Buddy has discontinued publication of the ETCetera newsletter. You may read the back issues on our site.
volume 2 number 6
February 2009
Dear Subscriber to ETC,
Please forward this newsletter and invite others to join this informative publication filled with upcoming events and current news!
In the spirit of "Living and Learning Green," the Buddy Project is hosting a Recycled Art Competition. Indiana students (K-12) are invited to create a piece of wearable or useable art that espouses the principles of green living: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Prizes (Flip Video Ultra Series camera) will be awarded for each age group (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12). Submissions must be received no later than March 16, 2009.
KidsGarden offers ideas for classes K-12 to develop green thumbs and become environmentally friendlier in the process. This gateway site provides links to a variety of grant resources for green projects. For details, navigate through KidsGarden's web site.
"Four groups representing more than one-hundred thousand educators and hundreds of high-tech employers believe that a major spending infusion on education technology will create jobs within the education, education services and technology sectors, as well as enable innovative instructional practices in America's classrooms to address the needs of today's digital-native students" (Education and business leaders, 2009).
Active learning and teaching best describe the atmosphere at Indianapolis' MSD of Decatur Township's New Tech School of IDEAS. New Tech is a national model using project-based learning to prepare students for the 21st century. Learn how this model is creating excitement in schools all over Indiana.
On Thursday April 16, 2009, the PATINS Project (Promoting Achievement through Technology and INstruction for all Students), a DOE/Center for Exceptional Learners funded project, will be sponsoring a one day Tech Expo.
Visit this web site to find a number of grant opportunities offered by various corporations and foundations. Many of these grants are offered annually, and are posted to this page when they become available.
VOD (video on demand), one of the latest additions to an educator's technology toolbox, provides students with anytime access to learning resources via the Internet or server.
Buddy Teaching & Learning Center (BTLC) staff can present the same quality workshops we offer at our center at your school site. This is an affordable way to bring valuable professional development to your entire staff. Download this PDF for more information or visit our site.
Because of the recent excessive snow and some school districts closing and canceling school board meetings, we have decided to extend the deadline for the WHEE! Grant Applications. Please make sure that your grant application is postmarked NO LATER than February 28.
Buddy web site has a new look and a new section called "JustForYou." We know that you have many demands of your time, so we've searched our resources and pulled together collections just for you. Explore the many sides of Buddy. Our collection includes family resources, teacher resources and tools, professional development opportunities and grants, electronic publications, and so much more! Find websites for students, teacher resources, literature related to environmental studies, and much more.
For the first time in 28 years, the ICE conference was canceled due to weather conditions and concerns for the safety of attendees. ICE sincerely regrets any inconvenience this caused anyone, but with 12.5 inches of snow in downtown Indianapolis and treacherous roads over most of the state, they feel it was the right decision for the safety of all involved. They are currently exploring their options and ask for your patience. Please check the ICE web site and look for future newsletters with updated information when it becomes available.
Two shining moments at the "Bringing Technology and Learning Alive," 2008 Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators' (HECC) Conference, included naming Kevin McGuire, Michigan City Area Schools Director of Technology, as Indiana's Educational Computer Coordinator of the Year, and the Keynote presentation on Livescribe's Pulse Smartpen™ by Peter Hewitt, IVenture Consulting CEO. Read more about these and other happenings at the 2008 Conference.
Articles appearing in the ETC...and More! newsletter are published by the Buddy
Project
(Corporation for Educational Technology), in
collaboration with the Hoosier
Educational Computer
Coordinators (HECC),
Indiana Computer Educators (ICE),
the Indiana Department of
Education, and Promoting Achievement through Technology and INstruction for all Students (PATINS).
Send your ideas for stories, school project write-ups, and/or suggestions to Rex Church, et cetera editor, Rex Church.
A micro-blog is a generic term for social networking that is a very brief and quick-write version of its big brother, the blog. Originally intended to share the small day-to-day happenings and thoughts among friends, micro-blogging has also proven to be useful for building stronger collegial ties among workplace or school groups. Twitter is probably the most well-known micro-blogging service where users share information one "tweet"-140 text characters or less-at a time.
