Tapped In Newsletter: December 2007
...On the Tapis
December 2007
Issue 121
In This Issue
[1] Warm Wishes for the Holiday Season
[2] Group Focus of the Month: TI Presenter's Guide
[3] News Nuggets
[4] Tips and Comments from the Experts
[5] Tapped In Technology Tips
[6] Pursuit of Happiness
[7] Web Design Professionals Needed
[8] About ...On the Tapis
Quote of the Month - "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
[1] Warm Wishes for the Holiday Season from the TI Team
As we bring Tapped In's first decade to a close the TI team of staff, discussion leaders and helpdesk volunteers wants to thank each of you for being part of the Tapped In community. There were 760 events scheduled on the calendar during 2007! This averages out to 63 events per month, all led by TI community members. By logging in for one or more of these calendar events each month, joining and participating in one of the 800+ special interest groups, or just receiving and reading this Tapis newsletter, every member brings something valuable to contribute - a new perspective, knowledge to share, a question, or enthusiasm for teaching and learning. As a community, we see how much each of you cares and wants to help others reach their full potential as an educator. This caring is what sets Tapped In apart from other places. We hope that you find value in being able to share and learn with other educators online in the community.
[2] Group Focus of the Month: TI Presenter's Guide
One of the statistics mentioned in the article above was that an average of 63 events is scheduled per month on the Calendar of Events. This spectacular achievement takes place thanks to approximately 20 devoted TI presenters and helpdesk volunteers who faithfully schedule monthly, bi-monthly, and/or weekly discussions designed to provide professional development opportunities for the TI community. In spite of competition with a myriad of instructor assignments, schedule conflicts and personal demands made on TI community members, this group continues to offer their expertise on topics that range from Arts to Math/Science to Video Making to Web 2.0. As a group these presenters have the ability to collaborate and discuss solutions and options for resolving participation issues, maximizing benefits of each event to the individual community members, and working with pre-service teachers to encourage them to become life-long learners who participate and contribute to professional development.
If you are a TI presenter and have not joined this group, please do! If you are thinking about leading a group and want more information on what is involved, you also are invited to join this group.
[3] News Nuggets
The National C3 Baseline study is now live and Davina Pruitt-Mentle, leader of the TI Cyber 3 Group, urges you to take the survey and pass it along for others to take. It takes ~15 minutes but your input is essential to help document the status of cyber ethics, safety and security education within our nation's schools. It is voluntary and confidential. For more info contact Davina and click here.
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"Addictive, yes. But ...each correct answer results in the donation of rice to help feed the hungry around the globe. Perhaps that qualifies the game as a good addiction... one with redeeming qualities, something that's, oh, didactic and edifying." - Kansas City Star
For each word synonym you get right, FreeRice donates 20 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger. Since this site was mentioned during several TI discussions recently, the TI team wanted to share it with you all. (With no responsibility taken by TIfor any of the addictive qualities of this site!)
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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.
[4] Tips and Comments from the Experts
TI member Jane Kurczak stopped by Reception to offer these comments, "Really just wanted to stop in here and thank Jeff for intro-ing me to TI--I have found a number of great uses for it! I have used it with teachers and students--and am getting ready to intro it to more teachers next week! Best secure place to bring kids for collaboration, blogging, etc."
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TI member Adam Freeman logged into Reception and after being offered help from Help Desk Volunteer David Weksler, commented, "Thanks. I've actually been here before as a student, but that was several years ago. It's a great site. It's a great service that I need to get back to."
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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.
[5] Tapped In Technology Tip
Reminder About the TWO Tapped In Calendars!
If you go to the Tapped In homepage and click on the Calendar tab, you will see the EXTERNAL TI Calendar. Anyone can set this calendar to their time zone to view events in their time. The default time zone for the external calendar is Pacific. If you log into TI as a member and click on the Tapped In tab at the top of the screen and then click on Calendar in the blue menu bar, you will see the INTERNAL TI Calendar. This calendar has been set to your time zone and will display all events in your time. If you did not specify a time zone when you filled out the membership form, then you need to go to the internal calendar and select the time zone in which you are located. The default for this calendar is also Pacific Time.
[6] Web Design Professionals Needed
49erROP web design courses taught by TI member Elisabeth Sund need web professionals to review curriculum and product outcomes. The courses are articulated with Sierra College and allow student concurrent enrollment in courses at California State University, Sacramento.
The course outlines and websites containing lesson progression and work samples are posted through Elisabeth Sund's TI office. Web professionals willing to review the document, post responses and meet once a year in an on-line session will get Elisabeth's undying appreciation.
Elisabeth's email esund@rjuhsd.us
Student Run site
Curriculum site
[7] Pursuit of Happiness
TI member Mark Setton is the founder of pursuitofhappiness.org - a multimedia educational platform providing secondary school educators and students with free access to clear, concise information on global views of human happiness, positive psychology and mental well-being in general.
The website has two main components:
1) The "History of Happiness" presents the views of major thinkers who have focused on the topic, from the worlds of philosophy and psychology.
2) "Happiness: the Scientific Evidence" will present a concise meta-analysis (again, with two grades of complexity) of recent studies and data on mental well-being that will hone in on some of the key areas of consensus.
A team of volunteer educators are drawing up lesson plans that will provide ideas on how the multimedia modules can be easily integrated into various portions of the social studies curriculum and are looking for an experienced social studies educator who could provide us with feedback and possibly more extensive collaboration, especially with regards to implementing the website content and tools in the classroom.
Pursuitofhappiness.org is not affiliated with any religious or political organization. If you are interested or have questions please contact Mark Setton at msetton@pursuit-of-happiness.org
[8] About ...On the Tapis
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