Monday, December 29, 2008

Teacher Appreciation Evening Event @ Chandler Barnes & Noble

I was doing some last-minute shopping at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in the Chandler Fashion mall last week, and by sheer chance ended up having a great conversation with Sibley Giles, Barnes & Noble Community Relations Manager. She told me about the store's upcoming Teacher Appreciation Evening, scheduled for Friday, January 23, 2009 at 6:00pm. She wants to host an evening for teachers that will include not only fun and relaxation, but information teachers can put directly to use in the classroom.

What better place for ASSET Innovators? I told Sibley I would attend, and offer whatever information I had about PBS resources...and I could use some help! I hope my fellow Innovators will join me in Chandler on January 23, 2009, 6:00pm, at Barnes & Noble Booksellers--this should be a great opportunity to spread the word about PBS!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

PBS Teachers Happy Holiday Hunt!




Need a stress breaker or are you stuck in the house due to all the white stuff everywhere? Play the Happy Holiday Hunt and you could win Lindens from PBS Teachers Connect in Second Life!

Participate in the PBS Teachers Happy Holiday Hunt by joining our Ning at:

http://pbsteachersinsl.ning.com/

Whether you are new or experienced, come have fun searching for these locations in Second Life! And, at the same time you will learn about the vast array of standards and research-based resources available for education use from PBS!



Once you join the NING environment, you will meet other educators interested in assisting you in your journeys into Second Life. If you have yet to explore Second Life, this is a great way to start. If you are already in Second Life... look me up - Kimmer Jameson (a.k.a. Kim Flack)and join the fun!

Why bother? Well, for those who are experienced SL adventurers, we think that you will find some new resources from PBS you may never have known before. If you are not yet experienced in SL, this is a way to demystify the Grid and see some of the best sites it has to offer.

$3000L (Lindens) will be rewarded along with other fun prizes Second-Life-Style will be awarded on January 18, 2009. Where? Why in Second Life of course!


Find more photos like this on PBS Teachers in Second Life


Note: Second Life® and Linden Lab® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Linden Research, Inc. All rights reserved. No infringement is intended.

Monday, December 15, 2008

HEY YOU GUYS!



The PBS KIDS GO! Broadband Player reaches millions of children every week. Since The Electric Company powered up on the site, The Electric Company channel has received hundreds of thousands of hits!  Take a few minutes in this crazy pre-holiday break week to visit with your students.  See what you think of this show's comeback - headed to Eight airwaves in 2009!   Make sure you click the button for Top 10 to find the link directly to The Electric Company.

AND - check out the electrifying behind-the-scenes footage of the making of The Electric Company show open! http://www.mcpalumbos.com/guest/ec/ec_btssizzle.mov A BIG THANK YOU to Sesame Workshop for sharing these resources with us at ASSET-Eight so we can pass them on to you!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

DTV Countdown!

Recently on each newscast I watch, I notice there is a running script along the bottom of the screen reminding me of DTV - Digital Television - and what I need to do to get on board. DTV is coming, ready or not. The major network national news has also started to run a quick feature, the same as they countdown to Christmas, they now countdown to DTV.

The DTV transition is comprised of two parts. Broadcasters must upgrade to digital transmission, and viewers of over-the-air TV must upgrade to digital reception. Even with a converter box (or set-top box), your current analog television will not be capable of taking full advantage of DTV. To enjoy the full picture quality and benefits of DTV, you may want to purchase a new DTV set. But before you do, there are a few things to consider.
~ azpbs.org


Take a look at the Eight site for more specifics - and to find out how you can get a coupon for a digital converter box, if you need one, from the link above.

In the meantime, have a good laugh about how we are all in this together trying to figure out DTV and what it means for the future of broadcast television... watch the whole thing... you won't want to miss it!