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Student applications now open for ESA’s first ESA Academy’s Space Systems Engineering Training Course
Student applications now open for ESA’s first ESA Academy’s Space Systems Engineering Training Course
Sentinel-5P released into orbit
21 August 2018
Space Systems Engineering is a crucial part of any successful space mission. Focussing on the “big picture”, Space Systems Engineers are tasked with considering user needs from project conception to delivery. Systems Engineering is a diverse topic, and has many synergies and crossovers with other disciplines – both traditional, such as mechanical and electrical engineering – and also fields such as project management and quality assurance.
To help prepare the next generation of Space Systems Engineers, ESA is looking for 30 highly motivated and enthusiastic university students to complete the first Space Systems Engineering Training Course, to be held from 6 – 9 November 2018 (four days) in ESA Academy’s new Training and Learning Facility (TLF) at ESA’s ESEC-Galaxia, Belgium.
During the four days, participating students will learn about the background and challenges of Space Systems Engineering, before delving into the roles of a Systems Engineer within ESA, and exploring the Systems Engineering process in detail. The course will also give students valuable insight into the systems approach to Verification and Validation, as well as the interactions with project management, including project planning and risk management.
The course has been developed by the ESA Education Office together with current and retired ESA staff members who have worked as Systems Engineers, or performed systems engineering roles on an array of high profile ESA missions. Throughout the course, these ESA experts will draw on their extensive knowledge of real ESA missions as examples and case studies. Students will be able to apply the knowledge they have learnt in a series of exercises, building up a mission concept!
Preliminary schedule:
Preliminary schedule: Day 1: Scope and context of Systems Engineering
What is Systems Engineering?
How to represent a System
The Space Programmatic Environment
Tasks of a Systems Engineer Day 2: Systems Engineering Process
System Requirements
How to define the architecture of a system, including trade-offs and specification
Design of a space mission Day 3: Development and Verification Approach
Systems Engineering and Project Management Day 4: Application of a real space project
Process Management, Operations, and End of Missions
Who can apply?
Sentinel-3B vertical for testing
In order to participate, students must fulfil the following eligibility criteria at the time of application:
be aged between 18 and 32;
be a citizen of an ESA Member or Associate State;
be enrolled as a full-time Bachelor (at least 3rd year), Master, or PhD student in a university (not graduating before the training course);
have a solid mathematical and physics background;
be studying for an engineering degree.
Exceptions may be made for students enrolled in a scientific degree with a minimum level of engineering and mathematical knowledge, and a clear interest in space engineering related activities.
The selected students will be sponsored by ESA. This will cover accommodation and meals, as well as up to 200 Euros for travelling to Transinne, Belgium.
Who can apply?
Fill in the application form;
Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images);
Upload a CV (PDF, in Europass format, maximum 2 pages);
Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no images) from a university professor or academic supervisor of current university;
Upload a copy of academic records (PDF, in English, with the university stamp);
All answers and documents should be in English (except academic records if not available).
The deadline for applications is 21 September 2018.
For more information, please contact esa.academy @ esa.int
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Source: http://www.esa.int/Education/ESA_Academy/Student_applications_now_open_for_ESA_s_first_ESA_Academy_s_Space_Systems_Engineering_Training_Course
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7 Things You Need to Know About the New Google Classroom
7 Things You Need to Know About the New Google Classroom
by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate
Over the past four years, Google Classroom has undergone many changes, and with the increase of Chromebook use in schools, Classroom has steadily grown in popularity. Recent updates to Classroom provide users with a sleek format touting many of the bells and whistles found in other, more costly classroom management software systems. Thinking of getting started with the new Google Classroom? Here’s what you need to know.
7 Things You Need to Know About the New Google Classroom
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Source: http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=42969
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Fireside Chat with Dennis Prager: Ep. 49
Source: http://www.youtube.com/oembed?format=xml&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dv4-pj8ku9g0
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a shot in the arm
This page is about the idiom a shot in the arm
INFORMAL
Meaning
You can say something is a shot in the arm if it gives a person or an organisation renewed energy or enthusiasm.
For example
Getting a grant from the Arts Council was a much-needed shot in the arm for the orchestra.
We all agree that the economy needs a shot in the arm, but we can't agree on exactly what it should be.
Origin: Related to the medical practice of injecting drugs into sick people. These injections are sometimes called "shots" and they are often administered into the arm.
Quick Quiz
After a terrible start, the team was ready to quit. But after getting a shot in the arm from their coach's half-time team talk, they
Idiom of the Day
Contributor: Matt Errey
Next idiom
Home : Learn English : Vocabulary : Reference : Idioms : Health : a shot in the arm
Source: https://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Idioms/Health/a_shot_in_the_arm_481.php
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continente: (Spanish)
(español) Tips
Translation of
1. continente [n] (continent) one of the large landmasses of the earth.
2. continente [n] (mainland) the main land mass of a country or continent; as distinguished from an island or peninsula.
3. continente [n] (Continent) the European mainland.
Source: http://lookwayup.com/lwu.exe/lwu/d;h=rss;slang=Esl?w=continente
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Best Selling Picture Books | January 2019
The Children’s Book Review | January 28, 2019
This month the best selling picture book from our affiliate store is Ocean Meets Sky (A 2018 TCBR Best Book of the Year), written and illustrated by the Fan Brothers—a stunning picture book about a young boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather told him about…the spot where the ocean meets the sky.
You’ll also find our hand selected titles of the most popular picture books from the nationwide best-selling picture books listed by The New York Times.
The Children’s Book Review’s Best Selling Picture Book
Ocean Meets Sky
Written and Illustrated by the Fan Brothers
Publisher’s Synopsis: From the creators of the gorgeous bestseller The Night Gardener, comes a stunning new picture book about a young boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather told him about…the spot where the ocean meets the sky.
It’s a good day for sailing.
Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it’s a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float.
Finn’s grandfather is gone now but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He’ll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself!
And when he arrives, maybe, just maybe, he’ll find something he didn’t know he was looking for.
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | May 15, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1481470377
Nationwide Best Selling Picture Books
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
Written and Illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin
TCBR Review: Every child is unique, and parents can’t wait to see what they will one day be!
Emily Winfield Martin’s delightful book dreams of what children will someday grow to be.
This is a gorgeous book with warm and playful illustrations featuring a diverse set of children. Little ones will be drawn to the pictures, quickly pointing out which one matches what they themselves want to be. The surprise of a double foldout page at the end is a very exciting treat for children too, and my daughter wanted to look at it over and again. The prose is sweet and rhyming, drawing children in and lulling them (hopefully) to sleep before bedtime. A charming book that I highly recommend for young children. Read the full review …
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Random House Children’s Books | 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0-385-37671-6
The Day The Crayons Quit
By Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Publisher’s synopsis: Crayons have feelings, too, in this funny back-to-school story illustrated by the creator of Stuck and This Moose Belongs to Me — now a #1 New York Times bestseller!
Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?
Kids will be imagining their own humorous conversations with crayons and coloring a blue streak after sharing laughs with Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers. This story is perfect as a back-to-school gift, for all budding artists, for fans of humorous books such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith, and for fans of Oliver Jeffers’ Stuck, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Lost and Found, and This Moose Belongs to Me.
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Philomel | June 27, 2013 | ISBN-13: 978-0399255373
The Book With No Pictures
By B.J. Novak
Publisher’s synopsis: A #1 New York Times bestseller, this innovative and wildly funny read-aloud by award-winning humorist/actor B.J. Novak will turn any reader into a comedian.
You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . .
BLORK. Or BLUURF.
Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY.
Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.)
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Dial | 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0803741713
Dragons Love Tacos
Written by Adam Rubin
Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
Publisher’s synopsis: This scrumptious New York Times bestseller has a whole lot of kick!
Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You’re in red-hot trouble.
The award-winning team behind Those Darn Squirrels! has created an unforgettable, laugh-until-salsa-comes-out-of-your-nose tale of new friends and the perfect snack.
Ages 3-5 | Publisher: Dial | June 14, 2012 | ISBN-13:978-0803736801
Grumpy Monkey
Written by Suzanne Lang
Illustrated by Max Lang
Publisher’s Synopsis: The hilarious New York Times bestselling picture book about dealing with unexplained feelings…and the danger in suppressing them!
Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can’t understand it–how can he be in a bad mood when it’s SUCH a beautiful day? They encourage him not to hunch, to smile, and to do things that make THEM happy. But Jim can’t take all the advice…and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy?
Suzanne and Max Lang bring hilarity and levity to this very important lesson. This picture book is an excellent case study in the dangers of putting on a happy face and demonstrates to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings (though they should be careful of hurting others in the process!).
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 5-6 | Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers | May 15, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-0553537864
The information for the best-selling picture books was gathered from the New York Times Best Sellers list, which reflects the sales of picture books sold nationwide, including independent and chain stores. It is correct at the time of publication and presented in random order. Visit www.nytimes.com for their most current and up-to-date list.
*Header image from “Ocean Meets Sky” written and illustrated by the Fan Brothers (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018)
Grumpy Monkey and the best-selling picture books by Emily Winfield Martin and Adam Rubin are truly great choices. Follow along with our Picture Book category for more great titles to peruse.
Please show us some love ...
Source: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2019/01/best-selling-picture-books-january-2019.html
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10 steps professors can take this semester to promote open inquiry and constructive disagreement in their classrooms
Debra Mashek is Heterodox Academy’s Executive Director. She has a PhD in Social Health and Psychology (with a concentration in Quantitative Methods) from State University of New York at Stony Brook and served as a Professor in Psychology at Harvey Mudd College.
Add language to your syllabi that makes clear open inquiry and constructive disagreement are expected. Help set the tone in your class by using the syllabus to communicate the value you place on open inquiry and constructive disagreement. A post on our blog from last January offers some suggestions; the comments on that post provide even more great ideas.
Assign OpenMind as a homework assignment during the first few weeks of the term. OpenMind is a free, interactive educational platform designed to depolarize classrooms and foster mutual understanding across differences. Learn more at openmindplatform.org.
Say these two sentences at least once every day in class: “I don’t know” and “How do you see it?” Intellectual humility and intellectual curiosity are productive starting points for constructive engagement across lines of difference. By admitting to ourselves and others that we don’t have all the answers, we open the door to being genuinely interested in others’ perspectives and the path they took to seeing the world as they do. Let’s model these dispositions for our students.
Assign All Minus One, an illustrated edition of Chapter 2 of John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. This 7,000 word essay makes a compelling case for how our own thinking benefits when we engage with others who see the world differently. A free downloadable pdf is available here, as are links to the Kindle and print versions.
Lie to your students. To encourage your students to question claims and engage evidence, Jim Lemoine encourages us to lie to our students. As he writes here, “I’ve found that one of the best ways to get your students to freely tell the truth as they see it, is to warn them that you will be untruthful.”
Show this 3 minute video before your first in-class discussion. Want to quickly make the case that our own thinking benefits from engaging with others who hold different perspectives? This short video can help:
Provide opportunities for the students to connect with each other. Learning about others as individuals undermines the tendency to see them merely as representatives of groups or categories. Human connection undermines “us versus them” thinking and behaviors. Consider running either a Free Intelligent Conversation event in your classroom (details here), or randomly assign students to complete a task used by relationships researchers to create interpersonal closeness (the handout I use with my students is available here).
Integrate assignments that require perspective taking and evidence-based argumentation. The following organizations and websites provide resource materials and tools to promote nuanced understanding of complex issues. Consider writing assignments that either ask students to make use of these tools in their work or to model their analytical approach on the strategies they find here. Check out: Intelligence Squared, procon.org, The Flip Side, and Kialo.
Administer the Campus Expression Survey to figure out who is afraid to speak out about what issues and why. Download the survey guide here.
Join Heterodox Academy (and encourage your colleagues to do the same). Heterodox Academy is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501c3 organization that partners with professors, administrators, and others to create an academy eager to welcome people who approach problems and questions from different points of view. We explicitly value the role such diversity plays in advancing the pursuit of knowledge, discovery, and innovation. We engage in social discourse to elevate the importance of these issues on campus, create tools that professors and administrators can adopt to advance change on their campuses, and cultivate community so that the most powerful solutions can have the reach they deserve. Apply for membership here.
As an organization that prizes pluralism and disagreement — with more than 2k members holding diverse views on most issues — Heterodox Academy does not really have “official positions.”
Opinions expressed here are those of the author(s). Publication does not imply endorsement by Heterodox Academy or any of its members. We welcome your comments below. Feel free to challenge and disagree, but please try to model the sort of respectful and constructive criticism that makes viewpoint diversity most valuable. Comments that include obscenity or that sound like a tirade or screed are likely to be deleted.
Source: https://heterodoxacademy.org/ten-steps-open-inquiry-constructive-disagreement/
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Desmos Pre-Conference 2018 Recap
This is a quick blogpost that I’m using to recap just some of the information from the Desmos Preconference before TMC18. I was dealing with some other stuff when I returned from TMC, and then I had to take a short few-day jaunt to see my parents/aunt/uncle. Now I’m finally home and starting to do things like write college recommendations and think about my new class for next year (Algebra II). But I’m afraid if I don’t take the time to reflect on some of what I took away from the conference, I will not end up using it. But at the same time, I feel like it’s so much stuff that to do it comprehensively, it will take too long and that’s keeping me from starting. So here’s my pledge: I’m just going to do what I can, and not worry about being incomplete, and then I’m going to #pushsend.
Tonight, I’m going to #pushsend on the desmos preconference day.
I went to one session, led by Heather Kohn, David Sabol, and Mary Bourassa. These three desmos fellows shared how they use Desmos in the classrooms. Here are a few gems:
Heather often creates handouts to accompany activities. For example, for Will it hit the hoop? she has a spreadsheet for kids to fill in (e.g. “Predict, Screens 5-11” “Analyze, Screens 12-19” and “Verify, Screens 20-26”).
I shy away from doing cardsorts (or even short activities) on desmos because I tend to have some groups finish way earlier than others. But this would happen even for paper cardsorts! So here are some tips. First, just so all groups start at the same time, you can pause the activity on the first screen (which you can have be an introductory screen). When everyone is ready and logged in, you can then unpause the activity which allows everyone to start at the same time. More importantly, you should create a slide after the cardsort/activity which links to another activity or has some extra practice for those kids to work on. And for extra fun, you can have this slide be a “marbleslides challenge.” But one tip is to use the teacher dashboard to pace the activity to the slide before the challenge, so that you can make sure kids aren’t rushing. (You can check in with the first group done and ask them a few questions to make sure they’re getting things.)
You can do a Which One Does Belong on Desmos (example: go to https://student.desmos.com and enter 5CK W7N). Have kids vote on which one doesn’t belong. You can then display how they voted! If no one picks one, after they finish and you discuss, you can have them go back and everyone has to pick the one that wasn’t picked… and then explain why that last one might also “not belong.”
David was worried about how kids will access desmos activity knowledge later. There’s a lot of digital work and verbal work in class, but then things aren’t archived. So here’s a great example of how David deals with this. He used Andrew Stadel’s “Math Mistakes with Exponent Rules.” On day 1, he used the first day PDF to have kids work the problems in class. Then on day 2, he screen grabbed the second day PDF and made a desmos cardsort (sorting them into true/false) and used the dashboard to showcase wrong answers and have class discussions. Also, after the cardsort, he had a screen that said: “Make a FALSE statement that a classmate may think is actually TRUE.” Then that night he created — using what kids wrote for their false statements — a paper copy with all these FALSE statements (sometimes there’s a true statement that a person wrote!) where kids had to identify the errors!
A great question in a desmos activity is to show a lot of work/visualizations/etc. and write: “What would you tell this student to reinforce what they know and correct their errors?” If the student work has some nice thinking and some subtle not-so-good thinking, this often will lead to solid class discussions.
Mary uses Desmos occasionally for assessments. There were only a few questions, but they involved deeper thinking (e.g. given a graph of part of a parabola, can you come up with the equation for the parabola?). The presenter asked her kids to do all their written work on paper handed out for the test. Yes, students could revise their work/answers based on what they saw on Desmos, but that had to be reflected in words/notes/changes on the written paper. So a student guessing-and-checking on desmos with no supporting work will not garner credit. (For students who finish early, put a screen with marbleslides challenge.) One big note: make sure that at the end of the test, every kid goes to a blank last screen, and then PAUSE the activity. That way kids can’t come back and rework problems or show other students particular questions on the assessment.
Rachel K. (attending the session) said that she often had kids project their laptops up to the airplay and lead the class through something they found/built/figured-out on the Desmos calculator, or will have one kid lead a desmos activity on the big screen.
I often worry about how to lead effective discussions on activities that kids are doing. For pre-existing Desmos built activities, there are “teacher tips” that help teachers figure out what to focus on and how to facilitate conversations. But more importantly, whether Desmos built or random-person built, every activity has a teacher PDF guide (Click on “Teacher guide” in the top right hand of the screen for the activity.) You can print this out and use this to help you come up with a specific list of things you want to talk about, and stop at those places (e.g. questions, places to pause, etc.)
After the session, I talked with Heather about this feeling I had when doing long activities with Desmos. Although I was constantly checking the dashboard, and walking around listening for conversations, I often felt useless and bored and like I was doing something wrong because I wasn’t … doing much. She let me know that she also feels this, but that’s part of it. Letting kids engage. But I realized that some of my best classes (without desmos) have me circulating and listening but not doing too much beyond that. I was “being less helpful.” So I think I just have to make sure that when I’m not doing much, it’s because kids are doing good things mathematically and conversationally, and that’s because I’ve orchestrated things to be that way.
As an interlude to this wall of text, here’s my favorite nerdy math picture from the day.
Yes, indeed, you see a 3-4-5 right triangle, and a visualization of the oft-taught “Pool Problem.” In Starburst. My kind of math manipulative!
For the remaining two sessions, I worked on playing with Computation Layer and refamiliarizing myself with it (I spent 3 days earlier this summer spending huge swaths of time on this… a huge shoutout to Jay Chow who helped immensely with this). Having CL experts in the room and granting myself three hours to play with CL was amaaahzing. I first reacquainted myself with some of the basics (a lot of which I had forgotten, but it came back fairly quickly) and then I decided to start trying to “desmosify” this calculus optimization activity.). I didn’t get too far in, and so far this is no better than the paper version of the activity, but I am proud of what I was able to do with my CL chops! (You can see what I made here.)
The keynote session was given by Robert Berry (the new NCTM president) and he gave an overview of the recent NCTM book Catalyzing Change (which I have bought but haven’t yet read!), talked about some big picture NCTM things (advocacy, membership, financial health), and then told us what has been happening on the ground level. He ended his session talking about technology and what excites him about that. He said that “Technology that supports and advance mathematical sense-making, reasoning, problem solving, and communication excites me” and that “Competence is about being participatory in mathematics – with each other, with the teacher, and with the mathematics.” He then said technology can be used for good or evil based on how technology affects the following things in the classroom:
Positionality [how students engage with each other, their teacher, the curriculum, the technology, etc.]
Identity [how students see themselves]
Agency [how students present themselves to the world? how do we create structures for that to happen?]
Authority [“shared intellectual authority”]
His latest NCTM President’s Message is precisely on this. Also, Robert is a totally awesome guy.
That’s me on the left, him in the middle, and friend and TMC keynote speaker Glenn Waddell on the right.
Lastly, Eli (founder of Desmos and super nice guy) showcased a new desmos feature for teachers: SNAPSHOTS. You can read about it here, but what I love is that it allows teachers to facilitate discussions more thoughtfully in line with the 5 practices. (I’d love any help finding or coming up with problems at the high school level that work well with the 5 practices… Most examples that I’ve seen are at the middle school level so it’s been hard to wrap my mind around how to find/create problems for a precalculus or calculus class that might make this approach work super well.)
My favorite slide of his was:
Eli keeps things simple, which allows me to read slides like this and think: “wait, in what ways does my teaching do that?”
And with that, it’s time to #pushsend.
Source: https://samjshah.com/2018/08/04/desmos-pre-conference-2018-recap/
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Student Christmas Gifts
All of my student gifts this year came from Oriental Trading. It makes my shopping so easy and my school kids happy! It’s a win- win for sure!
I am always excited to get to partner with Oriental Trading and share my love of this company with my teacher friends! They allowed me to pick a few items exchange for an honest review.
I seriously am very happy with my Christmas items and would love to tell you about them…
I got these super sweet fuzzy bears for my girls. I was really pleased with the quality of these cute stuffed animals. They are super soft! I think they will be a big hit.
(The boys are getting matchbox cars!)
I also got these so cute Christmas footballs for everyone!
They will love these super squishy little balls. Super quality and so much fun!
I also cannot believe I got what is in these little square packages…
…oh yes, I did!
Christmas fidget spinners! These are so cute! I am not a fan of a fidget spinner BUT I could not pass these up! And, they are great quality! My first graders will love them!
I also love these glitter Christmas stickers I got for the outside of the presents! They are sparkly and fun!
And they will also love this Roll Tape Gum! How cute are the dispensers!
You can check out all of this Christmas fun on Oriental Trading’s Christmas page! They have a ton of items for crafts, your class party, stocking stuffers, and more! Have fun shopping!
Oriental Trading Christmas Goodies
Oriental Trading Stocking Stuffers
Source: http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/12/student-christmas-gifts.html
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Take Time to Save Time – Hall of Fame reference sheets
Inevitably, teachers get known for their mottos. Sam's mottos are justifiably world-famous. Personally, I love "Don't be a hero." Mine are known mostly around my school, but it is interesting to see how they trickle down into students' unconscious minds.
Color telling the story
Mottos pay off. My favorite is one I stole from my former colleague Alex Wilson: "Color tells the story." I don't understand how anybody can do math at a deep conceptual level without colored pencils. Color really does tell the story, especially in Geometry (see popular worked example at right).
One of my best math class mottos comes from published patterns for knitting. It is, "Take time to save time." In knitting, this means to make sure that the tension of your actual knitted work — your hands, your needles, your yarn — match the tension or gauge described in the knitting pattern. There are no shortcuts here. My knitting gauge tends to be extremely big or loose compared to most pattern-makers. I often have to use much smaller needles than specified in order to achieve a good match with the specified knitting gauge.
In my classroom, "Take time to save time" means, synthesize your learning into a reference sheet. For all tests but the final, I allow students to have and make a half-page reference sheet. The first rule is, you can have anything you want except a photocopy of my work on your reference half-sheet. The second rule is, if you have more than a half sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper, then I get to tear it in half and choose which half you get. This rule gets tested even when I emphasize it. Every year somebody tests this rule. "But Dr. S! I only wrote a half-page worth of stuff on the paper!" It doesn't matter. I usually rip the whole thing lengthwise so they only get the right-hand half of the paper.
It makes its point.
In knitting, this point gets made by the scale and size of your finished object. If you insist on not checking your gauge, at some point, you will end up with a finger-puppet-sized sweater or a scarf the size of Lake Tahoe.
Clearly this student is going to ace the final.
In our classes, this point gets made by your performance on our common final exam. Students who have been practicing making clear, concise, summaries and examples of their work and key points tend to turn in consistently strong performances. So on the final, I allow a full-page reference sheet (both sides). I emphatically want students to consolidate their understanding and create their own examples. That is where the learning happens.
So I was thrilled today when I asked to see examples of in-progress reference sheets. Many of them made my Hall Of Fame request to scan for posterity. This Algebra 1 student has totally nailed her understanding of mixture problems. This is the best example I've seen of a student consolidating her understanding of these modeling challenges.
Source: http://cheesemonkeysf.blogspot.com/2017/05/take-time-to-save-time-hall-of-fame.html
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Christina Matula, Author of The Shadow in the Moon | Selfie and a Shelfie
The Children’s Book Review | November 28, 2018
Christina Matula’s Selfie with The Shadow in the Moon
After numerous attempts at taking a selfie, my 7 year-old budding photographer helped me out with these photos in our living room in Hong Kong. I’m mixed Taiwanese, originally from Canada, and have always been curious about other cultures and far off places. Moving to Hong Kong several years ago has allowed me to explore my Chinese cultural roots—I’m particularly fascinated by all the colorful festivals and their associated foods. I was inspired to write The Shadow in the Moon so that I could pass on a little piece of my heritage to my kids. It’s the story of the legend behind the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival mixed in with modern-day values of thanksgiving and uniting friends and family.
Christina Matula’s Shelfie
Although my bookshelf is filled with children’s books to inspire me, many times things go missing and end up in the play room as my children want to keep the books for themselves. One shelf is lined with picture and middle grade books about Chinese culture – legends, festivals, and fiction. The middle shelf holds books touching on festivals and legends from a variety of cultures. It also holds books on writing in general as well as my mooncake squishy (a favourite at school visits) and my jade rabbit lantern (he comes out every Mid-Autumn Festival). The top shelf holds adult and YA fiction, most of which touch on the Asian experience.
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Written by Christina Matula
Illustrated by Pearl Law
Publisher’s Synopsis: A unique blend of traditional folklore and contemporary customs brings the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival to life.
Two sisters and their grandmother celebrate a popular Chinese holiday with family. Their favorite part? Mooncakes, of course–along with Ah-ma’s story of the ancient Chinese tale of Hou Yi, a brave young archer, and his wife, Chang’E. A long, long time ago, Hou Yi rescued the earth from the heat of ten suns. The Immortals rewarded him with a magic potion that could let him live in the sky with them forever. But when a thief tries to steal the potion, what will Chang’E do to keep it out of dangerous hands? The sisters are mesmerized by Ah-ma’s retelling and the fact that the very mooncakes they enjoy each holiday are a symbol of this legend’s bravest soul.
Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Charlesbridge | July 17, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1-58089-746-4
Available Here
About the Author
Christina Matula is half Taiwanese, but raised in Canada and loves learning about her heritage through legends and festivals. She hopes her stories will spark an interest in Chinese culture for readers of all backgrounds. The Shadow in the Moon is her first picture book. Christina now lives in Hong Kong.
christinamatula.com | Instagram | Facebook
About the Illustrator
Pearl Law is a budding children’s book illustrator. She works with pencil, ink, gouache, and Photoshop, and is the illustrator of Clap Your Hands (Cantata Learning). She lives in England.
pearlillustrates.com
Discover more books like ‘The Shadow in the Moon,’ written by Christina Matula and illustrated by Pearl Law, by checking out our reviews and articles tagged with Chinese, Folklore, and Picture Book; and be sure to follow along with our Selfie and a Shelfie series.
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Source: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2018/11/christina-matula-author-of-the-shadow-in-the-moon-selfie-and-a-shelfie.html
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Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) Danubius Young Scientist Award in Austria 2019
The Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research (BMBFW) are now accepting applications for the Danubius Young Scientist Award.
The award is available for young scientists – one in each country that is part of the EUSDR. The award seeks to highlight the scientific work and talent of young researchers and enhance the visibility of the scientific community in the region.
The Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) is a non-government organization that seeks to increase the people’s understanding of this part of the continent and promote positive neighborly relations within the region.
Scholarship Description:
Application Deadline: April 26th, 2019, at 23:59
Course Level: The award is open for young scientists
Scholarship Award: The award will be provided in all scientific disciplines
Numbers of Award: Not Known
Nationality: The award is open for young scientists – one in each country that is part of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region
Scholarship can be taken in Austria
Eligibility for the Scholarship:
Eligible Countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Romania, and
Eligible Course or Subjects: The award will be given all scientific disciplines.
Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, the applicants must meet all the given criteria:
This award will be granted to 14 young scientists – one in each country that is part of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Romania, and Ukraine).
No formal age limit, but there is the limitation to participants that have received their master/D.max. 5 years ago (= after the 1st of January 2014).
Submissions of candidates holding only a bachelor degree will not be accepted.
Candidates for the Danubius Young Scientist Award can come from all scientific disciplines. The number of nominations per organization is limited to a maximum number of 3.
Application Procedure:
You can apply through email for this award. Candidates for the Danubius Young Scientist Award can come from all scientific disciplines. The number of nominations per organization is limited to a maximum number of 3.
How to Apply:
To apply, nominations including all relevant documents have to be sent to [email protected]
Supporting Documents:
Documents have to be submitted in the English language (exception: copy of the academic title received) and have to consist of the following parts:
Maximum 2 pages summary of the scientific work (e.g. thesis, dissertation, journal article, scientific publication etc.) and its specific relevance for the Danube Region
Curriculum Vitae including publication list of the candidate (max. 3 pages)
Copy of the document related to the award of the highest academic title received
Consolidate/merge parts A) and B) into one file (preferably in pdf format), while C) the copy of the academic degree can be a separate document
Admission Requirements:
Not given
Program Benefits:
The award will be endowed with 1.200 EUR for each winner of the Danubius Young Scientist Award.
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Source: https://scholarship-positions.com/institute-for-the-danube-region-and-central-europe-idm-danubius-young-scientist-award-in-austria/2019/03/02/
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Why Do Polls Consistently Underrate Support of Black Progressive Candidates?
Pete Tucker, a writer in Washington, D.C., writes about a peculiar phenomenon: Opinion polls consistently underrate candidates who are progressive and who are black or Hispanic.
Predicting the winner (falsely) and underreporting the support for a candidate is a form of voter suppression, he writes.
Ayanna Pressley, a progressive African American congressional candidate from Boston, was predicted to lose by 13 points in the Democratic primary, but she won by 18 points. In the primary for a New York congressional seat, the final poll showed Latina socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez trailing the Democratic incumbent by 36 points; she won by 15 points. In Georgia, polls showed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the African American former minority leader of the State House of Representatives, well ahead in the Democratic primary, but nowhere near the 53 points she won by.
In Florida, the nation’s third largest state, polls for the Democratic gubernatorial primary showed Andrew Gillum, the progressive African American mayor of Tallahassee, finishing fourth, with around 12 percent of the vote. But Gillum won 34 percent of the vote, nearly three times what most polls had him at, and captured the nomination.
Then there’s Maryland, where the Democratic gubernatorial primary was supposed to be neck-and-neck, but the more progressive candidate, Ben Jealous, walked away with it, beating his chief challenger by over 10 points and taking all but two counties.
While primaries are difficult to predict, today’s polls are not just failing, they seem to be doing so in a way that makes progressive candidates of color appear to have less support than they do.
These polling errors are far from harmless. Faulty polls can turn into real losses by suppressing both votes and funding. It’s not hard to see why: Who is excited to back a sure-loser? This applies to potential voters, who are more likely to stay home on election day if their preferred candidate has no shot, as well as to potential donors, who would rather support a winner.
Source: https://dianeravitch.net/2018/10/14/why-do-polls-consistently-underrate-support-of-black-progressive-candidates/
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Implement An Online Learning Content Strategy
There was a time, just a few years back, that content meant one thing and courses meant another thing. Content was videos, PDFs, documents, media files (audio), images, anything and everything that was not a course. And a course was a horse of course (funny, not). Anyway, it was a course.
But as we change – evolve in our space, content (the term) has too. Nowadays, courses slide under content.
We create our own content. We buy 3rd party content. We outsource someone else to build our content. We surf the net to link and curate content. We read content. We explore content. We place content onto our learning systems.
We expect our learners, employees, customers, students to access this content. We assume that following a learner-centric model, heavily seen in any learning engagement platform, that this will work miracles, and thus increase someone’s knowledge – because hey, it is content they are interested in.
We forget though, that not all content is good, or even knowledge worthy. There is a lot of horrible – informative wise, insight wise – out there.
We forget that content – in course angle – even micro-level can be awful. Having someone watch or should watch a 3min video (a piece of content), doesn’t mean they extracted the information. Unless of course it is an ACDC video, then yes you can be Thunderstruck!
On any learning system, you can or should be constantly assessing the effectiveness of the content, what folks are looking at, how long they are doing it and how often – in other words measuring it. This is a skill gap analysis that is on-going.
We do a lot of things with content = but no one seems to be developing an online content strategy.
Today, that is going to change.
What is an online content strategy?
The term itself “content strategy” is not new, but it is not being used in the online learning space, rather you see it in marketing more so (content marketing).
And yet, upon a further analysis, it is ideal for online learning (e-learning – and yes, I know the umbrella term has changed to mean e-learning courses).
Content Strategy consists of five steps
Create, Find, Develop your content (and for us, where is it going to be housed or located for learners), so I will add, Create, Find, Develop, Place your content.
Analyze your content – What do you believe will be effective? How so? What can be done to make it more so? The analysis is on your end, not the learning system.
Measure your content – Analytical data and reporting on your learning system is located in this step. It is on-going and requires you to be able to adapt.
Promote your content – This should be happening at the same time – actually at the moment you add any content to any learning system. And it is on-going.
Optimize your content – Another on-going step, which is built on the measuring angle.
And I will add another step – REPEAT – as in, – as #6 optimization is occurring, you should be already back onto step one.
Create your Content
Creating your content goes back to earlier in this post. Build it yourself either via a 3rd party authoring tool, PowerPoint, stick figures and doodles on a piece of paper, words on a page? Hire someone to build it for you, whether it is a solo person or a custom development shop? Buy it from a 3rd party content provider? Purchase it via an LEP – content marketplace or within your own LMS and other learning systems? Locate it on the web and embed or link to it?
Within create, as you can see is find. You have to find it. Even if you are looking at a content marketplace within an LMS, whereas you search and buy, or select (if free), it is as noted, looking for it. You look at it. Review it – I hope at least take a test drive on it – then buy or select. Too many people, especially with LEP and LMSs that have a content marketplace, rely solely on what the is the topic, what are the objectives and some brief description.
They rarely get to actually see the course themselves (I’m referring to the client, not the learner themselves). I’d argue this isn’t a fault upon themselves, rather it is today, how the system works. It is rare to find any content marketplace on any learning system, where you as the client get to take a test drive or look at the content, prior to buying it for your learners.
Which is why so many people buy awful content. For example, one content provider’s entire content library (identified as courses), is text. That’s right. TEXT only with a couple of static pictures. They list these big name clients who have it, tell me how much they love it. I responded back to the salesperson, would you want to take this and more importantly, can you remember all of this?
The answer was no. I surmise some clients see the data of pure text page and think, wow high completion rates, or they looked at it, so they must know it and retain it. I read the paper this morning and even with articles of interest, if you asked me right now, how much I remember, I would say minimal. When I read content, I will often clip parts of it, where I can go back re-read.
Another vendor has one-page articles if you will, where learners print out and use. I laugh at the last part, “use”. Research shows that people tend to recall the first and last point (many of the pages are 1 to 10). What’s even worse with this angle, is how as someone running training, can I tell the data when you print it out. Unless I have telekinesis, I won’t.
Placing your content means where is it being housed? More and more 3rd party content providers are requiring their content to be housed on their servers, with it appearing in either an iFrame within the LMS or LEP OR the learner has to click a link and go to the 3rd party provider’s web site. Regardless of how they get there – it is still THERE – not on your LMS, LEP, etc. – but on the 3rd party provider’s servers.
3rd party providers will often make the claim that this is better for you – the client – because when they add new stuff, you can get access to it (assuming you bought it). They also make the pitch that updating the content happens quickly and you do not need to upload a new version.
The last part is a joke. I always ask content providers how often they cull – remove – their content? How old is old? What is their process? And what do I often hear back, “we add new content daily or weekly”, “we find that people still access this or that, so as such we keep it,” and other excuses.
Just because five people are accessing Frameshop, software from 2002, doesn’t mean it is popular. It just means five humans in your system, use it or are stuck with it. And, getting back to an earlier point – bad content is bad content, regardless if it is new or not.
If you buy through a content marketplace on an LMS, LEP or other types of learning systems, the advantage is that the vendor (LMS for example) is responsible for putting it onto your system, and responsible for making sure it is updated (again, laugh here), and adding new content (again, assuming you bought it). From a free – content like TED – is is adding it to the system (hidden link from TED itself).
There are cases of vendors, telling their own clients that when there is a problem with the content – to contact the content provider and not them (you know the ones, you bought it from). No, do not do that. You sell it, you require to resolve it. Not push me around like a ping pong ball.
On the other side of the house, there are 3rd party content providers – including one of the biggest names in the industry – who are doing some questionable things. Recently, I heard of a case, where a BIG NAME content provider (mostly courses), told a client who wanted to move from an LMS to an LEP, that they couldn’t move their content (courses) over, because it belonged to the LMS vendor.
That is 100% untrue. First off, this vendor houses it on their own servers, not on the LMS. Secondly, the consumer bought the content – it is your content for as long as your contract exists (a year, two years, or by seats). If I buy a course for 300 seats in one LMS, then a year later decide to move to another system, then assuming the contract states it – it is still mine to move. If I bought it at system X, and then switched to System Y and I do not plan to purchase the same number of seats or I want different pieces and – my contract doesn’t say one way or another what I can do, then they can make the argument – but what is the positive for them doing that? After all, it screams bad business.
Here’s why
a. If you like their content, and you ask to move it over, this means you want to keep their content on your new system. In turn, this means the 3rd party content provider gets to negotiate a new contract or agreement (pricing for seats may have changed). They retain their customer, you know how business works, and have a happy customer.
As a consumer though, you have some options – if you do not want to have the 3rd party provider house the content. You can negotiate. There are vendors who will say no we can’t, then you negotiate, then they will, even if it is not happening with any other customer on that system.
And you can and must negotiate that if this is the case, they will move the content for you, so you are not uploading this all day and night. They will contact the LMS/LEP vendor (assuming the LEP allows for upload of content, and some do not), and work with them to load it, and test it to make sure it works.
I always wanted it on my system, regardless of what the 3rd party provider told me or my LMS vendor. Finally, depending on the content, you have plenty of places to find it. I mean if it is something rare like “Ebola”, you might be stuck with one or two.
Analyze Content
This is where, consumers – clients need to request (politely) that they get to see the content before buying it, especially when it is purchased in an LMS, LEP, etc. Some vendors might have teasers – if video, but the majority do not. If it is a bundle, look at each course.
With Linkedin Learning which comes with all the content via Lynda.com, you are stuck with what you have. Percepio from Skillsoft, houses only Skillsoft courses at this time. But you still pay extra for the courses. Hey, thank you for that. No, seriously, I don’t mean it.
If you go direct to the 3rd party provider, you can take a look at the content, prior to buying it. The same should work with an LMS or LEP who offers a 3rd party content marketplace. And if they do not, and are a big no to you, then you can:
a. Go to the 3rd party provider, tell them you are looking at buying X from XLMS, and want to take a look prior to doing so. They should show it to you. After all, selling it is selling it. But this requires some legwork on your part, and vendors are betting that you won’t – i.e. learning system vendors – this is why, the marketplace exists – find it all right there – without having to look for it.
I like that part and believe that all learning systems should have a marketplace or exchange or whatever they want to pitch it at. A one-stop shop. The only concern is have the stuff that is interactive, engaging ideally, let alone stuff folks will want to buy, rather than lots of content which is trash.
The point to analyze is well, to analyze. I should add, that when people tell me at conferences, how much they hate their LMS, and we do a deeper dive, and a surprisingly solid number of them hate it because of the courses and content – that their learners are not using, thus they blame the system. Uh, no, it is your fault.
Measure your content
Simply put, really study the analytical data on the content. How often it is being used? How many times are folks going back into it? How long? If you have a TOC with your courses and your system has the ability to narrow down and identify the data by chapter – where are they going in the course, how often, how many times?
In the LEP space, many identify what types of content they looked at. One vendor told me, they couldn’t tell me if they actually read (it was an article). To me, the only data point from that, should be what types of articles are they selecting or clicking a link to? But, with this vendor, that was not possible. Bummer.
This is why an LRS can really be useful in any learning system, because it enables you to really drill down on the data – related to the content. Who is the top influencer might be of value to you, I’m not seeing it, because I want to know about the content and the data behind that – because it can provide me KPI data, identify skill gaps, if it is B2B/B2C, what folks might be willing to buy – you know upsell here, and thus you build more of it, and so on.
This is on-going.
Promote
Always promote it. If you are adding new content – send out an announcement via e-mail or a newsletter. Do not just rely on having it appear on everyone’s home page under “announcements”. IF you are not excited about it, why should your learners be? Think of it this way, “Recommended” is saying, we recommend you checking this out because it aligns to what you are currently or have completed. Trending – based on popularity.
So if you just signed – and added new content from XYZ via a course marketplace on an LMS or LEP, how is your learner going to be made aware of it, especially if you have other already in play? Promote.
Optimize
Always make it better. Better content. Better quality. More engaging. More real-world. Even with an LEP, where the learner is the driver, with the exception of them going out on the web and finding it, OR them uploading their own videos, etc. – you as the client – can do all the other items listed above. There are vendors who are adding video editors, so even with video – yours – not via YouTube, you can do a few things. And within YouTube they have a creator studio (for free), so if you are posting videos out there, you can do some things too. Then have it linked to your LMS.
Optimization will drive usage. This includes by the way, culling the content. Take out the bad stuff. Replace it. If you bought a bundle of content via the 3rd party marketplace, remove the stuff that isn’t being used – first find out why (via measure), but if it bores you when you look at it, or is not engaging drop it, like the trash it is.
Bottom Line
Putting in a content strategy for your online learning should be a key step of your process.
It can be concurrent at the same time you are looking at an LMS.
It can be after you buy your LMS, LEP or any other learning system.
If you already have a system, don’t worry, you can still implement this strategy.
Regardless of your situation, an online content strategy will solve a lot of problems down the road.
A lot.
E-Learning 24/7
Source: https://elearninfo247.com/2018/06/08/implement-an-online-learning-content-strategy/
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News story: Can you help trace the family of a missing World War 2 soldier?
A British soldier was killed in action in October 1944 and for just over 70 years he lay where he fell until his remains were uncovered in 2015. Several years’ worth of research has produced a short list of potential candidates that may help uncover the identity of this brave man.
The MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) is searching for male family members of 2 of the potential candidates who were from Manchester. DNA samples have been taken from the remains and JCCC want to try and confirm the identity by comparing this sample with a member of each of the families of the 2 potential candidates.
Both soldiers served with the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers and were killed during the Allied Gothic Line Offensive in Italy on 23 October 1944, during the battle to capture Monte Spaduro.
Fusilier Joseph Frank Faulkner
Joseph Frank Faulkner was the son of Joseph Faulkner and Mary Isabel Plant. He was born in October 1921 in Dartington, Cheshire. His last known address was Worthington Avenue, Partington in Trafford. Joseph had 5 brothers: Kenneth, George, Cyril, Harry and Jack and 1 sister, Mary. JCCC’s initial family research suggests that some of the descendants from these siblings could still be living in the Manchester area.
Fusilier Walter Vickers
Walter Vickers was the son of Walter Vickers and Maggie Straker. He was born in April 1921 in Rusholme, Manchester. His last known address was listed as Boynton Road, Rusholme. We believe from our initial research that Walter had 3 brothers and 3 sisters: Bernard, James, Geoffrey, Nita, Lorna and Elva. Once again, the JCCC believe that the descendants of these siblings could still be living in the Manchester area.
Now an appeal has been launched by the MOD’s JCCC to track down either of these men’s surviving male relatives so that they can be invited to undertake a DNA test to prove whether the remains are theirs. If positive identifications can be made, they will be given a full military burial in Italy with a named headstone.
Nicola Nash from the JCCC said:
I am really hoping that family members of these 2 brave men will see this appeal and agree to help us. If anyone thinks they may have some information, then please get in contact so that we can try and identify this soldier that has been found.
If you can help, please call Nicola on 01452 712612 ext. 6063 (office hours) / 07773 187075 or email her via ,[email protected].
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/can-you-help-trace-the-family-of-a-missing-world-war-2-soldier
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New Jersey Revamps Funding Formula In Response to Demographic Shifts
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law on Tuesday several changes to the way the state will go about funding school districts in order to better handle dramatic population shifts that have led to funding imbalances among the districts.
Several districts have growing tax bases and shrinking student enrollments, while others are in just the opposition situation. But because of the way the state's current—and long-fought over—school funding formula caps and rewards state aid, many districts are left with either not enough money to serve all their students or more money than they need.
The new law, which goes into effect in 2020, eliminates enrollment caps that limit the amount of state aid districts receive due to enrollment fluctuations. And it phases out over seven years the state's adjustment aid, which currently provides some districts extra money even if they don't qualify for it.
"The necessary adjustments we are making today will bring fairness to the system and ensure our school children receive the quality education they deserve," Murphy said at a news conference where he signed the legislation into law, according to local reports.
The changes attempt to assure that districts don't experience dramatic fluctuations in funding by forcing some local municipalities to raise their tax rates. Analysts predict the state will need to pump more than $1 billion back into the state's schools in order to get funding back to pre-Recession levels.
School funding was a divisive issue in last year's governor's race as candidates sparred over whether to increase school funding or send down a series of tax cuts to homeowners.
In recent years, there has been mounting pressure in New Jersey to completely overhaul its funding formula, crafted after a 1985 decision that required the state to better fund property-poor districts.
Don't miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics.
Source: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/state_edwatch/2018/07/in_response_to_demographic_shifts_new_jersey_adjusts_funding_formula.html
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John Merrow: Reed Hastings Values Profit Over Principle
John Merrow deplores the willingness of billionaire Reed Hastings to pull one of its programs at the request of the Saudi government.
Merrow warns that Hastings is setting a dangerous precedent, where any government can demand censorship of any program that offends its laws or sensibilities. And Netflix will cave.
Merrow goes on to tell interesting insider stories about how Davis Guggenheim basically tried to appropriate Merrow’s footage of Michelle Rhee firing a principal on air to use in his propaganda film “Waiting for ‘Superman.'” Merrow expected to receive a reasonable payment for his work, and Guggenheim, with Hastings’ support, basically told him to take a walk or get lost or something. Eventually, Merrow’s production team did get paid, but he realized what unprincipled people he was dealing with. He wondered whether Guggenheim would edit his slick propaganda film which painted Rhee as a goddess of school reform, to acknowledge the cheating scandal that happened on her watch. Of course not!
Source: https://dianeravitch.net/2019/01/12/john-merrow-reed-hastings-values-profit-over-principle/
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