PBS announced today a multi-year initiative to recognize innovative preK-12 educators and instructional practices that inspire and engage students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The effort was acknowledged at an event at the White House today marking the second phase of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign that recognizes excellence in teaching.
With its member stations, PBS is launching the annual PBS Teachers® Innovation Challenge (pbs.org/teachers/innovators/) later this month to honor and celebrate talented teachers, and showcase best practices in support of the growth and advancement of the teaching profession. NSTA is supporting the Challenge by encouraging participation of science teachers at every level of school and will recognize innovative STEM educators among the 50 Challenge winners that will be announced this spring.
To learn more about the PBS Teachers Innovation Challenge, go to pbs.org/teachers/innovators/. More information will be posted by Jan. 25. Entries will be accepted Jan. 25 to March 12.
In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina airing tonight (10/15) at 7 p.m. on KRLU is a concert hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama on the South Lawn of the White House that celebrates Hispanic musical heritage. The program includes Marc Anthony, Jimmy Smits, Pete Escovedo, Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalía, Tito “El Bambino”, the Bachata music group Aventura, and the Chicano rock band Los Lobos, with Sheila E. leading the house band.
Reading Rainbow will no longer be provided by PBS to stations for broadcast starting on Aug. 28. No new episodes of the children’s program have been produced for several years and PBS removed the series from its daily lineup last fall to make room for new programs with reading and science/math content. After nearly a after a quarter century on public television, the series will no long be broadcast over the air. Producers of the series are working to continue the show online and DVDs of episodes will be available through Shop PBS.
Editor’s Note: Reading Rainbow has been an influential part of the learning expereince for many children. Please share your story about the show’s impact by leaving a comment below.
This month the PBS KIDS GO! site, It’s My Life launched a blog for tweens at http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/blog/ The blog is the latest addition to this safe and engaging destination that tackles tough issues that adolescents face in school, at home and in popular media. The blog’s age-appropriate articles cover everyday issues facing tweens,such as online bullying and going green, as well as discuss pop culture news and book reviews.
The site includes an Educators section with lesson plans that focus on bullies, drug abuse, eating disorders, being home alone, making money, smoking, sports and participation. Also be sure to check out the School channel that addresses topics on time management, transitioning to middle school and high school, cheating, surviving embarrassing moments, relating to a teacher, and dealing with test stress.
Filmmaker Ken Burns is seeking stories for his upcoming film “The Dust Bowl.” Burns writes “… Like our earlier films on World War II, Jazz, Baseball, and The Civil War, we think the Dust Bowl is an important event in all of American history. We’re in the early stages of our research, but we know that Oklahoma will be a major part of the Dust Bowl story we want to tell. We’re looking for first-person stories of Oklahomans who lived through those hard, hard times, especially out in the Panhandle, where the Dust Bowl was the worst. We hope to find people who can share their experiences with us - or their photographs, diaries, or home movies from the 1930s, to help us tell this important story.”
If you have or know of a person who has a dust bowl story to share,
email: dustbowl@oeta.tv
call: the Oklahoma PBS station OETA at 1-800-846-7665
or writing to:
OETA Dustbowl Stories
P.O. Box 14190
Oklahoma City, OK 73113
