June 2012 – EBCUE News, Grant Winners, and Resources
EBCUE Newsletter
June 2012
11-12 Issue 3
———————————————————————--
http://www.eastbaycue.org/
———————————————————————--
Inside This Issue
———————————————————————--
* From the President
* Cool Tools 2012 Recap
* 2012 EBCUE Doug Prouty Grant Winners
* Curriculum Links
* Money Savings
* Tips & Tricks
* Professional Development
* Dates to Remember
==============================================================
EBCUE Board
President: Stephen Politzer
Vice President: Crystal Jensen
Eileen C. Walters
Anna Massi
Adrienne DeWolfe
Jim Freese
Stephen Politzer
Alberto Nodal
David Malone
Gerald McMullin
Theresa Gabor
Karen McMillan
============================================================
From the President:
Education in California has taken some huge hits these past few years, and the near future is looking bleak. Budget deficits, program cuts, increasing class sizes, and teacher layoffs are casting dark clouds over the coming school year in districts across the state. It’s hard to stay positive, BUT then along come moments of inspiration that give me hope. I’d like to share a couple to end this school year in a positive way.
Below, you’ll get to “meet” our 2012 East Bay CUE Doug Prouty Grant winners. They’ve got some amazing projects planned, and EBCUE is excited to be able to provide the funding to make them happen. You may think that funding these grants provided one of the moments that inspired me, but that’s not it. What inspired me is the number and quality of grant submissions we received this year. Hard decisions for the grant scoring judges? Absolutely, but it’s inspiring that so many teachers get it!
Another moment that inspired me was a professional development day held for Oakland Unified School District middle school teachers on a Saturday in mid-May as a part of their School2Home project. With a beautiful day outside, six teachers and a couple of classified support people sat indoors at my session for integrating technology tools for writing in English language arts and social studies. In the room next door, other teachers did the same with mathematics. You may think that these teachers, immersed in technology integration and excited for their students, provided one of the moments that inspired me, but that’s not it. What inspired me is that the school principal and assistant principal sat in on the sessions.
It’s inspiring to interact with educators who believe in integrating technology, who want to harness the motivation their students feel when using technology tools for learning, and who understand that students “powering up” can promote, not impede, learning… a glimmer of hope. See you in 2012-13…
Stephen Politzer
President, East Bay CUE
———-
COOL TOOLS 2012 RECAP
It was a great Saturday conference with many firsts. More than 200 attendees, many of whom were first-timers at Cool Tools, joined us at our new location of Head Royce School in Oakland. After registering in the library, attendees headed over to the Head Royce Cafe to enjoy the wonderful array of chef-inspired morning goodies. As participants came in and grabbed a bite, they were welcomed by our East Bay CUE President, Stephen Politzer, along with Mike Lawrence and Micheline LeBlanc from CUE. After the morning welcome, off people went to find their first session of the day. The morning was filled with two concurrent sessions that participants could pick and choose from (another first!) There were iPad sessions, grant writing, sessions about interactive websites, vendor sessions and many more. Since we were at a school, most sessions held 25 or fewer participants so the sessions were up close and personal. Then came a delicious lunch along with plenty of networking as participants prepared for their afternoon hands-on sessions. Participants were able to learn about Flip Video cameras, Going Google, Flip Teaching, Edmodo, Worthy Websites and much more. After the afternoon session, everyone walked down to the Community Room for our final wrap-up and prizes, prizes, prizes! Yes, iPads, Livescribe Pens, Kindle Touch, Snowball USB Microphone, iTunes cards, Gorilla Tripods, Flip Video Camera, and more were given to winning participants. Of course, everyone left with something. If you didn’t go home with one of the fabulous prizes, you went home with a whole new bag of tricks to try in your classrooms on Monday.
———–
2012 EBCUE DOUG PROUTY GRANT WINNERS
The Board of EBCUE extends a sincere thank you to all of the teachers who submitted applications for the 2012 Doug Prouty Classroom Grant Program. The Board congratulates all EBCUE teachers for doing such a fine job of integrating technology in the classroom and is proud to announce the following winners of the 2012 Doug Prouty Grant awards:
Linden VanWert – PK-8 English/Language Arts
Purpose – Create a podcasting station that students can use independently to create book reviews that are instantly uploaded to an online portal.
Outcomes – Students will be actively involved in using the library, including regularly checking out books for “”free reading”” times. Books checkout for 5th – 8th graders will increase. Use of the library during free times (before school, after school, recess and lunch) will increase.”
Jann Geyer – 6th English/Language Arts
“I want my sixth graders to create podcasts and visual book trailers on iPads. Currently, students “book talk” live to a single audience—simultaneously celebrating and advertising a loved book. …Creating podcasts and visual book trailers on the iPads will establish a library of student recommendations, allow for re-dos and quality improvement, reach a wider audience, and entice a different type of student to give book talks.”
Lyn Goodness/Patricia Snyder – 7th/8th Science
“Our project intends to expose and engage students in the process of investigating, developing and employing engineering principles….Our project is to use Lego Mindstorms Education Robotics and their computer software to design, construct and operate functional robotic structures.”
———-
CURRICULUM LINKS
Summer reading for students:
Teachers And Families Summer Reading
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/summerread.html
Summer Reading project from Network for Instructional TV, Inc. Pick a grade level, or search by author to get started.
Reading lists from TeacherVision:
Pick a grade span and get ready for find some great reading suggestions.
Pre-K through Primary
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6084.html
Grade 4 through 5
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6098.html
Grades 6 through 8
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6099.html
Grades 9 through 12
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6097.html
Reading Rockets Author Video Interviews
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews
Watch Reading Rockets’ exclusive video interviews with top children’s book authors and illustrators. You’ll discover if Chris Van Allsburg is really as spooky as his books, where Jon Scieszka gets his wacky ideas, and why Patricia Polacco’s warm family tales seem so real. Browse through more than 70 interviews!
Summer Reading
Ah, summer! Time to relax and recharge those batteries for the next school year. It’s also a wonderful time to learn something new and avoid that “summer slide” for teachers. So, when you start making plans for the fall, check out some of these websites.
10 Simple Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe Online This Summer
From Common Sense Media
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/10-simple-steps-internet-safety
Add “first time on the Internet” to the list of milestones every parent tracks for their kids these days. But once your kid starts going online, the “firsts” come fast and furious. Some firsts are good — like the online game that taught your preschooler the ABCs. But some didn’t go so well. Here are answers to parents’ most common concerns about keeping the Internet a safe, productive, positive experience.
Blogs for Teachers:
http://ilearntechnology.com/
Kelly Tenkely writes this blog on innovative uses of classroom technology. She shares easy-to-read, to-the-point reviews of tools, and describes what it is and how to integrate it into your curriculum.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
Richard Byrne’s award-winning blog is among the most popular websites with teachers. Spend just a few minutes on this site and you’ll understand why. From his free downloadable e-books to his daily posts about sites and tools for education, you’re certain to find something you can use in your own classroom.
http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/
Shelley Terrell’s blog includes her 30 Goals project in which she challenges educators to accomplish short-term goals related to education, especially where technology and social media are concerned. Her blog is also filled with many resources and ideas for using them with and for students.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Summer Viewing
You don’t need to spend all of your summer vacation money to attend a conference this year. Why, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home to hear from some of the leaders in education.
http://k12onlineconference.org/
The K12 Online Conference is held each year at a computer near you! The conference is completely online with all of the sessions being archived for future viewing. Visit the conference website to find archives for each year the conference has been held and learn from educators around the world, all at your own convenience.
http://www.youtube.com/edutopia
Visit Edutopia’s YouTube channel to find their videos all of which are education-related. Topics include: project-based learning, educational leadership, and classroom management. You will also discover all of Edutopia’s STEM videos for your reference.
Leading Edge Online and Blended Teacher Certification
Leading Edge Certification (LEC) for the Online and Blended Teacher is a national program to prepare instructional leaders for online learning. Content includes online pedagogy, moderating online discussions, building community in online learning environments, supporting diverse learners, and online assessment and evaluation. Time to complete the curriculum is estimated at 45-60 hours, including portfolio work, but will vary based on participants’ experience with the tools used. The recently revised curriculum is completed and has been vetted with a pilot group of teachers. We are happy to announce that we will be hosting our first round of LEC training beginning June 18th.
The course will run from June 18th through August 6th. To register for this training, please go to http://bit.ly/LEC-OT-June18.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Fall CUE Conference — October 26-27, 2012, American Canyon High School, Napa Valley, CA
June 2012
11-12 Issue 3
———————————————————————--
http://www.eastbaycue.org/
———————————————————————--
Inside This Issue
———————————————————————--
* From the President
* Cool Tools 2012 Recap
* 2012 EBCUE Doug Prouty Grant Winners
* Curriculum Links
* Money Savings
* Tips & Tricks
* Professional Development
* Dates to Remember
==============================================================
EBCUE Board
President: Stephen Politzer
Vice President: Crystal Jensen
Eileen C. Walters
Anna Massi
Adrienne DeWolfe
Jim Freese
Stephen Politzer
Alberto Nodal
David Malone
Gerald McMullin
Theresa Gabor
Karen McMillan
============================================================
From the President:
Education in California has taken some huge hits these past few years, and the near future is looking bleak. Budget deficits, program cuts, increasing class sizes, and teacher layoffs are casting dark clouds over the coming school year in districts across the state. It’s hard to stay positive, BUT then along come moments of inspiration that give me hope. I’d like to share a couple to end this school year in a positive way.
Below, you’ll get to “meet” our 2012 East Bay CUE Doug Prouty Grant winners. They’ve got some amazing projects planned, and EBCUE is excited to be able to provide the funding to make them happen. You may think that funding these grants provided one of the moments that inspired me, but that’s not it. What inspired me is the number and quality of grant submissions we received this year. Hard decisions for the grant scoring judges? Absolutely, but it’s inspiring that so many teachers get it!
Another moment that inspired me was a professional development day held for Oakland Unified School District middle school teachers on a Saturday in mid-May as a part of their School2Home project. With a beautiful day outside, six teachers and a couple of classified support people sat indoors at my session for integrating technology tools for writing in English language arts and social studies. In the room next door, other teachers did the same with mathematics. You may think that these teachers, immersed in technology integration and excited for their students, provided one of the moments that inspired me, but that’s not it. What inspired me is that the school principal and assistant principal sat in on the sessions.
It’s inspiring to interact with educators who believe in integrating technology, who want to harness the motivation their students feel when using technology tools for learning, and who understand that students “powering up” can promote, not impede, learning… a glimmer of hope. See you in 2012-13…
Stephen Politzer
President, East Bay CUE
———-
COOL TOOLS 2012 RECAP
It was a great Saturday conference with many firsts. More than 200 attendees, many of whom were first-timers at Cool Tools, joined us at our new location of Head Royce School in Oakland. After registering in the library, attendees headed over to the Head Royce Cafe to enjoy the wonderful array of chef-inspired morning goodies. As participants came in and grabbed a bite, they were welcomed by our East Bay CUE President, Stephen Politzer, along with Mike Lawrence and Micheline LeBlanc from CUE. After the morning welcome, off people went to find their first session of the day. The morning was filled with two concurrent sessions that participants could pick and choose from (another first!) There were iPad sessions, grant writing, sessions about interactive websites, vendor sessions and many more. Since we were at a school, most sessions held 25 or fewer participants so the sessions were up close and personal. Then came a delicious lunch along with plenty of networking as participants prepared for their afternoon hands-on sessions. Participants were able to learn about Flip Video cameras, Going Google, Flip Teaching, Edmodo, Worthy Websites and much more. After the afternoon session, everyone walked down to the Community Room for our final wrap-up and prizes, prizes, prizes! Yes, iPads, Livescribe Pens, Kindle Touch, Snowball USB Microphone, iTunes cards, Gorilla Tripods, Flip Video Camera, and more were given to winning participants. Of course, everyone left with something. If you didn’t go home with one of the fabulous prizes, you went home with a whole new bag of tricks to try in your classrooms on Monday.
———–
2012 EBCUE DOUG PROUTY GRANT WINNERS
The Board of EBCUE extends a sincere thank you to all of the teachers who submitted applications for the 2012 Doug Prouty Classroom Grant Program. The Board congratulates all EBCUE teachers for doing such a fine job of integrating technology in the classroom and is proud to announce the following winners of the 2012 Doug Prouty Grant awards:
Linden VanWert – PK-8 English/Language Arts
Purpose – Create a podcasting station that students can use independently to create book reviews that are instantly uploaded to an online portal.
Outcomes – Students will be actively involved in using the library, including regularly checking out books for “”free reading”” times. Books checkout for 5th – 8th graders will increase. Use of the library during free times (before school, after school, recess and lunch) will increase.”
Jann Geyer – 6th English/Language Arts
“I want my sixth graders to create podcasts and visual book trailers on iPads. Currently, students “book talk” live to a single audience—simultaneously celebrating and advertising a loved book. …Creating podcasts and visual book trailers on the iPads will establish a library of student recommendations, allow for re-dos and quality improvement, reach a wider audience, and entice a different type of student to give book talks.”
Lyn Goodness/Patricia Snyder – 7th/8th Science
“Our project intends to expose and engage students in the process of investigating, developing and employing engineering principles….Our project is to use Lego Mindstorms Education Robotics and their computer software to design, construct and operate functional robotic structures.”
———-
CURRICULUM LINKS
Summer reading for students:
Teachers And Families Summer Reading
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/summerread.html
Summer Reading project from Network for Instructional TV, Inc. Pick a grade level, or search by author to get started.
Reading lists from TeacherVision:
Pick a grade span and get ready for find some great reading suggestions.
Pre-K through Primary
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6084.html
Grade 4 through 5
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6098.html
Grades 6 through 8
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6099.html
Grades 9 through 12
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/summer/reading/6097.html
Reading Rockets Author Video Interviews
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews
Watch Reading Rockets’ exclusive video interviews with top children’s book authors and illustrators. You’ll discover if Chris Van Allsburg is really as spooky as his books, where Jon Scieszka gets his wacky ideas, and why Patricia Polacco’s warm family tales seem so real. Browse through more than 70 interviews!
Summer Reading
Ah, summer! Time to relax and recharge those batteries for the next school year. It’s also a wonderful time to learn something new and avoid that “summer slide” for teachers. So, when you start making plans for the fall, check out some of these websites.
10 Simple Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe Online This Summer
From Common Sense Media
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/10-simple-steps-internet-safety
Add “first time on the Internet” to the list of milestones every parent tracks for their kids these days. But once your kid starts going online, the “firsts” come fast and furious. Some firsts are good — like the online game that taught your preschooler the ABCs. But some didn’t go so well. Here are answers to parents’ most common concerns about keeping the Internet a safe, productive, positive experience.
Blogs for Teachers:
http://ilearntechnology.com/
Kelly Tenkely writes this blog on innovative uses of classroom technology. She shares easy-to-read, to-the-point reviews of tools, and describes what it is and how to integrate it into your curriculum.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
Richard Byrne’s award-winning blog is among the most popular websites with teachers. Spend just a few minutes on this site and you’ll understand why. From his free downloadable e-books to his daily posts about sites and tools for education, you’re certain to find something you can use in your own classroom.
http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/
Shelley Terrell’s blog includes her 30 Goals project in which she challenges educators to accomplish short-term goals related to education, especially where technology and social media are concerned. Her blog is also filled with many resources and ideas for using them with and for students.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Summer Viewing
You don’t need to spend all of your summer vacation money to attend a conference this year. Why, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home to hear from some of the leaders in education.
http://k12onlineconference.org/
The K12 Online Conference is held each year at a computer near you! The conference is completely online with all of the sessions being archived for future viewing. Visit the conference website to find archives for each year the conference has been held and learn from educators around the world, all at your own convenience.
http://www.youtube.com/edutopia
Visit Edutopia’s YouTube channel to find their videos all of which are education-related. Topics include: project-based learning, educational leadership, and classroom management. You will also discover all of Edutopia’s STEM videos for your reference.
Leading Edge Online and Blended Teacher Certification
Leading Edge Certification (LEC) for the Online and Blended Teacher is a national program to prepare instructional leaders for online learning. Content includes online pedagogy, moderating online discussions, building community in online learning environments, supporting diverse learners, and online assessment and evaluation. Time to complete the curriculum is estimated at 45-60 hours, including portfolio work, but will vary based on participants’ experience with the tools used. The recently revised curriculum is completed and has been vetted with a pilot group of teachers. We are happy to announce that we will be hosting our first round of LEC training beginning June 18th.
The course will run from June 18th through August 6th. To register for this training, please go to http://bit.ly/LEC-OT-June18.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Fall CUE Conference — October 26-27, 2012, American Canyon High School, Napa Valley, CA