Movies From Mars (and Mars' Science Laboratory)

To contact us Click HERE
We did it! We landed on Mars! Well, really NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory did it. If you have read this blog for a while you know that geeks (a term of affection here) hold a near and dear place in my heart.

Can you imagine how great all those scientists, computer and software engineers, launch pad operators, command center technicians, janitors, data entry personnel, optics and robotic experts, lab technicians, personal assistants, electronic experts, mathematicians--those modern day magicians--feel? Great! (Where's a bottle of champagne when you need one).



NASA created a full resolution decent and landing video of the $2 billion Curiosity's trip through the Mars atmosphere to its touchdown at Bradbury Landing.



Can't get enough? Me either! How about Curiosity's first jaunt across the Mars surface. There's no video yet, but here's a picture of its first drive.



Want to stay caught up with Curiosity's antics? Here's a link to NASA's Mars site.

So what's your major?

Books About America's Colleges

To contact us Click HERE
15 Books That Take American Eduction to Task is a post that at first glance is a bit depressing. For you education majors, some of these books may help with research into K-12 practices.

Let's take a look at the books devoted to college, they have some useful things to say about what you are doing right now!

No. 5 Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa:

Even with ever-higher tuition, more students are heading to college than ever before, but are they really getting the education they’re paying for? Sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roska don’t think so. They have research that points to some disturbing trends in higher ed, including a study which found that 45% of students showed no improvement in key skills, including critical thinking and writing, between their first semester and the end of their second year. They believe that the current culture at most colleges doesn’t adequately value education, preferring to focus on raising their rankings rather than putting out a smart, capable batch of graduates each year.

In addition, some institutions feel they need to teach students "what" to think politically and morally as opposed to "how" to think (critical thinking). They often disguise "what" to think as "how" to think.

No. 9 Inside American Education: The Decline, the Deception, the Dogmas by Thomas Sowell:

This book by Thomas Sowell is aging (it was published in 1992), but sadly many of the problems he points to in it still exist in education today, 20 years later. Sowell posits that the American education system, from kindergarten through grad school is full of incompetency, alienation, and moral bankruptcy, railing especially hard on athletic scholarships, the publish-or-perish syndrome, and academic brainwashing. Readers should note that Sowell can be a bit extreme (and sometimes downright wrong), but that doesn’t make his primary criticisms of the education system any less scathing or true.

"Incompetency and moral bankruptcy" at American universities? Do you find that the school lives up to the promises it makes to you? Are you getting the quality of education you paid for?

No. 11 Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More by Derek Bok:

This book is another hard look at the American higher education system, this time from former Harvard president Derek Bok. As in the work of Arum and Roska, Bok showcases just how little many students learn during their college educations, lacking key skills in writing, reasoning, mathematics, and critical thinking. In fact, despite high tuition that supports new technology, more professors, and greater resources for students, there is little evidence to suggest that students are learning more and may in fact be taking away less from their college years (despite a much higher price tag).

Students are taking out more and more loans resulting in something resembling a house payment by the time they are finished, so caveat emptor.

Do you find that you are learning skills in the university that you will need when you enter the work force? Or do you think you are doing a lot of busy work?

What kinds of classes would you like to see offered at your university to help you get where you want to go in life?

P.S. Remember life isn't just about working. What kind of classes would you like to take to make your life more meaningful?

The Year's Most Popular Titles

To contact us Click HERE
The end of the year means circulation statistics.

Image from here.

This time around, I've delved deeper into specifics, and I think I know a lot more about my user population and their reading habits. This week I learned the following:

• Ninth grade boys don't very read much. I didn't realize that their circulation numbers were so abysmal compared to everyone else until I broke it down this spring. I **think** it's because most of my 9th grader ELA teachers don't require classroom novels, and fifteen year old boys just aren't that anxious to read for fun.
• 8th graders and 9th graders read very different things. Books popular at the 8th level don't even break into the top ten at the 9th grade level. This could be because 8th graders are exploring titles that weren't available in the middle school library, while most 9th graders read these books the previous year.
• Blockbusters, like Hunger Games, are popular with EVERYONE.
• New books aren't always the most popular. Older titles like Twisted and The Lovely Bones were well-read across the board. This is probably the result of ELA teacher booktalks which get the kids pumped for specific titles.  

Most Popular Books Overall in the Junior High:

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4. Numbers by Rachel Ward
5. Twisted  by Laurie Halse Anderson
6. Matched by Ally Condie
7. Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
8. Fallen by Lauren Kate

Most Popular Books Among Females in the Junior High:

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
4. Numbers by Rachel Ward
5. Matched by Ally Condie
6. Fallen by Lauren Kate
7. Crossed by Ally Condie
8. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 

Most Popular Books Among Males in the Junior High:

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4. Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
5. Numbers by Rachel Ward
6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by
7. Football Champ by Tim Greene
8. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

What titles drew top honors in your library this year?

I'm Still Around!

To contact us Click HERE
My apologies for the lack of posts for the last month and half! I've been busy with this pregnancy thing, and not had much time to blog. Now that I'm full term, it's just a lot of waiting around for something to happen. 

In the meantime, I've left my library in the hands of a long-term sub (it's a lot harder to let go than I thought!). Once the baby's born, I plan to take 12 weeks of maternity leave, which should put me back in action sometimes toward the end of February. 
Until then, I'll try to squeeze in a few posts and some great project updates, but hang tight as the blogging decreases while I start this new adventure. 
Enjoy your what's left of your short week and Happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Jobs Essay ‘Death is very likely the single best invention of life'

To contact us Click HERE
Co-founder of Apple Computer and a pioneering force in the computer and technology industry was found dead on Wednesday at the age of 56. The Apple chairman and former CEO who made personal computers, tables, smart phones and digital animation mass-marker products passed away. Steve Jobs died on October 5th 2011 after a long and hard struggle with cancer.

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered

Steve Jobs was the reason many of us got into this industry or even care about technology at all. He was "a great man" for real and he was the one who made Apple one of the most valuable companies in the whole world. Steve Jobs made a positive influence on our world.

Unfortunately, how it often happens, Steve Jobs was diagnosed with the disease in 2004. That is why he was compelled to leave his position as CEO of Apple in 2004. As you see Steve Jobs influenced on everybody of us , in a word, he was like a teacher. If you have a desire to have a Steve Job essay you have an opportunity to make an order at our custom writing company. We are always glad to assist our clients with their academic writing problems.

Use Our Custom Writing Company. Buy Steve Jobs Essay

Order Steve Jobs essay or any other type of essay, dissertation, research paper or book review at our custom writing service. We have gathered the team of highly qualified writers that are ready to assist you at any moment. Our clients are on top priority, so we are trying to create such conditions that will meet all your demands.

Use our essay writing service and we will create the brilliant and outstanding Steve Jobs essay. Furthermore, you will be pleasantly surprised with our pricing starting only at $10 per page. If you have to select the topic for your writing by yourself and are not sure which is best, you can ask our writers to make their suggestions and settle with the writer whose offers for the topic you find best suited for your needs.

The Choice is up to you

Think twice before writing Steve Jobs essay independently as you may have some problems concerning the appropriate material and reliable information. Become our customer today and receive the list of essay writing advantages.

At Buyessay.org - professional custom writing service - you can order your assignment 100% written from scratch. Buyessay.org works only with top-rated Ph.D. and Master's academic writers, which write quality custom research papers, term papers, essays, research proposals, thesis papers & dissertations at affordable prices. Get 10% Discount for your First Order!

Movies From Mars (and Mars' Science Laboratory)

To contact us Click HERE
We did it! We landed on Mars! Well, really NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory did it. If you have read this blog for a while you know that geeks (a term of affection here) hold a near and dear place in my heart.

Can you imagine how great all those scientists, computer and software engineers, launch pad operators, command center technicians, janitors, data entry personnel, optics and robotic experts, lab technicians, personal assistants, electronic experts, mathematicians--those modern day magicians--feel? Great! (Where's a bottle of champagne when you need one).



NASA created a full resolution decent and landing video of the $2 billion Curiosity's trip through the Mars atmosphere to its touchdown at Bradbury Landing.



Can't get enough? Me either! How about Curiosity's first jaunt across the Mars surface. There's no video yet, but here's a picture of its first drive.



Want to stay caught up with Curiosity's antics? Here's a link to NASA's Mars site.

So what's your major?

Books About America's Colleges

To contact us Click HERE
15 Books That Take American Eduction to Task is a post that at first glance is a bit depressing. For you education majors, some of these books may help with research into K-12 practices.

Let's take a look at the books devoted to college, they have some useful things to say about what you are doing right now!

No. 5 Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa:

Even with ever-higher tuition, more students are heading to college than ever before, but are they really getting the education they’re paying for? Sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roska don’t think so. They have research that points to some disturbing trends in higher ed, including a study which found that 45% of students showed no improvement in key skills, including critical thinking and writing, between their first semester and the end of their second year. They believe that the current culture at most colleges doesn’t adequately value education, preferring to focus on raising their rankings rather than putting out a smart, capable batch of graduates each year.

In addition, some institutions feel they need to teach students "what" to think politically and morally as opposed to "how" to think (critical thinking). They often disguise "what" to think as "how" to think.

No. 9 Inside American Education: The Decline, the Deception, the Dogmas by Thomas Sowell:

This book by Thomas Sowell is aging (it was published in 1992), but sadly many of the problems he points to in it still exist in education today, 20 years later. Sowell posits that the American education system, from kindergarten through grad school is full of incompetency, alienation, and moral bankruptcy, railing especially hard on athletic scholarships, the publish-or-perish syndrome, and academic brainwashing. Readers should note that Sowell can be a bit extreme (and sometimes downright wrong), but that doesn’t make his primary criticisms of the education system any less scathing or true.

"Incompetency and moral bankruptcy" at American universities? Do you find that the school lives up to the promises it makes to you? Are you getting the quality of education you paid for?

No. 11 Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More by Derek Bok:

This book is another hard look at the American higher education system, this time from former Harvard president Derek Bok. As in the work of Arum and Roska, Bok showcases just how little many students learn during their college educations, lacking key skills in writing, reasoning, mathematics, and critical thinking. In fact, despite high tuition that supports new technology, more professors, and greater resources for students, there is little evidence to suggest that students are learning more and may in fact be taking away less from their college years (despite a much higher price tag).

Students are taking out more and more loans resulting in something resembling a house payment by the time they are finished, so caveat emptor.

Do you find that you are learning skills in the university that you will need when you enter the work force? Or do you think you are doing a lot of busy work?

What kinds of classes would you like to see offered at your university to help you get where you want to go in life?

P.S. Remember life isn't just about working. What kind of classes would you like to take to make your life more meaningful?

The Year's Most Popular Titles

To contact us Click HERE
The end of the year means circulation statistics.

Image from here.

This time around, I've delved deeper into specifics, and I think I know a lot more about my user population and their reading habits. This week I learned the following:

• Ninth grade boys don't very read much. I didn't realize that their circulation numbers were so abysmal compared to everyone else until I broke it down this spring. I **think** it's because most of my 9th grader ELA teachers don't require classroom novels, and fifteen year old boys just aren't that anxious to read for fun.
• 8th graders and 9th graders read very different things. Books popular at the 8th level don't even break into the top ten at the 9th grade level. This could be because 8th graders are exploring titles that weren't available in the middle school library, while most 9th graders read these books the previous year.
• Blockbusters, like Hunger Games, are popular with EVERYONE.
• New books aren't always the most popular. Older titles like Twisted and The Lovely Bones were well-read across the board. This is probably the result of ELA teacher booktalks which get the kids pumped for specific titles.  

Most Popular Books Overall in the Junior High:

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4. Numbers by Rachel Ward
5. Twisted  by Laurie Halse Anderson
6. Matched by Ally Condie
7. Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
8. Fallen by Lauren Kate

Most Popular Books Among Females in the Junior High:

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
4. Numbers by Rachel Ward
5. Matched by Ally Condie
6. Fallen by Lauren Kate
7. Crossed by Ally Condie
8. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 

Most Popular Books Among Males in the Junior High:

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4. Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
5. Numbers by Rachel Ward
6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by
7. Football Champ by Tim Greene
8. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

What titles drew top honors in your library this year?

I'm Still Around!

To contact us Click HERE
My apologies for the lack of posts for the last month and half! I've been busy with this pregnancy thing, and not had much time to blog. Now that I'm full term, it's just a lot of waiting around for something to happen. 

In the meantime, I've left my library in the hands of a long-term sub (it's a lot harder to let go than I thought!). Once the baby's born, I plan to take 12 weeks of maternity leave, which should put me back in action sometimes toward the end of February. 
Until then, I'll try to squeeze in a few posts and some great project updates, but hang tight as the blogging decreases while I start this new adventure. 
Enjoy your what's left of your short week and Happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Jobs Essay ‘Death is very likely the single best invention of life'

To contact us Click HERE
Co-founder of Apple Computer and a pioneering force in the computer and technology industry was found dead on Wednesday at the age of 56. The Apple chairman and former CEO who made personal computers, tables, smart phones and digital animation mass-marker products passed away. Steve Jobs died on October 5th 2011 after a long and hard struggle with cancer.

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered

Steve Jobs was the reason many of us got into this industry or even care about technology at all. He was "a great man" for real and he was the one who made Apple one of the most valuable companies in the whole world. Steve Jobs made a positive influence on our world.

Unfortunately, how it often happens, Steve Jobs was diagnosed with the disease in 2004. That is why he was compelled to leave his position as CEO of Apple in 2004. As you see Steve Jobs influenced on everybody of us , in a word, he was like a teacher. If you have a desire to have a Steve Job essay you have an opportunity to make an order at our custom writing company. We are always glad to assist our clients with their academic writing problems.

Use Our Custom Writing Company. Buy Steve Jobs Essay

Order Steve Jobs essay or any other type of essay, dissertation, research paper or book review at our custom writing service. We have gathered the team of highly qualified writers that are ready to assist you at any moment. Our clients are on top priority, so we are trying to create such conditions that will meet all your demands.

Use our essay writing service and we will create the brilliant and outstanding Steve Jobs essay. Furthermore, you will be pleasantly surprised with our pricing starting only at $10 per page. If you have to select the topic for your writing by yourself and are not sure which is best, you can ask our writers to make their suggestions and settle with the writer whose offers for the topic you find best suited for your needs.

The Choice is up to you

Think twice before writing Steve Jobs essay independently as you may have some problems concerning the appropriate material and reliable information. Become our customer today and receive the list of essay writing advantages.

At Buyessay.org - professional custom writing service - you can order your assignment 100% written from scratch. Buyessay.org works only with top-rated Ph.D. and Master's academic writers, which write quality custom research papers, term papers, essays, research proposals, thesis papers & dissertations at affordable prices. Get 10% Discount for your First Order!

It's all Text Messaging's Fault

To contact us Click HERE
Two apostrophes in one title? Not possible?

Well, it's obviously possible, but text messaging may mean the death of my belov'd apostrophe. That's the claim in the article Dear Apostrophe: C Ya over at the Chronicle of Higher Ed. The author, Rob Jenkins, believes that

as someone who teaches college writing to the text-messaging generation, I have observed that not only apostrophes but also capital letters have become, if not extinct, then at least increasingly conspicuous by their absence–sort of like some of my students when their essays are due.

Yikes! Not only does he dis students for bad grammar, but he also doubts their veracity when it comes to absences and due dates (c'mon you know you are at least a little guilty).

I love apostrophe's. In fact I love them so much that I use way too many of them. While Jenkins worries about capital letters and apostrophes because of text messaging, I worry about too many spaces in my writing. I find that whenever you use any piece of punctuation in a text it automatically capitalizes the next letter whether you like it or not! So I'm always adding spaces.

There are two basic rules for apostrophes. Apostrophes show possession (something one owns): The dog's tail is wagging. Apostrophes are also used in contractions (contracting two words into one): it is = it's.

What do you think? Does text messaging make you a poor writer? Has your texting habits earned you a poor score? What text messaging habits bleed over into your academic writing?

P.S. Did you spot the extra apostrophe?

Movies From Mars (and Mars' Science Laboratory)

To contact us Click HERE
We did it! We landed on Mars! Well, really NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory did it. If you have read this blog for a while you know that geeks (a term of affection here) hold a near and dear place in my heart.

Can you imagine how great all those scientists, computer and software engineers, launch pad operators, command center technicians, janitors, data entry personnel, optics and robotic experts, lab technicians, personal assistants, electronic experts, mathematicians--those modern day magicians--feel? Great! (Where's a bottle of champagne when you need one).



NASA created a full resolution decent and landing video of the $2 billion Curiosity's trip through the Mars atmosphere to its touchdown at Bradbury Landing.



Can't get enough? Me either! How about Curiosity's first jaunt across the Mars surface. There's no video yet, but here's a picture of its first drive.



Want to stay caught up with Curiosity's antics? Here's a link to NASA's Mars site.

So what's your major?

Books About America's Colleges

To contact us Click HERE
15 Books That Take American Eduction to Task is a post that at first glance is a bit depressing. For you education majors, some of these books may help with research into K-12 practices.

Let's take a look at the books devoted to college, they have some useful things to say about what you are doing right now!

No. 5 Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa:

Even with ever-higher tuition, more students are heading to college than ever before, but are they really getting the education they’re paying for? Sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roska don’t think so. They have research that points to some disturbing trends in higher ed, including a study which found that 45% of students showed no improvement in key skills, including critical thinking and writing, between their first semester and the end of their second year. They believe that the current culture at most colleges doesn’t adequately value education, preferring to focus on raising their rankings rather than putting out a smart, capable batch of graduates each year.

In addition, some institutions feel they need to teach students "what" to think politically and morally as opposed to "how" to think (critical thinking). They often disguise "what" to think as "how" to think.

No. 9 Inside American Education: The Decline, the Deception, the Dogmas by Thomas Sowell:

This book by Thomas Sowell is aging (it was published in 1992), but sadly many of the problems he points to in it still exist in education today, 20 years later. Sowell posits that the American education system, from kindergarten through grad school is full of incompetency, alienation, and moral bankruptcy, railing especially hard on athletic scholarships, the publish-or-perish syndrome, and academic brainwashing. Readers should note that Sowell can be a bit extreme (and sometimes downright wrong), but that doesn’t make his primary criticisms of the education system any less scathing or true.

"Incompetency and moral bankruptcy" at American universities? Do you find that the school lives up to the promises it makes to you? Are you getting the quality of education you paid for?

No. 11 Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More by Derek Bok:

This book is another hard look at the American higher education system, this time from former Harvard president Derek Bok. As in the work of Arum and Roska, Bok showcases just how little many students learn during their college educations, lacking key skills in writing, reasoning, mathematics, and critical thinking. In fact, despite high tuition that supports new technology, more professors, and greater resources for students, there is little evidence to suggest that students are learning more and may in fact be taking away less from their college years (despite a much higher price tag).

Students are taking out more and more loans resulting in something resembling a house payment by the time they are finished, so caveat emptor.

Do you find that you are learning skills in the university that you will need when you enter the work force? Or do you think you are doing a lot of busy work?

What kinds of classes would you like to see offered at your university to help you get where you want to go in life?

P.S. Remember life isn't just about working. What kind of classes would you like to take to make your life more meaningful?

Destiny Quest? There's an app for that!

To contact us Click HERE
Well, it looks like 2012 is off to a fine start. I hope all of you had a wonderful Winter Break. I also hope that you got to read some good books during your down time. Make sure you check my list on the right side of your screen for the new titles I've added that I read during the break.

Did you make a New Year's resolution to read more? If you did, your RBV library is the place to support you in your endeavors.  Just stop by anytime; you'll never leave disappointed.

Do you have a smart phone? Now you can download an app for our catalog. Follett's Destiny Quest feature of the catalog is available as an app through your app store. Once you download the app use this address to find us the first time http://destiny-1.vusd.k12.ca.us/ then create an account and search our catalog from wherever you might be.

LL

Steve Jobs Essay ‘Death is very likely the single best invention of life'

To contact us Click HERE
Co-founder of Apple Computer and a pioneering force in the computer and technology industry was found dead on Wednesday at the age of 56. The Apple chairman and former CEO who made personal computers, tables, smart phones and digital animation mass-marker products passed away. Steve Jobs died on October 5th 2011 after a long and hard struggle with cancer.

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered

Steve Jobs was the reason many of us got into this industry or even care about technology at all. He was "a great man" for real and he was the one who made Apple one of the most valuable companies in the whole world. Steve Jobs made a positive influence on our world.

Unfortunately, how it often happens, Steve Jobs was diagnosed with the disease in 2004. That is why he was compelled to leave his position as CEO of Apple in 2004. As you see Steve Jobs influenced on everybody of us , in a word, he was like a teacher. If you have a desire to have a Steve Job essay you have an opportunity to make an order at our custom writing company. We are always glad to assist our clients with their academic writing problems.

Use Our Custom Writing Company. Buy Steve Jobs Essay

Order Steve Jobs essay or any other type of essay, dissertation, research paper or book review at our custom writing service. We have gathered the team of highly qualified writers that are ready to assist you at any moment. Our clients are on top priority, so we are trying to create such conditions that will meet all your demands.

Use our essay writing service and we will create the brilliant and outstanding Steve Jobs essay. Furthermore, you will be pleasantly surprised with our pricing starting only at $10 per page. If you have to select the topic for your writing by yourself and are not sure which is best, you can ask our writers to make their suggestions and settle with the writer whose offers for the topic you find best suited for your needs.

The Choice is up to you

Think twice before writing Steve Jobs essay independently as you may have some problems concerning the appropriate material and reliable information. Become our customer today and receive the list of essay writing advantages.

At Buyessay.org - professional custom writing service - you can order your assignment 100% written from scratch. Buyessay.org works only with top-rated Ph.D. and Master's academic writers, which write quality custom research papers, term papers, essays, research proposals, thesis papers & dissertations at affordable prices. Get 10% Discount for your First Order!