The deadline to enter the video contest Whose Life Will
You Change? is January 1, 2011. High school and college students age 13
and up are eligible to
submit videos telling
their own stories of how
they’ve transformed
lives through actions
large and small. The
videos, which are up to
three minutes long, must tell the story of an action or initiative intended to make a positive difference in the world. The
contest is sponsored by the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Winners will receive cash awards of $500 as well as
$1,000 donated to charities of their choice. Winners will be
announced April 15, 2011.
MORE INFO: www.ndm.edu/contest
The deadline to enter the National STEM Video Game
Challenge Youth Prize is January 5, 2011. Designed to
stimulate interest in science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM), this contest taps into students’ natural pas-
sion for playing and making video games. The challenge is
open to students in grades 5 through 8 from any
U.S. school. The winners will receive laptops,
game-design books, and other tools to
support their skill development. The spon-
soring organizations of the winners will
get cash prizes and educational software.
Students in underserved communities
will be eligible for special prizes.
MORE INFO: www.stemchallenge.org/youthprize
Califone International has
released a new desktop
computer speaker system specifically
designed for classroom use. Both Mac and PC compat-
ible, the three-piece speaker system is designed for quick
and easy setup, allowing users to plug the speaker jack
into any audio device, including a computer, MP3 player,
or headphone output from a multimedia player. To provide
all-around sound, each satellite speaker connects to the
subwoofer.
MORE INFO: www.califone.com/blog/2010/07/29/launches-
desktop-computer-speakers
Turning Technologies has released K– 12 Progress
Monitoring Bundle,
a comprehensive
assessment package for teachers
and administrators
designed to monitor
progress, differentiate
instruction, and increase student achievement. The bundle
includes six assessments in core subject areas to monitor
rates of improvement, a classroom student response system
to engage students and make the assessment process easy
to administer, a one-year subscription to a real-time Web-based reporting system, and access to 24/7 online professional development.
MORE INFO: www.turningtechnologies.com/studentresponsesystem/
progressmonitoringbundle
Coming Next Issue
How Successful Teachers Use Web 2.0
Daniel Light, a senior research scientist with
EDC Center for Children and Technology,
studied how educators use Web 2.0 tools
to create "always on" learning communities
among students. He discovered that the best
plans had three common elements: daily
practice with the tools, a focus on the audi-
ence, and guidelines for appropriate behavior.
Using iPods to Boost Student Achievement
An iPod touch program is not a replacement for desktop computers, but it is one of
the most effective ways to improve student
achievement. That’s what educators at
Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, found when they issued the
devices to more than 600 students. Not
only that, but students also became more
motivated and engaged.
New Zealand Leads by Example
Members of SIGTE’s study tour wrap up a
three-part series with a closer look at New
Zealand’s distributed leadership for achieving student, staff, and community learning.
Administrators, teachers, and students take
a leadership role as interdependent, self-regulating members of their schools and
society. See how leading by example is
empowering New Zealand's students.
