Trouble viewing this email? See it as a webpage.

Education Worth Sharing March 2012

Explore What's New S.T.E.M. Central is our new headquarters for science, technology, engineering and mathematics content. Its goal is to support teachers in preparing students for the 21st century workplace. It's packed with videos, games and multimedia. Visit it today and tell us what you think.  2012 National S.T.E.M. Video Game Challenge This contest seeks to motivate interest in S.T.E.M. learning among youth by tapping into their love for making and playing video games.  The deadline is March 12, 2012. Learn more about it at gpb.org/stem-contest. Mission US is a multimedia project featuring free interactive adventure games set in different eras of U.S. history.  The brand-new second game, "Flight to Freedom," puts the player in the role of Lucy, a young slave on a plantation outside of Lexington, Kentucky. The adventure begins in the summer of 1848 and grapples with immigration, industry, and expansion, as well as slavery.   Professor Ridley Recognizes The Georgia Afterschool Investment Council (GAIC) released the first ever Georgia Afterschool Quality Standards in December 2011. The standards serve as a framework to help afterschool providers assess their programs and provide opportunities for children, youth, and families to identify areas of strength and in need of improvement in their programs.  These standards are the first in the nation to align to the Common Core State Standards, which enables connect what is done during afterschool hours to the school day as we create strong habits of mind in our young people for the greatest success in life. The standards emphasize high quality programming across the following areas: Active and engaging learning Linkages to the school day and the Common Core State Standards Health, nutrition, and physical fitness Environment (indoor and outdoor space) Relationships, culture, and diversity Staffing, volunteers, and professional development Continuous improvement These standards serve as a symbol of Georgia's commitment to provide children, youth, and families access to a diverse range of programming that will enrich and support the positive development of young people across the state. If you are a teacher or a principal, the Georgia Afterschool Network encourages you to reach out to your local afterschool programs and share this standards document with them. When you do that, keep us posted on the progress of these conversations.  If you would like more information on the Georgia Afterschool Quality Standards, please visit GAIC's website or contact Katie Kross at katiek@afterschoolga.org.   Tech Tip   Professional Learning Sessions Online – Bookmark this link: www.gpb.org/education/common-core and save the dates!  Online training on the new Common Core Georgia Performance Standards continues this month and lasts through May. To improve your viewing experience, we recommend that you do NOT use Interenet Explorer.  Instead, you may download Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome -- both free -- for a better streaming experience. Here are links to it and other popular browsers: Safari free download Internet Explorer  7 free download This Tech Tip is also true when you are using the GPB Digital Streaming resources.

On-air and Online The Inventure Prize at Georgia Tech – on GPB March 13 at 7 p.m. Join New York Times technology columnist and NOVA television host David Pogue in finding the next superstar inventor. Take part in our live blog and viewer’s choice vote online during the show at www.gpb.org.   National Nutrition Month - March is National Nutrition Month.  You can find fitness tips and healthy eating advice on our website GPBwell. Women’s History Month Did you know that Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell took part in the women’s suffrage movement as a child? Or that the Girl Scouts were founded by a southern “tomboy?” Visit our Women’s History month theme page to get little known facts about Georgia women who made a splash.  You can also find videos and podcasts on Georgia Stories about famous women in Georgia History, including the first woman elected to the United State Congress. Common Core Online Training Schedule 3/1     4th Grade Mathematics  10 a.m.          10th Grade Mathematics 2 p.m. 3/6     5th Grade Mathematics 10 a.m.          11th Grade Mathematics 2 p.m. 3/13   5thGrade English Language Arts 10 a.m.          9th& 10th Grade English Language Arts                    2 p.m.  3/14  8th Grade English Language Arts 10 a.m.          1st Grade English Language Arts 2 p.m.   Learn Registration for the 43rd Annual Children's Literature Conference, to be held in Athens GA, on March 23-24, 2012 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, is now available.  Click here to register. A selection of PBS TeacherLine’s new and most popular courses are starting on Wednesday, February 29th, with the option to enroll through Friday, March 2nd.  See some of the courses available below and find out more with the full course list online.  INST342.17: Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress Use NASA resources & support inquiry-based learning of Global Climate Change with this PD course STEM412.22: Global Climate Change Education for Middle School STEM417.10: Global Climate Change Education for High School TECH570.4: Fundamentals of Virtual K-12 Teaching Women's History Month resources from Teacher’s Domain Get a jump on your curriculum themes for March with these profiles of American women in history: Lucy Laney, a former slave who established the first school for black children in Augusta, Georgia    Jane Jacobs, an activist who worked to save the neighborhoods of New York City Charlotte Hawkins Brown, founder of an educational institution for young African Americans Pocahontas, a Native American princess who may have rescued John Smith and helped his fellow colonists   For a STEM twist, take a look at career profiles featuring women working in a diverse range of disciplines.   Share We're Looking for a Few Good Bloggers! Do you blog or have you always wanted to? We’re looking for guest bloggers to contribute to our Passion for Learning blog. All topic areas are welcome. If you are interested in being a GPB Teacher Blogger, send us your name, email address, topic of expertise and blog link (if you have one) to education@gpb.org. Find us on Facebook and keep up with State and National education news, hot topics, professional development opportunities, surveys, and more. Follow us on Twitter and find out what educators like you are doing to make education relevant and learning interesting.

Partners and Promotions           Lt. Governor Casey Cagle would like to welcome everyone to Be Healthy Georgia Day on Saturday, March 10.  This event will kickoff the 2012 Healthy Kids Georgia Week, a week creating awareness to encourage Georgia’s families and kids to live healthier lifestyles.  Be Healthy Georgia Day will begin at 8 am with the Kilometer Kids Fun Run and includes special guest appearances from Georgia’s team mascots in the Nike+ Mascot Trot!  There will be tons of activities for all ages so be sure to register for this FREE event at www.healthykidsgeorgia.org.             Educator Appreciation Day Zoo Atlanta welcomes educators and their families to Educator Appreciation Day on Saturday, March 10. Educators enjoy FREE admission (ID required) and $2 OFF admission for each guest. Learn about special activities just for educators and register today>> Educational in Nature is a resource-rich website for Educators provided by Georgia-Pacific.  It meets Georgia Performance Standards in Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Visual Arts, Math, Vocabulary, Reading, Listening, Viewing and Speaking for 4th and 5th grade students.  This resource will make environmental education part of your curriculum with fun lesson plans.  For example, you'll find activities that directly reinforce GPS science standards around simple machines and energy.  Visit GPB.org/education to learn more.        Immerse your child in a hands-on learning adventure at Fernbank Museum’s Homeschool Day on March 5. Three educator-led programs, designed for different grade levels and correlated to Georgia Performance Standards, will be available. You can also enjoy a chance to socialize with other homeschool parents, experience the new special exhibition, Wildlife Rescue, or see an IMAX® film (additional ticket). Space is limited and advance registration is required. Visit Fernbank Museum’s website for full event details, including special homeschool pricing. Call 404.929.6400 to purchase Homeschool Day tickets. Please note: space is limited and advance registration is required.         HERWORLD HAS MOVED TO MARCH!  Bring the young women at your high school to an event developed especially for them. Juniors and seniors are invited to work in group activities with girls from all over the state and hear from women leaders in the community. They will learn about exciting career opportunities they may never have imagined. Your participation is complimentary. Date: Thursday, March 29, 2012 Time: 8:00 am - 2 pm Location: Marriott Courtyard Formerly the Holiday Inn Conference Center Downtown Decatur 130 Clairemont Avenue Decatur, Georgia 30030 404-371-0204  Online registration is required for each guest. Please RSVP by March 16th to http://www.atl.devry.edu/mar29.html  For comprehensive consumer information visit devry.edu/studentconsumerinfo. ©2011 DeVry Educational Development Corp. All rights reserved.

Forward this message to a fellow educator.

unsubscribe