Five Things Powerful Teachers Do…

with Smart Board Technology

Thursday, July 22nd, 1:00 pm CST

Powerful Teacher Training Call – Register Now!

Johnny Hamilton, 2it Education Solutions, LLC

Johnny is an experienced trainer and educator with extensive experience in educational technology, professional development, and system design. He taught in Los Angeles Unified School District in grades 1-5 for five years as he earned his California Clear Teaching Credential through the District Intern Program. After seeing the potential impact of technology in education, he wanted to build a technology program from the ground up.

That opportunity came when he served as the Director of Technology at an independent K-8 school. During his 8 year tenure, he developed their technology curriculum, built their infrastructure to over 90 computers, taught technology classes, and trained teachers, parents, and students how to use 21^st century tools. In 2004, He co-founded a consulting business called 2it Education Solutions, LLC, which stands for Innovative Teaching using Interactive Technology and became a SMART Master Certified Trainer (Notebook v10, Win/Mac).

Recently, he has developed and launched an On Demand Video Training service featuring over 110 video based modules showing teachers how to integrate SMART Boards into their instruction. In late March, 2it launched the first SMART Board continuing education unit (CEU) courses that are completely online, feature over 5 hours of video-based instruction each, and offer 1 to 1 moderation- making it the easiest and fastest way to be a SMART Board power user.

For a limited time these calls  will be offered as a free service and as a special presentation from the Global Association for Teacher Empowerment.

Register today to be sure that you don’t miss this important training call!

This is a free teleseminar*: registration is required in order to obtain the call information.

You may register online here.

This great training call will be recorded, posted and available to download as an .MP3 for members of the GATE as one of the annual membership benefits.  Join now and download the entire series of Powerful Teacher training calls!  You can save more than $100 with your annual membership over the cost of the upcoming Powerful Teacher CD Training package, which will be available for sale to individuals and schools in September.

Enjoy!
Teresa

Hello! Are you ready to bring your brilliance? Join us! Our mission is to support our nation's novice teachers in their professional lives. We want to help you connect - or reconnect - your passion with your purpose in order to increase and honor your authentic power as a teacher.

Hello, Powerful Teachers!

I have finished reading Seth Godin’s book Linchpin, Are You Indispensable? and I have to say, quite frankly, that if the man had Kool-Aid, I might be tempted to drink it. Between Seth Godin and Sir Ken Robinson, I feel less alone in the world in my thoughts and beliefs about the human spirit and the creative drive. And not just as it relates to education, but that is my focus here… It is why I founded the Global Association for Teacher Empowerment.

As teachers, we have the obligation to be linchpins. Period. Yet, we have been systematically stripped of our creative power, our authority, our dignity and our genuine passion to implement the genius inherent  in our profession. I say we should creatively resist this system in our every move we make as teachers. We must join the learning revolution, empower ourselves to be the linchpins our society so desperately needs and serve the children/future, not the establishment.

Do we really know less about teaching and our students than the bureaucrats who try to marginalize us? I don’t think so.

From Linchpin:

Great schools might work; lousy schools definitely stack the deck against you. Why is society working so hard to kill our natural-born artists? When we try to drill and practice someone into subservient obedience, we’re stamping out the artist that lives within.

Let me be really clear: Great teachers are wonderful. They change lives. We need them. The problem is that most schools don’t like great teachers. They’re organized to stamp them out, bore them, bureaucratize them, and make them average.

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” ~Chinese Proverb

We are powerful teachers. We must start acting like who we are!

You want to be safe? Trust in your genius.

You don’t have a teaching job? Make one.

You are in charge of you. Seth Godin says this means taking risks that are scary to our lizard brain. I will tell you what is really scary… what our lives will be like if we don’t stand up and stand out, now, to save the present. We can’t wait for the future.

Enjoy!
Teresa

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Five Things Powerful Teachers Do…

with technology in order to transform under performing schools.

Thursday, June 10th, 6:00 pm CST

Powerful Teacher Training Call – Register Now!

Join us on Thursday, June 10th at 6:00 pm CST (4:00 PST, 5:00 MST, 7:00 EST).

We willl look at

• Preparing schools on limited technology budgets to teach towards the future.
• Using technology in order to track data and use that data to inform instruction.
• Assisting educators with the use of technology even when there is no time in the day to do so.
• Making learning fun through the use of Video, Audio, Computers, and Web 2.0 tools.
• Integrating video conferencing into an environment that often can not afford to take students to places they normally would never visit, giving then the chance to learn through experience.

Greg Limperis is the founder of the professional learning network Technology Integration in Education with over 4000 members.  TIE is found on Linkedin, Ning, Facebook, Diigo, and Twitter.  Greg began TIE on Linkedin almost 2 years ago and has steadily grown the network since its inception.  Greg brings to his group 13 years experience working with urban students as both an educator and administrator.  He is certified in genral education in grades 1-9 and as a technology facilitator grade k-12.  He is also certified as an administrator in all grades. Greg is a former Donovan Scholar from Boston College.  Donovan Scholars are members of an intense urban masters degree program focusing on education students in urban settings.  Greg began his teaching career over 13 years ago as a 6th grade teacher of all subjects in a state of the art brand new urban school.  Two years later, he became a technology facilitator and has remained in that position since.

For a limited time these calls  will be offered as a free service and as s a special presentation from the Global Association for Teacher Empowerment.

Register today to be sure that you don’t miss this important training call!

This is a free teleseminar*: registration is required in order to obtain the call information.

You may register online here.

This great training call will be recorded, posted and available for download for members of the GATE as a membership benefit.

Enjoy!

Hello, Powerful Teachers!

The Global Association for Teacher Empowerment is pleased to be able to congratulate two Powerful Teachers for each being awarded one of the highest awards available in distance learning education!  Congratulations to Arkansas powerful teachers, Sheree Crites and Erin Radke, United States Distance Learning Association Platinum Award winners in Best Practices Awards for Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching!

Sheree Crites	Erin Radke

From the USDLA website:

The USDLA Awards were created to acknowledge major accomplishments in distance learning and to highlight those distance learning instructors, programs, and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary results through the use of online, videoconferencing, satellite and blended learning delivery technologies.

“USDLA takes great pride and responsibility in recognizing excellence and quality that benefit the entire industry. Through distance learning, education, and training we can provide access to the world’s best award winning opportunities for school children, connect higher education students globally and transform the lives and careers of working adults. We are truly on the edge of something great and these winners clearly demonstrate and confirm the transformative powers of distance learning globally,” said Reggie Smith III, President of USDLA.

Both of these awesome teachers have received complimentary membership in the GATE to show our appreciation!  Way to go!  Keep up the great work!  We know you make a huge difference in the lives of your students.

Both teach at the Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center in Maumelle, Arkansas.  Sheree Crites, AP Language and Communications, Drama and Oral Communicatin teacher received the USDLA award for Videoconferencing -  Pre K-12 and Erin Radke, Journalism and Creative Writing teacher, received the award for Online Technology – Pre K-12. You may remember the name Sheree Crites from an earlier post because Ms. Crites was also the Arkansas Distance Learning Association Outstanding Online Educator for 2009.

Julie Young, Chair of USDLA Board of Directors and President/CEO of Florida Virtual School (FLVS), noted that, “Once again this year’s award winners represent many of the most innovative leaders in the field of distance learning.”

Here at the GATE we are pleased for all the award winners from this year’s USDLA awards for excellence, but our friends Sheree and Erin hold special places in my heart because we all started teaching at the ADE Distance Learning Center the same year.  I have since moved on to other endeavors in education, like building this program, but I always have a special place in my heart for my friends from the DLC!

Congratulations, again, my friends!  You ROCK!

Enjoy!

Teresa

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USDLA BEST PRACTICES AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN DISTANCE LEARNING TEACHING

PLATINUM

TERESA SHEREE CRITES, ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE ARTS

Videoconferencing ~ Pre K – 12

ERIN RADKE

Online Technology ~ Pre K-12

GOLD

CRISTINE CLARKE, Ed.D.

Online Technology ~ Pre K-12

JANAE CARDEL, COMMONWEALTH CONNECTIONS ACADEMY

Online Technology ~ Pre K-12

DR. MICHAEL K. MOORE

Online Technology ~ Higher Education

DR. THERESA PESL MURPHREY

Online Technology ~ Higher Education

SILVER

BARBARA HALLUMS, WILSON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

Online Technology ~ Pre K-12

NASA DIGITAL LEARNING NETWORK

Online Technology ~ Government

BRONZE

HARRY STARN, JR., MS, CFA, CFP, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF FINANCE

Online Technology ~ Higher Education

TEACH TEC

Online Technology ~ Higher Education

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Hello, Powerful Teachers!

I had the privilege to personally hear Sir Ken Robinson speak while I was working with the Arkansas Department of Education, back a couple of years ago.  He is a riveting, brilliant and spontaneously amusing speaker.  I was much impressed then, and I am even more impressed today, with his latest talk in this TED video.

I wanted to take this opportunity to share it with all of you.  This man understands what needs to happen with teaching and learning, so that both teachers and students can be empowered to take their learning to the next level. To personalize the learning to best fit the needs of the future, not just the future in general, but their own personal future.  It is paramount that we take the steps necessary to become the kind of educators that are willing to step out of the bounds of conventional education and to risk becoming what Seth Godin calls a Linchpin.

What are you hoping to accomplish as a teacher?  Are you willing to take your own professional learning to the next level?  Explore your creativity and take chances? We are no longer able to ignore the fact that the future will not be about factory worker cogs OR factory worker teachers.  We all need to empower ourselves to become the kind of teachers the world needs, now and tomorrow.

Be sure to check out the Events page to find out more about our next professional development speaker for the 5 Things Powerful Teachers Do… training series!

Enjoy!
Teresa

Five Things Powerful Teachers Do…

with Online Collaborative Learning

Thursday, May 20th, 1:00 pm CST

Powerful Teacher Training Call

Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres, of Global SchoolNet Foundation,  joins us to share how to

• Improve student academic performance through content driven collaboration
• Introduce students to collaboration skills they will be able apply in the workforce
• Prepare youth to be socially responsible global citizens
• Develop valuable professional connections
• Make teaching and learning more enjoyable and relevant experiences

Bestseller Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything sends educators a critical message that individuals can no longer independently learn all they need to know. In a globally connected world, there is enormous value in using online tools and technology to collaboratively connect and learn with others. Join award-winning online learning pioneer, Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres, as she discusses successful integration of project-based, collaborative learning by showcasing the best content, tools and resources that support teachers and their students as they strive to master 21st century learning skills.  This teleseminar will help educational leaders understand that OCL has many benefits.  Youth need to learn collaborative, 21st century learning skills, through safe, structured, supervised, educational projects. Teachers need guidance in transitioning from traditional learning — to new learning tools and experiences (e.g. Flexbooks, blended learning environments, collaborative projects, co-created content, global exhibitions and competitions, virtual field trips). But, without some structure it can lead to chaos and frustration.

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Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres is Global SchoolNet’s executive director, co-founder and visionary. A former classroom teacher and educator for two decades, Andres taught pre-school through university and is passionate about demonstrating the power of Internet-based collaborative learning. Ms. Andres has been a champion of telecollaboration since 1984 as a project director for various networks including the AT&T Learning Network, CORE (California Online Resources in Education) Network, and CERFnet (California Education and Research Federation). She is co-creator of the Global Schoolhouse and producer of International Schools CyberFair and the US State Department’s Doors to Diplomacy program. She provides leadership at conferences and workshops throughout the U.S., Canada, Asia, Europe, Australia, South America and Africa. Ms. Andres was named one of the 25 most influential people worldwide in education technology and was invited to meet with President Bush to launch the Friendship Through Education initiative. Andres was also awarded the International Soroptimist Making a Difference Award for advancing the status of women and children.

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Hello, Powerful Teachers!

Needless to say, I am thrilled to be hosting Dr. Andres this week on our Powerful Teacher training call.  We have worked together on a few ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) projects over the last couple of years and I am incredibly honored that she has chosen to share her expertise with the members of the GATE during this call.

So, please be sure to register early and share with your colleagues and friends about this wonderful opportunity to hear one of today’s most important and influential educators.

For a limited time these calls will be offered as a free service and as a special presentation from the Global Association for Teacher Empowerment.

Register today to be sure that you don’t miss this important training call!

This is a free teleseminar*: registration is required in order to obtain the call information.

You may register online here.

This great training call will be recorded, posted and available for download by  members of the GATE as a membership benefit.

Enjoy!
Teresa

5 Things Powerful Teachers Do…

To Manage Their Careers Effectively

Thursday, May 13th, 1:00 pm CST

Powerful Teacher Training Call

J. Renee Gordan says…

Teachers are given little if any insights on any of the major elements of career management.  For this talk we will focus on the following five areas;

• Know who they want to work for by doing their homework.
• Write a performance driven resume guaranteed to help you get noticed.
• Provide reference that will give a well rounded vantage point of who you are (parents are more important then principals).
• Know that it is just as much their responsibility to interview that principal as it is the principals’ responsibility to interview them.
• Know when saying, “No thank you” is the right thing to do.

J. Renee Gordon is a Human Capital Architect for E Squared, a human capital management solutions provider working exclusively with K-12 educators.  Ms. Gordon spent 20 years as a corporate recruiter/headhunter, with a forte for building effective teams for companies such as Hewlett Packard and Amazon.  As a mother of four sons she became involved in their schools by doing everything from dissecting pig lungs to being the PTA President.  She saw first hand why schools worked and the importance of parental involvement.  Ms. Gordon’s two youngest sons attended Title I, inner city magnet schools where she gained insight into why these schools failed to close the achievement gap.   All of this led her to begin working with schools on making sure the right people are on the bus…and that the bus knows where it is going and how to get there.

For a limited time these calls  will be offered as a free service and as s a special presentation from the Global Association for Teacher Empowerment.

Register today to be sure that you don’t miss this important training call!

This great training call will be recorded and posted for members on the GATE web site and available for download.

This is a free teleseminar*: registration is required in order to obtain the call information.

You may register online here.

Thank you to all teachers everywhere!

As a special bonus, this week, to celebrate National Teacher Appreciation week, the next 200 folks who sign up and grab their free copy of our book and Resource CD* will also receive a free 2-month trial membership in the Global Association for Teacher Empowerment!  We want you to be able to experience the benefits of membership and see if what we offer fits your life and helps you to be more empowered as a teacher.

Please take advantage of this offer and let us share our next two month’s worth of great benefits with you!  We have some amazing folks lined up for our 5 Things Powerful Teachers Do… professional development series of calls!

Just fill in the information in the box at the right (it has the CD graphic) and your member benefits will be on their way directly to your door.  If you find that you are not empowered by your membership and we don’t offer what you are looking for in your journey as an empowered teacher, then just cancel your membership before the trial membership is over and your credit card will not be charged, except for the $3.99 shipping and handling to send you the book and Resource CD.  It’s simple!

We want to reach more teachers with our message of passion, purpose and power, so be sure to share this bonus offer with your friends!  Our mission is to support our nation’s teachers in their professional lives. We want to help connect – or reconnect – your passion with your purpose in order to increase and honor your authentic power as a teacher.  Join us today!

Enjoy!
Teresa