a professional development stocking stuffer?

I don't know if you are a geek like me... but this just arrived in my inbox... and I got a little bit excited.  Ok... I won't lie because someone down the hall will tell you the truth.  I got a LOT excited.  PBS TeacherLine is going to be offering a course in partnership with THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS in 2011! 

Is your Christmas shopping done?  Is your Holiday wish list already filled?  Have you REALLY bought everything for yourself?  I bet you treated everyone but YOU!  Invest in yourself and consider putting one more item under the tree that will help you this next year and your students...  Special discounts for ASSET Educator members on PBS TeacherLine courses.

INST342 Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress
Description: Primary sources provide a window into the past—unfiltered access to the record of artistic, social, scientific, and political thought and achievement during the specific period under study, produced by people who lived during that period. Bringing young people into close contact with these unique, often profoundly personal, documents and objects from the Library of Congress can give them a very real sense of what it was like to be alive during a long-past era and can contribute to a new understanding of the present. Teaching with primary sources can facilitate student engagement, the development of critical thinking skills, and the construction of knowledge, while bringing the content to life. This course will demonstrate how teachers can engage students and have them think critically and construct their own learning through analyzing primary sources from the Library of Congress.
Classroom Link: Yes
Grades: 3-12
Duration: 6 weeks
Hours: 45
This course was produced in collaboration with the Library of Congress.

So...  after all the children are nestled snug in their beds... and the grades are filed... and the cookies have been baked...  why not consider enrolling?

DATOS!

This past Wednesday, I was privledged to attend the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce annual DATOS Focus on Arizona’s Hispanic Market 15th annual breakfast. My colleague, Michelle, had raved about it and had told me often it would be something we would love. I was most definitely in agreement as soon as the morning began.

The music, the warm greetings, the eggs and salsa :) of course... but the multimedia the grabs you... and reminds you why you are so proud to live in Arizona and be a part of the Southwest... the host of the morning engages us with his lively banter between the distinguished guests and introductions of the keynote speakers as he tries to solicit tips from the priest who leads the invocation. (jokingly of course!)



An Iowa-born girl but raised in Arizona since age 8 I find myself proud of Arizona despite all the crazed political landscape of recent months. I am fascinated by the DATOS 2010 statistics shared by ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business Professor Emeritus, Dr. Louis Olivas. His talented team of graduate students have crafted a beautiful presentation under his guidance and I type notes into my "Plurkoid" app on my Droid as fast as my thumbs will let me, having been silly to not bring a notepad with me.

Dr. Olivas presentation is followed by Keynote, Hector Orci, President, Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA). I find later he is one to Google... as his professional education work has much to offer our students and we could use his work in our classrooms.

Remembering Arizona Veterans - Capture Stories

Happy Veterans Day, Arizona! Make sure you take time to remember a Veteran, thank them, thank their family members for their sacrifices as well, and show your support.  Last night, Wednesday, November 10, Horizon's Host Ted Simons conducted 2 interviews with Arizona Veterans.  The video will be posted before noon tomorrow!  I encourage you to take time to share a brief segment from at least one with your students in discussion tomorrow.  Both were touching conversations with men who were proud to have served their country and be a part of history.(Check for Horizon's interview of Korean veteran as soon as it gets posted on azpbs.org/horizon) 

The clip above showcases Arizonans -- and Arizona communities -- that were forever changed by the Second World War. Eight presents back-to-back stories exploring the struggles and conflict, the sacrifice and the bravery. Explore the resources Eight- Arizona PBS has to offer locally from the World War II story collection.

Explore ways to capture stories from this local link... or better yet... we encourage you to tell your story... share your story as a veteran or a family member with a service member on active duty or proudly now at home to share his or her memories either in writing, in pictures, in video, or all three through the StoryCorps.

Eight -Arizona PBS and Eight Educational Outreach-ASSET will be working throughout the next few weeks to actively collect stories from friends and family across the state.  We encourage you to help us!  As you gather for the holidays, this is a wonderful time to begin to uncover the stories and pictures and memories so often shared this time of year.

Watch the full episode. See more Independent Lens.

A Web 2.0 Challenge... thank you Discovery!

A gem found on Facebook from a good friend was worth sharing. She hosts all sorts of online professional learning communities and webinars for educators and I can only participate in a fraction of them. But... when I do, I am always so glad I have taken the time to participate. The content is always top notch and I walk away with resources I can share with other educators. The educators who are there wind up with resources they can implement into their teaching practices in the next few weeks.

Take a look at this fantastic challenge shared by the Discovery Educator Network at their latest Fall online conference! It is a Web 2.0 challenge to incorporate these tools into your teaching with strategies and steps to make the tool relevant to your classroom. http://tinyurl.com/23d6z8k Enjoy and share with a colleague. It will most definitely make it more fun!

If you're feeling REALLY BRAVE... maybe come back and share a comment or two about a tool you have tried and what worked (or didn't) as well.

The wait is almost over... the Cat will be here to celebrate Labor Day!

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! on Monday, September 6 at 9:30 a.m.

Voiced by award-winning actor Martin Short, Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat guides friends Sally and Nick — with a little help from the Fish, Thing 1 and Thing 2 (my personal favorites :) )— on fun-filled adventures where they make natural-science discoveries, from how bees make honey to why owls sleep during the day.

The show is based on the acclaimed The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library book series. Filled with both adventure and silliness, it appeals to preschoolers' natural curiosity and engages them in the process of scientific exploration and discovery.  Is there any doubt? Eight delivers children's programming you can trust!

Use it as an active viewing opportunity and explore the Parents & Teachers information online!  Get excited about digging deeper into the activities and reading aloud the stories with your children after the show is over.  THEN.... reserve your seat for the OCTOBER 2, 2010... CAT in the HAT KNOWS A Lot ABOUT THAT... BREAKFAST with KIM STOREY... Experience PBS ASSET Educator Institute 2010.  Space is Limited and we want you to have a spot at the table with the red & white striped hats!

Cheers to GREEN EGGS & HAM! and of course, Happy Labor Day!

Back to School Can Sometimes... Feel Like this?

Come See Maya and Miguel at the ASU Family Fun Day – Saturday, July 10, 2010

What moves you? How do you get from one place to another?

Walking, driving a car, riding a bike and traveling by train are all ways to move from here to there. This exhibition highlights these and other modes of transportation in paintings, sculpture and prints. Hands-on activities throughout the exhibition will get your imagination (creativity?) moving, too!

The Arizona State University Art Museum’s 11th Annual Summer Family Exhibition – What Moves Us: Art of Transportation from the Permanent Collection will be on display through August 7, 2010.

As part of this exhibition the Museum will host the Family Fun Day on Saturday, July 10, 2010. This event is free and is open from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. There will be art making projects, performances and a visit from PBS characters Maya and Miguel (10:30-Noon).

Additional information can be found at: ASU Art Museum Family Fun Day.

Eight, Arizona PBS looks forward to seeing you on Saturday!