Monday, January 27, 2003

Science@NASA

Dr. Tony Phillips was busy last week at Science@NASA, putting up three new science mini-lesson pages.

• The Inconstant Sun tells of "an experiment onboard shuttle mission STS-107 is monitoring the Sun's variable brightness. Scientists say it's crucial data for understanding climate change."
   
• The Hour of the Planets strikes a responsive chord in my life as it talks of taking time in the morning, often when rushing out to go to work, to look at the morning stars and even more impressive, the morning view of planets. Venus and Jupiter are bright in the dawn sky this month.
   
• The G's in the Machine tells of tiny bursts of acceleration in space called "microgravity." Since experiments conducted in space are often done there to escape gravity and acceleration, NASA pays close attention to micro-G's. While usually not a problem, "the occasional jolts and ill-timed vibrations can upset the most delicate experiments."

Some More Great Images for Desktop Photos

I followed a photo link from The Inconstant Sun posting to the pages of Lauri A. Kangas, a Canadian amateur photographer. Kangas has posted a wealth of gorgeous photography on his page, much of it excellent for use as desktop photos. The image at right is the one from the Science@NASA posting. While you'd need a vertical monitor to use it as a desktop photo, it's just too good not to use here to illustrate Kangas' skills.

As I've previously posted here, we use various astronomy photos to identify our iBooks at school. My teaching assistant had once asked if I planned on using anything else besides astronomy photos for the desktops. I actually had planned to go to nature or flower shots for the spring, but until I found Kangas' flower page, I hadn't accumulated enough good photos to give each of our 24 laptops a different dynamite desktop photo.

Note that all of Kangas' images carry some form of copyright. They're used here by permission. Thanks Lauri, for brightening our Monday morning!

Chat Room Threat Results in Arrest

The student who made threats about an attack on New York Schools last week has been apprehended. He gave detectives a handwritten note apologizing for the threats, saying he was trying to impress girls and planned no actual violence.

• New York Times -- Chat-Room Threat Prompts Statewide School Lockdowns -- by Winnie Hu
• New York Times -- Student Apologizes for 'Foolish' Internet Threats -- by Corey Kilgannon

Young Mac Guru

Patti Richter tells of eleven-year-old Andy Rossback's precocious talent with computers in This student gets the Apple of the class. Rossback has "worked" as a Macintosh technician and troubleshooter in several Bay Area computer stores. He's been working on Macs since he was 8!

Cold Weather Delays

Here in southwest central Indiana, we've not escaped the cold weather that has descended on the region. Today is our third straight school day where we've had a two-hour delay in the start of our school day. While definitely a good idea for the safety of our kids (-11^o A.M. temperature), the late starts keep the kids constantly hyped. I find that I'm not nearly as productive as well!

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

Wednesday, January 29, 2003

Sign Language as a Foreign Language

Brad Watson of WFAA-TV reports in Sign language growing as foreign-language option in Texas schools that some Texas schools are going to teach American Sign Language next year and count the credits as a foreign language. Such a move in America's schools could be a very good thing for the hearing impaired community.

A "TombViewer" for OS X

Brad Oesch wrote to tell me that there is a utility for MacOS X that is very much like the classic TombViewer application that allows one to pick and choose from an installation tomb. Brad writes that the $20 shareware, Pacifist, "will open Mac OS X's .pkg files."

The Washington Post's Justin Blum and Valerie Strauss write in Charges Filed in Union Scandal that the "U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia filed court papers charging Leroy Holmes with conspiracy to launder proceeds of an unlawful activity." The authors note the type of filing usually precedes a guilty plea. They further report that the document filed:

...alleges that the union's president, executive assistant and treasurer conspired with Holmes to divert the union funds...An FBI affidavit filed last month said former union president Barbara A. Bullock, her assistant Gwendolyn M. Hemphill, treasurer James O. Baxter II and others misspent more than $2 million in union money...and an audit conducted for the local union's parent, the American Federation of Teachers, has estimated that more than $5 million was misappropriated over the past seven years.

Science Class Safety

Patrik Jonsson has a good article in the Christian Science Monitor, Lab safety - beyond goggles, that relates a few horror stories and some good safety reminders for science teachers. Now, if the teachers can just get the administration to free up the bucks for safety goggles, exhaust hoods, eyewash stations, plunge showers, etc.

Apple Speed Bumps G4 Line

Apple Computer has pushed the Power Mac G4 lineup to a maximum of twin 1.42 GHz processors. The new units boot only to Mac OS X, but two towers that boot to OS 9 have been held over...at $2499 and $3549. I'm sure the two highly priced towers will impress those who still need a G4 Mac that can boot to OS 9!

Apple's press releases include:

Apple Unveils Fastest and Most Affordable Power Macs Ever

Apple Introduces 20" Cinema Display at Breakthrough Price

Don't be fooled by the first press release's title. This revision reflects a significant price increase for education customers. The practice of retaining the previous model for education customers only at an attractive price (around $1200) has been discontinued. Any way you cut it, that's a price increase of around $200-300 for the low-end tower for education customers. Ouch!

Friday, January 31, 2003

Philadelphia School Asks to Shed Privatization Firm

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Susan Snyder reports in Teachers ask outside management to leave that the teachers' union at Roberto Clemente Middle School has asked Philadelphia School District chief executive Paul Vallas to remove the private outside management firm, Chancellor Beacon Academies, from control of the school. The union wrote: "Chancellor Beacon has undermined our educational community from staffing to professional development. It is felt that they are here in name only. We hope that you will understand and feel our need to divorce ourselves."

Retaining Good Teachers

An Associated Press column by Ben Feller, Teacher shortage misdiagnosed, group says, might make you feed more appreciated as a teacher. The column quotes Jim Hunt, a former four-term governor of North Carolina and the chairman of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future which released a report this week on the issue of teacher shortages. Hunt said, "We get all hot and bothered at the beginning of the school year when we don't have enough good teachers. In fact, the year before we should have been focusing on improving working conditions in the school, having greater career opportunities for teachers, having the right pay for them, showing the right kind of appreciation.''

The report, No Dream Denied, says, "The 'teacher shortage' is actually a severe teacher retention problem." It includes many proposals for training, recruiting, and retaining teachers. Several items that caught my eye were"

Recognizing Accomplished Teaching

 

Enact incentives and supports for National Board Certification in every school district and state, and

Establish pay incentives that reward teachers for improving their practice and create rewarding leadership positions for accomplished educators.

 

All Along the Way

 

Provide compensation and working conditions for teachers that respect their professional standing in American society.

States Slow on No Child Left Behind Compliance

Greg Toppo of USA Today writes that "Only 12 states are on track to comply with even half of the major federal requirements, according to a report scheduled for release today by the independent Education Commission of the States," in Most states lag far behind 'No Child Left Behind' law. Information about individual state's compliance is available on the Education Commission of the States web site.

Education Bundle

Apple Education is offering a great deal for educators on an iLife & Keynote bundle for just $14.95.

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