Advance excellent teaching with Annenberg
Media.
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*** In the Spotlight for October ***
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- New Course: Art Through Time
- 2010 Catalog Now Available
- Linking to Current Events
- Connect Learning with Special Days
o World Sight Day
o National Day on Writing
o National Metric Week
o National Character Counts Week
o National Chemistry Week
o Italian-American Heritage Month
- Fall Conference Schedule
- Distance Learning
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*** NEW COURSE: ART THROUGH TIME ***
Annenberg Media announces the release of a beautiful and fascinating new course:
Art Through Time: A Global View. Through the filter of 13 timeless themes, the
course presents paintings, sculpture, and decorative domestic items, as well as
works in non-traditional media as documents of human creativity, history, and
culture across the ages. Created with the guidance of distinguished art
educators, historians, and curators, the videos feature hundreds of works and
spotlight a contemporary artist. You can view the videos now online.
http://www.learner.org/resources/series211.html An accompanying Web site
with additional resources will be available soon!
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*** 2010 CATALOG NOW AVAILABLE ***
The new 2010 catalog of Annenberg Media resources is now available and will be
mailing this month. If you wish to receive a copy in the mail, please send your
request to
AnnenbergMedia@fpdirect.com .
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*** LINKING TO CURRENT EVENTS ***
G-20 Economic Summit
The G-20 Summit -- a meeting of 19 nations plus the European Union, which
represent the bulk of global trade and two-thirds of the world population -- was
held on September 24 and 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. World leaders agreed to
far-reaching changes to the global financial system including greater external
regulation and monitoring of individual countries' economic policies, plus
measures aimed at mitigating trade imbalances between nations. Learn more about
global economics, trade, and the laws that govern them with these resources:
> Inside the Global Economy
http://www.learner.org/resources/series86.html produced by an international
team of experts presents a multinational perspective on how the global economy
and markets affect individuals, businesses, and industry.
> The Economics Classroom: A Workshop for Grade 9-12 Teachers
http://www.learner.org/workshops/economics/ presents compelling high school
lessons on topics related to the global financial system; Program 5, "Trading
Globally," is particularly relevant.
> See Economics U$A
http://www.learner.org/resources/series79.html Program 27, "International
Trade."
This program discusses aspects of international trade, such as tariffs and
quotas versus free trade, and how legal issues are handled.
> Go back to the very beginnings of global trade with Bridging World History
http://www.learner.org/courses/worldhistory/ Unit 15, "Early Global
Commodities." Unit 8, "Early Economies," may also be of interest.
> "Artisans and Traders," Program 3 of Out of the Past,
http://www.learner.org/resources/series45.html looks at economic systems --
their diversity, history, and social functions. See how the ancient Sumerians of
Mesopotamia developed symbols for economic record keeping purposes -- and how
these symbols led to the creation of alphabets and writing systems -- in Program
4, "Signs and Symbols." Program 5, "Power, Prestige, and Wealth," also relates
to the topic.
> Consider the impact of global economic policies on rural communities with
"Rural Communities: Legacy & Change"
http://www.learner.org/resources/series7.html Program 6, "Think Globally."
> See the G-20 from a geographic perspective. The Power of Place: Geography for
the 21st Century
http://www.learner.org/powerofplace/ addresses economic issues facing
countries around the globe.
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Structures of Chaos
In an emerging trend in chaos theory, researchers in mathematics, physics, and
engineering are investigating the importance of Lagrangian coherent structures
-- invisible physical boundaries that control the flow of air and fluids through
an area. These structures can help predict the flow of pollutants through bodies
of water, avoid turbulence in air and land travel, and better treat patients
with circulatory disorders.
> Explore the mathematics underlying the predictability of systems with "The
Concepts of Chaos," Unit 13 of Mathematics Illuminated.
http://www.learner.org/courses/mathilluminated/units/13/textbook/01.php In
the online textbook, skip down to Limits of Predictability and Fly Me to the
Moon for specific mention of Lagrangian concepts.
> Read a quote on mathematics by Joseph Louis Lagrange, the mathematician and
astronomer after whom Lagrangian points and structures were named:
http://www.learner.org/courses/learningmath/geometry/session6/part_c/distance.html
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Water on Mars ... and the Moon?
After assuming for decades that the moon was devoid of water, scientists now
believe that the moon has water embedded within the lunar soil. New evidence of
widespread water just below the surface of Mars has also been found. But before
a new manned mission can be sent into space to investigate, scientists must
resolve the problem of shielding from cosmic rays: the current period of reduced
solar activity that began around 2007 has brought about a significant increase
in cosmic rays hitting Earth's atmosphere, posing increased risks to astronauts
that would leave Earth's atmosphere.
> In Planet Earth,
http://learner.org/resources/series49.html see Program 4, "Tales From Other
Worlds," which offers stunning footage of space, and Program 6, "The Solar Sea,"
which investigates the history of solar activity.
> Try the Private Universe Project Teachers' Lab
http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/pup/ and test your knowledge of basic
astronomy.
> Learn more about radiation from Reactions in Chemistry Workshop 3, "Energetics
and Dynamics."
http://www.learner.org/workshops/chemistry/workshop3/
> Boost your conventional lunar knowledge with Essential Science for Teachers:
Earth and Space Science
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/earthspace/ Session 7, "Our Nearest
Neighbor: The Moon." Then see Session 8, "Order out of Chaos: Our Solar System,"
for a broader view.
> "Tune in to the Moon" with this list of interesting moon-related links and
learning activities
http://www.learner.org/workshops/lala/moon.html on the Web site for Looking
at Learning...Again, Part 1
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Try our free Video on Demand:
http://www.learner.org/resources/browse.html
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*** CONNECT LEARNING WITH SPECIAL DAYS ***
World Sight Day (October 8)
This year's theme for World Sight Day is "Gender and Eye Health: Equal Access to
Care."
> Learn about the visual pathway and how we perceive and process visual
information in Discovering Psychology: Updated Edition, Program 7, "Sensation
and Perception."
http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/07/e07expand.html
> The Brain: Teaching Modules
http://www.learner.org/resources/series142.html offers Program 8, "Visual
Information Processing: Elementary Concepts"; Program 9, "Visual Information
Processing: Perception"; and Program 10, "Perception: Inverted Vision."
> Discover how sight results from the interaction between light and biology --
watch Science in Focus: Shedding Light on Science, Workshop 4, "Color, Cones,
and Corneas."
http://www.learner.org/workshops/sheddinglight/workshop4.html The Web site
includes sections on color vision in animals, color vision deficiency, and
vision correction.
> Learn about the genetics of color blindness in our DNA interactive:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dna/genetics6.html
> See a high school lesson on how what we see and how -- watch Teaching High
School Science
http://www.learner.org/resources/series126.html Program 6, "The Physics of
Optics."
National Day on Writing (October 20)
> Find a writing class at the kindergarten level -- "Writer's Journal" -- in
Teaching Reading K-2: A Library of Classroom Practices.
http://www.learner.org/libraries/readingk2/ The programs "Students Making
Choices" and "Staying on Topic" may also be of interest.
> In "Teaching Writing as a Process,"
http://www.learner.org/workshops/readingk2/session5/ Session 5 of Teaching
Reading K-2 Workshop, Dr. Jeanne R. Paratore discusses forms and purposes of
writing, as well as practices that develop students' skills and confidence. The
program includes footage from the classrooms of kindergarten teachers John
Sinnet and Cindy Wilson, first-grade teacher Becky Pursley, and second-grade
teacher Martha Duran-Contreras, also featured in the Teaching Reading K-2 video
library (see above).
> Inside Writing Communities
http://www.learner.org/workshops/writing35/ combines two video programs in
each Web-based unit, offering expert views, classroom footage, and proven
methods for building students' skills at the upper elementary level.
> Teaching Reading 3-5 Workshop Program 4, "Writing,"
http://www.learner.org/workshops/teachreading35/session4/index.html literacy
expert Nadeen Ruiz provides a structure for planning and implementing a writing
program in the intermediate grades. You will learn how to connect specific
teaching and assessment strategies to students' personal experiences and writing
goals.
> The programs of Write in the Middle: A Workshop for Middle School Teachers
http://www.learner.org/workshops/middlewriting/ provide models of excellent
teaching and strategies for developing a positive, nurturing environment for
budding writers. The Web site includes lesson plans and samples of real student
work in PDF format.
> Learn ways to help your students write more effectively in a foreign language.
Watch "Delivering the Message,"
http://www.learner.org/workshops/tfl/session_03/ Workshop 3 of Teaching
Foreign Languages K-12 Workshop, which looks at elements of an effective oral or
written presentation.
> Developing Writers: A Workshop for High School Teachers
http://www.learner.org/workshops/hswriting/ offers practical advice, the
perspectives of seasoned educators, and resources for further enrichment.
Interactive elements of the series Web site encourage you to analyze your own
teaching practices.
> The programs of News Writing
http://www.learner.org/resources/series44.html cover various aspects of
writing for television, radio, and print media. Click on the link to News
Writing Interviews to read well-known journalists' ideas on writing and other
topics. For an example, read Michael Brown's comments on writing and new
technologies:
http://www.learner.org/catalog/extras/interviews/mbrown/mb03.html
National Metric Week (October 4-10)
> Learn all about the metric system -- and how to convert various measures
between English and metric units -- with our Metric Conversions interactive:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/metric/
> Our professional development course Learning Math: Measurement reviews the
basics of the metric system in Session 3:
http://www.learner.org/courses/learningmath/measurement/session3/
> The Cooking by Numbers section of our Math in Daily Life interactive includes
information about the metric system
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dailymath/meters_liters.html and how to
convert between values when following a recipe.
National Character Counts Week (October 18-24)
> What does it mean to do the right thing? Leaders in government, law, media,
academia, and other fields debate the proper boundaries of personal ethics in
Ethics in America.
http://www.learner.org/resources/series81.html See Program 1, "Do Unto
Others," for a discussion of personal ethics; other programs in the series may
also be of interest.
> Also see Ethics in America II,
http://www.learner.org/series/ethics2/ which looks at ethical dilemmas that
arise in everyday life ... and that individuals encounter when participating in
public and institutional activities.
> Against the backdrop of World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust, the
lessons featured in Teaching The Children of Willesden Lane
http://www.learner.org/series/cowl/ discuss difficult choices and contrast
"bystanders" with "upstanders" -- those who distinguish right from wrong and
stand up for what is right, rather than going along with the crowd.
> For a look at the ethical guidelines journalists are expected to follow on the
job, watch News Writing
http://www.learner.org/resources/series44.html Program 14, "The Ethics of
Journalism."
> Read the News Writing Interviews
http://www.learner.org/catalog/extras/interviews/ for the ethical views of
well-known media figures including Helen Thomas, Dave Barry, and Bob Woodward.
> To help guide your students through discussions on moral action, draw lesson
ideas from Social Studies in Action: A Teaching Practices Library, K-12.
http://www.learner.org/libraries/socialstudies/ In particular, see Program
13, "Making a Difference Through Giving," and Program 28, "The Individual in
Society."
> Fifth-grade teacher Laura Alvarez guides her students through debate and
persuasion techniques, plus research and organizational strategies, in "Social
Justice and Action,"
http://www.learner.org/workshops/tml/workshop7/ Workshop 7 of Teaching
Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades.
> Philosophies of personal integrity go back to ancient times. See Bridging
World History Unit 5, "Early Belief Systems,"
http://www.learner.org/courses/worldhistory/unit_main_5.html which covers
the ethical code elaborated by Confucius of China.
National Chemistry Week (October 18-24)
The 2009 theme for National Chemistry Week is "Chemistry--It's Elemental!"
> Our popular series The World of Chemistry
http://www.learner.org/resources/series61.html provides a sound overview of
major chemistry concepts.
> The Reactions in Chemistry workshop
http://www.learner.org/workshops/chemistry/ shows excellent high school
teachers engaging their students in hands-on, real-world based lessons that
elucidate concepts and raise student interest in the subject.
> Teaching High School Science
http://www.learner.org/resources/series126.html Program 3, "Chemical
Reactions," features science teacher Barbara Doherty and her ninth-grade
students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
who explore what happens when calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate combine.
> Elementary teachers can review chemical properties of matter with Essential
Science for Teachers: Physical Science:
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/physicalsci/ In particular, see
Session 4, "Chemical Changes and Conservation of Matter."
Italian-American Heritage Month
> Preview our brand new series, Art Through Time: A Global View.
http://www.learner.org/resources/series211.html Program 6, "Death,"
features the art of contemporary Italian-born artist Angelo Filomeno.
> Explore how the idea of Christopher Columbus -- the Italian-born explorer who
traveled from Spain to the Americas -- functions as a construct of collective
memory. Watch Bridging World History Program 2, "History and Memory."
http://www.learner.org/courses/worldhistory/unit_video_2-1.html
> Find items connected with Columbus in the American Passages archive:
http://www.learner.org/amerpass/slideshow/archive_search.php
> Part of the American Passages archive, this picture
http://www.learner.org/amerpass/slideshow/archive_search.php?number=5006&fullsize=1
shows a family of Italian immigrants at Ellis Island. This item
http://www.learner.org/amerpass/slideshow/archive_search.php?number=8616&fullsize=1
discusses the case against Sacco and Vanzetti and its relevance to the history
of discrimination against Italian-Americans.
> Learn about painters of the Italian Renaissance in Art of the Western World
http://www.learner.org/resources/series1.html Programs 3, "The Early
Renaissance," and 4, "The High Renaissance." Learn about the cultural importance
of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, as well as major Florentine and Venetian
artists.
> The Western Tradition
http://www.learner.org/resources/series58.html outlines Roman history.
> Try our Renaissance interactive
http://www.learner.org/interactives/renaissance/ to explore Italian aspects
of the Renaissance in Europe.
> Get ideas from a lesson on Italian language and culture
http://www.learner.org/libraries/tfl/italian/digennaro/ in Teaching Foreign
Languages K-12: A Library of Classroom Practices.
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*** FALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ***
Visit with Annenberg Media staff and view our resources in your discipline at
the following education conferences this fall.
North American Association of Environmental Educators, Portland, OR, October
8-10.
American Association of School Librarians, Charlotte, NC, November 5-7.
National Council for the Social Studies, Atlanta, GA, November 13-15.
National Council of Teachers of English, Philadelphia, PA, November 20-22.
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*** DISTANCE LEARNING ***
The fall 2009 semester is in full swing. Now is a good time to think ahead about
how best to incorporate Annenberg Media video into your distance learning
program.
//What's New//
Coming fall 2009. (Available for licensing spring 2010) Art Through Time, a new
13-part series that includes a free online textbook, guide, and coordinated Web
site. Call 1-800-LEARNER (532-7637) or email
distancelearning@learner.org for a free preview that is now available.
VoD. Users no longer need to enter their user name and password! Using our
online streaming service has never been easier. And coming soon, we'll be moving
to FLASH which will improve access for both our PC and MAC users.
//Important Reminders//
- We would like to remind colleges that a license fee has been required as of
fall 2006 for the use of our video content in your distance learning program.
- The following distance learning courses are each supported by an in-depth
coordinated Web site -- complete with an accompanying guide or textbook -- to
enhance teaching and your students' learning experience: American Passages,
Bridging World History, Democracy in America, Ethics in America II, The
Habitable Planet, The Learning Classroom, Mathematics Illuminated, Rediscovering
Biology.
- Our DVDs and online Video on Demand (VoD) are closed captioned.
Audio-described DVDs for your visually impaired students are available upon
request.
- Fall 2009 is the last semester to license our German language course Fokus
Deutsch. As of December 31, 2009 we will no longer be able to offer this course
as an option to you or your students.
//Special Incentives//
- Due to continued interest, we are continuing our summer incentive on math and
science courses effective until December 31, 2009. For schools currently
licensing Against All Odds: Inside Statistics or College Algebra/Algebra: In
Simplest Terms, we are offering a 20% discount on your license fee to adopt our
new course Mathematics Illuminated. For schools currently licensing Earth
Revealed or Planet Earth, we are offering a 20% discount on your license fee to
adopt our new course The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental
Science.
- Ethics in America. We have combined the licensing for the original Ethics in
America and Ethics in America II. This will allow you to use any of the
hypothetical cases from either series to create an exciting course highlighting
new and historical debates from eminent leaders in government, business,
science, and academia.
- In view of the current economic situation facing everyone this year, there
will be no price increase for licenses. Also, if you have not already done so,
don't forget to order your DVDs in time for the 2009/2010 school year to get our
special pricing for students enrolled in a distance learning course.
//Talk to Us//
- We look forward to hearing from you and receiving your enrollment numbers for
the fall semester. You can send them via email directly to Nancy Williams at
nwilliams.learner@gmail.com .
- Visit us! We will be at The 31st National Media Market, October 4-8, 2009 in
Lexington, Kentucky
http://www.nmm.net and The 15th Annual Sloan-C Conference on Online
Learning, October 28-30 in Orlando, Florida
http://www.sloan-c.org/conference/index.asp where we will focus our
presentation on the past, present, and future of distance learning with the
inclusion of video as a key component. If you are unable to attend either event,
email us
distancelearning@learner.org and we will be happy to coordinate a session
with your school.
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