New Georgia Tech/Georgia State Collaboration Designed to Support Certified STEM Teachers

A new collaboration between the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University (GSU) streamlines the process for increasing the number of highly-quality certified math and science teachers.

Approved by the Board of Regents on Aug. 10, the Georgia Tech-GSU Bachelor of Science/Master of Arts in Teaching (BS/MAT) Option is unique because it allows students to apply credits to degrees earned at both institutions while also completing a state-approved teacher certification program. The program will begin this fall.

“This collaboration is consistent with the Regents’ commitment to supporting a high-quality teaching workforce, especially in high need areas. We know that teachers prepared at USG institutions are retained in Georgia classrooms at high levels, making this partnership beneficial for the new teachers, the schools and education across the state,” said Lynne Weisenbach, the University System of Georgia’s vice chancellor for Educator Preparation, Innovation and Research.

The Georgia Tech-GSU initiative focuses on the strengths of both institutions, according to Donna Llewellyn, director of Georgia Tech’s Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. She points out, “Georgia Tech is known for its incredible STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students, and Georgia State is known for its excellent programs for preparing teachers for our state’s and nation’s schools – it just makes good sense to pair up and utilize each of these strengths.”

The initiative supports preparing certified teachers for STEM programs in grades four through eight and six through twelve. Llewellyn adds, “This partnership not only helps develop top-notch teachers who can help educate the Georgia workforce, but it also assures that we have a home-grown pipeline of teachers who can fully prepare students to pursue higher education degrees – this is a win-win!”

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The National Science Teachers Association Announces 2010 Teachers Awards Program Recipients

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, has announced the recipients of its 2010 Teacher Awards Program, which honors K-12 teachers, professors, principals, and others for their outstanding achievement and innovative programs in science education. The awardees will be honored at a special banquet and ceremony on Friday, March 19, at NSTA's 58th National Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia.

NSTA will present its most prestigious award, the Robert H. Carleton Award, to former NSTA President Dr. Arthur Eisenkraft, distinguished professor of science education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, Mass. and past recipient of NSTA's Distinguished Service to Science Education Award. The Robert H. Carleton Award recognizes one individual who has made outstanding contributions to, and provided leadership in, science education at the national level and to NSTA in particular.

A dedicated and passionate member of the science education community, Eisenkraft has contributed extensively to the association. He has been intimately involved in the development of several key corporate partnerships for NSTA. Eisenkraft also co-created the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards competition, one of the most recognized science competitions in the country. In addition to his tenure as president, Eisenkraft, an NSTA member since 1980, has served on a number of important education committees, including The College Board's Science Academic Advisory Committee and the Committee on the Future of High School Science Laboratories for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Research Council (NRC).

NSTA is also honoring the following recipients:

NSTA Presidential Citation
-- Emma Walton, science education consultant, Anchorage, AL


NSTA Distinguished Informal Science Education Award, partially sponsored by ServiceMaster

-- Kim Sneden, curator of education, Detroit Zoological Society, Royal
Oak, MI


NSTA Distinguished Service to Science Education Award, partially sponsored by ServiceMaster

-- Herb Brunkhorst, professor of science education and Biology,
California State University, San Bernardino, CA
-- Dwight Sieggreen, science teacher, Northville Public Schools,
Northville, MI

NSTA Distinguished Teaching Award, partially sponsored by ServiceMaster
-- Donna Rini, science teacher, Brookside High School, Sheffield, OH

Faraday Science Communicator Award
-- Joseph Hwang, Anaheim Ducks, Rosemead, CA

NSTA Fellow Award
-- Sandra Abell, curators' professor, University of Missouri, Columbia,
MO

NSTA Legacy Award
-- Alice Moses, former NSF Director of Instructional Materials
Development Program, Washington, D.C.

Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Teachers
-- Robert Chase, Twin Rivers Middle School, Buford, GA
-- Natalie Dagley, Wyatt Elementary, Plano, TX
-- Isabelle Debarros, E.F. Leddy Elementary School, Taunton, MA
-- Briana Faxon, Bremerton High School, Bremerton, WA
-- Caysie Heil, Malden High School, Malden, MO
-- Kathey Hoover, Wylie High School, Wylie, TX
-- Kathryn Humora, Notre Dame School, New York, NY
-- Karen Kraus, Delta Woods Middle School, Lees Summit, MO
-- Kimberly Kult, North Polk Jr-Sr High School, Alleman, IA
-- Lindsay Lowther, Arlington High School-Biosmart, St. Paul, MN
-- Theresa Madrid, Socorro High School, El Paso, TX
-- Laura Marks, Upper St. Claire, Upper St. Clair High School, PA
-- Abbie Martin, Jamestown High School, Williamsburg, VA
-- David Martinez, McRoberts Elementary, Katy, TX
-- Emily Mathews, Joseph Stockton Elementary, Chicago, IL
-- Megan McCulloch, South Vienna Middle School, South Vienna, OH
-- Elizabeth McMillan, Flandreau Middle School, Flandreau, SD
-- Scott Moore, Ankeny Sr. High School, Ankeny, IA
-- Julie Parker, Voy Spears Jr. Elementary, Lees Summit, MO
-- Torri Rinker, Passaic High School, Passaic, NJ
-- Jennifer Russell, Hope Community Charter School, Washington, D.C.
-- Joleen Teates, Newport High School, Newport, PA
-- Kyle Thompson, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, NE
-- Shannon Thompson, Lanier Senior High School, Montgomery, AL
-- Andrea Van Waardhuizen, South Anchorage High School, Anchorage, AL


BioRad Biotechnology Explorer Award
-- Jennifer Hand, science teacher, Cairo High School, Cairo, GA

DCAT "Making a Difference" Award
-- Susan Hrenko, intervention specialist, WKHS Greenhouse, Worthington
Kilbourne High School, Columbus, OH
-- Dennis Foreman, science teacher, Zane Trace Middle School,
Chillicothe, OH


Delta Education/ FREY-NEO/ CPO Science Education Award for Excellence in Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

-- Elementary Level: Deborah Wickerham, science teacher, Chamberlin Hill
Intermediate School, Findlay, OH
-- Middle Level: Allison Bogart, science teacher, Woodrow Wallace Middle
School, Lake Isabella, CA
-- High School Level: Heather McArdle, science teacher, Mahopac High
School, Mahopac, NY


The DuPont Challenge© Science Essay Competition (Sponsoring Teacher - Award)

-- Dr. Omar Acio, chemistry teacher, Thomas Jefferson High School,
Alexandria, VA
-- Joan Roberts, science teacher, Rice Middle School, Plano, TX

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Outstanding Environmental Educator Award
-- Cindy Suchanek, Mira Loma High School, Sacramento, CA

Shell Science Teaching Award
-- Awardee: Tamica Stubbs, biology and research teacher, EE Waddell High
School, Charlotte, NC
-- Finalist: Chanda Davis, science teacher, Hampton Cove Middle School,
Hampton Cove, AL
-- Finalist: Wendy DeMers, science teacher, Hynes Charter School, New
Orleans, LA

Sylvia Shugrue Award for Elementary School Teachers
-- Cathy Kindem, science specialist, Cedar Park STEM Elementary, Apple
Valley, MN

Vernier Software & Technology Awards
-- Elementary Level: Judy Heitkamp, science teacher, Prairie Elementary
School, Worthington, MN
-- Middle Level: Nicole Ackerson, science instructor, Berkeley
Preparatory School, Tampa, FL
-- Middle Level: Cynthia Ollendyke, science teacher, Peters Township
Middle School, McMurray, PA
-- High School Level: Steve Ahn, science teacher, Abingdon High School,
Abingdon, VA
-- High School Level: Stephen Biscotte, science teacher, Cave Spring High
School, Roanoke, VA
-- High School Level: Deborah Carder, science teacher, Fruitvale High
School, Fruitvale, TX
-- College Level: Brian Geislinger, physics professor, Gadsden State
Community College, Gadsden, AL


Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Educator Award, sponsored by Sally Ride Science and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education

-- William Richards, executive director, Community Resource Volunteers,
St. Johns, MI

Zula International-NSTA Early Science Educator Award
-- NSTA/CESI: Christina Ryan, kindergarten teacher, Cambridgeport School,
Cambridge, MA
-- NAEYC/NHSA: Jonathan Gillentine, pre-kindergarten teacher, Reverend
Benjamin Parker School, Kaneohe, HI


"Through their hard work and dedication, these outstanding educators are making a difference," said Pat Shane, president, NSTA. "They make science come alive for their students and help them realize the importance of science in their daily lives."

NSTA encourages science educators to apply for its 2011 teacher awards. Applications and information can be found online at http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx.

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Georgia State to receive $13.5 million U.S. Department of Education Grant

Georgia State University’s College of Education has been selected to receive a record $13.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement to increase the number of highly qualified teachers committed to high-need schools.

The five-year grant, the largest federal grant ever received by GSU’s College of Education, will fund the Network for Enhancing Teacher Quality Project (NET-Q), whose primary goals are to enhance teacher preparation programs, create a teacher residency program, impact teacher retention and student achievement.

“Teacher quality is still an issue for the state of Georgia and that’s apparent by the state’s ranking in terms of high school drop out rates and how our students rank on standardized tests,” said Gwendolyn Benson, College of Education associate dean for school and community partnerships and principal investigator of the NET-Q Project. “Research has indicated that high-need schools have difficulty attracting the best prepared teachers and so it’s our effort to support those high-need schools by preparing highly qualified teachers, who are effective with culturally diverse populations.”

Six school districts in metro Atlanta are partnering with Georgia State on the NET-Q Project, including Atlanta, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett County Public Schools. In addition to Georgia State, participating higher education institutions include Clark Atlanta University, Georgia Perimeter College, Albany State University and Columbus State University.

“This award recognizes the quality of Georgia State University faculty and their important ideas in improving teacher quality in our region,” said Risa Palm, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “It is a reflection of the progress of our university as a center for research, new ideas, high quality teaching and service to the metropolitan area and the state.”

Participating schools will focus on developing teachers’ knowledge and skills related to mathematics, science, special education, English Language Learners, technology and literacy. These fields represent Georgia’s greatest needs for highly qualified teachers. Special education constitutes the second largest shortage area of teachers in Georgia with, 43.2 percent of elementary special education instructors not fully certified, Benson said.

“Partnership is key,” Benson said. “We must continue to work collaboratively in a more intense way to impact teacher quality.”

A major focus of the project will be establishing paid teacher residency programs across the metro Atlanta area. Through the one-year residency positions, teachers will get real world experience while focusing on critical need fields, such as math, science and special education, Benson said. School districts will have up to five teacher residents each year and will alternate between content areas to ensure positions will be available for the teachers after they complete the residency program.

“There’s evidence that teachers who participate in a paid residency, a year before they take on the role of classroom teacher, stay in the profession longer,” Benson said.

Prospective teachers will focus on integrating a number of technological tools to enhance traditional curriculum in Pre-K through 12 classrooms, including social networking, Smartboards and online communication gaming tools, such as Second Life. Georgia State, in collaboration with Georgia Public Broadcasting, will also create a digital mentor training program, as well as air Georgia State classes, including state approved endorsement programs.

“Just as we have online classes it will be similar. Teachers will be able to register for a Georgia State class through Georgia Public Television from anywhere in the state, including many rural districts,” Benson said.

Through a partnership with the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, teaching residents, mentors, and university faculty will also be participants in a Teachers Learning in Networked Communities (TLINC) online community of support.

“The TLINC online communities will connect our teacher residents with other teacher residents across the country,” Benson said. “These communities build proficiency with learning technologies and establish the habit of participating in a collaborative teaching culture that teachers will carry with them throughout their teaching careers.”

For years, Georgia State has been working hard to address the shortage of teachers in Georgia, by expanding teacher preparation programs and building mentoring networks to keep teachers in Georgia’s schools.

Through the NET-Q Project Georgia State will be able to continue building relationships with many school districts it partnered with during a previous five-year Department of Education grant, which ended in September 2009. The Professional Development School Partnerships Deliver Success (PDS2) program, which is currently in 20 schools in the metro Atlanta area, placed Georgia State faculty members and pre-service teachers in high–need schools to help increase student achievement, meet strategic goals and recruit and retain high-quality teachers.

“I congratulate all of our faculty, school, and community partners on this recognition of their years of work to prepare teachers of unquestioned quality. This grant will allow our college to build on these accomplishments to produce effective models of teacher education that will have national and international impact,” said College of Education Dean Randy Kamphaus.

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NEH Awards Grant to Mercer for Intensive Course on Southern History for Teachers

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded Mercer University $215,000 for an institute for high school teachers in summer 2010. The institute will be a five-week course on Southern history, titled “Cotton Culture in the South from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement,” and will be open to 22 high school teachers from across the country.

The institute begins in July 2010 and will be directed by Dr. Sarah E. Gardner, associate professor and chair of history and director of Mercer’s Southern Studies Program. Dr. Douglas Thompson, associate professor of interdisciplinary studies and Southern studies, and Dr. David A. Davis, assistant professor of English, will serve as the institute’s faculty. The institute will also include a number of guest faculty who are experts in Southern history and culture.

“The institute will create an engaged learning community of high school teachers, Mercer faculty and visiting experts who will share ideas about an extremely complex and often poorly understood aspect of Southern history and culture,” Dr. Davis said.

The NEH announced the grant last week as part of its Institutes for School Teachers program. The project was also selected for recognition as part of the NEH’s “We the People” Initiative, which funds programs “designed to encourage and enhance the teaching, study and understanding of American history, culture and democratic principles.”

“It was extremely rewarding to earn this grant with our first submission. Dr. Davis and Dr. Thompson did a wonderful job to create a curriculum that not only met the institute standards, but also earned recognition as a ‘We the People’ project,” Dr. Gardner said. “The NEH sees its ‘We the People’ initiative as a leader in ‘bringing about a renaissance in knowledge about American history and principles among all our citizens,’ so its recognition of our summer institute as playing a vital role in that mission is quite an honor.”

Dr. Thompson said that Mercer has long been a leading program for Southern studies at the undergraduate level, and bringing high school teachers to campus to experience the rigors of the program will be an excellent showcase for the program.

“This NEH grant will provide us a way to reach out to teachers to provide quality continuing education in the areas of history and literature and to highlight what Southern studies at Mercer has to offer their high school students,” Dr. Thompson said.

The institute is a natural for Mercer because of its history with Southern studies and because of Macon’s history, said Dr. Davis.

“The teachers participating in the institute will study the South’s history and culture during the crucial hundred years between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement through the lens of cotton, and they will see the connections between history, economics, labor, literature, religion and art,” Dr. Davis said. “We hope the institute will enhance the way high school teachers understand and explain Southern history and culture to their students, who will then better understand the complicated legacy of the cotton economy.”

The NEH grant is part of its Landmarks of American History and Culture: Summer Seminars and Institutes for School Teachers, which supports national faculty development programs in the humanities for school teachers. The seminars and institutes range from two to six weeks each and focus on significant humanities topics, texts and issues.

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Georgia State to help DeKalb County history teachers and students

Georgia State University will soon be helping DeKalb County public school teachers expand their American history knowledge, in an effort to increase student achievement in social studies.
DeKalb County Public Schools, with Georgia State as a partner, was recently awarded a “Teaching American History” grant from the federal government.

The grant, roughly $1 million over the next three years, will cover professional development expenses for American history teachers in elementary, middle and high schools. Educators hope to get an extension of the grant for a total of $1.6 million over five years.

Starting in the fall, Georgia State will offer DeKalb County teachers an opportunity to take two graduate level courses at Georgia State, one in history and one in education.

Teachers will earn graduate course credit at GSU, continuing education credit with their district and a stipend to help cover their tuition, books and supplies as well as travel to historical sites.
Nearly 30 DeKalb teachers will be eligible for the program each year, for a total of 90 over three years. The program is designed to ensure teachers develop the knowledge and skills necessary to teach traditional American history in an exciting and engaging way.

“Our hope is that they learn more historical content, particularly in the areas their students have demonstrated weakness, so not only the teachers learn more content, the students do too and perform better on the state history test,” said Chara Bohan, associate professor of middle-secondary education in GSU’s College of Education.

The courses at GSU will be challenging, graduate-level courses designed to meet the specific needs of Dekalb County teachers and students. They will emphasize educational pedagogy and the American history framework established by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The subject matter will extend over broad chronological periods in the nation’s history and also target specific areas where DeKalb County students need to improve, such as understanding economic and industrial history, said Michelle Brattain, associate chair of the GSU History Department.

“I think this program is very, very important both for GSU and for our community,” Brattain said. “The Teaching American History grant will now allow us to extend our commitment to middle and secondary education in Georgia to a new constituency and build collaborative relationships with Dekalb County and area teachers.”

Georgia State’s Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology in the College of Education and the History Department in the College of Arts and Sciences collaborate to prepare both undergraduate and graduate students to be middle and secondary social studies teachers.

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GSU receives $900K grant to recruit, train science teachers

Georgia State University was recently awarded a nearly $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to increase the number of science teachers in metro Atlanta schools.
The grant, titled “Impacting Metro-Atlanta Science Teaching,” or I-MAST, will be used to recruit, prepare and support 36 high quality science educators over the next five years.

The program will offer scholarships to undergraduate majors studying content in the STEM fields, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Scholarships will also be available for graduates who hold a degree in the STEM areas and are interested in going into secondary science teaching careers.

Students will study in Georgia State’s Master of Arts in Teaching program in the College of Education, Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology.
“Especially in Georgia, there is a tremendous need for science teachers,” said Anton Puvirajah, assistant professor of science education at GSU, who is directing the project with several colleagues. “Through this program, we hope to increase the number of highly trained science teachers.”

I-MAST is a collaboration between GSU’s College of Education and College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the Georgia Institute of Technology and four public school districts in the Metro Atlanta area.

The first scholarship recipients are expected to enroll at GSU in fall 2010. Applicants will have at least a junior level status at their undergraduate study either at Georgia State’s College of Arts and Sciences or Georgia Tech, or have a minimum bachelor’s degree in a STEM area.

Undergraduate students who commit to pursue a secondary science teacher certification at Georgia State will receive a two-year scholarship totaling $24,000 to be used in their senior year of undergraduate studies and in their year of teacher certification studies. STEM graduates will receive a one-year scholarship of $12,000 to complete their teacher certification studies.

Scholarship recipients will be obligated to teach two years in a Metro Atlanta high need school district for every year of funding received.

A report by the University System of Georgia warns that by 2010 Georgia will need to produce 2,060 middle school and high school teachers of life sciences, chemistry, earth sciences and physics. However in the 2008 academic year, only 90 science teachers were prepared in Georgia, according to the Board of Regents statistics.

“The partnership between GSU and Georgia Tech is a great way to bring bright young scientists into the classroom,” said Jennifer Leavey, director of Undergraduate Academic Services in the Georgia Tech School of Biology. “Tech is a nationally-ranked leader in undergraduate science education, but has no route for certifying K-12 teachers. GSU has an excellent College of Education and is only a few blocks away.”

Scholarship applicants must have an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, appropriate academic backgrounds in science content, three letters of recommendation and a 350 -500 word narrative statement about their desire to become a secondary science teacher in a high-need school.

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At the zoo, teachers learn ways to improve science education

The crowd assembled at Zoo Atlanta’s Wildlife Theatre, just like many others before them. They watched as a trainer induced a macaw to speak, and as a crow used its beak to paint a colorful, Jackson Pollock-like piece of abstract art.

But unlike the typical tourist, the crowd was a group of Georgia middle and high school teachers, getting a lesson in animal behavior as part of a teacher professional development program to improve neuroscience literacy, held June 8-12 and sponsored by the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, headquartered at Georgia State University.

The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience is a collaboration between Georgia State and other Atlanta-area universities, devoted to expanding knowledge in the basic neurobiology of social behaviors.

“It’s really very interesting, and it has allowed me to be able to answer the ‘why’ questions in my labs," said Rebecca Durham, a seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher at Heritage School in Coweta County. “It allows me to address what mechanisms in our brains cause certain behaviors.”

Laura Carruth, assistant professor of neuroscience and coordinator of the workshops, said that the program is aimed at helping teachers teach science using current information, as well as to foster better experiences for students.

“The goal of the program is to encourage their students to develop a love of science, and to think scientifically, as well as to develop an appreciation for animals, animal classes and animal behavior,” said Carruth.

Teachers spent the week in workshops devoted to neuroscience and teaching, and also received up-close opportunities to learn more about animal behaviors. They will receive professional development unit credits as part of the workshops, and will also return in November to learn more about amphibians and reptiles, and to follow up on what they’ve learned through the presentation of lesson plans.

Carruth said the teachers will be able to apply what they’ve learned on multiple levels in the classroom.

“Depending upon what teachers’ needs are, educators teaching older students can bring in science at multiple levels, ranging from anatomy and structures of the brain, all the way to functions and behaviors,” she said. “Younger teachers can focus on topics such as behaviors, classification and diversity.”

Improving teacher education is critical to producing students who are better able to take on critical positions in the sciences in an economy that is more dependent on science and math knowledge, according to a report released June 10 by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, entitled “The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy.”

The report urges teachers to work with scientists, as well as other professionals in technical fields to show students the relevance and application of science in their lives -- something which the June CBN workshop helped to do.

Another summertime CBN program includes the Institute on Neuroscience, from June 8 to July 31, where high schoolers are gaining an opportunity to learn more about neuroscience, through hands-on activities and discussions directed by faculty members, post-doctoral researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students from CBN member institutions, followed by five weeks of mentored laboratory research.

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GSU research focuses on improving teacher retention

Nearly 50 percent of teachers leave the profession within five years, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Georgia State University researchers and their public school partners have been investigating how to reduce this troubling trend.

Barbara Meyers, chair of the Department of Early Childhood Education and Assistant Professor Susan Swars, along with doctoral student Brian Lack and recent doctoral graduate Lydia Mays, spent more than two years studying teacher retention and mobility at a high needs school in the metro Atlanta area.

Using surveys, interviews and open-ended questionnaires, the research team collected 134 teachers’ perceptions of why teachers choose to remain at or leave their school. The researchers found the teachers stay in the classroom if they have positive relationships with other educators and administrators, a diverse student population and an environment that emphasizes academic student achievement.

But, educators may leave when they disagree about teaching philosophies and school policies, the researchers found. Teachers are also more likely to exit the profession if they fear they cannot express concerns or have a lack power.

Based on their findings, the research team developed a two-dimensional model that may help educators determine what school environments are best for them.

“Our model can help teachers be more informed job hunters,” Meyers said. “If they identify shared educational beliefs when they interview, they may be more likely to stay at that school.”
Further, the model could also be used to help administrators screen and hire educators that will work well in their schools and perhaps promote retention.

An analysis by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission indicates the cost to the state of Georgia to replace teachers lost to attrition was almost $400 million in 2005, an increase of nearly $60 million from 2001.

“When universities and schools engage in collaborative inquiries about critical issues facing the teaching profession, authentic, constructive, and pragmatic solutions may be found,” Associate Professor Swars said.

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UGA graduate program expands to prepare teachers to work with secondary students with autism

An innovative University of Georgia graduate program in special education that has prepared scores of Georgia teachers to work with elementary-age students with autism over the last several years has received a new 4-year, $793,000 federal grant to train teachers to work with similarly challenged secondary-age students.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that is part of a group known as autism spectrum disorders. Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“There’s a need for specialized training on how to structure the classroom, how to respond to these kids when they behave inappropriately and how to design instruction that will facilitate the learning of new skills,” said David Gast, a professor of special education, who co-founded the Collaborative Personnel Preparation in Autism program at UGA in 2003.

Gast will co-direct the new program called the Collaborative Adolescent Autism Teacher Training project, with Kevin Ayres, an assistant professor of special education. It will use much of the U.S. Department of Education grant to fund fellowships for up to a dozen graduate students a year to learn how to work with secondary-age students with ASD.

CAATT will work largely with teachers in three diverse school districts in rural, urban and suburban areas of Northeast Georgia.

“Our primary efforts will be in Gwinnett, Clarke and Madison counties as those are our partner districts. But if we were to get an applicant from Cobb (County) who may be a current teacher wanting to complete their M.Ed., they would be eligible,” said Ayres. “We are really recruiting statewide as well as out-of-state people. We feel we will be best able to supply Gwinnett, Clarke, and Madison with new teachers when we recruit folks fresh out of their undergrad programs who are not currently teaching anywhere. These are the folks then that we can work with to get into the partner systems.”

Gast and Deanna Luscre, who coordinated the ASD program for Gwinnett County Public Schools from 1996-2003, developed the COPPA program with a grant of $894,000 from the U.S. Department of the Education in 2003. The program received a second grant of $793,000 in 2007 for four more years.

The second grant allowed UGA to offer additional training in ASD to interested teachers in Clarke, Cobb and Forsyth county schools. Teachers from other school districts have also participated in one or more of the courses being offered.

“Comprehensive public school programs for students with autism must provide high quality, evidence-based intervention from birth to age 21 and to achieve this goal, schools need highly qualified teachers,” said Ayres.

“Preparation and specialization in teaching secondary-age students is distinct from that of elementary-age students and this expansion is significant because it provides for the development of three new courses and two new practica addressing the unique needs of adolescents related to transition planning, community-based instruction and academic content,” he said.

The new program will help put more qualified teachers into Georgia schools, which like other schools across the nation face increasing numbers of students with ASD. One Georgia school system reported eight classrooms for students with autism in 1994, today they have 180 classrooms serving those students, said Ayres.

ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. It is defined by significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests.

The number of children diagnosed with autism has grown about 17 percent a year across the country, and could reach 4 million in the next 10 years, according to Department of Education reports.

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Teachers' Time to Learn

The University of West Georgia and the College of Education will host its annual Learning Festival on Wednesday and Thursday, June 3-4 at the Education Center. The festival is free and the community is invited to attend.

The two-day conference is an exceptional opportunity for administrators, teachers, parents, homeschoolers and community residents to learn and share a wide range of teaching experiences.

Guest speakers include State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox, 2008 National Teacher of the Year Michael Geisen of Prineville, OR, and 2009 State Teacher of the Year Leanne Maule from Cartersville High School.

Learning Festival 2009 will offer participants a conference-style program on reading and math pedagogy in the classroom with approximately four concurrent sessions available throughout the day.

Topics include Creating and Using Building Profiles of ELL Student Proficiency to Support Instruction, molecular mechanics and civic projects for middle and high school students.

PLU and graduate credits will be available to participants. A PLU is a unit of credit granted to Georgia educators based on 10 contact hours of formal instruction or its equivalent.

Coordinators hope classroom teachers will realize their contribution to the quality of life in area schools and their communities as well as be inspired and renewed.

Registration is ongoing. For more information or to register, go to www.westga.edu/~festival.

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Governor Signs Bill to Help Recruit More Math, Science Teachers

Governor Sonny Perdue today signed House Bill 280, which will start new fully-certified math and science teachers at the same salary as a fifth year teacher.

“Just as Georgia businesses increase incentives to fill critical positions, we now have the same ability,” said Governor Perdue. “Last year, Georgia produced only one physics teacher. This legislation will help us address the shortage of math and science teachers in the state.”

The legislation was introduced by House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Brooks Coleman and carried in the Senate by Education and Youth Committee Chairman Sen. Dan Weber. The Governor was joined at the bill signing by the Georgia robotics teams that participated at the FIRST Championship that was held in Atlanta last weekend.

In the 2007-2008 school year Georgia produced 2,000 early childhood teachers, but only one physics teacher, nine chemistry teachers and 140 math teachers.

The Governor’s proposal was based on recommendations by the Alliance of Education Agency Head’s Math and Science Task Force. Under the legislation, math and science teachers with less than five years experience will be brought up to the fifth year pay level. To encourage elementary teachers to increase their competency in math and science, the Governor’s proposal also provides a $1,000 annual bonus to elementary teachers who hold a math or science endorsement.

The incentives will be available for the 2010-11 school year, which will begin in the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget.
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Gwinnett County Public Schools Connects Homebound Students with Alcatel-Lucent Unified Communications and Collaboration Solution

/PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to better educate the greatest number of the county's pupils, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), has extended the classroom beyond its campuses to reach homebound students through state-of-the-art collaboration technology provided by Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU). With its new capabilities, the Gwinnett district, the largest school district in the state of Georgia, is embracing the digital age and creating a more interactive learning environment for homebound students, while dramatically reducing costs across its campuses.

The new Alcatel-Lucent Voice over IP (VoIP) solution will link 114 schools in Gwinnett, providing a major reduction in telephony charges for a district that serves more than 157,600 students and employees a staff of approximately 22,000. Gwinnett is also using the Alcatel-Lucent OmniTouch My Teamwork Unified Conferencing and Collaboration solution to better connect teachers and homebound students reducing the need for travel. The county hosts approximately 60 audio-visual calls per week serving 600 to 700 students who need to be educated at home.

"Previously, our teachers would either travel to each homebound student to provide a few hours of daily instruction or use an audio bridge to conduct group lessons. Voice-only instruction lacks the graphics and visual aids that help keep young, inquisitive students engaged," said Rick Overton, Director of Telecommunications & Network Services, Information Management Division, Gwinnett County Public Schools. "Alcatel-Lucent's VoIP network and the My Teamwork solution help teachers provide a richer learning experience -- they can use video clips for a history lesson, interactive graphing for science or white-board instruction for math."

The Gwinnett County Public Schools IP network already used a range of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet switches to provide the bandwidth and security needed by students and faculty for on campus communications. The more recent deployment of the Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Enterprise provides a new VoIP solution and allows the district to centralize its main voice switches at the district headquarters, extending remote call servers with back up circuits at each school building when fully complete.

Morse Communications, Inc., an Alcatel-Lucent business partner, worked as project leader to gather requirements, customize and install the VoIP equipment, manage service cutover and train the school district staff. Morse currently is providing full-time, on-site backup support for the school system as well as ongoing service, maintenance and consultation.

"Effective and efficient communications technology is critical when creating a dynamic learning environment that makes it possible for students to connect with teachers, fellow students and other knowledge resources safely and securely -- anytime, anywhere," said Tom Burns, who heads Alcatel-Lucent enterprise activities. "My Teamwork will help Gwinnett County Public Schools expand access to education beyond the four walls of the classroom. Our solution helps school districts reduce travel requirements and transportation costs with a virtual infrastructure that brings students and teachers together when they can't reach the brick and mortar classroom."

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Honeywell and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Announce Fourth Annual Search for America's 'Safest Teachers'

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) today announced the launch of the fourth annual Got 2B Safe! Awards program, designed to encourage teachers at elementary schools nationwide to help their students learn valuable and potentially life-saving lessons. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 797,500 children younger than 18 were reported missing during a one year period, an average of 2,185 children reported missing each day.

Got 2B Safe! provides teachers child safety teaching tools and rewards teachers who develop the most creative lesson plans are with big prizes. Five teachers win a classroom makeover worth $10,000 and 100 teachers win $500 worth of school supplies. Makeovers include an overall redesign of the classroom with themes chosen by the teachers, and materials including Got 2B Safe! artwork. The Got 2B Safe! Awards program will be open until March 23, 2009. Educators can log on to www.got2bsafe.com for more information about the contest and to submit a brief essay emphasizing the Got 2B Safe! Four Rules of Safety.

"It is crucial to arm our children with positive, empowering skills to help them recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations," said Tom Buckmaster, president, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. "Participation in the Got 2B Safe! Awards program gives teachers an opportunity to educate their students, parents and community to be smarter about personal safety."

Since 2003, Honeywell and NCMEC have worked together on Got 2B Safe!. The program fills a critical gap -- no other nationwide abduction prevention program exists for schools. Got 2B Safe! focuses on educating eight- to ten-year-olds and their families on how to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation. It arms teachers, parents and guardians with tools to keep children safer. To date, Got 2B Safe! has been distributed to 240,000 principals and teachers, and more than 72,000 schools in the United States- reaching an estimated five million students.

"Teaching children about personal safety should be a priority," said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. "We are excited to be working with Honeywell on the Got 2B Safe! Awards program, to educate teachers, children and the community-at-large about how to prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation."

Got 2B Safe! teaches simple rules to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation through the Got 2B Safe! Four Rules of Safety:

-- Check First -- Children should always check with parents and guardians
before accepting gifts, rides, or invitations from anyone, including
friends, acquaintances and people they don't know.
-- Go With a Friend -- Simple and straightforward -- never go anywhere
alone. Being with another person in public is safer and more fun.
-- It's My Body - Teach your children they have the right to say NO to
any unwelcome, uncomfortable, or confusing touch or actions by others.
-- Tell a Trusted Adult -- Teach your children to TELL a trusted adult --
parent, guardian, teacher, etc. -- if anyone or anything makes them
feel scared, uncomfortable or confused.


"Having taught in a variety of different environments and witnessing all types of abuse and neglect, I've always tried to incorporate a unit on safety in my classroom," said Jessica Beamon, a 2008 Grand Prize winner. "The simple Got 2B Safe! rules clearly resonate with my students and help educate them to make safe choices."

Makeovers include an overall redesign of the classroom with themes chosen by the teachers, and safety materials including Got 2B Safe! artwork. Additional information is available at www.got2bsafe.com.

The Got 2B Safe! program has won eight awards within the corporate social responsibility industry. It is a signature program of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on four areas: Family Safety & Security; Housing & Shelter; Science & Math Education; and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. Honeywell also partners with NASA on FMA Live!, a hip hop science education program; and Rebuilding Together on home revitalization projects for low-income homeowners.

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VSU Gains Another Online Education Master's Degree

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recently approved for Valdosta State University to offer a new online Master of Arts for Teachers program.

Students in the new program, which will open for enrollment fall 2010, can major in middle grades or secondary education. The new options will complement existing in-class and online programs offered under the Master of Education in the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education.

"These degrees are part of our effort to supply additional, high quality teachers to our region," said Dr. Louis Levy, VSU provost. “These MAT degrees along with our traditional Master of Education degrees will enhance the supply of qualified teachers, especially in high-need disciplines."

Individuals holding bachelor’s degrees in sought-after academic disciplines, like mathematics and science, will have a degree route to initial teacher certification. Their extensive knowledge in their specific areas, combined with a new background in education will provide a fresh supply of qualified teachers to the area.

The MAT in middle grades or secondary education is offered collaboratively with several other USG institutions, including Columbus State, which will be the first to grant degrees. Students can enroll in the program via www.georgiaONmyLine.gov .

While VSU will not begin granting the MAT until 2010, students can now earn education specialist degrees in teaching and learning, online teaching and teaching of the gifted. Call the COE at (229) 333-5925 for information about these new programs.

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Center for Economic Education Hosts Workshops for Teachers

The Berry College Center for Economic Education will close out its 2008-09 workshop schedule Feb. 10, 11 and 12 with a trio of offerings for area teachers.

On Feb. 10, the center will host “Georgia Economic History,” a one-day workshop for eighth-grade Georgia studies teachers. This award-winning program brings together an array of resources to help teachers lead their students in a study of their own local economic history. Teachers get hands-on experience with the tools of the historian and learn how to work with local history groups.

The Feb. 11 workshop, “Personal Finance,” focuses on how teachers in grades 6-12 can “coach” their students in the new personal finance curriculum, thus helping them to become skilled consumers, savers and investors.

The schedule concludes Feb. 12 with “Elementary School Economics, K-2.” This workshop focuses on basic economics content with a focus on learning the economics concepts found in the Georgia Performance Standards.

Teachers interested in attending these workshops should contact Dr. Leslie Marlow at lmarlow@berry.edu or 706-238-7889. Online registration is available at www.gcee.org/workshops/register_for_workshops.asp. Additional information about the center and its offerings can be found at www.berry.edu/academics/education/econed.

Established in 1974 under the leadership of Dr. Ouida Word Dickey, the Center for Economic Education is in its first year operating under the umbrella of Berry’s Charter School of Education and Human Sciences. Its goal is to provide teachers with a supportive network, access to professional training and curriculum materials. Area school administrators are welcome to contact the center staff to arrange special topic workshops and courses.

“We are delighted to have the Center for Economic Education housed in the Charter School,” said Dr. Jacqueline McDowell, Charter School dean. “I personally welcome every workshop participant and encourage them to send us high school students from their school districts who want to be teachers. The center helps us to recruit, prepare and inspire teachers to teach economics.”


Prepared by student writer Leigh Harris.

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Inflation Continues to Outpace Teacher Salary Growth

Teachers across the nation are continuing to lose spending power for themselves and their families as inflation continued to outpace teacher salaries last year, according to the National Education Association's update to the annual report Rankings and Estimates: Rankings of the States 2008 and Estimates of School Statistics 2009.

Over the decade from 1997-98 to 2007-08, in constant dollars, average salaries for public schoolteachers declined 1 percent while inflation increased 31.4 percent. Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia saw real declines in average teacher salaries over those years, adjusting for inflation.

"Public schoolteachers deserve professional pay for professional work," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "If we are going to close the achievement gaps, reduce school dropouts and recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, we need to compensate teachers across the country fairly for the work they do."

According to the report, the average one-year increase in public schoolteacher salaries was 3.1 percent, while inflation increased 4.3 percent. The national average public schoolteacher salary for 2007-2008 was $52,308. State average public schoolteacher salaries ranged from those in California ($64,424), New York ($62,332) and Connecticut ($61,976) at the high end, to South Dakota ($36,674), North Dakota ($40,279) and Utah ($41,615) at the low end.

Rankings and Estimates provides statistics to raise public understanding of key issues affecting teaching and learning conditions in the nation's public schools. Teacher salaries and public education indicators including school enrollment, student-teacher ratios and school funding at the local, state and federal levels are reported in the annual state-by-state report. Among the other highlights:

" Public school enrollment - Public school enrollment was 48,949,723 million, up 0.3 percent over fall 2006. The largest percentage enrollment increases from fall 2006 to fall 2007 were in Nevada (3.5 percent), Arizona (2.5 percent), Delaware (2.1 percent) and Ohio (2.1 percent). Twenty states and the District of Columbia experienced declines in student enrollment in fall 2007. The greatest declines were in the District of Columbia (-3.6 percent), Michigan (-2.6 percent), Vermont (-2.0 percent) and North Dakota (-1.6 percent).
" Gender diversity in teaching - Males comprised 24.5 percent of public schoolteachers in 2008. Many of them taught in Kansas (33.6 percent), Oregon (31.6 percent), Alaska (30.9 percent) or Indiana (30.5 percent). States with the lowest percentage of male faculty were Arkansas (16.2 percent), Virginia (17.4 percent), Mississippi (17.5 percent), Louisiana (18 percent), South Carolina (18.5 percent) and Georgia (19.7 percent).
" Expenditures per student - The U.S. average per student expenditure for public elementary and secondary schools in 2007-08 fall enrollment was $9,963. States with the highest per student expenditures were New Jersey ($15,374), New York ($15,286), Vermont ($14,336), Wyoming ($13,967) and Massachusetts ($13,768). Arizona ($5,346), Utah ($5,734), Nevada ($7,133), Mississippi ($7, 175) and Idaho ($7, 305) had the lowest per student expenditures.
Rankings and Estimates has presented selected education statistics since the 1960s. The complete report can be found at http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/rankings08.pdf

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Professional Development Key to Improving Math Achievement

Teachers have a greater impact than new textbooks or computers when it comes to raising math scores, according to a comprehensive research review by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education.

Researchers Robert Slavin, director of the Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University, and Cynthia Lake, research scientist, reviewed 87 previously released experimental studies evaluating the effectiveness of math programs in the elementary grades. The researchers' review covered three approaches to improving math achievement — textbooks, computer-assisted instruction, and approaches emphasizing professional development in specific teaching methods, such as cooperative learning and teaching of learning skills. They found that changing daily teaching practices did more for student achievement than simply using new textbooks or adding computers to the mix.

"The debate about mathematics reform has focused primarily on curriculum, not on professional development or instruction," said Slavin. "Yet the research review suggests that in terms of outcomes on math assessments, curriculum differences are less consequential than instructional differences."

Researchers conducted a broad literature search in order to locate every study comparing the effectiveness of various math programs to traditional control groups. The results were published in the September issue of the American Educational Research Association's Review of Educational Research. The review notes that the three approaches to mathematics instruction do not conflict with each other and may have added effects if used together.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education is conducting one of the largest research review projects ever undertaken, to increase the use of evidence in education to improve student achievement. The intent is to place all types of programs on a common scale to provide educators with meaningful, unbiased information that they can use to select programs and practices most likely to make a difference with their students. Topics include reading, math, and other programs for grades K-12. Educator-friendly ratings of effective education programs as well as the full reports appear on the Best Evidence Encyclopedia web site at www.bestevidence.org.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education is a non-profit center that received funding from the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. For more information on the center, visit www.cddre.org.

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Fayette County Teachers Participate in Weightless Flight

Tammy Pakulski during weightless flight onboard G-Force One.

Two of Fayette County's teachers became zeronauts for a day and both thought their experience was, pardon the pun, out of this world.

Carol Taylor, a math teacher at Rising Starr Middle, and Tammy Pakulski, a science teacher at JC Booth Middle, took part in the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery Program on October 7. The teachers were participants in a zero gravity flight that is comparable to what astronauts experience in space.

“The experience was out of this world; it was fabulous,” says Taylor upon her arrival back to earth. “It was a fun and rewarding experience with applications connecting to classroom concepts. My accelerated students studied the vertical motion model while I was gone and I was able to discuss how the flight was a perfect example of what they learned.”

Here’s how the weightless flight works. The airplane, a 727 called G-Force One, climbs at a 50-degree angle, topping off at 31,500 feet and then goes into freefall creating a weightless environment inside the plane for 25-30 seconds. The maneuver is completed a total of 15 times giving participants about 6-7 minutes of weightless flight.

“The flight was much smoother than I had expected. Going weightless was actually a very peaceful experience,” says Pakulski. “The 1.8 Gs we experienced on the climb was not as bad as I thought it would be. You pull more Gs on the Mindbender at Six Flags.”

Both teachers have reached celebrity status at their schools, appearing on the closed circuit TV announcements and getting bombarded by students.

“When I returned to school I was mobbed by students, many I didn’t even know. They all wanted to know about the experience, “ says Pakulski.

Taylor was a special guest during her school’s morning announcements.

“I was dressed in my flight suit with my certificate in hand along with our school agenda and panther mascot that went along for the ride with me. The students have been extremely responsive school wide,” she says.

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New Program Gets an A

The Professional Development School program graduated its first class this spring and that achievement represents a unique collaboration between the University of West Georgia and the Carroll County School System.

The program, which began two years ago, serves as an alternate model for the undergraduate teacher education candidates in the UWG Early Childhood Education program.
The PDS program is a nation-wide trend that many universities are using, said Dr. John Ponder, assistant professor of early childhood and elementary education and director of the program for the upcoming academic year.

“Although actual PDS models vary somewhat by university, in theory, these models are designed to give students intense, authentic classroom experience throughout their program,” said Ponder. “We have been blessed to work with schools in our area that believe in the shared responsibility for training future teachers. Our dean, Dr. Kent Layton, has been very supportive of our efforts.”

Administrators and faculty from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the county school system spent two years developing a working model for training new teachers.
The training program has brought about a stronger partnership between the university and the county school system and has enhanced the professional development of teacher education candidates. Ashley Hardin graduated from the program in May and is now teaching at Roopville Elementary School.

“I felt very prepared when I interviewed for a job in February,” said Hardin. “From day one, we were in the classrooms four days a week. By the end of the first semester you know whether you are going to be a teacher or not. It’s a good program.”

In the PDS program, the education students spend four days a week in the classroom instead of the traditional two days at the school site through three semesters.

Dr. John vonEschenbach, professor of early childhood and elementary education and director of the first class, said what makes the program unique is the close relationship between UWG students, classroom teachers and children, school staff and professors.

“That creates a close relationship and when candidates move into their internship in the final semester of the program, they function as first year teachers,” said vonEschenbach. “A second significant feature is the relationship between public school faculty and university faculty. Within this model, public school teachers and university faculty collaborate and exchange their professional knowledge and skills as team members throughout the preparation of these prospective educators.”

The UWG College of Education uses Central, Roopville, Sharp Creek and Whitesburg Elementary Schools as the partner schools for the UWG students’ clinical experience. Throughout the four blocks or semesters in the classrooms, a majority of the professional education courses are taught at the public school sites by university faculty and school site coordinators.

This schedule has made all the difference, said Roopville Elementary School Principal Carolyn Waters.

“The university students are very fond of the program because they are in the classroom where the action really is,” said Waters, who is retiring this year. “They get to see a variety of teaching styles, which is very valuable. And the teachers love having them in the classroom. The students can mold themselves into the teacher they want to be.”

The PDS program has also implemented a systematic model to engage and empower parents and caregivers as instructional partners in the education of their children. An easy-to-use website for the parents provides information, instructional activities and resources to enhance education at home.

The COE enrollment numbers for elementary education majors this spring totaled 419 students as majors and 433 students who are pre-majors. West Georgia boasts the highest number of students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and specialist education courses in the state.

GMOA to Host NEH Funded Picturing America Workshop for Teachers and Librarians

The Georgia Museum of Art will host a workshop for K-12 teachers and librarians who are participating in the National Endowment for the Humanities program Picturing America on July 22-24, thanks to a chairman’s grant from the NEH.

Picturing America, the latest initiative of the NEH We the People program, brings some of the most significant pieces of American art into classrooms throughout the nation. The program is free for teachers and librarians who apply. Participating institutions will receive a comprehensive package of 40 large high-quality images of American paintings, decorative arts and architecture, which paired with a teacher resource packet, will provide a catalyst for the study of the U.S.

To provide participants with further support in using the Picturing America materials, the Georgia Museum of Art has developed a three-day workshop that focuses on the images and themes in Picturing America and ties those works of art to objects from the museum’s permanent collection, as well as architecture and interiors in Athens.

Participants will hear lectures by the museum’s curators and humanities scholars. They will participate in gallery tours and educational sessions led by art educators and museum docents as well as tours of historic local sites and two private art collections. They also will receive museum publications related to the seminar topics to be used in the participants’ schools and libraries. The participants will work in teams to develop age-appropriate lesson plans using Picturing America. At the conclusion of the seminar, participants will receive two Professional Learning Units for their participation.

Through the funding provided by the NEH, the museum will offer an honorarium to each participant, as well as meals and travel expenses. Space is limited to 30 participants, and the deadline for registration is June 30. For more information about Picturing America, please visit http://picturingamerica.neh.gov. For information on the Picturing America workshop, see www.uga.edu/gamuseum or call 706/542-GMOA (4662).