Sean Sharp’s ITRT Blog

NOVA | scienceNOW | Dark Matter | PBS

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts this excellent science show. watch, learn, enjoy!

How we read online. – By Michael Agger – Slate Magazine

This article was good, short, readable online. Possibly some good links, too. I’m considering a Kindle and this makes me continue to consider. Good read.

Lazy Bastards: How we read online.
By Michael Agger
Posted Friday, June 13, 2008, at 1:00 PM ET

You’re probably going to read this.

It’s a short paragraph at the top of the page. It’s surrounded by white space. It’s in small type.

To really get your attention, I should write like this:

• Bulleted list
• Occasional use of bold to prevent skimming
• Short sentence fragments
• Explanatory subheads
• No puns
• Did I mention lists?

UW study reaffirms nature’s stress relieving powers

I guess this means ditch the plasma and look outside. Better yet, go outside!

While perusing my old hometown newspaper, The Seattle Times, I came across this AP wire story on a web browser developed specifically for children with Autism. Autism is getting more press lately, which is a good thing. I think about it as a new parent and also as a member of our school division’s Assistive Technology Team. We help support the needs of the Special Education teachers in our school division. I plan on downloading this to see what it’s all about. It looks quite interesting, to say the least.

ZAC Browser – Zone for Autistic Children
ZAC is the first web browser developed specifically for children with autism, and autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and PDD-NOS. We have made this browser for the children – for their enjoyment, enrichment, and freedom. Children touch it, use it, play it, interact with it, and experience independence through ZAC.

Below is a checklist of questions about email, from Seth Godin. When I read it, I thought, “hmmm . . these are good reminders.” At least I think so, especially when email is the major way of communicating with colleagues. Enjoy!

Seth’s Blog: Email checklist
Email checklist

Before you hit send on that next email, perhaps you should run down this list, just to be sure:

1. Is it going to just one person? (If yes, jump to #10)
2. Since it’s going to a group, have I thought about who is on my list?
3. Are they blind copied?
4. Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it?
5. So that means that if I didn’t send it to them, they’d complain about not getting it?
6. See #5. If they wouldn’t complain, take them off!

Put a Little Science in Your Life – Op-Ed – NYTimes.com

It’s striking that science is still widely viewed as merely a subject one studies in the classroom or an isolated body of largely esoteric knowledge that sometimes shows up in the “real” world in the form of technological or medical advances. In reality, science is a language of hope and inspiration, providing discoveries that fire the imagination and instill a sense of connection to our lives and our world.

I stumbled across this op-ed piece today and it resonated with me. It’s worth the read, both as a person and also as an educator. In my observation of education in Virginia, science is something that isn’t emphasized enough, in a way that makes it exciting and compelling to students. A good science teacher is able to do that: make students curious about the world around them and want to explore more. The op-ed piece challenges us with that thought.