McREL Rural E-News, No. 37
November 2004

HEADLINES

Rural Education Headlines

Events, Workshops, & Opportunities

Research & Reports

Resources & Information

RURAL EDUCATION HEADLINES

1. Online ed puts schools in a bind Denver Post (free registration)
The number of students switching from traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms to full-time virtual schools in Colorado has soared over the past five years. And those figures — which do not include students who are taking one or two online courses to supplement their classroom education — are making officials in the state's smallest districts jittery.

2. Internet bridges gap between Alaska students and teachers L.A. Times (free registration)
Internet videoconferencing is helping to bridge the tremendous distances between students and expert educators in short supply throughout Alaska. As a result, "Even in the smallest, most remote schools, you can start to provide equivalent academic rigor," says Chick Beckley, president of the Alaska Distance Learning Partnership.

3. Security becoming top priority in rural schools Sioux City (Iowa) Journal
At rural Iowa schools, where violence isn't expected, a teen bringing a gun to Clay Central High School, threatening letters sent to athletes at Spirit Lake High, and a Spirit Lake student threatening Columbine-like acts are giving school officials reason for caution.

4. Nebraska college offers scholarships to every graduate from three rural high schools
Three Nebraska high schools received what many might call the gift of a lifetime this week, when Peru State College offered an 18-month-long academic enhancements and four-year scholarships upon graduation for all current members of the junior class in Shickley, Rising City, and Prague High Schools.

5. Rural schools seek out educators in global market Charleston (S.C.) Post & Courier
Vacancies in hard-to-fill teaching positions have inspired some rural principals and superintendents to cast a global net for applicants. Those that have interviewed and hired foreign-born teachers, rave about what they bring from the outside world to their students.

6. Small schools rediscover six-man football Omaha (Neb.) World Herald
As school enrollments decrease in some small towns, more of them are finding it difficult to field a traditional 11-man or even an eight-man team. So, many of the towns are embracing a game that gave the sport back to a Depression-era Nebraska almost 70 years ago: six-man football.  

EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, & OPPORTUNITIES

7. McREL Winter Academies
Held in Aurora, CO, throughout the month of February, McREL’s Winter Academies will provide educators with research-based professional development in a several critical areas, including leadership, early childhood education, reading, and classroom instruction. Click on the link above to learn more.

8. Online earth systems science course for middle school teachers
January 14, 2005 is the deadline to register for the spring session of the Earth System Science Course for Middle School Teachers. The 16-week course was developed by the Center for Education Technologies (CET), and will be facilitated by educators at McREL. Successful participants will earn three semester hours of graduate credit from the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). The cost of the course is $215, which includes all of the materials. For more information, click on the link above.

9. A NanoSurvey for High School Science Teachers
McREL and the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF) are seeking input from high school science teachers to help guide a National Science Foundation-funded project that will integrate nanoscience into the secondary science classroom. Access the online survey by clicking on the link above.

If you are interested in being considered as a pilot and/or field test school for this work please send an email with your contact information to NanoLeap@mcrel.org.

RESEARCH & REPORTS