FYI from Mary Lorenz Program Specialist for Technology Education - TEA mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us

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The registration form for Summer Conference is attached.
PLEASE Share with all of the Tech Ed teachers you know.
This will NOT be mailed this year.
You can down load the complete registration packet from
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/Cate/teched/summerconf.html
or
www.texastechnology.com
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http://www.nae.edu/nae/techlithome.nsf/
Technological literacy, a broad understanding of the human-designed
world and our place in it, is an essential quality for all people who
live in the increasingly technology-driven 21st century. This website
explains what technological literacy is, why it's important, and what's
being done to improve it.
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Our Last Best Shot; Guiding our children through early adolescence
By:  Laura Sessions Stepp
ISBN# 1-57322-160-0
"Our Last Best Shot is a book parents and educators cannot afford to be
without."
"Considering the value and likeability of this often overlooked age
group, Stepp's wisdom and insights will benefit anyone who cares about
and works with young adolescents. Our Last Best Shot is an opportunity
to look at today's teens in a new light and see futures filled with hope
and possibility. "
http://www.kidsource.com/books/our.last.best.shot.html
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http://www.techedweb.com/ A good communication's website can bond
technology teachers into a highly unified team by helping one another.
This help comes through the sharing of ideas and information, ultimately
making the entire program nationally stronger. There are many talented
teachers who have developed excellent instructional techniques and are
presently employing them in their classrooms. Their programs create an
environment where kids are enthused and excited to learn. Unfortunately,
those teaching techniques never leave the four walls of the instructor's
classroom. Think of how many teachers and students would benefit by the
sharing of these ideas and techniques. This is the reason for the
creation of the Tech ED Web
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This new website of the top 10 Great Achievements of 20th Century
Mechanical Engineering provides teachers with on-line lesson plans and
ordering information for the free companion videotape.
http://www.asme.org/education/precollege/achieve/index.htm
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http://www.asme.org/education/precollege/magic/
Learn the science and engineering behind magic tricks with this
multimedia site for middle school. Downloadable teacher's guides and
lesson plans.
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http://www.terc.edu/   A leading not-for-profit research and development
organization, TERC has been championing innovation and improvement in
mathematics, science, and technology learning and teaching since 1965.
Through research, curriculum development, professional development, and
applications of technology, TERC provides opportunities for learners of
all ages to come together and engage in robust and reflective inquiry.
Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but national in its endeavors, TERC
has pioneered the creation of outstanding, inquiry-based curricula
grounded in classroom experience. Through professional development
programs, TERC strives to provide educators with learning opportunities
that support their efforts in schools and districts locally and across
the country.

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The National Energy Foundation is a unique non-profit educational
organization dedicated to the development, dissemination, and
implementation of supplementary educational materials, programs, and
courses. These resources for education relate primarily to energy,
water, natural resources, science and math, technology, conservation,
and the environment. All enrich and enhance teaching and learning. They
recognize the importance and contribution of natural resources to our
economy, to our national security, the environment, and our quality of
life. http://www.nef1.org/

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KISS Institute for Practical Robotics (KIPR) is a private non-profit
community-based organization that works with all ages to provide
improved learning and skills development through the application of
technology, particularly robotics. We do this primarily by providing
supplementary, extra-curricular and professional development classes and
activities. KISS Institute's activities began in 1993.
http://www.kipr.org/
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ITEA/CATTS Summer Workshops
Center to Advance Teaching Technology and Science (CATTS)
CATTS Consortium 2002 will facilitate teacher training workshops this
summer. This year's training topic is standards-based classroom
assessment for technology education. Dr. Leonard Sterry will be the
national presenter for the workshops.
"How Do Your Technology Students Measure Up?" will introduce the new
CATTS Publication, Measuring Progress: A Guide to Assessing Students for
Technological Literacy. Participants will receive "hands-on" experience
with standards-based assessment strategies, applying assessment to
improve student learning, and teaching others how to use effective
assessment techniques.
The workshop will answer questions about the definition of assessment,
why it is important, how to develop an effective assessment strategy,
and how to apply the results. Content will include using Standards for
Technological Literacy, identifying important concepts to be learned,
developing assessment criteria and levels of attainment, and selecting
assessment tools. Learning activities will be aligned with expected
outcomes.
Dates and locations for the workshops are:
Michigan
June 19-21
Kentucky
July 23-26
North Carolina
July 14-16 Idaho
August 7-9
Utah
July 24-26
Florida
October 16-19
Contact your State Supervisor for Technology Education for registration
information. The workshop is a member benefit of the CATTS Consortium.
For member information, contact Brigitte Valesey, CATTS Director, (301)
253-3233 or cattsitea@iris.org . Copyright statement: "Text, graphics,
and HTML code are protected by US  and International Copyright Laws, and
may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or
otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission."
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PBS has an archive of high quality lesson plans I thought you might be interested in:
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/
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Ads.Com  ***
http://www.ads.com/ads/index.jsp
For teachers looking for a particular television commercial to highlight
a concept of media literacy, this is a great site. Search by brand name,
or when you viewed the ad on U.S. network TV. Grade Level: Elementary,
Middle School, High School Content Area: English (General)[Dewey #800],
Business (Marketing), Arts (General) Application Type: Resource
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I was poking around the web today, and I found a great site that
categorizes, explains, and gives examples of different types of
questions such as essential questions, probing questions, organizing
questions, etc.  Since we have had several discussions about effective
questioning strategies, I thought you might like the link:
http://www.fno.org/nov97/toolkit.html
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Complete Entrepreneur is a unique computer-based system for delivering
instruction in technology, industry and entrepreneurship. It was
developed by New York University Professor Robert Swerdlow and is now
available for both PC and Macintosh platforms. Program details are
available at
http://www.completeteacher.com/CE-intro.htm
Use Complete Entrepreneur to prepare today's youngsters to become
tomorrow's business leaders. Programs on the CD-ROM are: * Elements of
Industry presents users with a conceptual framework for understanding
the elements which are common to all enterprises
including: management, finance, communication, research and development,
physical environment, relationships, materials, processes, energy,
purchasing, production, and marketing. * Student-Run Enterprise provides
students with the why and how of setting up an enterprise of their own
and offers suggestions for selecting an appropriate good or service. *
Entrepreneur's Handbook delivers in depth coverage of hundreds of topics
of interest to the budding entrepreneur. Users can search for
information electronically, then read it on-screen or print it out, as
desired. Crossword puzzles, word finds, riddles, games, and appropriate
links to the internet can also be found here. * Includes 9 electronic
Business Forms that will be helpful in running any business enterprise.
Each offers automatic computation and input of selected data. * Provides
8 digital Business Tools including employee time card and project
tracking systems; a glossary of business terms; address and appointment
books; a digital notebook and entrepreneur's database; and an internet
site management program. * Students get to test their understanding of
contemporary industry by competing in the Game of Industry. The game
challenges the user with hundreds of questions about the twelve common
elements of industry. * Many of the learning activities in the
Entrepreneur's Handbook are based upon a fictitious company that
designs, produces and markets a variety of Checkerboard Puzzles. Now
students can construct these 8 by 8 square checkerboards by selecting,
dragging and rotating the colorful puzzle parts that are supplied (Mac
only).
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"Target All-Around Scholarships for Students"
Target Stores will offer All-Around Scholarships for Students to high
school seniors, high school graduates and current college students who
are legal U.S. residents (age 24 and under). In addition, applicants
must enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study no later than
the fall term of 2003-2004 school year at an accredited two-or four-year
college, university or vocational-technical school in the U.S.  Target
will award four $10,000 and over 2,100 $1,000 scholarships for higher
education (two per Target store).  Application deadline: November 1,
2002.
http://www.target.com/target_group/community/community_sge.jhtml
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Required Summer Reading
A Framework for Understanding Poverty
By Ruby Payne
RFT Publishing/232 pages/1998
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/11
In the face of demanding standards initiatives and increasingly diverse
student populations, Ruby Payne's A Framework for Understanding Poverty
should be required reading for America's public school teachers.
Incredibly insightful, Payne's work incises America's social classes and
biopsies the language, attitude, rules, and behaviors that affect
American classrooms. She offers fundamentally sound advice for healing
one of the wounds in public education: social inequality. Payne's work
is thought provoking at least - philosophy altering at best. The
supposition is that American society, public schools included, operates
on middle class mores and norms - exclusive of upper and lower social
classes. Payne purports that many students are not achieving, or even
surviving, academically because they are expected to know and embrace
middle class behaviors, yet have been raised with differing values and
mindsets. Full of "aha" moments for teachers working with impoverished
students, Payne's work exposes the fundamentals of unfamiliar behaviors
that middle class teachers find baffling. As a teacher's understanding
of language registers, hidden rules and support resources grow, so, too,
does her understanding of her students - past, present, and future.
Daily, students are plucked from homes subsisting in generational
poverty and plopped into schools functioning according to middle class
rules. To better understand the disequilibrium created by crossing
social boundaries, Payne offers a "little quiz" about surviving in the
various social classes. This creates a monumental reference point as
teachers contemplate poor students trying to function in a "middle class
world" using their own rules. Payne's book does not advocate or even
propose that educators should attempt to change the social class of
students; rather, she asserts that through understanding and specific
instructional practices, teachers can empower students to choose
behaviors and responses appropriately and discriminately. Payne
describes why and how teachers should build meaningful relationships
with students from poverty. Payne explains the importance of and
techniques for teaching skills typically not taught at home. Payne
emphasizes that educators must teach the hidden rules to low income
students. When teachers understand generational poverty and its impact
on student achievement, they are able to empower students with the
skills necessary to operate effectively across social boundaries.
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** I Walked Away **
Joanne writes: "This last diary entry is very difficult to write. How do
I write electively and not self-pityingly or angrily or full of
recriminations? How do I express my love and concern for the students I
left behind? Of course I am learning from this experience. Good can come
out of it. Yet the fact remains I quit. I didn't have the courage to
teach, nor the courage to see the year out." As we can see in this diary
entry, Joanne makes no excuses for her own actions. But she makes it
clear that she is one among many new teachers who fail to receive the
support they need to succeed.
http://www.middleweb.com/mw/msdiaries/01-02wklydiaries/JP32.html
MIDDLE GRADES TEACHER
Ellen Berg, Sixth Grade
Turner Middle School, St. Louis MO
** The Hidden Rules of Teaching and Learning **
Ellen spent the weekend "down South," suffering a bit of culture shock
as she attended a full-bore Mississippi society wedding. On her six-hour
drive home, she picked up Ruby Payne's A Framework for Understanding
Poverty and had an epiphany or two. "I left a culture
whose rules I did not know or understand or even value for myself only
to read that this is very much how children of poverty feel about middle
class society. Each socioeconomic level has hidden rules that are clear
to the members of the level, but unclear or hidden to those who are not
a part of it. These misunderstandings can be key blockades to fully
effective teaching."
http://www.middleweb.com/mw/msdiaries/01-02wklydiaries/EB35.html
MIDDLE GRADES SCHOOL LEADER
Chris Toy, Principal
Freeport (ME) Middle School
** Questioning the Candidates, Part 2 **
This week, Chris takes us inside his school's teacher-hiring process. We
see some of the questions asked of math and social studies candidates,
we hear something about the short "sample" lessons they taught, and we
see just how his selection committee came to consensus
on their top choices.
http://www.middleweb.com/mw/msdiaries/01-02wklydiaries/CT35.html
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Career Paths  Grades 9 to 12
This site offers resources for determining the types of jobs in which a
student might be interested, explanations of specific jobs (some links
are outdated) and a list of sites to assist in applying for jobs and
interviewing. The sections on self-assessment are particularly
interesting.
http://gilligan.esu.k12.ne.us/~esuweb/esu/projects/career/career.html

Career Planning Collection  Grades 9 to 12
This page from the Southeast Michigan Math/Science Learning Consortium
offers a structured list of resources to help students and counselors
evaluate students' career interests and opportunities. Links include
personality and aptitude assessments, as well as a wide range of
career-specific listings.
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/exploringsci/career.html
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Administrative Support Occupations, Including Clerical  Grades 9 to 12
US Government
Specific career information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For
each job, users can find a description of the type of work, the training
(formal and informal) required, the average wages, and the outlook for
employment in that job over the next few years. These guides are dense
reading, but they contain a wealth of information.
http://stats.bls.gov/oco/oco.htm
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* Business Etiquette  Grades 9 to 12
Students who are investigating career possibilities would do well to
review this collection of workplace etiquette sites to see what "the
real word" expects in the workplace. There are examples from a variety
of work and professional settings, and the information could be
especially helpful to students who have little or no exposure to
particular careers.
http://www.hbcollege.com/management/students/bus_etiquette.htm
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Do some of those term papers you just graded look a little too good?
Perhaps the plagiarism virus has infected your classroom. PlagiServe is
a free, online plagiarism checker that compares submitted papers against
its own database of web-based research sources. We've tried for years to
find a plagiarism resource that would be useful and would remain active.
This one may be the ticket. You'll find it in our professional listings:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/tchr-subj.cfm?subject=professional&lower=1&upper=12

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Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency
512/463-9311

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information service to members of this listserve, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.
The website addresses were accurate and all content on referenced websites was appropriate during development and production of this product.  However, websites sometimes change;  The division of Career and Technology Education (CATE) takes no responsibility for a site's content.  the inclusion of a site does not constitute an endorsement of that site's other pages, products or owners.  You are strongly encouraged to verify all websites prior to use.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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Registration Materials will only be available ONLINE beginning April 17th at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/Cate/teched/summerconf.html
download you registration forms beginning April 17 th.
Call 512/463-9311 If you need a fax or hard copy.
Registration Brochure is attached!
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We are pleased to announce that planning is actively underway for the 2002 Technology Education Summer Conference, to be convened July 29th - August 2nd, 2002, at the Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel in Houston, TX.  Please plan to make time in your busy schedule and continue the celebration of the new millennium. There will be presentations, speakers, and activities designed to help us work together on our professional development.  Plan to bring a colleague and/or invite someone you know who has never been to in the conference.  It's our vision to make this conference the premier event that you can rely on for quality professional development.  We will be mailing to a listing of over 2500 practicing technology educators in Texas.  We have also established a conference web site at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/Cate/teched/summerconf.html.   However, mailing and the world wide web isn't enough!   "Word of mouth" is the best advertisement.   Feel free to copy and distribute this memo.  So talk it up and we'll see you at the Conference.
Regards,
Mary Lorenz,                    Julie Moore, Director
Program Specialist for                Center for Technology Literacy
Technology Education                University of Houston
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p.s. We would like to include your name as a presenter!  Please take time to share your ideas and accomplishments with others. Go to http://www.tea.state.tx.us/Cate/teched/summerconf.html and download an application for conference presentation, and complete and submit today!
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"ASM International Foundation"
The ASM International Foundation, a society of metals and materials scientists, awards 10 grants of $500 each to K-12 teachers. Applicants submit two-page proposals describing curriculum-based, hands-on projects that enhance students' awareness of the materials around them and involve observation, communication, and math and science skills.  Application
deadline: May 25, 2002.
http://www.asminternational.org/content/Foundation/LivingintheMaterialWorld/Living_Material_World.htm
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Grant Title: Alan Shephard Technology in Education Award
Organization: National Association of Education Technology Specialists (NAETS)
Deadline: April 30, 2002
Educators who demonstrate the effective use technology in the classroom are eligible to win a laptop computer through this brand-new program from the National Association of Education Technology Specialists (NAETS). The organization will grant its first annual Alan Shephard Technology in Education Award to an educator who has demonstrated innovation, commitment, and excellence in the teaching and development of technology programs in schools. The award is open to all educators and technology personnel at the school or district level who have demonstrated exemplary use of technology either to foster lifelong learners or make the learning process easier. The winning nominee will be flown to an awards ceremony where he or she will be presented with a commemorative trophy engraved with his or her name and a laptop computer. The honoree's name will also go onto a master trophy to be housed at the NAETS home office. A school principal must nominate the candidate from the school, and an associate superintendent or superintendent must nominate all district-level personnel. Nominations for the award are to be submitted to the NAETS office between February 1 and April 30. The selection committee will make a final choice by May 27.
Contact
NAETS
N/A
http://www.naets.org/national_award.htm
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http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/ima/
Inventing Modern America -- Celebrates the best of American ingenuity and inventiveness by exploring the life and work of five of modern innovators. Choose one of the inventors' qualities - courage, insight, know-how, vision, and perseverance - to find out more.
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So You Have to Do a Research Project? -- This site offers tips and strategies for starting, developing, and completing research projects for grades 3-8. The site encourages students to follow the links provided to complete six major steps (define the problem, decide the source of information, locate sources, take notes, organize, and evaluate) for developing a research project. Included is a printable KWHL (what you already Know, What you need to know, How you will find out, and what you Learned) chart for organizing thoughts. A chart will help decide which information tools to use. http://www.ri.net/schools/East_Greenwich/research.html
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"Allstate Foundation"
Allstate Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations, including
public K-12 schools, for projects that are related to automobile and
highway safety, homes and neighborhoods, and personal safety and security.
http://www.allstate.com/foundation/

"Best Buy Children's Foundation"
Best Buy Children's Foundation's mission is to enhance the quality of life
of school-age children in communities where they maintain a presence (39
states). The Foundation invests in organizations and programs committed to
making a difference in the lives of children with an emphasis on
innovative programs that promote personal achievement, mentor
relationships and life skills, and accentuate learning opportunities for
school-age children.
http://www.bestbuy.com/About/CommunityRelations/ChildrensFoundation.asp?m=435&cat=439&scat=463
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MY DAUGHTER'S EDUCATION
All schools strive to shape children into whatever it is the adults in
charge deem important. In high-achieving public schools with a reputation
for excellence, a primary goal is high performance. With a new emphasis on
high-stakes tests, parents fear even more pressure to conform to narrow
demands devised not by teachers who know their students, but by
bureaucrats and ideologues. Read an interesting and passionate report from
one father who was unprepared for homework to begin in kindergarten.
http://people.uis.edu/dfox1/essays/daughter-education.html
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HOW TO HANDLE TOUGH SUPERVISORS
If you've ever quit a job because you didn't get along with your boss,
you're not alone. A Gallup poll of over a million employees found that
workers' production and tenure is determined by their relationship with
their immediate supervisor. While bad bosses make for good Dilbert
cartoons, the reality is no laughing matter. Many supervisors have been
promoted to a leadership position because of their technical skills, not
an ability to manage people. Recognizing that your boss's behavior is
probably due to ignorance, not malice, is one step on the way to building
a better relationship.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/subcat/wst/gwst110119.html
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HELPING STUDENTS LEARN WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
If some students aren't learning to their potential, it may mean that they
haven't had the proper tools or opportunities to learn in ways that
accommodate their needs. Assistive technology gives kids with different
learning styles or abilities the tools they need for active learning. Read
about examples of devices that help children with disabilities learn more
effectively and help schools meet IDEA requirements.
http://www.publiceducation.org/cgi-bin/downloadmanager/publications/p95.asp
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http://www.nassp.org/news/bltn_hi_qlty_clsrms201.htm
As Levy (1996) notes:
Curriculum is more than the content of the subject we teach. One [goal] is certainly the mastery of a specific body of knowledge. But beyond that, the subjects we focus on are means to teach our students how to observe, how to question, how to reason, how to analyze, how to plan, how to make decisions, how to communicate, how to think. We also use subject content to awaken a desire for truth, a passion for understanding, a sense of the joy intrinsic in learning, and empathy for others. We use the curriculum to teach how to work with precision and care, to persevere, and to set high standards of achievement. The tension between covering content on the one hand, and developing habits of mind, heart, and work on the other is at the heart of the debate in schools about what is important to teach. (27-28)
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Subject: NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ROCKET CONTEST
In celebration of the centennial of powered flight in 2003, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has teamed with the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) to sponsor the "Team America Rocketry Challenge," a rocket design and launch contest for U.S. high school students.  The five winning student teams will share a total prize pool of approximately $50,000 in savings bonds.  Their school's science departments will share $9,000 in cash.
The Challenge involves designing, building, and flying a multi-stage model rocket weighing less than 3.3 pounds at liftoff and takes two raw eggs and an electronic altimeter as close as possible to 1500 feet at a fly-off competition to be held in Northern Virginia in April, 2003.
Information about the Challenge is posted on the AIA website at:
www.aia-aerospace.org/aianews/features/team_america/team_america.cfm .
AIA represents the nation's major manufacturers of commercial, military and business aircraft, helicopters, aircraft engines, missiles, spacecraft, materials, and related components and equipment. The National Association of Rocketry (NAR) is the nation's largest and oldest non profit organization for sport rocketry consumers, focusing primarily on education, public information, and the setting of nationally-recognized safety standards for sport rocket motors and sport rocket flying.
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Full Scholarships...
School is not out, but I want you to close you eyes and...NO! Don't go to sleep....wake up!...wake up!...hmmm maybe closing your eyes is not a good idea. Ok, now that you are awake, I want you to: Imagine spending 3-4 days (or more)  in the mountains of West Texas during the summer. (cool temperatures, etc.)
Imagine having a workshop in a brand new 12,000 square-foot laboratory.
Imagine workshops dealing with "Exploring our Solar System", "The Sky: Day & Night Observations", and "StarDate/Universe Teacher Guide and Beyond."
Imagine a workshop where you get to stay where professional astronomers hang out.
Imagine going on tours of the largest telescopes in the world...and if you talk reeeeaaallll nice, who knows what else you may get to do.
Telescopes to 'play' with.
Ok, this is not a dream! I know even with your eyes open, it sounds too good to be true. And it is! Region 18 teachers can get a full scholarship for these workshops. A full scholarship covers room and board at McDonald Observatory, all workshop materials and handouts, activities and tours, and continuing education credit. What do you have to provide? Transportation to and from the observatory.
And just where does all of this $$ come from that allows you to do this? Midland Oilman and investor Joe Parsley and The Meadows Foundation of Dallas have provided the scholarship funding. For application forms or more information on the workshops visit http://www.mcdonaldobservatory.org and click on "Teachers" at the top. Or you can contact Marc Wetzel at wetzel@astro.as.utexa.edu .
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* This super NOVA site is exploding with information *
NOVA Online now offers teachers quick access to more than 500 of the popular science program's educational resources in its expanded Teachers site, which includes a searchable database of program information, activities, and other classroom tools. The ever-growing collection includes detailed content summaries for most NOVA programs since 1993, along with information on which videos are for sale and how to purchase them. It also features more than 125 printable and 100 online activities with grade-level designations in anthropology, archaeology, chemistry, earth science, forensics, health science, life science, mathematics, paleontology, physical science, and space science.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/
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Dear Colleagues,
The faculty and students of the Industrial Technology Department at Abilene Christian University appreciate your concern regarding the closing of the department.  Your encouragement and suggestions for action have been taken to heart as we move into the future.
Here are the addresses of the principle administrators at ACU.
President Money (moneyr@acu.edu )
Box 29100, ACU
Abilene, TX 79699
Provost VanRheenen(dwaynevr@nicanor.acu.edu )
Box 29103, ACU
Abilene, TX 79699
Dean Durrington (durringtonc@nicanor.acu.edu )
Box 27915, ACU
Abilene, TX 79699
A question was asked as to what a letter of concern may include.  Some suggestions may be to:
use your letterhead, introduce yourself, describe the reputation of the ACU program and the teacher shortage, the importance of technology and technological literacy, anything else you think appropriate.
I hope we can all learn important lessons from this unfortunate turn of events.  Thank you for your professional concern and support.
Sincerely,
Jim
James C. Cooke Ph. D.
Chairman Industrial Technology Department
Abilene Christian University
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|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|

"Handspring Foundation"
The Handspring Foundation focuses on supporting non-profit organizations
or international equivalents that help at-risk children and youth. The
Foundation makes cash grants from $1,000 to $25,000 for projects that
focus on preK-12 education or other issues directly related to at-risk
children and youth.  Applications accepted May 1, August 1, and November
1, 2002.
http://www.handspring.com/company/foundation/about.jhtml

"2002 Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program"
This program challenges students to use creativity and imagination, along
with science, technology, and mechanical ability, to invent or modify a
tool. The award program is open to students in grades two to eight who are
residents of the United States and U.S. Territories. Two national
finalists will receive a $10,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (one winner
grades two to five; one winner grades six to eight); 10 national finalists
will receive a $5,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (five winners in each
grade category). All applications must be sent in by March 14, 2002.
http://www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman/
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TIPS FOR GRANTSEEKING TEACHERS
Grantmakers are eager to fund teachers' ideas for creative, hands-on
learning. But, to be successful at winning grants, it's important that
teachers match their idea with the funder's priorities, clearly explain a
need and a solution, show wide-ranging benefits, and focus on results. In
this issue of FoCAL Points, you can find eight tips for turning creative
ideas into convincing grant proposals.
http://www.publiceducation.org/cgi-bin/downloadmanager/publications/p98.asp
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Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency
512/463-9311

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."--e.e. cummings

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**********
Subj: FYI January #2 2002
Date: 1/17/2002 4:49:08 PM Central Standard Time
From: mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information
service to members of this listserve, and does not necessarily reflect
the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
A request:
Does anyone out there have a set of safety tests in Spanish they are
willing to share?
email: mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us
**********
Conference Announcement
We are pleased to announce that planning is actively underway for the
2002 Technology Education Summer Conference, to be convened July 29th -
August 2nd, 2002, at the Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel in Houston, TX.
Please plan to make time in your busy schedule and continue the
celebration of the new millennium. There will be presentations,
speakers, and activities designed to help us work together on our
professional development.  Plan to bring a colleague and/or invite
someone you know who has never been to in the conference.  It's our
vision to make this conference the premier event that you can rely on
for quality professional development.  We will be mailing to a listing
of over 2500 practicing technology educators in Texas.  We have also
established a conference web site at
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/Cate/teched/summerconf.html.
However,
mailing and the world wide web isn't enough!   "Word of mouth" is the
best advertisement.   Feel free to copy and distribute this memo.  So
talk it up and we'll see you at the Conference.
Regards,
Mary Lorenz,                    Dr. John Hansen,
Director
Program Specialist for                Center for the Study of
Technology
Technology Education                University of Houston
p.s. We would like to include your name as a presenter!  Please take
time to share your ideas and accomplishments with others.
Email or call to Mary and request an application for conference
presentation, and complete and submit today!
**********
Make Plans to attend!!!!!!!
Association of Texas Technology Educators Annual Conference
February 22, 23, 2002
Texas A&M university, College Station, TX.
The office phone number listed in the reg form is incorrect.
If you get calls about the conference please have them call me at
home/recorder
915 687-5292. or email  kcrowell@apex2000.net
or go to www.atte.org and click on 2002 conference link for a form.
Thanks for your help.
Kent Crowell
Goddard Jr High
**********
ATTE Conference Resume Central
"this is an opportunity for administrators and candidates to interact
with one another and to explore vacant technology education positions"
a 2hr session, 3-5ish on friday, 2-22-02, at the ATTE conference.
**********
Have you visited the NEW Texas TSA website?????
www.texastsa.org
**********
A new web site design for National TSA. The new design is now
posted and operational and awaits your visit. As with all web sites,
ours is a "work in progress," as changes, adjustments, and updates will
be made on an on going basis. Although all chapter advisors will be
receiving a post card announcing the new design, please "spread the
word." Our address remains the same, http://www.tsaweb.org.
**********
Nominations for Committee Members Sought
Nominations for Standards/Test Development Committees
http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/stand_framewrk/advisory.htm
SBEC encourages you to nominate educators (or yourself) for numerous
other committees that will meet in 2002. These committees are at various
stages in the development of new Examinations for Certification of
Educators in Texas (ExCET) that are based on the state's curriculum for
public school students, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

A committee nomination form is available for downloading from SBEC's web
site. Please use this form to recommend individuals (or yourself) to
participate on the standards development committees that will be
convened over the next several years. You may return the completed form
to Amy Buller, Office of Accountability, SBEC, 1001 Trinity St., Austin,
TX 78701-2603, fax it to 512/469-3018, or e-mail it to Amy Buller.
http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/stand_framewrk/standtestnomfrm.pdf
We appreciate your support and assistance with this endeavor so we can
ensure that the Texas public school system remains one of the best in
the nation.
Committees tentatively scheduled to meet 2001-2002
http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/stand_framewrk/tentsced.htm
**********
Brainworks
Improving productivity in the workplace and education
Spring Workshop:  Brain-Based Skill Development:
Learn strategies to develop skills faster, better and with a greater
retention level.
Saturday, March 2, 2002, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Holiday Inn Northwest, Houston, Texas
7787 Katy Freeway
For more information on upcoming workshops:
281-257-0607
Brainworks@academicplanet.com
**********
Dear Technology Education Teacher,
The ITEA annual conference is fast approaching.  One of the most popular
events is the Technology Festival.  If you don't know what the
Technology Festival is, it's an event where teachers get together and
swap ideas and see what our counter parts are doing.
Teachers bring and set up an activity their students will do.  There
are handouts for visitors coming in and viewing the Technology
Festival.  The application for the Technology Festival can be down
loaded from the ITEA web site (www.iteawww.org ).  Or simply e-mail the
information to me (galliherclass@hobart.k12.in.us ).
I will need your name, mailing address, preferred e-mail address,
activity title and a brief description.  I will also need to know if one
6-foot table will be enough if and you need electricity for you display.
Hope to see you at the Technology Festival.
Bob Galliher
Special Events Chairperson.
galliherclass@hobart.k12.in.us
**********
CES Industries A+ Computer Repair Teacher Workshop
You are invited to attend!
WHERE:
South Texas Community College
3700 W. Military Hwy.
McAllen, TX 78503
PH. (956) 992-6104
Contact Person: Pete Pompa
E-mail:   pompa@stcc.cc.tx.us
WHEN:  Thursday, March 7th  8:00AM  to 4:00 PM
Friday, March 8th  8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Subject:
Introduction to Computer Repair
Identifying Hardware Components
Operating Systems Windows 2000
New A+ Objectives
Preparing for the A+ Certification Test
CompTIA Jobs and Programs
Employment Opportunities
PRESENTED BY:
Ed Ermler, Systems Engineer
CES Industries
130 Central Ave.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
PH: 800-237-5221
There is no charge for this training session.
Seats are limited!
Please contact us if you plan on attending so we can reserve a seat for
you.
Brian Allan
Lab Resources, Inc.
P. O. Box 73471
Houston, TX  77273
Phone: (888) 963-2200 or 281-587-2200
Cell Phone: (281) 257-3486
FAX:     281-587-2211
E-Mail:  blallan@flash.net or dallan@flash.net
**********
Additional Funding Sources
http://www.stw.ed.gov/grants/found.htm
To maintain STW efforts for the long term, partnerships will need to
assemble diverse sources of financial support. These organizations may
have resources to support STW efforts.
www.Afterschool.gov
Database of federal resources that support children and youth during
out-of-school hours.
www.Beansprout.net
Webpage that describes the proposal process, gives tips for
grantwriting, passes on excellent advice from grantwriting experts, and
includes links to additional resources.
**********
This is the time of year when high school students start brushing up for
the SAT, ACT, and AP exams. For those seeking a grammar review with an
interesting context, try Dante's Infernal Grammar. Our review combines
and introduction to Dante's Inferno with lessons on some of the more
devilish grammar rules. Teachers will find they can use the two elements
independently or together. The Infernal Grammar is at
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/dante/
**********
====== Network Tools ====

17. Google Catalog Search [Beta]
http://catalogs.google.com/cathp

This new beta version site from Google offers catalogs from major
retailers.
Google has scanned in the catalogs and enabled them for text searching
(though they warn that searching may not be perfect, given the
technologies
involved). While users still have to call the retailers to order items,
the
site is a boon to those shoppers who are rushed this holiday season. If
you're regretting tossing out that recent Ikea catalog or looking for a
hard-to-find item, this is a great stop for you. Neat-o. [TK]

18. Relay Fonts 2001: A Typeface Odyssey
http://www.geocities.com/jonrelay/software/fonts/

These handwritten fonts are available for both Mac and PC. Users can
download a range of both alphabet and symbol fonts here, all of which
have
the homemade look of handwriting. This should be a fun addition for
anyone
who wants a different look for their documents. [TK]
**********
16. Project Starshine
http://www.azinet.com/starshine/

NASA Mission Specialist Dan Tani successfully deployed Starshine 2 from
the
Space Shuttle Endeavor into its own orbit. What exactly is Project
Starshine? Its name stands for Student Tracked Atmospheric Research
Satellite, a cooperative project producing an 85 pound sphere-shaped
satellite with a surface covered by 845 aluminum mirrors. The mirrors
were
polished by 30,000 students in 660 schools in 26 countries. A nitrogen
gas
system will spin Starshine 2 so that, students hope, it will cast solar
reflections onto Earth at certain times. At this Website you can read
about
Starshine 1 and 2, learn how the middle school students polished and
assembled the mirrors, and download forms for teachers who want their
classes to participate in Starshine 3/4, the next cooperative satellite
launch. Visitors to the Starshine site can also link to pages giving
information on how to catch a glimpse of the gleaming, space disco ball
from
their backyards. [HCS]
**********
|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|

"Free Materials for new PBS High School Series"
"Senior Year" is a candid PBS documentary series that chronicles the
lives
of 15 students during their last year at Fairfax High in Los Angeles,
one
of the most diverse public schools in America.  The 13-part series will
be
broadcast nationally on PBS beginning on January 11, 2002 (check local
listings.)  With funding from the Kellogg Foundation, Roundtable, Inc.
is
producing a public engagement campaign to encourage organizations to
bring
the teen voice into community discussions about education in general and
high school in particular. Roundtable is making public engagement
materials available for this project.  Each free public engagement kit
contains flyers, public engagement guides, discussion videos, and
CD-ROMS.
Quantities are limited, so please respond before January 10. To request
"Senior Year" materials e-mail senioryear@roundtablemedia.com or call
(781) 893-3336, ext. 15. For more about the series, see the preview
website on PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/senioryear/

"Smaller Learning Communities Program"
The Smaller Learning Communities program will support the planning,
implementation or expansion of small, safe, & successful learning
environments in large public high schools to help ensure that all
students
graduate with the knowledge & skills necessary to make successful
transitions to college & careers. The Secretary of Education will award
both planning grants & implementation grants.  Local educational
agencies
applying on behalf of large high schools, or schools funded by the
Bureau
of Indian Affairs, are eligible to apply. Applications Due: February 19,
2002.
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2001-4/121901b.html
 

"2002 Peter F. Drucker Innovation Award"
Applications for the twelfth annual Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit
Innovation are now available by mail or on the Foundation's Web site.
The
award is given each year to a nonprofit organization in recognition of a
program that has made a difference in the lives of the people it serves
-
producing results that exemplify Peter Drucker's definition of
innovation:
"Change that creates a new dimension of performance." A prize of $25,000
and a short video of the winning program accompany the Drucker Award.
Application deadline: June 7, 2002.
http://pfdf.org/innovation/index.html

"2002 EDS Technology Grants"
The EDS Technology Grant Program helps teachers of children ages 6
through
18 purchase information technology products and services that will
improve
their students' ability to learn.  Each year, EDS offices worldwide
sponsor and award $1,500 grants to teachers through a competitive
application process.  The grants are awarded to teachers through their
schools, and schools applying for a grant must be located within 50
miles
of a sponsoring EDS account.  Application deadline: January 18, 2002.
http://www.eds.com/community_affairs/com_tech_grants_02.shtml
**********
TEN TIPS FOR DONATING A COMPUTER
Determine if your old computer can be re-used.  If you have a computer
that is less then five years old, chances are that refurbishers will be
happy to accept it. Computer refurbishers accept disposed equipment and
fix it up so that others can use it. Refurbishers work with newer
disposed
equipment, usually Pentium-level computers and up that can run current
Internet programs. If your old computer is more than five years old, it
will be the best to recycle it.
http://www.techsoup.org/recycle/10tips.cfm
**********
Q&A ON NEW EDUCATION BILL
As a result of the recently passed education bill, schools will measure
student achievement and be held accountable for the results. Failing
schools will also get extra resources to improve. School reform
advocates
hope that making student achievement data available to the public will
encourage parents and citizens to demand more of their schools. Click
below for a plain language answers to common questions about the new
legislation.
http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/12/19/education.bill.questions.ap/index.html
**********
Complete Entrepreneur is a unique computer-based system for delivering
instruction in technology, industry and entrepreneurship. It was
developed by New York University Professor Robert Swerdlow and is now
available for both PC and Macintosh platforms. Program details are
available at http://www.completeteacher.com/CE-intro.htm
Use Complete Entrepreneur to prepare today's youngsters to become
tomorrow's business leaders. Programs on the CD-ROM are:
* Elements of Industry presents users with a conceptual framework for
understanding the elements which are common to all enterprises
including: management, finance, communication, research and development,
physical environment, relationships, materials, processes, energy,
purchasing, production, and marketing.
* Student-Run Enterprise provides students with the why and how of
setting up an enterprise of their own and offers suggestions for
selecting an appropriate good or service.
* Entrepreneur's Handbook delivers in depth coverage of hundreds of
topics of interest to the budding entrepreneur. Users can search for
information electronically, then read it on-screen or print it out, as
desired. Crossword puzzles, word finds, riddles, games, and appropriate
links to the internet can also be found here.
* Includes 9 electronic Business Forms that will be helpful in running
any business enterprise. Each offers automatic computation and input of
selected data.
* Provides 8 digital Business Tools including employee time card and
project tracking systems; a glossary of business terms; address and
appointment books; a digital notebook and entrepreneur's database; and
an internet site management program.
* Students get to test their understanding of contemporary industry by
competing in the Game of Industry. The game challenges the user with
hundreds of questions about the twelve common elements of industry.
* Many of the learning activities in the Entrepreneur's Handbook are
based upon a fictitious company that designs, produces and markets a
variety of Checkerboard Puzzles. Now students can construct these 8 by 8
square checkerboards by selecting, dragging and rotating the colorful
puzzle parts that are supplied (Mac only).
**********
Working with special education or gifted students can present unique
challenges for regular classroom teachers. It takes special skills to
reach these students and help them reach their full potential.
TeachersFirst's E-Ready section is an extensive collection of resources
on gifted and special education. We designed it with an emphasis on
teaching strategies, not regulations, so there are lots of practical
suggestions for working with a wide range of physical, intellectual, and
emotional conditions. If you're working with a "special" child, there
are lots of ideas here. The E-Ready resources are at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/sped/
**********
|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|
"New Rules for Novices"
To encourage greater participation by first-time and inexperienced
applicants for federal funding, the Department recently published new
rules in the Federal Register. The rules give the Secretary of Education
the option of holding separate competitions just for novice applicants,
or including novice applicants in the general program competitions--but
giving them a competitive preference through bonus points. A novice
applicant refers to any applicant who: (1) has never received a grant or
subgrant under the program for which it seeks funding; (2) has never
been part of a group application that received a grant under the program
for which it seeks funding; (3) has not had an active discretionary
grant from
the federal government in the five years before the deadline for
applications under the program.
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/finrule/2001-4/113001a.html
**********
CHILDREN'S INTERNET PROTECTION ACT PLANNING GUIDE
No technology protection measure is or ever will be 100% effective in
protecting young people from exposure to material that is potentially
harmful. There is simply too much material on the Internet, with more
material posted every second, for any technological system to be truly
effective. However, a comprehensive new resource is available for school
districts to guide the development of Internet policies and regulations
to address the safe and responsible use of the Internet by students.
http://netizen.uoregon.edu/documents/cipa.html
**********
14. Roboform
http://www.roboform.com/
ZDNet Downloads
http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,10615,55388,00.html
Roboform, offered by Siber Systems, is a free one-click web form filler
and password manager. The newest version 4.2.0 is now available for
Internet Explorer 4 or 5 and Netscape 6 for PC and Mac. The utility adds
task bar buttons to automatically fill in stored personal information to
those frequently used web based forms as well as a handy web page
password
manager. The download is available at the site listed above and at
ZDNet.com which includes a glowing review. [JAB] From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
15. Nevermind
http://www.fransson.cjb.net/
The holidays are here so why not treat yourself to some computer-based
procrastination? Nevermind is a new, slick-looking game for Mac OS 8-X
and Windows 95 and above. With rules the same as the board game
Mastermind, Nevermind is kindly created and provided for free by
Scandinavian programmer Simon Fransson. [HCS] From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
3.  Lesson Plans Library
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/index.html
As part of Discovery.com and DiscoverySchool.com, the Lesson Plans
Library gives educators a collection of "hundreds of original lesson
plans, all written by teachers for teachers". The plans can be searched
by grade, subject, or both and are presented in an easy and consistent
format with sections on lesson objectives, needed materials, procedures,
etc. Printable
versions of each lesson plan are available as well as a teaching tools
link to create custom worksheets, puzzles and quizzes about each topic.
[JAB] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
Do-it-Yourself: Stop Junk Mail, Email and Phone Calls
Junk mail may seem as inevitable as death and taxes, but with a little
patience there are effective ways to tackle the problem of reducing
unwanted or intrusive advertising. This guide provides clear, simple and
proven reduction techniques. With about 20 minutes of time you can clear
the junk for between two and five years.
http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/
**********
http://www.rubegoldberg.com/html/contest.htm
The 2002 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest National Challenge is to select,
raise, and wave a national flag...in twenty or more steps!
The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest brings the ideas of Pulitzer
Prize-winning artist Rube Goldberg's "Invention" cartoons to life. Named
after, and inspired by the cartoonist Reuben Lucius Goldberg, this
Olympics of Complexity is designed to pull students away from
conventional problem-solving and push them into the endless chaos of
imagination and intuitive thought. To be specific, groups are given an
elementary challenge: something as simple as peeling an apple or,
sharpening a pencil or putting toothpaste on a toothbrush. But instead
of just "solving" the problem, students have to make the solution as
complicated and as convoluted as possible. In fact, the more steps -
there's a minimum of twenty - the better the Rube Goldberg Machine. And
what a machine! An assemblage of ordinary objects, mechanical gadgets
and the oddest odds and ends are linked together mechanically to somehow
get to the desired goal.
**********
 

Janyary FYI
http://www3.autodesk.com/adsk/index/0,,479892-123112,00.html#section6
3D Studio Viz/Max tutorials and lessons
**********
http://www3.autodesk.com/adsk/item/0,,986076-123112,00.html
Autodesk Inventor Student Design Project
The Autodesk Inventor Student Design Project leverages the Inventor Test
Drive booklet and integrates Autodesk Inventor 5 design files. The
project takes students and educators through a step-by-step tutorial to
build a scooter and use the basic functionalities of Autodesk Inventor
5. This project is a great tool for introducing Inventor 5 into the
classroom and allows users to have immediate hands on experience.
**********
Brainworks
Improving productivity in the workplace and education
Spring Workshop:  Brain-Based Skill Development:
Learn strategies to develop skills faster, better and with a greater
retention level.
Saturday, March 2, 2002, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Holiday Inn Northwest, Houston, Texas
7787 Katy Freeway
For more information on upcoming workshops:
281-257-0607
Brainworks@academicplanet.com
**********
New E-Learning Directory
This site is the result of a survey of over 2,000 traditional colleges
and virtual universities for the purpose of compiling a new searchable
E-learning directory, and may be of interest to graduating high school
students or teachers interested in E-learning courses. The E-learning
search engine
( http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/elearning/tools/elsearch.htm ) is
organized by type of course (undergraduate to doctorate), by subject
(Agriculture, to Visual and Performing Arts) and by 10 types of delivery
modes. This site also offers an E-learning discussion forum with a
participating E-learning expert adviser, articles about the latest
E-learning issues and trends, student profiles, and a searchable
corporate E-learning directory which contains a guide to vendor products
and companies, as well as a ranking of vendors by customer-satisfaction
criteria. From an article in US News and World Report (with thanks to
Ria Rizos):
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/elearning/elhome.htm
**********
The Lucas Foundation on Project-Based Learning
The George Lucas Foundation web site now features a new compilation of
materials on project-based learning. Compared with learning solely from
textbooks, project-based learning has many benefits for students. A
growing body of academic research supports the use of project-based
learning in schools as a way to engage students, cut absenteeism, boost
cooperative learning skills, and improve test scores. Those benefits are
enhanced when technology is used in a meaningful way. In many schools,
educators believe that project-based learning that freely crosses
disciplines provides an education superior to the traditional "Algebra
at 9, Civil War at 10, Great Expectations at 11" structure. Advocates
also say that the availability of technology that can call up the
knowledge of the world's best thinkers with the click of a mouse, that
can graph in two seconds what once took hours, and that can put
scientific instrumentation in a pocket-sized computer further argues for
moving away from century-old models of instruction.
George Lucas puts it this way: "Once you put in project learning, then a
lot of other things fall away because it's hard to do project learning
without having communication with the students. You can't... do it in
isolation. And obviously you're not doing things in the abstractS you
end up having to work with other students, which is cooperative
learning, which promotes emotional intelligence, which is actually much
more important in the real world than a high degree of intellectual
intelligence, because what you're really doing is working with other
people." This George Lucas Foundation feature presents a variety of
articles on project-based learning, including downloadable video and
audio versions (see also the Big List, it's really big):
http://glef.org/FMPro?-DB=articles1.fp5&-format=article.html&-lay=layout
%20%231&learnlivekeywords::jargonfree=Project-Based%20Learning&-max=200&
-token.1=Art_884&-token.2=Project-Based%20Learning&-token.3=Innovative%2
0Classrooms&-find
**********
MT Tip of the Week December 12, 2001
Communication Skills
When putting together a group of people for problem-solving action,
limit the size of the group.  To get the best results, give the task to
at least five people -- but not more than seven.  If fewer than five
people are in the group, it can put too much pressure on them to come up
with the ideas to solve the problem.  If you involve more than seven,
some are likely to loaf because the group is large enough for the
reluctant or lazy to hide in the group.  If more than seven people are
needed, consider dividing the group into subgroups and assigning each a
portion of the problem to solve.
**********
http://www.asme.org/education/precoll/bestpractice.htm
ASME International is pleased to announce a special Call for Papers on
Best Practices in High School-Level Engineering Curricula. Submitted
papers should be a maximum of eight (8) pages and should address
innovative course work, lesson plans, project activities, and/or
technical curricula that offer high school students hands-on learning in
engineering design and technology. We anticipate up to eight (8) winners
($500 honorarium) and eight honorable mentions ($100).
What should be the content?
Papers must include goal and objectives, project description, brief
lesson plans, laboratory contents, equipment required, duration of the
project, work performed by the students, results of the project
(benefits to the students, awards, recognition's), and links to
educational standards. The most sought after innovations will be those
that can be duplicated by other schools. Illustrations, design drawings,
diagrams are required. Pictures of students, products, process flow will
enhance the quality of the paper. All papers must address the "Best
Practices" project goals and objectives.
Who should submit the paper?
High school teachers and/or collaborators from college or industry who
have demonstrated innovative engineering curricula, or course lesson
plans for lecture and labs, or a specific course project that involves
significant student activities.
March 15, 2002  Abstracts Due

You may address questions about the project to Ms. Roman via e-mail or
by calling 1-800-843-2763 or via e-mail to the ASME Best Practices
Project Leader, Dr. Lucy King, Kettering University  lking@kettering.edu

**********
http://www.asme.org/education/precoll/discovery/index.htm
Tools of Discovery is an educational program for high school grades
about Machines and Motion in the Physical Sciences. It was developed by
ASME International for use with the educational video "Career
Encounters: Mechanical Engineering."

IDEAS - Integrated Design Engineering Activities Series (great stuff in
here!)
http://www.asme.org/education/precoll/ideas/index.htm
Ten new low-cost, "hands-on" engineering projects for middle school
math, science and technology studies. Developed by teachers and
engineers, the 'IDEAS' projects are tied to science, math and technology
teaching standards and are very low cost, adaptable activities that help
teach the math and the science, while steping into technology and the
engineering design process
This Engineering Is For Everyone
http://www.asme.org/education/precoll/everyone/index.htm
Teacher's Discussion Kit was created by elementary school teachers with
the support of the ASME. It is designed to help teachers in grades 3
thru 6 introduce their students to the ideas and problem-solving
techniques that underlie many careers - especially those in engineering.

Engineers Solve Problems
http://www.asme.org/education/precoll/esp/index.html
This series of seven downloadable applied math lessons and projects
helps middle school students learn what engineers do and make the
connection between math and engineering.
**********
We sometimes forget that there are still teachers out there who are new
to the Web and just beginning to understand the power of this technology
in the classroom. If you are in this group, we remind you that
TeachersFirst's Web Tutorial section includes everything from an
introduction to basic Web terminology to copyright information to
classroom technology teaching tips. If you know less about the web than
you'd like to, this is a great place to start. The Web Tutorial section
begins at: http://www.teachersfirst.com/web.htm
**********
OY! EDUCATION!
Perhaps we adults are the slow learners. Our children are more than
their scores on standardized tests. They are complicated and amazing
individuals who learn in their own ways and at their own paces. We
diminish their value when we box them into graphs and percentage charts.
We diminish our highest beliefs and ourselves when we use the language
of the marketplace, the language of business, to define education.
http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0111che.htm
**********
|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|

"National Education Association Foundation Innovation Grants"
This grant program is designed to help public education employees
improve teaching and learning (including the use of technology). Public
K-12 schoolteachers and support personnel are eligible to apply for the
grant. Deadline: Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis. Notification
for applications postmarked by March 15, 2002, will be made by August 1,
2002.
There will be 200 grants of $2,000 each.
http://www.nfie.org/programs/innovation.htm

"Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowships"
The US Department of Energy manages the fellow program for distinguished
elementary and secondary school mathematics and science teachers.
Einstein Fellows usually serve for ten months in professional staff
positions in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, DOE, NASA,
NSF, NIH, ED, NIST, or OSTP. Appointments usually begin in September and
end in June.
Application deadline: February 1, 2002.
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/Einstein/about.htm

"2002 Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program"
This program challenges students to use creativity and imagination,
along with science, technology, and mechanical ability, to invent or
modify a tool. The award program is open to students in grades two to
eight who are residents of the United States and U.S. Territories. Two
national finalists will receive a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond (one winner
grades two
to five; one winner grades six to eight); 10 national finalists will
receive a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond (five winners in each grade
category).All applications must be sent in by March 14, 2002.
http://www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman/

"MetLife Foundation Tri-Connecting Award"
MetLife Foundation and Families and Work Institute announce and solicit
applications for the MetLife Foundation Tri-Connecting Award. The award
will honor initiatives across the United States that strengthen
connections among students, teachers, and parents with their communities
to promote student learning and success. Eight awards will include a
grant
of $2,500 to inspire continued action. Twenty-four finalists and eight
winners will be announced in Spring 2002. Application deadline: January
11, 2002.
http://www.familiesandwork.org/metlife.html
**********
FIND YOUR SCHOOL
Use this map to get information on any of the approximately 92,000
public schools in the Department of Education's 1999-2000 school year
database. Get its address, find out how many students attend, and learn
other school characteristics. Just click on a state, or choose one from
the pull down menu beneath the map. Then select a city and click on the
name of the
school when the list appears.
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/school.asp

****************
December 2001

http://www.purportal.com/
E-Scribe New Media brings purportal.com to the Web in an effort to
combat hoaxes and misinformation. Here users can search five of the most
well-known sites dedicated to setting the record straight: Snopes Urban
Legends Archive, About.com Urban Legends search, CIAC Hoax Database,
CERT Computer Security Database, and Symantec (Real) Virus Encyclopedia.
The site also features a special page devoted to hoaxes related to the
events of September 11 and a list of helpful links. [TK] From The Scout
Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

17. Web Design Tools -- prana3
http://www.prana3.com/tools/
prana3 presents this Website with free tools for Web developers. From
here, users can find various design tools (HTML, CSS, Javascript,
Photoshop, Flash, etc.); usability and accessibility information
(articles, tools, and links); graphics; and information on setting up a
Website, promoting a site, and handling revenue. This is a good site for
those just getting started with Web design, as the language is clear and
the resources feature a great
deal of beginning tutorials and tools. [TK] From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
15. Special Report: 2001 Odyssey Mission to Mars
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/mars_odyssey_sr.html
Space.com offers this special look at the Odyssey Mission, the latest
robotic probe circling Mars that delivered its first pictures back to
Earth earlier this fall. If you can get past Space.com's flashy pop-up
advertisements, you'll find interesting features such as "Water or No
Water," an article discussing the search for groundwater on the Red
Planet. Links to infrared imagery from the mission, an animation of the
canyon-riddled topography and a discussion of how the search for water
is conducted and how it relates to the search for life on Mars are
furnished. Other highlights of this Web feature include a schematic of
the Odyssey craft; an article about NASA's "faster, better, cheaper"
approach to space exploration; numerous videos from their SpaceTV
program; images (digital elevation models, infrared, photographic) of
Mars from NASA telescopes and earlier missions such as the Viking and
the Mars Global Surveyor; and of course, the latest infrared images
coming from the Odyssey Mission itself. [HCS] From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
9.  Devices of Wonder
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/devices/
The Getty Museum cleverly uses our new media toy, the World Wide Web, to
showcase this exhibition of media devices from the past and present.
Included are inventions that present visual information or optical
illusions, such as Indonesian shadow puppets, magic lantern slides,
pop-up books, thaumatropes, and anamorphic images. Both animated and
non-animated
versions are available, and there are tradeoffs with each. In the
animated version, users can see each device in action, but it takes a
little longer to simply get each device's name and information about how
it works. For example, the animated thaumatrope works pretty well, since
it is easy to see that it is a card with two images on the back and
front that fuse when the card is spun on a string. It's a little harder
to figure out how the choreutoscope works from starting with the
animated version, although one gets to watch the skeleton dance. The
non-animated version immediately informs us that this is a hand-cranked
magic lantern slide. [DS] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet
Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
4.  Netsurfer Robotics
http://www.netsurf.com/nsr/
This new monthly e-zine from Netsurfer, available on-site or via
subscription, covers most anything related to robotics. Each issue
highlights a wealth of online resources grouped by topic or story. The
first issue has annotated links related to the use of robotics in
post-September 11 missions (bomb detection, search and rescue, etc.),
LEGO's reaction to
hackers work on Mindstorm, new technologies, new toys, and more. [TK]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
*********************************************
MT Tip of the Week December 5, 2001
Discipline
It's easy to make a student unhappy or put him or her on the defensive
without intending to.  For instance, you should never begin a
conversation by saying, "You won't like this, but..." Let the student
decide how to react.  If you say such words, you have, in effect, said,
"Before I say anything, I'm going to make you tense.  In fact, I'm going
to make you  angry."  Such beginnings are a mistake and set the tone for
an ineffective  and even hostile meeting -- and a negative outcome.
**********
There's a new spate of viruses running around - time to remind you that
TeachersFirst's Techtopics page has lots of information on ways to use
technology effectively in the classroom. There are also tips on keeping
your computer safe and free of viruses and other nasties. Most school
networks provide this filtering for you, but if you have a computer at
home, it's well worth a few bucks a year to keep your virus software
updated. The TeachersFirst Tech Topics are at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/techtopics.htm

A unit on inventors and inventions is a great way to combine content on
creativity, industrialization, and history. TeachersFirst's Inventors'
Workshop combines an elementary unit on inventors of the
industrialrevolution with a comprehensive listing of web sites about
inventors, their inventions, and the invention process. We've even added
information on many current-day inventors. The Inventors' Workshop is at
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/inventor/
**********
It's December. Hang in there - there's time off coming...
One of our more popular holiday lessons is the Giving Tree unit. Based
on Shel Silverstein's book, this activity asks students to think about
giving and then write briefly about the gift they would most like to
give. This one works for students at many levels, and we'd love to get
some examples of students' work if you're interested in sharing with us.
In any case, the Giving Tree lesson is at
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/givingtree.htm
**********
"Earthwatch Education Awards"
Earthwatch is a coalition of citizens and scientists working together to
sustain the world's environment, monitor global change, conserve
endangered habitats, explore the heritage of our peoples, and foster
world health and international cooperation. Earthwatch Institute offers
fellowships for K-12 educators to join their two-week field expeditions.
Projects range from archeological digs in Peru, to habitat studies in
Oregon, to running transects through reefs in the Bahamas. Earthwatch
Institute aims to promote multidisciplinary science and social studies
curriculum in schools nationwide as well as enrich teachers and enhance
the academic experience of students.  Applications are accepted on a
rolling basis.
http://www.earthwatch.org/ed/apply.html
**********
THE EFFECTIVE TEACHER THINKS
The effective teacher thinks, reflects, and implements. The effective
teacher models what is expected from the students--the ability to think
and solve problems on their own. Effective teachers use their cumulative
knowledge to solve problems. Whether a teacher is in a public or private
school, charter school, adult education classroom, teacher in-service
workshop, or private industry seminar, the techniques remain the same.
It makes no difference what the grade level is: kindergarten, fourth
grade, high school, or a subject matter: music, foreign language, or
physical education. (1) Effective classrooms start on time. (2) Students
know the classroom procedures. (3) Teachers understand how to teach for
mastery. (4) Teachers have high expectations for student success.
http://teachers.net/gazette/NOV01/covera.html
**********
====== Network Tools ====
17. Drop Drawers 1.5.8 [Mac 7+]
http://www.sigsoftware.com/dropdrawers/index.html
This nifty shareware program from Sig Software places pull-out/
snap-shut "drawers" on the sides of users' screens, which can store
items for easyaccess. In addition to storing text (which can be inserted
into any program via keyboard shortcuts), users can store email
addresses, URLs, thumbnails, sounds, movies, aliases to frequently used
files, and more. The help documentation is easy to understand, and
earlier versions of the program are available in Japanese, Italian,
French, German, and Traditional Chinese.  Drop Drawers is shareware, and
a license costs $20. Very handy. [TK] From The Scout Report, Copyright
Internet Scout Project 1994-2001. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

18. 121-java-script-tutorials.com
http://www.121-java-script-tutorials.com/index.htm
This site is designed for users with some basic familiarity with
programming languages who want to learn more about JavaScript. Users
will find some basics here, including an overview of JavaScript, some
key terms, and information on syntax and methodology. This is not an
in-depth site, but it provides an easy-to-understand, simple
introduction for those new to
JavaScript. [TK] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project
1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
11. School District Demographics System [.csv]
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sdds/
This new site from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
acts as a gateway to geographic and demographic data related to school
districts, children, and K-12 education. From the front page of the
site, users will be able to access data from the 2000 Census, the 1999
Census, intercensal school district demographic data, and maps of school
districts. These latter two functions are not yet available; the maps
are still being developed, and
the intercensal data "provided limited scope with regard to subject
matter updates to the Census 2000 data." Even in its nascent stages,
however, this site is useful for those looking for data regarding US
schools. The help documentation and online explanations are easy to
understand, and the data can be downloaded in comma separated value
files or accessed online. One particularly helpful feature is the
district profiles page in the Census 2000 section, where users can
compare data on school districts using drop-down menus. [TK] From The
Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
10. Inventing Modern America, from the Microwave to the Mouse [.pdf]
http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/ima/
Invention Dimension
http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/org/i/invent/
Excerpts and supplements from Lemelson-MIT Program's 2001 book
_Inventing Modern America, from the Microwave to the Mouse_ are housed
in this colorful, fun Website. The book celebrates the best of American
ingenuity and inventiveness, profiling inventors of everyday objects
such as Kevlar (inventor Stephanie Kwolek) and the electronic telephone
switchboard
(inventor Erna Schneider). The book's Website gives facts about some of
these inventors, furnishes color .pdf pages from the book, has
invention-related games such as "Which Came First?" (e.g., neon or
fluorescent lights?), discusses the Lemelson-MIT Program, and gives
links to other sites on innovation. One of these links is to its
companion site Invention
Dimension, which has refurbished and added content since we last
reviewed it in the January 12, 1996 _Scout Report_. The Invention
Dimension has an exciting Inventor of the Week section and searchable
archive along with an Inventor's Handbook dealing with intellectual
property, patents, business plans, etc. If you ever wondered who
invented the chocolate chip cookie or
wanted to learn more about Frank Zamboni, father of the ice-resurfacer
seen at your local skating rink, this resource is for you! [HCS] From
The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********

Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency
512/463-9311

"Information is a wonderful thing, but it is not knowledge. You wouldn't
be educated if you managed to memorize the entire encyclopedia. You
would just be weird."
-David McCullough (historian)
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES:

**********
FYI November
To all
I am looking for suggestions for tours for the 2002 ATTE Annual
Conference at
A&M.
I am also looking for a new committee member to take on the
responsibility of
organizing the tours.
Please reply to this email with your suggestions.
Richard W. Lipham - President ATTE lipham@aol.com
**********
MT Tip of the Week October 25, 2001
Communication Skills
How you handle questions from others often determines how long a
discussion will continue.  For instance, it's vital to look at the
questioner when answering his or her query.  If you don't want to take
another question from the same person or have said all you want to say,
look at others in the class or meeting as you finish.  If you want
another question or want
to continue the discussion, however, keep your eyes fixed on the
questioner as you answer.  In the meeting room or classroom, this
technique can lead the discussion in the direction you desire.
**********
The NEED Project  http://www.need.org/info.htm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
education association dedicated to developing and distributing
comprehensive, hands-on energy education programs to schools nationwide.
Students are presented with objective scientific explanations of the
role of energy in society. Curriculum materials and activities are
designed to promote an understanding of the economic and environmental
trade-offs of energy, so that students and teachers are able to make
educated decisions in the future.
NEED Energy Infobooks  http://www.need.org/infobooks.htm
If you would like to order a class-set of the Infobooks for use in the
classroom, you may email info@need.org to request a catalog
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Teachers are vital to the success of the NEED program. NEED teachers in
38 states and territories reach more than 600,000 (lets check project
numbers) students each year in their local schools, and many more
through outreach programs. Providing teachers with innovative training
programs and the support of supportive and responsive NEED staff are key
to the strength and the success of NEED.  Training for teachers and
students http://www.need.org/training.htm   is offered at the local,
state, regional and national levels. In the summer, NEED conducts
National Energy Conferences for Educators. These national conferences
give teachers the opportunity to meet other educators from across the
country, design and develop NEED units for their classrooms, and earn
graduate credit. They participate in NEED activities, experience field
trips to energy sites such as nuclear plants, coal mines, offshore oil
production facilities, solar manufacturing facilities, sustainable
building projects and more. NEED's sponsors and partners participate as
speakers and provide funds to offset the cost of training. Educators
leave the workshops with a complete package of NEED materials and units
for use in their classrooms. In the summer of 2001, more than 100
educators from across the country will attend National Energy
Conferences in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Williamsburg, Virginia.
Throughout the school year, NEED coordinators, instructors and students
conduct training programs for teachers, students, parents, and community
members in their regions. Educators and students who attend these
training programs see NEED in action. They receive materials and
training to implement NEED's innovative programs in their schools.
Participants return to America's classrooms with new knowledge and
leadership skills. All of the workshops and conferences offer teachers
the opportunity to earn professional development and/or graduate credit
depending on the rules governing continuing education credit in the
state.  Some NEED states also sponsor summer energy camps for kids,
spring break day camps, overnight energy weekends, and student
internships. Many NEED schools work with boy scouts and girl scouts to
help them gain their energy-related merit badges.
**********
Texas Forestry Association  http://www.plttexas.org/tci.htm
The Teachers Conservation Institute (TCI) is a week long summer camp for
educators which introduces them to the cycle of the forest. Activities
throughout the week include training in Project Learning Tree and
Project WILD; tours of a forest nursery, seed orchard, logging
operation, forest products mills, a Tree Farm and the Texas Forestry
Museum; as well as tree and leaf identification and nature walks.
Every summer the Texas Forestry Association sponsors the Teachers
Conservation Institute.  Foresters, educators, natural resource
conservationists, and industry professionals lead activities. TCI is
held at the Piney Woods Conservation Center in Broaddus, Texas. The
facility is 60 miles east of Lufkin and Nacogdoches.  Participants
receive 45 hours of approved TEEAC credit. Registration per person,
including all teaching materials and instruction, food and lodging, and
transportation during the workshop is $75. The Texas Forestry
Association supplements the remaining costs. Three hours of graduate
credit is available through Stephen F. Austin State University.  All
sessions are usually full by early spring so register early. For more
information, call 936/632-TREE or e-mail cstanco@texasforestry.org
**********
Alternative Energy lesson plans are avaliable from the Texas Railroad
Commission
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/afred/education/education.html
Alternative Energy is organized in four units: Energy, Fuels, Technology
and Environment. Each unit includes lesson plans, background readings,
activities and/or investigations, tests and answer keys.
The Railroad Commission offers free six-hour hands-on workshops for
secondary science teachers. The workshops confer six hours of continuing
education credit and include $50 extra duty pay or substitute fee, a
free copy of Alternative Energy and a free lunch.  To register online,
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/afred/education/registrationform.html.
For more information or to register, e-mail Juline Gurasich or
call (800) 64-CLEAR.  for a list of area workshops go to
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/afred/education/workshop.htm
**********
MT Tip of the Week - October 19, 2001
Motivation
Some students are cautious participators and contributors in the
classroom.  And they will continue to be until they learn not to fear
failure - and to accept credit for their efforts and success. You can
begin to increase their level of motivation by giving them clear,
direct, and specific praise.  In the process, always let them know that
you don't expect them to be right every time they participate - but you
do expect them to give their best effort.  Just remind them to keep
building on the successes they've already had - without letting the fear
of failure stop them.
**********
http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/ROV/
The ROVer Ranch is a place to learn about robotic engineering. You can
learn about the development of robots, their elements and systems, and
use a 3D VRML simulation to build and run your own robot. The ROVer
Ranch learning activities are open to everyone without registering. If
you'd like to use the robot simulations you need to register for an ID.
**********
Bring robotics into your classroom...
NASA Robotics Educators page  http://robotics.nasa.gov/a_educators.htm
"The Robotics Research Group [at the University of Texas at Austin] has
put together a small educational section on [their] web site. [They]
invite you to explore the world of robotics with [them]: -History,
Introduction to the history of robotics; -Basic Concepts, Introduction
to basic robotics concepts; -Advanced Topics, Advanced topics in
robotics; -Multimedia Listing, Listing of all multimedia present on
site; -Recommended Reading, Listing of recommended books and journals;
-Take a Quiz, A good way to test your knowledge on robotics; - and the
RRG UT Classes Course Materials for classes taught by members of the RRG
staff."
http://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/education/
**********
The Organic Robot  By: Ken Boone
The Organic Robot is a simple hands-on classroom presentation that lets
students design,
program and build a simple robot in the classroom. The presentation can
be performed without
tools or expensive robot kits.
http://users.aol.com/TheOrganicRobot/Organic.pdf
**********
http://www.kipr.org/curriculum/curriculum_intro.html
The Educational Robotics Cyber Laboratory is a constantly evolving
curriculum site for teachers, students, and other users who are
interested in investigating real-world problems in educational robotics.
Many of these laboratory activities are especially designed for
participants of the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics Botball
program, however, anyone with a LEGO Mindstorm kit, LEGO Technic, or a
HandyBoard processor can join in the fun. We encourage teachers to
incorporate these science and technology enhancement activities into
their school's curriculum. We are well aware that robots and robotics
technology may be new to most teachers and their students. Thus, the
content of the Cyber Laboratory covers the very basics of robot design
and experimentation. More advanced activities and research projects are
provided to challenge experienced robot designers.
**********
Botball http://www.botball.org/index.html
It's time to gear up for an exciting experience in technology!
Presented in your region by the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics,
the Botball Robotics Program gets the wheels turning for hands-on
learning in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Students get hands on with high tech as they design, build, and program
their own mobile robot. These robots have no remote control.
Sound challenging? Don't worry, the KISS Institute provides a teacher
tutorial, tech support and all the materials you need to learn the
basics of robotics. The best part is, schools keep the equipment for use
in the classroom after the tournament is complete.
Your team will receive KISS Institute's specialized kit of cutting edge
robotics equipment used by major universities. It includes sensors,
motors, customized robot computers, selected LEGO Technic pieces,
software, and documentation. We provide everything you need to stretch
your students' imaginations and build a robot that can play and win at
Botball.
Students DESIGN it.  Students BUILD it. Students PROGRAM it.
Botball is a high tech game that's high energy. Botball kicks off with a
3-day teacher tutorial where educators learn the basics of robotics.
Students then have about six weeks to create their robot. The project
culminates in a fast paced tournament where robots face off in regional
competitions.
The game is played on a 4'X8' board where robots score points by placing
black or white balls in scoring position. Robots use no remote control
and are programmed by students. Botball requires a robot with brains and
that's where you come in...
Botball teaches computer programming in the C language. You and your
students can be on the cutting edge as they program in one of the most
popular computer languages used in science and business. C programmers
are in high demand and these skills help make your students highly
employable once they hit "the real world".
**********
www.spaceday.com
Some of the best learning occurs when students work together for a
common goal. Whether it's accomplishing a challenging task or coming up
with solutions that might save lives, scientists and engineers - just
like your students - need to work cooperatively and share their
expertise.
With this focus on cooperative learning coupled with the Space Day 2002
Mars theme, we're challenging students with three new Design Challenges.
These new challenges cross several disciplines and will let your
students learn more about Mars, space, and themselves.
Inventors Wanted - your students will put on their inventor's caps as
they design a unique device to make living or working on Mars easier.
Mission: Explore - your students will plan their own space mission and
build a rover to successfully accomplish the mission.
Space Day Star - your students will explore Mars and create an
electronic newspaper to tell everyone back on Earth what it's like to
live there.
The Space Day 2002 Design Challenges are intended for students in grades
4-8. Although all students are encouraged to use them, only students in
grades 4-8 are eligible for national recognition for their solutions. To
learn more about eligibility visit the Submission area. For more
information on scoring of solutions, review the Rubric for your specific
Design Challenge.
Have you registered your class yet?
**********
|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|
"Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowships"
The US Department of Energy manages the fellow program for distinguished
elementary and secondary school mathematics and science teachers.
Einstein Fellows usually serve for ten months in professional staff
positions in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, DOE, NASA,
NSF,
NIH, ED, NIST, or OSTP. Appointments usually begin in September and end
in
June.   Application deadline: February 1, 2002.
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/Einstein/about.htm

"The Gates Millennium Scholars"
The Gates Millennium Scholars award program is aimed at increasing the
number of low-income African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans,
American
Indian/Alaska Natives, and Hispanic Americans enrolling in and
completing
undergraduate and graduate degree programs.  Application deadline: early
February.
http://www.gmsp.org/main.cfm
**********
Helping a Suicidal Student -- Suicide among youths in the United States
has quadrupled during the past 50 years. Educators increasingly see
students who appear desperate or exhibit self-destructive behaviors.
Worse, teachers feel increasing pressure to improve students' academic
progress and test scores but may fear saying or doing something that
might contribute to a student's suicidal behavior. Fortunately, recent
studies of suicide provide a better awareness of risk factors, guidance
for responding to potentially suicidal students, and advice for schools
that are responding to a student suicide. Read Steven Schlozman's
article in Educational Leadership
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0110/schlozman.html
**********
MT Tip of the Week - October 10, 2001
Student Relationships
Criticism is not a relationship-building word.  And no matter how we
combine it with words like constructive or honest, it's still a hard
pill to swallow.  A close look will reveal that feedback is a  much
better relationship-building word.  And if we offer it as an advocate
and add, "Let's see what we can learn from this" or "If you could do it
again, what
would you do differently?"  we will be more effective when correcting
students -- and build better relationships in the process. Be careful
whenever you feel threatened or defensive.  The actions you take when
you have either of these emotions can have long-term effects because
students will remember the incident.  To avoid making a mistake in these
situations, use" no blame" thinking and actions.  Remember, everyone in
the class may have some role in a mistake, but you have the authority
and power.  That's why you need to be the strongest person in the
classroom.  Certainly, students expect you to be.  Adopting a "no blame"

stance in defensive and threatening situations is a good one.  It can
create trust, openness, responsibility, and flexibility.  And we need to
practice all four behaviors to have good relationships with students.
 

Subj: FYI November 2002 #1
Date: 11/9/2001 3:27:45 PM Central Standard Time
From: mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information
service to members of this listserve, and does not necessarily reflect
the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.
**********
www.zoomerang.com
LEARNING FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD
Polling students for their ideas and opinions signifies a considerable
paradigm shift for me. I was educated in an era in which people placed
little value on student input. If a problem occurred in the classroom,
teachers assumed it was a student issue -- definitely not a teacher
problem.
In the 1970s, educators started to consider the ideas of Edward Deming,
a business statistician responsible for introducing Total Quality
Management to the United States. TQM consists of process-improvement
activities that involve all members of an organization in an examination
of the system.
TQM IN THE CLASSROOM
When TQM approaches are translated into classroom reality, top-down, or
teacher-driven, leadership yields to give-and-take leadership that
ultimately creates an open and trusting learning environment for
students. I frequently ask students to provide feedback about what they
find right and wrong in their classroom experience. Data is collected
and analyzed, and together students and I discuss strategies aimed at
improving student learning.
This approach takes a little getting used to. Sometimes I have a vague
fear that my students may take advantage of my willingness to satisfy. I
know my students are a little surprised that I have even asked them
these questions in the first place! In the end, however, I must agree
with Art Linkletter, author of Kids Say the Darndest Things! He said, "I
have learned to trust the children to come up with the answers."
CREATING SURVEYS
I have created a number of anonymous surveys using a free, online survey
tool, such as Zoomerang. My surveys have examined:
student understanding of concepts
the happiness quotient in our classroom
student perception of a problem
student ideas about how well kids were prepared for a unit test
student evaluation of my teaching practices -- this is a scary one for
me!
what students would like to do at our end-of-the-year party.
I have also used Zoomerang to collect information from parents when they
come into school for parent-teacher conferences. Survey sites such as
Zoomerang not only collect information but also often present findings
as colorful graphs.
**********
Grant Available to Attend ITEA
Due to the generosity of ITEA Past-President Dr. W. David Greer, DTE,
ITEA will be providing a $1,000 grant each year for the next ten years
to a technology education teacher or supervisor for secondary education
to attend the ITEA international conference. The applicant must be an
ITEA member and must NOT have attended more than three (3) previous
conferences. Application deadline is December 1, 2001. Complete
information is available at <http://www.iteawww.org >.
**********
HELPING STUDENTS COMPLETE PUBLIC SERVICE REQUIREMENTS TO GRADUATE
The Pittsburgh Council on Public Education, a local education fund,
recently launched a student-friendly Web site to help students with
their
required high school graduation projects"-a state mandate that districts
may interpret differently. GraduationProjectHelp.org supports the
Pittsburgh School District's requirement for students to complete a
meaningful, standards-based project. Some of the information is
Pittsburgh-focused, but most is helpful to high school students
anywhere.
Guidelines, resources and links on the site include: choosing a project,
conducting research, organizing information, creating an outline of the
work, and writing tips.
http://www.graduationprojecthelp.org
**********
RECRUITING & USING VOLUNTEERS IN K-12 SCHOOLS
Research and common sense both show that parent participation at school
can have a significant influence on student achievement. The level of
parent involvement in middle schools and high schools typically declines
as students obtain greater autonomy and more responsibilities.
Suggestions
are offered on how middle and high school principals can recruit and
actively involve parent and community volunteers at school sites to
nurture the academic success of culturally and economically diverse
community groups.
http://www.principals.org/news/bltn_rcrt_vlntrs1001.html
**********
I, Richard Grimsley, resigned from the Texas Education Agency, effective
September 30, 2001.
I have been offered and have accepted a position as the Director of
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) in the Southwest Region.  The Charitable
Venture Foundation a non-profit entity based in Albany, New York
supports PLTW.  My new job will consist of working with schools to
implement Middle School and High School Pre-Engineering programs in the
Southwest and Far West portions of the United States.  I will start with
PLTW effective October 1, 2001.  I will office out of my house.  Below
is my contact information beginning October 1, 2001:

Richard Grimsley
7806 Epping Lane
Austin, TX  78745
Work: phone and fax:    512/442-5450
e-mail:    rgrimsley@pltw.org

It has been a pleasure to spend the past seven years working with each
of you promoting Technology Education.  With your help, friendship, and
support we have been able to accomplish some incredible things for TE in
Texas and across the nation.  In my new position, I will continue to
work with TE programs; therefore I look forward to continuing to work
with each of you in my capacity with PLTW.
**********
ITEA Members:
The International Technology Education Association is pleased to
announce a new listserv for ITEA members only. The IdeaGarden provides
an information and idea exchange in a teacher-to-teacher format.
Questions, answers, opinions, and reactions to current events in the
field of technology education will be presented. Get involved and share
new and exciting ideas worthwhile and beneficial to all ITEA members.
The following are possible topics for which IdeaGarden can offer ideas
or solutions:
Information on the latest happenings of the profession.
Indiana's Professional Standards Board approved Technology Education as
a content area.
Hints or suggestions from the membership on teaching content and
methods.
How can we teach about technology as it relates to the recent tragedies
in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania?
Answers can be sent directly to the individual who asks the question.
Is there a way for me to obtain or make controls for seven older scroll
saws that are no longer produced? I have money for repairs but not
replacement. If you know of the answer send it to Ron Yuill at
ronyuill@home.com.
Affiliate Association information and questions.
Do you have a way of getting young members to become active?
University information and questions.
What methods have been successful in increasing enrollment?
Information relating to university and student clubs.
There will be ITEA members going to the FFA Conference to encourage
their members to become future technology educators.
Retired members are needed to share their experiences with all in making
the profession better.
Veteran technology teachers Gary Wynn and Ron Yuill will monitor the
listserv. If you have a confidential question or topic, email it Gary or
Ron directly and you will receive a confidential response.
Ron Yuill
Email: ronyuill@home.com
Telephone: 765.772.4750 EX 2109
Gary Wynn
Email: gwynn1@hotmail.com
Telephone: 317.462.9211 EX 12118
All members are encouraged to participate! Go to the ITEA website at
http://www.iteawww.org /. The IdeaGarden is in "Members Only."
**********
CULTURAL MATTERS WORKBOOK
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/culturematters/
Teachers and students in classrooms from 8th grade to college can
benefit from the cross-cultural training workbook, Culture Matters,
specifically developed by the Peace Corps to help new Volunteers
acquire the knowledge and skills to work successfully and
respectfully in other cultures.
**********
8th Annual International Space Station Educators Conference
February 1 & 2, 2002
Grades K-12
Space Center Houston has developed an educational opportunity of a
lifetime!  Two intense days of complete submersion into the world of the
International Space Station.  Attend sessions hosted by the actual
scientists, engineers, and astronauts that are working to make the Space
Station a reality.
For only $159.00 you will receive two full days of conference sessions,
breakfast and lunch both conference days, a banquet dinner/dance, behind
the scenes tours of the Johnson Space Center, and an additional day to
tour Space Center Houston on your own.  Not to mention the wonderful
networking with fellow educators and the multitude of cross curriculum
ideas and activities you will take back to the classroom.
Early check-in is available on January 31, 2002.  Space is limited - so
register now!
To register or for more information, please call 281-244-2149 or or
Email:  suetort@spacecenter.org . http://www.spacecenter.org/iss.html
**********
HOW YOU CAN HELP: www.libertyunites.org : This website, established by
AOL Time Warner, Yahoo, Cisco, Microsoft, ebay and Amazon.com, provides
links to organizations such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army and
several of the funds that have been established to collect online
donations for the victims, rescue workers, etc. The generosity of
Americans has been overwhelming. Online donations now total
approximately $93 million.

HELPING CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THE TERRORIST ATTACKS: Secretary Paige
announced a new webpage,
http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/index.html that suggests ways that
adults can talk to children about the attacks. The page also offers
suggestions for educators, as well as links to other additional
resources that may be helpful to parents, teachers, and other adults who
work with children.   Another site to check out is
www.publiceducation.org/news/trauma_resources.htm.
**********
MT Tip of the Week September 28, 2001
Motivation
If you don't want students to say no, get them to say yes several times
before you pose the question that you think they might answer with a
"no."  It's harder for students to say no when they've already said yes
several times in a row.  Therefore, try to get several agreements on
small
things before asking for action.  Say, "I'd like to ask you a few
questions
that will help me understand your situation.  Is that all right with
you?"  "Yes."  Continue by saying, "Do you like....?" "Yes."  Then ask,
"Are you satisfied with....?"  "Yes."  Finally, you can say, "Then it
seems
we can go ahead and...."  Try this technique.  It works.
**********
POWERFUL LEARNING WITH PUBLIC PURPOSE
http://www.whatkidscando.org/home.html
What Kids Can Do, a new national nonprofit, "combs the country for
compelling examples of young people working with adults in their
schools and communities on the real-world issues that concern them
most." Peruse the pages of the WKCD website and you'll find the group
lives up to its slogan -- "Powerful Learning with Public Purpose."
For example, a new posting documents three innovative summer programs
that employ teenagers as teachers -- and shares impressive lesson
plans and student assessments written by student interns. One of the
organization's leaders, Kathleen Cushman, may be familiar as the
author of many articles in "Horace," the newsletter of the Coalition
of Essential Schools. Be sure to sign up for the email newsletter.
**********
14. Two on College Rankings
College -- _US News_
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/cohome.htm
Best 331 Colleges Rankings -- Princeton Review
http://www.review.com/college/rankings.cfm

It's that time of year: when students are not only going back to school,
but
high schoolers are thinking about where they might go next year. These
two
rankings, from _US News_ and the Princeton Review, should help students
and
their parents make choices for higher education. The first site,
College,
features _US News_' rankings based on sixteen indicators (more
information
about the methodology is available on-site). Schools can be sorted in a
number of ways, and the information available here ranges from teacher/
student ratio to details of campus life to top departments at a given
school. In addition, users will find features on getting into colleges,
Fiske's campus profiles, and a Family Contribution Calculator to
determine
costs of college. From the left-hand-side of the page, users can access
information on Community Colleges, Graduate Programs, and other related
topics. The Princeton Review offers the second rankings site, which
departs
from traditional college rankings in that it is based on a survey
administered to students. Want to know which schools have the best food
on
campus, the most keg parties, the best race relations? These listings
will
tell you. Our own University of Wisconsin-Madison distinguishes itself
by
making the top twenty in three of site's five party lists. [TK]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
MT Tip of the Week September 14, 2001
Motivation
It's hard to motivate students if you do all the talking.  That's why
establishing and refining a talk-listen rhythm in the classroom can be
very
effective.  To do so, limit yourself to a specific number of statements
before asking a question or finishing your comments.  This action will
keep
you from establishing conversational monopolies that actually help some
students tune you out, rather than compel them to listen to what you
say.
If you have a difficult but necessary rule, regulation, or procedure
that
really needs to be simplified, you might consider giving it to a person
who
has a reputation for being lazy.  Lazy people know how to do things the
easy way.  You'll be surprised by how easily they can take the difficult

and complex and make it easy to do, once they set their minds on the
task.  Say, "I have a class rule that is just too complicated.  Would
you
please look at it and simplify it for me?"
**********
MT Tip of the Week September 19, 2001
Staff Relationships
Anytime you can keep the other person talking responsibly, there's no
need
to confront him or her.  For instance, if someone is proposing a
solution
to a problem and you disagree, ask "Can you compare this situation with
the
one we faced last week?"  or "How does this solution compare with others

that have been proposed?"  You'll find asking questions and listening to

responses often solves problems better than confronting others or
imposing
your own solution.
It's wise not to bring up old incidents with students if you want to
solve
problems and go forward.  You would also be wise to remember that the
same
rule applies to the faculty as well.  The truth is that you must lay
down
past differences--or the past may rule the present.  Let bygones by
bygones.  If you have difficulty taking this step, go to your colleague
and
say, "We've had our difficulties, but let's set them aside."  You'll
find
the effort freeing as well as a great aid to becoming more productive.
**********
"American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation"
The Foundation's Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships program rewards
the work of outstanding women public school teachers by supporting their
professional development and by funding projects designed to promote
gender equity in classrooms and schools.  This year Professional
Development Fellowships will provide up to $5,000 to fund attendance at
the five-day Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Institute and Forum on
Educational Equity held in July 2002, in Washington D.C.; support
additional professional development activities (e.g. workshops, courses,
conferences); and provide seed money for planning a gender-equity,
school-based program. Application Deadline: January 10, 2002.
http://www.aauw.org/3000/fdnfelgra/ertf.html

"AAUW Community Action Grants"
These grants provide up to $10,000 to support innovative school and/or
community-based programs that promote education and equity for women and
girls.  Women of color and women from other underrepresented groups are
especially encouraged to apply.  Application Deadline: January 15, 2002.
http://www.aauw.org/3000/fdnfelgra/cag.html

"Grants Available to Promote the First Amendment in Schools"
The First Amendment Schools project, co-sponsored by the Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the First Amendment
Center, will award ten grants of $12,000 each.  Project schools will use
the grant funds, along with other resources the project provides, to
transform how the school community models and teaches students the
rights and responsibilities that flow from the First Amendment.
Applications are due March 15, 2002.
http://webserver2.ascd.org/web/firstamendment/abouttheproject.cfm
**********
16. StuffIt Expander 6.5 [Mac OS 8.1+, X]
http://www.stuffit.com/expander/macindex.html
Stuffit Expander Front Page
http://www.stuffit.com/expander/index.html
StuffIt Expander from Alladin Systems gives you access to compressed
files
in just about any format. The simple user interface makes decompressing
files merely a matter of dragging and dropping them. Expander is free
and
available in English, German, French, Japanese, and Spanish. This latest
version allows "smart expansion" of Palm files and transfers files to
Palm
upon sychronization. [TK]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
====== Network Tools ====
16. Ad-aware 5.6 [Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000]
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software.html

This is a great download for those concerned with their privacy.
Lavasoft's
Ad-aware scans your computer's memory, registry, and hard drives for
spyware
and helps you to remove them safely. This latest version includes a
backup
manager to easily create backups before removing spyware or fixing your
registry, and support in more languages, among other enhancements. The
user
interface is easy to manage even for novices, and Lavasoft's site offers
a
forum for those who have questions not covered in the help
documentation.
[TK]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"Visual Environmental Education"
The Dunn Foundation offers grants throughout the country to develop a
national curriculum framework for environmental literacy using the
visual environment as a base.
http://www.dunnfoundation.org/grants4.htm#youth

"Hispanic Scholarship Fund"
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is accepting applications for scholarships
on a competitive basis for community college, four-year college, and
graduate students of Hispanic heritage.
http://www.hsf.net/scholarship/CollegeRetention.html
"Trust to Reach Educational Excellence"
The TREE foundation provides great opportunities to qualifying
applicants. Find out if you qualify for a student scholarship or school
grant, and how to apply.
http://tree.principals.org/

"The NEA Foundation: Learning & Leadership Grants"
Grants of $1,000 (individual) or $3,000 (group) are available to public
school teachers, education support personnel, and higher education
faculty and staff to support high quality professional development.  The
2001 deadline is October 15.
http://www.nfie.org/programs/leadership.htm

"Whirlpool Foundation"
The Whirlpool Foundation makes grants that focus on the needs of young
people in strategic areas of lifelong learning, quality of family life,
and cultural diversity.
http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/whr/foundation/index.html

"Environmental Education Grants"
The Environmental Protection Agency invites applications for projects
that disseminate or demonstrate environmental education practices or
techniques such as programs that use environmental education as a means
to reform education at the state or local level.
http://www.epa.gov/enviroed

"The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation"
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation encourages groups or individuals
who wish to perform kind acts.  The foundation announces the teacher's
lesson plan contest in which grants are awarded to the teachers who
submit the ten best Random Acts of Kindness lesson plans.
http://www.actsofkindness.org/
 

Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency
512/463-9474

*****
Subj: FYI October 2002 #2
Date: 10/16/2001 11:13:24 AM Central Standard Time
From: mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us
File: FallConf01RegistrationForm.doc (22016 bytes) DL Time (TCP/IP): < 1 minute
Sent from the Internet (Details)
 
 

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information
service to members of this listserve, and does not necessarily reflect
the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

**********
The  University of Texas at Tyler TSA Fall Leadership Conference will be
held  on  November  1st this year.  The first general session will begin
at 8:45  AM  and the conference will conclude at 3:00PM.  You can
pre-register by  mail  or at the conference.  Registration will open at 8:15 so that
the conference  can  begin  promptly.  This year we will be providing Pizza
for lunch  for  $2.00  per person (to be paid with the registration fee).
This will  require  that  each  of you let me know how many will be attending
so that  pizzas  can  be ordered. There is a very short turn around on this
so please  let me know by October 30th.   Call me and if I'm not in leave
your school  name  and number on my voice mail at (903) 566-7334 or email me at:
proberts@mail.uttyl.edu or fax me at (903) 565-5650.
Download a pre-registration form

Conference Schedule
8:15-8:45 Registration
8:45-9:15 General Session
9:15-9:55 Breakout Session 1
10:00-10:40    Breakout Session 2
10:45-11:25    Breakout Session 3
11:30-12:10    Lunch
12:15-12:55    Breakout Session 4
1:00-1:40 Breakout Session 5
1:45-2:25 Breakout Session 6
2:30-2:50 Regional TSA Officer Elections
2:50-3:00 Closing & Presentation of Awards
**********
7.  Two for Kids from the EPA:
What's Up with Our Nation's Waters?
http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/nationswaters /
Air Quality Index for Kids
http://www.epa.gov/airnow/aqikids/
The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Website provides many
educational resources for K-12 teachers. A recently posted one is the
"What's Up With Our Nation's Water?" page, looking at how water quality
is measured, what toxins are found in drinking water, and defining wetlands
and groundwater. Highlights include a "What can I do?" section and suggested
science projects. Colorful artwork by young people accompanies the text.
Another new resource from the EPA is the Air Quality Index for Kids. The
colorful, extremely basic text defines the Air Quality Index (AQI),
discusses what makes air dirty and which people are most at risk for
getting sick from air pollution. This site, probably best suited for elementary
schoolers, is arranged so that "next" buttons turn the virtual pages,
taking young readers through each lesson. The site also furnishes a dictionary,
"What can I do?" section and games. [HCS]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
4.  Impact of the Internet on Learning & Teaching
http://UBMAIL.ubalt.edu/~harsham/interactive.htm
Created by Dr. Hossein Arsham, The Wright Distinguished Research
Professor in Management Science and Statistics at the University of Baltimore,
this site reveals insights gained by Arsham and colleagues from their
experiences eaching in the first accredited all on-line MBA program at the
University of Baltimore.  "The site covers how to begin, how to operate, and how to
make e-learning successful and enjoyable." Easy to use and navigate, the
site offers  information of both a practical and philosophical nature.
Also
included are a set of recommended web sites and references.  Although
originally launched in 1995, this site has been updated often and is a
valuable resource for anyone interested in online learning and teaching.
[REB]From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
This is the time of year when teachers have been known to say, "Well,
I've never had a student do THAT before." If it happens to you, take a
look at the classroom management suggestions in our Teachers' Lounge.
This is a collection of suggestions submitted over the years by our
users, and it covers a wide range of situations and events. If one of
your new students has thrown you a curve, the answer may be here. The
classroom management tips are at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/sanity-class.html
**********
Here's a great ice-breaker for a new class. Take a look at our
transcription of the final exam for an 1895 eighth grade class. Can your
students come up with answers for any of these questions? For that
matter, can many adults?? This one's mostly for fun, but it's
interesting to see how our definitions of necessary knowledge have
changed over the past 100 years. The 1895 exam is at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/1895.html
**********
I wanted to inform you that Lab Resources, Inc. is the new
representative for Midwest Technology.  If anyone has not received a
current Midwest Catalog, could you have them contact me.  I would will
send one out ASAP.   When they get the catalog, if they cannot find what
they are looking for, have them call Midwest direct. Midwest handles
over 50,000 items that are not listed in the catalog.  If you don't find
what you are looking for please call Midwest to see if they can get the
items that you are looking for.
Also if your teacher needs an official price quote, we can provide that.
All they have to do is call Midwest direct and request it.
If any of the anybody has any questions, have them contact me.
Sincerely,
Brian Allan
Lab Resources, Inc.
**********
Copyright is an issue which comes up constantly. The short answer to the
question of what's allowed for educational use, of course, is that there
is no short answer. However, we've collected a number of resources on
copyright and fair use on our Copyright Page. The topics cover a wide
range of academic, publishing, and student-use issues. Short of having
an intellectual property attorney at your side, it's one of the best
ways we know to be sure that your use of technology is within acceptable
legal limits. You can bookmark our copyright page at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/copyright.html
**********
MT Tip of the Week August 23, 2001
Student Motivation
No matter how incomplete or bad an idea, be careful about giving it the
brush-off.  Never forget, students may have given the idea much time and

thought.  When you turn down ideas, do so gently and with
consideration.  And point out the idea's positive aspects or
possibilities when you do.  If you can use any part of the idea, do so.  Finally,
always encourage students to keep thinking--and suggesting.  Then, motivation
has a chance to be kept alive, and the next idea offered may be a better
one.
Take notice and give special attention to students who seek you out
continually.  If students are always asking for advice, don't be
fooled.  They may not be looking for help.  They may be searching for
approval.  Give acceptance rather than advice and you'll motivate them
to work--rather than to continue seeking approval in nonproductive or
insignificant ways.  Don't, and they'll simply continue asking for
meaningless advice.
Generally, there are only two ways to get students to do what you want
them to do.  First, you can make it very pleasant for them to do what you
ask.  Second, you can make it very unpleasant for them not to do what
you ask.  In deciding which stance is best, know that managers in industry
are finding that people rarely succeed at anything unless they have fun
doing it.  This is a lesson we might be wise to apply.  If teachers and
classrooms are unpleasant, it may be difficult to motivate students
toward meaningful learning.
**********
THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES ARE CRITICAL
http://teachers.net/gazette/NOV00/wong.html
Harry Wong is the undisputed guru of school start-up. His perennial
bestseller, "The First Days of School," has probably done more for
new-teacher retention than most school district induction programs.
In this article, Wong shares his thoughts about the first few minutes
of class -- time many teachers lose by failing to prepare properly.
Also see these Wong columns from Teachers.Net:
"There Is Only One First Day of School"
http://teachers.net/gazette/AUG00/wong.html
"Your First Day"
http://teachers.net/gazette/JUN00/wong.htm l
"How to Start a Class Effectively"
http://teachers.net/gazette/OCT00/wong.html
**********
Learning by Design Curriculum Supplements
These educational handouts and teaching materials in the K-12 classroom
promote architecture and design across the curriculum. You may view them
on the web and print them out, or you may order printed versions at no
charge: write education@archfoundation.org or call (202) 626-7318.
http://www.archfoundation.org/education/index.htm
**********
As most know, the Wongs wrote "The First Days of School" - which has
been pretty popular with teachers. (1.4 million sold so far). Find
out lots more about that at their website:
http://www.harrywong.com/
Many of you probably also know that the Wongs wrote a monthly column
at Teachers.Net last year... new and pretty new teachers may
especially find it worthwhile to go to the site and track down the
other columns from 2000-01. Here are some:
THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES ARE CRITICAL
http://teachers.net/gazette/NOV00/wong.html
YOUR FIRST DAY
http://teachers.net/gazette/JUN00/wong.html
There Is Only One First Day of School
http://teachers.net/gazette/AUG00/wong.html
How to Start a Class Effectively
http://teachers.net/gazette/OCT00/wong.html
How to Motivate Your Students
http://teachers.net/gazette/MAY01/wong.html
TIP FROM WEARY WEB GUY: To hunt up the other Wong columns in a hurry,
just substitute any month between June 2000 and May 2001 in the URL
address, like this:
http://teachers.net/gazette/MAY01/wong.html
change MAY01
to
APR01
and get
http://teachers.net/gazette/APR01/wong.html
Be sure to use all caps and a three-letter abbreviation for the
month. Be sure to change the year from OO to 01 as appropriate!
**********
MT Tip of the Week August 15, 2001
Motivation
Difficult and thought-provoking questions do develop students'
critical-thinking skills.  However, they may also curtail motivation in
question-and-discussion sessions.  To keep motivation high during class
discussion, it's best to ask questions which students can answer with a
high rate of success.  The success rate should be 70 percent for
high-achieving students and 80 percent for low-achieving students to
keep motivation high during class discussion.
We can learn a valuable lesson from our dislikes.  We hate busywork and
bureaucratic practices.  We know they are time-consuming and
counterproductive to motivation, morale, and productivity.  That's why
we need to make sure we have as little busywork and bureaucracy as possible
in our classrooms.  First, we must look at our rules, regulations, and
procedures.  Second, we must classify them.  Third, we must get rid of
any that are not absolutely necessary.  We'll find that this action is
motivating to students.
Teaching specific words will increase student ability to work
independently.  These words may appear simple, but to the slow learner
they are not.  Former MASTER Teacher staff member Mildred Odom Bradley has
identified key words we need to make sure all students understand:
cut - color - complete - show - select - divide
hold - solve - multiply - print - work - crease
find - trace - underline - close - paste - record
open - cross - subtract - match - listen - choose
turn - draw - follow - place - touch - check
put - write - answer - read - circle - define
add - sign - construct - bend - count - start
fold - mark - measure - list - copy - discuss
**********
9.  What Kids Can Do
http://www.whatkidscando.org/
What Kids Can Do (WKCD) began in the winter of 2001 to showcase
"examples of
young people working with adults in their schools and communities on the
real-world issues that concern them most." Currently, the Feature
Storiessection presents Small Towns, Big Dreams, a long piece on what teenagers
in Maine, South Dakota, and Texas are doing to fight brain drain and revive
their rural communities. Short Takes provides a glimpse of a video
project in New York City; In Their Own Words includes a collection of middle and
high school graduation speeches, as well as two essays in the Young
Writers' Corner: "Quiet Lessons in Prejudice" and "Paper Mill Town"; and Student
Work contains students' interviews of their grandparents on their experiences
during World War II, life in Appalachia, along the Rio Grande in Texas,
and memories of segregation. In the Resources section, there is a list of
like-minded organizations' Websites, and you can sign up to receive email
updates on what's new at WKCD. [DS]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
4.  ERSYS (Earth Resource SYStem)
http://www.ersys.com/
Texas-based Ersys market research company now makes much of its
demographic and geographic data available for free here with this handy tool. From
the homepage of the Ersys database, users select a state and then choose
from a list of cities and towns to view information on population, climate and
pollution, politics, media, income, education, transportation, and much
more. The demographics section, authored by Ersys, provides maps and
tables.Other sections, such as media and politics, give links to the
appropriate external sites. Says Ersys, "If you're looking to relocate, pick a new
commercial site or just curious about the city you're traveling to, join
us in exploring the following destination states and their respective
cities."
[HCS]From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
.
Subj: FYI October 2001 #1
Date: 10/8/2001 4:57:11 PM Central Daylight Time
From:    mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us (Lorenz, Mary)

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information
service to members of this list serve, and does not necessarily reflect
the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.
*********
Too Funny .....
I hope this isn't in violation of the intent of this very professional
list serve.  I have been very impressed by what I have seen since
joining recently.  Today, my 'Teachers' day-to-day calendar made me smile and I
wanted to pass it on.

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to
persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how
nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say,
'There's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, he's a doctor.'"
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the
teacher; she's dead."
**********
From the SREB MiddleWeb List:
Several of my own anecdotes from this year, inspired by the many
excellent ideas already put forward...
Middle school kids are the kind of people who would decide on their own
to spend literally all Saturday preparing for a Sunday afternoon bake sale,
then insist on bringing the money to school so that Outreach Committee
can donate it to the Red Cross.
Middle school kids are the kind of people who, after telling you in no
uncertain terms that you just don't understand and walking out on you,
will wait several minutes, pacing back and forth in the rain, in order to
apologize. Middle school kids light up and yell "Oooh, I know this, I know this!"
Middle school kids are the kind of people who say "Thank you" at the end
of class each and every day.
Take care,
Bill

More......
Some of our listserv members remember Susan Ray, who was active on
the Middle-L list a few years ago. She was a teacher in suburban
Louisville and also worked with university folks on improving teacher
ed. I had met her several times on trips to Louisville, and she was
truly a wonderful person. She died last year after an illness - a
great loss to a lot of future middle schoolers.
Susan had a knack for writing e-mail that captured what's really
important. Here's one she wrote that I saved and posted on MiddleWeb
a few years ago. It bears on our recent discussion.... I think Brenda
may have posted something of Susan's on the list a month or two ago.
I'm not sure if this is it, but it deserves repeating...
John
-----------------------------
[These thoughts about teaching middle school students were offered in
response to a new teacher's plea to the Middle-L listserve for
guidance.]

Teaching Middle Level Kids:
Remember Seventh Grade?
When I first began teaching middle level kids about 10+ years ago I
realized that this was an age group that many teachers did not want.
And I knew why.
You see, I remember what it was like to be a seventh grader. I
remember going to school and realizing that what I thought was going
to be the "in" fashion was really the "out" fashion. I remember
having a pimple on my nose the size of Cleveland and knowing that
everyone noticed it too. I remember coming home and crying because I
realized that I wasn't accepted in the most popular crowd. I didn't
make the cheerleading squad that year either.
I was 5' 9 1/2" tall and there wasn't another person in my class as
tall as me and that included the center of the boy's basketball team.
These were the issues that I faced and that I remember well. And on
top of all these traumatic issues, I had teachers that wanted me to
study and learn and take tests and do homework.
When I tell this story to my 8th graders each year, I am told that
things haven't really changed much since then except that some of
them deal with issues of divorce, drugs, and neglect. As I share my
story with my kids, I see faces light up and heads nod. They know
that I know what they are going through.
To be an effective teacher of middle school kids, I've had to think
like a middle school kid.
Don't get me wrong. I don't let them off the hook when it comes to
learning and demanding excellence. I'm told by my kids that I am
tough when it comes to expectations and grading. My students complete
assignments because it is what I expect and they know it. I think
that they do them because perhaps some of them have developed trust
and respect for me -- something that I've given them in return.
In order for my students to be successful, I must believe that they
will be successful. In order for my students to achieve excellence, I
must model excellence. In order for my students to reach beyond their
comfort zone, I must do the same.
And in order for my kids to believe in themselves, I must believe in
them first.
I tell them the first day that I don't want to know who flunked math
last year or who spent more days in in-school suspension than in
class.
I tell them that I am going to believe in each one of them until they
can begin to believe in themselves.
It's all about self-fulfilling prophecy. When I think that something
really terrific is going to happen, it always does. If I look at my
kids and think to myself, "Why won't these kids do ___?" then I've
lost my effectiveness as a teacher.
So instead, I focus on what my kids *CAN* do... and believe me, they
can do a lot.
My tests and assessment items are designed to show me what they know,
not what they don't know. My classroom is set up based on what kids
can be trusted to do, not what they can't.
It's all about believing in kids... maybe that is why I sign each email
note...
Susan Ray
Believer in Miracles
**********
A new twist on the traditonal lesson on the strength of structural
shapes.  A Paper Folding Project, Paul Haeberli of Silicon Graphics,
Inc.( A C-graphics researcher/professional) Grades 6+ - Follow an
illustrated step-by-step procedure to make folded paper sculpture. Use
the demo on screen or as a lesson plan. This site also includes links to
other studio art ideas and "quickies."
http://www.sgi.com/grafica/fold/page001.html
**********
Animation History - Learn to be Wild - Grades 4-12 - The British Film
Institute offers this site which details the evolution of animation from
its crude beginnings in the late 19th century to today's sophisticated
computer simulations. The site treats animation as an art form, and
provides a number of examples of how animation trends mirror those
elsewhere in the art world. This site puts an interesting spin on a
topic with which most students are already familiar.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/wild/learn/
**********
Architecture Through the Ages - Grade 5-8 - Social studies/art - See
images of different architecture styles with a glossary to understand
terminology of buildings from Ancient Egypt to modern times. Use this
student-made site for preliminary research before starting your own
model buildings or as a supplement to the study of these civilizations.
Thinkquest Junior winner: third place winner, social studies, 1998.
http://tqjunior.advanced.org/3786/index.html#Ancient
**********
http://lonestar.texas.net/~escher/
The World of Escher, by The World of Escher (a Texas Corporation) -
Grades 4+ - This Escher site includes biographical information from an
Oxford scholar, a chronology of Escher's life, a tessellation contest
for upper elementary grades, information for making the art-math
connection, and sales information for Escher commercial products. There
is also a place for student writing responses to be entered via the
Internet.
**********
Printmaking - What's in a Print - Grades 4-12 - This site about
printmaking from the Museum of Modern Art provides animated
illustrations, a gallery of print examples, and explanations of several
different printmaking techniques. Elementary students can understand the
basic concepts; middle and secondary students can use the demonstrations
as a starting point for their own printmaking efforts. Outstanding work
- but requires the Flash 5 player, a "must-have: plug-in which is
available from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
http://www.moma.org/whatisaprint/flash.html
**********
Frank Lloyd Wright Resources:
The Work of Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Marin County's tribute
to the designer of their famous civic center. Tour the inside of this
amazing building as well as the grounds that surround it. Take your
students on a virtual tour of this architectural wonder.
http://www.marin.org/html/flw.htm
The Frank Lloyd Wright Collection -- Grades 9-12 -- Scholars at the
University of Maryland give their picks for the best sites containing
Wright's work. Featured sites include a virtual tour of the Unity Temple
in Oak Park, Illinois. http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/FLWr/index.html
Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Site includes enlargeable
photographs if his major works -- even original drawings of buildings
that were never built. Includes an index of Wright's work and
information on how to order Wright's work on CD-ROM.
http://www.primenet.com/~byoder/artofflw.htm
The Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio Foundation -- Grades 9-12 -- Learn
about the history of one of this century's leading architects. This site
includes descriptions of some of his most famous works including the
Frederick C. Robie House as well as his own home and studio in Oak Park.
Take your students on a tour of Wright's home and see where his work
began.  http://www.wrightplus.com/index.html
Walk Through the World of Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Take a
walking tour, sponsored by the Oak Park Visitor's Bureau, through the
streets of Oak Park and River Forest and view some of Wright's major
architectural achievements. Just as though you were on the real walking
tour, you can simply click on the names of the buildings to read about
these historic sites. http://www.oprf.com/flw/
Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin -- Grades 9-12 -- This site is presented
by Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program. You'll find
guides of Wright's work throughout Wisconsin including photographs of
the buildings, maps which show how to find them, and, if you're ever in
Wisconsin, numbers to call for a tour. Use this site to compare works
done in Wisconsin, such as the SC Johnson Wax Administration Building in
Racine, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee, and the
Unitarian Meeting House in Madison with other buildings by Wright.
http://flw.badgernet.com:2080/dbednare/flw/
Frank Lloyd Wright Quotations -- Grades 9-12 -- "Truth Against the
World" is just one of many quotes by one of this century's leading
architects. In this site, you'll find Wright's words on life,
architecture, cities, television, god and nature, and even a quote on
Marilyn Monroe. Any one of these quotes could be used as a springboard
for expository theme writing.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/1469/flwquote.html
Save the work of Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Did you know that
one if every five buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright has been
destroyed? This site is sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building
Conservancy, which is dedicated to preserving the buildings he designed.
There is a comprehensive gallery of images of his buildings, which take
time to download, as well as ideas for how to take action to save the
buildings that remain. While this site is commercial, it is a great way
to get students involved in action projects.  http://www.swcp.com/FLW/
Frank Lloyd Wright -- Grades 9-12 -- Site includes enlargeable
photographs if his major works -- even original drawings of buildings
that were never built. Includes an index of Wright's work and
information on how to order Wright's work on CD-ROM.
http://www.primenet.com/~byoder/artofflw.htm
**********
Baroque Art & Architecture - Grades 6-12 - This site - Triumph of the
Baroque - is designed to accompany the National Gallery of Art's
exhibition by the same name. The site covers a number of aspects of
baroque artistic style, providing a working example for each section.
This makes it a nice art history teaching tool for either individual
use, teacher reference, or group presentation.
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2000/baroque/intro1.htm
**********
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be a challenge for
any teacher. No two students with ADHD are the same, and working with
these students can require lots of skill, tact, and patience. If you
need more information on ADHD and its effects on students, check the
TeachersFirst ADHD collection. We've listed a combination of clinical,
educational, and anecdotal information that gives a good overview of the
issues involved in working with students who have ADHD. The ADHD
resources are at: http://www.teachersfirst.com/add.shtml
**********
Even veteran computer users need a hand now and then. TeachersFirst's
Tech Topics collection lists resources that can help you use computers
more effectively, especially in actual classroom teaching. Among other
things, you'll find our daily tech tips - strategies "proven in the
trenches" by real teachers. There's a different tip each day.
TeachersFirst's Tech Topics are at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/techtopics.htm
**********
One of the web's great strengths is its ability to create simulations,
puzzles, and games. We've assembled a collection of stumpers that will
challenge the thinking and reasoning skills of students of all ages. Our
Mind Stretchers page contains lots of sites that can help build logic
and higher order thinking skills while keeping students engaged. Try one
of these if you have a student who needs an extra challenge. The Mind
Stretchers are at: http://www.teachersfirst.com/mind_stretchers.shtml
**********
~~~ Sports Science @ The Exploratorium ~~~
http://www.exploratorium.edu/sports/index.html
Where do students experience science without even realizing it?
In sports, of course! "Sports Science @ The Exploratorium"
features concise, comprehensible explanations of scientific
principles involved in baseball, cycling, skateboarding and
hockey, geared toward the middle grades and higher. The
Exploratorium in San Francisco is a leading proponent of museums
as educational centers, and its Web site is well worth
exploring.
**********
~~~ ENC Problems, Puzzlers, and Games ~~~
http://www.enc.org/weblinks/classroom/problems
The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse Web site hosts a page
called Problems, Puzzlers, and Games, where K-12 educators can
view up to 84 Web links to a wide variety of sites. Some are
fun, some are traditional, and some are extremely challenging.
Each entry provides the grade levels served, a synopsis of the
site, and an automatic link to the Web site. Be amazed and
amused with the games you will find.
**********
GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"First Amendment Schools Grant Award Program"
The First Amendment Schools project, co-sponsored by the Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development and the First Amendment Center,
will award 10 grants of $12,000 each. Project schools will use the grant
funds, along with other resources the project provides, to transform how
the school community models and teaches students the rights and
responsibilities that flow from the First Amendment. Eligible applicants
are public and independent schools in the United States, including
elementary, middle and high schools. Applications are due March 15,
2002.
http://webserver2.ascd.org/web/firstamendment/gettinginvolved.cfm

"Parent Involvement in Education Grants"
General Mills Box Tops for Education will distribute fifty $2,000 grants
to school-sponsored parent groups across the country.  By describing in
1000 words or less how you would use the $2,000 to establish or enhance
a
program that increases parental involvement in your school, you have a
chance to make that dream a reality with this grant.  The grant funds
can
be used to create new programs or expand or enhance existing programs.
Grants are available to public schools as well as 501(c)(3) accredited
schools.  Parent group coordinators can self-nominate their group if
desired.  Applications must be received by December 31, 2001.
http://www.ptotoday.com/piegrants/

"Tiger Woods Foundation"
The Tiger Woods Foundation focuses on awarding grants that create
positive
environments for underprivileged youths and emphasize the importance of
parental involvement and responsibility in the lives of children.
501c(3) organizations with revenues over $100,000 are more likely to
receive grants.  For more information visit:
http://www.sportsline.com/u/fans/celebrity/tiger/course/policyprocedure.
html

"Federal Resources for Educational Excellence"
Free teaching and learning resources for parents, teachers, school
leaders, and students selected from more than 40 federal agencies.
http://www.ed.gov/free/

"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and
technology funding.
http://www.eschoolnews.org/funding

"Philanthropy News Digest-K-12 Funding Opportunities"
K-12 Funding opportunities with links to grantseeking for teachers,
learning technology, and more.
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/20000328/funding.html

"Information on U.S. Department of Education Initiatives"
Among a wealth of other information, the ED site provides comprehensive
information on applying for grants and listings of current funding
opportunities.
http://www.ed.gov/funding.html

"School Grants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and
obtain special grants for a variety of projects.
http://www.schoolgrants.org
**********
FOUR THINGS CITIZENS CAN DO IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY
What is a citizen to do? We can watch the polls as they tell us we are
ready to go to war. We can display the flag to demonstrate our
patriotism.
We can turn to our grief, which sometimes overwhelms us. But there is
more
than that to be done. Now we must step back and consider our future.
There
are four essential steps we as citizens must take if we are to move
forward as a nation at this time of upheaval. Taking these steps will
require a sort of public engagement that differs from the outpourings we
have seen over the past few weeks.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/636338.asp?0si=-
**********
 

************************

Subj: FYI September 2001
Date: 9/26/2001 8:49:22 AM Central Daylight Time
From: mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us (Lorenz, Mary)
 

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information
service to members of this list serve, and does not necessarily reflect
the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.

**********
I resigned from the Texas Education Agency, effective September 30,
2001.
I have been offered and have accepted a position as the Director of
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) in the Southwest Region.  The Charitable
Venture Foundation a non-profit entity based in Albany, New York
supports PLTW.  My new job will consist of working with schools to
implement Middle School and High School Pre-Engineering programs in the
Southwest and Far West portions of the United States.  I will start with
PLTW effective October 1, 2001.  I will office out of my house.  Below
is my contact information beginning October 1, 2001:

Richard Grimsley
7806 Epping Lane
Austin, TX  78745
Work: phone and fax:    512/442-5450
e-mail:    rgrimsley@pltw.org

It has been a pleasure to spend the past seven years working with each
of you promoting Technology Education.  With your help, friendship, and
support we have been able to accomplish some incredible things for TE in
Texas and across the nation.  In my new position, I will continue to
work with TE programs; therefore I look forward to continuing to work
with each of you in my capacity with PLTW.
**********
ATTE Announcement
It is time to get solicit the nominations for the positions of ATTE
President Elect and the ATTE Treasurer.
I need nominations in before Oct 15, 2001.  If you know someone that
would make a good officer for ATTE, talk to them and make sure they will
accept the nomination and then send the information to me at
lipham@aol.com
Please pass this message on to all Technology Education teachers for
whom you have email addresses for and then also share it with your
regions.
Richard W. Lipham - President ATTE

To: all Technology Education professionals
I, Richard Lipham, have posted the 2001-2002 TSA rule book to the ATTE
web site.  It is in
both "Microsoft Word" and "pdf" formats.
**********
MT Tip of the Week July 11, 2001
Motivation The way teachers transmit their intense feelings often puts
students on the defensive and affects motivation.  Therefore, in intense
situations, use "I messages" rather than "you messages."  For example,
"You make me furious when you ignore my questions" and "I feel furious
when I get no response to my questions" will get different responses.
The first statement is blaming and accusatory.  It implies that the
person being spoken to is all wrong.  The second statement indicates
that the speaker will take responsibility for his or her actions--and it
leaves explanations and the working out of a solution to both parties.
Try this technique.  It works.
When you notice behavior changes in a student, keep daily notes on what
you observe in both peer relationships and interactions with you.  This
documentation can be valuable in three ways.  First, you can be clear
about the behavior over a period of time.  Second, student behavior at
school does not always jibe with behavior at home, and parents may be
interested in day-by-day you can show them the changes you have noticed.
To motivate students, it's important to get off on the right foot.
Therefore, make sure you have your facts straight before you approach a
student.  Know his or her grade, inquire about standing in other
classes, and consider the possible differences between the ways you and
the student see the issue.  The words you say in the first twenty
seconds may be the most listened to--and you can make a bad situation
worse by being unprepared.
**********
GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers Program"
The Office of Postsecondary Education seeks applicants for funds that
allow grantees to identify youth with potential for postsecondary
education.
http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/
"Ben & Jerry's Foundation"
The Ben & Jerry's Foundation offers grants to grassroots nonprofits
facilitating social change by addressing underlying societal conditions.
http://www.benjerry.com/foundation/guidelines.html
"Monell Foundation"
The Ambrose Monell Foundation supports social-service programs and
projects nationwide to groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the
Girl Scouts of the USA.
http://www.monellvetlesen.org
**********
15.  Best of the Web 2001 -- _PC World_
http://www.idg.net/ic_635284_1793_1-1681.html Appearing in the August
issue of _PC World_ magazine, this article reveals a number of the
magazine's top-rated sites for PC users.  Categories include online
services, technical reference, Web design, consumer advice, and
downloads.  The writers also reveal their top picks overall.  No doubt
many of these sites will be familiar to users, but these lists are
always worth a look just in case.  [MD] From The Scout Report, Copyright
Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.  http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
8.  Great Images in Nasa (GRIN)
http://grin.hq.nasa.gov / Provided by NASA, this site catalogs over 1,000
high-quality photos related to space and space exploration.  The
collection may be browsed by subject or center or keyword-searched.  The
images are offered as thumbnails with three resolution options and text
descriptions.  There are some really neat images here, and the site is
well worth a visit.  [MD] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet
Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
1.  NAME A FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL BOOK Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones
ISBM:  0-9650263-0-2
2.  DESCRIBE BRIEFLY WHY IT'S A FAVORITE The book is a consolidated
version of two hard backs to kept me in teaching.  I found specific
tools to help me with discipline, instruction and motivating students.
These tools really work and they've helped many of my friends.  I've
found it the most beneficial book for new teachers.  With the knowledge
I gained, I was able to really teach and enjoy it.
3.  SHARE SOMETHING ABOUT HOW IT HAS AFFECTED YOUR WORK I reread the
book every summer to help get me ready for the coming year.  I feel it
makes me more confident and helps me get the year off right.  I don't
think I would be as effective as a teacher without having put into
practice the strategies given in the book.
4.  INCLUDE A BRIEF EXCERPT THAT YOU FOUND POWERFUL OR THOUGHT-PROVOKING
Here are a few of my favorites:
"The standards in any classroom are defined by whatever the students can
get away with"
"Any discipline management technique that is working will
self-eliminate."
"Calm is strength.  Upset is weakness."
"It takes one fool to backtalk.  It takes two fools to make a
conversation of it."
**********
Millions of teachers and students visit HowStuffWorks.  Teachers love
HowStuffWorks because it offers thousands of topics explained in a way
that keeps students interested.  HowStuffWorks also offers these free
resources for teachers:
HowStuffWorks Express magazine.  This full-color large-format magazine
for 4th through 8th graders helps bring How Stuff Works right into the
classroom.  Students, teachers and parents have given this magazine
tremendously high ratings.  The magazine is free to teachers.
HowStuffWorks Express "Free to Schools" program.  Once you sign up, you
receive 60 free copies of each issue of the magazine to hand out to your
students.  There is no cost or obligation -- corporate sponsors
interested in education cover the cost of printing and distribution.  To
sign up, just fill out this simple form
<http://express.howstuffworks.com/express-free.htm > -- it only takes
about 60 seconds.  HowStuffWorks Express teacher resources.  The
magazine comes with lesson plans, quizzes, answer keys and so on to help
make it more valuable for teachers in the classroom.  A set of teacher
resources is available for each main article in the magazine.  These
teacher resources are free, and are password-protected.  Click here to
register for your free password
<http://express.howstuffworks.com/express-form.htm >.  Huge Experiment
Database.
We have collected together a huge assortment of experiments and projects
from across the Web to help students learn about how stuff works.  Click
here to see the database < http://www.howstuffworks.com/exp-db.htm >.
Cool Places Database.
Planning a field trip or a vacation?  Check the Cool Places database for
a collection of hundreds of cool places to visit all across the U.S.
Museums, science centers, tours and factories are included in this
amazing resource.  Click here to see the database
<http://www.howstuffworks.com/cp-archive.htm >.
**********
If any of you are wanting to do your own thing in regards to keeping a
list of these useful links, one thing I've done in the past is use a
site like:
http://www.ikeepbookmarks.com There is a feature called "popup" that
allows you (when you are visiting a web page and would like to save it
in iKeepBookmarks.com), you choose "Add to iKeepBookmarks.com" from your
Bookmarks, or Favorites, Menu, a window will pop up asking you to choose
which folder you would like it to go in, and give you the option to type
in a description, and change any information.  Its quick and easy.
Another advantage of this site is that you can access your bookmarks
from any computer.  take a look, its easy (and free) to set up.
I was having the same problem.  Then I found www.backflip.com.  This is
a bookmark list "in the sky".  You can upload the bookmark file you
already have into it--then access it from any Internet capable computer.
In setting up your free account, you add a Links button onto your
browser's toolbar.
Then anytime you see a website you want to capture and save---like all
the terrific sources that have been posted on this list---you just save
it to a folder for later.
**********
GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"IBM's Reinventing Education Program"
IBM announced that it would contribute an additional $25 million in
cash, research and technology to expand access to its Reinventing
Education Program.  The program will, with the new grants, expand to
support teacher-training colleges that work in partnership with school
districts to develop new, more effective ways to prepare and train
teachers.
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/grant/education/programs/reinventing/
"Allstate Foundation"
Allstate Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations, including
public K-12 schools, for projects that are related to automobile and
highway safety, homes and neighborhoods, and personal safety and
security.
http://www.allstate.com/foundation/
"Best Buy Children's Foundation"
Best Buy Children's Foundation's mission is to enhance the quality of
life of school-age children in communities where they maintain a
presence (39 states).  The Foundation invests in organizations and
programs committed to making a difference in the lives of children with
an emphasis on innovative programs that promote personal achievement,
mentor relationships and life skills, and accentuate learning
opportunities for school-age children.
http://www.bestbuy.com/About/CommunityRelations/ChildrensFoundation.asp?
m=435&cat=439&scat=463
**********
http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/atlas.html
Welcome to the Atlas of Cyberspaces This is an atlas of maps and graphic
representations of the geographies of the new electronic territories of
the Internet, the World-Wide Web and other emerging Cyberspaces.
These maps of Cyberspaces - cybermaps - help us visualise and comprehend
the new digital landscapes beyond our computer screen, in the wires of
the global communications networks and vast online information
resources.  The cybermaps, like maps of the real-world, help us navigate
the new information landscapes, as well being objects of aesthetic
interest.  They have been created by 'cyber-explorers' of many different
disciplines, and from all corners of the world.
Some of the maps you will see in the Atlas of Cyberspaces will appear
familiar, using the cartographic conventions of real-world maps,
however, many of the maps are much more abstract representations of
electronic spaces, using new metrics and grids.  The atlas comprises
separate pages, covering different types of cybermaps.
**********
MT Tip of the Week June 25, 2001
Grading and Testing Remember, just as you teach in sequence to get the
best learning results, you must test in sequence to get the best measure
of student performance.  And if you throw in a trick question to "get
students to think," you may destroy the validity of the entire test.
The reason is obvious:  After students get to the trick question, their
minds may be consumed with thoughts such as "I don't remember studying
that" or "Did we have that?"  Therefore, never use a trick question on
any test.  If you do, you will get students to think--but in the wrong
direction.
When talking to students or a class about grades, use the word "you"
rather than "I."  Using the word "I" delivers the wrong message.  The
responsibility for learning automatically shifts from the teacher to the
student when "you" is used.  And students must come to understand that
grades are theirs, not the teacher's.  Therefore, refrain from beginning
a sentence with " I give," "I determine," or "I require," and students
may accept more responsibility for the grades they earn--rather than
blame you for all their shortcomings.
Before a test, never make such statements as "You're on your own" or
"It's too late to worry now."  Rather, always speak in terms of' "we"
and be positive and encouraging.  Likewise, be aware that all tests are
flawed--and that you should not remove yourself from helping students
interpret a question.  Remember, you can't maintain a learning
partnership if you dissolve the partnership during a crisis.  And test
day is a crisis situation for many students.
**********
And here's a good article from Educational Leadership by Heidi Goodrich
Andrade, who did a lot of research around rubrics while she was at
Harvard's Project Zero:
"Rubrics make assessing student work quick and efficient, and they help
teachers justify to parents and others the grades that they assign to
students.  At their very best, rubrics are also teaching tools that
support student learning and the development of sophisticated thinking
skills.  When used correctly, they serve the purposes of learning as
well as of evaluation and accountability.
Like portfolios, exhibitions, and other authentic approaches to
assessment, rubrics blur the distinction between instruction and
assessment."
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0002/andrade.html
Here's an earlier Andrade article, with a good many sample rubrics:
http://www.middleweb.com/rubricsHG.html
Also a page of rubrics resources:
http://www.asd.wednet.edu/EagleCreek/Barnard/sites/ed/rubric.htm
**********
MT Tip of the Week June 15, 2001
Grading and Testing Set aside a day before grade cards are sent home and
have a short conference with each student before or after school or
during study periods.  After giving advance notice, require each student
to present a self-evaluation of his or her grade before you reveal the
actual grade earned.  Then, show the actual grade, explain it
completely, and allow the student time to ask you questions.  You'll
find that very few students overestimate their level of achievement.  In
fact, the vast majority of students will underestimate their grades.
This action will almost completely eliminate complaints about grades on
report card day--and allow students to prepare parents for the grades
they will be bringing home.
Be sure to place a heavy emphasis on improvement--if you want students
to try harder the next grading period.  Remember, few people are
motivated by failure.  Therefore, recognize student improvement even if
there isn't a letter grade change.  There's a big difference between a
low C and a high C.  To keep students focused, make a class improvement
chart without any letter grades on it--and use it to recognize and
reward improvement.
Make no mistake:  Students will not be influenced by a teacher who
leaves them in doubt--or who they think has neither the desire nor the
ability to help them.  That's why saying, "There's nothing I can do to
help you" or "I don't know what to do with you" is counterproductive to
teacher effort.  Even if students have made no effort to improve their
grades, keep in mind that you can't reach them by taking such a stance.
Therefore, keep your frustrations in check at grade card time, and
you'll increase your chances of helping students help themselves.
**********
15.  SmartFTP http://www.smartftp.com/ SmartFTP is a full featured FTP
client with an easy-to-use, Explorer-style interface.  It has
context-menus and support for dragging and dropping files from Explorer
or within internal windows.  SmartFTP allows users to open multiple
connections to servers without starting the application again.  It also
comes with lots of other features including the ability to set up a
transfer queue, schedule uploads/ downloads, perform recursive uploads/
downloads, and resume broken transfers.  In addition, SmartFTP includes
a global history, the ability to store Favorites similar to IE, and
support for working behind proxy servers and firewalls.  Users may
download SmartFTP for free at the site.  [MA] From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
16.  HomeNetHelp.com http://www.HomeNetHelp.com Edited by Chris
Kaminski, this very useful site teaches ordinary users about home
networking and Internet connection sharing.  Here visitors will find
tutorials on home networking and sharing Internet connections, how-to's,
feature articles, product reviews, networking news, and forums, in
addition to other content.  Simply put, this is an outstanding starting
point for any home or small business user interested in networking.
[MD] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
17.  Universal Explorer [Windows 9x/2000/NT/ME]
http://www.spadixbd.com/universal/ Universal Explorer, a powerful
replacement for the standard Windows Explorer, provides an easy-to-use
interface for managing files (move/ copy/ paste/ delete) quickly and
effectively.  It includes utilities such as Archive Manager, Calendar,
Calculator, Directory Compare, Split File, and many more.  The advanced
interface allows users to search and replace text across files and
directories.  Users can also view and edit almost any file -- text
documents, HTML, a wide range of graphic files, programming source code,
and more -- directly in UE without launching the file's native
application.  The Split Screen feature allows easy management of files
when working with different drives or directories.  A Free Adware
version and a standard fifteen-day trial version are available for
download at the site.  Registration of the full version is $49.95.  [MA]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
"The Lucent Technologies Foundation"
The mission of the Lucent Technologies Foundation is to help young
people, primarily in kindergarten through grade 12 prepare to meet the
challenges of our changing global society.  The Foundation primarily
supports programs that provide comprehensive education reform for U.S.
urban schools, innovative models for pre-K-12 public school improvement,
and innovative work at the university level to improve pre-K-12
education.
http://www.lucent.com/news/foundation/home.html

**************************
*****
Subj: FYI August 2001 #2
Date: 8/23/2001 4:50:40 PM Central Daylight Time
From:    mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us (Lorenz, Mary)

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information
service to members of this listserve, and does not necessarily reflect
the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.

**********
GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program"
The Jordan Fundamentals Grants are awarded to teachers or
paraprofessionals who work with students in grades 6-12 in a U.S.
public school who also demonstrate instructional creativity and
exemplify high learning expectations for economically disadvantaged
students.
http://nikebiz.com/community/jordan_fund.shtml
"NASDAQ Educational Foundation"
The NASDAQ Educational Foundation invites applications for NASDAQ
Teaching Awards for teachers who have developed effective, innovative
teaching strategies and classroom activities that promote a better
understanding of the economy and economic reasoning skills among
students in grades 9-12.
http://www.nationalcouncil.org/nasdaq/apps/index.html
"Target Arts in Education Grants"
Target awards special financial grants to schools and nonprofit
organizations to help students better understand and appreciate art and
music.  Target Arts in Education Grants create opportunities for
students nationwide to explore, experience and create visual art, music
and drama.
http://www.target.com/target_group/community/community_taeg.jhtml
"The Candle Foundation"
The Candle Foundation supports grant-seekers throughout the U.S.  in
program areas such as community investment and education and information
dissemination.
http://www.candle.com/about_candle/candle_foundation/about_our_grants.ht
ml
"Parental Assistance Program"
The Parental Assistance Program strengthens partnerships between parents
and professionals in meeting the educational needs of children aged
birth through five years and the working relationship between home and
school.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&
docid=01-11438-filed
"Information on U.S. Department of Education Initiatives"
Among a wealth of other information, the ED site provides comprehensive
information on applying for federal grants and listings of current
funding opportunities.
http://www.ed.gov/funding.html
"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and
technology funding.
http://www.eschoolnews.org/funding
"Philanthropy News Digest-K-12 Funding Opportunities"
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/20000328/funding.html
http://www.fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/education.html
"SchoolGrants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and
obtain special grants for a variety of projects.
http://www.schoolgrants.org
**********
Indoor Air Quality for Schools Twenty percent of the U.S.  population,
nearly 55 million people, spend their days in our elementary and
secondary schools.  Studies show that one-half of our nation's 115,000
schools have problems linked to indoor air quality.  Students are at
greater risk because of the hours spent in school facilities and because
children are especially susceptible to pollutants.  You can access the
"IAQ Tools for Schools" web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/index.html .

**********
WANTED:
HS SCIENCE, MATH, COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY TEACHERS & ADMINISTRATORS
FROM URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS YOU AND YOUR SCHOOL CAN GET PAID TO
PARTICIPATE IN AN NSF-FUNDED PROJECT "Building for Tomorrow" Begins
Today The New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological Education
(NJCATE), one of 11 National Science Foundation Advanced Technological
Education centers across the country, is seeking 5-person teams of urban
high school teachers and administrators to participate in a one-week
institute.  Each team will be comprised of four teachers (each
representing one of the four disciplines of math, science, English, and
technology) plus an administrator.  Participants will learn how to
organize, manage and ready student teams to compete in regional and
national Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology
(SMET)competitions similar to the FIRST robotics competitions.
NJCATE, through a series of initiatives funded by the National Science
Foundation, is committed to the reform and revitalization of science and
technology education from K-12 and beyond.  The latest of the center's
undertakings is "Building for Tomorrow," a project conceived as a
response to the need to increase interest in SMET education overall and
the under-representation of urban school districts in the technological
education arena in particular.
During this one-week institute, each high school team will:
?  Learn how to integrate SMET fundamentals into both extra-curricular
activities and high school curricula using components from high school
modular curricula developed by NJCATE.
?  Learn how to work in teams consisting of a team of teachers, an
administrator, and an industry representative.
?  Learn to partner with industry to gain first-hand knowledge and
experience with SMET concepts and to learn how to approach industry for
financial support to cover costs associated with SMET competitions
(i.e.fees, materials, etc.).
?  Engage in hands-on on activities similar to the ones students will
engage in during SMET competitions.
?  Develop proficiency in identifying, evaluating and collecting the
wealth of SMET instructional material available in order to expand and
enhance curricula.
Institute partners will receive a $250 stipend ($50/day) and lodging and
transportation costs will be reimbursed.  Additionally, each team will
receive an $800 grant for their schools to begin implementing the
educational enhancements to ready students for SMET competitions.
NJCATE will hold the initial Building for Tomorrow institute at
Middlesex County College located in Edison, NJ starting the evening of
Monday, June 25 and concluding at noon on Saturday, June 30.  This
seminal event will shape the model that will be used to revitalize high
school SMET education for years to come.  To find out how you and your
school can begin "Building for Tomorrow" by taking part in this
visionary program today, call, fax or email your inquiry to:
Robert Sicora, Center Director NJCATE
2600 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, NJ 08818 www.njcate.org ph:732.906.2632 fax: 732.906.4662 email:
robert_sicora@middlesex.cc.nj.us
**********
MT Tip of the Week May 9, 2001
Parent Relationships
To gain assistance and support from parents, it's helpful to send home a
note offering a word of praise and simultaneously urging that the
student correct a fault or tackle bigger goals.  You'll find these
messages can be very helpful to you, the student, and parents.  If you
want parents to help, however, you must remember that your advice must
be specific.
Here are some examples:

Jane is both capable and dependable.  She reveals both these admirable
traits in class often.  In fact, she does so well that she should be
encouraged to begin to take on studies beyond the minimum requirements.

Mark is a conscientious student.  He would find more success, however,
if he would read directions thoroughly before beginning to work on
assignments.  This one work habit is causing him serious problems.

Academically, Kay could be a top student.  Her work is always neat and
complete.  She must, however, be more considerate of classmates who are
not as capable.  She needs to remember that lack of consideration blocks
success for many people.

Jack is doing some of the best work in the class and is to be commended
for his effort.  However, his achievement is not consistent.  There are
two points on which he could concentrate to bring all work up to
capacity.  First, he should make an attempt to complete all work.
Second, he should work on concentration, as he is easily distracted.

John is a scholar in every sense of the word.  Both at home and school,
he should be encouraged to pursue new interests as well as to delve more
deeply into current studies and interests.
**********
19.  Agentland.com http://www.agentland.com/
This site is a handy portal to intelligent agents, software tools that
automatically perform a variety of tasks on the Internet.  While the
_Scout Report_ has reviewed a number of search agents in the past, this
is the first agent portal we have come across.  At the site, users can
learn about agents and the tasks they perform, browse a comprehensive
directory of agents resources, and choose from over 500 downloadable
agents.  Other resources include a free weekly newsletter, a forum, and
information on customizing agents.  [MD] From The Scout Report,
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
20.  ButtonFly 1.20 http://www.goto-software.com/us/BF/BFstart.htm
ButtonFly is an easy-to-use software for creating professional looking
buttons instantly.  You can apply graphic effects like natural shadow,
dispersion, chromatic effects, and more.  You can also establish a
button template, define your section headings, and instantly create tens
or even hundreds of new buttons for your site.
ButtonFly takes care of all of the complex and repetitive operations,
allowing graphic artists to focus on their designs.  ButtonFly also
allows you to generate the files in both .gif and .jpeg formats,
including transparent .gifs.  Using the Rollover Generator feature, you
can automatically create dynamic effects for buttons without having to
write the Javascript code.  In addition, a multilingual generation
utility enables instant translation of Websites.  Users may download a
limited 30-day version of ButtonFly for free at the site.
[MA] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
21.  Spychecker http://www.spychecker.com/
Check before you download that next freeware program.  Spychecker is a
public database, currently with close to 1,000 listings of "Spyware"
programs that are advertiser supported and track and send certain data
and statistics via a server installed on the user's PC.  Some programs
are more open about this data collection, while others only reveal it in
the fine print of their privacy policy.  Opinions are naturally mixed on
this data collection, and many users don't mind the intrusions into
their privacy in return for free software.  Those who are concerned can
use this resource to look up programs and determine if they are "true"
freeware.  The site uses a simple keyword search engine, and returns
list the ad company involved and provide links to their privacy policy
page as well as the homepage for the software.  [MD] From The Scout
Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
**********
some GREAT suggestions from http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ for teachers
so they can always be prepared for a substitute.  I know when I am
teaching full time, I will have a special binder always ready and
available.
TIP Instead of having to hurry and collect information when you are ill
or will be absent from your classroom, keep all of the important
information for a substitute in a handy three-ring notebook.  Include
your seating charts, teaching schedule including lunch time, attendance
forms and instructions on how and when attendance should be taken,
name(s) of reliable student(s) in each class in case there are
questions, location of your lesson plan book and necessary handouts,
pages asking the substitute to provide feedback on the lessons/day,
location of hall passes and other passes with the directions for using
them, location of your medical emergency items, ways to contact the
office in case of an emergency, additional activities that can be used
as time fillers in case students finish too early, and the name and room
number of a nearby teacher that can be contacted for help.
**********
Spring is also the job-hunting season for some graduating students, and
it's the time when rising seniors need to start thinking seriously about
college or careers.
TeachersFirst's Career Planning page has lots of great resources for
college and career planning, including resources for dozens of specific
careers.  It can be a great way to show students what some of their
options are.  The career planning resources are at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/career.shtml
**********
Indoor Air Quality for Schools Twenty percent of the U.S.  population,
nearly 55 million people, spend their days in our elementary and
secondary schools.  Studies show that one-half of our nation's 115,000
schools have problems linked to indoor air quality.  Students are at
greater risk because of the hours spent in school facilities and because
children are especially susceptible to pollutants.  You can access the
"IAQ Tools for Schools" web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/index.html.
**********
This week's featured sites include a great animated introduction to
printmaking, a study of Thomas Jefferson's scientific pursuits at
Monticello, a statistics teaching resource, and much more.  As always,
the features are at: http://www.teachersfirst.com/feature.htm
**********
Sound, animation, and interactivity are becoming important components in
design of instructional web sites.  We've recently added a site on the
history of technology which combines an informal presentation style with
a highly visual walk through the development of technologies from 10,000
BC to the present.  There are elements of this site that can work for
all grade levels, and you could add the site to a science lesson, a
study of inventions, or many other lessons.  Check it out in our science
resources at: http://www.teachersfirst.com/cnt-sci-mh.htm#010430c
**********
GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"Marketing 101 & Successful Corporate Funding: What's the Connection?"
Find out how to use marketing as the basis for successful partnerships
with corporate foundations.
http://www.grantsbiz.com
"The Markle Foundation"
A focus on technology grants in three program areas: policy for a
networked society, interactive media for children, and information
technologies for a better health.
http://www.markle.org/gpi/_gpi_index.stm
"Sprint Foundation"
The Sprint Foundation accepts grant proposals throughout the year in
areas such as education, arts & culture, community improvement, and
youth development.
http://www3.sprint.com/sprint/overview/commun.html
"IBM Corporation"
IBM's main philanthropic focus is education in major initiatives such as
Reinventing Education, KidSmart, and Project FIRST.
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/grant/
"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and
technology funding.
http://www.eschoolnews.org/funding
"Philanthropy News Digest-K-12 Funding Opportunities"
K-12 Funding opportunities with links to grantseeking for teachers,
learning technology, and more.
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/20000328/funding.html
"SMARTer Kids Foundation"
Accepting applications for the Connections Program.
http://www.fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/education.html
"SchoolGrants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and
obtain special grants for a variety of projects.
http://www.schoolgrants.org
"Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)"
Teachers, parents, students, and others are invited to use free to find
teaching and learning resources from more than 40 federal organizations.
http://www.ed.gov/free/
"Information on U.S.  Department of Education Initiatives"
Among a wealth of other information, the ED site provides comprehensive
information on applying for federal grants and listings of current
funding opportunities.
http://www.ed.gov/funding.html
"Application Notices for Current Federal Funding Opportunities"
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/index.html
 

Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency
512/463-9474

Subj: FYI August 2001 #3
Date: 9/4/2001 9:41:58 AM Central Daylight Time
From:    mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us (Lorenz, Mary)
 
 

Note:  The information in this e-mail is provided as an information
service to members of this list serve, and does not necessarily reflect
the opinions or policies of the Texas Education Agency.
**********************************
MT Tip of the Week May 24, 2001
When you make a rule, don't state what the penalty will be for
deviation.  If you do, you'll lose flexibility in handling each child
and each situation.  Never place yourself in a position where you must
punish a child in a specific way or go back on your word.  If you do,
you'll lose--both ways.  The punishment should fit the child, not the
infraction.  Therefore, it will be to the advantage of both you and the
student to examine punishments individually.
When you make concessions, keep track of them.  Then, remind students of
what you are doing on their behalf--and what they have agreed to do.
Say, "Jimmy, I've come a long way to meet you halfway.  This is what I
have agreed to do...." If your adjustments outweigh students', ask them
to offer additional concessions to make the issue "healthy." If you
don't, you aren't making concessions--you're only capitulating.
Always give students reasons for the rules in your classroom.  As you
explain the kind of behavior you expect, give examples of why both the
individual and the group will benefit.  For instance, if one of your
rules involves keeping the classroom neat, you can tell students that an
orderly room protects each of their spaces, helps each be better
organized, and makes a better learning environment for everyone.
Students simply need to know why--if self-discipline is the desired
outcome.  Remember, each teacher makes rules.  And many students change
classes many times a day.  Therefore, what's acceptable in one room may
not be acceptable in another.  If the "why" of rules isn't taught,
students may very easily be confused by standards rather than learn how
to cope with them.
**********
Catching Up With Our Bodies:
Reflections on Teacher Burnout
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr344.shtml
**********
GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"Golden Apple Foundation"
The Golden Apple Foundation is a non-profit organization that publicly
honors excellent pre-K through 12th grade teachers and provides them
with financial backing to have a greater impact on their profession.
http://www.goldenapple.org
"UPS Foundation"
The UPS Foundation focuses on supporting organizations that are devoted
to strengthening communities at the grassroots level.
http://www.community.ups.com/community/resources/foundation/index.html
"Toshiba America Foundation"
The Toshiba America Foundation provides cash grants to classroom
teachers to assist them in making improvements in the teaching of
science and mathematics.
Grants are available for teachers in grades K-6 and for grades 7-12.
http://www.toshiba.com/about/taf.html
"Corning Foundation"
The Corning Foundation educational grants support community service
programs for students, curriculum enrichment, student scholarships,
facility improvement, and instructional technology projects for the
classroom.
http://www.corning.com/inside_corning/foundation.asp
"What should I know about ED grants?"
A non-technical guide to the Department of Education's grant process and
the laws and regulations that govern it.
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/KnowAbtGrants/
"Parental Assistance Program"
The Parental Assistance Program strengthens partnerships between parents
and professionals in meeting the educational needs of children aged
birth through five years and the working relationship between home and
school.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&
docid=01-11438-filed
"21st Century Teachers Network"
The 21st Century Teachers Network is a nationwide, non-profit initiative
dedicated to assisting k-12 teachers learn, use and effectively
integrate technology in the curriculum for improved student learning.
http://www.21ct.org/
"Funders Supportive of Communications Technology"
A collection of funding resources and information on how to get your
organization the technology resources it needs.
http://www.benton.org/Practice/Toolkit/techmoney.html
**********
MT Tip of the Week April 18, 2001
Never send a student to the office for a frivolous reason--or because
you are having a bad day.  Remember, the office should be considered the
"bottom line."  Its use should be reserved for serious offenses that you
are unable to handle.  If you send students to the office too easily,
all students will perceive you as not being able to control them or
yourself.  Too, they will become less concerned about going to the
office for misbehavior.  Keep the office in your back pocket as a
resource as much as possible, or administrators will have a hard time
helping you or the student.
Don't be afraid to talk to students to determine the kind of rules they
would like to see established in their classroom.  This action can pay
handsome dividends.  Help students come to an agreement on the kind of
behavior all need to function productively--and then set classroom rules
together.  You may even have students help you write rules on poster
board so that the rules can be displayed in the room.  Just make sure
each rule is stated as a "positive" rather than a "negative."
Be careful about making idle promises you can't keep--or threats you
can't enforce.  Students will lose respect if you don't keep your word
or if you say anything outrageous.  Sometimes, we make promises when
we're pressured and threats when we're frustrated.  If you do either,
apologize to students and try to explain to them what caused your
actions.  Students will appreciate your integrity.
**********
Entry # 36:
A Permanent Teacher What a difference five years make.

This week I received, signed and returned my permanent teaching
contract.  It was the first milestone of my teaching career, and though
it means little officially, becoming a permanent teacher as opposed to a
probationary teacher feels like an official stamp of approval.

Receiving my permanent contract spurred me to reflect on my five years
at Turner.
There have been good, bad, and downright ugly times during my brief
career, but every event has contributed to my abilities as a teacher.

As I was watching a PBS special on volcanoes today, one volcanologist
stated that in order to predict future eruptions, one had to be aware of
the history of the volcano's activity.  Only by looking to the past
could one predict the future.  I believe the same is true for teaching,
whether it is being aware of one's own history as a teacher or
understanding earlier reform efforts.  However, while the volcanologist
cannot as yet control future activity in volcanoes, we can control the
steps we take to become better teachers or enact more effective reforms
in education.

I did not believe I would be at Turner five years after I signed my
first contract.
Turner was my last choice of the three schools I interviewed with, and
St.  Louis Public Schools was my next-to-last choice of school
districts.  Only the tight job market and the frustration of being a
highly regarded but poorly compensated substitute induced me to apply
for a position in the St.  Louis Public Schools.  I was one of those
people who believed the worst of the city schools -- just like the
people I was complaining about last week.

Blind enthusiasm and the best intentions I started my career with the
best of intentions, but I was as naive and green as they come.  My
homeroom was made up of students the other two seventh-grade teachers
assigned to me (read: discipline problems), and no one but the
instructional coordinator spoke to me the whole first week I was there.
I had no curriculum guide and no clear understanding of what, exactly, I
would do if I actually did have one to follow.  My team leader later
suggested I follow the book and use the resource materials that came
with it.  She was "old school," and that's the way they had always
taught reading, so she was giving me her best advice.

Thank goodness I did not take it.  I was filled with the blind
enthusiasm of a new teacher, and I set to work to create challenging,
interesting projects and lessons for my students.  After meeting them
for the first time, they seemed just like any other kids, so I treated
them that way.  With a few exceptions, they followed where I led.

That first year, however, was a real challenge for me, especially with
classroom management.  By the end of that year I was so tired of yelling
everyday, writing parental appearance notices, and requesting
suspensions that I vowed to learn everything I could about discipline
and classroom management.

I spent the summer on the internet picking the brains of the people on
Teachers.Net and the MIDDLE-L listserv, reading books like Cooperative
Discipline by Linda Albert and The First Days of School by Harry and
Rosemary Wong, and planning my rules and consequences for the next year.
Though my second year was far from perfect, it was a lot better, and
each year has been better yet.

As I think about my first year, I see that I had a lot of heart but
little real understanding of how to be a teacher.  I believed that if I
just loved my students enough, all of them would succeed in life.  While
love or at least appreciation does factor in to the mix, determination,
planning, and reflection are by far more important ingredients to the
making of a good teacher.

The lessons I have learned What does my past tell me?  What are the
lessons I have learned since I taught that first lesson?  There are
many, but these are the most important or at least the most useful to me
at this point in my career.

1.  Be clear and consistent with your expectations -- whether it is for
behavior, a student's performance, your instruction, or the directions
on an assignment.  I used to get very upset with students because they
would ask me what to do on a task even though the directions were right
in front of them.  Multiple requests for clarification are a signal to
me that I need to rewrite or restate the directions for the class, while
isolated incidents are simple requests for help from a student who is
having a hard time comprehending.

I believe Harry Wong says that most students want to do well and they
want to know what to do and how to act, so most requests or behaviors
are a result of unclear communication of the teacher's expectations.  I
have found that the more explicit I am, the fewer problems I encounter.

2.  Lasting change takes time.  The problems we have as a school and
staff, especially when it all seems so simple to solve sometimes upset
me.  I remember a day in my second year when I ended up in tears with my
instructional coordinator because I knew I would get the same
satisfactory evaluation as everyone else, regardless of the extra effort
I put into my job.  I was looking for my principal to make several of
the other teachers on the staff do more than pass out ditto sheets, and
I was frustrated that he would not do that.

I have since discovered that no one can make anyone else do anything
they do not decide to do.  Since human beings have their own fears,
shortcomings, and their own belief systems, real change is filled with
adversity, and working through adversity takes time.  I can see now,
five years later, just how far we have come as a school.
We will continue to improve.

3.  Problems can be solved and are opportunities to grow.  Fortunately I
learned this early in my career, and it has carried me through some very
trying times.  Trying to have my principal solve my discipline problems
was not effective, so I learned how to solve them myself.  I was not
only successful, but I also gained confidence in myself as a
problem-solver.

Since then I have always identified weak areas in my teaching as well as
areas of interest, and I have educated myself in those areas through
professional associations, various publications, and discussions with
colleagues.  I openly share my failures with my students as well as how
I am trying to overcome them, and I hope modeling this habit of mind
will transfer to them as well.  Failures are just opportunities to
learn.

4.  If something is not working, scrap it.  Do not hold on to behaviors,
strategies, lessons, or units just because that is what you have
planned.  I used to be afraid to scrap a lesson for fear my supervisors
or my students would think less of me.
However, how ridiculous is it to continue doing something you know does
not work?
Throw it out, be honest with the kids or your supervisors about the
reason for the deletion, think about why it did not work, and start
over.

5.  Be human.  I used to cringe at the old adage, "Don't smile until
Christmas," as a preservice teacher.  It is not in my nature to be a
dour old sourpuss, and I went into teaching partly because I did like
the kids.  I know teachers who still follow this advice, and they think
any questions about their personal lives are impertinent.
While this approach may work for them, it does not work for me.  I do
not care if my students know my first name or my age, and I think it is
important for them to know how I love to travel, eat at good
restaurants, and read.

I jump around in class, make up little poems and songs about them to
encourage them to get on the bus or into their classrooms, and generally
act like a big goofball.
They sometimes look at me askance, but they appreciate my human-ness.
At this time in their lives, especially when they are questioning who
they are and how they should be, I think it is important for them to see
an adult who has embraced all the quirks and idiosyncrasies of their
personality while working to become a better human being in the process.

As I said before, my list of lessons is not at all comprehensive.  They
are, however, important to who I was, who I am now, and who I will
become as a teacher.  I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
**********
PRINCIPALS' TIPS FOR JOB-SEEKERS
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin222.shtml
This article from Education World's "Principal Files" shares expert tips
with soon-to-be college grads looking for their first teaching
positions.  Experienced teachers who have entered the job market will
also appreciate the insights and the large selection of additional
resources.
**********
some GREAT suggestions from http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ for teachers
so they can always be prepared for a substitute.  I know when I am
teaching full time, I will have a special binder always ready and
available.
TIP Instead of having to hurry and collect information when you are ill
or will be absent from your classroom, keep all of the important
information for a substitute in a handy three-ring notebook.  Include
your seating charts, teaching schedule including lunch time, attendance
forms and instructions on how and when attendance should be taken,
name(s) of reliable student(s) in each class in case there are
questions, location of your lesson plan book and necessary handouts,
pages asking the substitute to provide feedback on the lessons/day,
location of hall passes and other passes with the directions for using
them, location of your medical emergency items, ways to contact the
office in case of an emergency, additional activities that can be used
as time fillers in case students finish too early, and the name and room
number of a nearby teacher that can be contacted for help.
**********
Spring is also the job-hunting season for some graduating students, and
it's the time when rising seniors need to start thinking seriously about
college or careers.  TeachersFirst's Career Planning page has lots of
great resources for college and career planning, including resources for
dozens of specific careers.  It can be a great way to show students what
some of their options are.  The career planning resources are at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/career.shtml

Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency
512/463-9474
mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us
 
 
 
 

Back to home page.

5.  Be human.  I used to cringe at the old adage, "Don't smile until
Christmas," as a preservice teacher.  It is not in my nature to be a
dour old sourpuss, and I went into teaching partly because I did like
the kids.  I know teachers who still follow this advice, and they think
any questions about their personal lives are impertinent.
While this approach may work for them, it does not work for me.  I do
not care if my students know my first name or my age, and I think it is
important for them to know how I love to travel, eat at good
restaurants, and read.

I jump around in class, make up little poems and songs about them to
encourage them to get on the bus or into their classrooms, and generally
act like a big goofball.
They sometimes look at me askance, but they appreciate my human-ness.
At this time in their lives, especially when they are questioning who
they are and how they should be, I think it is important for them to see
an adult who has embraced all the quirks and idiosyncrasies of their
personality while working to become a better human being in the process.

As I said before, my list of lessons is not at all comprehensive.  They
are, however, important to who I was, who I am now, and who I will
become as a teacher.  I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
**********
PRINCIPALS' TIPS FOR JOB-SEEKERS
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin222.shtml
This article from Education World's "Principal Files" shares expert tips
with soon-to-be college grads looking for their first teaching
positions.  Experienced teachers who have entered the job market will
also appreciate the insights and the large selection of additional
resources.
**********
some GREAT suggestions from http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ for teachers
so they can always be prepared for a substitute.  I know when I am
teaching full time, I will have a special binder always ready and
available.
TIP Instead of having to hurry and collect information when you are ill
or will be absent from your classroom, keep all of the important
information for a substitute in a handy three-ring notebook.  Include
your seating charts, teaching schedule including lunch time, attendance
forms and instructions on how and when attendance should be taken,
name(s) of reliable student(s) in each class in case there are
questions, location of your lesson plan book and necessary handouts,
pages asking the substitute to provide feedback on the lessons/day,
location of hall passes and other passes with the directions for using
them, location of your medical emergency items, ways to contact the
office in case of an emergency, additional activities that can be used
as time fillers in case students finish too early, and the name and room
number of a nearby teacher that can be contacted for help.
**********
Spring is also the job-hunting season for some graduating students, and
it's the time when rising seniors need to start thinking seriously about
college or careers.  TeachersFirst's Career Planning page has lots of
great resources for college and career planning, including resources for
dozens of specific careers.  It can be a great way to show students what
some of their options are.  The career planning resources are at:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/career.shtml

Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency
512/463-9474
mlorenz@tea.state.tx.us
 
 
 
 

Back to home page.