Friday, October 31, 2008

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.

Monday, October 27, 2008

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/
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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!

Friday, October 10, 2008

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.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

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

Friday, October 3, 2008

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