Notebook
Digital broadcasting
transition and public schools
Television will change dramatically on Feb.
17, 2009, when broadcasters complete their federally mandated
transition from analog to digital (DTV) broadcasting. Because
there are several thousand analog television sets in use in
public schools across the U.S., the DTV transition will unfortunately
disproportionately impact America’s public schools.
If older model and analog television sets are not connected
to a digital-to-analog DTV converter box, cable, satellite
or a telephone company service provider, they will not work
after Feb. 17, 2009.
The National Association of Broadcasters is helping to coordinate
the Digital Television Transition Coalition, a group comprising
business organizations, trade associations, grassroots and
membership organizations, as well as state and local broadcasters
and representatives from all levels of government.
The goal of the coalition is to ensure that no one loses
television reception due to a lack of information about the
transition. Organizations involved with the DTV Transition
Coalition will help disseminate information about the transition
to their members through member newsletters, Web sites and
meetings. This is not policy-based—its sole purpose
is to educate and get the word out about DTV. There is no
cost to join. Please help ensure that the public education
community is well informed about the DTV transition so that
no public schools, colleges or universities are left without
television reception. More information about the DTV Transition
Coalition is available at www.dtvtransition.org.
Healthy minds, healthy
learners, healthy schools
The Center for Advancement of Mental Health
Practices in Schools at the University of Missouri seeks to
gather as much input as possible on the development of a school
mental health model that can potentially be replicated in
schools across the state. Your perspective is vital to shaping
this model.
The Focus Group Executive Summary and the Focus Group Report
can be found at http://mhrs.missouri.edu/communitypartnerships.shtml.
It provides information on the statewide focus groups that
were held in conjunction with the Healthy Minds project. Please
scan the documents and then complete a brief 5–10 minute
survey. The survey results will be aggregated and used to
provide a more in-depth look at Missouri stakeholders’
perspectives on school mental health and the development of
a model program.
Find the survey online at www.surveymonkey.com.
If you have any questions regarding the project or survey,
please contact Dr. Karen Weston, project director, at westonkj@missouri.edu
or (573) 882-4973.
Freida J. Riley Teacher
Award nominations due Feb. 4
The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation
presents the Freida J. Riley Teacher Award to an American
teacher who works with a physical disability, teaches in an
especially challenging educational environment, or has performed
a heroic act by making an exceptional, personal or physical
sacrifice on behalf of students. In 2002, the Foundation’s
Board of Trustees increased the award from $5,000 to $10,000.
The award is named after Freida J. Riley, a math, chemistry
and physics teacher during the early space race era of the
1950s and early 60s at Big Creek High School in Coalwood,
West Virginia. While battling Hodgkin’s disease, she
inspired her students to overcome the limited opportunities
of their era and environment to aspire to fulfill their dreams.
Riley died at age 31.
Riley had a tremendous influence on her students from McDowell
County, West Virginia—Homer Hickam, Jimmy Carroll, Roy
Lee Cooke, Willie Rose and Quentin Wilson—whose lives
and their desire to launch rockets were depicted in the novel
The Rocket Boys, written by Homer Hickam, and the subsequent
1999 feature film October Sky. The “Rocket Boys”
were the inspirational speakers at the 1999 National Gallery.
Their obvious devotion to their teacher, after more than 40
years, was the catalyst for sponsoring an award honoring educators.
Nomination forms must be received by the foundation by 5
p.m., Feb. 4, 2008. E-mailed, faxed or late nominations will
not be accepted.
Find complete information at www.columbusfdn.org/freidajriley/default.asp.
AmerenUE publishes
electrical safety activity, coloring books for elementary
school children
AmerenUE has published an activity book for
children ages seven through 11 and a coloring book for children
ages five to seven to help them stay safe around electricity
and better understand the need to plant the right tree in
the right place to avoid tree contact with power lines. Found
on the Web at www.ameren.com/education, these materials can
either be printed from the Web site (see the “Coloring
and Activity Books” link) or by requesting quantities
be sent to them after completing a form on the Web site. The
coloring book offers a tale of a “mama bird” trying
to find a tree for her nest and includes charming drawings
of animals, trees and landscapes as it follows the bird’s
pursuit of the perfect nesting spot. The activity book includes
a nature decoder using clever symbols, a leaf detection game,
a maze and even a crossword puzzle.
sb,
winter '07
|
