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 Pew Internet and American Life Project has found that 23% of adult U.S. Internet users have gone online from a place other than home or work. That is close to 30 million people. In that group of online Americans, 27% have used the Internet at school, 26% have used it at friends’ or neighbors’ homes, and 26% have used it at libraries. On any given day more than 4 million Americans are accessing the Internet from some place other than home or work. To read the full memo, "Other Places," visit http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=115
The Pew Internet and American Life Project has released a new report on older Americans and the Internet. The percent of seniors who go online has jumped by 47% between 2000 and 2004. In a February 2004 survey, 22% of Americans age 65 or older reported having access to the Internet, up from 15% in 2000. That translates to about 8 million Americans age 65 or older who use the Internet. By contrast, 58% of Americans age 50-64, 75% of 30-49 year-olds, and 77% of 18-29 year-olds currently go online. The report, titled "Older Americans and the Internet," is based primarily on survey data collected between February 3 and March 1, 2004. The full report is available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=117
Federal Funding for Educational Technology and How It Is Used in the Classroom: A Summary of Findings from the Integrated Studies of Educational Technology The USDOE contracted with SRI, AIR, and the Urban Institute to prepare a report entitled Integrated Studies of Educational Technology (ISET). This report discusses the use of e-Rate and TLCF funds in schools through 2000. The report can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/iset/summary2003.pdf.
Guide to Successful Public-Private Partnerships Released The Center for Digital Government and Center for Digital Education, national research and advisory institutes on information technology (IT), issued a report called "Essential Partnerships: A Guide to the Successful Creation of Public-Private Partnerships” that includes case studies, best practices and management techniques in government and education. http://www.centerdigitaled.com/converge/?pg=magstoryandid=83747.
The Essential Digital Literacy Skills for the 21st Century Global Citizen This Web site is the "public face" of a fast growing international movement focused on promoting Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Digital Literacy. Building an international consensus is critical for advancing meaningful educational initiatives, training high skilled workforce, and understanding issues related to economic development. The site provides a rich, centralized portal for the repository of ICT Literacy resources, highlights innovative efforts and partnerships promoting ICT Literacy, and facilitates the interaction between researchers, business, government and educational segments. The resources are intended to build awareness, encourage debate, and promote the importance of digital literacy. They provide practical information for business, government, and educational leaders, and encourage communication by employing technology tools in the most collaborative sense. Offerings on the site are dynamic to support a number of initiatives, including virtual conferences via a CYBER SUMMIT format to allow maximum participation worldwide. http://www.ictliteracy.info/
EDUCATION AND THE INTERNET
National Science Digital Library - Collections "...a digital library of exemplary resource collections and services, organized in support of science education at all levels." Browse alphabetically by title or search by keyword; for a broad subject guide, use the visual NSDL collection browser. http://crs.nsdl.org/collection/
T.H.E. Institute has just released its NEW Social Studies online professional development course - the first of four new online professional development courses to help educators comply with NCLB requirements and use technology more successfully in the classroom. For more information, visit: http://www.thejournal.com/institute/IntegratingTech.cfm
The Great Buildings Collection This gateway to architecture around the world and across history documents a thousand buildings and hundreds of leading architects, with 3D models, photographic images and architectural drawings, commentaries, bibliographies, web links, and more, for famous designers and structures of all kinds. http://www.greatbuildings.com
City Creator Build your own city! Choose from different city types and click the corresponding 'build' button to begin. Click 'Save and send' to send your unique city to your friends. http://www.citycreator.com
National Geographic's Crane Cam Watch One of Nature's Greatest Bird Migrations LIVE from Your Desktop! As spring approaches, National Geographic magazine's Web site captures one of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles LIVE! With live action peaking in mid- March through early April, Crane Cam's remote cameras are filming the cranes' six-week pit stop in Nebraska before they journey north to their Arctic breeding grounds. In addition to incredible live footage of the avian migration, visitors can enjoy a number of online exclusives: Multimedia Presentations: View multimedia presentations to experience the cranes' beautiful dance, their varied calls and the thrilling vision of thousands in flight. A list of related links also provides additional information about cranes. QandA: Want to learn more about sandhill cranes and their spectacular migration? Submit your question to Paul Tebbel, director of the National Audubon Society's Rowe Sanctuary. Answers will be posted each week. Photo Galleries: Browse through the gallery of vibrant photos, decorate your desktop or send an e-greeting to a friend with an image of these intriguing birds. Track the journey of two sandhill cranes: In a pioneering crane migration study, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center has tracked two sandhill cranes from Texas to their Arctic breeding grounds. This momentous journey marks the end of the research center's six-year satellite tracking project. Log on to http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/cranecam to watch the descent of more than half a million sandhill cranes on Nebraska's Platte River Valley at Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary.
Journey North Spring 2004 Help track spring's journey across the Northern Hemisphere! Journey North engages students in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. K-12 students share their own field observations with classmates across North America. They track the coming of spring through the migration patterns of monarch butterflies, bald eagles, robins, hummingbirds, mantees, whooping cranes--and other birds and mammals, the budding of plants, changing sunlight and other natural events. http://www.learner.org/jnorth/spring2004/
Honky Tonks, Hymns, and the Blues examines the history of country guitar, country fiddling, country blues, Jimmie Rodgers (the father of country music), Thomas Dorsey (famous for raunchy records and sacred hymns), the Carter Family, Bob Wills and western swing, the Maddox Brothers and sister Rose, accordion-inspired "conjunto" (combination) music along Mexico's northern border, honky tonk women, and more. Descriptions, photos, and sound clips of music and interviews are included. The Alabama State Council on the Arts provided support for this project. http://www.honkytonks.org/
Findings profiles scientists doing cutting-edge medical research. Learn about the work of a biologist who is tracking thousands of genes in living cells, an anesthesiologist whose questions about body temperature led to improvements for surgery patients, a natural de-icer, healing wounds with air, and more. http://www.nigms.nih.gov/news/findings/
Women's Words of Wisdom -- Activity, Learning Page displays quotes and photos of 16 famous women -- Abigail Adams, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Ella Fitzgerald, Rachel Carson, Zora Neale Hurston, and others. http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/womenswords/index.html
Civil War Archeology: Investigating the Battles of Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge examines archeological techniques used to explore these two battle sites. These battles, fought in Missouri and Arkansas in 1861 and 1862, helped keep Missouri in the Union and set the stage for the Union to gain control of most lands west of the Mississippi by 1863. http://www.cr.nps.gov/mwac/wicr_peri/index.htm
Discover Atlanta, Georgia is a travel itinerary of 70 places that tell the story of Atlanta -- its picturesque homes and skyscrapers, tales of former slaves, educators, authors, and millionaires who shaped it. Established as a railroad terminal point in 1836, the city today is a major entertainment and cultural center of the South. It includes essays on antebellum Atlanta, industrial Atlanta, the African American experience, and growth and preservation. http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/
Dolley Madison Project is devoted to the life, letters, and legacy of the wife of our fourth president. As First Lady, Dolley Madison became famous for her social graces and courage. By 1900 her name was being used for a range of commercial products. A chronology and essays about her life are provided, along with frequently asked questions and information about her letters and individuals with whom she corresponded. http://moderntimes.vcdh.virginia.edu/madison/
MarcoGram Tackle the topic of physical activity right in your own classroom! It has been 50 years since the color television was developed, and the term "couch potato" was quick to follow. This month, the MarcoGram features lessons about athletes, sports and other forms of movement. Use the warm-up activities to remind students about the benefits of regular physical activity, then use the links for more lessons and resources. http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Apr2004.html.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
DESIGN YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PLAN "By Your Own Design," a self-paced tool from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse and the National Staff Development Council, can help teachers create and implement an individual professional learning plan. "Our goal is to provide key resources about important aspects of learner-centered professional development. We hope also to inspire you to adapt strategies to meet your needs and to work with your peers to solve problems in your schools." At the project homepage, teachers find an overview of the materials, a description of four "pathways" (teacher who is just starting, teacher with learning plan in place, teacher leader or staff developer, and principal), and access to a wealth of resources. (Use the Jump Start link, one example: how to build a professional learning community in your school.) This is a huge resource -- well worth exploring! http://www.enc.org/professional/guide/index.shtm
GIFTED EDUCATION AS A WHOLE SCHOOL MODEL Joseph S. Renzulli, director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, advocates for lessons that challenge all levels of learners, including gifted students. In this interview with Education World, Renzulli argues that "the most important thing we can do to raise expectations is to broaden our concept of achievement beyond the rather simplistic notion that it is only what is measured on achievement tests. High expectations should include a broad range of higher level thinking skills and creative and practical thinking, as well as the ability to apply knowledge to real life experiences, engage in problem finding and focusing as well as problem solving, work cooperatively with others, and learn how to evaluate one's own work in order to make continuous improvements." http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat092.shtml
COLLEGE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) College Opportunities On-Line (COOL) is a direct link to nearly 7,000 colleges and universities in the country. Whether for large universities, small liberal arts colleges, specialized schools, community colleges, career or technical colleges, or trade schools, IPEDS COOL offers information on enrollment, awards/degrees conferred, cost (updated for 2003-04) and financial aid, accreditation, and campus crime statistics. And, for the first time, it has graduation rates based on first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students; the rate is broken down by bachelor's degree-seeking students, gender, and race. College Opportunities On-Line helps you find out about a specific college or set of colleges, if you have some in mind. You can name the colleges and obtain information about them. College Opportunities On-Line is brought to you by the National Center for Education statistics in the U.S. Department of Education. NCES was authorized by Congress in 1998 to help college students, future students, and their parents understand the differences between colleges and how much it costs to attend college. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/.
DEVELOPING VOCABULARY and DEEPENING READING COMPREHENSION Successful reading requires more than an ability to decode, or ''sound out,'' words writes E.D. Hirsch, Jr. It also requires adequate background knowledge, or "cultural literacy." Without background knowledge of history, literature, art, music, science and math, students will read -- but without comprehension. For years, reading scores have remained low. The achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children is not only dishearteningly wide, but also grows bigger the longer students stay in school. As a consequence of the No Child Left Behind law, some localities have mandated that schools devote large chunks of time to reading in early grades. In California, for example, it's 150 minutes per day. You'd think such an intensity of effort would yield proportionately big results; yet, test scores have risen only modestly or not all, and the reading gap between groups remains large. Why? Because many students have been taught to decode, but have not been exposed coherently to important knowledge. They haven't developed the broad vocabulary that comes with general knowledge. http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040225/5954180s.htm
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT and ACCOUNTABILITY: LESSONS FOR EDUCATION The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a performance-based accountability system built around student test results. The accountability system comprises explicit educational goals, assessments for measuring the attainment of goals and judging success, and consequences (rewards or sanctions). But the mechanisms through which the system is intended to work are not well understood. Brian M. Stecher and Sheila Nataraj Kirby led an examination of five accountability models from non-education sectors. Although education faces unique challenges, the authors conclude that educators can learn much from these other sectors. Accountability guidelines suggest the importance of focused institutional self-assessment, understanding school and district operations as a production process, being able to develop and apply a knowledge base about effective practice, and empowering participants in the process to contribute to improvement efforts. The job training and risk-adjustment models and the legal and health care accountability models provide specific guidance on how to enhance system-wide accountability in education by broadening performance measures; making sure performance goals are fair to all students and schools; developing standards of practice in promising areas; and encouraging professional accountability. http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG136/
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY TEACHER GRANTS The mission of the National Geographic Society’s Education Foundation is to prepare children to embrace a diverse world, succeed in a global economy, and steward the planet’s resources. Teacher grants are given directly to educators to facilitate their work in the classroom, school, district, and community. Applications are accepted in the spring from any current teacher or administrator in an accredited K-12 school within the United States or Canada. Application deadline: June 10, 2004. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/education/teacher_community/get_grant.html
NSBA LAUNCHES SCHOOL WEBLOG The National School Boards Association has launched a website to provide timely educaion news and analysis. This "weblog," called BoardBuzz, is located at http://www.nsba.org/boardbuzz.
ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MAKES CHANGE ALLOWING MORE DISABLED STUDENTS TO QUALIFY FOR GRADUATION. In a unanimous vote, the Alabama State Board of Education acted to give more students with disabilities an opportunity to receive a diploma. Students determined eligible can receive a diploma if they fail no more than one section of the state graduation exam. Under the change, students must pass all required courses while maintaining a cumulative C average and have documentation proving their disability prohibited them from passing a specific part of the graduation exam. The changes are expected to affect thousands of current and former students, as diplomas will be given retroactively to qualified disabled students beginning with the class of 2001.