| News from the President |
A week ago I attended the K-12 Open Minds conference in Indianapolis. The conference focused on open source software. No only is open source software free but the authors allow you to use the code behind the content. Do you use Moodle in your school? If so, you are using open source software. At Oakland Schools we have Moodle and Wordpress MU (multi-user) open source software on our server.
Did I mention that open source software is free? It may not always meet your student's needs but you have a variety from which to choose. The following is a short list of some popular open source software. It may or may not be allowed in your school but you should be aware of what is available. And, you may be the one to find a great program that your school may use at no cost and fit a curricular need:
Audacity. Audio recording and editing software used for creating podcasts. Works on both PCs and Macs.
Tux Paint. Drawing software for children.
Scribus. Desktop publishing software.
Osalt.com. Type in the name of commercial software on this site and it will give you the open source alternative.
MAME 35
It is getting so close to conference time! MAME 35 will be an exciting event as always. Please check out the conference wiki to see what preconference workshops, sessions, keynote speakers, shoptalks and roundtables are offered this year. Registration information is also on the wiki.
I hope to see you in Dearborn for the conference.
Judy Hauser, MAME President |
| Consider a Preconference! |
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Need CEU's? Need more ammunition on why you simply must attend the MAME Conference? Consider our Preconferences!
MAME is offering a series of half-day sessions focusing on specific skills. We do need to meet minimum numbers of participants, so don't delay! The deadline to register is October 17th.
You can choose from Digital Storytelling, Moodle, Graphic Novels, Web 2.0 Tools, Windows Movie Maker, Library Management Software, Storytelling, or Copyright.
For details, please visit the MAME wiki:
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| Volunteers Needed!! |
| So you've sent in your registration (or maybe not quite yet), but you know you'll be there...your next step is to let us know you can volunteer a couple hours of your conference time to make the event run smoothly.
We still have many slots available to help with registration, headquarters, gift sales, author signings and more. No experience necessary!
Thanks for stepping up!
gwenn2ns@yahoo.com
Gwenn Marchesano
Volunteer Coordinator |
| News from Michigan Media Centers |
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Book Donations at St. Johns Lutheran, Rochester
Every year at registration, we offer families the opportunity to donate books to the library in honor of their child's birthday. We have a selection available, and the parents just add the cost to their other registration fees. This year, my volunteer assistant processed the books within the first week so that students could check them out right away. Also, for the first time, I took pictures of the students holding the books they donated. Our tech coordinator put them into folders that could be uploaded to our Edline page as a slide presentaion in batches of about 10. This way, families could see who donated what. We received donations of 61 books. I plan to change the slide show every week until all of them have been displayed.
Storyteller Extraordinaire at Fitzgerald Publc Schools
We signed on a great storyteller just days before he was going to be in town for the Detroit Story League Storytelling Festival. Antonio Sacre visited our three elementary schools and shared stories in Spanish and English, weaving in the importance of learning other languages and being proud of one's heritage. He did a wonderful job of engaging the students. We bought copies of his book, The Barking Mouse. Two other books will be out in about 18 months. Check him out at his website www.antoniosacre.com.
Grand Rapids Public Schools Celebrates New Media Centers!
As a result of a large bond issue in Grand Rapids, Burton Elementary/Middle School and Gerald R. Ford Middle School, along with Martin Luther King
Elementary are enjoying newly remodeled media centers. Hall Street Elementary's media center is also being remodeled.
Susan Heartwell is a dynamic citizen who has been planning and overseeing the provision of collections.
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| Media Matters! Editors
MAME Executive Director
Database Manager
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| MAME Fall Conference |
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Don't forget to register for Friday's Author Breakfast with Gary Schmidt - Michigan's two-time Newbery Honor winner! You must pre-register for the breakfast; no onsite registrations for the Author Breakfast will be available.
Be sure to keep up on the latest fall conference news by visiting the wiki:
Print and mail today!
Advance registration closes Oct. 17.
After that date, attendees must register at the conference. |
| Affiliate News |
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The International Society for Technology in Education issued a statement regarding the update of the Children's Internet Protection Act, which Congress passed on September 30. This update requires schools participating in the E-Rate program to educate students regarding appropriate behavior on social networking and chat room sites and about cyberbullying. ISTE has been one of several organizations advocating for this change, recognizing that education, not blocking and filtering, is the best way to prepare America's students. |
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AASL Awards Program |
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AASL offers $45,000 in Awards in 2009!
Visit the AASL website to learn more about the nine awards that recognize excellence in school media programs.
Applications can be viewed and downloaded at
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| Upcoming MAME Events |
Nov 5-7: MAME 35 Annual Conference,
"Just the Facts" Dearborn
December 6
MAME Board Meeting, MAME Conference Committee Meeting
MAME Headquarters, Lansing
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| Other Upcoming Events |
| Jan 23 - 28, 2009
ALA Midwinter Meeting
Denver, CO
March 13 - 16, 2009
Michigan Reading Association Annual Conference
Amway Grand Plaza,
Grand Rapids
March 18 - 20, 2009
MACUL Conference
Cobo Center, Detroit
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