NetHappenings Newsletter

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NHN: Net Happenings Newsletter #9

NEW THIS WEEK for December 14th, 2004
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/NetHappenings.html>
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Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Net Happenings Newsletter, launched by the Educational CyberPlayGround, this newsletter features a new format with the emphasis on both news and resources. Karen Ellis* Founder of the Educational
CyberPlayGround will continue to carry the sponsorship of Net Happenings Newsletter which is published to all members of the NetHappenings Mailing List.

Written by Classroom Teacher Alan Haskvitz
1997 National Teacher's Hall of Fame Inductee
1999 All USA Today First TeamTeacher
1994 National Middle Level Teacher of the Year (NCSS)
[w] http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Ringleaders/al.html


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IN THIS ISSUE

Religion in the classroom

December Holiday links

Music Makes You Smarter

Conferences/Grants
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Factoids

Females and Males Sort of Equal
On the combined reading literacy scale, females outperform males in every country. On the mathematics literacy assessment, performance of males and females in the United States is similar, as it is in 16 other countries. For most countries (26 out of 31 countries), including the United States, males and females perform similarly on the science literacy assessment.

Slow Learners? 34 percent or recently hired teachers are former teachers who are coming back to the profession.

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IN THE NEWS
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President advocates just says abstinence best sex education Not waiting for government research that shows teaching abstinence has value, President Bush believes its what parents want and got $131 million for his plan.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=283228

A Washington Times Editorial on "Dumb" television shows
I think you have to read this one by Herbert London of the Hudson Institute to see how one can relate driver's license testing to getting a license to watch television. Have your students read this and remind them he is a university professor.
http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20041125-085448-2777r.htm

National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Research Questioned As more research emerges so do more questions about the value of this program.
http://www.education-consumers.com/briefs/Controversy.htm

Industrialized comparison
This report shows how the U.S. education system compares to other major industrialized countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russian Federation, United Kingdom) in five areas: (1) the context of education; (2)
preprimary and primary education; (3) secondary education; (4) higher education; and (5) education and the labor force.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003026

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RELIGION IN THE CLASSROOM
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An easy to read review of what is allowed in the public schools and what is not allowed.
http://www.adl.org/religion_ps/religion.asp

Religious Holidays & Public Schools
http://www.clsnet.org/clrfPages/pubs/pubs_holida5.php

Teaching Evolution vs. Intelligent Design Theory
They say the theory is nothing more than a dressed-up version of creation science, which the U.S. Supreme Court has prohibited from public schools as a violation of the separation of church and state.

Ann Rand Institute: The Founding Fathers on Religion
A great way to bring some debate into your classroom.
http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=617

Freethinkers
With more and more attention being placed on religion in the classroom, here is a site that offers a look at those who are labeled as freethinkers. This is a for sale book, but the free sample is worthy of note. This is the best classroom usable book I have ever seen on the subject.
http://teachingaboutreligion.com/miscel/Frntpages.pdf

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DECEMBER HOLIDAY LINKS
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December Holidays Around the World

Free printables and coloring books
http://www.lil-fingers.com/coloring/index.html

Holiday activities
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/

Information on Hanukkah and even a Dreidel Game
http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/chanstr.htm

How Christmas is celebrated around the world
http://www.christmas.com/worldview

Kwanzaa
http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm

Large Link Sites
http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/holidays.htm
http://wilburnes.wcpss.net/holidays/december.html

New Years Traditions Around the World
http://www.fathertimes.net/traditions.htm

Lesson plans
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSChristmasAroundtheWorldK1.htm

How the colonists celebrated Christmas lesson
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/lpdisplay.asp?LPID

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MUSIC MAKES YOU SMARTER
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Lessons pay off
Says the College Board; students involved with music score an average of 100 points higher on SAT tests than students who do not.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/musicsmart.html

Articles on Music and Brain Research . . .
Research suggests that the arts have distinct educational benefits.
Dr. Rauscher NPR and Mozart Effect
Mr. Holland Opus - Research
Piano and Computer Training Boost Student Math Achievement
New Study Shows More of the Brain Used When Making Music
Music and Brain Information Database
Piano Lessons
Texas All-State Music Students Soar on SAT's
How to motivate kids to take music lessons
Cybrarians Reference Online Music Sites Page
Arts May Improve Students' Grades
Arts in the Schools Paint Masterpiece: Higher Scores
Helping City Schools Bring a Taste of the Arts to Students
Arts Education Partnership Meeting Report 1999
Isaac Stern Teaches New York City's 43 School Superintendents
Rock Music Kills Mice Experiment
Easy to understand bottom line summary of some research facts
Musical training during childhood may influence regional brain growth

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CONFERENCES
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GRANTS
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Grants Scholarships
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/grants.html

Gates Millenium Scholars
http://www.gmsp.org/(vmrtyk55uyjqtmqjqhauqhb4)/default.aspx

The Columbus Foundation Community Grant
http://www.christophercolumbusawards.com/guides/coach/p8_columbus.htm
The $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant is an additional opportunity for one finalist team to take its project to a higher level. In conjunction with community leaders, the student team uses the Grant money to make part or all of its ideas a reality in the community over the course of the year following the competition.



Thanks for reading,

Al
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Ringleaders/al.html>

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