TURKEYS ERRATIC FOREIGN POLICIES – ALL BECAUSE OF ENERGY?

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaIgssP-RS3gmzEbn2CSxhe60Fe4gjSmQY6c1UZ3FgALYpEvEXtNsgMm6bLmw725czZ96JP8AzIDccjbGfMRPvgnOZLz5tVU969IKCFSTMcVuSIH5Re_EeZztULTADEtaGs9Kzb9Q9eIt/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaIgssP-RS3gmzEbn2CSxhe60Fe4gjSmQY6c1UZ3FgALYpEvEXtNsgMm6bLmw725czZ96JP8AzIDccjbGfMRPvgnOZLz5tVU969IKCFSTMcVuSIH5Re_EeZztULTADEtaGs9Kzb9Q9eIt/s400/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY'S GAMBLE ON KURDISTAN OIL</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As tensions rise among IRAQI KURDS in the country's north</span>, <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SUNNIS in the south and the SHI'ITE-led government in Baghdad over the distribution of natural resources, TURKEY is setting its sights on an unconventional alliance with the KURDISTAN Regional Government (KRG).</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVDWABeIttc66lke9wLOAIpMF23qbOOibLkJ3YvtXxaw5tLSfEb0KB8NFWJOTriQk11JiwWbrrkZnjtzU07yt8IkY0bPp924ekV5HfNaa2H6jpoAJSQxrbigmmS8GgYYIMPR5gTvZz9FA/s1600/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVDWABeIttc66lke9wLOAIpMF23qbOOibLkJ3YvtXxaw5tLSfEb0KB8NFWJOTriQk11JiwWbrrkZnjtzU07yt8IkY0bPp924ekV5HfNaa2H6jpoAJSQxrbigmmS8GgYYIMPR5gTvZz9FA/s400/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This is a gamble Ankara is willing to take, despite the potential implications it could have for KURDS on its own territory. As recently as 2009, Ankara had a very different view on the KRG, going as far as to label its leader, Masoud Barzani, a "bandit" who was turning a blind eye (at best) to KURDISH militants using NORTHERN IRAQ as a base to launch cross-border attacks on TURKEY. The KURDISTAN Workers Party (PKK) has been fighting the TURKISH government for more rights for decades.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So when Ankara began announcing a series of bilateral deals with the KRG (deals that went above Baghdad's head), everyone's first question was why would TURKEY want to align itself with an IRAQI Kurdish leadership who is clearly making a play to create a sovereign KURDISH state?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">NORTHERN IRAQ STANDS TO BE ONE OF THE NEXT GREAT INVESTMENT AREAS IN THE MIDDLE EAST</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnGQE8nnU5Ho4HlXpvNx-sCkfzYeO26d1Ne3hi1ATzLxMfe0tHbvVXsa3deEsXWYh7MtGA84EwFx8Ru8Rg5KA6UF7Co1jhHx3J9btaIY6gITb0J6sAcf5MyIgyKjbFHj8qgz9inYxMToi/s1600/iraq_oil_2003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnGQE8nnU5Ho4HlXpvNx-sCkfzYeO26d1Ne3hi1ATzLxMfe0tHbvVXsa3deEsXWYh7MtGA84EwFx8Ru8Rg5KA6UF7Co1jhHx3J9btaIY6gITb0J6sAcf5MyIgyKjbFHj8qgz9inYxMToi/s320/iraq_oil_2003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Analysts at the intelligence firm Jellyfish say this is not such an unexpected or even illogical development from TURKEY'S standpoint, for NORTHERN IRAQ is a major market for TURKISH exports and that oil and gas coming from IRAQI KURDISH territory is moved on to worldwide markets through TURKEY.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">From a financial and logistical standpoint, an Ankara-Erbil marriage is one of exceptional convenience. On the other hand one has to bear in mind that NORTHERN IRAQ stands to be one of the next great investment areas in the MIDDLE EAST, and so far the KRG has managed to outplay Baghdad in the natural resources and investment game.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The KRG signed a highly controversial deal with ExxonMobil to explore for hydrocarbons in NORTHERN IRAQ. The deal was signed without Baghdad's consent or consultation, which makes the deal perceivably illegal. Baghdad attempted to auction off another set of exploration blocks, but none of the big international players bid, balking at (among other things) clauses forbidding anyone to deal exclusively with the KRG.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">PIPELINE DEALS – THE REAL REASON FOR THE CURRENT UP HEAVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Furthermore the KRG and TURKEY announced plans to build a pipeline connecting Ceyhan, TURKEY, with NORTHERN IRAQ, and that this pipeline could carry 1 million barrels of oil per day and could be completed as early as August 2013. A second addition to the pipeline would connect it directly to the existing Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline by 2014. The KRG plans to export crude oil to TURKEY, which will be refined in TURKEY and re-exported to NORTHERN IRAQ.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKv1Ce-j1GeygBlINKT-gBZGKgozNx87NmHuUE3E8qWDqRQwCXKbKH4e8bghJ8ijTJU8zD9B9RblJZXNJnmNTyFzOYN9xdky7KDJEFU0j04-qIy6SlEA1fjuBBRPuXwdYQXcB-uiTd73Z/s1600/AzPipeMap2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKv1Ce-j1GeygBlINKT-gBZGKgozNx87NmHuUE3E8qWDqRQwCXKbKH4e8bghJ8ijTJU8zD9B9RblJZXNJnmNTyFzOYN9xdky7KDJEFU0j04-qIy6SlEA1fjuBBRPuXwdYQXcB-uiTd73Z/s320/AzPipeMap2.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A highly significant but oddly underreported development that will boost the <b>KRG's power play for autonomy in NORTHERN IRAQ</b> was the expression of support for the KRG's deal with ExxonMobil Ninewa province Governor Atheel Nujaifi. Nujaifi—from his seat in the provincial capital of Mosul—officially aligned himself with the KRG's oil rights moves against Baghdad, tipping the balance of power in the KRG's favor. The Ninewa seal of approval also bodes well for Exxon, as it signifies that there will be less violent opposition from local leaders over its move to court the KRG.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Here again, Baghdad loses out. Ninewa today is one of the last bastions of al Qaeda in IRAQ, and its blessing of the KRG-ExxonMobil deal is significant in terms of security.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IRAQ'S oil is IRAQ'S oil, as far as Baghdad is concerned, and the KRG does not have the authority to sign any export deals on its own, even if it plans to divert revenues from sales to the IRAQI central authority.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The KRG, however, has a number of major power players behind it, from Ankara to Brussels and Washington, all of whom would very much like to see IRAQI oil and gas find an easy way to Western markets.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In the end, TURKEY'S stance on NORTHERN IRAQ may seem like a paradox, but it is a logical move on many levels. With SYRIA in a state of violent upheaval, militant KURDS who threaten TURKEY from across that border, some experts argue, are no longer a focal point or even a threat by comparison. And Ankara's burgeoning relationship with the KRG has allegedly softened KURDISH militancy aimed at TURKEY in recent past. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE SYRIAN EQUATION </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Nevertheless one should not forget that the biggest new paramilitary group rising from SYRIA’S war-torn landscape is the KURDISH coalition formed by the SYRIAN Democratic Union Party and elements of the TURKISH PKK, which continue to arrive from IRAQ and are taking up position on the SYRIAN-TURKISH border. KURDISH fighters are occupying one northern SYRIAN town and village after another, laying the foundation for an <b>independent SYRIAN KURDISH state</b> which plans to link up with the KRG (Kurdish Regional Government) of IRAQ.<br />The merger of SYRIAN and TURKISH Kurdish militias with the IRAQI KURDISH peshmerga would produce a KURDISH army of 225,000 fighting men.<br />Terrified that the separatism sweeping its brothers will infect the TURKISH KURDISH minority - and suspecting Washington of surreptitiously supporting it - TURKISH intelligence, the MIT, was instructed to establish and arm two TURKMEN militias in the SYRIAN KURDISH region: Brigades of Mehmet the Conqueror and Brigades of Sultan Abdulhamid.  </span><br /><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">REOPENING THE <span style="color: red;">TRANS ARABIAN PIPELINE “TAPLINE” </span>WOULD BENEFIT NOT ONLY SAUDI ARABIA, THE USA AND ISRAEL, BUT ALSO TURKEY</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgI-rIEJDEH2jg07TXFAB4J2wbcx1Fu0rhPZs5QiI8oObL6kB-gbQu3Rh1g6xv0Z9qDqbt0qqEnmy4fKvd7vkg_6ThgvWuDQx9LyHKIHr1bVy1EFIbhInSPrVvbyzDWT54InjOLn9fG4r3/s1600/440px-Tapline.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgI-rIEJDEH2jg07TXFAB4J2wbcx1Fu0rhPZs5QiI8oObL6kB-gbQu3Rh1g6xv0Z9qDqbt0qqEnmy4fKvd7vkg_6ThgvWuDQx9LyHKIHr1bVy1EFIbhInSPrVvbyzDWT54InjOLn9fG4r3/s400/440px-Tapline.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ARAMCO  TRANS ARABIAN OIL PIPELINE</span></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The TRANS-ARABIAN Pipeline Company, a joint venture by STANDARD OIL OF NEW JERSEY (ESSO), STANDARD OIL OF CALIFORNIA (CHEVRON), THE TEXAS COMPANY (TEXACO) and SOCONY-VACUUM OIL COMPANY (MOBIL), was a major factor in economic development of LEBANON after independence and especially in the emergence of the south, Tapline was an important industrial adventure in global trade, the petroleum industry and AMERICAN - MIDDLE EAST politics.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The company which started operations in 1950 was the largest oil pipeline of its time, transporting SAUDI ARABIAN oil from the gulf fields to the terminal at ZAHRANI south of SAIDA, where it was shipped to the markets of EUROPE and the eastern UNITED STATES seaboard. At the peak of its operations in 1950, Tapline is said to have transported up to 30% of ARAMCO’S production of SAUDI ARABIAN crude, which amounted to 300,000 barrels per day which was increased by adding some additional pumping stations to 500,000 barrels per day.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The pipeline was originally planned to run from SAUDI ARABIA'S ABQAIQ oil fields to the port of HAIFA in PALESTINE where there already was a modest terminal facility for a pipeline from the Kirkuk oil fields in IRAQ. The conflict between the BRITISH MANDATE and the ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE movement had the Tapline Company surveying alternate routes already in 1946. These routes were all aimed at circumventing PALESTINE. "TRANS-JORDAN" appeared also at the time to be a country to be avoided. The final route went through JORDAN, over the GOLAN HEIGHTS in SYRIA - and not without some political consequences - to end at SIDON in LEBANON. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">NEW ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST REGIME IN SYRIA IN ORDER TO REACTIVATE SAUDI ARABIA’S AND USA ARAMCO  TRANS ARABIAN OIL PIPELINE? </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Many geo strategic analysts and political experts are at odds over the reason why even the UNITED STATES, a key ally of ISRAEL, is pushing for a regime change in SYRIA, even if such move will probably turn SYRIA into a <b>fundamentalist Islamic State</b> at the doorsteps of ISRAEL. It could be argued that the USA and SAUDI ARABIA prefer a SUNNI fundamentalist Islamic government in SYRIA in order to eliminate IRANIAN influence in SYRIA and at the same time reactivate, for geo – strategic reasons, SAUDI ARABIA’S  ARAMCO company constructed TRANS ARABIAN OIL PIPELINE “TAPLINE” </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">(See<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1662211321"><span style="color: red;"> </span></a><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html"><span style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html</span></a><span style="color: red;"> </span>). </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">REACTIVATION OF PIPELINE WOULD ELIMINATE THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND ALSO BENEFIT TURKEY</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Reactivation of the pipeline would eliminate the geo strategic importance of the STRAIT OF HORMUZ and thus IRAN’S leverage over the passage, through which 35% of the world’s crude oil is shipped. Needless to say, a blockade would have enormous global consequences. Sunni SAUDI ARABIA and Shiite IRAN have been at odds with each other over theological as well as economic issues for centuries (See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz"><span style="color: red;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz</span></a>)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">PIPELINE ROUTE LEADS THROUGH PRO IRANIAN SYRIA, THE GOLAN HEIGHTS AND LEBANON, THUS A SAUDI FRIENDLY REGIME IS REQUIRED IN SYRIA IN ORDER TO ACTIVATE THE PIPELINE </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In order to reactivate the TAPLINE however, SAUDIA ARABIA and its allies need to eliminate IRAN’S influence in SYRIA and stronghold in LEBANON, which is also home to pro IRANIAN HEZBOLLAH, because the route of the pipeline leads over SYRIAN terrain, ISRAL occupied GOLAN HIGHTS, ending in the Mediterranean oil terminal ZAHRANI, south of the city of SAIDA in LEBANON.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Since SYRIA fosters close eco – political ties with Shiite IRAN, SYRIA will hardly permit the reactivation of the “SAUDI” Tapline on its soil. Not to mention the GOLAN HEIGHTS, which had been seized by ISRAEL during the 6 day war and which are now monitored by United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF. Israel and Syria technically are still at war, thus permitting reactivation of the Tapline on the Syrian side of the seized Golan Heights is out of the question, for it would need the consent of both, ISRAEL and SYRIA. (See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War"><span style="color: red;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War</span></a>)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">By tumbling the SYRIAN regime however, SAUDI ARABIA would be able to expand its influence in SYRIA and LEBANON, and thereby gain control over the pipeline and direct access to the MEDITERRANEAN SEA oil terminal south of SAIDA, from where crude oil could be shipped to EUROPE and the USA, at 40% less transport costs than by oil tankers passing through the SUEZ Canal in EGYPT. One could now keep on speculating why the “Arab Spring” in EGYPT did not turned out the way it was expected to be expected by the protesters!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">NORTHERN IRAQ AND TURKEY </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC_YHdB6fZlPCc-QUUugXN6PzQ1JHtQpuSemOsUdhyaZ-AmsUHLr8Rx5sZzuLU2tXnVrvEH5L8Gwhsg2KeX6HNE9Tx4Vs-F7djbWVDM2YW_UYbaATa4jr3xbcwZxYUVR0vBBdc9dB5uG-/s1600/Levantine+Energy+Corridor.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC_YHdB6fZlPCc-QUUugXN6PzQ1JHtQpuSemOsUdhyaZ-AmsUHLr8Rx5sZzuLU2tXnVrvEH5L8Gwhsg2KeX6HNE9Tx4Vs-F7djbWVDM2YW_UYbaATa4jr3xbcwZxYUVR0vBBdc9dB5uG-/s1600/Levantine+Energy+Corridor.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Economics has played the greatest role in forging these new relations, and NORTHERN IRAQ has become a new staging ground for TURKEY companies and investment, with TURKS owning an estimated 50 percent of all major businesses operating under the KRG-controlled territory.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Furthermore, the pipeline deal announced between Ankara and the KRG in late May was in part a reaction to pressure to reduce imports from IRAN, but it also follows a logical path in the TURKEY-NORTHERN IRAQ relationship.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY knows that the pipeline deal and other energy deals forged with the KRG will set the stage for the creation of an independent KURDISH state. But in the meantime, TURKEY has made such a heavy footprint in NORTHERN IRAQ that its level of influence there is and will continue to be immense. As such, Ankara will wield much control over any potential sovereign KURDISH state.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As for the KRG, it shows no signs of backing down in the face of threats from Baghdad, and is hedging its bets that the combination of its natural resource wealth and Western power brokers on its side will give it the advantage. On June 11, the KRG told a gathering of potential investors at a business convention in the northern capital Erbil that it expected to quadruple oil production over the next three years, and that today's 250,000 bpd would be up to 300,000 bpd by the end of this year. The KRG is already translating this into a boom for other sectors beyond energy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Above article was written by Jen Alic with additions made by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information: </span></div><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html</a><br /> <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html</a><br /> <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/turkeys-sunni-crescent.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/turkeys-sunni-crescent.html</a><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/syrias-destiny-sealed.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/syrias-destiny-sealed.html</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div><br /> <br />

TURKEYS ERRATIC FOREIGN POLICIES – ALL BECAUSE OF ENERGY?

TURKEY'S GAMBLE ON KURDISTAN OIL As tensions rise among IRAQI KURDS in the country's north , SUNNIS in the south and the SHI'ITE...

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The Killer Combination for Classroom Success: Attitude and Sweat

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.daylife.com/image/06qs0Budlj3oo?utm_source=zemanta&utm_medium=p&utm_content=06qs0Budlj3oo&utm_campaign=z1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Jim Courier of the United States wipes sweat a..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="104" src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/06qs0Budlj3oo/150x104.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 150px;">Jim Courier of the United States wipes sweat away from his eyes with a towel during a Men's Singles match at the U.S.Open Tennis Championship on 6th September 1995 at the USTA National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighbourhood of Queens in New York, United States. (Image credit: <a href="http://www.daylife.com/source/Getty_Images" target="_blank">Getty Images</a> via <a href="http://www.daylife.com/" target="_blank">@daylife</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">A is for Attitude</span><br />In an interview last week, someone asked me about the last thing that made me laugh. I collect sayings. I love them. For example, the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.warnervideo.com/dukesofhazzarddvd/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="The Dukes of Hazzard">Dukes of Hazzard</a>'s Roscoe P. Coletrain gave me:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>"He's fightin' like the third monkey on Noah's gang plank."</i></blockquote><br />I often use that one to talk about a desperate situation where I'm struggling to hang on.<br /><br />When students are whining, I also have:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>"Call the Waaaambulance."</i> or<br /> <i>"Call 9 waa waa"</i></blockquote><br />While not all times and places are right for these comments, I have a sign in my room that says "no whining." If it is whining - even if I'm doing it, I'll say,<br /><br /><i>"Oh I guess I should call the waambulance"</i> and then I move on.<br /><br />I was listening to a movie on the TV and the bad guy was on the cell phone trying to make the good guy do something he didn't want to do. Finally, the good guy blurts out:<br /><br /><i>"Sure. I'll meet you at the corner of 'ne' and 'ver."" </i><br /><br />Sweet! Another saying. I love it. <br /><br />Maybe it is because I work with teenagers combined with the fact that I'm completely unable to ever have a 'comeback' to anything. I don't banter well and usually avoid it, but these little zingers can make everyone smile and also are used to underscore one of my common messages to students.<br /><br /><h2>S is for Sweat</h2>I saw a study sometime back that the top 10% of performers DO NOT have the top 10% IQ scores but rather, have the top 10% of WORK ETHIC. (See <a href="http://smartblogs.com/education/2012/08/16/once-go-flat-never-go-back/" target="_blank">Self Discipline Outdoes IQ in predicting Academic performance of adolescents</a>)<br />Attitude is the most important A in my classroom.<br /><br /><ul><li>Do we work hard on the assigned task the whole 53 minutes of class?</li><li>Do we find ways to overcome obstacles?</li><li>Do we take ownership of our attitude and response to stressful situations?</li><li>Do we apologize when we mess up?</li><li>Do we follow the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Rule" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="The Golden Rule">golden rule</a> and treat others as we want to be treated?</li><li>Are the 'smarter' kids being bossy or learning to pull in the views and opinions of all students?</li><li>Do we ask good questions and know how to find answers? </li><li>Do we realize when we have a knowledge gap and know what to do to fill it without having to ask the teacher?</li></ul><br /><br />I teach students how to live life well as much as I teach them to master technology. Both are important in today's world.<br /><br />What are you teaching in your classroom?<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_c.png?x-id=5e739945-c621-4a3f-86d7-6537a3489560" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

The Killer Combination for Classroom Success: Attitude and Sweat

Jim Courier of the United States wipes sweat away from his eyes with a towel during a Men's Singles match at the U.S.Open Tennis Champio...

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30 days of webtools: #20 Use Screencast-o-matic to make superb screencasts

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Screencasting is an amazing programme to use if you want to quickly show someone how to do something on the computer. It easily creates a video of what you are doing and saying. These are called screencasts. If you want to create good screencasts without the hassle of downloading and installing any application on your computer then Screencast-O-Matic is the best available tool for the purpose.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other screencasting applications</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started off using Jing, until I discovered ScreenR. I have written a blogpost on the Schoolnet blog about ScreenR <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/screencasting-with-screenr-is-so-easy.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/screencasting-with-screenr-is-so-easy.html</a>. These two programmes allow up to 5 minutes of recording. THEN I discovered Screencastomatic that allows 15 minutes and it is so easy to use. So it is my firm favourite right now.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What exactly is Screencast-o-matic?</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/">Screencast-O-Matic</a> is an online screen recorder that enables you to record and share your screencast with others. You don’t need to install anything as it all happens online. It is cross-browser as well. All you need to make sure about it having Java installed which usually happens automatically these days. You can make sure that you have recommended version of Java installed for your operating system from the <a href="http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp">Java verification page</a> before you start. </span><br /><b><br /></b><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How to record with Screencastomatic in three easy steps</span></b><br /><b><br /></b><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Open <a href="http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/">Screencast-o-matic</a> and start recording</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHuKb-862qgz3mMmPquMFXvSHrW76u0iFMqtkRzL-lmDYLY3v99ADrtFDkJfLu6kwXCwC_9LmQOMyrrshom_KBGUBPtqmUTDOWBIl4Q4y3L_z6U2HtwYd1-m27iM3EADyDYz2NlYlrc49/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcjIB7rNxls2z1un78lxwbLGuGYkwDhMspFa_nBXKzVl5JqqbNduvqcUPX8lblZiALq6sHgQ8zQ_HtSgjpdfLUl0_WrQug566BpNS25uUOWG6oh6zNXEb6_jFRdPrLmJLbU2vHf9YJyRX/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You don’t even need to sign in, but you might get more benefits by signing in. Everything is free. Press ‘</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Start recording’</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Position your recording box</span></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll see that a box outline of dotted lines comes up. This is the control panel of your screencast where you can specify the size of your recording and the microphone volume before you start recording. You can also turn on your webcam to record yourself talking if you wish!   Position this box to the size you want to use.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxj6gaBooRSxLCs_SIGQbzLytN012C-BNmBfr6ygqy75lCND-cGwj2BFMMetG66PWzMu7BfzU8P4wE4rC8x0h0TrII2Zo491jkHx_p1E0LLg0Kva6wkuAXCqQ2kI2YI01FN-5mpal1EJAD/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippymWC1LMsa80dSJG1eB_KzdSaw5blEUBFiw19LsuJJjnDaOkBwnatxrmpgzpmnRNDfID2JkqNliXMbEbGQOEx1FSVW4HMyKd0W-1_phd86BGR5N9TVeLDF5fJ46Bip5Z00f1nWBZyoaJ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you are happy click the red recording button found on the left bottom corner to get started with your recording. You can press pause when you need to stop and think, and then resume again. Fantastic, right? (By the way you can navigate to another site and you’ll see the box appears there in case that is the site you want to record). </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Click done and export your video</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you are finished, click the<b> done button</b> and export the video. You can now upload the video to YouTube if you want to. (This might work better if you are logged in – it has always worked for me. You can also embed it in a blog or wiki, and you can just publish it to Screencast-o-matic to use whenever you wish. From this step on you’ll see all sorts of great options.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzn7uL4AfSZf5UNuHxRX2hjenY5u89demLhUThT1TiLY4Sn9W6JdQvPyNd3VfAjvB94RoNNeGuWnM0RgMp5k4n2kAq3ls3WofzjYq1ypcSD4IpAKQ9FfT7Saydyf25SIcN1Bj25-HPz2y/s1600-h/image%25255B12%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJM_qg8wsnLfEIDHnEDpgl0s93KN-8ZNelGo7GrPzmO1CgndHbgAT3gVilYDTke-DJl90mX46SRm_44wY77iFDBTZHOmrq9YigMDVmuckSfxDGnDFcB55o_urmfI4mhXq_NqDWOh-Hwtcg/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="312" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A video tutorial from YouTube</span></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found this tutorial on YouTube which seems to explain ow to use Screencast-o-matic very well.  I think she probably used Screencast-o-matic to make the video.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://www.schooltube.com/embed/9ed04df001614ee0a24e" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Uses in the classroom</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="color: #312f2f; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">    </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">You can make quick videos about anything really. The visual cursor highlights make it easier for your students to follow the video. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">2.<span style="line-height: normal;">   </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">You can simply upload the file on YouTube and share the link with your students. This is great if someone is ill at home and you want them to know what is what!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">3.<span style="line-height: normal;">   </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">You can </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">record lessons, provide demonstrations, present information to an online class, tell digital stories, and give feedback on student assignments.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">4.<span style="line-height: normal;">   </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">You can </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">also create assignments that require students to produce a screencast. </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">Because of its ease of use, Screencast-o-matic requires little or no training to get started.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">5.<span style="line-height: normal;">   </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #312f2f; line-height: 115%;">You can use captions with Screencast-o-matic (haven’t tried it but want to!)</span></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #312f2f; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps you can add ideas to these uses? </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My verdict</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fabulous tool, don’t you agree? Try it!</span></span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div>

30 days of web tools Screencastomatic Tutorials Web tools 30 days of webtools: #20 Use Screencast-o-matic to make superb screencasts

Screencasting is an amazing programme to use if you want to quickly show someone how to do something on the computer. It easily creates a vi...

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Today's archidose #609

The Blönduós Church in Blönduós, Iceland, by Dr. Maggi Jónsson (1993), photographed by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bchang/">Bryan Chang</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bchang/7758930314/" title="Blonduos Church by Bryan Chang, on Flickr"><img alt="Blonduos Church" height="431" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8287/7758930314_fdb69392e8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:<br /><blockquote>:: Join and add photos to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/archi-dose/">archidose pool</a>, and/or<br />:: Tag your photos <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/archidose/">archidose</a></span></blockquote>

Today's archidose #609

The Blönduós Church in Blönduós, Iceland, by Dr. Maggi Jónsson (1993), photographed by Bryan Chang . To contribute your Flickr images for co...

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keeping a list and checking it...ever

I can't leave the house anymore without a list - unless I want to run back out as soon as I get home. I forget more and more with each passing month. Which seems really odd since I get younger everyday. Hmmm.<br /><br />My current system of writing things down on whatever piece of paper I have isn't working for me. And although I do keep a lot of things on my phone/computer calendar, I like having paper so I can cross things off.<br /><br />Maybe if I had something cute to carry around it would keep me on track?<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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIbo-gkLvwxpIt41o4piINDg5tRDLsWdVkjdEEfeX9MBy-PoHm2RBXUoFawjhBVH54_0Ek_Mof8DJQMMTtZQlZTaE9OOKsF7yn77evWFl2-rl4SdDnoeefx7D10TQwriXg4hXGrOlDwRc/s1600/il_fullxfull.340462383.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIbo-gkLvwxpIt41o4piINDg5tRDLsWdVkjdEEfeX9MBy-PoHm2RBXUoFawjhBVH54_0Ek_Mof8DJQMMTtZQlZTaE9OOKsF7yn77evWFl2-rl4SdDnoeefx7D10TQwriXg4hXGrOlDwRc/s320/il_fullxfull.340462383.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100778170/sttriped-monogrammed-notebook-happy" target="_blank">Emily Ley</a></td></tr></tbody></table><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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOvxUuQ0pDHwoXqL6isZuzc9y3idhuOf_I_ULdjKLY21E8qJEdJYFb0g0BHiWWFUWSOheFag_W-Ba_FcUvZXSXz3QU1U1deiDcYVDVldSsYkBJo_HwVdcgb314ex-hCeSs09N1FXe5x9X/s1600/il_fullxfull.356678420_gncf.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOvxUuQ0pDHwoXqL6isZuzc9y3idhuOf_I_ULdjKLY21E8qJEdJYFb0g0BHiWWFUWSOheFag_W-Ba_FcUvZXSXz3QU1U1deiDcYVDVldSsYkBJo_HwVdcgb314ex-hCeSs09N1FXe5x9X/s320/il_fullxfull.356678420_gncf.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/104437978/personalized-custom-notebook-quatrefoil" target="_blank">Lovey Dovey Creations</a></td></tr></tbody></table><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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMt5_BU045m2GaZ7JYwAw-jOo9i3v_je1LoYdwaf-fVba4tjG773O3el5KDKIo08ggxR6j1YkaDvHaoX6rE-xn52KU-NaClIiyzUJSw4rzs3Je22BCzxqBIBADHdlXMf4XKYM5ejtpwbp/s1600/ebm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMt5_BU045m2GaZ7JYwAw-jOo9i3v_je1LoYdwaf-fVba4tjG773O3el5KDKIo08ggxR6j1YkaDvHaoX6rE-xn52KU-NaClIiyzUJSw4rzs3Je22BCzxqBIBADHdlXMf4XKYM5ejtpwbp/s320/ebm.png" width="198" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.maybooks.com/shop/create/pineapples-navy/" target="_blank">May Books</a></td></tr></tbody></table><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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjtSfEpl0ZMps1vlY54XRLP_jpNlCieLnb-HrYwyZV3-ScXAUtBVF9y9fle4zjsYd6pllfxEyy_mjAFt-ZVHg-WzuKm4azySQR6Y8t8G2dbdfr-7kkEM27sqL-IadgKW868H3ZHkLzMqi/s1600/il_fullxfull.263975797.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjtSfEpl0ZMps1vlY54XRLP_jpNlCieLnb-HrYwyZV3-ScXAUtBVF9y9fle4zjsYd6pllfxEyy_mjAFt-ZVHg-WzuKm4azySQR6Y8t8G2dbdfr-7kkEM27sqL-IadgKW868H3ZHkLzMqi/s320/il_fullxfull.263975797.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79795536/red-polka-dot-handmade-notebook-diary" target="_blank">Buntmal</a></td></tr></tbody></table>How do you keep yourself organized? Any tricks for keeping lists?

keeping a list and checking it...ever

I can't leave the house anymore without a list - unless I want to run back out as soon as I get home. I forget more and more with each p...

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Once you go flat, you never go back!

<br /><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Flattening the classroom is removing the classroom walls as students connect outside the classroom to authentically co-create with a variety of people. As co-founder of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Flat Classroom Projects">Flat Classroom Projects</a>, we have students from kindergarten to college connecting with one another daily as they co-create and work together. Students are the greatest textbook ever written for each other. The Flat Classroom doesn’t talk to the world or at the world but becomes project based with teachers and other students around the world as co-creators and travelers on the journey of learning.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some think flattening the classroom is just about connecting with other countries. This is overly simplistic. While it is an exciting part of flattening the classroom, there’s more. <a href="http://123elearning.blogspot.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Julie Lindsay</a>, co-founder of Flat Classroom Projects, and I think there are five areas of connection planning: information, location, generation, communication and time.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Information</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Traditionally the textbook and teacher were the two sources of information for students with a library visit or encyclopedia thrown in a few times a month for report writing. Students should be taught how to construct a <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/personal-learning-networks-technology" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">personal learning network</a>. Teachers should help students learn how to build a PLN using the devices they own to connect beyond the textbook to the people, communities, and current events happening around their topics of study.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Students may have technology in their hands, but many are sadly lacking in the ability to connect it with their heads using advanced search, RSS, and the location of appropriate communities and hashtags where discussions happen. When my students are working on their personal passion projects, one of the first things I have them identify are the hashtags and active communities conversing about their topics. It is harder than it sounds.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Location</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">You can’t have a world-class education without connecting with the world, but this doesn’t preclude local connections. Some argue against global collaboration because kids aren’t connecting locally, but I believe kids need both local, regional, and global connections to be well-rounded learners.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Students should have strong connections to their “inner circle” including their homes, classrooms, districts, school, neighborhood and city. Involvement in meaningful work and discussions with people in these locations are important. But it doesn’t stop at the city gates, they should also connect within their state, nation, and to diverse places around the world.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">For example, the project <a href="http://whenmissoulawasyoung.weebly.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“When Mizzoula Was Young”</a> from Flat Classroom-certified teacher <a href="http://modelofchange.blogspot.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cindy Shultz</a> had students select local townspeople from headstones in the the local cemetery while working with the historical society to document and learn about their lives. It is also like the <a href="http://www.digiteen.org/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Digiteen Project</a> where students study digital citizenship and are partnered with students from other classrooms to research it and then create local action projects. Connecting outside the local classroom can free students from face-to-face stereotypes and unlock hidden talents that lay unnoticed in their own classroom.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Generation</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Students should connect across generations to grandparents and ancestors all the way down to their own children and descendants. Our parents buried time capsules, but with digital technologies cross-generational connections are much easier than that. Students should be learning history from their grandparents and the older generation as they video, document, and capture stories. They should be connecting to future generations as they create electronic archives of modern culture, art and learning.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">With electronic technologies, students can create a yearly time capsule to keep electronically and review in the future. Powerful mentoring experiences can happen with properly trained multi-age experiences.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Communication</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now we have electronic communications and the emergence of “technopersonal” skills where technology is the communication channel linking students. Technopersonal skills can be as important as interpersonal face-to-face skills as students learn the nuances of online synchronous and asynchronous communications. My students present several times a year to online audiences, and learn to connect with other students through wikis, multimedia and blogging because these are vital ways to communicate in the 21st century.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Students must master synchronous and asynchronous communication methods so they can collaborate and build connections.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Connecting with Yourself (Time)</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Intrapersonal skills are an essential part of self esteem as is the self-talk that helps students problem solve and stay motivated in the midst of struggle. The misguided practice of unearned praise has caused this generation to distrust the awards and recognition of many well-intended organizations meant to serve youth. Perhaps this is why they are attracted to games that are impartial and only give badges and awards when earned and after much struggle.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">I tell my students I am mining for gold – and the mine is in each of them. We’ll find the gold, but it won’t look like it. We’ll work together to polish and enhance their innate talents and abilities so that when I’m done with their time with me that they will come out shining. This requires personalizing learning and a constant search for the authentic talents of each child.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our actions should add meaning to our student’s lives. It is completely irresponsible, in my opinion, to delete electronic student work each year without giving students the opportunity to save and archive their work. Students should graduate from high school and be able to look back on the memories and learning journey with a digital portfolio spanning years.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">It is time to connect ourselves and our students.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Connections add meaning to life and the classroom. Flattening the classroom is about connecting outside the classroom in powerful ways. The thriving massive open online courses — MOOCs — are proof that people want to connect around common topics. So are our thriving Flat Classroom projects where students connect from grades kindergarten through college.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.coolcatteacher.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Vicki Davis</a> (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/#/coolcatteacher" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@coolcatteacher</a>) is a full-time teacher, author of the award-winning <a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cool Cat Teacher Blog</a> and co-founder of the <a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Flat Classroom</a> projects. For a more in-depth discussion of this topic, check out <a href="http://www.flatclassroombook.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds,”</a> which Davis co-authored with <a href="http://123elearning.blogspot.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #009729; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Julie Lindsay</a>. It’s available from publisher Pearson.</div><div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'New Century Schoolbook', 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>This post originally appeared on the<a href="http://smartblogs.com/education/2012/08/16/once-go-flat-never-go-back/" target="_blank"> SmartBlog for Education</a>.</i></div><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_c.png?x-id=5e739945-c621-4a3f-86d7-6537a3489560" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

Once you go flat, you never go back!

Flattening the classroom is removing the classroom walls as students connect outside the classroom to authentically co-create with a variety...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 08/17/2012

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/08/a-quick-start-guide-for-using-youtubes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29#.UC2rd1x5mK0">Free Technology for Teachers: A Quick Start Guide for Using YouTube's Editing Tools</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Another cool tutorial by Richard Byrne over at Free Tech for Teachers, a website I highly recommend.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2012/08/a-running-theme-that-the-only-thing-that-matters-is-test-scores.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dangerouslyirrelevant+%28Dangerously+Irrelevant%29">A running theme that the only thing that matters is test scores | Dangerously Irrelevant</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">If it is the right thing to do , it doesn't matter. It only matters if it can be linked to test scores. I find this kind of thinking offensive and ridiculous. As the southern farmer down the street would say "that's bass ackwards." This article turns my stomach.I</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edreforrm">edreforrm</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://hastac.org/blogs/superadmin/2012/08/16/hastac-wins-nsf-grant-study-its-own-social-network">HASTAC Wins NSF Grant to Study Its Own Social Network | HASTAC</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Educational networks are here to stay, but do we really understand them? This grant is a clear sign to me that we don't or that we don't think social media rules apply here. </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/socialmedia">socialmedia</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=58809">A Sign of How MOOCs Will Impact Colleges ~ Stephen's Web</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">I believe we'll see a MOOC in K12 in the next 6 months and maybe sooner. Some great thoughts from Stephen Downes linking to a nice article on the topic.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/mooc">mooc</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/16/nokia-patents-haptic-system-to-simulate-linear-motion/">Nokia patents haptic system to simulate linear motion, assist with navigational route guidance - Engadget</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Haptic systems stimulate (or simulate) the sense of touch. It is the type of technology that will enable holodeck like experiences (coupled with 3D generated images). Don't think this sort of thing isn't going to happen. Haptics are a big part of the future of how we use computers and the entertainment of the future.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/future">future</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://smartblogs.com/education/2012/08/16/once-go-flat-never-go-back/">Once you go flat you never go back SmartBlogs</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">An article I wrote for smartblogs about all the ways to connect.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/connection">connection</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 08/17/2012

Free Technology for Teachers: A Quick Start Guide for Using YouTube's Editing Tools Another cool...

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Application Development Engineer (MS | PhD | Physics | Material Science | NPI | IC processing/Semiconductor ) (#107723)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Job Title:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Application Development Engineer<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Location:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Milpitas, CA<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Duration:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Fulltime<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Job Description: <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Responsible for supporting KLA-Tencor's reticle inspection products. Includes projects related to new product introduction: characterization, alpha testing, beta testing and pilot tools in the ramp phase. In addition, application engineers will manage in-house customer demonstrations and head-to-head (H2H) activities at customer facilities. Applications is responsible for generating best known method documents and other training material and transferring product knowledge to K-T's worldwide Field Applications team. Lastly, applications will work with customers to publish papers at industry symposiums or in technical journals.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Work closely with many organizations including engineering, sales and marketing within K-T and with customer engineers outside K-T.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Worldwide travel (on average 30%) is required to support inspection products at customer fab.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Education and Experience:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Candidate must have MS or PHD in Engineering, Physics, Material Science or related fields.  Having a background in IC processing/Semiconductor equipment is a plus. Must have excellent communication, organizational, analytical, leadership, and interpersonal skill. Candidate must also be self-driven, yet a strong team player.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Basic Qualification:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 3 years of experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">OR<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Master's Level Degree with at least 2 years of experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">OR<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Doctorate (Academic)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Please send in your resumes to vinod.sanker@kla-tencor.com<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div></div></div>

Application Development Engineer (MS | PhD | Physics | Material Science | NPI | IC processing/Semiconductor ) (#107723)

Job Title: Application Development Engineer Location: Milpitas, CA Duration: Fulltime Job Description: Responsible for supporting KLA-Ten...

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Join the Connected Educator Challenge

Conversation around the connected educator month has largely been that it is the same educators connecting. How can we get more people connecting?<br /><div><br /></div><div>Let's show them how, specifically, how they can connect. The <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Flat Classroom Projects">Flat Classroom Projects</a> and Taking IT Global are sponsored a free and open "Connected Educator Challenge" modeled after the K12 Online Wiki Challenge of 2006 where <a class="zem_slink" href="http://123elearning.blogspot.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Julie Lindsay">Julie Lindsay</a> and <a class="zem_slink" href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Vicki Davis">Vicki Davis</a> first met and founded their Flat Classroom projects.</div><div><br /></div><div>See our Wiki: <a href="http://connectededucators.wikispaces.com/Home">http://connectededucators.wikispaces.com/Home</a> (to sign up and read what has been written.)</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Note: </b>IF you're an organization that connects people and you want to invite your members to participate and help write this wiki book, then let us know and we can co-list you as a sponsor. We want to include everybody in creating a great free resource to help people to connect, so when they are ready, they can get started.  </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>We'll also work on sharing best practices in writing wikis and collaborating to help you learn how to take your connection skills to the next level. We know it is the start of school, but take 10 minutes and help write the book on connecting. If we all contribute, it can be powerful! You'll see what it is like to participate in a truly collaborative, organic, open experience (like a wikipedia) with the pros and cons so that we can have a meaningful discussion about building community of practice for such projects when we're done.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Take the challenge? Are you able? </i></div><div><br /></div><div>Join and do as much or as little as you are able.</div><div><br /></div><h2>Connected Educators Collaboration Challenge</h2><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Join with educators from around the world and take the </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: maroon; font-size: 16px;">Connected Educators Collaboration Challenge</span></strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">. You and your new friends will be writing a wiki book about all of the ways to connect online. This living wiki book will help other educators get started and see up-to-date information about how educators around the world are connecting today.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: maroon; font-size: 16px;">What Will You Do?</span></strong><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">If you take the challenge, you'll be assigned to a team to write about one of the many ways that educators can collaborate. You'll have a week to work with your partners and write the most up to date information about how you can connect. This is being modeled after the</span><a class="wiki_link" href="http://k12wiki.wikispaces.com/home" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" target="_blank">K12 Online 2006 wiki project</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> where Julie Lindsay (</span><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.twitter.com/#/julielindsay" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 10px;" target="_blank">@julielindsay</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">) and Vicki Davis (</span><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.twitter.com/#/coolcatteacher" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 10px;" target="_blank">@coolcatteacher</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">) met and after the innovative, grassroots practices and work ethic shared by Taking IT Global and the Flat Classroom Projects. We'll host a connection celebration where we share what we've learned and recognize excellence.</span><br /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: maroon;"><br />Kickoff: August 16 4:30 - 5:30 pm EDT</span></strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> (</span><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://connectededucatorsmonth2012.sched.org/event/0f39f6eeb69f096b82e7dbb1c6a882db#.UBSz5CN6pmw" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 10px;" target="_blank">CEM info online</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> for meeting location)</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: maroon;">Dates for Editing: August 16-August 23, 2012</span></strong><br /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: maroon;">Celebration: August 30 4:30 - 5:30pm EDT</span></strong><br /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">This is part of</span><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://connectededucators.org/cem/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 10px;" target="_blank"> Connected Educator Month Celebration</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> for August 2012 and any educator can join in! The first step to "flatten" your classroom (as shared in</span><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://flatclassroombook.com/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 10px;">Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">) is to </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">CONNECT</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">yourself. </span><span class="wiki_link_ext" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Flat Classroom</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">® and TakingITGlobal are two organizations who are passionate about helping educators connect with each other!</span></div><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_c.png?x-id=e424beb8-1eb1-4395-bd37-4701edacf452" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

Join the Connected Educator Challenge

Conversation around the connected educator month has largely been that it is the same educators connecting. How can we get more people conne...

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Internship Advice from an Intern

<strong>As the education coordinator, I've had interns off and on for the last 10 years.  Some are paid, the early ones were not.  These talented individuals become a valuable part of our organization in their year with us.  So I thought a post about internships from our current intern, Hannah George, would be worthwhile.  If you are a college student, have children in college, or are in a position to hire an intern, here's a perspective that may interest you.  Enjoy!</strong><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><em>This year I have the enormous privilege of working for the ODNR Division of Wildlife as the education intern. This is the second internship I have had during my college career and I just wanted to share how important I feel internships are in preparing students for the real world and finding a job after college. Enjoy and please pass along to anyone you think could benefit. <o:p></o:p></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em> </em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p><em>Getting an internship is a very important part of anyone’s college education. In my opinion, grades are secondary to training and work experience, especially in science-based fields. While grades are significant, they are not the only factors that contribute to success after college. Classes give us the basic knowledge and fundamental tools to be successful in whatever field we choose. But making connections and gaining first hand experience is what really makes the difference when it comes to finding a job once the cap and gown has been hung back up. Internships also help us decide if we even like the field we have chosen, or if we need to look elsewhere for something that better suits our passions and interests. Although internships are very important, it does not make it OK to slack off in classes. A slacker in the classroom is often a slacker on the job, and to make an impression or even find an internship, good grades are a must. <o:p></o:p></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em> </em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><em>Internships are great tools for expanding experience. Whether it’s in the field, in a lab, or in an office, experience in each of these places and more is something that cannot always be learned from a classroom. The one-on-one instruction that goes along with internships is what makes them so great. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And once you’ve got the hang of the basics, you have the opportunity to improve in what you do by practicing everyday and applying what you’ve learned in the classroom to your tasks. A single internship can also offer very diverse experiences. Each day can offer something completely different from the last and use skills developed not only from your major classes, but even from classes you never thought you’d use. **Cough** GEC’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span><o:p></o:p></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em> </em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p><em>Internships are also a great way to decide if you are even in the right field. If you get an internship while you are still in school and decide that it is not the right place for you, you still have time to make the proper adjustments to your major or better understand what kind of job you want after college. Do you like an office setting, or do you prefer to work in the field? Do you even like anything about what you are doing? If not, it may be time to reevaluate your major and pick something that you think you will enjoy more. Once college is over, there is not much you can do to switch fields completely without going back to school. So try out as many options as you can and figure out what works best for you, preferably before graduation. <o:p></o:p></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em> </em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p><em>Another reason internships are so important when it comes to job hunting is because of networking. The more people who know who you are or even just recognize your name, the better chance you have of finding a job. It is important now more than ever to meet the right people and make the right impressions. In many cases, who you know can become just as important, if not more, than what you know. Getting your foot in the door is the first step when looking for a job and already knowing someone on the inside can make a huge difference. <o:p></o:p></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em> </em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p><em>Contrary to popular belief and reality TV, most people have to work hard and make sacrifices to land that dream job. Your social life and extra-curricular activities may have to take a hit in order for you to ultimately get what you want, but it is completely up to you what sacrifices and trade offs you are willing to make. <o:p></o:p></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em> </em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em>              <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">As I’ve said before, grades are important, but the life lessons and experiences to be learned on the job during an internship are what really pave the way to success as well as happiness. So get out there, work hard, and APPLY, APPLY, APPLY to all kinds of internships!</span></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong>Hannah George is a senior at the Ohio State University in Fisheries and Wildlife Management.  She will graduate this spring.  We'll be  very sad to see her go. </strong></span></div>

Internship Advice from an Intern

As the education coordinator, I've had interns off and on for the last 10 years.  Some are paid, the early ones were not.  These talen...

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Guest Post: Teacher Yvonne Fojtasek shares her "Big 3" #ce12

<br /><a href="https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/1171542875/DSC02129_reasonably_small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/1171542875/DSC02129_reasonably_small.JPG" /></a> <i>When educator <a href="https://twitter.com/yfojtasek" target="_blank">Yvonne Fojtasek</a> at Alvin Dunn Elementary in San Marcos, California emailed me her "Big Three" after ISTE 12 this year, I asked if she'd share her plans with the world. This one transformational practice has changed my life and can change yours. I have a list of the next 3 things I want to do after every conference and on an ongoing basis. What are your "big 3?" Feel free to email them to me at vicki at coolcatteacher dot com. You might just be next. </i><br /><i><br /></i><blockquote class="tr_bq">"We can't have a world-class education without the world", </blockquote><br />began <a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vicki Davis</a> at her presentation on the <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/coolcatteacher/wonderful-world-of-wiki-teaching-2012-edition" target="_blank">Wonderful World of Wikis at ISTE 2012</a> in San Diego, California. She had me hooked.<br /><br />This was my very first time attending ISTE, and I was eager to learn as much as possible about providing a world class education for the students I serve in the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marcos_Unified_School_District" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="San Marcos Unified School District">San Marcos Unified School District</a> in San Diego County, California. I was looking forward to taking my first steps in establishing those global connections, and I knew Vicki to be one of the great trail-blazers in establishing those global connections by flattening the classroom walls for herself and her students by utilizing the "3 R's" of global collaboration, receiving, reading, responding and using technology as the vehicle for this process.<br /><br />Throughout the presentation, we had the opportunity to learn about the tools and strategies of utilizing wikis as a collaborative tool. Of particular interest to me, was learning about discussion tabs, the means of articulating the thinking behind the construction of the content, truly a concrete example of making thinking visible.<br /><br />At the conclunsion of the session, Vicki also challenged us to consider our "Big Three", the next things we would like to learn. <br /><br /><h2>My "Big Three"</h2><br />Our school, Alvin Dunn Elementary, has just been accepted as an <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Baccalaureate" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="International Baccalaureate">International Baccalaureate</a> Primary Years Candidate School. Because I will be serving as the coordinator, one of my goals is to continue working on our wiki which will be a resource for staff, parents, students, and the community as we transition to becoming an IB Primary Years School.<br /><br /><a href="http://alvindunn.wikispaces.com/Staff+Resources">http://alvindunn.wikispaces.com/Staff+Resources</a><br /><br />Second, I want to continually put into practice the attributes of the international Baccalaureate learner profile myself including being a risk-taker, and for me that means making a commitment to writing in my own blog more often and then responding to other's blogs that I subscribe to in order to establish great connections with others. Putting my thoughts out there for others to see means making myself vulnerable, but I can't thing of any better way of truly connecting with others than this willingness to be vulnerable and learn.<br /><br />Third, as part of the International Baccalaureate philosophy, want to be proactive in establishing global connections personally through various projects as well as encouraging my colleagues at Alvin Dunn and the teachers participating in theAmerican History Grant Project, which I also coordinate, to begin making those connections as well, do the resources that you and Vicki Davis and Julie have shared in their book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flattening-Classrooms-Engaging-Minds-Collaboration/dp/0132610353" target="_blank">Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds</a>, and <a href="http://www.flatclassroombook.com/" target="_blank">website </a>will be quite valuable. I am excited there are numerous opportunities for our students to work collaboratively with others on authentic projects to flatten the classroom walls such as the "A Week in the Life" project.<br /><br />Yvonne Fojtasek<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/#/yfojtasek" target="_blank">@yfojtasek</a><br />Blog: <a href="http://ahffojtasek.blogspot.com/">http://ahffojtasek.blogspot.com/</a><br />Interntional Baccalaureate Primary Years Coordinator, Alvin Dunn Elementary<br />American History Grant Coordinator, San Marcos Unified School District<br />San Marcos, CA<br /><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_c.png?x-id=a70d3016-41fc-414f-8703-659257b940c2" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

Guest Post: Teacher Yvonne Fojtasek shares her "Big 3" #ce12

  When educator Yvonne Fojtasek at Alvin Dunn Elementary in San Marcos, California emailed me her "Big Three" after ISTE 12 this ...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 08/16/2012

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"><li> <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.familycircle.com/teen/school/homework/grades/">Making the Grade: When Do Kids Deserve A's?</a> </div><div class="diigo-description">Are we putting too many non-content related grades in our marking systems that are causing disorganized children to think they aren't college material and to cause entitlement among those who do homework and turn things in thinking that just because they work hard that they deserve a good grade? This family circle article coupled with some of the entitlement research has me thinking. Read: Making the Grade: When Do Kids Deserve A's It is also an argument for standards based assessment. Take a read. </div><div class="diigo-tags">tags: <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/research">research</a></div></li><li> <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/products/Pages/kinect.aspx#1Apps">Kinect in the classroom</a> </div><div class="diigo-description">There are some fascinating things you can do with Kinect in the classroom. You can download these files and hook up a Kinect to your computer to allow motion capture (against a greenscreen), painting with gestures, and all kinds of things. There are people using kinect in powerful ways with special needs children as well. Here's the official webpage for Kinect in Education.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags: <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/kinect">kinect</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/microsoft">microsoft</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/evernote">evernote</a></div></li><li> <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://flatclassrooms.ning.com/">Flat Classrooms - Transforming learning through global collaboration</a> </div><div class="diigo-description">Here's a listing of our current projects. Follow the link to apply. Flat Classroom Project - Deadline September 1, 2012  APPLY NOW! Digiteen Project - Deadline September 15, 2012  APPLY NOW! 'A Week in the Life...'  - Deadline September 1, 2012  APPLY NOW! NetGenEd  - Project based on the Horizon Report published in January each year - Deadline February 1, 2013 - APPLY NOW! K-2 'Building Bridges to Tomorrow' Project - Deadline September 15, 2012 - APPLY NOW! Eracism - Information and Applications available August 15, 2012</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags: <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a></div></li></ul><div class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href="http://www.diigo.com/">Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher">here</a>.</div>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 08/16/2012

Making the Grade: When Do Kids Deserve A's? Are we putting too many non-content related grades in our marking systems that a...

Read more »