Principal Giselle McGee from PS 58 in Brooklyn, New York, and Aron Chizik, History teacher at West Islip High School, Long Island, New York, are first time attendees at the annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning Conference in New York City, produced by WNET, the premier public media provider of the New York City metropolitan area and parent company of public television stations.This video follows McGee and Chizik during their conference experience and upon their return to their schools to share and implement their learning.WNET provides innovative educational outreach at both the local and national levels.

This lecture by Dr. John Largier, coastal oceanographer and professor at UC Davis, Bodega Marine Lab, presents evidence for cumulative and systemic global environmental change with a focus on the local coastal environments along the north-central California coastline. Lecture was developed for teachers and educators participating in Our Changing Ocean and Estuaries Series.

Download the supporting PDF file for this episode http://bit.ly/fhEFBn from the Learning to Teach Online project website.Discussions are an important component of many forms of online student interaction. For students to benefit from an online discussion, it is important for teachers to generate relevant topics, effectively moderate student activity and participate regularly. This episode will highlight several strategies to help you manage online discussions more effectively, and make them more beneficial for your students.

This website from the first RECOMB (Research in Computational Molecular Biology) Satellite Conference on Bioinformatics Education contains video talks from a broad range of scientists and science educators in bioinformatics, bioengineering, and computer science.

Connecting With the Arts: A Teaching Practices Library, 6-8 includes 12 half-hour programs that feature a variety of meaningful arts integration approaches taking place in middle school classrooms around the country. The programs provide windows into classrooms around the country where teachers have already incorporated arts integration strategies into their work. Programs feature extensive classroom sequences and teachers telling their own stories. In each program, arts specialists and subject-area teachers will find ideas and projects they can take back to their own classrooms, as well as insights into planning and implementing an integrated curriculum.

Connecting With the Arts: A Workshop for Middle Grades Teachers is a video workshop for middle school teachers of the arts and other subjects. The workshop includes eight hour-long video programs and a companion workshop guide and Web site. The workshop shows middle school teachers why and how to integrate the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual art) with other subjects (language arts, social studies, science, and math). Extensive classroom examples present teachers working together to create rich integrated learning experiences for their students. A roundtable panel of arts educators discusses each of the classroom examples and shares their own experiences with arts integration. The eight programs guide viewers in discussing key elements of arts integration, enabling them to begin integrating the arts more effectively in their own schools. Participants define what arts integration means, plan collaborations with colleagues, clarify student roles in the artistic process, work on designing instruction that helps students explore connecting concepts and big ideas, and examine assessments to determine what students are learning. The workshop provides a stimulating learning experience for individual teachers and professional development groups.

This article introduces a free online collection of images, video clips, and animations that teachers can use in creating resources for use with students. The four steps in creating a video clip, an animation, or other resource are presented.

Download the supporting PDF file for this episode http://bit.ly/f1v3iH from the Learning to Teach Online project website.This case study examines the use of eBooks and eReaders as an extension of the usual Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS). This initiative was undertaken as part of the DUCKLING research project (Delivering University Curricula: Knowledge, Learning and Innovation Gains) conducted by the Beyond Distance Research Alliance at the University of Leicester in the UK.While the context of this study involves distance students, using electronic books can have applications in any discipline where students are required to undertake a significant amount of reading. This case study discusses some advantages of using eBooks, and outlines the process involved in creating and uploading them to an eReader device.

Interns work directly with on-site supervisors (mentors), home-school principals, or other principals, supervisors, or agency administrators on specified objectives for the number of clock hours designated in a signed agreement. The mentor or campus supervisor approves all experiences used for the completion of objectives. At least one reading is selected to facilitate the achievement of each objective in the internship. Reflections on the experiences, the readings, and the relationship between the two are recorded in a log, which is regularly reviewed by the on-site and campus supervisors.

See how schools and communities are turning talk about school reform into action by adapting, implementing, or even inventing tools to make real improvements in student achievement. This workshop takes you to eight places around the country where teachers, parents, administrators, civic leaders, and others are collaborating on new practices in public engagement and professional development. A video workshop for K-12 teachers, administrators, and parents; 8 video programs (from 30 to 45 minutes in length), workshop guide, and Web site

With ever increasing cultural diversity in our schools, how do educators establish and maintain effective relationships with those whose experiences and beliefs differ from their own? Dr. Darryle Craig, program manager for Fairfax County Public Schools College Success Program, presents her ideas and strategies for becoming "Culturally Competent.” According to Dr. Craig—cultural competency is “the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures.” During the program, Dr. Craig defines and examines the importance of cultural competence. Using first-hand examples and questions from the studio audience, Craig advises how to use this important skill to help close the achievement gap, and promote best practices that create success among diverse learners.

This online publication from Swarthmore College is a resource for creating interesting and visually appealing posters that communicate scientific research clearly and effectively.

Developing Writers: A Workshop for High School Teachers presents practical and philosophical advice for teaching writing, while examining issues every teacher faces Ń such as high-stakes assessments and dealing with differently abled students. Eight video programs feature teachers in diverse classrooms around the country who are helping their students grow as skilled and effective writers. Participants will observe how the teachers and their students work together to create writing communities. Professional writers will share their processes as they move from initial concepts to publication, and comments from researchers, theorists, students, and teachers add context. A workshop guide and Web site provide activities and additional information to help participants develop effective instructional strategies to bring back to the classroom.

This website is a comprehensive clearinghouse of long-distance education information. Materials on the site are intended to help improve distance- and web-based learning opportunities for both students and educators. The site features a multitude of links to resources for creating or participating in distance education programs and courses. Links are organized into subject areas such as programs and courses, technology, teaching and learning, research, and policies and guidelines. The site also provides access to books, journal articles, research reports, and case studies. Most of the linked resources are free and a few are available for a fee. This resource is part of the Creating Web-based Resources in the Geosciences collection. http://serc.carleton.edu NAGTWorkshops/webresources03/

This article looks at the content knowledge teachers will need to prepare young students for later introduction of the fourth essential principle of the climate sciences, which is "Climate varies over space and time through both natural and man-made processes." The author describes the concepts that underlie the principle, provides maps and visuals from the federal agencies that monitor weather and climate changes, and identifies online resources for the teacher. The free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle is structured on the seven essential principles of the climate sciences, which are required for climate literacy.

This video workshop for teachers provides a solid foundation for teaching the concepts covered in high school economics courses. Topics range from personal finance to global economic theories. In addition to defining economics concepts and outlining modern economic theory, the programs review the national standards for economics education and provide effective lesson plans and classroom strategies. The video programs also feature unscripted footage of diverse economics classrooms, interspersed with reflections by teachers and students. The accompanying print guide and Web site provide a complete package for the professional development of high school economics and social studies teachers.

This video library includes nine 20-minute videos that give language arts teachers and other educators an opportunity to observe firsthand how their peers are successfully guiding students in grades 3-5 toward becoming more active and involved readers of literature. Observe new pedagogical techniques modeled with diverse students of all ability levels in a variety of school settings. Use the accompanying guide and Web site to develop professional development, outreach, or educational programs. The Web site also includes lesson plans and links to more information on the issues raised in the videos. This library is part of the Envisioning Literature series based on the research of Dr. Judith Langer, and can be used as a companion to the Engaging With Literature workshop.

This video workshop Ń part of the Envisioning Literature series based on the research of Dr. Judith Langer Ńshows grades 3-5 teachers how to guide students in becoming effective and engaged readers of literature. Nine 60-minute programs showcase teachers from across the country discussing and demonstrating the philosophy and techniques they employ. The workshop centers on the belief that students have the innate skill to make sense of information they discover in a text Ń if they are presented with the opportunity and expectation of doing so, and are generously scaffolded by their teachers as their story worlds evolve through reading, writing, and talking about literature. Individual programs deal with initiating and maintaining such a classroom community while dealing with numerous pragmatic issues, including high-stakes assessments and meeting the needs of students of many ability levels. A print guide and Web site supplement the videos, providing for a complete professional development workshop.

Download the supporting PDF file for this episode http://bit.ly/ijlL3g from the Learning to Teach Online project website.Engaging students in online learning is critical for success. In this episode, we speak with teachers and students about strategies for improving engagement and motivation in online learning environments. Effective facilitation, creating learning communities, strategies for motivating students, and encouraging and sustaining participation are discussed.