Alabama Supercomputer Authority

The Alabama Supercomputer Authority will be offering a two day Tech Talk seminar for the network technicians in the local school systems at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference in Birmingham on June 11-12 . Preregistration was required and the sessions are full will with sixty four people planning to attend.

In addition, James Duncan and Donnie Moss are offering two three-hour sessions on Friday, June 13 at Tarrant Middle School on "Troubleshooting Your Network." The morning session is full but there are available seats in the afternoon session. Online registration is closed but interested persons can register on-site Gina Sullivan and Lisa Woodard will also present two three-hour sessions on Friday, June 13 at Tarrant Middle School on "AVL Resources for the Middle School Teacher." Seats are still available. The online registration for the hands-on sessions is closed but interested participants can register on-site at the conference.

Did you know that there are lesson plans and videos in the AVL? Gina Sullivan, AVL Help Desk Manager, and Teresa Trawick, Systems Librarian, Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County , will present "The Secrets of the AVL: Beyond the Search" on Wednesday, June 11 at 1:45 in East Hall, Room K/L and Thursday, June 12 at 9:15 in North Hall, Room E. This is a concurrent session that will focus on resources the typical AVL user might not have discovered.

Reading about Technology

The North Central Regional Education Lab (NCREL) has developed a brochure to assist policymakers, administrators, and educators in understanding the fundamentals of how the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 translates into their own technology integration initiatives. Throughout this document, the significant technology elements of the NCLB Act are highlighted. These technology elements are aligned to the goals of the NCLB Act, Title II, Part D--Enhancing Education Through Technology. In addition, sample technology literacy standards are offered for reference; answers to questions about statewide implementation of NCLB-related programs are mentioned; and document resources in alignment with the NCLB Act are listed. To learn more, go to http://www.ncrel.org/tech/qkey3/

Education and the Internet

STATE HISTORY How much do you know about the great state of Alabama? These resources will provide you with enough information to keep you busy all summer! The Alabama Archives for Kids Webpage includes information on the state emblems, symbols, and honors; the 52 governors who have served Alabama; activity sheets for use by students and teachers; a timeline of Alabama history; and, information on famous people from Alabama. Explore the States is sponsored by the Library of Congress and provides information on all 50 states including a unique story on Alabama about an indestructible doll. Teachervision includes a page of links to sites on U.S. Facts and Statistics.

SUMMER READING Every teacher knows that summer reading is essential! Without it, most young readers suffer a backslide in reading skills during summer downtime. Families can make reading a priority during the summer months, and children will learn that people never take a vacation from learning. Below are some sites compiled by EduHound Weekly to help in this effort:

FLAG DAY On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States. In 1877, citizens held celebrations throughout the country in honor of the flag's hundredth birthday. From that time on, groups urged the government to declare June 14 "Flag Day." Their requests finally met with success in 1949 when President Harry Truman signed legislation making June 14th a national day of remembrance. For more information, visit the sites below:

MARCOGRAM It's not unusual for students to begin learning a second language as early as preschool, and many colleges require completion of foreign language courses for graduation. While many people may never become fluent in a second language, it still is important to understand common terms and phrases that are used in today's multicultural environment. This month, MarcoPolo is featuring lessons about language, including lessons for ESL students. You can view the online version at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Jun2003.html.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR Vicksburg, 1863 describes the effort by Major General Grant and his Union Army of Tennessee to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi. Taking Vicksburg, President Lincoln said, was the key to ending the Civil War. It was the key to his administration's regaining control of the lower Mississippi River, which had been lost when southern states seceded and Confederate forces closed the river. Regaining control of this area and the river, the most important economic feature of the continent, would allow the rich agricultural produce of the Northwest to reach world markets. It would also split the South in two.

Statue of Liberty: Teacher's Corner features the 305-foot monument that stands in New York Harbor as a symbol of political freedom and democracy. The copper statue, a gift from the people of France, was built by Frederic-August Bartholdi in Paris and was dedicated in the U.S. in 1886. This website identifies 11 symbolic elements in the monument and describes seven individuals responsible for its construction.

Math: ENC Online has gathered nearly 700 lessons and resources for the teaching of math and organized them by topic: number and operations, algebra, measurement, reasoning and proof, problem solving, patterns, history, careers, geometry, data analysis and probability, applied math, advanced math (calculus, discrete mathematics, functions, precalculus, trigonometry).

Science: ENC Online has collected more than 400 lessons and resources for the teaching of science and organized them by topic: earth and space science, history of science, life science, physical science, careers, and informal education.

Exploring Earth: Visualizations features more than 100 animations and images that illuminate key concepts in earth science. Animations show coal forming, nuclear fission, the growth of a continent, tectonic plate movement, volcanoes and earthquakes, fault motion, the formation of the Himalayas, a geyser eruption, how waves move, tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and more. Students can observe a single place on earth from multiple views, 3-D models of water and common molecules, images of different climate zones, and seasonal changes in the amount of sunlight reaching locations on earth. Visualizations are organized by topic: earth as a system, earth's structure and motions, rocks, atoms to minerals, plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain building, weathering and erosion, water, wind and currents, atmosphere, weather, oceans, planets, and others.

Teachers' Domain is a digital library of multimedia for teaching and studying life sciences—ecology, evolution, genetics, structure and function, behavior and regulation, general life science, and the cell. It includes more than 150 broadcast clips and video modules from WGBH Boston's programs such as NOVA, A Science Odyssey, and ZOOM; interview segments; out-take footage; and interactive web-based activities. Photos, animations, images, and text are catalogued and presented with contextual information designed to help teachers present science concepts and for independent study by students.

News You Can Use

NECC2003--Visions and Reflections
June 30, 2003 to July 2, 2003
Seattle, Washington
http://www.neccsite.org

CONNECTING WITH FAVORITE BOOKS Today, the lives and works of authors are made more accessible through portals that aggregate author material from all over the Web, allowing students and teachers to study, be inspired by, and connect with the people behind their favorite books and characters. Perhaps the richest and most exciting of these hubs is TeachingBooks.net. The goal of the site is to give all educators easy access to children's book authors and authoritative teaching resources. The huge multimedia children's literature database uses "cutting-edge technologies to connect educators and families with authors, books and authoritative teaching materials," said Nick Glass, who, before launching the site, was an educator and a bookseller. Glass is rightly proud of his accomplishment. He calls TeachingBooks "the ultimate children's literature portal -- indexing by author, title, subject and grade, all multimedia programs and resources about trade books that are currently freely available on the Web." Among the gathered goodies are teacher guides (more than 3,200!), National Public Radio interviews, a wealth of multimedia links, and authors' personal websites -- more than 6,500 links that are continually updated and checked for reliability. http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/columnists/joyce_kasman_valenza/5863031.htm

Have a safe summer!! AREN news will continue to be published in July and August but in an abbreviated version.