DESE ePeGS – The Department’s new electronic Planning and electronic Grant System (ePeGS) provides a one-shop website for district’s to create/enter plans required by the Department, apply for grant programs available through the Department, and tie together planning and funding. The electronic planning tool – to become available in spring 2008 –walks planners through key steps related to mission statement, needs assessment, goals, objectives, strategies, and action steps. Ideally, the tool should help districts tie ancillary plans to one overall plan (make it easier, for example, to tie a technology plan to the CSIP to the Perkins plan to the Special Ed plan, and so forth). When entering an objective, strategy, and/or action step, the district designates which plan(s) the objective/strategy/action step is tied to. At the end, the user can opt to print the entire plan or print just the technology plan (or the Perkins plan, and so forth). The planning tool (phase one) will be made available first, before the new grant tool (phase two).

The grant tool – likely in operation in spring 2009 – will provide district access to all available grant programs and require districts to tie specific funding sources to specific plans, objectives, strategies, and action steps. Phase two work will automate all the entitlement and/or formula grants, with competitive grant work to follow (hopefully, by spring 2010). Later phases will also see development of reporting and evaluation pieces.

To learn more about ePeGS, to keep up on what’s being developed, or to provide us with input and feedback, see: http://www.dese.mo.gov/epegs/.

E-rate Plan Requirements – Instructional Technology staff participated in a training session for USAC-certified technology plan approvers. Conducted via a two-hour conference call, this session covered the requirements of technology planning for district participation in the E-rate program. Missouri districts should note that the USAC requirements are embedded in the Missouri district technology plan approval score guide and addressed in the Education Technology Plan portion of ePeGS. If interested in viewing the Approving Technology Plans presentation, posted on the Outreach and Training page of the Schools and Libraries section of the USAC website, see: http://www.usac.org/sl/about/outreach-training.aspx.

Core Data, MOSIS, and EDEN Reporting – update and clarification
Districts are advised of the following data collections regarding technology acquisitions and use, including student technology literacy.

Census of Technology (COT) – Districts are required to complete Core Data Screens 30 and 31 during the April Core Data Cycle. Screen 30 collects district-level data; Screen 31 collects building-level data. All attendance centers must complete Screen 31. The 2008 screens are essentially the same as those completed in 2007, with the following notes/exceptions:

• Districts will continue to report the “percent of eighth-grade students who are technology literate” via screen 30, item 8. [In the future, MOSIS reporting will populate this item.] The Core Data Manual provides the state’s definition of technology literacy. For guidance as to how districts can make technology literacy determinations, see the document, “Why do schools have to complete the Census? How are the data used, and how are schools held accountable?” – posted on the COT website at: http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/cot_article_1_2.pdf.

• The Screen 31 computer tables are being revised, asking districts to respond based on the year the computer was purchased rather than on processor specifications. In short, the item asks for the numbers of computers by date and location, with four “date” categories available: purchased in the last year, one to three years old, four to five years old, and six years or older. The revised table aligns with the data the Department needs to report to the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

Missouri Student Identification System (MOSIS) – Like with Core Data, districts are asked to enter certain kinds of MOSIS data in certain months. Recent training indicated that districts must include the 8^th-grade technology literacy in the June 2008 cycle. Look for an upcoming Department MOSIS update that should include further clarification. In essence, districts are asked to enter technology literacy determination along with other achievement-related data that are entered in June – that will be used to test the data collection system, not to report actual data to ED this year. While reporting technology literacy data to MOSIS will be optional, districts are still expected to have in place the necessary policies and procedures that ensure students are afforded opportunity to acquire technology literacy skills – and have adequate documentation supporting the student technology literacy data reported during the April COT and June MOSIS data collections.

Education Data Exchange Network (EDEN) – Core Data and MOSIS are used to collect the data reported to ED via the Education Data Exchange Network (EDEN). With regards to technology, EDEN asks for the number of [modern] instructional computers available to students, number of 8^th-grade students technologically literate, number of districts with technology integrated in core subjects, and number of teachers proficient in using technology.

STATE AND NATIONAL NEWS

Congress preserves Title II.D Program
After months of debate, Congress has agreed to a $555-billion year-end budget bill that meets President Bush’s baseline spending cap on domestic programs. The budget contains $59.4 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Education (ED), though an across-the-board rescission of 1.75 percent (applied equally to all domestic programs) will leave actual spending at $58.4 billion. That’s still $1 billion more than in 2007 – and $2.2 billion more than Bush had requested.

Under the new budget deal, federal funding for educational technology remains the same, at $272 million – though the rescission will bring actual spending levels down to $267 million, thus marking the fifth time in the last six years that federal ed-tech funding has been reduced. Still, supporters of school technology say the 2008 federal budget could have been worse. Many education programs suffered significantly greater cuts in this bill, including Reading First which endured a $636 million cut. Some education programs were eliminated entirely.  

Congress extends Anti-Deficiency Act exemptions for E-rate
Also included in the FY08 appropriations bill is a one-year extension of the Anti-Deficiency Act exemption for E-Rate and all of universal service. This exemption ensures that E-rate funds will continue to flow uninterrupted throughout 2008.

SETDA posts keynotes and presentations from recent National Leadership Summit
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has posted the keynotes, panel discussions, and many of the states' concurrent sessions on the Leadership Summit/Ed Forum site. Leadership Summit events of special interest include: keynote address by Andreas Schleicher with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development who gave a report of the 2006 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessments) Results and state sharing sessions that addressed 21st Century skills, connecting teachers and students via high speed networks and resource portals, technology literacy, technology and high school redesign, making data user friendly for classroom teachers, STEM, 3D social networking, Internet security, establishing a statewide virtual library, empowering administrators with professional development, and professional development over time and space. To download presentation slides and handouts, listen to session podcasts, or participate in a variety of blogs, see: http://www.setda.org/web/guest/leadershipsummit.

ED pushes schools to go online for advanced courses and publishes guide
At the center of the drive to make the nation more competitive, governors, Congress and President Bush alike have called for more students to take honors classes and advanced coursework, particularly in math and science. Yet schools continue to struggle to make infrastruc­ture match the rhetoric. According to the National Center for Education Statistic’s most recent analysis, more than one in four students did not have access to advanced courses at his/her home school. Fewer than one in five students had completed either chemistry II, physics II, ad­vanced biology or calculus by graduation. Many schools were too poor, small or isolated to offer mul­tiple honors courses.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has released a new guide to help schools connect their students to online courses, particularly at the middle and high school levels. “Connecting Students to Advanced Courses Online” examines six case studies, ranging in geographical location and organizational type. In each example, the provider demonstrates how implementing online classes can enrich curricula and enable a great number of students to challenge themselves. To read and download the report, see: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/advanced/index.html.

CoSN hosts website for small district technology leadership
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) recently launched a Small School District Technology Leadership wiki that provides a space for collaborative work and implementation of technology in small school districts. CoSN encourages school technology leaders in small school districts to contribute their own best practices, tips, strategies, case studies and resources.  See: http://www.cosn.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page.

NCES reports on “Educational Technology in Teacher Education Programs for Initial Licensure”
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) just released the report "Educational Technology in Teacher Education Programs for Initial Licensure" that details findings from a survey designed to provide policy makers, researchers, educators, and administrators with timely baseline information on a range of topics involving educational technology and teacher education programs for initial licensure at 4-year postsecondary institutions. Findings suggest that teacher education programs for initial licensure were oriented toward preparing teacher candidates to use educational technology. Large majorities of institutions agreed (strongly or somewhat) that their program graduates possess the skills and experience to integrate technology into instruction, and can construct project-based learning lessons involving educational technology. However, institutions reported a variety of barriers that impeded efforts to prepare teacher candidates to use educational technology within both program coursework and field experiences. To download, view and print the report as a PDF file please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008040.

2006 PISA international study reports available
Validating the long-standing theme in science and math education, the results of the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were released December 4 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), showing that in math and science students in the United States are lagging behind most of their counterparts in other countries. The results of this latest research place the United States 25th out of 30 OECD countries in math achievement among 15-year-olds and 21st in science achievement. To review the executive summary and/or download the entire PISA 2006 report, see: http://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32235731_1_1_1_1_1,00.html.

MIT adapts free online courses for high schools
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created a new website with free online resources that aim to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction at the high school level. Featuring more than 2,600 video and audio clips, animation, lecture notes, and assignments taken from an actual MIT course, “Highlights for High School” builds on MIT’s OpenCourseWare initiative and is designed to provide students and teachers with innovative tools to supplement math and science studies. See: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/home/home/index.htm.

Higher education reports on “Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning”
A recent report by Babson Survey Research Group and the Sloan Consortium titled, “Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning” represents the fifth annual report on the state of online learning in U.S. higher education. The report discusses how many students are learning online, where the growth in online learning has occurred, why institutions provide online offerings, the prospects for future growth, and the barriers to widespread adoption of online education. See: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/online_nation.pdf.

Safe schools-related resources

Study finds social skills programs yield academic achievement gains
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) was recently featured in Education Week, citing findings from a four-year CASEL study that found taking time out of the curriculum to teach students how to manage their emotions and to practice empathy, caring, and cooperation can also help improve their academic achievement. The new findings, to be released next year, are based on analysis of 207 studies of school-based programs designed to foster students’ social and emotional skills. What schools found is that, after the lessons, students in the experimental groups were better behaved, more positive, and less anxious than their control-group peers – and smarter, as measured by their grades and test scores. See: http://www.casel.org/.

School Internet Safety Guidelines and Resources <free online resource>
The Virginia Department of Education recently updated the document “Guidelines and Resources for Internet Safety in Schools” to assist schools in three areas: (1) writing an Internet safety component as part of the acceptable use policy, (2) integrating Internet safety into the curriculum, and (3) fostering responsibility among all stakeholders to help protect young people from online dangers. Contents are presented in reference to what schools need to address, as well as what students, parents, teachers, administrators and others need to know. The appendices include an extensive list of annotated, web-based resources on Internet safety and a glossary that explains some of the new terms commonly used in cyberspace. To download a copy of this comprehensive resource, see: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Technology/OET/internet-safety-guidelines-resources.pdf.

Invitation to participate in Cyberethics, Cybersecurity, and Cybersafety Baseline Study
Questions in this survey are designed to understand the level of Cyberethics, safety and security educational awareness policies, initiatives, curriculum and practices currently taking place in the K-12 educational settings. To participate in the survey, which should take no more than 15 to 20 minutes, see: http://www.edtechpolicy.org/BaselineSurvey/.

December issue of i-EDUCATOR Times
The December issue of the i-EDUCATOR Times is now online and ready for downloading. Here are a few of the highlights of this month’s issue:

• Faculty Insider – Successfully Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions in 2008!

• Government Internet Safety Legislation – U.S. House and Senate approve separate Internet safety education funding legislation. What it all means?

• The i-CREATM Patent and Trademark Curriculum – New lessons on Patent and Trademark now available to Educators

•  Get Involved – Beyond the Classroom – community outreach raising Internet safety awareness

• Cyber Preying – how to cope

To download i-EDUCATOR Times, see: http://www.isafe.org/imgs/pdf/newsletter/2007/i-EDUCATOR-12-07.pdf

CWD-G School Safety Index survey report <repeat from July-August>
Quality Education Data, an independent research firm in Denver, surveyed K-12 information technology directors nationwide about their cyber security practices. Of 381 district administrators surveyed nationwide via the CWD-G School Safety Index survey, 95 percent block inappropriate Internet websites, 89 percent position computers in view of adults, 81 percent use technology to monitor stu­dent Internet activity, 38 percent use a closed district network to control content, and 37 percent do not annually update accept­able Internet use policies. Only 8 percent train students to use computers responsibly.

To educate students about responsible online behavior, the National Cyber Security Alliance recommends curriculum include lessons about:

• Cyber responsibility – Explain that stu­dents need to respect school cyber security, such as password rules and Internet filters. Provide tips to protect them from identity thieves, online predators and cyber bullies.

• Cyber ethics – Explain that hacking into someone's computer system is just as wrong as breaking into his home.

• Cyber bullying prevention – Explain to students that they can get into just as much trouble for bullying someone online as they can for bullying them on the playground.

See: http://webobjects.cdw.com/webobjects/docs/pdfs/CDWG_School_Safety_Index_2007.pdf.

Register online now for eMINTS Winter Conference 2008
Join Bernie Dodge, David Warlick, eMINTS staff and program participants in Columbia, MO, Feb. 27-29, 2008, for the annual eMINTS Winter Conference. Online registration is open through Feb. 11, 2008 - or until sessions are filled. The eMINTS conference is open to all educators who are interested in eMINTS topics. The eMINTS instructional model is based on high-quality lesson design using principles of constructivism and inquiry-based learning coupled with the appropriate use of technology for teaching and learning in classrooms and learning communities. Find schedule, costs, session details and online registration at the eMINTS Winter Conference 2008 website, http://www.emints.org/events/winter2008/

Information about eMINTS for FY09 coming soon
Information about applying for eMINTS programs for the 2008-2009 school year currently is under development. Watch the eMINTS National Center website http://www.emints.org/  for updated program information, applications, deadlines, equipment specifications and more in January 2008.

Subscribe to eMINTS news via RSS feed from http://www.emints.org/news/  (look for the orange RSS icon and add the link to your favorite news reader).

eMINTS events on the website
Find detailed information about upcoming eMINTS events, links to register or RSVP, and maps and driving directions to event locations, all available from the eMINTS National Center website, http://www.emints.org/events/

Facilitator and Developer Applications are now open
e-Learning for Educators: Missouri is looking for online course developers and facilitators. If you are an experienced educator and are interested in working with a team to create online professional development geared especially to the needs of Missouri teachers, then we invite you to become part of this exciting initiative.
Course developers:

• Earn a $1,500 stipend for each course developed.

• Participate in an online course development experience. Course developers will be led through the process by an experienced facilitator.

• Become part of an initiative to provide high quality professional development to Missouri educators.

Course Facilitators:

• Participate in a 10-week course and learn facilitation techniques that will enhance teaching experiences and provide preparation for leading online courses.

• Earn a $1,500 stipend for the first course taught. Following courses will pay according to enrollment $750.00 - $2,000.

• Graduate credit is available for completing the facilitator course.

For more information, please visit: http://www.elearningmo.org/opportunities.htm

Winter/Spring course registration begins Wednesday, December 12, 2007

• Courses run February 20 – April 9, 2008

• Cost: Individual-$125. Group of three or more from same building-$100 per teacher

Scholarships

• All Missouri teachers are eligible

• Scholarship covers half ($62.50) of course fee

• Good for one year from award date

• Limit one per applicant

Graduate Credit is available at an additional cost - $100 per credit hour, from:

• UMSL

• MSU

• UMKC

Courses for Winter Session

• Differentiated Instruction: Empowering All Learners

• Using Technology in the Elementary Math Classroom

• Classroom Assessment Enhanced by Technology
  o        Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0 Tools
  o        Mentoring Virtual School Students
  o        And more…

Custom Course Requests
To request a course from the course catalog email terryce@emints.org a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the course start date. Custom courses require a minimum commitment of 7 participants.

e-Learning for Educators: Missouri is a collaborative effort to develop and deliver high quality online professional development designed to increase teacher knowledge and skills to improve student performance. This project is funded by a U.S. Department of Education Ready-to-Teach grant http://www.ed.gov/programs/readyteach/index.html. Collaborators leading the effort include the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) http://dese.mo.gov/, KETC/Channel 9 (PBS in St. Louis) http://www.ketc.org/, Missouri State University http://www.missouristate.edu/, and the eMINTS National Center http://www.emints.org/.

Open courseware from MIT
MIT has developed a site which includes their open courseware appropriate for high school classes. The site includes resources from MIT courses for AP Biology, Chemistry and Physics, labs and demonstrations. This is not only a great resource for math and science teachers, there are also courses to aid students with writing. The section entitled Save the World contains classes appropriate for social studies. There are some great ideas for authentic applications. http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/home/home/index.htm

New Books from ISTE

• What Works in K–12 Online Learning, edited by Cathy Cavanaugh and Robert Blomeyer with a foreword by Susan Patrick
  A new form of distance learning, online learning, is education in which instruction and content comprising a formal course of study are delivered primarily via the Internet. K-12 enrollments in online courses continue to grow, and while there is great potential in the virtual schools movement, there are many challenges inherent in this relatively new method of education delivery.
  
  What Works in K–12 Online Learning provides a comprehensive overview of effective online teaching and learning practices. Based on extensive experience and research, chapters cover a full spectrum of topics including virtual course development, online learning in elementary classrooms, differentiating instruction online, professional development for teachers of virtual courses, and the challenges that virtual schools will face in the future. ISTE member price $26.55 (list price $37.95).
   

• Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age by Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss
  This reader-friendly book shows the way to transform learning into a more active, student-driven experience, using technology tools to bring the world to the classroom. It offers educators an accessible guide for maximizing the benefits of project-based learning in today's technology-rich learning environment. This book speaks directly to educators, administrators, and professional development specialists who want to transform learning into a more active, student-driven experience, using technology tools for inquiry, collaboration, and connection to the world beyond the classroom. Examples from educators in many different countries showcase this new vision of instructional design. ISTE member price $24.45 (list price $34.95).
  
  Visit http://www.iste.org/reinvt/ for more information, including excerpts and the table of contents. Not an ISTE Member? Visit http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section to join and receive 30% off all bookstore purchases, along with great member benefits.

Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and HEC-TV Live! Present Inside the Artist’s Studio 2008 Music Programs
Ever wanted to know what it's like to be part of a professional orchestra? To go inside the rehearsal space and ask musicians, conductors and technicians questions while they work? To find out about their creative process? To see how a piece of music comes to life? Find the answers to these questions and more when Inside the Artist's Studio goes behind the scenes of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Join via interactive videoconference, the Internet, and broadcast television to link students to professional musicians and technicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as well as members of the symphony’s Youth Orchestra. Go behind the scenes to see how an ensemble comes to life; meet the people involved in telling the orchestra’s story to the world; increase understanding of what it takes to create a world-class orchestra.

Program 1: Playing percussion
Date: January 8, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m Central Time
Grade Level: Middle School and High School
What does it take to be a professional percussionist? Is playing percussion really as much fun as it looks? How is a “percussion ensemble” created? What does it take in terms of cooperation, teamwork and musical talent? Get the answers to these questions and more, and interact with percussion musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Youth Orchestra. Join the program live on the Symphony’s home stage at Powell Hall as musicians speak about what it’s like to play in the percussion section, to work both separately and as an ensemble, and to have a career as a musician. Hear the music. Ask questions. Be part of the ensemble.

Program 2: Bringing a concert to life
Date: January 14, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Central Time
Grade Level: Middle School and High School
You’re at the Symphony. The orchestra is in place, and tune up is completed when the conductor enters the stage. The audience applauds. The conductor’s baton is raised. The concert begins. But what’s gone on to make that moment happen? How the concert was planned, marketed, rehearsed? What happens off stage, backstage, in the front of house, and the Orchestra offices to create a truly outstanding concert experience? Join professionals from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to find out the answers to these questions and more. Talk to the stage manager, personnel manager, artistic director, music librarian, and a musician to learn what it takes to bring a concert to life.

Additional preparatory materials, including a detailed agenda, related curriculum standards, and pre-program and post-program learning activities, are available for each program. E-mail live@hectv.org to request the materials or view them online at www.hectv.org. For more details about the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, go to http://www.slso.org.

To view as a videoconference school, contact Rebecca Morrison of Cooperating School Districts of St. Louis at rmorrison@csd.org, or to watch the program live via the web or to watch archived programs via the web, visit http://www.hectv.org, click on “programs” and then the “interactive” link. To view via broadcast television on Charter Cable in St. Louis County or St. Louis City, tune in to HEC-TV, channel 26 at the program time. Those joining via web stream and broadcast TV can e-mail their questions during the programs to live@hectv.org. After its live presentation, each program is archived on www.hectv.org for on-demand viewing available at any time. To obtain a DVD copy of the program, contact HEC-TV at 314-531-4455.

Inside the Artist’s Studio is a free, standards-based, distance-learning education project designed to connect artists from Missouri to students across Missouri. Funded through support provided by the Missouri Arts Council, the School District of Clayton, Missouri, and the St. Louis County Cable Commission, the project is structured to provide student learning across the artistic disciplines of dance, music, theatre and visual arts. Each program will be offered live during the school day via videoconferences, Internet web streaming and broadcast programming.

Afterschool Advantage: Powerful new learning opportunities
A collaborative publication addressing key topics in afterschool argues, "Afterschool programs offer a unique opportunity to respond to our students' needs for skills and understanding to succeed in today's globally interconnected society and workforce. But bringing 21st-century skills to every child requires a commitment from the community. It also requires a new era of cooperation between traditional K–12 institutions and afterschool and youth development institutions. Designed and implemented imaginatively and creatively, afterschool programs can play a unique role in providing our students with what they need to succeed in today's globally interconnected society and workforce. And every student across the nation will benefit from this community-based approach to learning for the 21st century." http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/afterschool_advantage.pdf

From YouthLearn, a project of the nonprofit Education Development Center, Inc. http://main.edc.org/
Designed for youth development professionals, teachers, educators, and other caring adults, YouthLearn provides resources and tools for developing effective learning programs enhanced with technology, particularly in out-of-school settings. To subscribe, visit http://www.youthlearn.org/join/subscribe.html

YouthLearn's Guide to teaching presentations: It's about the story What’s really important about multimedia presentations is that they are storytelling devices. It's not about the software, it’s about the story. Experts recommend a four-part process for any storytelling project, whether it's a presentation or video: Begin with mapping activities to help generate ideas and begin a storytelling project; use storyboarding to develop plot, logic, structure and elements of the presentations before beginning work in a software application; introduce the software slowly, introducing any preliminary technologies needed as elements of the presentation; do a group share when the work is complete so students can share their work and learn from each other. To learn more, visit http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/multimedia/presentations.asp

The Christopher Columbus Awards Program The Christopher Columbus Awards Program combines science and technology with community problem-solving. Students work in teams with the help of an adult coach to identify an issue they care about and, using science and technology, work with experts, conduct research and put their ideas to the test to develop an innovative solution. Maximum Award: $25,000, an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World to attend the program's National Championship Week and a $2,000 U.S. Savings Bond for each student team member. Eligibility: middle-school-age (sixth, seventh, and eighth grade) children; teams do not need to be affiliated with a school to enter. Deadline: March 17, 2008. http://www.christophercolumbusawards.com/

Winter Wonderland - Fun Activities from Education - World Snowmen, Skating, Skiing ... It's Winter! In many parts of the world, winter's snow and chilly temperatures offer a teachable moment that should not be missed. But even kids in warm places love to 'experience' winter. The lessons and resources on this page are meant to help all educators bring the wonder of winter" into their programs. This collection features language arts lesson ideas, interdisciplinary resources, crafts, recipes, online games, and other activities. http://www.educationworld.com/holidays/archives/winter.shtml

From eSchool News http://hb1.eschoolnews.com/

Enriching education through digital sharing “The desire to learn never ends—and neither should the opportunity. Thanks to new technologies, it’s now easier than ever for schools and other organizations to create rich, online repositories of learning “objects” that students, teachers, and other users can draw upon at their own convenience to enrich their education. Teachers across the globe, for example, are taking open digital content items and repurposing them for use in their classrooms; universities are making course content available online to users worldwide; and schools and vendors are creating online, interactive learning communities for educators to advance their knowledge and skills. With the generous support of Atomic Learning, we’ve assembled this collection of stories from the eSchool News archives to help you understand this phenomenon. We hope you’ll find these resources useful as you explore how technology can unlock a world of knowledge 24-7 for your staff and students.” The Editors http://hb1.eschoolnews.com/resources/atomic-learning/

Ask NBC News
In partnership with HotChalk, http://www.hotchalk.com/start.html NBC News is accepting emailed questions about the 2008 presidential election from teachers and students across the country, part of a weekly segment called "Ask NBC News." Any active teacher or student is eligible to participate. Email your questions to: asknbcnews@nbcuni.com

Include: full name, job title or school grade level, school name, city, state and email address. NBC News will choose one question per week to answer, beginning in early January 2008. Only questions about the 2008 election will be considered. If your question is chosen, NBC News will contact you.

Note: by submitting a question to "Ask NBC News," you agree to give NBC News, its partners, agents and licensees permission to use your name and/or question for any purpose, including advertising, promotion and publicity in any media in perpetuity without compensation.

From Thinkport, a resource for educators, families, and communities from Maryland Public Television and Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education. http://www.thinkport.org/default.tp

Taking in textiles! View vibrant textiles in this site dedicated to the Textile Museum in Washington, DC. Kimonos, tapestries, rugs, molas, and other non-Western textiles are represented. http://www.textilemuseum.org/

The weather outside is INSIGHTFUL!  Get your students gabbing about clouds, storms, snow and a variety of topics about the weather. Nourish young minds with El Nińo and Nagano. http://www.thinkport.org/classroom/feature/thinkweather.tp  Lesson Plans include:

• Weather: A journey in nonfiction In this ReadWriteThink lesson from NCTE, primary students use nonfiction text, in both print and digital format, to formulate questions and acquire answers on the subject of weather. They classify their questions into topic areas and then search nonfiction texts to answer the question. Combining question with answer, students construct sentences that are then combined with others in their topic group to form a "report" (paragraph length). The group then creates an illustration to reflect the topic and publishes it in the chosen format (print or digital). Subject: Reading Grade Levels: K-2 http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=219

• What’s the weather like today?  How do meteorologists predict the weather? In this lesson plan, students will play the role of a meteorologist by constructing an anemometer that measures wind speed and forecasting weather in the near future. Subject: Science Grade Level: 3 http://www.thinkport.org/Tools/ContentViewer/ContentPreview.aspx?ContentID=57631e0a-5436-4f8d-9de0-a42c56f601af

• Cloudy weather What can clouds tell us about the weather? In this activity, students learn about the different types of clouds and the weather associated with them Subject: Science Grade Level: 3  http://www.thinkport.org/Tools/ContentViewer/ContentPreview.aspx?ContentID=5bdff85b-5d4d-4f7e-9f5c-3e697edb5a92

• Stormy weather Why is accurate weather forecasting important? In this lesson plan, students research a specific weather phenomenon and present their findings to the class in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. Subject: Language Arts and Science. Grade Levels: 4 and 5  http://www.thinkport.org/Tools/ContentViewer/ContentPreview.aspx?ContentID=8d52dbb9-63cc-4a9b-a101-e31bfeb18e8a

• Exploring weather conditions through painting In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students learn about how weather influences culture, daily life, and mood by examining paintings depicting different types of weather. Students demonstrate their understanding by painting a picture depicting a particular weather condition. Subjects: Social Studies, Art Grade Levels: 4-7 http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2223/

• Investigating the climate system: weather From NASA, this site helps students learn how to find, interpret, and describe weather data. Students learn also about drought, flooding, wind and dust storms, hurricanes, and lightning, as well as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite -- the information it provides and why that information is important. Subject: Earth Science Grade Levels: 5-8  http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/ICS_Weather.html

• MATHLINE – Weather: Temperature measurement Students use temperature information from three cities to learn about mean and median, metric conversion, and box plots Subjects: Math Grade Levels: 5-9  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mathline/concepts/weather/activity1.shtm

• The ocean and weather: El Niño and La Niña In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students explore the weather phenomena El Niño and La Niña. They learn about when and where these weather changes occur and about the effects they have on everything in their wake. Subjects: Geography Earth Science, Social Studies, English Grade Levels: 6-8  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/15/g68/seasnino.html

• West Nile weather In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, hear how hot summers can mean a higher risk for West Nile virus epidemics from an atmospheric scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey. Science Updates are audio interviews with scientists and are accompanied by a set of questions as well as links to related Science NetLinks lessons and other related resources. Subjects: Science, Health Grade Levels: 6-12  http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=270

• NOVA – What’s up with the weather? Not much ice skating last year? Really hot this summer? Everyone's talking about the weather, yet not everyone seems to agree that real climate change is under way. How can something as simple as daily temperatures be so hard to interpret? Try analyzing some temperature readings to spot trends. Subjects: Science and Math (statistics) Grade Levels: 6-12  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/27gw_warming.html

• Weather and agriculture In this Xpeditions lesson, students research, discuss, and write reports on the relationship between climate and agriculture. They pretend that they've just purchased farms in specific parts of the United States and investigate that region's weather and climate in order to maximize the chances that their farms succeed. Subjects: Geography, Science Grade Levels: 9-12  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/08/g912/globalclimate.html

• Instructional Television Weather Smart #1-10 A unit of study comprised of ten weather programs designed for grades 4-8. Each program teaches weather principles at an age-appropriate level and is supported by quizzes, puzzles, exercises, coloring pages, Internet references, and hands-on experiments to make the weather come alive to young students. The series is an entire "course" in the wonders of weather, while each program can stand alone in teaching the various facets of meteorology.

• Instructional Television Reading Rainbow - #805 Snowy Day: Stories and Poems This feature book contains a collection of stories and poems with snow as a common theme.

Does your school demonstrate excellence in math and science?
The yearly Intel Schools of Distinction Awards recognize U.S. schools that implement innovative, replicable programs that inspire their students and lead to positive educational outcomes in the areas of math and science.

Eighteen finalists will be selected in April -- three from each grade range (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12) -- in each of the two categories of math and science. Six winners, selected out of the eighteen finalists, will receive $10,000 from the Intel Foundation and more than $100,000 in products and services from the program award sponsors.

One of the final six winners will be identified as the Star Innovator for 2008. This school will receive an additional $15,000 cash grant from the Intel Foundation as well as additional products and services from the award sponsors.

Don’t miss this opportunity to apply for the Intel Schools of Distinction Awards! To apply or learn more about the application process, visit http://www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction/index.htm  Application deadline is February 14, 2008.

Each year Intel spends over $100M on education programs in more than 50 countries. Intel's global education initiative is designed to meet the local needs of each country. In the United States, Intel firmly believes maintaining the country's competitiveness in today's global economy will in large part depend on the success of the nation's students. Whether it's to train educators on improved methods of teaching and learning or to engage student interest in math and science, Intel's education programs are designed to help students graduate with the skills they need to be successful in college and the work place. For more information on their program, please visit http://www.intel.com/education