Monday Morning Briefing

"All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm
Fear not of men because men must die
Mind over matter and soul before flesh
Angels for the pain keep a record in time"
-Mos Def, "Fear Not of Man"

Today is a somber one. Rest in Peace, to Dr. Joseph Warren, a great man and mentor to many. Also, condolences to his family as well as to the family of Darryl Williams.

On Tuesday, the Boston Public Schools Department of Extended Learning Time, Afterschool and Services (DELTAS), will be hosting the 2nd Annual Bridging the Gap Conference, for a day of learning, connecting and strategizing on how to sustain the "Whole Child." The conference takes place at UMass Boston and details can be found at: http://www.mydorchester.org/node/6132.

The Get Konnected 2nd anniversary celebration goes down at the W Hotel from 6-8pm, where they will be honoring several individuals who are Massachusetts' Firsts.

Tuesday night, Verve Lounge at Rudi's is home to Afrodeasia Idol.

On Thursday, Get a sense of Roxbury's history before European contact at Haley House's In A Time Before the Present, from 7:30pm - 9:00pm. Ellen Berkland, Boston City Archaeologist, will explain Roxbury’s unique geology and geography, and discuss archeological findings by native people and early European inhabitants. Additionally, Gill Solomon, Sachem of the Massachuseuk people, will share the history of the native people and their world in Roxbury. Free & open to the public. Limited seating is on a first come, first served basis. Dinner is available for purchase at Haley House Bakery Cafe.

The Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) are looking for volunteers ages 15 and above to assist with youth programming and help educate 7-12 year-olds about conflict resolution during the April spring break from April 20th to 23rd. The registration deadline is Thursday, March 31st. For more information, please contact Michal Shapiro at 617.438.0879.

Beware the Ides of March

"Ay, they have come, but they are not gone."

As the first quarter of the year nears its end, are you on the right track?

What has become of those lofty goals or New Year's resolutions?

Did you get those brakes fixed? The roof leak fixed? That new side gig? Finished all your applications for schools and scholarships?

As they say, poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. Make it happen, my peoples.

Don't let the journey of life pass you by.

"Everyone has a plan; until they get punched in the face."
-Mike Tyson

MIT's STEM Summer 2010 Program

Middle School Students: What will you do with your summer this year? Why not join us for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Program at MIT? Learn about Math, Science, & Your Future! Applications for Summer 2010 are now available. The deadline to submit your application is Monday, March 15, 2010.

For five weeks, promising students from Boston, Cambridge, and Lawrence public schools will come together with college students to expand their knowledge about math, science, and how things work. You can challenge yourself with rigorous college preparatory courses in Geometry, Physics, Robotics, or a host of other classes; learn a racquet sport; and meet other bright and talented young people from local communities.

The learning doesn’t end with the summer. The STEM Program offers students one-on-one mentoring during the school year, as well as workshops for your parents on insuring your continued academic achievement.

who?
We accept Boston, Cambridge, and Lawrence public school students who will enter 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th grade in the fall of 2010; they must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. We look for students who work hard, have good grades, and are interested in math, science, and discovery. We are very selective: just 20-22 students will be admitted to each grade level.

when?
The five-week summer program classes run from July 5 to August 6, 2010, with an Orientation on July 1 and a Final Presentation on August 7. All dates are mandatory. Sessions are held Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5pm. Breakfast, lunch, and daily tutoring are provided free of charge.

where?
The STEM Program is held on MIT’s campus in Cambridge. Bus transportation is provided for Boston and Lawrence residents from select locations throughout each city.

Participate:
: http://mit.edu/stem

FIGMENT Boston Call for Art

The Call for Art for FIGMENT Boston is up now at this link: http://figmentproject.org/2010/opportunities/submit-a-project/

The Call for Art closes on May 1, but don't wait until then to submit! We welcome artists from any media with any ability level and background. All we ask is that your art be interactive and inspire participation, and that it be appropriate for an all-ages event. If you have a great idea but aren't sure if it will work, fill out a submission form anyway and our curatorial team will help you make it happen!

We also have a press release (PDF) about the Boston event.

And we're still looking for volunteers for all positions--curatorial, communications, production/logistics, and more. Drop me a line if you want to help out!

Jason Turgeon
Producer, FIGMENT Boston
617 934 6650
www.figmentboston.org

I talk to the voices that speak through my headphones

"I hang with the secrets and the cats that paint pictures
While you sleeping on life and writing the same scriptures"
-Atmosphere, "My Songs"

Sat, 3/13 - AZ & Cormega @ The Middle East, Cambridge
Sat, 3/13 - Zili Musik @ The Beehive
Sun, 3/21 - A Tribute to Philly Soul @ Showcase Live
Mon, 3/22 - Alicia Keys @ BU's Agganis Arena
Tue, 3/23 - Robin Thicke @ House of Blues Boston
Wed, 3/24 - Christian Scott @ Scullers
Fri/Sat, 3/26-27 - Roy Haynes @ Scullers
Sat, 3/27 - Fresh Produce @ The Good Life
Tue, 3/30 - Wiz Khalifa @ The Middle East

Thu, 4/1 - Wale, K'Naan, & John Forte @ House of Blues Boston
Fri, 4/2 - Rick Ross @ Showcase Live
Sat, 4/3 - Bruce Bruce @ Wilbur Theater
Mon, 4/5 - Bone Thugs N Harmony @ The Middle East
Wed, 4/7 - Lupe Fiasco @ House of Blues Boston
Thu, 4/8 - Lizz Wright @ Wilbur Theater
Fri, 4/9 - Charlie Murphy @ Wilbur Theater
Sat, 4/10 - Drake & K-OS @ Northeastern
Sun, 4/11 - Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars @ Harpers Ferry
Wed, 4/14 - Eek-A-Mouse @ Harpers Ferry
Sat, 4/17 - Kid Cudi @ Babson
Thu, 4/22 - Sean Price @ The Middle East, Cambridge
Fri, 4/23 - Mo'Nique @ BU's Agganis Arena
Fri, 4/23-25 - Snoop & Wale @ Brown University
Thu, 4/29 - Drake & K-Os @ Tsongas Arena
Fri, 4/30 - Corinne Bailey Rae - House of Blues Boston
Fri, 4/30 - Bettye LaVette @ Somerville Theater
Fri, 4/30 - Masta Ace & Edo G @ Harpers Ferry

Sat, 5/1 - Sommore @ Wilbur Theater
Wed, 5/5 - EPMD @ Harpers Ferry
Wed, 5/12 - Sage Francis @ The Middle East
Sat, 5/15 - Diana Ross @ Shubert Theater
Tue, 5/18 - Ill Bill & Slaine @ Harpers Ferry
Tue, 5/18 - Steel Pulse @ House of Blues Boston
Sat, 5/22 - Tracy Morgan @ Wilbur Theater

Fri, 6/4 - Conan O'Brien @ Wang Theater
Thu, 6/10 - Earth, Wind & Fire @ Bank of America Pavilion

Fri, 7/9 - BB King @ House of Blues Boston
Fri, 7/23 - Tommy Davidson @ Wilbur Theater

Sun, 8/1 - Aretha Franklin @ South Shore Music Circus
Tue, 8/3 - Black Eyed Peas at TD Garden

Fellows sought, Environmental Leadership Program

The Environmental Leadership Program has a great Fellowship Program for emerging environmental and social change practitioners eager to connect their specialized work to larger environmental and social concerns.

The Fellowship Program offers intensive leadership and skill training, regional networking opportunities, and time for personal and professional reflection. Consisting of three retreats and additional optional trainings, its curriculum helps emerging leaders hone their leadership styles, improve their strategic communications, and strengthen their outreach to diverse constituencies.

More info: http://www.elpnet.org/about-fellowship

Deadline to apply for the New England regional fellowship class is April 12th, so give it some thought soon or pass it along.

ELP is committed to selecting a class of Fellows that represents diversity of race and ethnicity, gender, sector, sexual orientation, education levels, professional background, values and traditions, and environmental issue expertise.

Job: Job Developer, Community Action Agency of Somerville

The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) is a private not-for-profit organization that has served low-income Somerville residents since 1981. CAAS delivers community-based human services while bringing people and organizations together to change the conditions that cause and perpetuate poverty. This Job Developer position is within a new Workforce Development component of our Advocacy Program. In addition, the Advocacy Program provides assistance to the low-income Somerville community by providing legal and non-legal advocacy on housing and benefits issues, case management, housing search, and community organizing, as well as Latino teen peer leadership. The Head Start Program provides education, health, and other services to low-income pre-school children and their families. All positions at CAAS are reliant on sufficient funding.

Description of Job Developer’s Duties:

Under the supervision of the Advocacy Program Director and working closely with CAAS staff and partners, the Job Developer will create relationships with local employers to identify employment and career advancement opportunities, conduct outreach presentations with local
employers, create job fairs to bring employers and potential employees together, identify barriers to employment and methods to eliminate those barriers, and explore and develop expertise in employment fields likely to experience growth in the future.

Qualifications:

Bachelors’ degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Business Administration, vocational rehabilitation counseling, or a related field. Minimum two years experience in providing employment services for individuals seeking jobs. Must have excellent written, oral, and communication skills, and good computer skills. Sensitive to needs and problems of low-income people and able to demonstrate commitment to advancing the interests of low-income people. Able to work with individuals and groups from diverse ethnic, racial and economic backgrounds. Able to work some evenings and weekends as required. Must provide own transportation. Ability to communicate in a second language desirable.

Salary based upon experience. Excellent benefits, 35 hours/week. This position is funded under the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act (ARRA) and is effective through September 30, 2010.

Deadline is March 12, 2010. Submit resume and cover letter to search AT caasomerville.org. CAAS values workplace diversity. CAAS is an AA/EEO employer.

Massachusetts Nonprofit Network Nonprofit Excellence Awards

Massachusetts Nonprofit Network Nonprofit Excellence Awards

Deadline: March 15, 2010

We are seeking nominations for the MNN Nonprofit Excellence Awards. These awards are an opportunity to honor and recognize both people and organizations who excel in the nonprofit field. Last year's winners were thrilled about the recognition they received across the state.

Award Categories:

• Innovation
• Management
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Advocacy
• Collaboration
• Capacity Building
• Governance
• Communication
• Leadership (Individual)
• Young Leadership (Individual)

All nominees and winners will be honored at Nonprofit Awareness Day, held at the State House on June 14. The awards will be judged by a panel of community foundation leaders and academics from across the state. Local legislators will be invited to present the awards to this year's winners. The Nonprofit Excellence Awards are covered by media outlets across the state, providing winners with widespread media exposure and recognition.

Nominate or Apply Today! - https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=mno&formId=70586

FAQs and more information: http://www.massnonprofitnet.org/awards

Job: Business Development Manager, More Than Words, Waltham

Are you ready to apply your business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit to a social enterprise?

Do you love developing and sustaining business partnerships that help create positive social change?

Are you excited to teach youth the art of sales, growing a business, & hitting benchmarks?

You may be More Than Words!

More Than Words (MTW) is a nonprofit social enterprise that employs youth, ages 16-21, who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. By working as a team to manage their own retail and online used book business, cafe, and community space, youth develop the employment skills, leadership, and self-confidence they need to successfully transition to adulthood. In addition to store-based job training, youth are engaged in personal transition planning to support their progress towards employment and higher education. The MTW model is premised on the belief that an actual job ? one which provides hands-on, real-world training and developmentally appropriate feedback combined with high expectations, accountability and opportunities for personal development, is the best way to equip youth with marketable skills critical for success in work, college and life.

MTW seeks a creative, highly motivated, detail-oriented and organized individual to lead our efforts to create systems and strategies to coordinate ongoing book donations and support youth to build their inventory. All of the books our youth sell online and in their store are donated through book drives and partnerships. This position is critical to helping More Than Words achieve planned growth by building a sustainable model for sourcing book donations that can be replicated at our second site location within our next fiscal year.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Business Development Manager will:

• Identify and execute new sustainable book sourcing partnerships that will provide a reliable, high-quality product pipeline to support our retail expansion.
• Develop and manage overall strategy for sourcing used book and media donations to build MTW youth inventory including book drives, systems for pickup and delivery, appreciation and acknowledgement and connecting donors with other ways to support MTW;
• Cultivate and maintain ongoing strategic partnerships with partners such as universities, moving companies, faith-based organizations, and publishers;
• Develop and execute comprehensive systems for community and business book/media drives;
• Support strategy and systems to source additional media items in addition to books;
• Manage Salesforce.com database system to track and deepen connections with individual book donors and partners;
• Support the Executive Director and Director of Operations with strategic planning to develop sourcing partnerships to sustain two locations; and
• Support the adult and youth team with overall operations of the business training programs, including some evening and weekend hours.
• Develop a youth-engaged sourcing department in keeping with young people s skill development goals.
• Develop training manual, tools, systems and structure with youth to manage a sourcing department to secure ongoing donations and support youth to learn marketable sales, business and communication skills;
• Alongside youth, develop strategies and systems for the team to cultivate, manage and track relationships for book sourcing, including Salesforce.com;
• Support youth to plan and execute book sourcing shifts including emails and phone calls to coordinate book drives;
• Support youth to plan, prioritize and go after key book sourcing partners, i.e. university, corporate, and moving company partners to build sustainable, long-term book sourcing partners;
• Review current trends in the book/media industry ? both online and retail - to help youth identify strategies to improve sales by way of book sourcing; and
• Support youth to create presentations tracking MTW sourcing trends and benchmarks to present at weekly team meetings
• Broaden and strengthen existing donor and partner relationships, and identify new opportunities to deepen investment and engagement with MTW?s mission.
• In cooperation with Executive Director, develop and implement strategies and systems to engage book donors and partners with opportunities for deeper engagement including financial donations and in-kind support;
• Manage Salesforce.com to support ongoing communication and cultivation of book and financial donors;
• Support the MTW team to drive foot traffic to the store by engaging book donors and partners with opportunities to visit and shop
• Support the MTW team to engage book donors and partners with opportunities to support youth outcomes including site visits, workshops and transition employment opportunities for youth

The ideal candidate will have at least 5+ years of sales experience and a proven ability to inspire and compel others to exceed expectations. S/he should have successful experience teaching, training or supervising new learners, and a talent for empowering and engaging youth through project and systems work. The Business Development Manager will be an exceptional communicator with a excellent judgment and sensitivity for MTW's diverse constituencies. A natural affinity for networking and demonstrated confidence and poise is essential for success, as is a strong customer-service orientation and willingness to be accountable. Experience with budgeting, recruiting in-kind donations and managing partner relationships, as well as Salesforce.com database software, is preferred.

Competitive salary and benefits will be offered commensurate with experience.

To apply, please send resume and cover letter to resumes AT mtwyouth.org

More Than Words - Empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.

Jobs at Project Hope

Project Hope is a multi-service agency at the forefront of efforts in Boston to move families beyond homelessness and poverty. It provides low-income women with children with access to education, jobs, housing, and emergency services; fosters their personal transformation; and works for broader systems change.

Project Hope currently has the following job openings:
- Career Counselor
- Employer Partnerships Case Manager
- Stabilization Case Manager

More details about these positions and the organization can be found on our website, http://www.prohope.org/. Applications should be sent to jobs At prohope.org.


Kelli Sperfslage, PHR
Human Resource Manager
Project Hope
550 Dudley Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-1880 x207

www.prohope.org - where families move up and out of poverty

Jesus Walks

Humility goes a long way.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to connect with educators from all over the country. I sat next to a superintendent and dined with principals. I crash at the home of 3rd grade teacher, who also just so happens to be my uncle.

But anyways, I was initially hesitant, fully preparing myself for some cold shoulders and puzzled stares. Black men are no strangers to being the only black man in the room. But I digress. One of the cats I got to build with was a 35-year-old elementary school principal from Virginia. He reminded me much of many friends I grew up with who, despite us living in and growing up in the South, were not off-putting or standoffish, but the most down-to-earth and pleasant people ever. Suffice to say, I was damn near floored when I heard that he was later honored with the Outstanding Young Educator of the Year award by the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. He is a pioneer blazing a trail to empower his students and greater community; maintaining 2-way lines of communication and producing video updates to keep parents informed and engaged. But what really set it off was his acceptance speech, in which he quoted Hova's So Ambitious, "I’m not sure that’s how teachers should speak to kids." He really brought the point full circle, illustrating that even though there were barriers for himself, he circumvented them by being resourceful, focused, and diligent. It's a point that goes a long way. Jesus walks with both sinners and then saints; and everyone in between. Don't victimize yourself by not dreaming.

More post-GTAdmin Thoughts

My brain has been running a mile a minute trying to figure out how to strike first. This past weekend was draining and enriching all at once. Aside from pulling all-nighters and marathon NSBE meetings, I've never been immersed in any professional development that lasted so long (11 hours) almost non-stop.

Part of my training entails having to complete an action plan by June that incorporates some of what I've learned into reproducible (and hopefully, scalable) nuggets. But of course, I'll just bring it back to hip-hop. "..drop gems, pick 'em up, and put 'em back on my neck." I now have a better and more formal blueprint to reach more students with tangible modules of well-defined time demands, yet the potential for creativity is endless.

Hell, I might have to start up my after-school classes again this spring.

Always got mad when the class was dismissed

"more sophisticated, highly edu-ma-cated
not at all over-rated, I think I need a prayer"
-The Pharcyde

Every now and then, a new buzzword creeps into the national vernacular; especially when it comes to educational reform. The latest one is 21st Century Skills. Education reform has taken on quite a role in my life in the past six years.

The federal education department released its short list of states who passed the litmus test for the Race To The Top Fund. Massachusetts is on the list, as is my home state of South Carolina. Turning around low-performing schools is certainly going to take a while, as evidenced by how long it's taken already. Pouring more money simply ain't going to cut it.

And being bold and brave ain't going to suffice in a silo either. It's going to take a complex mix of many puzzle pieces. Some that haven't even molded yet. Statewide reform legislation is a start. I'll admit I have a personal stake in several of the Boston labeled underperforming base don either persona relationships with staff or students. Yet, through all the hype, the human element still exists.

Maybe a month or two ago, I was at a middle school and one youngin wanted to do his regular thizzle. I called him out, he stepped, and we continued on. I shrugged it off. But I took 2 minutes to use it as case-in-point time to put him on blast. Basically, I asked them to give me their definition of what it means to hustle. We have a quick discussion and I give my perspective. He's hustling himself. Older folks can try all they want to get him to shape up, but until he realizes himself there is no progress to be made. The teachers will get paid regardless of if he learns or not. I think back to Lean On Me, when Joe Clark was on the roof with Thomas Sams and told him to go ahead and jump off the roof and Sams refused.

"Why don't you just jump off the roof, right here and now? That's what you really want, isn't it? Yes, you do. You smoke crack, don't you, boy? Don't you smoke crack? Yeah, I thought so. And you know what that does to you? You don't? It kills your brain cells, son. It kills your brain cells! Now when you're destroying your brain cells, you're doing the same thing as killing yourself. You're just doing it slower! Now, I say if your wanna kill yourself, don't fuK around with it, do it expeditiously! Go on and jump! JUMP! "

Motivational speaking at its finest.

Some of Boston's teachers and administrators have that same talent and passion. Some school are already being turned around with culture as the starting point. Others face upward battles for a host of bureaucratic and political reasons. Yet, it's also going to necessitate the great school community to become more involved and engaged in the lives of its youth; by those with children and even those without.

Thoughts from the Google Teacher Academy for Administrators

Cloudy, but warm (for me) morning

For starters, this is the 9th session of Google Teacher Academy (referred to as GTA from here on).

There are 51 administrators here from all over the country, evenly split by gender, who are directly responsible for 738,081 students.

The goal is to improve teaching and learning by leveraging innovative tools.

What's the best innovation in education you can think of that does not involve any technology?

• the school that starts its day with a Great Expectations ceremony
• the district that includes students in the after-school professional development side-by-side with teachers
• the school that includes intervention during its school day with flexibility
• a design company partnered with an elementary school to get teacher thinking about user-center design and prototyping.
• the district that incorporates service learning in English classes to enhance unique voice, authentic audiences, community service, and prevent plagiarism
• the school that uses cookies to lure teachers to a 20-minute lunchtime Tech20 weekly sharing session

Search

• Alerts - You can setup an alert to search news for anytime your organization is mentioned in the media. You can setup an alert for your own name.
• Real-Time Search - live updates
• Squared - Helpful for evaluating purchasing decisions and getting snapshots of product overview, brands, & comparisons. Searches can be saved.
• Wonder Wheel - Visual way of searching and diving into details
• Timeline - chronological view to see when search results appeared
• Image Advanced Search - can select "label for reuse" to find images freely available. Can also find Similar Images.
• Books - Full-view copies of out-of-copyright books
• Scholar - Query on reputable, credible sources and not blogs, popular sites, etc

Google Apps Education Edition

• If the attitude is "come save me," then they will always go as slow as the slowest possible
• Don't get stuck on an escalator.
• GoogleEd Apps allows for access control plus custom domain and video
• There are several things that are in gmail accounts but not google accounts (maps, calendar, etc)
• Maine # 19 uses domain account for grades K through 8, then transition to a full account. HS buys student's a domain name for 1 year to link to the portfolio they've built over the years.
• Free for educators, with only exception for email archiving
• One login for many services and open authentication to connect to others services
• Automatic backup
• Domain follows students to simplify migration

Google Sites

• Google's version of a wiki
• Can be private or public (add up to 50 collaborators a day)
• 4 page types - web page, announcements, file cabinet and list.
• 52 themes to choose from and also templates
• Sites seems pretty simple. I'm so used to making my own web pages on the fly in 5 minutes that I don't see it as useful as other features. I think I'm going to try it out though. I've been using wikispaces more often recently and it's pretty much the exact same thing.
• Can be used as a learning community
• Can embed GoogleGroups as the social component

Docs

• Ability to work offline via Gears

Calendar

• Can embed calendar entries to Twitter and RSS feed. Notifications, filters, custom settings.

Spreadsheets

• MagicFill find similar items using Atlt on MAC or Cntl on PC
• LookUp - can use formulas to import data. Can also import HTML and table data
• Gadgets are powerful - Motion Charts, Word Clouds, etc

Inspiring Ideas

• To Go Google, don't talk about Google. Some folks tune out when they hear you want them to be innovative.

Gmail

• Archive and Searching
• Filtering and Labeling
• Tip : only leave what is important in your inbox (or skip it)
• Instructional Uses for Gmail: Communication, Learning the Tool - Hyperlinked Text, Cooperative learning, Asynchronous learning, Data Collection, Journaling, Opens the door to other "Web 2.0" tools, Interviewing
  

Inspiring Ideas

• Student behavior linked to an online store
• Transparency is the new accountability

Google Forms

• Students are the problem and the solution
• You can watch live feed as data is entered
• You can customize the cell colors for entered data. Makes a multiple-choice test super easy to grade. The time saved from grading should be used to do something else of value.
• Students ho are building forms (6th graders) are also learning Algebra
• Form spreadsheet can automatically be customized and manipulated (word cloud, map generated from zip codes)
• Example: You can use a form to enter student test data and use Motion Graph to track progress
• Create spreadsheet first and then create form (depends on user preference)
• Great formative assessment tool because you can see trends in student answers by simply using summer of responses

Groups, Talk, Chat, Moderator

• Moderator - crowdsourcing, Series & Topics
• Can use for town hall-style meetings to poll people
• http://tinyurl.com/ybenlpu
• Talk/Chat - democratic, teaches students best practices and online etiquette, video chat, etc
• Groups - collaborative tool (asynchronous learning), manage permissions
• Video - information, entertainment, skill-building (Earl Anthony bowling, tie a bow-tie, shoelaces)

Google Apps Dashboard

• Can detect system health
• Back-end management settings
• Postini - message security and spam detection (message discovery & archiving is separate feature and cost)
• Apps for Ed has a template for a Start Page
• Questions for Discussion

Apps Year in Review

• Lesson Plan Resources - google.com/apps/eduresources
• Community site - edu.googleapps.com
• Training Tiers - professional deveopment program for moving to Google Apps
• Option to write Canned Responses

Chrome Browser & Chromium OS

• Browser has 40 million users in less than 1.2 years
• HTML5 to push new web applications that can be used offline
• Google Chrome OS = Speed, Simplicity, Security
• Chromium OS will have extra, external features built-in without the need to download plug-in

Google Voice

• Visual voicemail and transcripts
• Teachers can give out different number than their personal number
• Allows for conference call with up to four lines
• Educational Uses: Math Homework Text Hotline, Science Data Gathering

Inspiring Ideas - Google Apps to Close Communication Gap

• Using DOCS for faculty meetings
• Using FORMS to gather feedback for schoolwide surveys

Even More

• Questions - What is it? How does it work? What's special about it? How might it be useful for educators and students? What else do you want to learn about it?
• MailMerge in Spreadsheets via Scripts
• GoogleEarth- students can map out travel routes in novels or follow along show (Amazing Race) and then create video of journey with screen capture software
• FeedBurner - RSS feed with multiple options
• Reader - can bring in local news from other countries for authentic sources and varied perspectives (Gaza Strip research from newspapers in both Israel and Palestine)
• Analytics - track users and visitors
• Buzz - more open than Moderator

Reflection

• Ah Ha Moment - Mine was Voice and the potential for it to be used in classrooms and by teachers and schools
• There is a need for differentiated instruction for teachers
• Don't wait for someone, own it
• How is this going to help students learn better?
• By June 2010, as a Google Certified Teacher, I need to lead at least 3 professional development activities on ways that Google tools can be effectively used in the classroom or school. For example: Hands-on Workshops, Peer Coaching Programs, Large Group Presentations, Online Learning Events & Modules, Weekly Podcasts, Weekly Blog Posts, Curriculum Development Workshops, Google Apps Lesson Plan (Required)

In conclusion, whew. This was an overwhelming day full of information overload. Yet, it was one of the most informative, enlightening, and productive days of learning in which I have ever participated. I'm going to have to review and mull over some of the material again to refersh my mind on those elements that I think would fit well with some of the things we are doing in Boston (as well as some of things we could be doing better). The possibility for several economies of scale is enormous.

MHA Scholarship, Due April 9

Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) and MHA Insurance Agency are pleased to announce a scholarship to promote and encourage academic preparation for, and excellence in, the practice of healthcare. MHA goals are to provide professional development opportunities, including continuing education, that are responsive to the needs of the health care community and are consistent with the mission of the organization.

Please forward the attached application to anyone who might be interested in applying for this special scholarship in the amount of $2,500 funded by the MHA Insurance Agency.

Eligibility / Applicants must:

1. Demonstrate either current or past employment in allied health roles, or strong interest/plan in future employment in allied health roles.
2. Demonstrate interest in clinical practice and health care delivery through documented clinical, community and work experiences.
3. Commit in writing to practice in Massachusetts upon completion of their program for a minimum of 2 years. A written contract will be given to the winner to sign.
4. Complete their degree requirements within a reasonable time period, depending on degree.
5. Provide letter of acceptance from school into an accredited degree program.
6. Demonstrate a commitment to obtain licensure upon graduation.

Application Download: MHAScholarshipApplication2010.pdf

All materials should be sent no later than April 9, 2010 to:
Amy Connolly
Massachusetts Hospital Association
5 New England Executive Park
Burlington MA 01803

The winner will be announced at MHA’s 44th Annual Human Resources & Labor Forum on May 7, 2010 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel.

Boston Summer Program Resource Fair

This announcement is for students, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, youth program coordinators, and professionals interested in volunteering.

On Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 11:00am-3:00pm, the Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and Boston R.O.C.K.S! will be hosting a City Wide Summer Resource Fair!

The fair will be held at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in the upper and lower cafeterias.

This event will be an extraordinary opportunity for organizations to showcase what they can offer Boston youth in grades K through 12 and families during the summer months. This means anything: summer programming, youth jobs and internships, resources for families, community resources, etc.

Tables are only $10 and, if interested, vendor/organization registration forms can be sent to Claudeline Jean-Baptiste at cjeanbaptiste2 AT boston.k12.ma.us.

Additionally, we are looking for volunteers to set up, register and greet families, interpret and walk through the fair with our ELL families as well as clean up and running errands. If you are available to volunteer either 1 hour to 3 hours or more, please fill out the volunteer form and send it to me (Eric Esteves) at eesteves AT techboston.org.

Thanks for your time and attention (and help).

-POPS

monday morning briefing

a few years ago, i used to send out an email to some friends of mine with news and info about various events, articles, and tidbits going on around town.

it's time to get back to doing that.

of course, the Boston Herald has an recurring entry with that same name now, but hey, i think they jacked my steez, not the other way around.

Runaway health costs are rocking municipal budgets, Boston Globe

Ten Big Ideas Of School Leadership, Edutopia

New leaders needed to carry Dr. King’s dream, Boston Herald

14 CEOs unite to make business heard, Boston Globe

Vaulting into politics again, Boston Globe

Too Dumb to Thrive, Time