For Immediate Release s477

For Immediate Release For More Information: (Your Name) Carla Huck (Your Title) Director of TeachNet (Phone) (212) 966-5582 (Fax) (212) 941-1787 (E-mail) [email protected]

Announcing TeachNet Award Winners

(Your Name) Selected as TeachNet Award Winner

(Your Name) of (Your City) has been chosen as one of 250 public school teachers from across the country who are receiving TeachNet Awards. This select group of elementary, middle, and high school teachers represent eight TeachNet affiliates worldwide—New York (NY), Westchester BOCES (NY), Boston (MA), Miami-Dade (FL), Polk County (FL), Santa Barbara County (CA), State of Maine, and Ireland. Major funding for TeachNet is provided by the AT&T Foundation.

As a member of TeachNet, (Your Name) attends curriculum writing and technology training sessions throughout the school year, and participates in online discussion forums and listservs. (His/Her) technology-enhanced lesson plans are published on the award-winning Teachers Network web site—complete with detailed instructions, Internet resources, and contact information—which can then be accessed and reproduced by teachers anywhere in the world. (Your Name)’s work has also been presented at district-wide educational conferences. (He/She) is a true innovator in the field of educational technology.

Ellen Dempsey, President and CEO of Teachers Network, relates that, “TeachNet has proven to be a successful professional development program because it helps teachers develop curriculum that meets standards and uses technology in a meaningful way.”

TeachNet major components include:  Identifying teachers and other educators who have access to new media tools and are using them in the classroom with students; --more--  Conducting in-school trainings with teams of teachers in all subject areas;  Awarding grants to participating schools for training time, materials, and resources;  Publishing print catalogs of these projects to encourage other teachers to adapt them;  Developing an online database of award-winning innovative projects to share with a global audience of teachers and students; and  Creating an online and offline professional community of teachers who are integrating technology into the school curriculum.

TeachNet is a major initiative of Teachers Network. Teachersnetwork.org won the 2002 Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP). Selected from more than 900 entries in 43 categories, Teachers Network was chosen as the best online portal in the Technology group. Some of the judges’ comments on the Teachers Network web site: “Well-organized, packed with resources, helpful lesson plans.” “Pictures, colors, eye-appeal.” “Can appeal to all teachers.”

Teachers Network is an educational non-profit organization that identifies and connects innovative teachers who exemplify professionalism, independence, and creativity within public school systems. Teachers Network provides grants and networking opportunities for teachers in the areas of curriculum, leadership, policy, and new media. Teachers Network’s community of educators is linked by 28 affiliates representing most major cities.