iEARN in Action, September 12, 2008

"In iEARN you'll find a family atmosphere. There are talented and experieced teachers who are ready to help anytime. iEARN is really a wonderful world where teachers and students can learn, teach, and have fun."

-- Said Belgra, iEARN-Morocco (MEARN)

Seeking Partners: iEARN Projects!
1. Register for an iEARN Online Professional Development Course.
2. Sign up now for the September-January session of Learning Circles.
3. Holiday Card Exchange Project.
4. Exchange information about UNESCO Heritage Sites around the world.
5. Visions of Me: Self-Portrait Project.
6. Action! Animating Voices for Change!
7. What is My Country to Me?

Resources, Contests, Websites and Announcements!
8. Enter the Staple's Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition.
9. Musicians, Writers, and Artists - Take part in Daniel Pearl World Music Days.

Upcoming Events!
10. iEARN Beginners Workshop, Karachi, Pakistan, September 13
11. iEARN-USA to host educator workshop in Chicago, September 15-16.
12. iEARN-Morocco (MEARN) to host 16th Annual iEARN Conference and 13th Youth Summit, July 19-25.

Recent Events!
13. Update on cancellation of 2008 Annual iEARN Conference in Bukhara, Uzbekistan - cancellation letter posted.

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Seeking Partners: iEARN Projects and Activities
Download the 2007-2008 iEARN Project Book (in Arabic, Azeri, English, French, Spanish): http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html for a full listing of iEARN projects, see: http://media.iearn.org/projects/.
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1. REGISTER NOW FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF iEARN ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR EDUCATORS. iEARN courses bring together participants from around the world - the next session will run from October 13 - December 15, 2008. Each course is designed so that by the end of nine weeks you will have outlined how you will use a standards-based iEARN project in your classroom. Courses include: Creative Arts, Language Arts/Writing, Social Studies/Contemporary Affairs/Geography, Science/Environment/Math, Teaching of Foreign and Second Langauges, Helping Students Cope With Traumatic Events, Learning Circles, Moving Voices (making digital documentaries), and PEARL (integrating journalism skills into the classroom). Read more and register now to save your spot here.

2. REGISTER NOW FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF iEARN LEARNING CIRCLES. Learning Circles are highly interactive, project-based partnerships among a small number of schools located throughout the world. Two sessions take place each year -- September 30, 2008 - January 12, 2009, and January 30, 2009 - May 18, 2009. Learning Circle Placement forms are due September 15, 2008 for the September-January session. To learn more about Learning Circles and to link to a placement form, visit http://www.iearn.org/circles/.

3. REGISTER NOW FOR THE HOLIDAY CARD EXCHANGE PROJECT. Schools are grouped with seven other schools/classrooms from different locations in the world. Each school coordinator makes a commitment to prepare an envelope with cards to send to each of their partners to arrive before they finish school for 2008. The cards may celebrate Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid or any other festival that is celebrated at the end of the year. Classes share cultural information online throughout the exchange. Last year some groups completed their exchanges in French or Spanish. Please indicate if you would like to work with schools in a language other than English. For more info, see here. You can register here.

4. EXCHANGE INFORMATION ABOUT UNESCO HERITAGE SITES AROUND THE WORLD. Join a project in which students explore and exchange information about UNESCO Heritage sites around the world. Contact Inga Paitchadze in Georgia or see here.

5. VISIONS OF ME: SELF-PORTRAIT PROJECT USING DIGITAL MEDIA TOOLS. Students in different parts of the world design a self-portrait using digital photography, and manipulate the image(s) using a software such as Adobe Photoshop, or using available materials to create their self-portrait. Contact Dianne Shanian n the USA, or see here.

6. ACTION! ANIMATING VOICES FOR CHANGE. Join the National Children’s Museum (USA) in a global partnership using the arts, writing and journalism to create an animated public service announcement or call to action in one of six areas of engagement: the environment, health and well-being, play, the arts, civic engagement, and global neighborhood. Contact Mark Wright and Skye Hallman, USA, or for more info, see here.

7. WHAT MY COUNTRY IS FOR ME? Join youth participants around the world in sharing essays and perspectives on what their countries/nations mean for them, and what aspects they value most. To register, fill in the Teachers’ Registration Form posted in the forum and send it to Andrew Polevik and in Belarus. For more about the project, see here.

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Check it Out! Resources, Contests, Websites, Announcements.
(This includes resources that are not part of iEARN)
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8. APPLY TO THE STAPLES YOUTH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR COMPETITION. Ashoka’s Youth Venture, with Changemakers and Staples, has launched The Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition, a global search for the most creative young people that are improving their communities while positively impacting others. Youth between the ages of 12 and 24 are eligible to enter the competition and will have the opportunity to win prizes, as well as secure US$1000 in funding to advance their projects. Youth Venture will accept applications in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The deadline for entry in the competition is October, 15, 2008 and the winner will be announced in November, 2008. Please visit the competition’s homepage.

9. MUSICIANS, WRITERS AND ARTISTS- TAKE PART IN DANIEL PEARL WORLD MUSIC DAYS, OCTOBER 1-31, 2008. All musicians, students and teachers, are invited to join the 7th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days - a global network of concerts that uses the power of music to spread a message of hope and friendship around the world. There is no cost to sign up! If you would like to put your school and city on the World Music Days map, add your musical performance today: http://www.danielpearlmusicdays.org. Inspired by journalist /musician, Daniel Pearl, World Music Days also features “eStage”, an internet radio station and online gallery. where you can upload your original music, articles and poetry in the theme of “Harmony for Humanity" to be heard and seen worldwide. For more information on how you and your school can participate visit: http://www.danielpearlmusicdays.org and register your event.

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Upcoming Events
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10. iEARN BEGINNERS WORKSHOP, KARACHI, PAKISTAN, SEPTEMBER 13. The workshop will bring together a group of 57 students at Korangi Academy, Karachi, Pakistan. Post greetings here.

11. iEARN-USA TO HOST EDUCATOR WORKSHOP IN CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER 15-16. Send greetings to new iEARN teachers in the Chicago suburbs who will attend iEARN workshops. Tell them what iEARN means to you and your students and invite them to participate in projects with you. Post your greetings here.

12. iEARN-MOROCCO (MEARN) TO HOST 16th ANNUAL iEARN CONFERENCE AND 13TH YOUTH SUMMIT, JULY 19-25, 2009 IN IFRANE, MOROCCO. "Innovative Technologies and Cross Cultural Dialogue For Quality Education." http://www.iearn2009.ma/

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Upcoming Events
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13. UPDATE - The 2008 iEARN Annual Conference in Bukhara, Uzbekistan was cancelled due to safety concerns following a series of explosions in a town neighboring Bukhara. iEARN-Uzbekistan will be working with individual registrants on reimbursements. A cancellation letter has been posted to http://www.iearn.org/news/iEARN2008confcancellation_letter.pdf

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TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE NEWSFLASH: Send your announcement (2-3 lines) to newsflash@us.iearn.org.
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iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is a global non-profit network that empowers teachers and students to undertake projects designed to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people. Started in 1988, iEARN is currently active in over 120 countries, with 1,000,000 students participating as part of their education. iEARN-International: http://www.iearn.org

Download the 2007-2008 iEARN Project Book: http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html (available in Arabic, English, French, and Japanese) or for a full listing of iEARN projects, see: http://www.iearn.org/projects/
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