CET Teach

The Genie Is Out Of The Bottle

2010-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

Digital media has slowly carved out a niche for itself in our homes. We read, hear, watch, stream, create and share digital content virtually every day. For some of us, it has grown beyond a niche and become a 600 pound gorilla that dominates our home. As digital media has become a pervasive element in our homes, we are transferring it into our classrooms to become as visible an instructional tool as the chalkboard and the textbook.

A recent survey by PBS and Grunwald Associates shows that the majority of K-12 teachers are using digital media in their classroom to help them provide a more engaging, creative and collaborative learning experience for their students, especially those with different learning styles and abilities. They use many types of digital media and value games and activities that allow students to experiment and learn at their own pace. Teachers are increasingly using digital media to communicate and collaborate with their peers across the hall and across the country. The 2009 survey, which included pre-kindergarten teachers for the first time, show similar trends for the teachers of our very youngest learners.

This trend will never reverse itself and will only accelerate. Fasten your seatbelts!

- Diane

Order up at Fizzy's Lunch Lab!

2010-01-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

The rising tide of childhood obesity and the need to help our children establish healthy eating and exercise habits is unmistakable. Even in homes where well-balanced meals are served and kids go outside to play on a regular basis, there is still a need for high quality resources that help teach children healthy habits now that will result in a lifetime of healthy behaviors.

PBS is bringing these resources to a computer near you! Fizzy’s Lunch Lab is an online collection of videos, games, family activities, and recipes that help parents teach their kids about nutrition, safety in the kitchen and physical fitness. Each month’s theme ties these topics together in an entertaining way that make the learning fun. Special web pages for parents and teachers help adults help kids use the online content effectively at home or in the classroom.

Visit Fizzy’s Lunch Lab soon and order up a serving of fun!

- Diane

Have you checked out Ohio on iTunes U yet?

2009-12-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Attention educators, teachers, and curriculum directors out there - have you checked out Ohio on iTunes U yet? If not, you really should!
CET features several funded multimedia projects on Ohio on iTunes U, including Vertices: Geometry Meets Art, Fitness Fanatic, and Joel’s Library Jam.
So, you might be asking, what is Ohio on iTunes U? Here is a brief description at http://www.apple.com/education/mobile-learning/:

“iTunes U, part of the iTunes Store, is possibly the world’s greatest collection of free educational media available to students, teachers, and lifelong learners. With over 200,000 educational audio and video files available, iTunes U* has quickly become the engine for the mobile learning movement. It puts the power of the iTunes Store in the hands of qualifying universities so they can distribute their educational media to their students or to the world.”

An Introduction to iTunes U
Watch the video

Also, take a moment to peruse the other offerings from Ohio on iTunes U, including ThinkTV Educational Services, Cincinnati Public Radio, and WOUB – Ohio University, just to name a few other Ohio organizations with content there. There is such a wide array of teaching tools, instructional media, and supplemental education material there that you will likely find just about any topic you are searching for.
You don’t even need to have an iPod or an iPhone to use iTunes and take advantage of these offerings – you can simply download the iTunes software for free to your desktop, visit the iTunes store, and find iTunes U at the very bottom of the page. Once you are in iTunes U, choose "Ohio" at the right and start checking out all the offerings. The video will play using iTunes software, which makes this very easy to use!
-Amanda

Right Tools for the Job

2009-12-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

You can’t escape the negative economic news. Your students can’t either. The fortunate ones are aware of the belt-tightening going on in their home but aren’t feeling the pinch too badly. It is a story they hear in the background on the evening news or see as a headline in the daily newspaper. The less lucky ones are feeling the direct impact of a job loss or a home foreclosure on their family. They are sensing the anxiety and trying to understand what is going on around them.

Teachers see the need to help their students better understand the social and geopolitical implications caused by the local, national and international shockwaves of the economic tumult of today. They also see the need to create a historical perspective by exploring the last worldwide economic meltdown of the 1930’s, known as the Great Depression.

To help meet that need, CET has brought together many useful digital multimedia resources and organized them on the Internet for your classroom use. On our Learn About Our Economy webpage, you’ll find video segments from our Producing Ohio multimedia curriculum kit and links back to the Producing Ohio website where you’ll find lesson plans, a standards correlation chart and more resources appropriate for the middle school classroom. On our Economic and Financial Literacy webpage, you’ll find a wide array of video and text resources for use with teens and young adults.

- Diane

Celebrate Excellence 2009

2009-11-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

For more than 90 years, the Hamilton County Educational Service Center (HCESC) has provided the public school districts in Hamilton County with numerous services related to special education, as well as professional development for teachers and administrators. HCESC focuses on innovation by bringing together educational best practices and leading-edge knowledge to serve 150,000 students and 10,000 educators in Southwest Ohio. The staff of nearly 500 education professionals emphasizes quality processes and proven implementation experience with a constant focus on what’s best for children. The result is better use of resources, better schools, better teaching, better learning, better students.

As the non-profit fundraising arm of the HCESC, the Hamilton County Education Foundation provides an annual scholarship to a teacher returning to school at the University of Cincinnati as well as a teacher returning to Xavier University for their Masters in Special Education. These scholarships are directly addressing the national shortage of special education teachers – in a sense the Foundation is “growing its own.”

The annual “Celebrate Excellence” event is the Foundation’s main fundraiser recognizing the “Educators of the Year” from more than twenty public school districts in Hamilton County. The event is unique in that it brings K-12 education, university, business and civic leaders together to pay tribute to this impressive group. Anthony Munoz, president of his own education foundation, (http://www.munozfoundation.org/) serves as Master of Ceremonies. The 2009 keynote address was presented by the Ohio Department of Education’s Senior Associate Superintendent for Educational Programs Marilyn Troyer.

The Foundation – like our business, culture and arts communities – hopes that by providing scholarships and recognizing our local educators, more of them will choose to live and work here. Characteristically uncomfortable in the spotlight – not uncommon for those who are called to their profession - educators focus on the success of their kids. Celebrate Excellence honors these dedicated individuals who daily serve as parent, priest, friend, advisor, protector, confidant, and teacher to our children. Their superintendent gives them the day off. They get to hang with Anthony Munoz. And best of all, they get to hear what their nominator says about them.
· “She has stretched the boundaries of education, teaching us not only how to sing but to be good people.”
· “The words ‘no’, ‘impossible,’ and ‘I don’t have time’ do not exist in his vocabulary.”
· “I plan on majoring in education, and she is the teacher that I am trying to model myself after.”

There is no greater praise for those who answer the call.

- Submitted by Robyn Carey Allgeyer

Veterans in our midst

2009-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

To too many of us, Veterans Day is just another day off from school or from work. Or a day when our trash isn’t picked up or our mail isn’t delivered. Far too many of us give little thought to the sacrifices made by the men and women who have served in the armed forces, especially those who served abroad during times of conflict. The families of those veterans who didn’t come home or that came home with visible or invisible scars made sacrifices that often went unnoticed as well.

So, if many of us do not grasp the importance of our veterans’ contributions to our country, how can we effectively pass the story along to our children? How can we help them understand the true cost to the individual yet see how their collective dedication and selflessness has ensured our country’s survival?

Glen Grundei, now a retired teacher from Winton Woods City Schools, saw the need to teach his students more about World War II than the few paragraphs included in their history textbook. He wanted them to know more than some dates and names and locations. He wanted them to know something about the human side of the war. He wanted them to hear the stories, see the faces, and read the letters. So he built the Hall of Heroes in Winton Woods Primary North School .

While still teaching at Winton Woods Primary North, Mr. Grundei began collecting donations of artifacts from World War II veterans to become part of a permanent exhibit that could be used to help his students better understand the global conflict by learning more about the individuals who experienced it. Even after his retirement a few years ago, Mr. Grundei continued to maintain and connect the precious collection of personal items in the Hall of Heroes with students at Winton Woods Primary North and the larger community beyond.

You can visit the Hall of Heroes virtually (http://www.cetconnect.org/Education/Education.aspx) to see and learn more about the many veterans who have shared a bit of themselves and their story so that future generations would better understand our history.

Thank You!

- Diane

New Study Shows PBS Educational Content and Interactive Games Increase Literacy

2009-11-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

There was a new study conducted by researchers at the Education Development Center, Inc. and SRI International which shows that preschoolers who participated in "media-rich literary curriculum" from the popular PBS Kids programs Super Why!, Between the Lions, and Sesame Street were better prepared for their first year of school than those children who did not participate. This is proof positive of the educational impact of PBS programming and interactive media on children, making them better able to find success in the classroom at the earliest, most formative stage of learning.

Here is an excerpt from this important announcement from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB):

“This study underscores the important and unprecedented work that the Ready To Learn initiative has accomplished by teaching these children the skills they will need to succeed in life,” said Pat Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). CPB congratulates the producers, the teachers and caregivers, station staff and their community partners who have made the Ready To Learn initiative the success that it is today.”

Read more from the announcement here, or to find out more about the study, visit the Center for Children and Technology website @ http://cct.edc.org/ready_to_learn.asp

You can introduce children, especially 2-8-year-olds, to the content and games observed in this study at the websites for Super Why!, Between the Lions, and Sesame Street so they can be Ready to Learn in the classroom.

C is for Cookie!

2009-11-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

“C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me,
C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me,
C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me.
Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C.”

Many years ago, I remember watching opera singer Marilyn Horne, dressed as Cleopatra, singing this song on a Sesame Street episode. That little jingle immediately implanted itself deep in my brain and periodically resurfaced, resulting in my aesthetically-lacking but heartfelt warbling ode to cookies. When my daughters were preschoolers and I again could indulge in guilt-free viewing of Sesame Street, I was ecstatic when the “C is for Cookie” segment came along and I could join in with gusto. My daughters, now teenagers, roll their eyes for dramatic effect when I burst into song about cookies but I don’t let that stop me.

Believe it or not, Sesame Street celebrates it’s 40th anniversary on Nov. 10. 40 years of making learning fun for preschoolers and their parents. 40 years of demonstrating the educational power of television. 40 years of feeling at home in an ethnically-diverse urban neighborhood.

Join in and wallow in the fun of celebrating 40 years of Sesame Street.

- Diane

Sid is quite the science kid!

2009-10-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met Sid? You know, Sid the Science Kid? He is one of the newer kids on the PBS Kids block. Sid and his friends are curious preschoolers who learn about how the world around them works by using science to help them explore. Surrounded by supportive adults who encourage their curiosity, Sid and his friends start with a question and work their way toward an answer.

While kids learn more about science and exploration when they watch Sid the Science Kid on CET or visit his website online, there is plenty of great stuff for parents and teachers as well. In the Parents & Teachers portion of the website, you’ll find information about the series and characters your children see in each episode. More importantly, there are overviews of the “big picture” science ideas that are built into each weekly set of shows that help you better understand what you’re child will be exploring with Sid. There are also Activities and Resources that help you bring the hands-on learning into your home or preschool.

The producers of Sid the Science Kid go even further to bring fun and learning into your child’s life. They have produced a special show about flu season. Getting a Shot: You Can Do It! premieres on Monday, October 26, and repeats multiple times throughout November and December. There is a weekly set of shows airing now that help parents plan and host a science play date for kids. For those who want to take learning everywhere they go, there is an easy-to-use iPhone app that lets kids share their questions and ideas just like Sid shares with his trusty toy microphone.

Check out Sid and his friends at 8:30am each day on CET.

- Diane

Creative Thinking

2009-09-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

Are your students “cutting and pasting” content from the web and presenting it as their own work? Have you noticed the headlines about students file sharing music on the web such as a student recently court ordered to pay $675,000!

To support educators and librarians, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) offers free online lessons, films, and activities on plagiarism and copyright awareness as part of a new educational multimedia project called Creative Thinking. Creative Thinking provides everything needed to present engaging content for teens & young adults. The lessons promote research honesty & copyright consciousness. Both ethical & legal discussions are presented. There is even an amusing intellectual property personality quiz based on the popular Simpson’s television characters.

Want to learn more about how to use Creative Thinking in the classroom? See CET’s video tutorial for educators.

We encourage your feedback! Take a look at the films, lessons, and activities on the Creative Thinking site. Let us know what you think and if you have any successful teaching tips to share. Watch this blog for future discussions about plagiarism and copyright challenges in the classroom.

Creative Thinking was funded by a grant from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation and includes collaborative community support from NKU, CET, Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL), University of Louisville, Campbell County KY Public Library, and other regional partners.

- John Schlipp
Guest Blogger

All Aboard!

2009-09-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Dinosaurs and trains. Can it get any better for most preschoolers? Imagine an adorable preschool-age Tyrannosaurus Rex riding a colorful train on an exciting voyage through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans. That is the premise of Dinosaur Train, a new CGI-animated series.

Now, as a parent or teacher of a young child, imagine how excited you’ll be when you see how Dinosaur Train helps your child learn more about natural science, natural history and paleontology. Each 30-minute episode takes kids on a trip to explore our world during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Dinosaur Train airs on CET at 9:30am and 3pm.

But wait, there’s more! Dinosaur Train also has an interactive website. Children can discover natural history and paleontology through fun games and activities. Parents and teachers of young children can also find resources and activities that build on the learning experience.

All aboard the Dinosaur Train!

- Diane

Ring-a-ling-ling

2009-08-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

What’s that noise? Is that the school bell I hear? Why, yes, I believe it is. Teachers and students around Cincinnati are heading back to the classroom. Kids will be sharing stories of their summer vacation trips, sharing details about their new clothes or haircuts, and sharing their excitement about new teachers and classmates.

However, everything they share is not good. When kids are in prolonged close contact like they are in the classroom, germs and bacteria are shared too. They breathe the same air, touch the same chairs and desks, eat their lunches at the same cafeteria tables and use the same restrooms. Colds and viruses begin making the rounds.

In collaboration with Cincinnati Public Schools, CET taped a series of professional development videos featuring local health officials, health care professionals and public health sanitarians whose goals are to help ensure safe and healthy school environments. In these videos, they share important information that will help administrators, teachers and parents help kids minimize the spread of germs and bacteria while at school.

Visit our Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools webpage to learn more.

- Diane

Reading Rainbow coming to the end of its long run

2009-08-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

When CET changes its kids programming line-up for Fall, one mainstay of PBS Kids programming will be noticeably missing. I’m referring to Reading Rainbow. It’s sad, but true - the end of watching Reading Rainbow on PBS with your kids is official: the rights expire on August 28, 2009. You’ll no longer be able to tune into Reading Rainbow on CET or any of the other local public television stations after this date. For more information and details check out an article at Current.org, the public media news website.

There is no official word yet on the status of the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, but the Current.org article gives the most up to date information available. What do you think? Will you be sad about the absence of Reading Rainbow on TV? Would you be crushed if the contest fell by the wayside as well?

For the time being, you can watch episodes of Reading Rainbow on CET Kids (Time Warner Cable channel 931) weekdays at 10am, 2pm, 6pm, and 10pm and on Saturdays at 6am. Tape these episodes while you can!

-Amanda

Another Tool in the Toolkit

2009-08-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a fun and effective way to teach your students about fractals? Maybe you would like to help them better understand the tough economic times our world is going through now by learning more about the Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression? Or you might be interested in leading them in an exploration of the arts as a universal language that belongs to all mankind?

No matter what subject you teach, what age range of students you work with, or where you teach, PBS Teachers brings you a multitude of multimedia teaching tools that will help you reach all the learners in your classroom. Video, audio, interactive online activities, discussion starters and cross-curricular standards-based lesson plans are available at no cost. You can search for PBS programs by title and then find the related educators’ materials or you can search by subject area and then find PBS programs that help you teach the concept.

As you approach a new school year, check out PBS Teachers and find some new tools for your toolkit.

- Diane

Good Information!

2009-07-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Librarians are the guardians of information in our society. Do you have a question? Talk to your librarian. He or she may not know the right answer but they sure do know where to start looking for it. If you are a teacher or a student, obviously you go to your school media specialist. Just like the librarian at your local neighborhood branch library, your school media specialist has many resources at his or her disposal that will yield up the answer you are looking for.

As information specialists, librarians are in the business of identifying and using current high quality information resources in both print and electronic formats. Recently, the American Association of School Librarians released their list of Landmark Websites for Teaching and Learning. The websites that made this list have “exemplary histories of authoritative, dynamic content and curricular relevance. They are free, web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover and provide a foundation to support 21st-century teaching and learning.”

Among this list is PBS Teachers. PBS Teachers is noted for their standards-based and cross-curricular resources that connect to both on-air and online PBS programming.

Visit PBS Teachers now and be ready for a new school year!

- Diane

Make Learning Active and Fun

2009-07-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

Every teacher worth his or her salt knows that the best way to make sure students really grasp a concept or master a skill is to actively involve them in the learning experience. If students are left to sit still and listen, their minds are likely to become as inactive as their bodies. If they talk and move and experiment with ideas during the learning experience, their minds often move as quickly as their bodies.

PBS Teachers know that too. So they’ve created a collection of interactive SMART Board games on PBS Kids that you can use in your classroom with pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students. The collection includes interactive games in language arts, math, social studies, science and the arts. All of the games include bright graphics that can be manipulated with simple mouse clicks and audio clips that help guide students through the activities. Every game encourages students to experiment and provides feedback that lets them know how they are doing.

Before school starts, visit PBS Teachers and play some of these games yourself. Have fun and think about how you can help your students learn while they have fun with these games too.

- Diane

Raising Readers

2009-06-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

In my last blog, I wrote about summer reading options available through PBS Kids programming and at your local Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County branch. But let’s not stop there. Let’s look at more of the resources PBS makes available to parents and caregivers all year round to help you raise a reader.

PBS’ Raising Readers website has many tips and tricks that will help you turn reading into something fun and easy to do everyday. There are printable color or black and white coupons you can use to encourage your child to keep on reading. The Daily Reading Activity Calendar has a fresh idea everyday for a reading activity for you and your child.

The Reading & Books area includes online resources to help you find just the right book for your child. Expert advice from children’s book lovers and librarians will help guide you too. Best of all, the Reading & TV area has resources that help you make the connection between the educational PBS Kids programs that your kids already love to watch and reading.

The PBS Kids Island area offers multiple interactive online games for kids to practice their budding language arts skills.

Visit the Raising Readers website today!

-Diane

Fill summer days with books

2009-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

How do you keep kids flexing their academic skills during the summer months? How do you keep their minds active? Reading, of course! There are many options for kids and parents who want to fill their summer with stories.

Super WHY! is a PBS Kids series designed to help young children preparing for kindergarten learn the very important pre-literacy skills they need to succeed in school. The series helps kids develop concepts and skills that include alphabet skills, word families, spelling, comprehension and vocabulary. In each episode, young viewers are invited to join in and help solve problems using their language arts skills. To help extend and enrich the reading experience for kids, Super WHY! is helping parents encourage their kids to read and be read to with the Super WHY! Right On Read-a-thon. Downloadable resources including a reading list, progress chart, bookmark and a Super Duper Reading Certificate are available online.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is bringing great books and fun programs to your neighborhood branch with the Creature Feature. This year’s summer reading program includes games, programs and prizes for kids, teens and adults. Watch their video invitation to get involved.

- Diane

And the Teacher becomes the Student

2009-05-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

The more things change,...

2009-04-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

When CET went on the air on July 26, 1954, only 500 television sets could even receive the signal. The first program was a 30-minute program called Tel-A-Story and it featured an adult sharing a story with several children. Closely tied to Cincinnati Public Schools in those early days, CET’s primary mission was to provide high quality educational programming for classroom use. As the first licensed educational television station in the nation, CET became a valuable resource to schools across Greater Cincinnati.

On Friday, May 1, at 12:01am, CET will turn off our analog broadcast signal after nearly 55 years of service to the educational community. However, CET will continue to provide instructional television to schools and homes in many ways. There will be over 20 hours of instructional television broadcast via our digital signal and over 600 hours cablecast on selected Time Warner Cable channels every month September through May. Around 50 new video segments, created in conjunction with area in-service teachers, will be available for 24/7 streaming from CETconnect.org. CET will provide on-demand scheduling and duplication of licensed instructional programming for schools and home schools. CET will continue to collaborate with community partners to create standards-based multimedia curriculum kits for use in PreK-12 classrooms.

So while one era comes to an end, another continues. CET will continue to be the first choice of educational programming and instructional media in Greater Cincinnati.

-Diane

Drumroll please….

2009-04-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

CET is pleased to announce the local winners of the 15th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers’ & Illustrators Contest. Nearly 120 children in kindergarten through third grades from all across Greater Cincinnati submitted their original stories and illustrations this year. We received stories about aliens and best friends, sports and weather, holidays and summer vacations. After carefully considering the many creative and entertaining original stories and illustrations, winners and honorable mentions were selected at all four grade levels and are now listed online.

The four local 1st Place winning stories will be featured in a video on CETconnect.org in June and will also go on to compete at the national level. CET thanks The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation for their generous support of this year’s contest.

CET congratulates these budding young local authors!

We would like to thank teachers for bringing us into your schools and making the 15th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers’ & Illustrators Contest a part of classroom assignments.

- Diane

Talk, Listen, Connect

2009-03-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Political conflicts that require the presence of the brave men and women of our military have been a challenge for thousands of families for some years now. While every family that has to say goodbye and then prays each day for the safe return of a member experiences some trauma, it is the most difficult for families with young children.

Young children have trouble understanding why daddy or mommy is going away and why they have to be gone for so long. They may wonder what they did to make their parent go away and will they ever come back. In the best case scenarios, a parent will only be gone for a short time and will come back largely unscathed from their dangerous duty abroad. Sometimes, parents come back with physical or psychological scars that may never heal. In the worst case scenarios, parents don’t come back at all and families have to begin creating a “new normal.”

On Wednesday, April 1, CET will broadcast a special program from the Sesame Workshop, creators of the landmark series, Sesame Street, designed to help parents and caregivers of young children information and support to help deal with the deployments, homecomings and changes that are part and parcel of military duty today. “Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes” will feature the familiar furry characters children know as they deal with parents going to or coming from serving their country away from home. An accompanying website offers streamable video and corollary materials for use in homes and preschools. Special attention is paid to families that have to create a “new normal” after circumstances change them forever.

If you or someone you know is dealing with the challenge of helping a young child and a family navigate the difficulty of a separation due to military duty, please consider using this resource.

- Diane

National or not?

2009-03-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

If you pay any attention to education news, you’ve no doubt heard the recent chatter about national education standards. With just a few keystrokes at your favorite Internet search engine, you can find many news articles and blog entries with many different viewpoints on the subject. Standards are important. Otherwise, how would we have consistent learning occurring in fourth grade classrooms throughout a school or a district? How would we ensure that students are learning accurate and developmentally appropriate concepts and skills? Standards are the signposts that teachers use to guide their students on the journey of learning.

Across Ohio, not only are educators focused on creating lessons and learning opportunities based on Ohio Academic Content Standards, so are educational organizations like CET that work closely with educators to create multimedia instructional resources for classroom use. We need the standards to guide us toward creating resources that support what is being taught in the classroom.

But national standards? Is there a good reason to scrap the existing state standards for a “one size fits all” approach? On the other hand, isn’t it a good idea to make sure that all kids are learning the same concepts and skills?

No matter which side of this fence you’re on, there is no easy answer.

- Diane

It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood

2009-03-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that gentle friendly man in the cardigan sweater who asked you to be his neighbor? For more than 40 years on public television, Mister Rogers came through the door, changed to his sweater and sneakers with his invitation in song: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Fred Rogers dedicated his life to serving children through public television as host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His innovative approach and sincere respect for his young viewers and their parents helped him become known as “America’s favorite neighbor.”

Even though Fred Rogers is no longer with us, his spirit lives on. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Day has grown from a one-time event in Pittsburgh’s into an annual national event. It started as a recognition of Fred Rogers’ birthday on March 20th in a way that reflected his deep appreciation of what it means to be a neighbor. Everyone is encouraged to wear a sweater and celebrate what it means to be a neighbor on his birthday, March 20th. Put on your favorite sweater this Friday and celebrate the people in your neighborhood.

CALLING ALL YOUNG AUTHORS!

2009-02-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

“Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high
Take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow.”

These lyrics from the theme song of the long-running PBS program Reading Rainbow are bright reminders of the joy of reading to millions of us who have watched the program over the years.

The 15th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators contest is coming. Kindergarten- through third-grade students all around Greater Cincinnati will begin composing and drawing, editing and coloring. Their original creations will be judged locally by a panel of school librarians, public library children’s librarians and primary grade teachers. The winning story at each grade level will then be forwarded for judging at the national level. More information about the contest, including downloadable rules and entry forms, are available. The 15th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators contest is sponsored locally by The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation. Watch Time Warner Cable channel 17 at 12:30pm each weekday for Reading Rainbow.

- Diane

HEY YOU GUUUUUYYYYS!

2009-02-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

How many of us remember those words blaring from our televisions back in the 1970’s? It was calling us to plug in to the Electric Company for more learning disguised as fun with really cool characters. There was Fargo North, Decoder; J. Arthur Crank; Millie the Helper; and, my personal favorite, Easy Reader. We explored letters and words and felt as cool as Morgan Freeman looked in his brown denim jacket and sunglasses when he slinked across the television screen. A quick visit to YouTube will refresh your memory if it has dimmed.

The Electric Company is not a long-lost piece of the past anymore. Its back and delivers a jolt of literacy for a whole new generation of emerging readers. The new series is designed to combat the literacy crisis America’s youngsters are facing with 35 half-hour episodes for today’s media-driven generation with a truly interactive experience. The new version of the Electric Company is a multimedia literacy campaign aiming to reduce the literacy gap between low and middle income families and advancing the idea that ‘reading is cool.’ The show will be supplemented with a richly interactive online environment.

The cast of characters of the Electric Company is a group of do-gooders, stationed from their home base, The Electric Diner, who keep the neighborhood safe with their literacy superpowers and solve problems often created by a group of troublemakers called “The Pranksters.” The new version of the Electric Company’s curricular goals include decoding, comprehension of connected text, vocabulary and motivation. These goals are incorporated into the show with vocabulary focusing on specific kid friendly themes such as: the body, animals, games and space.

The new web site invites kids to experience the world of the Electric Company within an interactive environment. The web site blends elements of popular kid-friendly internet applications that encourage kids to create, share, and rate each others' video creations and decorate their own profile pages. Kids will also be able to play educational games, based on the curriculum featured in each episode. The site will stream full episodes that will have aired the day before on TV and web exclusive behind the scenes segments. In addition, extensive downloadable outreach materials will be available to support the TV series and supplement the curriculum that parents, caregivers and teachers will be encouraged to use.

The series airs on CET at 5pm on Fridays. Turn on a new youngster to the Electric Company.

- Diane

Historic Inauguration Day

2009-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 20, 2009, will be an historic day. Not only will our nation see the inauguration of a new president, we’ll see the inauguration of our first black president. The crowds in Washington are expected to be overwhelming. You can’t take your students there to see it in person. So CET will bring it all to your classroom.

Beginning at 11am, Jim Lehrer anchors PBS’ inauguration coverage, which includes political analysis and historical context. PBS plans to include coverage of Barack Obama’s arrival at the White House, excerpts of the church service and Obama’s speech to the nation from the Capitol steps. Coverage will continue until 2pm.

On the night of Barack Obama's historic inauguration, FRONTLINE will examine the personal and political biography of the 44th president of the United States. “Dreams of Obama” will air from 9-10 pm. Visit the FRONTLINE website for more information

Later that night, Tavis Smiley will look back at Barack Obama's six appearances on the show, dating back to his days as a little-known Illinois state senator. Also featured will be Obama’s appearance on the day after his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In addition to this archival material, TAVIS SMILEY will air excerpts of the inaugural address.

Other programming will air on CET in the days before and after Obama’s inauguration. Check our TV Schedule for more information.

For those who get their news and entertainment online, the Online NewsHour will produce an inauguration page that includes live, streaming video of PBS and THE NEWSHOUR’s inauguration coverage.

- Diane

Looking for Lincoln # 3

2009-01-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

As promised in an earlier blog, here is more information about the National Lincoln Teach-In, which is scheduled for Thursday, February 12, at 1:30 pm from the National Archives in Washington, DC and features Lincoln scholars Matthew Pinsker and Harold Holzer. Teachers and students nationwide can tune in to view this FREE LIVE webcast online. The program is recommended for middle through high school, and the website has study guides to use before or after the webcast. Register now for this FREE event.

Here’s another Lincoln resource I’ve come across. The website My Hero.com has a resource-rich page devoted to the Lincoln Bicentennial.

Bottom line, with all the available resources, teachers would have to struggle to come up with a valid excuse NOT to do something for this Lincoln Bicentennial! Resistance is futile!

- Karen

Looking for Lincoln #2

2008-12-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Teachers are always looking for free resources! Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth this February 2009 with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission’s free classroom poster! The front side, suitable for classroom display, is a portrait of Lincoln, while the reverse contains resources for educators, offering suggestions for incorporating Lincoln’s legacy into the classroom. You can request the poster by calling 202-707-6998 or on their website. Act quickly; supplies are limited.

If you really want to mark the Lincoln bicentennial in a big way, you can sign your school up as a Lincoln Legacy Bicentennial School.

It looks like there is to be a National Teach-In on February 12, 2009. I’ll see what else I can dig up on this.

- Karen

Guest Blog Part 3 by Karen Regina

2008-12-17T06:05:00.000-08:00

Once I had categories set, it occurred to me that a jigsaw would be a good way to have students work with the information. But that implied a task for groups to do. I had come across the historical head strategy from a master teacher, James Percoco, whose work I was familiar with. (I attended one of his workshops at a National Council for History Education conference one year and use his books in classes I teach for pre-service social studies teachers at UC). Creating historical heads is a good way for students to analyze and synthesize information about a historical figure. And since all the information students use to do this task come from the Internet, there are elements of WebQuests incorporated also.
So that’s how I developed this lesson. I tend not to begin such projects with a preconceived notion. Rather, I explore what’s out there and let ideas unfold till something I like takes shape. It was an apt time to work on this project, with the 2008 election season at its peak, since Taft was elected 100 years ago. I noticed some changes and parallels between now and then. For example, in Taft’s day, there were no primaries and the candidate did not attend the convention. Rather Taft was notified of his nomination at home by a committee. Today’s electorate worried a bit about McCain’s health, while Taft was elected with several health problems. I’m sure you’ll be able to make more connections between the two elections. I hope you like the using the lesson.

Karen's lesson can be found at www.cetconnect.org/taft
Coming soon: Video on William Howard Taft featuring Ray Henderson, Chief of Interpretation at the William Howard Taft National Historic Site, Judge Mark A. Painter, author of a biography of the president, and Dan Hurley, local historian who curated the exhibits at the Taft National Historical Site.

Guest Blog Part 2 by Karen Regina

2008-12-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

More on Writing a Lesson about William Howard Taft

Next I turned to a couple of standard American History textbooks. Taft didn’t get much coverage in them. The texts mostly focused on Taft’s relationship with Teddy Roosevelt and how the two had a falling out, which led to Taft’s failure to be re-elected in 1912. There was a lot about Progressive politics then too. So I decided I would focus on information about Taft in my lesson that the texts didn’t address.

So then I turned to the Internet. Soon I had dozens of sites bookmarked and had learned some fascinating new things. I hadn’t known that Taft’s wife played a major role in getting the now-famous cherry trees first planted in Washington, DC. And that it was she who really wanted Taft to be President, while he himself wasn’t too keen on the idea; his goal was to be Chief Justice. On a medical site, I read about Taft’s health problems, which included sleep apnea, a condition historians and doctors have “diagnosed” in retrospect. It seems Taft was often lethargic in the early part of the day and often needed to nap, evidence now seen that he wasn’t getting restful sleep at night because of apnea.

After hours of scouring the Internet, I had accumulated lots of good stuff. Now I needed to figure out what to do with it, since there were so many disparate topics. How could I make it all fit together? I decided to create categories and see if I could fit most of the information into them. I settled on five categories, based on periods in Taft’s life, and proceeded to lay out the pages on a table. (I had printed key pages from each website because, hey, I’m one of those people who still like to work with hard copy!)

Check by next week for Part 3

Looking for Lincoln

2008-12-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

Having recently completed a lesson about William Howard Taft for CET, I’m now working on a lesson about President Abraham Lincoln for the station. This will coincide with a new PBS series called Looking for Lincoln coming in February 2009 to mark the bicentennial of his birth.

So now my antenna is up for anything Lincoln-related. Have you ever noticed that when you begin to show interest in a subject, all of a sudden information about it begins to pop up everywhere on your radar screen? That’s certainly been my experience these last couple weeks in regards to Lincoln information. First, I saw a lot of discussion in the news about President-elect Barack Obama’s choices for Cabinet heads, with many commenting that he seems to be modeling Lincoln’s notion of a “Team of Rivals” to shape his Cabinet. Obama appears to be a big fan of Lincoln, not surprising since both have political roots in Illinois. Soon after, I pull the November 24 issue of Newsweek from my mailbox to see Lincoln and Obama on the cover with the line that Obama is “channeling the 16th President.” Interesting premise, I wonder if I can work any of that into a lesson? Next, my periodic online newsletter from the Gilder Lehrman Institute popped up in my email. Want to guess what the featured document of the month was? The Gettysburg Address. Then I see a flyer about the American Bar Association’s Law Day program for May 1, 2009. No surprise. Its theme is A Legacy of Liberty: Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial.

So it looks like this Lincoln bicentennial is going to be big. The CET staff tells me the PBS series is to be based in large part on a new book, Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon. So I checked it out of the library. Looks like great stuff in it, in short easy-to-read chunks. I also learned of another pertinent book, Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President. What a cool title!

I’m on a roll!

- Karen Regina

Guest Blog Part 1 by Karen Regina

2008-12-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

Karen Regina has a broad background in social studies education as a classroom teacher at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, museum educator at the Cincinnati History Museum and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and as a current faculty member in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services at the University of Cincinnati. She earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at UC and subsequently authored a variety of curriculum materials, including several online WebQuests and an elementary textbook, Cincinnati: An Urban History. She contributed several lessons to CET’s Safe Passage project.

Writing a Lesson about William Howard Taft

When I was invited to write a lesson about William Howard Taft for CET’s website, I wasn’t clear about what kind of lesson to create. To be honest, I didn’t know much about Taft, so I took this as an opportunity to learn more about him. My first step was to review the Ohio Academic Content Standards for Social Studies to see what the state expected students to learn about Taft. I was surprised to find that Taft’s name was nowhere to be found, considering that he was a President from Ohio.

I recalled that years ago, when I was on staff at the Cincinnati Historical Society, I had chosen primary source documents from their collections for inclusion in the publication Cincinnati: An Urban History Sourcebook. So I turned to those pages first. There I found items about Taft’s 1908 campaign and inauguration particularly as they related to his hometown of Cincinnati. Making connections to Cincinnati would be a good idea, I thought.

Karen Regina

Come Back to CET Teach next week to learn about Karen's research process for creating a lesson on William Howard Taft.

American Education Week

2008-11-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

This is the 87th annual American Education Week (AEW). AEW shines the spotlight on the importance of providing every child a quality public education all the way from kindergarten through college and the need for all stakeholders to contribute toward that goal. First started in 1921, it was an effort to raise America’s literacy rates after World War I.

Each day focuses on another area of importance:
Monday, November 17: Open House Day. From national commemorations to local community events, millions of Americans will celebrate public education nationwide.
Tuesday, November 18: Parents Day. Schools will invite parents into the classroom for a hands-on experience of what the day is like for their child.
Wednesday, November 19: Education Support Professionals Day. Individuals who provide invaluable services to schools are recognized for their outstanding work.
Thursday, November 20: Educator for a Day. Community leaders will be invited to serve as educators to get a glimpse at a day in the life of a school employee.
Friday, November 21: Substitute Educators Day. This day honors the educators who are called upon to replace regularly employed teachers.

More information and related resources are available. The National Education Association provides an online toolkit to help plan recognition events. Education World lists many potential activities that can be done in your school. Your local and state school leaders may have additional information and activities available now.

- Diane

Eat Smart for a Great Start

2008-11-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

“Be sure to eat a good breakfast.” “Have a piece of fruit with your lunch.” "Finish your milk before you leave the table.” How often as kids did we hear our parents reminding us of the importance of good nutrition? How many of us find ourselves repeating those same reminders to our own children?

PBS KIDS and Produce for Kids® (PFK) have joined forces on an online initiative to promote healthy eating and smart food choices through the numerous benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Launched in 2007, Eat Smart for a Great Start encourages kids to take their own personal steps towards living healthier lifestyles. The website includes a healthy eating page that includes games, fitness challenges and activities for kids. PBS Parents features an extensive area that includes activities and information on how parents can help their children build healthy eating habits such as:

· Parent Helpers that provide parents with strategies, activities and creative ways to encourage kids to eat healthy foods and make eating healthy foods fun;
· An article on “Picky Eaters” that provides parents with advice on how they can encourage even the pickiest eaters to eat healthy foods;
· Recipes using fruits and vegetables from children’s favorite PBS KIDS programs;
· Engaging activities that kids can play at the grocery store to make them aware of the healthy options around them as well as help them build math and literacy skills.

While these resources are aimed primarily at parents, they also have many uses in the elementary classroom. Check out these free resources soon.

- Diane

Access, Analyze and Act

2008-10-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

This has been an exciting and ground breaking election season and the teachable moments for your classroom aren’t over yet. PBS has created an incredible collection of online resources for your classroom that will help your students access, analyze and act using the power of social media. The Access, Analyze and Act resources provide you with the tools that will engage your students’ interest in the election process and guide them in using social media to actively explore and comment on what they see happening all around them. Along they way, they will develop and sharpen critical information and media literacy skills.

The resources and tools within Access, Analyze and Act were developed for use all across the grade bands. While the vast majority of these students can’t yet participate in the voting process, it is never too early to begin teaching them how to be actively engaged in the civic process. Visit Access, Analyze and Act to learn more.

- Diane

Reading Rainbow lives on

2008-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

“Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high
Take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow.”

These lyrics from the theme song of the long-running PBS program Reading Rainbow are bright reminders of the joy of reading to millions of us who have watched the program over the years. Each program, hosted by LeVar Burton, introduces children to a wonderful story in a book and then connects it to real-life experiences for children.

Teachers have used this program for years to help get their students excited about reading. To assist teachers, Reading Rainbow provides them with high-quality lesson plans and other instructional resources. Reading Rainbow can be found each weekday on Time Warner Cable channel 17 at 12:30pm.

- Diane

Education under our next president

2008-10-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

There are issues aplenty to judge our presidential candidates on in these waning days of the 2008 election season. The economy, energy, and experience are topics that you often hear the pundits discussing. But what about the other big “E” topic? Where do the candidates stand on education?

Like many educators around the country, I want to know how the candidates plan to support teachers and students with adequate funding. I want to know how they will allocate resources to failing schools without shortchanging successful schools. I want to know how they will keep highly qualified teachers in the classroom and remove ineffective teachers. I want to know how they will encourage schools to teach 21st Century Skills so our students can complete in this increasingly global workplace.

There are many places to learn more. The National Education Association, Edutopia, and of course, McCain’s and Obama’s own websites are just a few.

Where We Stand re-airs tomorrow night

2008-10-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

Because most of our local viewers were without power during the original broadcast back on September 15th, Where We Stand: America's Schools in the 21st Century, will re-air this Friday night at 10pm.

As mentioned in Diane's entry a few weeks back, this documentary features Cincinnati Public School's Pleasant Hills Academy. You can also view an interview with CPS leaders here.

-Brian

Constitution Day

2008-09-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

In 2004, a law was passed that proclaimed each September 17 as Constitution Day, a day to remember the legacy of the brave souls who originally signed the U.S. Constitution as well as instill in our young people an appreciation for the rights and responsibilities that U.S. citizenship brings. As an educational institution, CET is obliged to provide programming on the history of the Constitution. Nick Clooney recorded a brief video for CETconnect.org that includes a reading of the Preamble to the Constitution. The National Endowment for the Humanities has created a great website with many online resources. A simple internet search will undoubtedly turn up more.

Where We Stand in Cincinnati

2008-09-16T14:09:00.001-07:00

Ohio schools were the focus of a national documentary broadcast by CET on September 15. WHERE WE STAND takes a look at the challenges faced by today's schools and how some of those forward-thinking schools are creating innovative approaches to meet those challenges. Pleasant Hill Academy, a Cincinnati Public School, was one of the four schools featured in the documentary. CET collaborated with CPS staff to take a more detailed look at how these leaders in our local educational community are using teacher-led professional development to put students and teachers first. Take a look at the video and celebrate the good things happening for kids in our community.

Round up those art projects!

2008-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

We know it's only been a week (or two, maybe) into the new school year for most of the teachers out there, but we have an exciting opportunity to pass along to your students! Whether you're an art teacher or not, let your students know about CET's Create-A-Fest, an annual art show where kindergarten through eighth graders can enter their best drawings, paintings and sculptures to be judged by a panel of local artists. The entries are displayed in the lobby at CET during the month of October, and all entrants are invited to a special reception on November 2.

This is a great way for young, talented art students to show off their best work! And don't forget to tell them, deadline for submissions is September 24.

For more information, including a complete list of rules, visit the Create-A-Fest Web site. We look forward to seeing your students' talent!

-Rachel

Happy New Year!

2008-08-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! New school year that is. Some folks look forward to January 1 as the day to make a change or a fresh start. But not teachers. A teacher’s new year starts on the first day of school. Instead of a fresh new collection of 365 days, the first day of school brings 30 fresh new faces into his or her life. 30 new children who will become their surrogate children for the next nine months. 30 sets of families who trust the teacher to take their child on a journey to learn something new every day. 30 personalities that will often be a joy and occasionally a challenge.

Most of you have been back in the classroom for a week or so now getting to know your 30 or more new partners in learning. Our job here at CET is to help you all along on that journey. Please visit us often to see what we have to offer and tell us how we can serve you better. We want to take that journey with you.

Diane

PBS Programs with an Ohio twist

2008-08-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

CET brings great PBS and PBS Kids programming into classrooms and living rooms across Greater Cincinnati every day. Many educators have discovered these high-quality programs and the accompanying educational materials as valuable instructional resources in the classroom.

However, teachers know that pressure to focus on Ohio Academic Content Standards and raise test scores continues to take unparalleled emphasis in each classroom. This emphasis controls virtually every decision made by a teacher to use or not to use available materials in his or her classroom. When a single program or series has been isolated with localized content, the resources have experienced higher than normal usage levels by teachers here in Southwest Ohio. The localized content includes correlations to state standards in that specific content area, multimedia materials and lesson plans written by in-service teachers or area content experts.

CET is launching a year-long intensive campaign to reintroduce and foster usage of the many and varied PBS and CET instructional resources, especially those tied to the prime time and kids’ programs. CET will identify new programming available via broadcast and streaming for classroom viewing. Learning Services will collaborate with creative and technology-savvy area teachers to create and share their lesson plans and materials with other teachers. All materials will be made available via CETconnect.org. CET will also solicit assistance from school technology coordinators to make sure the technology used in this project is appropriate and accessible by targeted teachers in the schools and at home. Opportunity will be given to teachers to participate in a “wiki-based” lesson plan development project to ascertain if collaborative efforts online will result in high quality materials and the sharing of creativity and innovation across school districts.

To help us jump start this effort, we need your help. We want to determine which PBS or CET resources you currently use. Please take our brief online survey and help us in the future to better meet your needs. If you would like to submit a lesson plan based on a PBS program, or if you are interested in learning more about the project, please contact us.

This project is made possible by generous support from The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation.

It's mine! Or is it?

2008-08-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

It is so easy to download a song from the Internet. A few keystrokes and the song now lives on your computer hard drive or MP3 player. You can enjoy it any time you want. But, wait. Did you pay for that song? Did you ask for permission to copy it for your personal use? Did you even think about it?

If adults are unaware, or worse, uncaring of the intellectual property laws that protect copyright holders, why would teens be any better? A recent Microsoft survey revealed that half of today's teens were not familiar with the legal consequences of copyright laws and illegal downloading. As a result, some college students are facing jail time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines due to illegal music or video downloading. Another report states that up to 90 percent of high school students admitted to copying others' work, while 60 percent of high school students confessed to cheating on tests.

The W. Frank Steely Library at Northern Kentucky University has received a Cincinnati Bar Foundation grant to provide educational copyright and plagiarism awareness films and a website for regional schools. John Schlipp, extended collection services librarian and project director, oversees Creative Thinking: Intellectual Property for Teens and Young Adults. As part of the project, an NKU summer film class taught by Associate Professor Chris Strobel created two original short films. A project committee, comprised of representatives from NKU, University of Louisville, and other regional community partners such as CET and the Campbell County Public Library will coordinate the final film/website presentation.

Area teachers and professors have provided feedback for the content of the short films and website class curriculum support materials, such as student assignments, class activities and quizzes. "Our goal is to produce content which is both engaging and informative for teens and young adults," Schlipp said. The website is scheduled for public access in the spring of 2009.

Looking For A Hero

2008-07-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

Ohio needs a new superintendent of public instruction. One who can be student centered, charismatic and politically savvy all at the same time. This hero must also have a strong understanding of public education and strong administrative skills to manage 650+ people and an operating budget of $11.2 billion. Finally, this mortal who is only slightly less powerful than Zeus, should be an independent thinker capable of building consensus while effectively leading and building trust and confidence in Ohio’s public education system.

When this amazing person surfaces and begins the herculean task of leading Ohio’s educational efforts, will we see a difference at the grass roots level in the 600,000+ classrooms across Ohio? Will we see teachers and administrators rallying behind this new leader? Will we see a ripple effect throughout the educational community?

As Ohio’s Governor Ted Strickland visits CET and other public television stations around the state over the next few weeks to engage in community forums focusing on education, this topic will come up. Let’s see where the conversation goes.

Those who can't do, teach

2008-07-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Is it true that those who can’t do, teach? If so, what does that mean for students being taught by teachers who don’t have a strong understanding of and enthusiasm about the content area they are teaching? Is it an even more pronounced problem in the areas of math and science?

The University of Cincinnati has two new grants that are researching ways to lure more highly qualified young adults to teaching, specifically elementary and middle-school math and science teachers. The goal is to train more teachers to provide challenging and engaging instruction in math, science, technology and engineering. Better trained teachers will do a better job of teaching these concepts to their students. Better educated students will be more likely to consider careers in these areas. More highly qualified scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians coming out of America’s schools and universities will lead to a cycle of teaching and learning that will reverse a decades-old trend of declining STEM growth in our country.

Cincinnati Public Schools is making math and science instruction a priority by converting two existing schools into schools that emphasize math and science. The GE College Bound math- and science- grant is aggressively pushing math and science instruction along with professional development for teachers.

As more and better teachers fill our math and science classrooms, maybe the saying will go something like “Those who can do, teach.”

Diane

PBS Teachers Connect connects to you

2008-07-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel isolated in your classroom? Do you feel that the time to communicate and collaborate with your colleagues is too limited? Do you long for the chance to share ideas and learn from others as part of your professional development? Would you like easily accessible and high quality multimedia resources to use in your classroom? PBS has a solution for you.

PBS has unveiled a new online community for preK-12 educators that supports the use of digital media content and technology integration in education. PBS Teachers Connect provides teachers, school library media specialists, technology coordinators, early childhood educators and other education professionals with opportunities to share ideas, collaborate and support the effective use of instructional technology and multimedia into the classroom with the enhancement of student learning and achievement as the ultimate goal.

This free collection of resources allow educators to search more than 3,000 standards-based classroom activities, lesson plans, interactive resources and other materials, then easily bookmark, annotate, share and manage their tagged content within the PBS Teachers Connect community. Many of the resources feature PBS’ award-winning programming and content, including on-demand streaming video from select PBS programs. Among the many high quality resources you’ll find are video and other materials created right here in Ohio. Educators here in Greater Cincinnati will be able to customize their homepages to receive information about CET programming and event schedules as well as have direct access to the many localized education resources created by CET’s Learning Services department.

PBS Teachers Connect will foster discussion and use of digital media content, and enable educators to form shared-interest groups online. The community features a personalized homepage for each user, enhanced user profiles, a searchable database of resources and community members, bookmarking tools and discussion threads. A key component is the PBS Teacher Leader program, which recognizes and rewards innovation in the use of digital media and technology in education. PBS Teacher Leaders will be an integral part of the online community’s continued development by fostering discussion, collaboration and contribution of teacher-created content.

With the vast majority of students using social networking sites on a weekly basis, more educators are incorporating social media tools in their professional lives to collaborate with and support each other. Community-building that once was confined to face-to-face encounters in school departments and association conferences, or informal contacts with like-minded staff members, is now increasingly happening online. PBS Teachers Connect is another tool that opens doors to an unprecedented array of learning opportunities in an environment where educators often feel freer to express themselves, share their ideas and be catalysts for change.

Welcome to the CET Teach blog

2008-06-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is the first post on the CET Teach blog. Here we'll give you the latest news on upcoming workshops, resources and services to the educational community. Occasionally we'll toss in our thoughts and opinions on issues in education here at home and abroad.

I know that the target audience for this blog is now at home enjoying their summer vacation. However, we're hard at work creating the services and resources you'll use this September. Check in often and get the latest. Of course, feel free to leave your comments. You are an integral part of this blog.

If you're interested in learning more about CET Learning Services, click here.

Diane