And the Teacher becomes the Student

Summer is almost here! Teachers everywhere are eagerly anticipating a break from the classroom just as much as their students are. However, we know that summer is when many teachers become students again as they pursue their required continuing education.

PBS Teachers is delighted to have technology integration specialists Bob Sprankle, Alice Barr and Cheryl Oakes as guests for "Summertime and Your Personal Learning Network," the next webinar in the PBS Teachers LIVE! series.

In this webinar, these guests will discuss the value of online collaboration and provide guidance for those interested in joining or creating a professional development community during the summer months. They will share their own experiences of expanding their knowledge and improving their practice through online conferences, social networks, and other collaborative technologies. In addition, they will demonstrate tools and best practices to promote technology integration in K-12 classrooms.

Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. EDT for this upcoming free webinar. Recent archived webinars and information about upcoming webinars is available on the PBS Teachers website.

- Diane

Let’s hear it for our young authors!

CET recognized many of the young Cincinnati-area authors who submitted their original stories and illustrations for the 15th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest. A reception in their honor in the CET lobby allowed families as well as CET staff to show their support for these budding young authors. A video featuring the four grade level winners is now available online. Some of CET’s past winners are featured online too.

CET’s four winning stories are now in consideration for the national contest judging. We wish our young authors the best and we hope to announce one of them as a national winner later this summer.

- Diane

Let’s hear from you

The countdown has begun. Teachers and students across Southwest Ohio are counting down the days until summer break. Term papers and final exams are on everyone’s minds and the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are just a few weeks away.

However, here in the Learning Services department, we’re thinking ahead to next year already. Like many non-profit educational organizations, we’re working hard to find the best balance between our limited resources and the high-quality educational resources and services you’ve come to expect from us. This is where you come into the picture.

In order to allocate our human and financial resources in the most efficient and effective way possible, we need to hear from you. We need to know which of our services you use and how we can do them better. We want to know the needs that exist in your classroom and get your feedback on how we can use our instructional technology services to help you meet those needs. Below are a few of the questions we’d like your help in answering:

Do you use instructional television in your classroom?
Do you get your instructional video over the air, by cable/satellite or online?
Do you use web-based instructional resources?
Do you have access to Time Warner Cable service in your school and/or classroom?
What content areas or topics do you think are underrepresented with multimedia curriculum resources?

Call me at 513-345-6545 or email me to let me know more about your instructional needs and how we can help you meet them.

- Diane