OMG! Done

Somewhere over there, the promised land

Satans sandpit

About 9 miles 2 go but feels like 4ever

Mister truck and my feet r not so very happy

Bagpipe dude

10 miles, on hell hill

Almost around this Mt.

Cool tin structure thing

Some ranch

We r really off 4 sure now

And we start, 7am

Ceremony Invocation

Jacobs head, sunrise, mountains

Flag at 7am

Flag and moon

Oddly Elvis is here 2...

Bagpipes @ 5am, sweet!

5:26am and the floodlights r fantastic!

Representin Fort Hood, my girls in pink!

Should be illegal to be up at 4am!

The rockhouse

Mel and the rockhouse

What a view...

Mel

Aw Pepper is 2 cute!

Next Sunday My Team Walks in Honor of Bataan Death March

The Bataan Memorial Death March honors a special group of World War II heroes. These brave soldiers were responsible for the defense of the islands of Luzon, Corregidor and the harbor defense forts of the Philippines.

The conditions they encountered and the aftermath of the battle were unique. They fought in a malaria-infested region, surviving on half or quarter rations with little or no medical help. They fought with outdated equipment and virtually no air power.

On April 9, 1942, tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers were surrendered to Japanese forces. The Americans were Army, Army Air Corps, Navy and Marines. Among those seized were members of the 200^th Coast Artillery, New Mexico National Guard.

They were marched for days in the scorching heat through the Philippine jungles. Thousands died. Those who survived faced the hardships of a prisoner of war camp. Others were wounded or killed when unmarked enemy ships transporting prisoners of war to Japan were sunk by U.S. air and naval forces.

Memorial March began in 1989

The Army ROTC Department at New Mexico State University began sponsoring the memorial march in 1989 to mark a page in history that included so many native sons and affected many families in the state. In 1992, White Sands Missile Range and the New Mexico National Guard joined in the sponsorship and the event was moved to the missile range.

In 2003, for the only time in its history, the memorial march was canceled. Operation Iraqi Free required extensive deployment among the units that usually support the march and event could not be safely and efficiently conducted.

Since its inception, the memorial march has grown from about 100 to some 4,000 marchers from across the United States and several foreign countries. While still primarily a military event, many civilians choose to take the challenge.

Marchers come to this memorial event for many reasons — personal challenge, the spirit of competition or to foster esprit de corps in their unit. Some march in honor of a family member or a particular veteran who was in the Bataan Death March or was taken a prisoner of war by the Japanese in the Philippines.

Two Routes Offered

Participants entering the Bataan Memorial Death March may choose between two routes. The different routes are clearly marked with colors/signs directing marchers. The GREEN route is the full 26.2 mile Bataan Memorial Death March. Awards will be given to the top two finishers in each route category. Those marching the 26.2 miles will be able to experience, in part, what the Soldiers endured during their long trek through the Philippines. Participants of this full march will follow signs clearly identifying the GREEN route.

• 26.2 miles

• Desert trails and washes

• 4,100-5,300 feet elevation

The 26.2 mile memorial march route starts on the White Sands main post, crosses dusty and hilly desert terrain, circles a small mountain and returns to the main post through sandy desert trails and washes. The elevation ranges from about 4,100 to 5,300 feet. Be sure to look at the course description page.

The BLUE route is approximately 15 miles in length. This shorter march is designed for participates who would like to memorialize Bataan but do not wish to march the full 26.2 mile route. There are NO awards given for this march. Participants of this shorter march will follow signs clearly identifying the BLUE route.

Go to the site for much more information...

I want a Wii :)

RETA Webinar: Blogs in the Classroom II

You are invited to a RETA Webinar: The eLearning with Emerging
Technologies Series!

**This week¹s webinar is: Blogs in the Classroom II

Whether you joined us for Blogging I or not, this session will surely
help any educator take their blogs to a heightened level. Here we will
go more in depth with adding features to your blogs (RSS feeds,
widgets, polls, images, slideshows, etc.). Not only will we ³Bling your
Blog,² we will also discuss the ³how-to² of classroom blog management
and assessment.

**When: March 18, 2008 from 4:30-5:30pm

TO JOIN THIS EVENT
Our Webinar sessions are one hour long and will begin promptly at
4:30pm MST (5:30 CST; 6:30 EST; 3:30 PST).

To attend this event, please go to the following url:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/r21506815/

To participate speakers are encouraged. A simple computer microphone
and/or headset are ideal for complete interaction. A webcam is
optional. If you have never used Acrobat Connect Professional, please
test your connection at:
http://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

TECH ASSISTANCE
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Cissy
Lujan-Pincomb or Miley Grandjean at webinars at nmsu.edu or call us at
575-649-0768 or 575.646.6143.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit us at http://webinars.nmsu.edu

Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ (eLearning
Quotient) with us!

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

Tag, you're it, pass it on...

Thank to Holly, I’ve been tagged with this information. Read, reflect, ponder and please pass it on.

Quote from Karl Fisch:
“If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write.

Extreme? Maybe. Your thoughts?”

Read his blog post on this:
http://snipurl.com/21552  

Read the Article - Are Teachers Ready for 21st Century Learning? You may need to register to read, but it’s free.
http://snipurl.com/21554

Reminder: Show me the Moodle Blocks!

Want to spice up your Moodle course?

Show me the Moodle - Blocks by Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz
Thursday, March 6, 2008 - 5 – 6 pm Mountain Standard Time
Register at: http://moodlebots.pbwiki.com/register+here
Attend at: http://nmsu.acrobat.com/retashowmethemoodle/

How do you add RSS feeds to the sidebar of your course? What if you want an interactive calendar for students? These are only a couple of the Blocks available in Moodle. In this one hour session, we will demonstrate implementation of these popular blocks and show you how you can add Widgets to incorporate other dynamic content into your course.

This session is for Moodlers who have already had an introduction to Moodle Course Design.

This session will be recorded for on demand viewing. Details will be shared after the session.

Attending these sessions

A simple computer microphone and/or chat headset is ideal for participation. A web cam is also nice, but not required. Please plan to join the session at least 20 minutes prior to the start time to configure your computer.
 
If you have never used Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your connection at:

http://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Tech Assistance

Support will be available 30 minutes prior to the start of session for tech assistance.

More great eLearning webinars and webclass sessions coming up every week! For more information, see
http://moodlebots.pbwiki.com/Synchronous+Learning+Events

For more information on Moodle

Our ancillary resource for this session is the Moodle 1.8 Handbook at our site at http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle. After attending, you should be able to practice the ‘hands on’ component in your own Moodle classroom (contact me if you would like a course environment for your use at RETAMoodle - http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle).

Can’t make it?

Sessions will be recorded. A link for a session recording will be available
=========================
Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz
hollyrae at nmsu.edu

Student Success is everybody's business!

Ph. 505.646.4699  Fx. 505.646.2044
New Mexico State University
MSC 3WEC/PO Box 30001; Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001

~Division of Student Success & College of Extended Learning~
http://extended.nmsu.edu

~Regional Educational Technology Assistance Program~
http://reta.nmsu.edu
1.800.821.1574
=========================

Invitation to NETS Standards / NMSTE

You have been invited to the following event:

Event: NETS Standards / NMSTE

Description: Dr Jill Brown will provide you with information regarding the
updated NETS( National Educational Technology Standards), an update on the
International Society of Technology in Education, and information on the
newly formed New Mexico Society for Technology in Education (NMSTE).

When: Tuesday 11 March 2008, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

TO JOIN THIS EVENT
Our webinars are one hour and will begin promptly at 4:30 pm MST (5:30 CST;
6:30 EST; 3:30 PST).

-Please register for this event at least 24 hours prior to the event.
-To register, please go to the following link:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/nets/event/registration.html

-The email and password you use to register will be your login and
password to attend the event.
-You will receive a reminder email with the link to attend 24 hours prior
to the event.

To participate speakers are required. A simple computer microphone and/or
headset is ideal for complete interaction. A webcam is optional. If you
have never used Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your connection
at: http://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

TECH ASSISTANCE
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Cissy Lujan-Pincomb
or Miley Grandjean at webinars@nmsu.edu or call us at 575-649-0768 or
575.646.6143.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit us at http://webinars.nmsu.edu
Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ (eLearning
Quotient) with us!

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

U.S. educators seek lessons from Scandinavia

In Finland, Sweden, and Denmark “students start formal schooling at age seven after participating in extensive early-childhood and preschool programs focused on self-reflection and social behavior, rather than academic content. By focusing on self-reflection, students learn to become responsible for their own education, delegates said.”

http://snipurl.com/211v6  [www_eschoolnews_com]

A Complete Guide to One-to-One Computing in the K-12 Environment

Join MPC Gateway and the Center for Digital Education as they explore both
the inner workings of one-to-one computing and the effects of technology on
educating the "Millennials".

Access a FREE version of "K-12 2.0: A Complete Guide to One-to-One Computing
in the K-12 Environment." <http://www.convergemag.com/mpc_gateway/>

Join a Webinar to hear about One-to-One computing implementation.
<http://www.centerdigitaled.com/conference.php?confid=396>
South Dakota is nationally recognized for its progressive and successful
technology agenda. The Center for Digital Education is pleased to share an
overview of the wonderful work the state is doing for its students.

<http://www.mpccorp.com/>

<http://www.centerdigitaled.com/>

Cool Social Studies Resource

Letter-scanning project brings history to life
University of Rochester posts to web letters written to and from Abraham Lincoln

http://snipurl.com/211uc  [www_eschoolnews_com]

Blogs in the Classroom I Reminder

This is a reminder that you are invited to Blogs in the Classroom I, which
is due to start at Tuesday 4 March 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM. Below are the
event details and instructions for participating:

Event: Blogs in the Classroom I

Description: You hear about blogs everyday from students or co-workers, but
have you thought about using them in your classroom? In this webinar
session you will be introduced to the refreshing world of blogging where you
will begin generating ideas on how you might use blogs within your own
classroom. In this first session we will introduce you to: what a blog is,
what can a blog be used for, help you set up your own blogging account, and
then send you on your way with resources, so that you will make an informed
and enjoyable push into the ³blogging world.²

When: Tuesday 4 March 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM

TO JOIN THE WEBINAR
Our webinars are one hour and will begin promptly at 4:30pm MST (5:30 CST;
6:30 EST; 3:30 PST).

--If you have not registered for this event, please go to the following
link to register at least 24 hours prior to the event:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/blogs1/event/registration.html

--If you have previously registered for this event, attend by going to the
following link and enter the email address and password you used to
register: http://nmsu.acrobat.com/blogs1/event/login.html

Join the webinar 20-30 minutes prior to the start time to configure your
computer. To participate speakers are required; a simple computer microphone
and/or headset is ideal for complete interaction. A webcam is optional. If
you have never used Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your
connection at:

http://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

TECH ASSISTANCE
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Cissy Lujan-Pincomb
or Miley Grandjean at webinars at nmsu.edu or call us at 575.649.0768 or
575.646.6143.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit us at http://webinars.nmsu.edu

Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ (eLearning
Quotient) with us.

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team
----------------

Venti Learning with Foam: A Video Report from Starbucks

On Feb 26, 2008, Starbucks closed over 7,000 stores for a unique 3 hour company wide training effort. The following day, Elliott Masie visited the local Starbucks in Saratoga Springs, NY and did an in-depth interview with the store manager on the learning outcomes, processes and texture of this experiment.

Check out the 8 minute video at Elliot Masie's site: http://www.masieweb.com/starbucks

My next book to read...

My friend Bethany recommends this book and two blogs/bloggers have some great cheats on reading this book:

Mobile Mind

and

Learning Visions

Check it out at Amazon: