GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING EDUCATON Pipeline October 2006 American History through Southern Eyes G eorgia Public Broadcasting has col- laborated with several Augusta, Ga. area organizations to produce a new series entitled American History through Southern Eyes. This six-part series examines our nation's past from a uniquely southern perspective, capturing the events and personalities that affected the South and its development. The Augusta area is used as a case study to illustrate the history of the South and why it continues to fascinate us today. The individual programs, each approximately thirty minutes in length, are entitled "Living the American Revolution," "King Cotton," "Living the Civil War," "The Road to Civil Rights," "Making a Modern South" and "World War I and the South." Each epi- sode delves into historical topics and includes interviews with historians, period artwork, archival photos and artifacts, and historical reenactments (pictured). This GPB Original Production airs for the first time this month. Don't miss your chance to watch this series from the beginning! Check the GPB education schedule for air times on satellite. Overnight: Saturday, October 7 and 14 from 4 a.m. - 5:30 a.m.; Encores Saturday, October 21 and 28 from 4 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. New Series Airs on GPB "Staying in School is Worth the Ride." Each episode of Road Trip is a selfcontained story that opens doors for middle and high school students to the new and exciting opportunities offered by Georgia's technical colleges. GPB will air a new episode of Road Trip each month. Don't miss the opportunity to watch this new series! R oad Trip is a new series that GPB will air on satellite and overnight. Each episode features a seriocomic story that follows two career counselors at the fictitious Callaway High School as they attempt to slow their county's alarming dropout rate by taking students on visits to Georgia technical colleges. There were a total of 37 colleges visited throughout the taping of the series. The overall message: Check the education program schedule for times and dates this program will air on satellite. Click here to find out when Road Trip will air on overnight. GPB's Broadcast of Eyes on the Prize Eyes on the Prize has been reprised as part of PBS's distin- Air dates and times: guished American Experience series, and GPB supplemented its October schedule with programming that complements the The first six episodes of Eyes on the Prize are scheduled for rebroadcast. broadcast on October 2, 9 and 16 at 9 p.m. Part two of the se- ries will be aired at a later date. GPB's Original Production Conversations will feature Con- gressman John Lewis of Georgia's Fifth District in a two-part Part one of Conversations featuring John Lewis airs October 1 series. Lewis has often been called "one of the most coura- at 1 p.m., October 2 at 11 p.m. and October 3 at 7 p.m. geous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced." As a student at Fisk University, he played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement. Part two of Conversations airs October 8 at 1 p.m., October 9 at 11 p.m. and October 10 at 7 p.m. During the Movement, Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tenn., volunteered to participate in the Freedom Rides, and was named Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Please check GPB's television schedule for more information. Along with airing a special two-part series of Conversations, GPB will continue to build a theme around Eyes on the Prize with programs featuring interviews with Civil Right's leaders, including Joseph Lowery and Andrew Young. Using Music to Teach Mathematics Grant A grant opportunity, supported by the National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM) and the Esther Mendlesohn Fund, is available for current teachers of mathematics in grades k-2. The purpose of this grant is to incorporate music into the elementary school classroom to help young students learn mathematics. Maximum amount funded to awarded participants will be $3,000. Please visit http://www.nctm.org/about/met/mendlesohn.htm for more information about the grant. Individual teachers and small groups of teachers collaborating in one grade or across grade levels may submit proposals. Grant proposals should include important aspects of combining mathematics and music, the plan for improving students' learning of mathematics, and the anticipated impact on students' achievement. Deadline to get proposals in is November 3, 2006. Page 2 Earn Professional Learning Units and Graduate Credit with PBS TeacherLine! PBS TeacherLine is kicking off a new course schedule for the fall. All of the courses meet national standards and can be taken anytime, anywhere with internet access. The courses are a part of TeacherLine's online professional development. Expert teachers lead the multimedia courses and promote meaningful dialogue among the course participants. The courses can be used for re-certification, pay upgrades and Professional Learning Units. Graduate credit can also be earned for an additional fee. There is a huge selection of courses to choose from. Topics for courses range from "Children's Authors on the Web: Online Sites that Motivate Students to Write" to "Gender Equity in the Mathematics Classroom." Complete listings of courses are available at PBS TeacherLine. Visit the PBS TeacherLine Web site to browse or enroll. Curious George and PBS KIDS Preschool Block Curious George headlines the new PBS Kids preschool block on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Based on the popular books by Margret and H.A. Rey, Curious George encourages children to explore science, engineering and math in the world around them. Along with Curious George, the PBS Preschool block includes Clifford, Dragon Tales and It's a Big, Big World. The block also features a live host, Miss Lori, who engages preschoolers in fun themed activities. All of the themed activities were chosen based on their relevance to kids' lives. This block was developed to serve the needs of a preschool audience, ages 3 to 5 years, and will appear on GPB weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. To find out more about Curious George, please click here. National Education Computer Conference in Atlanta Georgia Public Broadcasting administrators, policy makers, has partnered with the Interna- and industry representatives tional Society for Technology from all over the world about in Education (ISTE) and the topics relating to education Georgia Department of Educa- and technology. tion to bring the National Education Computer Conference (NECC) to Georgia June 24 27, 2007 at the World Congress Center. NECC is the most comprehensive educational technology event in the world. At this conference, educators are given an opportunity to present to teachers, technology coordinators, library media specialists, teacher educators, Presentation submission opportunities are divided into six major categories and a variety of themes. Special consideration will be given to sessions regarding technology's role in developing 21st-century learners. The deadline for submitting a proposal is October 4, 2006. There are also opportunities for educators to volunteer at NECC. Don't miss out on your chance to sign-up and represent Georgia at NECC! For more information about this conference, please visit NECC. For more information about presenting, please visit NECC presentations. Page 3 Programs to Look for in October Cobb County Alcohol and Drug Awareness Conference Georgia Public Broadcasting will air the 2006 Alcohol and Drug Awareness Conference for elementary schools live on October 27. This year, the conference will be held at Still Elementary School in Powder Springs, Ga. It is a half-day event and will begin at 9 a.m. The 2006 Alcohol and Drug Awareness Conference includes a puppet show with Cobb Fire, a magic act, a campus k-9 presentation, and public safety exhibits. For more information about the event, please visit www.cobbcountyga.gov/adad/. Channel 420, Friday, October 27 from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. How Art Made the World "How Art Made the World," is a lively investigation into the far-reaching influence of art on society. Dr. Nigel Spivey, an acclaimed art historian and University of Cambridge lecturer, hosts this intriguing series and takes viewers on a quest to comprehend mankind's unique capacity to understand and explain the world through artistic symbols. Speaking in colorful, nontechnical language and aided by state-of-the-art computer graphics, Spivey explores the latest thinking by historians, neuroscientists and psychologists regarding the deep-seated and universal human desire to create art. Channel 420, Friday, October 6 from 7:00 a.m. to noon. Where We'll Be October 6-7, 2006 Georgia Association on Young Children (GAYC) 2006 Annual Conference Gwinnett Civic and Cultural Center Duluth, Ga. October 13-15, 2006 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ASCD Conference Buena Vista Palace Orlando, Fla. October 18-20, 2006 Georgia Council for the Social Studies GCSS Annual Conference Classic Center Athens, Ga. October 19-21, 2006 Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Georgia Mathematics Conference Rock Eagle 4-H Center Eatonton, Ga. November 3-4, 2006 Ashley Bryan Children's Literature Conference Atlanta Fulton Public Library Atlanta, Ga. November 15-17, 2006 Georgia Educational Technology Consortium 19th Annual GaETC Conference Georgia International Convention Center Atlanta, Ga. November 15-17, 2006 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages ACTFL 40th Annual Meeting and Exposition Nashville Convention Center and Renaissance Hotel Nashville, Tenn. February 5-6, 2007 Georgia Middle School Association GMSA 30th Annual Conference and Exhibit Marriott Riverfront Hotel Savannah, Ga. March 21-24, 2007 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics NCTM Conference Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Ga. Page 4 Meet the Staff Since we began serving the Georgia learning community in 1994, the Education division of Georgia Public Broadcasting has continued to expand the programs and services we provide. We have grown from a small department operating a single ITV channel to a resource-rich organization providing programming and training through multiple satellite channels, open air television, and the Internet. In order to ensure that we are meeting the needs of teachers and students, GPB has assembled a team of professionals with the experience and expertise required to understand those needs and provide solutions. Take a moment to read about each member of our staff below and learn who can assist you with specific questions you may have about GPB programs and services. The Leadership Mike Nixon - Director GPB Education Mike served as the Director of GPB's Information Technology Division for four years before assuming the directorship of GPB Education. His background in information systems and distance learning technology enables him to develop unique solutions for Georgia educators that maximize GPB's technological infrastructure while providing high quality resources for use in the classroom. Under his leadership, GPB Education has continued to expand our video streaming and webcasting capabilities, which provide video resources to schools via the Internet without the need for a television or VCR. Additionally, he has solidified partnerships with the Georgia Department of Education and a number of other education entities that have resulted in the development of pro- grams and resources that impact not only classroom teaching, but also professional development for educators. You may contact Mike at mnixon@gpb.org or 404-685-2256. Patrice Weaver - Operations Manager, Social Studies Patrice came to GPB after 15 years in the classroom. Before getting her Masters Degree in Instructional Design and becoming an award winning social studies teacher, Patrice worked as a Chief Executive Officer and Fiduciary Accountant for 10 years. Both of these skill sets serve her well as the Operations Manager of GPB Education, where she is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the division, including the budget, broadcast and streaming services, and client services. In addition to supervising the division's other project managers, Patrice herself serves as the social studies project manager, responsible for evaluating social studies content for broadcast and maintaining the extensive Georgia Stories website. She has been Executive Producer on a variety of education multi-media projects and continues to conduct professional development trainings statewide. Patrice actively cultivates partnerships with other state organizations in order to serve the needs of Georgia educators. You may contact Patrice at pweaver@gpb.org or 404-685-2563. The Administrative Staff Markisha Gray- Unit Service Financial Analyst Before joining GPB, Markisha worked in many different industries as an accountant for five years. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Livingstone College. Markisha's current role with GPB Education is the Unit Service Financial Analyst where she tracks, develops and analyzes budgets and statistical reports to show the department's financial position. In addition, she reviews and approves accounts payable and procurement transactions. She also monitors income and expenses for all GPB Education activities and Revenue Funded Production projects. Overall, she serves as the financial liaison for the department. If you should need any financial assistance, you may contact Markisha at mgray@gpb.org or 404-685-2558. Jascenda Pasley - Administrative Assistant Jascenda has been with GPB Education for four years, during which time she has become an indispensable part of our team. She is the person you speak with when you call the main GPB Education phone number, and she can assist you with placing orders for GPB original programs, finding the technical assistance you need for your satellite or video streaming equipment, and locating the appropriate GPB staff person to answer your contentspecific questions. Jascenda also inputs all of the program information you find in our online program guide and assists the project managers in preparation for conferences and trainings. You may contact Jascenda at jpasley@gpb.org or 404-685-2413. Page 5 Meet the Staff The Project Managers Rod Berry - Programming Rod came to GPB Education from the world of database maintenance, where he worked to keep track of GPB's membership database for five years. Now that he's part of the Education team, Rod serves the crucial function of scheduling the programming that airs on Channels 410, 420, and 430. Rod is also in charge of seeking out new programming from vendors across the nation. If you have questions or concerns about the broadcast schedule, you can contact Rod. Also, if you would like to see more programming in a particular subject area, please let Rod know and he will do his best to acquire it for broadcast. You may contact Rod at rberry@gpb.org or 404-685-2649. Deborah R. Grayson - Social Sciences Deborah comes to GPB with a Ph.D. in American Studies and over 15 years of classroom experience at the college level where her areas of expertise included Biomedical Ethics and African-American Literature and Culture. She has received awards for excellence and achievement for her work as an educator and literacy volunteer in various church and community organizations. Deborah is also a painter, quilter and doll maker who regularly exhibits her work. A recent addition to the GPB family, Deborah serves as an Education Project Manager with a concentration in Social Sciences. Her current projects include overseeing programming and evaluating content for the social sciences. She will also develop and maintain the extensive Georgia Stories Web site. Further, Deborah will facilitate partnerships between GPB and other organizations throughout the state to serve Georgia educators and learners. You may contact Deborah at dgrayson@gpb.org or 404-685-2418. Joy Jensen - Sales and Training Coordinator Joy is a graduate of the University of Georgia. While attending UGA, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and an ESOL certificate. Following graduation, she became a certificated Reading Recovery Teacher. Joy spent eight years serving as a reading specialist in Georgia Public Schools. She has also served as an ESOL teacher. Throughout her teaching career, providing professional development and sharing best practices was a priority, and she delivered many professional developments regarding literacy acquisition to her peers. Joy's passion for literacy and literature then led her to the publishing business where she worked as an Educational Consultant and Sales Representative. This diverse background supports her efforts as the Sales and Training Coordinator of GPB Education. Her projects involve coordinating and facilitating professional development across the state and raising public awareness of GPB services and products. Joy is currently working to build partnerships between GPB and other educational organizations to better serve the learning community of Georgia. You may contact Joy at jjensen@gpb.org or 404-685-2743. Laura Miller - Family Literacy, Ready to Learn Laura came to GPB from WGBH in Boston, where she served as a member of the team that piloted Ready To Learn (RTL), public broadcasting's answer to the call for all children to begin school ready to learn. Laura has a Master's Degree in Education, with an emphasis in English, and experience working in various educational settings within the K-12 arena. Since joining GPB, Laura has served the Ready To Learn needs of the entire state through workshops for educators, parents, and caregivers. Additionally, she evaluates programming and oversees professional development in the areas of early childhood education, adult literacy, and family literacy. Laura further serves the needs of these communities through the facilitation of partnerships with other organizations to develop initiatives such as the Department of Education's Reading First project. You may contact her at lmiller@gpb.org or 404-685-2521. Meghan Morris - Digital Communications Coordinator Meghan earned her bachelor's degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations from Georgia State University. While attending Georgia State, she also received a certificate in tradeshow and event planning. Meghan joined the GPB Education team as an apprentice after graduating and is now the digital communications coordinator. Currently, she produces the monthly Pipeline e-zine, marketing materials and other communication materials. She also helps to create awareness among Georgia's educational community about GPB's products and services. You may contact Meghan at mmorris@gpb.org or 404-685-2534. Page 6 Meet the Staff Barbara O'Brien - Fine Arts Barbara has been working in the fine arts community for her entire career. In addition to a wealth of personal experience as a dancer and choreographer, Barbara has an M.Ed. in education with an emphasis in dance. She has taught fine arts in classrooms from the pre-K through postsecondary levels, served as an artist-in-residence for various educational programs, and worked with such noteworthy Georgia organizations as the Fulton County Arts Council, the High Museum of Art, and Young Audiences of Atlanta. Since joining GPB as an Education Project Manager in 2003, Barbara has shared her fine arts knowledge with the larger Georgia learning community through the selection of fine arts education programming. She also provides professional development training for educa- tors who want to integrate multimedia into classroom teaching of fine arts subjects. Additionally, Barbara facilitates partnerships between GPB and other organizations that further the cause of arts education in the state. You may contact Barbara at bobrien@gpb.org or 404-685-2545. Irasshai Lisa Hannabach - Administrative Assistant for Irasshai When you call the Irasshai Hotline (1-800-883-7444 or (404) 865-2811 in the Atlanta area), chances are Lisa's will be the first voice you hear. Although she has a B.A. in Japanese Language and Culture from the University of Hawaii and has lived in Japan for ten years, she promises to answer your Irasshai-related questions in English. As the administrative assistant for GPB's Japanese language and culture distance learning program, Lisa provides support to the Irasshai staff, acts as liaison between staff and enrolled schools, and facilitates the day to day operations of the Irasshai office. Kathy Negrelli - Program Manager Kathy comes to GPB with a Ph.D. in foreign language education from The University of Georgia and more than 20 years of teaching experience in Japan and in the U.S. ranging from elementary to university level. She has served on the team of Irasshai - GPB's high school distance learning course in Japanese language and culture since its inception in 1995. She was an integral member in helping develop the Audio Interaction component of the course, as well as playing critical roles in the creation of Irasshai Explorer, the middle school course and iirasshai, an interactive CD-Rom supplement to Irasshai. She currently acts as liaison between GPB and Irasshai subscribers across the nation, and is editor of the Irasshai Shinbun, a newsletter devoted to providing information and activities to facilitators and students of Irasshai. Katsumi Suzuki- Program Coordinator of Irasshai Katsumi came to the U.S. as a college student to major in English at Shorter College (Rome, GA). Her original plan was to stay in the U.S. for a few years until she graduated. During her last year of college, she went to visit a Japanese class at The University of Georgia. She was so excited to see American students learning Japanese, and she dreamed about becoming a teacher herself. She was encouraged to go to graduate school at UGA, where she studied foreign language education and taught Japanese in undergraduate classes for six years. She is one of the original staff who has been working for the Japanese distance course, Irasshai, since it piloted in 1996. She completed her Ph.D. in 2001 and is still enjoying teaching Japanese and coordinating the Irasshai program. Sakiko Suzuki- Program Coordinator of Irasshai Sakiko is originally from Kyoto, Japan and moved to the U.S. in 1997. She earned her Master's degrees in languages and cultures from Kansai Gaidai University and in comparative literature from The University of Georgia. She has been serving as a program coordinator of Irasshai since 2000 after having taught elementary school, middle school, and university both in Japan and in the U.S. Since 2000, she has been helping high students across the nation learn Japanese language and culture. Her 13 years of teaching experience in a variety of settings make her unique in her role as Distance Education Specialist in GPB's Education and Technology Division. She hopes that more students in the U.S. will broaden their worldview through learning the Japanese language and culture. Page 7