Generation YES Express
Youth and Educators Succeeding
Back to School 2008
In This Issue
New! GenYES 2.0
Student Tech Leaders
Constructing Modern Knowledge
14th Year of GenYES
Brooklyn TechYES Science
CA Tech Fund
Student-Teacher Partnerships
Quick Links
Dear ,

The beginning of each school year always brings renewed energy and hope. This month I begin my fifth decade as an educator. My wife and I have been fortunate enough to teach in many countries over the past 40 years.

I recently came across this photo of some students we taught in a small village near Kandahar Afghanistan. This picture is from 1973 -- before the Russians, Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and Americans arrived. As I read about the many children who are being killed in this beautiful country, I often think about the students I have taught in Afghanistan and other war-torn countries and dream of the day when all the terror ends.

The 2008-09 school year looks to be one of change and optimism and Generation YES will continue to work with the youth and educators of world to utilize the power of technology for the benefit all people.

Forward... Dennis
GenYES 2.0 - Here it is!

The exemplary GenYES model had a major update this summer to make it easier to use and even more aligned with the needs of 21st century schools.

GenYES 2.0 can help you leverage your students' tech-savvy passion with your technology integration vision! Empowered GenYES students can inspire teachers to use technology and provide help in every classroom.
  • GenYES students learn technology skills and apply those skills to real life issues -- teaching teachers technology, building classroom resources, and doing tech support.
  • All resources online for ease of use
  • New student-powered online help desk for the whole school
  • New student project tools and teacher class management tools
  • New blog and wiki tools
  • Activity guides and 20+ units of curriculum teach technology skills, multimedia, media literacy, audio, video, Web 2.0 tools, level 1 tech support, and more. Advanced units cover student leadership, community service, careers and more advanced tech support.
  • GenYES students learn collaboration skills, project planning, teaching, mentoring and troubleshooting skills.
  • Comprehensive reports provide data on all participating teachers, students, and projects.
PERMANENT LICENSE - The GenYES 2.0 site license is a one-time only purchase. Club or class; elementary, middle and high school.

Read more about GenYES 2.0 online or in this downloadable Fact Sheet.

Note: GenYES 2.0 includes all resources from our Generation TECH student tech support program, which is being retired and integrated into GenYES 2.0.
New York State Student Technology Leaders Launched
Generation YES held two week-long summer camps for all the middle schools in 25 upstate New York districts. Students who attended the summer camp will return to their schools and recruit other NYSSTL club members. Under the direction of a NYSSTL advisor at each school, the club members will utilize both the TechYES and GenYES programs to ensure that all their peers are technology literate and that teachers have the technology integration support they need.

Check out a video taken at the camp.

Constructing Modern Knowledge
Computer-rich learning adventures for creative educators

Constructing Modern Knowledge 2008 was held this summer as a minds-on institute for educators committed to creativity, collaboration and computing. Sylvia Martinez was one of the faculty, and her reflections on this really different event are recorded in the Generation YES blog. CMK logo

Be sure to check out the video of the event!

The next Constructing Modern Knowledge event will be held in January in Philadelphia and focus on math/science and technology. More information here!

Stay tuned for an announcement of CMK09 to be held next summer.
Original GenYES School Begins 14th Year of GenYES
The GenYES model started with Washington Middle School in Olympia, Washington in 1994. Today, GenYES is as popular with WMS students and teachers as it has ever been! Congratulations to GenYES advisor Kathy Kinnaird and the hundreds of WMS GenYES students who have worked tirelessly to integrate new technologies into the teaching and learning process.

Imagine this - the first GenYES students from 1994 are almost 30 years old now!
Twelve Brooklyn Middle Schools Start TechYES Science
Summer was busy for science teachers in 12 Brooklyn middle schools. Intensive workshops conducted by Dr. Gary Stager and Dr. Dennis Harper prepared these 7th grade science teachers to work with Lego robotics, Microworlds, and the TechYES Science program.

Click here for more on this workshop including photos.

This fall, every 7th grade student in each participating school will each complete two TechYES Science projects showing they have met national technology standards.

TechYES Science is NEW!
TechYES Science is a Student Technology Literacy Certification program designed to introduce students to technology and information literacy through science projects.

TechYES Science can be part of any middle school science class, and meet two needs at once. The completed TechYES Science projects are assessed both for science content and technology use. TechYES is correlated to the ISTE NETS standards for students and meets the NCLB 8th grade technology literacy mandate.

By recruiting a group of students to act as TechYES Peer Mentors, TechYES Science can expand the opportunities for all students and help all science teachers bring more technology into their lessons. With TechYES Science, science teachers can focus on their science lessons, and do not have to teach or assess technology.

Find out more about TechYES Science online

GenYES part of California Emerging Technology Fund grant
We are very proud that we are going to be playing a part in a grant-funded program to help rural California cities incorporate technology to play a part in the global economy. The central California cities of Firebaugh, San Joaquin, and Mendota will share a $633,000 grant to provide vocational, citizenship, computer literacy and English classes through distance learning.

As part of the grant, middle schools will offer GenYES classes to students so these students can help their schools and communities use the new technology.

Read more about this innovative community initiative here.

Edutopia Suggests Student-Teacher Partnerships Edutopia articleto Innovate without Extra Money
The George Lucas Education Foundation suggests five steps districts should take to support technology during tough financial times. One critical step involves "Learning with Your Students" and has quotes from both Sylvia Martinez and Dennis Harper of Generation YES. Check out the Edutopia article.
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