Everyone knows that PBS produces and broadcasts fine educational programming. Few, though, know about the great teacher resource available in the form of the PBS website. In addition to program information, pbskids, and Adult Learning Service resources, the PBS website offers TeacherSource, a site devoted entirely to the needs of educators.
TeacherSource offers lesson plans, online games, experiments, teaching strategies, primary sources, video archives, and photographs to address the needs of the following subject areas:
* Arts and Literature
* Health and Fitness
* Math
* Science and Technology
* Social Studies
* Early Childhood
Additionally, the website offers downloadable PDF files of student activities and answers. You can search the lesson plans by grade level and subject area; best of all, these lesson plans meet general and specific classroom needs even without the video components offered by PBS programming. Visit www.pbs.org today to find out more about what TeacherSource has to offer your classroom.
Wednesday, November 7, 2001
Friday, November 2, 2001
Playing It Safe: The Code of Ethics for Educators
PeachStar Education Services and the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) are partnering to develop an instructional video about the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators. The video, set to begin production in Fall 2001, will feature a brief statement from Dr. F.D. Toth, the Executive Secretary of the PSC, regarding professionalism as educators; an introduction to the Code; the history of the Code?s creation; an explanation of the ten standards that constitute the Code; and look at several key problem areas.
According to the Professional Practices Section of the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators, the code "protects the health, safety and general welfare of students and educators, ensures the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability within the education profession, and defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary sanction." As mentioned above, the Code of Ethics centers around ten standards designed to ensure ethically appropriate behavior:
* Criminal Acts - An educator should aide by federal, state, and local laws and statues.
* Abuse of Students - An educator should always maintain a professional relationship with all students, both inside and outside the classroom.
* Alcohol or Drugs - An educator should refrain from the use of alcohol or illegal or unauthorized drugs during the course of professional practice.
* Misrepresentation or Falsification - An educator should exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice.
* Public Funds and Property - An educator entrusted with public funds and property should honor that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and responsibility.
* Improper Remunerative Conduct - An educator should maintain integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation.
* Confidential Information - An educator should comply with the state and federal laws and local school policies relating to the confidentiality of student records, unless disclosure is required or permitted by law.
* Abandonment of Contract - An educator should fulfill all of the terms and obligations detailed in the contract with the local board of education or education agency for the duration of the contract.
* Failure to Make a Required Report- An educator should file reports of a breach of one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics, child abuse, or any other required report.
* Professional Conduct- An educator should demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards.
Each of these standards carries with it a detailed proscription for unethical conduct that may be found in the complete text of the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators located at the Georgia PSC's website.
PeachStar and PSC feel that working with Georgia educators to come to a better understanding of their ethical obligations both inside and outside of the classroom will help to ensure students a safer, more secure environment in which to learn.
According to the Professional Practices Section of the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators, the code "protects the health, safety and general welfare of students and educators, ensures the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability within the education profession, and defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary sanction." As mentioned above, the Code of Ethics centers around ten standards designed to ensure ethically appropriate behavior:
* Criminal Acts - An educator should aide by federal, state, and local laws and statues.
* Abuse of Students - An educator should always maintain a professional relationship with all students, both inside and outside the classroom.
* Alcohol or Drugs - An educator should refrain from the use of alcohol or illegal or unauthorized drugs during the course of professional practice.
* Misrepresentation or Falsification - An educator should exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice.
* Public Funds and Property - An educator entrusted with public funds and property should honor that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and responsibility.
* Improper Remunerative Conduct - An educator should maintain integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation.
* Confidential Information - An educator should comply with the state and federal laws and local school policies relating to the confidentiality of student records, unless disclosure is required or permitted by law.
* Abandonment of Contract - An educator should fulfill all of the terms and obligations detailed in the contract with the local board of education or education agency for the duration of the contract.
* Failure to Make a Required Report- An educator should file reports of a breach of one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics, child abuse, or any other required report.
* Professional Conduct- An educator should demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards.
Each of these standards carries with it a detailed proscription for unethical conduct that may be found in the complete text of the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators located at the Georgia PSC's website.
PeachStar and PSC feel that working with Georgia educators to come to a better understanding of their ethical obligations both inside and outside of the classroom will help to ensure students a safer, more secure environment in which to learn.
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Educators:
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, I want to take a moment to urge each of you to spend some time with your students sharing and giving thanks. Thanksgiving 2001, in the wake of the tragic events that befell our great nation in September, is an especially important opportunity for all Americans to reevaluate our lives and rediscover the joy of living. Over the last two months, Americans have put aside our differences and come together in a great show of solidarity and support for the victims and their families. One of the many things I am thankful for this year is our ability as Americans to bravely face adversity and unite under a common will to live free.
One of the most important and difficult tasks you face as educators is the responsibility of helping your students to cope with the ups and downs of living in a world where every moment holds the possibility of breaking news. Your ability to transform adversity into an opportunity for learning and growth is what will make you stand out in the eyes of your students during this difficult period of recovery. You may want to consider the theme packet on Patriotism PeachStar will be airing for use in your classroom to help address this difficult topic; see notice on page X for details.
All of us here at Georgia Public Broadcasting hope that you will make the most of the upcoming holiday season by infusing your classroom with the spirit of Thanksgiving and encouraging your students to appreciate all of the gifts that life has to offer.
Warm regards,
James M. Lyle,
Executive Director
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, I want to take a moment to urge each of you to spend some time with your students sharing and giving thanks. Thanksgiving 2001, in the wake of the tragic events that befell our great nation in September, is an especially important opportunity for all Americans to reevaluate our lives and rediscover the joy of living. Over the last two months, Americans have put aside our differences and come together in a great show of solidarity and support for the victims and their families. One of the many things I am thankful for this year is our ability as Americans to bravely face adversity and unite under a common will to live free.
One of the most important and difficult tasks you face as educators is the responsibility of helping your students to cope with the ups and downs of living in a world where every moment holds the possibility of breaking news. Your ability to transform adversity into an opportunity for learning and growth is what will make you stand out in the eyes of your students during this difficult period of recovery. You may want to consider the theme packet on Patriotism PeachStar will be airing for use in your classroom to help address this difficult topic; see notice on page X for details.
All of us here at Georgia Public Broadcasting hope that you will make the most of the upcoming holiday season by infusing your classroom with the spirit of Thanksgiving and encouraging your students to appreciate all of the gifts that life has to offer.
Warm regards,
James M. Lyle,
Executive Director
PeachStar Partners to Infuse Arts into Georgia Middle School Curriculum
PeachStar Education Services, the Georgia Council for the Arts, and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) are collaborating on a project to infuse the arts into all aspects of classroom learning. The multifaceted project includes a 30-minute television program made with the help of SCAD's video and photography resources and scheduled to air over the PeachStar satellite network to schools across the state as well as on Georgia Public Television. Additionally, the project includes a website with the supporting curriculum materials and activities for teachers and students and a traveling exhibit of key pieces from the state collection of art featured in the program.
The video, entitled "SmARTistic: Experiencing Academics Through the Arts," begins with an introduction by Marie Barnes, First Lady of Georgia, and features interactions with the following Georgia artists:
* Bill Alexander
* Patricia Alexander
* Benny Andrews
* Barbara Brozik
* Robert Clements
* Glenn Dair
* Cheryl Goldsleger
* Kerry Moore
* Edward Moulthrop
* Ayokunle Odeleye
* Rocio Rodriguez
* Pamela Ross
* Ben Smith
"SmARTistic" offers a thorough examination of the featured pieces of art and a strong focus on art's tie to mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts topics. "SmARTistic" will air in Georgia classrooms via PeachStar's channel 420 every Friday in November (except for 11/23) and on into December.
In Spring of 2002, Georgia Council for the Arts is planning a tour around the state that will make some of the state collection?s most intriguing pieces available to be seen in person by Georgia learners of all ages.
This project draws upon the state's rich cultural heritage to create an exciting arts-based curriculum to improve student achievement in the critical areas of math, science, language arts, technology, and social studies. Infusing the academic curriculum with art and technology creates a dynamic learning environment in which students can draw on their natural talents and love of creative exploration to master core competencies.
While this program will be interesting and available to learners of all ages, the curriculum for this project will be targeted at the middle grades level. Success in middle school is vital to continued success in high school and adulthood. Research shows that these students are developing the capacity to think abstractly and critically, and projects such as this one will foster this capacity. This project will allow middle grades students to explore their abstract thinking skills in an engaging way.
Additionally, this effort will give teachers an effective way to introduce students to the arts within the existing curriculum framework.
For more information on this project, contact Denise Wingate, Project Manager, Community Education, PeachStar Education Services Division at dwingate@gpb.org.
The video, entitled "SmARTistic: Experiencing Academics Through the Arts," begins with an introduction by Marie Barnes, First Lady of Georgia, and features interactions with the following Georgia artists:
* Bill Alexander
* Patricia Alexander
* Benny Andrews
* Barbara Brozik
* Robert Clements
* Glenn Dair
* Cheryl Goldsleger
* Kerry Moore
* Edward Moulthrop
* Ayokunle Odeleye
* Rocio Rodriguez
* Pamela Ross
* Ben Smith
"SmARTistic" offers a thorough examination of the featured pieces of art and a strong focus on art's tie to mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts topics. "SmARTistic" will air in Georgia classrooms via PeachStar's channel 420 every Friday in November (except for 11/23) and on into December.
In Spring of 2002, Georgia Council for the Arts is planning a tour around the state that will make some of the state collection?s most intriguing pieces available to be seen in person by Georgia learners of all ages.
This project draws upon the state's rich cultural heritage to create an exciting arts-based curriculum to improve student achievement in the critical areas of math, science, language arts, technology, and social studies. Infusing the academic curriculum with art and technology creates a dynamic learning environment in which students can draw on their natural talents and love of creative exploration to master core competencies.
While this program will be interesting and available to learners of all ages, the curriculum for this project will be targeted at the middle grades level. Success in middle school is vital to continued success in high school and adulthood. Research shows that these students are developing the capacity to think abstractly and critically, and projects such as this one will foster this capacity. This project will allow middle grades students to explore their abstract thinking skills in an engaging way.
Additionally, this effort will give teachers an effective way to introduce students to the arts within the existing curriculum framework.
For more information on this project, contact Denise Wingate, Project Manager, Community Education, PeachStar Education Services Division at dwingate@gpb.org.
Sunday, October 7, 2001
Unitedstreaming.com Website Now a Reality for Georgia Educators
In September 2001, PeachStar and United Learning announced a partnership that would allow Georgia classroom teachers to access educational video assets instantly via the Internet. As of October, Georgia educators may now find online more than 10,000 video clips from an excess of 1,000 different programs drawn from the video repositories of both PeachStar and AGC/United Learning. PeachStar program offerings currently available through this video streaming project include all of the episodes from the Georgia Stories and Count On It! Series, with more programs being added each day.
The unitedstreaming.com website is password protected and these resources are available exclusively to Georgia public school educators and students. Each school media specialist has been given a username and password to access the site.
The unitedstreaming.com website is password protected and these resources are available exclusively to Georgia public school educators and students. Each school media specialist has been given a username and password to access the site.
Saturday, October 6, 2001
Presenting PeachStar's New Staff
The PeachStar team is pleased to welcome the addition of the following people to better serve Georgia teachers and students.
Chrissy Bramhall, Instructional Support Coordinator
Chrissy is the mastermind behind the ongoing redesign of the PeachStar website. She is using her Master's Degree in Information, Design, and Technology to create PeachStar's first ever on-line Program Guide, which will enable teachers to get the most up-to-date program information every day! With Chrissy's help, PeachStar is creating a more user-friendly website that will make it easier for teachers and students to navigate their way around to find the information and services they need. If you have any thoughts or suggestions about how our website could serve you better, feel free to contact Chrissy.
Gwen Clayton, Administrative Assistant
As Administrative Assistant, Gwen works with the Division Director to ensure that the division's budget is in place to allow PeachStar to bring Georgia classrooms all of the goods and services we provide each day. If you participate in any projects with PeachStar as a consultant, you can contact Gwen with questions about payment. Along with Jascenda Pasley, she will help you with any questions you have about what PeachStar has to offer.
Marilyn Dent, Traffic Assistant
Marilyn came to PeachStar from the Dekalb County School System, where she served as a media clerk. Before that, she worked for ten years in traffic and operations at WPBA. Marilyn will assist the rest of the Instructional and Technical Support Team with the daily tasks of satellite traffic and operations. She will be responsible for identifying programs for air and working with engineering to make sure that they broadcast via satellite to Georgia classrooms on time. Additionally, she will manage the PeachStar video repository and assist callers with their Video on Request needs.
Phyllis Grant, Elementary Education Project Manager
We are very excited to welcome Phyllis to our team of Project Managers. Phyllis, who holds a Master's Degree in both Elementary Education and Supervision and Administration as well as a Leadership Degree, will devote all of her time and energy to the specific needs of elementary educators. As an elementary school teacher, you will contact Phyllis anytime you want to schedule a PeachStar training, need assistance with the development of lesson plans to accompany PeachStar programming, or desire to learn how to integrate multimedia into your classroom. These are only some of the ways in which Phyllis is ready to serve Georgia educators; contact her directly with any needs you have for your elementary classroom.
Jascenda Pasley, Office Assistant
Jascenda will be the new voice of PeachStar customer service for teachers and media specialists. She is the first one you will speak with when you call PeachStar for assistance with scheduling, programming, ordering, or anything else you may need. Jascenda has been familiarizing herself with all of the services that PeachStar has to offer Georgia educators and will be glad to help you with all of your PeachStar needs!
Chrissy Bramhall, Instructional Support Coordinator
Chrissy is the mastermind behind the ongoing redesign of the PeachStar website. She is using her Master's Degree in Information, Design, and Technology to create PeachStar's first ever on-line Program Guide, which will enable teachers to get the most up-to-date program information every day! With Chrissy's help, PeachStar is creating a more user-friendly website that will make it easier for teachers and students to navigate their way around to find the information and services they need. If you have any thoughts or suggestions about how our website could serve you better, feel free to contact Chrissy.
Gwen Clayton, Administrative Assistant
As Administrative Assistant, Gwen works with the Division Director to ensure that the division's budget is in place to allow PeachStar to bring Georgia classrooms all of the goods and services we provide each day. If you participate in any projects with PeachStar as a consultant, you can contact Gwen with questions about payment. Along with Jascenda Pasley, she will help you with any questions you have about what PeachStar has to offer.
Marilyn Dent, Traffic Assistant
Marilyn came to PeachStar from the Dekalb County School System, where she served as a media clerk. Before that, she worked for ten years in traffic and operations at WPBA. Marilyn will assist the rest of the Instructional and Technical Support Team with the daily tasks of satellite traffic and operations. She will be responsible for identifying programs for air and working with engineering to make sure that they broadcast via satellite to Georgia classrooms on time. Additionally, she will manage the PeachStar video repository and assist callers with their Video on Request needs.
Phyllis Grant, Elementary Education Project Manager
We are very excited to welcome Phyllis to our team of Project Managers. Phyllis, who holds a Master's Degree in both Elementary Education and Supervision and Administration as well as a Leadership Degree, will devote all of her time and energy to the specific needs of elementary educators. As an elementary school teacher, you will contact Phyllis anytime you want to schedule a PeachStar training, need assistance with the development of lesson plans to accompany PeachStar programming, or desire to learn how to integrate multimedia into your classroom. These are only some of the ways in which Phyllis is ready to serve Georgia educators; contact her directly with any needs you have for your elementary classroom.
Jascenda Pasley, Office Assistant
Jascenda will be the new voice of PeachStar customer service for teachers and media specialists. She is the first one you will speak with when you call PeachStar for assistance with scheduling, programming, ordering, or anything else you may need. Jascenda has been familiarizing herself with all of the services that PeachStar has to offer Georgia educators and will be glad to help you with all of your PeachStar needs!
Thursday, October 4, 2001
PeachStar and CWK Network Bring Character Education into Georgia Classrooms
In an exciting endeavor to address the state-mandated character education requirements for Georgia schools, PeachStar Education Services, a Division of Georgia Public Broadcasting, and CWK Network Inc. have announced a joint partnership that will serve the needs of students and teachers across the state. (PeachStar is known across Georgia for providing high quality educational resources that enrich, inform, and support the Georgia learning community. The Connecting With Kids Network (CWKN) is known nationally for being a leading creator of the very kind of educational and reality-based broadcast programming PeachStar airs in Georgia classrooms).
In 1995, the Georgia State Legislature passed a bill mandating a comprehensive character education program to be developed beginning with the 1996-1997 school year. This "character curriculum" was to assist school children with character development as it related to particular character words such as citizenship and diligence. During the Programming Acquisition Project held at the Georgia Public Broadcasting facility over the spring of 2001, PeachStar discovered CONNECT! through the help of Georgia teachers. CONNECT! is a new offering from CWK that teaches character education according to the very same principles envisioned by both the Georgia legislation and national standards for character education in the classroom.
Beginning in September 2001, PeachStar began airing the first nine episodes of CONNECT!, geared toward students between grades 9-12. The series will air in blocks every Monday through October and will address the following character words: Caring/Compassion, Citizenship, Convictions, Courage, Diligence, Fairness/Justice, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Trustworthiness. In addition to the video component, CONNECT! offers interested schools complete course materials including teacher and student texts, integrated lesson plans, on-line activities, and assessment tools. PeachStar and CWK want to help classroom teachers from schools that have chosen CONNECT! to serve their character education needs to understand and implement the curriculum. To that end, PeachStar and CWK, with the support and assistance of the Georgia Center for Character Education, will offer more than nine day-long trainings across the state to familiarize teachers with the programming and curriculum materials.
In 1995, the Georgia State Legislature passed a bill mandating a comprehensive character education program to be developed beginning with the 1996-1997 school year. This "character curriculum" was to assist school children with character development as it related to particular character words such as citizenship and diligence. During the Programming Acquisition Project held at the Georgia Public Broadcasting facility over the spring of 2001, PeachStar discovered CONNECT! through the help of Georgia teachers. CONNECT! is a new offering from CWK that teaches character education according to the very same principles envisioned by both the Georgia legislation and national standards for character education in the classroom.
Beginning in September 2001, PeachStar began airing the first nine episodes of CONNECT!, geared toward students between grades 9-12. The series will air in blocks every Monday through October and will address the following character words: Caring/Compassion, Citizenship, Convictions, Courage, Diligence, Fairness/Justice, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Trustworthiness. In addition to the video component, CONNECT! offers interested schools complete course materials including teacher and student texts, integrated lesson plans, on-line activities, and assessment tools. PeachStar and CWK want to help classroom teachers from schools that have chosen CONNECT! to serve their character education needs to understand and implement the curriculum. To that end, PeachStar and CWK, with the support and assistance of the Georgia Center for Character Education, will offer more than nine day-long trainings across the state to familiarize teachers with the programming and curriculum materials.
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