Let the Games Begin

by Jenn Shreve

"Video games, once confiscated in class, are now a key teaching tool. If they're done right."

"Kurt Squire knew something unusual was happening in his after-school Western civ program. His normally lackluster middle and high school students, who'd failed the course once already, were coming to class armed with strategies to topple colonial dictators. Heated debates were erupting over the impact of germs on national economies. Kids who didn't know Pompeii from Plymouth Rock were suddenly mapping out the borders of the early Roman Empire..."

Creating a Blog: A Workshop for Teens

"To test out the power of blogging, last year The Children's Partnership gave a workshop in Harlem, New York, to young people in an after-school program. The workshop was so well received by the students and program staff that we developed these materials into an easy-to-use curriculum packet, to help others teach teens content-creation skills.

This curriculum is available to others to use in their own communities."

Inspire Your Students: Portraits of Learning 2005

"Technology & Learning invites K-12 students to participate in our 5th annual digital photography contest. This year's theme, 'Express Yourself,' encourages students to capture and share their vision with our editors and readers."
Who: "The contest is open to all K-12 students who may submit up to three digital photos electronically. Photos must be taken between January 1, 2005 and October 15, 2005."
How: "Complete the online entry form for each photo. The entry form must be submitted and photographs must be uploaded by midnight, October 15, 2005."
"Winners will be awarded prizes including Adobe Photoshop Elements and/or Olympus digital cameras."

Study Finds Majority of Sophomores Plan to Go to College

"A baseline look at the expectations of the nation's 10th-graders in 2002, shows that most (72 percent) planned to get a bachelor's degree or higher, and most (83 percent) rated getting a good education as "very important," according to A Profile of the American High School Sophomore in 2002, released last month by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. The majority of those sophomores also placed a premium on getting good grades, and more than half considered challenging courses instrumental in motivating them to attend school..."

Blogging? It's Elementary, My Dear Watson!

"Blogging -- or Web logging -- most often is thought of as an activity for high school students. Did you know, however, that students as young as kindergarten now blog on a daily basis in a variety of exciting ways? Read on to find out how elementary blogging works, what topics elementary students and teachers cover in their blogs, software programs and tools to consider, and cautions and tips for starting your own blog."

Educating Chicago's Court-Involved Youth: Mission and Policy in Conflict

"Many of the youth who come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court have yet to complete high school. A new study of court-involved youth in Chicago examines the options these youth face in continuing their education after court processing and what barriers they encounter in returning to school..."

School of the 21st Century National Conference

"Partners for Success: Linking Communities, Families and Schools. Yale University - New Haven, CT. July 18-20, 2005 at the Omni New Haven Hotel.

A leadership and staff development conference for Schools of the 21st Century, Family Resource Centers, School-Age Programs, Community Schools and other school-based family support programs. Choose from more than 40 workshops; network with colleagues from around the country; learn from experts in child development, family support and related fields."

The Interactivity Center

"Featuring collaborative projects, virtual field trips, educational games, and other interactive activities...A free online graphing tool for students in grades 5-12..."

Applying for Grants at Grants.gov

Are you "ready to apply for a grant at Grants.gov?... Let the Federal Government help! See the Spring Succeed Newsletter article titled, 'Why Apply for Grants at Grants.gov?' with instructions and tips to share with potential applicants including a step-by-step guide to getting started and some common mistakes to watch out for when applying for Federal support.

Learn more about these and other developments in the latest issue of the Grants.gov Succeed quarterly newsletter [see link below]."

New Book Heralds the "Conceptual Age"

According to Dan Pink, contributing editor to Wired magazine, to "To flourish in this [new] age, we'll need to supplement our well-developed high tech abilities with aptitudes that are 'high concept' and 'high touch.'" This article, "Revenge of the Right Brain: Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age - ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion," is adapted from his new book: A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age.

New School Boards Association Report on Afterschool

"The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has released a report that profiles ways school boards are supporting after-school and summer programs. Building and Sustaining After-School Programs: Successful Practices in School Board Leadership features eight school districts whose boards are providing strategic and innovative leadership for after-school programs through policy and partnerships.... [The report] was produced through NSBA's Extended-Day Learning Opportunities (EDLO) program, funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation."

YouthLearn continues training-of-trainers in Democratic Republic of Congo

Monica Biswas has just returned from a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she continued a "training of trainers" on using "active learning" methods. Approximately 60 administrators of primary schools are being trained so that they can return to their schools and train teachers in these methods.

"Getting administrators excited about the methodologies will make it easier for their teachers to feel supported as they experiment with the new teaching techniques."

Sites to See: World History

"World History sites offer students, teachers, and the general public a wealth of resources for teaching and learning about world history. Included are primary documents, lesson plans, multimedia exhibits, Webcasts, teaching strategies, and more. Included: Ten practical world history resources for students and teachers."