Speak Up! Survey

RETAzens,
Keep up the great work! Read more below.

And there’s still time for teachers, students, administrators, and parents to take the Speak Up! Survey. It closes on Friday, Dec. 18th! http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/

Thanks to everyone who has taken and promoted this survey. Thanks to Jill Brown, NMSTE President, for the following information.

Speak Up! update: Innovate-Educate NM in partnership with NMSTE, IDEAL-NM and the NM CTE
Committee has resulted in over 6000 NM participants that have taken the survey, compared to 300 last year!


--Sincerely,
   Susie B. =;->  

“The world is full of willing people; some willing to work, the rest willing to let them."
--Robert Frost,
Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet

Upcoming RETA Webinar: Creating Projects with Scratch

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM November 9, 2009
Location: http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/scratchsum09/

Dear RETAzens,

The Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) program would like to
invite you to attend our upcoming, free, professional development webinar,
Creating Projects with Scratch.

This is webinar is an introduction to the free programming language,
Scratch, and its website/repository/social area. First, there will be an
introduction to the programming features that are unique to Scratch. After
that, the presenter, Carl Bogardus, will log on to Scratch's website and
give you a tour. At that point, you will see student and teacher projects
and discuss the possibility of classroom use. Finally, you will get the
chance to register on the website (also free!) and look for projects that
you'd like to use as an introduction to Scratch in your classroom.

Details on Attending
When: Monday, November 9th, 2009 @ 4:30 PM (Mountain)
http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/scratchsum09/
Cost: Free

Plan to join us 15-20 minutes prior to the start time to configure your
computer. To participate, speakers are required. A simple computer
microphone and/or a headset are ideal for interaction.

If you have never used Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your
connection at: Adobe Acrobat Pro Support Center
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

For complete information on this and all of our webinars visit us at:
http://webinars.nmsu.edu or contact us at: webinars [at] nmsu.edu or call
Miley
Grandjean, 575.646.6143. Also, don't forget to find us on Facebook,
http://tinyurl.com/ahffeh or tweet with us on Twitter&lsqauo;@retazens

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

Thank you,
RETA Webinar Team

Reminder: Competitive Mini-Grant Applications-- DUE Friday, October 30, 2009

Innovate-Educate and NMSTE Announce
Qwest Innovation Grants
Competitive Mini-Grant Application Package

http://nmste.wikispaces.com/Qwest+Grant+09
 
                              
 
Application Deadline:
Friday, October 30, 2009
 
Administered by Innovate-Educate


Qwest Classroom Technology Integration
Competitive Mini-Grant Application


Introduction

The Qwest Foundation has allocated to Innovate-Educate $25,000 through a Qwest Foundation for Education Grant to be awarded to non-APS (APS grants also available) PreK-12 teachers who demonstrate an innovative use of technology with students.  The funds may be used to purchase the following for use in the classroom: supplies and materials, technology, or professional development activities.  Any non-disposable supplies and materials or capital objects purchased are the property of the district or school that is awarded the grant.  Funds will be awarded during the 2009-2010 school year.  Recipients will be awarded in November 2009.  The funds must be spent by May 30, 2010.  Deadline for the Award:  The application must be postmarked by October 30, 2009.  

The purpose of this grant is to:
 

1. Recognize teachers who are using technology  in innovative ways with students;  
2. Increase an awareness of how teachers are using technology in the classroom;  
3. Model best practices with technology integration improving student achievement.
   

For the Innovate-Educate submissions, there will be a competitive priority on the use of virtual technologies.  In other words, those grants submitted that address the use of virtual resources to reach more teachers/students will be given priority over other submissions.  Sustainability and scalability are also a priority.
 
Timelines

1. Mini-Grant proposals must be postmarked by October 30, 2009.
   

Proposals postmarked after that date will not be considered.

1. Mini-Grants  can be applied for in the amounts of $2,500 and $5,000.  
2. Panel  or poster session presentations of awarded projects will be made at the  Innovate-Educate /STE Spring Conference in April 2010.
   

Eligibility

Certified PreK-12 school teachers are eligible to receive a maximum of one Mini-Grant award.
 
For the rest of the story go to http://nmste.wikispaces.com/Qwest+Grant+09

Upcoming RETA Webinar: Photostory 3 in the Classroom

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM November 2, 2009
Location: http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/photo3sum09/

Dear Retazens,

The Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) program would like to
invite you to attend our upcoming, free, professional development webinar,
Photostory 3 in the Classroom.

Photostory 3 is a free software download on computers using the Windows
operating system. During this webinar we discuss various classroom
ideas/uses for Photostory videos, and you will learn how easy it is to
create videos for your own classroom. Engage your students with video
projects that can be burned on to CDs, DVDs, posted to the web, or even
emailed to parents. Downloadable take-home resources will also be provided.

Details on Attending
When: Monday, November 2nd, 2009 @ 4:30 PM (Mountain)
http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/photo3sum09/
Cost: Free

Plan to join us 15-20 minutes prior to the start time to configure your
computer. To participate, speakers are required. A simple computer
microphone and/or a headset are ideal for interaction.

If you have never used Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your
connection at: Adobe Acrobat Pro Support Center
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

For complete information on this and all of our webinars visit us at:
http://webinars.nmsu.edu or contact us at: webinars [at] nmsu.edu or call
575.646.6143. And don¹t forget to find us on Facebook,
http://tinyurl.com/ahffeh or tweet with us on Twitter&lsqauo;@retazens

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

Thank you & feel free to pass along the attached flyer,
RETA Webinar Team

Upcoming RETA Webinar: Microsoft Office Word 2007 for Teachers

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM October 19, 2009
Location: Online: http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/wordsum09/

Dear Retazens,

The Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) program would like to
invite you to attend our upcoming, free, professional development webinar,
Microsoft Office Word 2007 for Teachers.

This is a demonstration and explanation of some of the features that make
Microsoft Office Word an excellent presentation tool for teachers. In this
webinar, you will learn how to create and format tables, insert visual
graphics (pictures, clip art and shapes), and embed objects (audio and video
clips).

Details on Attending
When: Monday, October 19th, 2009 @ 4:30 PM (Mountain)
Where: http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/wordsum09/
Cost: Free

Plan to join us 15-20 minutes prior to the start time to configure your
computer. To participate, speakers are required. A simple computer
microphone and/or a headset are ideal for interaction.

If you have never used Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your
connection at: Adobe Acrobat Pro Support Center
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

For complete information on this and all of our webinars visit us at:
http://webinars.nmsu.edu or contact us at: webinars [at] nmsu.edu or call
575.646.6143. And don¹t forget to find us on Facebook,
http://tinyurl.com/ahffeh or tweet with us on Twitter&lsqauo;@retazens

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

Thank you & feel free to pass along the attached flyer,
RETA Webinar Team

Upcoming RETA Webinar: Cool Tools For Educators

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM October 5, 2009
Location: Online: http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/cooltoolssum09/

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM October 5th, 2009
Location: http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/cooltoolssum09/

Dear Retazens,

The Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) program would like to
invite you to attend our upcoming, free, professional development webinar,
Cool Tools For Educators.

Cool Tools For Educators will will introduce you to lots of free and cheap
online tools for educators. In this webinar we will take a quick "drive by"
tour of some of the cool tools available. Resources and links to these
online tools will be provided.

Details on Attending
When: Monday, October 5th, 2009 @ 4:30 PM (Mountain)
Where: http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/cooltoolssum09/
Cost: Free

Plan to join us 15-20 minutes prior to the start time to configure your
computer. To participate, speakers are required. A simple computer
microphone and/or a headset are ideal for interaction.

If you have never used Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your
connection at: Adobe Acrobat Pro Support Center
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

For complete information on this and all of our webinars visit us at:
http://webinars.nmsu.edu or contact us at: webinars [@] nmsu.edu or call
575.646.6143. And don¹t forget to find us on Facebook,
http://tinyurl.com/ahffeh or tweet with us on Twitter&lsqauo;@retazens

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

Thank you & feel free to pass along the attached flyer,
RETA Webinar Team

Having fun with my RETA crew and taking a mental break from prep for new semester :)

Connect! Your PLN Lab

Explore with us how Personal Learning Networks (PLN) add value to our personal and professional lives. From tools and strategies to perspectives and philosophies,  we're opening up a lab for sharing this conversation across synchronous, asynchronous, and ambisynchronous formats. 

Our unique approach for Connect! Your PLN Lab combines highly interactive webinars and hands-on challenge activities to provide you with an engaging learning experience focused on helping you maximize the potential of your PLN.

For all the information, check out our PLN wiki at:
http://plnlab.pbworks.com/

Be sure to watch the video too:

http://snipurl.com/plnvideo

There is much fun to be had!

:)
~julz

Draft of National Technology Literacy Test Released

ASCD SmartBrief | 08/17/2009

A draft of proposed national technological-literacy exams has been released
by the National Assessment Governing Board. You can download it at:

http://www.edweek.org/media/nagb_assessment_devel_comm_aug_7-09.pdf

The computer-based test, which will be given to a sample of students in
fourth, eighth and 12th grades in 2012, will gauge students' ability to use
and communicate with technology as well as their understanding of
technology's advantages and drawbacks.

http://tinyurl.com/o5n9br

21st Century Skills science and geography skills

THE Journal

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills <http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/>
has teamed with the National Science Teachers Association
<http://www.nsta.org/> and the National Council for Geographic Education
<http://www.ncge.org/> to launch the latest in its series of 21st century
road maps for core academic subjects, in this case K-12 science and
geography. The maps were introduced at the National Education Computing
Conference <http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2009/> (NECC) being held
this week in Washington, DC.

http://snurl.com/lryai

--
Larry Jeffryes

TPS Direct PD tool presented at NECC

Thanks Larry for this resource!

TPS Direct
Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Direct
By using TPS Direct PD activities, educators learn how to bring primary
sources into the classroom and help students think critically, construct
knowledge, and develop the information fluency necessary for success in the
21st century.

The Library¹s PD content is applicable for educators across grade levels and
content areas. It can be used independently, or it can be integrated into an
existing professional development program.

PD Plan Builder
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/tpsdirect/pdplanbuilder/

Select activities from the Library's proven professional development
programs and build a customized PD plan. Output is a PDF (Adobe Reader 8.1.3
or higher recommended
http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Questions or comments? <http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-learning.html>

Alexis Duprey, Miss Teen NM needs help from NM friends - http://ping.fm/EsJqC

FROM ASTD NM: Job Links Updated / New Jobs Posted!

Thanks to Szq and Larry for the following information!

FYI: Overview of current jobs related to instructional design, training,
and technology outside the PreK-14 classroom. (Is that where the "real
world" is?)

We are receiving requests from all over for new positions!
We at ASTD NM wish you the very best when applying for them.
See our new and updated positions at http://www.astdnm.org/jobs
ASTDNM Job Line

Brain Fitness - Help Students Become Lifelong Learners

Thank you Szq for this resource!

The New Science of Learning:
Brain Fitness for Kids
As seen on Public Television
<http://e-news.edweek.org/ct/4625238:5464046886:m:1:219560809:9D3DEDAAEEF150
8644814A39F137DA8A>

A brain is an amazing structure: flexible, powerful, and able to learn,
process, create and dream. The more we discover about the brain, the more we
are able to affect how learners use their brains, and thus improve their
potential for the future. Just as exercise of the body promotes physical
fitness, so does the proper exercise of the mind promote brain fitness. The
latest neuroscience has shown how plastic the brain actually is; the input
we receive actually creates physical or "neuroplastic" changes in the brain.

In short, we can train this amazing structure to help learners become more
fit and ready for lifelong learning&lsqauo;and the earlier in life we start with
such exercise, the better.

A program called "The New Science of Learning: Brain Fitness for Kids,"
produced by Public Television, explores the exciting promise of brain
plasticity and how it can be used to optimize learning and dramatically,
positively and permanently impact the lives of learners of all abilities.

Through interviews with neuroscientists, psychologists, educators, and
parents, it tells the groundbreaking and moving story of previously
unthinkable successes in learning and life. We are excited to bring you some
of the experts featured on the show in a series of complimentary webinars!

The New Science of Learning: Brain Fitness for Kids Webinar Series
* May 27th, 10am PDT, How the Brain Learns: From the Laboratory to the
Classroom
* Dr. Paula Tallal, Board of Governor¹s professor of neuroscience at
Rutgers, The State of New Jersey, and co-founder and co-director of the
Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience.
* June 4th, 10am PDT, Brain Plasticity, Child Development, and Learning
* Dr. Michael Merzenich, Professor Emeritus in Otolaryngology in the W. M.
Keck Foundations Center for Integrative Neurosciences at the University of
California San Francisco Medical Center, and elected member of the National
Academy of Sciences.
* June 10th, 9am and 1pm PDT, Stewarding the Health of our Children¹s
Learning
* David Boulton, Learning Activist, Director of the Children of the Code
Project.

To register for these upcoming seminars Click here
<http://e-news.edweek.org/ct/4625238:5464046886:m:1:219560809:9D3DEDAAEEF150
8644814A39F137DA8A> .

If you are one of the first 1000 people to sign up you will receive a
complimentary DVD of the television special before it airs nation-wide in
June, but hurry, limited copies of the DVD are available, so sign up today!
To see these experts on the pubic television program "The New Science of
Learning: Brain Fitness for Kids," when it airs nation-wide, check your
local listings for dates and times.

Editorial Projects in Education, Inc., 6935 Arlington Road, Suite 100,
Bethesda, MD 20814. EPE is the publisher of Education Week, Digital
Directions, Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook, edweek.org,
teachermagazine.org, DigitalDirections.org and TopSchoolJobs.org.

Copyright © 2009 Editorial Projects in Education.

Great Podcasting Resource

Thanks to an OTLOzen for this fabulous podcasting online resource!

Check out Learning in Hand at:
http://www.learninginhand.com/

And of course, remember to check out RETA’s podcasting and vodcasting resources at:
http://reta-podcasting.pbwiki.com/
http://pvia.pbwiki.com/

Happy Casting!
:)
~julz

FREE Webinars & Webconferencing Support!

For those of you who are either using Wimba or just wanting to learn more about webconferencing, Wimba has a a variety of free webinar series that you might be interested in:

1) The Wimba Distinguished Lecture Series has a cool lineup including a few that I want to attend such as Increasing Enrollment by Using Collaborative Online Technology and MoodleRooms and Wimba, Together At Last! Check this series out at:

http://www.wimba.com/company/events/dls/

2) Wimba Online Workshops provides support for those of you using the Wimba tools. Check this series out at:

http://www.wimba.com/company/events/wow/

3) The Wimba Archive lets you watch the recorded event, in case you missed it or if you want to see it again. Check this out at:

http://www.wimba.com/company/events/archived/

And of course, if you want to see some fun webinars in action, make sure to check out the RETA Webinars series including eLearning with Emerging Technologies, Increasing Interaction with Audio/Video Tools, and the NMSTE/RETA Webinar Series. Archives of past events are also available for the RETA Webinars.

Check out RETA Webinars at:

http://webinars.nmsu.edu

Much love to my friends on the InterWebs!

:)
~julz

Two cool resources

Thanks to Larry for reminding me to post this!

Check out LibraryThing. It allows you to catalogue your books. Additionally, it works with Ottobib and provides book citations in MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, and Wikipedia citation. I also like GoodReads, but I’m a bookaholic.

http://librarything.com
http://ottobib.com
http://goodreads.com

:)
~julz

Important video of ideas to watch, think, discuss

Thanks to Larry for this video!

Seems to me there's a message here applicable to how technology changes the
way we learn, think, and interactivity with technology? Technology use:
Consuming! Producing! Sharing!

In the following video, ³Where do people find the time?², Shirky argues that
investing our time in learning these technologies or spending your extra
time on the Internet learning is not useless, rather it is more productive
than watching TV and that we should reconsider how we "waste" our time.

http://www.davidbill.org/2009/04/03/where-do-we-find-the-time/

(Found in a Twitter Tweet)

First Empirical Evidence for Visual versus Verbal Learning Styles

Thanks to Szq for this info!

Visual Learners Convert Words To Pictures In The Brain And Vice Versa, Says
Psychology Study
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325091834.htm

Two cool vid sites to check out - YouTube EDU - http://www.youtube.com/edu and Academic Earth http://academicearth.org/