Free Webinars from AbleNet University!

Okay, sorry, you are going to miss the first one which was TODAY!  Don't know how I missed the email listing these webinars ---- I am pretty sure ---- that you will be able to view the first one as an archive or recent held webinar ----

AAC Developing Participation:  Part 1:  Getting started, April 30, 2013, CST 12 pm to 1 pm
AAC Developing Participation:  Part 2:  Building Fundamentals, May 9, 2013, CST 12 pm to l pm
AAC Developing Participation:  Part 3:  Making Connections, May 21, 2013, CST 12 pm to l pm
Customizing iPad Content for Students with Special Needs, May 22, 2013, CST 11 am to 12 pm
iPad for AAC in the Community, May 22, 2013, CST 12:30 pm to 1 pm
AAC Developing Participation:  Part 4:  Bridging Skills, June 4, 2012, CST 12 pm to 1 pm
AAC Developing Participation:  Part 5:  Maximizing Participation, June 25, 2013, 12 pm to 1 pm

You do have to register to participate, follow the links attached to the titles!

Celebrate Arbor Day in Connecticut - April 30th!

In 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day!  In 2004 Oak became America's National Tree! 

Arbor Day is celebrated throughout the U.S. on different days depending on the State.  This year Connecticut celebrates Arbor Day on April 30th --- The White Oak or Quercus alba is Connecticut's State Tree!

Planting trees native to our region is a good idea ---- they will be able to stand up to our "wacky" weather - you know ---- hurricanes in September followed by recorded snow storms in October!

Go out and plant a TREE! 

For more information, visit Arbor Day Foundation for a tree guide, neat tree wizard that will help you pick the right tree by answering some simple questions, tree benefits calculator, right tree/right place guide, free landscape design ideas, hardiness zones (Connecticut is a Zone 6), and trees for wildlife.

Stand Against Racism

Stand Against Racism is a movement of the YWCA that aims to eliminate racism by raising awareness through this annual event.  Over 300,000 people are expected to take a Stand Against Racism in 2013!

To check out more information on this movement visit the Stand Against Racism website.

Come into the SERC Library to see our display of resources created for this day.  The display will be available for the next two weeks.

One on the 24th, two on the 25th - Free Webinars!

Free Webinars ---

 

Introducing our new National Geographic online resource JUST FOR KIDS! Please join us for a free one-hour webinar to learn how National Geographic Kids will unearth delights and discoveries for you, along with your students, teachers, and patrons.

Engage students and broaden their horizons with reputable, authoritative, and child-focused content that will bring them the world in a way they’ve never seen it before. Fun and substantive, National Geographic Kids will take them on amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space. National Geographic Kids includes: 500 kid-friendly images 200 National Geographic Kids books National Geographic Kids magazine Popular themes of animals, environment, people, cultures, history, geography, science, and technology Authoritative, nonfiction content in support of the Common Core State Standards

The National Geographic Virtual Library includes National Geographic Magazine Archive, 1888-1994, National Geographic Magazine Archive, 1995-Current, National Geographic: People, Animals, and the World, and the new National Geographic Kids.

Content Provided by: Blended Learning & Your School Join Tom Vander Ark as he guides you through the steps to setting up blended learning in your school. Learn what questions to ask when evaluating technology and curriculum solutions and the pitfalls to avoid when developing blended learning for the elementary grades. Guest: Tom Vander Ark, CEO, GettingSmart.com This webinar will be moderated by Tim Hudson, Ph. D., director of curriculum design, DreamBox Learning. Register now for this free live webinar.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2 to 3 pm ET

 

   

Photo credit: Issac Baldizon/NBAE

Thursday, April 25th at 1:00 PM EDT

Tune in with your students to watch James and Dwyane discuss why reading is the key
to success in life!

James and Dwyane will share why reading has changed their lives, and provide useful tips
on getting kids to love books as much as they do.

Perfect for classrooms and entire schools to watch -
together!

Sign Up Now at JamesPattersonEvents.com

       

 

National Library Week - April 14-20, 2013 and Snapshot Day - April 16, 2013

Help the SERC Library celebrate National Library Week and Snapshot Day!

Come on into the SERC Library during the week and especially on Snapshot Day April 16th to participate in our celebration!  We will be offering some FREE resources for patrons to take, SERC Library bags, and more!

Snapshot Day is celebrated in Connecticut so libraries all over Connecticut can take a "snapshot" -- collecting information to capture the impact that Connecticut libraries have on their communities on a typical day.  We will ask for comments and take pictures and submit our entries to be posted online at http://snapshotctlib.wordpress.com after April 30, 2013. 

For more information on National Library Week, http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek

Come on in and have some fun!!!!! 

Purple Up! for Military Kids!

Wear PURPLE Monday April 15, 2013!

Show the children of our men and women servicing in the military that our community supports them.

Purple symbloizes all the branches of the military, as it is the combination of ARMY green, COAST GUARD red, MARINE navy, and AIR FORCE blue.  Purple Up! acts as a visible way to show support and thank military youth for their strength and sacrifices as well.

Let's see if we can get everyone to join this statewide show of support on Monday April 15, 2013!  Spread the news about Purple Up!

Military kids all over Connecticut are heroes too! 

Send your photos to post on the CT Operation: Military Kids and the NLC 4-H  Facebook pages, where military youth and families from across the state will be able see them!

UConn Cooperative Extension, Operation: Military Kids & 4-H Military Club Programs
New London County Extension Center, 562 New London Turnpike, Norwich, CT 06360
For more information, contact: Lisa Marcinkowski
https://www.facebook.com/pages/CT-Operation-Military-Kids/123348571035116?ref=ts
phone 860-885-6106 • fax 860-886-1164
 email lisa.marcinkowski@uconn.edu                                                                     
The University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.

Classroom resources to help CELEBRATE National Poetry Month!

Yes, April is also Nation Poetry Month! 

Check out Edutopia Editorial Assistant Matt Davis's blog post for resources teachers can use to include poetry in classroom lessons --- http://www.edutopia.org/blog/national-poetry-month-teacher-resources-matt-davis

What's A Poem?

A whisper,
a shout,
thoughts turned     
inside out.

A laugh,
a sigh,
an echo
passing by.

A rhythm,
a rhyme,
a moment
caught in time.

A moon,
a star,
a glimpse
of who you are.

--Charles Ghigna

National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month and the Autism community has been clebrating April as National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s.  The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity to highlight the growing need for concern and awareness and to educate the public about autism and issues within the the autism community. 

Check out the Autism Society website page on National Austism Awareness Month.

In addition, The IDEA Partnership has put together an awesome list of resources on autism, follow this link to the list http://www.ideapartnership.org/documents/ASD-Collection/2-2013/ASD_resource-guide.pdf?utm_source=Copy+of+Autism+Final&utm_campaign=ASD+Campaign&utm_medium=email

A Bunch of FREE Webinars!

Okay, I am listing all the free webinars I have so far so I can get on to posting other good April "stuff" --- there is a lot of "stuff" that will be coming your way for April!    Here goes the free webinars in date order:

Herff Jones/Nystrom presents:

"Houston, we have a problem."  Social Studies & the Common Core State Standards, Thursday, April 11, at 3:30 CDT with Robert Austin, to sign up for this event, go to http://bit.ly/HoustonWeHaveAProblem.

Education Week presents:

State Networks Propel STEM Education, Thursday, April 11 2 to 3 pm ET, with Jeff Weld and Marcella Klein Williams and moderated by Erik Robelen, to sign up for this event, go to http://www.edweek.org/topics/stem/index.html, scroll down the page and on the right hand side you will find a link to register for this webinar.

eSchool News and JAMF Software:

Extending Apple's Native Tools, Tuesday, April 16, at 2 pm CT, to sign up for this event, go to http://info.jamfsoftware.com/extending-apples-native-tools-register/?utm_source=eschool-news&utm_medium=custom-email&utm_term=extending-apples-native-tools&utm_content=education-webinar-series&utm_campaign=webinar-3-2013

eSchool News and JDL Horizons:

Empowering Learning with Video, Wednesday, April 17, 2 pm EST, with Shannon Miller, Connie Jaeger, and Jon Bergmann, to sign up for this event, go to https://eschoolmedia.webex.com/mw0307l/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=eschoolmedia&service=6&rnd=0.19292591202524279&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Feschoolmedia.webex.com%2Fec0606l%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D1003703445%26%26%26%26siteurl%3Deschoolmedia

School Improvement Network:

Implement the Common Core into Curriculum and Assessments, Thursday, April 18, 2 pm ET, presented by Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs, to sign up for this event, go to https://events-na8.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/1093648891/en/events/event/shared/default_template/event_landing.html?sco-id=1125847922&campaign-id=e2-4-2&_charset_=utf-8

Free webinar on Technology and Cognitive Support: Strategies and Tools for Organization and Planning - April 2nd!

This is a series of live free webinars from AbleNet University.  You do have to register follow this link:  https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=rrmbs28zfry4.  The webinar is from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm CST.  This is the second in the series, sorry missed the notice on the first one.  The third one is on Strategies and Tools for Task Completion and Routines on April 11th from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm CST and all of the series was presented by Gayl Bowser.  You can also check out some of their archived webinars.