NetHappenings Newsletter
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NHN: Net Happenings Newsletter #9
NEW THIS WEEK for December 14th, 2004
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Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Net Happenings Newsletter, launched by the
Educational CyberPlayGround, this newsletter features a new format
with the emphasis on both news and resources. Karen Ellis* Founder
of the Educational
CyberPlayGround will continue to carry the sponsorship of Net
Happenings Newsletter which is published to all members of the
NetHappenings Mailing List.
Written by Classroom Teacher Alan Haskvitz
1997 National Teacher's Hall of Fame Inductee
1999 All USA Today First TeamTeacher
1994 National Middle Level Teacher of the Year (NCSS)
[w]
https://edu-cyberpg.com/Ringleaders/al.html
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IN THIS ISSUE
Religion in the classroom
December Holiday links
Music Makes You Smarter
Conferences/Grants
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Factoids
Females and Males Sort of Equal
On the combined reading literacy scale, females outperform males in
every country. On the mathematics literacy assessment, performance
of males and females in the United States is similar, as it is in 16
other countries. For most countries (26 out of 31 countries),
including the United States, males and females perform similarly on
the science literacy assessment.
Slow Learners? 34 percent or recently hired teachers are former
teachers who are coming back to the profession.
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IN THE NEWS
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President advocates just says abstinence best sex education Not
waiting for government research that shows teaching abstinence has
value, President Bush believes its what parents want and got $131
million for his plan.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=283228
A Washington Times Editorial on "Dumb" television shows
I think you have to read this one by Herbert London of the Hudson
Institute to see how one can relate driver's license testing to
getting a license to watch television. Have your students read this
and remind them he is a university professor.
http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20041125-085448-2777r.htm
National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Research
Questioned As more research emerges so do more questions about the
value of this program.
http://www.education-consumers.com/briefs/Controversy.htm
Industrialized comparison
This report shows how the U.S. education system compares to other
major industrialized countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Russian Federation, United Kingdom) in five areas: (1) the
context of education; (2)
preprimary and primary education; (3) secondary education; (4)
higher education; and (5) education and the labor force.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003026
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RELIGION IN THE CLASSROOM
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An easy to read review of what is allowed in the public schools and
what is not allowed.
http://www.adl.org/religion_ps/religion.asp
Religious Holidays & Public Schools
http://www.clsnet.org/clrfPages/pubs/pubs_holida5.php
Teaching Evolution vs. Intelligent Design Theory
They say the theory is nothing more than a dressed-up version of
creation science, which the U.S. Supreme Court has prohibited from
public schools as a violation of the separation of church and state.
Ann Rand Institute: The Founding Fathers on Religion
A great way to bring some debate into your classroom.
http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=617
Freethinkers
With more and more attention being placed on religion in the
classroom, here is a site that offers a look at those who are
labeled as freethinkers. This is a for sale book, but the free
sample is worthy of note. This is the best classroom usable book I
have ever seen on the subject.
http://teachingaboutreligion.com/miscel/Frntpages.pdf
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DECEMBER HOLIDAY LINKS
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December Holidays Around the World
Free printables and coloring books
http://www.lil-fingers.com/coloring/index.html
Holiday activities
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/
Information on Hanukkah and even a Dreidel Game
http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/chanstr.htm
How Christmas is celebrated around the world
http://www.christmas.com/worldview
Kwanzaa
http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm
Large Link Sites
http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/holidays.htm
http://wilburnes.wcpss.net/holidays/december.html
New Years Traditions Around the World
http://www.fathertimes.net/traditions.htm
Lesson plans
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSChristmasAroundtheWorldK1.htm
How the colonists celebrated Christmas lesson
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/lpdisplay.asp?LPID
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MUSIC MAKES YOU SMARTER
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Lessons pay off
Says the College Board; students involved with music score an
average of 100 points higher on SAT tests than students who do not.
https://edu-cyberpg.com/Music/musicsmart.html
Articles on Music and Brain Research . . .
Research suggests that the arts have distinct educational benefits.
Dr. Rauscher NPR and Mozart Effect
Mr. Holland Opus - Research
Piano and Computer Training Boost Student Math Achievement
New Study Shows More of the Brain Used When Making Music
Music and Brain Information Database
Piano Lessons
Texas All-State Music Students Soar on SAT's
How to motivate kids to take music lessons
Cybrarians Reference Online Music Sites Page
Arts May Improve Students' Grades
Arts in the Schools Paint Masterpiece: Higher Scores
Helping City Schools Bring a Taste of the Arts to Students
Arts Education Partnership Meeting Report 1999
Isaac Stern Teaches New York City's 43 School Superintendents
Rock Music Kills Mice Experiment
Easy to understand bottom line summary of some research facts
Musical training during childhood may influence regional brain
growth
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CONFERENCES
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GRANTS
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Grants Scholarships
https://edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/grants.html
Gates Millennium Scholars
http://www.gmsp.org/(vmrtyk55uyjqtmqjqhauqhb4)/default.aspx
The Columbus Foundation Community Grant
http://www.christophercolumbusawards.com/guides/coach/p8_columbus.htm
The $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant is an additional
opportunity for one finalist team to take its project to a higher
level. In conjunction with community leaders, the student team uses
the Grant money to make part or all of its ideas a reality in the
community over the course of the year following the competition.
Thanks for reading,
Al
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