Another natural disaster has hit close to home for many of Broward County Public Schools students, staff and BECON-TV. We want to extend our thoughts and condolences to the citizens of Haiti, who yesterday suffered an earthquake of unprecedented proportion. We have a very large Haitian student population in our schools and would like to express our heartfelt compassion and concern to all who have and may be impacted by the earthquake disaster.  As a BECON-TV family, we are all touched and affected. We are, obviously, concerned about and evaluating the most effective and efficient way to support the rescue and recovery efforts in Haiti.

With the support of our School Board and all of Team Broward, BECON-TV  stands ready to assist the people of Haiti. We are calling on your generous support. Those interested in making contributions to help the victims in Haiti can get more information on charitable organizations active in Haiti by clicking on the links below:

American Red Cross
Hope for Haiti
Food for the Poor
Yele Haiti

Our thoughts and prayers are with our community and their families in Haiti.

Dr. Phyllis Schiffer-Simon, Director/General Manager BECON

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BECON-TV (WBEC-TV), part of BECON, the Broward Education Communications Network, is owned and operated by the School Board of Broward County and is a broadcast television station licensed by the FCC to provide noncommercial educational programming to the South Florida community.  For more information on BECON classroom and community programming, visit (www.becon.tv) or call 1-877-TV-BECON.

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FORT LAUDERDALE—October 21, 2009 – The Suncoast Regional Emmys recently announced their list of nominations for 2009 and BECON has received five Emmy Award nominations. This is the highest number of nominations in the history of the station.

The Emmy Awards will be presented in Orlando, Florida on December 5, 2010. The BECON-TV programs nominated for Emmy Awards are:

Category: Children/Youth/Teens – Program

Up Down and Around

Michael V. Moscatello, M.Ed., writer; Robert Small, producer; Iris H. Kauffman, M.Ed., coordinator program development; Bruce Tuthill, Director; Cesar Varela, graphics; Roxanne Lamendola, on camera host.

Science Matters

Iris Kauffman, Coordinator; Michael V. Moscatello, M.Ed., Executive Producer; Pedro A. Chavez, II, Director; Antonio Di Matteo, Graphist;

Hall Pass

Debra Hall-Greene, Producer/writer; Gabe Brudasco, Editor; Iris Kauffman, Coordinator

Category: Audio – (Live or Post-Production)

Science Matters: Energy Works (Composite)

Gregory Steiner, Audio

Category: Set Design

Up, Down and Around

Mike Kaye, Set Design

“We’re proud of the quality and diversity of our programming and are hoping for another win,” said Dr. Phyllis Schiffer-Simon, director of BECON.  ”The producers and the entire BECON team deserve this national recognition for the top quality educational programming they’re producing on behalf of the School District for the benefit of the entire South Florida community.”

BECON-TV programming airs 24/7 throughout South Florida. BECON is available on Comcast Cable, DirecTV, Dish Network and AT&T U-verse in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties. Check local TV guides for program schedules or visit the BECON website at: www.becon.tv or call 754-321-1000 for more information.

BECON-TV is a part of the Broward Education Communications Network, and is owned and operated by the School Board of Broward County, FL. It is a noncommercial television station licensed by the FCC to provide educational programming to the South Florida community. BECON’S mission is to educate, inspire, broaden the horizons and enhance the quality of life of our South Florida community by delivering a rich diversity and timely mix of innovative instructional, educational, cultural and community affairs programs.

FORT LAUDERDALE—OCTOBER 13, 2009 – BECON-TV is hosting a live, interactive Distance Learning Outreach presentation for students to participate through observation only, in a cervical spine surgery at Memorial Healthcare System on November 10, 2009 at 8:30 AM. Dr. Greg Zorman, Chief of Neurosurgery for Memorial Healthcare System, will perform the surgery. Dr. Zorman is a former Chief of Staff for Memorial Regional Hospital.

Videoconferencing allows students to come together for interactive presentations and instruction without leaving their classroom. A pre and post test will be administered to the students as well as providing a reference guide about the cervical spine surgery. Sixteen high schools will have an opportunity to be engaged in this interactive program, originating from Memorial Healthcare System. This collaboration allows the students to take virtual field into the operating room that they might never visit otherwise.

The high schools that will be participating in the two-way, interactive Distance Learning presentation include:
Blanche Ely High School
Coral Glades High School
Cypress Bay High School
Dillard High School
Hallandale High School
McArthur High School
South Plantation High School
Stranahan High School
West Broward High School
Western High School

Six other high schools will be viewing the Distance Learning presentation, they include:

Piper High School
Boyd Anderson High School
Coral Springs High School
Hollywood Hills High School
Seagull High School
Miramar High School

The primary goal of the District’s Distance Learning Outreach Program is seeking out organizations and communities that will provide students with learning experiences through the use of 21st Century Technology. BECON Distance Learning Outreach is currently developing a network of content providers and welcomes partners nationwide and internationally. Those interested in participating in distance learning academic programs or being a content provider for Broward County Public Schools should contact Joy Veasy, Distance Learning Outreach Specialist, at 754-321-1109.

BECON Distance Learning Outreach is a division of BECON-TV, which is owned and operated by the School Board of Broward County. BECON-TV provides curriculum-based instructional programs for classroom teachers and broadcasting noncommercial, educational programming to the South Florida community.

WPBT2 KidVision VPK is a free online program that stimulates learning through virtual field trips around the community. The virtual field trips add dimension to the curriculum and make learning interesting, relevant and fun. This innovative online resource is available for teachers and parents on demand via the Internet. Our field trip catalog includes ventures to a fire station, an animal shelter, a recycling center, Biscayne National Park among others. Standard-based lesson plans, student assessment forms, and take home work that promotes literacy, communication and language accompany each field trip experience. Student involvement in learning the standards becomes multi-dimensional, as students watch field trips and then do hands-on activities. On the website, teachers and parents learn to teach the standards. BECON TV and KidVision VPK are a perfect fit for upgrading education through the use of technology.

BECON –TV Distance Learning Outreach will provide teachers a closer look at KidVisionVPK.org on September 15, 2009 at 2:15 through a videoconference. BECON TV’s videoconferences allow multiple locations to simultaneously interact in ‘real time’ about quality education programs. KidVision VPK is excited about the educational possibilities we offer to teachers, parents and students and are thrilled and honored to present the program on BECON TV. Visit www.http://www.browardschools.com/stream/kid_vision.htm to watch the live videoconference stream and learn about KidVisionVPK.org

KidVision VPK has been inspiring thousands of teachers and touching the lives of thousands of children around Florida. Dr. Phyllis Schiffer-Simon, BECON-TV’s General Manager says, “now in a joint effort with KidVision VPK we will be able to provide and promote educational opportunities for all children to enhance their personal achievement and life-long learning.” Everyday our KidVision VPK family expands and evolves. Based on teacher involvement and registered users, KidVision VPK is touching more than 30,000 children around Florida. Our goal is to bring KidVision VPK to every pre-school in the State to ensure high quality education to all the 140,000 4 years old currently in Florida. This alliance with BECON TV ensures to open doors and reaches the cornerstone of Broward County educators.

Watch. Learn, Play and Integrate the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Standards on www.KidVisionVPK.org

A team from Leadership Broward Class XXVII has made this project their yearlong goal, and working in conjunction with BECON-TV, they plan to use videoconferencing technology to train teachers, students, parents and the community on critical child safety techniques, adult sexual predator education and anti-bullying.

ACIM’s staff completed a training course on how to use the technology that they will ultimately be using to deliver the training, now and thru the 2009-10 school year. ACIM’s Child Safety Education Program will be delivered by two instructors to over 1,400 children teaching them how to stay safe and avoid dangerous situations.

BECON’S director, Dr. Phyllis-Schiffer Simon, said, “This presents a wonderful example of how community partnerships can bring about synergy for accomplishing common goals.”

The Child Safety Education Pilot will be video-conferenced live from BECON TV studios TOMORROW, Thursday, May 7 from 9 – 10 a.m. to the following three school sites that volunteered to participate in the pilot program.

Oakland Park Elementary School – 2nd grade class
Riverland Elementary School– 2nd grade class
Maplewood Elementary School – 4th grade class

Walton, better known to his students as “Mr. G,” has over thirty years of teaching experience. His duties and responsibilities include designing, implementing and delivering innovative mathematics instruction through videoconferencing to elementary school students. His current courses, “FCAT Math with Mr. G” and “Mr. G’s Math Marvels,” reach over 3,500 students and 170 teachers each week.

Walton also mentors and coaches his peers. He developed a training program to provide teachers with the tools they need to keep students engaged with hands-on mathematics instruction, and has made presentations at international math conferences. Walton also serves as a training consultant for Modern Red School House (www.mrsh.org), a non-profit organization that provides customized professional development, based upon evidence of what works in highly effective schools.