Garrett Tanzer Designs an App
- Details
- Hits: 11231
It’s never too early to start innovating. Garrett Tanzer, an eighth grade student in Butler House at Scarsdale Middle School has created an app for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad called "Space Laser Race." The game went on sale worldwide in the Apple Store on November 10.
Space Laser Race™, the first-ever space simulator game developed by a 13-year-old is available for $.99 on the App Store. The young developer is dedicating a portion of his proceeds from the sales of his game to food allergy research.
In this virtual game, you can spacewalk like an astronaut with only a jet pack to propel you in zero gravity. This unique and challenging game let’s you race through space while racing against time to align your laser onto a target. Dual sliders simulate double joysticks astronauts use to maneuver through space. A radar at the top of the screen provides directional point of reference.
We asked Garrett a few questions about how he came to design an app, and here is what he told us:
Ever since I started playing video games, I wanted to be able to create one myself. Once the App Store was launched, it made it possible for me to develop a game. All I had to do was learn programming and come up with an idea. I took an online programming course to learn some basics.
Is there are course at Scarsdale Middle School or a teacher that guided him?
Scarsdale currently doesn't offer a programming course at the middle school level. However, my mom helped me figure out how to learn to program. Whenever I got stuck, she helped me to find resources and kept me going when I encountered obstacles.
How long did it take you to develop Space Laser Race?
Six or seven weeks
Where did the idea for the game come from and who designed the graphics?
I came up with the idea from watching space movies, and designed all the graphics myself. I figured out how to use photo shop and designed all the graphics with it.
How did you bring it to market and have it sold as an app?
I had to submit Space Laser Race to the App Review Process at Apple. It took about ten days for approval.
How many apps are now available for the iPhone and iPad and iTouch?
As of now there are 297,000 apps and about half are games. About three quarters of the games are free and most are not good.
Are you the youngest person ever to develop an app?
No, but I am perhaps the youngest to develop a universal game, which means that it is optimized for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
How will you channel the profits towards food allergies?
Once I have enough sales, I plan on sending a portion of the proceeds to an organization that supports food allergy awareness and research.
Do your friends at SMS have iPhones and are they playing the game?
Yes, you would be surprised how many kids have an iPhone
Do you know how many have sold to date?
That’s confidential!
To learn more about the game and download it, go to Garrett's Website, http://www.tanzerine.com.
State Mandates Scarsdale to Rate Teachers
- Details
- Hits: 7320
In August, New York State learned that they won a federal Race to the Top grant for $700 million dollars for education. And while this may be a victory for some districts in the state, for others, like Scarsdale, the grant will mean more requirements and little additional funding. Though the Scarsdale School Board supported the state’s application, they have serious reservations about some of the provisions and have submitted a letter to the State Department of Education expressing their concerns.
At an October 25, 2010 meeting of the Scarsdale Board of Education, Superintendent Michael McGill explained that Scarsdale was entitled to $18,000 in Race to the Top funds, $4,500 per year, over the next four years. The district was allocated these funds as a few students in the zip code are entitled to Title 1 funds. Ironically, those students do not attend our schools and the District has determined that the administrative costs of accepting the funds outweigh the benefits.
Of more concern is the new assessment program mandated by the grant, which will require the district to rate all teachers and administrators on a 100-point scale based on student test performance in their classrooms and schools. The 100-point evaluation will be based on student performance on state tests, performance on local assessments or tests and additional criteria now being determined by a state education committee.
In McGill’s opinion the new rating system will do little to improve teacher performance. In fact he says, “according to education expert Richard Rothstein this methodology is likely to misidentify teachers and categorize some who are good as underperforming, and some who are underperforming as good.” In McGill’s view, “it is possible to require compliance and raise performance to a low average, but impossible to regulate for excellence which requires initiative, individuality and creativity. The concern is that this new model of rating teachers is fundamentally questionable because it will not allow evaluators room for judgment, nor will it allow teachers to exercise creativity.” Student performance on state tests can clearly be affected by more than one teacher’s activities during the school year. According to McGill, “Imagine if a teacher has a set of kids with difficulties to begin with and is not able to meet a target due to the skills of the kids when they came into the class.”
Furthermore the new requirements may mandate the District to publish teacher’s scores.
McGill is not the only one objecting to Race to the Top requirements. In a plea published on the Found for Education website, the Brighter Choice Foundation urges charter schools not to participate in the Race to the Top grant program. Tom Carroll, the organization’s founder says, “After reviewing the administrative, regulatory, and reporting burdens required of schools that participate, and understanding how seriously the program jeopardizes the administrative and operational independence of charter schools especially in the area of teacher and principal evaluations and accountability, each charter school in the Brighter Choice Foundation network has been advised not to participate in Race to the Top.”
The Scarsdale administration believes that they already have a good teacher assessment process in place and Scarsdale10583 asked McGill for the details of the current system for evaluating teachers.
On the hiring and firing of new teachers, McGill offered the following information:
“The District has built the faculty by hiring new teachers only after careful credential checks, interviews and demonstration teaching. New teachers get support from veteran mentors. They’re evaluated through evidence-based protocols recently enhanced in collaboration with Charlotte Danielson, formerly of Princeton’s Educational Testing Service, who’s also known internationally for her work with entire states and countries.”
“Best efforts notwithstanding, some teachers ultimately can’t meet a Scarsdale standard. And in the end, neither principals nor department leaders or other teachers support sub-standard performance. Furthermore, while the Teachers Association assures legal rights are protected, it doesn’t defend incompetence. Difficult situations like these aren’t publicized, and when a dismissal is necessary, all parties try to make it as humane as possible.”
However, what about tenured teachers who are no longer performing up to standards? According to McGill, “If a tenured teacher is experiencing serious difficulties, he or she will be evaluated more rigorously. If performance doesn't improve after supportive intervention, Scarsdale is one of few school districts that can freeze the individual's pay until supervisors are satisfied he or she has rectified the relevant problems.”
Though our current evaluation system provides much scrutiny before tenure is granted, once a teacher has tenure, the school cannot fire them. The teacher can be denied a raise, but their position is ensured. But even the new Race to the Top 100-point state rating system will not change the fundamentals of tenure, leaving us little to gain from the new assessments.
We asked McGill if high-performing districts that will not receive any of the grant monies could opt-out of these new requirements. For now the answer is “no.” McGill commented:
“At this point, there's no indication that there will be any opt out. The state has been adamant since the late 1990's that as far as its reform plan is concerned, one size fits all and there are no exceptions. The District has repeatedly attempted to show Education Department officials why state reforms are generally unhelpful here and how they actually get in the way of our efforts to improve learning. These attempts, and indeed, any meaningful dialogue, have been rebuffed. The parent test boycott of 2001 was a direct outgrowth of public frustration with the program damage wreaked by state testing, despite multiple attempts on the part of the board and professional staff to reason with State education officials about the problems their plans were creating here."
So, for now it appears that we have no choice. Next year will bring more state mandated student testing as well as new state-defined criteria for teacher assessments, further diminishing local control of our schools, without providing the benefit of additional funding.
High School Committee to Examine the Code of Conduct
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 7909
In an October 25 email to the community, SHS Principal John Klemme announced that he has invited a group of teachers, coaches, team captains, government officers, parent and administrators to review the school’s Standards for Extracurricular Participation which are incorporated into the school's Code of Conduct. The current "Standards" governs student conduct both on and off campus and was recently called into question when students refused to provide information to the school about an off-campus altercation. As currently written, it specifies that in order to participate in a team sport at SHS, students must display academic integrity, abstain from substance abuse, and respect their community. There are consequences for infractions, and a Fairness Committee in concert with the Principal rules on these cases.
However, when students refuse to provide information on misconduct that has occurred off school grounds, it is difficult to enforce the Code. Recent events have challenged the efficacy of the Code and Klemme is leading a team to re-examine it to see if the school should hold students accountable for misbehavior off campus.
Discussing the event at a School Board meeting Superintendant of Schools Michael McGill said that he believed that parents want students to know that misdeeds will have meaningful consequences yet these consequences need to be reasonable, in proportion to the offense and not have life-changing ramifications.
So how can the school dictate good behavior in the absence of cooperation from students and parents? We spoke to a few parents with children in the high school and here are their views on the Code of Conduct.
One mom said, “a student’s code of ethics should be consistent, on and off the field, at school or at a party and there should be consequences when kids cross the line. It’s a learning experience.”
When asked if the Code should extend to off-campus activities another said, “While I favor the effort to try to moderate and control dangerous and illicit behavior such as underage drinking through any reasonable means, it is unrealistic to think that the regulatory purview of the school can extend to non-school hours and events, not the least because reports of bad behavior are automatically hearsay since presumably no member of the school administration would have been present to witness the transgression. Students who are determined to engage in this type of behavior are presumably not deterred by the Code. Those who were tempted but fearful of consequences and therefore refrain might feel less constrained if the Code no longer applies to non-school activities. I really think it depends on the individual student and his or her own sense of acceptable and ethical behavior.”
A third mom said, “I don’t think the school can or should try to control what happens when school is not in session or at off campus events. It is very hard to prove what happens and there is a code of silence that prevents incidents from being reported. Ultimately it is up to the parents to instill morals in their children."
Another said, “I feel strongly that the code should only apply to events on campus or where students are CLEARLY representing Scarsdale High School, like attendance at the Model UN or track meets or football games. I believe the code is not entirely enforceable for off-campus events such as the Labor Day incident. The question is whether or not (the Code) is consistently enforced. I think many believe that there is no consistency, much like the curriculum. But that is another issue.”
The committee will have many questions to examine. If they agree that the Code should not apply off campus, will it be in force for school excursions such as debate tournaments, language exchanges and chorus trips? What about online offenders who harass classmates via the Internet, email and text messaging?
It is difficult to predict how a change in the Code would affect student behavior. If the school does decide that incidents off school grounds have no ramifications in school, police and parents will be left to handle teen fights, drinking and drug abuse. Without the potential to be benched from a game or suspended, will student behavior get worse? If the school steps out, will police be harder on the kids since they know that the school will not exact any consequences? It will be interesting to learn the outcome of the committee’s discussions as they examine the school’s role in promoting good behavior.
We welcome your thoughts in the comments section below:
Announcing the 2010 List of Distinguished Scarsdale Alumni
- Details
- Hits: 6740
Since 2005, the Scarsdale Alumni Association, in a joint effort with the Scarsdale High School, has honored 68 Distinguished Alumni. On Saturday, October 30th everyone is invited to attend a ceremony to honor the 2010 Distinguished Alumni. The event will take place in the Brewster Road lobby of Scarsdale High School at 10:30 AM.
Refreshments will be served at an informal party in the High School cafeteria. All guests are invited to stay and meet the Distinguished Alumni.
The 2010 Distinguished Alumni honorees are:
Dan Biederman, ’71 Urban Management Pioneer: Dan Biederman is this generation's Frederick Law Olmsted. Perhaps more than any other New Yorker, Biederman has changed the face of Manhattan. A magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University and an MBA with distinction from Harvard, Biederman took on the seemingly impossible task of erasing graffiti, ending crime, and bringing New Yorkers and New York visitors back to the parks. He co-founded Bryant Park Corporation in 1980. His efforts there reversed the decay that marred New York City in the 1970's. Today the Bryant Park Corporation is the largest effort in the United States to provide private management with public funds for its parks.
Elissa Brown ’86 – Psychologist, Treating Traumatized Children: Dr. Brown is a psychology professor and licensed clinical psychologist who currently teaches at St. John's College of Arts and Sciences. Previously she was on the faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and New York University School of Medicine. Outside of the classroom, she has studied the treatment of traumatized children and published widely on that subject. Elissa is the founder of the Bereavement Project, which she created following the tragic attack on the United States on 9/11.
Steve Durst ’61, Galaxy Exploration and Development: While most of us are just starting to adjust the idea of the twenty-first century, Steve Durst is light years ahead of us, sponsoring global conferences to raise Galaxy Consciousness. Durst's International Lunar Observatory Association in Hawaii is the headquarters for his pioneering work which includes an association with Stanford University to promote a "Stanford lunar presence in the coming years."
Matthew Kahn ’84, Scholar in Environmental Economics: Matt is one of America's leading environmental economists. He is a professor at the UCLA Institute of the Environment, the author of over 75 papers and a number of books including Green Cities: Urban Growth and the Environment and Heroes and Cowards :the Social Face of War. The Christian Science Monitor publishes his blog entries.
James Reiffel ’61, Physician: Jim Reiffel is a professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where, since 1999, he has been the Director of the Electrocardiography Laboratory. In addition he has written widely on his field including papers on the impact of new antiarrhythmic drugs on physician's practice, new weapons in the war against stroke, and the challenges of managing older patients with atrial fibrillation.
Howard Bloch ’61 French Scholar: A Sterling Professorship is the highest academic rank at Yale University. It is awarded to a tenured faculty member considered one of the best in his or her field. Howard Bloch professor of French holds that honor. He has written scholarly works on the Bayeux Tapestry and recently was honored by the French Government for his efforts to deepen American/French relations.
Professor Bloch has also performed his share of administrative duties, serving as Director, Division of the Humanities at Yale. Finally he has edited a number of journals in his field including publications of the Modern Language Association.
Henry Fountain ’72 – Science Editor, New York Times: You might recognize Henry's important writing on the terrible oil spill this past summer. That writing is one part of an ongoing effort to inform the readers of the New York Times about the intersection of science and everyday life. Since 1995, Henry has been an editor on the national desk of the Times and has written a weekly column, the Observatory, about recent scientific findings. Among the varied topics he has addressed are arthritic cane toads, worm grunting, and poison ivy and climate change.
Alan Schwarz ’88, Sports Journalist, New York Times: In high school, Alan Schwarz borrowed a short quotation from Chief Justice Earl Warren for his Bandy quote. "The sports page records people’s accomplishments. The front page, nothing but their failures."
In college at the University of Pennsylvania, Schwarz majored in mathematics and covered sports for the Red and the Black.
Today, with Alan Schwarz leading the way, sports writers are finding their articles on the front page. Take Schwarz's rich and important series of articles on concussions for example. In addition to leading kid football to take a closer look at injuries, his writing has come to the aid of professional football players, and not just the super stars.
He has already been announced as the winner of a sports journalism prize and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Price.
Andrew Ross Sorkin ’95, Journalist, Financial Analyst, TV Star: If only Andrew Ross Sorkin had written Too Big to Fail before the financial crash. Of course that is asking a little much of a New York Times financial journalist. Instead, his readers can judge for themselves, listening to him on the Charlie Rose Show or on his appearances on CNBC.
Today, Sorkin still looks like a wunderkind. Andrew is the founder and editor of DealBook, a financial news service, published by The Times.
Timothy Seymour ’84, International Finance: In a class with an extraordinary number of talented young men and women involved in international finance, Tim Seymour stands out. After graduation from Georgetown University and an MBA in international finance from Fordham University, Seymour moved to Moscow in 1998 where he founded Troika Dialog USA. At the time he left that company, it was the largest Russian brokerage operating in the United States in a number of areas.
Convinced that emerging and developing economies will continue to outpace the growth of developing economies, Seymour continued to operate successfully in the financial world, first as a Managing Partner of Red Star Asset Management, and most recently as the founder of Seygem Asset Management.
Seymour also contributes his wit and understanding to CNBC.
Sad Day at Scarsdale High School
- Details
- Hits: 8636
The Scarsdale High School Community was saddened to learn that Corie Vidal, the secretary in the SHS Math Department, took her own life on Thursday October 21. Principal John Klemme announced her death to the students at the opening of school on Friday and a moment of silence was observed.
In an email to parents, Klemme said that psychologists, youth outreach workers and counselors are available at the school to help students at this difficult time. Klemme explained that he made the announcement because mental health professionals advise that it is best to be honest with students about suicide. Klemme encouraged parents to discuss the event with their children and to let them know that they “are resilient people who have many positive choices ahead of them. “
Ms.. Vidal is survived by her son Albert "Ryan" Rivero. Visitation will be held at the Coffey Funeral Home in Tarrytown on Monday October 25 from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm and a funeral mass will be held on Tuesday October 26 at the Transfiguration Church in Tarrytown at 10 am.
Please share your memories of Ms. Vidal below:
