Stephen’s Untold Stories

WiMax is definitely a theme.

• POSDATA Announces G100 Mobile WiMax Gaming Device
• iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store Now Live
• Far EasTone may promote WiMax handsets, but not Skype
• Vote For Me! I’ll Give Ya Free Wi-Fi!
• WiMax Is Gathering New Momentum
• Nokia adding WiMax support to N-series Internet tablet
• Intel and Nokia to Cooperate on WiMax
• Frontline Wireless Petitions FCC to Change 700 MHz Auction Rules
• PeerMeta Raises $6 Million for Wireless Web Platform

A new take on Bloom’s taxonomy. Any thoughts?

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One of my assignments for grad school is to write a critique of a quantitative research article. Here is the one that I chose.

Research examined 12 randomly selected blogs from a population of 38 teacher-created, teaching-centered blogs to determine whether they were useful reflective devices for practicing middle school teachers. The amount and depth of reflective practice, as measured by a researcher-created rubric, was examined as well. Results indicated that all participants engaged in some level of reflective writing. However, the depth and level of reflection varied within and among the blogs. The results reported here are useful for framing future research on the efficacy of middle school teacher blogs.

The purpose of this research was to determine the usefulness of teacher-created, teacher-centered blogs at the middle school level. In particular, we sought to determine whether blogs supported reflective practice among middle school educators. Results indicated that a majority of entries examined demonstrated some level of reflective writing. Evidence collected from the analysis indicated that all participants engaged in some level of reflective writing.

Another research purpose involved determining the depth of reflection occurring within the entries. Results revealed that the depth of reflection varied markedly between and within individual blogs. Of the 56 entries demonstrating evidence of reflective practice, a majority (57%) did not support higher levels of reflective practice. Only 24 of the 56 entries (43%) scored 3 or higher on the rubric (see Table 3). This finding may be a result of the small number of entries examined. Further research containing a larger number of entries would be recommended.

Link to article

It’s nice to keep getting positive news about our test scores…for a change!

Georgia’s 4th graders are scoring at the national level in reading, according to results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released today. 

Georgia students scored at all-time highs on the NAEP in math and reading. The biggest gains, however, were seen in reading, providing further evidence that Georgia’s new curriculum — the Georgia Performance Standards — is having a big impact. 

“These results are a clear indication that Georgia education is on the right path,” said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. “We know that our new curriculum is setting high expectations for all of our students and those high expectations are paying off.” 

Governor Sonny Perdue said the results make it clear that Georgia’s schools are moving in the right direction. 

“This is the latest in a series of results showing higher achievement in Georgia schools. For the first time, Georgia’s 4th graders are on par with 4th graders across the nation in reading and we can note increases in all other grades and subjects,” Governor Perdue said. “I am proud of what our students, teachers and parents have accomplished, and I look forward to even more increased achievement in the next round of NAEP testing in 2009.”

Georgia students in grades 4 and 8 took the NAEP exams in Reading and Mathematics last school year. The students who were tested had been taught using the state’s new Reading/English Language Arts curriculum for two years. However, they had not been taught the new math curriculum, which was implemented in grades 4 and 8 this school year.

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Interesting graphic. Click image for larger version.

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This comes as quite a surprise to me, and I have a feeling to some of you as well.

With lawmakers and school leaders alike stressing the importance of math, science, and technology (MST) education in preparing students for 21st-century jobs and careers, one might assume that parents and students would agree these subjects are crucial to their future success. But a new report challenges this assumption.

According to the report, titled “Important, But Not for Me: Parents and Students in Kansas and Missouri Talk About Math, Science, and Technology Education,” parents and students say they understand the importance of MST skills in general–but they don’t see these as important for themselves.

The report is based on a survey of about 2,600 parents and students in grades six through twelve from Kansas and Missouri public schools. It comes from Public Agenda, a nonprofit organization that conducts nonpartisan public policy research. And though its data are taken from a relatively small geographical sample, its findings could have important implications for school leaders nationwide.

“The dilemma is really twofold,” says Jean Johnson, executive vice president of Public Agenda. “One is that parents, students, and local communities may be complacent about or even resist efforts to strengthen math and science education. Right now, most just don’t share leaders’ sense of urgency. The second is that many young people and their families may not recognize the vast and interesting opportunities available to students with strong math and science backgrounds. They just may not have absorbed how much the economy and future jobs are changing.”

According to the report, both parents and students are satisfied with their school’s curriculum, owing largely to the fact that parents say the courses are harder than when they were in school. Sixty-nine percent of parents say math courses are harder today, and 51 percent say science courses are harder. This, the report contends, has lead to complacency among parents and students.

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An amazing week for stories!

• Intel’s WiMax Joint Venture In Japan Will Target Global Markets
• Cell Phone Service coming to NY Subways
• Verizon Wireless Wants LTE, Will Switch to GSM
• Remote Vietnamese village gets Internet access via WiMax
• Rumor: Google Considering UK Wireless Bid
• Latest iPass Survey Sez London Leads Wi-Fi Usage Worldwide
• Intel Targets Personal Mobile Internet
• Cities turning off plans for Wi-Fi
• Sprint sees enterprise IT role in WiMax
• Wi-Fi Hotspot Usage: The Numbers are Up…Way Up
• 3G iPhone with GPS Coming in 2008?
• Intel Promises Combo Wi-Fi/WiMax Chipset by Mid-2008
• Alaska Airlines and Row 44 to Trial In-Flight Wi-Fi in 2008
• Clearwire trials portable wireless service in Seattle

Not sure I’m ready for that, but I’d be interested in checking out the property values.

NASA announced new details yesterday about its plans for a Moon base that included a pair of small, pressurized rovers with a range of nearly 600 miles.

The space agency plans to return astronauts to the Moon around 2020. Agency officials first described proposals last December for a polar lunar base powered by near constant sunlight on solar panels.

Earlier proposals to carry small habitation modules to the Moon in stages might be supplanted by a proposal that would heave a single large module to the Moon on an unmanned cargo ship, Doug Cooke, the NASA official leading the lunar study group, said.

The new rover would not be much larger than the buggies the Apollo astronauts drove, but would be pressurized so that astronauts could drive in shirt sleeves and be protected from radiation — probably by a layer of water in the rover’s body, said Geoff Yoder, an official working on the lunar plans. To explore on foot, astronauts would put on spacesuits and leave the vehicle, Mr. Yoder said. The cost? “More than a Ferrari,” he joked.

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I’m glad to see that the use of Wikis in the classroom has been increasing. I really think that they are one of the most powerful tools out there, if used properly. Here is a nice article from Education Week Digest which gives some nice information.

Instructional-technology coach Kristin Hokanson is hooked on wikis. Hokanson counts at least 40 wikis, or collaborative Web sites, that she either designed or participates in. She uses them to post PowerPoint presentations, provide how-to videos and tutorials for educators, and share other resources with colleagues.

“I use wikis for just about everything,” says Hokanson, whose 3,500-student Upper Merion Area School District, in Upper Merion, Pa., is pushing teachers and schools to use technology more effectively.

To be sure, wikis have already caught on among some teachers, who have developed creative ways of using them in their classrooms. But recently, an increasing number of administrators have also been turning to wikis to help them do their jobs.

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Great video which explains how the system works. I plan to share this with our grant teachers.

This is something I’ve been waiting for. You can now download the videos in iTunes! Just click on the link for each song and you can also see them on YouTube.

Click here for Schoolhouse Rock!

This is my favorite! (It was also the first one they did)

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I’ve been eagerly anticipating this one for a while. Mashable already has a good comparison between Google’s new application and PowerPoint. Of course you’re going to get more features with PowerPoint, but Google still has a nice offering.

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David Warlick is headed to Pennsylvania to speak to a group of educators who are in the process of reshaping education in the state. Here is what each high school core classroom will have:

• one laptop per student desk (cart of 25)
• a teacher laptop
• a printer/scanner
• imaging software
• productivity software
• a web cam
• an electronic whiteboard
• a projector
• up to three digital still cameras (per eligible school)
• up to five digital video cameras (per eligible school)
• Infrastructure (wireless network, servers)
• technical support

David asks the question, “in what fundamental ways might a school be transformed, when every core classroom can provide this kind of access to a networked, digital, and overwhelming world of information?”

I encourage you to think about an answer and post it on his blog.

Not a big week for stories. The good news is that fall is almost here!

• Apple Eyes the Wireless Auction
• Leap Wireless Rejects Takeover Bid
• The Future for XM, With or Without a Sirius Merger
• Virgin America Promises Wi-Fi on Every Flight
• Broadcasters continue fight against wireless Net

Web hosting is a different game than it used to be. It is much more affordable and easier to manage. I have been using Dreamhost for nearly two years now. It hasn’t been perfect, but none of them are. Here are some good resources if you’re looking to find one.

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This looks very promising. I’m sure it would be a great asset in our schools.

IBM Corp. researchers have developed an avatar that can translate spoken words into sign language.

The technology is meant for use in the real world and could be useful when human interpreters for the deaf are unavailable, or when a conversation is sensitive.

Imagine sitting through a lecture and seeing a digital character projected on a screen behind the speaker, interpreting the speech in real time.

The IBM team and advocates for the deaf caution that the system is still a prototype. It also works only with British Sign Language for now because it was created at an IBM research center in Hursley, England.

Link to article

Now THIS is a great deal.

Office Ultimate 2007 includes the entire Microsoft Office toolset that students are accustomed to working with and more, including Microsoft Office Word 2007, Microsoft Office Excel(R) 2007, Microsoft Office PowerPoint(R) 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook(R) 2007 with Business Contact Manager, Microsoft Office Access(TM) 2007, Microsoft Office Publisher 2007, Office OneNote 2007, Office Groove 2007 and Microsoft Office InfoPath(R) 2007. Students can find program details and see if they’re eligible at http://www.theultimatesteal.com.

The Ultimate Steal

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