Curriculum Administrator articles from December 2000

Curriculum Administrator archives from December 2000

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?(presidential candidates' stance on education policy)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 1, 2000... I was going to write this letter about the new president-elect and what difference he might have on education in our country, but a full week after Election Day (and maybe much more), the result remains in doubt. What we do know is the...

Lettters to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2000... A BLOCK SUPPORTER I love our district's block schedule ("New Schools on the Block," CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATOR, April 2000, p. 81). We operate on an A/B schedule. All English teachers should experience 90 minutes to incorporate vocabulary,...

R-Rated Movies: Should Schools Show What Students Can't Watch at a Theater?(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Al Branch Up-to-date and usable education information from schools, government, business, researched and professional organizations. Amanda Schwartz, a sixth grade teacher at the Briarcliff Middle School in Briarcliff, N.Y., remembers when...

THE INCREASE IN TEACHER PAY HAS SLOWED IN ILLINOIS, ACCORDING TO A STATE REPORT.(Illinois Board of Education)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... Illinois' school districts saw the rate of increase in their average teachers' pay and benefits dip below 3 percent last year for the first time in six years, according to a new state report. The average salary and benefits for a full-time...

POLL: Majority of Blacks and Hispanics in New York City Oppose Private Education Vouchers.(opinion poll run by the Hispanic Federation and New York Urban League)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... Two independent polls released in late October--one by the New York Urban League and the other by the Hispanic Federation--show that a majority of blacks and Hispanics in New York City oppose private school voucher programs to educate their...

MindSurf Buys K-12 Internet Service Provider HiFusion.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Looking to expand beyond selling wireless infrastructure architecture to schools, Baltimore, Md.-based MindSurf has agreed to buy educational Internet filtering and service provider HiFusion for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition will...

2000 ELECTIONS: VOUCHERS, OTHER MATTERS FAIL.(education and politics)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Buried among the discussions about Florida and the fate of the presidency, several states had key education issues on their ballots that led to some clear decisions. Perhaps the two mostly closely watched races were the school voucher...

STUDY: Widespread Lying And Cheating Among Nation's Teens.(Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics publishes Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... From the sound of it, if they open their mouths, you can practically expect a lie. A new report claimed seven of 10 teenagers surveyed in the U.S. admitted to cheating on at least one test in the past year, and many others regularly lie, cheat...

Publishing Giant Reed Elsevier Buys U.S. Educational Publisher Harcourt General For $5.65 Billion.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... In a move that instantly makes it a force on the U.S. educational publishing scene, Anglo-Dutch publishing company Reed Elsevier, owners of the Rigby line of K-3 literary products, has agreed to buy Massachusetts-based Harcourt General for...

PEARSON EDUCATION MERGES NOVANET WITH COMPUTER CURRICULUM CORP.; WRAY MOVES BACK TO SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS.(Beth Wray takes over supplementary materials group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Pearson Education just can't seem to stop tinkering with its educational software unit, Computer Curriculum Corp. This time, the nation's largest educational publishing company has decided to merge CCC with its NovaNET online curriculum...

IN PHILADELPHIA: SCHOOL DISTRICT'S COMPUTER SYSTEM IS WAY OVER BUDGET.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The City of Brotherly Love is grappling with the fallout of the school district's three-year-old computer accounting system, which, according to an audit by the city's controller's office, was a mess almost from the beginning. Controller...

IF YOU BUILD IT ... THEY WILL HACK IT.(high school student hacks into school's computer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... A 15-year-old student at an online charter school in Perris, Calif., recently hacked his way into the school's computer, knocking the school off-line for two days and destroying homework assignments, lesson plans and attendance records,...

ZAPPED!(ZapMe! discontinues free computers to schools program)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... With its stock price plummeting and public opinion growing against its concept, ZapMe! is looking to end its free computers to schools program, according to published reports. The San Ramon, Calif.-based company gave free computers, software...

CITING A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD, DELL RECALLS SEVERAL NOTEBOOK BATTERIES.
December 1, 2000... At press time, Dell Computer Corp. recalled 27,000 notebook computer batteries, saying the batteries could short-circuit and catch fire. The batteries were contained in computers shipped to customers around the world between June and October of...

WWWRRR.NET PARTNERS WITH NETNANNY.COM.(Internet filtering software)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Looking to expand its reach into the Internet filtering business and find a new ally to promote itself, K-12 Internet curriculum provider wwwrrr.net recently teamed up with Net Nanny Software International in a strategic partnership. ...

THE LAPTOP CRAZE CONTINUES: CALIFORNIA SCHOOL PROVIDES LAPTOPS FOR ALL ITS STUDENTS.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Following the lead of New Britain, Conn., the State of Maine and others mentioned in the pages of CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATOR, the charter high school, Animo Leadership High School in Los Angeles, recently outfitted all of its students with laptop...

Parents Want Schools to Teach More Sex Education.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Simply put, parents say they want more sex education taught in schools, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey. The survey found that regardless of whether courses are called "comprehensive" or "abstinence only," parents want at...

New Study: Teachers Need More Time to Prepare.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... A new National Council for Teachers of Mathematics study recommends that school schedules be restructured to ensure that math teachers have adequate time to prepare and plan, saying this time will lead to increased student achievement. The...

New Science Seminars for Educators.(Classroom Connect and American Museum of National History)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Classroom Connect and the American Museum of National History are broadening their partnership to add to CC's growing array of professional development options for K-12 teachers. Classroom Connect's professional development program includes...

IRA's New Standards for Reading Professionals.(Review)
December 1, 2000... The International Reading Association released a revised "Standards for Reading Professionals" that is available at its online store. It was developed by IRA's Professional Standards and Ethics Committee in conjunction with the National Council...

Are Textbooks Getting Worse?(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... An evaluation conducted by he American Textbook Council concludes that new American history textbooks designed with more glossy graphics and information than before include shallow and disconnected content and overemphasize multiculturalism....

A 21st Century Leadership Plan.(Les Omotani)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Teamwork and community involvement are keys for this Iowa district. What does it take to lead a district in the 21st century? It begins with re-evaluating your role, says Les Omotani, superintendent of the 15-school West Des Moines, Iowa,...

A Magnet School with Real Pull.(Baltimore City College)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... Despite spending considerably less than the other schools in its district, Baltimore City College--one of the nation's oldest high schools--is beating the odds. Baltimore City College, a magnet high school in Baltimore, Md., that can boast...

CAN THE GENDER GAP LESSEN THE DIGITAL DIVIDE?(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Understanding how men and women interact with technology is an important step to learning how it can work for everyone. My younger brother Matt fell in love with computers at an early age, and in the company of a few male friends, he spent...

CLIMBING FAMILY TREES ON THE WEB.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Using genealogy tools to bring online research to the curriculum. A technique I often use in Internet staff development programs to get educators excited about doing online research is to show them what information about their families I...

ON THE RIGHT CAREER TRACK.(Colorado school district's award-winning Program )
December 1, 2000... A Colorado school district's award-winning Program helps students identify and learn about Occupations from elementary school through High school graduation. From the outside, high schools in Loveland, Colo., look like those found in any...

DOES MORE MONEY BUY A BETTER EDUCATION?(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The state of New Jersey, which often stands in the shadow of New York, is at the top of the nation when it comes to spending money on its students. New Jersey spends the most money per student--$10,153--than any other state in the nation....

SCHOOL SPENDING REPORT.(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... A reference to K-12 education As it does every year, the money schools take in, through local, state and federal governments, has increased. Likewise, the money spent on education has also increased. About three of every five education...

MUSEUMS BY MOUSECLICK.
December 1, 2000... Use the Web to integrate real-world, interactive multimedia museum experiences into your curriculum Integrating museum visits into K-12 curriculum has always been an interesting way to make learning come to life. Depending on your...

TECHNOLOGY'S RIDDLE.(national roundtable on educational technology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... When CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATOR decided to hold a national roundtable on technology with technology directors from throughout the country, and even one in Canada, I was excited about what we would learn. But in the course of three sessions, in...

Technology in the classroom: HOW CAN IT LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISE?
December 1, 2000... By now, school administrators all know that technology's future has arrived. Nearly every school is wired, most classrooms are connected to the Internet, and computers are freeing teachers to abolish the straightjacket of them to talking and...

A Delicate BALANCE.(why computer technology in school classrooms is often left unused)
December 1, 2000... How to increase technology's use while buffeting the standards storm. Many school districts have reached the `What Now?' phase. While these districts have computers in classrooms and Internet connections, the pressure is to integrate that...

Getting Ready.(teachers require professional development in order to teach information technology in classroom)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 2000... To take advantage of what technology can offer, teachers should have at least a basic familiarity with technology. But, according to the NCES survey, as recently as last year, just 10 percent of teachers reported feeling "very well prepared" to...

Technology Support.(teachers struggle to handle information technology without the proper technical staff to support them)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... HOW TO PLAN FOR SUPPORT COSTS. As computers become more sophisticated and peripheral devices and networks more complex, the role of the district's IT person has taken on greater importance. Unfortunately, skilled technicians are often...

ROUNDTABLE PANELISTS.(list of technology directors from school districts across the U.S.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... In the past year, CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATOR met with three groups of district level technology directors to discuss the state of technology in education. The groups represented a cross-section of districts at various levels. In Albany,...

I Spy School Days.(educational CD-ROM from Scholastic)(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
December 1, 2000... Scholastic Consumer Software www.scholastic.com, 800-724-6527 Grades: K-4 Teaches: reading, logic, classification, visual memory, matching Platform: Win, Mac OS (CD-ROM), $29.95 Kids love pouring over the photo collages in search...

Return of the Incredible Machine, The Contraptions.(third edition of the Incredible Machine from Sierra Attractions)(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
December 1, 2000... Sierra Attractions (Havas), 800-757-7707 Grades: 5-12 Teaches: physics, logical thinking, programming, mechanics, energy Platform: Win, Mac OS (CD-ROM), $29.95 Want to make a nitroglycerin mousetrap? How about a gravity-fed,...

SimCity 3000 Unlimited.(evaluation)(Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
December 1, 2000... Maxis (Electronic Arts), 800-3362947 Grades: 6-12 Teaches: economics, logic, social studies Platform: Win (CD-ROM), $39.95 SimCity 3000 is even bigger and better than the 1998 edition. The program's operation is still the same--kids and...

Everything a Student Needs.(at digitalbackpack.com)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Middle and high school students have a new tool to help them be more successful in and out of the classroom with digitalbackpack.com. The site provides a single comprehensive source for education, entertainment and online communication. ...

Software Searcher.(edumatch.com)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Edumatch is a specialized search engine designed for educators. The site's host is the animated F.E.R.R.E.T Digby III (the initials stand for Find Every Really Relevant Educational Title), who helps locate software titles by criteria the user...

Ask the Experts.(National Park Service provides historical information on Web site)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The National Park Service provides a list of history experts available to answer teacher or student questions via e-mail. The page provides links to each historian according to his or her area of specialty. Answers are provided within a few...

Online Document Archive.(National Archives and Records Administration)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that helps preserve our nation's history through the management of federal records. The group's Web site provides electronic public access to a growing number of...

Online fundraising resource offers up to $10,000.(Fotobug site www.fotobug.com helps fund high school arts programs)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2000... A new company, Fotobug, has launched a Web site that offers to help cash-strapped high schools raise funds to support the arts and other worthy programs that have been decimated in recent years. The site, www.fotobug.com, is the first resource...

$10,000 Lee Elliot Memorial Award.(Millbrook Press award to libraries)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The Millbrook Press, for its 10th anniversary, created the annual Lee Elliot Memorial Award of $10,000 to a library that has made a major contribution to the young people of its community through the use of its media center facilities and...

$1,000 Curriculum Associates Grant.(Curriculum Associates Inc. Excellence in Teaching Cabinet Grant program)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Curriculum Associates' fourth annual Excellence in Teaching Cabinet Grant program is open for entries. The grant was designed to help educators implement unique educational projects that they do not have the funding to start. Curriculum...

new products.(Product Information)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2000... TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS "Real World" Program Teaches Life Skills Along with Curriculum Cross-platform and online versions now offered If I only knew then what I know now." Most of us have probably uttered that phrase at some point in...

PRODUCT LITERATURE.(educational publishers' product catalogs)(Product Information)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... FREE SPIRIT PUBLISHING Free Spirit Publishing offers titles to help students find solutions to their problems, make healthy decisions and take positive action. It also offers resources for teachers and parents so they can best meet the needs of...

The Great Convergence.(educational technology forecasts)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
December 1, 2000... Predicting the education technology trend for the year 2001. It's the convergence the prognosticators missed. In the never-ending list of techno-predictions did you ever hear anyone predict that handheld computers and wireless...

THE WEB WE WEAVE.(educational technology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... You're a high school biology teacher and you have a few students in your class who are struggling with the concept of breeding and inheritance patterns. What can you do? If you're online, you're in luck. Until recently, biology teachers...

OPENING THE DOOR TO ACCESS.(Lowell High School uses educational software from)(Riverdeep Interactive Learning Ltd.)(Product Information)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... A Boston-area district takes full advantage of educational materials delivered via the portal computing method. OK, Bill, we're going to mate some butterflies." Thus tech specialist Anita Robitaille introduced the wonders of lepidopteran...

A PRIMER: BACK OFFICE 101.(student records management software and services)(Product Information)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2000... STORAGE SPACE FOR HOUSING STUDENT RECORDS HAS BEEN RELOCATED TO THE BACK OF THE CLASSROOM As an educator, your job is to control the flow of information. You collect data, organize it into meaningful categories, store it until you require...

GLOBAL SOLUTIONS.(interview with two managers of Amsterdam's project to integrate computer technology into primary schools)(Interview)
December 1, 2000... ALL EDUCATORS CAN BENEFIT FROM WATCHING THIS EUROPEAN CITY GET IT'S STUDENTS CONNETED AND NET- ST: Once you made the decision to go with a portal model, why did you choose the Sun system? Dorrepaal: We implemented a network computer...

WEB POLICY ROADMAP.(Web-based Education Commission to report on educational promise of the Internet)(Brief Article)(Interview)
December 1, 2000... The soon-to-be-released findings from the Web-based Education Commission show positive trends in K-12 education In November 1999, Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska spearheaded a campaign to study the benefits the Internet is having on education...

WELL-CONNECTED.(two teachers find innovative ways to integrate computer technology in the classroom, including list of education-based companies providing computer services)
December 1, 2000... When it comes to incorporating the Web into the classroom, these educators have gone the extra mile. Kathleen Bartos, Elementary Technology Resource Specialist, Westlake City Schools, Westlake, Ohio "Teachers have to capitalize on the...

Watching Palm's Progress.(how the 'Palm Pilot' can be utilized in education)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... My experiences with Palm handheld computers probably mirror that of many educators. I became aware of handheld computers several years ago, although I used the term Palm "Pilot" to describe all models, much like you might use Kleenex to...

A Handheld Primer.(comparison of hand held computers for school use)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2000... What can they do, what's the difference between models and how can they help in a classroom? Education is historically slow to adapt to change. While computers in schools have moved from a single novelty item located in a common area years...

PALMS FOR ALL.(hand-held computers used in Chicago classrooms)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... A suburban Chicago district gives students Palms use them to work together and complete classroom projects A school district in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago has been transformed this year. That's because the district, SD 230, is the...

Superintendents Plunge into the Handheld World.(school administrators given hand-held computers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Imagine the thrill of being a child on Christmas Day and finally getting the bike that you wished for. Now, couple that enthusiasm with the realization that you would have to put the whole thing together. By yourself. That feeling, in a...

Creating Leaders.(teaching school principals to use Palm handheld computer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... In the fall of 1998, 15 handpicked principals were seated in a classroom on a Friday afternoon. They had been selected from among 104 district principals as the best technology implementers in the 97,000-student DeKalb County School System in...

Science In The PALM Of Your Hand.(University of Michigan Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education program gives students access to hand-held computers)
December 1, 2000... Think of a lesson plan where students tackle the topic of how large objects are built with machines. To learn about construction concepts, the students use Palm handheld computers to make concept maps and share this work with their classmates....

Teaching Technology Training.(edHORIZONS educational technology seminars)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... A multi-company summer session shows teachers and administrators how to use and integrate technology into their school districts For the past few summers, nestled in the lush, rolling hills of northern California's Marin County, a quiet...

Peripherals for palm OS.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... In a way, buying a handheld computer is just the first step in entering the new world of ultraportable computing. While each unit allows various activities right out of the box, the real wonder of these devices can be found through the add-on...

Palm Announces a New Grant Program.(Palm Education Pioneer program, a joint research venture of)(Palm, Inc. and SRI International)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Palm, Inc., and SRI International have teamed to develop a program that puts handheld computers through their paces in the classroom. The Palm Education Pioneer program, announced during the NSBA conference in October, will study how the...