| Collaborating internationally | | | 10/4/2008 11:05 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| Many of you are familiar with ePals and a lot of you utilize ePals tools in your school or district. ePals has many useful tools, including protected e-mail and blogs. The best way to get a taste for what they do is to go to www.ePals.com. The amazing thing is that they provide all their tools for educators and schools absolutely free.
ePals is collaborating with NMSA to create an internatio ... |  | | Comments (0) | More... |
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| Another special group and their sessions | | | 9/26/2008 7:01 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| | America's Promise is a very special group that NMSA has gotten connected with over the past several months. Started in 1997 with Colin Powell as its founding chair, this alliance is focused on helping kids stay in school and avoid being part of the dropout epidemic. Alma Powell currently serves as chair. America's Promise is built around five promises: - Caring Adults—the cornerstone of a child's development
- Safe Places—all children ...
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| Speaking of Special Sessions | | | 9/12/2008 8:46 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| Due to the technology focus of the conference, NMSA is playing host to some very special people who will be presenting at the conference in Denver. One of them is Karen Cator of Apple, Inc.
Karen directs Apple's leadership and advocacy efforts in education. In this role, she is responsible for strategic business development, managing Apple’s involvement in education policy efforts, Apple Professional Development, the Apple Distinguished Educator Program and the p ... | | | | Comments (0) | More... |
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| Extra Special Sessions | | | 9/1/2008 6:04 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| Over the next couple of weeks, I would like to talk about some extra special sessions that will happen at the conference. You probably know about the keynotes and featured sessions altready (they are on our website and in our registration brochure that was mailed out a couple of weeks ago. However, we have many special sessions that are not listed as keynotes or featured sessions. I would like to bring your attention to a few of them.
First, s ... | | | | Comments (0) | More... |
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| The Navigators | | | 8/11/2008 7:59 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| | I remember studying the famous navigator/explorers in school. The accounts of the brave but sometimes misdirected sailors impressed me to the point that those accounts have stayed with me. In small vessels and with primitive instruments, these navigators greatly expanded the known world. I have also lived through the entire history of NASA and the events of modern-day navigators. These brave explorers helped greatly expand the known universe. But these navigators ... | | | | Comments (0) | More... |
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| LOW AIRFARE ALERT | | | 8/3/2008 7:41 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| | I am not sure if you will read this in time to take advantage of it or if this applies to the airport you fly out of, but I just got my airline ticket for the annual conference and it cost me $128!! I got the fare on www.nwa.com which is Northwest Airlines. In all the trips I have made to Denver in the past 8 years, this is by far the lowest I ha ... | | | | Comments (0) | More... |
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| More Digital Disconnect | | | 7/19/2008 7:49 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| I am traveling between Alan November's Building Learning Communities Conference in Boston and NMSA's Institute for Middle Level Leadership in Charleston, SC. One of the presenters at blc08 mentioned a report from the Department of Commerce. I am reading the latest copy of the Journal and, in an article by Mary Ann Wolf, the Executive Director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association, that report is mentioned.
In this DoC report, educat ... | | | | Comments (0) | More... |
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| A Digital Disconnect? | | | 7/9/2008 12:36 PM
Posted by Al Summers |
| With technology heavily on my mind, two studies I read about recently seem to indicate that what should be going on in schools to most effectively prepare our students for their futures may not be happening.
In "State of Digital Content in America's Classrooms, 2007-2008" it notes that just 9 percent of teachers report spending more than half their instructional time using digital technology while 16 percent report never using technology a ... | | | | Comments (0) | More... |
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| 21st Century Classroom | | | 7/2/2008 10:37 AM
Posted by Al Summers |
| Back in January, I was telling you about NMSA's focus on technology for this year's conference in Denver. Since that time, our staff has been very busy working on those technology features and I have some big news. You readers of this blog are going to be the first to get the news.
We had heard about a California company that could maybe help us build an actual physical classroom in the exhibit hall. After much time and pursuit, it seems that they are no longer in business. ... | | | | Comments (4) | More... |
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