E-mporium

Time is running out to turn 200 words into over $23,000 worth of prizes.  The contest ends April 18, 2008, so on your mark, get set, WRITE!

You still have a chance to win a Lenovo 21st Century Classroom powered by Intel(R) Centrino(R) processor technology and once-in-a-lifetime visit from an Olympic athlete and Olympic torch.

To enter the Racing Toward Innovation Contest, just write a short essay telling Lenovo what you think is the most significant technological innovation of the last 25 years.  

Also, Lenovo offers free “Olympians in Life” lesson plans.  Use a global event to prepare your students for a globalized world.  Your students will compete in a technology-filled, worldwide work place.  To get them ready, Lenovo has sponsored lesson plans available from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Click here to enter, for complete contest rules and regulations, and for lesson plans.

“MI-LIFE has been the most beneficial professional development that I have been involved in during my 16 years in the educational world.”  Byran Girbach, Assistant Superintendent, Milan Area Schools.

Over 250 Michigan school leaders from public, non-public and charter schools have already confronted the changes of 21st century leadership through the MI-LIFE program.  At the heart of their learning are activities and knowledge sharing through discussion centered around the research on effective leadership skills that will ultimately improve student achievement.  In addition they are learning to collaborate with their peers using wikis and online discussion boards, developing online discussion boards, developing online surveys to assess their leadership skills, and creating online concept maps to organize their thinking.

The 2nd cohort of the MI-LIFE Program will begin in September 2008 and continue through August 2009.  Ingham ISD will be one of eight host locations around the state.  For complete information about the curriculum, courses, and schedule and to access the online application, visit the MI-LIFE website at www.mi-life.org.

Learn how to use the various sections of LearnPort via one hour Web-delivered presentations on key topics in Michigan LearnPort.  They will be delivered through Adobe Connect Professional and archived in Michigan LearnPort.  Presentations are on Tuesdays from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Michigan LearnPort Web Training Schedule Revised

Picturing America is a free resource that can be readily used in every classroom and public library in the country.  The National Endowment for the Humanities’ (NEH) new Picturing America initiative provides an innovative way for citizens off all ages to explore the history and character of America through some of our nation’s greatest works of art. 

 Images of people, places, and events illustrating American history give citizens everywhere a chance to better understand our country’s past and its ideals.  From the courage and leadership portrayed in Emanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware to the power of American democracy illustrated in Norman Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech, these works of art represent enduring American ideals.  These masterpieces open the viewer’s eyes to America’s rich history and culture, while also providing an introduction to the broader world of the humanities.

Picturing America is available to all eligible public, private, parochial, and charter and home school consortia (K-12), as well as public libraries in the United States and its territories.  These organizations will receive a set of 40 high-quality reproductions (approximately 24″x36″) of great American art and a teachers resource book.

Detailed instructions for submitting an application may be found on the Picturing America Web site, http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/ .  The online application will be accepted through April 15.

MACUL Leadership has been asked to help a non-profit organization find interested schools that would like to be part of a Second Life pilot.  The grant would fund a very creative and educational project in the Second Life environment.

 All costs would be paid by the non-profit organization.  Technical requirement specifications for Second Life are posted at: http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php

If you have an interested teacher who would like to be considered for the Second Life pilot, please contact Ric Wiltse at MACUL (rwiltse@macul.org)

Information needed – teacher’s name, school, email address; grade level of class(es) involved; does school qualify for free lunch or USF funding; and any other pertinent information that would make this pilot successful.

The Mt. Vernon Ladies Association is working to promote George Washington by placing his picture back in schools across the country.  The portrait known as a “porthole portrait” is free and will be sent to schools who order it.  As George Washington’s birthday approaches, historians have grown concerned that today’s children have limited factual knowledge of George Washington and his presidency.  By placing a portrait of George Washington in the schools, historians hope to raise interest regarding our first president, his life and his presidency.

To request a portrait for your school, please have your principal send a letter on the school’s letterhead to the address listed below.  Your letter should include a description of the place you plan to hang the portrait and the school’s street address for UPS deliveries.  If requesting a poster for George Washington’s Birthday, please have your letters in by February 8, 2008.

To order send to:

Ann Bay

Associate Director for Education

P.O. Box 110

Mount Vernon, VA  22121

For more information visit http://mountvernon.org

Register now for the MVU Symposium February 6, 2008.

Online learning is proving to be more than just a trend, it’s become part of everyday life for millions in schools, colleges and at the workplace.  Educators and students are discovering the flexibility and convenience of learning online, leading to major growth of online learning at all levels of education.  Through Michigan Virtual School™, and Michigan LearnPort®, MVU provides exciting solutions to everyday challenges that take students and educators out of the traditional classroom and into a world of possibilities.

Click here for more information. www.mivu.org/symposium

Location:

Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest
1275 S Huron Street
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 USA
Phone: 1.734.487.2000

Contests are Multi-Media for K-8, Video for K-12, and  “Open” Video for 9-12 .  The revamped contests feature prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place entries.  The newest category is the “open” video for high school students. Purpose, rules, eligibility, rubric, entry forms and additional information for each contest can be viewed at SIGMM webpage on MACUL’s website. 

Deadline for entries is February  1, 2008.  Pass the word along, SIGMM would like to have a greater participation level for all contests.

MACUL will soon be offering two online courses for educators.  Watch the MACUL  website for more information, or contact Ric Wiltse, MACUL Executive Director at rwiltse@macul.org. 

 Course will be led by instructor Miriam Taylor.  Courses start February 4, 2008 and conclude February 23, 2008.  Cost is $150 for MACUL members ($180 for non members).

To register, download pdf form and return to MACUL office.

Registration Deadline:  January 7, 2008

Visit MACUL Online Courses for description of courses.

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