Welcome to the Generation YES Express
June 2005 - 9,664 subscribers
"SMARTS"
Thanks to all of you who sent good thoughts my way as I was heading to Liberia last month. The trip was very fruitful and the creation of a 21st century school is well on its way. What struck me the most was how the children learned. Most Liberian children (about 85%) don't go to school; their learning comes from the street. There has been no electricity in the country for years so they learn how to navigate in total darkness. Years of war, famine, and lack of medical facilities have forced students to learn quickly and well in order to survive.
I can't help but wonder what American students could achieve if they had a fraction of the 'street smarts" these Liberian kids have or how much Liberian kids could achieve if they had a fraction of the "school smarts" of their American counterparts. I am trying to figure out how the thousands of students in our Generation YES programs could utilize their skills to help these African youth and vice versa. There must be some way technology can facilitate bringing together both kinds of "smarts."
Let me know if you have any ideas or would like to help. Maybe we can talk at NECC!
Forward -
Dennis Harper
What's New at Generation YES - NECC
The 2005 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) will be in Philadelphia in less than two weeks. If you are planning on attending, we hope you will stop by the Generation YES booth (#1950), say hello and take a look at our array of new materials and resources for schools. We enjoy meeting old friends and new, and you will be able to meet many GenYES students and teachers from New York and Pennsylvania.
NECC Announcements
We are announcing some major improvements to the Generation YES programs at NECC this year.
GenYES - We are changing the name of the Gen Y program to GenYES. Although we know it's near and dear to the many schools using the program, we saw that Gen Y is becoming a marketing term for people who are now past school age. We felt the time was right to pick a name that would always mean current K-12 students. The name stands for: Gen (for Generation) and YES (Youth and Educators Succeeding).
New GenYES Curriculum - Starting Fall 2005, GenYES schools will be receiving a completely new Program and Curriculum Guide. The existing Curriculum Guide was written over 5 years ago, and in technology years, that's ancient! There are all new resources on utilizing multimedia in the classroom, blogging, podcasting, presentations, Internet techniques and much much more. Also, we have new "mini-units" for schools with specific hardware and software, including handhelds, PowerPoint®, Inspriation/Kidspiration®, and others - all done the GenYES way.
New GenYES Collaberation Guide - In the Fall, GenYES schools will be getting new Collaboration Guides for students to work through with their partner-teachers. These guides show how the GenYES process works, how to use the online tools, and where to find resources. We have separate versions for elementary and secondary schools, and we gathered input on these guides from GenYES schools around the country. These full-color resources are really worth taking a look at!
Generation TECH - Our Student Tech Support program is undergoing a top to bottom refurbishment this summer. Our blog has been such a successful addition to the online classroom tools that we added even more 21st century tools for students and teachers to use. The new tools include project management, tasks and calendars, class announcement centers, an online Learning Network, and all new curriculum units. The blog now works with standard blogreaders, and there are even podcasts of currculum supplements. This is in addition to the existing class management, assessment, and help desk and trouble ticket management system.
If you would like to read more about these changes, there are two press releases on the Generation YES site with all the details:
GenYES Announcements - https://genyes.com/news/pressreleases/07205
Generation TECH Update - https://genyes.com/news/pressreleases/072705
Meet and Mingle
We would also like to invite you to Room PACC 107 B in the Convention Center at 4:45 -5:45 PM on Wednesday. We are hosting a gathering of educators interested in student-centered technology, student empowerment, and powerful uses of classroom technology. This will be an opportunity to mingle with like-minded educators, GenYES teachers from around the world, and GenYES students - and have a Tastykake!
Sessions of Interest
Technology in My Instruction? Quick! Get Me a Gen Y Student!
Ronald Walker, Roberto Clemente Middle School
Learn how students in a large urban middle school assist teachers in creating technology-infused lessons. This is a 6-year Gen Y school and after the session, come meet the students and teacher in the Generation YES booth.
Date: Tuesday, June 28
Time: 8:30 - 9:30 AM
Location: Marriott Liberty Ballroom A/B
Celebrating a Decade of the Web in Education
Andy Carvin, EDC Center for Media & Community with Yvonne-Marie Andres, Bonnie Bracey, Ed Gragert, Dennis Harper, Patsy Wang-Iverson and David Warlick
A decade ago, the Web entered the American classroom. Join Generation YES founder Dr. Dennis Harper and a roundtable of pioneering Web educators to see what we've accomplished and what's next.
Date: Tuesday, June 28
Time: 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
Location: Marriott Salon G/H
Students as Technology Reformers: A Real Top-Down Model
Dennis Harper, Generation YES
Schools across the country are bringing the energy and expertise of their students to bear on accomplishing major educational technology goals.
Date: Wednesday, June 29
Time: 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Location: PACC 113 A
Student Leadership Strategies for Supporting Technology Integration
Gregory Partch, Hudson Falls Central School District
Strategies for student leadership programs mean offering scalable opportunities that both reward and challenge potential student leaders over the long term.
Date: Thursday, June 30
Time: 8:30 am-9:30 am
Location: PACC 103B
How We Can Encourage Girls in Technology Programs and Careers
Christina Rother, CDW-G (Sylvia Martinez - panelist)
The panelists will share ideas, projects and programs to encourage girls in technology.
Date: Wednesday, June 29
Time: 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
Location: PACC 201 C
Every Eighth Grade Student Tech Literate
Sylvia Martinez and Darlene Nowak, Generation YES
Both NCLB and common sense dictate that 21st century students should be technology literate. This session will look at research-based models that support this goal.
Date: Wednesday, June 29
Time: 3:30 pm-4:30 pm
Location: PACC 113 A
That's All For This Issue of the Generation YES Express
We hope you've enjoyed this email newsletter. If you have stories to share or news clips about technology in education, student empowerment, or funding for technology, please send them our way and you might see them in the next issue! https://www.genyes.org/about/contact
