NECC 2009—Celebrating 30 Years of Ed Tech Vision

"Join us as ISTE looks back on 30 amazing years of change and innovation in Ed Tech—and more importantly, as we look forward to the years ahead.

ISTE members, friends and colleagues in education, are the catalysts who take the knowledge and creativity from all who converge at NECC back to your classrooms, libraries, offices or labs, and continue to build on the energy that is the NECC conference....

Registration for NECC provides you with access to nearly 600 sessions and informal learning environments, exciting keynote presentations, admission to one of the largest exhibit halls in the world, and much more." Early Bird registration deadline is May 1.

An Educator's Journey Toward Multiple Intelligences

"I had been assigned four classes of rambunctious freshmen, and several of my most squirrelly students were football players. I hoped that demonstrating my interest in their gridiron pursuits might make them a bit easier to manage in the classroom.

My presence at their games unquestionably helped on the management front, but a second, unexpected benefit emerged as well. A couple of those freshmen -- kids in my class who struggled mightily with subject-verb agreement and the function of a thesis statement -- had clearly committed several dozen complex plays to memory. During one particularly impressive series of plays, I remember thinking, 'These guys are really smart! I'm underestimating what they're capable of!' And over the course of my first year in the classroom, that same thought emerged several more times -- at the school musical, visiting the graphic design class, and even just watching a couple of students do their math homework during study hall. Without my realizing it, my relationship with multiple-intelligences (MI) theory had begun."

Exploring the Links between Family Strengths and Adolescent Outcomes

"Child Trends finds that while poverty has real consequences for children, good parenting and family strengths -- caring parents, parental supervision and monitoring and positive role modeling can make a difference for adolescent outcomes."

After School Grows Up: Helping Teens Prepare for the Future

"This commentary takes readers on a cross-country tour of after-school innovation – from northern and southern California to Chicago, New York and New Hampshire. In On the Ground we describe two very different school-based models in California. In Research Update we summarize lessons from recent evaluations of After School Matters in Chicago and the OST Initiative in New York City and identify studies to watch for. In Voices from the Field we talk with leaders from New Hampshire where an ambitious high school redesign effort is building upon successful high school after-school programs."

Speak Up 2008 Selected National Findings

"Since 2003, the Speak Up National Research Project has collected and shared the ideas and views of more than 1.5 million K–12 students, teachers, parents and administrators on education and technology.... Speak Up 2008 represents the voices of more than 281,000 K–12 students from schools and communities in all 50 states; their ideas provide unique insights into how we invest these historic stimulus funds in our schools to create our next generation of innovators, leaders and engaged citizens."

Among the findings, "students consistently report they are inhibited from effectively using computers or the Internet at school." On a separate topic, "only 17 percent of middle school students and 21 percent of high school students say they are very interested in pursuing a career in a STEM field. However, an additional cohort of middle and high school students say they might be interested in a STEM career if they knew more about it."

Enhancing Activity & Nutrition - Resources for Communities

"We Can!™ stands for Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition. We Can! is a national education program designed for parents and caregivers to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight.

Parents and caregivers are the primary influencers for this age group. We Can! offers parents and families tips and fun activities to encourage healthy eating, increase physical activity and reduce sedentary or screen time.

It also offers community groups and health professionals resources to implement programs and fun activities for parents and youth in communities around the country.

Four of the National Institutes of Health have come together to bring you We Can!"

What Kids Can Do: Speech Contest 2009

"As Graduation Day approaches, What Kids Can Do invites students to raise their voice and let others know what matters most to them in this moment and in the years ahead. This year's theme: "Crisis and Hope in These Trying Times." Maximum award: $100 gift certificate from amazon.com. Eligibility: anyone from age 12 to 19, writing in English. Deadline: May 18, 2009."

Afterschool Alliance Asks, How is Economy Affecting Afterschool?

"The Afterschool Alliance is conducting a survey to determine how the demand for afterschool may be changing as unemployment rises, costs increase and state and local governments face shortfalls. We need your help collecting the answers. As we work with policy makers, funders and the media, the Afterschool Alliance is engaged in conveying the many ways the economic downturn is affecting afterschool programs. We want to know: What are the trends in enrollment, funding, and capacity right now? Have funding sources changed in the last several years and if so, how is that affecting students and families?... Please complete this survey by the close of business Wednesday, April 29."

Build-A-Bear Workshop Giving Programs

"The Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation supports charities in the United States and Canada through the following special grant programs:

Children's Health & Wellness: Champ-A Champion Fur Kids grants provide direct support for children in the areas of health and wellness.... Grant request deadlines are at the end of April, July, and October....

Literacy and Education: Grants provide support for children in literacy and education programs... Grant request deadlines are at the end of February, May, August, and November.

In addition, organizations seeking unrestricted support for children, families, and animals or for wild animals and the environment are encouraged to apply for grants through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation, a nonprofit organization.... Grants range between $1,000 and $10,000 each."

Earth Day is April 22

The Earth Day Network offers ideas and resources for planning events that promote environmental learning and service. At this website, you can find or list events, access lesson plans, take a virtual tour of Walden Pond, and more.

Science Friday Video Picks

"The weekly public radio program, Science Friday, features a video pick of the week as part of its broadcast. In this example, linked below, "artists Michelle McSwain and Ryan Warnberg (known collectively as MRI) demonstrate how to paint with light. The premise: combine LED lights with long photographic exposures. Vision expert Stephen Macknik, of the Barrow Neurological Institute, explains how our visual system prevents us from seeing the world as light paintings." Other videos document the effects of space travel, beach-ready robots, and many other subjects both ordinary and extraordinary.