American Embassy School

Thank you for a wonderful start to our first CoETaIL class at AES.  The class list for this course is literally like an all star listing of educators from AES.  I am constantly reminded of the fact that so many educators don’t just talk the talk when it comes to being life-long learners, they walk the walk.

If you need help accessing the Google Docs, especially for the first class, please let Gary or Dana know and we will help you get started.  If you are having trouble viewing the first reading, here it is: Living and Learning with New Media.

We covered a lot of information and we hope everyone is feeling more settled and clear on how the course will work.  We look forward to seeing you on Saturday for a full day of learning together.

Well, the wheels are turning and things are in motion to bring CoETaIL to AES.  I think I speak for all of us when I say we are excited and nervous about this adventure.  When COETAIL first came to ISB, it moved our school forward in term of technology integration at lightening speed, and we have high hopes for it here at AES.  Gary and I look forward to sharing what we know with the educators we most respect, . . . our colleagues at AES.

Registration information was sent out through FirstClass today.  The first course begins just next week! (See dates and times below)

For those of you new to the program:

• Courses through the Buffalo State College, SUNY, are offered at AES as an alternative and cheaper option for meaningful professional development.  The courses you take can lead to a M.S. in Multidisciplinary Studies (Education) (30 Credits); however, you are not obliged to complete the Master’s degree.  Each course is worth 3 credits.  A participant can take up to 6 credits through Buffalo State with no obligation, but once you reach 6 credits, you are not allowed to sign up for another course without formally applying and being accepted into the Master’s program.  Again, you do not have to complete the Master’s degree.

Registering for a course:

• In order to register for a course, you must complete the brief registration form and return it to the Admissions Office.  There will be a new registration form for each new course.
• You must attach a photocopy of your bachelor’s or master’s diploma or transcript to your registration form prior to submitting it to the Admissions Office. NC Mohan should have a copy if you need one.
• Please make a photocopy of the registration form for your records. You will need it to be reimbursed if you intend to use PD funds.
• If you have completed 6 credits through Buffalo State but have not been accepted into the Master’s program, you may not register for further courses.

Paying for a course:

• Course tuition is based on the number of participants for each course.  Scott White will let you know the cost of the course prior to the first day of classes.  Payment is done at the Rajni’s window in the business office. If you are using PD funds, you must first pay for the course and then seek reimbursement through the Curriculum Office. Payment for the first technology course (3 credits) is expected to be around US$350. based on 25 participants.

The Certificate of Educational Technologies:

• Buffalo State, SUNY, offers a Certificate of Educational Technologies upon successful completion of the following five courses (15 credit).  Courses 1-3 are being offered at AES during SY 11-12 and courses 4 & 5 will be offered during SY 12-13.  You must take all 5 courses to receive the certificate; however, you are welcome to take just one course if you wish.  All five courses can be counted toward the M.S. in Multidisciplinary Studies. Descriptions for the SY 11-12 courses are below.

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Ready or not a new school year is upon us and here on the CoETaIL site we’re looking forward to another great year as the CoETaIL program continues to expand. This will be the second year of CoETaIL under this site and structure and the expansion of the program to international schools continues to grow. Here’s a list of schools and cohorts and where they are in the program.

Taipei American School Cohort: Beginning course 4: Course 4: Technology: A Catalyst for Learning

BKK Cohort: Beginning course 2: Course 2: 21st Century Literacy Ideas, Questions, and Issues

EARCOS Cohort: Beginning course 3: Course 3:Visual Literacy: Effective Communicators and Creators

We’re also excited to see three new cohorts get started this Fall.

Yokohama International School

American Embassy School

Zurich International School

All together that’s about 150 active CoETaILers to start the school year with the potential for other cohorts to come online throughout the year.

Get Connected:

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Throughout the CoETaIL program we talk about being connected, creating your personal learning network and using the educators connected around the world to learn from. As CoETaILers you have a unique opportunity to connect with and learn from each other. There are many different ways to do this.

Twitter:

In your Google Docs you’ll find a Google Spreadsheet where you can add your Twitter URL. Once you do that you’ll be added to the CoETaIL twitter list where you can follow all the CoETaILers that are on Twitter. Here’s the link:

http://twitter.com/#!/jutecht/lists/coetail-asia

Simply click on the link and follow then click follow on the list. You’ll then be able to follow all the CoETaILers, learn from them, bounce ideas off them, and have them be part of your learning network.

Groups and Forums on the Site:

Right here on the CoETaIL site we’ve given you ways to communicate and connect with others as well. There are many different groups that you can join as well as forums that might have answers to some of your most pressing of questions about this site, the program, or ideas to use in your own classroom.

Get involved:

At the end of the day it’s about being engaged in the conversation and being involved in the community. What you get out of this course and how it changes your life, your teaching, your perspective is up to you. You’ll get out of this program what you put into it. Start creating new habits around how you learn, who you connect with, and how you engage in your personal learning network. Making a conscious effort to start the year off right will help and keep you motivated all year long.

Learn your way around the site:

The CoETaIL site is running the latest WordPress Multi-User installation with the Buddypress plugin. Making it a very robust social network. There are other great features of this social-network like the ability to friend someone, send private messages and even update your status much like Facebook. Take some time in these beginning weeks to click and find your way around the site. Some updates:

- New Themese have been added

- New Plugins have been added…including a Google+ plugin!

Take some time to set up your blog and get it looking great for the new year.

We’re here to help:

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Kim and I are excited to be adding Dana Watts as an administrator running the American Embassy School Cohort. Kim and I worked with Dana at ISB and she was a graduate of the first CoETaIL cohort two years ago. Since then she’s left ISB to join AES in the role of Middle School Technology Coordinator where she’s spearheading a lot of new initiatives at the school including running their CoETaIL program.

Know that we are here to help, yes the technology can be frustrating at times, and yes it doesn’t always work the way it should, but that’s what we’re here for. You can e-mail us, ask a question in the forum or catch us online and we’ll do the best we can to help you out. The CoETaIL community is very supportive so I highly recommend asking a question in the forums or to a group. An e-mail to use is just one set of eyes on the problem. By posting to the forum you’ll get many more people thinking and helping you out.

We’ll see you online!

I for one am looking forward to a great year of learning from all of you. What I love about teaching these courses is that I learn way more from all of you and the great stuff you’re doing in your classrooms then I could ever imagine. This is a great community to belong to and I’m looking forward to learning along with you.