What the Flip?!

So is this the first time you've heard of a flipbook? A flipbook is the next generation blog, an online scrapbook where you can create crazy pages using all your photos, music, videos and art. Encourage your students to make a flipbook using pictures of them volunteering and making a difference. They could win a $5,000 scholarship to use towards their education. Just think how much good will come from that! For more information go to: www.flip.com  

THE 3RD ANNUAL TEACHING and LEARNING CELEBRATION

Your connection to K-12 Professional Development from Public TelevisionMarch 7-8, 2008, Friday/Saturday, New York, NY

Come get to know more about what NYCDOE OIT has to offer. We will be hosting an exhibit at public television's largest professional development conference for educators.

Public Television honors educators with an exciting professional development experience for teachers, administrators, and everyone who cares about providing dynamic education for all!

Brought to you by New York’s local public television stations Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21, the Celebration has quickly become one of the nation’s premier professional development events In the last two years.

Themes: Science, Global Awareness and Instructional Technology
Featured Speakers include:
*Dr. Jane Goodall, legendary primatologist and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute
*Jean-Michel Cousteau, star of PBS’s Ocean Adventures—renowned explorer and champion of the world's oceans
*Barbara Morgan, NASA Astronaut/Teacher
*Ann Curry, News Anchor/Correspondent, NBC News
*PBS History Detectives Tukufu Zuberi, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Gwendolyn Wright, professor of architecture with Columbia University
*Public Television's Globe Trekker Megan McCormick, former English teacher and current world traveler
*And many more!
Please visit http://www.thirteencelebration.org/ for complete speaker lineup and registration information.

SUPER-DUPER Discounted Software for Educators

Academic Superstore offers thousands of top hardware and full-version software titles at great discounts. They are partnered with the top technology manufacturers including Adobe, Microsoft, Sibelius, Sony Media Software, and Wacom, to bring excellent service and prices which are available only to students, schools, and teachers. Go to http://www.academicsuperstore.com/

Transform the Way you View Images with PicLens

Are your tired of viewing mundane thumbnails while image searching? Well CoolIris takes your favorite sites full screen with their new product PicLens. PicLens turns your images into interactive slideshows that can be zoomed in, dragged, dropped, and bought to life with a simple double-click. It is as easy as image searching for your favorite flower, but instead of clicking on the image thumbnail to maximize it, press play and watch your images literally dance across the screen in an amazing 3-D wall.

PicLens supports applications such as Google Images, Yahoo Images, Flickr, FaceBook, MySpace, Picasa, and many more. This free application is available for Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox (both Mac and PC platforms). To download, simply point to this link: http://www.piclens.com. We guarantee that viewing pictures on the web will never be the same.

ABC News: American Students Struggle to Compete

A documentary compares US schools with peers in China and India. Go to: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4316090&affil=wabc

Get rid of those Post-Its all over your monitor and get a 'StickyPad' for your Desktop!

StickyPad is an easy-to-use tool that lets you place electronic sticky notes on your desktop. You can type notes to yourself, set meeting and appointment reminders, keep track of a to-do list, and anything else you would do with paper notes. Your notes can be printed, pasted into other applications, or emailed to coworkers. You can even make notes translucent and have them float above your other windows, so you can see both your note and what you are working on. When you log off, StickyPad remembers all of your notes, and when you log back on, your notes are still there. Once you try it, you won't want to work without StickyPad again. You can download it free at: http://www.greeneclipse.com/stickypad.html

In a Hurry? Well Grab Your Lit2Go!!!

Teachers need no longer be dismayed, or in a rush to find materials for an on-the-spot Read-Aloud. With Lit2Go teachers can choose to use a free online collection of stories and poems in MP3 (audiobook) format. Using this great web-based resource, you can:

1. Download the files to your MP3 player and listen on the go
2. Listen to the MP3 files on your computer
3. View the text on a web page and read along as you listen
4. Print out the stories and poems to make your own book

The site is available for all teachers and students so please make use of it, as you are on the go: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/.

FYI: New Instructional Technology

Four new educational devices in the RM Education's TTS ("Teaching Technology Skills") line of classroom science gear, including a camera with scope adapter and robots designed for K-6 students. The company has also released version 3.4 of its RM Easiteach classroom software. For more information: http://www.rmeducation.com/

Film Screening: Two Million Minutes

Plan to attend the WNET Celebration of Teaching and Learning on March 7th & March 8th at the NY Hilton. There will be a film screening of the documentary 'Two Million Minutes' on Saturday, March 8th from 2:15PM to 3:45PM during the conference.

The eSchool News 'Empowered Education' Video Awards

Discover and celebrate the accomplishments of some of America's brightest young creative minds by participating in the 2008 "Empowered Education" Awards, a video program of the eSchool News Network. Students must create a three to five minute original video on the theme of “How Technology Helps Me Learn.” The Contest is open to K-12 and winning entries will be those produced by students in the best journalistic style illustrating how their schools or colleges are employing technology to advance learning. Winners will experience

• a trip to the nation’s capital for a gala awards ceremony
• recognition and prizes for winning students and their schools,
• an international showcase for students’ work,
• a chance to meet senators, representatives, and other key officials, and
• news releases to the hometown news media

Go to www.eschoolnews.com/empowered/ for more information. Deadline: April 30, 2008

GRANT ALERT: Lindberg Foundation Grants for Technological Advancements

The Lindbergh Foundation Grants honor Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s legacy by funding projects that improve the quality of all life by seeking a balance between technological advancements and environmental preservation. Maximum Award: $10,580. Eligibility: Citizens from all countries may apply. Deadline: June 12, 2008. For more information go to: http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/content/grants/index.html

Television Special-Bold Visions: Women in Technology & Science

The half-hour documentary, Bold Visions: Women in Science & Technology, gives us a glimpse into the lives of women who are dispelling the myths commonly associated with professionals who work in the fields of science and technology: a research scientist searching for genetic causes of diseases, an astronaut who applies her engineering expertise in space, and a technologist who is as agile leading a team of colleagues as she is playing soccer with her sons. Their work is exciting, collaborative, and makes a difference to the quality of our lives. This message is particularly important if America is going to keep its innovative edge by harvesting homegrown talent. For more information go to http://www.womenworking2000.com/tv/television_bold_visions.php.

It will air on WNYE Channel 25 on Saturday, February 23, 2008, 2008 at 4:00PM.

M3 (Moody's Mega Math) Challenge

A partnership of The Moody's Foundation and SIAM, the Moody's Mega Math Challenge is a competition that spotlights applied mathematics as a powerful problem-solving tool, as a viable and exciting profession, and as a vital contributor to advances in an increasingly technical society. It is open to high school students and winners receive scholarships for continuing education totaling $65,000. Learn more About the Challenge...


M3Challenge 2008 registration deadline: 5:00 pm Monday, March 3, 2008!

'Two Million Minutes' to develop 21st Century Skills

As soon as a student enters the 9th grade he/she has …Two Million Minutes until high school graduation…Two Million Minutes to build their intellectual foundation…Two Million Minutes to prepare for college and ultimately career…Two Million Minutes to grow from a teen into an adult? How a student invests their Two Million Minutes will determine their economic prospects for the rest of their lives. "How do most American high school students spend this time? What about students in the rest of the world? How do family, friends and society influence a student's choices for time allocation? What implications do their choices have on their future and on a country's economic future?" This documentary film takes a closer look at how China, India and the United States, the three superpowers of the 21st Century, are preparing their students for the future. As an educator, the film prompts the question of whether we are authentically helping our students develop 21st century skills. For more information go to: www.2mminutes.com/index.html

GRANT ALERT: Inspire a new generation of inventors with a $10,000 grant!

Apply for a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams grant and receive up to $10,000 for a team of high school students, teachers, and mentors to identify a problem and invent a solution for it. Science, technology and mathematics teachers and teams of teachers at public (academic and vocational) and private schools are eligible. Teacher stipends are available.

Past InvenTeams have invented a watermelon ripeness evaluator, omni-directional wheelchair, pothole prediction and prevention device, and portable water treatment for a rural Mexican village.

Each June, InvenTeams demonstrate their inventions during the InvenTeams Odyssey at MIT. Up to 35 teachers from the initial application round will be named Excite Award recipients. These recipients will be invited to attend workshops during the Odyssey to learn first-hand about invention and the InvenTeams experience, and receive guidance to develop the final application. Teams later selected for grants will be invited to attend their own Odyssey the following June with limited funding provided.

Initial applications are due April 25, 2008. You don't have to have the project selected at this time. Apply at web.mit.edu/inventeams or e-mail questions to inventeams@mit.edu

Bridgestone Firestone Driving Safety Film Contest for Teens

The Bridgestone Firestone 2008 Safety Scholars Video Contest will award college scholarships for the most compelling and effective videos that drive home life-saving messages on auto and tire safety, and includes a chance for young filmmakers to have their auto safety videos broadcast as a public service commercial. Maximum Award: $5,000 scholarship and a new set of Bridgestone tires. Eligibility: high school students. Deadline: June 24, 2008. Go to:  http://www.safetyscholars.com/ for details.

Do you remember United Streaming?

A few years ago I was saddened to learn that United Streaming was no longer going to be available to us and I quickly downloaded all of the media clips that I frequently used in my classroom. At today's School Technology Liaison's Monthly meeting I was more than pleased to learn that their service is still available to us through Power Media Plus. You can log into this website using your United Streaming username and password and continue to use the service. As a matter of fact, Power Media Plus offers audio, video, digital images, print resources and podcasts for FREE! I actually think its an upgrade to United Streaming. Tell us what you think! Go to: www.powermediaplus.com

What is Lit2Go?

When you have a few minutes of free time, be sure to take a look at the CD-Rom of digital resources distributed at this month's School Technology Liaison Monthly meeting. It's called Lit2Go. It's a free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 (audiobook) format. How can you use Lit2Go in your classroom:

• Download stories in audio and text formats and set up a listening station in your classroom that students can utilize during independent reading time. OR
  
• Students can use the audio files to make a digital book or they can add sound effects or music to enhance the story.

Go to: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/

Be sure to share how you have used Lit2Go in your classroom!

GRANT ALERT: HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative

The Bronx Office of Instructional Technology is pleased to host informational meetings regarding the HP: Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative. The HP: Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative is designed to support innovative and effective uses of technology in the classroom setting. In 2008, HP will grant awards to K–12 public schools that are using a collaborative, team-based approach to implementing technology integration projects. The activities of the project must be focused on using technology to teach, rather than on teaching students to use technology. The value of the grant award to each school is approximately $40,000. Based on the outcomes of those projects, some recipients may have the opportunity to receive additional, higher-value grants from HP in 2009.

This meeting will provide participants with an overview of the: grant guidelines, expectations, and online completion procedures. Schools will also have the opportunity to brainstorm project ideas based on school needs. Interested schools are encouraged to attend one of our informational sessions. Please ask us for more information before you leave today's monthly meeting.

Want to 'Doodle 4 Google'?

School Registration Deadline: March 28, 2008 at 

For more information go to: http://www.google.com/doodle4google/

Digital Resources for African American Heritage Month

February is African American History Month, and, as the Library of Congress site notes, it's an area of history that should be incorporated into all discussions about American history. The Library of Congress listened to its own advice and created this most useful site to help students, teachers, and others to do just that. Go to: http://www.loc.gov/topics/africanamericans/

Sony/Intel Student Film Contest with complete Multimedia Course Curriculum

Creating this semester's multimedia curriculum couldn't be easier. Presented by Sony Creative Software and Intel with the support of the International Society for Technology and Education (ISTE) and Edutopia magazine, the Technology in Motion project is a complete educational program designed for teachers to use in multimedia courses as a structured curriculum, which will engage students in professional video and audio production.

Your school's film or films will be entered into a contest for a chance to win over $20,000 of multimedia hardware and software for your school. The film contest encourages high school students (grades 9-12) to share their vision of how technology will shape their future.

Every school that submits a qualifying Call for Entries form will receive a Technology in Motion launch kit, which includes:

• Free copy of Sony Vegas Pro 8 video editing software
• Free Sony Vegas Pro 8 video tutorials ($24.99 value)
• Free copy of the Digital Video and Audio Production Vegas Pro 8 teaching guide ($49.95 value)

Sony Vegas Pro 8 software is a leading professional video and audio production application. By participating in the Technology in Motion contest, your students will gain valuable knowledge of the entire movie production process — from script to screen. For more information: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/news/techinmotion.asp

Student Video Contest on the Forms of Energy

Westinghouse Electric Company, through its N-Vision Program, encourages education in science, technology and mathematics. One way that we do this is through our video contest on the forms of energy.

Students in middle and high schools are encouraged to prepare a three to seven minute video (VHS or DVD) on positive aspects of the various forms of energy, including nuclear energy. The purpose of the video contest is to enhance students' researching and fact-finding skills, and to educate them on the various forms of energy that we use today. Students are encouraged to be creative in their entries, yet informative. The video can be staged as a short play, commercial, news broadcast, talk show, music video, documentary, etc.

The winning videos in each category (middle and high school categories) will receive the following: the school science department will receive $3,000 to be put towards its science department needs; and each student who took part in assisting with the video will receive $100 to put towards school supplies. For information on the contest guidelines and to enter the contest, click on the link below: http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/Community/student_video_contest.shtm

GRANT ALERT: Podcasting Grant from Tool Factory

Tool Factory, a producer of educational software, is offering K–12 schools and special education schools in the U.S. the chance to apply for a Podcasting Grant. The company will provide up to seven winners with free licenses and digital media accessories to start a podcasting program at your school. Applicants must simply develop a lesson plan demonstrating how they would use a podcasting program in their school curriculum. If a school has never used a program before, you can visit the Tool Factory Web site to take a tour and learn more about it.
DEADLINE: April 30. CONTACT: www.toolfactory.com/olympus

GRANT ALERT: SMARTer Kids Foundation of Canada

The SMARTer Kids Foundation of Canada is accepting applications for its 2008–2009 Connections program. The program supports collaborative learning for 6th-grade classes in Canada and the U.S. and involves equipping eight classes with leading-edge educational technology to undertake collaborative projects between schools. Sixth-grade teachers can apply. DEADLINE: March 31. CONTACT: www.smarterkids.org

Are your students "Technologically Literate?"

You may have experienced instances where students know how to use a computer to perform certain tasks but may not be savvy enough to be considered "technologically literate." In addition to EasyTech (which was demonstrated at this month's School Technology Liaisons' meeting), Learning.com has a Tech-Literacy Assessment for elementary and middle school students that meets ISTE standards and is being used in schools across the nation. The ETS has also created a Tech-Literacy Assessment for high school and college students called iSkills (formerly known as the Information & Communication Technology Literacy Test). Why is this important? NCLB made it a national goal for all 8th graders to be technologically literate. However, tech-literacy does not factor into school accountability provisions and many states are focusing on testing reading and math proficiency for accountability purposes. Whether or not tech-literacy is mandated by NCLB, as educators we have an obligation to make sure the students have the 21st century skills necessary to compete in a global workplace. Focusing on Tech-Literacy could help us do this but how do we seamlessly integrate tech-literacy across the curriculum before students reach middle school? Share your thoughts!

Videoconferencing

New technologies open opportunities for student learning and this communication tool offers students unique possibilities for accessing information. Videoconferencing goes beyond the interactions offered through traditional e-mail, telephone, or on-line chat systems. The video system adds the combination of visual and auditory information that puts the collaborators in an experience that closes the distance gap and helps the participants feel connected to each other.
As libraries, museums, colleges, schools, government agencies and other information resource facilities add videoconferencing, students will be able to connect with experts, collaborate with other students, work in partnership on projects, and participate in world wide activities. These activities, using videoconferencing, build relationships and encourage active learning. Collaboration using this two way technology makes the experience almost like being there.
Impacts include: Enhanced motivation, Improved communication and presentation skills
Increased connection with outside resources, Effective learning environments, Expanded teaching capabilities, Links to people from different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds.
Please share any expreinces you had using videoconferencing with studets. Project ideas are welcomed.

Instructional Technology Curriculum Calendar

Do you currently have a year-long Instructional Technology curriculum calendar? Across grade levels? What do you cover and how do you teach discreet skills? Do you have an opportunity to plan with classroom teachers? These questions were posed by a tech liaison during a recent Onsite Consultation. How can we go about sharing these resources inorder to minimize/eliminate us all trying to "reinvent the wheel"?
Please share your ideas on how we can effectively begin this practice.

"Dream in Color" Digital Resources

Dream in Color is sponsored by Target in an ongoing commitment to support teachers and schools in the communities it serves. In that spirit, Target in collaboration with Scholastic, have provided free educational and inspirational activities to help bring Black History Month and other cultural celebrations to life in your classrooms throughout the year. Visit Scholastic.com/dreamincolor for free posters, activities, and lesson plans.