Hello again iEARN-USA Teachers!
Thanksgiving is behind us and before
we know it, we will all be off on our holiday breaks from school
and work. Moira Wilkinson and I have been reaching out to you all
over the past few weeks, looking to hear about your iEARN
experience and what youíve been working on. Itís been a pleasure
talking to those of you weíve reached--what an inspiring bunch
you all are! If you havenít yet had a chance to email her back,
or if youíd like one of us to call you instead, please drop an
email and let us know.
And as always, drop us a line if you have items youíd like to
submit for inclusion in the next newsletter, or suggestions for
what more youíd like to see, Also, If you need anything--
passwords, help finding a forum or choosing a project, or
anything else-- feel free to call or email me at any time. I love
to hear from you!
I also wanted to let you all know that the book Teaching
for Understanding with Technology written by Kristi Rennebohm
Franz, an iEARN teacher in Seattle, Washington, will be out any
day now.
Amazon has the book posted with endorsements, including one from
our Executive Director Ed Gragert and one from one of our C3
World teachers, Katherine Law! Visit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0787972304/
qid=1101840887/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/102-8775142-1785712?
v=glance&s=books&n=507846 to take a look. Youíll all want to get your hands on it, so keep your eyes peeled in stores!
Lastly, Happy Holidays to all of you. May the turning of the year
bring you and your families, friends, and communities nothing but
peace and abundance.
Warmly,
Mariam
=====================================================
IEARN-US Newsletter, Issue 4
December 14, 2004
Last Friday was International Human
Rights Day. By participating in iEARN projects and opening the
world to your students, you are a part of bringing more justice
and move victory to the fight for human rights. Thank you for
your work!
IEARN-US NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Meet your colleagues across the country--Join the US-Center Forum!
2. Learning Circle Registration is Now Open
3. iEARN Member School Wins Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes!
4. Bobbi Kurshan Joins iEARN-USA Board of Directors
5. Submit Your iEARN Projects to the Stockholm Challenge
6. Please Join US Teacher Anita Gerlach in the Lullaby Project!
7. Join us in Senegal This Summer!
8. View iEARNís International Education Week Webcast
9. Moving Voices Digital Videos Now Available Online
10. Work with Schools in Egypt on Youth Can Prevent AIDS Project
11. Hear about Ukrainian citizensí experiences meeting Victor Jushchenko
12. Check out the Geometry and Mathematics in Arts & Architecture Project!
RESOURCES & EVENTS
1. Resources for Students and Teachers from Globalization101.org
2. World History Connected: The EJournal of Learning and Teaching
3. New Peace Corps Publication: Uncommon Journeys
4. New resource for using Digital Media in your classroom
5. Teachers Institutes on Understanding and Teaching About Islam
6. UN Seminar on Confronting Islamophobia
7. Visit Mexico with Rethinking Schools this February!
8. Travel with your students next October!
AWARDS & OPPORTUNITIES
1. Small Grants Available from Ben & Jerryís Foundation
2. Teachers Institutes on Understanding and Teaching About Islam
3. Win a trip to Hawaii for creative energy conservation projects!
4. Spend two weeks learning in Japan this summer!
5. Global Student Teaching: Experience Life in Another Culture
6. Share Your Ideas About Why Good Teachers Drop Out of the Profession
================================================
DOWNLOAD THE NEW iEARN 2004-2005 PROJECT BOOK!
See http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html
================================================
IEARN-US NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
=================================================
Meet your colleagues across the country--Join the US-Center Forum!
iEARN Dynamo Celia Einhorn writes: ìYou are cordially invited to participate in the US Forum at http://foro.iearn.org/.f112f83/.
Discussions currently include: Curriculum Standards and iEARN,
Resources, Book Lists, Grants and Scholarships, Face to Face
Professional Development. No need to RSVP, just come on over. You don't
even have to purchase a new dress to be part of this celebration!î
=================================================
Learning Circle Registration is Now Open
Looking For A New Project And Some Class-To-Class Collaboration?
Itís time to register for the Learning Circles 2005: January to
May Session!
The new session begins January 31 and
ends on May 20 (15 weeks with a 1-week break in the
spring). Learning Circle Placement forms are due on January
15, 2005.
If you want to be a part of the January session please go to: http//www.iearn.org/circles
Select and complete the placement form at: http//www.iearn.org/circles/lc-placement.html
If you have any questions or need more information please contact Barry Kramer at bskramer48@hotmail.com
=================================================
iEARN Member School Wins Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes!
The Metropolitan Learning
Center in Bloomfield, Connecticut, a devoted iEARN school and
BRIDGE Program participant, was one of five American schools to
receive the prestigious Goldman Sachs Foundation Prize for
Excellence in International Education.
This yearís winners of the $125,000 awards program, sponsored by
The Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society, were honored at a
ceremony in Washington, D.C. coinciding with International
Education Week. IEARN was honored with this same award last year.
The full list of winners, who will receive $25,000 in each of the five categories, includes:
Chinese American International School, San Francisco, CA
(Elementary/Middle School Category), International School of the
Americas, San Antonio,TX, and Metropolitan Learning Center,
Bloomfield, Conn. (co-recipients, High School Category, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Mich. (Higher Education
Category), The State of Wisconsin (State Category), and GLOBE,
Boulder, Colo. (Media and Technology Category).
The Prizes were established to identify effective and replicable
models of international education that address concerns about the
economic, social, and diplomatic costs of educational isolationism. For
more information on this Prize and to read about the winners,
visit http://www.internationaled.org/prizes/
=================================================
Bobbi Kurshan Joins iEARN-USA Board of Directors
Dr. Barbara Kurshan has been a pioneer
in the field of educational technology for more than 15
years. She is the President of Educorp Consulting
Corporation. She has a doctorate in Computer Science and
Education. She has written numerous articles and texts and has
designed software and networks to meet the needs of
learners. She works with investment banking firms and
venture groups on companies related to educational technology.
She serves on the boards of Fablevision, Headsprout and Medalis,
and is currently on the advisory boards of Pixel, WorldSage and
Tegrity. Most importantly, she believes deeply in the
mission of iEARN. We are very pleased to have her
experience, expertise and perspectives on our Board.
=================================================
Submit Your iEARN Projects to the Stockholm Challenge
The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2005. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.stockholmchallenge.se.
=================================================
Please Join US Teacher Anita Gerlach in the Lullaby Project!
This project allows individuals to
share their heritage with future generations and ensure that
these songs are not lost. Help preserve these incredible
expressions of our cultures and love for children. A
website is being planned that will be a central repository. It
will include the stories behind the lullabies in native
languages. These lullabies will enhance multi cultural
understanding, and re-establish the lullaby as a part of the joy
of parenting. Contact Anita Gerlach in the USA at
<agerlach@cybermesa.com>.
=================================================
Join us in Senegal This Summer!
The 12th Annual iEARN Conference will
be hosted in Dakar, Senegal, July 17-24, 2005. The conference will
be held at the Meridian Hotel. Watch http://www.iearn.org
for more information, or login to the 2005 Senegal Conference
Discussion Forum at: http://foro.iearn.org/.1dec18f9/
=================================================
View iEARNís International Education Week Webcast
On November 19th, iEARN coordinators
from Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Oman,
Indonesia, Tunisia, and Pakistan were featured on a panel with Joseph
Esposito, Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs at the US
Department of Education. They discussed international Education and how
it is powered by technology at an event held as part of International
Education Week, in partnership with the World Affairs Council of
Washington, DC and Nortel Networks Kidz Online. View the webcast
at http://www.kidzonline.org/iew.
=================================================
Moving Voices Digital Videos Now Available Online
The project's website, http://movingvoices.iearn.org,
showcasing the twelve student-produced videos from Argentina, Botswana,
Canada, Egypt, India, Japan, Morocco, Czech Republic, South Africa, the
USA and Zimbabwe, is now available. In addition to the student
videos, the website also features information about the MovingVoices
project, the MovingVoices process of making films and how to join
MovingVoices as we move into Phase 2.
=================================================
Work with Schools in Egypt on Youth Can Prevent AIDS Project
"Our Goal is to make youth aware
of AIDS and the life they live in." Contact Mina Morcos Aziz
<superios8@hotmail.com> from the Middle East Language
School in Alexandria, Egypt.
=================================================
Hear about Ukrainian citizensí experiences meeting Victor Jushchenko
The facilitators of the "We Are
Teenagers" Project sent a picture of themselves standing with the
candidate for president in Ukraine - Victor Jushchenko.
The heart of iEARN is how we reach across all lines to speak to
one another directly around the worldóplease have your students
join in the discussions in the forum right now. Itís a great
opportunity for students here to connect, and learn about the
role of young people in events there now.
You can see them at the link in the We Are Teenagers Forum: http://foro.iearn.org/webx?50@@.1df3e535
=================================================
Check out the Geometry and Mathematics in Arts & Architecture Project!
A team of students from Iran writes,
"From ancient times, people of different countries tried to know
geometry principles and use them in their buildings. Nowadays,
their buildings, besides showing their feelings and senses, show
their knowledge in geometry and its principles. For we are
Iranians, we have researched about hidden geometry of Islamic
patterns & now we try to know more about the architecture of
buildings in other cultures and countries, too. By this way, we
can find out the usages and mysteries of architecture in man's
life."
Interested? Contact Samaneh Sadeghi at
samaneh_sadeghi@hotmail.com, Negin Yashmi at n_yashmi@yahoo.com,
Nazanin Khosravani Tehrani at nazaninkt@yahoo.com, and Nargess
Khalil Gharibi at nargess_kg@yahoo.com in Iran.
=================================================
RESOURCES & EVENTS
=================================================
Resources for Students and Teachers from Globalization101.org
Globalization101.org is
dedicated to providing students with information and
interdisciplinary learning opportunities on the complex
phenomenon of globalization. Students are invited to learn about
globalization by clicking on a link to first read a definition of
the term "globalization," and then click on buttons on the screen
to begin exploring Issue Briefs, News Analyses, Ask the Experts
interviews, and Useful Links.
This site also offers many resources for teachers. Educators can
find resources to teach about globalization. You can
download free lesson plans tied to Issue Briefs, and learn about
how to get paid for field-testing the lesson plans with your
class. Teachers are encouraged to check back frequently for new
lesson plans and other resources.
The site also provides explanations of how the material on
Globalization101.org fits with curriculum standards in various
states. You can click on the link to your state to see the
standards and links to parts of the website that address them.
Topics include trade, health, culture, the environment, and the World Bank. To check out these resources, visit http://www.globalization101.org.
=================================================
World History Connected: The EJournal of Learning and Teaching
World History Connected is designed
for everyone who wants to deepen the engagement and understanding
of world history: students, college instructors, high school
teachers, leaders of teacher education programs, social studies
coordinators, research historians, and librarians.
For all these readers, WHC presents innovative
classroom-ready scholarship, keeps readers up to date on the
latest research and debates, presents the best in learning and
teaching methods and practices, offers readers rich teaching
resources, and reports on exemplary teaching.
WHC is free worldwide. It is published by the University of
Illinois Press, and its institutional home is Washington State
University.
Visit http://www.worldhistoryconnected.org to find out more.
=================================================
New Peace Corps Publication: Uncommon Journeys
Uncommon Journeys: Peace Corps Adventures Across Cultures Using Peace Corps Literature in the Classroom
The uncommon experiences of Peace Corps Volunteers around the
world are captured in a new volume of Peace Corps readings and
classroom lessons based on them. "Uncommon Journeys: Peace Corps
Adventures Across Cultures" is a 192-page collection of 11 essays by
Peace Corps Volunteers or former volunteers, detailing their
experiences and feelings while serving anywhere from urban Ukraine to
the depth of the rain forest of Congo. Eloquent, inspiring, revealing,
humorous-these tales tell of the challenges and rewards of serving two
years in a new and sometimes bewildering culture. The standards-based
lessons accompanying the essays are designed to help U.S. teachers
incorporate the passages into their social studies and language arts
classrooms. Visit http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/guides/journeys for more information and to
download the publication. To order a free copy, call the Peace
Corps Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools program at
1-800-424-8580 x1450, or send an e-mail to
wwsinfo@peacecorps.gov.
=================================================
New resource for using Digital Media in your classroom
Digital Media in the Classroom is a new e-resource from Technology & Learning and DV magazines.
Visit http://www.techlearning.com/digitalvideo/ to discover how
innovative educators like yourself are using video broadcasting as a
learning tool. See step-by-step and how-to lesson samples. Get ideas to
try yourself from our showcase of award-winning projects. Plus, learn
practical integration tips, research stats, and more.
=================================================
Teachers Institutes on Understanding and Teaching About Islam
Dar al-Islam is pleased to offer a
residential two-week Institute in Abiquiu, New Mexico, on July
5-17, 2005. Classes on Islamic faith, practice, history and
culture are taught by university professors from the U. S. and
abroad. Participants will become more familiar with teaching
resources, as well as techniques for integrating them into the
social studies, religion or world history curriculum.
The institute takes place at the Dar al-Islam mosque and
madressa (school) óa world-renowned North African-style adobe
structure that sits on a mesa of the Sangre de Christo Mountain
range, one hour north of Santa Fe.
There is no charge to educators who attend this program.
Participants pay only for their travel to New Mexico. Dar al Islam will
provide books and supplementary teaching materials, on-site room and
board, and transportation to and from the Albuquerque Airport. For
information on applying see the Dar al Islam web site at http://www.daralislam.org or contact Karima Alavi, director, at kdalavi@cybermesa.com. The application deadline is April 4 2005.
=================================================
UN Seminar on Confronting Islamophobia
Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened a
seminar on "Confronting Islamophobia: Education for
Tolerance and Understanding" at United Nations Headquarters in
New York on 7 December. It is the second in the series
Unlearning Intolerance, organized by the Educational Outreach
Section in the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department
of Public Information (DPI).
To view the archived webcast and see the list of panelists and the agenda,
please click on: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2004/webArticles/112204_Conference.asp
=================================================
Visit Mexico with Rethinking Schools this February!
Rethinking Schools and the human
rights organization Global Exchange are again collaborating to
bring you ìFrom the World to our Classrooms,î a ìreality
tourî for teachers to the US-Mexico border. This yearís
trip is scheduled over the Presidents Day weekend, Friday,
February 18 through Monday, February 21. Application deadline
is December 17.
Bill Bigelow writes: ìWe will meet with representatives of the
U.S. Border Patrol, now under Homeland Security; go to the border
with the American Friends Service Committee's border justice
project; visit an inspiring democratically-organized ejido
community that has resisted the pro-corporate policies of the
Mexican government; talk with environmental justice organizers in
a poor community near a maquiladorazone, and take a walking tour
of their neighborhood; visit a maquiladora; talk with recently
arrived migrants and US deportees at a center for migrants in
Tijuana; and hear from other social justice, women's and labor
organizers. And throughout the trip we'll discuss ways to bring
our insights back to our classrooms.î
Cost: $650 from the San Diego airport -- includes hotel, 2 meals
a day, all ground transportation, translation of meetings, background
readings, and honoraria to organizations we meet with. Bob Peterson
wrote a Rethinking Schools article about last February's trip. It's at: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/18_04/mexi184.shtml.
For further information and an application contact Bill at bbpdx@aol.com.
=================================================
Travel with your students next October!
U.S. teachers of grades 6-12 in the
humanities, social studies or language arts are encouraged to
apply for the 2005 US- Eurasian Awards for Excellence in Teaching
(TEA) Program. You will participate in a cooperative
teacher-training and exchange program and travel to Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine or Uzbekistan for three weeks in October, 2005. You will
have an opportunity to visit schools, share teaching methods and
live in the home of a Eurasian teacher while participating in a
variety of unique cultural experiences.
Teachers who have been recognized for excellence in teaching at
the national, state or local level in the past eight years, are
encouraged to apply for TEA by submitting a completed application
no later than February 1, 2005. The TEA program is a fully-funded
exchange. This program is sponsored by the United States
Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
and administered by American Councils for International
Education: ACTR/ACCELS.
For additional information or application materials, please
contact Marilee Muchow at the American Councils for International
Education at (202) 833-7522, or by e-mail at
mailto:tea@americancouncils.org. Information is also available at http://www.americancouncils.org/tea .
=================================================
AWARD OPPORTUNITIES
=================================================
Small Grants Available from Ben & Jerryís Foundation
Each year, the Ben & Jerry's
Foundation funds a number of material grants for $1,000 or less
for innovative programs that fit into their general guidelines
and that are infused with a spirit of hopefulness. They have a
strong focus on social change. Applications for small grants are
reviewed at regular grantmaking meetings three times a year.
For more information on how to apply, visit http://www.benjerry.com/foundation/guidelines.html#types
=================================================
Teachers Institutes on Understanding and Teaching About Islam
Dar al-Islam is pleased to offer
a residential two-week Institute in Abiquiu, New Mexico, on July
5-17, 2005. Classes on Islamic faith, practice, history and
culture are taught by university professors from the U. S. and
abroad. Participants will become more familiar with teaching
resources, as well as techniques for integrating them into the
social studies, religion or world history curriculum.
The institute takes place at the Dar al-Islam mosque and
madressa (school) óa world-renowned North African-style adobe
structure that sits on a mesa of the Sangre de Christo Mountain
range, one hour north of Santa Fe.
There is no charge to educators who attend this program.
Participants pay only for their travel to New Mexico. Dar al Islam will
provide books and supplementary teaching materials, on-site room and
board, and transportation to and from the Albuquerque Airport. For
information on applying see the Dar al Islam web site at http://www.daralislam.org or contact Karima Alavi, director, at kdalavi@cybermesa.com. The application deadline is April 4 2005.
=================================================
Win a trip to Hawaii for creative energy conservation projects!
Grant Title: Igniting Creative Energy Challenge
Organization: Johnson Controls and the National Energy Foundation
Eligibility: K-12 students in Canada and U.S.
Value: Four trips to Hawaii
Deadline: February 19, 2005
The fourth Igniting Creative Energy
Challenge is an educational competition designed to encourage
students to learn more about energy and the environment. Students
are asked to submit entries that reflect the competition theme,
Igniting Creative Energy, and demonstrate an understanding of
what an individual, family, or group can do to make a difference
in their home, school, or community. Students may express their
ideas on energy conservation and the environment in the form of
science projects, essays, stories, artwork, photographs, music,
video, or web site projects. They may also submit recent service
projects or results from the National Energy Foundation's own
Energy Patrol activities. A total of four grand prizes will be
awarded to three students and one teacher. Three students, one in
each grade cluster whose work best exemplifies the Challenge
criteria, will receive a hosted trip to Hawaii April 26-30, 2005,
for themselves and a parent or legal guardian. In addition, one
teacher with the highest average score of student work from 15 or
more qualifying entries will be chosen for a trip for two to
Hawaii for the same fun and educational experience.
Contact: http://www.ignitingcreativeenergy.org
=================================================
Spend two weeks learning in Japan this summer!
Sixty teachers, grades
9-12, interested in spending two fully-paid weeks
in Japan this summer may apply through the following
website. Please pass this on to others you know who could get
this information to interested teachers.
NB: The trip is being operated by the Institute for International Education, not City College.
www.iie.org/programs/toyota
Norman Shapiro
Center for School Development
CCNY
=================================================
Global Student Teaching: Experience Life in Another Culture
Since 1989, the Global Student
Teaching program (GST) has offered 1115 prospective teachers,
from 61 universities, the opportunity to complete student
teaching requirements in several regions of the world. GST
expands the range of student teaching options and offers a unique
opportunity for prospective teachers to develop their teaching
abilities and expand their cultural awareness. GST is offered by
College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota,
Morris, a public liberal arts institution with a nationally
recognized reputation for excellence. The University of
Minnesota, Morris is accredited by the National Council for
the Accreditation of Teacher Education and the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Global Student Teacher, visit http://www.globalst.org for more information.
=================================================
Share Your Ideas About Why Good Teachers Drop Out of the Profession
For the February/March issue of Edutopia (http://www.edutopia.org/)
magazine, we're working on a story about why good teachers--great
teachers--often drop out of the teaching profession. We'd like to get
your take on the topic. If you're a teacher, what keeps you in
the classroom in spite of the pay, the hours, and the other drawbacks?
What could change to make you stay in the profession longer (or to make
your stay happier)? If you're not a teacher, is there something you do
to keep teachers teaching?
Send your responses, along with your full name, location, and title, to <edit@edutopia.org>.
Mariam Habib
iEARN-US Membership Coordinator
Connecting Youth, Making a Difference in the World!
t: (212) 870-2693
f: (212) 870-2672
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