Instructional Technology Newsline
March 2006: Volume 7, Number 5

Newsline Submission Guidelines


 Inside this Issue

Instructional Technology Update 

From the Director’s Desk

National News

  • President's proposed budget eliminates Title II.D Ed Tech Program

  • ED names Magner new ed tech chief

  • Arizona to measure student technology literacy

  • Michigan approves online course requirement for high school graduation

  • Use of interactive computer tests planned for NAEP

  • Rep. Barton proposes overhaul of Telecommunications Act

E-rate Program

  • Funding Year 2005 News

  • Funding Year 2006 News

Ed Tech Research, Publications, Resources, Special Events

  • ISTE publishes NETS*S: Resources for Student Assessment

  • Speak-Up Day results released

  • Students tell why their school library media centers "rock"

  • Grant Wrangler website launched for fast finding of funding for K-12 schools

Missouri Schools and Programs in the News  

  • Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) launches Internet-based video station

Missouri participates in 9-state online professional development project

MOREnet Update

  • MOREnet drafts FY07 TNP user fees

  • Online Registration is open for Connection 2006, MOREnet's Spring Technical Conference

Regular Featured Items 


Index by Topics
Archives
 

 

 

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or age in it's programs and activities. (more)

This month’s Instructional Technology Update covers budget and grant program issues related to the 2006-07 school year. Note that some of the information is time sensitive in that a lot can happen between now and when FY07 allocations, budgets, and program decisions are finalized. This edition of Newsline also provides updates on a variety of other topical issues, such as student technology assessment, and introduces a new initiative in Missouri, the eLearning for Educators project to develop and provide high-quality, online professional development.
Deborah Sutton

  INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

  Budgets/Grant Programs

Fiscal Year 2005-06 – There are no changes for current budgets and grant programs.

Fiscal Year 2006-07 – Federal funding

  1. Allocation reductions for 2006-07 school year -- Preliminary allocations by State are on ED's web site at: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html. Click on to the section marked State tables by program. These preliminary estimates are based on the FY 2006 appropriation and incorporate income year 2003 census data and 2003-04 State per-pupil expenditure data.

    The Department’s Financial Management section prepared a spreadsheet showing Missouri's increases and decreases -- on the Federal Programs web page under Financial Management, Allocations, 2006-2007 Allocations, Preliminary SY 2006-2007 State Allocations http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/. Keep in mind these are estimated allocations because certain updated formula data are not yet available.
     

  2. 2006-2007 Census data -- ED distributed to states the census poverty information that will be used to determine the school year 2006-07 allocations. States are asked to check the data for accuracy of school district boundaries but are not allowed to challenge the validity of the numbers. The counts are for entire school district areas and include both public and nonpublic children. Keep in mind that census poverty is much more restrictive than the free and reduced lunch count.  For instance, a family of four would have an annual income of $19,350 or less to be on census poverty. That same family of four would qualify for free and reduced priced meals with an annual income of $35,798.

    ED used the income year 2003 data provided by the Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Branch to determine the school year 2006-07 Title I allocations.  See: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/district.html. Missouri’s version of the census data file is on the Federal Programs web page under Financial Management, Census Data, 2006-2007 Census Data http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/
     

  3. Title II.D program flexibility -- Congress appropriated a total of $272.5 million for the program, representing a 45% decrease in funding for 2006-07. In the appropriations bill, Congress also included language overriding the statutory provision that State educational agencies use 50 percent of the amount available for grants to local educational agencies for formula awards and 50 percent for competitive awards. This language provides states with the flexibility to reserve up to 100 percent of their allocations for competitive awards to eligible local entities. If formula grants are awarded, no more than 50 percent of the funding may be distributed by formula.

    After examining the possible funding structures and consulting with groups of public and nonpublic school practitioners, the Department has elected to disburse all Title II.D funds via competitive grants. The determining factors in making this decision included the possible range of grant sizes and the likely impact of those grants. The competitive grant program provides larger, more substantive grants that, in the past, have been proven effective in improving student achievement. Setting aside 50 percent of funding for formula grants would have resulted in nine of ten districts receiving formula amounts of less than $5,000 and seventy percent of the districts receiving amounts of less than $2,000 -- hardly enough to cover the total cost of owning and using one computer. Even with twice the funding available last year, about 60 districts transferred all of their Title II.D funding to other programs, citing the small grant size as the reason.

Fiscal Year 2006-07 – State funding

  1. MOREnet Programs – Governor Blunt has proposed an allocation to support the state’s network at the same level of funding that was appropriated this year. As such, MOREnet and Department staffs are considering keeping district user fees for the FY07 Technology Network Program (TNP) at about the same level as used this year. NOTE: See MOREnet article for more details. Also note that the Department will distribute this information to school administrators in the March 8 mailing.
     

  2. Safe Schools Grant Program – With Governor Blunt proposing level funding of the Missouri Safe Schools Grant Program, the Department plans to solicit new applications for the 2006-07 school year. Application information will be distributed to Missouri school administrators in the Department’s March 8 mailing.

    Applications should propose new projects that focus on intervention projects, with emphases on pull-out or alternative school programs that serve most in need students. First-year applications are competitive. (Depending on future funding of the program and successful implementation of the project, grants may be renewed for a second and third year of funding.) A district may request up to $100,000 in state funds for a Year 1 project; a consortium of two districts can request up to $200,000; and a consortium of three or more districts can request up to $300,000. Year 1 applications are due April 15, 2006. As in the past, there will be a district match requirement that increases each year of funding. For more information, visit the website at:  http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/safeschools/

  Technology Data Collection

Census of Technology – Data entry screens available March 2, to be completed by April 15
The Census of Technology (COT) is collected each spring via Screens 30 and 31 of Missouri’s online core data collection system. The 2006 screens are active and should be completed by no later than April 15, 2006. The login page is located at: https://k12apps.dese.mo.gov/webapps/logon.asp. Contact Instructional Technology with questions pertaining to the content being collected.

  Technology Planning

Development of a new State Plan – Review and provide input on goals and objectives now!
<reminder>
Efforts are underway in creating the 2006-2011 Missouri Education Technology Strategic Plan. The current task (through early January) is reviewing the goals and objectives of the current plan to determine what should be kept, modified, or discarded, and to identify what new objectives should be added.

A listing of the 2002-2006 goals and objectives is available on the state technology planning website for viewing or downloading as a rich-text file that can be opened in most word processors. The document can be accessed from the "Ed-Tech Documents" link on the main navigation menu. Please take some time to review this document and post your ideas in the comments area below the article. See: http://www.successlink.us/motechplan/

Participation and feedback from all stakeholders is essential in the creation of the next Missouri Education Technology Strategy Plan! You can participate by registering for a free account with this website and taking part in discussion board forums, provide feedback on specific articles using the "Comments" section below each article, or submit your own recommendations using the "Submit News" link available to registered users of the site.

NATIONAL NEWS
President’s proposed budget eliminates Title II.D Ed Tech Program
One month after signing an appropriations bill that cut education funds for the first time in a decade, President Bush proposed trimming an additional $3 billion next year. In his 2007 budget proposal, released February 6, the president called for the elimination of 42 federal education-related initiatives--including the $275 million Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) block-grant program, the federal government's primary source of funding for school technology, and the $347 million Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program.

Overall, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) would receive $54.4 billion next year, down from $57.6 billion in 2006. Administration officials say the decrease is part of a broader campaign to reduce or eliminate funding for programs that have either fulfilled their promise or have failed to live up to expectations. The White House contends the cuts are necessary control federal spending and trim the federal deficit--which Bush has vowed to cut in half by 2009--while balancing other priorities, including the war in Iraq, hurricane relief in the Gulf Coast, and massive tax cuts. President Bush’s plan for education spending can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/pdf/Education-07.pdf. The table below details some of those plans.

President Bush’s FY07 Education Budget Request
 

Program

FY06 Appropriation

FY07 Request

Title I grants

$12.7 billion

$12.7 billion

Special education total

 11.7 billion

11.7 billion

School improvement total

5.3 billion

5 billion

Teacher quality state grants

2.9 billion

2.9 billion

Vocational education state grants

1.18 billion

0

Reading First/Early Reading First

1.1 billion

1.1 billion

Impact aid

1.4 billion

1.2 billion

21st century learning centers

981 million

981 million

Academic competitiveness & SMART grants

790 million

850 million

Safe school and citizenship

347 million

0

Education technology state grants

272 million

0

Even Start

99 million

0

Smaller learning communities

94 million

0

Ready to Learn/Ready to Teach

35 million

24 million

Advanced Placement

32 million

122 million

Comprehensive School Reform

7.9 million

0

ED names Magner new ed tech chief
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced that Tim Magner, former deputy director of ED's Office of Educational Technology (OET), has been named the nation's top ed-tech official. Magner, who served as executive director of K-12 education for Microsoft Corp. before joining ED, replaces Susan Patrick, who left the department seven months earlier to accept a position as executive director of the Virginia-based North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL).

Arizona to measure student technology literacy
The state of Arizona will become the first in the nation to formally assess its students’ preparedness for a future in the 21st Century classroom and workplace using a solution called TechLiteracy Assessment from Learning.com. Arizona will use the instrument to proactively ensure that its students are meeting both national and state technology standards and goals. See Press Release: http://www.learning.com/PressReleases/01-24-06.htm. NOTE: see Research section about ISTE’s new resource for student assessment of the NETS*S.

Michigan approves online course requirement for high school graduation
Michigan could become the first state to require students to experience some kind of online instruction before graduating, if the state legislature approves a proposal approved by the Michigan state Board of Education. The plan is part of a larger effort to ratchet up high school graduation requirements and help prepare students for the challenges of an increasingly global economy. If approved, many of the state’s high schools would need to improve their technology holdings, upgrade electrical wiring, and secure wideband Internet connectivity. See: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060128/NEWS05/601280381&template=printart

Use of interactive computer tests planned for NAEP
The National Assessment Governing Board’s final National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) framework delineates four types of interactive computer tests students could be asked to perform on the 2009 NAEP assessment. They are: Information search and analysis, empirical investigation, simulation, and concept mapping. Students would not be expected to perform all four. 

Rep. Barton proposes overhaul of Telecommunications Act
According to CNET NEWS.COM, Rep. Joe Barton (TX), chair of the House of Representative’s Energy and Commerce Committee, is calling for a comprehensive telecommunications reform bill to be presented to the president this year. Politicians in both the House and the Senate have been exploring ways to update the telecommunications Act of 1996. While the Senate Commerce Committee has kicked off a series of hearings that are expected to lead to another reform bill, Rep. Barton said he didn’t want to wait for the Senate to act before moving forward with legislation.
See: http://news.com.com/Broadband+law+rewrite+planned+for+2006/2100-1028_3-6036677.html

E-RATE PROGRAM
Funding Year 2005 News
 USAC released Wave 36 funding commitment letters on March 2 and Wave 35 letters on February 23. As of March 2, FY2005 commitments total over $1.32 billion in more than 28,197 letters.  

Funding Year 2006 News
The filing window for FY 2006 Form 471 applications closed on Thursday, February 16, 2006.  Assuming the total demand for funds included in timely applications will again exceed the annual program funding limits, applications that missed the deadline will not be considered.  Preliminary information on application demand should become available soon. For more information, see: http://www.universalservice.org/sl/.

ED TECH RESEARCH, PUBLICATION, RESOURCES, SPECIAL EVENT
ISTE publishes NETS*S: Resources for Student Assessment
Newly published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), this new book is as comprehensive guide for measuring students’ ability to use technology effectively for learning. “Although many kids today are surfing the Web, instant messaging their friends, and blogging and gaming, some still many not be developing skills necessary for educational, career, and civic success in the 21st century.” To learn more about and order this resource, visit the ISTE website at: http://www.iste.org/eseries/source/Orders/isteProductDetail.cfm?product_code=netssa.

Speak-Up Day results released
Aggregate data is available at no cost for schools and districts that participated in the 2005 events.  The goal of Speak Up events is to gather national data and to encourage participants to use their data to inform local decision-making. NetDay grants schools and districts access to their aggregate data through a password-protected website to encourage them to consider stakeholder views on technology and 21st century skills. Follow the instructions on the website at http://www.netday.org/speakup_your_data.htm.

Students tell why their school library media centers "rock"
Funding from the New York Life Foundation allowed the Public Education Network (PEN) and its member local education funds in Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Tampa to update and refurbish library media centers in four high schools. The Revitalizing High School Libraries initiative has increased the number of students reading more for fun as well as for class. Survey results find students are talking more about books and reading with family and friends, behaviors strongly associated with higher reading and academic achievement. The pilot program invested in computer technology, revised collections, revamped library design, and extended hours of school library operation facilitating use before school, during school (including lunch hour), and after school. Grantee sites report greater student access to media centers with current materials that supplement core subject areas and of interest to students. Library media center specialists purchase high-interest books appropriate for a variety of reading levels. As a result, many students across all schools report increased reading levels, and especially greater comprehension and use of new vocabulary. 
See: http://www.publiceducation.org/pdf/Publications/High_School/Adolescents_Read2.pdf

Grant Wrangler website launched for fast finding of funding for K-12 schools 
Karen Greenwood Henke of Nimble Press and new CoSN board member recently launched a free service to help match teachers, classrooms, and schools with available grants from across a wide range of topics. For more information about the site and to subscribe to a weekly bulletin, visit: http://www.grantwrangler.com.  

MISSOURI SCHOOLS AND PROJECTS IN THE NEWS
Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) launches Internet-based video station http://www.satlink.msba.gen.mo.us/news/news.asp?ID=296
The Missouri School Boards' Association will soon begin broadcasting programs to schools, residential viewers, and others with an Internet-based technology often referred to as IPTV. Programming will be distributed through the Education Solutions Global Network. ESGN's initial broadcast is set for March 3. ESGN can be found at http://www.esgn.tv.

ESGN will feature both live and "on-demand" programming. Some programming will be free to viewers while there will be a charge for other events. Programs can be viewed by thousands of people simultaneously on their individual computers.

"ESGN combines the best features of traditional television with the capabilities of interaction provided through the Internet," says MSBA Executive Director Dr. Carter D. Ward. "We look forward to producing school board training, issues-oriented events, and many other types of programs for school board members, professional educators, and the general public." Dr. Ward noted that in the coming months, some parts of MSBA's regularly scheduled meetings may appear "live" on ESGN-accommodating those persons whose schedules prevent them from attending the meetings in person.

MSBA has been working with iSEEnet a division of Continental Vista Broadcasting Group Inc. headquartered in Houston, Texas, to develop ESGN. Continental Vista is a national leader that creates interactive broadband video solutions. Through Continental Vista's global network, MSBA is now able to add an exciting dimension to their expanded communications via broadcasting live, live-from-tape and on-demand video and audio.

MSBA is currently engaged in talks to secure, or develop, programming to be distributed by ESGN. For example, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) and MSBA have agreed to partner to offer viewers the opportunity to watch select championship high school sports events from the last several years. The programs will be drawn from the video archives of MSHSAA and available to viewers from ESGN "on demand."

ESGN's first "live" event will originate from the Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Missouri on March 3 and will feature world-renowned biologist Dr. Jonathan Trent who will be making a presentation on animals and plants that can survive in harsh environments. Schools in Missouri and throughout the nation will participate in the program. ESGN's technology will allow students to ask questions to Dr. Trent during the program.

MOREnet Update
submitted by Eric Nicklas

Online Registration is open for Connection 2006, MOREnet’s Spring Technical Conference
 MOREnet will host Connections 2006, the annual spring technical conference, March 22-23, at Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach, Mo. This conference provides information on current technologies and offers insight into future directions of technology in education. It is targeted for those who manage and support technology in public libraries, K-12 schools and higher education, including, but not limited to, technology coordinators and technology support specialists.

Conference information including the complete conference presentation schedule, registration information, conference highlights and participating exhibitors are available at http://www.more.net/conferences/spring2006/. The cost to attend this two-day conference is $175 for MOREnet members and $275 for non-members.

Online registration is now open at http://www.more.net/conferences/spring2006/registration.html and will close on March 10, 2006.

For more information about the conference, contact MOREnet Conferences and Events at conferences@more.net or (573) 882-0289. TTY users call via RELAY Missouri: (800) 735-2966.

MOREnet Offers Newsletter: MOREnetworking
MOREnetworking is a newsletter that shares stories about how MOREnet members across Missouri use technology in the classroom, the library and beyond. MOREnet publishes MOREnetworking three times a year. The current issue contains articles ranging from videoconferencing opportunities through Cooperating School Districts St. Louis to Viticulture and much more. The current issue of MOREnetworking is available online at http://www.more.net/about/morenetworking/0601.pdf

If your school district has a technology-related project, program or story idea for a future issue of MOREnetworking, we would like to hear from you. To submit an article idea or comment regarding MOREnetworking please fill out a brief form at http://www.more.net/about/morenetworking/feedback.html

Subscriptions to MOREnetworking are available via MOREnet’s Accunounce service (http://www.more.net/services/managed/accu/). Upon subscribing a link to the newsletter will be delivered to your e-mail inbox following the release of the next issue.

All previous issues of the MOREnetworking newsletter back to October 2002 are available online in pdf form at http://www.more.net/about/morenetworking. 

Mark Your Calendars!
MOREnet will host the annual Missouri Educational Technology Conference on October 22-24, 2006 at Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach, Missouri. Conference information and the Call for Presentations and Student Exhibits will be available on the conference website in this month. Visit http://www.more.net/conferences/index.html later this month for more information.

MOREnet DRAFTS FY07 TNP USER FEES
Submitted by Gill Giddings, MOREnet

MOREnet and DESE staffs have drafted a tentative fee schedule for the FY07 Technology Network Program (TNP). The FY07 fees are based on the Governor’s recommended level funding of the program. While the schedule won’t be finalized until the appropriations bill is final, schools can use this information as they plan tentatively for next year’s budgets.

House Bill 3 (HB3) partially funds the cost of tail circuits for MOREnet participants: K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and public libraries. In FY06, HB3 was reduced by $4.35 million which resulted in program sponsors having to increase user fees. Based on level funding proposed for FY07, MOREnet and DESE anticipate using the same fee structure as was used in FY06. The only change is a new fee column being added for districts with tail circuits of 10Mb or more, at an additional yearly increase of $1,125.

The table below details the tentative schedule. Note that DESE-approved bandwidth upgrades within each range (i.e., 1.5MB to 9MB and 10Mb to 45Mb) are available at no added cost. Any district approved for an upgrade that occurs during the year and which moves the district to the 10Mb or higher range will not be assessed the corresponding higher fee until the following year. Again, this fee schedule is tentative and is subject to change. An announcement of the final fee schedule will be made when HB3 is finalized.

Tentative FY07 TNP Fee Schedule

1.5MB to 9MB

 

10Mb to 45Mb

0-49 FTE

$  2,250

 

0-49 FTE

$  3,375

50-99 FTE

$  4,500

 

50-99 FTE

$  5,625

100-499 FTE

$  6,750

 

100-499 FTE

$  7,875

500+FTE

$  9,000

 

500+ FTE

$10,125


 

MISSOURI PARTICIPATES IN 9-STATE ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Submitted by Christie Terry, Project Director
Missouri is involved in an exciting new five-year, twenty-two million dollar Ready to Teach Grant focused on eLearning and professional development. The program involves public television stations and state departments of education in nine states working together to develop Internet-based professional development courses for K-12 teachers. The other states include Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

The major goal of this Ready to Teach initiative, called eLearning for Educators, is to provide high-quality professional development courses that lead to improvement in teaching practices and student performance. The online learning programs will make effective professional development available to teachers everywhere without schedule or location barriers.

Beginning in the summer of 2006, eLearning for Educators in Missouri will offer online courses in the areas of middle-school math, language arts and differentiated learning.  Each 4-6 week course will be led by an experienced Missouri educator. Participants will be part of an online learning community that will support them as they transfer their new knowledge and skills into the classroom. 

Collaborators leading the effort in Missouri include KETC/PBS Channel 9 (St. Louis), Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Missouri State University, and the University of Missouri (eMINTS National Center). For more information about the project, contact Christie Terry by email at terryce@emints.org or by telephone at 573-884-4233.
 

eMINTS UPDATE
 submitted by Monica Beglau

The Missouri eMINTS Winter Conference was held February 23 and 24 in Columbia, MO. Dr. Bernie Dodge was the featured speaker and eMINTS staff provided sessions on Diverse Learners, Assessment and WebQuests, Teacher Toolbox, Collaboration and Scaffolding.  Find links to materials, including podcasts, and photos from the recently completed 2006 Winter Conference at http://www.emints.org/events/winter2006/

Thanks to all podcast creators, presenters and photo contributors for sharing information from this annual year 2 PD event in Missouri.

eMINTS QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Q. When are the applications for Missouri DESE grants for Title IID funds due?

A. The applications are due on March 31, 2006. For complete grant application information, see DESE"s Instructional Technology section at: http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/federalfunded/TitleIID/index2.htm

COPYRIGHT QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Q. May a school-owned videotape purchased with public performance rights be shown as a fund-raising activity?

A.  Yes, The videotape may be shown if all three of the following conditions are met:

  • the proceeds directly benefit the educational program and
  • the copyright owner is given notice and
  • the copyright owner does not file an objection

UPCOMING 2006 CONFERENCES

2006

 

March 22-23

MOREnet Spring Connections 2006 Conference
Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach, MO
http://www.more.net/conferences

March 22 – 23

MOREnet Helix 2006 Collaborations and Partnerships: Communities in Action
Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach, MO
http://www.more.net/conferences/helix2006/

June 17- 22

Teaching and Learning Conference
Holiday Inn Select, Columbia, MO
http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curiculum/conferences/schoolleadersconf.htm


GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Deadline Grant
Ongoing Educational Foundation of America Grants
http://www.efaw.org
Ongoing The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Education Grants Program
http://www.hewlett.org
Ongoing Intel’s Model School Grant Program
http://www.intel.com/modelschool
Ongoing Adopt a Classroom Grants
http://www.adoptaclassroom.com
Ongoing Build an Outdoor Classroom at Your School
 http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=AboutLowes/outdoor/index.html
2006  
March 15 Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation Grants
http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/
March 31 VIVA! Garden for Schools Contest
 http://www.vivagarden.com/schools/contest.html
March 31 Mantis Awards for Charitable And Educational Garden Programs
http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants/mantis-criteria.asp
April 1 12th Annual Kids Growing with Dutch Bulbs Awards
http://www.mailordergardening.com/mga-kidsgrant.cfm
April 7th The History Channel Save Our History National Honors Contest
 http://www.saveourhistory.com/awards/get_involved.html
June 1 Innovation and Learning and Leadership Grants (NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education)
http://www.nfie.org
October 15 Healthy Sprouts School Garden Awards
http://www.kidsgardening.com/healthysprouts1.asp
November 1 Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation Grants
http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/
 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
March 1 Newsline published online
 
March 1 Technology in Education Month
 
March 1 Three Year LEA Technology Plans Due
 

March 15

Three Year LEA Technology Plan Reading
March 24 Newsline articles due
 
March 31 Title II.D Competitive Grants Due
 
April 17 - 19 Title II.D Competitive Grant Reading
 


FROM THE MAILBAG  

Lindbergh School District School wins Youth Garden Grant

The Kennerly Elementary School has been announced as one of the 150 exemplary school and community projects winners. The competition, sponsored by the National Gardening Association and The Home Depot, highlights projects that engage children and young people as learners, explorers, leaders and nurturers in outdoor gardening settings. The school was awarded a curriculum/book package and merchandise from The Home Depot

 Classroom Projects Library
http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/projects/library.html

Looking for unique and inspiring garden- and plant-related projects to integrate into your teaching repertoire? Browse the list of more than 2 dozen Classroom Projects; each features related curriculum ideas and resources.

2006 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium 
http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/national_youth_garden_symposium.htm

Presented by the American Horticultural Society and hosted by The Missouri Botanical Garden on July 27-29, 2006, the theme of this year’s Symposium is “Cultivating a Sense of Place: A Youth Gardening Adventure." Workshops, tours, and networking opportunities are capped by the keynote address by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.

Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops and Summer Seminars and Institutes for the Intensive Study of Texts and Topics in the Humanities -- K -12 Educators
http://www.neh.gov/projects/si-school.html

Each year, The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers K-12 educators a wide range of summer professional development opportunities through its Summer Seminars and Institutes program and its new Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops.

This year, NEH will support twenty-eight summer seminars and institutes for the intensive study of important texts and topics in the humanities. Programs are held at locations throughout the United States and abroad. Classroom teachers in public, private, parochial, and charter schools, as well as home-schooling parents, are eligible to participate.

NEH will also support nineteen Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops at major historical sites around the nation. Teachers in American K-12 schools, whether public, public charter, private, or religiously-affiliated are eligible to participate, as are home-schooling parents. Other K-12 school personnel, including administrators, substitute teachers, classroom paraprofessionals, and librarians are also eligible to participate, subject to available space. Teachers may apply to and participate in up to two different Landmarks workshops and one Summer Seminar or Institute in a given summer.

For full listings, eligibility requirements, and application instructions for the Summer Seminars and Institutes, please see the NEH website.
Create An Illuminated Alphabet Word Book
 http://www.getty.edu/education/for_teachers/curricula/arts_lang_arts/a_la_lesson15.html

Beautiful examples of illuminated manuscripts accompany the directions for this art lesson plan. Each student will be assigned a specific letter, and will use mostly primary colors to decorate their letter. Hue, texture, and collage are all considered.

Our Illuminated Alphabet
http://www.getty.edu/education/for_teachers/curricula/arts_lang_arts/a_la_lesson02.html

Primary students will be looking at the alphabet in new ways with this lesson plan, and incorporating stories of their homes and families in an oral tradition.

Flora And Fauna As Figures Of Speech
http://www.getty.edu/education/for_teachers/curricula/arts_lang_arts/a_la_lesson19.html

Using illuminated manuscripts and nature paintings as examples, students will create their own illustrations of insects, plants, and animals, basing their inspiration upon a figurative saying. This lesson thereby integrates science, language arts, and art into one lesson plan. Calligraphy is also introduced, along with the concepts of perception, negative and positive shapes and forms, and form within the environment.

Funky Illuminated Fairy Tales
http://www.getty.edu/education/for_teachers/curricula/arts_lang_arts/a_la_lesson06.html

Again combining language arts with art, and again from the Getty Museum, this lesson plan has students writing an original fairy tale and illuminating it, based upon examples and a preliminary effort on creating illuminated nameplates.

INTERNET SITES OF INTEREST
From The Lesson Plans Page
 http://www.LessonPlansPage.com

 Featured Lesson Plans—

The Articulate Object
http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/index.html
http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/Teachers/index.htm

Odyssey Online, provides students an interactive journey through ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Near East; the ancient Americas; and sub-Saharan Africa of the 19th and 20th centuries. Explore works of art from the collections of Emory University's Michael C. Carlos Museum and the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester. A Teachers Guide is provided

Electronic Examples in Math
 http://standards.nctm.org/document/eexamples/#6-8

If you need some extra help explaining difficult mathematic principles to your students, try these online and animated modules. They may be especially helpful to students who just "don't get it", or those needing to catch up or have some extra work on the concepts.

The Periodic Table in Comic Books
 http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/

No kidding... this periodic table will define the elements in whole new ways. Old comic books are included which focus on the elements. Try Ricky Nelson explaining oxygen to learn about electrons, neutrons, atoms, proteins, or nuclear fission. (As always, please preview any current links and pages for appropriateness before allowing student access.)

Documentaries—Searching for Truth
 http://www.oscars.org/teachersguide/index.html

For the seventh consecutive year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is partnering with Young Minds Inspired (YMI) to provide teaching guides that focus on different branches of the Academy. This year's guide, entitled Documentaries—Searching for Truth, is produced by the Academy and YMI, a leader in curriculum-based programs. Other AMPAS/YMI guides—on screenwriting, cinematography, film editing, art direction, animation, and sound and music—are available on the Academy's Web site, and meet a wide variety of national education standards and provides teachers with cross-curriculum activities for multiple class lessons.

In the Heydays of His Eyes: Online Poetry Anthology
http://www.heydays.ws.

A new anthology designed for use in senior high schools is available on the Internet and may be downloaded without cost by teachers and students. All of the poems have been donated gratis by the poets or the publishers and full acknowledgment is given. The anthology follows Kenneth Koch's plan of giving students models of subject and form. Because all of the poems are about being young and growing up, it is easy for the students to find experiences of their own to match those in the models. The anthology is designed for students who have not written poetry before, but it makes no compromise in the quality of the poems, and there is no talking down to students. The students are not asked to analyze or comment on the poems or to write any manner of prose in response to them; they are asked only to write their own poems.

Two Free Cross-Curricular Resources from TeachingBooks.net
 http://www.TeachingBooks.net.

TeachingBooks.net is excited to share with you a dynamic online resource created in collaboration with Houghton Mifflin Company that stimulates discussion about Emmett Till and Brown vs. The Board of Education. These multimedia, cross-curricular resources are ideal for middle and high school English, Social Studies, and History classes. These two resources are made freely available on the Web.

  • A Wreath for Emmett Till
    http://www.TeachingBooks.net/till
    In 1955, people all over the United States knew that Emmett Louis Till was a fourteen-year-old African-American boy lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. The brutality of his murder, his open-casket funeral, and the acquittal of the men tried for the crime drew tremendous attention. August 2005 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Emmett Till's murder. The anniversary will be marked with reflection on how far our country has come toward equal rights and equal justice for all and how far we have yet to travel.

    A new poem written by award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson is the centerpiece for TeachingBooks' new program. A Wreath for Emmett Till (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005) is composed in a striking and unusual poetic form, a heroic crown of sonnets. TeachingBooks invites you to listen to Ms. Nelson read, in its entirety, her astonishing and haunting poem. Also included in this comprehensive online resource are audio interviews with Ms. Nelson and the book's publisher, an in-depth written interview, and links to numerous resources to teach about Emmett Till and to teach about poetry.
     
  • Teaching Brown v. Board of Education
    http://www.teachingbooks.net/spec_athr.cgi?name=Morrison%2C%20Toni
    Students and teachers can take an online journey with Pulitzer Prize recipient and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison through the tumultuous time of school desegregation, sparked by the Brown v. Board of Education decision fifty years ago. Access to this program is free of charge.

    TeachingBooks.net's program, created for the classroom, offers multimedia resources for sharing the impact of Brown v. Board of Education, including the two brief movies; reproducible copies of Dr. Morrison's introduction to the book, Remember, entitled, "The Narrow Path, the Open Gate, the Wide Road"; and links to five of the most authoritative resources on the Web for teaching Brown including: the full Supreme Court decision, the US digital archive collection, and the History of Education Society's collection of essays examining the diverse impact of Brown in the past fifty years.

The Legacy Project
http://www.legacyproject.org

The Legacy Project explores and celebrates the big picture. It's about life, living, and making a difference at all ages. A multigenerational project for children, teens, and adults, for individuals, families, schools, and community groups, The Legacy Project offers free online activity kits and guides, books, essay contests, workshops, exhibits, networking, and more. The award-winning activity kits include activities, lesson ideas for schools (with curriculum connections), self-assessments, games, creative crafts, art projects, reproducibles, and recommended related resources. Online guides and tip sheets include practical information you can use about everything from how to use the power of story with children to building life skills.

The project runs several essay contests throughout the year for both children and adults and offers workshops which can be customized for specific groups as well as a number of community programs like the World Dream Chest, Read 'N Raise, and the LifeDreams Exhibit which is traveling coast-to-coast to schools, museums, libraries, and other community centers.

Classroom Music Resources from The Classroom Flyer by Riverdeep
 Http://Rivapprod2.Riverdeep.Net/

Childhood Obesity Prevention Campaign and The Smallstep Challenge Contest
 http://www.smallstep.gov/.

 Students ages 6-11 have the chance to win a visit from Marvel's legendary superhero Spider-Man in a new contest called SmallStep Challenge. The contest is part of a campaign to encourage healthy eating and exercise in children.

Between February 6 and March 30, kids can log onto take the SmallStep Challenge and correctly answer a trivia question about healthy eating for a chance to win the grand prize. Each day of the contest period, a new trivia question will appear on the site. Kids can enter the contest once a day. Each time they log in and answer the trivia question they will be entered for a chance to win the grand prize--a visit by Spider-Man to their school. Three schools will be awarded visits by Spider-Man, where he will explain the benefits of healthy eating to the winner's class. Spider-Man himself will also honor the winner in front of all of his or her classmates. Grand prize winners will be chosen on or around March 31, 2006.

An educational marketing program, "Small Steps," created in partnership with Scholastic, extends the campaign to classrooms throughout the United States with overweight prevention lesson plans and online materials for elementary school teachers, as well as materials for kids and their parents. The in-school program has already been delivered to 115,000 classrooms nationwide and can be accessed by clicking on the "For Teachers" link.

 Discovery Education introduces The Science and Scientists Behind the Food
 http://school.discovery.com/foodscience/

Discovery Education, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and the IFT Foundation have partnered to develop The Science and Scientists Behind the Food, a unique program, designed to introduce high school students, teachers, counselors, and parents to the remarkable world of food science and technology, and the exciting career opportunities in the field.

Browse the site for downloadable videos, profiles of professional food scientists, lesson materials and experiments, information about colleges and scholarships, and more. Explore all of the science resources, or learn more about college programs and careers.

Scholastic launches Science Explorations Site with American Museum Of Natural History.
 http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorations/

Scholastic.com recently launched a new section of its web site, called Science Explorations, as part of an ongoing partnership between Scholastic and the American Museum of Natural History to promote science literacy among students in grades 3-10. Students who visit Science Explorations can take part in live chats with scientists from the museum, uncover clues in online investigations and activities, and keep a record of their discoveries in their own field journal. Science teachers will find an interactive way to supplement lessons that support students' development of key science and cross-curricular skills, including observation, formulating a hypothesis, interpreting clues, critical thinking, vocabulary, writing, and reading comprehension. Interactive explorations are tailored to students' grade level and feature a range of photos and videos, narration, diagrams, maps, and charts to help with the discovery process. In the first Science Exploration, called "Animals, Adaptation, and the Galapagos," users got an up-close look at the animals, plants, and terrain that Darwin confronted when he visited the island. Additional Science Explorations to come will include "Zoom in on Insects," "Journey into Space," "Investigate Invertebrates," "Beam up with Bats," and "Research Reptiles." Students and teachers can dig further on each topic in Scholastic's classroom magazines, SuperScience (for students in grades 3-6) and Scholastic Science World (for grades 6-10).

NEWEST eTHEMES

Animals: Bottlenose Dolphins
 http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000939.shtml

Read about the behavior, appearance, and distribution of bottlenose dolphins. Learn how these mammals communicate with each other. Includes videos, photographs, sound files, a coloring page, and online games.

 Animals: Dolphins
 http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001775.shtml

On these sites you can read about the behavior, appearance, and distribution of dolphins. Learn the differences between dolphins and porpoises, and find out about some of the threats to dolphin survival. There are facts, videos, audio files, pictures, printouts, and classroom activities. Included are eThemes Resources about bottlenose dolphins, whales, mammals, and the ocean.

 Animals: Peafowl
 http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001768.shtml

These links are all about peacocks and peahens. See photographs of peacocks and peahens and find out why they look so different. Read stories about peacocks and view a clip of the NBC television mascot. Includes a link to