[YL] YouthLearn Newsletter, Issue 132 - Special Issue

Wed May 7 01:32:49 EDT 2008

YouthLearn
Newsletter, Issue 132 - May 7, 2008

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> 

Special Issue: Technology Curriculum Resources 

New Technology Curriculum Database Created by YouthLearn
We're pleased to announce the launch of a website for educators seeking technology curriculum for their programs. Afterschool Curriculum Choice: Technology Resources is a project of the YouthLearn Initiative and the U.S. Department of Education-funded National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning at SEDL. 

This collection of resources is designed to help practitioners locate and make informed choices about high-quality technology resources to enrich their programs. We chose these curricular materials because they represent the wide variety of resources, from activity guides to online games to software packages, that can support compelling learning experiences in informal settings. You can browse through all the resources by title, grade level or subject area. On the search page, you can find curricula that match your specific needs by selecting key words, design features, technology type or subject area. 

Note that several resources contained in two other curriculum databases, Afterschool Curriculum Choice Literacy Resources and Consumers' Guide to Afterschool Science Resources, also integrate technology in meaningful ways. If you Browse by Title, a list of additional resources selected from these databases is appended to provide even more choices for you and your program. 
URL: http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/guide/technology/ <http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/guide/technology/> 

For more information, see the press release announcing this database, issued by SEDL. 
Now Online: Guide to Low-Cost, No-Cost Technology Resources for Afterschool Programs 
URL: http://www.sedl.org/new/pressrelease/20080506_148.html <http://www.sedl.org/new/pressrelease/20080506_148.html> 

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Selected Database Resources 

Learning in Hand - Collection of Lesson Plans for Handhelds
This collection of nearly 50 lesson plans for different age groups offers a rich variety of ways to use electronic handheld devices in learning across the curriculum. Educator Tony Vincent has created the Learning in Hand Web site to share resources with teachers who are interested in using handheld devices, such as Pocket PCs, Palm Handhelds and iPods, in innovative ways to enhance learning: putting technology directly in the hands of young people. The lesson plans are straightforward, easy to follow, and standards-based. Educators will find links to free downloadable software on the site that can open doors to a range of possibilities. The site also provides links to additional support for educators, from basic tech support to assistance with implementation. 
URL: http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=11 <http://www.learninginhand.com/> 

My Pop Studio - Curriculum and Online Activities/Media
My Pop Studio is a creative play experience and online interactive space for girls, designed to build media literacy and critical thinking skills. A robust curriculum guides educators in facilitating activities that promote candid discussion and reflection. The site enables users to learn about the inner workings of the media industry including music production, television, magazine publishing, and multimedia - to deconstruct the process and discover the techniques media makers use to subtly influence their audiences. In each area, youth experiment with different media-making roles while analyzing the impact media has on their self-image and daily lives. 
URL: http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=13 <http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=13> 

News-2-You - Online Learning/Interactives
News-2-You, a subscription-based service, provides a weekly online newspaper composed of text and pictures, as well as interactive Web-based games, software-supported activities, and other curricular materials. Designed especially for beginning readers and learners with special needs, this suite of resources gives individuals who are typically overlooked by news organizations access to information about current events. The currency and relevance of the newspaper topics, which are further supported by online games and hands-on activities, draw young people in and accelerate their learning. 
URL: http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=16 <http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=16> 

OWIKIT - Robotics Kit and Curriculum
Created by RobotiKits Direct Company, OWIKITs provide accessible materials and instruction for those interested in robotic technology, giving users the tools to put together and operate a wide array of robots. The projects are both whimsical and engaging. Young people can work collaboratively to construct hopping frogs, probing moonwalkers, and remote-control beetles. Written by teachers, the curriculum features modules tailored for learners ages 9 and up that introduce concepts such as electricity, gear mechanics, and propulsion. The kits, which often employ microcomputers, are designed for a range of skill and experience levels, from an easy-to-assemble solar-powered race car in the junior science series to touch-sensitive robots in the advanced series. 
URL: http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=17 <http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=17> 

Young Digital Creators Educator's Kit - Packaged Curriculum
The Young Digital Creators (YDC) Educator's Kit and CD-ROM presents a user-friendly curriculum that creates opportunities for young people to reflect on global development issues, and to share ideas and artwork with peers around the world, at the same time as they develop technical skills. This detailed lesson plan and supporting material, written for educators working in schools, youth clubs, community centers, and training institutes, promotes multicultural understanding, creative thinking, and problem solving. 
URL: http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=4

We welcome your feedback!

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YouthLearn
http://www.youthlearn.org <http://www.youthlearn.org/> 

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> . 

YouthLearn is a project of the nonprofit Education Development Center, Inc. <http://www.edc.org/> 
Designed for youth development professionals, teachers, educators, and other
caring adults, YouthLearn provides resources and tools for developing effective
learning programs enhanced with technology, particularly in out-of-school settings.

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