Special Education Training To Get Boost

AUGUSTA - More than one in six Maine children require special education services, but only one in eight teachers working with them is fully certified.

Maine will use a five-year, $3.35 million federal grant, announced Friday, to try to fix that. The grant aims to improve training programs and increase the number of highly qualified special education teachers, said Jan Breton, federal program coordinator at the Maine Department of Education.

"There's a shortage of special educators across the country," Breton said. "So what happens is that a school system has to have a teacher, and they will find the best teacher that they can possibly find, but sometimes that person is not fully certified as a special education teacher.

"They may have a teaching degree and just need a course or two. Sometimes it's more than a few courses."

Maine had 34,425 special education students in 2007 - 17.7 percent of total enrollment.

Last year, there were 4,072 special education personnel, 12.5 percent of whom were not fully certified. Hancock County had the highest percentage of special educators needing additional certification, 38 percent.

The fact that Maine's teacher salaries are lower than those in nearby states may contribute to the shortage, Breton said.

The Maine Department of Education will work with the University of Maine System and other institutions in the state to develop a long-range plan for providing the training such teachers need.

The state also will have to partner with institutions in Massachusetts, because no one in Maine provides training in two specialties with particular shortages - teachers of visually impaired students and those who teach students with orientation and mobility needs.

The grant money will also go toward increasing the number of special education students in regular classrooms, helping teachers adapt their instruction to the new common core standards and training teachers to help students develop effective postsecondary plans. Finding instructors for students with autism is also a challenge.

"The numbers of kids that are diagnosed on the autism spectrum is just rising all across the country, and Maine hasn't been exempt from that," Benton said. "We're going to put some money into providing some support and training to teachers who are working with children on the spectrum."

Augusta schools Special Education Director Donna Madore said the number of special needs children in the district has declined with overall enrollment. But the needs of today's students are more significant.

When the district advertises for a special education teacher, Madore said they do not get as many experienced highly qualified applicants as she would like.

The turnover rate is also high.

"I think we have a shortage because it's hard work. It's intensive," Madore said. "And people may not stay in that field for any length of time."

Augusta provides mentors to new special education teachers, especially ones who come in with less experience.

Madore said she was happy to hear there will be more support at the state level.

Maine will contribute $27,000 of existing state and federal resources to supplement the State Personnel Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs.

It's not yet clear when the money will become available, Benton said.



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pressherald.com

Guest Column: Grading Teachers Vital To Education

Every student needs to be well prepared for life and the work force. Studies show that students with good educations get better jobs, are happier and live longer. Multiple studies by William Sanders, the father of value-added educational research, have shown that teachers are the most important factor in a child's education. A great teacher can have tremendous influence on students' ability to learn, and an unskilled teacher can be something from which a student never recovers.

Great teachers are more important than ever. In the coming weeks the Tennessee Department of Education will release reports that compare student performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests with performance on the more rigorous National Assessment of Educational Progress exams. The NAEP is the national standard for student performance. Early indications are that Tennessee students' aggregate scores will be very poor. Excellent, professional educators will be the single most important factor in improving student learning.

Tennessee recognizes the importance of high-quality teachers and has implemented a system of meaningful annual teacher evaluations based on verifiable data. This is not a punitive measure but rather intended to help teachers and principals improve.

In the private workplace, employee evaluations are a common practice. Companies regularly set clear, measurable expectations and then evaluate workers' performance against those goals. These measurements help businesses reward, encourage and train employees so that the company sees increasing profits and the employee experiences a more rewarding career. The employees who do not perform to expectations and do not respond to professional development are often encouraged to find other, more personally rewarding career options. In business the main metric is profit; in education it is and ought to be student performance.Tennessee's teacher evaluation program, the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model, aims to help teachers and principals understand how they are performing and how to grow in the teaching profession. For those for whom teaching may not have been the best career choice, TEAM allows for a clear, objective method to help make personal decisions regarding their future.The notion of teacher and principal evaluations has a number in the profession rattled. Through their professional organizations, such as the Tennessee Education Association and Knox County Education Association, a vocal minority is aggressively making its opposition to the TEAM evaluations known to members of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Gov. Bill Haslam's administration strongly supports teacher evaluations. In fact, the administration, the state Legislature, every school board and the TEA committed to support an evaluation system as a part of the $500 million Race to the Top grant Tennessee received in 2010.

The concern is that the opposition to teacher and principal evaluations will sway the Legislature to repeal or water down the teacher evaluation law. I served on the Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee that recommended the TEAM evaluation system to the state school board. The system is good and will improve as it is used, weaknesses are identified and corrections are made. Challenges with implementation exist and need to be resolved, but we should be working together to try to improve these processes rather than fighting about whether we should have meaningful evaluations. To allow those who do not want meaningful, frequent evaluations to succeed in convincing the Legislature to gut the law would greatly hinder getting Tennessee students ready for life. Please contact your elected officials today and support Tennessee's Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model evaluation system.


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knoxnews.com

Outstanding Tasmanian Teachers Recognized

Outstanding Tasmanian teachers have been recognised for making a difference to the educational outcomes of Tasmanian students.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim, today congratulated Brook High School Principal Shireen Thomas for winning the Tasmanian Branch Australian Council of Educational Leadership (ACEL) Fellowship at a special ceremony in Hobart.

“Shireen has been recognised for her significant and exemplary practice in leadership,” Mr McKim said.

“Principal of Guilford Young College, Hobart Barbara (Bobby) Court was awarded the 2011 Tasmanian Eminent Educational Leader for an extensive contribution to education over a significant time.

“The most important contributor to student achievement is top quality teachers and school leaders. That is why these awards are so important.”

Mr McKim also paid tribute to the four Tasmanian winners in the prestigious National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA).

“South Hobart Primary Principal Greg Turner, Havenview Primary School teacher Alison Luck, Riverside Primary School teacher Janine Hosking and Mackillop Catholic College teacher Timothy Johns have all been recognised for their teaching excellence in this year’s state awards,” Mr McKim said.

“NEiTA, now in its 18th year, is Australia’s only national, independent community-centred teaching awards program that gives Australian students, parents, early childhood and school communities the opportunity to nominate teachers who they believe to be committed, dedicated and outstanding representatives of the teaching profession.

“These talented Tasmanian winners will now go on to the next phase of the awards where 10 teachers from around the country vie for a national award.

“This is a fantastic achievement and my congratulations go to each of these outstanding Tasmanian teachers for making a real difference to the educational outcomes of our young Tasmanians.”

Other ACEL award winners include:

Young Educator of the Year awards:

Jen Clifton, of Huonville High School

Kylie Porthouse, of Claremont College

Cassandra O’Neil, of Star of the Sea Catholic College, George Town

Certificates of Excellence in Educational Leadership:

Michelle Muir, of Big Picture campus at Montrose High School

Greg Dwyer, of Sacred Heart Catholic School in Geeveston.



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media.tas.gov.au

Province Introduces New Oversight And Disciplinary System For Teachers

“The aims of it are to improve student safety, increase public confidence and transparency around disciplinary and other processes, and ensure we build a foundation for a more mature, respectful and constructive relationship – not only with the (BC) Teacher’s Federation  – but among all the educational partners,” said Education Minister George Abbott in a press conference yesterday.

The legislation follows a report released last year by Don Avison – a lawyer and former deputy minister of education – who was appointed by the provincial government to conduct the review of the BC College of Teachers after members of the College’s Council, wrote a letter to the former education minister requesting the review. Of the 20-member BC College of Teachers Council, eight members were appointed by government and 12 were elected, usually among members of the BC Teacher’s Federation (BCTF).  The College had been criticized for being too heavily influenced by the BCTF and Avison found that the Council had lost credibility as an independent body.

The new legislation seeks to dissolve the College and replace it with a new British Columbia Teacher’s Council that will set standards for teachers with respect to conduct competency and certification, as well as have the authority to approve teacher education programs for certification purposes. The new council will be made up of 15 members – three teachers from the BCTF; another five teachers – each from a different region of the province – elected by their peers; and seven members based on nominations from seven educational organizations (see the sidebar item).

It will also include one non-voting representative from the Ministry of Education who will report to the minister.

Abbott acknowledged public school teacher’s can still form a majority on the new council, but he said he believes that is appropriate and his hope is that the council can be the foundation for a new, more respectful relationship between the government, public school teachers and other education partners.

“That is deliberately part of the structure here,” he said. “In my view, given that B.C.’s public school teachers comprise 73 per cent of the total teachers and others who will be subject to the processes of the council, I felt it appropriate that they have at least a theoretical opportunity to form a [majority].”

The government would still retain the ability to vet the non-elected members.

A nine-member Disciplinary and Professional Conduct Board will be established with members from the Teachers' Council, and include four members of the BCTF. The government will appoint a commissioner to receive complaints and reports about alleged teacher misconduct, conduct preliminary investigations and, where appropriate, assign members of the board to hold disciplinary hearings in three-member panels. Those panels will not include more than one BCTF member.

The panels will have jurisdiction over fitness, conduct and competence and will have the power to revoke, suspend, grant or impose conditions on teaching certificates. Those panels will also have the ability to conduct their hearings in public, which has provoked concern from the BCTF about teacher’s careers being ruined even if allegations of misconduct are not true.

“I think transparency is a good thing,” Abbott argued. “I think it’s important the public understand what is at the heart of disciplinary issues, and I think this is part of the process of building public confidence.”

However, he added in-camera hearings would be possible if deemed necessary.

The legislation has been criticized from both sides. The BCTF put out a statement stating while they welcome the new clarity around the role of the Teacher’s Council, they see the voice of teachers being diminished on the new council. They also take issue with Avison’s report, saying the allegations that the BCTF used its influence on the Teacher’s College to protect unethical teachers is “completely unfounded,” and that the government has yet to investigate any of the cases cited in the report.

On the other side, the BC Conservative Party has blasted the Liberal government for not doing enough to limit the influence of the BCTF on teacher oversight and discipline.

Abbott said the criticism from all sides seems to indicate his government struck the right balance with the legislation.

The legislation mentioned above comes as the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) and the BCTF negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, and as the government and teachers negotiate a response to the overturning of Bill 28 by the BC Supreme Court. Abbott said he doesn’t believe the new legislation will impact either of those negotiations, though he added “minimal progress” has been made to date at the bargaining table to date. 

He also commented on the BCPSEA’s application to the Labour Relations Board to have report cards declared as an essential service, saying he believes it is imperative that parents be informed on how their child is doing in school.

“I don’t believe it is fair, appropriate or acceptable for parents – three months in, four months in, six months in, or even months in – not to know how their child is doing in school,” said Abbott.

However, teachers’ unions maintain report cards were always understood to be part of the administrative duties teachers would not be carrying out under the current job action, and has never been an issue in previous collective bargaining negotiations. They also insist teachers are still communicating with parents in other ways.


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energeticcity.ca

Family Of Educators Produces County Teacher Of The Year

It is safe to say that Nevada County's Teacher of the Year, Meghan Salter, knows a thing or two about local education.

After all, she has taught seventh grade for nine years at Union Hill School along Highway 174, where she herself was once a student. Some of her former instructors still teach there.

If that isn't enough to give her an insider's perspective, Salter's mother, Brooke Blake, has taught at Union Hill for the last 16 years.

After attending Union Hill, Salter moved on to Nevada Union High School, where today her father is working his way through his first year as principal after transferring from the same position at Park Avenue Alternative Education Center.

“She really wants (her students) to succeed and she'll do whatever it takes to get them to that level to realize their potential,” said Mike Blake, NU's first-year principal and Salter's father. “She is willing to approach it from a kid's point of view. She really believes in them and that is her strength.”

Beyond her parents, Salter also had an aunt, an uncle and a godparent in education.

“There weren't any misconceptions about what it means to be a teacher,” Salter told The Union. “I grew up understanding that teaching is more than going to work for seven hours and returning home.”

Growing up, it was often just assumed that Salter would be a teacher herself, she said.

“I wanted to be anything but a teacher,” she said, adding that she wanted to distinguish herself from the rest of the family.

But after taking an occupational test during her sophomore year at NU, Salter said she wasn't surprised when the program suggested she had career aptitude for teaching.

Salter said she earnestly geared herself toward teaching because it fit her desire to make a difference in the lives of children. It also helps that he isn't concerned with monetary reward.

Besides, there are other ways to gauge an educator's success. In Salter's case, a panel of judges has named her Nevada County's teacher of the year.

“It's big honor with all the great teachers in the county,” Salter said.

Salter will be recognized, along with six other teachers of the year, chosen by their respective districts, at the annual Association of California School Administrators and Nevada County School Boards Association dinner, this evening at the Miners Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City.

Salter brings more than a family legacy of education to the classroom.

After graduating from NU, Salter went on get her bachelor's from Dominican University of California, and a master's in education from California State University, Sacramento.

She has studied development of the teenage brain and co-authored an educational website that provides information on how adolescents differ from adults based on brain development.

“Meghan's knowledge in this area provides the foundation for all that she does to help students be successful learners, both in and out of the classroom,” noted Susie Barry, superintendent of Union Hill.

“There is no set path for any student, there are a lot of different ways a student can be successful,” Salter said, repeating a mindset shared by her father.

“I try to model behavior that focuses on respect, caring and integrity,” Salter wrote in an introductory letter as a Teacher of the Year finalist. “A person's character is more valuable than grades because it reflects dedication, determination, work ethic, compassion, and a number of immeasurable qualities.”



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theunion.com

MPS Officials: Special Education Changes Aim To Better Meet Students' Needs

Teaching special education students in Montgomery Public Schools has been a weakness for the system when it comes to meet­ing federal accountability stan­dards, but this year officials said things are different and new mea­sures are in place to help students get the resources they need.

Changes to special education were discussed during Tuesday's Montgomery County Board of Ed­ucation meeting, where officials got an update on what's new to hold staff accountable, get stu­dents the services they need and address the root of discipline is­sues.

"I think we're putting accoun­tability in place," Superintendent Barbara Thompson said.

Of Montgomery County's more than 31,000 public school students, 3,082 have disabilities and are classified as special education. One example of how officials are making sure those students get what they need is something called a resource notebook.

Teachers have a notebook with a page for each student that re­ceives special education services, and in it, they are required to doc­ument instruction and services given to the student. Educators also are tasked with filling out an observation form to monitor com­pliance and delivery of services to students in the classroom.

Yolanda Gracie, MPS director of special education, said the doc­umentation shows that students' IEPs, or Individualized Education Plans, are being carried out.

"This is documentation show­ing they are doing what they are supposed to do," she said.

In addition, Gracie said teach­ers also are getting more opportu­nities for professional develop­ment and resources. Special education teachers are learning how to collaborate, desaggregate testing data, find alternatives to suspensions and expulsions, and for the first time, new special edu­cation teachers attended a new teacher academy.

Special education teachers also have been outfitted with electronic whiteboards, laptops, document cameras and other items.

The other piece to the puzzle is discipline. Gracie said that while educators are looking for alternatives to punishments that land students out of school, they also will work to determine why students are behaving the way they are.


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montgomeryadvertiser.com

CSU Joins Nationwide Movement To Add More Teachers

The California State University system has recently decided to join a nationwide movement to add 100,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers to the education system within the next 10 years.

"100Kin10" was started by Carnegie Corporation of New York, Opportunity Equation and NewSchools Venture Fund, but was first recognized in June at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Chicago.

In 2007 the United States gave out one of the fewest number of mathematics and science bachelors degrees out of 30 countries, according to the Digest of Education Statistics.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan praised the initiative.

"President Obama and I believe that recruiting and preparing 100,000 excellent new teachers in the STEM fields is essential for our students' success in the 21st century knowledge economy," he said in a press release.

In order to contribute and commit to "100Kin10," the CSU system has committed to preparing 1,500 math and science teachers annually through 2015.

"We will recruit excellent candidates, encourage them to work in the state's highest need schools and engage in partnerships with school districts to ensure they are retained," CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said in the release.

While this is a new initiative for math and science teachers in the nation, California has been trying to encourage students to study math and science for years.

The Math and Science Teacher Initiative is a CSU systemwide plan that has been striving toward getting credentialed and qualified math and science teachers into the classroom. Through this initiative, the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship is awarded to more than 200 math and science students interested in teaching with $10,000 stipends for up to two years to support their upper division and credential study, according to the CSU website.

Along with these initiatives, the Assumption Program of Loans for Education will pay up to $19,000 back in student loans for math and science teachers who are credentialed and employed by California at a low income or high need school.

The average cost to train a new teacher in the State of California is $27,750.

This means that over 10 years the CSU plans on spending $41,625,000. Although this is an extreme number to look at, Joan Bissell, director for Teacher Education and Public School Programs for the CSU, assures that this money is coming from programs already intended for the training of new teachers, therefore it will not cause any new deficits in the CSU system.

"The focus here is on using CSU resources currently invested in teacher preparation to prepare teachers in two subjects in which they are in the significant demand across the state currently and are projected to be over the next decade," Bissell said.

Since the CSU will be spending a large amount of money to provide STEM teachers to schools and districts in need, it is important to know the return the CSU will see.

The CSU will see three major returns from the resources invested in credentialing teachers, Bissell said. The first of these is employment for students graduating with a credential. The second is the formation of excellent relationships with public schools.

And finally, the relationships with these schools will give students more opportunities for in-field learning experience at the schools.

While many people agree the "100Kin10" initiative is even more reason for California to strive to produce more math and science credentialed teachers through the CSU system, some think it is going to be too difficult.

Sophy Huck, a lecturer in the math department, said despite being under the impression that it was easy to get math and science teaching jobs, she spent four years teaching high school, but never landed a full-time position. For this reason, she never received the benefits of the APLE incentive.

"I don't understand where the jobs are for 100,000 math and science teachers," Huck said.

Additionally, she said not everyone is going to want to work or have the ability to work in inner-city areas.

David Kagan, the chair of the department of science education, has been working at Chico State for 30 years and had a different perspective. Kagan strongly agrees with the idea of adding more math and science teachers to fulfill the nation's needs. He thinks the future of the world economy is dependent on not only creating technology, but on making the planet more sustainable, which is done by having a knowledge of science.

Although Kagan is very proud of what California and Chico State have already done, he thinks it is just a start.

"We're one of only two CSUs that has a department of science education," he said.

He added that the school can still contribute to the nation's needs.

"I'm sure Chico will step up and provide resources to address our nation's problems," Kagan said.

Since California already has incentives and programs in place for students getting teaching credentials in math and science, the goal of 1,500 new teachers each year in these subjects may be attainable.




News By:

theorion.com

Teachers From Wales Due To Protest Outside Parliament

Teachers and lecturers from Wales are due to gather outside Parliament, to protest against pension cuts.

The action is part of a joint campaign by seven education unions, and organisers hope every school, college and university in Wales and England will be represented there.

Unions have not ruled out strike action if the UK government continues to erode pensions.

The UK government says change is needed to ensure pensions remain sustainable.

Thousands of teachers, lecturers and support staff are expected at the protest.

A petition with more than 130,000 names will be handed to the Department of Education, before unions meet MPs. Approximately £35,000 loss.

Owen Hathway, Wales policy officer for the union NUT Cymru, said the average new entrant teacher in Wales would lose up to £80 a month under the proposed system.

Owen Hathway said teachers could be £80 a month worse off

He added: "At the end of it, we're looking at teachers who would otherwise retire at 60, retiring at 68, receiving - if they're lucky - the same pension that they would normally receive.

"For a teacher of an average 25-year retirement, that's approximately a £35,000 loss."

Industrial action has already been held across Wales and England.

The most recent in Wales saw more than 300 schools closed fully or partially as members of teaching union Ucac staged a walkout.

That action was criticised by Prime Minister David Cameron.

The union said it hoped further action could be avoided, but added "that's in the government's hands now".



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bbc.co.uk

HP Showcases Education Initiatives At BETT Middle East Exhibition

HP presented the latest education solutions and initiatives designed to integrate affordable and collaborative technology in the classroom at the BETT Middle East exhibition. HP PSG provides solutions that aim to facilitate and transform the learning experience for students and teachers, by providing more collaboration and innovation in the classroom as well as professional development for teachers outside of the classroom.

Extending their education portfolio, HP introduced the Digital Learning Suite for a virtualized classroom environment to help schools do more with less.

The integration of virtualization solutions in the classroom means schools can lower overall IT costs, improve data security and enable productivity which means teachers can focus on teaching instead of troubleshooting and students can access their educational materials in the classroom, at home or anywhere they have access to the web.

"HP and our partners have a long history of transforming how we educate our youth, from K-12 all the way through to higher education," said Salim Ziade, General Manager, Personal Systems Group, Middle East, HP.

"Our vast portfolio of products, solutions and services spans from supercomputing systems to mobile technology, with 24x7 support services and financing options. We work collaboratively with educators, administrators and our technology partners to build campuses that are adaptive and capable of managing change with minimal disruption or expense whilst ensuring secure access to information, data and applications."

The HP Technology in the classroom (HP TIC) initiative is designed to provide teachers with the skills they need to integrate technology throughout their personal and professional lives. Through a series of interactive courses, HP shows teachers how to use IT resources in an efficient way which in turn allows them to successfully navigate the constantly changing environment of technology integration in the classroom.

SABIS, a global education management organization with schools in 15 countries including the UAE and Qatar, needed to simplify the management of its computing platform in examination halls and computer labs while reducing overall costs and creating space. SABIS partnered with HP to deploy a Thin Client platform.

The new platform simplified device management, reducing time spent managing software and maintaining hardware and also minimized computer crashes during critical examinations due to the reliable devices. As a result, SABIS saved 60% through lower maintenance costs, lower up front hardware investment, reduced licensing fees and less energy use.

"Thin clients are making life easier for the IT team, reducing costs and improving reliability and performance. They have also allowed us to look at extending the number of seats in the labs from 45 to 65 due to increased availability of space," said Nabil Feghali, Regional IT Operations Manager, SABIS.

"Thin clients are a perfect solution for the education sector and have transformed the learning experience here so much so that we are exploring the potential of deploying the solution in all our schools in the region and perhaps even globally," he added.


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ameinfo.com

Eighty-Two Years Since The Great Crash

America has again found itself at a crossroads where we must band together to lift our economy and remain globally competitive. An educated populace is crucial to our recovery. Instead of cutting funds for our teachers, students, and schools, we must keep investing in our education system to foster a generation of Americans fluent in science, mathematics, and liberal arts that can continue to lead our country forward in the 21st century.

After years of rising prosperity in an unregulated banking industry, a 34-point drop in the U.S. Stock Market on October 24, 1929, led to the market tumult that ultimately plunged our economy into depression. We unfortunately repeated the story in 2008, a decade after the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act that allowed banks to gamble with personal savings while deregulation under the Bush administration oversaw a rise in irresponsible consumer lending. In response to then Treasury chief Henry Paulson on September 23rd, 2008, in which he urged: "We must [enact a program quickly] in order to avoid a continuing series of financial institution failures and frozen credit markets that threaten American families' financial well-being, the viability of businesses, both small and large, and the very health of our economy," my Colleagues in Congress and I reluctantly bailed out Wall Street.

Yet our country still struggles with the fallout from the Great Recession: 15.1% of Americans are living at or below the poverty line. One in five children under 18 live in poverty. Among the 14.1 million Americans unemployed or underemployed, 16.1% are African Americans, 11.3% are Hispanic-Americans, and 24.6% are teenagers. The American Dream should not paint a grim future for our children, college students, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

We have hope for recovery: Education. In the recent address to the Joint Session of Congress, President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea attributed Korea's rise from a war-torn country to one of the strongest economies in the world to education. Quality teachers and schools will nurture potential talent for future industries and businesses at the heart of economic growth. Good learning environment is crucial to a successful education, which is why I introduced H.R. 2394, Rebuilding America's Schools Act. This bill would provide crucial investments in infrastructure, course development, and teacher retraining in targeted schools across our nation. This could help reduce the dropout rates of students in New York City and other urban areas, where minorities are twice as likely to quit school.

So far this year, the Republican majority has neglected to improve American education. Millions of families rely on schools and educators for a curriculum, a sanctuary from city violence, and a place to learn important discipline and social skills. Yet they refused to pass the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act which would create or save approximately 400,000 jobs for teachers, cops and first responders in our communities that need their invaluable services.

The ongoing Occupy Wall Street movement that has now spread across America reflects the many frustrations including the decay in moral leadership in the business and political community. Since the Republicans gained majority in the 112th Congress, we have not been able to put forth a single bill that has created jobs and strengthened our education system. Some Members in Congress seem to be more preoccupied in defeating President Obama rather than saving the future of our country.

Still, there is hope. Democrats in Congress last year fought tooth-and-nail to pass funding that saved thousands of teaching jobs and state Medicaid programs. In New York City, I commended Mayor Bloomberg's Young Men's Initiative, a $130 million program that helps minority students complete their education through paid internships, as well as job training and recruitment centers in lower income areas. The Harlem Children's Zone in my Manhattan Congressional District exemplifies teacher innovation by integrating neighborhoods into a program that streamlines pre-school to high school graduation. Parents, teachers, administrators, and after-school counselors are all engaged in the education of students.

We saved Wall Street, and the nation's top 1% continues to gain record-profits since the bailout. Main Street and the 99% of Americans continue to suffer, and are struggling to put food on the table. This is unacceptable. The wealthiest Americans should pay their fair share. We all have an obligation to help the poor, the aged, the sick and most vulnerable among us. I urge the clergy and spiritual leaders to shed further light on our moral priorities.

We can choose to give tax breaks for the millionaires and big corporations or make a direct investment in our infrastructure, small businesses, and children's education. The American Jobs Act achieves the second option. Let us learn the lessons of the past and rebuild the foundation for the present and future generations to restore the faith in the American Dream.


News By:
huffingtonpost.com

Cloud Computing Brings Teaching Aids Into Class

The Department of Basic Education has teamed up with business to launch a mobile education programme aimed at increasing teachers’ and students’ access to superior teaching resources through cloud computing.

Most schools in SA struggle to access academic resources, with statistics from the department indicating that only 7% of schools have a stocked library. Only 23% of schools have a computer "centre", with only 10% having sufficient computers.

"Through this initiative, teachers will now be able to use cloud computing to access vital content, teacher aids and resources to help deliver quality education," Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys said last week.

The Vodacom Mobile Education Programme — a partnership between the department, Vodacom, Microsoft, Cisco and Mindset Learn — will establish nine information and communications technology (ICT) centres, each serving 200 schools. This would reduce the need for physical infrastructure in schools by providing direct access to an internet-based "cloud" of applications and academic databases, Mr Uys said.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga last week welcomed the initiative, saying that it would go a "long way" to addressing the education system’s "ICT challenge".

Mr Uys said the programme would help level the playing field for rural schools, which often did not have access to the same quality of teaching materials as urban schools.

In addition to this, 2400 principals in Gauteng had been connected to the department and each other through a reporting management application run on BlackBerry cellphones. This would be rolled out nationally, enabling greater communication between the department and school administrations.

The ICT centres would also serve as training centres and provide ICT infrastructure and tools to teachers.

Cisco SA GM David Meads said access to comprehensive academic material was necessary as "shortfalls in IT business skills persist across our region and governments are increasingly concerned about digital exclusion and the need to optimise the entire workforce".

Cloud computing would contribute to a comprehensive, 21st century learning experience that enabled students to develop the foundational ICT skills needed to design, build and manage networks, along with career skills such as problem solving and critical thinking, he said.


News By:

businessday.co.za

'Schools Should Stop Trying To Not Be Political'

A traditional civics education can go something like this: Open your text book, read a little bit about Canada's political structure, who is the prime minister and what the Governor General actually does.

It can involve a lot of reading and watching a lot of "grainy old films," said Jeremy Diamond, director of national programs for the Historica-Dominion Institute, which advocates for history and citizenship education in Canada. But "are we engaging them in the process?" asks Diamond, who answers: "Not really."

Observers say that outcome is reflected in low voter turnout - a reality that continues to invite questions about how to engage more people, particularly youth, in politics and voting.

New research indicates that students can better develop their attitudes about politics by debating some of the most controversial issues of the day, such as abortion.

"It's the exact thing that schools don't do," said Joel Westheimer, the research chair in democracy and education at the University of Ottawa.

When civics education is done right, he said, research shows students become more engaged politically.

The problem is how to talk about controversial issues in the classroom, a place teachers are leery to allow politics to enter, Westheimer says.

"That is their dilemma and it shouldn't be," he said. "Schools should stop trying to not be political."

Politically charged classroom discussions do take place, but they have been on the decline over the past 10 years, Westheimer said. There has been a narrowing of the curriculum in the years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he said, as citizenship courses on both sides of the border focused more on patriotism than on critically analyzing political ideas.

A 2010 study Westheimer helped conduct of civics education in Canada, which included interviews with high school teachers and students in the Ottawa area, found lessons focused on teaching students procedural knowledge about politics because they didn't know enough. However, those facts did little to help them become more politically engaged, the study said.

But some educators are receiving more tools to make lessons in politics more political.

When Nova Scotia looked to update its citizenship curriculum, it wanted to make sure students not only knew how government works, but also how to get involved.

"You need the knowledge, skills and attitudes. It's the attitude we're looking at," said Jennifer Burke, the province's consultant on social studies curricula. "It's a process we're just starting."

Similar guidelines are available in curriculum documents across the country. In B.C., high school civics classes place an emphasis on political debates and current events, according to the province's Ministry of Education.

In recent years, provincial election agencies such as Elections Ontario, Elections B.C. and Elections Saskatchewan have also provided educational material for teachers to use in the classroom, while Elections Manitoba has its CitizenNext.ca website, designed to teach students about how and why to vote.

Elections Ontario is updating its lesson plans for Grade 5 and 10 students this year. Student handouts are in the form of a graphic novel and have so far been used in 800 classrooms, said agency spokeswoman Julia Bennett. The foray into educational material is relatively new for the organization, she said, and is seen as one important step into boosting voter turnout for young people.

Westheimer said sometimes provincial governments are quick to back away from any hint of controversy in the classroom.

He notes the Ontario government's scrapping of a revamped sex education curriculum that caused controversy over not only what was being taught, such as sexual identity, but also beginning the curriculum at an earlier age.

Making the curriculum more politically charged will require a change in thinking at the most senior levels of government, he said.

"You need policy-makers with backbone," Westheimer said.

"Canadian democracy depends on it."


News By:

ottawacitizen.com

Framingham State Poised To Help Teachers Grasp STEM Subjects

While teaching science and math may not literally be rocket science, it’s close enough to scare off some educators.

“Their eyes do glaze over,” said Mary Liscombe, director of the McAuliffe Challenger Center at Framingham State University. “It’s a tough nut to crack a lot of the times.”

At risk are the futures of students who will need to know the basics of the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — to get the top jobs of the future. An unqualified teaching force also threatens the future of the local economy, which will need those positions to be filled to keep the workforce humming.

It’s no surprise, then, why state and local officials were so excited this past Monday to celebrate Framingham State’s designation as an official NASA Educator Resource Center, the first one in Massachusetts. The university joins a nationwide network of around 60 centers that have access to the aerospace agency’s vast library of online materials, a trove that includes everything from detailed satellite images to live, interactive video courses that can be beamed into classrooms.

The thrust of the new center will be to help local teachers get a better grasp of STEM, as well as make the subjects more palatable to education majors who might otherwise avoid them due to their difficulty. It coincides perfectly with the state’s ongoing efforts to ramp up STEM education throughout the public education system, said Jake Foster, director of science and technology/engineering at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Foster envisioned the center becoming a learning hub for educators, a resource “every district can access and know what’s going on.”

The benefits of collaboration with NASA should be well-known to any educator who’s worked with the agency, Liscombe said.

“When I knew NASA was going to be involved, I knew I was going to walk out with a big bag of stuff,” she said.

Even more valuable are the professional development opportunities offered by the agency. Through her work at the Challenger Center, which is part of a national network of space science education programs, Liscombe said she’s seen students’ outlook on STEM change after interning with NASA.

“They come away feeling like they’re more confident … and able to help their students really engage in their learning,” she said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Kevin Thurston, executive director of the Greater Boston Readiness Center and MetroWest STEM Education Network, said the sagging interest levels in math and science at his schools could use a boost.

“This center will help build interest,” he said. “It’s more than the materials - it’s the teacher development.”

While professional development is “the foundation that keeps us going everyday” at the Challenger Center, Liscombe said it’s an area that hasn’t always received the attention it deserves in Massachusetts. One of the first big challenges facing Framingham State will be figuring out how to make NASA’s training and materials available to more teachers around the state. Though mostly digital in format, the agency’s library at first will be accessible primarily through a website maintained at the university’s Whittemore Library. Eventually, though, officials hope to allow teachers to link to the content from their classrooms.

Regardless of how the medium changes, Framingham State president Timothy Flanagan said the importance of STEM education will be constant.

“Certain things today won’t be happening five to 10 years from now,” he said. “But there will always be science, and there will always be math.”



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wickedlocal.com

Education Report: Science Night In West Oakland And Thoughts On Teacher "Consolidation"

Oct. 20

Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in West Oakland is taking its science and math instruction up a notch this year -- and to do it, Principal Roma Groves said, the faculty is enlisting parents' help.

This evening, the school held its first Family Science Night to involve parents in the school's new STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) focus. Teachers led demonstrations while parents helped out or just took it all in.

I didn't make it to all the classrooms, but I observed a geology lesson and watched the liquid substances kids dropped into plastic baggies turn into slime.

Jasella Jones, an MLK parent, said she doesn't remember having any science instruction when she attended another West Oakland elementary school years ago. Now, she said, her 8-year-old daughter, Amunique Usher, comes home from school and teaches her what she's learned. "She always has important questions that I can't answer about the moon and the stars and the sun," Jones said. "Just imagine what the future holds, not only for her, but for her kids and her grandkids and everyone else." Michele Williams' first-graders took home their neon-colored slime, but only after solemnly swearing to take care of it and not eat it, or smear it on other children. What do your schools do to promote science and to involve families in the process?

Oct. 16

On Friday, I wrote about the upcoming transfer of five Oakland teachers to other schools on Week 8 of the school year. David Braden, a teacher at Bella Vista Elementary School, wrote an essay for The Education Report about the effects of the district's budget-balancing act. His piece about the process known as "consolidation" is posted in full on the blog.

Braden writes: "Through the years, we have united together as a staff, we have felt safe to take risks and learn from each other, and we have firmed and solidified our teaching practice. We have consolidated ourselves into a high-functioning school of people who live, learn and achieve. To use the same word to describe the process we've been asked to endure, and which will surely set us back in our race to the top, is nauseating and hurtful."

Reader response

CogIntheOUSDWheel: Interesting post from David Braden. I certainly can testify to most of it, although many teachers do NOT know their assignments in May. Or June. Or July. Or much before the first bell. I too was "consolidated." ... I was moved out of a job where I was highly successful into a job I would never have applied for, because I knew it was the wrong population for me to work with. ... Just having a teaching credential does not mean that one is a match for every job and every school. I went from loving my job to dreading it. I used to be a great teacher, but that is not true now. I do keep plugging away, but my heart was sort of broken by being forced out of my job that I loved. Unfortunately, in OUSD, teachers are pawns and cogs in a wheel, interchangeable and easily replaceable. And what's really sad, is that noncertificated staff get even less respect than teachers, which is hard to imagine, but true.

Del: Consolidation is a huge problem and a nightmare for students, families, teachers, administrators, and everyone else. But what else can be done? There is no money to pay teachers if there are not enough students. Union rules understandably make the situation even less flexible.

Ms. J: I think it is worth repeating that the victims of consolidation are not only the teachers (and I am going to take on eight first-graders as a result of the consolidations at Bella Vista, taking my class to 30 kids), but the students. The district may not have any money, but the thing that is so frustrating and tragic is that this mismatch of funds is being sorted out 34 days into the school year.



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mercurynews.com

Teachers Happy To Talk To Parents

The Comox District Teachers' Association would like to thank the parents and students of School District #71 for your continued support and understanding as we work through Phase One of our job action.

Teachers fully understand that parents are concerned about your child's education.

Because of this, we have structured Phase One so that it is all about teaching and not about the administrative duties and paper work that often take up considerable time. That time is better devoted to the classroom.

You may have heard in the news that Education Minister George Abbott is considering legislation to end the current strike. His rationale for this government interference is his concern that you, the parents, are not being given the details of your child's progress.

There are two points that need to be made clear immediately so that you have accurate information.

First, the school year has only just begun. Formal report cards, the type referred to by Minister Abbott, would not be occurring in most schools until November if we were not in job action so his presumption that you are uninformed about your child's progress is premature at best.

In the meantime, teachers should be contacting you in their usual ways if they have a concern and their doors remain open for your questions.

Second, Phase One does not stop teachers from providing students and their parents with progress reports at any time.

In fact, the Comox District Teachers' Association and the BC Teachers' Federation expect that informal reporting is occurring on an ongoing basis be it teacher, student or parent initiated and that if there are any concerns, that these are discussed with parents at the earliest possible date.

These communications may include informal meetings, phone calls, assignments sent home to be signed and returned, comments in agendas, notes home, or emails depending on the usual method employed by an individual teacher.

The intent of this phase of job action is for teachers to get back to the basics of teaching by limiting administrative duties with as few disruptions for students as possible.

For the Minister to suggest legislation this early in the process, for reasons that are unfounded, is disingenuous and appears to be based on misinformation.

If you have any questions about the progress of your daughter or son, please contact her/his teacher/s.

They will be happy to discuss your child's progress with you.

Steve Stanley CDTA President.


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canada.com

Teaching Union Starts Dispute With Welsh Government Over 'Excessive' Workload And Conditions

A TEACHING union has broken ranks and entered into a dispute with the Welsh Government over excessive workload, conditions of service and job losses.

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) warned that conditions for a “perfect storm” had been brewing and members would be voting next month on industrial action.

The UK’s largest teaching union is the first to dispute issues with the Welsh Government, though pension changes put forward by Westminster are also being challenged.

The majority of education is devolved in Wales but teachers’ pay and conditions are dictated centrally by the UK Government.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates this week outlined her grievances in a letter to Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews.

She said “excessive workloads” and the “explosion of bureaucratic burdens” were distracting teachers from teaching.

Ms Keates believes that some local authorities are being allowed to flaunt statutory contracts and are asking too much of their staff.

She told the Western Mail: “We have warned the Minister that unless he took action to address the concerns we have raised with him and his officials repeatedly that all of the conditions for a perfect storm were brewing.

“Simply ignoring the evidence doesn’t make the problem go away. Standards of education for children and young people are inextricably linked to the conditions of service of teachers.”

In an earlier letter to the Minister, Ms Keates said teachers were “buckling” under the weight of excessive lesson planning, assessment and reports.

“Excessive, punitive monitoring, masquerading as classroom observation, is also a contributory factor. Failure to apply the statutory contractual provisions compounds this problem,” she said.

“Evidence shows that the work of teachers and school leaders is at the heart of securing sustainable improvement. If professionals are given the right working conditions, pupils’ performance improves.”

The union is concerned new performance management regulations being considered in Wales would prove “punitive and judgmental rather than supportive and developmental.”

It also opposes what it believes are “unjustifiable attacks” on the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), which would see monthly contributions and the normal retirement age for teachers rise under plans, tabled in Westminster.

The union is hoping to settle its dispute with both the UK and Welsh Governments through negotiation, though a successful ballot could see members joining a nationwide day of action on November 30.

Members of both the National Union of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers balloted members earlier this year in a dispute over pensions.

Teachers downed tools on June 30 in a co-ordinate national strike with civil servants and other public sector workers.

The National Association of Head Teachers is in the process of balloting members for what would be the union’s first strike in its 114-year history.

Rex Phillips, NASUWT Wales organizer, said: “The Minister should treat this notice of our intention to ballot as a wake-up-call over the Welsh Government approach to the standards agenda.

“Standards will rise if teachers are treated with the respect that they deserve and have working conditions that enable them to concentrate on teaching and learning.”

A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: “We have no desire to overburden teaching staff in Wales.

“The Minister met the NASUWT recently to discuss their concerns in more detail and has asked for some specific examples to illustrate their concerns. We will respond to the NASUWT’s letter in due course.”

A spokesman for Westminster’s Department for Education said its pension proposals are a “fair deal” for teachers and will remain among the best available.



News By:

walesonline.co.uk

Jenna Bush to speak at Jacksonville Southern Women's Show

Jenna Bush Hager - teacher, author, TV correspondent and former first daughter - will speak today at the Southern Women's Show with the goal of inspiring her audience to "learn more and take action" against preventable childhood deaths.

The Southern Women's Show runs through Sunday at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

Hager said she plans to tell the stories of the children she met in 2006, during her time as an intern with the United Nations Children's Fund in Latin America. "It is just really to talk about how we can all make a difference," Hager said. "I want to inspire the audience and inform them of the plight of people who have less than us."

Hager said she believes anyone can help, without even leaving their own city.

"You don't have to move to Latin America to make a difference," Hager said. "There are kids right [here] in Jacksonville who need extra support."

Hager is working with UNICEF as chairwoman of the Next Generation initiative. The Next Generation's goal is to lower the number of preventable children's deaths from 21,000 per year to zero by raising money for emergency relief and medical supplies and educating parents on health and nutrition.

During her time in Latin America, Hager met a teen named Ana. Hager wrote the New York Times best seller "Ana's Story: a Journey of Hope," which details Ana's struggles with poverty, being a single mother, and living with HIV while being forced to keep it a secret.

The profits Hager gained from the book went to UNICEF and to Ana. Since the release of the book, Ana has turned her life around, and Hager said she could not be any happier for her. "She is doing great. She has a full-time job and is speaking as an AIDS activist."

Hager, a teacher's aide and correspondent for "The Today Show," wrote a second book with her mother, former first lady Laura Bush, "Read All About It!" to promote the importance of childhood reading. "If a student isn't reading they have no chance in life," Hager said.

Hager is not be the only celebrity guest scheduled to appear at the Southern Women's Show. Journalist Danielle Knox from Lifetime's "The Balancing Act" and Chef Kenny Gilbert from Bravo TV's "Top Chef" will also speak at the show.

Hager is scheduled to speak at 1 p.m. today. The show is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under. Parking is $7 per vehicle.



News By:

Jennafer Segel

jacksonville.com

Campus Challenge To Vice-Chancellors

Higher education supporters should not despair at the devaluing and privatisation undertaken by this government (Reports, October 17). On 9 November, students will again take to the streets, and this may well spur on a wave of fresh campus occupations. Today we are launching a vice-chancellors' pledge. We are challenging university leaders ahead of 9 November to sign up to publicly condemn the white paper and call for its withdrawal; and to resist it practically on their own campuses by guaranteeing no course cuts and keeping their institutions public and not for profit. All those vice-chancellors with a genuine interest in the future of higher education should sign.

National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts

• Thanks are due to the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, canon chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, for supporting the right of demonstrators to protest outside St Paul's over the past few days. His request that the police should leave the steps of the cathedral was a thoughtful and creative contribution to a peaceful protest (Move along please, canon tells police…, 17 October). How often over the years have we seen the outbreak of violence when the police – who are meant to prevent breaches of the peace – have provoked it by their overreaction to a demonstration? Another example of this peaceful dynamic was the large, non-violent, three-hour occupation of Westminster Bridge just over a week ago. The police stood by while the demonstration, set up by UK Uncut, remained peaceful yet very visible in the centre of London. Perhaps the police need to rethink their tactics of confrontational kettling and overreaction to innovative protest if they want to keep the peace and protect the right to demonstrate.


News By:

guardian.co.uk

Emphasising financial value of degrees 'threatens arts and humanities'

The increasing emphasis being placed on the financial value of a degree threatens the future of arts and humanities research, according to the vice-chancellor of Cambridge university.

The "purer disciplines" are in danger of losing out to more vocational courses which directly translate into salary benefits, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz warned.

In an interview with the Guardian, the vice-chancellor said: "I have an anxiety in the longer term for the health of the disciplines. This doesn't come at undergraduate level, but is what follows on from a postgraduate level. If you monetise the value of a degree, will you undertake an MPhil in mediaeval French poetry?

"You might undertake a law course which extends [your knowledge of] libel or whatever – because actually there's direct value in that postgraduate education which will translate into your career.

"But will some of the purer disciplines that do so much to enrich – will they still be as attractive to students?"

Borysiewicz said he was concerned that the country risked losing "a cadre of potential researchers" in the arts.

The vice-chancellor, who is making a speech on the arts at the university's Festival of Ideas on Thursday, also called for closer collaboration between the arts and sciences.

"The example I'd give you, [from] the world I've particularly worked in is the prevention of cancer. In a free society and a society that exercises choice it isn't enough to have the technological solution, you've got to know about the acceptability of that solution. We've got to know that people make an informed choice.

"You can't coerce people into those areas. So we need to know and understand why [when] everybody knows its bad for you, yet people will still opt to smoke. We've got to understand that. I don't know of any research that's conducted in pure science and technology departments that would help understand that – it requires this interaction with the arts and humanities."

The vice-chancellor, who studied medicine and is a former head of the Medical Research Council, said that the arts provided a distinctive way of engaging with problems.

"We talk about the science method. Actually there's a method in learning a language which is quite distinctive, and taking that away, that generic skill is huge. The way historians consider evidence, or the balance of evidence, or an archaeologist will consider evidence, is quite distinctive. For the broad-based university we must have all of those areas if we're going to address some of the global challenges."

The arts and humanities also enrich people's lives, he said. "Medical science can make us live to 90. If you haven't got the arts and humanities what's the point of living until 90?"

The vice-chancellor said there was no evidence that the arts and humanities would be "disproportionately affected" by the slashing of the direct teaching grant from government.

The coalition's proposed reforms to higher education will see the teaching grant declining while the proportion of income from tuition fees increases. The surviving teaching grant will be allocated to more expensive subjects such medicine, science and engineering.

The vice-chancellor said: "In fact I can give you a counter-argument that says they're the big winners, because ultimately it is cheaper to deliver an arts and humanities course and if you're getting more income in per student the gap that is unfunded is smaller in the arts and humanities than it is in the sciences. For Cambridge that will make no difference. If anything it actually improves the position, the financial side, of the arts and humanities."

However, he warned of the risk that students at undergraduate level would be deterred from the arts by higher fees. "People start asking what's the monetary value of a degree in English here? I can give you a strong case but will a prospective student, particularly from a poorer background, think that the case is strong enough? I think there's a lot of work to be done that we don't get a group of young students out there who are looking at university places, thinking that actually there isn't value in the arts and humanities even though that's where their instinct takes them."

While figures show that graduates still attract a hefty salary premium, this does not apply across all disciplines. Research by Ian Walker at Lancaster University found that a male graduate with a poor arts degree could expect to earn less over his lifetime than a man going straight into employment after A-levels. In contrast, Walker found that a law, economics or management graduate could expect to earn £30,000 a year more on average than a school-leaver.

Borysiewicz said that he did not expect high fees to deter students from applying to Cambridge. Instead, the university would benefit from a clustering effect which would see more than a third of English universities charging £9,000 as their standard fee next year.

He said: "If so many universities are charging £9,000 why wouldn't you apply to Oxford and Cambridge as one of your choices? So I'm not anticipating a reduction in our numbers."

The first applications figures for 2012 university admissions are due to be published by Ucas on Monday.



News By:

guardian.co.uk

Alexander Crummell, Cambridge's first black graduate

Alexander Crummell is not a name that resonates in any list of black pioneers but his story as the son of a former slave who became almost certainly the first black student to graduate from Cambridge University will be told tonight at a lecture in the university's Festival of Ideas.

The resurrection of the long-obscure 19th-century American student comes months after Cambridge and Oxford once again had to fend off accusations about low admission rates for students from ethnic minorities. In 2009, 15% of first-year undergraduates were from ethnic minorities, but none of the academic or laboratory staff at the university were black.

Although Crummell was perhaps not the first black student Cambridge had seen – a Jamaican man, Francis Williams, is thought to have studied there in the 1700s and a mixed-race violinist, George Augustus Bridgetower, had been awarded a music degree for a composition in 1812 – he is the first officially recorded in the university records as having studied and graduated.

His story will be told by Sarah Meer, a university lecturer and fellow of Selwyn College, at the English faculty. "He was immensely proud to have studied at Cambridge and said he had never felt free until he landed in Britain," Meer said.

Crummell, born and educated in New York, the son of illiterate parents, was sponsored by American Episcopalians and their English Anglican contacts and was admitted to Queens' College as a 30-year-old student, married with three young children, in 1848. The student fees, raised by his church supporters in the abolitionist movement, were even more eye-watering than they would be today: £3,000, perhaps the equivalent of £180,000.

He certainly experienced racism. Dons' diaries refer to the "woolly-haired undergraduate with a black wife and piccaninnies". But there was also sympathy too, when one of his children was killed in an accident. Crummell remembered being cheered by other students when he graduated, though a future archbishop of Canterbury, EW Benson, who was present, recalled one student calling out: "Three groans for the Queens' nigger." Benson claimed he had shouted out "Shame on you", and that he had led the cheers himself.

Crummell's modern obscurity, Meer thinks, is probably because he later espoused the idea, championed by some American white racists, of setting up the black African country of Liberia. He lived and worked there for a number of years, aiming to teach the inhabitants to become Christianised and Europeanised. "Crummell ended up on the wrong side. He was also quite a stern and difficult person, who fell out with his congregations because he believed they were not living moral enough lives and with his colleagues, who he felt infringed his dignity," she said. "Whether he was like that because of his personality, or his experiences, we will never be sure."



News By:
guardian.co.uk

Speed read of the latest education news

Daftest School Name Yet?

Now, what would you call a brand new school, an academy, that is opening up on the site of the Olympic village in east London? The Olympic Academy has a ring to it. Or, how about the Olympic Village Academy?

But the builders of the new school for Chobham Academy had a better idea. The school, latest member of the chain run by Lord Harris of Peckham, the Tory peer and founder of Carpetright, is going to be called the Lend Lease Harris Academy Chobham, according to the building website, bdonline. Lend Lease is the Australian company that is constructing the school. "We wanted to call it the Olympic Village Academy, but weren't allowed to," Harris told the TES.

The academy will cater for 2,200 pupils and will specialise in performing arts and English, not sport. Oh, and by the way, it is nowhere near Chobham.


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guardian.co.uk

NEC provides digital signage for Uniqlo’s global flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue

NEC Display Solutions has provided digital signage for clothing brand Uniqlo’s new global flagship store, situated on New York’s Fifth Avenue and the brands third largest location in the city, on 34th Street.

NEC has provided the stores with approximately 430 displays, such as the large quad multi-display, consisting of 46in displays, and its content distribution systems.

This digital signage and content are remotely controlled at Uniqlo’s data centre in Japan, with NEC’s content distribution system enabling content distribution to each store throughout the world, via digital signage systems and a private cloud computing environment.

NEC has already delivered more then 1,000 panels to the company’s main global branches such as, Central World Store in Thailand, Gangnam in Korea and the biggest branch in Tokyo, Ikebukuro Tobu.



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avinteractive.co.uk

VML-Technologies supplies 19×14 metre LED display 80m above ground in the Hague

VML-Technologies has installed a huge LED screen, measuring 19 x 14m, and situated approximately 80m above ground, in the façade of the Strijkijzer building in the Dutch city of The Hague.

Designed and manufactured by VML-Technologies  BV, the display can be viewed up to 2km away, and is used as a community information board, featuring a mix of local news, information, events and advertising.

It is also planned to give the local people the opportunity to interact with the display via social networking sites for such things as birthday greetings, including pictures and videos of the lucky person.

The installation consists of 1,716 LatticeTM S-14054L LED strips which cover an area of 11 windows wide and 6 windows high.

Even though the system is 70 per cent transparent, so that the occupants of the building can still see outside, by day the display offers 6,000 nits of brightness.

When turned to black overnight, it becomes virtually invisible.

Using the VML Lattice “PictureBox Controller”, the LED strips are controlled in such a way that the whole picture is ‘pasted’ across the grid of window frames and remains perfectly visible.

VML-Technologies worked closely with the owners of the building, the Dutch housing trust Vestia, and also with the original architects of the building, AAArchitecten.

VML-Technologies were selected as the preferred supplier of the LED Media Facade system, following a two year selection process carried out by Ceres, the Vestia Projects office responsible for evaluating and choosing a suitable supplier for this important project.

Vestia and Ceres wanted a solution which would integrate seamlessly with the iconic glass and steel structure of the building façade, which spans over the interior of six floors from level 26 to level 31.


News By:

avinteractive.co.uk

BESA launches BES Asia Forum 2011

The Forum which is free of charge to visitors will be held at the KL Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, on the 8th and 9th November 2011. The event will be opened by Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the Minister of Women, Families and Community Development.

It will offer access to a mix of traditional educational resources and the latest educational technology from the UK, supporting all levels of education and training.

Visitors to BES Asia Forum 2011 will see learning products and services and be able to discuss best practice in areas such as the early years development of children, special educational needs, innovative teaching and learning methodology, curriculum development, school assessment and management, and skills training.

Supported by Giatmara, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Resources, the Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development, NAPEI, NAECCEM, the British Council, MILD and the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, BES Asia Forum offers visitors a blend of inspirational, advisory presentations and workshops by British and Asian education experts along with the chance to see technologies used in the UK to support learning.

BES Asia 2010 attracted people from 12 countries around the region.


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avinteractive.co.uk

Celebrate The Fabulous Forties At Hamptons In Penarth

HAMPTONS celebrate The Fabulous Forties on Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5.

In their themed Second World War show, Miss Madeline Brown will perform a rich mixture of classic songs and other music from the decade.

The show features big patriotic numbers and wartime classics such as We’ll Meet Again and White Cliffs of Dover, together with popular hits of the time including Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree and Glen Miller’s In The Mood. This performance also features a tribute to one of the major stars of the forties, Judy Garland – who can forget Zing Went the Strings of My Heart, The Trolley Song and the epic Somewhere Over the Rainbow?

There will also be singalongs and dancing as well as a five-course dinner, and you can dress for the forties if you wish! Whether you remember the era or you’re enjoying the music for the first time, this is a show for music lovers of all ages.


News By:

penarthtimes.co.uk

Penarth Bowling Club's £1,828 Donation To Marie Curie Hospice Penarth

TREASURER of Penarth Bowling Club, John Bowen, recently presented a cheque for £1,828 to the Marie Curie Hospice Penarth (Holme Tower).

This fantastic achievement is the result of the efforts over the last year of both members and guests at the Club.

A club spokesman said: "The largest contributor to this amount was the fundraising achieved on the President's Charity Day, which this summer took place on July 17.

"Many other smaller events and collections take place during the year, all of which have contributed to the final figure."


News By:

penarthtimes.co.uk

Penarth Artist's Local Inspiration

AN acclaimed Penarth artist has spoken of how the local surroundings have inspired his latest work.

Terry Setch is hosting an exhibition of 27 pieces of his work at Art Central in Barry.

Terry, 75, who moved to Penarth in 1969, said it was ‘wonderful’ to have his own exhibition in the area, which covers local scenes such as Lavernock Cliffs.

"This exhibition is a culmination of work that I am doing at the moment, and large work that I have completed over the last 20 years," he said.

"I tend to work with pieces that are either very large or very small."

A member of the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal West of England Academy, Terry has had more than 36 solo exhibitions, including a UK touring retrospective, and has exhibited across Europe, America and Australia.

Since moving to Wales he has used his surroundings to help with his work.

"A big inspiration has been looking at Lavernock Point, as it keeps me in touch with history," he added.

Terry’s work is also represented in a number of major public collections including the Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Museum and Galleries of Wales.

Tracey Harding, arts development officer for the Vale Council, said: "Terry Setch is one of Wales’ most important artists with a long career that has seen him participate in UK exhibitions every year since 1956.

"His work is very much based on where he lives.

"It’s a real privilege to see a member of the Royal Academy exhibiting here."

His contribution to the art world has been awarded with numerous prizes including a Welsh Arts Council Major Artist Award and recently the Bryan Robertson Trust Award.


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penarthtimes.co.uk

Young Mum Killed In Dinas Powys Crash: Police Appeal To Potential Witnesses

A YOUNG mum died following a road collision in Dinas Powys on Sunday morning (October 16).

25-year-old Tara Mackie's family paid tribute to her, saying 'nothing would ever be the same' after her tragic death.

A black Ford Fiesta collided with Miss Mackie, who was walking along Cardiff Road from Dinas Powys towards Barry just before 9.20am. She was airlifted to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales, but later pronounced dead.

Her family, from Barry, said: "It’s so hard to put into words what Tara meant to us all.

"She lived life to the full and she doted on her son, who was her world.

"Tara was a wonderful mother, daughter and sister, and everyone’s best friend.

"We don’t know what we’ll do without her; nothing will ever be the same. She will be dearly missed by everyone who knew her."

Floral tributes from family and friends were laid at the scene on Tuesday, after police temporarily closed Cardiff Road to allow them to pay their respects.

One tribute said: "To Tara, beautiful inside and out, who will be missed by so many."

Another said: "Your loss has shaken so many people. Even though you are with the angels, they could have waited a lot longer to be with you. Sweet dreams."

Police arrested the 24-year-old male Fiesta driver, who was travelling in the same direction as Tara towards Barry, at the scene, and have bailed him pending further enquiries.

Officers are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the collision or who were travelling along that section of road in either direction at around 9.20am.

They are keen to trace the occupants of a silver car, possibly an estate, who was travelling from Barry towards Dinas Powys.

They also believe a vehicle travelling in the direction of Dinas Powys overtook a pedal cyclist near the collision, and that the driver may be able to assist officers with their enquiries.

Sgt Neil Williams said: “I want to stress that this person is being treated as a witness and not a suspect.

“We’re urging the driver of this vehicle to contact police. We believe they may have seen the collision and may hold vital information about the circumstances."


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penarthtimes.co.uk

Assembly Member Opens New Estate Agents In Penarth

A NEW family-run estate agents has opened its doors in Penarth.

Seabreeze Homes, set up by Nigel Read at Glebe Street, was offically opened by Penarth AM Vaughan Gething on Monday, and aims to offer an 'informal personal service' to customers.

"We are a family-run business which started in 1999, and each member of the team knows the property sector inside out," said Nigel.

"We care about our clients and treat every property we sell, let, or manage, with the care that every property should be treated with."

Speaking at the opening, AM Mr Gething said: "I’m delighted to see new businesses opening in Penarth. It shows confidence in the town and surrounding areas."


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penarthtimes.co.uk

Latest Funding Brings Penarth Pavilion Project 'Within Touching Distance'

PENARTH Pavilion Project is set to receive another cash injection - taking it within touching distance of the final sum needed to complete the highly anticipated regeneration of the iconic building.

The initiative has been given £700,000 from the Community Asset Transfer programme (CAT) - a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and the Welsh Government which aims to provide capital and revenue funding to support the transfer of assets, such as land and buildings, from public sector organisations to community ownership.

This latest round of funding brings the money raised by the Penarth Arts and Crafts Ltd-led project to £3.5 million - meaning they are now just £200,000-£300,000 short of the total needed.

Pavilion Project director Maggie Knight said it is 'full steam ahead from this point'.

"With this significant contribution from the CAT programme, the Penarth community and broader region will profit from the further development of a unique and important asset,” she said.

“Not only is the Penarth Pavilion positioned to promote the understanding and use of the second largest tidal variation globally, but the structure itself stands as an iconic reminder of south Wales’ rich historical past and tradition.

“A huge amount of work has gone into this initiative, over an extended period of time, but has all come together and will be truly worth it.

“I think it is an excellent project which has really captured the imagination of the community, and the support we have received goes to show how much people believe it could benefit the area.”

The 1929 built Grade II Listed building will, once refurbished, offer a range of activities including educational programmes, film showings, festivals, exhibitions, and more.

Information about the natural and social history of the area and the pavilion itself - which was a centre of town activity 70 years ago - will also be housed inside, as well as child-care provision, a restaurant and cafe.

Five jobs will be created through the project, including positions for an education and learning officer, and a pavilion manager.


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penarthtimes.co.uk

New Mouchel Rail Owner Sinclair Knight Merz Seeks Expansion In UK

The new owner of Mouchel’s rail business, Australian firm Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), has said the acquisition bolsters its plan to expand in the UK transport market.

SKM area manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Jon Pike said that the £3.4M business, along with its merger with transport planning consultant Colin Buchanan and Partners earlier in the year meant, would enable clients to access a wide range of services.

“Clients are looking for companies to be able to integrate services, which makes them more able to meet their needs,” he said.

The purchase was made following conversations that had been going on for a long while with Mouchel and not just as a result of Mouchel’s recent difficulties. SKM’s staff numbers in the Europe, Middle East, Africa region now total 1,000.

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nce.co.uk

VMworld: Durham College Employs Virtualisation To Drive Cost Savings

New College Durham has revealed how desktop virtualisation has helped the further education college reduce IT support costs and improve end user experience.

Although it has not yet completed its implementation of VMware’s View Virtual Desktop across its approximately 1,600 computers, New College Durham has already managed to save on support labour time and cost. It also saves on the cost of refreshing its desktops, which it used to do every three to four years.

It deployed the software on 400 fat clients in the first phase in summer 2010 and 500 in the second phase, which completed two months ago. The remaining 700 will be completed by summer 2012.

“In the first phase, we only had one member of the desktop team supporting 400 [virtualised] desktops. Five were needed to support the rest of the fat clients. Now, we have two [on desktop support]. Only one is needed but we have two for cover,” George Wraith, head of systems at New College Durham, told the VMworld conference in Copenhagen.

Limited resources and a small IT team led it to decide to implement the technology in three phases - which Wraith said was “by far the most successful” approach because his team has been able to learn from each stage and apply lessons learned to the latter stages.

New College Durham’s IT infrastructure comprises Dell PCs, Dell servers, Fusion-IO storage cards and Wyse P20 clients. It uses PC over IP technology. Software deployed includes ESX vSphere 3.1, View 4.5 and Windows 7 operating system.

It decided to virtualise its desktop when it began to virtualise its servers in 2008, with the help of IT services provider Phoenix Software. From there, Wraith described the move to the virtualised desktop environment as a “no brainer”.

New College Durham was driven to virtualisation for a number of reasons, but the main reason for virtualising servers was because it had run out of physical space, and the other option was to build a new server room.

“[When we moved to a new build campus in 2004] we moved into a brand new server room that we thought we had spec’d quite nicely for expansion.

“Come 2008, we’d effectively doubled our server estate size, and server virtualisation was by far the best way forward. We were running out of space in the server room and the cost of a new server room was quite horrendous,” Wraith said.

Before it began the desktop virtualisation, New College Durham carried out a capacity planning exercise which revealed a significant IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) requirement. To satisfy this requirement, extra money, not previously budgeted, was needed.

“It wasn’t a problem at that stage because we hadn’t started the implementation. Had that already gone ahead, and I had to go back to senior executives with my cap in hand...I know what I would have come up against,” said Wraith.

Despite this extra cost, however, the college felt that the return on investment was still too great to ignore. It spent £338,736 on capital in the first year of implementation, £246,266 in the second year, and anticipates spending £232,269 in the final year.

The total capital spend is therefore £817,271, but compared with spending a £250,000 each year on desktop replenishment in the past, it now expects an ROI over three years. By the fifth year, it expects to make savings of £422,499, which will increase to £1.16 million by year 10.

Meanwhile, desktop virtualisation allowed the college to improve end user experience. For example, the boot time of the fat client in the previous environment was on average four minutes. In the virtual environment, it was just 40 seconds.

In addition, the college could move more easily from the controversial Windows Vista to Windows 7.

“We couldn’t wait to get off Vista. That was a joy,” said Wraith.


News By:

computerworlduk.com

Big In Japan

Students studying each level of Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy all had their moment in the spotlight and a selection of exceptional students went on to be presented with additional awards for their effort and achievement.

One such student was Takumi Miyamori who received an award marking the very first internship placement the College has hosted after forging strong Hairdressing industry links with Japan. Running a string of salons with his father back in Japan, Takumi has been at the College for the past five months learning all of the major differences between European and Asian hairdressing and exchanging knowledge with the resident students.

Programme Manager for Hairdressing, Ian Elsom and a resident student from Chesterfield are now set to visit Japan in August for 10 days to get a taste of what the Asian hairdressing industry is like.

The College's industry links in Tokyo were keen to recognise all of the student successes and were able to applaud along with the audience via a live Skype feed.

Other additional awards went to the various students who had achieved fantastic course results and those that did very well at various competitions throughout the year.

Level 3 Hairdressing student Katie Beer, received an award recognising her success in the finals of the national Wella Xposure competition held in London, finishing third out of a final field of 19.

Level 3 Advanced Nail Art student Keron Finney, managed to achieve first place in the World Skills regional heats at Warrington College and will subsequently represent the College at the finals later this summer. She was rewarded for her efforts by very proud tutor, Michaela Greaves who also presented Keron with the Level 3 Beauty Therapy Student of the Year title.


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chesterfieldpost.co.uk

New School Builds A Future For Students

After 17 months in the making Springwell Community School will celebrate it’s official opening this  Friday (15th July).

The state-of-the-art school at Staveley was one of the first to be delivered through Derbyshire County Council's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Costing £17.2 million it boasts:

* cutting edge ICT
* a library
* hall
* indoor and outdoor dining areas
* specialist science and technology areas

* flexible teaching spaces

The school has however retained its original sports hall and the performing arts block - both of which were less than 10 years old. Staff and students were involved in the design of the new facilities and they took over the site in October.

Councillor Mike Longden, Derbyshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "Springwell Community College is a true centre of excellence capable of meeting the needs of the modern curriculum - both now and in the future.

"It has brought enormous benefits for the pupils with flexible, inspiring learning spaces.

"It is also providing incredible opportunities for the whole community by being open for longer and providing access to adult education and better sports facilities."

The school has been transformed under a private finance initiative.

The work was carried out by Equitix Education (Derbyshire) and their contracted building partner Bowmer and Kirkland of Heage, Derbyshire.

The college will continue its celebrations to mark the official opening with a family fun day on Saturday 16th July.


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chesterfieldpost.co.uk