TASH/Wal-Mart Breakthroughs in Inclusive Education Awards

TASH recognizes that the path to full inclusion can be challenging, depending on the local community, state and local leadership and other factors. Their goal is to highlight contributions to progress along the path, in keeping with recognized quality practices. TASH will recognize awardees who set a high standard for innovation and excellence in inclusive education in the following categories:

• Most Promising Inclusive School
• Inclusive Education Advocate of the Year
• Inclusive Education Administrator of the Year
• Inclusive Education Teacher of the Year
• Most Promising Inclusive School District

All awardees will receive a free trip to attend the TASH 2008 Conference and Awards Ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., December 3-6, 2008, and will be recognized in the conference program, on the TASH website and at the closing general session. Awardees will receive a complimentary conference registration, roundtrip airfare and three nights lodging for one individual per award category. Winners will receive a commemorative plaque, and TASH will promote their accomplishments to the trade media and local press.

To nominate an individual, school or district, visit http://www.tash.org/ for more information. The submission deadline is September 20, 2008. Good Luck!

FYI: Curriki Adds Sesame Workshop Content

Curriki, an online K-12 community focused on sharing open source curricula and learning materials, has expanded its functionality and added content from Sesame Workshop. Through a deal with Sesame Workshop, Curriki is also now offering that publisher's educational program called Panwapa, which is focused on teaching children "how to become responsible global citizens."

FYI: DOE Websense Lookup Tool

The Project Connect group has created this webpage will allow you to verify if a website is blocked or unblocked on the DOE network. It will also provide the category that is the site is listed under. Please follow the steps below:

1. Go to the following site: http://10.251.36.202/lookup/ (only available on DOE network)

2. Enter the URL you are researching

3. Click the Submit button

4. Read the “Disposition” field, it will say “Blocked or Unblocked”

DIGITAL RESOURCES: WordWeb=Dictionary + Thesaurus + Word Finder

WordWeb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words in almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopedia. Features of the free version include:

• Definitions and synonyms
• Proper nouns
• Related words
• Pronunciations
• 150 000 root words
• 120 000 synonym sets

For more information, visit: http://wordweb.info/free/

GRANT ALERT: Turning Technologies' K-12 Grant Program

The purpose of the K-12 Grant Program is to increase awareness and usage of student response systems in K-12 classrooms. The program provides the opportunity for educators to share and discuss best practices that integrate response technology. All grants are awarded on a competitive basis after completion of the grant proposal form and receipt of letters of support. For more information, visit: http://www.turningtechnologies.com/

Second Life® Education Community Conference - September 5 - 7, 2008

The Second Life Education Community Conference 2008 will take place in conjunction with the Official Second Life Community Convention 2008 in Tampa, Florida (US) and in the virtual world of Second Life on September 5 - 7th, 2008. All members of the Second Life educational community and anyone with an interest in the use of virtual worlds technology in education is invited to attend! Please note: Registration fees cover both the SLEDcc and SLCC events! Conference registration and fees only apply to those going to SLEDcc/SLCC in Tampa, in-world only participants do not need to register or pay any fees.

Check Out iTunes U for Mobile Learning

iTunes U puts the power of the iTunes Store to work for colleges and universities, so users can easily search, download, and play course content just like they do music, movies, and TV shows. iTunes U is a part of the iTunes Store featuring free lectures, language lessons, audiobooks, and more, that you can enjoy on your iPod, iPhone, Mac or PC. Explore over 50,000 educational audio and video files from top universities, museums and public media organizations from around the world. With iTunes U, there's no end to what or where you can learn. Visit iTunes U now!