Tapped In Newsletter: January 2001


...ON THE TAPIS
January 2001
Issue 38

In This Issue

[1] Member Perspective: Keiko Schneider
[2] NEW! National Board Candidates Discussion Group Forms
[3] January + Discussions = Math / TAPPED IN
[4] SIG Gem of the Month
[5] Technology Tips
[6] What others are saying about us...
[7] What did you say? by BJ Berquist
[8] About ...On the TAPIS

Quote of the Month - "We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." -e.e. cummings

[1] Member Perspective: Keiko Schneider

My name is Keiko Schneider. Right now I run a small business called Saboten Web Design and am in charge of several educational web sites and some businesses. I also consult Japanese/Foreign language professionals with integration of technology. I also serve as an officer at World Association for Online Education (WAOE). I am a manager of senseiOnline listserv and I organize a monthly online forum called benkyoukai.

Although TAPPED IN has been around since 1997, I am a relatively new member of this community. I have been one since early September of 2000. Although it is a rather short time, I am already fascinated by the potential of TAPPED IN. The community effort of TAPPED IN makes it more than just an Internet site to chat and hang out; it is an online educational community where educators and students come to meet, learn, and work together. I appreciate getting to know colleagues from other disciplines and learning from them.

See all our member perspectives.

[2] NEW! National Board Candidates Discussion Group Forms

Monday, January 29 will be the first meeting of the National Board Candidates Discussion Group. Gayle Britt, leader of the discussion, invites candidates, future candidates, and certified teachers to meet others across the U.S. to discuss resources and needs with those who are involved in the process. If you're thinking about acquiring National Board Certification or are in the process, this is a not-to-miss opportunity.

[3] January + Discussions = Math / TAPPED IN

Whether it's hearing speaker Barbara McCombs in the PBS Teacherline auditorium or attending the Math Connections, NCLITE/LA, and PBS/NCTM discussion groups, you're sure to find a math-related activity that fits your needs. Check the Calendar of Events for times and dates.

[4] SIG Gem of the Month

Special Interest Group (SIG) Discussions try to meet the needs and address the issues of specific groups of educators. Currently active groups include the Social Studies Forum, Technology in the Classroom, KIKO, Foreign Language, Targeting Librarians!, WebQuests, K-3 Resources, School Administrators, Alternative/Correctional Ed, ArtsSites, PAarts, Math Connections, and NCTM/PBS Principles for Math. The following dialogue is from the 2001/01/09 K-3 Resources - Online Projects transcript.

ChristinaW asks, "Because it's cold and icky, I selected a garden and a butterfly site to help us think of spring. Ready?"

MidgeF says, "Good I'm writing a spring themed workshop"

ChristinaW says, "Gardening's good, if there's the space (and energy!) Here's NGA."

ChristinaW projects the URL:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/

MidgeF exclaims, "Love this!"

ChristinaW asks, "Butterflies are Spring, too. Ready for the Butterflies site?"

SueMR says, "These sites are a goldmine"

MidgeF says, "Teacher's page is good. Bookmarking this. Bring on the butterflies."

SueMR says, "Ready"

MidgeF says, "I wrote a WebQuest on Monarchs"

ChristinaW projects the URL:
http://www.mesc.usgs.gov/butterfly/butterfly.html

RobertKW says, "Interesting site. One thing I've always noticed about childrens educational materials is their rudimentary level of association. Kids can be a great deal more sophisticated than many imagine."

MidgeF says, "Children are always underestimated."

KarenDR says, "great resources.. I am impressed... award winning pages"

ChristinaW asks, "Wow, they've done more with this site since I looked. Midge, do you have the URL for the Monarch Webquest?"

MidgeF says, "http://home.ici.net/~midgef/butfly.html"
MidgeF says, "I am revising it to be for students with a Monarch Butterfly Theme page for teachers."

ChristinaW asks, "Thank you. When you are finished revising, can you share it with us?"

MidgeF says, "Sure."

Read the transcripts of past discussions in the TAPPED IN archives and join the K-3 Resources group for the next session on January 25. Register for the MEET ME mail list to receive the weekly/monthly topics for each discussion group.

[5] Technology Tips

Changing Your Password
When you get a membership to TAPPED IN you receive a computer generated password that is, to put it kindly, difficult to remember! To change that password to something that is easier for you to recall, log in with your membername and the computer password. Then, in the text window next to SAY type: /password You will be given prompts that show you exactly what you need to do.

Advanced Tech Tip of the Month: Editing Notes
Notes are things that you can make ahead of time (any TAPPED IN member can make a note). Notes are great for giving presentations because they allow you to express a lot of information quickly, and people online don't have to wait while you type it all. You can also "drop" a note in a room for others to read whenever they visit the room. Notes are easy to make...just click on NEW NOTE and you will see a form with the title "Note_XXXX" at the top of your screen. Give your note a name that will be easy to remember and type the desired text in the Content box. Scroll down and click on SAVE and you've created a note! You can read your note, drop it in a room, or project it for others to see. But what if you want to make changes in that note? It's as easy as one, two, three...
1. Click on MY ITEMS
2. Click on the note you want to change
3. Click on EDIT near the bottom of the note

All you have to do is click on SAVE and you've got an edited note in MY ITEMS!

[6] What others are saying about us...

Mark Schlager, Director of TAPPED IN, wrote a testimony for the Web-based Education Commission in Washington, DC. The following is an excerpt from the Web-based Education Commission report:

A supportive social structure is one of the key elements for successful online learning. In projects like SRI International's TAPPED IN program, supported by the National Science Foundation, the technological tools and communication resources serve as the underpinnings of a well-maintained community of practitioners. Those wishing to create their own projects are assisted by TAPPED IN support personnel. User groups include school districts, museums, and teacher education programs. Through TAPPED IN, educators can participate in online courses, take their own students online, experiment with new ways to teach or conduct research, or participate in community-wide events.

Read the entire report at:
http://interact.hpcnet.org/webcommission/text.htm

[7] What did you say? by BJ Berquist

lis-ten-ing n (1996): "the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages"
One of the most important factors in learning is the ability to listen. When we value what others say and take the time to listen attentively, not only are we learning, we are also teaching the speaker that we value their ideas. One of the most important reasons that TAPPED IN members feel valued is because the community listens to what each person has to contribute, whether it's leading a discussion or quietly lurking. To learn more about listening visit http://www.listen.org/

[8] About ...On the TAPIS

Postings of all ...ON THE TAPIS issues are available on the TAPPED IN website. Contact us if you have any questions about your subscription, password or user name, or if you have any news items that you want to share with the community for ...ON THE TAPIS.