2006-03 March 2006

March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 04:00:00 GMT

March 2006

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Resources

Grants & Awards, Calendar, Books by Members, Picks from the Web, Print and TV, Take Note for Educators, & More!

Diversity Calendar

March

March 6–12—National Foreign Language Week

Sponsored by the National Foreign Language Honor Society, Alpha Mu Gamma, this week encourages schools to celebrate the importance of foreign language study.

March 16—First Black Newspaper Published

On this day in 1827, Freedom’s Journal was published in New York City. Subscriptions cost $3 a year. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/newbios/nwsppr/freedom/freedom.html.

March 21—Bahá’í New Year’s Day (Naw-Rúz)

Beginning on sunset of March 20, this day is one of the nine holy days of the year when work and school are suspended for those of the Bahá’í faith. The new year commences on the day of the spring equinox. For more, go to www.us.bahai.org.

April

April 2—International Children’s Book Day

A day to promote books and reading around the world, this event is celebrated on author Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday. Each year, a section of the International Board on Books for Young People sponsors the day and this year it’s the Slovakian Section. For more, go to www.usbby.org or www.ibby.org.

April 13–20—Passover (Pesach)

This Jewish festival begins at sunset on the 12th and continues until nightfall on the 20th. It commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt and marks the beginning of the harvest season.

April 16—Easter

Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on this day, which is observed the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.

Celebrating Life In April

Today, over 90,000 people are waiting for the gift of life, provided through organ, tissue, marrow, or blood donations. Each day, about 74 people receive an organ transplant, but 17 die waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs.

To raise awareness of the critical need for donors, the nation has celebrated April as National Donate Life Month since 2003.

Donor recognition and remembrance ceremonies, races and walkathons, sporting games, fund-raisers, and other events are held around the country to promote donation and thank deceased organ and tissue donors, living organ donors, and donor family members for sharing life.

Creative and caring people are celebrating National Donate Life Month by spreading the word across America that donation saves lives. Don’t hesitate to join them by becoming an organ donor through these simple ways:

Go to www.organdonor.gov to download, print, sign, and carry a donor card
Say yes to donation on your driver’s license
Sign up with your state’s donor registry (if your state has one).
And don’t forget to discuss your decision with your family—they may be asked to give consent.

For more information on National Donate Life Month and how you can help raise awareness and support this life-giving cause, turn your Web browser to www.organdonor.gov.

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March 2006 NEA Today -- Ready to Upgrade?

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 04:00:00 GMT

March 2006

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Cover Story

Ready To Upgrade?

Untangling technology can be a daunting proposition. We download it all and figure out what you really need to know for your classroom.

By Cynthia Kopkowski

Check out our online technology guide for educators.

See if you and June Colley have anything in common: She’s a highly skilled educator who works every day to keep her students engaged and performing at their academic peak. Her students’ admiration is readily evident and is reflected back to them in her sunny classroom manner. And yet when it came to learning how to use advanced technology and integrate it into her instruction, the Creswell, Oregon, elementary teacher—typically a model of calm, cool, and collected—was terrified.

“I was overwhelmed,” Colley says, her eyes widening and mouth forming a silent, theatrical shriek. “I was thinking, ‘There’s no way I’m going to be able to learn it and then get my second-graders to use it.’”

But those thoughts occupied her two years ago, and a lot has changed since then—perhaps with you too. Teachers are more receptive than ever to the idea of adding a healthy dose of “gee whiz” to their instruction to enhance its appeal and effectiveness.

The thought of integrating technology into her class overwhelmed June Colley, until she got training and saw the wealth of possibilities.

Still, “some portray teachers as techno-phobes,” says Barbara Stein of NEA External Partnerships and Advocacy. “That is definitely not the case.” To the contrary, NEA polling as far back as 1995 found that most teachers were already using computers both at home and at school. In a survey last year of 1,000 K–12 teachers nationwide, a whopping 80 percent said they consider themselves at least somewhat advanced computer and software users.

But two things temper all the good news about educators’ increased techno-literacy. First, today’s great gadget can be tomorrow’s Atari 500, and with all the demands put on teachers, it can be hard to stay current. “I like to work with technology,” says Vicki Vannier, a high school teacher in Bartlett, Nebraska, “but I don’t have enough time in the day to keep up with everything that has been released.” Second, it’s not beefed-up professional development courses that are boosting teachers’ computer confidence, it’s often their own efforts: Seventy percent say they get eight hours or fewer of training in the entire year.

Many school systems have been slow to help teachers standardize instructional technology and glean the most benefit for their students. And it’s not just about learning to automate the morning attendance, Stein says, but about making fundamental changes in pedagogy. “A vast gap exists between the degree to which industry has prepared its employees for productive technology use and that to which public education has prepared its employees,” she says.

She knows little ones are eager to get their hands on a computer, but they can get easily frustrated, so she focuses on simple, age-appropriate technology integration.

Favorite Web site: MiKids.com. Lessons by grade (K–5) in a variety of subjects. First-graders can click and drag antonyms in one section, while older students can participate in an interactive lesson on constitutional rights in another.

Best Gadget: Digital camera. Have students take photos of flora and fauna on campus. Then download the images and let them label them for a scrapbook.

What are some reasonable technology-use goals for today’s teachers? Administratively, they should have the training and tools necessary to electronically track grades and attendance, post homework, and e-mail parents and administrators, notes Kathy Schrock, a former teacher turned instructional technology administrator for the Nauset Public Schools in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Instructionally, teachers should feel comfortable replacing overheads with multimedia presentations; creating digital worksheets for students; finding and identifying online sites for students; using LCD projectors and electronic whiteboards, and moving large files back and forth between school and home.

A mushrooming array of tech tools presents even greater challenges to educators beyond just learning how to use them, says technology analyst Don Blake of NEA Quality School Systems. “A teacher may feel comfortable with a computer, but using it to manage authentic, simulated instruction demands a completely different level of technology literacy,” he says.

GIVE THEM A HAND(HELD)

Fortunately, some school districts are finding ways to get teachers the training and tools they and their students need to compete in today’s digital world. Enter Lynn Lary, an instructional technology specialist and NEA member administrator in Eugene, Oregon, who regularly packs up her years of teaching experience and hits the road, traveling around the state to help teachers in Lane County’s 133 public schools learn what’s out there and how to welcome it into their classrooms.

It was a federal grant that brought Lary and about 20 crates of handheld computers to Creswell, Oregon, in 2004. That’s where June Colley learned to use handhelds (also called PDAs, for “personal digital assistants”) and to guide her second-graders at Creswell Elementary School through an extensive catalog of programs available on the devices. Math, spelling, reading, and writing comprehension were no longer relegated to textbooks, photocopied worksheets, or the board. With the click of a silver stylus against the small computer screen, her students whiz quietly through exercise after exercise. Colley walks through the classroom offering students encouragement, helping them when they get stuck, and expanding on a lesson point on the whiteboard when needed. Barely a peep that isn’t related to the lesson emerges from the students, fidgeting is at a minimum, and nobody requests a bathroom break.

Once educators are exposed to new technology, they want to learn as much as possible, says Lynn Lary (right), an NEA member who trains colleagues like Oregon support professional Michelle Brown.

Down the road at Creswell Middle School, Jill Murray, a veteran teacher and self-described technology “dinosaur,” also learned from Lary how to maximize class lessons with handhelds. Like Colley, she worried about the first day, when it was just her and her freshly acquired skills facing a class of pre-teens immersed since toddlerhood in computer games, videos, and more. Her approach to conquering her anxiety? Embrace her students’ ability. “I don’t put those barriers up in my classroom,” Murray says. “I learn from the kids.” As her confidence in her technological teaching grows, so too does her students’ confidence in their learning progress. She references a common compliment that teachers who embrace handhelds, laptops, and game show-style answering devices in the classroom have paid their students: “They’re feeling better about themselves because they get instant, confidential feedback.”

Her students’ results shuttle directly from the devices they’re using into progress folders, which she can access. Technology in the classroom is also helping some students shed their writer’s block. “Before on writing exercises, I would be lucky to get two or three sentences,” Murray says. “Now, using the keyboards, they’ll type paragraphs.”

Creswell Middle School math teacher Ron Armstrong was stunned to find that giving kids handhelds actually made them want to spend more time on math problems. When his students first got the devices, he let them work on problems for the first five minutes of class while he took attendance—but that wasn’t enough. Now students show up to class 15 minutes early just to practice their math exercises. “They’re interested, and they’re motivated,” Armstrong stresses.

OVERCOMING THE FEAR FACTOR

He knows that attention spans are at a premium for tweens, and bringing a little “gee whiz” into the classroom can go a long way.

Favorite Web site: Learn about all things oceanographic at SeasSky.org. Students can follow the site’s voluminous links to explore shipwrecks, marine life (listen to the humpback whale!), and current marine conservation efforts.

Best Gadget: “Gameshow” clickers (official name: interactive wireless response pads) let students answer questions by clicking the remote-control-like device. You’ll know instantly whether they “get it.”

While some teachers are early adapters of everything electronic, others are hesitant. In fact, where a teacher works can affect his or her comfort level with computers, according to a survey by NetDay, a nonprofit group working to help teachers meet educational goals through the use of technology. The survey found that urban teachers tend to be more comfortable using computers—65 percent are very comfortable, compared with 54 percent of suburban teachers and of rural teachers. NEA believes that given the fast pace of change in public schools, meaningful staff development, especially in the area of technology, must be a priority in all schools, even in the smallest of communities.

That’s why, one day this past winter, tech specialist Lynn Lary got into her car and headed for Riddle, Oregon (population: 1,017), located 90 minutes south of Eugene. A winding highway took her through the state’s fog-shrouded peaks and valleys and deposited her in a timber-mining town so small that the topic of teachers having the day off for technology training was on the morning’s gossip agenda at Riddle Pharmacy on Main Street. But thanks to the same grant that brought Lary to the Creswell School District, the teachers in this rural area also have access to the latest instructional tools.

“There’s a direct correlation between the technology teachers have in the classroom and the technology teachers use,” says Lary. “Those who have gotten things like a laptop, a document projector, or digital camera—as soon as they get them, they start using them as a resource.”

Some educators are intimidated by new technology—no matter where they live—simply because of a lack of exposure. Laura Feld, a teacher in Hopkins, Minnesota, freely admits to her angst. “I am a techno-terror!” Feld exclaims. “Perfectly normal machines do strange things when I use them. I know the programs or Web sites that would be great for my students, but I don’t know how to fix uncooperative machines.”

With little or no professional development, educators often must teach themselves new technology. Colorado teacher Eric Jefcoat learned podcasting during a break.

In some cases, but certainly not all, the divide between teachers anxious to bring technology into their curriculum and those just anxious about it is broken down along age lines.

“We tend to teach how we learned,” says Eric Jefcoat, a computer literacy teacher in Fort Collins, Colorado. He notes that more and more teachers fresh out of colleges of education “don’t consider technology integration a big deal because they’ve grown up with it, come out of college learning it, and it’s just more natural to them.”

Still, there are plenty of intrepid veteran teachers open to trying their hand at something new. A few years back, one late-career teacher told Lynn Lary that she had no use for technology in her classroom. Then the woman’s daughter moved overseas. Soon, she was mastering e-mail and digital photography, and before long her elementary school students were producing digital slideshows.

“Someone who is just not using technology much personally is not going to jump in and use it in a way that’s going to transform student learning,” says Jefcoat. “They need to be encouraged to dip their toes into the pool.”

He needs to find ways to convert his “been there, done that” students’ comfort with technology into classroom energy.

Favorite Web site: EduScapes.com has everything a teacher needs to know about geocaching, a type of scavenger hunt that uses global positioning, latitude, and longitude.

Best Gadget Use: Podcasting. Students download and listen to podcasts on their iPods. How about recording some extra musings on the day’s lesson in your own podcast that they can tune into at home?

ACQUIRING TECH: BEST PRACTICES

As with any professional development effort, the strongest program is one that puts heavy emphasis on teachers’ input. “In some districts, someone high up makes the decision and all of a sudden every seventh-grader has a laptop, whether or not that’s the most effective use of technology dollars,” notes instructional technology administrator Kathy Schrock. Instead, teachers should have an active voice in the process and be empowered to research new technologies and write small grant proposals seeking funding for pilot programs. “If that person likes it, then they can make the case to others,” she says. “They can spread the word: good, bad, or ugly.”

Technology committees with a strong teacher presence are another great way to evaluate the suitability of a new gadget or software and what its useful lifespan might be. “Teachers are in an excellent position to determine if it’s the thing of the day and will be the thing of tomorrow,” Schrock says.

Educators in Riddle, Oregon, get time off to attend daylong workshops where they hone their skills.

Of course, having the gadgets without the training to use them is a no-win proposition. The most effective training programs offer educators multiple sessions and conferences and provide sample lesson plans that integrate technology into curriculum, hands-on learning opportunities, and access to helpful instructional Web sites. In places like Creswell and Riddle, teachers are paid to attend at least two daylong training sessions each year, and grant money pays for substitutes to work in their classrooms. With the availability of online training and videoconferencing, even cash-strapped districts (and which ones aren’t?) can offer their teachers access to development instruction.

For most teachers, the opportunity to stay current with the rapidly changing technology around them is exciting and motivating. Even those who find the process a bit daunting say that the chance to engage their students and bring them up to the next level academically is too enticing to let nerves deter them. Even a little bit of technical knowledge allows educators to use technology as the hook to help them better relate to students.

Eric Jefcoat found that his students were suddenly more keenly interested when he started recording podcasts of his classroom lessons and related tutorials for students to use during class or at home. Ditto for teachers who lead students in creative writing exercises using blogs, or who take their students on a thrilling aerial tour of the Grand Canyon using Google Earth software.

“As a teacher, hopefully your number one priority is to inspire your students to become lifelong learners,” says Lynn Lary.

“These new technologies are a powerful way to do that.”

Join the debate: Should technology be used in every classroom ?

Get Wired! Check out our online technology guide for educators.

Photos: Craig Mitchelldyer, Nathan Ham, Scott Buschman, Stockdisc, Smartboard

NEA Today - An Uphill Climb

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:00:00 GMT

An Uphill Climb

Video clip from the documentary, created by two NEA members, about a man with cerebral palsy who crawled on his knees to the Mt. Everest base camp.

Back to People

March 2006 NEA Today - State Report

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

March 2006

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State Report

Arbitration Victory

Pennsylvania: In January 2004, two teachers from the Selinsgrove Area School District were fired by the superintendent after one sought reimbursement for college tuition costs. At that time, union officials discovered that both teachers had been working without a contract while being paid temporary wages without benefits. The superintendent maintained that since the teachers, hired in 2001 for the district’s Alternative Education Program were not part of the bargaining unit, they were not entitled to receive the same negotiated salary and benefits as other teachers. This violated the contract. After arbitration efforts by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), both teachers were reinstated with back pay and benefits. They were also reimbursed for tuition costs and other expenses.

Just a Penny

Idaho: The Idaho Education Association (IEA) has proposed a sales tax ballot initiative that would ask voters next fall to approve a sales tax increase by a penny on the dollar, raising it from 5 percent to 6 percent. IEA President Sherri Wood says the money raised would benefit Idaho’s public and charter schools. About $190 million per year could be raised from the increase, which would go into effect in July 2007 if passed. While Idaho has the eighth highest class size in the nation, it ranks 45th in per pupil expenditure. IEA will need signatures from 6 percent of voters (47,881 minimum) to get the initiative on the ballot.

Above Average

North Carolina: The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) worked closely with Governor Mike Easley and his staff to develop a four-year plan that will pay North Carolina teachers a salary that is equal to or above the national average. The plan begins in 2008. Based on current estimates, the average salary for a North Carolina teacher will be $52,266 for the 2008–09 school year. Meanwhile, the recent state budget provided $85 million in a special salary provision to begin to address the pay disparity between educators in North Carolina and those in other parts of the country. This special provision, which began last November, provided a $750 across-the-board annualized increase for teachers and school-based administrators. Education support professionals received a $525 salary increase.

All in the (Union) Family

Massachusetts: Almost 2,200 higher education members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 888 at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Boston, and Lowell recently voted to join the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA). The vote came after MTA President Catherine Boudreau and SEIU International President Andrew Sternan reached an agreement. According to reports, Stern said SEIU 888 members would be better served by a union with a stronger focus on higher education. SEIU has about 1.8 million members in the United States and Canada who work primarily in the health, public, and property service industries.

DC ‘Should Be a Model’

Washington, D.C.: Approximately 700 Washington teacher aides work in Title I programs for impoverished students. About half could lose their jobs in June for failing to meet certification requirements under the No Child Left Behind law. The school system launched its certification effort too late and with insufficient funds, says Leslie Richards, president of the University of the District of Columbia Faculty Association/NEA (UDCFA). “This is the nation’s capital,” Richards says. “We should be a model for the nation.” To meet NCLB’s “highly qualified” provision, paraeducators must either have an associate’s degree or two years of higher education or pass a test verifying their knowledge. While UDCFA does not bargain for teacher-aides, many of those entering the profession receive their training at UDC, where UDCFA is based. Teacher’s aides are a pipeline to recruit teachers “from the local community who are often of the same color and culture of the students,” Richards says.

Toward a Living Wage

Nebraska: The Neligh-Oakdale Education Association (NOEA) won bargaining rights in December for the district’s 27 education support professionals (ESPs). Nebraska ESPs work “at will.” While only 15 of the district’s 27 ESPs are NOEA members, a majority registered their vote in favor of gaining bargaining rights. The vote was taken by the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations (NCIR), which handles public sector bargaining issues for public employees. “They will now move toward trying to gain a living wage,” says Marlene Wehrbein, a UniServ director with the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA). “And as one group improves their compensation, there tends to be a domino effect across the state.”

March 2006 NEA Today - Spotlight

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

March 2006

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Spotlight

When Mom’s A Marine

Life can be tough when you’re constantly moving and your parents are in danger.

The new student shows up in November, knows nobody, isn’t familiar with the schoolwork, and may have no records from his previous school.

Sound familiar? It’s a situation facing many teachers around the country. One group of highly transient students come from military families, who move about three times as often as most American families, says the Johns Hopkins University Military Child Initiative. There are more than one million military children in U.S. public schools and many move 10 or more times before graduating from high school, according to Department of Defense statistics.

Jennifer Arsenault enjoys a teaching moment with two students from military families at Birdneck Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

For these children, who often come to a new school a few weeks into the school year, the challenges can range from not having someone to sit with at lunch, to not getting into honors courses, to arriving too late to make the soccer team—plus, they often suffer the strain of having a parent deployed.

“Too often, our military dependents don’t receive the help they need when they move into public schools,” says Sheridan Pierce, president of the Federal Education Association/NEA, which represents 6,000 education employees who work in the Department of Defense school system worldwide. Pierce, a math and chemistry teacher with 37 years in the classroom, notes, “Some teachers think of military kids as just passing through. These kids face the same challenges the rest of their peers do—insecurity, peer pressure, trying to fit in. Add to it that they’re moving every year or two and may have parents away—it’s very stressful, especially if the parent is in a combat zone.”

How can public schools help?

Pierce says public schools could be more flexible about both instructional and extracurricular activities. Honor societies should admit students who were in an honor society in a previous school, and clubs shouldn’t have membership deadline cutoffs or too-stringent requirements, he says.

“The most difficult part for military students in a new school centers around social adjustment,” says school psychologist Michael Priser. “Many adjust well, but others have difficulties.” He recommends that schools assign “peer welcomers” to new students.

Linda Boswell, an education specialist for the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, emphasizes the period when a child has just come into a new school. “Their first two weeks, students are very fragile,” she says, and it makes all the difference if new students have a “peer buddy” to eat lunch or spend recess with—someone to ease those times in the school day when a child can feel most like “the new kid on the block.”

Teachers also need to be alert for signs a military child is suffering from a parent’s deployment. “We try to emphasize that parents should make schools aware when a child has a parent away,” says Kathy Wooldridge, a school liaison officer for the U.S. Navy’s Hawaii region. “Military families might hesitate to do this. They don’t want their child to get special treatment. But it’s good if a teacher knows.”

“The parent may be sent to the Middle East and be separated from the family for 12 or 18 months,” says Priser. Teachers can watch for signs of stress, like changes in academic performance, mood swings, sudden behavioral problems, changes in eating patterns, or becoming withdrawn. While military children face special challenges, they have a lot to offer in the classroom, those who’ve worked with them attest. Says Wooldridge, “Military kids are open, flexible, have seen the world. That’s a real asset when kids are studying geography or history.”

“The military child is very motivated,” says Pierce. “They do a very good job of transitioning if they have some choices and opportunities to become part of their school community.”

—Chris Bartolomeo

Need help helping military children? Find resources at the DefenseLink Web Site and the Military Student Web Site.

Photo: D. Kevin Elliott

March 2006 NEA Today - Rights Watch

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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Voucher Victory

Public education wins big time. Again.

Vouchers are dead. At least in the state of Florida.

In a stunning rebuke to Governor Jeb Bush, the Florida Supreme Court ruled on January 5 that his highly touted voucher program for K–12 students violates the Florida Constitution.

“The Florida ruling is a clear win for students, parents, and public schools. It left no doubt that vouchers take resources, focus, and attention away from our neighborhood schools,” stated NEA President Reg Weaver.

+ Larger Image

The Florida program had been the first and only statewide voucher scheme in the country. The court’s vote was not close: 5–2, with two Bush appointees dissenting.

The Florida Supreme Court based its decision on the “education clause” of the state constitution, which requires the state to maintain a “uniform…system of free public schools.”

The voucher scheme, the court said, violates this provision in two different ways. First, it “diverts public dollars” to private schools, contrary to the requirement that the state fund only “public schools.” Moreover, “because voucher payments reduce funding for the public education system,” the voucher program “by its very nature undermines the system of ‘high quality’ free public schools” mandated by the constitution.

Significantly, the court also held that the program runs afoul of the “uniformity” requirement because private schools— unlike public schools—are not bound by state standards and are not subject to public oversight or accountability. While public school teachers, for example, must be college graduates with at least a 2.5 GPA, pass a rigorous state certification process, and submit to criminal background checks, private school teachers are exempt from such requirements.

Likewise, while Florida law imposes tough curriculum standards on the public schools, spells out specific subjects that must be taught, and requires the state to “hold schools accountable” for failure to comply, it explicitly denies to the state any power “to regulate, control, approve, or accredit private educational institutions.”

“This court got it exactly right,” said NEA General Counsel Bob Chanin, lead counsel in the protracted litigation. “Public schools have standards and accountability, but private schools don’t. And because they don’t, public money should not be used to fund them.”

About 750 students used vouchers to attend some 47 private and religious schools in 2005–06. The court’s order allows those students to complete the academic year in their current schools, after which the voucher program will be shut down.

Foes of public education have complained that the decision forces voucher students back into the “failing public schools.” Appearing on CNN, Ron Meyer, general counsel of the Florida Education Association, responded that any student assigned to a poor performing public school has “the absolute right to transfer to a high performing public school.

“What we need to be doing,” Meyer added, “is fixing the public schools. We don’t need to be draining dollars away. There aren’t enough dollars now.”

This latest court victory comes on the heels of a 2004 ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court striking down that state’s voucher scheme. In a lawsuit sponsored by NEA and the Colorado Education Association, the court declared that the program violated a provision of the Colorado Constitution guaranteeing “local control” of education.

By requiring Colorado school districts to channel part of their “locally-raised funds” to voucher schools, the program “stripped” local districts of their right to determine how to best educate their students, the court held.

The Florida case is now over. Because the court based its decision on the state constitution, there is no basis for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The only way to overturn the decision would be by amending the Florida State Constitution, which most political observers deem highly unlikely.

Even though the decision is not a legally binding precedent in any other state, it still could be useful in challenging voucher programs that might be enacted elsewhere. That’s because many state constitutions have education clauses containing language similar to Florida’s, and the court’s legal reasoning is quite persuasive.

But the court’s opinion is also noteworthy for its eloquent paean to the value of education, quoting Thomas Jefferson—

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free…it expects what never was and never will be,” as well as Brown v. Board of Education—“[Public education] is the very foundation of good citizenship.”

Read the court’s decision, Bush v. Holmes.

—Michael D. Simpson
NEA Office of General Counsel

March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

March 2006

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Resources

Grants & Awards, Calendar, Books by Members, Picks from the Web, Print and TV, Take Note for Educators, & More!

On TV

On The Gulf: Coastlines In Danger

Discovery Channel, March 1, 5 a.m., ET/PT.

This program looks at the challenges faced by scientists, environmentalists, and engineers dealing with the Gulf Coast ’s weather phenomena. Tape and use in class for one year.

The Presidents

History Channel, March 6–10 & 13–15, 6 a.m. ET/PT.

This eight-part series surveys the major achievements of U.S. presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush. Can be taped and used in the classroom for two years.

Fine Living Salutes Earth Day: 50 Ways To Save The Planet

Food Network, March 11 & 22, 4:30 a.m. ET/PT.

This two-part program offers tips for improving the planet and environment. Tape and use for one year. Teaching materials are available at www.foodnetwork.com/food/cable_classroom.

Knights Of The South Bronx

A&E, March 13–14, 7 a.m. ET/PT.

This two-part special tells the story of a substitute teacher who inspires his inner-city students by teaching them chess. Can be taped and used in the classroom for two years.

Time Machine: Founding Mothers With Cokie Roberts

History Channel, March 20, 6 a.m. ET/PT.

Timely programming for Women’s History Month! A look at the women behind the Founding Fathers and how they helped keep a fragile new country from falling into partisan discord. One episode dramatizes Deborah (Mrs. Benjamin ) Franklin at age 57, protecting her home and children from a Philadelphia mob. Based on bestselling radio and television journalist Cokie Roberts’ book. Tape and use in class for two years.

The Queen Of Trees

Nature, March 26, 8–9 p.m. ET/PT.

The story of the sycomore fig (spelled with an “o”) and its tiny pollinator—the fig wasp—describes one of the most remarkable symbiotic relationships in the natural world. It is a triumph of co-evolution, told for the first time in a way that combines intricate detail with the grandness of Africa.

The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross

History Channel, March 27–30, 6 a.m. ET/PT.

This four-part documentary traces the history of the ancient and bloody conflict between Islam and Christianity for control of the Holy City, Jerusalem —a struggle that has reverberated down through the centuries. Can be taped and used in class for two years. Teaching materials are available at www.historychannel.com/classroom.

The Lion In Winter

Hallmark, March 27 & April 3, 3 a.m. ET/PT.

Based on James Goldman’s play, this two-part 2004 movie features Patrick Stewart as an aging King Henry II, who reluctantly brings together his scheming, imprisoned wife and their three sons to announce his successor. Tape and use in class for one year.

On TV listings are provided by KIDSNET, a national resource for children’s media in Washington, D.C., www.kidsnet.org, and by Cable in the Classroom’s Access Learning magazine at www.ciconline.org.

NUMB3RS

CBS, Fridays, 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The premise: an FBI agent, desperate for help on a complicated case, asks his brother—a math genius—for help. It sounds like a death knell for a TV series, but somehow, NUMB3RS is a new breakaway hit. The kicker is that the math used in the program is based on actual FBI cases. To complement your viewing, visit www.maa.org/editorial/mathgames/mathgames_01_21_05.html.

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

March 2006

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Read Across America

NEA Launches a New Program

Gorenflo's Library After Katrina
(Darron Cummings/AP Photo)

NEA is partnering with The NEA Foundation, First Book, and The Heart of America Foundation to bring books to children in need and to public school libraries that were affected by damage from hurricanes last summer and fall. Gulf Coast public school libraries are in desperate need. Gorenflo Elementary School in Biloxi, Mississippi, lost virtually its entire collection—nearly 13,000 volumes. And this is only one example.

In Louisiana, about 90 schools are considered a total loss, and New Orleans Parish alone lost 63 percent of its 126 schools. The statistics are troubling and only begin to tell the story.

But NEA and its partners are offering you a way to help. Just join NEA’s new Books Across America initiative and make a difference! Our partners offer many ways to participate. You can donate cash, raise funds, buy a book for a child or books for school libraries, organize a book drive, or volunteer your time. Just visit www.nea.org/booksacross/ to find out more and get involved.

Reading All Year Long

By now, all of your plans are in place to make this year’s Read Across America Day Seussational. But did you know that we have resources to help you celebrate reading all year long?

Our e-newsletter provides the latest news and information from NEA’s Read Across America and our partners, plus details on upcoming literacy events. Go to www.nea.org/readacross/ to sign up for your copy today.

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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In Print

	Can One Person Make A Difference? In Say Something, author Peggy Moss tells of a girl who watches silently as her peers are teased and ostracized. But after experiencing that singular humiliation for herself, she learns the true cost of remaining silent, and finds the courage the following day to speak to a lonely girl on the bus. The book is most appropriate for children in grades two through six, but this short, sweet story offers a lesson for all ages. 32 pp. $16.95 from Tilbury House Publishers.

	Leadership Without A Net An English teacher and department chair, author John G. Gabriel shares wisdom on how to approach today’s multifaceted leadership demands and implement changes in a struggling school in How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader. He addresses the all-important need for building a cooperative team of teachers and administrators founded on communication and mutual respect, and provides practical suggestions for boosting morale and mediating conflicts. The book also includes a section on teaching assessments. 220 pp. $27.95 from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

	A Fight For Flight With no experience and only a hodgepodge of materials, a retired cheesemaker resolves to build a flying machine. Written and illustrated as an “inventor’s journal” by award-winning graphic designer Pablo Bernasconi, Captain Arsenio: Inventions and (Mis)Adventures in Flight employs quirky but oddly charming, collage-like illustrations with a Rube Goldberg sensibility to complement this tale of loony obsession. Ages 6 and up. 40 pp. $16 from Houghton Mifflin Company

	The Secret Of My Escuscs Through crosswords, cryptograms, and a variety of other puzzles, authors Jacqueline Byrne and Michael Ashley present SAT Vocabulary Express: Word Puzzles Designed to Decode the New SAT to help make vocabulary building as painless as possible. The puzzles are designed to help students learn how to decode unknown words, establish connections among similar words, encourage educated guessing, and increase overall vocabulary. The book offers a fun and inviting way to prepare for a dreaded test. 192 pp. $12.95 from McGraw-Hill.

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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Heads Up from NEA Member Benefits

Going Somewhere?

If spring or summer travel plans are on your radar, be sure to look at the fantastic deals NEA members get on rental cars from Hertz and Alamo. Choose from a large selection of cars, SUVs and minivans, as well as thousands of U.S. and international rental sites. At most locations, members also enjoy:

No daily mileage limit
No additional driver fee for spouse/domestic partner
Special savings coupons.

To find out about the latest offers from Hertz and Alamo , go to the NEA Member Benefits Web Site at www.neamb.com and click on “Member Discounts.” Or call the Member Service Center toll free at 1-800-637-4636, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. (or Saturday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.) ET.

Make The Most Of Your Retirement Savings

Approaching retirement or already there? Everyone wants a stable source of income in retirement, so it’s important to protect what you’ve already saved, and, at the same time, keep your savings working for you. Look for these hallmarks of a superior retirement savings product:

Simple. You get to choose how long you want your assets to accumulate.

Secure. Depending on your investment horizon, the product guarantees your initial investment and retirement income.

Flexible. You decide when to start receiving income and how to take it.

To find out more about managing your retirement income, call 1-800-NEA-VALU. Start building your retirement future today!

The NEA members auto & home insurance program offers exclusive, educator-based rates!

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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On the Web

The Theory Of Everything

Enrich your science curriculum with The Elegant Universe, a companion Web site to the Nova TV series that brings to life physicist Brian Greene’s book on string theory. The site includes an overview of the topic—a theory that may hold the key to unifying our understanding of the forces of nature, an interview with the book’s author, viewpoints from leading physicists (not all of whom agree), slideshows and interactives exploring the mathematics and science behind Greene’s work, and a teaching guide. Best of all, you can watch all three hours of the TV show online. Go to www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/.

Hey, It’s Your Democracy, Too!

Want to know more about issues in government, but tired of political hype? Citizen Joe is a nonprofit Web site that offers information regarding current controversies and debates via thoughtful, non-partisan guides, created by people with political views ranging from liberal to conservative. The site addresses a wide spectrum of topics, from education to environmental concerns and national security. Each issue includes background and current dialogue—particularly useful for young people (and your average Citizen Joe) who are curious about governmental affairs and how national policy is formed. The site is easy to navigate and provides plenty of links for those who want to learn more. Visit www.citizenjoe.org.

The Accidental (Art) Tourist

What better way to observe Youth Art Month than by introducing students to modern art at the pre-eminent museum in the world? That would be MOMA—the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Since its founding as an educational institution in 1929, it has become home to the world’s largest collection of modern painting and sculpture, housing some 3,200 works dating from the late 19th century to the present, including all the greats—Cézanne, van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, de Chirico, Brancusi, Mondrian, Dalí, Miró, and more. Can’t organize a field trip just now? Visit MOMA online! Get an overview of its collections, tour current exhibits, preview coming attractions, access online art guides, send extremely cool e-cards, and take advantage of outstanding interactive online features for teens and children. Go to www.moma.org.

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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Books by NEA Members

	Creative Portfolios: Putting A Spotlight On Communication By Jane Urbelz, Toni Prada, and Linda Schreiber Looking for creative ways to spruce up student portfolios? Three speech pathologists team up with ideas for organizing video, journal, and “communication magazine” portfolios. Filled with reproducible forms for gathering work samples and charting progress, plus a section for educator portfolios, this book will help students and teachers self-evaluate—and show off a little! Grades 2–9. 218 pp. $37 from Thinking Publi-cations. Call 1-800-225-GROW.

	Brotherhood of Corruption By Juan Antonio Juarez At age 13, the author witnessed the Chicago police beat a Mexican immigrant whose only crime was holding up traffic. The incident left a lasting impression on young Juarez, who eventually joined the Chicago force for seven years before leaving to become a middle school teacher. In this gripping page-turner, he tells of his experiences in the narcotics unit—a world where respect and fear, loyalty and intimidation, and power and abuse go hand in hand. 307 pp. $24.95 from Chicago Review Press.

	Literary Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction By Joan M. Kenney In this unique approach to teaching math, the author, a math instructor at secondary and college levels, confronts teaching challenges from a linguistics standpoint, arguing that the language and symbols of math—originating from Greek and Latin—are difficult for contemporary English-speakers to comprehend. She champions listening and discourse and offers advice ranging from using props to having students visualize word problems. 113 pp. $19.95

	Moving Out And Moving On: Guide For Female Teens And Their Mothers By Brenda Hayes In this no-holds-barred manual to life, the author dispenses advice for virtually every what-if a teenage daughter might encounter on her way to independence and maturity—even those scenarios parents dread the most. In turn poignant, sweet, funny, and sad, these pages will no doubt find themselves slipped into letters, taped onto refrigerators, and tucked into packages from home. Includes money-saving ideas and hotline numbers. 157 pp. $14.95 from Milligan Books, Inc.

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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Take Note

Honoring Children, Libraries, Diversity

Libraries across the country will host celebrations with family programs, including bilingual story hours, book giveaways, and other literacy events on April 30, El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day). Also known as Día, this national event brings together children, books, languages, and cultures in an annual celebration of the joys and wonders of childhood and the importance of literacy in the lives of families.

For more information, call your local library, or visit www.ala.org/dia.

Ryan White Award Nominations

Each year the NEA Health Information Network presents the Ryan White HIV Prevention Award to an NEA member or affiliate who has demonstrated a commitment to implementing or supporting innovative HIV prevention education programs. Previous winners have included the Washington Education Association and Wayne Smith of Tennessee. The award will be presented at the 2006 NEA Representative Assembly in Orlando. To nominate an individual or affiliate, contact Paul Sathrum for a nomination form at 202-822-7787 or send an e-mail to psathrum@nea.org. The deadline for applications is May 26, 2006.

Save Your Retirement Benefits

Does your school district provide teachers and support professionals with a defined-benefit or a defined-contribution retirement plan? It’s important to know which—your future retirement security depends on it. With defined-benefit plans, members are guaranteed a predictable, monthly benefit that takes into account years of service multiplied by final average salary.

Defined-contribution plans are investment accounts to which you and your employer contribute—but you manage the money, putting all of the investment risk on you. In some states, various groups are working to replace defined-benefit plans provided to public employees with defined-contribution plans.

NEA offers an online tool kit, Protecting the Retirement Security of NEA Members: A Toolkit, to give members the knowledge and know-how needed to counter these threats. Find it at www.nea.org/retired/tools/publications.html#toolkit.

March Is Youth Art Month

Created in 1961 by Art and Creative Materials Institute, Youth Art Month emphasizes the value of art education for all children and encourages support for quality school art programs.

In 1995, President Bill Clinton said, “For children, the arts are an invitation to cultivate the skill of critical thinking and to recognize the bonds that link the diverse cultures of the world. American arts education enlivens our schools, opening children’s minds and awakening their senses to the human experience.” Well put!

How can you participate?

Request a free booklet of ideas for celebrating Youth Art Month by sending an e-mail to sarahs@acminet.org.
Visit the National Art Education Association at www.naea-reston.org/research_curriculum.html for arts curriculum materials and lesson plans.
Check out Musée at www.musee-online.org/, a portal to 37,000 museums around the world.

See Justice in Action

Have you ever wanted to see the Supreme Court in action? You could by attending the Supreme Court Summer Institute. The Institute’s two 2006 seminars (June 15–20 and 22–27) include sessions led by experts, journalists, authors, and lawyers, who provide an in-depth understanding of how the Court chooses and decides cases and what it’s like to argue before the Court. It culminates with a visit to the Court to hear decisions handed down. Teachers also learn skills to train fellow teachers at home.

Thirty attendees are selected for each session. Secondary public school teachers of social studies, law, and government are eligible to apply. Although participants must pay for all expenses, lodging is discounted, and a small stipend is available to those willing to conduct workshops for other teachers. Applications are due March 20, 2006.

For more information, including complete eligibility requirements, see www.streetlaw.org/scipage.html.

Global Community Service

Youth across America and the world will join together in April to perform community service projects for the 18th Annual National & Global Youth Service Day. On April 21–23, 2006, millions of young people around the world, with the help of volunteers, will address important, unmet community needs through community service and service-learning projects focusing on disaster relief, literacy, hunger, public safety, and the environment. For more information please visit www.YSA.org.

Essay Contest for Juniors

The National Endowment for the Humanities invites all eligible high school juniors to enter the 2006 Idea of America Essay Contest, offering a cash prize of $5,000 for the winning essay and $1,000 each for three finalists.

The contest encourages students to think and write analytically about significant events and individuals in American history. Students will be asked to examine the historical debate during the nation’s first Congress about adopting the First Amendment. Judges will look for a strong understanding of American history, well-reasoned consideration of the topic, originality, and clear writing. Essays should be approximately 1,500 words and submitted at the Endowment’s Web site by April 19, 2006. For more information, see www.humanities.gov.

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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Women's History Month

National Women's History Project

Susan B. Anthony

The National Women’s History Project was founded in 1980. Within a few years it had spawned National Women’s History Week, celebrated by thousands of schools and communities. In 1987, with support from women’s organizations, museums, libraries, and educators, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the weekly celebration to the month of March. This year’s theme is “Women—Builders of Communities and Dreams.”

The grandmother of Web sites for this event is still the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) at www.nwhp.org.

You’ll find background information, suggestions for promoting Women’s History Month, materials pertaining to this year’s theme (for purchase), profiles of NWHP honorees, a calendar of important historical events featuring women, notable women’s birthdays, and resources for teachers.

The History Channel honors Women’s History Month with a Web site featuring a history of women’s suffrage, a historical timeline, a women’s hall of fame with one-paragraph biographies, firsts in women’s achievements, a “did you know?” area, and more. Turn your Web browser towww.historychannel.com/exhibits/womenhist/ .

The National Women’sHistory Museum is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution dedicated to celebrating the rich and diverse history of women’s contributions to American culture and society. With the goal of one day opening a permanent facility inWashington, D.C., the online cybermuseum currently hosts exhibits that trace the history of women’s suffrage and women’s participation in the Olympic Games. Go to www.nwhm.org .

Cover of program for the National American Women's Suffrage Association procession in Washington, D.C. 1913.

Thomson Gale’s Web site features an area that is particularly rich in women’s biographies at www.gale.com/womenshistory. They expand admirably on the standard entries, and examine women like Maya Lin (architect who designed the Vietnam Memorial), Leslie Marmon Silko (Native American writer and poet), Antonia Hernandez (Mexican-American lawyer and civil rights activist), and Dorothy Dandridge (African-American actress) to name just a few.

The National Register of Historic Places has created a Web site that takes viewers on tours of historic properties commemorating the events, people, designs, and achievements that illustrate women’s contributions to our nation’s history. Use the itineraries to visit the sites online or in person. Go to www.cr.nps.gov/nr/feature/wom/index.htm .

Photos: Library of Congress

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March 2006 NEA Today - Resources

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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Grants & Awards

Start Planning for The NEA Foundation’s June Grant Review

Applications are due by June 1, 2006, for both innovation grants and learning & leadership grants. Recipients will be notified by November 15, 2006. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the award date.

Innovation Grants and Learning & Leadership Grants are available for all subjects, including the arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and technology. Grant amounts are $5,000 for Innovation Grants and either $2,000 (individual) or $5,000 (group) for Learning & Leadership Grants.

The NEA Foundation has funded over 1,500 grants nationwide to NEA members over the years. Read about recent projects at the Foundation’s Web site, and submit your own idea!

All practicing K–12 public school teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff are encouraged to apply. Applying for a grant is easy—why wait?

Visit www.neafoundation.orgtoday for more information, including guidelines and an application. Or call 202-822-7840.

Space Foundation Scholarships for Teachers

Credentialed preK–12 teachers who are of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry, or who work with students of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry, are eligible to apply for the Lucy Enos Memorial Scholarship for Teachers.

The scholarship provides a unique opportunity to travel to Colorado Springs and participate in the Space Foundation’s annual Summer Institute program. The winner receives a travel allowance, meal and lodging expenses, and full tuition and fees to attend any one of the five weekly, in-residence courses that comprise the Summer Institute, which begins June 19, 2006.

Courses cover topics ranging from rocketry and robotics to astronomy and living and working in space, and each is designed to help teachers use space themes in their classrooms. Applications are due to the Space Foundation by April 14, 2006, and should be addressed to Dr. Patricia Arnold, Vice President Education and Workforce Development, Space Foundation, 310 S. 14th St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904. Visit www.SpaceFoundation.orgfor information.

Friend of Education Award

Nominations due April 4. NEA is now accepting nominations for the NEA Friend of Education Award. Friends of education are people whose leadership acts and support of education at the national level establish the nominee as a true friend of education, education employees, or students. Nominations are due on April 4, 2006.

Nominations must include:

Name of the nominee
Nominee’s position and/or organizational affiliation
Nominee’s mailing address (or organization mailing address)
Name of the nominator or affiliate
Signature of nominator or affiliate officer
Name of nominator’s local affiliate, if applicable
Nominator’s mailing address
Nominator’s phone number

If the nominator is an NEA member, send proof of membership (such as an NEA Today mailing label that includes a membership number).

In 100 words or less, indicate the reason for your nomination and summarize the nominee’s qualifications for the award. Supporting materials, such as publications or videos, may be submitted along with the nomination information.

Submit all materials to: NEA Friend of Education Award Committee, Executive Office, National Education Association, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036; Attn: Carol Adams. Nomination information may also be faxed to 202-822-7974.

Calling all Super Hero Teachers!

To recognize teachers for their heroic efforts, OfficeMax, Marvel Entertainment, and TeachersCount have teamed up to present the first ever OfficeMax Super Hero Teacher of the Year contest. This competition will recognize outstanding middle school teachers and the students who nominate them by turning them into comic book characters. Students in grades 6–8 can nominate teachers by writing short essays on “Why My Teacher Is a Super Hero,” and mailing entries to TeachersCount or dropping off entries at participating OfficeMax stores until March 17, 2006.

Final judging will be performed by representatives from OfficeMax, Marvel Comics, Teachers Count, NEA, and the American Federation of Teachers. Essays will be judged on relevance, creativity, originality, and merit of accomplishments as outlined in the essay.

Winners will be announced May 9, 2006—National Teacher Appreciation Day. One grand-prize-winning teacher and student will make an illustrated cameo appearance in a mainstream Marvel comic book and will appear in a special-edition Marvel comic honoring teachers as Super Heroes. Other prizes include OfficeMax gift cards, funds for professional development, and more. Five first-prize-winning teachers and their students will appear in the special-edition Marvel comic and receive OfficeMax gift cards. Five runner-up teachers and their students will receive OfficeMax gift cards.

Contest details, entry forms, and rules can be found at participating OfficeMax stores and online at www.teacherscount.org, www.officemax.com, www.marvel.com, and www.coverconcepts.com.

Are You an American Star of Teaching?

The U.S. Department of Education will honor outstanding classroom teachers through the American Stars of Teaching program. The Department’s Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is seeking nominations and information about teachers who are improving student achievement, using innovative strategies in the classroom, and making a difference in the lives of their students. Teachers across all grade levels and disciplines will be honored this fall. Parents, students, colleagues, school administrators, and others can nominate an exemplary teacher who they believe has the qualities to be an American Star of Teaching. One teacher will be recognized from each state. To nominate a teacher, visit www.t2tweb.us/AmStar/Nominate.aspand fill out the nomination form. All nominations must be completed by April 15, 2006.

Come Out and Play

Kids ages 6–15 around the country can enter to win $5,000 from Nickelodeon’s “Let’s Just Play” Giveaway Program to improve their school or community program’s fitness resources. The initiative is part of the network’s “Let’s Just Play” campaign, which encourages healthy and active lifestyles for kids and families. For April and May, Nickelodeon will randomly select 20 entries each month to receive the award. To enter, kids must fill out an entry form and mail it to Nickelodeon. Go to www.nick.com/all_nick/everything_nick/for details and an entry form.

Illustrations/photos: Stockdisc Classic, Getty Images

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March 2006 NEA Today - Up Front

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

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Up Front

Trends, Facts, Innovators, Wisdom, Research, First 5 Years, News, Quotes, and Humor

Previous | Next
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Final Thought: The Number Nine

That is the number of states where teacher salaries rose faster than inflation last year.

2006-03 March 2006

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Diversity Calendar

March

March 6–12—National Foreign Language Week

March 16—First Black Newspaper Published

March 21—Bahá’í New Year’s Day (Naw-Rúz)

April

April 2—International Children’s Book Day

April 13–20—Passover (Pesach)

April 16—Easter

Celebrating Life In April

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March 2006 NEA Today -- Ready to Upgrade?

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Ready To Upgrade?

Untangling technology can be a daunting proposition. We download it all and figure out what you really need to know for your classroom.

By Cynthia Kopkowski

The thought of integrating technology into her class overwhelmed June Colley, until she got training and saw the wealth of possibilities.

She knows little ones are eager to get their hands on a computer, but they can get easily frustrated, so she focuses on simple, age-appropriate technology integration.

Favorite Web site: MiKids.com. Lessons by grade (K–5) in a variety of subjects. First-graders can click and drag antonyms in one section, while older students can participate in an interactive lesson on constitutional rights in another.

Best Gadget: Digital camera. Have students take photos of flora and fauna on campus. Then download the images and let them label them for a scrapbook.

GIVE THEM A HAND(HELD)

Once educators are exposed to new technology, they want to learn as much as possible, says Lynn Lary (right), an NEA member who trains colleagues like Oregon support professional Michelle Brown.

OVERCOMING THE FEAR FACTOR

He knows that attention spans are at a premium for tweens, and bringing a little “gee whiz” into the classroom can go a long way.

Favorite Web site: Learn about all things oceanographic at SeasSky.org. Students can follow the site’s voluminous links to explore shipwrecks, marine life (listen to the humpback whale!), and current marine conservation efforts.

Best Gadget: “Gameshow” clickers (official name: interactive wireless response pads) let students answer questions by clicking the remote-control-like device. You’ll know instantly whether they “get it.”

With little or no professional development, educators often must teach themselves new technology. Colorado teacher Eric Jefcoat learned podcasting during a break.

He needs to find ways to convert his “been there, done that” students’ comfort with technology into classroom energy.

Favorite Web site: EduScapes.com has everything a teacher needs to know about geocaching, a type of scavenger hunt that uses global positioning, latitude, and longitude.

Best Gadget Use: Podcasting. Students download and listen to podcasts on their iPods. How about recording some extra musings on the day’s lesson in your own podcast that they can tune into at home?

ACQUIRING TECH: BEST PRACTICES

Educators in Riddle, Oregon, get time off to attend daylong workshops where they hone their skills.

Join the debate: Should technology be used in every classroom ?

Get Wired! Check out our online technology guide for educators.

Photos: Craig Mitchelldyer, Nathan Ham, Scott Buschman, Stockdisc, Smartboard

NEA Today - An Uphill Climb

An Uphill Climb

March 2006 NEA Today - State Report

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State Report

Arbitration Victory

Just a Penny

Above Average

All in the (Union) Family

DC ‘Should Be a Model’

Toward a Living Wage

Related Links:

March 2006 NEA Today - Spotlight

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When Mom’s A Marine

Life can be tough when you’re constantly moving and your parents are in danger.

Jennifer Arsenault enjoys a teaching moment with two students from military families at Birdneck Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

How can public schools help?

—Chris Bartolomeo

Photo: D. Kevin Elliott

March 2006 NEA Today - Rights Watch

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Public education wins big time. Again.

Vouchers are dead. At least in the state of Florida.

—Michael D. Simpson NEA Office of General Counsel

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On TV

On The Gulf: Coastlines In Danger

Discovery Channel, March 1, 5 a.m., ET/PT.

The Presidents

History Channel, March 6–10 & 13–15, 6 a.m. ET/PT.

Fine Living Salutes Earth Day: 50 Ways To Save The Planet

Food Network, March 11 & 22, 4:30 a.m. ET/PT.

Knights Of The South Bronx

A&E, March 13–14, 7 a.m. ET/PT.

Time Machine: Founding Mothers With Cokie Roberts

History Channel, March 20, 6 a.m. ET/PT.

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—Michael D. Simpson
NEA Office of General Counsel

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