MSP News: Two MSP projects share highlights
October 11, 2007
HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE1. NEW IN PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
A. "A Culture of Understanding," by Zach Urness, Big Sky Science Partnership, Lake County Leader Advertiser, August 16, 2007.
B. "MSPinNYC at Hunter College: A Model Educational Program," by Liza Young, MSP in NYC, Education Update, August 2007.
2. NEW IN LIBRARY
A. "Are Private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High Schools?," by Harold Wenglinsky, Center on Education Policy, October 2007.
B. "Encouraging Girls in Math and Science," Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Research, September 2007.
3. RESOURCES OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS
NSF Mathematics Classroom Resources
This collection of lessons and web resources is aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and students' families. Most of these resources come from the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). See more information in details section below.
DETAILS BELOW
1. NEW IN PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
A. "A Culture of Understanding," by Zach Urness, Big Sky Science Partnership, Lake County Leader Advertiser, August 16, 2007.
"The key to building positive relationships is discussion and learning, and those ideas took center stage at the Big Sky Science Partnership Culture Camp last week at the Blue Bay campground.
For three days teachers and professors from around the reservation and other areas, along with teachers from SKC, gathered with tribal educators and elders to learn about Native American culture, and to look carefully at better ways to teach students across western Montana about those issues."
MSPnet Location: PROJECT SHOWCASE>>Project Highlights
http://hub.mspnet.org/entry.cfm/14585
B. "MSPinNYC at Hunter College: A Model Educational Program," by Liza Young, MSP in NYC, Education Update, August 2007.
"With mass media exploding with news of the latest innovations in technological devices, it's refreshing to see the mentor-mentee model used with dramatic success to enable failing HS students to score high on regents exams after a summer at Hunter College..."
MSPnet Location: PROJECT SHOWCASE>>Project Highlights
http://hub.mspnet.org/entry.cfm/14581
2. NEW IN LIBRARY
A. "Are Private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High Schools?," by Harold Wenglinsky, Center on Education Policy, October 2007.
While at first this paper might not seem directly relevant to MSP readers, with its treatment of private schools, it is an instructive and eye-opening exploration of factors that contribute to or inhibit educational success -- and of the evidence of the success with which public schools are discharging their mission.
"This study, based on an analysis of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988-2000, finds that, once family background characteristics are taken into account, low-income students attending public urban high schools generally performed as well academically as students attending private high schools. The study also found that students attending traditional public high schools were as likely to attend college as those attending private high schools. In addition, the report also finds that young adults who had attended any type of private high school were no more likely to enjoy job satisfaction or to be engaged in civic activities at age 26 than those who had attended traditional public high schools."
MSPnet Location: LIBRARY>>Ed Change & Policy
http://hub.mspnet.org/entry.cfm/14599
B. "Encouraging Girls in Math and Science," Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Research, September 2007.
"This NCER Practice Guide is the second in a series of IES guides in education. Developed by a panel of experts, this guide brings together the best available evidence and expertise to provide educators with specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations on how to encourage girls in the fields of math and science. The objective is to provide teachers with specific recommendations that can be carried out in the classroom without requiring systemic change. Other school personnel having direct contact with students, such as coaches, counselors, and principals may also find the guide useful. The guide offers five recommendations and indicates the quality of the evidence that supports the recommendations. Together, the recommendations make a coherent statement: To encourage girls in math and science, educators need to strengthen girls' beliefs about their abilities in math and science, spark and maintain greater interest in these subject areas, and build associated skills."
MSPnet Location: LIBRARY>>Teaching & Learning
http://hub.mspnet.org/entry.cfm/14600
3. RESOURCES OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS
NSF Mathematics Classroom Resources
This collection of lessons and web resources is aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and students' families. Most of these resources come from the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). NSDL is the National Science Foundation's online library of resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. We highlight a few of the resources in this collection below, and we encourage you to view the entire collection online.
World of Mathematics
"The Web's most complete mathematical resource, assembled over more than a decade by Internet encyclopedist Eric W. Weisstein, with assistance from the mathematics and Internet communities."
We All Use Math Everyday
"This innovative program combines math learning with entertainment to help educators teach students that math is not only fun, but is also relevant and important to their everyday lives and sets the stage for future success in school and life."
Fresh Baked Fractions
"Fresh Baked Fraction"—part of the FunBrain.com Web site--lets kids in middle school test their fraction skills by reading and answering multiple choice fraction questions. Kids who answer 24 problems correctly can put their name on Jackson's "List of Master Pie Bakers."
MSPnet Location: RESOURCES>>Useful Websites
http://hub.mspnet.org/entry.cfm/14593