Archive for December, 2008

New Tools for Connecting People & Equipment Profiles

In the process of getting ready for Read Around the Planet 2009, we’ve been polishing the tools for connecting people to equipment profiles within CAPspace.

If you are the sole person supporting VC in your school/district, and you will do all the registrations for your teachers, then you don’t need these tools. But for everyone else where other people need to be attached to the equipment profiles so they can register for RAP, you’ll find these new tools very helpful!

Watch List
First, we have a new watch list. This is a way to “watch” for people in your service area who have created accounts in CAPspace.

  • The watch list automatically uses your email domain. If you support for just your school or district, then you should be all set. If you support VC for several districts (email domains), then go to My Settings, Watch List, and add the email domains of your districts.
  • New accounts show up on the front page as shown:

    This list will show anyone from your watch list who created an account in the last 30 days and isn’t attached to an equipment profile.
  • You can see all the people on your Watch List under Search, Watch List. This shows all the accounts in CAPspace that match your watch list settings. If you see some old accounts that should be deleted, let us know.

Connect to Equipment
We had an old clunky way to add people to equipment (which still works) under Admin, My Equipment, then Attach End Users under the equipment profile. However, now we have a faster way to do it. This way assumes that the equipment profile(s) are already created.

  • Go to the person’s profile. From the home page, click on their name in the new watch list to get to their profile. Or use Search, click Watch List, and click the head icon to go to their profile. Or just search their name and click the head icon to view their profile page.
  • From here, click + I Support VC for this person as shown below. When the confirmation message pops up, click OK.
    I Support VC
  • Next, you’ll see the option to attach the person to an equipment profile. If you support multiple systems, you’ll see a pull down menu to choose the equipment this person uses. Then click Add to Equipment.
    Attach to Equipment
  • Finally, you’ll see the equipment icons on their profile, along with the name of the equipment they are attached to – as shown below. (If you don’t have access to ISDN, you won’t see that icon.)
    Attached to Equipment
  • Now this person should be able to register for Read Around the Planet, so send them an email and let them know.

We hope your registration for Read Around the Planet is going smoothly. If you have an verification related issues, email Janine at verification@twice.cc. For all other CAPspace and RAP questions, email Sue at sue@twice.cc.

RAP Status Dec. 12

Are you participating in Read Around the Planet this year? Here’s an update on what’s happening:

Verification
Verification is coming along very nicely. I’m very pleased with where we are.

  • Last year we had about 870 equipment profiles entered (which turned into 1650 participating classes).
  • This year we have 1359 equipment profiles entered. You do the math! Looks like we’re in for another good increase!
  • 1100 of those profiles are verified. Yesterday I emailed another 60 people who participated last year and just need to do self-certification or re-verification. There are about 40 equipment profiles that we’re currently working on for verification. So we’re keeping up quite nicely thanks to our wonderful verification partners.

Equipment Profile Stats
Just for kicks, get a flavor of who participates in Read Around the Planet by looking at the locations represented. These are the number of equipment profiles for each state/country. (They don’t match the numbers above because a few people don’t have their profile set up right. So don’t check the math!)

  • 2 Australia
  • 157 Canada
  • 85 AB
  • 1 BC
  • 67 SK
  • 4 QC
  • 7 United Kingdom
  • 1192 United States
  • 2 AK
  • 6 AL
  • 8 AZ
  • 28 CA
  • 1 CT
  • 1 GA
  • 1 IA
  • 8 IN
  • 1 FL
  • 36 KS
  • 7 MA
  • 9 MD
  • 322 MI
  • 8 MN
  • 2 MO
  • 2 NC
  • 16 ND
  • 3 NE
  • 2 NH
  • 22 NJ
  • 1 NV
  • 129 NY
  • 78 OH
  • 1 OK
  • 44 PA
  • 19 SC
  • 2 SD
  • 1 TN
  • 391 TX
  • 7 VA
  • 6 WA
  • 14 WI
  • 9 WV

Registration
Considering that last year we were slow to open registration (Dec. 15!), we’re doing very well to have 291 registrations at this moment. We already have a couple from Australia and the United Kingdom!

Note: For those of you outside the EST time zone, you’ll notice the times are listing wrong for your registrations. They are recorded right, just reporting wrong. We hope to have that fixed next week.

Participation
If you haven’t yet participated in Read Around the Planet, maybe this is the year to start! Get started with the instructions on the RAP website.

Blogging Tags

Let’s use some tags this year when blogging Read Around the Planet!

Here’s the official tags:

  • RAP09 for this Read Around the Planet
  • ReadAroundthePlanet as a general RAP tag
  • CAPspace if you’re talking about the website projects.twice.cc.

Please use these tags when blogging or sharing other information (pictures etc) about Read Around the Planet. Thanks!!

ASK Author: Do Unto Otters

Do Unto OttersToday and tomorrow we have several TWICE ASK programs with Laurie Keller, author and illustrator of the book Do Unto Otters. The classes in this session are usually 2-3rd grade classes. Students have prepared using the ASK process, and we’re rotating through three classes, with each class asking 3 questions on each round. Here’s a sample of the questions students asked today:

  • Why did you choose an otter and a rabbit in this book?
  • How did you know how to write in “otter” languages?
  • Who helped you make the books?
  • Do you write first or do you draw first?
  • Why did you choose those manners for the story?
  • Where do you do your writing and drawing?
  • How did you become such a good illustrator?
  • What if you make a mistake?
  • What is your favorite picture book?

Registration is open for the TWICE ASK programs for second semester, so sign up soon!

World Book Day in the UK is March 5

In talking to some potential Read Around the Planet participants in Wales this morning, I learned that March 5 is World Book Day! Schools in the UK have a big reading celebration, similar to Read Across America in the US. This means that Read Around the Planet fits in well with these two celebrations as well as March is Reading Month.

I wonder what other reading celebrations coincide with Read Around the Planet. Any for our Canadian and Australian friends?

Read Around the Planet Registration is Open!

Read Around the Planet teacher registration is now open!

Read Around the Planet is for K-12 language arts and world language classes.

Teacher Packet and Lesson Plan
Whether you’re new to this project, or a seasoned veteran, please be sure to download the ***new packets***! Many more instructions and interaction ideas have been added to the teacher packet.

Also updated packets for support people:
Tech and Coordinator packets.

Registration
You are NOT registered until you have picked dates and times!!
Registration is in CAPspace under My Projects.

First you have to be connected to verified equipment in CAPspace. Read more at http://www.twice.cc/verify/ If you’re frustrated, discouraged, confused or stuck on the verification process, please contact Janine Lim at verification@twice.cc. We know it’s challenging, but the process is critical to get you a partner.

Teachers or coordinators can do the registration. More details and tips for registration online here.

Times and Languages

PLEASE make sure you choose ALL the times you can do. This will make it easier to find everyone a partner. You can see the time choices here. They are listed in YOUR time.

Language choices are:
English
American Sign Language
Arabic
Cree
French, Beginning
French, Intermediate
French, Advanced or Immersion
German, Beginning
German, Intermediate
German, Advanced or Immersion
Hebrew
Japanese
Latin
Mandarin Chinese
Russian
Spanish, Beginning
Spanish, Intermediate
Spanish, Advanced or Immersion

Important Dates
* Now through Jan. 9 Verification: Preparation by Coordinators and Techs
* December 1 – January 14: Teacher Registration (Verification Required to Register)
* January 15-24: Leftover Registration
* by January 26: Login and view your matched partner details.
* February: Techs do test calls and teachers talk to each other.
* February 23-March 6: Connections occur.

Getting Help
Troubles with verification? email Janine, TWICE Verification Coordinator: verification@twice.cc
All other questions please contact Sue, Polycom Sponsored RAP Coordinator: sue@twice.cc

We’re looking forward to another great year of Read Around the Planet!

Janine and Sue and the TWICE Projects Committee


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