Free Media and Technology Webinars
Presented by PBS Teachers and Classroom 2.0

A Fresh Look at Teaching The Diary of Anne Frank

During this event, participants enjoyed a sneak peek at the all-new adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank airing on Masterpiece and reviewed educator materials created for middle school and high school. These materials include a teacher's guide created in collaboration with the Holocaust education organization Facing History & Ourselves and special Resources for Youth, which offer concrete ways to take action against issues of intolerance as well as encourage self-expression through digital journaling options. Participants also learned about an opportunity for students to participate in the Masterpiece Video Diary Open Call.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

During this webinar, participants learned about two new PBS projects: "Earth Days," a film by Robert Stone chronicling the history of the modern environmental movement, and Growing Greener Schools, a film and educational resources aimed at empowering students, teachers and parents to incorporate green ideas into both school buildings and classroom curricula. Presenters included the filmmakers and educational experts who provided resources and strategies to help teachers celebrate this important anniversary in innovative and meaningful ways.

Note: Unfortunately, our efforts to record this event were unsuccessful. We have provided the slides below to help you share the experience with students and colleagues. Please reference the notes section of each slide for related information.

Access Slides: Slide presentation

The Buddha: Teaching Mindfulness

Filmmaker David Grubin showed clips from his new film, The Buddha, and talked about making the film and what he hopes audiences, particularly teachers and students, will take away from it. Mirabai Bush, Associate Director and Senior Fellow at The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, spoke about using the film as an educational resource and provided an overview of research on the effects of mindfulness on learning. Educator Peter Brown shared resources and strategies for teaching about the Buddha and Buddhism in a Comparative Religion course, and Dr. Amy Saltzman discussed methods for teaching secular mindfulness. Participants also learned about educational resources available on the companion website for the film.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Copyright and Fair Use in the Art World and the Classroom

During this event, filmmaker and scholar Kembrew McLeod, whose film "Copyright Criminals" recently aired on PBS's Independent Lens, was joined by law professor Peter Jaszi, media producers/educators Chris Runde and Joe Fatheree, and National Community Engagement and Education Manager for ITVS, Annelise Wunderlich. Participants saw a clip from the film and interacted with speakers as they discussed the implications of copyright and Fair Use laws in the art world and the classroom and shared best practices in student media production. Ms. Wunderlich also highlighted film modules and lesson plans based on the film and developed by ITVS Community Classroom.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Exploring the Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Scholar and cultural critic Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discussed his most recent PBS project, Faces of America. In making the film, Dr. Gates turned to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans and, in the process, discover what made America and what it means to be American. We were also joined by Janice Fuld, an Outreach Producer for the LAB@Thirteen at Thirteen/WNET.org, who provided an overview of the rich web and educational resources that were created to help teachers use the film with elementary, middle and high school students.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Middle Level STEM Education With "Design Squad," "Fetch," and "DragonflyTV"

On January 26th, producers from Design Squad, Fetch!, and DragonflyTV shared resources and practical applications for introducing and reinforcing science and engineering concepts in the upper elementary and middle school classroom. Information on the new series SciGirls was also introduced.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Education in the Digital Age: A Tour of FRONTLINE's Digital Nation

FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin has learned a lot during a year-long, multi-platform project exploring the impact of the Web and digital media on life in the 21st century. Interviewed by Steve Hargadon of Classroom 2.0, Rachel shared her insights and findings with over 200 webinar participants. The webinar also featured a brief tour of the Digital Nation Website including several online videos on how the Internet and technology are changing cultures, reshaping workplaces and creating new approaches to the way we solve problems. Issues examined included the Web’s impact on education, multitasking in the classroom, and how social media has changed the way individuals interact.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Helping Kids Understand Viruses and Vaccinations with Sid the Science Kid

Educators play an important role in helping students stay healthy during the cold and flu season. On Tuesday, November 17 at 8 p.m. ET, PBS Teachers and Classroom 2.0 hosted a free webinar for educators to gain information and learn strategies for helping students better understand viruses and vaccinations and how to stay healthy. During the Webinar, Dr. Cyrus Rangan, Medical Toxicologist for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, shared information about the H1N1 and seasonal flus, including signs and symptoms and techniques for prevention. Moises Roman, Preschool Center Director and Educational Consultant for Sid the Science Kid, shared information about resources from Sid the Science Kid that can help educators provide age-appropriate information to students. *Note: Free DVDs mentioned in the Webinar were only available to participants who were present during the live event.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log | Portable video recording

PBS TeacherLine: Online Professional Development for Educators

PBS Teachers hosted a free webinar for educators on Tuesday, November 10 at 8 p.m. ET to showcase its professional development service, PBS TeacherLine. With high quality, standards-based graduate-level courses, PBS TeacherLine offers teachers the professional development opportunities they need in an accessible online format that makes learning fun, flexible and collaborative. Teachers can earn graduate credit, PDPs, or CEUs while gaining strategies and resources to bring directly to the classroom. During the webinar, PBS TeacherLine staff provided a tour of the site, including information on courses and an additional service for coaches, Peer Connection.

Access Recordings: Full version

Welcome to the NEW PBS Teachers Site!

PBS Teachers hosted a free webinar for educators on Thursday, October 22nd at 8 p.m. ET to showcase its recently updated website. PBS Teachers relaunched during the summer of 2009 and continues to roll out new Web 2.0 functionalities and new and reorganized content. The redesigned website makes it easier and quicker for educators to find appropriate instructional and professional development resources from across all PBS' education services. During the webinar, PBS Teachers staff provided a tour of the site, including search and browse functionalities that let educators access resources related to PBS on-air and online programs and information on exclusive content such as the PBS Teachers Activity Packs and Media Infusion blog.

Access Recordings: Full version

Teaching about Place with Ken Burns's "The National Parks: America's Best Idea"

Ken Burns's newest series, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years. Using archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, and stunning cinematography, the series chronicles the steady addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them and save them from destruction. During the webinar, GIS educators Kathryn Keranen and Lyn Malone illustrated the use of ArcGIS Explorer, a free, downloadable, 2D/3D geo-exploration & presentation tool, in teaching about the national parks. Leslie Rule, a producer at KQED, shared resources to help teachers implement place-based digital storytelling lessons. Participants had an opportunity to watch clips from the film and learn about the full array of educational resources available on "The National Parks" website.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Dig into Early Science Instruction with Dinosaur Train

Dinosaur Train is a preschool series for students ages 3-6 that encourages basic scientific thinking skills as the audience learns about life science, natural history and paleontology. Each of the 40 half-hour episodes features Buddy, an adorable preschool age Tyrannosaurus Rex, and includes two 11-minute animated stories along with brief live action segments hosted by renowned paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson. Our special guests during the webinar included Halle Stanford, Executive Vice-President of Children's Entertainment for The Jim Henson Company; Dr. Scott Sampson, Paleontologist, Primary Scientific Consultant and on-air Host of Dinosaur Train; and Jordan D. Brown, Curriculum Consultant for Dinosaur Train. Speakers introduced preschool and elementary educators to Dinosaur Train, talking about its creation, animation, and series goals; discussed the potential of using Dinosaur Train to teach preschool children about the natural sciences and to help foster a life-long connection with nature; and provided examples of how the series and website can be used in the classroom to teach key science concepts.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log | Portable video recording

Transforming Schools: P.O.V.'s "The Principal Story"

"The Principal Story" paints two dramatic portraits of the challenges facing America's public schools – and the great difference a dedicated principal can make. The film takes the viewer along for an emotional ride and examines what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century. Special guests during the webinar will included: Kerry Purcell, one of the principals featured in the film; Whitney Kim, a Speech Language Pathologist who works with Kerry at Harvard Park Elementary; David Mrazek, one of the filmmakers; Eliza Licht, Director of Community Engagement and Education, P.O.V./American Documentary; and Anne Llewellyn, Principal Consultant, Outreach Extensions. Speakers discussed the making of the film, the critical leadership and effort involved in transforming schools, and the high-quality educational resources available from P.O.V. and Outreach Extensions.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Early Childhood Literacy: Resources & Strategies

Julie Wood, a national educational consultant currently at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, shared research and best practices regarding early literacy instruction. Scott Cameron from The Electric Company offered an overview of the program's educational mission and objectives and shared resources from the website. Heather Dzikiy, a fourth grade teacher, demonstrated how she uses PBS KIDS programs, including WordGirl and DragonflyTV, in her classroom. Finally, Jennifer Rodriguez offered a tour of PBS KIDS Island, a site that offers an array of early literacy resources for children, teachers and caregivers.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Summertime and Your Personal Learning Network

Alice Barr, Cheryl Oakes and Bob Sprankle, three technology integration specialists, discussed the value of online collaboration and provided guidance for those interested in joining or creating a professional development community during the summer months. They shared their own experiences of expanding their knowledge and improving their practice through reading, experimenting with collaborative technologies and participating in social networks and conferences, both face-to-face and virtual. Participants were invited to join their Seedlings Ning, a personal learning network they established collaboratively.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log | Portable video recording

Diving into the Digital World of Marine Science

Jean-Michel Cousteau, famed explorer, environmentalist, educator, filmmaker, and executive producer and host of the PBS series Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures, spoke with educators about why it's important to teach students about marine science and how teachers can inspire students to become stewards of the ocean. Holly Lohuis, a marine biologist and member of Cousteau's team, shared how she works with scientists to turn their research into stories that students and teachers can connect with. Andrea Swensrud of KQED provided an overview of the educational resources available on the Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures website. Finally, 6th grade teacher Angie Patterson presented how she used the Ocean Adventures resources with her students.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log | Portable video recording

Access Slides: Slide presentation

Using 21st Century Resources to Enhance Math Teaching & Learning

Professional development experts and educational consultants from the Emmy award-winning math mystery series Cyberchase shared innovative strategies for teaching elementary math using video, online interactive games, and more. Participants also learned how to access over 125 Cyberchase video segments and accompanying lesson plans, as well as many additional educational resources, using the VITAL/Teachers' Domain service.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log

Remixing Shakespeare for 21st Century Students

Shakespeare scholars from the Folger Shakepeare Library and innovative teachers from across the country demonstrate methods for teaching Shakespeare's King Lear using digital media. Participants learn practical and exciting ways to use Web 2.0 tools to help students grasp Shakespeare's language, characters, and more. The webinar also features a sneak preview of Great Performances: King Lear, which airs in late March 2009 (check local listings).

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log | Portable video recording

Teaching and Learning with Digital Natives

John Palfrey, director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, discusses his new book, Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. The discussion focuses on how this population interacts with information, institutions and each other in new ways. Participants also learn about the need for educators to become familiar with the technologies of digital natives and use these technologies to compliment their pedagogy.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log | Portable video recording

Looking for Lincoln:
Changing Views of History, Changing Views of Race

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., host and writer of the WNET documentary Looking for Lincoln discusses the film and how Americans' understanding of and attitudes toward Lincoln, African American history and culture continue to evolve. Dr. Gates is joined by Peter Kunhardt and Jon Maggio, the film's producer and producer/director, respectively. The webinar includes a tour of the Looking for Lincoln site and discussion of resources and strategies for teachers.

Access Recordings: Full version | Audio recording | Chat log