AKA Riptide Furse

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Date: August 19, 2009
Time: 5:00PM – 6:00PM PST (That’s 8:00PM Eastern)
Panelists: Googler Dan Russell (Google Search Quality Expert); Google
Certified Teachers Lucy Gray, Kathleen Ferenz, and Cheryl Davis
Register online here or copy and paste the following url in your browser: https://googleonline.webex.com/googleonline/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=577176740

Web search can be a remarkable research tool for students - and we’ve
heard from educators that they could use some help to teach better
search skills in their classroom. Working with Google Certified
Teachers, we produced an initial set of nine search education lessons.
>From developing criteria to click on the right results to succeeding
with the most challenging searches, the lessons they created will help
students, and you, get the most of Google search in the classroom. We
encourage you to check out the lessons online at: www.google.com/educators/searchlessons

Drawing on their vast experience with search education, Dan Russell,
along with Google Certified Teachers Kathleen Ferenz, Cheryl Davis and
Lucy Gray will discuss how to teach search in the classroom. Having
developed Google’s Search Education Lessons,  they will discuss how
you can customize the contents to the needs of your class and how
guide your in-class discussions. The webinar will take place on
Wednesday, August 19 at 5PM. Don’t forget to register online here and
invite fellow educators to join us!

We hope to see you soon!
The Google Search Education Team

Lowes has another set of Build and Grow Clinics coming up. At the next couple of clinics you and your children can learn how to make a school bus or a drum. Space limited so it also is a good way to work on being on time.

https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/

Image via Wikipedia

National Parks: Get in Free this Weekend! All Entrance Fees Waived on August 15 & 16

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Park Service’s third entrance fee free weekend of the summer is August 15-16. All 391 national parks across the nation will offer free admission to all visitors. “America’s national parks have always been popular vacation spots,” said Acting National Park Service Director Dan Wenk. “The fee free weekends were launched in June as a way to provide opportunities for everyone to visit national parks in these economically challenging times. Whether you can stay for just a few hours or the whole weekend, we hope you’ll take advantage of the free admission and come out and experience your national parks.” To plan a park visit or check out promotions offered this weekend by park partners who operate tours, hotels, restaurants, and gift shops look online at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks. Visitation to national parks is up more than three percent from this time last year. The national parks have hosted almost 200 million visitors so far this year. This weekend and all month-long, special events in national parks include festivals, historical encampments, concerts, star gazing gatherings, bike tours, nature walks, and a coral reef recovery project. For a list of family fun activities visit ,http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/parks2009/index.htm. If you take some great photos of your visit to a national park, think about entering the annual Share the Experience Photo Contest. Through December 31, 2009, amateurs can submit up to three photographs of scenes from national parks or other federal lands. Prizes include Olympus digital cameras, trips to federal recreation areas, and Federal Recreation Lands Passes. The winning image will be featured on the 2011 Annual Federal Recreation Pass. Details are available at www.sharetheexperience.org.

Here is my video that I sent in as part of the application process to the Google Teacher Academy.

Last year I tweeted about getting ready for NECC and asked my network for items that I should take that I hadn’t thought about. Jen Wagner responded with taking a power strip. I put a small one in my suitcase and it came in handy a lot of the time. It also helped me make new friends when I offered that they could plug in when we were in workshops or the lounge areas with a limited number of outlets. I also used it back at the hotel to plug in and recharge everything in one spot so I didn’t forget anything the next day.

Here is small compact one you might consider.

Belkin Mini Surge 3OUT Wall Mount 75K 918J with USB Charger

It allows you to plug in 3 different things along with 2 powered USB ports to charge your phone or iPod.

• Experts: Malicious program targets Macs - CNN.com

  tags: mac, apple, virus, ibotnet

  • Mac users at large, however, should not be alarmed by the incident, experts said. The program infects only computers whose users downloaded pirated versions of the Mac software iWork.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Fulbright Scholar Program

I received an email today letting me know that applications are open for the Fulbright Programs.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government’s
flagship international exchange program and is supported by the people
of the United States and partner countries around the world. Since 1946,
the Fulbright Program has provided more than 286,000 participants from
over 155 countries with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct
research, to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to
shared international concerns. For more information, visit
http://fulbright.state.gov/ <blocked::http://fulbright.state.gov/> .

Fulbright Scholar Program for US Faculty and Professionals for 2010-2011
is open

The Fulbright Scholar Program offers 78 awards in lecturing, research or
combined lecturing/research in education, including five Fulbright
Distinguished Chairs, the African Regional Research Program, and Middle
East and North Africa Regional Research Program.  Even better, faculty
and professionals in education also can apply for one of the 144 “All
Discipline” awards open to all fields.

What does Fulbright offer in education?  Here are a few of the awards
for 2010-2011:

Northern and Eastern Europe: Curriculum and faculty development, as well
as higher education administration, policy, and educational reform are
of great interest in post-communist countries such as Russia, Ukraine,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bosnia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Southern and Western Europe: Award #0267 - Education in Greece; Award
#0374 - Education in the Slovak Republic; multiple awards in Ireland
including Award #0293 - Science Education.

Middle East and Northern Africa: Award #0464 - Education in Qatar; Award
#0420 - All Disciplines (administration, teaching methods, assessment,
curriculum development) in Bahrain; Award #0466 - All Disciplines
(administration); Award #0473 - Multiple Disciplines (leadership) in the
United Arab Emirates.

Western Hemisphere: Award #0563 - Social Sciences in Humanities in
Venezuela; Award #0517 - Education, Music, Math or Science in Canada;
Award #0514 - Social Science and Humanities in Brazil.

The application deadline is August 1, 2009.  U.S. citizenship is
required.  For a full, detailed listing of all Fulbright programs and
other eligibility requirements, please visit our website at www.cies.org
<http://www.cies.org/>  or send a request for materials to
scholars@cies.iie.org.

Here is a slideshow from pictures I took from last night’s show at ISTE in Second Life.

Image by David Warlick via Flickr

Tomorrow - Steve Dembo and David Warlick

——– Original Message ——– 

ISTE Community Riptide Furse has invited you to the event ‘Personal Learning Networks Web 2.0 Style: Virtual World Networks = Real World Communities’ on ISTE Community! Check out "Personal Learning Networks Web 2.0 Style: Virtual World Networks = Real World Communities" on ISTE Community Riptide Furse   Time: March 31, 2009 from 5pm to 6pm Location: ISTE Island in Second Life Organized By: Dawn Shrum Event Description: Are you ready integrate virtual worlds into your personal learning network and connect with fellow educators on a whole new level? Join host Kevin Jarrett (SL: KJ Hax) as we explore taxonomies, folksonomies and pedagogies used by David Warlick (SL: Suriawang Dapto), founder of the Landmark Project, and Steve Dembo (SL: Demb Oh), the Online Community Manager for Discovery Educator Network. David and Steve will share their experiences with Web 2.0 tools as well as how they have used virtual environments such as Second Life to change the way they and the people in their learning networks interact with each other and grow professionally. This will be a voice presentation; please be sure that you have a working voice setup (including a headset) prior to the event! Visit http://www.iste.org/secondlife to get the archive, which will be available about a week after the event. Date: Tuesday March 31, 2009 Time: 5PM SLT/ 8PM EST Location: ISTE Broadcast Studio http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island%203/197/238/23 See more details and RSVP on ISTE Community: http://www.iste-community.org/events/event/show?id=2280708%3AEvent%3A16240&xgi=fVZ0qkg About ISTE Community The ISTE Community Ning is a year round social network for ISTE Members, affiliated organizations and groups, and educational leaders. 1671 members 231 photos 29 videos 105 discussions 21 Events 62 blog posts To control which emails you receive on ISTE Community, click here

Image by krossbow via Flickr

Deadline is April 3

http://www.shortie.org/

Festival Information

Entry Categories:
Live Action: Narrative, Documentary, Experimental, PSA, Music Video, or Other
Animation: Stop-Motion, Claymation, Machinima, Digital, or Other
Daily News Program

Age Categories: 7-10, 11-14, 15-18, and K-12 Teacher.

Films may be no longer than 10 minutes - Fact or fiction.

CALL FOR ENTRIES:
Submissions for the 2009 Shortie Awards are due by April 3, 2009 so start making and sending in those films and news programs!

RULES AND GUIDELINES:
Visit our Rules and Guidelines section to learn our criteria for participation and how we judge our entries.

HOW TO SUBMIT:
Visit our Submit Your Film section to learn how to submit your entry to the festival.

Image by krossbow via Flickr

Here’s a great way to spend some time this summer with your kids and at a lower price. Many bowling alleys across the nation are allowing kids to have 2 free games per day this summer. The web page is http://www.kidsbowlfree.com and you’ll want to check back often as they are adding new participants every day.

Want to go on a Discovery Student Adventure?!?!

Australia, South Africa, and China + 9 DEN STARs + 36 DEN STAR Students + Your Dream Come True = A Discovery Student Adventure!

It’s the ultimate equation for DEN STARs and definitely our dream come true for you!  We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Discovery Student Adventure Program.

What’s a Discovery Student Adventure you ask?!?  Well, imagine being able to sign up and take your students to one of 8 amazing trips to the Arctic, Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador/Galapagos Islands, Italy/Greece, New Zealand/Fiji, and South Africa.  These trips are free to the educators and are of cost to their students.  These inaugural trips will launch during the summer of 2010.

But that’s 2010… what about 2009?!?!  Can I get a virtual drum roll please….

Let me introduce to you the opportunity of a lifetime….. The Discovery Student Adventure Pilot Program. In order to gather marketing materials and test run the incredible itineraries….. Discovery will be sending 9 DEN STARs to one of 3 locations (Australia, China, and South Africa)  But that’s not all… it gets better… each of these DEN STARs will be able to bring 4 of their students at NO COST!  That’s right DEN STARs… these trips are free for you and your students! (Note: We are looking for 5th-12th grade teachers and students ages 10-17)…

More here http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2009/02/10/want-to-go-on-a-discovery-student-adventure/

Doodle 4 Google

Now open for registration. This year’s theme is “What I Wish For The World”. Open to K-12 students in the U.S.

Deadlines to keep in mind and add to your Google calendar with reminders are:

Registration closes at 11:59:59 PM Pacific time on March 17, 2009

Entries are due by 11:59:59 PM Pacific time on March 31, 2009

Google Earth

Today Google Earth 5 was released. While there will lots of talk about the new features like 3D ocean viewing and Mars. One of the great things for education will be the guided tours. You can now record your voice as you make your tour. Say goodbye to PowerPoint and hello to your new presentation tool Google Earth 5.

Fox Trot

In the Sunday comics today was the following strip by Bill Amend.

http://www.gocomics.com/features/66/feature_items/407134

I know I’m making a grand leap to using this as an example but stay with me. If you asked a student if they thought teachers knew what students did outside of school, what do you think the answer would be? Right! A resounding HECK NO. Quite a few teachers don’t stay in tune with what kids are interested in outside of the walls of school. What is the most popular TV show your students watch? What books fly off the shelves in the library? How many students have video game consoles or ipods?When I was growing up home life looked very similar in most of the households in the area including our classroom teachers. We had 3 TV channels. So everyone watched almost the same shows. Music, movies, shopping and more was almost the same for everyone in the school based on the community it was located. So having those shared and common experiences allowed students and teachers a line of communication that facilitated learning.

Currently in my building I would put money on the fact that I have some teachers who have never read a Harry Potter book or a graphic novel or even heard of The 39 Clues. Yet these are the books that let children discover the joy and fun in reading. When teachers don’t read the boks that students flock to, they are losing the ability to make connections between student experiences and learning new content.

Another example, I had a conversation with a teacher who was talking about how some of the boys just couldn’t do the math. I decided to try something. I new the kids had been playing a certain video game in their free time. It was a game like the old, old, really old game called Galaga. I asked them to show the teacher and myself how to play the game. They had a great time telling us their secret moves and which kind of enemies were worth more points than the others. At one point I asked them to pause their games. I asked each one how many spaceships or lives they had left. I then asked them how many points they needed for an extra life. Each one was able to tell me just based on their total score. Next question: Would they have enough points if they killed the enemies that were on their screen now? Varying answers of yes and no were received. Here is the kicker though,  each one was able to tell me how much value was assigned and add those up in their head to justify their answers.

One teacher converted to keeping in touch, so many more yet to go.

So how do you keep connected with your students? Is it a conscious decision?