Jamming w/ Distance Learning

Monday, December 1, 2008

New Mexico picks Wimba for its collaborative learning platform

Reported at http://www.techlearning.com/content/ednews/index.php#article3

Wimba®, Inc., the education technology company that helps people teach people, today announced that New Mexico's Innovative Digital Education and Learning program (IDEAL-NM) has selected the Wimba Collaboration Suite™, the education industry's leading multi-modal solution for virtual and blended learning, to pilot as its statewide collaborative learning platform. IDEAL-NM will deploy Wimba's comprehensive solution across its statewide network of higher education and K-12 institutions, which includes 89 districts and 22 college campuses, to enhance student engagement and collaboration and increase learning outcomes.

New Mexico was the first state in the nation to create a statewide eLearning system that, from its inception, encompasses all aspects of learning from traditional public and higher education environments to teacher professional development, continuing education and workforce education. This partnership with Wimba will enable IDEAL-NM to offer Wimba's Collaboration Suite across its network of institutions, facilitating the use of online video, voice, instant messaging, content authoring, application sharing and white boarding throughout the state.

"With a scope as large as ours, communication and collaboration are crucial," said Donna Harrington, eLearning Technology Director for IDEAL-NM. "The Wimba Collaboration Suite will enable us to bring our statewide community of users together online, so that we can collaborate, brainstorm, develop, and implement best practices that will help our students to succeed."

The Wimba Collaboration Suite of products, which includes—the Wimba Classroom(TM) virtual learning environment, the Wimba Pronto(TM) instant messenger, the Wimba Voice(TM) audio solution, and the Wimba Create(TM) content authoring tool—enables institutions to bridge the gap between technology and pedagogy by supplementing course management systems with the proven disciplines of in-person learning environments. Designed to work seamlessly within the existing Blackboard online course management system selected by the State of New Mexico, the Wimba Collaboration Suite enables convenient single sign-on and access to Wimba tools directly from the online course environments with which teachers and students are already familiar.

"This partnership with IDEAL-NM is a testament to Wimba's power to engage students and instructors in lifelong learning," said Tommaso Trionfi, CEO of Wimba. "We are very proud of the comprehensive and collaborative learning environments that the Wimba Collaboration Suite fosters, and we look forward to working closely with IDEAL-NM to bring students and faculty together for learning."

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Leaving blog, wiki, and podcast footprints?

From ASCD SmartBrief 11/18/2008
(A connection to Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts in the RETA classroom and beyond-LJ)
Teach technology skills, ethics across the curriculum

Social Web technologies are having a huge influence on students, even the youngest ones. Yet adults are failing to help them explore the safety and ethics of the "digital footprint" that they are leaving behind, writes Will Richardson, author of "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms." Not only should students be encouraged to explore topics that interest them, but they must also learn to use technology wisely in the general curriculum, he writes. A short lesson on Internet safety is not enough.

Educational Leadership
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/ndjkzpwzCAAGetWLoi (11/2008)

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From Larry

Monday, November 17, 2008

FW: NASA Offers New Science Teaching Certificate Project

Please forward to teachers you are working with.

NASA OFFERS NEW SCIENCE TEACHING CERTIFICATE PROJECT

WASHINGTON -- NASA has unveiled the Endeavor Science Teaching
Certificate Project, which will award more than 200 fellowships to
educators during a five year period. Educators accepted into the project
will be exposed to current NASA science and engineering and supported in
translating the information for use in classrooms.

The goal of the project is to ensure that teachers across the country
can use the discoveries that NASA makes on a daily basis to inspire the
next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers, and astronauts.

The program will provide workshops, online and on-site graduate courses
and NASA content and materials to teachers and students in
K-12 classrooms. NASA will work in partnership with state departments of
education to ensure program participants can apply credit from project
courses towards state certification requirements.

"Through the program, educators will learn to deliver cutting-edge
science into the classroom, promoting science, technology, engineering
and mathematics education," said Joyce L. Winterton, assistant
administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This
will include proven NASA and NASA-sponsored educational resources to
meet specific learning goals."

Project fellows will earn a certificate of completion in Applied Science
Education from Teachers College Innovations at Teachers College,
Columbia University, N.Y., and graduate credit from other institutional
partners.

Additional project efforts include assisting and training pre-service
science teachers to help improve science instruction in U.S. schools.

The project will be administered by the U.S. Satellite Laboratory Inc.
of Rye, N.Y. Funding for the program is provided through the NASA
Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund, in tribute to the dedicated crew
of the space shuttle Challenger.

For additional information about the Endeavor Science Teaching
Certificate Project and other NASA education programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

Blogs in the Classroom I - NEW LINK

Dear Educators,

Please use the NEW LINK to attend our Blogs in the Classroom I which is
scheduled for 11/17/08 at 6:00pm MST.

NEW LINK!
http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/blogsclass1fa08

The link that was sent to you in the reminder email has been changed. We
apologize for any confusion that this may cause. Hope to see you there on
Monday.

RETA Webinars Team

Friday, November 14, 2008

Blogs in the Classroom I, 11/17/08 at 6:00 pm MST

Dear Educator:

RETA would like to remind you about our next professional development
Webinar.

Webinar Event: Blogs in the Classroom I

Date: Monday, November 17, 2008

Time: 6:00-7:00 pm MST

Description:
You hear about blogs everyday from students or co-workers, but have you
thought about using them in your classroom? In this webinar session you
will be introduced to the refreshing world of blogging where you will
begin generating ideas on how you might use blogs within your own
classroom. In this first session we will introduce you to: what a blog is,
what a blog can be used for, help you set up your own blogging account,
and then send you on your way with resources, so that you will make an
informed and enjoyable push into the 'blogging world.'

TO ATTEND:
Please use the following link to attend the webinar:
http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/blogs1fa08/

*Plan to join us 15-20 minutes prior to the start time to configure your
computer. To participate, speakers are required. A simple computer
microphone and/or a headset is ideal for interaction. A webcam is
optional.

*If you have never used Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, please test
your connection at: Adobe Acrobat Pro Support Center
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

For complete information on this and all of our webinars visit us at:
http://webinars.nmsu.edu or email us via webinars at nmsu.edu or call
575.646.6143.

Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ (eLearning
Quotient) with us!

RETA (Regional Educational Technology Assistance)
College of Extended Learning
New Mexico State University
MSC 3WEC, P.O. Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
(575) 646-6143, fax: (575) 646-2004

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Kim Komando

Thanks to Carl for this cool resource!
:)
~julz

------------------------------------------

Confession:

I have been using Kim Komando's newsletters as a source of information and cool places to go for a number of years.

Two of the newsletters are pretty good, cool site and cool tip of the day. The other one is a favorite video of the day, I look at the videos from time to time.

There is also her weekend radio show and there is a newsletter that comes out once a week with lots of info. There are archives of her newsletters and other info accessible without joining her subscription service.

Her website: http://komando.com/
Carl

Monday, November 10, 2008

Copyright for Educators II, 11/10/08 at 6pm MST

Dear Educator:

RETA would like to remind you about our next professional development
Webinar.

Webinar Event: Copyright for Educators II

Date: Monday, November 10, 2008