Exploratorium EduNews
Fall 2008 - Subscribe here.

Welcome to the latest issue of EduNews. It's late autumn here in San Francisco and we are hoping for more rain. The leaves are beginning to turn and the morning air is crisp.

CONTENTS

1- EXPLO.TV
2- EXPLORATORIUM TEACHER INSTITUTE BEGINNING TEACHER AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM GUIDES ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!
3- AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND HOW-TO VIDEOS
4- THE DNA FILES WORKSHOPS
5- 100 AWESOME, FREE WEB TOOLS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS


1- BETA LAUNCH OF EXPLO.TV MEDIA PORTAL
http://www.exploratorium.edu/webcasts
Want to find a Webcast, podcast, or educational video produced by the Exploratorium? Recently, the Exploratorium Website and Webcasting teams launched a new version of our media portal and archive. This portal and accompanying database provide access to media generated by the Exploratorium. There are a variety of media assets to choose from, including more than 450 Webcasts, podcasts, other audio recordings, video clips from Websites and other programs, and online activities. Most of the media is offered in a range of formats.  The front page of the portal lets you know what events are coming up, as well as recent programs and featured picks (ranging from solar eclipses to dental hygiene to yo-yo championships). It has new search features, so that people can easily find what they are looking for.

2- EXPLORATORIUM TEACHER INSTITUTE BEGINNING TEACHER AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM GUIDES ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ti/induction.html
Since 1998, the Exploratorium Teacher Institute has included a Teacher Induction Program that consists of a two-year Beginning Teacher Program for novice science teachers, and a two-year Leadership Program that trains experienced teachers to be mentors and coaches of the new teachers.

The Teacher Induction Program Overview describes our ten years' experience, with an emphasis on the Leadership Program, in the hope that it will be useful to other programs that train and support mentors.

The Coaching Guide is for educators, not currently teaching, who coach new teachers in their classrooms. The Mentoring Guide is for experienced classroom teachers who provide after-school and weekend support to new teachers. Although these guides were developed for the Exploratorium, they could be easily modified for other programs.

For additional information, please contact Modesto Tamez at 415-353-0499 or modestot@exploratorium.edu.

3- AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND HOW-TO VIDEOS
http://www.exploratorium.edu/afterschool/activities
Educators visiting this site will learn different after-school activities through digital videos, concept maps, links to science explanations, educator tips, and related activities. Educators can also find more science and math enrichment activities using resources from the Exploratorium's Digital Library (http://nsdl.exploratorium.edu/), one of the many collections from the National Science Digital Library (http://nsdl.org/).

4-THE DNA FILES WORKSHOPS
http://www.exploratorium.edu/dnafiles/
The DNA Files Workshops use hands-on activities to explore fundamentals about DNA, its role in evolutionary change, similarities between humans and other creatures, and the role of climate change in genetic processes. The workshops can be presented on their own or in conjunction with episodes of the award-winning public radio documentary series "The DNA Files."

Information for the workshops is fully downloadable and includes detailed teacher guides, materials lists, and graphics. No prior knowledge about DNA is required for the educator or the participants, so non-scientists can teach the workshops. The workshops are suitable for two audience demographics: 5th through 7th graders or families. With a family audience, children as young as seven can participate in workshops.

5 -100 AWESOME, FREE WEB TOOLS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-awesome-free-web-tools-for-elementary-teachers/
A listing of some of the best sites for elementary teachers and students online, plus a few tools to help you keep everything together.