Monday, April 15, 2002

NASA News

NASA has announced that former third grade teacher, Barbara Morgan, will serve as an Educator Mission Specialist on the International Space Station sometime after its completion in 2004. Ms. Morgan trained with the Challenger crew and served as Christa McAuliffe's backup sixteen years ago in the first attempt at a teacher in space program.

• Yahoo News/AP -- NASA Names Next Teacher in Space
• CNN Education -- NASA to send teacher into space in 2004
• NASA -- Administrator O'Keefe's Vision for NASA

Speaking of NASA, I hadn't visited the Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive for a few days and found a couple of interesting items. At right is a spectacular photo by astrophotographer Juan Carlos Casado of the predicted conjunction of the bright Comet Ikeya-Zhang and the Andromeda Galaxy. I'd been saving one last sheet of a package of Kokak Inkjet Photo Paper my son, Zach, had given me for something special. I also hadn't done any photos as yet on my new Epson C80 printer. The results were impressive. While Sunday's archive photo isn't as spectacular as the comet-galaxy conjunction, it shows a candidate quark star! As the photo text describes, a quark star is an "intermediate between neutron stars and black holes in size and density. Quark stars should be more compact and cool faster than neutron stars. In fact, some might even be ultracompact -- so dense that light itself can orbit." As one NASA employee once remarked to me, "It's fun food for the mind!"

While still on the subject of NASA, let me again post a link to today@nasa.gov. The page carries brief descriptions and links to all sorts of things going on at NASA. When I first saw the CNN posting above about the resumption of the teacher in space program, I immediately checked the today@nasa.gov link for background information.

Pertinent Columns and Postings

Ray Walcott of the University of Minnesota sent along the following last Friday:

Thought visitors to your Web site/newsletter would be interested in the recently released findings from the largest survey ever conducted with adolescents in the United States. We invite you to link to the following from your Web site:

 

Add Health Study Monograph

 

Robert Blum, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., professor in the Department of Pediatrics and head of the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health at the University of Minnesota, recently released findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health survey on school connectedness.

 

The study addresses:

 

• How a teacher's ability to manage a classroom affects the likelihood that teens will have problems with substance abuse, suicidal behavior, violence, and pregnancy.

• The roles school and classroom size play in adolescent risk behaviors.

• Steps teachers, administrators, and parents can take to promote "school connectedness."

• The effect school discipline policies have on student attitudes towards school.

• The impact teacher experience has on the way students feel about school.

The Washington Post's Michael A. Fletcher also tells of the study in Connectedness Called Key to Student Behavior.

Philadelphia Inquirer writers Susan Snyder and Martha Woodall tell of reactions of teachers and administrators in schools targeted for special corrective measures by the Philadelphia School Reform Commission in School overhaul list sparks questions, fears. In a related story, the Philadelphia Daily News tells of a sharp upturn in transfer requests and retirements in Philadelphia in PFT: Teacher exodus even worse.

Software

Praeter Software has released beta 0.6 of their basic formula computational tool, Physics 101 (789K). Matthew Jacques notes in his Read Me file, "Currently, it is 60% finished, and this release merely seeks to gather more feedback on this simple application.

Dear Diary

Since I've chronicled my hardware woes here of late, I'll add that we're back up and running on a Macintosh G3 minitower that is a blend of parts from one I bought on eBay and my old one. It turned out I'd blown the motherboard on the old G3. When I got home from school on Friday, I picked up the bedroom phone and found the line had been zapped by lightning...along with the modem to the G3 that is on that line. So, I'm using an old 28.8 modem and of course, I got to rerun the phone line.

While none of the iBooks for my school have arrived as yet, the school's techie stopped by around 1:30 on Friday and asked if I wanted my laptop that afternoon. As part of a grant, each of the elementary special ed teachers were to receive a PC laptop and portable printer for IEPs and case conferences. When I went to his office later, he had one unit (not mine) up and running. It appeared to be a dandy.

Since the techie had just three units to spec and purchase, and he had a little latitude in budget, he went shopping among resellers for the best he could get. Wisely staying a step or two behind the always premium priced bleeding edge, he came up with the Toshiba Satellite 1800-S274. The Satellite S274 comes with a bright 15" screen, 1.1 GHz Pentium III, 256MB RAM, a 20GB hard drive, DVD/CD-RW, modem and ethernet, and Windows XP Professional. I'd hinted last week that I was amused the techie was getting a Mac G4 Server to administrate the cart of iBooks and other Macs in the building. I figured that once he regularly used the Mac OS, we just might subvert him to the platform. From a weekend shakedown of the new laptop, I suspect this may be the techie's response. (Note: The photo link below is to Computers4SURE ($1529), while the Toshiba text link is to PC Mall ($1448).

While I unboxed and booted the machine at school to make sure it ran, I brought it home for the weekend to do the actual setup. I loaded Office 2000, MacDrive 5, AppleWorks 6, MIPS (our Access-driven IEP program), Adobe Photoshop Elements, and StuffIt Deluxe 7 without any problems. I actually did the beginning of this posting on the Toshiba laptop. Claris Home Page 3.0 for Windows appears to run just fine under Windows XP. The onboard modem connected at speeds ranging from 36-42 Kbps, where our other modems usually only max out at 33.6. I also burnt a couple of CDs on the 8X burner. I shouldn't have been surprised, but the process of copying and burning on the Toshiba was far faster than on my Mac with its 32X CD and my 2X CD burner.

This Toshiba is one very nice computer. The jump to Windows XP has been pretty painless. Once the techie told me "Our Computer" was no longer on the desktop, I just jumped in and found XP to be pretty user friendly. Unlike its predecessor, Windows Professional 2000, XP Pro remembers that I really do want to see all the files in the "Program Files" directory without having to hit another link. It detected and configured my USB zip without incident. I've updated a couple of IEPs (Individualized Educational Plans) without any problems other than adjusting to a laptop keyboard and trackpad.

Devotion For April 14-20, 2002

Zach Wood's weekly devotional for this week is Unload The Baggage. I hope it adds a bit of brightness to your week. Zach also maintains an archive of previous devotionals.

If you have suggestions, news ideas, etc., please .

Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Court closes historic desegregation case (Boston Globe)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, "in a one-line order issued with no fanfare or explanation, ended a 37-year-old desegregation case in Charlotte, North Carolina." In upholding a Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision ending cross-town bussing in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district, the Court brings into question the validity of dozens of similar court orders across the nation.

U.S. judge ends desegregation in Dayton schools after 25 years (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

In an unrelated case, U.S. District Judge Walter Rice lifted a desegregation order from the Dayton, Ohio public schools after parties involved reached a settlement. The 25 year old order was lifted when the city agreed to "spend $30 million to $35 million over the next five years on programs to improve academic achievement."

East Cleveland teachers strike (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

East Cleveland teachers fulfilled a threat to strike on Monday, leaving 56 substitute teachers and 16 regular teachers who crossed picket lines to supervise the 5,800 students usually taught by a teaching staff of 400. "Students were herded into gyms, cafeterias and libraries until officials could make arrangements for them." East Cleveland teachers have been asking for a 6% pay increase to match surrounding school systems. The school system is offering 2%.

SchwabLearning.org Updates

Links to all of the new and updated SchwabLearning.org articles are available in the Schwab Learning Online Newsletter (link expires 4-21-02). Among the new items is The LD Journey: A College Student Looks Back.

Mac Software Updates

Microsoft has released updates for Internet Explorer (5.1.4), Outlook Express (5.0.4), and a security updater for Office 2001 (requires Service Release 1).

Thursday, April 18, 2002

Play-vs.-Learn

Washington Post staff writer Theola Labbè explores the issue of direct instruction versus learning through play as it applies to President Bush's recent Head Start proposals. In Bush Proposal for Head Start Raises Play-vs.-Learn Debate, Labbè describes a typical Head Start day at the Rosemount Center's Head Start program in Washington, D.C.. Labbè notes the emphasis already placed on academics and says:

His [Bush's] proposals have angered some Head Start advocates, who say the program is doing what Bush has asked. And it has alarmed some child development experts, who see it as the first step toward shifting the school accountability movement into the earliest classrooms -- where children still do much of their learning through play.

Public Payment for Private Special Education

In testimony before the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, New York Schools Chancellor Harold O. Levy said of well-to-do parents who successfully force the Board of Education to pay for special education at a private school for their children "have drained resources that are critically needed for the system." Yilu Zhao covers Levy's testimony for the New York Times in Rich Disabled Pupils Go to Private Schools at Public Expense, Levy Says (free registration required).

Congress to Hold Hearings on Safety of School Lunches

Hey, those of us who have taught for years already know that it's a bad idea to find out the true identity of the "mystery meat" the cafeteria is serving today. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said the hearings by Congress were spurred by a Chicago Tribune investigation that found "unsafe practices in the factories that make school meals and in the kitchens and cafeterias where they are warmed and served." Safety of school food system to get congressional review tells the story.

Mac Software Update

Apple has released Mac OS X 10.1.4 update via the software control panel. The update improves networking and dial-up connections.

A Year Ago Today

Educators' News began publication April 18, 2001. Seems that makes us a year old today.

Thanks for your support.

 

Friday, April 19, 2002

Philadelphia Privatization

The first major step by the Philadelphia School Reform Commission was announced Wednesday with forty-two schools being targeted for privatization. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer in 42 schools to be privatized, twenty of the schools will be turned over to the controversial private enterprise, Edison Schools, Inc.. Twenty -eight more schools will become charter schools.

OS X Updater

The Mac OS X 10.1.4 updater is now available via direct download from Apple.

Saturday, April 20, 2002

More Philadelphia Privatization News

With the announcement Wednesday of schools to be targeted for reform by the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, columns about the massive state takeover of the Philadelphia schools are appearing with some regularity.

Philadelphia Daily News staff writers Mensah M. Dean and Chris Brennan have a good overview of the proposed changes in For 70 schools, let the reforms begin.

Associated Press Writer David B. Caruso reports "Hundreds of disenchanted teachers are preparing to flee 70 city schools that are to be privatized or otherwise transformed under sweeping reforms planned for the fall, union officials said Friday." In Philadelphia Teachers Warn About Reforms, Caruso quotes Joyce Paige, a learning coordinator at a school to be "reconstituted" as saying, "As far as we are concerned, reconstitution means we didn't do our job. And that is not true," Paige said. "They never came to see what this school was like. They don't know what an excellent staff we have, or how dedicated we are." Caruso defines "reconstituted in his article as, "a purge of top administrators and most of a school's teachers."

Gates on the Stand

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is expected to take the witness stand next week in the remedy phase of the Microsoft antitrust trial. Joe Wilcox quotes Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler as saying that Gates will testify "to the potential harm to consumers and the industry posed by the non-settling states' remedy proposals." Joe's coverage appears both on ZDNet, Our next witness--Bill Gates, and CNET, Gates to take stand in antitrust trial.

Whew!

It's been a busy week at work. I think Educators' News has suffered a bit from neglect, as I've been otherwise occupied. This week saw the first new Macintosh computers in five years arrive at my school. Twenty-four iBooks, along with 24 ThinkPads, are sitting in boxed stacks in the technology office awaiting their portable carts. An order was also placed this week for new G4 towers for elementary teachers who desired them. Reflecting the national trend, 27 elementary teachers chose new PCs with just five choosing Macs. The numbers are a bit skewed, as it was openly announced to the teachers that the Macs would have only minimal support. While that sounds like a really bad deal, it's a whole lot better than the news a year ago when it was announced we would be forced over to all PCs (See: Why I Prefer Macs in the Classroom).

I found it entertaining when the school's technology coordinator, formerly known here and in my columns as the "Evil NT techie" (He likes that description!), showed me the purchase order for a new twin 1GHz G4 tower for him to administrate the new Macs. I suspect that in between periods of "administration," Apple's iMovie will get a good workout on the tower.

For my part, even though I've just received a dandy new Toshiba laptop to do special education reports, our Superintendent decided I merited a new G4 tower for my nook to produce all the daily math, reading, and spelling assignments that are stored as mostly Mac-only files on our old Mac server and my aging 7500/G3.

BTW: This is an old photo. After a month on the floor last fall, the 8550 server was filthy inside, so I moved it to my desk...after a good cleaning. Having the server connected to my Mac's monitor, keyboard, and mouse through a switchbox was a big help recently when I blew the motherboard on my home G3 and took the 7500 home to pinch hit. At school, a Power Mac 7200/90 replaced the 7500 under my monitor until the minitower repairs were completed. The 7200 often lacked the punch I needed when looking for something online, and I found myself frequently reaching for the switchbox to use the 8550's PPC 604e/200 MHz to get the job done.

At home, the "new" G3 minitower now runs at its stock 266 MHz. I'd overclocked the old board a year ago to run at 300 MHz with the backside cache set for 200 MHz. While the old settings aren't quite as peppy, I'm playing it conservative so I don't end up cooking another logic board. Even at its factory settings, the G3 is running Mac OS X at a respectable rate as I write. I'm having to reinstall almost all of my X applications, as I chose to do a whole new installation of the new operating system when I upgraded hard drives. It appears to have been a good choice, as the current setup actually feels quicker than the previous one despite the megahertz difference. I suspect that all the junk I'd tried out on the old X installation may have been bogging it down. Also, I'm running X 10.1.4 now, which may give a little speed kick as well.

This morning is the first opportunity I've had to just play around in OS X since the great motherboard meltdown. While I initially was repelled by the Mac OS X dock and interface, I'm now getting acclimated to it with the help of a number of third party products. While I rarely use James Thompson's excellent DragThing utility under the Classic Mac OS, it's the first third party modifier I installed on the new OS X installation. I use just one DragThing dock on the desktop to hold links to my Educators' News files, NetFinder, and other items not stored on the OS X dock. I also had to plug passwords into some indispensable applications such as GraphicConverter and NetFinder.

Before doing the current Mac OS X installation, I spent some time perusing the index for Bob Levitus's excellent Dr. Mac's OS X Tip-of-the-Day on OSXFAQ.com. Of special interest to me were the following daily tip postings and editorials:

• To partition or not to partition, that is the question.
• Do applications have to reside in the OS X Applications folder?
• These are a few of my favorite things.

My OS X setup still isn't up to being my primary OS, as I'm waiting on a X version of BeHierarchic that is due to go beta soon. For those less patient than I, there are tons of good system utilities available for Mac OS X. Some just make its features easier to access while others augment or even replace OS X features. Among the ones I've tried and liked are piDock, TinkerTool, and MaxMenus.

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