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=Global Classroom=

Each Sunday this page will preview upcoming eField trips and Collaborative Projects to expand your classroom beyond its four walls. Hopefully, you will find one that will send you and your students off on a new adventure, introduce you to new perspectives, and perhaps even move you to create your own project on Project Connect.

Week of September 16

 * TWICE Announces Collaborations Around the Planet**

It's time to start networking with videoconferencing colleagues for projects and events this school year. Start your year off by registering for TWICE's new Collaborations Around the Planet.

"The more people you know, the more videoconferences you can do!"

Collaborations Around the Planet is a large scale global directory and professional network of educators for videoconferencing project collaboration. TWICE, in partnership with Polycom, created this tool on the new registration database for [|Read Around the Planet]. TWICE is Michigan's K12 videoconference organization.

While the site is hosted by TWICE, the tool is open to and designed for all educators using videoconferencing.

There are two URLs for the website: [|http://projects.twice.cc/] [|www.polycom.com/education/PCATP]

Register for a new account. Add websites to your profile, a picture of yourself, and click My Projects to check off big videoconference events you've participated in to receive badges & stars next to your name. Search to find friends and build your videoconferencing network.


 * How many seeds do you think are in a pumpkin?**

This week highlights a one day project for Kindergarten through third grade classes. The Pumpkin Seed Count project is hosted by [|Jennifer Wagner at Technospud Projects.com]Registration is now open for this project which gives your class practice with estimation and measurement skills.

Make a connection. Join other classes across the world in submitting the results of your pumpkin seed count.

[|CIESE International Boiling Point Project]
CIESE was founded to improve science and mathematics education through the use of technology. This week highlights their International Boing Point Project. Join people all over the world in boiling water! The purpose of this project is to discover which factor in the experiment (room temperature, elevation, volume of water, or heating device) has the greatest influence on boiling point. It is not too late to join. The project is ongoing with submission of data due by October 26.

**Project Lemonade**
Project Lemonade is an International Problem-Based Learning Project involving videoconferencing, blogging and a wiki. Registration is now open.
 * [[image:eduwikius:podcast_logo.jpg width="163" height="132" align="left" caption="podcast_logo.jpg" link="projectlemonade:home"]]

Participation is limited and will close on November 10th! Click on the logo to view the details of this project!**

[|Megaconference Jr.]
Megaconference Jr. 2008 will be held on February 21, 2008
 * Proposal Submission is now open! Deadline for [|presenter proposals] is November 9, 2007.**

Megaconference Jr., now in its fifth year, is a project designed to give students in elementary and secondary schools around the world the opportunity to communicate, collaborate and contribute to each other's learning in real time, using advanced multi-point video conferencing technology. Presenters design and conduct videoconference-based presentations and activities focused on both academic and cultural issues. Participants are able to address questions to presenters and to collaborate with geographically diverse peers in collaborative learning activities, thus building international cultural awareness.

**JOIN Math Connections NOW!**

 * Explore opportunities to interact with other classes and make connections about the world of math.**
 * A global collaborative project connecting students and classes in their exploration of mathematics in their daily lives.** Students will use a variety of Web2.0 tools to share their personal examples of math in their everyday lives.Registration is now open at http://mathconnections.wikispaces.com

VANDERBILT VIRTUAL SCHOOL "CHRISTMAS STORIES"
Format: 45-minutevideoconferences includes 30-minute storytelling or reading aloud of Christmas stories followed by a 15-20 minute interactive Q & A with students in grades K-4 Cost: $75 per site Registration: [|http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/registration.htm] Questions: Chandra Allison, (615) 322-6511 or email Chandra at chandra.allison@vanderbilt.edu

Presenter # 1: Children's Librarian, Ms. Terri (Terri Thomas) - for students in grades K-4 Date: TUESDAY, December 11, 2007 Time: 9:00 and 10:00 AM (CENTRAL time zone)

Presenter # 2: Children's Librarian, Ms. Tori (Tori Ross) - for students in grades K-4 Date: FRIDAY, December 14, 2007 Time: 12:00 and 1:00 AM (CENTRAL time zone) - NOTICE this LATER time!!

EMPOWER PEACE WORLD CLASSROOM
series offered by The Empower Peace Foundation and The King's Academy in Jordan

Date: Thursday, December 13, 2007 Time: 11 AM/EST Web Address: www.empowerpeace.org

Emanating live from the King's Academy in Madaba, Jordan and broadcast over the internet, the Empower Peace World Classroom will feature Jordanian students providing insight into their country and culture. The students will also be incorporating aspects of historical Jordanian culture and Islamic literature into their video and PowerPoint presentation. Viewing students will have the opportunity to interact with their new friends in the Middle East by instant messaging in questions and comments.

[|MUSE] http://k20.internet2.edu/
Muse is a new social networking tool (similar to Facebook or mySpace) that makes it much easier for the variety of K20 community groups both in the United States and internationally – K12 teachers, museum curators, librarians, higher education faculty, etc. – to discover and connect with each other around the use of advanced network-enabled teaching and learning resources and applications. Just go to [|http://k20.internet2.edu] to create your account (upload your picture, add your contact information, tag your interest, link to websites, etc.). Don't just create your own account in Muse, start sharing the inspiration with others. Send this announcement to your mailing lists and user groups and help us promote use of this new global social networking tool for all!

Termite Behavior: Turning in circles the scientific way
Engage your students in a FREE interactive videoconference offered by [|Michigan State University Museum] which requires students to use the scientific experimental process to explore questions about the behavior of termites. 2. Students observe the unusual behavior of termites, and develop hypotheses to explain this behavior 3. Students test their hypotheses 4. As a group, we combine all results of the different hypotheses and narrow down the possible explanations to one or two hypotheses 5. Students test the final hypotheses 6. To finish, we discuss the biology of termites in relation to what the students discovered today 7. Time is allowed for questions and answers || Contact for more information and to schedule the program: Wiline Pangle office@virtualoutreach.org MSU Museum/ Michigan State University West Circle Drive East Lansing, MI 48824 United States Phone: (517) 353-3882 Fax: (517) 423-2846
 * **Program Description** ||  || Termites follow certain lines drawn by pen, but not others. Why is that so? Is it because termites prefer a certain ink color? Or they like to follow any ink trail that forms a circle? Or is it the crease made in the paper by some ballpoint pens that termites follow? Students will answer these questions and solve the puzzle by designing their own experiments and applying scientific thinking to this problem. ||
 * **Program Format** ||  || 1. The program begins with a short demonstration of termite behavior (via a very short movie)
 * **Program Format** ||  || 1. The program begins with a short demonstration of termite behavior (via a very short movie)