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Idita-Learn

Connecting Alaska to the World

by Diane Johnson

03/10/2008

Educators Sheryl Cater and John Clay, from Eden Prairie, MN, attended t he start of the Iditarod as part of their 2008 Iditarod school projects as part of Iditarod's Educational Journalist project.  John attended the Teacher's Conference and was an Idita-Rider.  Sheryl, a past teacher conference participant and lead Iditarod Educator working  with Iditarod's Educational Department, has traveled the Iditarod Trail with her Internet project, Idita Learn, and connected with  dozens of classrooms

During the week before the conference, Sheryl and John conducted web conferences with their students back in Eden Prairie.  Author and musher, Gary Paulsen, is a project partner with Idit-Learn.   He was a guest on the web conferences conducted by Sheryl and John.

Idita-Learn is an adventure learning project that Sheryl created.  The project brings the race, Alaska, and the culture of Alaska to the classroom via Internet.  Idita-Learn has made a connection between Eden Prairie schools and schools in Alaska.  Lessons and activities that are aligned with the content standards have been designed to lead students to promote academic success through a technology based communications project.

Sheryl first attended an Iditarod Summer Conference in 2005 in Wasilla and began her Idita-Learn project following her experiences in Alaska.  John and Mark Brown, also from Eden Prairie, attended the 2006 Summer Conference in Wasilla.  Eden Prairie Schools has highly effective and dedicated educators who empower student success through unique, standards driven opportunities such as this.  Students, not just in Minnesota, but other parts of the world have gained knowledge and resources through the Idita-Learn project.  Sheryl, John, and the rest of the Eden Prairie team members exemplify what it takes to be on the cutting edge of 21^st century teaching, bringing to classrooms project based, thematic instruction, and technology integration projects that lead to academic success and cultural awareness.

You can view the Idita-Learn project at the following link:  http://www.iditalearn.org