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computers can support learners, open doors to a world of possibilities and learning opportunities and global thinking. They can provide a chance for every child to learn their own way and construct their own knowledge. They can facilitate conversations with other people and other children around the world. They can knock down the isolation of a classroom's four walls and invite in the voices, experience and passion of the entire planet.

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The Framework for Teaching is a research-based set of components of instruction, aligned to the INTASC standards, and grounded in a constructivist view of learning and teaching. In this framework, the complex activity of teaching is divided into 22 components (and 76 smaller elements) clustered into four domains of teaching responsibility: planning and preparation (Domain 1), classroom environment (Domain 2), instruction (Domain 3), and professional responsibilities (Domain 4).

The state Board of Education voted Thursday to require all high-school students to pass algebra II to graduate, and it agreed to work toward raising other graduation requirements as well. Board members have been discussing, for example, whether to increase the number of classes students would have to complete to earn their diplomas, essentially making the list equal to what they''d need to apply to public, four-year colleges in Washington. That would mean additional classes in English, science, foreign language and more.

I love this blog post by parent Vicky Hennigan over at remarkable parents. She's done a great job talking about how kids adjust their expectations because they don'tw ant to fail.

A blog post about kids who are afraid to fail.

It's a hard job, answering phones and talking to customers for hours at a time. So when Zappos hires new employees, it provides a four-week training period that immerses them in the company's strategy, culture, and obsession with customers. People get paid their full salary during this period. After a week or so in this immersive experience, though, it's time for what Zappos calls "The Offer." The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: "If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you've worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus." Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit!

Panwapa, created by the educational experts behind Sesame Street, is a multimedia, global initiative that is designed to inspire and empower a new generation of children, ages four to seven, to be responsible global citizens. Researchbased materials come in a range of media platforms, including online, video, and print.

The report concludes that effective uses of technology to enhance student achievement are based on four building blocks which are alignment, assessment, accountability, and access and analysis. Its definition of student achievement includes 21st Century skills. The report describes 21st Century skills as "a new set of skills necessary to prepare students for life and work in the digital age. These skills include digital literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication and high productivity abilities" (p. 32).

Today on horizon, my students set up their PLN (personal learning network) in their RSS reader -- we use Netvibes although some switched to Google reader. Here is how I will assess this: I am assessing the students on this by having them print the page out and turn it in -- I'm also checking over their shoulders in lieu of printing -- but I may not get to everyone. -- In this blog post, I've REQUIRED 6 things on the page -- each is worth 10 points -- with 2 of those points being for a properly edited title in Netvibes (so that they may see what is what!) -- and then I have them find at least four additional sources of information for another 10 points each. Knowing how to set up a PLN for a topic of study is a VITAL skill for the 21st century researcher. I like Netvibes because it is very simple -- one page interface.

Best practice on setting up a PLN as done for the horizon project 2008.

Braids around the Globe Main theme - Global Travel Goals * to become familiar with different locations / cultures around the world * to participate in the Vendee Globe trip (see below) * to follow-up by creating our own Global Adventure Dubbed "the Everest of Yacht Racing", the Vendee Globe is the ultimate in single-handed endurance: around the world, single-handed, non-stop with no assistance from shore. The Vendee Globe spans 25,000 miles, ~100 days, France to France, leaving Antarctica to starboard, starting in November 2008. Rich Wilson is the ONLY American registered for the 2008 Vendee Globe. The first race was held in 1989-90, and has been run every four years since the 1992-93 event. Two sailors have been lost at sea since the race began in 1989, and others have been dramatically rescued.

SnapCasa is a free website screenshot generator. Free thumbnails are available in four sizes, do not include any watermarks or ads, and there are no limits on usage.

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"

According to Nielsen Mobile, in the first quarter of 2009, the average U.S teenager made and received an average of 191 phone calls and sent and received 2,899 text messages every month. By the third quarter, the number of texts jumped to a whopping 3,146 messages per month. This is equivalent to more than 10 text messages per hour.

"TESSA brings together teachers and teacher educators from across Africa. It offers a range of materials (Open Educational Resources) in four languages to support school based teacher education and training."

Students LIVE! is a program that invites twenty-four students from across Metro Vancouver and the Sea-to-Sky region to attend sport and cultural events during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and then share their experiences through social media tools. Twelve students will be selected for the Olympic Games and 12 will be selected for the Paralympic Games.

The Reflective Principal: A Taxonomy of Reflection (Part IV) Reflection can be a challenging endeavor. It's not something that's fostered in school - typically someone else tells you how you're doing! Principals (and instructional leaders) are often so caught up in the meeting the demands of the day, that they rarely have the luxury to muse on how things went. Self-assessment is clouded by the need to meet competing demands from multiple stakeholders. In an effort to help schools become more reflective learning environments, I've developed this "Taxonomy of Reflection" - modeled on Bloom's approach. It's posted in four installments: 1. A Taxonomy of Reflection 2. The Reflective Student 3. The Reflective Teacher 4. The Reflective Principal It's very much a work in progress, and I invite your comments and suggestions. I'm especially interested in whether you think the parallel construction to Bloom holds up through each of the three examples - student, teacher, and principal. I think we have something to learn from each perspective. 4. The Reflective Principal Each level of reflection is structured to parallel Bloom's taxonomy. (See installment 1 for more on the model) Assume that a principal (or instructional leader) looked back on an initiative (or program, decision, project, etc) they have just implemented. What sample questions might they ask themselves as they move from lower to higher order reflection? (Note: I'm not suggesting that all questions are asked after every initiative - feel free to pick a few that work for you.) Bloom's Remembering : What did I do? Principal Reflection: What role did I play in implementing this program? What role did others play? What steps did I take? Is the program now operational and being implemented? Was it completed on time? Are assessment measures in place? Bloom's Understanding: What was

Problem solving in mathematics is critical to understanding geometric concepts and also making connections with other mathematics concepts. Four activities are used for scaffolding an inquiry into SOMA Cubes.

"I'm not sure, but..."

The Paragon Learning Style Inventory (PLSI) is a self-administered survey that provides a very reliable indication of learning style and cognitive preference. It uses the four Jungian dimensions (i.e, introversion/ extroversion, intuition/sensation, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving) that are also used by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Murphy Meisgeir Type Indicator, and the Keirsey-Bates Temperament Sorter. But this is the only instrument that can be self-scored and works with ages 9-adult.

The new law will expand Pell grants, make it easier for students to repay outstanding loans after graduating and invest $2 billion in community colleges over the next four years.