Sunday, October 29, 2006

Read Across Arizona - Getting Busy!!! One week to go!!!

We are getting busy with preparations !
  • Teachers have made transportation requests
  • Transportation Department is working to coordinate their schedule to honor them, if conflicts I will be busy rescheduling events to the following week
  • This coming week I will be conducting several test connections with partner sites and student tours of the ITv Distance Learning Classroom

RA Az Conferences begin Monday, November 6th

Last year, through our District's involvement with the Pinal County ITv Consortium, MUSD learned about and became involved in 'Read Across America' (RAA). RAA Day is not a new concept, delivering events via videoconferences that partner classrooms around the country, is!ITv added a new level of energy and hi-tech to an annual classroom standard.
Learn more about, and see pictures from, MUSD's 2006 RAA Participation...
... and other MUSD ITv Events held in Spring 2006! The annual event typically partners community members, local libraries and classroom's for a day of reading celebration. Guest readers visit classroom's and read to students, libraries hold Book Fair's and Author related activities. MUSD Elementary School's were celebrating RAA before the advent of ITv Technology and traditionally occur in March, to coincide with the birthday of Dr. Suess! Last year, for the first time, NEA and TWICE partnered to develop and coordinate the First Annual Nationwide Videoconferencing celebration of RAA. This school year, NEA and TWICE are again partnering to bring us an exciting new look at RAA. In March 2007, MUSD will participate in Read Around the Planet! As an advance event, Nicole Steele of Florence School District, in partnership with Pinal County ITv Consortium, introduces Read Across Arizona. this event will partner classrooms within Arizona in a November 2006 Celebration of Reading! Registration 9/11 - 9/22. If you are an MUSD teacher and would like to participate, please email achayefsky@musd20.org and register at with RA Az HERE!
If you are an AZ teacher, from a non-MUSD school, and would like to participate, register HERE!

Never ending activities in Technology - The week after Read Across Arizona, we will begin our 'Technology Learning Assessments'. The state has mandated that over 200 8th graders and nearly 200 5th graders be assessed this Fall to measure our alignment of the NCLB 8th Grade Technology Proficiency Requirement.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Read Across Arizona is less than 2 weeks away! During the first 2 weeks of November, thirteen MUSD classrooms will connect to videoconferencing partners across Arizona. This celebration of reading and community is the Pre-Event to Read Around the Planet!

See Janine Lim's BLOG 'Out on a Lim'

We have booked the MUSD ITv/Distance Learning Lab and are busy confirming match dates and times. Teachers are contacting their partners and finalizing their classroom presentation ideas! I have already heard such wonderful ideas and am so fortunate that I get to facilitate every single event!

Our thanks are extended to Nicole Steele of the Florence Unified School District, Florence, AZ for her incredible efforts to launch, promote and coordinate this first year of RAAz. Her vision and drive have added another rich layer to videoconferencing in Pinal County.

SEE You!