Articles read for March 11, 2007

$250 Million proposed to lure teachers to New Orleans schools. Relocation bonuses offered, $500 housing subsidies and incentives to lure educators and principals to New Orleans. This area is in dire need of educators, they are even offering to forgive school loans for returning instructors. I personally think this is a great idea for some people and young new teachers.

The other article U.S. born don't learn the language easily stated that kids are still having trouble with English as a second language even after seven years. Hispanic students have the highest drop out rate and 1 out of 10 Hispanic students make up 70% of ESL learners. I think it would be extremely tough to learn a second language if only your 1st language was used at home and you received no support from your family. It was noted that Hispanic parents need to help and make schooling a priority like Asian parents. I liked the comment "Cultural differences should not be allowed to become a justification for inaction."


Podcast postings for March 27-29

Kidcast with Dan Schmidt
Episode # 39 Photo Story and Jodix
March 23, 2007

Microsoft has a product called "photo story" which is a free download to help a person create exciting video stories by adding panning and zooming effects to a persons pictures, and allows a person to add titles and background music to a story. This product is similar to i-movie for Mac users. Jodix is a converter for Windows that converts videos to podcasts. I liked how Dan shares items for both PC and Mac users. His non bias toward platforms increases his listener base.

Kidcast with Dan Schmidt
Episode #26 Sound seeing tours
May 24, 2006

I liked this episode because it gave several good examples of a sound seeing tour. I liked the sound effects that were left in the background when the people were talking about where they were. One episode was in a cave and you could hear the creeping sounds and echoes. Another episode was at the New York City library - on the front steps you could hear all the car noise and hustle and bustle of the City. He talked about how to produce such a podcast. He stressed 1. effective planning, selecting a good location with a good story, 2. Sequence matters and who is going to say what and when. Ask yourself - What do you want the listener to learn and know.
Sound seeing tours make it interesting and exciting for someone else listening. This type of podcast reminded me of a good book on CD - something that will hold your interest for hours and make driving for long hours go by quickly.

The Tech Teacher
Love Your Laptop
March 21, 2007

I really liked this episode, I learned some good basics of how to care for a laptop. Brad Niessen gave some basic care tips - Don't use Windex on a screen. Overcharging a battery can shorten the life of a battery. Don't transport a laptop that is on. Never carry a laptop in your backpack and protect it with a good case. Clean out the computer every so often. He suggests once a year to defragment your hard drive. Scan for Spyware and protect against viruses. Be careful with food and drink and extreme temperatures. Most of this information I had heard before but it was a good refresher course. I always enjoy listening to his podcasts.