Reflections

“Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous.” Confucius

This summer I have been exploring - studying - some of the concepts, tools and applications of a world I came to late in my career, the world of Web 2.0. It's time to pause for a moment and reflect on what I've learned.

I understand that students are entitled to an education grounded in the 21st century, since that is the context of their lives. I know that it may be difficult for me to obtain access to many of the new technologies within the constraints of my school facility, but it's my responsibility to enrich my students' curriculum in any way that I can and to extend their experiences beyond the boundaries of their small town.

Learning must occur for them, for me, for us. I need to be their advocate, their guide, their partner, even their student.

And I realize that, after reflection, comes a time for action.

“An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”
-Buddha

Time Travel

"Today, we know that time travel need not be confined to myths, science fiction, Hollywood movies, or even speculation by theoretical physicists. Time travel is possible."
-Clifford Pickover, Time: A Traveler's Guide

I spent a lovely day with my husband yesterday: we traveled back in time to the mid-18th century. It didn't require some mad scientist's elaborate machine, just an hour's drive to Crown Point, NY, on beautiful Lake Champlain, where British and French reenactors were encamped for the weekend.

Although we occasionally participate in French and Indian War events, this time we were just visiting old friends, shopping in the sutlers' tents and taking pictures. As you can see from this little boy's face, these "living history" activities are a lot of fun for reenactors and spectators alike. It's a marvelous way to experience life as it was lived in the past, practice research skills (no one wants to be accused of being a "farb"!) and enjoy a unique outdoor experience.

Carl Sagan said that "If we could travel into the past, it's mind-boggling what would be possible.The possible insights into our own past and nature and origins would be dazzling." I highly recommend historic reenactments as a means to step back into another time and place. You're welcome to view my slideshow and see for yourself.

Our Collective Future

"The decision to have a child is both a private and a public decision, for children are our collective future."
-Sylvia Ann Hewitt (20th century) economist.

A few days ago, our district held an orientation for incoming seventh graders. Students got to meet their teachers, locate rooms, practice opening their lockers, and learn the details of a new folder system intended to help them stay organized. The program was designed to alleviate some of the stress associated with changing from an elementary to a middle school environment. Judging by the smiles at the concluding ice cream party, it was successful.


It wasn't just the kids who benefited. I got to observe my students in a relaxed setting and take a quick measure of the group dynamics. More importantly, I was reminded why I was reading, blogging, exploring: not just for my own professional development but to enrich their learning experiences and help them become more information literate.

Virginia Gildersleeve, Dean Emeritus, Barnard College, listed the qualities that these conservators of our collective future will need:

"The ability to think straight, some knowledge of the past, some vision of the future, some skill to do useful service, some urge to fit that service into the well-being of the community—these are the most vital things education must try to produce."

FOILED Again

I enjoy the variety of links that appear on my feed from The Resource Shelf. One of today's offerings was intriguing, a list of the top 25 search phrases used to locate documents on the CIA - FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) website. The 5th most popular search in June was "family jewels 5/16/1973". A quick check reveals that this refers to a 702-page document, originally classified "Secret Eyes Only", which was declassified and released on June 25, 2007. Evidently, I missed this tidbit in my local newspaper.

The details this report contains are mind-boggling: a Mr. Johnny Roselli was being considered for a "sensitive mission requiring gangster-type action. The mission target was Fidel Castro". Mr. Roselli had an impressive resume: "...he was a high-ranking member of the 'syndicate' and controlled all of the ice-making machines on the strip...[he] undoubtedly had connections leading into the Cuban gambling interests." (Family Jewels, p.12) There are many more characters and plot twists, including lethal pills, Vegas showgirls, and a scheme to defraud the Friar's Club of $400,000 in a rigged gin rummy game (FJ, p.15). The plot to assassinate Castro never jelled. "The last known residence of Roselli was the Federal Penitentiary in Seattle, Washington." (FJ, p. 16)

The next section, "Operation Mockingbird", reveals details of the 1963 wiretapping of two Washington-based newspapermen who had been quoting classified CIA documents. (FJ, p. 21). After tracing numerous sources in Congress, the White House, and even the Attorney General's office (which was helping to monitor the phone conversations), the report abruptly ends, without naming any names.

Skipping to the end, I skimmed a sequence of revisions to a letter composed by CIA Director W.E. Colby to Lloyd Shearer, Editor of Parade magazine, demanding that Colby's letter be published refuting the charge that the CIA "uses political assassination as a weapon". (FJ, p. 694) A handwritten note to Shearer modifies this statement to "never carried out a political assassination or suggested one which occurred" (FJ, p. 695).

For those interested in learning more, The National Security Archive has listed the ten most interesting "Family Jewels". I think I've already read enough.

8 Random Things

Clay Burell tagged me for the 8 Random Things Meme:

First, the Rules:
1) Post these rules before you give your facts
2) List 8 random facts about yourself
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged


Whoopee - I get to play!

1. My Dad graduated from RPI on the GI Bill, when I was two years old. To celebrate, he drove cross-country while my mother and I flew to California to meet him. One of my earliest memories is of the bears in the San Diego Zoo.

2. I belonged to our school/church choir from 6th through 12th grade. On Sundays, we sang hymns and Gregorian chant, and twice a year we gave concerts featuring popular and show tunes.

3. Although my Dad was Italian, my Mom is Irish - and hates cheese. The first time I tasted pizza was when I went out with friends after a high school basketball game.

4. I loved to take reading tests in elementary school and thought this would be a wonderful job when I grew up. (Yet another example of "be careful what you wish for")

5. One unforgettable summer, I lived and studied at Oxford University. In order to get a reader's card from the Bodleian, I had to take an oath "not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame."

6. My son is a rabid Green Bay Packers football fan. I've accompanied him to Lambeau Field four times to see Brett Favre play (Scott's gone an additional nine or ten times on his own).

7. On November 15, 1969, I participated in the "Mobilization" peace demonstration in Washington, D.C. This protest against U.S. involvement in Vietnam drew an estimated 250,00 to 500,000 marchers, the largest single anti-war protest in U.S. history. My future husband was serving in the Navy at that time, under combat conditions (we didn't meet after until he had been discharged from service). We discuss those turbulent years occasionally, and I've managed to convince him that the vast majority of peace activists were anti-war but not anti-servicemen.

8. My daughter, Ellen, is getting married on 9-08-07 and has asked me to be her Mom-of-honor, to stand beside her as she takes her vows. We aren't sure how often this has been done before, but our family has never balked at tweaking tradition
My turn to tag:
1. Ethan Bodnar
2. Judy O'Connell
3. Meredith Farkas
4. Jennifer Macauley
5. Cheryl Klein
6. Abby Fisch
7. Tim Stahmer
8. Grandad

A Horse of a Different Color

"What kind of a horse is that? I've never seen a horse like that before!" she exclaims. To which the cabbie replies, "No, and never will again, I fancy. There's only one of him, and he's it. He's the Horse of a Different Color you've heard tell about."
-Dorothy, while touring Oz
A week ago, Andy Carvin commented on the U.S. Senate committee hearing regarding children’s online safety. Rather than just proposing stricter filtering regulations, chairperson Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) spoke in favor of "a broad-based strategy that doesn’t rely solely on technology to protect kids".

Dr. David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, presented research findings that suggest teenagers in particular put themselves at risk, not by sharing personal information online, blogging or joining a social network, but by engaging in explicit conversations and frequenting sex chat rooms.

Here we have "a horse of a different color", something significantly different from what is expected. The government required that filters be put in place to block access to certain types of internet sites, like Facebook and myspace, thought to present a clear danger to young users. But it appears that what is necessary is intensive education in the nature and tactics of sexual predators.

Technology provides the tools. Like any tools, they can be used for good or ill. It's education that will make the difference, present students with guidelines and caveats for online interaction.

We didn't anticipate this research finding; but now that we know what type of instruction our children and young adults need to protect themselves in a digital world, it's our job to see that they get it.

"Because we cannot control all that our children see, hear, and play, it is tempting to throw up our hands and do nothing. Although we cannot do everything, we can do something, and this is to talk with our children and teenagers about unexpected encounters with inappropriate violence, sexuality, and profanity."
-David Elkind (20th century), U.S. child psychologist and author. Ties That Stress

Four Slides

This is my stab at Dan Meyer's "competition"
based on the Chicago Graduate School of Business' recent announcement:

writing - 1950s.....................reading - 1960s


exploring - 1970s..................connecting - now

Gaining Control

cap·ture (kpchr)
tr.v. cap·tured, cap·tur·ing, cap·tures
1. To take captive, as by force or craft; seize
2. To gain possession or control of, as in a game or contest: capture the queen in chess; captured the liberal vote.
3. To attract and hold: tales of adventure that capture the imagination.
4. To succeed in preserving in lasting form: capture a likeness in a painting
-The Free Dictionary

Evidently I wasn't paying attention when GTD (Getting Things Done) and UCT (Ubiquitous Capture Tools) became buzzwords in time management. Or I forgot to write, photograph, skype, text or IM the terms to myself. Scott Elias, Leo Babauta and countless other bloggers have enlightened me. It seems that it is beneficial to record important data so that it won't be overlooked. Who could have known?

According to Scott, "It’s not important what tool or tools you decide on as your capture devices — analog, digital, a chisel and stone tablet — as long as you make it part of your routine to have it with you. A capture tool left in your office does no good."

I'm comforted that Leo appears to favor a small spiral notebook over some of the other popular devices (Hipster PDA, a PDA or smart phone, or a Moleskine notebook). It makes my wall calendar and refrigerator-magnet-held scraps of paper seem less a badge of Luddism (although I do like to knit) and more a matter of personal preference.

As one of those ever pertinent Chinese proverbs says "A good memory is not as good as a ragged pen."

The Gift to be simple

''Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,It will be in the valley of love and delight."
-Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, Jr. (1797-1882 ) Simple Gifts (melody)
Members of the Shaker community embraced a philosophy of simplicity. Their way of living, like their furniture, was "plain in style, durable, and functional".

There has been some discussion recently about the Chicago Graduate School of Business requirement that prospective students submit "up to four slides about themselves with their application". These slides may contain text, pictures, charts, etc. but "bells and whistles such as Flash, video clips, embedded music and hyperlinks won't be considered in the evaluation process".

Michael McVey mourns the loss of creativity such a submission would entail, likening it to "the difference between a butterfly in the wild and one pinned to a board in a display case". He comments that "when you evaluate this creativity based upon two dimensional screen captures devoid of the very creative energy you sought to assess, you might as well have students submit their test scores and forego the technology charade."

In rebuttal, Christian Long links us to Dan Meyer's slide quartet, to prove that it is not only possible, but desirable to stipulate such stringency.

Sophocles ("Much wisdom often goes with brevity of speech.") and Shakespeare ("Brevity is the soul of wit") appear to side with the minimalist faction; Blaise Pascal ("Too great length and too great brevity of discourse tends to obscurity.") and Arthur Koestler ("True creativity often starts where language ends.") would seem to come down on the side of more enriched offerings.

Which should it be: four simple slides or a multi-sensory presentation? The debate continues.

Deny the Voice

"No place of grace for those who avoid the face
No time to rejoice for those who walk among noise and deny the voice"
-T.S. Eliot (1888–1965), Ash Wednesday

I had planned to blog about NCLB or high stakes testing, but Ewan McIntosh's recent commentary on the issue of student voice, "How much do schools really value pupils' views?" changed my mind.

We've had the SV discussion before. It's a critical issue in a time of transition, as schools struggle to simultaneously meet academic standards and prepare young adults for life in a digital world.

According to an article in eSchool News online, "Americans understand that fundamental changes must be made to the U.S. educational system if the country is to remain competitive in the 21st century". In response to the "Education Attitudes 2007" survey, which showed that 59% of the public favors incorporating information technology into the curriculum, a panel of experts was convened at the National Press Club . The participants, educators and ed-tech specialists, failed to reach consensus on a solution. No mention was made of student representatives on the panel.

This omission would not surprise McIntosh. He points out that the majority of school districts block and filter the most popular social networking sites without making any attempt to educate youngsters on how to express their views.

We can't block every site which offers young adults a chance to explore our complex world and communicate with their peers - nor should we want to. We are educators: our job must be to help them understand the vast potential for good and harm that exists in their digital universe.

And, when they offer suggestions or criticisms, we should listen.


"To see, to hear, means nothing. To recognize (or not to recognize) means everything."
-André Breton (1896–1966), French surrealist. Surrealism and Painting (1928)