Tapped In Newsletter: August 2002

...ON THE TAPIS
August 2002
Issue 57

In This Issue

[1] Coming soon! A new and improved TAPPED IN
[2] Member Perspective: Ken DeCroo
[3] Summer Carnival 2002! An unqualified showstopper!
[4] Technology Tips
[5] TAPPED IN News Nugget
[6] About ...On the TAPIS

Quote of the Month - "...a relationship has a momentum, it must change and develop, and will tend to move toward the point of greatest commitment." - Carolyn Heilbrun

[1] Coming soon! A new and improved TAPPED IN - by Judi Fusco

If you've been around TAPPED IN recently, you may have noticed a buzz in the air about a new TAPPED IN system. The buzz is actually our programmers' fingers flying over their keyboards as they code away to meet the deadline for beta testing in the fall. The new system (code-named TI2) is going to have features we've all been wanting for a long time in TAPPED IN. Threaded discussions, unicode characters in chat, very attractive offices, a way to upload files such as AppleWorks or Microsoft Word (or any other type), new ways to store and share links, rooms devoted to a group, and lots, lots more will be available. If you are interested in being a beta tester, please send us an email. Thanks for your patience and continued support of TAPPED IN. You all have made TAPPED IN the best community for teachers on the web! We love you guys... dang it... where are the kleenexes?

[2] Member Perspective: Ken Decroo

My name is Ken Decroo (KenD). I was introduced to TAPPED IN while participating in the Teach the Teachers Collaborative (TTTC) in 1999 and have been a member ever since. I teach SEI science at Harry S. Truman Middle School and graduate level courses in the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Math, at California State University, San Bernardino.

Ken's Perspective

Since the onset of the Internet and its hybrid, the World Wide Web (WWW), educators have recognized its potential to engage students in constructive learning. When students go online, they enter a world of learning where they can find information about seemingly any subject. Interconnected around the world, there are literally millions of web pages representing the entire array of human endeavors. It is a vast resource of information that doubles every year. The shear volume of the Internet often makes the process of understanding, evaluating and using it seem overwhelming. Not all sources in this vast and diverse media are equal in reliability and quality. Millions of web sites are created in both academic and commercial environments every year. In this expanding environment, it is the challenge for every educator to hone this vast resource to support existing curriculum.

See all our member perspectives.

[3] Summer Carnival 2002! An unqualified showstopper!

Many people have expressed an interest in the statistics of the Carnival Certification. An amazing total of 210 sign-in forms were submitted during the 12 hours of Summer Carnival 2002! with participants spending an average of five hours at the various events. Forty-seven Professional Development Certificates were issued to participants and presenters. Volunteer support was fantastic and a big thanks goes to all the hard work and hours spent by Dianne Allen and her group of dedicated helpers.

[4] Technology Tips

Urban legends, scams, spam, and viruses
A big concern for teachers and students is determining the validity of dire warnings, alarming messages, and heart-rending requests that are received in the daily flood of emails. Scambusters, an e-Zine with a free monthly newsletter, helps you protect yourself against Internet fraud and scams. See http://www.scambusters.org/.

Advanced Tech Tip of the Month: Certificate of Participation
As Ken states in the above perspective, "Millions of web sites are created in both academic and commercial environments every year... it is the challenge for every educator to hone this vast resource to support existing curriculum." The TAPPED IN discussion leaders help you meet this challenge by providing the best of the best resources during their monthly discussions. Many resources are archived in the transcripts in the After School Online Transcript Emailer. If you're not sure how to access the emailer, log in and let one of the friendly helpdesk volunteers show you how.

[5] TAPPED IN News Nugget

NEW! - watch for that word on your TAPPED IN Calendar in the coming months! This month Barbara Muller-Ackerman is starting a School Counselor's Discussion group and Dianne Allen is leading a Tours and Tips discussion group for down under and Asian participants. See the calendar for details.
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TAPPED IN's Director, Mark Schlager; Community Activities Director, Judi Fusco; and Technology Director, Patti Schank have had the paper, "Evolution of an Online Community" published as a chapter in Building Virtual Communities: Learning and Change in Cyberspace. Editors: K. Ann Renninger and Wesley Shumar; Published by: Cambridge University Press.
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TAPPED IN member and discussion leader Lesley Farmer's book, Go figure!: Mathematics through sports, was featured in the latest ENC Online Real World issue of Focus magazine. See http://www.enc.org/resources/records/0,1240,016377,00.shtm.
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NetDay announces the launch of NetDay Index (http://www.netday.org/netday_index.htm), a new initiative that tracks trends in what superintendents think about the value and impact of technology use in education. NetDay, a national non-profit organization, invites School Superintendents to sign up to participate in this monthly survey, which will help to identify and track macro-trends in technology's value and impact in schools. For more information about NetDay and NetDay Index, please contact TAPPED IN member Shannon Sullivan at info@netday.org.
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Do you have a News Nugget about yourself or another member of the TAPPED IN Community? Send your News Nugget to BJ Berquist at bjb @ tappedin.org.

[6] 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.