[YL] YouthLearn Newsletter, Issue 124

Tue Dec 4 23:03:09 EST 2007

YouthLearn
Newsletter, Issue 124 - December 4, 2007

The YouthLearn Newsletter compiles the latest entries to the YouthLearn News Blog. This innovative service to the YouthLearn community highlights youth, education, and technology news, tools, and resources. We hope this assists you in your important work. Please feel free to share this resource with friends and colleagues, and visit the News Blog often! http://news.youthlearn.org <http://news.youthlearn.org/> 

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News 

Afterschool Programs an Oasis of Hope for Black Families
"A new study by the Black Alliance for Educational Options, Afterschool Programs as an Oasis of Hope for Black Parents in Four Cities, finds that low-income and working-class African American parents express a strong need for afterschool programs and feel hopeful that these programs will improve their children's life chances. The year-long independent study funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation analyzed the opinions of 407 African American parents, grandparents and caregivers regarding the quality and importance of public school and community based afterschool programs, and the factors which lead parents to enroll their students in them. The study found that parents considered the best afterschool programs those that provide family support, encourage homework completion, participate in creative activities, and increase children's social competence."
URL: http://scoter.baeo.org/news_multi_media/mottSummary.pdf <http://scoter.baeo.org/news_multi_media/mottSummary.pdf> 
Referred by: Afterschool.now

iPods Assist English Language Learners
"Schools in New Jersey are buying into a new program that gives bilingual students with limited English ability iPods, reports Winnie Hu in the New York Times. The hope is that by singing along to popular English songs, students will sharpen their vocabulary and grammar skills... Incorporating the devices into instruction began when Grace Poli, a media specialist, approached the district three years ago about buying 23 iPods for an after-school bilingual program. She then compiled an eclectic mix of music, typed out the lyrics and deleted the nouns -- and in turn the verbs and adjectives -- to force the students to fill in the missing words and thereby learn their meanings... After viewing the successes, the district plans to try iPods with students who have learning disabilities and behavioral problems."
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/education/09ipod.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/education/09ipod.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin> 
Referred by: PEN Weekly NewsBlast

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Funding 

Captain Planet Foundation Environmental Grants
"The Captain Planet Foundation funds hands-on environmental projects to encourage youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. Maximum Award: $2,500. Deadline: December 31, 2007."
URL: http://www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html <http://www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html> 
Referred by: PEN Weekly NewsBlast

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Resources 

Afterschool Advantage: Powerful New Learning Opportunities
A collaborative publication addressing key topics in afterschool argues, "Afterschool programs offer a unique opportunity to respond to our students' needs for skills and understanding to succeed in today's globally interconnected society and workforce. But bringing 21st-century skills to every child requires a commitment from the community. It also requires a new era of cooperation between traditional K-12 institutions and afterschool and youth development institutions. Designed and implemented imaginatively and creatively, afterschool programs can play a unique role in providing our students with what they need to succeed in today's globally interconnected society and workforce. And every student across the nation will benefit from this community-based approach to learning for the 21st century."
URL: http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/afterschool_advantage.pdf <http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/afterschool_advantage.pdf> 

New Website: "Be The Change: Upstanders for Human Rights" Officially Launched
"Facing History and Ourselves' new interactive website, 'Be the Change: Upstanders for Human Rights', profiles the stories of five extraordinary human rights award winners who have made a positive difference in the world. Designed for middle and high school students, and created with the help of student interviewers, 'Be the Change' looks at the influences, inspirations and motivations that led the five upstanders to take action on behalf of others. By taking the journey through the website, students connect with a growing global network of their peers who care about creating a more just world... In addition, 'Be the Change' offers lists of resources and organizations to help students think more critically about the roles they might play in the world, their responsibilities and obligations towards their communities, and the choices they will make in their own lives."
URL: http://www.facinghistory.org/campus/BeTheChange.nsf/home?openform <http://www.facinghistory.org/campus/BeTheChange.nsf/home?openform> 
Referred by: GlobalEdNews

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Activities 

YouthLearn's Guide to Teaching Presentations: It's About the Story
What's really important about multimedia presentations is that they are storytelling devices. It's not about the software, its about the story. We recommend a four-part process for any storytelling project, whether it's a presentation or video: Begin with mapping activities to help generate ideas. Here's a sample map to begin a storytelling project; use storyboarding to help kids figure out the plot, logic, structure and elements of their presentations before beginning work in a software application; introduce the software slowly, making sure that you've already introduced any preliminary technologies you'll need as elements of the presentation; do a group share when the work is complete so kids can share their work and learn from each other.
URL: http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/multimedia/presentations.asp <http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/multimedia/presentations.asp> 

We welcome your feedback!

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YouthLearn
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This newsletter is produced by the YouthLearn Initiative at EDC especially for
members of the YouthLearn discussion group. Every two weeks, the newsletter is
compiled from the entries in the YouthLearn News Blog <http://news.youthlearn.org/> , including summaries
from various sources that YouthLearn staff periodically review.

Past newsletters are archived at http://www.youthlearn.org/resources/newsletter/index.html <http://www.youthlearn.org/resources/newsletter/index.html> . 

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