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• Livescribe :: Never Miss A Word

  tags: edtech, technology, pen

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

Ok. Some of you might be tired of hearing me say it, but I’ll say it again anyway.  One of the best ways to learn is through stories.  Stories help us put facts in context and allow us to apply more of our senses to the learning experience.  That’s why I’m so excited about the new, free, curriculum recently released by Microsoft that uses realistic storytelling to help students learn about intellectual property rights and how to be responsible digital citizens.

Here’s the essential thinking behind the curriculum:  Students interact with music, movies, software, and other digital content every day. But, do they really understand the rules that dictate the ethical use of these digital files, and, more importantly, do they understand why these issues are relevant?

The goal of the Digital Citizenship and Creative Content program is to create an awareness of the rights connected with creative content. Because only through education can students gain an understanding of the relevance of and a personal respect for creative rights and grow to become good digital citizens.

Through the Microsoft Innovative Teachers Program, Microsoft reached out to teachers across the country to test the curriculum materials and provide feedback over the past year.  As a member of the program (FYI- any educator can apply ) I was able to take part in that “testing” phase.  Along with 93% of the other teachers who participated, I highly recommend the materials and plan on using them again.  Here are a few of the top reasons I think you should check out the curriculum:

• The program focuses on creative rights in the world of digital citizenship so it’s excellent for raising student awareness about proper behavior with technology.     

• It’s relevant and fun for students because it enables them to have the experience of creating their own digital property in the form of a ring tone on the student Web site (MyBytes.com). In addition, the curriculum explores the topic using examples like Facebook and MySpace.

• The program focuses on the positive aspects of the creative process and is not enforcement-based like other programs on the same topic.

• The program supports differentiated and cross-curricular instruction

The Digital Citizenship and Creative Content program was designed for students in grades 8-10 but can certainly be adapted for 6th-12th graders. It’s organized into four thematic units that include the following subject areas: Civics, Computer Science, Debate, Economics, Fine Arts, Government, Journalism, Language Arts, Drama, and Video Production.

Each unit has a set of standalone, yet complimentary project-oriented activities that play off a creative rights scenario presented through a case study. There are guiding questions to help focus students learning, and pre/post assessments to establish baseline knowledge and gauge student learning. There are also suggestions and tips for engaging parents and peers outside of the classroom.  Here’s part of the basic scenario- one that I think our students can definately relate to:

A high school sponsors a school-wide Battle of the Bands. A student not involved in the production decides to videotape and sell copies of the show to students and family members. Later, one of the performers (“Johnny”) learns his image has been co-opted by the maker of a video game without his permission. Students research intellectual property laws to see who owns the “rights” to the Battle of the Bands as a whole, as well as the rights of individual performers, to determine three or four steps that Johnny can take.

Sounds interesting & engaging, right?  Check out the materials & share your thoughts with the rest of us

• BBC - Skillswise - Homepage

  tags: edtech

  • Improve your English and maths with Skillswise

    Factsheets, worksheets, quizzes and games to help improve your skills.

• Past Sites of Week - Free Microsoft curriculum encourages students to be good ‘digital citizens’

  tags: edtech, copyright

  • Students interact with music, movies, software, and other digital content every day—but many don’t fully understand the rules surrounding the appropriate use of these materials, or why this should even matter. To help teach students about intellectual property rights and encourage them to become good “digital citizens,” software giant Microsoft Corp. has unveiled a free curriculum that offers cross-curricular classroom activities aligned with national standards.

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

I really hope that you can take advantage of the AMAZING opportunity!

from the DEN National Blog:

A virtual drum roll please… We are thrilled to officially open the application process for the Discovery Student Adventures Pilot Program.

Join us as we discover more of our incredible planet earth together with adventure trips to Australia, South Africa, and China. In order to participate in this pilot trip, you must be a STAR Discovery Educator. Not only are you able to take part in this once in a lifetime opportunity, each STAR selected will be able to choose four of their students to join them on the adventure!  This is at no cost to you or your students!

So with no further ado… here’s the official wording and post importantly the link to apply.

In 2010, Discovery Education will launch Discovery Student Adventures, education-based international trips to eight destinations including: Arctic, Australia, China, Cost Rica, Ecuador/Galapagos Islands, Italy/Greece, New Zealand/Fiji Islands, and South Africa.

To effectively integrate educator feedback into these inaugural trips, a select group of educators will have the opportunity to travel with Discovery in the summer of 2009 as part of a one-time special opportunity to pilot a Discovery Student Adventure trip.

Educators will serve as chaperones to a group of students, and once selected for a trip, will also be an integral part of selecting the students for these pilot trips. Travel program will be at no cost to the selected educators and students. We are looking for educators that teach 5th through 12th grade.

We invite you to fill out an application for the opportunity to travel with us, giving us your thoughts and opinions along the way to help make Discovery Student Adventures a unique, premiere student travel program that brings the world to life for students and the teachers who lead the trips.

Australia
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 – Thursday, June 11, 2009
Description: Melbourne, Ayers Rock, Townsville, Great Barrier Reef

South Africa
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 - Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Description: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kruger National Park

China
Tuesday August 4, 2008 – Tuesday, August 18, 2008
Description: Beijing, Chengde, Luoyang

Travel Dates are estimates only and subject to change.

To apply please visit https://discoverystudentadventures.wufoo.com/forms/pilot-program-application/

The application will be closed on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 5 pm PST. All applicants will be informed of their status by April 1, 2009.

• What are your ‘Must Listen’ podcasts? | EdTechTalk

  tags: edtech, edtechtalk, podcast

  • What are your ‘Must Listen’ podcasts?

• OnlineTesting.net - Online Quiz and Testing Solutions

  tags: edtech, onlinetesting

  • OnlineTesting.net offers software and programming services so you can easily offer
    online courses, tests, and quizzes over the Internet.

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

• Industry Pitching Cellphones as a Teaching Tool - NYTimes.com

  tags: edtech, cellsinschool, phone

  • The cellphone industry has a suggestion for improving the math skills of American students: spend more time on cellphones in the classroom.

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

• Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook.

  tags: facebook, edtech

  • CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR PARENTS JUST JOINED FACEBOOK. YOUR LIFE IS OFFICIALLY OVER.

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

• WTT - We The Teachers

  tags: edtech

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

• Top News - Ocean explorer brings undersea science to life

  tags: edtech

  • Famed ocean explorer Robert Ballard says he’s just a few months from the culmination of a 28-year dream–and he’ll be taking students along with him virtually as he achieves it.
  • Best known for discovering the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, Ballard is the founder of the JASON Project, which connects students with explorers during live sea expeditions in an attempt to spark their interest in science.
  • Speaking at the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) conference in Austin Feb. 6, Ballard told several thousand educators that recent advances in “telepresence” technology will enable him to keep unmanned robot submarines on the ocean floor 24-7.
  • Fiber-optic cables will transmit live video feeds from cameras on these remote-controlled submarines to a brand-new command center at the University of Rhode Island’s Institute for Archaeological Oceanography, where Ballard works. Similar command centers are being built at 11 other oceanography institutes across the country, he said, and these facilities will all be linked together via the ultra high-speed Internet2 backbone.
  • And, thanks to an $11 million live production studio that National Geographic is helping to build next to the main command center at URI, students will be able to experience these breakthroughs, too.
  • Students at Internet2-connected schools will be able to view remote camera images from the sea floor, and they’ll be able to listen in on live conversations among scientists as they discuss their discoveries. All Rhode Island middle schools are connected to Internet2 already, Ballard said–and they’re building their own remote command centers in the school libraries, so students can join in these explorations firsthand and even remotely control the submarines themselves.

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

YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT!!! 

from the DEN National Blog:

“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)

I have seen the itineraries…. and all I can say is be prepared to be blown away.

What do you need to do to participate?!? Stay tuned as we will be posting a link to the application on the DEN National Blog in the coming weeks.

Here’s some of the official wording…

In 2010, Discovery Education will launch Discovery Student Adventures, education-based international trips for students to eight destinations including:  Arctic, Australia, China, Cost Rica, Ecuador/Galapagos Islands, Italy/Greece, New Zealand/Fiji Islands, and South Africa. 

To effectively integrate educator feedback into these inaugural trips, a select group of educators will have the opportunity to travel with Discovery in the summer of 2009 as part of a one-time special opportunity to pilot a Discovery Student Adventure trip.

Educators will serve as chaperones to a group of students, and will also be an integral part of selecting the students for these pilot trips. Travel program will be at no cost to the selected educators and students.  We are looking for students ages 10 through 17 and educators that teach 5th through 12th grade.

The three pilot trip destinations are Australia, China and South Africa.  Trips will provide for a variety of enriching and experiential activities from cultural exchanges, to community service, to science and exploration, to physically engaging adventure activities.

So what do you think?!?  Do you want to join us for a Discovery Student Adventure?!?”