News

In Idaho, the state superintendent of education plans to push a requirement that high-school students take four or more online courses, following a bill that passed the Legislature last week to provide every student with a laptop, paid for from a state fund for educators’ salaries. Chicago and New York City have introduced pilot online learning programs. In New York, Innovation Zone, or iZone, includes online makeup and Advanced Placement courses at 30 high schools, as well as personalized after-school computer drills in math and English for elementary students. The virtual high school says its list of client schools has grown to 770, up 34 percent in two years, because of local budget cuts. Nationwide, an estimated 1.03 million students at the K-12 level took an online course in 2007-8, up 47 percent from two years earlier, according to the Sloan Consortium, an advocacy group for online education. About 200,000 students attend online schools full time, often charter schoolsthat appeal to home-schooling families, according to another report.

Reza Namin, superintendent of schools in Westbrook, Me., which faces a $6.5 million budget deficit, said he could not justify continuing to pay a Chinese language teacher for only 10 interested students. But he was able to offer Chinese online through the Virtual High School Global Consortium, a nonprofit school based in Massachusetts.

Constitution Land – A Theme Park from the Harlan Institute

Virtual Reality Simulators

• FantasySCOTUS: Think you know how the Justices will vote on a current case? Sharpen your wits and compete in FantasySCOTUS, the Harlan Institute’s Supreme Court Fantasy League.
• The “10th Justice” Experience: What would have happened if the Supreme Court decided a case differently? Marshall ordered Madison to deliver Marbury’s commission?  Dred Scott was found to be a citizen? Homer Plessy was not forced to ride in the segregated car?  This simulator explores these constitutional what ifs.
• The Originalist Time Machine: What would James Madison think about violent video games, gun violence, or mandating the eating of broccoli? With the Originalist Time Machine, you can ask Founding Fathers avatars–which are programmed based on their writings and philosophies–what they think about contemporary constitutional questions.
• Scrutiny Land: Witness first-hand deprivations of liberty, and determine what tier of scrutiny is appropriate, and whether the act was unconstitutional.

Thrill Rides

• Marbury v. Madison Dueling Roller-Coasters: Learn about President John Adams’ midnight appointees, and John Marshall’s failure to timely deliver Marbury’s commission on this speedy coaster that goes from zero to judicial review in (article) 3 seconds.
• Gibbons v. Ogden Flume Ride: Get wet in interstate commerce as you traverse the treacherous waters between New York and New Jersey.
• The Zones of Twilight Steel Mill of Terror: Based on Justice Jackson’s famed zone of twilight framework from the Steel Seizure case, this thrilling ride flies you through a haunted steel mill during the height of the Korean War.

Shows

• Interrogation. The Experience: Volunteers will be subjected to interrogation technique by trained law enforcement officers to illustrate how duress and pressure can influence a suspect.
• The Footnote Four String Quartet: Enjoy a musical revue exploring constitutional law in song.

Accommodations

• Lochner’s Bakery- Sample some of the most “healthful,” and delicious baked goods, including breads, muffins, and hot cross buns.
• Carolene Products Creamery: Enjoy your favorite dairy products, including cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, made from fresh, or filled milk.
• The Slaughter-House Cases New Orleans BBQ- You have the “privilege” to savor some of the best flavors of Southern BBQ, or the “immunity” to sample healthy desserts.
• Granholm v. Heald Dormant Wine Bar- Imbibe delicious wines imported from out of state.

The Harlan Institute