An article from the AP explains that the squids weigh up to 60 pounds each, but most tip the scales somewhere between 20 and 40 pounds. And, yes, they squirt ink when irritated.

Web searches on the giant squids (GIANT SQUIDS!) are already off the charts. One-day spikes on both “giant squids” and “giant squids in California” surged from near-zip into the thousands. Folks clearly want to see these gargantuan creatures for themselves.

Despite their intimidating heft and tendency to spew ink, the squids aren’t scaring off local fishermen. As of today, around 400 of the giant squids have been nabbed by anglers. That number is likely to rise. An article from San Diego 6 explains that locals “started booking twilight fishing trips over the weekend to catch them.”

The last time the giant (aka “jumbo” aka “Humboldt”) squid made waves in Search came last September, when a record-breaking 19 ½-foot-long, 103-lb beast was pulled from the Gulf of Mexico.

MyFoxLA hosts a collection of photos of nabbed squids.

Since 2005, YouTube.com has been the leader in video sharing websites.  The amount of quality educational videos is endless on YouTube.  However, their educational channel is currently very large and it can be very time consuming to browse for an appropriate educational video.  In 2007, EducationTube.com was launched.  Our main goal at EducationTUBE is to provide YouTube users with a direct link to YouTube educational videos.  We have also evolved into one of the largest and most organized Educational link websites on the Web.  Whether you are a teacher trying to search for educational videos for a lesson, a parent wanting extra help for their child, or a student looking for help with last night’s homework, EducationTUBE is here to help.  Hopefully, this website will improve the image of YouTube as well as increase traffic and advertisement dollars to the thousands of teachers, students, and educational companies that post academic videos on YouTube everyday. Please be advised that EducationTUBE.com is not in anyway affiliated with YouTube.com.

Thank you EducationTube.com for featuring Mr. Duey on the homepage of your site!!

What’s Inside the PDF:

http://www.edutopia.org/files/existing/pdfs/Edutopia-10-top-tips-for-teaching-with-new-media.pdf

Google’s doodle looks a bit different: instead of the regular primary-colored G-O-O-G-L-E, Big Bird, the giant yellow bird character from the children’s television show Sesame Street, is featured front and center.

Why the switch? Sesame Street, brought to you by the Children’s Television Workshop, is celebrating its 40th anniversary!

Which Sesame Street character is your favorite? Think they should have picked Cookie Monster instead? Let us know!

Also, students go easy on the candy. Don’t get all “sugar crazy” in your class. You don’t want to drive your teachers crazy because you ate five packs of Twix and KitKat bars.

* Books with cloth, foil, yarn, etc. attached to them – you can even make your own
* Blocks with raised lettering or numbers (this appeals to the ordering need as well)
* Toys with bumps, fur, raised elements, ridges, etc.
* Musical toys and toys that make sounds
* Hard board books for children prone to tearing – allow them to tear the wrapping paper as much as they wish!

2. Choose toys that help social interaction development. Teaching all children cooperation through toys is an important rite of growing up. For autistic children, socially interactive toys are even more important for helping them to develop coping mechanisms when interacting with the wider world. Board games are excellent for this, especially when the whole family pitches in to play together. Focus especially on the issue of taking turns and not getting uptight about losing. All children need to learn these skills but the frustration element can be very intense for autistic children.

3. Find toys that help to develop motor skills. It’s really no different from what all children need but you will probably have to face tactile defensiveness, inability to balance, fears, etc. Painting and drawing are good choices, although the paint might upset some autistic children if it gets on their body, so it might be best to use brushes and avoid fingerpainting for such children. Developing balance might be tricky if your child refuses to ride a tricycle or bicycle. A lot of encouragement and patience will be required, as well as understanding that it might never happen. Trampolines are excellent but make sure it is safe and always be present.

4.Could be appropriate for older autistic children.Always be considerate of the level of autism. Less complicated toys are better for children who are low-functioning autistic; simple push-button, open and use toys are best. For higher functioning autistic children, building, creating, discovering, connecting, etc. toys are generally fine. For some autistic children who demonstrate a clear preference for a single interest, you can give toys that reflect this interest. This will definitely engage them. The only risk here is that they can rely too much on their single interest and not be challenged to try and engage in other areas where their interest lacks.

5. Don’t overdo the functional play. There are times during which it is fine to let your child simply enjoy a line of toys that is pure fun. The difficulty arises when the child prefers this line to all else, so monitor any addictive preferences carefully.

6.Select quality over quantity. Too many toys is always too many toys. For autistic children, it can feel overwhelming and crowding. It is better to choose one good quality toy over many cheaper toys that will create great clutter. If you hit the right choice, that one toy will provide many hours of enjoyment.

7. Search online. There are numerous stores catering to toys for autistic children, offering advice and good ideas. There are also many, many guides on what toys to get for autistic children. Have a good read to inform yourself and apply the most appropriate ideas to suit your child – every child is different, and every form of autism is different, and you know your own child’s needs and interests better than anyone else.

Tips-
* People who don’t understand autism will tend to give “age-appropriate” gifts. Autistic children develop at different rates and may not be ready for the gifts. Check your irritation; people mean their best and only family and best friends should be informed about the need to be conscious of developmental stages. Everyone else – just put their gifts in storage until your child is ready. If the the toy is so unsuitable as to never be of any use, re-gift it quietly.
* As with all children, avoid using the TV as a play device. Moderation is key for all children.
* Note that while some autistic kids are oversensitive to stimulation, others are under-sensitive, and would love finger paints and other sensory stimulation such as bouncing or swinging.
* Don’t be afraid to ask the parents of an autistic child what an appropriate gift might be. Oftentimes they may be able to tell you an age range of toys that might be more suitable than their actual age.

Warnings-
* Spinning toys can be very attractive to autistic children but can also be addictive and difficult to remove from the child; this means that other toys are not played with in preference for the spinning toy.
* Never get objects that shatter when dropped. Not only is this dangerous but the resulting hullabaloo from a very upset child is never worth it.
* If you’re giving a gift, don’t be offended when it goes unused. The child’s experiences of the world differ from yours and what might seem fantastic to you might be scratchy, noisy, overly bright, uncomfortable for the child. This is something to remember for all gifts to children; their personality isn’t yours!

About Google Wave:

Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A wave can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more. What is a wave?

A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.

A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.

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