DIAL Teacher Grants Vie for State Technology Awards

On June 22-24 nine Teachers participated in a three-day Distance Learning Curriculum Development workshop facilitated by DIAL coordinator David Bartlett. In that time the teachers explored examples of project design models, technical training, integration strategies and grant writing. The outcome of that workshop was three potentially award winning teacher grants funded by the Corporation for Educational Communications. The grants total over $ 17,000  These innovative projects are being considered for awards to be presented at the ICE Conference in January. Please read the brief project overviews to see how Distance Learning is being used to expand the boundaries of knowledge and perspective in these classrooms.

"A Tale of Two States" :

Fifth and Sixth Grade Teachers Scott Evans and Kathy Boone of Harmony School are connecting several times this year with a class in Hawaii taught by former Harmony Teacher Amy Baum. They will be exploring many aspects of the two states such as geology, weather, culture and history. They will exchange data, experts, and artifacts through distance learning connections as well as mail, email and web resources. They are going to share highlights of various related field trips by exchanging videotapes through the mail. They will share related data information by email and web resources in  preparation for their videoconferences. This will take place over the course of the entire year. The videoconferences will feature student and expert presentations and will maximize the interaction of the students. This idea was piloted last year in a test connection between the classes. The desired outcome is for the students to gain a deeper understanding of the two cultures and history by studying their own areas and sharing what they have learned about themselves and each other.  Although class field trips to Hawaii are unlikely a student exchange at some point is not out of the question.

Stranded: But Soaring Beyond

This project is an interdisciplinary unit between Spencer Elementary School and Scottsburg Elementary. Stranded is a book by author Ben Mikaelsen that will be used a starting point for a study of aquatic animals. The distance learning components will feature connections with The Mote Research Laboratory in Long Boat Key Florida discussing Marine mammals, The Aquatic Research Institute in East Chicago talking about the ecosystem in Lake Michigan and finishing with a connection with Ben Mikaelsen from Montana discussing the how Ben wrote the book. They will share data collected on local streams and meet for a field experience at Lake Monroe. The desired outcome is deeper understanding of how the health of all marine life is essential for our existence through the study of science and literature.

"Sharing Perspectives"

This literature-based unit will serve as a basis an ongoing relationship between classes at Carrie Gosch Elementary School in East Chicago and Harmony School in Bloomington. These schools have had a collaborative relationship for the last five years through the Schoolwide Title 1 initiative. There have been occasional visits to East Chicago by Harmony students but never a comprehensive classroom collaboration. The students will read literature that talks about family relationships, inner city environments, and teen issues that will be discussed during the connections over the course of the year. They will also exchange writing and perspectives through email in between connections. Carrie Gosch students will actually visit Harmony in the February and spend the night at the school. A full evening of activities is planned for the students and parents of both schools. Because these schools are so ethnically different their shared perspectives will enrich each other's understanding.

Distance Learning Classes: Focus on Foreign Language

German 3 Edgewood HS to Southern Welles HS
A Call for Foreign Language Classes

Edgewood High School German teacher Ramona Winter/Leigh is delivering a German 3 section to students at Southern Welles High school every day from 6:40-7:30.  Ramona who is an experienced user of DL has agreed to deliver this class for the entire school year. The entire class is conducted in German. She is an excellent resource for these students who are victims of the current teacher shortage. This shortage is particularly pertinent in the foreign language area. There is demand for all foreign languages especially German and Japanese. David Bartlett DIAL coordinator has been approached by several of the other regions in the state looking for foreign language classes that could be delivered through distance learning. Using a prep period for teaching a section at another school is a supplemental income opportunity.  If you know someone who may be interested in this possibility or in class to class connections please contact David Bartlett at 812 856 8233 or email dbartlet@indiana.edu.

Additional Resources for Foreign Language on the network:
Check out The Speak to Learn Show for French, German, Spanish on page 116 of The Vision Athena Distance Learning Content Catalog.

Teachers receive Graduate Credit at their Schools via Distance Learning

IU classes
Dennis Knapzscik
Legal Perspectives

Other Professional Development and College Credit Opportunities

Technology Series beginning on page 99-102 of Vision Athena Content Catalog includes programs on World Wide Web, Internet Databases, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Web Publishing, PowerPoint, Integrating Technology into Curricula, E-mail Connections, Web Questing and Course Web Pages.

Have You Seen the Vision Athena Content Catalog?

Ask your local contact for a copy of the Content Catalog to preview the wealth of Distance Learning Programs, which are available. The Catalog also contains contact information for schools on the network, Content Providers and Distance Learning Coordinators, and how to schedule events. Also consult the listings of Content Provider Awareness Sessions listed on page 4 which gives you the opportunity to connect with many of the Content Providers to get a more in depth sense of the programs they are developing for this year.

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