Educational CyberPlayGround

NetHappenings Newsletter


NHN: 2/15/05 NETHAPPENINGS NEWSLETTER #15

NEW THIS WEEK for NetHappenings Newsletters
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/NHnewsletter.html>
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Dear Readers,

Net Happenings Newsletter, launched by the Educational
CyberPlayGround, features both news and resources.
Karen Ellis* Founder of the Educational CyberPlayGround invites
others to help sponsor NHN sent to members of the NetHappenings Mailing List.

Written by Classroom Teacher Alan Haskvitz
1997 National Teacher's Hall of Fame
All USA Today First Team Teacher
Reader's Digest Hero in Education
Cherry International Award for Outstanding Teachers
1994 National Middle Level Teacher of the Year (NCSS)
[w] http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Ringleaders/al.html

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IN THIS ISSUE
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IN THE NEWS

Top Online Educators of 2005 and their accomplishments
It's Magic: Every teacher in North Dakota is Highly Qualified
Ads to appear on outside of school buses
NASA Workshops listed for the summer
"Spellings to Listen, But Not Retreat, on NCLB"
No more opening prayers or what's in a name
States paying big dollars to catch test cheaters
The good and bad about assisted living
The best place to teach special education students

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INTERESTING SITES
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President Days lesson plans and resources
What would be the best pet for your classroom?
What is money?
C-Span summer fellowships

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SITES YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW EXISTED
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Where does the climate change the most dramatic?
Ranking of the top 50 Internet search words
Virgina vote on law to fine those who show their underwear.

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QUOTES:
What did Dan Rather say about teaching and sticks?

FACTOIDS:
How many homeschooled children are around and why?
Which country has the most university students in the USA?
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IN THIS ISSUE
<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>

IN THE NEWS

Top Online Educators of 2005 and their accomplishments
It's Magic: Every teacher in North Dakota is Highly Qualified
Ads to appear on outside of school buses
NASA Workshops listed for the summer
"Spellings to Listen, But Not Retreat, on NCLB"
No more opening prayers or what's in a name
States paying big dollars to catch test cheaters
The good and bad about assisted living
The best place to teach special education students

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INTERESTING SITES
<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>
President Days lesson plans and resources
What would be the best pet for your classroom?
What is money?
C-Span summer fellowships

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SITES YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW EXISTED
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Where does the climate change the most dramatic?
Ranking of the top 50 Internet search words
Virgina vote on law to fine those who show their underwear.
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QUOTES:
What did Dan Rather say about teaching and sticks?

FACTOIDS:
How many homeschooled children are around and why?
Which country has the most university students in the USA?

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IN THE NEWS
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Top Online Educators of 2005
Learn about NetHappenings Karen Ellis and more
<http://surfaquarium.com/TOE/2005/index.htm>

The U.S. Department of Education has apparently decided that 3,800 North Dakota elementary teachers were qualified to teach after all. The decision reversed the education department's pronouncement in early December that North Dakota's elementary school teachers didn't meet the "highly qualified" provision of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The ruling could have made them ineligible to teach.
The department's letter, sent to Superintendent of Public Instruction Wayne Sanstead on Wednesday, says teachers currently practicing in the state will be considered in compliance with the law.
New teachers licensed in the state, however, will face tougher testing requirements, said Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/10802406.htm

A car dealership in Scottsdale, Arizona is paying $80,000 to advertise on 50 school buses. Other districts show interest.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0209nebuses09.html

NASA Mentor Program
The Airspace Systems Education Cohort is a nationwide network of teacher-mentors who engage students and teachers with NASA multimedia products that support math and science education in the context of Aerospace Technology.
http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/asec/

Spellings to Listen, But Not Retreat, on NCLB
Education Week reports that U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said that there "is room to maneuver" through the administrative process in carrying out the No Child Left Behind Act.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2005/02/09/22spellings.h24.html

With the words "opening prayer" at school board meeting being considered a violation of state law the Utah State Office of Education is suggesting that the locally elected school boards create public-prayer policies to make sure they are not violating the Utah Constitution and the separation of church and state clause of the U.S. Constitution.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600110753,00.html

North Carolina has signed a $60,000 contract with a company that will analyze standardized test data from public school and search for red flags that may indicate cheating. Another dozen states considering the same service.
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2005/02/08/nc_hires_company_to_check_for_cheating/

The dramatic changes in life style and outlook in assisted living facilities. A story that might motivate teachers to consider service learning projects in this area.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/30/national/30assisted.html?ex=1110430800&en=6e5b941e81681644&ei=
5087&nl=ep&rd=hcmcp?p=048bTt048bMa49r$L012000myxQUyxVp


The best place for children with special needs is at home with families, not in institutions, according to a new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/

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INTERESTING SITES
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A collection of the better President Day's lesson plans and resources.
http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/feb_holidays.html#2

What would be the best pet for your classroom?
http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/pets/

What IS money? Where does it come from? How does it get its value?
How does it reflect what the community values, and conceptually? A fun webquest if you can afford the time.
http://mail.nvnet.org/~cooper_j/money/

Do you teach with C-SPAN in your classroom then you are eligible for C-SPAN's summer teacher fellowship in which you live in Washington, DC for 4-weeks (includes $2,000 for housing costs) receive a $3,500 stipend--receive $500 worth of videotapes from the C-SPAN Archives--work behind-the-scenes with the C-SPAN in the Classroom team. Deadline March 15, 2005
http://www.c-span.org/classroom/fellowship2005.asp.

Interesting.com
Interesting is a portal for links on history, hobbies, sports, self-help, and much more.
http://www.interesting.com/

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SITES YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW EXISTED
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Where is the climate changing faster than anywhere on Earth?
http://www.nature.ca/sila/hm_e.cfm

Wordtracker displays the ranking of the top 50 keywords on the Internet.
http://www.wordtracker.com

Virginia lawmaker Algie T. Howell Jr. doesn't want to see underwear hanging out of the back of pants, and most lawmakers yesterday agreed with him. The House voted 60-34 for his bill, which would impose a $50 fine on anyone whose boxers, briefs or thongs peek above their pants or skirts.
http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20050208-105116-2078r.htm

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QUOTES
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The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth." ~Dan Rather

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. ~Voltaire

Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater one. ~Chinese Proverb

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FACTOIDS
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About 1.1 million students (1,096,000) were being homeschooled in the United States in the spring of 2003 This represents an increase from the estimated 850,000 students who were being homeschooled in the spring of 1999. In addition, the estimated homeschooling rate increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 percent in 2003. Thirty-one percent of homeschoolers had parents who said the most important reason for homeschooling was concern about the environment of other schools. Thirty percent said the most important reason was to provide religious or moral instruction. The next reason was given about half as often; 16 percent of homeschooled students had parents who said dissatisfaction with the school academic instruction available.
http://nces.ed.gov/nhes/homeschool/

There were 66,836 students from India enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities during the 2001-2002 school year, according to Open Doors, an annual report by the Institute of International Education. That is about 12 percent of the United States entire foreign student population.
http://www.indianewengland.com/news/2002/12/01/Community/Report.India.Sends.Most.Students.To.U-334974.shtml


Thanks for reading,

Al
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Ringleaders/al.html>

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