New Year, New Learning!

Interested in learning something new or going deeper into a content area? Consider the following resources as your learning platform:

Khan Academy http://www.khanacademy.org/ Online learning that allows self-paced learning in multiple subjects with lessons, practice, and acceleration.

MIT Open CourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm MIT Open CourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.

Academic Earth http://academicearth.org/ A comprehensive collection of free online courses from the world's top universities. Take learning outside the classroom with thought-provoking videos.

Coursera https://www.coursera.org/ Take free online classes from 80+ top universities and organizations. Coursera is a social entrepreneurship company partnering with Stanford University, Yale University, Princeton University and others around the world to offer free courses online for anyone everywhere.

iTunes University https://www.apple.com/apps/itunes-u/ The world’s largest online catalog of education content from leading institutions. More than 500,000 free lectures, videos, books, and other resources on thousands of subjects.

ALCUMUS http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Alcumus/Introduction.php Alcumus offers students a customized learning experience, adjusting to student performance to deliver appropriate problems and lessons. Alcumus is specifically designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities.

C-SPAN's StudentCam Contest - Deadline January 20, 2019

What is C-Span's Student Cam?

StudentCam is C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. 

This year students in grades 6-12 are asked to create a short (5-6 minute) video documentary on a topic related to the new 2019 competition theme, "What does it mean to be American? Choose a constitutional right, national characteristic, or historic event and explain how it defines the American experience."

With cash prizes totaling $100,000, C-SPAN awards prizes to 150 student documentaries, and over 50 teacher advisors. 

For more information about this contest, please click HERE!

Mental Fitness for Life

Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness, and shouldn’t be ignored. Mental fitness is important to maintaining good brain health and as well as body health, especially as you age. There are many types of mental dexterity exercises, and the best part is you don’t need to go to the gym to do them. They include active ones, such as learning a new song or playing a game, or restful ones, such as relaxation and visualization exercises.

Mental fitness means keeping your brain and emotional health in good shape. It refers to a series of exercises that help you slow down, think clearly, decompress or perhaps boost a foggy memory. Thanks to decades of research, you can learn how to get your mind active and improve upon your mental fitness through practice. There are various strategies that can be used to protect and improve memory. Here are some suggested ways to obtain mental fitness:

• Hold discussions with friends and family about a wide range of topics. This gives your brain an opportunity to explore, examine, and inquire.
• Challenge your intellect and memory. Stretch yourself mentally by learning a new language, doing the cryptic crossword, or by playing chess. This is important for brain health and good for your social life as well.
• Read often and read widely. Keeping an active interest in the world around you will help to exercise your brain and improve your mental fitness.
• Take up a new hobby. Learning something new gives the ‘grey matter’ in the brain a workout and builds neural pathways in the brain.
• Take up a manual activity or craft. Hobbies such as woodworking and sewing or skipping rope require you to move both sides of the body at the same time, in precise movements. This can help to improve your spatial awareness and increase your reaction time.
• Exercise your brain with others. Watch, question and answer game shows and enjoy the competitive spirit. Involve the entire family in regular games to test their general knowledge.

Many think that multitasking enables them to get more things done at once, but it actually creates more problems than it solves. Studies show that focusing on one task at a time improves your concentration and helps you to be more productive.

New experiences can also set you on the path to mental fitness. You can fit new approaches into your daily life in a variety of ways such as trying new foods as you explore new cultures, invent new ways to accomplish routine tasks, travel new places virtually or physically, or try a new route to the grocery store or your work.

Games that test reasoning and other portions of your brain are fun ways to keep your mind sharp. Try crossword puzzles, board games, Sudoku, or online daily mental quizzes to increase your brain strength. 

Schedule a mental fitness break into your calendar right next to your workout schedule. Including mental dexterity exercises into your daily routine can help you reap the benefits of a sharper mind and a healthier body for years to come. Your mind and your health are worth it!

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/mental-fitness#overview1

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/tentips/10%20tips%20to%20improve%20your%20mental%20fitness

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/6-simple-steps-to-keep-your-mind-sharp-at-any-age

Learn Phrases in a New Language with World Nomads!

Have you ever been stuck in a country wanting to be polite, but not even knowing the word for 'please'? Or been frustrated when you couldn't ask for the most basic directions to where you're going?

The WorldNomads.com German Language Guide gives you enough phrases to keep you travelling safely and get more from your holiday.

There are many other languages available! Click HERE for more information!

Overcoming Test Anxiety

OVERCOMING TEST ANXIETY 

Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam; however, when anxiety affects exam performance it has become a problem.

Test preparation to reduce anxiety:

• Approach the exam with confidence: Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: visualization, logic, talking to yourself, practice, team work, journaling, etc. View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive a reward for the studying you've done.

• Be prepared! Learn your material thoroughly and organize what materials you will need for the test. Use a checklist.

• Choose a comfortable location for taking the test with good lighting and minimal distractions. • Allow yourself plenty of time, especially to do things you need to do before the test and still get there a little early.

• Avoid thinking you need to cram just before.

• Strive for a relaxed state of concentration.

• Avoid speaking with any fellow students who have not prepared, who express negativity, who will distract your preparation.

• A program of exercise is said to sharpen the mind.

• Get a good night's sleep the night before the exam.

• Don't go to the exam with an empty stomach. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress. Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, chips and similar snack foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices.

• Take a small snack, or some other nourishment to help take your mind off of your anxiety. Avoid high sugar content (candy) which may aggravate your condition. During the test:

• Read the directions carefully.

• Budget your test taking time.

• Change positions to help you relax.

• If you go blank, skip the question and go on.

• If you're taking an essay test and you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may trigger the answer in your mind.

• Don't panic when students start handing in their papers. There's no reward for being the first done.
Excerpted from Overcoming test anxiety. Study Guides and Strategies.

Retrieved 06/12/2009 from http://www.studygs.net/tstprp8.htm Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt, and distribute individual in print format in noncommercial educational settings that benefit learners.

Austin ISD Middle School Fair December 1, 2018 at Fulmore Middle School

Families of current and future middle school students are invited to Austin ISD's 2018 Middle School Fair.

Students and their families can learn about the diverse and innovative programming offered in Austin ISD, enjoy student performances, and hear from current students, families and faculty from our 19 middle schools about the amazing programs and classes open to our middle school students.

This year's fair is 9 a.m.–noon Dec. 1 at Fulmore Middle School, 201 E. Mary St. 

Reagan and Crockett Early College High Schools will be running a shuttle to and from Fulmore Middle School starting at 8 a.m., with final pickup to return to the high schools at noon.

For more information, please contact Ollie White in the Middle School Office at 512-414-4481.

Brain Health Series: Your Brain, Sleep, and Relaxation

Did you know that not getting enough sleep is not healthy for your brain? New research shows that sleeping less than seven or eight hours a night has been linked to cognitive decline, memory loss, and possibly even Alzheimer's disease.

A sleep deficit can have dangerous implications for your brain, and not just because it makes you sleepy during the day. Parts of your brain are several times more active at night than during the daytime. One of them is a newly discovered drainage system called the glymphatic system. This is a bit like your city's sewage and recycling system. Its job is to clear out and recycle all toxins in the brain. One protein actively recycled during sleep is amyloid plaque. This plaque is the hallmark of Alzheimer's. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by many factors, but one of these may also be sleep deprivation.

A University of Pennsylvania study found that extended wakefulness can injure neurons essential for alertness and cognition, and that the damage to these neurons might be permanent. Other studies have led scientists to conclude that chemicals secreted during the deeper stages of sleep are crucial for repairing the body, including the brain.

One of the chemicals involved in creating memories, acetylcholine, is also developed during sleep and dreaming. Brain cells that produce acetylcholine are destroyed in people who are developing Alzheimer’s disease. So, these people do not dream as much.

Relaxation and meditation or mindfulness has been found to be very beneficial to brain and body health.  Deep relaxation and meditation, when practiced regularly not only relieve stress and anxiety but have been found to improve mood. Deep relaxation has many other potential benefits as well—it can decrease blood pressure, relieve pain, and improve your immune and cardiovascular systems

The brain requires substantial downtime to remain industrious and generate its most innovative ideas. According to Tim Kreider, of the New York Times, "Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets,"

Let’s get a good nights sleep, remember to relax, and meditate. do it all for the health of our brains and become better thinkers in the process!

Sources:

https://healthybrains.org/pillar-sleep/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mental-downtime

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/rest-relaxation-and-exercise

Daily Practice for the SAT

For more information, please click here.

East Austin Studio Tour - 11/10-11/2018 and 11/17-19/2018

Design Theme

Our design theme for 2018 uses trees as a way of emphasizing the importance of regionality and peace in response to our current tumultuous cultural climate. Ten EAST artists each illustrated a seasonal, native tree.

Artists include Karen Alexander, Federico Archuleta, Elizabeth Chiles, Ryan Davis, Gabe Langholtz, MakeATX, Ryan Sandison Montgomery, Ryan Runcie,Rachel Wolfson Smith, and Amanda Walker.

Dates & Times

Free and open on November 10–11 & 17–18, 2018 from 11am–6pm.

Boundaries

East of I-35
West of HHW 183
South of HWY 183
North of Riverside

Who We Are

EAST is a program of Big Medium, a nonprofit organization dedicated to championing and cultivating artists and the contemporary arts in Austin and across Texas. Through our programs and partnerships, we are working to foster the arts and facilitate an inclusive cultural dialogue between artists and their communities.

What We Do

Big Medium produces the East Austin Studio Tour, the West Austin Studio Tour, the Texas Biennial, and presents innovative exhibitions throughout the year in the Big Medium Gallery. We also provide studio space to artists at Canopy, and umbrella several artists and creative organizations through our Sponsored Projects program.

2018 Participants

The 2018 tour includes 555 participants, with 202 Artists in a Studio, 73 Guest Artists in a Studio, 47 Artists in a Gallery, 73 Group Exhibitions, 123 Artists in Temporary Spaces, 28 Happenings and 9 Libraries.

For more information, please click HERE. 

NSCDA Washington Week Workshop Scholarship

The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America is pleased to offer this

amazing opportunity to high school students!

∗2019 Essay Topic and Title∗

“What do you think the authors of the Bill of Rights intended the Second Amendment to mean? 

Do you think it is being interpreted correctly today?” 

Rules, Information and Judging Criteria for Essay Contest

Essay Poster

History of the Congressional Essay Contest

How to Apply

Review Essay Rules and Information to make sure your submission complies with all rules.

Download and complete the Application and email or mail by USPS with your essay to the local/state NSCDA Congressional Essay representative or Patriotic Service Chair as directed. Please download the Application Unsure about who this person is? Please email  Dames@nscda.org for the correct name and contact information. Please include your name, State and county/parish of your school and contact information.

Email Dames@nscda.org if you have any questions.

*Please Note: Grandchildren and children of Dames are not eligible for the contest but can still participate. Please contact Libby Siskron at lsiskron@mindspring.com for more information.

ESSAY RULES & INFORMATION

The essay topic for 2019 is:

“What do you think the authors of the Bill of Rights intended the Second Amendment to mean? 

Do you think it is being interpreted correctly today?"

• Deadline December 1, 2018, postmark or by time/dated email.
• We welcome essays from 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students
• If students are participating as part of a class or school project, please note that all students must submit an individual application form and essay.
• Students may enter online or send hard copies via USPS mail. Complete the online Application. Save (see below) or download/print the form. If completing form by hand, take care to make all information readable.
• Essays (750 words or less, excluding topic/title and sources) must be typed, double-spaced and
printed on one side of paper only. A cover page is strongly encouraged. The student’s name
and State should be on each page of the essay.
• The title of the essay must be the same as the essay topic. The topic must not be altered in any
way.
• SAVE all essays as .PDF or Word .DOC; NAME your files: State + student’s Last Name+
Essay or Application. As an example: if applying from Maryland the file would be: "MDSmithEssay.doc or MDSmithApp.pdf"
• Email or USPS mail essays with application to the local/State NSCDA Congressional Essay
Chair or Patriotic Service Chair as directed or send to: Dames@NSCDA.org.
• If you do not have a Colonial Dame contact in your State please contact Dames@NSCDA.org to obtain the address for submission. Reference Essay Contest as subject of the email and give your name, city and state.
• Students submitting by paper should send their application form plus 3 copies of their
essay.
• If more than five students are entering the contest online from one school, please also USPS mail a copy of each essay to your Colonial Dame contact.

Microsoft Domain Hosts YouthSpark Technology Events

Events for Students - sign up for free youth workshops, camps, events, and field trips 

involving the latest technology! Click HERE!

Vision & Voice Contest 2018-2019 Now Open

Welcome to a new year of Vision+Voice!

The 2018-19 competition is just starting, so get those creative juices flowing and make a poem!

You may have noticed that we’ve moved. Our new home is

http://k12.visionandvoice.org

Why did we move, you ask? Well, we’re growing, both in the number of schools that are included in the Vision+Voice family, but also in the types of projects we’re creating. We’ll let you know more about some of our new ideas as they develop.

Meanwhile, this is the home of our famous K through 12 poetry competition. Selected poems from each grade level will be paired with art by ACC art students to create posters and an anthology. And as in years past, KLRU will be videotaping our poets, and we’ll be celebrating our young authors at the spring reception. (Date is coming soon!)

So, sit back, relax, create, submit*, and read some poems! (Don’t forget to rate your favorites, too!)

Deadline for submissions is December 31, 2018; winners announced February 15, 2019

* Poems of all languages accepted

How Can a Study Group Benefit You?

STUDY GROUPS 

A study group can be helpful when you are trying to learn information and concepts and preparing for class discussions and tests. 

Benefits of a Study Group 

A study group can be beneficial in many ways. Here are the most important benefits:

1. A support group can "pick you up" when you find that your motivation to study is slipping. The other group members can be a source of encouragement.

2. You may be reluctant to ask a question in class. You will find it easier to do so in a small study group.

3. You may become more committed to study because the group members are depending on your presentation and participation. You will not want to let them down.

4. Group members will listen and discuss information and concepts during the study sessions. These activities add a strong auditory dimension to your learning experience.

5. One or more group members are likely to understand something you do not. They may bring up ideas you never considered.

6. You can learn valuable new study habits from the other group members.

7. You can compare your class notes with those of the other group members to clarify your notes and fill in any gaps.

8. Teaching/explaining information and concepts to the other group members will help you reinforce your mastery of the information and concepts.

9. Let's face it - studying can sometimes be boring. Interacting with the other group members can make studying enjoyable.

Getting a Study Group Started 

Study groups don't just happen. Here is what you should do to get a study group started:

1. Get to know your classmates by talking with them before class, during breaks, and after class. When selecting a classmate to join your study group, you should be able to answer YES for each of the following questions:

o Is this classmate motivated to do well?

o Does this classmate understand the subject matter?

o Is this classmate dependable?

o Would this classmate be tolerant of the ideas of others?

o Would you like to work with this classmate?

2. Invite enough of these classmates to work with you in a study group until you have formed a group of three to five. A larger group may allow some members to avoid responsibility, may lead to cliques, and may make group management more of an issue than learning.

3. Decide how often and for how long you will meet. Meeting two or three times a week is probably best. If you plan a long study session, make sure you include time for breaks. A study session of about 60 to 90 minutes is usually best.

4. Decide where you will meet. Select a meeting place that is available and is free from distractions. An empty classroom or a group study room in the library are possibilities. AP DIGEST An Advanced Placement Program Student Resource Advanced Academic Services Austin Independent School District

5. Decide on the goals of the study group. Goals can include comparing and updating notes, discussing readings, and preparing for exams.

6. Decide who the leader will be for the first study session. Also decide whether it will be the same person each session or whether there will be a rotating leader. The leader of a study session should be responsible for meeting the goals of that study session.

7. Clearly decide the agenda for the first study session and the responsibilities of each group member for that session.

8. Develop a list of all group members that includes their names, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Make sure each group member has this list and update the list as needed.

Characteristics of a Successful Study Group 

Once started, a study group should possess the following characteristics to be successful:

1. Each group member contributes to discussions.

2. Group members actively listen to each other without interrupting. Only one group member speaks at a time.

3. The other group members work collaboratively to resolve any concern raised by a group member.

4. Group members are prompt and come prepared to work.

5. The group stays on task with respect to its agenda.

6. Group members show respect for each other.

7. Group members feel free to criticize each other but keep their criticisms constructive. This can encourage group members to reveal their weaknesses so that they can strengthen them.

8. Group members feel free to ask questions of each other.

9. At the end of each study session, an agenda including specific group member responsibilities is prepared for the next session.

10. Above all, the positive attitude that "we can do this together" is maintained.

Possible Pitfalls of a Study Group 

A study group can be a very positive learning experience. However, there are pitfalls to be avoided. Here are some cautions:

1. Do not let the study group get distracted from its agenda and goals.

2. Do not let the study group become a social group. You can always socialize at other times.

3. Do not allow group members to attend unprepared. To stay in the group, members should be required to do their fair share.

4. Do not let the session become a negative forum for complaining about teachers and courses.

5. Do not allow one or two group members to dominate the group. It is important that all members have an equal opportunity to participate. The information you just read will help you decide when a study group is appropriate for you and will help ensure its success.

How-to-Study.com (2009). Study groups. Mangrum-Strichart Learning Resources. Retrieved online 6/12/2009 from http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/studying/38/study-groups/ For educational purposes only. Not for commercial distribution.

Brain Health Series: Your Brain on Food

Are you eating the right foods to feed your brain? Brain health is very dependent on a healthy diet. This is true for growing kids and aging adults as well. The brain represents about 2% of an adult’s weight, but it uses 20% of the energy produced by the body. If the energy supply is not adequate to fuel this energy, people may experience a variety of symptoms, including memory or concentration loss, and fatigue.

An appropriate diet is especially important for the brain health of adolescents. During teenage years, the body and the brain undergo many physical changes. What kind of food a teen eats, how much they eat, and when they eat can affect a teen’ attention span, the ability to focus, and memory capabilities. This translates into how well a student learns and performs in school.

Doctors are finding that what's good for the heart may also be good for the brain. Protecting the blood vessels by following a heart-healthy diet also protects the brain. Many of the same cardiovascular risk factors have been shown to be risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Eating a heart-healthy diet that is low in saturated fat not only reduces the risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, but also can also protect your brain cells and prevent memory loss. Eating high-quality foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress.

What types of foods feed our brain the best? Below is a suggested list of brain healthy foods:

• Extra virgin olive oil: This is a healthy source of fat in the diet and can help reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Some studies have linked olive oil with a lower risk of ischemic stroke, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease.

• Oily fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel: This is an excellent source of omega-3, which your brain needs to stay healthy.

• Berries and other deep-colored fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, spinach, beetroot, and beans: These foods are high in antioxidants, which help guard against disease by protecting cells in the body and brain from damage.

• Foods containing ‘good fats’: Foods containing polyunsaturated fatty acids like nuts, seeds, fish, leafy green vegetables, and monounsaturated fatty acids found in avocados and nuts may reduce your risk of both depression and dementia.

• Dark chocolate: It contains high levels of antioxidants, although it is also high in sugar and fat. One small piece of dark chocolate per day is enough to get the antioxidant benefit. Green tea is another source of antioxidants.

By the same token, there are foods we should avoid for good brain health. Salty foods, sugary foods and drinks, processed foods, and foods containing trans fats are all bad for our body and our brain health. Let’s all eat a more healthy diet, it’s more than food for thought!

Sources:

www.brainandspine.org.uk/brain-food-nutrition-tips-healthy-brain

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626

https://healthybrains.org/pillar-nutrition/

Register and Get Ready to Vote

You must be registered to vote 30 days prior to election day in order to participate.

Specific information available at https://tax-office.traviscountytx.gov/voters/about-us 

Look up your registration, print a sample ballot, find a polling place, and view wait times at www.VoteTravis.com!

Eligibility

You are eligible to register to vote if:

• You are a United States citizen;
• You are a resident of Travis County;
• You are at least 17 years and 10 months old;
• You are not a convicted felon, or, if convicted you have been pardoned or fully discharged your sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, or probation; and
• You have not been declared by a court to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

How to Register to Vote

Find a Postcard Application

• View an interactive map or download a list of Voter Registration Partners.
• Visit any Travis County Tax Office.
• Request an application from the Texas Secretary of State.
• Visit any Austin Public Library, U.S. Post Office, Department of Public Safety, Department of Human Services or Department of Health located in Travis County.

When does my voter registration become effective?

It becomes effective in the precinct of your address 30 days after receipt of your application. A voter registration certificate will be mailed within 30 days.

Texas Teen Book Festival

Attend the 2018 Festival!

What is it?

The Texas Teen Book Festival is FREE and open to the public. No, you don’t have to be a teen to attend. We welcome all ages. The Festival will feature nationally and critically recognized authors, writing workshops, and workshops for educators.

Book sales at the Festival support the one-day event. Thank you for your support!

When?

October 6, 2018

St. Edward’s University

3001 S Congress Ave.

Austin, TX 78704

Book Sales & Signings

Check out the full list of books being sold at #TTBF.

You may bring 3 personal books from home to be signed for every 1 book purchased at the festival. Cash, checks (made out to BookPeople), and credit cards will be accepted. Books sales are managed by our partner and proud sponsor BookPeople. All book sales will be in the Alumni Gym and will begin at 8:00am and continue all day.

You can have your books signed by authors during the author signing times taking place in the Signing Tent and Alumni Gym. Stay tuned for author signing times.

Map

Check out our interactive Google Map for Attendees here.

Event Poster

Coming early fall 2018, but take a look at how awesome the 2017 version was!

Authors & Schedule

Keynotes: Nic Stone, Neal Shusterman, and Jarrod Shusterman

Special Guests: Mary E. Pearson

Additional lineup coming summer 2018!

Google Science Fair Competition Open - Deadline 12/12/18

For competition information, click HERE. 

Austin Museum Day - 9/23/2018

Austin Museum Day is Sunday, 9/23/2018.
Enjoy free access to exhibits and activities at Austin-area museums!
http://www.austinmuseums.org/museumday/

Join Girls Empowerment Network at We Are Girls! Austin on 11/3/2018

Join Girls Empowerment Network at We Are Girls Austin

Saturday, 11/03/2018 at Anderson High School!

Register Here

The We Are Girls Conferences, produced by Girls Empowerment Network (GEN) are held in Austin, Houston, and Dallas, Texas annually and are designed especially for thousands of 3rd – 8th grade girls and the adults who care about them. With dynamic break-out sessions and an empowering dance party, girls get to be totally in charge of their day. They walk away inspired by what’s possible and with a new belief in their personal power. The 2018-2019 theme is “Ignite Her Power.” Leadership positions are available for high school girls. Tickets cost $30 per person and 50% of attendees receive scholarships to attend at no cost. 

Contact them for more information here. 

or

Phone:  512.808.4044
Fax:  512.916.9885
Email: office@girlsempowermentnetwork.org