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News

Teacher development key to tech success
Survey confirms importance of professional development to tech integration
By Robert Brumfield, Assistant Editor, eSchool News
"In their efforts to meet federal requirements for improved student performance,
the nation's teachers say effective use of classroom technology is essential to
conduct important administrative tasks and reach a new generation of learners
weaned on technology. And key to the effective use of classroom technology,
educators report, is adequate professional development. The findings are part
of a new national teacher survey released by technology provider CDW-G,
which uses the results to call for continued support of federal ed-tech grant
programs."
URL: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6450
Referred by: eSchool News

Study: Distractions Impede Learning
"Your parents were right, don't study with the TV on. Multitasking may be a
necessity in today's fast-paced world, but new research shows distractions
affect the way people learn, making the knowledge they gain harder to use
later on. The study, in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, also provides a clue as to why it happens... That could affect a lot
of young people. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation last year found
third-graders through 12th-graders devoted, on average, nearly 6 1/2 hours
per day to TV and videos, music, video games and computers."
URL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060725/ap_on_sc/learning_distractions_3

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Funding

Best Buy Offers Support for Interactive Technology in K-12
"The Best Buy te@ch program recognizes creative uses of interactive
technology in K-12 classrooms. The purpose of te@ch is to reward schools
for successful interactive programs they have launched using available
technology. This year the program will provide more than $3.5 million in total
awards to K-12 public, private, and parochial schools in the United States."
Deadline: September 30, 2006
URL: https://bestbuyteach.scholarshipamerica.org/
Referred by: Foundation Center

Pay It Forward Mini-Grants for Service Projects
"Pay It Forward Mini-Grants are designed to fund one-time-only service-oriented
projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit
their school, neighborhood, or greater community. Projects must contain a
'pay it forward' focus - that is, they must be based on the concept of one
person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the
results growing exponentially - to be considered in the grant making process...
Application deadlines are January 15, April 15 and October 15 of each year...
Mini-Grants of up to $500 are available for projects on a one-time-only basis.
Because funding is limited, projects requesting smaller amounts will be given
priority."
URL: http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/educators/grant.html

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Resources

Youth as E-Citizens, an Online Tour
"This 'Youth as E-Citizens' Online Tour is the digital piece of a much larger
research project," based at the Center for Social Media at American
University. The online tour includes categories such as: Voting; Local
Community; Global Issues; Media; Tolerance; Youth Development; and
Activism. "'Youth as E-Citizens' provides a groundbreaking overview of
Web-based civic efforts, by and for youth. Beginning with a close-up
examination of website content, the report also examines the organizations
and institutions creating that content, and the larger environment in which
civic sites function."
URL: http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/ecitizens/index.htm

Paths to Success for Young African-American Men
"On July 18, the Kaiser Family Foundation hosted a forum, 'Paths to Success
for Young African-American Men,' which featured experts (and actor Bill Cosby)
discussing findings from a major new survey by the Washington Post, the Kaiser
Family Foundation, and Harvard University. A recap, a webcast of the event,
and the related materials are available online."
URL: http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/phip071806pkg.cfm?CFID=4140458&CFTOKEN=94132005
Referred by: Connect for Kids Weekly

Making Diversity Count - Free Online Course
"The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is now enrolling participants for the pilot of
its first ever web-based A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute anti-bias course.
Making Diversity Count: An Online Course for Educators, developed with funding
from the Ford Foundation and the Sylvia and Leon P. Family Foundation, is a new
groundbreaking online educational initiative to combat bias and promote respect.
The course is developed for secondary level educators in public, private and
parochial schools. Educators enrolled in the pilot may take the 12-15 hour course
online anytime from August 28th - October 27, 2006."
URL: http://www.adl.org/education/diversity

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Activities

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YouthLearn
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