Webcam Keeps Hospitalized Students Connected

I often look at the touted promises of the 'next' technology with a jaundiced eye. This is technology put to great, direct, effective use. The Washington, DC area chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has provided Georgetown University Hospital's pediatric oncology program with six laptops and webcams that hospitalized students use to follow lessons and stay connected to their classrooms and lessons. Becky Wilson, a leukemia patient, follows along with her classmates at Jamestown Ele Read the rest ...

L.A. Unified to observe Chavez Day

Board will honor birthday of the late United Farm Workers leader, exchanging it for another holiday in the school year.

Two years ago, 500 middle school and high school students skipped classes in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles and marched to demand that Cesar Chavez's birthday become a holiday.

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OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Since my own EduResources Portal closed in July 2007, I've been looking for other useful portal entry points to recommend to students and instructors who are searching for educational resources. I highly recommend the OER Commons as a valuable first stop. The Commons is extremely broad in scope, but so well organized that new users can orient to its resources quickly.

The OER  materials can be browsed by categories or collections; resources are also searchable with key words. Additionally, the entry page displays the OER Top Ten and the Top 25 Tags for a quick scan of what other users are viewing. Visitors who register can set up their own OER Portfolio and also sign up to receive an E-News newsletter.

The "OER Matters" section provides links to News Stories, Articles and Reports, Conferences and Workshops, Discussion Forums, Organizations and Associations, Tools and Technology, and Blogs and Wikis.  The Commons was created by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) which is supported by the Hewlett Foundation.  OER professionals will want to mark the OER Commons in their bookmarks and visit the site regularly (an rss feed is also available). _____JH

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"OER Commons is a teaching and learning network, from K-12 lesson plans to college courseware, from algebra to zoology, open to everyone to use and add to."

"Learn more about the worldwide movement to make teaching and learning materials free and accessible for use and re-use by everyone."

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Bills in Texas Legislature would create 'abstinence-plus' sex education (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

By ANNA M. TINSLEY AUSTIN — Sex education in Texas public schools could soon go beyond abstinence, but only to make sure that students receive information on preventing pregnancy and disease if they do not abstain from sex. Two San Antonio lawmakers say their controversial bills — which would create "abstinence-plus" sex education programs and require that all information taught about ... Continue reading ...