By Morieka Johnson, Mother Nature Network
Q: Does putting my computer to sleep help extend the battery life? What else can I do to save energy and make my new computer last?
A: We’ve all heard stories about what's best for a computer’s battery. That’s why I was excited to make friends with Fred Peters, president of Huntington Beach IT Services.
In addition to teaching computing courses in Orange County, Calif., Peters happily makes house calls to revive frazzled computers and the people who rely on them.
Here are his expert tips on how to keep your new laptop running smoothly.
Sleep mode vs. shutting down
Peters notes that your work process will determine whether it’s more efficient to use “Sleep” mode or simply shut down the computer. “It is never fun to have to consistently wait any amount of time if the shut downs are too frequent,” he says. "‘Sleep’ requires more power, but it boots up faster, while ‘Hibernate’ uses less power, but takes longer to come online.” That same logic applies to shutting off your computer completely.
“Your computer will become obsolete before you wear out your computer by turning it on and off a lot,” he adds. “It also doesn't take more energy to start a computer than to keep it running.”
Sleep mode requires a constant, though reduced use of power (0-6 watts). Peters also notes that colorful screensavers do nothing to conserve energy. Accessing your computer remotely with the Wake on LAN feature also can drain the power.
To get the most for your money, Peters advises adjusting power settings so that it automatically goes into Sleep/Standby mode after about 15 minutes of inactivity, and then shut it down at the end of your day.
Bionic battery life
To get the most out of your computer battery, Peters says to you have to give it a workout. Don’t keep your machine plugged in to an outlet. Instead, discharge the battery daily.
Size does matter
By purchasing a laptop, Peters says that you are ahead in the energy-saving game. Laptops use about 15-60 watts, while desktops use 65-250 watts — plus another 15-80 watts for a monitor. He also adds that you can further conserve energy by using an LCD monitor and ditching the high-end video card unless it’s absolutely necessary. Also, turn off printers and other peripherals when they are not in use.
To kill “vampire power,” TreeHugger.com suggests purchasing a power strip. With all peripherals connected to one source, it’s easy to simply flip the switch on power hogs any time.
Establish a backup process
In addition to Peters’ great advice about conserving energy, I discovered the hard way that it also pays to save backup versions of your work. Invest in an external hard drive to hold your digital music library, special photos, and other key documents. Frequent backups ensure that your data doesn’t die with your laptop.
While you are in the process of backing things up, create an emergency file (on good old-fashioned paper) that contains your computer’s serial number along with other key data such as your credit card numbers and phone numbers to reach each company, along with contact info to your insurance company. Access to that information is vital, particularly in the event of an accident, fire, computer theft, or other catastrophe. Peters warns that those key pieces of information are not safe on your computer. If you are like me and absolutely need a digital holding space for those nuggets of information, he suggests sites like LastPass as your online vault.
Happy computing!
— Morieka
Friday, April 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Paul the Octopus dies
By ESPNsoccernet staff
October 26, 2010
Paul the Octopus, who rose to prominence for his accurate predictions of Germany's matches, has died.
Said to have been born in January 2008 in Weymouth, England, the octopus predicted the correct result of all but two of Germany's games during Euro 2008, failing to predict the defeats to Croatia and Spain.
At this summer's World Cup, he maintained a 100% record, getting all Germany's results right before opting for Spain to beat Netherlands in the final.
The octopus would select teams by choosing a food item from one of two boxes emblazoned with the respective countries' flags. He was given a replica World Cup trophy, garnished with three mussels, for his efforts during the tournament in South Africa.
Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany that housed Paul, said: "We are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here and that the care provided him by our dedicated displays team could not have been bettered.
"His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself. We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine.
"While this may seem a curious thing to do for a sea creature, Paul achieved such popularity during his short life that it may be deemed the most appropriate course of action."
His owners rejected offers from bookmakers for Paul after the World Cup as they wanted him to "step back from the official oracle business", but his final prediction was that England would win the rights to host the 2018 World Cup.
October 26, 2010
Paul the Octopus, who rose to prominence for his accurate predictions of Germany's matches, has died.
Said to have been born in January 2008 in Weymouth, England, the octopus predicted the correct result of all but two of Germany's games during Euro 2008, failing to predict the defeats to Croatia and Spain.
At this summer's World Cup, he maintained a 100% record, getting all Germany's results right before opting for Spain to beat Netherlands in the final.
The octopus would select teams by choosing a food item from one of two boxes emblazoned with the respective countries' flags. He was given a replica World Cup trophy, garnished with three mussels, for his efforts during the tournament in South Africa.
Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany that housed Paul, said: "We are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here and that the care provided him by our dedicated displays team could not have been bettered.
"His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself. We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine.
"While this may seem a curious thing to do for a sea creature, Paul achieved such popularity during his short life that it may be deemed the most appropriate course of action."
His owners rejected offers from bookmakers for Paul after the World Cup as they wanted him to "step back from the official oracle business", but his final prediction was that England would win the rights to host the 2018 World Cup.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Final Exam
My Dearest PHYF115, PHYF125 & PHYF134 Students,
Wishing all of you the best in the final exam.
Please take care!
Best regards.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
On Facebook, Telling Teachers How Much They Meant
By SUSAN FEINSTEIN
Published: July 13, 2010
Source: The New York Times
Darci Hemleb Thompson had been on the lookout for Alice D’Addario for many years. From her home in Hampton, Va., Ms. Thompson, 49, who is married and has a 12-year-old daughter, was determined to find Ms. D’Addario on the Internet. She tried every search engine and networking site she could find.
About 18 months ago she hit the jackpot.
“Nice to see one of the greatest teachers of all time on Facebook!” Ms. Thompson wrote on Ms. D’Addario’s wall. “I love to go to your page just to see your smiling face. Even your eyes still smile. You are an amazing person!”
Ms. D’Addario was Ms. Thompson’s Advanced Placement history teacher at Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, on Long Island, in 1977.
“She had such a huge impact on my life as a young adult,” Ms. Thompson said, describing her tumultuous teenage years living with two alcoholic parents and experiencing early symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
“I was depressed and so sad and so isolated, and she reached out and saved me,” Ms. Thompson added. “Facebook gave me the chance to tell her, ‘You’re the one who pulled me through.’ ”
At a time when public school teachers are being blamed for everything from poor test scores to budget crises, Facebook is one place where they are receiving adulation, albeit delayed.
The site has drawn more attention as a platform for adolescent meanness and bullying, and as a vehicle for high school and college students to ruthlessly dissect their teachers. But people who are 20, 30 or 40 years beyond graduation are using Facebook to re-establish relationships with teachers and express gratitude and overdue respect.
Brad Scharff, 49, a finance manager at Time Inc. who knew Ms. D’Addario through her role as the junior class adviser, also reconnected with her online.
“It was like bringing back a lot of the more positive aspects of the high school years when I saw her on Facebook,” Mr. Scharff said.
Over the years, teacher tributes have come in broad formats, in movies like “To Sir, With Love” and “Stand and Deliver” and in television series like “Room 222.” Now, on Facebook, the praise is personalized, more widespread and more democratic. On Facebook walls and dedicated tribute pages, the writings betray emotions that students dared not display in their youth. They include moving messages (“You inspired each of us to learn and go beyond what we thought we could achieve”), lighthearted claims on old debts (“You owe us a pool party — you promised us one if the Dow ever reached 3,000”) and recollections of specific events (“You got me out of detention one time”).
In the weeks before the death last month of Jerry Sheik, a retired band teacher from Intermediate School 70 in Chelsea, his wife, Judith Kalina, said he was overwhelmed by the praise written on a Facebook page created in his honor, “Sheik’s Freaks Reunite: A Celebration for Jerry Sheik.”
The page has 135 members, mostly students from the 1970s who played in the stage band Mr. Sheik conducted. They have posted old band photos and recalled their rendition of “Oye Como Va.”
One former student, Melissa Sgroi, wrote, “There are few people that you look back on in your life and know they left an indelible mark. Thank you Jerry Sheik for being one of those people.”
Another of Mr. Sheik’s students, Ned Otter, said, “Jerry was the first one to put a sax in my hand.” Mr. Otter went on to play saxophone professionally, touring with Dizzy Gillespie. He is one of nine overseers of the Sheik’s Freaks page.
“He played a critical role in my life,” Mr. Otter added.
Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, another music teacher inspired the page “Winston Hughes — Best Chorus Teacher Ever.” Mr. Hughes was surprised to learn that such a page existed.
“I had no idea about this,” said Mr. Hughes, 76, who retired from Edison High School in 1996. “I knew that I had impact, but I never knew the impact was as large as the writings I’ve read.”
Susan Poper Gordon, class of 1971, wrote, “He treated every student with respect, challenged us to stretch ourselves musically, taught us what artistry was and created beauty out of whatever voices walked into his room.” Another student wrote, “Mr. Hughes was the biggest influence on my life at Edison High. He encouraged us to be the best, vocally and personally.”
The tributes underscore what researchers have identified as a major force in adolescents’ lives, said Jacqueline Ancess, a researcher at Teachers College at Columbia University. “The most powerful factor in transforming students is a relationship with a caring teacher who a kid feels particularly connected to,” said Dr. Ancess, who added that many students had told her that if not for a particular teacher, they would not have graduated or would not have taken a certain direction. Some former students have tried to recreate old roles, using Facebook messages to draw a teacher who had nurtured them back into their lives.
Lisa Nielsen, 41, a former library media specialist at Public School 175/Intermediate School 275 in Harlem, which she said was for troubled students, logged on to Facebook one day last year and saw this message:
“Hey Ms. Nielsen, I had to find you because you made a wonderful impact on my life. If people only knew how great of a teacher you are.” The message continued, “I know it’s been at least 10 years since you took me under your wing,” and added, “Let’s talk, got a lot to say!”
The writer, Keryce Davis, who was a sixth-grade student of Ms. Nielsen’s, is now 22 and works as an optician in Washington, after receiving an associate’s degree. Ms. Nielsen is glad to re-enter Ms. Davis’s life, and said they were discussing possibilities for Ms. Davis’s future.
Bill Chemerka, 64, who was a history teacher at Madison High School in New Jersey for 29 years, said he did not know what Facebook was until a student pointed him to the 455-member “Mr. Chemerka Fan Club” page. He found this message: “Your love of history and teaching oozed from your pores and allowed every student to absorb your knowledge and passion for life and history.”
Sheldon Jacobowitz, 68, said he was delighted about his Facebook connection with roughly 200 former students from New Utrecht High School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn — the school that inspired the 1970s television series “Welcome Back, Kotter” — where he taught math for 37 years.
“I think it’s amazing; it’s a great feeling,” Mr. Jacobowitz said. “How they make you feel that you were so important in their lives — it makes everything worthwhile.”
Published: July 13, 2010
Source: The New York Times
Darci Hemleb Thompson had been on the lookout for Alice D’Addario for many years. From her home in Hampton, Va., Ms. Thompson, 49, who is married and has a 12-year-old daughter, was determined to find Ms. D’Addario on the Internet. She tried every search engine and networking site she could find.
About 18 months ago she hit the jackpot.
“Nice to see one of the greatest teachers of all time on Facebook!” Ms. Thompson wrote on Ms. D’Addario’s wall. “I love to go to your page just to see your smiling face. Even your eyes still smile. You are an amazing person!”
Ms. D’Addario was Ms. Thompson’s Advanced Placement history teacher at Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, on Long Island, in 1977.
“She had such a huge impact on my life as a young adult,” Ms. Thompson said, describing her tumultuous teenage years living with two alcoholic parents and experiencing early symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
“I was depressed and so sad and so isolated, and she reached out and saved me,” Ms. Thompson added. “Facebook gave me the chance to tell her, ‘You’re the one who pulled me through.’ ”
At a time when public school teachers are being blamed for everything from poor test scores to budget crises, Facebook is one place where they are receiving adulation, albeit delayed.
The site has drawn more attention as a platform for adolescent meanness and bullying, and as a vehicle for high school and college students to ruthlessly dissect their teachers. But people who are 20, 30 or 40 years beyond graduation are using Facebook to re-establish relationships with teachers and express gratitude and overdue respect.
Brad Scharff, 49, a finance manager at Time Inc. who knew Ms. D’Addario through her role as the junior class adviser, also reconnected with her online.
“It was like bringing back a lot of the more positive aspects of the high school years when I saw her on Facebook,” Mr. Scharff said.
Over the years, teacher tributes have come in broad formats, in movies like “To Sir, With Love” and “Stand and Deliver” and in television series like “Room 222.” Now, on Facebook, the praise is personalized, more widespread and more democratic. On Facebook walls and dedicated tribute pages, the writings betray emotions that students dared not display in their youth. They include moving messages (“You inspired each of us to learn and go beyond what we thought we could achieve”), lighthearted claims on old debts (“You owe us a pool party — you promised us one if the Dow ever reached 3,000”) and recollections of specific events (“You got me out of detention one time”).
In the weeks before the death last month of Jerry Sheik, a retired band teacher from Intermediate School 70 in Chelsea, his wife, Judith Kalina, said he was overwhelmed by the praise written on a Facebook page created in his honor, “Sheik’s Freaks Reunite: A Celebration for Jerry Sheik.”
The page has 135 members, mostly students from the 1970s who played in the stage band Mr. Sheik conducted. They have posted old band photos and recalled their rendition of “Oye Como Va.”
One former student, Melissa Sgroi, wrote, “There are few people that you look back on in your life and know they left an indelible mark. Thank you Jerry Sheik for being one of those people.”
Another of Mr. Sheik’s students, Ned Otter, said, “Jerry was the first one to put a sax in my hand.” Mr. Otter went on to play saxophone professionally, touring with Dizzy Gillespie. He is one of nine overseers of the Sheik’s Freaks page.
“He played a critical role in my life,” Mr. Otter added.
Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, another music teacher inspired the page “Winston Hughes — Best Chorus Teacher Ever.” Mr. Hughes was surprised to learn that such a page existed.
“I had no idea about this,” said Mr. Hughes, 76, who retired from Edison High School in 1996. “I knew that I had impact, but I never knew the impact was as large as the writings I’ve read.”
Susan Poper Gordon, class of 1971, wrote, “He treated every student with respect, challenged us to stretch ourselves musically, taught us what artistry was and created beauty out of whatever voices walked into his room.” Another student wrote, “Mr. Hughes was the biggest influence on my life at Edison High. He encouraged us to be the best, vocally and personally.”
The tributes underscore what researchers have identified as a major force in adolescents’ lives, said Jacqueline Ancess, a researcher at Teachers College at Columbia University. “The most powerful factor in transforming students is a relationship with a caring teacher who a kid feels particularly connected to,” said Dr. Ancess, who added that many students had told her that if not for a particular teacher, they would not have graduated or would not have taken a certain direction. Some former students have tried to recreate old roles, using Facebook messages to draw a teacher who had nurtured them back into their lives.
Lisa Nielsen, 41, a former library media specialist at Public School 175/Intermediate School 275 in Harlem, which she said was for troubled students, logged on to Facebook one day last year and saw this message:
“Hey Ms. Nielsen, I had to find you because you made a wonderful impact on my life. If people only knew how great of a teacher you are.” The message continued, “I know it’s been at least 10 years since you took me under your wing,” and added, “Let’s talk, got a lot to say!”
The writer, Keryce Davis, who was a sixth-grade student of Ms. Nielsen’s, is now 22 and works as an optician in Washington, after receiving an associate’s degree. Ms. Nielsen is glad to re-enter Ms. Davis’s life, and said they were discussing possibilities for Ms. Davis’s future.
Bill Chemerka, 64, who was a history teacher at Madison High School in New Jersey for 29 years, said he did not know what Facebook was until a student pointed him to the 455-member “Mr. Chemerka Fan Club” page. He found this message: “Your love of history and teaching oozed from your pores and allowed every student to absorb your knowledge and passion for life and history.”
Sheldon Jacobowitz, 68, said he was delighted about his Facebook connection with roughly 200 former students from New Utrecht High School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn — the school that inspired the 1970s television series “Welcome Back, Kotter” — where he taught math for 37 years.
“I think it’s amazing; it’s a great feeling,” Mr. Jacobowitz said. “How they make you feel that you were so important in their lives — it makes everything worthwhile.”
Friday, July 9, 2010
Welcome Back!
My Dearest Students,
Welcome back to UNITEN. I hope everyone of you was having a good break and now is ready to face the new semester with renewed enthusiasm and passion. Just as the soccer players in the World Cup, their team spirit and committment are at the highest level and I hope all of you could emulate those good qualities.
This semester will be a very challenging semester for me since I was given the responsibility to teach three different subjects - PHYF115, PHYF125 & PHYF 134. In addition, my proposal for a research grant under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), Ministry of Higher Education has been approved, and I guess I have to be always in ready mode at all times.
Nevertheless, if you have any queries and issues to address to me, please drop by at my office. By the way, as usual all the lecture notes, tutorial questions, past year question papers etc can be accessed at the following link, courtesy of Dr. Rosmiza.
http://metalab.uniten.edu.my/~rosmiza/
Wishing all of you the best.
Welcome back to UNITEN. I hope everyone of you was having a good break and now is ready to face the new semester with renewed enthusiasm and passion. Just as the soccer players in the World Cup, their team spirit and committment are at the highest level and I hope all of you could emulate those good qualities.
This semester will be a very challenging semester for me since I was given the responsibility to teach three different subjects - PHYF115, PHYF125 & PHYF 134. In addition, my proposal for a research grant under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), Ministry of Higher Education has been approved, and I guess I have to be always in ready mode at all times.
Nevertheless, if you have any queries and issues to address to me, please drop by at my office. By the way, as usual all the lecture notes, tutorial questions, past year question papers etc can be accessed at the following link, courtesy of Dr. Rosmiza.
http://metalab.uniten.edu.my/~rosmiza/
Wishing all of you the best.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
A+ teachers close out their grade books
By Sharon Noguchi
snoguchi@mercurynews.com
Posted: 06/08/2010 06:00:00 PM PDT
Updated: 06/08/2010 06:57:38 PM PDT
Even as she packed her files and the accolades poured in via e-mail, visits and celebrations, English teacher Roma Hammel was rethinking her latest lesson.
Retiring after four decades of teaching, Hammel, 64, continued to hone her craft. "One of the joys has been the ability to keep learning," the Los Altos High School teacher said. "It's as if teaching is woven into the fabric of my being."
Among the thousands of teachers retiring this month in California, an elite group stand out for mastery of a profession that's more a calling than a job. They're called inspirational, influential, invaluable — teachers who even after decades in the public school trenches remain passionate about teaching and who have made a lasting, positive difference in students' lives.
Colleagues and parents laud teachers like Hammel, science teacher Mel Ausman at Piedmont Middle School and band teacher Ken Roberts at Pioneer High as teachers who are being replaced but are considered irreplaceable.
Hammel led a grade-by-grade redesign of how the school teaches writing and built a program propelling low-income students into college. The district's version of that program, known as AVID, has become a statewide model.
"She's a moral compass for our department," said English chairman Keren Robertson. Observing Hammel's work with once-struggling students, Principal Wynne Satterwhite said, "The changes I saw in those kids was unbelievable."
Their success is a testament to her work. "Roma believed in my ability to transform into a successful student. And she made a believer out of me, too," said Jade Alvarez, 26, who became the first in her family to graduate from college, and who is now working on a master's in social work.
Hammel began as a home and hospital teacher for the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District in the 1970s, taught dyslexic students, English classes and also served as assistant principal and department chair.
In 1987, one-third of Los Altos students were in remedial English. Today, all but a handful are in college-prep English. And at a diverse school where 18 percent are from poor families, more than 90 percent of college-track ninth-graders score at least proficient on state tests.
Across the valley, Ausman last week was contemplating the end of a 34-year teaching career — but was still exploring new ways of teaching science at Piedmont Middle School in San Jose.
"They broke the mold with him," said Berryessa Union School District Superintendent Marc Liebman. "He's always willing to look at different ways of getting to kids and hooking them in."
Ausman put his six-week astronomy unit online, compiling curriculum from NASA and elsewhere. Students created a glossary, graded classmates' work, then made a game out of their words. They have programmed robots, designed 3-D objects online and made science movies.
"I love doing new things," said Ausman, 62. "I'm really into alternative ways of teaching things. In education, there's a narrow focus on books and papers. We have got all types of intelligences and we don't always hit on them."
His student Sanika Moharana, who counts science as her favorite subject, said about Ausman, "He's like open to many things."
Ausman also advised the school newspaper, one of the few middle-school journalism programs. And he was the go-to expert for teachers stumped by technology. In fact, he helped introduce technology into the Berryessa district, former Piedmont Principal Linda Locke said. And Ausman continually wrote grants to fund his programs.
He relishes teaching energetic middle schoolers, the age that many adults dread as students ride the roller coaster of puberty. "It's a big transformation for them. You can help them through it," he said.
While one of his former students will take over as the schools' technology guru, the Piedmont Times has published its last issue, as the school cut it out of next year's budget.
Openness to new ideas also set band teacher Ken Roberts apart. He built up the music programs first at Castillero Middle School and then at Pioneer High in San Jose. Band became so popular, "it was cool to be a band geek," said Beth Linvill, whose three sons went through the high school program that now involves 250 students in five bands.
"He's gotten kids excited about music, by doing the music that they enjoy doing," said Assistant Superintendent Bill Erlendson of the San Jose Unified School District.
"Instead of '50s swing pieces over and over, we could play Stevie Wonder or Maynard Ferguson," Bret Linville, a rising senior, said of Roberts' approach. And instead of a teacher trying to control kids, "we were definitely formed on mutual respect."
Roberts, 61, said band helps improve test scores. "In music you learn to take small pieces and put them together into one large thing, so they are able to see a bigger picture instead of just themselves," Roberts said.
On May 25, "Ken Roberts Appreciation Day," many Pioneer students wore ties — part of Roberts' trademark attire — to school.
A former student, Chris McCoy, will lead the Pioneer band program, but it's uncertain who will take over Roberts' other duty, maintaining the school's 600 computers.
Like others looking at retirement, Roberts hopes to indulge his own interests, including traveling and playing the French horn. Ausman might work on science curriculum and Hammel will teach meditation. They'll miss the students and the profession.
About his career, Ausman said, "Everything worked out great."
snoguchi@mercurynews.com
Posted: 06/08/2010 06:00:00 PM PDT
Updated: 06/08/2010 06:57:38 PM PDT
Even as she packed her files and the accolades poured in via e-mail, visits and celebrations, English teacher Roma Hammel was rethinking her latest lesson.
Retiring after four decades of teaching, Hammel, 64, continued to hone her craft. "One of the joys has been the ability to keep learning," the Los Altos High School teacher said. "It's as if teaching is woven into the fabric of my being."
Among the thousands of teachers retiring this month in California, an elite group stand out for mastery of a profession that's more a calling than a job. They're called inspirational, influential, invaluable — teachers who even after decades in the public school trenches remain passionate about teaching and who have made a lasting, positive difference in students' lives.
Colleagues and parents laud teachers like Hammel, science teacher Mel Ausman at Piedmont Middle School and band teacher Ken Roberts at Pioneer High as teachers who are being replaced but are considered irreplaceable.
Hammel led a grade-by-grade redesign of how the school teaches writing and built a program propelling low-income students into college. The district's version of that program, known as AVID, has become a statewide model.
"She's a moral compass for our department," said English chairman Keren Robertson. Observing Hammel's work with once-struggling students, Principal Wynne Satterwhite said, "The changes I saw in those kids was unbelievable."
Their success is a testament to her work. "Roma believed in my ability to transform into a successful student. And she made a believer out of me, too," said Jade Alvarez, 26, who became the first in her family to graduate from college, and who is now working on a master's in social work.
Hammel began as a home and hospital teacher for the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District in the 1970s, taught dyslexic students, English classes and also served as assistant principal and department chair.
In 1987, one-third of Los Altos students were in remedial English. Today, all but a handful are in college-prep English. And at a diverse school where 18 percent are from poor families, more than 90 percent of college-track ninth-graders score at least proficient on state tests.
Across the valley, Ausman last week was contemplating the end of a 34-year teaching career — but was still exploring new ways of teaching science at Piedmont Middle School in San Jose.
"They broke the mold with him," said Berryessa Union School District Superintendent Marc Liebman. "He's always willing to look at different ways of getting to kids and hooking them in."
Ausman put his six-week astronomy unit online, compiling curriculum from NASA and elsewhere. Students created a glossary, graded classmates' work, then made a game out of their words. They have programmed robots, designed 3-D objects online and made science movies.
"I love doing new things," said Ausman, 62. "I'm really into alternative ways of teaching things. In education, there's a narrow focus on books and papers. We have got all types of intelligences and we don't always hit on them."
His student Sanika Moharana, who counts science as her favorite subject, said about Ausman, "He's like open to many things."
Ausman also advised the school newspaper, one of the few middle-school journalism programs. And he was the go-to expert for teachers stumped by technology. In fact, he helped introduce technology into the Berryessa district, former Piedmont Principal Linda Locke said. And Ausman continually wrote grants to fund his programs.
He relishes teaching energetic middle schoolers, the age that many adults dread as students ride the roller coaster of puberty. "It's a big transformation for them. You can help them through it," he said.
While one of his former students will take over as the schools' technology guru, the Piedmont Times has published its last issue, as the school cut it out of next year's budget.
Openness to new ideas also set band teacher Ken Roberts apart. He built up the music programs first at Castillero Middle School and then at Pioneer High in San Jose. Band became so popular, "it was cool to be a band geek," said Beth Linvill, whose three sons went through the high school program that now involves 250 students in five bands.
"He's gotten kids excited about music, by doing the music that they enjoy doing," said Assistant Superintendent Bill Erlendson of the San Jose Unified School District.
"Instead of '50s swing pieces over and over, we could play Stevie Wonder or Maynard Ferguson," Bret Linville, a rising senior, said of Roberts' approach. And instead of a teacher trying to control kids, "we were definitely formed on mutual respect."
Roberts, 61, said band helps improve test scores. "In music you learn to take small pieces and put them together into one large thing, so they are able to see a bigger picture instead of just themselves," Roberts said.
On May 25, "Ken Roberts Appreciation Day," many Pioneer students wore ties — part of Roberts' trademark attire — to school.
A former student, Chris McCoy, will lead the Pioneer band program, but it's uncertain who will take over Roberts' other duty, maintaining the school's 600 computers.
Like others looking at retirement, Roberts hopes to indulge his own interests, including traveling and playing the French horn. Ausman might work on science curriculum and Hammel will teach meditation. They'll miss the students and the profession.
About his career, Ausman said, "Everything worked out great."
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Degrees That Get You Hired
Find out which 6 degrees rank highest in terms of employment
By Chris Kyle (Yahoo! Education)
Come graduation time, the English major, history buff, computer whiz, and business student all look alike in their caps and gowns. Their job prospects, on the other hand, look very different. Corporate consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas polled 100 human resource professionals to find out what graduating students this year can expect from the job market in 2010, and, specifically, which degrees have the best odds of helping students get jobs. If you're contemplating a return to school and deciding what you want to study, read on for the six degrees that rank highest in terms of employment.
#1 - Health Care Degree
Graduates with recession-proof degrees in health care will find the most success in 2010, according to Challenger. In fact, more than one in four (26.3 percent) HR professionals picked health care as the best bet for job security. Nurses are receiving the most job offers in this category.
Desirable Degrees:
Nursing
Physical Therapy
Pharmacy
Medical Technician
Average Starting Salaries:
Nursing: $47,217
Health & Related Sciences: $30,522
#2 - Business Administration Degree
It's no coincidence that business is booming for graduates with a business degree...it's the most popular bachelor's degree in the country. Graduating with a degree in business administration puts job seekers in the second strongest position overall, just behind health care, according to the Challenger survey.
Desirable Degrees:
Business
Business Administration
Business Administrative Support
Average Starting Salary:
Business Administration: $45,200
#3 - Computer Science Degree
Computers are an indispensable part of the economy, and so are graduates who study computer science, which ranks as the third most valuable degree in today's job market.
Desirable Degrees:
Computer Science
Technology Support
Information Technology and Systems
Average Starting Salaries:
Computer Science: $61,205
Information Sciences & Systems: $54,038
#4 - Accounting/Finance Degree
Finance and accounting graduates can expect their fortunes to improve as the economy improves. "Historically, hiring on Wall Street has recovered before the rest of the economy," Richard Lipstein, managing director at Boyden Global Executive Search, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Desirable Degrees:
Accounting
Finance
Average Starting Salaries:
Economics: $52,909
Finance: $49,607
Accounting: $47,982
#5 - Engineering Degree
It might surprise you to learn that engineering degrees are ranked fifth in terms of employment - and not first - but don't start feeling sorry for engineers just yet. According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, eight of the top 10 best-paid majors are in engineering.
Desirable Degrees:
Biomedical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Network Engineering and Administration
Programming and Software Engineering
Average Starting Salaries:
Petroleum Engineering: $86,220
Computer Engineering: $60,879
Mechanical Engineering: $58,392
#6 - Marketing Degree
Demand remains strong for marketing graduates in the business world, though a more general business administration degree, ranked number two overall, gets the edge in today's tight job market because of its broader application.
Desirable Degree:
Marketing
Average Starting Salary:
Marketing: $42,499
All salary information from the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Winter 2010 Salary Survey, which looked at starting salary offers for new Class of 2010 college graduates.
By Chris Kyle (Yahoo! Education)
Come graduation time, the English major, history buff, computer whiz, and business student all look alike in their caps and gowns. Their job prospects, on the other hand, look very different. Corporate consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas polled 100 human resource professionals to find out what graduating students this year can expect from the job market in 2010, and, specifically, which degrees have the best odds of helping students get jobs. If you're contemplating a return to school and deciding what you want to study, read on for the six degrees that rank highest in terms of employment.
#1 - Health Care Degree
Graduates with recession-proof degrees in health care will find the most success in 2010, according to Challenger. In fact, more than one in four (26.3 percent) HR professionals picked health care as the best bet for job security. Nurses are receiving the most job offers in this category.
Desirable Degrees:
Nursing
Physical Therapy
Pharmacy
Medical Technician
Average Starting Salaries:
Nursing: $47,217
Health & Related Sciences: $30,522
#2 - Business Administration Degree
It's no coincidence that business is booming for graduates with a business degree...it's the most popular bachelor's degree in the country. Graduating with a degree in business administration puts job seekers in the second strongest position overall, just behind health care, according to the Challenger survey.
Desirable Degrees:
Business
Business Administration
Business Administrative Support
Average Starting Salary:
Business Administration: $45,200
#3 - Computer Science Degree
Computers are an indispensable part of the economy, and so are graduates who study computer science, which ranks as the third most valuable degree in today's job market.
Desirable Degrees:
Computer Science
Technology Support
Information Technology and Systems
Average Starting Salaries:
Computer Science: $61,205
Information Sciences & Systems: $54,038
#4 - Accounting/Finance Degree
Finance and accounting graduates can expect their fortunes to improve as the economy improves. "Historically, hiring on Wall Street has recovered before the rest of the economy," Richard Lipstein, managing director at Boyden Global Executive Search, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Desirable Degrees:
Accounting
Finance
Average Starting Salaries:
Economics: $52,909
Finance: $49,607
Accounting: $47,982
#5 - Engineering Degree
It might surprise you to learn that engineering degrees are ranked fifth in terms of employment - and not first - but don't start feeling sorry for engineers just yet. According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, eight of the top 10 best-paid majors are in engineering.
Desirable Degrees:
Biomedical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Network Engineering and Administration
Programming and Software Engineering
Average Starting Salaries:
Petroleum Engineering: $86,220
Computer Engineering: $60,879
Mechanical Engineering: $58,392
#6 - Marketing Degree
Demand remains strong for marketing graduates in the business world, though a more general business administration degree, ranked number two overall, gets the edge in today's tight job market because of its broader application.
Desirable Degree:
Marketing
Average Starting Salary:
Marketing: $42,499
All salary information from the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Winter 2010 Salary Survey, which looked at starting salary offers for new Class of 2010 college graduates.
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