May 7, 2008
The Super Bowl of scienceBoardBuzz was excited to see this story of some high school students who really know their stuff. This team of four high school students placed first in the National Science Bowl by correctly answering six graduate-level questions.
The event, sponsored by the Department of Energy, is a "competition among teams of high school students who attend science seminars and compete in a verbal forum to solve technical problems and answer questions in all branches of science and math." Like the spelling bee, but with science questions instead.
The winning team, from Santa Monica High School in California, beat out 66 other schools.
"They did not crack under pressure," said Coach Ingo Gaida, a science teacher at the school. "I'd been telling them all year long they had the potential to do this. This was the strongest team we've ever had."The team began preparing for the bowl in September, and since January had been practicing daily in the fields of math, earth science, astronomy, biology, chemistry and geology. The level of difficulty of some questions in the final round was equivalent to graduate school, Gaida said.
The question that clinched the win: "For the Maclaurin series of the function e2x, what is the coefficient for the x4, in the simplest form?" Answer: 2/3.
"There were some close games, but I always felt like we had a good chance to win," said Dimitry Petrenko, 18, a senior who has been on the team for three years. "I feel satisfied, almost relieved like I've done my job and can graduate."
The other team members are Alexandre Boulgakov, 16, Marino Di Franco, 16, and Ian Scheffler, 17. The team won a trip to the International Youth Science Forum in London this summer, $1,000 for the school's science department and a 6-foot-high trophy.
To say that BoardBuzz is impressed would be a gross understatement! Congrats to the team. We can't wait to see what you're up to next!
Posted at 2:50 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
May 6, 2008
Get your learnin' onOctober will be here before you know it and along with that comes NSBA's T+L Conference. Registration opened today for what promises to be a conference chock full of great learning opportunities.
Held in Seattle from October 28-30, this year's conference boasts an impressive lineup, including keynote addresses from Stanford University professor and futurist Paul Saffo; education “revolutionary” Joe Caruso; and educator David Warlick.
You can read all about it on the T+L web site and in NSBA's press release.
We're also looking for leaders in education technology to be recognized as the latest group of "20 to Watch". You can learn more about it and submit an application here. Check out last year's group here.
Posted at 1:05 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
Learning curveBoardBuzz is all for continuous improvement. That's why we've signed up to attend the Ed in '08 Blogging Summit next week in Washington, D.C. The summit (which is free--so there, you CAN get something for nothing) will offer panelists and speakers and will examine "how the Internet is changing the discourse of education reform, and how those changes are affecting the 2008 presidential election." We can't wait!
Additionally, in the name of shameless self promotion, BoardBuzz is up for the Blogger's Choice Award, and since we may never be nominated for an Oscar, a Pulitzer, or a Nobel Prize, we'd love it if you'd cast your ballot for us!
What's really cool about "our competition" is that the list includes links to each of their blogs so you can check out what's going on all over the blogosphere (and you really should, too -- just remember to vote for us first).
Posted at 10:39 AM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
May 1, 2008
How's your school climate?Have you ever wondered what people are really thinking? As a principal, counselor, administrator, school board member, or teacher, a lot of faith is put into the idea that we are doing a good job and the people we work with feel the same way. But sometimes those perceptions are wrong, sometimes our perceptions aren't those of our key stakeholders, and sometimes the educators need to be educated.
NSBA's Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) recently conducted a study led by Dr. Brian Perkins (along with recommendations from the PTA) regarding school climate. What We Think, surveyed more than 10,000 urban parents in 17 different states to find out their opinions about bullying; teacher/student respect; safety; and expectations, to name a few of the topics.
NSBA and CUBE have previously examined student perspectives on school climate (Where We Learn) and teacher and administrator perspectives (Where We Teach). The third study came to some interesting conclusions, including:
~ Slightly more female parents (76.7%) indicated visiting the school to support its activities than did their male counterparts (72%). ~ Parents overwhelmingly believed that their child was capable of high performance on standardized tests (84%).~ Most parents felt respected by the teachers at their child's school (87%).
~ Parents with children in the middle grades (6-8) indicated that their children were bullied at least once per month more than parents at other grades (13%).
~ Generally, parents who used self-experience as their primary source of information about their school held more positive views about safety (76.1%), while parents who used the newspaper as their primary source of information about their school held more negative views about safety (12.5%).
Take a look for yourself. The study (as well as the first two) is available on CUBE's website and the results are sometimes surprising. Our friends at Education Daily and Public School Insights already have, and there's no disputing the fact that parents have an important insight into our schools and are crucial to their success.
Posted at 4:33 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
April 16, 2008
Join the circle of knowledge @ your libraryIt’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians, and library workers in schools, campuses, and communities nationwide—and the perfect time to rediscover your local library. Today’s libraries are modern community centers where everyone is invited to explore, dream, and learn. All that’s missing is you! Bring your curiosity, imagination, and creativity, and join the circle of knowledge @ your library.
BoardBuzz wants to remind the public about the contribution libraries make to their communities everyday. Library use is up nationwide among all types of library users, continuing a decade-long trend, and it’s easy to see why. Libraries are places where everyone can go to discover the world. People of all ages visit the library for entertainment, self-help, or to engage in their community. With free resources like books, magazines, DVDs, and computer and wifi access, libraries help people find new jobs, do better in school, tackle projects, or just relax and have fun.
What makes the library unique is access to trained professionals—librarians—to help people find and interpret the information they need. Our libraries also help keep us connected, providing a space for people of all ages, classes, and races to come together, while keeping us connected to events and people around the world. It’s where people can keep up with world events or research where to volunteer locally.
Academy-award-winning actress, Julie Andrews was named Honorary Chair of National Library Week 2008 at a press conference at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Listen as she discusses what libraries mean to her.
BoardBuzz encourages you to visit your local library this week. See what's going on, and take advantage of one our nation's most important resources! We bet your trip won't be your last! This message was brought to you by the American Library Association’s Campaign for America's Libraries and the National School Boards Association.
Posted at 3:02 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
April 8, 2008
It's elementary!BoardBuzz got wind of something really interesting across our desk yesterday . . . the National Elementary Honor Society. Our friends at both the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Elementary School Principals have set up the program to "recognize elementary students in both public and non-pubic elementary schools for their outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated personal responsibility, to provide meaningful service to the school and community, and to develop essential leadership skills in the students of elementary schools. "
Sounds good to us! What could be better than acknowledging the academic achievements of elementary school students? The NEHS Web site also tells us
Through the development of a chapter that functions with these purposes, elementary schools create a method for acknowledging achievement and focusing on the needs of the total child. In addition, NEHS provides information and resources to enhance the culture of achievement in the whole school, not merely the culture of a select few. This Web site and the resources being sent to every member school are designed to support these purposes and strengthen the lives of our nation’s elementary students and the schools in which they are enrolled.
For more information be sure to visit the site and start a chapter in your school district.
Posted at 2:21 PM | Link to this story | Comments (1)
March 3, 2008
Follow the yardstickOur good friends at the Center for Public Education have done it again. In their ongoing mission to bring the unbiased truth in public education to the world, the Center has created a new tool called Good Measures for Good Schools.
The tool, which is a practical guide to the various measures of school quality, helps you determine the right questions you should be asking about our schools.
Good measures for good schools provides the national average performance for each measure, and links you to comparable state data where you can see how your state performs. On some measures, we also link you to web pages that offer data for your district and school. By clicking on each question you should be asking, you can learn more about the usefulness and limitations of every measure and get easy-to-understand tips for how to interpret the data. When possible, the measures are linked to relevant research, analyses, and success stories on the Center site so you can find the best thinking on what to do to improve school performance.
The guide also gives you:
The right questions to ask for a full picture of the quality of your schools.
National data and easy links to state data to help you gauge the performance of your schools on 28 key measures. We also link you to district and school-level data as much as possible.
An explanation of each measure including how the data is useful and how it is limited.
Other questions to ask when the available data doesn't say enough.
The tool, which is denoted by the yellow ruler graphic, offers a great at-a-glance resource, as well as in depth information on each of the measures. But don't take BoardBuzz's word for it -- visit the Center and check it out for yourself.
Posted at 2:01 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
October 9, 2007
Fall lollBoardBuzz will be taking a fall hiatus this week to enjoy the changing of the season. Stay tuned as we will return next week with all the news fit to print.
Posted at 11:22 AM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
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