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Mentoring is something that communities should have for their schools, businesses, and community. Here are 8 secrets of fostering mentoring that I wrote for Communities in Schools for Georgia that may prove helpful for some of you. You might want to share this before "national mentoring month" is over in the US.

Open a door to the world with this intriguing site which transports users to indoor spaces from all over the world with a Google StreetMap mashup. Found via http://twitter.com/@SparkyTeaching. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/PSHE%2C+RE%2C+Citizenship%2C+Geography+%26+Environmental

Fantastic tool for generating creative writing prompts. Click on the door to be invited to view a random location in Google street view. Teachers might want to preview locations ahead of time before using with younger classes.

His first strategy - Smart Secret #1 "You're a Genius" is both a mix of self-fulfilling prophesy and changing the way you view a situation. "Learning is connecting new information to what you already know. Genius is the art of non-habitual thinking."

Mastering the art of teaching appears to be easier for some colleagues than others. Some teachers just seem to have a presence, gaining respect and credibility from students, colleagues and parents alike. Did they undergo some mysterious, magical training that wasn't covered during your teacher training course?  Well, no. They just have mastered how to manage their working relationships, using their personalities to generate rapport, which is respected by students of all age. It's not rocket science - it's far more complicated than that. Personality and behaviour clashes in classrooms are inevitable, but looking at all the different elements of daily interactions can help you gain respect from students and colleagues alike...

These heartbreaking words from a teacher in the UK. As the world tries to improve education by the numbers, the world has forgotten kids aren't numbers. They are precious, individual and unique and deserve education systems that celebrate and encourage that. OK, teachers, it is time to man the media - you are the media now! Are you fed up yet? It might not be you right now, but if you don't speak, it will be, wherever you teach, such stories impact us all and the profession we care for so much. "As a teacher, I vowed that I would work hard to nurture my students, to make each and every student feel valued and for them to know that they have a voice, and a place in the world. However the last two years have made me feel like that insecure 14-year-old again: I have lost my confidence because of the overly-rigid current education system. We are constantly being told we are not good enough and that we are not doing enough: enough intervention, enough rigorous marking, enough sustained and rapid progress. What excited me the most about becoming a teacher was discovering the hidden talents and sparks of genius in my students. However, it breaks my heart to say this, but I feel that I no longer have time, nor am I encouraged to make these discoveries. We are so caught up with data and so many progress checks that we don't give our students the time to shine. I wonder what would happen if the greats of the world like Einstein, Gaudi, Picasso and Martin Luther King were to attend school in 2013, would they be able to cultivate their talents and thrive?"

So, if you want to peek inside Finland, there are 3 videos on this BBC Wales site that will give you what you want. This Diary of a math teacher in Finland gives you a peek. There's also two other great videos "Let teachers teach, say Finns" and "Finland Classroom Success Secrets." You can embed these that I can find, so you'll need to share the links and watch them on the site. These short videos are just under 4 minutes and would be great to share in a staff meeting.

"Spies with surveillance agencies in the United States and United Kingdom may have spent time undercover as orcs and blood elves, infiltrating video games like "World of Warcraft" in a hunt for terrorists "hiding in plain sight" online." I find this very believable for this reason. I had a student in Teen Second life several years a go and he came across a "meeting" of sorts that was obviously something very strange. When he tried to interact with the players they had a way to throw him out and port him other places. It was obviously some sort of strange thing happening. I have no doubt that games are just another way to have "secret" meetings for those who want to hide. That said, it would be hard to tell the difference between those gaming and those doing other things as the games themselves have people plotting and planning so I'm thinking the language used would be hard to separate the real world from the game itself, which, in some ways makes it the perfect way to hide in plain sight.

via http://freetech4teachers.blogspot.com/2008/12/secret-builders-virtual-world-for-ages.html\n\nSecretBuilders is a virtual world for children 5 to 14 years old powered by a web 2.0 community of children, parents, educators, writers, artists and game developers. On SecretBuilders, children will explore virtual lands, undertake quests, play games, maintain a home, nurture a pet, and interact with their friends. Three features which form the backdrop for SecretBuilders distinguish it from other online worlds:\n\n * Children learn through immersing themselves in the stories, themes, and concepts from the best in literature, arts and humanities. They will interact with famous historical and fictional figures and be introduced to content and characters from world civilization and the great thoughts and ideas of human creativity. \n\n * Children will create this site, not just consume it. They are directly involved in creating this world with their ideas, critiques and contributions on virtually every aspect of the site and many of their ideas will be implemented!\n\n * Children publish their works - writings, art, videos - making SecretBuilders their own personal store of creativity. They can invite friends and family to view their works, and comment upon them. Seeing their works published and enjoyed by others instills tremendous for self-confidence as well as motivation to do more.\n

It's no secret that Lawrence Lessig has been one of my heroes in this conversation for a long, long time, and I just wanted to share his most recent presentation from this weekend's National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis. Would have loved to have been there.

Here is some information on the blue zones project that some of you may be interested in participating - I received this over email today: "2009 Blue Zones Quest Fact Sheet Program Name Blue Zones Quest Description Dan Buettner leads the third of four annual expeditions to the world's longevity hotspots, called Blue Zones. Under the direction of an online student audience, the team unlocks the secrets of longevity and gives students a cross-cultural recipe of the world's best health and lifestyle practices. Location Northern Aegean Sea. The island name will be announced in January, 2009. Date April 20-May 1, 2009 Targeted Audience Students of all ages Features Blue Zones Challenge, which teams students, parents and educators in a month-long program of healthy habits. Blue Zones Legacy Project in which students interview long-lived "super seniors" and share information with scientists (optional) Free Curriculum guide of activities for grades 4-8 Daily online delivery of dispatches, videos and photos Educators Web section with online classroom resources Evidence Tracker worksheet for tracking quest clues Sponsors & Partners Davisco Foods International, Inc. National Geographic Society National Institute on Aging University of Minnesota School of Public Health"

Ever gaze out onto the ocean and wonder what's beneath the surface, what mysteries lurk below? In this podcast, we look at, listen to and touch the ocean to unpack some of its secrets. Find out how to take the ocean's temperature, detect underwater earthquakes, take photos of some of the smallest ocean creatures, and much more. We use your comments and answers to our puzzles in the podcast, so have a listen and be in touch!

You can accomplish what you need to do this year. Maybe you should plan your year differently. Here are my 10 secrets that I use to be more productive and get more done posted over on the Edutopia blog. Hope it helps.