May 2008

MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD ON ELECTION DAY
  http://VOTE411.org

Still  need to register to vote? Just visit the League of Women Voters' elections Web  site, VOTE411.org, to get started.   Features include the only nationwide polling place locator, an online  registration tool, important deadlines, absentee and overseas ballot  information, candidate information, and specific details about voting in Arkansas.

AETN KIDS COMPUTER ACADEMY THIS SUMMER
  Dates: June 23-27 and July  14-18, 2008
  Location: AETN, 350 S. Donaghey,  Conway, AR   72034
  Age: Kids completing grades 3-5
  Cost: $199

Participants will learn how to  use Word, Paint Shop, Internet navigation and safety, PowerPoint and e-mail.  They will also strengthen self-confidence and  communication skills, and have fun!

Kids will bring their lunch, and  AETN will provide snacks and beverages throughout the day.  Participants will receive a T-shirt,  drawstring backpack and a companion notebook.

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ARKANSAS STUDIES

TROUBLED WATERS EXAMINES  WATER STATUS IN ARKANSAS
  http://www.aetn.org/production/programs/water/video

Arkansas is the fourth highest user of water in the United States,  and has the third largest aquifer.  Check  this Web site to explore the status of water in Arkansas,  with a focus on Beaver Lake, El Dorado, Grand Prairie, Gunner Pool, Hartford,  Heifer International, Illinois River, Lake Maumelle  and Weiner.

For a  cross-curriculum math study, check out measuring water flow and quality at the Gunner Lake  site.

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ART AND MUSIC

VAUDEVILLIAN, HERE WE COME!
    http://www.opb.org/education/atschool/lesson.php?rowid=58
  Grades: 3-8

This lesson plan  from Oregon Public Broadcasting will share the many aspects involved with  creating a fair using vaudeville as the main performing art.  Create characters made from papier mache,  learn about parades, and organize a school event.

MANIPULATING PHOTOGRAPHS
    http://www.pbs.org/ktca/americanphotography/teachersguide/manipulate_parent.html
  Grades: 9-12

This lesson plan  explores the power of photography as an agent of change.  Students will decide if it is acceptable to  change a photograph, and will experiment with manipulating photographs.

REPEAT THE BEAT, TAP YOUR FEET LESSON PLAN
    http://pbskids.org/jazz/lesson/tap_your_feet.html
  Grades: PreK-1

Children practice  following a pattern in music, become familiar with the concept of beat,  identify tempo, and play the beat at different speeds.

IT'S A BIG, BIG WORLD “MONKEY MUSIC”

http://pbskids.org/bigbigworld/home.html?...

Grades: PreK-2

Create and record a song with Smooch and Winslow in this online interactive game. Choose a beat, add or remove water from glasses and then tap the glasses to make music. Notice how the sounds change as you add and remove the water.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE

TEACH KIDS TO BE SAFE ONLINE
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2008/04/building_stud...

A new report tackles the  pressing challenge of keeping school children safe online. Because the Internet  will never be completely safe, we need to teach kids resilience to help them  navigate the risks. Learn how parents and schools can give students the media  literacy skills they need to use the Internet responsibly. 

SOURCE: PBS Parents Weekly Newsletter
  http://pbsparents.org

OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING “ART BEAT AT SCHOOL: MAKING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS” LESSON PLAN GIVES INSIGHT TO DISABILITIES

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/newsletter/redir/http://www.opb.org/education/atschool/lesson.php

Grades: 3-8

Consider alternative ways of creating music using non-traditional instruments, and create a percussion instrument out of household materials. Explore art created by people with disabilities by creating art without using hands.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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EARLY CHILDHOOD

HELP YOUR CHILD FALL IN LOVE WITH WORDS
  http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/articles/poetry/main.html?campaign=parentsnews_1_poetry

Introduce  your child to the sounds and rhythms of language – from Mother Goose to Dr.  Seuss.  Kids love the cadence and  playfulness of the poetry. Find books and techniques to get children excited  about sharing words.

SOURCE: PBS Parents Weekly Newsletter
    http://pbsparents.org

CARING FOR THE EARTH AROUND US
  http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/earthmonth.html?campaign=parentsnews_1_earthmonth

This resource will help you to  show kids how to respect the planet.   It's never too early to start instilling the values of recycling,  conserving water, reducing trash, loving animals and keeping the air clean.

SOURCE: PBS Parents Newsletter
  http://pbs.org/parents/preferences/index.html

FREE PBS KIDS INTERACTIVE SITES BY AGE LEVEL
  http://pbskids.org/

This site connects  children to interactive online activities.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

PROGRAMS	AGES
Barney	6 months-3    years
Teletubbies	1-4 years
Sesame Street	2-4 years
Berenstain Bears	2-7 years
Dragon Tales	2-7 years
Curious George	3-5 years
Mister Rogers	3-5 years
Boobah	3-6 years
Caillou	3-6 years
It’s a Big Big World	3-6 years
JAKERS!	4-6 years
Between the Lions	4-7 years
Clifford	4-7 years
Reading Rainbow	4-8 years
ZOOM	5-11 years
Arthur	6-9 years
Postcards from Buster	6-9 years
FETCH!	6-10 years
Maya & Miguel	6-11 years
Cyberchase	8-12 years

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GRANTS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

CONSERVATION SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
    http://www.agfc.com/education-class/programs/conservation-scholarship-program.aspx
  Scholarships for  Freshmen and Sophomores: $2,000/calendar year
  Scholarships for  Juniors and Graduate Students: $3,000/calendar year
  Fall Semester  Deadline: June 10, 2008

The field of  conservation is varied and includes law enforcement, fisheries and wildlife  management, public relations, environmental education and interpretation.  Specifics for this scholarship are available  at the Web site listed above.

GRANTS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR  PERFORMING ARTS TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
    http://www.dana.org/grants/rural/
  Maximum Award:  $50,000
  Eligibility:  Professional artists teaching performing arts in public schools, in-school arts  specialists teaching performing arts in public schools
  Deadline: June 4,  2008

The Dana Foundation  Rural Arts Initiatives grants funds to professional development programs for  performing arts teachers in rural communities.   Dana supports projects in various stages of development and approach.

SOURCE: PEN Weekly Newsblast
  http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp

JACOB K. JAVITS GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS  EDUCATION PROGRAM
    http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2008-2/042108b.html
  Range of Awards: $300,000-$450,000
  Estimated Number of  Awards: 6
  Eligibility: SEAs,  LEAs, institutions of higher education, other public and private agencies
  Deadline: June 5,  2008

Purpose: to carry  out a coordinated program of scientifically based research, demonstration  projects, innovative strategies and similar activities designed to build and  enhance the ability of elementary and secondary schools nationwide to meet the  special educational needs of gifted and talented students.

Grant Sources Forecast of Finding for the U.S. Department of Education  http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html   PEN WEEKLY NEWSBLAST  http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp  This site includes grant opportunity, Web links, deadlines, eligibility and maximum grant amounts   EducationMoney.com   Federal Grants http://grants.gov allows you to search by category, you do not need to register to search for grant opportunities   http://grantsalert.com/ These sources will help locate foundation, government and other grant opportunities.  It’s best to start when you have some time to invest, because one thing frequently leads to another link. Grant Writing Tips and Tools If you want factual information about grant writing and samples, be sure to visit the Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal by S. Joseph Levine, Ph.D., Michigan State University, at http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal.   “SHOW ME THE MONEY: TIPS & RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING” http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev039.shtml

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HEALTH, SAFETY AND FITNESS

AETN's FIGHTING  FAT SERIES COMBINES INFORMATION AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT IDEAS
  http://www2.aetn.org/fightingfat/

If you are  interested in promoting healthy lifestyles in your classroom, school or  district, check out this Web site for “crazy, busy fit,” “fitness witness” and  “healthy living” video segments.

ZOOM “BLIND SPOT”

http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/blindspot.html

Grades: 3-8

Discover the blind spot in the human eye with a simple experiment, then alter the experiment to discover the size and shape of your blind spot.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES

SELECT FROM ONLINE EXHIBITIONS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
  http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/category.cfm?category=online

Don’t be deterred  by distance.  You and your students can  tour one of the many online exhibitions of the National Museum of American  History.

POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER “MEET ME AT THE FAIR”
    http://pbskids.org/buster/parentsteachers/lessons.html
  Grades: PreK -2

Compare the chores and  responsibilities of children on a farm with the students' chores and  responsibilities.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

INTERACTIVE GAME EXPLORES ANCIENT MAYAN WORLD
   http://www.arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org/kids-quest/mayan_challenge.html

The Arkansas Discovery Network  has just released a new online game that takes players into the ancient Mayan  world of Palenque, Mexico. Visitors uncover secret  treasures from the ancient tombs by decoding Mayan glyphs. Please visit the  site to play this game yourself or with a student and fill out the short survey  afterwards to let game providers know what you think, so games can be improved.

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LIBRARY, LITERATURE AND READING

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “WALT WHITMAN”
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/whitman/
  Grades: 9-12

Explore poet Walt Whitman's life  story, from his working-class childhood in Long Island to his years as a  newspaper reporter in Brooklyn to his death in  1892 at age 72.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

POETRY EVERYWHERE
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere
  Grades: 6-12

Poetry Everywhere is designed to take a fresh look at poetry using a variety  of production approaches.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

THE JOURNAL OF MEDIA LITERACY AVAILABLE
  http://www.nationaltelemediacouncil.org/

The Journal of Media Literacy is published twice a year and  contains resources for library media specialists and classroom  teachers. In addition: the Alliance  for A Media Literate America (AMLA) has just opened the new Media Marketplace  (formerly the bookstore run by the Center for Media Literacy).  If you are thinking about adding media  literacy material to your student or professional collection, consider  going here:  http://www.shopdei.com/amla/.

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MATH AND SCIENCE

ARE YOU READY FOR THE NANOBOTS?
  http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/games/game_nano.html

Can your child guide a nanorobot  safely through an obstacle course? There's only one way to find out! The latest  game from DragonFly TV introduces  real kids to real science.

SOURCE: PBS Parents Weekly Newsletter
  http://pbsparents.org

NOVA “TRILLION DOLLAR BET: VIRTUAL STOCK MARKET”

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/stockmarket/virtual.html

Grades: 6-12

Investigate the workings of the stock market by trading traditional stocks and using call options in this online interactive activity.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS “OASIS OF THE ANCESTORS”    http://www.pbs.org/safarchive/4_class/45_pguides/pguide_304/4534_oasis.html

Grades: 6-12

Explore the history of written communication, and create your own hieroglyphs from logos or other pictographs, letters and pictures (ideograms). Design a theme-based garden, and write a paradox inspired by ancient Hebrew poetry.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FREE AETN IDEAS PORTAL  AND AETN VIDEOSTREAMING WORKSHOPS

Times:
  8:30-11:30 a.m. workshops for  Arkansas IDEAS education portal
  1-4 p.m. workshops for AETN  Videostreaming

Dates:
  May 8, 22, 2008

To register for one or more of  the workshops, or for more information, call 1-800-488-6689 or send e-mail to education@aetn.org.

As with all professional development  courses, allowing in-service credit is at the discretion of the superintendent,  principal or other official designated by your district/school.  Although courses have been approved by ADE as  appropriate for professional development, you will still need to confirm the  credit status of the course at a local level.

To make arrangements for either  or both workshops at your school or district for a minimum of 10 participants,  contact Daoming Chen, 1-800-488-6689, or dchen@aetn.org.

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