Tapped In Newsletter: January 2008
...On the Tapis
January 2008
Issue 122
In This Issue
[1] Happiness Is In the Details!
[2] Member Perspective: Russ Knopp
[3] News Nuggets
[4] Tips and Comments from the Experts
[5] Tapped In Technology Tips
[6] Group Focus of the Month: TI Anniversary Scrapbook
[7] 2008 Intel Schools of Distinction Awards
[8] Research on Edublogging
[9] January Is National Mentoring Month
[10] About ...On the Tapis
Quote of the Month - "All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth." - Aristotle (384 BCE - 322 BCE)
[1] Happiness Is In the Details!
In last month's Tapis, an article was included about a new online multimedia educational platform on the "Pursuit of Happiness." TI member Mark Setton and a group of educators/web techies are constructing this platform on the internet to provide 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. As several alert Tapis subscribers noted, the hyphens were inadvertently deleted from the site url, causing a great deal of confusion and concern. Please note the correct url: http://pursuit-of-happiness.org. If you have questions please write to Mark Setton at msetton@pursuit-of-happiness.org
[2] Member Perspective: Russ Knopp
Russ Knopp is a veteran middle school teacher in rural Waitsburg, WA. He uses technology extensively as a learning tool for students in his grades 6-7 combination class at Preston Hall Middle School. Only recently a member of TI, Russ's students are now connected and participating in community learning at TI also. In December Russ was selected by Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction as one of 14 members of a committee to establish state standards (EALRs and GLEs) for using technology in education for WA state.
Russ's Perspective
As a result of my passionate and expansive use of Web 2.0 for my students and myself, I continue to learn what our students will likely need to know and be able to do to be successful in the 21st century. Based on what I continue to read and hear, students will need to be connected, creative, and curious.
First, it seems connectedness is a given today - or is it? Sometimes it seems we are connected most places but at school, where, in this man's opinion, we need to work harder at teaching than filtering. That's a topic for later discussion. Students are connected by cell phone (text messaging and more) and the Internet (communities such as My Space, and Facebook). Our students have "friends" at those connections and interact multiple times a day, sometimes meaningfully. TI provides a safe, meaningful, LEARNING opportunity for our students through that kind of connection. Since I believe our students will be competing globally for work, it makes sense that we give them opportunity and practice for learning in that venue before graduation. Go Tapped In! For some time my students have participated in on-line communities via Moodle, blogs, wikis, video conferences, and e-mail. It seems to me that TI consolidates some of these and expands (at least my students') outreach for learning and sharing.
Read the rest of Russ's Perspective.
[3] News Nuggets
TI member Teresa Almeida d'Eca was in Brussels on Dec. 6 to receive the European Schoolnet (European Union) international eLearning Award 2007. Her curricular blog won the Gold Prize in the category of "The school of the future." Teresa was one of the 13 finalists from 35 countries and 560 proposals. You can read more about the awards here.
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Posted on DrWeb's Domain
Overheard: Who jumped on the Internet bandwagon first?
A list of the first 100 dot com domains is making the rounds. On March 15, 1985, I turned thirty years old and Symbolics registered the first dot com domain. It's interesting to see which IT companies were quick to jump on the bandwagon. I don't see Microsoft in the list, but Apple is there. Here's the top ten listings, see the main link to the list for the full list with dates...
1. SYMBOLICS.COM
2. BBN.COM
3. THINK.COM
4. MCC.COM
5. DEC.COM
6. NORTHROP.COM
7. XEROX.COM
8. SRI.COM (Home of Tapped In!)
9. HP.COM
10. BELLCORE.COM
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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
Sheryl McCoy included an edited version of her TI perspective in her Thur., Jan. 10 blog post.
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Wandering around TI, I came across this post Russ Knopp had made to the whiteboard in the Tree House Conference Room. See if you have any additions or deletions to make to his list:
Can our students...
Make complex choices?
Benchmark a process?
Manage a negotiation?
Communicate clearly?
Motivate others?
Connect globally?
Organize information?
Cope with change?
Read a digital map?
Demonstrate innovativeness?
Resolve conflict?
Distinguish fact from opinion?
Respond to a blog?
Frame problems and solutions?
Sell ideas to others?
Give an effective presentation?
Set priorities and goals?
Lead a team?
Use technology well?
Learn outside the classroom?
Work effectively in teams?
Should they be able to? - RussKn
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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
Russ Knopp asks, "Can our students...?" Perhaps we need to ask ourselves as educators these questions also. Can we model the behaviors that allow our students to acquire these skills? Many of these topics are integrated in the monthly Tapped In ASO events that are found on the calendar. A few event examples are Collaboration Central, K-12 Student Campus Tour, Cyber 3, WriteTalk, Fanfiction, Math and Technology, Targeting Librarians, Web Tools for Education, WebTools 2.0 for Schools, Learning From Lyrics, Special Education Forum, K-3+ Resources, Great Resources for School Counselors, Social Studies Forum, Language Arts, Global Project Based Learning, and more! Take advantage of these free opportunities that the discussion presenters offer to help you better model 21st century skills for your students.
[6] Group Focus of the Month: TI Anniversary Scrapbook
The Tapped In After School Online colloquia celebrated its 10-year anniversary in November 2007! Were you a member of TI in November 1997? Did you participate in or lead any of the ASO discussions in those early years? Help us put together a 10th Anniversary ASO Scrapbook of comments and reflections by joining the TI Anniversary Scrapbook Group and posting to the discussion board or submit your contributions to BJ at bjb@tappedin.org
[7] 2008 Intel Schools of Distinction Awards
Does your school demonstrate excellence in math and science? The yearly Intel Schools of Distinction Awards recognize U.S. schools that implement innovative, replicable programs that inspire their students and lead to positive educational outcomes in the areas of math and science. The two categories of Math and Science will lead to 18 finalists: 3 each in grade group: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. There will be 6 winners and 1 Star Innovator for 2008 (one school selected from the 6 winners). Star Innovator for 2008 receives an additional $15,000 cash grant from the Intel Foundation as well as additional services and products from the award sponsors.
Apply now for the Intel Schools of Distinction Awards before February 14, 2008!
For more information click here. Programs of the Intel Education Initiative are funded by the Intel Foundation and Intel Corporation.
[8] Research on Edublogging
TI member Jeff Felix has conducted a study on teachers in the United States who are using blogging as an instructional practice. It is his intention to make this research available to as many educators as possible so that they may be encouraged to use this practice with their students. This study has been peer reviewed by professionals at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education organization. The full paper will be published and will be presented to fellow educators in March at their International Conference in Las Vegas. Jeff has also been asked to present the findings at the TechEd International Conference & Exposition in April in Ontario, CA. The full study may be found here. It is Jeff's hope that this study will be useful to you and to others who are proclaiming the benefits of 21st century learning. He believes that this study should be made available to all Web 2.0 educators.
[9] January Is National Mentoring Month
President George W. Bush has proclaimed January 2008 as National Mentoring Month.
Millions of Americans lend their time, talent, and energy to become mentors and make a difference in children's lives. During National Mentoring Month, we honor these caring individuals for their dedication to changing our country one heart and soul at a time.
By sharing their knowledge and experiences, mentors serve as examples for young people and help teach them the skills they need to succeed in life. They also provide stability, instill important values, and build confidence in those they assist. Mentors are soldiers in the armies of compassion, and they encourage children to set goals and achieve their dreams.
Visit the USA Freedom Corps website.
For further information and resources regarding the observance of National Mentoring Month, click here.
[10] About ...On the Tapis
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