NEWS & NOTABLES
ISTE Welcomes New SIGs
This year marks the implementation of a new structure for the Special Interest Group Program, with three different levels of SIGs: Topic-Level, Forum-Level, and Division-Level. New SIGs begin at the Topic-Level. These SIGs are informal, loosely affiliated groups of members who convene to discuss narrowly focused topics or leading edge innovations within the Ed Tech field.
The new Topic-Level SIGs approved this fall by the ISTE Board are:
Arts Educators (SIGAE)
This SIG’s purpose is to create a community of arts educators who regularly make use of technology to enhance teaching and learning and therefore help arts educators connect, collaborate, and share best practices. This SIG will also recruit and include educators who infuse arts-through-technology into their various disciplines and to help make explicit connections between arts and technology standards.
Digital Storytelling (SIGDS)
This SIG’s purpose is to generate “21st Century StoryKeepers,” to practice effective communication skills, to explore the power of storytelling across the curriculum, to use digital storytelling as a core staff development model and as a community experience, and to create collaborative opportunities for everyone to participate in storytelling. This SIG will assist ISTE in taking a leadership role of storytelling as emerging communication tool, even reaching beyond school and 21st century skills into the business worlds. While the practice of oral storytelling, especially to children, is well known, emerging practices of applying storytelling to organizational leadership, healthcare, nonprofits, consulting, blogging, multimedia, marketing, and other areas are less familiar.
Games and Simulations (SIGGS)
SIG is dedicated to understanding and advancing the use, integration, design, development, and evaluation of games and simulations for teaching and learning. Members are concerned with issues related to the advancement and understanding of how games and simulations impact teaching, learning, and education in general. Through initiatives, services, and outreach, the SIG serves to advance ISTE’s mission by developing and disseminating resources available to practitioners, researchers, and developers committed to improving teaching and learning using games and simulations.
Independent Schools (SIGIS)
This SIG will provide a forum for discussion that supports the unique needs of independent school educators based, in part, on their often unique features such as individual missions, clientele, and funding models. ISTE and NECC offer a unique opportunity for independent schools and public schools to connect regionally and at a distance to share educational technology innovations, strategies, and best practices and to develop professional development partnerships.
Music and Technology (SIGMT)
The purpose of this SIG will be to share and disseminate research and best practices in creating, performing, listening to, understanding, and responding to music with the assistance of technological tools. The primary focus of the group will be on the pedagogical applications of technology for music teaching and learning. In addition, the use of technologies to integrate music in to other disciplines will also be addressed.
Technology in Afterschool Programs (SIGTAP)
Afterschool programs function in most high-need public schools across the United States. Research shows that high-need students use technology in school settings more often than non-high-need students as they frequently don’t have access in their home environment. However, observations show that in many school-based afterschool programs, technology activities consist of using computers primarily for homework and research. This situation offers opportunities for introducing more technology-enriched activities in afterschool programs. By bringing the technology resources of day school together with the need of the afterschool programs, a truly enriching environment could be created. This SIG will bring together educators who wish to develop effective means for integrating technology into afterschool programs.
For more information about these new SIGs, visit their wikis.
ISTE Announces a Ning
Following the huge success of the NECC 2008 Ning, ISTE has chosen to form a Ning community for its members: http://iste-members.ning.com/
A Ning is a social networking site where members can create groups, post news, maintain a blog, post news items, and hold forum discussions. The purpose of the ISTE Ning is to bring together the entire ISTE member community in one place for discussion, networking, and resource sharing.
If you have never joined a Ning, go to http://iste-members.ning.com/ and "Create a profile" to join in the conversation. If you already have a Ning account, simply join the ISTE Ning.
NECC 2009 Registration Opens
Registration is now open online or via phone, fax, or mail, for the 30th annual National Educational Computing Conference.
NECC 2009 will focus on digital citizenship as well as all the great things you’ve come to expect from NECC: top-notch keynote speakers; a fabulous opening reception; and three jam-packed days of exciting sessions, workshops, and informal learning formats. We’ll also be celebrating ISTE and NECC’s 30th Anniversary: three decades of Ed Tech leadership!
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