GEN Update April 7, 2003

[GEN Coordinator Sylvia Currie <scurrie@sfu.ca>]

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GEN Update 
April 7, 2003 
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http://globaleducators.net

In This Update 
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1. Virtual High Schools Seminar Begins Today!
2. Plagiarism
3. GEN Professional Reading Group
4. GEN Transitions
5. Global Educators Community Connection
6. Manage Your Membership
7. About the global-educators-network Mailing List


1. Virtual High Schools Seminar Begins Today!
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Dates: 7 - 20 April, 2003
Moderator: Michael Barbour

* What is the purpose of virtual high schools?
* What does a virtual high school look like?
* How does one teach in a virtual high school?
* What does some of the early research tell us?

As the challenges of offering advanced-level and specialised courses in
rural schools continues, and as urban school even begin to feel the funding
crunch that cuts non-essential programmes, the virtual high school has
become a viable option for many students and entire educational
jurisdictions across North America. Join us and invite your colleagues for a
discussion on the design, implementation, and impact of Virtual High
Schools.

About our Facilitator...

Michael Barbour is an online instructor for the Centre for Advanced
Placement Education (an asynchronous virtual high school that offers AP
Social Studies courses) and the Illinois Virtual High School. He has also
held administrative, developmental and research positions within the Centre
for Distance Learning and Innovation (Newfoundland's virtual high school).

Access the seminar directly:
http://vu.cs.sfu.ca/vu/tlnce/cgi-bin/VG/dspcnf.cgi?ci=230


2. Plagiarism
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Our 3-week seminar to investigate Plagiarism problems and solutions led us
in focused directions thanks to GEN moderator Steve Scadding. We
accomplished a great deal together and also, in keeping with the GEN
tradition, identified future questions to address. The discussion has been
nicely summarized in a hyperlinked week-by-week format here:
<http://vu.cs.sfu.ca/vu/tlnce/cgi-bin/VG/VF_dspmsg.cgi?ci=201&mi=61>


3. GEN Professional Reading Group
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Do you have a book on your shelf that you frequently reach for? Would you
benefit from an in depth discussion of recent book releases and articles? As
an author would you be interested in engaging readers in a dialogue about
your work?

GEN member Alice Bedard-Voorhees proposed the idea of a GEN "book club" and
we've been buzzing with the possibilities for implementation. Alice has
volunteered to moderate the first Reading Group discussion in August, 2003
and Sylvia is investigating possible sponsorship and online book purchase
discount arrangements. So please start thinking about those books and
articles you would like to share with GEN members and consider leading a
Reading Group discussion. Send your proposals to Sylvia <scurrie@sfu.ca>.
 

4. GEN Transitions
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As most of you know, GEN is moving from a community sponsored by research
funding, to a not-for-profit organization. We continue to explore new
opportunities for funding, and new seminar formats for our members. Many
excellent ideas for sustaining and enriching our GEN community have been
offered by our membership. Your support is very motivating!

We are currently undergoing some changes to our web site and hosting. These
include:

- New domain name that is easier to remember! <http://globaleducators.net>
- Easier access to common tasks at the GEN site through the home page.
- A more streamlined registration process.
- A customized Virtual-U software environment to better suit GEN's format.
- Beginning April 22, 2003 we will be moving the GEN server and performing
maintenance work. 

So expect access to be a little uncertain! We will resume a regular free
seminar schedule after the move.


5. Global Educators Community Connection
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This section features events that are of interest to online educators. We
encourage our members who visit other communities and conferences to spread
the word about GEN! Thank you to GEN members who contributed events this
month. If you have ideas and items for our Global Educators Community
Connection listing, send email to Sylvia Currie <scurrie@sfu.ca>

@ cogniSource
<http://www.cognisource.ca/>
Webcast: Business Models for eduSource Learning Object Repositories.
Monday, April 7, 2003 -- 10:00 - 11:00 am PST

@ HorizonLive.com Desktop Lectures
http://www.horizonlive.com/try_product/desktop_lectures.php
Webcast: Accessible E-Learning for the Impaired
Norm Coombs, EASI
Wednesday, April 9, 2003 -- 12:00 pm PDT

Webcast: The Role of the Live Online Instructor
Matt Wasowski, HorizonLive
Wednesday, April 23, 2003 --  4:00 pm PDT

@ C * L * N Yukon
<http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/clnforums>
This Yukon Community Learning Project is hosting a series of online
discussions focused on Community Learning Networks and their impact on
geographically isolated communities. The next discussion is called "What are
the essential components of CLNs?"
April 9 - 15, 2003 

@ International Educational Technology Conference and Fair
<http://egitek2003.emu.edu.tr>
Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, North Cyprus
May 28 - 30, 2003


6. Manage Your Membership
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Have you misplaced your password? Send a quick note to <scurrie@sfu.ca>.

Become a GEN member at:
<http://vu.cs.sfu.ca/vu/tlnce/PublicReg/> Select the box beside "Become a
GEN Member, then click the "register" button. (You may need to scroll.)

To subscribe or unsubscribe from this list, send mail without a subject
heading or signature to
        majordomo@sfu.ca
with the appropriate command in the body of your email message:
        subscribe global-educators-network
        or
        unsubscribe global-educators-network


7. About the global-educators-network mailing list
.......................................................
This mailing list is for GEN Updates and occasional announcements.

Read GEN Update on the Web:
<http://www.sfu.ca/~scurrie/global-educators-network/>

GEN Update is prepared by:

Sylvia Currie, Coordinator
Global Educators' Network
scurrie@sfu.ca
<http://globaleducators.net>

Free seminars...by online educators for online educators.
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