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Tuesday is Election Day Tomorrow's mid-term elections are as important for teachers as any election ever was. In an article that appeared in Friday's Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, You can't afford to skip the politics, liberal columnist Molly Ivans notes the core problem with our political system, but also urges our participation in the critically important election process.
The Los Angeles Times Duke Helfand tells of the educational ramifications of the California gubernatorial race in Davis, Simon Both Claim Mantle of Schools' Savior. In the Ivans column referenced above, she calls Governor Gray Davis and challenger Bill Simon Jr. "two of the most titanically unattractive candidates in the history of time...a new nadir in modern politics." The New York Times column, Civics Lesson for Students in Vote Drive, tells about Freedom's Answer, "a non-profit, non-partisan campaign to maximize voter turnout this fall." The program attempts to reach all voters by having students "go out into their schools and neighborhoods, encouraging their friends and family to get to the polls," but focuses especially on "people ages 18 to 24...the lowest voting group in the country." The Washington Post has a useful Election Explorer feature that can route you to state election information. Strike Ends Teachers and students in the Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 in the Chicago area returned to school Friday after a four day teachers' strike that had closed schools Monday through Thursday. The Chicago Sun-Times reports in Plainfield teachers to get 22% raises that the settlement that "gives teachers two-year salary increases averaging about 22 percent...was overwhelmingly approved Thursday by 1,200 striking teachers." iBook Price Drop? If you're planning on buying a Macintosh iBook or PowerBook, waiting until Wednesday could save you a few bucks and possibly result in a faster laptop. Nick dePlume's Think Secret site revealed details of a potential price cut and speed bump last Saturday (I somehow missed it!). The article suggests that the base price for the iBook will drop $200, to $999, for a 700 MHz model in an announcement expected from Apple Computer on Wednesday. Other sites are also reporting the PowerBook line will receive a similar price cut.
An entry-level iBook at $999 could give Apple Computer the shot in the arm it needs to at least stabilize its plunging sales figures. If Apple carries its usual educational discounts for the new iBooks, the company might be poised to compete effectively once again in the education market, where entry-level pricing is everything. In the past, iBooks for K-12 schools have been discounted $100, while sales to teachers and staff have received a $50 discount. Maine Laptop News Tess Nacelewicz has an interesting column in the Portland Press Herald about the Maine laptop initiative, Impressions on laptops: A great tool for schools. Devotion for November 3-9, 2002 Zach Wood's weekly devotional for this week is True Worshipper. Zach also maintains an archive of previous devotionals. If you have suggestions, news ideas, etc., please . |
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New from SchwabLearning.org This week from the SchwabLearning.org Dr. Raskind answers the question, Please define success and describe how kids become successful adults? Also new is Motivating Kids with LD or AD/HD. As always, links to all of the new and updated SchwabLearning.org articles are available in the Schwab Learning Online Newsletter (link expires 11-10-02). Pertinent Columns The St. Petersburg Times reports Florida passed a number of constitutional amendments Tuesday, including one to limit class size. Voters decide price no object for schools tells about the class size amendment, along with others, including one "limiting the confinement of pregnant pigs." The Orlando Sentinel also reports Voters approve smaller classes, free preschool, along with an amusing column by Mike Thomas, Pigs, kids can be happy; Jeb better look out. Arnold Schwarzenegger's after school activity initiative, Proposition 49, appears to have been approved in California. Voters leave Cleveland schools in mayor's hands tells of the passage of "Issue 4, which asked if the school system should be run permanently with a mayor-appointed school board...An elected school board would have returned to run the school district if the measure had failed." And, in case you've been heavily sedated for the last 48 hours and missed the news, the Washington Post reports GOP Gains Control of Congress. Apple Updates Laptop Lineup As predicted last week on a number of Mac sites, Apple Computer yesterday announced a speed bump for all of their laptops at some impressively reduced prices. Ostensibly, the entry-level iBook and PowerBook price cut of $200 along with a modest speed increase represents a real value. Some of the sharpest price cuts, however, are in the higher end PowerBook lineup. Notice that the high end PowerBook does include a SuperDrive, something the rumor sites didn't think would happen this time around.
I've updated the Educators' News Special Report for Educators -- Macintosh Pricing to reflect the new offerings and price changes. While I'll reproduce the iBook and PowerBook sections below, be sure to check out the page if you're looking for other Apple hardware. I noticed a few minor price changes on some of the other models! 
While the full Education Price Lists from Apple haven't been updated as yet, Apple put out a price list addendum for both K-12 institutions and individuals yesterday. Older Macs for Sale Andrew Brent recently "worked a deal" with a grammar school that filled up his basement with older Macs. He's been selling them on eBay and helped out my computer take-home project with some very clean Power Mac 7200s at a very reasonable price. Part of the "take" is pictured in a couple of Drew's ads on eBay (1, 2). As a "thank you" to Drew for providing some special packaging that managed to foil our UPS driver's attempts to stress test every package, I told him to send along a list of what he has left and I'd post a plug on EdNews. So here's what's left. Please note that there are no more 7200s offered. I got them all! But he has some very good machines for sale and writes, "No reasonable offer would be refused (I might even take some unreasonable offers :) )."
Printers and Monitors
If you're interested in any or all (:-) of the items above, please contact Drew directly.
John Martellaro shares some stimulating ideas about computer games and education in The Game is Not the Game. It's the Fantasy. I really like John's column this week (and every week) because he challenges us with ideas of what computing should be. A short posting from today's Los Angeles Times, 2 Hurt When Plaster Falls From Classroom Ceiling, tells about what can happen in some of our aging schools. A New York Times piece, Metal Detectors Making Students Late, if Not Safer by Jennifer Medina, tells about the effects of security measures in a New York high school. An AP posting appearing on CNN, Blind preschool kids embrace Braille, tells about a resurgence in the teaching of Braille. Have a great weekend!
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