APRIL 2016
Nature Cat Eco-Adventure Video Competition
Open to Georgia students in pre-K through 8th grades

Calling all Georgia students in grades pre-K through 8th! Nature Cat is heading on an eco-adventure ... but to where? And to do what? This isn't just any adventure, but one of your own making! GPB Education, Zoo Atlanta, and OnAir Schools are challenging you to show us your creativity with the Nature Cat Eco-Adventure Video Competition. Submissions can be entered April 1 through May 15, 2016. Winners will be announced on May 20!  Click for more information on how to enter.

April Is National Poetry Month
Classroom resources for all ages

April 2016 is the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month. Over the years, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry's vital place in our culture. We have compiled classroom resources for all ages to help you and your students celebrate National Poetry Month.  Click to access the collection.

Top Five EdTech Tips: Read Ahead
Great tool for individualizing reading assignments

While research suggests that independent, sustained silent reading (SSR) is the best met ho d for developing proficiency, the reality is that  most students lack an interest in reading altogether. Propelled by such disinterest, the team at Full Tilt Ahead, led by Drs. Roxanne Russell and Josh Cuevas, set out to create a solution to this problem. That is exactly what they have done with Read Ahead, an easy-to-use, engaging literacy tool. 

Read Ahead is an EdTech tool that filters and presents reading content in a way that repeatedly directs student attention to the text's main ideas. Click to learn more and to get a special access code for the GPB Education community group. 

Third Annual Woodruff Arts Center  Educator Conference
 Celebrating tradition and  transformation in the arts

Presented by  th e  Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and High Museum of Art, 
the third annual Woodruff Arts Center Educator Conference will take place on June 7-9, 2016. One 
of Atlanta's most dynamic and coll aborative professional learning events, this year's Educator Conference will investigate and celebrate the relationship between tradition and transformation 
in the arts and education. 

Over the course of three days, participants will explore world-class art and engage in workshops led by professional teaching artists and fellow educators in order to reflect upon the essential question: How does my practice honor tradition and foster transformation through the arts?   Click for details.
 
Connect And Collaborate At 
Discovery Education's Virtual Conference
Join educators from around the world on April 16 

VirtCon is a bi-annual conference that offers teachers the chance to hear cutting-edge keynotes and be inspired  by thought-provoking presentations. This year's spring VirtCon will be on April 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Since Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) partners with Discovery Education (DE) to provide access for all Georgia teachers and students, this is a perfect opportunity to participate in engaging discussions with the Discovery Education community around the world. VirtCon provides you with a chance to hear from speakers as well as your peers, share ideas and instructional tools, and discover new resources available to you. Click to learn more and to register! 

Spring And Summer Professional Development 
From PBS Teacherline
New courses start April 13

New facilitated professional development courses start April 13! Don't miss out - check out the course list avail ab le now for April. As a brand teachers know and trust,  PBS TeacherLine  offers courses that make learning truly come alive. These courses inc lude tools for integrating technology, peer interactions, interactive lessons, and authentic tasks with real-world applications. Whether you choose to work on them in your classroom after school or in the comfort of your own home, PBS TeacherLine courses are as convenient as they are respectable. To ensure a spot in your desired class, it is suggested that you enroll at least 10 days prior to the start date.