Call for Presentations - The Crisis in Haiti: What Can YOU Do to Help?

Students from around the world respond.

On Friday, February 19th from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST, MAGPI is sponsoring an international videoconference and webcast to help raise awareness and financial support for victims of the Haiti earthquake. We’re working to line up some phenomenal speakers, representatives from aid agencies, and student presentations/performances as part of this international event. We want you and your students to get involved! Here’s how you can participate:

BE A PRESENTER: Is your K12 school, university or college planning a project to raise awareness or funds to help earthquake victims? We would love to give your students 5-10 minutes to share their project. Has a student created an artistic work (song, painting, mural, etc) to help raise awareness? We’d love to have him/her perform! If you are interested in performing or presenting, please send a 100 word abstract detailing your proposed presentation/performance to Heather Weisse Walsh at hweisse@magpi.net. Deadline for proposals is January 30, 2010. Presenters can perform/present live via videoconference or submit videos prior to the event. Please indicate your preference on your presentation/performance proposal. Interactive videoconference sites must have H.323 videoconference gear and, preferably, are connected to their national research and education network.

SHOW THE WEBSTREAM IN YOUR SCHOOL. If you’re not a presenting/performing school, don’t worry! Participate by tuning in LIVE to the webstream. We’ll be posting webstream instructions at the beginning of February on the MAGPI website: http://www.magpi.net. During the webcast, collect change and donations at your school and donate to one of the aid organizations participating in the program. Or simply just tune in and be inspired by what others are doing - - and then create your own project.

LIVE BLOGGERS/TWEETERS: We’re looking for schools to volunteer as live bloggers and tweeters for this event, covering the presentations and helping get word out to the world at large. Interested? Contact Heather Weisse Walsh at hweisse@magpi.net.

We want your organization to get involved too - - the World Food Programme has already agreed to participate! If your organization is interested in speaking/presenting/participating, please email Heather at hweisse@magpi.net.

Image courtesy of the World Food Programme.

100th Day of School Project - Revisited

In March, MAGPI, UNC-Asheville, and Peachtree Publishing sponsored the 100th Day of School Videoconference Celebration with author Dr. Lester Laminack. 12 schools (Grades K-2) from across the MAGPI region read Dr. Laminack's book, Jake's 100th Day of School and created class collections of 100 objects. The projects were incredible. Here are some of my favorites:

• 100 images of their school mascot
• 100 images of their community
• 100 pieces of candy
• 100 snack ingredients
• 100 "words we know"
• 100 kind deeds (or random acts of kindness)
  

During the videoconference, students listened to Dr. Laminack, presented their collections/projects to one another and asked Dr. Laminack questions. Cathie Cooper from Garnet Valley School District was kind enough to share this video of her students presenting their project. A fabulous example! Thanks to Cathie for sharing (and thanks to the students in the video, and the students' parents for allowing us to post)!




And check out the project students at Hempfield School District did (posted on their blog!)