This would be a great adventure for families as well as classrooms!  Check out http://www.negpp.org/!  there is a challenge there to visit all of the 15 listed Nebraska state parks!  If you want to participate, you must register there on the web site. 

This might be a great summer project to continue to engage students in Nebraska Geography! Have your own Great Park Pursuit!  Challenge your next group of students (any age would love this) to get to as many of Nebraska's parks this summer as they can.  Once they get there, have them take a picture of the park sign and two more pictures from inside the park.  They must then email those pictures to you, the teacher.  You can create a map in Google Earth and mark their travels using the pictures they took!  This would also make a great competition between class sections or maybe between conference schools!  (They could even use their cell phones and send those pictures if your cell plan will handle that!)

Most importantly, encourage your students to get out and enjoy Nebraska's state parks!

http://www.negpp.org/

If you haven't seen this site yet, you have to check it out!  Jam Studio is a great site for creating your own music.  Teachers can get an all access pass for their classrooms but there is a limited number available!  Check it out at http://www.jamstudio.com/Studio/index.htm

Maybe this would be a great idea for an ESU-wide, contest or concert for the 2009-2010 school year!  Let me know what you think?

Now this is one you'll want to pass along to your students. In these tough times, not all families can afford to pay for lessons and so more and more are turning to the web.

check out this lesson music teachers!  What a fun activity!  Use the mp3 files of Lean On Me to create your own version to share globally!  For more information read...
http://globallean.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/the-global-lean-music-video-project/

Here is a contest for you!  your students can play with the Google logo and enter contest!
http://www.google.com/doodle4google/

Rowe Sanctuary
Iain Nicolson Audubon Center
44450 Elm Island Road
Gibbon, NE 68840
Tel: 308-468-5282
www.rowesanctuary.org
www.audubon.org

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OFFERINGS

C.S.I. (Crane Scene Investigations) (Approximately 2 hour program)
The largest gathering of sandhill cranes in the world happens right
here in Nebraska! You and your students are invited to become Crane
Scene Investigators and learn about these unique birds. We then take a
hike to a viewing blind. C.S.I. is designed with your students in mind
and only available from the first of March through the first of April.
Dates and times fill fast, so make your reservations early!

For downloadable educational videos, activities and lesson plans about
sandhill cranes, be sure to check out KIDS & CRANES on the CRANE
CAM sponsored by National Geographic and Rowe Sanctuary. Go to
www.rowesanctuary.org and click on CRANE CAM. The DVD is also available
in our Nature Store.

Earth Connections
Join award-winning artist and educator Caryl McHarney as she guides you
and your students through her hands-on approach to nature. No batteries
are required and no previous experience in drawing or journaling is
needed!

Caryl will be available March 23 through 27. Please call the education office for details.

OTHER PROGRAMS
Nebraska’s Waters & Wildlife
Let us design a program to meet the needs of your students. A variety
of outdoor activities and projects centered around the Platte River,
associated land and wildlife are available and have been correlated to
the state standards. Activities can include art, language arts, science
and social studies. This program is available throughout the year
except during March (See Crane JepBirdie). Program length is variable
and determined by you.

SPLASH (Senses Providing Language Arts Skills Help)
The focus of this program is to develop writing skills in a natural
way. We begin the day sharpening observations skills, and then turn our
attention to outdoor activities that include creative writing,
vocabulary building and word choice, and emphasis on figurative
language, similes, metaphors, personification and alliteration.
Activities include a river dig, hikes, and just getting dirty! Call for
more information.

PLEASE NOTE - Program Costs
Program cost is $3.00 per student for the first two hours and $1.00 per student for each additional hour.
For more information, please contact Keanna Leonard at 308-468-5282 or by email at kleonard@audubon.org

Upcoming Workshops
See ODIE for complete descriptions and registrations!
https://odie.esu10.org

New & Noteworthy:
•    White Board Shoot Out – Wednesday February 4, 2009
•    Basic Clicker Training – Thursday February 26, 2009
•    Advanced Clicker Training – Friday February 27, 2009
•    LAN Managers Meeting – Tuesday April 7, 2009
•    Library/Media Specialists Meeting – Tuesday February 17, 2009

After School Webinars (online):
•    Google Docs – Tuesday March 3, 2009 @ 3:45-4:45 PM
•    Google Spreadsheets – Tuesday March 17, 2009 @ 3:45-4:45 PM
•    Google Presentations – Tuesday March 31, 2009 @ 3:45-4:45 PM
•    Google Maps – Tuesday April 14, 2009 @ 3:45-4:45 PM

Spring 2.0 Workshops:
•    Social Studies 2.0 – Tuesday February 10, 2009
•    Technology Integration Specialists – Thursday February 12, 2009
•    Elementary 2.0 – Wednesday February 18, 2009
•    Science 2.0 – Wednesday February 25, 2009
•    Language Arts 2.0 – Wednesday March 18, 2009

Summer Camp 2.0:
•    Science Camp 2.0 – May 27 & 28, 2009
•    Elementary Camp 2.0 – June 9 & 10, 2009
•    Language Arts Camp 2.0 – June 16 & 17, 2009
•    Social Studies Camp 2.0 – July 21 & 22, 2009
•    Technology Integration Specialists Camp – July 16, 17, 27 & 28, 2009

From a friend on Twitter: