I enjoyed Cal Thomas' column of Pretty Woman about Susan Boyle.
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Technorati tags: Susan Boyle
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Another instance of teachers being told to say they don't know
Yesterday I posted about a teacher being told back in 2004 that they didn't know the answer to a student's question, because it was on a religious topic, and some parent some where might be offended.
I find it funny that today I came across Joanne Jacobs' post of Calculators? Don’t answer, which has a very similar issue. At a training session a teacher asked what to tell parents about the use of calculators. Here's the answer:
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. . . it’s part of the math wars. The best advice is, Don’t answer that question. You are being asked to fight a battle on a hill that has been custom made to turn you into a fool. And there’s no way to win. So basically, the general advice I give in the math wars is Advice 1. You have to realize that their strategy is to attack you, not your ideas andthey’re going to fool you by making you think they are attacking your ideas.
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It is sad that so much of what happens in public schools is political. But that it was you get when the state and federal governments get more and more involved.
For the record we want our children to know how to add, subtract, multiple and divide without the use of calculators. I want them to have a feel for math. I've seen too many people, intelligent people, reach for a calculator when trying to multiple numbers like 2.3 million by 200.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
I find it funny that today I came across Joanne Jacobs' post of Calculators? Don’t answer, which has a very similar issue. At a training session a teacher asked what to tell parents about the use of calculators. Here's the answer:
-----------
. . . it’s part of the math wars. The best advice is, Don’t answer that question. You are being asked to fight a battle on a hill that has been custom made to turn you into a fool. And there’s no way to win. So basically, the general advice I give in the math wars is Advice 1. You have to realize that their strategy is to attack you, not your ideas andthey’re going to fool you by making you think they are attacking your ideas.
-----------
It is sad that so much of what happens in public schools is political. But that it was you get when the state and federal governments get more and more involved.
For the record we want our children to know how to add, subtract, multiple and divide without the use of calculators. I want them to have a feel for math. I've seen too many people, intelligent people, reach for a calculator when trying to multiple numbers like 2.3 million by 200.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
From the archives: reason to homeschool - so children learn the real history, not an alternate history
This 2004 report on how history is taught in America reinforced my desire to homeschooler my children so they would learn true history, and not fiction.
In the foreward Chester E. Finn writes:
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If American teachers of history were broadly educated and deeply knowledgeable about the subjects for which they're responsible in the classroom, and if they were free to draw their information, textbooks, and other instructional materials from whatever sources they judge best, all within a framework of sound academic standards and results-based accountability under that dreamy set of circumstances, this report would not be necessary.
The sad reality, however, is that many of our history teachers don't know enough history. To make matters worse, the textbooks on which they typically depend are vast yet surprisingly shabby compendia of dull, dated, and denatured information. (See A Consumer's Guide to High School History Textbooks, www.edexcellence.net/institute, for independent reviews of the most widely used texts and to see some examples of their shortcomings.) Thus, those teachers that seek to use their textbooks as a crutch to help fill the gaps in their own knowledge are not doing right by their students.
This reality has led to the development of an immense cottage industry in our primary-secondary education system, one designed to supply history and social studies teachers with pre-digested "supplemental materials" and "professional development," ostensibly to help remediate teachers who do not have sufficient historical knowledge or suitable instructional materials.
------------
The whole report is rather long, a full sixty pages. In The Stealth Curriculum: Manipulating America's History Teachers Sandra Stotsky documents how government schools are teaching children a fictional history.
I'm not surprised the Disney gets the events surrounding Pocahontas all wrong, but it greatly distrubs me when the public school system pushes fiction cast as history.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, government schools, public school, public education
In the foreward Chester E. Finn writes:
------------
If American teachers of history were broadly educated and deeply knowledgeable about the subjects for which they're responsible in the classroom, and if they were free to draw their information, textbooks, and other instructional materials from whatever sources they judge best, all within a framework of sound academic standards and results-based accountability under that dreamy set of circumstances, this report would not be necessary.
The sad reality, however, is that many of our history teachers don't know enough history. To make matters worse, the textbooks on which they typically depend are vast yet surprisingly shabby compendia of dull, dated, and denatured information. (See A Consumer's Guide to High School History Textbooks, www.edexcellence.net/institute, for independent reviews of the most widely used texts and to see some examples of their shortcomings.) Thus, those teachers that seek to use their textbooks as a crutch to help fill the gaps in their own knowledge are not doing right by their students.
This reality has led to the development of an immense cottage industry in our primary-secondary education system, one designed to supply history and social studies teachers with pre-digested "supplemental materials" and "professional development," ostensibly to help remediate teachers who do not have sufficient historical knowledge or suitable instructional materials.
------------
The whole report is rather long, a full sixty pages. In The Stealth Curriculum: Manipulating America's History Teachers Sandra Stotsky documents how government schools are teaching children a fictional history.
I'm not surprised the Disney gets the events surrounding Pocahontas all wrong, but it greatly distrubs me when the public school system pushes fiction cast as history.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, government schools, public school, public education
How to fix the recession - tell Congress to go home
It looks like we can fight the recession easy: just tell Congress to go home.
The S&P 500 Index Daily Price Gain annualized is 0.31% when Congress is in session.
It is 16.15% when Congress is out of session.
The growth is fifty time better when Congression is out of session.
Part of the reason may be that businessmen want to be able to anticipate the future, and when Congress is in session they just never know if the rules will be changed yet again.
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Technorati tags: Congress, economy
The S&P 500 Index Daily Price Gain annualized is 0.31% when Congress is in session.
It is 16.15% when Congress is out of session.
The growth is fifty time better when Congression is out of session.
Part of the reason may be that businessmen want to be able to anticipate the future, and when Congress is in session they just never know if the rules will be changed yet again.
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Technorati tags: Congress, economy
From the archives - Character
From Dan Galvin's Thought For The Day mailing list, in 1999:
Character is defined by what we are willing to do when the spotlight has been turned off, when the applause has died down, and no one is around to give us credit.
-Either said or stolen by Penny Pennington
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Technorati tags: Character, Dan Galvin
Character is defined by what we are willing to do when the spotlight has been turned off, when the applause has died down, and no one is around to give us credit.
-Either said or stolen by Penny Pennington
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Technorati tags: Character, Dan Galvin
Get your news via Google News Timeline
Google News has a cool feature, you can track some event, person, activity, or place as it has been reported in the news over a period of time on the Google News Timeline.
(Hat tip: Today @ PC World)
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Technorati tags: Google News
(Hat tip: Today @ PC World)
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Technorati tags: Google News
From the archives: reason to homeschool - so children learn to stand for what is right
Five years ago Kerry L. Marsala wrote a column about how students were taught to cave in to peer pressure:
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Just recently a young aspiring film student entered his high school's first film festival. He worked with his heart, and soul on writing, producing and directing his film. He received praise and accolades from his media teacher on his film and the vision he had. The film was based on four young military men lost from their platoon and fighting an enemy that had invaded our country. The ending of the film is especially touching, as a young man plays the bugle call, while being saluted by a fellow officer as the words of dedication to all who've served our country rolls past. The young actors, along with this student worked long hot hours in over 100 degree temperatures during the summer months. They endured mosquito bites, allergic reactions to the corn fields, sunburns, dehydration, cuts, bruises, sand embedded in their hair and eyes to produce a film that gave pause for reflection on our brave women and men in military service.
The week of the film festival (several months after the completion and acceptance of the film by his media teacher to be entered into the celebration of films) the students' film was pulled from the line up. Disbelief, hurt, and righteous indignation rose within not only the student who gave his all to make this film, but within the actors who helped with their sweat, time and blood. The students took their grievances to the media teacher, but all would be denied and the explanation given was weak.
Evidently, another teacher was asked to view and judge the films to be allowed in the festival. This teacher had a problem with the guns used by the actors portraying military men defending themselves. A counselor also stepped in and stated that the school rules apply to certain standards of things not allowed to be on or depicted on campus. Finally, the principle left the matter in the media teachers' hands to decide. The media teacher realizing their own job could be on the line, since this was their first year at the school, decided for their own 'job preservation' that the film could not be shown.
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One of the funny, but sad, things about this account is as the other films were shown the students counted eleven violations depicted.
This teacher buckled and the students were taught not to fight the system, to give in and don't make waves, and that peer pressure is more important than doing what is right. They were taught that standards don't apply uniformly. The students were taught to be passive and go with the flow.
With homeschooling we can teach our children to stand for what is right. Our daughters know that they won't always get what they want, but they will not be passive in life. I want my daughters to expect justice and work for justice.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
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Just recently a young aspiring film student entered his high school's first film festival. He worked with his heart, and soul on writing, producing and directing his film. He received praise and accolades from his media teacher on his film and the vision he had. The film was based on four young military men lost from their platoon and fighting an enemy that had invaded our country. The ending of the film is especially touching, as a young man plays the bugle call, while being saluted by a fellow officer as the words of dedication to all who've served our country rolls past. The young actors, along with this student worked long hot hours in over 100 degree temperatures during the summer months. They endured mosquito bites, allergic reactions to the corn fields, sunburns, dehydration, cuts, bruises, sand embedded in their hair and eyes to produce a film that gave pause for reflection on our brave women and men in military service.
The week of the film festival (several months after the completion and acceptance of the film by his media teacher to be entered into the celebration of films) the students' film was pulled from the line up. Disbelief, hurt, and righteous indignation rose within not only the student who gave his all to make this film, but within the actors who helped with their sweat, time and blood. The students took their grievances to the media teacher, but all would be denied and the explanation given was weak.
Evidently, another teacher was asked to view and judge the films to be allowed in the festival. This teacher had a problem with the guns used by the actors portraying military men defending themselves. A counselor also stepped in and stated that the school rules apply to certain standards of things not allowed to be on or depicted on campus. Finally, the principle left the matter in the media teachers' hands to decide. The media teacher realizing their own job could be on the line, since this was their first year at the school, decided for their own 'job preservation' that the film could not be shown.
----------
One of the funny, but sad, things about this account is as the other films were shown the students counted eleven violations depicted.
This teacher buckled and the students were taught not to fight the system, to give in and don't make waves, and that peer pressure is more important than doing what is right. They were taught that standards don't apply uniformly. The students were taught to be passive and go with the flow.
With homeschooling we can teach our children to stand for what is right. Our daughters know that they won't always get what they want, but they will not be passive in life. I want my daughters to expect justice and work for justice.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
The Carnival of Homeschooling is up
This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up at The Common Room.
One of the things I am grateful for is that we have so many people willing to help with the Carnival of Homeschooling. Dana of Principled Discovery was going to host this week, but a recent trip to ER precluded that option. The Headmistress stepped in at the last minute volunteering to host! She starts the carnival with:
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I haven't submitted a post to the weekly homeschooling carnival in forever- just because I keep forgetting. So when Henry asked me to pitch in at the last moment because the scheduled bloghost couldn't do it, I quickly agreed.
Then, of course, came the part I always struggle with, finding a theme- one nobody else has used, one that is clever, and witty, and preferably has some artistic tie-in so you can choose cool graphics to illustrate your post.
And then I looked at the time and decided that this is just going to be the All About Me Blog Carnival. You can probably figure out why. =)
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So pop over and check out this week's Carnival of Homeschooling.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
One of the things I am grateful for is that we have so many people willing to help with the Carnival of Homeschooling. Dana of Principled Discovery was going to host this week, but a recent trip to ER precluded that option. The Headmistress stepped in at the last minute volunteering to host! She starts the carnival with:
----------
I haven't submitted a post to the weekly homeschooling carnival in forever- just because I keep forgetting. So when Henry asked me to pitch in at the last moment because the scheduled bloghost couldn't do it, I quickly agreed.
Then, of course, came the part I always struggle with, finding a theme- one nobody else has used, one that is clever, and witty, and preferably has some artistic tie-in so you can choose cool graphics to illustrate your post.
And then I looked at the time and decided that this is just going to be the All About Me Blog Carnival. You can probably figure out why. =)
----------
So pop over and check out this week's Carnival of Homeschooling.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
From the archives: reason to homeschool - to teach our children to be doers
I like this thought by Thomas Sowell from his column five years ago Talkers versus doers:
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The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.
Think about the things that have improved our lives the most over the past century -- medical advances, the transportation revolution, huge increases in consumer goods, dramatic improvements in housing, the computer revolution. The people who created these things -- the doers -- are not popular heroes. Our heroes are the talkers who complain about the doers.
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One of the nice things about homeschooling is we can teach our children to be doers.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
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The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.
Think about the things that have improved our lives the most over the past century -- medical advances, the transportation revolution, huge increases in consumer goods, dramatic improvements in housing, the computer revolution. The people who created these things -- the doers -- are not popular heroes. Our heroes are the talkers who complain about the doers.
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One of the nice things about homeschooling is we can teach our children to be doers.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
From the archives - putting things into perspective
I've been collecting and saving emails since electronic email first went over the internet. I built a collection of 50,000 clean jokes. I've saved hundreds, maybe thousands, of good thoughts. For several years before Janine and I started this blog I had been saving link after link about why people homeschool.
When we first started writing on our blog we had so many things running around in our thoughts, then I didn't bother to dip into the archive. Then over time I forgot about my collection. Recently I've been cleaning up an old computer and found some of the archived emails, so over the next couple weeks, or couple months, I will post some of the olden goodies.
Here's a good thought that helps put our problems into perspective:
If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire - then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience.
-Robert Fulghum
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Technorati tags: Robert Fulghum, problems, inconvenience
When we first started writing on our blog we had so many things running around in our thoughts, then I didn't bother to dip into the archive. Then over time I forgot about my collection. Recently I've been cleaning up an old computer and found some of the archived emails, so over the next couple weeks, or couple months, I will post some of the olden goodies.
Here's a good thought that helps put our problems into perspective:
If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire - then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience.
-Robert Fulghum
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Technorati tags: Robert Fulghum, problems, inconvenience
Monday, April 20, 2009
This is a great idea - good way to teach civics
One of the results of the Tea Parties is more average Joes are getting involved with politics. People are concerned with the huge increase in spending by the federal government.
I like Instapundit's idea on a way for people to be more involved:
"Another suggestion: show up at your Congressman's local town meetings with a half dozen friends and ask tough questions. He or she will notice or at least be uncomfortable."
(Glenn is building on his wife's post about this topic.)
I wonder how many views on Youtube it would take before a politician would sit up and take notice. Does a mayor of an average size city worry about a hundred views, or does it take more? Would a congressman notice a thousand views? Or would it take more?
I'll have to check out when my congressman will be holding town meetings next.
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Technorati tags: politics
I like Instapundit's idea on a way for people to be more involved:
"Another suggestion: show up at your Congressman's local town meetings with a half dozen friends and ask tough questions. He or she will notice or at least be uncomfortable."
(Glenn is building on his wife's post about this topic.)
I wonder how many views on Youtube it would take before a politician would sit up and take notice. Does a mayor of an average size city worry about a hundred views, or does it take more? Would a congressman notice a thousand views? Or would it take more?
I'll have to check out when my congressman will be holding town meetings next.
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Technorati tags: politics
From the archives - Tell him you don't know
The following is was a comment on a blog at Reason, back in 2004, but the link I had no longer works:
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I was a high-school English teacher for three years, and recently ran screaming back to the arms of the private sector. I personally had no bad experiences with the NEA, but I'll say this: thinking that the NEA is the only thing wrong with American education is like thinking Bin Laden is the only thing wrong with Islamic extremism. Teachers are expected to "open kids' minds" and "teach them to think for themselves," yet at the same time we don't dare say or do anything that might possibly offend the parents. Kids with criminal records have a "right" to an education, but teachers don't have the right to know that their students are dangerous. Special-ed kids cannot be disciplined at all. Failures cannot be held accountable for their failure, because that might damage the kids' self-esteem.
True anecdote, before I make my dinner: I taught "Merchant of Venice" to seniors one year; in it there's a line where one character is insulting another, by saying something along the lines of "He damns the ears of all who hear him, by calling him 'fool.'" One of the kids asked me what that meant, so I explained that one of the lesser-known verses of the Book of Matthew has Jesus saying that anyone who calls another a fool will be damned. (I recited chapter and verse, though I can't remember it now.) I went on to talk about the very funny use Voltaire made of that in his essay "The Jesuit Berthier" (an angel tells a priest to stop giving his stupid, boring sermons, because instead of winning souls for God he's endangering the souls of all who hear him, because they all call him a fool), and explained also that this is why cartoony villians in movies developed the habit of using "Fool!" as their default insult; for people familiar with the Bible, the fact that the villian always says "Fool!" is just one more proof that this is an evil, evil dude.
"So anyway," I said to the class, "back in Shakespeare's day, when people were far more familiar with the Bible than they are now, instead of insulting someone by saying 'You are a fool,' you'd say 'You are a--well, I can't SAY what you are because then I'd go to hell.' That's what he's doing in the play."
Next day I get called into the principal's office; some parents were FURIOUS that I had told their kids that Jesus said anyone who says 'fool,' will go to Hell.
"But he did," I pointed out.
"It doesn't matter, Jennifer. You can't insult kids' religions."
"Well, the kid asked me what that line from the play meant! What was I supposed to do?"
"Just tell him you don't know."
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One of the things I like about homeschooling is we can tell our children the truth.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
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I was a high-school English teacher for three years, and recently ran screaming back to the arms of the private sector. I personally had no bad experiences with the NEA, but I'll say this: thinking that the NEA is the only thing wrong with American education is like thinking Bin Laden is the only thing wrong with Islamic extremism. Teachers are expected to "open kids' minds" and "teach them to think for themselves," yet at the same time we don't dare say or do anything that might possibly offend the parents. Kids with criminal records have a "right" to an education, but teachers don't have the right to know that their students are dangerous. Special-ed kids cannot be disciplined at all. Failures cannot be held accountable for their failure, because that might damage the kids' self-esteem.
True anecdote, before I make my dinner: I taught "Merchant of Venice" to seniors one year; in it there's a line where one character is insulting another, by saying something along the lines of "He damns the ears of all who hear him, by calling him 'fool.'" One of the kids asked me what that meant, so I explained that one of the lesser-known verses of the Book of Matthew has Jesus saying that anyone who calls another a fool will be damned. (I recited chapter and verse, though I can't remember it now.) I went on to talk about the very funny use Voltaire made of that in his essay "The Jesuit Berthier" (an angel tells a priest to stop giving his stupid, boring sermons, because instead of winning souls for God he's endangering the souls of all who hear him, because they all call him a fool), and explained also that this is why cartoony villians in movies developed the habit of using "Fool!" as their default insult; for people familiar with the Bible, the fact that the villian always says "Fool!" is just one more proof that this is an evil, evil dude.
"So anyway," I said to the class, "back in Shakespeare's day, when people were far more familiar with the Bible than they are now, instead of insulting someone by saying 'You are a fool,' you'd say 'You are a--well, I can't SAY what you are because then I'd go to hell.' That's what he's doing in the play."
Next day I get called into the principal's office; some parents were FURIOUS that I had told their kids that Jesus said anyone who says 'fool,' will go to Hell.
"But he did," I pointed out.
"It doesn't matter, Jennifer. You can't insult kids' religions."
"Well, the kid asked me what that line from the play meant! What was I supposed to do?"
"Just tell him you don't know."
----------
One of the things I like about homeschooling is we can tell our children the truth.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
From the archives: Do you really have confidence?
When Henry Ward Beecher was a young boy in school, he learned a lesson in self confidence which he never forgot.
He was called upon to recite in front of the class. He had hardly begun when the teacher interrupted with an emphatic, "No!" He started over and again the teacher thundered, "No!" Humiliated, Henry sat down.
The next boy rose to recite and had just begun when the teacher shouted, "No!" This student, however, kept on with the recitation until he completed it. As he sat down, the teacher replied, "Very good!"
Henry was irritated. "I recited just as he did," he complained to the teacher. But the instructor replied, "It is not enough to know your lesson; you must be sure. When you allowed me to stop you, it meant that you were uncertain. If all the world says, 'No!' it is your business to say, 'Yes!' and prove it."
The world will say, "No!" in a thousand ways:
"No! You can't do that."
"No! You are wrong."
"No! You are too old."
"No! You are too young."
"No! You are too weak."
"No! It will never work."
"No! You don't have the education."
"No! You don't have the background."
"No! You don't have the money."
"No! It can't be done."
And each "No!" you hear has the potential to erode your confidence bit by bit until you quit all together.
Though the world says, "No!" to you today, will you determine to say, "Yes!" and prove it?
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Technorati tags: confidence
He was called upon to recite in front of the class. He had hardly begun when the teacher interrupted with an emphatic, "No!" He started over and again the teacher thundered, "No!" Humiliated, Henry sat down.
The next boy rose to recite and had just begun when the teacher shouted, "No!" This student, however, kept on with the recitation until he completed it. As he sat down, the teacher replied, "Very good!"
Henry was irritated. "I recited just as he did," he complained to the teacher. But the instructor replied, "It is not enough to know your lesson; you must be sure. When you allowed me to stop you, it meant that you were uncertain. If all the world says, 'No!' it is your business to say, 'Yes!' and prove it."
The world will say, "No!" in a thousand ways:
"No! You can't do that."
"No! You are wrong."
"No! You are too old."
"No! You are too young."
"No! You are too weak."
"No! It will never work."
"No! You don't have the education."
"No! You don't have the background."
"No! You don't have the money."
"No! It can't be done."
And each "No!" you hear has the potential to erode your confidence bit by bit until you quit all together.
Though the world says, "No!" to you today, will you determine to say, "Yes!" and prove it?
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Technorati tags: confidence
From the archives - the Porta-meeting
I've been working through some old email. There are a number of gems from years ago.
I still chuckle when I see this:
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Technorati tags: Porta meeting
I still chuckle when I see this:
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Technorati tags: Porta meeting
An amazing Mayor - Hazel McCallion
My mother sent me a link to a news report on Hazel McCallion, who has been the major of the City of Mississauga for an incredible 31 yeas. The city seems well run. She wants a balance budget for each year, and the city has money in the bank. In the last election she received over 97% of the vote!
It would be nice to have more mayors like her.
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Technorati tags: Hazel McCallion
It would be nice to have more mayors like her.
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Technorati tags: Hazel McCallion
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Slight change in plans
Dana of Principled Discovery was going to host this week, but she's has a problem with her hip.
The Headmistress of The Common Room has generously agreed to take over at the last minue.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
The Headmistress of The Common Room has generously agreed to take over at the last minue.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Internet Phenomenon Susan Boyle just keeps going
The Susan Boyle's video has been up for a week and is already up to 25 million views! I wonder if it is the all time hit on Youtube now? If not, it could easily be in another week.
Here is another song by Susan Boyle:
It is from a charity CD made back in 1999, of which only 1000 copies were made. I wonder how much the CDs are selling for now.
I hope she gets a good agent.
Here is a nice interview with Susan Boyle:
And another interview.
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Technorati tags: Susan, Boyle
Here is another song by Susan Boyle:
It is from a charity CD made back in 1999, of which only 1000 copies were made. I wonder how much the CDs are selling for now.
I hope she gets a good agent.
Here is a nice interview with Susan Boyle:
And another interview.
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Technorati tags: Susan, Boyle
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
Dana will be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling next week at her blog Principled Discovery.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
You might enjoy some of Dana's recent posts: Homeschoolers as Deviants, and Is our culture too overprotective of children?
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
You might enjoy some of Dana's recent posts: Homeschoolers as Deviants, and Is our culture too overprotective of children?
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Introducing the Cate Family
This is fun:
Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com
(Hat tip: Mother By Nature)
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Technorati tags: Stick, Figure, Family
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Mainstream Media Commercial
I really do love YouTube. I got this from my cousin on Facebook.
WARNING: While I think this is a cute clip, don't check out any other video clip produced by this group. They are mostly awful and in poor taste.
Tags : YouTube , Mainstream Media , thinking
WARNING: While I think this is a cute clip, don't check out any other video clip produced by this group. They are mostly awful and in poor taste.
Tags : YouTube , Mainstream Media , thinking
History of the Tax Day Tea Parties
I'm still coming up to speed on Tax Day Tea Parties. I'll be leaving in a couple hours for the local event. I came across Michelle Malkin's history of how the Tax Day Tea Parties got started. She reports:
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Feb. 15: Keli Carender, who blogs as “Liberty Belle” spread the word about a grass-roots protest she was organizing in Seattle to raise her voice against the passage of the trillion-dollar stimulus/porkulus/Generational Theft Act of 2009. It’s the first time she had ever jumped into political organizing of any kind. She is not affiliated with any “corporate lobbyist” or think tank or national taxpayers’ organization. She’s a young conservative mom who blogs. Amazingly, she turned around the event in a few days all on her own by reaching out on the Internet, to her local talk station, and to anyone who would listen.
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Michelle then covers events over the next week.
I think one of the results of this movement is more people are going to be involved in politics. There are lots of instances of average Joes who rarely did much about politics before who are organizing events with hundreds, even thousands of people. If they stay active and organized, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
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Technorati tags: Tax, Day, Tea, Parties
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Feb. 15: Keli Carender, who blogs as “Liberty Belle” spread the word about a grass-roots protest she was organizing in Seattle to raise her voice against the passage of the trillion-dollar stimulus/porkulus/Generational Theft Act of 2009. It’s the first time she had ever jumped into political organizing of any kind. She is not affiliated with any “corporate lobbyist” or think tank or national taxpayers’ organization. She’s a young conservative mom who blogs. Amazingly, she turned around the event in a few days all on her own by reaching out on the Internet, to her local talk station, and to anyone who would listen.
----------
Michelle then covers events over the next week.
I think one of the results of this movement is more people are going to be involved in politics. There are lots of instances of average Joes who rarely did much about politics before who are organizing events with hundreds, even thousands of people. If they stay active and organized, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
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Technorati tags: Tax, Day, Tea, Parties
Interesting - the 1040 form through history
This is an interesting site - U.S. 1040 Tax Forms, 1913 to 2006.
The first 1040 form was more complicated than I expected, but the instructions were way simplier than what we have today. I wish we had the tax rate of 1913.
(Hat tip: Instapundit)
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Technorati tags: 1040, form
The first 1040 form was more complicated than I expected, but the instructions were way simplier than what we have today. I wish we had the tax rate of 1913.
(Hat tip: Instapundit)
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Technorati tags: 1040, form
Lessons from Susan Boyle
I've been thinking about Susan Boyle's video. It has been on YouTube for four days and it has 5.6 million hits, as of now. I'm sure by tomorrow it will be up to seven million, or more.
This amazing story takes place on England's version of American Idol. Britains Got Talent has Susan Boyle as one of their contestants. She has a dream to be a professional singer. Susan is 47, a bit overweight and not real attractive. She's never been married, never even been kissed. She cared for her sick mother for years. The audience clearly expects a poor performance.
Then she sings "I have a dream." They are stunned. Quickly everyone changes their opinion of her. She has a great voice, as good as any professional singer, maybe better than most.
By the end of the video it is clear Susan Boyle is extraordinary, and she will be a professional singer.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
In the buzz around the internet there are frequent mentions that we should be careful about being quick to judge. We shouldn't judge a book by its cover. And clearly this is a good lesson to learn from this event. Susan is not polished and comes across as an average person.
Yet there are other lessons here.
Go for your dream
Susan says she's been singing since she was twelve. It appears she has been scared to take serious steps to realize the dream. One article said that after her mother's death Susan finally got up the courage to take a risk and appear on Britains Got Talent.
I think many of us have great potential, yet we too often don't step into a scary spot. There are probably dozens more Susan Boyles in the UK, maybe hundreds, people who can have amazing voices, but will never be known.
We need to take risks and go for our dreams.
Support others in their dreams
We've watched the video of Susan singing a dozen times in our family. It has brought great joy. Baby Bop claps each time he hears her sing. Her voice has enriched our lives. Her story has renewed our hope in humanity.
Yet there are others who won't be successful because they have little or no support. They want someone to hold their hand when they step into the scary spot. They want to be reassured that it is OK to try, and maybe even fail at first.
We should help others take risks as they go for their dreams.
Teach our children to work for their dreams
People don't just walk onto a stage and belt out a perfect version of "I have a dream." There are years of preparation. Susan has been singing for 35 years. As parents one of the important lessons we can teach our children is to put in the effort to realize their dreams. Our society has a meme that it just takes luck to be successful. It is true that luck helps, but true success also takes year of hard work.
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Technorati tags: Susan, Boyle, dreams, success
This amazing story takes place on England's version of American Idol. Britains Got Talent has Susan Boyle as one of their contestants. She has a dream to be a professional singer. Susan is 47, a bit overweight and not real attractive. She's never been married, never even been kissed. She cared for her sick mother for years. The audience clearly expects a poor performance.
Then she sings "I have a dream." They are stunned. Quickly everyone changes their opinion of her. She has a great voice, as good as any professional singer, maybe better than most.
By the end of the video it is clear Susan Boyle is extraordinary, and she will be a professional singer.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
In the buzz around the internet there are frequent mentions that we should be careful about being quick to judge. We shouldn't judge a book by its cover. And clearly this is a good lesson to learn from this event. Susan is not polished and comes across as an average person.
Yet there are other lessons here.
Go for your dream
Susan says she's been singing since she was twelve. It appears she has been scared to take serious steps to realize the dream. One article said that after her mother's death Susan finally got up the courage to take a risk and appear on Britains Got Talent.
I think many of us have great potential, yet we too often don't step into a scary spot. There are probably dozens more Susan Boyles in the UK, maybe hundreds, people who can have amazing voices, but will never be known.
We need to take risks and go for our dreams.
Support others in their dreams
We've watched the video of Susan singing a dozen times in our family. It has brought great joy. Baby Bop claps each time he hears her sing. Her voice has enriched our lives. Her story has renewed our hope in humanity.
Yet there are others who won't be successful because they have little or no support. They want someone to hold their hand when they step into the scary spot. They want to be reassured that it is OK to try, and maybe even fail at first.
We should help others take risks as they go for their dreams.
Teach our children to work for their dreams
People don't just walk onto a stage and belt out a perfect version of "I have a dream." There are years of preparation. Susan has been singing for 35 years. As parents one of the important lessons we can teach our children is to put in the effort to realize their dreams. Our society has a meme that it just takes luck to be successful. It is true that luck helps, but true success also takes year of hard work.
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Technorati tags: Susan, Boyle, dreams, success
This week's Carnival of Education is up
Joanne Jacobs is hosting this week's Carnival of Education.
The theme is: We don’t need no stinking theme!
There are a ton of posts.
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Technorati tags: government schools, public school, public education, education
The theme is: We don’t need no stinking theme!
There are a ton of posts.
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Technorati tags: government schools, public school, public education, education
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Susan Boyle - Wow! Wow!
My mother sent this link. (For some reason Youtube won't let people embed the video.)
Susan Boyle is a contestant on Britian's version of "American Idol." She's 47, lives along with a cat. She's unemployed. At the start of the video she comes across as an average person, maybe even lower class.
Then she sings!
Wow!
According to this web site, Susan put off chasing a music career to take care of her sick mother, who died at the age of 91 in 2007.
Well it looks like her music career will be doing just fine. A single Youtube video of her singing has had over 3.5 million views, in just three days.
This is a good reminder not to judge a book by its cover.
Now go watch the video.
Update I - 14 Apr 09
In just the seven hours since this post when up the Youtube video has had another million hits!
Here's a nice article with insight into who is Susan Boyle. Just amazing.
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Technorati tags: Susan, Boyle
Susan Boyle is a contestant on Britian's version of "American Idol." She's 47, lives along with a cat. She's unemployed. At the start of the video she comes across as an average person, maybe even lower class.
Then she sings!
Wow!
According to this web site, Susan put off chasing a music career to take care of her sick mother, who died at the age of 91 in 2007.
Well it looks like her music career will be doing just fine. A single Youtube video of her singing has had over 3.5 million views, in just three days.
This is a good reminder not to judge a book by its cover.
Now go watch the video.
Update I - 14 Apr 09
In just the seven hours since this post when up the Youtube video has had another million hits!
Here's a nice article with insight into who is Susan Boyle. Just amazing.
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Technorati tags: Susan, Boyle
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