Wed, 10 Mar 2010: South American Cities Moved in Chile Earthquake
Get the details by reading this Discovery News article.
Wed, 10 Mar 2010: Why is Colombia such a violent socienty?
Read Elyssa Pachico's answer in Colombia Reports.
Tue, 09 Mar 2010: Fleeing Juárez
As the murder rate and drug violence escalate in Ciudad Juárez, many of its citizens find refuge in the United States. Read the Dallas Morning News article about this exodus.
Tue, 09 Mar 2010: Twittering Against Crime in Mexico
Some Mexicans are using Twitter to keep one another informed about violence as it happens, thereby allowing people to stay inside or avoid dangerous areas. Read about it on CNN.
Mon, 08 Mar 2010: Film Review: Solas
The Spanish from Spain that we hear in Solas is pretty standard, but it'll mostly NOT be understood by high school students. The film itself is rated "R," presumably for bad language that, while not pervasive, is rather frequent. Moreover, the mature theme of the film probably warrants an "R."
Is the film good enough to show in the classroom in spite of its pedagogical problems?
Fri, 05 Mar 2010: Teacher Job Cuts Do Affect Students
Click HERE to read about how teacher lay-offs at inner-city schools are particularly damaging.
Thu, 04 Mar 2010: Elementary Children Learn by Gardening
Read the Dallas Morning News article and learn how gardening can help raise kids' test scores and, more importantly, reconnect them to the world of nature.
Wed, 03 Mar 2010: Diane Ravitch Criticizes NCLB
I'm glad to read on National Public Radio that Diane Ravitch, former Assistant Secretary of Education and well-known education writer, has changed her mind about "No Child Left Behind" and a related phenomenon, "No Child Left Untested."
Wed, 03 Mar 2010: Ethnic Humor in Dagestan
Ever heard the joke about the Avar who ran red lights?
Read this N. Y. Times article for that joke as well as a discussion of humor among the many ethnic groups of Dagestan, a Russian republic on the Caspian Sea.