Thursday, January 31, 2013

EBooks Scientific American (@sciam)

Scientific American (@sciam)
Born Again Textbooks bit.ly/TfMuHa

I still read plenty of books, but this explains why ebooks are here to stay. 

- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Fwd: January 31, 2013 Weekly Blast2



- Dr. Gary Ackerman


Begin forwarded message:

From: nelms@nelms.org
Date: January 31, 2013, 7:44:00 AM EST
To: "Dr. Gary L. Ackerman" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: January 31, 2013 Weekly Blast2
Reply-To: NELMS <nelms@nelms.org>

January 31, 2013 - NELMS Weekly Info

common core math image


 

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Communicating Criticism (@Michelle_Mazur)

Michelle Mazur, Ph.D (@Michelle_Mazur)
12 Most Crucial Tips when Communicating Criticism su.pr/AIjZN4 #speaking

This advice is intended for business people, but is spot-on for educators as well. We tend to have a narcissistic streak in ourselves when we assess or evaluate; these tips will make us more effective with our feedback. 


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Fwd: Live The Effects of Health and Poverty on Education



- Dr. Gary Ackerman


Begin forwarded message:

From: "Classroom 2.0" <mail@classroom20.com>
Date: January 30, 2013, 2:54:14 PM EST
To: "gary@hackscience.net" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: Live Thursday - The Effects of Health and Poverty on Education
Reply-To: do-not-reply@classroom20.com

Network Email
Join me Thursday, January 31st, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com conversation with Stephen Bezruchka, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Health Services, the School of Public Health at the University of Washington.

A recent set of widely-reported studies are highlighting statistics that don't surprise Stephen, but are shocking to those previously unfamiliar with their findings. The National Research Council and Institute of Medicine's U.S. Health in International Perspective found that U.S. citizens suffer from poorer health than nearly all other industrialized countries, and of the 17 high-income countries looked at, the United States is at or near the bottom in at least nine indicators--including infant mortality, heart and lung disease, sexually transmitted infections, and adolescent pregnancies, as well as more systemic issues such as injuries, homicides, and rates of disability. In Differences In Life Expectancy Due To Race And Educational Differences Are Widening, And Many May Not Catch Up, researchers found that when "race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking. In 2008 white US men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education—14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women."

Stephen and I will discuss the connections between education and the poverty and health outcomes from these and other reports, and why they are unfamiliar to most, given the similar documentation over many years. Hopefully we'll also get a chance to explore the role of institutions in masking or redirecting attention away from these issues (see my recent post on rethinking education reform in light of institutionalization), the effects of inequality as a deeper story, early-life impact on health, the catch-22 of compliance-driven schooling when dealing with scientific and social problems, and ultimately what we can do with this information.
See you online!

Steve

Steve Hargadon
http://www.stevehargadon.com

Date: Thursday, January 31st, 2013
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern (international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate). Log in at http://www.futureofed.info. The Blackboard Collaborate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Blackboard Collaborate, please visit the support and configuration page.
Recording:  A full Blackboard Collaborate recording and an audio mp3 recording will be available after the show here and at http://www.futureofeducation.com.
Mightybell:  A Mightybell space with interview resources and conversation is at https://mightybell.com/spaces/21414.

Stephen A. Bezruchka is Senior Lecturer, Global Health, Department of Health Services, the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. Stephen also works with the Department of Global Health MPH program. He has spent over 10 years in Nepal working in various health programs, and teaching in remote regions. He tries to draw attention to the socioeconomic determinants of the health of populations.  His research interests include: effective methods of disseminating determinants of population health to the general population so they work to change societal structures to improve America's health; theories of global health asking the question why do countries order by health outcomes such as life expectancy in the Health Olympics?; medical harm and the lack of interest in the USA for responding to this marked health risk; medical tourism and its affect on host populations
(Special thanks to Craig Seasholes for connecting me with Stephen.)

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Google Science Fair 2013 launches to find the next generation of teenagers hoping to change the world



Google Science Fair 2013 launches to find the next generation of teenagers hoping to change the world
THE NEXT WEB | JANUARY 30, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/hWGGW


Google Science Fair 2013, the technology giant's third international competition focused on finding the brightest and most revolutionary teenagers, h... Read more

--
Sent via Pulse/


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

What to look for in classrooms...



1. Voice – Students should have the opportunity to not only learn from others but also share their learning with others as well.  We live in a world where everyone has a voice and if we do not teach our students to use this effectively, they will definitely struggle.  To me, this is so simple yet so essential.
2.  Choice – This is not only about how students learn, but also what they learn about.  How do they further their learning in areas of interests to them?  Throughout the first few years of university I did poorly, yet in my final few years my grades were better than they ever had been.  What was the difference?  I actually cared what I was learning about.  Strengths based learning is extremely important.
3.  Time for Reflection – Classrooms are an extremely busy place and I understand that many feel that they are rushed through the curriculum, but I think that taking the time to connect and reflect on what is being learned gives learners a better opportunity to really understand what they have learned.  I know many classrooms have DEAR time (drop everything and read), so why do we not have time to simply write and reflect?  This is not only for students, but for teachers and administrators as well.
4.  Opportunities for Innovation – Recently I visited Greystone Centennial Middle School during “Innovation Week” and saw students that created a hovercraft (not kidding) using things that they had around the house.  They were able to guide it around the gym and it was able to carry people around.  These kids were in grade 9.
When I asked the students about this opportunity, they had told me that they had saw something similar on YouTube but it was missing a few elements that they wanted to add.  They made it new and better.  I can only imagine what the students will do after they leave school because of this day, not in spite of it.
5.  Critical Thinkers – In the “factory model” of education, students were meant to be compliant and basically do “as they were told.”  This is not something that sticks with a child only, but goes into adulthood as well and it creates “yes” people who tend to lose all originality.  One of my best friends and my first admin partner, told me to never just let him go out on his own with his ideas without questioning them and sharing my thoughts.  His reason?  He wanted the best ideas, not his ideas.  He wanted me to ask questions.  He wanted to be successful.  It was not his ego that was important, but the success of his staff and students.  I have learned to ask the same of all those I work with and although it can turn into spirited conversations, it is was best not only for school but all organizations.  We need to have students that are able to ask questions and challenge what they see, but always in a respectful way.
6.  Problem Solvers/FindersEwan McIntosh has a brilliant Ted Talk discusses the notion of “problem-based learning” and how it is not beneficial to give students problems that aren’t real.  Instead, he focuses on the idea that students need to be “problem finders”; being able to find some tough challenges and then being able to solve those problems.  Megan Howard shares a wonderful story of how one of her grade six students was able to see that there was a problem with classmates losing their school uniforms and then being able to use QR codes to be able to identify them.  Let’s start asking kids to really look into finding what the problems are and giving them some purpose in solving something real.
7.  Self-Assessment – I don’t think that I have ever heard a teacher say, “I can’t wait until we get to write report cards!”  That being said, I think we spend too much time focusing on being able to tell others what our students can do and know, and not enough time helping students understand those things themselves.  Portfolios are a great way to share this knowledge and will actually have students develop their own understanding of what they know.  If you can write in a report card that a student can do something in October, yet they can’t do it in January, is that report card still relevant?  I think that we should spend more time working with students to teach them how to assess themselves and not just do it for them.
8. Connected Learning – When I first started teaching, I remember really struggling with science.  It was a subject that I struggled with as a learner and that continued on as a teacher.  I now think that if I was in the classroom, that the best person to teach science wouldn’t be me, but a scientist.  With most people that having a computer also having a Skype account, there are many that are willing to share their expertise in different areas.  This does not only have to be via technology, but we should also be bring in experts from our community to talk to students.  I know many teachers have done this for a long time, but technology opens the doors to people that we could not even imagine being a part of our classroom even ten years ago.  Even Shaquille O’neal has made some time to  Skype with students in one school.

gary@hackscience.net has shared something with you

If we are concerned with competitiveness and preparing our citizens for "the flat world" (I have been rereading Friedman's book this winter), then may we should pay attention to the rest of the world also.

Check this out:

http://edudemic.com/2013/01/how-u-s-and-chinese-classrooms-use-education-technology/#.UQfawwiVQU4.email

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Tweet from AMLE (@AMLEnews)

AMLE (@AMLEnews)
Sixth grade teacher Lorraine Boulos ponders why the big push for collaboration ow.ly/hbXWE #education #edchat #midleved

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

College or not? (@willrich45)

Will Richardson (@willrich45)
College or No? Stuck Between Present Realities and Future Promises buff.ly/X5o9So Interesting moment. #edchat #highered

Will Richardson is someone we should send our reluctant-to-change colleagues and leaders to see-- as well as those leaders changing in the wrong directions and for the wrong reasons. Anyways, he tweeted this article recently and it struck me as a topic that deserves attention in middle schools. 

Options to the traditional college experience abound today, and the reasons are many. By building students' awareness a few years before they graduate from high school, we may be able to encourage a more thoughtful approach to high school years and life beyond. 

- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Fwd: Webinar: Simple Ways to Incorporate Engineering into your Curriculum



- Dr. Gary Ackerman


Begin forwarded message:

From: STEM Education Research Center <information@plcelearning.com>
Date: January 25, 2013, 3:32:38 PM EST
To: gary@hackscience.net
Subject: Webinar:  Simple Ways to Incorporate Engineering into your Curriculum
Reply-To: information@plcelearning.com

PCS Edventures!







February 5, 2013

9:00am PST
10:00am MST
11:00am CST
12:00pm EST

Join Kellie Dean, Director of Training for PCS Edventures, on Wednesday, Feb. 5th at 10:00 am MST for an exclusive look at how to integrate engineering concepts into your curriculum.

Dean will show you how you can keep students engaged while teaching them the principals of engineering. Engineering is one of the fastest growing career fields and a vital 21st century skill. Dean will show several examples of engaging lessons that enable students to learn while having fun.


Register for this free webinar today!

If you would like a personal review of STEM products and programs, please click here.

This email was sent to gary@hackscience.net by information@plcelearning.com |  
JK Thomas and Associates | 204 102 135th Street | Surrey | British Columbia | V3T 4C2 | Canada

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Education Planning (@willrich45)

Will Richardson (@willrich45)
"Do we want the federal government to be the principal architect of a national education system?" buff.ly/WPjl3l #edchat Good Q.

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Tweet from Will Richardson (@willrich45)

Will Richardson (@willrich45)
Student Advisory: A Model for the 21st Century buff.ly/YmSdhq Some great suggestions. #edchat #cpchat

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Apps for creation (@AngelaMaiers)

Angela Maiers (@AngelaMaiers)
RT @mkurashige: Wow! Awesome! MT @sjunkins: 82 Apps for Student Content Creation. buff.ly/WBtD5h #ipaded #mpimiddle

Any list that starts with the selection criteria used on this list must deserve our attention!


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Tweet from Marc Prensky (@marcprensky)

Marc Prensky (@marcprensky)
Our best teachers have adapted: from being givers of information to kids, to being coaches, guides & partners for kids teaching themselves.

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Brain Rules for Presenters

John Medina's book Brain Rules which is about how brains work should be read by all middle school teachers and parents, and most students.

Someone created this SlideShare about the book, but at 131 slides, you probably want to set aside some time for it. I can also see using this as an example of good presentation design?

http://www.slideshare.net/garr/brain-rules-for-presenters


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Friday, January 18, 2013

Tweet from Education Week (@educationweek)

Education Week (@educationweek)
#Poverty is one of most handicapping conditions children can face and teachers know this, writes John Wilson bit.ly/SRYNdW #EWopinion

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Fwd: Check your mailbox for the Annual Conference brochure



- Dr. Gary Ackerman


Begin forwarded message:

From: nelms@nelms.org
Date: January 17, 2013, 9:14:04 AM EST
To: "Dr. Gary L. Ackerman" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: Check your mailbox for the Annual Conference brochure
Reply-To: NELMS <nelms@nelms.org>

January 17, 2013 - NELMS Updated Information
nelms logo

32nd Annual Conference
April 4 & 5, 2013
RI Convention Center, Providence, RI

Don't forget to check your mailbox for the Annual Conference brochure.

Keynote speakers
Carol Ann Tomlinson & Tom Burton 2012 AC cover

Descriptions of Keynote Sessions

Click here to go to the keynote sessions page.

Descriptions of Ticketed Keynote Luncheons

Click here to go to the keynote luncheons page.

Descriptions of Ticketed "Featured Topics" Sessions

You can find the codes for "Featured Topics" here. You will need these codes for completing your registration.
Click here to go to the ticketed sessions page.

Registration Forms

Click here for a static registration form. You will need to print this out and mail or fax it to NELMS. Use this form if you are paying by check or with a purchase order.

Online registration form will be here soon.

Prices for the 2013 Annual Conference
Same price as last year!

cost table

 

 

NHAMLE Annual Education Summit!
Connecting with Technology

March 8, 2013

Annual Conference
April 4 & 5, 2013

Join us on Facebook and Twitter

facebook logo


 

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Net Atlantic

Tweet from Marc Prensky (@marcprensky)

Marc Prensky (@marcprensky)
Technology now enables motivated kids to teach themselves quite well—especially with good coaching! #PRENSKYPERSPECTIVE

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Tweet from Stanford University (@Stanford)

Stanford University (@Stanford)
U.S. schools aren't being outpaced by international competition, an analysis of international tests shows: stanford.io/XzyC9G

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Fwd: Announcing the 2013 School Leadership Summit, Worldwide and Online March 28th



- Dr. Gary Ackerman


Begin forwarded message:

From: "Library 2.0" <mail@library20.com>
Date: January 15, 2013, 10:52:11 AM EST
To: "gary@hackscience.net" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: Announcing the 2013 School Leadership Summit, Worldwide and Online March 28th
Reply-To: do-not-reply@library20.com

Network Email
The Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL) and I are pleased to announce the inaugural worldwide and online School Leadership Summit, Thursday, March 28th, 2013  (SchoolLeadershipSummit.com). This free conference will be held online and will be a unique chance to participate in a collaborative global conversation on school leadership with presentations by your peers.

To be kept informed of the latest conference news and updates, please join the Admin 2.0 network and conference website at http://www.schoolleadershipsummit.com. Conference strands (aligned to the internationally-recognized ISTE National Education Technology Standards for Administrators) will include the leadership topics:
  • Vision in a Changing World
  • Teaching and Learning in a Changing World
  • Professional Learning in a Changing World
  • Data-driven Reform in a Changing World
  • Ethical and Responsible Use in a Changing World

Presenting:

The conference seeks to present ideas, examples, and projects related to education leadership in a changing world. Topics are likely to include: expert advice and/or successful practices relating to Common Core; digital textbooks; school reform; tablet devices for teaching, learning, and productivity; social networking; professional development; "flipped" classrooms; digital citizenship and literacies; global collaboration; stakeholder and digital communication; and much more!

The Call for Proposals for the conference is open HERE. Presenters can submit proposals for general sessions focused on one of the five strands above. While the final deadline for submissions is March 15th, 2013, presenters will be notified of acceptance on a rolling basis starting 
February 1st, 2012. There is a motivation for early submission and acceptance, as presenters schedule their own presentation times as a part of the process and the options become more limited as time goes on.
As a conference that is highly participatory, we encourage new presenters as well as more experienced ones to submit to present.

International Advisory Board:

Anyone can apply to be a member of the international advisory board. Advisory board members are recognized on the website and are asked to:
  • Promote both participation and attendance at the conference
  • Help us find partner organizations in their region(s)
  • Help support and potentially train presenters in their geographical region
  • If possible, help moderate sessions during the actual conference

To sign up for the advisory board, please make sure you have joined the Admin 2.0 online network, and then join the advisory board group HERE.

Conference Partner Organizations:

Whether you are a small school or a multi-national non-profit organization, we want to encourage you to become a conference partner. You must be non-commercial and primarily or substantively focused on school leadership to be approved. Once approved, your organization will be listed on the conference site with a link, logo, and a short description; and you will be provided with a "spotlight" speaker session in the conference.

Our goal for the conference is to have it be a milestone event, bringing together organizations and individuals from all over the world. We recognize that much (if not most!) of the outreach for this conference will come from schools and organizations who advertise the conference to their memberships, and we want to recognize and "reward" those who do this!

There are no financial obligations for being a partner organization--all we ask is that you actively promote the conference to your membership and network, and encourage participation as well as presentations and submissions. To apply to be a conference partner organization, please make sure you have joined the Admin 2.0 online network, and then join the partner group HERE.

Conference Sponsors:

There are opportunities for commercial sponsorship of the School Leadership Summit, and both recognition and authentic appreciation for financial support will be given to those who choose to sponsor. Sponsorship levels and benefits can be discussed with Steve Hargadon directly at steve@hargadon.com or 916-283-7901.

More Information:

The School Leadership Summit's founding sponsor is TICAL, a Statewide Educational Technology Services Project funded by the California Department of Education and Arkansas Department of Education under the auspices of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. TICAL's mission is helping K-12 school leaders provide informed and effective leadership in the use of technology to improve education.

We are looking forward to this fun event, and to your participation! For further updates, please join the Admin 2.0 network and follow the conference hashtag #sls13.

Thank you for your interest!

Steve Hargadon
Founder and Co-Chair
http://www.SteveHargadon.com
http://www.Web20Labs.com

Jason Borgen
Co-Chair
Program Director
TICAL, Santa Cruz County Office of Education

Rowland Baker
Co-Chair
Executive Director
TICAL, Santa Cruz County Office of Education

Visit Library 2.0 at: http://www.library20.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

 
To control which emails you receive on Library 2.0, click here

Tweet from Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn)

Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn)
"Diversity" usually refers to ethnic/racial diffs. Need more talk about CURRICULAR diversity - as the vise of standardization tightens

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Tools for storytelling (@willrich45)

Will Richardson (@willrich45)
Visual storytelling: 14 tools for journalists buff.ly/WFOZyM Educators, too. #education #edchat

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Tweet from Dan Ã…kerlund (@danakerlund)

Dan Ã…kerlund (@danakerlund)
100 Ways To Use iPads In Your Classroom - Edudemic | @scoopit sco.lt/4ySvLt

Download the official Twitter app here


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Friday, January 11, 2013

Fwd: NEERO Registration

Not a NELMS event, but one tat is worthwhile especially for educators who are in graduate programs. 

- Dr. Gary Ackerman


Begin forwarded message:

From: NEERO Conference <neero.conference@gmail.com>
Date: January 11, 2013, 10:51:35 AM EST
To: NEERO Conference <neero.conference@gmail.com>
Subject: NEERO Registration

Dear NEERO friends -

The NEERO Board is pleased to announce that registration for the 2013 New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO) conference is now open.

The 45th annual NEERO Conference will be held April 17 through April 19, 2013 at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth, NH.  Please see below for information on conference fees and hotel rates.

NEERO uses an online registration process.  You may access the online registration form at https://neero2012.wufoo.com/forms/neero-2013-conference-registration-form/. After registering you may either submit your payment immediately by credit card via PayPal or send a check through the mail.

You do not need a PayPal account to submit a payment, and PayPal allows you to print a receipt for your payment.  If you pay by check a receipt will be available at the conference.  We encourage you to register before March 15, 2013 to obtain the discounted early registration fee. 

Conference Fees

Full-time Student

Early Registration $75

Regular Registration $95

Professional

Early Registration $125

Regular Registration $150

Hotel Rates

Rooms at the Sheraton in Portsmouth, NH

Single: $149/night

Double: $149/night

Hotel rate is available until March 15, 2013

Please visit http://www.neero.org regularly for the most up-to-date conference information.  If you have questions or comments please contact Mary Grassetti at neero.conference@gmail.com.  We are looking forward to gathering in Portsmouth in April.

Mary Grassetti

NEERO Membership Director

Huffington Post article: The Internet, As Seen By High Schoolers

Interesting:

From Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bianca-bosker/the-internet-as-seen-by-high-schoolers_b_2443626.html


- Dr. Gary Ackerman

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Fwd: Annual Conference Information Now Online



- Dr. Gary Ackerman


Begin forwarded message:

From: nelms@nelms.org
Date: January 10, 2013, 1:22:53 PM EST
To: "Dr. Gary L. Ackerman" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: Annual Conference Information Now Online
Reply-To: NELMS <nelms@nelms.org>

January 10, 2013 - NELMS Updated Information
nelms logo

32nd Annual Conference
April 4 & 5, 2013
RI Convention Center, Providence, RI

Keynote speakers
Carol Ann Tomlinson & Tom Burton 2012 AC cover

Descriptions of Keynote Sessions

Click here to go to the keynote sessions page.

Descriptions of Ticketed Keynote Luncheons

Click here to go to the keynote luncheons page.

Descriptions of Ticketed "Featured Topics" Sessions

You can find the codes for "Featured Topics" here. You will need these codes for completing your registration.
Click here to go to the ticketed sessions page.

Registration Forms

Click here for a static registration form. You will need to print this out and mail or fax it to NELMS. Use this form if you are paying by check or with a purchase order.

Online registration form will be here soon.

Prices for the 2013 Annual Conference
Same price as last year!

cost table

 

 

NHAMLE Annual Education Summit!
Connecting with Technology

March 8, 2013

Annual Conference
April 4 & 5, 2013

Join us on Facebook and Twitter

facebook logo


 

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Add nelms@nelms.org to your email address book to ensure delivery
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