Education

  • Most Topular Stories

  • If four math teachers have a combined IQ of 300...

    DetentionSlip.org
    kma
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:57 am
    Greetings again from the deep south! A suburban Atlanta teacher has regrettably resigned after assigning math homework to 3rd graders that included word problems about slavery and beatings. While I am not astonished about this coming from Georgia, I am shocked that the teachers can actually cipher word problems! Four teachers from Beaver Ridge Elementary School assigned said homework, only one has resigned.  Imagine the teacher planning meetings that arrived at this lesson plan. Talk about collaborative brilliance. Apparently they spent several days pondering not only this gem of an…

  • Online software

    LeaderTalk
    LeaderTalk Contributor
    28 Dec 2011 | 7:57 am
    Educational software has been around for over 30 years now. In that time we have progressed from graphics that were just made by letters and numbers to programs now with rich graphics and that can really measure student progress in a multitude of areas. My current district has made a big push the last several years to move all software possible to online software. We are now down to just a few titles that are CD/DVD based. These are mostly in the areas of music, art, and special education due to the size of the programs. Below I answer some of the questions that I get from educational…

  • USDA issues new rules for school meals

    Education: News & Videos about Education - CNN.com
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:51 pm
    School meals will have to offer fruits and vegetables to students every day under standards issued by the United States Department of Agriculture on Wednesday.

  • YouTube for Schools - A Leadership Embarrassment

    LeaderTalk
    LeaderTalk Contributor
    27 Dec 2011 | 12:33 pm
    Ryan Bretag | @ryanbretag The launch of YouTube for Schools is well documented by now and has brought with it considerable excitement. While I should be happy about this opportunity for schools, teachers (check out YouTube Teachers), and students that are in a position to at least have the hand shackles removed, there is a part of me that remains frustrated. Google should be proud. They saw the unfortunate trend and stepped up. Teachers and students should be happier. Those that have lived in the world of heavy handed filtering now have an easier argument for relaxing it a bit. Then there is…

  • .eduGuru - It Looks Like College Students are the Majority of Google+ Users

    BlogHighEd.org
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:40 pm
    It wasnt that long ago that Mike Petroff wrote this blog post about Google+ Pages Launch.  Some new data about Google+ demographics pointed out some interesting trends that I couldnt help but share.  With a sample size of 45 million crawled public profi...
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    DetentionSlip.org

  • Taking the daily grind out of public schools

    kma
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:23 am
    No more pencils no more books, no more teacher’s dirty dancing looks!!! Valley High is stepping up to enforce a grinding policy that is long overdue. In response to parent concerns, students will have to sign a pledge to stop grinding at school dances. They even seem to have clearly defined grinding: “usually involves a boy facing a girl’s backside and their bodies rubbing together“. Whew…that leaves open the front to front rubbing of my generation and it seems that the GLBT students are off the hook as well. I love it when schools try to limit student expression. I recommend a…

  • Hold your water!

    kma
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    Coney Island PS 90 has a zero tolerance pee policy to be envied. Of all of the serious problems facing public education, 5th grade teacher Stephanie Warner has crystallized the key issue to student success…self bladder control! If only we could hold off on the impulse to use the bathroom at age 10 we could then be prepared for success in virtually every other endeavor. And what a novel use of token reinforcement…Ms. Warner allows children who can control their bladder needs and don’t use any of their “toilet tickets” the opportunity to trade in these tickets for prizes…like a…

  • If four math teachers have a combined IQ of 300...

    kma
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:57 am
    Greetings again from the deep south! A suburban Atlanta teacher has regrettably resigned after assigning math homework to 3rd graders that included word problems about slavery and beatings. While I am not astonished about this coming from Georgia, I am shocked that the teachers can actually cipher word problems! Four teachers from Beaver Ridge Elementary School assigned said homework, only one has resigned.  Imagine the teacher planning meetings that arrived at this lesson plan. Talk about collaborative brilliance. Apparently they spent several days pondering not only this gem of an…

  • We've got spirit how about ...U-tah

    kma
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:37 am
    We’ve got spirit, how about…U-Tah? The Canyons School District (Draper, Utah) decided to veto their student’s top choice for school mascot, the cougar, because it is disrespectful to women. Thank you for teaching these kids an important lesson…when it comes to decision making, majority vote doesn’t really count for much. The board of education will probably let these high schoolers decide what color crepe paper may be used for homecoming, or even go out on a limb and let them choose Coke or Pepsi. But when it comes to a school mascot, how could they possibly be trusted with such a…

  • Elem. School Teacher Indicted on Child Porn Charges

    TheTruth
    17 Jun 2011 | 8:40 am
    Justin Coleman, 35, of Falls Church, Va., has been indited on two counts of child pornography. The 4th grade teacher allegedly forced students to engage in sex acts and video tapped them without them knowing.  STORY: Elem. School Teacher Indicted on Child Porn Charges
 
 
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    LeaderTalk

  • Google or Apple: I Don't Want to Choose

    LeaderTalk Contributor
    13 Jan 2012 | 3:37 pm
    By Ryan Bretag | @ryanbretag Apple is set to make an "education announcement" on January 19th and I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated that this announcement surely won't be how Google and Apple are putting aside their differences in the best interest of education. Nope. It is said to be about textbooks, which misses the mark for those like me that envision a learning environment where Google Apps for Education and iPads are foundational pieces for each learner. And it is this missing the mark that puts schools with similar visions in a most precarious spot: choosing between iPads and Google…

  • Online software

    LeaderTalk Contributor
    28 Dec 2011 | 7:57 am
    Educational software has been around for over 30 years now. In that time we have progressed from graphics that were just made by letters and numbers to programs now with rich graphics and that can really measure student progress in a multitude of areas. My current district has made a big push the last several years to move all software possible to online software. We are now down to just a few titles that are CD/DVD based. These are mostly in the areas of music, art, and special education due to the size of the programs. Below I answer some of the questions that I get from educational…

  • YouTube for Schools - A Leadership Embarrassment

    LeaderTalk Contributor
    27 Dec 2011 | 12:33 pm
    Ryan Bretag | @ryanbretag The launch of YouTube for Schools is well documented by now and has brought with it considerable excitement. While I should be happy about this opportunity for schools, teachers (check out YouTube Teachers), and students that are in a position to at least have the hand shackles removed, there is a part of me that remains frustrated. Google should be proud. They saw the unfortunate trend and stepped up. Teachers and students should be happier. Those that have lived in the world of heavy handed filtering now have an easier argument for relaxing it a bit. Then there is…

  • Devices, Devices, Devices

    LeaderTalk Contributor
    4 Dec 2011 | 7:17 am
    By Ryan Bretag | @ryanbretag Discussions and debates continue about what technology device is best for students in a one to one computing environment. iPads. Chromebooks. Netbooks. Windows-Based Laptops. Macbooks. Recently, this discussion took off on Twitter and great minds weighed-in. While I always grow from these streams of thought, I'm also reminded why discussion of devices are challenging when it is only about the device. Like always... learning and teaching environment It needs to focus first in the area of learning, teaching, and environment from your local view. Don't get caught up…

  • Student Led Conferences

    LeaderTalk Contributor
    28 Nov 2011 | 2:28 pm
    Student Led Conferences Student Led Conferences (SLC's) might seem to be new but they've been around for awhile, at least 18 years - that's when I first encountered them as a newbie teacher. Since that beginning, I've had the professional pleasure of working with a number of school staffs and communities in adopting and growing SLC's. In my current position, this was our 3rd year with SLC's. Our school, a newly amalgamated K - 12 facility in a rural community, has an evening conference time and a morning conference when parents and their children can come to the school for the SLC. In my…
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    Beyond School

  • Chinese Communist v. American Capitalist TV, cont’d: Jon Stewart Weighs In

    Clay Burell
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:18 pm
    More on the problem of “freedom of expression” in Western television programming and the Chinese Communist Party’s move to reduce the influence of American-style programming (trash TV) in favor of more socially healthy content: John Stewart nails so much that is troublesome about unregulated American television in the first clip, and the popular Chinese drama “Bu Bu Jing Xin” (“Startled with Each Step”) I wrote about earlier this week is embedded afterward as a pretty compelling alternative form of TV that entertains without bottom-feeding. First,…

  • I’d Give My RIght Arm for a Tool That…

    Clay Burell
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:56 pm
    …is cross-platform and collaborative, and would allow me to assign my current “fantasy unit test” in history classes. That unit test would have students create a conversation from home featuring images and texts that is recorded and embeddable on their blogs — call it something like a recorded Skype conference + screencast. I’d simply want small groups of students (individuals would be easy) to discuss the big events of the unit like the newly-educated budding subject area experts I’m trying to create — and to do so in a relaxed, informal, and…

  • Going “Facebook Sober”

    Clay Burell
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:49 am
    From a conservative* political blogger I’ve been enjoying lately. Short. Worth a read. (*Yes, you heard that right.)

  • Communist TV 7, Capitalist TV 0

    Clay Burell
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:58 am
    [Note: Skip the politics if you want, but don't miss the TV series at the bottom for pure entertainment.] A big TV censorship controversy is swirling in China these days, and for this American at least, it’s hard not to sympathize with the censors. It brings to mind an earlier Chinese government’s struggle to eliminate an earlier Western import from poisoning its people. Back then, the product was opium (seriously excellent link to click from M.I.T.). Now, it’s trash TV. From The Guardian: “People were told by the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television…

  • More on Homework-Free, Document-Based Lessons

    Clay Burell
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:07 am
    (A follow-up to yesterday’s post.) Hi, can you elaborate on a document based lesson? How much time do you spend working with a document?* I’d love to hear others’ takes on this question. Me? I’m making my own DBQs, basically, to bring out the essential learnings and understandings key to the narrative frame that I’m building around the entire span of China’s recorded history. It’s a semester course, so much selection and rejection of textbook content is going on — and textbook coverage of those concepts is disappearing almost entirely. Other…
 
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    Angela Maiers Educational Services, Inc.

  • The 5 C’s of Passion Driven Leadership

    Angela Maiers
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:49 pm
    “Passion is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without passion.” Ralph Waldo Emerson I had the distinguished honor of giving the keynote address this week at the mid winter conference for the Utah Association of  Middle and High School Principals. What a pleasure it was to be in the presence of such passionate and dedicated leaders. It was the…

  • Passion Driven Leadership and Learning Webinar – Save the Date!

    Angela Maiers
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:07 am
    As a part of their Leading Innovation-Driving Change Conversation, Mass CUE is hosting a special webinar series prior to their spring conference annual event. I am thrilled to be kicking off the passion driven conversation, and I am inviting you to join me! We know that education and work driven by passion awakens us to new learning and a world bigger than ourselves. Passion makes us curious, compels us to dig deeper, and sustains us as we persevere  towards answers to questions that matter most. Explore with us how the principles and practices of a passion-driven work: disciplined study,…

  • Project Yesu: Kids CAN Change the World

    Angela Maiers
    16 Jan 2012 | 8:05 pm
    I am thrilled to share this very special guest post from eleven year old Mallory; sixth grader and world-change agent. You will be amazed and inspired as you hear her describe the day she made the decion to change the world. In October 2011 I sat down to write my Christmas list for my parents, I looked around my room and I realized there was nothing I needed, nothing I wanted. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought about the children in Africa, and how they weren’t going to get Christmas presents, and there was a lot of things that they needed. So, I sent my mom an email with…

  • Partners in Learning – Global Forum 2012

    Angela Maiers
    12 Jan 2012 | 4:55 pm
    Two months ago today, I embarked on an what has turned out to be an experience of a lifetime.  I traveled to Washington DC to cover the  2011 Partners in Learning Global Forum live on Twitter. (You can check out that Twitter stream here.) To get a sense of the essence and energy of the week, take a moment look at this short video and browse through the event photostream which beautifully portrays the fascinating projects, engaged collaboration, and transformative learning that happened when 700+ teachers, school leaders, education and government officials from more than 70 countries come…

  • The YOU MATTER Manifesto

    Angela Maiers
    10 Jan 2012 | 7:23 pm
    My friend and mentor Seth Godin says, “only reason to give a speech is to change the world”, so that is the context and the inspiration I share this message and manifesto with you: 2 Words Changing The World These two words can change your mood, change your mind, and have the power to change lives and the world world if we understand and leverage them in the right way” Angela Maiers TED Talk June 2011 YOU MATTER.   I am not telling you something that you don’t already know – Mattering Matters. In fact, I’m sure you will agree that it is of the utmost importance…
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    PILOTed

  • South Africa Part Two

    Mitch Weisburgh
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:17 pm
    You can view a slide show with photos and videos of the safari here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mweisburgh/sets/72157628810793173/ If you look at the slide show, click on "Show Info" on the top right corner to see the descriptions of the pictures. We left Cape Town on January 2 on the 6:30 AM flight to Johannesburg, and we were met by Peter Moni at about 9:00. We booked the Safari portion of our trip through Peter, and he’d proved very knowledgeable and helpful. His company is Firelight Tours. Peter drove us the six hours to get to our camp, Bateleur Eco Safaris. It…

  • South Africa Part One

    Mitch Weisburgh
    8 Jan 2012 | 2:44 pm
    Our trip to South Africa was divided into two parts: Cape Town and Wine Region Safari and Johannesburg. This entry is about the first half from December 27, 2011 through January 1, 2012. More pictures are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mweisburgh/sets/72157628779941995/ After a 14 hour flight from NY to Johannesburg and then a two hour flight from Joburg to Cape Town, Karin and I were picked up at the Cape Town airport by Steve Thomas and Lexei of Daytrippers around 1:00 in the afternoon. If you decide you want to see Cape Town and/or wine country and/or Africa by bicycle, Steve…

  • New Report on the K12 Learning Management System (LMS) market

    Mitch Weisburgh
    8 Dec 2011 | 12:56 pm
    Tying together data, learning standards, and digital content is becoming one of the next hurdles or opportunities for K12 Education, with Student Information Systems (SIS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) jockeying for school and district leadership. Simba Technologies has recently announced their PreK-12 Learning Management Systems: A Market Overview, and here are some observations from their analysis. Image by cindiann via Flickr The ideal system would allow teachers and students to sign in to the LMS from anywhere, and get access to all their district resources (intranet, hosting,…

  • Picturing to Learn Science

    Mitch Weisburgh
    6 Dec 2011 | 8:25 pm
    Picture this. There is a group of scientists discussing a concept. One of the scientists has a new idea. What do you think he or she does to explain it to the others? Most likely, she grabs a pencil and paper and makes a drawing to illustrate the concept. And what happens? The process of drawing clarifies various issues in her mind. Discussing the drawing with the other scientists allows them to question her assumptions and address any misunderstandings. Imagine if we used this technique to teach science in schools. Imagine that students drew their understandings of complex concepts to…

  • Ed Tech Business Forum 2011

    Mitch Weisburgh
    30 Nov 2011 | 2:58 pm
    The SIIA’s 2011 Ed Tech Business Forum, on November 29, 2011 in New York City, reflected the conflicted nature of the education environment, primarily in the US, but also globally. Michael Moe noted that we are preparing kids to solve problems we don’t even know about usingtechnology that hasn’t been invented while workig in jobs that don’t exist yet. While education is a significant portion of our economy, at almost 9% of GDP, it’s barely noticed by the financial markets, just less than 1% of total Venture Capital investments, and 0.2% of the capital markets. But this seems to be…
 
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    Cool Cat Teacher Blog

  • Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock #teaching 01/27/2012

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:31 pm
    5 Ways Teachers Can Raise Standardized Test Scores | Education Is My Life This teacher reflects on the practices he feels have raised test scores in his classroom. Test scores are a fact and until it is changed at the top, teachers in the classroom have to work within that environment. tags: teaching testing Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

  • Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 01/27/2012

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:32 am
    The Press Association: Brown wants global education fund Move to global education fund but funding is hard to come by. This article implies it is easier to raise money for diseases than to educate people. That is sad. "All 193 United Nations member states are signed up to a Global Millennium Goal for primary school education to be accessed by every child by 2015, agreed at the New York Millennium Summit in 2000. In the current funding set-up, countries with the biggest out-of-school populations, such as Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, are not eligible for grants from the World…

  • Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock #teaching 01/25/2012

    25 Jan 2012 | 1:31 pm
    Circus Physics | Classroom | Circus | PBS Circus physics videos from PBS. (Hat tip to Richard Byrne for this great set of videos.) There are 8 short videos that use circus performers to teach physics concepts. tags: education lesson lessonplans teaching physics stem science_teacher Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

  • Edu app news: apps, ebooks, and sites for your classroom #mlearning 01/25/2012

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:31 am
    PowerSchool Parent - Pearson School Systems We will enable this next year at our school but PowerSchool parent is an app with many downloads. This is the link to the itunes store. tags: edapp eduapp (Good) Free App of the Day! LEGO App 4+ - Educational Apps For Kids My son loves everything Lego including this cute (free) app. tags: eduapp. edapp lego Pocket Schedule - Classes, Exams & Assignments - BlueTags This app is a top paid app in the iTunes store. It is a new one to bit the charts. tags: eduapp edapp ios planning Audiobooks.com Launches a Spotify for Books Awesome! "For $24.95 a month,…

  • Learning about Learning: Research and Edreform News and Views 01/25/2012

    25 Jan 2012 | 10:30 am
    IQ Drops When You’re In a Group | Psych Central News IQ is linked to social context. Does this mean mainstreaming is wrong? Right? Depending on who you are? ". Provocative new research discovers small-group dynamics can lower the expression of IQ in some susceptible people. In the study, researchers determined IQ is significantly linked to social context." IQ depends upon social context? If this research is proven to be true it could change how we measure and understand IQ. "“This study tells us the idea that IQ is something we can reliably measure in isolation without considering how it…
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    The Student Affairs Collaborative

  • #SAChat Transcript — 1/26/12 — HigherEd Response to the #SOTU address

    nope
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:11 pm
    Thanks to everyone who participated in our #SAchat focused on HigherEd’s response to the State of the Union Address. This week’s topic produced 300 tweets from 73 student affairs professionals, graduate students and undergraduates interested or working in the Student Affairs field! Full Transcript View as a Google Document What are some other topics you would like to see us cover? Please let us know your ideas and feedback to keep #sachat growing strong. Until next week, (if you haven’t already done so) please make sure to LIKE our Facebook Page. Thanks for your continued…

  • Six Words

    nope
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:13 am
    As a self-described “creative person” I find inspiration in the most random things. My brain is able to take a component from one part of my life and link it to another (completely unrelated) area. For example, while in a leadership class in grad school, my mind began to wander and suddenly I had brainstormed leadership lessons that I had learned through musicals. This was then turned into a very fun, very energetic presentation at a women’s leadership conference. Welcome to my world—to me, anything can inspire my next staff development or lead me to brainstorm a campaign for RA…

  • TuesTally: Work/Life/Lunch Breaks

    nope
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    Your browser doesn’t support iFrames Vote for this poll here.

  • Three Words

    nope
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:42 am
    Jessica’s email simply read “Are you ok?” Over the past eleven days I had asked her that question a dozen times. Through text messages, phone calls, and emails we have been working together as she has been gracefully managing a sorority that has experienced tragedy. At about noon on New Year’s Day, the President of her sorority was left in critical condition after a terrible car accident. The “young” sorority has struggled with managing their emotions as their friend, sister, and center of their sorority lies in a hospital bed fighting for her life yet, Jessica took the time to as…

  • #SAChat Transcript — 1/19/12 — Student Affairs Credentials

    nope
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:54 am
    Thanks to everyone who participated in our #SAchat focused on Credentials for Student Affairs. This week’s topic produced 481 tweets from 81 student affairs professionals, graduate students and undergraduates interested or working in the Student Affairs field! Full Transcript View as a Google Document What are some other topics you would like to see us cover? Please let us know your ideas and feedback to keep #sachat growing strong. Until next week, (if you haven’t already done so) please make sure to LIKE our Facebook Page. Thanks for your continued support!
 
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    Ideas and Thoughts

  • A Tweet For Customer Service

    Dean Shareski
    22 Jan 2012 | 6:51 pm
    While what I'm about to  share is pretty common place, i still find it fascinating largely because so many people and businesses haven't figured this out.  Friday I left for Florida. Delta lost my luggage. This is the first time I've ever had my luggage lost. According to stats, airlines are 99.5% effective in getting people their luggage to the intended destination on time. I wasn't too worried. After all, I had my golf clubs which was really most important given I had a tee time the next morning. I knew my luggage was in trouble because it never showed up in…

  • Should teachers own their learning?

    Dean Shareski
    10 Jan 2012 | 10:36 pm
    What if school districts and school administrators trusted teachers to let them direct their own PD? What if the ideas of personalized learning and students owning their learning was applied to teachers?  These are questions I ask as I wonder about the ways in which schools and districts attempt to support teacher growth. In the same way schools have a hard time empowering students to own their learning, districts struggle with letting teachers own theirs. I'm not aware of any district that truly embraces the notion of personalized learning. Districts all seem to feel the need or…

  • 1461 and counting

    Dean Shareski
    1 Jan 2012 | 10:49 am
    It's been nearly 1,500 days in a row that I've been taking a photo a day. I don't think I've missed more than an handful of days over that time. I continue to learn and find it now to be truly be a part of me. I don't ponder whether I'll keep doing it, I have no reason not to. It's not a chore anymore. As I've mentioned often, it's a mindfulness that has taught me a lot of things. Each year I tried to add something to challenge myself. 2008, was my first crack at it so I kept it pretty basic. 2009 I tried to create one word titles for each of my photos…

  • I don’t think in lists

    Dean Shareski
    30 Dec 2011 | 6:45 pm
    It's list season. Actually it's list season all year round. Writing a post with a numbered list seems the way many people think. Reminds me of my daughter's obsession with rankings. Come to think about it, I've written on this topic a few times so I may be repeating myself but as I saw a steady stream of tweets today linking to a plethora of posts I tweeted out this: Working on some new posts. 54,000 reasons to tweet. 9,000,000 reasons to blog and 27 billion ways to use Flickr. Give me a minute. — Dean Shareski (@shareski) December 30, 2011 A little snarky? Perhaps. But…

  • Beauty in a Second

    Dean Shareski
    13 Dec 2011 | 9:36 am
    Ben Grey, who despite his poor taste in music and clothes, has a great eye for composition and design. He introduced me to the one second video contest and challenged anyone to create their own version. The way in which we play with media is fascinating. Taking stills and making them move, mashing up content, playing with new formats are emerging storytelling ideas that enable us to share our world in rich and powerful ways.  This weekend I was on the lookout for moments of beauty inside our house. Having been taking a photo every single day for the past 4 years, I've developed…
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    CogDogBlog

  • Daily Create Week 1 Recap

    Alan Levine aka CogDog
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:59 am
    Because the new ds106 Daily create is so distributed, and sometime the tags fail to bring content into the main site, I am requiring my students to either blog their efforts as they go (which some are doing), or post a summary at the end of the week. This will not only make it easier for me to track, it will, more importantly, provide them a way to organize all their DCs in one place. I have already created a screencast on how to do this with WordPress Categories but one can also do it with tags. This week is not over, but I wanted to create a demo. On this blog, I am tagging all my posts for…

  • Grant’s Road [Tunes]

    Alan Levine aka CogDog
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:28 pm
    This photo is somewhere near the Arizona / New Mexico border. It was fitting to see a sign for Grants Road, since I had been listening to @grantpotter playing a set of road tunes for me on ds106radio. It was epic, and carried me clear from east of Holbrook AZ into Albuquerque NM. It’s just a small example of how generous a spirit Grant is, he deserves more than a road, even more than a town, heck they name a new Canadian province for him. Thanks!

  • No Moss

    Alan Levine aka CogDog
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:33 am
    There is no moss on this roving stone. In 30 minutes, me and Red Dog are headed back up this hill on AZ 87 towards Winslow, turning right on I40, and beelining for the East Coast. A new odyssey. My destination is Fredericksburg VA, where I am teaching a section of ds106 thanks to the awesome support from Jim Groom, who has been pinch hitting for me in class til I show up Monday. I have been beaming in via Skype, but not all in the vein of Dr Oblivion (I have all my hair and sanity). Why go? I still have the means, if I choose, to be a bum for another year, but I want to try some new things,…

  • Organizing with WordPress Categories

    Alan Levine
    24 Jan 2012 | 6:26 pm
    Justin had a good question about organizing his content, wanting a way to easily show just the things he publishes for his Daily Create. This is a job for Categories (to be fair, it could be done jut the same with tags, there’s not a significant difference between them). I wanted to experiment with showing this via an audio screen cast, which demonstrates how to create categories, how to update existing posts to be included in new categories, how to use them on a new post, how to find the URL for you category page, and how to add a menu item to point to your category. FYI I made this on…

  • Ready, Set, Blog

    Alan Levine
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am
    In yesterday’s class we made great progress with getting their blogs set up. I’m pleased to see the ones that have already been made their own with different themes.. Now it’s time to fill them up! In the class session we reviewed quickly the layout of cpanel; you may never return there but it is important to know that you are, as in the readings cover this week, your own system administrator. Thanks to Jim we have a video archive from this We did a rather quick overview of the WordPress admin tools– note that above I embedded that video simply by putting on a blank…
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    EDUCAUSE | EDUCAUSE News

  • Tune In February 1 -- Leaping the Chasm: Moving from Buzzwords to Implementation of Learning Analytics*

    27 Jan 2012 | 10:21 am
    This free hour-long session, “Leaping the Chasm: Moving from Buzzwords to Implementation of Learning Analytics,” will explore the roots of learning analytics as well as the context in which they are now being considered in higher education. Examples will be provided of learning analytics implementations and leading-edge research, and current trends will be extrapolated to present a vision of what a data-intensive university might look like in the future. * This presentation is part of the Spotlight on Analytics series. View the first webinar archive. Those unable to attend may…

  • Join the Conversation on Engineering IT Leadership

    24 Jan 2012 | 5:01 pm
    The new EDUCAUSE Schools and Colleges of Engineering IT Leadership Constituent Group provides an opportunity to discuss issues associated IT leadership and support to the students, faculty, and staff of engineering schools and colleges. Discussion topics include identifying priorities and challenges, strategic planning, support, budget, and best practices. In addition to electronic discussions throughout the year, the Schools and Colleges of Engineering IT Leadership Constituent Group also meets at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference.read more

  • Join the Conversation on the Future of eTexts: Cost, Adoption, Implications

    23 Jan 2012 | 2:10 pm
    Join the new eTexts Constituent Group to discuss the rapidly evolving domain of digital textbooks, multimedia supplements, tutorial websites, e-reader/annotation software, and related materials—that we may collectively refer to as "eTexts" for short. It is a place for community sharing of ideas, analyses, experiences, and practical outcomes of using eTexts. The primary focus is eText acquisition, delivery, and support strategies that help further the interests of higher education through cost savings for students, selection of eText reader/annotation software, devices, and…

  • What Were the Most Popular EDUCAUSE Review Articles of 2011?

    23 Jan 2012 | 11:02 am
    The ten most widely read online EDUCAUSE Review articles from 2011 focused on current IT issues, the future of higher education, gamification, mobile learning, social media, and academic libraries.read more

  • Tune In January 24 -- eTexts: A Perishable Opportunity for Higher Education?

    18 Jan 2012 | 5:41 pm
    What role, if any, should colleges and universities play in the shift from print to digital textbooks? This free hour-long session, “eTexts: A Perishable Opportunity for Higher Education?,” will address the strategic, business, and policy implications for institutions in light of a changing world of consumer electronics and new models for digital educational resources such as eTexts, website tutorials, and other licensed content. Join us for this timely webinar. eTexts are the news of the week:read more
 
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    TechLearning RSS Feed

  • National Geographic Teachers

    26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Travel to National Geographic's revamped teachers' website , still in beta phase. Resources include interactive multi-media, mapping activities, lesson plans and short videos for classroom use on topi..

  • PBS Newshour Extra: Space Shuttle Challenger Tragedy

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    PBS Newshour commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Challenger Space Shuttle tragedy with an article that explores the repercussions of the disaster. Now that the space shuttle mission has been reti..

  • Annenberg Media: Conversations in Literature

    24 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    A research-based workshop by Judith Langer on bringing the joy of reading literature to your class . This is an excellent professional development resource, with eight videos on demand. Topics include..

  • Math Bits: Algebra 2 & Trig Review Challenge

    23 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Play Jeopardy! with this Power Point activity . Review Algebra 2 and Trigonometry concepts with this on-line game in a classroom setting as a Jeopardy ! style game, bingo, or a whole class or individu..

  • Knowing North: Understanding the Relationship Between Time and the Sun Activity

    21 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    This activity provides instructions for telling which way is North on a sunny day using only a watch.If we can use our location and the sun to tell us about time, can we use time and the sun to tell u..
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    Education

  • Higher Dropout Age May Not Lead To More Diplomas

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:22 pm
    In his State of the Union address, President Obama called on every state to require students to stay in school until they graduate or turn 18. But unimpressive results in states that already have that requirement raise questions about how effective the initiative would really be.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Obama Stresses Importance Of College Affordability

    27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm
    President Obama told students in Michigan that their universities should stop raising tuition so much faster than the rate of inflation.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • College Presidents Have Problems With Obama's Message On Tuition

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:20 am
    The president says he's putting colleges "on notice" about tuition hikes. College officials say the White House shouldn't be prescribing how schools cut costs.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Kids Have A Say In Louisville's School Lunch Menu

    26 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    New guidelines announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday call for less fat and more fruits in school lunches. In Louisville, Kentucky, the Jefferson County School District lets students evaluate its healthy food offerings.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Stanford Takes Online Schooling To The Next Academic Level

    23 Jan 2012 | 4:14 pm
    Last semester, Stanford University professors tried something radically new: They opened their classes to the world for free. Within hours, thousands had signed up to participate. The classes' success could transform the way we look at higher education.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us
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    elearnspace

  • I need some help

    gsiemens
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:40 pm
    On February 8, I’ll be delivering a talk at TEDxEdmonton’s event Rethinking Open Source Culture. In 2003 I posted a few articles online on open source movements and learning: Open source p.I, Open Source p.II, and Why we should share learning material. I have benefitted enormously from open learning. Open online courses in particular have been among the most significant learning experiences in my life. I’m not a programmer. But I benefit daily from open source software – my blogs are wordpress, the server that hosts my sites runs LAMP, at work I use ELGG (the Landing),…

  • “I can’t teach at Stanford again”

    gsiemens
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:50 am
    Open online courses really mess things up. The force educators/funders/learners to question the value point of traditional education. Over the past four years, many different open online courses have been offered – some through formal universities (U of Manitoba – Stephen Downes and I, BYU – David Wiley, U of Regina – Alec Couros, Stanford – Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig, U of Illinois -Ray Schroeder). I have a long running question that influences my vision of education: If we were to design education today, without the legacy baggage of the existing system,…

  • Online University Education in Canada

    gsiemens
    21 Jan 2012 | 10:50 am
    There is more activity in online learning (or, at minimum blended learning) in higher education than most universities realize. When I was at University of Manitoba, we tried to get a sense of what faculty were doing with technology in their courses, particularly with what was then called web 2.0 (doesn’t that almost feel like I’m referencing a trend in the 70′s? you know, like bell bottoms?). First, we looked at the formal university reports – annual reports of department activity. We found very little. We asked Deans to forward an email to their faculty asking about…

  • Lots of free learnin’ going on

    gsiemens
    11 Jan 2012 | 3:16 pm
    2012 is shaping up to be a good year for open online learning experiences (Sanford is actively promoting open courses, David Wiley is running an openness in education course, Alec Couros will likely be doing his EC&I831 again, etc.). I’m involved in several open online learning projects this year: 1. Ongoing from 2011: Change MOOC 2. Learning Analytics Open Course (sign up here) – Starts January 23. 3. Stephen Downes and I will be offering Connectivism and Connective Knowledge 2012 starting January 23. More info soon on sign up 4. I’m helping to organize an online…

  • Right to know versus the nature of digital information

    gsiemens
    27 Dec 2011 | 12:25 pm
    In eras of dramatic change – such as militarization in ancient Rome and the French Revolution/Industrial Revolution – existing mindsets and institutions are, in Schumpeter’s words, creatively destroyed. The newspaper, recording, and TV industries have experienced this recently as digital information comes into its own and sheds legacy structures (such as the “album” or the “newspaper”). Politicians have certainly felt the inability to control narratives and restrict information flow in 2011. An interesting case symbolizes the balance between control…
 
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    A Difference

  • Too Big To Know #edbookclub

    25 Jan 2012 | 3:29 pm
    Image by dkuropatwaHow'd you like to know "how our concept of knowledge is changing in the age of the Net"? (John Seely Brown quoted from the dust jacket) Since I first heard David Weinberger say: "The smartest person in the room is: The Room!" I've repeated it often. I've seen it in action. In his new book Too Big To Know he fills in a few more details about this. The room is "smartest" as a function of the networked connections between all the people in it, and out of it, via the internet. I hear echoes of George Seimens and Stephen Downes in that. Anyway, the book was published on 3…

  • The Difference Between Curriculum and Pedagogy

    2 Jan 2012 | 11:57 am
    There's a difference between curriculum and pedagogy. Curriculum is all about what we teach. Pedagogy is about how we teach it. There's also a difference between knowing how to do something and understanding what you're doing. In mathematics there are all kinds of "how-to", or computation skills, that kids learn and promptly forget right after the test; sometimes they forget before the test. The thing is though, it's difficult to forget something once you understand it.   by  dkuropatwa  A few weeks ago I was part of a panel on the Richard Cloutier Reports show on…

  • How would you plan a reunion?

    1 Jan 2012 | 1:29 am
    How would you plan a reunion with a bunch of people you're terribly fond of, many of whom you've never met face-to-face, who you touch base with only occasionally and live in places scattered across the globe? A few years back I lead a group of about 120 teachers in a year long immersive professional development experience around leveraging modern technologies to foster deep student learning. This was for Will & Sheryl's Powerful Learning Practice in their 2nd year of operation. We did some cool stuff together. Stuff like this game of Presentation Tennis: That grew grew out of a…

  • Narrative Matters

    25 Oct 2011 | 6:56 pm
    Last night a group of Manitoban educators got together to talk about teaching and learning and how that learning takes flight when we take advantage of new opportunities offered by technology. The evening was framed around having the six Manitobans who participated this summer in something called Unplugd, talk about this uniquely Canadian educational summit: 36 of us wrote a book in a weekend. Anyone who's spoken to me since I got back from Unplugd knows what a transformational event it was for me and that I've really struggled with figuring out how to share what happened to me in a remote…

  • The Character of Test Questions

    5 Oct 2011 | 12:57 am
    Image by rwillia532 via Flickr In my math classes a typical test is modeled on the character of test questions students will see on their final exams: multiple choice, short answer and long answer. In a grade 10 math class, what we used to call Applied Math 20S, a multiple choice question might be: A factory makes tents.  The cost of running the factory is $300 per day plus $50 for each tent made. What is the total cost (C), in dollars, as a function of the number of tents (t) made? (A) C = 350t (B) C = 50t + 300 (C)  C = 300t + 50(D) t  = 300 + 50C I like this question because…
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    Dangerously Irrelevant

  • New technologies v. new behaviors

    dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:53 am
    Revolution doesn’t happen when society adopts new technologies - it happens when society adopts new behaviors. - Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody, p. 160 I visit many schools that have 'new technologies,' but not enough of them also have 'new behaviors.' It's time for us educators to raise our game (leaders, I'm pointing to you first).   You might also like Upcoming book: What school administrators need to know about digital technologies and social media TIES – Hot technologies Does your school organization reflect our new digital information landscape?

  • Reflecting on two years of 1:1 [guest post]

    dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)
    22 Jan 2012 | 7:00 pm
    Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, our school went through a number of transformations and changes, all aimed at enhancing the quality of the learning and teaching within our building. We adapted a 5 x 3 trimester schedule providing longer class periods and a lower student-to-teacher ratio. We added a house system separating the student body into six different houses mixed by age. Through a partnership with Apple, we implemented a 1:1 laptop program with our students receiving MacBooks. Below are five lessons we learned and the two biggest struggles we continue to face. Lessons learned…

  • Education, the Internet, and the ignorance of policymakers

    dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:32 am
    Yesterday, along with thousands of other web sites, Dangerously Irrelevant shut down for the day to protest two bills, SOPA (House) and PIPA (Senate). I don't think my little blackout had any major influence, of course, but I wanted to express my solidarity with the larger concerns. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the issues, Congress is debating right now whether the Internet in America and elsewhere should be hostage to the demands of a few private companies. If SOPA, PIPA, and similar laws are passed, the Web could look like this for all of us. Unfortunately, legislators are…

  • Of course you can’t do that [SLIDE]

    dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)
    12 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    As soon as you say 'failure is not an option,' you've just said 'innovation is not an option.' - Seth Godin, The Flip Side Download this file: png pptx See also my other slides and the Great Quotes About Learning and Change Flickr pool. [cross-posted at Education Recoded]   You might also like Largest U.S. universities Slide – Who’s deciding your fate? Slide – Asking better questions

  • Nominate a principal for NASSP’s new Digital Principal Award

    dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)
    10 Jan 2012 | 10:09 am
    The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has created a new Digital Principal Award to 'honor principals who exhibit bold, creative leadership in their drive to harness the potential of new technologies to further learning goals.' NASSP also will use the award process to 'showcase models of leadership that encourage the use of technology in instruction and for principals’ own professional use.' Every year, eSchoolNews recognizes 10 technology-savvy superintendents. Now NASSP is recognizing some technology-savvy principals. If you know of a digital principal,…
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    Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?

  • Academic Alignment

    Scott
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:20 pm
    “Academic alignment” is a phrase that I’ve been using with increasing frequency to describe our efforts to maximize our use of instructional time at my school. Ira is someone whom I’ve admired for some time and whose work always engages and excites me and, while I’m not quite ready to rip the clocks off the wall, his recent post on undoing academic time hit my Twitter feed at exactly the right time. This year we have allocated larger blocks of time to 4 longer blocks; each is about 90 minutes long. In the past, the school operated on a 6-period day with…

  • PhocuseD 2: I’ve been accepted to a PhD program. Now what?

    Scott
    17 Jan 2012 | 6:09 pm
    The first thing you really have to do is start taking some classes and get familiar with the faculty. I had the good fortune to have had a good relationship with one of the Associate Professors on the educational leadership faculty. This helped immensely when I was getting started. The best advice he gave me was to identify a focus area as early in your program as you can and make sure that you tailor as much of your research as possible around this area1. I’m [obviously] interested in technology leadership. One of the “rite of passage” classes I was required to take focused…

  • PhocuseD 1: What is this PhD thing really about?

    Scott
    10 Jan 2012 | 7:00 pm
    Here’s a confession: For the first year or two of my studies at CSU, I had no real idea what completing a PhD entailed. No one told me. It’s sort of like an exclusive club where no one really tells you the rules before you join. Let me give you the quick and dirty on what my program (and I believe many others in the US) looked like. The degree is 90 semester hours. That sounds intimidating until you learn that 30 hours usually come from your masters program and 15 hours are dissertation credits. That leaves you with about 45 semester hours of coursework to tackle. No small feat,…

  • PhocuseD: A Preface

    Scott
    9 Jan 2012 | 10:25 pm
    As of last August, I am officially a PhD Candidate1. The bulk of my (non-work) time since I presented my prelim to my committee2 in August has been spent working on what grad school folks refer to as the dissertation proposal.3 I completed this last month and am set to defend4 it in a few weeks. In the meantime, since I can’t actually start working on my research until my proposal is approved AND I receive approval from the IRB5, I figured I’d try to squeeze out a few blog posts. Since this PhD thing is what’s been consuming a significant amount of my time, that seems like…

  • Back in Action

    Scott
    29 Aug 2011 | 7:51 am
    I can’t believe the amount of time that has elapsed since my last post in April. Here’s a quick recap of what’s been going on in my life over the last four months (four months!?!)… May saw some significant layoffs due to a RIF in my district. Not a lot of fun for a first-year principal who spent the entire year building culture. June was a great month for me as it was the second summer that I was fortunate to teach “Leadership & Ethics in Public Education” in the principal licensure cohort at CSU. July started with an amazing family road trip to see my…
 
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    21st Century Collaborative

  • Why is it Important to be a Connected Educator?

    Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
    15 Jan 2012 | 2:56 pm
    Tim Holt ask several folks to create a 1 minute video of why its important to be a connected educator for a project he is doing.  Here is what I shared with him.

  • Wax on…Wax off and other lessons learned

    Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
    28 Dec 2011 | 12:10 pm
      Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.” James Allen “Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” Arnold Bennett “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin Three Lessons Learned I learned a lot this past year about myself, about life, and about business. In fact, the older I get it seems the less I know and the more questions I have. I remember being so sure of everything,…

  • Congratulations, winners!

    Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
    1 Dec 2011 | 1:55 pm
    A hearty congratulations goes out to our three winners of the Connected Educator book drawing! Your comment was chosen via the random number generator and we’ll be sending you information about your prize shortly. I look forward to hearing any feedback you may have about the book and hearing how you’ll utilize your learning experience that you take away from it. If you’re so inclined, I’d love for you to write a review of the book on your own blog or on Amazon. If you do, I’d be happy to feature it here, tweet a link to your site out, to get you some more traffic…

  • An interview, plus win a signed copy of The Connected Educator

    Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
    22 Nov 2011 | 12:47 pm
    What a whirlwind month it’s been! My book was published and I’ve been traveling quite a bit. One of my favorite stops was for my presentation at the Solution Tree authorspeak2011 conference to kick off the release of my book: The Connected Educator – Learning and leading in a digital age. Learn all about the book, join a book club, get a free webinar and more Interview of the Month Speaking of the launch of the book, I am honored to be Larry Ferlazzo‘s Interview of the Month for November. Larry and I came to know of each other through the Teacher Leaders Network and…

  • In Defense of Rigor

    Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
    28 Oct 2011 | 1:16 pm
    One thing I have come to appreciate about the Voices from the Learning Revolution bloggers is they know how to stir the pot. Chris Preston’s latest post, Can Learning Be Engaging AND Rigorous? not only stirred up the stew but raised some steam. It all began with a Tweet. I tweeted Chris’ post out, and then my buddy and fellow PLP leader Dean Shareski sent me a reply (left). Dean’s Tweet to Me I came back with something like, “Don’t tell me — go leave a comment.” And Dean did. Dean Shareski October 24, 2011 Barbara [Blackburn, cited by Chris] appears…
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    Ewan McIntosh | Digital Media & Education

  • Links for 2012-01-27 [del.icio.us]

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Use Appointment Slots on a Google Calendar

  • Links for 2012-01-26 [del.icio.us]

    27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Education Think Tank at BETT hosted by Dell - London - a set on Flickr A small group of educators, principals, superintendents, IT administrators and community members all interested in and active in social media came together at the BETT education conference in London on Saturday, January 14th to discuss important technology trends in education.

  • Links for 2012-01-23 [del.icio.us]

    24 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Zynga Loses An Estimated $150 Per New Customer | Ology If Zynga wants to survive, they need to accept that what worked once won't necessarily work the next time, because if they keep sticking to that same tired formula, they won't be able to do so for much longer. GBL Handbook (Schoolsnet) How are digital games used in schools Map Tunnelling Tool Have you ever wondered which part of the other side of the earth is directly below you? Find out using this map tunnelling tool. SOUL CONTROL THE WORLDS FIRST YOUTH-CREATED MEDIA RICH COMPUTER GAME ASC-Inclusion.eu The project aims to create and…

  • Why does innovation in education take so long? Field, Habitus, Identity - that's why

    Ewan McIntosh
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:21 am
    I spend my life convincing educators to do things differently. Of late, we've taken the policy at NoTosh of not working with a district or school unless the Principal, the Head Honcho, the Boss is in the room participating. Why? Because the Field, Habitus and Identity developed by all the teachers in the room will provide the eventual block to any change happening. Pierre Bourdieu's view of the world, set up nicely to help you see why you always need to have a whole-school approach to innovation, is nicely summed up in this research paper pdf, in a succinct three pages. The Field is where…

  • Links for 2012-01-22 [del.icio.us]

    23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Apple - Apple Events - Apple Special Event January 2012
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    College Admissions Counseling

  • Medical School Admission Rates- Can I Trust You?

    Todd Johnson
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    Last week I talked about how some college admissions counselors manipulate data to look better. Many colleges do the same thing with the information they provide regarding medical school admissions. Colleges want to look good to perspective students and many of those students want to be doctors. So what better way to look good than to talk about your high medical school acceptance rate. And this is where it gets tricky. Many colleges only provide their best students recommendations to medical school. Since the recommendation from a college professor is critical for admissions to medical…

  • Dirty Little Secrets of College Admissions Counseling- I Used to Work in Admissions

    Todd Johnson
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    You will see many independent educational consultants talk about their past history working in a college admissions office. Is that helpful for someone helping students with the admissions process? Yes. Seeing the college admissions process from the standpoint of the college gives you a good perspective on the whole process. My new associate, Brian, has 10 years of this type of experience at a highly selective college. However, that is just one perspective and there are many other ways to gain the background needed to work with students.  My background is as a lawyer with a love for helping…

  • College Admissions News for Indian Students

    Todd Johnson
    19 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    The Choice, a blog related to college admissions from the New York Times, has started providing posts to help students in India. India Ink provides college admissions information specifically directed at some of the issues facing international students in general, and Indian students in particular.  The first few articles are from admissions officers at highly selective colleges in the US. For my readers in India, this can be a good resource to provide general information about college admissions in the US. Of course, you can also contact me with your questions to get more specific answers.

  • Dirty Little Secrets of College Admissions Counseling-Great Accceptance Rates

    Todd Johnson
    19 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    100% of my students get into one of their top three colleges. Impressed? You should be. But wait, there is more to this story. If you are working with students applying to non-selective colleges this is obviously no big deal. Everybody gets accepted everywhere. However, with college admissions companies that work with students applying to highly selective colleges, the story is a little different. When working with students that are applying to highly selective colleges, students have to have not only a reach school but a match and safety college as well. Top choice college? The reach. Second…

  • Dirty Little Secrets of College Admissions Counseling-Ivy Business Names

    Todd Johnson
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    Notice how many college admissions counseling companies have the name “Ivy” in them. You know why? Because some people think that if they have “Ivy ” in the name of their business it implies that they have some kind of inside track to admissions to the Ivy League or other selective colleges. You know the truth, don’t you. There is no “inside” track to admissions to the Ivy League colleges or any other college. Yes, there are things that you can do to make yourself a more competitive candidate for a highly selective college. But having a counselor that…
 
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    Steve Kinney

  • The Academy for Software Engineering

    16 Jan 2012 | 8:47 am
    One Sunday morning, shortly before I was born, President Ronald Reagan stormed into the Oval Office with a copy of The Washington Post. “Can someone please explain to me how we have close to 10% unemployment, yet there are ten pages of job openings in the help wanted section? Jobs problem? There is no jobs problem.” His advisors politely informed him that the issue was that there weren’t enough people with the requisite skills for those open positions.1 Sound familiar? Highly-skilled, creative, problem solvers have the luxury of deciding which of their suitors they will work with. The…

  • Code Year

    2 Jan 2012 | 1:52 pm
    Code Year: Make your New Year’s resolution learning to code. Sign up on Code Year to get a new interactive programming lesson sent to you each week and you’ll be building apps and web sites before you know it. No, seriously. Do it.

  • Communication and Efficiency

    21 Dec 2011 | 6:45 am
    In too many schools, devices are purchased without a plan. Technology integration can’t be bought and doesn’t happen with a wave of the fiscal wand. Too often, expensive computers sit in carts or are used to deliver the same old instruction in a shinier way and that’s dangerous. It’s dangerous because, as a nation, we don’t need students that are learning the same way they did fifty years ago but with a glowing screen instead of a chalkboard. We need students that are trained in entirely new ways of thinking. We need creative and critical thinkers who are able to generate ideas,…

  • What is a good age for children to begin learning to program?

    20 Dec 2011 | 12:00 pm
    What is a good age for children to begin learning to program?: Yours truly on Quora: The thing about learning to program is that it’s a lot like learning to read or do math. We’re not asking second graders to solve quadratic equations or read James Joyce and we shouldn’t ask them to write a content management system in Java either. As more and more of our personal, professional, social, and economic life takes place on a computer—whether it be a desktop or a mobile phone—it’s going to become increasing important that we possess a deep understanding how they work. Even if a child…

  • Should Computer Science Be Required in K-12?

    19 Dec 2011 | 9:00 pm
    Should Computer Science Be Required in K-12?: Audrey Watters: Computer science is not widely taught, even though programming may be one of the most important skills of the 21st century. While most schools do recognize the importance of helping students learn how to use new technologies, you’ll still find scant opportunities in K-12 classes for students to learn how to actually build those very technologies. Taking algebra is less about solving quadratic equations in your day to day life and more about learning to think algebraically. Even if you have no desire to become a professional…
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    The Jose Vilson

  • Don’t Talk To Me About The Good Old Days

    Jose
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pm
    Violent techniques used on peaceful protesters in 1963. (Look how good it was back then.) As recently as last month, I saw someone tweet that cops always made their whole city feel safe, and #OccupyWallStreet inspired a distrust of the executive branch unlike any other. It’s probably not the first time a Black person had to say, “I told you so.” It’s also not the first time a Black person had to say, “Are you serious?” to someone, however well intentioned, riding on the surfboard of their privilege. It’s amazing that, even after seeing a history of…

  • Simon Says Get The Fuck Up

    Jose
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:09 pm
    Yesterday, I noticed how rusty my kids were with mathematical thinking. It’s the usual rut where the teacher could be talking to cellophane and get a better response from his kids. I tried to bring some understanding of finding a slope-intercept equation given any two pieces of information. The lesson plan was rather straight forward, or so I thought. It felt OK for a bit. Nodding heads. One or two questions. Lots of scribbling in the notebook. Many teachers would be satiated by this. I didn’t. As soon as I passed them some problems, they blanked out. Hands raised quicker during…

  • A Dozen of One, a Half Dozen of the Other [On Parenting and Teaching]

    Jose
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:56 pm
    John Lennon with Sean Before my 25th birthday, I thought to myself how much I’d like to have my own son. The closer I got to finishing my 2nd year of teaching, the more I wanted to have a little nugget to teach the ways of this Vilson. My son started appearing in my dreams in different forms. My nephew Jaiden. My godson Josiah. My boss’ babies. My fiancee’s nephew Brandon. The first baby I ever volunteered for at New York Hospital. The brown boy on the bus who ran out of candy. The two kids I told to stop fighting on the train when no one else would. The kids I had in my own…

  • But First Him, Always Him

    Jose
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:34 pm
    Alejandro Luis Vilson Rojas and His Dad For the last four days, I’ve averaged about four hours of consistent sleep, including a a period of 24 hours from Thursday to Friday where I slept nothing. These days have been a haze of semi-consciousness, floating between staring at hospital beds and nurseries and recouping in the disaster area that was my house. Before December 5th, I remember reading a few books (OK two: Kevin Nealon’s Yes, You’re Pregnant But What About Me and Thomas Hill’s What to Expect What Your Wife is Expanding), reading a TON of articles online that…

  • A Short Note on Victor Cruz and Catching Opportunity

    Jose
    2 Jan 2012 | 8:31 pm
    Victor Cruz, Giants I gotta be honest: I don’t get excited about football very often. My sports identity came at just the right time, too: I’ve been alive for all three New York Giants championships, and the Super Bowl usually came around my birthday until a few years ago. Yet, I never really caught onto it the way I had with basketball and baseball (in that order). Yet, I can’t help but think about the intriguing connect between (arguably) the hottest quarterback – wide receiver combo in the NFL: Eli Manning and Victor Cruz. Eli Manning, the #1 overall draft pick…
 
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    The Reading Workshop

  • Step for Reading Nonfiction

    26 Jan 2012 | 9:28 am
    Want an easy guide to reading difficult text.  Here are steps to follow.1.  Skim the entire article FIRST2.  Look at the title, headings, subheadings, and bold print3.  Does the introduction give facts or just get the reader engaged?4.  Visualize and make connections5.  Stop and think. Ask yourself, “does this make sense?”6.  Reread sentences, paragraphs, or the whole article to help you understand7.  Focus, know when you don’t know8.  Wonder, ask questions, predict and confirm9.  Look for capitalization of names and other proper…

  • Vocabulary Games

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:46 am
    Want to play a little Pinball?  Check out these Pinball Vocabulary games from Ms. Amanda's 6th Grade Language Arts Class.Red A1Red A1 cont.Red A1 cont.Red A1 cont.Red A13Red B7Red A4Red A4Red A13Red A15Red A5Red B9Red A15 AntonymsRed B10 AntonymsRed B7Red A15Red B9Red A15 AntonymsRed B4 AntonymsRed B7Red A15Red A3Red A15 SynonymsRed B7Red A2Red B9Red A15 SynonymsRed A4 AntonymsRed B7Red A6Red B1Red A2Red B9 SynonymsRed A4 SynonymsRed A5Red A13Red A3 SynonymsRed B4 SynonymsRed B9 AntonymsRed B4 SynonymsRed A13Red B1Red B8Red B10Red A3 SynonymsRed B10 SynonymsRed B9 AntonymsRed B10…

  • Want to See What is Going on Here?

    17 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pm
    There is nothing like a picture to show something soooooooooo  if you want to see a daily picture from The Reading Workshop, just check out Ink361.com.  You can also check out the photos on Flickr.  If you have an Iphone, you can get on Instagram @jmcguire14 (you can download the free app) and see our daily photostream.  Unfortunately Instagram is like everything else Apple and you can't access it from a PC or Droid.Enjoy the pictures of our stars and more.  :)www.flickr.comThis is a Flickr badge showing items in a set called School 2012. Make your own badge here.

  • Are You Brave Enough to Dream?

    11 Jan 2012 | 8:47 am
    What do you want to do?  What do you want to be?  Do you have the guts to dream?  Do you have the courage to make it happen?Reading Workshop students, your assignment is to do a picture scrapbook on your blog of what your life will be in the future.

  • When I was a Star

    5 Jan 2012 | 9:31 am
    I have been reading Guys Write for Guys Read, a collections of stories edited by Jon Scieszka.  These stories are from successful writers sharing their story of growing up trying to be a guy.  Some stories are funny, some not so.  Some stories are adventurous, others just make you think.  But almost all of the stories are interesting.One of my favorites is by Dan Gutman called Let's Go to the Videotape.  In this story, Gutman tells the tale of himself, the skinniest, most unathletic kid in his school playing kickball.  Through shear anger and luck he manages…
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    danah boyd | apophenia

  • How Parents Normalized Teen Password Sharing

    zephoria
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:24 pm
    In 2005, I started asking teenagers about their password habits. My original set of questions focused on teens’ attitudes about giving their password to their parents, but I quickly became enamored with teens’ stories of sharing passwords with friends and significant others. So I was ecstatic when Pew Internet & American Life Project decided to survey teens about their password sharing habits. Pew found that one third of online 12-17 year olds share their password with a friend or significant other and that almost half of those 14-17 do. I love when data gets reinforced. Last…

  • We need to talk about piracy (but we must stop SOPA first)

    zephoria
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:51 am
    Much to my happiness, the internets are in a frenzy about the “Stop Online Piracy Act” (aka SOPA). Congress is currently in recess, but the House announced a hearing on the potential impact to the Domain Name Service on January 18 and everyone expects the Senate to begin discussing a similar bill “PROTECT IP Act” when they return to DC on January 24. There’s a lot to these bills – and the surrounding furor – and I’m not going to go into it, but I recommend reading the actual bill and Open Congress info, the Wikipedia article, EFF’s blog,…

  • Nancy Baym, Kate Crawford, Mary L. Gray to Join Microsoft Research

    zephoria
    12 Jan 2012 | 9:19 am
    ::bounce:: I am *ecstatic* to announce that Nancy Baym, Kate Crawford, and Mary L. Gray are all joining Microsoft Research New England in Cambridge, MA. See Jennifer Chayes’ announcement. ::bounce:: Three years ago (this week), I joined Microsoft Research to help integrate social scientists and computer scientists. I have known about and admired MSR since my undergraduate days when I was studying computer science. From the perspective of a researcher, it seemed like heaven-on-earth. As I slowly shifted disciplines, I was saddened to think that I had moved myself away from MSR so I was…

  • I am Generation Flux

    zephoria
    10 Jan 2012 | 1:05 pm
    I love talking with smart journalists. When they’re good at what they do, journalists can really prompt me to think deeply (and differently) about issues. Nothing makes me happier than coming out of a discussion with a journalist with my brain on fire. My conversation with Bob Safian from Fast Company did precisely that. I left that chat high as a kite with all my synapses buzzing. The funny thing? I didn’t know why he was asking all of those interesting questions. Then, a few weeks later, I was asked to do a photoshoot. And that too ended up being way way way too much fun.

  • I’m back….

    zephoria
    9 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm
    OMG do I love vacation. A chance to live a different lifestyle, explore the world, and refresh my brain. This year’s adventure began in Easter Island where we traversed the island looking at the amazing Moai statues and engaging in all sorts of discussions about the fraught/uncertain history of the Rapa Nui people. Next, we headed back to the mainland of Chile and ventured down to Patagonia where we managed to do the famed W trek in Torres del Paine, finishing only hours before the park was shut down due to a fire started by a tourist. It kills me to think that most of the amazing trail…
 
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    Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily

  • Calculate and Learn about Percentages with Percentage Calculator

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    Wesley Fryer, Moving at the Speed of Creativity, January 27, 2012. Honestly, you shouldn't need a calculator to be able to figure out percentages. It's easy. I'll show you how, where a small number (say 13365) is a percentage of a big number (say 456312): - Divide your big number by 100. Eg. if it's 456312 you now have 4563. - How many times does that go into your small number? Eg., how many times does 4563 go into 13365? - If that's too difficult, divide each number by 10 and round off until it becomes simple. How many times does 456 go into 1336? Still too hard? How many times does 46 go…

  • A WordPress Widget Perfect For Building Your PLN

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm
    Jeff Dunn, Edudemic, January 27, 2012. I'm not really a WordPress user but if I were I'd probably be looking at "a widget that displays a curated list of your favorite education blogs and websites." It's created by Dell Marketing. Hm. Maybe I wouldn't be so interested. "The widget has a special crawler that goes to a pre-set list of education blogs that are selected based on content quality. It then takes the title of the latest articles written by that blog and populates the widget sitting on the installer’s website." I had a look at the code; it's pretty elegant. I sometimes regret not…

  • UStream Broadcasts from EduCon 2.4

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:38 pm
    Chad Sansing, Cooperative Catalyst, January 27, 2012. This looks like a fun time for people over the weekend: "This weekend several Coöp folks and National Writing Project (NWP) friends will meet-up and facilitate conversations at EduCon 2.4 which is a conference that aims to host conversations about technology in service of learning, learning spaces, and learners (I think)." Christina Cantrill, Paul Oh, Kirsten Olson and Chad Sansing are hosting a conversation called Permission to Speak on Saturday while Mennoo Rami and Chad Sansing will host a

  • iPads For All: One Sales Team's Story

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:33 pm
    Chris Murphy, Information Week, January 27, 2012. I have a sense this is moving a lot more rapidly than people realize. For example, "Level 3 Communications just gave iPads to its 1,300 North American salespeople and sales engineers.... Level 3's sense of urgency is a reminder of just how fast tablets are moving into mobile workers' lives. 2011 was the year of pilot tests. 2012 is the year companies will roll out iPads by the thousands to entire sales and service teams, packing them with purpose-built business applications, not just generic email, browsers, and off-the-shelf productivity…

  • It Looks Like College Students are the Majority of Google+ Users

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pm
    Kyle James, .eduGuru, January 27, 2012. Something called PlusDemographics is asserting that Google_ users are mostly young, mostly male and mostly students. Kyle James observes, "The one piece of data that this report doesn’t share is user engagement with the service. Facebook claims more than 800 million “active” users with more than 50% of these active users logging in on any given day. Google+ has 90 million user accounts, but how many of them are actually active?" To me, the most interesting part was the breakdown of how many Google+ users are active on other services. It's arguable…
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    The Power of Educational Technology

  • 5 Things I Love about Educon

    Liz B Davis
    22 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    At my first Educon 2008 This will be my fifth Educon, and over time, my relationship with this conference has changed, from the freshman excitement of meeting everyone for the first time at Educon 2.0, to the highly anticipated sophomore year, when I couldn't wait to go back and see everyone, to my junior year, where the the familiarity of a place I know well led me to give some Educon advice, and finally my last year as a senior attendee I shared a bit of my disillusionment. And even though I should perhaps have graduated, I'm still committed to this extraordinary conference. Here are a few…

  • My iPad Adventure

    Liz B Davis
    17 Jan 2012 | 2:22 pm
    First semester has just ended and I am finally taking a breath and a moment to blog. I know it has been forever. I've been in the thick of teaching 7th grade English and setting up an iPad pilot for our school. Both have been extremely time consuming.  In this post, I'll focus on my iPad adventure and save my 7th grade English stories for another day. The Plan: We purchased 30 iPads this fall and have disseminated them to one faculty member in each department. In addition, we will be piloting 2 iPad classes starting in the second semester (next week). We have chosen a geometry class and…

  • 5 Things I hate about the Kindle Fire

    Liz B Davis
    19 Nov 2011 | 6:36 pm
    I was ready to love it. I put my name on the list the day it was announced. I waited and waited. When it finally shipped, I tracked that shipment like a hawk. Then it arrived. My school has recently decided to do an iPad pilot. We are deploying 30 iPads and budgeting for more next year. I thought the Kindle fire might just be a cheaper alternative. Well it's not and this is why. 1. Boy is it heavy! It is supposedly lighter than an iPad, but if you held one in each hand you wouldn't think so. It is shaped like a brick and feels like one too. I tried reading a book on it and my arms felt like…

  • Marching Backward into the Future

    Liz B Davis
    24 Oct 2011 | 1:35 pm
    “We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backwards into the future.”  http://www.flickr.com/photos/derbaum/14504516/ - The Media is the Massage. An Inventory of Effects. McLuhan & Fiore. p74 Everything we look at is shaped by our experiences. We come from a 20th century perspective and it is incredibly difficult to imagine what the 21st century will bring. When I started teaching 20 years ago, could I have envisioned an iPod, a netbook, a Kindle? We had the beginnings of an Internet, but nothing like the global interactions of today. And yet it was my job to…

  • New York Times edtech article fails the test!

    Liz B Davis
    4 Sep 2011 | 5:22 pm
    The front page of today's New York Times boasted an article about the "failure" of technology in the classroom. Titled, In Classroom of the Future, Stagnant Scores , the article describes a school in Arizona where, despite a huge investment in technology, there hasn't been an increase in test scores. The article is based on one school in one town in Arizona, hardly a statistically significant sample. Larry Cuban, an outspoken critic of technology in schools since the early 1990s, is quoted multiple times. Not one of the many experts in the field of educational technology, whom we know…
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    WordPress.com News

  • Chrome Users: Try the WordPress.com Extension

    Christopher Finke
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pm
    Want to receive WordPress.com notifications instantly, even when you’re not on WordPress.com? Add the new WordPress.com extension for Chrome and as soon as you get a new follower or a new like on one of your posts, a notification will appear in your browser: Simply click the icon to view your latest WordPress.com notifications: Start following new blogs without visiting WordPress.com The Chrome extension also makes it easy to follow sites from your WordPress.com account by displaying a Follow button whenever you’re browsing a site that has an RSS feed. Clicking the Follow button…

  • Your Stats Have a New Home

    Andy Skelton
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am
    Are you addicted to checking your site stats? You are not alone. The stats dashboard has always been one of the most popular admin screens. It’s gratifying to know that people are visiting your place online. With the WordPress.com front page evolving into a one-stop shop for posting, exploring, following and reading blogs, it seemed natural to put your blog stats there, too.  Stats are becoming more and more about interacting with your readers and other bloggers. You’ll still see your summary stats and chart on your main dashboard, and the full stats page in your dashboard will…

  • Reblogging is Back!

    Erica Johnson
    22 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pm
    As we mentioned last week, you can like and reblog posts directly from your reader, which displays a stream of all the updates published on all the blogs you follow from your WordPress.com account. We’ve also brought the reblog button back to the toolbar that appears at the top of the screen when you’re logged into WordPress.com. Note that you’ll only see the like and reblog options while you’re looking at individual posts. For example, you’ll see this on the left side of your toolbar while viewing http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/read-blogs: And your…

  • New Theme: Newsy

    Philip Arthur Moore
    20 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pm
    It’s been an extra big week in the news ’round these parts, so much so that the launch announcement of our latest premium theme seems like an extra extra good way to headline our Friday. Newsy is a versatile business and news-friendly theme that offers up to ten different layouts, four footer columns, custom link and accent colors, and a custom site header. Brand and content-focused editorial teams will love publishing with this theme. Newsy: Home Page Designed by Themify, Newsy comes with an impressive set of Theme Options that afford you a great deal of flexibility with how you…

  • Read All Your Favorite Blogs in One Place

    Erica Johnson
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:04 pm
    If you feel like it’s a chore to keep up with all your favorite blogs, you can now read posts from all the blogs you follow (even the ones that aren’t on WordPress.com!) in one convenient place on the WordPress.com home page: Your reader displays all the posts across all the blogs you follow in the order they were published, with the most recent content appearing at the top. You’ll see an excerpt of the introduction to each post, the first image in the post, and thumbnails of any other images that the post contains. You can even like and reblog WordPress.com content directly…
 
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    eduStyle Blog

  • EDU Checkup: University of Northern Iowa, Texas State Technical School

    Nick DeNardis
    22 Jan 2012 | 7:21 am
    Wrapping up another week with two site reviews and a lot of insight. The first site, University of Northern Iowa looks like it came out of 2005. The site was overwhelmed with too much content on the homepage and not enough breathing room to make it scannable. The boxy style was not inviting and made the experience feel very cold. Finding information was the best of the three categories, but even then I could not award it anything more than a D- grade. The second site, Texas State Technical School looked like it was redesigned fairly recently and the entire site used the same template.

  • EDU Checkup: University of Maryland University College, Bridgewater College

    Nick DeNardis
    14 Jan 2012 | 9:10 am
    Wrapping up this week on EDU Checkup I first reviewed University of Maryland University College and was presently surprised to see some features that I have never encountered before on a highered website. The first was a “test drive course” feature where prospective students can take a course for free in exchange for some personal information. The second was a “interested courses” list that is part of the entire website. When viewing a course you can save it without signing in or being a student. Lastly, building on the saved course list a user can email their…

  • EDU Checkup: Boston University, Grantham University

    Nick DeNardis
    7 Jan 2012 | 9:27 am
    The first week of 2012 started off on a shaky note but then redeemed itself with the second site. The ten second test for Grantham University got off to a rocky start, I was immediately presented with a pop up that took over the entire screen. Before I could even learn what they are about they popped up a request for information form. Although I would probably eventually request more information, it wouldn’t be the first thing I would do as a perspective student. Going through the site more I was eventually able to get the information I was looking for but it wasn’t anything…

  • EDU Checkup: International Academy of Design & Technology, The Juilliard School

    Nick DeNardis
    19 Sep 2011 | 2:00 pm
    The last two weeks I was only able to review one video each, so this is a two week wrap up. The first site, International Academy of Design & Technology, looked very impressive at first, everything was shiny and appeared to be well put together. But as I dove deeper into the site I realized it was essentially brochure ware . There wasn’t much depth to the information or the design. It felt like a lot of default Photoshop filters were applied and the information was what I would call “standard”. The second site, The Juilliard School, didn’t far much better on their…

  • EDU Checkup: Northern Michigan University, Columbia University

    Nick DeNardis
    27 Aug 2011 | 8:35 am
    This week both sites reviewed recently launched a redesign, so recent that some of their pages still don’t reflect the new look. The first site, Columbia University – College of Physicians and Surgeons, started out strong with a clean structured homepage but went down hill quickly. The homepage has four completely different menus in the header all for different audiences. That may make sense to someone who visits the site often but as a first or second time visitor, it forces them to look at and scan all of the menus and each and every menu item to determine where they should go.
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    Moving at the Speed of Creativity

  • MinistrySafe Online Video Training for Youth Protection from Sexual Abuse

    Wesley Fryer
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:12 pm
    These are my notes from the MinistrySafe online training video for churches. This is a required training program our church has paid for all adult volunteers who work with children and youth to complete. My wife saw these trainers (who are lawyers in the Dallas area) present in person and helped bring this training program to our children’s and youth ministry programs. These are NOT issues which are comfortable or pleasant to learn about and discuss, but are critical to include as education requirements for any program involving youth: church-related or otherwise. The Boy Scouts of…

  • Calculate and Learn about Percentages with Percentage Calculator

    Wesley Fryer
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pm
    Mateusz Mucha, a web developer in Krakow, Poland, has developed a free, online tool called “Percentage Calculator” you should show to your math students and use with them in class. Use this tool by visiting percentagecalculator.info I tried embedding the actual calculator on my own website, but for some reason that version didn’t work to make the conversions automatically. (That may be a WordPress limitation for executeable javascript code.) While the built-in calculator features of Google Search are extremely powerful, the syntax required to use the “Google…

  • Configure KidBlog for Safe, Moderated, Interactive Student Blogging & Commenting

    Wesley Fryer
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:07 pm
    (cross-posted from playingwithmedia.com) This semester I’m working on a contract basis (thanks to federal grant dollars) as an “innovative instructional coach” in Yukon Public Schools. This morning I helped one of our sixth grade teachers facilitate her first lessons using free, ad-free class blogs hosted by KidBlog.org. In this post, I’ll share some of the configuration specifics for these class blogs and a nine minute screencast in which I demonstrate each step. The teacher has six sections of students (136 in all) so the techniques described here for importing…

  • Common Core Transition Ideas via Marzano

    Wesley Fryer
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:15 pm
    (cross-posted from Professional Development Reflections from Yukon PS) On January 26, 2012, we attended a full-day workshop about “Common Core Transition” led by Jan Hough with Marzano Research Lab. These are some of our takeaways from the day. Handouts from Jan’s session are available on the OSSBA website. Writing Across the Curriculum One of the most important changes emphasized in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is writing across the curriculum. This means students in all grades, in all content areas, need to be doing more writing about what they are learning. Writing is not…

  • A Touching Example of Family Digital Documentation

    Wesley Fryer
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:44 pm
    If you have not already, take 91 seconds and watch the YouTube video, “Google Chrome: Dear Sophie.” It’s a fast-paced, touching look at how some dads are using digital technology to document, share and preserve the lives of their family and their love for their kids. It’s a compelling bit of media, and an outstanding example of digital storytelling. And, of course, it’s an ad for Google Chrome. Who would have guessed? If you’re a parent and aren’t touched by this, see your doctor ASAP to confirm you’re still lucid. Great job, Google geek and dad…
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    The Thinking Stick

  • Too Many Projects Not Enough Time

    Jeff Utecht
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:34 pm
    I can't believe how time is flying by this 2nd Semester. It's our last 6 months in Thailand and of course when you want time to slow down so you can fit everything in it does just the oposite.  No excuses, I haven't made the time to blog lately and find myself sitting here at 6am in the van on the way to school with a moment to reflect.  What I've been up to: School:   All of a sudden the last two weeks have been packed! Our school is hosting the regional basketball tournament and this year we're going to try and live stream the games as well as have…

  • Fully Online COETAIL Program Begins Feb. 5th

    Jeff Utecht
    12 Jan 2012 | 7:49 am
      I am proud to announce that working with Buffalo State-SUNY we are now offering a fully online Certificate of Educational Technology and Information Literacy (COETAIL) Program to International Educators. This is a special program that only International Educators (Educators working at recognized International Schools) can apply for. I can't believe it's been four years since we started this program at ISB and three years since Kim Cofino and I took it on and expanded it to other International Schools. At the moment we have 5 Cohorts running (a total of about 100 educators)…

  • Tanzania, Kilimanjaro and Obama?

    Jeff Utecht
    6 Jan 2012 | 3:16 am
    Just over 24 hours off the plane from the most amazing trip to Tanzania. As my wife and I prepare to transition back to life in America in June, we figured one last fantastic trip to Africa was in the cards....so off to Tanzania we went.  Climbing Kilimanjaro Jumping at the Summit I'm proud to say that all four of us in our group made it to the summit some 5,895 meters (19,340 feet) above mean sea level. It was one of the most mentally challenging things I have ever done. Physically it wasn't that hard of a 5 day hike to the summit, but the mental aspect on summit day of walking for 6…

  • New Home Base: Seattle, WA

    Jeff Utecht
    15 Dec 2011 | 12:29 pm
    The next decision of the next chapter of my life has been made. Next year my wife and I will move to Seattle, WA and be based out of there for whatever is next for us. View from our Condo It has been 10 years since we lived in the States and we're excited to go back and reconnect with friends and family as well as live in our condo that we've renovated over the past two years.  I'm still planning on consulting and working on projects that I've always wanted time to work on. If you're looking for a consultant/presenter/speaker in the U.S. know that my flights just got a lot cheaper…

  • Facebook Page vs Subscribe for Educators

    Jeff Utecht
    14 Dec 2011 | 10:26 pm
      Recently Facebook launched the ability to allow people to subscribe to your Facebook Profile if you so choose to turn on the functionality. As an educator I don't think it is a good idea and I'm fearful of what this means if educators don't understand what the Subscribe function will do.Basically Subscribe will allow any Facebook User to follow you without you knowing it or your approval making it very easy for students to subscribe to their teacher's updates. Much like following someone on Twitter.  Facebook also allows you to control who sees your updates...the problem is one…
 
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    The Open Classroom

  • Evaluating the 365 photo project

    Jo McLeay
    3 Jan 2012 | 3:29 am
    It is time for a reflection on the 365 photo project. Last year I wrote about my third attempt at this project which I called a "challenge" and predictably I was derailed as on the previous two attempts. In 2011 I reached day 55 which was on March 6th and then I stopped until day 325 on November 22nd. That's a lot of days not blogged. Strangely this is a post that a lot of people have been reading as more people start or restart the project.Not sure why but I am trying again. I really do love the project for all the reasons so many have blogged about and which are encapsulated in the photos…

  • Revisiting BYOD

    Jo McLeay
    20 Dec 2011 | 9:12 am
    Just listening to this great podcast on the Edtech Crew. Tony and Darryl have brought together 10 passionate educators to discuss this issue of schools allowing students to bring and use their own devices to school to learn with. It is so interesting to hear such thoughtful people looking at the pros and cons and seeing the implications for schools and for pedagogy.The point that really interested me was that of relationships and the way these are enabled (or not) by allowing students to use the devices from home. Discussions of equity and democracy enlivened the debate. Listen to the whole…

  • Effective 1:1 programs

    Jo McLeay
    12 Dec 2011 | 5:12 am
    Today I went to visit a primary school in the western suburbs of Melbourne where the principal is launching her seniors (grades 4 to 6) into a 1 to 1 program. It is interesting in that the students having their own laptops is optional, but over 50% do have them at this stage. The school has some computers for the use of the students who do not bring their own to school.The teachers who will be teaching in the senior school are all confident and accomplished in using ICT to facilitate learning, and I was really impressed with the principal's approach to the use of ICT. We went on a tour of the…

  • Visits to students on work experience

    Jo McLeay
    8 Dec 2011 | 5:28 am
    Today I had the pleasure on visiting two students on work experience. VITTA, where I work, runs a program called ICT Achievers, which up to 20 students in Year 11 can apply for. They are matched with a mentor organisation while the students does three weeks at the workplace in some field relating to ICT. During this time the students keep a blog to reflect on what they are learning and at the end of the program there is a celebration of all they have achieved.Today I met Bethany who has now finished her placement in the State Library of Victoria and was involved with some projects that the…

  • Some interesting tools found on the journey

    Jo McLeay
    6 Dec 2011 | 3:36 am
    Scrible : allows you to mark up web pages in your browser and manage and collaborate on them online. Having set up an account - free- I started using it. You can highlight, color, bold, underline text, add sticky notes, categorise your annotations (this is a great idea, especially in collaborations) and export them, save and share, organise and search your findings from the internet. I found it easy to use (with a bookmarklet similar to diigo's and I have thought that I will try this alongside Diigo for a different set of tags. It's in public beta and worth a look.Simple CC Flickr search : By…
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    Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information from Alfred Thompson

  • Kinect Sweepstakes For Schools

    Alfred Thompson
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:04 am
    Energize your classroom and get students moving! Enter for a chance to win a KinectTM for Xbox 360® prize package for your school! Learn more about Kinect. Get activity plans for your school.

  • Inviting ALL EDUCATORS to share their GREAT IDEAS

    Alfred Thompson
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:15 am
    I love sharing by educators. It is one clear way that I believe we can all make education work better. So this announcement seemed like something I had to share. The NEA Foundation, Microsoft US Partners in Learning Seek Solutions Using Technology to Engage Students in Learning New Challenge to Innovate Query Offers $1,000 Awards for EducatorsBest Ideas WASHINGTON, DC (Jan. 23, 2012) -- How can interactive technology and game-based learning help students learn? In its latest Challenge to Innovate (C2i) initiative, the NEA Foundation has partnered with Microsoft US Partners in Learning to…

  • We Need A Wider Conversation on CS Education

    Alfred Thompson
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:50 am
    There is an active conversation going on in the UK about computing education. From the Royal Society report (Shut down or restart?: The way forward for computing in UK schools) to Op-ed pieces in newspapers to blogs people are asking “why are we not teaching students more computer science?” I see some of that conversation in the US as well. Andy Young’s piece on Why programming should be required in schools was Slash Dotted this week. The response on Slashdot is mixed. We have Computer Science Education Week now and some in Congress are talking about the need to do more. But far too…

  • One Option for How to Teach Kodu

    Alfred Thompson
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:25 am
    I recently ran some workshops to prepare students to be peer mentors and to mentor younger students with Kodu. The method I suggest is to have mentors show students some small steps and then let the students try. The latest version of Kodu has some really nice step by step lessons that students can do on their own or with a peer. After a lesson we encourage the students to try the same things on their own from where the lesson leaves off. For example adding a second character and having that character do something similar but slightly different from what was done in the lesson. I also…

  • Interesting Links 23 January 2012

    Alfred Thompson
    23 Jan 2012 | 4:40 am
    Last week really reminded me of how much I miss being in the classroom. Two all-day workshops with a mix of students and adults. Lots of good learning going on. It was wonderful to see people “getting it” and learning some new things. I need to get in front of more students more often. A lot of links to share this week. The first one is the big one. Time Running Our for Proposals for the CSIT Conference This message is brought to you by the CSTA member listserv. The proposal submission deadline for the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) 12th Annual Computer Science &…
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    edspresso

  • Daily Headlines for January 27, 2012

    Daily News
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:23 am
    NATIONAL Under Education Reform, School Principals Swamped By Teacher Evaluations Christian Science Monitor, MA, January 26, 2012 School principals, including some who back more rigorous review of teachers, are balking at education reforms required by Race to the Top. New teacher evaluations are all-consuming, they say. Teacher Tenure Black Hill Pioneer, SD, January 26, 2012 Teacher tenure is heated topic and one that deserves some clarification. Tenure is a status granted to an experienced, long-term teacher, giving some protection from summary dismissal. When a teacher is hired in most…

  • Daily Headlines for January 26, 2012

    Daily News
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:54 am
    NATIONAL Obama Wades Into Issue of Raising Dropout Age New York Times, NY, January 26, 2012 President Obama’s State of the Union call for every state to require students to stay in school until they turn 18 is Washington’s first direct involvement in an issue that many governors and state legislators have found tough to address. Mandating School Until 18 Has Pitfalls Washington Times, DC, January 25, 2012 Long before President Obama’s call on Tuesday night for all students to remain in school until they turn 18, almost half of the nation’s jurisdictions already had instituted such…

  • Daily Headlines for January 25, 2012

    Daily News
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:47 am
    Council Finds States Weakening Teacher Tenure Associated Press, January 25, 2012 America’s public school teachers are seeing their generations-old tenure protections weakened as states seek flexibility to fire teachers who aren’t performing. Freedom to Choose a School Appeal Democrat, CA, January 25, 2012 National School Choice Week is going on this week, focusing attention on efforts of parents, activists, legislators, students and grass-roots networks to promote school choice programs throughout the United States. Disgusted Parents ‘Occupy’ The Classroom Washington Times,…

  • Daily Headlines for January 24, 2012

    Daily News
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am
    Many, Many Choices National Review Online, January 23, 2012 This week, hundreds of organizations across the country–city officials, associations, schools of all stripes, and think tanks–will hold events celebrating school choice. New York Education, Played to the Tune of Race To The Top Los Angeles Times, CA, January 23, 2012 I’ve never been a fan of Race to the Top, though I have to admire, as Winerip does, the genius of a plan that gets states to drive themselves into a frenzy to do what the federal government wants, and for so little money in return. The State of the…

  • Daily Headlines for January 23, 2012

    Daily News
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:36 am
    NATIONAL In Race to the Top, the Dirty Work Is Left to Those on the Bottom New York Times, NY, January 23, 2012 Even if you think the Obama administration’s signature education program, Race to the Top, will not help a single child in America learn more, you have to admire its bureaucratic magnificence. For America’s Children, Education Outlook Grows Only Dimmer The Hill, DC, January 23, 2012 Education in America, particularly big-city education, is in crisis. Historians are already describing the decline of public education as a threat to the nation’s economy and military. And when the…
 
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    Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch

  • Cool stuff from BoxWave

    Kathy Schrock
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:47 pm
    Derek Gillette of BoxWave recently contacted me and asked me to review a few items that I thought might be useful for schools. I went through their online catalog and picked out the items below. Please let him know if you are interested in purchasing any of these items yourself or need a quote or volume pricing for your school or district! BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds The first thing I looked at was the BoxWave In-Ear miniBuds. BoxWave has always been in the forefront of the retractable cable devices and I have used many different types of cables from them over the years. This set of in-ear,…

  • I love bags and cases and holders...

    Kathy Schrock
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:29 am
    Okay, I admit it. I love technology bags and holders of every type. I have roller bags, Vera Bradley laptop-holding bags and backpacks, neoprene cases for the Macbook Airs and iPad, and many, many more bags. I mean, it's like shoes...you have to have ones for the right purpose, right? In any case, I thought I might share some of my newest bags, sleeves, cases, and holders with you, in case you are thinking about what works and what does not! Tech Bags and Sleeves The 11.6" Macbook Air is a hard item to find a special bag for. Here are some of my favorites. Roocase 11'6" netbook case Roocase…

  • Pen with a purpose

    Kathy Schrock
    1 Jan 2012 | 1:22 pm
    I had an electronic pen many years ago, even before tablet PCs were out, and it worked pretty well, but technology sure has improved this type of gadget! I just purchased a Livescribe Echo 8 GB Smartpen Educational Bundle.  The bundle includes The smartpen, 2 ink cartridges, 2 pen caps, and the USB cable A small starter notebook Livescribe Connect and Desktop software One license for a Livescribe Self-Paced Training Course The K-12 Idea Book A non-inking stylus The My Script Software for handwriting-text conversion Livescribe Echo Smartpen This smartpen can do so much, I do not know…

  • Using ePub books on the Kindle Fire

    Kathy Schrock
    3 Dec 2011 | 6:53 am
    Since the Kindle Fire is an Android device, there is a way to install the OverDrive Media Console to download ePub books from your local library. Of course, there are now Kindle downloads available in OverDrive, and you would pick those first. But sometimes the title is only available in ePub format or the Kindle copy is out. Here is how you do it. Overdrive site  On the Fire, you will need to do two things first. Go to Settings, More, Device, and turn on "Allow installation of Applications from Unknown Sources". (You can turn this off when you are done with this install.) Go to the…

  • Kindle Fire: First Impressions

    Kathy Schrock
    1 Dec 2011 | 7:15 pm
    Well, I took some time and worked with a friend's Kindle Fire and was actually quite impressed. While I was presenting in New Hampshire, I went out and purchased one. I am really impressed with the device. Is it an "iPad replacement" for me? Absolutely not. The iPad borders on being a laptop replacement with its larger screen and thousands of apps that can do most anything! The Kindle Fire is an Amazon device that delivers their movies, music in the Amazon Cloud, and, of course, their eBooks, in a small tablet form factor.  The screen is responsive, the tablet is speedy, and it fits…
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    PrincipalsPage.com Blog

  • They Should Teach This in Superintendent School.

    Michael Smith
    21 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm
    When you go to Superintendent School they teach you a lot of things. Such as, superintendents get paid more than principals (I got an A on this quiz… nailed it!). Usually, this lesson is enough to pique one’s interest. They also teach you about public relations, finances, and school law. That’s the good part. The bad part is they don’t teach you everything.  Some things you just have to learn on the job. This is not very reassuring…for the superintendent and school board. Lots of Responsibility + Lack of Knowledge = Ruh Roh, Raggy! In a perfect world,…

  • There is a Complete Lack of Discipline in My House.

    Michael Smith
    15 Jan 2012 | 7:20 am
    It’s borderline ridiculous. Part of my job is trying to promote good discipline among a large group of students. It’s not any easy job, but someone has to do it. Talk nice. Treat each other with respect. Don’t cheat. Don’t touch each other (this means you junior high boys). Pick up trash. Easy on the texting. Use your indoor voice. Don’t put anything on Facebook that we will all regret (and cause me to contact the school lawyer). Basically, just do the right thing. It doesn’t always go smoothly, but for the most part students seem to listen. Then…

  • A Blog Turned Into a Bulletin Board.

    Michael Smith
    5 Jan 2012 | 1:34 pm
    Who knew? A PrincipalsPage Blog may actually help students. I’m shocked. And excited. You can find this bulletin board in Sycamore, Illinois. It’s a grade 6-8 building in Northern Illinois with 853 students. Where did they get the idea? Click HERE. I will gladly take credit for the blog, but I must admit the picture isn’t mine. But I’m still very happy.

  • Guest Post by Mark Cuban “You Don’t Live in the World You Were Born Into.”

    Michael Smith
    4 Jan 2012 | 8:44 pm
    As I cruised around the interweb over holidays, I came across Mark Cuban’s blog. He is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (and World Champions I might add…). I thought his most recent post was perfect for educators. After a quick email, Mr. Cuban agreed to let me post it here for teachers and school administrators. Only in America would a billionaire respond to my annoying email. Enjoy. “I thought this was appropriate to start the new year. We all have the tendency to believe that we are living in a very advanced technological period. We get…

  • Most Popular Posts of 2011.

    Michael Smith
    2 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    Another year is over. For me, this means one thing. The easiest blog of the year. So here are the most popular PrincipalsPage.com Blogs (posts… whatever) based on comments from 2011. Thank you for taking the time to visit. I’m amazed at the number of people who continue to come back. Over 186,000 visits during the calendar year. Readers were kind enough to stomach their way through 256,000 pages of questionable blog content. A special thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a comment. I continue learn far more from you than you do me. It’s been a great year. Enjoy. January –…
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    News from THE

  • Les Ebdon named as ‘preferred candidate’ for Offa job

    26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    The government has named its preferred candidate to lead the university access watchdog the Office for Fair Access.

  • UCL 'no confidence' vote defeated

    26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    A motion of no confidence in University College London provost Malcolm Grant tabled by the institution’s students’ union has been defeated.

  • Impact of fees hike to be monitored by independent commission

    26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    An independent commission has been set up to see if higher tuition fees are deterring poorer students from applying to university.

  • Odds and quads

    25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    These images are taken from an ornately designed leather-bound scrapbook, now in the collection of the Humanities Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, that Jane Webb Loudon (1807-58) seems to have put together for family and friends.

  • News in brief

    25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Online learning
 
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    Graham Wegner - Open Educator

  • Headspace

    Graham
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:09 am
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrdarkroom/4265886842/ Frank, my boss, likes to talk about three types of space in school – physical space, virtual space and teacher headspace. The first two only get used well when the third is open to good practice, seeing things differently and willing to re-imagine what could be. I’ve been in leadership since 2003 but it has mainly been on what I think is the first rung – as a coordinator who had release time from my own classroom responsibilities to lead out in the area of learning technologies. Since July last year, I’ve been on the…

  • Insert The Keys

    Graham
    20 Jan 2012 | 6:05 am
    One of my very favourite places to hang out is the town of Goolwa. We went down there for a few days earlier in the week and enjoyed some family time. Goolwa is an amazing spot in Australia as it has the Murray River finding its way to the sea, adjacent to the Coorong not far from the fresh water lakes of Alexandrina and Albert. Things have really changed in the area since 2009 when the drought was having its biggest effect on the Murray River. The best place to see the contrast is from a lookout on top of a tall sand dune on Goolwa Beach. Here you can see my youngest son Josh in the middle…

  • Tuning Into A Decent Radio Station

    Graham
    11 Jan 2012 | 5:41 am
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanl/138132641/ I’ve been thinking about posting about this issue since I read this article in the local paper. In summary, commercial radio stations want to ditch the 25% Australian music quota requirement that has been in place for a long time now. This naturally has the local music industry calling foul but the issue is complicated by the fact that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has exempted digital radio stations from the same requirement. I’m not a big listener to radio but I do enjoy Australian music and I’m sure…

  • Opening The Car Door

    Graham
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:08 am
    I’ve never been one to jump in at the deep end. I ease myself into things in the same manner that I slide carefully into the chilly water of a pool or a cautious wade out into the ocean. I have been described as opinionated in a low key way but I am typically unsure of myself at the best of times. So, even after six months in this new role of Assistant Principal, I am still feeling my way, thinking and re-thinking my possible approaches for effective leadership within this role. So, in an effort to lay out some starting thoughts and switch from holiday mode where I have happily absorbed…

  • Seasons Greeting And All That Stuff

    Graham
    22 Dec 2011 | 11:28 pm
    Hope all of my readers (the ones who still check their subscription feed every now and again) have a great festive season – and that all Australian educators enjoy their break. I am well rested after a break from blogging caused by a number of mundane factors – busy end of year, new role, watching too many TV-on-DVD series etc, etc – but I fully intend to get back into some writing in the new year. Meanwhile, the tumbleweed can roll around here for a few days/weeks until something topical crops up. Cheers, Graham.
 
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    Education Futures

  • Nine key characteristics of knowmads in Society 3.0

    John Moravec
    11 Jan 2012 | 7:36 am
    A knowmad is what I have previously termed a nomadic knowledge and innovation worker – that is, a creative, imaginative, and innovative person who can work with almost anybody, anytime, and anywhere. Moreover, knowmads are valued for the personal knowledge that they possess, and this knowledge gives them a competitive advantage. Industrial society is giving way to knowledge and innovation work. Whereas the industrialization of Society 1.0 required people to settle in one place to perform a very specific role or function, the jobs associated with knowledge and information workers have become…

  • Leadership and Entrepreneurship: “Knowmads challenge all structures”

    John Moravec
    9 Jan 2012 | 8:16 am
    De Baak‘s Ralph Blom wrote up a short interview with me for last month’s issue of Leadership and Entrepreneurship. My favorite bit: What skills are needed in a society 3.0? “Because everybody is in it together it is not bounded by a specific generation. Nobody has done this before, there are no role models. We all have to co-create this together. Knowmads are highly engaged, creative, innovative, collaborative and highly motivated. They adapt fast in new situations and contextualize ideas due to situations. So schools need to find out how we can learn skills in motivation,…

  • Looking into 2012 – what’s hot, what’s not

    John Moravec
    6 Jan 2012 | 9:49 am
    In what has evolved into a sort of annual tradition, I again peered into my crystal ball (well, actually a truckload of reports, news articles, and a healthy dose of my own speculation) to see what we can expect in 2012. This time, however, I spoke with David Raths at Campus Technology magazine, and joined Michael Horn, Christopher Rice, and Kenneth Green in advising a “What’s hot, what’s not” list for 2012. A supplemental IT trends to watch in 2012 article is also posted on the Campus Technology website. Read the article at Campus Technology. Looking back: How did I…

  • The university as a flag of convenience

    John Moravec
    13 Dec 2011 | 12:44 pm
    This morning, Inside Higher Ed posted an article by Steve Kolowich on students from universities around the world earning credit by participating in an experimental Stanford University course that is being broadcasted at no (additional) cost: That A.I. course was the flagship of a trio of Stanford computer science courses that were broadcast this fall, for the first time, to anyone on the Internet who cared to log in. This made Stanford the latest of a handful of elite American universities to pull back the curtain on their vaunted courses, joining the Massachusetts Institute of…

  • An Invisible Learning travelogue

    John Moravec
    29 Nov 2011 | 12:09 pm
    The world is indeed flattening, and we are very happy. Since March, Cristóbal and I have presented Invisible Learning in a dozen countries, and at more than 35 events for debate and discussion. The outcomes from the project exceed our expectations — and, more importantly, open the debate to a wider and global level. Some examples that inspire us: An amazing movie from Colombia (made by students of Luis David Tobon) A growing translation and interpretation of Invisible Learning into Finnish (including a Wikiversity presence) A growing community of knowmads/Society 3.0 creators/invisible…
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    dy/dan

  • Odds / Ends

    Dan Meyer
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:54 pm
    Bill McCallum runs a "standard of the week" contest through his Illustrative Math Project, the goal of which is to illustrate what the different Common Core standards look like in student tasks. I submitted a task for 8.4.F, linear modeling, which was accepted. It's called "Graduation" [pdf]. Key Curriculum Press posted the Ignite talks from CMC-South. I did five minutes on the question, "When will I ever use this in the real world?"

  • On iBooks 2 And iBooks Author

    Dan Meyer
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:41 am
    I've now spent enough time with both McGraw-Hill's Algebra iBook and iBooks Author to know two things: I have no idea what iBooks Author will do to the publishing industry writ large or textbook publishing writ small. My hopes are high we'll see a lot of productive chaos as well-heeled districts and non-profits finance mid- to high-quality textbooks that are then dumped at no cost on the market. The McGraw-Hill Algebra iBook doesn't change any of these relationships in any ways that interest me: No new technology is so novel we can't subject it to the question, "How does it change the…

  • Panel Discussion On Social Media In Teaching At Stanford — Keith Devlin, Karim Ani, Dan Meyer

    Dan Meyer
    19 Jan 2012 | 8:57 am
    Keith Devlin (@profkeithdevlin) invited Karim Ani (@mathalicious) and me to co-host a panel at his summit with Finland and American academics on our experience with social media in teaching. I captured it on my Flip camera and posted the video below. I've also transcribed two passages I wanted on the record. One is my introductory remarks (starting at 9:30) which cover how I've used blogging to grow as an educator — from 2006 to present day. The other is some real talk about grad school (starting at 45:36) prefaced by, "I've never shared this with anybody here, least of all my adviser,…

  • [PS] Critical Thinking

    Dan Meyer
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:13 pm
    Trying too hard: Prentice Hall's Algebra I: California Edition: A hot air balloon flies at a speed of (n + 8) miles per hour. At this rate, how long will it take to fly (n2 + 5n – 24) miles? [via Matt Vaudrey] Featured Comments Emily: I encounter problems like this too frequently, and my ‘put on the spot’ knee-jerk reaction when they pop up is usually something like “Oh, that’s a stupid problem. Just skip it.” Of course, the message that students get is that “Math is stupid.” Mike: I love it when Nature has terms that factor so well. Scott: It begs the question, who…

  • Khan Academy Is On Some Kind Of Spending Spree

    Dan Meyer
    13 Jan 2012 | 2:28 pm
    First Vi Hart. Now Brit Cruise, whose exemplary work with videos and math instruction was featured in these pages a couple of weeks ago. For me, this has all the drama of some kind of skin graft or organ transplant where no one has any idea if the host body is going to accept or reject any of it. In both its videos and its exercises, Khan Academy has a distinctive house style. So does Hart's work and Cruise's to a lesser extent. It isn't remotely clear to me how any of those competing styles will interact with each other. In news that's much less exciting, though still related to Khan…
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    NYC Educator

  • If Only...

    NYC Educator
    28 Jan 2012 | 7:23 am

  • The Klingon Cloaking Device

    NYC Educator
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:27 am
    Hi folks. It's me,  Bill Gates. I'm the guy who brought you Windows, the very best operating system you can get on a $400 computer, and I'm here to tell you that I've turned my expertise to education. Sure, some people say I know nothing about education, but they're a bunch of phony bastards, and I hate phony bastards. So anyhoo, as you know, we've spent millions of dollars observing teachers and videotaping them in order to identify the best teachers so we can fire the other 99% of phonies. But we've had some problems doing that. That kills me. It turns out that most of the teachers we…

  • When All Else Fails, Write Your Essay in Your Native Language?

    Miss Eyre
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:21 am
    Like most other high school English teachers across the city, I spent yesterday scoring the English Regents exam. Specifically, I ended up grading many of the exams of our IEP and ELL students, who receive testing accommodations like extra time, having the test read aloud to them, and having a scribe record their answers for them.Some of the results were pretty good. I had seen some of the students at Saturday school. For some of them, it was the third or fourth time they were taking the exam, and they were determined to get it over and done with. I'm always amazed, incidentally, by how…

  • Doesn't Ring Nobels

    NYC Educator
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:20 am
    Yesterday I read a piece about Alfred Nobel 3 times to a group of ESL students. It was a pretty interesting read, for me. Of course, I've been speaking English all my life. Did the kids I read it to understand? Tough to say. I'm a pretty enthusiastic reader, yet I observed one kid incessantly tapping his foot to the point I considered asking him to stop (I didn't), and another on the verge of nodding out, then waking, then fading out again. I always wonder what it would be like if I were sitting in China and someone were reading some clever and informative piece to me. Would I tap my foot?

  • The School Report Card Twilight Zone

    Miss Eyre
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:35 am
    There is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between superstition and politics, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of Mayor Bloomberg's imagination. It is an area which we call the NYCDOE Twilight Zone...***I'm doing my semester grades right now, and unfortunately, I have to fail some of my best students.* I know, it seems really unfair. Some of them have 80s and 90s in my class, and they worked really hard to improve their grades that were in the 60s and 70s.
 
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    L.A. Times - Education

  • Adult education on L.A. Unified's chopping block

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    With financial woes in Sacramento and new freedom on spending earmarked funds, the district proposes a budget that has no money to help adults get high school diplomas, learn English or acquire career skills.Adult education teacher Planaria Price is used to the ups and downs of budget planning in the giant Los Angeles Unified School District.

  • Cal State threatens to withhold $7 million from Northridge campus

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Cal State says CSUN must reduce current enrollment to abide by budget-related targets or risk losing the funding.Students and faculty at Cal State Northridge are protesting new budget-related restrictions that are aimed at reducing enrollment and are making it harder to register for classes at the San Fernando Valley campus.

  • New Web reality series puts USC in a bad light

    27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    The James Franco-produced 'Undergrads' depicts students drinking, partying and having run-ins with police. Administrators and students say the show doesn't accurately portray the campus."Undergrads," the USC-centered Web reality series, focuses on a bacchanal a la "The Hangover": Amorous, good-looking young people hooking up, wild parties, run-ins with the law and booze. Lots and lots of it.

  • More college freshmen see getting good job as key goal, poll finds

    26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    The UCLA survey asks first-year students to select reasons they are pursuing higher education. The 85.9% who cite job concerns is the most in the 40 years the question has been asked.Seeing their parents struggle with unemployment and other money worries over the last few years, the nation's current batch of college freshmen increasingly view a bachelor's degree as a necessary ticket to better jobs, according to a UCLA survey being released Thursday.

  • Cap on new Cal State campus presidents' pay urged

    25 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    The California State University board chairman wants the executives' compensation to be no more than 10% above what their predecessors made.The chairman of California State University's governing board said Tuesday that he will propose capping the pay of new executives at 10% above what their predecessors made in the wake of stinging criticism of recent salary decisions.
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    The Fischbowl

  • Quotes I'd Like My Future Principal to Ponder: Participatory Media Education and Civic Education Are Inextricable

    Karl Fisch
    23 Jan 2012 | 7:37 pm
    From the article titled "Head of State" in the print edition (subscription required, although if you are in a school you most likely have access to it through one of your library subscription services) in the November 7th, 2011 issue of Time magazine:Whereas US Envoys once filed secret cables to Washington late at night, Clinton has pushed her ambassadors to expand the use of Twitter and Facebook - State now has 192 Twitter feeds and 288 Facebook accounts - and her daughter Chelsea calls her TechnoMom. "We are in the age of participation," Clinton said at her husband's charity even in New…

  • Things I Want My Future Principal to Read: 1472 and 2012

    Karl Fisch
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:04 pm
    One more post that was at least initially generated from my reading of Jeff Jarvis's Public Parts. This time it was a passage on p. 205 that resonated that I wanted my future principal to read and consider, but it also sounded a bit familiar. Turns out I had already Diigo-ed it when John Naughton's article in the Guardian he references was first published:So let's conduct what the Germans call a Gedankenexperiment — a thought experiment. Imagine that the net represents a similar kind of transformation in our communications environment to that wrought by printing. What would we learn from…

  • Come Be My Boss

    Karl Fisch
    16 Jan 2012 | 3:54 pm
    Wanted: Chief Learner, Arapahoe High SchoolQualifications: Desire and ability to change the world.Timeline: Principal Selection Process (pdf) More Info: Job Posting (closes 2-10-12)Drawbacks: One (at least) hard to deal with employee.

  • Quotes I'd Like My Future Principal to Ponder: This new economy tilts toward publicness.

    Karl Fisch
    16 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    Again from Jeff Jarvis's Public Parts, a quote I'd like my future principal to ponder (p. 137):"Privacy was once free. Publicity was once ridiculously expensive," says entrepreneur Sam Lessin. "Now the opposite is true: You have to pay a mix of cash, time, social capital, etc. if you want privacy." You pay for privacy in the effort and hassle it takes to manage privacy settings. You also pay in the opportunity lost if you choose not to be public and social. On the other side of the ledger, you can be rewarded - with attention, influence, information, deals - if you reveal yourself. This new…

  • Quotes I'd Like My Future Principal to Ponder: Isolation Costs Too Much

    Karl Fisch
    12 Jan 2012 | 5:27 pm
    I'm currently reading Jeff Jarvis's book Public Parts. I'm not that far into it, so I don't know yet if I'd recommend my future principal read the book, but this quote from p. 45 is one that I'd like that person to ponder:"Businesses used to be hierarchies of business units whose assets were called customers and products." Now "they are changing into networks of business units whose assets are called relationships and capabilities." Turning that perspective into an investment strategy, I'd bet money on start-ups that put relationships at their center so they can disrupt old, closed industries…
 
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    ASCD Inservice

  • Casis Elementary School (1946)

    David Snyder
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    The story of how Casis Elementary School in Austin, Tex., came to be was told across two Educational Leadership articles about six years apart. In November 1946, the one-page story "Experimentation in Elementary Education" announced an agreement between the University...

  • Schools of Thought

    David Snyder
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    CNN's new education blog Schools of Thought does more than simply aggregate existing education stories and video from their website and television network, although that is the blog's backbone. The editors build on this foundation with daily news links, guest...

  • ASCD Responds to President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address

    David Griffith, ASCD Public Policy Director
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:26 pm
    The president's call for improving education and training for students and workers comes at a time when ASCD is calling for similar efforts in its 2012 Legislative Agenda, released today at the association's annual Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy in...

  • How Do You Move the Message?

    ASCD Bloggers
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:37 pm
    "Social media is not just about a shift in communication; this is a shift in power," former Howard Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi told education leaders at this weekend's Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy. The institute is an opportunity for...

  • Best Practices for Teaching ELLs

    ASCD Bloggers
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    The student population of English language learners (ELLs) has been steadily rising in U.S. schools due to immigration. Many districts, which formerly had homogenous and predictable student enrollment and issues, are now scrambling to find the resources to teach ELLs...
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    This Week In Education

  • Five Best Blogs [Of The Day]

    Alexander Russo
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm
    If you're more of a Twitter person, you can also get these recommendations via the hashtag #5bb

  • Thompson: Oakland's "Mutual Consent" Unfair To Veteran Teachers

    john thompson
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:32 pm
    It's hard not to agree with the notion presented by Jill Tucker in this SF Chronicle article that "there is a particular type of teacher who wants to work in an urban environment,"  and that many teachers who are great "in schools with few challenges" would not make it in the inner city." That is why we have such a shortage of teaching talent in the toughest schools.  That also explains why so many great teachers work their hearts out in the toughest schools for a certain time period and then use seniority rights to transfer to schools where better…

  • Bruno: Status Quo Bias in Action on Dropout Age

    Paul Bruno
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pm
    This is a guest commentary from middle school science teacher Paul Bruno, who tweets at @MrPABruno: I for one was pleasantly surprised to hear President Obama endorse increasing the dropout age to 18 in his State of the Union address, since compulsory attendance laws both significantly improve students' lifetime earnings and relieve a number of other burdens to society. So I've been somewhat surprised at the objections to the proposal based on worries about unintended consequences: that, for example, compulsory attendance may financially burden poorer families that rely on…

  • Video: Student Loses Science Contest, Wins College Fund

    Alexander Russo
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:23 am
    Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

  • Quotes: Duncan Uses MDRC Study To Defend Turnarounds

    Alexander Russo
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:19 am
    Much of the conventional wisdom about the impossibility of turning around chronically low-performing high schools is either mistaken or badly exaggerated. - Arne Duncan on MDRC small schools study (via email)
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    Ask-Dr-Kirk

  • Quote Of The Day

    Dr. Delaney Kirk
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:45 am
    Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants...John W. Gardner

  • Use Peer Instruction Rather Than Lectures

    Dr. Delaney Kirk
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:25 am
    Here's an interesting article that supports moving away from the lecture method in teaching. Dr. Eric Mazur (Harvard University) advocates using "peer instruction" to get the students thinking and talking about a concept. The key, according to Mazur, is to get the students to read the book chapters or articles before coming to class. The point then of the class time is to make sense of the information they've read by encouraging questions and discussion. He now successfully uses this technique in all his physics classes.

  • Rubrics For Grading Student Presentations

    Dr. Delaney Kirk
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Here are two rubrics you can tweak and use to grade student presentations.  These are in word format instead of PDF so you can change as needed. Download presentation_rubric_1.doc (Developed by Information Technology Evaluation Services, NC Department of Public Instruction) Download presentation_rubric_2.doc (Source: Center for 21st Century Teaching Excellence, University of South Florida)  This one grades both presentation delivery and powerpoint visuals.

  • What Is SOPA? And Why Should I Care?

    Dr. Delaney Kirk
    18 Jan 2012 | 8:29 pm
    Anyone who doubts the power of social media hasn't been following the SOPA controversy this week. SOPA stands for Stop Online Piracy Act and it, along with related legislation, PIPA, has been a hot topic of discussion on the internet. I was trying to explain the issue to one of my students and found these resources. Clay Shirky, author of Here Come Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, does an excellent job of explaining the history behind this move to pass the SOPA legislation and how it affects the public in this Ted Talk video.  Wikipedia, Google, Wordpress,…

  • Amazing Use Of Dancers As Visual Aid Rather Than Powerpoint

    Dr. Delaney Kirk
    13 Jan 2012 | 7:23 am
    John Bohannon uses dancers instead of powerpoint to discuss scientific topics and advocates that we all be more creative in our visual aids. Great thing to think about as we begin a new semester of teaching.
 
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    Boston.com -- Education news

  • College presidents wary of Obama cost-control plan

    Kimberly Hefling, AP Education Writer
    28 Jan 2012 | 3:09 am
    Illinois State University President Al Bowman says President Barack Obama's proposal to tie federal support to tuition controls is a product of "fuzzy math." His counterpart at the University of Washington calls it little more than "political theater."

  • Ex-Boston Mayor White, led in turbulent '70s, dies

    Mark Pratt, Associated Press
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:50 pm
    Kevin H. White, a four-term mayor who led Boston through years of racial violence and economic stagnation and was credited with putting the city on a path to prosperity, has died. He was 82.

  • Student charged in Utah school bomb plot

    Paul Foy and Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm
    The two teens had a detailed plot, blueprints of the school and security systems, but no explosives. They had hours of flight simulator training on a home computer and a plan to flee the country, but no plane.

  • Ex-Boston Mayor White, led in turbulent '70s, dies

    Mark Pratt, Associated Press
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:59 pm
    Former Mayor Kevin H. White, who led the city for 16 years including racially turbulent times in the 1970s and was credited with putting it on a path to prosperity, died Friday, a family spokesman said. He was 82.

  • Obama meets with George H.W. and Jeb Bush

    Ken Thomas, Associated Press
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:59 pm
    President Barack Obama met with former President George H.W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Oval Office on Friday, joining in a bipartisan gathering in an election year.
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    Practical Theory

  • How to Make Advisory Work

    12 Jan 2012 | 4:17 pm
    One of the things I'm always meaning to do on my blog but don't do as often as I'd like is break down how we do some of the things we do at SLA. So when someone asked a really good question on Facebook, it seemed like a perfect time to turn the answer into a blog post. Here's the question: I have been involved with schools that have an advisory system -- but it seems very challenging to bring it into the public school system since teachers are not trained to be advisors. How do you suggest we work towards solving this issue? The most important thing is this: Prioritize it. So what does that…

  • Beyond The Great Teacher Myth

    11 Jan 2012 | 11:03 pm
    The "great teacher" myth continues. This is the myth that says, "If only we could get rid of the really bad teachers, we'd have better schools." It's particularly pernicious because it sounds so easy, right? Let's just dump the bottom (5% / 10% / 33% - depending on who's writing) and even if we only replace them with "average" teachers, we'll be better off, right? Right? In his NY Times column today, Nick Kristof would have you believe it were so. I'm not going to take this one on from the "how do you really know who the great teachers are?" lens. I'm not going to (directly) take it on from…

  • Guest Post - Response to "If I Were a Poor Black Child"

    10 Jan 2012 | 10:01 pm
    [This is the first guest post I've ever had on Practical Theory in eight years of blogging. Today's post was written by SLA senior and co-founder of Phresh Philadelphia Rashaun Williams. There's been a lot of talk at SLA about the Gene Marks piece and how angry it made us. Rashaun's piece speaks to how I've felt better than anything I'd written, so here it is. You can follow Rashaun on Twitter at @DJReezey.] A Response to If I Were A Poor Black Kid by Gene Marks by Rashaun Williams If I were a wealthy man, I would ensure my children go to the most prestigious schools available. I would move…

  • Making Teachers Rich

    1 Jan 2012 | 8:05 pm
    “We want to make great teachers rich,” said Jason Kamras, the district’s [Washington, DC] chief of human capital. That's from an article about merit pay in Sunday's New York Times. I don't want to talk about merit pay which to me suffers from most of the same magical thinking flaws that high-stakes testing suffers from. Read Tom Sobol's speech from 2003 for the best delineation of how NLCB gets it wrong, if you need a reminder, and make up your mind for yourself if most of the arguments he makes apply to merit pay as well. I think many of them do. I want to talk about the idea that we want…

  • Living in and Breaking Out of Crisis Mode

    30 Dec 2011 | 12:33 am
    Many principals in the School District of Philadelphia worked at least some of this week. (I took Monday and Tuesday off.) One of my colleagues talked about how, after catching up on paperwork, cleaning her office and getting a lot of the immediate stuff off of her plate, she wasn't sure what to do next. I threw out some ideas… write up a wish-list of where you want your school to be… revisit a process in the school that you don't think works well… or even just catch up on the Ed Leadership magazines that gather dust in the office. Of course, I was making those suggestions while still…
 
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    Remote Access

  • Consumerism and Producerism

    Clarence Fisher
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:39 pm
    I’ve been holding on to this post for a week or so, rolling it around in my head trying to connect a few dots before clicking the publish button. It’s got to do with Apple, and SOPA and Raspberry Pi and education and learning and on and on and on….. It started with the education event that Apple hosted on January 19th. At this event Apple unveiled iBooks2 and iBooks Author. After several weeks of hype and people breathlessly awaiting the great advancement that Apple would give us in education – we got interactive textbooks. Interesting as a business model, interactive…

  • Marshall McLuhan was Smart

    Clarence Fisher
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:46 am
    Writing my grade 11 English exam in preparation for mid term exams next week. Earlier in the year I had the students in this class read a piece called Classroom without Walls (pdf) written by Marshall McLuhan. I was going though the piece this AM and ran upon this quote that I thought struck right to the heart of a lot of things we think about in the ed tech world: ..”new media are not just mechanical gimmicks for for creating worlds of illusion, but new languages with new and unique powers of expression.” Multiple literacies. Image and video editing. Animations. Coding. Game design. If…

  • Redefining Edtech

    Clarence Fisher
    12 Jan 2012 | 7:39 pm
    I think I bought my first computer in 1998. It was a big beige desktop box from Dell. I had a machine for probably two years before that; but I had received it as a gift from an uncle who was buying a new one. This was the first machine I had ever bought on my own. I really can’t remember much about it besides the fact that I had paid $2 499 for it. Now I look at things like the OLPC tablet that is going to cost about $100 (or the Datawind UbiSlate which is going to cost approximately $35 if you are an Indian student) and the machine soon to be available from Raspberry Pi for…

  • Embracing a Community

    Clarence Fisher
    9 Jan 2012 | 7:30 pm
    Media companies need to relearn the business they are in at this point in history. Granted, that when customers can copy, redistribute and remix the products they purchase quickly and easily, it makes  these kinds of businesses much more challenging to be in. It also fills the field with opportunity for those willing to accept change. I ran into an interesting concept the other day. Empire State is a new novel that looks to be interesting in itself. Described on Boing Boing as “a noir, Philip K Dick-ish science fiction superhero story about a pocket universe that’s created when…

  • I Thought Long Form Blogging was Dead?

    Clarence Fisher
    6 Jan 2012 | 9:03 am
    The last year or so has seen a lot of pundits talking about the death of long form blogging. The continuing rise of Facebook, Google +, Twitter, insert other social network here, are supposed to be hastening along the death of the blog and longer articles. But I’m not seeing it. I’ve spent some time looking back on the stats of this blog for this year and this is what I’ve found: - February of 2011 saw this blog receive 18 900 visits (or 89 700 hits depending on how you like your traffic stats.) - December of 2011 saw 26 000 visits (111 700 hits). - Although January is only…
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    Borderland

  • Reframing Ruby Payne

    Doug Noon
    8 Jan 2012 | 10:49 pm
    I read Ruby Payne’s A Framework for Understanding Poverty before our day-long professional development meeting, and like Anita Bohn, writing for Rethinking Schools, I didn’t know whether to laugh at the stupidity or to rage at the offensive stereotyping of people in poverty. For example, a few of Payne’s 18 “hidden rules” for surviving in poverty (p. 38): I know which grocery stores’ garbage bins can be accessed for thrown-away food I know how to get someone out of jail. I know how to get a gun, even if I have a police record. I know how to live without…

  • A Decent Education

    Doug Noon
    27 Dec 2011 | 10:50 am
    The role of poverty in what have come to be known as “school outcomes” (or more precisely, test scores) has been getting a fair bit of attention lately at Schools Matter, and elsewhere. Rightly so. At my own school we’ve even been given a reading assignment for our winter holiday, and have been invited to read Ruby Payne’s “Framework for Understanding Poverty” (summary here). This is to prepare us for the indoctrination session to follow upon our return from our break. I’m going to read the book since I opened my mouth at a staff meeting and said that…

  • Hitting the Wall

    Doug Noon
    18 Dec 2011 | 5:00 am
    I enjoyed the brief period of daylight we had today out on the trails near my home, running. It was 10 below zero, and the trail was firm and fast. It felt great. After many years going through this solstice season in the subarctic, I’ve learned to get out of the house and make use of the daylight as often as possible. Today’s excursion was a snowshoe run. I ski sometimes, too, but the snowshoes are simpler. This is just the second season that I’ve done any snowshoe running. What got me started with winter trail running was Christopher McDougall’s book, Born to Run. It…

  • Winter Light

    Doug Noon
    16 Dec 2011 | 8:28 am
    Long nights and dark days in the far north this time of year open a window to some magnificent light shows. From Finland’s travel and tourism site: “Aurora is a natural light display in the sky, particularly in the polar regions, caused by the collision of charged particles directed by the Earth’s magnetic field.” You might want to watch this one full screen. (via Alaska Dispatch and Eye on the Arctic)

  • A Good Day

    Doug Noon
    16 Dec 2011 | 3:02 am
    I hate all the wasted motion in the classroom these days, doing things that are not particularly productive or rewarding for the sake of jumping through regulatory hoops. Jeff Bryant blames it on what he calls the Edu-Bubble, which seems right on target: Then education reform advocates — either unwittingly or intentionally (does it matter?) –gave the venture crowd a huge gift by decreeing that student scores on standardized tests would define the learning “output” that schools would be accountable for. And all of a sudden everything monetarily related to schools…
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    Drape's Takes

  • Is there a future for open education beyond privatization? #utpol #utleg

    Darren Draper
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:09 pm
    The Utah State of Office of Education (USOE) announced today that “it will develop and support open textbooks in the key curriculum areas of secondary language arts, science, and mathematics.” They also encourage “districts and schools throughout the state to consider adopting these textbooks for use beginning this fall.” This is clearly a major victory for proponents of open education and a move laden with tremendous potential! That said, I have mixed feelings about the announcement – or more specifically about the timing and readiness of districts across our state to transition…

  • Refining Purpose for 1:1

    Darren Draper
    3 Jan 2012 | 10:32 am
    For me, there are four key reasons that schools should transition toward 1:1 technology access for students: Broadband, social networks, and mobility have spawned a new kind of learner (Waters, 2011). Children expect different things out of life today than we did in our youth and as a result, technology is a very important (and fully anticipated) part of their experience. Failing to produce the kind of learning environments that are tailored to those of the rising generation will be the hallmark characteristic of defunct schools in this and future years to come. In its ubiquity, the Internet…

  • Teaching, By Humans

    Darren Draper
    28 Sep 2011 | 7:00 am
    I love this by Dan Meyer, and dare you to spend twenty seconds reading his sarcastic take. Direct instruction encompasses far more than mere lecture, videos can only go so far to teach, and some lessons are best learned by pedaling. Too bad too many look too hard for that ever-elusive silver bullet.

  • Look Before Leaping #iste11

    Darren Draper
    28 Jun 2011 | 1:54 pm
    I took a picture this morning, of a guardrail strategically placed between buildings at the Philadelphia Conference Center. I think the whole guardrail idea is fascinating. Imagine what was happening before the rail was there...Narrow enough to easily walk around, this safety feature prevents people from quickly but dangerously dashing out into traffic - because of their natural desire to quickly reach the other side. It's not that people want to walk right into traffic; but more that they may not realize the dangers present, especially when their focus on the end-goal might be so…

  • The Continuing Shifts of Online Writing, Reading, and Thinking

    Darren Draper
    23 Jun 2011 | 8:22 am
    Will Richardson announced this week that he has "decided to pretty much bring [his] run at Weblogg-ed to a close." Instead, he'll be using Tumblr to facilitate his sharing and provide a space for him to disseminate his thoughts. Being one of the first to join the educational blogging scene, I see Will's abandonment of traditional blogging as a clear marker for the beginning of the end of long-form educational blogging. While I don't think blogging will disappear entirely, I have noticed and experienced a substantial shift in how people prefer to collaborate - and even share deep thinking. I…
 
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    Blue Skunk Blog

  • BFTP: Illusion of change

    Doug Johnson
    28 Jan 2012 | 7:21 am
    A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. Original post, March 14, 2007.  This is one of my very favorite posts and probably the most cynical thing I've ever written. And I seem to be the only one who likes it since it remains on my list of writings that have been roundly rejected by print publishers... _________________________ Once again a strange e-mail (with a bit of a sulphuric smell) appeared in my inbox. The district’s filter seems curiously ineffective against this domain. These are sent to…

  • E-textbook vs print textbook costs

    Doug Johnson
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:21 am
    A $14.95 textbook from Apple and its collaborators? That sounds like a heck of deal compared to the average $72 we are currently spending on the dead tree version. But let's play with the numbers a little and figure out an estimated cost for providing textbook access in both formats for a student from grades 7-12. Paper text: 6 years X 6 courses X 1 textbook per course X $12 ($72/6 years use = $12 per year) = $432 per student E-text: 6 years X 6 course X 1 textbook X $2.50 ($15/6 years use = $2.50 per year) + 1 iPad @ $500 = $590 There are some major, very likely erroneous or impossible to…

  • Multiple guess tests

    Doug Johnson
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:42 am
    In a fit of unwarranted optimism last fall, I included becoming a Google Certified Teacher as one my professional growth targets.*  The weather here in Minnesota has actually felt like winter the last two days and I am completely sick of writing chapters about libraries for my book, so I figured this would be a good time to start the certification process. And did I mention that I have a meeting with my boss to discuss my progress on meeting those targets coming up in a couple weeks? For those who aren't familiar with the process, Google certification for an individual consists of…

  • Effective library budgeting

    Doug Johnson
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:40 am
    Another excerpt from my revision of The Indispensable Librarian. And on one of my favorite topics - budgeting. (Did I just see your eyes glaze over? Shame on you!)  Budgeting Educational funding is a “zero sum game.” School districts’ have a finite amount of money in their budgets to spend on programs and have reached a level of funding that the public is reluctant to substantially increase. Regardless of how much your principal or school board may support your library, they simply may not have extra money to allocate toward it. Does this mean no additional funds for…

  • BFTP: Controlling online student postings

    Doug Johnson
    21 Jan 2012 | 7:05 am
    A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. Original post, March 12, 2007.  This topic was back in the news this week.  Even this Supreme Court allows students First Amendment rights. One of our most thoughtful library/tech leaders here in Minnesota posted this question to a state listserv (used here with permission): A teacher in the _______ Project has been targeted on a Facebook site. The offending student deleted the page, using his cell phone, while a school administrator was speaking to the class. The…
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    open thinking

  • Student Work – Fall 2011

    Alec
    31 Dec 2011 | 9:37 pm
    For the third year in a row (see 2009 and 2010), I wanted to use the last post of the year to share a few examples of the great work that is being done by my graduate and undergraduate students. I am so very fortunate to have creative & hard-working students who are committed to improving their knowledge of teaching and learning in light of our new digital landscape. I hope that some of these examples will inspire you to take up new challenges in your own context. From EC&I 831 (Open graduate course, Social Media & Open Education):  Summaries of Learning: Leslie – used…

  • RIP Steve Jobs

    Alec
    5 Oct 2011 | 7:05 pm
    Today, the world lost a remarkable man – a visionary and a world-changer. You will be deeply missed Steve. I’ve always loved this video (above) of Steve introducing the Macintosh in 1984. There’s something about the look on his face as people applaud near the end – it’s like they all knew Steve would change the world. And, as we all know now, he truly did. Related posts: He’s Henry … Oh Henry …

  • Open Course: Social Media & Open Education

    Alec
    28 Aug 2011 | 12:18 am
    I will be facilitating an open graduate course this Fall titled EC&I 831: Social Media & Open Education. This will be the 5th time I have taught the course (first time was 2007), and it’s different each time. It looks like I will have about 25 graduate students taking this for credit (which is well over the usual limit), and I’m also inviting anyone out there interested in the experience to participate for free. If you would like to learn more about the course, go to http://eci831.ca. If you’re familiar with the course (from past iterations), you’ll notice that…

  • Connections: A Free eBook

    Alec
    1 Jun 2011 | 1:51 pm
    One of my favorite people on the planet, Dr. Richard Schwier, has just released his new free eBook titled Connections: Virtual Learning Communities. Read about the book here, or download directly from this link. The book is in .epub format, so if you are unfamiliar with how to handle that format, see this resource. A little bit about the book: This ebook pulls together the big ideas from our work for educators who might actually be able to put what we have learned to good use. That’s what this book is about—making sense of online learning communities. In a sense it isn’t original; it is…

  • Intel’s Museum of Me

    Alec
    31 May 2011 | 6:36 pm
    Intel has released “The Museum of Me“, a website that connects to your Facebook account, pulls out relevant data, and produces a virtual gallery/archive of your social (network) life. I am not sure it did a great job of capturing my social ‘essence’, partly because I don’t pay much attention to Facebook (I don’t feed it much these days), but the resulting virtual gallery is really quite impressive. If you’d like, give it a try here. Remember that it is accessing your data and the shared data of your Facebook friends (as the majority of Facebook apps…
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    Bud the Teacher

  • Schooling That Isn’t School-y

    bud@budtheteacher.com (Bud Hunt bud@budtheteacher.com)
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:46 am
    I sat in on a meeting today of the organizers of our school district’s Innovation Academy, a summer STEM enrichment program that’s a partnership between the district and IBM.1 # The DLC will be embedding a teacher research group within the Innovation Academy and its planning in order to see if the work they’re doing, and that students and district staff are enthusiastic about, has something to teach us about how we can make positive change in the classroom. # During the meeting, two statements really caught my ear and got me thinking about the work ahead. # The first was a…

  • #DMLBadges for Teachers: We Missed Here, Too

    bud@budtheteacher.com (Bud Hunt bud@budtheteacher.com)
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:47 pm
    Justin Reich and I recently submitted a proposal to the DML Teacher Mastery and Feedback Badges Competition.  And, like my recent submission to the DML Conference, it wasn’t accepted. # But that’s cool.  I was curious about the process and I learned a bunch about the problems and opportunities of badges and badging.  In case you were curious, below is the full text of the application.  You can read the winning Stage 1 proposals on the DML Competition Website. # Teacher inquiry has long been recognized as a valuable way for teachers and students to critically examine their…

  • The Week in Tweets for 2012-01-23

    bud@budtheteacher.com (Bud Hunt bud@budtheteacher.com)
    23 Jan 2012 | 7:15 am
    Brr. http://t.co/earl3jeE # Visiting with @chemicalsams to talk flipped classrooms today at the CLN. See you there? 3:30pm Mountain. http://t.co/MkdwOG2R # Reading FCC guidelines. And actually liking what I see. Cool. # Three hours until we talk with @chemicalsams about flipped classrooms. See you there? http://t.co/VzU6tOga # @mramidon One does need to do so. Organizers have this registration form on the wiki – https://t.co/3QiNUDt9 in reply to mramidon # @mramidon You're most welcome. in reply to mramidon # Gearing up for our 3:30 Mountain webinar with @chemicalsams. Talking…

  • The Podcast: A Culture of Inquiry?

    Bud Hunt
    19 Jan 2012 | 9:04 pm
    In this edition of the podcast,  I explore some of my frustrations lately regarding some pushback I’m seeing as I facilitate some teacher research in my school district.  I also wander through some first draft thinking on why that pushback exists. # I welcome your comments and suggestions, as always. # Direct Link to Audio # #

  • The Week in Tweets for 2012-01-16

    Bud Hunt
    16 Jan 2012 | 7:15 am
    Back in the real world. Big week ahead. # Showing Twitter to some of our Student Services staff in St. Vrain this morning. # @irasocol Thank you kindly. in reply to irasocol # @deanohaak Cool. Keep us posted. in reply to deanohaak # @librarybecky They did indeed. Been in place largely as written for the last year and a half. Let me know if I can help. in reply to librarybecky # Yeah. This is pretty good. http://t.co/swwL7gMA # @librarybecky That's a good question. I'll confirm with my CIO, but it's public document. Reference would be good. in reply to librarybecky #…
 
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    A Millennial Professor's View of Higher Education

  • Last Reminder - Please Help the MILLENNIAL PROFESSOR Blog! Take this SHORT Questionnaire about the Blog! :)

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    Readers,I am in need of your SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, AND IDEAS for 2011! Please help me by completing the QUICK questionnaire below.Thanks!J. EdwardsSincerely,J. EdwardsMillennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

  • Action Item - Do Not Forget About the "Adobe Products in Higher Education" Contest!

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    16 Jan 2012 | 9:29 am
    Readers,This is just a soft reminder about the "Adobe Products in Higher Education" contest that the Millennial Professor blog is sponsoring with the Communication in Higher Education blog (http://www.commhighered.com/). Dr. Helvie-Mason and I are avid users of the Adobe Creative Suite and we are offering the following contest for all of you! If you have a GREAT idea for using Adobe Products in Higher Education, please feel free to submit the idea on the form below...The WINNER of this contest will receive free software products from the ADOBE COMPANY! Very exciting right? I am elated!

  • Quick Reminder - Please Help the MILLENNIAL PROFESSOR Blog! Take this SHORT Questionnaire about the Blog! :)

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    9 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
    Readers,I am in need of your SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, AND IDEAS for 2011! Please help me by completing the QUICK questionnaire below.Thanks!J. EdwardsSincerely,J. EdwardsMillennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

  • Keeping a High Level of Motivation in 2012! - Please Help the MILLENNIAL PROFESSOR Blog! Take this SHORT Questionnaire about the Blog! :)

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    5 Jan 2012 | 10:48 am
    Readers,I am in need of your SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, AND IDEAS for 2011! Please help me by completing the QUICK questionnaire below.Thanks!J. Edwards<p><p>Loading...</p></p>Sincerely,J. Edwards Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D. Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

  • Keeping a High Level of Motivation in 2012! - Wandering Wednesdays - "Historian on the Run"

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    4 Jan 2012 | 2:54 pm
    Readers,This week, I have seen a wealth of posts about effectiveness and productivity levels. However, I have not seen many professors post on their academic or writing goals for the new year. Thankfully, there are a few! :) So, for this week's Wandering Wednesday post, we will visit several professor's blogs that are focused on goal setting for the 2012 school year.Historian on the RunThis "30-something" professor is focused on health and academics! She posted eight goals for the 2012 semester, which are divided into running and health goals, writing and professional goals, and personal…
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    OUPblog » Education

  • Winning the interview when switching from law to business

    Kirsty
    12 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am
    By Jerald Jellison Despite your legal training, you’ve decided to pursue a career in business. This career change will immediately raise a red flag for business employers. Your answer can make or break your chance of employment. Why do you want to work in business rather than law? The question is especially vexing if your heart has been set on working as an attorney. That’s the reason you went to law school. Even today, if you a law firm offered you a job, you’d choose it over business. But, legal jobs are scarce in this economy. If you voice those thoughts, the interviewer will…

  • Private schools and public benefit

    Nicola
    5 Jan 2012 | 2:27 am
    By Simon Baughen The charitable status of private schools raises strong passions, both for and against. Those in the ‘anti’ camp were heartened by the Charity Act 2006. Section 3(2) explicitly provided that there was to be no presumption that purposes in the first three headings listed in s.2(2) – education, religion, prevention and relief of poverty – were for the public benefit. The Act also required the Charity Commission to provide Guidelines on what amounted to public benefit. Section 4(6) required trustees of charitable trusts to ‘have regard to’ such guidance. The…

  • Seeing complexity in U.S. public education

    Kirsty
    12 Dec 2011 | 7:30 am
    By Donald J. Peurach Education reform is among the great American pastimes. This is activity that plays out continuously in public discourse everywhere from corner bars to capitol buildings, as well as in the day-to-day work of government agencies, university-based project teams, and private organizations. Current wrangling over the reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Act will surely throw fuel on the fire. However, despite decades of education reform, many schools continue to struggle to support high levels of student achievement — especially schools serving large populations…

  • Abina and the Important Men: A Graphic History

    Kirsty
    21 Oct 2011 | 7:28 am
    By Trevor Getz Abina and the Important Men is an interpretation of the testimony of a young, enslaved woman who won her way to freedom in late nineteenth century West Africa and then prosecuted her former master for illegally enslaving her.  October 21 marks the 155th anniversary of the date that she forced a British magistrate and a jury of eleven affluent and powerful men to hear the charges she was making against an influential male land-owner. Having encountered Abina’s testimony in the National Archives of Ghana more than a decade ago, I felt driven to turn it into an annotated…

  • Marking the autumnal equinox in the ancient world

    Kirsty
    23 Sep 2011 | 5:30 am
    This Day in World History September 23 Marking the autumnal equinox in the ancient world Sometime around September 23 each year, Earth reaches the autumnal equinox, the point when the sun stands directly above the Equator and daylight and dark are roughly equal. (The day, of course, marks the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. South of the Equator, it is the vernal, or spring, equinox. March 23 is the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumnal equinox in the Southern.) These astronomical events did not go unnoticed by ancient peoples. The people of ancient…
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    Learning In a Flat World

  • Day Two at NMC Retreat

    Britt
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:34 pm
    Day Two at the NMC Future of Education Retreat was just as amazing as the first night, if not more so.  Take one hundred colleagues from higher education, K12, museums, and corporate technology companies and have them think out loud for a day…that was the process at this retreat.  Just look at the sticky notes on the board to the left: Lev Gonick started us off this morning with a description of work Case Western Reserve has done to extend into the Cleveland community.  The problem was framed with three numbers.  Kids in Cleveland who attain a degree – 8%.  Women in Cleveland…

  • Our First Session at the NMC Horizon Retreat

    Britt
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:34 pm
    I’ll reflect more tomorrow…but this evening was fascinating.  Malcolm Brown of Educause was our initial thought leader, and in 6 minutes, he suggested we look at the Horizon Report as a process of design thinking, working on “wicked problems.”.  David Sibbet then facilitated our initial session trying to capture some hindsights about the Horizon Project process.  We did small group discussions first, then as each group shared and built on the conversation of others, an amazing visual representation emerged. The first picture shows David in action, while the other…

  • What is the Future of Education?

    Britt
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:07 pm
    I have no real idea … just some notions, but I am lucky enough to be attending a neat retreat focused on just this question. I am attending a retreat hosted by the New Media Consortium, which publishes the Horizon Report annually.  With well over one million downloads and 27 translations in the past ten years, the NMC Horizon Report series annually charts the landscape of emerging technologies for teaching, learning, research, creative inquiry, and information management.  I was on the Board of Advisors for last year’s K-12 report, and found the experience rewarding and…

  • Two Days of MARC

    Britt
    12 Jan 2012 | 8:33 pm
    I have enjoyed two full days at the 2012 Educause Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference in Baltimore.  I previously posted materials from our presentation and my Twitter 2o2 session.  By the way, Skyping Jon Becker in for Twitter 202 went just fine, and Jon added some great observations on the personal, professional, and academic use of Twitter.  Thanks again, Jon, for being a part of this session! Some overall impressions: Before they disappear, check out the rich conversation that has  been going on backchannel using the hashtag #marc12.  As of this evening, 818 tweets have been sent. …

  • At Educause MARC 2012 Conference

    Britt
    11 Jan 2012 | 10:17 am
    Our entire tech team is here in Baltimore for the Educause Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference.  Bud Deihl, Joyce Kincannon and I are presenting today on our use of online courses to prepare faculty to teach online (with thanks to David McLeod, our CTE Grad Fellow, who helped with the analysis).  Without the words, the slides may not mean alot, but here they are:   Using an online course to prepare faculty v4.0 View more presentations from Britt Watwood Tomorrow, I will be leading an exploratory session on Twitter, while Jeff Nugent will lead a session on polling. Looking forward to the…
 
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    Once Upon A School

  • #300 Tao Nguyen & Hoa Cao Scholar Athlete Scholarship

    Kyle Nguyen
    5 Jan 2012 | 10:22 am
    Our planI had a wonderful experience at Bolsa Grande high school. The teachers, counselors, and coaches were very caring. They are the foundation of my success at UCLA. I really appreciate my old high school. Therefore, I wanted to create a new scholarship for the scholar athletes who are in varsity sports, have high GPAs, and need financial aid. I wanted to encourage the young students to excel both in academics and sports. Hopefully, the new scholarship will motivate many students to try harder in high school.What we didI am a poor student on financial aid at UCLA. I knew I could not start…

  • #299 The Weight of Words

    David Spangler
    29 Sep 2011 | 9:55 am
    Our planBulling has become a real problem in our school district. Lovewell Institute has been working in this area to help kids express themselves through music, written and spoken words, theatre and dance. With a small grant from the local school district, we created a live music drama on the theme of anti-bullying which is in it's second year of touring the schools in our district. It has been highly successful and we continue to update the show with new material addressing cyber-bullying and new challenges related to bullying.What we didKnowing that the bullying was a problem in our…

  • #298 2300 to one

    Kevin F. Adler
    21 Sep 2011 | 1:50 pm
    Our plan2300 to one. That was the student to college counselor ratio at Granada High School (CA) when we started the BetterGrads program there last fall. 2300 students, 1 college counselor (a second was on maternity leave). With last year's statewide budget cuts of 40% for college and career counselors, many public schools have had to settle with half as many counselors - or, I suppose, 0.6 of a counselor if they only had one to begin with - to serve a growing, increasingly complex student population. Education associations report that the counselor to student ratio should be 1 to 250 or…

  • #297 Learning To Love Stories

    Nancy Getter
    20 Sep 2011 | 11:25 am
    Our planI wanted to bring story-telling and the magic of books to young students. I wanted to make sure they had, for at least thirty minutes, a few days a week, the experience of someone reading to them and actively engaging them in the story. What we didI read books such as Jamberry and those written by Leo Lionni and William Steig. I shared with them the books I'd read to my girls and engaged them through repetition of words, occasional questions and sometimes stopping to call attention to pictures so that they'd make the connection between the words and the pictures. Our resultsThey had…

  • #296 The Odyssey Writer's Workshop

    Elizabeth Berman
    31 Aug 2011 | 1:14 pm
    Our planThe Odyssey Writer’s Workshop The Odyssey Writer’s Workshop is a ten-week creative writing program for at-risk middle school and high school students. The goal of the workshop is to teach the structural elements of non-fiction and short-story writing while helping students strengthen interpersonal skills. The first step in the program is to encourage the students to free their minds in order to dig deep inside themselves to find unexpected material. During the sessions our teachers introduce writing exercises to enrich the students’ skills and build confidence. Each class…
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    heyjude.wordpress.com

  • The time for libraries is now!

    Judy O'Connell
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:53 pm
    Each new academic year brings me challenges, changes and excitement in ways that I often cannot anticipate. Once again our library shelves have been dusted, collections prepared, digital tools sharpened, and our motivation is running high. Yet the one point of predictability is that the learning landscape refuses to ‘be still’!  When it comes to literacy, information and life-long learning, the pulsing energy of change powers the curriculum of learning  throughout the year at breakneck speed. Before the year had hardly got underway there were already several indicators that confirmed…

  • It’s Santa Claws time again!

    Judy O'Connell
    22 Dec 2011 | 7:07 pm
    Enjoy the humour of this video -  I couldn’t resist watching again! See you all again in 2012 with another year of blogging adventures together. Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for a wonderful New Year. Filed under: in Australia Tagged: Christmas

  • Information abyss – in the era of global education

    Judy O'Connell
    21 Dec 2011 | 8:40 pm
    The more I look the more certain I am that I stand at the edge of an information abyss, rather than at the dawn of a  golden age of information and life-long learning powered by the digital environments. Perhaps there are two sides to this: The good side encompasses savoring the growth of creative knowledge and nurturing the  understanding for students engaged in the topic of discussion. In this way students can sometimes surprise and delight us with insights and even lead us in new directions taking the teacher mentor along with them. The bad side encompasses that information abyss that…

  • Tagging my Technology and Teaching Practice

    Judy O'Connell
    12 Dec 2011 | 7:29 pm
    This week sees me concluding a year of academic activities by participating in graduation, and other professional events at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. It is always a pleasure to celebrate the big graduation day with a new batch of happy graduates! Meanwhile, much of the discussions back in the ‘academic halls’  hinge around technology and teaching practice, one way or another. Much planning for 2012 as a result! As educators we are always looking for yet another way to bend an online tool to our purpose. Thursday will see me contributing to the Technology and…

  • The First Banned Books Video Calendar is Ready!

    Judy O'Connell
    1 Dec 2011 | 4:20 pm
    The Entresse Library in Espoo, Finland and FAIFE (IFLA Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) have together created the world’s first Banned Books Video Calendar. The project has garnered international attention and is considered pioneering in many ways. “Last year, Entresse created a Finnish video calendar of banned books. Due to the high quality of the final product, we decided to take it to an international forum,” says Director Kai Ekholm of the National Library of Finland and the Chair of FAIFE. The project’s participants include…
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    Top School Fundraisers

  • Gymnastics Fundraising Made Easy

    Howard Gottlieb
    4 Jan 2012 | 10:24 am
    If you are a student taking part in school gymnastics, you will be aware of the many costs that come along with gymnastics, from the cost of new equipment like mats and bars, to the cost of maintaining the school gym, and in some cases completely refurbishing it when it needs a full upgrade. There are also travel expenses to consider when the gymnastics team needs to go take part in regional competitions. One way to do something positive for your school and bring some extra funding to the school’s gymnastics team is by getting involved in gymnastics fundraising. But you may initially have a…

  • Soccer Fundraising Ideas with a Theme

    Howard Gottlieb
    2 Jan 2012 | 3:22 pm
    Holding a school fundraiser can be a very effective way to bring some extra funding to your school. It encourages everybody, from the students to teachers to other school staff, to all get together in support of a good cause. There are many different rolls that people in the school can take on, from helping to develop ideas that will make your fundraiser a success, to making signs and banners to put up around the school to promote the event, to actually going out and selling fundraising products to help you reach your targets. Regardless of their age, all students can get involved with…

  • People To People Fundraising Ideas for Great Success

    Howard Gottlieb
    23 Dec 2011 | 8:32 am
    In order to support the People To People Student Ambassador Program at your school, you may have decided that holding a fundraiser is the best way to go. There are many obvious benefits to holding a fundraiser, but using some good People To People Fundraising Ideas can help several students at your school find the funding required to be a part of this great program. If you are a faculty member at the school who wants to get involved in raising money for this cause, then you will want to consider a few things before getting started, so that everything runs without a hitch and you pull off the…

  • Softball Fundraising Ideas in a Hurry

    Howard Gottlieb
    21 Dec 2011 | 7:48 am
    Many students in high school like to play sports. It is a fun way to unwind after a long day of math and science, and also gives students a chance to play with other students like themselves who enjoy staying active. Nowadays there are many different sports teams for students to choose between, from more traditional sports like football, basketball, and baseball, to newer activities like wrestling and water polo. This great selection of sports teams can only be a good thing for students, since it gives them a chance to decide for themselves which sport will be the best choice for them. But…

  • Developing Football Fundraising Ideas

    Howard Gottlieb
    16 Dec 2011 | 8:32 am
    If you think it’s time for all the students at the school to band together and do something good for a worthy cause, you might have considered holding a fundraising event to raise money for the school. There are many different departments that could use some extra funding, since many are left in the dark when the school’s budget gets eaten up by other things. One group in particular that often needs extra funding is the school football team. Whether it’s for new football gear and clothing, or its for general upkeep to the school football field, football fundraising ideas can be a great…
 
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    Educational Discourse

  • You Can’t Stop the Rain

    kwhobbes
    5 Jan 2012 | 11:31 am
    Singing their Song So often when we talk about schools, students, parents and teachers, we discuss things in arm-lengths type of way. We discuss how they need to have richer and more meaningful learning experiences, how we need to provide them with the opportunities to use the technological tools in authentic learning experiences. What we don’t discuss is how schools need to be places of living not just of learning. They need to be places of community where children can experience life-lessons not just academic lessons. The story that follows is about one such event that took place at…

  • Do we need to rethink conventions?

    kwhobbes
    3 Jan 2012 | 10:58 pm
    I’ve been following the discussion about EdCamps over the past few months – even thinking about organizing one in our area/province. The one thing I continue to be impressed with is that the people who attend make comments like I recently went to the EdCampYEG with two fellow staff members. Well worth the 2 hr. trip. PD should always be like that – open, relevant and engaging…oh, and most enjoyable! Stephen Banks – Ed Administrators2.0 This is just one of the many comments that I’ve heard that are like this. In my discussion with others on this topic, it…

  • Recognizing What You Have

    kwhobbes
    3 Jan 2012 | 7:29 pm
    Being at home during the holidays with 8 children allows for some great moments together – like watching moments like the one below. Reading with Sister It’s not always that you can watch your children spend time together enjoying a book or playing a game. It’s also at times like this that I am reminded that not all children have this opportunity. Some, because of poverty and other circumstances, do not have the same options that others have. AND, this is important for all of us to remember, not all is as it appears. Experience has taught me that things are not always as…

  • A New Year – Kinda Part 2 – Technology

    kwhobbes
    3 Jan 2012 | 1:21 am
    2011 – 2012 – Mid-Year Round Up In my last post, I discussed the whole New Year thing and then began a reflection of where we are as a school.  This is a mid-year round up of life thus far at PPCS a brand new K – 12 school in rural Saskatchewan. The school is a combination of two schools – a K – 6 Elementary School and a 7 – 12 High School which came together on May 1st 2011.  This year is our first as a K – 12 school. In this post, I’ll discuss where we are and where we are going technology wise. Tech for all – all for Tech We live in a…

  • New Year – kinda

    kwhobbes
    1 Jan 2012 | 11:16 pm
    It’s the New Year – 2012 - and all the expectations that one has for a new year and for the much anticipated 2012 ! Many people, but not all,  make a list of resolutions they hope to keep for the upcoming year. I don’t. In fact, I don’t really celebrate this whole new year thing. My wife and I and our children – this year we spent it at my mom’s playing Frackle – usually spend the evening at home. At some point, we just didn’t see the reason for the hype – why do you have to wait until the new year to make changes or do anything? Why do…
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    Six Seconds

  • Thank you Betrayal…my gift, my teacher

    Six Seconds
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:12 pm
    by Wanda Townsend Betrayal is a strong feeling that can be difficult to process.  Why? Because the trauma of the betrayal creates fear, shame, secrets, and intensity. These feelings may even mix with love and longing for the person by whom we feel betrayed. In 2009 I experienced a situation where I was hurt by someone I trusted.  I was shocked and instantly felt helpless, confused, afraid and hopeless.  I had a choice to make:  Was I going to choose to remain angry, bitter, or resentful or assume the posture of a victim?  Or, was, I going to choose to embrace the pain of betrayal;…

  • Structuring Transformational Learning

    Joshua Freedman
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:02 pm
    What is your goal with learning?  Is it enough for participants to get information, or do you want some change, some transformation, as they actually APPLY the learning? What makes that work? One the reasons Six Seconds’ programs are transformational is our commitment to a rigorous approach to learning.  We come from a “constructivist” history, rooted in the humanistic school of education.  In constructivism, the goal is for learners to build (construct) meaning.  Rather than imparting information or telling them what you’ve just taught, a constructivist focuses on facilitating…

  • EQ Educator Certification in Phoenix, AZ. — Early Bird Discount ends Feb. 1, 2012

    Dr. Susan Stillman
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:47 am
    Classroom teachers, counselors, administrators, and volunteers–don’t miss this opportunity to become certified as an EQ Educator and discover research-based strategies for implementing SEL in your schools and communities. Participants learn to facilitate SEL lessons and walk away with a clear process for SEL instruction, an understanding of the Six Seconds model and approach, plus resources & curriculum for 4-8 months of teaching. Join Six Seconds’ COO, Josh Freedman;  Six Seconds’ Director of Education, Susan Stillman; other members of the Six Seconds’…

  • 10 Emotionally Intelligent Ways to Guarantee Success

    Melissa Donaldson
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:46 pm
    I just read a wonderful article by Geoffrey James that  reinforces that success is based on the quality of our relationships, the emotions we experience each day and what we focus on………http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/10-questions-that-create-success.html Here is a summary of the 10 questions that the author recommends we ask ourselves at the end of each day to be more successful. 1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?  2. Have I done something today that improved the world? 3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient? 4. Have I…

  • Sneak Peek: Does EQ Solve Workplace Challenges?

    Six Seconds
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:49 pm
    Since 2006, the Workplace Issues Report tracks changing views of the challenges people face at work — and how EQ is seen as part of the solution. One finding in this year’s report shows:  Participants see “people issues” as 75% more significant than their technical/financial issues.  So, there is a huge need for emotional intelligence, yet only 28% say EQ development is a high or very high priority in their organization. Want to know more about that 28%?  Take the survey and you’ll receive the report — but hurry, the survey closes Feb 8, 2012. Below is a…
 
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    EdTechTalk

  • EdTechTalk21 #163: Al Pittampalli on the Modern Meeting Standard

    alex.ragone
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:47 pm
    Tweet EdTechTalk21 #163 Al Pittampalli on the Modern Meeting Standard January 25, 2012 Al Pittampalli, author of Read This Before Our Next Meeting joined us to discuss the Modern Meeting Standard. On Twitter, Al tags himself as a Meeting culture warrior.  <Chat Trans> 20:55 minutes (9.63 MB) EdTechTalk21 #163 Al Pittampalli on the Modern Meeting Standard January 25, 2012 Al Pittampalli, author of Read This Before Our Next Meeting joined us to discuss the Modern Meeting Standard. On Twitter, Al tags himself as a Meeting culture warrior.  <Chat Trans>read more

  • Teachers Teaching Teachers #279 -Turning "Be You" into "Be Us" with Fred Mindlin, Chad Sansing, Kelsey, Rahul Deodhar - 1.11.12

    Paul Allison
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:12 pm
    Tweet 48:40 minutes (11.14 MB) On this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers we are joined by: Chris Sloan, Monika Hardy,  Fred Mindlin,  Chad Sansing, Scott Shelhart,  Paul Allison, Kelsey Shelhart, and Rahul Deodhar In addition to getting to know each other better, on this episode, we also brainstorm possible questions for Deborah Frieze's visit on the next episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers. Click Read more to see a copy of the chat that was happening during the webcast. read more

  • EdTechWeekly#208 - 2012 Goals, Projects, and Edtechosphere updates

    Jeff
    15 Jan 2012 | 10:47 pm
    Tweet 50:16 minutes (23.01 MB)EdTechWeekly#208  January 15, 2011 2012 Goals, Projects, and Edtechosphere updates Chat Log Below read more

  • EdTechTalk21 #162 Brad Rathgeber, Director of the Online School for Girls

    alex.ragone
    13 Jan 2012 | 3:58 pm
    Tweet EdTechTalk21 #162 Brad Rathgeber, Director of the Online School for Girls January, 11, 2012 Brad Rathgeber, Director of the Online School for Girls gives us an update on the progress of his consortium based online school. See our first conversation here ETT21 #127. 26:36 minutes (12.21 MB) EdTechTalk21 #162 Brad Rathgeber, Director of the Online School for Girls January, 11, 2012 Brad Rathgeber, Director of the Online School for Girls gives us an update on the progress of his consortium based online school. See our first conversation here ETT21 #127. read more

  • COOLCast - January 10, 2012

    Jeff
    12 Jan 2012 | 12:17 am
    Tweet 78:33 minutes (35.96 MB) Participants: Ben Samuels, Carol Yeager, Vanessa Vaile, Stephen Downes, Karen Scarlett, & Jeff Lebow Topics: Blackboard's 'Openness' vs Moodle's Cost Effectiveness, Reflections on CMC11, Cyberbullying, & Calgary Weather Part 2 Part 1 Next Coolcast: January 18/19 0300GMT (global times: http://bit.ly/yF7Khv   details) read more
 
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    Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

  • Research Studies Of The Week

    Larry Ferlazzo
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:03 pm
    I often write about research studies from various field and how they can be applied to the classroom. I write individual posts about ones that I think are especially significant, and will continue to do so. However, so many studies are published that it’s hard to keep up. So I’ve started writing a “round-up” of some of them each week or every other week as a regular feature: Physicists Seek To Lose The Lecture As Teaching Tool is an NPR Report about the successes of a professor who has stopped lecturing and, and instead, has begun using small groups. American Radio…

  • January’s “The Best” Lists — There Are Now 853 Of Them

    Larry Ferlazzo
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pm
    Here’s my monthly round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted in late December and January (you can see all 853 of them categorized here): The Best Summify & Paper.li’s On ESL/EFL/ELL — January, 2012 The Best Online “Explainer” Tools For Current Events — January, 2012 The Best Resources For Learning About Protests In Russia — January, 2012 The Best Commentaries On The President’s Proposal For Students To Stay In School Until They’re Eighteen — January, 2012 The Best Critiques Of Ruby Payne — January, 2012 The Best Posts On The Gates’…

  • Not Related To Schools, But Too Cute Not To Share….

    Larry Ferlazzo
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:06 pm
    How could I not share this video of a snoring mouse?

  • New Online U.S. History Game Goes Online Today

    Larry Ferlazzo
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am
    Flight To Freedom is a new online game about the Underground Railroad that came online today. You have to register to play (it’s easy to do so), and it’s designed in the “choose your own adventure” genre. It’s part of Mission US, which is funded by the Corporation For Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment For The Humanities. It’s first game, For Crown Or Colony, is also a very well designed “choose your own adventure” game. That game was on The Best Online Learning Games Of 2011 list, and I’m sure this new one will be on this…

  • Even More On The Northern Lights

    Larry Ferlazzo
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:55 pm
    Here are two new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Northern Lights: The Sky Is on Fire! Your Complete Visual Guide to the Northern Lights is from The Atlantic. New Aurora Pictures: Solar Storms Trigger Northern Lights is from National Geographic.
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    Millard Fillmore's Bathtub

  • Mad Housewife Chardonnay

    Ed Darrell
    28 Jan 2012 | 3:13 am
    Kathryn isn’t exactly a haus frau, not with all the lawyers she must deal with daily. Probably more of a comment on her husband.  A good friend offered this gift a while back: Mad Housewife Chardonnay - Photo by Ed Darrell, Creative Commons license We laughed.  Then we found, in the box, an accompanying chardonnay glass: Change of Life wine glass “Hot with complex characteristics.”  Still hot after all these years (that many? really?). Drinking it poses a conundrum:  A Trophy Wife ™ really should be taken out on an occasion to drink a wine with a name like that,…

  • American native language, and the Comanche Code Talkers

    Ed Darrell
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    Our friend, the historian and curator of the Jack Harbin Scout Museum in Dallas, Bob Reitz, will present a paper on the Comanche Code Talkers of World War II at the meeting of the West Texas Historical Association meeting March 30-31, at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Which, for some reason, made me think of this classic XKCD: XKCD cartoon on the national language More, resources:  U.S. Army history page on American Indians in the Army, including code talkers of World War I and World War II; “In Europe, the 4th Signal Company, 4th Infantry Division, was assigned 17…

  • Time lapse flight, San Francisco to Paris

    Ed Darrell
    23 Jan 2012 | 12:06 am
    I continue to like time-lapse photo compilations, and I continue to wonder about how to use them to expand geography teaching.  It’s a great circle route, over the Arctic nearing the North Pole.  This movie comes from Nate Bolt, who posts his work at Beepshow. Obviously I’m not the only one who likes it — between the YouTube and Vimeo sites, the movie has more than 4 million viewers. Bolt explained at YouTube: More of these time lapses at http://beepshow.com I shot a photo roughly every two miles between take-off in San Francisco and landing in Paris CDG to make this…

  • U.S. government propaganda circa 1943: “Don’t be a sucker”

    Ed Darrell
    22 Jan 2012 | 2:45 pm
    If only the Republican Party still subscribed to these all-American, egalitarian values  . . .  A few sources say the film was intended to be an anti-racism film after the desegregation of the U.S. armed forces by President Harry Truman, and was not intended for general public viewing.  (Is it fair to say this is secret stuff?)  The Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB) said the film was made in 1943, and reissued by the Defense Department later; good movies stay fresh: Financed and produced by the United States War Department, and shot at the Warners [Bros.] studio, although it was distributed…

  • Odd conjunction of history: January 21, Louis XVI and Vladimir I. Lenin

    Ed Darrell
    21 Jan 2012 | 4:31 pm
    The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press inform us that France’s King Louis XVI died on January 21, 1793.  In 1924, Russian revolutionary Vladimir I. Lenin died on January 21. France's King Louis XVI died on January 21, 1793. He is seen here in his most famous portrait, in happier times. Image via Wikipedia Both died of strokes, but of different kinds of strokes.  Lenin’s was a cerebral stroke; Louis’s was the stroke of the blade of a guillotine. Lenin died on January 21, 1924. Painting of Lenin in front of the Smolny Institute, circa 1925, by Isaak Brodsky…
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    Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

  • Taking Flight - Mobile Devices Blur Boundaries

    27 Jan 2012 | 10:47 am
    Source: http://goo.gl/rOLxk Facilitated by mobile devices, blurred boundaries of work/school and home bring opportunities for conversation with our children, don't they?My 18 year old, when I ask what she's doing texting as we head out to dinner, quickly points out as she hands her phone over--voluntarily--that she's collaborating on her homework. Good thing, too, since her homework is often over my head. That kind of response took one colleague by surprise, when she asked her son why he was doing this at the table at a restaurant. "Sorry, Mom," he replied, "we're working on our big…

  • #Google Edu resources launched

    26 Jan 2012 | 11:18 pm
    google.com/edu You know, it's amazing how many neat web sites are launched per day. Here's 3 more to add to your social bookmarks, courtesy of Tia Lendo at Google (she shared it via the Google-Certified Teacher list I get to lurk on, thank you so very much): Check out 3 new resources we launched today for educators and education-enthusiasts. Thank you to the MANY people on this list who contributed stories, feedback, and support:(1) WEBSITE- A newly-improved website, google.com/edu, which is a one-stop-shop for Google in Education.  (2) +PAGE- A Google in Education Google+…

  • Thanks Joe Smith @ TexasISD.com!

    26 Jan 2012 | 8:25 pm
    Technology - http://www.texasisd.com/cat_index_37.shtml When I stopped being a columnist for Education World and TCEA TechEdge, I gave some serious thought to seeking publication sources elsewhere. And, though, I've published in several print magazines, written a chapter--or collaborated in two cases--in a book, had my articles featured in books, etc., I have to admit that the greatest satisfaction in writing thus far has come from this blog, Around the Corner! I don't receive any pay for blogging and find it difficult to imagine my blog festooned with advertising, which I tried once and…

  • BYOD and iPad Filtering Solutions +

    26 Jan 2012 | 5:05 pm
    Source: Lightspeed, http://goo.gl/scosS (no endorsement/preference implied) What kind of solutions does your school or organization use for BYOD Filtering? I'd love to hear from vendors with products and what their features are for this new area in K-12! Although this blog entry focuses on filtering, it does encourage technology directors to crowd-source resources for BYOD filtering, as well as share what devices they're jumping into, such as Android or iPad or something else. We are going to a BYOD model next school year. We will be giving the "have-nots" a laptop (maybe Linux or…

  • MyNotes - Exploring JAMF Casper for #iPad

    25 Jan 2012 | 8:58 pm
    Getting started with iPad management? Your best first step for a demo is to participate in the live iOS demo that is held every Tuesday at 2:00 PM CST.  To register, please click here on next week's date: http://www.jamfsoftware.com/events  As I shared in several posts--you can find them here--mobile device management can save you a lot of white hairs and frustration. I finally had a chance to glance through Casper materials and here are some of my take-aways.... Get Blog Updates via Email! Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner Subscribe to Around the…
 
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    Steve Hargadon

  • Live Interview Tuesday, January 24th - Lee Crockett on 21st Century Fluencies

    Steve Hargadon
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:16 pm
    Join me Tuesday, January 24th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Lee Crockett, co-author of Literacy Is NOT Enough: 21st Century Fluencies for the Digital Age. "Educating students to traditional literacy standards is no longer enough. If students are to thrive in their academic and 21st century careers, then independent and creative thinking hold the highest currency.... Students must master a completely different set of skills to succeed in a culture of technology-driven automation, abundance, and access to global labor markets." (-Corwin book…

  • Live Interview Thursday, January 19th - Henry J. Eyring on The Innovative University

    Steve Hargadon
    14 Jan 2012 | 2:23 pm
    Join me Thursday, January 19th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Henry J. Eyring, co-author (with Clayton M. Christensen) of The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out. "The Innovative University illustrates how higher education can respond to the forces of disruptive innovation, and offers a nuanced and hopeful analysis of where the traditional university and its traditions have come from and how it needs to change for the future. Through an examination of Harvard and BYU-Idaho as well as other stories of innovation in…

  • Live Interview Tuesday, January 17th - Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach on "The Connected Educator"

    Steve Hargadon
    14 Jan 2012 | 2:06 pm
    Join me Tuesday, January 17th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach on her new book, The Connected Educator. "In The Connected Educator, authors Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall integrate professional development that is currently working in schools with a new model connected learning communities. Connected learning communities are a three-pronged approach to effective professional development using the local (professional learning community), contextual (personal learning network), and global (community of practice) environments.

  • Live Interview Thursday, January 12th - Mitch Pearlstein on Family Fragmentation and Education

    Steve Hargadon
    10 Jan 2012 | 12:02 am
    Join me Thursday, January 12th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Mitch Pearlstein on his book From Family Collapse to America's Decline. Mr. Pearlstein argues that very "high rates of family fragmentation in the United States are subtracting from what very large numbers of students are learning in school and forever holding them back in other ways," leading to reduced economic competitiveness and deepening class divisions. His "elephant-in-the-room" thesis of the family's impact on educational achievement is "neither a liberal nor a conservative opinion" (Glen C.

  • Live Interview Tuesday, January 10th - Ian Jukes on Restructuring Education and 21st-Century Fluencies

    Steve Hargadon
    9 Jan 2012 | 6:44 pm
    Join me Tuesday, January 10th, for a special live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with the incredibly prolific and dynamic Ian Jukes--who describes himself as a "registered educational evangelist," and says that his mission in life is "to ensure that children are properly prepared for the future rather than society's past."  Ian's focus has consistently been on the compelling need to restructure our educational institutions so that they become relevant to the current and future needs of children. We'll talk about the practical issues related to ensuring that…
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    History Is Elementary

  • A Christian Nation? Be Careful What You Preach

    EHT
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:13 pm
    A good friend sent me this article theother night written by Rob Boston and published in the Pittsburg Post-Gazette.  Myfriend wanted to know my thoughts about the article.   He also wanted to know if the article wasfactual. After reading the entire piece I advised my friend thearticle was indeed factual even though it was contrary to those who happen tothink certain members of the Founding Fathers were Christians in the same sensethe Religious Right profess to be. For the mostpart while I tend to be a Conservative in political matters, I also tend topart ways with the…

  • The Architect of the Capitol

    EHT
    16 Jan 2012 | 8:08 pm
    Okay, stick with me here. The architect of the U.S. Capitol doesn’t refer to the actual person whodesigned the U.S. Capitol who as it turns out wasn’t an actual architectanyway, but he was the first one to hold the “office”.   Also, the title doesn’t refer to a persononly….it refers to a Federal agency, too.Confused?Let’s wade into this slowly….The Architect of the U.S. Capital is an agency within theLegislative Branch responsible for the maintenance, operation, development andpreservation of the U.S. Capitol Complex. This means they are responsible for…

  • When Cross Curriculum Intentions Go Wrong

    EHT
    9 Jan 2012 | 10:28 am
    So....little Johnny or Susie brings home a teacher prepared worksheet filled with several math problems for homework.  At some point a parent decides to check the answers or at least review  the sheet to see what type of assignment had been given.Some of the problems are troubling:1. "Each tree had 56 oranges.  If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"2. "If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?"Yes, I'm serious.   This actually happened recently in a Georgia classroom per  thislink.I hope you…

  • War Horse

    EHT
    27 Dec 2011 | 10:48 pm
    Christmas Day I sat in a very full movie theater andexperienced a crowd so moved by what they had watched they cheered and clappedat the end of the movie.    It’s such arare occurrence.   I think I can count onone hand the times in my life where I’ve witnessed clapping after a movie, butthe particular movie I saw deserved it.  Ijust have to wonder how many of those people realized theyenjoyed a story that was originally published as juvenile fiction.Yes!   The movie War Horsewas originally published as a book for young adults in 1982 by…

  • The Official White House Christmas Card for 2011

    EHT
    23 Dec 2011 | 11:05 pm
    I've been writing about the official White House Christmas card here at History Is Elementary and American Presidents Blog since 2006.  I love to look back at past administrations to see what design was chosen.Unfortunately, over the last few years the card seems to cause some type of controversy...either it causes the politically correct leaning folks to be appalled because a Bible verse is on a card that happens to be recognizing a holiday  which happens to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ OR the card happens to be too secular for the taste of Christians who get their…
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    assortedstuff

  • EduCon Conversation

    Tim
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:39 pm
    Tomorrow I’ll be heading to Philadelphia for EduCon 2.4 (can it possibly be the fifth?), the best professional development event I attend each year. It’s a small conference but a fully-packed weekend of great conversations and a chance to connect with many members of my PLN, hosted at a truly innovative school. This year I’ll be part of a panel session with Tim, Tom, Jeff, and Martha* called Building Bridges: Communities of Practice from K-16, in which we’ll be discussing how to improve communication and collaboration between those of us working in K12 schools and our…

  • Flawed Logic

    Tim
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:02 pm
    In his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, President Obama addressed education reform, including this statement about teachers. Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn. In the Post’s Answer Sheet blog, a veteran educator points out a huge logical flaw in what the President…

  • Data Weary

    Tim
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:19 am
    In the past few weeks, I’ve been involved in a lot of conversations about data here in the overly-large school district. Actually, all the data-this and data-that discussions have been ongoing for a long time, although it really seems to get annoying enough to write about around this time in the school year. The fundamental concept, of course, is that if we collect enough data on students, we can manipulate it and unlock the secret to bumping up their test scores so that the school won’t get toss into the dreaded “needs improvement” (aka failing) category. In the end,…

  • Redesigning Teach

    Tim
    23 Jan 2012 | 7:36 am
    Studio 360 is a fun, interesting public radio program produced at WNYC in New York and focusing on the arts and popular culture. Occasionally they hire graphic design firms to re-imagine the imagery for a part of that culture. This time around they decided to redesign teaching, or at least the graphic representation of teaching, and the results are bright, interesting, modern and, at least for me, extremely compelling. Although you can quibble with the use of school-bus yellow (and some did in the program’s comment section), this work is still many steps up from any illustration using…

  • Split Decision

    Tim
    22 Jan 2012 | 7:48 pm
    Unless you’re part of the ed-tech community, you might have missed the news from Apple’s product announcement last Thursday. After all, they didn’t have any new devices with i stuck in front of the name1, so most of the popular media didn’t cover it. But since the event was focused on publishing and electronic books, I was very curious what they would have. The rumor sites had the company bringing a “revolution” to the textbook industry (is that even possible?). Although not revolutionary, they did have some very good stuff to show, with lots of potential.
 
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    O'DonnellWeb

  • School Lunches Were Never Like This

    chrisod
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:55 am
    Fredericksburg Christian Lower (Elementary) caters in fast food every single day. Monday – Pizza of undetermined origin. Tues – KFC Wed – Subway Thur – Salsarita’s Fri – Dairy Queen Really? This is what they are teaching kids about healthy eating? This is a $7000 a year private school, you’d think they could do better than pump the kids full of fat and sodium every day at lunch. Are the parents there really ok with this? Oh, and if your parents forget to add money to your lunch account? Lower School students who do not have a lunch or a balance in…

  • Star Wars Uncut

    chrisod
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:43 pm
    I just watched two hours of the most brilliant film making ever put to “film.” Star Wars uncut takes home made fan recreations of Star Wars from 405 film makers (I counted in the credits) to produce a scene by scene recreation of Star Wars. It goes from fairly serious attempts to recreate the movie to kids doing the scenes in the backyard to Lego stop motion to my personal favorite, beer bottles decorated to kind of sort of maybe resemble the Star Wars characters. I can’t recommend this enough. If you have a Kindle or Xbox Live, pop some corn, grab a brew, and sit back for…

  • “Normal” for kids is a really, really wide range

    chrisod
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pm
    This is a great blog post from Laura Grace Weldon (author of Free Range Learning) about her efforts to get the school system to work with her son, whose learning style was more than one standard deviation from the mean. The school, of course, just wanted to label the kid as ADD and drug him. After failing to get anywhere with the schools, she pulled him out to homeschool. The kid that couldn’t learn is currently a full scholarship grad student at MIT. I think my kids would have done fine in school. They probably would have been like me, disinterested yet accomplished students going…

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray

    chrisod
    8 Jan 2012 | 9:29 pm
    Oscar Wilde’s only published novel was a bit of scandal when it came out over 100 years ago. I’m not sure my pedestrian command of the English language is really sufficient to review such a richly written book. An unexplained event sets young, dashingly handsome Dorian Gray up in a situation where a painting of him absorbs all the sins of his life. The painting ages as Dorian looks 20 forever, and the stain of Dorian’s immoral and decadent lifestyle stain the painting and stays clear of Dorian’s conscience. Or does it? The book is extravagantly written, and at times…

  • Good Eats: The Early Years

    chrisod
    8 Jan 2012 | 3:31 pm
    This is not a cookbook. It’s the print companion to the first 5 seasons of Good Eats. It does include recipes from each episode, which makes it handy for looking up that thing he did with shrimp in season 3. It’s much quicker than trying to navigate the Food Network website. It’s also includes lots of cool behind the scenes info about the episodes, shooting locations, etc. And of course, it’s filled with science! Possibly Related Posts:Good EatsIn The Presence of Mine EnemiesHappy Birthday DelaneyMichael Crichton: TimelineBook Review: James Lileks – The Gallery…
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    iterating toward openness

  • Apple, iBooks Author, and Open Textbooks: RIP K-12 Publishers as We Know Them

    david
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:31 pm
    Last week Apple made a rather significant iPad / iBooks / textbooks announcement. Several people have asked whether it is a net win or net loss for advocates of open textbooks specifically and affordability generally. From my perspective, the announcement is an outright win for advocates of affordability and open textbooks. Here’s why. It’s fairly clear from the Jobs biography and the publishers’ behavior that the original plan was: (1) Apple would hire some rockstar PhDs who would write textbooks (2) Apple would own the textbooks, and (3) Apple would give away the books for…

  • Utah Moves to Open Textbooks

    david
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:45 pm
    Something very exciting happened today. The Utah State Office of Education announced that (1) it will be supporting the development of Utah-specific open textbooks for all secondary language arts, mathematics, and science courses, and (2) that the USOE recommends that all schools across the state consider these open textbooks for adoption in their secondary language arts, mathematics, and science courses for this fall (2012). The math and science books will be remixes of CK-12 materials (as per our existing pilot program), while the Language Arts books will be produced locally. The Hewlett…

  • Senior Fellow for Open Education

    david
    9 Jan 2012 | 8:16 pm
    I’m humbled and very excited to announce that, as of today, I am the Senior Fellow for Open Education at the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies, also known as Digital Promise. I’ll post more detail on exactly what this means later this week. FAQ: No, I’m not leaving BYU; I’ll be acting in this role in addition to my responsibilities at BYU. In the meantime, here’s the SL Tribune story and the text of the article from the McKay School News: Dr. David Wiley, an associate professor in the Department of Instructional…

  • Kicking Away the Ladder

    david
    25 Dec 2011 | 10:55 pm
    Chomsky absolutely nails the explanation of why “Buy One, Get One” does not generally exist with regard to public access to publicly-funded innovation, and gives us another awesome metaphor-weapon in the battle against bad IP policy. … Friedrich List, famous German political economist in the 19th century, who was actually borrowing from Andrew Hamilton, called it “kicking away the ladder.” First you use state power and violence to develop, then you kick away those procedures so that other people can’t do it….

  • Project Management for Instructional Designers

    david
    22 Dec 2011 | 4:18 pm
    What did you do for finals week this year? Students in our IPT 682: Project Management class put the finishing touches on their new online textbook, Project Management for Instructional Designers. This is the first large scale, multi-person REVISE / REMIX project I’ve had the pleasure of working on. From the Introduction: This book is an adaptation of Project Management from Simple to Complex written by Russell Darnall and John Preston and generously published under an open license by Flat World Knowledge. The book you are now reading is a work in progress. If you are interested in…
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    Graham Wegner - Open Educator

  • Headspace

    Graham
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:09 am
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrdarkroom/4265886842/ Frank, my boss, likes to talk about three types of space in school – physical space, virtual space and teacher headspace. The first two only get used well when the third is open to good practice, seeing things differently and willing to re-imagine what could be. I’ve been in leadership since 2003 but it has mainly been on what I think is the first rung – as a coordinator who had release time from my own classroom responsibilities to lead out in the area of learning technologies. Since July last year, I’ve been on the…

  • Insert The Keys

    Graham
    20 Jan 2012 | 6:05 am
    One of my very favourite places to hang out is the town of Goolwa. We went down there for a few days earlier in the week and enjoyed some family time. Goolwa is an amazing spot in Australia as it has the Murray River finding its way to the sea, adjacent to the Coorong not far from the fresh water lakes of Alexandrina and Albert. Things have really changed in the area since 2009 when the drought was having its biggest effect on the Murray River. The best place to see the contrast is from a lookout on top of a tall sand dune on Goolwa Beach. Here you can see my youngest son Josh in the middle…

  • Tuning Into A Decent Radio Station

    Graham
    11 Jan 2012 | 5:41 am
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanl/138132641/ I’ve been thinking about posting about this issue since I read this article in the local paper. In summary, commercial radio stations want to ditch the 25% Australian music quota requirement that has been in place for a long time now. This naturally has the local music industry calling foul but the issue is complicated by the fact that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has exempted digital radio stations from the same requirement. I’m not a big listener to radio but I do enjoy Australian music and I’m sure…

  • Opening The Car Door

    Graham
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:08 am
    I’ve never been one to jump in at the deep end. I ease myself into things in the same manner that I slide carefully into the chilly water of a pool or a cautious wade out into the ocean. I have been described as opinionated in a low key way but I am typically unsure of myself at the best of times. So, even after six months in this new role of Assistant Principal, I am still feeling my way, thinking and re-thinking my possible approaches for effective leadership within this role. So, in an effort to lay out some starting thoughts and switch from holiday mode where I have happily absorbed…

  • Seasons Greeting And All That Stuff

    Graham
    22 Dec 2011 | 11:28 pm
    Hope all of my readers (the ones who still check their subscription feed every now and again) have a great festive season – and that all Australian educators enjoy their break. I am well rested after a break from blogging caused by a number of mundane factors – busy end of year, new role, watching too many TV-on-DVD series etc, etc – but I fully intend to get back into some writing in the new year. Meanwhile, the tumbleweed can roll around here for a few days/weeks until something topical crops up. Cheers, Graham.
 
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    Generation YES Blog

  • Why the (__noun__) won’t save/revolutinize education

    Sylvia Martinez
    21 Jan 2012 | 1:04 pm
    We’ve all heard how (__noun__) will save/revolutionize education. But unfortunately, it’s not going to have the expected impact. Some may use (__noun_) in an exciting, creative way, and will be able to say that their students are engaged at a new level. But many implementations of (__noun__) will be thoughtless, with opportunities for even minor impact buried under a host of systemic issues that can’t be solved by going shopping. Schools will adopt (__noun__) without a vision of what to do with it Schools will purchase (__noun__) without really thinking about how it fits…

  • Announcing the Wolfram Education Portal

    Sylvia Martinez
    18 Jan 2012 | 7:27 pm
    From the press release: Wolfram Offers Next Innovation in Education Technology with Wolfram Education Portal Champaign, Illinois–January 18, 2012–Wolfram today announced the launch of the Wolfram Education Portal, providing teachers and students alike with a new way to integrate technology into learning. The Wolfram Education Portal, available at education.wolfram.com, comes equipped with dynamic teaching tools and materials such as an interactive textbook, lesson plans aligned to the common core standards, and many other supplemental materials for courses, including…

  • Beyond Pink and Blue

    Sylvia Martinez
    9 Jan 2012 | 11:19 am
    In “Beyond Pink and Blue” on the blog site for The Nation magazine, author Dana Goldstein writes about children and gender norms. She quoted me for a part of the article about tinkering, and how that kind of hands on learning helps students grasp scientific concepts. Sylvia Martinez, an expert on educational technology, has written about how all children need to reinforce math and science concepts through “tinkering”—interacting with the physical world, as opposed to just learning at their classroom desks. (For example: collecting water samples to test pH levels, or…

  • BETT 2012

    Sylvia Martinez
    9 Jan 2012 | 4:19 am
    I’m heading to London this week to take part in the BETT 2012 conference in London. This is the largest educational technology conference in the world and I’ve been wanting to check it out for years! I’m presenting a session on Friday – Tinkering: A New Model of ICT and STEM Learning Yes, I know it says “new” – but it’s not. Poetic license, I guess I was worried that things have to sound new to get any notice. However, I’m hopefully presenting a new look at old-fashioned learning. I’m combining some of my existing resources about…

  • A decade of decline in online youth victimization

    Sylvia Martinez
    16 Dec 2011 | 12:38 pm
    It’s not the headline that’s going to make the national press. Ho hum, young people aren’t perverts or helpless victims. But here’s another slice of non-sensationalistic reality about what parents and teachers SHOULDN’T flip out about… From the press release - “A new study from the University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center finds declines in two kinds of youth Internet sexual encounters of great concern to parents: unwanted sexual solicitations and unwanted exposure to pornography. The researchers suspect that greater public…
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    Special Education Law Blog

  • Procdeural Safeguards - The Series Returns!

    Jim Gerl
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:34 pm
    Image via Wikipedia A lot of the work that I do in special education concerns procedural safeguards.  It is the heart of my work.  In the past we have run a series that explains in our usual excruciating detail, what procedural safeguards are all about.  Because of the importance of procedural safeguards to special education law, we will be running a revised and updated version of the series, beginning next week. If you would like to see something included, please let me know. Also coming soon will be a mini-series on bullying of students with disabilities and IDEA. The issue…

  • McMechen: Speed Trap!

    Jim Gerl
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:15 pm
    Image via Wikipedia OK so here in West Virginia, we are having a natural gas rush created by the Legislature's recent approval of the removal of natural resources from the Marcellus Shale deposit. As a result of this new gas rush, I could not find a motel in Moundsville for a recent hearing. Accordingly, I had to stay in Wheeling, to the North. Therein lies the problem, squarely in between lies McMechen.  I had to pass McMechen twice each day of the three day hearing.  You would think that the story would more likely involve the venue of the hearing, the former state prison in…

  • King Day

    Jim Gerl
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:47 pm
    Today we honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was a great American, and his message still resonates today.  In his later speeches, including his speech to the Memphis garbage workers just prior to his assassination, he focused increasingly on poverty and income inequality.  But he was known primarily as a strong advocate against all forms of discrimination.  Disability discrimination is one of the topics that we frequently address on the pages of this blog.  On this day of reflection, here are some links to previous posts on the topic of disability…

  • DOE Sends Annual IDEA Report to Congress

    Jim Gerl
    9 Jan 2012 | 11:08 pm
    Image via Wikipedia Last month the United States Department of Education sent its annual report on the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act to Congress.  Because of the slow movement in all things government, the report is for 2008 and most of the data is for the 2005-2006 school year. Nothin' like staying current. The report contains a wealth of information.  Here are some examples: Among the key findings were:In 2006, a total of 6,081,890 students ages 6 through 21 were served under IDEA, Part B. Of these students, 5,986,644 were served in the 50 states, the District of…

  • Accommodations on Standardized Tests: GAO Study Finds No Strategic Enforcement by DOJ

    Jim Gerl
    3 Jan 2012 | 6:51 pm
    Image by biologycorner via Flickr I'll admit that I may have a bias against standardized tests, I don't like them much.I prefer essay tests where one can expound a bit. In any event, standardized tests are used and are generally required for admission to college and to professional schools.  Most of us have taken them. When students with disabilities take these standardized tests, they may be entitled to accommodations while taking the test.  This includes both IEP requirements as well as ADA requirements.  A recent study by the federal watchdog, the Government Accountability…
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    Distance-Educator.com

  • Is the Second Time the Charm? Investigating Trends in Online Re-enrollment, Retention and Success

    fsaba
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:40 pm
    Abstract Online education is becoming an increasingly important component of higher education. The Sloan Foundation 2010 Survey of Online Learning reports that more than 30% of all students take at least one online course during their college career. Because of this, attention is now turning to the quality of student outcomes that this instructional method provides. However, there is a huge gap in empirical investigations devoted to the link between technology and performance indicators such as grade performance, re-enrollment and course completion (Nora & Plazas Snyder, 2008). This…

  • Talking back to theory: the missed opportunities in learning technology research

    fsaba
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:08 am
    Abstract Research into learning technology has developed a reputation for being drivenby rhetoric about the revolutionary nature of new developments, for paying scant attention to theories that might be used to frame and inform research, and for producing shallow analyses that do little to inform the practice of education.Although there is theoretically-informed research in learning technology, this is in the minority, and has been actively marginalised by calls for applied design work. This limits opportunities to advance knowledge in the field. Using three examples, alternative ways to…

  • Some Associations, Scholars Protest Bill That Would Curb Public Access to Research

    fsaba
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:48 pm
    Opposition to the Research Works Act continues to spread. In a statement posted today on its Web site, the Modern Language Association said it opposes the bill, HR 3699, which would prevent federal agencies from requiring researchers to make the published results of federally supported research available to the public without publishers’ consent.Wired Campus Full Article

  • Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Classroom

    fsaba
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:44 pm
    There’s an ongoing debate about the role social media should play in education. Advocates point out the benefits that social media provides for today’s digital learners while critics call for regulation and for removing social media from classrooms. Finding a middle ground has become a challenge.Campus TechnologyFull Article

  • Google to merge user data across more services

    fsaba
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:31 am
    Privacy advocates slam the web-search giant for not allowing users to opt outeSchool NewsFull Article
 
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    Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Students

  • Journal of Emerging Investigators Will Publish Middle and High School Student Research Papers

    curiouscat
    16 Jan 2012 | 3:57 am
    The Journal of Emerging Investigators is a new journal for publishing research paper and reviews of research papers by middle school and high school students from any country. The Journal of Emerging Investigators strives to provide students with as much access to original scientific writing as possible. With this in mind, all submissions are covered by an attribution non-commercial, no derivative license. This means that anyone is free to share, copy and distribute an unaltered article for non-commercial purposes. Graduate students with substantial research experience will review the…

  • Footballs Providing Light to Those Without Electricity at Home

    curiouscat
    15 Jan 2012 | 12:04 am
    This is an update on our previous post: sOccket: Power Through Play. This year, Soccket, 3,000 balls are scheduled to be put into use around the world. The college students (all women, by the way) that came up with this idea (harnessing the kenetic energy created while kicking a football [soccer ball] around to power a batter to use for lighting) are continuing to test and develop the product. That ball has to be able to survive dusty, wet and harsh conditions and continue to provide power. The new, production version of the football powers a water sterilizer, fan, and provides up to 24 hours…

  • Top Online Graduate Engineering Programs in the USA

    curiouscat
    11 Jan 2012 | 4:59 am
    Online degree programs are growing quickly in popularity in the USA. Over 6 million students took online courses in 2011. The costs of traditional education continue to rise at extremely high rates – schools have done a horrible job of dealing with this. I personally, don’t understand how they have done so horribly on this measure. Administration costs have exploded. Building vanity projects that costs tens of millions of dollars add little to student achievement and waste limited resources driving up costs. We really need to find administrators that will reduce administrative…

  • 20th Annual US First Robotics Competition

    curiouscat
    8 Jan 2012 | 7:20 pm
    If you have a child, niece, nephew, grandchild… who you haven’t been able to convince about the wonders of science maybe the starts on this promo (Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber…) can help convince them. If you want to convince your grandparents science is cool, then maybe they will like the cameos by Steven Tyler and Bono This is an effort being pushed by will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) and Dean Kamen (US First Founder) to promote science and engineering. Since most politicians don’t seem interested in promoting and supporting science anymore maybe musicians…

  • Memory is Stored by Turning on Genes in Neurons (to Alter Connection Between Neurons)

    curiouscat
    28 Dec 2011 | 6:26 pm
    I find these kind of stories so interesting. I really have so little understanding of genes. I knew memory had something to do with altering connections between neurons. I had no idea that required turning on many genes in those neurons. Life really is amazing. Neuroscientists identify a master controller of memory When you experience a new event, your brain encodes a memory of it by altering the connections between neurons. This requires turning on many genes in those neurons. … Lin and her colleagues found that Npas4 turns on a series of other genes that modify the brain’s internal…
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    Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » K-12

  • Journal of Emerging Investigators Will Publish Middle and High School Student Research Papers

    curiouscat
    16 Jan 2012 | 3:57 am
    The Journal of Emerging Investigators is a new journal for publishing research paper and reviews of research papers by middle school and high school students from any country. The Journal of Emerging Investigators strives to provide students with as much access to original scientific writing as possible. With this in mind, all submissions are covered by an attribution non-commercial, no derivative license. This means that anyone is free to share, copy and distribute an unaltered article for non-commercial purposes. Graduate students with substantial research experience will review the…

  • 20th Annual US First Robotics Competition

    curiouscat
    8 Jan 2012 | 7:20 pm
    If you have a child, niece, nephew, grandchild… who you haven’t been able to convince about the wonders of science maybe the starts on this promo (Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber…) can help convince them. If you want to convince your grandparents science is cool, then maybe they will like the cameos by Steven Tyler and Bono This is an effort being pushed by will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) and Dean Kamen (US First Founder) to promote science and engineering. Since most politicians don’t seem interested in promoting and supporting science anymore maybe musicians…

  • YouTube SpaceLab Experiment Competition

    curiouscat
    24 Nov 2011 | 4:01 am
    YouTube SpaceLab is an open competition inviting 14 – 18 year olds (anywhere in the world) to create an idea for a science experiment in space. You don’t have to actually do the experiment, you just have to record yourself explaining it. Entries must have be submitted on YouTube by 07:59 GMT on December 8th. The winning experiments will be conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) and beamed live on YouTube for the whole planet to see. Winners get the choice to either watch the rocket blast off with your idea on it in Japan or take a specially tailored astronaut training…

  • I was Interviewed About Encouraging Kids to Pursue Engineering

    curiouscat
    21 Nov 2011 | 5:08 am
    Amanda Moreno interviewed me about Encouraging Kids to Pursue Engineering over on the Knovel Blog. What can parents do to cultivate an interest in science in their kids early on? John Hunter: Ask questions. Answer questions. Explain how things work. Explain why things are done the way they are. Kids want the attention of their parents, and when they are younger they are constantly trying to get it (dad look, mom look, watch me!). They have similar feelings when they are older, but are not as forthright about saying what they want. If you take a sincere interest in their questions, you’ll…

  • Encouraging Curiosity in Kids

    curiouscat
    28 Oct 2011 | 4:28 am
    How do you help make your children scientifically literate? I think the biggest thing you can do is encourage curiosity. One way to encourage curiosity it is by answering their questions (and not saying: I am too busy, don’t bother me, don’t ask me?, stop asking why…). I know adults are busy and have all sorts of stuff we are trying to get done; and the question about why I need to wash my hands doesn’t seem worth answering. But I think anytime a kid is asking why is an opportunity to teach and encourage them to keep being curious. It is very easy to shut off this…
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    CyberEnglish

  • Rebranding Teachers

    Ted Nellen
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:50 am
    Finally a positive assessment of Teachers.Read more and hear the show at this link to the segment on the Brian Lehrer Show.

  • Celebrating John Lennon's Life

    Ted Nellen
    8 Dec 2011 | 8:54 pm
    Singing "A Hard Day's Night"With Tommy and Caitlin

  • Digits Not Atoms

    Ted Nellen
    11 Aug 2011 | 1:29 pm
    We have known since we started using computers that digital learning is always been liberating for all concerned as recently written about by Michael Horn. Essentially it is about the digits and not the atoms. The physical activity of handing out paper, collecting paper, opening books, notebooks, and grading are all more efficiently done in digital form rather than atomically. When the daily chores are done digitally, students do more and teachers accomplish more with the same effort. In addition, with the digits, teachers can alter and distribute the work more quickly and the students always…

  • CyberEnglish is brain surgery

    Ted Nellen
    19 Jul 2011 | 6:19 am
    The Jensen book supports CyberEnglish.I've always said, CyberEnglish is as close to brain surgery as a teacher can get. Because we are in computer rooms we have access to the technology that let's us watch our scholars create, edit, and produce work. Beyond that, the curriculum of CE is project based. In project based lessons, the scholars must collaborate and use all their skills to complete a project. It is more than any multiple choice test can provide. What concerns me is that those in charge have been hoodwinked by big business into thinking that a test based curriculum is the way to go.

  • Caitlin's Wedding

    Ted Nellen
    15 Jul 2011 | 11:01 pm
    Today is Caitlin's wedding day.
 
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    MBA Crystal Ball

  • JD-MBA Program – Kellogg School of Management : Dual degree FAQ

    Sameer Kamat
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:43 pm
    Dual degrees like the JD-MBA offered by the Kellogg School of Management and Northwestern University’s School of Law can be a great way to learn about two disciplines that have more overlap that we generally assume. However, compared to the regular 2-year MBA programs, these longer and more expensive joint degree options can seem more [...]

  • MBA Essay Tips: Dealing with silly mistakes after submitting applications

    Sameer Kamat
    21 Jan 2012 | 7:18 pm
    Hope you never have to experience how frustrating it can be. After spending days on your MBA essays and ensuring all the answers to the why mba, why now, why this bschool have been addressed, you hit the ‘Submit Application’ button. And suddenly it feels like a big load has been taken off the shoulders. [...]

  • How to network and build relationships for corporate success

    Sameer Kamat
    17 Jan 2012 | 7:34 pm
    If you learn how to build and nurture relationships in the corporate world, you can get a lot accomplished that your purely technically focussed colleagues would never be able to match. Get this apsect right and it’ll be worth more than all the technical skills you’ve picked up in your undergrad and MBA classrooms. Ipseeta [...]

  • How to write a good resume

    Sameer Kamat
    14 Jan 2012 | 7:33 pm
    What’s the best way to form a great first impression on an influential decision maker? Create an impactful curriculum vitae (CV). This applies to almost all situations where a resume will be used as one of the tools to filter a huge list of candidates. Whether you are creating an MBA resume format for Bschool [...]

  • Teaching jobs and education careers in India

    Sameer Kamat
    10 Jan 2012 | 7:20 pm
    Teaching jobs and careers in the education sector generally don’t get the limelight they deserve. Snehal Divekar has been a teacher for over 13 years and is currently on a sabbatical. She worked as an Assistant Professor in the IT department of an engineering college affiliated to the University of Mumbai. In this article, she [...]
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    eLearning Weekly

  • Learning Tech 2012 Conference News

    Eric Matas
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:53 am
    Conference News! This April, in Chicago, I will be speaking about  mlearning design and strategy at Learning Tech 2012. I love Chicago. It’s a city with an energy that makes events especially invigorating. I hope to see you there, April 23-25. For more information, I contacted Courtney Green in New York to ask her about the conference: Courtney, we know I will be at the conference representing eLearning Weekly Magazine, who else will attendees have the chance to meet, and what companies will be represented? We have a great line-up of speakers, including Kevin Munson, Chief Learning…

  • Come Read our DevLearn11 Reaction Piece

    Eric Matas
    16 Nov 2011 | 11:50 pm
    If DevLearn 2011 at the Aria in Las Vegas did anything, it confirmed one certainty about elearning: elearning is exhilarating. eLearning is esoteric, cutting edge, tumultuous, and sexy. And elearning is an industry. Eric and Shonit Speaking at DevLearn11 Yes, elearning is a thrilling industry that combines esoteric theory like gamification, cutting edge tools like Cloud technologies, tumultuous teetering between HTML5 and Flash, and the inspiringly sexy and sleek iPad — the world’s most seductive learning tool. The eLearning Guild hosted quite a conference. Featured speakers spoke with…

  • eLearning Thought Leaders: Mark Lassoff

    Eric Matas
    11 Nov 2011 | 10:46 pm
    Mark Lassoff of LearnToProgram.tv I was very lucky to catch Mark Lassoff in between speaking at DevLearn, working on his forthcoming book from Focal Press, and producing his next training video for the company he founded, LearnToProgram.tv. Mark is an anomoly in the world of elearning these days, because he knows how to code. I’m not just talking about the two big programming languages, HTML and Flash. Mark works with and trains javascript, PERL, XML, CSS, PHP/MySQL, and the new and somewhat talked about HTML5. In a world of rapid elearning tools that eschew code at every turn, I knew I…

  • The All New eLearning Weekly

    Eric Matas
    29 Oct 2011 | 9:44 pm
    We’ve got DevLearn on our minds right now (Vegas Baby!). Still, we’ve been busy doing a make-over. eLearning Weekly has moved and become eLearning Weekly Magazine. B.J. and Eric will continue writing the same sort of posts that followed the original tagline: “Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learned”. We love to share the nitty-gritty elearning work flows and work-arounds. And we love the sense of community here at eLearning Weekly. The readers have chimed in and added comments that make the posts better for the next readers. Come by and see us at eLWmag.com and keep reading…

  • 3D Tips for the Part-Time eLearning Freelancer

    kevinthorn
    26 Jul 2011 | 10:11 pm
    One of the best pieces of advice my father gave me was, “Discover what you’re good at and then learn how to make money at it.” Just like most obedient young boys, I totally ignored my father’s advice. Even though I’ve been drawing and cartooning my whole life and developing elearning for the past ten years, I never put the two together. I’m a decent artist but most artists are their own worst critics, and even though I was passionate about it, I never once considered earning a living doing it. That is until I got serious and decided to officially freelance while working a day job.
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    2tor, Inc.

  • Erika Wimbush

    adilawar
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:02 am
    Erika Wimbush is native of Washington D.C. She graduated from Bowie State University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Communications. Before coming to 2tor, Erika worked for a hospitality software company, traveling throughout the United States and Canada. Erika also taught 5th grade in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for four years. She is passionate about making education fun and interesting for children, and loves to travel and read. Erika is currently working on a project that sends used children’s books to less fortunate children in Africa.

  • Evan Siegel

    adilawar
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:54 am
    Evan is a native of Roslyn, New York, on Long Island’s north shore. He graduated from the University of Rochester in 2010, earning a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Spanish. While in college, Evan taught his own recitations as a T.A. in the Psychology and Spanish departments, was Chairperson of the Cinema Group and served as co-president of the Psychology Undergraduate Council. Evan continued his education at the University and went on to earn a Master of Science in Education with a focus in Spanish. Upon graduation, Evan worked as Event Registration Coordinator in UR’s Student…

  • Tech’s Lessons

    jroe
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:23 am
    By Matthew Flamm January 22, 2012 Last Thursday morning outside Apple’s press conference at the Guggenheim Museum, news-team sound trucks stretched an entire block, possibly setting a record for the amount of coverage for an announcement about textbooks. But the introduction of interactive, instructional e-books for the iPad was also a signal of larger changes taking place in the classroom. In the midst of its Internet moment, education is going through a digital disruption similar to the ones that have shaken up the music industry, newspapers and trade-book publishing. Apple’s…

  • Ken Espinosa

    adilawar
    19 Jan 2012 | 4:41 pm
    Ken was born and raised in the Philippines, and relocated to the United States in 2001. He acquired a Bachelor of Science in TV/Film Production at Towson University. During his time at Towson, he worked closely with the college TV station WMJF-TV and help create workshops for students who wanted to learn more about television journalism. Ken has worked as an intern for a Washington, D.C.-based news agency, United Press International, where he helped produce several news features, including the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Before joining 2tor, Ken worked as a City Manager for Photogenic,…

  • Tiffanye Terrell

    adilawar
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:15 am
    Tiffanye is a native Californian with a passion for education. She holds a Bachelor’s in History from Maryville College and an M.Ed. in School Counseling from Howard University. Tiffanye joins 2tor with diverse experiences in education. Since her arrival in the D.C. area in 2009, she has worked as an ethnographical researcher examining the environmental and educational practices in pre-kindergarten classrooms for the Center of Urban Progress. Outside of her passion for education, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, museum-hopping and watching the San Diego…
 
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    Stop Trying to Inspire Me

  • Introducing ... Red Lines and Highlights!

    16 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pm
    I won't be posting here anymore and within a few weeks, this blog will be gone entirely, but before that happens I'd like to invite you to follow me over to my new blog, Red Lines and Highlights!The focus of Red Lines and Highlights will be mainly on teaching high school English, especially writing and literature.  I'll talk about everything from lessons that work and techniques I'm trying out to what I'm reading (both in class and on my own).So once again, that's Red Lines and Highlights, the link to which is: http://redlinesandhighlights.wordpress.com

  • Lessons Learned and Mistakes Made #8: True Inspiration, Why I Keep Going, and How to Say Goodbye

    16 Jan 2012 | 8:03 am
    When I was in college, I had a column in our campus newspaper that ran every week (it didn't hurt that I had a three-semester tenure as editor of said paper).  It was very much a weekly essay that was mostly observational, sometimes humorous, and occasionally dealt with current events or popular culture; and even though it's been nearly thirteen years since I graduated I'm still proud of that column.  Granted, most of what I wrote flirted with decency at best (and some was absolutely terrible) and I'm sure that the actual writing was less impressive than the fact that I never missed…

  • Lessons Learned and Mistakes Made #7: There's a place in the world for the Angry Young Man

    15 Jan 2012 | 6:50 am
    First, a prelude:On some level, I probably owe Erica Goldson some sort of apology.  After all, when her valedictory speech made the rounds (I found out about it through a friend's post on Facebook), I wrote an incredibly snarky retort that has gotten the third most hits of any post on this blog.  Concurrently, I probably owe every student in the entire American educational system an apology because the most-viewed post on this website is a snarky-at-times retort to their 20 things they want everyone to know about education.  Because when you read both of those posts, they do…

  • Lessons Learned and Mistakes Made #6: Lists are Fun

    14 Jan 2012 | 8:21 am
    I was being a complete narcissist checking my blog stats the other day and I noticed that if you look at my "Top 5" blog posts, two of them are lists (number five, for some reason, is my review of Teachers.  So somebody is either a huge Nick Nolte fan or people really want to know what I have to say about that flick).  The two lists are a 2009 post entitled "The Seven Habits of Highly Annoying Students" and a more recent post, "20 Things a Teacher Wants the Nation to Know About Education."  My next entry in this whole swan song series actually focuses on the topics contained…

  • Lessons Learned and Mistakes Made #5: Politics is Bullshit

    12 Jan 2012 | 1:10 pm
    When I was a freshman in college, I went back to my high school during the spring with a friend to pick up his sister at the end of the day (as you do).  While walking through the hallway after the final bell (yes, I followed the rules and waited until after the day was over), I ran into one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Kappell, who had been my AP European History and AP Government teacher as well as my mock trial coach.  He asked me how I was doing and if I had chosen a major.  I told him that I was majoring in both writing and political science."Oh, so you're going to be a…
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    Science teacher

  • A science teacher's challenge

    26 Jan 2012 | 8:56 pm
     "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."Thoughts on Rachel's Challenge. Atoms, as most adults know them, do not exist. Never have. Our models are human constructs, useful but little more than organized patterns of neurons firing away, as we try to make sense of the world around us.Yet most reasonable adults in these parts will tell you that they know what an atom is.Quahogs, on the other hand, are as real as these hands upon this keyboard. Beautifully curved mollusks that live with as much purpose as most of us, tucked away in mud flats just a few miles away. Good eating,…

  • Breathing biology

    23 Jan 2012 | 7:36 pm
    We got beans growing in our classroom. Three gorgeous rattlesnake pods hanging from a vine, the soft purple puff of a flower between the second and third bean.Most of the stuff that makes up these beans is carbon dioxide, much of it from the breath of all those who share ideas here in our room.Carbon dioxide from yesterday's Pop Tarts,Snapples, and bologna sandwiches.Carbon dioxide that traveled through the hearts of every child in our class. Carbon dioxide expelled as a sigh, broken down by a few brain cells that wouldrather do anything but this school thing.Carbon dioxide that is…

  • Food is not energy

    22 Jan 2012 | 8:36 am
    A response to a response to my last post--NASA, food is not energy.Language matters, especially to young children trying to make sense of the world. I remember being utterly confused as a child thinking that Karl and Groucho were the same guy--how dangerous could the Russians be if they were led by a man with a fake mustache who made silly movies?As adults, with reasonable frames of reference, we laugh at obvious holes in our schema. The best comedians make a living at pointing out the oblivious obvious.Children, however, will try to weave the inconsistencies into their worldview that already…

  • Open letter to elementary school teachers everywhere

    21 Jan 2012 | 6:38 pm
    Dear Elementary School Teachers and Principals,I know you have an impossible job, and I know you're getting hammered from 73 different angles, and I know the last person you need to hear from is another high school teacher sitting on his throne blaming you for every ill that ever afflicted humans.Your students worship you. Every casual word that slips from your lips influences the variegated connection of neurons that forms a child's view of the world. A child's obvious misconceptions get corrected early and often, and that is great!You've done a wonderful job convincing them spectacularly…

  • Proust effect

    21 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm
     If we could teach science by shoving a funnel up a child's nose then pour in "knowledge" as a slurry of data, vocabulary words, and equations, I've no doubt that we would--for the glory of our nation and our economy. That we cannot does not keep Arne from trying to force us to use bigger, shinier funnels.Arne and his crew will see progress measuring the internal diameter of the nostrils of our students, No Choana Left Behind. With enough time, our children will have nostrils at least as wide as the Koreans, perhaps even as large as the Finnish. Our economy will hum as every child has…
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    Teacher Lingo

  • Virtual Teaching Expo Question and Answer

    Mrs. Miner
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:34 am
    Thank you so much for being a part of the first EVERYTHINGS KINDERGARTEN TEACHING EXPO! I hope you have enjoyed watching the presentations as much as I have enjoyed preparing for this day. Please feel free to ask any questions or make any comments in...(read more)

  • Fraction Bundle!

    Teacher Nyla
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:19 am
    This is the latest addition to my teaching resources. Think of it as a permanent sale on three fraction games that I have bundled together. They are my fraction strips for beginners, fraction dominoes for intermediates and fraction war cards for advanced...(read more)

  • Fraction Bundle!

    Teacher Nyla
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:19 am
    This is the latest addition to my teaching resources. Think of it as a permanent sale on three fraction games that I have bundled together. They are my fraction strips for beginners, fraction dominoes for intermediates and fraction war cards for advanced...(read more)

  • The Mitten

    Jonelle Bell
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    We have been reading The Mitten by Jan Brett We read the story, sequenced the characters and watched these online... Jan Brett taking about her books video Youtube video of someone reading The Mitten The Mitten on Online Storytime We did a Readers Theater...(read more)

  • Golidlocks 2012

    Miss Trayers
    28 Jan 2012 | 5:51 am
    The objective here was to update the fairy tale of Goldilocks. Since people don't exactly eat porridge anymore and most likely an intruding tot probably wouldn't run straight to the chair to amuse herself; we wanted to come up with what the story might...(read more)
 
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    Eric Stoller - Writing, Speaking, Consulting - Higher Education » Higher-Education

  • “Radical” and Student Affairs

    Eric Stoller
    18 Jan 2012 | 8:19 pm
    I asked a question and received 40 comments: “Where are the Radical Practitioners?” One of the interesting themes was the idea that people couldn’t be radical (as they defined it) for fear of losing their jobs…couple that logic to another theme: because I am no longer a fulltime student affairs practitioner, I am no longer qualified or credible when it comes to asking about or asking for radical practices in student affairs. Seems like I am in a prime position to add radical commentary as I am not in a position to “lose” my job. Although, some (and I would…

  • Higher Education + Groupon: Shiny and New…or a Legitimate Strategy

    Eric Stoller
    6 Sep 2011 | 3:38 pm
    From the Chicago Tribune: National Louis University on Tuesday will offer a Groupon for a graduate-level introduction to teaching course, officials said. With the Groupon, prospective students can save nearly 60 percent on tuition for the single, three-credit course and earn credit toward a graduate degree, said Jocelyn Zivin, the vice president of marketing and communications for the Chicago-based, private university. So what do you think. Has National Louis University stumbled upon a legitimate strategy to market their courses or are they just using Groupon as a “shiny new toy”…

  • #AltProDev is the future of professional development

    Eric Stoller
    24 Aug 2011 | 6:58 pm
    There are at least 3 student affairs panels up for vote in the SXSW panel picker. I wrote a description of each one over at my Inside Higher Ed blog. In order for a panel to be accepted, it has to get enough votes. Sue Beckingham – Sheffield Hallam University, Laura Pasquini – University of North Texas, and Jeff Jackson – University of Texas Health Science Center and yours truly have submitted a panel on alternative forms of professional development for higher education practitioners. If you get a chance, we’d love it if you took a look and wrote a comment. We’re…

  • #ISTE11 and Emerging #EdTech

    Eric Stoller
    19 Jul 2011 | 1:41 pm
    The 2011 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Annual Conference and Exposition is the largest education technology (EdTech) event in the United States. In this recap video from the conference, attendees share their thoughts about why they attended ISTE and what they think is the future of EdTech. It was my first time attending an ISTE event and I was greatly impressed. Educators + Solution Providers + Technology + Strategy = Awesome! For more info about ISTE, check out my ISTE recap post at InsideHigherEd.com Disclosure: My attendance at #ISTE11 was supported by the Adobe…

  • #ACUHOI Annual Conference & Exposition

    Eric Stoller
    3 Jul 2011 | 4:15 pm
    In about a week’s time, I’ll be heading out to New Orleans to give a featured talk at the ACUHO-I Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE). In addition to speaking, I’m also meeting with ACE attendees as the “social media expert-in-residence” for the conference. I’m really looking forward to connecting with so many fantastic professionals. Here’s the description of my talk: “We’ve Always Been Social (Media)” Our communications and marketing tools evolve on a continual basis. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become…
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    The Core Knowledge Blog

  • Legislating to the Test

    Rachel Levy
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:21 pm
    It’s legislating season here in Virginia. One bill by state Senator John Miller (D-Newport News) would remove the Science and Social Studies SOL (Standards of Learning) tests from third grade, not because there are too many tests and not because Senator Miller thinks science and social studies shouldn’t be taught, but so that teachers can [...]

  • Meet Students Where They Are…And When They’re Ready

    Robert Pondiscio
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:11 pm
    President Obama used his State of the Union address last night to propose requiring students to stay in high school until they either graduate or turn 18.  “We know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma,” he said. Perhaps so, but let’s [...]

  • Larry Summers Calls Higher Education Stubborn and Anachronistic, Offers Suggestions

    Robert Pondiscio
    23 Jan 2012 | 4:54 pm
    The following guest post is from Cedar Riener, assistant professor of Psychology at Randolph-Macon College  in Ashland, Virginia.   He blogs about education reform, college teaching, history and philosophy of science at Cedar’s Digest, where this post also appears. I squirmed a lot reading Larry Summers’ recent piece in the New York Times on where he [...]

  • Classroom Practices That Need to Be Reconsidered

    Robert Pondiscio
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    Teaching ideas whose time has come…and gone? Courtesy of yours truly and Alice Wiggins, who oversees the Core Knowledge Foundation’s Schools Department, here are common classroom practices that need to go away, be rethought, or curtailed: 1.      Data Driven…What? An increasingly common feature in classrooms are data walls—bright, cheerful displays that show if students are advanced, proficient, [...]

  • What is the Value in a High Value-Added Teacher?

    Jessica Lahey
    12 Jan 2012 | 9:40 am
    Great news emerged this week for elementary- and middle-school teachers who make gains in their students test scores.  While the teachers themselves may not be pulling down big salaries, their efforts result in increased earnings for their students. In a study that tracked 2.5 million students for over 20 years, researchers found that good teachers [...]
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    Recorded Books Blog

  • How to Get Nonreaders and Reluctant Readers to Read

    recordedbooksk12
    18 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pm
    Recently, Scholastic’s Instructor magazine featured the article “10 Reasons Nonreaders Don’t Read — and How to Change Their Minds.” We, of course, couldn’t help but see audiobooks fit into many of the excellent suggestions on how to change nonreaders into readers. We highly recommend you read the full article. Reading Gives Them a Headache: Audiobooks are, of course, perfect for anyone who has vision issues! Even after a special problem like light sensitivity is diagnosed, audiobooks may still be useful for a break from having to look at the text. Though we…

  • AudioFile’s Best Books of 2011

    recordedbooksk12
    7 Dec 2011 | 3:55 pm
    We are proud to have many titles this year named as some of AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of 2011! Fiction and Classics STATE OF WONDER Ann Patchett Read by Hope Davis (Harper Audio/Recorded Books) “The audiobook equivalent of “couldn’t put it down” must be “couldn’t pause it.” There was little pause time during this reviewer’s amazing experience of Patchett’s new novel. Hope Davis astutely paces the suspenseful odyssey from a sedate Minnesota pharmaceutical lab to the darkest Amazonian jungle.” Mystery and Suspense BEFORE I GO TO…

  • 11/22/63 and other NYT Notable Titles on Audio

    recordedbooksk12
    25 Nov 2011 | 12:21 pm
    The New York Times recently announced its 100 Notables for 2011. Check out the below titles, available on audio from Recorded Books! FICTION & POETRY The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories by Don DeLillo 11/22/63 by Stephen King – Amazon Best Book of 2011! Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks – Amazon Best Book of 2011! My New American Life by Francine Prose Open City by Teju Cole – Griot Audio Exclusive! Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips NONFICTION And So It Goes. Kurt Vonnegut: A Life by Charles J. Shields Cocktail Hour Under…

  • Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011)

    recordedbooksk12
    23 Nov 2011 | 3:53 pm
    Galleycat reports that beloved sci-fi author Anne McCaffrey has died. According to her biography: “Her first novel, Restoree, was written as a protest against the absurd and unrealistic portrayals of women in s-f novels in the 50s and early 60s. It is, however, in the handling of broader themes and the worlds of her imagination, particularly the two series The Ship Who Sang and the fourteen novels about the Dragonriders of Pern that Ms. McCaffrey’s talents as a story-teller are best displayed.” McCaffrey broke new ground for female sci-fi writers. According to Wikipedia, “In 1968,…

  • Changes coming to the RB blog!

    recordedbooksk12
    20 Nov 2011 | 2:39 pm
    In the coming months, you’ll notice some changes to the Recorded Books blog. As part of an effort to make it easier for customers to get the information they want, instead of focusing only on school news and literature for children and YA, we’ll also be featuring adult titles, library news, and news about our various digital products (part of the RBdigital brand) right here. Don’t worry! We’ll also still occasionally offer free audio and lesson plans and we’ll still be posting news about schools and CH/YA books. We’ll also be merging our two separate…
 
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    Clear Admit MBA Admissions Blog

  • UC Berkeley’s Haas School Appoints New Diversity Director

    Clear Admit
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    The Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley has hired its diversity director to help expand diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, the school announced earlier this month. Eric Abrams, a former Stanford assistant dean who led undergraduate diversity outreach, will start next week in this new role. Haas created the new diversity position as part of a school-wide Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Plan developed last year. The plan calls for increasing diversity among faculty, students and staff; attracting a more diverse applicant pool and involving alumni in…

  • Fridays From The Frontline

    Clear Admit
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Hello and welcome to Fridays From The Frontline, Clear Admit’s ongoing blog post covering the latest news in the MBA blogosphere. This week applicants received more interview invites, or dealt with the continued wait to hear how they fared while current b-school students attended conferences and began focusing on recruiting. Army JMO didn’t do as well as he had hoped on his CFA exam, but wasn’t resigned to giving up.  Ccatcher provided a quick update on her R2 schools, which included an interview invite from Tepper as well as fully submitted applications to Anderson and Johnson.

  • Twitter Thursdays: News from MBA Programs

    Clear Admit
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:35 pm
    Welcome to this week’s Twitter Thursdays, our weekly roundup of the news and events reported by top MBA programs on Twitter. If you want to stay on top of Clear Admit’s updates, special prizes, admissions tips and breaking news, be sure to check us out on Twitter.   We’ve also created a list of MBA programs to ease your daily access to breaking news from the top MBA programs, as reported by admissions committee members themselves. Location! Location! Location! Rich Lyons, the Dean of the Haas School of Business, lauded the value of California to innovation.  The Assistant Dean of…

  • Economist to Host Online MBA Fair in Early February

    Clear Admit
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    It’s not too late to register for the Economist’s Which MBA? Online Fair, which will take place on February 6th and 7th. The free, two-day virtual event is designed to give prospective MBA applicants a chance to interact with admissions officers, deans, alumni and current students from more than 30 top business schools. Participating schools include MIT’s Sloan School of Management, UVA’s Darden School of Business, UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and many more. “Finding the right business school is never easy, and it often requires hours and hours of research and analysis,”…

  • Campus Chronicles: The Monroe Street Journal

    Clear Admit
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Campus Chronicles is back on the weekly beat to find MBA student news, and this week’s edition comes from The Monroe Street Journal, the news outlet of theMBA students of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. R&B’s Detroit 2012 SHIFT was held in Ann Arbor and Detroit last Friday and Saturday.  This two-day annual conference of the Revitalization & Business Initiative, a group founded by Ross in 2010, commenced in Detroit on January 19 with a keynote address by Dan Gilbert, the CEO of Quicken Loans.  The conference moved the next day to Ann Arbor for panels…
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    nashworld

  • Conversations On An Instructional Gap

    nashworld
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:57 am
    A Conversation In 2007, a then virtual-only colleague asked whether it was, “okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher?” NETS-T provides one standardized, big-picture perspective. Many others speak of new literacies unleashed by the reach of the Internet. A few have mentioned “big shifts” that define the changes and challenges to educators in rather recent history. At the other end of the spectrum, the Edu-Twittersphere offers up a litany of “gotta be using” tools on a nightly basis. Here’s the problem from where I see it: we have a gap. On Sunday, the…

  • Incorporating Words Into Images

    nashworld
    30 May 2011 | 10:53 pm
    Literally Most would agree that “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Perhaps strangely, allow me to make the case that sometimes there is also value in distilling those thousand words into a scant few. This little post is a bit of practical sharing meant to point to two things: a cute little iOS application, and a few quick examples of its practical use. Oh, and really, I wouldn’t be doing it here if it wasn’t worth at least a handful of words as well. Once upon a time, I enjoyed doing the occasional “check out this fancy new tool” post, particularly for…

  • Searching For a Royal Spring

    nashworld
    17 May 2011 | 1:22 pm
    Disclosure number one What kind of an idiot would dissect ten George Brett rookie cards and paste them onto the outside of his baseball-themed “Valentine’s Day” box at school? I suppose it depends on whether or not that idiot was a primary grades student or not. A kid that would do such a thing is either really into the Royals, or really a bit twisted. I’ll let you decide that, but I’m glad the hobby of collecting baseball cards never really entered the “business” realm for me like it did for so many of my friends. If it had, I’d really curse…

  • Another Thousand “Whoa” Moments

    nashworld
    25 Apr 2011 | 9:59 pm
    Defining whoa A whoa moment is somewhat akin to the recently ubiquitous aha moment. And yet, there are important differences. Trolling online definitions of the “aha” moment generally returns descriptions of sudden comprehension or the “flash of insight related to a problem.” If I could be trusted to launch my own five-cent definition, I’d loft the “whoa” moment for your consideration. Allow me to stitch together a few words in defense (offense?) of such an idea… whoa moment |wō| exclamation Informal in usage. Used to indicate a scope of…

  • There’s No Week Like EdWeek

    nashworld
    25 Mar 2011 | 8:28 am
    Play along? Repeat the title in your head a few times. Did you get an odd desire to click your heels together? If so, it would be understandable. If you truly believe in the sentiment that “there’s no place like home,” then you would be directly channeling one of the main themes of this post. What might the others be? Personally, I love to travel, but I also love home-field advantage. Also: I love to learn. Follow below as I briefly highlight an exciting upcoming week of learning for local educators… one that even includes a day where folks from our wider region are…
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    Teaching College English

  • Are Teachers Sadists?

    Dr Davis
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm
    Forbes has an interesting article, Dear Student: I Don’t Lie Awake at Night Thinking of Ways to Ruin Your Life One point he makes, I really need to work on. First, I do not “take off” points. You earn them. The difference is not merely rhetorical, nor is it trivial. In other words, you start with zero points and earn your way to a grade. You earn a grade in (say) Econ 100 for demonstrating that you have gained a degree of competence in economics ranging from being able to articulate the basic principles (enough to earn a C) to mastery and the ability to apply these principles to…

  • Blog Directory for Writing Professors

    Dr Davis
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:33 am
    It is billed as a directory of blogs and other resources on writing. There are a lot of good sources there. I’m going to take a look at some of the ones I didn’t recognize to see if there is something else I need to be reading. (Yes, I think there probably is. No, I really don’t have time for that.)

  • Working on Linguistics

    Dr Davis
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:29 am
    I’ve been reviewing the phonetic alphabet. Apparently I did not remember as much of it as I thought. I do think it’s fun to listen to the British pronunciations.

  • What You Write With Changes How You Write?

    Dr Davis
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:24 am
    I was just reading The Digital Divide over Christmas. One of the authors (Johnson?) said that when Nietzche began to compose on a typewriter, that his work became more terse. I talked to someone about the idea, which they immediately pooh-poohed. However, I think there probably is some validity to the technology changing the way we write. I’m betting that not having to kill and skin deer for vellum made people more likely to write… Because of this, Has MSWord affected the way we work? was an article that really caught my attention. The author refers to an article in the Journal of…

  • Reading for Linguistics

    Dr Davis
    18 Jan 2012 | 5:12 am
    I follow the 99percent.com blog. Recently one came up that sounded interesting, so I kept it open to read. Turns out it will be relevant to my linguistics class. It’s The Noun Project. If you haven’t read the article yet, do you know what this is? I recognized it immediately. It is iconic, if you are South American or have been around Argentinians.
 
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    EurekAlert! - Education

  • SFU scientists to wow non-scientists at AAAS

    26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    (Simon Fraser University) Three Simon Fraser University researchers known for generating passion about science -- Nancy Forde, Sophie Lavieri and Sarah Johnson -- will be talking up science to non-scientists at the 2012 AAAS. Forde will demonstrate how her research into building biological molecular motors is akin to building toys with LEGO. Lavieri and Johnson will put science in action by mounting colourful experiments showcasing superconductors and lasers.

  • Iowa State engineer wants to 'sculpt' more powerful electric motors and generators

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    (Iowa State University) Iowa State University's Dionysios Aliprantis is developing several technologies that could improve the performance of electric motors and generators. And that could make a real difference in building sustainable energy systems.

  • Visual nudge improves accuracy of mammogram readings

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    (Washington University in St. Louis) False negatives and positives plague the reading of mammograms, limiting their usefulness. Cindy Grimm, a computer scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues have shown the accuracy of novice readers can be improved by nudging them visually to follow the scanpath of an expert radiologist. The "nudge" is a brief change in the brightness or warmth in the image in the peripheral field of view.

  • Exploring how a parent's education can affect the mental health of their offspring

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    (McGill University) Could depression in adulthood be tied to a parent's level of education? A new study led by Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, a medical sociologist from McGill University, suggests this is the case.

  • Overgrazed grasslands tied to locust outbreaks

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    (Arizona State University) Scientists from Arizona State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences show that insect nutrition and agricultural land management practices may partially explain modern day locust outbreaks.
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    International Higher Education Consulting Blog a project by David Comp

  • New Book: "One White Face" by Hilary Corna

    25 Jan 2012 | 5:14 pm
    I recently received a copy of a new book called One White Face (2011) from the author Hilary Corna and I just finished reading it and I wanted to share here on IHEC Blog.  I've been aware of her book since it was published but had yet to locate a copy so I was very happy to receive a copy form Hilary in the mail.One White Face is a personal account of Hilary's experiences of being the only Caucasian working for Toyota Motor Asia Pacific as well as her experiences of being a female in a male dominated business culture and society.  During her three year sojourn throughout Asia,…

  • Future Conference Sites of U.S. Based International Education Organizations

    19 Jan 2012 | 1:26 pm
    Should you be an advanced planner I thought I would put these future conference sites for AIEA, CIEE, The Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA on your radar:AIEA2012 – Washington, DC2013 – New Orleans2014 – Washington, DC2015 – Washington, DC2016 – Montreal2017 – Washington, DCCIEE2012 – Shanghai2013 – MinneapolisForum on Education Abroad2012 – Denver2013 – Chicago2014 – San Diego2015 – New OrleansNAFSA2012 – Houston2013 – St. Louis (I believe this was originally scheduled for Louisville)2014 – San Diego2015 – Boston2016 – Denver2017 – San Francisco

  • MelibeeU, the professional training arm of Melibee Global has launched!

    10 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    I'm a big fan of what Missy Gluckmann has been doing over at Melibee Global for some time now.  Really forward thinking stuff that she is doing for the field as evidenced by her lastest creation of MelibeeUUpcoming workshops are as follows:International Educators: Striking a Balance (January 20, 2012)andGlobal Service Learning: Design/Reflection/Connection Workshop Series with Dr. Eric Hartman (Online – February 2012) [the coupon codes available here expire on Wednesday January 11th at 11:59 PM EST]MelibeeU has also partnered with Small Planet Studio and have produced additional…

  • 7 Question NAFSA Survey on Nontraditional Programs for Nonimmigrants

    5 Jan 2012 | 11:06 pm
    Please take a couple of minutes to complete a 7 question NAFSA survey on Nontraditional Programs prepared by the NAFSA Task Force on Non-Traditional Programs of the International Student & Scholar-Regulatory Practice Committee.More information follows:NAFSA: Association of International Educators Committee has charged a task force within its International Student and Scholar Regulatory Practice (ISS-RP) to analyze and make recommendations for government agency liaison regarding the regulatory challenges of nonimmigrant participation in nontraditional programs (hybrid, low-residency,…

  • "International Education News and Views" - A Twitter List of International Education Thought Leaders and Knowledge Producers

    4 Jan 2012 | 7:23 pm
    I came up with this select group of international education organizations, news outlets/reporters/editors and thought leaders as a way to highlight those who are advancing the knowledge production in the field.  To be sure, there are some who I have missed and I will add them to the list as necessary. This is the only Twitter list I have and will probably ever create.
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    Groundling

  • As You Like It – a daily rehearsal and performance journey

    Kate Foy
    16 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    An image a day and a tweet or quote a day to sum up the passage of the next 10 weeks as I rehearse and perform in La Boite Theatre Company’s production of As You Like It by William Shakespeare. I get to play Duke Senior, father to Rosalind. This should be fun and a huge challenge – the best kind! Words probably won’t do it justice, so maybe an image or something brief and to the point that sums up the moment … Twitter is just fine for that. If you’d like to drop by from time to time and see how things are going in my small neck of the Forest of Arden, please do…

  • Expressive Plus has retired … gracefully

    Kate Foy
    19 Dec 2011 | 11:43 pm
    Hello! Perhaps you’ve been redirected here from the former Expressive Plus site? If so, this is just a wee note to let you know that the proprietors have retired the site … for the time being. As it happened, both of us were too busy to maintain the site in the way we wanted to, so the option seemed clear … close down and redirect. That’s why you are here. Groundling is Kate’s blog, one that ranges widely and will now include more content on presentation skills. You might care to Subscribe. Thank you for your readership in the past. It has been a rare pleasure…

  • Review: 11/22/63

    Kate Foy
    21 Nov 2011 | 1:22 pm
    11/22/63 by Stephen King My rating: 5 of 5 stars A great read and enormously satisfying. As a time-travel devotee I enjoyed King’s intelligent handling of a complex conceit, one usually riven by plot improbabilities. Characterisation and narrative in 11.22.63 are top-drawer, and the recreation of period makes for a fascinating read. And, speaking of the kind of recurring ‘ripples’ – what those who are a little more cynical about all this stuff call ‘coincidences’ – that happen across time, I note I finished the book this morning – 11.22.11 View…
 
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    Free Technology for Teachers

  • Week in Review - The New Desk Edition

    28 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Good morning from Maine where I'm using the new workspace that I set up this week. The "some assembly required" aspect of the new desk confirmed that although I enjoy watching This Old House, I will never be mistaken for Norm Abram. I do, however, find my posture while typing to be much improved now that I'm not working from a coffee table, my kitchen table, or my lap. Perhaps my improved posture will increase my blogging productivity too. As I do every Saturday morning, I've compiled a list of the week's most-read posts. Before I jump to the list I just want to say thank you for your…

  • Oolone - A Visual Search Engine That I Can Now Recommend

    27 Jan 2012 | 2:05 pm
    Earlier this week a few ed tech bloggers reported on a new visual search engine called Oolone. I, of course, had to check it out for myself. I liked what I saw on Oolone except there was one thing that kept me from writing about it. That one thing was a button in the upper-left corner of the homepage that said "adult filter." Yes, Google, Bing, and Yahoo also have adult content filters, but they don't make it so prominent that it screams out to an adolescent "click me! click me! turn me off!" Therefore, I didn't want to share Oolone with you. Fast forward a few days to this morning when I…

  • Learn How to Build a Search Engine

    27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    Udacity is offering a new, free seven week Computer Science 101 course. The course promises to teach you everything you need to know to build a search engine like Google or Yahoo even if you don't have any prior programming knowledge. The course is open for enrollment right now and starts on February 20, 2012. You can view the syllabus now and watch the promotional video featuring the instructors below. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers. Follow on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.

  • Alien Buddies - An iPad App for Learning Shapes, Numbers, Letters

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Alien Buddies is an iPad and iPhone app designed for pre-k students to practice recognizing shapes, letters, and numbers. The app provides leveled games in which students practice recognizing patterns and sequences. The activities for recognizing letters and numbers have audio and visual prompting modes. Alien Buddies normally costs $1.99 but I received an email from the app's publisher informing me that it is available for free today, January 27th. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers. Follow on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.

  • A Google Maps Lesson Idea - Seasonings Around the World

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    On Wednesday morning I came across a neat article on NPR titled A Trip Around the World, By Way of Seasonings. The article is part of a series of recipes that call for using spices from places all over the world. The article gave me an idea for a Google Maps project in world history classes. As any history teacher knows, discovering new travel routes for the spice trade was one of the motivations for early explorers. The idea I had was to have students research where those spices came from, which explorers went where, and plot that information on a Google Map or in Google Earth. Students…
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    doug - off the record

  • Your school doesn’t need a webmaster

    dougpete
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    Ever since there was an internet, there’s been a desire for schools to have a website.  And, roughly a month after that, there were dated websites.  For many schools, having a website was something that was created and done.  Fini.  A volunteer goes to a workshop on Dreamweaver or Frontpage and then enthusiastically pulls together a webpage or, hopefully, a website for the school.  There might be an announcement of an upcoming basketball game or a fundraiser and it draws the educational community in to get the details.  Your website URL appears on the…

  • OTR Links 01/28/2012

    dougpete
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:30 pm
    Computer Programming Code Of Ethics This article attempts to enumerate the key points of proper conduct for Computer Programmers.  Much of this is based on the Code Of Ethics of the now defunct International Programmers Guild. tags: computer programming code ethics 40 Secret iPhone Features and Shortcuts | iPhone.AppStorm There are lots of things that you can do with your iPhone, sure, but we’re willing to be that there are a few more that you either don’t know about or haven’t used before, particularly with all of the additions in iOS 5. Did you know you can put in typing shortcuts…

  • The Village Gets Bigger

    dougpete
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    Remember the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”?  I’m happy to note that the Ontario educational blogging village got bigger this week.  Check out the LiveBinder or the Scoopit page for the latest.  From the Scoopit page, you’ll see the entries in LIFO (Last In, First Out) format.  i.e. the latest additions at the top.  If you check the LiveBinder site, you’ll notice that there’s a new tab. This is a new category.  While we are all advocates at our various level, there was a whole group on the Ontario scene who had…

  • OTR Links 01/27/2012

    dougpete
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:31 pm
    Why you should NOT install ‘Fun & Entertaining’ Facebook applications | facecrooks.com We often have readers ask us questions about specific Facebook applications. Some apps generate an enormous amount of spam and can annoy the heck out of your Facebook friends. Others are outright scams and should be avoided entirely. For example, any application offering to show you who has viewed your profile, who your Facebook stalkers are etc., are guaranteed to be fraudulent. Facebook doesn’t allow developers access to the data required to create apps like this. tags: fun entertaining facebook…

  • Vindictive — and a Discovery

    dougpete
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    I should acknowledge right from the beginning, it was my fault.  I have nobody to blame but myself.  But, what followed, was a very pleasant discovery. My fault – I very seldom turn my computers off.  I just close the lids and let them go to sleep.  Doesn’t everyone?  It’s just that they really should be rebooted from time to time just to have a fresh start.  But, I’m bad and don’t until I get a crash or a Microsoft update that needs to reboot the computer so that the new updates can take effect. So, having said all this, you know what happened.  I…
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    Veritas Prep Blog

  • GMAT Tip of the Week: It’s All Downhill From Here...

    Brian
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    Happy Friday, everyone, and welcome back to the GMAT Tip of the Week! We here on the editorial team would describe ourselves and our roles primarily as “teachers,” and what do teachers do? They teach. And your author plans to spend the weekend teaching, but as a break from teaching Algebra and Data Sufficiency, this weekend he’ll be teaching a 5-year old to ski. And what both of them learn can teach you to be a better GMAT test taker. There are a few pillars of ski instruction, most notably: 1) Quick memory devices for the basics 2) An understanding that the student will…

  • The Haas School of Business Is a Good Fit for You If...

    Scott
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    We are big fans of the UC Berkeley MBA program here at Veritas Prep. The school’s “Confidence Without Attitude” thrust is one we can really get behind, and it’s that ethos (among others) that makes Haas grads so popular among hiring companies. Haas is also popular among Veritas Prep clients, which is no surprise given the school’s location in the Bay Area and progressive reputation. We know other applicants agree — Haas actually has one of the lowest acceptance rates among all MBA programs in the United States. Are you thinking about applying to Haas? How…

  • Don’t Walk Into an MBA Admissions Event Unprepared

    Scott
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    Are you planning to attend an MBA Admissions event? If you are planning to attend one of The MBA Tour’s upcoming conferences in Washington DC (Feb 2), New York City (Feb 4), San Francisco (Feb 6) or another admissions event in the near future, here’s some advice from The MBA Tour’s CEO, Peter von Loesecke on how to prepare for meeting with Admissions Directors in person: “The best thing applicants can do is research the schools that are participating in the event and their admissions statistics. I would also recommend coming with a resume to share with admissions…

  • INSEAD Launches Its Own Entrance Exam... Could Others Follow?

    Scott
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    Last week INSEAD announced that it will launch an executive MBA (EMBA) program on its Singapore campus, and that it will introduce its own admissions test for the school’s EMBA program. Built in conjunction with test prep company Prep Zone (which was founded by INSEAD alumni), the exam will mark the first time that a top MBA program has created a proprietary entrance exam for its admissions process. The new exam will keep some elements of the GMAT, such as questions that measure quant- and verbal-related reasoning skills. (“Higher-order thinking,” anyone?) INSEAD will remove…

  • Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Removal/Replacement in Mixtures

    Karishma
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    Today, as requested by Pratap, we are going to take removal/replacement in mixtures. For those of you who were looking forward to some more tricky probability questions, I will make up for your disappointment next week. Meanwhile, rest assured, replacement is a very interesting, not to mention useful, concept in GMAT. So brace yourself to learn some new things today. First of all, many “replacement” questions are nothing but the plain old mixture questions, the type we discussed in this post, with an extra step. So don’t flip out the moment you read the word…
 
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    Certification Map

  • Amazing Science Projects for Kids

    Brian Childs
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:19 pm
    Photo by Rich Bowen Most students love a change of pace. Sitting in a classroom day after day can become tiresome and predictable, so it’s up to you to keep things fresh and exciting for your students. As a science teacher, you are liable to fall into a comfortable rut, teaching out of a textbook and getting things done the easy way. But we all know that what differentiates the good teachers from the great is the ability to get your students thinking and doing. One way to attract your students to the study of science is to sprinkle in fun and easy science projects for your students to get…

  • Resources for Teaching Abroad in South Korea

    Brian Childs
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:15 pm
    Photo by Emmanuel Dyan South Korea has become a popular destination for those wanting to teach abroad. The people of South Korea value education, and the country boasts a highly rated national educational system, ranked first in the world in reading literacy and second in mathematics, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. With a mix of modern and traditional culture, South Korea offers American educators the opportunity of a truly unique teaching experience. Because South Korean students are eager to learn English from native speakers, you’ll find many…

  • Field Trips in Pennsylvania

    Brian Childs
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:09 pm
    Photo by Cindy Siegle If you are interested in becoming a teacher in Pennsylvania or if you have already secured your Pennsylvania teacher certification, then you are also probably thinking of ways to keep your students learning and engaged. While lesson plans should be your central focus, organizing a fun and educational field trip can be an excellent way to change the pace and to keep your students happy. Here’s our list of five great field-trip destinations in Pennsylvania to help you plan your class’ next field trip: 1. Eastern State Penitentiary Even though it may sound scary to some…
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    MBA Admissions Blog by MBA Game Plan

  • Get to Know: Kellogg School of Management

    MBA Game Plan
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:37 pm
    Given the school’s sterling reputation in marketing, its ability to turn out well-rounded general managers, and its high-energy culture, it’s no wonder that so many applicants aim for Kellogg every year. Are you thinking about applying to Kellogg this year? If so, why? How do you know if it’s really is a good fit for you? More importantly, how do you know the Kellogg admissions team will think you’re a good fit for the school? Today we dig into five things that make the Kellogg MBA experience unique: Blended Teaching Kellogg offers perhaps the most blended teaching…

  • How to Prepare for the Integrated Reasoning Section on the New GMAT

    MBA Game Plan
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:44 pm
    The GMAT’s new Integrated Reasoning section is still a few months away from going live, but applicants are already buzzing about this new question type. They want to know what the new Integrated Reasoning section is, and — more importantly — how to prepare for it. Integrated Reasoning question present students with various data — presented various forms, including words, charts, and tables — and challenges them to pull out key insights to answer multiple questions about what’s going on. The questions vary by type, but they all measure your ability to truly perform…

  • Get to Know: Fuqua School of Business

    MBA Game Plan
    11 Jan 2012 | 9:49 pm
    Given the Fuqua School of Business’s tight-knit culture, growing global footprint, and strength in academic areas such as marketing, it’s no surprise that it attracts so mnay top-flight applicants every year. We are often surprised, however, by how many applicants apply to Duke without understanding the school and knowing whether or not it’s a good fit for them. We always urge these applicants to go back and do their homework a bit more before they start crafting their Duke applications. Today we present five reasons why Fuqua may be a great place for you to spend two years…

  • Get to Know: Ross School of Business

    MBA Game Plan
    5 Jan 2012 | 10:48 pm
    When clients talk to us and list the handful of MBA programs to which they’re applying, the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business is often on the list. Given the school’s strong academics, impressive alumni reach, and strength in multiple academic disciplines, it’s no wonder that so many people apply to Ross each year. Today we dig into five reasons why you should consider Ross You have a little more work experience With an average of 5 years of experience for incoming students, Ross wants to see some significant work history. In fact, the admissions office…

  • Get to Know: Columbia Business School

    MBA Game Plan
    28 Dec 2011 | 9:24 pm
    Columbia Business School attracts more applications than nearly any other MBA program every year. It’s no surprise, given how many grads Columbia places into high-paying Wall Street jobs every year. What may surprise you, though, is how many applicants apply to Columbia without really knowing whether or not it’s a good fit for them. We always urge these applicants to go back and do their homework a bit more before they start crafting their Columbia applications. Are you thinking about applying to Columbia? How do you know if Columbia really is a good fit for you? Today we present…
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    Boarding School Blog

  • Boarding School Alumnus Makes A Life In Brazilian Funk

    Brian Fisher
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:39 pm
    Berkshire School alumnus Alex Cutler a.k.a Don Blanquito is the subject of New York Times writer Simon Romero’s article “Californian With an M.B.A. Follows His Heart to Brazilian Funk.” The lede holds much of the story’s draw. A boarding school alumnus, Culter, who holds an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and an M.B.A. from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, doesn’t work in finance. Instead he has found a life as a rising star in Brazilian Funk. The story becomes even richer in light of the fact that the Brazilian funk comes out of…

  • How does Worcester Academy Figure in the Hiring of the Miami Dolphins Head Coach?

    Brian Fisher
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:09 am
    Worcester Academy, Worcester, MA New head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Joe Philbin, did a post graduate year at Worcester Academy (a coed boarding school in Worcester, MA) during the 1979-80 academic year. From the ‘life is a merry-go-round/degees of separation’ and the “my-oh-my how did those two guys end up in the same prep school english department at the same time’ files, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King writes: “Miami’s hire of the Green Bay offensive coordinator as head coach Friday probably never would have happened without Matt Birk, Kirk…

  • Why Ridley College

    Brian Fisher
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:50 am
    Ridley College headmaster Jonathan Leigh talks about the foundation of values that Ridley instills in its students. With a passport of academic success, Ridley looks to send its graduates into the larger world as globalized, civilized, human beings. Coming together from all over the world, then praying, playing, and eating together at Ridley builds and instills an ethic and series of experiences that Ridley alumni carry into all of their future endeavors. Ridley College is a coed boarding school in St. Catharines, Canada. Additional resources: Ridley College – www.ridleycollege.com…

  • The Crafting of a Mission Statement

    Brian Fisher
    18 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pm
    The Williston Northampton School head, Robert Hill, talks about Williston’s new mission statement- how it came about and how the new statement informs and reflects school life. Built on three concepts that are innate parts of the Williston community- purpose, passion, and integrity- the entire Williston community now harnesss these core values to sharpen daily life and practices. Purpose, passion, and integrity inform everything that Williston does, how the community, and how each individual goes about life at the school. Building the new mission statement was an inclusive nine month…

  • L.L. Bean and Boarding School

    Brian Fisher
    17 Jan 2012 | 1:13 pm
    A little trivia as boarding school and preppy icon L.L. Bean celebrates its centennial. Name the two boarding schools that Leon Leonwood Bean attended? Bean spent a semester each at Hebron Academy and Kents Hill School- both in his native Maine. Bean did not graduate from either, but he did take a business course at Kents Hill which looks to have had a certain effect. Additional resources: Leon Leonwood Bean (Wikipedia page) Boarding schools in Maine Kents Hill School – www.kentshill.org Hebron Academy – www.hebronacademy.org Photo credit: toastiest via Creative Commons
 
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    YouTube Videos

  • Ron Paul: High Cost of Education Caused by Government Interference

    RonPaul2008dotcom
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:44 pm
    Ron Paul: High Cost of Education Caused by Government Interference www.RonPaul.com - Please like, share, subscribe & comment! 1 Ron Paul is America's leading voice for limited, constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, sound money, and a pro-America foreign policy. To spread the message, visit and promote the following websites: www.RonPaul.com http www.RonPaul2012.com http www.RonPaulCountry.com http www.DailyPaul.com http www.RonPaulFlix.com From: RonPaul2008dotcom Views: 1661 248 ratings Time: 05:51 More in News & Politics

  • There is Hope for Education in America! Andrew Campanella Tells Us Why

    ReasonTV
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:05 am
    There is Hope for Education in America! Andrew Campanella Tells Us Why "We can't do this to kids. We are paying far too much money for a public education system that isn't working," says Vice President of National School Choice Week Andrew Campanella. Everyone knows that the US education system is in trouble. Campanella offers a few words on how school choice week can help with promoting "access to better options and empowering parents and kids." According to Campanella, the US ranks 35th in the world in math and literacy. "Other countries are not just nipping…

  • Champions of Change: Catholic Education

    whitehouse
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:20 pm
    Champions of Change: Catholic Education The White House honors Catholic education leaders as Champions of Change. January 25, 2012. From: whitehouse Views: 6537 79 ratings Time: 01:33:21 More in News & Politics

  • Case Study: Espresso Education

    gettyimages
    22 Jan 2012 | 6:07 pm
    Case Study: Espresso Education Digital education company, Espresso Education, is using the power of video to transform learning. See more at: www.gettyimages.com From: gettyimages Views: 373 4 ratings Time: 03:57 More in Film & Animation

  • Education

    pogobat
    14 Sep 2011 | 5:06 pm
    Education Video that you must watch: www.youtube.com What shall I video blog about tomorrow!? Go vote!: bit.ly Add me on facebook: facebook.com Email me: danbrownuniverse@gmail.com Second Channel: youtube.com From: pogobat Views: 28311 1255 ratings Time: 05:38 More in Education
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    David Truss :: Pair-a-dimes for Your Thoughts

  • The 5 Year Technology Plan

    Dave Truss
    20 Jan 2012 | 7:33 am
    The 5 year technology plan: Focus on your INFRASTRUCTURE! If you think you know what tools you will need in 5 years, you are probably wrong. If you are budgeting so that you buy sets of an item over several years, you’ll have a dichotomous challenge: the item will become both cheaper AND less desirable. If your infrastructure can’t support the technology you have, your technology is ineffective. If you don’t invest in a learning culture for adults, your ‘knowledge infrastructure’ will hold you back. The 5 year technology plan? Do this 5 years in a…

  • A Conversation Starter

    Dave Truss
    4 Jan 2012 | 3:31 am
    My goal: Create a three minute video that tells it’s own story, using other videos. My hope is that this will invite further exploration, conversation and learning. Here is what I came up with: (Watch on YouTube) For ease of use here are the links. I hope that some rich conversations will emerge from watching them. http://2di.me/Trans4mEd1 – Alan November: Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom http://2di.me/Trans4mEd2 – Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes http://2di.me/Trans4mEd3 – Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids…

  • The COW is dead… Long live the POW?

    Dave Truss
    30 Dec 2011 | 11:26 am
    This year has been quite transformational for me. I started the year Questioning Everything… especially the idea that we need to teach less and learn more. I’ve challenged late penalties, homework, and even AUP’s. I’ve talked about things becoming more open and distributed and I’ve even written an Open Manifesto. I’ve cautioned about flipping classes, I’ve seen a flip in my desired pro-d model… and now I’m flipping my perspective on C.O.W.’s: C.O.W. = ‘Computers On Wheels’, essentially a mobile cart which has a…

  • Transforming Education – K12Online Conference 2011 Presentation

    Dave Truss
    2 Dec 2011 | 9:35 am
    A few minutes into this presentation I demonstrate that I’ve been a fan of the K12Online Conference for 5 years now. So, it was wonderful to be able to participate this year and share a video of my own. [Link to K12Online video page]  |  [Link to YouTube version] I’d rather let the video speak for itself, than to go on about it here. I’ll just share that I really appreciate the time and effort people put into sharing their video interviews with me. I asked them 4 questions: Explore: Share your thoughts on the future of education .  (Pie-in-the-sky look at exciting things…

  • Klout and Education: Never the two shall meet!

    Dave Truss
    15 Nov 2011 | 1:36 am
    I’ve commented regarding Klout on here, here and here (see #46)… but sometimes a picture can say more than words: (Link to a larger version in a new window.)
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    Empowered High Schools

  • Background Research on the Importance of Arts Education

    Charles
    21 Jan 2012 | 1:59 pm
    Last May, the LA Times published a great article summarizing a report that studied the value of arts education.  A lot to be digested here.  The results of the study can be found at www.pcah.gov website.  It is important to note a few voices of sobriety in all of the excitement.  The decline in the availability of arts classes is due to a wide variety of factors.  In most cases, the availability of art courses at the high school  is predicated on enrollments.  Students have a broader array of options than ever before in our nation’s history.  With the push for Advanced Placement…

  • Social Network Experts Words Supports Our Work on Innovation in Schools

    Charles
    21 Jan 2012 | 1:36 pm
    Recently, social entrepreneurship expert and Harvard professor, Fernando Reimers addressed a group of experts and shared his work on social networking and innovation.  In his address he spoke frequently of the need for collaboration in order to facilitate innovation.  This position supports our premise that STEM programs alone are not enough to spur large scale innovation.  Simply learning more science content, or expanded instruction on age-old content will not be enough to ignite the spark of innovation in our nation’s young people.  Young people are going to need to be taught how…

  • Critical RTI Resource: Heartland’s 13 Guiding Questions

    Charles
    15 Jan 2012 | 1:14 pm
    It is probably hard to imagine, but before there was a commercial outpouring of materials on RTI, the Heartland Area Education Agency was a hotbed of RTI development.  For years, they created key documentation on the RTI model and system development.  In fact, many of the real experts on RTI came from this humble agency.  It is possible that many of the current materials on the market, particularly templates and self-surveys, have cousins, available for free, in the Heartland website.  One of these key documents is the “13 Guiding Questions for RTI Implementation.” There are…

  • Finding the Root of High School Transition Issues

    Charles
    11 Jan 2012 | 10:21 pm
    Right after Thanksgiving, Sarah Sparks from Ed Week posted a summary of some research on the transition to middle school.  Sparks cited a Florida study by Harvard University which suggests that “the critical transition problem may happen years before [high school], when students enter middle school. Unfortunately, much of the summary conflates the differences between K-8 schools and K-5, 6-8 systems.  Nonetheless, we know that students who fail classes in middle school are destined to struggle in high school.  There has been substantial reporting lately that failing   Math or…

  • Japanese Lesson study tried in Chicago

    Charles
    11 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am
    The Japanese Lesson Study model is something that we have advocated for years.  It is a perfect fit with the PLT approach.  A recent news story came out covering the use of the lesson study approach in Chicago.  It is a great article and is a must read.  It takes a lot of time for this approach to take hold.  It is probably the ideal within a PLT framework, because it ensures the collective input and teamwork that enables teams to function at peak capacity.
 
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    International Education Blogs & News

  • "International Education News and Views" - A Twitter List of International Education Thought Leaders and Knowledge Producers

    9 Jan 2012 | 7:51 pm
    I came up with this select group of international education organizations, news outlets/reporters/editors and thought leaders as a way to highlight those who are advancing the knowledge production in the field.  To be sure, there are some who I have missed and I will add them to the list as necessary.  This is the only Twitter list I have and will probably ever create.

  • IHEC Blog now optimized for mobile viewing!

    20 Dec 2011 | 11:34 pm
    Thanks to Blogger I was able to optimize IHEC Blog for mobile viewing a short time ago.  I hope this helps make IHEC Blog more accessible to those who are frequent readers or just stopping by to check it out.  My consulting site/blog over at http://davidjcomp.wordpress.com/ is already optimized for mobile viewing, in case you were wondering!

  • 21 Nov 2011 | 11:30 pm

    21 Nov 2011 | 11:30 pm
    I made this video back in April 2010 and it is becoming more of a reality!

  • Bury Book International Education Library & Archive

    1 Nov 2011 | 9:45 pm
    Bury Book International Education Library & Archive currently has over 9,000 electronic articles, books, reports, meeting minutes, notes related to international education as well as a significant hard copy collection of related literature.  Additionally, Bury Book International Education Library & Archive has many rare and historical publications for those who seek to review such materials.  Special arrangements for access to Bury Book International Education Library & Archive (which is located in my house) may be made by contacting me…

  • IHEC Blog is a featured blog in The New York Times "Headlines Around the Web" section focusing on international education

    22 Sep 2011 | 10:19 pm
    For quite some time The New York Times section on International Education (online) has been feeding IHEC Blog posts to their "Headlines Around the Web" section of the page.  I find this section of The New York Times to be one of the most informative news outlets to learn about happenings across the globe related to International Education so this is, of course, an exciting thing for me so I thought I would share.  IHEC Blog is also included in numerous blog rolls across the web and I'm thankful to each and every one who has found enough value…
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    Free Education Magazines and Downloads from alltop.tradepub.com

  • Joomla! 1.6 Essential Training

    24 Jan 2012 | 5:20 pm
    The course also explains how to change the site look and feel with Joomla! templates, install plug-ins and extensions, assign users to create and edit content, and much more. Exercise files accompany the course.Topics include:Understanding Joomla!A quick tour of the Joomla! InterfaceUsing the media managerCreating individual articlesLinking to a PDF or other documentAlong with the free video training tutorials you will also receive monthly offers, tips, and insider information you won't hear elsewhere--including special discounts extended to newsletter subscribers.After taking advantage of…

  • Photoshop Lightroom 4 Beta Preview

    23 Jan 2012 | 1:50 pm
    The course covers the new Book module and integration with Blurb, an online book printing service; the video playback and editing options, including the ability to color, tone, export, and publish movies; and the image editing enhancements in Lightroom 4, including the Image Adjustment Brush for correcting color and noise.Topics include:Why use Photoshop Lightroom 4 Beta?Video playback and trimmingEditing the color and tone of a video fileOrganizing video files in a Lightroom databaseCapturing a still image from a video fileExporting or publishing a video to your hard driveAlong with the free…

  • Google Analytics Essential Training

    23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    This course covers the out-of-the-box functionality, from account creation to reporting fundamentals, and explains how to glean insights from the vast array of data available.Topics include:The pitfalls of hit counting and turning data into informationDefining goals and conversions: Why do you have a web site?How does Google Analytics work?Using language identification to segment usersUsing flow visualization to see common pathsReal-time data for time-sensitive analysisAlong with the free video training tutorials you will also receive monthly offers, tips, and insider information you won't…

  • Joomla! 1.7: Access Control Lists in Depth

    23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    The course also includes tips and tricks for styling the offline access page and working with the ACL Manager extension. Exercise files accompany the course.Topics include:Introduction to ACLDefining usersDefining access levels and their roleAssigning access levels to modulesTesting loginsAlong with the free video training tutorials you will also receive monthly offers, tips, and insider information you won't hear elsewhere--including special discounts extended to newsletter subscribers.After taking advantage of the free video training, you can access all of the video tutorials by becoming a…

  • Get Your Lean Six Sigma Certificates 100% Online from Purdue University with The College Network

    23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    Six Sigma focuses on a lowering of occurrences of defects in the products or services of your organization in order to improve overall quality. There is an emphasis on the voice of the customer and the tools needed to measure customer needs. Lean focuses on the tools for streamlining production and services from end to end with a focus on the elimination of waste. Purdue University has created online training in Lean Six Sigma designed for busy professionals in all industries.Purdue Lean Six Sigma Certificate Courses Available:Lean Six Sigma Green BeltAdvanced Lean Principles and ToolsLean…
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    tweenteacher.com

  • Teaching Beyond the Bell

    heather
    18 Jan 2012 | 9:40 pm
    In celebration of The California Writing Project and Digital Learning Day, I was asked to write a post on some of what I’m doing with technology in the classroom.   So I decided to write about what I’m actually doing outside of the classroom…in a virtual classroom that is. You can read the post, “Using Technology to Model Lifelong Learning Beyond the Bell,” here. I am always happy to lend my voice and words to support the Writing Project.  Don’t know what I”m talking about? Looking for the best, life and practice-changing professional development…

  • Tweenteacher Class on Project Based Writing

    heather
    9 Jan 2012 | 9:18 pm
    Hey all, Guess what?  I’m going to be facilitating a class for Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach’s Powerful Learning Practice.  The six-week course is on Project Based Writing, a strategic way to bring in authentic assessments and meaningful learning into any Language Arts program, elementary through secondary. If you know anything about my teaching style, it’s about reciprocal learning, engaging instruction, and breaking down the walls between school life and real life.  But it’s always easier to jump start into a new unit if someone has tried strategies out already, which is…

  • Edutopia Post: Trying Something New in Your Classroom for 30 Days

    heather
    19 Dec 2011 | 10:12 pm
    I’ve just recently posted a new article on my Edutopia blog, one that challenges teachers to try something new in their classroom for 30 days. As many of my readers know, my students are currently working on their Advocacy/Memoir speeches that mimic those presented at TED. In a recent assignment, I asked my students to analyze a particular speech where the speaker took on the task of trying something new for 30 days. He challenges the audience to see the value in the adoption regardless of whether the new task is made into a habit or not. In my Edutopia post, I challenge teachers to do…

  • A Tribute to Tony, our School Counselor

    heather
    15 Dec 2011 | 5:08 pm
    At times, I find myself in awe of some of the dedicated and self-sacrificing individuals that have devoted themselves to our students. These are the diamonds, the people who live this work, who breathe it, who take home the lost battles and get up everyday to battle again. One such person is our school counselor, Tony Phuong. Tony has been at my school for a while and no matter the cohort of students under his guidance, he serves them with the same support, kindness, tough-love, and wisdom year after year. He meets the most challenging students with a smile before making them push themselves…

  • Sharing the Responsibility: Should Senior Citizens be Exempt from Funding Education?

    heather
    4 Dec 2011 | 12:56 pm
    I work in a Title I school district some 15 minutes away from home. I live in a school district, however, that is ranked in the top 4% of those in my state. Our state assessment scores rank 125 points higher than the “target for excellence.” Over 90% of our graduates in our local high school go on to college or other post-secondary training. It is a community defined by our schools, our parks, our weekend activities spent watching AYSO and Little League. Every newsletter is highlighted by the activities available for families and for students. Every day, my kindergartner is sent home with…
 
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    Change Agency

  • Feed for a day or for a lifetime?

    Stephanie Sandifer
    19 Jan 2012 | 11:13 am
    “If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.” – Chinese Proverb Some thoughts on technology in education, building adult capacity with tech, and leadership that fosters a culture & climate of learning, exploration, risk-taking, and adaptability for an ever-changing world… We need to be teaching people HOW TO fish and then expecting them TO fish rather than to just continue giving them fish… If we are going to teach people to fish, we need to first make sure that the rod & reel are accessible and…

  • Tech Support vs. Tech Coaching – Another Perspective

    Stephanie Sandifer
    18 Jan 2012 | 4:05 pm
    For a couple of months I have been trying to curate a collection of resources related to “Technology Coaching” on Scoop.it.  As I have been going through these resources, I find that most are written from the perspective of how to become a Tech Coach.  This is great — we do need resources and information on how to move from “tech support” roles to “tech coaching” roles… But I find that something else is missing in these resources:  the educator perspective on how to go from expecting “tech support” to being “coached.”…

  • Generation Flux – My Thoughts…

    Stephanie Sandifer
    11 Jan 2012 | 12:19 pm
    Yesterday, thanks to Jackie Gerstein, I stumbled across the Fast Company article This Is Generation Flux: Meet The Pioneers Of The New (And Chaotic) Frontier Of Business I believe this is a very important article for ALL educators (and education leaders) to read.  It raises many questions for me, and Jackie did a great job yesterday of posting her thoughts and questions on whether or not we are preparing students for this kind of new business reality. While I share her concerns and questions about preparing students, I also question whether or not our teachers even know HOW to prepare…

  • Opting Out

    Stephanie Sandifer
    6 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    This morning I stumbled across the following website and Facebook page.  As a parent and and educator I am strongly opposed to the current use of standardized testing.  As I parent, I desperately do NOT want my children to suffer the stress and loss of valuable learning time associated with these stupid tests.  However, as much as I want to get behind both of the following and support their efforts, the educator in me has mixed emotions because I know that parent action of “opting out” will hurt the school financially — absenteeism does result in loss of funding, and…
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    The Teaching Palette

  • Favorite Classroom Management Ideas on the Web

    Theresa McGee
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am
    Classroom management really can make or break you as a teacher.  Even if you’re a veteran teacher, there is always a new idea or creative solution to make your teaching life easier. For those of you using my favorite web 2.0 tool, Pinterest, you may have seen some of these images before, but for those who are not . . . enjoy! Get Your Room in Order Get those paper towels in the right place!  Motivation at its best from Katie Moris at Adventures of an Art Teacher. Short on counter space?  Then maximize your wall space with these home-made magnetic containers.  This would be great…

  • Your Art World by Sotheby’s

    Hillary Andrlik
    16 Jan 2012 | 4:10 pm
    I was blown away by Sotheby’s Your Art World movie series! The viewer gets an unprecedented look into the world of creating and collecting fine art from the traditional to the modern. I certainly learned a lot about the selling and buying process of fine art. This series is broken into four short movies: The Artist, The Collector, The Rostrum and The House. The short films make it ideal for showing students how the fine art world is a thriving business. Yes, there are lots of careers in art from the gaming industry to advertising to design, but the fine arts are alive and not just for…

  • Escape from Thorne Mansion Interactive

    Theresa McGee
    7 Dec 2011 | 3:01 pm
    As a child I was lucky to live close enough to the Art Institute of Chicago to visit the Thorne Miniature Rooms.  I imagined how different my life would be living during the historical time periods depicted in the extraordinarily detailed 3-dimensional interior designs.  A new interactive game from The Art Institute of Chicago, Escape from Thorne Mansion, allows me to take a virtual leap back into those rooms. The interactive adventure begins in a 16th century French parlor with a cryptic note explaining details to escape the mansion. Clicking on different areas of the image reveal…

  • Vote Art Education in the Edublog Shortlist

    Hillary Andrlik + Theresa McGee
    6 Dec 2011 | 12:16 pm
    The Edublog Awards nomination shortlist has been posted and were thrilled that The Teaching Palette is in running for the 2011 Best Group Blog category. Congratulations to all the amazing art education blogs that made it to the Edublog finals!  Let’s show our support and put art education at the top!  It only takes 2 seconds to vote so be sure to do so in each category, EVERYDAY! Based on the extremely close vote tallies from last year . . . every vote counts! Best group blog – The Teaching Palette Best ed tech / resource sharing blog 2011 - The Art Teacher’s Guide to…

  • Edublog Nominations

    Hillary Andrlik + Theresa McGee
    1 Dec 2011 | 6:40 pm
    We love pointing out some of the more unique blogs to honor for the Edublog awards. Our one regret is that only a few blogs can be nominated when there are so many great educational blogs out there sharing ideas, resources and inspiration. So, without further ado here are our 2011 nominations: Best individual blog =  The Carrot Revolution Best new blog = Adventures in Middleschooling Best ed tech / resource sharing blog = Art + Tech + Education Most influential blog post = Art Teachers Hate Glitter “Dear Crayola” (Can a blog post really get Crayola to change a marker design?)…
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    Teaching Social Media Marketing At UCLA Extension

  • 2011 Told Through Twitter

    3 Jan 2012 | 3:13 pm
    Very cool video.

  • 10 Historical Events Affected by Social Media

    4 Dec 2011 | 1:06 pm
    Very interesting.. From Mashable Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, Princess Diana’s death — these three events might have played out differently had social media been as strong as it is now. That’s not to say they wouldn’t have happened. But if nonprofits then had been able to access the same technology resources we have today, perhaps the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina wouldn’t have been so painstakingly slow and devastating. Families wouldn’t have waited nearly as long to be reunited after 9/11; not to mention, those who couldn’t turn to real-life support could have relied on…

  • 5 Tips for Creating Shareable Blog Content

    16 Nov 2011 | 11:16 am
    Great info from Social Media Examiner:By Amy PorterfieldPublished November 16, 2011  Is your blog feeling a bit flat? Are you looking to attract more of the right kinds of people to your content?If you struggle to attract a steady stream of quality readers to your blog, you’re not alone. The good news is that your blog isn’t a lost cause.There are many smart strategies you can use to create compelling, bite-sized content your readers will devour—and share like crazy. The secret is to tap into the power, speed and instant accessibility of social media. Here are 5 simple,…

  • GaryVee's 4 Random Thoughts About The Future in Tech

    14 Nov 2011 | 4:29 pm

  • State of the blogosphere 2011: Using social networks for self-promotion

    7 Nov 2011 | 12:21 pm
    From VentureBeatFor its annual look at the blogging world, Technorati surveyed 4,114 bloggers in 45 countries. This year, the focus was on why and how they blog, their connections with brands and how they use social media. Meet the bloggersThose surveyed are mostly hobbyists (61 percent) who don’t post daily. In fact, only 11 percent of surveyed bloggers were posting on a daily basis. Thirteen percent of bloggers are doing it for extra income on the side, and only 5 percent are bonafide professional full-timers bloggers. Of the pros, 37 percent say it makes up the majority of their income.
 
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    More Than a Test Score

  • Weekly Scholarship Winner: Peyton McKinney

    Sean
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm
    Congratulations to Peyton McKinney , our latest Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner! In the animal kingdom chameleons are famous for their ability to change their colors to adapt to their surroundings. With that in mind, we wanted to know how you are a “social chameleon” in your own life. Peyton’s answer stood out to us for his ability to recognize his strengths and weaknesses, while still finding a way to adapt to his classroom environment. Here’s his winning essay: I am a “social chameleon” because as a student I’m able to learn new…

  • Double Your Money Scholarship Winner: Hope Williams

    Sean
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:41 am
    Congratulations to our latest Double Your Money Winner Hope Williams! Hope successfully applied for and won $500 from the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant through Zinch, and now we’re making good on our claim to match it. We asked Hope a couple questions about herself and this is what she had to share. What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships? I use Zinch! I love it! It tells me what scholarships I’m eligible for or that I may be interested in! What career path do you see yourself taking after school? Working for myself. I want to be hired on by companies to make…

  • Top 10 Secrets of Leveraging the Course Syllabus

    Sean
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:11 am
    Students often view the course syllabus as something they glance at on the first day of classes, and then toss in their backpacks, never to be seen again. In reality, the syllabus is a treasure trove of information: one of the few places in the course where the professor reveals his or her true conception of the course and explains what you need to do to excel in the course. The trouble is, very few students know how to read the syllabus and unearth the important clues that are often found there. You’re guaranteed to do a bang-up job in each of your courses if you pay attention to these 10…

  • Weekly Scholarship Winner: Jasmine Wu

    Sean
    17 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm
    Congratulations to Jasmine Wu, our latest Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner! As we close the book on 2011 we have to look back in awe. It was a big year for a lot of reasons, and we wanted to know what you considered the landmark moments. Jasmine’s essay was chosen for its honest insight and asking us to remember the one gift we should all hold dear. Here’s her winning essay: In April, my friend died in a hit-and-run. In October, Steven Jobs lost his battle with cancer; in late October, the 7 billionth person born was recorded. 2011 has reminded [me] how…

  • Chegg + ONE Offers Students Internship to Africa for Social Good

    Sean
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pm
    If you are a college student who wants to be on the frontlines making a positive change in people’s lives listen up. ONE, a grassroots poverty fighting & disease prevention organization, and Chegg For Good have teamed up to bring eight outstanding students the opportunity of a lifetime: a summer internship in Africa to to raise awareness of extreme poverty, disease and how these issues limit African students’ access to a quality education. To learn more about the opportunity, check out the video actor & activist, Jesse Eisenberg, put together. This internship program will give…
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    University of Michigan-Dearborn

  • 19th annual MLK Day of Service

    18 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm
      DEARBORN / Jan. 17, 2012 – UM-Dearborn senior Gabrielle Boyer painted the walls at Ann Visger Elementary School in River Rouge because she believes volunteerism is essential to community growth. Celeste Alexander, a freshman, splattered white paint on the walls alongside Boyer because she believes giving back is essential to personal growth. Freshman Fatimah Charles planted seeds around Walter White Community Center in River Rouge because she wanted to spread hope. And Shani Allison (’10 M.S.) scrubbed desks at a nearby school simply because she likes to volunteer. These are just a…

  • UM-Dearborn safe campus

    18 Jan 2012 | 1:47 pm
    UM-Dearborn named third-safest campus in Michigan in 2011 DEARBORN / Jan. 17, 2012 – Hundreds of trucks, vans and sedans canvass University of Michigan-Dearborn’s parking lots on a daily basis. And in 2011, those vehicles exited campus with their rightful owners. Not a single motor vehicle theft was reported to UM-Dearborn’s Department of Public Safety last year.The same can be said for assaults, robberies and burglaries, according to the University’s 2011 crime statistics.“Zero – that’s a hard number to meet,” said UM-Dearborn Police Chief Rick Gordon.Especially when it comes…

  • COB online graduate programs recognized

    13 Jan 2012 | 12:16 pm
    DEARBORN / Jan. 12, 2012 – The University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Business’ online graduate programs have been recognized as among the nation’s best in the 2012 rankings from U.S. News & World Report. UM-Dearborn was the highest-rated public university in Michigan for faculty credentials and training and admissions selectivity. “We are pleased that the College of Business continues to receive national recognition for its strengths in graduate business education,” said Lee Redding, interim dean, UM-Dearborn College of Business. “These rankings remind us that our…

  • AACSB re-accredits UM-Dearborn’s College of Business

    13 Jan 2012 | 10:45 am
    DEARBORN / Jan. 12, 2012 – The College of Business at University of Michigan-Dearborn has been re-accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). UM-Dearborn’s College of Business has been accredited by AACSB since 1997. AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education. Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest serving and largest global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in business. “I’m pleased that the College of Business has been recognized again for the rigor,…

  • iLabs releases Innovation Index

    28 Nov 2011 | 2:39 pm
    DEARBORN / Nov. 28, 2011---The University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research – iLabs – today released its Innovation Index for the second quarter 2011. The Index, which quarterly measures economic innovation activity in the state of Michigan, fell slightly from 90.9 to 90.8. The index remains above the levels near 80, which it hit during the recession. “The slight drop, is largely due to a rebound in Small Business Administration loans, which offset a drop in the number of workers reported in science and engineering,” according to Lee Redding, associate professor…
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    Teaching with Contests.com

  • Ashoka Changemakers: Activating Empathy

    Ed Conti
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:22 pm
    Deadline is March 30, 2012. This global competition is seeking solutions that help young people learn and practice empathy in schools. More than $70,000 in-cash and in-kind prizes are available through the competition. Details:  Click Here

  • Doodle 4 Google 2 0 1 2

    Ed Conti
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:58 pm
    Deadline is March 23, 2012. “If I could travel in time, I’d visit…” Students in grades K-12 are invited to enter Google’s annual art contest. Five national finalists win be flown to New York for the awards ceremony and win a $5,000 college scholarship. One winner will take the big prize — $30,000 for college, a $50,000 technology grant for his or her school, and the winning art will be featured on Google’s home page. Details: CLICK HERE

  • The Great American Teach-Off

    Ed Conti
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:51 pm
    Deadline is February 20, 2012. Good Magazine and the University of Phoenix are sponsoring this contest to recognize innovative 7-12 teachers. Nominate your favorite teacher for his or her chance to win a $10,000 classroom grant. Finalists will be asked to answer some questions with short videos, and the public will vote for their favorites.Details: Click Here

  • New Leaders Aspiring Principals Program

    Ed Conti
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:43 pm
    Deadline is February 7, 2012. This one-year paid residency program places teachers with mentor principals and offers coursework and other support for transitioning into school administration. Fill out the online pre-application to receive application credentials; final application is due by deadline date. Details: Click Here

  • Bezos Scholars Program

    Ed Conti
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:54 pm
    Bezos Scholars Program: Deadline is February 3, 2012. The Bezos Family Foundation sponsors this scholarship for exceptional public high school juniors and teachers to attend the summer Aspen Ideas Festival at the Aspen Institute in Colorado.
 
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    Smart Classroom Management

  • How To Talk To Difficult Students

    Michael Linsin
    21 Jan 2012 | 11:33 am
    Most teachers talk to difficult students too much, because somewhere along the line they’ve gotten the idea that the more attention they give them, the better teacher they’ll be. So they pull them aside for pep-talks, reminders, and lectures. They warn. They scold. They threaten. They flatter and debate. They micromanage and manipulate. They spend more time addressing them, conferencing with them, and trying to persuade them to behave than the rest of their class put together. And for the most part, it’s a waste of time. This doesn’t mean that talking with difficult…

  • 2 Easy Ways To Build Rapport With Your Students

    Michael Linsin
    14 Jan 2012 | 12:23 pm
    Building rapport with students can be a remarkably effective way to improve classroom management. But there is some confusion over what rapport is and how one goes about building it. Rapport is nothing more than a connection you make with your students based on their positive feelings for you. When they like you and trust you, and when you in turn like and believe in them, you’ll form a bond that makes classroom management a lot easier. It’s as simple as that. But rapport isn’t something you can force upon your students. Teachers who try to engage individual students…

  • 5 Strategies To Avoid With Difficult Students; Plus One Radio Interview

    Michael Linsin
    7 Jan 2012 | 12:43 pm
    Five of the most frequently recommended strategies for dealing with difficult students can actually cause an increase or a worsening of misbehavior. Which begs the question: If they cause behavior to get worse, then why are they recommended? Well, for a few reasons. They’re easy to explain. They’ve been around so long people assume they work. They make sense. In other words, they seem like they should work. They offer tantalizing hope for teachers at the end of their rope. And the frustrating, almost cruel, thing is, even with the most challenging students, a few of the five…

  • The Best Of Smart Classroom Management 2011

    Michael Linsin
    31 Dec 2011 | 12:04 pm
    Hooray! It's the best of Smart Classroom Management 2011! Happy New Year! And thanks for being a regular reader of Smart Classroom Management! 2011 has been an exciting year. I know from the hundreds of emails we receive that many of you for the first time are experiencing the freedom and deep satisfaction of exceptional classroom management. I love hearing your success stories and the remarkable transformations you’re making to your classrooms. This week I’ve been looking ahead at the article topics planned for 2012, and I can’t wait to get started. Some of my favorite…

  • How To Give Your Students Unforgettable Directions

    Michael Linsin
    17 Dec 2011 | 1:43 pm
    Telling students exactly what you want is good teaching. It seems obvious, but if you’re unable to communicate what you want from your students, then they’re never going to give it to you. Too often when giving directions teachers begin talking before they’re ready. They think out loud. They hem and haw. They hesitate. They appear unsure of themselves. “Okay, um, let’s see, here’s what were gonna do…” And they wonder why their students struggle to follow directions. It’s best to compose yourself first, decide what it is you really want your students to do, and…
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    Imagination Soup

  • Soup Scoop – Best Links of the Week

    Melissa Taylor
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:53 am
    Happy weekend, everybody! I wonder if like me you’re quite surprised it’s almost February. (AAAH!) Where does the time go? Pinterest maybe!? Speaking of Pinterest, I love it — do you know about it yet? Basically, it’s a visual way to collect ideas. Simple Kids explains it all here: “Using Pinterest to Find and Organize Ideas for Your Family.” Here’s a screen shot of my Learning Fun board. Oh, and if you need an invitation to Pinterest, comment with your email address. Or, leave me your profile link in the comments so I can follow you. Kid-Friendly…

  • Read a who?Comics Biography App with Your Kids

    Melissa Taylor
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:57 pm
    Thank you to who?Comics for sponsoring this post and encouraging my child to read biographies in comic book form! Please click here to learn more about the app. And follow who? Comics on Twitter for updates. I love encouraging kids to read biographies in February since it includes President’s Day and is Black History Month. So when offered the chance to check out the who?Comic biographies, the timing worked perfectly. 29 titles Bill Gates (free), J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, Warren Buffett, Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Steven Spielberg, Stephen…

  • Fed Up With (School) Lunch – The Book

    Melissa Taylor
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:19 pm
    I met Sarah Wu when she was Mrs. Q., the anonymous teacher blogger, chronicling her year-long experience eating school lunch. Since then, she’s officially come out and published a book which I know you’ll want to read. “I know that at some point in your life you ate hot lunch at school. . . I have news for you: School lunch has gotten worse. Much worse.” (p.22) Fed Up With Lunch, the book based on the blog, shows Wu’s viewpoint by sharing her history with food and business from childhood to adulthood. Throughout the book Wu shares what happened to the quiet…

  • Standardized Tests – Your Rights and the Impact on Your Child

    Melissa Taylor
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:02 pm
    After I read What Happened to Recess and Why Are our Children Struggling in Kindergarten? by Susan Ohanian, I knew I wanted her to share with you exactly what you as a parent need to know about the national obsession with standardized tests. Here’s my (devil’s advocate) interview with Susan Ohanian, an experienced teacher, education advocate against NCLB and high stakes testing, and a prolific writer of books and articles. Melissa: Say I’m just an ordinary parent (or my child isn’t even school-aged,) why should I care about the standardized tests he/she will take at…

  • Soup Scoop – Best Links of the Week

    Melissa Taylor
    21 Jan 2012 | 12:32 am
    What a great week! Now it’s time for some fantastic reading suggestions for your weekend. Salt Dough Brains from Red Oak Lane Extend your thinking about thinking aka. metacognition — make a brain! (so cool!!) Autistic Girl Expresses Unimaginable Intelligence Many of you saw this YouTube video already but if you missed it, please watch — it will change how you see autism and ability. Recreational Play Can Be Far More Important than Academics, The Atlantic “While improved academics is an important goal, the report emphasizes that the developmental role of play should…
 
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    Projects, Dissertation, Thesis

  • Why an MBA?

    admin
    14 Jan 2012 | 8:47 am
    In this study we have mainly investigated the effectiveness of Master of Business Administration (MBA) on job related income in Japan and compared it with that of the US. In addition, we have also examined impact of MBA intervention on other job outcomes such as employability, job satisfaction, confidence in knowledge and skills.

  • Implementation of Health Information Systems

    admin
    14 Jan 2012 | 8:40 am
    Healthcare organizations now consider increased efficiency, reduced costs, improved patient care and quality of services, and safety when they are planning to implement new information and communication technology (ICT) based applications. However, in spite of enormous investment in health information systems (HIS), no convincing evidence of the overall benefits of HISs yet exists.

  • Global Airline Alliances and EC-Competition Policy

    admin
    14 Jan 2012 | 2:53 am
    An analysis of the compatibility of global airline alliances with EC- competition policy including merger policy and EC-competition law. Is the Commission’s current approach to prohibit certain restrictive global alliances the optimal solution to the problem of certain alliances’ anti-competitive effects?

  • Transmission Electron Microscopy Studies of FeGa Alloys

    admin
    14 Jan 2012 | 2:26 am
    This report is on FeGa Alloys. Microstructural analysis of rapid-solidified (melt-spun) FeGa alloys with 17.3at.%Ga and bulk alloys with 12-20at.%Ga using transmission electron microscope was carried out. Dark field and high resolution image analysis show all the samples are inhomogeneous with fine texture of 5-10nm.

  • Validation of the Instructional Consultation Teams Level of Implementation Scale

    admin
    14 Jan 2012 | 2:08 am
    This report is targeted on Validation of the Instructional Consultation Teams Level of Implementation Scale. Consultation has been proposed as a viable indirect service delivery system for schools (Sheridan & Gutkin, 2000), enabling teachers and other professionals to assist students by receiving support through collaborative problem solving.
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    Want to Know it? Answers to life's questions

  • Forest Whitaker Movie List

    Want to know it
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:12 am
    Forest Whitaker is a celebrity actor who went to college on a football scholarship only to end up training as an operatic tenor after a back injury. He made his film debut in 1982 and has managed to work with some of the best actors and directors in Hollywood. He is well regarded for his talent and has a reputation for his impressive character study. The highlight of his career came in 2007 when he won the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. The following is a list of movies that Forest Whitaker has acted in during his career so far. Movie Title/Year/Character…

  • What Does The Vice President Do

    Want to know it
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:38 pm
    The Vice President of the United States is a position of public office that is created and upheld by the United States Constitution. The Vice President is indirectly elected through the Electoral College. Along with the President, the Vice President is elected to serve a four year term and is essentially next in line to take the presidential role in the case of resignation, death or removal of the current president. The roles of the Vice President are tightly restricted by the constitution. So what does the Vice President do? Read this article to find out. What does the Vice President do? The…

  • Why Does Helium Change Your Voice

    Want to know it
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:26 am
    Many of us have had the experience of sucking helium from a balloon or witnessing someone else perform this act. We know that when this happens it changes the sound of our voice to produce a high, squeaky, chipmunk type sound. This effect is only temporary and lasts for a few seconds and then more helium must be breathed in to produce the effect again. Why does helium change our voice to produce high pitched sounds? Read this article to find out. How Do We Make Different Sounds? To understand why helium changes our voices, we first must understand how we produce sound to begin with. Each of…

  • Who Was The First Governor Of Texas

    Want to know it
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:14 am
    Texas is the second largest state in the United States of America. Texas shares a border with Mexico, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana. The capital city of Texas is Austin but the largest and most internationally recognized city in Texas is Houston. Texas has a plural executive branch system of government. This means that Texas has both a house of representatives and a senate. The head of the government system in Texas is the Governor. Who was the first governor of Texas? Prior to becoming an American state Texas was occupied by a number of different countries and was a Republic after they…

  • What Causes Impetigo

    Want to know it
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:03 pm
    Impetigo, sometimes known as school sores, is a infection common amongst young children. It is usually a minor illness that causes painless blisters filled with fluid that occur on the arms, legs, face and trunk. These blisters may be red and itchy and eventually break and turn into a scab. In some cases the infection spreads into the second layer of skin. This is known as ecthyma and it is a far more serious problem. Symptoms of ecthyma include painful blisters that turn into ulcers and eventually cause scarring and swollen glands. Let’s take a look at what causes this infection. What…
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    Accepted Admission Consulting Blog

  • Cornell Johnson Current MBA Student Interview

    Accepted.com
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    Elisa, Cornell Johnson MBA student Accepted.com is continuing a blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. We hope to offer you a candid picture of student life, and what you should consider as you prepare your MBA application. Here’s a talk with Elisa Dobbins, a Cornell Johnson student who is passionate about marketing, brand management, and naturally curly hair. Thank you Elisa for sharing your thoughts with us! Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself – where are you from? What and where did…

  • Do I Have to Write a Parent Letter of Recommendation?

    Whitney Bruce
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    As a parent, you might have thought your college application work was done, once you had overseen the last “submit” of the Common Application.  And so it seemed — until you, or one of your friends, receive a letter inviting you to add a parent’s recommendation to your child’s college admission file. The parent recommendation, much like the peer recommendation, has been around for quite some time at a small number of colleges.  This year, the request by the University of Richmond has sparked conversation. In my files, I have several old parent recommendations, from corporate…

  • MBA Fair Tips from the CEO of The MBA Tour

    Accepted.com
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm
    Thank you to Peter von Loesecke, CEO and Managing Director of The MBA Tour for answering some of our most pressing questions about The MBA Tour’s popular MBA fairs. Upcoming MBA Tour events include fairs in Washington, D.C. on February 2nd, in New York City on February 4th, and in San Francisco on February 6th. View The MBA Tour’s schedule and register for free now! Accepted: What is unique about The MBA Tour’s fair? Peter: The MBA Tour’s events offer valuable information about graduate business school. While information about admissions criteria and applications is…

  • Med School Admissions News Roundup

    Accepted.com
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    Put Your Premed Advisor to Work- US News provides a timeline for students that already know they want to go to medical school when they are just freshman. The article provides guidelines for when students should meet their premed advisors and how to best utilize their advisors to ensure that they are as prepared for applying to med school as possible. As the article states, “the more organized and proactive you are the better.” Social Media in the Operating Room?- US News reports that social media networks are beginning to enter med school classrooms. While some med schools are too…

  • Is the ABA to Blame for the High Cost of Legal Education?

    Accepted.com
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    David Segal is at it again. In his latest piece for The New York Times, he shifts the focus to the ABA and its detrimental impact on legal education. Segal notes that in order for a law school to even obtain provisional accreditation, it must meet a large number of standards, which inevitably raises tuition. Most states require a degree from an ABA-approved school in order to practice law, which leaves prospective lawyers with little choice when accruing debt in order to eventually find a job. And then to pay off those debts, they must earn an adequate salary, charging more than many in need…
 
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    School Security Blog

  • Top 10 school safety headlines for 2012

    Ken Trump
    2 Jan 2012 | 1:37 pm
    Here are the top 10 school safety news headlines we could see, or probably should see, in 2012 based upon my assessment of school safety trends: 10.  Educators discover paying for reasonable security measures at school athletic events is more important than turning a profit at the gate.   9.  School districts cave to common sense by improving school employee background checks. 8.  Anti-security critics shocked to discover malls, grocery stores, fast food restaurants and other public places have security cameras just like schools. 7.  Political activists stunned when focus of debate…

  • 2011: The year professional school safety public policy died

    Ken Trump
    1 Jan 2012 | 4:44 pm
    Anything remotely close to comprehensive and balanced federal school safety public policy and funding died in 2011.  Minus a handful of exceptions, if that many, the same can be said for state level school safety efforts.  And far too many local school districts are not far behind. The U.S. Department of Education, academic experts and school safety professionals spent over a decade preaching that the best chance of effectively addressing school safety is to have policy and programs comprehensive and balanced in their approach.  This means prevention-only or enforcement-only approaches…

  • Origin & rejection of ALICE Training: Kids fighting armed gunmen

    Ken Trump
    27 Dec 2011 | 6:30 am
    Most school leaders probably don’t know that the component of ALICE training in which children are taught to attack armed intruders in schools was actually rejected by the school district in which the model originated in 2006. A.L.I.C.E. (Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate) Training is a program being advocated in a small but noticeable number of school-communities.  Along with others in education and law enforcement, I have raised a number of questions regarding the program’s implementation including those in my recent blog post entitled ”Parent Questions: ALICE…

  • Why adequate supervision is critical to good school safety

    Ken Trump
    26 Dec 2011 | 4:07 pm
    A female is allegedly raped in a gym restroom.  A student is assaulted in a hallway during class change.  A stranger is found in an elementary school restroom. The first question raised by parents, the media and perhaps eventually lawyers is: “Was supervision adequate?” The answer to that question must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  But it is a valid question. My colleagues and I often say the key to good school safety is supervision, supervision and supervision! Back in October of 2011, a news story in Tampa reported on an alleged rape in a high school.  The story…

  • What Christmas 2011 and school safety have in common

    Ken Trump
    26 Dec 2011 | 12:49 pm
    What does school safety have in common with The Muppets, Pac Man, Space Invaders, Rock’em Sock’em Robots, and other Christmas 2011 sightings? Simple: What is old is new again. I was intrigued upon seeing the return of The Muppets in their latest movie.  Then came the plug-and-play Pac Man, Space Invaders, and other first generation video games Christmas presents. Next, a Rock’em Sock’em robot game that dates back decades is back on the market. As I watched the kids of today get excited with the characters, shows and toys of yesteryear, it reminded me how…
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    Clif's Notes

  • Bookmarks for 01/25/2012

    Clif Mims
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:31 am
    Engineering is Elementary Engineering and technology lessons for children! tags: Science Technology Engineering Math PBL Literacy Literature Reading Language-Arts littleBits Open-source library of electronic modules that snap together with tiny magnets for prototyping and play. tags: Open-Source Science Engineering Math Technology PBL Design Development Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here. Related PostsBookmarks for 10/14/2011 Bookmarks for 09/13/2011 Bookmarks for 06/18/2011 Bookmarks for 09/02/2011

  • Online Geography Gaming Tips and Resources from @tonycassidy #edtech #sschat #geographyteacher

    Clif Mims
    21 Dec 2011 | 10:30 am
    I ran across an interesting set of slides via @skipz on Plurk. The slides seem to be the ongoing work of Tony Cassidy. I encourage you to browse through the presentation and consider the ideas for integrating technology with geography. Online Geography Gaming – Tony Cassidy A compilation of more than 100 online games and simulations for use in the geography classroom. Related PostsGames and Simulations in Education: A Resource List for Newbies 13 Yr. Old CEO of Innovative Educational Gaming Company Integrating Computer Games F2F PLN vs. Virtual PLN

  • Suggested Reading: Literacy and Mobile Learning #edtech #mlearning

    Clif Mims
    20 Dec 2011 | 10:30 am
    Image via CrunchBase Book Apps: A Reading Revolution, or the End of Reading? “Even if high-quality apps do manage to change the way we read, though, it’s unclear how many current readers will respond. The mere fact that something is possible does not automatically make it desirable.” Books vs. Screens: Which Should Your Kids Be Reading? “Canadian author Margaret Atwood thrilled her 285,000-plus Twitter followers by defending their kind as “dedicated readers” who are boldly exploring new frontiers in literacy. Calling the Internet in general “a great literacy…

  • We Can Learn So Much from Kids

    Clif Mims
    20 Nov 2011 | 1:09 pm
    I saw this on the season finale of E60. It’s one of the most meaningful videos I’ve seen in a long time. Related PostsTHE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2009 THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2010 THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2011 Vimeo’s Online Video Services

  • THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2011

    Clif Mims
    6 Nov 2011 | 1:00 pm
    I admire and appreciate everyone that has participated in The Challenge the past 4 years (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010). I look forward to doing more good together this holiday season, too. ————— (Repost from 11/08/2009) I’ve written posts encouraging educators to get students actively involved in service education. I’ve shared the rationale for implementing service activities in the classroom and suggested some resources to help us get started. Your feedback and encouragement back in 2007 prompted me to take this a step further. Rather than simply…
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    BreakDrink

  • Daily Dose – January 26th [AUDIO]

    Julie Larsen
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:45 pm
    Listen to internet radio with BreakDrink on Blog Talk Radio Hi I’m Julie Larsen and this is the BreakDrink Daily Dose for Thursday, January 26th. MTV Wants to Help You Find a Scholarship MTV has launched a Facebook app called “My College Dollars” which uses information from your profile to auto-fill a form, and then suggests potential scholarships based on that data. The app will also help students fill out the FAFSA, and has a few how to videos featuring celebrities. Jason Rzepka, VP of Public Affairs for MTV believes that the app is a great way to meet current high school students in…

  • Jamie & Ed: On Duty – Effective Disability Programming

    Ed Gilhool
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:01 pm
    Amanda Kraus Jamie and Ed discuss effective disability programming with guest Amanda Kraus from The University of Arizona.  Challenging thinking around simulation activities and the framework for disability education, Amanda gives important advice on inclusive programming in the Residence Halls.  Hot Topic: Technology and Student Learning.      

  • Daily Dose – January 25, 2012 [Audio]

    Sarah Craddock
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:35 pm
    Hi everyone! I’m Sarah and this is the January 25th edition of the Daily Dose for Breakdrink.com! National Gay Straight Alliance Day Seeks to Unite Organizations Nationwide The Huffington Post reported on the first National Gay-Straight Alliance Day, which occurs today. The Gay Straight Alliance Network hopes this day will strengthen bonds between LGBT people and their straight allies, and serve to recognize and honor gay-straight alliances which “work to educate their peers to stop homophobia and transphobia in schools and colleges.” Since 1999, over 4,000 GSAs have been…

  • EDUsports #30 – January 20th 2012 – Just Win Baby

    jefflail
    22 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    EDUsports talks issues and ideas related to sports at the college level.  On the January 20th show, we talked about… Headlines NFL and NCAA push for youth concussions to be limited Coaching salaries up 35 percent Feature New NCAA penalty system Who’s Bad boatright again miami Like the Show?  Leave us a donation. We’re also looking for sponsors.  If you’re interested in sponsorship, contact us. How To Subscribe to #EDUsports iTunes Store: EDUsports ONLY http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/edusports/id466247018 All Breakdrink…

  • Daily Dose January 19, 2012 [Audio]

    Julie Larsen
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:49 pm
    Listen to internet radio with BreakDrink on Blog Talk Radio Hi I’m Julie Larsen, and this is the BreakDrink daily dose for January 19th, 2012. Who Earns the Top 1%? According to a report from the NY Times, the top majors that give you a chance to earn enough to be a part of the top 1% are Pre-med, Economics, Biochemistry, Zoology, and Biology. The report also shows the percentage of degree earners who make it into the 1%. For example, out of 159,935 Zoology majors, 6.9% made it in to the top 1% of earners. The data also shows that your focus within a major makes a difference. While one in…
 
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    the missing teacher

  • Hello!

    11 Jan 2012 | 12:38 am
    This blog is currently under construction. I'm editing (again!) and I will have a shorter and cleaner version of my experience as a Waldorf teacher. If you are new to the site, welcome! On the right side there are links to the chapters and if you are looking for specific information on Waldorf, there are tags for such information under About Waldorf Education. The Reading List is another place where you can search. Thanks for stopping by ~ Lani

  • postscript

    28 Aug 2011 | 11:16 pm
    Most especially with a memoir, I wondered how I would end this blog of a book. Then when I was having dinner with a friend at Chiang Mai Gate, I started talking about the missing teacher and how I'm the kind of person who likes to solve a mystery. He in turn mentioned the Rilke quote about living with the questions. This intrigued me. At least enough to look it up and think about it. I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very…

  • paying respect

    25 May 2011 | 7:15 am
    I attended the TEDxDoiSuthep conference this weekend. The keynote speaker, at least in my mind was female Buddhist monk Dhammananda Bikkun. She talked about nourishing roots. The four elements: earth, water, fire and air. Nourishing our selves. Specifically, about the aspect of Buddhism that deals with paying respect to our elders and past. Thich Nhat Hanh said it this way, we are the extension of our parents. As an Asian American, paying respect to my parents had been engrained in me. Hence my tribute to them in my writing. I'm endlessly fascinated by their stories and continueously chasing…

  • enemy number one

    4 May 2011 | 7:36 am
    Self doubt is my enemy Number One. I know that but just because I do doesn't make it any easier to deal with inner critics and voices that tell me I'm not good enough for someone or something. And the ironic thing is, the more you fight with it, the more insane you feel. So when the kind folks at Trembling Trees became my inner voices I felt like I was fighting with my sanity. It was a dream in which everyone was an extension of my fears and shortcomings. Therapy that I had no idea that I was going into, a sanitarium of lazured walls and an upside down fairy tale. Because let's face it, we…

  • crushed hats

    3 Mar 2011 | 7:32 pm
    A few years ago, my brother wrote to me, “Sorry I missed your birthday. I hope you had a good day. You always seem to make the best of any situation.” I was surprised by his words. It's always enlightening to learn how others view you, isn't it? Especially those who have known you for a long time. One of my first thoughts was I hope he doesn’t think this comes easy to me. I’ve had to struggle to maintain a sense of peace, groundedness and forgiveness. But it does become easier. I think. Everyone has been waist deep in the sewage that is their lives but those who have seemed to wade…
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    teach mama

  • @whymommy love fest, part two

    amy
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Here’s our happy, full-o’-love, cyber-hug for our friend Susan, part two. It’s only a fraction of what we’ve received, which amazes all of us. Set to the amazing music of Bill Leslie, chosen especially for Susan by her bff and the amazing musician and blogger, Marty, it’s a teeny, tiny expression of our love and admiration for our incredible warrior friend.   Please continue to send in YOUR cyber hugs to dcmomlove@gmail.com or post them yourself on our fancy, schmancy Facebook page: @whymommy love fest.  Susan is reading every single post, every single…

  • @whymommy love fest

    amy
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    We have had an overwhelming response to the call for @whymommy love over the last 24 hours, and the love keeps on flowin’ in! With love, Susan, here is part one of our @whymommy love fest:     Originally created to an amazing soundtrack chosen by the amazing ladies of The DC Moms, complete with a little Indigo Girls, ‘IZ’, and Three Dog Night, it totally rocked. But thanks to You Tube’s copyright laws keepin’ us on the straight and narrow, we mixed it up to a little up-beat Cha-Cha.  Enjoy, Susan! Part two–and all consecutive parts–of our…

  • show your love for @whymommy — join us!

    amy
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    We are rallying to show support for our sweet friend Susan, @whymommy, and we’re calling out the big guns. Because Susan’s complete and utter awesomeness has reached sooo far across cyberspace and beyond, Susan’s buddies from The DC Moms would like to extend an invitation to anyone and everyone who has been touched by our pal to contribute to a ‘@whymommy love fest’. Here’s the skinny: @whymommy love fest: We’re making THE most incredible digital card that has ever been made to show Susan just HOW much she is loved. We want her to know that she rocks…

  • rich, diverse digital resources for learning: PBS LearningMedia

    amy
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    So many times–without thinking–I look to those old standbys when I am searching for information on the web. Whether it’s just the basics or for cool multi-media clips to clarify Maddy, Owen, or Cora’s learning from school or the random questions in their heads, I’ll admit it: I often get lazy. I’ll turn on the computer, talk to them about some basic search term ideas, and see what we can find. And there are definitely advantages to searching a huuuge database of information, but there are definitely downsides as well, like safety, reliability, quality.

  • practicing math facts with crazy, mixed-up dice

    amy
    19 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    Somehow we have ended up with a ton of wild and crazy dice in our house. Some are huge. Some are teeny. Some are old; some are brand, spankin’ new. Some have numerals and some have dots. Some are even double-dice–a big die with a mini die inside. And we had one die with an addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division sign on each side.   One, that is, until I made a second using one of our cheapo foam blocks from the dollar bins.  A Sharpie and a foam block, and we were set–much like the die we made for our Ghost Bingo back in the fall. Since we’re continually…
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    MT Tools Online

  • Coding Corner Week 3 and a Great New Tool for MTs!

    Kathy
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:18 am
    It’s hard to believe it’s only week 3 in this course for me as it sure feels like I’ve been at it for much longer than that. And yet, I will soon be at the end of Module 1, with only three more to go! I have one test left to complete, and as soon [...]Coding Corner Week 3 and a Great New Tool for MTs! is a post from: MT Tools Online

  • Coding Corner: Week 2

    Kathy
    11 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    As I wrote this title, I found it hard to believe it’s just been two weeks! But it’s true. I got my books right around Christmas time and turned in my first assignment December 28, just two weeks ago. How time flies. In case you missed the first post on the Coding Corner columns, you [...]Coding Corner: Week 2 is a post from: MT Tools Online

  • Coding Corner

    Kathy
    4 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    If you’ve been following along, you know that one of my 3 words for 2012 is education. To that end, I have begun a coding program and plan to do a weekly column here about it on Wednesdays. I hope you will stop by and see how it’s going and ask questions, give feedback. I [...]Coding Corner is a post from: MT Tools Online

  • Planning for 2012: My 3 Words

    Kathy
    2 Jan 2012 | 9:34 am
    If you’ve been reading here for awhile, you may recall that last year I selected 3 words for 2011. I did that following a post by a blogger I follow, Chris Brogan, who suggested that 3 words to define the upcoming year was a better plan than making resolutions. I tend to agree with that [...]Planning for 2012: My 3 Words is a post from: MT Tools Online

  • The Best of 2011

    Kathy
    29 Dec 2011 | 1:00 pm
    It’s hard to believe we are at the end of 2011 already! It seems only yesterday we were talking about our plans for the new year and what goals we would set. And yet, here we are. I thought it would be interesting to do a recap of some of our more popular posts from [...]The Best of 2011 is a post from: MT Tools Online
 
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    Pearson's Critical Thinking Blog

  • Wishful Thinking vs. Cynical Thinking: Which is Better?

    Breanne Harris
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:25 pm
    Let’s first start by defining Wishful vs. Cynical Thinking. Wishful Thinking (according to Wikipedia) is the formation of beliefs and making decisions according to what might be pleasing to imagine instead of by appealing to evidence, rationality or reality. Cynical Thinking (which is NOT the same thing as Critical Thinking) is thinking that is predisposed to doubt and lack of trust.  Cynical Thinkers have a pessimstic view when problem solving and decision making. The idea of Wishful vs. Cynical Thinking came to mind for me this week when a friend told me he thinks he has a coin…

  • New Study Finds Link Between Critical Thinking and Unemployment

    Breanne Harris
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am
    In January of 2011 we told you about the new book “Academically Adrift” which followed 2,322 students during their 4 years in college and found that these students are not improving their critical thinking skills. In fact, in the first 2 years, 45% of students showed no improvement in critical thinking skills, and after 4 years 36% still showed no improvement. This week, a follow-up report was released that showed the long term effects of this critical thinking crisis.  The study (“Documenting Uncertain Times: Post-graduate Transition of the Academically Adrift Cohort”)…

  • Critical Thinking Interview Questions

    Breanne Harris
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:12 pm
    Krishnan Anantharaman from the Wall Street Journal wrote an interesting article about the new trend of asking questions designed to elicit critical thinking abilities in candidates.  Initially, I was pleased to hear that recruiters are trying to measure critical thinking ability given the fact that only 28% of college graduates are rated as having excellent critical thinking skills yet it’s the #1 workplace skill. However, the types of questions being used by interviewers really caught my eye.  Here are a few examples from the article: “What did you play with as a child?” “If you…

  • Top Jobs for Critical Thinking

    chadfife
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:03 pm
    Not every job requires you to be a great critical thinker, but most do! Of course doctors and judges need above-average critical thinking and problem solving skills, but did you know critical thinking is just as important for archeologists and school counselors? Athletic trainers, sales managers, and real estate appraisers also need to know how to evaluate both sides of an issue, draw logical conclusions, and make good decisions. We created this fun critical thinking infographic to illustrate the top jobs requiring critical thinking skills. Students, job seekers, and career changers……

  • Just Teach Me To Think, Please!

    chadfife
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:16 am
    One complaint I have about my MBA program is that it felt like a bunch of disconnected courses and assignments that  didn’t gel together (at times). I wanted more help “seeing the big picture” that drives success. For example, how companies choose an HR strategy to win talent in their specific industry and why. Or which marketing techniques are best at promoting a new product vs an existing product. In essence, I wanted help thinking about my options, not necessarily learning each one. In the book Rethinking the MBA: Business Education at a Crossroads, the authors offer eight unmet…
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    Socrato Learning Analytics

  • Three Advantages of a Learning Analytics Based SAT/ACT Diagnostic Test

    Scott Cronenweth
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:57 pm
    As I discussed in my last blog post, the SAT and ACT are different tests with different goals and emphases. Depending on strengths and weaknesses, the majority of students are likely to score higher on one exam versus the other. In a highly competitive college admissions environment, every advantage counts – and that can include a higher standardized test score. Knowing clearly which exam could give you an edge is a key first step in the test prep process. Of course, to be advantageous a diagnostic test must be accurate! In this regard there is no substitute for learning analytics combined…

  • SAT or ACT? Now There’s a Better Way to Choose

    Scott Cronenweth
    17 Jan 2012 | 10:29 am
    College-bound high school students face intense pressure around preparing for standardized admissions testing – including choosing whether to take the SAT or the ACT. Conventional wisdom often purports that the decision is largely a toss-up, since most colleges give equal weight to both exams. But while it’s generally recognized that neither test is “easier” or “harder” than the other overall, their formats are different – so one might be better suited to a particular student than the other. But which? The goal of the ACT is to evaluate overall educational development. The SAT,…

  • The STEM Trend’s Growing Impact on Out-of-School Learning

    Scott Cronenweth
    10 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm
    The growing energy behind STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curricula in US schools is influencing the after-school and tutoring communities to provide new learning options. Many educators feel that early support in the form of engaging, out-of-school activities and programs will foster an interest in STEM subjects, particularly among women and minorities who remain underrepresented in the workforce in these fields in the US. The argument for STEM, not surprisingly, is that STEM learning focuses on helping students learn to think critically, solve complex problems, and…

  • High-Stakes Standardized Testing in China

    Scott Cronenweth
    4 Jan 2012 | 10:45 am
    In the US, mandatory standardized testing on the national level has primarily been put forth as a public policy strategy, with the aim of establishing stronger accountability measures for public education. Proponents of standardized testing say that it can help establish a baseline for improving schools and instructional methods. Critics cite a host of challenges with test validity, reliability and methodology – not to mention concerns about standardizing curricula. But what has not been a credible part of the standardized testing debate in the US is the idea of making such a test a…

  • Fun Facts about Technology Use on Campus

    Scott Cronenweth
    27 Dec 2011 | 12:24 pm
    The other day I was tipped off to a very cool infographic that presents factoids on technology use and preferences on today’s college campuses. It originated on the Online Colleges blog. No one would doubt that today’s college students are “super-connected” and wired into learning far more than any prior generation. But how deeply are they embracing the spectrum of technology choices, from software to iPads to online classrooms? Like me, you’ll probably be surprised at some of the stats. (Some of the data comes from “an Educase study” and some has no obvious source attribution.)…
 
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    Naturally Educational

  • Chinese New Year Dragon Puppet

    Candace
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm
    Last year we made a dragon with paper loops. This year I thought we would try a puppet! It looks perhaps a bit too snake-like. I think next year we’ll try again with something around the head…maybe more ribbons? Or possibly I will just a make a template? Materials: red paper white paper red and gold paint cardboard tube (toilet paper tube) googly eyes ribbon craft sticks gold  crayon or marker glue scissors Directions: 1. Cut a mouth in the cardboard tube. 2. Paint! Then let dry. 3. While that is drying, cut a strip of red paper and color with gold crayon. Older kids can try to…

  • 15 Children’s Picture Books to Welcome the Winter

    Candace
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:37 am
    Here are some of our favorite children’s picture books about winter. I’ll have a separate posts with books specifically about snow and snowflakes and arctic animals. Winter Trees by Carole Gerber and Leslie Evans (3+): Striking graphic illustrations accented with mat silver accompany poetic descriptions of the silhouettes of trees in the winter. The jaunty rhyming text transforms the commonplace into the magical. Read this future classic, suitable for preschoolers through elementary school, and then head outside on a crisp day on your own winter’s stroll with your child. Winter…

  • How to Make an Ice Lantern

    Candace
    17 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    We were looking forward to this simple way to welcome the winter but the weather has not cooperated until now! Originally, we wanted to make an ice lantern on the Winter Solstice. Then we were aiming for New Year’s. We could have used the freezer but it is hard getting in the winter spirit when it feels like spring! Materials: one large plastic container or bucket one smaller plastic container (a plastic cup would work) water one tea light twigs, berries, evergreen boughs Directions: 1. Gather twigs, berries, and evergreen boughs and place in a bucket filled 3/4 with water. 2. Weigh…

  • Why is the US Behind in Math and Science? Join the STEM Challenge #PBSKidsSC

    Candace
    15 Jan 2012 | 10:37 am
    Remember when every kid wanted to go to space camp and become an astronaut? The frontier is now digital but sciences and mathematics are just as important as they ever were. Curiosity about the world and a creative approach to problem solving are at the core of what I want to impart to my children. And the sciences are building blocks of those sorts of critical thinking skills. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are increasingly the access point to more fulfilling, more flexible, and higher-paying careers. Plus, they are key to our national prosperity. Which is why it is…

  • Will You Join Me at LifetimeMoms?

    Candace
    13 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    Usually the winter is a time for relaxation over here but things have been busy over here! We’ve had unseasonably warm weather in metro-area New York so we have been spending a lot of time outdoors, finding animal tracks in the mud, saying hello to the confused plants that are still growing and budding, and gathering kindling for the fires we hope to build, soon! We have been doing lots of crafts and projects and reading lots of books that I want to recommend, too, but I have been using all my computer time  to work. And that computer time has been severely limited with the baby waking…
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    DrEducation

  • Increasing number of international students are self-financed

    21 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    Primary source of funding for international students is increasingly shifting towards personal and home university/government resources. Majority of international students in general fund most of their education through personal resources. Sixty-three per cent of international students in the US reported "Personal and Family Funds" as the primary source of funding in 2010/11 (IIE Open Doors). However, the recessionary effects have further increased the value of "self-financed" international students who are not dependent on financial aid from US university or government. Number of…

  • Transnational Education: Deep Engagement of Australian and British Universities

    14 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am
    Australian and British higher education system is more global than American. This is evident from larger proportion of international students in the higher education system (Australia=21%, UK=15% and US=3% - OECD). At another level, Australian and British universities are more "transnational" in their offerings. Transnational education (TNE) is simply defined as education provision from one country to another through a variety of delivery modes including distance and online, validation and franchising, twinning and collaborative arrangements. More formally, UNESCO/Council of Europe defines…

  • India Higher Education Trend 2012: Consolidation gains Momentum

    8 Jan 2012 | 8:10 am
    The story of Indian higher education is like a F-1 racing track without any enforcement of driver safety or driving rules. For last few years, Indian higher education has grown at a break-neck speed. For example, Indian higher education has grown by 20% in one year and added more than 5,000 colleges to the system. Likewise, gross enrollment ratio (GER) grew from 12.5% in 2007-08 to 17.3% in 2009-10. Clearly, access to higher education is very important for a developing country like India and it is encouraging to see the growth. Most of this growth was supported  by entrepreneurial spirit…

  • 5 top blog posts on international student recruitment trends

    2 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    Recruiting foreign students is emerging as a competitive and financial compulsion for many institutions across the world. On the one hand, Australian universities are cutting jobs as foreign student enrollment dips. For example, The University of Sydney, has announced that it will cut staffing costs by 7.5% and Victoria University plans to cut 30 positions. In contrast, some American public universities are going aggressive to recruitment international students and seek an additional line of revenue. For example, Kansas State University has started an India recruitment office and…

  • Top Stories of 2011 in International Higher Education

    24 Dec 2011 | 4:16 pm
    The year 2011 was a tumultuous year for the world of international higher education which is increasingly getting influenced by the phenomenon of globalization. As Jane Knight notes "...internationalization is changing the world of education and globalization is changing the world of internationalization." This year also reaffirmed deep interconnection of higher education with sociopolitical and economic enviornment. Following three stories further emphasize these trends: - Increasing reliance on China:  Chinese students constitute 15% of  3.3 million globally…
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    Focus on Adult Learning: Innovation through Inquiry

  • A Disrupted Higher-Ed System

    Holly McCracken
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:24 pm
    By Jeff Selingo The “disruption” of the higher-ed market is a popular refrain these days. Rising tuition prices and student debt have left many wondering if the current model is indeed broken and whether those like Harvard’s Clay Christensen are right when they say that innovations in course delivery will eventually displace established players. What exactly those innovations will look like remains a matter of debate. One view from Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, envisions a future in which every industry will be disrupted and “rebuilt with people at the…

  • International Volunteer Service: Good Intentions Are Not Enough

    Holly McCracken
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:23 pm
    By Amanda Moore McBride and Eric Mlyn The last decade has seen the proliferation of international volunteer programs and international service-learning courses offered by American colleges and universities. Such opportunities send undergraduate and graduate students abroad to work with local nonprofits and other community partners. Think of students building a health clinic on an alternative spring break, teaching English in remote villages, or holding babies in an orphanage. We have followed and been a part of the growth of this pedagogical approach, building programs and researching their…

  • Mixed Grades: A Survey of Provosts

    Holly McCracken
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:12 am
    By Scott Jaschik Chief academic officers believe that higher education faces serious concerns about academic rigor, grade inflation and student cheating – but that their own campuses are exempt. Those are among the findings of a new Inside Higher Ed survey of provosts and chief academic officers at American colleges and universities. Respondents generally gave their colleges and universities strong grades when asked broad questions about academic quality. But they scored their institutions lower on specifics that are important to students and their families (preparing graduates for the job…

  • (Not) Using Data for Decisions

    Holly McCracken
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:11 am
    By Kenneth C. Green Today’s edition of Inside Higher Ed presents the results of a national survey of provosts and chief academic officers (CAOs). I’m pleased to report that The Campus Computing Project worked with the editors of Inside Higher Ed on this survey. Some 1100 (ok -1081!) CAOs across all sectors of American higher education participated in this December 2011 survey. The CAO survey follows previous Inside Higher Ed surveys of presidents, chief financial officers, and chief admissions officers.  Some of these surveys used common questions, allowing us to compare the data on key…

  • ‘Adrift’ in Adulthood: Students Who Struggled in College Find Life Harsher After Graduation

    Holly McCracken
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:10 am
    By Dan Berrett College graduates who showed paltry gains in critical thinking and little academic engagement while in college have a harder time than their more accomplished peers as they start their careers, according to a report released today. The report, “Documenting Uncertain Times: Postgraduate Transitions of the Academically Adrift Cohort,” follows up on the highly influential and controversial book Academically Adrift, which was published one year ago. The report is being released at the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and it…
 
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    Declaration of Interdependence

  • Unbuttoning My Work

    Mallory Bower
    12 Jan 2012 | 7:15 pm
    Not too long ago, a young woman stopped by my office to show off her new cardigan. She said, “I needed clothes for my new job and I thought, What would Miss Mallory wear?” Not once did she ask me about professional dress, but she modeled her new wardrobe after mine. I was completely flattered, but I remember thinking, It’s a good thing I don’t wear flip-flops and jeans to work. I spend my days teaching college students how to market themselves to employers and image is a huge part of this. This includes the whole package: communication style, skills, online presence,…

  • My Letter to Lilly Pulitzer RE: Sorority Print Contest

    nickicroly
    12 Jan 2012 | 2:58 pm
    I am proud to share this guest post by my IUP SAHE colleague, Nicki Croly. She is the Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life at California State University San Marcos and a Delta Gamma Alumna. She recently wrote to Lilly Pulitzer asking the company to associate the Sorority Print Contest with a charitable cause. Company representatives responded soon after– a nice reminder that it pays to stand up for what you believe in. Dearest Lilly Pulitzer, As you embark on your second round of the sorority print contest the post have been filling up my Facebook and Twitter feeds with…

  • Getting the Worm

    Mallory Bower
    11 Jan 2012 | 7:28 pm
    I recently shared this article about 23 Successful People Who Wake Up Really Early. At this point in my career, I am not a CEO or upper-level administrator, but I am pretty darn good at finding time to think, write, or squeeze in a run. I am able to do these things consistently because I do them at 5 a.m. You’ve heard the saying, “The early bird catches the worm.” To me the worm represents time. Many of us make plans to relax after a chaotic work day, but when life intervenes, “me time” can easily turn into “no time.” But what happens if we flip-flop…

  • It’s a human thing

    Mallory Bower
    6 Jan 2012 | 9:01 am
    It has happened many times– someone describes the millennial generation to me, not realizing that I am, in fact, a Millennial. When I was a grad student, we spent a lot of time talking about my generation and our many flaws. It was a tough pill to swallow, because I never felt like the seven characteristics accurately described my personality. Being marginalized like that made me want to turn my back on the traits that I supposed to have. But when I have this crazy urge to ask my supervisor or a colleague for feedback, I dismiss it because that is so millennial. But feedback…

  • Connecting in 2012

    Mallory Bower
    1 Jan 2012 | 9:41 am
    As I tied up the loose ends of 2011, I spent a lot of time thinking about my one word for 2012. Simplify, engage, and even “no” crossed my mind, but the word connect kept bubbling to the surface. If you are familiar with Strengths, connectedness is one of mine. However, just a few weeks ago I was feeling lost and isolated and I rendered this cry for help. The response I received from the #sachat, #cctf, and #wlsalt communities was phenomenal and helped me to recenter and to move forward. So in 2012, because I am a firm believer in focusing on one’s strengths, I am going to…
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    STUDY Magazine

  • Stats Can Says Unemployed Education Workers Face Tough Times

    Ryan Leclaire
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:14 am
    If you’re unemployed and looking for work in education, things don’t look good. This is according to a report from Statistics Canada. Their data shows that Canada’s educational services workers struggled more than any other sector in the country during the July-September period. The numbers reveal that there is a daunting 10 unemployed workers in education for every single vacancy available. This is almost twice the amount of the second most challenged sector, which was construction. The data shows 5.1 unemployed workers for every vacant job in construction. Canada wide, we saw an…

  • Canada’s Aboriginal Students Demand More College and University Access

    Ryan Leclaire
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:03 am
    Canada’s aboriginal students are saying enough is enough and are demanding that the federal government honours their promises. Their main complaint is that the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) has been capped at two per cent growth since 1996, despite the fact that tuition across Canada has gone up by much more. “The federal government must lift the funding cap on the PSSSP and deliver on long-time promises to Aboriginal Peoples,” said Patrick Smoke, Aboriginal Students’ Representative for the Canadian Federation of Students. It is estimated that this funding…

  • Study Says BC University Students Pay Their Fair Share of Tuition

    Ryan Leclaire
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:35 am
    The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says British Columbia’s university students pay enough for their degrees, and more. They recently released a study called, “Paid in Full: Who Pays for University Education in BC.” They analysed the contribution that BC’s students make towards their degrees, via upfront tuition fees and after-graduation income taxes. They found that the average female degree-holder contributes $106,000 more to the public treasury over their working careers than a woman with a high school diploma. They also found that male degree-holders will contribute…

  • Ontario Universities Celebrate Teaching Innovation with “Back to Class” Events

    Ryan Leclaire
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:07 am
    Ontario’s Universities are celebrating and showcasing ground-breaking teaching methods by going “Back to Class.” Over the next few months, universities will invite award-winning teachers and community leaders from all levels of government and business back to school to discuss teaching in our universities. “The hallmarks of effective teaching are the ability to inspire students with a passion for their subject and for life-long learning,” said Alastair Summerlee, Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) and President of the University of Guelph. “These events…

  • CTS Canadian Career College Adds Paramedic Program in Sudbury and North Bay

    Ryan Leclaire
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:36 pm
    Students in Northern Ontario can now get trained to be a certified paramedic in about a year. CTS Canadian Career College recently launched their new Paramedic program in Sudbury, with plans to offer the same program from their North Bay campus in May. They have been offering this program from their Sault Ste. Marie and Barrie campuses since September of 2011. “In the Paramedic program you will gain the skills and knowledge to practice emergency pre-hospital medical care and to function as an integral member of the health care team assisting victims of accident or illness, safely…
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    Socrato Learning Analytics Blog

  • Three Advantages of a Learning Analytics Based SAT/ACT Diagnostic Test

    Scott Cronenweth
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:57 pm
    As I discussed in my last blog post, the SAT and ACT are different tests with different goals and emphases. Depending on strengths and weaknesses, the majority of students are likely to score higher on one exam versus the other. In a highly competitive college admissions environment, every advantage counts – and that can include a higher standardized test score. Knowing clearly which exam could give you an edge is a key first step in the test prep process. Of course, to be advantageous a diagnostic test must be accurate! In this regard there is no substitute for learning analytics combined…

  • SAT or ACT? Now There’s a Better Way to Choose

    Scott Cronenweth
    17 Jan 2012 | 10:29 am
    College-bound high school students face intense pressure around preparing for standardized admissions testing – including choosing whether to take the SAT or the ACT. Conventional wisdom often purports that the decision is largely a toss-up, since most colleges give equal weight to both exams. But while it’s generally recognized that neither test is “easier” or “harder” than the other overall, their formats are different – so one might be better suited to a particular student than the other. But which? The goal of the ACT is to evaluate overall educational development. The SAT,…

  • The STEM Trend’s Growing Impact on Out-of-School Learning

    Scott Cronenweth
    10 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm
    The growing energy behind STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curricula in US schools is influencing the after-school and tutoring communities to provide new learning options. Many educators feel that early support in the form of engaging, out-of-school activities and programs will foster an interest in STEM subjects, particularly among women and minorities who remain underrepresented in the workforce in these fields in the US. The argument for STEM, not surprisingly, is that STEM learning focuses on helping students learn to think critically, solve complex problems, and…

  • High-Stakes Standardized Testing in China

    Scott Cronenweth
    4 Jan 2012 | 10:45 am
    In the US, mandatory standardized testing on the national level has primarily been put forth as a public policy strategy, with the aim of establishing stronger accountability measures for public education. Proponents of standardized testing say that it can help establish a baseline for improving schools and instructional methods. Critics cite a host of challenges with test validity, reliability and methodology – not to mention concerns about standardizing curricula. But what has not been a credible part of the standardized testing debate in the US is the idea of making such a test a…

  • Fun Facts about Technology Use on Campus

    Scott Cronenweth
    27 Dec 2011 | 12:24 pm
    The other day I was tipped off to a very cool infographic that presents factoids on technology use and preferences on today’s college campuses. It originated on the Online Colleges blog. No one would doubt that today’s college students are “super-connected” and wired into learning far more than any prior generation. But how deeply are they embracing the spectrum of technology choices, from software to iPads to online classrooms? Like me, you’ll probably be surprised at some of the stats. (Some of the data comes from “an Educase study” and some has no obvious source attribution.)…
 
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    WBEZ - Education

  • Chicago Board of Education to release documents kept secret since 1995

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:33 pm
    Chicago’s Board of Education is planning to release a decade of meeting minutes that have been secret since 1995.School boards are allowed to talk about certain issues in "executive" or "closed" session. Those include personnel and legal issues.Every six months the board is supposed to review minutes from those meetings and make public those it can. District attorneys determine whether a need for confidentiality still exists.Chicago’s Board of Education...

  • What are your questions for Chicago's schools chief?

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:26 am
    Editor's Note: Schools on the Line, WBEZ's monthly call-in show with Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard continues Thursday, February 2 from 7:00-8:00p.m. Chicago’s public schools are facing challenge and change. The ability to sort through Chicago’s tough education issues will shape the future of our neighborhoods, our city and our region for years to come.So don’t leave it all up to the so-called...

  • Teachers facing longer school days consider best use of additional time

    27 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    What's in a day? Well that's what a group of Chicago teachers has been asking its colleagues--and after hundreds of hours of work, the VIVA Project of Chicago came up with 49 recommendations for how best to use classroom time. The project is in response to Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's mandate to lengthen the school day. So what do teachers want? Well, Eight Forty-Eight invited a group of teachers who were part of the project to share...

  • Pastor responds to paying protesters

    27 Jan 2012 | 6:48 am
    The Chicago pastor who has been paying people to speak out in favor of public school closings is responding to criticism.Pastor Roosevelt Watkins, III said no one should be surprised that people are coming out in droves to support school closures. In a written statement issued Thursday night, he said, "the future of our children is on the line" and that he doesn't need permission to organize his community.But Watkins has come under media fire for paying community members to...

  • Cheat Sheet: Paid protesters, longer day and secret documents

    26 Jan 2012 | 9:06 am
    Two things seem to be on the minds of most parents whose kids attend Chicago Public Schools: A longer school day and school closings; both of which came up at Wednesday's school board meeting. The meeting was much more subdued than last month's, which was taken over by Occupy protestors. WBEZ education reporter Linda...
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    » The Knewton Company Blog

  • Photoshop Friday: Vintage posters from yesteryear

    Christina Yu
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Here at Knewton, “Photoshop Friday” is a time-honored tradition–one we’re hoping to resurrect in 2012. Recently, I took a dive through my inbox and resurrected these gems: THE FELLOWSHIP OF KNEWTON                                     THE KNEWTON NETWORK

  • Tweets from Davos: Our CEO and Founder live tweets the WEF Annual Meeting 2012

    Meghan Daniels
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
    Jose, Founder & CEO here at Knewton, is in Davos, Switzerland this week for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of 2012. We’ve put together a dedicated page for Jose’s trip; be sure to check out www.knewton.com/davos.  In addition to his live tweets, the page will feature a daily “Tweets from Davos” comic strip illustrating Jose’s thoughts and reactions to each day’s sessions, hallway chats, and lavish parties. Here’s a small section of the 2011 Tweets from Davos, as a preview of what’s in store: Last year, Jose was at Davos representing Knewton’s…

  • Knewton Bookshelf: Proust, Franzen, Seuss, and more

    Christina Yu
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Knewtonians are ravenous readers. From our book club to our book swap, there are a variety of ways to partake in the active literary culture at Knewton. Here’s just a taste of what folks at Knewton have on their shelves these days: 1. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole David Ingber, Master Teacher “I find myself unable to read as many pages in one setting as I used to. That’s why I’m almost glad that I ride the subway – it’s at least an hour a day that I can’t be distracted by the internet and my phone.” 2. The Hunger…

  • CMU Knerd Talk, and why two alums chose Knewton [VIDEO]

    Jessie
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Over the next few months, we’ll be trekking around the country to visit college engineering programs and recruit a few good Knerds. Our first stop is Carnegie Mellon, which just happens to be the alma mater of two of Knewton’s greatest data scientists. We made a short video about how George and Jesse’s experiences in Pittsburgh helped shape their careers as Knerds. Take a look, and meet George in the flesh at our campus Knerd Talk on January 25! Check out the Facebook event for the details.

  • Hire Interns

    Pete Miron
    13 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Get real work done and build a recruiting pipeline Hiring great engineers is really hard. In his book, Smart and Gets Things Done, Joel Spolsky estimates great engineers are actively looking for work 4 times throughout their careers. The only time you’re guaranteed that great engineers are actively looking is when they’re in college. By hiring Interns, you’re hoping to find the next great engineer before someone else does. Before we get into the mechanics of hiring interns, let’s establish that this is a give and take relationship. There is some work you’ll need…
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    Robertson Reader

  • Routines Help When You Are an Adult Student

    25 Jan 2012 | 5:51 pm
    Being an adult student can be tough when you have family commitments and maybe even work commitments.  There are so many things to juggle and so many things to keep track of.While having a good time management system can be helpful, one of the other things that can help is having routines.  Routines help you know where you have to be and when and they can also help your friends and family know what to expect.What kind of routines can you create?You could make the kids lunches and prepare for the next day at the same  time every night.You could have specific times set aside for…

  • Motivation: A Skill Employers Love

    24 Jan 2012 | 6:47 pm
    Image via WikipediaWant to get great references from the people you work with, whether they are employers, people you have done volunteer work for, or your teachers?  I give you a hint:MOTIVATIONIf you can demonstrate that you are motivated from within, people will consider you to be a good worker.  Sure, you might have had a bad week when your kids were sick or you might have taken a bit longer to complete the work.  But if you are motivated employers will often overlook those kinds of things.What does it mean to be motivated?  Well, here are some examples of things that…

  • Even ProBlogger Knows That Blogging is Great for Students

    24 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
    Cover via AmazonIn case you aren't aware of who ProBlogger is (and really, there's no major reason why you should know this unless  you are already into blogging), ProBlogger is the blog of Darren Rowse, a highly respected professional blogger.  He lives off of the income that he makes from his blogs and his books about blogging.Anyway, the point is that  blogging is good for students and it can help you get a job!  I've written about this in the past and ProBlogger agrees with me!Today, Micheal White guest posted about 8 Reasons Why Students Should Blog and he made some…

  • Ask This Question at the Interview: "Do You Have a Social Media Policy"

    23 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    Image via CrunchBaseDo you know what a social media policy is? A social media policy (also called a social networking policy)  is a corporate code of conduct that provides guidelines for employees who post content on the Internet either as part of their job or as a private person. - Search ComplianceMany businesses have them now or have them in development and this is a good thing for employers and employees.  It lets employees know exactly what is and is not acceptable.  It lets employees know what is expected of them.  And it protects employers from social media…

  • Interview Tip: Use Your Webcam

    23 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pm
    Image via WikipediaYou know all those interview questions that you've been collecting to practice?  Well, are you practicing them?  Have you practiced answering them?  You might have but do you know how you would be seen by the interviewer?  Hard to tell isn't it?Well, here's a tip for you.  Almost every laptop computer made in the past few years has a web cam and you can buy cheap web cams that will suit your purpose for desktop computers - so use it!Just turn it on, minimize it, and then answer a question!Why minimize it?  Because you don't want to be looking…
 
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    Udemy Blog

  • The Surprising Relationship Between Sleep and Learning

    Renee
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    Before you start your next Udemy course, it’s best you get a good nights rest. Here is why: Meet Ed. He prides off thinking he only needs five hours of sleep a night. He claims to get more done after everyone else is asleep. What he doesn’t realize is that in the first few waking hours of the day Ed’s cognitive function already starts to dissipate. He hunkers down for a few more hours, grabs three more cups of coffee and gets back to work. In this stage his mind and body start to shut down, reserving energy for core body functions, not including learning or remembering. Ed, you may…

  • How to Find Beta Testers for Your Startup

    Fred
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    Whether you want to test an app you hacked together over the weekend or are about to launch a VC-backed startup, you first need a few brave souls willing to try your buggy, unfinished product. Turning over your baby to the unwashed masses can be frightening. However, it’s a crucial first step to finding and learning about your future customers. You’ll learn more from the first five strangers who use your product than from months of internal testing. The most honest (and useful) feedback you can get is from people you don’t know. Here’s how to find them. 1. Paid…

  • How To Post Content Worth Sharing

    Renee
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:14 pm
    Now that you have created your keyword list and come up with some amazing blog post topics, it’s time to start shaping that content. First, consider your target audience. Whose problem does your product solve? What works for a group of high school kids might not be helpful to a group of business professionals. Create 3-4 audience ‘buckets’ to target. The Udemy blog, for example, focuses on social media, design, programming, and startups. Most of our audience is likely to read articles about at least two of these topics. Going back to our small business accounting example from the…

  • How to Track Sales for your PPC Campaigns

    Renee
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:52 am
    Before you start spending money on PPC campaigns, you should have specific goals in mind for what you want your marketing to accomplish. If you do not have a goal set for your marketing efforts, then you can never tell if you will be successful or not. What is a Good Goal? A goal should be specific and measureable. The most common goals are: To make more money To sell more stuff Unfortunately, these goals are not specific enough. Do you want to make $1 more each month, or $10,000 more? Your goals should really be: Increase total revenue $1,000 each month for 12 months Get 100 new email…

  • Startup Ecosystem: Predator vs. Prey [Infographic]

    Fred
    12 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    The startup waters are murky and full of hidden dangers. Below the surface, the ecosystem rests in a delicate balance between predators and prey. To help you navigate these stormy seas, we’ve created the infographic below. Read on to find out where you stand in the startup food chain. (Click to enlarge.)
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    SmartCollegeVisit

  • The High School Plan: Commit to Graduate

    Z. Kelly Queijo
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:17 am
    January 26, 2012 Z. Kelly Queijo "Where do I want my student to be four years from now?" Those were the first words I heard as I entered the packed high school auditorium where orientation for rising 9th graders was being held. I stood along the sidelines listening as the principal continued with his address encouraging the restless 8th graders and their parents to "make a plan." The next words he spoke were golden: "It's too early to be obsessing about college, but not too early to be thinking about college." I was moved by the wisdom of his words...

  • Become a Campus Rep Intern at Smart College Visit

    Z. Kelly Queijo
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Why intern at Smart College Visit? To gain real-world experience working in the field of marketing and public relations/communications while building a publishing portfolio. The Smart College Visit blog publishes blog posts, longer articles, surveys, "how to" guides, college features, videos and audio podcasts for the college-bound audience. Interns learn what it's like to work with an editor, adhere to an editorial calendar, meet deadlines, and how to write for specific audiences. To learn how to work in a professional, virtual environment. Since our interns represent the college and…

  • College Visit Video: Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

    Z. Kelly Queijo
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:18 pm
    #TravelTuesday, January 24, 2012 Our College Visit Video Showcase features Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Click the image to access the video. Follow Vanderbilt on Twitter @VanderbiltU. If you can't visit a college in person, then visiting by video is the next best thing! It's also a great way to explore campus before planning your college visit travel. Enjoy the video, then explore these pages to learn more about Vanderbilt: College Profile and Plan Your Visit. Related Reading: Top 10 Tips for Dressing Smart for your College Admissions Interview Share your's: Do You…

  • College Mom Minute January 2012

    Z. Kelly Queijo
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:15 am
    Got a minute? Whether you're just beginning college visits with your teen or have put the college admissions process behind you, listen up and get great parent survival tips from our College Mom Minute audio podcasts with Dr. Nancy Berk, author of COLLEGE BOUND AND GAGGED: How to Help Your Kid Get into a Great College without Losing Your Savings, Your Relationship, or Your Mind. Cold Cases --Care packages that count Shhh --Time for a break FAFSA--Another rite of passage --Or...Knee deep in numbers Resolutions --A new year means new resolutions....

  • Takeaway Tweets & Transcript from #CampusChat: How to be a Perfect Job Seeker

    Z. Kelly Queijo
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:27 am
    [View the story "#CamusChat Transcript: How to be a Perfect Job Seeker" on Storify]
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    Minglebox Education News

  • TROIKA 2012 at Delhi Technological University, Technical fest, Delhi

    28 Jan 2012 | 1:24 am
    Delhi Technological University, Delhi will conduct TROIKA 2012 from 21st to 24th of February, 2012. Troika is the annual technical festival of IEEE student branch of Delhi Technological University formerly Delhi College of Engineering. With a plethora of nerve wracking and nail biting events lined up, it is to be bound by nothing but its motto of promoting technology, scientific thinking and innovation, combining these with the virtues of a true engineer & providing a platform to reach the apogee of success. In its 17th year now, Troika isn't just another technical..

  • University of Groningen invites applications for Talent Grant Partial Law Scholarship 2012

    28 Jan 2012 | 12:52 am
    University of Groningen invites applications for Talent Grant Partial Law Scholarship 2012 for the distinguished international students including India desirous to pursue various law related studies at the University in the academic year 2012. University of Groningen honors the students securing academic excellence through the Talent Grant Partial Law Scholarship. Details about the Talent Grant Partial Law Scholarship 2012 The winner of the scholarship receives a grant of€ 785per month provided the student displays a satisfactory academic progress. Eligibility for ..

  • Macquarie University invites applications for MUIS Full Scholarships 2012

    28 Jan 2012 | 12:49 am
    Macquarie University invites applications for MUIS Full Scholarships 2012 for the distinguished international students including India desirous to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate program with the university in the academic year 2012. Macquarie University honors the students securing academic excellence through the MUIS Full Scholarships. Details about the MUIS full Scholarships 2012 The MUIS scholarship covers the full international tuition fees. Eligibility for MUIS full Scholarships 2012 The student should have an excellent academic record. He/she should hold the..

  • IMD invites application for Nestle Scholarship for Women Executives 2012

    28 Jan 2012 | 12:06 am
    IMD invites application for Nestle Scholarship Program 2012 for women executives across the globe. The preference will be given to women coming from the developing countries. Nestle Scholarship 2012 Details: It was first awarded in 1997 and was introduced by a group of IMD MBA participants who wanted to encourage women to take up the MBA program. IMD is again encouraging talented women executive with Nestle Scholarship 2012. This offers CHF 25,000 towards the cost of prestigious MBA program.  Eligibility for Nestle Scholarship 2012: Women candidates who have already..

  • MS. Agatha Harrison Memorial invites application for Fellowship program

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:33 pm
    MS. Agatha Harrison Memorial (AHM) invites application from Indian candidates for a 12 month fellowship programme. This programme is for scholars who have specialized in Modern Indian Studies in the subject fields of History, Economics and Political Science. AHM Fellowship 2012 Details: AHM invites application from Indian candidates for a 12 month fellowship programme which the Government of the India Instituted at St. Antony’s College, Oxford (U.K.).This programme can be extended on the basis of the performance of the candidate. The total amount awarded for fellowship is..
 
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    Robertson Reader

  • Routines Help When You Are an Adult Student

    Danielle McGaw
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:51 pm
    Being an adult student can be tough when you have family commitments and maybe even work commitments.  There are so many things to juggle and so many things to keep track of.While having a good time management system can be helpful, one of the other things that can help is having routines.  Routines help you know where you have to be and when and they can also help your friends and family know what to expect.What kind of routines can you create?You could make the kids lunches and prepare for the next day at the same  time every night.You could have specific times set aside for…

  • Motivation: A Skill Employers Love

    Danielle McGaw
    24 Jan 2012 | 6:47 pm
    Image via WikipediaWant to get great references from the people you work with, whether they are employers, people you have done volunteer work for, or your teachers?  I give you a hint:MOTIVATIONIf you can demonstrate that you are motivated from within, people will consider you to be a good worker.  Sure, you might have had a bad week when your kids were sick or you might have taken a bit longer to complete the work.  But if you are motivated employers will often overlook those kinds of things.What does it mean to be motivated?  Well, here are some examples of things that…

  • Even ProBlogger Knows That Blogging is Great for Students

    Danielle McGaw
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
    Cover via AmazonIn case you aren't aware of who ProBlogger is (and really, there's no major reason why you should know this unless  you are already into blogging), ProBlogger is the blog of Darren Rowse, a highly respected professional blogger.  He lives off of the income that he makes from his blogs and his books about blogging.Anyway, the point is that  blogging is good for students and it can help you get a job!  I've written about this in the past and ProBlogger agrees with me!Today, Micheal White guest posted about 8 Reasons Why Students Should Blog and he made some…

  • Ask This Question at the Interview: "Do You Have a Social Media Policy"

    Danielle McGaw
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    Image via CrunchBaseDo you know what a social media policy is? A social media policy (also called a social networking policy)  is a corporate code of conduct that provides guidelines for employees who post content on the Internet either as part of their job or as a private person. - Search ComplianceMany businesses have them now or have them in development and this is a good thing for employers and employees.  It lets employees know exactly what is and is not acceptable.  It lets employees know what is expected of them.  And it protects employers from social media…

  • Interview Tip: Use Your Webcam

    Danielle McGaw
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pm
    Image via WikipediaYou know all those interview questions that you've been collecting to practice?  Well, are you practicing them?  Have you practiced answering them?  You might have but do you know how you would be seen by the interviewer?  Hard to tell isn't it?Well, here's a tip for you.  Almost every laptop computer made in the past few years has a web cam and you can buy cheap web cams that will suit your purpose for desktop computers - so use it!Just turn it on, minimize it, and then answer a question!Why minimize it?  Because you don't want to be looking…
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    Listen & Learn Music

  • Friday Fave: Square Credit Card Reader

    Rachel
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:48 am
    There have been many occasions on which I wished I was able to accept credit card payments. Here are just a few: when selling my CDs and songbooks at conferences, peddling demos at gigs, when a parent of a student forgets his or her checkbook and has no cash…the list goes on. So when my friend and fellow studio owner Lisa Casciola told me about the Square Credit Card Reader, I was intrigued. I went to the website, where I found out that I could order the tiny little device for FREE, start an account for FREE, and immediately begin accepting credit card payments. The square accepts all…

  • Today at Listen & Learn Plus!

    Rachel
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am
    On Tuesdays, the mp3, instrumental track, and lyrics/chords for the newest songs are available to Listen & Learn Plus members for download. In addition, members are always welcome to request existing Listen & Learn songs and new song topics. When I introduced “Clackin’ On the Ice” to my kiddos, many of them caught on quickly to the concept of tapping their rhythm sticks very loudly at first, and gradually getting softer as the song goes on. Of course, there are a few for whom the idea of playing “softly” is foreign, and that’s okay…we’ll…

  • Clackin’ On the Ice

    Rachel
    23 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pm
    Last week’s song featured a picture of a ukulele on a sandy beach…so this is just about as opposite as it gets! But it is January, after all, so I’m getting in those wintery songs while I can. I actually wrote “Clackin’ On the Ice” in just a few minutes while putting together my Church Mice curriculum for this session. I needed a song that would go well with rhythm sticks and provide the opportunity for changing dynamics. When I use this in person with my little mice, we start by singing and playing loudly. Each time we repeat the verse, we get softer and…

  • Friday Fave: The ULTIMATE Fake Book

    Rachel
    20 Jan 2012 | 8:56 am
    I love fake books — so much so that I have an entire shelf of them here in my studio. The latest in my collection, pictured above, was a Christmas gift from my brother and sister-in-law. And like most non-musicians, I’m pretty sure they have no idea what a fake book actually is. A fake book contains the bare bones needed to play the songs within it: the melody line, lyrics, and chords. It’s up to the musician to come up with his or her own accompaniment, whether on guitar or piano. Fake books are great because the songs are succinct (usually no page-turning involved) and…

  • “It’s Like a Lightning Bolt With a C at the Bottom!”

    Rachel
    19 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    Last night at Jake’s lesson, we were talking about quarter rests. As I was trying to describe how to draw one for an exercise in his theory book, Jake said, “I know…it’s like a lightning bolt with a C at the bottom!” I looked at the quarter rest, and realized he was exactly right. How come I didn’t think of that?! All of these years I’ve been teaching, yet never once had a good way to explain how to draw quarter rests. Thank goodness for my students, with their fresh perspectives and boundless creativity. Have you been enlightened by any of your…
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    Schoolfamily.com

  • Are You Welcome In Your Child's Classroom?

    26 Jan 2012 | 5:16 pm
    Have you ever attempted to sit in on one of your children’s classes at school and been turned away? If not, and if you were actually welcomed into the class by school officials, consider yourself lucky. Even though the ability to do so is a central tenet of No Child Left Behind, many schools put up roadblocks when parents want to sit in. According Read more...

  • The Red Flags of Cyber Bullying

    26 Jan 2012 | 9:56 am
    SchoolFamily.com guest blogger Dr. Michele Borba, Ph.D. is an expert and author on issues involving children and teens, parenting, bullying, and moral development. Her work aims to help strengthen children’s character and resilience; build strong families; create compassionate and just school cultures; and reduce peer cruelty. There are red Read more...

  • Little Boys and Lego Woes

    25 Jan 2012 | 11:58 am
    My little boy (see photo) loves Legos. Okay. What 7-year-old boy doesn’t? However he loves them for about 10 minutes. Or as long as it takes him to put together the elaborate “puzzle” of pieces via the boxed instructions. And dang, he’s unbelievably good at putting them together with picture-instructions and no words! (A grown-up’s worst nightmare.) Read more...

  • Learning Disabilities and Social Problems

    24 Jan 2012 | 2:26 pm
    Children with learning disabilities (especially nonverbal LD) or attention issues often have social problems. I wrote about some of them in an earlier post. But, there is one problem that I didn’t mention in that blog that really needs to be discussed. It’s a topic that no one likes to think about—or talk about—but it is very impo Read more...

  • So, Junk Food in Schools Isn't to Blame for Kids' Obesity?

    23 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pm
    Wait a minute. Can this be true? Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have released the results of a study in which they found no relationship between children’s obesity levels and the availability of soft drinks, candy bars, and chips at school. Are you as stunned—and perhaps annoyed—as I am? All the angst and hand wringing that’s gone into ban Read more...
 
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    PTO Today

  • Target contest delivers $100,000 grants

    Rose C
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pm
    If you are skeptical about entering contests to bring in some money for your school, talk to Linda Golden. This PTA president just won a $100,000 education grant for her school, Fountain Woods Elementary School in Burlington Township, N.J., from a contest hosted on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show’’ and sponsored by Target. Golden said she is like many of us who have little hope of winning. She had entered other contests with no luck. Still, she decided this one was worth a try. School officials are obviously thrilled and now have the enviable task of figuring out how to spend the money. The…

  • My Tip of the Week: Create a PTO or PTA Goal for 2012

    Tim Sullivan
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pm
    Something a little different for this tip. I believe that goals that you write down or speak aloud or make public are much more likely to be achieved, so I figured I’d get us started on the right foot in this new year. I’m going to share my goal, and I’d love you to share yours (details below). Let’s inspire each other to make some progress. For me, the PTO goal is to find a minimum of three brand-new volunteers who will step up into starting leadership roles (chair a committee, help run an event, take on an important function). I fear that our group is becoming too…

  • Trend Watch: Reaching Out to Dads

    PTO Today Editors
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:28 am
    Parent groups are using new ways to make fathers feel welcome. Want to get more fathers involved at your school? As these groups show, it helps to make an appeal for volunteers aimed directly at dads. Dads’ Night at the Movies The Huntsville (Ala.) Council of PTAs, together with some local churches, sponsored a PTA Dads Night at a movie theater in September, allowing fathers to purchase reduced-price tickets. The selected film, Courageous, follows four police officers and focuses on their roles as fathers. Parents from 17 schools attended, along with the superintendent and school board…

  • Back2School 2012 Program Kicks Off with a Bang!

    Lisa Gundlach
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:48 am
    Well, it’s January and the holidays are squarely behind us. Every January I do the same thing: I sit down and regroup about how Christmas and New Years went. I write down what went well and what I would change. I jot down decorating ideas, fun family event ideas, and reminders of what made me crazy this year. I think back-to-school season for PTO, PTA, HSA leaders is a lot like the holiday season. You do your best to be organized, and then you dive head first into this insanely busy time. Have you regrouped with other volunteers on how your back-to-school season went? What would you…

  • PTO raises question on public school uniforms

    Rose C
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:52 am
    Ever wonder when it is worth speaking up about something in your role of PTO leader?  This question may be on the mind of Kristen Pierotti, PTO president at the Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary School in Summit, N.J. Recently, she raised concerns about a school uniform issue to the local Board of Education. The response? The board clearly indicated it had more important items on its agenda. Ouch. This story started when Kristen Pierotti heard that some parents had raised a question about adopting school uniforms. “I was never trying to dictate what the district as a whole should do, ’’…
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    The Teacher Organizer

  • Sign-up Genius!

    Kim Chandler
    6 Jan 2012 | 9:31 pm
    I need as many shortcuts in life that I can find... and as Mamaw would say... I have found a "good'n"  (translation: good one) this time.  It is a godsend for me when requesting, scheduling, and confirming classroom volunteers and it's called... Signupgenius.com. Honestly, managing the process of getting parents and volunteers into the classroom on a regular basis has always been an inconsistency for me.  Not out of lack of desire, but I am so involved in assessing kids, altering student learning experiences to directly fit academic needs that arranging for classroom volunteers…

  • The Name Pen!

    Kim Chandler
    9 Sep 2011 | 11:35 pm
    Oh my goodness!  It has been weeks since I have posted! (Sorry!)  Needless to say school has begun and teaching life (with two little ones) is in full swing.  At our house we affectionately call our weekly schedule "the hamster wheel!"  (You working moms know what I am talking about!)  Yet, in all the activity and craziness, I have to admit, I really love my job! A sure cure for no names on papers! In the past weeks, I have had the chance to set up my room, organize, meet my students, organize, begin the year, organize, teach some and organize some more!  I love…

  • Saving Some Ducats!

    Kim Chandler
    28 Jul 2011 | 9:17 pm
    Introducing Ms Pennywise Is that how you spell that word... ducats?  Yes, ducats... is correct. I just checked.  Dictionary.com has confirmed it!  When I visit that site I love to press the speaker button next to the words and listen to the man (or lady) say the word.  There is something about the way they pronounce the words so precisely which sounds funny to me.  Okay, enough silly stuff... on to something worth reading about!  I have become quite the thrifty shopper in recent years.  As I understand it, having kids does that a to person and I am living…

  • Facebook Mixer Party!

    Kim Chandler
    27 Jul 2011 | 10:35 pm
    It's another mixer.. Facebook Style!  If you are done wandering through the Blog Mixer party  at Year to Learn you can hop on over to the Facebook Mixer at Kinder Fun, our host for this little shin-dig. There will be lots more blogs to meander through.  Find some favorites, locate their Facebook link and "like" them.  When you do their blog feed will be automatically sent to your Facebook news feed.  Great learning activities, teaching strategies, organization and management ideas and more will be  "mailed" right to your Facebook door step.  Such a…

  • Mixing it up... Blog Style!

    Kim Chandler
    24 Jul 2011 | 2:07 pm
    Click here to check out the Blog Mixer One of my favorite things to do these days (when I have a spare second) is blog hopping. Yes...blog hopping... long into the evening hours.  I have discovered so many wonderful teachers in "blogland".  The level of idea saturation I have experienced blogging is equitable to that of my first year teaching.... amazing and true!  Because I love to share great ideas, I've linked up to a blog mixer party at Yearn to Learn.  Click the Year to Learn button above or any of the blog buttons below to find some great ideas and more blogs to…
 
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    DPESP Mission Statement: To create an atmosphere of mistrust and tension.

  • Pulaski keeps support staff?

    18 Jan 2012 | 12:40 pm
    Pulaski School Board President, Trina Townsend addressed rumors by writing to the Pulaski Chamber of Commerce:January 13, 2012Dear Pulaski Area Chamber Members. In the past few days I have fielded approximately five inquires from local businesses. Apparently they had been told that the "School Board" was going to fire all of the cooks, custodians and bus drivers.NOTHING CAN BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTHAs you probably are aware, the State of Wisconsin has significantly reduced funding for public education. The state has given school district so-called "tools" to help them manage their budgets.

  • A logo

    20 Nov 2011 | 12:32 am
    Created to reflect the awesome environment in which the organization conducts itself.Its sad that officers nostrils flare, and go to instantly defensive responses when questions are asked by their own members.Members just want assurance that the job they are funding is getting done. Leaving everyone in the dark as to what the elected officers are doing and learning only naturally leaves one to wonder if they are being taken for a ride at their expense.The officers sure talk the "We, not me" talk, but sure don't act it or show it. I guess they forgot the active members (that pissed off…

  • 10/15 Meeting

    18 Oct 2011 | 1:15 pm
    Many members had hoped to see major improvements in the way officers conduct themselves and the meetings in light of the Walker situation.Instead we learned that the meeting only happened due to members repeated request, instead of on it's own.Early in the meeting president, Janice comments that the only members that show up to the meeting are pissed off. (Doesn't that tell you something?)Former treasurer Smits, gives Rita, the new treasurer a hard time about not having conference spending summaries at hand. (That's calling the kettle black, Sue. You didn't save receipts.)Basically the same…

  • Teachers Union answers questions about dues

    13 Sep 2011 | 12:23 am
    DPEA United 0911 I agree with this. It's a shame our local president (Janice) couldn't provide an answer this good at last years meeting. Instead she resorted to scare-tactics that were not well accepted my the membership present."If you feel you are better off without a union..."Since support staff in De Pere are some of the lowest paid positions in relationship to adjacent districts, a union makes sense. But from the battles I have had, and everything I have seen... I like unions, just not this one (WEAC).

  • PAC Rebates

    8 Sep 2011 | 2:08 am
    Rebate Available for Political Action Committee ContributionsA PAC contribution of $5 (full-time) has been added to your Bay Lakes United Educators dues for 2011-2012. The BLUE Board of Directors utilizes these funds to make contributions to: 1) The political campaigns of candidates for local or state office who have been recommended by our members for election because they are friends of education, and 2) committees that advocate for passage of school referenda. Any member wishing a rebate of the contribution must request such in writing by October 31, 2011.Each request must be a separate…
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    Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

  • Google+ Safety Guide for Educators and Parents

    Med
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:24 pm
    Google+ is now rolling out to teens whose age is 13 and up. This move has been unexpected especially with the growing concern worldwide over issues of cyberbullying and the raise of cyber crimes. Simultaneous to this release, Google announced the launch of an online safety centre for teens on Goolge+ in an attempt to ease out the worries of parents. These new safety enhancements are meant to protect teenagers, "encourage safe behaviour through appropriate defaults and in-products help, and make abuse reporting tools easy to find and use." Google+ safety center provides a wide range of…

  • Google Earth 6.2 Great New Features

    Med
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:07 pm
    Google 6.2 is  the latest version of Google Earth released yesterday ( 26/01/2012). This new update has several new features that improve the overall viewing experience of its users and lets them virtually explore the globe in  new intuitive ways. It provides seamless imagery with an advanced search functionality that never existed in the old versions. Google 6.2 has also introduced for the first time the ability  to share images from withing Google Earth  using Google Plus. The following are some of the new features you will find in Google Earth 6.2 once you start using…

  • Google Takeout Back up your Data

    Med
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:10 am
    Goolge Takeout is a service that is provided by Google for its users to help them back up their data and even transform it to other platforms . Google has more than 70 products published online and most of them are free to use. At average every user has access to ten of its services which remains a high percentage compared to Googles competitors. According to the recent updates, Google has changed its terms of privacy policy and makes it very easy for everyone to understand its rules without too much legal bubble. Instead of having a privacy policy for each product, Google has a universal…

  • What Freshmen Need to Know about College

    Med
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:25 pm
    Beginning college can be a duanting experience, one that ca be a costly adventure adn filled with high expectation.. but is it worth the sacrifice ? It definately is. I personally consider going to college as one of the most important phase in our life especiialy if it is a successul  experience. Anyway not everyone has the chance to do so and hopefully governemnets will start thinking seriuosly about how to make graduate studies affordabel for everyone and why not even free. This post here is an infographic covering some amazing facts about freshmen and the top most popular college…

  • Affordable Education for Everyone

    Med
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:26 pm
    As we have seen in How to Choose Your College, the decision one makes as to what kind of college he/she  wants to join is based on several reasons and teachers, educators and in some cases parents also play a big role in this orientation. Now supposing one has already picked  the college and field of study they want to major in the biggest hurdle that stands in their face in this stage is the tuition issue. Tuition fees are sometimes high and almost unaffordable and that is probably  why many students just give up the whole idea of pursuing university studies after all.
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    The Art of Education

  • TGIF: The Grade Is Final (but the learning continues)

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:24 pm
    All of us enjoy the feeling of having reached a concrete fixed goal.  It provides a sense of accomplishment and, often, a welcomed boost of energy after an arduous task.  Having worked hard, it is nice to take some time to recharge.  If you are fortunate enough to receive recognition or rewards, that is fine too.Unfortunately, you will wake up soon after and realize that its time to either move on to your next accomplishment or continue working on your current projects.Students work hard, study, ask questions, and perform tasks or projects to demonstrate understanding…

  • Educators as School Marketers: Exploring the Potential Disconnection

    26 Jan 2012 | 5:06 pm
    Given the need for independent schools to attract and retain qualified students and families, it should come as no surprise that the last few years have likely prompted many conversations in which teachers have been asked to be more sensitive to and proactive in the marketing of their school to current and prospective families.  Unfortunately, many teachers are quite confused by such requests and simply fall back on “doing what I always do” in hopes that such actions fulfill the request.  Such reactions highlight a disconnection between the teacher’s role as instructor and the…

  • Nothing Prevents You From Sharing

    26 Jan 2012 | 5:26 am
    It used to be that your choices for sharing your ideas, thoughts, and expertise were few and seemingly reserved for a small fortunate number of anointed gurus.  You could write a book (and hope it was chosen for publication), submit an article to a magazine or journal (see note about writing the book), or invest time and energy into finding forums (such as conferences ad visiting other schools) that might be open to hearing your ideas.  For many people, the daunting task of trying to share was overwhelming.  The net result was a culture of educators who like the idea…

  • What Is Your "Great Work?"

    24 Jan 2012 | 5:29 am
    If you had the ability to do anything you wanted to make your class more effective, more engaging, or more transformative - what would you do?If you knew you only had 5 years left to teach, would you change anything?If today was your last day teaching, how would you approach your class?Does what you are currently doing as an educator match up with what your idea of "great work?"If so, how are you helping others do their "great work?"If not, why?Thank you for reading this post.  As with all my posts this month, I ask you to consider joining me to help support a worthy cause…

  • The 3rd Dimension: Deep and Meaningful Experiences

    22 Jan 2012 | 6:12 pm
    In a previous post, I wrote that motivated students doing great work can be found at the intersection of opportunities to build essential skills and the opportunities to learn important subject matter.  I still believe this, but want to add a third dimension into the discussion.  It is a dimension that is less about what you teach or how you teach it.  The third dimension is about nurturing a culture within your class conducive to developing deep and meaningful experiences.Why is creating such a culture in your class important? There are probably many reasons (feel free to…
 
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    Collefyi Blog

  • Explaining Software Engineering

    The Collefyi Guy
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:14 am
    Software engineering degrees are becoming increasingly popular, even as they have grown over the past decade or two before this as well. There’s still a huge need for highly trained individuals in this field, and that doesn’t look to be slowing down either. It’s a fast-paced and challenging industry [...]

  • Nursing Cover Letter: Guidelines for Nurses To Standout And Get The Job

    The Collefyi Guy
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:05 am
    One of the most sought after jobs today are related to medical professions such as nurses. However, it is a fact that competitions are so tight. So, to standout among the rest, nurses are advised to write a good nursing cover letter when applying for a nursing post. Remember, every time you are [...]

  • Why Education Travel?

    The Collefyi Guy
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:55 am
    Traditional classroom instruction has advanced rapidly in the recent years, allowing for better learning opportunities. However, there is nothing that can compare to what students can learn from being in new and ever-changing environments, and being immersed in different cultures. Education travel helps students with all different learning types and [...]

  • A Different Career to Grow

    The Collefyi Guy
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:24 am
    Instead of the traditional courses which have been followed by the students from the past, there are courses like Fashion Design Courses, 3D animation courses, etc. These courses are still untapped as there is a very less competition because students do not get into these courses easily. These courses have a potential [...]

  • Educational Psychology in the Pursuit of Human Well-being

    The Collefyi Guy
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:13 am
    Now we are living in the technological modern world. With the assist of science and technologies we have developed in all fields. India is a developing country. We have lot of human resources after China. But the literacy rate is extremely low when compared to other developed and developing countries in the world. [...]
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    Education

  • Rise of Digital Content, Devices & Solutions in Schools [INFOGRAPHIC]

    Kari Sherrodd
    12 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    This Saturday we are bringing together a group of educators, administrators, and community leaders for an Education Think Tank at the BETT Show in London to discuss how technology has the potential to transform teaching and learning inside and outside of the classroom. This group is part of our globally connected group of Education leaders that has grown since our first Education Think Tank in New York last Fall. This is just the beginning of a great dialogue as we continue to broaden this conversation to include educators, administrators, community leaders and students all around the globe.

  • At BETT Show: New Education Cloud Solutions and Services to Improve Learning Outcomes for Students

    Kari Sherrodd
    11 Jan 2012 | 6:13 pm
    We’re in London this week meeting with teachers, school IT leaders and students during the BETT Show and we’re very happy to be sharing the news that we launched our new education cloud solutions and services. This means that we are more prepared than ever to help each and every student around the world reach their full potential at a time when the traditional school environment is going through monumental changes. We’re bringing together resources used in a classroom; ebooks, tools for chat, more digital content and pulling them together to create one, simplified and…

  • Digital Promise to open doors for teachers, students and technology

    DELL-Kelli H
    1 Dec 2011 | 9:54 pm
    I recently had the opportunity to attend an event at the White House announcing the launch of “Digital Promise,” a bipartisan initiative created by Congress to help spur breakthrough technologies to transform teaching and learning. As an independent nonprofit, Digital Promise will seek to empower schools to revolutionize education through digital content. The team behind Digital Promise has identified three primary goals for its research and development. It plans to identify breakthrough education technologies that personalize learning, do rapid evaluations of its work to learn…

  • Chat with us on Nov. 17 about virtualizing your learning environment

    Kari Sherrodd
    1 Nov 2011 | 12:21 pm
    Learning from school leaders at Educause we found out there is a keen interest to hear more about the possibilities with virtualizing learning environments. We’re seeing that schools are taking advantage of this to effectively manage many different devices, maximize the use of labs on campus and as a way to put more software in the hands of students. At Educause we brought together five IT leaders in schools and universities to talk about why they decided to virtualize their systems. Now, we’re continuing this conversation to learn from experts and to find out if or how…

  • Coming together to bridge the digital divide [Infographic] #DoMoreEDU

    Kari Sherrodd
    27 Oct 2011 | 11:00 am
    Last weekend we brought together a group of educators, administrators, and community leaders to discuss how technology can serve to transform teaching and learning inside and outside of the classroom.  Our vibrant group discussed everything from how social media can be used in the classroom to how do we personalize learning to how can administrators can help support innovation. You can find a summary of the discussion on Storify or add your ideas via this Google Doc. This is just the beginning of a great dialogue as we continue to broaden this conversation to include educators,…
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    Tutoring Match Blog

  • Is there a Correlation Between Good Handwriting and Good Grades?

    Henry
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:10 pm
    Education Nation: http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=8DCFEB26-46A4-11E1-B607000C296BA163

  • Tenth Anniversary of No Child Left Behind

    Henry
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:03 am
    The No Child Left Behind initiative is now 10 years old. Although the NCLB made people take notice of the deficiencies in our nation’s education and identified schools that were failing their students, research has shown that  not much success has come from what was once touted as President Bush’s most “significant domestic accomplishment”.   http://www.thegrio.com/education-1/no-child-left-behind-ten-years-later-does-bush-legislation-get-a-passing-grade.php

  • Wikipedia and Freedom of Speech

    Henry
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:48 am
    From January 18th at midnight to January 19th at midnight WIKIPEDIA will be voluntarily blacking out their English website to protest the SOPA and PIPA bills. To read more got to :  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

  • Henry Lane’s Interview with Channel 12 News

    Henry
    11 Jan 2012 | 9:56 am
    Henry Lane Interview on CT News 12

  • Children Say “I Can” and Infect a Country

    Henry
    9 Jan 2012 | 10:10 am
    Empowering students to make changes in their environment, then in their cities, then in their country. The Power of “I CAN”.   http://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge.html
 
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    Clif's Notes

  • Bookmarks for 01/25/2012

    Clif Mims
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:31 am
    Engineering is Elementary Engineering and technology lessons for children! tags: Science Technology Engineering Math PBL Literacy Literature Reading Language-Arts littleBits Open-source library of electronic modules that snap together with tiny magnets for prototyping and play. tags: Open-Source Science Engineering Math Technology PBL Design Development Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here. Related PostsBookmarks for 10/14/2011 Bookmarks for 09/13/2011 Bookmarks for 06/18/2011 Bookmarks for 09/02/2011

  • Online Geography Gaming Tips and Resources from @tonycassidy #edtech #sschat #geographyteacher

    Clif Mims
    21 Dec 2011 | 10:30 am
    I ran across an interesting set of slides via @skipz on Plurk. The slides seem to be the ongoing work of Tony Cassidy. I encourage you to browse through the presentation and consider the ideas for integrating technology with geography. Online Geography Gaming – Tony Cassidy A compilation of more than 100 online games and simulations for use in the geography classroom. Related PostsGames and Simulations in Education: A Resource List for Newbies 13 Yr. Old CEO of Innovative Educational Gaming Company Integrating Computer Games F2F PLN vs. Virtual PLN

  • Suggested Reading: Literacy and Mobile Learning #edtech #mlearning

    Clif Mims
    20 Dec 2011 | 10:30 am
    Image via CrunchBase Book Apps: A Reading Revolution, or the End of Reading? “Even if high-quality apps do manage to change the way we read, though, it’s unclear how many current readers will respond. The mere fact that something is possible does not automatically make it desirable.” Books vs. Screens: Which Should Your Kids Be Reading? “Canadian author Margaret Atwood thrilled her 285,000-plus Twitter followers by defending their kind as “dedicated readers” who are boldly exploring new frontiers in literacy. Calling the Internet in general “a great literacy…

  • We Can Learn So Much from Kids

    Clif Mims
    20 Nov 2011 | 1:09 pm
    I saw this on the season finale of E60. It’s one of the most meaningful videos I’ve seen in a long time. Related PostsTHE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2009 THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2010 THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2011 Vimeo’s Online Video Services

  • THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2011

    Clif Mims
    6 Nov 2011 | 1:00 pm
    I admire and appreciate everyone that has participated in The Challenge the past 4 years (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010). I look forward to doing more good together this holiday season, too. ————— (Repost from 11/08/2009) I’ve written posts encouraging educators to get students actively involved in service education. I’ve shared the rationale for implementing service activities in the classroom and suggested some resources to help us get started. Your feedback and encouragement back in 2007 prompted me to take this a step further. Rather than simply…
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    21stcenturyed.com

  • Expired Assumptions: Your Students Need You In Order To Learn

    Admin
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:01 am
    For some things, yes…they do need you. But not for everything. My oldest son needed me (and others) to help him to learn how to read and to understand the meaning of many words. But once he could read fluently, he didn’t need me to teach him that the 2011 Dodge Charger has pushes out [...]

  • Expired Assumptions: Online School Kids Can’t Join The Military

    Admin
    19 Dec 2011 | 3:17 pm
    Good news for the online school kids looking towards the military as a career choice! Statement on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act.

  • Expired Assumptions: They’ll Do It Because You Say So

    Admin
    15 Dec 2011 | 1:23 pm
    Relevance isn’t just one of the three R’s popular in educational news and blogs. When students have so many choices in what they can learn and how they can learn it, relevance is key. Maybe when you and I (or perhaps our parents) went to school students might do work simply because the authority figure [...]

  • Expired Assumptions: Seat Time = Knowledge

    Admin
    2 Dec 2011 | 10:19 am
    Imagine if I told you that it should take you an hour to learn how to use a can opener, then hand you an instruction sheet and the can opener and then walk away. Then imagine you master this task in less than 2 minutes – but I tell you to stay in the kitchen [...]

  • Expired Assumption: Screen Time

    Admin
    22 Nov 2011 | 12:41 pm
    No more than two hours. That’s the prevailing wisdom I’ve found regarding how much screen time my children should get. Why? Just a few of the reasons you’ll find thrown around are: Obesity Irregular sleep Behavioral and attention problems Impaired academic performance …and a host of others. And so parents and educators…not wanting to create [...]
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    Difference Between

  • Difference Between VRQ and NVQ

    nimisha
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:22 am
    VRQ vs NVQ VRQ and NVQ are two different vocational qualifications.”VRQ” stands for “Vocationally-Related Qualification,” and “NVQ” stands for “National Vocational Qualification.” Both qualifications... [[This is a summary only. Please visit DifferenceBetween.net for detailed view]]

  • Difference Between Voyage and Journey

    nimisha
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:19 pm
    Voyage vs Journey “Voyage” and “journey” are two words related to the word “travel.” “Travel” means “going from one particular place to another place.” “Journey” refers to a lone piece of travel.... [[This is a summary only. Please visit DifferenceBetween.net for detailed view]]

  • Difference Between SQA and SQC

    nimisha
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:15 am
    SQA vs SQC “SQA” and “SQC” stand for “Software Quality Assurance” and “Software Quality Control” respectively. They are two different functions of software quality. One assures the quality as the... [[This is a summary only. Please visit DifferenceBetween.net for detailed view]]

  • Difference Between PBX and ACD

    nimisha
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:12 am
    PBX vs ACD “PBX” and “ACD” are switches of different capabilities. “Switch” refers to a telecommunication switch. These switches are electronic equipment which are designed and responsible for... [[This is a summary only. Please visit DifferenceBetween.net for detailed view]]

  • Difference Between M.Sc. and M.A.

    nimisha
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:08 pm
    M.Sc. vs M.A. M.Sc. and M.A. are two different master’s degrees. These degrees are awarded in the commonwealth nations of Europe. “M.Sc.” stands for “Master’s of Science,” and “M.A.” stands for... [[This is a summary only. Please visit DifferenceBetween.net for detailed view]]
 
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    Pencil Nerd's Test Prep Blog

  • LSAT Reading Comprehension: Timing the Hard Passages

    PencilNerd
    4 Jan 2012 | 9:12 am
    If you have taken some practice LSAT tests, you’ve probably noticed that there always seems to be one nightmarish passage on every reading comprehension section. The LSAT is designed that way: of the four passages on any reading comprehension section, one is redonkulously difficult, one is cake, and the other two are somewhere in between. What’s the best way to handle the LSAT reading comprehension passage from hell? Skip it. Put it off until the end. As with every other section of the LSAT, on the reading comprehension section you should try to get all of your easiest points…

  • DePaul Rep Verbally Attacks Pencil Nerd

    PencilNerd
    3 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pm
    DePaul Rep and anti-SAT zealot Jon Boeckenstedt apparently has nothing better to do than blog about yours truly. Once again, Boeckenstedt accuses me of supporting the use of objective academic tests in college admissions only because I “make my living” from test prep. I don’t- in fact, I have not worked in test prep in over two years (although I may soon be doing some part-time tutoring for a great company, but I will hardly be making a living from it). But Boeckenstedt never lets the truth interfere with his distorted worldview: “I’m not anti-test. Tests do measure…

  • Was SAT Cheater Sam Eshaghoff a Hero, Saving Lives?

    PencilNerd
    30 Dec 2011 | 11:25 am
    Sam Eshaghoff, the SAT impersonator busted on Long Island, will appear on 60 Minutes this week. Rather than being contrite, Eshaghoff seems proud that he was able to “save kids’ lives,” by giving them high SAT scores. This point of view shouldn’t surprise you. It is the same sort of Occupy-Wall-Street mentality that competition is illegitimate- that every kid is just as deserving of a high SAT score as the academically-privileged 1% who earn a top score. Based on the clip of the interview released by CBS, Eshaghoff still sees the SAT test itself as the villain, and…

  • Make Insanely Hard SAT, GRE, & GMAT Word Problems Easy With Common Multiples

    PencilNerd
    28 Dec 2011 | 9:15 am
    They are the types of math problems that chase you around with an ax through your most terrifying nightmares. When you see one on the SAT, GRE, or GMAT you want to scream with frustration and discombobulation. They are SAT, GRE, or GMAT word problems that involve the intersection of one thing happening every nth time and a second thing happening every yth time. But these word problems are actually child’s play if you know one simple rule about common multiples. Here’s an example: In the town of Lindenberry, the Town Council meets every 4 days. The School Board, a separate…

  • Law School Denied Accreditation For Low LSAT Scores Sues ABA

    PencilNerd
    23 Dec 2011 | 10:59 am
    The ABA is finally acting responsibly to protect law students- and getting sued for it. As reported by the National Law Journal, The Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law is suing the ABA under antitrust laws for denying its bid for accreditation. In its third year of operation, the law school’s first class had an average LSAT score of 149, and the next two classes averaged 147- well below the overall mean for all LSAT test takers. The ABA denied accreditation based in part on the rule that “A law school shall not admit applicants who do not appear capable of…
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    The Teacher Organizer

  • Sign-up Genius!

    Kim Chandler
    6 Jan 2012 | 9:31 pm
    I need as many shortcuts in life that I can find... and as Mamaw would say... I have found a "good'n"  (translation: good one) this time.  It is a godsend for me when requesting, scheduling, and confirming classroom volunteers and it's called... Signupgenius.com. Honestly, managing the process of getting parents and volunteers into the classroom on a regular basis has always been an inconsistency for me.  Not out of lack of desire, but I am so involved in assessing kids, altering student learning experiences to directly fit academic needs that arranging for classroom volunteers…

  • The Name Pen!

    Kim Chandler
    9 Sep 2011 | 11:35 pm
    Oh my goodness!  It has been weeks since I have posted! (Sorry!)  Needless to say school has begun and teaching life (with two little ones) is in full swing.  At our house we affectionately call our weekly schedule "the hamster wheel!"  (You working moms know what I am talking about!)  Yet, in all the activity and craziness, I have to admit, I really love my job! A sure cure for no names on papers! In the past weeks, I have had the chance to set up my room, organize, meet my students, organize, begin the year, organize, teach some and organize some more!  I love…

  • Saving Some Ducats!

    Kim Chandler
    28 Jul 2011 | 9:17 pm
    Introducing Ms Pennywise Is that how you spell that word... ducats?  Yes, ducats... is correct. I just checked.  Dictionary.com has confirmed it!  When I visit that site I love to press the speaker button next to the words and listen to the man (or lady) say the word.  There is something about the way they pronounce the words so precisely which sounds funny to me.  Okay, enough silly stuff... on to something worth reading about!  I have become quite the thrifty shopper in recent years.  As I understand it, having kids does that a to person and I am living…

  • Facebook Mixer Party!

    Kim Chandler
    27 Jul 2011 | 10:35 pm
    It's another mixer.. Facebook Style!  If you are done wandering through the Blog Mixer party  at Year to Learn you can hop on over to the Facebook Mixer at Kinder Fun, our host for this little shin-dig. There will be lots more blogs to meander through.  Find some favorites, locate their Facebook link and "like" them.  When you do their blog feed will be automatically sent to your Facebook news feed.  Great learning activities, teaching strategies, organization and management ideas and more will be  "mailed" right to your Facebook door step.  Such a…

  • Mixing it up... Blog Style!

    Kim Chandler
    24 Jul 2011 | 2:07 pm
    Click here to check out the Blog Mixer One of my favorite things to do these days (when I have a spare second) is blog hopping. Yes...blog hopping... long into the evening hours.  I have discovered so many wonderful teachers in "blogland".  The level of idea saturation I have experienced blogging is equitable to that of my first year teaching.... amazing and true!  Because I love to share great ideas, I've linked up to a blog mixer party at Yearn to Learn.  Click the Year to Learn button above or any of the blog buttons below to find some great ideas and more blogs to…
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    creativecommons.org

  • We Are An Arts-Based School!

    Stephen Hurley
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:38 am
    Towards a vision of school that resonates I think that an inordinate amount of our hand wringing around the issue of student engagement takes place well after the proverbial horse has left the barn. In fact, in many jurisdictions, a good deal of time and money are being spent contacting teenage students who have chosen to leave the system early, and exploring with them ways that they could come back and earn credits towards their graduation diploma. read more

  • Fil sur l'éducation canadienne : Enseignement de l'alphabet au préscolaire: rien ne presse, selon les enseignants

    Max Cooke
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:58 pm
    En précipitant l'enseignement de l'alphabet au préscolaire, le ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) et la Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) vont empêcher les enfants d'apprendre à leur rythme, craignent les enseignants du préscolaire. Enseignement de l'alphabet au préscolaire: rien ne presse, selon les enseignants - Le SoleilAUTRES NOUVELLES L'opposition à l'anglais intensif s'amplifie – Le Soleil read more

  • Cdn EdWire – A New Year’s Hodge-Podge of Contentious Education Issues Fill the Dailies

    Max Cooke
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:50 pm
    An Alberta school reform plan, the launch of Toronto boutique schools, cutting New Brunswick school board, and the cost of minority language education are lightning rods for debate among stakeholders and the public. Minister launches school reforms – Edmonton JournalShorter bus rides, community facilities, college credits in high school included in Lukaszuk's 10-point program read more

  • Shift This

    Brooke Moore
    16 Jan 2012 | 9:34 pm
    Lately there is a whole lot of shift going on... Brad Ovenell-Carter opened the first session I attended at EdCamp Delta on the weekend by explaining how he’s working in his school to shift the control of technology from the top-down to the bottom-up. I’ll deal with the idea first and the way we often frame the idea (and the way Brad did here) second. read more

  • Can we put new wine into old skins?

    Stephen Hurley
    13 Jan 2012 | 12:52 pm
    Assessment policy can provide the inspiration we need for real conversation about transformation Well, if the level of response to my last entry is any indication, there is a significant level of passion, knowledge and commitment surrounding the current conversation about assessment and its role in the modern school. And it's not that talking about assessment for learning, of learning and even assessment as learning is bad or even misguided. read more
 
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    Free Education Guide

  • Free Educational Scholarship

    free education guide
    12 Jan 2012 | 3:47 pm
    You can apply for many Free Educational Scholarships available online and it only takes a little research to find them.  We have made your search a bit easier by listing a few of these Free Educational Scholarships you…

  • Free Education Grants Funds

    free education guide
    12 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    Qualify For Free Education Grants Funds Qualify For Free Education Grants - Educators in Need of Government Grant Funds As an Educator, indubitable is cinch to want things owing to your students that your school budget cannot sunshade. Many Educators come exterior of their salvage for expenses predominance order to improve their class rooms,…
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    OpenSesame blogs

  • On eLearn Magazine: A Curator's Tools and To Do List

    kelly.meeker
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:58 am
    We're proud to share our first article in eLearn Magazine: A Curator's Tools & To Do List, an exploration of using curation techniques to manage information in the enterprise environment.  Are you using curation techniques in your organization? Tell us about it in the comments!  RighteLearning Solutions

  • Meet the Retail Owners Institute: eLearning for the Retail Professional

    kelly.meeker
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:36 am
    In today’s world, from the biggest companies to the mom-and-pop shops down the street,  finding employees with basic financial skills is a challenge. At OpenSesame, we’re pleased to feature a new set of elearning courses from the Retail Owners Institute that meets this need with humor and creative instruction. ROI owners and retail experts Pat Johnson and Dick Outcalt are industry-recognized leaders in providing training, coaching and resources to the managers and owners of retail businesses. Johnson and Outcalt have a long history of working with clients including Hallmark and TrueValue…

  • Course of the Week: Mastering Your Image in the Workplace by Seattle Image Consulting

    kelly.meeker
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pm
    Wednesday, January 25, 2012 Mastering Your Image in the Workplace $9 & up      Volume Discount Price 1-9 0% $15.00 10-49 3% $14.55 50-99 7% $13.95 100-499 14% $12.90 500-999 20% $12.00 1000+ 40% $9.00 Mastering Your Image in the Workplace By Seattle Image Consulting The question is: "How do you want your company to be seen?" You want to build a strong, positive reputation by creating a group of respected employees who inspire trust from customers. Take the first step by enabling team members to look the part. "Mastering Your Image in the Workplace" describes standards for acceptable…

  • Tom Kuhlmann and the E-Learning Heroes Roadshow Comes to Portland

    kelly.meeker
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:44 pm
    Big news! OpenSesame is thrilled to welcome Tom Kuhlmann and the E-Learning Heroes Roadshow to Portland on Thursday, April 5.  Learn from the master and you too can be an elearning hero! Tom focuses on bringing out the design genius in every elearning developer, with tips on leveraging basic resources to create excellent elearning content. He'll walk you through his arsenal of techniques for creating fabulous courses and share some free templates and graphic assets to get you started!  Agenda: Essential E-Learning Tips Visual Design for E-Learning Build Engaging & Interactive E-Learning…

  • Insights on Learning & Development from the ASTD State of the Industry Report

    kelly.meeker
    19 Jan 2012 | 11:10 am
    Each year the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) surveys learning and development professionals and compiles their findings into the State of the Industry Report. This industry standard report includes measurements of budgets, hours invested and the number of staff devoted to learning and development, with useful differentiations between the best-performing training organizations and standard programs. All of this information supports benchmarking and goal-setting for the year to come. Every year I settle down with the State of the Industry Report to assess where…
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    Spanish Playground

  • Spanish jokes for children

    admin
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:43 pm
    Jokes are a fun way to speak Spanish to children. There are jokes at all language levels, and kids learning Spanish love it when they can understand the word play that makes a simple joke work. You can find specific suggestions for telling jokes to kids with ten easy jokes in this post: First jokes for children learning Spanish. There are also jokes in this post: More jokes for children learning Spanish. In general, you want to support the language in Spanish jokes as much as possible by providing a context. For example, tell joke #1 below and point to a pair of glasses. Tell #3 when you are…

  • Spanish Friday – La necesidad de comunicarse

    admin
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:09 am
    I am participating in http://latinaish.com/’s Spanish Friday, so this post is in Spanish. An English translation follows. This week’s Spanish Friday post is written by a guest blogger. Claudia is from Colombia and is the founder of OnlineFreeSpanish. Since 2008 her site has offered a wide variety of free activities for learning Spanish. Thank you, Claudia, for contributing to Spanish Playground! Sorprendida! Así quedé hoy cuando escuché a mi amigo Herman hablar en el almuerzo. Poco comparto con él la mesa, pero hoy se sentó a almorzar conmigo y comenzamos a conversar de su vida.

  • Spanish audio in online games teaches animals, letter sounds, pronunciation

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:54 am
    These two games with Spanish audio teach children pronunciation, animal vocabulary and letter sounds. They are from the site Leo lo que veo (I read what I see). The games were designed for native Spanish speakers, but work well with children learning Spanish. These games can be played by children of any age and any level. Both games are structured as board games. Players roll a dice and move around the board. Each space has a shape that changes to show an animal and the word for that animal. When the player clicks the space there is Spanish audio that says the word. Players then find the…

  • Spanish song for children – Caballito blanco

    admin
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:25 pm
    Caballito blanco (Little White Horse) is one of the first songs my children learned in Spanish. We happen to have a white horse, so my kids loved it. Children all over the Spanish-speaking world sing this traditional song. I have also seen Caballito blanco identified as a jump rope rhyme, but my family learned the song and that is how I have used it in teaching Spanish to children. There are several versions of Caballito blanco. The longest version has three distinct parts. The first asks the white horse to take the singer home, the second is about three sheep, and the third part tells Juana…

  • Printable Spanish Valentine’s cards and bookmarks

    admin
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:10 pm
    These printable Spanish cards for Valentine’s day are a fun activity for children learning the language. Valentine’s day in Spanish is Día del amor y la amistad (The day of love and friendship), Día de San Valentín or Día de los enamorados. Most Spanish-speaking countries celebrate on Feb. 14th, although in Colombia they celebrate on the third Saturday of September. Many countries also celebrate El día del amigo in June or July. To celebrate Día del amor y la amistad, children can print Spanish-language cards to share with their friends or make their own. Here are a few cards in…
 
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    Discover Share Inspire

  • Making Love After the Labor – Akumal, Mexico

    Rachel
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:33 am
    There is something magical about being in the presence of a wild animal – it’s almost sacred and soul-changing. While observing an animal in it’s natural environment, the place becomes a temple where a beatific experience occurs. Wading into the transparent sea-green waters, the tepid ocean is a bit chilly to my body that’s been baked by the Mexican sun. Situating the snorkel and goggles over my mouth and nose, I submerge myself so I can gaze into the watery world below. Floating almost effortlessly in the salty sea, I glide across the surface while scanning the floor…

  • The Saga of Sabancuy – I Am Not in Control

    Rachel
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am
    Ultimate desperation Looking back, it was kind of like giving birth. I originally thought I would share the entire story with you. Every. Agonizing. Detail. Like the ant invasion; and the attack of the no-seeums; the hiking and hitch-hiking; the diarrhea and dysentery; McGyver repairs and mental insanity. But that’s kind of like watching someone’s home videos… of their baby’s birth. It’s more than you care to see. And looking back now with the vignette view of hindsight, the pain starts to fade, and you begin to wonder what all the fuss was about. In the moment,…

  • The Saga of Sabancuy…There Was Trouble

    Rachel
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:30 am
    The full moon still shone brightly, now just on the opposite side of the sky. Excited for a new day at our beach-paradise home, I was up early as usual to do some writing and studying. I plugged my computer into our inverter, since it was dead, to give it and my video camera a charge. As is not that uncommon, the inverter had a difficult time handling the requirements being made on it, especially after a full night of inactivity. I’d have to start the truck to give it the power it needed. I debated doing it, since it would wake up other sleeping family members, but I’d come here…
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    Acceptly

  • 5 Steps to Picking the RIght College

    Matt Munson
    24 Jan 2012 | 2:19 pm
    Picking the right college is something that can affect the rest of your life, so it’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly and it definitely shouldn’t be based on something like where your significant other is going or how much of a party school it is. We’ve collected some tips on picking a college to attend to help you put your priorities in order and make a good choice for your future. 1) Define What You Want Take a moment to list why you’re going to college, what you want to accomplish while you’re there and what you hope to do after college. Always keep your goals in…

  • How a Summer in Nicaragua got me Accepted at USC

    Matt Munson
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:49 pm
     A guest post by USC Junior Neyha Bhat  The summer before my senior year of high school was an exciting time because I began thinking about what colleges I should apply to. I had no idea about what I should be looking for in a university, and only knew that I wanted to study International Relations (IR), whatever that meant. From talking to older friends, I knew college essay prompts were usually broad questions about your life experiences and how they’ve shaped you as an individual. I liked to think of myself as well rounded because I studied hard, was an active member of a competitive…

  • Even Celebrities Go to College

    Kathryn Favaro
    15 Dec 2011 | 6:59 pm
    We know that school, along with preparing for college, is a ton of work. So this week we want to reward your dedication by giving you a treat – celebrity high school yearbook photos! Can you recognize these famous faces from their yearbook photos? Scroll down to see if you’re right. A. This celeb loved performing in musical theater during high school and went to Drake University in Iowa. B. She says that the first line of her college essay was something like, "Imagine being blind and deaf at age seven. That is what it felt like moving to the States. C. His favorite activities…

  • My Target Colleges – Haley Duncan

    Todd Emaus
    16 Nov 2011 | 7:56 pm
    Ever wonder how to choose which colleges to apply to? Haley Duncan, a senior at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia was kind enough to answer a few questions to give us a glimpse into her college selection decision. Here’s what she had to say… How are you deciding which colleges to apply to? My college decision is based mainly on whether the university has a nursing (my first choice) and a math education (my second choice) major. I also am looking exclusively at in-state colleges because the are more affordable, but I will consider an out of state university if it comes…

  • Choosing a major, and re-choosing a major….

    Matt Munson
    9 Nov 2011 | 10:59 am
    Today’s post is a guest post from University of Oregon senior Vince Bonanno. Growing up, I didn’t read Harry Potter. Something about flying brooms, talking animals and all that nonsense just rubbed me the wrong way. I had one interest and one interest only: Sports. It didn’t matter if it was football, basketball, baseball, boxing, tennis, or even cricket; if it was defined as a sport I was intrigued. How bad was it, you might ask? Well, to paint a quick picture, my most anticipated day of the year was when the next official ESPN Sports Almanac was to be released. So, when people…
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    Collaborize Classroom Blog

  • EdcampOCLA

    Shana Ray
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    This Saturday, educators from all over California will be coming together for the second annual Edcamp in the area. In 2011, Orange County educators hosted EdcampOC and 2012 is promised to be bigger and better at Arovista Elementary School in Brea, CA. The EdTech conference structure is informal, with attendees signing up to run sessions in the morning. EdcampOCLA will focus being solely on conversations about education. Attendees are coming from all over the state and will range from classroom teachers to administrators to coaches and school board members. There will be time for attendees…

  • FETC 2012

    Shana Ray
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:55 pm
    This week, the Collaborize Classroom team is attending FETC 2012 - Florida’s largest Educational Technology conference.  Colt Briner and Catlin Tucker will be speaking about blended learning and showing off Collaborize’s education collaboration platform and Collaborize Classroom Topic Library at booth number 1235 in the EdTech exhibit hall (right by the social media for teachers lounge). Sessions include: 7 Steps to Achieve Successful Online Discussions by Catlin Tucker, High School English Teacher & Curriculum Developer – Wednesday Jan 25, 10:30am ‐ 12:30pm…

  • Over 1.1 Million “Lessons Served” to Students on Collaborize Classroom

    Shana Ray
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:23 am
    Democrasoft today announced a major milestone development related to Collaborize Classroom, the company’s flagship collaborative education platform. The company announced that more than 1.1 million individual topic-based lessons have been delivered to students since the official launch of Collaborize Classroom in January of 2011. Collaborize Classroom has been steadily gaining recognition and high marks from teachers, students, and the education and technology industries. Collaborize Classroom, is available to all grade levels, and provides the ability to extend in-class conversations…

  • How to Prepare for the 2012 Spring Semester

    Shana Ray
    3 Jan 2012 | 11:10 am
    Please join us on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 for a free webinar from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. This 60-minute hands-on webinar, featuring one of our teacher success specialists, will help teachers prepare their Collaborize Classroom sites for the 2012 Spring semester. We’ve created a checklist of things to do for the spring semester and are ready to start thinking ahead. Learn how to save time, plan for the future and manage your discussion topics for an easy transition into the start of a new semester! The Fall Back-to-school series was a huge hit and registrations were limited so be sure to sign…

  • Flip Your Classroom with Online Discussions Webinar

    Shana Ray
    20 Dec 2011 | 1:27 pm
    Please join us on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM PST for a free professional development webinar for educators. Would you like to maximize your precious class time to more effectively engage students? Flip your instruction and present content online – video lectures, podcasts, documentaries, demonstrations, lecture notes – and pair that information with dynamic discussion questions and/or tasks to increase retention and drive higher-level thinking. Make your homework an interactive experience instead of a solitary practice. Free up class time for more hands-on…
 
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    Punya Mishra's Web

  • 21st Century Learning, one school’s ongoing story

    Punya Mishra
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:01 pm
    Recently I had been invited to the Birmingham School District to speak to the administrators, teachers and broader community about their recent initiatives on 21st Century Learning. I had a wonderful visit – which I was reminded of by this article (On the Front Lines of the Future) in the  Highlander, the Seaholm High School’s Student Voice. This is an extremely well written and honest article about the vision, implementation and challenges faced by schools seek to change how they do business. It incorporates thoughts from teachers and students both pro- and con and is really…

  • Is TPACK fundamentally flawed? A quick response

    Punya Mishra
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:54 am
    Richard Olsen over in his blog has an extended posting titled The TPACK Framework is fundamentally flawed. It is a long and thoughtful post and I recommend everyone to read it. I have posted a short response to his posting (it is under moderation but should show up in a while). In the mean-time I am posting my response here – for the record. Richard, Thank you for your extended and thoughtful post on the TPACK framework. There is a lot here to respond to but I will be brief… I think you would be surprised to learn just how much I agree with what you are saying. In fact in our…

  • Happy 2012

    Punya Mishra
    26 Dec 2011 | 11:50 am
    Every Christmas-break our family creates a stop-motion video new year’s greeting card. We have been doing this for 4 years or so and it is an incredibly fun way to spend time together. It has become a “signature” thing we do as a family. Anyway this year was no exception – though it took us much longer than before to come up with a good idea – and then to execute it was another challenge. Anyway, here it is (on Vimeo). A very wonderful holidays and a very happy new year to all of you, from Shreya, Soham, Smita & Punya Just a few comments on the making of…

  • Walking away from Happy Valley

    Punya Mishra
    14 Nov 2011 | 10:06 pm
    I have been haunted the past week or so with the scandal enveloping Penn State. Much as been written about it already – and I really have nothing fundamentally new to offer to this discussion. What I did want to share was a parallel that struck me recently about these terrible events and a lovely yet horrifying short story I had read a long time ago. “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (Variations on a theme by William James) is a haunting short story by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is a short, sparse story, almost a parable, with almost no distinct characters. It is about a…

  • New video from ITEC

    Punya Mishra
    4 Nov 2011 | 12:24 pm
    I was recently at the Iowa Technology & Education Connection (ITEC) conference in Des Moines IA. I had a wonderful time meeting old friends and making some new ones. I was also asked to be part of a video that would be shared with ITEC members and other online sources. I received an email today letting me know that this video is now available on the ITEC website (and for embedding). This was one of the most pleasant and professional interviews I have ever been involved in and I like how the final video has turned out. I think it is a pretty good introduction to not just the TPACK…
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    Zen College Life

  • 10 Reasons You Should Quit Whining About Facebook Timeline

    Site Administrator
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:32 pm
    Many people have already jumped on board the new Facebook Timeline layout, either because they love to be on the forefront of Facebook technology or because they were afraid they'd get left behind in the social media dust. But many late adopters are waiting until they're forced to switch over, a change that Facebook has announced is coming for everyone in the next few weeks whether you like it or not. For people who love Facebook and hate change, this transition will undoubtedly come with a lot of complaining and threats to leave the site for good. If you're afraid Timeline is…

  • 10 Famous People with Disappointingly Normal Twins

    Site Administrator
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:21 pm
    If you think you live in the shadow of your siblings, imagine being the twin of a celebrity. After being dressed in matching clothes and attached at the hip your whole lives, suddenly people are asking, "Wait, she has a twin?!" For many people, that's the reality they face as they go about their boring lives. Sure, their parents love them equally (probably), but the rest of the world doesn't even know they exist. But hey, they probably get good birthday presents from their former womb-mate. These famous people somehow managed to steal the spotlight once they hit adulthood.

  • 9 Historic Magazine Covers

    Site Administrator
    17 Jan 2012 | 10:34 pm
    If you've ever glanced at the magazines in a bookstore, airport, or grocery store, you know that it's rare to find a cover that really grabs you. Most are filled with smiling models, six-pack abs, and the promise of 101 tips to please your man. Every once in a while, though, magazine editors give us something unforgettable with serious meaning. These covers not only draw you in, but stay with you for the rest of your life. You don't have to be a subscriber (or even alive when these issues came out) to remember these incredible front-page images. The Afghan girl on National…

  • 10 Hand Gestures You Should Know When Traveling

    Site Administrator
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:21 pm
    Your tickets are bought. Your bags are packed, then re-packed. You have an itinerary, a passport, and maybe a travel partner. Or maybe you're throwing five things in a backpack at the last minute and booking it out of town. Regardless of your travel methodology (or lack thereof), the excitement of some time away from the daily grind is supremely enticing. When you travel the world, you should feel privileged to experience new sights, sounds, food. Breathe the local culture with a deep inhale. Make some new friends. A word of advice, though: make sure that you've done appropriate…

  • 10 Favorite Vacation Spots of the Stars

    Site Administrator
    15 Jan 2012 | 10:28 pm
    They're rich! They're famous! They're beautiful! And boy, do they need a vacation! So where do the stars go to chill out? Here are 10 hot spots that you can consider for your own holiday or make a note to avoid.   Ibiza, Spain Ever wonder why some men are paid thousands of dollars a night to … play records? Maybe you can get an answer next time you're on the Spanish island of Ibiza hitting its famous clubs, clubs, and more clubs usually crammed to fire-code capacity with famous and not-so-famous party people. The Spanish Tourist Board desperately wants to promote…
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    How To Become A Nurse | A Personal Journey

  • Discovering The Right Generating Instructions Equipment

    authority
    28 Jan 2012 | 7:32 am
    There are various quick and simple methods for getting traveling instructions. If youre an individual that ideas vacation prior to going dwelling, you may be sure that you suitable instructions prior to going your own home. Even so, some individuals discover that they have to are able to an area with no notion of ways to get to your location. youre going to a session, the tension to be missing can make progressing to the placement trickier. There are a few simple steps you can take to actually are able to every location by the due date for a minimum of phony starts. If you are scheduling…

  • Substantial assortment of solar power goods are out there

    authority
    28 Jan 2012 | 7:08 am
    Whether or not retract in solar panels and even achieve this derived from one of spot, business expense garage doors element due to the fact about planting season worry. Arises provde the power enabling your door to advance on the subject of metal monitors around the garage wall space. And then, dive into your monitors down into spot. Make certain location by way of keeping track of the item after conducting improvements. Be sure to stiffen your nails coupled with screws once that you are achieved. Intended for retract doors, guarantee that handles usually are not ruined coupled with stiffen…

  • The Typical Treatment options for Acne

    authority
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:31 am
    The skin is commonly looked at by folks as an outward indicator of the person’s hygiene and health. Subconsciously, human beings are inclined to associate smooth, apparent skin with staying in very good bodily ailment. Superior skin can be perceived as one with the most blatant signs of bodily attractiveness. The preoccupation with skin care has led into a boom in the skin care solution marketplace. These skin care goods are marketed to cater to your substantial industry that demands a number of preparations to treat dry skin, control oily skin, as well as to reverse the growing older…

  • Discover Ways To To Enjoy Video Arcade Game Titles On The Internet Igre

    authority
    28 Jan 2012 | 2:15 am
    Simply just a lesser variation of the municipal sewer healing natural another septic set up is including double replacement parts; most of the pressure arena and therefore the septic pumping tank. This kind of waste material handling solutions tend to be on rural locations not to mention aspects that wont come with easy accessibility which will region professional services. The most important to that idea breed of sewer set up is most of the tank, without one most of the outhouse would probably be a standard web pages up and down the a great deal of rear alleys not to mention usa shelves. The…

  • Acquire the capabilities being an excellent ultrasound exam pc specialist

    authority
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:50 am
    A ultrasound technician position views is looking superior mathematically. Positions on this field should will begin to elevate up to the point at least 2016. You will find a great deal more tasks for the purpose of ultrasound exam techs presently plus in the long run. Considering that the sonographer is definitely a position that’s quite simply a specialty 1 and a significant 1 now you can see as to why. There’s a lot of points that a sonogram or maybe ultrasound exam can be used for the purpose of. Some of those does mammograms, and another is for taking a look at end users .
 
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    Moodle News

  • Free Course on the MOOCH: Mobile Learning and Teaching with Moodle 2

    Joseph Thibault
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Here’s a free course available via the MOOCH (hub.moodle.org), “Mobile Learning and Teaching with Moodle 2.  The course was shared by Nadav Kavalerchik and is available to download or view.  You can check out the MOOCH entry here or the course here. The course focuses on opportunities to learn about mobile computing in classrooms (with current events curated through Scoop.it), videos and demos of Mobile courses, additional web resources, Free mobile apps, mobile ideas for your courses and more. The ‘Mobile Ideas for your Course’ section is my favorite.  It pulls…

  • Last chance at winning Moodle 2.0 Course Conversion by @PacktPub #MDL2CC

    Joseph Thibault
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am
    Don’t forget that a copy of Moodle 2.0 Course Conversion for Beginners is still up for grab. The book is a very easy read and is definitely for new teachers looking for a guide on how to bring their current non LMS based course online and into Moodle.  It’s full of tricks, hints and easy to understand tutorial information on making a smooth and positive move to Moodle.  Read more about the book here: http://www.packtpub.com/moodle-2-0-course-conversion/book 2 Ways to Enter 1) Head on over to the book page and look through the product description of this book and leave a…

  • #Moodlewish: Improved nav via arrows (#Chrome -style)

    Joseph Thibault
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    If you’re a Chrome user like me, then you’ve noticed their cool window navigation when you open a new tab. Click in the left margin of the tab to see your most frequented sites, click in the right margin to see your list of Chrome apps.  It’s all very simple and totally intuitive. What I’d like, is a course format that borrowed a little from the Chrome nav to make it easier for students to move to the next topic once they’ve finished with what is on the page.  I’m not talking tabs, but rather a more Book-like navigation where each Topic is a page and they…

  • CLAMP Releases 2.2.1+LAE 2.0

    Joseph Thibault
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Moodle 2.2 is one step closer to acceptance by the Collaborative Liberal Arts Moodle Project (CLAMP) with the release of Moodle 2.2.1+LAE (Liberal Arts Edition) v2.0 beta 1.  While not a stable release this is a milestone for Moodle’s acceptance by the group considering their reservations aired in a Moodle 2 Status Report nearly 1 year ago (Feb 2011). CLAMP’s beta 1 release is, the inaugural edition of the LAE for Moodle 2.2. The goal of LAE is to provide a coherent package for modules, patches, and code developed (or improved) by the Collaborative Liberal Arts Moodle Project.

  • Shameless Plug: Vote for me as People’s Choice for 2011

    Joseph Thibault
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am
    I’ve written a few posts at OpenSource.com/Education and this year I qualified to be in the running for the 2011 People’s Choice Award, specifically for my contribution of an article/interview with Wayne Mackintosh about OER University. Moodle is one of many interests (though I often have trouble finding enough time to write about other subjects).  If you like my writing here and there, consider casting a vote for me (or two votes). The winner of the People’s Choice will be announced at the end of January. Vote now. No registration required.
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    Gradebook

  • Will Apple’s iBooks 2 impact education?

    Guest
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:03 pm
    Suzanne Holloway is a former international kindergarten teacher and a current education technology enthusiast. We had a chance to catch up with her after a LearnBoost meetup, and we asked her to share her thoughts on Apple’s move into the digital textbook space and how it fits in with the the current changes in the education technology landscape. Read on for an incredible overview of current edtech trends and an assessment of Apple’s “big announcement” on charging into the K-12 space with textbooks for the iPad. The e-textbook landscape Steve Jobs believed that…

  • Online Schools in K-12 Education

    Meredith
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:03 pm
    Today we welcome Elaine Hirsch, guest blogger and education advocate to ponder the benefits and changes that K-12 online learning will bring. Elaine is well aware of technology’s potential to be distracting in the classroom, but she also understands how tech can create efficiencies in schools (check out her ideas for setting up an Amazon Kindle Library at your school) and allow for more one-on-one engagement between teachers and students. The “state” of education technology Technology is something that many educators steered clear of for a long time. While schools always had…

  • View grades online: parent & student access update

    Meredith
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:08 pm
    Granting parent and student access to grades, attendance, calendars, and course information on LearnBoost just got easier! Today, we’re announcing some slick enhancements to the access feature to allow for simplified sharing with parents and students and make the sharing process more intuitive. We announced our Parent and Student online gradebook accounts last February and gave some ways to think about how to share grades online within LearnBoost. If you’re still on the fence about granting access, take a look at the pros and cons of sharing grades online with parents and…

  • LearnBoost’s free lesson planner now supports rich text

    Meredith
    16 Jan 2012 | 11:53 am
    Great news for all of our lesson planning teachers out there: LearnBoost now supports rich text with a “what you see is what you get” interface. This means that instead of using fancy code like HTML or Markdown, you can use the handy buttons that we’ve embedded in the lesson planner to change fonts, colors, emphases, sizes, highlighting, and more! Using the new lesson plan editor LearnBoost’s lesson plans have always been easy to build and share, but we wanted to give our users more flexibility in customizing the layout of their plans. Now, when you create and edit…

  • NYC Launches a Software Engineering High School

    Meredith
    13 Jan 2012 | 11:38 am
    At our SF EduTech Innovators Meetup last night, one topic that came up with some urgency is the fact that came up was the lack of early integration of programming skills. As speaker Jon Bischke put it, “Not everyone becomes a biologists, but we still take biology. The same applies to programming skills.” Perusing the ed-tech blogosphere this morning, I stumbled into a hugely relevant discussion on a new high school in New York, focused at length on computer programming. The Academy for Software Engineering will be opening its doors this fall to eager youth interested to learn.
 
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    Education News » Daily

  • Study links lower IQ to higher prejudice

    EducationViews.org
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:18 am
    A Canadian study found a correlation between lower levels of intelligence and higher prejudice. A study published by Psychological Science is sure to stir controversy as it links lower IQ... Read more »

  • Essex primary school gives pupils elocution lessons to stop them sounding like TOWIE

    EducationViews.org
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:06 am
    Teachers say spelling and writing have improved since lessons were introduced The Essex accent has long attracted ridicule and disapproval. But primary school teachers say it also has a damaging... Read more »

  • Headmaster’s voice: addressing learning challenges in school

    EducationViews.org
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:05 am
    Negotiating for lower fees, how to deal with a child’s dyslexia and what to do about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (double jointedness). Q My daughter completed her last two years of education... Read more »

  • Cambridge students bid to get away for free

    EducationViews.org
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:03 am
    Two Cambridge University students are appealing for help to get as far away from their colleges as possible – for free. Esther Kezia-Harding, 20, and Charlie Draper, 21, are taking... Read more »

  • Competitive parents ‘taking joy out of childhood’

    EducationViews.org
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:03 am
    Mothers and fathers risk undermining their children’s natural development with evening and weekend lessons in the three-Rs – in addition to more than 40 hours of school work and extra... Read more »
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    Passport Academy Homeschool

  • Review: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

    26 Jan 2012 | 10:27 pm
    I've recently started to embrace sharing audio books with my children.  Although I will always be a fan of reading aloud to children (especially when they can read on their own), sometimes Moms need a break and that is when a good audio book can make a huge difference.  Audio books have come in handy for me when I'm cooking dinner or when I need a night off from reading 5 different bedtime stories to my children. The latest edition to our library is Bad Kitty, by Nick Bruel, and read by Vanessa Williams.  In addition to an entertaining story, what makes a picture book,  is…

  • Petting a lion cub

    9 Nov 2011 | 8:00 am
    Pumpkin with a real lion cub It's not every day that you get to pet and play with a REAL lion cub.  Especially, on a school day.   Well, unless you're homeschooled that is.

  • Field Trip: Hoover Dam

    8 Nov 2011 | 7:30 am
    Hoover Dam, once known as one of the 7 wonders of the world,  was a government sponsored project that was completed 2 years AHEAD of schedule, came in UNDER budget and paid for itself and then some!  Can you imagine the likelihood of that happening again? If you look behind us you can see where the waterline used to be on the mountains (the white border).  Truthfully, the children weren't that impressed with our Hoover Dam visit,  but they were happy to know that they've visited a National Landmark and could cross it of their lifetime bucket list!

  • Artist Study (assorted)

    7 Nov 2011 | 12:00 pm
    One of the subjects I feel very comfortable "subbing out" is Art. My children seem to possess a drawing and painting gene that I don't have. Or, maybe they just have a good instructor? At any rate, we would be lost without their Art Teacher who has a wonderful way of teaching art. Her technique is to: Review the biography of the artist, Discuss their famous works Learn about the technique that made them famous Reproduce one of their works Can you guess which artists are portrayed below? We are in the final 5 weeks of our art study for the year.  I will try to do a better job keeping up!

  • Wisconsin Fast Plants: Life cycle of a plant

    3 Nov 2011 | 12:00 pm
    We enjoyed our unit on the life cycle of a Wisconsin Fast plant and I was so impressed with the materials we purchased from Carolina Biological.  It is one of my favorite resources for science supplies and lab activities. Their catalog is huge! In just a little under 45 days the children were able to see the plant grow from a seed, pollinated plants using dried bees, and harvested seeds from the seed pods produced after pollination. making  pollination wands from dried bees pollination wands Don't ask me what I did with the photo of the seed pods or the seeds...But trust me, we had…
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    College Preparation U

  • Meet Sarah!…Our Student Blogger at CollegePrepU!

    Admin
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:50 am
    We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our readers to Sarah, a student at the University of Illinois.  We asked Sarah if she’d be willing to share her college experiences with us from the perspective of the student, and luckily she said YES!  The reason why we brought Sarah on board at CollegePrepU is that we really feel it is important to hear some of the everyday, in’s and out’s of college life from someone who is going through the experience…in “real time”! So, Sarah will be writing here once per week on a number of topics related to…

  • No Essay Scholarships 2012 – Win Money For College Without All The Work!

    Admin
    9 Jan 2012 | 12:34 pm
    It’s getting to be that time of year when the search begins for free scholarships for high school students, especially seniors who have recently been admitted to their respective colleges.  Thousands of students will begin to scour the internet in search of free money for college to help offset some of their college costs. However, most scholarship opportunities require some form of essay or lengthy process in order to be considered for the award.  Today, we’d like to share with you a list of “no essay scholarships” that we put together to help you in your…

  • What Grades Do Colleges Look At? Some You Can Hide, and Some You Can’t!

    Admin
    13 Dec 2011 | 12:33 pm
    Getting accepted to college is a tricky business these days, there’s no getting around that.  Unless you have a sky-high grade point average, near perfect test scores, and were involved in every activity under the sun, getting the blessing of your college of choice may take some persuading.  However, there’s one area that every admissions office in the country will be focusing on first: Grades!  So before you apply to college you should be aware of what the college representatives will see, and what they won’t see.  In other words, what grades do colleges look at? …

  • The Shocking Truth About Student Loan Debt | 3 Ways To Minimize Your Cost

    Admin
    28 Nov 2011 | 12:48 pm
    Taking out a student loan is unavoidable in most situations, especially in this economic climate.  Factor in more than one child enrolled in college at the same time, and it’s almost 100% certain you’ll be looking at student loan options to meet those tuition bills.  Those could come in the form of either the Federal Student Loan program, or Private Student Loans.  But, how much will student debt and the cost of college end up setting you back in the long run? How Much Will Student Loan Debt Cost You? Below, we’ve provided an infographic that outlines some key points…

  • 7 Actions You Can Take TODAY To Get Accepted To Your Dream College!

    Admin
    18 Nov 2011 | 11:53 am
    College admission is all about making a lasting and positive impression on the school(s) that you’re applying to.  More specifically, it’s about setting yourself apart from the thousands of other applicants so that you get noticed, and get accepted!  If you’ve ever wondered if there is something you should or could be doing to help put you in a better position for admission, we’re going to show you 7 actions that you can take today that will help you get accepted! The reasoning behind this article is simple: we get numerous students and parents that ask us…
 
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    eLearners Community

  • State Of The Union: Education And Immigration

    SteveFoerster
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:43 pm
    This is the third of a three part series responding to those parts of Barack Obama's State of the Union speech earlier this week that concerned higher education. And this is a topic he's covered before in previous speeches, but it was worth repeating on his part, and worth praise here, the relationship between education and immigration reform. For starters he mentioned the cases of people who were brought to the U.S. as children, not of their own volition, who grew up here and are thoroughly...(read more)

  • State Of The Union: Tuition Rates

    SteveFoerster
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:26 pm
    This is the second of a three part series responding to those parts of Barack Obama's State of the Union speech earlier this week that concerned higher education. One of the most relevant things he discussed to all students, including eLearners, was the skyrocketing cost of getting a college education: When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest...(read more)

  • Student Retention: Motivate Your Classmates

    JaynaB
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:23 pm
    Most online universities have academic advisors and staff set in place to help struggling students with their issues in courses.  But you can have a hand in holding up your fellow classmates with staying focused.  Case and point - in my statistics class in the summer of last year, most of us connected fairly quickly.  The course was demanding and difficult for us.  Most people were beginning to second guess their doctoral progress or degree, but many of us pulled together via Skype or yahoo chat and encouraged each other to stay the course. So what am I saying?  You…

  • State Of The Union: Community Colleges

    SteveFoerster
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:41 pm
    Last night Barack Obama delivered the third State of the Union address of his presidency. While he spoke out on a variety of different issues, at several points he referred to higher education. Those point are keenly relevant to online learning, and so, since the Republicans get to deliver a response to the State of the Union, so too does eLearners News . In fact, since Mr. Obama touched on three things of particular relevance to eLearning, this response will be a three part series. The first aspect...(read more)

  • 15 Songs to Help You Study: Week of 01.23.12

    DeLucianal
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:38 pm
    I love music, live and breathe it. Music gets me through working out, long car rides, and most especially, concentrating on work. Ever since elementary school, I've found that music played lightly in the background helps keep me focused and centered. The key to a good study soundtrack is to pick songs that will get you into a good groove but are not so overbearing that you focus more on say Metallica than your assignment. With nearly 20,000 songs in my Spotify library, I have more than a few...(read more)
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    LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

  • The REAL Commission—Can We Keep it Real?

    Cheryl S. Williams
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:10 am
    Last month I learned that I had been appointed to the Recommendations for Education and Advancement of Learning (REAL) Agenda Commission whose job is to recommend an initial research and policy agenda for Digital Promise by producing a report to be delivered in April to White House Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra. Digital Promise is a national center created by Congress to advance technologies to transform teaching and learning.  The Commission is chaired by Dave Belanger, from AT&T, Arden Bement, from Purdue University, and Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, from Apollo Research…

  • The Education Community Responds to the State of the Union

    obriena
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:02 pm
    Updated 1/26/12 In the State of the Union, President Obama made several references to education, reiterating its importance to his administration and to a healthy economy.  While k-12 education was not a primary focus of the speech, he did touch directly on a few major education issues. He pointed out that nearly all states have raised their academic standards in recent years. He also made one very specific policy proposal: He called on all states to keep students in school until they either graduate from high school or turn 18. In addition, the President emphasized the importance of…

  • Could You Excel in this Environment?

    NEA Health Information Network
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:47 pm
    On January 14 and 15, "CNN Presents" aired coverage of Dr. Sanjay Gupta's visit to Southern Middle School in Reading, Pennsylvania. The episode looked at districts in several states, but Reading stood out as a district in dire straits. The video footage from Reading showed mold and mildew, leaking buildings, and rain pouring into a classroom. The poor indoor environmental quality of this school and many more around the country has a devastating impact on the health and performance of the student and staff who study and work in these buildings every day. Poor indoor environmental quality is…

  • The People's Library: Did You Know?

    Tarsi Dunlop
    19 Jan 2012 | 1:25 pm
    The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library. Materials are added at the rate of 10,000 per day and the Copyright Office has a card catalogue with more than45 million card entries. It contains 838 miles of bookshelves and holds a collection of more than 147 million items. The Library is open to the public and its resources are available on-site in Washington D.C to anyone older than 16 with government issued identification. The American Memory Project – an effort to digitalize a large portion of the Library’s collection – has more than  9 million items available…

  • Can Schools Solve Societal Problems?

    obriena
    17 Jan 2012 | 6:02 pm
    Earlier today a press release for a study in the January 2012 issue of Sociology of Education caught my eye: Study Suggests Junk Food in Schools Doesn’t Cause Weight Gain Among Children. According to the press release (I’m not a subscriber of the journal, so I didn’t have access to the full text of the study), “While the percentage of obese children in the United States tripled between the early 1970s and the late 2000s, a new study suggests that—at least for middle school students—weight gain has nothing to do with the candy, soda, chips, and other junk food they can purchase at…
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    My College Guide

  • Are Only High Paying Majors Worth The Time?

    admin
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:32 am
    You’ve probably heard a good deal about the wildly increasing price tag of a university or college degree.  This is not to state that there are still not great deals in education to be found, but there is no doubt that these deals are far harder to find and require much more research than in days past. All of this has left people wondering not just how to survive college or college dorm life, but whether or not they should attend college in the first place.  Additionally, many students are also wondering if they should only attend college if they are going to major in a career with a…

  • The Practical Benefits of Studying Abroad

    admin
    21 Jan 2012 | 10:24 am
    Between financial aid for college tuition and learning how to find scholarships, you might feel as though you have your plate pretty full.  There are definitely many different factors that go into making the switch from high school to college, but it is also a good idea to be looking ahead as well.  One way to look ahead to is think about issues such as studying abroad.  In this article, we will explore why to study abroad and the variety of practical benefits that come with making this decision. Studying abroad comes with a very wide range of real world, practical benefits.  If people…

  • Community Colleges – A Great Option to Consider

    admin
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pm
    One of the single most important parts of the transition from high school to college is being prepared.  Clearly, you should work hard to find financial aid for college tuition and direction federal student loans; however, if you are unable to afford college or your grades didn’t allow you to get into any local colleges or universities, don’t panic.  It is important to remember that you still have options for receiving an education. Millions of people have successfully used the community college system.  You can attend community college to receive further education and even…

  • 5 Ways to Go Green When Packing for College

    admin
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:46 am
    Getting ready to go off to college is one of the most exciting rites of passage in a young person’s life. College is the beginning of your independence, when choices and actions become sole responsibility of you. To start off your college career and life of independence on a green note, consider these tips for going green when packing for college. Chemical-Free Cleaning Supplies Of course you will want to keep your dorm room or apartment clean. Cleaning supplies can be very expensive, and they contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment and harmful to your health. Allergies,…

  • How Do You Handle College Advice When You Don’t Agree?

    admin
    14 Jan 2012 | 12:58 pm
    When it comes to your college career and your career goals, more than likely there are many people wanting to give you advice and lots of it.  Quite often people will put pressure on you to follow their advice, whether its friends or family.  If they can’t recognize that their advice is useless or even downright bad, what are you do to in such a situation?  What do you do when college advice goes beyond financial aid and grants or how to find scholarships and instead dives deeper into your decision making process? Dealing with a pushy relative who wants to give you college advice can…
 
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    The Tempered Radical

  • Three Innovation Questions Left Unanswered

    Bill Ferriter
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:37 am
    Blogger's Note: Excused the rough feel of this post, y'all.  I'm running late this morning but I wanted to do some transparent reflection before heading back to #educon.  Hopefully something here will spark your thinking too. __________________________________________ So I'm here in Philly this weekend for #educon -- one of the highlights of my professional year -- and I left last night's panel discussion on sustaining innovation with a TON of unanswered questions.  Here's just a few that are roiling through my mind right now: Can innovation happen without…

  • The Sad Truth Behind Mr. D's Take on Assessment

    Bill Ferriter
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pm
    After my recent rant on the sad state of technology in schools, Gerry Varty -- a regular Radical reader and good friend working as an assistant superintendent for the Wolf Creek Public Schools in Canada -- dropped me an email looking to cheer me up. He pointed me to this hilarious clip from a new Canadian #educentered sitcom.  In it, Mr. D figures out a new way to speed-grade essays written by his students and then ropes a buddy into helping him work through the stack over beers at the bar: Here's what worries me, y'all:  I've BEEN Mr. D more than once during the course of my…

  • Tool Review: Posterous Spaces

    Bill Ferriter
    20 Jan 2012 | 7:09 pm
    Our school has always required that teachers maintain websites as a tool for communicating with both parents and students.  For most teachers, "maintaining websites" means housing updates and classroom resources in Blackboard -- a popular service that our district has been using for years. I ditched Blackboard last year, though, for about a thousand disgruntled reasons.  I decided to use Posterous -- a site that I'm admittedly tech-crushing on right now -- for my classroom website. Here's three reasons why I think YOU should use Posterous for classroom websites, too: You…

  • The Straw Breaking My Professional Back

    Bill Ferriter
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:29 pm
    Cranky Blogger Warning: From time to time here on the Radical, I feel like a ranting lunatic driven by emotion rather than solution-oriented blogger driven by reason.  Now might just be one of those times.  Take what I write tonight with a grain of salt -- or a gallon of gin.  Dealer's choice. __________________________________________ Poke through my thoughts about technology's role in public education and you'll hear me preach over and over again about the importance of working to transform teaching REGARDLESS of the number of computers you have in your classroom.

  • Looking for an #edtech Workshop? Come Learn With Me!

    Bill Ferriter
    16 Jan 2012 | 9:33 am
    As most Radical readers know, I'm the author of Teaching the iGeneration -- a title designed to introduce teachers to ways that technology can be used to design lessons that give students opportunities to experiment with essential skills like collaboration, information management and persuasion.  It's probably the title that I'm most proud of because it is incredibly practical.  I've shared everything that I know about good teaching in the 21st Century.  Readers -- especially those teaching middle and high schoolers -- should be able to pick up Teaching the iGeneration…
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    Most Strongly Supported

  • Logical Reasonings

    Hank
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:19 pm
    A) A poll last week asked how strict the American Bar Association should be regarding LSAT scores and GPA. Survey says… Above the Law. B) Preparing for the LSAT? Take a philosophy class. The Reflector. C) Look at Vermont Law School raising $15.3 million. Go Vermont! VT Digger. D) If you’re not sure what to do after law school, here are a few ideas. “Become a magician in Las Vegas” isn’t on there, but you should also consider it. Law Admissions Lowdown. E) The most epic animal photobombs ever captured. Try not to giggle. Just try. Huffington Post.

  • Book Review: Busy Applicant’s Guide to Get into Law School

    Hank
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:17 pm
    Another book review? You bet your ass another book review. This time we’ve got Busy Applicant’s Guide to Get into Law School: Everything You Need in a Pocket-Sized Resource, which is available now for Kindle on Amazon. The book checks in at 133 pages and was written by former LSAT instructor Stephen Ilg and former Yale law career counselor Levi Weikel-Magden. It’s a breezy but informative read that, for anyone interested in a JD, would be an adequate next step in research after a few hours on Google. Moreover, Get Into Law School would be an ideal read for a student who just completed…

  • Time to Hunker Down if it’s Your Third LSAT in Two Years

    Alex Davis
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:26 pm
    Are you ready for a slew of clichés? Good, because here they come. It’s crunch time. It’s the bottom of the ninth. It’s the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. This one’s for all the marbles. The whole enchilada. Hopefully you’ve gotten the point by now. What the crap am I talking about, though? Well, for some folks out there, this is the last LSAT they’ll be able to take for a while. It’s their third in two years. It is these folks to whom I speak directly. Your particular situation has no doubt got you on edge with the February LSAT growing ever nearer. Allow me to play…

  • Logical Reasonings

    Hank
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:37 pm
    A) You’d think if anyone knew about sampling fallacy on the LSAT, it would be a law school. Marquette Tribune. B) “Electronic tablets will make paper books in law schools obsolete within a decade.” Yes, but will law students get to class on Hoverboards or jetpacks? Law Technology News. C) Remember that internet thing last week with Wikipedia. The SOPA and PIPA nonsense? A lawyer explains why it was nonsense. Web Pro News. D) Man gets $22 million after wrongfully being imprisoned in solitary confinement. The worst part: His only reading material was Twilight novels and old TV…

  • And the Oscar Goes to: LSAT Logic Games!

    Nick Rey
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:26 pm
    Oscar nominations were announced yesterday (Gary Oldman for Best Actor, you better believe it) and the following 7 movies were among those nominated: The Artist, The Descendants, Hugo, Moneyball, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Help and War Horse. Although winners will not be announced for another month, the following details have been leaked regarding the winners: • Only four of these seven movies will receive an Oscar • If Hugo does not receive an Oscar, then The Descendants will receive one • If Moneyball receives an Oscar then The Artist will not, unless Tinker Tailor receives one…
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    Enrollmark

  • EnrollMark’s Seussical Social Solutions

    Mike Hines
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:37 pm
    I’m really excited to announce a new online series our digital marketing team has been working vigorously to release. It’s called “Seussical Social Solutions,” and it’s a six part series over 11 weeks that provides insight, tricks, tips and information for schools about marketing online. Each chapter of the series has a different Dr. Seuss theme and ranges in topics from building community with social media, using SEO (Search Engine Optimization), PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising, reputation management, pain points for enrollment and retention, and how to increase…

  • How Apple could change education

    Mike Hines
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:38 am
    EnrollMark’s Maria Konopken, a social media specialist, discusses how Apple is changing the future of education. It is hard to imagine a world before “i” came before everything. From how we listen to music to how we explore the Internet, it can go without saying that Apple products have changed how we function in our everyday lives. This same shift in lifestyle could be coming to the classroom.  Last week, January 19 2012, Apple executives and others gathered at the Guggenheim Museum in New York to present and discuss the company’s future plans for the education market. According…

  • Social Media and Preschool Student Safety

    Lisa Owen
    13 Jan 2012 | 8:48 am
    As schools begin to look into using Social Media as a marketing and community building tool, the question of student privacy and in some cases, safety, usually arises at some point in the consideration process. Preparing a plan for the use of photos and videos including students before launching any social media campaign is essential. For schools dealing with very young children, this is absolutely essential. Schools have always been aware that they need to be sensitive of student privacy, and this awareness must extend into the digital space as well. While many people embrace social media,…

  • Multi-Campus Charter

    EnrollMark
    9 Jan 2012 | 12:02 pm
    Multi-Campus Arizona Charter School Case Study The Results: • Total of 579 enrollments, or 126% of the goal in over 90 days • Over 3,300% Return on Investment • West Valley campus – Goal: 114 enrollments; Result: 209 new enrollments • East Valley campus – Goal: 204 enrollments; Result: 230 new enrollments • Southeastern Arizona campus – Goal: 142 enrollments; Result: 130 new enrollments The Client: This Arizona-based charter school is now in its fourth year of operations with campuses across the state of Arizona. With over 2,000 students enrolled it is one of the…

  • Social media misconduct in the classroom: How do teachers communicate with students?

    Mike Hines
    4 Jan 2012 | 3:55 pm
      How do social-media savvy teachers communicate with their students?    While more educators continue to use Facebook and Twitter to interact with students, a wave of confusion on social media policies have hit the desks of school administrators. The New York Times published a story about administrators cracking down on inappropriate online interactions between teachers and students, which in some cases resulted in sexual abuse or assault charges.It’s truly a muddy area. How do you encourage online interaction, while at the same time censoring or limiting your communication…
 
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    Extension on the Go

  • The Ugly Gs – Guilt and Grudge

    johnsond@missouri.edu (Debbie Johnson)
    17 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm
    "I've had a few arguments with people, but I never carry a grudge. You know why? While you're carrying a grudge, they're out dancing. " ~ Buddy Hackett (Photo by Peter Suneson) Of all the multitude of human emotions, guilt and resentment can break your spirit and crush the enjoyment out of life.  You can carry both for a lifetime, and never recognize the weight that you’re dragging with you. Guilt is a sense of inadequacy and self-reproach for feeling you have failed the “should’s,” “could’s” and “would’s”…”I should have done…”,…

  • Can Money Make You Happy?

    johnsond@missouri.edu (Debbie Johnson)
    9 Jan 2012 | 4:26 pm
    “Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and trip.” ~ Charles Caleb Colton (Photo by David Siqueira) Believing that money and happiness are synonymous is a slippery slope, it bases your contentment on something outside yourself.  Granted, living hand-to-mouth can cause a great deal of worry and stress, but if you suddenly had all the money you needed, would you be happier?  I think the key is to not make money the center of your universe, but rather make it a tool you use on your journey.   Today’s guest…

  • Amaryllis – An Overlooked Holiday Delight

    johnsond@missouri.edu (Debbie Johnson)
    19 Dec 2011 | 3:55 pm
    “…you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens (touching skillfully, mysteriously)her first rose…” ~ e e cummings (Photo by Vladimir Fofanov ) Amaryllis, with its large blooms and wide variety of colors, can be an excellent gift for the green-thumb members of your family and friends. It’s also a great gift for children.  Amaryllis is so easy to grow it offers a great “hands on” learning experience for youngsters. Today’s guest is David Trinklein, horticulture specialist for University of Missouri Extension.  We’re going to chat about all things Amaryllis.  …

  • Deck the Halls with Proper Caution

    johnsond@missouri.edu (Debbie Johnson)
    12 Dec 2011 | 6:22 pm
    "Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles." ~ Author Unknown Ornamental plants are a great way to make your home festive for the holidays. Stealing a kiss under the mistletoe or hanging a holly wreath to welcome guests are both traditions, and both plants are toxic. These plants can cause harm if they are eaten or handled. If you plan to decorate with mistletoe, holly, Jerusalem cherry, bittersweet or yew use caution and place them well out of the reach of small children and pets.     Today’s guest is David Trinklein, horticulture specialist…

  • Re-blooming the Poinsettia – Not a Nonchalant Feat

    johnsond@missouri.edu (Debbie Johnson)
    7 Dec 2011 | 4:42 pm
    One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~ Andy Rooney (Photo by Mike Johnson) There are two factions when it comes to what to do with poinsettias after the holidays. One group breathes a sigh of relief that the holidays are over, and tosses the plant away. The other group, the keepers, wants to care and nurture the plant so it can re-bloom the following winter. It takes more than just water and fertilizer to get the poinsettia’s bracts to turn color. Only diligent endurance will reward you with…
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    MIT OpenCourseWare: New Courses

  • 18.06SC Linear Algebra (MIT)

    Strang, Gilbert
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:18 am
    This course covers matrix theory and linear algebra, emphasizing topics useful in other disciplines such as physics, economics and social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.

  • 11.941 Urban Climate Adaptation (MIT)

    Carmin, JoAnn
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:48 am
    "Designing a dream city is easy. Rebuilding a living one takes imagination."    -Jane JacobsThis course examines the challenges that cities will face and strategies they can use to prepare for the impacts of climate change. Particular attention will be paid to the presence of global disparities, the needs of vulnerable populations and resource constrained locales, and the ways in which local government and community-based activities can achieve equitable levels of climate-readiness. 

  • 11.027 City to City: Comparing, Researching and Writing about Cities: New Orleans (MIT)

    Abbanat, Cherie Miot
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:47 am
    City to City, as a class, will jump into the complexity of planning in New Orleans, a post-disaster city. City-to-City will ask how a post-disaster city grapple with its ideas of identity, what it is, who it represents, and how it projects its sense of self to residences, businesses, tourists, and to the outside world. In considering its people, how do city planners think about who lives where and why? At the same time, how can city planners celebrate a city's history and its culture and how can these elements be woven into reconstruction? Students will travel from Cambridge to New Orleans…

  • MAS.836 Sensor Technologies for Interactive Environments (MIT)

    Paradiso, Joseph
    11 Jan 2012 | 11:44 pm
    This course is a broad introduction to a host of sensor technologies, illustrated by applications drawn from human-computer interfaces and ubiquitous computing. After extensively reviewing electronics for sensor signal conditioning, the lectures cover the principles and operation of a variety of sensor architectures and modalities, including pressure, strain, displacement, proximity, thermal, electric and magnetic field, optical, acoustic, RF, inertial, and bioelectric. Simple sensor processing algorithms and wired and wireless network standards are also discussed. Students are required to…

  • STS.050 The History of MIT (MIT)

    Mindell, David
    11 Jan 2012 | 11:29 pm
    This course examines the history of MIT through the lens of the broader history of science and technology, and vice versa. The course covers the founding of MIT in 1861 and goes through the present, including such topics as William Barton Rogers, educational philosophy, biographies of MIT students and professors, intellectual and organizational development, the role of science, changing laboratories and practices, and MIT's relationship with Boston, the federal government, and industry. Assignments include short papers, presentations, and final paper. A number of classes are concurrent with…
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    Discus Awards Blog

  • Discus Awards Blog - Meet the Winner - Christopher Yao

    13 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pm
    My passion for service and helping others began when I was diagnosed with an under-jaw bite when I was starting middle school. Doctors projected that I would have major problems speaking and eating if it was not corrected by a costly surgery. Thankfully, I eventually had my under-jaw bite fixed. But for all this time, I thought about all the kids who had the same difficulties as I did and those who could not even afford treatment. Soon I decided to join in the Smile Train‘s mission to help raise funds for life-changing cleft-lip surgery for underprivileged children around the world.

  • Discus Awards Blog - Meet the Winner - Shruthi Prabhu

    4 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    The basis of my idea for a charity program started when one day, my mom was talking to me and said that my grandmother had glaucoma, an incurable disease that gradually closes in on the vision and slowly drives the victim to a devastating state of blindness. That very summer, I got glasses, due to slight power in both of my eyes. I had always had 20/20 vision, but suddenly, my eyesight deteriorated, and I became the first one in my family (at the age of 14) to get glasses. Afterwards, I thought about my aunt on my dad's side. When she was about seven or eight years old, she lost one of her…

  • Discus Awards Blog - Winner Videos of the Day - Sherman Leung

    30 Dec 2011 | 3:00 pm
    Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Gershwin, Leung.  These are the titans of the classical piano, but not all are created equal.  Sherman Leung is the only name on that list that has been recognized by the Discus Awards for all-around excellence, in his case, for achievements in technology, arts, and faith. In today's Winner Videos of the Day, Sherman pays homage to two of his classical peers: Beethoven and Chopin.  The first video, Sherman's performance of Beethoven's Sonata in C#, begins 24 seconds in.  Warning: Your face may be melted by Mr. Leung's…

  • Discus Awards Blog - Winner Picture of the Day - Stephany Kim

    28 Dec 2011 | 9:00 am
    Ralph Macchio, move over, there's a new Karate Kid in town.  Her name is Stephany Kim, she's a Discus Award winner for her achievements in academics, work, and athletics, and she's a one-girl wrecking machine.  In the words of 1970s funk singer Carl Douglas, Stephany's kicks are "fast as lightning".  Lucky for us, someone who had a camera with a fast shutter was able to snap a picture of Stephany in action.  This picture of Stephany's high-flying athleticism was taken at the 6th Worlds Taekwondo Championships in Vladivostok, Russia, where she placed 8th…

  • Discus Awards Blog - Meet the Winner - Sophie Hollingsworth

    30 Nov 2011 | 2:00 pm
    Editor's Note: Sophie Hollingsworth is a 2011-2012 Discus Award winner from Florida who has founded a non-profit organization, AquaAid International, Inc., that aims to provide safe drinking water for communities in the developing world.  Sophie was kind enough to share her experience through this guest blog post.  For more information on AquaAid International and how you can get involved, please visit the AquaAid Blog or e-mail them at aquaaid.international@gmail.com. It started with an invitation, a debutante invitation to be specific. I was honored to be considered by an…
 
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    My Fresh Plans

  • What Comes Next?

    Rebecca Haden
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:06 am
    “What comes next?” is a deceptively simple question. Identifying a series and predicting what comes next is a critical thinking skill that lets us test comprehension of a wide range of math concepts — and one which we use as adults in reading, planning, and decision making as well. Use craft sticks and chart stickers to create “What Comes Next?” games or centers customized for your classroom, or have students make “What Comes Next?” puzzles for each other. It’s very easy. Use stickers on one side of a craft stick to establish a pattern. End with…

  • Teaching Fractions

    Rebecca Haden
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:54 pm
    A recent report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel recommended that we as a nation get it together when it comes to teaching fractions. They didn’t phrase it quite like that, but they singled out fractions as an essential area in math that isn’t being taught successfully, and must be. It is, according to the panel, one of the big three topics that should be completely mastered in K-8. It also serves as an example for one practice the panel particularly abhors: revisiting a topic year after year “without closure” — that is to say, we teach it every year…

  • Florence Kelley

    Rebecca Haden
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:55 am
    Florence Kelley worked for laws to improve working conditions in the United States and for civil rights. She was important in the fight to get children out of factories and into schools, and the fight for safe working conditions for factory workers. Kelley was a fighter. She was one of the first factory inspectors, becoming the Chief Factory Inspector for the state of Illinois in 1893, and she was known to be very tough when she found children working in factories, or people working in dangerous conditions. At that time, factory workers — including children — often worked for 12…

  • Snakes Lesson Plans

    Rebecca Haden
    12 Jan 2012 | 6:16 am
    What do snakes do in winter? They sleep. When the ground begins to warm up, snakes begin to move, making snakes an important sign of spring. For a seasonal study, or any time, try some science-based lessons on snakes. This study really lends itself to the use of video, and we’ve included several at different levels of complexity. This study can be a good opportunity to explore different aspects of visual literacy, since it uses graphic organizers, charts, diagrams, and video, as well as written text and discussion. Ask students to list scary animals. Chances are, snakes will be included…

  • Squirrels Lesson Plans

    Rebecca Haden
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:31 pm
    Squirrels are a wild animal urban kids may know as well as rural ones. Get ready for Squirrel Appreciation Day on January 21st with some literacy lesson plans. Read some books: The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue – a Smithsonian’s Backyard Book Online resources with background info: National Geographic has photos, maps, and background info. The Squirrel Place has a cartoon picture kids can roam around and click on for mouse practice. BBC Nature has lots of photos and…
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    .eduGuru

  • It Looks Like College Students are the Majority of Google+ Users

    Kyle James
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:40 am
    It wasn’t that long ago that Mike Petroff wrote this blog post about Google+ Pages Launch.  Some new data about Google+ demographics pointed out some interesting trends that I couldn’t help but share.  With a sample size of 45 million crawled public profiles I feel pretty good that the sample data is accurate.  Google+ is estimated at 90 million total profiles.  I definitely recommend looking at the report but here are a couple of things that stood out to me. Read the Google+ Demographics Global Report Male vs Female Ratio Google+ is 70% male.  This is especially weird when you…

  • FollowEDU Launches: Searchable Directory of Twitter Users in Higher Ed

    Mike Petroff
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    I (@mikepetroff) am very pleased to announce the launch of my new website FollowEDU! It is a searchable directory of Twitter users in Higher Ed. FollowEDU allows users to sign in with Twitter and create an account, list their profile under Interests within higher ed, schools, companies, and more. I invite you to add your Twitter profile today. It’s very easy to create your account. Just visit FollowEDU.com and click the Join button, then follow the steps to connect your Twitter account. Join FollowEDU » During registration, you can add Interests to your profile. FollowEDU organizes…

  • Why you should ask your vendors for an ROI analysis breakdown

    Kyle James
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    All educational institutions work with vendors in one way or another.  Some like to bring lots of their services in-house and have almost internal agencies who do the work where others tend to outsource quite a few projects.  Either way, when you are preparing a new project you have to factor in an ROI (Return on Investment) analysis in the discussions. For a college or university it still comes down to money and this almost always comes from one of three sources: student tuition, donations or  government spending.  Because of our audience here I’m going to strictly focus on web…

  • Why You Should Ignore Pinterest (for now)

    Michael Fienen
    12 Jan 2012 | 11:19 am
    Blame Travis over at EMG for this article – he pulled me into this question on Facebook about what higher ed should be doing about Pinterest. It was something that shouldn’t have riled me up, and yet it did. It doesn’t help that many of you may have also caught the article over on the CASE blog about Pinterest as well, and are now wondering: “Is that for us?” It was written to showcase the work Oberlin is putting in to their Pinterest account - which I applaud their effort, if not their methods. Warning: This is a rant. You can jump to the end if you’d…

  • Why now is a great time to do an OAuth audit

    Nick DeNardis
    4 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    The beginning of the year is a great opportunity to start fresh and look at everything with a new set of eyes. Something that is easily overlooked is who (or what) has access to your social media accounts. It’s easy to change your password and revoke access from co-workers but it isn’t as easy to identify which websites and services have access to your accounts. What is OAuth? OAuth (Open Authorization) is an open standard for authorization. It allows users to share their private resources (e.g., photos, videos, contact lists) stored on one site with another site without…
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    FACS Alive: Today's Family & Consumer Science News

  • Healthy Kids Challenge “Stirring Up Health” Recipe Contest

    michele
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:14 am
    Here is a wonderful opportunity to get your seventh and eighth grade students excited and thinking about healthy food. Healthy Kids Challenge, a nonprofit organization of dietitians, is sponsoring a contest that will engage your students and develop their skills in food preparation, recipe development and healthy food selection. The challenge is for students either individually or as a group to develop a recipe from one of the MyPlate food group categories. The recipe must incorporate the USDA Dietary Guidelines, such as lowering sugar, fat, and salt. The recipe can either be an existing…

  • LZX Learning Tool- MyPlate Dietary Guidelines PowerPoint

    michele
    17 Jan 2012 | 10:13 am
    I just finished previewing this great PowerPoint presentation from Learning ZoneXpress. The PowerPoint has eye catching photography and is very informative without being overwhelming. It goes through each section of the USDA MyPlate icon and gives tips related to that part of the plate.  It then walks through each of the dietary guidelines. I believe this presentation would be a wonderful way to introduce your students to MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines using technology. The presentation would be perfect for middle school students to adults. One other super attribute is that, provided you…

  • Are we making anything in class today?

    michele
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:54 pm
    “Are we making anything in class today?” As a seasoned FCS teacher, I know that when my students come into class asking this question, they are really asking, “Do I get to eat anything today?” While it is a very important question for a teenager, it is also important for students to know to speak and address others with respect. When a student comes into class asking me this question, I respond with a pleasant smile and voice and say, “Well, hello to you too.” They get that. The student will then smile, greet me and THEN ask if we are making anything in class today. It…

  • Technology and Your New Year’s Resolution

    michele
    5 Jan 2012 | 11:39 am
    If your New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight, eat healthy,  get fit or to quit smoking, there is a great website that can help you plan and track your success. At LiveStong.com, you can select, plan and track your resolution. The website can also help you to determine the amount of calories you should consume each day and then keep track of your daily calorie consumption. The website’s MyPlate calorie counter allows you to set your weight loss goals, track your daily caloric intake and log your fitness activities. The website also has an app, so you and your students can keep track on…

  • Welcome the New Year with a great new recipe!

    michele
    2 Jan 2012 | 10:28 am
    Getting tired of your same old-same old dinner venue or classroom recipes? An excellent resource is allrecipes.com. This website will help you locate recipes based on a meal category, certain ingredients or season of the year. The recipes are rated by many people, so you can be sure those with high ratings will be absolutely delicious! It is also worthwhile to read the comments below each recipe. Sometimes, readers have great suggestions.  For example, I make the Swedish meatballs from one recipe and make the gravy from another based on someone’s recommendation. Together, it is an…
 
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    Live to Learn! blogs

  • Language is not to be a barrier to communicate

    Karthikeyan
    14 Jan 2012 | 9:34 pm
    No longer the language is not to be a barrier to learn. In soon, there is no need of human translators for us when we are traveling around the world. Google Translate - A revolution in Language development It is a free translation service that provides instant translations among 63 different languages. It can translate words, sentences and web pages. It makes the  information universally accessible and useful, regardless of the language in which it’s written. 1. Translating words and... Read more at http://www.livetolearn.in

  • Interactive Code learning

    Karthik
    3 Jan 2012 | 8:31 pm
    Learning a computer program is now made easy. Instead of learning from the basic alphabets of programming language, here is an easy approach to learn quickly.It is the easiest way to learn how to code. It's interactive, fun, and you can do it with your friends. No need of any qualifications It will help you to build websites, games and apps in internet. To motivate your learning it provides badges for your progress. Start learning a programming language Start Now (open in new... Read more at http://www.livetolearn.in

  • Grid Computing - Contribute to Scientific Research

    xylophone.victor
    31 Dec 2011 | 11:19 pm
        Are you interested in scientific research? All the scientific and technological advancements we enjoy today are the result of years of research. Now, anyone can be a part of scientific research. The only requirements are that you have a computer connected to internet. BOINC,  The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing, is an open source software system for grid computing. When this software is installed on an internet-connected computer, it will download data... Read more at http://www.livetolearn.in

  • Online Computer Classes at Stanford University

    xylophone.victor
    30 Dec 2011 | 12:06 pm
    Online courses are now available from many legitimate and well known universitites. Stanford University, one of the top US universities, has many online computer courses. Here's a list of some courses available. More courses may be added later.   CS 101: http://www.cs101-class.org/   Design and Analysis of Algorithms I: http://www.algo-class.org/   Cryptography: http://www.crypto-class.org/   Computer Security: http://www.security-class.org/   Software As A Service:... Read more at http://www.livetolearn.in

  • Sync and Backup Bookmarks, Accounts, Apps, Themes in Chrome Browser

    Karthik
    25 Dec 2011 | 10:56 am
    Sync your Bookmarks, Accounts, Apps, Themes in Chrome Browser Many of us may know about the browser toolbars such as Google toolbar, Yahoo toolbar and add-ons which enable us to sign in and sync our bookmarks across multiple computers. But, Google chrome has an in-built feature to sync all your bookmarks, customizations etc.,  Why I need to use this? To keep a safe copy of online backup of all of your Bookmarks, Apps, Themes stored in your Browser To use your browser settings,... Read more at http://www.livetolearn.in
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    Essay Snark

  • Interview help now available!

    essaysnark
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:21 pm
    So you're going to interview -- and you're panicking. And that little interviewing guide we just put out is only making it worse. ;-) Additional EssaySnark services have just been announced to give you all that you could possibly need to make a strong impression: Practice Interview Sessions! Get a comprehensive review of your content, delivery, and overall interview performance from EssaySnark! Separate options for blind and open interviews Help for Harvard Interviews! (And others that are not blind.) Get a personalized list of questions tailored specifically to your candidacy! Be better…

  • The SnarkStrategies Interviewing Guide is now available!

    essaysnark
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:08 am
    Thanks for all your interest in the new Interviewing Guide - and congrats to all who've already gotten the invites!! Some of you are really rackin' them up, the veritable belle of the ball it seems! SnarkStrategies Interviewing Guide Paperback edition: $17.95This is a softcover book Click here to purchase from CreateSpace (an Amazon affiliate) Kindle edition: $14.95 Click here to purchase from Amazon Ebook edition: $14.95Electronic format for Sony NOOK and other epub readersClick here to purchase from Smashwords Anyone who pre-ordered, you should have received instructions for downloading…

  • business etiquette

    essaysnark
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:10 am
    Now that many of you are starting to chomp your fingernails already - Rd 2 deadlines have only just passed  yet there's so much to stress about!! -- here's some quasi-interesting stuff on business etiquette: Disregarding the fact that everyone in this video is female -- in EssaySnark's career we definitely were grossed out by dining habits of men more often than women during a power lunch -- there could be some value in reviewing it whether you're a chick or a dude. Or you can just go back to manically checking your email for an update from the schools. (It's too early for news, people.

  • Guest post! Another Take Two story! With advice from an MBA friend!

    essaysnark
    20 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    Yay! Another it-took-two-years success story to present to you, with another strong message! And some amazing results this time around. And some honesty, too. And a real friend who also offered some words of wisdom along the way. Here's to friends, and to getting real, and to not giving up.  Note that the only outside help this particularly BSer got was submitting an essay for a free review on the blahg; you really don't need to pay the big bucks for admissions consulting to get into bschool (though we're here to help if you want to pay some little bucks!).  Nice job, you Admitted…

  • "Should I apply to Columbia? Like, now?"

    essaysnark
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:40 am
    Columbia Business School's application deadlines are the confusingest of the confusing. They have two different intakes and rolling admissions and this Early Decision thingy and whatever. And that's just for the standard F/T MBA. Then they've got like five different flavors of EMBA, all with different dates too. The worst of the confusing though is the fact that their Regular Decision deadline is in April. "Whoa, that gives me plenty of time!" we hear you think, a sudden burst of Columbia inspiration hitting your bloodstream. Or maybe you smashed together a whole bunch of apps in these first…
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    Miguel Ángel Escotet » English Blog

  • “Today there is a need to educate for uncertainty”

    Miguel Angel Escotet
    22 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am
    In this interview, professor Miguel Ángel Escotet reveals the key factors for achieving an education adapted to the future. To his mind, it is crucial to allow students take a more active role in their own education, to strive for a balance between the cognitive and affective domains and educate for an increasingly uncertain world.

  • The Corporate Management Is An Unfit Model for Education

    Miguel Angel Escotet
    21 Jan 2012 | 4:02 pm
    What are the bases of culture and society? What is the cultural and social context of education? How can the social forces that influence teaching and learning be adapted to enhance the educational process? What are the cultural and social foundations of education in America? What are the purposes of education in a global society? What higher education for what type of society? How can we made more efficient our schools and universities? These and many other questions are under debate today and always. Teachers and other professional educators encounter social/cultural forces as primary…

  • University Reform And Change For What Kind Of Society?

    Miguel Angel Escotet
    29 Dec 2011 | 5:05 am
    No social institution can be studied in a vacuum. The university as an institution can only be understood within the context of the education system which, in turn, can only be comprehended within the context of society as a whole. As one of the pillars of the social system, the university must be analyzed and regulated in accordance with global strategies firmly anchored in local, national and international society. Just as these strategies interact with one another, society and the university interact as well. This line of thought holds that universities do not exist independently of the…

  • Teaching Beyond The Transmission of Knowledge

    Miguel Angel Escotet
    23 Nov 2011 | 7:00 pm
    “Teaching to the test at the expense of teaching to the heart is wrong and reduces education to a very superficial acquisition of knowledge and values. Standardized testing for measuring knowledge, skills and attitudes goes against learning styles and individual differences.” “One of the most important rules of teaching is to preach by example. Are all faculty in teacher preparation programs practicing what they preach?” It is our believe that the aim of education should be to build in each student strong theoretical foundations, to help future teachers to be educated…

  • Exercising Shared Authority in Higher Education

    Miguel Angel Escotet
    26 Oct 2011 | 4:56 am
    The authority of governing is gained through the existence of levels of participation and cooperation in decision-making The picture above shows the signature ceremony of the the Magna Charta Universitatum signed in Piazza Maggiore at Bologna in September 18, 1988 by 388 Rectors of worldwide main universities. They were representing the Autoritas Universitatum of the traditional and new higher education institutions when the University of Bologna was commemorating one thousand years of its existance. Competent authority is slowly replacing charismatic, dictatorial or democratic authority.
 
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    FWD.Pearson.com

  • Digital Learning Day: Celebrating the Potential of Technology

    Chris Dragon
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:03 am
    Technology and digital media have created a virtual world where people are always creating and consuming information, collaborating in new ways, sharing ideas and challenging the status quo. Even... See more at FWD.pearson.com...

  • Obama: Let’s Make Higher Education Affordable to All

    Sandi Kirshner
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pm
    The value and importance of accessibility to, and the affordability of, higher education took center stage during President Obama’s State of the Union Address (or, as I like to call it, his “Wake Up... See more at FWD.pearson.com...

  • Resolutions for Education

    Jeff Borden
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:51 am
    It’s only January 25, and I’ve already heard about 50 New Year’s Resolutions.  Having already been out “on the road” I have asked a lot of people about their resolutions... See more at FWD.pearson.com...

  • Socializing in a Cyber World

    Reese Flurie
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:36 pm
    We live in a cyber world. Who would have thought even a few years ago that we’d all use “ Facebook” and “Google” as verbs, and “tweet” would mean something other than the sound a bird makes? Children... See more at FWD.pearson.com...

  • Effective Schools – Looking at a Recent Working Paper Through the Virtual School Lens

    Donna Hutchison
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:35 pm
    An interesting working paper was released in December entitled “Getting Beneath the Veil of Effective Schools: Evidence from New York City” by Will Dobbie and Roland G. Fryer, Jr.... See more at FWD.pearson.com...
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    Math Tutoring Online - One-on-one Math Tutor - Rebecca Zook

  • “Interesting,” not “complicated” (Math Mantras, part 2)

    Rebecca Zook
    6 Jan 2012 | 2:50 pm
    Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about re-framing. Along the lines of “eraser time,” and “when in doubt, write it out,” another way I’ve found helps my students to approach a more complex problem with courage and even a sense of playfulness is saying the simple phrase, “This looks… interesting,” with a little friendly smile. Why does this work? So many times when kids hit a problem that looks weird to them, they just stop and give up, thinking, I don’t recognize this, I don’t know how to do this, no one has taught me this yet! I…

  • Encouragement, anywhere

    Rebecca Zook
    27 Dec 2011 | 8:52 am
    Back when I was preparing to use technology to work with my students, I made a master list of everything I would normally do during an in-person session and then figured out a way to have the same experience even if we weren’t in the same place. One of the biggest things that concerned me was whether or not students would feel as reassured or encouraged if we weren’t in the same spot. How could I plan for this in advance? My list actually said something like: How will I give hugs and stickers? And my proposed solution was: Hug the monitor and pretend we are hugging each other Draw…

  • It’s not just about math

    Rebecca Zook
    17 Dec 2011 | 1:44 pm
    I don’t normally put testimonials on my blog — they have their own beautiful lil’ zone over on the testimonials page — but I wanted to showcase one of the BEST things that happened to me this past week — doing a video interview with one of my favorite clients of all time, Miranda Lynch, and her mom, Sheri Lynch! Before we talked, I really didn’t know what Miranda and her mom were going to say. I had no idea that Miranda is now taking *two* math classes (because she wants to), and I also hadn’t heard about most of her other amazing results (like…

  • It’s eraser time! (And other math mantras)

    Rebecca Zook
    28 Nov 2011 | 6:00 am
    Apparently, there are certain things I tell my students over and over. One of them, with a twinkle in my eye and glee in my voice, is, “It’s eraser time!” (Whenever I say, “It’s eraser time!”, I think, “It’s Hammer Time!”, even though that was a hit long before most of my students were born.) Then my student will jubilantly erase their mistake and then correct their work. I didn’t realize how much I would say “It’s eraser time!” until my students started saying it *back* to me. Which made me ask myself–how did…

  • Face your fears, get a higher grade

    Rebecca Zook
    21 Nov 2011 | 6:11 am
    Having students write about their anxiety before a high-stakes test, for 10 minutes, can reduce or eliminate the performance loss caused by nerves, a new study finds. College students were given a challenging math test involving a subject they hadn’t encountered before (but whose rules could be learned quickly). Then they learned they’d win $10 if they increased their score on a second test, and that their performance would also determine whether another student got $10. To add to the pressure, they’d be videotaped and their methods evaluated. Before Test 2, the students…
 
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    MindShare Learning Report

  • MindShare Learning President Featured in National Post Apple eBook Article

    Robert Martellacci
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:49 am
    Posted in MindShare Learning News Apple’s iBooks 2 takes a bite out of education Tristin Hopper, National Post (Jan 19, 2012)  …….it is innovations like iBooks 2 that “raise everyone’s game,” said Mr. Martellacci. “Apple has accelerated the process that will benefit all teachers and students in the longer term.” Apple Inc. on Thursday launched iBooks 2, its long-awaited iPad-based platform designed to usher in the “digital destruction” of the multi-billion-dollar textbook industry — but critics suspect the tech giant’s steep device costs will keep the…

  • Join us for our National Webinar: Making Sense of the Digital Textbook Revolution in K-12, Jan. 25 at 12pm EST

    Robert Martellacci
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:11 am
    Posted in BlogEventMindShare Learning News Join leading education experts in a national webinar conversation on the eBook revolution and the impact of Apple’s recent education announcement on K12 Schools in Canada. When: Wednesday, January 25, 12:00 – 1:00 P.M. (EST) Link: http://connect.yorku.ca/mslwebinar/ Expert Panel: Chris Besse, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, School Division, Nelson Education Limited Timothy Gard, Educator – Media Literacy & Technology, TDSB Nancy Gerrish, President, School Division, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, K12 Canada Marty Keast,…

  • Happy New Year! MSL Report 12 Canadian EdTech Predictions for 2012

    Robert Martellacci
    10 Jan 2012 | 12:30 pm
    Posted in BlogK-12MindShare Learning NewsUncategorized   Dear Thought Leader, Happy New Year! We begin the New Year with an economy that is teetering on the verge of a recession, the good news is that we can count on continued strong growth in the educational technology space. Canadian-education, in our opinion, is the killer app of the 21st Century. While Canada continues to lead the way when it comes to innovation and student achievement, we cannot become complacent. RIM provides us with a gentle reminder that success can be fleeting. Below are twelve bold predictions for 2012…

  • Podcast with Dr. Michael Barbour – State of the Nation K-12 Online Learning in Canada

    Aislinn
    21 Dec 2011 | 2:56 pm
    Posted in Podcasts Michael Barbour is currently an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He completed his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology at the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia), his Master of Education (Teaching and Learning), with concentrations in Literacy and Computers in Education, and his Bachelor of Education (Intermediate and Secondary) from from Memorial University of Newfoundland (St. John’s, Newfoundland). Prior to his studies in education, Michael completed his…

  • Holiday Greetings – Top 10 Canadian EdTech Newsmakers of 2011

    Robert Martellacci
    18 Dec 2011 | 7:30 pm
    Posted in BlogMindShare Learning News Dear Thought Leader, Wishing you the very best this Holiday Season! Here’s to keeping the learning curve steep for 2012! From the MindShare Learning Report Team   P.S. We’re pleased to share our 2nd Annual Top 10 CDN Newsmakers of the Year for 2011 Top 10 CDN Newsmakers in EdTech 2011 1.  Beverley School featured on 60 Minutes for breakthroughs with the help of tablet computers and special applications that allow students with Autism to communicate, some for the first time. 2.  David Suzuki and the NFB for their innovative collaboration.
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