Education Services
e-Newsletter
April 2008
Welcome to your April e-Newsletter designed specifically for pre-K-12+ educators in the Prairie Public Broadcasting viewing area. Take advantage of the resources on our Web site to enhance your lesson plans, capture your student’s interest and imagination, and significantly increase student retention through a multi-media approach to learning.
Find all the Instructional Resources video programs and Web resources on the Web site (click on titles for a list of available programs) at http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv
Digital Television Conversion Update
This month, we recommend viewing The ABC's of HDTV to give you an overview of what to expect from the digital television transition-particularly for your home use. The program explains the basics of digital television, how to access it, and what you may need to do prior to the nationwide shutoff of analog television broadcasting in February 2009. Broadcast veteran Nick Clooney hosts the program. In addition, PBS President Paula Kerger will talk about the new possibilities presented by the digital transition.
Watch or record The ABC's of HDTV on Monday, April 14 at 8:00 PM or Friday, April 25 at 8:30 PM (CT).
Digital Conversion Affecting Schools and Education
Digital conversion will expand Prairie Public's ability to provide additional services to schools. The digital conversion provides Prairie Public with two additional channels, one of which will be devoted as an “Education Channel”. This Education Channel will be accessible in one of two ways:
1) Your local cable company (call your local provider to assure that they will carry the Prairie Public Education Channel, multicast frequency two.)
2) An antenna and a digital television set or digital converter box.
For more information, go to our Web site at http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/digital.html
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Local PBS TeacherLine Courses Start in April
PBS TeacherLine provides the ideal online professional development solution for educators who want standards-based, content-rich courses that are affordable and convenient. Courses are facilitated by experienced area educators and are available for two graduate credits through North Dakota State University's Distance and Continuing Education.
Three Prairie Public PBS TeacherLine courses start April 2, 2008.
* RDLA125.347 - Children's Authors on the Web: Online Sites that Motivate Students to Write
* RDLA135.53 - Teaching Reading in Mathematics
* INST310.40 - Inquiry-Based Learning in the Classroom
Visit http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/teacherline.html to learn more and to register.
PBS TeacherLine has increased the price for NATIONALLY offered courses by $100. To offset this price increase, Prairie Public is offering a $100 discount for most National courses as a member benefit. When you enroll in National courses, enter promo code ZP8PPTV in the Shopping Cart after selecting your courses to receive the discount.
At the present time, Prairie Public is still able to offer local courses at reduced grant rates.
Enrollment for PBS TeacherLine's National summer courses opens on March 29, 2008. Stay posted for Prairie Public's summer local course offerings.
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PBS Kids Raising Readers Campaign
In March, PBS rolled out their PBS Kids Raising Readers campaign, a literacy initiative designed to harness the power of public media content and tools to teach literacy skills to children ages 2 to 8, especially those from low income families:
* two interactive, literacy-oriented series for preschoolers, Super Why! and WordWorld along with new Web content from Sesame Street and Between the Lions
* a literacy Web site for parents, caregivers, teachers, and kids featuring content from each of the series
* a 32-week multi-media preschool, research-based curriculum and
* a PBS TeacherLine online professional development course for childcare providers.
Prairie Public received 700 Raising Readers DVDs to distribute to educators, caregivers, and families and will air spots that feature ways for parents to help build their kids' reading skills through everyday activities. These new researched and standards-based programs fostering early literacy skills, Super WHY! and WordWorld, air daily at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM respectively, central time. Aimed at preschoolers and kindergarteners these programs teach the basics of reading through songs, interactive storytelling, and colorful visuals.
For background information on the research, on hosting an on-site workshop on how to use these programs effectively, or on obtaining a Raising Readers DVD, contact Education Services or go to http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/
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Early Morning Programs to Record for Use in Your Classroom
The following programs air during the 5:30 to 6:30 AM (CT) block feed for recording an entire series on tape or DVD for use at a later time.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/schedule/thismonth.html
Reminder: No regular Instructional Resources air during the week of April 14-18. Instead, plan to record the entire two seasons of the highly motivational Signing Time series.
News Writing
Journalism, Language Arts * Grades 10-12
15/30-minute programs * March 31-April 9
Teaches writing, reporting, editing and communicating information in the public interest. Also sheds light on journalism history, law and ethics.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/nwriting.html
Real Science! VII & VIII
Science, Guidance, Careers * Grades 5-10
19/30-minute programs * April 9-29
Takes students into the working world of real scientists, profiling different careers and showing how students can prepare for a similar career.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/rsci7.html
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/rsci8.html
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Science * Grades 4-12
15/25-minute programs * April 30-May 9
Approaches science with humor to engage students in a range of subjects such as technology, astronomy, engineering and life science.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/bill.html
Signing Time
American Sign Language * Grades PreK-12+
20/30-minute programs * April 14-18
Teaches parents, students, and children basic everyday signs. Sign language opens communication for pre-verbal infants as well as for children who cannot communicate with speech.
http://www,prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/st.html
North American Biomes
Science, Biology * Grades 5-8
8/10-minute programs * April 30-May 9
Introduces students to each of the major biomes in North America—forests, grasslands, desert, seashores, rivers and wetlands. Shows how each biome is important to our quality of life.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/biomes.html
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Special Friday Programs
The following timely programs of educational interest air on Fridays 10:00 to 11:00 AM (CT).
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/schedule/thismonth.html
Reading is Fundamental: RIF Exchange
Language Arts, Reading * Professional Development
2/30 minute programs * April 4
*Fathers' Roles, Men's Voices focuses on strategies for engaging men in children's literacy initiatives.
*Multicultural Books highlights the importance of exposing children to a variety of books from and about other cultures.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/RIF.html
Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trips: The Industrious Tradesmen
Social Studies * Grades 3-8
1/60 minute program * April 11
Discover how colonial careers worked as you follow the lives of several people completing trade apprenticeships.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/colonial.html
DOE Education News: Early Childhood Education: Good Start, Grow Smart
Professional Development
1/60 minute program * April 25
Spotlights key early childhood initiatives that are helping very young children get ready to learn before they begin schooling. Research shows that what children learn before coming to school is vital to their long-term success.
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/titles/doe.html
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Upcoming Ready To Learn Events
Looking to get involved with your child's reading? Then look no further than Prairie Public's Ready To Learn family literacy events. These special events across the state promote early literacy development and activities between parents and young children. The events are full of games, food, free books, and PBS costume characters. Plus, they're always free!
The third Ready To Learn Family Literacy Event of the year will be at the West River Head Start in Mandan, ND, Saturday, May 3rd from 11-3:00 PM. For more information visit http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/shareevent.html
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For caregivers, teachers and parents interested in FREE early childhood, professional development opportunities, take advantage of Ready To Learn workshops! These workshops teach specific subjects such as literacy, emotions, and healthy living using the Learning Triangle—View a video clip, Read a book, and Do an activity.
The next workshop will be at Parkside Lutheran Nursing Home, Lisbon, ND, Monday, April 7 from 7-8:00 PM. The workshop is entitled "Who's the Boss?" and covers parent-child conflicts.
All workshops are FREE to the public. To request a workshop in your area at any time, contact Matt Proulx at 701-239-7531 or 1-800-359-6900 or email at mproulx@prairiepublic.org
Learn more about Ready To Learn workshops at http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/readytolearn.html back
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Seventeen-Month-Old Learns to Read
Against expectations of when children should learn to read, one little girl is surprising everyone. Earlier this month the TODAY show on NBC profiled Elizabeth Barrett, who read her first word when she was 13 months old. Her parents, both speech pathologists, jumpstarted Elizabeth's language development by teaching her sign language using Singing Time—the award-winning PBS children's program—the only program Elizabeth is allowed the watch.
To read more on this remarkable girl and to see video of her reading, visit http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23556514 back | Top
PBS Programs To Watch
Record these local productions and other PBS programs from Prairie Public to use in your classroom throughout this year. For the entire Prairie Public schedule, go to http://www.prairiepublic.org/programs/tvsched.html. All times are Central Time (CT).
Look for these local productions on Prairie Public in April.
Prairie Churches
April 7, 13 * 8:00 PM
Visits many of the churches that have defined the prairie region. This new local production is perfect for teaching culture and local history.
Prairie Pulse: Read ND Author Debra Marquart
April 11 * 8:00 PM
Interviews Read North Dakota memoir writer Debra Marquart. Encourage reading by checking out other books by North Dakota authors.
http://www.readnd.org/
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NOVA: Voyage to the Mystery Moon
April 1 * 7:00 PM
Looks for clues to the origins of life on Saturn's moons Titan and Enceladus.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/titan/
Nature: The Gorilla King
April 27 * 10:00 PM
Documents the tribes of mountain gorillas in Rwanda, of which only 700 remain.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/
Carrier
April 27-May 1 * 8:00 PM
Demonstrates what life is like aboard a US Navy nuclear aircraft carrier. The programs follow a core group of film participants as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror.
http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier
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Visit Prairie Public's Education Web site at http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/ for the latest in classroom resources that provide high-quality video, online and print materials as well as distance learning opportunities for North Dakota and northwest Minnesota teachers. Contact us at 701-239-7574 or education@prairiepublic.org
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