Extra Credit

If your student is asleep in class today, he might have been up all night at the Hunger Games

The Hunger Games movie opened at midnight with thousands of North Texans battling long lines to be among the first to see the film. But local teachers and librarians have long been capitalizing on the popular book series for some time now through book blogging clubs, writing assignments and upcoming field day events.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Oprah show cameras at Southlake Carroll campus

Oprah did not come to Southlake herself, but producers of her Chicago-based show were taping at Dawson Middle School last week.

Schools officials are collecting parent permission slips through Friday to allow their children to appear on the show. The taping was in connection with the school's namesake, the late George Dawson, according to the campus website.

Dawson, the grandson of a slave, learned to read at age 98. A student suggested the Carroll school district name the campus for Dawson. Dawson, a Dallas resident, died in 2001 at age 103. The school opened in fall 2002.

Dawson had been a guest on the Oprah show. Here's how a May 11, 1998 article in the Star-Telegram by Larry Bingham described the events:

"Oprah Winfrey's producers were so charmed by his story that they flew Dawson and his teacher, Carl Henry, to Chicago to be on her show.

When the producers gave them $50 vouchers for dinner, Dawson told Henry, "Son, ain't no way we can eat that much food." So they invited Dawson's son and daughter-in-law to dinner, and they still had to order the most expensive thing on the menu, Henry said.

Oprah gave Dawson a Bible, his favorite book, and after the show, she gave him a box of novels so heavy they couldn't get it on the airplane."

The segment is to be broadcast on May 17, a Carroll spokeswoman said.

That show will be among the last original programs for The Oprah Winfrey Show. The talk show queen is ending her show on May 25 after 25 years on the air.

Jessamy Brown

 

 

Fox clarifies after TEA clarification

The Texas Education Agency issued a press release Wednesday trying to clear up what it called inaccuracies in comments made during Fox & Friends on the Fox Network.

On Thursday, the show's co-host Steve Doocy answered back. Here, from Fox, is what he said:

“I just want to clarify some stuff, a couple of points. First off all, they were upset that what we said that what they are doing down in Texas is they are developing standards for new textbooks. Technically, what they are doing, is they are developing curriculum standards that will set what is taught in classes, and then those standards will become part of a framework that textbooks are based on. We were just trying to make it simpler…Also, we talked about a suggestion that was made that history is, American history starts in the year 1877. That was a suggestion, made first of all, in North Carolina, and we thought we were pretty clear that these were just suggestions, and there have been a lot of suggestions, regarding the founding fathers, and some different dates that may or may not be included in the text. We thought we were clear that they were simply suggestions, so we want to make sure you understand, they were just suggestions, and that is our clarification.”

- Traci Shurley

Children's reading festival planned at TCU

The Fall in Love with Reading Festival, a project of Score A Goal In The Classroom, is set for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Oct. 24, at Texas Christian University's Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility.

The festival features free books, eye exams and other educational prizes for children. TCU students, athletes and faculty will also read to attendees. The festival is free and geared to children 4 to 11.

Score a Goal In The Classroom is a nonprofit educational incentive program that works with schools in North Texas.

(The indoor practice facility is at the corner of Stadium Drive and Bellaire Drive North on TCU's campus in Fort Worth.)

- Traci Shurley

Dallas Cowboy to kick off Northwest elementary's challenge to read 1 million words

Now that summer reading is over, everybody at one Northwest school district elementary school is taking on a challenge: read one million words this school year.

Each student and staffer at Seven Hills Elementary School in Newark is taking on the Million Word Challenge to improve vocabulary and boost reading skills. Every day, students will fill out a log of how much they've read.

It all starts today with a dramatic post-lunch rally with cheerleaders entering the gym through a tunnel with a fog machine. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Sam Hurd is to make an appearance to motivate students to pick up the books. 

Jessamy Brown

More evolution teaching debate in Austin

Television station KXAN in Austin has the latest on the State Board of Education meeting and discussion of the state's science curriculum. Play the video for a "heated exchange."

Go here to listen to the debate yourself.

- Traci Shurley

Hit by loss of ad sales, Westlake Academy newspaper staff publishes book

The sharp decline in newspaper advertising is apparently not only hurting daily newspapers. The economic recession has hit student newspapers, too.

The Black Cow, the monthly newspaper of Westlake Academy charter school, lost 95 percent of its advertisers this fall. It gets no school funding. So how to get enough money to print and mail copies to every Westlake resident? Showcase your assets!

The students have produced a $10 paperback with 60 of their best articles called "The Best of The Black Cow: Great Writing by Great Kids from Westlake Academy's Award-Winning Student Newspaper." They'll be signing copies at a book reading Wednesday.

If you go: Book reading and autograph party, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Westlake Academy lobby, 2600 J.T. Ottinger Road, Westlake.

Jessamy Brown

UT-Arlington English prof snags spiffy award

Kenneth Roemer has been selected for the international Society for Utopian Studies’ Distinguished Scholars Award. The society, established in 1975, has only awarded three such awards; the first was presented in 1997.

The award is for lifetime achievements in publication, teaching and professional service. Roemer is the author of several academic books, including one nominated for a Pulitzer, and a classroom textbook for “Build Your Own Utopia.”

He has served as president of the Society for Utopian Studies and editor of the society’s newsletter for 13 years and was recently selected to teach a utopias seminar at the European Alpbach Forum in Austria.

Roemer, who I happen to know also teaches fascinating courses in Native American literature, inventive modeling and contemporary American literature, will receive the award at the society’s meeting Nov. 1 in Portland, Maine.

-Patrick M. Walker

Top 100 educational Web sites

Homeschool.com has put together a list of the top 100 Web sites with educational resources. OK, if you're not involved in home schooling, you might find the sponsor a little misleading. However, a closer look suggests that the list can be of huge help to any student, parent or teacher. Parents might find it especially valuable this summer as a way to keep their kids sharp. (You know, when they get bored with all that sun and swimming.)

From the site:

You'll find websites with:

online quizzes,

printable worksheets,

free online books

online Spanish lessons and reading lessons

online games for extra practice with math facts, state capitals, etc.

science lessons you listen to online, and

free online lessons and lesson plans for every subject

After reviewing thousands of websites, the following sites have been selected as Homeschool.com's Top 100 Web Sites for 2008. These websites contain some of the best educational content on the Internet today. Best of all, almost all of these sites are free or have free sections.

Judge for yourself here.

-Patrick M. Walker

Your A.M. roundup

Today on star-telegram.com:

First lady plays 'first librarian' during Fort Worth visit to announce grants See a slide show to go with this story here, and watch a video of Laura Bush reading to second-graders here.

Arlington hopes grant money will help curb gangs

-Patrick M. Walker