As most of you wrap up the school year and get ready for some down time (maybe some professional development with ISM?), we thought you’d like a little roundup of interesting tips, stories, and products we’ve run across.
Star Wars … in Navajo Language
On July 3, Mashable.com reports, Star Wars—that sci-fi film that became a mega-franchise—will premiere in the Navajo Language. This is big thing for Navajo families trying to keep the language alive in their culture. Director of the Navajo Nation Museum, Manuelito Wheeler, was the mover and shaker behind the translation. His wife Jennifer, one of the translators, said, “Some words, like 'droid,' are difficult to translate because of how complex the words are. "R2D2 would be the short metal thing that's alive," she says.
See Saturn for the First Time in Seven Years
Thanks to positioning of the sun against the planets on July 19, you will be able to clearly see Saturn’s rings for the first time in seven years. The Cassini Solstice Mission will also be taking a clear picture of the Earth from 898 million miles away. Cassini took the last photo like this from 926 million miles away in 2006. Click here for viewing instructions.
Coding Camps for Techy Kids
Back in the not-so-long-ago day, a computer was a specialty item that we were lucky to have (so was a VCR, for that matter). For today’s youth, a computer is just another appliance—like the television and refrigerator. Kids can do amazing things on their computers, and now they can spend a week learning to code in iD Tech Camp. "It's about having fun, but it also gives them the tools to be able to do this at home because they don't have this in school," said Taylor Jones, Director of the iD Tech Camp at Atlanta's Emory University. The iD Tech Camps, which have grown from 200 students in 1999 to 28,000 enrolled this year in courses at dozens of locations nationwide, use interest in gaming to build bridges to computer programming and hopefully careers in Web development, film animation, and app creation for smart phones. Read the full Associated Press story in edweek.com.
Inspiring Graduation Speeches
Edweek.com pulled together some commencement speech excerpts from Texas, California, Wisconsin, Indiana, and more. See what the Class of 2013 had to say here.
Concerns About Classroom Online Security
If your school is using any online learning options or virtual classrooms, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) should be in your vocabulary. SSL is an encryption layer that basically stops “snooping software,” as the New York Times calls it, from nosing around the same network and stealing information. A Times story covers how Tony Porterfield, a Los Altos, CA, parent and Cisco engineer, decided to check out the security of his son’s school’s online security. Read the story here.
Summer Programs Kick Off
Private-independent schools everywhere have summer programs of all types getting underway. Your current students have a chance to explore different things and deepen their experience. Summer programs also allow you to open your school—and your mission—to the wider community. These camps and classes serve as an excellent recruitment opportunities as well as community service. Plus, summer programs generate hard income to support your school. Looking for resources? ISM has a compendium titled Benefit-Oriented Summer Program and Extended Day comprised of of key Ideas & Perspectives and To The Point articles.
What Are YOU Up to This Summer?
We’d like to know what you are doing this summer, what things you are thinking about for your school, what professional development opportunities you are taking advantage of, what are you preparing to launch in the fall. Let us know.
