Teachers Challenged To Show Off Classroom Technology

• By David Nagel
• 09/15/08

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eInstruction kicked off its second-annual Classroom Makeover Contest Sept. 15. The K-12 competition calls on educators to create short music videos demonstrating how they use (or would use) classroom technologies to enhance instruction. Winners will each receive $25,000 in hardware, software, and support.

The second-annual contest is open to all K-12 institutions in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, whether or not they use eInstruction or Interwrite technologies. One winner will be selected in each of three grade categories: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Five finalists will also be named in each category. All entrants will receive a free copy of Workspace-ExamView Edition LE. Finalists will receive eInstruction's ExamView Assessment Suite, PuzzleView, and Quiz Show.

For the winners, this year's competition's prize pool is far more extensive than last year's. Prizes will include:

• A Dell Latitude E5400 Laptop;
• An Interwrite Board;
• An Interwrite Pad;
• An LCD projector;
• A classroom sound system;
• A CPS RF 32 Unit student response system;
• A CB-1000 control system from Calypso Control Systems;
• Workspace ExamView Edition interactive software;
• ExamView Learning Series software, which includes more than 340,000 questions for use with ExamView;
• The ExamView Assessment Suite;
• A Planet Earth Series DVD set from Discovery Education;
• A subscription to Study Island, an online learning environment;
• Licenses of Inspiration Software's Inspiration and InspireData;
• Safari Montage Server pre-loaded with programs;
• A netTrekker d.i. license;
• A day of professional development from Brewer Technology and Learning;
• Free installation from BMC;
• $1,000 toward the purchase of additional classroom technologies; and
• A party for the entire school.

The total package is valued at approximately $25,000.

FInalists and winners will be determined by a panel of judges, and videos will be posted on the competition's site. According to eInstruction, "The video will be judged on the following criteria: demonstration of effective use of technology, collaboration between teachers and students and the overall creativity and spirit. The video must be submitted by a teacher. 'eInstruction' must be mentioned once within the lyrics of the song and the video must direct viewers to www.eimakeover.com to vote. The video should be no longer than two and a half minutes in length."

The entry period begins Sept. 15 and ends Oct. 24. Finalists will be named Oct. 31, and winners will be announced Dec. 3. Complete contest details can be found here.

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About the author:David Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education technology publications, including THE Journal and Campus Technology. He can be reached at [email protected].

Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].