"Teacher of the Future" for NAIS

Hey, all,

Just received word that I've been selected as one of 20 members of the "Teacher of the Future" collaborative at the National Association of Independent Schools. It's a huge honor for me and a huge surprise. I thank the NAIS for its confidence in me and I am flattered to think that the modest innovation I have brought to the field of education deserves this kind of notice.

Thanks to all my Personal Learning Network, at my physical workspace, in my home, on Twitter, Facebook, EduBloggers, Second Life, ReactionGrid, ISTE, and everyotherwhere I hang out, lurking to learn, contributing as I can. Part of the deal is a subsidized trip to an Apple Learning Institute, and I'll likely be in Boston the end of July for a couple of days for that. What a treat that will be!

Stay tuned for more, and you can see the NAIS site for a bit more on the ToF program.

Belated Announcement re a Huge Opportunity for USN

I recently received a query from the Director of Products and Services Development at the National Association of Independent Schools, Susan Booth, for information on innovative projects at my school, University School of Nashville. It was accompanied by flattering encouragement from our school's Diversity Director (yes, we have one, do you?) Caroline Blackwell, a dear friend and colleague, so I responded to that query in the following manner:

Tandberg International Education Market Manager Jan Zanetis has awarded a $14,000 Tandberg Edge95 System loaner unit to University School of Nashville Lower School Technology Coordinator Scott Merrick in exchange for Professional Development program offerings to Tandberg education market customers over the coming academic school year. Details of the programs are being fleshed out over the month of October. When ready, Interactive Videoconferencing sessions-on-request will likely center around the use of Virtual Environments, including Second Life and Open Sim, for building professional learning networks; Web 2.0 tools for the same purpose; and K12 computer programming instruction with Scratch and Alice. Look for these sessions to be offered and promoted soon through the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration.

Network Administrator David MacLean and I are working hard on making sure we have clear and reliable throughput with the unit and I'm in touch with several longstanding collaborators to ensure that my content offerings meet existing needs for teachers and also provide programs that will be attractive and respectful of the investment of everyone's time and interest. Stay tuned! And thanks to Ms. Zanetis for her confidence in my work. (pic courtesy of ivci.com and tandberg)