Recently in the Dallas Morning News there was an article written by Katherine Leal Unmuth about textbooks in Garland ISD....the link below ..... you will find the article in full.

http://www.quickdfw.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/032609dnmettextbooks.3a33d62.html

The article points out the path of textbooks and the growing problem with publishers bundling the textbooks and on-line access to these books. Publishers force the school district to purchase textbooks if they want to have access to on-line content. Is this more money for the publishers? I doubt it is any of consequence. Teachers in the classroom keep about 30 books in the classroom as reference books but students are not given their own book to use during the school year. It appears the teachers are concerned that the books will not be taken care of. The books are stored away!

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Creative Tutors Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Local business celebrates 10 years of service in local community

Plano, TX March 30, 2009 – Creative Tutors is celebrating 10 years of superior service. The company is recognizing the anniversary of its corporation in Plano, TX.

"We are happy to celebrate 10 years of service in this community," said Jan Van Blarcum, Founder of Creative Tutors located Plano, TX. "The company has always had a strong commitment to its customers and community. And, we are committed to our customers and the success of each student that we serve - as much as we care about our own."

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Lessons in Math Shape Many Life Skills
Creative Tutors honors Mathematics Education Month; stresses the importance arithmetic plays in a child's future.

From paying bills to cooking dinner, many day-to-day tasks require the use of basic math skills. However, for many children, arithmetic is associated solely with pencils and textbooks. That's why this April, Creative Tutors is honoring Mathematics Education Month. The local tutoring service wants parents and students to understand that the lessons of mathematics extend far beyond the classroom.

"Children study many subjects in school, but math is one discipline that they will continually incorporate throughout their lives," said Jan Van Blarcum, Founder of Creative Tutors. "If a child is struggling in math, it should not be ignored because the consequences can have long-reaching effects."

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JAMES NEHRING, Ayer
The writer is an assistant professor of education at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.....http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2009/03/24/globe_doesnt_get_obamas_intent/

The subject of teacher bonuses is a hot topic with parents and educators alike.

With the new administration in full swing topics about teacher bonus performance rewards receive passionate debates as the administration restructures the NCLB intentions.

It is a FACT that students and teachers do live under the high pressure of testing performance nationwide.

Top bonus dollars for teachers that have students that reach top performance on end of year exams does increase the pressure to perform and in years past creates situations where cheating may occur under special situations.

It is a topic that warrants conversation. Please feel free to share your thought about teacher bonuses and school accountability.

"Marketing is about the Perception of Value." That's what a friend told me the other day when I mentioned a passion for a new found business opportunity. "You can throw anything up on a wall and make it stick for a while." True that it seems. While watching the Front line video "Growing Up Online," trying to find some synthesis between the opposing views of parents and children about their relationship with Social Media, I found myself jotting that statement in the margin of my notes. Playing with it, dividing it apart into it's components. Perhaps it is the ability to play around with perception itself and especially our own perceived value that is the real value in living the internet life.

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One of my favorite links ... please view.... think of the world our children are growing up in....

About 10 years ago cosmologists made a discovery that shook up the science world. They found what was called "Dark Energy" in our universe. The TV news announced a blurb about it...I recall... and then our lives moved on .... http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/space-study-sheds-light-on-dark-energy.html

Ten years later and it is now 2009....In the February 2009 Astronomy Magazine another article about dark energy and our universe caught my attention. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=i&id=465

At first I wondered....What did Albert Einstein know about this? So with my trusty computer and Google I began my search for more information....and I found the website that answered my question....
http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/dark_energy/de-did_einstein_predict.php ...Once Einstein knew the universe was expanding, he discarded the cosmological constant as an unnecessary fudge factor. He later called it the "biggest blunder of his life," according to his fellow physicist George Gamow. Today astronomers refer to one theory of dark energy as Einstein's cosmological

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