This ISTE announcement came to my email inbox a few days ago:

2008 ISTE SIG MEDIA SPECIALIST TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARD

This annual award sponsored by Linworth Publishing, Inc. and Follett
Software Company will be presented to two teams of a school librarian
and collaborating teacher who have conducted an exemplary technology
program extending beyond the library to meet the needs of classroom
students and teachers. The purpose of this award is to identify,
promote, and sustain excellence in collaborative and innovative
technology-based projects driven by the school library media center in
support of curricular and instructional needs in elementary and
secondary schools.

Learn more about the award’s specifications here.

Image from AllSorts blog.

Jenny at the AllSorts blog is an illustrator holding a contest for authors.  Based on her bear doodle, she’s inviting author wannabees to craft a story around her character.  In the mood for a fun change of pace? Consider writing a bear story or having your students write one for submission.

Find the details here.

As the author of a forthcoming picture book myself, I know that industry wisdom is that authors and illustrators work separately, with the editor as the conduit between them.  Author and illustrator might work on the same project but never meet or chat!  But … maybe the collaborative sense of 2.0 will make some changes in that way.  And either way, it could be a great way to stretch some creative muscles that have gone dormant during these drab winter months.�

I’ve used Globat for my Web hosting service for several years, and unbeknownst to me, their sites went down unexpectedly on February 21. 

How did I find out? From the long, detailed email today from Globat’s CEO recognizing the impact of the outage, apologizing for the problem, explaining exactly what had gone wrong, what workarounds they implemented until a permanent solution was found, and what steps they would take in the future to ensure that it would not happen again.

Wow.  And to think I didn’t even realize the site had gone down. 

I love good customer service.