Tapped In Newsletter: July 2007
...On the Tapis
July 2007
Issue 116
In This Issue
[1] Member Perspective: Paul Bohac
[2] Tapped In Festival: Playing to Learn
[3] Tips and Comments from the Experts
[4] News Nuggets
[5] Tapped In Technology Tips
[6] About ...On the Tapis
Quote of the Month - "When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy." - Samuel Goldwyn, film producer
[1] Member Perspective: Paul Bohac
Paul retired after thirty years in juvenile and adult corrections. The majority of his work in both arenas was in correctional education and in correctional special education, either as a teacher, consultant or administrator.
Paul's Perspective
Following my retirement, I have been actively pursuing a Doctorate. To supplement my retirement income, I worked as an adjunct instructor for a University through a grant-funded project and currently for a local Community College. All of the courses I have been teaching have been on-line. It was through one of those University on-line courses that I met BJ Berquist (she was a student in one of the classes) and through her I was introduced to the Tapped In Community.
When she asked if I would be willing to serve as a forum leader, I was skeptical. Although I visited the Tapped In site and was impressed with its diversity of topics and the level of involvement of the participants, I was not sure my role as a forum leader would be productive to forum members or would be worth the commitment of time and energy it would require. Not to mention, what would an ex-correctional educator be able to offer the special education community?
What I learned though, after agreeing to serve as a forum leader, was that education of individuals with disabilities faces the same problems whether in a public school classroom, a private school classroom or inside the walls of a prison. What I also learned from forum participants has enhanced my on-line instructional activities with the local community college. It has become a very exciting, rewarding professional experience that I look forward to each month. Perhaps my involvement can help teachers of students with disabilities to become more sensitive to the individual students in their class and how some of the "behavioral problems" exhibited by their students might warrant closer examination. It is easier to help a child to achieve in the classroom than it is to help a youth or an adult to overcome the lack of classroom achievement.
[2] Tapped In Festival: Playing to Learn
July 25 will be here before you know it! Don't miss this 12-hour online festival that includes topics to make you tap your toes and smile with joy at this playful perspective for teaching and learning opportunities. From rap to storytelling, from science to games, the festival leaders will take you on a journey to put fun in your classroom for both you and your students.
Even the Pre-Festival Tips and Tricks are fun! Here are some quotes from recent participants:
"Very helpful for me since I am a beginner on-line learner/teacher"
"Very good tutorial"
"This is a great place to visit"
"Moderator is nice"
"Learning how to navigate was a great highlight"
"I got started through a master's class I'm taking as an elective. The highlight is all the resources available and the helpfulness of everyone I've met here so far"
"I learned a lot about Tapped In and think it has many valuable resources. It's a whole community I never knew existed!"
Click here for more Festival information. All items in green on the calendar are Festival related.
[3]Tips and Comments from the Experts
Dave joined one of the calendar events as a guest. Afterward, he commented, "Thanks for allowing me to be part of this meeting. You are very professional and have the best interest of kids in mind."
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If you have a comment or experience to share with the Tapped In community, please submit the information to BJ Berquist at bjb@tappedin.org or post to the How You Use TI.
[4] News Nuggets
TI's homepage has a link to the Festival page. Event topics for the festival, scheduled for July 25, have been posted to the July calendar and there is a link to a handout that you can share with your colleagues. Check out the link to the Festival Wiki and enter a Playing to Learn podcast to the podcast contest.
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Please visit the NEW unified interface for webquest.org. There are new sections on articles and research about WebQuests, a section on WebQuest creation, and the best WebQuest search engine anywhere.
Bernie Dodge's Blog
The WebQuest Page
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On July 9 at the International CEA Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, TI member BJ Berquist was presented the Correctional Education Association Executive Director's Commendation by Dr. Stephen Steurer, Executive Director, in recognition for her dedication, effort and support of the CEA Executive Office and the Juvenile Justice Special Interest Group.
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TI member Bee Dieu was invited to deliver the final keynote for the annual Merlot International Conference (MIC), which will be held in New Orleans from August 7th-10th.
Merlot is an online community where faculty, staff, and students from around the world share their learning materials and pedagogy. The site hosts a collection of peer reviewed, higher education, online learning materials created by registered members.
If you would like to help Bee brainstorm on possibilities, give suggestions or participate in the event live please put your name down in the wiki she has opened for the occasion. There you will also find an abstract and links to the event. http://merlot.wikispaces.com/ Bee is looking forward to having many of you with her on this occasion.
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TI member Lesley Farmer has an article, I See, I Do: Persuasive Messages and Visual Literacy, in the July issue of MultiMedia & Internet@Schools.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a few images can constitute a persuasive argument. Consider the impact of propaganda posters, of billboards, and of photojournalism. Creators of visual images leverage visual art principles to convey messages. In order to convince the viewer of a specific idea, mass media producers who understand the language and connotations of visual literacy can manipulate images to elicit desired responses - a strategy that is used increasingly with the advent of digital tools. Particularly in this electronic age, students need to know and apply technological visual principles and skills to become critical visual consumers and producers.
Lesley leads the monthly Cybrarians discussions and will be presenting during the Festival on July 25.
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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.
[5] Tapped In Technology Tip
Tapped In Festival Certificates of Participation
Certificates of Participation will be offered for guests and for members who register for three hours of events during the Festival. Participants can sign-in using the code given at the conclusion of a minimum of three separate Festival events (may include ONE pre-festival Tips and Tricks) to qualify for a Certificate of Participation (Continuing Education Credits for the certificates are determined by individual educational institutions.) This year's certificate registration forms have been revised to include more individualized feedback and reflection on the festival experience. Certificates may be obtained one to two weeks after the Festival from the Festival webpage.
[6] About ...On the Tapis
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