ALABAMA SUPERCOMPUTER AUTHORITY
The Alabama Supercomputer Authority (ASA) is a state-funded corporation founded in 1989 to operate the Alabama Supercomputer Center (ASC) and the Alabama Research and Education Network (AREN). We provide supercomputing time and related resources to Alabama's academic researchers and industry, facilitating research in advanced scientific and engineering disciplines. Our network, AREN, provides Internet connectivity to state government, industry, higher education, K-12 systems, and libraries within the State of Alabama.
READING ABOUT EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
THE INTERNET AT SCHOOL The most recent Pew Internet Project survey finds that 87% of all youth between the ages of 12 and 17 use the Internet. The Internet is an important element in the overall educational experience of many teenagers. Schools are a common location where online teens access the web, although very few online teenagers rely exclusively on their school for that web access. Further, there is widespread agreement among teens and their parents that the Internet can be a useful tool for school. However, 37% of teens say they believe that "too many" of their peers are using the Internet to cheat. And there is some disagreement among teens and their parents about whether children must be web-literate by the time they begin school. Additionally, large numbers of teens and adults have used the web to search for information about colleges and universities. http://www.pewInternet.org/PPF/r/163/report_display.asp
PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEGIN TO OFFER GYM CLASSES ONLINE The nation's public schools are rushing to reconfigure scores of traditional courses from basic composition to calculus so students can take them via the Internet. One of the unlikely new offerings in this vast experiment is online gym, reports Sam Dillon. Sound like an oxymoron? Not in Minneapolis, where a physical education course joined the school district's growing online catalog in the spring and already has a waiting list. The course allows students to meet requirements by exercising how they want, when they want. They are required to work out hard for 30 minutes four times a week and report to their teachers by e-mail. Parents must certify that the students did the workouts. Still, some committed online educators remain unconvinced. Tim Snyder, the executive director of Colorado Online Learning, which offers more than 50 online courses to Colorado schools, included physical education with studio art, marching band and the laboratory sciences as subjects best left to brick-and-mortar schools. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/education/02gym.html
EDUCATION AND THE Internet
Spangler Candy Co., creator of Winnie the Pooh Saf-T-Pops, a lollipop for children with a circular stick to prevent choking, has created this site filled with resources for young children, including safety tips and information about the making of their product. The site also allows teachers and parents to help children ages 3-8 test their counting, addition and subtraction, and alphabet knowledge through fun, interactive games in which their answers get stamped onto a Saf-T-Pop, as well as print learning activities like word searches, spelling flashcards, and concentration pieces for use in the classroom or at home. www.saftpops.com
SocialStudiesCentral.com is maintained by the Education Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas (ESSDACK) as part of an effort to help build success in social studies classrooms. This site features Web resources, ESSDACK workshop information, links to state and national social studies standards, lesson plans, help with technology issues, and much more. http://www3.essdack.org/socialstudies/
NOVA, scienceNOW In January, 2005 PBS began a new series, scienceNOW. The NOVA award-winning producers have teamed up with veteran reporter Robert Krulwich to cover the timeliest developments and intriguing personalities in science and technology today. Each program will present multiple stories in a magazine format hosted by Krulwich and reported by a diverse team of correspondents in the field. As the announcement of the series explained, "scienceNOW explores cutting-edge innovation, the inquisitive personalities that drive invention, and the astonishing new ideas that could change our lives forever. Get ready for an original, unpredictable, and entertaining hour of science exploration." Now, you can revisit the programs at your leisure, having much more than a mere hour to digest the content, get educated as well as entertained, the supporting pages taking you far beyond the television series! http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/
NOVA "Origins: Earth Is Born" Who would have predicted that a hot spot left over from the Big Bang would eventually lead to the Earth, the cosmos -- and to us? NOVA covers all the exciting steps in between in this four-part miniseries about the beginnings of Earth, life and the universe. The first episode shows that ancient cataclysms made our planet what it is today. Log on and assemble the famous image of the Eagle Nebula from raw data beamed down from the Hubble Space Telescope. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/
NCTE: Literacy in the Ways of the Web With new technologies emerging every day, our curriculum must pay attention to the literacies that will enable our students to navigate this rapidly changing world. Becoming literate in the ways of the Web—learning how to evaluate and navigate Internet resources as well as how to publish texts online—is vital to providing our students with the literacy skills that will serve them throughout their lives. http://www.ncte.org/collections/weblit/
PBS Kids: Between the Lions This 2,000 page Web site has a home page for each of the fifty-five episodes, with interactive games and activities that extend the curriculum. Here is a site that teachers and parents can feel safe to let children explore to their hearts' content. http://pbskids.org/lions/
The Partnership for Reading Offers information about the effective teaching of reading for children, adolescents, and adults, based on the evidence from quality research. The Partnership invites you to explore this site for information on the research, principles about reading instruction suggested by the research, and products for parents, teachers, administrators, and policy-makers.
http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/
ReadWriteThink ReadWriteThink, established in April of 2002, is a partnership between the International Reading Association (IRA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the MarcoPolo Education Foundation. NCTE and IRA are working together to provide educators and students with access to the highest quality practices and resources in reading and language arts instruction through free, Internet-based content. http://readwritethink.org
Get Ready to Read! A national campaign to build the early literacy skills of preschool children. The program brings research-based strategies to parents and early education and child care providers for helping prepare children to learn to read and write. Our goal is to ensure that all children have opportunities to become successful readers. http://www.getreadytoread.org
Teachers@Random The innovative teachers@random Web site features many teaching tools and classroom activities including title-specific teacher's guides developed by leading educators as well as author and illustrator biographies with exclusive interviews and full-color photographs. http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/
Understanding Genetics Learn the basics of genetics, how genes are inherited, genetic testing, ethics, new therapies, and much more. http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/ugenetics/
Gene Almanac @ Dolan DNA Learning Center Internet Portal of educational Internet sites are presented here and cover broad topics, including basic heredity, genetic disorders, eugenics, the discovery of the structure of DNA, DNA sequencing, cancer, and plant genetics. http://www.dnalc.org
Gene School '99 Comprehensive genetics site featuring games, polls, experiments, and much more. Learn everything from basics to today's genetic applications. http://library.thinkquest.org/28599/
PBS: You Try It - DNA Workshop Science Odyssey activity designed to teach kids about cell division, DNA replication, and protein synthesis. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/
Irving Penn: Platinum Prints displays 17 platinum prints of Penn's most celebrated photographs, including portraits of Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, studies of indigenous peoples in New Guinea and Peru, and still lifes and fashion studies. http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/penninfo.htm
River of Song traces American music along the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Delacroix Island. Learn about blues, cajun and zydeco, country and bluegrass, gospel, folk, hip hop, jazz, rock, and rhythm and blues. Explore ethnic and traditional music: Ojibwe powow drumming, Scandinavian fiddling, African-American ensemble music, German polka, and Mexican dance music. http://www.pbs.org/riverofsong/
Coso Rock Art examines one of the most extensive and best-preserved concentrations of prehistoric rock art in the U.S. See photos and learn about the people who made these 250,000 drawings on rocks at China Lake, California, 1000 to 3000 years ago. http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/rockart/index.htm
Research in the Parks invites us to discover resources in our national parks through the eyes of archeologists. Click on a map of states to explore more than 120 national parks and monuments. Learn about the Klondike gold rush, Andersonville, USS Arizona, Nez Perce, Antietam, Truman's home, Little Bighorn, Aztec ruins, Gila cliff dwellings, Fort Union Trading Post, Jamestown, Fort Sumter, Washington's birthplace, Yellowstone, and other important places and events. http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/
Language and Linguistics examines the mental and physical aspects of speech, why foreign speakers pronounce words differently from native speakers, how we learn language, why languages change, how changes spread through populations, endangered languages, dialects, and sign language. http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/linguistics/index.jsp
Environmental Literacy Council features labs, projects, and activities for studying the air and climate, land, water, ecosystems, energy, food, and environment and society. Learn about the carbon cycle, forests, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, renewable energy, photosynthesis, soils, thermodynamics, waste management, water quality, weather, and more. Find out about legislation and treaties, resources in your state, and science in the news. http://www.enviroliteracy.org/index.php
Geologic Time: The Story of a Changing Earth examines the history of Earth. Learn about the formation of Earth, dating the age of rocks, geologic time, plate tectonics, climate change, ocean circulation, evolution, extinction, ecology, and topics related to paleobiology. http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/geotime/
NSF Special Reports presents web-based reports on language and linguistics, Einstein and physics, weather patterns, the chemistry of water, the 2004 tsunami, arctic climate research, Admiral Byrd's historic flight to the South Pole (1929), cyber infrastructure, fossils, earthquake engineering simulation, ecology of infectious diseases, robotics, visualization of research results and scientific phenomena, the world's first electronic nervous system, teacher institutes, and Nobel prize winners. http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/index.jsp
Ology invites kids to explore archaeology, astronomy, biodiversity, Earth, Einstein, genetics, marine biology, paleontology, and other ologies. Topics include the Incas, the ancient city of Petra, gravity, Mars, the Milky Way, tree of life, saving species, tectonic plates, rocks, deep sea vents, matter and energy, space and time, a genetic journey, a nature and nurture walk, quest for the perfect tomato, imagine it's 2020, worlds within the sea, ocean creatures, and fighting dinosaurs. http://ology.amnh.org/
Science Ambassador offers lesson plans on issues related to birth defects: fetal alcohol syndrome, hearing loss, vitamins, folic acid, cystic fibrosis, chromosome abnormalities, the bioethics of genetic screening, epidemiology, graphing and analyzing health data,graphing gastroschisis, genes and diseases, muscular dystrophy and pedigree charts, spina bifida, surveillance of population trends, pyloric stenosis, and accutane. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/ambassador_pgm/lessonplans.htm
World Year of Physics 2005 celebrates the centennial of the publication of four strange research papers -- written by a 26-year-old patent clerk -- that revolutionized how we think about light, matter, energy, space and time. How did he do it? Learn how Albert Einstein's thinking that year laid the foundations for most of modern physics and a host of today's technologies. http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/wyop/index.jsp
10x10 is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that occur in the news all over the world. Every hour the site collects 100 frequently used words and pictures from various international news sources and presents them as one large patchwork image. You can then click on an individual picture to learn more about the story behind it. From this unique and fresh perspective, you can explore the news from an entirely different angle and make your own patterns and connections about the world. http://www.tenbyten.org/
NEWS YOU CAN USE
We the People: Celebrating Constitution Day This school year, for the first time ever, all schools that receive federal funding are required by Congress to hold a "Constitution and Citizenship Day" on September 17 or the closest school day. To help you prepare, the various content providers at Marco Polo have identified their most compelling lessons on the U.S. Constitution, its architects, its meaning and its magnitude in this month's MarcoGram. Use the activities to get your students thinking about how the Constitution affects all American citizens, then scroll down for more links and resources on this topic. Plus, visit EDSITEment for a full-page feature on the Constitution, with lessons and activities for all grade levels. http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Sep2005.html.
Discover effective small-group strategy instruction that will boost comprehension with your English language learners. The new book Making Sense outlines classroom conditions for successful small-group instruction and provides 52 kid-tested lessons organized by the 5 main stages of proficiency. Click here to browse the entire book online! http://www.stenhouse.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=8949&r=sb050805
"A very user-friendly resource that is vital for all elementary teachers" (Education Book Reviews). Design meaningful and effective tests that help K-8 students apply knowledge and provide useful assessment information to teachers. Smart Tests is a practical guide to designing and giving tests that use the best formats and match instructional goals. http://www.stenhouse.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=8166&r=sb050805b
Smart Budgeting For Technology - Total Cost Of Ownership For School Leaders Course will begin September 20, 2005. Course Description: It is imperative that educational leaders have the skills and knowledge necessary to respond to the multiple challenges of increased accountability for budgeting, and growing concerns about the impact of technology investments in education. It is no longer sufficient to be knowledgeable about the installation of equipment, networks, software, and professional development models and resources; you must also have the skills and resources necessary to make strategic decisions about calculating ongoing costs, allocating resources, and projecting multiyear budgets. http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/Article14044.phtml
TEACHING TEACHERS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Good teachers form the foundation of good schools, and improving teachers' skills and knowledge is one of the most important investments of time and money that local, state, and national leaders make in education. Yet with the wide variety of professional development options available, which methods have the most impact on student learning? Research on professional development is scattered throughout subject areas, with its focus ranging from classroom processes and structures to teachers’ personal traits. In this report, the American Educational Research Association reviews numerous learning opportunities for teachers that are explicitly aimed at increasing student achievement. http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Journals_and_Publications/Research_Points/RPSummer05.pdf
Global Climate Change Research Explorer @ The Exploratorium At this Web site, you can explore scientific data relating to the atmosphere, the oceans, the areas covered by ice and snow, and the living organisms in all these domains. You'll also get a sense of how scientists study natural phenomena—how researchers gather evidence, test theories, and come to conclusions. http://www.exploratorium.edu/climate/index.html
It's called: <www.archive.org>. Noted by Librarians' Index to the Internet, it has "more than 10 billion Web pages," cultural, artistic, political and government info galore. Check it out.
Thinkronize Inc. is set to release an updated version of its netTrekker academic search engine on Sept. 1. The new netTrekker d.i. (differentiated instruction) matches educator-selected, standards-based online resources to each student's learning needs. Among its new features, the search engine's 180,000 resources have been pre-screened for their readability level, curriculum relevance, and quality. The new version also includes a section to help English language learners that allows educators to find sites in multiple languages and use a hotkey to define or translate any word selected on a Web site. Finally, one of the biggest additions to netTrekker d.i. is that it now gives students access to a database of more than 60,000 school-friendly images which can be used for projects or classroom presentations. Introductory pricing for netTrekker d.i. (www.thinkronize.com/di/) is available through Oct. 15, which brings the cost to as low as 86 cents per student annually.
The Huntsville Times in Alabama reports on an attempt by the Madison City Schools to move to digital administration, replacing paper-based teacher manuals and guidebooks, including acceptable-use policies and other official documents, with a new CD-ROM. In the past, the school district has supplied teachers with a binder or "hard copy" of the manual, the paper said. But with the digital version, educators can take it with them and don't have to worry about losing important documents or leaving papers behind, officials said. http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1123665372210910.xml&coll=1
Teachers' Domain Professional Development Improve K-12 science instruction with online courses! Broaden content knowledge, inquiry methodology, and integrate technology into lessons. Teachers learn using rich media from NOVA and other PBS programming that they can then use with their students. Courses include exemplary practice videos too.
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Tutor.com Training Schedule (September):
September 26--Dothan--3pm Contact person: Betty Forbus ( 334-793-9767)
September 27--Demopolis --2pm-3pm Contact person: Lindsy Gardner (334-289-1595)
September 28--Anniston-- after 2pm Contact person: Bonnie Seymour (256-237-8501)
September 29--Florence--2pm Contact person: Nancy Sanford (256-764-6564)
Classes are free and open to teachers, media specialists, and librarians
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From the Alabama School of Fine Arts:
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
ATTENTION: All High School American Lit. Teachers!
This fall, the Alabama School of Fine Arts and UAB Departments of Theatre are joining together in a co-production of John Steinbeck's immortal classic, THE GRAPES OF WRATH. This project is designed to bring a great work of literature to life for students in a way unlike any experienced in Alabama. We would like to propose that you teach THE GRAPES OF WRATH in your class room this fall and reward your students who successfully pass a test with a FREE TICKET TO OUR PRODUCTION.
Through the auspices of the Alabama State Council of the Arts, we developed a humanities-based web site and interactive study guide annotating Steinbeck's novel. Included on the site are classroom discussion questions for teachers and students as they study the book. Each chapter has a separate page illustrating the novel and with many links to such subjects as:
For a preview of our web site, please visit: www.grapesofwrath.info The web site will also have a journal of our upcoming production chronicling the conception, design, casting, and rehearsal process prior to our October 19, 2005 opening.
Finally and best of all: Students in your class room successfully completing the novel and a test distributed by you will be entitled to a free ticket to The Alabama School of Fine Arts and the University of Alabama at Birmingham's co-production of THE GRAPES OF WRATH! This production will be performed at the beautiful Sirote Theatre in the Alys Stephens Center on the UAB campus. After their immersion in the novel and its world, your students will see it brought to life by peer-aged actors live onstage! We think this is a fantastic way to bring literature to life for your students and hope you will take advantage of this free opportunity. There will be 400 free spaces reserved for various Birmingham Area High School classes undertaking the project ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.
Students successfully passing the test may attend on the following scheduled dates: Wednesday, October 19th at 7:00 PM (Opening Night-limit to 100 students), Thursday, October 20th at 7:00 PM, Sunday, October 23 at 2:30 PM, Wednesday October 26 at 7:00 PM (Limit to 100 students on this date), Thursday, October 27 at 7:00 PM, & Sunday, October 30 at 2:30 PM. Transportation will not be provided to and from the theatre. To sign up your class, please contact Jonathan Fuller - jfuller@asfa.k12.al.us (205) 252-9241, ext 2286. After Wednesday August 10, 2005 Space will be limited, and classes will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis! We recommend your class read and work through the 30 chapter novel and web site in the normal time you spend on a novel. Final count of passing students will be due by September 30th, 2005 so that we may serve our regular paying audience. AGAIN, TRANSPORTATION WILL NOT BE PROVIDED TO THE THEATRE!!!. Schools may book in groups at the $5.00 per student regular rate after our free seats are taken. For paid Student Group bookings call 975-ARTS.