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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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