KLRU-TV, Austin PBS » Ben Kramer

Librarian in Leander ISD named a KLRU/PBS LearningMedia Grand Prize Winner!

Ben Kramer — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:24:35 +0000

Rachel Deaton, Librarian of Winkley Elementary in Leander ISD is now the proud owner of a new iPad thanks to her entry in the PBS LearningMedia Sweepstakes! Rachel is a daily user of KLRU / PBS LearningMedia in order to supply her teachers and students with relevant, engaging content and is “amazed” at the wealth of information on the site. Access to the Learning Media portal is FREE to all and offers access to over 20,000 artifacts from the PBS archives. (Two hints: Create your free login ASAP to avoid reminders, and “like” PBS LearningMedia on Facebook to receive valuable tips on contents.)

Word Girl Election Day Special!

Ben Kramer — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 18:09:21 +0000

Airing on KLRU 18. 1 Tuesday, Nov. 6, 3:30 pm

Sesame Street launches its 43rd season!

Ben Kramer — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:06:35 +0000

Check out the launch of Sesame Street’s 43rd Season
on KLRU on Monday, September 24th!!

KLRU joins Dell in Powering the Possible!

Ben Kramer — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:27:01 +0000

KLRU Educational Services is thrilled to join the launch of Dell’s Powering the Possible initiative in 2012! Thanks to the generosity of Dell, we have acquired 20 brand-new, sleek Dell XPS 13 Ultrabooks for use in two pilot projects close to the Dell campus, at Walnut Creek and Graham Elementary Schools. We will work with Extend-A-Care staff and their kids to bring the best of our digital media resources to enhance after-school learning opportunities in order to strengthen academic skills through high-quality, trustworthy shows, games, and other activities. Apart from the Dell laptops, another brand-new resource for this project is PBS Learning Media, the user-friendly portal to PBS’ treasure trove of educational content.

www.eackids.org

klru.pbslearningmedia.org

Spark Truck is coming to Austin!

Ben Kramer — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:24:30 +0000

SparkTruck is an educational build-mobile sponsored by the PBS Kids Go! show Design Squad! The truck and its crew are traveling across the USA with cool 21st-century shop tools, spreading the fun of hands-on learning and encouraging kids to find their inner maker.

They will be visiting a number of elementary and middle schools during the week of August 27th through 31st and we have two open events that all informal educators and volunteers can join.

The first is on Tuesday, August 28th, when SparkTruck will be at IBM B/045 from 4:00 to 6:00 for you to experience the activities and talk with its staff. You do not need to register for this event, just join. Please use the Domain Drive entrance off Braker and keep to the right on Domain Parkway.

The second is on Thursday, August 30th (noon – 3 pm), when SparkTruck will be at the 3M Innovation Center for the Central Texas Discover Engineering kick-off for the 2012-2013 school year. You need to register for this event.

Please join one or both events and have fun with hands-on learning!

The Spark Truck’s local appearance is supported in part by The STEM Council at Skillpoint Alliance and Central Texas Discover Engineering.

Sat., Aug. 25: KLRU joins with Whole Foods and PBS Kids in Fantastic Organic!

Ben Kramer — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:23:52 +0000

PBS Parents has recently launched a new website with Whole Foods called Fantastic Organic where you can find collected tips, ideas, recipes, videos and games to encourage you and your family to explore organic produce and foods.

KLRU is joining in the fun, too! Saturday, August 25, the new Whole Foods Market at Arbor Trails in South Austin will have a fun run, an in-store organic scavenger hunt, and our very own Biscuit Brothers! The events start at 8:00 am with the fun run at 8:00 am, then yoga at 10:00 am. The Biscuits take the stage at noon as the scavenger hunt commences. While there, pick up a schedule of our fall PBS Kids lineup, including the debut of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and consider the KLRU Explorers family membership!

KLRU Promotes Use of 2-1-1 for Families in Need

Ben Kramer — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 21:38:46 +0000

This month, KLRU has been re-airing the original broadcast of Sesame Street’s one-hour special “Growing Hope Against Hunger.” In this show, guest stars Brad and Kimberly Paisley meet Lily, the newest Muppet. Together, they reach out to viewers who may be hungry and those who may be in a position to help others. At the conclusion of the episode, viewers of all ages who may need additional food are directed to call 2-1-1, the call center for local health and human services.

“Growing Hope Against Hunger” will air four more times this month:

Monday, August 20th at 1:00 pm
Wednesday, August 22nd at 12 noon
Friday, August 24th at 12 noon
Tuesday, August 28th at 12:30 pm

KLRU Summer Learning Activities now in 5 H-E-B stores!

Ben Kramer — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:58:22 +0000

KLRU has set up displays in five Austin-area H-E-B stores where families can pick up free materials to participate in PBS Kids Summer Learning Activities:

Rundberg and Lamar
IH-35 and William Cannon
E. 7th St. and Pleasant Valley
E. Riverside
Ed Bluestein Blvd. and Manor Rd.

The PBS Kids Summer Learning Initative connects watching of PBS Kids programs with reading and other activities. Kids who participate can return to the HEB after August 17 to pick up a certificate that they can show to their new teachers!

KLRU 2012 Summer Learning Challenge

Ben Kramer — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 19:45:42 +0000

Now that it’s REALLY HOT outside, not just HOT, we know kids will be spending more time indoors and screen time will go up. To make sure that kids have access to quality content and quality activities, along with our friends at the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, we’ve started the KRLU Summer Challenge. To get started, read and download the materials below!

PBS highlights one show each week during the summertime. KLRU starts from here and asks kids to do the following:

WATCH - Here are the shows for each week, and the times they air

June 4-8: Wild Kratts, Zach Attack Week 4:00 pm
June 11-15: WordGirl, Tobey's Robot Summer 3:30 pm
June 18-22: Arthur, Baby Kate Adventure Week 3:00 pm
June 25-29: Curious George, Monkey Business Week 8:00 am
July 2-6: Super Why! Royal Reading Week 9:00 am
July 9-13: The Electric Company Prankster Planet Week 4:30 pm
July 16-20: Dinosaur Train Gone Fishing Week 9:30 am
July 23-27: Martha Speaks Dog Daze Week 2:30 pm
July 30-August 3: The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That Creepy Crawley Week 8:30 am
August 6-10: Sid the Science Kid Get Up and Move Week 10:00 am

READ – We want kids to read at least 15 minutes a day, or 75 minutes a week. To track progress you can download a chart here or download Scholastic’s Reading Timer for iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.

DO - Whether your kids are completing pages in the packet or playing PBS games online or on mobile devices, they are learning!

Click here to download an activity packet for ages 4-7.

Click here to download an activity packet for ages 6-10.

Click here to download a Reading Progress Chart.

For online games, go to:

PBS Kids (ages 2-5)
PBS Kids Go! (ages 4-8)
PBS Kids It's My Life (ages 8-12)
PBS Kids Mobile for all mobile downloads (all ages)

PLAY - Not just video games! Get off the couch and go swimming, ride a bike, and run around. Kids should be active at least one hour a day, 365 days a year.

And when you’ve done all of these things, after August 13th you will be able to download a certificate that you can complete and show to your child’s teacher in the new school year.

Curious George Dance Contest!

Ben Kramer — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:18:38 +0000

Do you and your kids like George? Do you and your kids like to dance? Do you and your kids like to record yourselves dancing? If the answer to all three questions is “yes,” you should consider sending an entry to the Curious George Dance Contest! Go to the link to download the Curious George theme song, then shoot a 60-sec. video of your child doing his/her best monkey dance! All uploads are due April 2, then from April 16-30, there will a public vote to choose the winners.

The official contest web page is now curiousgeorgedancecontest.com — home to all contest information including how to enter and official rules. The Grand Prize winner’s entry will be featured on a Curious George Home Video DVD. The Grand Prize winner and all nine finalists will receive “Curiosity Kits” including Curious George books, DVDs, and other merchandise.