23 Things Wrap-up. . .

This exercise has been one of the most substantive staff development projects I have been involved in while a teacher in the St. Paul Public Schools. . .I have been inundated with a variety of tools that I can continue to use in the coming days. . .It will take me a long time to absorb all of this information, but already with my blog, google.docs, son of citation, the assignment calculator, my life as a teacher has improved mightily. . .Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. . .drfaust

Thing 7: Get to Know the Research Project Calculator

The Research Project Calculator (RPC). . .For me I like the University of Minnesota Assignment Calculator. . .I have been introducing it to my students who are working on a Minnesota History project. . .I love the way it sets out the various steps of the project one by one in a narrative fashion. . .Students like the structure, when beginning. . .Once they master this tool, they can modify it any way that fits their style better. . .I t must be noted that this project calculator is designed for writing assignments which as a history teacher is another reason, I prefer to use it. . Clearly, the discipline and and structure involved in using this tool can be applied to a variety of projects, and can be modified, thusly. . .I will have a wrapup on my student's work with the U of M Assignment Caluclator in a later blog after they finish their project on June 4th. . .drfaust

Thing 4: Get to Know Your Public Library, Part II

Next task: check out the "MELSA" site (melsa.org). . .MELSA is the "Metropolitan Library Service Agency". . .MELSA was established in 1969 and serves as one of the twelve regional public library systems in Minnesota. . .The mission of MELSA is to "share resources and ideas, foster literacy, promote public library use, (and) prepare for the future.". . .The website provides loads of information about MELSA: 1. the address for the offices of MELSA in St. Paul (and a map); 2. the six staff members and how to contact them; 3. the Board of Trustees (one trustee from each of these seven metro counties--Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington, and one trustee representing the St. Paul public library); 4. the eight member Advisory Board (representing the same constituencies as the Board of Trustees). . .Any card-carrying member of one of MELSA's participating members can uses any of the resources of any of the participating libraries. . .MELSA is a classic example of what can happen when residents of neighboring municipalities shelve their parochial biases and work together to provide better service for our metropolitan area. . .One of my favorite parts of the MELSA website is the section for databases for public uses. . .My favorite databases are the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press archives, and the Newsbank Infoweb. . .drfaust

Thing 4: Get to Know Your Public Library, Part I

Public libraries are one of our most important public institutions, and have been from the days of ancient Alexandria to today's Library of Congress. . .I have fond memories from my earliest years of using the public library to sate my appetite for knowledge, information, and magic. . .The public library never lets me down--when it's open. . .Funding for our libraries continues to be a thorn in the side of all of us who call ourselves profesdional educators. . .As professionals and citizens we must demand that libraries operate year round with hours from the mornings to the evenings. . .The online services now available through libraries should not be viewed as a substitute for keeping the libraries open. . .We should not be shuttering libraries, but we should be building better and bigger libraries. . .Andrew Carnegie pledged his fortune to the construction of public libraries a century ago. . .Where are the Carnegies of the 21st century--both in the public and private sector. . .But in an era when school districts will not give more then lip service to the need for certified librarians in every school building, who can expect anything more than what we are getting: lots of talk, little action, and even less money. . .(I bet Baghdad's Green Zone has a world class library). . .For something to change, we as educators can no longer sit on the sidelines and allow the bureaucrats and political hacks to make policy about subjects of which they are hopelessly ignorant. . .We need to be the policymakers. . We know the problems. . .We know the solutions. . .Either we hang together or we hang separately. . .drfaust

Oops, the last post should be Thing 31. . .

My mistake. . .drfaust

Thing 23: Bibliographic Tools

One of my favorite discoveries this year is a citation machine called "Son of Citation." . . .I have used it successfully in my graduate classes at Hamline and have showed my students the wonders of "Son of Citation". . .This tool, or another like it, is essential in a day when someone like me teaches at a school that demands MLA citation form from its students, attends a graduate school that demands APA citation form from its students, and as a licensed attorney uses a completely different citation form for legal briefs. . .The best thing about "Son of Citation" is hearing an audible sigh when someone uses it successfully for the first time--an almost ecstatic sound. . .By the way, in a year when a thoroughbred is threatening to become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978, one should always remember that Citation captured the Triple Crown in 1948. . .Trivia question: this year's Triple Crown contender is Big Brown. . .What is the derivation of his name?. . .drfaust. . .p.s. the answer to the trivia question: Big Brown refers to the corporate delivery titan--the United Parcel Service. . .

Thing 29: Online Learning

As an AP History teacher, I search high and low for online resources to help my students prepare for their big test in May. . .This year's test was May 9th, and one online site I checked out is "4tests: Your free, online, practice test site!". . .Here is what I think of "4test". . ."4test" was a disappointing site which provided one 29 question multiple choice practice test and included popup ads for all sorts of products (e.g. Netflix) and ads for prep materials like Cliff's Notes. . .Not recommended. . .Nest, I tried "DEN", the Digital Education Network located at "actden.com". . .The site contained online software tutorials for PowerPoint 2003, Front Page 2000, Internet Explore 5, etc. . .and online courses: TestDEN, WritingDEN. SkillsDEN, etc. . .I tried the SkillsDEN online course which was produced by Microsoft Skills 2000 and was subtitled "The Museum of Modern Technology" with virtual host, Ada Omega. . .It is a Microsoft site with the idea of promoting Microsoft products. . .The "online course" is an outdated course which would have been directed at middle or elementary school level students. . .Not recommended. . .Online learning, of course, seems to be the future of education. . .More and more students are learning online, and more educators are teaching online. . .I had an experience in two classes at Hamline during the spring term. . .The blogging was fun, and it was great that in one of the courses, most of the required reading material was available online--thus, easily accessible at anytime. . .The thing I don't like about online learning is when it serves as an excuse for teachers and students not to meet face to face. . .The absence of "in the flesh" interaction was a negative when my two courses substituted online sessions for four classes. . .In fairness to the instructors, they did not care for it either. . .However, it appears to be an inevitable juggernaut. . .Soon, why would an institution concern itself with where their instructors lived since they could merely offer the class online. . .Now, there are obvious situations where the online revolution is an absolute plus: disabled and homebound students, geographically-isolated students (e.g. Antarctica), and courses not offered at the student's institution. . .But, we should move carefully when considering online courses. . .They are not a panacea. . .drfaust

Thing 28: Photos and Images

As I have mentioned in past posts, I need to learn how to post photos and images on my website and blog. . .I guess I will have that as a summer project (btw, I plan to continue this blog). . .As a result, I checked out "flickr.com". . .As a webaphile I have encountered flickr images on a regular basis, but I did not know anything about the site. . .I took the tour. . .One of the concerns with using any "social" web-based network (e.g. MySpace, Flickr) is privacy, of course. . .It appears Flickr takes adequate steps to protect the privacy of users, and I have not heard of any horror stories involving Flickr. . .Flickr looks like a site which may be something I would consider participating in once I get the hang of photos and the web. . .drfaust

Thing 26: Digital Image Collections

Besides the University of Chicago, I searched for digital images at the University of Minnesota. . .At "digital.lib.umn.edu", I found the University of Minnesota Libraries Digital Collections. . .I found an interesting collection of World War I and World War II posters and postcards, "A Summons to Comradeship". . .When searching for materials from the African campaign of World War II, I found a great poster with a photograph of an Ethiopian soldier blowing a bugle with the slogan: "This man is your friend. He fights for freedom.". . .Few people know of Ethiopia's valiant fight against the invasion of Italian fascists prior to World War II and their resistance during the subsequent Italian occupation. . .Next, as a descendant of Norwegian immigrants, on the weekend of the annual celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day (May 17th), I checked out the collection for images dealing with the conquest and occupation of Norway by the Nazis during World War II. . .To no surprise, the collection had several outstanding examples of wartime posters and postcards depicting the plight of occupied Norway. . .One poster was for aid and bore the slogan: "Norway suffers! Norway Aid. Norwegian Relief, Inc.". . .Another titled "Norway Fights!" included photographs of the Norwegian army, navy, and air force (this poster was also created for Norwegian Relief, Inc.. . .Highly recommended. . .drfaust

Thing 25: Digital Map Collections

Digital Map Collections seem to be ubiquitous on the web. . .I checked out a few sites. . ."The American Memory" collection hosted by the Library of Congress is an excellent digital map repository for history teachers like me. . ."Railroad Maps: 1828-1900 is one of 11 collections at the website. . .I clicked on a 1866 railroad map of Alabama, which I would use to show how the lack of railroads hamstrung economic development in the post-Civil War south. . .Then I clicked on a map of railroads in Michigan at virtually the same time (1867)--the Jackson, Lansing, and Saginaw Railroad. . .The map showed the extensive network of railroads in the post-Civil War midwest, which stimulated economic development. . .This digital map collection can be utilized to make an essential point in U.S. economic history. . .I found another digital map collection at a truly outstanding repository of digital information: "The University of Chicago Library--Digiatal Activities and Collections". . .At this site, I discovered a great collection of digital data on the Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820 which included a collection of digital maps. This data was linked from "The American Memory Project of the Library of Congress. . .A plethora of information, with some amazing maps from the Revolutionary era. . .Highly recommended. . .Also, I took a sidetrack and went to the University of Chicago's "Archival Photofiles". . .As a fan of college football history, I searched for images of the legendary University of Chicago Maroons--a founding member of the Big Ten Conference, who deemphasized college football in 1939. . .Very few modern football fans know that the University of Chicago won or shared 7 Big Ten championships. . .Well, I was delighted to find a gameday photograph of their homefield, Stagg Field, in 1924--the last year the Maroons ruled the Big Ten. . .BTW, the first atomic chain reaction occurred under the grandstand of Stagg Field where much of the primary research of the Manhattan Project occurred as supervised by the Nobelist, Enrico Fermi. . .drfaust

Thing 21: YouTube and more

I had used YouTube regularly until our use was discontinued by the District after spring break. . .I have commented on my YouTube in earlier posts. . .As for Teacher Tube, I checked out the channel: The American Institute for History Education. . .My first Teacher Tube video was "The Transcontinental Railroad" . . .The production values are predictably low, but the history is topflight. . .Unfortunately, the narrator is very amateurish, which serves to detract from the video. . .Adequate for the task. . .Next, I tried out "The Global Economy". . .Even though the "Global Economy" concentrates on post-World War II events, like the Transcontinental Railroad video, it relies entirely on still photographs, and once again is hamstrung by the same boring narrator. . .However, like the previous video, the historical information is excellent. . .Next, I clicked on the video: "A Fair(y) Use Tale" produced in collaboration with the Stanford University Law School to show "Fair Use Law''--an outstanding video and is much more interesting than my PowerPoint presentation on the same issue. . .Highly recommended. . .Teacher Tube is a new and growing phenomenon which hopefully will prosper while YouTube continues to be blacklisted from most classrooms across the United States. . .At "Yahoo! for Teachers", I read an interview with Dale Basler, a science teacher at Appleton East High School (WI) who is President of the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers. . .Mr. Basler talked enthusiastically about his use of "RSS feeds" and "podcasts" in his work. . .Linked to his interview is a great video entitled "RSS in Plain English" taken from the website "commoncraft.com". . .Essentially, it is a tutorial for constructing an RSS using "Google Reader". . .Highly recommended. . .Finally, Basler puts in a plug for "STEM". . .drfaust

Thing 16:MnLINK

Checking on MnLINK, I took several of the tutorials and then embarked on what, for me, tends to be very frustrating--a jpurney using old search functions. . .I tried an "advanced search" for a decades old novel co-authored by Larry McMurtry about the legendary Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd. . .After many missteps, I finally arrived at my destination. . .The novel "Pretty Boy Floyd" is co-authored by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, and was published by Simon And Schuster in 1994, ISBN 0671891650. . .It is available at several MnLINK libraries. . .After viewing the successful result, I decided to try my search again. . .Previously, I was unaware that the name "Pretty Boy Floyd" could be used in the subject lines as "Pretty and "Boy" and "Floyd". . .When I tried that I found what I was looking for immediately. . .MnLINK is a great resource, once you figure out how the search function works. . .Btw, I highly recommend this novel. . .MnLINK is an excellent way for all readers to increase the material available to them, especially if you live in a large metropolitan area. . .drfaust

Thing 14: Reliable Online Resources

"Reliable Internet Resources"--a buzzphrase in today's academic circles (Is buzzphrase a "word"?--I better do a search!). . .The Constitution's First Amendment provides freedom of speech, explicitly, and freedom of expression, implicitly--but it does not restrict speech and expression to accuracy and reliability. . .Thus, people who post on the web do not have to provide information that is accurate and reliable. . .However, in contemporary academia, which is a reflection of enlightenment values, those two aforementioned concepts are the holy grail for researchers. . .The internet in 2008 is a cornucopia of information and misinformation, and educators and students must be careful to be able to glean the former from the latter in their search for that eternally elusive quarry--the truth. . .With in mind, I checked out "Librarians Internet Index: Websites You Can Trust". . .Under the topic, "Ready Reference and Quick Facts", I investigated the subtopic "statistics". . ."Statistics" should be the ultimate test for the reliability of a website. . .I found a site entitled "School Data Direct" which is "a place for educators, researchers, and policymakers to access information about public schools.". . .Under "Find State Information", I clicked "Minnesota". . .Immediately I was taken to a "State Overview" webpage which provided a link to the State Department of Education; a summary called "Minnesota Public Schools and Districts: Education Facts" with number of students (circa 2006), number of schools (circa 2006), number of school districts (circa 2006, and spending per pupil (circa 2005); graphs on stduent performance on mandated standardized tests (circa 2007), college entrance exams (circa 2005), estimated graduation rates (circa 2004), and more. . .The information appeared accurate, yet a little old, and did provide links to the site where the information was gathered. . .School Data Direct is a service of Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). . .CCSSO is a educational lobby located in Washington, D.C. which has been in business since 1927 in various forms. . .As an advocacy group for school administrators, etc., its stats should be viewed as data directed towards a specific goal of forwarding the goals of the organization. . .Does that mean they are not reliable or accurate? No, but they must viewed through the prism of legislative advocacy. . .Other sites involving statistics were corporate (boeing.com), government (census.gov), mainstream media (cnn.com), government/academic (usda.mannlib.cornell.edu). . .Overall, I would recommend, with qualification, this site as a fount of reliability. . .Next, I checked out the "Internet Public Library" (IPL) which started out as a class at the University of Michigan's School of Information. . .The IPL is now operated by a consortium of colleges and universities. . .The mangaing partners are the University of Michigan, Florida State Information, and Drexel (PA) University. . .At IPL I checked out the "Teen Space" page, which includes the following topics: Homework Help, A+ Writing, Graphic Novels Guide, Poetry Wiki, FAEQs, and Procrastinator. . .Clearly, I needed to check out "Proscrastinator". . .As that webpage I found a "Movies" section which featured "Internet Movie Database", "Rotten Tomatoes", "Cinescape". and "Film Wise"--all reliuable and accurate movie web sites. . .Their movies link sections included more resources--all excellent including the American Film Institute, the Library of Congress' National Film Registry, and more. . .The IPL's Teen Space is highly recommended along with the rest of the IPL. . .Also, I checked out the "Open Directory Project" (ODP) and its website "dmoz.org". . .Under the section "Kids and Teens" I clicked on the subsection entitle "School Time" and conducted a search for "AP U.S. History". . .I had 28 results. . The results were disappointing in that the search did not find the "College Board" website. . .However, it was a total loss and there were some AP prep results. . .Under the "Movies" subsection of the "Arts" section, I had no luck when searching for "War, Inc.". . ."DMOZ" is not recommended. . .That's all for now--drfaust. . .

Thing 12: Other Search Engines

Here are the results of checking out some "other search engines". . .I searched for information concerning the new satire on privatized war titled "War, Inc.". . ."War, Inc." is a film starring Joun Cusack, Hillary Duff, Marisa Tomei, Ben Kingsley, Dan Ackroyd et al, produced by Cusack and directed by Joshua Seftel (a documentarian making his feature film directorial debut), that satirizes a future conflict in the fictional Turaqistan, where all the fighting is done by private corporations. . .Enough of the plot summary--My first experiment was using the visual search engine "kart00". . .This engine utilizes Flash and features a genie that provides you with a lot of results for the search. . .Unfortunately, as nice as it looks, it was not something I would recommend to anyone else, as it has way too many flaws, and is definitely not friendly for the casual user. . .One would need a seminar to use "kart00". . .My next attempt, "Qunitura" led to a "Not Found--Error 404" page. . .When I tried to search "War, Inc." on "Music Plasma" (it does have a movie option), I received a lot of information about a 2001 movie called "Monsters, Inc."--a movie which has no connection of any type to my search. . .A total bust. . .Next, I tried "Dog Pile". . .Success!. . .A Meta Search engine, Dog Pile presented a comprehensive list of results--the first result was the official site for the movie, followed by International Movie Database (imdb.com) which is the #1 movie site on the web--Dog Pile is highly recommended. . .As for the other Meta Search engine--"Clusty"--the results were adequate, but not as successful as "Dog Pile". . .Too many results not pertaining to the movie, were "clustered" (lol) in with the movie results. . .In summary, avoid visual search engines, and check out "dogpile.com"--an outstanding Meta Search engine. . .drfaust

Thing 17: Fair Use

This past year I was enrolled in a class at Hamline University called "Education Law'. . .The instructor was Thomas Coughlin, a long-time administrator for the Lakeville Public School. . .For a group presentation and a written term paper, I investigated the law surrounding the "fair use" exception to the use of copyrighted materials as it relates to educators. . .Among other things, I discovered many public educational institutions that publish very helpful guides to "fair use" and education. For example, the University of Minnesota Libraries publishes on their website their "General Principles of Fair Use in Education" as a guiding policy for the University Libraries. Their simple, but effective, policy statement serves as a model for any school or school district seeking a written policy for this important area. . .Also, several institutions supplement their policy statement with a "fair use checklist" for staff and students to utilize when conducting an examination to determine if a particular use of copyrighted material is fair, and thus exempt from copyright law limitations. For example, the Copyright Management Center at Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis (more typically known by the acronym "IUPUI") has produced a simple and user-friendly checklist for staff and students. . .I believe every school should have a similar checklist available to all staff and students to prevent possible legal challenges to the use of copyrighted material. . .I have spoken with my building principal about making a staff development presentation concerning "fair use" next August priot to the beginning of classes. . .If anyone would like a copy of my PowerPoint presentation and/or paper concerning "fair use" feel free to contact me and I will be happy to forward the materail to you. . .drfaust