Monday, February 1, 2010

Digital Nation

Frontline: Digital Nation

February MLTI Webinars

The schedule and registration for February 2010 webinars are now available. Please forward, print, blog, twitter, etc and share this information with as many co-workers as possible.

February 2010 Webcast Schedule

February 2 - Navigating the Real World II
February 4 - Making Meaning: Presenting Reality – Tools to analyze data.
February 11 - Research Process: Structuring a Research Project – using tools online and on the MLTI laptop to plan, organize and carry out research projects.
February 25 - Writing Process: Drafting, Revising, and Editing (lots of tools and resources to talk about here as well as techniques and strategies).

Navigating the Real World II (February 2nd)

In partnership with Wri2me (What's Really Important to ME), MLTI is hosting a webinar titled Navigating the Real World. Navigating the Real World is a printed annual publication that will be distributed in late April to all Maine high school students and many 8th graders as well. At its companion web site, NavigatingTheRealWorld.org, you can view a substantial number of interviews. In this webinar you will learn how you and your students can use the site as a resource. You will also learn how your students can do interviews and post them at NavigatingTheRealWorld.org for the benefit of others and as a resource for the printed annual. We want their help to gather the stories from a broad range of Maine people.

Presenting Reality: Tools to Analyze Data (February 4th) Facilitated by Phil Brookhouse

Data exists in many forms. In the classroom, students come in contact with data and we try to provide opportunities for them to construct meaning from all that data. In this webinar, we will look at some fundamental principles behind data and technology integration. An overview of data entry, data manipulation and data analysis will be provided by looking at spreadsheets, probeware, and databases in the framework of learning. As in other webinars in this series, we will look at “why to” rather than “how to,” and examine some of the philosophy behind the way we use the technology.

Registration Information


Regularly scheduled webcasts are held each Thursday at both 3:15 pm and 7:15 pm (with the exception of Navigating the Real World, which is Tuesday February 2nd). To learn more about these webcasts, please visit: http://maine121.org

Opportunity for the Fearful

Reposted - from Tora Johnson

Do you know of teachers who have had trouble incorporating the MLTI laptops into their curriculum because they lack basic computer skills or are fearful of using computers? The Education Program at the University of Maine at Machias, with funding from the National Science Foundation, is planning a special workshop and technical support program especially for them, and they need to hear from interested teachers!

The Education Program at the University of Maine at Machias will hold a pilot project (pending final approval of funding) to help middle and high school teachers overcome these hurdles and add computer activities into their curriculum in meaningful ways.

The T3 program is free, and participating teachers will receive CEUs and stipends.

Participants will...

· Join a supportive learning community of their peers
· Attend a four-day workshop in Machias in late June with free room and board (families may come along for an affordable daily rate, though we cannot provide childcare)
· Learn and apply basic laptop skills and related educational theory
· Work with patient, experienced instructors in a fun and relaxed learning environment
· Develop a modest plan for using the laptops to support some curriculum goals for the coming year
· Receive on-going support in implementing laptop activities, including on-site visits when needed
· Earn Continuing Education Units and a total of $1,200 in stipends

Any interested teachers must contact Tora Johnson at tjohnson@maine.edu or 207-255-1214 with the following information:

· Teacher's name
· School
· Grade(s)
· Discipline(s)
· Mailing address
· Email address (if they use email)
· Phone number
· Availability for each of the two possible dates for the workshop: June 21 - 24 or June 28 - July 1 (Please indicate if you are available for either or both set of dates)

When NSF confirms funding, teachers will be asked to submit a brief application. For the pilot program, there will be room for only 12 middle and high school teachers. If the program is a success, additional funding will be requested for a larger effort.

Note that this opportunity is strictly for teachers who lack computer skills and/or are fearful of working with the MLTI laptops in the classroom. It is not appropriate for technically savvy teachers.

If you personally are not interested in this experience (or perhaps you are just too tech savvy!) please forward this opportunity to anyone you feel qualifies/may be interested.