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“The Biggest Loser Couples” season 9 started with the couples weighing in, but instead of weighing in on the ranch, in front of their competitors, contestants revealed their weights in front of family, friends and neighbors.

• Daris: 346 pounds
• Cheryl: 227 pounds
• Patti: 243 pounds
• Stephanie: 264 pounds
• John: 484 pounds
• James: 485 pounds
• Ashley: 374 pounds
• Sherry: 218 pounds
• Andrea: 298 pounds
• Darrell: 413 pounds
• Victoria: 358 pounds
• Cherita: 277 pounds
• Miggy: 240 pounds
• Migdalia: 265 pounds
• Melissa: 233 pounds
• Lance: 365 pounds
• Koli: 403 pounds
• Sam: 372 pounds
• Sunshine: 275 pounds
• O’Neal: 389 pounds
• Maria: 281 pounds
• Michael (Mike): 526 pounds

After couples weighed in, they headed to the ranch where Alison greeted them. Everyone was raring to go, so Alison led them to the gym.

Earning the right to compete

Once inside, they were surprised to discover an empty gym. Then the curtains opened to reveal 22 bicycles! Alison told each contestant they had to ride 22.6 miles for their first challenge. It was no surprise that the first challenge would be tough for the couples, but the thing that hit them the hardest was when Alison announced that only nine couples would earn a spot in the house.

Naturally, their mouths dropped open, but when Alison told them the winning couple would receive immunity, it brought a small smile back to some of their faces.

Knowing they had to do their best to guarantee a place on the ranch, they began pedaling as fast as their legs would allow. Halfway through, the couples started feeling the pain but pedaled through it. The green team finished first, followed by the gray team, and then the black and orange team fulfilled their 22.6 miles.

Stopping before her time

“I’ve had two children and I’ve never felt excruciating pain like that,” Cherita said, slowing down. “I don’t care what I have to do. I’m fighting for my life. I cannot give up,” she continued when Dr. H approached her.

Even though Cherita was determined to finish the challenge, her stomach cramps worsened. Her daughter, Victoria, told her to stop and ensured her mom she could finish the challenge on her own. Cherita refused to give up, so Dr. H ordered her to stop.

“No, I can’t stop. I cannot stop,” Cherita cried out in pain.

Against Cherita’s will, Dr. H and another gentleman from the “Biggest Loser” medical team lifted her off the bike.

The pink team finished in fifth place, followed by the red team, and then the brown and white teams. Only one more team would move on, and it was between the purple, blue and yellow teams. Unfortunately, the blue and yellow team finished in the bottom two, which resulted in them being asked to leave the ranch immediately. Their hopes of becoming “The Biggest Loser” were crushed!

An at-home challenge

As the yellow and blue teams got into the limos, they hugged one another and cried. Each of them wondered if they’d be able to lose the weight at home, without Bob and Jillian’s help. But soon their limos skidded to a stop, and the contestants’ tears turned to cries of joy when Bob and Jillian opened their doors.

Bob and Jillian wasted no time in letting O’Neal, Sunshine, Victoria and Cherita in on a secret: their journey wasn’t over yet! The trainers explained to both teams that they would go home for 30 days. Then they’d return to “The Biggest Loser” ranch where the two teams would face off, and the team with the highest percentage of weight loss would be able to rejoin the competition. In addition, Bob and Jillian would be there to help them.

A dubious record

Back at the ranch, the “Biggest Loser” couples were sleeping, but the sound of the fire alarm — which Bob and Jillian pulled — woke them. Instead of rushing out of their rooms to safety, the couples knew it had to be something other than a fire, so they slowly made their way outside where Bob and Jillian were waiting. As soon as Bob saw the contestants he’d be working with this season he said, “We have got to have the biggest group I’ve ever seen.”

“The cast just gets bigger and bigger every year, and it’s not a good thing,” Jillian added.

Fired up and ready to go, the “Biggest Loser” couples headed to the gym for their first workout of the season, but seconds after the workout began, pretty much all of the contestants were throwing up. Some hung out the windows while others made their way outside the gym doors.

“We hadn’t even done anything yet,” Jillian commented through laughter.

It was back to the exercise equipment to try again, but before they started, Jillian stressed how important it was to keep hydrated by drinking water during their workouts.

With water bottles in hand, the workouts began. Jillian joined Cheryl at the treadmill. She told Cheryl she knew she was the one who puts everyone else’s needs before her own. Cheryl informed Jillian that she was right, and Jillian asked Cheryl if she was ready to change. When Cheryl didn’t respond, Jillian screamed,” Are you ready or not!”

“I’m ready!” Cheryl screamed back.

“Say it like you mean it!” Jillian demanded.

“I’m ready,” Cheryl replied with more force.

“Yeah?”

“Yes!”

“That’s better. I believe you. Now get off the treadmill,” Jillian smiled as she placed Cheryl in boxing gloves, and Cheryl put her whole heart into punching the crap out of the punching bag that lay on the floor.

“Cheryl’s a bad a**,” Jillian commented.

“D***!” Bob commented as he watched Cheryl.

When Cheryl screamed through her pain, Bob screamed too.

“Somebody wound up that mama and let her just spin like a top up in this gym,” Bob said, looking like an excited kid who got just what he wanted for Christmas.

Sharing stories and workouts

After what appeared to be a successful workout, the “Biggest Loser” couples gathered in the living room to introduce themselves and share their heartbreaking stories of being picked last, not experiencing the love they so desperately want or fearing their weights were going to send them to their graves too soon.

Later, it was back to the gym for a last chance workout. Bob had some of the couples working out in the gym, and Jillian had the others outside. A sudden leg cramp slowed Darrell down, but he fought the pain and completed what he’d started.

The biggest weigh-in

At the “Biggest Loser” couples’ first weigh-in on the ranch, Alison told Mike he’s the first contestant to weigh in at over 500 pounds. When Alison asked Bob what it was like to work with a contestant who weighed over 500 pounds, Bob said it’s daunting, because he and Jillian have some of the biggest contestants they’ve ever had.

Then Alison told James and John that together they’re only 31 pounds away from being half a ton; therefore, they’re the biggest team to ever be on “The Biggest Loser” ranch.

After Alison brought the couples back to the reality of the situation, she began the weigh-in with the team that won immunity.

• Migdalia lost 16 pounds, and Miggy lost 13 pounds. The green team lost a combined total of 29 pounds (5.74 percent).
• Sam lost 18 pounds, and Koli lost 29 pounds. The gray team lost a combined total of 47 pounds (6.06 percent).
• Cheryl lost 14 pounds, and Doris lost 29 pounds. The orange team lost a combined total of 43 pounds (7.5 percent).
• Andrea lost 14 pounds, and Darrell lost 30 pounds. The black team lost a combined total of 44 pounds (6.19 percent).
• Twin brothers James and John both lost 23 pounds, which gave the brown team a combined total of 46 pounds (4.75 percent).
• Melissa lost 19 pounds, and Lance lost 21 pounds. The red team lost a combined total of 40 pounds (6.69 percent).
• Patti became the female with the biggest loss in week one, with her 23-pound weight loss. Stephanie lost 18 pounds. The purple team lost a combined total of 41 pounds (8.09 percent).
• Ashley lost 21 pounds, and Sherry lost 17 pounds. The pink team lost a combined total of 38 pounds (6.42 percent).
• Maria lost 13 pounds, and Mike set a new record for losing more weight in a week than any “Biggest Loser” contestant with his 34-pound weight loss. The white team lost a combined total of 47 pounds (5.82 percent).

Unfortunately, John and James fell below the yellow line. John and James’s fellow competitors knew it would be hard to break up the twins, but they had to, and in the end, they chose to send James home.

Update: James reported that he’d lost 100 pounds in two months by working out at a local gym and no longer eating out.

(By Misti Sandefur for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

From the RSS feed of CalorieLab News (REF3076322B7)

Catching up on the new season of “The Biggest Loser” (Couples Season 9 Premiere)

Duke Energy Generation Services has appointed Tony Dorazio as senior vice president for wind energy development, according to a company release.

Dorazio will lead project development for the Duke Energy unit, which owns and operates 733 megawatts of power generation at seven wind farms in Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming.

Dorazio served briefly as chief operating officer at Tessera Solar in 2009. Prior to that he worked for BP Alternative Energy’s wind power business, where he put together a portfolio of 15,000 megawatts of potential wind power projects. As GER previously reported, BP scaled back its investments in renewables after Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward took over in March 2009.

He was also previously a vice president of Vestas-American Wind Technology in Portland, Ore.

He will be managing development of the unit’s projects, including site selection, permit application processes and marketing projects to electricity buyers.

Duke plans to bring 251 megawatts online in 2010 with the construction of farms in Wyoming and Colorado and 200-300 megawatts online annually for the next several years.

We are all finally back from Michigan after attending the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. All of us have caught up on many lost hours of sleep and have finally had some chance to look back at the show to pick our favorite debuts in Detroit.

Here is a list of what the egmCarTech team liked at the show – make sure you let us know what was your favorite debut from Detroit (one concept, one production).

Omar Rana (Editor in Chief): Production – Cadillac CTS-V Coupe; Concept – Audi e-tron.
Stephen Calogera (Senior Editor): Production – 2012 Ford Focus; Concept – Volkswagen NCCHC.
Kap Shah (Senior Editor – West Coast): Production – 2012 Ford Focus; Concept – Audi e-tron.
Anna Tarasova (Editor): Production – 2010 Bentley Mulsanne; Concept – Audi e-tron.

Hit the jump to see the complete list of concept and production debuts from Detroit.

2010 Detroit Auto Show – Concepts:

Toyota FT-CH
Fiat 500 BEV
Hyundai BLUE-WILL Concept
Cadillac XTS Platinum
Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept
BMW Concept ActiveE
Mini Beachcomber Concept
Volkswagen New Compact Coupe Hybrid Concept
Volvo C30 BEV
Buick Regal GS Concept
GMC Granite Concept
Lancia based Chrysler

2010 Detroit Auto Show – Production:

2010 Bentley Mulsanne
2010 Bentley Series 51 Continental GTC
2011 Lincoln MKX
2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is
2010 Ford Focus
2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet
2011 Honda CR-Z
2011 Audi A8
2011 GMC Acadia Denali
2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible
2011 Ford Mustang GT
2011 BMW 740i

Liposuction Glendale – The first decade of this century has seen an impressive jump in the number of cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, there were over 10 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2008, compared to just over 2 million in 1997. Does this mean that these procedures have become routine, like pulling through the drive-up window at your kids’ favorite eatery?

Hardly. Especially where cosmetic surgery is concerned, no matter how common the procedure, there is always the unique aspect of the patient. A well-experienced plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Allan Perry, who practices plastic surgery in Glendale, CA, and received his board certification in 1994, can help you avoid the pitfalls that apply specifically to you.

Here’s a pretty simple idea that may save a lot of lives: A motorbike helmet that cools down the rider’s head in case of impact. According to the manufacturer, their new ThermaHelm prevents overheating and swelling of the brain.

They also claim that there are head injuries in 80% of all motorbike accidents. When that happens, the brain usually starts swelling. Traditional helmets act as insulators, and the brain’s temperature may increase to the point in which it can cause death or permanent damage. The ThermaHelm prevents this by firing a chemical reaction on impact, which activates a layer that cools down the biker’s head. [ThermaHelm]

Verizon Wireless took an important step in the evolution of mobile device service pricing. It decreased its voice prices, but increased the push for more customers to pay for data. I expect other service providers to follow. I believe this trend will continue towards a world where voice charges vanish entirely, but usage-based data charges become more common.

First, here’s the news, via the Wall Street Journal:

The carrier, which is jointly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, lowered the rates for its unlimited voice plan to $70 a month from $100. It also cut its baseline voice plan, which comes with 450 minutes, to $40. Unlimited text messaging costs $20 more for each.

First, the obvious: AT&T and others will follow. That’s how these things work. Verizon has begun a voice plan price war, which is sure to end with cheaper voice rates across the industry. But what about data?

At the same time, Verizon is pushing payment for data plans. Customers who buy a high-end smart phone, which can run applications and surf the Web, already have to pay $30 a month for an unlimited data plan. Now, a $10 plan for 25 megabytes will be required for those with slightly less advanced phones as well.

For some reason, most articles I’ve read on this don’t get the news exactly right. They say that the $10 plan results in a price increase on data. But the way I read Verizon’s website, and after speaking with one of its media contacts, I understand data prices staying flat or actually declining. Let me explain.

The new pricing scheme also eliminates a $19.99 plan for 75 megabytes of usage. So that makes it appear that they’ve increased their price by 50%. But that’s false. First of all, the $9.99/25 megabyte plan was also available before. Second, the old $9.99/25 megabyte plan charged 50 cents per megabyte for data overage. That’s been slashed to 20 cents per megabyte, which means that if you use 75 megabytes, then you pay $19.99 — which is the same as before. But that old $19.99 plan also charged 30 cents per megabyte after that while the new $9.99 plan keeps it at 20 cents per megabyte even after the first 75. That means overage is cheaper.

Of course, very heavy data users are still a lot better off with an unlimited plan for $30 per month.

But it’s true that Verizon did push the minimum $10 data plan onto more of its phones. So it’s herding more users to pay for data along with its voice price cut.

This makes sense. We’ve entered a technological framework where there really isn’t much distinction between voice and data — there’s only data. Applications like Google Voice allow smartphone users to make voice calls through data networks. So I would expect that voice prices will continue to decline, eventually reaching zero. Meanwhile, however, service providers will make sure that more customers are paying for data to replace those losses on voice revenue.

And I would expect those companies to eventually begin increasing the price of data for that reason as well. We’re already seeing the relative cost of data increasing here — since the price of voice declined while data’s stayed approximately constant. I also find it notable that Verizon pushed an incremental plan onto more phones — not an unlimited plan. While a cheaper alternative, it could mark a move towards getting consumers used to paying for data based on usage. There will likely always be high-priced unlimited plans for huge data hogs to enjoy, but these companies would certainly like to make more money off light users through incremental usage plans.

You know how when you play someone’s guitar for the first time at a party and one string is way high or low and you start to tune it and find that the guitar is total garbage and can’t be tuned anyway and so you play “Closer to Fine” on an untuned guitar in the corner of the part and people are all like “Who’s the douche playing Indigo Girls in 2010? I think his guitar is out of tune.” Has that ever happened to you? Definitely, right?

Well Polytune tunes all your strings at once. You strum and it tells you which strings are out of tune. You fix those strings, strum again, and then people will never make fun of you again.

The Polytune is shipping in March from TC Electronic and there’s no pricing but I would totally buy this.

via DVICE via Giz

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

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Ah yes. Nothing better than toting your laptop into McDonald’s and going through a handful of napkins every time you need to type something or move the mouse cursor. The food there is greasy, I guess would be the main takeaway from that sentence.

Wireless internet access is free, starting today, at 11,500 out of 14,000 McDonald’s locations throughout the country. It had previously cost $2.95 for two hours of access — roughly an hour and 45 minutes longer than just about anyone has ever spent inside a McDonald’s.

McDonald’s to start free Wi-Fi at most U.S. stores [Yahoo!/Reuters]

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

A Texas doctor claims that you can now kill your acne while you chat on the phone with your friends. Houston dermatologist Greg Pearson says that his AcneApp, available at Apple’s app store for $1.99, is a great way to clear your mug of unseemly spots.

Fox TV, Houston reports:

The AcneApp emits alternating bursts of red and blue light from the iPhone’s screen. All users have to do is run the program then hold the phone up to their faces.

Dr. Pearson says the phone needs to be held to the face for about two minutes a day, and callers have to remember to switch sides for maximum benefit. He isn’t quite sure of the results, and he can’t promote the app’s medical benefits because it hasn’t been FDA-approved. Nevertheless, Pearson told Fox TV that the app has been designed with “some science” in mind.

The New York Times explains how the app is supposed to work:

The AcneApp emits an alternating blue (antibacterial) and red (anti-inflammatory) light technology, believed to kill bacteria associated with acne and promote healing, and even act on wrinkles by stimulating collagen growth.

Dr. Pearson also claims that light treatments have been shown to be more effective in treating acne than over-the-counter meds.

Discoblog claims that without any testing of the light’s wavelength, intensity, duration, coverage, and orientation, it’s a laughable attempt to sell a snake oil iPhone app. But give him points for creativity.

Related Content:
Discoblog: True Crime, Real Time: Live Streaming Mug Shots To Your iPhone
Discoblog: Texting and Walking Made Easy With iPhone App

Image: AcneApp

Former ER doc Noah Wyle and wife Tracy, a makeup artist, have separated after almost 10 years of marriage. While neither has filed for divorce, the couple is currently in mediation.

A rep for Noah and wife Tracy issued a statement saying: “Tracy Wyle and Noah Wyle, who separated in late October 2009 have confirmed they have entered into a mediation process. Tracy and Noah live in separate residences, however their two children (Owen, 7 and Auden, 4) see both parents daily.”

I’ve written about Sustainable Pet Design often. Sustainable Pet Design makes green roof dog and bird homes that are absolutely gorgeous. I love this company because of their innovative design savvy, their eco-friendly materials, and why go boring when you can have a totally awesome pet home?

It’s time for an update though because Sustainable Pet Design has some new killer styles available, including one home made just for the first family. Sustainable Pet Design created The Obama Dog Home. Summa Canum (Latin for “Top Dog”), “Not only to provide an appropriately sustainable and stylish home for the new leader of the free canine world, but to introduce eco-friendly practices and materials to the American people.”

Here are some stats:

The First Greenrrroof Dog Home is constructed from the wood of Tennessee Aromatic Cedar trees that our 7th President, Andrew Jackson, planted along the driveway of his estate, The Hermitage. After a tornado felled these trees in 1998, EarthSource Forest Products reclaimed the wood for lumber and has donated the last of it to Summa Canum.

Architectural Coatings and Design Center provided the zero-VOC paint and varnish that will ensure that the First Dog will not become ill from toxic fumes.

Emory Knoll Farms, a Maryland nursery specializing in green roof plants, is supplying vegetation. The dog home will arrive at The White House unplanted in order to provide the Obama kids with the opportunity to get their hands dirty in their own little garden.

Very cool. In other news, Sustainable Pet Design has a great new couture collection of pet homes. These homes, like all their homes are made with sustainable materials and a cool green roof. The difference is in the design aspect.

I love the Andrew Jackson Plantation which is constructed using Tennessee aromatic cedar, milled from 200-year-old trees that were felled during a tornado on Andrew Jackson’s estate. There’s a sweet graffiti print on the home, but it’s up to you if you’d like a less radical paint job. This is a limited edition item, so if you love it, I’d contact Sustainable Pet Design stat.

Another terrific new design is the 15° Wright, commissioned by architect Eric Lloyd Wright (Frank’s grandson) to be displayed with one of his prefab human homes at the Green West Expo. This is a beautiful modern dog home with all angles at 15°. Nice!

To learn more about these amazing one-of-a-kind dog homes visit Sustainable Pet Design.

[images via Sustainable Pet Design]

Post from: Blisstree

The Obama Green Roof Dog Home

The Select line from Creative Recreation looks promising with all new styles that are truly unique from the main line. With a set drop for Autumn of 2010, be on the lookout for Select footwear that are made up of quality leathers and new details. Models that are new for the season are the Lioni, Lanza, and the Sacco, and are sure to please who are already loyal to the original Creative Rec releases.

Continue reading for more images.

Source: Selectism

Creative Recreation drops an early preview of their forthcoming “Select” line for Autumn 2010. Full collection previews will be of course made available to the buyers at shows across the globe in the coming weeks. “The Lioni,” “The Lanza” (both new for this season) as well as “The Sacco,” are previewed here. “Comprised of rich leathers, material upgrades and sleek, contemporary silhouettes, Select by Creative Recreation creates the perfect shoe for the sophisticated and savvy consumer.” We’ll have more from the “Select” collection in weeks/months to come.

http://www.selectism.com/news/2010/01/08/first-look-creative-recreation-select-for-autumn-2010/

Dear Vancouver Quadra,

It’s time to stand with Haiti.

The scenes of devastation beamed from Port-au-Prince and elsewhere have shaken all of us. But they have also reminded us that our first instinct as Canadians is to ask “How can I help?”

Our ties with Haiti are strong. We have a Haitian community in Canada that has contributed so much to our national life, and Canadians across our country are connected to Haiti through friends and loved ones living and working there.

I know that you were just asked to donate on Monday. But this is not about politics.

In these exceptional circumstances, now is a time to come together as people. Now is a time to act.

That’s why I am asking you to please support the relief effort in Haiti by clicking on one of the links below. Yesterday, we asked the government to match funds given to charitable organizations for relief efforts and today the government announced that it would – which means that your giving power is now twice as strong.

Canadian Red Cross
Doctors Without Borders
Oxfam Canada
Oxfam Quebec
Centre for International studies and Cooperation (CECI)
CARE Canada
The Humanitarian Coalition

Let’s show that we care. Let’s help Haiti in this time of need.

Thank you,
Michael Ignatieff

Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Australia, Rumormill, Specialty

As if General Motors hasn’t endured enough turmoil in the last year, Pickuptrucks.com is reporting that GM North America president Mark Reuss is championing the idea of a stateside Holden VE Ute. Pardon us for thinking this issue was dead and buried in 2009, interred in the graveyard of stillborn ideas. Reuss, who ran Holden for GM during the VE’s development, has a soft spot for the admittedly excellent platform that we only shortly knew as the Pontiac G8. While that dalliance was only marginally longer lived than Jay Leno’s move to prime time (the promised G8 Sport Truck was announced and then canceled before birth), Reuss thinks that GMC or Chevrolet could proudly park the Ute in U.S. showrooms.

Rather than let all the hard work done to bring the G8 to fruition go to waste, Reuss is also reportedly looking for a slot for that car, as well. If GM can get the Ute classed as a truck in North America, it might play a significant role in Corporate Average Fuel Economy ratings, and that may be enough reason alone to offer a neo-El Camino. A revised G8 popping up under another GM moniker would be welcomed by the auto punditry, though may still fail to move enough units to make an impact. There’s no denying that niche vehicles such as the Ute and G8 have a following, but we wonder how much focus these efforts are stealing from the pivotal vehicles that must launch and continue to sell without a hitch. As exciting as a Ute might be, a flawless and successfully marketed launch of the new Chevrolet Aveo is likely far more important to GM’s financial health at this point than some hoon sled.

[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

Report: GM’s Mark Reuss ponders return of VE Commodore to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a time where most watch companies today are flaunting either excess or decadence, Marvin comes through with a design that is classic, and will surely stand the test of any changes in the world of watches. There are no fancy dials, experimental mechanics, or strange shapes for the M112. Simple and sophisticated, this watch is the epitome of the everyday watch that is ideal for work, leisure, travel, and sport. The watch is available in two versions: silver or black dial with a steel or PVD-coated rose gold case.

Source: Watchluxus

Leaders looking for ways to improve learning in urban schools can depend on five key factors which, when working together, have proven to boost student achievement, according to a landmark study that led to a new book, Organizing Schools for Improvement, Lessons from Chicago.

The results emerged from a study of 390 Chicago public elementary schools over a seven-year period following the implementation of a 1988 law that increased decision-making at the local school level.

The authors of the study, current and former researchers with the Consortium on Chicago School Research, part of the Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago, said those five essential supports are school leadership, parent and community ties, professional capacity of the faculty, a student-centered learning climate and a coherent instructional plan.

They were effective in a wide variety of schools, including especially troubled ones. By looking closely at the social context in which schools are embedded, the book provides new insight into why schools in communities with high rates of crime and poverty struggle with improving student outcomes.

These findings are helpful as states vie for billions in federal “Race to the Top” funds designed to spur school reform. They are drawn from the kinds of robust data that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has encouraged states to use in developing their reform plans.

The authors suggest that when looking for ways to improve learning in urban schools, leaders should resist the temptation to look for “silver bullets” and think instead about “baking a cake.” Just as several ingredients are needed in the right proportions to bake a cake, so too are several ingredients ― the “five essential supports” ― required to boost student achievement.

The research team will present their findings to educators on Thursday, Jan. 14 at a symposium at the University’s Gleacher Center, 450 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive.

The study team found some improvements since Chicago decentralized its public school system in 1988. More than 80 percent of the system’s elementary schools showed at least some gains in mathematics, and close to 70 percent gained in reading.

More importantly, schools that were strong in all five essential supports were at least 10 times more likely to show substantial improvement in reading and mathematics than schools that were strong in only one or two of the essential supports. Follow-up studies conducted from 1997 to 2005 validated the findings of the first round of research.

The book, published by the University of Chicago Press, was written by:

• Anthony S. Bryk, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and founding senior director of CCSR;
• Penny Bender Sebring and Elaine Allensworth, interim co-executive directors at CCSR;
• Stuart Luppescu, chief psychometrician at CCSR; and
• John Q. Easton, Director of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, and former executive director of CCSR.

For nearly 20 years, CCSR has built a massive, one-of-a-kind longitudinal data archive on Chicago public schools, and that archive made the research possible.

The CCSR team visited schools, interviewed principals and did extensive surveys of principals, teachers and students to get behind what was leading some schools to progress and others to remain stagnant.

In addition to measuring local demographic characteristics, CCSR investigated community characteristics like community cohesiveness and crime rates to uncover reasons for success or failure.

In taking this approach, which looks at neighborhood effects and the influence of parents, the book draws heavily on the work of other scholars currently or formerly at the University of Chicago.

Sociologist William Julius Wilson, now at Harvard University, did seminal work on poverty at the University of Chicago and coined the expression “the truly disadvantaged” in a book by the same name. James Colemen contributed definitive thinking on the role of social capital in schools to show the value of parents working with teachers to improve learning.

Sociologist Robert Sampson, now at Harvard, and Steven Raudenbush, the Lewis-Sebring Professor in Sociology and chair of the University of Chicago’s Committee on Education, studied the dynamics of Chicago neighborhood interactions to identify differences in dealing with crime and other issues.

In assessing student performance, the team devised a “value-added” approach. Rather than simply looking at the percentage of students in each class who met or failed to meet state standards, the team looked at the progress of each student.

The authors also identified 46 very low-performing schools, serving more than 40,000 students, which they labeled “truly disadvantaged schools.” Even in a school district where disadvantage is the norm, these schools stood apart, serving neighborhoods characterized by extreme poverty and extreme racial segregation.

On average, 70 percent of residents living in these neighborhoods had incomes below the poverty line. The schools had virtually no racial integration.

But demographics tell just part of the story. Moving beyond an analysis of racial and economic descriptors, the authors examined these communities against other social indicators.

They found the communities of truly disadvantaged schools had the highest crime rates and the highest percentages of children who were abused, neglected or living in foster care.

Residents of these communities were the most likely to live in public housing and the least likely to attend church regularly or believe they could bring about positive change in their community.

A small number of these schools improved in reading and math, primarily because they were strong in the essential supports. But nearly half of them proved nearly impervious to systemic reform and had a lack of progress that contrasted sharply with many other schools.

These schools were seven times more likely than racially integrated schools, for instance, to stagnate in math and two times more likely to stagnate in reading.

Sprint today announced a “maintenance update” for the Samsung Moment, complete with several system tweaks.

Here’s what the update offers:

• Network Assist GPS to allow indoor location fix
• Updates to several third-party apps, including Visual Voicemail, NFL, NASCAR and Sprint TV
• Change to Emergency Dial on lock screen
• Hard reset available in recovery mode: remove and reinsert battery; press volume down, send and end keys until reboot option pops up; scroll to wipe data/factory reset; press OK
• Various improvements to battery life

The kicker?  The update is only available at Sprint retail locations with a Repair Center, so you’ll have to venture out of the house to get it.  Given how busy the service and repair locations tend to get, I would highly recommend making an appointment before going in.  If you prefer not to brave the crowds, rest assured – Sprint says an OTA version will be available soon.

I’ve used the Moment, and I can attest that battery life is less than desirable.  Here’s to hoping that the update solves the problem!  If you decide to get your device updated, let us know how it goes.

Via Sprint, AndroidCentral

Si ves un Volkswagen Caddy en la calle, seguramente ni siquiera merecería una segunda mirada. Concebido como un vehículo comercial que brinda economía y capacidad de carga al mismo tiempo, le prestarías más atención si necesitaras un vehículo de carga para tu trabajo o empresa. ¿Pero qué me dices de poner uno en pista para competir en uno de los torneos más populares de Gran Bretaña?

El real automóvil club de Gran Bretaña, el RAC, va a patrocinar a un Volkswagen Caddy TDI para participar en la Volkswagen Racing Cup, una categoría bastante popular en aquel país. Es sabido que en las islas, Volkswagen es una de las dos ó tres marcas más populares con mucha ventaja sobre el resto, pero no deja de ser una curiosidad que un Caddy se atreva contra los Golf o los Jetta que regularmente animan el torneo.

Para la ocasión, el Caddy se vestirá con los colores oficiales del RAC, incluyendo una preparación que le darán 256 caballos y un par motor de 368 libras/pié. Supongo que la suspensión recibirá un tratamiento extensivo, al ser un vehículo con un centro de gravedad tan alto, propenso a los vuelcos.

Lo mejor de todo, es que un Caddy puede llevar muchísima más publicidad que un Jetta o un Golf, por ejemplo. Una verdadera atracción.

Vía | Jalopnik

Bill Stetar
Human Performance Technology Consultant
Center for Industrial Services

Expertise:
Bill Stetar can discuss human resources, organizational effectiveness, change management and leadership development.

Expertise Categories: Human Resources | Effectiveness | Management | Leadership

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E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.cis.tennessee.edu/productivity/hpt/