ISTE Crossroads

ISTECrosswalk072008

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Developing an iSquad Student Support Team for your Schools

Several of you have expressed interest in having an iSquad Student Support Team for your Schools. Lisa Nielsen created an online resource that mirrors the professional development offering. Check it out at: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/12/starting-student-support-team-in-your_12.html

Great opportunity from Google Earth

Greetings Teachers,

We hope this newsletter finds you feeling jolly as you prepare for the upcoming holiday break. But, before you leave your classrooms, we wanted to share a couple of special programs we think you and your students will really enjoy:

First up, the Google Earth and SketchUp teams are excited to announce the first-ever Google K-12 curriculum competition for educators in the US! Launched November 12th in conjunction with the new Ancient Rome 3D layer in Google Earth, the competition brings together a thrilling new feature in Google Earth with your imagination and teaching expertise! A joint effort between Google, the Rome Reborn Project, and Past Perfect Productions, the new Ancient Rome 3D Layer in Google Earth allows users to view and explore over 6700 3D buildings as scholars determine they stood in 320 AD. If you ever dreamed of walking along the same streets as Constantine or gazing up at the Coliseum as it stood in ancient times, you'll be amazed at what you can experience behind your keyboard! The curriculum competition is a chance for you to gain recognition (and a fabulous prize package!) by reconfiguring new or time-tested curricula using the new technology. All grade levels and subject matter are accepted, and any electronic file format is welcome. Be sure to visit our blog post for more information. Visit earth.google.com/romecontest for competition details, frequently asked questions, and registration links. The competition deadline is February 9, 2009, so get those creative juices flowing now!

And for children of all ages - naughty or nice, here at Google, we're keeping our eyes on the sky in search of a jingling sleigh led by reindeer and carrying scads of presents, and a man in a big, red suit. But we're making it easier for you to find Jolly Ole St. Nick by once again partnering with NORAD on the 2008 NORAD Tracks Santa website. From now until Christmas eve, you can read about the history of the Santa Tracker, see a countdown to take-off, view updates from Santa's Village, and play holiday-themed games – a new one released each day – at the Kids Countdown link. The fun really begins on December 24th when at 3am PST, Santa lifts off into the northern sky to begin his trek around the globe. NORAD tracks his progress in real time, marking his stops and his current location in Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google Maps for Mobile. In addition, strategically-placed Santa Cams feed videos of his flight to YouTube and to the NORAD Tracks Santa video page.

Visit www.google.com/educators for more information about these and our other programs. And be sure to stay tuned for the exciting projects we have in store for you in 2009.

Until then, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Warm Regards,
Cristin Frodella

Google K-12 Education Outreach

Google for Educators
http://www.google.com/educators

Celine in The Journal Magazine

Agenda for Computer Liaison Meeting at Bay Ridge

8:30 Exploring Google Applications
10:00 Tabula Digita - Ntiedo Etuk
10:45 Destination Reading & Math - Ray Borno
11:30 Lunch
12:30 Continuation of Google Applications
2:30 Feedback & Survey

Agenda for December Computer Liaison Meeting at Flatlands and Staten Island

8:30 Exploring Google Applications
10:00 Tabula Digita - Ntiedo Etuk
10:45 Destination Reading & Math - Ray Borno
11:30 Lunch
12:30 ePals - Tim DiScipio
1:30 Continuation of Google Applications
2:30 Feedback & Survey

iEARN projects

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SEEKING PARTNERS: iEARN PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
Download the 2008-2009 iEARN Project Book: http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html
For a full listing of iEARN projects, see: http://media.iearn.org/projects/
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1. MDGs-ONLY WITH YOUR VOICE TEAM ANNOUNCES ACTION PROJECT GUIDE, PHASE II. This is an 8-month guide for teachers, which they will be implementing with their students. It covers all the activities with a time line. To view the guide, see http://foro.iearn.org/.1ea1154f or download it from http://media.iearn.org/v/Activities/mgdswithyourvoice/xrojectxguidex2009x1x.doc.html. If you have any question, please feel free to contact us at mdgsproject@yahoo.com. We are looking forward to your contribution. For more about the project, see http://media.iearn.org/projects/mgdswithyourvoice.

2. ENERGY FOR YOU AND ME PROJECT. A project about alternative energy sources, in which students describe their visions of the future of energy - especially how to provide/generate enough energy for all the people in the world. We are planning to work on the project from December to April with students aged between 15 - 20. The working language is English, and the results will be published on a website. Anyone interested to join us? Contact Alenka Andrin alenka.andrin@guest.arnes.si in Slovenia or see http://media.iearn.org/projects/energy.

3. CLASS IN PAKISTAN LOOKING FOR PARTNER TO COLLABORATE IN "ONE DAY IN THE LIFE" PROJECT. A grade 4 teacher from Pakistan, Samina Naz, is looking for a partner to work together on the project. Interested? Connect in the One Day in the Life Project forum at: http://foro.iearn.org/.1e6cb4b3. For a description of the project, see http://media.iearn.org/projects/onedayinthelife.

4. JOIN CLASSES IN QATAR AND THE USA IN SOLAR COOKING PROJECT. Participants are invited to experiment with alternative energy uses by making, testing and using solar cookers. Recipes, construction tips, experiments and research findings will be shared on line and compiled on a web site. See http://media.iearn.org/projects/solarcooking

Speak Up 2008

Subject: Your invitation to participate in Speak Up 2008



Hello:

Speak Up about 21st Century Education!


With a new President and a new Congress in Washington and many new Governors around the country, this is a critically important time for you, your students, and their parents to have a voice in the new education policies, programs, and funding.

I would like to personally invite your school or district to be part of the Speak Up online research project and have your voices heard on the future of American education.

Each fall Project Tomorrow, the nation's leading nonprofit group supporting student voices in education, facilitates the national Speak Up project to collect and report on the authentic, unfiltered viewpoints of K-12 students, teachers, parents, and administrators. We present the national data findings to Congress and the US Department of Education each Spring, and all participating schools and districts get access to their own data for planning and budgeting purposes.

Since fall 2003, over 1.2 million students, teachers, parents, and administrators have participated in the annual Speak Up surveys and the data findings regularly impact federal, state, and local policies, programs, and funding for education. We hope that you will join this national project and provide input in shaping a new direction for American education in the 21st century.

The Speak Up 2008 online surveys are now open for input. To learn more about how your school can participate in Speak Up, click here or contact Amanda Wortman at speakup@tomorrow.org, 949-609-4660 x12.


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Fast Facts on Speak Up 2008

Speak Up is conducted 100% through online surveys which take about 15 minutes to complete.
Grade appropriate surveys are available for students in grades K-12, teachers, parents, school and district administrators, and school board members.
Parent survey is available in English and Spanish.
All survey data collected is 100% confidential.
Every school and district in the United States is eligible to participate -- there is no fee for participation or to get your own data back.
Surveys are open now until December 19, 2008. You will get your own data back in early February in time to use for budgeting and planning for the next school year.
Check out this year's surveys here. Question themes include:
- Teaching and Learning with technology
- Web 2.0 use at school and outside of school
- 21st century skills - information and media literacy
- Digital Content - defining the ultimate online textbook
- Broadband Access and Policy - Home-to-School communications
- Career Preparation and Interest Development
- Internet Safety and Obstacles to technology use at school
Click here to activate your registration now!



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How to Get Started with Speak Up

The Speak Up website offers convenient tools for helping make Speak Up a big success in your school or district. You can find Quick Tips for Educators, flyers for posting at your school, sample emails for communicating with other educators and parents, lesson plans, previews of the survey and more.

Here are a couple of steps to get started:

Add the Speak Up Logo to your website and link to the Speak Up Survey.
Post Speak Up as an event on your school portal, parent loop or learning management system.
Distribute the Speak Up Flyer at your school.
Share information about Speak Up with your principals, district administrators, and school board members.
Send regular emails to your teachers, administrators and parents about participating in Speak Up.
Have a competition within your district for the greatest number of surveys submitted -- we will update you weekly on your participation numbers.
Start planning now for how you are going to use your Speak Up data in February: to write a grant, to revise your technology plan, to inform new expenditures, as input for teacher training programs, etc.

All of this information can easily be found on our website! Click on the tips & techniques link below to get started.

Take a look at the tools to help promote Speak Up 2008.



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Special thanks to our Speak Up 2008 sponsors and partners!
Speak Up would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and outreach assistance from our nonprofit partners. Many thanks to our Speak Up 2008 sponsors: CDW-G, SMART Technologies, PASCO scientific, Blackboard, Inc., William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 1105 Media-Education Group and Wimba.

Also, we extend a special thanks to our National Outreach Partners – SETDA, CoSN and NSBA for their wonderful support.
Learn more about our sponsors and partners



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It's easy to get started, visit the Speak Up website to activate your registration today! If you have any questions, please contact us at speakup@tomorrow.org

Sincerely,

Laurie

Laurie Smith
Director, Research & Evaluation
Project Tomorrow
http://www.tomorrow.org


The mission of Project Tomorrow is to promote and support the innovative, research-based uses of science, math and technology resources to develop critical thinking, problem solving and creativity in all K-12 students. Project Tomorrow is a national education nonprofit organization.

Closing the Achievement Gap Series

Closing the Achievement Gap Series Fisher

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

Celebration of teaching and Learning

CTL 2009 One Sheet Ao 10-27-08

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Election Day PD Run-Down

Hi All --

Here is the scoop for what's happening on the Election Day Professional Development Day.

All districts are invited to IS 228 K,

228 AVENUE S, BROOKLYN NY, 11223 (between W4th and W5th) for a joint election day PD.

We will be running two sessions (and the Renzulli session that some of you are involved in will be running concurrently and is required for those participating in that program)

The sessions are:

GOOGLE DOCS INSTITUTE -- Learn to use this powerful online collaborative took to create projects in your classroom that take learning beyond the four walls of your classroom at the same time as it empowers students to truly collaborate on classroom projects and homework. Participants will learn how to use Google Docs, how to design learning activities around the tool, and how to manage this virtual classroom.

DESIGNING A CLASSROOM PROJECT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA -- Learn how today's YouTube generation is making their mark on the digital world and how you can leverage social media to create an authentic audience for your student's projects. Participants will learn how to use ubiquitous media capture devices with Windows Movie Maker and iMovie to create digital media as instructional learning modules.

For some of you this may be a revisit to using these powerful tools but our experience and strategies for implementation have developed so much we think you'll find the sessions useful.

What's new?

For the Google Docs, we will show you better examples of integration, new ways to create student accounts (and overcome the email issue -- bring your roster), and engaging hands on group activities to really drive home the point.

For the Digital Media, we will introduce the impact social media is having on education and how to use just about any video capture device to make this a reality in your classroom.

We look forward to sharing our excitement and continuing the journey to becoming experts at integrating the best ideas in instructional technology with you.

Agenda

If you haven't registered yet, please do so at: https://www.protraxx.com/scripts/ezcatalogny/ViewClass.aspx?ID=134268&CustomerID=77

Election Day PD

Hi All -- if you're planning on attending the election day PD, please register at https://www.protraxx.com/scripts/ezcatalogny/ViewClass.aspx?ID=134268&CustomerID=77 so we can get an idea of how many we're planning for.

Awesome Global Collaboration Opportunities

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iEARN, http://www.iearn.org
(International Education and Resource Network)
Connecting Youth...Making a Difference in the World
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iEARN IN ACTION #239, News Flash, October 27, 2008
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SEEKING PARTNERS: iEARN PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Action! Animating Voices for Change.
2. Share your creative writing!
3. Connect with other Model UN classes working in iEARN.
4. Become a PEARL World Youth News Reporter.


RESOURCES, CONTESTS, WEBSITES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
5. George Lucas Educational Foundation seeking stories of digital youth.
6. Seeking youth-produced film, video and animated works on human rights issues.
7. Check out the September 2008 iEARN Global Connections and Exchange Program newsletter.
8. New public service animations from iEARN schools in Pakistan.


UPCOMING EVENTS
9. iEARN-Morocco (MEARN) to host 16th Annual iEARN Conference and 13th Youth Summit, July 19-25.


RECENT EVENTS
10. 2008 Annual iEARN Conference in Bukhara, Uzbekistan - cancellation letter posted.


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SEEKING PARTNERS: iEARN PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
Download the 2008-2009 iEARN Project Book: http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html
For a full listing of iEARN projects, see: http://media.iearn.org/projects/
------------------------------------------------------------


1. ACTION! ANIMATING VOICES FOR CHANGE. Participants are invited to use the arts, writing and journalism to create an animated public service announcement on: the environment, health, play, the arts, civic engagement, and global neighborhood. http://media.iearn.org/projects/animation. Check out examples of student animations at: http://media.iearn.org/v/Activities/animation


2. SHARE YOUR CREATIVE WRITING! Students around the world are invited to join "A Vision" - a global literary magazine that teaches tolerance and mutual understanding. Its purpose is to use art and the medium of creative writing to demonstrate that despite linguistic, cultural, ethnic and racial differences, teenagers around the world share the same hopes, fears, interests and concerns. See http://media.iearn.org/projects/avision


3. CONNECT WITH OTHER MODEL UN CLASSES WORKING IN iEARN. In a world full of controversy, this project requires that participants assume the roles of ambassadors to the UN to represent different countries in a discussion of global issues which threaten the world and / or cause regional conflicts and deprivations. Facilitated by Ahmed Abd-Elsattar in Egypt . See http://media.iearn.org/projects/modelun


4. BECOME A PEARL WORLD YOUTH NEWS REPORTER! Check out recent articles on the site, including the most recent, by reporter Sultan Mehmood, Pakistan, who writes "Young people in Pakistan can't vote for the next president of the United States. But like others around the world, they are watching the last days of the campaign closely." See http://www.pearl.iearn.org/


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CHECK IT OUT! RESOURCES, CONTESTS,
WEBSITES, ANNOUNCEMENTS
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5. DIGITAL YOUTH - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS. The George Lucas Educational Foundation has received a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to produce ten multimedia portraits of youth ages 8-18 who are deeply immersed in digital media of all kinds: blogs, social networks, virtual environments, games, media-making projects, and so on. The ten finalists chosen for full profiles produced by Edutopia will receive a Flip Video Camcorder for their participation. Deadline for Submissions: October 31, 2008. See: http://www.edutopia.org/digital-youth-video-multimedia


6. YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE FILM SUBMISSIONS. Calling Youth Media Producers! The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in partnership with Adobe Youth Voices seeks youth-produced media works on human rights issues for its second annual "Youth Producing Change" program to screen in our New York, London, Boston and San Francisco film festivals in 2009-10. Currently seeking film, video and animated works on human rights issues created by youth ages 19 and younger. To download submissions guidelines, see: http://www.hrw.org/iff/2008/images/CallForSubmissions2008.pdf - (4 pages, 217 kb) The deadline for submissions is December 10, 2008. See: http://www.hrw.org/iff/2008/submission.html#youth


7. CHECK OUT THE SEPTEMBER 2008 iEARN GLOBAL CONNECTIONS AND EXCHANGE PROGRAM NEWSLETTER. The Global Connections & Exchange Program (GCE) is made possible through support and funding from the US State Department's (DOS) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Countries currently participating include: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Oman, Sierra Leone, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan and Yemen. http://us.iearn.org/collaborate/programs/bridge/news.php


8. NEW PUBLIC SERVICE ANIMATIONS FROM SCHOOLS IN PAKISTAN. Check out a gallery of animated public service announcements created by iEARN-Pakistan schools: http://www.iearnpk.org/catalyst/animation_gallery.htm


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UPCOMING EVENTS
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9. iEARN-MOROCCO (MEARN) TO HOST 16th ANNUAL iEARN CONFERENCE AND 13TH YOUTH SUMMIT, JULY 19-25, 2009 IN IFRANE, MOROCCO. "Innovative Technologies and Cross Cultural Dialogue For Quality Education." http://www.iearn2009.ma/


RECENT EVENTS


10. UPDATE - The 2008 iEARN Annual Conference in Bukhara, Uzbekistan was cancelled due to safety concerns following a series of explosions in a town neighboring Bukhara. iEARN-Uzbekistan will be working with individual registrants on reimbursements. A cancellation letter has been posted to http://www.iearn.org/news/iEARN2008confcancellation_letter.pdf


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FOR REFERENCE!
* Past Newsflashes are saved in the Forum: News http://foro.iearn.org/iearnforums/news/
* Spanish translations are also available on: http://foro.iearn.org/iearnforums/boletin/.
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TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE NEWSFLASH: Send your announcement (2-3 lines) to newsflash@us.iearn.org.
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iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is a global non-profit network that empowers teachers and students to undertake projects designed to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people. Started in 1988, iEARN is currently active in over 125 countries, with 1,000,000 students participating as part of their education. iEARN-International: http://www.iearn.org
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Win a Classroom Makeover

What if You Could Win $25,000 in Classroom Technology?

You can by entering this year’s Interactive Classroom Makeover Contest!

Dear Partner in Education,

We are pleased to announce the second annual Interactive Classroom Makeover Contest, brought to you by eInstruction™ and Interwrite Learning® an eInstruction Company. Don’t miss this year’s opportunity to win and transform your classroom with exciting and interactive products. Visit www.eimakeover.com for more information

Here’s What You Need to Do to Enter

You need to produce a music video about using technology in the classroom. Make a music video with your class that shows how amazing it would be to have a technology-fueled classroom.

Your video should demonstrate:

· How your class is using or would like to use technology to make learning fun · How your class uses technology each day · Your vision of a classroom that is creatively and effectively using technology to enhance learning

Complete contest rules and entry guide will be available at www.eimakeover.com.

The contest begins at 12:00 PM EDT (16:00 GMT) on September 15, 2008 and ends at 11:59 AM EDT (15:59 GMT) on October 24, 2008. Finalists in the Classroom Makeover Video Contest will be announced on October 31, 2008. After public voting, the winners will be announced December 3, 2008.

The Winning Classrooms will Receive

· Next Generation Interwrite™ Pad and Board

· 32 unit Student Response System

· Interwrite™ Workspace Software

· ExamView® Assesment

· ExamView® Learning Series*

· One full-day of Product Training from Tony Brewer and Associates

· Product Installation

· Computer LCD Projector

· AVerVision CP300 Interactive Document Camera from AVerMedia®

· Classroom Sound System

· One Dell™ Latitude™ E5400 Laptop Computer

· Study Island Standards-Based Learning Programs and Assesment

· Inspiration® and InspireData™ software

· Planet Earth DVD Series from Discovery Education

· Server with SAFARI Montage Enterprise Media Solution with Video on Demand*

· netTrekker d.i. Educational Search Engine by Thinkronize*

· $1,000 (USD) towards the purchase of technology in your classroom

· Cake Party for your entire school!

*Annual site license

Start Preparing Now! You could be this year’s winner! See last year's winners.

Yours in Learning,

eInstruction

P.S. The deadline to enter our eInstruction Classroom Makeover Video Contest is October 24, 2008. Don’t miss a chance to win a $25,000 classroom technology makeover!

NYC Future Cities 2008-2009

NYC Future City '09 Launch Release _engineers_w Pics - Upload a Document to Scribd

Instantly find the right grants for your school!

Access all the latest school grant opportunities from your desktop computers with the new "Grants & Funding ALERT" eMail newsletter.

This special $35 offer expires Friday, October 17th at 5pm!
Click to order: http://www.eschoolnews.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=29.
(View a sample issue now)

Dear !*FIRSTNAME*! !*LASTNAME*!,

Want to know a secret? It's not always what you know or even who you know when it comes to getting grants for your school.

It's when you know about the grant opportunity.
Now with the new "Grants & Funding ALERT" eMail newsletter, you’ll be the first to learn when new grants are available so you can select the best grants suited for your school.

On the 1st and the 15th of every month, "Grants & Funding ALERT" will provide a list of all the new school grants available nationwide including:

* All the new grant opportunities just announced from federal government, national organizations, corporate foundations, and more;
* Up-to-the minute overviews of funding resources with deadlines and values;
* Grant information with names, titles, and web links. You'll go directly to the funding source, saving yourself valuable time.

Armed with these key opportunities, you'll be able to zero in on the right grant opportunities, have the time to write the best proposal and have the right contact information to deliver it on time improving your chances of winning!

You can depend on the "Grants & Funding ALERT" eMail newsletter keeping you informed all year because it’s from one of America's most reliable news organizations…eSchool News.

See for yourself with absolutely no risk!
Click to order: http://www.eschoolnews.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=29.

NSBA Announces “20 to Watch” as Leaders in Education Technology: Celine Azoulay selected

NSBA Announces “20 to Watch” as Leaders in Education Technology
Alexandria, VA - Sept. 29, 2008 - The National School Boards Association’s Technology Leadership Network (TLN) has announced its annual list identifying 20 emerging leaders in education technology. These individuals are recognized for championing technology initiatives that make a difference for students, teachers, school districts, and the greater education technology community.
A nationwide search was conducted to identify individuals who reflect the spirit of creativity and collaboration that embraces the power of technology to enhance learning for students, inspire colleagues, transform operations, and engage communities.
“Innovation in K-12 technology is the result of educators with the vision, passion, and natural curiosity to explore new tools and teaching strategies that transforms teaching and learning,” said Ann Flynn, director of education technology for NSBA. “Today, the exceptional accomplishments of these 20 individuals help us define our expectations for the role technology can play in the future. We hope this program inspires other educators to follow their lead and provides policy makers and school leaders with the insight they need to further support future innovation.” The 20 technology leaders will be recognized at NSBA’s annual technology and learning conference, T+L, which will take place Oct. 28-30, 2008 in Seattle. They will also be showcased in future NSBA education technology publications. For more information, please visit http://www.nsba.org/t+l/.
The 2008 “20 to Watch” are:
Celine Azoulay, Borough Instructional Technology Director, Staten Island, New York City Schools (NY)
Celine Azoulay is recognized for her vision to introduce colleagues to powerful teaching strategies that are coupled with state-of-the-art technology to improve student achievement levels. Within the New York City public school system, Celine utilized her expertise in mathematics and background in teaching, professional development, and instructional technology to oversee the introduction of Tabula Digita’s DimensionM™, an immersive educational video game, into the district’s middle school math initiative.

CMS Webmaster Discussion Forum

Ask your questions, leave your comments, and share with your colleagues. The citywide CMS discussion forum can be found at:

http://www.oit.nycenet.edu/discuss/viewforum.php?f=30&sid=59fe0902fadfc8d64ebfd74c60d184cd

New Helpdesk link

Hi All -- there is a new link for the online Magic service: http://servicecenter.nycenet.edu/selfsupport/login.asp

This is the link to the Reso A form (must be on VLAN2): http://portal.nycboe.net/sites/FinanceAdmin/CFO/Lists/RESOA%20Walkthrough%20Form/overview.aspx

WIN A "GREEN COMPUTER LAB" FOR YOUR SCHOOL

INSPIRE your middle and high school students to be leaders in the Green Schools movement--and your school could win a state-of-the-art computer lab! The "Green Light Contest" essay competition, sponsored by PC Mall Gov, in partnership with HP, InFocus and T.H.E. Journal, is seeking entries from students in two categories: grades 5 - 8 and 9 - 12. In essays of 1,000 words or less students are asked to describe how they and their teachers can utilize technology to protect the environment, with the grand-prize-winning composition being awarded a 30-seat "green" computer lab for the author's school. Two additional first place winners (one from each grade-level category) will each receive a "green" laptop. Winning essays will be published in T.H.E. Journal and winners will be recognized at FETC, January 21 - 24, in Orlando, FL.

***APPLICATION DEADLINE is December 1, 2008. Winners will be announced at FETC, January 21 - 24, 2009, and notified by mail no later than January 31, 2009.

***Complete essay and submission criteria are available online at:
http://www.1105info.com/t.do?id=1685344:7007975

October Meeting tentative agenda

OIT Computer Liaison Meeting
October 2, 2008
8:30 – 2:30 415 89th Street – 4th floor Conference Room

8:30 Welcome Back
9:00 Applying for Reso A Grants - Desmond White
9:30 Software Purchasing – Lilly Toback, Meizner
10:30 Tequipment – Lindsay Angelo
11:30 Lunch on your own
12:30 Learning.com – Mary Huff
1:30 OIT Updates - Professional Development Opportunities

2008-2009 Computer Liaison Meetiings now posted

See and register for this year's computer liaison meetings at:

http://www.oitlive.com/computerliaisons

Want to do a global collaboration project?? iEARN is accepting classes now

Hey all -- iEARN has wonderful projects for you to participate in involving global collaboration!! Please check these out and see if any fit you -- we'd love to see you participate.

2. REGISTER NOW FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF iEARN LEARNING CIRCLES. Learning Circles are highly interactive, project-based partnerships among a small number of schools located throughout the world. Two sessions take place each year -- September 30, 2008-January 12, 2009, and January 30, 2009-May 18, 2009. Learning Circle Placement forms are due September 15, 2008 for the September-January session. To learn more about Learning Circles and to link to a placement form, visit http://www.iearn.org/circles

4. EXCHANGE INFORMATION ABOUT UNESCO HERITAGE SITES AROUND THE WORLD. Join a project in which students explore and exchange information about UNESCO Heritage sites around the world. Contact Inga Paitchadze <ngo.siqa@gmail.com> in Georgia or see http://media.iearn.org/projects/heritage

5. VISIONS OF ME: SELF-PORTRAIT PROJECT USING DIGITAL MEDIA TOOLS. Students in different parts of the world design a self-portrait using digital photography, and manipulate the image(s) using a software such as Adobe Photoshop, or using available materials to create their self-portrait. Contact Dianne Shanian <dshanian@smithtown.k12.ny.us> in the USA, or see http://media.iearn.org/projects/selfportrait

6. ACTION! ANIMATING VOICES FOR CHANGE. Join the National Children’s Museum (USA) in a global partnership using the arts, writing and journalism to create an animated public service announcement or call to action in one of six areas of engagement: the environment, health and well-being, play, the arts, civic engagement, and global neighborhood. Contact Mark Wright <mwright@ncm.museum> and Skye Hallman <shallman@ncm.museum>, USA, or for more info, see http://media.iearn.org/projects/animation

7. WHAT MY COUNTRY IS FOR ME. Join youth participants around the world in sharing essays and perspectives on what their countries/nations mean for them, and what aspects they value most. To register, fill in the Teachers’ Registration Form posted in the forum http://foro.iearn.org/iearnforums/whatmycountryistome/ and send it to Andrew Polevik <p_and@tut.by> and <p-and@ya.ru> in Belarus. For more about the project, see http://media.iearn.org/projects/countries

Software Expo

Software Expo FLYER - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Software Expo FLYER

Cybersmarts Summit 2008, Saturday, August 9th, City Hall, New York, NY

Save the Date -> Saturday, August 9th
The New York City Council will host

Cybersmarts Summit 2008
Keeping NYC Kids Safe Online

Location: City Hall, New York, NY
For parents, teachers, principals, and youth (recommended for grades 5 through 12)

Learn: social networking sites, how youth use the internet, gang recruitment, cyberbullying, online predators & more
Participate: educational games & activities

For more information or to RSVP please call (212) 788-6871 or email events@council.nyc.gov

Featuring:
Christine C. Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council
Martine Guerrier, CFEO of NYC Department of Education
Microsoft
Rachel Dretzin, Producer, PBS Documentary, “Growing up Online”
Symantec
Parry Aftab, Wiredsafety.org

DOE Internet Safety Curriculum

The DOE is creating a DVD about cybersafety to teach our children how to keep themselves safe on the internet.. Your input is needed! If you would, please complete this short survey to help guide these efforts.

The purpose of this survey is to gather information about the New York City Department of Education's Internet Safety Curriculum. Reel Works Teen Filmmaking, a nonprofit arts organization that serves over 150 teens each year, is producing an Internet Safety DVD for the Department of Education. The DVD will contain four short films about the following subjects: Online Gaming Safety, Sexual Predators, Cyber-Bullying, and Protecting Identity. Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Your input will help us produce videos that are effective and work with your existing curriculum.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2YL_2bvdgTLQd4WBe5cOG26A_3d_3d

iSquad workshop at 89th Street June 12th

Hi All --

We organized an iSquad workshop for June 12th and sent invites to everyone who expressed interest. This is the workshop to show you how to create a student club of level 1 tech support to assist you in keeping the technology in your building running well. If you didn't get a chance to send me an email and are still interested in attending, there are a few seats left. Click on the link below to find out more and register..

https://www.protraxx.com/scripts/ezcatalogny/ViewClass.aspx?ID=123945&CustomerID=77

Reduced Rate Grant Opportunity

For those of you who are planning for next year for your building and district’s technology needs you might be interested in this reduced rate grant application from mimio. Mimio is a product that converts any whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard wirelessly. For further information on the mimio go to: http://www.mimio.com/solutions/education/index.php


For further information on the grant go to: http://www.mimio.com/solutions/education/funding/mimiogrant/index.php

OIT Per Session postings now online

Interested in summer / fall Office of Instructional Technology Per Session? The postings are up for all to apply!

PS Vac Circ.#223,School Yr.'08-'09, Instructional Specialists (staff developers)
to serve as instructional technology trainers for NYCDOE employees to include
teachers, coaches and other instructional leaders. Programs include but are not
limited to Mobile Technology (iTeach iLearn) as well as iLead (school leaders),
iTeach (teachers K-12); iLearn (student programs); iCoach (coaches); iSite (portal).
(Up to 90 positions)

PS Vac Circ.#224,School Yr.'08-'09, Instructional Specialists (staff developers)
to serve as instructional technology trainers for NYCDOE employees to include
teachers, coaches and other instructional leaders. Programs include but are not
limited to Mobile Technology (iTeach iLearn) as well as iLead (school leaders),
iTeach (teachers K-12); iLearn (student programs); iCoach (coaches); iSite (portal).
(Up to 90 positions)

Excellent resource -- American Museum of Natural History

Trouble viewing newsletter? Go to http://www.amnh.org/education/newsletter/2008.04.html APRIL 2008 NEW SCIENCE BULLETINS VIDEOS MESSENGER: Mission to Mercury http://sciencebulletins. amnh.org/?sid=a.f.mercury _messenger.20080331 The MESSENGER orbiter’s January 2008 flyby of the planet Mercury was historic. In this Science Bulletins video, you and your students can watch the MESSENGER science team react as the orbiter’s first images of Mercury roll in. Then explore the images in a slide show, and find out more about the mission in the essay, “First Planet Finishes Last." Global Fires 2002-2008 http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/ ?sid=b.v.fire.20080401 In this Science Bulletins visualization, see how human activity is changing fire patterns around the world. WE NEED YOUR HELP! OLogy Survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx? sm=d_2bj89_2fESh55gcLYIiI4APQ_3d_3d Help us out by taking this quick survey about OLogy – the Museum’s science-rich website for kids. TEN ONLINE GRAD COURSES THIS SUMMER Seminars on Science learn.amnh.org Seminars on Science is offering two summer sessions of award-winning online graduate courses in the life, earth and physical sciences. Take our newest course, The Solar System, an addition to our earth science offerings that highlights NASA missions to explore our planetary neighbors! Or join us for one of our summer-only courses: Sharks and Rays or In the Field with Spiders. See how scientists in the field study these unique creatures! All of our most popular courses are also available for the summer, including Earth: Inside and Out; The Ocean System; Genetics, Genomics, Genethics and Evolution. Registration Dates: Summer - Session 1 Courses run June 9 – July 20. Register by May 27 Summer - Session 2 Courses run June 30 – August 10. Register by June 16 Sign up early and receive a $50 discount off the price of each course (see website for details). Please call (800) 649-6715 or learn more online. ANNOUNCING... OLogy 2.0! amnh.org/ology Check out the newly redesigned OLogy – the Museum’s science-rich website for kids! It has a whole new look and is now searchable – giving you easier access to hundreds of cool features. AT THE MUSEUM Education Department amnh.org/education The Museum is a rich resource for field trips, research, and professional development. Find out how to enrich your classroom by using the Museum and our education department to your advantage. Public Programs amnh.org/programs Check out the exciting lectures, performances, field trips, and workshops offered by the Museum. eNotes ga1.org/amnh/join.tcl Receive the latest information about onsite Museum public programs and events via email. Thank you for being a member of the American Museum of Natural History's Educator Mailing List. If you have any questions about this mailing list please e-mail educator-owner@lists.amnh.org. Your privacy is important to us and we will never divulge this information outside of the Museum. Please read our privacy statement. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed with us online, at one of our events or at a conference. If you wish to unsubscribe, e-mail educator-owner@lists.amnh.org with unsubscribe as the subject line.

May 12th Meeting Agenda

Description: For our last meeting of the year we want to leave you with a tool that you can sink your learning teeth into this summer and use to stay in touch with us and each other. Social Networking is being embraced by educators and businesses across the country as a tool to connect people and create pathways to share. We want to create a social network so we can explore the possibility of using it in our teaching and so we can experience the synergy while we share best practices. Our network will contain a page for each member where best practices, samples of projects, and interests can be posted for your colleagues to see.

Goals:

• Learn about Social Networking
• Explore the National Education Technology Standards for Students
• Work in group to create a project plan based on the new standards
  

Agenda:

• Introduce our Social Network
• Exploring the computer liaison ning's elements
• Create an account for yourself
• Customize your page with a blog entry of a project you did this year
• Learn how to use the Forum feature
• National Education Technology Standards for Students
• Review the standards and the 21st century skills they're built on
• Learn how to edit the NETS-S wiki and review wiki concepts
• Contribute to the NETS-S wiki
• (link to the DOE NETS site from Dia Kuhl)
  
• Project Planning Group
• By popular demand, we will have a small group work session where we create a project plan. Each plan should include the following elements
  
1. Project Title
2. Description
3. Grade levels
4. Subjects covered
   
5. Standards
6. Technologies used
7. Procedures
8. Resources needed
   
• Post projects to your page on Ning.