Hugo Award 2009

The Hugo Awards, given annually since 1955, are science fiction’s most prestigious award. The Hugos are voted on by the thousands of members of the current Worldcon which is also responsible for administering them. The Best novel award this year went to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman--available in the Goodwin Library.
Source: Hugo Awards

Kilogram's Future Hangs in the Balance

"Since 1889, the year the Eiffel Tower opened, the cylinder against which every other kilogram on the planet has been judged rests inside three nested bell jars at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures in Paris. But, according to scientists, the cylinder's mass appears to be changing.

The solution is a new kilogram, one that is based on a constant number instead of a physical object. To get that number, scientists have had to build a special kind of scale, one that measures the kilogram without balancing it against another mass. It has been a long, slow process, but today they are close to redefining the kilogram once and for all."

This fascinating story was on National Public Radio this morning. Audio for this story from Morning Edition will be available after 9 a.m.

source: National Public Radio Morning Edition

Wetlands Mapping Standard

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the adoption of a Wetlands Mapping Standard that provides minimum requirements and guidelines for wetlands mapping efforts. The new standard is designed to guide current and future wetlands digital mapping projects and enhance the overall quality and consistency of wetlands data. Quality data on wetlands are considered critical for planning effective conservation strategies to benefit fish and wildlife resources now and in the future.
Wetlands Mapping Standard
Source U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

New Book: Evolution of Obesity

The Evolution of Obesity by Michael L. Power and Jay Schulkin
RC628.P65 2009

A compelling and comprehensive examination of the causes and consequences of the obesity epidemic, this book offers fascinating insights into the qu3estion, Why are we getting fatter? The authors say that they "spend a good proportion of the book examining the biology of fat. After all, the obesity epidemic is not about excess weight, it is about excess fat. Our understanding of the roles fat plays on our bodies and the metabolic consequences of too much fat have changed substantially. this is an exciting are of biological research."

New Book for Psychology Instructors

Teaching Critical Thinking in Psychology: A Handbook of Best Practices edited by Dunn, Halonen, and Smith
BF441.T35 2008

The authors have provided "a comprehensive resource that includes empirical support and practical applications for teachng in ways that will help students to think critically. This book is destined to become the seminal resource for teaching critical thinking in psychology and related disciplines." (Maureen McCarthy, President of the Society for Teaching Psychology-2008)

New Book: Recommended by Lori Blake

Scoring Rubrics in the Classrooom by Arter & McTighe (3 copies)
LC1034.A78 2001
The authors wrote this book to help teachers achieve three goals:
1. clarify the targets of instruction, especially for hard-to-define problem solving.
2. provide valid and reliable assessment of student learning
3. improve student motivation and achievement by helping students understand the nature of quality for performances and producs.
Teachers and administrators will find this an essential resource in increasing teacher effectiveness and student performance.

Copying that Requires Permission

As instructors are preparing for fall classes, here are a few copyright tips to keep in mind. Copyright guidelines prohibit the following without permission:
1. Course Packs—Primary Course Materials
Copying shall not be used to create, replace, or substitute for, anthologies, compilations, or collective works. Such substitution copying is prohibited unless permission is obtained whether copies or various excerpts are accumulated as course packs or reproduced and handed out separately. Copying shall not be a substitute for the purchase of books or periodicals.
2. Consumable Works
There shall be no copying of or from works intended to be “consumable” in the course of studying or teaching. These include workbooks, exercises, standardized tests,test booklets and answer sheets, and similar consumable material.
3. Repetitive Copying
Copying of the same material by the same teacher from term to term is not legal without explicit permission.

Connecticut River Collection

Thanks to President Mark Scheinberg, the Goodwin Library has two more additions to our Connecticut River collection--Connecticut River and the Valley of the Connecticut by Edwin M. Bacon and Thar She Goes: Shipbuilding on the Connecticut River by Ellsworth S. Grant. We eagerly accept donations of books about the Connecticut River and the Connecticut River valley.

Leadership for the Common Good

Joy Butler, at the College Leadership Council yesterday, quoted from Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World by Crosby and Bryson. When it was first published in 1992, this book presented a revolutionary approach to community and organizational leadership. Now, in the completely revised and updated edition in the Goodwin Library, the authors have expanded on their leadership model and offer new insights and guidance to leaders. It is highly recommended for all members of the College Leadership Council.

Leadership for the Common Good:Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World by Barbara Crosby and John Bryson
JF1525.L4 B79 2005

Eat Healthy; Save the Planet

A study in the April 15 edition of Environmental Science & Technology by the prolific Carnegie Mellon University researcher Christopher Weber found that food transport accounts for only 11 percent of food-associated greenhouse gas emissions, while production contributes a whopping 83 percent.

Weber conducted a life-cycle assessment of greenhouse gases emitted during all stages of growing and transporting food consumed in the U.S. and calculated that the average U.S. household generates 8.1 metric tons of greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) annually as a result of food consumption. By comparison, driving a car that gets 25 miles per gallon of gasoline for 12,000 miles per year (the U.S. average) produces about 4.4 tons of CO2.

Even more surprising, the study noted that U.S. consumers can do more to reduce greenhouse gases by eating one-seventh of a week’s calories from chicken, fish or vegetables instead of red meat or dairy than buying all local foods.

Source: by Robyn, selected from TreeHugger Aug 17, 2009

Essay Writing Woes

More than 80% of eighth- and 12th-graders are familiar with the basics of writing, but relatively few of these students are capable of writing proficiently, according to National Assessment of Educational Progress results. Just one in three eighth-graders and one in four high-school seniors were found capable of using proper spelling, grammar and higher-level writing skills needed to craft a clear and well-organized essay. Are you surprised?

Sources: Google, New York Times, Education Weekl Google

Resume Tips

4 Tips for a Résumé that
Survives Scrutiny

With more jobs being lost than created these days, a résumé really needs to stand out. Use these four tips to boost your résumé's chance of survival:

1.Insert dates for everything. Don't try to cover up your age or a gap in experience by omitting dates. Use your cover letter to explain any peculiarities.
2.Use buzzwords. Many HR folks look for certain buzzwords from the job description. Don't expect your generic résumé to make it through; customize it for each potential job.
3.Be specific. "Assisted" or "worked on" is much fuzzier than "designed," "wrote," or "led." When choosing verbs, use ones that mean something.
4.No typos. This goes without saying, but too many résumés are full of them nonetheless. Proofread, proofread again, and then ask someone else to proofread once more.

Source: Harvard Business Review August 18 2009

Ready to Feel Old?

Beloit College attempts to help academics each summer with its "Mindset List," which is updated annually to reflect what the latest class of freshmen will have experienced -- and what they may have no personal knowledge of. The link to this year's list follows, as prepared by Tom McBride, professor of humanities at the college, and Ron Nief, emeritus public affairs director. The list is based on the assumption that most students entering college for the first time this year were born in 1991, meaning -- the list reminds us -- that for these students, Martha Graham, Pan American Airways, Michael Landon, Dr. Seuss,and Miles Davis have always been dead.

Here is the Mindset List.

Source: Inside Higher Education August 18 2009

Congratulations, President Scheinberg

President Mark Scheinberg is recognized by Hartford Magazine's editorial board as one of Greater Hartford's 50 Most Influential People of 2009 "who have shaped the area's look, feel, culture, and vibrancy in a positive way." The article commends President Scheinberg for transforming "Goodwin College from a privately owned career school into a force for educational innovation in just 10 years."

The current issue of Hartford Magazine is available in the Goodwin Library. Congratulations, President Scheinberg!

Source: Hartford Magazine August 2009

Vision of Students Today

"This short video, created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University summarizes some of the most important characteristics of today's students--including how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, dreams, and hopes, and the changes they will experience in their lifetime. The video also indicates that there is a need for educators to design courses that involve students in more active learning and to provide collaborative learning experiences that encourage communication among students as part of the learning process."

Source: YouTube Visions of Students Today and "Talkin 'bout My Generation" in C%RL News July/August 2009

Genders, Majors and Money

"These are great days for female undergraduates, who with their greater numbers are excelling in higher education, leaving their male counterparts in the dust. That's the increasingly common view, at least, leading to calls in some quarters to focus more on male students.

But what if the enrollment totals are obscuring a major equity issue that may not favor women at all? That was the idea behind research presented here Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. The research links women's and men's college majors with earning gaps by gender, after graduation. And even as the earning gaps nationally have declined, the study says, the share of the gap attributable to college major has grown." Read the article in Higher Education Today.

Child's Play: How They do Math

Would we need elaborate, expensive, high-tech methods to improve preschoolers understanding of number? Robert Siegler, in his article "Improving the Numerical Understanding of Children from Low-Income Families" (Child Development Perspectives, 2009, Vol. 3(2), pp. 118-124), reports on the effectiveness of a cheap, old-fashioned method which is fun for everybody: the board game. Siegel reported that an hour of playing a simple board game produced gains in 4- and 5-year-olds' abilities to compare the size of numbers, to estimate where on a number line a point should be placed, to count, and to identify numerals. Siegler suggests that all of these benefits could come from a board game like Candyland or Chutes and Ladders.

The library will soon have Candyland and Chutes and Ladders available for checkout to the Goodwin College community. The Library Advocacy Committee is sponsoring this opportunity for you to borrow Candyland or Chutes and Ladders as well as other games and toys from the Goodwin Library. If you happen to have games, books, or toys to donate, they would be greatly appeciated. Watch this blog for the starting date.

Source: The first paragraph in Child Myths: Straight Talk About Child
Development by Jean Mercer, Ph.D. July 29, 2009

CQ Researcher: Afghanistan Dilemma

Nearly eight years ago, U.S. forces first entered Afghanistan to pursue the al Qaeda terrorists who plotted the Sept. 11 terror attacks. American troops are still there today, along with thousands of NATO forces. Under a new strategy crafted by the Obama administration, military leaders are trying to deny terrorists a permanent foothold in the impoverished Central Asian country and in neighboring, nuclear-armed Pakistan, whose western border region has become a sanctuary for Taliban and al Qaeda forces. The Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict — “Af-Pak” in diplomatic parlance — poses huge challenges ranging from rampant corruption within Afghanistan's police forces to a multibillion-dollar opium economy that funds the insurgency. But those problems pale in comparison with the ultimate nightmare scenario: Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists, which foreign-policy experts say has become a real possibility.

Source: CQ Researcher Online

New Title on Credo Reference Database

Key Concepts in Early Childhood Education and Care
Cathy Nutbrown, a leading academic in early childhood education, identifies and explains key terms and practices central to the work and study of early childhood in this accessible reference text.
A must for practitioners working with children from birth to the end of the foundation stage, and for students following courses in early childhood education and care, it details key issues, identified in a survey of over 300 practitioners in the field, and provides reading and reference sources to assist practitioners and students in identifying further material to support their work.
The book includes:
• Origins and definitions
• Research issues
• Examples from practice
• References and indicative further reading
• Links
• Key words
Highly readable, with clear cross referencing, this is an ideal book to turn to as a starting point for learning more about national and international issues in early childhood education and care.

Best Free References: BBC Country Profiles

BBC Country Profiles

This site supplies information on the history, economy, and politics of countries and territories. Each profile includes an overview, map, facts, and current leaders. A media overview provides information on the press, television, radio, news agencies, and number of Internet users. Links provided on the side of the profile connect to the latest news and key stories, BBC links, background articles, related Internet sites and video and audio clips from the BBC archives. Additional features include timelines, recent news links, background articles, Internet sites, and BBC archive video and audio clips. Information on over 20 key international organizations is also included.

Source: Association of College and Research Libraries MARS division

Using the Federal Register

The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. OpenRegs.com from George Mason University is an alternative to the government site. That site can be confusing and difficult to use for average citizens and experts alike. The goal of OpenRegs.com is to make the proposed and final regulations published in the Federal Register easier to find and discuss, so that we can become better informed and more involved in the regulatory process.

The most recent issue of the Federal Register published 25 final regulations, for a total of 1974 this year. It also published 15 proposed regulations, and the issuing agencies are seeking comments from the public on each one. On OpenRegs.com you can find these regulations, read about them, discuss them, and submit your comments to the agencies. Thank you, George Mason University!

(Please note, though, that using OpenRegs.com is not a substitute for visiting Regulations.gov. That site is ultimately the official site.)

Book Alert

The Beautiful Tree : A Personal Journey into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves by James Tooley."Tooley documents his surprising finding that private schools are providing quality education to millions of poor children in the developing world. Whereas development experts insist that the path out of poverty lies in investment in public schools, the author draws on his fieldwork in India, China and Africa to argue that small entrepreneurs are educating the poor. Contrary to accepted wisdom, the modest fees of private schools are within reach of most, and parents find them superior to public schools that are often riddled with corruption and incompetence. Tooley argues that development funds be invested to support these institutions, through vouchers to parents and microfinance loans to the schools. The author's engaging style transforms what could have been a dry if startling research report into a moving account of how poor parents struggle against great odds to provide a rich educational experience to their children." This book is in the Goodwin Library.
Source: Review from Publishers Weekly

Evolution of Evolution

Almost 150 years after the publication of Darwin's On the origin of Species, scientific understanding of evolution continues to take some remarkable twists and turns. A new National Science Foundation interactive Web site and report includes essays, interviews, and extensive timelines chronicling challenges and triumphs of the evolution of evolution. The site includes a bibliography and links to additional Web resources on anthropology, astronomy, biology, geoscience, and polar sciences.
Source: Association of College and Research Library News July/August 2009

Science Times

Every Tuesday the New York Times includes a Science Times Section, a favorite of some of the Goodwin faculty. Today's section includes:
1)Scientists have discovered that the spleen, long consigned to the B-list of abdominal organs and known as much for its metaphoric as its physiological value, plays a more important role in the body's defense system than anyone suspected.(Page 1)

2) Does a nation's mood lurk in its songs and blogs? A pair of statisticans at the University of Vermont argue that linguistic analysis--not just of song lyrics but of blogs and speeches--could add a new and valuable dimension to the growing area of mass psychology: the determination of national well-being. Do I see a research paper topic here? (page 5)

3) Three new movies revolve around Asperger's syndrome: "Adam", a romance; "Mary and Max", animated feature; an HBO film about Temple Grandin,well-known university professor with high functioning autism, premiering next year. (also page 5)

Source: New York Times August 4

Wall Street Journal Today

In the Wall Street Journal Personal Journal section today you will find:

1) how researchers are using zebrafish in efforts to find ways to regenerate hearing-essential cells,
2) how patients are given tools to handle an overwhelming array of treatment decisions,
3) how a new earplug draws water out of the ear after swimming preventing swimmer's ear.

Tuesday is a good day to read the Wall Street Journal in the library.

Source: Wall Street journal August 4