Big Deal Media K-12 Technology Newsletter

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April 1, 2013

Timely reminders, fabulous freebies, best sites & more "worth the surf"

IN THIS ISSUE

Grants, Competitions and Other “Winning” Opportunities

Free and Inexpensive Resources

Of Special Interest

On-the-Go Learning

STEM Gems

“Worth-the-Surf” Websites

BOOKMARK THESE!

In Partnership With:
VSTE




Grants, Competitions and Other “Winning” Opportunities



Supplement Your Stretched Budget

GetEdFunding is CDW-G’s new website to help educators and institutions find the funds they need to supplement already stretched budgets. GetEdFunding is a free and fresh resource, which hosts a collection of more than 1,200 grants and other funding opportunities culled from federal, state, regional and community sources and available to public and private, preK–12 educators, schools and districts, higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations that work with them. The site offers customized searches by six criteria, including 41 areas of focus, eight content areas and any of the 21st century themes and skills that support your curriculum. Once you are registered on the site, you can save the grants of greatest interest and then return to read about them at any time.

Click Here to Visit Website

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Share Promising Practices for Immigrant Integration

The E Pluribus Unum Prizes have been established to honor the efforts of those who are creating stronger, more unified and successful communities by strengthening relationships between native-born and foreign-born Americans, and by helping immigrants and their children to succeed in the United States. The E Pluribus Unum Prizes are awards for exceptional immigrant integration initiatives that are already in existence and that can respond to the selection criteria (Significance, Impact and Influence) based on their program operations to date; the awards are not intended to support the launch of new initiatives. The awards program is coordinated by the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy (NCIIP), a hub for groups and individuals around the United States that seek to build their knowledge and skills in the area of immigrant integration. An Advisory Board of experts will assist NCIIP’s staff in selecting the prizewinners. The Advisory Board is comprised of experts in program evaluation and/or immigrant integration and its various subfields. In 2012, the program awarded three $50,000 prizes.

Deadline: The application period for the 2013 awards is now open and will close at 9 p.m. (ET) on April 12, 2013. The awards will be announced in October 2013.

Click Here for More Information

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Turn Great Ideas into Reality

ING Unsung Heroes awards are given to K–12 educators pioneering new teaching methods and techniques that improve learning based on innovative methods, creativity and ability to positively influence students. Each year, 100 finalists are selected to receive a $2,000 award, payable to both the winning teacher and his or her school. At least one award is granted in each of the 50 states, provided at least one qualified application was received from each state. Of the 100 finalists, three are selected for additional financial awards: $25,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place.

Deadline: Applications are due by April 30, 2013; winners will be announced in the fall.

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Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

How can educators transform their school’s technology offerings overnight? Easy—they can enter the eleventh annual Win a Wireless Lab Sweepstakes from CDW-G and Discovery Education. School employees can register once per day from now until May 3, 2013, to win one of two grand prizes, as well as 16 weekly prizes. Each grand-prize classroom is valued at $40,000 and includes 20 notebook or tablet computers, an interactive whiteboard, student response devices, a projector, a document camera, staff and student training and more. New this year, the Win a Wireless Lab Sweepstakes capitalizes on Pinterest, in addition to Twitter and Facebook, to display prizes, winners and innovative ways to use the technology. Follow Win a Wireless Lab on Pinterest, @WinWirelessLab on Twitter and “like” Win a Wireless Lab on Facebook for all the latest news. Also, download the Win a Wireless Lab infographic to post in your school and share with colleagues.

Deadline: Register once per day through May 3, 2013.

Click Here to Enter Sweepstakes

Click Here to Download Infographic

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Free and Inexpensive Resources



Immerse Students in Music

The Juilliard School in New York City is offering eLearning music courses to K–12 students across the nation for the first time. The courses, which are aligned around national standards, include “Living Music,” “Experiencing Music,” “Discovering Music” and “Exploring Music.” The “Living Music” course is designed for high school students, who study rhythm, beats, notation and music history. Students also learn about the relationships between various sections of the orchestra and are exposed to the concepts of improvisation and composition. In addition, students use online interactive tools, including a virtual instrument and digital sampler, to arrange their own music. In the “Experiencing Music” course, K–2 students are introduced to the basic components of music, including melody and rhythm. Students explore their own voices through performing and composing beats, rhythms and melodies. Students use their critical listening skills to analyze music they see and hear as they participate in interactive experiences. The “Discovering Music” course teaches students in grades 3–5 fundamental musicianship skills from a Western Classical approach. It challenges students to develop their listening, analysis, performance, composition and improvisation skills through studying standard repertoire pieces. Students also learn how to read music. They are introduced to types of instruments and families of instruments, and are taught about music style periods. In the “Exploring Music” course, students in grades 6–8 develop their appreciation for music as they hone their listening, notation, analysis, performance and improvisation skills. Students gain an understanding of the various families of the orchestra and use interactive instruments and tools to compose their own music. The Juilliard eLearning music courses cost $249 for kindergarten through grade 5 and $299 for grades 6 through 9. In subsequent years, courses such as music theory, music history, drama history or dance history may be added to Juilliard eLearning.

Click Here for More Information About eLearning Music Courses

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Create, Share and Collaborate in Map Storytelling

MapStory is a free online tool that enables any student, teacher or practitioner around the globe to convey stories, arrayed across geography and as they unfold over time. To get started in creating a MapStory, you simply select one or more datasets that you want to display on your map. You can choose dataset(s) from the MapStory gallery or upload your own. After choosing your dataset(s), you can select a base map. You can then customize the appearance of the data points on your map and/or manually add more data points. The notes option lets you create individual events to add to your map and timeline. You can also add lines and polygons through the notes feature. See, for example, a MapStory of the First Continental Railroad.

Click Here to Access Free Storytelling Tool

Click Here to Access MapStory Example

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Construct Three-Dimensional Models

Your school might not have a 3-D printer, but your students can still create 3-D models with two free online tools from Autodesk. 123D Design lets students create models by dragging pieces together online and then sending them to 123D Make, where the models can be printed. From the printouts, students can construct their models. Both 123D Design and 123D Make can be used online, on iPads and on Mac and Windows desktops.

Click Here to Access Free “Design” Tool

Click Here to Access Free “Make” Tool

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Integrate Technology into the Classroom

The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance learning for K–12 students. TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments—active, constructive, goal directed (reflective), authentic and collaborative. TIM also associates five levels of technology integration—entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion and transformation—with each of the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments. Together, the five levels of technology integration and the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments create a matrix of 25 cells. The original matrix was produced at the Florida Center for Instructional Technology in the College of Education at the University of South Florida. Check out the original matrix and click on each level to access more resources.

Click Here to Access Free Technology Integration Matrix

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Engage Students with Quality Videos

Among all the millions of videos “out there,” how do you find the great ones? How do you evaluate the quality of a video? Who are the great content creators, and what are the best curation sites? Which kinds of videos work as fun supplements, and which are best for actual instruction? How do you get students engaged in discussion after watching videos? How do you blend videos into your curriculum? In collaboration with educator Catlin Tucker, Mind/Shift presents a Teachers’ Guide to Videos to answer these questions and more. In this freely downloadable guide, you’ll find a multitude of valuable resources, including video links for many subject areas—history, math, science, language arts and more—and ideas on how to inspire students to use videos as a conduit to dig in, ask questions and learn.

Click Here to Download Free Guide

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Of Special Interest



Play a Light-Hearted April Fool’s Prank

The Spaghetti Harvest was viewed by an estimated 8 million people when it was broadcast on BBC in 1957, and hundreds phoned in after it aired. At that time, people didn’t have the Internet to check whether the harvest was true, although some skeptics decided to look up “spaghetti” in the Encyclopedia Britannica, only to discover that “spaghetti” wasn’t even mentioned. The Spaghetti Harvest was voted the all-time April Fool’s Prank in history.

Click Here to Access Free Video

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Celebrate the Place of Poetry in American Culture

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops and other events. This April the Academy of American Poets invites students to write letters (by hand) to the poets who serve as their Chancellors. The Dear Poet Project is students’ chance to find out more about poetry directly from some of the most distinguished poets in the United States. Letters can be sent now through April 30. Some letters will receive a response and be featured on Poets.org, the Academy’s website, in May. Teachers can involve their classes with the Academy’s series of Common Core–aligned activities.

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Fill Your Classroom with Fireflies

Fireflies & Honey Bees is a collection of original poems and watercolor illustrations by Big Deal Media friend and author Chip Fesko. This delightful book was designed especially for the iPad user. Narrated by the English actress Eila Ulyett and enhanced with interactive web links, the ebook is a treasure for all ages to enjoy, especially during National Poetry Month. The ebook is available in the iTunes App Store for $14.99.

Click Here to Visit iTunes App Store

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On-the-Go Learning



Inspire Children to Love Reading

Teachers and students can go one on one with best-selling author James Patterson and NBA All-Star Dwayne Wade on April 25. At 1:00 p.m. (ET), these two titans will talk about how reading has changed their lives and will give students, educators and parents useful tips for getting youth to love reading. Register online to watch the webcast. After you register, you will receive a digital packet containing system requirements and webcast viewing instructions.

Click Here to Register for Free Webcast

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Combine Elements to Make Everyday Objects

NOVA Elements is a free iPad app developed by PBS and hosted by New York Times technology reviewer David Pogue. The app has three primary features: Explore, Watch and Play. The Explore feature contains an interactive periodic table of elements. Students can tap through the periodic table to learn basic information about each element. Students can also try to create each element by combining virtual protons, neutrons and electrons until they have the correct combination. The Watch feature contains 12 short video clips in which David Pogue explains some of the elements and their use in consumer products. The Play feature presents students with common consumer goods, such as watches and T-shirts. Students have to identify the elements found in those consumer goods and construct the product.

Click Here to Access Free App

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Plant a Tree with a Smartphone

Tree Planet is a free game that has a similar double-bottom-line concept as Free Rice. In the Tree Planet game, students plant and tend virtual trees. To plant a tree, students dig and fertilize soil, and then sow and water their seeds. As the tree grows, they will need to protect it from hazards, such as sheep and loggers. When students' virtual trees are fully grown, Tree Planet and its partners will plant a real tree in Mongolia, the Republic of Sudan or South Korea. Tree Planet has partnerships with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and World Vision. The Tree Planet game is available for Android and iPhone. The developer is South Korean, and the pages in the app stores are written in Korean, but the app can be used in English.

Click Here to Access Free Android App

Click Here to Access Free iPhone App

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STEM Gems



Challenge Students to “Catch the Wind”

The Engineering is Elementary (EiE) project, a program of the Museum of Science, Boston, fosters engineering and technological literacy among children. EiE has created a research-based, standards-driven and classroom-tested curriculum that integrates engineering and technology concepts and skills with elementary science topics. EiE lessons not only promote K–12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning, but also connect with literacy and social studies. Storybooks featuring children from a variety of cultures and backgrounds introduce students to an engineering problem. Students are then challenged to solve a problem similar to that faced by the storybook character. Through a hands-on engineering design challenge, students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics; use their inquiry and problem-solving skills; and tap their creativity as they design, construct and improve possible solutions. The Engineering is Elementary project also helps elementary school educators enhance their understanding of engineering concepts and pedagogy through professional development workshops and resources.

Click Here to Visit Website

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Close the Gender Gap in Technology Fields

Launched in Spring 2012, Girls Who Code is a national nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in the technology and engineering sectors. With support from public and private partners, Girls Who Code works to educate, inspire and equip high school girls with the skills and resources to pursue opportunities in computing fields. Together with leading educators, engineers and entrepreneurs, Girls Who Code has developed a new model for computer science education, pairing intensive instruction in robotics, web design and mobile development with mentorship and exposure led by the industry’s top female engineers and entrepreneurs. In its inaugural program, Girls Who Code empowered young women from New York City’s five boroughs. In 2013, the nonprofit will launch programs in New York, Detroit, San Francisco and San Jose.

Click Here to Visit Website

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Discover the Keys to Coding

Crunchzilla is a tool that students can use to learn to write JavaScript programs. There are two versions of Crunchzilla: “Code Maven” (for teens and adults) and “Code Monster” (for preteens). “Code Maven” is live JavaScript programming for fun. The focus is on action. Code changes immediately yield visible results. Projects start with simple boxes and colors, rapidly progressing to experiments with simple animation and fractals. Important programming concepts, such as variables, loops, conditionals, expressions and functions, are introduced by example. “Code Maven” is a first step in learning to program; it’s not intended to teach all of computer science and programming. “Code Monster” includes 58 short lessons that take students from the basics of programming, such as resizing and repositioning objects, to the complexities of creating animations. Students can work through the lessons in sequence or jump directly to any lesson. Students receive instant feedback on each lesson because the code that they write and the results of the code are displayed side by side.

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“Worth-the-Surf” Websites



Learn the Stories Behind Shakespeare’s Stories

On April 22, the day before Shakespeare’s birthday, you’re invited to join Shakespeare Uncovered: On Air, Online, & in the Classroom, a free interactive workshop presented by WNET New York Public Media and hosted by Big Deal Media’s Amazing Resources for Educators community at edweb.net. The workshop, which will take place online from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) / 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (PT), highlights the recent PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered, which tells the stories behind the stories of some of Shakespeare’s greatest works: As You Like It, Henry IV, Henry V, Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard II, The Tempest and Twelfth Night. (You can view all the television episodes online.) The six-part program explores the world and works of William Shakespeare through interviews with actors, directors and scholars; visits to key locations; clips from film and television adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays; and excerpts staged especially for the series. During the online workshop, Shakespeare Uncovered Executive Producer Stephen Segaller will provide an overview of the series, and WNET Outreach Producer Janice Fuld will showcase the classroom resources developed to bring the series—and Shakespeare—to life in the classroom. The session will include an opportunity to view and discuss videos from the series, an overview of the companion website and a discussion of strategies for exploring the series and related content with high school students.

Click Here to Register for Online Workshop

Click Here to View Series Episodes

Click Here to Access Classroom Resources

Click Here to Visit Companion Website

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Join a Community of Curious Listeners

Generation Listen is a conscious movement on the part of NPR to connect with younger audiences and, in turn, to connect those fans to one another. However, first NPF wants to get better at finding students where they are and learning what is most relevant to their lives. Then NPR wants to hang out—whether in cyberspace, over the air or through events—and exchange ideas and smart conversation. Students can join NPR’s tribe of younger, intellectually curious types from anywhere they are.

Click Here to Visit Generation Listen Website

Click Here to Join Generation Listen Community

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Enhance Visual Arts Instruction

Developed as an “encyclopedic” museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) houses the largest American collection of art west of Chicago. LACMA’s collections represent nearly every human civilization since recorded time; its eclectic holdings span from art of the ancient world to video installations. Two years ago, LACMA made a relatively small number of its image holdings available for free download in an online library. From that beginning of 2,000 images, the museum recently expanded its downloadable collection by tenfold, making 20,000 images of artwork available for free. This represents about a quarter of all the art represented on LACMA’s site. The museum has chosen images of artworks it believes to be in the public domain and developed a robust digital archive with a richer search function than most museums. LACMA’s online collection (80,000 images altogether, including restricted and unrestricted use) is sorted by the usual curatorial terms (“American Art,” “Art of the Pacific” and so on), but that’s just one of many filtering options. The collection can be searched more narrowly by object type and curatorial area. There’s also an option to search by what’s presently on view. This choice allows users to zero-in on a specific building or floor of the museum’s eight buildings. The collection can also be entered according to chronological era, from 10,000 BCE to present day.

Click Here to Download Free Art Images

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BOOKMARK THESE!



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Explore the Web Wednesday feature on Big Deal Media, where you’ll find new interactive experiences and resources that incorporate 21st century themes and skills into the study of core subjects.

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