clifmims' shared items in Google Reader

Bible-Thumping Censors

2009-06-10T01:33:00Z

When I worked in Mt. Pleasant, Tx, I encountered an interesting situation. The eighth grade teacher there was a prolific writer but what she wrote would have been frowned upon by the District, and certainly, the community of Bible-thumpers (I use the term affectionately since I've thumped a bit myself) in the Bible Belt. The Internet as a publishing medium was something just coming to her attention, and she wondered if she should publish online. She decided against it because her students would certainly have found her writing, and from there, what would have happened?

Although she was/is a terrific writing teacher, should fear keep us from publishing on the Web? What about MySpace/Facebook/Bebo tools that are available?

There has been a lot of discussion about MySpace in the news regarding students, but what about district employees? Many of us had been proponents as educators of responsible use of social networking tools. But, as I reflect on this, I wonder what your role would be as an administrator tasked with protecting the system from liability? Consider this actual story sent to me (no, it's not my district! but it might be some day, or perhaps, your's):

I was in a discussion today with some other educators in regards to a teacher's web site on MySpace. The site also had links from their MySpace account to other sites such as youtube, Flickr. The teacher involved is a first-year teacher, just graduated from college and is in their early 20s. The teacher in question has posted pictures and videos of themselves intoxicated, getting intoxicated, and other images that I can not mention because most email filters would block this email. The questions that arose out of our discussion are as followers:

Should a district have a policy that directly addresses this issue?
Does a district have moral guidelines in contracts that would cover any of this?
Does a district have any say about what a teacher does after hours and what they post?
Does the employee represent the district after hours and could these type of pictures have a negative impact on the district?
Has any district had an issue such as this arise that they have already had to deal with?

So, how would you respond? Is this a privacy issue protecting the employee's rights, or since this was done after-hours...the school district should just stay out? When you consider that SOME districts are holding children accountable for what they write and share about their lives at home (something I discussed here in Be Like Them entry), after-school hours, shouldn't the same standard be extended to their teachers? Or, is this in violation of our civil rights as Americans, even though we are staff in K-12 school district? And, should the policy be any different in higher education?

What do you think?

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

Be sure to visit the ShareMore! Wiki.

Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

News of the Day: Grads May Soon Repay Student Loans Based On Income

2009-06-02T22:00:00Z

David Randall at Forbes.com has an article about the new Income-Based Repayment benefit that begins July 1st under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. He explains how it will work:

First, income-based repayment will only be available for federal student loans that are in good standing. Under this plan, borrowers' monthly payments will be capped at 15% of the amount by which their income exceeds the federal poverty level (currently $16,245).

Let's say you have an adjusted gross income of $30,000. That means your pay exceeds the federal poverty level by $13,755 a year, or $1,146.25 a month. Under the new program, you would owe 15% of that amount, or $171.94, per month, regardless of your total outstanding loan balance.

If you left school owing $40,000 in federal loans, you would pay $460.32 a month under the standard 10-year plan. By choosing the income-based repayment plan, you would save 63% per month (by lengthening the life of the loan, however, you will end up paying more in interest over time.)

There are additional circumstances for married couples filing jointly, students in deferment, and medical students to consider. We encourage you to read the entire article (and use their cool income-based repayment calculator to see your potential monthly savings).

Freebie: RedBox movie rental thru 6/8

2009-06-05T21:36:00Z

RedBox is the convenient movie rental kiosk that you can find at stores and other locations and they are giving you a free DVD. Enter code DEVRY6268 at your location and get your freebie. Offer good through June 8th. For location info, click here.

Fin all the money saving freebies here each day at http://shoppingthemusical.blogspot.com/

Registration Now Open for Web 2.0 Technologies Course (IDT 7078/8078) - Summer 2009

2009-05-29T16:32:05Z

Are you interested in the newest online technologies available for teaching and learning? Are you looking for ways to invigorate your instruction with the latest online tools and applications?

Then register for this summer's Web 2.0 Teaching Technologies course (IDT 7078/8078)!!!

"Web 2.0" refers to what is generally agreed upon as a second generation of web development and web design applications. These online applications help to facilitate communication, information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration via the Internet. This course will focus on useful applications for teaching and instruction, and is hands-on and interactive.

Mid South Technology Conference – Call for Proposals open!

2009-05-20T04:16:31Z

If you are a Information Technology/Educational Technology professional or a tech savvy teacher, this is the conference for you! Held on the bluffs of the Mighty Mississippi River, Memphis City Schools invites you to apply to present at the Mid South Technology Conference December 9-10, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. The theme for this year’s conference is Building Technology Communities.

This conference is for educators, district administrators, building level principals and IT professionals both locally and nationally. We welcome you to submit a proposal for a 1, 2 or 3 hour session. Keynote speakers this year include Alan November (November Learning), Hall Davidson (Discovery Education), Bill Rust (Gartner) and John Seely Brown. It promises to be a powerpacked 2 days of networking, learning, and fun. To submit a proposal, click here.

If you are a vendor and are interested in exhibiting, we welcome you to download the packet. We are anticipating participants from Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky (just to name a few). So this a great opportunity to share your product with K-12 institutions and other organizations. We are also welcoming any companies who would like to be a sponsor at the conference. Click here to download more information about sponsorships.

To get more information, please visit www.mcsk12.net/techconference.

ICT can help science education, studies show - Rapid

2009-06-03T09:15:14Z

ICT can help science education, studies show
Rapid, UK
Becta (formerly the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) and the Association for Science Education (ASE) have carried out over 25 tests to show that ICT makes teaching more efficient and easier to understand. ...

Passionate Teaching : A Gift Every Student Deserves

2009-05-27T11:51:04Z

I was just getting ready to publish Part Four of my Passion in Education Series. The final topic: Passion as a Difference Maker.

And then, Nicole Badgley's passionate post came across my reader. As you read her heart- felt letter to her seniors, you tell me...is passion a difference maker?

Today you mentioned that tomorrow is your last day. I am not sure if that means your last day in my class, or the last day of high school, but what I realized is that it is the my last day with you. I am going to miss you so much. I will miss your triumphant emergences from the “writing closet.” I will miss "kick starting" your creative process when you get stuck. I will miss hearing your stories about your “boyfriend” whom you babysit. I will miss your sweet smile when you have just helped another student and you look to me for approval. But the hard reality is that you will move on. You should move on. It is your time to move on. Your life will get really exciting, full of new firsts, new struggles which lead to new triumphs, and new loves. Loves that hopefully involve learning, experiences, and someday people. You will go on to college, and then on to a job you love, and eventually into a family.

When I look at you I see a lot of myself when I was the same age. I know, I know, this likeness could be perceived as a curse because of the way I turned out, but let’s call it a good thing for the sake of this letter. The things I see that we have in common are numerous.

I see in you as a dreamer with goals. You know what you want to do, where you want to be (philosophically) a few years down the road. I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and that I wanted to work with kids, even though I knew I would never make it rich. But the best advice I can give is to follow your passion. If you dare to dream you will be happy and fulfilled. If you have goals that go with those dreams, you will find that the money will find its way into your wallet.

I see in you an accomplished writer. You seem to thrive on being able to put into words the thoughts you don’t really have a verbal audience for. You see the value in preserving those thoughts, because they can be fleeting. I was the same way. I have many journals, but I have more backs of envelopes, scraps of paper, loose-leaf notebooks of pages from all kinds of notebooks, and many digital files of writing. The difference between you and me? You are confident enough to share those pieces of writing. I didn’t have that confidence when I was young. In fact, it took many years to want to even share the very best – let alone the drafts. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and your writing. You have a great talent, and someday I hope to see you (and Allistair Graves) on the best-seller list. I promise to even stand in line for your first book signing.

I see in you a compassionate leader. You are someone cares about others, their well being, and their progress. You are fair and caring towards other people, and that shows in the manner in which you help others, including those who frustrate you. At your age, I loved being a waitress, helping with the Special Olympics, tutoring in college, teaching Bible School, and eventually moving into teaching. I can see all the same in you, which can be a heavy burden, but rest assured, “paying it forward” in your community is well worth the time and energy, and you get paid back in love and respect twofold.

Now you are probably sick of hearing nice things from me, and this letter might be getting a little long, but I can’t stop without telling you that when you are older, like me, you might look back and appreciate something I have taught you over the last four years. What you probably won’t realize, is how much Iyou; and if I don’t tell you specifically, then you will never believe it. You have to know that you have inspired me through you columns. You make me stop and take a moment to appreciate the moment. Adults can get caught up in working toward the future so much, that they forget to appreciate and enjoy what is happening right now. You have given that back to me. I am stopping to smell the roses, or the coffee, or whatever.

You have also reminded me how much I love to write. Just as I said earlier, I have been so caught up in work, raising a family, grading papers, cleaning toilets, making meals, balancing the books, and all my other chores, that I forgot to stop and do something for me. I remembered how much I had to say, how much I had to write, and more importantly, I realized that I am good at something and I should enjoy it while I can. You reminded me that I once had a goal to get published, and to write a novel. I have been published, and now I am working on that novel – thanks to your enthusiasm.

It seems that at the end of each year I am sad to see the seniors go. I am sad to see them graduate, and I am sad to realize that they stop coming back to visit after the first long holiday or summer. I know in my head that it is normal – and as it should be, but it still makes me sad. It will be a sad day when you walk out that door, and when the only information I get about you comes from your younger brothers, and then from your mom and dad when I run into them, and eventually from announcements in the newspaper. It will be a joy to watch your life unfold, because that is what is really happening; your life is just beginning. So go out there and make all of us proud, and know that you have an unofficial cheerleader waiting on the sidelines to cheer you on. Good Luck and God Bless you with your future. -- Mrs. Badgley

Mrs. Badgley- Your passion for students, for teaching, and for this work comes through in every word. You, my friend, are a difference maker!

Related Posts: Passion in Education

Part One: Education is for the Passionate - Isn't it?

Part Two: Passionization

Part Three: Passion....A 21st Century Skill?

Profs pose as virtual students - Toronto Star

2009-05-31T08:35:30Z

Profs pose as virtual students
Toronto Star, Canada
One is rewarding students with points toward their grades for helping their classmates with assignments, says Robbie Melton, associate vice chancellor for educational technology at the Tennessee Board of Regents. As for snooping with fake students, ...

Coupious - Mobile Coupons

2009-05-15T09:40:01Z

Coupious is a mobile phone app that gives you coupons and deals for businesses around your geographic location. No need to search for offers with a browser, no need to find zip codes, no reason to memorize SMS short codes. Simply run the application on your cell phone, watch it automatically retrieve coupons via GPS, and click “Use now” to save money!

Coupious is a simple application that enables you to get coupons and discounts for businesses in your area right on your phone. You run the app, pick a coupon, and when you’re ready to check out, simply hold up your phone to show the cashier the offer code. That’s it! Saving money has never been easier.

http://coupious.com/

Trapster - Speed Trap Sharing System

2009-05-19T15:13:08Z

When you see a trap, report it by pressing a button on your phone, or calling a toll free number. Other user’s phones will alert them as they approach the trap. Trapster® learns the credibility of traps based on how many users agree. It also learns the credibility of each user, over time.

So how does it work? Our goal is to make it so simple that you don’t need to know. But in case you are interested, it combines technologies such as GPS and wireless location, voice transcription, geocoding, reverse geocoding, and SMS, with a central database server. It communicates in real time, using the Internet.

http://www.trapster.com/

How technology is being used in UK schools to improve teaching and ... - eGov monitor

2009-05-18T18:45:37Z

How technology is being used in UK schools to improve teaching and ...
eGov monitor, UK
Investment in educational technology is one way that the Department of Children Schools and Families (DCSF) aims to support the Every Child Matters agenda; an all-encompassing ideal to help all children be healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, ...

Larry Lessig - Laws That Choke Creativity

2009-05-14T22:25:00Z

Larry Lessig is one the foremost authorities on copyright and fair use. Lessig is also one of the founders of Creative Commons. In this TED Talk from March of 2007 Lessig explains how some copyright laws can limit creativity. I found it a bit tough to get into the talk at first, but it really picks up around the four minute mark. Lessig closes with a strong statement about kids and digital (re)creativity, "we can't make our kids passive again."

(If you're viewing this in RSS you may need to click through to view the video).

Here are some related resources that may be of interest to you:
Video Introduction to Understanding Fair Use
Copyright for Educators
The Story of the Obama "Hope" Poster

Have Wikis Run Out of Steam?

2009-04-30T12:35:17Z

Just a few years ago, it seemed nearly everyone, in academe and out, was hailing the wiki as the next great transformative technology — or, at the very least, a tool worth getting a bit excited about. Fast forward to 2009, though, and much of the enthusiastic talk has died down.

So says Renay San Miguel in an article for Linux Insider, and he’s got something of a point. Wikipedia aside, there really aren’t many heavily hyped wiki projects, and social-networking tools like Facebook and Twitter seem to have stolen the spotlight. So Mr. San Miguel wants to know: “Have wikis lost their mojo?”

It’s worth noting that plenty of wiki-friendly concepts and innovations have been absorbed into other formats, as anyone who’s participated in group editing via Google Docs can attest. But there are other reasons that wikis never took the world by storm, according to some analysts. “I always thought they were the nerdiest of the social tools,” says one social-media guru, “and the one that requires the most established … oversight.”

On most college campuses, though, nerdiness is hardly in short supply. So here’s a question: Are wikis finding a place at colleges even if the business world has lost interest? Are professors still talking about what they can do with wikis, or have they moved on to social networks and other Web 2.0 tools? —Brock Read

Committee to Hold Hearing on Helping Schools and Workplaces Prepare For Flu Virus

2009-05-05T20:28:01Z

On Thursday, May 7, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how federal agencies can help child care, schools, colleges and workplaces prepare for the H1N1 flu virus and future pandemics. The hearing will also provide an update on how schools and workplaces are being affected by and responding to the current outbreak.

WHAT:
Hearing on “Ensuring Preparedness Against the Flu Virus at School and Work"

WHO:
Jordan Barab, Acting Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, Washington, DC
Ann Brockhaus, Occupational Safety and Health Consultant, ORC Worldwide, Washington, DC
Jack O'Connell, Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education, Sacramento, CA
Miguel Garcia, Registered Nurse and member, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Los Angeles, CA
Bill Modzeleski, Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Department of Education, Washington, DC
Dr. Anne Schuchat, Deputy Director for Science and Program (Interim), Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA

WHEN:
Thursday, May 7, 2009
10:00 a.m. ET
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Hear Chairman Miller talk about the importance of being prepared for a pandemic flu virus at work and school on the Ed show.

Data Projections' TechXchange 2009 Forums Connect Educators with ... - Business Wire (press release)

2009-05-04T17:33:09Z

Data Projections' TechXchange 2009 Forums Connect Educators with ...
Business Wire (press release), CA
“Educational technology is evolving at an unprecedented rate. New technologies, strategies and best practices are emerging almost daily. TechXchange offers the latest in classroom sound systems, document cameras, videoconferencing, video streaming and ...

India Changes Course, Orders 250,000 Laptops From One Laptop Per Child Program

2009-05-01T20:13:57Z

After disparaging Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child program as too expensive, the Indian government has caved in. Following the embarrassment over its own $10 laptop — which turned out to be a computing device with a hard disk for storage — the nation signed an agreement to buy 250,000 OLPC laptops for distribution across the country, reported efytimes.com.

In turn, the struggling OLPC program — which has run into problems after large companies refused to cooperate with it — will get a much-needed financial boost from India’s contract. Intel resigned its membership from the project in January 2008, citing Mr. Negroponte’s request that the company stop selling its Classmate Personal Computers below cost.

The One Laptop Per Child Association is a non-profit organization set up to oversee the creation of an affordable educational device for use in the developing world.

In 2006, India’s ministry in charge of education rejected Mr. Negroponte’s initiative, saying it was “impossible to justify an expenditure of this scale on a debatable scheme when public funds continue to be in inadequate supply for well-established needs listed in different policy documents.” Instead of using the OLPC machines, Indian officials planned to make laptops available to schoolchildren for $10 each.

Earlier this year the Indian government released the eagerly-awaited laptops, which were designed by students at the Vellore Institute of Technology, and scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, in Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Technology, in Chennai. The $10 laptop prototypes weren’t laptops at all, but rather computing devices that came with hard disks to store store e-books, e-journals, and relevant educational material.

So now nearly 1,500 Indian schools will end up getting the OLPC’s latest batch of laptops, according to some reports. —Shailaja Neelakantan

Younger Students Show Gains in Math, Reading - Washington Post

2009-04-28T15:39:15Z

MiamiHerald.com

Younger Students Show Gains in Math, Reading
Washington Post, United States
"We'll take any good news, but I think we have to moderate any celebrations," said Driscoll, a former math teacher and former Massachusetts commissioner of education. "My hope is this is the beginning of a trend, and we'll see four years from now that ...
Older students haven't gained ground in math, reading since 70s Atlanta Journal Constitution
Older students lag younger ones in math, reading gains, test finds Detroit Free Press
Test scores stagnate for high schoolers Washington Examiner
The Associated Press - Education Week News (subscription)
all 212 news articles

Letters: Early education programs shown to benefit children - Oshkosh Northwestern

2009-04-24T09:19:49Z

NJ.com

Letters: Early education programs shown to benefit children
Oshkosh Northwestern, WI
April 19 to 25 is Week of the Young Child, a time to recognize the needs of young children, and thank the adults involved in their education and care. Parents, teachers, care givers and other adults play important roles in the lives of young children, ...
Child center celebrates education relationships Chillicothe Gazette
Worrisome Signs During The National Week of the Young Child New America Foundation
GC Nursery School Celebrates "Week Of The Young Child" Garden City News
all 37 news articles

Dear Daughter...About Facebook

2009-04-14T22:25:00Z

Dear Daughter,

Allow me to affirm your decision to NOT get a Facebook account, even though I have often encouraged you to reach out and embrace social media tools to construct an accurate picture of who you are as a person.

According to a study of Ohio State University students, students who actively use social networking site Facebook reported GPAs of between 3.0 and 3.5 while those who did not averaged 3.5-4.0.

Although the study was only of 219 students and cannot be considered definitive, it has suggested the clear link between the site and overall academic performance.

Also noted in the study was the fact that Facebook users studied only one to five hours a week while non-users studied 11 or more (Source).

I encourage you to continue making your own decisions about social media and how it best fits into your life. Remember, it is important to reflect on how these tools can influence you and how you are represented online.

Warm regards,
Dad

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

Be sure to visit the ShareMore! Wiki.

Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Technology as Catalyst for Critical School Reform - PR Newswire (press release)

2009-04-02T14:16:40Z

Technology as Catalyst for Critical School Reform
PR Newswire (press release), NY
WASHINGTON , April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) today released its annual National Trends Report, announcing new data on technology's power to increase student achievement and engagement, ...
Study Ties Student Achievement to Technology Integration T.H.E. Journal
all 11 news articles