Tapped In Newsletter: February 2006
...On the Tapis
February 2006
Issue 99
In This Issue
[1] Tapped In TEMA Scheduled for March
[2] Member Perspective: Sedat Akayoqlu
[3] Tapped In Technology Tips
[4] News Nuggets
[5] Tips and Comments from the Experts
[6] Fermilab Engaged Learning & Tech Integration Program
[7] About ...On the Tapis
Quote of the Month - "There is no one who can take our place. Each of us weaves a strand in the web of creation. There is no one who can weave that strand for us. What we have to contribute is both unique and irreplaceable. What we withhold from life is lost from life. The entire world depends upon our individual choices." - Duane Elgin
[1] Tapped In TEMA Scheduled for March
The Tapped In Teachers Emergency Mentor Association is in the house! The group leads the Tapped In Hurricane Central Help Center Mini Expo that was organized to provide support and mentoring for teachers and students displaced by the Gulf hurricanes and other disasters. The dates for the Expo are March 20-25 and include opportunities for teachers and students to engage in both synchronous (real time chat) and asynchronous (discussion board) discussions. Several synch events have already been planned, including tours of the Tapped In interface, tours of the Student Campus, a weather resource discussion with Timothy Schott from the National Weather Service, information about the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank presented by Sheila Brennan, an opportunity to discuss counseling resources with Barbara Muller Ackerman so you can help students and educators address Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and a chance to learn about and volunteer for PATH (Pupils Asking, Teachers Helping), a homework help site staffed by teachers. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Patricia Burgess yzpat@pathwhelp.org and request an application.
Asynch folders are in the Hurricane Central group room for posting requests and information about Lesson Plan Ideas, Your Stories, My Classroom Needs. Folders are also in the Student Campus Hip Hop Studio to give students an opportunity at "normalcy" and talk to other students about Games, Multimedia, Music, Movies, Raps and Rhymes.
If you would like to get in on the planning, join the Hurricane Central or TI Mini Expo group and post your ideas and suggestions to the discussion board.
[2] Member Perspective: Sedat Akayoqlu
Sedat Akayoqlu is a Research Assistant and Literature Instructor at the Department of English Language Teaching at Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey. He is preparing his thesis and his research topic is related to the discourse analysis of English chat environments.
Sedat's Perspective
I planned to use Tapped In as the setting for several student-led discussions of two short stories in English. There were two short stories to discuss; one was The Gift of Magi by O. Henry and the other one was The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant. All participants read the stories before participating in the chat sessions. The first two days we talked about The Gift of Magi, and the next two days we talked about The Necklace. During the sessions, the participants were unaware of the research questions of my thesis; because it might have affected the findings of my thesis.
Read the rest of Sedat's Perspective.
[3] Tapped In Technology Tip
FAQ: What if I don't get a Tapped In Transcript?
Transcripts may take awhile to get to you depending on factors such as how busy the system is, network lag, and any email scanning by your email service provider. Give the system at least a half an hour after you log out to send the transcript.
If you have never received any transcripts of conversations you've been involved in, log in and verify that the email address associated with your account is correct. You can view and edit your email address under the Me:Settings tab. Also, make sure that you are checking the email account that you are registered under.
[4] News Nuggets
TI member Judy Decker was cited in the Jan. 20 issue of Marylaine Block's Neat New Stuff newsletter (Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2006) for her contributions to the Incredible Art Department! "Aimed at art teachers and students, the site includes monthly, archived art lesson plans, art education news, job hunting and career information, discussion groups, and more."
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TI members Sarah McPherson, Mary C. Burns, James Lerman, and Glen Bull have articles in the Feb. issue of Learning & Leading with Technology. There is also an ISTE member profile of Karen Connaghan, who leads the Tapped In SIGTC discussions; and a review of GIMP: GNU image editing program by Steve Chastain.
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Mary Thompson, a teaching instructor at the Univ. of Houston, has created two new groups to support preservice and first year teachers and teachers who teach teachers (including tech coordinators, university faculty, and administration). The two groups are Teachers in Training and Teaching Teachers and meet on the first Thursday of each month. Check the calendar for these new groups!
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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] Tips and Comments from the Experts
We all appreciate a word of praise from time to time and the Tapped In team is no different. A warm thanks goes to TI member Rob Swift, for his kind words! Rob had logged in a guest so he could tell his colleagues how to join him in his Tapped In office.
RobGst10: Now I know how people can find my office. I want to invite some colleagues to join me in a chat in my Tappedin.org office. After our chat, I will forward the transcript to them. I really appreciate the service that Tappedin.org offers the education community.
Thanks, Rob!
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If you have a comment or experience to share with the Tapped In community, please submit the information to BJ Berquist at bjb@tappedin.org or post to How You Use TI.
[6] Fermilab Engaged Learning & Tech Integration Program
Fermilab announces the 2006 LInC program to mentor teachers in facilitating student investigations on real-world issues. Participants select and customize a technology-supported inquiry-based project to teach content in their existing curriculum and then field-test their project with students as they reflect and share feedback with participants from across the country. Experienced engaged learning mentors provide guidance during the entire process and each work with eight or fewer participants so there is substantial personal attention. The class is online so no travel is required. An optional 4 graduate credits are available. More details and the online application (due March 21) are here.
[7] About ...On the Tapis
Past issues of ...On the Tapis newsletters are available online.
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