gallery360° iChallenge Entry Rules

Please review these rules to ensure that you are familiar with the minimal guidelines. Podcasts may be created to teach a topic/area to a student, or to deliver professional development for adults. Questions may be directed to: iChallenge@alex.state.al.us.

**Click here to see sample topics and examples of high-quality podcasts that meet the ALEX Criteria.

What is the theme?

The 2013 theme is:

We Shall Overcome:
Courage in Action

While entries that follow the theme are encouraged, all submissions will be considered.

This theme was selected in part to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement, but also provides ample opportunities for students and teachers to highlight examples of “Courage in Action” in a variety or settings.  From the Civil Right Movement to stories of Holocaust survivors to children making a stand against bullying, “Courage in Action” can be displayed in many ways.  This theme encourages participants to identify examples of ordinary people displaying extraordinary courage, whether from the past or in todays’ world.

Consider these possible examples, and use them to stretch your ideas of “Courage in Action”:

• Taking a stand to stop bullying
• Children in the Civil Rights Movement
• Survivors of the Holocaust
• Succeeding in the face of a disability
• Taking action to make a difference

What are the submission requirements?

• All entries will be evaluated using the ALEX Podcast Quality Scoring Guide.
• All entries must be submitted through the online submission tool and the entry form must be fully completed.
• All entries are strongly encouraged to associate the podcast with:

a.) a corresponding lesson plan, such as those found on ALEX and/or;
b.) at least one online resource such as those found on Thinkfinity.org (used in podcast or listed as a reference).

• All submissions must address at least one Alabama Course of Study standard, and alignment to National Standards is encouraged.
• All submissions should include a complete transcript or outline in .rtf , .pdf or .doc format.

What are the legal requirements?

By submitting entries to the contest, the submitters/adult sponsors certify that:

• Appropriate permissions have been secured and are on file for all individuals appearing in the entry, including written parental permission for all individuals under age 18.
• All text, video, music, lyrics, graphics and art that are included in the submission are original creations and/or free of copyright.  (Teachers should note that “Educational Fair Use” does NOT apply as these entries may be published.  Educational Fair Use applies only for use exclusively in your classroom.)
• The adult creator/sponsor retains copyright to submissions, subject to the following restrictions:
  --That permission is granted to the Alabama Learning Exchange to post the podcast on its Website and/or the ALEX iTunes U website for such time as it deems appropriate, and to edit the podcast submission if needed, and
  --That this permission is extended to cover all non-commercial use of the podcast, including re-publication via the Internet, as long as proper credit is given to the creator/sponsor and to the Alabama Learning Exchange.

What are the technical requirements?

• All entries must be in one of the following formats:  . m4v, .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv
• The recommended window size is 640 x 480.
• Each submission is limited to 400MB in file size.
• Each submission must be no greater than 7:00 minutes in length. (A series of individual podcasts may be submitted separately, but each must have a beginning, middle, and end.)