- What is a course/workshop?
Workshops and courses are credit-bearing professional
development offered by the Annenberg Channel.
Each offering (with the exception of the Teaching Math courses)
centers on a series of videos, which are supported by a print
guide and Web site. The number and length of sessions varies,
depending on the workshop or course. Please see the
workshop
and course section of this site for specific
information.
Nearly all workshops and courses are available for
both graduate
credit and Certificates of Participation (see question 3
for more information about credit).
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- What is the difference between
a course and a workshop? What are libraries and
other series?
Courses and workshops are very similar; most workshops and
courses are available for both graduate credit from Colorado
State University and Certificates
of Participation, which may
be redeemed locally for professional development hours.
Annenberg Media
Libraries combine video footage taped in real classrooms
with insightful reflections from practicing teachers.
Organized by discipline, topic, and grade level, they allow
teachers to see into each other’s
classrooms. Often they contain similar footage to a coordinated workshop or course.
They are especially useful to staff developers and teacher
educators. Since they do not need to be used sequentially,
they lend themselves to a “pick and choose” process
by these audiences. Libraries
are not available for either graduate credit or
Annenberg Media
Certificates of Participation.
Annenberg Media instructional
series are offered on a wide range of subjects, and have
been designed for a general audience,
not specifically
for K-12 teachers. They are rich
educational resources
but, because they are not specifically focused on K-12
teachers’ professional
needs, they are not available for either graduate credit
through Colorado State University
or for Annenberg Media Certificates of Participation.
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- What workshops/courses
can I take for credit?
Nearly all the workshops and courses are available for credit.
Please see our list of
credit-bearing courses and workshops for a list of all of
the current workshops and courses. If
you do not see a series listed on the above Web
page, it means
that it either is not yet available or is not
offered for Certificates
of Participation from the Annenberg Channel or graduate
credit from Colorado State University.
It is very difficult to validate the number of sessions attended
or the work completed by individuals working alone. Therefore,
as of April 15, 2004, Certificates of Participation will only
be granted to those working in a group.
There are two workshops
for which we accept registrations but which are
not available for either graduate credit or professional
development hours: Critical Issues in School
Reform and
New American Schools: Getting Better by Design.
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- What is my role
as facilitator?
The primary role of a facilitator is to serve as a liaison
between the Annenberg Channel and the group, including
registering on behalf of the group, downloading, photocopying,
and distributing workshop/course materials to other participants,
and organizing meeting times for the group to view the videos
and complete the activities and discussion questions
in the print guide.
The more knowledgeable facilitators are
about the topic, the richer the group’s experiences
will be.
See our information describing the role of facilitators.
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- Can I take a workshop or course
on my own?
Yes, you can take a workshop or course on your own simply
by selecting the “alone” option on our
registration
form. You will, however, still be referred to as a
“facilitator” in
correspondence from us (even though you’d
only be facilitating
yourself). Simply follow the “working
alone” directions
in the Facilitator's
Guide.
Also, please note that the workshops
and courses were designed for use by a group of teachers.
We at the Annenberg Channel
believe that professional development experiences
are greatly
enriched when individuals discuss and reflect on a topic
with their peers. Therefore, if possible, form a group among
teachers
who might share your interests. If, however, you must work
alone, we strongly advise you to join the online discussion
list (Channel-Talk)
for your workshop.
It is very difficult to validate the number of sessions attended
or the work completed by individuals working alone. Therefore,
as of April 15, 2004, Certificates of Participation will only
be granted to those working in a group.
For more information for individuals
taking a workshop or course, please see the "Working
Alone?" PDF
document (Adobe
Acrobat Reader required).
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- How can I get the videos and print
materials for a course or workshop?
The first step toward participating in an
Annenberg Media workshop
or course is to ensure you have access to the workshop/course
videos through one of the following means:
- the satellite broadcast. If your school
or institution already receives the Annenberg Channel,
reference our
schedule to find
out when the offering you are interested in will be
broadcast. If your school or institution does
not receive the free satellite broadcast, see our
licensing
information to find out
how to license.
- Video on Demand (VoD). All Annenberg
Channel workshops and courses – as well as nearly all
other Annenberg Media
offerings – are
available free online, on demand. You must have
a broadband
connection to the Internet (anything faster
than a dial-up
connection) to view the video.
- other television services.
Many public broadcasting and cable access
stations throughout
the country downlink the
Annenberg Channel and then rebroadcast
our programming
to their communities
on their own schedules. Contact us for help in finding
a source near you (email: channel@learner.org
or
phone: 1-800-LEARNER).
- for
purchase on VHS tapes. You can order
Annenberg Media
programs on VHS tape either online or
by calling 1-800-LEARNER.
To participate in a workshop you also need the
print materials. First register with us, a free step and available online.
You will then be sent an email about the workshop or course, including
a link to download the print materials.
Information
about graduate
credit is also available. Please
note that enrollment for graduate credit with Colorado State
University is separate from registration with the Annenberg
Channel. (See the next question for more
information.)
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- What is the difference
between registering
with the Annenberg Channel and enrolling for
graduate credit?
Enrolling for graduate credit and registering with
the Annenberg
Channel are different processes and are not
interchangeable.
Registration provides links
to the print materials and Certificates of Participation for
groups, free of charge. It is quick, easy, and confidential,
and allows
us to track how frequently our materials are
being used. Please
register each time you take a workshop or course!
In cooperation
with Colorado State University, teachers and administrators
have the option to take Annenberg Media courses
and workshops for graduate
credit. To earn graduate credit, you must enroll with
Colorado State University.
Please be aware the graduate credits will come from CSU’s
Education School (with the exception of the Rediscovering
Biology course, for which content credits are granted)
and are pass/fail only. However, if needed, CSU can
provide a
letter
indicating
that
a grade
of “pass” is “equivalent
to a B or better.”
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- I sent money to Colorado
State University.
Why haven't I received my print materials?
Colorado State University does not distribute
print materials.
To receive a link to the print guide, please register for
the workshop/course you wish to take.
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- How can I get my
transcripts?
Please contact Colorado State University at
1-866-491-7517.
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- How do I receive my
Certificates of Participation?
In order for groups to receive Certificates of Participation,
the Annenberg Channel needs to receive your attendance
roster, completed online.
It is very difficult to validate the number of sessions attended
or the work completed by individuals working alone. Therefore,
as of April 15, 2004, Certificates of Participation will only
be granted to those working in a group.
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- What is
a Certificate of Participation? Can
I redeem it for my state/district's
Professional Development Points toward
recertification?
Certificates of Participation are issued by the
Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics, and are usually for 16 to
33 of professional
development hours, depending on the workshop or course. Most
workshops provide 16 hours, if all sessions are
attended; courses
award
21-33
hours,
depending on the course. Your state and/or district always
have the final say as to
the value of these certificates. Please contact
them in advance to make sure you and your group
receive credit
for work completed during a workshop/course.
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- What are deadlines for
registration
and completion of courses/workshops?
If your group is seeking Certificates of Participation and/or
graduate credit, you must submit your materials by a certain
date in order to receive your Certificates
of Participation and/or
graduate
credit in a particular semester. The deadlines for
both Annenberg Media and Colorado State University are aligned.
If
you miss the
submission deadline and you submit all required
paperwork by the next submission deadline date, you can receive
credit in the following semester. However, you will need to
contact Colorado State University for an extension if you
are enrolled for graduate credit.
If you are watching the programs via a television
broadcast, plan ahead to ensure that you have registered,
received the confirmation email, and downloaded and printed
the support materials by the broadcast date of the
first session.
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- How can
I subscribe
to the email discussion list for a particular
workshop/course?
How do I use the list?
The email discussion lists (Channel-Talk)
are used for discussion relating
to a workshop/course topic or related issues in education.
For most workshops/courses, there is a separate email list
available. Go to the main workshop page for the workshop/course
in
which you are interested to sign up.
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- How do I login to get the print
materials?
When you first access print materials or Video on Demand
online, you will be invited to sign up for a login. You
use your email address and choose the password,
so choose a password that you will be able to remember.
If
you will
be using
the same computer many times, click “remember me” and
you will not need to re-login on this same computer. Note:
If you have already signed up for a login to view VoD,
you will use the same login and password for this purpose.
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