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NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION: Documented Accomplishments: Entry 4

UPDATE (Nov 22, 2007): I found another book that I would recommend to my colleagues. I used this book as another reference for my Entry 4 Documented Accomplishments, this portfolio entry is one of my highest scored entries.

This book is the first manual to present clear, manageable, step-by-step practical procedures and tips on how to organize a professional portfolio to document the achievement of nationally developed standards for teachers. Key Topics: This book introduces the national teacher standards and then guides readers through the portfolio development process in a logical, sequential manner from the initial stage involving the collection of potential artifacts to the final step of constructing a Presentation Portfolio. A professional portfolio is a vehicle that will enable teachers and prospective teachers to gain a large measure of control in charting their own professional growth and then demonstrating to others in a convincing way the competence that has been achieved.

I recommend this book to all professionals working in the field of education.

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This is one good thing about blogging, I am able to record my thoughts and chronicle everything that's happening to me. As the year 2006 comes to an end, I am able to review all these. I am able to see more ways to go about some things, better solutions to the problems I had, find my own route to the realization of my dreams and have a better plan of where I want to go.

Here are some of my Documented Accomplishments as I compiled them for my Entry 4 NBC portfolio:

1. To be able to publish my students' exemplary works internationally. The positive feedbacks from across the globe are a positive motivator and morale booster to my exceptional students. This class website won an award as the TeachersFirst Class Blog "for actively using a classroom blog with students to facilitate student understanding of curriculum, encourage writing as expression, and promote good writing skills" This Class Digital Anthology project also won a grant from The Washington Post Company Educational Foundation last December 19, 2006.

2. To be given the Leadership Award by the DC Area Writing Project after a year of being in the leadership team as the Technology Liaison. I designed the NetPals Project which was awarded a $3,000.00 grant by the National Writing Project last August 2006, which is centered on collaboration among teachers from different locations around the globe.

3. The CyberPals Project was a successful venture. Collaborating with a National Writing Project colleague from Western Massachussets, we received a Weblog from the National Writing project which we used for interaction between my urban students and his suburban students.

4. To be able to attend the National Writing Project Annual Conventions every year in different states/ local sites, as the Teachnology Liaison to the DC Area Writing Project. I've been sent to Indianapolis, Indiana (2004), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2005) Nashville, Tennessee (2006) aside from the advanced technology institutes in Omaha, Nebraska (2005) and Chico, California (2006) for my professional development training all paid for by the DC Area Writing Project.

5. The E-Journal for the Costa Rica Project was also a successful venture. It was a pleasure for me to create a colleagues E-Journal for her students' travel to Costa Rica. It was an accomplishment for me seeing how my colleague and her students, the parents and others from our school district were able to make connections - interactively updating each other of what's happening from their respective locations, exchanging feedbacks, photos, videos. I was able to facilitate connections in ways plain paper cannot.

6.To be one of the facilitators/ presenters during the New Teachers' Orientation in our school district twice, in August 2005 and August 2006. I shared with them my personal experiences that I know would help them to be educator leaders (not just teacher workers). I wished them the best. I got exceeds expectations and good comments for those presentations.

7. To get the involvement and collaboration of the parents of my students. Not only do I learn more about my students through home visits, but I am also communicating to the students' families that I am genuinely interested in their child. This is the key for me to get the parents to share the responsibility of teaching organizational and study skills of my students, thereby maximizing their potentials.

8. To receive full support and empowerment from the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC and to see the Pinoy Teachers Network growing in strength and number, is another accomplishment for me as the founder and the director of this organization which is aimed to improve the quality of Filipino teacher professionals in the Philippines and across the globe.

For the complete list of my SY 2005-2006 and partial list SY 2006-2007 of my accomplishments, please see this list. These accomplishments used to be just a dream to me. Who said that "Goals are dreams with dates attached".

It's time now to set my goals for 2007. Shedding off my extra 33.8% body fat is #1

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

More Entry 4 resources and examples:

- NBPTS Resources Florida

- On WEAC Entry 4 tips

- Promoting Parent Involvement

- Guide for Collaborative Accomplishment

* Please see the right sidebar for more on my National Board Certification candidacy.

Teacher's Union Saved Me

Pardon me for not being transparent that I never showed to people how rough it's been for me for the past few months; even my students and co-teachers never had a clue of what was going on with me.

Life isn't exactly perfect for me as a teacher. There are so much ups as it is with downs. I have triumphs and crosses to bear. Every single day I practice holding my tongue and exercising patience. I always have to keep everything in perspective. This is life. And I am still grateful for all I have.

I've never really realized how supportive The Washington Teacher's Union is to us teachers, until they came to my rescue. Mr. Nathan Saunders (the General Vice President) personally visited me in my classroom one day, to my surprise, and explained to me my situation. He was so professional and proactive, he would always return my calls assuring me that everything will be alright for me. Ms. Rachel Hicks (former teacher from our school) and Mr. Henry Collins (our area representative) both also responded to my calls and emails. Mr. Joshua Rascoe, our building representative, was always there for me following up on my case and updating me as much as possible. These are the leaders that we would like to follow, that we would like to listen for wise words of expertise. They walk the talk. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Their words match their deeds.

It is not easy to be teacher leaders, they hold the burning candle from which others can light their candles. Thank you for lighting my candle...I will pass it on.

VIDEO CLIP: Origami Ninja Star

Do you want to learn or teach your students how to make a Ninja Star? Here's a paper-folding activity from Yahoo video which I think is really fun to do and our students will enjoy, especially the boys:

AUTISM: Autistic boy adjusts to mainstream class, wins bee

As Arizona works to get its 3,574 autistic children into traditional classrooms, fifth-grader Theo Vermaas adjusts well -- winning the class spelling bee this year. His teacher said she treats him like any other pupil and encourages his creative story telling. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

More news on Theo Vermaas:
- ABC15 : Theo Vermaas, Autistic 5th-grader, spelling champ fares well in mainstream class
- Azstarnet : Theo Vermaas, Autistic boy a mystery writer and now a champion speller
- KVOA Tucson : Theo Vermaas, Autistic 5th-grader,spelling champ fares well in mainstream class

From the CEC Smart Brief

Rubik's Cube One Hand Demonstration 1

MORE VIDEOS:
Rubik's Cube Blind Folded Demonstration
Rubik's Cube One Hand Demonstration 1
Rubik's Cube One hand demonstration 2
Rubik's Cube 31.09 seconds
Patterns on Rubrik's Cube

Teacher Blogger's Reflections

This morning as I was doing my morning routine of checking my emails I got a message, Jason Falls said...

I have a friend who is a teacher. She is part of a group of friends I recently built a blog for, but she heard the word "blog" and insisted I remove all pictures, references to her, her husband, her children, etc. She said because of her work, she could get fired for being associated with the blog.What advice would you give a teacher in her situation. The blog is intended for a group of high school friends, now in their 30s to keep track of one another, their kids, etc. There might be pictures posted (privately) on our Flickr account that has images of us with beers in our hands, etc., but nothing inappropriate or indecent.

I think she is massively overreacting because of her misunderstanding of what a blog is or can be and what her school districts policies (or lack thereof) might be.


Last April 8, 2006, I blogged about The Washington Post's article on Blackboard Blogging " The teachers' lounge -- that secretive place where, students imagine, teachers sip coffee, smoke and gossip about them -- has gone global."

Even before I started blogging I've read and heard of horror stories of people who's been terminated from work for blogging. For reference, here's a list of fired bloggers from The Papal Bull.

But people don't get fired because of blogging, it is their offensive writing and inappropriate content that make them lose their jobs. So the warning from Weblogg-ed "Teachers...Think Before You Blog" because, as what was said in the entry, "I cannot completely disassociate myself from my employer as I carry my school’s name and my job title with me when I blogvangelize in person and in print. My words here, even though they may be my own and in no way reflect the thinking of others at this institution, nevertheless represent the face of that institution whether I like it or not. "

So why am I still blogging boldly and squarely unanonymously? I share the belief of Bud the Teacher when she wrote " I teach in a public school. I am accountable to the public. That's fine -- but I want this society to have as much information as possible when thinking about and evaluating schools. My classroom door is usually open; so, too, is this blog."

Thanks goodness, David Warlick, for recommending that schools and districts should establish committees to develop policies that promote blogs as effective learning and communication tools. Some guidelines were proposed in this article of EdTech Focus K-12.

If we are really ready to take the risk, we also have to listen to what we always tell our students, we just have to do the right thing so we won't get in trouble.

Teacher Story

I have read this story several times in my email; it's been circulating and being forwarded to me by my friends because they know I am a teacher. It touches my heart everytime. But this is the first time I've seen this digital story, and while I was watching it my husband asked me what's wrong with the movie (because I was crying).

A "Thank You" to teachers who do make a difference!


The Teacher Movie - by Mary Robinson Reynolds The MasterMinding Maven®

http://www.teachermovie.com/
(please click here)

Top 100 Education Blogs

Just got this link from my National Writing Project colleague Kevin's blog: Top 100 Education Blogs. I am so happy to see the blogs of my NWP technology liaison colleagues, Troy's Digital Writing, Digital Teaching and Paul's Teachers Teaching Teachers .

Some of those in the list are familiar blogs that I visit whenever I can: Eduwonk , Education in Texas , 2 Cents Worth , Bud the Teacher , Cool Cat Teacher Blog , NYC Educator , Beth's Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom and Weblogg-ed .

I remain humble and prefer to be in the background than in the limelight *wink.

Tips for teacher bloggers

Blogging teachers “welcome parents into their classrooms by facilitating active at-home participation,” says Dr. Tim Tyson, principal of Mabry Middle School in Georgia.

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Ed-tech author David Warlick sorts teachers who blog into three groups -- the independent, the professional and the instructional -- and offers school administrators tips on how to deal with each kind. He recommends establishing committees to develop policies that promote blogs as effective learning and communication tools. EdTech: Focus on K-12 (November/December 2006)

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FROM THE ARTICLE:

As blogging becomes more pervasive, schools have begun establishing ground rules for teachers who blog.

For the sake of this article, we will look at three categories of blogging teachers:

- independent teacher bloggers, whose writing is completely unrelated to their job with your school or district;
- professional teacher bloggers, who write in their capacity as teachers in your school or district; and
- instructional teacher bloggers, who blog as an instructional strategy, usually encouraging their students to blog, too.

If you deal with any of these types of bloggers, you’ll want to understand what they’re communicating and set guidelines.

DEALING WITH INDEPENDENTLY BLOGGING TEACHERS

- Urge teachers to blog and provide staff development.
- Produce a document that describes the legal implications of blogging and suggests proper and responsible practices.
- Deliver the message: “Don’t be stupid.”

For example, a list of blogging goals might include:

Teachers at Dreamland School District are encouraged to establish and publish through Web logs in order to:
- Promote the school, district and education profession as a critical and successful community institution.
- Establish productive communication between the classroom and home by providing ongoing information about instructional goals, expectations, policies and requests for support.
- Provide students with information that will help them be successful learners.

Teachers who blog are encouraged to publish information including, but not limited to:
- Weekly reports on what will be taught during the upcoming week, how it will be taught and why.
- Background information on topics currently being taught in the classroom, creating a context for students and for parents.
- Homework assignments.
- Descriptions of projects, including procedures, expectations, suggested parent involvement, assessment rubrics and links to last year’s projects.
- Achievements of students in the class, students in other classes, and other teachers, school support and administrative staff.

Finally, the policy needs a brief, clear list of prohibited activities:

Teacher bloggers will not use their blogs to:
- Conduct or promote outside business activities.
- Promote or advertise for commercial products unrelated or related to instruction.
- Defame or cause defamation of the character of any individual, organization or institution.
- Divulge any personal information about students, or jeopardize their safety in any other way.

DEALING WITH PROFESSIONAL TEACHER BLOGGERS

- Convene a committee and rewrite your AUP to reflect the read/write Web.
- Present the AUP to teachers in a proactive, promoting way.
- Select a blogging tool or service and configure it in order to leverage its best features for promoting the school’s mission.
- Provide professional development for blogging teachers.

For example, a list of blogging goals might include:

- Promote the school, district and education profession as a critical and successful community institution.
- Establish productive communication between the classroom and home by providing ongoing information about instructional goals, expectations, policies and requests for support.
- Provide students with information that will help them be successful learners.

Teachers who blog are encouraged to publish information including, but not limited to:

- Weekly reports on what will be taught during the upcoming week, how it will be taught and why.
- Background information on topics currently being taught in the classroom, creating a context for students and for parents.
- Homework assignments.
- Descriptions of projects, including procedures, expectations, suggested parent involvement, assessment rubrics and links to last year’s projects.
- Achievements of students in the class, students in other classes, and other teachers, school support and administrative staff.

DEALING WITH INSTRUCTIONAL TEACHER BLOGGERS

- Convene a committee to explore and write policies for student use of Web logs as an instructional tool.
- Select a blogging tool or service and configure it in order to leverage its best features for promoting student learning.
- Provide professional development that includes coverage of district policies, as wells as codes of ethics and laws.

NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION: Parental Support

It is not easy to win the trust of parents and guardians and to get them as partners in the education of their child. Most parents in my school resist the invitation of teamwork that we teachers offer them during back-to-school nights and parent-teacher conferences. But I am successful in doing this now, "hardwork pays off".

As a recommendation to the National Board Certification, a parent of my student writes:

" As the parent of [one of her students], I am supporting Ms. Angala in all her endeavors concerning her professional interests as a teacher of Jefferson Junior High School. I have had the priviledge to be able to sit and observe her Special education class, participated in a home-visit or two since the beginning of the school year 2006. I admire the soft skills she demonstrates in the teaching and disciplining of her students, the personal attention she is able to give each student and her tactful and well thought-out presentations of classroom agendas and assignments, grading systems, awards and down time on the computers.

[My daughter] attends Behavioral Therapy at Children's Hospital center and is right on task because of her being taught at Jefferson by Ms. Angala. She comes home from school with homework and wanting to read; she is excited about going to the library and checking out books, etc. All this just started since she's been in Ms. Angala's class. Ms. Angala is greatly appreciated by my daughter and she's inspired by her to reach her highest potential.

After being in the class observing, as a parent, for the first month I gained a great appreciation of this teacher, realizing that these special needs children need an innovative teacher like Ms. Angala - one abreast with technology needed to keep them focused and attentive, by commending them constantly giving them the praise they deserve when they have done well making them feel they have made their accomplished tasks properly.

I personally feel that Ms. Angala is responding to the needs of her class proficiently and to the best she can by placement of children reassembling her class, structure, and the way she deals with the troubled children on a daily basis. Her documenting events, and monitoring the troubled children as their behaviors warrant taking her time and giving them time to adjust before turning to drastic measures.

My thoughts of Ms. Angala are that she is a responsible and dedicated teacher to my daughter and her classmates. I am glad to have her as my child's 7th grade teacher. I strongly recommend her to the National Board Certification.

Sincerely yours,

Ms. D. E. B.

*** Please see the right sidebar here for more of my National Board Certification candidacy chronicles.

Nashville gives student leaders cell phones

From the CEC Smart Brief:

While many schools ban cell phones, administrators in Nashville, Tenn., have handed out 26 phones to student leaders. Assistant Superintendent Ralph M. Thompson said giving students the handsets teaches them about leadership and could serve as a safety measure. The Tennessean (Nashville) (12/26)

Metro administrators plan to hand out about 50 cell phones to members of the student advisory council, a group of three student leaders from every high school. Here's a look at the rules.

• Students with Metro-issued cell phones have to follow the same school policies as students with personal cell phones. They can bring the phones to school but can't use them during the school day, and that includes text messaging and sending photos.

• Students with issued cell phones have 500 minutes a month and are allowed to use the phones only for "business" calls. Administrators will review records to make sure the phones aren't used for personal calls.

• Text messaging isn't included, and students have been advised that they must pay for any over-ages incurred. School officials estimate the phones will cost $11 to $15 a month each, and are looking for a business to donate a portion of the cost.

— JAIME SARRIO

This is a too risky step that they are taking. I really hope it works according to plan.

Rubik's Cube One Hand Demonstration 2

MORE VIDEOS:
Rubik's Cube Blind Folded Demonstration
Rubik's Cube One Hand Demonstration 1
Rubik's Cube One hand demonstration 2
Rubik's Cube 31.09 seconds
Patterns on Rubrik's Cube

Classroom Celebration!

Last Thursday, December 21, we had our culminating activity for our lesson "December Holidays". We had a guest who's a Jewish who talked about their religious tradition HANNUKAH; Ms. Olazo, a Catholic, presented on the Christian traidition ADVENT; and Ms. Burnette (a parent) shared on the African American cultural tradition KWANZAA. Afterwards, we integrated the real meaning and spirit of these December Holidays...love, giving and sharing.We exchanged gifts, fun games, shared food, lots of laughter. The pictures below will tell more of the story (click here for more photos)...

Goodwill opens Internet cafe for users with disabilities

Goodwill's Good Bytes Cafe in San Antonio looks like any other Internet cafe, but its computers are designed to provide people with disabilities with free access to assistive technology. The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.)/Associated Press (12/24)

From the CEC Smart Brief

Happy Holidays!

Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. ~Carol Nelson

MALIGAYANG PASKO!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Love, Reiner, Marisol and Rae (Angala)

Watch for these educational technology trends

"Cloud computing," 21st-century learning and telepresence are just a few of the developments that will have an impact on educational technology in 2007, says Gregg W. Downey, editor of eSchool News. eSchool News (free registration) (12/22)

From the CEC Smart Brief

Heather Whitestone:Exceptional Person

The new Miss America for 1995 is...(drum roll)...Heather Whitestone of Birmingham, Alabama!
There she is...Miss America.

But unlike other Miss America crown holders, Heather never actually heard those words in 1995 as she was crowned. Miss Whitestone was the first person with a disability ever to be selected as Miss America. Heather had been deaf since the age of 18 months. Doctors told Heather’s parents that she would never read beyond the third grade level, nor learn to speak. In response to the judges’ question about her aim in life, she replied that she would like to assist children from all backgrounds to reach their fullest potential in life, to set high goals, and achieve them, as she had done. Heather’s special talent for the Miss America talent portion of the contest was ballet.

Heather Whitestone is currently the spokesperson for the Helen Keller Eye Research Foundation and the Starkey Hearing Aid Foundation. She has also authored a book entitled, Listening with My Heart. Ms. Whitestone is a motivational speaker who believes in and promotes following your dreams. She is now married and expecting her second child in 2001.

http://cid.edu/bios/HeatherWhitestone.htm

Mike Utley: Exceptional Person

Mike Utley was the greatest football player in the history of John F. Kennedy High School in Seattle, Washington. He became only the second player at Washington State University to earn consensus first team All American Honors. During the Rams game in November 1991, he fractured his 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae and became paralyzed.

Through his own fight to walk again, Utley founded the Mike Utley Foundation in 1991. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting research to cure paralysis and to help all people with spinal cord injuries.

http://www.mikeutley.org/biography.html

Franklin Roosevelt: Exceptional Person

In 1928, Franklin Roosevelt was elected as the governor of New York. He then started campaigning for the presidency, and he became the 32nd president of the United States in 1932. Furthermore, by defeating Alfred Landon in 1936, Wendell L. Wilkie in 1940, and Thomas Dewey in 1944, he became the only American President to serve more than two terms.

In 1921, Franklin Roosevelt contracted a near fatal case of polio that left him with limited physical activity. He established a foundation at Warm Springs, Georgia to help other people who had polio, and he directed the March of Dimes Program that eventually funded an effective vaccine. As a result of polio, Roosevelt used a wheelchair and stood with the aid of steel leg braces. He tried numerous treatments, but was never able to walk on his own again.


http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/fr32.html

Christmas Surprise!

Indeed a Happy Holidays to me and my students when I received this letter from the mail:


From The Washington Post Company Educational Foundation (1150 15th Street NW, Washington DC)


Dear Ms. Angala,


Congratulations on your selection as one of the recipients of the Washington Post Educational Foundation's Grants in Education for your " Digital Class Anthology" project. We hope you will join us at a reception in the spring to honor this year's recipients. You will receive an invitation with the details at a later time.


We appreciate this opportunity to support public education by encouraging creativity and initiative in the classroom. We look forward to hearing about the results of your project.



Sincerely,


Eric Grant
Director, Public Relations & Contributions
The Washington Post

Marla Runyan: Exceptional Person

One of the women representing the United States in the 1500 meter track event at the 2000 Olympics was Marla Runyan. The American runner finished seventh in her preliminary heat and rose to sixth in the semifinals to qualify for the finals. During the final race, Marla lost track of the major competitors. She finished in eighth position, 3.20 seconds behind the gold medal winner.

In 1996, Marla set several track and field records at the Paralympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Following that success, Marla wanted to compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney -- even though she is legally blind. The 31-year-old runner has been diagnosed with Stargardt disease. This is a condition that leaves her with a limited ability to see what is in front of her. In Sydney, Marla became the first legally blind athlete to compete in an Olympics.

http://www.marlarunyan.com/

Christopher Reeve: Exceptional Person

Christopher Reeve grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with his mother and his stepfather. In 1977 Reeve was chosen from 200 hopefuls to star in Superman for which he won the British Academy Award as best actor.

During a cross-country event in May 1995, his horse balked at a rail jump, pitching Reeve forward where he landed head first. His injuries left the actor paralyzed, unable to use any of his limbs or even to breathe without the help of a respirator.

Currently, Reeve is dedicated to increasing public awareness about spinal cord injury and to raising money for research for a cure. He is also the chairman of the American Paralysis Association and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. Furthermore, Reeve founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation in 1996 to raise research money and provide grants to local agencies which focus on the quality of life of people with disabilities.

http://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/main.php

Patricia Polacco: Exceptional Person

Patricia Polacco is a writer and illustrator of children's books. She did not start writing children's books until she was 41 years old! Patricia majored in Fine Art and received her Ph.D. in Art History. Ms. Polacco now lives on an old historical farmstead in Union City, Michigan. She named her farmstead Meteor Ridge. You can read all about the meteor that landed in Ms. Polacco's grandparents' yard by reading her book Meteor. For more information on this and other books Ms. Polacco has written, visit her website at www.patriciapolacco.com.

The unique thing about Patricia Polacco is that she has been writing children's books even after she was diagnosed as having Dyslexia, Dysnumeria and Dysgraphia at the age of 14. Patricia did not learn to read well until after she was 14 years old. A teacher was able to get the additional help Ms. Pollaco needed to overcome her reading problems! Ms. Pollaco has written a book about her experiences and this teacher who helped her. The book is titled Thank You, Mr. Falker. You can find information about this book at the website mentioned above. Enjoy!

Itzhak Perlman: Exceptional Person

Perlman began his music career at the Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv, Israel. In 1958, at the age of 13, Itzhak Perlman won an Israeli talent competition. This win made it possible for Perlman to travel to the United States to tour and appear on television. He then stayed in the U.S. and continued his musical training at the Juilliard School in New York City. In 1964, Perlman won a contest among young musicians known as the Leventritt Competition. Winning this competition opened the door for young Perlman to perform his violin music all over the world.

Itzhak, now an acclaimed violinist of his generation, has performed with every major orchestra and in recitals and festivals the world over. In 1986, he received the nation’s Medal of Liberty from U.S. President Ronald Reagan. His joy of making music has captivated audiences and has achieved Perlman a level of respect and admiration among people of many nations. Great violin concertos make up the core of Perlman’s recorded music, ranging from the baroque to the contemporary. Most recently Perlman is featured in the hit new movie Music of the Heart.

Born (1945) in Tel Aviv, Israel, Itzhak Perlman contracted polio at age 4, permanently paralyzing his legs. He performs his music while seated and walks with crutches. Itzhak is a well known advocate for people with disabilities, actively promoting laws to ease access to buildings and transportation.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/artofviolin/iperlmanbio.html

Teen composer with a gift that belies his age

At 17, Tudor Dominik Maican has written more than 30 works, which he says reflect his passion for music. (By Michael Williamson -- The Washington Post)

A veteran Juilliard School piano teacher calls Tudor Dominik Maican "the most remarkable young man" she's ever met. The 17-year-old prodigy, who spends up to four hours a day composing, has written orchestral, choral and other music that his teachers and fans describe as mature, dramatic and deeply emotional. The Washington Post (free registration) (12/14)

From the CEC Smart Brief

Terence Parkin: Exceptional Person

Many swimmers competed in multiple events during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. One of them was Terence Parkin of South Africa. Terence's events included the 200 and 400 meter individual medley, the 4x100 meter free relay, and the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke. He swam in a total of eight different qualifying and final races in five days during the Olympics. Terence finished fifth in the 400 meter individual medley. In the 200 meter breaststroke, he finished second to win the silver medal.

What makes this 20-year-old Olympic swimmer somewhat unique is that he has never been able to hear a race starter's signal. Born deaf, Terence uses a strobe light similar to a camera flash to signal the beginning of the race. The Olympic competitor only began swimming at age 14. Now he holds three national records in South Africa and owns a silver medal from the Sydney Olympics.

http://www.ciss.org/rome/26july7.asp

AUTISM: Devices may help end silence of autism

Autistic student Trevor Fu, 13, uses a ChatPC device to type out words at the PACE School in Sunnyvale.

A Sunnyvale, Calif., school for children with autism hopes to acquire two LinkPLUS keyboards, originally developed to help people who have lost the capability to speak due to illness or injury. A therapist at the school says keyboard devices allow some students who might be bored with touch screens to suddenly open up. The Mercury News (12/13)

From the CEC Smart Brief

Marlee Matlin: Exceptional Person

Marlee Matlin is a stand-up comedian and an actress. Some of her films include Dead Silence, It's My Party, Hear No Evil, Bridge to Silence, Walker, and Children of A Lesser God. In 1987, she captivated the world by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film Children of a Lesser God.

Marlee Matlin became deaf in infancy due to Roseola infantum. However, deafness has not disabled her or her career.

http://www.marleematlinsite.com/index.html

Magic Johnson: Exceptional Person

Magic Johnson, at 6-foot 9, was the tallest point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His talents elicited wonder and admiration from even the most casual basketball fan. He accomplished everything a player could dream of during his 12 year NBA career.

On November 7, 1991, Johnson retired from professional basketball because a blood test had shown that he was infected with HIV. He then dedicated his life to educating people -- especially youngsters -- about HIV and AIDS prevention. He established the Magic Johnson Foundation to raise money to fund HIV and AIDS organizations.

http://www.nba.com/history/players/johnsonm_summary.html

Special-ed creates budget issues for D.C.

From the CEC Smart Brief:

The Washington, D.C., special-ed system, which serves 18% of district students, accounted for one-third of the school system's rising local budget last year, even as overall enrollment has been declining, the Washington Times states. The editorial calls on the incoming mayor and other civic and school leaders to resolve these issues by mainstreaming more students and adopting certain reforms advocated by the district's CFO. The Washington Times (12/11)

Principals play major role in student achievement

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Good principals -- who tend to be informed risk-takers, friendly and flexible -- focus relentlessly on student achievement, a University of Wollongong study of 38 New South Wales high schools found. Researchers were surprised to discover the effect principals had in creating a culture for effective teaching and learning. The Sydney Morning Herald (12/10)

Henry Holden: Exceptional Person

From the time he was a young child, Henry Holden’s dream was that of becoming an actor. To date Henry has numerous acting credits to his name. He has made appearances on T. J. Hooker, AFTERmash, Hill Street Blues, Knots Landing, Hunter, Dear John, and Kids Incorporated. Henry also starred in a rock video, entitled, "I Got News for You." In addition to acting, Henry is an athlete, stand-up comic, and activist. Henry’s athletic accomplishments include downhill skiing, certified scuba diving, bowling a high score of 196 in league competition, flying gliders and single engine airplanes, riding at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and finishing in the Los Angeles Marathon. Finishing the New York City Marathon is on Henry’s "To Do" list!

Henry Holden contracted polio during the 1952 Epidemic. He was four years old at that time. His disability has never stopped him from pursuing a path of excellence in his life, even though he wears leg braces and uses crutches. In addition to his acting career he now speaks on the guest lecture circuit on college campuses and K-12 schools across the country. Henry is a tireless advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all forms of entertainment and media. He is the founder of Performers with Disabilities for the Screen Actors Guild, and recently, he was the recipient of the very first American Scene Award given by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Arts for the rock video he starred in entitled I’ve Got News For You. Henry’s motto is "Attitudes are the Real Disability!"

link to: Famous People with Disabilities

See Henry's web site for more information on this actor, comedian, and athlete: http://www.henryholden.com/

Revised NCLB must stress teacher quality

From the CEC Smart Brief:

The country would be much further along in realizing the goals of NCLB if the U.S. Education Department from the outset had given states the guidance and support they needed to get highly qualified teachers into all core subject classrooms, editors of The New York Times argue. The country must win "the battle for teacher quality," the editorial says, or risk losing its competitive edge in the global marketplace. The New York Times (free registration) (12/8)

Stephen Hawking: Exceptional Person

Stephen Hawking knew what he wanted to do by the time he was eight years old. He did not want to study medicine, a career his parents hoped he would follow. Instead, Hawking decided to be a scientist and chose physics. Stephen was interested in studying the universe. He attended Oxford University in England, as an undergraduate student. He received his Ph.D in 1966 from Cambridge University. By the time he was 35 years old, Hawking was Cambridge’s first Gravitational Physics professor and received the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics award.

Stephen Hawking has also published a book called A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. The book tries to explain many of Hawking’s physical and mathematical ideas and calculations without using math. The book became a best seller and was made into a movie.

When Stephen Hawking was 21-years-old, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also know as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This disease attacks the nerves that control a body’s voluntary movements. It affects walking, speaking, breathing, swallowing, etc. At the time of his diagnosis, the doctors gave Hawking two years to live. Hawking has defied this time frame and is still working. Today, Stephen is confined to a wheelchair, cannot move much at all, has trouble holding his head up, and cannot speak. He now uses a special computer that displays the text he types and speaks what he types with an electronic voice.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/html/home.html

link to: Famous People with Disabilities

N.C. district recruits Filipino teachers

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools hopes to sign up teachers from the Philippines for 2007-08 to cover shortages in math, science and special education. Filipino teachers, who earn about $1,800 annually in their homeland, can make between $32,000 and almost $46,8700 in Charlotte, depending on their experience and education. The Charlotte Observer (N.C.) (free registration) (12/5)

Patty Duke: Exceptional Person

Patty Duke is an actress. She has won three Emmy Awards for made-for-television movies. In 1965, at the age of 17, Patty became the youngest person to win an Academy Award in a regular category (Best Supporting Actress) for her role as Helen Keller in the motion-picture version of The Miracle Worker. At the age of 13, Patty starred as Helen Keller in William Gibson's play The Miracle Worker.

As part of Patty's plan to win the Helen Keller role in the play, Patty would practice at being a person with a visual impairment. She would blindfold herself and practice eating, dressing, and moving around. Patty also learned the manual sign language alphabet in preparation for her audition. It was her determination and practice that won her the role as Helen Keller.

Although successful as an actress, Patty was a very unhappy person. In 1982 Patty was finally diagnosed as having a manic-depressive disorder. Manic depression is a disease caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Patty continues to cope with this disability with medication. The medicine is not a cure but makes the symptoms of manic depression easier to control. Patty is still an actress, but also tours the country as a disability advocate, giving talks and answering questions about manic depression and other mental illnesses.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001157/

link to: Famous People with Disabilities

Tom Cruise: Exceptional Person

Tom Cruise is among the most talented actors in Hollywood. His films take in hundreds of millions of dollars and his fans= also number in the millions. Some of his big hits were Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Rain Man, Far and Away, A Few Good Men, Mission Impossible, and Jerry Mcguire.

Even though Tom Cruise battles dyslexia, which is a learning disability that alters the way the brain process written material, he was nominated for and won several awards for best actor.

http://destinationhollywood.com/celebrities/tomcruise/

link to: Famous People with Disabilities

Chris Burke: Exceptional Person

Chris Burke, best known for the character, Corky, played for four years on the television series, Life Goes On, and became one of America's favorite personalities. Through his work, he was able to transform America's image of the people with disabilities. Ever since Chris spoke his first word, it became clear that he was a remarkable individual with many talents.

Chris Burke was the first person with Down syndrome to star in a weekly television series. Currently, he serves as the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) Ambassador. Chris had the faith in his own abilities and the courage to face prejudice as he pursued his dream to become an actor.

Today Chris travels all around the country delivering inspirational speeches to various groups of children, students, parents, and professionals. He not only serves as editor-in-chief of the NDSS magazine for teens and young adults with Down syndrome, but also writes a column and responds to readers' correspondence in a regular question and answer feature in the magazine.

http://www.dsawm.org/Programs-ChrisBurke.htm

link to: Famous People with Disabilities

Filipina bags an Emmy

Cher Calvin bags an Emmy
By Ricky LoThe Philippine Star
11/27/2006

She's the face that greets L.A. with a big smile early mornings on the KTLA TV's Morning Show, which starts before 5 a.m., Monday through Friday, like the local GMA 7 show Mornings@GMA (now Unang Hirit) where she started her career as a TV host in the mid-'90s before she moved to ABS-CBN.

The good news is that Cher Calvin has just won for Best Newscast in the just-concluded Emmy Awards, the first Filipino, if memory serves me right, to be so honored.

"I can't believe it," Cher told The STAR in a phone interview as soon as she got home from the event. "It's very exciting!" Cher has been with KTLA for more than two years. Before that, she was with Fox Channel in Las Vegas. Both are newscasts, in contrast to Cher's ABS-CBN show F which was more lifestyle, co-hosted by Angel Aquino and Daphne Oseña.

KTLA opens with Cher doing the newscast. Lately, she has been doing field reporting, together with 1994 Miss USA Lou Parker who competed in the Miss Universe Pageant held that same year in Manila. Herself a beauty queen, Cher was first runner-up in the 1994 Miss New York contest, the winner of which competed in the Miss USA search for the representative to the Miss Universe Pageant.

A Masscom graduate of a New York university, Cher worked as a researcher for some US magazines before she shifted to on-camera work. Born and raised in New York, she's the only child of former actor Roger Calvin and the late Delia Santos, a psychologist.

Jim Abbott: Exceptional Person

Jim Abbott has thrown a no-hitter, won Olympic gold in 1988, and been on Letterman. He is one of a handful of professional players who never once put on a minor-league uniform, jumping instead straight from college baseball to the big league. But those aren't the only reasons we know Jim Abbott. He is the only player in major league baseball who was born with one hand.

Abbott was able to reach the major league without having a right hand, and he quickly became one of the better pitchers in the game during the early 1990's.

http://www.jimabbott.info/biography.html

link to: Famous People with Disabilities