iEARN in Action, June 9, 2008

Special Announcement!

1. 6 DAYS LEFT TO SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK IN AN iEARN-WIDE SURVEY!!!! We welcome you to share how iEARN serves your needs and how all of us together can improve the network. Your input will be put together in an annual report and will become a great resource for you to learn more about iEARN values, achievements and perspectives. To take the survey, please visit http://www.iearn.org/annualsurvey.html (currently available in English and Russian) and respond by June 15, 2008. Thank You!!! iEARN Evaluation Team

Seeking Partners: iEARN Projects!
2. Include your iEARN Projectin the 2008-2009 Project Book.
3. New proposed project - UNESCO Heritage Place Explorers.
4. New proposed project - Water for Sudan.

Resources, Contests, Websites and Announcements!
5. Classes in Russia and Japan exchange safety maps.
6. University faculty in USA seeking project partners.

Upcoming Events!
7. EARN-Canada Country Coordinators to present keynote at NECC, Texas, USA (July 2008).
8. 15th Annual iEARN International Conference, Bukhara, Uzbekistan (July 2008).

Recent Events!
9. ROTA holds iEARN-Qatar workshop and open house for schools (May and June 2008).
10. iEARN project celebration for 15 schools is East Jerusalem (May 2008).

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Seeking Partners: iEARN Projects and Activities
Download the 2007-2008 iEARN Project Book (in Arabic, Azeri, English, French, Spanish): http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html for a full listing of iEARN projects, see: http://media.iearn.org/projects/.
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2. INCLUDE YOUR iEARN PROJECT IN THE 2008-2009 PROJECT BOOK!!! If your project is already active and will continue, please submit an updated template to projects@us.iearn.org. If it is a new project, please note that all new projects are required to have an initial group of participants before being considered for publication. To find partners, post your project idea in the Teachers Forum: or, for students, the Youth Forum. If you find partners, you are welcome then to complete the project template below and send it to projects@us.iearn.org as soon as possible, but no later than the FINAL DEADLINE of August 1, 2008. This project template can be submitted in any language, and is available in multiple languages in the translated versions of the iEARN project book, available for download at http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html.

1. Name of Project:
2. Brief one-sentence description of project:
3. Full description of project:
4. Age/level of project participants:
5. Timetable/Schedule for the project:
6. Possible project/classroom activities:
7. Expected outcomes/products:
8. Project contribution to others and the planet:
9. Project language(s):
10. Curriculum/Subject area:
11. Names/email of initial participating groups:
12. Name of facilitator(s):
13. Email of facilitator(s):
14. iEARN Forum where it will take place or is taking place (leave blank if uncertain, and you will be assigned to a forum):
15. WWW page of project (not required):

Send by email to projects@us.iearn.org.

3. NEW PROPOSED PROJECT - UNESCO HERITAGE PLACE EXPLORERS. Students will explore the heritage of their country and their UNESCO heritage places, including history, tales about these places, and their meaning in their own country’s and the world’s history. Photos and drawings can be sent to the project's web page gallery. Students will be encouraged to research and ask each others about heritage places in their respective countries. Contact Inga Paitchadze in Georgia or Ruty Hotzen in Israel.

4. NEW PROPOSED PROJECT - WATER FOR SUDAN.A new project where children and teachers around the world will be able to collaborate to build one or more wells for the people suffering in Southern Sudan. See the iEARN Teachers Forum to join the discussion: http://foro.iearn.org/.1e8f05a0

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Check it Out! Resources, Contests, Websites, Announcements.
(This includes resources that are not part of iEARN)
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5. PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN JAPAN AND RUSSIA EXCHANGE SAFETY MAPS AS PART OF iEARN NATURAL DISASTER PROJECT. Go here to see local coverage of the activities of Yanagi Elementary School in Japan and 1129 Elementary School in Russia in their exchange of safety maps made of silk, cloth and markers, and connections through videoconference to share research on the topic of disaster preparedness.

6. UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS IN USA SEEKING PARTNERS FOR COLLABORATION FROM AUGUST TO DECEMBER 2008. "We would love for our students to interact with international college aged (18 years +) students to create a project or forum useful for all. If you and your students are interested, or know someone who is, please respond to this message (in the Teachers Forum. and/or send an email to Lillie Ransom.

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Upcoming Events
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7. iEARN-CANADA TEACHERS/COUNTRY COORDINATORS TO PRESENT KEYNOTE AT NECC, JUNE 29 - JULY 2, 2008 IN TEXAS. On July 1, Jim Carleton and Mali Bickley (iEARN-Canada Coordinators) will share their experiences "leveraging the collaborative power of technology to help their students help others worldwide." In addition, iEARN-USA will co-host the International Reception. Download an iEARN NECC events schedule here.

8. JOIN iEARN-UZBEKISTAN JULY 12-18 IN BUKHARA FOR THE 15TH ANNUAL iEARN CONFERENCE. Check out the conference website, developed by youth, with help of iEARN-Uzbekistan team! iEARN-Uzbekistan Country Coordinator, Anatoly Kochnev announces pre-conference activities schedule where people will be able to learn more about conference hosting country, things to bring, activities during the conference, visa issues, travel opportunities and other.

Online chat schedule:

June: Date: Thursday, June 19: Time: 4PM (GMT +5). Theme: Getting ready to travel to Uzbekistan: what to take with you.

Connect in the 2008 Conference forum or see here. If you have any questions or inquires about participation in iEARN Annual 15th International Conference and 12th Youth Summit, please contact us at info@iearn2008.uz

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Recent Events
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9. ROTA HOLDS iEARN-QATAR WORKSHOP FOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, MAY 22, 2008, AND OPEN HOUSE FOR SCHOOLS ON JUNE 7, 2008. Qatar High Schools Begin to Collaborate Internationally through iEARN Projects! Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) invited principals from Independent Schools to attend an information session about iEARN-Qatar and announced the successful conclusion of its second teacher training workshop. Following this, an open house was held for schools to showcase collaborative project opportunities through iEARN. Find links at http://www.iearn.org/news/news_references.html to coverage in Qatar's "The Peninsula" and "Gulf TImes" newspapers.

10. iEARN PROJECT CELEBRATION IN EAST JERUSALEM, MAY 25, 2008. 40 students, and 120 teachers, principals, and supervisors from 15 schools in East Jerusalem participated in a computer conference in the Educational Center, East Jerusalem. Students presented about 13 different projects (presentations, video clips websites, databases, publications, artwork, etc), including an Art Mural of Jerusalem, and "Eye to Eye" wall made of 30 Mosaic cards designed by students reflecting Palestinian heritage. See a photo of the Teddy Bear Project exhibition at the conference - http://media.iearn.org/v/Activities/teddybear/teddy.jpg.html.

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TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE NEWSFLASH: Send your announcement (2-3 lines) to newsflash@us.iearn.org.
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iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is a global non-profit network that empowers teachers and students to undertake projects designed to make a meaningful contribution to the health and welfare of the planet and its people. Started in 1988, iEARN is currently active in over 120 countries, with 1,000,000 students participating as part of their education. iEARN-International: http://www.iearn.org

Download the 2007-2008 iEARN Project Book: http://www.iearn.org/projects/projectbook.html (available in Arabic, English, French, and Japanese) or for a full listing of iEARN projects, see: http://www.iearn.org/projects/
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