Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Using What You've Learned: The Teacher Conference

In Fall 2001, Forrest and Virginia Toelle, two of PeachStar's very own Teacher-In-Residence participants, developed a presentation to share with their fellow Georgia educators at the 2001 Annual Teacher Conference in Atlanta. The conference, whose theme for 2001 was "Spotlighting the Arts in Teaching," featured success stories and best practices offered first-hand by teachers around the state. We at PeachStar are proud to share with you the Toelles' suggestions for the integration of the arts via the use of multimedia in the classroom.

The Toelles' presentation, entitled "Captivate Your Audience: Using Technology to Spotlight the Arts," was given by Forrest, an educator in Muscogee County, and stressed the importance of a strong arts presence in the general curriculum. "The ways of thinking, connections to culture, and the general skills promoted by the arts help students to think independently, to judge the world around them, and to be creative and imaginative," he claimed; each of these skills is important to student success across curriculum areas. According to his presentation, one of the most effective ways to incorporate the arts into the classroom is through the use of technology.

Forrest then went on to share the secrets of Power Point as a tool for integrating arts and technology into classroom instruction. He offered websites that provide Power Point tutorials, places where teachers might find images to use in presentations, a primer on scanning and digital cameras as well as on the manipulation of images in a Power Point presentation, and tips on how to insert music over the final presentation. One of the highlights of the presentation was the new streaming project being offered by PeachStar and United Learning; through this effort, teachers and students may download video clips which they may then embed right into their own Power Points!

After demonstrating HOW to create a captivating presentation, Forrest presented some ideas of WHAT Power Points might be used for in the classroom:

* Make a test for students to identify famous artwork
* Let students make Power Point presentations set to music
* Make Interdisciplinary lessons
* Set up a program on how to draw an object using basic steps
* Write and illustrate stories and dramas
* Allow students to create multimedia presentations blending photographic images, text, sound, and animated graphics to teach their classmates what they know

We at PeachStar take our hats off to Forrest and Virginia for all of the hard work that made this presentation possible.

Saturday, December 7, 2002

PeachStar Brings JASON Back into Georgia Classrooms

Last year, for the first time ever, PeachStar brought you the JASON project, a National Science Center/Fort Discovery endeavor. Through a series of pre-recorded broadcasts, students and teachers across the country explored the rich wilderness of Hawaii right from their classrooms.

This year, PeachStar brings you JASON XIII: Frozen Worlds, an exploration of some of the colder regions of our planet and solar system that examines current research in geology, glaciology, biology, astrobiology, oceanography and climatology. Additionally, it will focus on amazing plants and animals that survive in these frigid environments, from the largest marine mammals to the smallest microbes.Alaska and the Polar Regions will serve as comparative venues, and the laboratory for examining JASON's three main research questions:

* What are the dynamic systems of Earth and Space?
* How do these systems affect life on Earth?
* What technologies do we use to study these systems, and why?

The JASON Project offers students and teachers in grades 4-9 a comprehensive, multimedia approach to enhance teaching and learning in science, technology, math, geography, and associated disciplines. The project delivers its educational content through a print curriculum, videos, fully interactive Internet programming, and satellite "telepresence" broadcasts.

The middle school, expedition-based curriculum is composed of core science and process skills. It is designed to guide teachers in presenting a science program that is inquiry-based and content rich. JASON XIII: Frozen Worlds addresses a variety of themes embedded in the Georgia science curriculum:

* Geography of polar and sub-arctic regions
* History of human exploration and adaptation
* Culture of Native People of Alaska
* Tools and methods of scientific research
* Marine and terrestrial ecosystems of polar and sub-arctic regions
* Life forms living in severe, typically non-life-supporting conditions on Earth
* Climatology and global climate change
* Watershed studies

JASON XIII goes even further than science curriculum. As you and your students travel through the wilderness of Alaska, you will also touch upon mathematics, geography, history and culture, language arts, and fine arts themes.

JASON XIII will air on PeachStar 1 PM weekdays from January 29 until February 8. Tune in with your class and experience the Alaskan countryside firsthand!

For more information about JASON XIII: Frozen Worlds, contact the National Science Center's Fort Discovery at 1-800-325-5445 ext. 5575 or visit the NSC website.

ZOOM Into SciTrek with PeachStar

Since 1988, over two and a half million visitors have had the opportunity to experience some of Atlanta's most engaging and innovative hands-on science exhibits at SciTrek. Located in downtown Atlanta and open seven days a week, SciTrek allows visitors to learn by engaging in experiential exhibits, as well as through workshops and programs hosted by professional educators. There are over 120 hands-on exhibits in the museum's Permanent Exhibits section, and these are supplemented by frequently changing Special Exhibits. Students can explore the principles of magnetic attraction and electrical currents in the Electric-Magnetic Junction; learn how to make work into child's play at Simple Machines: How Things Work; explore the properties of light and the science of optics at Light Reflections, Perceptions, and Illusions; and "explore" Mars using a custom-built robot at RoboMars. The staff also conducts hourly science demonstrations, and school groups can register to participate in special workshops when they visit SciTrek. Throughout the school year, SciTrek also hosts events for special occasions such as National Chemistry Week and National Engineering Week.

One of the many permanent exhibits at SciTrek is ZOOMzone, sponsored by Georgia Public Broadcasting and PeachStar. ZOOMzone recreates the look and feel of the PBS series ZOOM, which airs on GPTV (PeachStar Channel 400) weekdays at 3:30 PM. The idea behind ZOOM, which is a recreation of the popular 1970's children's show by the same name, is that students are inventive and creative enough to create their own daily television show. Students from five to eleven send in games, puzzles, activities, and experiments, and those submissions are included in upcoming programs. In the ZOOMzone, students and adults can try the interactive and educational activities seen on ZOOM, share their ideas, and even send their ideas to the producers of the show. Both the show and the exhibit are based on activities and ideas created by students across the country to challenge and entertain other students.

At SciTrek, students can see some of their favorite episodes of ZOOM playing at the first kiosk when they enter the exhibit. Additionally, they can learn about fractions using Burger Math, take the Cup Tower Challenge to build a stable structure using just cups, try solving the centuries-old puzzles of Tangrams, and even send in their own suggestions for activities to ZOOM producers via the Internet Kiosk. PeachStar and SciTrek are currently discussing the creation of several new and exciting ZOOMzone activities.

Visit the SciTrek website for more information about SciTrek exhibits, workshops, school group visits, summer camps, and classroom resources. You can also find out more about ZOOM by visiting the ZOOM website.

A Day of Love and Logic with PeachStar

PeachStar and Georgia Public Broadcasting are pleased to announce that we are bringing Jim Fay to Georgia parents and educators. On December 17 we will be hosting Fay, nationally-renowned parenting and teaching expert, for a live broadcast of A Day of Love and Logic. Fay draws on 31 years of experience in the American education system where he served as teacher, principal, and administrator. He is the cofounder of the Love and Logicâ Institute, an organization dedicated "to making parenting and teaching fun and rewarding, instead of stressful and chaotic." The institute is based on the Love and Logicâ philosophy:

Children learn the best lessons when they're given a task and allowed to make their own choices (and fail) when the cost of failure is still small. Children's failures must be coupled with love and empathy from their parents and teachers.

The benefits of this philosophy are clear: it provides children with tangible limits and teaches both consequences and healthy decision-making. The Love and Logicâ process involves four key concepts:
- shared control
- shared thinking/decision making
- equal shares of empathy and consequences
- maintenance of the child's self-concept

By giving children the latitude they need to make mistakes and then learn from them while at the same time providing a strong system of support, parents and teachers help children to learn to make more responsible choices. No matter what the issue is a child has to deal with, it is imperative that he be able to make good decisions based on his previous experiences, both successes and failures.

For more information about the program or to register to attend this ground-breaking PeachStar-sponsored event, visit the Love and Logicâ website.

Friday, December 6, 2002

PeachStar's Teacher Certification Project: Special Measures for Special Education

PeachStar Education Services, The Learning House, and Armstrong Atlantic State University have joined forces to bring Georgia educators the Teacher Certification Project (TCP) in response to the intense need for certified special education teachers who can provide appropriate classroom instruction for K-12 students.

The Teacher Certification Project, developed and produced by Peachstar with the help of The Learning House, is a distance learning program in Interrelated Special Education that allows educators with teaching certificates to pursue add-on certification in Special Education in as little as one year. The program is designed to accommodate working teachers' schedules without imposing additional personal expenses to meet job requirements. The TCP initiative, which comprises ten modules, offers a unique approach to distance learning through the integration of video, audio, CD-ROM, and Internet-based technologies.

Beginning in August 2001, Armstrong Atlantic State University began the implementation of the Teacher Certification Project in Georgia. AASU is responsible for recruiting, screening, and enrolling candidates for the program. In addition, AASU provides technical help desk support for students, arranges for student access to GALILEO, the state of Georgia's online library, for course readings and supplementary resources, and provides ongoing implementation support, including arranging for access to the University System of Georgia's WebCT Help Desk for both students and instructors. Once students have met the program requirements, AASU will confer the appropriate certification or college degree credit.

This pioneering project may be a model for using alternative certification processes to meet teacher shortages and improve the quality of education for all students. The TCP initiative was initially developed in conjunction with the Department of Junvenile Justice. For more information about how you can participate in PeachStar's alternative certification program for Special Education, contact AASU's Office of Admissions or the PeachStar Education Services Division.

Thursday, December 5, 2002

A Letter from PeachStar's Director

Dear Educator:

As the first semester of the 2002-2003 school year comes to a close PeachStar is proud to look back on what we have accomplished together with you so far this school year. We launched the pilot of PeachStar Classroom's physics and chemistry courses in three school systems across the state. Be sure to read the article for more information about how the implementation is progressing. We brought the Cobb County Alcohol and Drug Awareness program to middle schools across Georgia as well as hosting Congressman Johnny Isakson and the Youth Talkback Live program as they discussed important issues of concerns to Georgia students today. Be sure to check the January issue of Pipeline for photos and more information about both of these exciting events.

Even though the first semester is not yet over, PeachStar has already begun planning for the second and we are pleased to tell you that we have a great deal in store for you when you return in January. All fall we have been working to improve the way we broadcast programming in order to best meet the needs of classroom teachers. In January we will offer the culmination of our efforts in the form of a broadcast schedule arranged by course and a new online support resource that offers educators lesson plans and ideas for integrating the videos into classroom instruction.

We will be launching a new online menu of training options for Georgia Educators in January. This allows you to choose from a pre-scheduled list of PeachStar trainings to be held at locations around the state or to request to host a training at your school. PeachStar is dedicated to supporting the entire Georgia learning community regardless of geographic location and by offering a general menu of trainings in locations across the state, we will better be able to serve educators in outlying areas.

With these and other initiatives in progress, PeachStar staff feel confident that next semester will be a great success. Congratulations on successfully completing the first half of the school year; we look forward to working with you to make next semester an even greater success.

Sincerely,

C. Blaine Carpenter, Ph.D.
Director, Education Services

Wednesday, December 4, 2002

PeachStar Tailors Training to Meet Your Needs

In response to numerous requests from teachers for training, PeachStar is developing an online menu of trainings to be offered on an ongoing basis. By providing educators with an online listing of regularly scheduled trainings to be held throughout the state, PeachStar is able to ensure that a greater number of educators have access to PeachStar training and that the content of the trainings educators receive is consistent.

The development of the online training menu also marks a shift in PeachStar's approach to training; we are now making a concentrated effort to offer trainings in a number of locations statewide so that assistance is more readily available to educators in remote geographic location. That means that rather than hold trainings exclusively in the metropolitan Atlanta area, PeachStar staff will make use of facilities in alternate locations around the state so that educators will not have to travel as far in order to take advantage of training opportunities.

The training menu, located on the PeachStar website under the News section, is arranged by training type:
- Satellite
- GED Connection/Workplace Essential Skills
- Video Streaming
- Integrating Multiple Media
- Ready to Learn
- Guidance

Simply click on the title of the training you wish to learn more about and your browser will take you to a page with details about that training as well a list of scheduled dates and the minimum number of participants required. Continue reading below for a brief description of each of the trainings PeachStar offers and the number of participants who may participate in each session.

Satellite Training - 101
This training is designed to provide participants with answers to the most frequently asked questions about PeachStar Satellite Equipment. Participation in this training is limited to 15 educators per session.

Satellite Training - Advanced

This training is designed to provide participants with extended knowledge and skills beyond the basic training by troubleshooting more advanced satellite problems. Participation in this training is limited to 15 educators per session.

GED Connection/Workplace Essential Skills Training

This training is designed to provide participants with information about how GED Connection and Workplace Essential Skills can be used in public libraries to support adults preparing for their GED exam. Participants received a complete introduction to both series, including a preview of video clips and an overview of components of the programs.

Video Streaming Training - Introductory

The introductory video streaming training is designed to introduce educators to PeachStar's video streaming service. Participation in this training is limited to 20 educators per session.

Video Streaming Training - Advanced
This training will give a brief overview of video streaming and will offer participants suggestions on how to overcome common barriers to successful implementation. Participation in this training is limited to 20 educators per session.

Integrating Multiple Media Training
This training will allow participants to gather and share ideas for integrating multiple media into your classroom teaching. Participation in this training is limited to 20 educators per session.

Ready To Learn Training
Ready To Learn trainings are designed to introduce PBS Kids programming and to illustrate ways in which the programming can be used as a teaching tool for pre-school aged children. Participation in this training is limited to 20 educators per session.

Guidance Training
This training will allow participants to gather and share ideas for integrating multiple media into guidance counseling. Participation in this training is limited to 20 educators per session.

One of the most important aspects of PeachStar trainings is that each one offers participants a hands-on learning experience that helps them to retain all of the knowledge they gain during each session. Visit www.gpb.org/education in January to learn more about the training options that are available to you through PeachStar. If you do not find a date and location that are convenient for you under the already scheduled trainings, you may choose to request that PeachStar conduct training at your school. Should you choose to schedule a training at your school, you will be responsible for ensuring that the minimum number of participants is present as well as meeting technical requirements and facilitating communication with participants. If you choose to attend an already scheduled training, simply click on the link to apply online and await notification of your acceptance in the training.

We look forward to working with you to meet your training needs. Please let us know of your suggestions for improvement to the format of this new online training menu by emailing at education@gpb.org.

Type of Training Target Audience

Satellite 101

Public Librarians; Public and Private School Library Media Specialists; Media Paraprofessionals; System-Level Staff who provide support to Media Specialists

Satellite - Advanced
Public Librarians; Public and Private School Library Media Specialists; Media Paraprofessionals; System-Level Staff who provide support to Media Specialists

GED/ Workplace Essential Skills
Educators of Adult Literacy; School-to-Work Staff; DTAE; Regional Service Agencies in Public Libraries

Ready To Learn

Parents; Daycare Caregivers; In-home Caregivers; Librarians; Caregiver Certification Providers; DHR; Home School Teachers

Video Streaming - Introductory

Teachers; Media Specialists; Building-Level Technology Specialists; System-Level Technology Coordinators

Video Streaming - Advanced
Teachers; Media Specialists; Building-Level Technology Specialists; System-Level Technology Coordinators

Integrating Multiple Media
Teachers; Curriculum Directors; Principals; Assistant Principals Guidance; School Guidance Counselors; Classroom Teachers; Curriculum Specialists

GLC Is Making the Jump!!

By Sara Pitts

Georgia Learning Connections (GLC) is making the jump from the computer screen to the video screen. The PeachStar Education Services Division of Georgia Public Broadcasting recently worked with GLC to produce a professional development video about the new GLC website. The video, entitled Georgia Learning Connections Video Site Guide, is 25 minutes in length and presents a general overview of the GLC website, how to use it, and what additional resources are available. The video can be accessed via streaming media on GLC and also via satellite on all three of PeachStar's satellite channels.

The video can be viewed in one 25-minute block, or in three shorter segments of nine minutes, seven minutes, and eight minutes respectively. Each segment highlights a different area of the site. Scavenger hunt activities will accompany the shorter streamed segments, while a WebQuest will be available for use in conjunction with entire video online.

Tuesday, December 3, 2002

Making the Grade: PeachStar Classroom

The pilot year for PeachStar Classroom, PeachStar's distance-learning course for high school physics and chemistry, is off to a good beginning. Seven teachers are using PeachStar Classroom materials in a variety of classroom settings and student populations, from large counties to small rural areas. Here's a little bit about the teachers who are using PeachStar Classroom right now, and how they're doing.

Marcie Dennis is a Chemistry and Physics teacher at Dodge County High School, and is one of the teachers who originally joined the project when PeachStar conducted training in July. She has her teaching certification in Broad Field Science, and taught Chemistry and Physics last year. "I live in a rural area where there are no teachers certified in Physics or Chemistry, so my principal came to me and asked me about teaching these classes," says Marcie. "I had prior experience facilitating other distance learning classes. Also, as a beginning teacher it would provide me more experience with teaching some of the difficult content."

Marcie was also hoping that PeachStar Classroom would spark the interest in her students about science. According to Marcie, the interest was certainly there: while she started her school year with only 2 students enrolled in PeachStar Classroom, through word of mouth that enrollment increased to 12. She says her students often come into class asking if they'll be watching a video that day, but take it very seriously when they do. Marcie is teaching on a traditional schedule, for which PeachStar Classroom was designed, and her teaching calendar has followed the curriculum calendar quite closely. She frequently participates in Friday afternoon phone conferences with PeachStar staff, discussing problems with the materials, issues with using it in the classroom, and the pace of the programs.

Melanie Peacock is a colleague of Marcie's at Dodge County High School. She has been a science teacher for 14 years, and this year teaches five different classes. In addition, she is currently working on her National Board Certification. With so much on her plate, Melanie is very excited to be using the PeachStar Classroom materials with her students. Having both a veteran teacher and a newcomer not only offers students a choice, but also helps to validate the program. "The materials are really covering what they need; there's not a lot of fluff in the program," says Melanie. Having taught science for so long, Melanie has plenty of materials and experience of her own to draw from.

Principal Don Robinson of Calhoun County High School was concerned about two of his science faculty teaching in areas that were not their strongest. So teachers Mary Alice Hilton and David Crowdis joined in August as PeachStar Classroom teachers. David is a certified Biology teacher, and Mary has her certification in Secondary Math; because of the constraints of the CCHS school schedule this year, David was asked to teach Chemistry, and Mary asked to teach Physics. Principal Robinson had heard of PeachStar Classroom through Sara Erwin at the Southwest Georgia RESA, and contacted PeachStar about getting his teachers involved. Now that both of them are using PeachStar Classroom, they feel a little more confident in their classes, their students are enjoying learning, and Mary and David are learning a little themselves.

Al Strom teaches Chemistry and Physical Science on a block schedule at Fitzgerald High School in Ben Hill County. A forty-one year veteran teacher, Al holds a Chemistry degree from the University of Tennessee, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction. Initially he was asked by his superintendent to attend the PeachStar Classroom training, having no idea what the curriculum was like. Since being introduced to the program, and having an opportunity to use it in the classroom, Al is very pleased with both the content of the course, and the way it has been received by his students. "At first they thought we were going to spend all our time watching videos," Al says of his students' reaction. "They were pleased with the organization and soon discovered that what we were doing fit into the text we were using."

Fred Whitaker teaches Chemistry at the newly built Taliaferro County High School. TCHS is operating on a block schedule, and because the PeachStar Classroom programs are being rolled out on a gradual basis, Fred has been using the videos as a classroom supplement this semester, and hopes to use it fully next semester. Taliaferro County is a very rural county west of Augusta, and Fred wants classroom materials that can hold his students' interests and attention in subjects that otherwise would hold no appeal to them. He finds that because most of the content is delivered by video, the students find it a little more engaging to watch, and retain the content more effectively.

Carol Cort teachers for the Gwinnett County Public School system in the Teleclass Program, which serves homebound and medically disabled students. Because Carol does not teach in a traditional classroom, her use of PeachStar Classroom will be radically different than that of the other teachers involved. The materials will mainly serve to supplement the textbooks and other materials already issued to her students. Because PeachStar Classroom is delivered via satellite to Georgia schools, but many of Carol's students are not regularly in the school setting, she has had trouble getting the videos to her students. She has used some of the print materials to cover topics, such as scientific notation and the metric system, with which her students needed more reinforcement, and the reaction was positive. Over the summer, however, while Gwinnett County prepares for its fall textbook adoption, Carol will look over the whole curriculum and decide how best to integrate it into her teaching next year.

Sunday, December 1, 2002

Read to Succeed:GPB Advocates Adult Literacy

Georgia Public Broadcasting knows that literacy is a quality of life issue for every Georgian. In hopes of heightening awareness of the literacy issue across the state, PeachStar is bringing you Read to Succeed, an inspiring Georgia Public Television original program, first developed in 1999 and updated in 2001 to report on the progress of three individuals who were profiled in the original documentary.

Read to Succeed, developed as part of the Georgia Reads! campaign, is an inspiring documentary about new adult readers Ahn Totton, Iva Green, and David "Daw-u" Smith. In addition to following the improvement of these adult learners, Read to Succeed also showcases the Read to Succeed Literacy Volunteer-a-Thon, a GPTV pledge event where Georgians from all walks of life pledge their time rather than money, to help adult learners to read. Georgia Public Broadcasting partners with a variety of literacy organizations, including Literacy Action, Inc., Literacy Volunteers of America, Project Read, and the Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) in order to raise community consciousness about the serious problem of adult illiteracy in Georgia.

For more information about how you can become involved in the adult literacy movement, visit www.georgiareads.org.

Saturday, November 9, 2002

Studio GPR Brings Local Music Scene to Listeners and Learners Across Georgia

In September of this year, Georgia Public Radio (GPR) launched Studio GPR, a two-hour weekly music show that blends in-studio musical performances with interviews with guest artists. Studio GPR's host, Terrance McKnight, a music producer here at GPB and an adjunct professor of music at Morehouse College, refers to the show, which features local and nationally renowned artists as "a window onto Georgia's vibrant musical landscape."

Beginning his radio career at National Public Radio as a staff member on NPR's Performance Today, Terrance views Studio GPR as an opportunity to share with listeners the "incredible amount of great music being made all over Georgia every day." In addition to sharing music with his audience, Terrance offers insight into the lives and thoughts of the musicians themselves through the interview component of the show.

One of Terrance's goals for Studio GPR is to ensure its educational value to the Georgia learning community. He plans to accomplish this goal by bringing artists and student audiences into the studio the first Tuesday of each month to record a session to be used in upcoming editions of Studio GPR. During these sessions, similar in structure to master classes, students will have an opportunity to ask questions of the artists performing and on some occasions bring their own instruments. Student audiences will range from grade five to grade 12 and will come away from their experience at Studio GPR with a greater knowledge of public radio style, an understanding the basics of music performance in a studio setting, and the benefit of interaction with professional musicians.

Be sure to record the following November Studio GPR features at 8 PM Thursdays and 10 PM Sundays to share with your class:

* Georgia's All State Bands & Orchestra
* Georgia's Middle School Treble & Mixed Chorus
* Georgia's All State Jazz Band...and more.

Friday, November 8, 2002

Thanks to Some of PeachStar's Star Teachers

The 2002-2003 school year is well underway and we are fast approaching the season of Thanksgiving. At this special time of year, the staff of PeachStar Education Services would like to take an opportunity to offer our thanks to all of the educators across Georgia for whom and with whom we work. The mission of PeachStar is to provide high quality educational resources that enrich, inform, and support the Georgia learning community, and we rely upon Georgia educators, as the main conduit for education in the state, to serve as our main point of contact with learners in the K-12 population.

Over the years, educators in Georgia have come to recognize PeachStar as a forerunner in the field of educational technology and content, but what you may not know, is the important role played by educators like yourselves in much of the work PeachStar does. In addition to serving as liaisons between PeachStar and the classroom, several educators have dedicated themselves to working with PeachStar staff on the development of the resources we provide to Georgia learners.

In this article, we will acknowledge three of the educators who have demonstrated their commitment to learning in Georgia by joining PeachStar in multiple projects designed to enhance classroom learning and educator professional development. Each of these educators, representing the elementary, middle, and high school levels, has devoted hundreds of hours of her time to the creation of PeachStar resources, including the review of content and alignment of it with Georgia's curriculum framework, the redesign of the PeachStar broadcast schedule to follow the order of instruction in Georgia classrooms, and the creation of professional development resources such as Workshop In A Box.

PEGGY COFFEY
Peggy Coffey is a National Board Certified fifth-grade teacher at Kanoheda Elementary School in Gwinnett County. During her tenure as a Georgia teacher, she has taught all grade levels between preschool and grade eight, earned a Master's Degree, an Education Specialist Degree, and is currently pursuing her doctorate. Peggy first joined forces with PeachStar in 2000, as part of the QCC Correlation Program, PeachStar's initiative to correlate our video library to the QCC standards. After receiving training onsite at PeachStar, Peggy continued working with two other teachers off-site one night a week to view and correlate videos. According to Peggy, " I liked the friendly professional people at PeachStar and found the information I learned very valuable. I feel what I learn during the summer and one night a week carries over into my classroom and improves my students' learning." Peggy has continued her work with PeachStar through such initiatives as the 2001 Teacher-In-Residence program, the 2002 Educator-In-Residence program, and the development of the new PeachStar broadcast schedule.

JUDY COX
Judy Cox is a seventh and eighth grade earth and life science teacher at Dodgen Middle School in Cobb County. During her 18 years as a classroom teacher, she has earned both her Master's and Specialist Degrees in Education. For the last seven years she has taught gifted and talented students on the middle school level. Judy first joined the devoted group of PeachStar teachers in 2001 when she came to Atlanta to participate in the Workshop In A Box program. She has worked with a triad of teachers as part of the QCC Correlation Project to correlate PeachStar's content rich programming to the Georgia QCCs. During spring 2002, Judy led her triad in the development of a lesson plan to be used by Georgia teachers for The Secret Seashore, a GPTV original production. Over the summer of 2002, Judy joined curriculum directors and other teachers like herself in an effort to redesign the PeachStar broadcast schedule so that it is in sequence with curriculum instruction in Georgia classrooms. Judy feels that her work with PeachStar has allowed her "a richness of experience and professional development" that she can share with "both students and colleagues." She considers herself "fortunate on many levels to be involved with PeachStar Education Services," and "looks forward to PeachStar programs expanding as we continue to help improve education for students all over our state."

PEGGY WHITE

Peggy White serves as the Special Education Department Chairperson and Senior Class Advisor for Shaw High School in Muscogee County. During her 19 years of teaching in the state of Georgia she has earned Master's and Specialist Degrees in Education and is currently a candidate for National Board Certification. Peggy began her work with PeachStar in 2000 with the QCC Correlation Program and has continued to be part of PeachStar initiatives ever since. She participated in the 2001 Teacher-In-Residence program and the 2002 Educator-In-Residence program as well as performing additional consulting work for PeachStar. Additionally, Peggy serves as a facilitator for PeachStar's Annenberg Professional Development offerings. Peggy believes that as a teacher, it is her responsibility to continue learning herself. In fact, she even tells future teachers that "once as a teacher you quit learning, then it is time to quit teaching." According to Peggy, "PeachStar has opened a new avenue of learning for me. The availability of programs have aided my students by allowing the use of multiple modalities in learning."

In addition to their active participation in PeachStar educational initiatives, each of these educators has served as a PeachStar ambassador in her local education community. Every day, these teachers lead by example through their incorporation of PeachStar programming and resources into classroom instruction. They serve as PeachStar advocates, sharing their positive experiences with colleagues and administrators at conferences as well as in daily interaction. Their willingness to be featured in Pipeline Magazine offers every educator across Georgia the opportunity to witness firsthand the kind of impact PeachStar can have on teaching and learning in Georgia.

Thanks again to Peggy Coffey, Judy Cox, and Peggy White for being outstanding educators and devoted supporters of PeachStar in the classroom. The impact that the involvement of educators such as these has on the shape and focus of PeachStar endeavors could never be stressed enough.

Monday, November 4, 2002

The Georgia Department Of Education Sets the Standard for Reading Instruction

PeachStar is pleased to present The Reading Excellence Act Best Practices Institute, a new 10-episode series developed by the Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) and produced at the Georgia Public Broadcasting facility. This series was created to model best practices according to the Reading Excellence Act passed by the United States Congress in 1998; the Act allowed states to compete for grant funds to implement comprehensive reading programs based on the scientifically-based reading research contained in the following six essential dimensions of reading instruction:

* Phonemic Awareness
* Explicit Systematic Phonics
* Vocabulary
* Fluency
* Comprehension
* Motivation

In 2001, the Georgia Department of Education was granted substantial funds to implement comprehensive reading programs in Georgia schools. This series, developed as part of the GA DOE's effort to help schools build and implement such reading programs, features some of the nation's leading educators; researchers; and specialists in reading instruction, student achievement, and family literacy, including:

* Dr. Craig Jerald, Education Trust and Research Center
* Dr. Sharon Walpole, University of Virginia
* Dr. Peg Griffin, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children
* Dr. Joseph Torgesen, Florida State University
* Dr. Patricia Edwards, Michigan State University
* Dr. Jay Samuels, University of Minnesota
* Dr. Steve Stahl, University of Georgia
* Dr. Michael Pressley, University of Notre Dame
* Sharon Darling, Center for Family Literacy
* Dr. Bonnie Lash-Freeman, Center for Family Literacy

Each episode offers viewers a detailed introduction and discussion of the particular dimension being discussed. The blending of these dimensions into a comprehensive reading program is also discussed along with the importance of family literacy and parental involvement.

A New Look for Georgia Learning Connections

By Sara Pitts

Georgia Learning Connections (GLC), the Georgia Department of Education's curriculum website, is pleased to announce its new look! In July 2002, a redesigned GLC was launched amid the cheers of approval of educators across the state. GLC's new look is more user-friendly for the site's visitors and better highlights the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) standards and the accompanying resources. Currently PeachStar and GLC are working on a video production designed to walk educators through the new GLC site. Look for Georgia Learning Connections: Video Site Guide to air on PeachStar in the coming months.

GLC introduced several new features in conjunction with the redesign, the most exciting of which is the Projects and Programs area located under the QCC Standards & Resources link on the homepage. Projects and Programs will profile each of the educational programs of the Georgia Department of Education with resources such as curriculum overview, lessons, Web links, and more. Don't miss "Spotlight on..." a showcase for information that will benefit Georgia educators like new additions to GLC, exciting lesson plans, and conferences being held around the state. To facilitate the site's navigation, a left-side navigation bar was added and can be found on every page of the site. For example, if you are looking at links about language arts education in the Teacher Resource Center (TRC), decide instead to look up lesson plans in the Ninth Grade Language Arts sequence, you no longer have to return to the homepage and start over. Just click on the "Sequenced Lesson Plans" link on the blue bar on the left side of the page to access the lesson plan page. Another feature that will help you keep track of where you are on GLC is the "You are here..." area located across the top of every page. GLC is a large site with thousands of resources and this area will help you map your way around to your favorite GLC pages.

You can still find all of your favorite GLC resources on the site, but the format of each has been improved for ease of use. You can now search for Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) standards and the correlating resources by clicking on the "QCC Standards & Resources" link. If, on the other hand, you want to search the entire GLC website simply click on the "Search GLC" link from the homepage. The Lesson Plan Builder is in the same format as always, but now opens in a separate window to allow you to move easily between it and the main GLC website. You'll also find the TRC in the same familiar format, as well the sequenced lesson plans.

GLC is always adding more and better resources, having recently reached a total of more than 12,500 lesson plans on the site. GLC is currently seeking to augment the diversity of materials for the TRC, adding such categories as Copyright Issues and First Year Teachers.

The new site recently won First Place for K-12 Education in the Best of the Web contest sponsored by Converge Magazine and The Center for Digital Cities. The entries in the contest were judged on innovative use of online technology, efficiency, economy, functionality, and user participation. GLC wants to invite all of its users back to check out the new look; newcomers are also invited to log on to see the premier website for Georgia educators. GLC wants your feedback; be sure to share your thoughts and suggestions in the online GLC Guestbook.

Visit the new site and look for Georgia Learning Connections: Video Site Guide on PeachStar to find out how Georgia Learning Connections can help you in the classroom.

Sunday, November 3, 2002

PeachStar and Georgia's ETTCs Join Forces to Serve You Better

The mission of the Georgia Educational Technology Training Centers (GA ETTC) is "to provide high quality, low cost, convenient access to educational technology training for educators serving, or preparing for service, in Georgia's Pre-K through Postsecondary (P-16) schools." As the ETTCs form the primary delivery system for comprehensive instructional and administrative technology training for P-16 educators in Georgia, PeachStar and the ETTCs have joined forces to offer Georgia educators an even more complete training package.

One of the primary functions of the ETTCs is to provide The Georgia Framework for INtegrating TECHnology (In Tech) training, designed to build skills and improve performance in five areas of instructional proficiency:

* QCC Content Standards
* Use of Modern Technologies
* New Designs for Teaching and Learning
* Improved Classroom Management
* Enhanced Pedagogical Practices

According to the State Data and Research Center, of which the ETTCs are a part, "The Georgia Framework for INtegrating TECHnology, a Professional Development Model, is grounded in the premise that technology training for educators and school support personnel will ultimately improve schools and the achievement of students."

Within this framework are three components: a classroom module, a technical support module, and an administrative model. By implementing this framework, schools anticipate a variety of benefits, including student-centered classroom instruction, technology-empowered teaching and learning, state-of-the-art technologies and services, and restructured schools designed to motivate students.

For classroom teachers, the framework is taught in three phases: INtegration, INfusion, and INnovation. The first phase, INtegration (InTech), which consists of 50 hours of training for educators with low technological proficiency, requires participants to be immersed in a technology-rich professional development environment in order to ensure they achieve a basic level of technological proficiency. During the INfusion state, designed for educators who are comfortable with technology integration, builds participants' existing content knowledge and technology skills through the practical application of technologies for accelerated teaching and learning. The INnovation phase, designed for educators who are already technology proficient, offers ideas for dynamic ways to enhance and empower student learning through technology.

As part of the new alliance between PeachStar and the ETTCs, the ETTCs will now offer an overview of PeachStar resources as part of their technology training. Trainings will cover both the satellite and Internet delivery of PeachStar resources as well as how those resources can be integrated into instruction.

Sunday, October 20, 2002

Student Voices 2002: Civics Week and the Georgia Student Mock Election

Once again we have the opportunity to teach citizens, especially students, about our democratic process of voting. In 1997, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation creating "Civics Day" in Georgia's schools. Since then, Civics Day has been expanded to include "Civics Week," a weeklong celebration, which will be held this year from October 28th -November 1, 2002. During this week, teachers and students are encouraged to participate in activities designed to remind us of the liberty to participate in our government. The culminating event of "Civics Week" will be the Georgia Student Mock Election. Schools are asked to complete all voting by Friday, November 1st and submit results to the Office of Secretary of State.

"Civics Week" and the Georgia Student Mock Election is a collaborative effort between the Georgia Department of Education, the Secretary of State's Office, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and the Georgia Council of the Social Studies (GCSS). GCSS has created and produced lessons for teachers to use and made them available to school via CD-ROM as well as online. If you have questions regarding registration or ballot information, contact Tracie Murray in the Office of Secretary of State at tmurray@sos.state.ga.us or call 404-463-7713.

Look for Young Voices, REal Opinions to air on PeachStar, GPTV, and Georgia Public Radio during the first week of November to learn more about the issues surrounding this year's mock election.

Saturday, October 19, 2002

PeachStar Classroom Offers Georgia High Schoolers Course Credit

Teacher shortage has become epidemic in American classrooms today, and Georgia is no exception. PeachStar Education Services and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the agency that oversees the certification of Georgia educators, collaborated to develop a solution to this problem in Georgia classrooms. The result of that collaboration is PeachStar Classroom, a multiple-media based initiative to provide credit-bearing college preparatory courses to Georgia high school students.

Since Georgia has a shortage of certified teachers in specialized secondary-level science areas such as physics and chemistry, PeachStar and the PSC chose physics and chemistry as the first courses to be developed as part of PeachStar Classroom. These stand-alone courses are being piloted in three Georgia systems over the 2002-2003 academic year:

* Dodge County Schools
* Ben Hill County Schools
* Calhoun County Schools

These schools boast diverse student populations, both in terms of achievement level and socioeconomic status. Two additional systems are using the course material to supplement their existing science curricula:

* Gwinnett County Schools
* Taliaferro County Schools

Experienced Georgia educators certified in physics and chemistry developed the curricula for both courses based on the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum guidelines. The primary method of course delivery is through 30-minute satellite broadcasts featuring teachers presenting the material to students, demonstrations of principles and techniques, students asking questions and interacting with the teacher, and short assessments of the material. A certified teacher serving as an onsite facilitator for the class interacts with the students, sets up labs, and administers assignments and assessments for the course.

PeachStar curriculum specialists and project team members will visit the pilot schools throughout the school year, observing their progress and talking with participating students and teachers to find out how the program is working for them. Look for updates in upcoming issues of Pipeline.

Thursday, October 10, 2002

"Make Clean Water Georgia's Future"

Exciting things are happening in Georgia's waterways. People young and old are stepping up and cleaning them, removing hundreds of pounds of garbage as part of Rivers Alive, Georgia's annual volunteer river cleanup event held throughout the month of October. The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia's water resources including streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. During 2001's River Cleanup, more than 18,000 volunteers cleaned over 650 miles of waterways and removed 120,000 pounds of trash and garbage from the State's waterways.

So where is all this garbage coming from? Despite substantial investment to curb point source pollution, Georgia's wetlands, lakes, rivers, and streams continue to be threatened by non-point source pollution. Non-point source pollution is pollution that cannot be traced to a specific point, but rather comes from many individual places. Sources include sediment from soil erosion, oil and grease from cars, pesticides, fertilizers, yard clippings, and litter (cigarette butts, plastic cups and bottles, foam, glass, metal cans, and fishing line). Basically anything that can be carried to streams by storm water runoff from streets, parking lots, farmlands, and construction sites is non-point source pollution.

The good news is there still is hope for Georgia's waterways. Non-point source pollution isn't a consequence of growth and development it is a product of human abuse and neglect, but there are many things we can do to be the solution to water pollution.

* First and foremost, participate in a Rivers Alive event this October and help cleanup Georgia's waterways. For information visit Rivers Alive website or call 404-675-1636.
* Second, Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse.
* And third, think twice before dumping anything down a drain. Most storm drains are not connected to a sewer system; therefore, anything dumped down them goes directly into Georgia's streams and rivers.

For more information about pollution prevention contact the Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Prevention Assistance Division at 404-651-5120.

Check out Channel 430 Mondays at 12 PM and Wednesday at 9:30 AM during September and October to learn more about Rivers Alive and the work being done to monitor Georgia's waterways.

Water Facts:

* Georgia has 70,150 miles of streams and rivers.
* Our waterways provide us with fresh drinking water, great recreational opportunities like canoeing and fishing, and they serve as a pleasant respite from our busy day to day lives.
* October is the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, Federal legislation to improve America's waterways.
* Our waterways support a diverse array of wildlife and are home to many species of fish and mollusks.
* There are 14 major Riverbasins in Georgia - Coosa, Flint, St. Mary's, Satilla, Suwannee, Tallapoosa, Tennessee, Altamaha, Ocmuglee, Oconee, Savannah, Chattahoochee, Ochlockonee and Ogeechee.
* The Metro Atlanta area depends on the Chattahoochee River for 80% of its water requirements.

Tuesday, October 8, 2002

Cobb County Spreads Alcohol and Drug Awareness to Georgia Middle Schoolers

Since 1998, the judges of the Cobb State Court have sponsored the Cobb County Alcohol/Drug Awareness Conferences for middle and high school students. These conferences, developed by Frank Baker, Chief Probation Officer for the Cobb County State Court, were originally intended to educate all students in Cobb County Schools about the consequences of using drugs and alcohol. Today these conferences are broadcast statewide through PeachStar in order to spread the word about drug and alcohol abuse to every student in Georgia.

This year's middle school conference will be hosted by Acworth's Durham Middle School on October 25, 2002. The conference, which will air live on PeachStar's channel 430, communicates the important message of alcohol and drug awareness in several formats including:

* Keynote Speakers - This year's speakers will be Dave Goerlitz, the former "Winston Man," and Harriet Turk, a former probation officer and national safety consultant. They will discuss the dangers of tobacco use as well as some of the legal consequences for drug and alcohol use.
* Inmate Forum - This part of the program will feature inmates currently serving drug or alcohol related sentences. Students statewide may ask questions of the prisoners via email at www.cobbcounty.org/adad.
* Legal Forum - This roundtable discussion will feature various members of the criminal justice system as they discuss the legal implications of drug and alcohol use.
* Super's Corner - This straightforward discussion with Cobb County Superintendent Joseph Redden will address prevention issues in schools today.
* Inhalant Video Forum - A short video on the dangers of inhalants will be followed by a roundtable discussion.
* Public Safety Exhibits - Exhibits such as DARE vehicles, D.U.I. Task Force vehicles, and other public safety equipment will demonstrate the importance of alcohol and drug prevention to the community at large.
* Regional Panel Discussion - For the first time this year, a regional forum including students from the metro Atlanta area will participate in the conference from the Georgia Public Broadcasting Studios.
* Campus Drug Dog Presentation - One of the Cobb County Police Department drug dogs will demonstrate how the K-9 unit assists with drug prevention in schools.

Be sure to tune into this special live presentation with your class on Channel 430 from 9 AM until 2 PM on October 25 and use this opportunity to address the important issue of drug and alcohol abuse with your students.

Monday, October 7, 2002

Ready To Learn Brings American History to Life with Liberty's Kids

This new animated American history series brought to you by Ready To Learn is designed for children aged 7-11. Each thirty-minute episode features characters Sarah Phillips and James Hiller as they go on adventures that bring the history of the American Revolution to life. Let's take a look at some of the key characters who tell the stories of our shared history as Americans:

* Sarah Phillips - A fifteen-year old girl fresh off the boat from London. Sarah is staying with Benjamin Franklin while she awaits the reunion with her father, who is traveling in the American wilderness. She is a British loyalist, incensed by the revolutionary thinking of many people in the new world.
* James Hiller - A fourteen-year old apprentice journalist in Ben Franklin's print shop. James is always on the lookout for breaking news to print in the paper. He specializes in finding news about the American Revolution and sharing it with people everywhere.
* Henri - A young French orphan who accompanies Sarah and James on their adventures.
* Benjamin Franklin - An inventor, author, musician, statesman, and leader in the American Revolution. Ben guides Sarah, James, and Henri on their adventures whether he's in Philadelphia or France.
* Moses - A former slave from West Africa. Moses looks after Sarah and James when Ben is away and works on the printing press. He believes the values behind the American Revolution will help to set his people free as well.

The series uses animation and dramatic storytelling to introduce young viewers to the principles that incited the American Revolution. Values such as liberty, patriotism, and tolerance are depicted in entertaining ways that define for young viewers what it means to be an American.

Liberty's Kids airs every weekday on GPTV at 6:30 AM. Ask your media specialist to record this series each day so you can share it with the school-aged historians in your classroom. Riverdeep and DIC Entertainment have developed special Liberty's Kids software designed to immerse children in the adventures of Sarah and James as they explore the American Revolution. For more information about ordering this software, visit www.riverdeep.net and search for Liberty's Kids.

Saturday, September 21, 2002

The 2002 Educator-In-Residence Program: PeachStar and GA Educators Spend the Summer Learning Together

This summer, PeachStar expanded on last year's Teacher-In-Residence program with the 2002 Educator-In-Residence program, a five-week undertaking designed to provide Georgia educators with the highest quality professional development at no cost. Drawing teachers from all across the state of Georgia, this program provided an opportunity for teachers affected by last year's professional development cutbacks to earn the SDU credits required to maintain their certification while learning about important topics such as:

* Media Specialist Skills;
* Beginning Multimedia Integration;
* Video Production;
* Advanced Multimedia Integration; and
* Annenberg Professional Development Facilitator Training

The program began in mid-June with a group of twenty media specialists with three years or less experience who came to PeachStar for the Institute for New Media Specialists to learn more about their changing roles and responsibilities. A second group of media specialists came in July, for a total of 40 new media specialists who received training at PeachStar this summer! While here, these new media specialists worked with experienced media specialists who served both as mentors for participants and discussion leaders. Using A Handbook for Georgia School Library Media Specialists as a guide, participants learned about standards and policies that affect Georgia media centers; professional organizations to be familiar with; the kind of equipment necessary in a cutting edge media center; program development; and the services and resources available to them as media specialists. By the time the workshop ended, each participant developed his or her own personal philosophy and mission statement to govern the media center, bringing shape to the way he or she approaches the task of being a media specialist.

PeachStar held two workshops about the integration of multimedia into the curriculum, one for beginners and one for more advanced learners. Skills covered ranged from Internet navigation skills and downloading to preparing dynamic multimedia lesson plans using PowerPoint. Participants also learned the ins and outs of video streaming and how to select curricula most appropriate for multimedia integration. By the end of the workshop, each participant had created his or her own PowerPoint lesson plan that demonstrated the effective integration of technology and curriculum to be used in the classroom!

Two lucky groups of educators got to come to the GPB facility to learn about video production under the tutelage of expert PeachStar and GPTV professionals. While here, participants worked with real equipment to learn the fundamentals of video production, including overviews of production, directing, set design, lighting, audio aspects, graphics, and editing. Participants concluded their learning experience by producing their own video using all of the skills learned throughout the workshop!

The final group to join PeachStar for our Educator-In-Residence program focused on the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate the Annenberg Professional Development Series we air for educator professional development. This group participated in lectures and website exploration, becoming familiar with the Annenberg program and learning how to use it most effectively for onsite school-focused professional development.

Every one of the participants we've heard from has had nothing but praise for PeachStar's 2002 Educator-In-Residence program. Here's what a few of them had to say:

Laurie Dawson, Thomas County - Beginning Multimedia Integration
Laurie expressed her thanks for all that PeachStar "staff did to make this possible" for Georgia educators like herself. She also said she "liked the fact that along with the wealth of information we received, there was ample time to work and explore what we learned on our own with assistance at hand if needed."

Leslie Nissen, Savannah-Chatham County - Advanced Multimedia Integration
Leslie was really "thrilled" to learn more about multimedia integration. She told us she "appreciated being able to spend time fleshing out an idea, and creating an activity for school that might have stayed on the backburner for months otherwise."

Ellen Murphy, Decatur County - Annenberg Professional Development
Ellen told us that her visit here to the GPB facility showed her "how powerfully" our mission to provide high quality educational resources matches the mission of Georgia teachers to "inform and educate Georgia's children." She went on to say that "what I really like is that you [PeachStar] listen and then you respond" to what Georgia educators say they need to support them in the classroom.

Betty Walden, Savannah-Chatham County
- Video Production
Betty told us that this was "one of the best workshops I've ever been to! The staff was wonderful" I got a ton of ideas for lighting, backdrops, props, etc. The most important thing, though, was that it regenerated my enthusiasm!"

Wayne Clark, Dublin City - Institute for New Media Specialists As a brand new media specialist, Wayne found this workshop particularly helpful. -This has really helped me know all of the aspects of the support that is available from GPTV and PeachStar."

Saturday, September 14, 2002

GPTV Brings The Civil War to Life

On September 22, 2002 Ken Burns' The Civil War will return to GPTV. This series, the most-watched on PBS ever, features narrator David McCullough; archival photographs and period paintings; newsreel footage of Civil War veterans; live cinematography of battle sites; interviews with eminent historians; and readings from diaries, letters, speeches, and newspapers of the era.

To complement this series and tell the story of the Civil War from a local perspective, Georgia Public Television has developed a companion series, Georgia's Civil War. This four-part series of thirty-minute programs tells the story of The Civil War through the eyes of the Georgians who lived through it and died fighting it. The series pays special attention to the first two years of the war, the Atlanta campaign, and Sherman's March to the Sea.

Georgia's Civil War uses first person accounts to tell the story of the war. Some of the people whose stories it shares are:

* Carrie Berry - the 10-year-old daughter of a Unionist sympathizer in Atlanta;
* William Daniel Dixon - a sergeant in the Republican Blues, a Savannah Regiment;
* Samuel Richard - an Atlanta bookseller; and
* The Jones Family - a family from Liberty County on the Georgia coast.

Present-day Georgians also tell their family stories, passed down through the generations. Archival photos, maps, drawings and paintings, creative reenactments, and footage of historic sites enrich each story and bring this period of Georgia's history to life.

Be sure to tune in to both The Civil War and Georgia's Civil War on GPTV in September. Check your local listings for air dates and times.

Sunday, September 8, 2002

A Letter from Georgia Public Broadcasting's Executive Director

Dear Educator:

As the new school year gets under way, we want you to know that all of us at Georgia Public Broadcasting are working hard to continue providing you with the highest quality resources for use in your classroom. The primary goal of all our efforts as well as our programs and services is to support you and the important work you do each day.

Over the summer GPB hosted our 2002 Educator-In-Residence program. This five-week initiative offered cost-free professional development to more than 170 educators here at our GPB facility in Atlanta. The article, The 2002 Educator-In-Residence Program: PeachStar adn GA Educators Spend the Summer Learning Together, gives some specific program information and has photographs of our participants. We had a great time hosting the program and learned a lot from our participants as well as sharing information with them. A special thanks to everyone who attended one of the sessions.

PeachStar's video streaming service, launched last year, continues to grow as a popular resource for Georgia teachers. We think you will be impressed with how easy video streaming is to use and how helpful it is when teaching specific concepts in the classroom.

We are pleased to announce the launch of our multimedia physics and chemistry courses as part of PeachStar Classroom, a new PeachStar offering of credit-bearing courses. The science courses are designed to meet the needs of Georgia high school students whose schools may not have certified physics and chemistry teachers on staff. Three Georgia systems are piloting the course for the 2002-2003 school year. It will be available to all Georgia schools beginning in fall 2003. Look for more information about this program in upcoming issues of Pipeline.

For educators seeking to continue their own educations, the Teacher Certification Program, which offers add-on certification in interrelated special education, is now available through a partnership between PeachStar and the Office of Graduate Studies of Armstrong Atlantic State University. Additional professional development opportunities will become available throughout the school year. Check the PeachStar website and future issues of Pipeline for more information about these and other PeachStar opportunities.

The staff of PeachStar and Georgia Public Broadcasting have great confidence that we will continue to make progress with our efforts to serve the Georgia learning community by providing the highest quality educational technology. We thank you for the opportunity to work with you to enhance learning experiences in Georgia classrooms. Please feel free to call us with your ideas and suggestions.

Sincerely,

James M. Lyle
Executive Director

Friday, September 6, 2002

Fatal Addiction: Addressing Teenage Tobacco Use

Red Ribbon Week, part of a national campaign anti-drug and alcohol education and awareness, will be held from October 23-25. As part of the Red Ribbon Week observance, PeachStar will be airing Fatal Addiction: Tobacco's Deadly Grasp. This 30-minute program, developed by Georgia's Children and Youth Coordinating Council (CYCC), examines the emotional toll tobacco-related illness takes on families across America. The CYCC, the agency responsible for developing community programs for delinquent and at-risk youth, also bring you the following programs which can be seen on PeachStar: Multiple Choice, Ultimate Choice, Driving Ambition, and The Parenting Principle.

According to Fatal Addiction, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States with more than 400,000 tobacco-related deaths each year. One of the goals of this video is to spread awareness and to outline community and government responses to the crisis of teenage tobacco use.

Please record this compelling video and use it to generate class discussion about the important issue of tobacco abuse. Fatal Addiction: Tobacco's Deadly Grasp will air on PeachStar's Channel 420 on the following dates and times:

* Tues., 10/01 2:30 AM;
* Tues., 10/08 at 1:30 AM; and
* Tuesday, 10/15 at 3:30 AM

Reading Rainbow Commemorates September 11

As the anniversary of the events September 11 comes nearer, PBS and Reading Rainbow recognize the need of America's children to explore the feelings and thoughts they have about this tragedy in our nation's history. In order to assist these young people as they approach this subject, Reading Rainbow has developed six touching and timely episodes that address the issues brought about by September 11.

"The Tin Forest"
Centering around The Tin Forest, by Helen Ward, this episode features LeVar Burton spending time with the children of an elementary school just blocks away from Ground Zero. They offer insight on how they have coped with the tragedy and offer their gratitude to those who have helped them rebuild their lives.

"Max"
Centering around Max, by Bob Graham, this episode features LeVar Burton reflecting on heroes like firefighters and seeking to understand what inspires them. Songs and scenes from a real-life animal rescue remind young viewers that many different people are heroes everyday.

"Enemy Pie"
Centering around Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson, this episode features LeVar Burton talking with children about how they make friendships work. Children discuss the trials and hard work that go along with being a good friend.

"Our Big Home: An Earth Poem"
Centering around Our Big Home: An Earth Poem, by Linda Glaser, this episode features LeVar Burton as he visits the United Nations and discovers how the member countries come together to work out their problems. He also talks with Craig Kielburger, 2002 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, about how he thinks children can change the world for the better.

"My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States"
Centering around My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States, compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins, this episode features LeVar and a group of children as they share stories about their part of the country and explore America's beauty and diversity.

"Badger's Parting Gift"
Centering around Badger's Parting Gift, by Susan Varley, this episode features LeVar Burton sharing his memories and feelings about his late grandmother. Young children also share artwork they have creative in honor of loved ones they have lost.

PeachStar will be airing these programs on Channel 410 in September in order to help Georgia students to deal with last year's tragic events. Check the PeachStar website under News for broadcast dates and times.

Thursday, September 5, 2002

Galaxy Classroom Launches Seventh Season on PeachStar!

Galaxy Classroom, a member of the Riverdeep family, is proud to announce the launch of its seventh season on PeachStar! Galaxy is a complete science and language arts curriculum for Kindergarten through fifth grade. Correlated to the QCC's and packed with hands-on and technology integration activities, Galaxy Classroom is a great tool for developing authentic learning in your classroom. The Georgia State Legislature is generously funding site licenses for 550 elementary schools full participation. Site license funding includes training and hands-on materials kits at no cost for the first 500 teachers who apply. Two-day institutes are now forming in Athens (September 18th and 19th) or Atlanta (October 1st and 2nd.)

To find out more and register, go to www.galaxy.org or contact Christine Kane Perez @ cperez@riverdeep.net or (404) 685-2480. (Spaces are limited. First come, first served.)

Wednesday, September 4, 2002

Online Learning with PBS KIds

As educators, it's important that you integrate technology into the learning experience. One great way to do that is by reinforcing learning with activities online. Let's look at the wealth of resources available to you and your students at one convenient location you can trust: www.pbskids.org.

This website houses information about each of the great PBS shows you and your students watch each day on GPTV. Not only that, but each of the following shows has its very own website with activities, episode descriptions, tips for caregivers, and more:

* Arthur
* Barney
* Caillou
* Clifford
* Cyberchase
* Dragon Tales
* Jay Jay the Jet Plane
* Mister Rogers
* Sagwa
* Sesame Street
* Teletubbies
* Zoboomafoo
* Zoom

Let's go through just one of these sites as an example of the kind of resources you can expect to find on any of these PBS kids sites. Go to www.pbskids.org and click on Sagwa. This will bring you to the homepage for Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat, where you'll see icons the following areas: TV Sneak Peak; Caregivers; Characters; Games; Stories; Color and Draw; and Making the Show.

To find out more about Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat, click on the "TV Sneak Peak" icon on the homepage. This will take you to a screen with several options, including a brief narration by Sagwa explaining the show, a link to find out what episodes are airing this week on GPTV, and a sample of the Sagwa theme song. More information about Sagwa is located under the "Caregivers Area" at the bottom of the homepage. This area offers an overview of the series as well as "View and Do," a great feature that offers teachers specific activities to do with their students that extend the learning in the episode being aired. Your students can learn more about each of the characters by clicking on the icon labeled "Characters." Here they will find a picture of each character and a description that tells who each one is, plus a little bit of personal information.

Now that we know where to find information about the show itself, let's look at some of the other activities and information you can find on the site. Click on the icon that says "Games" to choose from an array of educational games related to Sagwa. The game entitled -Countdown to the New Year' teaches your students the cultural importance of the Chinese New Year through an interactive game that lets them go through all of the activities necessary to prepare for the celebration. The icon labeled "Musical Lanterns" offers the choice of two games: one allows your students to be creative by making their own songs and the other exercises their memorization skills by asking them to remember and recreate the patterns of music created by the musical lamps. "Tangrams" teaches your students this ancient Chinese puzzle game, where they need to use their analytical skills to match pieces to the completed puzzle in order to create the silhouette image of Sagwa characters. The "E-Cards" section allows your students to send special Sagwa post cards to other children electronically. Visit the "Year of The" section and enter your child's birthday and year to find out his or her Chinese sign! Finally, the icon labeled "Pictures as Words" allows your students to match Chinese pictograms, an early Chinese writing style, with pictures of everyday objects.

From the Sagwa homepage, click on "Stories." This feature allows your students to create their own stories using a cartoon scene of Sagwa's village plus various characters and objects from the show. First, they simply double click on a character or object to insert it into the picture. Second, they use the mouse to drag the character to where they want it placed in the scene. Finally, they place the cursor in the scroll beneath the picture to write a short story about the picture they made! Once they've finished, they can click on the print icon to print out the story and save it!

If your students like to draw, be sure to click on "Color and Draw." This section offers pages for you to print out and color as well as drawing lessons! The drawing lessons help young artists to draw their very own pictures of the Sagwa cast.

Finally, the section called "Making the Show" gives you a behind the scenes look at Sagwa, including interviews with the author Amy Tan and the show creators, as well as a photo gallery of the talented voices of Sagwa's cast.

Well, that's the kind of information you can plan on finding not only on the Sagwa website, but on sites for all of the shows listed above! If you're looking for ways to extend the learning your students get from the Ready to Learn programming on GPTV, visit any of these sites for a safe, reliable, and enjoyable online experience.

Saturday, August 17, 2002

How To Use Your Pipeline Magazine: A Primer

Last fall, in response to this call for clarification about the ins and outs of Pipeline Magazine, we brought you How to Use Your Pipeline Magazine: A Primer, an article that outlined Pipeline from cover to cover. In order to make sure that all newcomers get the same great information, we?ve decided to rework this article in our special August issue!

Pipeline Magazine comprises 24 pages and has two basic components: program listings and articles. The program listings make up about two-thirds of the magazine and the articles make up the rest. Pipeline is a monthly magazine and goes to every public school in Georgia.* Each magazine contains program listings (similar to TV Guide) for all of the programming being aired on PeachStar channels 410, 420, and 430 for that month and the first two weeks of the following month! This allows teachers and media specialists to plan well in advance to record programs that they would like to use in the classroom. The articles in Pipeline share information about special opportunities for educators in Georgia ranging from professional development to tips on infusing technology into classroom instruction. In addition to the magazine itself, each month we send every school one copy each of two posters (one for channel 410 and one for channel 420) that list all of the programming to be aired for K-12 students in the coming months.

The Listings

As mentioned above, the purpose of the listings is to share with teachers and media specialists the complete program lineup on all three of PeachStar's satellite channels for each month. The listings contain the following key information teachers and media specialists need to know when selecting a program for classroom use:

* recommended grade level,
* number of episodes,
* episode length,
* copyright information,
* brief program descriptions, and
* air dates and times

Usually satellite equipment is housed in the media center and it is the responsibility of the media specialist to record programming to be used by teachers in the classroom. Likewise Pipeline Magazine goes to the media specialist each month to be distributed to the teachers in the school. The broadcast information in the listings section of Pipeline is most important for the media specialist as the person responsible for tuning the satellite and recording the programming. The program information, however, can be very helpful for teachers in selecting which programming they would like the media specialist to record. Teachers: be sure to ask your media specialist about PeachStar programming and work with him or her to gather the video resources you need for classroom use.

The first page of the program listings in every issue of Pipeline is an instructions page designed to help new Pipeline readers to navigate the program information and find what they need; in every issue, the instructions page is located on page 5. Look for a newly redesigned instructions page in your September issue of Pipeline. This page will stay the same from month to month and offer readers an overview of the layout and terminology of the listings. Be sure to read this page carefully for a detailed explanation of how to read your program listings.

The Articles


Each month, Pipeline shares with Georgia educators news about the world of education in Georgia. This news can come in many forms. We often share information about exciting new partnerships PeachStar and Georgia Public Broadcasting are forging with other community and state organizations to offer Georgia students and teachers more and better educational resources. Other times articles may address timely issues in public education such as standardized testing or the Code of Ethics for Educators. You can always count on Pipeline articles to give you the most up-to-date information about special programs and services PeachStar is offering students and teachers such as video streaming, the Educator-In-Residence program, and special professional development opportunities. In addition to offering information about programming offered over PeachStar, Pipeline will often feature special programs airing on Georgia Public Television (Channel 400) that we feel are relevant to the needs of Georgia classrooms. Be sure to read the articles in each month's Pipeline to find out more about what PeachStar is doing for educators like you and to learn how you can become involved.

The Poster

As a special supplement to Pipeline Magazine, every other month we send every school two posters containing the complete broadcast schedules for Channels 410 and 420 for a two month period of time. The posters are arranged according to channel and are double-sided by month so that the January Channel 410 schedule will be on one side and the February Channel 410 schedule will be on the reverse; the same goes for the Channel 420 poster. We send one copy of each poster per school with the hope that the media specialist will hang the poster in the media center so that everyone can access it.

The poster contains the same broadcast information as the program listings in the magazine, only it is arranged chronologically so that teachers and media specialists can easily see what will be airing on any given day. This is a good ready-reference for media specialists to use when planning for recording program requests from teachers. The background of the poster now matches the cover of the corresponding issue of Pipeline Magazine.

Suggestions

As with any PeachStar service, we welcome your suggestions about how Pipeline Magazine could better serve you as an educator. Please send all comments about format and content to Amy Turner at aturner@gpb.org or call directly at (404) 685-2406. This magazine is for Georgia educators; we want to know if there is a better way for us to get you the information you require to work more effectively in the classroom. Help us to serve you better by letting us know what you need!

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

A Special Offer for Special Education: The Teacher Certification Program

According to the Professional Standards Commission, "An individual with a certificate in Interrelated Special Education is licensed to be a resource teachers in the fields of Behavior Disorders, Learning Disabilities, and Mild Mental Retardation; to teach students in self-contained classrooms with Behavior Disorders, Learning Disabilities, and Mild Mental Retardation in grades P-12; to teach preschool special education students; and to teach remedial mathematics, reading, and writing in grades P-12."

Fall 2002 marks the launch of the Teacher Certification Program, a collaborative effort between PeachStar, The Learning House, and Armstrong Atlantic State University designed to address Georgia?s shortage of certified special education teachers. This program offers certified teachers add-on certification in interrelated special education through a unique approach to distance learning that combines video, audio, CD-ROM, and Internet-based technologies.

The ten-module course will be administered by the Special Education Office of Armstrong Atlantic State University School of Graduate Studies and will address such topics as:

* Teaching and the Exceptional Child
* Assessment of Students with Disabilities
* Teaching Reading
* Adapting Curriculum
* Developing Positive Communication
* Resources
* Working with Students with Specific Learning Disabilities
* Working with Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities
* Working with Students with Behavioral Disorders

In order to be eligible to enroll in this course, you must hold a provisional certificate in a special education field or a clear renewable certificate to teach in any discipline AND meet the criteria for the School of Graduate Studies? Teacher Certification Status, which include:

* a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
* a 2.5 overall GPA
* copy of teaching certificate

For more information about the program or to enroll, contact Dr. Pamela Harwood at AASU at harwoopa@mail.armstrong.edu or (912) 961-3066.

Wednesday, August 7, 2002

PeachStar 101: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Classroom a PeachStar Classroom

For those of you who are new to PeachStar and for those who just need to brush up on your PeachStar knowledge, we present the 2002-2003 school year kick-off PeachStar Overview issue of Pipeline Magazine. In this issue, you will find out everything you will ever need to know about PeachStar, including:

* Who We Are;
* Who We Serve;
* What Programming We Broadcast and How;
* What Services We Provide;
* How We Share Information; and
* How Technology Can Impact Your Classroom

If you are a teacher, media specialist, administrator, or policy maker who really wants to explore the possibilities of advancing education through technology, this issue of Pipeline Magazine is for you! READ ON, to learn more about how the PeachStar Education Services Division of Georgia Public Broadcasting can help you to make a real difference in the lives of Georgia learners!

What Is PeachStar and Where Did It Come From?

PeachStar Education Services was founded in 1993 by the Georgia Lottery for Education Act. Initially, the Act provided for the installation of more than 2,000 satellite dishes at educational facilities across the state, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, adult technical institutes, and regional libraries. The purpose of this infrastructure was to equalize resources available to all Georgia students by making cost-free educational programming available to every public school learner via satellite.

Once the satellite receiving equipment was in place, the monumental task of providing high quality educational resources remained; PeachStar Education Services was created to fulfill that task. Beginning as one satellite channel broadcasting ITV programming only a few hours a day, PeachStar has become the largest educational satellite network in the United States and the only all-digital, statewide educational broadcasting satellite network in the nation.

The mission of PeachStar Education Services is to provide high quality educational resources that Enrich, Inform, and Support the Georgia learning community. We do that first, by purchasing only the programming that meets our rigorous selection criteria such as compatibility with the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum and high standards of content and production. Second, we broadcast our programming via multiple media including satellite, open-air television, video, Internet, and CD-ROM in order to accommodate the varying levels of technological proficiency of learners throughout the state. Third, we provide resources that supplement our programming in the form of print and online teacher's guides, lesson plans, and training to assist educators with the implementation of PeachStar programming in the classroom.

As new technologies emerge, PeachStar will continue to be on the cutting edge, providing Georgia learners with the highest quality of educational content through the most effective media available.

Who Does PeachStar Serve?

PeachStar is committed to the lifelong education of the Georgia learning community. That means that we address the needs of the youngest preschoolers, K-12 public school children, college and technical school students, adult learners seeking their GED or job skills, parents who want to learn about raising children, professional learners seeking continuing education, and the members of the general public who want to enhance their lives with lifelong learning. PeachStar even has special programming designed to meet the needs of learners who:

* Speak English as a Second Language;
* Have Learning Disabilities;
* Are At-Risk; or
* Are Involved in Alternative Education

Our records show that PeachStar currently reaches 1,955 K-12 schools in Georgia; that's more than 1,400,000 students between the ages of 5-18! The students in 35 technical colleges, 4 research universities, 2 regional universities, 13 state universities, 2 state colleges, and 13 two-year colleges benefit from PeachStar programming each day throughout the school year. Numerous professional organizations including the Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the Georgia Department of Education make use of PeachStar's teleconferencing capabilities for continuing education purposes. Add to that all of the communities served by 64 regional libraries throughout the state and every learner that takes advantage of PeachStar programming aired on GPTV, and you'll see that PeachStar is responsible for a whole lot of learning in Georgia!

PeachStar Programming Résumé

Programming is one of the central components of the PeachStar mission, so we take it very seriously! In order to provide Georgia learners with the absolute best in quality educational programming, PeachStar both produces original programming in-house and acquires programming from vendors nationwide. To date, PeachStar has produced as many as seven original series for use in the K-12 classroom:

* Count On It! - An elementary math series that teaches children to find math in their everyday lives
* Georgia Stories I&II - A middle school social studies series that examines Georgia history in a magazine format
* Irasshai - A high school and adult Japanese telecourse that may be used for foreign language credit
* Irasshai Explorer - A middle school introduction to Japanese language and culture
* Salsa - An elementary Spanish language series that even non-Spanish-speaking teachers can use
* SmARTistic - A middle school video designed to encourage the integration of art across the academic curriculum
* Transitions - A high school series designed to help seniors make the transition to college or technical school

PeachStar only purchases programming that lines up with Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum. In order to make sure that we chose programs that would really make a difference in Georgia classrooms, we asked the experts: Georgia teachers! During spring 2001, PeachStar devoted several weeks to the Programming Acquisition Project. More than 500 Georgia teachers came to the Georgia Public Broadcasting facility in Atlanta to take part in this initiative, where every potential programming offering for the 2001-2002 school year was evaluated according to a preset rubric to determine if it met the standards of quality needed to be selected for broadcast in Georgia classrooms.

Thanks to the help of these teachers and dedicated PeachStar staff, PeachStar now boasts a repository of more than 300 programs and series for a total of 1,268 hours and 11 minutes of high quality educational programming. Below is a breakdown of PeachStar programming by content area:

Content Area Number of Hours
Adult Literacy 30+ Hours
Academic Assistance 10+ Hours
Art 20+ Hours
Character Education 10+ Hours
Foreign Language 160+ Hours
Guidance 15+ Hours
Health 15+ Hours
Language Arts 150+ Hours
Mathematics 50+ Hours
Music 20 + Hours
Professional Development 400+ Hours
Science 190+ Hours
Substance Abuse 10+ Hours

Just think! Because of PeachStar's commitment to serving the Georgia learning community through multiple media, this amazing library of educational video is available to nearly every learner in Georgia in one format or another.

PeachStar currently broadcasts 18 hours of programming per day on each of four satellite channels:

* 400
* 410
* 420
* 430

With four channels worth of programming, PeachStar is able to meet the needs of every population within the Georgia learning community including pre-K, K-12, college level students; adult learners; and professionals seeking continuing education.

In addition to programming delivered via satellite, PeachStar delivers educational resources in a variety of other formats. Every weeknight, as part of the GPTV Overnight schedule, PeachStar airs instructional programming geared towards parents and adult learners. That way, learners who don't have access to a satellite can still benefit from PeachStar programming. PeachStar's video streaming effort now allows Georgia students and teachers to access educational video clips via the Internet without the use of a television or VCR. Like PeachStar's satellite and open-air video resources, video streaming is a free resource for Georgia schools.

PeachStar has developed a CD-ROM-based curriculum for educators seeking add-on certification in interrelated special education, as well as additional CD-ROMs dealing with foreign language and cultural learning and the use of PeachStar in the classroom. In addition to these resources, PeachStar has VHS sets of original programs available for purchase.

So you see, PeachStar is committed to getting our educational resources into Georgia classrooms no matter what route we have to take video, satellite, Internet, television, or CD-ROM!

How We Can Serve YOU!

PeachStar supplements our programming with a number of services designed to enhance the use of PeachStar resources in the classroom. Each of these services, tailored to meet the needs of all Georgia educators and learners, is available to Georgia schools at no cost.

PeachStar's award-winning Video On Request (VOR) service is a satellite re-broadcasting service that allows teachers and media specialists to request special feeds of certain shows you would like to use in the classroom. If you miss a broadcast of a specific program, or if we do not currently have the program of your choice scheduled, just call (404) 685-2580 or visit www.gpb.org/peachstar to request that we air it. Teachers and media specialists who take advantage of the VOR service can expect to hear back from us with the date and time for your re-broadcast within 48 hours of placing your request!

PeachStar's teleconferencing capabilities allow groups to share important information across Georgia and across the nation. Professional organizations like the Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers use the PeachStar satellite network to broadcast seminars so that offsite members can receive continuing education credit from remote locations. Educational organizations like the Office of School Readiness and the Georgia Department of Education's Leadership Academy, also use PeachStar's teleconferencing infrastructure to reach interested viewers across the state.

PeachStar reaches Georgia's preschool community through Public Broadcasting's Ready To Learn service, an initiative designed to help all children get prepared for school before they begin! In order to provide the best service to Georgia's young children, two of Georgia Public Broadcasting's divisions have joined forces. Together, GPTV and PeachStar are committed to the education of Georgia's preschool-aged children, and we show it by providing:

* A daily lineup of children's programming specially designed to meet the needs of preschool and school-aged children;
* Educational messages between programs that urge children to be creative, curious, cooperative, and responsible learners;
* Supplementary educational materials for children and adults;
* A strong literacy component including a family magazine and First Book, a program to distribute free books to children who would otherwise go without them; and
* Training sessions and workshops for families, teachers, and caregivers to teach them important skills like helping children to read and develop healthy TV viewing habits.

The newest service PeachStar has brought into Georgia classrooms is our video streaming service, which has literally transformed the way students and teachers use video in the classroom. Segmented video resources give educators the flexibility to select only those clips that apply directly to the standards they intend to teach rather than using valuable class time showing an entire full-length video. Every media specialist at every school in the state was contacted last school year and given a username and password that allows teachers at their school to access PeachStar's video streaming website. Once you're logged in, teachers, media specialists, and students can search for video clips by grade, subject area, keyword, or Georgia Quality Core Curriculum standard. Video clips may either be streamed live or downloaded and saved on your classroom computer for later use.

Perhaps one of the most important services PeachStar provides to Georgia educators is onsite training. Any school in the state with a substantial number of interested teachers can request a training and PeachStar staff will come to you and give you an extensive training covering all facets of PeachStar programming and services. Simply call PeachStar at (404) 685-2406 and we will schedule it!

Information Sources

PeachStar wants to make sure that you have access to all the information you need about what we have to offer, so we've provided several ways for you to learn more about what we're up to.

We asked teachers and media specialists what their number one way of finding out information about PeachStar and you said Pipeline! We sure are glad to hear it! Each month we send this magazine to over 80,000 educators in the state to keep you up-to-date on our broadcast schedule and latest projects. In January of last school year, we brought you "How To Use Your Pipeline Magazine: A Primer," and we feel like it shared some pretty important information. Since we're starting off a brand new school year, we've decided to reprint it for you to make sure everybody is familiar with how to find what you need to know in Pipeline. Check it out on page INSERT for more information!

Another great source of information is PeachStar's website. In addition to providing links to Georgia Public Television and Georgia Public Radio, PeachStar's website offers the latest news about PeachStar events and programs as well as information about the following: broadcast schedule, program information, original programming, services, Pipeline Magazine, and partners. Teachers and media specialists can search for broadcast dates and times or request special feeds of programs you would like to use in the classroom. You can also find PeachStar programs through searches by keyword, grade and subject area, or QCC standard.

The Workshop In A Box site is a special component of the PeachStar website that offers Georgia educators a complete introduction to PeachStar Education Services. The site is broken down into four main sections: About GPB, About PeachStar, Teacher Toolbox, and Sample Lessons. Under the section entitled About PeachStar, you will find an exhaustive description of PeachStar programs and services, special projects, and technical requirements. Under the Teacher Toolbox section, you'll find helpful PowerPoint presentations about Bloom's Taxonomy and a how-to for creating multimedia PowerPoint presentations for classroom use, plus a template for creating lesson plans. The section called Lesson Plans offers model lesson plans covering a variety of topics and grade levels. You can't find a better source for information about PeachStar than this!

Why You Should Bring PeachStar Into Your Classroom

Well now that you know a little bit more about what PeachStar has to offer, let's look at how it can impact your classroom. You can never have too many resources to supplement teaching and learning, and what's great about PeachStar is we're right there in your classroom any time you need us! Just think of all the ways PeachStar and video in the classroom can make a difference! Video can

* Invigorate the classroom
* Motivate your students by example
* Model exceptional practice
* Effectively demonstrate concepts
* Appeal to different learning styles
* Bring technology into the learning experience
* Globalize your students' learning by bringing the world into the classroom

And don't forget, now that PeachStar offers segmented resources through video streaming, you can pinpoint the specific concepts you want to teach and show only those clips that directly address them. This will not only save valuable class time, but will also offer you a ready resource for illustrating each concept you need to cover.

With everything we can offer you as an educator, the real question is why wouldn't you use PeachStar in the classroom?