Hello!

I found this excellent video on education visionary Barbara Bray’s blog: Rethinking Learning. Barbara is the founder and CEO of My eCoach, one of the building blocks of our GATE professional learning community Team benefit for members. It is an amazing tool to help our GATE teachers to collaborate and be in community and I am honored to be able to work with Barbara and other great educators I have met along my journey in education.

Since I am always looking for the tech perspective in relation to the teaching excellence needed today, I would like to share this video with all of you. It speaks for our 21st Century learners in a truly authentic voice.

Enjoy!
Teresa

Hello! Are you ready to be bring your brilliance? Join us! The Global Association for Teacher Empowerment provides professional development opportunities, an online learning community and coaching tools to be used to encourage, recruit, train and retain quality educators. This is your GATEway for instructional coaching, classroom praxis and technology innovation in the classroom.
Join now!

2009 ARDLA Conference:  Award Winners

by Karen Liebhaber

Congratulations to the ARDLA award winners!

Shirley Pickle, Mike Lar, Teresa Roebuck - ARDLA Fall Conference

The Outstanding Distance Education Program award went to the Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center.  As the Outstanding Distance Education Program, the Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center was a distance education program whose staff has demonstrated leadership and replicable innovation in several areas such as ensuring quality instruction, efficient course development, instituting effective retention strategies, promotion, and providing outstanding student services and faculty professional development.  Nominees were submitted by the organization’s CEO, president, or senior administrative representative.  The Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center has been a successful distance-learning provider for eight years, from 62 students at 3 schools in 2001-02 to 3,049 at 98 schools in 2008-09.

Teresa Roebuck, Teresa Sheree Crites

The Outstanding Distance Education Faculty award was awarded to Teresa Sheree Crites, teacher with the Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center.  Teresa exhibits enthusiasm for using technology and has impacted not only her colleagues, but also her peers in both public and private schools. Wherever she meets with colleagues and during presentations, she demonstrates the many ways technology can facilitate, enhance, and enrich student learning. She was the first of the Distance Learning Center’s faculty to use podcasting for literature, grammar, and short story lessons; her excitement about the difference it made in her classes encouraged colleagues to try it in their classes. She can frequently be seen at school sporting events or awards banquets at the schools after hours, when the activity or school is within driving distance.  Nominees were submitted by the faculty member’s president, chancellor, or senior administrative representative.

Cathi Swan, John Davis

The first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Distance Education award was John Davis.  In the early 1990’s, institutions within the State of Arkansas were beginning to adapt interactive video for telemedicine and education. After a meeting of the state video users group (Starnet – now VNet) it was decided that the video users would coordinate and consolidate to a centralized network. John Davis served as the Technical Engineer for this network as en employee of then Southwestern Bell. John Davis provided the connection between customer functional requirements and network architecture. He worked diligently to ensure that the technical foundation of the video network would meet the application demands of distance learning and telemedicine.

The second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Distance Education award was Lee Gupton.  Also at the beginning of the VNET system listed above, Lee Gupton was the central figure for operations, scheduling, troubleshooting, and end-user support. Without the help, assistance, and diligent work of Lee Gupton early adaptors of video conferencing would not have enjoyed the level of success achieved.  Lee was a pioneer in video conferencing in Arkansas. While employed with Southwestern Bell and SBC, Lee Gupton was responsible for supporting all aspects of video conferencing including customer care, diagnostics, trouble shooting, scheduling, technical support, installation coordination, video bridge operations, and reporting. Lee Gupton made collaborative video conferencing possible.

The Lifetime Achievement in Distance Education award winners were chosen by the ARDLA board of directors because of their role as a leader who has made a lifetime contribution building and improving the field of distance education.

Teresa Roebuck, Lindsey Davis

The Greg M. Heuberger Grant for High School/1st Year College is a $1500 scholarship awarded to an Arkansas high school senior who has currently or previously taken either high school credit or college credit classes via a distance and will be enrolling in college fulltime for the 2009-2010 academic year.  According to one of her teachers, Lindsay Davis “is one of the most poised and focused students I’ve taught in my ten years of teaching.”  During a particularly tricky incident involving the use of her work by another student, Lindsay “not only impress[ed] me with her honesty in regard to the situation, but also did not try to place blame anywhere else when I honestly feel she could have done so….She not only faced that challenge and accepted the consequences, but moved on to become a determined and effective writer.”

Teresa Roebuck, Melissa Lambert

The Greg M. Heuberger Grant for Returning to College is a $1500 scholarship awarded to a student who is currently enrolled in an Arkansas college or university taking distance learning classes and is returning as fulltime student for the 2009-2010 academic year. Melissa Lambert was selected because, according to one of her instructors, not only is she a “conscientious student” but “Her main goal seemed to be ‘learning,’ rather than merely “’making a good grade.’”  Not only does Melissa work hard as a student, she balances her classes with work in the SAU Alumni office and as an active member of two cheerleading squads:  the sporting event squad and the competition squad.

Max Kolstad, Cathi Swan

Finally, Cathi Swan was awarded the ARDLA Exemplary Service Award. The ARDLA Exemplary Service Award is a special award that tries to display gratitude to a member who has performed outstanding work for ARDLA.  Cathi’s intensive work with her committees, her labors on the conference program, her cheerful and willing attitude, and her extreme effort in organizing the conference made her the perfect choice for this award.  Cathi’s jobs as both ARDLA Vice-President and Conference Committee chair were very labor-intensive, yet despite balancing her work as K-12 DL Coordinator and balancing her family, Cathi managed to complete her tasks in what seemed to be effortless style.  Cathi was forever on top of her duties and in every meeting was both prepared and positive.  She managed the sessions, presenters, and conference activities with an air of confidence.  Cathi’s devotion to ARDLA and the success of the ARDLA conference merit her as an exemplary ARDLA member.

Join the GATE and national expert, Dr. Howie Knoff for a conversation on Response to Intervention systems and his new book:  Implementing Response-to-Intervention at the School, District, and State Levels: Functional Assessment, Data-based Problem Solving, and Evidence-based Academic and Behavioral Interventions

Response-to-Intervention (RtI) involves evaluating the degree that students (a) master academic material in response to effective instruction and (b) demonstrate appropriate, prosocial behavior in response to effective classroom management. When students are not progressing or “responding,” academically or behaviorally, to effective instructional conditions, RtI includes a functional assessment/problem solving process to determine the reason(s) for the lack of success, and the implementation of strategic through intensive interventions to help those students progress and be successful. At an operational level, RtI is often described as working within a flexible, three-tiered system that is guided by students’ academic and behavioral outcomes.

This E-Book represents the most comprehensive, up-to-date single-authored volume on Response-to-Intervention (RtI). Based on Dr. Howie Knoff’s experience in implementing RtI at the school, district, and state levels, and his extensive research in the field, this “how-to” book discusses step-by-step RtI implementation from a practitioner’s perspective, including how to conduct a systematic, data-based, functional assessment, problem solving process.

This is a free downloadable session: registration is required in order to obtain the download information.

You may register online here:

US DEPT. OF ED ANNOUNCES STUDENT VIDEO CONTEST

School technology organizations say they welcome the initiative, and several companies offer special assistance to participating students
By Meris Stansbury, Associate Editor, eSchool News

The contest, called “I Am What I Learn,” is accepting entries from students ages 13 and older.

To get students invested in their education, President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have announced a new video contest, asking students to “inspire” them with their stories. Advocates for educational technology say the contest is a great way to reach the digital generation and help students develop key 21st-century skills.

The contest, called “I Am What I Learn,” is accepting entries from middle school, high school, and college students ages 13 and older. Students can submit videos up to two minutes long, and entries must be received by Nov. 2.

“Students share responsibility for their education and for fulfilling their dreams,” said Duncan. “This video contest is an opportunity for young people to share their stories about where their education and career training can take them. At the same time, I encourage parents, schools, and communities to play a strong role in their stories by being accountable for forming stronger partnerships that guide students to their goals.”

More…

Contest submission site:
http://www.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn/index.html

From: Conversations.net

Live Conversations on the Impact of the Internet on Culture and Society

• Date: Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
• Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day) (international times here)
• Duration: 1 hour
• Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tinyurl.com/convnet. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event.

John Seely Brown is the Independent Co-Chairman of the Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation. In addition, he is a Visiting Scholar and Advisor to the Provost at USC.

Prior to that he was the Chief Scientist of Xerox Corporation and the director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)—a position he held for nearly two decades. While head of PARC, Brown expanded the role of corporate research to include such topics as organizational learning, knowledge management, complex adaptive systems, and nano/mems technologies. He was a cofounder of the Institute for Research on Learning (IRL). His personal research interests include the management of radical innovation, digital youth culture, digital media, and new forms of communication and learning.

John, or as he is often called—JSB— is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence and of AAAS and a Trustee of the MacArthur Foundation. He serves on numerous public boards (Amazon, Corning, and Varian Medical Systems) and private boards of directors. He has published over 100 papers in scientific journals and was awarded the Harvard Business Review’s 1991 McKinsey Award for his article, “Research that Reinvents the Corporation” and again in 2002 for his article “Your Next IT Strategy.”

In 2004 he was inducted in the Industry Hall of Fame.

From Greg Limperis…

‘PBS & Classroom 2.0: P.O.V.’s The Principal Story’ on Technology Integration in Education!

Time: September 1, 2009 from 9pm to 10pm
Location: At Your Computer- Time is EST
Organized By: Steve Hargadon

• Event Creator: Steve Hargadon
• Event Type: Web Event
• Name: PBS & Classroom 2.0: P.O.V.’s The Principal Story
• When: 09/01/2009 – 5:00pm – 6:00pm-09/01/2009 , US/Pacific (GMT-08:00)*
• URL: http://tinyurl.com/pbscr20
• Repeats: none
• Calendar: Community Calendar

Description: PBS Teachers and Classroom 2.0 are delighted to have PBS producers and educators join us to share P.O.V.’s The Principal Story. This film paints two dramatic portraits of the challenges facing America’s public schools – and the great difference a dedicated principal can make. The film takes the viewer along for an emotional ride and examines what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century. Our special guests during the webinar will include: Kerry Purcell, one of the principals featured in the film; David Mrazek, one of the filmmakers; and Eliza Licht, Director of Community Engagement and Education, P.O.V./American Documentary. Speakers will discuss the making of the film, the critical work involved in transforming schools, and the wide array of high-quality educational resources available from P.O.V.

About Our Guest Speakers

David Mrazek
Producer, Director, Sound Recordist
David Mrazek is an award-winning producer/director/writer of numerous prime-time PBS history and science documentary series, as well as documentaries for The History Channel and Travel Channel. Mrazek’s work includes The Great War series, The Kingdom of David, The Duel and Woodrow Wilson, among many other films.

Kerry Purcell, Principal
Harvard Park Elementary School, Springfield, IL
During her six years as principal of Harvard Park Elementary School (PreK-5), Kerry Purcell was instrumental in supporting the school’s successful move off the state watch list. The school made approximately a 45% gain in reading and a 50% gain in math scores. Most notable is Kerry’s work around data interpretation and analysis, building and sustaining professional learning communities, and creative use of fiscal, human and time resources to support school improvement.

Eliza Licht
Director, Community Engagement and Education, P.O.V.
Eliza oversees the development and implementation of P.O.V.’s national community engagement and education campaigns. She works with public television stations, educators and community-based organizations to present community screenings of P.O.V. films and to develop and distribute accompanying educational resources to teachers nationwide. Over the years, she has expanded P.O.V.’s community engagement activities by nearly 400% and increased P.O.V.’s educational efforts by over 80%. To further develop these areas, Eliza established a Library Board and a Teachers’ Advisory Board, which provide feedback on activities and help produce P.O.V.’s companion resource materials.

http://tech-in-ed.ning.com/events/event/show?id=3101365%3AEvent%3A10460&xgi=iLYMSLV

From Reggie Smith III…

Join the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and Google for a FREE Webinar on the Google Books Program!

DATE: Friday, September 18, 2009
TIME: 11:30 am, Pacific Daylight Time (GMT -07:00, San Francisco)
(2:30 pm eastern, 1:30 pm central 12:30 pm mountain)
REGISTRATION (CLICK HERE): https://googleonline.webex.com/googleonline/j.php?ED=129260032&RG=1&UID=0

GET INFORMATION ON GOOGLE BOOKS, THE SETTLEMENT AND WHERE THIS EFFORT WILL TAKE THE WORLD!

THE GOOGLE BOOKS SETTLEMENT
Google, the Authors Guild, and the Association of American Publishers reached a groundbreaking settlement that will create a far-reaching educational, cultural, and commercial platform to expand access to millions of books in the U.S.

Most of the world’s knowledge is contained in physical books. Google has joined with library partners to scan and index 10 million books, enabling a vast corpus of knowledge to be searchable. With court approval, the settlement will unlock that knowledge even further, making out-of-print books available online for anyone to preview, purchase, and read.

STUDENTS & THE READING PUBLIC:
Millions of books available to students and readers in every part of the U.S. The vast majority of books in existence today are in-copyright, but out-of-print. They are not sold through most bookstores and typically are found only in a limited number of libraries around the country. The settlement opens up millions of these books to students and readers across the U.S. This enables anyone, in the most rural or remote areas of the country, to benefit from the world of knowledge contained in our nation’s most renowned libraries. Millions of in-copyright, out-of-print books will be made available for readers in the U.S. to search, preview, and buy online.

LIBRARIES & ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS:
Institutional subscription and free access for public and university libraries. Google will provide institutional subscriptions that enable colleges, universities, and other organizations in the U.S. to dramatically expand their collections. Millions of out-of-print books will be available for complete full-text online access. The subscription will be priced for “broad access,” allowing institutions across the country to take advantage of it. In addition, Google will offer public libraries free access at one computer in each of their facilities.

DISABILITY ACCESS:
Unprecedented access to the written literary record for people who are visually impaired. The agreement will instantly increase the number of written works accessible to the visually impaired by many millions of books. Google is committed to extending all the services available under the agreement to the visually impaired and print disability community, making it easier for them to access these books through screen enlargement, reader, and Braille display technologies.

AUTHORS & PUBLISHERS:
New ways for authors and publishers to sell access to their books.
Out-of-print books are difficult for readers to find and buy. The settlement opens new revenue opportunities for authors and publishers, including advertising. When a reader purchases access through either Google Books or an institutional subscription, the majority of the revenue will go to rightsholders. Rightsholders also maintain control of how their works are used.

SCHOLARS & RESEARCHERS:
Creation of research corpus to further robust analytical research.
Google will provide a $5 million donation to create research centers that will enable sophisticated analysis and non-consumptive research across the large body of material.

INNOVATORS:
Creation of an independent, not-for-profit Book Rights Registry run by authors and publishers.
A non-exclusive, non-profit Book Rights Registry, managed by authors and publishers, will be established to locate and represent rightsholders. The Registry will collect and distribute money earned as part of the settlement. By enhancing rightsholders’ ability to efficiently license their works, the Registry can facilitate the development of other similar initiatives or new distribution models. The Registry will also help reduce “orphan” works problems by creating a financial incentive for rightsholders to come forward and by actively locating rightsholders.

For more information: http://books.google.com/settlement