Recently in Education Category

If you want to keep your kids' minds sharp this summer, two bookstore chains might help.

In Barnes & Noble's program, kids in first through sixth grades complete a downloadable journal by reading and writing about eight books. Return the journal to a store and the child can select a free book from a grade-appropriate list.

Borders offers a similar program. Children 12 and under read 8 books, list them on a form, and then return the form to the store where they will get a coupon to buy some selected items for $4.99.

And, if you're not sure what your child should be reading, check out the state of California's reading list for Kindergarten through 12th graders. The list is sorted by reading level as based on the California English-Language Arts Standards Test.

A digital archive containing more than 41,000 recordings of Spanish-language songs produced between the early 1900s and 1950s became available online this week though the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center.

The Arhoolie Foundation's Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican-American Recordings is the largest digital archive of its kind, according to the university.

"The Frontera Collection will be an invaluable resource for students, scholars and the public seeking to learn more about the Spanish-language musical heritage of North America," said Chon Noriega, director of the Chicano Studies Research Center.

Full-length versions of the songs may be accessed from computers on the UCLA campus or by students and faculty accessing the university's network through a proxy server.

Because of copyright restrictions, only the first 50 seconds of each song will be accessible from off-campus computers.

The online archive -- made possible by a $500,000 donation from the Los Tigres del Notre Foundation -- contains 30,000 recordings made between 1905 and 1955, and additional songs from 1955 to the 1990s continue to be digitized and added to the collection.

Joining UCLA in making the announcement was Los Tigres del Norte, a Grammy Award-winning norteño group and major funders of the digitization of the Frontera Collection's 78 rpm recordings.

"This collection will provide the next generation of Mexican and Mexican-American music artists with previously unimaginable access to our rich cultural history and, in doing so, will help them expand the appreciation of Spanish-language music even further in the future," said Los Tigres del Norte bandleader Jorge Hernandez.

Today the print edition of the Daily Breeze introduces KenKen -- or "cleverness squared" -- a logic puzzle that claims to actually make you smarter.

And it just might.

Solving the puzzle requires addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and helps draw out "the primal, self-starting learning instinct of human beings," inventor Tetsuya Miyamoto says in an interview with The Times of London.

The Japanese teacher uses the puzzles -- which he says turn minds into "vigorous problem-solving engines" -- in classes Japanese parents clamor to get their children into.

KenKen looks a lot like Sudoku. Both are based on number-filled squares, but Miyamoto says there is one fundamental difference: "The numbers in Sudoku could be replaced with melons and you would still be able to play. In KenKen the value of the numbers is absolutely central to the solution."

Scared yet? You shouldn't be. Because even though Miyamoto -- citing the importance of the "personal pattern and style of learning" -- refuses to give advice on the best way to approach his puzzle, all you really need is a bit of logic and a bit of simple math -- and we're willing to hand over the clues that the puzzle's distributor shared with us:

"All the numbers 1 through 4 (for an easy puzzle) or 1 through 6 (for challenging) must appear in each row and column without repeating. Numbers within each heavily outlined group of squares, called a cage, must combine to produce the target number in the top-left corner using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division as indicated.

"First, plug in any freebies provided. In a one-square cage, simply write in the number in the top-left corner.

"Next, look for cages whose target numbers are either high or low, since these are often easier to solve. For example, if there is a two-square cage adding up to 3, you know that the numbers must be 1 and 2, and you can go from there.

"Once you've filled in several numbers, you can use some sudoku-like logic, meaning that you can ignore the target numbers and just see which digits have yet to be used in a particular row or column."

KenKen will appear on the Daily Breeze's Take Out page every day except Sundays.

NEW YORK ... End war, forever. Make the planet greener. Please help my dad find work. Make it rain candy!

Thousands of kids detailed their hopes and expectations for President Barack Obama in letters and drawings as part of a worldwide project, with 150 entries chosen for a free e-book released today, Presidents Day, at www.kidthing.com/dmp.

Most had tall orders for the new guy in the White House: Seven-year-old Aaron Van Blerkom's letter was simpler ... but no less problematic.

``Dear Mr. Obama,'' the Pasadena, first-grader began, ``Please Make it rain candy!''

The ``Dear Mr. President'' project was a joint effort between the National Education Association and kidthing.com. A special hardcopy edition of the book will be sent to the White House for Obama.

The letters were written in January at inauguration time. Kids ages 5 to 12 were eligible to participate. Submissions flooded kidthing, including some from other nations.

Lawrence Hitchcock, chief executive officer of the Web site, said more than 4,500 letters were considered for the book on a heart-wrenching range of topics that don't stop at an end to the war and climate change.

``We had, `My dad's out of work, fix the company, please get more jobs,''' Hitchcock said. ``There were Latino kids saying, `Please change the immigration laws so my dad can come back from Mexico.' This is a profound snapshot of a social narrative of young kids during an important moment in history. It really kind of stunned us what came in through the front door.''

Another of the winners, 12-year-old Destiny McLaurin, a sixth-grader from Medford, N.Y., had friendship on her mind.

``I hope Mr. Barack Obama will one day create a holiday for children from around the world'' she wrote.

In interviews, some of the letter-writers remained optimistic that ``Yes We Can'' was more than just a campaign slogan.

``I feel very proud because I know he'll be able to make a change in the country and we'll be a lot more happier,'' Destiny said. ``I think he should make people feel more welcome, people who don't really get along with other people.''

An 11-year-old boy from Ohio drew himself in tears at the side of a relative. His dream, he wrote, is that a ``cure for cancer will be found'' with Obama in the White House, ``Because it took my aunt to a better place on father's day.''

Another child drew Obama as the ``new sunrise of America.'' One made Earth and labeled it ``Obamaland,'' and still another created the president's face as half dark and half light skin tones with the words ``United We Are One.''

Sasha's drawing is an all-green globe. Her enthusiasm for Obama and his ability to get the job done speaks volumes: ``I just think he's really, really awesome.''

-- The Associated Press

Wondering what's going on in Sacramento? You can get a first-hand view of how the state government is run and get paid for it with a California Senate fellowship.

Eighteen positions are open in the program, which provides an 11-month job in the Capitol office of a senator or Senate policy committee. Fellows receive a stipend of $1,972 per month plus health and dental benefits. You'd also get 12 graduate credits from California State University, Sacramento Center for California Studies.

"The Senate Fellows program is a great way to learn about the legislative process and public policy in California," said Sen. Darrell Steinberg, chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. "The program provides valuable on-the-job training and an opportunity to help solve the problems facing California."

Fellows get involved in weekly seminars with senators, staff, journalists, lobbyists and government officials. Many of them go on to staff jobs in the Legislature and executive branch, and others move back and forth between the public and private sectors during their careers, according to the program. Some become elected officials.

Interested? Here's what you need to do:

• Applicants must be at least 20 years old and a graduate of a four-year college by Sept. 1. There is no preferred major.


• People with advanced degrees and those in midcareer are encouraged to apply.


• No political or legislative experience is required, but applicants should have a strong interest in public policy and politics.


• Applications are available from state senators' offices or the Senate Rules Committee, State Capitol, Room 405, Sacramento, CA 95814. Brochures and applications are also available by calling 916-651-4160 or on the Senate Web site .


• The deadline to apply is Feb. 25. After an initial screening and a panel interview for semifinalists, the 18 fellows will be chosen by May. The program begins in late October.

NASA and Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library based in San
Francisco, made available the most comprehensive compilation ever of NASA's
vast collection of photographs, historic film and video Thursday. Located at
The NASA site combines for the first time 21 major
NASA imagery collections into a single, searchable online resource last
summer.
Internet Archive includes a variety of
videos and images ranging from a constellation
collision that happened 140 million years ago to the film
shorts from the 40s and 50s that Mystery Science Fiction Theater 3000 used
to mock. The site will also recommend a clip or an item of the day from the
various categories presented. These range from text to audio to one
collection on how to be a good teenager of the 1950s.

Throwing a party for a crossword fanatic?
How about an invitation and guest list in crossword form?
Can't draw boxes or make all the words fit together? Then this easy crosswords site is perfect for you. It provides a free service that lets you create a variety of crosswords for every occasion. Just type in the answer and the clue and it will construct a puzzle in just a few seconds. It comes with a number of prepared puzzles, which can help children or adults study for upcoming tests or tasks.
While the site says for a small fee it will provide more decorative options, they aren't really necessary.
There are a number of crossword creator site on the Web: This site for educators has an annoying pop-up but is designed for teachers;
This site points out that newspaper crossword puzzles aren't easy to generate but boasts it can provide you with simple crosswords with just a push of the button;
This site offers already prepared educational crosswords for ages 4-18.
One article on the Web claims that creating crosswords is now easier than solving them. And these sites and few others on the Web bear out that statement.

It was only a matter of time before people could use the Internet to visit a museum. If you're looking for cultured fun on the cheap, visit Rembrandt in Southern California. This virtual exhibition shows and explains 14 paintings by Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn that are also on view in five Southern California museums, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Hammer Museum. Our region happens to boast the third-largest collection of Rembrandt paintings in the nation, surpassed only by New York City and Washington, D.C.

Rembrandt in Southern California is a great guide for those who aren't so familiar with analyzing artwork. Study up on the paintings before seeing the real works of art, or tour the pieces at your own pace. You can even print out an exhibition guide for packing along if you decide to visit the paintings. The site offers a unique guide to exploring these significant works, pointing out the minutiae in Rembrandt's brush strokes and texture work. An audio tour rounds out the whole museum experience, providing a personal docent in the form of directors and curators. Admission to the Rembrandt in Southern California exhibit is free and its doors are open 24 hours, seven days a week.

My daughter has been in the public school system all of a month, and I have already spent a small fortune on things like magazine subscriptions, a school sweatshirt, an earthquake kit, PTA memberships, class pictures and teacher supplies. But then I come to work and read about budget cuts and bond measures, feel guilty for complaining and order some overpriced, shiny, retro gift wrap.

If you're feeling my pain, here are some ideas culled from PTA Web sites around the South Bay to help schools without going bankrupt yourself. By the way, these work even if you don't have kids. Pick a school in your hood, your alma mater or a mascot you like and hook them up with some corporate donations that won't cost you one extra cent.

RAID YOUR PANTRY
There are a couple of programs that may have been around when you were in school that are still going strong. You clip labels from cans of soup, cereal boxes and a bunch of other stuff and your school gets points toward buying something from some catalogs of stuff. Save them up and then send them to school with your kid now and then. I have a Ziploc baggie (the Ziploc box has points!) hanging on my fridge so they don't get lost.
If you don't have a kid to send them to school with, you can give them to a neighbor who does or drop them by the school of your choice at some point during the year. They'll take free money from anyone, trust me.

Check out these Web sites for more info:
Box Tops 4 Education
Site lists participating products, random contests to earn extra points, and other programs that give a kickback like 6% on purchases at barnes&noble.com when you buy through the "reading room."

Campbell's Labels for Education
Site lists participating products and how-to tips.

MAKE YOUR SHOPPING COUNT
eScrip
Register your credit, debit and grocery club cards and participating stores will give a percentage to the school you want to support. Macys, Vons, Pavillions and Hows are some of the biggies that participate in this program.

South Bay Galleria
You buy whatever you're going to buy anyway and then show your receipt to the guest services people to earn points for the school of your choice.

Ralphs
Register your Ralphs loyalty card and you'll earn a percentage for your school based on how much you spend per month.

Albertsons
Link your loyalty card to your school and earn some percentage of your expenditures.

Target
Register your Target credit card and get 1% of your purchases donated to the school of your choice. The Web site let's you track how much your school is getting. For example, Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach has 232 designated card holders and it earned about $1,750 in September. That's a pretty good kickback for buying shampoo and toilet paper.

It's back-to-school time. You're busy with transporting your kids to and from school, helping them with their homework and fixing their lunches. And hopefully, your children are just as busy with schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

But if they still spend the weekends pulling at your sleeves and whining about having nothing to do, worry not. The Internet is here to help. KidsDomain has put up two extensive lists of freeware games for children.

Got a PC? Go to http://www.kidsdomain.com/down/pc/_subjectfreeware-index.html. Own a Mac? Type in http://www.kidsdomain.com/down/mac/_subjectfreeware-index.html.

Download everything from coloring books to origami diagrams to puzzles, mazes and games covering reading, writing, 'rithmetic, science and history. Your kids can even learn Japanese or Arabic. You can view the list organized by subject or age group (most of the games will pique the interests of children 12 and under).

As far as we know, there are no viruses hiding among these links. What's great is that most of these freeware games don't require anything more complicated than your basic operating system and perhaps a printer.

And since they can be downloaded onto your computer for your kids to use offline, you won't have to fret about anonymous Web surfers stalking your children.