...dedicated to...hmmm, we're still figuring that one out...
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Pertinent Columns Massie Ritsch has an interesting column in the Los Angeles Times, Private Educators Muted on Vouchers, that tells that upscale private schools aren't overwhelmingly in favor of vouchers. Ritsch notes, "independent schools don't want the government regulation that might come with the money and, more practically, they can't withstand a flood of students who can afford only a few thousand dollars of the $15,000 tuition." She quotes Debra Wilson, a staff attorney for the National Association of Independent Schools which generally supports "more options for parents" as saying, "We support educational choice--but the real issue is making sure money doesn't get drained off the public schools." A related column by Katy McLaughlin in the Sunday New York Times, Schools Extend a Hand to Middle-Class Parents (Free registration required), reports that not just low-income families qualify for financial aid at some private schools. CNN/AP continue to cover America's rush to legislated patriotism. Lawmakers want Pledge of Allegiance in more schools and "In God We Trust" moves into schools discuss the fortunes of efforts to require overt signs of patriotism in the classroom. Here in Indiana, the effort to require a framed 11X14 inch "In God We Trust" print to be hung in every classroom (but without any expenditure of public funds) seems to be stalled in the legislature. Today begins Newspapers in Education week. USA Today's founder, Al Neuharth, has posted Can newspaper still help 'educate' kids? Neuharth notes that competition from cable TV has seriously hurt student interest in newspapers. He feels newspapers also don't cultivate young readers with appropriate content. From my experience with local papers in both Indianapolis and Terre Haute (IN), I'd have to add that some newspaper's participating in Newspapers in Education don't make it very easy for teachers to use the paper in their classroom. Richard Rothstein's recent New York Times column, Recognizing the Secret Value of Lunchroom Duty (Free registration required), discusses the need for informal teacher contact with students. While the title may bring back memories to you of trying to eat your lunch while supervising your class, it's actually a pretty good read about how "to do it right." In Microsoft Outlines Next Move in Antitrust Case, Washington Post staff writer Jonathan Krim concludes from documents filed by Microsoft on Friday that the software giant "plans to argue...that if antitrust sanctions sought by state prosecutors are granted, the company would be forced to pull its latest Windows computer operating systems off the market and be unable to develop new systems." Software Releases and Updates Breakthrough Productions has released version 2.0 of A+ Electronic Flashcards. Registration of the $20 shareware flashcard tool covers all members of a family. The application accepts images as well as text, making it a bit more than just a flashcard tool. It's available for both Macintosh (1.2 MB) and Windows (900K). C Panda Systems has updated their excellent freeware Christian calendar, Pando Calendar, to version 5.7.6 for Mac OS X. Version 5.5.6 is still available for Power Macs and 68K Macs from the Pando Calendar page.
Pascal Chiotasso has updated his freeware Mac Mini Calculator to version 3.2. Andrew Merenbach has released the Mac OS X freeware Polygons X (38K). Most Viewed Columns for February Since I'm not writing a lot of new material these days, it's always interesting when I look over the monthly log report of what columns folks are actually reading (or at least mistakenly clicking into:-).
Site Changes No one really complained, but I really haven't been happy with site loading performance of late. While the About page still carries the tongue-in-cheek statement, "I have no compunctions about splashing advertising all over the site to the extent that the content is difficult to find," I found that adding all the banner affiliate ads slowed performance to a crawl. I've done a minor page redesign that causes the current day's content to load first with most ads and previous news loading later. Previously, some readers had long waits as everything loaded before anything beyond the EdNews banner was displayed. Let me know what you think of it. If you have suggestions, news ideas, etc., please . |
While not strictly an educational program, Marcel Bresink's essential freeware Mac OS X modifier, |
Power Mac 7300 and Apple System Profiler Bruce Smith wrote with an interesting question for which I lack an answer, so I'll throw it out to the EdNews readers and see if someone has an idea. Bruce is using a Power Macintosh running System 9.1 with 208 MB RAM. His problem is that "the Apple System Profiler will not display any info about VRAM on the machine." He continues, "Could this be an ASP bug peculiar to the 7300/200? I am SO stumped!" So am I, so if you have an idea, let Bruce and/or me know. Pertinent Columns Writing a guest column for the Tampa Bay Business Journal, University of South Florida anthropology professor S. Elizabeth Bird addresses the use of acquired technology in Technology divide creates social, educational cavern. Bird states, "a growing body of research shows that in reality, access is just the beginning," and, "The talk now is not about 'access' but about 'computer fluency' or 'technological literacy.' " SchwabLearning.org Updates New items this week on the SchwabLearning.org site include:
An older posting, Assessment - Public or Private, also caught my eye this week, as we've had to deal with the issue at school several times in recent years. The Schwab Learning Online Newsletter gives full details on this week's updates. (Note: Link expires 3-10-02.) Best of the Mac Web Survey Dan Knight's 3rd Best of the Mac Web Survey is now officially announced. (The voting page has been available for over a week, as noted here last Monday.) It really shouldn't matter when you vote, however, as this one is supposed to be fixed as a one-vote-per-reader type of deal. It didn't exactly work out that way the last time around and ended up causing a bunch of hard feelings amongst some Mac webmasters. The results are promised by Friday, March 22. Pertinent Columns From The Christian Science Monitor: When teachers skirt tough issues by Amanda Paulson Bush Promotes His Education Agenda and a Senate Candidate Lawmakers uneasy with Bush education plan Microsoft Anti-trust Case U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly heard arguments today on whether the court should accept the settlement proposed by the Department of Justice and Microsoft. "Kollar-Kotelly ended the hearing without making a decision on the settlement."
I'll be back online by Friday with another update. Math Freeware
All of Gary's excellent math freewares are available on his Free Programs page. His entire collection of 250+ math programs on CD is available through his order page. Thank Goodness for Columns If it weren't for good columns and great educational freewares, I'd have nothing to publish! The CNN/AP posting Schools struggle to keep class size small begins, "At 38 students, Dame Forbes' sixth-period chemistry class is so big her students can't even squeeze into the laboratory." This column is a good discussion of what is going on in various places around the country regarding class size. While promoting an online American history curriculum developed by an Internet company he founded, Neil Bush,younger brother of President Bush, "lamented that dropout rates were too high, math scores too low, and teachers were failing to engage students struggling with learning disabilities like dyslexia, as he once did." The New York Times Bush Brother Pushes Education on Sales Campaign Trail (free registration required) by Jacques Steinberg tells a bit about Bush's Ignite! Learning company and Bush's fundraising efforts. An Austin Chronicle column from last spring by BY Louis DuBose, O, Brother! Where Art Thou, adds a bit of perspective. Staying with Bush family educational news, Washington Post staff writer Ann Gerhart tells of Laura Bush's Before-School Conference. Mrs. Bush had begun the conference on education held in the White House East Room "by announcing that its point was to make sure that teachers 'have what they need,' by giving out information about best practices to educators who gathered from across the country." Teach, the Einstein Academy Charter School, is about to lose their internet service provider due to nonpayment of bills. The Pennsylvania cyber-school owes two months in back ISP bills, as described in Einstein will lose its link to Internet. This is part of the fallout resulting from Pennsylvania public schools withhold funds from cyber charter schools, pending the outcome of "lawsuits and bureaucratic battles." An column from last week by Washington Post staff writer Michael A. Fletcher tells a bit more about the cyber charter schools' woes in Rocky Start in 'Cyber' Classrooms. Buffalo News staff reporter Peter Simon looks at a privately funded voucher program in Vouchers, Buffalo-style. Simon presents an interesting look a successful voucher program that doesn't drain funding away from public schools. Henry Norr tells of his search for a fix and then a replacement battery for his wife's first generation iBook in As iMacs, iBooks approach middle age, things start to creak. I found his column particularly interesting, as I've wondered how well the iMacs and iBooks will stand up over time. From my previous columns about nearly bulletproof older Macs, the new generation has a tough act to follow. Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus has a one photo editorial comment on OSXFAQ.com, Can Your Dell Do This??? It made me smile. The Register's John Lettice has a great tongue-in-cheek column in Forking hell - Ballmer tells how Sun could destroy Windows. Have a great weekend!
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Illustrated Power Mac 7500 Teardown Great Classroom Computer Buys on a Coke and Lunch Money Budget -- 68K Macs Great Classroom Computer Buys: When the Worst Can Turn Out to be the Best Why I Prefer Macs in the Classroom
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