
Multi-Media & Webcasting
My
Guitar Music.
I've been playing guitar since a teen - have dabbled in
many different styles of music starting with folk and
moving through what is today called "classic rock", pop,
classical, bluegrass, country, blues, and jazz.
Today, I primarily play solo guitar, working bass-lines
and chords under the melodies of the songs - a style
that
Jack Grassel calls
"super-ax". Here are some
streaming MP3 files and
music videos of
my music, suitable for iPods, MP3 players, or burning to
CDs. If you listen to them on a computer, they
will sound best with headphones - many PC speaker
systems cannot reproduce the deep bass-tones of the
jazz-style guitar I am using for these sessions.
My
Music Videos These are the streaming versions - click on the
links below and the videos will pop-up in a new
window. Click the PLAY button on lower left to view.
In my
podcast feed, I
have another version of the featured music videos in a
format compatible with iPods and Zunes.
All Blue. I
worked out this solo guitar arrangement of an all-time
jazz favorite while sitting on the shores of Green Lake,
admiring the deep blue water and sky. The video features
images that reflect the mood and feelings I had at the
time and what this song means to me.
Amazing
Grace. This is one of the most
popular hymns in the world. In this version, In this
instrumental version, I've arranged the melody in a
bluesy context. I find it a moving piece and always
dedicate it, saying a silent prayer, to those that "once
were lost, but now are found."
Amazing
Grace: A Legend of Hope, Change, and Freedom.
This lesson celebrates African American
Heritage by reviewing slavery in America, the inspiring
story of the song Amazing Grace, and what that song has
meant to different people over the years.
America The Beautiful.
A solo guitar arrangement of a favorite American song
honoring this nation, this instrumental combines walking bass lines,
melodies, harmonies, and chords. I created the guitar
piece and video to celebrate the Fourth of July, 2008.
Bourrée.
This piece, by Bach, is a tribute to a dance of French
origin common in Auvergne and Biscay in Spain in the
17th century. It is danced in quick double time. My
version uses a swing feel - couldn't find any Bourrée
dancers, so I have baby elephants playing.
Chicken
Shack.
Here's an "old style" blues - the bouncing rhythm has
its roots in a style of organ music played long ago.
This video features some film from the 1920's and Farmer
Gray's chicken shack and egg operation.
Greensleeves.
This haunting melody is
hundreds of years old. One legend is that it was
written by England's King Henry the XIII (1491-1547) and
refers to his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
L'Amour
Est Bleu/Love Is Blue. A song written by
André Popp (music) and Pierre Cour (lyrics) in 1967,
most know if from a recording by Paul Mauriat. It's a
powerful melody, that describes the pleasure and pain of
love.
Late
Freight. This traditional style
blues features the rumble of a steam locomotive and
freight train - no other machine created by man has
intrigued and inspired so many. The video features the
Union Pacific's Big Boy - the largest steam locomotive
to ever work the rails.
Love
Him. From the Broadway musical,
Jesus Christ - Superstar, I created this instrumental
guitar arrangements to celebrate a beautiful song about
Mary Magdalene's love for Jesus. To me, it is also song
about my acceptance and faith.
Over
the Rainbow. Where do we go to find
our dreams? Influenced by the late, great Chet Atkins, I
first worked this guitar arrangement out many years ago
and its one of my favorite pieces - an escape and
soothing release.
Rambunctuous. An old "head tune"
that generations have shared, Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary defines the term as "marked by uncontrollable
exuberance, unruly." In this video, I get some help from
Felix the Cat and a 1920's silent film
that is now in the public domain - April Maze (part 1).
Rim
Shot. We have probably all heard a comedian tells a joke that bombs and a
drummer hits a "rim shot".
I learned it as an old "head tune". In this video, I
get some help from Felix the Cat and a
1920's silent film that is now in the public domain - April Maze (part 2).
Rock-A-Bye
Baby. Here's a peaceful song that I
play to help children sleep or to provide a quiet
atmosphere for reading or independent work. My
version has a "jazz waltz" feel, a subtle difference
that you will feel. The video features clips from
an old animation that is in the public domain.
Starry
Starry Night (Vincent). Vincent Van
Gogh was ahead of his time - the vivid
impressionist style that he created still captivates the
imagination. This music video compares and contrasts
elements of "Starry Starry Night" with 21st century
images from the Hubble spacecraft and distant galaxies.
Sweet
Georgia Brown. This
upbeat old-time jazz standard is a lot of fun.
Many recognize it as the theme song for the Harlem
Globetrotters. For years, I didn't think I could
work it out as a solo-guitar arrangement, keeping the
melody intact, but here it is.
What
I Did For Love.From the Musical "Chorus Line," this
instrumental guitar version features the lyrics and a montage
from the Broadway production. It's a healing piece,
about acceptance and gratitude for things we have, things we have lost, and things that are still with us.
When
I'm 64. I have always admired the
melodic guitar work of George Harrison that set the mood
for many of the Beatle's songs. I created this
instrumental arrangement using some of the lines that
are used in the Beatles version. The video features
pictures and video clips from the movie, Yellow
Submarine.
Youth,
Technology, and Schools. Its almost the end of the school year - a great time to reflect on
what we did, what we learned, and what we would like to do next
year. I hope everyone has fun this summer, but before you "check out",
please join us June 9 from 5-6 pm on
Heart and
Soul, a community forum on Madison's "The Pulse" 1670 am. I will join Richard Brown and Betty Banks and we will talk about
technology as a tool for learning. We would like to
hear what you think; please give us a call toll free at
877-867-1670.
My
Mediasite Web Wisconsin's
Department of Natural Resources is using Sonic Foundry’s MEDIASITE – innovative technology that creates Web
compatible, “streaming” multimedia. I am one of their
specially trained Mediasite Operators. With the
newest version, Mediasite 4.0, creation of rich media
has never been easier. Technology like this represents
the next “killer app” – being able to easily integrate
audio, video, and graphics into a Web-based presentation
will greatly enhance communication, training, and
education. You will find links for:
Mediasite Basics,
Rich Media Examples,
DNR Forestry Examples,
Creatively Using Mediasite,
Mediasite Tips & Tricks,
and
Creating Slideshows With
Voice-Overs.
Library
Media Projects. Here are some of the Library Media and academic support
projects I have been working on. These are "print"
resources - the links on the right will steer you to
many of the Web-based and multi-media resources I have
created and maintain. One of the main advantages
that today's technology offers is the ability to create
professional looking resources - most school districts
are full of creative, talented people that are experts
in their content areas. I have posted documents I
have created for
Academic Support,
Information
and Technology Literacy,
Recreational Reading, and
Resources
for LMS Professionals.
Great
Birthday Picture Books! Do you know a child
that is ... celebrating a birthday? Share a great
picture book and make it a special day. Helping children
enjoy books gives a gift that stays with them the rest
of their life!
Fun Reads, School Favorites.
On the left is an embedded
slideshow featuring popular books from libraries I have
spent time in. Click on the NEXT button (right
arrow) on the slide viewer to see each slide or click
the RIGHT SIDE of each slide to go forward (LEFT side
goes back).
Unfortunately, the technology I am using to display the
slides on this page does not support the bottom
navigation bar on each slide - you may want to view the
Web (Sorry,
this PowerPoint Web must be viewed in Internet Explorer) or
PowerPoint version (Requires PowerPoint on your computer).
These links will allow you to click through the
different sections (picture books, chapter books, YA
lit, or HOME. I created this to promote summer
reading for
VOICES newspaper.
We will also integrate this with some of the
Great Beginnings: The First Years
Last Forever child development conferences I
have been working with this summer too.
I Love It When You Read To Me
Celebrating Youth 2008: Tech Panel, Monona Terrace
Author Study: Jeanne Willis
Wisconsin's Golden Archer Award 2007/2008
Caldecott
Awards.
Fiction & Nonfiction Books
Happy Birthday Book Talk
Plagiarism & Citing Sources
Chicken
Shack
Greensleeves
L'Amour
Est Bleu/Love Is Blue
Late
Freight
Rambunctuous
Rim
Shot
Rock-A-Bye
Baby
Starry
Starry Night (Vincent)
Sweet
Georgia Brown
What
I Did For Love
When
I'm 64
