Agenda

2009 Conference Agenda (tentative)

 * 8:30 AM - Registration & Breakfast
 * 9:00 AM - Welcome from MOUSE
 * 9:15 AM - Live Wire!
 * 10:00 AM - Concurrent Sessions Part 1:
 * Participatory Media and Technology (the LAMP)
 * Programming for the ‘Sort-of’ Interested: A beginners’ primer on languages and their use.
 * 11:00 AM - {break}
 * 11:15 AM - Working Groups: Innovation through Participation
 * 12:00 PM - Lunch
 * 12:45 PM - Keynote Address: Doug Rushkoff
 * 1:45 PM - Concurrent Sessions Part 2
 * Garage Robotics (Vision Education)
 * Grant-writing (MOUSE & Donor's Choose)
 * Information Session for Prospective Schools (MOUSE)
 * 2:45 PM - {break}
 * 3:00 PM - Concurrent Sessions Part 3
 * Garage Robotics (Vision Education)
 * Playing 4 Keeps: Civic Engagement through Game Design (Global Kids)
 * Geek Squad: Agents of Engagement (Best Buy's Geek Squad Agents)
 * 4:00 PM - Conference Wrap-up
 * 4:15 PM - Cocktail Reception (with Raffle)

MOUSE: Live Wire!
Every year, MOUSE draws from our experience and expertise to provide improved, and sometimes brand new, offerings that help strengthen our program network. This year, MOUSE has designed a 45-minute session that will not only get you new info, but draw from our most important resource - YOU! - as we continue to grow our programs for youth and educators. Picture a mashup between the mousesquad.org "WIRE" - the place for info on MOUSE programs and hot topics that intersect new technology and learning - and speed dating, where participants use a limited amount of time to travel a circuit of in-person conversation - in our case, all in an effort to help you find resources (events, opportunities, people) that can help you deepen your impact through MOUSE. In the spirit of our theme "Innovation Through Participation" be prepared to ask questions, share resources, and build ideas that build our network.

Working Groups: Innovation Through Participation
This year’s conference theme is Innovation through Participation. In this session, participants will focus on transforming challenges into ideas for innovation that benefit the entire MOUSE Squad network. What are some best practices for implementing engaging activities and projects, for organizing help desk operations, for facing challenges with your administration? Come share what worked for you. Each group will showcase their “break-through” ideas to the entire session.

[[image:http://globalkids.org/gfx/logo.gif align="right" link="http://globalkids.org/"]]Playing 4 Keeps: Civic Engagement through Game Design
In this workshop, [|Global Kids] will conduct a hands-on introduction to its Playing 4 Keeps Capacity Building program. The program, currently being used in libraries, museums and community centers, trains and provides curriculum to educators who have a desire to expose their students to global issues while teaching them game design and twenty first century skills at the same time. Participants in the workshop will become familiar with the Playing 4 Keeps curriculum, learning objectives and basic game design skills. Bringing a laptop is encouraged. Presented by Rafi Santo of [|Global Kids].

Participatory Media & Technology
Participants will engage in activity/talk/discussion with facilitator about what media literacy is, how developments in media and communication technology have changed, how our uses of them have changed, and how we continue to change with them. Presented by Katherine Fry of [|The Lamp (Learning About Multimedia Project].

Programming for the ‘Sort-of’ Interested: A beginners’ primer on languages and their use
How are computer programs developed in the workplace? What are the differences between programming languages and their application? Does someone need a degree in computer science to be a programmer? What is “application development”? This seminar is a primer and introduction to popular programming languages that can be found in almost any workplace or casual computing environment (Visual Basic, SQL, HTML, XML, C, Python, Java, C#). The objective of the session is to provide an overview of what languages are commonly-used in the workplace and elsewhere in modern computing, and how students and teachers can build software applications that develop transferable work skills.

Garage Robotics
From Make Magazine to Instructables.com, the popularity of Do-It-Yourself experimentation continues to grow. The D.I.Y. Movement has brought together scientists, engineers, hobbyists, and students through a shared love of exploration and tinkering. In this workshop, Vision Education will conduct a hands-on activity in homebrew science for middle and high school students. Participants will learn simple tricks for working with microprocessors and generating electricity while prototyping their own inventions. Presented by [|Vision Education & Media].

[[image:http://www.csee.usf.edu/%7Edmerker/geek_squad_logo.jpg width="204" height="112" align="right"]]Geek Squad: Agents of Engagement
In this workshop, MOUSE educators will play the students as Geek Squad Agents demonstrate their dynamic, hands-on approach to tech training from Geek Squad's Summer Academy. With a focus on activities that can be replicated with very few resources, you will leave this workshop with low cost training ideas to bring back to your school.

Fund-raising Fundamentals: Grantwriting for Educators
Facilitated by Lynn Schnarr, MOUSE's Director of Development, this introductory grantwriting workshop will provide educators with new fundraising tips, tools, and funding opportunities. With special guest speakers from [|Donors Choose] and information from Best Buy, we will work through an actual grant application process and build your capacity to secure financial support for your classroom and your school.

MOUSE Squad Information Session**
MOUSE Squad is a replicable, innovative, and cost-effective solution to the problem of inadequate levels of on-site technical support in schools and the need to serve the 21st century educational and professional needs of students. This session covers the requirements to bring the program to your school.