Tapped In Newsletter: November 2001
...ON THE TAPIS
November 2001
Issue 48
In This Issue
[1] Member Perspective: Debra Sprague
[2] 7-12 Science Forum adds mailing list
[3] NEW! K-12 Math Teachers Forum
[4] TAPPED IN Member News Nuggets
[5] Upcoming Conferences, Courses and Events
[6] Technology Tips
[7] Knowledge is Power Program
[8] About ...On the TAPIS
Quote of the Month - "If out of the tragic events of [September 11] the world can find a renewed will to co-operate in finding just solutions to the problems that threaten the safety, security and well-being of us all, the highest tribute would have been paid to those who lost their lives." - Nobel Peace Laureates, Nelson R Mandela F W de Klerk D M Tutu, South Africa, 19 September 2001 (See http://www.thecommunity.com/crisis/)
[1] Member Perspective: Debra Sprague
Debra Sprague is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University. She is leading the WebCast session on November 27, 4pm PST/7pm EST.
Debra's Perspective
I was first introduced to TAPPED IN several years ago by Dr. Chris Dede. We were co-teaching an Emerging Technologies course and arranged for the students to attend the Summer Carnival where he was giving a talk. The students enjoyed talking to other people and interacting with the environment. From that moment on I was hooked and knew I had to find ways to include TAPPED IN into my courses.
I attended one of the Tips and Tour sessions that are offered weekly. BJ showed me how to move around and how to talk to other people. That day I established my virtual office. I taught an online course and held virtual office hours on Saturday mornings. I loved the idea of having office hours in my pajamas, drinking coffee. I also liked the recorder which recorded my conversations with the students and then e-mailed me the transcript. What a great feature!
I had small groups of students meet with me in TAPPED IN and began showing them what they could do in this environment. I remember one student who was having trouble grasping the concept of virtual interactions. It took me awhile to get her to understand that she had to use her imagination. By the end of the session she had cooked a virtual pizza and was sharing it with her group members. She came so far in such a short time, thanks to the easy-to-use interface provided by TAPPED IN.
See all our member perspectives.
[2] 7-12 Science Forum adds mailing list
William Wilson announces the addition of a mailing list for the 7-12 Science Forum at http://www.tappedin.org/mailman/listinfo/science7-12/. You can register for the lists and access archives from past discussions at the above urls. The next K-8 Science Forum meeting is November 26. The next 7-12 Science form is November 16. See the calendar for more information.
[3] K-12 Math Teachers Forum
David Weksler, math teacher and long-time TAPPED IN community member and leader, is starting a new K-12 Math Teacher discussion group. The K-12 Math Teacher Forum will provide a time and place where all K-12 teachers can discuss ideas, resources and problems in teaching math with new curricular materials, new technology, new standards, etc. The K-12 Math Teacher Forum will hold a planning meeting on December 6, 5pm PST/8pm EST. Bring your ideas for topics and guest speakers.
[4] TAPPED IN Member News Nuggets
BJ Berquist, HelpDesk Volunteer and Associate Educator for TAPPED IN, has been selected as the Juvenile Correctional Education Association Teacher of the Year for Pennsylvania. BJ has taught art at the Loysville Youth Development Center for 18 years. Read more about BJ at her TAPPED IN member page.
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FluidArts, a nonprofit organization founded by Millenaire, Leonardo and Miksike two years ago, is about to launch its first international project, WaterRoots. This multilingual project, housed on Miksike's Student Factory in Estonia, focuses initially on Migration and the role Water plays in
the artistic and everyday life of diverse cultures. TAPPED IN member Deborah Phelan of FluidArts will lead a discussion at TAPPED IN, December 3, 4pm PST/7pm EST on the significant role the arts can play in developing culturally determined media literacy and cross-cultural communication.
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A recent Evolution of Learning and Teaching Online Conference (ELToc) featured several members of the WebHeads. TAPPED IN members Vance Stevens, Michael Coghlan, and John Steele presented "Webheads in Action: Community formation online and its role in language learning" with the support of TAPPED IN members Susanne Nyrop, Margaret Doty, Dan Bilitz, James Simpson, and Lian An.
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TAPPED IN member and discussion leader Kim Foley has just published a book titled, "The Big Pocket Guide to Using & Creating Virtual Field Trips." For more information go to the Field Trips Site.
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"Viv@, the Virtual Interactive Village in the Ardeche" is a message-board-based correspondence project where students can write about cinema, literature, current events or other topics, as well as inventing their own character portraits and story chapters, in French, English and eventually other languages. To visit Viv@, go to the forums page of The English Multiverse at http://www.ardecol.ac-grenoble.fr/english/index.htm For more information, contact TAPPED IN member and discussion leader Phil Benz at Philip.Benz@ac-grenoble.fr. Viv@ is scheduled to be featured on national French TV.
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Robert Walcott has recently published, "Chantilla", an e-book about the old south.
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TAPPED IN member Diana Hunter provides free lesson plans and examples on creating Computer Art using the MS Paint program. See http://www.members.tripod.com/dianajhunter.
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Do you have a News Nugget about yourself or another member of the TAPPED IN Community? Send your News Nugget to BJ Berquist at bjb @ tappedin.org.
[5] Upcoming Conferences, Courses and Events
Upcoming Conferences, Courses and Events
The US theme - I Care...Do You? Youth and AIDS in the 21st Century - emphasizes that every individual has a responsibility and an opportunity to make a constructive contribution to the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The goal of World AIDS Day 2001 is to underscore that youth are significantly infected and affected by HIV and to call for greater education and involvement of young people in diagnosing, treating, and preventing HIV/AIDS. Click here for more information.
PBL Conference, April 25-26
Bob Perlman, PBLnet moderator and editor and TAPPED IN member, posted information about the Project-Based Learning Conference, April 25-26, 2002, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, in San Francisco. Featured keynote speakers include: Barbara Cervone, Founder of What Kids Can Do; Lorraine Johnson-Coleman, master storyteller and best-selling author; Pedro Noguera, Harvard University Professor and Principal Investigator of the Berkeley High Diversity Project; and TAPPED IN member Chris Dede, Technologist and Harvard University Professor. A pre-conference workshop on April 24 will include a hands-on lab session with Bernie Dodge, the founder of the WebQuest and TAPPED IN discussion leader.
[6] Technology Tips
Judging a book by its cover
So often in our busy schedules we dash to our computers, log into TAPPED IN, get involved in a discussion, and forget what resources, FAQ's and links are available to the members and guests. One place worthy of a second and third look is back on the TAPPED IN homepage. Take some time to examine this often over-looked page.
Advanced Tech Tip of the Month: HelpDesk Volunteers
TAPPED IN membership has passed 14,000! That's the good news. The bad news is that this means we need HelpDesk Volunteers more than ever. All volunteers are teamed with a mentor. The volunteers chose the amount of time they can commit. If you can contribute one hour a week or an hour a month we'd love to hear from you. For more information, contact BJ at bjb @ tappedin.org.
[7] Knowledge is Power Program
Do you have what it takes to start and lead a great school? KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, provides educationally underserved students with the knowledge, skills and character they need to succeed in top quality high schools, colleges and the competitive world beyond. Excellent schools require strong, capable leaders to be effective. KIPP trains outstanding educators to open and run great schools. For more information on the 2002 Fisher School Leadership Program and an on-line application, please visit http://www.kipp.org. To request a paper-based application or if you have questions, call toll free (866) 345-5477 or email apply@kipp.org.
[8] About ...On the TAPIS
Postings of all ...ON THE TAPIS issues are available on the TAPPED IN website. Contact us if you have any questions about your subscription, password or user name, or if you have any news items that you want to share with the community for ...ON THE TAPIS.