What did Jefferson and Nixon have in common (besides the president gig)?

The coming election is on the minds of plenty of folks. Is it just coincidence that a handful of stories about Latin recently have appeared just this week in the nation's paper of record?

Here's a nice article from the New York Times going back to last December that reminds us that "Of the 40 presidents since Jefferson, 31 have studied Latin...".

Monitoring Student Screens in One-to-One Computing

Teachers new to the use of one-to-one computing often ask about classroom management. They want to know how to keep kids on task when they are just a click away from the Internet.

While my first instinct is to say, "They are going to have to deal with that temptation in the real world, so you have to let them handle it on their own," there is also a part of me that sees this as an opportunity to teach organizational habits.

There are programs out there that will let the teacher see the screens of each student's PC. One of the most popular is Synchron Eyes. Not only does the prgram allow you to see exactly what your students are looking at (in real time), it also allows you to take control of their machines. You have the power to lock their machines and to control their mouse. This could be used to stop a kid from goofing off or it could be used to help a student go through a series of tasks he or she is having trouble following.

It's also possible to use this software for creating and distributing quizzes, though for my money Google DOcs is still the way to go for that.

Last thing. You really don't need technology in order to monitor technology. In my classes, we have random browser checks. I call: "BROWSER CHECK!" and the hands go up. A quick scan of screens tells me if I'm gonna need to call down the office for a new pad of detention slips.

New York Times on the Latin: Back from the Dead!

Here's news that some of us have known for quite some time.

“It’s the language of scholars and educated people,” said Jason Griffiths, headmaster of Brooklyn Latin. “It’s the language of people who are successful. I think it’s a draw, and that’s certainly what we sell.”

Adam D. Blistein, executive director of the American Philological Association at the University of Pennsylvania, which represents more than 3,000 members, including classics professors and Latin teachers, said that more high schools were recognizing the benefits of Latin. It builds vocabulary and grammar for higher SAT scores, appeals to college admissions officers as a sign of critical-thinking skills and fosters true intellectual passion, he said.

“Goethe is better in German, Flaubert is better in French and Virgil is better in Latin,” Dr. Blistein said. “If you stick with it, the lollipop comes at the end when you get to read the original. In many cases, it’s what whets their appetite.”

A Divine Wiki Project

Here is an example of a Wiki project I recently gave to my students. I'll post the results for you to see when I receive them early next week.

Assignment Title: Greek Gods and Goddesses in Vase Painting

Tasks:

1) The class leader will open a new Google Doc and add all class members and the instructor as authors on the doc. We shall be using this doc to create a Wiki about Greek gods and goddesses.

2) Students will work in pairs, each pair writing a biography of a Greek divinity and illustrating the major events in the life of the god or goddess with Greek vase paintings. The biography must be between three and five paragraphs long and must be accompanied by no less than 5 properly cited vase paintings.

3) A bibliography must appear in proper MLA format at the end of each section of the Wiki.

ReSources: [NOTA BENE: Rather than just give a list of museums, I choose image banks or online tours and 'drop' the students into them.]

Theoi.com

Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline of Art History
British Museum
Louvre
Hermitage
National Archaeological Museum in Athens