RHL BLOG
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December 21, 2005
Web Authoring Program
I've started transitioning to this program, NView, and like it so far. The price is right too. It's free!..............................................................................
December 7, 2005
A Note From Sami
I received a message from Sami Jan, Sami’s Pad (see my 12/6 post). He pointed out that he was upset with how officials in Pakistan had acted ("callous") regarding the publication of the now infamous poem, The Leader. He was not upset with the US government for funding the programs. You can read his follow-up post at http://samij.blogspot.com/2005/12/follow-up-on-mess-up. html.
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December 6, 2005
On Hidden Words
I discovered a really good personal blog the other day. It’s called Sami’s Pad, and it’s written by a gentleman in Pakistan. I won’t try to be a blog reviewer; just trust me that it’s worth a visit. The blogger, Sami Jan, tries to avoid politics, but an international political controversy got his attention and his ire. It moved him to write a heartfelt post on December 2, entitled “Shameful.”
This is where rhlschool.com comes in. An educational textbook for sixteen year olds in Pakistan included a poem that was taken from a reading comprehension worksheet called “The Leader” at http://rhlschool.com/read8n2.htm. I wrote this poem in early 2003, inspired by the manner in which President George W. Bush handled the domestic and international political wrangling leading to the invasion of Iraq. It describes the qualities of a great leader. The poem doesn’t directly mention a name, but if you read the first letter of each line vertically, it spells, President George W Bush.” I guess I thought I was being clever by using that acrostic technique. I did pretty much give away the secret in the answer key to the page. I also encouraged teachers to invite discussion and respect dissent.
I don’t recall ever authorizing the Education Ministry of Pakistan to use the poem, though I cannot totally rule out some e-mail exchange allowing it. The book gave no reference to the source, so it’s very likely that the inclusion was unauthorized. Whoever decided to use it may have received it in an e-mail or in some fashion where the source was already omitted. But as Sami Jan points out in a follow-up post, “[A] simple google search for one verse of the poem would have clarified the source.”
As Mr. Jan explained to me in an e-mail, many people in Pakistan were angry when they found the poem in their kids’ curriculum. He politely reminded me that they are a sovereign nation. The textbooks are published with American financial support. I see how it looks like a sneaky way of promoting America’s leadership. I guess I’m somewhat biased. I don’t think that our government had any inappropriate intent or direct involvement. I think it’s even possible that the Pakistani officials who allowed the poem’s publication never noticed the hidden spelling. Regardless, I have since added a prominent notice on the worksheet that links to a direct statement that President Bush’s name is in the poem.
Let’s hope that this little row leaves no lasting damage to relations between the great nations of Pakistan and the United States.
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November 15, 2005
Supreme Court Rules in Special Ed Case
The US Supreme Court has just handed down an important decision regarding disputes between parents and schools over IEPs for kids with special needs. From the Washington Post:
In Special-Ed Case, Court Backs Montgomery Schools
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November 13, 2005
An LD Cure?
This looks important! I found this in Science Daily.
In a surprise twist that recalls the film classic "Flowers for Algernon," but adds a happy ending, UCLA scientists have discovered that statins, a popular class of cholesterol drugs, overcome the mutation linked to the leading genetic cause of learning disabilities. The Nov. 8 issue of Current Biology reports the findings, which were studied in mice bred to develop the disease, called neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). Read article.
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June 11, 2005
Your News Pages
Here’s how to have a constantly updated news page on just about any topic you desire. Go to topix.net/dir, find the general area or specific topic, click, and there you are. For example, your could pick “Health” or a specific disease. Bookmark your chosen news pages, and that’s it!
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June 2, 2005
News for Kids
"Kidsnewsroom.org provides students, parents and educators a safe, interactive and educational internet learning environment."
This is the mission statement of kidsnewsroom.org. I typed "kid's news" into Google, and this was the top entry. It's a gem; check it out!
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May 31, 2005
Kid's Online Dictionary
Here's a nice free reference site for students:
Word Central at http://www.wordcentral.com/
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January 25, 2005
3D Treat
I just visited the site for Aliens of the Deep, a new 3D IMAX film by James Cameron. Because of the format, there are a very linmited number of theaters that will show this spectacular film about the strange and wonderful creatures that inhabit the oceans’ depths. There’s a list of theaters; if you’re lucky enough to live near one, I bet you’ll want to take your kids! The site includes a PDF (Adobe Reader) Educator's Guide that is worth printing out.
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January 18, 2005
What’s Happening
Have you noticed that we have access to online versions of practically every newspaper and most top magazines over the Web? And almost all are free! Some of those sources are listed at Newsworthy.
Perhaps you’d like to start the morning off with something of interest, such as breaking news or a cutting edge scientific development, to discuss with your students. One indispensable site is the Drudge Report. Sometimes Matt Drudge provides his own scoops (usually previews of articles about to break at other sites). The site constantly provides headlines that link to breaking news all over the world. This site is definitely worth visiting at least once a day.
If you’re a political junkie like I am, stop at RealClear Politics every morning and/or evening. They list a superb up to date menu of informative and provocative articles from all over the Internet.
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January 17, 2005
To Your Health
Hopefully this will inspire someone, or a lot of someones.
From Newsweek Health at MSNBC.com, an article by Barry Ramo, M.D.
Four Rules for Living a Long Healthy Life
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802817/site/newsweek/
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January 16, 2005
The War in February
You may find this article from the Debka File to be interesting. It gives a glimpse into where the War on Terror could be heading within just a few weeks.
“US and Iraq All Set for Strike against Syria. Israel Is Braced for Hizballah Second Front”
http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=964
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January 13, 2005
The Huygens Space Probe is heading for a Friday landing on Titan, the Saturn moon obscured by its atmosphere. If all goes well, photographs and other data will be radioed back to Earth. For details, see the article at Science Daily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/05011112 0351.htm
There’s an excellent article about Titan at solarviews.com:
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/titan.htm
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January 12, 2005
What’s a Blog?
Just what is a blog anyway? The term “blog” is short for “Weblog.” It’s a journal, a diary, or any sort of ongoing, always growing, collection of writings or other means of communication. Anyone can have a blog and share his or her thoughts with the world! You can inform, entertain, and/or just sound off.
The blogs that have gotten the most attention lately are political. However, blogs can focus on any area of interest. Here are a few examples:
Blog of a Math Teacher
http://math-teacher.blogspot.com/
The Shifted Librarian
http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/
Google Blog
http://www.google.com/googleblog/
Power Line (political - conservative)
http://powerlineblog.com/
Talking Points Memo (political - liberal)
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/
Want to start your own blog but don’t have a website? No problem. There are sites that will host your blog for free. Here are two such sites:
http://www.blogger.com (by Google)
http://www.blog-city.com/bc/