No próximo dia 14/11, das 17h às 18h, horário do Brasil, você poderá participar gratuitamente de um seminário internacional sobre ensino à distância sem sair de sua empresa ou de sua casa. Trata-se de evento promovido pela Associação Norte-Americana de Ensino à Distância, a USDLA. Para participar gratuitamente, clique aqui e registre-se. As palestras serão em inglês, sem tradução simultânea. Um dos participantes do encontro é Francisco Soeltl (foto), que integra o Comitê de Criação do CONARH, da ABRH-Nacional. Ele vai falar da experiência brasileira em ensino à distância, que você pode conhecer visitando o site e-Learning Brasil.

I’m beginning to feel as though we’ve created our own version of Dancing With the Stars. While there aren’t really any “judges,” they wouldn’t count in the end anyway.  As in the show, winners of NDLW Awards are determined by the peoples’ choice.  Your vote counts!

I hope you’ve taken the time to read CILC’s NDLW Award submissions. I’ve read through them twice.  I had to, because the first time I read them—and this is the honest truth—I unabashedly cried (just like I always do when I experience or witness excellence in unexpected places).

There are 40 submissions for you to read, and, as of 11:00 a.m. EST on Monday, November 5th, there have been 1,977 views of the awards and nearly 1,500 views of the nominations page with 1,410 of you having voted for your favorite star.

Dawn Colavita is keeping the results-to-date close to her chest.  She won’t even tell me, but she does say that in some categories it’s an unbelievably tight race.

Have you read the submissions yet?  (It’s a heartwarming experience.)

Have you voted yet? (Remember— YOU are the judge.)

 Janine Lim wrote in a comment to one of my blogs: Ruth – can you explain on your blog what the last two categories of the awards are? I am not sure what fits into those categories…

I think Janine is referencing the following:

In an earlier blog I mentioned the CILC Symposium is occurring during the USDLA-sponsored National Distance Learning Week (NDLW), Nov 12-16, 2007. Through October 31, you can nominate someone or yourself for a NDLW Outstanding Service Award, which will be given to winning teachers, directors, vendors, and others working within the videoconferencing world.

Before I get to a response, here is some important info about CILC’s NDLW Awards—

      NOMINATIONS CLOSE OCTOBER 31, 2007.
           BOOKMARK THE NOMINATIONS PAGE, BECAUSE IT’S WHERE YOU’LL VOTE FOR THE WINNERS
      VOTING OPENS NOVEMBER 1, 2007 AND CLOSES NOVEMBER 7, 2007

Here are the categories for CILC’s NDLW awards:

Award Categories

Content Providers
Collaborative Projects
Student Driven Projects
Professional Development for Educators
Support program(s) for Education (by Not-for-Profit organizations)
Support program(s) for Education (by For Profit organizations)

It’s the last two categories for which Janine asked clarification.

     Support program(s) for Education (by Not-for-Profit organizations)

Think ESC or BOCES or Region or ISD or SEGP or any other non-profit organization that has contributed vision, direction, action, or support to our professional niche. These folks should be recognized.

     Support program(s) for Education (by For Profit organizations)

Think for-profit company — a business that has donated or financed or created programs and/or services that have benefited our professional niche. These folks should be recognized.

So, move your mouse to the Award Nominations page and submit your nominee now.

Here’s an inspiring thought….

Let’s recognize the great work of kids.

In an earlier blog I mentioned the CILC Symposium is occurring during the USDLA-sponsored National Distance Learning Week (NDLW), Nov 12-16, 2007.  Through October 31, you can nominate someone or yourself for a NDLW Outstanding Service Awards, which will be given to winning teachers, directors, vendors, and others working within the videoconferencing world.

We’re good at honoring adults.

How about experiencing the remarkably and impressively creative work of kids?

Like Redmond, Washington’s Adora Svitak.

With her down-to-earth charm and audacious wit, 10-year-old writer and literacy expert Adora Svitak embodies the benefits of creative learning. Adora has been teaching writing workshops since she published her first book at age seven. She has been featured on Oprah, CNN’s Young People Who Rock, NBC Nightly News, and countless other programs. Adora’s presentations feature live writing demonstrations, interactive activities, and storytelling. Her social studies workshops teach kids (and teachers) how to use writing as a creative learning tool across disciplines. Adora provides kids with a tangible and exciting example of where writing can take them.

I suggest you hurry and get in line to schedule Adora for a videoconference visit to your school.

My blogger inspiration today comes from Jan Zanetis, market manager for education with Tandberg. She is also on the board of directors of the USDLA, which is sponsoring National Distance Learning Week (NDLW), November 12-17, 2007.

The CILC Symposium, which will be anchored in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 13-14, is one of the featured NDLW events. Wow. That’s pretty cool. Especially since Tandberg is sponsoring a luncheon where John Flores, exec director of USDLA, will be addressing Symposium attendees through videoconferencing. His speech comes just before the NDLW Outstanding Service Awards ceremony where we’ll honor select contributors working in the education videoconferencing sector.

Jan tells me awards will be given in the following categories:

Content Providers
Collaborative Projects
Student Driven Projects
Professional Development for Educators
Support program(s) for Education (by Not-for-Profit organizations)
Support program(s) for Education (by For Profit organizations)

There’s still time for you to nominate a special person–even yourself, too, for that matter. That’s perfectly okay with us.

By the way, if you can’t attend the Symposium onsite, then you may attend virtually with a choice between VBrick’s streaming technology or Elluminate’s webinar application. That’s pretty cool, too.

p.s. Don’t forget to register  for the CILC Symposium. For more info, you may email Dawn Colavita at dcolavita@cilc.org.