About teaching and the Teen

Teaching is as much about listening as lecturing. Maybe even more so. For it is not just what a student says but what they don't say that let's me know what to ask next. Whenever a student answers a question, I like to see if their answer is a guess, luck or for real.

Teaching High School in 2010

"There is no substitute for practice", I tell this to my students at regular intervals. I say it with sincerity, saddness, conviction and pleading; but the results remain the same. Or should I say - they remain UNCHANGED.

How can I compete with constant text messaging, Tour of Duty, YouTube, FaceBook.... How can I make them think that 20 minutes of independent work will make any difference in their life? Would it be possible to engage them at their digital level - through texting, or FaceBook or Youtube videos? Possible, but what is wrong with a little hard - paper pencil - realistic work?

I'm at an impass.....

More Math?

The secrets of mental math, could it help me multiply larger numbers w/o a calculator?

Arthur Benjamin, Michael Shermer

'Avatar' phenominol!!!!!

Saw Avatar in 3D. What a beautiful movie. Sure the graphics were awe-strikingly brilliant, but it would be just another sci-fi movie without the story line.

James Cameron is right up there with George Lukas (not b/c of Star Wars, but with respect to ET). A beautiful story with wonderful characters. I think James Cameron went a few steps further though, with his brilliant integration of human performance meshed with computer generated graphics. Magnificent.

I saw it with my daughter Kim today and after the movie we talked about how moving it was, and amazing; the story was true to life as we know it. We have really lost touch with what matters most, but there is still hope...

You Do The Math

This could be the title of a part of my math class routine to get students interested in doing a math problem. Not tricky or high tech, but meant to get them thinking. For example, for my first problem:

• Is it feasible for someone to shoot 1 million hoops in 1 year, if he/she only has 1 hour a day to commit to this activity? Please rationalize your answer.

I was listening to an NPR program about a guy who wanted to shoot a million free throws for charity, and he said in passing, '...do the math' and bam, I thought that would/might be something cool for students to solve. What are the logistics of this type of problem? How does doing a calculation about events that have not occurred translate into everyday society? We can attempt to answer the age old question, "when will I ever use this stuff, I mean really..."

Linked with people I know

I was enthused with finding that someone I went to HS with is a writer who earns a living with the 'written word'. Way to go Mark

mo's site

My Favorite Shows

This is 2010 and there are some blah blah shows on TV, but a couple of shows have my interest:

• Modern Family
• The Big Bang Theory

I find them well written and very amusing!

Comeback America & Design Revolution

By David M. Walker this may be an interesting read.

Design Revolution - 100 products that empower people - Emily Pilloton