The Boy Who Knew Too Much: A Child Prodigy (education)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The Boy Who Knew Too Much: A Child Prodigy

WEB ADDRESS: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: This is a blog unlike any other on the net. A father, Valentine Cawley, writes of his well known scientific child prodigy son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, and family and tells of life as an expat in Asia.

Ainan spoke his first word at a couple of weeks old, crawled at four months, walked at six months, ran at eight months and read his first letter at eight months. At seven years old, he passed O level (the youngest in the world). At 8 years, he went to his first College for Chemistry. The blog takes an insightful look, at the life and world of a unique child prodigy and his family.

Ainan's story was covered on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and in hundreds of other major newspapers around the world.

MY REVIEW: This is a fascinating blog on a fascinating subject - that of child prodigies. Kids who are smarter not only than every other kid in the room, but also smarter than every other adult in the room as well.

How do they deal with life, being thought of as "gifted" by their peers, while to them, they are normal, and everyone else is handicapped. (This was the musing of the author's post for today, and it makes a lot of sense. Surely that is how a "gifted" child must feel - and then, you have to wonder, as they grow up, always being the youngest but smartest person in the room, how do they cope with their experiences, given how the rest of society treats those who are exceptional. (If you're an athlete, you are heaped with praise and can show off your physical skills all you like, if you're a scholar, you're ridiculed, laughed at, and even beaten up for "thinking that you're better than everyone else.")

I found this blog a fascinating read, and I recommend it for everyone who has gifted children, extremely intelligent children, or just children in general.

Sample post

Fintan's deft rejoinders.

Fintan, seven, is, as I have noted, before, a boy who surprises. He has a disarming manner which lulls one into a sense that all is to be as expected - and then he pounces with one of his characteristic unpredictabilities. If an "unpredictability" can be characteristic, of course.

Today, he bested me, twice, in conversation.

I was discussing reading with him. "Reading is the most important skill in life.", I opined, seriously.

"Reading?", he doubted, openly, "Not walking?", he continued, with one of his little smiles that says so much with so little.

He had me there. I imagined then, a life of utter immobility and compared it to a life of illiteracy. He was right: immobility was worse than illiteracy. The former quite deprived one of a rich life - the latter, however, might not affect one, anywhere near as drastically, if one's choices were carefully made.

He had won, without even trying. I just nodded, a little, in acknowledgement of his point.

Later that day I said: "I am going to buy a dog."

Fintan looked at me, his eyes sparkling, with amusement at what was to come. "You don't want to buy a dog, you should rent one."

Again, he had a point, for we are very unlikely to live in Malaysia for the length of a dog's life: what would we do then, when the time came to leave? He had identified the essential problem with my proposal - and proposed his own slightly whimsical solution.

I like the way he challenges my assumptions, points them out to me and punctures them. He does it so casually, as if, perhaps, it were an automatic reflex with him. I think it is, actually. I think he sees the problem with what is said to him, the moment it is said. He sees the cracks in things - the flaw that should be highlighted for a better understanding of the situation. It is a useful way to think, particularly if developed, as he grows up. It should allow him to avoid many a problem and to act, I should hope, with a certain care and wisdom.

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy being defeated by my son's ripostes. It makes me smile, to hear him so.

RECENT POSTS:
--Gifted or Impaired?
--Fintan's deft rejoinders.
--How long is my blog?
--Publishing my blog on Kindle, Amazon.
--Don't be shy.

_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

International Higher Education Consulting (education)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: International Higher Education Consulting Blog, by David CAmp

WEB ADDRESS: http://ihec-djc.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: International Higher Education Consulting Blog provides timely news and informational pieces that are of interest to both the international education and public diplomacy communities. From time to time, International Higher Education Consulting Blog will post thought provoking pieces to challenge readers and to encourage comments and professional dialogue.

MY REVIEW: I find this is a fascinating blog, if you're interested in higher education (ie college or university) and specifically travelling to other countries to acquire it. The articles are for the most part pretty interesting.

Unfortunately, this may be a blog that is better to visit on the web than via the Kindle. Occasionally he'll include a video, which we of course can't see, and sometimes he provides a lot of links, which are so unweildy to view. But overall, a pretty interesting blog.

Check it out.

Sample post:

Always Stop and Look through a Pile of Free Books as You Never Know What You Will Find

Earlier during my lunch hour today I discovered a table with a bunch of books spread all across the top and a small sign that read "free books" (pictured here). I always stop and search through a pile of free books...don't you? This pile of books focused primarily on political science and economics in Russia and Slavic countries and the majority were written in Russian. While these subjects are of interest they are not books I would pick-up for casual or academic reading. Today, however, I lucked out and found a great publication to add to my Bury Book International Education Library & Archive. Under several books I found and took the following:

Victor R. Johnson. (2006). "Americans Abroad: International Educational Programs and Tort Liability" The Journal of College and University Law, 32 (2), 309-359.

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--Boren Awards - Breaking the Language Barrier
--Those of You Interested in the History of Standard...
--Follow the Back Channel Discussion during the 2010...
--Always Stop and Look through a Pile of Free Books ...
--Reuniting with an Exchange Student and/or Host Fam...
--"One Size Does Not Fit All: Sustained Global Commi...
--CBS News Report on 50 Iraqi University Students th...
--Vote for Your World Next Door in the Pepsi Refresh...
--What Do You Feed Your RSS Reader?
--Back in the Game (sort of)
_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Music Matters (education, arts & entertainment)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Music Matters, by Natalie Wickham

WEB ADDRESS: http://musicmattersblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: games, worksheets, practice incentives, group class ideas, and more to help you run your music studio more creatively and efficiently

MY REVIEW: One thing I've always regretted as a kid was not making more of an effort to learn music - how to read music and how to play some kind of instrument. Too late now. But, if you're looking for ways to interest your kids in music, or just want to know what music teachers do, this blog is pretty intereseting.

Sample post

New (School) Year Resolutions
by David Cutler
Believe it or not, it’s back to school time again! Before things get too hectic, here’s a question for music students (and professors, and the rest of us): What specific actions will you take this academic year to advance your career? Sure, you’ll improve playing and other artistic specialties. But from a professional point of view, how will you be closer to life goals next May than now?

Take a moment to ponder resolutions, and WRITE THEM DOWN. Notated aspirations are significantly more likely to be realized than those that aren’t. Here are 10 possibilities:

Project. Bring a sellable passion project to fruition: recording, book, concert program, teaching studio, etc.
Branding. Build your brand so others immediately identify you with a unique and compelling artistic disposition.
Internet presence. Create a website, start a blog, boost social media efforts and web footprint.
Portfolio. Compile a professional portfolio consisting of bio, photo, musical samples, testimonials, programs, brochures, and other materials.
Internship. Obtain an internship within an entrepreneurial environment.
Mentor. Engage a career mentor (in addition to your musical mentor) who can help you focus priorities and move towards success.
Network. Meet and build strategic relationships with 5-20 new people who have the potential to be pivotal in your career.
Contact list. Build your contact list of people who care about what you do to at least 300-500 people (either through a site like Facebook or–better yet–your own newsletter mailing list).
Books. Read at least 5 books focusing on business, marketing, and career issues.
Blogs. Regularly follow at least 3 blogs that focus on career and industry related issues.

I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired just reading the above list! I’ve printed it out and am hoping to spend some time in the next few weeks jotting down my specific goals and ideas. Maybe I’ll even post some of the things I come up with here on the blog! How about you? Are you working toward any specific goals this year? Maybe we can inspire and encourage each other in our endeavors!

Also, remember to enter the drawing to win a free autographed copy of The Savvy Musician!

RECENT POSTS:
--CD Recording Made Easy
--Free Piano Scale Fingering Diagrams
--Get Your Own Studio Website
--Key Signature Chart
--Make Your Own Scale Blocks
--Practice Incentives Overview
--Record Audio CDs in Your Studio
--Student Interviews
---Year-End Evaluations


_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Kids Learn to Blog (education)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Kids Learn to Blog, by Dr. Patricia Fioriello

WEB ADDRESS: http://kidslearntoblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: How to use blogs in education. Blogs for kids under 13.

MY REVIEW: There has always been a lot of concern about the amount of time kids spend on computers or playing video games. (At least, concern among educators, not necessarily among parents, otherwise they wouldn't let them do it!)

Well, rather than having your kid play video games, why not introduce them to the joys of blogging, of putting their thoughts down on electronic paper. Teach them how to communicate verbally instead of violently.

That's what this blog aims to teach. It's pretty interesting. Check it out.

Sample post:

Facts and Myths About Online Chat Rooms for Kidsby Dr. Patricia Fioriello on September 7, 2010

The Realities of Online Chat Rooms for Kids
Online chat rooms are not just popular among adults looking for love or careers; many teens and preteens are finding friends and maintaining contact with friends who have moved away, getting help with school work, and discovering the world through the use of online chat rooms for kids under 13.

What the Critics Say
The critics of online chat rooms for kids under 13 feel that they are detrimental to kids and often expose them to information at early ages that they would normally not be exposed to. Though this and other perceived disadvantages seem to steer parents away from online chat rooms for kids under 13, the advantages may make the risks worth taking.

Positive Reasons to Let Kids Chat Online
Improve Social Skills
The first and most common way online chat rooms for kids under 13 are beneficial is their ability to create an environment where kids are free to be who they are. In these rooms kids can explore and improve upon their social skills through various methods including writing, text-chatting, playing games, and finding connection points. Many adults do not understand the text “lingo” but for kids, this is a vital means of communication.

Increase Communication Skills
By engaging in chat room conversations, preteens learn how to carry on a conversation, listen and make contributions that they might not make otherwise. Through this process, preteens find friends they may never have found in person. For some teens, they find themselves to be socially awkward in person but thrive in an online setting. Many times, the online chat rooms are a way to give them courage to be more social.

Online chat rooms for kids under 13 years of age provide a quiet way for preteens to talk with their friends. Because of these sites, preteens can have people over without having to leave the room. Many sites allow for video chat and group chats that transcend rooms, cities, states, and even countries. Preteens can talk with their friends in the safety of their own home without the worries of getting their friends together for a party or parents having to make time in their schedule to take them somewhere for a get together.

Address Academics
For parents, one of the main advantages of online chat rooms for kids under 13 is their ability to provide sources of help with schoolwork. Many parents are not capable or do not have the time to help their students get schoolwork done. Fortunately, there are hundreds of websites designed to guide students to find the help they need to be successful in school.

There are sites dedicated to every subject imaginable and target children and teens of all grade levels. Some sites even provide actual teacher assistance or submission sites to get feedback on the work they have produced. School curriculum consists of an increasing number of technology requirements that stump most adults. Online chat rooms provide informational and technological help for these problems.

If these reasons are not enough for allowing your preteen to spend some monitored time on the Internet, then consider what they can learn from people who live in places around the world. Many online chat rooms for kids under 13 are available to kids in the United States and around the world. Preteens can have a virtual pen pal and learn history, culture, and geography of a part of the world they have never been to. Preteens with a broad worldview often are more successful in school and have a healthy sense of adventure.

For critics of online chat rooms for kids under 13, these advantages may not be convincing enough to outweigh the risk; however, if you as a parent are responsible and willing to monitor your child’s online use, these chat rooms can be an invaluable source of information and social experience.

RECENT POSTS:
--Facts and Myths About Online Chat Rooms for Kids
--How to Help Kids Find the Right Words
--Poetry Makes the Future Bright
--How to Make Writing Fun for Kids
--All You Need to Know About Kidblog
--Why Kids Blog

_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

The Word Detective (language, education)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The Word Detective , by Evan Morris

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.word-detective.com/category/sideblog/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Word Detective on the Web is the online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers’ questions about words and language. The Word Detective is written by Evan Morris and appears in finer newspapers in the U.S., Mexico and Japan.

On the web since 1995, The Word Detective also offers a free searchable online archive of thousands of past columns.

The Word Detective is published monthly.

MY REVIEW: This website is excellent - you need to visit it directly to search for and "find a column on a particular word or phrase."

The blog is a "sideblog," updated only once or twice a week. If you're interested in the English language, you'll enjoy it.

Sample post:

The BP spill has poisoned our tongues … our poor, crisp, British tongues
Charlie Brooker in the Guardian:

Flippantly putting the grave environmental tragedy of it all to one side for a moment, the Deepwater Horizon oil leak isn’t just causing extensive damage to the Louisiana coastline. What about our accents? Our lovely British accents? Thanks to the BP link, they’ve been destroyed too. Don’t know about you, but whenever I’m around Americans, I tend to exaggerate my Britishness in a pathetic bid to win their approval. Those days are gone.

The first time I visited the US, I ran into trouble at immigration. Half the group I was travelling with decided to get drunk on the plane, which probably would’ve been fine with all the other passengers if it hadn’t been for the unrelenting cackling and yelping and removal of trousers. I was fairly drunk too, incidentally, but only because I was so terrified of flying I’d decided to blot out the whole of reality by glugging myself into an inflight coma. From my slumbering perspective the flight was a warm 15-minute snooze. To the other passengers it must’ve felt like a 30-year sentence in baboon prison.

Upon arrival, we were identified as troublemakers and hauled off one-by-one for a comprehensive bothering. Instantly I realised my only hope of avoiding instant deportation was to behave like a minor royal – not an aloof, chilly posho, but a genial gosh-what-a-wonderful-country-you-have Hugh Grant-type, one who smiles a lot while using slightly formal language. I apologised profusely by saying, “I apologise profusely.” The officer started out prickly – one of his opening gambits was, “You could be spending the night in jail, wiseguy”, which simultaneously impressed and scared me – but several minutes of profuse apologies and crikey-I’m-sorry delivered in an embellished British accent appeared to disarm him, and I was released without being subjected to gunfire.

RECENT POSTS:
--OUPblog » Blog Archive » The Gender-Neutral Pronoun: 150 Years Later, Still an Epic Fail
--If you mean "literal" literally, we should start lining up investors.
--xkcd: Period Speech
--Gene Weingarten column mentions Lady Gaga.
--The BP spill has poisoned our tongues … our poor, crisp, British tongues

_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Moving at the Speed of Creativity (education)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Moving at the Speed of Creativity, by Wesley Fryer

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.speedofcreativity.org/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Moving at the Speed of Creativity blog posts and podcasts focus on blended learning, digital literacy, technology integration, web 2.0 tools, authentic assessment, school transformation, digital storytelling, and educational leadership issues.

MY REVIEW: I'm giving this blog a recommendation of "Yes, with reservations" because, although it is an excellent blog, most entries have videos or podcasts that of course cannot be viewed or heard on the Kindle, so you need to go to the website to listen to them.

However, for getting an idea of what's going on in education, I think this is an extremely valuable blog.

Here's a bio of the author from his website:

Wesley Fryer is a digital learning consultant, author, digital storyteller, educator and change agent. With respect to school change, he describes himself as a "catalyst for creative engagement and collaborative learning." Wesley serves as a co-convener for the annual K-12 Online Conference and is the executive director of the nonprofit Story Chasers Inc., the lead partner in the statewide Celebrate Oklahoma Voices digital storytelling project. His blog, "Moving at the Speed of Creativity" (www.speedofcreativity.org) was selected as the 2006 "Best Learning Theory Blog" by eSchoolnews and Discovery Education, and is utilized regularly by thousands of educators worldwide. Wesley secured $1.3 million in grant funding for West Texas schools participating in the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot Project in 2004-2008. He was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2005. He was an elementary classroom teacher for six years in Texas public schools before serving as a college director of distance learning for five years. He worked for AT&T from 2006 - 2008 as the Director of Education Advocacy, and the Director of Technology and Education Outreach for the Oklahoma Heritage Association from July 2008 - January 2009. Wesley is completing his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Tech University.

Sample post:
YouTube and iTunes fame paying off for Alabama family
The news article, "Internet Meme Turns Headline into iTunes Hit" shares the inspiring story of crime victims turned empowered entrepreneurs in Alabama. Antoine Dodson's angry rant to reporters following the attempted rape of a family member in his home went viral on YouTube, and he recorded a song about the incident which is now being purchased by thousands on iTunes. He hopes their family will move out of "the projects" soon with the extra funds. An inspiring tale well worth reading and sharing.
All of us are a YouTube post away from national media attention. Are your students equipped to make ethical choices with the power at their fingertips in our "publish at will" era? Remember to make discussions about digital citizenship a regular part of your curriculum this year. This would be a good story to share and discuss together.
[I dont' share the video]

RECENT POSTS:
--Best games for kids on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
--Cell Phone Computers or Mobile Learning Devices (MLDs)
--Free eBook: Henry Jenkins on Participatory Culture and Media Education
--Laptop Learning in Massachusetts: BYOL on the horizon?
--Why publish school updates on Facebook?
--Easily Sync Google Calendars to your iPhone

_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

I Want to Teach Forever (parenting, teaching)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: I Want to Teach Forever, by Larry D.

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.teachforever.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Information, inspiration and ideas to help teachers in and out of the classroom

MY REVIEW: I have no kids, but I try to keep up with what's going on in the education system, just because the kids in those classes are the future of this country, and if they're not taught properly...well, we get what we've got today! Americans at the bottom of the list for math, geography..practically everything.

Anyway, Mr. D. loves his job, and his enthusiasm shows in his writing. If you're a teacher or a parent, I highly recommend this blog.

Sample post:
(Okay, it's a guest post, but I thought I'd share it anyway!)

Lies My High School Teacher Told Me: How to Better Prepare Your Students for College
Tags: college prep, education issues
As someone who recently graduated from college, I can attest to the fact that most high schools do not adequately prepare their students for the critical secondary school-university transition. College, of course, is already a huge shock of change after change. For many first-year college students, they will experience for the first time what it's like to live without their parents. They will also be surrounded by a fresh set of friends and peer pressure that is one step above what most experience in high school.

To soften the blow, I believe it is absolutely critical that high school teachers, especially those instructing junior and seniors, give their pupils a more realistic academic experience that closely resembles a college environment. Since I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and attended a public high school there, I also know first-hand some of the unique challenges presented to Valleyites who first make that leap into the higher education unknown. Here are some tips.

1. Don't remind your students of deadlines.

One aspect of my first year college experience that I had a particularly tough time getting accustomed to was the lack of hand-holding. This was especially true when it came to deadlines. Professors gave students syllabi at the beginning of the semester, and these deadlines were expected to be met without reminders. Do your students a favor and give them some personal responsibilities when it comes to time management.

2. Encourage class participation--both in and out of the classroom.

By far the most enriching part--academically and personally--about my university experience was developing an intellectual relationship with my professors. At first, I was shy, but as time wore on I realized how much more rewarding the process of learning can be when you stop keeping your curiosity to yourself. Unfortunately, I missed out on much of the student-professor interaction simply because I wasn't used to it from being a student in high school.

While of course, student-teacher interaction at the high school level has many more limits than it does in college, a high school teacher can prepare the college student to-be by encouraging frank discussion and participation. Let students know that you are willing to talk about academics outside of the classroom in a professional environment.

3. For RGV students, prepare your students for social, cultural, and racial diversity.

The Valley is in many ways a great place in which to grow up. However, as anyone who has lived in the RGV for some time knows, the area is very heavily influenced by Hispanic and Catholic cultural values. When I moved from the Valley to a university in a very urban setting, I experienced a heavy dose of culture shock. I interpreted the idea of "personal space" as coldness, simply because in the Valley, closeness to kin and friends is the region's hallmark. I was also ill-prepared for the diversity of opinions on a range of topics. Especially if you teach social science courses in Valley schools, be sure to address some of these issues.

RECENT POSTS:
--What Do You Love About Your Job in Education?
--3 Years of I Want to Teach Forever = 3 Chances to Win My Book!
--Giveaway: Wild Ride to the Heart Game Helps Kids Deal With Emotions
--The Evolution of Mr. D: "First day"
--Essential Back to School Reading: Week 3

_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

The Well-read Child (arts and entertainment, education)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The Well Read Child, Jill Tullo

WEB ADDRESS: http://wellreadchild.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Well-Read Child features children's, middle grade, and young adult book reviews; reading tips; author interviews; and other children's literature-related news and information to help parents instill the joy of reading in their children.

MY REVIEW: I had subscribed to this blog a while ago, but after two months without posts had decided it was inactive, and so stated in a review on the Amazon subscription page. Then the author posted yesterday, July 23, that her enthusiams for the blog had returned.

So let's support her and subscribe! If you've got kids, its so important these days to engender in them a love of reading, of learning. Less than 10% of kids who graduate from high school, or from college, continue to read books afterwards. That's scary. And it's bad.

So do what you can to turn your child into a reader. It's fun, it's educational...it's life itself.

RECENT POSTS:
--A New Direction (A New Direction) (July 23)
-- Animal Soup by Todd H. Doodler (May 21)
--Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrations by Jon Parra (May 3)
--Nic Bishop Frogs (Apr 30)

_______________________
Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Cool Cat Teacher Blog (education)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Cool Cat Teacher Blog, by Vicki Davis

WEB ADDRESS: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Award winning classroom technology teacher, IT director and parent talks about education, technology, students, teachers, effective use of technology, and how to connect students around the world with projects in meaningful global collaboration using powerful social media tools.

More than just teaching and technology, Cool Cat Teacher also shares inspiration and motivation for lifelong learning and harnessing tools in productive ways to improve your life!

Blogs, wikis, ebooks, iTouch's, cell phones, and virtual worlds are all part of this blog with real world examples from the classroom and around the world. It is time to stop blocking these amazing tools and using them in the classroom to promote learning!

Vicki Davis has three children and has created massive global collaborative projects including the Flat Classroom Project, Digiteen Digital Citizenship and has been featured by bestselling books by Thomas Friedman (the World is Flat), Don Tapscott (Grown Up Digital) and Curtis Bonk (the World is Open.)

She loves to have fun and use technology but also believes in balance. Stay up to date on current classroom practice with technology.

MY REVIEW: The author seems to post twice daily. One half of the posts are education and technology news, and are links - too much of a hassle to get on the web and read them. But the other post is a normal one, you get the entire feed, and it's worth reading if you're a teacher or a parent with kids in school.

School starts in only a month? Wow, how time flies.



_______________________
Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Cedar Valley Publishing Let's Get Ready Blog (pre-school education, parents interest)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Cedar Valley Publishing's Let's Get Ready Blog, by Stacey Kannenberg

WEB ADDRESS: http://cedarvalleypublishing.com/blog/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Cedar Valley Publishing's Let's Get Ready Blog is the home of Stacey Kannenberg: an author, publisher, speaker, motivator, consultant, blogger, keynote, spokesperson and Mom CEO. As the Lets Get Ready to Learn Mom, Stacey is a nationally renowned education expert and award winning author with an expertise in children's education and Mom-entrepreneurship. Her blog features stories about preschool and early learning and tips on empowering parents, kids and educators to be more involved in the process! She loves to feature guest posts on Learning Disabilities, Autism, Safety, Education, along with product reviews for parents.

MY REVIEW: This is an excellent blog for the parent. The author writes well and discusses important issues. The blog was regularly updated in May, April had only a few posts, perhaps one a week, and here in June there are only 2 posts. Still, for 99 cents a month, why not subscribe?

RECENT POSTS:
--Join us on 06/16/10 with the amazing Amy Hilbrich Davis
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--I love this tribute created by Harley Davidson and Military.com for Memorial Day!
--Happy Memorial Weekend – Buckle Up!
--Join us on 05/26/10 with Author & Educator Donna Mavrides
_______________________
Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Math Tricks Everyone Must Know (math, education)

REVIEWED BY: Ms Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Maybe

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Math Tricks Everyone Must Know

WEB ADDRESS: http://mtemk.blogspot.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Product Description
This teaches you how to use your mind like a math genius easily.

Example:

Concatenate a 3-digit number with itself (e.g. 835 -> 835835). Divide it by 7.
The reminder will be zero!

Exampple: 235235 / 7 = 33605

Now, divid the quotient by 11. The reminder will be zero!

Example: 235235 / 7 = 33605 -> 33605 / 11 = 3055

Again, divid the recent quotient by 13. The reminder will be zero!

Exampple: 235235 / 7 = 33605 -> 33605 / 11 = 3055 -> 3055 / 13 = 235

Where 235 is the original number!

Another example:

Take 743!
Concatenate it with itself: 743743
Divide it by 7: 743743 / 7 = 106249
Divide the quotient by 11: 106249 / 11 = 9659
Divide the recent quotient by 13: 9659 / 13 = 743

Why?

7 * 11 * 13 = 1001
Multiplying 1001 by any 3-digit number will be as concatenating it with itself:

100 * 1001 = 100100

945 * 1001 = 945945

So, any number that is obtained by concatenating a 3-digit number with itself can be divided by 1001 and as 1001 is equal to 7 * 11 * 13, it can be divided by 7, 11, and 13.

MY REVIEW: Well, the blog hasn't been updated since April 15, and its a brand new blog, so I'm not sure if I can give it a thumbs up or not... (In addition, for some reason the author chose to use a masthead that says, "The Diary of Osama Bin Laden." What's up with that?

If the author does return to it, it looks like it could be a fun blog. Whether or not he returns to it, that's the question. I'll keep an eye on it...

RECENT POSTS:
--Multiplying by 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, ... [Par...
--Multiply 11*11 Up to 19*19 In Your Head
--Multiplying By 9, 99, 999, ...
--1001
___________________
Ms. Cairo writes three blogs of her own:
Topical Murder and Dated Death
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Curriculum Matters (Education)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Curriculum Matters

WEB ADDRESS: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Curriculum Matters is a forum that examines the body and mind of K-12 academic lessons – what gets taught, in what order, at what grades, and the factors that drive those decisions. Popular discussions on this blog include efforts to improve math and science instruction, reading lessons and the federal reading agenda, and explorations of history, social studies, and the arts. Have schools found a way to excite students about these subjects, or are they turning students off? Longtime Education Week reporters Catherine Gewertz and Erik Robelen offer their expertise and insights and observations on these issues and many others.


MY REVIEW: This is an industry specific blog - US education and its teachers - but it should also be of interest to all parents. How is your child's education planned in the higher reaches of government, and why do some plans not come to fruition? This blog covers it all.

I highly recommend this blog for teachers, parents, and those interested in education generally.

Sample post:

Articles Examine Links Between Science Ed. and Literacy
The latest issue of the journal Science features a special section on the importance of linking science learning with language and communication skills. (If you click on the Science link, you cannot return immediately to this blog. Also, a subscription is required to view the articles online, or you can purchase individual ones.)

"By reconceptualizing science education through closely connecting literacy lessons with active inquiry learning in science class, one can make a strong argument for greatly expanding the time spent on science in primary school," writes Bruce Alberts, the editor-in-chief of Science, in an editorial. "This alone would carry tremendous benefit in places where, like the United States, science for young students has often become marginalized to less than an hour a week."

In one article, Catherine E. Snow, an education professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, notes that a "major challenge to students learning science is the academic language in which science is written. ... Students need help in learning academic vocabulary and how to process academic language if they are to become independent learners of science."

She adds: "[Students] must have access to the all-purpose academic vocabulary that is used to talk about knowledge and that they will need to use in making their own arguments and evaluating others' arguments. Mechanisms for teaching those words and the ways that scientists use them should be a part of the science curriculum."

Snow's article is titled "Academic Language and the Challenge of Reading for Learning About Science."

Jonathan Osborne, a professor of science education at Stanford University, writes in another article that while argument and debate are common in science, they are "virtually absent from science education." His article, "Arguing to Learn in Science: The Role of Collaborative, Critical Discourse," provides an overview of existing research on the contribution of collaborative discourse and argumentation to learning and discusses the implications for teaching and learning science.

"As one of the hallmarks of the scientist is critical, rational skepticism, the lack of opportunities to develop the ability to reason and argue scientifically would appear to be a significant weakness in contemporary educational practice," he writes. "In short, knowing what is wrong matters as much as knowing what is right."

One article, "Literacy and Science: Each in the Service of the Other," examines the "synergies" between inquiry science and literacy teaching in schools. It is coauthored by P. David Pearson, an education professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Elizabeth Moje, an education professor from the University of Michigan, and Cynthia Greenleaf, a researcher at WestEd.

It focuses on how reading and writing can be used as tools to support inquiry-based science, and how reading and writing benefit when embedded in an "inquiry-based science setting."

Finally, although not about the nexus of science and literacy, the April 23 issue of Science also includes a new study my colleague Debbie Viadero has written up about pairs of identical and fraternal twins in Florida schools that bolsters a growing body of evidence on the importance of good teachers.

RECENT POSTS:
--State Reviews New Batch of Digital Texts in California
--Science Panel Lends Bipartisan Support to 'COMPETES' Bill
--State-by-State Flashcards on the Common Standards
--House Panel Considers America COMPETES Act Renewal
--The Financial Ripple Effect of Common Standards

___________________
Ms. Cairo writes three blogs of her own:
Topical Murder and Dated Death
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

The History & On This Day (education, trivia)

REVIEWED BY:

MY RECOMMENDATION:

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The History and On This Day blog, by Media Services

WEB ADDRESS: Can't find

BLOG DESCRIPTION: If you love to read, this blog will present you with a wealth of information on the past. Certainly a blog that history buffs will enjoy. On This Day is updated daily. And past weather and history stories will be posted twice a week.

On This Day In History updated daily.
Past weather and history stories posted each week.
Weird news stories from the past posted each week.
Weird or strange facts posted weekly.
Biographies posted monthly.

MY REVIEW: This is a fun blog. It gives the happenings on each day, for a number of years.

On May 1, 1805, for example, the state of Virginia passed a law requiring all freed slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or deportation.

On May 1, 1863, the Battle of Chancellorsville began.

On May 1, 1877, U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew all Federal troops form the south, ending Reconstruction.

This is one of several blogs that gives the exact same information - I suspect they all get it from one feed - which I couldn't find. I suppose it's all available at Wikipedia. However, it's nice to have it delivered directly to your Kindle every day, so its worth checking out.

RECENT POSTS:
N/A
___________________
Ms. Cairo writes two blogs of her own:
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Let's Get Real (Education, home schooling)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: No, not Kindle compatible

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Let's Get Real

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/KarlaKAkins/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: I am a pastor's wife and mother to five children including twin boys with autism. No fluff and glory here! Just the naked truth. I have home schooled my children for 23 years. Welcome!

MY REVIEW: The blog itself is unattractive, as is the Kindle feed. Each entry provides a link to another page where the actual article resides.

In addition, the blog hasn't been updated since March 9.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-We made the news!
-10 best field trip destinations
-Winter field trip for Fort Wayne, Indiana area
-Michelle Obama: childhood obesity starts at home
-Great ideas for Valentine's day foy your homeschhol
-Happy New Year
-A New Year of High hopes

The Well-Trained Mind (education)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The Well-trained Mind

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/blog/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Reflections on classical education, home schooling, and educational innovation from a college professor, writer and home school parent

MY REVIEW: If you're thinking of home-schooling your kids, this is an excellent blog, and I highly recommend it.

I've been doing some research on home schooling, because I'm writing some non-fiction work which I'd like to get into the home-school market. I hadn't realized that most home schoolers are Christian-based, and do it because they want their kids to be able to pray in school, as opposed to because home-schooled kids don't have to deal with bullies, and can advance at a faster pace if they are so intellecually inclined.

Althought the author of this blog is a Christian, she deals with education, not with religion. (At least, from the entries I've read.) She writes well, she writes informatively, she has had decades of experience at this.l

Here's a sample post:

Third graders, Saxon math, and elitism
by susan on March 3, 2010

I just got back from my first speaking engagement of 2010 (which is why I haven’t posted for a week or so–the first engagement of the year always requires me to pull out all of my notes, organize them, update them, redo my PowerPoint or Keynote slides, make sure I have all my frequent flyer codes, get my clothes from the dry cleaner…you get the idea).

At this conference, a high percentage of the parents had their children in classical schools, and I found myself having the same conversation multiple times–a conversation that follows, in a way, on the gap-year posts of the last few weeks. The conversation had multiple beginnings:

“My second grader is in Saxon 3. So he’s doing OK, right?”

“My third-grade student is really struggling with the five-page book reports he has to write. What kind of remedial work should I do with him?”

“My thirteen-year-old is failing algebra. Should I talk to the principal about the teacher?”

“My daughter’s not reading chapter books yet and she’s seven. What should I do?”

After this, it usually went the same way: I said, “You know, kids develop at different rates…”

It distresses me when classical schools achieve an appearance of rigor by pushing skills into lower and lower grades. Yes, home schooling parents do this too, but when a school does it, there’s an appearance of authority that’s very difficult for parents to challenge. In most cases they’ve got the kids in the school because they think the teachers will do a better job (in some way) than they can, and when those same teachers tell them that the second grader should be able to do third grade math, they believe it.

This pushing skills backwards (Saxon 3 for second graders, the Aeneid for all seventh grade students, algebra at age thirteen without fail) is nothing new. Back in the 1970s, the private Christian schools associated with A Beka in Pensacola, Florida, started teaching cursive writing in kindergarten. There’s one pedagogical advantage to this–it’s harder to reverse letters. But that’s balanced off by a disadvantage: many children need to print because they need the visual likeness between what they’re doing and what’s in the books they read. The A Beka approach to cursive was governed by a more general concern: it appeared more advanced to teach cursive in kindergarten than to wait for the traditional second/third grade window. Private Christian education was relatively new; now, Christian schools could boast that their students, trained in these untested, unfamiliar classrooms, were ahead of their counterparts elsewhere.

The push backwards was for boasting privileges.

Excuse me for quoting myself: you can read the interview (a few years old now) here.

One thing classical homeschoolers really need to guard against is a devastating level of elitism: “We are doing the best homeschooling because our young children are doing such advanced work.” This kind of elitism is non-Christian, it is unloving, and it is unproductive. I was recently asked, “What do you think of third-graders doing Saxon 5/4?” I said, “I can’t think of a single thing you would gain by that. Some of them will be able to do it, but a lot of them aren’t developmentally ready for it. You are going to finish advanced mathematics by the end of high school if you keep them on the normal schedule. What’s the rush?” What do you gain by asking a seventh-grader to read the Iliad if that seventh-grader hasn’t developed the maturity to understand and appreciate what he’s reading? Nothing at all. You gain nothing in the way of emotional and mental development by pushing difficult tasks down to earlier grades.

I am not talking about the lowering of academic standards. I don’t want them lowered; I am just talking about extending the time needed for children to meet those standards. Children move from grammar to logic stage thinking, and from logic to rhetoric stage thinking, at different times in different subjects. We should focus on this, rather than focusing on age or grade level. And I hope that classical schools will also begin to think seriously about what is being gained in the classroom if immature students are being asked to do work that continually frustrates them. Is our goal to educate as many students as possible, or to identify a small, advanced, elite core of classical scholars? I hope it’s the first, and not the second. I think there is a very high level of achievement that all children can reach, given the appropriate amount of time. Keep the standards high, but give each child the appropriate amount of time for those achievements.

I spent a lot of time over the weekend reassuring parents that taking a little extra time to reach a goal is not the same as lowering standards. It may make you feel better if your kid is a year ahead of his cousins in math; it’s pointless if the child is not developmentally ready to do the work.

I should clarify that I’m not here addressing those kids who are ready to do more advanced work. Of course they should be allowed to progress forward as quickly as they want. But that’s much more easily done in a homeschool setting than in a classroom; classroom teachers in particular (and their principals) need to be very, very wary of announcing that all second graders should be doing third grade math.

And yet…too many schools do. And too many parents believe it, rather than carefully and thoughtfully assessing the developmental rate of their own child.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-An invitation (requesting guest posts)
-Third graders, Saxon math, and elitism
-Quick photo update on son's gap year trip
-The gap year, Part IV: resources for gap year projects
-The gap year, Part III: our personal experience so far
-The gap year, Part II: my own thoughts

JGDS - the Junior Geography Detective Squad series blog

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: JGDS - the Junior Geography Detective Squad , published by Elysabeth Eldering.

WEB ADDRESS: http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: This is where information about the JGDS series will be posted. The books are about each of the fifty states, one state per book, and are written like a handheld game that gives the kids clues all leading up to the state. It is a cross between Trivial Pursuit and Jeopardy, and if you watch Jeopardy, some of the categories of late have been about the states as well as final Jeopardy answers have been geared toward one state

MY REVIEW: Given the sorry state of kid's knowledge of geography today (well, their knowledge of any topic today), a books series like this sounds like a lot of fun and hopefully will be successful.

The blog itself doesn't talk about the writing of the books, but rather of their marketing. There are also talks with the authors of other children's books.

It's a fun blog, and I would think that the parents of young kids, and prospective authors, would enjoy it. Give it a try.

[As an aside, here's the actual website for the book series (as opposed to the blog): http://junior-geography-detective-squad.weebly.com/index.html. Should the author of these fun books visit this review, please, jazz up that website! At least put some clip art -of kids running around, perhaps - on it! That will catch people's eyes much more successfully than what's there now. [Also, this is a review of the blog, not of the books, so I won't comment on the stereotypical female characters, either! Except for a Grr.]

Here's a few sample paragraphs from a blog entry:

Wow. I just looked at my previous updates for newsletters and have not done any since the first part of August 2009. Updates are definitely needed.

I found a cool site that lists homeschool conferences for Canada, Guam, and every state in the United States. I found four more in the four states closest to me, within a five-hour driving distance of me, in addition to the Love 2 Learn one in Charlotte. I will be an exhibitor at four, maybe a fifth (still awaiting updates as to when it actually will take place, where and an exhibitor application) this summer with a presenting workshop at each one ("Writing Roads" a combination of writing and geography games for the kids). See my Blog Tour page on the sidebar for the listed events.

If anyone is interested in finding homeschool conferences in their area to either attend or exhibit at, here is the link for you to check out. Eventually, I'd like to attend conferences in every state but until I have some funding (either a sponsor or the books are supporting me), then traveling to more than a few states on the east coast is going to have to wait a while. I think these will be a good thing this year. Will definitely keep you posted how things go this summer.

JGDS SERIES NEWS: State of Reservations is slated to be released February or March 2010; since Aidana has had the flu and her son has the piggy flu, I hope by the end of March this will be released. State of Altitude is slated to be released in April or May of this year; again, hopefully by the 1st week of June so I can have four titles to carry with me to the homeschool conferences. And we have a title for #5 - State of Secession which is about halfway completed (struggling to get it done due to work situations that have taken over me but I do promise to have it done soon). It is slated to be released August (if I remember correctly), which would be nice to have that book available for the conference in August. Book #6 is titled State of Nature and my son has picked the items to be on the cover which will be pretty cool looking (I think and if Aidana and Vivian agree). Book #7 is pending approval for a title, so will wait to let you all know what the title will be with that.

In December I wrote to the Jeopardy!(R) folks asking them to sponsor my series. So far I haven't heard anything back yet, so I can only hope that the old adage "No news is good news" is true for this. As soon as I know something on this end, I will update my fans and readers.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-SC Book Festival Day 1
-Book festival bound
-JGDS Newsletter - Feb 2010
-Vote today
-Want to find out how reading can be fun and educational at the same time?
-Free book anyone? Your school could really use this book
-Book trailer video on Books in Sync contest

Infocult

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Infocult

WEB ADDRESS: infocult.typepad.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Infocult is devoted to exploring the world from an information-centric perspective. This means looking at the shifting admixture of information in print, in digital formats, in minds. Information drives us to topics: cyber culture, intellectual property, computer games, the history of information, education, and anything else that rethinking the world information-centrically requires.

MY REVIEW: This is the blog you need to read every morning if you want some interesting story to bring up around the water cooler. In reading many of the posts, I really had to question if the whole thing was a hoax, but there are links to actual reputable news outlets that discuss the happenings. Although the links are in each article, not being able to access the links when reading this blog on the Kindle does not diminish the experience. (There are a few posts that rely solely on a video feed but they are infrequent.) And, there are pictures to bring further credence to the stories.
 
The posts are frequent. Because of the links, I encourage you to try the 14 Day Free Trial Amazon offers and see if you need the links to enjoy the blog.


THE GOOD: Frequent interesting unique querky posts.


THE BAD: I have some concern about the number of links contained in the posts and how much that will limit the Blog to Kindle readers.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--School laptop spycams
--Scary urls
--Debunking technofear - Bell in Slate
--Cold War Gothic- Soviet Secret Town Sold
--The fish that shouts apocalypse

________________________

Ann Currie publishes:
My Life a Bit South of Normal/
Strange and Peculiar Silver