Education Uncensored

Webcam chat at Ustream

Look for live streaming video of “The Equinox Express”

• on Monday, February 8th when it is dropped off
• on Monday, February 8th when Boy Genius arrives home and gets the tour
• on Tuesday, the 9th as we start loading our bags for travel
• on Tuesday, the 9th as we get moving down the road toward Orlando
• on Tuesday at various stops along the trip from my house to Mickey Mouse’s House on Wednesday, the 10th
• on Wednesday, the 10th as we navigate to Mickey’s House
• from Wednesday through Friday, the 10th thru the 12th as we give various bloggers a tour of The Equinox Express
• Saturday, the 13th as we make our final tour of the Mouse’s House
• Sunday, the 14th (talk about a Valentine’s Day of Fun) as we make the trek home from Mickey Mouse’s house
• Sunday, the 14th as we unload the car and prepare for its departure on Monday, the 15th
• Monday, the 15th while we await someone from the GM Family to retrieve the Equinox Express
• Monday, the 15th as well all sadly watch as the Equinox Express is returned to the hands of the GM Family

Actually I have been here posting a bit o’ this and bit o’ that.  I’ve got contests and I’ve got video’s but let me tell you about a few other folks I know.

As you know, I’m headed to Orlando next week for the Social Media Moms Celebrate Disney and since I’m headed that way, I might as well get there in style, right?

And, with that, General Motors will be delivering this beauty to my house on Monday of next week (and let’s all pray my husband cleans up the front deck and lawn before then)

I mean, really, you can catch it all here because we will be live streaming it.  If something bigger happens (and trust me, it might), it may or may not be streamed on Facebook an/or UStream.  So, keep up, follow the Twitter feed @The_Jerri_Ann and @GMBlogs

And, you know, the goodness just get’s better around here.  I’m getting some new hot designer business cards for this event too….wait to you see me break out these bad boys…

And for those of you at the conference, the goodies just keep getting better…….

I’ve got temporary badges for your children’s safety from My Precious Kid and right now she has these awesome new car seat ID cards you need to check out too.

So, if you catch me in time, you can have a safety bracelet for your kiddos to sport at Disney.

I’m also going to be sporting this awesome T-shirt……I’ve been working with these folks and I love it…

And really ya’ll, can you say awesome awesome awesome!  And, there’s more…..yea for real, there’s more!

I have some of these…

I have one Otterbox to give away for someone with an iPhone.

I have one of these for the iPhone…

And, I have one of these for the iPhone

And, I have a cover like this if you have a BlackJack II

And, honestly, you never ever ever know what else I might come up with???

Like maybe….some Vital Earth Traditions…..????  you think that would work?

Yea, sounds silly but my children have become little educating engineers as of late.

I’m not feeling spiffy so I’m giving you a really condensed version…for me anyway…

5 year old wants to watch Max & Ruby and each time Max & Ruby comes on, which if you don’t know is about 4 times a day……he asks, “Do you know why they call it Max & Ruby?” and I look at him and he answers “Because there is a Max and Ruby on the show”

Yea, ok…I’ll buy that.

Today as we ran out in the rain to pick up the 7 year old from school, the 5 year old yells emphatically “DON’T STEP IN THE PUD MUDDLE”

When we return home, we later, rinse and repeat…”WATCH THE PUD MUDDLE!”

And, each day as we return home, and yes we do live on a road named after a cemetery and yes we do have to pass this cemetery to get to and from school…..the 5 year old asks to drive around the cemetery.  My mother started this habit…and if it isn’t good enough that people think I’m nuts when I tell them my address (people not from this area by the way, no one here thinks it strange), I then tell them that my kids like to go to the cemetery in the summer and play in a never ending pile of sand that they keep there…….

And, finally, the last lesson of the day….

There are more than one ways to say the word present and more than one morning…did you know that Mom?

*shakes head*  The kid is addicted to numbers as well…do you know what 60 times 2 is mom?  Yes I do, do you?  Well sure it’s 120, what about 65 times 2?  No, stop already!  But wait mom….

And the educating has begun…next stop Disney World….he has already asked to use the phone to call the number on promotional DVD we received.

And, since GM has been so kind as to loan us a car for the trip…well, he is truly beside himself with statistics of the car… 2010 Chevy Equinox…the kid is going crazy!

and so are his parents…

I know that it seems we talk about this a lot.  But, right now, it’s kind of all I can think about.  For now, I’m going to share with you some safety points from My Precious Kid.  And, while you are perusing her site you need to see the new car seat ID tags.  I’ll tell you more about their wonders in another post.

DISNEYLAND – Family Safety ID Products

You are going to Disneyland with your children and want to make sure they are safe. We can help protect your children at Disneyland and give you peace of mind too. We have recently been linked on the www.wdwinfo.com Disneyland forum boards as a great product for Disneyland traveling families. Below are my favorite Disneyland travel ID products plus some child safety tips for keeping your children safe while there. Disneyland is a wonderful family fun time. Help keep it fun by keeping everyone safe and protected.

So turn to Kay Greene and get more information….like how about tips for “How do I get my child to wear an ID at Disneyland?”

Keep your eyes open and learn from the experts!

Ok, where did these kids learn this and why is it so hysterically funny to me?

SAVE ME!

As many of you know, I’ve spent a great deal of time recently complaining about wanting to learn more. I love the conference, the networking is awesome, but I need/want something more right now. And, when you consider the cost of the conferences, you definitely want to feel as if you have learned something, that you have been given the information you need to go out and do your own thing. Most of us have heard enough fluffy pep-talks. And now I have the answer for you, Countdown to Ignition.

Don’t get me wrong, networking is a big part of what you need and I will be attending various conferences for that reason alone.  But, now, you can get the information you’ve been searching for and you can get it from a reputable source.  Kevin M. Roy was one of the speakers in the online conference hosted by Girlfriend’s Guide.

Let me tell you a bit of the highlights that you can learn..and then direct you to the place where you can be the recipient of that information.  It’s your idea, your thought process and you want to get your online business off the ground. 

One of my favorite topics is Branding and yes, Kevin kick starts his program with information regarding Branding.  He will teach you how to move through building a web presence, how to help build a clientele and the secrets of conversion and sustainability.

Now, I don’t want to give away all the information here, so besides the hints above about just what is in Countdown to Ignition,  I do want to share with you why Kevin made such an impression on me by giving you some of his key phrases (with my commentary in red)

• People don’t buy products: People buy stories. (and tell stories is almost the easiest thing you will ever do)
• Focus on the experience
• Brainstorm (I talk about this all the time)
• BUILDING THE BRAND (again, branding is one of my favorite topics)
• SQUEEZE PAGE SECRETS
• Take Action
• PUTTING IT ON AUTOPILOT
• Deliver Ten Times More Than They’re Paying
• Create a Thud Factor
• You want to build anticipation
• Think Big
• Incorporating your personality effectively (I have a big Southern Belle Charm about me…..but I don’t always let it shine, time to work on that)
• Give Away Advice For Free (I can honestly tell you that Kevin has done this over and over for me.  The first day I met him, he spent over 2 hours in video chat with me…brainstorming (see above))
• Not everything you say has to be profound (good thing, because you all know how I ramble)
• With any luck, they’ll be brutally honest
• If It Ain’t Fun, Don’t Do It!
• Help Your Customers Succeed.
• Does The Teaching Style Work For You? (and this is where I’ve been disappointed and possible it is just that the sessions I’ve attended were taught by people with style that weren’t comfortable for my learning style, who knows?)

As I said, Kevin know what he knows and he has been extremely helpful to me.  So, here’s a couple of links for you to try out and honestly, if you are willing to fork over money for conferences, think long and hard about what it would mean to have your personal instructor…and honestly, with Kevin, that’s what you get, a personal instructor.

First of all, go learn more from Kevin in a bit more formal setting

Countdown to Ignition

and then, find your way over to

The Flight Squad

Just don’t miss out, that’s all I just sayin’

This is about a great guy I met through an online conference.  He has been a huge help for me in every obstacle I’ve faced.  You can read more in my review of him Kevin M Roy – Countdown to Ignition

On Monday, there will be more about his upcoming product…..don’t miss out….

From his own site:

Kevin believes that life should be lived on your own terms.

Kevin is a firm believer in living everyday to its fullest. He strives for a balanced life that focuses on strong relationships and following his passion for staying active and improving the lives of those around him. He began his career as a Family Wealth Planning and Probate Attorney. While practicing law, he realized that being an entrepreneur was his true calling.

This background has given Kevin an even stronger perspective on the importance of life and the value of appreciating the prosperity you have and sharing your legacy with those around you. With any luck, you will find your own happiness and prosperity by experiencing life to its fullest and pursuing your dreams.

He created Roy Labs and developed a revolutionary membership program for his private customers.  These “Vee Members” understand that business and life center around Vitality, Energy and the Experience.   His mission is to help people create businesses around their passions so that they can make money  while having fun.

Don’t Miss out on my review of Countdown to Ignition!

APT & PBS KIDS GO! LAUNCH WRITERS CONTEST

Local/National Contest Encourages Children to Write and Illustrate Their Own Stories

Alabama Public Television and PBS KIDS GO! have announced a new contest designed to let children’s creativity flow while they improve their literacy skills. The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, a local/national contest for children in kindergarten through third grade, invites children to write and illustrate original stories, then submit them to APT for judging.

Original stories written and illustrated by the child must be mailed to APT (postmarked no later than March 26, 2010), who will select first, second and third-place winners in each grade level. Winners will be notified of their winning status and will receive a certificate and prizes for their work at the Alabama Book Festival in Montgomery on April 17. 

Local first-place winners will be entered into the national level of the contest, where a renowned panel of judges will identify the best of the best. National contest winners will earn additional prizes including laptops, digital cameras and MP3 players.

For contest details, rules and entry forms, log on to www.aptv.org/rr. A PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest Web site, at www.pbskids.org/read, will include the winning stories in each of the contest categories as well as an archive of winning stories.

Cindy Kirk, vice president of educational services at APT  explains that developing writing and other communications skills early is important in school achievement.. “This contest also gives free rein to an active imagination for added value,” she adds.

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a part of PBS KIDS^® Raising Readers, a national program that uses the power of public media to build the reading skills of children ages 2-to-8, with an emphasis on children from low-income families.  The effort is funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, part of a cooperative agreement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), PBS and The Ready To Learn Partnership. 

Now, don’t you want to get your first grader to get going on that first book? This replaces the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators contest that APT has been part of for more than ten years. It’s so exciting to see the kid’s faces when they read or have their story read at the Alabama Book Festival! There’s tons of information at the above Web site.

We are re-visiting the topic of Rainbow Brite because if you read the post, About Rainbow Brite, you know that I was expecting a CD or two or maybe 9 or 10 to give away.  And, indeed, that’s exactly what I’m here to tell you.

So, here’s what’s up for grabs:

Four winners will receive one CD Pack which contains Rainbow Brite games and activities.

Here are the rules:

Contest Information!

1. The contest starts at midnight, Central Time on January 24th and ends at Noon Central Time on January 31st. 
2. The contest is open to U.S. Residents only unless otherwise specified.
3. The winner will be given 48 hours to reply with a mailing address and then another winner will be chosen.
4. The winner will be chosen via Random.org’s Random Integer Function
5. Most of my giveaways require one entry and I give tons of bonus entries. Each additional entry is always optional and EACH ONE MUST BE LEFT IN A SEPARATE comment to count. If you don’t follow the giveaway rules I will just delete your comment.
6. I don’t like to devote posts to winners nor do I like to mention it in my posts. My plan is to keep those posts in the pages area in the right sidebar, I will simply mark them closed with the information to identify to the winner in the post until the prizes have been claimed by the winner. Please make sure jareason@gmail.com is white listed in your email so that you can receive information from me regarding contests

Giveaway sponsors are responsible for shipping prizes that are offered on Education Uncensored. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of any prizes won. If you do not receive your item AFTER that time, please email me and I will follow up with them.

Mandatory Entry:

The mandatory entry is for you to visit Rainbow Brite and return with a quip about your favorite item.

Extra Entries: Various Combos of this Can and Will be Used

1. 5 extra entries will be awarded for subscribing to Education Uncensored.

2. 2 extra entries will be awarded for posting about this contest on your blog, you must return and leave a comment with the link to the exact url of your post, not your general url. If you have multiple blogs, you can post about this contest once on each of your blogs and receive 5 extra entries for each blog.

3. 1 extra entry each will be awarded for following me on Twitter @The_Jerri_Ann . If you already follow me, leave your twitter name, if you are just following me, come back and leave your twitter name so I know to look for you so I can follow you back.

4. 2 extra entry each will be awarded for bookmarking each post in places like Digg, Kirtsy, Technorati, etc. You can get 2 extra entry for each place you bookmark it but you must leave that information in separate comments.

5. 1 extra entry each will be awarded for bookmarking any other post on this blog to any of those same bookmarking sites listed above. You may do this as often as possible with as many posts and as many bookmarking sites, however you MUST leave a separate comment for each. (I realize this one is a bit far fetched and out there but hey, some folks have all next week….anyway, naturally it’s an extra entry but could get you some massive entries)

6. 1 extra entry each for tweeting about this contest with @The_Jerri_Ann and the link to this contest in your tweet. You can do this a maximum of 5 times a day.

7. 1 extra entry each for tweeting about this contest with @The_Jerri_Ann and the link to this contest in your tweet. You can do this a maximum of 5 times a day.

Disclaimer: Education Uncensored’s reviews and its author assume no liability for damages associated with any prizes awarded here or contents contained therein. Prizes lost in the mail or those not delivered by sponsors are not the responsibility of Education Uncensored or its author. Prizes not claimed within two weeks of notification to the winner will have to be forfeited. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to enter, and entrants must follow state and local laws concerning sweepstakes.

Alabama Public Television—long a favorite destination for trusted educational programs for kids—is now offering its free online multimedia educational resource, APTPLUS™, to parents! Recently enhanced with the Learn360 database, APTPLUS offers parents (and their children) a service that teachers in our state have valued for years.  Providing audio and visual explanations of hard-to-teach and difficult-to-learn concepts, APTPLUS creates an environment for learning for Pre-K students through twelfth graders. It gives users the ability to stream or download videos and still images in the areas of the Arts, Health and Guidance, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Languages along with speeches, songs and other material. And it’s available 24 hours a day.

Using this learning resource, parents and students can also access educational PBS programs that bring another dimension to learning, such as NOVA, Between the Lions and Cyberchase.  Tools for parents and teachers to create blogs, podcasts, multimedia assignments and quizzes to promote creative and critical thinking skills are also available on APTPLUS.

Alabama’s stories are told through the APT-produced content available in the APTPLUS Digital Library database including the story of the migrating Whooping Cranes that fly over Alabama and the array of talent displayed by Alabama craftsmen and artisans in the series entitled Alabama Craft: Tradition and Innovation, all on APTPLUS.

Just think of it as your own private library, filled with videos, still images and audio that’s at your disposal when you need it. Best of all, there’s no questionable content that you might find on a general Internet search engine. Remember, we’re talking APT, here. Trust is our middle name!

Registering for and using APTPLUS^™ is easy at www.aptplus.org. Parents should click on “Parent Registration” and scroll down the page to complete the online form to request a username and password, which will be e-mailed to them within three business days. For registration assistance or answers to other questions, go to www.aptplus.org and click on “contact APTPLUS.” Registration is not required for the other APTPLUS databases including the APTPLUS Digital Library and the APT Adult Education database. For registration assistance or answers to other questions, go to www.aptplus.org and click on “contact APTPLUS.”