Edutopia - September 2007 - (Page 24) HEAD OF CLASS Hot Stuff AlcoholEdu for High School Prices vary www.outsidetheclassroom.com/prodandserv/highschool /alcoholEdu_highschool Thanks to the confusing messages a booze-guzzling America sends to adolescents, the teendency is to slip and slide into underage drinking; the median age of kids who first taste alcohol is fifteen. AlcoholEdu, developed by Outside the Classroom in conjunction with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is the best kind of alcohol-education and alcohol-prevention program for the iKid, with streaming images and sincere, engaging voice-over. Though the math or science a student learns might not be called on for several years, the scenarios in AlcoholEdu are most likely variations on Johnny’s last weekend, or what’s to come on Jane’s Saturday night. Why not prepare students for the important decisions they already face? Field Trips October National Association of State Boards of Education Annual Conference 11–13, Philadelphia “Be a Part of the Revolution” is the call to arms for this year’s conference. As Ben Franklin and the other Founding Fathers held, public education is the foundation of a democratic society, and that’s the angle one can expect as the educational leaders of today convene in the City of Brotherly Love. K12 Online Conference 2007: Playing with Boundaries 15–19, 22–26 The title for this conference—whose meeting place is, well, noticeably absent—is apt. No need for a hotel; you can attend from the comfort of your own home with asynchronous events as well as live “fireside chats” held via Elluminate technology. A good conference for educators who wish to learn Web 2.0 for the classroom. American Association of School Librarians 2007 Conference: The Future Begins @ Your Library 25–28, Reno, Nevada Instilling a desire for lifelong learning is the ALA’s mission. Come to the Biggest Little City in the World to learn how to fill your library with the right materials, services, and personnel to wow young learners into a lifelong relationship with the library system. The Tribe Film & Discussion Kit Starts at $40 www.tribethefilm.com The Tribe juxtaposes the history of the Jewish people with the invention of (are you ready?) the Barbie doll. It’s not as odd a juxtaposition as it first seems: The iconic toy, created by Ruth Handler—a Jewish woman—exemplifies the insider-outsider duality the modern, flesh-and-blood Jew faces. But the eighteen-minute film is only the beginning. Included in the discussion kit is the Guide from the Perplexed (the film’s backstory and a glossary of its images and concepts), which sets the scene for wonderful classroom discussions about advertising, packaging, media, and genre. November KaBOOM! Free to register; prices vary www.kaboom.org KaBOOM! would love to send tanbark chips flying across every neighborhood in America. With founding partner Home Depot, the nonprofit company facilitates the building of new playgrounds by working with community leaders. At the KaBOOM! Web site, the dropdown menus and links are as fun and intrinsic to navigate as the rings and rungs of a playground, offering assistance with site selecting, grant wrangling, Web site creating, vendor directing, and design. In an age of thinking outside the box, the sandbox is where every kid should start. North American Council for Online Learning 2007 Virtual School Symposium 4–6, Louisville, Kentucky VSS attracts educators involved in online learning all the way from Canada to Mexico and features a program that will lead new practitioners from the first to the final stages of virtual-school planning and administration. Safe Routes to School National Conference 5–7, Dearborn, Michigan This event aims to encourage parents to have their children walk and bike to school, rather than drive them (automobile accidents are the number-one cause of death and major injury for U.S. children), and to prompt communities to build an infrastructure of safe routes for our junior commuters. National Middle School Association Annual Conference and Exhibit: The Right Stuff! 8–10, Houston More than 8,500 middle school educators are expected for the annual NMSA conference, keynoted by baseball legend, author, and community-service leader Cal Ripken Jr. National Council of Teachers of English 15–18, New York City This year’s conference—Mapping Diverse Literacies for the 21st Century—draws Jonathan Kozol and Amy Tan to encourage educators to embrace new ways of being literate, of teaching English, and of seeding the gift of language in twentyfirst-century learners. Tales from the Teachers’ Lounge Delacorte Press; $23 www.robertwilder.com Robert Wilder’s outrageous catalog of the weird and wonderful world of teaching. Obscene, potty mouthed, and frank, Wilder is just what educators need at the end of a long day: a compassionate and funny voice that will make them feel they’re not in it alone. GO AFIELD www.edutopia.org/events-foreducators-september-2007 24 EDUTOPIA SEPTEMBER 2007 WILLIAM DUKE Find links to event Web sites at http://www.outsidetheclassroom.com/prodandserv/highschool/alcoholEdu_highschool http://www.tribethefilm.com http://www.kaboom.org http://www.robertwilder.com http://www.edutopia.org/events-for-educators-september-2007
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