Big Deal Media K-12 Technology Newsletter

Get Ed Funding

Turn STEM Green, Spotlight Nonfiction, Illuminate Shakespeare & More

April 15, 2014

In Partnership With:

VSTE

IN THIS ISSUE

Grants, Competitions and Other "Winning" Opportunities

Resource Roundup

Powered-Up Professional Development

Mobile Learning Journey

STEM Gems

"Worth-the-Surf" Websites



Grants, Competitions and Other "Winning" Opportunities


Supplement Your Stretched Budget

On April 30, 2014, from 4 to 5 p.m. (ET), the GetEdFunding community on edWeb.net will host its second webinar, “Grant Writing 101: Basics for Beginners,” sponsored by CDW•G. This free webinar will present tips and tricks for grant writing based on the presenter’s success securing grants and her experience helping others to win grants. In the webinar, the presenter will share suggestions for the preparation and compilation of grant applications as well as examples of wording from secured grants to demonstrate effective application methods. The presenter will also provide suggestions for locating grants, and participants will be able to submit questions on their specific funding challenges. Attendees will leave with a general sense of grant-writing techniques, a generic grant-writing checklist and suggestions for funding opportunities. The webinar will be recorded and archived in the GetEdFunding community after the event.

Click Here to Join GetEdFunding Community

Click Here to Register for Free Webinar

Click Here to Learn More About CDW•G

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Inspire a Spirit of Inquiry

Sponsored by the language arts magazine Scholastic Scope, the Outstanding Middle Level Educator in the English Language Arts Award recognizes teachers of grades 6–8 who have demonstrated excellence in teaching English language arts and inspired a spirit of inquiry and love of learning in their students. The winner will be given a cash award of $2,500 as well as $1,000 to attend the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in Washington, D.C., November 20–24, 2014. Applicants do not have to be members of NCTE to apply; they may be self-nominated or nominated by a supervisor or teaching peer who can provide credible evidence of achievements.

Deadline: May 1, 2014, for nominations

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Recognize the Importance of Librarians

The American Library Association (ALA) Council has announced the new Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity. The award recognizes a librarian who “has faced adversity with integrity and dignity intact.” It will be given annually to a deserving librarian. If a suitable candidate is not found, the award will not be presented that year. The $3,000 prize will be given from Snicket’s “disreputable gains, along with an odd, symbolic object from his private stash, as well as a certificate, which may or may not be suitable for framing.” The award jury will be comprised of five people: a chair and four jury members. The members of the jury will consist of ALA members with at least one member from any of the youth divisions (ALSC, AASL, YALSA) and at least one member from the Intellectual Freedom Committee or the Intellectual Freedom Round Table.

Deadlines: Nominations of candidates for the first year of the prize, May 1, 2014; subsequent years, December 1.

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Conduct New Earth Observations

The 2014 Thacher Environmental Research Contest, sponsored by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), challenges high school students (grades 9–12) to conduct innovative research on our changing planet using the latest geospatial tools and data. Eligible geospatial tools and data include satellite remote sensing, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS). The main focus of the project must be on the application of the geospatial tool(s) or data to study a problem related to Earth’s environment. Entries will be judged by IGES staff based on the following criteria: scientific/technical accuracy; creativity/originality; quality of presentation; thoroughness of research/methods/procedures; quality of conclusions; and demonstration of knowledge gained. Prizes are awarded annually to secondary school students designing and conducting the best projects using satellite remote sensing of Earth. Three cash awards will be given in 2014: first place—$2,000; second place—$1,000; third place—$500.

Deadline: May 5, 2014, for entries; winning entries to be announced by May 21, 2014

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Resource Roundup


Experience New College & Career Readiness Assessments

In spring 2014, the PARCC Field Test will be administered to more than 1 million students across PARCC states. The PARCC Field Test represents a critical milestone in PARCC’s work toward building assessments for the 2014–2015 school year and will give students and local educators the opportunity to experience the administration of PARCC assessments. The Field Test will be conducted in a random selection of schools across PARCC states. The sample of students in the selected schools will represent the demographics of each state and PARCC as a whole. The PARCC website contains resources that may be useful for schools and districts as they prepare to administer the PARCC assessments for the spring 2014 Field Test. These resources will allow educators in all PARCC states to begin reviewing their schools’ device and network readiness for administration of PARCC assessments; explore training and support materials designed specifically for the spring 2014 Field Test; try out sample test questions on the technology platform that students will use when taking the Field Test as well as try out a full-length practice test.

Click Here to Access Free PARCC Resources

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Develop Essential Life and Career Skills

CollegeEd is The College Board’s free college planning and career exploration program for middle school and high school students. The standards-based CollegeEd program provides lessons and activities designed to help students develop the skills to meet their goals in life. CollegeEd topics are organized around three themes: “Who Am I?”, “Where Am I Going?” and “How Do I Get There?” The lessons are written by experienced counselors and AP teachers. The program consists of three levels, each with its own student workbook and accompanying educator guide. As part of its efforts to promote college readiness to all students—including the essential areas of study skills, self-monitoring and college knowledge—The College Board is now making the CollegeEd program available to all, for free, through Big Future. The program emphasizes these 21st-century skill groups: Life and career skills; Learning and innovation skills; Information, media and technology skills. The materials are provided as PDF files that can be downloaded and used online or printed out by districts, schools and families for noncommercial, educational purposes.

Click Here for More Information About Implementing CollegeEd Program

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Integrate Nonfiction Topics into the Curriculum

KIDS DISCOVER has developed hundreds of free downloads, articles, lesson plans and resources to help teachers seamlessly integrate core nonfiction topics into their curriculum. Every KIDS DISCOVER title comes with a 12-page Teacher’s Guide and 16-page Power Vocabulary packet, both filled with activities, exercises and assessments to help integrate the nonfiction titles into classroom teaching plans. The free printable infographics and lesson sheets bring complex concepts to life in a reproducible, one-page format. The extensive “Spotlights” feature nonfiction topics—from Cells and Ancient Empires to Biomes and the Renaissance. Each long-form article covers one topic in-depth and includes a full photo gallery and short assessment to help students improve reading comprehension and build vocabulary. KIDS DISCOVER’s twice-weekly teacher blog posts let educators see the classroom through the eyes of a science expert, published author, professional illustrator, school principal and technology expert. Nonfiction Quick Reads are intended to get students interested in exploring new ways to read and digest information. In roughly 300 words, students will learn the cause of goose bumps, explore a cloud forest, delve into the mysteries of Machu Picchu and more.

Click Here to Access Free Nonfiction Resources

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Sponsored By:

Powered-Up Professional Development

Get Smart About Delivering Digital Content

SEND (Smart Education Networks by Design) is a CoSN initiative that aims to help education leaders master the ability to design networks; develop the next generation of network infrastructure, which is necessary to support multiple mobile devices; and deliver digital content and administer online assessment. Components include Cyber Security, IT Crisis Preparedness, Broadband and Open Technologies.

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Incorporate Engineering Practices into Science Lessons

Re-Engineering Your Science Curriculum” is the Exploratorium Teacher Institute’s first free online course to launch with Coursera. This four-week course is designed to help middle school and high school science teachers infuse their curriculum with hands-on STEM activities that support the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) engineering practices. The hands-on workshop explores various strategies that teachers can use to integrate engineering practices into science lessons and laboratory investigations that they already do. The course begins by comparing and contrasting the research methods employed by scientists and engineers and then demonstrates ways that teachers can facilitate, sequence and assess lessons designed to help students understand and apply engineering principles. These principles include learning to design within constraints, analyze and interpret data, construct models and conduct iterative tests. After completing this course, teachers will possess a deeper understanding of engineering and be able to effectively teach engineering processes to their students.

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Mobile Learning Journey


Explore the Literary World of the Bard

William Shakespeare was born on April 23 in 1564. The Explore Shakespeare app brings Shakespeare’s greatest stories to life. Cambridge University Press’s definitive versions of the texts have been beautifully reimagined for the iPad, with illuminating visuals, helpful commentary and compelling audio performances from actors such as Michael Sheen, Kate Beckinsale and Fiona Shaw. This free app enables students to compare and contrast the initial scenes from six of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet and Othello. You can also buy the complete text of each play directly from within the app. After purchasing a play, you will have access to the full text with a complete audio performance, plus photographs, glossaries, activities, synopses and articles for the entire work. Students can customize and enhance the plays to experience them at their own level. They can listen to audio performances and see the action with more than 100 photographs of professional productions. Clear glossary definitions help students understand Shakespeare’s language, and an overview of the action includes plot summaries inside the plays. Students can also explore the language of each scene through interactive word clouds. They can choose a character and see that character’s sections of the play clearly separated—perfect for learning lines or studying a particular character’s story. Circles help students to understand the relationships between characters, and Themelines let students see how the play’s themes ebb and flow through the acts. Hundreds of activities—for individuals, pairs and groups—get students involved with the plays. Students can search the plays, with highlighting and filtering. They can also use detailed notes alongside the texts to examine the literary inspirations and history of interpretation of the plays. And they can delve deeper into the context, key themes and history of the plays with a series of accessible articles by authoritative Cambridge University sources. Cost: Free app; in-app purchases, $6.99

Click Here to Visit iTunes App Store

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Step into a Panoramic "Sphere"

Using the free Sphere app for the iPad/iPhone as well as Android devices, students can create their own 360º virtual field trips of landmarks, or they can step into the “spheres” created by other users from all over the globe. For example, students may choose to see Paris from a hot-air balloon, feel the energy from the American ldol stage or hold onto their raft as they approach Hubbard Glacier. Cost: Free

Click Here to Visit iTunes App Store

Click Here to Visit Google Play Store

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Watch Twinkling Stars and Glowing Sunsets

Star Rover, an app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, is designed to help users learn the names of stars, constellations and planets that are viewable from where the user is situated in the world. The app uses students’ location to show them a map of the night sky on their mobile device. When students tilt the device, the map changes. After they learn which stars and constellations are viewable from their location, students can choose a new location to view the constellations from other parts of the world. Star Rover also goes beyond stars and constellations by offering eclipse simulations and realistic atmosphere sunrise and sunset simulations. Cost: $1.99

Click Here to Visit iTunes App Store

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STEM Gems


Engineer a Sustainable World

How can students engineer solutions that will lead to a healthier planet and healthier people? That’s the focus for National Environmental Education (EE) Week, which takes place April 13–19 (the week before Earth Day, April 22). The 2014 EE theme is Greening STEM: Engineering a Sustainable Future. The National Environmental Education Foundation has published an extensive toolkit to help K–12 teachers introduce STEM projects that put students in the role of sustainability expert. Project ideas range from school gardening to energy efficiency to climate and weather.

Click Here to Visit Website

Click Here to Download Free Toolkit

Plus: Do you have an inspiring photo showcasing how students are engaged in environmental education, STEM and nature? Environmental Education (EE) Week invites you to enter your photos into the EE Week 2014 Photo Contest via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The 2014 EE Week Photo Contest, which runs from April 14 through April 18, 2014, is open to individuals affiliated with a school or organization providing K–12 educational programs, including parents of K–12 students. Photo entries will be judged on environmental education focus, STEM relevancy, degree to which the photo illustrates student engagement in the activity being photographed, originality and quality of the photo. Prizes include a Samsung Galaxy Tab, a Samsung digital camera and an REI gift card ($80 value).

Click Here for More Information About Photo Contest

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Contribute to a Mosaic of the People of Earth

NASA invites you—and everyone else on the planet—to take part in a worldwide celebration of Earth Day this year with the agency’s #GlobalSelfie event. The year 2014 is a big one for NASA Earth science. Five NASA missions designed to gather critical data about our home planet are launching to space this year. NASA is marking this big year for Earth science with a campaign called Earth Right Now, and as part of this campaign, the agency is asking for your help on Earth Day, April 22. While NASA satellites constantly look at Earth from space, on Earth Day NASA is asking you to step outside and take a picture of yourself wherever you are on Earth. Tell NASA your location in a sign, through words written in the sand or spelled out with rocks—or by using the free printable posters that are available for downloading at the bottom of the campaign’s web page. Then post your “selfie” to social media using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie. Once those pictures stream around the world on Earth Day, the individual pictures tagged #GlobalSelfie will be used to create a mosaic image of Earth—a new “Blue Marble” built bit by bit with your photos. The Earth mosaic image and a video using the images will be compiled and released in May.

Click Here for More Information About “Selfie” Event

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Think Like a Scientist

Multiplayer online games are capturing researchers’ attention as an interesting way to encourage students to collaborate, problem-solve, create and think for themselves within a game. A group of researchers in MIT’s Education Arcade are trying to harness the power of Massive Open Online games to teach high school students to think like scientists and mathematicians. Their educational game The Radix Endeavor is designed to capitalize on students’ interactions as a way to build their knowledge and skills. Radix, as it’s known, is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for biology, focusing on topics such as genetics, evolution, ecology and human body systems. In math, the game is aligned to the Common Core and has particular focuses on algebra, probability and statistics as well as geometry. MIT’s Education Arcade is releasing The Radix Endeavor in beta on September 4. At that point, teachers can sign up and get familiar with the game, its tools, the standards it addresses and various supplemental materials. The actual content will be released in two batches, one in October and a second around the holidays. In October teachers will be able to sign up their classes and begin using the game. The MIT researchers are eager to get feedback about how the game is received, whether it actually provides the kind of formative assessment they hope it will and what they may need to consider changing.

Click Here for More Information About Game

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"Worth-the-Surf" Websites


Learn with Thinkers and Tinkerers

The Maker Movement, a global outpouring of do-it-yourself creativity and technology-fueled collaboration, now has its own season. A campaign called the Summer of Making and Connecting will soon be in full swing until September. In coming weeks, a wide array of online and face-to-face events will unfold for students, teachers and those who wear both hats while engaged in the playful business of making. Mozilla is coordinating the summer campaign together with the National Writing Project. The goal is to allow room for multiple expressions of “participatory culture,” while leveraging the power of the web to create and share information.

Click Here to Visit Website

Plus: Maker Party is Mozilla’s global campaign to teach the web. Through thousands of community-run events around the world, Maker Party unites educators, organizations and enthusiastic web users with hands-on learning and making. From July 15 to September 15, 2014, you can be part of the movement by attending a Maker Party event or hosting one of your own. Join the Maker Party in teaching the culture, mechanics and citizenship of the web.

Click Here to Join Maker Party

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See the Global Sweep of the English Language

The Many Origins of the English Language is an interactive resource that lets users examine how words borrowed from different languages have influenced English throughout its history. The feature summarizes the main data from 14 sources that have given the most words to English, as reflected by the new and revised entries in the Oxford English Dictionary. Using the date buttons at the top of the graphic, you can compare the impact that different languages have made on English over time. In the “Per period” view, you can see the proportions of words coming into English from each source in 50-year slices, from 1150 to present day. If you switch to the “Cumulative” view, you can see how the total number of loanwords from each language has built up over time. The data lying behind this graphic reflect some of the biggest changes in the history of English. Today, English borrows from other languages with a truly global sweep.

Click Here to Visit Website

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Discover the Origins of American Animation

The development of early American animation is represented in a Library of Congress collection of 21 animated films and two fragments that span the years 1900 to 1921. The films include clay, puppet and cutout animation as well as pen drawings. They point to a connection between newspaper comic strips and early-animated films, as represented by Keeping Up With the Joneses, Krazy Kat and The Katzenjammer Kids. In addition to showing the development of animation, these films reveal the social attitudes of early twentieth-century America. The Library of Congress website for the Origins of American Animation includes a Teachers section, which provides context and additional information about this collection.

Click Here to Visit Website

Click Here to Access Teacher Resources

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