Advance excellent teaching with Annenberg Media.
--------------------------------------------------
*** In the Spotlight for October ***
--------------------------------------------------
- A New Name
- MARC Records Now Available at Learner.org
- 2005: The Year of Languages
- Register Today for a Certificate in December
- This Month on the Channel
- Connect Learning with Special Days
- Visit Us at ACTFL, NCSS, and NCTE in November
--------------------------------------------------
*** A NEW NAME ***
Annenberg/CPB is now officially Annenberg Media. We are now part of the
Annenberg Foundation, which has so generously funded our work and the rich
collection of resources we have made available to schools, teachers, learners,
and communities nationwide since 1981. Look for our new name as it appears on
our materials and communications over the coming months. Our contact information
at 1-800-LEARNER and
www.learner.org remains the same.
--------------------------------------------------
*** MARC RECORDS NOW AVAILABLE AT LEARNER.ORG ***
A complete set of MARC records for our entire collection of video resources (a
total of 1545 records) is now available free of charge at Learner.org. These
records have been created to correlate with our
streaming Video on Demand and include URLs.
For MARC records of hard copy videos (cassette and DVD), institutions have the
choice of modifying (or copying and modifying) the records created for the
streaming video, or purchasing individual records made
specifically for the videotapes and DVDs.
For more information or to download the free MARC records, go to
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/marc1.html>.
--------------------------------------------------
*** 2005: THE YEAR OF LANGUAGES ***
The U.S. Senate has designated 2005 The Year of Languages, recognizing an
initiative of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
The goal of this effort is to encourage Americans to develop proficiency in
languages other than English. Annenberg Media can help with this effort through
our foreign language series, "Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/destinos2.html>, "French in Action"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/french3.html>, and "Fokus Deutsch"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/deutsch4.html> -- all currently
airing on the Channel. Click on "Broadcast Dates" for the schedules.
The Year of Languages focus for October is early language learning. Our
"Teaching Foreign Languages" video library
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/tfl_lib5.html> (Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/tfl_lib6.html>) is an excellent
resource for building teaching strategies. Also see our related "Teaching
Foreign Languages" workshop series
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/tfl_ws7.html> (Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/tfl_ws8.html>), particularly Workshop
5, "Subjects Matter," which looks at ways in which language acquisition can be
promoted through subjects across the curriculum, such
as geography, life science, math, and language arts.
For general background on the psychology of language acquisition, you may be
interested in "Language Development," Program 6 of our series "Discovering
Psychology: Updated Edition"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/psych9.html>, or "Let's Talk About It,"
Program 12 of our series "The Whole Child: A Caregiver's Guide to
the First Five Years" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/child10.html>.
For more information about The Year of Languages or the teaching of
foreign languages, visit the ACTFL Web site at <http://www.actfl.org/>.
Note that Annenberg Media will be attending the ACTFL Annual Convention,
November 18-20 in Baltimore, Maryland, Booth #910. Please stop by and
visit us at the convention!
--------------------------------------------------
*** REGISTER TODAY FOR A CERTIFICATE IN DECEMBER ***
Don't miss opportunities to experience our FREE professional development
workshops and courses. The deadline for registration is October 24 if you wish
to receive a Certificate of Participation by the end of 2005. For general
information on our courses and workshops, go to
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/workshop11.html> and follow the links
for details. For more information, consult our FAQ at
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/faq12.html>.
--------------------------------------------------
*** THIS MONTH ON THE CHANNEL ***
The following series begin this month on the Channel. Be sure to scroll down on
the linked pages for broadcast dates and times. Consult the full broadcast
schedule
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/sched13.html>
for many more programs and partial series airing in October.
ARTS
> "Connecting with the Arts: A Workshop for Middle Grades Teachers"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/midartws14.html>
MATHEMATICS
> "Learning Math: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability" (K-8)
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/data15.html>
> "The Missing Link: Essential Concepts for Middle School Math Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/link16.html>
SCIENCE
> "Earth Revealed" (college/high school)
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/earth17.html>
Catch the live stream of the Channel at
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/video18.html>, closed captioned at
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/video-cc19.html>.
If your school is interested in receiving the Channel, go to
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/channel20.html> for information on
requirements and licensing procedures.
--------------------------------------------------
*** CONNECT LEARNING WITH SPECIAL DAYS ***
World Teachers' Day (October 5)
> "The Merrow Report"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/merrow21.html> pries education issues
wide open with its investigative reports. For a look into the lives and work of
new teachers, watch candid documentaries such as
Program 28, "Teaching: The First Year."
National Poetry Day (October 6)
> Our series devoted to poetry, "Voices & Visions"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/vv22.html>, is a wonderful way to learn
about the most influential American poets and poetry. Hour-long biographies
highlight the works of Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, William
Carlos Williams, and nine other renowned poets. The "Spotlight on Voices &
Visions" Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/vvspot23.html> offers brief video
clips from the series and links to extend the learning.
Leif Erickson Day (October 9)
> Icelandic explorer Leifur Eiríksson (Leif Erickson) sailed to the Americas
nearly 500 years before Columbus. For a condensed account of the Viking voyages,
see "Bridging World History"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/history24.html> Program 10,
"Connections Across Water." Links to readings, references, and the video
transcript are available at
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/wldhist25.html>.
Columbus Day (October 10)
> "Bridging World History"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/history26.html> (Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/wldhist27.html>) offers many ways of
studying global interactions spanning millennia, including the "discovery" of
America by Europeans. In particular, see Program 2, "History and Memory," to
explore the function and impact of Columbus as
a phenomenon of collective memory.
> "New World Encounters," Program 1 of "A Biography of America"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/boa28.html>, begins in 1492 with the
voyages of Columbus, and then places the explorer and the aftermath of his
exploits within a broader "panorama of American events" starting
with the last ice age and the original inhabitants of the continent.
> Examine different perspectives on the European conquest of the Americas
through the literature of early Spanish colonists and Mestizo writers with
"American Passages: A Literary Survey"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/ampass29.html> Program 2, "Exploring
Borderlands." Browse the series Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/ampass30.html> for coordinated
materials.
> Our archaeology series, "Out of the Past"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/past31.html>, digs through the
centuries to examine the history of the lands and peoples that harbored
Columbus and his European contemporaries.
National Newspaper Week (October 2-8)
This year, observe Newspaper Week with our series "News Writing"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/news32.html>, featuring such prominent
journalists as Bob Woodward, Helen Thomas, Dave Barry, and Linda Ellerbee.
National Chemistry Week (October 16-22)
> Our very popular series "The World of Chemistry"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/chem33.html> provides a sound overview
of major concepts, while "Reactions in Chemistry"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/react34.html> enters real classrooms to
observe how effective teachers help their students understand the world at a
molecular level and relate it to everyday phenomena.
World Rainforest Week (October 17-23)
> Our series "Bridging World History"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/history35.html> looks at economic and
political factors in the destruction of Chile’s temperate rainforest in Unit 24,
"Globalization and Economics." Find supporting materials on
the series Web site at <http://learner.org/redirect/october/wldhist36.html>.
> Learn about issues affecting Africa's equatorial rainforest with "The Power of
Place: Geography for the 21st Century"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/place37.html> Program 20, "Developing
Countries." Focus on the second case study, "Gabon: Sustainable Resources?"
Energy Awareness Month
At a time when gas prices are being raised as vigorously as concerns about
global warming, it's appropriate to reconsider energy -- its
forms, its costs, and new possibilities.
> A review of the basics of energy -- definitions, cycles, combustion, etc. --
can be found in "Science in Focus: Energy"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/energy38.html> for K-6 teachers
(Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/october/energy39.html>).
> "Earth Revealed"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/earth40.html> Program 26, "Living With
Earth, Part II," discusses where oil comes
from, the burning of fossil fuels, and possible alternative energy sources.
> For a succinct explanation of how solar power works, plus information on light
and nuclear energy, see "Reactions in Chemistry"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/react41.html> Workshop 3,
"Energetics and Dynamics."
> To learn how cost-benefit analysis has been used in forming energy policy in
the past, see "Pollution," Program 21 of our series "Economics U$A"
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/econ42.html>. Other programs
in the series may also be of interest.
--------------------------------------------------
*** VISIT US AT ACTFL, NCSS, AND NCTE IN NOVEMBER ***
If you're attending any of the events below, please plan to visit our exhibit:
> American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) 2005 39th Annual
Meeting & Exposition
<http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3581> November 18-20,
Baltimore, Maryland, Booth #910
> National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) 85th Annual Conference
<http://www.socialstudies.org/conference/> November 17-20, Kansas City,
Missouri, Booth #508
> National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) 2005 Annual Convention
<http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual> November 18-20 Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, Booth #808
We look forward to meeting with you and hearing your views!
*************************
You are receiving this email update either because our records show you asked to
be placed on our mailing list or a colleague forwarded a copy to you. Each
month, subscribers will receive a message highlighting the news, events, and
programming of Annenberg Media, plus ideas for using our resources in the
classroom. If you have any questions or wish to subscribe to this list, please
email
<info@learner.org>. To be taken off this list, please reply to this email
with the word "unsubscribe" in the body of the message.