Celebrating America’s Diversity

This infographic begins in the year 1820. What was going on in the world in 1820 that makes this infographic begin there. Do you agree that it should begin there? Should it begin earlier, or later? What were the biggest factors that led to immigration to America? Where did the immigrants settle in America? What […]

celebrating-americas-diversity-family-history-month-2011_50290d3e5e9b9_w1500.pngThis infographic begins in the year 1820. What was going on in the world in 1820 that makes this infographic begin there. Do you agree that it should begin there? Should it begin earlier, or later? What were the biggest factors that led to immigration to America?

Where did the immigrants settle in America? What was going on in each state that led to the number of immigrants, or lack there of? The infographic only talks about how many immigrants are in each state. When did the immigrants travel there and why? For instance, North Carolina has a recognizable immigrant population. What is going on that we have so many? Why not other states?

Blog: http://visual.ly/celebrating-americas-diversity-family-history-month-2011

Why You Won’t See Me at ISTE ’14

San Antonio was great last year, especially EduBloggerCon (now called something else) and the photo walk with my very good Apple Distinguished Educator-friends. It was also wonderful reconnecting with far flung colleagues, even if I couldn’t instantly call up many of their names. It’s one of my many cognitive difficulties.

But dispite my original and enthusiastic intentions, I won’t be visiting Atlanta this year for ISTE’14. I know that there have been speculations about my health. But at this point, aside from a persistently high triglyceride count, I am perfectly healthy, still walking between 2 and 5 miles a day. In many ways, I’ve never felt better. The pressure is off. I’ve let go of the three gigs a week expectation and spend my office time, working on projects that interest me. Lately it’s been converting out-of-print books about local and family history to Kindle-ready formats for my Dad, who needs 144 point font for reading. I’ve also been updating Class Blogmeister code and ramping the service up with some JQuery magic. And I’m still doing some speaking, Kuwait early next month. So don’t stop calling.  I’m just taking the pressure cap off and

..finding a new intersection between play, passion and purpose.

Nope it’s not health that’s changed my mind about ISTE this year. I actually submitted proposals to present, including “Bookbag 2024,” which I had so much fun doing at NCTIES this winter. In a sense, It would have been a swan song presentation, “Heres what education looks like ten years from now, if we continue to do our jobs well and resist the corporate-ization of public education.”

Alas, that proposal was rejected. To be fair, the second proposal was accepted, but not as the spotlight sessions I’ve done for the past decade or so.  That proposal was for an entertaining, interactive, but research-based session about the pedagogies of video games. It was a good proposal, and I suspect that some reader had checkboxes of proposal characteristics and trending topics – and that write-up pushed a lot of buttons, while some role-playing old codger telling stories and speculating about the future didn’t.

I won’t lie and say that I don’t taste sour grapes.  But I take nothing from ISTE.  In fact my wife and I have been trying to figure out some way to start a scholarship to send one or more North Carolina educators to ISTE each year.

I blame and accept the fact that experience that spans from TRS-80 to IOS has become a little less important compared to the creative energy of much younger educators – a fact that I was reminded of earlier this morning as I read a number of  thoughtful and otherwise kick-ass blog posts in my FlipBoard, most of them authored by educators who could have been the children of the students I taught nearly 40 years ago.

This is by no means the end of my public speaking, blogging, tweeting and what ever comes next.  Many of you will see me again, as I walk the stage trying to infect you with shakabuku.

But not at ISTE ’14.

Engineering and Curiosity

What of these complex machines do you use in class? What complex machines do you and your students use every day? How will you use these machines to teach your students? One idea for teaching your students over the course of a year could be the development of discoveries from the simple to the complex. […]

What of these complex machines do you use in class? What complex machines do you and your students use every day? How will you use these machines to teach your students? One idea for teaching your students over the course of a year could be the development of discoveries from the simple to the complex. Helping your students understand the development of discoveries over time, and allowing them discover them in an accelorated manner may help them understand the significance of modern science.

The end of video shared that there are more discoveries in the universe. In modern era, sometimes we cannot see what is undiscovered. The majority of the world has not only been explored, but much of it is lived on. While it simply requires a look up into the sky to see what has not been discovered, it takes money to get up there. Fortunately for us, despite money, people were able to get across the Atlantic Ocean to discover and settle America. Encourage your students to not let money stop their dreams. Education is a valuable form of currency as well.

Blog: http://anewdomain.net/2014/04/03/engineering-curiosity-video-week/

The Universe in Numbers

This infographic is an entertaining video on various aspects of the Universe. It goes into size, age, and different aspects of our universe. There are several important things that can be taught using this infographic. First of all, it does go against the Biblical idea that Earth is only 6,000 years old. Regardless of what […]

This infographic is an entertaining video on various aspects of the Universe. It goes into size, age, and different aspects of our universe.

There are several important things that can be taught using this infographic. First of all, it does go against the Biblical idea that Earth is only 6,000 years old. Regardless of what the Bible says, this infographic shares important information. Using this infographic, teach your students tolerance of other ideas. Another important aspect of this infographic is its lack of sources. Challenge your students to find sources supporting every aspect of this infographic. Teach your students that the most important aspect of any argument is using reliable sources.

Blog: http://visual.ly/universe-numbers

Shakespeare in its original dialect

It doesn’t seem quite right that some of the most important literature we have is viewed from such a modern perspective. Obviously people still get value out of just reading something as it makes sense to them, but there’s no doubt that some of that value gets lost without the context of the original language […]

Shakespeare in its original dialect

It doesn’t seem quite right that some of the most important literature we have is viewed from such a modern perspective. Obviously people still get value out of just reading something as it makes sense to them, but there’s no doubt that some of that value gets lost without the context of the original language or setting. That’s why this theatre has started putting on Shakespeare performances in the original accent they would have been performed in. Suddenly these lines we’ve been studying for hundreds of years have new rhymes and sometimes different meanings.

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Modern American Financial History

A friend once told me that he once had a history teacher who, because she had studied history teacher, she foresaw the recent recession coming. Let’s hope that she got all of her money out of stocks before it happened. There is also a saying that history repeats itself. Looking at this infographic, what do […]

modern-american-financial-history_502919833e38f_w1500.png

A friend once told me that he once had a history teacher who, because she had studied history teacher, she foresaw the recent recession coming. Let’s hope that she got all of her money out of stocks before it happened. There is also a saying that history repeats itself. Looking at this infographic, what do you think?

By comparing and contrasting each economic down turn, what are some of the similarities and some of the differences? What are factors that may contribute to the next economic down turn?Answer the same questions for each economic upturn? Does it simply take time to come out of a poor economic time, or are there certain things that can be done to help it along?

Finally, do you and your students think that once we are out of this recession, we will be done with them for good? Probably not, but what can you and your students do to prepare for the next one? The next one will probably happen when your students are adults, and starting jobs. What should they do to prepare of a recession while they are just starting out in life?

Blog: http://visual.ly/modern-american-financial-history