Virginia

Deadline April 4, 2009

Have you and your students been involved in an original, online learning activity? If so, we encourage you to enter the 2009 SIGtel Online Learning Award competition. Since 1991, ISTE’s Telelearning Special Interest Group (SIGtel), has recognized creative teachers for their pioneering use of online networks to provide innovative learning opportunities for school-age students K-16. Educators worldwide are eligible.

• 1st place winner receives $500 cash award, free NECC conference registration, invitation to present their project at NECC and a one year ISTE membership
• 2nd place winner receives free NECC conference registration, invitation to present their project at NECC and a one year ISTE membership
• 3rd place winner receives invitation to present their project at NECC and a one year ISTE membership

*All awardees will receive an invitation to present their project during a web poster session at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Washington, DC.

Submit entry at http://www.iste.org/sigtel

ENTRY INFORMATION:

Entries need to describe INNOVATIVE online learning activities that will have been completed between 1 February 2008 and 1 June 2009.

• Submission process officially opens January 26, 2009. An online entry form will be posted here on the open date. Deadline to submit is April 4, 2009.
• Applicants must provide the names and contact information for two references who are willing to support the application and are willing to be contacted during the submission and review process.

AWARD:

1. Awardees will be announced in April 2009.

2. All awardees will receive an invitation to present their project during a web poster session at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Washington, DC, June/July 2009. Awardees will need to provide project information and photos for online and/or conference publications; deadlines to be provided when awardees are announced. Project contributors or partners are welcome to participate in the NECC poster session but only the author will receive an award. All expenses relating to registration and travel to NECC are the responsibility of the honoree, contributors, or partners planning to attend.

3. Awardees will be given a one-year standard membership in ISTE and concurrent membership in ISTE’s Telelearning Special Interest Group.

4. SIGtel will publish the winning entries, and the respective authors’ reflections in its online publication, SIGtel Bulletin, and archive the work as exemplary projects on the SIGtel Web area. All awardees will be required to supply a reflection about their project when contacted by the SIGtel Bulletin editors.

5. SIGtel will provide press release information and photo opportunities at NECC 2008 for winners to publicize their award via their local media.

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT:

Entries will be evaluated using a rubric based on the following attributes (weightings are shown as a percentage of final score):

• Detailed description of the online learning activity from initial planning to the final evaluation (40%)
• Description of how the online aspect of the learning activity enhanced the regular classroom program (15%)
• Description of how the online learning activity was evaluated and the extent to which original aims and objectives were met (20%)
• Consideration of what the entrant learned from the online learning activity in their classroom with comments and recommendations for development and involvement in future similar activities (25%)

Descriptions should be sufficiently detailed to allow another educator to follow the same process, modifying it to meet the requirements of their own classrooms.

Submit entry at http://www.iste.org/sigtel

Dr. Yvonne Marie Andrés
SIGtel Online Learning Awards Chair
President & Co-Founder, GlobalSchoolNet.org

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….

Click here to read more!

Welcome to Doodle 4 Google, a competition where we invite K-12 students to play around with our homepage logo and see what new designs they come up with. This year we’re inviting U.S. kids to join in the doodling fun, around the intriguing theme “What I Wish for the World.”

For more information and to register your students please visit the Doodle for Google website.  Registration closes on March 17, 2009.

 ePals has launced a new contest that is running until January 10, 2009. Your Presidential Minute contest can be found on the company’s Election Central web page. K-12 students can submit one of the following:

- a one minute audio recording
- a 200-word written submission
- a 10 slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation (they specified Microsoft)

Student submission should express to President-elect Barack Obama their views on issues important to them. According to T.H.E. Journal, Students are encurage to think globally and be creative. Judges at ePals will compile the best submissions online and share them with the new president, his transition team and members of the ePals Global Community.

You can find the guidelines and related information about the contest on the EngineerGirl website

PROMPT: Have you ever wondered what goes through an engineer’s mind when she is designing a new product? It takes creativity as well as attention to details and design requirements. Often engineers will use an object as an example and then make improvements for safety, function, or attractiveness. Sometimes a design works best when it is simple, and other times it requires complicated calculations. Try your hand at evaluating your own engineering product. Start by choosing one of the three images below (on webpage). Then think about the object in the picture:

• What is it? What do you think it might be used for?
• What are the most important features of the design?
• What was the engineer’s role in making this product and what engineering principles were used?

Who Can Enter?
The contest is open to individual girls and boys in each of three categories (Choose your category by grade level unless you are unsure of your grade.):

Ages 8-11 - 3rd grade to 5th grade

Ages 12-14 - 6th grade to 8th grade

Ages 15-18 - 9th grade to 12th grade

When Is the Deadline?
Entries must be received by 6:00 p.m. (EST) on March 1, 2009.