Summer 2002

The Field Trainer MarcoGram is a quarterly newsletter that provides MarcoPolo Field Trainers with tips, activities, news and links to online resources. Tell us what you think of this format, which also is available online at the MarcoPolo Training Resource Center. Send comments or suggestions for future issues to editor@marcopoloinfo.com.

The Field Trainer MarcoGram is created in HTML. If you are unable to properly view the images or hyperlinks, please view the online version at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/Training_Center.shtml.

Copyright © 2004 Verizon Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Online Resource: Have a Question?
Have you often wondered: "What should I do if my Field Training is cancelled?", "How do I request training materials?" or "Where can I find extra training tools?"  Review our list of Frequently Asked Questions, a comprehensive guide that provides complete answers to virtually any question related to MarcoPolo Field Training.

Training Tip: Bookmarking Sites
"I try to give very little in the way of hard copies to teachers during the training sessions. One trick that works well for teachers who are just getting started is to create a favorites folder in IE or Netscape for MarcoPolo sites and activities. When they find an activity or site that they want to go back to, I have them bookmark it or add it to their favorites. At the end of the session, the bookmark files can be exported to their network drive or to a floppy."

NCTE and IRA Join MarcoPolo
The MCI Foundation is proud to announce an educational partnership with the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, the newest members to join the MarcoPolo Consortium. IRA and NCTE will combine their expertise in reading and language arts education to develop K-12 lesson plans and other educator resources to be featured on a joint Web site, scheduled to launch during the fall semester of 2002.

New Lessons from the MarcoPolo Partners
The MarcoPolo Partners are adding new lessons all the time. Check out new Partner lessons at MP Now! on the MarcoPolo Web site. 
 

Stories From the Field

How educators and Field Trainers are using MarcoPolo.

Creating a No-Hassle Training Session
"My district began using MarcoPolo last year, and the teachers are impressed most by both MarcoPolo's simplicity and the quality of the edited Internet content available through the MarcoPolo search engine.

"I always use the Chicago Fire example to illustrate this point. When you search on 'Chicago Fire' on the MarcoPolo search engine, you receive six wonderful, relevant, teachable 'hits.' The same search on Google or Yahoo! returns pages and pages of chaos. The editing of content is one of the most important things about MarcoPolo, and is the principal reason why we're sticking with it in grades K through 12, right across the board.

"As a trainer, I feel the single most valuable aspect of attending a Cadre-led MarcoPolo training is that you get the tools to go right out and start implementing a training immediately. When you finish a Cadre Training, you're ready to share with other educators. 

"When I use the MarcoPolo training binder, which is full of handouts, documents and step-by-step instructions, I don't have to spend hours creating PowerPoint presentations. It's all so self-contained that two other trainers and I once put together a training en route to the session - and it was only a 90-minute drive away. We did it right in the car, talking and driving. It's that turnkey. 

"When there comes a time to digress from the standard training 'formula,' it's because we've elected to do something live on the Internet -- as a true online demonstration -- rather than via the MarcoPolo Training CD-ROM that's provided in the Training Kit. In other training sessions, we might choose to skip over some of the 'background' material related to standards-based professional development, and get right to the 'meat' of the issue. Everybody loves part three of the training program, which lets you select from various guided tours of the Partner Web sites, because attendees often have different interests."

Sunspots (Grades 9-12)
Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Background to the Lesson
In this unit, students are introduced to sunspots and the types of technology and solar imaging that can be used to collect information about the sun's features. Using the computer, students access Internet sites that offer research and images of the sun, then download and complete a worksheet about what they learned online.

Preparing This Lesson for Your Training Session

• Bookmark the lesson from Science NetLinks: 

Sunspots 1: A Look at Sunspots
 
• Download this software:

Real Player and Adobe Acrobat Reader
 
• Confirm the availability of these Web sites:

--Sunspots
--Science NetLinks' Student Worksheet
--Soft X-Ray Telescope: Most recent images
--Electromagnetic Spectrum
--Wavelength Fade (Short film)

• Walk through the lesson, highlighting the various online resources. 

• Explain that this lesson can be taught using different teaching methods -- teacher-centered or student-centered.

• The lesson recommends the use of color transparencies and printouts. Suggest alternative electronic methods, including bookmarking the sites or creating a slide presentation.

• Separate attendees into three groups and assign each group a specific ratio of computers to students -- one per student, one per group and one per class. Have the attendees work together to recommend the best way to present the lesson based on the number of computers, using the teacher-centered approach.

• Brainstorm with your attendees to discuss how this lesson could be adapted for use with other subjects. For example, humanities teachers could use this lesson as a springboard to a discussion about Galileo (who studied sunspots), while art teachers could use it to jumpstart a unit on art and science fiction.

MarcoPolo Training Resource Center

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Frequently Asked Questions

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The classroom edition of the MarcoGram features warm-up activities and links to lesson plans and resources based on a monthly theme.

June 2002
Outer Space: Far Out

May 2002
The World Isn't Flat

April 2002
By the Sea

We're interested in knowing how you like our new look. What kinds of articles and news items would you like to see here? Do you have tips you'd like to share? Does the format work for you?

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Send us your "best practices," detailing in 300-500 words how you conduct a successful Field Training. If we publish it in the next Field Trainer MarcoGram, you'll receive a free classroom set of MarcoPolo mousepads and pens -- great to use in your training sessions!

• How have you perfected your training sessions to maximize both resources and time?
• How do you teach your favorite lesson? 
• How do you follow up with your attendees after the training is over?