As part of the Raising Readers initiative highlighted in the March ICN News blog, IPTV and K-12 Connections are offering two sessions in May based upon Raising Readers programming. The first session, PBS KIDS Island, will focus on the exciting new PBS KIDS Island website where kids can play and read with their parents, teachers, and caregivers. Students can play reading games with favorite PBS KIDS characters, earn tickets and win prizes. Parents or teachers can track their progress and find fun reading activities to do every day. Bring your students to this ICN session to learn how to register for free and build their own island carnival. In this session, the facilitator and participants will take a tour of PBS KIDS Island, preview PBS KIDS Island Games, learn how to customize their own tree house, check out the Child Progress Tracker and learn about other Raising Readers resources.
The PBS KIDS Island session is offered on May 11th at several times throughout the day. Confirmed registrants for the session will receive a pack of Raising Readers materials including a DVD containing episodes of WordWorld and Super Why! programs, a Martha Speaks book, and other educational materials by mail. As always, sessions are provided at no cost to PK-12 students and the adults working with or on behalf of PK-12 students in Iowa. Please call Trista Peitzman or Marcia Wych at (800) 532-1290 or (515) 242-6663 or (515) 242-4187 or e-mail at trista@iptv.org with any questions.
The second session, The NEW Electric Company!, will focus on the new series by PBS that is broadcast on IPTV. That’s right, The Electric Company is back and better than ever! In the 2009 version of the popular show, the power of the original show is surging back with a cool cast of characters, amazing literacy superpowers, side-splitting cartoons, and songs that will make you dance. The Electric Company aims to entertain children between the ages of 6 and 9 while simultaneously teaching four crucial areas of literacy that are challenging for struggling readers: decoding, vocabulary, comprehension of connected text and motivation. Like the original series, the new show filters these educational goals through pop culture — music, comedy, technology, and celebrities — to create a playful, hip, multimedia experience. Unlike the original series, each new episode of The Electric Company includes a narrative with regular characters and three "curriculum commercial breaks" that consist of a variety of short-form segments: sketches, animations and songs. In this ICN session, Trista Peitzman will show video clips from the program, view games online, and engage your students in a learning activity.
The Electric Company session is offered on May 21st at several times throughout the day. Confirmed registrants receive the book The Kit: Educator's Guide for The Electric Company by mail after the session. Please contact Trista Peitzman or Marcia Wych at the numbers listed above with any questions about this new Raising Readers session.
This summer, Iowa Public Television and the State Library of Iowa are once again sponsoring a FREE series of Stories and More ICN events to libraries, childcare programs and schools. The overall theme for the 2009 Stories & More series is Be Creative at Your Library, tying into the summer reading programs being conducted by many local libraries across Iowa. Registration deadlines for sessions are approximately 10 days prior to the session dates. Each 50-minute session, aimed at students entering grades K-5, will be offered on two different days at both 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The session dates and topics are listed below:
June 16 and June 18
I’ve Got Rhythm
The guest presenter for these sessions enjoys music in all aspects of her life. Professionally, she is the Music Coordinator for Des Moines Schools, and personally, she is a member of the Des Moines Choral Society.
June 23 and June 25
Ham it Up!
These sessions are all about drama and storytelling. Kids will enjoying exploring the many places you can go and faces you can wear when you jump into character and put on a performance!
June 30 and July 2
Now You See It
Talk about different kinds of art and create some of your own. These sessions are all about the visual arts. Our special guest is a middle school art teacher with a creative eye and some insight to creating your own masterpiece!
July 7 and July 9
Dance and Move
They call her the "Dancing Queen" because she has all the moves to some of our favorite dances both classic and modern. Our special guest presenter is Urbandale's 2005 Teacher of the Year. Make sure you wear clothes to move in and have plenty of space for dancing!
July 14 and July 16
Free Play
Our final sessions allow the imagination to roam free! Our special guest, Michele Beschen, is the host of television shows "B. Original," "Courage to Create," and "B. Organic." According to Michele's website, “There's nothing more exciting than discovering new ways of doing things, unleashing the crazy thoughts, and observations that naturally come when you start looking at things through the eyes of possibility.”
For my tip this month, I have chosen to address two questions regarding ICN session recording. The first question is, “When my room is configured as a remote site, why I am unable to record all of the audio when I record a session?” The second question is, “Why do some ICN Classrooms have two recorders/players in them?” Answers to both of these frequently asked questions can be found below.
For the first question, some appropriate background information is necessary to fully provide the answer. When the ICN was first developed, some of the high school and university instructors did not want students to have the ability to record a class at the remote site. Some instructors were concerned that their material could be recorded and distributed outside of the classroom. Other instructors were concerned that students might choose to watch recordings of the classes rather than come to the actual classes. For these reasons, only origination sites, and not remote sites, were initially set up with the capability to record.
As the ICN grew, however, requests to record sessions from remote sites became more numerous. Schools and teachers wanted students to have a way to access prior sessions due to illness or other legitimate reasons for missing a class. During this time, several schools also inquired about ways to view classroom programming in an auditorium to accommodate overflow crowds. In response to these requests, the ICN technical staff designed an electronic circuit that could be added to the ICN equipment and allow recording of a session at a remote site. This classroom option is called the “Overflow Option.” It allows recording at a remote site and also provides a means for accommodating larger crowds.
By adding the “Overflow Option” to their ICN equipment, schools can connect their auditoriums to the ICN Classroom and allow the extra people to watch the session. This “Overflow Option” is for viewing sessions only. The people in the overflow area will not have the ability to talk back to the origination site. Only participants in the classroom can talk back to the origination site. If a school would like to record sessions in the ICN classroom when it is configured as a remote site or would like the ability to view the classroom in an overflow location, the “Overflow Option” must be installed. This “Overflow Option” only concerns recording sessions in another location, not classes that occur in the ICN classroom. Teachers can always walk into an ICN room, use the recorder provided to record their class and then play back the information for students at a later time. If your school does not have the “Overflow Option” and would like to have it installed, please contact me, Dick Stufflebeem at (515) 964-6831 (office) or (515) 210-8043 (cell). My cell number is the best way to find me right away. You can also reach me via e-mail at rlstufflebeem@dmacc.edu.
The second question is, “Why are there two recorder/player machines in some of the classrooms?” To explain the answer to this question, I must also provide some background information. While at IPTV several years ago, I assisted a group in an ICN Session. The presenter asked me if we could record the session to be reviewed at a later date. As the site was an origination site, I said, “yes.” The session started and I began recording the session. About ten minutes into the session the presenter asked me if we could also play a VHS videotape during the session. I initially said, “No, we are using the machine to record,” but after a few minutes, I thought about the predicament and searched the studio for a second recorder/player.
I connected the second machine to the outgoing video/audio circuit and told the presenter that he could now record and playback at the same time. Following this experience, the ICN technology department and I concluded that a second machine would benefit many schools. Thus, we sent out a notice to the schools and encouraged them to add the second machine. As technology has changed over the past few years, we have encouraged schools to change out the machine that is being used as the playback to new VHS/DVD combination units. With the increasing use of DVD’s, the combination unit will accommodate both formats. If you are interested in more information concerning the VHS/DVD players or have any questions, please contact me at the numbers listed above.
IPTV educators are presenting a series of sessions based on the Biz Kid$ public TV series during April and May. This series features kids teaching other kids about money and business. During the sessions, recommended for grades 4-8, students watch a video from the BizKid$ series and complete activities with session facilitators that relate to each week’s topic. Participating schools also receive great resource materials to use in their classrooms. For more information on this, check out the Biz Kid$ Web site at http://www.bizkids.com.
Production and educational outreach funding for Biz Kid$ is generously provided to Biz Kid$ by a coalition of America’s Credit Unions. Descriptions and information for the May Biz Kid$ sessions are listed below. Click on the session links to learn more about the educational objectives and student concepts covered in each session.
You Can't Manage What You Don't Know – May 11, 2009
The Biz Kids learn the first rule of money management: You can’t spend what you don’t know. Join the kids and you’ll look at spending and expenses and examine several proven methods on how to gain control of both.
Income and Expenses – May 18, 2009
Go with the cash flow. The Biz Kids watch the ebb and flow of income and expenses. Join them and you’ll learn proven methods for getting expenses under control while growing income with new ideas, smarter work habits, and innovation. Meet some entrepreneurs who have seen success with cash flow and more!
IPTV, together with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Grant and the Iowa Communications Network, is sponsoring an ICN session that introduces educators and students across the state to Iowan David Thoreson, who is an adventurer, educator, writer and photographer. Thoreson is getting ready to embark on a fantastic journey Around the Americas over the course of 13 months and 25,000 miles! In the May ICN session, students and teachers will learn why Thoreson is making this journey and how they can track his progress at the Around the Americas Web site.
Around the Americas is a circumnavigation by sailboat of the North and South American continents as though they were one, gigantic island. A voyage with purpose, the expedition's novelty lies in its unique synergy of adventure, science, education and international cultures with ocean health as its unifying theme. Project Director and Captain Mark Schrader will lead the sailing expedition from a 64-foot, steel-hulled sailboat named Ocean Watch. On board during the entire journey will be four crewmembers and one Pacific Science Center educator. In addition, ocean and atmospheric scientists will join certain legs of the cruise to conduct research on board.
There will be some time for questions during the session, so please be prepared. If you would like to send your questions in advance, please email them to trista@iptv.org. Thoreson will answer as many questions as possible during the sessions. Two students sessions as well as a special professional development session for teachers will be held on May 5th. The afternoon teacher session will provide teachers a chance to learn more about the curriculum materials available on the Web site and have their questions answered as well.
The times for the sessions are listed below. Please contact Trista Peitzman at trista@iptv or call at (800) 532-1290 or (515) 242-6663 or (515) 242-4187 with questions. If you cannot attend the May sessions, be sure to check the Around the Americas website and look for additional Around the Americas ICN sessions next fall as David continues his journey!
All sessions will occur on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 and are appropriate for students and/or educators in grades 4-12.
Student Session: 12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
Student Session: 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM
Teacher Session: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Although students and teachers do not often see the faces behind the scenes at the ICN, numerous individuals keep the network running smoothly. Joseph Cassis, Tami Fujinaka, and Gail McMahon are three of the individuals who play a vital role keeping the ICN working properly and visible to the public. In addition, these individuals and others are constantly working on new ways to utilize the ICN technology to meet future needs of Iowa students and teachers.
In his role as Deputy Director of the ICN, Joseph Cassis provides direction relating to Corporate Marketing and Communications (including PR), training, strategic planning, IT, policy development, office management including video scheduling, and State Operator functions. In addition to these key responsibilities, he is also Chief of Staff for the Executive Director.
Cassis has a myriad of experiences that provided him with the foundation for his current position, ranging from working several years at a Iowa-based telecom provider as the Vice President of Application Development to being the president/owner of a marketing and internet firm. He also spent several years developing computer systems at major corporations located in Chicago, was Vice President of Communications for a commodity association, and held the position of Director of Marketing within Alumni Services at University of Iowa. His education includes a psychology degree in behavioral modification and a double MBA in management information systems and marketing. Cassis feels that these well-balanced educational experiences helped him, “to develop a bridge between the technology (left brain thinking) and application/creative efforts (right brain thinking) to communicate the capabilities that technology can bring to improve our communities more efficiently and effectively.”
As the Government Relations Manager, Tami Fujinaka works closely with the Executive Director and Deputy Director to develop strategies to work with various government agencies and entities including the Iowa Legislature, the state executive branch agencies, and federal and local entities. She is also the liaison to the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission and develops the commission’s administrative rules. Along with Cassis and Gail McMahon, she is a member of the agency’s Corporate Marketing and Communications Team.
Prior to her current position, Fujinaka worked for several Midwest industry associations and chambers of commerce in a legislative manager role. She also worked four years as an analyst for a state legislative agency. Her education includes a BA in Political Science from Central College and a MBA from Drake University.
As the ICN Public Relations Manager, Gail McMahon works as part of the Corporate Marketing and Communications team, which also includes Cassis, Fujinaka, and the ICN Webmaster, to establish, promote, and maintain a positive identity for the Agency. An additional new focus for the team is to provide training for customers on various ICN-related subjects, from the technical to non-technical. McMahon works closely with the educational arena, media and general public to promote and encourage use of the ICN. This includes, but is not limited to, writing and distributing press releases, representing ICN by attending, presenting, and exhibiting at appropriate conferences or meetings and creating content for the Web site. She is often a first point of contact for educators who have questions about ICN.
Prior to her current position, McMahon worked in college admissions for 15 years in Iowa, as an admissions counselor and as Director of Admissions for a two-year business college. She holds a journalism degree from Iowa State University and worked in radio broadcasting immediately after completing her degree. She also worked in college admissions on the East Coast for six years before returning to Iowa.
Cassis, Fujinaka and McMahon feel that the current role of the ICN is to support distance learning through the videoconference environment, whether by broadcasting through the ICN video classrooms or through IP-based technology. The ICN allows schools to successfully access curriculum supplements available from all over the world as well as share local classroom resources using quality two-way video conferencing. The ICN provides many high quality student opportunities, as well as a growing number of professional development sessions now available for teachers, school support staff, and administrators. In addition to the videoconference benefits of the ICN, Internet access is also provided to schools through the ICN. According to Cassis, “The Internet is a powerful learning tool and what the ICN brings is the broadband through which this 'equalizer of opportunity' can enhance students' enrichment” All three feel that the ICN is particularly vital as a way to share resources and expand opportunities for students and teachers.
As they plan for the future, this team feels strongly that the ICN must stay current with the trends that are becoming increasingly more evident. Cassis notes a “significant increase in bandwidth usage (the Internet usage). It has almost doubled in the past 3 years.” Schools are using Internet services at an exponential rate. IP services, in particularly, are becoming increasingly popular due to their mobility. All three feel that today’s students are different from students of even a decade ago. Students today have an expectation of communication at all times and in all locations. As McMahon mentions, “In this global economy, students want and need more opportunities to broaden their horizons and better prepare them for college.”
To address these trends, the team feels that the ICN needs to be adaptable and accessibility should continue to be a focus. Broadband access only to the schools will not meet future needs. Fujinaka notes, “As the world is moving to using Internet Protocol for voice, video and data services, the key for value of the ICN is that it can adapt to any IP technology.” Regardless of future demands, the ICN will continue to provide Iowa and its students with a solid fiber optic network that, with its bandwidth and flexibility, can be adapted to meet the new challenges. Cassis, Fujinaka and McMahon are committed to ensuring that this valuable resource continues to move forward and meet the needs of schools across Iowa.
Real world ICN sessions, sponsored through an IT STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Grant for science, technology, and education were held in February with additional sessions scheduled for March and April. The two types of sessions, IT-Adventures and HyperStream, strive to develop student interest in STEM careers. IT-Adventures is an innovative program that engages Iowa high school students in exploration and experimentation with information technology (IT) through instructional material delivery, competitive events, and service learning projects. Iowa State University’s Information Assurance Center, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the Technology Association of Iowa, the Iowa chapter of InfraGard and Iowa businesses have forged a partnership for development of this program. The program is dedicated to increasing interest and awareness of IT among high school students across the state and stemming the downward curve of students selecting IT as a career. The HyperStream program, also highlighted in the December blog, is a a technology career awareness program developed and tested by The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) Educational Foundation has to support its key initiative of developing Iowa's future technology workforce. Iowa Public Television (IPTV) and the ICN are working with the program to offer ICN sessions focused on increasing student interest in technology careers.
IT-Adventures sessions provide an opportunity for current IT-Adventures Teams to get together (via the ICN) to discuss their projects with staff from Iowa State. IT-Adventures is an exciting innovative IT exploration program for high school students managed by staff at Iowa State University. During these sessions, staff from Iowa State will also offer guidance on service learning projects and will provide more information about what happens when students travel to Iowa State University for the IT-Olympics. Interested students and teachers who participate will also be invited to learn more about IT-Adventures and the IT-Olympics coming up in April 2009.
During the Hyperstream ICN sessions, students have the opportunity to meet with individuals involved in the program. During the February sessions, Jennifer O’Conner (picture, on the left), a representative of the Technology Association of Iowa, shared resources with students through the TAI’s Hyperstream Program and website. She also talked about the Technology Association of Iowa’s HyperStream partnership between business and education. Also during the February sessions, Spencer High School students met with Microsoft’s Linda Welseng (pictured, on the right), a senior technical account manager. Welseng talked about her career path from her high school studies, to college and graduate school, and finally to her career with Microsoft. Welseng shared with students that she would help them develop a class project. She or other volunteers will partner with the class to help them complete their project. March and April sessions will have the same or similar speakers.
The times and dates for both HyperStream and IT-Adventures sessions are listed below:
IT-Adventures Sessions:
March 31
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
April 02, 2009
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
HyperStream Session:
March 23
9:00 AM – 9:50 AM
If you are interested in attending these sessions with your students, please check the K-12 Connections website or contact LaShell Staley at lashell@iptv.org with questions.
