Grant Opportunity for Secondary Science Teachers

K–12 Eligibility http://www.nsta.org/pd/tapestry/

The program is open to middle and high school science teachers residing within the 50 United States and U.S. territories and possessions and it is also open to elementary teachers who teach some science in the classroom or are teaching specialists.. Middle and high school teachers must teach at least two science classes per day. All applicants must have at least 2 years science teaching experience in a K-12 school not including the current school year. Only the Project Director has to meet the above criteria. The project staff may consist of educators of any discipline, administrators, parents, students or anyone who will be directly involved in the project. An individual teacher or a team of up to five people may submit a proposal. The Project Director will be the contact person for the team and will be the sole administrator of the grant money. Applicants may submit only one proposal per year as Project Director.

Socorro Tech Blog Highlights RETA Webinars

Thanks to Melody for this breaking news! Check out the engaging blog post at the Socorro Tech Blog:
http://socorrotech.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/can-an-hour-of-your-time-on-mondays-help-your-students/

RETA Webinar: Introduction to Moodle I, 9/22/08 at 6pm

Dear Educators:

RETA would like to invite you to our NEXT professional development
webinar in our eLearning with Emerging Technology Series.

Webinar Event: Introduction to Moodle

Date & Time: Monday, Sept. 22,2008 6:00-7:00 pm MST

Description:
Moodle is an open source course management system used by educators
around the world. Created by Martin Dougiamas to support social
constructivism,Moodle provides flexibility and autonomy for districts and
teachers while supporting a wide variety of interactive social learning
tools. In this session you will learn more about what Moodle can do and
find out what infrastructure is needed for districts, schools, and
teachers need to access this powerful toolset.

To attend: Please use the
following link to attend the webinar:
http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/moodle1fa08.

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 headset is ideal for interaction. A webcam is optional.
If you have never used Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your
connection at:
Adobe Acrobat Pro Support Center http://www.adobe.com/support/connect.

For complete information on this and all of our webinars visit us at:
http://webinars.nmsu.edu.

If you have questions or need tech
assistance,please contact Cissy Lujan-Pincomb or Miley Grandjean at
Webinars at nmsu.edu or call 575.646.6143

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

RETA Webinar Team

RETA (Regional Educational Technology Assistance)
College of Extended Learning
New Mexico State University
MSC 3WEC, P.O. Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
(575) 646-6143, fax: (575) 646-2004

RETA Webinars

RETA would like to invite you to our professional development Webinars.

Teaching the 21st Century Learner

RETA Webinar Series: eLearning with Emerging Technologies
The RETA team has spent the summer preparing another great series of
professional development webinars! Join us to learn practical and
effective technology skills to engage your 21st century learners. We are
committed to providing you with "free", innovative webinars that fit into
your busy schedule. Let us support you as you begin implementing
technology tools and techniques in your 21st century classroom. Have a cup
of coffee, invite a colleague, and raise your eQ with us.

Please join us for our first webinar, Sept. 15, 2008, Intro and Whirlwind
Tour of Web 2.0. You may attend by using the following link:
http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/whirlwindfa08/

Calendar of Events
Whirlwind Tour of Web 2.0
Sep. 15, 6-7:00pm MST

Intro. to Moodle I
Sep. 22, 6-7:00pm MST

Intro. to Moodle II
Sep. 29, 6-7:00pm MST

Intro. to Wikis I
Oct. 6, 6-7:00pm MST

Google Sites/Google Notebook
Oct. 13, 6-7:00pm MST

Intro. to Wikis II
Oct. 20, 6-7:00pm MST

Screencastomatic
Oct. 27, 6-6:30pm MST

Copyright I
Nov. 3, 6-7:00pm MST

Please visit our website to see the complete listing of webinars, info on
attending, presenter bios, etc. http://webinars.nmsu.edu or email us at
webinars@nmsu.edu

Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ with us!
RETA Webinar Team

Mark Your Calendars

Dear RETAites,
The upcoming schedule of RETA webinars is at http://webinars.nmsu.edu. Click on K-12 Educators.
The repeat sessions, which most of them are this fall, are free. The new webinar sessions will cost a minimal fee.
We hope that you will join us on Monday evenings.

--Sincerely,
   Susie B. =;->  

"...be prepared. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity."

 

Every public high school gets an IDEAL-NM course at no cost

FYI…
 
As part of an IDEAL-NM kickoff event to celebrate partnerships with schools statewide, it was announced this Monday, August 12th, 2008 that every public high school in New Mexico is eligible for a free IDEAL-NM course for the inaugural term (Fall 2008).  
 
The courses are led by New Mexico eTeachers that are highly qualified in both subject area and online methodologies and will work closely with in-school academic mentors. The courses are newly developed by NM teachers/developers and, will maintain low teacher-student ratios. IDEAL-NM has a commitment from the inaugural term forward to work with REC and school partners to continually improve the process and outcomes of this bold program for New Mexico.
 
For more information about available courses or how school councilors register students for IDEAL-NM courses visit www.ideal-nm.org <http://www.ideal-nm.org> .

Attached is a press release about the grand opening event at one high school.  Also you might be interested a video on youtube… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6D1R4kVPGE
 
Brian Ormand, Ed.D.
Program Director, NM Learning Network

100 Classroom Videos

Thanks to Bethany for the following AWESOME resource!

100 Awesome Classroom Videos to Learn New Teaching Techniques
<http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-awesome-classroom-videos-to-l
earn-new-teaching-techniques/>
By Alisa Miller

With so many good teachers out there, it's fortunate they can share their
knowledge via video on the Internet. From the funny to the poignant, these
glimpses into the lives of teachers and their students will keep you
entertained while learning a little something as well. Whether you are a new
teacher storing up tips and tricks or an experienced teacher who could just
use a fresh perspective, you are sure to find something helpful among these
videos.
http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-awesome-classroom-videos-to-le
arn-new-teaching-techniques/

Free NMSU RETA Workshop on Google Educator Tools

FREE NMSU RETA (Regional Education Technology Assistance)  Workshops

Topic: Google For Educators

Tools, activities, posters, a learning community for all content areas

Where: UNM TEC (Technology Education Center)

Room 100

Facilitators:  Drew Dooley, Celia Einhorn

August 23rd: Explore Google Search, Earth and Sky, Google Docs and Notebook

September 13th:  Learn programs like Sketch up, Calendar, Page Creator, Groups

Time: 9 AM

Sign up on RETA http://reta.nmsu.edu/workshopsdb/createaccount/

Got Questions?

dodrew@yahoo.com

celia@pobox.com

The Al Gore Speech Video link

Here's the video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqlXid_ankQ

It's a Beautiful Day!

Al Gore: A Generational Challenge to Repower America

July 17, 2008
D.A.R. Constitution Hall
Washington, D.C.

Ladies and gentlemen:

There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life
depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a
present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly
and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise,
clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for
whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to
join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The
survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And
even more - if more should be required - the future of human
civilization is at stake.

Read the rest of this important speech and join one of the most
important causes of our time at:
http://www.wecansolveit.org/content/pages/304/

Because we won't need education if we destroy our world!

If/when video of this speech becomes available, I'll post it.

Hugs everyone! It's a Beautiful Day!
~julz

Go to PBwiki Summer Camp!

PBwiki Summer Camp

Build the ultimate classroom wiki and have it ready for the start of
the fall semester.

The PBwiki team is providing a six-week program that will teach you
how to create the best wiki for your classroom -- including how to
integrate wikis in your lesson plans, what features work best to
engage students and how to use the new PBwiki 2.0.

All educators who complete the program will receive a free platinum
wiki that lasts the entire school year!

Sign up here:
http://blog.pbwiki.com/2008/07/14/join-pbwiki-summer-camp-and-earn-a-free-classroom-wiki/

Fun way to teach some English!

Check this out for a few laughs and for you English teachers, what a fun way to teach some of the complex topics in this article:
http://deanhunt.com/bloggers-are-terrible-writers/
:)
~julz

Teaching with the Web

Ten free ideas from Mitchell Weisburgh to leverage the Web:

1. Set up a class page with headlines from Google news on the topic via an RSS feed
2. Offer a page (Wiki or portal) where students can comment and share videos and articles they find on class topics
3. Have students responsible for posting and editing the lecture notes online from classes
4. Devise an online list of topics that will be on the test and have the students write, and provide links for, the study notes
5. Use a widget that enlarges a student's picture on the class portal as he/she contributes to the class notes
6. Assign topics to students or groups, and have them responsible for the content on the class website, portal, or wiki
7. Maintain online discussions around relevant, interesting topics
8. Develop online groups or sandboxes for research topics
9. Have students prepare lectures (video or audio with slides) that can be posted online
10. Create a Twitter stream that students can access, follow, and contribute to for the class.

Read the rest of the article at:
http://academicbiz.typepad.com/piloted/2008/07/weschs-thoughts.html

Get the download for Patricia Miller/Ft. Sumner on Lou Dobbs

It will be available this evening, Friday, June 27, 2008. It will be in hour 2.
http://www.loudobbsradio.com/showdownload.asp

:)
~julz

Ft. Sumner Zunies on Lou Dobbs Radio Show!

Thanks Jana for the below news!
:)
~julz

Just wanted to share some excitement…..!!!

I just found out that one of our own (from New Mexico)—Patricia
Miller…will be interviewed tomorrow by Lou Dobbs (from CNN).
Patricia Miller and the Ft. Sumner school's podcasting project will be
highlighted on the Lou Dobbs Radio Show.

You can listen live at 2pm Friday, June 27, by going to the website
www.loudobbsradio.com . You need to first download the player by
clicking on the "Listen Live" link located toward the top right side of
the webpage. Then, find the download link near the center of the page.

OR…you can listen later by going to the same website and downloading the
archived show for June 27th.

I Googled " Ft. Sumner and Zune" and you cannot believe how many times
they are listed! Apparently, the Associated Press came to Ft. Sumner
in May and wrote a story on their project. This story is being
reprinted globally.

Thanks to Patricia and Ft. Sumner Schools for creating positive
educational news from New Mexico!!!

Leadership in the Digital Age

I walk into a classroom to observe what is being presented as, “A 21st Century Classroom”. Do I see a class full of desks, students, and books? Not hardly! In fact each desk has a laptop computer with a headset, ICam and IPod attached. Students are engaged and using each piece of equipment in sync with classmates from around the world. The teacher is facilitating the discussion in a virtual online forum where each student has his/her own avatar. (Perkins, 2007) The student can manipulate the avatar to answer a problem on a white board, participate in small group discussions, pull a girl’s hair, and even chew gum. The student who may not be able to join in this lesson will have it loaded on to their IPod and be able to join later as a non-synchronistic student from home.

These students are digital natives, kids online since they were 3 or 4 years old. In an article, “Listen to the Natives”, from Educational Leadership, Marc Prensky defines the digital native as, “native speakers of technology, fluent in the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet”. (Prensky, 2006, p.8) For the digital native the computer and internet are appendages of their body. Take it away and they don’t know how to learn. Learning for them is a world experience with no boundaries. They do not have the cultural boundaries, the information boundaries, or the limitations from the generation before. In his article from EduTopia, “The New Face of Learning”, Will Richardson writes, “most of us live in a world where, with access, knowledge is abundant, yet we have yet to reconsider our traditional school model, which is based on the obsolete idea that knowledge is scarce”. (Richardson, 2006, p.37) Talk about a generation gap!

To the administrator who is a “digital immigrant”, the 21st century classroom could be like walking onto an alien inhabited planet. Prensky defines the digital immigrant as those of us who were not born into the digital world. (Prensky, 2006) Nothing is traditional about this classroom. This administrator must choose, let go and learn from the kids or fear the unknown? The administrator of a 21st century school does not yet know what the issues will be. He/she does not have the experience. But the kids DO!! Will the administrator listen? Susan Patrick, Director of Educational Technology, United States Department of Education stated, “There is a new fervor in American education, a new creativity-driven in part by this generation of tech-savvy students – that bodes well for the future of our country. We must listen to our students.”(Watkins, 2005 p.65)

Education is now part of a competitive global economy. The United States is falling behind in this economy. According to a report written by The North American Council for Online Learning, “Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills”, U.S. students are falling behind their peers internationally in innovation, creativity, and high tech training. “Students from around the world out perform U.S. students on assessments that measure 21st century skills.” (NACOL, 2006) Eighty four percent of employers say K-12 schools are not preparing students for the global workplace.( 2005 Skills Gap Report) Students who are prepared with 21st century skills are self directed learners, able to use appropriate technology to process and present information, have the ability to manage their time, and have an awareness of global responsibility.

To effectively administrate in today’s world a shift must happen. Karl Fisch states in his UTube video, “Shift Happens”, “we are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t exist…. in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.” He continues with statistics like, 50% of US 21-year-old’s have produced web content, 70% of US 4-year-olds have used a computer, and the amount of technical information available is predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010. (Fisch, 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U&feature=related

Leadership in the digital age starts with an understanding of the importance of digital educational, being able to learn from the stakeholders, and allowing for a shift in ideals. In the book “Schools That Learn”, Peter Senge states that there are five organizational learning disciplines that constitute a successfully learning organization: personal mastery, systems thinking, mental models, shared vision, and team learning. (Senge, 2000) When incorporating these principals into the whole school setting, an administrator can find his/her way through the uncertainty of leadership in the digital age.

By: Traci Filiss

Collaborative vs. Cooperative Learning

According to Ted Panitz (Collaborative vs. Cooperative Learning), there IS a difference between collaborative an cooperative learning.  Collaborative learners express themselves individually within their project goals.  They assemble individual parts to accomplish a task.  Cooperative learners, however, have to work together to form one cohesive finished product that everyone has contributed to throughout to create the finished product.

-Amy, IDEAL-NM

Online Learning

There does not seem to be a great deal of difference between collaborative and cooperative learning. The main difference is that cooperative learning is more structured with the teacher as the leader. Collaborative learning shifts the responsibility for learning away from the teacher as expert to the student. This concept allows students to buy into their education and become responsible for their learning. Traditional learning with teacher as lecturer is outdated, and as teachers we have to find ways to help our students become responsible for their education.

Collaboration

The article Collaboration Versus Cooperative Learning was very timely for current work our consortium is doing. Teachers have received professional development in aspects of effective lesson design and collaboration. The end result expected is that teachers from Network schools will continue to work collaboratively online to design and provide feedback to their group members. In an online environment, collaboration is critical to establishing a sense of community. Although the structures of cooperative learning can be included in collaboration, the processes are different. A principle of collaborative learning (Orr 1997) is that “working together results in greater understanding than would likely have occurred if one had worked independently.” If the contributions and abilities/knowledge of group members are respected, the bond of ownership for the group task becomes part of the process.

Google Tools

I am a big fan of Google and their products. Besides the valuable features of each individual product, the greatest benefit lies in the tight integration among the products and the availability of nearly each one on a mobile phone. It is easy to exchange data between products and if you have the mobile web on your phone, you never have to be separated from your data. These products also have the potential to be very powerful in the classroom. Creating, sharing and collaborating are all activities our students are engaged in online, outside the classroom. Bringing these tools into the classroom does open a can of worms. Perhaps we can have that discussion at another time. Below is a list of Google products that I use on a regular basis. Notebook I just started using Google Notebook recently and don’t know how I lived without it. With Google Notebook, you can browse, clip, and organize information from across the web in a single online location that's accessible from any computer. You won't ever have to leave your browser window. I use it mostly to keep track of my to-do lists. Docs You can create documents and spreadsheets in your browser which are saved on Google servers so you can access them anywhere you have an Internet connection. You can also add people to collaboratively work on a document. You can find a link to a lesson plan in my post below describing how to use Docs with students during the writing process. Reader is a feed aggregator. If you’re having trouble keeping up with all the updates to your favorite websites, you can read all the updates in one place with Reader. You can also share and publish items that you choose from your feeds. You could easily create a reading list for your students by using Reader’s publishing feature. Blogger is a super easy to use blog (web log/online journal) and now has more features. When students know they are writing something that will be seen by someone other than their teacher, they tend put a little more effort into it. SketchUp is a super awesome, easy and free 3D modeling software. I teach a unit using SketchUp in my 7th grade Tech classes. It is useful for teaching, measurement, scale and perspective along with skills that can transfer to more complex computer aided drafting programs. Calendar is a great organization solution for both students and teachers. I had been looking for a calendar that I could access anywhere and this is it. You can add events from any computer sure, but you can also add events by sending a text message to the calendar from your cell phone. The calendar can also send you text messages to remind you of events. You can also publish and share your calendars. Picasa is a photo organizing tool which also has an online component that provides 1 GB in photo storage. iGoogle is a Google start page where you can add mini-programs or widgets. I use the calendar, word of the day, headline news, weather, driving directions and email widgets on my iGoogle and can therefore access all that information on one page. Gmail is a terrific web mail program with a tremendous amount of storage (over 2G). Yahoo’s free email service and Gmail are duking it out for webmail supremacy in my humble opinion. Google's Toolbar A couple of my favorite features of the toolbar include a spell check (which I used to correct my many spelling error and typos in this post) and a real time translation tool. If you place your cursor over a word in a web page, that word will be displayed in your chosen translation language. I have mine set to Spanish so our ELL and bilingual students find this feature quiet useful. Page Creator If you just want to create quick and dirty web pages, Page Creator is about as easy as you can get. Kent Sabo

Web 2.0 Expo Video

I stumbled across one more excellent, thought-provoking video at the Digital Learning Environment Blog site. Check out the video for some eye-openers and the article for exciting references to collaborative projects in a film course. There are great questions to ask about changing educational focus and practice.

Low-Cost Laptop: A Redesigned Computer for the World's Children

Thanks to Bonnie Bracey for this update:

Low-Cost Laptop: A Redesigned Computer for the World's Children
<http://www.edutopia.org/one-laptop-per-child-redesign>

By Jim Moulton from Edutopia
5/20/08

If you're not aware of the One Laptop per Child <http://www.laptop.org>
effort, you should be, if only because the rest of the world clearly is. And
don't stop at reading what the One Laptop per Child Foundation has to say
about it; read this article <http://www.edutopia.org/computers-peace> about
it, and search "olpc," and you'll soon be an expert.

I attended a meeting today, May 20, 2008, at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, where Nicholas Negroponte and his OLPC team discussed their
current efforts and the next-generation device. (On one side of me sat a
colleague from Maine; on the other was a fellow from the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan's Education Ministry.) Here is some of what was announced:

- The next iteration of the OLPC XO computer will be released in 2010.
- It will work both in Sugar, the open source operating system on the
first-generation XO, and on Windows XP. (Microsoft has reduced the price of
XP to $3 per license to make it possible for OLPC to keep costs low.)
- The screen will be much improved.
- The overall format will be like an e-book -- folding, with two touch
screens (each screen will behave somewhat like the iPhone) -- and a virtual
keyboard will be available.
- The target cost is $75.
- The discontinued Give One Get One program, in which buyers donate a laptop
to a child in a developing nation when they purchase their own, will resume.

In 2000, the European Union designated global distribution of XO laptops as
a Millennium Development Goal to help reduce world poverty. How will the
world change when every student ages 6-12 in, say, Uruguay, as well as every
teacher, has a laptop? Will that make a difference to your school? What are
your thoughts about the porting of Sugar into Windows XP? Does the apparent
move from open source concern you?

When I spoke to Negroponte before the session began today, he described
responses to the OLPC as resembling an "anti-bell curve" -- no one is in the
middle. They either love it, or they hate it. Go take a look and share your
thoughts. It is the future.

Did you grow up online? Our students have!

If you have not seen PBS' Front Line's Growing Up Online, I highly recommend
it. (I just watched it - online of course). I suspect the documentary is
well known to many of you.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/

The issues, concerns, & insights raised are interesting and troubling at the
same time. One message I took away; kids are experiencing a totally
different online world than their parents and teachers. I should rephrase,
We ARE aware of their online world. But, not being part of the their online
world, NOT REALLY AWARE.

What implications do their online experiences have for using technology in
the classroom and using technology for the classroom? Their relationship
with/to technology is much different than ours. Despite our best efforts to
understand, what are the unintended learning results affected by this
relationship?

I wonder if we will ever know the unintended lessons learned in the
classroom as a result of the now ubiquitous technology available in most
kids lives? (If we looked into it, are those kids who we worry are without
online access at home just as active in today's student online world as
connected classmates?)

Larry Jeffryes
Los Alamos, NM

S.O.S -- Help for Busy Teachers (Site 39) : Diigo Social Bookmarking

Thanks to my friend Pam for this resource!
:)
~julz

Check this list out from Kathy Shrock, pages and pages of cool Web 2.0 apps!
Diigo: Web 2.0 Sites Collection, link below.

Diigo: Web 2.0 Sites Collection
http://www.diigo.com/list/Kathyschrock/web20tools

Visit this and previous Sites of the School Days by going to
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/sos.html

The XOXO! XO v2.0

“Now, with XOXO (2.0), we are challenging what a truly collaborative and creative computing experience could be ... a true departure from the traditional keyboard and screen layout, a new way to interface and play with data, information and communication”

Check out the pics and more of the story at:
http://blog.ted.com/2008/05/xo_laptop_redes.php

IDEAL-NM eTeachers F2F Workshop

This past weekend, May 17-18, a group of teachers embarked on an adventure of online learning and teaching. Thirteen new IDEAL-NM eTeachers gathered with four IDEAL-NM instructor/mentors, and two RETA professional developers to kick off a professional development course called IDEAL-NM eTeacher Preparation (Summer 2008). They were visited by Virginia Padilla and Sharon Purcell from IDEAL-NM and Ann Thompson Consulting and Training.

Welcome new IDEAL-NM eTeachers!

CIDER session on Assessing K12 Online Content

Dear CIDER member:

We would like to invite you to the next presentation in our series of free
CIDER sessions. Our next session features a presentation and discussion with
Lara Jongedijk, University of Calgary.

Title: Assessing the quality of K-12 online content: A sample assessment
rubric

What factors create an effective online course from a "content" point of
view? This session will highlight the assessment criteria and the review
process that was used to review the content of K-12 online learning tools in
BC in 2007. Content reviewed included online courses and learning objects.
To complete the reviews, the BC Provincial Content Review team researched
and built a comprehensive assessment rubric for online content based on the
BC K-12 DL Standards Document and on current research which highlights
effective practice in online learning. This session will highlight the
assessment rubric that was created and the criteria that contribute to
effective content in an online environment.

The session is intended as a collegial discussion on the topic of assessing
online content. For maximum benefit, please review the assessment documents
available from the CIDER Session website -
http://cider.athabascau.ca/CIDERSessions/ - prior to the session so that the
discussion can focus on practical implications and applications for your
educational community.

When: Friday, May 23, 2008, 11am-12pm Mountain Daylight Time

Where: Online via Elluminate at:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.8B71B60F2931D029AC3837DC06B70D

Pre-Configuration:
Please make sure your Mac or PC is equipped with a microphone and speakers,
so that we can use the Voice over IP functionality built into the web
conferencing software. Please note that it is extremely important that you
get your system set up prior to the start of the event. Please don't wait
until the day of the session to do this. Information on installing the
necessary software and configuring your PC is available at
http://www.elluminate.com/support/ in the "First Time Users" section.

________________

CIDER is a Community Partner of Elluminate - http://www.elluminate.com/ -
who proudly sponsors our web conferencing needs. To sign up for a free, no
obligation three-user version of Elluminate, please visit
http://www.getvroom.com

________________

This message is intended for registered members of the Canadian Institute
for Distance Education Research portal. To learn more about CIDER, visit
http://cider.athabascau.ca/

To request no further CIDER Notices, please
contact the CIDER site manager at cider-webmaster@athabascau.ca

Have a Green Tech Day with these sites

Thanks to Bethany for sharing these sites that can help us be green tech
users...
http://www.secondrotation.com/ buys your old gadgets
http://earth911.org is for battery recycle
http://buymytronics.com is for even broken electronics
http://greensight.com is a trade in for credit place
http://collectivegood.com/ purchases pda, cell phone, pager and will donate
them to a place of your choosing

Examples of Disruptive Technologies/Innovations in the Classroom

Thanks Larry for this resource and the laugh!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guess this topic has disrupted my thinking.....interesting topic that I
should have know about. Why didn't anybody tell me?

Rip-Van Jeffryes

Examples of Disruptive Technologies/Innovations in the Classroom

http://k12wiki.wikispaces.com/Disruptive+Technology+in+the+Classroom

Discovery Earth Live

Thanks Bethany for this fabulous resource! Check it out folks, it’s really cool...

http://dsc.discovery.com/guides/discovery-earth-live/discovery-earth-live.html

Google Teacher Academy Applications

Google Announcement...

Since today is National Teacher Day, we thought it would be the perfect day to announce that Google's FREE training program for K-12 educators is back at the Google headquarters! Outstanding educators from across the country (and beyond!) are encouraged to apply for the Google Teacher Academy taking place on Wed, June 25, 2008.

The GTA is an intensive, one-day event (8:30am-7:30pm) where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, collaborate with exceptional educators, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, GTA participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region.

50 outstanding educators from across the country will be selected to attend the GTA based on their passion for teaching, their experience as leaders, and their use of technology in K-12 settings. Each applicant is REQUIRED to produce and submit an original one-minute video, and applications for the event in Mountain View are due on May 28, 2008. Please use Google Video or YouTube to post these original videos. Participants must provide their own travel, and if necessary, their own lodging.  Though we will give preference to K-12 educators within a 90-minute local commute of an Academy event, anyone may apply.

Learn more about the program and the application at: http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

The GTAs have been a wonderful experience for everyone involved, with 97% of all attendees rating the GTA as "outstanding."

Here are a few quotes from GTA participants:
----------------------------------------
"The academy was everything I hoped for and more! I can't wait to plan out ways to use the tools we learned about, to share my experiences with my colleagues and to re-connect with the other academy participants!"
----------------------------------------
"The focus on innovation in education, and not just about the tools, was right on target."
----------------------------------------  
"I appreciate the opportunity to be connected to a group of educators that are passionate about preparing students for the 21st century. I feel inspired and able to meet the challenges that lie ahead!"
----------------------------------------
"Until now, I had never attended a conference where I was so engaged and loving every minute of it."
----------------------------------------
"This was easily the most important professional development experience I have ever had as an educator. World-class tools demonstrated by world-class people at a world-class facility. THANK YOU!"
----------------------------------------
"I love [the Google Certified Teacher community] for the ideas and inspiration that comes flowing to and from it...folks share professional development strategies (technology or otherwise) that have worked. It's nice to have a variety of ways to assist others and having that variety also provides spice for those of us responsible for doing the providing."
----------------------------------------

Feel free to send any questions to "gteachers@gmail.com", and please spread the word to anyone who may be interested in joining us.

We're looking forward to another great event!

- The GTA Team

--------------------------------------------------------
Google Teacher Academy
June 25, 2008
Mountain View, CA

Applications Due: May 28, 2008
http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html
--------------------------------------------------------

PodCast: NBC News Launches New Learning Platform

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - May 8, 2008.
#519 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,211 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning '08 - Oct. 26-28 - Orlando.

Podcast: NBC News Launches Learning/Networking/Engagement Platform

Special Note! I just finished interviewing Adam Jones, NBC News - Senior
Vice President of Network Development and CFO for a special Learning TRENDS
Podcast.

We talked about a revolutionary learning platform that NBC News has just
released: iCUE. They have even opened up a new group called NBC Learn.
There is a combination of journalists, media specialists and learning
professionals working in this group. And, NBC has partnered with MIT on
developing the design of this next generational learning model. I was
impressed with the ability of the learner being able to manipulate and
contextualize video content with thie platform.

iCue takes "e-learning" a huge step forward, with the introduction of small
video chunks (from the NBC News archives), social networking and gaming.
They blend these learning and engagement components in new ways, which will
form the basis of new pedagogical approaches.

iCue is a free service and is starting with content/courses aimed at
Advanced Placement classes for high school students. In the future, the
platform could be ideal for learning design for a wider range of learners
and content.

Go to http://www.masieweb.com/nbcicue for the Podcast and links to the
service.

I'd love to get your thoughts and questions via email to emasie@masie.com

Thanks to NBC News for the podcast and their work in learning.

Elliott Masie
Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* 0ver 4,100 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown. Join us
today:http://www.learningtown.com
* Learning Design Seminar & LAB: June 23-26 - Saratoga Springs
* Performance Support Seminar & LAB: July 9-11 - Saratoga Springs
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com
Contact Elliott Masie: emasie@masie.com

You have received this message as part of your subscription to Learning
TRENDS by Elliott Masie.
- To Unsubscribe: http://masieweb.com/trends/subscribe-to-trends
- To Subscribe: http://www.masie.com

The MASIE Center, PO Box 397, Saratoga Springs, NY

FW: Invitation to Introduction to Moodle II

You have been invited to the following event:
Event: Introduction to Moodle II
Description: In this demonstration, Holly will show you how a basic Moodle
course shell can be designed into a learning module. This will give you an
overview of the Moodle design process. Participants will discuss ideas for
integrating Moodle in the classroom and other learning situations.
When: Tuesday 13 May 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM

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

*Please register for this event at least 24 hours prior to the event.
*To register, please go to the following link:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/intromoodle2/event/registration.html
*The email and password you use to register will be your login and password
to attend the event.
*You will receive a reminder email with the link to attend 24 hours prior to
the event.
*You can also attend the event by going to
http://webinars.nmsu.edu/schedule.html and selecting the "attend" link (you
still need to register prior to the event)

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

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

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

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

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

Introducing JASON's New FREE Ecology Curriculum

The preview site for The JASON Project's new ecology curriculum unit is
live!

Get an early look at Operation: Resilient Planet
http://www.jason.org/public/curriculum/orp.aspx?pos=1
and its multimedia components, standards alignments and more.

Download a full-color, 32-page curriculum sampler and follow Dr. Sylvia
Earle, the renowned oceanographer and National Geographic Society
Explorer-in-Residence, as she leads JASON Argonauts on a mission to help
restore Chesapeake Bay!

Operation: Resilient Planet will be available in summer 2008, both in print
and online.

Go to http://jason.org, log in, and register &lsqauo; it's FREE!

Upcoming IDEAL-NM eTeacher Event!

Hello IDEAL-NM eTeachers,

My name is Julia and I will be helping with communications and organization for the upcoming IDEAL-NM eTeacher workshop which is happening soon. Hopefully you all have your calendars marked for:

Saturday, May 17, 8am - 5pm
Sunday, May 18, 8am - 3pm

Check-in starts promptly at 8:00am on Saturday and Sunday. There will be a Hospitality Table and lunch is provided both days. Please let me know if you have any food allergies, dietary restrictions, or food regimens. We will do our best to honor your food requests.

Where are we meeting? Glad you asked!
Desert Ridge Middle School
8400 Barstow NE
Please park in back of the school

Exit Paseo Del Norte
Go East on Paseo Del Norte
Turn left onto Barstow
School is 3 blocks down on right

Make your Room Reservations ASAP!
To find a nearby hotel, try MapQuest at http://mapquest.com

Here are the hotels that came up on my search:

Hourglass Companies
7721 William Moyers Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM
505-980-7923 (0.57 miles away)

Staybridge Suites
5817 Signal Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM
505-266-7829 (1.61 miles away)

Staybridge Suites Albuquerque North
5817 Signal Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM
Website | 505-266-7829
(1.61 miles away)

Comfort Inn
5811 Signal Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM
Website | 505-822-1090
(1.61 miles away)

Motel 6
8510 Pan American Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM
505-821-1472 (1.75 miles away)

Ramada-Albuquerque North
5601 Alameda Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM
505-858-3297 (1.81 miles away)

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Albuquerque-N.
5401 Almeda Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM
Website | 877-410-6681
(1.93 miles away)

Courtyard-Alburquerque
5151 Journal Center Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM
Website | 505-823-1919
(2.03 miles away)

Country Inn & Suites - Albuquerque
7620 Pan American East Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM
Website | 505-823-1300
(2.13 miles away)

Howard Johnson
7630 Pan American East Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM
505-828-1600 (2.14 miles away)

We look forward to seeing you all! And please note that this information is being sent to your blog as well at:
http://nmeteachers.blogspot.com

If you need a principal or superintendent to be informed, you can give them the blog address. You should bookmark it as well.

:)
Sincerely,
Susie Bussmann and Julia Parra
Regional Educational Technology Assistance
http://reta.nmsu.edu

New eTeacher Participant Workshop

IDEAL-NM Eteacher Cohort II Orientation Workshop Desert Ridge Middle School 8400 Barstow NE Albuquerque, NM Saturday, May 17 (8-5) Sunday, May 18 (8-2)

FW: ASCD SmartBrief

Blogging may help students understand value of writing
Teens who blog write more -- not only online but offline -- and may be
gleaning more practical writing tips than they are via the SAT-style
exercises used in many classrooms, according to a recent Pew Internet and
American Life Project survey. "Blogging and other forms of virtual debate
actually foster the very types of intellectual exchange, analysis and
argumentative writing that universities value," said Bradley A. Hammer, an
instructor in Duke University's writing program. eSchool News
<http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/kzegcsuhirSDFF> (4/30)

<http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/> Designed specifically for professionals
in K-12 education, ASCD SmartBrief is a FREE daily e-mail newsletter. It
provides the latest education news and information you need to stay on top
of issues that are important to you.

Sign up <http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/> for your very own free
subscription to ASCD SmartBrief.

Can the web exist without clicking?

Find out at
http://www.dontclick.it/

Thanks to Holly for this intriguing project link.

NMSU CMI Montage

Check out this cool montage of student work at NMSU's creative media
institute!

http://cmi.nmsu.edu/cmi-montage/

:)
~julia

Introduction to Moodle Reminder

We encourage you to forward this to other educators.

This is a reminder that you are invited to Introduction to Moodle, which is
due to start at Tuesday 29 April 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM.

Below are the event details and instructions for participating:
Event: Introduction to Moodle
Description: Moodle is an open source course management system used by
educators around the world. Created by Martin Dougiamas to support social
constructivism,
Moodle provides flexibility and autonomy for districts and teachers while
supporting a wide variety of interactive social learning tools. In this
introductory session you will learn more about what Moodle can do and find
out how it can be implemented.
When: Tuesday 29 April 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM


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

If you have not registered for this event, please go to the following link
to register at least 24 hours prior to the event:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/intromoodle1/event/registration.html

If you have previously registered for this event, attend by going to the
following link and enter the email address and password you used to
register: http://nmsu.acrobat.com/intromoodle1/event/login.html

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

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


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

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


Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

Check out 100+ Web 2.0 Ideas for Educators & Scribd

100+ Web 2.0 Ideas for Educators is hosted on a cool site called Scribd. It says:
We accept all major formats
FREE UNLIMITED Storage!

Here’s the link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3273/100-Web-20-Ideas-for-Educators

Very cool.
:)
~julz

IDEAL-NM Webinar Update

The Elluminate guest link for all the upcoming webinars is: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.6CF60ABA4A97B8ABE51EF6D6016BBE Carol Robert’s webinar will be on Tuesday, April 29, 7:30-8:30 P.M. Virginia’s Padilla webinar will be on Tuesday, May 6, 7:30-8:30 P.M. TBD webinar will be on Tuesday, May 13, 7:30-8:30 P.M. --Sincerely, Susie B. =;->

It's Earth Day!

For Everyone - Earthcast 2008:
http://edtechtalk.com/earthcast08

For Middle Schoolers - Planet Green Game:
http://planetgreengame.com/

What are you doing on Earth Day?
:)
~julz

This is sooo cool!

Thanks Larry for the Ted link and Mel for Dave Eggers focused video:

Dave Eggers: 2008 TED Prize wish: Once Upon a School
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/233

Eggers wrote one of my all time fave books:
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

And I’ve heard What is the What? Is also a great book.
:)
~julz

FW: Update on the IDEAL-NM Webinars

Dear IDEAL-NM Eteachers,
Here is the latest and greatest update on the upcoming IDEAL-NM webinars.

Where do we register to attend this webinar?

Registration isn’t necessary. The Elluminate guest link for all the upcoming webinars is:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.6CF60ABA4A97B8ABE51EF6D6016BBE
 

• Carol Robert’s webinar will be on Tuesday, April 29, 7:30-8:30 P.M.
• Virginia’s Padilla webinar will be on Tuesday, May 6,  7:30-8:30 P.M.
• TBD webinar will be on Tuesday, May 13,  7:30-8:30 P.M.
  

Your email suggestions are needed for topics for the May 13th session.

Does the webinar with Mr. Snyder on Wednesday count?
Yes, Dr. Snyder’s December webinar counts.
 
Does Bethany's Wiki 2 webinar count?
Yes, you can count one webinar towards the 3 or 4 out of 4 sessions.

--Sincerely,
   Susie B. =;->  

UK Top 100 Learning Tools

Top 100 Tools for Learning Spring 2008
http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html

And the accompanying
 
Core Toolset for Learning 2008
http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/toolbox2008.html

Blogs, Wikis, and Web 2.0, O My!

A few cool things you oughta know about.
:)
~julz

The Edublog Awards Site
http://edublogawards.com/2007/

Flat Classroom Project Wiki
http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com/

Steve Hargadon’s Support Blogging Wiki
http://supportblogging.com/

Classroom Google Earth wiki
http://classroomgoogleearth.wikispaces.com/

David Warlick's CoLearners Wiki
http://davidwarlick.com/wiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage

Wikis Make Learning Wicked Fun
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196605118

Web 2.0 for the Classroom Teacher
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listweb20s.html

Remember Round Robin Story Writing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR3d01bQInE

Social Networking for Teachers
http://socialnetworking4teachers.wikispaces.com/
---make sure to check out the bloggers and books to Learn From

ScreencastOMatic Reminder

In my opinion, Screencast-o-matic is a must have tool for online educators!
:)
~julz
------------------------------------------------------

We encourage you to forward this to other eductors.

This is a reminder that you are invited to ScreencastOMatic, which is due to
start at Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM.

Below are the event details and instructions for participating:
Event: ScreencastOMatic
Description:
When: Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

TO JOIN THE WEBINAR
Our Brown Bag sessions are 30 minutes long and will begin promptly at
12:00pm MT (1:00 CT; 2:00 ET; 11:00 PT).

* If you have not registered for this event, please go to the following
link to register at least 24 hours prior to the event:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/e73241264/event/registration.html

* If you have previously registered for this event, attend by going to
the following link and enter the email address and password you used to
register: http://nmsu.acrobat.com/e73241264/event/login.html

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

IDEAL-NM eTeacher Event Rescheduled!

Please note that tonight’s (Tuesday, 4/15) Elluminate session is rescheduled for next Tuesday, 4/22 from 7:30-8:30 P.M. The same link sent for tonight's event will be relevant. Of course it will be sent out again next week. Happy Tax Day! :) ~julz and Susie B.

Classroom 2.0 LIVE Conversations

Classroom 2.0 LIVE Conversations are community-scheduled opportunities to talk on specific topics with other members of the Classroom 2.0 using one of the online voice/video/sharing programs.
http://www.classroom20wiki.com/live+conversations

What students want...

Read the eSchool News article about what students want:
http://snipurl.com/23xeq  

In a nutshell, they want laptops and more video game technology used for learning. Make sure to check out the algebra video game discussed called DimensionM – http://dimensionm.com

:)
~julz

Google Earth, Google Sky, & Google Universe!

Thanks to Holly!
Google Earth teacher created website...

http://gelessons.com/lessons/

And now there’s Google Sky!
Check it out at: http://www.google.com/sky/

Just kidding about the Google Universe! Latent April Fool’s Day reaction.
Although it might be in development...

--Sincerely,
   Susie B. =;->  

Various 10min online tutorials related to NETS

Thanks to Bethany for this resource on 21st Century Information Fluency.

http://208.109.122.145/tutorials/micro/

"Hybrid" Courses Lead to Better Student Grades and Understanding

Check out this article on how using blended or "hybrid" instruction leads to better understanding and grades. Sandy

Moodle vs Edu2.0

For those who are interested, there is an interesting dialog between the
developer of Edu2.0 and the developer of Moodle at the following link.

It is mostly technical jargon, but I find the dialog interesting as an
example of collaborative online learning.

FYI:

http://grahamglass.blogs.com/main/2008/03/code-stats-edu2.html

Judy

Invitation to Google Educator: Google Earth

You have been invited to the following free event:

Event: Google Educator: Google Earth

Description: Join Celia Einhorn as she introduces you to the exciting world
of Google Earth. Learn how to navigate through different cities across the
world, interpret maps, and investigate your final destination and all the
continents, countries, cities, roads, buildings, and lakes in between. Begin
building a curriculum rich in culture!

When: Tuesday 8 April 2008, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

TO JOIN THIS EVENT
Our Brown Bag sessions are 30 minutes long and will begin promptly at
12:00pm MST (1:00 CST; 2:00 EST; 11:00 PST).

*Please register for this event at least 24 hours prior to the event.
*To register, please go to the following link:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/bbbgoogleearth/event/registration.html
*The email and password you use to register will be your login and password
to attend the event.
*You will receive a reminder email with the link to attend 24 hours prior to
the event.
*You can also attend the event by going to
http://webinars.nmsu.edu/bbbs_schedule.htm and selecting the "attend" link
(you still need to register prior to the event)

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

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

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

We encourage you to forward this invitation to other educators!!

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

RETA Webinar: Blogs in the Classroom II

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

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

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

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

Extreme? Maybe. Your thoughts?”

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

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

Reminder: Show me the Moodle Blocks!

Want to spice up your Moodle course?

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

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

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

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

Attending these sessions

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

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

Tech Assistance

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

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

For more information on Moodle

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

Can’t make it?

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

Student Success is everybody's business!

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

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

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

Invitation to NETS Standards / NMSTE

You have been invited to the following event:

Event: NETS Standards / NMSTE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

U.S. educators seek lessons from Scandinavia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cool Social Studies Resource

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

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

Blogs in the Classroom I Reminder

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

Event: Blogs in the Classroom I

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venti Learning with Foam: A Video Report from Starbucks

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

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

LCMS Challenges

From Elliot Masie, more on LCMS...

2. LCMS Challenges - Content Format Changes. Learning Content
Management Systems are facing some key challenges as the format of
learning content evolves. The ability to manage the creation,
publication and search capability of PodCasts, User Content such as
Video Segments and Collaboration Content (Wiki or Blog) is not core to
the capabilities of many of the Learning Content Management Systems. I
will be leading a major focus on the updating of the LCMS at our
upcoming Learning Systems '08 event in April (10 and 11) in Las Vegas,
NV - http://www.learningsystems08.com <http://www.learningsystems08.com/>

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie is published by The MASIE Center, PO Box
397, Saratoga Springs, NY

IBM and 3Dscience game

Google News Alert for: "virtual science"

IBM Launches PowerUp, a New Free 3D Multiplayer Virtual Science
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0362330.htm
CNNMoney.com - USA

IBM (NYSE: IBM) is launching a free multiplayer online game, PowerUp
http://www.powerupthegame.org, challenging teenagers to help save the planet
"Helios" from ...

Podcasting II for Educators Reminder

This is a reminder that you are invited to Podcasting II for Educators,
which is due to start at Tuesday 19 February 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM.
Below are the event details and instructions for participating:
Event: Podcasting II for Educators
Description: In Podcasting I, you were introduced to some great podcasting
tools. Now, in Podcasting II, we're going to explore a variety of strategies
to energize your teaching, engage your students, and improve learning.

During this webinar, you'll have the opportunity to learn what educators
around the U.S. are doing with podcasts as well as share ideas, tips, and
strategies with colleagues. Along the way, we'll also look into other free,
easy technologies to improve the interactivity of your podcasts!
When: Tuesday 19 February 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM

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

* If you have not registered for this event, please go to the following
link to register at least 24 hours prior to the event:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/podcasting2/event/registration.html

* If you have previously registered for this event, attend by going to
the following link and enter the email address and password you used to
register: http://nmsu.acrobat.com/podcasting2/event/login.html

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

Cool Blogger

Thanks to Bethany for this cool blogger link!

http://mscofino.edublogs.org/

FW: On Classroom 2.0: Live "Talk-casts" Starting Tomorrow

Check out the below message from the very cool Steve Hargadon. Please note
that the first talk-cast occurred yesterday.

Also, Steve inspired Holly and I to start testing TalkShoe, check out our
first TalkShoe at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/14645
___________________________________________

A message to all members of Classroom 2.0

Howdy, Classroom 2.0 Members!

I was pretty busy this last month organizing our first live CR 2.0 workshop
in San Francisco, but I have had a couple of days this week to finally pull
together something I've wanted to do for a while: regular audio (and soon
video) virtual "meet-ups" for Classroom 2.0 members.

The schedule for these talk-casts is on our wiki at
http://www.classroom20wiki.com/LIVE+Conversations.

I've scheduled sessions
starting tomorrow (!), and you are also welcome to add and facilitate any
events you would like that pertain to Classroom 2.0. Once we have a good
grasp of the different audio/video/whiteboard/desktop-sharing programs
available, we could even do some training sessions for those who want to
moderate. (Elluminate has generously agreed to provide access to their web
meeting software for these meetings, but until that's in place I've set up
to use Talkshoe.com for our first sessions. I've also put in some notes on
the best way to use Talkshoe, which you can see by clicking on the link in
the "medium" column.)

Tomorrow's session will be just an introduction and for fun, especially
since it's Valentine's Day here in the U.S. and we might get limited
participation from the more romantic crowd! :) Friday's session will be on
"Creative Commons, Open Content, and Copyright" in education. Then I've
listed some others for next week that would start us on a series of
discussions about different Web 2.0 programs in education. My thought is to
create enough variety in topics that most of our members will find something
they want to be a part of--or listen to later (we'll record the sessions so
they are available afterwards). I've also scheduled one for next week that
should accomodate non-North-American time zones--and could use some feedback
on doing that regularly, or even having a separate organizing facilitator.

I'm particularly interested in encouraging folks who might want to start and
facilitate their own series of Talk-casts--say, ""Web 2.0 in the History
Classroom," or the like. If you think that might be you, email me
separately and we can organize that on the wiki.

Thanks for being a part of Classroom 2.0! I'll look forward to talking to
those who join the calls.

Steve

Steve Hargadon
Steve at hargadon.com

Visit Classroom 2.0 at: http://www.classroom20.com

12 Wishes for Our LMS and LCMS

I concur! Thanks Elliot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
12 Wishes for Our LMS and LCMS Systems
By Elliott Masie, Host, Learning Systems 2008

1. Focus on the Learner: Most Learning Management Systems are focused
on the organization's perspectives on learning and training. They know
how to track attendance, participation and certification. These are
important, but not sufficient. We need to have our Learning Systems
focus on the LEARNER. They should know more about the learner, from
background to style to context, and aggressively make learning easier,
more efficient and continuous for the learner. While reports of
learning consumed are interesting, we really want our learners to turn
to these systems for real support in learning.

2. Content, Content and Content: When the first LMS systems were
launched, they were primarily "vending machines" to dispense and track
the consumption of e-Learning (then called CBT) courses, mostly from
3rd party providers. As the creation of internally-created increased,
many organizations purchased Learning Content Management Systems
(LCMS) to add content creation/management capabilities. Our Learning
Systems now need to hone in on the vast amount of UserContent (from
PodCasts to FAQs to Performance Guides) that will be created by
workers in the workplace.

3. Ratings, Please: Learners want to know how other employees who are
similar to them have rated and valued a program's content before they
start that program. Why not provide ratings, sorted by demographics
and roles, to help a learner select the content and activities that
were most highly valued? This can be a simple Thumbs Up/Down, a
5-point scale or more in-depth rating system. Great content should
rapidly float to the surface and be visible to the workforce. Poor
content should also be labeled and either improved or avoided.

4. More Context: Every classroom experience blends formal CONTENT with
informal CONTEXT. This may be in the form of a side-bar story from the
instructor, comments/questions from fellow students or conversations
at the coffee pot on breaks. Yet, as we moved towards on-line
learning, less attention is paid to the role that CONTEXT plays. We
need to address how learners will get that context - from
collaborative tools like discussion boards/wikis and blogs to more
fundamental design changes - to incorporate the voice of the field
more actively into the learning experiences. I have yet to see a
Context Management System, even though in many situations the quality
of the Context is more impactful than the quality of the Content.

5. Performance Support Tools: Our Learning Systems are mostly geared
for learning in anticipation of need or requirement. I want my systems
to also have a healthy dose of Performance Support resources to allow
for "learning at the moment of need". Ideally, I should be able to
pose a question, requirement or topic to my Learning Systems and be
provided with both an immediate Performance Support Tool that will
walk me through my need, as well as a module to learn about it in
greater depth for future requirements. Our learners need more
Performance Support and our Learning Systems have to step up to the
plate for this!

6. Social Knowledge: Learning Systems will need to include and be
integrated with Social Networking Systems. Some of the best and most
important knowledge will be shared person-to-person in an
organization. The learner wants to know, "Who in this organization has
any experience that could help me as a learner/worker?" In addition to
the LMS pointing to a module or course, we need to be able to link to
a colleague who may have the perfect, relevant experience based on
their work from 2 jobs ago. The social dimension of learning needs to
be harvested and accelerated by a new vision of our Learning Systems.

7. Learning Systems as Components: Most of our workers do not want to
go your "learning portal page". Instead, they want to have components
along the lines of "Gadgets" or "Wizards" that will live on their
screens or pop up based on tasks/situations. Those will feed content,
requirements and reminders from the learning systems. For example, if
I am reading a document and I come upon a term that I don't know, is
there a way to launch a component that would offer me definitions,
social networking and even registration into an on-line or in-person
class on that topic? Can I have a graphic on my screen that changes
color based on my current continuing education requirements?

8. Focus on the Role: Our workplace is increasingly role-based. Most
of our learning systems are more focused on jobs or positions. If I am
assigned a new project, it may shift my role, and the Learning Systems
should help me prepare for and perform in that role. My history in
previous assignments should inform the set of learning activities that
are offered to me in the new role.

9. UserContent Authoring: YouTube is coming to the office! Our
learners are already creating simple and short half-life content,
using simple video, audio and text tools. Many Learning Systems are in
shock at the thought of this new wave of content. How will we author,
approve, edit, tag and make discoverable this content? Should we even
try to track the usage of UserContent? How do we blend authored
learning content with UserContent? What is the lifecycle of content -
when do we expire a module?

10. Learning Systems as Service: Each business unit may want or need a
very different front end experience for its Learning Systems. Do we
allow our enterprise LMS to evolve into a cluster of Learning Services
that are tailored for our business units, but that share a common set
of data profiles? In other words, are our Learning Systems ready to be
part of a Learning "Cloud", where the functionalities are delivered as
a software service rather than from a single enterprise system? This
is Web 3.0 - are our systems ready?

11. The Lifecycle of Learning Systems: Many of our Learning CONSORTIUM
members are in the midst of re-evaluating their LMS and LCMS. Some are
shocked that this point of re-evaluation has arrived only 36 or 42
months after the original purchase point. What are our realistic
Lifecycle expectations for our Learning Systems? We need to take an
industry perspective on those systems which will serve valiantly, but
for a 2 to 3 year period. How do we have the Lifecycle conversation
with our IT department and even learning suppliers?

12. Learning Systems as Human Capital/Talent Systems: Ultimately,
there is also a lifecycle of the knowledge/skill sets of an employee.
From the moment we start the recruitment/interview process, through
hiring/training to succession and promotion, and eventually
retirement, we have a need to integrate learning resources and
information into the larger Human Capital/Talent systems. If your
organization were about to be purchased by another company, what
information lives in your Learning Systems that would assist the
valuation or merger process? Learning Systems must become more
friendly and integrated with their cousins.

These issues and more will be address by Elliott Masie and Cushing
Anderson at our annual User Group event, focused on LMS and LCMS
utilization:

Learning Systems '08
April 10 and 11, 2008
Las Vegas, Nevada

http://www.learningsystems08.com

The MASIE Center, PO Box 397, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
trends@masie.com

------ End of Forwarded Message

Where do the 2008 Candidates Stand on Education?

eSchool News reports on the top three candidates’ positions on education:
http://tinyurl.com/28odue

Google Code for Educators

This website provides tutorials and sample course content so CS students and educators can learn more about current computing technologies and paradigms. In particular, this content is creative commons licensed which makes it easy for CS educators to use in their own classes.

Check it out!
http://code.google.com/edu/

Help keep our schools competitive

Did you know that the Bush Administration is intent on eliminating education technology funding? I find it so surprising that elected officials would want to do such a thing when we're at a critical place as a Nation in terms of how we match up with others in a global economy. I personally don't want to see our country fall behind when it comes to technology and innovation in the classroom – America needs to stay competitive! That's why I went to www.EdTechActionNetwork.org to send a letter to my Members of Congress. It was really easy – just one click and I made my voice heard! I encourage you to do the same and join me to spread the word!

Click on this URL to take action now

http://capwiz.com/edtech/utr/2/?a=10948736&i=80751448&c=

If your email program does not recognize the URL as a link,
copy the entire URL and paste it into your Web browser.

-------------------------------------
Powered by Capitol Advantage, LLC
http://www.capitoladvantage.com
"Connect and Be Counted"
-------------------------------------

Adobe Education eSeminar Series

This looks like a good one. If you attend, let me know how it went!

eLearning Solutions for K-12
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 2:30 P.M. EST / 11:30 A.M. PST
Adobe Education Leader Dave Forrester will discuss effective uses of Acrobat Connect™ and other Adobe eLearning tools in class and district-wide.

See more and register at:
http://snipurl.com/1zaes

R U cycle?

That means “Are you awake?” in cell phone texting language. Read about textonyms and this new use of words by our texting generation...

The article is called Textonyms give cell phone addicts a new language, and the tinyurl is:
http://tinyurl.com/ypwxxh

:)
~julz

Online Schooling Grows, Setting off a Debate

Online Schooling Grows, Setting Off a Debate The New York Times

By Sam Dillon Published: February 1, 2008 MILWAUKEE — Weekday mornings, three of Tracie Weldie’s children eat breakfast, make beds and trudge off to public school — in their case, downstairs to their basement in a suburb here, where their mother leads them through math and other lessons outlined by an Internet-based charter school.

Half a million American children take classes online, with a significant group, like the Weldies, getting all their schooling from virtual public schools. The rapid growth of these schools has provoked debates in courtrooms and legislatures over money, as the schools compete with local districts for millions in public dollars, and over issues like whether online learning is appropriate for young children.

One of the sharpest debates has concerned the Weldies’ school in Wisconsin, where last week the backers of online education persuaded state lawmakers to keep it and 11 other virtual schools open despite a court ruling against them and the opposition of the teachers union. John Watson, a consultant in Colorado who does an annual survey of education that is based on the Internet, said events in Wisconsin followed the pattern in other states where online schools have proliferated fast.

“Somebody says, ‘What’s going on, does this make sense?’ ” Mr. Watson said. “And after some inquiry most states have said, ‘Yes, we like online learning, but these are such new ways of teaching children that we’ll need to change some regulations and get some more oversight.’ ”

Two models of online schooling predominate. In Florida, Illinois and half a dozen other states, growth has been driven by a state-led, state-financed virtual school that does not give a diploma but offers courses that supplement regular work at a traditional school. Generally, these schools enroll only middle and high school students.

At the Florida Virtual School, the largest Internet public school in the country, more than 50,000 students are taking courses this year. School authorities in Traverse City, Mich., hope to use online courses provided by the Michigan Virtual School next fall to educate several hundred students in their homes, alleviating a classroom shortage.

The other model is a full-time online charter school like the Wisconsin Virtual Academy. About 90,000 children get their education from one of 185 such schools nationwide. They are publicly financed, mostly elementary and middle schools.

Many parents attracted to online charters have previously home-schooled their children, including Mrs. Weldie. Her children — Isabel, Harry and Eleanor, all in elementary school — download assignments and communicate intermittently with their certified teachers over the Internet, but they also read story books, write in workbooks and do arithmetic at a table in their basement. Legally, they are considered public school students, not home-schoolers, because their online schools are taxpayer-financed and subject to federal testing requirements.

Despite enthusiastic support from parents, the schools have met with opposition from some educators, who say elementary students may be too young for Internet learning, and from teachers, unions and school boards, partly because they divert state payments from the online student’s home district.

Other opposition has arisen because many online charters contract with for-profit companies to provide their courses. The Wisconsin academy, for example, is run by the tiny Northern Ozaukee School District, north of Milwaukee, in close partnership with K12 Inc., which works with similar schools in 17 states. The district receives annual state payments of $6,050 for each of its 800 students, which it uses to pay teachers and buy its online curriculum from K12.

Saying he suspected “corporate profiteering” in online schooling, State Senator John Lehman, a Democrat who is chairman of the education committee, last month proposed cutting the payments to virtual schools to $3,000 per student. But during legislative negotiations that proposal was dropped.

Jeff Kwitowski, a K12 spokesman, said, “We are a vendor and no different from thousands of other companies that provide products and services to districts and schools.”

Pennsylvania has also debated the financing of virtual charter schools. Saying such schools were draining them financially, districts filed suit in 2001, portraying online schools as little more than home schooling at taxpayer expense. The districts lost, but the debate has continued.

Last year, the state auditor found that several online charters had received reimbursements from students’ home districts that surpassed actual education costs by more than $1 million. Now legislators are considering a bill that would in part standardize the payments at about $5,900 per child, said Michael Race, a spokesman for the State Department of Education.

The state auditor in Kansas last year raised a different concern, finding that the superintendent of a tiny prairie district running an online school had in recent years given 130 students, and with them $106,000 in per-pupil payments, to neighboring districts that used the students’ names to pad enrollment counts. The auditor concluded that the superintendent had carried out the subterfuge to compensate the other districts for not opening their own online schools.

“Virtual education is a growing alternative to traditional schooling,” Barbara J. Hinton, the Kansas auditor, said in a report. Ms. Hinton found that virtual education had great potential because students did not have to be physically present in a classroom. “Students can go to school at any time and in any place,” she said. But, she added, “this also creates certain risks to both the quality of the student’s education and to the integrity of the public school system.”

Rural Americans have been attracted to online schooling because it allows students even on remote ranches to enroll in arcane courses like Chinese.

In Colorado, school districts have lost thousands of students to virtual schools, and, in 2006, a state audit found that one school, run by a rural district, was using four licensed teachers to teach 1,500 students across the state. The legislature responded last year by establishing a new division of the Colorado Department of Education to tighten regulation of online schools.

The Wisconsin Virtual Academy has 20 certified, unionized teachers, and 800 students who communicate with one another over the Internet.

The school has consistently met federal testing requirements, and many parents, including Mrs. Weldie, expressed satisfaction with the K12 curriculum, which allows her children to move through lessons at their own pace, unlike traditional schools, where teachers often pause to take account of slower students. Isabel Weldie, 5, is in kindergarten, “But in math I’m in first grade,” she said during a break in her school day recently.

“That’s what I love most about this curriculum,” Mrs. Weldie said. “There’s no reason for Isabel to practice counting if she can already add.”

In 2004, the teachers’ union filed a lawsuit against the school, challenging the expansive role given to parents, who must spend four to five hours daily leading their children through lesson plans and overseeing their work. Teachers monitor student progress and answer questions in a couple of half-hour telephone conferences per month and in interactive online classes using conferencing software held several times monthly.

A state court dismissed the case, but in December an appeals court said the academy was violating a state law requiring that public school teachers be licensed.

The ruling infuriated parents like Bob Reber, an insurance salesman who lives in Fond du Lac and whose 8-year-old daughter is a student at the academy. “According to this ruling, if I want to teach my daughter to tie her shoes, I’d need a license,” Mr. Reber said.

Not so, said Mary Bell, the union president: “The court did not say that parents cannot teach their children — it said parents cannot teach their children at taxpayers’ expense.”

The Weldies and 1,000 other parents and students from online schools rallied in Madison, the state capital, urging lawmakers to save their schools. Last week, legislators announced that they had agreed on a bipartisan bill that would allow the schools to stay open, while requiring online teachers to keep closely in touch with students and increasing state oversight.