PROJECT IDEA EXCHANGE "PIE" MONTHLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2: NO. 1 NOVEMBER 2002 www.mcvts.net/pie Sponsored by: Middlesex County Vocational/Technical Schools PROGRAM OF THE MONTH It is my pleasure to announce a new PIE educational communications program entitled "SEE OUR WORLD (S.O.W.)"  Very simply stated, S.O.W. is exactly what its title implies, a photo exchange providing all participants with the opportunity to visually experience other areas of the world. The concept is very simple. There is an expression that a "picture is worth a thousand words." We will be operating under the concept that the pictures are worth more than thousands of words; they will also create numerous questions whose answers with be worth hundreds of thousands of words, with each word creating that deeper understanding and appreciation of others that we each seek to establish for our students and ourselves. To learn more about "SEE OUR WORLD," I am currently e-mailing a S.O.W. fact sheet to all PIE members. After reading about S.O.W. and considering the excitement that "SEE OUR WORLD" will create, please contact me (erreadiii@aol.com or reade@mail.mcvts.net) with any questions and tell me that you are willing to join "SEE OUR WORLD."  Once we have established a S.O.W. membership, we will begin our exchanges! I will contact all S.O.W. members with a full listing of members. It is my mission and my sincerest hope that SEE OUR WORLD will encourage and foster additional communications and interest with the goal of helping all develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of others on a global framework. If you have any questions, comments, and suggestions, or are informing me that you wish to join S.O.W., the newest addition to PIE, please e-mail me (erreadiii@aol.com or reade@mail.mcvts.net) at once. MEMBER NEWS PROJECT IDEA EXCHANGE is proud to welcome the following new members to its steady growing worldwide membership: Ellen Udnes Johannessen; Haugeasen Ungdomskole; Rolvsoy, Norway Christine Nanyunja Mubiru; Alpha Junior School; Kampala, Uganda Charles Mubiru; Kikaaya College School; Kampala, Uganda For detailed information describing every new PIE member, including each member's e-mail address, and for the full membership listing, please access the PIE website at www.mcvts.net/pie or http://pie.mcvts.net, and click on MEMBERSHIP LISTING. PIE "TIP OF THE MONTH" The Road Warrior International Survival Guide - www.igo.com/travel Have you ever wanted to travel but first needed to learn more about your destination? Do you have students researching countries around the world? Are you searching for photos of a country? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you must visit "The Road Warrior International Survival Guide" website, found at www.igo.com/travel. This extremely user-friendly website provides an in-depth examination of 158 countries with the traveler in mind. Each country's profile (often quite detailed) varies topics including Climate, Country Facts, Travel Essentials, Health and Medical, Transportation, Business Services and Security Briefing. I found a section entitled "The Businesswomen" extremely interesting and valuable. This section examines the cultural expectations that a female, whether traveling on business or for pleasure, could encounter. Included are two columns, "Advice for Female Travelers" and "Cultural Considerations", that each provides valuable tips to assist the female traveler. This section and others contain numerous web links to related sites. "The Road Warrior International Survival Guide" website also includes "Mobile Solutions: 25 Problems and Solutions" that identifies and addresses communication equipment issues that the traveler could encounter. I find this site one of those Internet resources that everyone, traveler and educators alike, must explore. If you are a teacher and your students are involved in science, history, sociology, culture, travel or other subject areas, they will find "The Road Warrior International Survival Guide" to be one of the sources that will quickly become one of their favorites. DIRECTOR'S NOTES As PROJECT IDEA EXCHANGE enters its third year of operation, its mission remains the same: to constantly explore and develop programs which encourage communications that lead to a better understanding and appreciation of others. But as with any mission, accomplishing any goal is much easier with the cooperation and contributions of others. Therefore, I am requesting that you, as a PIE member, please share with me any interesting and effective educational approach that you have in place. The activity does not necessarily need to be part of PIE. All submitted information will be included in a future newsletter and posted (with your permission) on the MESSAGE FORUM of the PIE website (www.mcvts.net/pie). Likewise, if you have an idea that you would like to share but need some assistance in fully developing and implementing, please contact me (erreadiii@aol.com; reade@mail.mcvts.net). I know that we each are creative and have a program, an approach or idea that when shared, will assist and benefit others. Again, as always, let me take this opportunity to thank everyone for his or her membership and continued interest in PROJECT IDEA EXCHANGE. Be Well, Happy and Safe! Ernie Read/PIE Director erreadiii@aol.com; reade@mail.mcvts.net