Missouri State Teachers Association

Supreme Court Justices Interviewed

     MSTA Legal Counsel Gail McCray put me on to a website where videotaped interviews of U.S. Supreme Court Justices can be found.  Chatting with Gail, I learned the justices very rarely make public comments, so this is quite a unique scenario.  Specifically, eight of nine justices speak to the issues of legal writing and advocacy.  Teaching a law and justice class?  This may be good material for you.  The videos may be used freely for educational purposes.

     I loved my law and justice class in twelfth grade.  Do they teach that class anywhere anymore?  We even got to tour a prison.  Talk about "scared straight"!  It was one of the most frightening and enlightening experiences of my life. . .

Student Blogging Precedent?

     A Connecticut student's blog entry was deemed to have potential repercussions at school, therefore a court upheld an administrator's disciplinary measures against her.  This brings up the age-old debate over whether or not students' off-campus behaviors can be controlled by school officials.  Does anyone want to weigh in?  Read more here.

$740,000 Severance Package for Superintendent

     Spring is always a gloomy time for me when I hear of inequitable pay increases for administrators.  I learned that in one school district in my field area, teachers got a 2 or 3 percent increase this year while administrators averaged a 10% boost.  Let's tie administrator and teacher salaries!

     But this article about a superintendent in New Jersey brightened my mood.  At least I haven't heard about anything this atrocious in Missouri!  Upon leaving her post as superintendent, Barbara Trzeskowski will be given nearly three quarters of a million dollars. . .  and this ain't corporate America, baby!  I wouldn't want to be the one to ask New Jersey taxpayers for more education funding. . .

Study Buddy from Hamilton Electronics

This product from Hamilton Electronics is a cool tool for kids!  It is a new twist on flash cards that would really benefit the auditory learners in your classroom.  Retailing for $69.75, the kit includes a voice recording device, a unit stand, and 36 re-usable flash cards.  The cards look much like the pages of a photo album.  (Remember the clear plastic that sticks to white card stock?)  You can insert and remove pictures, symbols, words, etc. related to a lesson or unit of study.

     The Study Buddy takes five minutes or less to learn to operate.  I give it a wholehearted thumbs up!

Teachers and Social Networking - Again

     Several months ago, I saw two "investigative reports" on one or more local news stations regarding teachers and their MySpace or Facebook pages.  In a nutshell, teachers ambushed on parking lots after school were shown copies of their profiles and asked why content and pictures inappropriate for student viewing were posted for the public.  In some cases, the teacher was unaware the material was available to any and all. . .

     Educators have long been held to higher standards of behavior than parents and other community members.  I suppose this now extends to activity logged on social networking sites.  My advice still stands with members in my field area of the Missouri State Teachers Association:  don't go there!  MSTA Director of Development and Public Relations Todd Fuller is quoted in an article in the Washington Post about the matter.  (You may have to register in order to view the piece.)  I was able to access it without registering by linking through this blog.

     So what's the verdict?  Should social networking be off limits to educators?

A Drop for Your Bucket

      Recently, I received a "drop for my bucket" from a colleague.  Like me, he serves MSTA as a field service coordinator and hears many teacher stories.  A school in his area uses drops to foster positive relationships among staff members.  Of course, receiving a drop prompted me to read more about the idea's origins:  "How Full is Your Bucket?  Positive Strategies for Work and Life."  It reminds me of the random acts of kindness craze several years ago, so I am sure this will catch fire and then burn out.  But I am all for the ride!  If folks can be more than civil to one another, even for a short period of time. . . more power to the people!

Rewrite the History Books?

     Stanford University debuted an audio recording that predates what was known as the first by 17 years.  If not a fraud, this is big news and could replace Thomas Edison's references in history books.  Read more here.

     By the way. . . where has this recording been for the past 100 or more years?  I understand not having the appropriate technology to play back the audio.  But I've never heard of the existence of the "phonautograph."  Have I been under a rock?

     Interesting stuff nonetheless!

3rd Graders Plot Against Teacher

     You just have to watch the video for this story!

Photo Animation and Computer Puppetry

     I hate to admit it, but I spent multiple hours yesterday test driving CrazyTalk5 software.  It rocks!  This product from REALLUSION allows you to animate photos/clip art (any image really) with relative ease.  The "getting started" instructions and embedded tutorials permitted me to animate a picture of myself in about 20 minutes.  I've not yet finessed the process, but I could see someone with attention to detail and a lot of time (i.e. kids) generating some really impressive work.

     The educator in me sees students using this software to bring story characters to life - especially characters they've developed through writing exercises.  I just wish I knew more about movie-making software, how to export these characters into other programs, etc.  I've got a LOT to learn.

     I give this software two thumbs up.  So does my dog, Ziggy.  I animated a digital picture of her, and her little ears perked up when I sat her in front of the computer to view it.  Much fun!

Just a note during MAP testing. . .

     Think you have it rough during MAP testing?  Science teachers in a Texas middle school were threatened with their lives if scores did not meet the expectations of their principal.  After he vowed to kill them, the principal said, "You don't know how ruthless I can be."

     I never felt this kind of pressure or stress when I was in the classroom, but I imagine it is getting worse every year. . .