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"What Makes a Great Teacher? Image credit: Veronika Lukasova Also in our Special Report: National: "How America Can Rise Again" Is the nation in terminal decline? Not necessarily. But securing the future will require fixing a system that has become a joke. Video: "One Nation, On Edge" James Fallows talks to Atlantic editor James Bennet about a uniquely American tradition-cycles of despair followed by triumphant rebirths. Interactive Graphic: "The State of the Union Is ..." ... thrifty, overextended, admired, twitchy, filthy, and clean: the nation in numbers. By Rachael Brown Chart: "The Happiness Index" Times were tough in 2009. But according to a cool Facebook app, people were happier. By Justin Miller On August 25, 2008, two little boys walked into public elementary schools in Southeast Washington, D.C. Both boys were African American fifth-graders. The previous spring, both had tested below grade level in math. One walked into Kimball Elementary School and climbed the stairs to Mr. William Taylor's math classroom, a tidy, powder-blue space in which neither the clocks nor most of the electrical outlets worked. The other walked into a very similar classroom a mile away at Plummer Elementary School. In both schools, more than 80 percent of the children received free or reduced-price lunches. At night, all the children went home to the same urban ecosystem, a zip code in which almost a quarter of the families lived below the poverty line and a police district in which somebody was murdered every week or so. Video: Four teachers in Four different classrooms demonstrate methods that work (Courtesy of Teach for America's video archive, available in February at teachingasleadership.org) At the end of the school year, both little boys took the same standardized test given at all D.C. public schools-not a perfect test of their learning, to be sure, but a relatively objective one (and, it's worth noting, not a very hard one). After a year in Mr. Taylo

Error level analysis seeks to prove that whether or not an image has been altered. It takes the image and shows differing error levels throughout it, strongly suggesting some form of digital manipulation. Areas to note are the lips and shirt, as well as the eyes. All are at significantly different error levels than their surroundings. Presumably, colours have been altered and areas brightened.

Reading Australia has been developed by the Copyright Agency and aims to make significant Australian literary works more readily available for teaching in schools and universities. These works are supplemented with online teacher resources and essays by popular authors about the enduring relevance of the works. There is a list of titles (download as a PDF). These titles have been selected by the Australian Society of Authors' (ASA) Council. They were asked to select works they thought students and others should encounter, to give a view of Australia's rich cultural identity: works that would tell Australia's history and also how we are currently developing as a nation. The ASA Council are adamant that this list should be merely the beginning, and it should be built upon with other works that have already been published, as well as the great new works that continue to be published in Australia. There is a wide range of teacher resources available (PDF) for Primary and Secondary school teachers and all of these teacher resources include classroom activities, assessments and links to the Australian Curriculum. In addition, many of the Secondary resources include an introductory essay on the text written by high profile writers. The Primary level resources have been commissioned by the Primary English Teaching Association of Australia and the Australian Literacy Educators' Association, and the resources for Secondary level have been jointly commissioned by the Australian Association for the Teaching of English and the English Teachers Association NSW."

Reading Australia has been developed by the Copyright Agency and aims to make significant Australian literary works more readily available for teaching in schools and universities. These works are supplemented with online teacher resources and essays by popular authors about the enduring relevance of the works. There is a list of titles (download as a PDF). These titles have been selected by the Australian Society of Authors' (ASA) Council. They were asked to select works they thought students and others should encounter, to give a view of Australia's rich cultural identity: works that would tell Australia's history and also how we are currently developing as a nation. The ASA Council are adamant that this list should be merely the beginning, and it should be built upon with other works that have already been published, as well as the great new works that continue to be published in Australia. There is a wide range of teacher resources available (PDF) for Primary and Secondary school teachers and all of these teacher resources include classroom activities, assessments and links to the Australian Curriculum. In addition, many of the Secondary resources include an introductory essay on the text written by high profile writers. The Primary level resources have been commissioned by the Primary English Teaching Association of Australia and the Australian Literacy Educators' Association, and the resources for Secondary level have been jointly commissioned by the Australian Association for the Teaching of English and the English Teachers Association NSW."

Twurdy has been created to provide people with access to search results that suit their own readability level. Twurdy uses text analysis software to "read" each page before it is displayed in the results. Then Twurdy gives each page a readability level. Twurdy then shows the readability level of the page along with a color coded system to help users determine how easy the page will be to understand.

the latest edition of Measuring the Information Society, which features the new ITU ICT Development Index . The Index captures the level of advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in more than 150 countries worldwide and compares progress made between 2002 and 2007. Its main objective is to provide policy makers with a useful tool to benchmark and assess their information society developments and to monitor progress that has been made globally to close the digital divide.

The latest edition of Measuring the Information Society, which features the new ITU ICT Development Index captures the level of advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in more than 150 countries worldwide and compares progress made between 2002 and 2007. The data and graphs make for fascinating reading making the point that the magnitude of the digital divide between countries remains almost unchanged over these last five years. At the same time the gap between the very high and very low levels have narrowed slightly.

"Reading to Learn is one of the world's most powerful literacy programs. It is designed to enable all learners at all levels of education to read and write successfully, at levels appropriate to their age, grade and area of study. The Reading to Learn strategies have been independently evaluated to consistently accelerate the learning of all students at twice to more than four times expected rates, across all schools and classes, and among students from all backgrounds and ability ranges."

"Digital Storytelling can transform your students' writing into a visual masterpiece that is filled with voice and emotion, while enhancing critical thinking skills. The iPad takes digital storytelling to a new level by making the process easier, and even more engaging for students of all grade levels as well as for their teachers. This site will help guide you in what you need for success in the iPad Digital Storytelling classroom."

Good for ESL/EFL and dsylexic learners of any age.\n\n"Each of the mini games features easy to follow instructions, cute and colorful graphics and an easily identifiable learning outcome. The difficulty ramps up with each level completed, and there are five levels for each of the three mini-games. If you've got a child of your own who is just starting to learn how to use numbers - 1 2 3 Sheep! is a fun way to help improve their counting skills."\n\nBacked by an online assessment system...\n

WatchKnow has indexed over 15,000 online educational videos for children. Select from over 3,000 categories or search by subject and age level. Titles, descriptions, age level, and ratings are all added for usefulness. The site invites broad participation in a new kind of wiki system, guided by teachers.

This is an informed interview with ISP employees about the Labor policy making the ISPs responsible for enforcing the Clean Feed.

Federal Government plans to introduce ISP-level filtering to provide a 'safer' internet experience for Australian families are likely to be met with significant resistance from within the ISP community.

The GeoGames from Reach the World feature an interactive map which students drag and drop onto different elements. The beginner level games asks has student place continents and the poles in the correct position. As the games levels progress students have to place countries and capitals in their proper positions. In the Build Planet Earth section students have to place continents, oceans, mountains, and rivers in their proper positions.

HDPE pond liners, or High-Density Polyethylene liners, have become essential materials in various applications, particularly in water containment systems. These liners are designed to provide a barrier that prevents water from escaping, ensuring the integrity and sustainability of ponds, lakes, and other water bodies. The robust characteristics of HDPE make it an ideal choice for diverse environments, including agriculture, aquaculture, and landscape design. Key Features of HDPE Pond Liners The significance of HDPE pond liners lies in their unique features. First and foremost, HDPE is highly resistant to punctures and tears. This quality is crucial when considering the harsh environments where these liners are often installed. Additionally, HDPE is UV stabilized, which means it can withstand prolonged exposure to sunlight without degrading. This property makes HDPE pond liners suitable for outdoor applications where other materials might fail. The Benefits of Using HDPE Pond Liners Using HDPE pond liners offers a multitude of benefits. One of the most notable advantages is their durability. HDPE liners can last for decades, reducing the need for replacements. Moreover, they are resistant to various chemicals and environmental factors, including extreme temperatures. This resilience translates to lower maintenance costs and a longer lifespan, making them a cost-effective solution for pond construction. Applications of HDPE Pond Liners HDPE pond liners are versatile and used in various applications. One of the primary uses is in agricultural settings. Farmers utilize these liners to create irrigation ponds, fish farms, and livestock watering systems. By preventing water loss, they ensure a reliable water supply for agricultural operations, ultimately enhancing productivity. Aquaculture and HDPE Pond Liners In aquaculture, HDPE pond liners play a vital role in creating controlled environments for fish farming. The liners help maintain water quality by preventing co

"The More Knowledgeable Other. is anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the leaner particularly in regards to a specific task, concept or process. Traditionally the MKO is thought of as a teacher, an older adult or a peer" (Dahms et al, 2007),

Breathing Earth is a real-time simulation that purports to display the CO2 emissions of every country in the world, alongside birth and death data. The simulation tracks on a map where in the world these vents are likley to be taking place. "Please remember that this real time simulation is just that: a simulation. Although the CO2 emission, birth rate and death rate data used in Breathing Earth comes from reputable sources, data that measures things on such a massive scale can never be 100% accurate. Please note however that the CO2 emission levels shown here are much more likely to be too low than they are to be too high. "

Breathing Earth is a real-time simulation that purports to display the CO2 emissions of every country in the world, alongside birth and death data. The simulation tracks on a map where in the world these vents are likley to be taking place. Really interesting stuff. "Please remember that this real time simulation is just that: a simulation. Although the CO2 emission, birth rate and death rate data used in Breathing Earth comes from reputable sources, data that measures things on such a massive scale can never be 100% accurate. Please note however that the CO2 emission levels shown here are much more likely to be too low than they are to be too high. "

Another great post by Tom Barret. Where does he find the time? Great ideas for digital writing and integrating ICT into your Literacy and english lessons

A digital storytelling chart looking at the steps students need to be take when creating digital stories. "Digital stories push students to become creators of content, rather than just consumers. Weaving together images, music, text, and voice, digital stories can be created in all content areas and at all grade levels while incorporating the 21st century skills of creating, communicating, and collaborating."

Post by Mary Beth Hertz. She lists some skills by grade level that she aims to have her students obtain. Each skill is rated per grade as either an Introductory (I), Developing (D) or Applied (A) Skill.