Jon Scieszka’s Spaceheadz Engages Readers in Print and Online (giveaway)

I am beyond thrilled to introduce today’s Tech Savvy Guest, author Jon Scieszka! Author of favorites such as The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Time Warp Trio series, and the Caldecott Honor Book, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales, Scieszka was named by the Library of Congress as the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and is the author of the brand new book Spaceheadz, a wonderful tale of attempted alien invasion that will engage elementary readers with new content both in print and also online.

SPACEHEADZ ATTACK!
By Jon Scieszka

Spaceheadz is a new book series and multi-platform bit of storytelling that breaks the story of three aliens who have come to take over the world!

But these aliens are a little weird. They disguise themselves as a fifth grade girl, a fifth grade boy, and a fifth grade class hamster who show up on the first day of school. Spaceheadz have learned everything about Earth from feeding on Earth TV, radio, and Internet broadcasts. Spaceheadz love commercials and technology, and believe all advertising.

Spaceheadz is also a sneaky/fun way for kids to learn tech skills and become media literate. Because kids get to both read the books and explore the digital sites to piece together the complete Spaceheadz story.

So within the narrative, Spaceheadz Bob, Jennifer and Major Fluffy convince their new classmate Michael K. to help them save the world by signing up 3.14 million earthlings to BE SPACEHEADZ.

• Michael K. builds a website at: www.SPHDZ.com
• The fifth grade class website extends the story at: www.MrsHalleysComets.com
• And the Spaceheadz warn Michael K. that they must not get caught by the AAA (no, not the car association, the AntiAlienAgency) at: www.AntiAlienAgency.com
• If the Spaceheadz do not successfully complete their mission, you can see the dire consequences at: www.ImSureGladThatDidntHappen.com (submit the sphdz password: Walk Don’t Walk)

Through the crazily-illustrated and wildly-designed books and websites and blog and tweets and social media sites, the Spaceheadz live in both the print world and the media world. To fully experience Spaceheadz , kids enter into the story, become Spaceheadz, and become active participants in the storytelling.


Studies show that our 21st century kids are being swamped with a deluge of media and advertising every day. But no one knows exactly what this deluge is doing to their developing brains. I think the best thing we can do to help our kids cope with this new world is to help them become media literate critical thinkers. Let them BE SPACEHEADZ . . . and Save the World.

Win 1 of 4 Spaceheadz prize packs containing a personalized autographed copy of Spaceheadz and a pack of Spaceheadz branded pencils courtesy of Jon Scieszka!

To enter, share something you do to help your child become a media literate critical thinker. You must include your email address or Twitter handle for your entry to be valid.

For an extra entries do the above and follow Major Fluffy on Twitter and tweet this: "I'm following @MajorFluffy to win 1 of 4 autographed copies of Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka from @TechSavvyMama: http://bit.ly/9AO7FO" then come back and leave a comment telling me you have done so. You can tweet daily until this contest ends on September 30. Just leave a comment for every tweet!

Jon Scieszka is the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, named by the Library of Congress. He is the author of some of the best known and funniest books written for children including The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Time Warp Trio series and the Caldecott Honor Book The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales. He is the creator of the Trucktown series, of which Smash!Crash! was an NY Times bestseller for many weeks. Jon is a former elementary school teacher, and a avid promoter of literacy—particularly for boys. His website www.guyssread.com focuses on his national campaign. Jon lives with his family in Brooklyn, NY.

I am thrilled to be stop 3 on the Spaceheadz book tour. All content was provided by Jon Scieszka. No compensation was received for this post although it does contain Amazon affiliate links to certain books.

The First Day of School

All is calm. For now she sleeps, resting for her first day of school. A brand new outfit, chosen days before, lies in wait. The energy in the house will change the minute she wakes up. Excitement and nervousness are wrapped into one as she counts down the minutes until she can start her walk to school.

At school, the inside of the building has freshly waxed floors and bulletin boards that await the work of the new class. Pointy pencils and perfect crayons await the first task of the day. Name tags adorn desks, coat hooks, cubbies, and folders for their new owners. Inside the teachers put finishing touches on their classrooms while hoping out loud for a good class of kids who listen and are able to follow directions and silently pray for no mishaps on the first day.

Outside, perfectly manicured grounds await the arrival of the first students who come on bus, foot, and by car. Soon the paths will be full of little feet taking their places in line as they wave to old friends whom they’ve missed over the summer. Teachers greet their new class and gently guide children away from anxious parents who bid their darlings goodbye as they are ushered inside to start a new year.

As so many get ready to start school today and in the coming weeks, I wish everyone the best of luck for a great first day and a wonderful new year.

This post was inspired by Yahoo MotherBoard’s back to school theme.

The Social Network...Coming to Theaters in October

What do you think? Will you see this movie about the history of Facebook?

Fill the Backpack: Ziploc Celebrates Magnificent Moments of Mom

This week’s Fill the Backpack post is about our sponsor, Ziploc, who is celebrating Magnificent Moments of Mom that is a nod to the resourcefulness of mothers everywhere.

My earth friendly practices take a back seat when it comes to my weakness for Ziploc bags. I love that Ziploc bags always keep me organized whether at home, work, or on the go and find myself filling them with absolutely anything and everything.

Ziploc® Brand sandwich bags often appear in the kids’ lunchboxes when I’m not using our reusable LunchSkins but I also love to use them for traveling. During our recent visit to St. Croix, Ziploc® Brand Freezer Slider Bags and Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags with the Smart Zip™ Seal held everything from sunscreen, shells, wet swimsuits, snacks for the long plane ride, and cables for my various devices. I was glad to find the extra batteries for the kids’ LeapFrog Explorers in a snack size Ziploc at the bottom of my bag when we ran out of juice part way through our return flight!

With Ziploc, my belongings stay where they are supposed to whether I'm traveling or packing the kids lunch as they head back to school. The sturdy plastic and seal keeps things right where they belong. They prevent sunscreen explosions and chip bits from infiltrating every corner of a child's backpack!

While we were in St. Croix, I also learned that Ziploc is making Eco-Bags. Eco-Bags use less plastic but deliver the same quality that I’ve grown accustomed to in my frequent use. Eco-Bags are just as strong but use less plastic, making them better for the environment!

To get your family ready for the start of school, I’ll be giving away 2 backpacks that include the following prizes with a value over $300!

What’s in the backpack?

• FoxEntertainment is including both Diary of a Wimpy Kid & Marmaduke DVDs in our backpacks.


• Popchips donated a variety pack of popchips & variety of coupons to each backpack.


• Every backpack will include BitDefender, security software for your PC.

• Orange Circle Studio is sending winners a “Do it all” planner & a family calendar.


• The backpack will include a variety of notebooks, folders, and binders from Carolina Pad.


• Rose Art is sending you back to school with glitter markers, dry erase board, and fun Color Blanks.


• Every backpack will include a ClassWish.org $25 Credit! Perfect for helping your community’s schools!


• DreamSakes is giving winners 20 free artwork scans! These are a great way to save or share your child’s masterpieces!


• Sun and Earth is sending a sampler pack to each winner.


• FamZoo, an online allowance management site, is including a year long membership


• Simon & Schuster added a great book, “E is for Ethics,” that will have you and your kids thinking!

• The backpack will contain either a LeapFrog Tag Reader with book set and US map, OR a LeapFrog Explorer with 2 games! (Penguins of Madagascar and Toy Story 3)


• Stonyfield Farms included coupons, awesome recycled plastic storage containers, & a few other surprises!


• Silver Dolphin added the “Human Body” book, and “Facts to Annoy your Teacher” books. Both are for kids!


• Sample tastes from Arizona Kids, Bear Naked, Cal Naturale Svelte, …

… and more to come! I’ll be adding to this list as more products are added by our sponsors!

To enter the great Fill the Backpack giveaway, leave a comment about your Magnificent Mom Moment that involves a Ziploc bag and include your contact information (email or Twitter handle).

For an extra entries, complete the above and do any of the following:

• Like Ziploc on Facebook and come back and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so.

• Tweet this and come back to comment @TechSavvyMama is celebrating @Ziploc Magificent Moments of Mom through @FilltheBackpack. Enter 2 win $300+ in prizes 4 back 2 school: http://bit.ly/cPo2Hy
  

Be sure to visit the other participating bloggers in the Fill the Backpack campaign and to increase your odds of winning by entering their giveaway!

*This Contest will end September 15th at 11:59 pm and is open to US Residents only.

Thanks to Ziploc for their sponsorship of the Fill the Backpack campaign! All prizes were generously provided by the aforementioned companies. No compensation was received for participating in the Fill the Backpack campaign. I am a consultant for BitDefender but this campaign falls out of the scope of my consulting role.

Another Reason to Love Stephen Colbert

Last night Stephen Colbert took on social media, online privacy, and the types of things we share online in The Colbert Report.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Control-Self-Delete
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Having a #BitMoms Twitter Party Friday & You're Invited!

The fabulous Amy Bair from Resourceful Mommy is hosting a #BitMoms Twitter Party this Friday night from 9-10 pm EST where everyone is invited to learn more about BitMoms and discuss topics relating to keeping your family safe online.

We have some wonderful prizes for participants including:

• A year of free BitDefender 2011 Internet Security for everyone (just follow the 2 super easy steps outlined in Amy's post)
• $20 Target gift cards
• GRAND PRIZE- A netbook and the brand new BitDefender 2011 Total Security to keep your machine in tip top shape!

If you have never attended a Twitter party, read Amy's How to Participate in a Twitter Party, join the BitMoms Community, and RSVP to let me know you'll be participating!

BitDefender employs me as a consultant to manage their online BitMoms Community.

Paper Jamz: New Touch Sensor Guitar for Young Rockers

For Christmas, the only thing that Captain Computer wanted was a guitar. Trying to find a decent guitar for a 4 year old that wasn’t a ukelele proved to be a challenge. Thinking that we needed to preserve our eardrums and that perhaps it was a phase, Santa brought him something else. Fast forward 7 months and Captain Computer still continues to be obsessed with guitars. Sigh.

And then we were introduced to Paper Jamz. Paper Jamz instruments ($24.99) are thin, battery-operated guitars that use Active Graphics(TM) Technology that allows kids to play just by touching the surface. Being able to just touch the surface of the guitar where you would usually have to press the strings to form chords while strumming takes far less coordination and instruction for young rockers but more experienced musicians would certainly enjoy practicing their skills on a flat surface.

Paper Jamz six unique guitars and six corresponding drum sets (sold separately), each featuring three hit licensed songs. The guitar and drums can be played in four modes, including:

• Perfect Play - Customers can play along with the three included hit songs while jamming on the guitar "perfectly" as though part of the band.
• Rhythm Play - The rhythm of the music for each song can be controlled -- speeding up or slowing down based on personal choice.
• Freestyle Play - The guitar can be played similar to a real guitar, as users can play real chords and create their own songs.
• Karaoke Mode - Customers can mute the vocals, drums or backing

We were sent 2 Paper Jamz guitars for review and while Captain Computer has been busy rocking out on his, Little Miss Techie’s suffered a circuit board malfunction only 24 hours after it arrived. She was quite disappointed that this hot new toy broke so quickly but luckily she improvised by creating her own drum set out of metal tins and Tinkertoy drumsticks (my ears say ouch!) so she and her brother can continue practicing their in real life Rock Band skills.

PaperJamz products are available for purchase at your local Walgreen’s.

Giveaway: Win a $25 gift card to purchase your own PaperJamz at your local Walgreens courtesy of PaperJamz. Just leave a comment with your child’s favorite tune to rock out to. Winner will be chosen in about a week.

2 PaperJamz guitars were sent for review purposes and the company provided the gift card as a giveaway. No compensation was received for this review or hosting this giveaway. My opinions are strictly my own.

Board Dinosaur Train for an Under Sea Adventure While Getting Ready for School (DVD giveaway)

Congratulations to Letisha who won the Dinosaur Train Under the Sea DVD! her 3 1/2 year old son loves Dinosaur Train and she's thankful she stumbled upon the show when flipping channels.

The concept of time traveling dinosaurs seems a bit strange but the pint size dinos in Dinosaur Train have been a favorite in our family ever since their debut on PBS. This week Tiny, Buddy, Shiny, and Don are in for a new adventure when the Dinosaur Train travels underwater in Dinosaur Train Under the Sea as part of The Jim Henson Company’s Get Ready for Kindergarten month.

Since Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer had seen the previews for the new one-hour television special from The Jim Henson Company (airing on Friday, August 20), they were thrilled to receive a screener copy of Dinosaur Train Under the Sea and shout “time travel” as the train headed underwater to explore the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic oceans to learn about new aquatic creatures.

Like the half hour episodes, the hour long Dinosaur Train Under the Sea, reinforces critical thinking skills in children by encouraging them to ask “why” questions. Teaching critical thinking is just as important as developing basic academic skills to allow for classroom readiness. Working with your child to recognize letters to find their name in the classroom, engaging in arts and crafts projects to develop fine motor skills needed for cutting and writing, and playing games that involve counting to develop a sense of numbers are just a few things that can be done in order to prepare your child for entering kindergarten.

The Dinosaur Train website offers parents and teachers a wealth of activities to encourage basic scientific thinking skills for preschoolers such as:

• Help your child practice the letters of the alphabet while learning about the diversity of dinosaurs that once lived on Earth with the Dinosaurs A – Z song. Basic supplies needed include 26 index cards (4x6 or 5x7), a thick marker, crayons, lyrics to "Dinosaurs A to Z" song and the printable page of all 26 dinosaurs in the song. For instructions go to: http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/activities/handson/dinosaursatoz.html

• Help your child learn some basic insect anatomy by creating a model of a dragonfly, and learn that some animals seen in the world today also lived at the time of the dinosaurs. Basic supplies needed include construction paper, wooden popsicle sticks, strong tape, pipe cleaners, colored markers, glue and glitter (and photographs of real dragonflies from books or the Internet). For instructions go to: http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/activities/handson/dragonfly.html

• Help your child understand and apply the term hypothesis, investigate, and make predictions about the science of color, using household basics including food coloring, clean food jars/containers, colored markers and a cookie sheet. For instructions go to: http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/activities/handson/colorfulhypothesis.html

Besides a robust website that encourages exploration of topics and themes from the show, The Jim Henson Company has just announced the release of products designed to keep Dinosaur Train fans learning with their favorite characters. Look for the following products to be available at major retailers (Target) in your area and through Amazon.com:

• Book: Dinosaur Train I am a T-Rex ($3.99)- Buddy has spent his whole life in a pteranodon nest and even though he knows he's not a pteranodon, he's not sure what he is. This book takes Buddy and his family for a ride on the Dinosaur Train where he is able to learn about other T-Rexes. Ages 3 and up.

• Book: Triceratops for Lunch ($3.99) by Golden Books, illustrated by Caleb Meurer- In this Little Golden Book about Dinosaur Train, the Triceratops are coming over for lunch and Buddy and his siblings need to figure out what to serve them for lunch! With Tank and Trudie Triceratops arriving at the train station at any minute, the gang needs to figure out whether to serve them plants or meat while teaching young readers the difference between herbivores and carnivores. Ages 2-5

• Game: Dinosaur Train Take ‘n Play Anywhere Go Fishing Magnetic Activity ($9.99)- Children can practice their hand eye coordination, matching skills, and cooperation while assisting Buddy and his family in catching fish. Take ‘N’ Play Anywhere activities feature big magnetic pieces that are easy for kids to use and hard for kids to lose! Ages 4 and up. Available through amazon.com or patchproducts.com.

• Game: Dinosaur Train All Aboard Game from Pressman Toy Corp ($12)- Join Buddy and his friends on Dinosaur Train by choosing a character – Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don, Cory, Tank or Mr. Conductor – and try to move the fastest along the tracks. Speed through the three dinosaur eras: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous along the beautiful scenery. Special Stopwatch spaces will help you get closer to the nest, while Dinosaur Crossing spaces will send you back. The first player to reach the nest area in the center of the board wins. For 2 to 6 players. Ages 4 and up.

• Characters- Dinosaur Train Dinosaur Collectible 3 packs from Learning Curve ($7.99)- Since kids learn through imaginative play, these 3 packs of Dinosaur Train characters are perfect for hours of imaginative dinosaur play and feature special collector cards. Figures can be enjoyed separately or can fit inside train cars (sold separately) for more role play fun. Ages 3 and up.

Giveaway: Win a copy of Dinosaurs Under the Sea on DVD courtesy of PBS KIDS and Paramount. This new DVD debuts on August 24 and includes eight exciting and whimsical adventures, as well as interactive games, coloring pages, a dinosaur reference guide and information for parents.

To enter, leave a comment about which dinosaur is your favorite and why. Dinosaurs can be from any prehistoric era and don’t have to be characters from Dinosaur Train. Please leave your email or Twitter handle as part of your entry. Winner will be selected in about a week.

Thanks to The Jim Henson Company, Paramount, and PBS KIDS for providing samples for review purposes. No compensation was received for this post as this was written outside my scope of work as a consultant for PBS Teachers.

Fill the Backpack: Great Giveaways for Students, Parents & Teachers to Start the School Year Off Right

As summer winds down and we anticipate the start of the new school year, I am not only excited about the start of a brand new school year but happy to be participating in the Fill the Backpack campaign where I’ll be giving away 2 backpacks filled with over $300 in fun products for back to school and beyond. Fill the Backpack will also be hosting a Dream Classroom Contest for teachers and parents to submit a 200 word essay describing their dream classroom. Two entries will receive $500 to Classwish.org to help assist in the building of the classroom of their dreams.

Fill the Backpack is taking place online across 8 blogs for an entire month thanks to partners like Volunteers Spot, sponsors like Ziploc Brand and 20th Century Fox, and many other participating companies who have generously donated products for the 16 backpacks that will be given away across 8 different websites.

One of the participating companies is LeapFrog, one of my personal favorite companies for educational products for children. LeapFrog is has filled one backpack with the LeapFrog Explorer and Toy Story 3 game. The other backpack will contain the Tag Reader and the new Tag United States of America Map and a set of books. Read my full review of the Tag Reader LeapFrog Explorer.

Tag United States of America Map recently arrived and it is already a favorite in our house. The new double sided interactive map measures 35” x 20” and put the United States at Little Miss Techie’s fingertips thanks to over 45 games that allow her to learn map skills such as north, east, south, and west and the different features of a map. She’s also learning about the diversity of our nation’s regions like mountainous regions, deserts, lakes, and rivers. The map allows her to visit natural and manmade wonders and learn fun facts about the various animals that inhabit our country.

Visit the other participating sites this month to learn about the other companies who have generously donated items for our Fill the Backpack giveaway! The other 7 blogs are:

• Just Precious by Julie Meyers Pron
• The Centsible Life by Kelly Whalen 

• 
Detroit Mommies by Courtney Valasquez
• It’s My Life by Jessica Rosenberg
• Savvy Sassy Moms by Andrea Fellman
• From Crib to Car Keys by Shannan Powell
• Clueless Mama by Laurie Cooper

Huge thanks to the Fill the Backpack Official Sponsors

As a participant in the Fill the Backpack Campaign, I received product samples to review but have not been compensated for my posts or to host the giveaways. While I am a paid contributor to The LeapFrog Community, my review was not influenced by my work with the site. We were fans of LeapFrog before I started working with them.

Spotted: President Obama Attending a Washington Mystics Game (& WNBA Ticket Discount)

Just 3 days after I heard President Obama speak at the National Urban League’s Centennial Convention, I happened to share the same air space (as a Twitter friend pointed out!) with him again at a Washington Mystics game!

I have to admit that while the action on the floor was highly exciting, I couldn’t help watching The President embrace his role as a dad a mere 12 rows in front of us. The most powerful leader in the free world sat in front of us on a Sunday afternoon with Verizon Center owner, Ted Leonsis, on one side and his daughter, Melia on the other. I guarantee they had as much fun as we did although there were no Secret Service agents bringing us nachos or popcorn!

While I can’t promise any presidential sightings at your local WNBA game, One2One Network has teamed up with the WNBA to make it affordable for your family to enjoy the a Mystics game just like The President did with one of his girls!

Just visit the WBNA Mystics site and enter promo code WNBABLOG to purchase tickets. You will need to create an account in order to use the code, simply enter your email address, create a password – and voila! Discount!

There are still some games left before school starts so take a look at the Mystics schedule to see what might work best and fingers crossed that the Obamas will also be in attendance!

It's The President! Right in front of the tall guy in the yellow shirt.
Notice how the Secret Service guy is giving me the evil eye! Moving along...

Thanks to One2One Network and the WNBA for providing tickets for my family to attend this game and Washington Mystics shirts. We had no idea President Obama would be in attendance nor that we would be so close to him!

Sony PSP Offers Great Content for Every Member of the Family

As part of the PSP Family Fun campaign, Sony armed me with a Special Edition PSP 3000 with Rock Band, loaded some age appropriate content for my kids, and sent me both the high tech (Flip Camcorder) and low tech (Moleskine) for me to document our use of our PSP throughout the summer. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how much I would use the PSP when it first arrived because I don’t consider myself a gamer but fast forward a few months and I’ve found the PSP to be a powerful device that isn’t just for gaming and offers something for every member of the family.

My husband is addicted to perfecting his Rock Band skills while jamming to 80s songs that conjure up a host of memories and 6 year old Little Miss Techie gets her comic fix thanks to the free downloadable DC Comics. Comics such as Wallace and Gromit and AstroBoy have helped maintain her interest in reading throughout the summer months to prevent the infamous summer slide.

Even though I had my initial doubts about using the PSP, I’ve enjoyed it more than I expected. I love using it to watch movies on the go. During our recent trip to California, Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer watched a movie together on my laptop and I was able to watch my own movie on the PSP. With such a high resolution screen, movie watching on the PSP beats straining to see the screen on the airplane or risking that your personal in-flight entertainment system won’t work.

This weekend I’ve brought my Sony PSP to BlogHer, a blogging conference where 2,400 women (and a few men) will convene to talk about all things blog and plan on using PSP Internet Radio. Attending the conference is something I look forward to every year because it is exhilarating to meet with those I normally converse with online and meet new people, but it can be exhausting. Sometimes it’s great to enjoy downtime in my room or host an in-room house party and I love the diverse selection of music available to suit my every taste and mood.

After using the PSP all summer, I’ve discovered that it truly is a device that can be enjoyed by every member of the family. The wide range of content suits a variety of interests and ages making it the perfect companion whether on the go or right at home.

It has been a pleasure being a part of the Sony PSP Family Fun campaign. I appreciate Sony's sponsorship of my trip to BlogHer and working with them on future media opportunities. Sony provided a PSP Family Fun kit to document my experience.

T-Mobile Garminfone Giveaway!!

The T-Mobile Garminfone giveaway is live!

To enter, visit the T-Mobile BlogHer '10 tab on your Facebook account and tell me what mobile applicaiton you can't live with out in the Discussions section.

The best answer wins! Good luck!

For disclosure, please visit my previous post "T-Mobile BlogHer Memories & Garminfone Giveaway."

Apologies! T-Mobile Garminfone giveaway begins tomorrow!

If you clicked over to the T-Mobile Facebook page and were frustrated not to find the Garminfone giveaway, I owe you a huge apology.

Despite all my tech-savviness, apparently I can't read a calendar.

The Garminfone giveaway starts tomorrow, August 3. Hangs head in shame.

So please do click over and enter tomorrow! I promise it will be there. T-Mobile told me it would very nicely after they nicely reminded me that today is August 2 and not August 3.

Sigh.

Now please carry on. Thank you.

T-Mobile BlogHer Memories & Garminfone Giveaway

I’m getting ready to attend my third BlogHer and feel like it wasn’t that long ago that I attended my very first conference in San Francisco in 2008. At the time I registered, I had only been blogging for a month and was still a newbie 6 months later. Needless to say I was nervous and overwhelmed.

I remember going to the first party of the on one of the top floors of the St. Francis Hotel. It was crowded and in an attempt to find food and drink, I happened upon a T-Mobile table. And that was the beginning.

Now three years later, I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing countless T-Mobile phones, freelancing for their 100% You Magazine which is sent to all T-Mobile customers, and hosting a lot of giveaways.

This year I am featured on T-Mobile’s BlogHer ’10 page, the BlogHer ’10 Facebook page, and am offering my readers the chance to win a brand new Garminfone!

Garminfone? As in the Garmin the GPS company?

YES!!!

Garminfone is the first Android smartphone that features Garmin GPS navigation in one device. According to the T-Mobile site, Garminfone will help you navigate either by car or foot by simply entering an address or cross streets and using voice-guided and on-screen turn-by-turn directions to guide you to your destination. You can even record your own custom voices as navigation prompts with Garmin Voice Studio!

Garminfone also features location-based services so you can access real-time traffic, weather, and ETA…even gas prices to refuel during your journey! It includes a charging mount and car charger so you can get going as soon as you take it out of the box whether your travels take you indoors or out.

Like all T-Mobile phones, the Garminfone provides direct access to the Android Market to add apps for productivity, social networking, and entertaining the kids. It also comes loaded with Google Mobile Services to instantly access Google Calendar™, Gmail™, YouTube™, and GoogleTalk®.

While I haven’t gotten my hands on the new Garminfone for a full review, everything that I have read and heard has been incredibly positive and think this could be my new favorite T-Mobile device! I’m looking forward to experiencing the Garminfone this week at T-Mobile’s booth at BlogHer but want to offer all of my readers the opportunity to win one.

To enter: Visit the T-Mobile BlogHer’10 tab on your Facebook account and tell me what mobile application you can’t live without in the Discussions section.

Just tell me what mobile application you can’t live without on the T-Mobile BlogHer’10 tab on your Facebook account and respond in the Discussions section. Make your answer good because I get to choose the best response as my winner!

Good luck and maybe I’ll run into you at the T-Mobile booth in the exhibit all at BlogHer later this week!

No compensation was received for being profiled on BlogHer, this post, or to select the winner of the Garminfone however, T-Mobile has also provided me with a Dell Mini with WebConnect to use while at BlogHer.

President Obama Addresses the National Urban League to Speak About Education Reform

On Thursday I had the opportunity to hear President Barack Obama speak about education reform at the National Urban League’s Centennial Convention. Held at the massive Washington Convention Center, President Obama arrived by helicopter to fulfill his promise of speaking at the convention if he was elected. The theme of the speech was empowerment and The President spoke at length about much needed education reform to transform the nation’s schools.

The President stated that our education system is ranked 12th in the world. It is no secret that other countries surpass our children’s knowledge and ability to compete for jobs on a global stage. We must do better. The only question is how.

We live in a time where school budgets are leaner than ever and school systems have furloughed teachers as a cost saving measure. There is little money for professional development or new curriculum. Teachers are digging deep to pay for things out of pocket when they are not getting salary raises to reflect years of experience and pay to reflect the increased cost of living.

Cleary changes are necessary and President Obama’s recognized all of these factors when he talked about Race to the Top. The ambitious plan is designed to change education in this country. It's completely different from No Child Left Behind but just as controversial.

The President announced that part of the initiative includes a nationwide competition by states for federal dollars. The new plan ties teacher evaluation to student performance, adopting common student achievement standards, and charter schools as an alternative to public schools. Currently only 2 states have received federal educational reform money based on this new plan.

In the past, states have been allocated a dollar amount based on need. Need was always calculated via a formula that took into account socioeconomics, such as the numbers of children receiving free and reduced meals, and doled out to states through federal Title I and Title II grant funds. The needy populations got the most money to help decrease the achievement gap.

Through this new program, competition is tough. NBC Nightly News reported that Tennessee and Delaware are the only 2 states that have won federal funds so far but there are 19 states that are finalists for the second round of funding.

More states do have the opportunity to win funding but the concern is that the right schools and student populations won’t be served through competition-based funding. It is unclear if those that really need the money are in the running. Those that really and truly need the money might not have applied for funds or perhaps didn’t qualify in this round. I wonder how school systems being considered propose to make all the necessary changes in order to ensure student success and mastery of the curriculum when there are no federal standards to guide the change.

I was awestruck by the fact that I was in the same room as The President and while his inspirational speech made those around me utter starry eyed dreams of teaching and at times, had me reconsider my leave of absence from teaching, I remain a skeptic.

I wanted to cheer and shout “yes we can!” along with the crowd but as a veteran teacher, I know the hardships first hand. I’ve seen the achievement gap that is very clearly divided by race. I’ve experienced how difficult it is to get an entire staff on board to make the necessary changes in order for every child to do well. I’ve been part of school system budget cuts both as a central office employee in charge of half a million dollars of centrally purchased online services (ex: BrainPop, WorldBook, etc.) for our county and down to my own classroom budget of $35 for supplies. In May I was allocated a mere $35 to purchase a year’s worth of supplies for me and the students that I would be meeting with in my new academic intervention reading focus position.

I want to believe that we can change education for the better in the United States. I want to believe that all parents will be involved in their child’s education. I want to believe that kids will come to school knowing their letters, shapes, and numbers and be ready to learn when they enter the building in kindergarten. I believe in my colleagues, their ability to teach, and dedication to all students- even the most challenging ones.

I want to see President Obama’s Rise to the Top succeed and for states to get much needed funding in order to make these changes but as he said, it is hard to change and we won’t see immediate differences right away.

Time will tell. I can only hope that these changes to our education system will be effective enough to prepare our kids for a brighter future and help elevate our country on the world stage.

Lots to ask for? Yes, indeed!

Yes we can? I hope so!

Full text of President Obama's speech can be found here: Remarks by the President on Education Reform at the National Urban League Centennial Conference

Special thanks to Blogalicious and the b-Link who made it possible to attend President Obama's speech to the National Urban League and T-Mobile for providing me with the Dell Mini with WebConnect to take notes throughout the speech. I was not compensated to attend the event or write this post and all opinions are my own.