Tapped In Newsletter: June 2005
...On the Tapis
June 2005
Issue 91
In This Issue
[1] Member Perspective: Rita Zeinstejer
[2] Tapped In Festival 2005 Certificates of Participation
[3] Tapped In Members at NECC
[4] Tapped In Technology Tip
[5] News Nuggets
[6] Tips and Comments from the Experts
[7] About ...On the Tapis
Quote of the Month - "The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn." - John Lubbock (1834 - 1913)
[1] Member Perspective: Rita Zeinstejer
Rita is an EFL teacher in Argentina, an advocate of CALL (Computer Aided Language Learning) and of CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) tools for language learning.
Rita's Perspective
Some 4 years ago, I came across Tapped In and immediately realized it was the place to share experiences, queries and achievements with people with my same interests. Reality surpassed my expectations, as not only did I expand my little knowledge on the use of synchronous and asynchronous tools for educational purposes, but mostly and most significantly, I gained the chance to meet and make true friends all over the world.
Tapped In is, to me, as well as for so many other Webheads in Action, our home. Even to those who for different reasons do not join the Sunday meetings too often, Tapped In is unique. And this has several explanations. To start with, having a corner of one's own - an "office" - adds a very special sense of belonging. Files can be uploaded there, as well as photos, quotes and notes, which all give a personal touch to the environment. "Featured Passageways" provide us with the chance to post links to other members' offices, as if open doors showing the way. Whiteboards for visitors to leave their messages, Discussion Boards ready to be shared. And there is the calendar, reminding all members of events and meetings in advance, as well as timetables and proceedings. And free and easy access to archives and files of past events.
And then all the other options, which are true gates to the world. Educators from all corners can meet here and communicate in real time with likeminded people. We meet and discuss, question and answer, explore and analyze, have fun and share.
Read all of Rita's Perspective online
If you have a perspective or story you want to share about an experience using Tapped In, contact BJ Berquist at bjb@tappedin.org
[2] Tapped In Festival 2005 Certificates of Participation
"Creating Connections through Collaboration" was chosen as the theme of this year's Tapped In Festival to help new and experienced users better understand the many features available in the Tapped In interface. Certificates of Participation are again offered to anyone who attends three or more events during the 12 hour Festival. Codes, given at the end of each event, will enable participants to fill out a participation form and provide feedback about the event after each session. Forms will be tabulated and electronic certificates will be posted within Tapped In. Participation in one pre-festival tour will also count as one hour toward the certificate. Take advantage of this opportunity and ask your school district or university professor if they will accept your Festival Certificate of Participation for Continuing Education Credits!
Visit the Festival page often to see the latest changes.
[3] Tapped In Members at NECC
Pennsylvania Technology Coordinators' Gathering (Birds-of-a-Feather; Wednesday, June 29; 4:45-5:45pm EDT) Bill Connaghan, Cornwall-Lebanon School District with Karen Connaghan. Join the Pennsylvania Tech Coordinators for some friendly conversation, idea sharing, and great stories. Network and collaborate with other coordinators from Pennsylvania. All TI members are invited to join this BoF. BJ Berquist will be present to discuss Tapped In and looks forward to putting some faces to the names.
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David Weksler and Ihor Charischak will present a Birds-of-a-Feather session on Math.
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Karen Lemmons will give a short presentation on the SIG Media Specialists at the ISTE meeting.
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Bridget Martin will be attending as a Tech Com. member of the policy board of MESTRACT, Mid East Suffolk Teacher Resource Center, Long Island, NY.
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Anne Truger will be presenting at NECC on Thursday, June 30, 12pm-1pm, PACC 111B. Anne's session ChicagoNECCLights:Chatter.net Communications gone Wild is actually about using Tapped In and my Cyberbook talk group.
[4] Tapped In Technology Tip
Virus Warning!
A new email virus, named W32.Mytob.EH@mm, is spreading rapidly. This virus can only infect Windows computers -- all other computers (Macintosh, Linux, Solaris, etc) are safe from this virus.
The virus sends infected messages purporting to be from official SRI email addresses such as "register@tappedin.org", "admin@tappedin.org", or "service@tappedin.org" and claims that: 1) you have changed your password, 2) your records are out of date, 3) that you sent a large amount of spam, or 4) that your email account has been disabled. If you receive such a message, do not open the attachment. Instead, simply delete the message and empty your Trash folder.
Read more about this virus online.
[5] News Nuggets
Thanks to Sue Roseman for pointing out this article from Tech LEARNING.
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In response to a TI member request for Math Curriculum info, Gail Hoskins from ENC has provided a number of links on ENC's web site. Everything is free through 9/29/05 when ENC US Dept of Ed funding ends and ENC moves to a subscription-based service. Click here to read about the subscription online service. ENC Focus Magazine will continue to be free six times a year. Click here for resources about K-6 math curriculum. Other Focus of interest:
Elementary Math Lit;
NCTM Standards;
Ideas for Elementary Math;
K5 Algebra;
Standards;
Math Lesson Plans
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June 2005 Horizon Wimba Desktop Lecture Series schedule includes two events led by Tapped In member Michael Coghlan: Synch or Swim: How to Effectively Facilitate Live Online Events, Tuesday, 6/14/05 at 11:30 AEST (Australia Time) and The Value of Synchronous Education in eLearning Environments, Thursday, 6/30/05 at 9:30am EDT
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Tapped In member Keiko Schneider recently returned from a trip to Japan where she presented at a conference and discussed Tapped In.
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Tapped In member Adrienne Fritze has a busy schedule for June. She'll be exhibiting her artwork, putting on shows and workshops, and teaching classes! http://www.urbanesque.com/mo-joe/;
http://workingartists.urbanesque.com/;
http://workingartists.urbanesque.com/collage.html
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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.
[6] Tips and Comments from the Experts
We all really appreciate a kind word from time to time! Please don't miss an opportunity to thank our hardworking volunteers who invest many hours so that everyone who enters the community finds what they are looking for. Thanks to Keren Sagehorn for her comment: I'm going to go roam around the APU building. Thanks to everyone who's always here in the TI reception to help - it's very comforting!
[7] About ...On the Tapis
Past issues of ...On the Tapis newsletters are available online.
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.