Literacy and Reading News

Fall Schedule of Online Teacher Workshops

2009-09-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

This fall the National Humanities Center will hold eight online workshops for high school teachers focusing on specific topics in American history and culture along with primary source materials that can be used with their students in their classrooms. The 90-minute sessions are led by leading scholars of history, art, and literature and provide opportunities for sharing ideas with other teachers across the United States. Using online conferencing software that allows verbal exchanges among participants, these workshops are the newest offering from the National Humanities Center's education programs and build on its thirty years of dedicated effort to improving humanities teaching at all levels of education through engagement with scholars and professional development.

Workshops scheduled for this fall include sessions on consumer behavior in colonial America, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and art in the Civil War and early twentieth century, among other topics. The workshops will draw from, and help familiarize teachers with, materials in the National Humanities Center's Toolbox Library, an extensive archive of primary sources - historical documents, literary texts, visual images, and audio materials - which are supplemented with discussion guides and helpful notes.

Registration for each workshop is $35. All sessions are conducted live, online. Participants need a computer, an Internet connection, along with speakers, and a microphone. For participants who need a headset with a built-in microphone, one will be provided.

WHO: Teachers (K-12) of U.S. History and American Literature

WHEN:

Thursday, October 8:

"The Consumer Revolution in Colonial America"

Led by historian Maurie McInnis, University of Virginia

Tuesday, October 13:

"Why Some New World Colonies Succeeded and Others Failed"

Led by historian Kathleen Duval, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Tuesday, October 20:

"Lincoln's Gettysburg Address"

Led by historian Andrew Delbanco, Columbia University

Tuesday, October 27:

"Civil War Art"

Led by art historian Kirk Savage, University of Pittsburgh

Wednesday, October 28:

"The Cult of Domesticity"

Led by literature scholar Lucinda MacKethan, North Carolina State University

Tuesday, November 10:

"Emancipation"

Led by historian Reginald Hildebrand, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thursday, November 12:

"The Ashcan School"

Led by art historian Angela Miller, Washington University of Saint Louis

Thursday, November 19:

"In Search of the Civil Rights Movement"

Led by historian Kenneth Janken, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

WHERE: All sessions will be conducted online.

CONTACT: For more information, or to reserve space, please contact Michelle Walton-Shaw, 919-549-0661, mshaw@nationalhumanitiescenter.org

Website: http://www.nationalhumanitiescenter.org/

Central New York Teachers Participate In Federal Writing Project

2009-09-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Twelve Central New York teachers undertook an intensive, four-week Summer Institute in July at SUNY Cortland during the second year of the Seven Valleys Writing Project (SVWP).

The institute took place July 6-31 at Main Street SUNY Cortland, an extension facility the College operates at 9 Main St. in downtown Cortland. The educators honed their written expression and improved their grasp of research in education-related subjects.

"I used to laugh at the idea of having students write in class every day," said Nick Bessette, an English language arts teacher at Union Springs (N.Y.) High School. "Now I don't."

"At the end of the Summer Institute, I have come to realize how little I have used writing," noted Kathryn Cernera, English language arts teacher in the Ithaca (N.Y.) City School District's DeWitt Middle School. "I knew it was missing, but after being here, I have so many ways to sneak it into my classroom."

Since 2008, the College has operated a local branch of the National Writing Project, funded through the federal Department of Education, as a means of helping outstanding teachers across Central New York improve their practice through writing and research. In all, 26 area educators have been trained as master educators and returned to their home districts to share their new knowledge with colleagues and students by conducting professional development demonstrations after school hours.

"This whole institute has been a real shot in the arm for my teaching," said Tina Conklin, English language arts teacher in Chenango Valley (N.Y.) Middle School. "I want to go back and infect my school with an enthusiasm for writing."

"The program has helped 4,800 students gain access to a SVWP teacher consultant so far," said David Franke, a SUNY Cortland associate professor of English and professional writing who is the College's project director with Brian Fay, a teacher at the Onondaga-Cayuga-Madison BOCES. "The bottom line is that we anticipate our program will reach 18,000 students with a Seven Valleys Writing Project teacher by the end of five years. In our second year, we've taught a total of 26 educators from more than 20 school districts in Central New York. These teacher consultants practice in all fields and at all levels in the theory and practice of using writing to help students learn at the kindergarten through 12th grade level."

The SVWP will ultimately serve 79 school districts in an eight-county territory located within a 100-mile radius of Cortland, Franke said. The 12 teachers were competitively selected from 15 applicants and were required to have at least two years of teaching experience. Franke and Fay would like to see more candidates apply who teach science, math, social studies, art and other content areas.

The other Central New York teachers chosen to attend this summer's institute were: Quana Brock, English language arts teacher at Binghamton (N.Y.) High School; Deborah Gleason-Rielly, English teacher at Auburn (N.Y.) High School; Tish Evans, English as a second language teacher in the Syracuse (N.Y.) Central School District; Deborah Kisloski, English teacher at Horseheads (N.Y.) High School; Shannon Dawson, English language arts teacher at the Maine-Endwell (N.Y.) Central School District; Sarah Marcham, English language arts and math support teacher at Dryden (N.Y.) Elementary School; and Gerald Masters, an English and technical writing teacher at Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center.

"Part of my job as a teacher is to pay attention to my students' passions," said Marilyn Mayer, a music, art and physical education teacher at Ithaca (N.Y.) City School District's Northeast Elementary School. "Listening to the things they say and the questions they ask — and all the silences in between -- is the only way to help them move to feel joy and take pride in the work they do."

"I'm reminded to take risks and that if I don't think the writing is interesting, no one else in my class will," said Joseph Cortese, history and economics teacher in the Homer (N.Y.) Senior High School.

"It was really an amazing year," Franke noted. "People work so hard, but it's really good work. They love it. They do research into their own professional research questions, for example, 'Does teaching grammar make elementary students better writers?' and 'How can I teach students to respond critically to their peers' work?' Stuff like that. At the same time, the teachers are helping each other compose their own writing, everything from memoir to poetry to fiction. On top of that, the group serves as a critical audience for teachers to develop their own ways to use writing in the classroom."

For more information about the SVWP, visit the Web site at www.cortland.edu/svwp or contact Franke at (607) 753-5945.

Children Can Learn A Second Language In Preschool

2009-09-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Interim results from an international research project which looks at bilingual education reveal that children can learn a second language as early as preschool.

The University of Hertfordshire is one of nine European partners in ELIAS (Early Language and Intercultural Acquisition Studies) which was awarded €300,000 by the European Union last year to research bilingual education and intercultural awareness in children through observational studies and language assessments in six project preschools.

The researchers use a concept called 'immersion teaching', whereby children are addressed in each language by the respective native speaker and asked to respond in that language.

The study focuses on bilingual preschools in Germany, Sweden and Belgium, where the staff members are teachers from the respective country, but at least one teacher is a native speaker of English. Data is also collected from nurseries in Hertfordshire and the bilingual nursery of the German school in London. Children’s progress in English is measured through a receptive vocabulary test and a grammar task that was designed within the project. So far, 266 preschool children aged between three and five took part in the tests.

The researchers found that although not all the preschool groups performed equally well in the tests, and there was a large amount of individual variation in children’s comprehension of vocabulary and grammatical phenomena, there was clear evidence that it is feasible for children to start to learn a second language in a preschool context, using immersion methods.

Dr Christina Schelletter, a senior lecturer in English Language and Communication in the School of Humanities at the University of Hertfordshire, who leads the UK investigation said: "We have found that immersion-type teaching can be of real benefit to children. Immersion is the best and most successful method of foreign language learning at an early age. The natural learning abilities of young children as well as their enthusiasm promise rapid and successful acquisition of the second language."

ELIAS will continue until October 2010 during which time it will document and assess the development of the children, organise teacher training events and recommend practical work for the preschools. Following the final symposium in 2010, a compilation of the results will be published for general public use.

For more information, see: http://www.elias.bilikita.org/

Readers' Choice Literacy Grant

2009-09-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

Better World Books announced the creation of its Readers' Choice Literacy Grant. Twice a year, Better World Books' five primary non-profit literacy partners are now invited to submit grant proposals which will then be voted on by consumers on www.BetterWorldBooks.com. The winner each time will receive a significant grant to fund its proposal. Voting for the first grant will begin on Oct. 23, 2009. "We want to keep growing public awareness of the importance of literacy, and the Readers' Choice Literacy Grant is a great way to deepen our readers' engagement and empower them to help make a difference," said Better World Books CEO David Murphy.

Every book bought on BetterWorldBooks.com funds global literacy through Better World Books' five primary non-profit literacy partners (the National Center for Family Literacy, Books for Africa, Room to Read, Worldfund, and Invisible Children) as well as through nearly 100 other non-profit organizations.

She's Going Back To School But Can She Read?

2009-09-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

The fact that children who do not read well by the end of Grade 3 are at risk of dropping out or failing to graduate is one of the grim conclusions made in a report released by the Canadian Education Statistics Council.

The report, "Literature Review: Key factors to support literacy success in school-aged population" was prepared by principal investigator Julia O'Sullivan, Dean of the Faculty of Education at The University of Western Ontario. It explores the gaps in students' opportunities to learn to read and identifies those at risk based on how well Canadian children can read in Grade 3 or Grade 6. Statistics prove that at least 30 per cent of students across the country cannot read or write well enough to support success in school by the end of Grade 6.

"These students move to junior or senior high where reading is not taught and these same students are expected to read well enough to learn from textbooks in subjects ranging from science to history," says O'Sullivan. "Then they have to write about what they know and think. But without those reading skills, success is highly unlikely."

And while many students are doing well in Canada's current education system, the report says it's unacceptable that nearly one quarter will not graduate from high school. The costs for these students, their families, communities and Canada are much higher today than 25 years ago. Today, Canada competes against countries with higher graduation rates whose students often speak two or three languages.

Efforts to improve reading and writing skills, historically, happen at the primary and elementary levels. But the report urges that those efforts must be intensified for young children and expanded to junior and senior high school if more students are to succeed. And that means more literacy teachers in high school settings.

O'Sullivan explains, "Reading, or the ability to get meaning from print, is fundamental for school success for all students. It is the golden ticket that every child in this country has a right to expect. The challenge for Canada is to raise the bar and close the gap for all of our students. Every single child is entitled to learn to read, to attain that golden ticket."

Read the full report here

Web Site Sells Words and Supports Literacy

2009-09-08T11:25:00.001-07:00

Buy a word and support international literacy efforts. Web entrepreneur Jeremy Burghall has created the Web site www.EveryWordIsForSale.com with the goal of raising $2.4 million. Burghall is donating 25% of the total raised to ProLiteracy, the world's largest organization of adult literacy programs.

The www.EveryWordIsForSale.com Web site consists of the entire text of the book "The Science of Getting Rich," by Wallace D. Wattles, first published 99 years ago. Each word is available for purchase as a hyperlink advertisement to the buyer's Web site.

"The book inspired the idea for the Web site," Burghall, 27, said. "I want to increase opportunities for people seeking self-improvement. ProLiteracy's international programs give budding entrepreneurs in developing countries the basic literacy and math skills they need to help their businesses succeed."

Individuals and companies can buy words for $100 each with the stipulation that they must purchase every instance of the word. The most common, and therefore most expensive, word is "the," which Burghall hopes to sell for $123,900. Supporters are encouraged to buy words related to their products or services. For example, attitudetravel.com has purchased the word "travel."

"Partnerships with young entrepreneurs like Jeremy are so important to the work ProLiteracy does around the world," said Lynne Jones, ProLiteracy's vice president for development and membership. "Many of our international partner programs offer literacy instruction that helps adults start and grow their own small businesses."

Disability.gov Adds Social Media Tools, Disability Resources and a New Design

2009-08-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Labor has re-named and re-launched its disability resources Web site to Disability.gov. Formerly called DisabilityInfo.gov, the site offers comprehensive information about programs, services and assistive technology to better serve more than 50 million Americans with disabilities, their family members, veterans, employers, educators, caregivers and anyone interested in disability-related information.

The new Web site (http://www.disability.gov) integrates content from 22 federal agencies and will be managed by the Labor Department. The former DisabilityInfo.gov site was revamped with social media tools to encourage interaction and feedback, and new ways to organize, share and receive information. Visitors can sign up for personalized news and updates, participate in online discussions and suggest resources for the site. New features include a Twitter feed, Really Simple Syndication feeds, a blog, social bookmarking and a user-friendly way to obtain answers to questions on such topics as finding employment and job accommodations. Additional tools will be added during the months ahead.

"Far more than just a directory of federal resources, Disability.gov is a meeting ground for Americans to learn, respond and communicate about a wealth of critically important disability-related topics," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The new site has been vastly enhanced to provide more information in as efficient and interactive setting as possible."

The site is organized into 10 subject areas: benefits, civil rights, community life, education, emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, technology and transportation. By selecting a category, visitors are directed to useful information on federal and state government programs and services, news and events, grants and funding opportunities, disability services, assistive technology and more.

"The Department of Labor is pleased to be the managing partner of Disability.gov and to help advance the independence and full participation of people with disabilities in the workforce, the classroom and their communities," said Kathleen Martinez, assistant secretary for the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

Disability.gov contains thousands of links to reliable disability resources and information from its federal agency partners, as well as educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state and local governments -- as well as links to assistive technology.

ODEP is leading a 21st century federal response to the historic underemployment of people with disabilities. In collaboration with other government agencies, public and private employers, and additional stakeholders, ODEP facilitates the development and implementation of innovative policies and practices necessary to achieve a fully inclusive workplace. ODEP's work primarily falls into three categories: employers and the workplace; workforce systems; and employment-related supports, which include education and training, health care, reliable transportation, affordable housing and assistive technology. For more information, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep.

U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit http://www.dol.gov/compliance.

National Forum On Information Literacy Celebrates 20th Anniversary

2009-08-31T12:41:00.001-07:00

On October 15 and 16, 2009, the National Forum on Information Literacy begins celebrating 20 years of promoting information literacy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Conference Center in Washington, D.C. Information literacy is a critical skill set essential today for academic achievement, workplace success, and engaged civic participation in our dynamically evolving information and communication technology universe. It provides the worldview template needed by all Americans for successful pursuits in areas of competitive advantage, personal responsibility, and lifelong learning in the 21st century.

The anniversary theme for the two day affair is Empowering Future Generations: Information Literacy. Arthur J. Rothkopf, Senior Vice President and Counselor to the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will keynote the dinner celebration on Thursday, October 15th. Friday's Annual Meeting will offer an interactive town hall format focusing on the theme and is open to the public. Seating is limited.

The Anniversary's honorary chair, Congressman Major R. Owens, Ret. has said, "Information literacy is needed to guarantee the survival of democratic institutions. All men are created equal but voters with information resources are in a position to make more intelligent decisions than citizens who are information illiterates. The application of information resources to the process of decision-making to fulfill civic responsibilities is a vital necessity."

The two day affair will celebrate the achievements of the National Forum including acknowledgement of the steadfast dedication and leadership of its first chair, Dr. Patricia Senn Breivik, currently Vice President of Nehemiah Communications in Columbia, South Carolina. The National Education Association is one of the event's key sponsors.

As we move further into the 21st century, it is quite clear that information literacy will become the standard-bearer for academic achievement, workforce productivity, and competitive advantage.

For more information on the 20th anniversary celebration, visit www.infolit.org

More Than 30 Percent Of Faculty Say They Tweet

2009-08-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

Faculty Focus, a website for higher education professionals, today announced results of a survey on Twitter usage and trends among college faculty. The survey of approximately 2,000 higher education professionals found that nearly one-third (30.7 percent) of the 1,958 respondents say they use Twitter in some capacity. More than half, (56.4 percent) say they've never used Twitter.

The findings, available in the downloadable report Twitter in Higher Education: Usage Habits and Trends of Today's College Faculty, show relatively strong adoption rates among higher education professionals. On the other end of the spectrum, the results also reveal a large number of faculty question the value of using the micro-blogging service in an academic setting.

Key findings of Twitter in Higher Education: Usage Habits and Trends of Today's College Faculty include:

-- 21.9 percent of respondents say they are "familiar" or "very familiar"
with Twitter.

-- Of those who use Twitter, 21 percent say they "frequently" use it to
collaborate with colleagues; 15.6 percent do so "occasionally."

-- Of those who use Twitter, 7.2 percent "frequently" use it as a
learning tool in the classroom; 9.4 percent do so "occasionally."

-- 71.8 percent of current Twitterers expect their usage to increase this
school year.

-- 20.6 percent of current non-Twitter users say there is a "50/50
chance" they will use Twitter as a learning tool in the classroom in
the next two years.

-- 12.9 percent of respondents say they tried Twitter, but stopped using
it because it took too much time, they did not find it valuable, or a
combination of reasons.

Depending on how they answered the question "Do you use Twitter?" respondents were asked a unique set of follow-up questions. The 20-page report released today provides a breakdown of the survey results by question, including comments provided by survey respondents when available. The comments further explain how they are using Twitter, why they stopped, or why they have no interest in using it at all.

Although the majority of faculty do not currently use Twitter, their reasons are varied. Many questioned its educational relevance and expressed concerns that it creates poor writing skills. For others the reasons boiled down to the simple fact that they either don't know how to use Twitter, or don't have time to use it.

"One of the more interesting findings from the survey is the high percentage of faculty who use Twitter, even if they're still experimenting with the best ways to incorporate it into their courses," says Mary Bart, content manager for Faculty Focus. "What also became quite apparent was how strongly Twitterers and non-Twitterers feel about the technology."

The majority (55.9 percent) of people who took the survey are professors or instructors, with another 4.3 percent who designated themselves as online instructors specifically. Nearly one-fourth (23.6 percent) are academic leaders, such as department chairs and deans. Sixteen percent selected their role as "other" and this included individuals in faculty development, academic advisement, instructional design, marketing, admissions, assessment, and library services.

The survey was conducted in July and August 2009. An email invitation to participate in the online survey was distributed to Faculty Focus subscribers, as well as to select in-house lists of higher education faculty and administrators. Faculty Focus also notified its Twitter followers of the survey via http://twitter.com/facultyfocus.

To access the full report: Twitter in Higher Education: Usage Habits and Trends of Today's College Faculty visit http://bit.ly/4cjCh0 or http://www.facultyfocus.com/.

Stimulus Helps Schools, but Not as Much as Hoped

2009-08-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Federal stimulus funds for education are flowing to states and local school districts, but many of the dollars are simply backfilling budget holes, limiting the ability of districts to implement innovative reforms, according to a study released today by the American Association of School Administrators. "Schools and the Stimulus: How America’s Public School Districts Are Using ARRA Funds," is based on a survey of 160 school administrators from 37 states conducted in July and August 2009. The study finds that while school leaders appreciate the opportunity the federal stimulus funding represents, a lack of flexibility in the funding and a need to fill federal, state and local budget shortfalls are sizeable obstacles that many districts have been unable to overcome in their efforts to save jobs and effect change.

"AASA members have voiced both appreciation for and concerns with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," said AASA Executive Director Daniel A. Domenech. "While they remain committed to their daily efforts to advance education reform and innovation, the current economic realities have severely limited their ability to use stimulus dollars for anything beyond filling budget holes."

Survey Highlights

A majority of districts have received or anticipate receiving soon their ARRA Title I, IDEA and State Fiscal Stabilization Fund dollars.

When asked how their districts are using ARRA funds to bring about education innovation and reform, more than two-thirds of respondents replied that the stimulus dollars are either filling funding gaps or represent only marginal growth in funding levels.

School districts are using the one-time funds to save teaching and staff positions. However, less than half of respondents reported being able to save core subject teaching positions with ARRA dollars.

The top five reported uses for ARRA Title I and IDEA monies are: professional development; saving personnel positions; classroom technology; classroom equipment/supplies; and software.
AASA members said a heightened level of bureaucracy and reporting tied to the stimulus funds limits their time and ability to implement education reform and innovation.

AASA President Mark Bielang, superintendent in Paw Paw, Mich., said: "The survey results echo a frustration my colleagues and I have long articulated: limited flexibility for the existing federal education funds cuts down on our ability to innovate, and the stimulus dollars come with limitations. In light of the tight economic situation at the federal, state and local levels, a little flexibility goes a long way toward supporting educator efforts to innovate and reform America’s public schools. AASA will continue to monitor ARRA and advocate for the greatest flexibility possible, so that school administrators across the country can maximize ARRA’s investment in America’s public schools."

Survey results: http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=5452.

Children’s Creativity with "Curious Corner," a New Interactive Web Site

2009-08-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Museum Education has just launched Curious Corner, a vibrant children's interactive game that brings the museum's collection of art to life. Packed with lively animation and fun features, the dynamic program encourages young Web users and their families to explore more than 30 works of art from around the world through playful and creative activities.

Developed by the Art Institute in collaboration with Sandbox Studio, Inc., a design company dedicated to educational programs and technology, Curious Corner is now accessible on the Web as well as on dedicated computers inside the museum.

"Opening the new Ryan Education Center in the Modern Wing has really been a catalyst for us to bring the world of museum education into the twenty-first century," said Robert Eskridge, the Woman's Board Endowed Executive Director of the Department of Museum Education. "The education center is now fully equipped with state-of-the-art computer terminals, wireless laptops and interactive whiteboard technology, and, in the classrooms and studios, multimedia projection and display systems. With Curious Corner on the Web, we're now able to bring all the advances of the Ryan Education Center into the homes of families and visitors."

Curious Corner introduces families, children, and educators to the Art Institute's diverse collection, teaches basic visual skills, and promotes the museum in a stimulating, intuitive, and appealing way. The activities allow children to "learn by doing": children can interact with works of art through both words and pictures, experiment with visual elements and principles, and use different styles of design to create something new. The broad selection of artworks featured in the program include American and European paintings, African masks, Indian artifacts, and contemporary works-offering children of all ages ample opportunity to encounter and discover a diverse array of styles, media, and cultures.

On the homepage of Curious Corner, users can choose from three different activities: "Story Time," "Match Up," and "Play with Art." "Story Time" enables children to explore the background behind three different art objects with animated tales that allow web visitors to click on components throughout. "Match Up" teaches careful looking skills to children through the act of combining textures, shapes, and sounds with details in famous artworks. The third section, "Play with Art," encourages kids to create their own mask or Joseph Cornell box and match faces to famous portraits–all while teaching them about the art that inspired the game.

Curious Corner is one of many ongoing technology initiatives that the Art Institute's Museum Education department has developed in recent years for its audiences, both online and inside the museum. It continues the museum's award-winning tradition of innovation in education that can be found in previous interactive exhibitions such as Telling Images and Faces, Places, and Inner Spaces.

Curious Corner can be accessed through one of the computer terminals found in the Vitale Family Room of the Ryan Education Center in the Modern Wing or online at artic.edu/aic/education/CC. This program is one of many that support the Art Institute's goals to serve families and enhance the appreciation and enjoyment of art.

Arizona Science Center launches 'Young Science Correspondents' program

2009-08-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

Arizona Science Center is exploring new opportunities for science learning and inspiration with the creation of a new and innovative program – Young Science Correspondents -- that is training eight Valley students to be science correspondents with the help of local journalists and science experts. These eight students, four from the Bioscience High School and four from Carl Hayden High School, are making the My Digital World Gallery and the azcentral.com CyberLab at Arizona Science Center their home this summer.

The Young Science Correspondents program introduces youth to science journalism through organized experiences and mentorship in science, journalism and media. Program goals are to inspire teenage youth – including the participating correspondents and those that they reach – and to introduce science into teen awareness throughout Arizona.

Supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Arizona Science Center’s Young Science Correspondents program begins with a month long summer program this July plus monthly 3-hour workshops during the 10-month school year. Students are learning and using multi-media journalism to report the sciences and are responsible for researching, interviewing and producing at least one project per week during the month of July.

An impressive interview schedule has been set for this program that includes individuals from Wired magazine, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and ASU Biodesign Institute just to name a few. The students will also be taking trips to some of the top media and science locations throughout the valley such as The Arizona Republic, Know99 TV and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

Now more than ever, Arizona’s young people need opportunities in which they can become actively engaged in the science around them, explore new ways that scientific discovery affects their world and discover new career opportunities. To create interest in young people, they need non-school environments where they can have authentic experiences and see real-world applications.

Arizona Science Center developed the Young Science Correspondents program to address concerns of leaders in Arizona who are committed to preparing a strong workforce. It addresses the need for a new generation of scientifically literate residents by experimenting with a new kind of science learning environment for English- and Spanish-speaking adolescents and young adults in our community.

Other youth journalism projects targeting teens in Arizona do exist but the Young Science Correspondents project is the first journalism program for teens that focuses on science topics and is led by a science center. This pilot project will create an innovative pedagogical, collaborative approach utilizing scientists, journalists, and informal educators teaching together that may be replicated at other informal learning centers.

Students Seek Quality Higher Education in the Face of California Budget Cuts

2009-08-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

As the effects of vast state budget cuts at California's public higher education institutions are felt, more students may rely on the stability of private schools like Academy of Art University for a quality education. Academy of Art University's student population has grown continuously in recent years, a trend that the school plans to support as public institutions face budget cuts that could significantly stall enrollment.

California State University (CSU) recently announced measures to address an unprecedented budget reduction of $584 million for 2009-10. CSU has stopped accepting student applications for the 2010 spring term. CSU has typically enrolled more than 35,000 freshmen, undergraduate transfer and graduate students during the spring term.

State budget cuts do not affect privately funded schools like Academy of Art University. "The Academy continues to offer a world-class educational experience in art and design. We welcome all students interested in pursuing a creative career," said Dr. Elisa Stephens, Academy of Art University president.

CSU has been working to finalize a plan to address the unprecedented budget cuts, which will include measures to reduce enrollment, employee furloughs, possible student fee increases, salary and hiring freezes, and restrictions on travel and purchases. Overall, CSU is looking to reduce its enrollment by 40,000 students system wide for 2010-2011.

While budget cuts force state-funded schools to consider cutting degree programs, Academy of Art University recently announced the addition of two new majors to meet the increasing demand for quality art school programs. The School of Game Design offers AA, BFA, and MFA degrees in a variety of specializations. Students can pursue their love for music for film, TV, and on the Web in the new School of Music for Visual Media.

In addition to limiting enrollment and cutting programs, state budget cuts could lead to a less qualified faculty and a diminished classroom experience for state-funded schools. Higher salaries will draw the best teachers to more competitive schools, and fewer instructors mean fuller classrooms.

The enrollment reductions and service cuts at state-funded schools are prompting many students to transfer to private schools like Academy of Art University. The Academy accepts transfer credits from many institutions and welcomes students seeking quality higher education.

With small class sizes and a high graduate job placement rate, Academy of Art University is committed to its exceptional standard of art school education. The Academy will continue to prepare the creative work force of California, the nation and beyond, regardless of state budget cuts.

Reading Is Fundamental Launches "Read for Change"

2009-08-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) has launched Read for Change, a campaign to encourage all Americans to read with young children. This initiative is part of United We Serve, the national effort launched by President Obama on June 22 to engage more Americans in serving their communities this summer.

"One of the greatest services we can provide our communities is to ensure that all children obtain access to books and discover the joy and value of reading," said RIF President and CEO, Carol H. Rasco. "Today RIF is pleased to launch 'Read for Change' and we challenge Americans across the country to collectively log 3 million minutes of reading with children by September 11, 2009."

Participants can log their time at http://www.RIF.org/readforchange. At the end of the campaign, RIF will randomly select five participants to receive a children's multicultural book collection as well as the opportunity to select a school in their community to also receive a book collection.

This effort by RIF, the nation's oldest and largest children and families' literacy nonprofit organization, projects to raise awareness about the impact of children's literacy on the long-term economic health of the country.

In addition to raising awareness of the issue of literacy, RIF is partnering with the Verizon Foundation to encourage participants to supplement these reading activities by visiting Verizon's Thinkfinity.org web site (www.thinkfinity.org). The site contains thousands of free, educational resources for teachers, parents and students, including K-12 lesson plans, online educational activities, videos and other materials designed to strengthen literacy development, creativity and develop the critical thinking skills needed for success in the classroom and the workplace.

Reading to children becomes particularly important during the summer months, when children lose knowledge gained during the school year. The magnitude of this phenomenon, known as the "summer slide" or the "summer slump," is strongly affected by family income -- students from low-income families experience over two months summer learning loss in reading achievement, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning.

To help meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn, the Summer Service Initiative, launched by the White House, aims to both engage new volunteers in expanding the impact of existing organizations and to encourage "do-it-yourself" projects. The focus of the initiative is economic recovery, with the support of education and literacy for all Americans as a main component. Within the literacy component there are three specific focus areas: reading with kids, book drives and distributions, and library card registration drives.

"RIF is pleased to join with our partners to participate in United We Serve, and thanks the President for making this call to service this summer and beyond," added Rasco.

To participate in Read for Change, people can log their minutes read with a child at http://www.RIF.org/readforchange. To learn more about this and other local volunteer opportunities in your community, visit www.Serve.gov.

TechForEducators.com Unveils World's Largest Public Library Advertisement

2009-08-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

TechForEducators.com unveiled a new outdoor advertising campaign for public libraries. The campaign entitled "Free Education" aspires to create a greater intellectual life among Bay Area citizens and to help improve the performance of schools and teachers.

"Public libraries are an incredible resource. Yet, a great advertising campaign for public libraries has never been done before. Why not?" asked Matt Spergel, President of TechForEducators.com. "How many more great books will be read? And how many lives will change as a result?"

TechForEducators.com claims the billboard is the world's largest public library advertisement. The advertisement's headline exceeds 41 feet and the call to action spans the length of the billboard at 48 feet. "As far as we know, the world has never seen a public library advertisement of this size," Spergel said.

"Education cannot rest on the shoulders of teachers alone. Parents must also take more resposibility for the education of their children ... and bringing them to the library is an important first step," Spergel added.

The billboard is in Martinez, CA on I-680 south after the Benecia Bridge on the right-hand side.

Government of Canada Supports Project to Promote Adult Literacy in British Columbia

2009-08-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

Adults with learning disabilities will benefit from a project funded by the Government of Canada designed to help improve their literacy skills. Ms. Dona Cadman, Member of Parliament for Surrey North, made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

"Our government works with partners across Canada to improve literacy and essential skills that will help Canadians get jobs and build better futures," said Ms. Cadman. "This project will build the ability of adult literacy practitioners to better understand and help adults with learning disabilities."

Under the project, Learning Disabilities and Adult Basic Education: A Whole Life Approach to Professional Development, Literacy BC will receive $389,263 to create professional development strategies for literacy practitioners to enable them to better understand and help adults with learning disabilities. In addition, 50 literacy practitioners from across the province will participate in provincial and regional workshops to prepare themselves to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities.

Improving Canadians' literacy and essential skills is a key part of the Government's commitment to making the Canadian workforce the best educated, most skilled and most flexible in the world. The Government underscored this commitment in Canada's Economic Action Plan. To help Canadian workers and families during the global economic downturn and to prepare for the country's long-term growth, the Government is investing an unprecedented $8.3 billion in the Canada Skills and Transition Strategy.

Literacy and essential skills are the foundation for lifelong learning and play a vital role in the development of healthy families, vibrant communities and a prosperous economy. Literacy and essential skills programs and activities across Canada are supported by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, and by a variety of businesses and voluntary organizations.

Website: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml

Dad's Early Connection With Child 'Writes Script' For Later School Involvement

2009-08-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

When a dad changes diapers and makes pediatrician's appointments, he's more likely to stay interested and involved when his child makes the transition to school, said a new University of Illinois study that explores the role of parent involvement on student achievement.

"If we want fathers to be involved in school, we need to focus on men building close, loving relationships with their children in the preschool years. When fathers do this, they're writing a script that says they're involved in their child's life, and their expectation is that they'll go on being involved in that child's life," said Brent McBride, a U of I professor of human development.

McBride likes to use affection as an example of early parent involvement. "That can be as simple as a father winking at his three-year-old child," he said.

"If you, as a dad, develop an affectionate way of interacting with your preschooler, later when your child comes home and tells you what he's done in school that day, the warm, close relationship you've built will allow him to approach you with trust, and it will allow you to respond to your child's enthusiasm or frustration in a positive way," he said.

"If fathers wait to seek a closer relationship with their child until later in the child's life, the moment has passed," he said.

The study involved 390 children and their families from the Child Development Supplement data set of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics.

When the children were two to five years old, five early parenting behaviors—parent-child household-centered activities, parent-child child-centered activities (for example, reading to kids), parental limit setting, responsibility (such as making doctor's appointments), and demonstrating affection—were measured for both parents. Later the mothers' and fathers' involvement in school and the children's student achievement were assessed.

The study is unique in that it looks at mothers and fathers simultaneously, said the researcher. "No one person in a family system does anything without being influenced by every other person in that system. Having both parents in these analyses is a big advantage and a step above the previous research."
The study showed that the paths are different for mothers and fathers, and the researcher believes that parents and teachers should acknowledge that and build on these differences.

For example, although mother involvement in school-related activities was positively associated with student achievement, father involvement in such activities had a negative correlation with academic success.

"But this occurs because fathers who have established a pattern of being involved early in a child's life are more likely to step in at school (for example, in formal conferences and interaction with teachers) when their child is struggling in the school setting," he said.

McBride explained that parental roles aren't scripted for men as they are for women, and expectations aren't as clear-cut. "As long as a father is providing for his children, he's usually considered a good father," he said.

"And, although we're trying to encourage fathers to become more engaged in parenting than they have been, I don't believe the institutional mechanisms are in place to help that engagement along. Child-care providers and teachers aren't trained to approach fathers to help them become more involved as parents," he said.

He believes the best way to make these changes is to work with child-care providers and educators so they broaden their definition of parent to mean more than mothers.
"For example, if you're a day-care provider and a child is experiencing stress because of toileting issues, you would probably automatically reach out to the mother about these problems. Why shouldn't the father get that call?

"We need to train teachers so they're comfortable communicating with men as parents," he said.

The study, which appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Educational Psychology, was co-authored by W. Justin Dyer, Ying Liu, and Sungjin Hong of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Geoffrey L. Brown of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was funded in part by grants from the American Educational Research Association and the National Science Foundation.

Source: http://www.uiuc.edu/

10 Most Popular Websites for Kids

2009-08-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

As there is a seemingly endless supply of child-appropriate websites on the Internet, kids' websites are facing the same challenges as other sites on the net, namely bringing traffic and capturing the users' attention.

In a quest to drive website traffic and increase site popularity, marketers and brands are all doing their best to stand out and attract users, and to convince them to visit their websites. This, however, is quite a complicated task, as young kids visiting sites depend totally on their parents to set up the sites for them.

But what happens when you put all the kids' websites into one place and create easy navigation for children to surf these sites? What happens when you let the kids decide for themselves what their favorites are from a big selection?

This is exactly what happens in KIDO'Z, and what this Kid's Web Environment does is it gives every kids' website a fair chance to make its mark, by letting the kids themselves decide what their most popular websites are, regardless of marketing spending and online efforts.

Websites are added to KIDO'Z by parents and educators from all over the world. The KIDO'Z smart content engine ensures that, in addition to personalizing the content for each kid, all content that has been recently added is getting exposure. This keeps the content fresh for the kids and gives the new content a chance to become popular.

The following lists represent the 10 most visited sites on KIDO'Z by kids from more than 80 countries. "Through KIDO'Z, young children have direct access to hundreds of kids' websites in more than 30 languages in a safe, central place." -- Gai Havkin, CEO.

These websites are identified by colorful eye-catching thumbnails and children simply need to click on the image of their choice to visit the site. Children can also easily add any website to their Favorites section for fast and easy return to the sites that they like the most."

You'll notice that even though some of the big brands are up there, there are also a couple of unique, smaller sites that are making their mark. For example, Fun Brain and Poisson Rouge are listed among the most popular English websites in KIDO'Z, and through KIDO'Z, they are given the opportunity to compete with some of the established big brands. These two sites fall under the educational website category and use learning games and activities to educate children. The popularity of these sites could be indicative of the demand by children for educational and interactive website content.

Below you can find the lists of the most popular sites by languages. These lists, including links to the websites, can be found at http://www.kidoz.net/blog.

Most popular kids' sites in English:

Fun Brain
Dora
Mickey Mouse
Hot Wheels
Poisson Rouge
Roary the Racing Car
Ben 10
Barbie
PBS Kids
Thomas

Most popular kids' sites in French:

Pocoyo
Mila
Wumpa le Morse
Monsieur Madame
Caillou
Petite Princesse
Petit Ours Brun
Bali
Clifford
Chez Polo

Most popular kids' sites in Spanish:

Pocoyo
Cartoon Network
Jetix
Disney Playhouse Spain
Discovery Kids
Cuentos Interactivos
Mundo Nick
Wumpa
Infantil
Barbie

Most popular kids' sites in Italian:

Pocoyo
Gormiti
La Casa di Topolino
Tigger & Pooh
Manny Tuttofare
Little Einsteins
Higglytown Heroes
Il Circo di Jojo
Bunnytown
Rolie Polie Olie

Computers Can Boost Literacy

2009-08-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

Computers do not spell the demise of literacy -- in fact, they may help to create one of the most literate and engaged generations the world has seen.

Carl Whithaus, associate professor of writing at UC Davis, will report preliminary results from a California Department of Education-funded project under way in fourth-grade classrooms at elementary schools in the Elk Grove School District in Elk Grove, Calif. The project uses technology to increase academic achievement.

During the first year of the two-year study, student achievement increased 27.5 percent, according to Whithaus, who is principal investigator of a study to evaluate the project's effectiveness.

"We're finding that traditional print-based literacy is important. At the same time, we're seeing that the new technologies are not just eye candy," says Carl Whithaus, an associate professor of writing at UC Davis and principal investigator of the evaluation arm of the study.

"Traditional print-based reading and writing is only part of a much larger set of skills that students need in the 21st century."

Whithaus is also the organizer of Computers & Writing 2009. The conference is the culmination of a yearlong series of conferences hosted by the University of California on technology and writing.

Source: http://www.ucdavis.edu/

Online Tutorials Help Elementary School Teachers Make Sense Of Science

2009-08-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Interactive Web-based science tutorials can be effective tools for helping elementary school teachers construct powerful explanatory models of difficult scientific concepts, and research shows the interactive tutorials are just as effective online as they are in face-to-face settings, says a University of Illinois expert in science education.

David Brown, a professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education, said that elementary school teachers need high-quality, research-based resources to help them build a meaningful scientific knowledge base.

"Refining one’s scientific knowledge base through online interactive resources can help teachers develop a deeper conceptual understanding of scientific phenomena, making them better prepared to engage students in science-based activities," Brown said.

In any curriculum, there is teacher background literature or other forms of digested information that teachers can study to refresh their memories or get the broad stroke outlines of what they’re going to teach.

The trouble with those teaching aids, according to Brown, is that the information they contain is "usually fairly terse" and isn’t interactive or research-based.

If teachers lack confidence in their scientific knowledge base, they’re probably going to avoid situations where they might be caught flat-footed by a student’s question, because they don’t want to be asked a question they don’t know how to answer, Brown said.

So they’ll fall back on more traditional lesson plans that emphasize the rote memorization of scientific terms over inquiry-based forms of learning, such as hands-on activities and discussions of those activities.

But an emphasis on routinized learning doesn’t help students grasp the foundational science behind what they’re learning, Brown said. "If online tutorials focus on explaining the underlying scientific concepts behind the phenomena rather than on the rote memorization of facts, that can help teachers form a more meaningful conceptual understanding of what they’re going to teach," he said. "A teacher who has a firm scientific knowledge base can then help students understand the fundamental scientific ideas and concepts behind what they’re learning better."

To test his hypothesis, Brown developed "Making Sense of Science," an online multimedia tutorial that tested subjects’ pre- and post-test knowledge of the scientific concept of buoyancy.

In the first 10 interviews, the average post-test score increased by 16 percent; in the second group of 10, by 28 percent; and for a group of 68 online users, by 33 percent. Similarly, Brown discovered that the average post-test confidence scores nearly doubled after the respondents interacted with the tutorials, and the written explanations of their ideas went from "somewhat incoherent" to "coherent explanations that made use of relevant ideas," he said.

"We found that our resources were effective, and they were as effective online as they were face-to-face," Brown said.

The tutorials were also crafted to address the perceived deficiencies that Brown thought other teacher background information and online resources suffered from.

"The resources are designed to help teachers develop their ideas," Brown said. "They’re not designed for teachers to use directly with the students, but rather as background information for the teachers to develop their ideas so they’ll be in a better position to engage students in activities."

Those positive results make Brown guardedly optimistic that online resources for teachers can be developed that will be helpful in advancing reform in elementary science education.

"The focus in both national and state standards is involving students in inquiry-oriented activities," he said. "This is just trying to provide a resource for teachers for what they’re already being asked to do at the national and state levels."

Brown believes having better prepared elementary school science teachers will ultimately lead to more students interested in science.

"There’s a world of difference between a drill-and-kill lesson versus an inquiry-oriented one in terms of student engagement and retention," he said. "There’s a wealth of potential there that we’re not tapping into."

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Free Booklet: Earth Science Literacy Principles

2009-08-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

If you're clueless about petrology, paleobiology and plate tectonics, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI) have just released a free pamphlet offering a concise primer on what all Americans should know about the Earth sciences.

Funded by the National Science Foundation and compiled over the last year by ESLI, the booklet represents an attempt to gather and codify the underlying understandings of Earth sciences into a succinct document that will have broad-reaching applications in both public and private arenas.

"The Earth Science Literacy framework document of Big Ideas and supporting concepts was a community effort representing the current state-of-the-art research in Earth sciences," said Michael E. Wysession, Ph.D., chair of ESLI and associate professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Earth Science Literacy Initiative explores 9 "Big Ideas" at core of current research

The new Earth Science Literacy Principles establish nine "Big Ideas"and 7-10 supporting concepts for each, which together cover the essential information that everyone should know about the Earth sciences. The resulting Earth Science Literacy framework will also become part of the foundation, along with similar documents from the ocean, atmosphere and climate communities, of a larger geoscience "Earth Systems Science" literacy effort.

The scope of the new ESLI Earth Science Literacy Principles spans a wide variety of research fields that are funded through the NSF-EAR program. These fields include geobiology and low-temperature geochemistry, geomorphology and land-use dynamics, geophysics, hydrologic sciences, petrology and geochemistry, sedimentary geology and paleobiology, and tectonics.

The project included a 2-week online workshop with over 350 participants and multiple revisions supervised by a dedicated organizing committee of a dozen Earth scientists and educators.

"It was written, evaluated, shaped, and revised by the top scientists working in Earth science," Wysession said. "Because of its validity, authority, and succinct format, the ESLI document will be influential in a wide variety of scientific, educational, and political domains. New textbooks and curricula are already being developed using it, and future governmental legislation will be guided by it."

More information on the EARTH SCIENCE LITERACY INITIATIVE and a downloadable version of the free booklet can be found at the web site http://www.earthscienceliteracy.org/.

Book Drive to Foster Youth Literacy

2009-08-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Aug. 1, will mark the first day of a community-based book drive at more than 1,000 Borders(R) and Waldenbooks(R) stores throughout the nation. Borders and Waldenbooks' staff will encourage customers to purchase new children's books through the first week of September. All books will be directly donated to a local charity chosen by each store. In this difficult economy when charities nationwide have generally seen a decrease in contributions, Borders and Waldenbooks stores are pleased to coordinate book drives that will benefit hundreds of local non-profit organizations across the country.

"Borders' customers are extremely generous even in this challenging economy -- and they share our company's passion for fostering children's literacy. Every child should experience the joy of owning a book and we are pleased to team with our customers and hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the country to help make that possible," said Anne Kubek, executive vice president of Merchandising and Marketing for Borders.

Whether searching for a beloved classic from their childhood or discovering a new author or illustrator, customers will enjoy browsing Borders and Waldenbooks stores' selection of thousands of titles. The retailer expects some of the most popular books donated to include "Horrid Henry," "Fancy Nancy: Pajama Day," "The Poky Little Puppy" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Customers can choose to donate these titles or they can donate their favorite age-appropriate children's book. If they choose, customers can even purchase a toy or game to donate.

Borders stores in Omaha, Neb. have selected Boys Town as the recipient of their book donations. "Reading is such an essential part of any child's educational development, and is key to their future success," said Father Steve Boes, Boys Town National Executive Director. "We want to thank Borders for making this important donation to our vital work."

Borders stores in Michigan have once again selected Reach Out and Read Michigan as the beneficiary of the books they collect. "Literacy is vitally important to the quality of life of Michigan's families. We are grateful to Borders stores for again helping us provide much needed books to children throughout our state," said Wendy Shepherd, Outreach Manager for Reach Out and Read Michigan.

Customers may contact their local Borders or Waldenbooks store to learn more about the book drive. To find a store, visit Borders.com and click on the store locator tab.

Designing Your Newsletter For Readability by Bret Ridgway

2009-07-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

When you're laying out a newsletter one of your key considerations must be the concept of designing for readability. Whether you're working with an outside graphics person or doing the layout yourself, there are things you need to avoid in your layout in order to improve the readability of your newsletter.

One of the first things you want to make sure of is the way the fonts look for people. Typically, the main font types used are Serif and San Serif. The Serif fonts are fonts with little feet like Times New Roman, and Garamond. San Serif fonts are straight without feet such as Helvetica, Arial and other fonts like that.

Knowing how to use these properly is very important.

When doing headlines for your newsletter the best type font to use are San Serif. They're bold, bigger types that are much easier to read for small amounts of text.

However, when it comes to the body of copy it's actually easier to read a Serif font such as Times, because those feet actually allow the readers eye to flow from one letter and one word to another naturally and without them even realizing it. Therefore, you should be using a San Serif font for your headlines, sub-heads and other text that you want to stand out. Then use Serif fonts for body text, which simply helps to keep it readable.

Another thing you want to do is break up the newsletter with graphics, and callouts, some people call them pull quotes. These help to break up the readers eye and gives them something graphically appealing that will keep them interested in the stories you're sharing and also provide visual queues to enhance what they're reading.

However, it's important to not over use color and graphics to the point where it distracts people as they're reading. One thing, especially when it comes to readability, is that you don't want to use too much color in your text. It's important to keep the text readable so it's recommended any body text remain black so it's crisp and clear to a reader's eye.

When it comes to headlines, sub-heads and other things like that, you may want to pull the color in for your text. Just don't over do it and make it difficult for people to read.

With pictures, make sure your resolution for a print newsletter is at least 300 dpi. Less then that is acceptable for web usage, but try and use lower than 300 dpi in print and you'll really be disappointed with how it looks.

That means you can't go grab your logo from your website and just slap it into your newsletter and expect it to look good because it won't when you print it out.

Readability is critical to the success of your newsletter. If your newsletter is perceived as too difficult to read it doesn't matter how great your content might be. People will be put off and you run the risk of them unsubscribing from your newsletter sooner rather than later.

So be cognizant of this concept of readability whenever you're laying out your newsletter.

Bret Ridgway is co-founder of the Newsletter Formula along with Heather Seitz. For your copy of their free report "7 Ways to Make Money with Newsletters and Continuity Programs" visit http://www.NewsletterFormula.com

Americans called to log time spent reading with kids to raise awareness for children's literacy

2009-07-31T05:37:00.000-07:00

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's oldest and largest children and families' literacy nonprofit organization, is proud to take part in United We Serve's Education Week (July 27-August 2) -- a week-long focus on the countless Americans who strengthen communities by rolling up their sleeves to have a positive impact on children through education-based volunteer activities.

"One of the greatest services we can provide our communities is to ensure that all children obtain access to books and discover the joy and value of reading," said RIF President and CEO Carol H. Rasco. "RIF is honored to work with tens of thousands of committed volunteers across the country to raise literacy levels in their communities."

To further raise awareness about the importance of literacy and its long-term impact on the economy, RIF is challenging all Americans to collectively log 3 million minutes of reading with children by September 11, 2009, on the Read for Change website: www.RIF.org/readforchange. At the end of the challenge, RIF will select five participants to receive a children's multicultural book collection as well as the opportunity to select a school in their community to receive a book collection.

Each day of Education Week, RIF will also showcase inspiring stories of its volunteers on RIF's President and CEO blog, www.RascoFromRIF.org. "We invite Americans to join the movement to increase literacy across the country by picking up a book and reading to a child in their life or by spreading the joy of reading through volunteering," adds Rasco. Statistics show that nearly two-thirds of low-income families own no books for their children. RIF has provided families access to books and reading materials since 1966, by providing volunteers with the resources to distribute 16 million free books to 4.5 million children each year.

For more information about United We Serve and other volunteer opportunities in your community, visit www.Serve.gov.

cholastic Launches Nationwide Mentoring and Literacy Program

2009-07-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

Scholastic has launched Scholastic R.E.A.L.: Read. Excel. Achieve. Lead.(TM), a nationwide mentoring program that provides students with reading mentors from their communities. The program was launched at an education Town Hall with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as part of the 23rd annual 100 Black Men of America conference in New York City.

A recent Child Trends research brief found that young people who participate in mentoring programs have better attendance, are more likely to pursue higher education, and have more positive attitudes toward school than those without mentors. Building on this research, school districts participating in Scholastic R.E.A.L. recruit members of their community to commit one hour a month to visiting and reading aloud to second, fifth or seventh grade classrooms.

Mentors read and connect with students who have limited access to positive role models. Students receive books to build their home libraries and the powerful experience of meeting strong, successful members of their community.

"I know first hand the powerful impact that mentoring can have on both mentor and student. As a R.E.A.L. mentor, I am humbled to be a part of a program that shows students the world of reading, and encourages them to pursue their dreams," said Greg Worrell, President of the Scholastic Classroom and Library Group. "Scholastic is thrilled to have an opportunity to bring the R.E.A.L. program to districts nationwide, and eager to ensure that positive role models are in classrooms all across the country every day."

Mentors participating in the Scholastic R.E.A.L. program come from all areas of the community: business, medicine, law, sports, politics and the nonprofit sector. The program is designed to combat the staggering literacy and dropout rates of young men of color in America: only 20% of Latino boys and 16% of Black boys are reading at grade level by the fourth grade; 45% of black boys and 42% of Latino boys will drop out of high school.

"Strong mentoring relationships are critical to the future of our children... and to the future of our nation, particularly among boys of color who are not achieving at the level of their peers, and are therefore at greater risk of dropping out of school," said Albert E. Dotson, Jr., Chairman of the Board of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. "100 Black Men of America is proud to join the Scholastic R.E.A.L. program in bringing positive role models into the lives of students across America."

Visit www.scholastic.com/scholasticreal for more information about Scholastic R.E.A.L.

Student Newspapers, Young Writers Win National Publishing Contest

2009-07-27T06:21:00.001-07:00

Guess what? Print is alive and well in U.S. schools. In June, Weekly Reader will honor the lively writing, exciting design, and outstanding community coverage of three student-created newspapers--the winners of the 2009 Student Publishing Contest.

These prize-winning publications, chosen by the editors of Weekly Reader magazines, were selected in three categories. The Blake Beat of James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, was named the top high school publication. Two schools in St. Petersburg, Florida, won in the middle and elementary school categories: J.Hop Times of John Hopkins Middle School and Manatee Messenger of Melrose Elementary School.

"These publications offer vivid snapshots of their communities, report on tough stories, and inspire students to action," said Ira Wolfman, Senior Vice President of Editorial for Weekly Reader. "While all three publish good content for the Web, they are superb examples of the ongoing power of print."

The Weekly Reader Student Publishing Contest also cited three students in the individual writing category. Elementary school winner Julianne Hensel of Westminster, Colorado, won for her up-close report titled "Fourth Grader Prepares for Black Belt Testing." In "One Fast Moment," Felice Luu, the middle school winner, gives a gripping first-person account of a car accident. And in "Nova," high school student Maggie Millner movingly weaves together a tribute to her elderly grandmother with a revelation she experienced during a visit to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

All winners will be honored at Weekly Reader's student publishing awards ceremony on June 11, 2009, at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C. The event, part of the Association of Educational Publishers' annual Summit, will feature a keynote address by Candy Crowley, CNN's Senior Political Correspondent. Ms. Crowley will also participate in the presentation of the awards.

Winners receive round-trip transportation to the banquet courtesy of the contest's exclusive airline sponsor, Continental Airlines. Each winner also receives a $500 check (payable to the school or individual) and a plaque. In addition, schools are offered a visit during the following school year by a Weekly Reader editor.

For more information on Weekly Reader's Student Publishing Contest or details about the luncheon, please visit www.AEPweb.org/awards/student.

Five High School Science Teachers Embark on Unforgettable Science Adventure

2009-07-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

Five stellar high school biology teachers are about to embark on an unforgettable science adventure. In July, the winners of the Tropical Biology Scholarships 2009 are off on the trip of a lifetime - a two-week field study course at one of the world's most fascinating and important scientific and educational institutions: the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) in Costa Rica.

Sponsored by Ken Miller and Joe Levine, authors of the world's top-selling high school biology program, the 2009 Tropical Biology Scholarships for teachers are awarded to:

Amy Braverman, Alexander High School, Albany, Ohio
William Hodges, Holt High School, Holt, Mich.
Martin Perlaky, Springfield High School, Holland, Ohio
Lisa Stefanucci, Northwestern High School, Albion, Pa.
Kelly Tripp, West Brunswick High School, Shallotte, N.C.

The winners wrote a compelling essay on how participation in this course at OTS would change the way they teach biology.

The course is co-led by biologist-author Levine and Barbara Bentley, Ph.D., a prominent tropical plant ecologist and master teacher. Together, course participants will explore rainforest and cloudforest ecosystems, investigate the active Arenal volcano and study tropical plants and animals in their native habitats. While visiting these fascinating ecosystems, course participants will design and conduct open-ended field research projects and learn how to teach research with lesson plans based on true inquiry. They will return to their classrooms with pictures, stories and real-life experiences in research and exploration to share with students and colleagues. While in Costa Rica (and when they have Internet access), scholarship winners will "tweet" about their adventures at www.twitter.com/MillerandLevine.

Lynda Cloud, senior vice president for science at Pearson, the publisher of Miller and Levine's award-winning biology program, said, "For hundreds of thousands of students and teachers around the world, Ken Miller and Joe Levine's biology programs are the gold standard for science instruction. We look forward to being a part of this great adventure that will make these exemplary teachers even more effective in bringing the world of biology to life for their students."

Joe Levine said, "We were amazed by the passion for teaching biology that was expressed in this year's scholarship essays. Ken and I are thrilled at this confirmation by teachers that biology is indeed a living science."

He continued, "As we prepare for our trip, I share the winners' excitement. Although I've been studying and working at places like OTS for many years, every time I lead a hands-on field science course, I learn more about the natural world and return home with new and creative ways of integrating what I've learned into teaching biology. I know that this course will expand and enhance our scholarship winners' teaching and help them bring tropical ecosystems, and a real understanding of the nature and process of science, to life for their students. Previous winners - all of whom were skilled and knowledgeable teachers to begin with - have been thrilled at the way our course offered, not only specific information about tropical organisms and ecosystems, but also first-hand experience in the way field research is done."

Originally, this year's scholarship program planned to name two winners, but because of the overwhelming number of top-flight essays submitted by biology teachers around the country, Pearson supported three additional awards. To read the winning essays, go to http://www.biology.com/.

The five winners all exemplify Ken and Joe's commitment to real biology education, as demonstrated in the new and innovative edition of their high school biology program, "Miller & Levine Biology." This new program takes a bold approach to science instruction, combining a proven foundation of academic success with the power of new technology.

Through the program's new digital center, Biology.com, students meet their partners in the adventure of learning about biology - a team of "ecogeeks" who have created lively and engaging videos that infuse curriculum topics with new relevance for students. Described by Levine as "science reality TV," "Untamed Science" offers the perfect blend of energy, enthusiasm and solid scientific knowledge.

To learn more about authors Ken Miller and Joe Levine, "Untamed Science" and the way that "Miller & Levine Biology" is transforming science education, visit www.Biology.com. To view a video about "Miller & Levine Biology" visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm2EmCYBHvk.

Teachers to Scholastic: Don’t Use Us to Market Toys, Make-up, and Brands to Children in School

2009-07-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

"Stop enlisting teachers to sell toys, make-up, and brands to students through book clubs."

That's what more than 1,200 teachers said in a letter the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood sent to Scholastic, Inc., the world's largest educational publishing company. CCFC sent the letter, signed exclusively by teachers, after a review of Scholastic's 2008 elementary and middle school Book Club flyers found that one-third of the items for sale were either not books, like the M&M Kart Racing Wii videogame, or were books packaged with other products, such as lip gloss and jewelry.

"Anything that teachers hand out in the classroom carries their implicit endorsement," said Dr. Susan Linn, CCFC's Director. "Scholastic should not be exploiting teachers' influence with students to sell toys and trinkets or to promote media properties, like Hannah Montana and SpongeBob SquarePants, to children in schools." Signatures were collected online and at state and local meetings of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Last February, CCFC forwarded over 5,000 complaints from parents to Judy Newman, President of Scholastic Book Clubs. In response, she told The New York Times that the company works with teachers "to make sure that items are O.K. to put out in their classrooms." That over 1200 teachers signed on to CCFC's letter shows that many believe the proliferation of branded and non-book items marketed in the Book Clubs are not, in fact, "O.K." A number of teachers felt strongly enough to include personal comments highlighting their dissatisfaction with the commercialization of Scholastic's offerings.

CCFC plans to continue to track Scholastic Book club offerings. One of the more egregious recent findings was the Dairy Queen video game, DQ Tycoon, which appears in Scholastic's June 2009 Arrow flyer.

Walmart Encourages Teachers, Parents and Students to Submit Stories of Supply Needs

2009-07-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

In February, a letter from a 14-year-old girl to her congressman resulted in recognition from President Obama and a beautifully re-supplied classroom for eighth-grader Ty'Sheoma Bethea and her classmates. Walmart was watching. Today, the retailer is inviting teachers, parents and students to write their own letters for the opportunity to have their classrooms re-supplied this coming school year. Eager to deliver help to other classrooms, Bethea will participate as a judge for the program along with a panel of educators.

The "Write to Change the Classroom" program will award 20 teachers with $4,000 in classroom school supplies to help make a difference in students' lives and further a cause that began with one courageous letter.

The "Write to Change the Classroom" program is a natural extension of the efforts expressed by Ty'Sheoma Bethea of J.V. Martin Junior High School in South Carolina. With a carefully crafted letter and a lot of determination, her voice was heard as she detailed the dilapidated state of her school's current learning conditions. As a result, a movement began, a student's life was changed and a community was united.

"We were inspired by the impact of Miss Bethea's letter to Congress and wanted to do something that showed our support and appreciation for all the great work teachers are already doing," said Janet Bareis, Walmart vice president of marketing. "Walmart has long supported teachers and schools. Our goal with this program is to equip students with the necessary tools and resources to help them learn."

Entrants can submit their 500-words-or-less letter at www.writetochangetheclassroom.com outlining their school supply needs (e.g. basic educational materials, classroom furniture, technology, etc.) and explaining how these materials will be used throughout the school year. Supply needs might include everything from new computers, to replacing aging, broken or depleted classroom supplies. All entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Any state-accredited elementary (K-6), junior high (7-8) and senior high (9-12) and traditional school is eligible to receive the supplies. The call for entries period will run from July 14 through July 24, 2009.

Selected finalists will receive $4,000-worth of school supplies to their designated classroom and an additional $4,000 toward supplies for their entire school. Essays will be judged on level of need, creativity and the positive impact these supplies will have on the school.

For more information regarding the Walmart "Write to Change the Classroom" program, please visit www.writetochangetheclassroom.com.

$500 Scholarship Program For Business Students

2009-07-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

The National Institute of Small Business Grants (NISBG) is a virtual organization that compiles and publishes information and resources pertaining to business grants. They are essentially a global network of researchers and contributors.

In August, they are giving away $500 to a student who is majoring in any field of business - including marketing, advertising, public relations, accounting, communications, human resources, etc.

To be eligible for the scholarship award, applicants must live in the United States, and attend or plan to attend a school in the United States. The institution attended can be any trade school, college, or university. In addition, the applicant must submit a 500 word essay addressing the following topic: "What are business grants and why are they important for America's small businesses?" The deadline to apply is August 31, 2009 and a winner will be selected by September 30, 2009.

The scholarship is designed to help a motivated business student by partially reimbursing them for tuition and books. NISBG also seeks to encourage more students to pursue business-related careers, and to encourage entrepreneurship amongst students at the high school and college levels.

For more details, visit www.BusinessGrants.org and click on "Scholarship".

Reading keeps Summer from turning Kids' Minds into Jello

2009-07-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

As another long summer away from school approaches, many parents are wondering how to keep their children busy doing something constructive. While certain T.V. shows and video games can be educational, nothing seems to beat good old fashioned reading. Or for very young children, being read to. Summer reading programs are a great way to provide children regular opportunities to read books, play writing games, and listen to stories. While children might be more focused on the fun and prizes involved, educators know that these sorts of programs help little kids get ready to read and big kids raise scores.

A study conducted by Jimmy Kim at Harvard's Center for Evaluation found that reading four or five books over the summer months had an impact on fall reading achievement comparable to attending summer school. (Kim) Another study concluded that, "children who read more than a half an hour per day during the summer had significantly higher reading comprehension gains by the fall compared with children who did not." In addition, the study showed that "children whose parents read to them at least twice a week over the summer also improved comprehension skills more than children whose parents did not." (Phillips and Chin)

Public libraries all over the country are busily gearing up for the 2009 summer reading program "Be Creative at your Library." The program is sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), which is a grassroots consortium of states working together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries. The CSLP began in 1987 in the state of Minnesota and has since grown to include libraries from virtually every state in the country.

"Be Creative at your Library" is not only a wonderful free program that promotes parent/child involvement, but also gives kids an opportunity to have fun while learning valuable skills. Program coordinators often incorporate puppet shows, crafts, skits, and other fun activities to help children interact with the characters they read about and make various subjects come alive for them in a meaningful way. There's even a theme song for "Be Creative at your Library", sung by the children's cartoon character Billy Gorilly. The song was produced by Flying Kitten Music whose unique songs, stories, and educational materials are prime examples of the creative learning tools parents and kids can discover through the library.

To find out the details about dates, times, and registration for this summer's program, call or visit your local library. And to learn more about effective and engaging children's educational materials visit these websites:

www.scholastic.com
www.billygorilly.com
www.pbskids.org

Summer Reading List for Kids - Time to "Go Green!"

2009-07-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

By Asst. Prof. Jennifer Turner
College of Education
University of Maryland

I have known about "going green" for some time, but I didn't really understand its importance until my 6-year old son, Elijah, came home from school one day and started saying, "Be green." He would remind us to turn off the lights, saying with a sweet smile, "Mommy we need to be green." He'd unplug appliances that were not in use, turn off the water when he brushed his teeth, and constantly ask me to get a recycling bin for our plastics and glass.

Curious to know where he had learned this phrase, I emailed his kindergarten teacher to ask what books she had read. She told me that she had read several books within a popular curriculum series on recycling and going green for Earth Day. She had also read How Do Plants Get Food?, by Meish Goldish (1989), a wonderful book that has interesting science facts presented in a kid-friendly manner. Reading books and talking about the Earth was a very enjoyable activity for Elijah, and this started his quest to greener living.

Going green has also become popular through children's television channels like Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon is doing a great job of helping kids "be green" through their programming and through their website. On their website, they have an entire page filled with ideas about living, learning, and playing in environmentally-responsible ways. Their initiative empowers kids to make a difference by making environmentally-friendly changes in their everyday lives.

So this year, I have decided to share books and web resources that help kids and parents to "be green." Enjoy the summer reading books and checking out websites that help keep our Earth clean AND maximize our fun!!

Prof. Turner is interested in issues of culture and cultural diversity as they relate to classroom reading instruction, and is particularly concerned with the improvement of reading achievement for African American students in public elementary schools.

Books for Kids Aged 3-8

* Why Should I Save Energy? (Why Should I?) (Jen Green, 2005, Barron's Education Series)

Author Jen Green has written an amazing, four-part series of books which demonstrate the importance of protecting nature. The other titles include WHY SHOULD I Protect Nature?, WHY SHOULD I Recycle?, WHY SHOULD I Save Energy?, and WHY SHOULD I Save Water? This series answers these questions through stories and illustrations in a fun, light-hearted way. What is especially great about this series are the notes in the back of the books, which provide suggestions for ways to use this book for parents and teachers.

* The Giving Tree, ( Shel Silverstein, 2005, HarperCollins)

This poignant book centers on a tree "who loved a boy," and follows the relationship that the tree develops with the boy throughout his life. Through this story, we learn about the different kinds of relationships that humans can have with nature. Some relationships between humans and nature are very harmonious, however there are other times when humans may take advantage of nature by using it solely for personal benefit. Because there are many eco-friendly messages in this book (e.g. don't take away from trees without giving something back, be thankful for trees, trees are important to us and we should not take them for granted), this book is great for reading aloud and talking with children about the importance of giving.

* Recycle: A Handbook for kids (Gail Gibbons, 1992, Little Brown Young Publishers)

Gail Gibbons is a phenomenal writer whose informational books help kids learn new and interesting facts. And she doesn't disappoint with her book on recycling. This book is very readable and well-organized, and helps children really get a sense of what landfills are and why we need fewer of them. Gibbons does thorough research in order to write her books, so when she describes how to recycle, why it's necessary, and its benefits, you know the information is accurate. The book ends with some interesting information about the ozone layer and the limited potential for recycling polystyrene, followed by 14 facts about garbage.

*Earth Day Hooray!!! (Stuart Murphy, 2004, HarperCollins Publishers)

In this book, children can learn about going green AND doing math! The story focuses on Ryan, Luke, and Carly, who are good friends with a plan for celebrating Earth Day. They want to buy some flowers for Gilroy Park, but they don't have enough money. So, they decide to collect and recycle 5,000 aluminum cans to earn the money. As the three friends collect cans, they discover that keeping track of the daily totals is somewhat of a challenge, until they begin to sort using bags of 10, 100, and so on. With this book, kids will have fun learning about place value, as well as celebrating the joy of working together to accomplish a green goal.

Books for Kids Aged 9-12

* Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment (Linda Schwartz, 1990, Learning Works Publishers)

This cool activity book shows children how to care for the Earth. The book is divided into four sections: (1) Energy, resources, and recycling; (2) Air, Land, & Water; (3) Plant & Animal Habitat; and (4) More Ways to Make Every Day Earth Day. The simple format makes the book really easy to read, and the information is presented in a very kid-friendly way which makes the main terms and ideas easy to understand.

The hands-on activities are really fun, and could be used for at-home science projects or to take away the rainy day blues. For example, the book describes acid rain, then gives instructions for a project to measure the amount of acid in your own rainfall. At the end of the book, there is a section called Where to Write & Glossary which provides a page on how to request information and also provides many different resources/organizations that children and parents can use.

* Brainiac's Go Green Activity Book (Mara Conlon, 2008, Peter Pauper Press)

Brainiac's Go Green! Activity Book is a cool activity book with an eco-friendly theme. The book presents fascinating scientific information about the Earth as well as important concepts and ideas for being environmentally-conscious. Kids will love doing the word finds, crosswords, connect the dots, mazes, and countless other activities within the book. And parents will love the green tips that are in the book, all designed to help families live their lives a little greener.

*Garbage and Recycling (Rosie Harlow, 2002, Kingfish Publishers)

This book is filled with interesting facts and information about recycling. The easy-to-use table of contents helps readers find ideas and information quickly, and helps organize the "big ideas" in the book in an accessible way (e.g., chapters include Waste not, want not; Garbage that won't rot; cans count; recycle your rags). One of the best features in this book are the "How Can I Help?" Boxes, which give helpful suggestions for children who want to recycle at home.

Books for Kids Aged 13-17

* The Green Teen: The Eco-Friendly Teen's Guide to Saving the Planet
(Jenn Savedge, 2009, New Society Publishers)

We all know that teenagers are a tough crowd to please. So how will they ever get interested in going green if the books are too boring, too babyish, or too dense? The Green Teen is a handy, go-to guide that will help teens learn to make environmentally responsible choices without being too preachy. Each section follows the same simple format: (1) How to Green something, (2) Top 5 Ways to start, (3) Why Bother doing it, (4) G2G Green Tips, (5) Planning stage with ideas and tips on how to go about it, (6) How to Get your Parents Involved and (7) Surfing Sites! What is awesome about this book is that it includes interviews with real teens who have made an impact with their projects, which will inspire other teens to make green choices in their daily lives.

* Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life (by Linda Sivertsen, 2008, Simon Pulse Publishers)

Generation Green is a very interesting book that helps us to understand that using technology more than just something that is "cool"--- it's actually "green!!" The book describes how texting friends, chatting online, and downloading emails and music are all examples of green activities that teens naturally enjoy and do on a daily basis. In fact, the concept of green living is the theme of the book, and many chapters provide tips on how to shop, dress, eat, and travel the green way. Now some teens (or even adults!) may not truly believe that they can live life in a greener way, but this book shows that anyone can do it. There are a number of interviews with teens who are involved with eco-friendly projects, and they talk about what living green means to them and how easy and natural it can be. The most powerful message in this book is that any green changes we make, even those that may seem small, have a huge impact on our Earth, our family and friends, our community, and our future.

How The Internet Has Changed K-12 Education

2009-07-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Don Tapscott, a leading authority on business strategy and author of Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World, discusses how the Internet has changed K-12 education on the latest edition of DistrictLeadersPodcast.com. This is the only national podcast Web site created expressly for district leaders and other educational leaders.

In this interview with Arthur Griffin, Jr., senior vice president of McGraw-Hill Education's Urban Advisory Resource, Tapscott discusses the world of digital natives and how the explosion of the Internet into mainstream society has necessarily and completely changed education.

"Growing up interacting with this technology actually changes the way these students are, the way they think, and the way they process information," Tapscott said. "The old model of learning based on lecturing is so encoded in our culture. Teaching needs to be about creating a context where students can discover. We need people who can think, solve problems, and communicate in the knowledge economy. Technology has transformed their lives in a positive way to facilitate the new style of learning."

An expert on how information technology changes business, government and society and education, Tapscott is chairman of nGenera Insight. He served as founder and chairman of the international think tank New Paradigm before its acquisition by nGenera. He is an internationally sought writer, consultant and speaker for many of the world's largest corporations and government leaders from many countries. The Washington Technology Report called him one of the most influential media authorities since Marshall McLuhan. He also is Adjunct Professor of Management, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

Good Teaching can be Enhanced with New Technology

2009-07-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

Providing further evidence of the tremendous opportunity to use technology to improve teaching and learning, the U.S. Department of Education today released an analysis of controlled studies comparing online and face-to-face instruction.

A systematic search of the research literature from 1996 through July 2008 identified over 1,000 empirical studies of online learning. Of these, 46 met the high bar for quality that was required for the studies to be included in the analysis. The meta analysis showed that "blended" instruction – combining elements of online and face-to-face instruction – had a larger advantage relative to purely face to face instruction or instruction conducted wholly online. The analysis also showed that the instruction conducted wholly on line was more effective in improving student achievement than the purely face to face instruction. In addition, the report noted that the blended conditions often included additional learning time and instructional elements not received by students in control conditions.

"This new report reinforces that effective teachers need to incorporate digital content into everyday classes and consider open-source learning management systems, which have proven cost effective in school districts and colleges nationwide," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "We must take advantage of this historic opportunity to use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to bring broadband access and online learning to more communities.

"To avoid being caught short when stimulus money runs out, school officials should use the short-term federal funding to make immediate upgrades to technology to enhance classroom instruction and to improve the tracking of student data," Duncan added. "Technology presents a huge opportunity that can be leveraged in rural communities and inner-city urban settings, particularly in subjects where there is a shortage of highly qualified teachers. At the same time, good teachers can utilize new technology to accelerate learning and provide extended learning opportunities for students."

Few rigorous research studies have been published on the effectiveness of online learning for K-12 students. The systematic search found just five experimental or controlled quasi-experimental studies comparing the learning effects of online versus face-to-face instruction for K-12 students. For this reason, caution is required in generalizing the study’s findings to the K-12 population because the results are for the most part based on studies in other settings, such as in medical, career, military training, and higher education.

"Studies of earlier generations of distance and online learning courses have concluded that they are usually as effective as classroom-based instruction," said Marshall "Mike" Smith, a Senior Counselor to the secretary. "The studies of more recent online instruction included in this meta-analysis found that, on average, online learning, at the post-secondary level, is not just as good as but more effective than conventional face-to-face instruction.."

The study was conducted by the Center for Technology and Learning, SRI International under contract to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Policy and Program Studies Service, which commissioned the study.

The full report can be found at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#edtech

Freedom Writers Foundation Teachers Equipped With Collaboration Tools

2009-07-06T01:28:00.000-07:00

Although teachers collaborate on lesson plans and projects across schools and districts every day, the Freedom Writers Foundation has proven that the power of technology enables this across time zones and even various levels of technology familiarity. The Foundation brought together 150 teachers from across the United States and Canada to jointly compose their new book Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writers Teachers, (Broadway Books, August 2009) with the help of donated tools and support from HP and Microsoft Corp. Today, in her keynote presentation at the National Educational Computing Conference, Erin Gruwell, founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation, will share the supporting, yet critical role, that technology played in easing the teacher/author collaboration, relationship building and ultimately impacting change.

Collaborating with technology

The Freedom Writers Teachers came together last summer as part of the Foundation's teacher-training program, spurred on by the success of Paramount Pictures' "Freedom Writers," starring Hilary Swank, based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary, by Gruwell and her students. The teachers, representing fresh approaches to "teaching hope" from all school settings and geographies, received the donated tools and training as they commenced writing their personal classroom stories featured in the new book.

Staying connected with the HP Mini and Microsoft Office OneNote 2007, allowed the teachers to access information, collaborate in real time, and communicate via e-mail, IM, and blogging with the integrated wireless technologies. Office OneNote 2007 (www.iheartonenote.com) is a "digital notebook" that provides people one place to gather notes, audio and visual information, powerful search to find what they are looking for quickly, and easy-to-use shared notebooks to manage information and work together more effectively.

"Given the immense inequity in skills and access to technology going into writing this book, we were worried true collaboration would be next to impossible," said Zachary Chase, a Freedom Writers Teacher. "Our new tools leveled the field for technophobic and technophilic teachers alike. We were able to work together across a common platform. I hope this unified and connected spirit comes through for everyone who reads Teaching Hope."

Applying technology lessons learned in the classroom

Beyond the book, some of the Freedom Writers Teachers are also using this technology in their classrooms and to share with colleagues across their districts. This next school term, Christine Neuner, a Freedom Writers Teacher, plans to use Office OneNote 2007 to give students a chance to send drafts of their works for peer-editing.

"I think it is imperative for the students to use such technology at the high school level because they will be using similar technology in post-secondary schools and training," said Neuner. "They will have to be technologically prepared for the workplace as well. Using OneNote is just another way for me to help prepare them for the future."

The HP Mini can change how K-12 children learn today and is the practical answer to one-to-one computing. Students can learn collaboration, problem solving and creative skills, which will prepare them for life after school. With the right technology, students learn to communicate effectively with multimedia and think critically as they decide how to present knowledge effectively - giving them a bigger voice in the world.

Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writers Teachers will be available for sale on August 18, 2009 wherever books are sold. Teaching Hope unites the voices of these Freedom Writer teachers, who share uplifting, devastating, and poignant stories from their classrooms, stories that provide insight into the struggles and triumphs of education in all of its forms. Mirroring an academic year, these dispatches from the front lines of education take us from the anticipation of the first day to the disillusionment, challenges, and triumphs of the school year. These are the voices of teachers who persevere in the face of intolerance, rigid administration, and countless other challenges, and continue to reach out and teach those who are deemed unteachable. Their stories inspire everyone to make a difference in the world around them.

About The Freedom Writers Foundation

The Freedom Writers Foundation provides educators with transformative methods to engage, enlighten and empower vulnerable, at-risk students to reach their full potential. For more information, please visit www.freedomwritersfoundation.org.

Economic Boost Expected From Teaching Creativity

2009-07-03T10:47:00.001-07:00

"Maybe we could jump-start our economy" by infusing business know-how into art and design, a college president here suggests.

Dr. Larry R. Thompson, who heads Ringling College of Art and Design, notes that "every man-made object, from your coffee cup, to the chair you are sitting in, to the watch on your wrist, was created by an artist or designer. Product design, advertising design, interior design affect every single thing we do."

Writing in a college publication called "Creativity@Work," Dr. Thompson notes that his institution has created the nation's first four-year program to teach business to creative types. It's called The Business of Art and Design. Its lead faculty member, Dr. Wanda Chaves, says, "We're convinced this revolutionary new academic program will produce the business leaders of the future. It integrates the study of business and the study of studio art and design -- marrying the right and left brains into one practice."

She adds, "The art and design degree is in some ways the quintessential business degree. It's not just about creative businesses. It's about making any business more creative."

Ringling College is located at 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota FL 34234. Web www.ringling.edu

Walden University and Tacoma Public Schools Announce Results of Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success

2009-07-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

As school districts and states across the country seek practical and meaningful ways to measure teacher performance in the classroom, new findings from a previous study confirm the connection between graduates of Walden University's M.S. in Education program with a specialization in Elementary Reading and Literacy and student outcomes in reading fluency.

Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success, a study conducted by Arroyo Research Services in conjunction with Tacoma Public Schools, compared the reading fluency of students taught by Walden-master's educated teachers with those students taught by non-Walden-master's educated teachers. The study, sponsored by Walden University, evaluated three years of data, including test scores involving 35 teachers and 712 students.

"Our district was very interested in supporting the researchers at Walden University who contracted with Arroyo Research Services to study the link between Walden-master's educated reading teachers and the effects on increasing student performance," said Pat Cummings, director of Research and Planning with Tacoma Public Schools. "The study yielded a number of positive findings in early literacy performance of students being taught by Walden graduates. The research appears to help shed light on the link between good teaching and student learning, especially in the area of acquiring skills in early reading."

Key findings in the study showed:

* Students of Walden teachers had gains in reading fluency that were on average 4.8 words per minute, or 14% greater, than students of non-Walden-master's educated teachers.

* Gains were largest in first grade, where students of Walden teachers averaged 5.4 more words per minute than students of the non-Walden-master's educated teachers.

The positive impact Walden teachers had on student reading fluency translated into more efficient use of instructional time. The findings suggest the cumulative effect of having a Walden teacher in Grades 1 to 5 would show a combined gain in reading fluency of 11.6 words per minute. When translated into weeks of instruction, this gain is equivalent to a total of 10.6 weeks, or one-third of an entire school year.

"Student success is the ultimate demonstration of effective teaching, and the ultimate goal of Walden's education programs is fostering effective teachers. We believe studies such as this one illustrate the difference a Walden master's degree can make and the impact that Walden-educated teachers have in the classroom," said Victoria Reid, vice president of The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University, which was named in honor of Richard W. Riley, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and a longtime advocate for teaching excellence.

Details of Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success are at www.WaldenU.edu/tacoma.

Deadline Under Two Weeks Away for Applications for $100,000 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation

2009-06-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

The application deadline for the 2009 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation is quickly approaching with submissions due July 1 at 3pm EDT. The Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University is encouraging interested nonprofits to complete their applications ASAP. All U.S.-based nonprofits are eligible for the award.

The first-place prize is $100,000. That's up from the $35,000 awarded in previous years, thanks to a generous grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation. The second-place award is $7,500, and the third-place prize is $5,000.

The award application is available on the Drucker Institute website (http://www.druckerinstitute.com/).

Administered annually since 1991, the Drucker Award is granted to a social-sector organization that demonstrates Drucker's definition of innovation--change that creates a new dimension of performance. In addition, the judges look for programs that are highly effective and that have made a difference in the lives of the people they serve.

"Peter told us that the purpose of this prize is to find the innovators, whether small or large; to celebrate their example; and to inspire others," said Rick Wartzman, director of the Drucker Institute. "This is especially important this year as our flagging economy has left many nonprofits struggling financially while the needs that they're trying to meet are greater than ever."

The winners of this year's competition will be recognized at a gala dinner in Los Angeles later this fall. The dinner has been designated an official activity of the Drucker Centennial, which marks Peter Drucker's 100th birthday. (For more on the Centennial, please visit www.drucker100.com.)

Widely considered the father of modern management, Drucker not only consulted for major corporations, he advised the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and countless other social-sector organizations. He called the nonprofit "America's most distinctive institution."

The 2008 first-place Drucker Award winner, selected from more than 500 nonprofits that applied for the award, was KickStart International, a San Francisco-based organization. KickStart fights poverty in Africa by creating and selling simple tools that help poor entrepreneurs increase their income. Among its innovations is the MoneyMaker irrigation pump, which allows small-scale growers to produce high-value crops year-round and make the transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.

The Gordie Foundation Announces Call For Entries For The 2009 Presidential Leadership Award

2009-06-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Gordie Foundation and Outside The Classroom have announced the call for nominations for the 2009 Presidential Leadership Award. The $50,000 award recognizes a college or university president who has given freely of time and energy to create an environment where learning and campus life are not undermined by the misuse of alcohol.

The Gordie Foundation was founded by parents Leslie and Michael Lanahan after the loss of their son Gordie Bailey due to an alcohol overdose following a fraternity hazing incident. The Foundation’s sponsorship with Outside The Classroom to support this award will further expand their outreach efforts in informing students, parents, and educational institutions about the dangers of alcohol.

"Every year, a staggering 1,700 college students die of alcohol misuse, and nearly 100,000 more are victims of sexual assault as a result of heavy drinking," said Leslie Lanahan. "We are honored to recognize a strong leader with this award who can actively reduce these shocking statistics by changing the campus environment."

The recipient of the 2009 award will be honored at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. with a $50,000 donation to his or her institution, and will be given the opportunity to promote environmental change on campuses nationwide via speaking engagements, published articles in higher education journals, and other initiatives. Dr. Jonathan Gibralter of Frostburg State University, the winner of the 2008 award, has demonstrated active leadership on the issue of high-risk drinking since his presidency began in 2006. His willingness to speak out on the issue has catapulted him into the spotlight as a model for college administrators who are fighting the dangerous culture of binge drinking on campuses.

"This is an ongoing battle, and one that must be started again with each new freshman class," said Gibralter. "This award and its ensuing attention has raised awareness and gained us credibility among our students and within our community, where we have the most work to do."

The recipient of the award will be selected by a review panel consisting of former university presidents, as well as representatives from the award development team, including; the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), American Council on Education (ACE), Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), NASPA, Outside The Classroom, The Gordie Foundation, and United Educators.

Nominations may be submitted by any professional staff member, either from the nominee's institution or from a different institution. Nominations for the 2009 Presidential Leadership Award will be accepted through June 30, 2009. To nominate an individual, please visit href="http://www.plaward.com/">www.PLAward.com.

Reading Keeps Summer from Turning Kids' Minds Into Jello

2009-06-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

As another long summer away from school approaches, many parents are wondering how to keep their children busy doing something constructive. While certain T.V. shows and video games can be educational, nothing seems to beat good old fashioned reading. Or for very young children, being read to. Summer reading programs are a great way to provide children regular opportunities to read books, play writing games, and listen to stories. While children might be more focused on the fun and prizes involved, educators know that these sorts of programs help little kids get ready to read and big kids raise scores.

A study conducted by Jimmy Kim at Harvard's Center for Evaluation found that reading four or five books over the summer months had an impact on fall reading achievement comparable to attending summer school. (Kim) Another study concluded that, "children who read more than a half an hour per day during the summer had significantly higher reading comprehension gains by the fall compared with children who did not." In addition, the study showed that "children whose parents read to them at least twice a week over the summer also improved comprehension skills more than children whose parents did not." (Phillips and Chin)

Public libraries all over the country are busily gearing up for the 2009 summer reading program "Be Creative at your Library". The program is sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), which is a grassroots consortium of states working together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries. The CSLP began in 1987 in the state of Minnesota and has since grown to include libraries from virtually every state in the country.

"Be Creative at your Library" is not only a wonderful free program that promotes parent/child involvement, but also gives kids an opportunity to have fun while learning valuable skills. Program coordinators often incorporate puppet shows, crafts, skits, and other fun activities to help children interact with the characters they read about and make various subjects come alive for them in a meaningful way. There's even a theme song for "Be Creative at your Library", sung by the children's cartoon character Billy Gorilly. The song was produced by Flying Kitten Music whose unique songs, stories, and educational materials are prime examples of the creative learning tools parents and kids can discover through the library.

To find out the details about dates, times, and registration for this summer's program, call or visit your local library. And to learn more about effective and engaging children's educational materials visit these websites:

www.scholastic.com
www.billygorilly.com
www.pbskids.org

Finding May Provide Insights For Reading Disorders

2009-06-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have found that an area known to be important for reading in the left visual cortex contains neurons that are specialized to process written words as whole word units. Although some theories of reading as well as neuropsychological and experimental data have argued for the existence of a neural representation for whole written real words (an "orthographic lexicon"), evidence for this has been elusive.

"Reading relies on neural representations that are experience dependent," says senior author Maximilian Riesenhuber, PhD, of the GUMC Laboratory for Computational Cognitive Neuroscience. "Evolution did not provide each of us with a little dictionary in our heads."

Because the findings, published in the April 30 issue of Neuron, shed light on how written words are processed in the brain, they also provide clues as to how reading disorders such as dyslexia could arise, Riesenhuber says. "Previous studies have shown that this brain area is affected in reading disorders such as dyslexia, but it is unclear what the mechanisms involved are. Our data suggest that looking at the neuronal selectivity in this area might provide new insight. For instance, we would expect reading difficulties if neurons never become well tuned to words, making reading a slow, arduous process, just like it would be if reading all nonwords."

The GUMC researchers - Riesenhuber, first author Laurie S. Glezer, MA, and Xiong Jiang, PhD - set up a series of experiments with the participation of volunteers. They showed the participants pairings of words, and used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure brain blood flow in an area in the left visual cortex called the "visual word form area" while the participants performed a reading task.

Most other studies using fMRI to examine the "visual word form area" have used the averaged neuronal response in which many word stimuli are presented and the change in activity is measured, but this approach does not tease out the response neurons have to individual words, Riesenhuber says. However, by using the technique of fMRI rapid adaptation, in which the stimuli are shown in pairs, it is possible to measure the selectivity of neurons for individual words.

In their experiments, the researchers looked at the response between two visually similar normal words that shared all letters but one (i.e. 'boat' and 'coat') and found that the neural response to this condition "looked just like when participants saw two words that shared no letters, for example 'coat' and 'fish'," says Glezer. "This shows that the neurons in this area of the brain are very selective for individual words. Even though the two words shared all letters but one, there is no overlap in the neural representation, just like when the two words are completely different."

The researchers then looked at the brain's response to sets of nonwords in which the stimuli look like real words but have never been seen before (i.e. tarm). They found that the response to nonwords was not selective, with similar nonwords appearing to have overlapping neural representations. "This supports the idea that neurons in the 'visual word form area' are tuned to whole real words and that this selectivity is developed through experience with words," Glezer says.

The findings from this study lead to better insight into the normal reading process, providing a framework that in a next step can be applied to examine disordered reading, eventually leading to better detection, diagnosis, and treatment of reading disabilities.

The authors report no related financial interests.

The work was funded by a Faculty Early Career Development award to Riesenhuber from the National Science Foundation (NSF), and by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Source:
Karen Mallet
Georgetown University Medical Center

Girls Write Now's Spring Reading to Feature Today's Amy Robach and Author Jean Thompson

2009-06-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Girls Write Now (GWN), New York's premier creative writing and mentoring organization for high school girls, today announced its annual spring reading, the culmination of another year of developing New York's best young writers. On Sunday, June 14, please join us for an afternoon with participants in the program and the women who inspire them -- featuring Amy Robach, National Correspondent for NBC's Today and National Book Award Nominee Jean Thompson, whose new book is "Do Not Deny Me" (ISBN: 978-1416595632, Simon & Schuster, June 9) -- at the New School University's Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues).

The event will take place from 4-6 p.m., and admission is free and open to the public. This program is co-sponsored by The New School's Department of Media Studies and Film.

Girls Write Now mentees, who range in age from 14 to 21, will read from their new anthology, tackling themes of family, personal identity, independence, sexuality and hundreds of high school days. This year's anthology features an introduction by Judy Blundell, winner of the 2008 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for her novel, "What I Saw and How I Lied."

"This is a wonderful opportunity to see the Girls Write Now community in action," said Maya Nussbaum, Executive Director of Girls Write Now.

Amy Robach serves as the Saturday TODAY anchor and as a national correspondent for Nightly News and TODAY. Robach joined MSNBC in September of 2003 as a daytime anchor. Since then, she has anchored coverage of major news events including the War in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2004 Presidential Election. Robach traveled to Washington, D.C. to cover both President Bush's second Inauguration and the Funeral of President Ronald Reagan. Robach began her career in broadcast journalism in Athens, Georgia, starting as an anchor at WUOG-FM, and later interning at WNGM-TV. Robach graduated from the University of Georgia with honors, and received a bachelor of arts in journalism. She lives in New York with her husband Tim and their two daughters.

Hailed as "one of our most astute diagnosticians of contemporary experience," (Boston Globe) who "rivals [Alice] Munro at her greatest" (Kirkus, starred review), Jean Thompson has emerged as "one of our most lucid and insightful writers" (San Francisco Chronicle). The unanimous critical acclaim for each of Thompson's works of fiction has been accompanied by a profusion of honors and awards: Who Do You Love was a National Book Award finalist, Throw Like a Girl made the New York Times' "100 Notable Books" list and topped the "Best of 2007 lists" in the San Francisco Chronicle and Chicago Tribune. With each succeeding collection, this gifted writer has garnered increasing attention from an ever-widening circle of admirers.

In "DO NOT DENY ME: Stories," her latest collection of short fiction (Simon & Schuster; June 9, 2009; paperback original; $14.00), Thompson excels at defining the unexamined lives that most of her characters have fashioned for themselves and the connections and compromises they make in attempting to assuage their dissatisfactions. Of her work, David Sedaris has said, "If there are 'Jean Thompson characters,' they're us, and never have we been so articulate and worthy of compassion." She lives in Illinois. More: http://www.jeanthompsononline.com/.

Girls Write Now Inc. (GWN) is New York's premier creative writing and mentoring non-profit organization, matching bright, creative teenage girls from the city's public high schools with professional women writers in the community since 1998. Through weekly one-to-one mentoring, monthly group genre-based workshops, and quarterly public readings, their mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment where low-income, at-risk girls can expand their natural writing talents, develop independent voices, and build confidence in making healthy choices in school, career and life. 100 percent of all seniors completing the program go on to college and GWN students have earned a total of 33 Scholastic Gold and Silver Writing Awards over the last three years. The organization was recently featured in both The New York Times and as part of the NBC Nightly News "Making a Difference Series."

In 2009, GWN was honored by The Union Square Awards for creating educational opportunities, building community, and promoting progressive social change; GWN was also chosen as a Coming Up Taller Semifinalist by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, distinguishing it as one of the top arts- and humanities-based programs in the country serving youth beyond the school hours. More: www.girlswritenow.org.

Governor Perdue Launches Find-a-Book Summer Reading Program

2009-06-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

Gov. Perdue today launched the Find-a-Book Summer Reading Program at Wrightsboro Elementary School in Wilmington to promote the retention and growth of student reading skills during the summer break. Studies show that students who don't read during the summer vacation are more likely to lag behind their peers' reading level when they return to school in the fall.

"The summer is a time for fun, family and a break from school – but learning is something we should do 365 days a year, seven days a week," said Perdue. "Through the Find-a-Book Summer Reading Program, we can encourage our kids have a good book in their hands even when they're away from the classroom. And we can make sure students continue to learn – and learn to love reading."

Perdue read to a third grade class, and talked to them about the importance and joy or reading. She demonstrated the new Find-a-Book Web site, www.lexile.com/findabook, to parents, students and school staff. The Find-a-Book web site contains a searchable database that matches a book's text difficulty to a student's reading ability through a Lexile reading measure. In North Carolina, students in grades 3-8 as well as high school students taking the English I state assessment will receive a Lexile measure in their end-of-year test results. Lexile is the most widely adopted reading measure in use today.

Perdue urged school faculty to promote the summer reading program to parents, while encouraging community members to become involved in the summer reading program as volunteers and mentors. The governor has sent letters and informational fliers to principals and librarians. Parents will receive letters and information on the summer reading initiative with their child's end-of-year report card.

Public libraries across the state are also participating in the Find-a-Book Summer Reading Program. Library staff can assists parents and students with the Find-a-Book Web site and Lexile reading measures.

Today marked the 100 year anniversary of Wrightsboro Elementary.

iStorytime Turns the iPhone into a Library of Narrated Children's Books

2009-06-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

The iPhone, today introduced iStoryTime, a series of illustrated and narrated children's book applications. The first three stories are now available for download on the iPhone App Store. Parents with an iPhone 3G, iPhone or iPod® touch can now turn their favorite portable device into educational entertainment for the kids (ages 2-7) when they're on the go. iStoryTime books are available globally (English only) for $1.99 on the iPhone App Store in 80 countries.

iStoryTime is a self-navigating and self-narrating book application that is drop dead simple for anyone to use. Even a two-year old. The app, which can be narrated by either an adult or child's voice, automatically flips the pages of the book while the child follows along. The words to the story are also included onscreen so beginning readers can make associations between the words they hear and the words they see. iStoryTime books available beginning today include:

* The Wiener Dog Magnet - The story of a monkey who buys a small dog magnet…with disastrous and hilarious results. Thanks to his creativity, the little monkey makes the best of the situation and saves the day. Written and illustrated by Hayes Roberts and narrated by Jen Muench and Laci Schooner.

* Shoe-per Duper Shoes - All kinds of grown up shoes come to life in this funny adventure. Written by Woody Sears. Illustrated by Zach Sather. Narrated by Jen Muench and Laci Schooner.

* The Brave Monkey Pirate - The story of a monkey pirate who has to go to the hospital and get a shot, but finds something magical that helps him become brave. Written and illustrated by Hayes Roberts and narrated by Jen Muench and Laci Schooner.

"iStoryTime provides mind-enriching entertainment for the kids while making life a little easier for mom or dad," said Graham Farrar, founder of iStoryTime and FrogDogMedia. "Instead of having to resort to movies or video games to occupy your child when you need a few minutes to finish the grocery shopping, are out at a restaurant, or stuck in traffic, you can give them a story they'll will want to hear and see again and again."

iStoryTime will publish new apps in the near future featuring a variety of stories from new and upcoming authors and illustrators. The next book in the iStoryTime library will be:

* Binky the Pink Elephant - The story of an elephant whose journey teaches her that being different can also be admirable. Written by Sonowa Jackson. Illustrated by Jaclyn Mednicov and narrated by Jen Muench and Laci Schooner

To download any of the iStoryTime apps, please visit the iPhone App Store. To find out more information about the iStoryTime children's book series for the iPhone, please visit http://www.istorytimeapp.com/.

Asia Requests English-Language Books

2009-06-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

English-language books--rigorous, college-level textbooks; vital reference texts; children's storybooks--are increasingly in demand across the Asia-Pacific region, according to Books for Asia. An initiative that supports Asia's development goals by providing needed texts from world-class publishers, Books for Asia is The Asia Foundation's longest running program. Across Asia, educators are requesting textbooks to provide English-language instruction, which is compulsory in much of the region. Many professional texts in the fields of medicine, law, and technology are published only in English. Books for Asia is asking publishers and donors to help support its effort to donate and deliver 1 million books this year.

"Knowledge transforms lives and communities, and educators want to empower their students. English-language skills allow students to boost their potential--potential for improved income, potential for a broader experience of life," said Melody Zavala, director of Books for Asia. "Across Asia, there is a thirst for English-language knowledge and skills, and it spans every class and sector of society."

To make publishers and international donors aware of the impact these books can have, particularly in remote and underserved areas marred by poverty or conflict, The Asia Foundation asked accomplished independent photojournalists Ted Wood, portrait contributor to Vanity Fair, and Josef Polleross, international contributor to The New York Times, and others, to tell the stories of real people and communities transformed by books. Their absorbing images, presented in rich, full-screen slideshows, were launched today at http://www.booksforasia.org/.

The online exhibit, The Power of a Book: Books for Asia Stories, depicts four individuals in four different regions. One, photographed by Polleross, tells the story of Pranorn Maisan, a teacher in Phuket, Thailand, who helped distribute more than 90,000 Books for Asia-donated textbooks to tsunami-affected schools. In another, photographed by Wood in gripping, wide-lens images, Bat-erdene Khayanhyarvaa, a former governor of a province on the stark, Mongolian frontier who taught himself English using Books for Asia texts, says, "You can't succeed without thinking beyond your town." The exhibit is generously underwritten by AARP and Chevron.

Books for Asia is active across the Asia-Pacific and is particularly focused on assisting students and teachers in areas experiencing turbulence. Said Zavala, "Books allow education to go forward, despite disruptions and severely depleted resources. Books in conflict zones or post-natural disaster areas provide exposure to information outside one's region, inspiring the imagination and critical thinking skills--crucial for young people exposed to instability." In Sri Lanka, for instance, Books for Asia recently used boats and short inland flights to get books to schoolchildren in conflict-torn areas. In 2008, the program provided more than 100,000 books to over 775 institutions there, including primary and secondary schools, libraries, universities, and government agencies.

"Books provide life-changing insight and information for students who will soon be the adults that the rest of the world will work and collaborate alongside in business, science, technology, and diplomacy," said Zavala.

Books for Asia has identified priority nations where educators report an unmet need for textbooks and is asking for additional book donations and funds to support these students and their teachers.

In Pakistan, one third of the population is impoverished, and the literacy gap between boys and girls, is expected to widen. Still, English is required, and Books for Asia has been successful, through its staff and in-country network, in getting books to the turbulent Northwest Frontier Provinces and Balochistan. Tens of thousands of books are delivered to Pakistan annually, and donations include law books for female councilors who provide legal aid to women, and storybooks for children in earthquake-prone Kaghan Valley. To date, approximately 55,000 out of a goal of 60,000 have reached Pakistan.

In Afghanistan, security concerns and a lack of qualified teachers willing to work in many parts of the country remains an obstacle in supporting its 32.7 million people. Literacy rates remain low, hindering the country's development. In 2008, Books for Asia donated 40,000 new books to 170 institutions, including public libraries, schools, teacher training centers, and government ministries. Recently, Books for Asia provided materials and support for library construction at a girls' high school, including re-training of teachers. To date, 22,000 books have been shipped to Afghanistan--transport is coordinated through the unpredictable Khyber Pass--out of a target of more than 65,000.

In Thailand, although literacy rates are high, political upheaval and ethnic conflict in the south threatens the nation's education system. In 2008, Books for Asia donated more than 80,000 texts to nearly 750 institutions. The overall focus of the books effort is to help foster an atmosphere of stability and knowledge. To date, more than 22,000 texts out of a goal of 45,000 have been provided to students and educators.

"We are grateful to publishers and donors," said Zavala. "But we urgently need more texts, more funds. Our staff in Asia is committed and persistent--and we are successfully reaching remote, difficult areas."

In 2008, Books for Asia and its publisher partners donated $41 million worth of books and resources to more than 20 million students, from grade school to graduate school, in 18 Asian countries. Donations are coordinated by Asia Foundation experts to assure that books are high quality, useful, and culturally appropriate.

For more information, please visit http://booksforasia.org/.

Teaching Children the Rewards of Sharing with Kindness

2009-06-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

The bullying that our young people face every day - in their schools, on their playgrounds and even in their homes - leads to a host of social and personal maladies. Author Kevin Bailey wrote Anthony Meets The Playground Bully to aid in the elimination of bullying in all of its forms.

Anthony is a young boy who is faced with one of children's biggest fears: the playground bully. Today, Anthony must rescue his best pal Ryan from the clutches of said tyrant. One major problem…the bully is much larger than both he and Ryan and Anthony realizes that he must use his brain, not his fists, to be successful.

Take an interesting journey with Anthony and his pals to see just how cleverly our hero sets about his rescue. For every parent or child that has ever had to deal with a bully, this is a must-read. The author's intent, however, is that this not be just the standard David and Goliath story. He accomplishes this by sharing with his readers insight on what may cause an individual to bully in the first place, thereby giving understanding to the bully in his story. Though very entertaining, the narrative delivers an important lesson that Anthony has learned on the lap of his grandfather. Author's suggestion: read it with a friend, or many friends.

Author's Website: http://www.anthonymeetstheplaygroundbully.com/

Publisher's Web site: http://www.eloquentbooks.com/AnthonyMeetsThePlaygroundBu ...
ISBN: 978-1-60860-072-4 / SKU: 1-60860-072-6

Understanding Why Students Don't Like School

2009-05-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Teachers ask. Parents ask.

"Why don't students like school?"

Many students ask that question, too, as they struggle to stay attentive in class, while waiting for the bell to ring so they can pay attention to the things that really interest them.

"If you ask 100 high school students if they like to learn new things, almost all of them will tell you they like to learn," said Daniel Willingham, a University of Virginia cognitive psychologist. "But if you ask those same students if they like school, many of them will tell you they don't."

He addresses these issues in a new book, "Why Don't Students like School?," in which he explains how the mind works - and what it means for the classroom.

"The mind is actually designed to avoid thinking," Willingham said. "Thinking is a slow process; it's effortful and even uncertain. People naturally want to avoid that process, and instead rely on memory, the things we already know how to do and are successful at."

Willingham uses cooking as an example.

"If you want to make spaghetti sauce, you could go onto the Internet and search out new recipes. You could go through all your cookbooks. And if you are really into cooking, you might do exactly that. But most people will just make the sauce the way they always make it, because they already know how. And so it's a lot easier that way."

Which is one of the reasons students don't like school. They are forced to think, to accept new challenges, to learn new things, and therefore do the thing their mind most wants to avoid - thinking.

But this is true only up to a point. People also are curious.

"People actually enjoy thinking - when it is at a level that is not too simple, and not excessively difficult," Willingham said. "People like to be challenged. That's why we play games, it's why we read books, why we do many of the things we do. So there's a sweet spot, a level where learning is neither too simplistic to be interesting, nor too difficult to be enjoyable. This is the spot that teachers are always trying to find for their students in the classroom."

This is where creative teaching comes in, using a combination of storytelling that evokes emotion and thought, and exercises that put lessons into context and that build upon previous learning. It's also sustained hard work, Willingham said, that creates thinking skills dependent upon factual knowledge.

"We want to create learning experiences that last," he said.

Willingham spent about 15 years of his career as a research cognitive scientist, conducting studies under laboratory conditions. Then he started talking to teachers' groups and discovered that what he and other researchers had discovered in the lab was of great interest to teachers in the field.

In 2002 he began writing a column, "Ask the Cognitive Scientist," for American Educator, the quarterly journal of the American Federation of Teachers. Teachers have been asking ever since.

Willingham also writes a blog for teachers, and now has authored his book, specifically for teachers and parents of home-schooled children.

One question teachers keep asking is how to work with students' different "learning styles." They don't really exist, Willingham said.

"There are different abilities, but really, we all learn the same way," he said. "It's not left brain versus right brain, or visual or auditory or kinesthetic. We learn using a combination of skills, and we are all more similar in our learning styles than different."

And students naturally learn better in the areas or disciplines where their abilities lie. The key for teachers, and for students, is to find that "sweet spot," where learning is the wonderful challenge that inspires us to do more than simply make sauce the same way we've always made it.

Why Students Don't Like School

2009-05-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

"Why don't students like school?"

Many students ask that question, too, as they struggle to stay attentive in class, while waiting for the bell to ring so they can pay attention to the things that really interest them.

"If you ask 100 high school students if they like to learn new things, almost all of them will tell you they like to learn," said Daniel Willingham, a University of Virginia cognitive psychologist. "But if you ask those same students if they like school, many of them will tell you they don't."

He addresses these issues in a new book, "Why Don't Students like School?," in which he explains how the mind works - and what it means for the classroom.

"The mind is actually designed to avoid thinking," Willingham said. "Thinking is a slow process; it's effortful and even uncertain. People naturally want to avoid that process, and instead rely on memory, the things we already know how to do and are successful at."

Willingham uses cooking as an example.

"If you want to make spaghetti sauce, you could go onto the Internet and search out new recipes. You could go through all your cookbooks. And if you are really into cooking, you might do exactly that. But most people will just make the sauce the way they always make it, because they already know how. And so it's a lot easier that way."

Which is one of the reasons students don't like school. They are forced to think, to accept new challenges, to learn new things, and therefore do the thing their mind most wants to avoid - thinking.

But this is true only up to a point. People also are curious.

"People actually enjoy thinking - when it is at a level that is not too simple, and not excessively difficult," Willingham said. "People like to be challenged. That's why we play games, it's why we read books, why we do many of the things we do. So there's a sweet spot, a level where learning is neither too simplistic to be interesting, nor too difficult to be enjoyable. This is the spot that teachers are always trying to find for their students in the classroom."

This is where creative teaching comes in, using a combination of storytelling that evokes emotion and thought, and exercises that put lessons into context and that build upon previous learning. It's also sustained hard work, Willingham said, that creates thinking skills dependent upon factual knowledge.

"We want to create learning experiences that last," he said.

Willingham spent about 15 years of his career as a research cognitive scientist, conducting studies under laboratory conditions. Then he started talking to teachers' groups and discovered that what he and other researchers had discovered in the lab was of great interest to teachers in the field.

In 2002 he began writing a column, "Ask the Cognitive Scientist," for American Educator, the quarterly journal of the American Federation of Teachers. Teachers have been asking ever since.

Willingham also writes a blog for teachers, and now has authored his book, specifically for teachers and parents of home-schooled children.

One question teachers keep asking is how to work with students' different "learning styles." They don't really exist, Willingham said.

"There are different abilities, but really, we all learn the same way," he said. "It's not left brain versus right brain, or visual or auditory or kinesthetic. We learn using a combination of skills, and we are all more similar in our learning styles than different."

And students naturally learn better in the areas or disciplines where their abilities lie. The key for teachers, and for students, is to find that "sweet spot," where learning is the wonderful challenge that inspires us to do more than simply make sauce the same way we've always made it.

Free Teaching Guides on Media Literacy

2009-05-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and curriculum specialists Young Minds Inspired have distributed "Media Literacy: Reading between the Frames," a free teaching resource guide to more than 18,500 high schools across the United States. Reaching approximately 2.4 million students, the guide was inspired by the Academy's Media Literacy Program, which twice a year brings up to 400 Los Angeles Unified School District high school students to the Samuel Goldwyn Theater for a three-day seminar. This is the 10th consecutive year the Academy has produced a teaching guide.

Geared for students in English, language arts, visual arts and communication classes, the guide is designed to encourage critical thinking, expand knowledge of filmmaking and increase overall interest in film and its cultural influence.

The teaching guide features a special supplemental DVD hosted by Jason Reitman, the Academy Award(r)-nominated director of "Juno." The DVD includes selected scenes from such feature films as "Rebel without a Cause," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Philadelphia," "The Fast and the Furious" and "Real Women Have Curves." Students are asked to contemplate numerous questions as they watch the DVD, including "What is the director showing us in each shot?," "How are the shots edited together and why?" and "How is time being manipulated and why?" The DVD is produced by the Academy and Acme Filmworks.

Each teaching guide also includes a teacher's guide, activity worksheets in English and Spanish, resource lists and take-home activities.

The Academy will bring the "Media Literacy" guides to life for LAUSD students from Chatsworth, El Camino, Grant, Roosevelt and Westchester high schools on Thursday, April 23. Students will watch "Role Models" (2008) and join in a post-screening panel discussion featuring the some of the film's cast and crew (subject to availability). This will be the final day of the spring seminar (the first two days were held in March).

For additional information about the program and to download about previous years' teaching guides (animation, art direction, cinematography, documentaries, film editing, makeup, screenwriting, sound and music, visual effects) visit the Academy's Web site at http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach.

Study Suggests Link Between Health Literacy, Happiness

2009-05-22T05:16:00.000-07:00

A new University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study published in the advanced online edition of the journal Social Indicators Research suggests a link between the ease with which older adults can access and understand health information and their happiness.

In the study, researchers surveyed 383 older adults in Alabama ages 50 and up who were under the care of primary care physicians. Those surveyed were asked if they could read and answer questions on medical forms unassisted and to rate their level of happiness.

The study found that those with lower levels of health literacy - those who reported having the most problems reading and understanding medical forms - were more than twice as likely to report being unhappy regardless of health and socioeconomic status.

The study suggests that improving older patients' ability to obtain health information might be an important element in programs aimed at improving wellness and well-being among older adult patients, say the study's lead author, UAB Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Economics Erik Angner, Ph.D., and the principal investigator, UAB Professor Jeroan J. Allison, M.D., of the Division of Preventative Medicine.

Health literacy is the degree to which a person can find and understand basic health information or access health services. About half of all Americans, some 90 million, have problems understanding and using health information, according to a 2004 report by the Institute of Medicine, "Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion." Poor health literacy makes it harder for patients to follow directions on medications or provide accurate medical histories.

An explanation for the study results may have to do with a sense of control, said Angner. That sense, which has been found to be associated with higher happiness scores in other studies, might be undermined by inadequate health literacy.

The study was funded in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics cooperative agreement.

About UAB
The UAB School of Arts and Humanities offers degrees in philosophy, foreign languages, communication studies and English. Its Department of Philosophy prepares students for careers in health care, law, counseling and many other fields. The UAB Division of Preventative Medicine is dedicated to medicine and the health of the public through research, teaching and the dissemination and translation of knowledge for improved health outcomes.

Simple Writing Assignment Improves Minority Student Grades

2009-05-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

In a follow-up to a 2006 study, a University of Colorado at Boulder researcher and his colleagues found that an in-class writing assignment designed to reinforce students' sense of identity and personal integrity increased the grade-point averages of African-American middle school students over a two-year period, and reduced the rate at which these students were held back or placed in remediation.

The results suggest that targeted psychological interventions on a wider scale could help narrow the racial achievement gap among U.S. students, one of the most pressing and persistent domestic issues in our country, according to Associate Professor Geoffrey Cohen of CU-Boulder's psychology department and his fellow principal investigators Julio Garcia and Valerie Purdie-Vaughns of Columbia University.

The follow-up study appears in the April 16 issue of the journal Science. Nancy Apfel and Patricia Brzustoski of Yale University were co-authors on the study.

"In our original study we uncovered evidence that this self-affirming intervention improved the performance of African-Americans in a single academic term," Cohen said. "Now we have evidence that its effects persist over the two years of children's tenure in middle school."

The study also suggests that "intervening" early in students' middle school years can have long-lasting benefits by undermining a recurring cycle of increasingly poor performance in school.

Over the two years of the 2006-08 study, the grade-point average of African-Americans was, on average, raised by .24 grade points. Low-achieving African Americans benefited most from the intervention, with their GPAs increasing by an average of .41 points on a four-point scale. The assignment had no impact on white students' grades.

"Our intervention is based on the idea that ethnic minority students experience, on average, higher levels of stress in the classroom because they are concerned that if they perform poorly on a test or in a class this will confirm, in the eyes of others, the negative stereotype about their group's intelligence ability," Cohen said.

Past research has found that school settings in general are stressful to many students regardless of race. However, many African-American students may experience chronic stress in school stemming from negative stereotypes portraying them as less intelligent than their peers, according to Cohen. This in turn leads to decreased academic performance.

The study involved three experiments in which seventh graders from middle-class and lower middle-class families were given a series of structured writing assignments throughout the year. They were asked to choose one or two values that were important to them and then write about why they cherished the values. A control group was asked to write about values that others might hold or other neutral topics. A total of 416 students participated, divided in roughly equal numbers by race.

"This exercise, called a self-affirmation, allows a student to reaffirm that he or she is a good and competent person," Cohen said. "This helps reduce stress by allowing the student to think about all the things that matter to them, for example their family or their religion. It makes the possibility of failure less dire."

The study also suggests that how students perform during the school year is strongly correlated to how they perform during the first few weeks of that year. If a student starts off the year feeling more stress due to negative stereotypes, and then performs poorly during the first few weeks of school, this can establish a downward cycle of increasing stress and poor performance that is hard to break, said Cohen.

"Our study shows that early intervention seems to interrupt this downward trend in academic performance," he said.

Cohen and his co-authors also measured the students' sense of success at the beginning of the school year and again at the end. They found that for low-performing African-American students there is a drop in their sense of adequacy in school over the course of the school year, but for students who participated in the exercise, and for white students, their sense of success remained constant over time.

"This suggests that early failure can have a disproportionate effect on the negatively stereotyped group," Cohen said. "The first few weeks of middle school can have a negative effect on a child's self-concept that seems surprisingly persistent. We found that if you can buffer people against this you can potentially have long-term benefits."

Cohen said he plans to continue studying similar psychological interventions on other groups of students to see if similar positive results can be generated and to zero in on the mechanisms underlying these effects.

"In a society where economic success depends heavily on scholastic achievement, even a slight narrowing of the achievement gap would be consequential," Cohen said. "This is especially true for low-achieving students, given the societal, institutional and personal costs of academic failure."

Source: University of Colorado at Boulder

$5,000 for You and Your Library

2009-05-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

Gale, part of Cengage Learning, and a leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses, invites library fans to create a one-minute video segment to promote their library and explain how it brings "power to the users" in their community or school as part of its third annual YouTube video contest launched in April. Entries are due on June 1, 2009.

$5,000 for You and Your Library

The winning entry will be awarded $2,500 and an additional $2,500 will be presented to the winner's favorite library. Results will be announced at this year's American Library Association's Annual Conference in Chicago, July 9 -15, 2009. Finalist videos will be available for viewing at Gale's booth.

This year's contest, "Power to the User" Ad Madness, runs from April 12th to June 1, 2009. A panel of judges will determine the top five finalists and the winner based on the creativity of the video, the originality of the sentiment and its connection to the "Power to the User" theme. The videos will be featured on www.gale.com/librareo . Video entries should be no shorter than 30 seconds and no longer than 60 seconds in length. Entrants must load their videos to the Librareo group on YouTube (www.youtube.com/group/LIBRAREO) before midnight EST on June 1, 2009. Participants may submit as many videos as desired, provided each entry is entirely original. All entries must comply with the complete contest rules which can be viewed, along with video samples, at www.gale.com/librareo.

Kids Count: Teaching Children about Money

2009-05-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

In today's economic environment teaching kids about money, financial management and financial literacy has never been more important. More people will file for bankruptcy this year than will graduate college and U.S. consumers owe more than $970 billion in total debt and almost $9,000 per household in credit card debt.

A national survey of U.S. teens found that only 35 percent reported learning money management in school and more than 40 percent of parents believe that schools should be doing more to educate kids about money. Research conducted by Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University indicates that 80 percent of K-12 teachers think it is important to teach financial literacy.

To help teach children about money and financial management, Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University has developed the Kids Count curriculum to provide teachers with online access to lesson plans mapped to standards in all 50 states for grades three thru five. Teachers simply enter the appropriate grade level and the state they teach in. The My Money Counts board game provides additional opportunities for teachers to integrate financial literacy into the classroom.

Kids Count provides financial management and financial literacy activities that relate to the age and experiences of third through fifth-grade students. The curriculum offers teachers a time-saving resource that combines reading, social studies and economics with money management skills delivered in an integrated curriculum. The Kids Count curriculum allows students to evaluate, create analyze and apply each lesson.

To learn more about the Kids Count curriculum from Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University watch this accompanying video: http://www.yourupdate.tv/moneyandfinance/kids_count.html or go to: http://www.nfikidscount.org/

Schools Slipping Back to Segregation, New Book Finds

2009-05-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

Urban school districts across the country have shifted back to managing segregated schools following the recent lifting of court-ordered desgregation plans, a new book finds.

The book, "From the Courtroom to the Classroom: The Shifting Landscape of School Desegregation," was edited by Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development faculty Claire Smrekar and Ellen Goldring and published by Harvard University Press.

"As the return to neighborhood schools accelerates, schools resegregate, and magnet programs assume new roles, this book provides timely information on critical social and academic outcomes for children," Smrekar said.

School desegregation, once a central piece of social and educational policy, has been ended by an increasing number of federal courts in recent years in urban school districts. When desegration polices are removed, schools are designated as "unitary," which means they are expected to implement a variety of policies focusing on school improvement, school choice and neighborhood schools, among other alternatives. Racial balancing of schools is no longer a priority.

"The significance of this book is rooted in the need for a better understanding of new policies on race and schools, the social and political context of choice, and the consequences of these reform strategies for school systems in urban America and for the lives of educators, students and their families," Goldring said.

The book comes on the heels of the June 28, 2007, U.S. Supreme Court decision (Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Crystal D. Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education) that limits the use of race in student assignment and school choice plans.

The book focuses on four key objectives:

- Identify a set of important trends in the socio-demographic composition of schools following the end of court-ordered desegregation. How have districts responded to the end of court-ordered desegregation plans in terms of student and staff assignment? What priorities drive the new district policies on racial and socio-economic desegregation and student assignment? How will the PICS opinion shape district policies in the future?

- Explore the implications of new policies on race and school choice across multiple levels and contexts, including classroom and school, and at school district and national levels. What do patterns of achievement among white, African American and Latino students suggest regarding the impact of these new policies?

- Scrutinize the conditions in school districts that served as landmark legal cases in the march toward desegregation in the United States. What is the impact of new student assignment plans on racial and socio-economic segregation/integration patterns in these historically significant districts?

- Examine the aftermath of desegregation, including both social and academic outcomes, against the growing evidence of resegregation across urban school districts in the United States. Does race matter? What is the role of expanded school choice programs (e.g., magnet schools) under these conditions?

"This book makes compelling the need to connect the imperatives of new policies on race and schooling to the practices of educational leaders facing the demands of diversity, equity, choice and excellence for all students. Student assignment policies represent some of the most complex and controversial decisions made by local school boards across the country," Smrekar, associate professor of public policy and education, and Goldring, professor of educational policy and leadership, said. "It is our hope that this data may provide essential guideposts for districts considering the consequences of unitary status under the more restrictive new legal constraints regarding the use of race. This book is designed to highlight the short- and long-term implications of these decisions for schoolchildren, their families and communities."

Website: http://www.hepg.org/hep/book/97/FromTheCourtroomToTheClassroom

In Economic Hard Times, Artists Flock To Job Panel

2009-05-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

In the face of a tough job environment and a declining art market, New York City writers, performers, and artists are searching for arts-related work that will help pay the rent on their studio---or studio apartment. Part-time employment teaching the arts in NYC public schools is an increasingly popular option for artists who want to make a difference in the lives of young people.

Registration filled up within days for an annual job panel on arts education, sponsored by Community-Word Project. "We've never had a response like this," said Community-Word Project Program Director Keith Kaminski. ‘We had to move to a larger space because we had as many people on the waiting list as were registered." Community-Word Project Executive Director Michele Kotler attributes the unprecedented turn-out to an increased interest in public service. "Art is about reaching out to others. When artists find out that they can use their creative skills to give back to their city, they're eager to learn more."

The Seventh Annual Arts Education Job Panel will be held on Thursday, May 14, 6:00-8:30 PM, at the Scholastic Building, 557 Broadway, 2nd Floor Education Resource Center, New York City. At this event, artists will learn how they can work with children, earn income, and continue to pursue their own art.

With registration opened up to accommodate a larger audience, Community-Word Project expects over 150 artists, writers, poets, dancers, musicians and actors to attend the event to learn about work opportunities as "Teaching Artists," using their creative talents to inspire New York City students to discover their own talents and ability to communicate through the arts.

Community-Word Project is an art education non-profit founded by Ms. Kotler, a poet herself, that places Teaching Artists in underserved public schools. The Arts Education Job Panel will include representatives from Community-Word Project and from other leading NYC arts organizations: Brooklyn Arts Council, New York Foundation for the Arts, Studio in a School, Teachers & Writers Collaborative, Urban Arts Partnerships, Wingspan Arts, and Young Audiences.

Attendees will also learn about Community-Word Project's Teaching Artist Training and Internship Program, a 25-week program that combines seminars on teaching the arts in New York City public schools with classroom internships.

For more information about the Job Fair Panel or Community-Word Project, please visit our website: http://www.communitywordproject.org/.

Illusionist to Launch Magic Trick-Based Education Curriculum for Students with Special Needs

2009-05-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

Award-winning illusionist Kevin Spencer, the leading authority on the therapeutic use of magic in physical and psychosocial rehabilitation, announces the Summer 2009 launch of his new project, Hocus Focus, a student-centered, experiential-based educational approach utilizing the art of magic tricks in the context of empowering an empathetic, professional educator/student relationship for children with special needs.

"As educators, the most important aspect of one's work is to help children prepare for a bright and challenging future. But if we don't also teach our children how to deal with life's difficulties, many simply won't realize their potential," Spencer says. "With students who face additional challenges -- LD, ADHD, SLD, NLD, Autism or any number of other physical and/or psychosocial obstacles -- the job of an educator may include finding strategies to move them into becoming a more competent learner. That's why I created the Hocus Focus curriculum, with the fundamental goal of fostering student growth and development."

One of the most important factors for achieving success for the student is to make the learning process as tangible and visible as possible teaching facts and concepts they can see, touch, manipulate, and talk about.

"Our students with behavior disorders have a very hard time with frustration tolerance and task follow-through. I can see the Hocus Focus curriculum being an enjoyable time where they are perfecting these skills without knowing it," says Kathy McClung, Behavior Disorders Teacher in Iowa. "We need to constantly find ways to reach our students and I appreciate the work Spencer has done that gives us another tool in our belt."

Hocus Focus provides teachers with a visual, exciting, and motivating way to allow students to safely explore skill levels, improve existing skills, and develop new ones. It is a systematic approach by which students learn to focus and accomplish specific goals and objectives by learning magic tricks and then exploring the benefits of each one. Students learn simple tricks at first and move to more complex tricks as they progress. Watch this video about Hocus Focus to learn more.

Spencer is also the author of HEALING OF MAGIC, the most comprehensive guide available to establishing and maintaining a magic therapy program in a hospital or rehabilitation facility. The program - a systemic treatment modality incorporating the therapeutic use of simple magic tricks in physical and psychosocial rehabilitation - has been successfully utilized in many areas, including physical diagnoses, brain injuries and mental health. Therapists around the world as well as educators in the occupational and physiotherapy departments of leading universities are using the Healing of Magic program to help patients reach their therapeutic goals.

"I'm committed to empowering therapists with exciting new tools to aid them in helping their clients achieve functional, measurable goals. Magic wands don't always belong with black hats and rabbits -- sometimes they belong in hospitals where frail hands learn tricks and the magic is in the healing," Spencer says. Watch a video on the Healing of Magic.

The concepts of the Healing of Magic program are currently in use in hundreds of rehabilitation facilities in more than 30 countries. Spencer has collaborated on numerous research projects around the world to prove the validity of this treatment modality. You can read the research here.

For more information on Kevin Spencer, visit www.SpencersMagic.com. To learn more about the summer launch of Spencer's Hocus Focus program for special needs students, visit http://www.hocusfocuseducation.com/ or www.MagicTherapy.com/therapists.html#MagicandEducation.

Teaching teachers mindfulness to foster education, improve well-being

2009-05-04T05:59:00.000-07:00

Teachers who encounter stressful classroom situations can become upset and their teaching may suffer. However, by analyzing teachers' emotional reactions in the classroom and how those emotions affect teaching, Patricia Jennings developed innovative teaching methods to help teachers from preschool through college.

Jennings, research associate, Penn State's Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, looks at 'mindfulness' -- maintaining awareness of one's thoughts and emotions -- as a way to reduce stress and improve performance.

"Many new teachers have problems managing their behavior when they get upset by challenging student behaviors," says Jennings. "Oftentimes, they end up resorting to punitive and harsh responses, which can lead to power struggles with children and derail learning."

Starting in May 2009, Jennings will spend two years finalizing and testing a professional development program, Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE), funded by a $932,361 grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute for Educational Sciences. CARE was developed at the Garrison Institute, where Jennings is director of the Initiative on Contemplation and Education.

CARE stresses the importance of emotional awareness and self-regulation when interacting with students. This empowers teachers to make calm, effective responses to children's behavior rather than unconscious reactions that are often ineffective. During the first year, researchers will measure the results of the CARE program through surveys and focus groups of elementary school teachers participating in the program. They want to establish which aspects of CARE are most effective in improving teacher-student interactions and relationships, and to develop the parts of CARE that help foster an optimal educational environment.

Researchers will spend the second year observing teachers in the classroom, before and after the teachers have completed CARE. The researchers will measure disruptive behavior, student compliance, cooperation, communication, problem-solving, interest level, focus, and responsiveness.

By giving teachers the skills to be aware of their emotions and observing the results, Jennings is hoping to understand better which factors are associated with effective teaching.

"Many people think that good teaching is most associated with such factors as years of teaching experience or the amount of training a teacher has received. Those are important factors, but if a teacher doesn't respond and interact with their students in a way that fosters a positive learning environment, then the education tends to get left behind," says Jennings.

Researchers will also evaluate the self-reported social-emotional status of teachers. They will determine whether the teachers have problems with sleep, anxiety, depression, or caring for themselves.

"Even the most caring of teachers are known for ignoring themselves," says Jennings. "This can be problematic. About 50 percent of teachers leave the profession after only five years. By teaching skills on how to be more self-aware, we hope to lower this number, and increase the number of positive role models in our education system."

In the pilot study that helped secure funding for her project, Jennings saw success with CARE.

"An English teacher in a Philadelphia school hit a wall of resistance from her students one day. The students were not interested in her grammar lesson and they became disruptive. Through her own practice with mindfulness, the teacher was able to calm herself down and not react with anger, and in doing so, she was able to tune in to her students and really listen to their complaints with genuine interest. After an open discussion with her students she decided to shift her lesson in response to these feelings. The students were enthusiastic about the new assignment, and the teacher helped them channel their frustration into a creative outlet."

That teacher was able to avoid frustration, and in doing so reduced her stress levels and encouraged learning in the classroom. Those are the results that Jennings is hoping to see and promote through CARE.

CARE was developed by Jennings, Richard Brown, chair of the Contemplative Education Department at Naropa University, and Christa Turksma, prevention consultant. The evaluation will be performed simultaneously in Harrisburg and State College schools. Additional courses on mindfulness are available through the Garrison Institute (http://www.garrisoninstitute.org/).

Thousands of Books Available to People with Print Disabilities

2009-05-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Bookshare and Hachette Book Group (HBG) have entered into a partnership to provide digital books for Bookshare's accessible online library for people with print disabilities. This partnership has two components that break new ground in the publishing industry. First, Hachette has agreed to donate digital files for all 1,700 currently digitized frontlist and backlist titles. Secondly, Hachette will refer all customer service requests for accessible books to Bookshare for fulfillment.

Bookshare believes that people with print disabilities deserve the same ease of access to books and periodicals that people without disabilities enjoy. The Bookshare library provides legal access to more than 43,000 books and 150 periodicals that are converted to Braille, large print or synthetic speech. Thanks to Bookshare, a person with a print disability can read a newspaper the same day it hits the newsstand or download a best-selling book simultaneously with its release.

Fewer than five percent of the books needed by people with print disabilities are currently available in accessible formats. An award from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) allows Bookshare to expand its collection through publisher partnerships and to grow the number of users who have access to the service. The award also provides free access to qualified students of any age.

Bookshare members download books, textbooks and newspapers in files protected by its Digital Rights Management system to ensure the security of publishers' copyrights. Members read the texts using adaptive technology, such as software that reads the book aloud (text-to-speech) or converts the text to an enlarged font, or hardware devices that allow the book to be read on refreshable Braille displays. Members can also print digital books as embossed Braille.

Bookshare's conversion and distribution of accessible books from publishers' digital files significantly reduces the time and expense required by publishers to provide books in accessible formats for people with print disabilities.

Website: http://www.bookshare.org/

Summer Reading Kicks Off at Scholastic: Are You up for the Challenge?

2009-05-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

This summer Scholastic, together with Save the Children's U.S. Programs and the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, is challenging kids to read for fun, for their team and for a good cause. Launching on April 30th, "Scholastic Summer Challenge" (http://www.scholastic.com/summer) is the online destination for summer reading. With a robust online community for kids, expert advice for parents and free teaching resources for librarians and educators, this is one challenge everyone can enjoy! The "Summer Challenge" kicks off with a live game show web cast hosted by Jon Scieszka, the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Kids will test their book knowledge starting at 1:00 p.m. ET on April 30th at www.scholastic.com/summer.

Why Summer Reading?

As Malcolm Gladwell pointed out in his best-selling book "Outliers", "America doesn't have a school problem, it has a summer vacation problem." Research shows:

-- Kids who don't read four or more age-appropriate books over the summer are more likely to fall victim to the "Summer Slide," the common loss of skills due to being out of school over the summer.

-- Low income students experience an average summer learning loss in reading achievement of over two months, a greater loss than that of their higher income peers.

-- The primary reason kids say they don't read for fun more often is that they have trouble finding books they like.

"All kids need opportunities over the summer to practice what they have learned during the school year," said Ron Fairchild, Executive Director of the National Center for Summer Learning. "Programs that encourage kids to read age-appropriate books that interest them are a great way to keep kids learning over the summer."

"Summer reading is a perfect, low-cost activity that helps keep students' learning skills strong," said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. "The 'Scholastic Summer Challenge' gives kids a chance to read what they want to read, connect with other readers in a safe online community, and help children in need."

What is the "Scholastic Summer Challenge" for Kids?

This summer, kids ages eight and up can log on to www.scholastic.com/summer to read for fun, play games and help children in need. Here's how: once they accept the Challenge, they take a fun quiz that sorts them into one of four color teams, joining other kids from across the country and the world to record their minutes spent reading, earn points for their team, play games and chat about books. All summer long kids will be learning about critical issues kids face in the areas of early childhood development, literacy, physical activity, nutrition and emergency preparedness and response, which are at the core of Save the Children's work in the U.S. At the end of the summer, Scholastic will make a financial contribution to Save the Children's U.S. Programs on behalf of all the participating readers and the winning "Summer Challenge" team will vote on which issue Save the Children works on receives an extra donation!

"We are thrilled that this program not only gets kids reading but also educates them about some of the challenges faced by other kids across the country," said Mark Shriver, Vice President and Managing Director of Save the Children's U.S. Programs. "Today one in six kids lives in poverty. With the 'Summer Challenge,' Scholastic is taking an important leadership role in uniting the next generation and instilling a greater sense of responsibility to one another."

At the Scholastic Summer Challenge, kids can also:

-- Take fun quizzes and multiply their points

-- Unlock new games and earn even more points

-- Apply their points to the Scholastic Book Fairs' "Read for the World Record!"

-- Watch awesome celebrity shout-out videos including: The Naked Brothers Band, Lil' Mama and Keke Palmer from "True Jackson, VP" on Nickelodeon

-- See exclusive content about favorite authors and books

-- Chat about favorite books like "The 39 Clues" and "Harry Potter"

-- Post book reviews on the Summer Challenge review blog

-- Enter sweepstakes for the chance to win prizes

In addition, kids can enter to for a chance to win sweepstakes for books from Scholastic, membership to Kidzui, the Internet for kids, and free bonus points from SmartyCard, redeemable for real rewards.

Kids ages 7 and younger have their own fun challenge: for every book they read and log online, kids earn seeds to plant and grow in their own virtual garden.

What is the Scholastic Summer Challenge for Parents and Caregivers?

"The Kids and Family Reading Report(TM)" shows that parents are the top source of book suggestions for kids who read most. The "Summer Challenge" parents' site, sponsored by Wendy's, will offer extensive, age-appropriate summer book lists and articles available in English and Spanish to help parents find books their kids will want to read. Parents can also explore multi-media content about kids and summer reading, get advice from education experts, and shop the Scholastic Store Online. Younger kids, in addition to the virtual garden game, can send an e-card to Clifford(TM) about what they are reading and learn a new word from WordGirl(TM) every day!

What is the "Scholastic Summer Challenge" for Teachers and Librarians?

Teachers and librarians play a crucial role in getting kids to read over the summer. The "Summer Challenge" site will feature a dedicated area for educators with teaching resources such as printable book lists, bulletin board materials, and send-home letters about summer reading for parents (in English and Spanish). Teachers and librarians will also have access to free lesson plans, video book resources, and engaging book activities and teaching tips specifically for summer. Fun reproducibles for students include the "Read, relate, respond" graphic organizer and a "Critic's Corner" book review template.

Web Site Teaches Parents How To Recession-Proof Their Children

2009-04-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

Teaching Children About Money is a Web site dedicated to helping parents teach kids money to prepare them for any recession or downturn in the economy. The current recession has taken most parents by surprise and what concerns them is that they do not know how to deal with it. Through this course they will not only be helping their children, but they will learn tips and tricks for dealing with the current economic problems.

When parents teach their children early on about money, they will already know how to handle a recession should one hit in their generation. The Web site, http://www.teachingchildrenaboutmoney.com/, offers resources to help parents teach kids money using easy to follow, step by step instructions. Parents will also find themselves learning more about how to deal with the present recession while teaching these important rules to their children.

Many parents all over the world have been hit by this recession and are struggling financially. As a result, there is simply no better time for them to teach their kids money as they will see firsthand what difficult economic times are like. When parents have taught their children how to deal with a recession before it strikes they don’t have to worry about how they will deal with the next recession to occur in their lifetimes.

The Web site offers many internationally recognized ebooks which include "The Insider's Secrets to Raising a Future Millionaire", "50 Money Making Ideas for Kids", and "How Can You Raise a Kid Entrepreneur Without Giving Your Kid an Allowance." The company has grown a lot over the year it has been in business due to the personal attention they pay customers as well as the hands on customer service.

To learn more, visit http://www.teachingchildrenaboutmoney.com/

Call for Entries to the 2009-2010 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy

2009-04-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, today announced a call for entries for the 2009-2010 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy.

The NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, co-founded by the Amgen Foundation, is a year-long professional development program established to help reduce the high attrition rate among science teachers new to the teaching profession. Intended for science educators entering their second or third year of teaching, the Academy is designed to help promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence and improve teacher content knowledge. Since its launch in 2007, the Academy has received more than 1,500 applications nationwide.

NSTA Fellows selected for the program receive a comprehensive membership package, online mentoring with trained mentors who teach in the same discipline, and the opportunity to participate in a variety of web-based professional development activities, including web seminars. In addition, each NSTA Fellow receives financial support to attend and participate in NSTA's 2010 National Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia.

Since its inception, the Academy has provided high-quality professional development to more than 350 science teachers nationwide, impacting nearly 15,000 students, approximately.

Science teachers located throughout the country who will be entering their second or third year of teaching and whose schedule is a minimum of 51 percent middle or high school science, can apply to become an NSTA Fellow. For more information about the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy or to learn how to apply to become a fellow, please visit www.nsta.org/academy. Applications must be submitted no later than June 1, 2009 to be considered.

Women Opt Out of Math/Science Careers Because of Family Demands

2009-04-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

Women tend to choose non-math-intensive fields for their careers -- not because they lack mathematical ability, but because they want flexibility to raise children or prefer less math-intensive fields of science, reports a new Cornell study.

"A major reason explaining why women are underrepresented not only in math-intensive fields but also in senior leadership positions in most fields is that many women choose to have children, and the timing of child rearing coincides with the most demanding periods of their career, such as trying to get tenure or working exorbitant hours to get promoted," said lead author Stephen J. Ceci, professor of human development at Cornell.

Women with advanced math abilities choose non-math fields more often than men with similar abilities, he added.

Women also tend to drop out of scientific fields -- especially math and physical sciences -- at higher rates than do men, particularly as they advance, because of their need for greater flexibility and the demands of parenting and caregiving, said co-author Wendy M. Williams, Cornell professor of human development.

"These are choices that all women, but almost no men, are forced to make," she said.

The study, published in the March issue of the American Psychological Association's Psychological Bulletin (135:2), is an integrative analysis of 35 years of research on sex differences in math. Ceci and his Cornell co-authors reviewed more than 400 articles and book chapters to better understand why women are underrepresented in such math-intensive science careers as computer science, physics, technology, engineering, chemistry and higher mathematics.

Women today comprise about 50 percent of medical school classes; yet women who enter academic medicine are less likely than men to be promoted or serve in leadership posts, the authors report. As of 2005, only 15 percent of full professors and 11 percent of department chairs were women. Non-math fields are also affected: For example, only 19 percent of the tenure-track faculty members in the top 20 philosophy departments are women.

The authors concluded that hormonal, brain and other biological sex differences were not primary factors in explaining why women were underrepresented in science careers, and that studies on social and cultural effects were inconsistent and inconclusive. They also reported that although "institutional barriers and discrimination exist, these influences still cannot explain why women are not entering or staying in STEM careers," said Ceci. "The evidence did not show that removal of these barriers would equalize the sexes in these fields, especially given that women's career preferences and lifestyle choices tilt them toward other careers such as medicine and biology over mathematics, computer science, physics and engineering."

The analysis, which also was conducted with Susan Barnett, Ph.D. '04, a visiting scholar at Cornell, also found that "Women would comprise 33 percent of the professorships in math-intensive fields if it was based solely on being in the top 1 percent of math ability, but they currently comprise less than 10 percent," Ceci said.

Science, technology, engineering and math are not the only professions affected by women's career choices, said the authors. Women are still underrepresented in the top positions of such fields as medicine, law, biology, psychology, dentistry and veterinary science.

The authors recommended that universities and companies create options for women with math talents who want to pursue math-intensive careers. These could include deferred start-up of tenure-track positions and part-time work that segues to full-time tenure-track work for women who are raising children, and courtesy appointments for women unable to work full time but who would benefit from use of university resources (e-mail, library resources, grant support) to continue their research from home.

The BE BIG Fund to award $50,000 In Community Grants

2009-04-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Scholastic Media announced today, in celebration of National Volunteer Week, the "Be Big In Your Community Contest" as part of its ongoing Clifford The Big Red Dog(R) BE BIG!(TM) campaign (www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig) to support civic engagement. The national contest invites kids of all ages, teachers, parents and community leaders to submit a BIG idea that demonstrates Clifford's Big Ideas (Share, Help Others, Be Kind, Be Responsible, Play Fair, Be a Good Friend, Believe in Yourself, Have Respect, Work Together and Be Truthful) to enter for a chance to win a community grant to be used towards implementing the winning proposals. One (1) grand prize entry will be honored with a $25,000 community grant and ten (10) runner up entries will each be honored with a $2,500 community grant (via HandsOn Network affiliate organizations or designees) from the Be Big Fund. (www.handsonnetwork.org) The mission of the Be Big Fund is to recognize and reward others for their BE BIG actions, catalyze change in local communities and provide resources to share BIG ideas.

"Be Big In Your Community Contest" submissions will be accepted on the Clifford BE BIG website (www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig) or via standard mail today through June 26, 2009 and is open to all legal residents of the U.S. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges from Scholastic Inc. and HandsOn Network based on the following criteria: feasibility, creativity, sustainability and impact. Official Rules are available at www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig/contestrules and at http://www.handsonnetwork.org/. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Parents Building Foundation for Success by Reading Daily to Their Children

2009-04-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

Eighty-two percent of parents with children 8 years old and younger say they read a book out loud to them daily, according to a study commissioned by Hooked on Phonics(R).

"The research shows that parents understand that their involvement is critical to establishing a love of reading in children early in life so they're ready and willing to learn," said Judy L. Harris, CEO of Smarterville, the company that owns, creates, manufactures and distributes Hooked on Phonics(R).

The telephone survey of 694 parents nationwide was conducted to coincide with the National Education Association's annual Read Across America day. Now in its twelfth year, the program focuses on motivating children to read, in addition to helping them master basic skills. The nationwide reading program is held on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

The study also found that parents with children 8 years old and younger read more than eight books per week to their children. Fifty-five percent of those respondents said the mother is the primary reader and 24 percent said both parents are the primary readers.

"This is indisputable evidence that parents are the most important and influential people in a child's life, and they are in the best possible position to help children learn to read and love it," Harris said.

Among the parents who have children at least 5 years old, 66 percent say their child knew how to read when she or he started kindergarten; 75 percent of these parents say they or their spouse were the primary influence in helping their child learn to read.

Among all parents, 69 percent rate their level of pride when their oldest child learned to read at 8 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 means no feelings of pride to 10 means the proudest moment of their life).

"The ability to read well is the foundation for learning and for succeeding later on, whether in the workplace, in the home and in life," said Harris. "We are delighted in the tremendous difference these parents are making in their children's reading and their education."

Source: http://www.hookedonphonics.com/

Study Links Household Order to Children's Early Reading Abilities

2009-04-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

Can organizing your home help your child to become a better reader? Maybe.

A new study on the effects of the home environment on early reading growth has found evidence of a link between the reading abilities of 5- and 6-year-old children, and the orderliness of their homes.

Researchers at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Ohio State University found that household order, characterized by routines and cleanliness, was positively associated with a range of early reading abilities in a sample of 455 kindergarten and first-grade twins. However, this association only held for mothers whose own reading abilities were above the national average. When the sample was split by mother's reading level, household order explained reading growth among children of mothers with above average reading skills, while the child's interest in and enjoyment of reading explained reading growth among children of mothers with average reading ability.

Dr. Anne Martin, one of the researchers, noted that perhaps the same mothers who are above average readers are also those who are more likely to keep a tidy home and to implement daily household routines. So, mothers looking to enhance their child's early reading skills should be encouraged to grab their organizers and even their brooms, as keeping an orderly home may have an even greater impact on our children than we previously thought.

Experts have long advised parents that the best way to encourage children to read is to read to them. But, Martin says, "Encouraging child-directed activities such as making books available in the home and allowing children to amuse themselves with books may be equally important and effective approaches to improving early reading."

"Furthermore," Martin adds, "for mothers who are above-average readers but may not have the time or inclination to read aloud, there may be a new strategy that has been overlooked until now: keeping an orderly home."

For information about the study and the National Center for Children and Families, please go to: http://www.policyforchildren.org/orderinthehouse.html.

Putting the Stories Together - GW’s Prime Movers Media Program

2009-04-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

In its fifth year, The George Washington University's Prime Movers Media Program pairs veteran and retired journalists from leading news media companies with students in elective media classes at Washington, D.C., high schools to help them create or strengthen student-run media.

High school journalism and English classes are often a student's first glimpse at what a career in writing, broadcast, or the media entails. The experiences they have in and out of the classroom can have a profound effect on their future careers. In its fifth year, The George Washington University's Prime Movers Media Program pairs veteran and retired journalists from leading news media companies with students in elective media classes at Washington, D.C., high schools to help them create or strengthen student-run media. Students and GW Prime Movers Media Program interns meet during school hours over the course of the academic year – several weeks of which are complemented with the expertise of professional journalists.

"The Prime Movers program gave me hands-on experience of what it is like to work as a broadcast journalist," said Chiron Hunt, a 2007 graduate of Ballou High School in Washington, D.C., and a three-year student participant in the program. "The professional mentors who came into my classroom brought real life experience that you can't get in a normal class."

Sam Ford, general assignment reporter with WJLA-TV (ABC-7) in Washington, D.C., and two-time professional mentor with the program, said, "The Prime Movers Program is not only good for journalists because it gets you back into the schools but helps you to get in touch with the lives of these students who live in Washington, D.C. The rewarding part is to see the switch turn on when these students put together their stories and really see how to do it."

Hunt added, "At first, I just took the course as an elective. After a while, I got a feel for what I was doing and started to feel comfortable on screen and was enjoying it. Now, I'm majoring in broadcast journalism at the University of Nebraska and hope to someday work for ESPN as a sports broadcaster."

"Prime Movers Media is opening an ever-widening pathway for diverse high school students to work in the expanding ‘information highway' and creating a pipeline for ensuring racial diversity in the new media era," said Dorothy Gilliam, founder and director of GW's Prime Movers Media Program. "In addition to preparing the best and brightest for media careers, participating high school students also benefit from this program through enhancing their reading comprehension, graphic design skills, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership abilities, teamwork, and writing and oral communications. These skills will contribute to their development as media savvy news consumers and will better prepare them for competition in the global marketplace." Gilliam is a prize-winning journalist who retired from The Washington Post after 33 years to start the program at GW in 2003.

Undergraduates at The George Washington University also complete internships and work in the local high schools and, in turn, learn from the professional mentors and the students. Marie Zisa, a GW sophomore majoring in political communication and former two-time intern with the program, said, "The first semester I interned with Prime Movers, I was helping an advanced class, and I had had no prior camera experience. At times, the students were the ones teaching me, and we were able to work together and find a solution to the problem. What I most learned from Prime Movers is how rewarding stepping out of your comfort zone can be."

Former professional mentors with GW's Prime Movers Media Program include Bruce Horowitz, USA Today; Felix Contreras, National Public Radio; Seth Stern, Congressional Quarterly; and Pat Wingert, Newsweek. Current professional mentors include Don Hecker, The New York Times, and Tamara Jones, Yvonne Lamb and Sylvia Moreno, The Washington Post (retired).

For more information about The George Washington University's Prime Movers
Media Program, visit http://www.gwu.edu/~primemovers.

Improving Primary Grade Writing Instruction

2009-04-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

New research from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers guidance for teachers to help them improve writing instruction in the primary grades and develop stronger student writers.

The two new studies by Steve Graham, professor, and Curry Ingram, Chair in Special Education, were recently published in the Journal of Educational Psychology.

"The primary purpose of both articles is to inform teachers about writing practices that work with a wide variety of students," Graham said. "We're hoping to help give teachers the opportunity to creatively incorporate effective writing strategies in the classroom to improve the writing of their students."

The National Commission on Writing has stated that writing should be placed at the center of the school agenda.

In "A Meta-Analysis of Single Subject Design Writing Intervention Research," Graham and Leslie Rogers, a current Vanderbilt University doctoral student in special education, identified effective writing practices for all students including students who struggle within the classroom. This research focuses on the current writing practices in grades 1 through 12, including some suggestions for improvement.

"Among the more important findings is the need for students to be taught how to plan, revise and set clear and specific goals for their writing," Graham said. "Students also need to be taught the skills to write clear and effective paragraphs."

Graham's other paper, "Primary Grade Writing Instruction: A National Survey," co-authored with Laura Cutler, a graduate student in Special Education at the University of Maryland when the research was conducted and currently a teacher in Florida, provides more direct recommendations to improve classroom writing practices.

"Primary grade teachers need to focus on increasing the time spent writing, balancing the time spent writing with the time spent learning how to write, boosting their students' motivation for writing, making computers a more integral part of their writing curriculum, and improving their own preparation for teaching writing," Graham said. "These recommendations offer educators the opportunity to focus on their weakest areas to improve instruction and the quality of student writers produced in our classrooms."

Source: Vanderbilt's Peabody College of education and human development

Low Literacy Can Lead To Food "Portion Distortion"

2009-04-13T05:06:00.000-07:00

How big is a serving of spaghetti or a cup of cranberry juice? Correctly estimating the size of a food serving is important for maintaining a healthy weight, but a new study suggests people with lower literacy levels might have a more difficult time sizing up the foods they eat.

People with high literacy levels are twice as likely as those with low literacy test scores are to dole out a single-sized portion of pasta, pineapple, ground beef and other common foods, according to the study in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Yet, people with higher literacy levels have troubles estimating portion sizes, too, said Johns Hopkins researcher Mary Margaret Huizinga, M.D., who led the study while at Vanderbilt University. When combining serving data for all the foods in the study, only 62 percent of study participants could serve a specific amount of food accurately when asked, she and colleagues discovered.

For individual foods, "accuracy ranged from 30 percent for beef to 53 percent for juice," Huizinga said.

"The current super-sizing of many foods may lead Americans to overestimate what a normal portion should be," she said, "and the overestimation of portion size may lead to overeating and contribute to obesity."

In their study of 164 patients at a primary care clinic, the researchers tested the participants' verbal and written literacy as well as their understanding of numerical information. They then measured how well the patients were able to estimate a single serving or a specified amount of a variety of foods, using guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a standard.

The participants' food preferences, or even how often they ate a particular food, did not seem to affect how well they estimated serving sizes, Huizinga and colleagues noted.

Ballooning portion sizes in restaurants is one factor that prompts people to see large portions as normal, but the same kind of "portion distortion" can happen at home, said Jennifer Fisher, Ph.D., an associate professor of public health at Temple University.

In her studies of how much children eat when faced with normal or super-sized entrees, Fisher found that a family's social and cultural perceptions of "how much is enough" also influenced the portions dished out to children.

"Seeing a large amount of food in front of you can lead you to believe that someone decided this portion was the right amount to eat," she said.

Huizinga MM, et al. Literacy, numeracy, and portion-size estimation skills. Am J Prev Med 36(4), 2009.

Source: http://www.hbns.org/

Super Stars Literacy, Inc. Starts 2009 with Strong Community Support

2009-04-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

Super Stars Literacy, Inc., the East Bay non-profit that builds literacy skills for primary grade children in communities with limited resources, has earned recognition for its work from two leading community foundations. The San Francisco Foundation (SFF) awarded a $20,000 grant for the 2008-09 year "to support [Super Stars Literacy's] comprehensive academic and social development daily after-school program to improve the academic and social development of elementary school children with challenging life circumstances."

Also, following on the heels of its recent grant of $15,000, the East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) has now profiled Super Stars Literacy in EBCF's 2008 annual report as an organization well-positioned to advance EBCF's new strategic focus on preparing young people at both preschool and school-age levels to succeed. Super Stars Literacy is one of only two nonprofits highlighted in this report.

According to Mike Mowery, Super Stars Literacy's Executive Director, "This back-to-back recognition by the two preeminent community foundations on each side of the Bay further validates our success in building critically-needed early literacy and social development skills for our at-risk students. We greatly appreciate the ongoing support of both the East Bay Community Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation as we seek to improve opportunities for academic success for more and more Bay Area students."

Super Stars Literacy's comprehensive five-day-a-week after-school program is a direct response to studies suggesting children, especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds who are not reading at grade level by the end of the third grade, are at serious risk of never developing strong academic skills or graduating high school. Since its founding in 2002, the program has achieved outstanding results in meeting, and often exceeding, its goal of having 80 percent of its students read at grade-level as they enter the third grade.

About The East Bay Community Foundation

The East Bay Community Foundation (http://www.eastbaycf.org/) connects community needs in Alameda and Contra Costa counties with individuals, families and organizations interested in charitable giving - and acts as a catalyst for change through leading initiatives, through advocacy, and through partnerships with business, government, and private foundations.

About The San Francisco Foundation

As one of the nation's largest community foundations with more than $1 billion in assets, The San Francisco Foundation (http://www.sff.org/) addresses community needs by supporting innovative ideas and strengthening existing nonprofit organizations that lack sufficient resources or infrastructure. They focus on the areas of arts and culture, community development, community health, education, the environment, and social justice.

About Super Stars Literacy, Inc.

Dedicated to building early literacy skills in primary grade children in communities with limited resources, Super Stars Literacy (http://www.superstarsliteracy.org/) currently serves 270 students at six Oakland, Calif., elementary schools: Hoover Elementary, Parker Elementary, Think College Now, International Community School, EnCompass Academy and East Oakland Pride. The program was originally founded in 2002 as a program of the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Inc., and earned independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in 2008.

Many First Grade Teachers Provide Inadequate Instructional Support

2009-04-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

A nationwide study of first grade classrooms finds that while many teachers create positive social environments in the classroom, most provide inadequate instructional support. The report is published in the March issue of The Elementary School Journal.

Authors Megan Stuhlman and Robert Pianta (University of Virginia) used direct observations to assess the social and instructional quality of interactions between teachers and students in 820 first grade classrooms. Previous studies have indicated that the quality of such interactions can have a significant impact on student learning, especially in early grades.

The researchers found 23 percent of classrooms to be of "high overall quality," with teachers getting high marks for creating a positive social climate in the classroom and for providing strong instructional support to students. Twenty-eight percent of classrooms were deemed "mediocre," with teachers scoring just below the sample mean on all study measures. Seventeen percent were "low overall quality."

A fourth category of classrooms characterized by "positive emotional climate, low academic demand" accounted for 31 percent of classrooms—the largest category in the sample. In these classrooms, Stuhlman explains, teachers are warm and do not discipline using threats, but they tend not to give constructive feedback that helps students understand concepts.

"We found that quality, particularly instructional features of teacher behavior, was rather low across the sample," Pianta says. "In other studies we have demonstrated the connection between these observed teacher-child interactions and student learning gains. So what we are seeing here may influence the extent to which children can perform at standards consistent with accountability frameworks such as No Child Left Behind."

The study also casts doubt on traditional assumptions about the factors that influence educational quality. Class size and teacher credentials, for example, had little impact on quality. And in a finding that may come as a surprise to advocates of private school vouchers, public school classrooms actually fared a bit better than private school classes.

"[M]ore public schools were categorized as high overall quality than would be expected by chance," the authors write. "Moreover, equal proportions of public and private schools were in the lowest rated classroom type."

The results suggest that educational opportunity will not be improved simply by shipping students to private schools, Pianta says. "Instead, strong, instructionally-focused, and effective professional development for a large number of teachers is perhaps the most important next step."

Source: University of Chicago Press Journals

Celebrate the Wonder of Reading with "Fly With Us. Read With Kids"

2009-04-09T08:18:00.001-07:00

US Airways (LCC) has joined with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) for a second year to celebrate the wonder of reading through the "Fly with US. Read with Kids.(R)" campaign. It features the online Read with Kids Challenge and supports RIF programs serving children across the nation.

This year, the challenge is climbing to new heights with a goal of collectively logging 5 million minutes spent reading with children from April 1-June 30. Participants can register and log their minutes online at www.RIF.org/readwithkids.

Registrants can join individually, or new for this year, create a team of three or more adults. All participants will be entered to win a grand prize drawing of a Walt Disney World(R); Resort vacation package from US Airways Vacations, US Airways gift cards, and other great prizes. The team determined by random drawing will win the opportunity to select a featured RIF program, as well as a school in their community, to receive a special children's book collection.

US Airways -- the official airline of RIF -- is also encouraging customers, employees, and readers nationwide to support children's literacy by making a donation to RIF. Donors can receive a special edition of Off You Go, Maisy! -- a children's book by best-selling author Lucy Cousins -- and be eligible to receive up to 5,000 US Airways Dividend Miles.

US Airways' campaign with RIF, the nation's oldest and largest children and families' literacy nonprofit organization, also provides books and literacy services to children served by RIF programs throughout the country. US Airways' employee volunteer corps, the Do Crew, will participate in RIF book distributions and reading rallies in communities where the airline has a large concentration of employees and passengers: Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; New York City; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; and Washington, D.C.

For more information, and to access reading resources, visit RIF's website at http://www.rif.org/.

Barnes & Noble Highlights Literacy and Family Fun During National "Turnoff Week" April 20th - 26th

2009-04-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Barnes & Noble, Inc. will celebrate national "Turnoff Week," April 20th through April 26th, with activities offering alternatives for people to television, the Internet, electronic games and other screen related activities and spend real time with family and friends.

Turnoff Week is a primary program of the Center for SCREEN-TIME Awareness, an international nonprofit organization, providing tools for people to live healthier lives in functional families and vibrant communities by taking control of the electronic media in their lives and not allowing it to control them. Turnoff Week is supported by national organizations including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association, and President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Since 1994, more than 50 million people have participated in Turnoff Week.

"As local community centers, Barnes & Noble stores are centered on literacy and togetherness," said Sarah DiFrancesco, director of community relations for Barnes & Noble, Inc. "We believe Turnoff Week is an important way to highlight storytelling, reading and family - the cornerstones of our business."

Barnes & Noble is joining the Center for SCREEN-TIME Awareness, the promoters of Turnoff Week, and ensuring that everyone has a place to go and something to do that is just right for the entire family. Among the events being offered at many Barnes & Noble stores across the country are family Storytimes, Family Fun nights, game nights, book clubs, bookfair fundraisers, crafts, scavenger hunts, and poetry readings.

It is expected that 20 million people across the USA will turnoff the recreational use of screens for one week. They will read, play games, spend time with family and friends, venture outdoors and spend time with real people in real time. "Barnes & Noble is the new village green" said Robert Kesten, executive director of Center for SCREEN-TIME Awareness. "These stores offer people a public living room, where books, newspapers, music and families come together, what could be better than that?"

To find a Turnoff Week event at a store near you please visit the Barnes & Noble store locator at http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/. For more information on Turnoff Week, visit http://www.screentime.org/.

Are You Feeding Your Child's Inner Artist?

2009-04-05T05:34:00.001-07:00

When children start pre-school, they bring art work home nearly every day and we proudly plaster it across the refrigerator.

But once they start elementary school, the flow of masterpieces slows to a trickle. Thanks to shrinking budgets, many school systems have drastically reduced art instruction. So, if your child isn't taking art in school, how can you be sure their inner artist doesn't waste away?

According to Americans for the Arts, students who participate in three hours of arts, three days a week for at least one year are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.

Jason Dobkin and Erika Gragg, co-creators of the new children's book "Snobbles the Great: A Snooze Patch Story," (Grabkin Creatives, LLC http://www.snobbles.com/) credit their love of art as their inspiration behind the book. Snobbles is a fruit-eating snake who is ridiculed by the other snakes in the Snooze Patch where they all live.

"I was making little clay animals and Erika would place them in plants or other settings and photograph them," says Dobkin. "That's how Snobbles came to life. We wanted to create a fantastical new world for kids so we combined the normal aspects of children's books with painting, sculpture, photography, stage design, lighting, and cinematography to make a hyper-real experience."

Dobkin and Gragg hope parents will find ways to incorporate creativity into daily activities.

"If kids don't have the opportunity to be creative when they're young, it's not going to dawn on them to start thinking in new ways when they're older," says Gragg. "Put children who don't do well academically in a dance class or give them a paint brush and they connect with it. Suddenly, everything clicks. They start understanding math or English better because their brain interprets those subjects in new ways."

Better grades, problem-solving skills and confidence are very strong incentives to make sure you encourage your child's inner artist to come out and play on a very frequent basis.

Illinois Arts Council Seeks Applicants for Artstour Program Artists Roster

2009-04-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

The Illinois Arts Council seeks qualified applicants for the 2009-2011 Artstour Program Artists Roster and the 2009-2011 Arts-In-Education Program Artists Roster. Artists rosters are updated every two years and are available on the agency website. Inclusion in these rosters provides artists with increased visibility, job opportunity, and networking support. Artists may apply for inclusion in both or either of the rosters.

Artstour Program Artists Roster: Artstour is the Illinois Arts Council's fee support grants program linking arts presenters with Illinois' wealth of touring artists, companies, and ensembles. The Artstour Program is designed to provide a variety of high-quality touring performances and exhibitions in various price ranges to all Illinois communities throughout the year. In order to be considered for the Artstour Program, artists/companies and ensembles must apply for inclusion in the Artstour Program Artists Roster.

Arts-In-Education (AIE) Program Artists Roster: The Illinois Arts Council AIE Residency Program provides support to primary and secondary educational institutions, community colleges, and not-for-profit local arts and community organizations to work with an individual artist from one month to six months. Residencies involving performing arts companies range from two weeks to six months. In order to be considered for the AIE Residency Program artists must apply for inclusion in the AIE Residency Program Artists Roster.

Guidelines, application materials, and a full IAC Staff list are now available on the Illinois Arts Council website: (www.state.il.us/agency/iac).

Is Storytelling to Kids a Lost Social Activity?

2009-04-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

With families always on the go go go, time for sharing stories with your children is going, going, almost gone! But the experience doesn't have to be lost, thanks to the PlainTales series, which offers classic stories on CDs that can be played on any player, any time (goodbye long, boring trips this spring break!). The series is now expanding with the release of new collections, PlainTales First Tales and PlainTales Explorers.

PlainTales, created by writer, entrepreneur and father Brian Keairns, was started with the mission of providing great audio stories for children and their parents, believing that hearing the world's best stories read aloud is a great way for youngsters to develop language and thinking skills, all while being thoroughly entertained. Fables, fairy tales and original stories inspire, educate and encourage creative thinking, and the ones featured in the PlainTales series are chosen for their rich language, cultural significance and pure enjoyment, allowing families to share something special, together.

The PlainTales First Tales collection includes:

-- "The Gingerbread Boy and Other First Tales" -- Perfect for the
littlest listener. R/T: 48 minutes.

-- "Paul Bunyan and Other American Tall Tales" -- Three rib-tickling
stories. R/T: 60 min.

The PlainTales Explorers collection includes:

-- "Animal Tales: Raccoon, Bear and Coyote" -- These stories about
fictional friends are rich with detail about real animal behaviors. R/T: 48
minutes

-- "Johnny Appleseed and Other American Legends" -- Fascinating stories
of national treasures. R/T: 67 minutes

Previous releases in the PlainTales collection of celebrated storytelling CDs include PlainTales Classics, Fantasy Classics, Literary Classics and Adventure Classics. PlainTales storytelling CDs are recommended for ages 4-10 and are available for $12.95 each. Website: www.plaintales.com

New resource for teachers, public on how to recognize science when you see it

2009-04-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

A new University of California, Berkeley, Web site called "Understanding Science" (http://undsci.berkeley.edu/) paints an entirely new picture of what science is and how science is done, showing it to be a dynamic and creative process rather than the linear – and frequently boring – process depicted in most textbooks.

Funded by the National Science Foundation as a resource for teachers and the public, the material was vetted by historians and philosophers of science as well as by K-12 teachers and scientists.

"Through this collaborative project, we hope to overturn the paradigm of how science is presented in our classrooms," said Roy Caldwell, a UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology who led the project along with colleague David Lindberg. "The Web site presents, not the rigid scientific method, but how science really works, including its creative and often unpredictable nature, which is more engaging to students and far less intimidating to those teachers who are less secure in their science."

"Part of the fun of science is lost when you present it as a linear thing," said Natalie Kuldell, an instructor in biological engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and one of 18 scientific advisors for the project. While the five-step process described in textbooks – ask a question, form an hypothesis, conduct an experiment, collect data and draw a conclusion – isn't wrong, "it is an oversimplification," she said.

The core idea, said Judy Scotchmoor, assistant director of the UC Museum of Paleontology at UC Berkeley and coordinator of Understanding Science, is that science is about exploring, asking questions and testing ideas. The site provides a Science Checklist that can be used to determine just how "scientific" particular activities are.

Scotchmoor will discuss the Understanding Science approach at a Friday, Feb. 13, session celebrating the Year of Science 2009. The session is from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Columbus EF room of the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

"The goal was to present (the concept) that testable ideas are right at the center of science, and if you don't generate testable ideas, then you are really not doing science," Kuldell said.

Testing, however, is intertwined with exploration and discovery -- the "cowboy" aspect of science, in the words of one project advisor -- review of hypotheses and theories by skeptical peers, and actual application of the science to real world problems.

Within the Web site, personal stories contributed by top scientists around the country illustrate the interplay of exploration, peer review and outcomes, and demonstrate the different pathways to discovery taken in different fields of science, from biology to cosmology.

Scotchmoor hopes that the site will show students and the public that "science really is an adventure. There are certain rules that you need to follow, but really you can't predict where questions will take you."

The Web site premiered on Jan. 5 during the launch of Year of Science 2009, and received rave reviews from New York Times science writer Carl Zimmer, who referred to it in his blog as "a guided tour through the basic questions of what science is and how it works." He particularly praised the Process of Science flowchart illustrating how science works. A set of four interlocking circles represent the interplay between hypothesis testing and the ways scientists generate these hypotheses, while multiple arrows connect the circles to illustrate the roundabout way scientists make their discoveries.

"At best, I think, stories about science can only be snapshots of small patches of science's cycles within cycles," Zimmer wrote of the flowchart. "It (story telling) uses the one-dimensional medium of language to gesture towards science's mind-boggling multidimensionality. This picture from Understanding Science will help me remember to make that gesture, long after the Year of Science is over."

Four years ago, Scotchmoor, Caldwell and Lindberg created a Web site called Understanding Evolution that now provides a much-needed resource for teachers and the public.

"We discovered, however, that there was a lot of confusion about what science is and isn't," Scotchmoor said.

"Teachers had misconceptions, such as what a theory is or whether creationism is science," Caldwell said. "Many even thought science wasn't creative, in part because of cookbook labs, in part because of the emphasis on testing factual knowledge, not process."

With advice and input from historians, philosophers, teachers and scientists, Scotchmoor, Caldwell and Lindberg constructed the Web site from scratch, modeling it after Understanding Evolution. Understanding Science has been endorsed by the California Science Teacher's Association and the American Institute of Biological Sciences, and will be part of the next edition of a popular high school biology textbook, "Biology" (Prentice Hall), by Ken Miller and Joe Levine.

Kuldell uses it in her second- and third-year college lab courses to "set the expectations of my students, (to show them) that science is iterative and messy and doesn't always make a clean story – and that that should be expected. You work and then you rework, you get feedback, you rethink your ideas, and then retest. Science isn't quite as neat as people wish it were and think it should be."

The Web site will continue to grow, with personal profiles of scientists and their research, each accompanied by a flow chart showing how they proceeded from ideas to discovery.

"We hope these cool stories will draw people in," Scotchmoor said.

Free Online Educational Material to Help Parents, Teachers during the Recession

2009-03-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

WOCTO (http://www.wocto.com/), an independent book publisher understands how the economy affects teachers in the classroom, parents at home trying to make ends meet, and kids looking for exciting ways to learn. To that end, they have produced a complementary set of grade-level lesson plans in core subjects, glossaries, flash games and activities for kids, available online for free. All educational enrichment materials tie directly to the four illustrated picture books and a children's CD in its current inventory.

"March is Small Press and Independent Publisher's Month and we wanted to let the public know what one publisher was doing to help parents and teachers provide fresh educational materials to kids," said Lin Jakary, publisher of the recently released collection. "We hired an educational consultant versed in the four core competencies to advise us on content and age-appropriate materials. Teachers and parents can go online to easily determine which of our books--pre-school, picture books, or early readers--are most appropriate for their child."

For example, I Lost My Sock is the story of a young boy trying to solve the mystery of his lost sock (with an online sock game aimed at observational and memory development). The Jakry Kids: Curiosity Shop captures the themes of family, friendship and cooperation (with an online maze game that speeds up and is good for memory, sense of direction and hand-eye coordination). If You See the Moon, set in New Mexico, features best friends Nimbu and Cirra, who dream up a plan to help the moon get home (with an online game good for logic development, memory and hand/eye coordination). Finally, Night Symphony, a whimsical bedtime story for toddlers and young children, features a sleepy child turning distracting sounds into a symphony. Valia Ovseyko, an acclaimed painter from Odessa, Ukraine, illustrates the book.

"Kids don't even realize they're learning," said Tina Clark, elementary school teacher for Garden City Schools in Garden City, Michigan. "It's a win-win situation. They are engrossed in the stories and I have a new source of information for my lesson plans in language arts, math, science, and social studies."

Another source of education for students is WOCTO's environmental or "green" focus. Books are printed in the US utilizing soy-based inks. In addition, WOCTO books have been tested for lead, and comply with the recent Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA 2008). (Their Certificate of Compliance is online.) "We tell teachers and parents that we are also a sustainable publisher, hoping they will share the concept with kids," Jakary explains. "For example, kids are curious to learn what is meant by an environmental footprint and what that might mean to their future."

Web site: http://www.wocto.com/

13-Year-Old CEO Gives Away Brand New Books in the Name of Literacy

2009-03-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

Adele Taylor, an eighth grade student at Williamstown Middle School who loves to write poetry, dance, rock climb and you guessed it... READ, has taken her passion and created a non-profit organization that would make you wonder... should I be doing more?

Adele's Literacy Library was founded on the simple idea... read and be empowered. From the creative bookmarks to the catchy phrases on her website, Adele is on her way to empowering the world with readers one book at a time. "If I can't read than I dance!" beamed Taylor. Adele has been dancing since she was three years of age and currently attends Dance by Debra DiNote. Adele dances over eight hours a week and currently is studying tap, Pointe, modern, lyrical, ballet, jazz and musical theatre.

Attending Williamstown High School next year as a freshmen, Adele also holds the title Miss Heartland's Outstanding Teen 2009 for the State of New Jersey. This title allowed Adele to compete for Miss America's Outstanding Teen for the State of New Jersey. "Being a part of the Miss America organization has always been a dream of mine. As a local title holder, having a crown allows me to promote literacy to all ages on a much broader scale. I love being involved in my community and I want people to know that knowledge is power and through reading you gain that knowledge," stated Taylor.

Founded by Adele in December 2008, Adele's Literacy Library has already successfully given away hundreds of brand new books and bookmarks to schools, libraries and various organizations. Her goal is to give away millions of books to youth, elderly and disadvantaged regardless of where they live. Adele also wants to offer scholarships to high school graduates who want to pursue their educational dreams. Taylor currently hosts "Storytelling with Adele" where she attends schools and reads to classrooms. She is also in the progress of finalizing the details of a fundraiser with her school to promote literacy. Her plan is to offer this program to schools nationwide.

While visiting the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey where her company donated over fifty brand new books and twenty-five bookmarks, she was given a tour of the facility. "Going to the Ronald McDonald House was such a humble experience", said Taylor, "When I first arrived, it was very difficult to see kids of all ages physically challenged with many medical obstacles. It was amazing to see the Ronald McDonald House's staff and its volunteers truly make the Ronald house a home."

"I will be attending the Book Expo of America in a couple of months. It's my first trade show where I am representing my company!" exclaimed Adele. "This four day event is filled with opportunities for my business to flourish. I am so excited about this event and hope to make some long term business relationships. I 'm also hoping that my favorite authors are there too!"

Taylor is no stranger to the world of teen entrepreneurship. She has two friends that have their own business where Taylor was the Director of Operations for one of them. "Helping my friends with their business is one of those lessons that you will never forget and always cherish!" I hope that I can take what I have learned from them and apply it to my business and be just as successful," smiled Taylor.

Adele's Literacy Library supports itself by hosting book drives, fundraisers, and receiving donations. Website: http://adelesliteracylibrary.org/

Canada Post Community Literacy Awards Seeking Entries

2009-03-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Nominations for the Canada Post Community Literacy Awards are now open. These awards highlight the achievements of Canadians making a special effort or important contribution to improving Canada's literacy landscape. The Awards recognize adult learners and educators in either Individual Achievement or Educator categories.

The necessity of solid literacy skills reveal their true importance when you think about how many times a day we need to understand written language. Although literacy is often taken for granted, among Canadian adults aged 16 to 65, approximately nine million, or 42%, obtained a score below the level considered as a minimum for coping with the demands of modern life and work.(i) "There remains an enormous amount of work to be done to ensure all Canadians have adequate literacy skills," says Robert Waite, senior vice-president of Corporate Social Responsibility at Canada Post. "But every year we are encouraged by the incredible success stories we're told through the Award nominations. These Awards truly honour the front-line heroes-students and mentors-of Canada's literacy community."

Canadians are encouraged to submit nominations by visiting Canada Post's Literacy Awards web site at www.canadapost.ca/literacyawards to download a nomination form and view full program details.

Nominations must be received in Ottawa by May 31, 2009. The names of the finalists will be announced in late July and the winners will be notified in August. Winners will be recognized at ceremonies in their communities and awarded a prize of $300 (Individual) or $500 (Educator).

Washtenaw Literacy Programs Help Low-Literate Adults Get and Keep Jobs

2009-03-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Washtenaw Literacy, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating adult illiteracy, is responding to the current economic crisis by offering special workshops and Employment Packets chock full of practical tools. Workshops are geared to adults with limited literacy skills who are struggling to find or retain employment. Workshop participants discuss workplace scenarios created by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth based upon feedback from Michigan employers and the National Work Readiness Council.

The interactive workshop format provides opportunities to learn from Situation Judgment stories. Participants learn how to best resolve problems in the workplace, a skill valued by employers. Written at a 4th to 6th grade reading level, the stories can effectively be used by a broad range of participants.

Employment Packets contain a variety of useful tools including: tips and statistics specifically for women; job search instructions; sample applications; resume and cover letter assistance; sample interview questions and interview conduct guidance; and ideas on managing an effective work-life balance once employed.

Amy Goodman, Executive Director of Washtenaw Literacy, describes the effort this way: "With Michigan's unemployment rate the highest in the nation, helping low-literate adults develop the skills they need to be successful is a major priority for Washtenaw Literacy. Beyond these practical support services that we are offering, we are working to engage the corporate community in our fight."

Website: http://www.washtenawliteracy.org/

Phonics is Not Enough to Improve Reading Skills of Young Readers

2009-03-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Reading programs focused on changing daily teaching practices do more to improve children's reading skills than programs focused on textbooks and technology, according to a comprehensive research review by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Center for Research and Reform in Education. Simply using books with a stronger emphasis on phonics was not enough to improve reading.

Lead researcher Robert Slavin, director of the Center for Research and Reform in Education, and his colleagues looked at 62 previously released experimental studies evaluating the effectiveness of beginning reading programs used in kindergarten and first grade. The researchers' review covered the effectiveness of textbooks, technology and professional development when used on their own as well as the effectiveness of combining textbooks with professional development. They found that the most successful programs focused on changing daily teaching practices, such as the use of cooperative learning methods in which children work together in groups. Programs that combined a focus on phonics and innovative teaching practices worked best.

"With national assessments showing reading proficiency in fourth grade under 18 percent for minority students, educators are struggling to boost beginning reading skills or risk continuing a trend of low achievement in later years," Slavin said. "In the current political climate of accountability, school leaders need to ensure they are using programs that work. That's where reviews such as this come in."

Their most surprising finding relates to the debate as to whether adding phonics to traditional reading instruction is the way to cure reading problems, an approach strongly emphasized in the Bush Administration's Reading First program. While Slavin and his colleagues noted the importance of phonics in beginning reading instruction, they also concluded that simply adding phonics is not enough to bring about widespread improvement in children's reading.

"Phonics instruction is necessary but insufficient," Slavin said. "What matters is changing how teachers teach, how they group students, how they motivate children, and how they assess children. Programs that consistently make a difference are ones that engage children in active lessons in which they interact with other children, constantly practice their new skills with the teacher and their classmates, and receive fast-paced, exciting lessons."

The full report is available on the Best Evidence Encyclopedia website at http://www.bestevidence.org/

TeacherJobs.com OffersTeaching Jobs Free for Schools and Job Seekers

2009-03-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

TeacherJobs.com is the first and only high ranking national educational recruiting website that allows full access to their database of pre-screened teachers and administrators. TeacherJobs.com also gives schools the ability to post unlimited teaching jobs. This free cutting edge technology automatically matches job seekers to open positions, searches teacher profiles and documentation, and maintains a record of those who have been contacted. The website is easy to use and available 24/7.

Jack Kronsor, Human Resources Director of Recruitment for Douglass County School District, the third largest district in Colorado serving more than 54,000 students, states "TeacherJobs utilizes technology and their years of recruiting experience to bring together schools, school districts and teacher candidates for their mutual benefit."

Teachers and administrators looking to relocate now have direct access to their targeted areas of interest. Hard to find teachers such as Math, Science, Foreign Language and Special Education will now have a national list of openings to find that "right fit."

Other positions available for online job search assistance include Superintendents, Assistant/Deputy Superintendents, Principals, Teacher Personnel as well as Business/ Finance/Purchasing. K-12 schools listing their open positions include public, charter, private and Catholic at the elementary, middle, junior and senior high levels.

Bill Hall, founder of TeacherJobs.com states "We want to level the playing field. Frequently, charter schools and inner city schools cannot afford access to sophisticated national recruiting databases. With this free online service now offered by TeacherJobs.com, all schools can compete and job seekers will be exposed to schools they may not have considered."

Given the current economic climate and dwindling school budgets, TeacherJobs.com is sure to become a site for sore eyes. These features save schools time searching for qualified candidates and significantly reduce the cost of advertising, travel, and job fairs.

Hall further adds "Some states are paying tens of thousands of dollars for similar online recruitment services. Hopefully this free recruiting assistance can redirect funds toward our future, namely our students."

Website: http://www.teacherjobs.com/

Teachers Union Launches Charter School Website

2009-03-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

The Alliance of Charter School Employees, an affiliate of AFT Pennsylvania, launched a new website to support charter school teachers and staff in the Philadelphia area.

The website, http://www.phillyacts.org/, offers teaching tools, lesson plans and news about efforts by charter school teachers and staff to improve their schools by gaining professional rights on the job. ACTS, which stands for Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, is a national support network of charter school employees, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers.

"Too often charter school teachers are trying the best they can with insufficient resources to support quality teaching and learning," said AFTPA president Ted Kirsch. "We hope that charter school teachers and staff will find resources on our website to help them make the original charter school mission of innovation in education a reality."

Through the website, developed in partnership with the 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers, the Alliance will offer professional development, tools for teachers, best practices in instruction and other online resources.

AFT supports the founding vision of charter schools as laboratories of excellence and innovation in public education. AFT believes that charter school teachers need the same support public school teachers need to help their schools achieve this vision.

"When teachers are supported in maintaining high professional standards and are treated as equal partners with the administration and board, students and schools benefit," Kirsch said. "We hope the tools and information we are offering will support teachers and help them improve academic achievement for their students."

The Alliance of Charter School Employees, with headquarters in Center City, is working with employees at local charter schools to achieve a voice at work.

Helping English Language Learners in the Classroom

2009-03-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Merit Software has just released a new report "ESL Reading: Strategies for Classroom Teaching." The report addresses the challenges facing teachers when working with students from non-English-speaking homes.

The key problem is that English language learners, who are taught the basics of reading in the early grades, are faltering as they progress in school.

Teachers need help teaching higher-order thinking skills and comprehension. Students need help mastering strategies that will help them understand ideas and nuances of English texts.

The report features Book Punch, a tool that can be used in the classroom to go beyond basic instruction. Book Punch provides interactive, step-by-step writing prompts about books commonly read in schools today.

Book Punch draws on each student's prior knowledge. Students with a wide range of English language abilities can participate in class.

Book Punch scaffolds the thinking and writing processes for students. Titles covered include modern classics such as "Stone Fox," "Maniac Magee" and "The Outsiders."

Using Book Punch students learn to write clear and concise responses -- making personal text connections along the way.

Teachers have also reported that because Book Punch writing activities engage ESL students for long periods of time, they have more free time to give feedback to individual students.

Book Punch was developed based on gold standard, randomized control group research. The evidence shows that Merit improves student achievement for reading comprehension and writing when used to supplement classroom instruction.

The full report is available at the following url: http://www.bookpunch.com/guides/esl_reading.php

National Teach Your Kids to Share Day to Take Place April 24

2009-03-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

In today's turbulent economic environment, there's a renewed interest among parents to not only teach their children the basics of saving and spending money, but also about the responsibility of sharing and giving back. Thousands of families nationwide have the opportunity to take a first step in this lifelong lesson during the first-ever Teach Your Kids to Share Day.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a faith-based, not-for-profit financial services organization, is introducing Teach Your Kids to Share Day, which will take place at more than 50 sites across the country on the evening of April 24, 2009. The events are open to all adults (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) and children ages 6–10.

In conjunction with Financial Literacy Month, Thrivent Financial established Teach Your Kids to Share Day to bring families together for interactive and fun workshops to learn about sharing, saving and spending using a values-based approach to money management. This national event is unique as it highlights stewardship and teaching kids about how they can also share their time, skills and money with others.

Held simultaneously at children's museums and other kid-friendly locations across the country, Teach Your Kids to Share Day events will:

Explore ways kids can share, save and spend.

Discuss the importance of being responsible with money.

Give parents practical tips they can use to teach their kids about money.

Foster stewardship awareness and behaviors among parents and their kids.

"Instilling sensible money habits in our children is an important life lesson," said Laura Dierke, Teach Your Kids to Share Day program manager for Thrivent Financial. "These events will be lively and interactive and at the same time provide a base for the financial education to continue at home. Thrivent Financial is committed to helping both adults and children learn our how personal values serve as an important foundation for how we use the resources we have."

Parents reflect on values

Through Thrivent Financial's Parents, Kids and Money Matters workshop, adults will gain a better understanding of why it's important to teach kids about financial principles, reflect on the values they want their children to learn and use the concept of stewardship to teach children how to take care of the resources entrusted to them.

Interactive workshops for children
In addition to receiving their very own Money Matters Piggy Bank as a learning tool about sharing, saving and spending, children will participate in a series of interactive activities designed to teach various concepts.

To register: More than 50 child-friendly sites across the United States will be hosting a Teach Your Kids to Share Day event on the evening of April 24, 2009. To find an event happening in their area, individuals can visit www.thrivent.com/shareday or call 800-236-3736. A $10 per family registration fee includes dinner, activities and educational materials.

Bayer Awards $200,000 to National Science Teachers Association

2009-03-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Bayer Corporation's Bayer USA Foundation has awarded the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) a $200,000 grant to create the Bayer-NSTA Fellows program and to expand the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy.

This latest Bayer USA Foundation grant supports Bayer Corporation's ongoing commitment to improve science education and science literacy through the company-wide Making Science Make Sense(R) program.

Each year for three years, the grant supports 10 early-career middle and high school science teachers with an array of professional development resources and tools. Bayer-NSTA Fellows receive a comprehensive NSTA membership package, online mentoring with trained instructors who teach in the same discipline and the opportunity to participate in a variety of Web-based professional development activities, including Web seminars. They also will receive financial support to attend NSTA's 2009 National Conference on Science Education.

The NSTA New Science Teacher Academy is a year-long professional development program to help reduce the high-attrition rate among science teachers who are new to the profession.

Research shows that nearly 50 percent of early-career teachers leave their jobs in the first five years. Intended for science educators entering their second or third year of teaching, the Academy aims to reverse this trend by promoting quality science teaching, enhancing teacher confidence and classroom excellence and improving teacher-content knowledge.

With its emphasis on encouraging and supporting middle and secondary school science educators in their first few years of teaching, the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy aligns with two of President Barack Obama's key education policy initiatives to make math and science education a national priority and retain teachers.

This spring, Bayer and NSTA will issue a call for entries to the 2009-2010 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy. Science teachers located throughout the country who will be entering their second or third year of teaching and whose schedule is a minimum of 51 percent middle or high school science, can apply to the become an NSTA Fellow. For more information about the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, to learn how to apply to become a fellow and 2009-2010 deadline information please visit www.nsta.org/academy.

Call for Entries: 2009 Outstanding Educator in Financial Literacy Awards

2009-03-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Nominations are now being invited for the 2009 Outstanding Educator in Financial Literacy Award.

Sponsored by the not-for-profit Investor Education Fund, developers of the investorED.ca website, the Outstanding Educator in Financial Literacy Award acknowledges the achievements of Canadian high school teachers who are committed to promoting financial literacy in the classroom and the community.

"There are many dedicated educators and guidance counselors that go the extra mile everyday to ensure that students are prepared for their financial future," says Tom Hamza, president of Investor Education Fund. "Reaching out to these educators across the country will allow us to highlight best-in-class teaching so that others can benefit from their inspired examples."

Principals, vice principals, administrators, teachers, parents, and students are invited to nominate deserving candidates whose leadership has made a significant impact in the classroom and on the lives of their students.

Submissions for the 2009 Outstanding Educator in Financial Literacy Award will be evaluated by a panel of financial and industry experts including Globe and Mail columnist and author, Rob Carrick; National Post columnist and author, Jonathan Chevreau; and Toronto Star columnist and lecturer, Ellen Roseman. Criteria include creativity and innovation; classroom presence; and impact on students and the community.

One Grand Prize winner will receive a cash award, a plaque, public recognition, and the opportunity to contribute to new financial literacy programs developed by Investor Education Fund. Awards of Merit will also be recognized.

The final deadline for nominations to the 2009 Outstanding Educator in Financial Literacy Award is April 17, 2009. Early Bird nominees entered by March 31 are eligible to win a gift card for school supplies.

Says Hamza, "The need to increase the financial literacy of our youth is critical. From coast to coast students are struggling to come to terms with the burden of university and college tuition fees, and debt management. Financial literacy training in schools helps youth avoid the pitfalls associated with poor planning and ensures a more secure financial future."

Entry forms and additional information for the 2009 Outstanding Educator in Financial Literacy Award are available at: http://www.investored.ca/en/TeachersResources/Pages/teacherrecognition.aspx

In addition to the Outstanding Educator Award, Investor Education Fund partners with other organizations to offer a broad range of financial literacy programs for students and teachers including:

- Teacher training workshops using Taking Stock resources created by OISE at the University of Toronto

- Faculty of Education seminars in partnership with the University of Western Ontario that help teachers in schools and in training to better understand financial literacy teaching

- Sponsorship of the Funny Money assemblies, which are an innovative and award-winning series of high school lectures that use comedy to teach key financial concepts

- School financial competitions for students in Grade 12 and in Grade 9-10

More information about these and other programs is available on the Investor Education Fund website at investorED.ca which also offers a number of online tools available to help investors plan for their future.

Denver Public Library Unveils New Reading Rocket Bookmobile

2009-03-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

The Denver Public Library's (DPL) new Reading Rocket bookmobile will hit the road today, making its first stop at Schmitt Elementary in the Ruby Hill neighborhood. It is the first of two new bookmobiles that will serve 28 Denver Public Schools (DPS) and 15 community centers. A second Reading Rocket is scheduled to arrive in April 2009. The Reading Rockets will replace DPL's current bookmobile, which has been in service since 1997.

"Bookmobiles have served as the mobile service units for the Denver Public Library for over 70 years. The addition of the Library's Reading Rockets will enable us to better serve the community, reaching school age children and senior citizens with the valued Library materials they rely on," said Denver City Librarian, Shirley Amore.

Each one of the bio-diesel powered vehicles is handicap-accessible. Both bookmobiles feature two computer stations and can hold up to 3,000 books, CDs and DVDs. Combined they will reach approximately 9,000 students and Denver residents. The bookmobiles will be hard to miss, with colorful, space-themed artwork designed to capture the imagination of children.

The Reading Rockets were designed to make reading fun and inspire a love of reading. "The Reading Rocket bookmobiles will reinforce DPS' literacy programs in a modern and creative way," said Tom Boasberg, superintendent of Denver Public Schools. "We believe the Reading Rockets will help encourage our students to become avid readers and life-long learners."

Denver has a long history of providing traveling library services to the community. In 1938, DPL introduced its first mobile branch, "The Trailer Library," which was decommissioned in 1950. It was replaced by a full-service bookmobile that featured air-conditioning and heat, a rarity at the time. In 1968, DPL managed a fleet of four bookmobiles that serviced 26 weekly stops and circulated 258,862 books. "El Numero Cinco," a bookmobile with an emphasis on Spanish-language materials, hit the streets in 1969. With the launch of a new state-of-the art bookmobile in 1988, DPL began a partnership with DPS to bring books to schools with limited library resources.

The two new Reading Rocket bookmobiles were generously donated by the Denver-based asset management firm, Janus Capital Group. This donation is part of Janus' on-going efforts to improve local public education and to ensure that more kids have an opportunity to succeed at school and in life.

Visit http://www.denverlibrary.org/ or register to receive Tweets from Denver Public Library News at www.twitter.com/denverlibrarypr, for more information.

Student Essay Contest Celebrates Teacher Appreciation

2009-03-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

Breads of the World, local franchisee for Panera Bread in central and southwestern Ohio, is has launched its fourth annual Rising Above student essay contest, which will run from March 1 - March 31. To participate, students must submit an essay about why his or her teacher deserves to be honored with the Panera Rising Above Award, and the winning essays will be announced during National Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs May 3 - May 9, 2009.

To nominate a teacher, participants must submit a 100 to 200-word essay at a local Panera bakery-cafe via email or through the mail. Entry forms are available at all Panera Bread bakery-cafes located throughout Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as online at http://www.panera-ohio.com/. Teachers must demonstrate leadership in the community, be honest, genuine and present fresh, innovative and creative ideas to their students. Three Grand Prize winners will be announced during National Teacher Appreciation Week. Winning teachers and their schools will be awarded grants, Panera gift cards and a variety of other prizes. The student winner in each category will win a Nintendo DS and the memory game BrainAge.

"Quality teachers today are the heroes of tomorrow," said Jeff Rains, President of Breads of the World. "We encourage all students to stop by a local Panera Bread or send an email about why your teacher deserves to win the Panera Bread Rising Above Award."

Clements International Offers $10,000 in Scholarships for Expat Students

2009-03-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

Clements International, a provider of insurance and financial services to American organizations and individuals working outside the United States, has introduced a new annual scholarship program for expatriate students.

Clements International's 2009 Expat Youth Scholarship will award $10,000 to students 12-18 of any nationality who have spent at least two years living outside their home country. The theme, "Life in a Flying House," is inspired by the idea that students who spend their childhoods moving between different countries and cultures acquire unique life experiences.

"Experiencing a different country and culture is exciting for an adult, but for a young person, it can be even more life-changing," said Vice President of Marketing Lloyd Yavener. "As a company devoted to protecting the futures of expatriates and their families, this scholarship demonstrates our commitment to supporting growth and learning among this unique segment of the population."

The scholarship contest offers expat students a chance to share their experiences of living in a foreign country through an essay (500 words or more) and creative media (photographs, illustrations, paintings, or video). The scholarship entry deadline is Friday, May 15, 2009. Three winners will be announced in September 2009 in each of two age categories (12-15 and 16-18) based on the quality of the essay, how the selected media reflects their topic and creativity.

For more information about the scholarship and to submit entries, visit http://www.expatyouthscholarship.com/.

Beanbag Chairs and Pillows Help Fourth Graders Improve Reading Habits

2009-03-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Some fourth-graders at the Sidney Lanier Center for Arts in Dallas now find it a little more relaxing to enjoy a good book. This after their teacher purchased beanbag chairs and pillows funded largely in part by a donation from Equal Health. The Arlington, Texas-based healthcare company made the generous contribution in December through http://www.donorschoose.org/, a website that lets teachers post proposals for classroom necessities.

After reading about a fourth-grade literacy teacher's desire to encourage better reading habits, Equal Health executives wanted to help her achieve that goal. "When we heard about the classroom needs of one of our local teachers we decided it was the perfect opportunity to help students in the community we live in," says Brady Speers, CEO of Equal Health. Chris Novinger, the company's president, went on to say, "Children are our future; they'll be doing our jobs someday and if there is anything this company can do to improve the education of today's youth then we'll make every effort to do it." To read the full proposal from the fourth-grade teacher you can find it online at http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=163669.

Not only has Equal Health contributed to educational efforts this past year, in 2008 the Christian-based company has also given generously to relief efforts in Galveston following hurricane Ike, The March of Dimes' Tarrant County March for Babies, The Boys' and Girls' Club of Denton, Santa's Helpers and other local and national charities.

Website: http://www.equalhealth.com

More Kids are Enjoying Books, Thanks to Family Literacy Day

2009-03-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Half a million children across Canada participated in the TD Summer Reading Club in the summer of 2008, reading almost two million books and taking part in close to 30,000 programs and activities in libraries across the country. These statistics, reported in the Harris-Decima Final Report of Program Statistics for the 2008 TD Summer Reading Club, were released by Library and Archives Canada on the occasion of Family Literacy Day.

Participation in the TD Summer Reading Club program has more than doubled since 2005 making it the most successful summer reading club in the country. According to the Report, increased excitement in reading and sharing books is noted as the most common indicator of this success. Other indicators are increased reading habits, increased membership and more visits to the library. The most common testimonial from parents, teachers and caregivers about the TD Summer Reading Club program is that children are reading more frequently and that their reading skills have improved. Harris-Decima compiled the data from the 2,000 library branches in the 11 participating provinces and territories.

New to the program last summer was the creation of the TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards which recognize excellence in programming and innovation in participating libraries. The deadline to apply for the Summer 2008 Awards is February 15, 2009. The awards will be handed out at a special ceremony next May in Montreal.

A joint initiative between the TD Bank Financial Group, Library and Archives Canada and the Toronto Public Library, the TD Summer Reading Club is an award-winning program that offers children and their families a fun way to enjoy reading during the summer months. Through the participation of libraries across the country, the program offers an innovative approach towards helping to raise literacy levels in Canada.

The program is offered free each summer in participating Canadian public libraries to children of ages 12 and under. The goals of the TD Summer Reading Club are to encourage Canadian children to read for pleasure, to help maintain and improve their children's reading skills during the summer and to encourage them to be lifelong readers and library users. Theme-based reading kits, which include a poster, stickers and an activity booklet, are provided to participants as part of the incentives to encourage reading.

For more information on the Report and about the TD Summer Reading Club, go to www.td-club-td.ca/.

New Grant Program Will Support the Work of Science and Mathematics Teachers in N.C.

2009-03-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

A new grant program that will support and encourage the work of science and mathematics teachers in North Carolina has been launched by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the North Carolina State Board of Education.

The Career Awards for Science and Mathematics Teachers will provide $175,000 over a period of five years ($35,000 per year), as well as professional development opportunities, to recipients selected from eligible teachers in the North Carolina K-12 public school system.

The award will recognize teachers who demonstrate solid knowledge of science or mathematics content and have outstanding performance records in educating children. Recipients will receive professional development and opportunities to collaborate with other master science and mathematics teachers who will serve as mentors. In addition, schools and school districts will benefit by having their teachers become fully developed leaders in their field.

The State Board of Education will provide additional salary support to school districts that will allow award recipients to have a 12-month contract. This innovative program is made possible by a unique public and private partnership and is significant in increasing the pool of prominent teachers in North Carolina's classrooms.

"The Career Awards for Science and Mathematics Teachers are key to opening opportunities for many teachers across the state who are committed to proven, innovative, global instruction in North Carolina classrooms," said State Board of Education Chair Howard Lee. "We look forward to working with these award winning teachers and embrace the potential of advancing effective teaching that aligns with our efforts."

For the past decade, BWF has been instrumental in supporting informal science education programs across North Carolina. In keeping with BWF's emphasis on promoting the career development of individual scientists, BWF is expanding from funding primarily informal science education programs to investing in individual teachers.

The National Academies report Rising Above the Gathering Storm, highly recommends strengthening the skills of K-12 science and mathematics teachers. The Washington-based Business-Higher Education Forum estimates that over the next decade, schools in America will need 200,000 or more new teachers in science and mathematics.

2009 TAP Scholarship Award Seeking Entries

2009-02-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

The 2009 TAP Award, a scholarship program and one-time grant opportunity for outstanding professionals and philanthropists, is accepting applications for the Fall 2009 award.

From the scholarship information page:

The TAP Award is a scholarship program and one-time award granted to one or more individuals based on academic excellence, community service, demonstrated professionalism, and dedication to post-secondary education and philanthropy.

The goal of this program is to assist future professionals and philanthropists in obtaining an undergraduate or graduate degree that will allow the winners to continue in pursuing these ideals.

Professionalism, as we will define it for the purpose of this award, is independent of career field. It is a mind-set, a way of thinking and behaving both in and out of the public eye that defines a person. A restaurant cook may be every bit as "professional" as a doctor or lawyer. Applicants must demonstrate, in their own words, why they consider themselves to be professionals.

Philanthropy, as we will define it, is not about writing a check to a charity. As considered for this award, philanthropy embodies a true spirit of giving and giving back. No money needs to have changed hands for the successful applicant. Rather, applicants must demonstrate how, through 100 hours or more of community or volunteer service, they have helped to enrich the lives of others. Again, applicants must prove to us how they have themselves lived as philanthropists and will continue to do so.

Undergraduate members of The Aspiring Professional may begin completing their 2009 Application immediately. Applications must be finalized by June 15, 2009.

More information about the 2009 TAP Award may be found at:
http://www.aspiringpro.com/award/scholarship.php

Girls Write Now To Celebrate "Girls Write Now Day" on March 8th

2009-02-22T05:59:00.000-08:00

Girls Write Now (GWN), New York's premier creative writing and mentoring organization for high school girls, announced its annual commemoration of "Girls Write Now Day," a local celebration of International Women's Day. On Sunday, March 8, join participants in the program for an afternoon with young women writers and the writers who inspire them -- featuring Annette Gordon-Reed, 2008 National Book Award Winner for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, and Marlon James, critically acclaimed author of The Book of Night Women -- at the New School University's Theresa Lang Community & Student Center (Arnhold Hall, Second Floor), located at 55 West 13th Street (between Fifth & Sixth Avenues). The event will take place from 4-6PM, and a $10-20 donation to Girls Write Now for admission is suggested (although no one will be turned away at the door for lack of funds). This program is sponsored by the New School Diversity Committee and the Bachelor's Program of the New School for General Studies.

Girls Write Now Day, a local celebration of International Women's Day, highlights the creative work and life-changing relationships that form over the course of a Girls Write Now season, and will feature collaborative or complementary works that will be read by a mentor-mentee pair together. The New York Times recently praised Girls Write Now for its transformative power in the lives of young local writers: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/nyregion/14writers.html

"This is a wonderful opportunity to see the Girls Write Now community in action," said Maya Nussbaum, Executive Director of Girls Write Now.

Website: http://www.girlswritenow.org/

Empowering Writing Workshops For Teens & At-Risk Youth

2009-02-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

Adrienne Nadeau, a nationally touring spoken word artist, created The Warrior Woman, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing teens and at-risk youth a means of artistic expression through empowering writing workshops. She's joined forces with local artists and community organizations to bring spoken word poetry to students in Tampa Bay and beyond.

This year the Florida school budget was cut by over $300 million. School administrators are desperately trying to keep cuts out of the classroom but, despite research that proves exposure to the arts results in higher GPA and lower drop-out rates, art programs are often the first thing eliminated.

In the face of such severe budget cuts, The Warrior Woman, Inc. launched the "36 Schools" Project. Teaching artists will travel into three-dozen worthy educational institutions and present spoken word poetry programs at no cost to the school. With this program, the organization has found a way to keep creative programming in the schools, without breaking the budget.

Spoken word poetry is a dynamic art form that combines traditional poetry, theatre, and hip-hop, creating a genre that is both contemporary and academically viable. Peppered with slang and pop culture references, teens get so caught up in the excitement they don't realize that they're learning about metaphor, meter, and rhyme. In addition they're told about the benefits of artistic expression and the importance of creative catharsis. The Warrior Woman, Inc. is currently booking shows for April-- which is National Poetry Month and the perfect opportunity to get teens excited about writing.

Adrienne Nadeau, a teaching artist for Ruth Eckerd Hall, created this organization to get teens excited about poetry. Clearly, her goal is being met as Jeff Morganstein, a former teacher and current Pasco school administrator claims: "My students were inspired by her presentation and the relationship between language and creativity." Sandra Kauffer, a teacher at Palm Harbor University High School claimed: "Adrienne Nadeau is the most engaging and interesting speaker I have had the pleasure to know."

In addition, Adrienne Nadeau is planning the "Slam In The Summer" Project, a weeklong creative summer camp for under-privileged teens. The Warrior Woman, Inc. has also partnered with Lizz Straight Ministries to visit correctional facilities in March for Women's History Month. The Studio @620 will present a play by Ms. Nadeau in May as a fundraising event.

Website: http://www.thewarriorwoman.org/

Alibris Presents Libraries with a $3,000 Collection Award

2009-02-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

Alibris, the Internet's premier independent marketplace for sellers of new and used books, music, and movies, has named the Wapello School District in Wapello, Iowa, and the Mark Twain School and Academy in Detroit, Michigan, as co-winners of the 2009 Alibris Collection Award.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Alibris for Libraries has provided a $3,000 book grant to help supply underfunded libraries with much-needed materials. Libraries turn to Alibris to expand their collections every year, and Alibris for Libraries has now contributed $18,000 worth of valuable library materials since the award's inception.

The award was announced on Monday, January 26, 2009, during the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

In the summer of 2008, a flood of historic proportions hit the southeast Iowa community of Louisa County, leaving the entire town of Oakville and the rural area of Wapello devastated. Due to the lack of available housing within the Wapello School District, which services both of these communities, many families were forced to relocate. The situation caused a decline in school enrollment and a cut in state funding totaling more than $250,000 for the 2008-2009 school year alone.

"Webster's dictionary defines a flood as 'an outpouring of considerable extent or a great stream of something that flows in a steady course.' And in order to restore morale and bring encouragement and hope back to the student body and staff, we would like to 'flood' our library with a collection of new, historical-fiction books," said Lori Doolin, Media Specialist, Wapello Jr./Sr. High School. "The social studies teachers, 7th-12th grade, all require their students to read historical fiction books, and many of the upperclassmen have already read the majority of historical fiction books in the School Library, so we would like to give the students additional books to choose from. Happily, Alibris has hundreds of appropriate titles from which to choose."

Meanwhile, at the Mark Twain School and Academy in Detroit, "many of our students have never been beyond the boundaries of their immediate neighborhood, and we're trying to prepare them for an increasingly global economy with an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program," said Madeleine Karcz, IB Coordinator at the school. "In order to teach and assess the IB Learner Profile--a guideline for the type of learner we hope to send on to higher education--we must build a library of story books. It is our belief that the Alibris Collection Award will allow our students to read more and become kinder, more caring, and more respectful individuals, capable of making the world a better place. We truly appreciate the generous support from Alibris."

The two recipients were chosen from more than 100 qualified applicants, who each created online Alibris wishlists of desired books. The award jury included Toni Garvey, Director, Phoenix Public Library; Dr. Mark Sandler, Director, Center for Library Initiatives at the Committee on Institutional Cooperation; Dr. Lynn Sutton, Library Director, Wake Forest University; Jack Walsdorf, retired bookseller and book scholar; Dr. Richard Weatherford, Co-Founder of Alibris; and the members of the Alibris for Libraries Advisory Board.

Alibris looks forward to helping all libraries promote their Alibris wishlists to patrons, donors, alumni, and other constituents who may well be in the position to invest in their community by supplying much-needed books to libraries who generously share them with readers.

Complete details of the award may be found at the Alibris for Libraries Web site.

Free Online Literacy Activities Celebrate Lincoln

2009-02-15T06:10:00.000-08:00

As the nation celebrates the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, the National Center for Family Literacy has created free online education materials for families.

"This free tool for families will enliven the history and learning experiences about Abraham Lincoln," said Sharon Darling, president & founder of NCFL. "And it will improve family literacy skills at the same time. It's only fitting that this celebration includes these critical skills because President Lincoln's own stepmother couldn't read."

The materials were created after one of NCFL's literacy specialists took her grandson to visit Lincoln's birthplace near Hodgenville, Ky. They were developed with funding from Verizon Foundation.

They can be incorporated into a trip to Lincoln's birthplace or the many other communities that have ties to the 16th President. In addition, the materials can be used for virtual trips to those communities and to enhance a trip to the local library.

The parent toolbox, "Happy Birthday, President Lincoln," includes a:

* Video designed to be a parent-child virtual field trip to Lincoln's birthplace;
* Family scrapbook chronicling the trip with still photos and descriptions;
* How-to guide on educational activities for parents to do for their children before, during and after their trip. This guide can be used for other family trips as well;
* Timeline of Lincoln's life;
* Birthday Celebrations in the 1800s; and
* "Let's Visit the Library" feature, which includes a list of resources to explore further on Lincoln.

The tools can be found at www.thinkfinity.org/feature_list.aspx?feature=Lincoln.

NSHMBA Seeks Increase in Scholarship Applications, Awards

2009-02-15T06:09:00.000-08:00

Each year, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) provides financial assistance to talented Hispanics pursuing a graduate management education. Through the organization's scholarship program, NSHMBA grants annual awards of $5,000-$10,000 for full-time graduate students and $2,500 for those pursuing their degree through part-time study.

"For the past 20 years, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs has been instrumental in helping Hispanics continue their education and actively pursue masters' of business administration degrees," said Lourdes M. Hassler, NSHMBA CEO. "These students will have a profound effect on the future landscape of business schools and corporations as we see them graduate and move on to promising careers."

In 2008, NSHMBA awarded over $1.4 million to 216 students for the 2008-2009 academic year. These 216 scholarship recipients were selected on the basis of academic achievement, work experience, financial need, personal statements, community service, letters of recommendation, and NSHMBA ambassadorship. They currently attend graduate schools at 83 universities across America.

NSHMBA continues to promote higher education in the Hispanic community through the generosity of the organization's members, corporate sponsors and university partners that support its scholarship program. The scholarship program is currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 school year. Applications and additional information about the program are available at on the organization's website at http://www.nshmba.org/fa/. The application deadline is April 30, 2009.

Book Publishing -- Is Your Child the Next Best-Selling Author?

2009-02-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

Book publishing for children, meaning kids becoming published book authors, is showing great promise as the next opportunity for success through book publishing.

Since 9-year-old book author, Alec Greven's book, "How to Talk to Girls," was released in late November of 2008 by Harper-Collins, it created a wave of interest and awe to adults and children of all ages.

A trend in book publishing for kids is already in motion. We are starting to see more books come out BY KIDS, FOR KIDS, such as McKay Hatch's book, "THE NO CUSSING CLUB," which was recently released and received almost instant interest and recognition. McKay, age 14, has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Dr. Phil," "The Early Show," "Good Morning America" and many news shows. And already, close to 30,000 kids have formed "No Cussing Clubs" throughout the country and in several countries abroad.

In a recent interview with professional book writer, Robert S. Nahas, he stated, "In a tough economy as the one we are enduring, opportunities such as this one should not be ignored." He was asked: Will it be short-lived? "Maybe. Not likely. Who cares?" Nahas continues, "At present, it's an opportunity. Should we look a gift horse in the mouth or get into action? One thing can be counted on; those who do something now and remain productive can make their mark and set themselves up for a lifetime of great success." R.S. Nahas is the owner of WriterServices.net -- a literary services company for aspiring book authors.

Alec Greven already has two more books under his belt: "How to Talk to Moms" and "How to Talk to Dads." Albeit only 9 years of age, no one can question this young man's current success and potential for a lifetime of prosperity.

"This is incredible inspiration for our youth. President Obama's message," Nahas continues, "has been one of HOPE, to look for OPPORTUNITY and CHANGE the way things are, for the better. And no more resounding message has resulted from this historic presidential election than I CAN DO ANYTHING I PUT MYSELF UP TO."

Nahas claims that the secret to success for a child author is to have a great message of hope, inspiration and/or courage and ethical fortitude. Any parent will validate the fact that children have a tendency to buck the helpful guidance of their parents. As far as kids go, peer pressure has always been a major influence to childhood behavior. Sadly, it leans heavily towards the negative, immoral and even illegal end of the scale.

"Books FROM KIDS, TO KIDS is the greatest idea since sliced bread," says Nahas, "when such books offer honest, helpful information to support children in their formative years. For one thing, they can help balance the moral scale, if not tilt it in the favorable direction altogether."

Another secret, Nahas claims, to the success of a child author is to make sure that one's manuscript is professionally written, edited and proofread. Just as important, a solid query letter and a strong book proposal need to be created by a professional writer who specializes in these kinds of documents. They are what will gain interest from agents and publishers. If writing the book is a challenge, so too can you find a reputable professional book writer to help write your child's book.

"The truth is," Nahas continued excitedly, "opportunity awaits ALL CHILDREN who wish to share a worthy message and offer valuable information to their peers. With this wave of book publishing, 'peer pressure' could take on a whole new meaning."

Whether this is a short-lived trend or new venue for book publishing, one can't discount the immediate successes of these two child authors. Will more children make it as well? Time will tell.

Source: http://www.writerservices.net/