ASCD EDUCATION BULLETIN January 28, 2000
The biweekly, online newsletter of the Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development
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GREETINGS, READERS!
Hope those of you on the east coast enjoyed this week's unexpected snow days
safely. Here at ASCD, we managed to tunnel out of the ice in time to bring
you a
Bulletin that includes several opportunities to earn grant money for your
school. Now that it's safe to venture outside again, get those applications
to
the post office!
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Stories in this issue:
* NEH PROMOTES PRESERVATION OF HISTORY WITH WEB SITE AND GUIDE
* GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIP FOR EDUCATORS WHO TEACH TOLERANCE
* MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS ELIGIBLE FOR PRESIDENTIAL HONOR
* INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION RELEASES STANDARDS
* ASCD ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
* ASCD PRODUCT FOCUS: THE CURRICULUM HANDBOOK
* WEB WONDERS: COMMUNITY OUTREACH
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NEH PROMOTES PRESERVATION OF HISTORY WITH WEB SITE AND GUIDE
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has initiated "My History is
America's History," a program that encourages people to discover, preserve,
and
share their family histories. NEH has created a web site and guidebook as
part
of the project, which emphasizes that the stories of every American family
coalesce to make up the history of the United States.
The web site, www.myhistory.org , has lesson plans and classroom resources
that
teachers can use for students at all grade levels. Potential projects
include
interviewing family members who have witnessed landmark historical events,
and
creating world maps charting a family's travels over time. The web site also
invites families to post stories and photos to an online archive, create
family
trees, and use links to other resources on the Internet.
The "My History" guidebook features stories from Americans who can connect
their
family histories to national events; guidelines for conducting oral
histories
and preserving family treasures; and state and national resources.
Guidebooks
can be downloaded from the "My History" web site or requested from NEH by
calling 1-877-634-4478 ($3.75 shipping and handling).
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GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIP FOR EDUCATORS WHO TEACH TOLERANCE
The Teaching Tolerance project of the Southern Poverty Law Center is
granting up
to $2,000 for K-12 teachers who implement tolerance projects in their
schools
and communities. Teaching Tolerance is looking for small-scale,
student-focused,
ongoing projects that promise the most direct and immediate impact.
The Center also offers the Teaching Tolerance Research Fellowship, a
one-year
program based in Montgomery, Alabama. The fellow will provide writing and
research support for the magazine "Teaching Tolerance," including developing
story ideas, reviewing educational resources for the "Teaching Tools"
section,
writing, and proofreading. This position offers a salary and full benefits,
and
classroom teachers are especially encouraged to apply.
The nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center combats hate, intolerance, and
discrimination through education and litigation. The Center began the
Teaching
Tolerance project in 1991 in response to an increase in hate crime among
youth.
The application deadline for the grants is open; the deadline for the
fellowship
is March 1, 2000.
For more specific guidelines visit the Southern Poverty Law Center web site
at
www.splcenter.org .
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MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS ELIGIBLE FOR PRESIDENTIAL HONOR
Applications are now being accepted for the Presidential Awards for
Excellence
in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program. Administered by the
National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House, the awards are the
nation's highest honor for math and science teachers of grades kindergarten
through 12.
There are four awards groups: elementary mathematics, elementary science,
secondary mathematics, and secondary science. Full-time teachers with at
least
five years K-12 teaching experience in science or mathematics who teach in a
public or private school and who anticipate a classroom teaching assignment
(or
are on approved leave) for the next year are eligible.
A total of 216 national awardees will receive a $7,500 grant for their
school
and a trip to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony, a reception at The
White
House, and a presidential citation.
The application deadline is February 14, 2000.
For more information about the PAEMST program, call the National Science
Foundation (703-306-0422) or visit www.nsf.gov/pa .
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INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION RELEASES STANDARDS
"Our educational system must produce technology-capable kids," states a new
publication from the International Society for Technology in Education.
Published in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, "National
Educational Technology Standards for Students: Connecting Curriculum and
Technology," provides extensive guidance on technology integration for K-12
teachers in every content area.
With learning activities organized by grade levels, subject areas, and
multidisciplinary themes, "Connecting Curriculum and Technology" presents
technology foundation standards for all students. Generously illustrated
with
charts and tables, each activity outline includes performance indicators,
references to national content standards, tools and resources, stories and
advice from the writers, a summary of what the activity will accomplish, and
descriptions of what students will do. "Curriculum Examples and Scenarios"
help
teachers clarify their aims.
Most major education associations, including ASCD, collaborated with the
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) in the development
of
this document. Consisting of 375 spiral-bound pages, "Connecting Curriculum
and
Technology" is not available on the Web, but can be ordered from ISTE for
$29.95, ($26.95 ISTE member price). For more information or to place an
order,
phone ISTE at 800-336-5191 in the U.S and Canada; 541-302-3777 for
international
calls.
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ASCD ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
It's time to dust off the cameras and get ready for this year's ASCD Photo
Contest. There are two categories this year: one for color slides and
prints,
and one for black-and-white prints. The prize for 1st place is $500; for 2nd
place, $250; and for 3rd place, $100.
We invite you - and your students - to send us your pictures of school life.
The
contest rules can be found on ASCD's Web site at ( www.ascd.org ). The
deadline
for entries is May 1, 2000.
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ASCD PRODUCT FOCUS: THE CURRICULUM HANDBOOK
Are you a curriculum administrator or otherwise involved in curriculum
renewal?
If so, you may be interested in the ASCD Curriculum Handbook. This
comprehensive
subscription product is continually revised and updated, so it never becomes
obsolete.
The ASCD Curriculum Handbook includes two large binders filled with 12
book-length chapters on the major subject areas and on curriculum renewal.
Each
chapter is written by an expert in the field and includes a thorough
discussion
of major trends, questions and answers, and abundant research and resources.
During the course of the year, subscribers receive 4 updated chapters and 4
issues of the Curriculum/ Technology Quarterly newsletter.
The cost of a subscription is $375 for ASCD members and $450 for nonmembers.
For
a more detailed look at the ASCD Curriculum Handbook, visit the Curriculum
Handbook Web site ( http://www.ascd.org/handbook/ ).
ASCD has an abundance of print and multimedia resources available for
purchase,
which you can browse at our online store ( http://www.ascd.org ).
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WEB WONDERS: COMMUNITY OUTREACH--compiled by Carolyn Pool
As a cofacilitator of ASCD's Community Outreach Team in Alexandria, Va., I
got
to wondering how the Web might help us and others who focus on meeting needs
of
those in our communities. This was brought home to me the other night when I
observed a homeless woman outside a nearby grocery store, sitting on the
sidewalk beside a grocery cart loaded not with food but with what looked
like
rags. Where was the nearest homeless shelter? I didn't know. Who should I
call?
I didn't know. What should I do? I did not know. I have taken homeless
people
into my home before, but usually under a more structured arrangement. I
called
the police, who treated me like a crazy person for even mentioning I had
seen a
homeless person. Why was I calling, anyway? Was she bothering me? I testily
said
I thought someone should check on her. I don't know if they did or not. So
later
I thought, maybe someone has put information on the Web for situations just
like
this. I'll look.
OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL)
http://www.cool2serve.org/index2.htm
"Cool Tools" on this site is an interactive search tool that helps you find
agencies and programs based on the issue and the type of activity you're
most
interested in. For example, search for "elderly" coupled with "advocacy" as
keywords. You can also enter your own agency or program into the database.
COOL
is a 15-year-old nonprofit organization that helps "students and communities
in
developing student-run, inclusive, high quality service programs."
Community Outreach Program
http://www.willamette.edu/org/cop/
Many colleges and universities have developed community outreach programs as
a
way of being good neighbors. This one, from Willamette University in Salem,
OR,
sponsors a Service Learning Resource Center, keeps a list of volunteering
opportunities (such as serving food at local homeless shelters), and
describes
current projects. One of these is Best Buddies, "a nationwide program
designed
to promote a positive relationship and understanding between college
students
and developmentally disabled people."
KSC Community Outreach
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/external/outreach/
FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
competitions are held for high school students in Cape Canaveral, FL, by the
John F. Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Community Outreach Program. An
intensive
mentoring program among local high schoolers and engineers and scientists
from
the space program resulted in robots.
HIV/AIDS Information Outreach Project
http://www.aidsnyc.org/
The New York Academy of Medicine Project has a comprehensive list of
community-based resources. Many of them also have Web sites, such as The
Family
Center, which "seeks to create a secure future for children whose parents
have a
life-threatening illness."
Hands-On Atlanta
http://HandsOnAtlanta.com/home/
Now here's the ticket! Read to a child, build a house, volunteer in a
homeless
shelter, be a tutor in an elementary school, find homes for homeless
animals,
get leadership training--all these opportunities are right here on this
great
Web site. Read about the Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Summit held January
16-17, 2000; and hook up with Colin Powell's program, America's Promise. I
may
move to Atlanta!
HOMELESS PROGRAMS
Homeless Shelters and Programs: Communications for a Sustainable Future
http://csf.colorado.edu/homeless/shelters.html
This Colorado organization provides a list of homeless shelters across the
United States and several international locations, such as a Luxembourg
site:
"Stemm vun der Stross asbl" (Voice from the Street). Here, too, you may add
your
site.
Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless
http://www.cincy.com/users/gcch/
Besides having links to many resources for homeless people, Cincinnati
provides
other amazing services, such as "Street Vibes," an online, searchable
newsletter. Look for an article about Aurora, Indiana's art exhibit on
homelessness, and the "buddy gray Memorial Page."
National Coalition for the Homeless
http://nch.ari.net/
Here, put a face, a memory, a place, and a feeling to homelessness: Follow
"One
Family's Path to Homelessness," from being laid off to eviction, through the
welfare maze, to being in a shelter and then finding work and hope again,
from
1995 to 1998. This site also provides directories of resources for homeless
people as well as volunteers. Some directories are searchable by state (with
the
caution that not all services have Web sites, and not all have requested the
Coalition to list them). For example, on the NCH Online Directory of Local
Homeless Service Organizations, a search of Virginia found a couple of neat
sites, AfterShare Kids and STANDUP FOR KIDS--but did not find some other
shelters in Virginia, such as the Carpenter's Shelter.
The Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.
http://www.aachhomeless.org/
More Virginia programs! Here, read some moving success stories, including an
account of how the "Adopt-a-Family" and "Habitat for Humanity" programs
helped
one mother find her way out of welfare and into a real home. Also, find out
about volunteering opportunities such as "Homework Help" and potluck
dinners.
FOOD AND SHELTER
Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (United Way)
http://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efspnew/Pages/LROS.cfm
Here's a handy list of food banks and shelters in many different areas of
the
United States. Use your browser to search for your area.
Community Outreach for Animals
http://www.sandiegoinsider.com/community/groups/cofa/
After all, animals are people, too! This nonprofit organization in San
Diego,
CA, has plans for a mobile spay and neuter clinic--with the aim of reducing
the
number of homeless cats and dogs and other animals in the area. Commendable!
Innovative! Wins the Web Wonders award for the cute little robotic dogs on
the
site!
Hmmm, should I move to Atlanta or San Diego? Or Cincinnati? Or New York? How
about Luxembourg? Or Cape Canaveral? Or stay in Alexandria? So many
opportunities, so many wonderful people and programs.
Carolyn Pool (cpool@ascd.org) is an associate editor in the Program
Development
Work Group at ASCD.
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ABOUT ASCD
ASCD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education association located in
Alexandria,
Va. We are an international organization, although the large majority of our
members are in North America. We have approximately 150,000 members, most of
whom are K-12 educators. Our members include principals, teachers,
administrators, curriculum specialists, superintendents, professors, and
students.
Benefits of ASCD membership include our magazine, *Educational Leadership,*
and
two newsletters, *Education Update* and *Curriculum Update.* ASCD also
produces
books, video and audio tapes, and other publications on education topics.
Visit
our online store at http://www.ascd.org/catalog/catalog.html . Subscribe to
*ASCDe-Specials* ( http://www.ascd.org/esubscribe.html ) for monthly e-mail
updates and specials on ASCD products. We also provide professional
development
training. Each year we hold a huge Annual Conference. For information on
joining
ASCD, visit http://www.ascd.org or send e-mail to member@ascd.org .
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ABOUT *ASCD EDUCATION BULLETIN*
This online newsletter includes short items of interest to people who care
about
K-12 education (including early childhood). We cover topics of continuing
concern to ASCD, including curriculum, instruction, assessment, technology,
equity, diversity, and maintaining strong support for public schools.
Previous
issues can be viewed and searched at http://www.ascd.org by clicking on
"Publications & Multimedia" at the main menu. This publication presents a
variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in this publication are not
necessarily official positions of ASCD.
Copyright 2000 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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