Another School Arrest
In Waukegan, the staff aren't catching students hacking on school computers, they're catching teachers smoking pot in the teachers' lounge.
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Not David Lightman
A New Trier Township High School senior got caught hacking into the school's computer system. How did he get caught? Staff walked around the school and looked at students' screens.
Local Congressman Wants No Second Life
Illinois Congressman Mark Kirk is sponsoring a bill to ban access of Second Life in schools and libraries, citing its lack of robust age verification and the abundance of "wholly inappropriate activities" that may take place there. The American Libraries Association (ALA) is among those who are opposed to this legislation.
Blowing Up Stars
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have created some very cool simulations of how a star goes supernova.
Two DePaul Loop Campus Buildings Evacuated
According to an email sent out to those affiliated with DePaul University, two buildings, Lewis Center and O'Malley Place, were evacuated due to bomb threats. Update: Information is also available on the DePaul website.
A Wireless(on) at U of C Law School
The buzz is growing over The University of Chicago Law School's recent decision to cut off wireless Internet access in classrooms. Something about students chatting, checking email or playing solitare during class...
U of C Tackles the Zombie Issue
Some of the greatest minds of our future have been given funds to tackle the pressing problem of zombie attacks, thanks to the University of Chicago's UnCommon Fund, a program designed to provided funding for, um, unique student projects. Other proposals that received modest grants include a clothing-optional Halloween Party. OK, to be fair, other approved projects are a bit more serious.
Reseeded
The SEED Conference is back. Get tickets now.
Serious Cash for Elementary Schoolers
Thanks to Ariel Capital, students at Ariel Community Academy get to practice investing with $20,000 that's given to each first grade class. Don't worry, they don't get to touch it until sixth grade.
A Lesson in Numbers for CPS
A report by Catalyst Chicago finds that the Chicago Public School's faulty enrollment projections are leaving principals with a cash crunch/teacher shortage.
Once Upon a School
Famed author Dave Eggers, the inspiration behind 826CHI, was one of the recipients of a 2008 TED Prize. His wish was for more people to become engaged with their local public schools, and they've launched Once Upon a School to help make this happen.
A Boarding School Without a Madeline in Sight
CPS is now considering public boarding schools for disadvantaged students.
One Blue "PC" Per Child
Engadget points us to the fact that Chicago-based nonprofit Innovations for Learning is supplying 500 Chicago elementary schools with their $50 Teachermate PC over the next two years. Go ahead, get one.
Rooftop Sprouting
The Gary Comer Youth Center's 8,600-square-foot rooftop garden is coming into its own.
School Cameras to be Linked to 911 Center, Everyone to be Watched
Mayor Daley just announced that the 4,500 cameras in 200 (out of over 650) Chicago Public School buildings will be connected to the city's 911 Emergency Center to give the city a "comprehensive school security plan." The Department of Homeland security is reportedly picking up the $418,000 bill.
Bienen retiring as President of NU
Henry S. Bienen, president of Northwestern University since 1995, is stepping down. NU has set up a special site dedicated to his announcement and legacy.
There's Still Time to Go Back to School
While some Newberry Library seminars started earlier this month, plenty of Winter/Spring term courses (in subjects ranging from genealogy to mystery-novel writing) don't start till some time in March, or even April. Click here for details about classes and schedules.
NIU's Cole Hall to be Demolished
Like so many other sites of terrible events, NIU will raze the building where the recent tragedy occurred.
Give a Little Bit
DonorsChoose is a non-profit that allows you to select which educational project you would like to donate money to. There are plenty of worthy projects in the Chicago area; as you do your taxes, consider putting a little of that refund toward furthering a kid's education.
The New uchicago.edu
The University of Chicago launched their new homepage today. The result of a massive research, redesign and restructuring effort, the new site focuses on U of C-related stories and news, instead of simply lists of links. This is the university's first major online facelift since 1999. (See for yourself via the Wayback Machine.) Give 'em your feedback here.
Catalyzing District 299
District299, Alexander Russo's excellent blog on Chicago Public Schools, recently made the move to Catalyst Chicago's website.
Chicago's Newest Green Home
Starting May 8, you'll be able to swing by the Museum of Science and Industry and visit Smart Home: Green + Wired, a new exhibit featuring a 2,500 square-foot house.
Another Chapter in Our Postmodern Lives
Five West Chicago eighth graders were suspended for staging and filming a fake fight in the school bathroom. Because, you know, a "student who sneaks into a bathroom for a YouTube shoot could slip and hit his or her head on a sink and be seriously hurt."
Free Month at the Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is closed today, but it will reopen Saturday and introduce free general admission for the remainder of the month. Happy 75th!
U + Chicago = Awesome
Congrats to Carlos Kenig of UChicago, recipient of the 2008 Bôcher Prize in mathematics for "important contributions to...nonlinear dispersive partial differential equations." Where's my prize for typing that correctly?
Modular Housing of the Future
If you haven't checked it out already, you may want to swing by the Chicago Center for Green Technology and check out elementhouse, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign entry in the 2007 Solar Decathlon.
"Ren" is Skimpy
While the Chicago Public Schools' "Renaissance 2010" program (or "Ren10") is nearing its goal of opening 100 new schools by 2010, almost half of the communities identified as the most in need of high-performing schools have yet to get them, according to the Chicago Catalyst.
Must Be An Exam Day
Class are cancelled in Barrington today due to "severe bus vandalism."
The First (Slide) Rule of Fight Club...
Wanna see "nerds" beating the hell out of each other? Head over to the University of Chicago where their Fight Club-esque "Thunderdome" combat society is hoping to body slam the image of 90-pound, slide rule-wielding weaklings. Not everyone is in awe of the physical spectacle. "We come almost every week, mostly to laugh," said one second-year student.
As If Middle School Isn't Hard Enough
Hundreds of eighth graders in Chicago are dropping more than $100 an hour this year to get into the city's most selective high schools. Up next: Grade school prep courses for kindergarteners.
The Glory Days of High School Football
The Tribune has compiled an extensive report of the 2007 season for the Mooseheart Red Ramblers. Complete in three parts, with supplemental video and photos. Suburban high school football at its most enthralling.
Spertus Almost Ready
The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies' new building will be open to the public starting on November 30 with a series of events and a new range of amenities.
Gronnnnnk!
U of C palentologist, and beautiful People person (1997 edition), Paul Sereno recently unveiled the remains of a heretofore unknown dinosaur. Called Nigersaurus taqueti, and described as a "cow of the Mesozoic" and "fern mower," due to its herbivorous nature, Sereno and his team discovered the fossils in the Sahara desert in Niger.
Interested in American Culture?
The University of Chicago just opened a center that will study everything from "painting of the 18th Century ... to the history of hip hop music." It promises to have a public presence, so hopefully we'll all have some more interesting events to attend soon.
Does A Teacher's Race Matter?
CPS teacher Will Okun has become something of a celebrity education blogger at the NYTimes "On the Ground" blog sharing the real world challenges of urban educators. His most recent entry details how his students feel about the race of their teachers.
CPS Launches New Email, Flirts with Social Networking
Considering the periodic uproar to "save the children from the evils of social networking," it's more than a little amusing to see the new CPS email/collaboration system so labeled. Teachers began using their shiny new @cps.edu addresses on Nov. 1st, and 5th - 12th graders will be getting accounts throughout the school-year. CPS is using FirstClass from OpenText.
Hup Two Three Four, I Love the CPS Corps
Chicago is number one in public military schools (we'll have six by 2009). Advocates say the schools build better students through military history classes, regular uniform inspections, and marching drills. Critics, however, think the military is taking advantage of a school system composed largely of nonwhite kids from low-income families.
Discovery Center Fall Classes Now Available
Learning opportunities both offbeat and conventional fill the Fall/Winter calendar at The Discovery Center, Chicago's self-proclaimed "Lifelong Learning Center". Can't afford to escape the cold and vacation in a warmer climate this year? Sign up for the "Out of Body Adventuring" seminar and astral-project yourself to Cabo San Lucas for the weekend. Or just learn how to paint, write a screenplay or become a private investigator. Classes start now and run through March 2008.
District 299 on the Move
The "Highly Unofficial Scoop on Chicago Schools" AKA the District299 Blog -- is moving to Catalyst Chicago to create one consolidated powerhouse of a Chicago education-news resource.
Getting Schooled
The Trib made a gadget that lets you measure your high school's performance against schools statewide. It's nice to see the tippy top of the list loaded with Chicago institutions.
College Newspapers Clean Up
Three Chicago-area college newspapers won the 2007 Associated Collegiate Press Newspaper Pacemaker Award: Columbia College's The Columbia Chronicle, the Courier from the College of DuPage, and the University of Chicago's Chicago Maroon.
IIT = Exciting?
Someday this equation will make sense, if soon to be inaugurated IIT President John Anderson gets his way. Anderson would "love to see a little college town develop" around IIT's Bronzeville Campus, and in the meanwhile is charging ahead with efforts to improve student life and the school's national profile.
Back to (Film) School
Facets Film School's first fall term has already started, but the second fall term begins the first week of November and ends right before Christmas. Classes are weekly (with Thanksgiving week off), 7 to 10 PM, and cost under $100 for the term. If you like Woody Allen dramas, outlaw couples, movies out of Hong Kong, or Howard Hawks movies (and who doesn't?), you still have time to enroll. You can find more details here.
Get Growing at Seed Conference
Hobnob and hear the stories and tips from Chicago design heavy hitters at the SEED Conference this October. This one-day event, featuring 37Signals, Coudal Partners and Segura, will be composed of discussions on design, entrepreneurship and inspiration. it's $399, so see if your office will pick up the cost.
18K for Preschool
Chicago City Day School and The Latin School of Chicago grace the Forbes list of most expensive preschools with tuitions of $17,750 and $17,425, respectively. Note that a good portion of the Forbes information about Latin is incorrect. [via]
Day in the Life of a CPS Principal
One in four of Chicago Public School principals are new this year. Chicago Public Radio's David Schaper followed an elementary school principal around for a day to see what challenges she's facing.
Back to School! CPS Stats of the Week
CPS students reported to school this week in record numbers with 93% of the district's 409,000 students attending class on Day 1. CPS managed to record this eventhough their much ballyhooed new attendance system (IMPACT) was down for much of the week. The most eye-catching CPS stat of the week comes from the CCSR: CPS Freshman on average miss/cut 19.6 days of class.
Back to School at the Newberry
Feeling jealous of all the kids going back to school this week? You can join them (sort of) by signing up for a seminar at the Newberry Library. Courses range from genealogy (of your family or your Chicago house), to literature (Dickens, Joyce, Shakespeare, Garcia Marquez, and others are featured), and also include history, art, music, philosophy, and creative writing. Courses start mid-month or later. For more information, click here.
Classes at the Threadless Store
Oh, indie t-shirt buyers! You can do more than support the economy when the new Threadless store opens on September 14. You'll also be able to take basic design classes and advanced design workshops conducted by Digital Bootcamp.
Fab Labbers Confer in Chi-Town
Neil Gershenfeld's Fab Lab (check out his concept video from TED, and more background on "Personal Fabrication") will be in Chicago next week for a conference at UCHICAGO and the MSI. Rumor has it that a Fab Lab installation will be setup at MSI for public consumption, but nothing has been officially announced yet.
We're Tied for 9! We're Tied for 9!
The University of Chicago tied for ninth place with Columbia University on US News & World Report's annual list of America's best colleges.
Class Action Bathroom Suit
Two cousins at Paul Cuffe Math Science Technology Academy are filing a lawsuit because they were denied bathroom breaks.
At School on Day One = Free Day at MSI
CPS students who make it to the first day of school (Sept. 4) will receive a family pass for a free day at the Museum of Science & Industry.
Shooting Racism
A University of Chicago assistant professor in psychology has devised a videogame which tests racial bias based on whether you shoot black or white men holding cellphones, wallets or guns.
It's (Apparently) Not the Teachers...
In 69 of the 87 Chicago Public Schools that were deemed to be failing for two consecutive years, not one teacher's performance was rated "unsatisfactory".
Columbia Goes Green
Sustainablog offers an interesting take on Columbia College's decision to revamp graduate programs in Architectural Studies and Interior Architecture that focus on sustainability. "Green is the mainstream," says Sustainablog's author.
"Loop U." expansion plans afoot
Crain's details some of the expansion (and construction) plans of the DePaul, Roosevelt, Columbia, and John Marshall campuses in the South loop.
The Brush Project
DvA Gallery is auctioning off original artists' brushes to help raise money for Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit working to increase the visibility and stability of arts education across the country. Each brush is signed by the artist and framed in shadow boxes (a few even come with drawings or books). Check out The Brush Project for photos of the brushes and the artists' works. The auction is on ebay, and ends this Friday.
License to Drive
In an interesting move the state legislature passed a law stating kids will need to attend school if they want to be able to drive.
A Pedagogical Factory
Starting on Sunday, the Stockyard Institute, AREA Chicago and other organizations will initiate "Pedagogical Factory: Exploring Strategies for an Educated City" at the Hyde Park Art Center. Throughout its run, topics will include "How We Peoples Make a People's Atlas of Chicago," "How We Grow: Self-Education and Urban Farming Gathering" and "How We Brew/Bake/Mead Etc Cottage Expo."
Cost of Teacher Turnover?!
SIU's study on New Teacher Attrition in Illinois (PDF) reports that "each time a teacher leaves Chicago Public Schools, it costs $17,000 to $22,000 to recruit, hire, process and train a replacement."
Time to Head Elsewhere
Norman Finkelstein, controversial professor of political science at DePaul, has been denied tenure. Read his collection of articles about the situation. UPDATE: He spoke on 848 this morning.
Not Egregious
Chicago State University's President Elnora Daniel finally talked about their recent audit controversy (high travel expenses aboard cruise ships and heavy bar tabs on the state's dime), and generally dismissed the problems as not being egregious. Apparently, we can rest assured that sloppy record-keeping with state funds will not continue. She didn't say that we should go back to not paying them any attention, but might as well have.
Big Money
The University of Chicago was just given $100 million -- anonymously. The gift will launch the new Odyssey Scholarships program, which will serve students from low- to middle-income families. Due to the size of the gift, almost a quarter of enrolled students will benefit from it at any given time.
A Locally Grown Hybrid
Car, that is. A couple of weeks ago, IIT's Armour College of Engineering entered a car in the student 2007 Formula Hybrid competition. They finished in 5th out of 6th in overall points, but more than doubled their previous speed record. They have their eyes on first place next year.
One Heck of a Headline
Bloomberg's recent review of Johan Van Overtveldt's book about the University of Chicago Department of Economics has one heck of a headline, alongside some interesting information about the department. If you like what you see, you may want to catch his upcoming speech.
School Lunch Program
The Reader takes a look at Chicago Public School's lunch program and efforts to improve it. You might also be interested in Lori Barrett's in-person take on the same, awhile back in Drive-Thru.
Let's Hear it for the Scholars
Here's a list of the Chicago-area winners of National Merit college-sponsored scholarships, otherwise known as "the kids everyone wants to sit next to in Science Lab".
The Journalistic Code
The Knight News Challenge has been kind to Chicago. Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism received a grant to create scholarships for programmer-journalists -- such as Adrian Holovaty, creator of ChicagoCrime.org, who also received a grant and has left the Washington Post to start EveryBlock. Geoff Dougherty of (recently redesigned) ChiTown Daily News also received a grant to continue his citizen journalism project. UPDATE: Also, Daniel Sinker, co-editor and publisher of Punk Planet, received a Knight Fellowship at Stanford (thanks, Mark).
Radical Educators Gathering
There is a good chance that some of you readers are educators or know an educator and that you've got some ideas about how your politics and your teaching could be better aligned. An impressive collection of leftist education organizations have banned together to produce this summer's Free Minds Free People: Education for Liberation and the deadline for cheap admission is coming up on the 21st. Be sure to check out the national conference June 21-24 here at the Little Village Lawndale High School.
Education Laughs, Onion Style
Today the District 299 Chicago Public Schools Blog collects some education-themed (including some Chicago specific) funnies from the Onion.
Boiling the Frog
The Virgina Tech shootings, in which 32 students were shot in one morning, caused immeasurable grief and a justifiable uproar. Curiously, less notice is given to the fact that 27 Chicago school students have been beaten, stabbed, shot, or suffocated this year alone.
Take a Class
Looking for something to do this summer? How 'bout a project? Classes start soon for furniture making, book and paper making, figure drawing and other arts.
Mature Audiences Only
A substitute teacher at a Chicago elementary school thought it would be a good idea to show the R-rated film Brokeback Mountain to an eighth grade class. Not surprisingly, the family of one of the students is now suing.
You Are Here
South Shore High School students were given stacks of paper and drawing utensils and the single question, "Which Chicago do you live in?" The maps they drew were reviewed to assess the kids' consciousness of their relation to space, perception of where they live beside where power resides (i.e., downtown), and more. The results were quite interesting.
Third Grade Architectural Modeling
Elementary students at the Lab School have been building their favorite pieces of the Chicago skyline in Joyce Carrasco's class for more than a decade. Check out examples from the class of 2004-2005. Dibs on the Morton Salt building! [via]
Major Teacher Purge
Following last year's teacher firing, Chicago Public Schools gave notice to more than 775 probationary teachers on Friday.
Vallas On the Move...
Paul Vallas, former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and candidate for the governorship of Illinois, is leaving his post as the CEO of the Philadelphia school system this year. Vallas plans to return to Chicago, but the rumor mill is suggesting that his stay at home will be temporary and that the New Orleans Public Schools will make a play to lure him to Cajun Country.
Get Schooled
If you are interested in education research, you may want to check out the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, which is in town this week. Events are open to the public, but you'll need to pay the hefty registration fee.
Northwestern University, Qatar Campus
Northwestern is in negotiations to open a campus in Qatar, where coursework would focus on Journalism and Communications and students would have to meet Northwestern's general admission (and tuition) requirements. The programs may negotiate internship opportunities with Al-Jazeera, which is headquartered in Qatar.
Time Out for Teacher
Bruce Lupori, a teacher at an Evergreen Park elementary school, put a bag over a kid's head in some wacked-out attempt at humor. The student wasn't hurt and no charges will be filed, but Lupori is on paid administration leave.
Don't Forget Yer Milk
Ever get the jones for school lunch? If you're hankering for childhood delicacies such as mini corn dogs, crappy pizza and ham and cheese pinwheels, compare and contrast these school lunch menus from the Francis Parker School, Arlington Heights school district, Morgan Park Academy, and Saukview Elementary.
Jackass of the Week
College newspapers may not be known as paragons of journalism, but some local schools have some trailblazing pieces online, such as Columbia Chronicle's Jackass of the Week column. Other recent college paper wackiness comes from an article about Microsoft vernacular, an apology from a paper that got it all wrong and a pseudo op-ed arguing for a "Star Trek Defense" system against illegal aliens.
Testing, Testing, One, Two...Four?
Have you ever walked out of a test sure to your core that it was rigged? Illinois elementary school kids had good reason this year.
Plug It In, Plug It In!
IIT is about to boost the Chicago Department of Fleet Management's Green Fleets Action Agenda [pdf] with a prototype plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The city will decide whether it wants more of the cars after a four to six month trial.
I'd Like to Thank the Academy...
They are the Oscar's (not Golden Globes) of education. Today six of the area's finest teachers were presented with Golden Apple Awards for excellence in teaching. Way to go! Pssst...post-awards party in the teacher's lounge.
State Education Report
After being delayed by wack technical problems for months, results of the Prairie State Achievement Tests finally reached Chicago schools. Parents, students and educators are furious at these delays, which prevented them from doing informed prep for next month's test.
The Language of Carnivale
Ever wanted to learn Portuguese? Casa de Cultura Brasileira has you covered. Opened in January, the school and Brazilian cultural center offers classes from beginners up to advanced levels, and the next round starts in March.
Three Decades of Opinions
Now that the locally produced General Social Survey completed its 26th run, the New York Times published a sneak peek of the 2006 results. Some interesting findings include a precipitous drop in the percentage of those who have a "great deal of confidence" in the military since 2004, as well as a 50% decline in daily newspaper readership since 1972.
DEA Targets Chicago (in a museum-y sort of way)
Navy Pier is the home of "Target Chicago," a display of "Chicago-specific content from the DEA Museum's 'Target America' national touring exhibit." A quick search of the museum website yields no exhibits about crack in Los Angeles. Go figure.
No Divestment for U of C
Citing the 1967 Kalven Report [pdf], the University of Chicago will not divest from companies involved with Sudanese business. It is the first top-tier university to make such a statement.
UCHICAGO Understands Black Youth
Or, at least has an intellectual understanding of their attitudes, thanks to the recently completed Black Youth Project. The findings claim to reveal "an unexpected duality in the attitudes of black youth in America," and indicate (among other things) that the majority of black youth would prefer it "if mainstream rappers cleaned up their acts."
The Good News in Education!
Making no mention of what the bad news might be, South Side Congressman Daniel Lipinski's resolution praising "Catholic Schools for their ongoing contributions to education" passed unanimously. The resolution was planned to coincide with Catholic Schools Week (Jan 28-Feb 3). There are over 250 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
IIT's TechNews Back Online
Fortunately, the irony that the Illinois Institute of Technology's student newspaper hadn't been updated since January 31, 2006 wasn't lost on its editors. Oh, irony, thou must find elsewhere to roost.
Daley Granted Another Wish
Starting in the 2008-2009 school year, Lindblom Math & Science Academy will be the first CPS high school to shift to a year-round schedule. Bonus nonsensical Daley quote: "If we can spend billions of dollars to put a person on the moon, how, in this day and age, can we give kids two months off?"
South Africa Comes to CPS
Eat your heart out, Oprah. While the daytime talk show queen attends to affairs at The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, a musical group made up of ex-political prisoners from that country will tour the Chicago Public Schools. Yes, the kind of schools where students only care about sneakers and iPods. "The Robben Island Singers" were imprisoned with Nelson Mandela during Apartheid. They travel the world riffing on social justice and human rights. The singers will perform at Kenwood, Whitney Young and Roosevelt, among other CPS schools, throughout the first half of February. And a film crew will accompany them for a DVD.
Newberry Winter Registration Open
It's that time again: the Newberry Library is offering seminars on everything from Irish writers to genealogy to the history of the sleeping car. Click here to see if there's a course for you. Seminars begin next month.
Gray Matter
Hanna Holborn Gray was U of C's president from 1978 to 1993, serving as the first female president of a major university. As admirable as the professor's life has been, Gray's official presidential portrait has a more colorful history, having been repeatedly critiqued, stolen, and, in one case, inscribed with Apocalyptic verse.
Northside Prep Selects New Principal
Northside Preparatory High School, one of the Chicago Public School's eight selective enrollment high schools, has selected Barry Rodgers to be its second principal, succeeding Dr. James Lalley. Rodgers was chosen over 38 candidates from around the city and the nation. Northside was recently named one of the top 25 high schools in the nation by Newsweek. Rodgers is a local product-- a graduate of Queen of Angels and Gordon Tech. Northside's student newspaper, the Hoofbeat, gets extra credit for breaking the story on their website and for using Joomla to power it.
Public Art on the Expressway
A number of children working with the Little Black Pearl Art & Design Center have submitted public art concepts for the new Dan Ryan retaining walls. Vote for your favorite today.
Chicago Supernova
The University of Chicago's Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes was awarded a couple million hours of time on a government supercomputer to run supernova simulations. The simulations could shed light (heh) on "dark energy" and other little-understood phenomena.
How Do You Feel About Wednesday?
NPR documents the debate over the University of Chicago's future acceptance of the Common Application. The university will continue to use parts of its Uncommon Application, but that doesn't mean everyone's happy. If you're curious about all the fuss, read some previous Uncommon questions.
Fallen Rider Memorial Ride
A group of Chicago cyclists (myself being one of them) have organized a ride to raise awareness of the growing number of cyclist fatalities in the Chicagoland area. Named the "Fallen Rider Memorial Ride", the ride will start at the Thompson Center at 6pm tomorrow, January the 3rd and will ride to Diversey and Pulaski at an easygoing and respectful pace. The goal? To highlight how important driving and cycling are to Chicago and how the two require attention and respect. A PDF flyer can be viewed, downloaded, printed and passed along from here.
Purdue-Calumet Gets an 'F'
Purdue University Calumet, a Division I NAIA school and a member of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, has cancelled the remainder of its mens' basketball season after more than half of the team's members were declared academically ineligible after the fall semester. The Peregrines' entire coaching staff resigned.
Robots in the Library
Wired has a brief story about the robots being used at Chicago State University to retrieve and shelve materials at the library's storage facility.
The Life of a City Squirrel
UIC biologist Joel Brown wants to know how squirrels survive the dangers of city life in Chicago.
The Laboratory Influence
Crain's provides an interesting profile of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and their business and political influence. Bonus: Parker and Latin alumni get a little catty.
Beyond Education Sound Bites
If you'd like to know more about the Chicago Public Schools than what you can discern from short, mass media pieces, check out Catalyst Chicago, the local outpost of the urban education magazine. Be certain to visit the guide to CPS and research sections, which provide original content and links to research institutions.
Matt's Law Coalition
Following the recent sentencing of an Urbana woman who killed a cyclist while driving and downloading a ringtone to her cellphone, the parents of Matt Wilhelm the deceased, have started a coalition to lobby for a law and education to reduce distracted driving. Looks like that cellphone ban hasn't been working out too well.
More Help for CPS Students
Following last month's announcement from Roosevelt University, IIT is offering Chicago Public Schools students a full ride, provided they meet admissions and financial criteria.
The Virtual Quad
Since college kids don't have enough online personae to manage, what with MySpace pages, Facebook profiles and Xanga blogs, UIC is exploring the possibility of a school-wide implementation of LiveJournal. The goal? Building community via an informal mode of student, faculty and staff interaction.
Milton Friedman Dead at 94
Milton Friedman, University of Chicago Nobel laureate in economics, passed away today.
The Underground Economy ... In Person!
If you enjoyed Sudhir Venkatesh's article in the Boston Globe, you may want to check out his talk on Thursday. Details in Slowdown.
Eaaaaarrrrllllyyy Admission
Today Roosevelt University offered all first and second year students at Social Justice High School a full ride, provided they graduate with at least a 3.0 GPA, earn a 20 or higher on the ACTs, and fulfill a handful of other obligations. Good luck, high schoolers!
DIY Holiday Cards
Hoping to stand out from the glut of generic "season's greetings" cards this holiday season? Try this: Sign up for the Chicago Center for Books & Paper's cheap papermaking class (Nov. 4 -- only $25!) and make your cards yourself!
Cafeteria Critiques Not Cutting It
At least five suburban student newspapers are in trouble, and as Northwestern School of Journalism Dean Richard Roth puts it, "I hope they're not going out of business. We have enough problems with newspapers without losing them in high school."
Diversifying the U of C
Inside Higher Education notes that, thanks in part to the Collegiate Scholars Program, which identifies promising Chicago Public Schools students and assists them in applying to top-tier universities, the number of African-American students enrolling at the University of Chicago is at an all-time high.
"For the Not-So-Safe Driver"
Looks like the Chicago Bike Federation has a new website for their Drive With Care campaign. At first, I thought it was real, but then I knew that any memorial like "The Brittany" had to be too good to be true. Well done, chaps.
Business School Dropout
In BusinessWeek's 2006 rankings of graduate business schools, Northwestern's Kellogg slipped from no. 1 to no. 3. The best would-be MBAs won't have to look far for the new top dog, though: University of Chicago's GSB now leads the pack.
How Do You Picket a Virtual School?
Chicago's first virtual charter school, creatively named the Chicago Virtual Charter School, is a month into its first school year -- and just got served its first lawsuit. The Chicago Teacher's Union claim it's more like homeschooling than a true school, and therefore shouldn't get public funding.
Where Fun Comes to...Have Fun?
Check out this quicktime movie of Good Morning America wherein the author of the Princeton Review's The Best 361 Colleges announces that the students themselves picked the University of Chicago as the best undergraduate experience. Who are these students? And how much were they paid? As a former occupant of "The Level of Hell that Dante Forgot," I find this shocking, indeed.
Internships at 826CHI
Are you a college students or a recent grad? 826CHI needs you to assist with day-to-day operations of the writing center. If you've got 10-15 hours per week, then send your resume and a cover letter to Leah Guenther at leah [at] 826chi [dot] org.
About, With and For Design
IIT's Institute of Design hosts its annual About, With & For conference October 6-7, and it's shaping up to be a good one. A few seats are left; bug your boss to get you in.
Shimer College, Welcome to Chicago!
On October 8, the Shimer College Convocation and Reception will take place somewhere new: IIT's main campus. The Great Books college will still have some operations in Waukegan, but most activity will be in Chicago.
Bungalow Resources
If you're the proud owner of one of these traditional Chicago homes (like I am!) then you've got to check out the Historical Chicago Bungalow Association. The HCBA connects homeowners with funds, ideas and vendors to help you make your home even more awesome. Check out October's free seminar on practical interior design solultions at the Woodson or Sulzer libraries. Register now.
On the Ten-Year Plan
What to make of schools like Northeastern Illinois and Chicago State, where graduation rates are among the country's lowest? That question's raised in today's Times, following on a report issued last spring. Since then, debate has swirled, but no one, it seems, can agree on an answer.
Newberry Fall Registration Open
If one of your new year's resolutions was to read Ulysses or Gravity's Rainbow, you're in luck: the Newberry Library is offering courses in each of these notoriously difficult masterpieces. Also offered are courses in Louis Sullivan, Friedrich Nietzsche, history, genealogy, and writing (including a one-day novel workshop). Click here to see if there's a course for you. Seminars begin next month.
Chicago: Gay Student Central
Five Chicago-area colleges and universities were recognized this month as being among the 100 best in the nation for GLBT students. Columbia College, DePaul, Northwestern, UIC, and Northern Illinois are all profiled in The Advocate College Guide For LGBT Students, which scores the 100 gay-friendliest campuses based on school policies and student surveys. U of I Urbana-Champaign campus and western Illinois's Knox College also make the cut.
See Red on the Red? Say So
Sandra Gray is a master's student in urban planning and public administration at UIC. Her thesis project discusses CTA customer service, particularly on the Red Line. If you're a regular rider and have something to say (who doesn't?), she sure could use your help. Take her survey here.
Get In Real Fast
Hey, 37signals is holding a workshop on Getting Real October 9; it's about half-way sold out, so get your boss to approve it quick!
Expertocity
You've been writing that article about wine and trust and deception for a few weeks now, but it's missing that certain something. Could it be a quote from a local expert?
No, Jane, Denver is the Capital of the United States
Becoming a social studies or history teacher just got considerably easier in Illinois. The Illinois State Board of Education lowered the passing grade on their test to 57%. That's right: you can fail and still pass.
Study Architecture at IIT for $5
The Mies van der Rohe Society is offering inexpensive architecture tours at IIT, highlighting not only Mies' work (e.g., Crown Hall and the Carr Memorial Chapel), but also the grounds (designed by Alfred Caldwell), the campus center (designed by Rem Koolhaas), and the new student residence (designed by Helmut Jahn). Click here for details about self-guided and docent-led tours.
Top TEN for Education
The Teaching Excellence Network is "an online professional community for teachers across subject areas, grade levels and school type, from urban, suburban and rural areas all over the state and country." If you or someone you know is a teacher, this is the place for you.
Scholars Wanted
Know any academics? The Illinois Humanities Council is seeking candidates for its Road Scholars speakers bureau, which presents experts in fields ranging from ancient literature to wildlife biology to audiences of ordinary folks throughout the state. While scholars in all fields are welcome, themes emphasized this year include genetic engineering, U.S. roots music, and Abraham Lincoln. Click here for details and an application. The deadline is September 15.
Why I Go to School: Free Tickets!
In a move to boost Chicago Public Schools' attendance rates, the district has partnered with sports teams, radio stations, and even Southwest Airlines for the Back to School Sports Challenge. While some prizes will be handed out just for attendance, essayists can win a trip to Disney World or a chance to be a DJ on Power 92. So, kids, see how rewarding staying in school can be?
Cinema/Chicago Offers Teachers Some Pointers
Do you teach? Curious about how to incorporate documentaries into your classroom activities? Need more ideas for improving your students' media literacy? How about applying hip-hop in the K-12 setting? Cinema/Chicago is presenting a three-day Teacher's Institute from 15 through 17 August, to be held down at Columbia College. It's cheap ($25 a session; $150 for the whole shebang--cheaper if you're a Cinema/Chicago member), promises to be enlightening, and the registration deadline has been extended till this Friday. Click here for details.
Not Your Father's Stockyard
Inside Higher Education profiles DePaul's Jim Duignan in his quest to bring art to kids in Chicago's urban neighborhoods. In addition to making his own work, Duignan's Stockyard Project has been contributing to the development of young artists for the past 10 years.
Looking Over Your Xanga
In more School Boards vs. Blogs news, a 17-year-old student in Plainfield School District 202 has been suspended and threatened with expulsion because of his criticism on his blog of the school's disciplining of another student. His Xanga.com site isn't accessible from the school's computers, but administrators are saying that his comments caused "a disturbance at school".
Big Brother in MySpace
I doubt any of our readers are currently enrolled in Libertyville/Vernon Hills public schools, but you'll still be slightly alarmed to hear that School District 128 is now holding its students responsible for anything posted on MySpace or elsewhere on the Internet. Expect a lot of teenagers suddenly going anonymous in response.
Mapping the Controversy
Who would have thought a map of Chicago's neighborhoods would be so controversial? Not only has the Chicago Neighborhood Map designed by Christopher Devane upset realtors and developers because of a new motto, "Home is Where the Hood Is," printed across the top, but Chicago Public Schools has slapped the mapmaker with a cease-and-desist order to keep him from offering the map to schools.
Beautiful Game Turns Ugly
The Associated Press reports that Northwestern has suspended its women's soccer team in light of hazing allegations. Website BadJocks.com posted a number of photographs it attributes to "a public picture sharing site," and the story develops.
Regnef Blogger Speaks
So you know that teacher we told you about who wrote scathing commentary about Fenger High School on his blog, then leaked it on purpose? He wrote an email to Dawn Turner Trice, who'd written a column about him last week. The upshot: the blog was a misunderstood cry for help.
Stallman Speaks at UIC
Richard Stallman, who is the Moses of the Free Software movement, is coming to speak at UIC on Friday morning. Known genius and controversial figure, he's an engaging speaker who doesn't blunt words. Get there early--it is expected that the hall will fill up.
Beer and Geeks
Like beer? Like science? Head to Map Room at 6:30pm on Wednesday for the inaugural session of Cafe Scientific, where UofC's Sean Carroll will present the topic and subsequent discussion, "Why is the past different from the future? -- Cosmological perspectives on the nature of time." Discuss over beers. (Thanks, Ian!)
Geeks Gone Wild
The Times on Vita Excolatur: "Since its inaugural issue in October 2004, Vita has been a constant challenge for a university trying to balance ideals of academic freedom and its role in loco parentis." Which, ya know, is one way of putting it...
Newberry Summer Registration Open
Whether reading Devil in the White City excited your interest in Chicago history, or you've resolved to go back and study some of the classics you avoided in high school, or you're wondering if your life story might make a good novel (or at least a short story), the Newberry Library probably has a course for you. Classes start in June.
Gates-way to Education
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation continues to take an interest in Chicago's schools. The foundation just gave Chicago Public Schools a $21 million grant, the largest it's ever given to a local school district, to fund a more challenging curriculum in English, math and science at 14 local high schools. This just a week after announcing plans to open four Outward Bound schools in the city.
Man, Inventor, Genius
The Museum of Science & Industry unveils a big new exhibit of the works of Leonardo da Vinci tomorrow. The 20,000-square-foot show will feature models of the 15th Century master's inventions, a digital copy of one of his sketchbooks and a lot more. The exhibit runs through Sept. 4 and costs $21 for adults, $15 for kids, which includes admission to the rest of the museum.
Remembering Maggie Dixon
West Point womens' basketball coach Maggie Dixon was remembered at a memorial service yesterday in North Hollywood, California after dying last week of a sudden arrythmic episode. The ceremony was attended by 1200 mourners, including the basketball teams of both West Point and DePaul, where Dixon was an assistant coach for five years before being named head coach for Army just before the start of the last season. After a 5-7 start, Dixon took the Army team to a 20-11 record and the Patriot League championship, earning West Point its first-ever appearance in the womens' NCAA tournament last month. She and her brother Jamie, the mens' coach at Pitt, became the first brother and sister to coach in the NCAA tournament in the same year. Jamie, 11 years her elder, said Tuesday, "I've said this before—when I grow up I want to be just like her." Maggie Dixon will be buried Friday at West Point; she was 28.
A B.A. in Bouffant
DePaul University recently announced the creation of Wigs and Hair Chicago, a certificate program for those who'd like to learn how to make moustaches, side burns, and fancy hairdos for the stage.
Lectures To Go
Lectures and speeches at The University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business are no longer constrained to the classroom. Thanks to VideoBank GSB students can now log-on to a "straightforward Web interface" to view MPEG formatted recordings from twelve classrooms hooked up with cameras.
Not the Most Flattering Picture
Today's Los Angeles Times runs a lengthy story on how Chicago Schools Offer L.A. a Cautionary Tale as its mayor contemplates taking charge of the public education system. Summed up, "Daley's early victories in Chicago gave way to a much murkier, and less clearly successful, effort to make widespread improvements in teaching and student performance."
For the Artist in You
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has announced its May workshops and summer session courses for adults. Learn to paint, bind books, or make collages. Haven’t you been meaning to do something like this long enough?
Cow Parading Elsewhere
On Valentines Day, thieves made off with Ogden Elementary's cow statue. The Gold Coast school's prized piece of the city's famous "Cows on Parade" was painted by its students.
School Renamed for Till
On February 24, James McCosh Elementary in Woodlawn will be renamed Emmett Louis Till Math & Science Academy. Till was killed prior to starting 8th grade at McCosh. Since announcement of the name change, ten eighth graders have formed an Emmett Till Club.
Golden Apples
30 Chicago-area teachers are finalists for the 2006 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Of the finalists, 9 are Chicago public-school teachers from Burley, Chicago Academy, Jahn, Marquette, Murphy, Nicholson, Otis, Piccolo, and Pierce schools. Help Golden Apple to support local education: purchase an education license plate designed by a 5th grader from Grace McWayne School.
Save Collins High School
We've posted that CPS will be closing four schools with Collins being the only high school (the others are grammar schools). The leadership committee has started a blog to spread information about their campaign to save Collins High School. [Thanks Brian!]
CPS to Close Four Schools
The Sun-Times is reporting that the Chicago Public School system plans to close four schools -- one high school and three grammar schools -- due to low performance. The grammar schools would close at the end of the year, while the high school, Collins, at 1313 S. Sacramento, would close when the current freshman graduate.
Virtual Insanity
Yesterday, The Chicago Board of Education approved creation of The Chicago Virtual Charter School. The school would serve 600 students from grades K-8 via computer. Illinois would join 12 states, including California, Kansas and Alaska, if the Illinois State Board of Education also approves the virtual school's proposal.
Wacky, Yes. But is He Art?
Columbia College is facing something of a free speech controversy as it grapples with the aftermath of an employee's sacking for his work on the satirical Wacky Warrick website. The previously anonymous site mocks the college's president, and while Mark Phillips contends he did none of its development on the job, he was terminated after investigators documented his involvement by a midnight raid of his office. The Columbia Chronicle has the story.
“In True U of C Fashion, Get Statistics”
The Chicago Maroon reports on CollegeCuteness, a site started by two male undergrads at the U of C. To evaluate the attractiveness of last year's incoming women, the pair posted a sample of their photos on Hot Or Not and did the same for nine other colleges with the intent of comparing the scores. Chicago may not rank last in many polls, but, alas, this one proved the exception to that rule. [via]
Developing the Future Literary Gangs of Chicago
Poet Cassie Sparkman hosts the reading series, Literary Gangs of Chicago, every third Tuesday. During the daytime, Sparkman teaches weekly poetry classes through The Poetry Center of Chicago's Hands on Stanzas program to over 170 students at Christian Ebinger School in Edison Park. Last week, Sparkman installed her students' "Poetry + Photos Project" featuring student poems in response to images by photographers Krista Peel and Johnny Knight.
Art Works
A study published today in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management by researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital showed that art therapy can reduce cancer patients' pain and anxiety. Applications for the MA in Art Therapy at the School of the Art Institute are due February 15th.
CPS Disciplines Bullying Bloggers
Three 7th and 8th grade students in the International Baccalaureate program at Taft High School in Edison Park were suspended this week because of threatening and sexually explicit remarks about their teacher posted on a Xanga blog. Next week, Taft's principal will meet with parents and students to discuss the "legal and moral issues involved with blogging." An article in today's Tribune talks about the Taft blog incident in context with others where the blogger was not disciplined.
Shimer on the Move?
Tiny Shimer College is contemplating a move to the big city from its campus in Waukegan. Apparently the liberal arts school, which has just 110 full-time students (many more go part-time), has been invited to move to IIT's campus on the near South Side. A decision is expected in the coming months.
Poetry Out Loud
The Poetry Foundation and the NEA announced that last year's pilot recitation contest for High Schoolers, the National Recitation Contest, (held only in Chicago and Washington D.C.), will hit all 50 state capitals in Spring 2006. Play AP English and visit Poetry Out Loud's website to to browse poems enriched with audio links.
Chinese in Chicago Public Schools
Today's Monitor runs a story that puts Chicago in the vanguard of US language education trends: teaching Chinese. 3000 students in twenty local schools are learning to speak Mandarin, helped in part by watching Jackie Chan.
Kozol Redux
If you missed Jonathan Kozol's Humanities Festival talk at the Chicago Temple on Sunday afternoon, you still have a chance to hear the author of Death at an Early Age, Savage Inequalities, and—most recently—Shame of the Nation, when he speaks at the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Memorial Chapel on Tuesday evening. Kozol's talk, which is sure to be impassioned and inspiring, will focus on the de facto segregation of America's public schools. Details in Slowdown.
First Day of School
After a little first day nerves, 826CHI opened on Monday to drop-in tutoring. They helped with math, wrote some stories and played a little chess. In all, it sounds pretty successful and the 826 volunteers are excited to see where the next few days take them. They're still accepting volunteer applications, so if you like kids and love teaching and learning, go here to learn how you can spend some of your extra time.
Reading and Writing for Pirates and Spies
As it plans to kick off tutoring operations later this month, 826CHI will host an open house on Thursday night. If you're wondering what to expect from this Eggers&co.-backed venture, this article offers insight into the project's larger goals and motivating philosophy. In part, at least, it aims to support teachers' in-class efforts; after all, they don't have it easy.
No Tenure For You
Just a few months ago, the Chronicle of Higher Education published an article that, in the case of U of C professor Daniel Drezner, at least, may have been prescient. The Chronicle piece argued that if blogging had any impact on an academic's career, it was apt to be a negative one. Drezner expressed that sort of concern at the outset of his own weblog, and he revisited it on Saturday when he posted about having been denied tenure. Inside Higher Ed points out this is the second time in a year that's happened to a blogging junior faculty member at Chicago.
A Class on CSS
If you're not a web designer, go ahead and skip this post. Eric Meyer is going to be in town Nov. 3 for a CSS-XHTML workshop. From the schedule, it looks pretty intensive. Get your boss to send you.
Learn something new every week
Many of the classes began this week, but it's not too late to register for some of the Newberry Library's fall seminars. Topics include Black Letter Calligraphy, Small Theatres in Chicago, multiple literature and genealogy classes, and writing workshops. The evening and weekend classes average about $150 for eight weeks.
Eight Twenty-Six Chicago Needs You
Big doin's over at 826CHI, the children's writing center with folks like Ira Glass and Dave Eggers behind it... For one, the organization announces today that it has found a home in Wicker Park at 1331 N. Milwaukee and plans to open for drop-in tutoring by the end of next month. To get things kick-started and pay its security deposit, 826 is holding a benefit concert at the Metro in late September that will feature the likes of Archer Prewitt and Baby Teeth. Details on that and other events are on their calendar (and, should you forget, Slowdown will remind you). Furthermore, now that there's a space, there's a time-line. That means volunteers are needed. Do it for the kids, man!
The Changing Face of Cicero
As demographics continue to change in Illinois, Inside Higher Ed gives us the story of a suburban community college that's changing with them. Under the leadership of president Brent Knight, Morton College in Cicero has taken huge strides in the past two years to meet the needs of its Hispanic population, this year a striking 74 percent of the total student body -- up from 6.6 percent 25 years ago.
Attention Students: the Food Fight Will Be Held Next Door
According to a new study, more than 80 percent of Chicago public schools have at least one fast food restaurant within half a mile of campus. So while Chicago may be making the food available inside its schools healthier, kids who don't want granola don't have far to walk.
Old Town School classes: From hula to harmonica
The Old Town School of Folk Music starts up another session of classes next week, and if you were thinking about taking a music, dance or voice class there soon, you can sign up today and save $15 on the cost of your class. Browse the list of classes that covers a wide range of musical and dance styles, sign up for your class online, and start making beautiful music.
Preschooling at its best
As part of a special section dedicated to education this weekend, the Times looked at the U of C's Lab School, describing it as "as good as prekindergarten gets." Accordingly, UCLS is serving as a benchmark for early childhood education proponents around the country as they push for broader public funding of pre-elementary schooling. Here in Chicago, the Child-Parent Center program has been offering such services to lower income families for nearly 40 years, and a long-term study by University of Wisconsin researchers has shown just how effective this preparation for later learning can be.
Kits for Kidz
I saw Arnie Duncan, the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, on the news the other day talking about Kitz for Kids, a program that provides school supplies to disadvantaged students. I thought, "Sign me up." But, of course, the local news didn't provide any actual helpful information, like, say, how to get involved in the program. Well, Eric Zorn to the rescue, posting the link to the Kitz for Kids CPS School Supplies Drive on his blog. More than 9,000 homeless students in Chicago need help purchasing basic school supplies, and the kits (there are three different grade level types) each cost less than $15. All kits will be sent directly to those who need them, so consider helping out.
Fixie (and me) on the radio
A while ago, I was interviewed for a radio piece about fixed gear bikes for Studio 360, a WNYC/Public Radio show that gets aired everywhere across the nation in cities except Chicago. Funny since it was produced here. Fortunately, there's online radio and while thousands across the nation will hear me wax poetic about bikes, we in Chicago can listen online (lower right, Design for the Real World).
Scent of a citrus
A recent study at the University of Chicago has determined that the smell of grapefruit on a woman makes her appear considerably younger to men. However, the scent of grapefruit on men does not affect women's perceptions of a man's age.
The Reg goes massive
The University of Chicago will spend $42m over the next four years to consolidate eight million volumes under the single roof of the Joseph Regenstein Library. That will make the Reg the largest single research library in the country, a title currently held downstate by the main facility of the U. of I. at Urbana-Champaign. Inside Higher Ed runs a story today, as did the Trib earlier this week.
Fish on Form
When Stanley Fish, professor of English and former dean of Arts & Sciences at UIC, talks, people in higher ed tend to listen — if only to argue about what he's just said. I figure folks around here may read his op-ed in today's Times from one of two perspectives: either as academics who want to get in on the fight or as former students who recall Fish announcing just exactly how he intends to teach them composition. Either way, let the "content" begin.
Circus Team
CircEsteem is a non-profit aimed at "building self-esteem through circus arts" in kids from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. The group's annual Spring Circus is this Sunday at Alternatives Inc., 4730 N. Sheridan, at 11am and 3pm. Call 312/593-4242 for more info. (Thanks, Christopher)
Advanced Placement
Newsweek has just published the latest edition of one of those educational ranking surveys that people seem to either love or hate: its list of "America's Best High Schools" for 2005. Out of 27,468 public high schools in the US, Chicago's Lincoln Park appears at no. 31; Stevenson High in Lincolnshire, the only other Illinois school in the top 100, shows up at 86.
We're Better than Harvard, Nyah Nyah
I was one of the few University of Chicago students who didn't go there because she got rejected from Harvard. As a student, however, it's pretty easy to tell that the U of C is just as difficult as Harvard, maybe more so because we also have to prove our worth. Finally, Michael Steinberger at the Wall Street Journal gives us some props, writing that we've "wielded much more influence in recent decades." So there. Now quit punishing yourselves and go have some fun.</