Visual Education Conference, Maine

The University of Maine Center for Technology-Enhanced Learning (CTEL) is a proud sponsor of Diverse 2010, an international conference on innovations in visual education, July 6-8 USM Portland Campus, http://usm.maine.edu/pdc/diverse/ The three-day conference is filled with workshops on telepresence, how to use video training for teacher education, finding ways to communicate concepts of virtual performance to students with autism, using video for assessment, and even a presentation on using iPads in education (see http://www.usm.maine.edu/pdc/diverse/presentations.html for the full presenter list). Educators, researchers, and innovators in visual education will be particularly interested in the sessions and the Creative Concept Coffees that will provide a forum to process the ideas with your peers.The keynote speakers include Marci Powell, Chair of the Board for the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and Global Director for Higher Education and Corporate Training at Polycom, and Benjamin Hubbard, manager of webcast.berkeley at UC Berkeley.

Oil Spill Effect on Salt Marshes

In this 10-min video, Dr Irv Mendelssohn, Louisiana State University School of the Coast and Environment, describes oil impacts on salt marshes.  He describes factors that determine whether the marsh will die and factors to consider when deciding what action, if any, should be taken to decontaminate marshes.  This is a must see for anyone who would like to know how to respond when asked what the oil spill will do to salt  marshes.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFc_PS9dd40

Google Ocean Showcase

features multimedia tours of shipwrecks and underwater mountains, surf and dive spots, and more. The tours incorporate more than 1,000 images and video from a variety of sites and scientific organizations, and include underwater topographical maps, narration, and photos. Google Ocean Showcase

Exploring the Deep Ocean Online

A consortium of academic and cultural institutions, Fathom creates and share high-quality online learning experiences, from in-depth free seminars to shorter features, interviews, and articles.  Their Exploring the Deep Ocean section includes materials from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the UK Natural History Museum, and Seminars in Marine Science and Oceanology include free multi-session courses on shark natural history and underwater bioacoustics.

Student Video Contest

The Gulf of Maine Census of Marine Life and National Ocean Science Bowl invite any and all high schools to submit a 2-minute video clip with the theme “Living on the Ocean Planet.”  Deadline:  1/25/10; for a flyer and guidelines visit NOSB.  No video camera?  Use stills from the Encyclopedia of Life or the Marine Photobank!  Meanwhile, check out last year’s winning videos.

Train a Goldfish, Then a Whale

Immersion Learning is challenging kids ages 10 to 14 to a Goldfish Training Contest.  Contestants will create a 2-minute video showing how they trained their fish to perform a unique behavior, using Marine Mammals of the Arctic Program techniques.  The top three entrants will win the chance to be a Beluga whale trainer for a day at the Mystic (CT) Aquarium in February 2010.  Check online for more information.

Contribute Your Ocean Story to NOAA Kiosk at Smithsonian Ocean Hall

Would you like more visibility for your ocean project? Consider contributing a brief ocean story, video or images to the NOAA Kiosk at
the Smithsonian Institution. Check out the website for information on how to do it.
Story proposals are accepted twice a year – the next deadline is January 30, 2010.

ROV Footage Google Map

The Museum of Animal Perspectives (MAP) is a website containing animal-related video imagery from around the world. Check out this section which contains underwater ROV imagery

Ocean Acidification Documentary

Acid Test: the Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification, a film produced by the National Resources Defense Council, was made to raise awareness about the problem of ocean acidification, which poses a fundamental challenge to life in the seas and the health of the entire planet.  The video and additional outtakes can be viewed online or downloaded from the website

Ocean Acidification Video Available Online

The video “ACID TEST: the Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification,” produced by the National Resources Defense Council, can be viewed online