Read the Book - See the Movie

I recently came across a neat site that pairs books and movies. This is NOT to encourage you to watch the movie instead of reading the book, but to get another glimpse of something that you loved. So, if you read the book or saw the movie first, it doesn't matter....try the link below-

http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/

Need something to read? 2006 National Book Awards

Need a good read for over the holidays? I haven't read any of these yet, but here are the National Book Award winners for 2006:

Young adult category:
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party
- M.T. Anderson
Keturah and Lord Death-Martine Leavitt
Sold - Patricia McCormick
The Rules of Survival - Nancy Werlin
American Born Chinese - Gene Luen Yang

Fiction:
The Echo Maker - Richard Powers
Only Revolutions -Mark Z. Danielewski
A Disorder Peculiar to the Country - Ken Kalfus
Eat the Document - Dana Spiotta
The Zero - Jess Walter

Air Force - Lackland, Texas

I returned this week from a trip to San Antonio, Texas (a beautiful city). I had the pleasure of viewing my nephew graduate from Air Force Basic Training and I have a new respect for our military (not that I didn't have one before). You'll find the official Air Force website at http://www.af.mil/. I know some of you are interested in the military and I commend you for your commitment to our country. A military commitment is also a great way to help pay for your education, if finances are holding you back. Check out some really cool old photos of Lackland at http://www.lackland.af.mil/info/flightphoto.asp.
Congratulations Ryan!

2007 Books - What's Coming?

I just found a list of teen books that will be published in 2007. The books are in alpha order, but you can't search the list by author. However, on a quick look through, I saw Laurie Halse Anderson, Walter Dean Myers, James Patterson, Meg Cabot and more. Most (if not all) of the links are active and take you to more information on the books! Check it out.

Applied Technology Program - WOW!

Last week I had the pleasure of spending some time on Venango Campus and talking with Mr. Bowser about the Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Technology. This is an amazing cutting edge program!

This program is a cooperative with H.T. Kerr Technology Center, The Learning Center, Precision manufacturing Institute, Triangle Tech, First Energy Corporation and the National Hardwood Lumber Association. It allows the student to receive Clarion credit for up to 30 hours of these trainings. The other part of the degree comes from business and general education at Clarion. And listen to this, if you already have completed coursework at these institutions, they are eligible for an immediate award of credit! Other opportunities are in the works, give them a call for more information.

Visit http://www.clarion.edu/academic/venango/ven_appliedtech.shtml for more information!

Bullying Program set

The Bully Crisis: Prevention and Resources
Presented by Susan Franke, RN, BSN, M.ED., CHES

A Community Forum sponsored by the Clarion University-Venango Campus S-PSEA (Student Pennsylvania State Education Association) and the Clarion University-Venango Campus Diversity Working Group

Tuesday, November 14, 7:00PM in the
Robert W. Rhoades Center Auditorium
This presentation is designed for students, educators, and community members interested in making schools safe for all students.

The presentation will address:
Definition of bullying.
Who is a bully and who is the victim?
The history of bullying.
Bullying in PA schools with a review of current statistics of school violence and weapons violations.
Detailed review of the Olweus method of bully prevention.

Make flashcards!

This flashcard or notecard maker will help you organize your notes and get those great grades! This allows you to create up to fifty cards and to review them online or print them out. The site will also store your cards for you for thirty days!
www.americangirl.com/agmg/school_smarts/cgi/flash.cgi?op=create

2007 Talbots Women's Scholarship

Applicants to the Talbots Women's Scholarship Fund must:

-Be a woman currently residing in the United States;
-Be a woman whoearned a high school diploma or GED on or before September 1997;
-Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a full or part-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school;
-Be attending the full 2007-2008 academic year and receiving a degree no earlier than May 2008; and
-Have at least two semesters (or a minimum of 24 credit hours or more) remaining to complete an undergraduate degree as of the beginning of the 2007 fall academic term.
-Students who have previously obtained a bachelor's degree are not eligible to apply.

For more information click here.

NCLB - School Report Cards

Did you know that you have the right (under No Child Left Behind Law) to review your school district's report card? In PA visit http://www.pde.state.pa.us/pas/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=95497&pasNav=|6150|&pasNav=|The 2005-06 report cards will be available December 1, 2006.

Another college locator.

Here is another online college locator http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/. It is also very easy to use and allows you to complete a search based on specific criteria. So, enter your location, size, and major and see what choices are presented! Good luck.

Career Key Available through EducationPlanner

Interested in a career assessment? How about a simple, short test with immediate feedback. The Career Key has traditionally offered this. However, today I found out that the site now has a charge of $7.95! This information is still available to you free. Go to www.educationplanner.org and select the Discovering tab. Here you can find all kinds of information and it is all free (including the Career Key.)

Homeless Survey Project

The Clarion-Jefferson Shelter Task Force is running a homeless survey project now through November 3, 2006. If you have a need, please contact one of the organizations that you work with or email me for more information. I have contact information for both counties. It is important that you are counted, so that plans can be established and steps taken to meet the identified needs.

Nanotechnology

Wow! I just had the pleasure of attending an information session on nanotechnology - of which I knew nothing except that it dealt with tiny little things. Coming from me, that's a pretty comprehensive explanation. However, did you know that by 2015, nanotechnology will be a three trillion dollar industry and there will be a need for two million nano workers?
Our Clarion Campus visit on the ninth of November will feature a presentation on nanotechnology and the available program that is a cooperative with Penn State. So, check that out at www.clarion.edu/ets (select Upcoming Events). Also try this website for products that utilize nanotechnology and current news, www.nanotechproject.org. The PSU program is also available at www.cneu.psu.edu.

ACG - Academic Competitiveness Grant

Here is the link to the information from the US Department of Education explaining the ACG - Academic Competitiveness Grant. (You must be Pell eligible to qualify.)

The 2006-07 eligibility for students in PA included:
--Scores of 3 or higher on two Advanced Placement(AP) tests
--Nine credits through dual enrollment, including PSSA score at locally determined threshold
--Proficient or above on PSSA and core subject coursework including four years of English; three years of math including Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry and other advanced courses; three years of science including at least two lab sciences; three years of social studies; and two years of foreign language

Listing of Colleges and Universities

I just came across an amazing listing of colleges and universities in the United States. The list is available alphabetically by state and the links all seem to work wonderfully. Take some time and visit some colleges on-line by visiting http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ/state/.

New SAT Prep website

When planning for the most recent SAT prep seminar, I came across a new website with sample quizzes. The great thing about this website is it is absolutely free and doesn't even require registration. Check it out at www.majortests.com.