************************************************************** Educational CyberPlayGround Community http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ K12 Newsletters Mailing List - Subscribe - Unsubscribe - Set Preferences http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/K12Newsletters.html Advertise on K12 Mailing List http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/Subguidelines.html All Mailing Lists http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/ ************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NHN: 3/15/05 NETHAPPENINGS NEWSLETTER #18 NEW THIS WEEK for NHN <http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/NHnewsletter.html> ***************************************************************** Dear Readers, Net Happenings Newsletter, launched by the Educational CyberPlayGround, features both news and resources. Karen Ellis* Founder of the Educational CyberPlayGround invites others to help sponsor NHN sent to members of the NetHappenings Mailing List. Thanks for reading, Al NHN Written by Classroom Teacher Alan Haskvitz 1997 National Teacher's Hall of Fame All USA Today First Team Teacher Reader's Digest Hero in Education Cherry International Award for Outstanding Teachers 1994 National Middle Level Teacher of the Year (NCSS) [e] newsletter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [w] http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/al.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO NETHAPPENIGS <http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html> <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> IN THIS ISSUE <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> IN THE NEWS We are not alone: Educators in Japan and Australia note declining scores, achievement. Engaging the imagination in teaching and learning: A Canadian conference Professor Churchill deal with Colorado University on hold Who benefits from new SAT? Not classroom teachers INTERESTING SITES Changes in Disabilities Education Improvement Act that take effect July Get paid to learn economics Make your bookmarks work wherever you are What are we talking about - Podcast, RSS, Blog, Web Log? SITES YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW EXISTED "Education News Parents Can Use" live Broadcast (March 15, 8:00-9:00 ET) K12 Distance Learning Stats Instant create a graph site "Top 100" education games St. Patricks Day See Irish Word JAZZ First Time in Print 3/10/1913 QUOTES What did Albert Einstein say about education? FACTOIDS What states spend the least on students? Do males or females do better in math? <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> IN THE NEWS <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> Japan acknowledges slipping educational ratings of its students Unmotivated students who would rather not study is cited as reason <http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20050312wo04.htm> Why Our Schools are Failing An Australian book that is downloadable. Is it a simplistic curriculum, make the students feel good regardless, political correctness, or all of these? <http://www.mrcltd.org.au/content.cfm?PageID=PubsMonographs> Who benefits from new SAT? Millions going to test preparation businesses, but not a cent to the classroom teachers. SAT-prep courses collect $310 million a year, up from $100 million a few years ago, as the major players have convinced more and more young Americans they can do better on a test that was supposed to be immune to short-term improvement, one designed to encompass what has been learned over years of education. <http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050311-091129-2633r.htm> Essays fall into that gray area where answers aren't necessarily right or wrong. http://www.youthcomm.org/NYC%20Features/JanFeb2005/NYC-2005-01-07.htm Professor Churchill deal with Colorado University on hold A right wing conservative threatens to use access to media to try and recall any Colorado University elected regent who works to reach a deal with Churchill. Under fire are freedom of speech issues and more. <http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2758694,00.html> 3rd International Conference on Imagination and Education: engaging the imagination in teaching and learning http://www.ierg.net/ Budget Cuts Force Teen to Drive Tractor To School Mark Wasserman is too young to drive a car to school, but not too young to drive a tractor, reports Erika Ray. The 13-year-old eighth grader said he drove a John Deere farm tractor to school yesterday because budget cuts mean he can no longer ride the bus to Lake Middle School. <http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050304/NEWS04/503040354 /0/NEWS14> <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> INTERESTING SITES <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> Changes in Disabilities Education Improvement Act that take effect July <http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/index.htm> Get paid to learn economics. Great topics and many locations <http://www.fte.org/teachers/programs/> MyBookmarks Make your bookmarks work wherever you are http://www.mybookmarks.com/ PODCASTING Journalists vs. Blogger War Podcast, RSS Instructions. http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Technology/podcast.html <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> SITES YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW EXISTED <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> "Education News Parents Can Use" Broadcast (March 15, 8:00-9:00 ET) http://www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/ live and archived webcasts at http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/ will feature teachers and community leaders who are dedicated to ensuring that all children have a chance to learn and explore the arts. Research shows that when students study the arts -- whether dance, drama, music, or the visual arts -- academic performance improves in core subjects such as reading, math, and writing. This is especially true for students who are most at risk of struggling with their school work or of dropping out, including students with physical or learning disabilities and those with limited English proficiency. In addition, recent studies point to a direct connection between music and spatial reasoning and spatial temporal skills, which are key to understanding and using mathematical concepts. Ultimately, the arts help schools and school districts achieve their mission: to shape a nation of compassionate, creative, and productive citizens prepared to participate in a global economy. K-12 Distance Learning Stats http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005010 Provides nationwide estimates of the number of school districts and schools with students enrolled in distance education courses, as well as the number of enrollments in those courses. Instant create a graph site. A time saver for students. <http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/index.asp> Top 100 games Lots of online games for children <http://www.lethsd.ab.ca/mmh/games/top100.htm> St. Patricks Day 3/17 Honoring the Irish Etymology of Jazz - an Irish Word first appears in print March 3, 1913 See the articles and cartoons where this word is introduced to the US American reader. <http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Linguistics/irish.html> <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> QUOTES <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> Angela Schwindt While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. Alec Bourne It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated. Albert Einstein The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> FACTOIDS <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> Lowest per-pupil spending for 2002-03: Utah ($4,907), Arizona ($5,197), Alabama ($5,418), Arkansas ($5,789) and Mississippi ($5,822) Overall, since 1992, females have done much better than males in reading and writing, but have generally, though not always, lagged behind in science and mathematics. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/education.html> <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format: Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Nethappenings Newsletter NHN provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies. NHN Subscription instructions are available at: http://www.edu-cyberpg.com//Community/NHnewsletter.html Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from NetHappenings Newsletter. The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format. > From NetHappenings Newsletter copyright > Educational CyberPlayGround. http://www.edu-cyberpg.com//Community/NHnewsletter.html Educational CyberPlayGround http://www.edu-cyberpg.com Hot Site Awards New York Times, USA Today , MSNBC, Earthlink USA Today Best Bets For Educators Award, Macworld Top Fifty <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> EDUCATIONAL CYBERPLAYGROUND http://www.edu-cyberpg.com Net Happenings, K12 Newsletters, Network Newsletters http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html Copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from K12 Newsletter The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format. > From K12 Newsletter copyright > Educational CyberPlayGround. http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/K12Newsletters.html Net Happenings, K12 Newsletters, Network Newsletters http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/ FREE EDUCATION VENDOR DIRECTORY LISTING http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Directory/ HOT LIST REGISTRY OF K12 SCHOOLS ONLINE http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Schools/ <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>