Dec 30, 2010
Dec 22, 2010
Revamping Juvenile Justice Is Long, Difficult Road - WNYC
Revamping Juvenile Justice Is Long, Difficult Road - WNYC
Gladys Carrion, the New York Commissioner of the State's Office of Children and Family Services, has been trying to alter the stark statistics since she took her job in 2007. She's made a lot of big changes, including establishing a bigger staff to inmate ratio and specialized care. But she says there are tremendous challenges to transforming a system based on punishment into one of rehabilitation.
Gladys Carrion, the New York Commissioner of the State's Office of Children and Family Services, has been trying to alter the stark statistics since she took her job in 2007. She's made a lot of big changes, including establishing a bigger staff to inmate ratio and specialized care. But she says there are tremendous challenges to transforming a system based on punishment into one of rehabilitation.
Dec 21, 2010
C-SPAN Classroom | Free Primary Source Materials For Social Studies Teachers
C-SPAN Classroom | Free Primary Source Materials For Social Studies Teachers
Education and Digital Learning (44 min.)
Bob Wise on the ways in which he believes that digital learning can help student learning and transform the current education system
Education and Digital Learning (44 min.)
Bob Wise on the ways in which he believes that digital learning can help student learning and transform the current education system
Dec 16, 2010
Dec 15, 2010
Shael Polakow-Suransky Is Believer in (More) Testing - NYTimes.com
Shael Polakow-Suransky Is Believer in (More) Testing - NYTimes.com
Mr. Polakow-Suransky took his ideals to New York, where he taught history and math to middle and high school students, and then was assistant principal for a year at Bread and Roses Integrated Arts High School, a new progressive public school in Harlem. That year he met Eric Nadelstern, a Queens principal who had joined the school system the year Mr. Polakow-Suransky was born. He shadowed Mr. Nadelstern to fulfill a requirement of his master’s in educational leadership from Bank Street College of Education.
Mr. Nadelstern, who is now deputy chancellor responsible for school instruction and support, took Mr. Polakow-Suransky under his wing. Together, they opened Bronx International High School, a school for recent immigrants. As the founding principal, Mr. Polakow-Suransky was able to put Professor Sizer’s ideas into practice, in addition to some of his own.
“Until we start seeing assessments that ask kids to write research papers, ask them to solve unfamiliar problems, ask them to defend their ideas, ask them to engage with both fiction and nonfiction texts; until those kinds of assessments are our state assessments, all we’re measuring are basic skills,” Mr. Polakow-Suransky said in an interview.
Mr. Polakow-Suransky acknowledges that the tests are imperfect, but says they are a necessary measurement tool. “To put it very simply,” he said, “how do you know that the kids are learning?”
He described one prototype question. Students would be asked to calculate the diameter that a straw needs to fit through a juice box’s hole, then write to a juice box manufacturer whose straws keep getting stuck in the hole to explain why its diameter should be changed. “It’s a ninth-grade problem that involves geometry and algebra in an unfamiliar context,” and tests several skills at once, he said.
Mr. Polakow-Suransky took his ideals to New York, where he taught history and math to middle and high school students, and then was assistant principal for a year at Bread and Roses Integrated Arts High School, a new progressive public school in Harlem. That year he met Eric Nadelstern, a Queens principal who had joined the school system the year Mr. Polakow-Suransky was born. He shadowed Mr. Nadelstern to fulfill a requirement of his master’s in educational leadership from Bank Street College of Education.
Mr. Nadelstern, who is now deputy chancellor responsible for school instruction and support, took Mr. Polakow-Suransky under his wing. Together, they opened Bronx International High School, a school for recent immigrants. As the founding principal, Mr. Polakow-Suransky was able to put Professor Sizer’s ideas into practice, in addition to some of his own.
“Until we start seeing assessments that ask kids to write research papers, ask them to solve unfamiliar problems, ask them to defend their ideas, ask them to engage with both fiction and nonfiction texts; until those kinds of assessments are our state assessments, all we’re measuring are basic skills,” Mr. Polakow-Suransky said in an interview.
Mr. Polakow-Suransky acknowledges that the tests are imperfect, but says they are a necessary measurement tool. “To put it very simply,” he said, “how do you know that the kids are learning?”
He described one prototype question. Students would be asked to calculate the diameter that a straw needs to fit through a juice box’s hole, then write to a juice box manufacturer whose straws keep getting stuck in the hole to explain why its diameter should be changed. “It’s a ninth-grade problem that involves geometry and algebra in an unfamiliar context,” and tests several skills at once, he said.
Dec 14, 2010
Anthony Mackie, A Star Rising Step By Striking Step : NPR
Anthony Mackie, A Star Rising Step By Striking Step : NPR
Night Catches Us — is playing in art-house theaters now.
The film is set in mid-'70s Philadelphia, and Mackie's character — a former Black Panther — is suspected by everyone in his splintered Philadelphia neighborhood of being a snitch for the FBI. The actor was drawn to this tiny, low-budget movie because it explores a moment in black history that's been neglected by Hollywood
Every Person In New York
Every Person In New York
http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/know-your-neighbor/2010/dec/13/know-your-neighbor-jason-polan-every-person-in-new-york/
Artist Jason Polan wants to draw every person in New York—literally every person in New York—so he started a project to document his efforts. Two and half years in, Polan is still going strong, clocking in sketches of anywhere from a couple people to hundreds a day on his blog.
http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/know-your-neighbor/2010/dec/13/know-your-neighbor-jason-polan-every-person-in-new-york/
Artist Jason Polan wants to draw every person in New York—literally every person in New York—so he started a project to document his efforts. Two and half years in, Polan is still going strong, clocking in sketches of anywhere from a couple people to hundreds a day on his blog.
Dec 12, 2010
Radio One: The Urban Media Specialist
Radio One: The Urban Media Specialist
Catherine L. Hughes
Founder, Chairperson of the Board and Secretary
Ms. Hughes has been Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Secretary of Radio One since 1980 and was Chief Executive Officer of Radio One from 1980 to 1997.
She was one of the founders of Radio One’s predecessor company in 1980. Since 1980, Ms. Hughes has worked in various capacities for Radio One including President, General Manager, General Sales Manager and talk show host.
Radio One, Inc.(www.radio-one.com) is one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting companies and the largest radio broadcasting company that primarily targets African-American and urban listeners.
She began her career in radio as General Sales Manager of WHUR-FM, the Howard University-owned, urban-contemporary radio station.
Catherine L. Hughes
Founder, Chairperson of the Board and Secretary
Ms. Hughes has been Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Secretary of Radio One since 1980 and was Chief Executive Officer of Radio One from 1980 to 1997.
She was one of the founders of Radio One’s predecessor company in 1980. Since 1980, Ms. Hughes has worked in various capacities for Radio One including President, General Manager, General Sales Manager and talk show host.
Radio One, Inc.(www.radio-one.com) is one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting companies and the largest radio broadcasting company that primarily targets African-American and urban listeners.
She began her career in radio as General Sales Manager of WHUR-FM, the Howard University-owned, urban-contemporary radio station.
Dec 11, 2010
Science Friday Archives: The Hidden Science of Christmas Trees
Science Friday Archives: The Hidden Science of Christmas Trees
The Hidden Science of Christmas Trees
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Researchers report that they've been able to block the decay process that causes cut Christmas trees to shed their needles. Writing in the journal Trees, a team of researchers at at Université Laval and Nova Scotia Agricultural College report that by blocking ethylene from reaching receptors in the balsam fir, they can keep trees green, tender, and fresh-looking long after untreated trees have lost their needles. We'll talk about the work, and other tips for keeping a cut evergreen looking its best
Guest
Raj Lada
Professor and Founding Director
Christmas Tree Research Center
Nova Scotia Agricultural College
Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Hidden Science of Christmas Trees
Array.alttext
Researchers report that they've been able to block the decay process that causes cut Christmas trees to shed their needles. Writing in the journal Trees, a team of researchers at at Université Laval and Nova Scotia Agricultural College report that by blocking ethylene from reaching receptors in the balsam fir, they can keep trees green, tender, and fresh-looking long after untreated trees have lost their needles. We'll talk about the work, and other tips for keeping a cut evergreen looking its best
Guest
Raj Lada
Professor and Founding Director
Christmas Tree Research Center
Nova Scotia Agricultural College
Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide
Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide---A Gadget Blog---A Blog about Gadget Culture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WATcSu58uI4&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WATcSu58uI4&feature=player_embedded
DefectiveByDesign.org | The Campaign to Eliminate DRM
What is DRM? Digital Restrictions Management. DefectiveByDesign.org is a broad-based anti-DRM campaign that is targeting Big Media, unhelpful manufacturers and DRM distributors. The campaign aims to make all manufacturers wary about bringing their DRM-enabled products to market. DRM products have features built-in that restrict what jobs they can do. These products have been intentionally crippled from the users' perspective, and are therefore "defective by design". Learn more about our campaign
iPad is iBad for freedom — Free Software Foundation — working together for free software
iPad is iBad for freedom — Free Software Foundation — working together for free software
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide mission to promote computer user freedom and to defend the rights of all free software users.
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide mission to promote computer user freedom and to defend the rights of all free software users.
Dec 10, 2010
RACE Are We So Different?
| ABOUT THE PROJECT |  |
RACE Are We So Different? We expect people to look different. And why not? Like a fingerprint, each person is unique. Every person represents a one-of-a-kind, combination of their parents’, grandparents’ and family’s ancestry. And every person experiences life somewhat differently than others. Differences… they’re a cause for joy and sorrow. We celebrate differences in personal identity, family background, country and language. At the same time, differences among people have been the basis for discrimination and oppression
Dec 9, 2010
Favorite Books Of 2010
favorite reads from the year, including Patti Smith's moving memoir, a feminist slant on election season and a new history of labor unions.
maureen-corrigan-s-favorite-books-of-2010
'Franklin And Eleanor': A Marriage Ahead Of Its Time
Patti Smith Remembers Life With Mapplethorpe
'Just Kids': Punk Icon Patti Smith Looks Back
Giving 'Charlie Chan' A Second Chance
Recalling The Life Of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist
maureen-corrigan-s-favorite-books-of-2010
'Franklin And Eleanor': A Marriage Ahead Of Its Time
Patti Smith Remembers Life With Mapplethorpe
'Just Kids': Punk Icon Patti Smith Looks Back
Giving 'Charlie Chan' A Second Chance
Recalling The Life Of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist
A History Of The 'Big' Business Of Hip-Hop
Hip-hop music grew from the streets of Harlem and the Bronx into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Dan Charnas chronicles how hip-hop producers and entrepreneurs changed the music industry and pop culture in The Big Payback.
Dec 8, 2010
Zócalo
Connecting People to Ideas and to Each Other
About Zócalo Public Square
Zócalo Public Square connects people to ideas and to each other in an open, accessible, non-partisan and broad-minded spirit. Through our web magazine, lectures, panels, screenings, and conferences, Zócalo takes on ideas that enhance our understanding of community—the forces that strengthen or undermine human connectedness and social cohesion.
BBC's Loyn: Afghanistan's History Of Defying Invaders
In Afghanistan: Two Hundred Years of British, Russian and American Occupation
By David Loyn
Afghanistan is a country mostly of deserts and mountains, a very small part of the land is irrigable agricultural land. And all invaders have found it a really difficult place to hold. The British general, famous General Wellington at the beginning of the 19th century, said a small army would not be not be able to hold the country and a large army would starve. http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=113582498
David Loyn on Afghanistan
"There are two key things. Firstly, the terrain is extremely hostile to armies who don’t have very good logistics and supply routes and all the rest of it. Even nowadays, U.S. forces are finding it difficult to keep supplies up despite all the technology available, and despite massive air superiority. This is a country of deserts and mountains and it naturally lends itself to people who can live in that environment. In particular, the eastern mountain range, the Northwest Frontier, is 400 miles long and 200 miles wide, with high peaks going up to about 15,000 feet and only three crossing points, the most famous of which is the Khyber Pass. That’s the place where the British found a huge problem trying to fight against Afghanistan in the 19th century, and where now the Pakistani army is trying to take on the Taliban and finding it a difficult fight."
Dec 4, 2010
Novelguide: Free Study Guides, Free Book Summaries, Free Book Notes, & More
Novelguide: Free Study Guides, Free Book Summaries, Free Book Notes, & More
Novelguide.com is the premier free source for literary analysis on the web providing study guides as an educational supplement. Whether you call them book summaries, literature guides or novel guides, our hope is that this material will guide you to a better understanding of classic and contemporary works. Literature Profiles, Metaphor Analysis, Theme Analysis, and Author Biographies are all here. In addition to free book notes we now have even more material incluiding general biographies, sample study questions, sample essays, etc. A true helper... a "novel" guide here for you and best of all "It's all free - always!"
Novelguide.com is the premier free source for literary analysis on the web providing study guides as an educational supplement. Whether you call them book summaries, literature guides or novel guides, our hope is that this material will guide you to a better understanding of classic and contemporary works. Literature Profiles, Metaphor Analysis, Theme Analysis, and Author Biographies are all here. In addition to free book notes we now have even more material incluiding general biographies, sample study questions, sample essays, etc. A true helper... a "novel" guide here for you and best of all "It's all free - always!"
Dec 3, 2010
Beyond the MLA Handbook (Harnack/Kleppinger)
Citing the Sites: MLA-Style Guidelines and Modelsfor Documenting Internet Sources
Beyond the MLA Handbook (Harnack/Kleppinger)
Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement Policy
Beyond the MLA Handbook (Harnack/Kleppinger)
Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement Policy
Dec 2, 2010
Dec 1, 2010
First Listen: Buff1 And DJ Rhettmatic, 'Crown Royale' : NPR
First Listen: Buff1 And DJ Rhettmatic, 'Crown Royale' : NPR
http://www.npr.org/2010/11/17/131396003/first-listen-dj-rhettmatic-buff1-crown-royale
Eric B. & Rakim---Paid in Full -- "I Ain't No Joke"
November 28, 2010
http://www.npr.org/2010/11/17/131396003/first-listen-dj-rhettmatic-buff1-crown-royale
Eric B. & Rakim---Paid in Full -- "I Ain't No Joke"
November 28, 2010
In the early days of hip-hop, a DJ and an MC needed each other; you almost couldn't have one without the other. Who knew that over the course of forty-some years, DJ/MC duos would become such rarities? But while venerable acts like Eric B & Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and Gang Starr are now mere relics of hip-hop's "golden era," Buff1 and DJ Rhettmatic, collectively known as Crown Royale, favor a resurgence of what was once a mainstay with their new self-titled collaborative LP.
Matisyahu: Light A Fire For Hanukkah Music : Raggae and Judaism
Hasidic reggae musician living in Brooklyn
Matisyahu: Light A Fire For Hanukkah Music : All Songs Considered Blog : NPR
But the real reason Jews don't have more Hanukkah music is that historically, American Jewish singer-songwriters were too busy making Christmas music. "White Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Silver Bells" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)" were all written by Jews. Both Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand have their own Christmas albums. The No. 1 best-selling Christmas album of all time is from Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, the Jewish smooth-jazz legend Kenny G. American Jews have always produced a lot of holiday music, just not Hanukkah music.
Matisyahu: Light A Fire For Hanukkah Music : All Songs Considered Blog : NPR
But the real reason Jews don't have more Hanukkah music is that historically, American Jewish singer-songwriters were too busy making Christmas music. "White Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Silver Bells" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)" were all written by Jews. Both Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand have their own Christmas albums. The No. 1 best-selling Christmas album of all time is from Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, the Jewish smooth-jazz legend Kenny G. American Jews have always produced a lot of holiday music, just not Hanukkah music.
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