New Prostate Cancer Tests May Supplement P.S.A. Testing - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><nyt_text style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div id="articleBody"><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Sophisticated new <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/prostate-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Prostate Cancer." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">prostate cancer</a> tests are coming to market that might supplement the unreliable <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/psa/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about PSA." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">P.S.A.</a> test, potentially saving tens of thousands of men each year from unnecessary biopsies, operations and radiation treatments.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Some of the tests are aimed at reducing the false alarms, and accompanying anxiety, caused by elevated P.S.A. readings. Others, intended for use after a definitive diagnosis, examine the genetic workings of the <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Cancer." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">cancer</a> to distinguish dangerous tumors that need treatment from slow-growing ones that might be left alone.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The tests could provide a way out of the bitter debate over whether healthy men should be screened for prostate cancer.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The problem with the P.S.A. blood test is that many of the cancers it detects are unlikely to cause harm. But there is no reliable way to identify them. So a large majority of men with positive tests undergo surgery or radiation treatment, and many suffer for years, needlessly, from complications like incontinence and <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/erection-problems/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Erection problems." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">erectile dysfunction</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">In late 2011, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, a government advisory body, provoked a furor by <a title="An article about the recommendation." href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/health/07prostate.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">recommending against screening</a>, saying that far more men were harmed by unnecessary biopsies and treatments than were saved from dying of cancer.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">But if new tests can better determine risk, screening could become more useful.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"It's not that screening doesn't work; it's that we haven't done a great job of targeting treatments for the tumors that need it," said Dr. Matthew R. Cooperberg, an <a title="More about Dr. Cooperberg." href="http://www.urology.ucsf.edu/faculty/cooperberg" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">assistant professor of urology</a> at the University of California, San Francisco who has been a consultant to some of the testing companies.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Reducing unnecessary treatments could also reduce the $12 billion in estimated annual spending related to prostate cancer. Test developers hope that such savings will make their tests cost-effective, even at prices that will exceed $3,000 in some cases.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">More than a dozen companies have introduced tests recently or are planning to do so in the near future. Rather than looking at a single protein like P.S.A., which stands for prostate-specific antigen, many of these tests use advanced techniques to measure multiple genes or other so-called molecular markers.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"It's the cancer for the next 18 to 24 months that will be transformed by molecular markers," said Dr. Doug Dolginow, chief executive of <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.genomedx.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">GenomeDx Biosciences</a>, a start-up planning to introduce a test later this year.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Experts caution that it is too early to tell how well most of the tests will perform and whether they will make a difference. Although the tests are intended to help men make treatment decisions, the onslaught of so many could cause more confusion.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"It's a little tricky to find out which one applies to you and whether it will be paid for by insurance," said Jan Manarite, who runs the telephone help line for the <a title="The institute's Web site." href="http://prostate-cancer.org/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Prostate Cancer Research Institute</a>, a patient education organization.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Prostate cancer specialists say screening has declined since the task force recommended against it, but millions of men in the United States still get regular blood tests to measure P.S.A. As many as a million have biopsies each year, with about 240,000 prostate cancer cases diagnosed and 28,000 deaths from the disease.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The biggest battle among test developers could be between <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.genomichealth.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Genomic Health</a> and <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.myriad.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Myriad Genetics</a>, which are moving into the prostate cancer field after successes in <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/breast-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Breast cancer." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">breast cancer</a> testing.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Myriad is known for its test for genetic mutations that raise a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. Genomic Health's Oncotype DX test helps determine if a woman should receive <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/chemotherapy/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about chemotherapy." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">chemotherapy</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Both companies have developed prostate tests analogous to Oncotype DX. They analyze gene activity levels in the tumor sample obtained by <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/biopsy/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Biopsy." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">biopsy</a> to gauge how aggressive the cancer is, helping doctors and patients decide whether to treat it. The companies say their tests provide better information than the Gleason score, the main tool now used to assess tumor aggressiveness, which is based on how cells look under a microscope.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">One study of Myriad's test looked at stored biopsy samples from 349 British men who were found to have prostate cancer from 1990 to 1996 and did not receive immediate treatment.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">About 19 percent of the men with the lowest risk scores on Myriad's test died from prostate cancer within 10 years, compared with 75 percent of the men with the highest risk scores, according to results <a title="The study results." href="http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v106/n6/full/bjc201239a.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">published last year</a> in the British Journal of Cancer.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Still, some prostate cancer specialists say the test, which is called Prolaris and went on sale last year, has not been adequately validated, and sales have been very low. Noridian, the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicare/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about Medicare." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Medicare</a>contractor for Utah, where Myriad is based, said it would not pay for the $3,400 test.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Genomic Health says it plans to start selling its test, the Genomic Prostate Score, after releasing supporting data at the American Urological Association's annual meeting in May.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Insurers might be reluctant to pay for the new tests without evidence that men will trust the results enough to forgo treatment if so indicated. The tests still leave some uncertainty, and many men do not want to live with cancer, no matter how slight some test says the risk is.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"We already know from conventional information that there are a group of men who are very unlikely to have progression, but they still get treated," said Dr. Lee N. Newcomer, senior vice president for oncology at UnitedHealthcare.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Angel Vasquez, for example, resisted when his urologist told him that he could forgo treatment based on his low Gleason score and P.S.A. levels.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"I said, 'No, my philosophy is if there is something in my body that is not supposed to be there, I want it to come out,' " said Mr. Vasquez, 67, of Matthews, N.C.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The doctor ordered Myriad's Prolaris test. Rather than justifying a decision to watch and wait, the test showed the tumor to be more aggressive than thought, a finding later confirmed after Mr. Vasquez had surgery.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"Had I left it alone, it would have really progressed," he said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Some experts say that even if the new tests are not perfect, they are better than what is available now.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"Even if we can only convince 15 to 20 percent of men that we have enough confidence that they don't need to be treated, that will be a big step forward," said Dr. Eric A. Klein of the Cleveland Clinic, who has worked with Genomic Health.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Another company, <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.bostwicklaboratories.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Bostwick Laboratories</a>, already sells a tumor aggressiveness test called ProstaVysion, and <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.metamarkgenetics.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Metamark Genetics</a> is developing its own.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">GenomeDx is focusing on a test that would be used after surgery to help determine whether additional treatment with radiation or drugs would be useful. Danaher already sells such a test.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; "><a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.hologic.com/en/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Hologic</a>, <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.mdxhealth.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">MDxHealth</a> and <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.mitomicsinc.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Mitomics</a> sell tests that they say can reduce the number of unnecessary second biopsies, which are often done when a first biopsy is negative but P.S.A. levels remain high.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; "><a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.opko.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Opko Health</a>, <a title="The company's Web site." href="https://www.beckmancoulter.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Beckman Coulter</a> and <a title="The company's Web site." href="http://www.metabolon.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Metabolon</a> are developing tests that would be used in conjunction with P.S.A. screening. Because P.S.A. levels can be elevated for reasons other than cancer, as many as three-quarters of biopsies do not find cancer — and the biopsies can cause pain and infections.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; "><a title="The study." href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/28/15/2493.full" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">One published study</a> showed that Opko's test could have reduced unnecessary biopsies by about 50 percent, though it would have missed 12 percent of high-grade cancers.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Yet another test could come from the discovery by researchers at the University of Michigan that a particular fusion of two genes is found in half of prostate cancers, and only in prostate cancer.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"You'd still miss 50 percent of the disease, but at least you know if you have it you have prostate cancer," said Dr. Arul M. Chinnaiyan, a <a title="More about Dr. Chinnaiyan." href="https://www.umms.med.umich.edu/pibsfacsearch/facultyPage.do?facUniqname=arul" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">professor of urology and pathology</a>. He said a urine test was being developed that combines the gene fusion with PCA3, another marker.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Some experts say unnecessary procedures can be reduced simply by using the P.S.A. test less frequently, and also by improving imaging. The new tests are "singles and doubles at best," said Dr. William J. Catalona, director of the prostate program at Northwestern University, who helped bring the P.S.A. test to market in the 1990s. But, Dr. Catalona said, this is only the start. "This field is moving kind of like cellphones," he said.</p><nyt_correction_bottom><div class="articleCorrection" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em; "></div></nyt_correction_bottom><nyt_update_bottom></nyt_update_bottom></div></nyt_text><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important; float: none; "></span></div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/business/new-prostate-cancer-tests-may-supplement-psa-testing.html?&pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/business/new-prostate-cancer-tests-may-supplement-psa-testing.html?&pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

New Prostate Cancer Tests May Supplement P.S.A. Testing - NYTimes.com

Sophisticated new  prostate cancer  tests are coming to market that might supplement the unreliable  P.S.A.  test, potentially saving tens o...

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Doctor for N.F.L. Says Study Overstates Effects of C.T.E. - NYTimes.com

When a government agency prepared a workplace safety fact sheet based on a study of degenerative brain disease in retired N.F.L.players, the organization invited several people to comment on a draft.<br /><br><br /><br>According to a memorandum obtained by The New York Times, most of the reviewers suggested simplifying the fact sheet so that players without a scientific background could better understand the findings. But one response stood out: a doctor on the N.F.L.'s head, neck and spine committee asked that a mention of chronic traumaticencephalopathy, or C.T.E., be removed.<br /><br><br /><br>C.T.E. is a degenerative brain disease that is closely related to Alzheimer's disease and is believed to be caused by repeated head trauma. It has been found posthumously in dozens of football players, provoking widespread concern about the sport's potential long-term cognitive effects.<br /><br><br /><br>Against this backdrop of public awareness, the N.F.L. has drastically shifted its position on head injuries in recent years, introducing rule changes and promoting education. But the league has expressed skepticism about the possibility of a link between on-field head injuries and C.T.E., a sentiment captured in the league doctor's request to the federal safety agency.<br /><br><br /><br>The doctor, who was not named in the internal memo, said references to C.T.E. should be removed because it was "not fully understood" and because it was not listed on the death certificates of the retired players in the study and thus lacked "epidemiological validity." He suggested that traumatic brain injury, or T.B.I., be used instead because it "may accomplish what you want to say in more established medical terms."<br /><br><br /><br>Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which wrote the fact sheet, rejected the league doctor's proposed change. Independent medical experts said such a request was inappropriate and not in line with prevailing research.<br /><br><br /><br>"That's what bugged me the most," said Jeffrey Kutcher, a neurologist and the director of Michigan NeuroSport at the University of Michigan, referring to the request to use traumatic brain injury instead of C.T.E. "It's a huge jump and it goes completely away from what the Niosh study showed."<br /><br><br /><br>Richard Ellenbogen, the chairman of the University of Washington's neurological surgery department and a co-chairman of the N.F.L.'s head, neck and spine committee, said he did not know which doctor suggested changing the text of the fact sheet.<br /><br><br /><br>But he said the doctor was correct in wanting to include a reference to traumatic brain injury. T.B.I. is a clinical diagnosis that can be identified in living patients, Ellenbogen said, while C.T.E. is a pathological diagnosis that so far can be found only through autopsies.<br /><br><br /><br>"Whoever said that is right," Ellenbogen said. "We've got to be careful because C.T.E. is a pathological diagnosis. We know that exists. That's been proven forever. What's important about this study is, if I played sports and had concussions, what's my chance of getting these?"<br /><br><br /><br>Ellenbogen said there was not enough research to answer that question. "Right now, people are on the razor's edge cutting the words," he said. "The problem is, the science isn't there yet. But we have to be clear. I'm agreeing with the Niosh study, but we just have to be more careful to make clear that C.T.E. is a pathological diagnosis and T.B.I. is a clinical diagnosis."<br /><br><br /><br>Like Ellenbogen, independent medical experts said they agreed with the agency when it wrote that there was no known "cause-effect relationship between football-related concussions and death from these neurodegenerative disorders," as well as the agency's statement that "professional football players are at increased risk of death" fromamyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.<br /><br><br /><br>The medical experts also expressed dismay that an N.F.L. doctor would point to the death certificates of former players in the study. C.T.E. is often diagnosed months after death, when brain samples are examined.<br /><br><br /><br>"This is an epidemiological entity, and at this point it definitely garners this title because of the number of players we have diagnosed with it," said Alexander K. Powers, an assistant professor of neurosurgery who specializes in sports-related brain and spine injuries at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "There's plenty of research that is active. It's a robust field. It's not some orphan ambition."<br /><br><br /><br>The fact sheet, sent to retired N.F.L. players in January, summarized research published in September in the journal Neurology that found that players "may be at a higher risk of death associated with Alzheimer's and other impairments of the brain and nervous system than the general U.S. population."<br /><br><br /><br>Before publishing its fact sheet, Niosh asked three former players, a representative from the N.F.L. Players Association and a representative from the N.F.L. Player Care Foundation, an independent organization that assists retired players, to review and comment on a draft. The foundation asked for advice from the doctor on the head, neck and spine committee.<br /><br><br /><br>Niosh researchers rejected the proposed change because C.T.E. "resonated with the players who reviewed the draft and provided feedback" and was widely acknowledged. Using T.B.I. was also inappropriate because it described an injury that might result in a disorder like C.T.E. and was therefore not equivalent, said Ann Mobley, the health communications specialist at Niosh who wrote the fact sheet.<br /><br><br /><br>The debate over the long-term effects of head injuries in football has engaged neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuropsychologists and other researchers and clinicians. It has also led to lawsuits. Several thousand retired players have accused the N.F.L. of deliberating playing down the dangers of head injuries.<br /><br><br /><br>Everett Lehman, an epidemiologist at Niosh and the principal author of the original mortality study of more than 3,400 retired players, said his department must balance accuracy and clarity in its research. He said the N.F.L. doctor's request was misguided.<br /><br><br /><br>"I just think they are different things, and we didn't think it was important to include T.B.I.," he said. "Maybe whoever looked at it didn't carefully look at our paper."<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/sports/football/doctor-for-nfl-says-study-overstates-effects-of-cte.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/sports/football/doctor-for-nfl-says-study-overstates-effects-of-cte.html</a>?

Doctor for N.F.L. Says Study Overstates Effects of C.T.E. - NYTimes.com

When a government agency prepared a workplace safety fact sheet based on a study of degenerative brain disease in retired N.F.L.players, the...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/28/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="https://en.mention.net">mention | Your Media Monitoring Application</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Mention gives you 3 alerts for free. Everyone should be following mention of their name and brand names (or school name) it is important. If you want more than 3, you'll have to pay. I use Google Alerts to track flat classroom and cool cat teacher - sad Google Alerts is gone, but here's an alternative.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/Google">Google</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/social">social</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/media">media</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/brand">brand</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/management">management</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/03/23/google-alerts/">Looking for a Google Alerts Alternative? Try This</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Aurgghh! So Google alerts is dead too. I thought it was just misbehaving. It might have gone on spring break never to unbreak. Oh dear. Here are some alternatives from mashable.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/google">google</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2013/03/14/index.html?intc=EW-TC13-TWT">Education Week: March 14, 2013</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Building a digital district. There are some great resources from Edweek on this topic. There is also a PDF or print version of the technology counts 2013 version.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="https://twitter.com/edutopia/finland-hangout-panelists">@edutopia/Finland Hangout Panelists on Twitter</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">This is an example of how you can share lists. Edutopia created a list of the panelists who "hung out" today with the edutopia panel from Finland and the University of Pennsylvania. Excellent group today.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/28/2013

mention | Your Media Monitoring Application Mention gives you 3 alerts for free. Everyone should be ...

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Breakfast

Fairtrade Gluten Free Brownie with a "Red Eye".......I'm set up for the day! ☕ <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDrluC3Wp2KwXXsgxEglf-XcrbyscdNBilvvK39HOXP2ALoqKNw353OzttJI5E2ketPhrajldHod2-XpWJVppJwE2_MW0vwyDbybnns3EflskjiXHahYbypqg4wdycRXioHjnadeEvut7/s640/blogger-image-148592923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDrluC3Wp2KwXXsgxEglf-XcrbyscdNBilvvK39HOXP2ALoqKNw353OzttJI5E2ketPhrajldHod2-XpWJVppJwE2_MW0vwyDbybnns3EflskjiXHahYbypqg4wdycRXioHjnadeEvut7/s640/blogger-image-148592923.jpg" /></a></div>

Breakfast

Fairtrade Gluten Free Brownie with a "Red Eye".......I'm set up for the day! ☕

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Resurrecting My Virginity

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-noJlaSstu0GvqDwQXRDdR9T3NLWen2eEHgEgsuu7dYuG7B8baSkrS2SdPbfk7nMpCzWXVSEE9EHsPfNVpK7UC69gdi2x_nkIsZd_uYKeS2FoPiTAyJEoPYvUb6ujuSrDm8SvbowKO8/s1600/Certificate-Of-Virginity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-noJlaSstu0GvqDwQXRDdR9T3NLWen2eEHgEgsuu7dYuG7B8baSkrS2SdPbfk7nMpCzWXVSEE9EHsPfNVpK7UC69gdi2x_nkIsZd_uYKeS2FoPiTAyJEoPYvUb6ujuSrDm8SvbowKO8/s400/Certificate-Of-Virginity.jpg" width="300" /></a>Cheeeeeeeers Chuckleheads, and Happy Holy Thursday to you all.<br /><br />And…it is very appropriate that I am writing what I am about to write on Holy Thursday because Holy Thursday marks the day that Jesus washed the feet of others and had his last supper.<br /><br />I think…hmmm?<br /><br />Maybe it was the day that he cured the blind man of his deafness…Y’know?<br /><br />I get all of his acts of kindness and miracles mixed up, anyhoo…let’s assume this was the day of his washing of the feet thing and his last supper.  Okay?<br /><br />Great, and thanks…<br /><br />Early last week, I wrote about how I was has having writer’s block and in a kind of creative malaise.  I blamed various things.  I blamed other people…the weather…society…and to a much lesser degree, myself.<br /><br />Well folks, I think I have put my finger, or in this instance, my right hand on the problem.<br /><br />It’s sex, or more accurately, the lack of sex.<br /><br />See? As many of you know, my BFF/OSP Schmoop took ill back in October, and while she is doing fine and now operating at 90-95% efficiency as a human being, we haven’t had sex in nearly six months.<br /><br />This my friends, has weighed heavily upon my mind.  Some days, I can’t eat.  I can’t be myself.  I can’t write, because all I think about is how long it has been since I have had sex.  It’s debilitating!!<br /><br />Some days go by that all I think about is, when is the next time that I’m going to get little sumpin sumpin’ from Schmoop!!?<br /><br />That thought has brought my creative genius to its once prolific knees.  So…<br /><br />I have decided that since being a witty writer and international internet radio show guy is who I am and want I to continue to be, the only way that I can remain to be that guy, is to give up sex in perpetuity, so that this current and cancerous thought of needing, yet not having sex, no longer clouds my once fertile mind.<br /><br />I think I can do it, no…I <i>KNOW</i> I can do it.  Hell, it’s been six months already, what’s another six years?<br /><br />Hell, in six years, my nuts will be suffering from rug burn, and my three inch dick will be three foot long but only one centimeter in circumference.  It’ll be looking like a Crazy Straw, and really?  Who wants to have sex with a Crazy Straw?<br /><br />Man!!  I am feeling refreshed and re-invigorated already as I get this off of my newly sexless chest!!  This is awesome!!<br /><br />Of course…I am going to have be strong and there will be a couple of minor changes that need to take place during my celibacy.<br /><br />It’s going to be difficult to watch Schmoop cavort around the digs in a state of half-nakedness.  It’s going to be hard not to get excited when Jo pops into the IWS Radio chat room briefly prior to her leaving when she finds that she is still getting no audio.<br /><br />And…the big change?<br /><br />I currently call Schmoop my BFF/OSP (Occasional Sex Partner), unfortunately that will have to change and thanks to Jayman, I do have a new title for Schmoop…She will now be known as my…<br /><br />BFF/FSP (Former Sex Partner)…I think that designation has a certain elegance and panache about it, which is rare.<br /><br />As is my creative genius, which ironically in its rediscovered virginal state, can now once again go forth and multiply.<br /><br />This has been the new Matt-Man who is reclaiming, rediscovering, and resurrecting his virginity saying unto you on this holiest of Thursdays…<br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br /><i>Matt-Man</i><br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a></div>

Resurrecting My Virginity

Cheeeeeeeers Chuckleheads, and Happy Holy Thursday to you all. And…it is very appropriate that I am writing what I am about to write on Holy...

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Wednesday, Wednesday

<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates (note: the next update on my weekly page will be 2013.04.08):</span><br /><br />This week's dose features the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/03/27/museo-amparo/">Museo Amparo</a> in Puebla, Mexico, by Enrique Norten/TEN Arquitectos:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/03/27/museo-amparo/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Mar13-25-1024x682.jpg" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The featured past dose is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/05/31/mikve-rajel/">Rajel Mikveh</a> in Mexico City, Mexico by Pascal Arquitectos:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/05/31/mikve-rajel/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/May11-31.jpg" title="featured past dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This week's book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/03/25/encounters-1-2-architectural-essays/"><i>Encounters 1 & 2 - Architectural Essays</i></a> by Juhani Pallasmaa, edited by Peter MacKieth (L):<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/03/25/encounters-1-2-architectural-essays/"><img alt="this week's book review" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/encounters.jpg" title="This week's book review" width="640" /></a> <br /><br />: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">American-Architects <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/pages/50x50">Building of the Week</a>:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/40521_riverstone_office_building">Riverstone Office Building</a> in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, by Patano+Hafermann Architects:<br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/40521_riverstone_office_building"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://c214210.r10.cf3.rackcdn.com/files/projects/40521/images/900:w/RiverstoneOB1.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Wednesday, Wednesday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates (note: the next update on my weekly page will be 2013.04.08): This week's dose features the Museo...

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20 years ago in March

As I drove to work today I listened to an interview on the radio with the lead detective on the <a href="http://www.crimeinmind.ie/tv-programs/annie-mccarrick/">Annie McCarrick</a> missing person case.  On the 26th of March 1993, 26 yr old American Annie McCarrick disappeared in Dublin.  Never to be seen again it is one of the sad missing persons stories in Ireland.<br />This case resonated with many Irish people and most people remember the picture of this tall striking American lady.  For her family's sake I hope a body is eventually found and that the mystery of her disappearance is solved - even after all this time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq4CFCaxwvyjkux8-9GqF8fg-2TeyrvlNAJgp-zxqOyqfZ_Ycy-diD1p8Y9IM2YWp2ga15eH3TFDraMZU2mgo1dSeGYyfNYd8fUCzVuDHkfKP5CDWQifr4JLV2J2jFS9YC-vq8NDOZRaC/s1600/annie-mccarrick-300x216.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq4CFCaxwvyjkux8-9GqF8fg-2TeyrvlNAJgp-zxqOyqfZ_Ycy-diD1p8Y9IM2YWp2ga15eH3TFDraMZU2mgo1dSeGYyfNYd8fUCzVuDHkfKP5CDWQifr4JLV2J2jFS9YC-vq8NDOZRaC/s400/annie-mccarrick-300x216.jpeg" /> </a> </div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3krIi3PTNuHVzE4jQdfHWblpvq3R4sue7nNU5kfDtFfe8I8lQoXmrFXFs1z4uanILq1nvfQnjT3GuBkDyOxO7z7IWgV6gfOTdMjsDY__Ejy6P_g-G_IoO65c_TZ2kMyj2nehaf0j3rkR/s640/blogger-image--1577893915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3krIi3PTNuHVzE4jQdfHWblpvq3R4sue7nNU5kfDtFfe8I8lQoXmrFXFs1z4uanILq1nvfQnjT3GuBkDyOxO7z7IWgV6gfOTdMjsDY__Ejy6P_g-G_IoO65c_TZ2kMyj2nehaf0j3rkR/s640/blogger-image--1577893915.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGQAANKxel_mxatl5yvJUZ6VYvtFfgrEj0Spg3nZNfpnmQr9QVqo3I4On72-gRdJrDO4iKFjowbKIMkZsu_2N03PpQ-M2uGm9zQB2ATVykgo1pLK5sejsmnESBH-rDI5insUA6niyqTPL/s640/blogger-image--1327994775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGQAANKxel_mxatl5yvJUZ6VYvtFfgrEj0Spg3nZNfpnmQr9QVqo3I4On72-gRdJrDO4iKFjowbKIMkZsu_2N03PpQ-M2uGm9zQB2ATVykgo1pLK5sejsmnESBH-rDI5insUA6niyqTPL/s640/blogger-image--1327994775.jpg" /></a></div>

20 years ago in March

As I drove to work today I listened to an interview on the radio with the lead detective on the Annie McCarrick missing person case.  On th...

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Butlers Chocolate & Coffee Shop

I met a friend for coffee in Butler's this morning. Their coffee is strong and great tasting but even better than their coffee is their chocolates!! My friend and I sampled a Praline Butter, a milk truffle, a Baileys cream and the nicest a coffee cream. If you are looking for good Irish chocolate I don't think you can go wrong with Butler's - they even sell good quality cooking chocolate. As far as I know Butler's Chocolate have just opened their latest concession in Dubai! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLGe1KdhzxS7feGvsay0xbZ6qTtYkw0FRWrSgqzs8ELXi0DT_uwREbNkAVeRVxmhNOJF2_wYid5zuVQZesJxfOSTbt66hYD0mcR93_MXhMniHKwv1PC4Wc6QWHs7BaFUqseG4E15daxJM/s640/blogger-image--1767108829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLGe1KdhzxS7feGvsay0xbZ6qTtYkw0FRWrSgqzs8ELXi0DT_uwREbNkAVeRVxmhNOJF2_wYid5zuVQZesJxfOSTbt66hYD0mcR93_MXhMniHKwv1PC4Wc6QWHs7BaFUqseG4E15daxJM/s640/blogger-image--1767108829.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67UFZlxtXytufgdBA0U467wYV1fPvgn11YQy0QkMJzLVcgSl6v1-ket-4nuIAWlyPly_PxbUVHMQMzhGu31s1rEY9Leyc2b3AV-osKG4DJHEwnH7s9iWB9wWbl-DzgW4aQsPkvD6Aakik/s640/blogger-image--1905689272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67UFZlxtXytufgdBA0U467wYV1fPvgn11YQy0QkMJzLVcgSl6v1-ket-4nuIAWlyPly_PxbUVHMQMzhGu31s1rEY9Leyc2b3AV-osKG4DJHEwnH7s9iWB9wWbl-DzgW4aQsPkvD6Aakik/s640/blogger-image--1905689272.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUWkGUH1fnoS48mMvRoGrNCp9OPcAaDG8KSB4G1EXe_iG5iGroOgIEltw-5zm4bUqFfDR1rfdycObABd9KITQmIZVFdp-evdDIs4BqL7UVTkRVJFxIEJ-hAOyzwFR_Dfx4NPbWRP_irBp/s640/blogger-image--326892050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUWkGUH1fnoS48mMvRoGrNCp9OPcAaDG8KSB4G1EXe_iG5iGroOgIEltw-5zm4bUqFfDR1rfdycObABd9KITQmIZVFdp-evdDIs4BqL7UVTkRVJFxIEJ-hAOyzwFR_Dfx4NPbWRP_irBp/s640/blogger-image--326892050.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagH8aQ28ARU3OSNcKPVVH1-oy3uB7MSJKDqjkQQqhUpNxrWj23E8VG2uCOfND8TTGQeQQTW_FAnKYFLA3LVWux6jSIp-jfU-qmEkYxuUtiBS2S81FP2pDNx589NSLiUZTCueoOHdLOi4n/s640/blogger-image--1468398993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagH8aQ28ARU3OSNcKPVVH1-oy3uB7MSJKDqjkQQqhUpNxrWj23E8VG2uCOfND8TTGQeQQTW_FAnKYFLA3LVWux6jSIp-jfU-qmEkYxuUtiBS2S81FP2pDNx589NSLiUZTCueoOHdLOi4n/s640/blogger-image--1468398993.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyGkABNX-d1YaFbhyphenhyphenzPta31R1kLtm2BkuS8KC4ONynnjaaXbdw-lFNAV2VC6gGbF5jzqFa2vaJs-2NAQT9ojSEkathYKQ-lohlnnitz8kc8EI36zV0Jbivo4DYG1iSOs4oNkenUr8l-3G/s640/blogger-image-791252999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyGkABNX-d1YaFbhyphenhyphenzPta31R1kLtm2BkuS8KC4ONynnjaaXbdw-lFNAV2VC6gGbF5jzqFa2vaJs-2NAQT9ojSEkathYKQ-lohlnnitz8kc8EI36zV0Jbivo4DYG1iSOs4oNkenUr8l-3G/s640/blogger-image-791252999.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUsXm4-QDq38g1aUSRMaEZkPrGZOSadYcNPjnv6mUh_GEobxIIb2HISvCp8_DibQSXezZsV2U58xrewG4vSv61YT7TJHKuUqnyY98gG-19nkaRK3vBpxR5wuIaiC4yku7xuHs0I-u04pi/s640/blogger-image--268556843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUsXm4-QDq38g1aUSRMaEZkPrGZOSadYcNPjnv6mUh_GEobxIIb2HISvCp8_DibQSXezZsV2U58xrewG4vSv61YT7TJHKuUqnyY98gG-19nkaRK3vBpxR5wuIaiC4yku7xuHs0I-u04pi/s640/blogger-image--268556843.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zlxo7sTISunxBxpOZbP9KB2MWLvajGRB2T31weHB90c-EKpxHkb8H6WJj3yRW-pIm5xEJvkq_MjR3dWxTxnusWulp0-hiq1j6aFwodWkGAEW6bqqOk89rEM_mcSks5YXjgnQB6p5ykVu/s640/blogger-image-603776032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zlxo7sTISunxBxpOZbP9KB2MWLvajGRB2T31weHB90c-EKpxHkb8H6WJj3yRW-pIm5xEJvkq_MjR3dWxTxnusWulp0-hiq1j6aFwodWkGAEW6bqqOk89rEM_mcSks5YXjgnQB6p5ykVu/s640/blogger-image-603776032.jpg" /></a></div>

Butlers Chocolate & Coffee Shop

I met a friend for coffee in Butler's this morning. Their coffee is strong and great tasting but even better than their coffee is the...

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We've got Gap!

A new Gap story has just opened in the Westend Mall in Blanchardstown Centre. How exciting! My friend recently had a baby boy so I took a visit to Gap to get a present. I got the cutest little hoodie! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkucEZ5OPPtAJsHYTKVsIdhdEQsiBE2lHpHoiY4AGjWABEzDZnQcCwbkgzxsjjCTnz5FaOova52NaOQLYePDzmBg-GkjMDphgSpBHZywi9G3zjLUUoor2hMOPvVD9vX_S-gzid3Es2xG7d/s640/blogger-image-1121222270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkucEZ5OPPtAJsHYTKVsIdhdEQsiBE2lHpHoiY4AGjWABEzDZnQcCwbkgzxsjjCTnz5FaOova52NaOQLYePDzmBg-GkjMDphgSpBHZywi9G3zjLUUoor2hMOPvVD9vX_S-gzid3Es2xG7d/s640/blogger-image-1121222270.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGz79PpykX1kJUXfGWXDFHBjUyvg1Q2QmxExiPJIh6D9nOULJb0OFyFNsEnd6l8MfYFP5dRVaWZIxRU6mWHMANm9yp4sEX0DQUA1WQS651ScTBMabcmT2p66fmcTy4e4LvqX3mrDOI85l/s640/blogger-image--1451442597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGz79PpykX1kJUXfGWXDFHBjUyvg1Q2QmxExiPJIh6D9nOULJb0OFyFNsEnd6l8MfYFP5dRVaWZIxRU6mWHMANm9yp4sEX0DQUA1WQS651ScTBMabcmT2p66fmcTy4e4LvqX3mrDOI85l/s640/blogger-image--1451442597.jpg" /></a></div>

We've got Gap!

A new Gap story has just opened in the Westend Mall in Blanchardstown Centre. How exciting! My friend recently had a baby boy so I took a...

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Projects Before Baby Arrives

I have a few things that I want to accomplish before the baby arrives. <br /><br /><b>1. Daycare:</b> Many have warned us that we have to start as soon as possible in order to get ourselves on the waiting lists.  Just like I did with wedding planning, I'm procrastinating hardcore on this task.  It just seems complicated - choosing the right childcare for our kid, and hoping that you're getting your money's worth for the care they provide.  We're also in an unusual position where we won't necessarily ever need childcare a full 5 days/week.  I know that daycares don't allow you to pick and choose, so we're also considering a nanny.  Decisions, decisions.<br /><br /><b>2. Knitting:</b> I've always wanted to learn how to knit and what better time than now?  Especially since I'm not currently taking nursing classes, I have much more free time.  My neighbor, Amelia, got me started with the basic knit stitch, and so I've decided to proceed with that - constructing a lavender baby blanket for the little lady.  So far I have just 5 squares done.  It takes me forever!  Amelia has promised to help me stitch the squares together once I'm ready.  I have 35 more squares to go - I hope I can make it in time!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m5AdrV0yqKRTbs3HgYAbBOy1y_ftOcIosA19Bw-b19yePcOZ7xeXxH2d0C3-ftUq8BAjPvns7PG1NNHuiyuI579KfXaT_SEXWqbutsxQaiweEbrGN6E2j0zGU3HB70459cCneRkR2Y0/s1600/knitting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m5AdrV0yqKRTbs3HgYAbBOy1y_ftOcIosA19Bw-b19yePcOZ7xeXxH2d0C3-ftUq8BAjPvns7PG1NNHuiyuI579KfXaT_SEXWqbutsxQaiweEbrGN6E2j0zGU3HB70459cCneRkR2Y0/s400/knitting.jpg" usa="true" width="300" /></a></div><br />I hope to work up to <a href="http://www.nothankstocake.com/" target="_blank">Kelly's</a> level where I can actually read/follow a pattern and do more than just a simple baby blanket.<br /><b>3. Getting rid of stuff:</b>  We've been diligently cleaning out our spare bedroom (and the whole condo!) to convert it into a nursery.  So far we've made great progress, but there are still some big ticket items that need to go.  I've listed our old desk on Craigslist, and I have an entire Rubbermaid tote FILLED with books I've already read.  Those have been <a href="http://shops.half.ebay.com/hilaryjp248_W0QQmZbooks" target="_blank">listed on Half.com</a>. (Most of them are super cheap too - just 75 cents!)<br /><br /><b>4. Nursery Furniture:</b>  We already have the <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-Stanton-4-in-Convertible-Crib-Your-Choice-Finish-and-Kolcraft-Mattress-Set/23133666" target="_blank">crib</a>, but we need to get the remaining furniture.  I'm not big on changing tables - they just don't seem like a practical piece of furniture - so I'd prefer to get a 6-drawer dresser that can serve as both the changing table and dresser.  Still, it's hard to find a 6-drawer dresser that isn't more than $500.  We're not trying to invest too much into this furniture, since we will be moving again sometime in the future, and who knows how many more times, and I don't want to have anything super nice that will just get knocked around in future moves. <br /><br /><b>5. Photography: </b> I've always had an interest in photography, but now that I have a DSLR I really want to take full advantage of all it can do.  I took an online class last summer via a LivingSocial deal (it was so-so), but I want to do more.  I have a photography book I want to get through, as well as tackle some more techniques in both Photoshop and Lightroom.  I like taking pictures of people, not scenes or objects, so it's been kind of tough finding people to practice on.  BUT, soon I will have a great subject to practice on and I can't wait :). <br /><br /><strong>6. Financials:</strong>  My parents set me up with a life insurance policy a long time ago, but it wasn't doing so well and they finally cashed it in and gave me the money.  Now that I'm married, Joel and I really need to get a policy established and I'd like to get an education fund started for the baby.  One of the greatest gifts I've ever been given was having my college education paid in full for me thanks to my generous parents!  I want to be able to do the same for my child.  I do welcome input on this area - do you have an investment company that you work with that works well?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">Do you have any big things you're trying to check off your to-do list between now and when the summer months start?</span></strong>

Baby Busbee Projects Before Baby Arrives

I have a few things that I want to accomplish before the baby arrives. 1. Daycare: Many have warned us that we have to start as soon as pos...

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favorite room fun

I'm over at <a href="http://sadieandstella.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sadie + Stella</a> today talking about my favorite room. (three guess which one it is). Go over and <a href="http://sadieandstella.blogspot.com/2013/03/favorite-room-feature-little-black-door.html" target="_blank">check it out</a>. And I swear this will be the last time we all chat about this room for a while.<br /><br />Also, be sure to come back on Friday as I have two big things to share. Literally, they are both large in size...and kinda heavy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zinxYV1neDLaJfMERUdzWvn6cHDwAfcksdpQ1Maj8gGvCIm7zVS81fGcF4MLEFLtjuQhO7t13lS4VvHI-vNMjBeFYb9g-d2cRyMYHPjU5hf7D-k4e5BQZK2PDvKeG88ZRZw_8qTJLve0/s1600/S+S+header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zinxYV1neDLaJfMERUdzWvn6cHDwAfcksdpQ1Maj8gGvCIm7zVS81fGcF4MLEFLtjuQhO7t13lS4VvHI-vNMjBeFYb9g-d2cRyMYHPjU5hf7D-k4e5BQZK2PDvKeG88ZRZw_8qTJLve0/s400/S+S+header.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />

favorite room fun

I'm over at Sadie + Stella today talking about my favorite room. (three guess which one it is). Go over and check it out . And I swear ...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/27/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://michaelhyatt.com/how-to-get-your-kindle-highlights-into-evernote.html">How to Get Your Kindle Highlights into Evernote | Michael Hyatt</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Very cool way to get your Kindle notes into evernote. I'm going to try this!</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/kindle">kindle</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/app">app</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/evernote">evernote</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/penn-finn-learnings-2013-joe-mazza">Penn-Finn Learnings 2013: A Journey of Inquiry | Edutopia</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">I love this trip that is happening in Finland, especially the transparency. I'm going to be "hanging out" with some of those in Finland in the hangout on Wednesday. You can look at what they are doing and how they are traveling and sharing. I think more information-gathering trips should be this transparent. "Doctoral learners from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education will spend a "week in the schools" -- the schools of Helsinki, that is -- looking at a variety of research areas through the lenses of students, teachers, parents and leaders. These lead learners will use that week to reflect upon where the United States and Finland agree and disagree on core beliefs surrounding teaching, learning and leadership."</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/all_teachers">all_teachers</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/27/2013

How to Get Your Kindle Highlights into Evernote | Michael Hyatt Very cool way to get your Kindle not...

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Change is Good, Unless it's Bad

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Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">Hola y’all! I’m not one of those people who hates change. I don’t normally dread it or fight it. In fact, I welcome change. Hell, I’ve moved like 20 times total in my life so obviously change isn’t that big of a deal to me. Sometimes I make changes in my life just for the hell of it even. In fact, I’m kind of dying to make all kinds of changes right now. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY1tjgX2zw_7iIc9u23owQG25VIJ-vT71zVZesEJFPnAZ7ZIrjzpwqqN5K2yoI8y6KULzQWKBEgdwOeHXOiI2EzCroV03BPqJEXNTnwM_EBNJYzccwablGJWm4LskVu2sdcc8TlQYDqc/s1600/change.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY1tjgX2zw_7iIc9u23owQG25VIJ-vT71zVZesEJFPnAZ7ZIrjzpwqqN5K2yoI8y6KULzQWKBEgdwOeHXOiI2EzCroV03BPqJEXNTnwM_EBNJYzccwablGJWm4LskVu2sdcc8TlQYDqc/s320/change.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Over at IWS Radio we’re always changing. We’ve changed the intro oodles of times and …. AND …. it might be changed again this week. Who knows how many new segments we’ll come up with and then just casually forget to do again stop doing for whatever reason over the next few months? Change is good! Change keeps things fresh! Change keeps us from getting into a rut and just doing the same thing over and over and over. <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This week, I was FORCED to change banks. My bank, Bank of America, sold all their branches in my area to Arvest. I was a little bummed by this because this was change I never asked for or wanted. Luckily, it involved little to no action on my part though. The switchover went off without a hitch and now I have a new bank! I get to go into the new branches and check out all the babes working the counter and maybe even take out a loan just for the fun of it. See? Change is good! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes though, people or companies make changes that just don’t work. Then they try to make it all better by making MORE changes. Worse than that, a lot times their changes are for no reason and have no real plan behind them. This never works out well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A great example of bad people who make bad changes all the time is Tumblr. Every single time they make changes, their site becomes less useful. It’s almost as if they do focus groups of Tumblrs to find out what features they like most and then say “Let’s get rid of those features immediately!” Granted I’ve been hating on Tumblr lately, but it just annoys me so much! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Facebook loves to make changes too. I don’t have the NEW Facebook yet. Well, I guess I don’t. The last time they made changes lots of people said they hated it, but I liked it. I like the ticker over on the upper right and easily ignore the ads just to the right of the News Feed. The thing about Facebook’s changes is that they tend to reset everyone’s settings to some default that nobody wants when they make changes. Also, they love to tell me that they “removed” someone from my ticker or feed because I’m not interacting with them much. Yo, big brother, I’ll decide who is on my feed and who isn’t, thank you very much! Also, why do I always have to reset my feed to “Most Recent” several times a day? Haven’t you notice that I do that ALL the time? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But, when it comes to making bad changes, NOBODY beats Twitter! It seems like every change they make sucks. Recently they made the suckiest change of all. They decided to kill TweetDeck. Well, not completely. Very soon TweetDeck will not work as a separate desktop program. It will only work within your browser. Yes, there will still be a TweetDeck, but it won’t be as useful and won’t have all the same features. I get that Twitter can do whatever they want with their products, but I don’t get the theory behind making them less easy and fun to use! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So, my point is, and I do have one, change isn’t bad. Change is something that should be embraced and even done willingly. But, there has to be a plan and it has to be for the better. Lots of software companies seem to forget the “for the better” part. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws">@Jayman_IWS </a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SCHMOOPALICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! </div></div>

Change is Good, Unless it's Bad

Hola y’all! I’m not one of those people who hates change. I don’t normally dread it or fight it. In fact, I welcome change. Hell, I’ve move...

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Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light

<img alt="MoMA-Labrouste1.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/MoMA-Labrouste1.jpg" title="Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy" /><br />[Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy]<br /><br />About a week ago I visited the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to check out the exhibition <a href="http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1319"><i>Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light</i></a>, on display in the third floor's special exhibition's gallery until June 24, 2013. The exhibition has received a good deal of attention since it opened in early March, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/arts/design/henri-labrouste-at-the-museum-of-modern-art.html">most notably by Michael Kimmelman at the New York Times</a>. Below are some photos I took and some of my impressions on the show, though readers in need of a bit more depth on the exhibition should read Kimmelman's piece.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8558645529/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="437" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8558645529_e2c203a661_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />[Photos by John Hill, unless noted otherwise]<br /><br />MoMA bills the show as "the first solo exhibition of Labrouste’s work in the United States." It took long enough, considering that Labrouste died in 1875. It's not for lack of importance or influence, since the architect's two main projects (really, what he is only known for by most)—the <a href="http://www-bsg.univ-paris1.fr/">Bibliothèque Ste.-Geneviève</a> and the <a href="http://www.bnf.fr/fr/acc/x.accueil.html">Bibliothèque Nationale</a>, both in Paris—were seen as precursors of 20th-century modernism by the likes of Sigfried Giedion in MoMA's early days.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8558646269/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8558646269_870ae7c983_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The exhibition is curated by MoMA's Barry Bergdoll, with Corinne Bélier of the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine and Marc Le Coeur of the Bibliothèque Nationale, where it was first displayed. Given its location in the third floor galleries, the first impression of the show is not a positive one—visitors must traverse a narrow, linear (and often crowded) gallery that leads to the larger spaces beyond. This first section (above) is being given extra weight by Bergdoll, through his assertion that Labrouste's early restoration studies of Paestum, Italy, "shook up academic dogma," as he says in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0870708392/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0870708392&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20">exhibition catalog</a>. The many drawings (and Labrouste's drawing instruments, a nice treat) in the corridor are worth beholding, but they create an arterial clog of sorts in the exhibition that is not relieved until moving through the glass doors at the other end. (The photo of the corridor, above, was taken on my way out, in a slow moment.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8558646529/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8558646529_ec2865ff53_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />While the beautiful photos of the two libraries (on top of this post and below my exhibition photos) are the primary means by which the exhibition is being shared in the media, the show is predominantly drawings and a few models. The drawings—many of them watercolors—are astounding, illustrating Labrouste's skill as a delineator but also his thorough working out of details, from stone decoration to structural ironwork to the insertion of modern services into the library. And one of the show's main statements is that Labrouste is an early Modern (with a capital M) architect, due to his use of modern materials (iron, concrete) and systems and the way in which his libraries defined the modern institution.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8559754792/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8559754792_7b98f2f2c9_c.jpg" width="600" /></a><br /><br />The framing of Labrouste as an early modern architect doesn't necessarily come to the fore in the first of the larger exhibition spaces, pictured above. Drawings are displayed on retro, pseudo-drafting tables. The legs made of wood spheres are a bit goofy, but the surfaces make for comfortable viewing of drawings and even videos (visible in the foreground of the photo above). The post-modern nature of the tables comes across in the fact that many of the drawings do not rest on the rails at the bottom of each table; they are mounted above.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8559755240/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8559755240_02395fe9cb_z.jpg" width="524" /></a><br /><br />Some more historical allusions come in the portal at the beginning of the exhibition and another in a wall separating two of the larger galleries; one side shows his libraries and the other side displays projects of successors influenced by Labrouste. The photo above is looking toward the latter, as if the stacks (the same sort of structural system used at the New York Public Library that Norman Foster and NYPL want to remove) are the most modern aspect of Labrouste's libraries. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8558645923/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="607" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8558645923_686d45b3aa_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />[Model of Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève]<br /><br />To be honest, I always have a hard time keeping the Bibliothèque Ste.-Geneviève and the Bibliothèque Nationale straight. Their designs are quite different, even though they are both grand spaces structured in iron and light—one is a long vaulted space and one is made up of a series of skylit vaults. But remembering which is which has always been hard for me, though don't ask me why. The exhibition will help refresh my learning from undergrad, but of course the value of the show goes well beyond something like this.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8559755908/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="429" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8559755908_74f01bcb28_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />[Model of Bibliothèque Nationale]<br /><br />When I visited MoMA to see the exhibition I ran into a couple professors from my <i>alma mater</i>, Kansas State University. They were part of a school trip that took third-year students from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan,_Kansas">Little Apple</a> to the Big Apple; many of their students were taking in the Labrouste exhibition as we spoke. In hindsight the exhibition is perfect for students: It illustrates a sort of "everything is contemporary at some time" aspect to Labrouste's architecture, while also driving home the importance of hand drawing in conveying ideas and exploring design and construction. The latter may be an increasingly archaic notion, but divorcing hand drawing from architecture doesn't seem right to me.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8559755684/" title="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8559755684_dd736e36af_z.jpg" width="569" /></a><br />[Model of Bibliothèque Nationale]<br /><br />The models are also valuable artifacts for students to see. Sure, they were made much later than Labrouste's drawings, but they do an excellent job of showing the various conditions (structure, services, systems) that are behind and below the surfaces that have rightfully attracted so much attention over the years.<br /><br />For those <i>really</i> interested in Labrouste's libraries, MoMA is hosting (with Columbia GSAPP) a symposium on Thursday: <a href="http://events.gsapp.org/event/revising-labrouste-in-the-digital-age-symposium"><i>Read: Revisiting Labrouste in the Digital Age</i></a>. Participants include Barry Bergdoll, Alberto Kalach, Dominique Perrault, Anthony Vidler, and many others.<br /><br /><img alt="MoMA-Labrouste2.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/MoMA-Labrouste2.jpg" title="Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy" /><br />[Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy]<br /><br /><img alt="MoMA-Labrouste3.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/MoMA-Labrouste3.jpg" title="Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy" /><br />[Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy]<br /><br /><br /><img alt="MoMA-Labrouste4.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/MoMA-Labrouste4.jpg" title="Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy" /><br />[Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy]<br /><br /><img alt="MoMA-Labrouste5.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/MoMA-Labrouste5.jpg" title="Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy" /><br />[Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy]<br /><br /><img alt="MoMA-Labrouste6.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/MoMA-Labrouste6.jpg" title="Henri Labrouste (French, 1801-1875). Imaginary reconstruction of an ancient city. Perspective view. Date unknown. Graphite, pen, ink and watercolor on paper. Académie d’Architecture, Paris" /><br />[Henri Labrouste (French, 1801-1875). Imaginary reconstruction of an ancient city. Perspective view. Date unknown. Graphite, pen, ink and watercolor on paper. Académie d’Architecture, Paris]<br /><br /><img alt="MoMA-Labrouste7.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/MoMA-Labrouste7.jpg" title="Henri Labrouste (1801-1875). Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, 1838-1850. Southwest corner: elevation and section. Late 1850. Pen, ink, graphite, wash and watercolor on paper. Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Paris" /><br />[Henri Labrouste (1801-1875). Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, 1838-1850. Southwest corner: elevation and section. Late 1850. Pen, ink, graphite, wash and watercolor on paper. Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Paris]

Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light

[Henri Labrouste. Bibliothèque nationale, Paris. 1854–75. View of the reading room. © Georges Fessy] About a week ago I visited the Museum o...

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Wang Shu Lecture

On April 2 Wang Shu, the 2012 Pritzker Prize winner and partner at <a href="http://www.world-architects.com/amateur/">Amateur Architecture Studio</a>, is speaking at <a href="http://cooper.edu/events-and-exhibitions/events/lecture-2012-pritzker-prize-laureate-wang-shu">The Cooper Union</a>, in a lecture co-sponsored by the Architectural League of New York. See below for more information.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPn8BS5v-glQjvXf6TlV0iQa9XSAYsMTgR19OpQQsjfFwYRBMMnTKfsH0_qiv7-pjAMJmHRKXB0IQ4Ar_gfk1gKwA0Rs2DpTy78JsUc0H1YsI0p_NKwEbQ_1o57_eLhWGnYoe6ogOCfqb9/s1600/399.jpg" /><br />[ Ningbo History Museum | Photo: Lv Hengzhong] <br /><blockquote><b>Current Work: Wang Shu / Amateur Architecture Studio</b><br /><br />Wang Shu and his wife, Lu Wenyu, founded Amateur Architecture Studio in 1997 in Hangzhou, China. The name of the office refers to the approach of an amateur builder—one based on spontaneity, craft skills, and cultural traditions. In order to learn traditional skills, Wang Shu spent the early part of his career working on building sites. Rather than looking toward the West for inspiration, Wang’s work is rooted firmly in the context of Chinese history and culture. Today the studio incorporates Wang’s knowledge of everyday techniques to adapt and transform materials for contemporary projects. The “unique combination of traditional understanding, experimental building tactics, and intensive research” has become fundamental to the office’s architectural projects.<br /><br />Some of his most important built works include the Library of Wenzheng College, Suzhou University; Ningbo Contemporary Art Museum; the Xiangshan Campus of the China Academy of Art; and the Ningbo History Museum.<br /><br />Wang Shu is the <a href="http://www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/2012">2012 Pritzker Prize</a> laureate, the first Chinese citizen to receive that honor. He is Professor and Head of the Architecture School at China Academy of Art, Hangzhou. In 2011, he became the first Chinese Kenzo Tange Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts.</blockquote>Tickets can be obtained <a href="http://archleague.org/2013/04/wang-shu/">via the Architectural League</a>. For those unable to make it to NYC for this lecture, Wang Shu is also speaking on <a href="http://www.architecture.yale.edu/drupal/events/lectures">April 3 at the Yale School of Architecture</a>.

Wang Shu Lecture

On April 2 Wang Shu, the 2012 Pritzker Prize winner and partner at Amateur Architecture Studio , is speaking at The Cooper Union , in a lect...

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Turning Elementary Computer labs into STEM labs: A welcome change?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theann.com/WMBK/1ErvinJarrett.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.theann.com/WMBK/1ErvinJarrett.gif" /></a></div><h3>Elementary STEM Lab Teacher, Kevin Jarrett</h3>Recently, elementary <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.stemedcoalition.org/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="STEM">STEM</a> lab teacher <a href="http://about.me/kjarrett">Kevin Jarrett</a> (@<a href="https://twitter.com/kjarrett">kjarrett</a>) and researcher Dr. Jeremy Irvin (@<a href="http://www.twitter.com/@dr_jeremy_ervin">dr_jeremy_ervin </a>) spent some time sharing the story of the transformation of an elementary computer lab into a STEM lab at Kevin's school on <a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=91&layout=blog&Itemid=259">my podcast</a>.. They are using the curriculum "<a href="http://www.eie.org/eie/">Engineering is Elementary</a>." What he's doing is powerful and important and I wish every school would follow this model.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blogs.ncs-nj.org/k4stemlab/files/2013/03/Untitled2-500x342.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://blogs.ncs-nj.org/k4stemlab/files/2013/03/Untitled2-500x342.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at <a href="http://blogs.ncs-nj.org/k4stemlab/">the blog </a>where Kevin documents learning<br />with his students and communicates needs and<br />objectives with parents.</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Blogging to share Learning and Lead</h3>Take time to review his <a href="http://blogs.ncs-nj.org/k4stemlab/">NCS Stemlab blog</a> where he shares engineering, math, science, and technology with parents and mobilizes everyone to action. (He says he posts what he needs and almost immediately receives it on his desk the next day.)<br /><br /><h3>How you can listen to the show</h3>Listen to the show "Creative Approaches to Teaching STEM at the Elementary School Level" on <a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=91&layout=blog&Itemid=259">Every Classroom Matters</a> (BAM Radio Network) <a href="http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WECM.ErvinJarrettt.cfm">Listen </a> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/every-classroom-matters-cool/id606677009">Itunes  </a>  <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/BAM-Radio-Network/137305499663569?sk=app_2373072738">Comment</a><br /><br />If you want to subscribe via your podcast app (see my <a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-every-classroom-matters-show-and.html">iCatcher tutorial</a>) here's the <a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=91&layout=blog&Itemid=259&format=feed&type=rss">RSS link</a> to the show.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8489076936_d1e7c9ba77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8489076936_d1e7c9ba77.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin uses the <a href="http://www.eie.org/eie/">Engineering is Elementary </a>STEM curriculum.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3>How much money did they spend?</h3>They use Google chromebooks and money from a $3,000 grant to get things set up, but besides that, they didn't really spend much money.<br /><br /><h3>Essential Questions</h3>As you take time to <a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=91&layout=blog&Itemid=259">listen to the show</a>, ask these guiding questions.<br /><br /><ul><li>Does the name "computer lab" restrict what we think we should do in it? </li><li>Is a STEM lab core or enrichment?</li><li>How would implementing a STEM lab at the elementary level impact a school? How did it impact Kevins?</li></ul><br /><br />We need STEM labs not computer labs but remember that the technology is an important component. His kindergartners are using <a class="zem_slink" href="http://docs.google.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Google Docs">Google Docs</a> and all kinds of technology. If your students transferred to his school, could they keep up? Would they want to go back to your classroom after spending time there? If you're worried with your answers, then, perhaps you should consider being part of the vision of moving forward with STEM in your school.<br /><br />I talked with my curriculum director, headmaster, and a few board members and said if I had one wish for our elementary, it would be a STEM lab for the elementary school.<br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=0181e6e0-d19a-4018-a4ee-ba32613cb923" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

Turning Elementary Computer labs into STEM labs: A welcome change?

Elementary STEM Lab Teacher, Kevin Jarrett Recently, elementary STEM lab teacher Kevin Jarrett  (@ kjarrett ) and researcher Dr. Jeremy Irv...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/26/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/list/dgburris/common-core-curriculum-resources">Common Core Curriculum Resources - List | Diigo</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Darren Burris, a math teacher at Boston Collegiate Charter School, has a list of 186 items for Common Core Resources on his Diigo list. He's someone you'll want to follow on Diigo.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/math">math</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/bestpractices">bestpractices</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edu_trends">edu_trends</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teach-plus/the-quantified-student_b_1975052.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvqXMZKXonjHpfsX56+wlUKO0lMI/0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DTcNnI/qLAzICFpZo2FFMH+6YfZJL6Q==">Teach Plus: The Quantified Student</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Fascinating article from a teacher thriving in the standardized testing environment. Fascinating. "Last year, working with the same cohort of students (by then fifth graders), I tried to find more learning opportunities that focused on data. We used math websites like TenMarks that enable students to learn about their own learning even as they practice new skills. We analyzed information graphics and dove into ways of presenting numerical information. We explored how numbers shape our understanding of ourselves and the world. And much of their enthusiasm and curiosity for these tasks came out of their interest in numbers from standardized testing. I've thus come to believe there's a role for standardized testing within education. As a limited portion of a multiple measure evaluation system, it helps teachers understand how well we've taught over the course of a year. It also helps students understand how much they mastered over that year and makes them agents in their own learning."</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/testing">testing</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/data">data</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/math">math</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/26/2013

Common Core Curriculum Resources - List | Diigo Darren Burris, a math teacher at Boston Collegiate C...

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Easter is coming!

Easter is coming and I have 4 blissful days off work over the holiday. Ciaran is heading to Galway for a tournament. My twin sister is coming to stay with me over the weekend. We plan to relax in the hot tub, go out for a nice meal and chill out! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73frES7a_W8ARtaKzne7Oxl9q1aDtoH1vuBKGb58a8EnjOVuVr5jb0XboS5vPbgnSbPuZnUvGwpnsarfOETvOjB0NMUDTlZ-V3wlUMz2sOofGmEIYXnt5hO4DeiHYHa35kFhH10RxiVzc/s640/blogger-image-604714540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73frES7a_W8ARtaKzne7Oxl9q1aDtoH1vuBKGb58a8EnjOVuVr5jb0XboS5vPbgnSbPuZnUvGwpnsarfOETvOjB0NMUDTlZ-V3wlUMz2sOofGmEIYXnt5hO4DeiHYHa35kFhH10RxiVzc/s640/blogger-image-604714540.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-WKJhsHSbnY8fF9g31fJ08vZvBoL8aMmurMDBC_Ffis2KwifhtfvCfw_IX0utXT0j21hvE4OXssgTe5b3v5foiPSCXrk6DueqHRAfNTJQzOZKdr-TcVG9fnKh5VbNQuIMrMDb5aD8pVu/s640/blogger-image-48097066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-WKJhsHSbnY8fF9g31fJ08vZvBoL8aMmurMDBC_Ffis2KwifhtfvCfw_IX0utXT0j21hvE4OXssgTe5b3v5foiPSCXrk6DueqHRAfNTJQzOZKdr-TcVG9fnKh5VbNQuIMrMDb5aD8pVu/s640/blogger-image-48097066.jpg" /></a></div>

Easter is coming!

Easter is coming and I have 4 blissful days off work over the holiday. Ciaran is heading to Galway for a tournament. My twin sister is comi...

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