This morning's education news: mixed nuts

RAD CYBER-GEEZER. In this morning’s New York Times: At 71, Physics Professor Is a Web Star

.....CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Walter H. G. Lewin, 71, a physics professor, has long had a cult following at M.I.T. And he has now emerged as an international Internet guru, thanks to the global classroom the institute created to spread knowledge through cyberspace.
.....Professor Lewin’s videotaped physics lectures, free online on the OpenCourseWare of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have won him devotees across the country and beyond….
.....…Professor Lewin delivers his lectures with the panache of Julia Child bringing French cooking to amateurs and the zany theatricality of YouTube’s greatest hits. He is part of a new generation of academic stars who hold forth in cyberspace on their college Web sites and even, without charge, on iTunes U, which went up in May on Apple’s iTunes Store.
.....In his lectures at ocw.mit.edu, Professor Lewin beats a student with cat fur to demonstrate electrostatics. Wearing shorts, sandals with socks and a pith helmet — nerd safari garb — he fires a cannon loaded with a golf ball at a stuffed monkey wearing a bulletproof vest to demonstrate the trajectories of objects in free fall.
.....He rides a fire-extinguisher-propelled tricycle across his classroom to show how a rocket lifts off….

From this morning’s Inside Higher Ed:

• OH, DID WE FORGET TO MENTION THE MURDER?

As expected, the U.S. Education Department has imposed a major fine — $357,500 — on Eastern Michigan University for its failure to notify students and others last year that a student had been murdered….

• OOPS, I FORGOT TO KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT

Jonah Goldberg’s new book is being promoted with a little … college bashing. The book jacket for Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning, forthcoming in January from Doubleday, proclaims: “The quintessential Liberal Fascist isn’t an SS storm trooper; it is a female grade school teacher with an education degree from Brown or Swarthmore.” Leaving aside the rather large issue of the charge that Brown and Swarthmore educate for fascism, [blogger] Kieran Healy … points out a factual problem: Swarthmore doesn’t award education degrees….

• ROCCO-SOCCO: RESORTING TO GERRYMANDERING?

The only people more ridiculous than Steve Rocco, Orange Unified School District conspiracy-nut trustee, are the people who voted for him—and the people who can’t seem to get rid of him. ¶ In this morning’s OC Register: Orange school trustees recommend boundaries change:

.....ORANGE: Orange Unified School District trustees are recommending a plan to adjust boundaries for which areas they each oversee – a plan that would effectively prevent some current members from seeking re-election to their seats.
.....…Steve Rocco, a controversial trustee who often speaks during board meetings about perceived conspiracies against him, would be the first trustee affected. If the changes are approved they would take effect by the November 2008 election. Rocco's seat is up for re-election then, and he would no longer live within the area he represents – Area 6.
.....…District officials say the proposed changes are based solely on population and are not meant to target current board members.

• "WE'RE ASKING THE SCHOOL TO TAKE HIM DOWN." The Reg offers the latest on that religion-bashing San Juan Capistrano high school instructor: 200 rally for Capo teacher accused of anti-Christian remarks :

.....MISSION VIEJO – A rally by more [than] 200 Capistrano Valley High School students and alumni sparked a nearly continuous stream of honking horns for an hour before classes this morning as they showed support for embattled history teacher James Corbett.
.....Corbett was sued last week by student Chad Farnan, who alleges Corbett made anti-religion remarks in his Advanced Placement European history class.
.....Under the morning drizzle, the protesters lined Via Escolar in Mission Viejo with posters that read “Keep Corbett,” “Alums for Corbett,” and “Honk 4 Corbett.”
.....“I support Corbett because he was a teacher who supported free speech and allowed us to discuss in an intelligent way,” said Matt Yee, 17, a junior at Capo Valley who took Corbett’s AP European history class last year.
.....At issue in the lawsuit is whether Corbett violated the separation of church and state as outlined in the First Amendment's establishment clause.
.....Court papers cite statements tape-recorded by Farnan such as “From conservative Christians in this country to Muslim fundamentalists in Afghanistan … it's stunning how vitally interested they are in controlling women” and “When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can't see the truth.”
.....Down the street from the school, at Via Escolar and Marguerite Parkway, about 10 supporters of Farnan, 16, a sophomore, held up signs in support of Farnan, such as “Freedom from hate” and “Teach Don’t Preach.”
.....“I love what Chad’s doing,” said student Cale Crawford, 16, a junior at the Agape Academy at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. “The teacher is breaking the First Amendment, and Chad is standing up for what he believes in.”
.....The lawsuit has attracted national media attention and created a bitter divide in the Capistrano Valley High community about whether Corbett, a 19-year teacher with the district, should be censored.
.....Many of Corbett's current and former students have rushed to his defense, saying he not only has the right to comment on traditional Christian viewpoints on topics such as birth control, teenage sex and homosexuality, but that his talks force students to think critically about their own views.
....."I never felt like he was biased," said junior Sunny Bhatia, 16, of San Juan Capistrano, who took Corbett's class last year. "He always used to say, 'Just think about that.' He was able to bring current events into the classroom and relate them to what we were studying. I never felt he was trying to impose his own ideas on us."
.....But Corbett's critics say he monopolizes much of his class time promoting liberal viewpoints and leaves little room for students to interject.
.....The Capistrano Unified School District has not yet responded to the lawsuit, which alleges a violation of the First Amendment's establishment clause prohibiting government from promoting hostility toward religion.
.....Farnan says the lawsuit would be dropped if Corbett were removed from his post.
.....Also Wednesday morning, Pastor Wiley Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park visited the school area, giving his view on the controversy.
....."We're glad that Chad is standing up against this discrimination against Christians," Drake said before the event. "This teacher is teaching his own version of religion, so we're asking the school to take him down."

• SHE TOOK THE CLASS 8 TIMES. Irvine Valley College is in the news: Community college fitness scores high grades:

.....Irvine artist Michael Harrison has thought about joining a gym, but they don't take attendance there.
.....They do, however, in his weight training class at Irvine Valley College, giving him added motivation to exercise.
.....…Registration is under way at local community colleges, a sometimes overlooked option for quality fitness at a cheap price, according to school administrators. Colleges offer everything from tai chi to tennis and often provide needed equipment. Fees are based on the number of units.
.....…But while a twice-a-week Pilates class at Fullerton College averages about 50 cents per session, there are tradeoffs, such as parking hassles and no classes during semester breaks.
.....In Harrison's class, taught by Tom Pestolesi, who has a master's degree in physical education, a mix of students rotate through weight machines. The atmosphere is casual but focused. There's a cluster of young guys from the volleyball team. There are a few middle-age professionals and regular college students. Pestolesi wanders the room, giving high fives and helping with form.
.....One student, Becky Millman, 53, has taken the class eight times.
.....She started in a golf class and noticed that her swing was weak. She signed up for weight lifting to build some upper body strength. Her golfing improved quickly but she discovered she was more interested in the weights workout.
....."I couldn't lift more than 20 pounds," she said last week while doing squats. "I'm lifting 50. I feel good about my body. I feel strong."
.....Millman, a graphics account coordinator, pays about $35 dollars for the 16-week course and a parking permit. She said she's slimmed down and lost inches since signing up.
....."It just changes my mood," she said. "I can come in filling a little blah and I go back to my office feeling so happy."
.....Pestolesi helped Millman tailor a workout and taught her what machines target particular muscles.

....."We are a no-pressure situation," Pestolesi said. "We're just here to help. We're not trying to sell them this drink or this protein bar or this program. We want you to get in here and get a good workout and develop some knowledge."
.....Millman said she enjoys the social atmosphere of the class. She's made friends and loves helping younger women with their technique.
.....…Keith Shackleford, dean of health sciences, said the classes are a non-threatening way to pursue a new hobby or get in shape.
....."It's not just weight training," Shackleford said. "It's tennis classes, badminton, soccer. We have things like theory of coaching for those involved in youth coaching. Your investment is $20."