Program Schedule | Interconnect News | Programming Changes
Interconnect Selects (WPT programming highlights) | Updates & Changes
In this March 2008 issue:
Instructional Programming | Final Forte | Reading Rainbow - Contest
The Supreme Court | Waunakee Elementary Teacher in the Mode
Conferences for March/April | Congratulations | DTV Explained
Interconnect News Archive
Your Vote Steers the Course of Instructional Television Programming
Each year, a handful of new instructional television programs are carefully selected among many to enhance and update the existing instructional television program schedule. As educators in the state of Wisconsin, you’ve come to rely on this programming offered by the Educational Communications Board (ECB) to support your curriculum and inform your students.
Understanding how new programs go from distant possibility to the Parade of Programs line-up reveals an important link in the decision-making chain: you.
Wisconsin is one of only a few states that integrate teacher input extensively into its selection
of instruc-tional programming. The ECB’s annual Teacher Preview Event invites Wisconsin’s K-12 teachers to review and vote on the instructional television programming proposed for next
year’s line-up.
Many of you have already cast your vote by visiting www.ecb.org/previews.
When the voting period ends on March 14, 2008, all ballots are tallied and all comments read. Says Marta Bechtol, Director of School Services, “The comments teachers provide are just as important as the actual votes. The comments draw us to what they feel is most important and essential to programming decisions.”
After balloting closes on March 14, 2008, the results are shared with each of the six teacher advisory committees and their regional liaisons. The results are analyzed in detail, with an equal emphasis placed on the actual votes and all of the related comments. Says Bechtol, “We assume that the votes given for specific programs are a direct indicator of what kind of programming teachers are looking for. This input is essential to the program decisions we make.”
By late April, a final selection of new programming for the coming academic year is made and posted for all Wisconsin state educators online here in the Interconnect 2.0 section of our web site. New programs will also be printed in the May 2008 Interconnect, and of course, in the 2008-2009 Parade of Programs.
Your vote counts and we encourage you to continue casting your ballot in the years to come. If you would like to be involved with a teacher advisory committee next year, contact your regional liaison for more information.
The Final Forte Finals to be broadcast
The drama and excitement of one of Wisconsin’s leading performance
competitions for talented youth musicians is the subject of
Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte
Airing on Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 5th
WPT will present an encore broadcast at 9 p.m. Monday, April 7.
The program is a collaboration of Wisconsin Public Television (WPT), the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).
Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte is hosted by WPT’s Kathy Bissen and Lori Skelton of WPR.
Wisconsin Public Radio will broadcast the competition live at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.
The competition features the four finalists of the 2008 Bolz Young Artists Competition who will perform con-certo excerpts with the MSO under the direction of Music
Director John DeMain before a live audience. From the
finalists, two winners will be chosen by a panel of
distin-guished judges to receive a $1,000 scholarship. Up to two $500 scholarships will be
awarded for honorable mention.
At 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 2, WPT’s taping of Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte in Overture Hall at the Overture Center, 201 State Street in Madison, is free and open to the public. Those who would like to attend the live performance should call (608) 257-3734.
No tickets will be issued and audience members must be seated by 6:45 p.m.
Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest
Encourage your kids in grades K-3 to write and illustrate their own stories!
Entries will be accepted between
January 1 - March 21, 2008.
Applications will be available on the web at:
www.wpt.org/kids, or by calling:
608/265-5035 beginning in January.
The Supreme Court
Learn how to use this exciting series in your classroom!
The State Bar of Wisconsin -- March 6-8, 2008 -- www.legalexplorer.com
WCSS-IEC 2008 Conference -- MArch 31-April 1, 2008 -- www.wcss-wi.org
VIEW THE FULL AD AND AIRDATES ON WPT AT: HTTP://WWW.ECB.ORG/SUPREMECOURT
A Waunakee Elementary Teacher is in the Mode!
Heather Lawnicki,
Spanish Teacher,
Heritage Elem./
Waunakee Intermediate,
Waunakee
Community School District
What is your role on the World Languages Teacher Development Team?
I am a contributing teacher member of the committee. I have also
had the wonderful opportunity to participate in one of the video shoots.
How will teachers of world lang-uages benefit from World
Language Assessment: Get in the Mode!?
There is a great need for informed second language speakers in our
country and around the world. This video series will help teachers use
the tools at their disposal to meet this need. I believe it will empower
and motivate my fellow language teachers.
In your opinion, what are the strengths of the program?
World Language Assessment: Get in the Mode! explains how and why to
use assessment within teaching methodology and then shows it in action.
You get to see a teacher teach part of a lesson and then listen to their
own explanation of their goals and strategies.
Why is an assessment program like this important?
Assessment is an important tool for creating your program. It is important to figure out
where you want to go before you create a plan to get there. From the point of assessment,
a teacher can logically plan lessons and activities designed to take the student all the way
to the desired outcome.
The end recipients are, of course, students. What are their benefits?
Designing instruction is always a challenge, and a supportive instructional community provides teachers with the tools to create positive learning experiences for their students. Additionally, the innovative examples provided by the series will help teachers plan engaging and fun activities, which is really the best of both worlds. Teachers who have furthered themselves in their craft are invaluable.
Learn more about Into the Book, democracy it is! and teachers' domin
at the following conferences in March and April:
Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST)
March 13-15, 2008
Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, Lake Geneva
The ECB presents Teachers' domain!
_________________________
and the International Education (WCSS)
March 31-April1, 2008
Madison Marriot West, Madison
The ECB presents democracy it is! and Hometown Stories
_________________________
April 6-8, 2008
Wyndham Hotel Milwaukee Airport, Milwaukee
The ECB presents Into the Book, teachers' domain,
and a workshop in Publishing Datacasts on your Web Site
Congratulations to the ECB!
The Instructional TV series, democracy it is!, has garnered two
additional awards for excellence in 2007!
The AVA Platinum Award has been awarded to democracy it is!—“Activism and
Social Justice” by the Asssociation of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international Ava Awards recognizes outstanding work by creative
profes-sionals involved in the concept, writing, direction, shooting, and editing
of audio-visual materials and programs. Ava Awards is administered and judged
by AMCP. The international organization rewards outstanding achievement and
service to the profession.
The National Educational Telecommuni-cations Association (NETA) has awarded democracy it is! Best Instructional Series in the Instructional Media Category.
NETA is a membership organization serving public television stations.
NETA annually recognizes the best in program production, promotion, outreach,
and instructional media.
Digital TV Explained
Making the Switch to Digital TV—Will your School be Ready? (PDF Download)
On February 18, 2009, all television broadcast in the United States will become digital.
The benefits of this transition will bring improved sound and picture quality, and ultimately a more efficient use of broadcast ‘space.’
For you and your school district, this means better quality, more choices, and more control over your television. Go to www.dtv.gov and www.dtvtransition.org for more information on this transition.
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Interconnect News 2008 Archive
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