ICS WORKING WITH MPS ON TEACHING VIA VC - This week, the Instructional Communications Systems (ICS) UW-Extension (UWEX) Design Team is working with 33 Milwaukee Public School teachers, via videoconferencing, to help them learns the skills of teaching over the technology. The teachers will discuss their expectations and concerns, learn about the 7 Keys to successful videoconferencing, experience the technology, form teams, brainstorm projects and develop a core module that they will then present for feedback. A component Web site will help the teachers at three different locations get to know each other and will also serve as a site for workshop resources.

Since last July, the ICS Design Team has trained more than 380 instructors, trainers and staff in the use of videoconferencing and since December, 2001, over 135 in the use of its new Web conferencing software, WisLine Web. ICS is a unit of Broadcasting and Media Innovations, a Division of UWEX. ICS provides audio, video and data conferencing technologies, support and training services for educational, governmental and non-profit organizations and collaborates with these types of organizations and the private sector through partnerships.

ASL LEARNING OBJECTS PROJECT FUNDED BY UW SYSTEM - The pilot project, Creating Standards-Based Learning Objects for American Sign Language (ASL), has received funding from University of Wisconsin System to develop ASL learning objects, and to: organize, index and tag the learning objects for meta-data. The learning objects will be used as a supplement to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) ASL course and will be available for use throughout the entire UW System

Partners in the pilot project include: 1) UWM School of Education, 2) ICS, UWEX at The Pyle Center in Madison and 3) University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UW-SP). Following the development of the learning objects, UWM and ICS will collaborate in the design of professional development opportunities that will showcase the ASL learning objects, include an in-depth case study and address such issues as: 1) standards-based content, 2) intellectual property and 3) learning object storage and retrieval. Information gleaned from both the ASL pilot project and the professional development opportunities will be of value to UW System universities and colleges, PreK-12 and other agencies. Ultimate plans are for the development of an online course and for collaboration with the University of Wisconsin ADL Co Lab.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR GWETC - The 2001 Governor's Wisconsin Educational Technology Conference (GWETC 2001) to be held October 29-31 in Green Bay, WI, has announced its main Keynote Speakers. Dr. Lynell Burmark, an Associate with the Thornburg Center for Professional Development, with an impressive background in education and technology that extends from K12 through graduate school, will open the conference on October 29. Dr. Elliot Soloway's keynote will close the conference on October 31. Soloway is Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Michigan, working at the Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education (Hi-CE). He has been developing science curricula that embeds technology into the everyday experiences of students and teachers. According to Soloway, "There is an opportunity now, for making major changes in education, with technology as the Trojan Mouse." To find out more about GWETC visit: http://www.gwetc.org

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM ONLINE GROUP FORMING - SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE - A Fall 2001 online group is now forming to participate in the Distance Education Certificate Program offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The group will start the program on October 1 (enrollment deadline is September 7), working as a cohort in completing online core modules. Four half-tuition scholarships are available to group participants. The scholarship application deadline is August 17. Offered since 1993, the Certificate Program builds knowledge, skills and leadership in distance/online education through a curriculum of core modules and electives that cover distance teaching, learning, technology, instructional design, evaluation, learner support and management. For more information, see the "DECP Online Catalog" at: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/depd/certpro.html or contact Chris Olgren at: cholgren@facstaff.wisc.edu