Kids. Cable. Learning. The Official Podcast Channel of Cable in the Classroom!

This week, Cable in the Classroom and Common Sense Media released the findings from a nationally representative poll of parents about their internet-related actions and attitudes. Today, we are pleased to make available a podcast [19MB, MP3] of the press briefing conducted to release the poll (conducted via web- and tele-conference). Conducted by Harris Interactive, the poll, Parenting Moves Online, provides a comprehensive and timely snapshot of parents and legal guardians of 6-18 year olds (whose children go online from any setting) across the U.S. Among other contributions, the poll sheds light on the different behaviors, attitudes, and experiences of parents of children of different ages (6-10, 11-14, and 15-18); on differences between Moms and Dads; and on differences by parental views and practices (including between more and less engaged parents, and between parents who view the internet as more helpful to their children than other parents). More on the poll and its findings can be found at www.ciconline.org/poll2007. Based on the poll findings, we have made a number of recommendations for parents related to their children's internet use: Talk regularly with your children about their Internet use and seek out high-tech parenting advice from trusted sources (like from our very own Point Smart Click Safe!);Speak with your children about Internet safety and appropriate online behavior and about more frequently experienced issues;Engage even very young children to set behavioral expectations; andLook to teachers and schools as partners in instilling media literacy skills."This poll underscores what we at the PTA have advocated for a long time—the vital importance of parents getting involved and engaged in their children’s lives, online and offline,” said Jan Harp Domene, national president of the PTA. She further suggests that parents need simple, specific, and age-appropriate tools and information to help them engage in their kids’ online lives. Other resources of note include: Cable in the Classroom Magazine's July/August 2007 issue is devoted to keeping kids safe and secure online. It contains a Q&A for parents about technology and kids, an article on using interactive web tools at home, and two articles on social networking The May 2007 issue looks at ethical behavior in a digital world, with articles on cyberbullying, plagiarism and copyrightsCable in the Classroom Magazine's July/August 2006 edition covered internet safety, parental controls and advice for parenting a digital generation of kids.Threshold magazine's Summer 2007 issue focuses on "Responsibilities and Ethics in a Web 2.0 World" with articles discussing the legal, social and ethical implications of new, interactive technologies and how children learn.Parenting the MySpace Generation, a 2006 poll of parents on internet issues commissioned by Cable in the Classroom and conducted by Harris Interactive.Technorati tags: media literacy, online safety, internet safety, social networking, parents, parenting advice, cable, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education, NCTA

In this podcast interview [17MB, MP3], the History Channel’s Dr. Libby O'Connell discusses the network’s Take a Veteran to School Day program that provides engaging curriculum for teachers, diverse learning opportunities for students and recognition for America’s veterans. Take a Vet to School Day is kicking off its first year this fall, linking veterans of all ages with young people across the country. The program offers free age-appropriate curriculum available online for Kindergarten to 12th-grade teachers. Dr. O’Connell, senior vice president of corporate outreach and chief historian at The History Channel, describes how students who participate in Take a Veteran to School Day will learn a variety of things—history, vocabulary, and geography— while also recognizing these men and women for their service. More information for schools, teachers and students about Take a Vet to School Day can be found at: www.veterans.com. Cable systems interested in getting involved, should visit www.aetnjustclick.com. Technorati tags: History Channel, AETN, Veteran's Day, cable, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education, NCTA

The cable industry was out in force during the 2007 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in June. Represented by Cable in the Classroom, Discovery Education, The History Channel, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), CNN Student News, C-SPAN (which brought the Campaign Bus!), Court TV, and cable operators (including Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and others) the industry participated in in-depth presentations, held a networking reception honoring educators, and took the opportunity to share the wealth of educational resources offered by the industry to educators and educational technology leaders from across the country. In this podcast (MP3, 19MB), we share just some examples of the cable resources that were on display for the more than 13,000 educators who attended this year's conference. We spoke with CNN Student News, C-SPAN, Discovery Education, the History Channel, Cox Communications and CTAM. If we've piqued your interest, be sure to visit the Cable in the Classroom website at www.ciconline.org for even more! Technorati tags: CNN, C-SPAN, History Channel, e-rate, erate, Cox, CTAM, NECC, NECC 2007, NECC07, cable, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education, NCTA

At the 2007 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), Cable in the Classroom's Senior Director of Education Policy, Douglas Levin, had the opportunity to join Susan Patrick, President and CEO of the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL), in presenting on the intersection of two emerging educational policy innovations: virtual schooling and 21st century skills. Cable in the Classroom, as the national education foundation of the U.S. cable industry, is a founding board member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. The Partnership is the leading advocacy organization infusing 21st Century skills into education. NACOL and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills collaborated on a joint position paper released late last year and this presentation [MP3, 38MB] generally follow the outline of that collaboration. The punchline: If we are serious about ensuring that all students master the skills they will need for life, work, and citizenship in the 21st century, the continued expansion of virtual schooling (blended and wholly online) will be required. At the same time, while virtual schools by their very nature foster some of the skills outlined by the Partnership, many will have to become more intentional in their approaches to teaching and assessing the full range of 21st century skills. Those interested in the work of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills might also be interested in perusing the Spring 2006 edition of Cable in the Classroom's Threshold, focused on high school reform and 21st century skills. Technorati tags: n07s689, necc, necc 2007, necc07, virtual schools, online learning, distance education, 21st century skills, P21, cable, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education, NCTA

On the evening of June 6, 2007, national education leaders, policymakers, and cable industry executives all gathered at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC to honor the third class of Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards recipients. Elena Russo of Comcast on the Red Carpet was there to share the excitement of the evening with you in this five minute video segment [M4V, 58MB] airing nationally on cable systems like yours! The 2007 class of Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards recipients included classroom teachers, administrators, community leaders/nonprofit executives, university faculty, and policymakers. Many of their inspirational stories can be heard on our companion Leaders in Learning podcast channel. While you are there, be sure to download and listen to interviews with the 2006 class, too! The Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards is the U.S. cable industry's annual awards program to recognize those who demonstrate vision, innovation, action and transformation in education. The objective of the awards is to promote and encourage innovative learning practices by honoring individuals who have transformed an aspect of education on a large or small scale. Managing the awards program is a year-long activity for those of us at Cable in the Classroom and it is without question one of the most rewarding things that we do. Being able to shine a bright light on just a few of those many educators making a difference in the lives of the nation's students is truly an honor and responsibility we take very seriously. Who knows? Maybe you can join us on stage at the 2008 gala! The application window for the fourth class of Cable's Leaders in Learning opens in mid-September 2007. Detailed instructions on how to apply will be available at www.leadersinlearningawards.org. Technorati Tags: Leaders in Learning, leadersinlearning, awards, leadership, Comcast, NCTA, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, cable

Last week, Cable in the Classroom organized and presented a special session at the cable industry's annual conference focused on the technology and media behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of today's students. Just as education administrators and policymakers are starting to look to students for their perspectives (for instance, see: here, here, here, here and here), so too are media companies and cable programmers trying to make sense of what the future has in store. In this episode (MP3, 72 MB), we are pleased to provide you with the entirety of our panel session, with a special introduction by Cable in the Classroom Executive Director, Helen Soule. The panel is comprised of eight high school students (amazingly articulate juniors and seniors) drawn from five different Clark County Las Vegas high schools and moderated by the simply superb Anastasia Goodstein, a journalist and youth media expert (whose views are available online here and here). Kudos as well to the local cable operator, Cox Communications - Las Vegas, who put us in touch with several local teachers, who in turn helped us identify our student panelists. The wide ranging conversation covers topics including: MySpace and social networking, blogging, communication preferences (email, IM, SMS, cellphone), TV and Tivo/DVRs, advertising, music (including the ubiquitous iPod), videogaming (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, xBox), multitasking, internet safety, the portrayal of youth/teens by the media, their obsession with Apple and the forthcoming iPhone, and how their use of technology and media intersects with school. It was an amazing conversation. Do take a listen and let us know what you think by leaving a comment. Technorati tags: Anastasia Goodstein, cable show, Clark County School District, digital disconnect, future of education, Las Vegas, NCTA, student views, Totally Wired, Ypulse, cable, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education

In advance of the TV premiere of GSN’s National Vocabulary Championship, Cable in the Classroom recently interviewed its champion, Robert Marsland, an 18-year-old senior at St. Ambrose Academy in Madison, Wisconsin. During the finals in March, he competed against 49 other students to win $40,000 towards his college education, and the title of National Vocabulary Champion. In this podcast (MP3, 13MB), Robert shares how he became interested in words, how his studies prepared him for the competition and tips for students and teachers for getting involved next year. You can watch Robert – and the other finalists – in action when GSN airs a one-hour special based on the National Vocabulary Championship finale on Sunday, April 15 at 8 PM eastern and pacific. The National Vocabulary Championship is a new event on the academic landscape, open to all high school-aged students in the U.S. The goals are to emphasize the importance of language arts skills and to encourage high school students around the country to enhance and expand their vocabularies. The Championship is an educational initiative conceived by GSN, in partnership with The Princeton Review. Next year’s competition will get underway in the fall of 2007, so interested students, teachers and schools should check www.winwithwords.com for more information, or check www.ciconline.org this fall. Technorati tags: GSN, vocabulary, Princeton Review, college scholarship, cable, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education, NCTA

The Spring 2007 issue of Cable in the Classroom's Threshold: Exploring the Future of Education features articles focused on taking educational innovation to scale, produced in partnership with the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF). In this podcast [MP3, 39MB], Christopher Dede (Timothy E. Wirth Professor of Learning Technologies at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education) with the assistance of Threshold's Ellen Ullman moderates a panel that explores the current state of 'scalability,' educational change, and how to get where we need to be - a topic of critical importance to the government, grantmakers, and all those seeking to spread successful educational practices to other classrooms, school, districts, and states. Panel participants include: Kathleen Fulton, Director for Reinventing Schools, NCTAF;L. McLean King, Superintendent of the Encinitas (Calif.) Union School District (and a Cable in the Classroom National Education Advisory Board member);Trish Millines Dziko, Executive Director, Technology Access Foundation; andJosh Zoia, Principal, KIPP Academy Lynn (Massachusetts).An edited transcript of this conversation appears as one of several excellent articles on this same topic. The full text of Threshold editions is available free online at www.ciconline.org/threshold. Past issues explore topics such as the future of math and science education, high school reform and 21st century skills, emergency preparedness, and much more. Be sure to comment (below) or on iTunes to let us know what you think of this podcast (or the series)! Technorati tags: Threshold, National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, NCTAF, Chris Dede, HSGE, scaling up, going to scale, scaling innovation, educational innovation, technology innovation, Kathleen Fulton, Encinitas Union School District, Technology Access Foundation, techaccess, TAF, KIPP, Josh Zoia, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education

Actor and director LeVar Burton recorded this video podcast [MPEG-4, 89MB] focusing on the role of the mini-series Roots and educational television in the classroom. Burton addresses how television programming is a powerful learning tool for teachers to use in schools across the country. The podcast was recorded in conjunction with the cable network TV One, which is bringing Roots to a new generation of viewers, beginning Sunday, April 8 at 8 PM ET. For more information about this exciting classroom resource, be sure to read the accompanying press releases from TV One and from Cable in the Classroom. Technorati tags: Roots, LeVar Burton, TV One, Alex Haley, Kunta Kinte, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education

The Education Technology Director for the National School Boards Association (NSBA), Dr. Ann Flynn, discussed the NSBA’s 2007 Education Technology Site Visits during this short podcast interview [MP3, 6MB]. NSBA has been hosting site visits in districts across the country for nearly twenty years. Education leaders return from the visits with specific, realistic strategies for meeting their own districts’ and schools’ challenges and needs. This year’s districts – in South Carolina, Virginia and Minnesota – showcase innovative programs that integrate technology into the learning process and boost student achievement within diverse settings. They represent three distinctly different districts, but each has met their challenges with unique and comprehensive technology initiatives. Cable in the Classroom is proud to be the national sponsor of the NSBA Education Technology Site Visits again this year! You can find more information on the site visits and additional NSBA educational technology resources at www.nsba.org/tln. Technorati tags: NSBA, Richland School District, Loudoun County Public Schools, Minnetonka Public Schools #276, CIC, Cable in the Classroom, cableintheclassroom, tv, school, education