Archive for category Education
Upcoming Fall Thoughts
Posted by Bruce Gatling-Austin in Education, History on September 5, 2010
Fall can be a time for reflection as we pause to consider the natural year which will end with the first frost. We had long hot spells and significant dryness in the summer that made me only want to venture out early in the day. But the tiger swallowtails seemed more numerous than usual. The hickories are abundant with nuts. The wingstems and the goldenrod are bursting with color.
On a longer timeline I appreciate those people who came over thirty years ago and worked hard to preserve this place so it could be shared with the local community. The foundation’s role has been a powerful one in connecting people with the natural world at a slow pace and in an intimate context. The regular environmental education programs have benefited the community immeasureably both for the young and the old. Whether you are interested in the flora or the fauna, Ivy Creek and Ragged Mountain Natural Areas make the connection. Indeed without the Foundation there would be no trails or access at Ragged Mountain and Ivy Creek would be a housing development.
Enjoy the fall but remember the past and consider how you can give to the future. There are many programs to help out with this fall from Junior Naturalists to School Tour Guides. If you are a quieter sort consider helping us maintain the connection through trail maintenance or invasive removal. We can also use your funding for staff time to coordinate all of this and make it happen.
Most importantly, make your own connection to nature on the trails or in an education program.
City Considering Closing Buford or Walker
Posted by Waldo Jaquith in Education, News on September 3, 2010
The city school system is thinking about shutting down Walker Elementary or Buford Middle, Rachana Dixit wrote in yesterday’s Progress. Walker serves solely fifth- and sixth-grade students, while Buford serves seventh- and eighth-grade students. By consolidating them—probably at Buford—the city could save up to $700k/year in salaries…but it would require $21M in capital costs.
From the late sixties until the late eighties, Buford and Walker were both middle schools. In 1988, they split the duty, with Walker taking the lower two grades, and Buford taking the upper two.
The school board will vote on this in mid-October.
News from the front desk
The questions were pretty interesting. One woman had questions about a pension plan and thought we could help her. She wasn't a former employee of the University, but I guess I should be flattered that she thought we could explain how her plan worked. Many wanted to know if their credit would transfer if they came to UVa. They didn't seem to realize that there's a handy transfer credit analyzer on the website.
The most unexpected question, though, was from a woman from my own home state. She wanted to make sure we'd keep her tour appointment for Friday. We get a lot of people who think they need reservations or to sign in for tours and information sessions. So many, that we looked into implementing a reservation system (we're going to demo one today and will probably launch it in the coming weeks). After chatting for a minute, it became clear that she thought Charlottesville was at the beach and that Hurricane Earl would affect us.
Help us help kids with just a few clicks!
If you know me in person, you’ve probably heard me talk on and on about Dark Skies, Bright Kids, aka DSBK. This is an astronomy club for elementary school kids in Albemarle County, run by volunteers from the Astronomy Department at the University of Virginia. We visit a different school every semester, meeting with the same group of 3rd through 5th graders every week, showing them in a hands-on way just how fun science can be! We teach about rockets, …
… comets,…
… light,…
… the wonders of the night sky,…
… and so much more. We’ve been able to reach out to a fantastic group of kids and show them the wonders of science through astronomy. They live in a beautiful rural county with gorgeous dark skies, but don’t always have the resources with which to explore them.
Though our volunteer effort is only large enough to handle one group per semester now, we’re looking to extend our reach by publishing a children’s book about astronomy and distributing it to every 3rd grade public school classroom in Virginia. This takes money, and we’ve applied for a Pepsi Refresh Grant to make this happen. All YOU need to do is sign up at the site and vote for our project. You can vote for us once a day, every day, in the month of September!
Book excerpt. Click to embiggen!
I’ve been voting for a bit now for other projects, and haven’t noticed any new spam and no emails from this particular website. If you are really worried, use an email address that you don’t use for your real work or contacts. (But only vote ONCE! Please, don’t vote from multiple email addresses.) DO, however, vote everyday and pass this along to your friends, family, organization, or Facebook and Twitter contacts if you would like to help.
If you have an audience of your own (a blog, a radio show, a podcast, a website, etc.) we would be SUPER appreciative if you passed this on through those means as well! (BIG THANKS to those who have already done or agreed to do so!) Every vote, every day is going to count to get us closer to our goal, and help science education across Virginia.
Want to know more? Please check out our website where we have our mission statement, pictures, links, and free lesson plans of some of our activities that can be adapted for the classroom or home! Feel free to contact us using the email on the website, or me personally, if you have any questions or want to help. And if you are in Charlottesville or Albemarle and really love astronomy outreach, we could use boots-on-the-ground volunteers as well!
Thanks, and clear skies!
Related Links
Thanks for the internet love from:
- All our Twitter followers and Facebook fans
- Bad Astronomy
- Albemarle Family (pg 52-61; written before voting began, but EXCELLENT article)
- UVa Today
(More on the way. Please let me know if I’ve missed you!)
Lifelong Learning Resources in Charlottesville
There are so many lifelong learning resources in our area! If you are unable to attend the OLLI Fall 2010 classes, perhaps you can find an alternative. Please take a look at the updated Learning Resources page and leave a comment to let me know if I have missed anything.
Thanks -RuthK
Filed under: active adults, Albemarle, Charlottesville, Lifelong Learning, Live & Learn, OLLI-UVa, Seniors Tagged: active adults, Albemarle County, Baby Boomers, Charlottesville, Colleges and Universities, Education, Lifelong Learning, Live and Learn, OLLI at U.Va., Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, RuthK, United States, University of Virginia, UVA Institute on Aging, Virginia, Virginia festival of the Book
7 Weeks of Blog Post Ideas for Interior Designers (#6-#10)
Posted by Alexandra in Education, Technology on August 30, 2010
A series to get your creative juices flowing for your interior design firm’s blog. Read the introduction here.
- Choosing towel colors. How to use a spa-like approach or to accent with your bath towels.
- 5 favorite pedestal sinks.
Photo: Better Homes & Gardens
- How to tell good upholstery from bad. Possibly show pictures that will educate your reader on what they can look for when selecting a piece of upholstery.
- Effects of glazing cabinetry. How different glazes change the natural colors of woods.
- Choosing the right area rug. Size, style, and more. Do you put the sofa legs on it?
Photo: Apartment Therapy
Be sure to check back next Monday for five more blog post ideas!
In a NOVA state of mind
I grew up in an area very much like NOVA, so going there always makes me feel like I'm home. Our dean grew up there, so I'm not the only one in our office who likes visiting.
In past years, I've spent a week trying to get to as many schools in Fairfax, Loudoun, Alexandria, and Arlington as possible. I'm never able to get to them all. This year, I get to spend two working weeks (ten days) in the region. I decided to try to visit every public high school in the area and as many privates as I can fit in. I'm not sure I can do it even if every single school is able to fit me into their schedule, but I'm going to try!
So, if you live in northern Virginia, keep an eye on the blog in the coming weeks. I'll be posting my travel schedule when I get my itinerary worked out (most schools, from what I understand, are back in session next week and I'll start making appointments then). I can't wait to meet some of you on the road!
CavDog using a dog water fountain in Old Town Alexandria
FISH, Friends in Schools Helping, is now looking for volunteers
FISH, Friends in Schools Helping, is now looking for volunteers to help tutor children in local elementary schools for the brand new school year.
Trainings will be held the middle to end of September, as both teachers and students need time to settle in and have assessments completed for placement of FISH volunteers.
Contact Marguerite David at JABA for more information.
Filed under: active adults, Albemarle, Charlottesville, community service, JABA Tagged: Academic term, active adults, Albemarle County, Charlottesville, Child, City Schools, community service, Education, Elementary school, FISH, JABA, Lifelong Learning, Live and Learn, RSVP, School, Senior Corps, Student, volunteer
The Gulf Café: Virtually the best seafood in town
A new seafood restaurant is opening in Charlottesville, featuring some of the best seafood dishes from the waters of the Gulf Coast, including hush puppies, oysters, jumbo shrimp and baked flounder. Now, before you start salivating— sorry if you already are— Dish has to tell you there’s catch: The Gulf Café has no physical location and serves no real seafood.
The virtual restaurant, which will open on the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina at www.thegulfcafe.com, is an attempt to bring awareness and financial support to those affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill. The site will allow seafood lovers with a desire to help those who bring it to our tables to place “virtual orders” off an extensive “virtual menu” specific to the Gulf region. All proceeds will go to non-profit organizations in the Gulf region that are mitigating environmental damage and assisting those in need.
While the café won’t satisfy our appetites for shrimp gumbo and oyster po’ boys, founder Chuck Moran hopes it will be a fun way for foodies to satisfy their appetite for charity.
“I felt I had to do something to help,” says Gulf Cafe founder Chuck Moran.
FROM GULF CAFE WEBSITE
“The effects of the spill are so devastating,” says Moran, a local web designer and marketing expert who founded the website with a staff of volunteers. “I felt I had to do something to help the people, the animals and the environment. This spill truly impacts all of us.”
So how does this work? Well, browse the Gulf Café’s menu of pictured items, select how many you’d like to order, then press checkout to enter your credit card information. Currently, all proceeds will go to the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
“Commercial fishermen face unemployment short-term and possibly long-term, which is why the first grant from our Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund went to support a center where fishermen can go for business help,” says Marco Cocito-Monoc, a Greater New Orleans Foundation director.
The Gulf Café also features an “Oil Spill” page with up-to-date news and video on the cleanup and effects of the disaster. Visitors can also interact with The Gulf Cafe staff and community via Facebook (search The Gulf Cafe) and Twitter (twitter.com/TheGulfCafe).
It’s ranking time again
I have to admit that rankings are a source of entertainment for me. I don't know anyone who subscribes to the biggest name in the rankings business, but for some reason, they have become a must read for anyone interested in higher education. When the lists start leaking, emails fly and speculation ensues. I take solace in the number of comments on College Confidential that are critical of the rankings, though there are always a few who take them very, very seriously.
If you are interested in the rankings, I think the UVa press release about the most recent round of US News & World Report rankings would be of interest. It breaks down some of the numbers behind the methodology and some of the program rankings, too. If you were in any way interested in the Forbes rankings that came out earlier this month, please read the release about that. It's far more diplomatic about the methodology than I would have been!
You can see all sorts of rankings we've been given on the Facts At a Glance Rankings page.
Regardless of what the lists say, visit schools and decide if they deserve a top ranking on your list.
7 Weeks of Blog Post Ideas for Interior Designers
Posted by Alexandra in Education, Technology on August 23, 2010
Whenever I ask people what their main concern and block is for social media, a majority of them say producing content. This is true. All of a sudden, businesses that never had to write before are now tasked with being editors and journalists for their online diaries. Blogging offers great opportunities to establish yourself as an expert, show your company’s personality, and be more searchable, but it can be overwhelming to think about coming up with a new idea 2-5 times per week.
In 30 minutes, I developed 35 ideas for blog posts for your interior design firm. I realize I am leaving this to you to do the hard part—the writing! Most of them are residentially-inclined, but I know that they will spur ideas for the commercial folks too. You are more than welcome to use these blog post ideas verbatim. However, you will also be thinking about your own spin so don’t let these limit your creativity. Hopefully this list will help you think of even another 35 things that you want to write about. If it does make you think of some posts, will you share them in the comments? Remember that posts don’t have to be long, but they have to be interesting. What is interesting to your reader? They’ll tell you by what they retweet on Twitter, link to from their own blog, or comment on your blog. It’s a learning experience and you’ll probably end up being surprised at what they most want to hear about.
I’ve divided this list into groups of 5. It will give you enough to think about for the week and we will post them every Monday for the next 7 weeks.
1. Pantone color of the year and its uses. Show ways that it can be used as a base color or as a subtle accent.
2. Outdoor living rooms. The change in fabric technology and options are amazing. Highlight this or something similar for your reader.
Photo: Martha Stewart
3. Window treatments and appropriate uses. Educate your reader on the different window treatment designs and when each might be used.
4. Ceiling fans– not from your first apartment. Choosing a fan with style.
5. Painting floors. What to consider with color and sheen.
Photo: Design Sponge
Stay tuned for five more blog post ideas for interior designers, every Monday!