Motorola Foundation Calls for Innovation Generation Grants Applications

Motorola has opened its call for applications for the 2009 Innovation Generation Grants, the technology company's signature giving program. Innovation Generation Grants support programs that inspire and cultivate the next generation of inventors and innovators by making science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) accessible and relatable to students at any age. In 2009, the Motorola Foundation will provide $5 million in Innovation Generation Grants to organizations that engage U.S. Pre-K through 12 students, especially girls and underrepresented minorities, and teachers in STEM programming.

For more information, click here.

Check out this Online Leadership Game for students!

Help your students build leadership, teamwork and decision-making skills with the new interactive online leadership game, TeamTreks: Glacier Bay!

The adventure begins when a player is dropped off near Glacier Bay, Alaska for a kayaking trip with three TeamTreks characters, supplies, and a map. The goal is to lead the team back to the TeamTreks cabin before one of the characters gives up and calls in a rescue Designed for grades 4-7, it also develops map-reading, navigation, and geographic literacy; science inquiry, history and wildlife, navigation, and mathematics skills. Individual student licenses are just $10 per year! Included with each license is a complimentary teacher account with access to the TeamTreks Toolkit.

VISIT www.teamtreks.com to try out the game online.

The World Math Day Video Challenge!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Are you looking for the ultimate class project? Now your students can show off their creative abilities and talents online in the World Math Day Video Challenge! The contest is open to all classrooms in the United States, grades 3-8.

How the Contest Works

1. Record a two-to three-minute video of your students preparing for World Math Day. Be creative. Tell your story with a song,cheer, rap, or narrative.

2. Register for free at www.teachertube.com (only registered teachers can upload videos).

3. Upload your video to www.teachertube.com/worldmathday where it will be voted on by fellow teachers, students,and parents.

Learn more

World Math Day Video Challenge

IBM's "Power Up" Adds a New Hydroelectric Mission

We love to share innovative educational technology tools that are designed to help students learn. Gaming is one of those technologies that many once believed would sap our attention spans and remove us from the very outside world that now needs rescue. Last week we shared with you that Tabula Digita has released a 2.0 version of its DimensionM Multiplayer. This week, PowerUp adds a new hydroelectric mission to its free online science game.

We first introduced you to PowerUp last year. PowerUp, part of IBM's TryScience initiative, is perhaps the most sophisticated of these new video games. The game charges players with saving the imaginary planet Helios from ecological destruction by carrying out missions to supply solar, wind, and water power before severe storms wreak havoc. Students learn engineering and science principles by building solar towers or searching junkyards for parts to repair wind turbines.

One reason for PowerUp's success is that it draws on concepts that today's children already know and challenges them to build on that knowledge.

For more information, visit: www.powerupthegame.org/

WE NEED ECO-HEROES TO HELP SAVE THE PLANET!

Now through March 15, 2009, middle school students can "go green" and team up for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge , the first and only national K-12 sustainability education initiative aligned to education standards.

Prizes for students and teachers include Regional and National Recognition, Cash and an Appearance on Discovery's Planet Green Television Network.

The Challenge is entirely web-based and provides a robust collection of resources for students and teachers from interactive labs to lesson plans , custom developed by the same curriculum team that brings you our award-winning services Discovery Education streaming and Discovery Education Science.

Come check it out at wecanchange.com and you can even take a quiz to measure your own environmental IQ!

Inspiration Software Launches 2009 Webcast Series

Inspiration Software, Inc., has kicked off 2009 with the launch of a new series of popular free webcasts designed to help teachers use visual learning instructional techniques to improve student achievement across the curriculum. As a result of educators' high level of interest in 2008's visual learning webcasts, they will offer two workshops per month during the 2009 school year.

Join them for their next event:

Webcast: Using Visual Learning Techniques to Improve Academic Performance with Inspiration
Date: Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Time: 12:00-12:45 p.m. Pacific Time, 3:00-3:45 p.m. Eastern Time

Register for this event today!