AKA Riptide Furse

For a limited time you can get a free copy of the audio book “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman.

http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/giveaway

Dear Teachers,

I am emailing to let you know that MHz NETWORKS, in conjunction with Metz Middle School in Manassas, will be offering a 2-day workshop for teachers on integrating filmmaking into the classroom.  This past school year, Metz and MHz worked together to produce 4 math curriculum films that were conceived, written, filmed, and edited by students in the 7-8 grades with teacher supervision.  This intensive workshop will take teachers through that entire process – from scripting to shooting and editing – so that teachers may in turn execute these techniques in their own classrooms.

WORKSHOP INFORMATION:

Date: August 21 & 22

Place: Metz Middle School   9950 Wellington Rd.   Manassas, VA 20110

Time: 10am – 3pm each day

Cost:  $20  -   to cover the costs of  the instructional/curriculum booklets and DVDs that each participant will receive.  The cost of the actual workshop is free to teachers in the Northern VA area.   

Certification: Certificates will be given at the end of the workshop stating the number of hours participating – can be used towards recertification points.

Lunch: Each day, participants will need to bring their own sack lunch.

Equipment & Materials: All equipment and materials will be provided.  Registrants will only need to bring materials to take notes as desired.

If you interested in learning how to incorporate these techniques in a classroom of your own please let me know ASAP.  SPACE IS VERY LIMITED.  There are only a few more seats available and we will need a definite commitment to attend so as not to have any empty seats come time for the workshop.  If you need more information, please feel free to contact me with questions. If you would like to sign up, please send your name, email, school & district information, and phone number.  It will be first come first served.  Thanks.

Agatha Jenkins

Education Outreach Specialist

 http://www.mhznetworks.org/education/workshops/teachers/

MHz NETWORKS

8101 A Lee Highway

Falls Church, VA  22042

t. 703.770.7148
f. 703.770.7112

MHz NETWORKS is an independent,
noncommercial, television network
delivering international, educational
and arts programming.

What do Whale Sharks, Hammerheads, Mako Sharks and teachers have in common? They can all be seen at the DEN in Second Life “Swim with Sharks Underwater Scuba Adventure” on Monday July 28th at 5 pm SLT (5pm PST, 7 pm CST and 8pm EST)! Everyone who pre-registers will receive a complete Scuba Diving outfit with equipment for free. (If you miss the pre-registration you can still participate however you will not get the free equipment.)

Yes, you heard it here, the DEN in Second Life will be journeying to the depths of the ocean with  “http://www.padi.com/padi/default.aspx” PADI (Prof. Association of Diving Instructors) as our guides. Our underwater adventure will begin with a fun scavenger hunt on the Dive World Sim (complete with prizes of course), continue with our journey to the ocean depths with our capable and knowledgeable guides from PADI and then end with celebratory dancing at the Tiki Bar. It’s going to a be a wonderfully fun learning experience and we want you to join us!

Even if you have never set foot in Second Life we can help you! Please sign up for a dive time  “http://densl-sharkdive.wikispaces.com/“. (If you need additional help getting on the island please indicate that on the wiki and we will contact you for a time.)This is a great opportunity for you to get involved with the DEN in SL and see just what kinds of things are possible in Second Life. We hope to see you all there soon!

Event: Swim with the Sharks Underwater Scuba Adventure
When: Mon July 28
Time: 5 pm SLT (5pm, PST, 7 pm CST and 8pm EST)

RSVP: Pre-register by Sat July 26th  “http://densl-sharkdive.wikispaces.com/”

Remember Shark Week begins on the Discovery Channel at 9PM EST on July 27.

Wed Workshop at the DEN in SL - Creating your class website with WebBlender | Discovery Educator Network

Wed Workshop at the DEN in SL - Creating your class website with WebBlender
Start: 07/09/2008 - 9:00pm
End: 07/09/2008 - 10:00pm
Timezone: Etc/GMT-5

WORKSHOP: Creating your class website with WebBlender

PRESENTER: Faythe Fouroux

DESCRIPTION:Creating and maintaining a class website doesn’t have to
be hard and scary! WebBlender makes it easy and fun. Come learn what
WebBlender can do for you. WebBlender is a Tech4Learning product and
you can learn more about it at
http://www.tech4learning.com/webblender/index.html

SLT TIME: 5:00 P.M. SLT ( 7 PM CDT, 8 PM EST)
Street Address:
SL - Eduisland II
Hyperlink:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%20II/75/100/22

Technorati Tags: workshop, webBlender, deninsl, professionaldevelpment, secondlife, sl

Having just returned from NECC (National Educational Computing Conference) in San Antonio, I thought I would share books that I hope to read in the near future that were mentioned over and over again.

The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki http://www.randomhouse.com/features/wisdomofcrowds/

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky http://www.herecomeseverybody.org/   http://isbn.nu/978-1594201530

 Brain Rules by John Medina http://www.brainrules.net/

And even though it is a couple years old and I have already read it, I still heard references to Wikinomics How Mass Collaboration Changes Everythying by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams http://www.wikinomics.com/book/ 

I hope to share more about NECC a little later.

Thanks everyone, registration is now closed.

SMART - Professional Development Series Mid-Atlantic SMART Board Users Conference

Here is the registration info for the conference that I wrote about previously. It’s FREE and will be in Arlington, VA on August 21, 2008.

Koshland Science Museum - Upcoming Event: Free Family Day: Mosquitoes and Larvae and Ticks, Oh My! (06/21/2008)

Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Location: Koshland Science Museum

Time: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Cost: Free

Do
you know how to identify insect pests when you see them? What should
you do to help protect yourself and your family from getting West Nile
virus and Lyme disease? Do people get dengue fever and malaria in the
United States? Dr. Jorge Arias and Fairfax County Health Department
staff will be here to give demonstrations and answer your questions.

Dr. Jorge Arias, an expert in vector-borne diseases of the Americas,
currently serves as the Environmental Health Supervisor of the Fairfax
County Health Department. In this role, he is responsible for directing
the Disease-Carrying Insects Program for Fairfax County, Virginia,
which focuses on West Nile virus and Lyme disease. His fascinating
career has spanned medical entomology in Brazil to various infectious
disease positions within the Pan American Health Organization,
including Professor, Advisor and Consultant. Dr. Arias received his
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from Whittier College
and his Ph.D. in entomology from the University of California at
Riverside.

This family day event is free to the public. Fairfax County Health
Department staff will be on hand to show visitors live insect specimens
and answer questions.

Contact the Koshland Science Museum at 202-334-1201 or ksm@nas.edu for more information.

If you are in a school district in the North Tier of Virginia, make sure you look at registering for a summer class.

North Tier school districts are:

Alexandria City Public Schools
Arlington Public Schools
Clarke County Public Schools
Culpeper County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
Falls Church City Public Schools
Fauquier County Public Schools
Frederick County Public Schools
Fredericksburg City Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools
Manassas City Public Schools
Manassas Park City Schools
Prince William County Public Schools
Spotsylvania Public Schools
Stafford County Public Schools

The courses sound really good this time as well.

Technology in Support of the Struggling Elementary Math Student
During the course participants will read and watch videos that spark thinking, engage in both
targeted discussions and open-end forums focusing upon individual concerns and needs, and
spend ample time visiting web-based and other technology resources in order to be able to use
them with struggling math students. At the end of the course, teachers will be asked to choose
between doing a lesson plan or writing a report on implementation of a strategy learned in class.

Using Digital Portfolios to Foster Student Learning
Participants will be introduced to a wide variety of tools that can be used to create and
assemble digital portfolios, and investigate criteria that may be used to select components
that would be included in the portfolio. Participants will leave the workshop with detailed
plans for implementing a digital portfolio project in their respective classrooms. This workshop
was influenced in part by a workshop designed by the Amherst Public Schools in
Amherst, Massachusetts.

Using Graphic Organizers to Promote Higher Order Thinking Skills
During this online course, participants will learn how graphic organizers can be utilized to
increase student learning and develop higher order thinking skills. Participants will develop
graphic organizers to use with their students and become familiar with the different options
available for integrating activities into the classroom. By the end of this course participants
will have developed graphic organizers that will help students determine relationships, cause
and effect, and the sequences of events, situations, and activities, make connections and
demonstrate the understanding of processes.

Teaching Writing in the Middle School Classroom
In this workshop, participants will examine two common essay types—informative and persuasive—
as they are approached in several non-traditional ways. To complement these alternative
ways of teaching these two essay types, this workshop will also re-examine the writing process,
writing motivation for teachers and students, and formative evaluation methods for writing progress.

The Changing Role of Technology Resource Teachers
The position of Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, or ITRT, is still new; so new that
the title ITRT is only one of many acronyms associated with the job. This course is intended
for new and experienced ITRT’s to assist them in: defining their roles, developing a vision for
the position, and identifying those who can assist them in navigating this unique position.

Transforming the Classroom with Project-Based Learning
This workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the principles of Project-Based
Learning (PBL) and strategies for implementing PBL projects in their classrooms. Throughout
this six-week workshop, exemplary projects will be analyzed, critiqued, and evaluated
for applicability to participants’ classroom needs. Each participant will leave the online
workshop with a detailed plan for a PBL project

Introduction to Blogs
This online course will help participants explore questions such as what is a blog?
Do blogs have any implications for educators? How can blogs be used with students?
How can someone start a blog?

Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 tools
In this workshop, participants will be exposed to many of the tools of the Read/Write
Web and will get the chance to experiment with new tools each week. The final session
will focus on how educators can help students to use these new tools safely.
Discussions will help participants focus on how these tools can be integrated into the
classroom to make the most of their potential to enhance student learning.

Information Literacy
Using the Big6(tm) Information Literacy model, this course will focus on best practices
in teaching information literacy skills. We will be using available hardware and software
to integrate online research. The focus will be on the skills needed to locate,
analyze, interpret, evaluate and record information and ideas using online resources.

Promoting Reading Comprehension Skills in the Elementary Classroom
In this workshop, participants will examine teaching practices that help students in grades
three through five develop concrete strategies for constructing meaning from both narrative
and expository text. The goal for strategy instruction is to prepare students to become
active and purposeful readers who think about their text before, during and after reading.

Reading, Writing and Really Using Technology for Learning
Close the digital divide and seamlessly integrate technology into your Language Arts
curriculum. Educators must understand the techniques of teaching reading and language
arts while incorporating the use of technology into their curriculum if they are
going to create an enthusiastic environment for learning and literacy with their students.
This course is designed to provide teachers in the K – 5 setting with a variety of ideas to
use with reading, writing, spelling, and grammar curriculum.

Special Students in Regular Classrooms; Technology, Teaching and Universal Design
The basic premise of UDL is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible
and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with different backgrounds, learning
styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts.
This workshop is designed to acquaint participants with UDL principles, and provide practical,
hands-on experience using software tools and digital media for learning support. Participants
will explore how these tools can be incorporated into their classroom practice, and
begin preliminary steps to design a curriculum unit that utilizes these tools.

Creating Educational Podcasts
In this workshop, participants will explore the use of educational podcasts in regular
curricula activities.

Daily Digital Images
During this course teachers will learn not only how to find and create digital images but
also how to use them on a daily basis in their classroom to enhance higher level thinking
skills.

Cycling Through Science 2.0
This exciting workshop will overview of science standards and explore the use of online
data sources and Web 2.0 tools to enhance inquiry-based teaching and learning in the
science curriculum.

Finding the Best Web Based Resources
Participants in this workshop will explore the range of educational material available on
the Internet and learn time-saving skills to more effectively search the Web for useful
curricular resources.

Designing a Virtual Field Trip
This online course enables participants to use Internet resources to design a ―virtual field
trip,‖ as well as tips and tricks to ensure their success.
Best Practices for Vocabulary Instruction in the Elementary Classroom
In this workshop, participants will examine best practices for direct vocabulary instruction in
order to build the breadth and depth of students’ vocabulary for both comprehension and written
expression in grades three through five.

Classroom Assessment Enhanced by Technology
This workshop introduces participants to numerous ways that technology can support classroom
assessment. Classroom assessment at its best can be a powerful catalyst for informing
instruction and improving learning. Participants will explore a range of online tools and resources
for finding, designing, and incorporating effective classroom assessments into their
daily teaching practices.

Getting Ready for Algebra by Using Virtual Manipulatives
This course is structured around the 12 content and skills readiness indicators and will
introduce a collection of virtual manipulatives that will help curriculum planners and classroom
teachers meet the demand to prepare students for Algebra I.

You can find out more info here http://www.mhznetworks.org/northtier/courses/

Technorati Tags: professional delveopment, training, workshops, course, classes, teachers

Smart Users Group Proposal Form
Invitation to present:NoVA/DC SMART Board Users ConferenceAugust 21, 2008Hosted by Kenmore Middle School, Arlington, VA

You are invited to submit a proposal for a presentation at the Northern Virginia/DC Area SMART Board Users Conference. The conference will be held at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, VA on August 21, 2008. If you are interested in presenting please complete the proposal form including a brief session description (50-75 words) by May 30, 2008.Concurrent sessions are 45 minutesHands-On sessions are 90 minutesAll presenters will receive complimentary registration for the conference.Thank you - we look forward to receiving your proposal.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=ps9-lNbtfhzYT3l0UeACDQw

NES/Reduced Gravity Opportunity via kwout

NES/Reduced Gravity Opportunity

If you are or ever have been a NASA Explorer School, this applies to you. Those of you who have looked at my profile know that I was lucky enough to fly on the reduced gravity jet in 2007. The whole process was an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Definitely worth the blood, sweat and tears.

Here is more info:

2009 NES Reduced Gravity Flight Opportunity - Application Available Application Deadline: Aug. 13, 2008 

NASA Explorer Schools and the Reduced Gravity Flight Office at Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, announce this year’s opportunity for NES students and NES educators (current and alumni) to design and build a reduced gravity investigation. Three educators and an alternate will travel to Johnson Space Center to fly it on NASA’s Reduced Gravity  C-9. The NES Reduced Gravity Flight Opportunity provides a unique experience for NES students and teachers to propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced gravity investigation of their choice over the course of approximately four months. The experience includes scientific research, hands-on investigational design, test operations and educational/public outreach activities. 

For more information and the application, visit http://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/nes/

Here is some of the footage from my flight.

Smithsonian Science Education Academies for Teachers, home page via kwout

Smithsonian Science Education Academies for Teachers: General Information

Another opportunity for teachers this summer. Attend on of the Smithsonian’s Science Education Academies. they have four to choose from:

Biodiversity

Ecological Field Studies

Energy and Motion

Electricity and Magetism

See the link for more information. Registration fees are $1650-$1950.

DEN Blog Network » DEN Regional Conference Schedule Announced!

This is a cross post from the National blog.

DEN Regional Conference Schedule Announced!

Can’t get enough of the DEN’s amazing professional development events?  Good!  Today we are thrilled to announce a series of two-day conferences designed to enhance your use of Discovery Education’s digital media resources.  The DEN Regional Conferences (August through October) are spread out all over the country so that we can reach as many STARs as possible.

Check out the details for a DEN Regional Conference near you.

Central Regional Conference
August 1-2
Dallas, TX

Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
August 1-2
West Long Branch, NJ

Midwest Regional Conference
September 20-21
Glen Ellyn, IL

Western Regional Conference (CA)
September 27-28
Van Nuys, CA

Northeast Regional Conference
September 27-28
Troy, NY

Southern Regional Conference
October 3-4
Huntsville, AL

Western Regional Conference (CO)
October 10-11
Thornton, CO

Details:
Attendees must RSVP for a regional conference, be accepted, and attend both days.  There is no registration cost associated with attending these two-day conferences. Additionally, DEN will provide your meals during conference hours.  Travel costs are up to you.

Just like any other DEN experience, attendees will leave tired and energized at the same time.  But most importantly during your two days you’ll be sharing and learning with other educators who are passionate about using technology in their classrooms. And, when it is all over, you’ll return with new skills that are guaranteed to help you reach your 21st century students.

Posted on May 16, 2008 in Uncategorized by Lance Rougeux

K12 Online Conference 2008 | K12Online08 Call for Proposals: Amplifying Possibilities

K12Online08 Call for Proposals: Amplifying Possibilities

By Wesley Fryer ⋅ May 7, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

We are pleased to announce the call for proposals for the third annual “K12 Online Conference” for educators around the world interested in the use of web 2.0 tools in classrooms and professional practice. This year’s conference is scheduled for October 20-24 and October 27-31 of 2008, and will include a pre-conference keynote during the week of October 13. The conference theme for 2008 is “Amplifying Possibilities.” Participation in the conference (as in the past) is entirely free. Conference materials are published in English and available for worldwide distribution and use under a Creative Commons license. Some changes in the requirements for presentations are being made this year and are detailed below. The deadline for proposal submission is June 23, 2008. Selected presentations will be announced at NECC 2008 in San Antonio, Texas, USA on July 2.

OVERVIEW:

As in past years, K12 Online 2008 will feature four “conference strands,” two each week. Two presentations will be published in each strand each day, Monday through Friday, so four new presentations will be available each day over the course of the two weeks. Including the pre-conference keynote, a total of 41 presentations will be published. Each twenty minute (or less) presentation will be shared online in a downloadable format and released simultaneously via the conference blog (www.k12onlineconference.org,) the conference Twitter account, and the conference audio and video podcast channels. All presentations will be archived online for posterity. A total of 82 past presentations are currently available from K12 Online 2006 and K12 Online 2007. If you are planning to submit a proposal, please review archived presentations from past years to determine what you might offer that is new and builds on previous work. A variety of live events will also be planned during and following the weeks of the conference.

FOUR STRANDS:

Week 1

Strand A: Getting Started

Everything you wanted to know about getting started with web 2.0 technologies for learning but were afraid to ask. The presentations in this strand will focus on specific, free tools for newcomers. Whether you have one classroom computer or a laptop for every student, digital technologies can provide new opportunities to connect with other learners, create new and exciting knowledge products, and engage students in an expanded learning process beyond the traditional “boundaries of the bell.” Teachers first introduced to Web 2.0 tools are often unaware of the new possibilities for teaching and learning afforded by the Read/Write Web. Presentations in this strand will amplify and model what is possible in terms of pedagogy, student creation of content, and collaboration. Practical classroom implementation ideas will be emphasized. Presentations will focus more on the ways new tools can be used to engage students in learning, rather than focusing exclusively on how specific tools are used. If you’ve ever felt like everyone else knows more than you about teaching with technology and you need help getting started, this is the strand for you.

Strand B: Kicking It Up a Notch

You’ve been using blogs, wikis and other technologies for awhile but perhaps haven’t seen them transform your classroom and the learning environment for your students in the ways you think they can. This strand amplifies ways new technologies can be used to transform classroom and personal learning. Rather than merely replicating traditional, analog-based learning tasks, how can digital technologies permit teacher-leaders to “infomate” learning to add greater interactivity, personal differentiation, and multi-modal exploration of curriculum topics? Fresh new approaches to using Web 2.0 tools for learning and authentic assessment will be highlighted. Presentations will explore innovative ways Web 2.0 tools can be blended together to help students create, collaborate, and share the knowledge safely on the global stage of the Internet. Maybe it’s time to share your insights and experiences with your teaching community. Join these sessions to gain insights on amplifying the possibilities of learning in your classroom and/or your professional practice.

Week 2

Strand A: Prove it

Although some teachers are excited to “amplify possibilities” using computer technologies, Web 2.0 tools, and 21st Century learning strategies in their classrooms, how do we know if these innovative instructional strategies are really working? Since information technologies and emerging brain research continue to rapidly evolve and change, it is challenging as well as vital to find current, meaningful research to undergird the learning initiatives we are using in our classrooms. What are “best practices” for teaching and learning with the new participatory media? This strand will share research results from the field that support students in using knowledge to communicate, collaborate, analyze, create, innovate, build community and solve problems. In addition, successful methods for developing and/or delivery of action research projects or research-based instruction in today’s digital world will be explored. In some cases, participants may be invited to participate in ongoing or beginning research on Web 2.0 tool use, constructivist pedagogy, or other 21st Century research issues. Educational research about emerging professional development strategies, contemporary learning theory, systemic school reform, and other current themes of educational change are also appropriate for inclusion in this strand.

Help us to examine such research questions as:

• What does research in learning science, instructional design, informal learning, and other fields tell us about today’s learner and their success?
• What design features must teachers incorporate into their instructional activities to support meaningful learning?
• What is the role of assessment in today’s changing classroom? How should assessment be structured to meaningfully assess student achievement in the context of the modern classroom?

Strand B: Leading the Change

Innovative approaches to teaching and learning using web 2.0 tools are often utilized by a limited number of “early adopter” teachers in our schools. This strand seeks to amplify ways educators in a variety of contexts are serving as constructive catalysts for broad-based pedagogic change using Web 2.0 technologies as well as student-centered, project-based approaches to learning. Presentations in this strand will both showcase successful strategies as well as amplify critical issues which must be addressed for innovative learning methods to be adopted by teachers, librarians, and administrators on a more widespread basis. These issues may include (but are not limited to) issues of copyright, fair use and intellectual property, Internet content filtering, student privacy and safety issues, administrator expectations for teacher utilization of Web 2.0 tools, pilot initiatives utilizing key Web 2.0 technologies in different content areas, and innovative ways students and teachers are providing just-in-time support as well as formal learning opportunities for each other focusing on Web 2.0 tools. Successful approaches for both large and small schools, in rural as well as urban settings, will be included. This strand will explore and amplify a menu of practical ideas for educators in diverse contexts who want to continue amplifying possibilities in our schools.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

This call encourages all educators, both experienced and novice with respect to Web 2.0 learning tools, to submit proposals to present at this conference via this link. Take this opportunity to share your successes, strategies, and tips in “amplifying the possibilities” of web 2.0 powered learning in one of the four conference strands.

The deadline for proposal submissions is June 23, 2008 at midnight GMT. You will be contacted no later than July 2, 2008 regarding your proposal’s status. The conveners reserve to right to reposition a presentation in another strand if they believe it is best placed elsewhere. As in past years, conveners will utilize blind review committees to evaluate all submissions.

Presentations for K12Online08 must conform to the following requirements:

1. Presentations must be a single media file of twenty minutes or less in length.
2. Presentations must be submitted in a downloadable and convertable file format (mp3, mov, WMV, FLV, m4a, or m4v.) Presenters wanting to use an alternative format should contact their respective strand convener in advance.
3. Presentations are due two weeks prior to the week the relevant strand begins. (Week 1 presentations are due Monday, October 6, Week 2 presentations are due Monday, October 13.)
4. Presentations must be submitted only one time and on time. Early submissions are welcomed! Repeat submissions (with changes and additional edits) will not be accepted. Presenters should proof carefully before submitting!
5. All presentations will be shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.

The following are optional but encouraged presentation elements:

1. Prior to September 13th, presenters are invited to submit a “teaser” (maximum video or audio file length: 3 minutes) about their presentation. This can be any type of online artifact and does not have to be downloadable. Examples may include videos, animations, posters, audio interviews, etc.
2. In addition to marketing the presentation, teasers can be designed to encourage and solicit community input related to the presentation topic in advance of the presentation submission deadline.
3. View teaser examples from 2007 at http://k12online07.wikispaces.com/Teasers
4. Supplementary materials supporting presentations are welcomed. These can be wikis with supporting material links, linked examples of student projects, school district exemplary initiatives, social bookmarking collections, and/or other related content.
5. Follow-up projects and/or live interaction opportunities for conference presentations which further amplify the possiblities of the presentation topic may be included. (This can include sharing and building of content prior to, during and after the conference.)

As you draft your proposal, you may wish to consider the presentation topics listed below which were suggested in the comments on the K-12 Online Conference Blog:

• Special needs education
• Creative Commons, Intellectual Property, Copyright and Fair Use
• Student voices
• Community involvement
• Games in education
• Specific ideas, tips, mini lessons centered on pedagogical use of web 2.0 tools
• Overcoming institutional inertia and resistance
• Aligning Web 2.0 and other projects to national standards
• Getting your message across
• How web 2.0 can assist those with disabilities
• ePortfolios
• Classroom 2.0 activities at the elementary level
• Teacher/peer collaboration
• Authentic assessment
• Overcoming content filtering issues
• Navigating “open web” versus “closed web” publishing of student work

Prospective presenters are reminded that the audience of the K12 Online Conference is global in nature and diverse in their educational context. For this reason presentations and presentation materials which address issues from a variety of perspectives are welcomed.

EVALUATION

Acceptance decisions will be made based on RELEVANCE, SIGNIFICANCE, ORIGINALITY, QUALITY, and CLARITY. Borrowing from the COSL 2008 call for proposals:

A submission is RELEVANT when

• it directly addresses the conference and strand themes

A submission is SIGNIFICANT when

• it raises and discusses issues important to improving the effectiveness and/or sustainability of 21st Century teaching and learning efforts, and
• its contents can be broadly (globally) disseminated and understood

A submission is ORIGINAL when

• it addresses a new problem or one that hasn’t been studied in depth,
• it has a novel combination of existing research results which promise new insights, and / or
• it provides a perspective on problems different from those explored before

A submission is of HIGH QUALITY when

• existing literature is drawn upon, and / or
• claims are supported by sufficient data, and / or
• an appropriate methodology is selected and properly implemented, and / or
• limitations are described honestly

A submission is CLEARLY WRITTEN when

• it is organized effectively, and / or
• the English is clear and unambiguous, and / or
• it follows standard conventions of punctuation, mechanics, and citation, and / or
• the readability is good

KEYNOTES:

The first presentation in each strand will kick off with a keynote by a well known educator who is distinguished and knowledgeable in the context of their strand. Keynoters will be announced shortly.

CONVENERS:

• Darren Kuropatwa is currently Department Head of Mathematics at Daniel Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is known internationally for his ability to weave the use of online social tools meaningfully and concretely into his pedagogical practice. Darren’s professional blog is called A Difference (http://adifference.blogspot.com). He will convene Getting Started.
• Dean Shareski is a Digital Learning Consultant for Prairie South School Division in Saskatchewan, Canada. Dean is an advocate for the use of social media in the classroom. To that end he works with teachers and students in exploring ways to make learning relevant, authentic and engaging. He also is a part time sessional lecturer for the University of Regina. He is celebrating his 20th year as an educator. Dean blogs at (http://ideasandthoughts.org). Dean will convene Kicking It Up A Notch.
• Sheryl Nusbaum-Beach, a 20-year educator, has been a classroom teacher, charter school principal, district administrator, and digital learning consultant. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member teaching preservice teachers at The College of William and Mary (Virginia, USA), where she is in the dissertation phase of completing her doctorate in educational planning, policy and leadership. As the cofounder of the Powerful Learning Practice Network she helps schools and teachers from around the world use community as a powerful tool for systemic change. You can find out more on her website at www.21stcenturycollaborative.com. She will convene Prove It.
• Wesley Fryer is an educator, author, digital storyteller and change agent. He summarizes his ongoing work with educators and students in social media environments with the statement, “I’m here for the learning revolution.” His blog, “Moving at the Speed of Creativity” was selected as the 2006 “Best Learning Theory Blog” by eSchoolnews and Discovery Education. Social media sites to which Wes contributes are listed on http://claimid.com/wfryer. Wes will convene Leading the Change.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about any part of this call for proposals, please contact one of us:

• Darren Kuropatwa: dkuropatwa {at} gmail {dot} com
• Dean Shareski: shareski{at} gmail{dot} com
• Sheryl Nusbaum-Beach: snbeach {at} cox {dot} net
• Wesley Fryer: wesfryer {at} pobox {dot} com

Please duplicate this post and distribute it far and wide across the blogosphere. Feel free to republish it on your own blog (actually, we’d really like people to do that ) or link back to this post (published simultaneously on all our blogs).

Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy via kwout

Just sharing this that was sent to the staff at my school. I know a few teacher that have attended this academy for math and science teachers and they all said it was fantastic.

From their web site:

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy has announced additional opportunities for teachers to be considered to attend the 2009 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, a week-long, all-expense paid, math and science professional development program for third- through fifth-grade teachers.

Take a look at the web site to find out more and good luck.

WOW Cal Kjeller is doing a great job showing people Moodle at the Discovery Educator Network in Second Life. Awesome job Cal! I want Moodle for my schools.
posted by Riptide Furse on Eduisland II using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]