MCAS results released today
The Massachusetts Department of Education today released the results of the 2008 MCAS tests and the department said statewide they show impressive math gains in all grades and strong improvement in eighth grade science and gains in English language arts, math and Science, Technology/Engineering in Grade 10.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Free and compulsory education bill to be passed in July: Sibal (New Kerala)
New Delhi, May 31 : Enlisting his priorities, new Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Sunday said his ministry's top agenda will be ensuring the passage of the pending free and compulsory education bill in parliament by July. Continue reading ...
Chicago aquarium teaches diners which fish to eat
A Shedd Aquarium sushi class advises eaters to choose fish that are abundant in the wild, not bluefin and yellowfin tuna and others that are overfished and face extinction.
After admiring the beauty of fish from all over the world, about 40 guests will retire to a room at the Shedd Aquarium today to learn how to slice 'em up and eat 'em raw.
Read more ...
After admiring the beauty of fish from all over the world, about 40 guests will retire to a room at the Shedd Aquarium today to learn how to slice 'em up and eat 'em raw.
Read more ...Saturday, May 30, 2009
Shift course
Shift course
Decisions about careers have always been frightening. And that was before the economy went on life support.
Decisions about careers have always been frightening. And that was before the economy went on life support.
Obama's Gramps: Gazing skyward on D-Day in England
Obama's Gramps: Gazing skyward on D-Day in England
Surely, Stanley Dunham was gazing skyward 65 years ago, on D-Day. Dunham, the man whom Barack Obama would one day call Gramps, was a 26-year-old supply sergeant stationed near the English Channel with the U.S. Army Air Forces when the invasion of Normandy at last began. Six weeks later, he crossed the Channel, too, and followed the Allied front across ...
Surely, Stanley Dunham was gazing skyward 65 years ago, on D-Day. Dunham, the man whom Barack Obama would one day call Gramps, was a 26-year-old supply sergeant stationed near the English Channel with the U.S. Army Air Forces when the invasion of Normandy at last began. Six weeks later, he crossed the Channel, too, and followed the Allied front across ...
WideOpenEducation
WideOpenEducation
WideOpenEducation is a promising new blog that focuses on resources for higher education. The weblog is sponsored by the same creator who developed the excellent Open Education Datatbase (OEDb). The WOE site will include an rss feed for subscribers and will be searchable by key words. It will be interesting to see how this site develops. _____JH
WideOpenEducation is a promising new blog that focuses on resources for higher education. The weblog is sponsored by the same creator who developed the excellent Open Education Datatbase (OEDb). The WOE site will include an rss feed for subscribers and will be searchable by key words. It will be interesting to see how this site develops. _____JH
Clearing a new hurdle
Clearing a new hurdle
The letter from the college on the harbor arrived at the beginning of April. "Not too much good news transmits by mail today," Edwin Moses observes. So he was startled to learn that UMass-Boston was making him an honorary doctor of science. "I was excited for the next six weeks, and now I'm excited continuously," says the legendary Olympic track ...
The letter from the college on the harbor arrived at the beginning of April. "Not too much good news transmits by mail today," Edwin Moses observes. So he was startled to learn that UMass-Boston was making him an honorary doctor of science. "I was excited for the next six weeks, and now I'm excited continuously," says the legendary Olympic track ...
Friday, May 29, 2009
Reform in education -- an oxymoron
Reform in education -- an oxymoron
Parents and educators are anxious to learn how President Obama will reform U.S. education.
High Quality Preschool Must Remain A Priority in California
By Catherine Atkin President Preschool California This week the RAND Corporation released its fourth and final study in a series of comprehensive reports on California’s preschool system. In this moment of unprecedented fiscal hardship, the RAND research provides guidance on how California can most effectively and efficiently spend its early... Continue reading ...
Open Educational Resources--UNESCO/IIEP Virtual Conference
Over three intense weeks from Nov. 13 to Dec. 1, I participated, along with 700 others, in the UNESCO-sponsored virtual conference on Open Educational Resources. "Organized in partnership with the OECD Centre for Research and Innovation, this Internet discussion forum is the latest in a programme of activities designed to raise awareness and build capacity on Open Educational Resources."
I would say that this conference was the best of the three UNESCO virtual conferences that I've "attended" about OER over the past year, partly because of the quality of leadership guidance by Susan D'Antoni, Claude Martin, Alexa Joyce, and Jan Hylen, and partly because of the quality and focus of the postings from well-qualified participants such as David Wiley, Stephen Downes, Fred Beshears, Marianne Phillips, Derek Keats, Wayne Mackintosh, and many others. Also this conference clearly benefitted from the formulations and exchanges that emerged from earlier UNESCO conferences about OER, especially the preceding conference about Free and Open Source Software in relation to OER.
In the past when I've participated in UNESCO's and other conferences, virtual and actual, I've blogged about them while the conferences were underway. For this conference I'm going to blog retrospectively by posting a number of items that I kept on my computer from the hundreds of postings that were made over the three week period. I'll also post links to the reports about the conference as they become available.
High on my education wish list is a very strong request that many, many other educational organizations begin to run open virtual conferences, if not to replace their regular conferences, then in parallel with them and in between them. The bountiful possibilities for enriched educational exchanges that are now available with via simple communication tools on the web would be mutiplied exponentially if only organizations and conferences would move in this direction. (And we can leave suitcases at home.)
_______
Conference Invitation from Jan Hylen
Dear Colleague,
I would like to invite you to participate in an online discussion that will focus on the findings and conclusions from the OECD study on Open Educational Resources. The forum will run from Monday 13th November through Friday 1st December.
We hope that you will be interested in participating since you have actively contributed to the OECD study – either by answering our survey, carrying out case studies or participating in expert meetings. This study is approaching its final stage, and it is time to summarize our findings and draw some conclusions for the final report that is scheduled to be published in March/April 2007. By inviting you to participate in the discussion we would like to give some feedback on your participation and offer you the opportunity to discuss, comment and have a say regarding the conclusions and the recommendations coming out of the study.
The forum will be organized as follows:
· Week 1 (13 – 19 November): What do we know about users and producers of Open Educational Resources?
· Week 2 (20 – 26 November): What are the motives or incentives and barriers for individuals and institutions to use, produce and share Open Educational Resources?
· Week 3 (27 November – 1 December): What are the policy implications and the most pressing policy issues on institutional, regional and national level coming out from this study?
Participants in the discussion will receive two background notes summarizing the main findings from the OECD study on who the users and producers of OER are, and the motives or incentives for individuals and institutions to use and produce OER.
The forum is one of a series of discussions organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) for the purpose of awareness-raising on OER. The Community of Interest that has been formed has been active since October 2005 and has more than 600 members from 94 countries. You can find information on previous topics of discussion at: http://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/forums.php
To participate in the forum, please send an e-mail to Susan D’Antoni at: virtual.university@iiep.unesco.org and mention the OECD study. Your name will then be added to the OER Community for this specific online discussion.
And for more information and continuous updates regarding the OECD study, you can refer to: www.oecd.org/edu/oer .
We hope that you will be able to join us and contribute further to the reflection and discussion of OER and our findings.
With best regards,
Jan
Jan Hylén
Analyst
Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI)
Directorate for Education, OECD
2 rue André Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex 16, France
Tel: +33 (0) 145 24 17 06
www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/update
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Stadium draw helps SCORES
FOXBOROUGH - Limping through the concourse at Gillette Stadium before a recent New England Revolution game, hobbling on opposite legs and looking like they were tied together for a three-legged race, David and Nicole Chang slowly headed for their seats. Continue reading ...
David Wiley's Open Course on Open Education
David Wiley's Open Course on Open Education
Here's the link the to wiki syllabus for David Wiley's Fall 2007 course about Open Education. There's still time to sign up for this online course. "The goals of the course are (1) to give you a firm grounding in the current state of the field of open education, including related topics like copyright, licensing, and sustainability, (2) to help you locate open education in the context of mainstream instructional technologies like learning objects, and (3) to get you thinking, writing, and dialoguing creatively and critically about current practices and possible alternative practices in open education." Those who don't want to participate in the course will still find value in the online readings and the links to OER sites. ____JH
Here's the link the to wiki syllabus for David Wiley's Fall 2007 course about Open Education. There's still time to sign up for this online course. "The goals of the course are (1) to give you a firm grounding in the current state of the field of open education, including related topics like copyright, licensing, and sustainability, (2) to help you locate open education in the context of mainstream instructional technologies like learning objects, and (3) to get you thinking, writing, and dialoguing creatively and critically about current practices and possible alternative practices in open education." Those who don't want to participate in the course will still find value in the online readings and the links to OER sites. ____JH
Education panel kills attempt to raise standards for sports, activities (The Shreveport Times)
Education panel kills attempt to raise standards for sports, activities (The Shreveport Times)
BATON ROUGE -- Even the support of the governor, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the superintendent of education wasn't enough to sway the House Education Committee to increase academic requirements for participating in high school sports and other activities.
BATON ROUGE -- Even the support of the governor, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the superintendent of education wasn't enough to sway the House Education Committee to increase academic requirements for participating in high school sports and other activities.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Live Blogging TLT Friday Virtual Conference on Web 2.0--Background Information
Live Blogging TLT Friday Virtual Conference on Web 2.0--Background Information
Session Planning - Google Docs Doc Spotlight on Web 2.0 - Resources
Characteristics & Definitions; Applications;
Related Terms; Related Resources
Session 1 Syllabus; Pre-Requisites Today's Schedule (12-8) & Key Factors/Characteristics
Here's another virtual conference, this one from the Teaching. Learning and Technology Group featuring Drew Smith, Lisa Star, and Steve Gilbert talking about Web 2.0. (See the background links for more information.) _____JH
------------
"ORIENTATION to help participants understand what is happening to all of us with Web 2.0. What is in common to the amorphous Web 2.0 that is significant potentially for higher education."
Consult:
Characteristics & Definitions; Applications;
Related Terms; Related Resources
Session 1 Syllabus; Pre-Requisites
- http://kosmar.de/wp-content/web20map.png
-
Questions to ponder - Drew & Lisa
e.g., see http://www.tltgroup.org/ProFacDev/
DangerousDiscussions/Issues/blogs.htm -
Table of Web 2.0 Factors & Examples [Google Docs Doc]
-
Invitation to Session 2, January 5, 2007
"Our Favorite Educational Implications/Applications of Web 2.0"
Register for free - but advanced registration required
Also:
Northeast posts 9.6 pct March home sales decline
Home sales in the Northeast declined more than any other region in the country in April as job losses took their toll, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. Continue reading ...
Memorial Day: Honor Sacrifices for Nation
Published: Monday, May 25, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 8:14 a.m. Staff Sgt.
Read more ...Education Experts Offer Alternatives to College Rankings
The Association of American Colleges and Universities is developing standards that go beyond standardized tests or simple credit hours to judge the success of students and colleges, said Carol Geary Schneider, association president.
Read the rest ...Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Education Start-Up Recognized as a Technology Standout by Software Associations Prestigious Innovation Incubator Program (dBusinessNews.com)
Education Start-Up Recognized as a Technology Standout by Software Associations Prestigious Innovation Incubator Program (dBusinessNews.com)
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Child’sMind Publishing’s Predictive Assessment of Reading (PAR), a breakthrough universal diagnostic test for students in K-3rd grade, was awarded runner-up for the “Product or Service Most Likely to Succeed in the Education Market,” at the Ed Tech Industry Summit sponsored by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) earlier this month in San Francisco.
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Child’sMind Publishing’s Predictive Assessment of Reading (PAR), a breakthrough universal diagnostic test for students in K-3rd grade, was awarded runner-up for the “Product or Service Most Likely to Succeed in the Education Market,” at the Ed Tech Industry Summit sponsored by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) earlier this month in San Francisco.
5/26 :: Goodyear promotes driver education (Indy Car)
ESPN on ABC IndyCar Series analyst Scott Goodyear recently became the national spokesperson for the Tire Rack Street Survival driver education program designed for licensed drivers ages 16-21. Read the rest ...
Searching for education loans
Searching for education loans
If you are already pondering how you will find money for the expenses attached to the new school year which begins in September, some of the cheapest loans we were able to find are from cooperatives serving a limited population.
Woman in her 50s is NYC's 2nd swine flu death
A woman in her 50s is New York City's second confirmed death linked to swine flu. Read more ...
Monday, May 25, 2009
Changes to German education system creates new demand for private...
Changes to the education system in Germany mean that parents and schools will have a say in which type of secondary education a child receives.
Read more ...Annenberg Broadband Media Resources
Annenberg Broadband Media Resources
The Annenberg Foundation has provided instructional media to schools, colleges, and to public television for many years. Some of the Annenberg Media productions are now freely available online. Registration is required. The Teacher Resources are organized by discipline and age group and are searchable with key words. Some examples include "A World of Art," "The Constitution," "Human Geography," "In Search of the Novel," and "Seasons of Life." Although the materials are directed at teachers for use as supplements to classes, they will also be useful for students and adult learners.____JH
_____
"Annenberg Media is a unit of The Annenberg Foundation. Our mission is to advance excellent teaching in all disciplines throughout American K-12 schools. Former names of Annenberg Media are: Annenberg/CPB, The Annenberg/CPB Project, and The Annenberg/CPB Math and Science Project.
We pursue this mission by funding and broadly distributing multimedia resources for teachers to help them improve their own teaching practice and understanding of their subject. Annenberg Media makes use of telecommunications technologies—the Internet, including broadband video streaming, and satellite television broadcast—as well as hard copy media to disseminate these multimedia resources, ensuring that they reach as many teachers as possible."
Sunday, May 24, 2009
School Tax Credits On Fast Track
Gov. Jan Brewer is calling Arizona legislators into special session so they can consider creating new state income tax credits to replace private school vouchers recently ruled unconstitutional.
Read more ...School Tax Credits On Fast Track
School Tax Credits On Fast Track
Gov. Jan Brewer is calling Arizona legislators into special session so they can consider creating new state income tax credits to replace private school vouchers recently ruled unconstitutional.
Revere students face punishment over party
Scores of Revere students who drove two hours to attend an alleged post-prom drinking party in Acton, Maine, could face punishment, Superintendent Paul Dakin said yesterday. Read more ...
Saturday, May 23, 2009
WorldWideScience
Science students and instructors will want to put this web address in their bookmarks because WWS provides a federated search of science sites around the world. By combining WWS with Scirus--plus a discipline-specific search and a general search in Google--a searcher will have made a serious first-pass at finding information. ____JH (Via the Development Gateway's E-Learning distribution.)
____
"WorldWideScience.org is a global science gateway—accelerating scientific discovery and progress through a multilateral partnership to enable federated searching of national and international scientific databases. Subsequent versions of WorldWideScience.org will offer access to additional sources as well as enhanced features"
Read the rest ...California's charter schools get mixed scores in new study
California's charter schools get mixed scores in new study
USC researchers cite lapses in financial reporting, but say it appears that many are using public funds wisely, and that academic scores are fairly similar to those of public schools.
Lax financial reporting makes it difficult to assess the fiscal health of California charter schools, although the limited information available suggests that many are making efficient use of their public funds, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at USC.
USC researchers cite lapses in financial reporting, but say it appears that many are using public funds wisely, and that academic scores are fairly similar to those of public schools.
Lax financial reporting makes it difficult to assess the fiscal health of California charter schools, although the limited information available suggests that many are making efficient use of their public funds, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at USC.
School's iPhone requirement stirs debate
School's iPhone requirement stirs debate
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Gadgets such as the Apple iPhone and the iPod Touch are mainstays on college campuses - largely because they help students escape the pressures of the classroom.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Gadgets such as the Apple iPhone and the iPod Touch are mainstays on college campuses - largely because they help students escape the pressures of the classroom.
Smart Family
Sometimes it’s nice to read something happy about a family of smarties. The Chicago Tribune has this up about a mom and her six kids, all of whom attended Northern Illinois University. The kids all went on to graduate school, and have used their brainy powers for good. Their shared alma mater [...]
Sometimes it’s nice to read something happy about a family of smarties. The Chicago Tribune has this up about a mom and her six kids, all of whom attended Northern Illinois University. The kids all went on to graduate school, and have used their brainy powers for good. Their shared alma mater felt it was necessary to recognize the siblings’ achievements:
On Thursday, Northern Illinois University presented the entire Sereno family with its 2009 Outstanding College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Alumni Award.
…Northern Illinois alumni officials checked across the country but could find no record of another family that produced six siblings with doctorates — a feat all the more impressive given that each became a research leader in his or her field.
“This is an incredible accomplishment, and it needs to be recognized in its totality,” said Jack Tierney, board president of the Northern Illinois Alumni Association. “Each of the Serenos has made extraordinary contributions to science, research and education. Together they demonstrate the value and potential of a liberal arts education.”
Posted by Alexa Harrington
Read more ...Friday, May 22, 2009
California faces its day of fiscal reckoning
The day of reckoning that California has been warned about for years has arrived. The longest recession in generations and the defeat this week of a package of budget-balancing ballot measures are expected to lead to state spending cuts so deep and so painful that they could rewrite the social contract between California and its citizens. They could also force ... Read more ...
Suspended education chief retires (BBC News)
Suspended education chief retires (BBC News)
A council grants early retirement to its education director after he was suspended in an investigation into management issues.
A council grants early retirement to its education director after he was suspended in an investigation into management issues.
Father: Army 'broke' soldier accused of killing 5
Father: Army 'broke' soldier accused of killing 5
The father of a U.S. soldier accused of killing five fellow troops in Iraq said his son "forfeited his life" but the military bears some responsibility for the rampage.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Father: Army 'broke' soldier accused of killing 5
Father: Army 'broke' soldier accused of killing 5
The father of a U.S. soldier accused of killing five fellow troops in Iraq said his son "forfeited his life" but the military bears some responsibility for the rampage.
Father: Army 'broke' soldier accused of killing 5
The father of a U.S. soldier accused of killing five fellow troops in Iraq said his son "forfeited his life" but the military bears some responsibility for the rampage.
Read more ...Credit reform means new era for college students
Credit reform means new era for college students
It's an end of an era for the thousands of college students who rely on MasterCard or Visa to get them through tight times.
It's an end of an era for the thousands of college students who rely on MasterCard or Visa to get them through tight times.
All schools required to provide free education to disabled children (The Nation - Thailand's English news)
The Education Ministry will issue a directive to require all schools to allow children with disability to study without paying tuition fees, Education Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said Thursday. Read more ...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
“What’s Wrong With Merit Pay”
Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier write an insightful blog for Education Week called Bridging Differences. They write their posts in the form of letters back and forth to each other, arguing like educated, rational humans about topics in education. Recently up was a letter from Diane Ravitch to Deborah Meier about merit pay [...]
Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier write an insightful blog for Education Week called Bridging Differences. They write their posts in the form of letters back and forth to each other, arguing like educated, rational humans about topics in education.
Recently up was a letter from Diane Ravitch to Deborah Meier about merit pay for teachers: What’s Wrong With Merit Pay. Ravitch had some excellent points about the teacher compensation reform issue, most of which are along the same lines as my own view on the subject, but she adds a whole extra layer of nougat-y goodness to the argument against merit pay:
There are several reasons why it is a bad idea to pay teachers extra for raising student test scores:
*First, it will create an incentive for teachers to teach only what is on the tests of reading and math. This will narrow the curriculum to only the subjects tested.
*Second, it will encourage not only teaching to the test, but gaming the system (by such mechanisms as excluding low-performing students) and outright cheating.
*Third, it ignores a wealth of studies that show that student test scores are subject to statistical errors, measurement errors, and random errors, and that the “noise” in these scores is multiplied when used to make high-stakes personnel decisions.
*Fourth, it ignores the fact that most teachers in a school are not eligible for “merit” bonuses, only those who teach reading and math and only those for whom scores can be obtained in a previous year.
*It ignores the fact that many factors play a role in student test scores, including student ability, student motivation, family support (or lack thereof), the weather, distractions on testing day, etc.
*It ignores the fact that tests must be given at the beginning and the end of the year, not mid-year as is now the practice in many states. Otherwise, which teacher gets “credit,” and a bonus for score gains, the one who taught the student in the spring of the previous year or the one who taught her in the fall?
Posted by Alexa Harrington
image credit: max klingensmith
Read the rest ...Report: Florida Schools Lag in Biology
Published: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 11:45 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 11:45 a.m. TALLAHASSEE A new study shows that Florida's public school students are behind most other U.S. students when it comes to their comprehension of biological sciences.
Read more ...MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competition
MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competition
Should be interesting to see what emerges from this new funding direction by the MacArthur Foundation. ____JH
____
"Awards will be made in the two categories of Innovation and Knowledge-Networking. Innovation Awards ($100,000 and $250,000) will support learning pioneers, entrepreneurs, and builders of new digital learning environments for formal and informal learning. Knowledge-Networking Awards ($30,000 base award, to a total of $75,000 if budget warrants) will support communicators in connecting, mobilizing, circulating, or translating new ideas around digital media and learning. Entries to the Competition are due October 15, 2007.
Details and application requirements can be found at www.dmlcompetition.net. If you have comments or questions about the Competition that you would like to share publicly, we would love to hear from you via this Spotlight Blog."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Man wounded in shooting at Harvard dorm
Man wounded in shooting at Harvard dorm
The shooting of a young man inside an entrance of a Harvard University residence hall shattered the quiet of campus yesterday as students studied for final exams and sent parents scrambling to check on their children while police combed the area for several assailants.
The shooting of a young man inside an entrance of a Harvard University residence hall shattered the quiet of campus yesterday as students studied for final exams and sent parents scrambling to check on their children while police combed the area for several assailants.
Voucher backers seek new Arizona school tax credit, 1st Ld
Voucher backers seek new Arizona school tax credit, 1st Ld
And they want Gov. Jan Brewer to call lawmakers into special session to get that done in time for... This article is available to registered guests only.
“What’s Wrong With Merit Pay”
Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier write an insightful blog for Education Week called Bridging Differences. They write their posts in the form of letters back and forth to each other, arguing like educated, rational humans about topics in education. Recently up was a letter from Diane Ravitch to Deborah Meier about merit pay [...]
Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier write an insightful blog for Education Week called Bridging Differences. They write their posts in the form of letters back and forth to each other, arguing like educated, rational humans about topics in education.
Recently up was a letter from Diane Ravitch to Deborah Meier about merit pay for teachers: What’s Wrong With Merit Pay. Ravitch had some excellent points about the teacher compensation reform issue, most of which are along the same lines as my own view on the subject, but she adds a whole extra layer of nougat-y goodness to the argument against merit pay:
There are several reasons why it is a bad idea to pay teachers extra for raising student test scores:
*First, it will create an incentive for teachers to teach only what is on the tests of reading and math. This will narrow the curriculum to only the subjects tested.
*Second, it will encourage not only teaching to the test, but gaming the system (by such mechanisms as excluding low-performing students) and outright cheating.
*Third, it ignores a wealth of studies that show that student test scores are subject to statistical errors, measurement errors, and random errors, and that the “noise” in these scores is multiplied when used to make high-stakes personnel decisions.
*Fourth, it ignores the fact that most teachers in a school are not eligible for “merit” bonuses, only those who teach reading and math and only those for whom scores can be obtained in a previous year.
*It ignores the fact that many factors play a role in student test scores, including student ability, student motivation, family support (or lack thereof), the weather, distractions on testing day, etc.
*It ignores the fact that tests must be given at the beginning and the end of the year, not mid-year as is now the practice in many states. Otherwise, which teacher gets “credit,” and a bonus for score gains, the one who taught the student in the spring of the previous year or the one who taught her in the fall?
Posted by Alexa Harrington
image credit: max klingensmith
Read more ...Monday, May 18, 2009
Eighth-Graders, Be at Ease
Citing the dire economic condition of many schools and states, the College Board will delay launching an eighth-grade assessment test designed to gauge students' readiness for college.
Continue reading ...Government Readies Youth Corps To Take On Vets
Government Readies Youth Corps To Take On Vets
Shocking New York Times article about Boy Scouts being trained to disarm and kill American citizens stokes fears of Hitler Youth Paul Joseph Watson & Kurt Nimmo Prison Planet.com Friday, May 15, 2009 “Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor,” begins a shocking New York Times article reporting on how the Boy
Shocking New York Times article about Boy Scouts being trained to disarm and kill American citizens stokes fears of Hitler Youth Paul Joseph Watson & Kurt Nimmo Prison Planet.com Friday, May 15, 2009 “Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor,” begins a shocking New York Times article reporting on how the Boy
From 9/11 daughter to her own woman
From 9/11 daughter to her own woman
CHESTNUT HILL - When she arrived at Boston College as a freshman, Caroline Ogonowski placed a childhood photo on her desk. It showed her with her father in a cockpit, the two of them tanned, towheaded, and apple-cheeked, smiling before a flight.
CHESTNUT HILL - When she arrived at Boston College as a freshman, Caroline Ogonowski placed a childhood photo on her desk. It showed her with her father in a cockpit, the two of them tanned, towheaded, and apple-cheeked, smiling before a flight.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Assistant principal is 1st NYC swine flu death
Assistant principal is 1st NYC swine flu death
A school assistant principal who was sick for several days with swine flu on Sunday became the city's first death linked to the virus.
A school assistant principal who was sick for several days with swine flu on Sunday became the city's first death linked to the virus.
MCAS results released today
MCAS results released today
The Massachusetts Department of Education today released the results of the 2008 MCAS tests and the department said statewide they show impressive math gains in all grades and strong improvement in eighth grade science and gains in English language arts, math and Science, Technology/Engineering in Grade 10.
The Massachusetts Department of Education today released the results of the 2008 MCAS tests and the department said statewide they show impressive math gains in all grades and strong improvement in eighth grade science and gains in English language arts, math and Science, Technology/Engineering in Grade 10.
Free Search Tools for Science Information
Free Search Tools for Science Information
This guideline information was cited in Open Access News. These tools will be useful to students and instructors in both science and technology. ____JH
"ResourceShelf has put together A Quick Look at a Few Free Science Search Tools. Among the tools and resources it covers are BioMed Central, CiteSeer, DOAJ, Global Science Gateway, Google Scholar, Highwire Press, Microsoft Live Search Academic, National Science Digital Library, OAIster, PubMed Central, Science.gov, Scirus, and Scitopia." [Open Access News]
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Legacy enrollments offered in two top L.A.-area school districts
Legacy enrollments offered in two top L.A.-area school districts
Beverly Hills and Santa Monica-Malibu schools welcome the children of alumni -- and any financial help they may wish to provide.
Emulating a controversial practice at many colleges, two high-achieving public school districts in California are giving preference to the children of alumni.
Beverly Hills and Santa Monica-Malibu schools welcome the children of alumni -- and any financial help they may wish to provide.
Emulating a controversial practice at many colleges, two high-achieving public school districts in California are giving preference to the children of alumni.
U.S. Department of Education Announces 2009 Presidential Scholars
U.S. Department of Education Announces 2009 Presidential Scholars
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the selection of 141 outstanding high school seniors as the 2009 Presidential Scholars.
Friday, May 15, 2009
33 Detroit Public Schools principals to lose jobs
33 Detroit Public Schools principals to lose jobs
The emergency financial manager for Detroit's public schools is continuing his hardline approach in moving the troubled district forward.
The emergency financial manager for Detroit's public schools is continuing his hardline approach in moving the troubled district forward.
Open Educational Resources--UNESCO/IIEP Virtual Conference
Over three intense weeks from Nov. 13 to Dec. 1, I participated, along with 700 others, in the UNESCO-sponsored virtual conference on Open Educational Resources. "Organized in partnership with the OECD Centre for Research and Innovation, this Internet discussion forum is the latest in a programme of activities designed to raise awareness and build capacity on Open Educational Resources."
I would say that this conference was the best of the three UNESCO virtual conferences that I've "attended" about OER over the past year, partly because of the quality of leadership guidance by Susan D'Antoni, Claude Martin, Alexa Joyce, and Jan Hylen, and partly because of the quality and focus of the postings from well-qualified participants such as David Wiley, Stephen Downes, Fred Beshears, Marianne Phillips, Derek Keats, Wayne Mackintosh, and many others. Also this conference clearly benefitted from the formulations and exchanges that emerged from earlier UNESCO conferences about OER, especially the preceding conference about Free and Open Source Software in relation to OER.
In the past when I've participated in UNESCO's and other conferences, virtual and actual, I've blogged about them while the conferences were underway. For this conference I'm going to blog retrospectively by posting a number of items that I kept on my computer from the hundreds of postings that were made over the three week period. I'll also post links to the reports about the conference as they become available.
High on my education wish list is a very strong request that many, many other educational organizations begin to run open virtual conferences, if not to replace their regular conferences, then in parallel with them and in between them. The bountiful possibilities for enriched educational exchanges that are now available with via simple communication tools on the web would be mutiplied exponentially if only organizations and conferences would move in this direction. (And we can leave suitcases at home.)
_______
Conference Invitation from Jan Hylen
Dear Colleague,
I would like to invite you to participate in an online discussion that will focus on the findings and conclusions from the OECD study on Open Educational Resources. The forum will run from Monday 13th November through Friday 1st December.
We hope that you will be interested in participating since you have actively contributed to the OECD study – either by answering our survey, carrying out case studies or participating in expert meetings. This study is approaching its final stage, and it is time to summarize our findings and draw some conclusions for the final report that is scheduled to be published in March/April 2007. By inviting you to participate in the discussion we would like to give some feedback on your participation and offer you the opportunity to discuss, comment and have a say regarding the conclusions and the recommendations coming out of the study.
The forum will be organized as follows:
· Week 1 (13 – 19 November): What do we know about users and producers of Open Educational Resources?
· Week 2 (20 – 26 November): What are the motives or incentives and barriers for individuals and institutions to use, produce and share Open Educational Resources?
· Week 3 (27 November – 1 December): What are the policy implications and the most pressing policy issues on institutional, regional and national level coming out from this study?
Participants in the discussion will receive two background notes summarizing the main findings from the OECD study on who the users and producers of OER are, and the motives or incentives for individuals and institutions to use and produce OER.
The forum is one of a series of discussions organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) for the purpose of awareness-raising on OER. The Community of Interest that has been formed has been active since October 2005 and has more than 600 members from 94 countries. You can find information on previous topics of discussion at: http://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/forums.php
To participate in the forum, please send an e-mail to Susan D’Antoni at: virtual.university@iiep.unesco.org and mention the OECD study. Your name will then be added to the OER Community for this specific online discussion.
And for more information and continuous updates regarding the OECD study, you can refer to: www.oecd.org/edu/oer .
We hope that you will be able to join us and contribute further to the reflection and discussion of OER and our findings.
With best regards,
Jan
Jan Hylén
Analyst
Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI)
Directorate for Education, OECD
2 rue André Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex 16, France
Tel: +33 (0) 145 24 17 06
www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/update
Lithium Customer Conference to Highlight the Business Value of Community
May 13, 2009 Emeryville – May 13, 2009 – Lithium Technologies, the leading provider of on-demand customer community solutions for the enterprise, is hosting its annual customer conference in San Francisco this week. The theme of this year’s conference is “Spotlight on Community Value” and will provide Lithium customers with information and education around community [...] Related posts: Sage North America Boosts Loyalty with Customer Community from Lithium Technologies Lithium Technologi Read more ...
Superintendent controvery making its way to Gov. Perdue
The controversy over the ousting of a popular superintendent has made its way to Governor Beverly Perdue's office.
Read more ...Thursday, May 14, 2009
Temple U grads go from ceremony to career fair
Temple U grads go from ceremony to career fair
Some graduating students at Philadelphia's Temple University have wasted no time beginning their job searches -- going straight from commencement to a school-hosted career fair.
Some graduating students at Philadelphia's Temple University have wasted no time beginning their job searches -- going straight from commencement to a school-hosted career fair.
Possible SupCo nominee shows no extra caution
Possible SupCo nominee shows no extra caution
Supreme Court prospect Diane P. Wood asked the most questions and showed no extra measure of caution Wednesday as judges on Chicago's federal appeals court plunged into a dispute over alleged housing discrimination.
Supreme Court prospect Diane P. Wood asked the most questions and showed no extra measure of caution Wednesday as judges on Chicago's federal appeals court plunged into a dispute over alleged housing discrimination.
Winding paths led victims to Iraq stress clinic
Keith Springle, who grew up swimming and fishing off the North Carolina coast and seemed destined as a boy to join the Navy, was in Iraq because it was his duty as a military psychologist. Dr. Matthew Houseal, a 54-year-old Army reservist and psychiatrist, was there because he felt he needed to be. Read the rest ...
Homeschool advocates fighting education bill (The Springfield News-Leader)
A massive education bill that went down in flames in the House on Wednesday was resurrected today — behind closed doors. Read the rest ...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Harvard disadvantage
The Harvard disadvantage
CAMBRIDGE - He was valedictorian of his senior class, and had been accepted at all 13 colleges to which he applied. But when Miguel Garcia entered Harvard University last fall, he felt he didn't belong.
CAMBRIDGE - He was valedictorian of his senior class, and had been accepted at all 13 colleges to which he applied. But when Miguel Garcia entered Harvard University last fall, he felt he didn't belong.
PHOTO RELEASE: A HUNDRED THAI OVERSEAS WORKERS’ SCHOOL-GOING CHILDREN AWARED THE WESTERN UNION FOUNDATION EDUCATION ... (Thaipr.net)
Mr. Pichai Expitakdamrong, Director-General, Department of Employment, recently presented The Western Union Foundation Education Grants worth 8,000 Baht each to a hundred school-going children of Thai Continue reading ...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
University president cedes bonus for scholarships
University president cedes bonus for scholarships
University of Florida president Bernie Machen didn't grow up poor, but he remembers juggling multiple jobs while working his way through college.
University of Florida president Bernie Machen didn't grow up poor, but he remembers juggling multiple jobs while working his way through college.
U.S. Department of Education Announces 2009 Presidential Scholars
U.S. Department of Education Announces 2009 Presidential Scholars
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the selection of 141 outstanding high school seniors as the 2009 Presidential Scholars.
Panel weighs changes in graduation requirements
The Legislature's Education Committee expects to vote Friday on a bill to reshape Maine's high school graduation requirements and give students more of a choice in what they study. Read the rest ...
Developments on swine flu worldwide
Developments on swine flu worldwide
Key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and government officials:
Key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and government officials:
Monday, May 11, 2009
Accused of sexual abuse, but back in the classroom
Accused of sexual abuse, but back in the classroom
L.A. Unified has failed to follow up on complaints once police or prosecutors dropped criminal actions, leaving students vulnerable to molesters.
The 13-year-old on the witness stand looked to be an ordinary adolescent, her diffident smile unveiling a set of braces. Her attorney began gently, with questions about her favorite band and trips to the mall.
L.A. Unified has failed to follow up on complaints once police or prosecutors dropped criminal actions, leaving students vulnerable to molesters.
The 13-year-old on the witness stand looked to be an ordinary adolescent, her diffident smile unveiling a set of braces. Her attorney began gently, with questions about her favorite band and trips to the mall.
First wave of college commencements in NH
First wave of college commencements in NH
It's been a busy weekend for New Hampshire colleges, with graduation ceremonies held around the state.
It's been a busy weekend for New Hampshire colleges, with graduation ceremonies held around the state.
Panel: Keep AIMS - and add 2 more tests
Panel: Keep AIMS - and add 2 more tests
Chandler Prep Academy teacher Duncan Aepli teaches a lesson on gravity to an eighth-grade earth science class.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Champlain, Sterling colleges hold commencement
Champlain, Sterling colleges hold commencement
About 400 graduates of Champlain College got advice Saturday from a leader who arrived on campus at the same time they did.
About 400 graduates of Champlain College got advice Saturday from a leader who arrived on campus at the same time they did.
Alvin Toffler on Education
Posted in educação, video Tagged: Alvin Toffler, education Continue reading ...
Smart Family
Sometimes it’s nice to read something happy about a family of smarties. The Chicago Tribune has this up about a mom and her six kids, all of whom attended Northern Illinois University. The kids all went on to graduate school, and have used their brainy powers for good. Their shared alma mater [...]
Sometimes it’s nice to read something happy about a family of smarties. The Chicago Tribune has this up about a mom and her six kids, all of whom attended Northern Illinois University. The kids all went on to graduate school, and have used their brainy powers for good. Their shared alma mater felt it was necessary to recognize the siblings’ achievements:
On Thursday, Northern Illinois University presented the entire Sereno family with its 2009 Outstanding College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Alumni Award.
…Northern Illinois alumni officials checked across the country but could find no record of another family that produced six siblings with doctorates — a feat all the more impressive given that each became a research leader in his or her field.
“This is an incredible accomplishment, and it needs to be recognized in its totality,” said Jack Tierney, board president of the Northern Illinois Alumni Association. “Each of the Serenos has made extraordinary contributions to science, research and education. Together they demonstrate the value and potential of a liberal arts education.”
Posted by Alexa Harrington
Continue reading ...Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Crash Course In Forex Education – What You Need To Know To Get Started
The Forex, or foreign currency exchange, is all about money. Money from all over the world is bought, sold and traded. On the Forex, anyone can buy and sell currency and with possibly come out ahead in the end. When dealing with the foreign currency exchange, it is possible to buy the currency of one country, sell it and make a profit. For example, a broker might buy a Japanese yen when the yen to dollar ratio increases, then sell the yens and buy back American dollars for a profit. The Forex Read the rest ...
At elite colleges, new aid for the middle
At elite colleges, new aid for the middle
Some of the nation's most elite colleges, trying to ward off perceptions that they've become unaffordable to even high-income families, are bolstering their financial aid packages by offering grants to students whose parents earn as much as $180,000 a year.
Some of the nation's most elite colleges, trying to ward off perceptions that they've become unaffordable to even high-income families, are bolstering their financial aid packages by offering grants to students whose parents earn as much as $180,000 a year.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Celebrate Mother's Day with 5 Super Moms
The world is full of super moms who do extraordinary things for their kids every day, often without recognition or fanfare.
Read the rest ...Homeless girl comes to grips with a hard life
At first, 9-year-old Brehanna didn't seem to understand. Her family was being evicted from their home in Tualatin, a Portland suburb. Her father, Joe Ledesma, a homebuilder for 20 years, was without a job and couldn't find another. He couldn't pay the $800 rent on the three-bedroom house where he, his wife Heidi and daughter lived. Continue reading ...
K12 3rd-qtr profit jumps 44 percent
Curriculum and education services provider K12 Inc. said profit rose 44 percent in the third quarter, the result of strong enrollment growth and increased demand for its curriculum offerings. Read the rest ...
Budget cuts abstinence education program (AP via Yahoo! News)
Budget cuts abstinence education program (AP via Yahoo! News)
President Barack Obama wants to eliminate more than $100 million in spending on abstinence-only education, directing the money instead to teen pregnancy-reduction programs that don't take the no-sex approach.
President Barack Obama wants to eliminate more than $100 million in spending on abstinence-only education, directing the money instead to teen pregnancy-reduction programs that don't take the no-sex approach.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Van Gogh or Gauguin: Who Really Cut off the Infamous Ear?
Van Gogh or Gauguin: Who Really Cut off the Infamous Ear?
Authors of a new book say that Vincent Van Gogh did not slice off his own ear: his friend and fellow painter Gauguin did.
Van Gogh or Gauguin: Who Really Cut off the Infamous Ear?
Authors of a new book say that Vincent Van Gogh did not slice off his own ear: his friend and fellow painter Gauguin did.
Read more ...Ohio trade schools face big cuts in state aid
Ohio trade schools face big cuts in state aid
For-profit trade schools that teach students specialized job skills face an 81 percent reduction in state funding in the two-year budget passed by the Ohio House, but a key Senate Republican has signaled that he might try to reverse some of the cuts.
For-profit trade schools that teach students specialized job skills face an 81 percent reduction in state funding in the two-year budget passed by the Ohio House, but a key Senate Republican has signaled that he might try to reverse some of the cuts.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Agreement keeps Boston Globe alive, but what next?
While a tentative agreement between the owner of The Boston Globe and its largest employees union may keep the newspaper alive for now, the long-term future of the 137-year-old Globe is still uncertain. Read the rest ...
Stimulus provides boon for economy and politicians
Stimulus provides boon for economy and politicians
The federal stimulus package isn't just a boon to many of the country's citizens and industries. It's also a gift for politicians.
The federal stimulus package isn't just a boon to many of the country's citizens and industries. It's also a gift for politicians.
White House to seek input on education law (AP via Yahoo! News)
White House to seek input on education law (AP via Yahoo! News)
Education Secretary Arne Duncan is a man on a mission: to hear what teachers, students and parents in at least 15 states think about No Child Left Behind, the controversial education law championed by former President George W. Bush. Duncan is visiting schools in West Virginia Tuesday, the first stop in the first steps toward reviewing and reforming the program.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan is a man on a mission: to hear what teachers, students and parents in at least 15 states think about No Child Left Behind, the controversial education law championed by former President George W. Bush. Duncan is visiting schools in West Virginia Tuesday, the first stop in the first steps toward reviewing and reforming the program.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Open Education Search Project
Open Education Search Project
The O'Reilly Radar blog reports that ccLearn, Google, and the Hewlett Foundation are working together to build a search portal focused on open educational resources. Everyone interested in the OER field will certainly be following this new OE Search project closely. ____JH
"ccLearn is working with the Hewlett Foundation and Google to build an 'open education web-scale search,' part of a larger effort to offer web users simple, overarching mechanisms for discovering OERs. This tool aims to direct search engine traffic to the incredible diversity of OER repositories and communities. While such a tool would not replace the more specialized and sophisticated search sites and portals that the community already uses, we believe it would expose a much wider public to our community’s materials. This is also an opportunity to encourage OER adoption and specify legal and technical conditions for making educational resources openly available. We see this project as an important step for achieving large-scale access to and use of open educational resources. "
Open Education Search [del.icio.us/tag/oer]
SciTalks/HumTalks/GovTalks/BusiTalks
These four sites collect video lectures on scientific, humanities, government, and business topics by prominent thinkers. I've sampled a number of the talks and found them to be extremely valuable. These sites could be very useful to instructors who want to supply supplementary materials for their courses. _____JH
Continue reading ...
Monday, May 4, 2009
Notre Dame's Obama invite riles Catholic bishops
This coming week, Bishop Thomas Wenski of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando, Fla., will take the unusual step of celebrating a Mass of Reparation, to make amends for sins against God. The motivation: to provide an outlet for Catholics upset with what Wenski calls the University of Notre Dame's "clueless" decision to invite President Barack Obama to speak at ... Read more ...
Earth Institute Searches for Science-Religion Common Ground
Earth Institute Searches for Science-Religion Common Ground
I am participating in Columbia University Earth Institute's Fetzer Institute symposium " Common Ground: Science and Religion in Dialogue for a Sustainable Future ." Yesterday, Earth Institute Director Jeff Sachs opened up the conference with the observation that human activity is having a greater impact on the Earth's environment than ever before, becoming a factor shaping the Earth's natural cycles and systems. Sachs calls this new age the Anthropocene; here is Sachs talking about this idea o
I am participating in Columbia University Earth Institute's Fetzer Institute symposium " Common Ground: Science and Religion in Dialogue for a Sustainable Future ." Yesterday, Earth Institute Director Jeff Sachs opened up the conference with the observation that human activity is having a greater impact on the Earth's environment than ever before, becoming a factor shaping the Earth's natural cycles and systems. Sachs calls this new age the Anthropocene; here is Sachs talking about this idea o
Domain/link Categorizer
Hello, I need the java/c++ app that will let me categorize my list of domains/links. I would like to have programmed some addon to web browser that exist or new fast web browser (I need this app ASAP so what suits you best). The app would load the links from .txt file (it can be as big as 200-300 mbytes of domain names/links or more) it doesn’t need to load it into memory, just it should show up the link ASAP and let me choose one of the options: “ISP”, “Education”, “Asian”, “Law/Company” o Continue reading ...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Supreme Court takes up special education case
The Supreme Court is again trying to decide when taxpayers must foot the bill for private schooling for special education students.
Continue reading ...Jewel Selver, Miss Turks-Caicos Islands: Miss Universe 2009
Banker turned beauty queen Jewel Selver is going to the Miss Universe contest as representative of The Turks and Caicos Islands. From her own website : On August 17th 1986, Emma and Clarence Selver were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. From the moment they laid their eyes on her, they saw her as a precious jewel. When a name had to be chosen for the baby the only fitting name for her was Jewel DeEann Selver. Jewel, is the sixth child out of seven children. In her family, she was known Read more ...
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Survey finds California school funding dilemma
Survey finds California school funding dilemma
Those polled say they want education spared from state budget cuts, but an increasing number of people are less willing to pay more taxes to make up for the shortfall.
Californians want public schools spared from state budget cuts, but are less willing than before to foot the bill with more taxes, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday.
Those polled say they want education spared from state budget cuts, but an increasing number of people are less willing to pay more taxes to make up for the shortfall.
Californians want public schools spared from state budget cuts, but are less willing than before to foot the bill with more taxes, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday.
The Adequacy of Socialist Vocabularies and Revolutionary Strategies to Our Present Distress
The Adequacy of Socialist Vocabularies and Revolutionary Strategies to Our Present Distress
From an exchange, upgraded and adapted from the Moot : I wrote, in the context of a discussion of ecosocialist Joel Kovel, much of whose work I admire and teach, "I'm not a socialist (although many anti-socialists in the US would certainly accuse me of being one, and some for good reasons) and I personally think it is silly to think one is likely to contribute more to actual democratization and progress in specifically American conditions through an insistent advocacy of socialism than through
From an exchange, upgraded and adapted from the Moot : I wrote, in the context of a discussion of ecosocialist Joel Kovel, much of whose work I admire and teach, "I'm not a socialist (although many anti-socialists in the US would certainly accuse me of being one, and some for good reasons) and I personally think it is silly to think one is likely to contribute more to actual democratization and progress in specifically American conditions through an insistent advocacy of socialism than through
StatCounter--Statistics Tracker for Weblogs and Other Web Sites
StatCounter--Statistics Tracker for Weblogs and Other Web Sites
I want to pass along Scott Leslie's EdTechPost review and recommendation about StatCounter, a free web-based statistics tracker for website. I've started using StatCounter with this EduResources Weblog and found it extremely useful. The script code is easy to install in a weblog and StatCounter is free of pop-ups. In the past I've used commercial tools for tracking hits on my web sites, but StatCounter does all I need now and does it efficiently. ___JH
_______
StatCounter - great free web tracker (and why that's important).
As Stephen pointed out, a little while ago this blog began launching annoying pop-up windows on visitors' browsers. Unbeknowst to me, the free stats program that I had used had a little clause in its user agreement that stated at any time it could choose to use the tracking image and code embedded in your page to launch advertising. Whoa. Not nice. As soon as I realized what was going on, I ditched the tracking code and I believe the problem resolved.
So the downside of that (on top of tarnishing my reputation with annoying pop-up ads) is loosing a few years of stats, but the upside was finding a better solution. I like the web-based model, a simple program that I can check once in a while online and not have to worry about web log analysis. So off I went in search.
I knew a lot of people I read used Sitemeter so I quickly installed it. It worked fine, but the major drawback for me was that the free version did not aggregate the referrer stats, which is for me a primary reason for looking at these numbers in the first place.
I had been running Google Analytics for some time too in the background, mostly to get a feel for how it worked and if it was useful on other sites I deal with, so it didn't require me to do anything other than see if the reports it produced were to my liking. I can see how Google Analytics could be really useful if you are using Adwords and are trying to analyze and improve how you drive traffic to your site, but I found the reports overkill for what I was wanting. So off to other options.
Which led me finally to StatCounter which is what I've settled on. Why? Well, the tracking code is invisible. It does a good job of giving me one click access to aggregated referrer data and gives the option of showing these by URL or Title. And it gives you some "Path" data. Nice. But the icing on the cake was its Recent Visitor map. Sure, this looks at first like the kind of thing you get with GVisit, but click on any of the map pointers and you realize that it is actually mashing up the IP geolocation data with the referrer info, session length and search term data. Sweet!
So lots of the function of these free web trackers can be relegated to a service like Technorati, and I know that is how some bloggers get some of this data. What's interesting to me, though, is how little I've seen written on the use of web stats to build your social network. I see lots of people introducing blogging to newbies, but I also see lots of puzzlement on those newcomers faces about why blogging is essentially a social process, and how they can become embedded in existing networks. To me, web trackers (and services like Technorati) represent one side of the equation - how to find out who is reading you and how people are finding you. The other side seems obvious, and yet many fail to grasp - point to others, as they are looking at their referrer logs too! While some might look on this as evidence of the essential vanity of bloggers, I'd argue that it is instead a critical aspect to becoming a good (read "connected" or "social") blogger and an emerging online 'social' skill.
So please, someone, tell me if I ever start popping up annoying ads on your browser again. I promise, this is something I would never do intentionally! Ick! Luckily, it seems like it's as anathema to StatCounter's creator as it is to me. - SWL
[EdTechPost]MISD Community Education honored (The Mesquite News)
MISD Community Education honored (The Mesquite News)
Mesquite ISD Community Education received several awards this month at the Texas Community Education Association annual conference. The organization won certificates for Outstanding Advisory Community Activity or Event, Teachers of the Year, and Best Education Catalogues.
Mesquite ISD Community Education received several awards this month at the Texas Community Education Association annual conference. The organization won certificates for Outstanding Advisory Community Activity or Event, Teachers of the Year, and Best Education Catalogues.
Friday, May 1, 2009
EduResources Portal Closed
The EduResources Portal was closed this month. The Portal, which was formerly at http://sage.eou.edu/SPT was shut down by Eastern Oregon University (EOU) when the server could no longer be maintained. Because of financial pressures, the University must focus on "supporting hardware and software that directly contribute to the central mission of the institution."
I began the EduResources Portal in 2003 while completing a sabbatical research project; the Portal was established to provide a starting point for instructors who sought to locate online instructional repositories. When I retired from EOU in June 2004, I continued to maintain the Portal from a distance with the assistance of the Computer Center at EOU. The Portal operated in conjunction with this EduResources Weblog; the Portal provided organized links to sites that contain instructional resources for higher education and the Weblog provided commentary about news related to online instructional resources.
I intend to continue the EduResources Weblog for at least another year. I recommend that users who relied on the EduResources Portal make use of the TLT Group's Collection of Collections to guide their searches for online resources: "Exploration Guide: Collections, Repositories, Referatories of Instructional Resources on the Web."
Read the rest ...Open Educational Resources--UNESCO/IIEP Virtual Conference
Open Educational Resources--UNESCO/IIEP Virtual Conference
Over three intense weeks from Nov. 13 to Dec. 1, I participated, along with 700 others, in the UNESCO-sponsored virtual conference on Open Educational Resources. "Organized in partnership with the OECD Centre for Research and Innovation, this Internet discussion forum is the latest in a programme of activities designed to raise awareness and build capacity on Open Educational Resources."
I would say that this conference was the best of the three UNESCO virtual conferences that I've "attended" about OER over the past year, partly because of the quality of leadership guidance by Susan D'Antoni, Claude Martin, Alexa Joyce, and Jan Hylen, and partly because of the quality and focus of the postings from well-qualified participants such as David Wiley, Stephen Downes, Fred Beshears, Marianne Phillips, Derek Keats, Wayne Mackintosh, and many others. Also this conference clearly benefitted from the formulations and exchanges that emerged from earlier UNESCO conferences about OER, especially the preceding conference about Free and Open Source Software in relation to OER.
In the past when I've participated in UNESCO's and other conferences, virtual and actual, I've blogged about them while the conferences were underway. For this conference I'm going to blog retrospectively by posting a number of items that I kept on my computer from the hundreds of postings that were made over the three week period. I'll also post links to the reports about the conference as they become available.
High on my education wish list is a very strong request that many, many other educational organizations begin to run open virtual conferences, if not to replace their regular conferences, then in parallel with them and in between them. The bountiful possibilities for enriched educational exchanges that are now available with via simple communication tools on the web would be mutiplied exponentially if only organizations and conferences would move in this direction. (And we can leave suitcases at home.)
_______
Conference Invitation from Jan Hylen
Dear Colleague,
I would like to invite you to participate in an online discussion that will focus on the findings and conclusions from the OECD study on Open Educational Resources. The forum will run from Monday 13th November through Friday 1st December.
We hope that you will be interested in participating since you have actively contributed to the OECD study – either by answering our survey, carrying out case studies or participating in expert meetings. This study is approaching its final stage, and it is time to summarize our findings and draw some conclusions for the final report that is scheduled to be published in March/April 2007. By inviting you to participate in the discussion we would like to give some feedback on your participation and offer you the opportunity to discuss, comment and have a say regarding the conclusions and the recommendations coming out of the study.
The forum will be organized as follows:
· Week 1 (13 – 19 November): What do we know about users and producers of Open Educational Resources?
· Week 2 (20 – 26 November): What are the motives or incentives and barriers for individuals and institutions to use, produce and share Open Educational Resources?
· Week 3 (27 November – 1 December): What are the policy implications and the most pressing policy issues on institutional, regional and national level coming out from this study?
Participants in the discussion will receive two background notes summarizing the main findings from the OECD study on who the users and producers of OER are, and the motives or incentives for individuals and institutions to use and produce OER.
The forum is one of a series of discussions organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) for the purpose of awareness-raising on OER. The Community of Interest that has been formed has been active since October 2005 and has more than 600 members from 94 countries. You can find information on previous topics of discussion at: http://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/forums.php
To participate in the forum, please send an e-mail to Susan D’Antoni at: virtual.university@iiep.unesco.org and mention the OECD study. Your name will then be added to the OER Community for this specific online discussion.
And for more information and continuous updates regarding the OECD study, you can refer to: www.oecd.org/edu/oer .
We hope that you will be able to join us and contribute further to the reflection and discussion of OER and our findings.
With best regards,
Jan
Jan Hylén
Analyst
Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI)
Directorate for Education, OECD
2 rue André Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex 16, France
Tel: +33 (0) 145 24 17 06
www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/update
Kids make gains in reading and math
Kids make gains in reading and math
The scores come from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, considered the benchmark of how students perform across the country.
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