Native American Alaskans Make Transitions With TEL.A.VISION
Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts
Dustin Madden is a teacher at Bartlett High School in Alaska where he strives to teach Alaska Native students in a culturally responsive way. Dustin is excited to learn new ways to help students. One new way became apparent when he learned how to use TEL.A.VISION, web-based software that is designed to help students clarify their personal goals.
Dustin states, “I decided on this project for myself because I felt that the students in my Transitions class would really benefit by doing a project that encouraged them to reflect on how they want to live their lives.” This Transitions class is designed to help the Alaska Native / American Indian students that are currently going through a “transition” in their lives. From class discussions it seemed that many of these students felt uprooted.
Dustin believed that “by helping them to clarify their goals, it would help to think about the life they personally wanted to live, and to start working towards that ideal.” Using this Tel.A.Vision website, students used media tools included text, music/audio, video, and special effects to create a vision of their future, writing down their goals as if they have already happened.
“The benefit of the Tel-A-Vision software is that it the basics can be learned relatively quickly,” says Madden, “Using excellent built-in tutorials, a large number of stock photos, music, and video effects. This allows students to focus more on the “meat” of the project- their vision for their future. The projects turned out so well that Dustin took his class to the Alaska Native Charter School across the bridge from Bartlett and had them present to elementary students.“
TEL.A.VISION Launches New Curriculum and New Site License Program To Include At-Risk and Special Education Programs
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, TEL.A.VISION News
Students Demonstrate Deeper Engagement with School Because of TEL.A.VISION
MINNEAPOLIS (December 15, 2009) – TEL.A.VISION, the proven Web 2.0 online curriculum that inspires youth to create and share visions of hope and possibility through personal “vision videos” announced today the launch of their new curriculum and new site license program.
Realizing that the greatest benefit of TEL.A.VISION is with our most vulnerable students, TEL.A.VISION has relaunched its curriculum with a focus on Special Ed and At Risk students.
The United States dropout rate is 30% per year. Many of these students are not engaged in thinking about their future, they drop out because they feel no hope. With TEL.A.VISION they feel more optimistic about their future, more hopeful, more engaged and have more reason to stay in school. TEL.A.VISION’s new Site License Program is designed to be purchased for Special Education students. Schools purchase a yearly subscription for each Special Education student and that also includes group accounts for all other classrooms at no additional charge. This New Site License Program was designed to help schools and districts decrease the dropout rate for these vulnerable students while also promoting academic achievement in every classroom. This convenient, low-cost, license purchase covers all student, teacher and administrator use at a school. The site license includes a curriculum guide, lesson plans, and on-line media so each lesson can be taught with a computer and projector or/and an interactive whiteboard.
The extensive curriculum for Special Education and At Risk students was created under the direction of Dr. Christy Chambers, past president of CASE (Council of Administrators of Special Education) and past superintendent of Special Education District of McHenry County, Woodstock, IL. This new curriculum will decrease the number of Special Education and At Risk dropouts by providing that students tools to create a new way of thinking positively about their futures by giving them more hope and more social and emotional support.
“We are seeing increased use of TEL.A.VISION in several of our schools, elementary and secondary and an interest in using it by other schools in our district,” stated Mike Dronen District Technology Coordinator at Stillwater Area Public Schools. “When one firsts look at TEL.A.VISION, it may not seem particularly significant, but once you see students working with it and showing their TEL.A.VISION videos, the possibilities for impacting students are amazing.”
“TEL.A.VISION wants to ensure that all students, including our most vulnerable students, have the opportunity to feel valued and to stay in school. I believe that we have a vision deficit in the world and that everything starts with vision. Our students need to envision graduating from high school,” stated George Johnson of TEL.A.VISION. “TEL.A.VISION is a cost effective way to keep students engaged in school. Our thoughts matter. And students using TEL.A.VISION are focusing their thoughts on their desired future. We have found that hope breeds success and TEL.A.VISION definitely offers hope to our students.”
About TEL.A.VISION
TEL.A.VISION was created by former Special Education teacher turned entrepreneur, George Johnson. TEL.A.VISION is a Web 2.0 online curriculum that inspires youth to create and share visions of hope and possibility through personal “vision videos”. The TEL.A.VISION technology platform was designed for all youth, but the focus is the Special Education and At Risk student.
For more information, or to create and share a vision for a better world, visit www.telavision.tv
TEL.A.VISION Forms Partnership with Minnesota TIES
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Supporters, TEL.A.VISION News
Alliance Will Benefit TEL.A.VISION, TIES and Their Affiliates
MINNEAPOLIS (December 1, 2009) – TEL.A.VISION, the proven Web 2.0 online curriculum that inspires youth to create and share visions of hope and possibility through personal “vision videos” announced today their partnership with TIES, the Minnesota Education Technology Collaborative that brings together technology and education to create comprehensive, cutting-edge solutions for school administrators, educators and students.
TEL.A.VISION will support TIES’s growth and development by offering preferred services and discounts to TIES members. TIES will promote the benefits and savings of TEL.A.VISION’S curriculum that combines compelling words, images and music to create a vision video of their desired future.
TEL.A.VISION has proven to be successful with all students, but especially those at risk and those receiving special educations services. The program engages students in a meaningful way, allows their voices to be heard, has improved AYP and helps to decrease the dropout rate.
“We have seen what TEL.A.VISION has done for students in Minnesota. We know firsthand that this partnership holds great potential for the districts that we serve,” said Marla Davenport, Co-Director of Learning and Technology. “The TIES and TEL.A.VISION missions speak to increasing the availability of technology and improving learning outcomes for students. Together we can leverage our strengths to further these outcomes.”
“TIES is a leader in providing cutting edge technology and software solutions to schools in Minnesota. Both organizations know that if there ever was a time in history where we quickly need to plant and cultivate seeds of hope, imagination and vision, the time is now,” stated George Johnson of TEL.A.VISION. “We know that TIES is the right partner for us to reach more students that crave the opportunity to build connections to their communities and engage in academics.”
About TIES
TIES was created as Technology Information Education Services in 1967 to provide technology and information resources to school administrators, educators and students. It is now known solely by the acronym TIES. For more information go to: www.ties.k12.mn.us
4TH GRADE TEACHER- “THE EDUCATIONAL IMPACT OF TEL.A.VISION IS INCREDIBLE”
Posted on 12. Oct, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Supporters
Here is what Fourth grade teacher Brent Bovitz had to say about using TEL.A.VISION.
“TEL-A-VISION has been an absolutely amazing tool for us at Cedar Ridge Elementary. After being introduced to TEL-A-VISION at TIES, it has been a web 2.0 technology that has provided learning, motivation, and excitement for our students and staff. Each student in a fourth grade class at our school created their own “My Life Ahead of Me” video. The programmers that created TEL-A-VISION are top notch. It is easy to use and very professional looking with all the awesome transitions and effects. The education impact of TEL-A-VISION is incredible. We are looking forward to using TEL-A-VISION next school year.”
Here is a vision video Brent did for his life and family.
Summer Update From TEL.A.VISION
Posted on 26. Sep, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, How to Help!, Supporters
Dear Friends,
This past three weeks, with the start of school, we had a record number of new accounts and over a 1000 new TEL.A.VISION videos created. We have had a very busy summer preparing for the new school year. We will shortly be introducing new school pricing that will allow schools to buy TEL.A.VISION for a classroom, school or district without using a credit card.
We have realized one of the best uses for TEL.A.VISION is in Special Education. We are just finishing a new Special Education Curriculum, written by Special Education teachers from McHenry County, Illinois under the direction of Dr. Christy Chambers. The curriculum will show Special Education teachers many ways to use TEL.A. VISION in the classroom including using it as part of a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). We have been accepted to speak at next years Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) conference.
We are just finishing an agreement with Best Buy for a contest on their @15 web site, www.at15.com. The contest will start in January and build on their research on empowering youth. There will be winners for an individual video and classroom project. The winners will show their work at the ISTE/NECC Conference in Denver in June 2010.
We have been accepted to give a presentation at the TIES Conference and will be working with TIES to offer special pricing to their member schools.
We have received a donation that will allow us to take TEL.A.VISION to the 155 students at the Dunwoody Academy in Minneapolis. We had planned to introduce TEL.A.VISION into all Minneapolis Schools this fall but because of budget cuts are now looking for donations to help make this happen.
We are in the process hiring a telemarketer to call on School Principals and Special Education staff. The position would be working from home and include salary and bonus. If you know of anyone with sales experience that you think might be interested please have them contact me, george@telavision.tv.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me.
TEL.A.VISION Featured on B2E News Alert
Posted on 12. Jul, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Media, Power of Vision, TEL.A.VISION News
We visited with Anne Wujcik at the National Educational Computer Conference in Washington DC. Anne is, among other things, the Editor of B2E News Alert, Business Education Intelligence from QED and the Heller Report.
Anne Wujcik —Friday, July 10, 2009
George Johnson, founder and CEO of TEL·A·VISION, is a man on a mission. TEL·A·VISION ‘s mission is to inspire youth to identify and express their unique gifts in service of a better world for all. It does this by providing tools that make it very easy for anyone to create a Vision Video.
The technology is powered by One True Media, a TEL·A·VISION partner and maker of online software that allows people to easily create and share video montages. The vision comes from the hearts and souls of students who use their videos to share their passion, explores the possibilities or frame their dreams.
The TEL·A·VISION web site features six tutorials that walk the user through the process of creating a Vision Video. There is a complete Curriculum Guide to help teachers or adult mentors lead students through the Vision process from start to finish, supported by video tutorials that explain the process of each unit. As George shared some of the Vision Videos with me and talked about the students who had created them, I could see how powerful this tool could be, not only for goal setting and developing communication and technology skills, but for helping educators learn more about their students.
TEL·A·VISION is a technology platform for everyone (I could see myself using this tool, though I have resisted manipulating video and even photos, to date), but its focus is the special ed and at-risk student. George talks about special education teachers who use their students’ videos to help regular classroom teachers see beyond the students’ particular problems to their potential. TEL·A·VISION offers teachers new insights into students’ goals, values and dreams, opening the door to enhanced communication and a better understanding of their needs and how to help them succeed. Check out a few student example videos at http://telavision.tv/student-examples
Vision Videos Empower Students – District Administration
Posted on 12. Jul, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Media, Power of Vision, TEL.A.VISION News
A new Web-based tool, Tel.A.Vision, inspires young people to dream the possible dream.
By Mary Johnson Patt June 2009
District Administration Magazine, the magazine of School district Management, completed a three page article on TEL.A.VISION in its June/ July NECC issue. Here is an excerpt: 
In early March, as he addressed the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., President Obama spoke at great length of the reforms he believes will give Americans “a complete and competitive education, from the cradle up through a career.” The proposals he laid out for improving early childhood education, K12 standards and assessments, graduation rates, teacher quality and college funding will be debated for months to come by thousands of school administrators, teachers, parents and politicians. It was the voice of a single teenager, however, that helped drive the president’s messages home that day.
At the end of his speech, Obama quoted Yvonne Boroquez, a California student whose high school class recently made a video exploring the impact of the economic crisis on their dreams of higher education and professional employment.
“It was heartbreaking that a girl so full of promise was so full of worry that she and her class titled their video ‘Is Anybody Listening?’” Obama said. “I am listening. We are listening. America is listening,” the president assured Boroquez and her classmates.
“We have a huge vision deficit in this country,” Johnson explains. “There is so much fear and negativity, especially in the media. I decided to start a movement about bringing more hope and possibility into the world, and to do it by helping kids create little three-minute visions of what they want their life to become.”
Enter Tel.A.Vision. Johnson’s free Web tool gives today’s tech-savvy youth everything they need to create and share “vision videos.” A Tel.A.Vision is essentially a highly personal montage combining a student’s written hopes and dreams with still photographs, music and computer animation—created with tools available online at www.telavision.tv.
Research points to the importance of instilling hope and optimism in youth
Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Power of Vision
University of Minnesota Medical School researcher Iris Borowsky, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues found that one in seven adolescents believe that it is highly likely that they will die before age 35, and this belief predicted that the adolescents’ would engage in risky behaviors.
“While conventional wisdom says that teens engage in risky behaviors because they feel invulnerable to harm, this study suggests that in some cases, teens may take risks because they overestimate their vulnerability, specifically their risk of dying,” Borowsky said. “These youth may take risks because they feel hopeless and figure that not much is at stake.”
This fatalistic view varied notably across social groups with significant differences by sex, race/ethnicity, family structure, and receipt of public assistance. More than 29 percent of American-Indian, 26 percent of African-American, 21 percent of Hispanic, and 15 percent of Asian youth reported believing they would die young—compared with 10 percent of their Caucasian peers. Nearly 25 percent of youth living in households that received public assistance also shared this belief.
“Our findings reinforce the importance of instilling a sense of hope and optimism in youth,” Borowsky said. “Strong connections with parents, families, and schools, as well as positive media messages, are likely important factors in developing an optimistic outlook for young people.”
Native Americans, blacks and low-income teens – kids who are disproportionately exposed to violence and hardship – were much more likely than whites to believe they’d die young.
“We know some things about how to promote optimism and hope in youth,” Borowsky explained. “Parents matter — involved, caring, connected parents,” she said. “Schools matter — school connectedness, creating a climate where students feel a part of their school and safe at school, and media matters — given the power of media to convey both positive and negative messages to a large audience of young people.”
Big News From TEL.A.VISION
Posted on 05. Jun, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, Media, Social Media and Vision, Supporters, TEL.A.VISION Stories, Web 2.0
5th Graders at Clear Springs Elementary on Parents Night
The BIG news is that TEL.A.VISION is becoming a non profit. Actually, it has always been a not for profit but we are just making it official. This will allow us to seek funds from foundations and individuals. I know that we will probably be rejected 10 times before we find someone willing to help fund us so if you know any organization or individual willing to be one of the first to talk to us let us know.
It’s hard to believe we launched only 8 months ago. In that time our partner Haberman has done a great job of getting us in all of the local press as well as the Christian Science Monitor. We had a successful TEL.A.VISION Day with a 24 hour broadcast of TEL.A.VISION videos on the Internet ( Thank you Steve). In May we did our first NYC press tour and from that will be covered in a 4 page spread in District Administration (Thank you Sue), a feature in Family Circle and have been told we will be in Scholastic and Time For Kids.
We have some exciting partnerships we are working on.
- Having 6th, 9th and 12th graders in the Minneapolis Schools create vision videos as part of graduation requirements,
- Working with TIES Education,
- Partnering with Youth Services of America to create Service Learning videos,
- Working with The Discipline of Peace and Culture of Peace Initiative to create Peace videos,
- Discussions with SEARCH Institute and Templeton Press on creating a Vision Curriculum with Dr. Benson’s New book “Vision“
- An invitation to visit the staff of the Fetzer Institute.
While all of this holds great potential the most rewarding work has been to see the difference TEL.A.VISION is having on youth. Three projects stand out.
- Working with the Divas of North Minneapolis. The Star Tribune did a nice article on them.
- Spending a day at Angelo Patri Middle School in the Bronx with 18 young people creating a new vision for their school ( The video is below). Their Vide Principal cried when she say it.
- Parent night at a Clear Springs Elementary in Minnetonka, where 75 people showed up to view amazing videos created by 5th graders .
We’ve started a new contest called “100 words for $100“. Tell us how you have used TEL.A.VISION and win a chance for $100.
Thank you all for your support of TEL.A.VISION. If you would like to receive regular updates on TEL.A.VISION sign up in the upper right hand corner.
http://www.onetruemedia.com/media/22/5f91fe900f19f6ff/5e1a2196f0735bb8.flvTeachers Driving Web 2.0 Use in Schools Says National Research Survey
Posted on 30. May, 2009 by Ringmaster in All Posts, How to Help!, Web 2.0
While many stakeholders are involved in developing policies on the use of Web 2.0 technologies in K-12 education, new research suggests that teachers are the most important group driving adoption. This is a finding of a recent commissioned by Lightspeed Systems and Thinkronize Inc.
There is a persistent gap between how today’s “digital” kids learn in school and how they work and interact outside of school, a trend that underscores the critical need for districts to keep pace with technological advances and adapt to students’ learning needs.
“The research indicates that the movement toward Web 2.0 use to engage students and address individual learning needs is largely being driven in districts from the bottom up – starting with teachers and students,” said Dr. Jay Sivin-Kachala, vice president and lead researcher for IESD. “Furthermore, the results show that many districts are using or planning to use Web 2.0 tools in teacher professional development, which suggests that teachers will become increasingly comfortable with these technologies and better able to teach students how to use them safely and productively.”
Other key results of the survey include:
* The three most frequently cited reasons for adopting Web 2.0 technologies are: addressing students’ individual learning needs, engaging student interest, and increasing students’ options for access to teaching and learning.
* Online communications with parents and students (e.g., teacher blogs) and digital multimedia resources are the Internet technologies most widely used by teachers, and a majority of districts have plans for adopting these technologies or promoting their use.
These results reinforce what we have found with TEL.A.VISION. Teachers find that TEL.A.VISION is a technology that addresses student’s individual learning needs, engages student interest and teaches them about digital multimedia resources.
The full survey is available here.
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