21st Century Scholars, please look over the following information and links. This is a potential topic for the collaborative project with IBM. I am hopeful that I will get to discuss the plan with George this week.

How IBM Aims to Tackle Childhood Obesity

Jamie Oliver show Food Revolution 

Macalester President learns about the power of social media - Mind Dump

This video makes me want to attend Macalester.

IBMSocialMedia — December 06, 2008 — more @ http://www.asmarterplanet.com/

10 Best LEGO Music Videos on YouTube
Put geeks in a room with LEGO and a camera and you’ll soon have more funny fan-made movies than you could shake a colored plastic brick at.
We’ve taken a musical angle on this top ten list, bringing you the very best in LEGOmation and brickfilm tributes to artists and bands that YouTube () (and all its wonderfully creative users) has to offer.
Whether you’re a LEGO Gaga fan, prefer OK LE-GO or can’t get enough John LEGO-non then we’ve got you covered with this wickedly funny playlist, so read on and let us know your faves, as well as any we’ve missed, in the comments below.

Amy-Mae Elliot
Mashable Social Media Guide

The Beattles - I saw Her Standing There










 Micheal Jackson - Beat it

How much money do you think President Obama made this past year? Watch this video from the Today Show to find out.

Here is 6 minutes and 21 seconds of your life you will never get back!





soundmancaraudio — April 03, 2010 — http://www.SoundManCarAudio.com
http://FACEBOOK.com/soundmancaraudio http://www.twitter.com/soundmanca
April 3rd, The day of the iPad launch, Doug Bernards installs an iPad in his car alongside an Audison Bit One processor. Planned install will include a McIntosh 6 channel amplifier MCC406M, and a special iPod dock which allows the digital signal to be pulled from the iPad and distributed to the BitOne via optical output. Toyota Tacoma.
Stay tuned for the rest of the build.

Researchers pack pee, not pests to aid Antarctic.
updated 4:20 a.m. ET April 13, 2010
Antarctica's McMurdo Station, which is crucial to the study of climate change and other global environmental issues, and is located in one of the most remote and harshest climates in the world, is seen on Nov. 16, 2006.
 Antarctica is the world's coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent. But from our first day in this polar desert, I realized how delicate the Antarctic environment is.

Where Am I? Geocaching & GPS Workshop - April 11 (3-4:30pm) - Wolf Run Park

Join Amy Biggs, geocaching enthusiast, and learn about one of the hottest outdoor activities in the United States. Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where the participant uses a "geo-positioning system," or GPS unit, to locate the hidden cache. Hone your skills after a short presentation by finding "waypoint coordinates" on a course designed by park district staff. Bring your own GPS unit, or loaner GPS units will be available. Where sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for weather and treasure hunting (aarrr, Matey).

If you are interested please attend. Kim Marshall, from the Knox County Parks called today asking for us to attend. She also mentioned that we can borrow their GPS devices for an outing in the future. Please let me know if you plan to go.

The state requirement for expanded credit flexibility options in school goes into effect at the start of the 2010-11 school year, but East Knox High School has already implemented some pilot programs. Check out the article in the Mt. Vernon News about East Knox High School.

 Geocaching at the Kokosing Gap Trail.

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

Meet Google. The noun that became a verb. The world's favorite search engine, and the company whose motto is "Don't be evil..."






Graphics by Patrick Clair, written by Elmo Keep.

Space Photos of Earth Shot from Balloon, Used Camera and Duct Tape - ABC News

Robert Harrison got some pretty good pictures too. He did it with a weather balloon, a used digital camera he picked up on eBay and some duct tape.

Jumpin' Jets from Jupiter!
East Knox High School Drama Club presents Father's Been to Mars. 
Don't miss it! This weekend Friday and Saturday night curtain time 7:30 pm.

Watch the Internet of things video then ask yourself what you're doing to function in that environment.

Tuesday April 6th I will be grading each one of your wiki pages thoroughly.
You must have at least 18 points by April 6th.

I plan to add an additional column in your table where I can provide feedback on each assignment. If you have marked an assignment as complete please review it for spelling and grammar errors. Also, if you have created charts for comparing/contrasting a topic please include a summary of your charts. Many of you are using Google Reader and Delicious and have provided videos which are great. Please include a summary of how you are using these tools with examples or evaluate the tool pointing out features and flaws.

When writing about any topic on your page make sure to include links and photos. The more information you can provide on your page, the more interesting your page will be. Be sure to visit other student blogs and pages. You would be surprised what you can learn from your peers!

For those of you interested in Geocaching, we need to set a date. I believe after school would be better than a weekend. We would need a couple hours and there are several geocaches in Howard on the bikepath.

Keep up the good work!

An Open Letter to Educators

This is an interesting point of view from a former college student. What are your thoughts?

Do you believe we are not the nation we used to be? Brian Williams offers some startling statistics regarding public schools today. From the students perspective, assuming changes are needed, what do you think should change in public education today?

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Amazing use of technology!

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This week I would like for you to visit blogs created by other East Knox students. Please comment on their blog and comment here as well. For those of you that set up your Google Reader I would encourage you to subscribe to the blogs you visit this week and follow them for a month or two.

Halle

David

Zach

Wiki pages worth visiting - 21st Century Scholars
Zach


Cody

Textbooks anyone?

 Can you speak?

I am looking for a couple individuals willing to speak to the current 8th grade class and current 9th grade class regarding the importance of attendance, course selection, GPA, etc... prior to scheduling classes this spring. Mrs. Smith has put together an agenda and will help schedule the time. This activity is worth 1 point as long as you post your agenda and date you spoke on your wiki page.

Also, all 21st Century Scholar students now have access to their own page. I will be reviewing your work on your page periodically. I look forward to your updates.

The State of The Internet


JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.
JESS3 designed and animated this for the JESS3 lecture at AIGA Baltimore in Feb 2010. 

Tsunami waves wash ashore in Hawaii 

EWA BEACH, Hawaii - A tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Chile swept ashore in Hawaii on Saturday, but the initial waves did not appear to cause significant damage.

 

What Colleges Should Learn From Newspapers' Decline

Newspapers are dying. Are universities next? The parallels between them are closer than they appear. Both industries are in the business of creating and communicating information. Paradoxically, both are threatened by the way technology has made that easier than ever before.

This article if from April 3rd, 2009. It may not be a "Current Event" but I found it very interesting for those of you heading to college very soon.

For those of you working on your own wiki page, visit this link  to see a wiki made by high school science students. When you open the page you will see a long list of scientist on the left. Click on any of the names to see examples of how they incorporated text and pictures. Some of the pages also include Youtube videos. You do not have to create your page exactly like these but if you are struggling to find ideas, looking at a view of these pages may help.

Can e-waste be turned to gold?

One person's waste can be another's raw material! What are we going to do with all the junk cell phones and computers? Land fill?

I have free tickets to the Hunt Family Fiddlers for February 28th 3:00 pm at the Memorial Theater. 
The Hunt Family Fiddlers are an award-winning family of Irish step dancers, fiddlers and singers that marvel audiences around the world! This family performs Celtic, bluegrass, inspirational and popular tunes, serving up a unique blend with every show. They have released four albums, and were honored to perform for queen Elizabeth during her 2007 visit to the United States. With numerous performances in the UK, three consecutive years opening for the Virginia Symphony, and "held-over" status for three seasons at Busch Gardens Europe under their belt, the Hunt Family Fiddlers are sure to amaze you with their high-class performance and capture  your heart with their charm.

Attend the conference and write a one page summary of your experience. 1 point

See me ASAP for tickets.

Student Art Exhibition in Coburn Gallery Opens Feb. 25

The Ashland University Juried Student Art Exhibition opens Thursday, Feb 25, in the Coburn Gallery with a reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
This exhibition will offer $1,300 in awards to student artists, including Best in Show, Everett S. Caldemeyer Award, Provost Award and awards in each of the six art areas: painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital media, drawing and ceramics. The awards ceremony will begin at 5 p.m.on Feb. 25.
The exhibition will run from Feb. 25 to March 4. A generous donation from the Hull Foundation and the support from Provost Dr. Frank Pettigrew and Charles Caldemeyer, professor of art, make these awards possible.

East Knox graduate, Matt Durbin will have several pieces of art in this show.

Visit an art museum or art show and summarize your experience. 1point
Visit an art museum or art show and summarize your experience as well as critically evaluate the art. 2 points 

Matt Durbin Art

I have a copy of the video Food Inc. One of the activities that you can do individually or as a group is to review a documentary on a controversial topic. I would encourage you to watch this video together as a group and discuss the information presented in the movie. Each one of you would then write your reaction to the content of the movie and the discussion that takes place with your peers. Finished one page essays must be posted on your personal wiki page within three days of watching the movie.

You are welcome to organize and watch the movie in one of your homes or I will show it at school one evening or weekend. If you are a leader and want to do this please organize the group and let me know when you need the movie.

SYNOPSIS
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli--the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually.
We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults
Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield Farms' Gary Hirschberg and Polyface Farms' Joe Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

This is very interesting New York Times article.

The author is Thomas Friedman who also penned The World is Flat and Hot, Flat and Crowded. In this article he uses terms like: The Greatest Generation, The Grasshopper Generation, Obamism. He also calls politics a spectator sport like all-star wrestling. How do you make sense of all this?

Sports Illustrated created an example of what their magazine will be like in the future using the Ipad or similar devices. I believe textbooks will soon look and function like this as well.

If you are taking the 21st century scholars course please check the 21st century scholars wiki. I have made a few changes and set a deadline for March 1st. Each of you will have you own personalized work space within the wiki. Please use this to document your completed activities. Make sure to personalize your page and keep a running total of points at the top for your completed activities. It is ok to have essays in progress (unfinished). Just make sure you note when a project is complete. If you take pictures or create movies please add them to your page.

This announcement only applies to the students in the 21st century scholars course.

It’s hard to believe that YouTube, which serves more than 1 billion videos per day, is a mere five years old today. The domain name YouTube.com was registered on February 14, 2005.
YouTube wasn’t the clear leader in 2005: it competed with a range of services from Veoh to Vimeo () to Viddler and many more. Some combination of easy uploading, embeddable videos and an early decision to serve up all clips in Flash (plus, some would argue, lenient policies on copyrighted content) eventually saw YouTube emerge as the victor in the video battle. The company sold to Google in October 2006 for $1.65 billion.

Check out this article in the New York Times on how the Vail, Arizona school district has transformed one of its school buses into a rolling study hall equipped with wireless Internet access for students. Could be a great solution for some of your students' long bus rides?

NBC and other networks were criticized Saturday for broadcasting the disturbing video of a Georgian luger who died after flying off the track and slamming into a steel beam during an Olympic training run. Please look over the article and share your thoughts. Do you think they should have shown the video?

Who Dat? It’s the Super Bowl champ Saints - Super Bowl XLIV- nbcsports.msnbc.com

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The is an interesting article about new school policies regarding cell phones.

This video was created by Michael Wesch in 2007. It was an assignment for his Intro to Cultural Antropology class at Kansas State University. The ideas or facts presented in the video pertain to college students not high school students but I'm sure you can relate. I found it really interesting.

Beyonce sets Grammy record, wins 6 awards - Music- msnbc.com

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Take a look at this article about the Apollo moon landing sites. The current lunar orbiter has spotted the landing sites from 40 years ago.

Ok, I want one but I'm not sure I want to pay $500 - $600 for it. Although it would be pretty cool if every student had one and we no longer had to carry around all those text books. Currently there are electronic textbooks available that could be purchased and downloaded to the Ipad. Who wants one?

What will they think of next?

msnbc.com: Watch on Wii

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The 3 Facebook Settings Every User Should Check Now - NYTimes.com

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Welcome to the 2nd semester!!! I need all of you to email me at rgallwitz@gmail.com so I can create my class communication lists. I need to know if you plan to take one flex-credit course, such as the athletic training course,  or if you are planning to participate in the 21st century scholars course that I will be teaching.

Remember, all flex-credit students must participate in the Current Events Blog even if you are not in the 21st Century scholars course!!

I look forward to hearing from all of you soon.

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. Please look over the devastating images from Haiti. We are very fortunate to live in Ohio where our biggest natural disaster is too much snow.  


Earthquake rocks Haiti - Picture Stories- msnbc.com

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Blogger's bounty | Dispatch Kitchen

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