I posted a blog about wanting to connect with apps developers, particularly -Google. I work for a children's museum in Baltimore MD. This past school year I created a project that connected a classroom of 4th graders in Howard County MD with a group of students who live in the Central Arava region of Israel. Think "Dune", deep desert region that is also a major agricultural hub in Israel. For the past school these students collaborated in descriptive and narrative writing activities, illustration, story-crafting and storytelling as a means to improve literacy skills. These students worked towards a culminating project that centered on an ancient storytelling art form from Japan, Kamishibai (paper drama. See www.kamishibai.com. Below are two recently posted videos regarding the project. This will offer a solid idea as to the scope of the project.

www.youtube.com/watch
www.youtube.com/watch

What I am looking for specifically are applications that can allow a teacher or project manager in MD, for example, to plan activities or team teach a lesson with a classroom in Israel or Australia or any other site that has internet access.

There are some important limitations that need to taken into account. For example, Skype is not allowed in Howard County schools, neither are most social network sites. The vast majority of teachers have very limited time to spend learning how complicated e-learning systems work. For applications to be useful in a classroom, the apps need to be literally downloadable and ready work. They need to be intuitive in their workings and in-expensive.

Pie-in-the-sky? Perhaps, but if no one asks then nothing will ever get done.

Any creative, out-of-the-box ideas out there?

I need help connecting with someone at Google. I've heard they sometimes collaborate with organizations to develop apps. What I am looking for is a suite of apps for school teachers or Museum project managers to collaborating w/ teachers/partners in other counties, w/o having to have a tech in the room at all times. It has to be a seamless set-up that requires very little training or teachers won't use it. Ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

Yesterday in Columbia MD was the culminating event for a project that I have been working on for the past year. This project has taken up the lion's share of my working life since last May. I am very proud of this effort and wanted to share it with others. Please check out the video that is linked below. It can offer a glimpse into my creative passions for the past 13 months. Enjoy...Daveed

Kamishibai International Project
Kids from Phelps Luck Elementary School in Columbia, MD and the Matnas Community Arts Center in Sapir, Israel participated in a year long literacy and cultural arts program, created by Port Discovery and the Matnas. They wrote stories, illustrated them, and performed through an ancient Japanese storytelling technique called Kamishibai. On June 10, 2009 the two groups of kids shared and performed their stories over a live web chat.

www.hocomojo.com/video/int...kamishibai

I am deeply moved today by the images that have soared around my head. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. envisioned a land where his children “would be judged not by the color of their skin, but rather the content of their character.” It is appropriate that we are celebrating the life and sacrifice of Dr. King today and inaugurating our first African-American President, Barack Obama, tomorrow. As a capstone to this year of change, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is celebrating their Centennial.

Dr King believed…
"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative."

He also held that…
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Just felt that it was important to say. Words can inspire change. One life can make a difference. Thank you, Dr. King.