Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

 

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Instructional Technology Newsline
September 2007: Volume 8, Number 11 

 

Newsline Submission Guidelines


 Inside this Issue

Instructional Technology Update 

From the Director’s Desk

State and National News

E-rate Program

Research, Publications, Resources

ALTEC Update

MOREnet Update

Cooperating School Districts Update

Regular Featured Items 



Index by Topics
Archives   
 

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

DESE Budgets / Grant Programs
Note the following updates for the Safe Schools and the Title II.D competitive grant programs, the MOREnet networking program, and the new 100 eMINTS/METS classrooms grant program.

Education Technology Grant Programs

Federal Title II.D Competitive Grants <Reminder>

The Department approved 14 competitive grants for 2007-08: six Year 1 grants and eight new Year 1 grants. Visit the program website to learn more about Missouri’s Title II.D-eMINTS grant program, the districts with approved grants, and how districts are using eMINTS professional development and multimedia technology to enhance instructional strategies and improve student performance. Look for project summaries of the new Year 1 grant projects to be posted to the website by late September or early October. See: http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/federalfunded/TitleIID/index.htm.

 State eMINTS/METS Classrooms Grants – Approved applicants announced

On Monday, September 10, Governor Blunt announced the award of 100 Technology Classroom grants. These grants offer Missouri educators the opportunity to integrate NSF-supported mathematics or science curriculum with multimedia technology and eMINTS instructional strategies. A total of 129 responsive applications were received from 77 Missouri districts and charter schools. The 100 tentatively approved applications represent 63 districts, with over one-third of the mathematics and/or science teachers located in upper elementary/intermediate schools, 40 percent in middle or junior high schools, and one-fourth in high schools. To read the Governor’s press release, visit: http://www.gov.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=EElAuVEuAlSUyrwaBh&style=Default+News+Style&tmpl=newsitem; to review the list of schools receiving grants, visit: http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/appr_notice_for_web_and_email.pdf.

 MOREnet – New online resources

Thanks to an additional $250,000 appropriated to the State Library for database licenses to support K-12 education, the following online resources will become available this fall to the all MOREnet members at no charge.

 Gale Discovering Collection will again be available to all MOREnet members as no extra charge beginning September 17, 2007. This online resource consists of essays, reference works, and magazine articles on the subjects of literature, history, biography, science, and socials studies for students K-12. A complete list of the collection’s content can be viewed at: http://gale.cengage.com/DiscoveringCollection/explore_content.htmor visit the MOREnet online resources website at: http://www.more.net/online/index.html. Schools interested in setting up access to their usage statistics and/or enabling home/off site use through remote access should email MOREnet at techsupp@more.net. [Note that organizations with a current Discovering Collection agreement will be contacted by the Gale Group to arrange a credit.]

 Learning Express, an online, interactive testing database will soon join the list of online resources available to all MOREnet members – the release date and access information will be announced as soon as it is available. Learning Express is designed to help people succeed on the tests they must pass to gain citizenship, improve their testing skills, or to further their education or career. Online test preparation materials include the ACT, ASVAB, Civil Service, Cosmetology, EMS, Firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, Law Enforcement, Paramedic, PPST, Real Estate, SAT, United States Citizenship, and more. Learning Express is unique in the depth of its test preparation materials that span ages from elementary through adult. This testing resource also provides instant scoring and customized feedback.

Additional information on Learning Express Library can be found at: http://www.learningexpresslibrary.com. This database is funded through the REAL reserves for a two-year, statewide subscription. The online resource will be available through Sept. 30, 2009. [Institutions with existing contracts and a service end date of Sept. 30, 2007 will continue to receive the service without interruption. Those institutions with contracts that expire after Oct. 1, 2007 will be contacted by LearningExpress, LLC to arrange a credit.]

Safe Schools Programs

State Safe School Grants Competitive Grants <Reminder>

The Department approved 31 competitive grants for 2007-08: five new Year 1 grants, 25 Year 2 grants, and one Year 3 grant. Visit the program website to learn more about districts are using program funds to provide services to students identified with violent, abusive, and chronically disruptive behaviors, to help these students return successfully to their regular classrooms and/or complete their high school education. Look for project summaries of the new Year 1 grant projects to be posted to the website by late September or early October. See: http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/safeschools/.

 ERIP – The Solution for All-Hazards Planning

Missouri’s Office of Homeland Security and the Safe Schools Working Group announce development of the Missouri Emergency Response Information Plan (ERIP) Portal. ERIP is an Internet-based multi-hazard planning tool consistent with the Incident Command system. Made available in August, the tool is free for school districts and private schools, fully funded by Homeland Security. Copies of the Powerpoint presented at the 2007 School Administrators Conference, see: http://www.dese.mo.gov/commissioner/adminconf/. Note that the Missouri School Boards Association created the information DVD, ERIP – The Solution for All-Hazards Planning, which is available at: http://www.msbanet.org/web/2007/08/erip__the_solution_for_allhazz.aspx.

 

STATE AND NATIONAL NEWS
 

Governor Blunt awards grants for “100 Technology Classrooms in 100 Schools”

Governor Blunt announced the 100 schools and 100 classrooms that will receive a total of $2.9 million through this eMINTS/METS Classroom Grant Program. The funding was included as part of the Governor’s education budget and is over and above the K-12 funding contained in the Governor’s new funding formula. “In addition to sending more than a half a billion dollars in new funding to Missouri schools, we are promoting strategic investments in math and science learning to ensure that students in Nixa and in classrooms across the state have the necessary skills to succeed in the competitive, technology-based economy and careers of the future,” Gov. Blunt said. “Education is my highest priority, and I am committed to ensuring that our children receive a world class education that prepares them for the challenges of the future.”

 The governor announced his plan to provide $2.9 million to 100 classrooms in 100 schools with technology in his State of the State address. The program enhances Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMINTS), which provides teachers with lessons on how to incorporate technology into instruction and learning. The eMINTS/METS Classrooms Grant Program was designed to create a visible set of classrooms that effectively integrate high-quality mathematics and science curriculum and teaching strategies that are powered by technology. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) contributed an additional $250,000 for professional development, bringing the department’s total professional development budget for this program to more than $1.2 million.

 Governor Blunt also expanded quality afterschool programs for students to participate in math and science activities. In addition he secured funding to encourage more students to take advanced placement (AP) courses by paying a portion of the test fee for all students who take AP math and science exams. DESE committed $100,000 in professional development funding to certify additional teachers to teach AP courses.

 Click here to read the full press release: http://www.gov.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=EElAuVEuAlSUyrwaBh&style=Default+News+Style&tmpl=newsitem.

 CCSSO Successful Practice Series features Missouri eMINTS program

On August 9, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced release of the Successful Practices Series designed for state education agencies, with the leadership of chiefs and deputies, to share practices that work from their states with their colleagues across the nation. The second report of the series, titled “Changing the Face of Education: Missouri Leads the Way,” explores the eMINTS (enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) program, which has thus far been implemented across Missouri and in eight other states. The program blends state-of-the-art technology; instructional strategies focused on inquiry-based teaching, higher order thinking skills, and cooperative learning; and professional development for teachers so that classroom environments may foster a new way of educating students. eMINTS professional development and in-classroom coaching components have emerged as critical elements in reaching students through their teachers. Long before the words “high-quality teaching” dominated the national vocabulary, eMINTS was quietly creating a paradigm to guide best practices across Missouri and in other states. To download the report; visit: http://www.ccsso.org/publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=356.

Missouri Teacher of the Year uses high-tech tools to teach American History

Eric Langhorst, the eighth-grade teacher at South Valley Junior High School in the Liberty School District and Missouri’s Teacher of the Year for 2007-08, uses high-tech tools to teach students about the past. In his American history class, he incorporates 21st-century technology to make learning meaningful and exciting for his students. Mr. Langhorst strives to make the classroom experience fresh and exciting and uses cutting-edge technology to actively engage his students. His students participate in live debates, play computer simulations of presidential elections and invite local elected officials as guest speakers. "Technology has become a tool that I utilize in my classroom to bring the outside world to my students and allow my students to share their experiences with a global community," Mr. Langhorst said.

 Beginning his 14th year in the profession, Mr. Langhorst is the social studies department chairperson for his school, serves on the district’s technology team, and recently was a mentor for a first-year teacher in the district. He is an adjunct faculty member at Park University, Parkville, teaching graduate courses in instructional technology. He serves on the Clay County Historical Society Board of Directors.

 In 2005, he created a blog and podcast, "Speaking of History." Teachers from across the nation and the world visit the Web site to discuss topics relating to education, history and technology.

He has won numerous awards, including the 2006 Cable’s Leader in Learning Award from the national cable TV industry. He was a finalist for the 2007 Daughters of the American Revolution National History Teacher of the Year and was selected to the 2006 National School Boards’ Association’s "20 to Watch List" for educational technology leadership over the next 20 years.

His articles have been published in several publications, including Educational Leadership magazine, Discovery Education Resource Guide and School Library Journal magazine. Next month, Mr. Langhorst will provide the opening keynote at the 2007 MOREnet Instructional Technology Conference.

 See full press release at: http://dese.mo.gov/news/2007/toy.htm.

 

 

E-RATE PROGRAM

Funding Year 2007On September 11, USAC released FY2007 Wave 19 funding commitment decision letters (FCDLs) that included commitment for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance requests at 83% and above. To-date commitments total over $1.3 billion. See: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/funding/y2007/national.asp.

Funding Year 2006 No Wave has been released since August 1, when USAC released FY2006 Wave 60 that included FCDLs for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance funding requests at 86% and above. As of August 1, FY2006 commitments totaled just under $1.96 billion. See: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/funding/y2006/national.asp.

RESEARCH, PUBLICATIONS, RESOURCES

SREB releases latest report on virtual schools

A survey by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) points to dramatic growth – and growing interest – in state-run virtual schools. The 112-page report, released in August at the annual meeting of the SREB's Educational Technology Cooperative, provides state-by-state details on the scope, financing, enrollment, curriculum, teacher preparation, and other aspects of government-supported virtual schools throughout the South. A copy of the Report on SREB State Virtual Schools, which is based on an online survey conducted last spring, is available at; http://www.sreb.org. To read eSchool News feature story, see: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?Articleid=7328.

      New resources from techLEARNING

The following resources were made available in August: eBook “Tech Planning” provides strategies for gaining consensus and communicating effectively [see: http://cp20.com/Tracking/t.c?KYd-eFw-1FOPM9] and white paper “Technology in Schools” discusses how rising costs are changing the landscape of today’s education [see: http://cp20.com/Tracking/t.c?KYd-eFx-1FOPM0].

ALTEC UPDATE
submitted by Jana Craig Hare
 

Fall LoTi Mentor Certification training from TechNet The LoTi Framework refers to Level of Technology Implementation designed to accurately measure authentic classroom technology use (http://www.loticonnection.com/). The LoTi Mentor Certification Institute is a three day experience designed to provide strategies and resources to improve student achievement through professional development. Activities focus on higher order thinking through the instructional use of existing and emerging technologies. LoTi is a valuable resource for the development of district- and building-level technology plans. Districts can maximize Professional Development and plan for curriculum initiatives through assessment of current technology use. The training will be led by the LoTi Regional Training Center @ ALTEC.

LoTi Mentor Certification will support school efforts to:

  • Improves student achievement based on NCLB requirements;

  • Refine instructional technology implementation strategies used by teachers;

  • Promote a higher quality of technology implementation in the classroom;

  • Create an effective bridge between instruction assessment and technology use and

  • Provide a data-driven approach to instructional professional development planning and implementation.

Where:       UMKC Professional Development Center at Union Station
30 West Pershing Rd., Suite 401
Kansas City, MO 64108

When:        Thursdays - Sept. 20, Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, 2007

                   Registration: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

                   Workshop: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. lunch on your own

Cost:           $650.00 ($600.00 special rate for 2007-2008 TechNet members) 

The Institute is limited to 30 participants. Each participant will need to bring their own laptop computer and a flash drive. To register for this workshop, go to the UMKC PDC web site at http://education.umkc.edu/kcrpdc

  • Click on PDC Calendar of Events

  • Search by month and day to find the workshop you wish to attend

  • Click on Register Here

  • Sign in as a:

  • registered user if you have already created an account and password

  • new user if this is the first time you have used the on-line registration system

  • MyLearningPlan user if your district subscribes to MyLearningPlan.com

 After set up, access your account at any time by going to http://www.mylearningplan.com/. After registering on My Learning Plan, send a Purchase Order to Janet Leiker, KCRPDC, 30 West Pershing Rd. Suite 401, Kansas City, MO 64108 or by fax to 816 283-8523. (Do not send checks.) Invoices will be sent after the workshop. For questions, contact Linda Kostner at 816 235-5486.

ALTEC works to help integrate technology into the classroom by offering online tools and resources such as RubiStar, TrackStar and many others found at http://4teachers.org/. This site helps teachers locate online resources such as ready-to-use Web lessons, quizzes, rubrics and classroom calendars. 4Teachers is committed to empowering learners of all ages through innovative technologies. We focus on instructional Web-based resources, onsite and online professional development, program support, scaleable online assessment, and assistance for special needs. We continue to redefine the learning experience through innovative resources. Visit 4Teachers.org to explore the online resources today!

TechNet’s formal name is the Kansas City Metropolitan Educational Technology Network. They are a non-profit, regional consortium of school district and University technology coordinators, directors, instructional specialists and others interested in the educational use of technology. TechNet hosts an annual regional technology conference every February. Please visit our website to check on details: http://education.umkc.edu/technet.

The TechNet Mission Statement is:

  • To provide a regional association for educators involved with or seeking knowledge of educational technology

  • To provide for the sharing and exchanging of ideas, strategies, and materials for improvement of effective, equitable, and ethical uses of technology

  • To provide professional development support and resources for educational technology specialists in schools

  • To work in conjunction with other state and national organizations with similar interests

To Become a TechNet Member Fill out the application form and send it, with a check or purchase order for $35 to Linda Kostner, TechNet Treasurer. Questions about TechNet? Contact Molly Mead, TechNet President, at meadmo@umkc.edu.

 

MOREnet Update
submitted by Eric Nicklas
 

Gale Discovering Collections available to MOREnet members September 17, 2007 Beginning Sept. 17, 2007, MOREnet will be adding the Gale Discovering Collection to its online resources. Thanks to an additional $150,000 appropriated to the State Library for database licenses to support K-12 education, the Gale Discovering Collection will again be available to all MOREnet members at no extra charge.

 This online K-12 resource consists of essays, reference works and magazine articles on the subjects of

  • Literature,

  • History,

  • Biography,

  • Science, and

  • Social Studies.

A complete list of content can be viewed a Discovering Collection: Explore the Content at http://www.gale.com/DiscoveringCollection/explore_content.htm Information on accessing the collection will be announced as soon as it is available and posted on MOREnet’s Online Resources website at http://www.more.net/online/

 If you are interested in setting up access to your organization’s usage statistics, enabling home/off site use through remote access or have any other questions, e-mail MOREnet Technical Support at techsupp@more.net. Organizations with a current Discovering Collection agreement will be contacted by the Gale Group to arrange a credit.

 2008 MOREnet Instructional Technology Conference Registration is open for the 2007 MOREnet Instructional Technology Conference (MITC) to be held Oct. 14-16 at Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach, MO. Register now to reserve seating in the sessions of your choice. Go to http://www.more.net/conferences/mitc/registration.html for registration information.

The Keynote Speaker for this year’s MITC is Eric Langhorst, eighth-grade American history teacher at South Valley Junior High School in the Liberty School District, Eric was just announced Missouri’s Teacher of the Year for 2007-08 on Aug. 30. The news release announcing Eric’s award relates “Mr. Langhorst strives to make the classroom experience fresh and exciting and uses cutting-edge technology to actively engage his students. His students participate in live debates, play computer simulations of presidential elections and invite local elected officials as guest speakers.

"Technology has become a tool that I utilize in my classroom to bring the outside world to my students and allow my students to share their experiences with a global community," Mr. Langhorst said.” To find out more about Eric, visit http://dese.mo.gov/news/2007/toy.htm

His presentations at the conference should have a dynamic message for those in the throes of technology integration. MITC brings together educators interested in maximizing the opportunities for instructional technology in Missouri schools. The high-quality professional development sessions include three and six hour pre-conference workshops, hands-on seminars, roundtable discussions, human networking and collaboration opportunities plus an Exhibitor Fair that boasts the latest technology tools and expertise. Visit http://www.more.net/conferences/mitc/  to register and learn more about MITC 2007.

 Learning Express joins list of MOREnet Online Resources Learning Express, an online, interactive testing database will join the list of online resources available to all MOREnet members. The release date and access information will be announced as soon as it is available. Learning Express is designed to help people succeed on the tests they must pass to gain citizenship, improve their testing skills, or to further their education or career. Online test preparation materials include the ACT, ASVAB, Civil Service, Cosmetology, EMS, Firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, Law Enforcement, Paramedic, PPST, Real Estate, SAT, United States Citizenship, and more. Learning Express is unique in the depth of its test preparation materials that span ages from elementary through adult. This testing resource also provides instant scoring and customized feedback. Additional information on Learning Express Library can be found at www.learningexpresslibrary.com. Institutions with existing contracts and a service end date of Sept. 30, 2007 will continue to receive the service without interruption. Those institutions with contracts that expire after Oct. 1, 2007 will be contacted by LearningExpress, LLC to arrange a credit. This database is funded through the REAL reserves for a two-year, statewide subscription. The online resource will be available through Sept. 30, 2009. For questions or comments concerning this announcement, please reply to: Jeanne Sullivan at jeanne@more.net

 Third Internet Safety Night invitation Join MOREnet October 23, 2007, 6:30-8:30 for another exciting event. MOREnet is looking for schools and libraries across the state to host events, and connect online via streaming video, or by interactive videoconferencing. YOU can make Internet Safety Night happen in YOUR town! Check out http://besafe.more.net for help getting started. Hosts connect to MOREnet and MOREnet does the rest! Contact isn@more.net for help or more information. http://www.more.net/security/index.html

 E-rate for Beginners MOREnet is sponsoring E-rate for Beginners sessions at no cost at the MOREnet building in Columbia. For more information or to register, please visit: http://www.more.net/training/trainingform.html

 In late October and early November, MOREnet conducts regional training sessions on the E-rate program. These sessions are intended as an introduction to the program. During this training, participants receive an overview of the E-rate program, including eligible services, the application process and the required forms. Visit http://solutions.more.net/apps/training/schedule/ for the course schedule and http://www.more.net/training/trainingform.html to register.

The dates and locations are

  • October 9 - St. Louis Public Library

Central Location, Room 306

1301 Olive Street

St. Louis, Missouri 63103

The Library owns a parking lot at 15th and Olive (the Library is between 14th and 13th on Olive – 1 block down from the parking lot). Attendees can park here for free all day.

  • October 10 - Farmington Community Civic Center

2 Black Knight Drive

Farmington, Missouri 63640

  • October 23 - Rolla Public Schools

500 A Forum Blvd

Rolla, Missouri 65401

  • October 30 - MOREnet – Columbia

3212 LeMone Industrial Blvd

Columbia, Missouri 65201

  • October 30 - Maryville R-II (VIDEO CONFERENCE EVENT)

Northwest Technical School , Room #8

1515 South Munn

Maryville, Missouri 64468

  • October 30 - LaPlata R-II (VIDEO CONFERENCE EVENT)

201 W Moore

LaPlata, Missouri 63549

Parking will be on the east side of the gym in the church lot and it will be held in the ITV Room.

  • November 2 - Southwest Center for Educational Excellent, Webb City

528 Ellis

Webb City, Missouri 64870

  • November 7 - Kansas City Public Library

14 W 10th Street

Kansas City, Missouri 64105

Parking will be validated.

Registration for the fall regional sessions registration is available at the MOREnet site http://www.more.net/, or for more information, contact Rebecca J. Miller, Program Manager, MOREnet 573/884-2146 or millerrj@more.net

 Security Poster Contest As part of MOREnet’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month activities, MOREnet Security is sponsoring a poster contest where aspiring artists can help promote cyber security awareness. K-12 students age 18 and under with an artistic bent (or without – they’re network security people, not art critics) are encouraged to use their imaginations and creative talents to design and submit a poster with an Internet Safety theme.

 Posters should be no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches and may be hand-drawn or computer generated. (Copyrighted material will not be accepted.) Digitally created posters should be sent to security@more.net. (Note: If the poster is hand-drawn, take a digital photograph of it and send the file to security@more.net ) If a digital file isn't available, please send the original artwork to MOREnet Security, 3212 LeMone Industrial Blvd., Columbia, MO 65201. The deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 28, 2007. Note: Submissions will not be returned.

 A panel of experts (they're staying mum on what they're experts in) will select five finalists. The finalist submissions will be posted online Friday, October 5 at http://www.sam.more.net/poster. Viewers will have the opportunity to cast a vote for their favorite poster until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, 2007.

 The poster contest winner will be announced during Internet Safety Night on October 23, 2007. The winning artist will receive an MP3 player, and the winning poster will be showcased on our security awareness page, displayed at Internet Safety Night, and used to create Security Awareness promotional materials next year. The organization (school or library) affiliated with the winning artist will also receive one free registration to the 2007 Security Symposium.  

For more information on Security Awareness resources and activities planned for the month of October, please visit http://sam.more.net/  

Regional Security "Lunch And Learn” Workshops In conjunction with Security Awareness Month activities scheduled during October, MOREnet Security is planning five regional security "lunch and learn" workshops focused on Incident Response (what to do about security complaints), Security policy development (why they're important and how to get started), and Security Awareness (things to do to promote security awareness in an organization).

 The sessions run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and include an informal presentation on Incident Response, an overview on security policy development - with handouts and worksheets, and an overview of some strategies and useful resources to use to promote security awareness. There will also be time for discussion and questions. These workshops will also be a great opportunity to network with tech people from organizations in the area, receive handouts and other materials to take home and will also point out current security trends and threats you need to be aware of.

 The sessions will be held during the last week of September at the following locations.

  • Monday, 9/24, Southwest Region, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO

  • Tuesday, 9/25, Southeast Region, Southern TeleCenter, Portageville, MO

  • Wednesday, 9/26, Northwest Region, Daviess County Library, Gallatin, MO

  • Thursday, 9/27, Northeast Region, Bowling Green R-1, Bowling Green, MO

  • Friday, 9/28, Central Region, Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO

 Participants should bring a sack lunch. To register, send an email to security@more.net . Please include your name, organization, email address and specify the workshop you want to attend. For more information on Security Awareness resources and activities planned for the month of October, please visit http://sam.more.net/ .

 

Cooperating School Districts Update
submitted by Rebecca Polityka
 

The Virtual Learning Center (VLC) of Cooperating School Districts (CSD) continues through professional development to increase technology use in the classroom. Over the summer, VLC staff members attended and/or presented at various conferences, including the Missouri Distance Learning Association (MoDLA) Annual Meeting, National Media Education Conference (NMEC), National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) and the Handheld Computer Conference.

 In addition, The Wired Classroom, the VLC’s blog, is updated regularly with news about videoconferences with New Links to New Learning, conferences, and collaborative ideas. Visit http://csdtechpd.wordpress.com/ to read up on the latest VLC news, including an entry on a recent visit from the Ministry of Education for Singapore to St. Louis.

 One focus of the summer was “123 VC! Jazzing Up Your Curriculum with Videoconferencing.” During the summer of 2006, CSD participated in a week-long professional development class with educators in Texas, Michigan and New York. This summer, CSD staff presented information about the Racial Dialog videoconference series to teachers in Texas and Michigan. Rebecca Polityka and Martha Bogart’s presentation at MoDLA focused on the VLC’s participation last year in the course. The VLC is hoping to be an active participant next summer, and is also interested in branching out and perhaps creating a 123 VC! course for Missouri educators. If you are interested in participating in this kind of course, please e-mail Rebecca Polityka at rpolityka@csd.org.

Through New Links to New Learning, Cooperating School Districts has connected thousands of students to virtual field trips, authors and experts all over the world over videoconference. As content provider, New Links to New Learning has many new exciting programs lined up! Also, New Links members look for collaborative partners to videoconference with - do you know of an interested classroom? For information on New Links to New Learning, the VLC’s videoconference subscription service, please contact Rebecca. rpolityka@csd.org

 2007-2008 Mental Health in Children and Adolescents Videoconference Series (for K-12 educators & support staff) In a series of videoconferences, educational staff can learn about various mental health issues in children and adolescents from BJC staff. Participants will learn about the causes and treatment of mental health issues, and how to access mental health professionals if they spot children in their classrooms whom they feel need help. These presentations are interactive, and include question and answers sessions. Meeting time for all sessions is 4:00-5:00 p.m. CT; free to New Links members; $50 for non-members.

  • Sept. 18: Factoring in Forgiveness This presentation will discuss teaching strategies that can encourage students and adults to interact with civility and ways to make discipline more effective.

  • Oct. 23: Suicide and Depression This presentation will review depression and other mood disorders; discuss pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions used to manage mood disorders; describe risk factors and protective factors for suicide; discuss warning signs and intervention strategies and identify suicide prevention resources.

  • Nov. 20: Teens and Prescription Drug Abuse description coming soon

  • Jan. 15: Teaching Emotional Literacy Through Empathy Learn strategies for teaching empathy in your classroom and in handling disciplinary issues. Lessons in empathy can truly have a positive impact for learners of all ages.

  • Feb. 19: Recognizing Bullying Behaviors in Adults Learn to communicate in nonviolent ways, no matter what age you are or what grade you teach.

RoundTrips announces free videoconference: Constitution Day 2007: Fact, Fiction, and the 4th and 5th Amendment

Presented by: The Missouri Bar Association, Missouri School Boards Association, and HEC-TV
Date: September 17, 2007
Times: 9 to 9:50 a.m.; 11:00 to 11:50 a.m., or 1:00 to 1:50 p.m.
Grade Levels: 8-12
Cost: FREE

Missouri students and teachers are invited to celebrate Constitution Day 2007 by having an interactive discussion on 4th and 5th amendment issues with Jennifer Joyce, Circuit Attorney for the City of St. Louis, and Shane Farrow, a criminal defense attorney from Jefferson City. Students will take part in an exciting presentation that focuses on the TV programs they are watching. The content in programs such as 24 and CSI regularly touch on constitutional issues. Would the Constitution stop Jack Bauer from his mission? Does the CSI team follow the Constitution? The Missouri Bar’s Constitution Day program will help students see the difference between fact and fiction, when it comes to the Constitution.

 Students will be able to watch in one of three ways: via web stream, via videoconference, and via cable television. Preparatory materials, including a detailed study guide, are available and accessible via The Missouri Bar Association’s website at http://www.mobar.org/.  Details on how to join each program are provided below.

  • 9:00 a.m. Program—Students will be able to view this program via Web Stream ONLY. To access the program, go to http://www.mobar.org/ and click on “Constitution Day Sign up Now” for instructions on viewing the program live. Students with questions will be able to email them to the panel of on-screen experts during the program.

  • 11:00 a.m. Program—Students will be able to view this program via Web Stream, Videoconference, AND Cable Television in St. Louis County and St. Louis City. To view the program via Web Stream, go to http://www.mobar.org/ and click on “Constitution Day Sign up Now” for instructions on viewing the program live. Students with questions will be able to email them to the panel of on-screen experts during the program.
    To view the program via Videoconference, contact Helen Headrick at Helen@showmecable.org or 314-432-3476. Videoconference participation is limited so sign up early. Students with questions will have face-to-face interaction with the panel of experts during the program.
    To view the program via Cable Television in St. Louis City or County just turn your TV to channel 26, HEC-TV, at the program time. Students with questions will be able to email them to the panel of on-screen experts during the program.  E-mail any questions during the program or questions your students may have developed in advance to live@hectv.org.

  • 1:00 p.m. Program—Students will be able to view this program via Web Stream, Videoconference, AND Cable Television in St. Louis County and St. Louis City.
    To view the program via Web Stream, go to http://www.mobar.org/ and click on “Constitution Day Sign up Now” for instructions on viewing the program live. Students with questions will be able to email them to the panel of on-screen experts during the program.
    To view the program via Videoconference, contact Helen Headrick at Helen@showmecable.org or 314-432-3476. Videoconference participation is limited so sign up early. Students with questions will have face-to-face interaction with the panel of experts during the program.
    To view the program via Cable Television in St. Louis City or County just turn your TV to channel 26, HEC-TV, at the program time. Students with questions will be able to email them to the panel of on-screen experts during the program. E-mail any questions during the program or questions your students may have developed in advance to live@hectv.org.

Study guides for the program will be posted on The Missouri Bar website http://www.mobar.org/. A CD of clips from 24 and CSI that will be used during the program is available in advance to help prepare your students. To request the CD, contact Millie Aulbur of the Missouri Bar Association at milliea@mobar.org. To find out more about RoundTrips Interactive Video E-Learning, visit http://www.roundtrips.org

 RoundTrips announces free videoconference: Rethinking the Digital: New Media Art and the Active Viewer

Date: October 16, 2007
Times: 10-11:00 a.m. or 1-2:00 p.m.
Grade Levels: 9-12
Cost: FREE

As we spend more time with computers, websites, cell phones, television screens, and handheld devices, it is important to consider how the rise of technology impacts our place in the world—and how it can offer new possibilities for the creation and experience of art. Designed to stimulate critical thinking about such issues, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University is excited to offer its first distance-learning program this fall—Rethinking the Digital: New Media Art and the Active Viewer. Linked to the new media art exhibition Window | Interface currently showing at the Museum and tied to Missouri Grade level Expectations (GLEs) and National Standards in Visual Arts and Technology, this program challenges schools to rethink ideas of art and learning in the digital age.

Join RoundTrips live from the exhibition as students interact with Museum professionals through interactive videoconference (as well as web streaming and television viewing).The student-centered project developed by teachers Jim Sturm and Tim Gore for use by teachers, schools and arts organizations, can expand the learning experience beyond their walls with innovative technology. Engaging not only with artworks that use new technologies, but with the computer-based interface involved in distance learning itself, students will be challenged to consider the world of iPhones, Nintendo Wii, virtual reality, and computers in a very different way. By including a more in-depth look at artworks in the Window | Interface exhibition, this program provides students an opportunity to make connections with new media art and significance of technology.

 Videoconference space for the program is limited. Students will have face-to-face interaction with the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum. To enroll in the videoconference, contact Rebecca Polityka at rpolityka@csd.org. Once enrolled, teachers will receive the program's preparatory and evaluation materials from RoundTrips. For information on cable TV and web viewing, contact RoundTrips. After its live presentation, the program will be archived at http://www.roundtrips.org for on-demand viewing. You can also obtain a DVD of the program by contacting RoundTrips.

 Find more details about the Kemper Art Museum and the exhibition, including curriculum resources, at http://kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu. To learn more about RoundTrips Interactive Video E-Learning, surf to http://www.roundtrips.org.

 Show-Me a Movie Digital Storytelling Contest for Missouri Students

 Time to start production for the Show-Me a Movie Contest! This is a digital storytelling contest for Missouri students to demonstrate their creativity and digital moviemaking skills. Based on curriculum, and with a content focus, these 2-minute videos will showcase what students know, care about, and are able to do. Winners will be showcased at the Midwest Education Conference in St. Louis on Feb.4-6, 2008. For more information, application form, and scoring guide, go to: http://www.csd.org/showmemovie/index.htm NO FEE TO ENTER.

 Cash prizes will be awarded to the different divisions of each category (12 in all), and winners and their families and friends will be invited to a winners' reception on Feb. 5, 2008 at the METC at the St. Charles Convention Center.

Entries must be received no later than 5 p.m., December 17, 2007. Entries received after this deadline will not be considered. Mail entries to: Show-Me a Movie, Cooperating School Districts, 1460 Craig Rd., St. Louis, MO 63146 or email entries to: mbogart@csd.org.

Divisions

  • Elementary: Grades 3 - 5

  • Middle: Grades 6 - 8

  • High: Grades 9 - 12

Categories

  • Show Me Something New: Make an instructional or how-to movie.

  • Show Me a Story: Tell a story about someone special, your school, your community.

  • Show Me a Challenge: Share local environmental concerns and social issues, which promote awareness and public action.

  • Show Me Your Community: Recount an aspect of your community/ethnic culture that is unique, significant, promotes a message, and advances a better understanding of it.

e-LEARNING FOR EDUCATORS: MISSOURI UPDATE
submitted by Christie Terry
 

e-Learning for Educators Fall registration opens e-Learning for Educators: Missouri provides high-quality online professional development to increase teacher knowledge and skills that improve student performance. There is no special software needed in order to participate, all you need is an Internet connected computer. All e-Learning courses are facilitated by experienced Missouri educators in a supportive environment. Register online at http://www.elearningmo.org/. Fall courses begin October 3, 2007 Costs are Individual-$125, group of three or more from same building-$100 per teacher. All Missouri teachers are eligible for eLearning Scholarships to cover half ($62.50) of course fee. Awards are good for one year from award date. Limit one per applicant. Graduate Credit is available at an additional cost of $100 per credit hour from UMSL, MSU, and UMKC.

 Courses for Fall Session

  • Helping Struggling Readers Improve Comprehension

  • Supporting Literacy Development in the Lower Elementary Classroom

  • Differentiated Instruction: Empowering All Learners

  • Using Technology in the Elementary Math Classroom

  • Inquiry in the Science Classroom Using Internet-Based Data Sources

  • Classroom Assessment Enhanced by Technology

  • Transforming the Classroom with Project-Based Learning

  • Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0 Tools

  • Mentoring Virtual School Students

 Partners for e-Learning for Educators: Missouri include:

  • Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

  • Public Broadcasting Station KETC/Channel 9

  • Missouri State University

  • University of Missouri

 For more information about e-Learning for Educators: Missouri contact: Christie Terry, State Program Coordinator e-Learning for Educators, 573-884-4233 terryce@emints.org

 

eMINTS UPDATE
submitted by Monica Beglau
 

Registration open for eMINTS programs for administrators, techs and more Registration for administrators, technology specialists and other specialists to participate in eMINTS professional development programs specific to their role is now open. These programs require only an online registration process. For more information, contact the eMINTS office at (573) 884-7202 or e-mail emints-info@emints.org. Register at http://www.emints.org/cgi-bin/respond/rsp.cgi?b=programregister

 eMINTS featured in CCSSO best practices publication eMINTS was recently featured in the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) Successful Practices series. Read the article, Changing the Face of Education: Missouri Leads the Way  at http://www.ccsso.org/publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=356. Find other articles about eMINTS at http://www.emints.org/about/media/publications.shtml.

 Missouri MSTA article authors needed Authors are needed for articles to appear in the 2007-08 Missouri State Teachers Association "School and Community" journal publication. Authors must be members of MSTA or independent non-affiliated educators. If you are interested in writing an article (800-1,000 words) and becoming "published," please send your name, school district, email address, telephone number and the topic for the article you are interested in writing to emints-info@emints.org. The author will be assisted as needed by Sandy Falloon, our eMINTS Communication Specialist.

  • Winter (Copy due: October 3, 2007) Topic: Online learning - Tips for taking courses, facilitating courses and developing courses. How is online different from traditional processes? How does evaluation take place?

  • Spring (Copy due: January 3, 2008) Topic: Developing hybrid or blended courses for students using Moodle

  • Summer (Copy due: March 16, 2008) Topic: The eMINTS/METS initiative and how it's impacting 100 teachers in 100 schools. Background or context; specifics about how it works in one classroom; how to access the METS Web site and what you can find there

 Missouri Social Studies Project Participants Missouri eMINTS teachers Denise Daniel and Stacey Duebel (Ft. Zumwalt), Michelle Nebel and Barb Jamison (Excelsior Springs), Barb Prock (Lebanon), and Jean Robnett (Community R-VI) will participate in special project with Dr. Linda Bennett from UM-C and Millie Aulber from the Missouri Bar Association. The purpose of the project is to create lessons to teach various concepts involved in digital citizenship for elementary students. The lesson plans will be used in research and publications by Dr. Bennett and included in a special instructional model she is designing. Look for model lesson plans to be available through several sources in spring 2008.

 eMINTS website addition A new addition to the eMINTS website is a section on media related to the eMINTS National Center. Check out http://www.emints.org/about/media/index.shtml for downloadable brochures, an introductory PowerPoint about eMINTS, a timeline about the development of eMINTS, and links to recent articles and features about eMINTS. Information about copying eMINTS logos and other resources are also available on the page.  

eThemes Tips Document available A document providing tips for using eThemes is available on the eThemes page at: http://www.emints.org/ethemes/index.shtml The short document may be downloaded and distributed to teachers, LMS,  and others who are interested in taking advantage of the wealth of sites and resources available.

 New Franklin, MO superintendent speaks to national audience Dr. Jeannie Gordon, Superintendent from New Franklin, MO was a panel member at a meeting convened by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the Alliance for Excellent Education (AEE) on July 23 in Washington, DC. Dr. Gordon shared her district's experiences with eMINTS as part of the focus on making high schools better. The full article and additional information about the panel and meeting is available at:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7263

 NECC Presenter update Angie Hammons (now at University of Missouri-Rolla), Nancy Nodine-Hassert, and Andy Myers from Bunker R-III School District also presented a session at the National Education Computing Conference in late June. They were inadvertently left off of the list of eMINTS presenters and bloggers.

 

UPCOMING 2007 CONFERENCES

2007

 

October 14-16 MOREnet Instructional Technology Conference (MITC) 2007
Tan-Tar-A,
Osage Beach, Mo.
http://www.more.net/conferences/mitc/index.html
   

GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Due Date

Grant Program

Ongoing UPS Foundation Education Grants
http://www.community.ups.com/philanthropy/grant.html
Ongoing Build an Outdoor Classroom at Your School
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=AboutLowes/outdoor/index.html
Ongoing Adopt a Classroom Grants
http://www.adoptaclassroom.com/
Ongoing The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Education Grants Program
http://www.hewlett.org/
Ongoing Educational Foundation of America Grants
http://www.efaw.org/
Ongoing Robert H. Michel Special Project Grants
http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_specialprojects.htm
Ongoing Toshiba America Foundation 7-12 Math and Science Grants
http://www.toshiba.com/tafpub/jsp/about/HowApply.jsp
October  

1

Toshiba Small Grants Program

www.toshiba.com

November  

1

American Honda Foundation Grant

http://corporate.honda.com/

15

Air Force Association Grants

http://www.afa.org/

30

Environmental Excellence Awards

http://www.seaworld.org/

30

Verizon Foundation Grants

http://foundation.verizon.com

4

National Schools of Character Program, sponsored by the Character Education*

http://www.character.org/site/c.gwKUJhNYJrF/b.993253/k.CB9C/Home.htm

31

Do Something Grants for Community Building, Health and the Environment

http://www.dosomething.org/grants

December  

31

Captain Planet Foundation Grants

http://captainplanetfoundation.org/

January  

1

SMARTer Kids Research Grants

http://smarterkids.org/research/details.asp

11

Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning from Inspiration

http://www.inspiritation.com/

15

The International Reading Association sponsors several great opportunities for IRA members: Jeanne C. Chall Research Fellowships, Steven A. Stahl Research Grant, Teacher as Researcher Grants

http://www.reading.org/

18

Toyota TAPESTRY Grants

http://www.nsta.org/

30

Toshiba and the Nationsl Science Teachers Association's ExploraVision competition

http://www.exploravision.org/

February  

1

American Honda Foundation Grant

http://corporate.honda.com/

1

Toshiba Large Grants

http://www.toshiba.com/

1

Innovation and Learning & Leadership Grants, sponsored by the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education

http://www.neafoundation.org/

23

Kay L. Bitter Vision Award for Excellence in Technology-Based Pre-K Education

http://www.iste.org/

 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

 

September  
1 Newsline published online
25 Articles for September Newsline due
January  
29

Show-Me TechKnowledge Day, State Capital, Jefferson city, MO 

Contact Stacey or Julie at SuccessLink (573)636-4395 to join the planning committee or for more information

 

MY-ECOACH PROJECT OF THE WEEK
 

Doug Caldwell, eMINTS eIS, has created a wonderful Web Resource List (WRL) with links to unusual sites that have been visited at training sessions. Some of the sites are just fun for sharing and play. Visit and join the fun! http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=4008

 

SUGGESTED ONLINE ACTIVITIES
 

Name of Project: The Manatee: A Florida Treasure

URL: http://www.efieldtrips.org/Manatees/

Brief Description of Project: This eField Trip offers students the opportunity to examine a manatee in a virtual setting. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have put their efforts into providing students with quality educational experiences. This eFieldTrip meets national education stands and provides an engaging format that keeps student's interest. There are three major components to this activity. eFieldTrip Journal, Virtual Visit, and Posting Questions via the Ask the Experts Web Form. A 'register now' link is provided for teachers so they can offer students the passwords for the virtual experience.

Costs or Fees Associated with Project: None

 

Name of Project: Test Your Brain

URL http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/exposure/braintest.html

Brief Description of Project: Ever since people began trying to summit Mount Everest, climbers have become aware of subtle changes in their mental state as they ascend the mountain-and their brains gradually receive less oxygen. This year, researchers will try to measure changes in the mental abilities of four people as they climb to ever higher altitudes. The climbers will be tested at four locations as they ascend the mountain. They will be given a battery of tests and puzzles to complete and the data will be compared to evaluate if there are noticeable changes in their ability to process. This site also has a test for students to test themselves. Follow the adventure to see how the experiment develops and test your own skills.

Costs or Fees Associated with Project: None

 

Name of Project: Earthquakes and Mountains and Glaciers: The Geology of Grand Teton National Park

URL: http://www.efieldtrips.org/tetongeology/index.htm

Brief Description of Project: Earthquakes and Mountains and Glaciers...Oh My! This engaging eFieldTrip focuses on the geology of the Grand Teton Park. The activities provide students nationwide with a quality educational experience. The design of the eFieldTrip is aligned to meet national education standards and to provide an engaging format that keeps a student's interest. Teachers will be provided with a link to register a classroom of students and given a password for logging into the field trip. Scaffolding tools help guide the activities and a virtual visit helps students experience the terrain. A section is provided for students to interact with experts and ask questions about the Grand Teton National Park. Many resources and references are included with the field trip.

Costs or Fees Associated with Project: None

 

FROM THE MAILBAG

 

Intel – Using Higher Order Thinking Skills and Technology

submitted by Judy Biggerstaff, Intel Master Teacher and Instructional Technology Specialist, Raymore-Peculiar School District

 

The Intel free online “Thinking Tools” help students develop the higher-order thinking skills they need to realize their full potential in the 21st century.  Teachers use the three free online thinking tools to create projects for any grade level or subject area that will engage students and help them to communicate their understanding of complex concepts. The three tools include the: 

Whether you're a classroom teacher, school leader, after-school coordinator, or college of education faculty member, find new ways to use technology and address critical 21st century skills so your students are prepared to function in, and shape, the world ahead.

 

The Intel website has numerous examples of each tool that can be used, plus teachers can create and set up their own projects. Simply register, set up your teacher workspace, set up your student workspace, create your project and you will be ready to use the tools with your students. Visit the Intel website @ http://www.intel.com/education/tools/index.htm

 

From YouthLearn Newsletter, a project of the nonprofit Education Development Center, http://main.edc.org/, to provide resources and tools for developing effective learning programs enhanced with technology, particularly in out-of-school settings. http://www.youthlearn.org

 

Digital Place-based Storytelling A high student-engagement project being promoted by MiddleWeb teacher-innovator Brenda Dyck, also the author of a popular technology integration column for NMSA's Middle Ground magazine. Digital placed-based storytelling (also called StoryMapping) uses an easy online digital mapping tool like Google Maps or Community Walk and combines it with narrative to produce a learning product that helps the student make a connection between the past and present and understand how community shapes who we are. The student identifies a place that has meaning for them, locates it on a web-based map, adds place markers, and writes short 'memory narratives' for each marker. http://www.rebooting.ca/place/

More Than Just the Facts, Ma'am: YouthLearn's Interviewing Project Thinking ahead to the new year of school? Check out YouthLearn's interviewing project. There's no better way to learn than by talking to people. Everyone needs good interviewing skills, whether it's to find the answer to a question or to get a job. To develop good interviewing skills it takes preparation, practice and coaching. This project teaches students how to conduct an effective interview, then asks them to go out to talk to people in the community and create a Web page to tell the story. An example covers the entire process. http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/thinking/interview.html

 

In Which Direction is My Collection? - A YouthLearn Photo Editing and Webpage Project
A collection is more than simply a set of objects; the relationships among the objects tell a story. A story about a collection could be about things in your room, people in your community, hip-hop slang or ways to give directions. Because almost anything can fit into a collection, projects focusing on collections give you the flexibility to reinforce curriculum goals ranging from vocabulary, math, and science to art and technology. In this project, kids decide on a topic, create or assemble a collection of information or items related to that topic, and build a Web page to show off the collection. This example incorporates digital photography and photo editing to create a collection of imaginary road signs to reinforce vocabulary building and synonyms. Don't limit yourself to our topic, however. You can do the project with text alone, replace the photography module with one on computer drawing, or create a multimedia presentation as the end product instead of a Web page. http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/multimedia/collection.asp

 

 Enter SMART's Lesson Activity Contest 2007 Share your creativity and win! SMART's Lesson Activity Contest offers a chance to win prizes and share lessons with other educators. It's also SMART's way of recognizing teachers who strive to make learning more effective and engaging for students. To enter the contest, create a lesson activity using Notebook whiteboarding software and submit. Seven (7) prize packages containing a Canon PowerShot digital camera and admission to a SMART Master's event training session (subject to availability) will be awarded. Selected lesson activities will be showcased online

 

To see what other educators are doing to make lessons fun and interactive, SMART will post the winning lesson activities on the Lesson Activity Contest webpage for teachers to view at http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Notebook+activities/  on our education solutions website.

 

Winning entries will be chosen from each of the following seven categories:

  • Best core curriculum subject

  • Best non-core curriculum subject

  • Best presentation and layout

  • Best use of Notebook software features

  • Best primary lesson activity

  • Best secondary lesson activity

  • Best Senteo interactive response system lesson activity

Each of the seven (7) winners will receive a Canon PowerShot SD630 6.0 megapixel digital camera with 3x optimal zoom, and admission to a SMART Master's event, which consists of a full-day training session on the use of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard. (Participation in these events is subject to availability and specific requirements.)

 

The contest opens on August 22, 2007, and closes on October 24, 2007. Winners will be selected by November 23, 2007, and be contacted by e-mail and telephone as soon as possible after that date. http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/About+SMART/Contests+and+promotions/Enter+SMARTs+Lesson+Activity+Contest+2007.htm

 

From Cable in the Classroom http://www.ciconline.org/home

 

Magic Cellar http://www.hbofamily.com/  September 1 at 11:30 AM ET/PT This new, 10-part animated series from HBO Family brings to life the tradition of African folk tales being passed on to new generations through storytelling. A young girl discovers an enchanted world in her grandmother's home where a cricket and a gecko, among other animals, take on various roles from the stories. Each episode includes two folk tales; this episode includes stories dealing with honesty and smoking. TV-Y7.

 

The Universe: Mars The Red Planet http://www.history.com/  September 25 at 9:00 PM ET/PT It’s home to the largest volcano in the solar system and a colossal, boulder-strewn valley that would make the Grand Canyon look like a stream bed. Despite such otherworldly features, Mars is the planet most like Earth, and it's the most likely candidate for eventual human habitation. This History Channel program looks at new evidence that makes the possibility of finding at least primitive life on the fourth rock from the Sun seem exceedingly probable. TV-PG.

 

Props http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/  September 1 at 8:00 PM ET/PT This Cartoon Network special showcases six outstanding kids, ages 9-14, who were nominated and voted for by viewers from across the country for their exceptional talent, commitment, and accomplishment in a single area of expertise. Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley arrives unannounced to give each kid a dream experience with an adult superstar in his or her particular field. Stars that turn up to give one-on-one mentoring include Venus and Serena Williams, Jack Beckman, Baron Davis, Bob Burnquist, Andy Irons, Johnny Lang, and Paul Palmer. TV-G.

 

Acceptable Use at Home A Family Media Strategies Tip from the PTA. Most schools have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), a contract that spells out the rules and expectations for students' use of computers and the Internet. The AUP focuses kids' attention on the positive and productive uses of technology and helps them avoid some of the thoughtless mistakes children sometimes make online. The AUP at your child's school is a good starting point for crafting a set of behavioral expectations for using media and technology at home. If your children follow the same rules at school and at home, there's a better chance they'll internalize safe, ethical, and effective online practices. To learn more about Internet safety and media literacy, see PointSmart.Click Safe at http://www.pointsmartclicksafe.org/, PTA's Parent Resources for Media and Technology at http://www.pta.org/parent_resources.html or Cable in the Classroom's Media Smart for Parents http://www.ciconline.org/mediasmartparents.

 

HotChalk University is dedicated to helping teachers better themselves. Through a partnership with McGraw-Hill, HotChalk University offers quality online professional development modules designed to accommodate the hectic schedule of a teacher. Just for signing up, all new teachers who join HotChalk are entitled to ONE FREE CLASS through HotChalk University's ProDev area. To top it all off, HotChalk offers Certification classes to train every teacher to use HotChalk for FREE, and give them another FREE CEU upon completion of the class. Quality educational tools and training should be available to everyone. HotChalk University plans on changing the world, one classroom at a time.

 

HotChalk makes teachers' lives easier in a variety of ways. By automating certain tasks, teachers will have more time to focus on their work. Within minutes, anyone can create an online class space, invite students to participate, effortlessly distribute assignments, organize lesson plans, and keep track of their gradebook. Everyone stays connected once the bell rings and the classroom empties.

 

SwapShop is a global content-sharing system where teachers can upload their own content and share them with other users around the world. It is a great resource for finding lesson plans, assignments, tests, files, and URLs to supplement existing class work.

 

The Teachers’ Lounge is a teachers-only online social network. Ask questions, find answers, and connect with other teachers to build a personal network of colleagues.

 

NBC and HotChalk Debut Education Resource by Dave Nagel

NBC News has partnered with HotChalk to provide access to NBC's educational content designed for classroom instruction. HotChalk is a provider of learning management technologies. Through the deal, NBC will make available 60 years of historical news footage via the HotChalk LMS.

 

NBC is providing access to more than 5,000 video resources targeting history, science, political science, and other topics. Contents from the archives date back to the 1930s. Additional highlights include:

  • "Several hundred" videos created in collaboration with historians, textbook authors, and "other experts;"

  • Access to additional primary source content;

  • Access to third-party content (such as Washington Post newspaper articles); and

  • Current material from NBC News.

HotChalk and NBC are providing a free semester-long trial of the service for fall 2007. Teachers of all grade levels can sign up now at HotChalk's site, linked below. Continued use of the service will require a "school building" subscription through HotChalk.

 

From FREE http://www.free.ed.gov/, the website that makes teaching resources from federal agencies easier to find: To subscribe, address email to: listserv@listserv.ed.gov Write in the message's body: subscribe edinfo your name

  • Along the Georgia-Florida Coast is a travel itinerary to help understand key developments in America's past: encounters between Europeans and Native Americans, European settlement, plantation agriculture, and African American culture. Learn about more than 50 historic forts, churches, plantations, camps, cemeteries, districts, and monuments. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1925

  • Chronicling America provides access to search and read newspaper pages from 1900-1910 and find information about American newspapers published since1690. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1932

  • Florida Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History is a travel itinerary featuring 13 historic shipwrecks in waters near Florida, a convergence point for maritime trade routes. Learn about the historical significance of these 13 shipwrecks. See photos and an essay on Florida maritime history. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1924

  • Holocaust Memorial Museum: For Students offers multimedia exhibits to help students learn about the Holocaust. Topics include Kristallnacht, the St. Louis ocean liner, the rescue of the Jews of Denmark, Oskar Schindler, the Warsaw ghetto uprising, Father Jacques, the dress of Lola Rein, Nazi book burnings, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, America's responses, Arthur Szyk, maps, and children. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1928

  • Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor is a travel itinerary that takes us to 50 houses, farms, churches, historic districts, and other sites. Learn about the first organized American settlement in the Northwest Territory (1772) and the history and impact of canals and railroads. Read essays on transportation, ethnicity, industry, and preservation. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1931

  • Mixing in Math offers 40 activities that can be used to "slip a little math" into kids' everyday routines. Activities include using clocks and calendars, figuring lengths and widths, gathering and organizing fun facts about everyday things, and adding shapes and numbers to stories and skits. Activities are designed for use in after school programs and other programs for kids ages 5-13. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1926

  • Biodiversity Counts helps teachers get middle school students out into their own backyards to gather and identify plants and arthropods (spiders, insects, and more). Lesson plans, essays, and interactives focus on dozens of topics: how to capture arthropods, mount dried plants, make a net, keep a field journal, set up guest quarters for visiting arthropods, establish rules for field trips, and find local specialists http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1929

  • Biodiversity: It Takes All Kinds to Make a World invites elementary students to explore biodiversity in a city park, on an island, and in a desert. Learn about 10 species whose habitats are in danger, a conservation project in Africa, and where in the world various foods we eat come from. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1930

  • Bioed Online features lessons on the water cycle and global warming, the X chromosome, sleep and daily rhythms, muscles and bones, and food and fitness. Experts offer presentations (streaming videos) on classification, cloning, viruses, infectious diseases, animal behavior, Mendelian genetics, genomes, sleep and performance, body systems, childhood obesity, asthma, ecosystems, populations, nutrition and energy, and more. Articles discuss biology news -- stem cells, bird flu, and more. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1933

  • DNA Microarray is a "virtual lab" of a DNA microarray experiment. Compare samples of healthy tissue and cancerous tissue as a scientist would. Learn the basics about DNA and gene expression. http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=1927

 Science Teachers of Missouri (STOM) Conference Registration Opens: The 2007 STOM Conference will begin on Friday, October 5 and continue through Saturday, October 6. There are sessions for every grade level teacher of science. The theme is "Get Connected" and many of the sessions are designed to help teachers connect science to other parts of their curriculum. Conference registration forms are available at http://www.stom.org. Early-bird registration is open through September 20.

 

From TechLearning http://www.techlearning.com/index.php 

39 New Ideas You'll find them all at 21st Century Connections http://www.21centuryconnections.com/

That's 39 strategies you didn't have before. Check them out!

Technology & Learning's Digital Photo Contest For Kids Technology & Learning invites K-12 students to participate in the sixth annual digital photography contest. The competition, open to all K-12 students, challenges them to capture and share their unique vision of the world in a Digital Diary - Through My Lens. Those with an artistic side also have the option to submit photos digitally enhanced with imaging software. The best digitally enhanced photo wins a special prize from Adobe. Other prizes include a digital camera, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and more! Deadline is October 19. For more information, such as rules, guidelines, and tips and to view last year's winners visit: http://www.techlearning.com/portraits/index.php  

From Annenberg Media Update September 2007 Annenberg Media offers teacher resources and teacher professional development programming for K-12 teachers FREE through their satellite channel and Video On Demand. Annenberg Media's multimedia resources help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and assist them in improving their teaching methods. Many programs are also intended for students in the classroom and viewers at home. All Annenberg Media videos exemplify excellent teaching. Annenberg Media video programs reach their audiences in three ways. First, they are distributed to schools and other non-commercial community agencies on the organization's own digital satellite channel, called the "Annenberg Channel". Second, they are streamed on demand on the Learner.org Web site. Third, they are distributed for purchase on videocassette and DVD through 1-800-LEARNER and online ordering here at Learner.org. To subscribe to the Annenberg Media Update, please send email to updates-subscribe@learner.org

 

Make the most of Constitution Day The year Constitution Day is Monday, September 17. Educational institutions receiving funding through the Department of Education are required to participate by holding educational programs pertaining to the U.S. Constitution (find the original announcement in the Federal Register http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/retrieve.html volume 70, page 29727). Consider using the following resources as part of your educational programs:

 

  • This Constitution Day, watch The Constitution: That Delicate Balance. The following programs air on the Channel prior to Constitution Day, if you wish to record them: Program 3, Nomination, Election, and Succession of the President; Program 4, Criminal Justice and a Defendant's Right to a Fair Trial; Program 5, Crime and Insanity; and Program 6, Crime and Punishments. Click on Broadcast Dates for specifics. http://learner.org/redirect/september/con2.html.

  • In the roundtable discussions of Ethics in America well-known figures in government, law, media, military, business, health care, and religion puzzle through constitutional issues and their application to realistic hypothetical situations. http://learner.org/redirect/september/eth3.html

  • Ethics in America II offers the same Socratic method format as the original ethics series, only featuring new personalities and updated topics. Click on "Enter the Series Web Site" for coordinated materials, including a guide and a reader available for download. http://learner.org/redirect/september/ethii4.html

  • America's History in the Making - new this year - looks at the historical role of Enlightenment thought, the rhetorical use of revolutionary discourse, and the early development of state versus federal government in Unit 4, Revolutionary Perspectives. Watch Video on Demand, and click on "OAH Talking History" to listen to the radio programs Revolutionary Mothers" and Washington's Slaves. http://learner.org/redirect/september/ahis5.html

  • Observe excellent lessons at the high school level in Making Civics Real: A Workshop for Teachers. Be sure to explore the coordinated materials including a lesson collection, student and teacher perspectives, essential readings, and primary source documents (Supreme Court cases). http://learner.org/redirect/september/civ6.html

  • Democracy in America features lectures and historical footage to illustrate constitutional ideals. Programs cover individual liberties, the modern Presidency, the courts, the media, elections, global politics, and more. Find related readings on the series Web site. http://learner.org/redirect/september/dem7.html

  • The Western Tradition Program 5, "The Rise of Greek Civilization," Program 6, Greek Thought, Program 37, The American Revolution, and 38, The American Republic. http://learner.org/redirect/september/west8.html

Learn about the beginnings of the U.S. Constitution in A New System of Government, Program 5 of A Biography of America, http://learner.org/redirect/september/boa9.html. Search the American Passages archive http://learner.org/redirect/september/arch10.html to find historical artifacts related to the U.S. Constitution. You can also create one or more slideshows on constitutional topics. Go to http://learner.org/redirect/september/view11.html for information about viewing options, including free Video on Demand.

 

More information about Constitution Day and additional programming for your school's events can be found on the Justice Learning Web site http://www.justicelearning.org/constitutionday/index.asp .

 

From The Everyday Teaching Savvy Science Newsletter. Savvy Science and The Language Arts Letterbox are free bimonthly newsletters offered to all members of Everyday Teaching. For more information or to register for the Regular Weekly Everyday Teaching Newsletters for all K12 educators, visit online at: http://www.everydayteaching.com/lists

 

  • Scientifically Speaking…Science Quote of the Month
    "Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science."   - Edwin Powell Hubble

  • The Smithsonian in Education: The Smithsonian offers a searchable database of over 1300 educational resources. Educators can search by keyword, subject, etc., and also by their individual State Standard of Learning. These searches can be found at http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/index.html

Science Feature: Journeys of a Lifetime - Understanding Migration

  • Monarch Migration Mini Web Trek: Students will visit online web pages specifically selected to answer questions on migration. An optional student project is included for students to create Monarch Did You Know? cards. (4-8) http://www.everydayteaching.com/Treks/Monarch.Migration.Mini.html

  • Understanding Migration: Fall is a great time to conduct a science unit on migration, tracking and learning about animals that journey south for the winter. Both the Why Files and the Monarch Watch explore issues of migration with monarch butterflies. Learn about the monarch life cycle, its enemies, how to grow milkweed, or how to weigh a butterfly. Challenges to students are available, as well as a Teacher Activities Guide for grades 5-12. http://whyfiles.org/006migration/

  • Shadow a Swan Project: A class can register for this migration project, where classes "shadow" swans on their annual migrations from Alaska to Montana. Maps are included as well as lesson plans; students can predict where they think their swans will go and receive satellite data. (3-10) http://www.uen.org/swan/

  • Journey North/Journey South: For classes studying migration, this is the site! Students track and input their own field data and observations on butterflies, birds, and whales. The Fall Journey news, explores how plants and animals respond to seasonal changes. Classes are encouraged to design their own habitat projects and to contribute them to this wonderful learning site. Lesson plans are available on Seasonal Change and The Mysteries of Migration, with further lessons and activities accessed at the last link. http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

  • Symbolic Monarch Butterfly Migration Project: This fall, students around North America are participating in a Symbolic Migration, with classes designing butterflies and then sending them to students in Mexico. Class registration is free. Track this migration, as well as the real animals in the Journey North online project. It's a terrific component to add to a migration unit. (All) http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/symbolic/AboutFall.html

  • Online Migration Slideshows: Students can learn more about migration by following these online slideshows on the annual Monarch butterfly migrations from Canada and the United States to Mexico. An overview of migration is included, as well as a presentation on the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly in both English and Spanish. (K-3) http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/jr/BookletList.html

  • Monarch Reading: Gulliver’s Story: An online story about a Monarch butterfly unfolds here; click on the bottom link after this first page of instructions. (2-4) http://www.monarchwatch.org/read/articles/gstory1.htm

Savvy Science!

  • Your Fingerprints: No one has the same fingerprints, and it's this specialized human feature that allows forensic experts to narrow in on a crime scene. But how do we make fingerprints, and how can scientists "lift" them? And what do your students' own fingerprints look like? Get a clue with these activities for investigating fingerprints! A student chart is included. (3-7) http://pbskids.org/zoom/printables/activities/pdfs/fingerprints.pdf

  • Backpack Science: Ask your students if they know that there are days when their backpack loads are heavier. So what's going on? They can figure it out themselves with a bit of back-to-school backpack science. They'll need to collaborate with some friends or classmates, and use the chart included here to record results. Once they have charted or graphed their results, have them share them with the rest of the school. (3-7) http://pbskids.org/zoom/printables/activities/pdfs/backpack.pdf

  • Need Energy? Build a Hand Battery!: Are your students feeling energetic at the start of the school year? Let's test just how much juice they have! Find a simple experiment here to prove that students can generate energy by creating their own hand batteries. (4-9) http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/hand_battery.html

  • Creating a Good Image: At the start of the school year, it's important to give off a good image, right? This very cool experiment allows students to view how others see them - and no, there are no magic potions; just a great little lesson in reflection and light. Students will build a mirrored and angled kaleidoscope before asking the mirror who's the fairest in the land. (4-9) http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/corner_reflector.html

  • Self-Portrait Silhouettes: How cool is this?? These artsy science projects are called "photograms", where students get to experiment with photographic images and their own silhouettes - without cameras, but at the same time understanding the principles of light behind them. Combining art and science, try this lesson plan makes for an incredible Back-to-School Open House or Parent's Night display - wonderful! (7-12) http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/bodies_mag/portrait.html

  • Interactive Science: The WHY Files: For more than a decade, THE WHY FILES have been serving up some of the most accessible and fun science narratives on the web. Taking their mission to pry open the lab door a step further, THE WHY FILES team has developed a series of Teacher Activity Pages or TAPs. TAPs are linked to some of the site's most popular articles on topics like Tornadoes, Mosquitoes, Migration, Volcanoes and Forensic Science. Activity pages contain discussion starters, lesson plans and an online quiz. For quick reference and lesson planning, each of the 13 TAPs is tied to national teaching standards, as are most of the 500+ features in THE WHY FILES deep and comprehensive archive of science stories. http://whyfiles.org/

Interactive Science

  • The Teaching Files: Nutrition: As a companion feature to our Homework Files: Nutrition & You, find these extensive Teaching Files: Nutrition, for a wide variety of lesson plans, numerous resources, printables, and learning games for students in grades 3-12. Lesson plans cover topics such as Food Journeys, the History of Food, Fast Food, Healthy Choices, the 5 Food Groups, Food Safety, Food Chemistry, and more. (3-12) http://www.everydayteaching.com/b2s/Nutrition.Teach.Files.html

The Science Teacher

  • Environmental Excellence Awards Want to be recognized for your hard work in environmental concerns? The deadline for this contest, sponsored by Seaworld, Busch Gardens, and Fuji Film is November 30th. Find out more here. (All) http://www.seaworld.org/conservation-matters/eea/index.htm

  • Books Across America Grants: If you teach in an economically disadvantaged area (where 70% or more of the students qualify for free or reduced lunches), you can apply for a $1000 grant for library books from the NEA Foundation. Guidelines and applications are available on site, with the application deadline of November 12th, 2007. http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/BAA_2007.htm

Printable Science

WEBSITES OF INTEREST
 

From Scholastic http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3746998   

Free Stuff Start the new year right...with classroom freebies, great contests and resources to help keep fall fresh and exciting.

  • Extreme Classroom Makeover Looking to overhaul your classroom? EXPO is teaming up with Paige Hemmis of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Scholastic Instructor for the 2007 EXPO Classroom Makeover Contest. Grand prize? A $25,000 classroom makeover! Deadline: October 15, 2007 For rules and prizes, visit http://expoclassroommakeover.com/

  • Attention Mathematicians!  Math League’s contests can add excitement to any mathematics program. Students in grades 4–6 and 6–8 play in a series of competitions that occur all over the country. Deadline: October 2007 Visit http://mathleague.com/  for exact contest rules, which vary by region.

  • Make Your Own Stamps  Tired of selling candy to raise funds? The ArtStamps program personalizes U.S. postage stamps with kids’ artwork that they can sell to friends and family and raise money for their schools. Visit http://www.myartstamps.com/

  • Keeping Kids Cyber-Safe The free Family/Educator Toolbox has three components: Social Networking 101, Start a Conversation, and Safety Tips. It’s designed to teach educators and kids how to use networking sites. Visit http://www.2smrt4u.com/

  • Inspire Your Budding Renoirs Little artists will love Tux Paint, the free drawing program for children ages 3 to 12. It combines an easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and a cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program. Go to http://www.tuxpaint.org/

  • Free Reading Activities The Starfall learn-to-read Web site has lots of fun activities for readers at all levels. Activities include interactive comics, folktales, plays, and much more. Visit http://www.starfall.com/

  • Find tons of resources on the 42explore Web site. Teachers and students can click on a wide variety of topics—from Lewis and Clark to literary criticism—and find “four to explore” for each topic. This includes information, definitions, links, and other resources. Visit http://www.42explore.com/  to start exploring!

  • The “Talk Like a Pirate Day” Kit celebrates pirates on September 19 with a downloadable classroom activity kit from Harcourt Children’s Books. Appropriate for grades 1–4. Go to http://www.harcourtbooks.com/pirates/  and brace yourself for a roomful of pirates. Ahoy,Matey!

  • Calling All Student Writers Each month, Writer's Digest hosts a Your Assignment for Kids contest. This month's winner could be your student! Deadline: Monthly http://www.writersdigest.com/

  • X+Y = Cool!  Challenge middle-school math students with the USA Mathematical Talent Search's free competitions. Contests run quarterly and give students a month to hash out five different math problems. Deadline: Ongoing http://www.usamts.org/

  • Download a Book Beef up your classroom library without breaking your budget. Download free books by author Hans Wilhelm, such as Tyrone the Terrible and Pirates Ahoy!, at Children’s Books Forever. http://www.childrensbooksforever.com/

  • We mean Business Cultivate the next generation of Donald Trumps, Oprah Winfreys, and Warren Buffetts! Integrate financial and business skills into the curriculum with the help of the Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition, a business-education program. http://www.wsjclassroomedition.com/

From eSchool News Online http://www.eschoolnews.com/

PBS station makes open educational resources available to teachers
. Teachers' Domain, a web site from Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television station WGBH in Boston, for years has offered free educational resources developed from award-winning PBS science programs such as NOVA and A Science Odyssey. Now, the site has launched a section devoted to Open Educational Resources--downloadable, sharable, remixable video segments, interactive activities, and lesson plans in earth science, engineering, life science, and physical science disciplines. These resources will give educators greater flexibility to shape and use content to meet their own individual needs, WGBH says. All content is free after registering. "Our resources have always corresponded with all state and national education standards, but we have always wanted to encourage educators make it their own," explains Denise Blumenthal, director of educational productions at WGBH. "The Open Educational Resources collection gives [teachers] the ability to customize our content to fit their curricula." This special collection will represent a third of the resources currently available on Teachers' Domain, WGBH says, which covers all key topics in science and soon will expand into the humanities, too. http://www.teachersdomain.org

 The Futures Channel Videos show how math and science relate to real-world applications and careers Math and science educators will find free video resources that can help connect their lessons to real-world applications at TheFuturesChannel.com. The site produces short documentary-style videos that take students behind the scenes with professionals from a wide range of careers. As the subjects of these video clips discuss why math and science are so important in their respective fields, they help answer the common question, "Why do I need to learn this?" The site's Hand-On Math section features movies on counting numbers and integers, algebra, fractions, geometry, measurement, and statistics. One clip incorporates measurement into a video about college students who must measure food for animal feedings. Teachers can download classroom activities based on the video content. All videos and classroom activities are available free of charge. http://www.thefutureschannel.com/index.php

 YouTube for teachers Given the enormous popularity of YouTube, it's not surprising that an education-specific version of this video-sharing web site should emerge--and on March 6, that's just what happened. TeacherTube, the brainchild of 14-year education veteran Jason Smith, gives teachers a more educationally focused, safe venue to watch and upload videos that help demonstrate a new concept or skill, address specific learning objectives, or provide professional development for their fellow educators. TeacherTube includes daily featured videos on topics such as teaching about the digestive system, or how to make classroom posters with Microsoft Excel--and it also offers a video tutorial on how to upload videos to the site. Users are able to rate videos and leave comments; search for videos by tags; find, join, and create video groups to connect with people who have similar interests; and even customize their experience by subscribing to member videos, saving favorites, and creating playlists. Those uploading videos to the site can choose to broadcast them publicly or share them privately with only those  invite. The site's services are offered free of charge to all users.  http://www.teachertube.com

 Primary Source Learning has everything needed to incorporate primary sources into lessons. Created and updated by practicing educators, "Primary Source Learning" helps teachers use primary-source materials from the Library of Congress in their lessons. The site's Teaching Materials database helps educators quickly find and use primary sources related to specific curriculum standards in all subject areas. The site also offers professional development activities to help teachers learn to use primary-source materials in their classes, and it connects K-12 schools, university programs, libraries, and museums through collaborative programs that aim to deepen students' understanding of the curriculum and foster information-age literacy skills. Educators are encouraged to field-test the site's "Learning Experiences" in the classroom and to share their own work by publishing it to the site, using a feature called "My Portfolio" to submit new learning experiences. Primary Source Learning was created by the Northern Virginia Partnership of An Adventure of the American Mind Program and made available through a Library of Congress grant funded by the U.S. Congress. http://www.primarysourcelearning.org/index.shtml

 Starfall helps students learn to read by combining games and animation. Parents, teachers, and children who are learning how to read will appreciate Starfall, a free web site that uses audio and visual games, animation, and phonetics activities to teach children basic reading skills. For a fee, the site also provides writing journals and books that can be used separately or in conjunction with its lessons, and a download center features online printouts and other activities. Teachers can visit the site's "For Educators" section, which provides links to federal reading reports and standards, as well as online books arranged in scope and sequence and by unit objective. Downloadable books such as Peg the Hen, Car Race, and My Family focus on specific sounds and skills. Starfall is the creation of Stephen Schutz, founder of Colorado-based publisher Blue Mountain Arts, and his son, Jared Schutz Polis, former chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education.  http://www.starfall.com

 

NEWEST eTHEMES
 

Ancient Arabia These sites contain resources about Ancient Arabia, Islam, and Muslim Caliphate. Here are many video clips, maps, images, and other activities that can be used in classroom teaching. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002089.shtml
 

African American Colleges These websites are about historically black colleges and Universities, or HBCUs. Students can learn about the history of these colleges, examine aspects of attending an HBCU, and find information about individual schools. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002055.shtml

 

Arkansas: Geography Find out about Arkansas geography. Take a virtual tour of Hot Springs and view the most recent diamond found at the "Crater of Diamonds." Included is another eThemes Resource on the state of Arkansas. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002052.shtml
 

Arkansas: History These sites are about the history of Arkansas. Students can take a virtual tour of the state capitol. Included is another eThemes Resource on Arkansas. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002053.shtml
 

Arkansas: State Facts II These Websites contain facts about Arkansas. Included is information about Arkansas counties, state parks, and wildlife. Students can choose among different quizzes on Arkansas. Games are found on several sites. Included is another eThemes Resource on Arkansas. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002054.shtml
 

Author Study: Arthur Miller These sites are about Arthur Miller, his plays, and some of his contemporaries. Included is an eThemes Resource on "The Crucible." http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002082.shtml
 

Author Study: C.S. Lewis These websites are about the author C.S. Lewis. There is information about his life, writing style, written works, and his accomplishments. Included are interviews with the author, reading guides, and quotes. There is a link to eThemes Resource on "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002088.shtml
 

Author Study: J.K. Rowling Learn about author J.K. Rowling and the books she has written. There are biographies, interviews, and classroom activities that go along with her books included. There are links to eThemes Resources on books by the author. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002112.shtml

 

Biochemistry These sites contain resources about the general structures of organic molecules. Students can learn properties and significance of these molecules such as lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. Students can learn basic knowledge of biochemistry through reading articles, playing games, and participating interactive activities provided by these sites. Included is an eTheme Resource on Chemistry: Molecular Models. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002093.shtml
 

Budgets These resources are about budgets and personal financial planning. Here you can find information about the importance of budgeting, separating needs from wants, calculators, and worksheets. There are lessons and activities to give students the opportunity to practice budget decision making, and money management tips for college bound students. Included is an eThemes Resource on personal finance for younger students. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002071.shtml
 

Continents and Oceans Here are websites about the Earth's seven continents and four oceans. There are maps, printouts, games, and quizzes to help younger students learn elementary world geography and map skills. Included are two related eThemes Resources with more in depth information on continents and oceans. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002097.shtml
 

Doing the Right Thing These sites deal with positive behavior development in children. There are various topics to empower and promote doing the right things such as heroism, self-esteem, and decision making. Includes interactive quizzes, clips, and lesson plans. There are links to eThemes Resources on Character Education and teaching tips for this topic. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002106.shtml

 

Famous Greeks & Their Accomplishments These sites are about famous Greeks and their accomplishments, and how these ideas are relevant today. Here you can learn about Archimedes and his mechanical discoveries, Democritus and the first atomic theory, Cleisthenes and the foundations of democracy, Greek contributions to geometry, astronomy, art, and more. Included is an eThemes Resource about ancient Greek culture. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002044.shtml
 

Famous People: Bill Gates These sites are about Bill Gates and Microsoft. Included is an eThemes Resource on the history of computer technology. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002076.shtml
 

Famous People: Johnny Appleseed These sites provide information about Johnny Chapman who is widely known as Johnny Appleseed. Learn how he got his name and how he traveled through America. There is also information about apples, its life cycle, and nutrition. Includes lesson plans, quizzes, games, coloring pages, and pictures. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002070.shtml
 

Graphic Novels These websites are about graphic novels and using comics in the classroom. There are lesson plans, activities, bibliographies, and articles for teachers. Learn the difference between a graphic novel and a comic book, and see examples of both. There are tutorials on drawing, lettering, and scripting so students can create their own characters and graphic novels. Included is an eThemes Resource about cartoons for the classroom. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002067.shtml
 

Health: Vaccinations Vaccinations prevent disease. Students and teachers can learn about vaccines for human papillomavirus and whooping cough. Included are eThemes Resources on germs and viral diseases. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002073.shtml
 

Illinois: Geography and Landforms Learn about Illinois regions, its geography, landforms, and resources. Find out about the geological highest and lowest points of the state. Sites include relief maps, print-outs, photographs, and lesson plans. There are links to eThemes Resources on Illinois state facts and state flag, and the geography of the Midwest region of the United States. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002111.shtml

 

Inventions: Chinese Inventions These sites are about Chinese inventions. Learn about their history, adoption, and influences on as well as diffusion to other countries. Includes photographs, timelines, and lesson plans. There are links to eThemes Resources on inventions, inventors, China, and ancient civilization of China. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002086.shtml
 

Literature: "On My Honor" by Marion Dane Bauer These sites provide resources for teaching the novel "On My Honor” written by Marion Dane Bauer. Includes the author's biography, book summaries, classroom discussion activities, lesson plans, book guide, and more. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002091.shtml
 

Literature: "The Crayon Box That Talked" by Shane Derolf These sites are about the book "The Crayon Box That Talked". There is information about the author, lesson plans, classroom activities, and discussion questions. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002108.shtml

 

Literature: Science Themes These sites can be used for teaching science through literature. These sites contain graphics, online stories, digital books, and video clips regarding various science themes such as animals, stars, plants, human body, and more. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002079.shtml
 

Manhattan Project These websites are about the Manhattan Project which the first nuclear weapon was developed during World War II by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Learn about the history, key people involved, funding, its effects, and the science behind the development of atomic bombs. Includes lesson plans, interactive quizzes, and primary documents. There are links to eThemes Resources on the Atomic Bomb, World War II, and Albert Einstein. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002077.shtml
 

Math: Geometry: Geometric Solids These sites are about geometric solids and their properties. Learn about various types of basic solids from manipulative objects and interactive games. Includes a lesson plan and printable templates. There are links to eThemes Resources on Geometry: Shapes and Transforming Shapes. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002110.shtml

 

Missouri: Prairie Lands There sites have information about prairie lands in Missouri. Topics include conservation, ecosystem, animals, plants, preservation, geographic locations, and climate conditions of Missouri prairie lands. Includes printable maps and an online game. There is a link to eThemes Resource on Grasslands. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002100.shtml

 

Olympic Summer Games 2008 These sites are about the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. There are facts, statistics, activities, printouts, pictures, and more. Includes links to eThemes Resources about ancient Greece, Olympic History, athletes and records, the Olympic torch relay, and China http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002099.shtml

 

 Propaganda These websites are about propaganda. How is propaganda used to influence political opinion? How is advertising like propaganda? Here you can find articles and lesson plans, sites about the persuasive techniques used in propaganda, examples of real life propaganda, and information on critical thinking skills. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002080.shtml
 

Science: Continental Drift These sites are about continental drift and plate tectonics. Interactive maps, quizzes, and diagrams are found on many of the sites. Included are eThemes Resources on oceanography and earthquakes. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002068.shtml
 

Teaching Tips: Universal Design for Learning These sites use adaptive or learning technologies originally designed for Learning Disabled or Special Education students as a tool for all students in any classroom. Teachers can find games, movies, interactive activities from these sites to improve students reading and writing skills. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002075.shtml
 

Teaching Tips: Virtual Reality Simulation These sites include theories and research of virtual reality simulations. Included are sample projects of VR applied in education. Teachers can use these sample sites for enhancing students' learning in English, biology, ocean science, and more. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002072.shtml

 

The 21 California Missions These sites are about The 21 California Missions. Learn about facts, history, daily life, and people of the missions. There are maps, timelines, photos, and quizzes about the missions. Take a virtual tour to the missions. Includes lesson plans and ideas for classroom activities. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002069.shtml
 

Updated eThemes
 

Animals: Dogs Learn about different breeds of dogs and their origins. There are quizzes to help you determine which breed of dog would be good for you and your family. Includes activities, encyclopedia articles, and printouts. There are links to various eThemes Resources on different types of dogs. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001503.shtml

 

Animals: Siberian Tigers Learn about the Siberian tiger, the largest of the wild cats. Includes basic facts about this endangered animals' unusual coloring, behavior, habitat, and diet. There are video clips, photographs, and an online game, plus a link to eThemes Resources on tigers and white tigers. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000942.shtml

 

Animals: White Tigers Learn about white tigers, which are a special type of animal belonging to the Bengal tiger species. Find out what causes their unique coloring and why they are not considered to be albino. There are many photographs and links to eThemes Resources on tigers and Siberian tigers. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000945.shtml

 

Arkansas: State Facts I Learn the history, state symbols, statistics, fun facts and trivia about the state of Arkansas. Explore state maps and trace the borders. Includes games, quizzes, and a lesson plan. There is a link to eThemes Resources on Arkansas state flag. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002019.shtml
 

Atomic Bomb Learn about the power of splitting an atom. Find out how detection of x-ray led to the discovery of radiation and creating thermonuclear fission. Learn how one of the greatest discoveries of humanity was used against it. Find out about events leading to the construction of the first atomic weapons, the Manhattan Project, people involved, bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and its consequences. Includes photographs, photocopies of historical secret documents, nuclear fission animations, audio and video files. There is a link to eThemes Resources on the Manhattan Project. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001580.shtml
 

Cartoons for the Classroom These sites feature comic strips that teachers can use in the classroom to introduce units or concepts. Includes popular comic strips such as Peanuts, For Better or For Worse, Zits, and many more. There are also biographies on famous cartoon artists and an interactive game that lets you create your own cartoon. Includes eThemes Resources on superheroes and political cartoons. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001222.shtml
 

Cells: Mitosis These sites explain the process of cell division called mitosis. See photographs and video of actual cells dividing. Learn about the difference between mitosis and meiosis. Includes animations and diagrams of the process. There are online quizzes and games about mitosis, plus class activities. Includes a link to an eThemes Resource on plant and animal cells. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000759.shtml
 

Forensic Science These sites explain how forensic scientists study physical evidence and solve crimes. Many sites focus on fingerprints, hair fibers, bones, blood, and more. Here are lots of resources like games, simulations, case study, and articles which can help with teaching and learning. There are links to an eThemes Resource on espionage and spies. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000428.shtml

 

Geography: Continents Develop map skills by learning about the seven continents of the world. Includes interactive quizzes to test basic geography knowledge of the continents. There are links to eThemes Resources on Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, South America, and Oceans. Includes an eThemes Resource on continents and oceans for younger students. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000037.shtml
 

Geography: Oceans These sites are about the oceans of the world. Topics include habitats, tides, currents, temperatures, depths, and more. There are many photos and videos. Includes links to eThemes Resources on ocean animals and continents. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000288.shtml
 

Grammar: Spelling These sites include many interactive spelling games that are fun for the SMARTBoard. Also includes lists of common spelling rules and tips on helping students learn to spell. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000468.shtml

 

History of Spices These sites focus on the history of spices. There is information on the spice trade route, the discovery of spices, origins of spices, and benefits of spices. Includes a spice encyclopedia, timelines, and lesson plans. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001970.shtml

 

Literature: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis These sites are about the book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" from the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. Learn about the make-believe world called Narnia and its creatures. There are also biographies on the author, lesson plans with suggested class activities, and games. There are links to eThemes Resources on writing fiction and C.S. Lewis. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000775.shtml
 

Math: Geometry: Shapes These sites are about shapes including quadrilaterals and polygons. Includes definitions and examples of various shapes in everyday life. There are interactive sites with games, manipulatives, and animated movies. Includes links to eThemes Resources on symmetry, triangles, lines, tessellations, and geometric solids. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000201.shtml

 

Media Techniques in Advertising Here are websites about understanding and applying the media techniques used in modern advertising. There are archives of ads, lesson plan ideas, interactive features, and articles about how advertising works. Included is an eThemes Resource on propaganda that addresses some of the same techniqueshttp://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001858.shtml
 

Olympic Games: History These sites are about the history of the Olympics. Find out where and when the original Olympics were held. Read about the various mascots, see the symbols of the Olympics, and watch a short movie on the history. Included are eThemes Resources about the summer and winter Olympic games, athletes and records, and ancient Greece. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000143.shtml

 

Olympic Torch Relay These sites focus on the Olympics torch relay for the summer 2004 games and the winter 2002 and 2006 games. Includes interactive maps, biographies of the torchbearers, videos, photographs, and answers to common questions about the torch. There are links to eThemes Resources on the summer and winter Olympics. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000577.shtml

 

Utah: Geography and Landforms These sites are about the different geographical regions and landforms in Utah. Learn about the Uinta Basin, Escalante National Monument, and the "Four Corners" as well as land use history of the Colorado Plateau. Includes the link to eThemes Resource: Utah Rocks and Minerals. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001337.shtml

 

World War II for Upper Grades These sites cover the events of World War II (1939-1945). There are several first-hand accounts in text and audio from people involved in the war effort. Other topics include life on the home front, the role of women, and the type of airplanes and weapons used. Includes biographies, letters, images, posters, video, and audio clips. There are links to eThemes Resources on various related topics. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000327.shtml

 

 

    DESE 3370-62 9/07

 

Revised: October 25, 2007

(Non-Discrimination Statement)

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