February 12, 2003
Issue 3

Distance Learning Consortium,
Florida Virtual Campus
Newsletter

Consortium Information:

• MGT of America will present their organizational study findings regarding the merger of FDLC and FVC on Feb. 20 from 3-5 p.m. A call-in number is available to university representatives. Please call Heather Thompson at (850) 922-3359 or email her at hthompson@distancelearnorg to secure a spot. We’d really appreciate university input during the discussion!
  
  
• The preview tape of The Endless Voyage, Intelecom’s new oceanography telewebcourse is now available. Anyone interested in viewing it may contact Michael Kuhn at the DOE office at michael.kuhn@fldoe.org. The preview includes a lesson, course outline, a list of more than 80 experts featured in the series, and a sample textbook chapter. This course is replacing Oceanus for Fall 2003.

Useful Links:

• The Nation’s Report Card Geography 2001 is available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2001/2002484a.pdf. The report provides an overview of the state of geography education in the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades from the National Center for Education Statistics.
  
  
• Garth Kemerling at the University of Iowa has provided a link to A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names. This site includes thousands of entries, links, essays, and resource material. Check it out at http://www.philosophypages.com/dy.
  
  
• The Picture Collection at http://digital.nypl.org/mmpco contains 30,000 digitized images of original photographs, prints, and postcards from books, magazines, and newspapers from New York Public Library.
  
  
• The World Fact Book 2002, a searchable database with information on every country in the world recognized by the CIA, is available at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook. The site includes maps, flags, and facts on geography, people, government, economy, and communications issues.

In the News:

• A report on The Fiscal Survey of States reveals that state balances dropped more than 70 percent in fiscal 2003 since they peaked in 2000. According to the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers, dire financial problems have forced many states to impose across-the-board budget cuts. The types of programs states curtailed can be found at http://www.nga.org/cda/files/NOV2002FISCALSURVEY.pdf.
  
  
• Curtis Bonk, president of CourseShare.com and associate professor at Indiana University, looks at Web-based training, experiences, tool preferences, instructional approaches, and support structure at 201 organizations. A survey was conducted in April and May 2001 and included a wide range of industry types. Bonk found that “most organizations were using Web-based learning as an alternative to instructor-led courses (66 percent) or as a supplement to traditional instructor-led training courses (53 percent).” See http://www.publicationshare.com/docs/corp_survey.pdf.

Getting Girls Excited About Technology!

An article in FETConnections asks the question: Can girls and technology be successfully integrated? A growing body of research suggests that girls are not involved in technology at the level needed to advance the critical thinking skills that are highly valuable in math, science, and technology careers. Research explains why many girls do not engage in technology and offers suggestions to educators on what to do about it. A report by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), “Tech Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age,” analysis previous research, teacher surveys responses, and focus groups of middle and high school students.

Educators Robyn Treyvaud and Lori Rounds have begun a project to provide girls with encouragement and support in their efforts to use technology to meet their specific needs and goals. The girls participating in the project are forming design teams and working on collaborative projects. Since the project began, girls in Australia have begun working with girls in the U.S. and other countries using chat, PC-to-phone, and video conferencing technologies to discuss, debate, and create projects that use technology.

The enthusiasm generated by these girls has led to the formation of a club called “Geek is Chic,” which includes girls from the age 11-14. Treyvaud and Rounds say the first step to starting a similar club at your school is getting a group of girls together to discuss their perceptions of technology. They have found that girls are more likely to use technology in a social environment, rather than being isolated in front of a computer. It is easy to find project-based resources on the Internet and it’s not necessary to start from scratch, Treyvaud and Rounds say. They have seen their female students development a feeling of empowerment through a sense of ownership of the technology and say their model may be what girls need to say “Geek is Chic!”

Robyn Treyvaud is a curriculum coordinator in Melbourne, Australia and can be reached by email at robyn.treyvaud@wesleycollege.net.
Lori Rounds is a director of technology in Bethesda, Maryland, and can be reach by email at lrounds@woodsacademy.org.

Newsletter compiled and edited by Susie Henderson and Jenny Rosser