Greek Tragedy? or Old Fashion Stubbornness

Tragedy vs. Stubbornness? Antigone vs. Creon? Eteocles vs. Polynices? Tiresias vs Creon? Creon vs Haemon? Antigone vs. Ismene? Creon vs. World? Where does it end? Antigone (a link to a version of Antigone)
Tragedy in the Greek sense stems from a character flaw or what may be your destiny. Oedipus was "destine" to kill his father and marry his mother, so to undo the prophecy he was taken as a baby, by his real parents, to the hills to die; only to be rescued by a shepherd, oops. The shepherd took the baby to the king and queen in the next kingdom... later Oedipus finds out about the prophecy (he loves his parents and doesn't want to kill them) and he takes matters in his own hands and leaves the kingdom, oops. He finds himself in the neighboring kingdom and, you guessed it he killed the King, "dad" and then married the Queen, "mom" in hopes to bring harmony back to the kingdom, oops. He fathers 4 children, two boys and two girls, oops, "Eteocles, Polynices, Ismene, and Antigone." Oedipus is feeling pretty good about life and thinks he has beaten the prophecy, but it wouldn't be a tragedy if there is a happy ending and oh yeah, NOBODY beats the "gods." Oedipus finds out the the king and queen he thinks are his parents are not his real parents (this proves you should always tell an adopted child they are adopted), oops, and the king he killed was actually his real dad, oops, and he did in fact marry his mother, double oops. Oedipus then kills himself the queen mother kills herself and the boys are left to rule the kingdom. The boys decide they will take turns being the king and Eteocles decides he'll go first, he soon finds out "it is good to be the king," and when it is his brother's turn to rule he says no "I'm the king and you are not I like being king so I have changed my mind you do not get a turn at being king, SORRY." So, Polynices did the only thing any "self respecting heir to the throne" could do, he amassed an army and fought his brother for the throne. Irony has a way of coming full circle, and there are many examples in history of this, but that's another story, the brothers killed each other in battle and now NEITHER is king. Enter Creon, who now becomes king by default. His first declaration as king is to give Eteocles a full state burial fit for the king he was and to leave Polynices on the battlefield to rot and be eaten by wild animals, an act that will punish the traitor for eternity. Here is where our story begins, Antigone loved her brothers and wanted them both honored or at the very least given a proper burial. She asks her sister to help her bury Polynices; Ismene says the king's law forbids it (line 53) Creon has said, NO! line (line 58). Antigone says, Creon does not have the right to keep me from doing it (line 59).
The rest of the play is spent with Antigone trying to do what she feels is the right thing and ends up being punished for it, but I think the real story lies with Creon's actions. Creon is advised many times by different people to do the right thing and let Antigone bury her brother. He is even told no good can from his punishing Antigone. The prophet advises him, his son begs him, and I think even his wife offered council about how he should treat his niece, Oh did I forget to mention that Creon was family, sorry. All of these things are what the Greeks emphasised in their plays, "tragedies," a lesson to be learned. A tool of education, a story about how when people don't do what is right and how they lose everything is suppose to teach us that if we don't do what is right we risk the same. All of this caused me to keep coming back to one thought, what is good advice? and why do we choose not to listen? As a child everyone has been burnt by the hot stove or pan, and YES everyone of us was warned by a parent or sibling, NOT to touch it. Yet touch we do, we later learn that the very people that warned us did not head the advice when it was given to them and they too touched and were burned. WHY? Why do we need to feel the depth of pain before we realize we should have just listened. I don't want to debate all that Creon lost or if what Antigone did was right, but would rather leave you with a parting quote. " Life is too short to make all the mistakes yourself, learn from others."

Role Playing as Boy.

Gary Soto: Behind Grandma's House A link to the poem. Like any young boy outside with no one around, left to his own imagination, this young boy is set on the path to manhood. It starts very simply, "At ten I wanted fame." He knew at ten what Andy Rooney says we'll all have, "15 minutes of fame." This young boy even has an idea of what you need to get you there, "I had a comb And two Coke bottles, a tube of Bryl-creem." Let us examine these things he has, 1- a comb- a device used to straighten or detangle hair, 2- two Coke bottles (empty bottles), and 3- Bryl-creem - a palmate used to make hair more manageable. I think he may have had all he needed to get started toward fame. Everyone knows you need to look your best if you are going to be famous, and since this poem was written in the 1950's the most recognized hair styles for men were the flat top and duck tail. Both of these required hair gel or cream to hold the look in place. The duck tail required constant attention and a fair amount of cream. Bryl-creem was one of the first hair creams to be offered in a tube instead of a can. So we can see this boy has his looks taken care of and ready for fame. He has two Coke bottles, IE money, if you had soda bottles you could redeem them anywhere for the deposit, usually 2 cents to 5 cents, which means while not rich, he did have money, candy money. He also has a young boy entourage, " I had a borrowed dog." What else do you need I ask? This boy had necessities, money, and a dog; fame would surely find him if he didn't find it first. I really see a lot ties to "The Little Rascals" a popular show about a gang of little boys in a poor neighborhood. They had a dog with mismatched eyes and a ring around one, he answered to "Petey" a great dog by any young boy's standards, a clubhouse, a go-cart and adventures.
Then the poem turns to the little boy doing "manly" things like, acting tough or "Tuff."  Ruff and Tuff kicking cans and killing ants, rocking cats and shooing pigeons and finally cussing the priest. All these things are things this little boy knew from his culture as things that make a man seem tough. kids mimic what they see adults do and what they see in their culture, (TV, neighborhood, schools, church, ...) But reality sets in as soon as grandma steps into the alley. She says "Let me help you." when someone says let me help you, you expect them to do many different things but not what is about happen. She punched him, really, grandma punched him. You see if this boy was going to be as "tuff" as he was acting he would need some help "tuffening" up. Everyone knows when you are talking about that kind of "tuff" you need to able to take a punch. My guess is Grandma was trying to iron out some kinks, bad behavioral kinks, and the best way to do that was to get the undivided attention of her grandson. She got it!

Sonnets? By Billy S. and Others

Sonnet- type of poetry that consists of 14 lines and falls into one of two categories, Shakespearean or Italian. Interesting to note these categories are seemingly experts in the language of love. Iambic Pentameter is the other requirement for a poem to be a sonnet, simply put 14 lines with 5 beats / emphasis per line, not just syllables like in Haiku. Most sonnets seem to be 3 groups of 4 lines sharing a common thought and 2 lines to finish or summarize the thought.
Sonnet #116 Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds a link to the sonnet. I am not convinced I have a the right slant on this sonnet but would like to share what it says to me and my thoughts about love. In the first group of 4 lines we have "Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds." This is a deep and profound thought that begins to provoke other deep and profound thoughts. "Love is not Love," the statement says to me one must first be familiar with the definition of what love is; many scholars and philosophers have been trying to define this since time began. Love and the definition of love are seen through the lens of our own experiences and culture (as are most definitions in our vocabulary), but love is a more important definition because of the affect it has on our lives. Bill says love is not love when it alters after an alteration is discovered. The apostle Paul had to write a letter to the church folk in Corinth to define love for them, in this letter he starts with all the things love is not and ends with what love does. Other examples exist pointing to the true nature of love and the common theme shared by all these views of Love is, True Love is NOT conditional. It is true there are different types of love, like the love a parent has for a child, love between friends, love between intimate friends, or love for humanity as a whole, and even more examples.... All of these are different but have the same common thread, Love is NOT conditional. If there are conditions that have to be met then it is not love but something else, maybe not something bad, just different, meaning true love should not be confused with other feelings, though it often is. The other thing this group of lines points to is that in finding the alteration you feel the need to remove it. Does this mean when we discover something about the person we are in love with we either want to change what we discovered or change the way we feel? ... No! I contend we substitute or mislabel some feelings as love when they are not, when we are young we often confuse love with infatuation and lust, because we do not know yet what true love is.
The second group of 4 lines, start with what I think is the purest ideal of love, "Oh, no! it is an ever-fixed mark." this says to me more of what I have already said, Love, True love is pure and not based upon the idea that someone needs to earn it in order to be loved by someone. Nor that they need to act a certain way, have a certain amount of money, be a certain size, think only certain thoughts, no true love is mark beyond all marks and sets no precondition on who gets to give love or who gets to receive. True love is not tempted by every pretty / handsome person that walks by. Bill says it like this, if when you are asea and you are headed to see your true love then that is your path. you will not stray from your path to chase after every ship you see that looks worthy of chasing. I got all that from the second group, ever fixed mark, not tempted, ship that has been measured to determine if its carrying precious cargo. (Shakespearean experts look at these lines as they refer to a lighthouse and the north star, I'm not saying they are wrong, these are just my ideas of these lines.) No, love only looks to love and grows deeper, love is the greatest treasure known to exist. The search for true love takes us many places in the course of our life and when we really find it, we are engulfed feelings and emotions that hardly have words to fully explain.
The third group of 4 lines, speak to the enduring qualities of true love, "But bears it out even to the edge of doom." Love bears all, Love endures all, Love conquers all, even time.
Shakespeare ends this sonnet with if he is proved wrong about love then no man has truly loved and all that he has ever written about love were just wasted words and wasted time.

Terminal Resemblance? Death, Train or Bus Stations?

Louise Gluck, Terminal Resemblance This is a link to Amazon: The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English. You can find her poem in this book or search the Amazon site for other Louise Gluck titles. The title of this work either leads you straight to death or places. When you read the first lines you find the speaker on the phone and the father pointing at his watch... meaning it is time to go or we will be late. But then the poem shifts to... I want to talk to you before you go. Wow what a shift. You may remember those days when someone important to us says "we need to talk."
          I want to give you a few thoughts to think about as you continue to read. When was the last time you really had a conversation with your Dad? Mom? Brother? Sister? Grandma? Grandpa? ______? really had a conversation, not talking about current events, the weather, or how things are going. I mean, when, if ever, have you had a conversation about how that person has shaped and influenced your life? Or when was the last time you sat down and talked about the philosophies of life and how much you really like learning about the family history? Have you ever been at a family dinner where at the finishing of the last bite that everyone just continued to sit at the table and talk to each other about everything and nothing? Have you ever spent hours and hours looking through old family photographs? Have you really told the important people in your life just how much you love them?
          I want to start with a few lines at the end of the poem, "This time, he waved. That's what I did, at the door to the taxi. Like him, waved to disguise my hand's trembling." (36-38)  I wanted to start at the end so you get the sense of finality, that sets in when you realize all the things you wanted to say and do, if this would be the last time you had the chance to say or do it. Many will tell you that you can not go back in time and therefore do not dwell on the things you can not change, this statement is true. That's why it is ever so important to do things when you can, you may not have another chance. That doesn't mean rob the bank because the vault door is open and nobody is watching.  Question? What is time in the present if there are no more tomorrows?  I am just trying to say that I get the sense that this daughter wanted so badly to break down and hug her daddy and tell how much she loved him and he, her. She did not because that's not the way they did things, they did show openly what was really happening on the inside. Her mother was standing at the door with one arm in her husbands and blowing kisses with the other. Does this look just like the rest of  the neighborhood women standing on the porches? Bidding adieu to their own husband's as they were "going to work." (26) When I read this poem I was reminded of my own father's passing and all the things left unsaid between us, not regrets, just stories to be shared, assured understandings of pride, and thankfulness for helping to shape me into the man I am becoming. Yes, "becoming," because as long as I am alive I will continue to grow and change. Even though my dad is gone his influences are still present in my life.
           I like how Gluck uses the weather to help describe the heaviness of the "talk" that was about to take place, " It was the end of August, very hot, very humid." (9) I get the sense that the tension in the air around the house was just as heavy as the hazy, hot, and humid summer weather. Even amid all this tension on the inside, the appearance on the outside was normal. It was normal for the individuals, family, and community.
          One parting thought: How do we fool ourselves and those around us that things are normal when they are not? My answer is we usually don't. Our close family members and dear love ones (spouse) know when things are not normal on the inside.

Raisin a son?

Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun A link to Amazon where you can preview and purchase this play. Lorraine Hansberry died at a very young age, 34, of pancreatic cancer. She is best remembered for A Raisin in the Sun a play inspired by her own real life struggles on the south side of Chicago. She was also very involved in politics and the Civil Rights Movement. The root inspiration for this play from the "racial issues"side stem from  her family's struggles with moving into a predominantly white neighborhood. Her father filed a law suit against the landowners association's restrictive covenants, Hansberry v. Lee. He took his law suit all the way to the supreme court and won, having the Hansberry name forever immortalized in the legal annals of landmark legal cases. Even though Carl Hansberry won his case in the highest court of the land, the US Supreme Court, he was still treated as though he had won nothing. Carl Hansberry decided that he would be better off to just move his family out of the country than to continue to live in a country that condoned such ill manored behavior. Lorraine wrote this play as an attempt to educate the masses through, dramatic play, of the social injustices that exists in Chicago a northern city. Lorraine Hansberry felt the only way social change would come was by getting the issues out in front of everyone. Tell the masses your story and some how help them make the connection that these same things could be happening to their families and things will change. Sometimes change takes a long time to ocurr, it had been a hundred years since the Civil War and many things still had not changed. But through the efforts of people like DuBois, King, Hansberry, Kennedy, Brown and others they began that painful process that is still effecting changes today. While, things did not change for Carl Hanberry's family this case served as a basis by which the Fair Housing Act did change things, and made restrictive covennants banning people based on race, religion, sex, familial status, and age illegal.
       "A Raisin," is a story about a young man, Walter, with a good job, not a great job with opportunity for advancement, but a good job. Walter wants more out life, he wants to build a busniess. A business that would become prosperous for his family and the future generations. His "Mama" wants a new house. The tragedy that sparks this conversation is all but overlooked in the play, the death of Lena's "Mama" husband. Because he had a small insurance policy it is viewed as a great win fall for the family. Mama sees as an opportunity to get a new house and Walter sees it as an opportunity to start a business that in time will afford them several new houses. Mama wants a new house now, one that will solve the current living situation, and Walter sees the new house as an additional burden on the already tight family budget. He wants the money to build a future for everyone, ignoring the risks of possible failure. Even when he is confronted with the reasons why everyone thinks this may not be a good idea he ignores them or simply refutes their comments. As it turns out Walter gets a portion of the money to invest and before the business even gets started the investor leaves with the money. Now Walter must face his family and what he will do next. Read the play to see how it turns out. I will say this, when we are being tried and facing the worst possible circumstances our true nature usually comes out, Walter is offered a bribe. He can take it, which will sovle his money problems, or take a moral stand, which may cost him more than money. Read Act 3, this is where Sidney Poitier drew his inspiration for the dramtic climax of this story, and I think he was right.

Stereotypes?

Still I Rise by: Maya Angelou  This is a youtube link to Maya reading her poem. I think her reading it is far more compelling the you reading it from print yourself. Maya has several poems on youtube for you to experience, I highly recommend you spend time listening to her. I listened to many of them and I feel certain I will be back to listen to them again. She is a very talented speaker, with some very powerful, thought provoking, not so politically correct, and creative things to share. She has and will continue to be a great source of inspiration to many people, both young and old. Her ideas while rooted in her culture, calling for social change can be applied to many different kinds of injustices. They seem to have a purpose driving the meaning in one direction, but have a certain timeless meaning that can relate to many other issues. I am reminded of an earlier poem we read in class in which the speaker said that all poems were to be about birds and flowers, beautiful things, and then took you in an airport toilet, no beauty in that, and yet by the end of the poem you could see the many beautiful things in meanings and ideas. Maya is a master craftsman the way she not only puts the words sequentially on the page but how she animates them in her voice, and in our minds. The art of being a poet, great story teller, is the ability to translate words into emotion and stirring thoughts. Sometimes these thoughts are sadness, joy, hope, fear, freedom, shame, anger, happiness, or quickly recalling experiences of the past that relate directly to the passage. Maya wants us to revel in her rising, "I Rise." To experience her pride, "I Rise." To understand despite all that was, she made it to the goal, carrying the hopes of all that strive to or dare to dream about that same goal, "I Rise." It serves to teach us about the enduring human spirit, "We Rise." The parts about this poem that I like the best were lines 9-11, these lines speak to things that are as sure as day and night. They are about forces that no human can control. Just like the spirit inside each of us that no one else can control. Maya points this out in lines 33-34 where she references the tides again, "welling and swelling." Just like the tides and just like the human spirit, she says, "I Rise." This is a powerful statement that speaks volumes about the tenacity of a determined spirit, "I Rise." Chase your dreams to the end and never give up, it will be worth it. When the day breaks, " I Rise."

What is an Elephant Man?

The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance This a link to where you may purchase the play and read reviews by others, this is not an endorsement by me of this website. I like to include a way for you to read the subject of each post if you have not done so, but alas this play is not available except by purchase or library. I highly recommend this read, and as you read, think about the world in which you are living, the world you grew up in, and the world the way you hope it might be tomorrow.
          This play set in London and Western Europe in the 19th century, a time when the second industrial revolution was changing the world faster than people could keep up. A time when advancements in medicine and mechanical technology were exploding. Inventors were inventing and the wealthy were gaining more wealth, while the poor and uneducated were falling even further behind. The culture of living in a self sustained life in a semi rural setting was over and areas were becoming more urbanized. The one truth that follows big cities everywhere in the world is poverty, "ghettos." They don't start out like that but when job markets change and the workers have no other job skills or places to work what do they do? and what does this have to do with the Elephant Man?
           This play opens with a young Doctor fresh out of medical school ready to save the world from all its' horrible diseases. Then cuts right away to a crier shouting to the crowd to come into his tent and witness one of the most horrific freaks of nature known to man. The young doctor curious, first because he thinks he has seen everything in medical school, second because he hasn't seen everything. He pondered what if this is really true, I might be able to cure this beast (freak) and I'll be the hero. He bargains with the crier and goes in, it is real! He wants a real examination in the hospital where the good doctor has access to his tools. He also takes the opportunity to display the man to his colleagues.
           Back to my questions, this all started in the beginning of Joseph "John" Merrick's life. He lived in a "work farm" orphanage (factory house?). There is very little mentioned about his mother and no mention of his father. His mother did not have the means to care for him and they were no doubt in one of these ghettos. A character by the name of Ross sees John and knows he could charge people to see this freak, because people love to see freaks. People seem to take the opportunity to look, pay to look, at something or someone that is abnormal as a way to see themselves as normal. a great example is when you see a woman that is over 6 feet tall most everyone says WOW!! She is Tall! Meaning that in some way this is not normal or the same way if someone is really short, fat, or skinny. Acceptance is a powerful inate motivator, and we all want to be accepted. Even the nonconformist wants to find others like them to bond with, which is conformimg (irony). I think this story would have been a completely different story if Merrick had been born into a wealthy or more affluent family. If the family would have had the resources to get him medical care, limited as it may have been in those days, it would have been an attempt to make things better for him. Despite his condition Merrick would have been educated and socialized. Maybe not full on socialization but he would have had a sense of family and friends. I say all of this to point out that in the story as Merrick, bathes everyday, reads, and socializes he is seen more as a normal person, as if he were not before he moved into the hospital and started doing the things normal people do. His disorder was not lessened in fact was always getting worse, but because he was treated more like a normal person he was seen more like a normal person. Pomerance tells the true story about Merrick's life, tragedy and triumph. I feel that Pomerance looked for a story in which he didn't have to grossly disfigure the main character in such a way that the reader might question whether someone could really have a disease like that, in order to present to the reader the true goal of this story. I feel he wanted the reader to realize that we all have feelings, dreams, desires, and the need to be loved. That no matter what we look like on the outside we are still a person. Merrick was a real person, that really lived with a terrible disorder, that gives more credibility to this underlying theme. We may think differently, look differently, talk differently, and even eat different things, but at our core, we may also share the dreams about our lives. This is also a story about circumstance, do not wallow in yours; rise up out of it, others may have it worse than you. Dare to live and dream inspite of your physical limitations, everyday is a gift, that is why it is called the present.
            

Trifles a Small Account

Trifles by Susan Gladspell This is the link to the play. This play is set in rural farmland that could be almost any where in the US. Since Gladspell herself was from Iowa it might be easy to assume that the play could be set in the farmland surrounding Davenport, Iowa. It is true that many writers draw upon the experiences of their childhood and life as they create stories and the characters in the stories. This seems to be the case in this drama; a drama of a murder, sexism, crimes of passion or compassion. I have to say, the main characters of the play, Mr and Mrs White, husband and wife, are never seen nor do they offer any narrative about themselves or the events, all we know about them is third person information. The opening scene [exposition] is in the kitchen of the White's home, and the stage directions are as important to read as the narrative itself in order to completely follow the plot. The "men," a sheriff, Lewis Hale, and the county prosecutor enter the room followed by the "women" Mrs. Peters (the sheriff's wife) and Mrs. Hale. One might infer that Lewis Hale and Mrs. Hale are husband and wife although there is no reference to this, however Mrs. Peters is referenced as the sheriff's wife (pg. 922). I think this is a topic that should be explored more, simply because of the actions and comments the ladies make as the play develops, and the fact that Lewis Hale is the one that discovered the crime (pg. 913). Both women lament to some degree about not visiting Mrs. White  as much as they should have and both seem to regret this action (pg.921). Both of these women seem to have the same value system or moral / ethical code (not commenting on good or bad just stating it seems similar). The first example of this is how they enter the room (pg. 912) a few steps behind the men and they don't move toward the stove until asked to do so (pg. 912). This tells me they were both reared in a common cultural setting where women walk behind the men and do not encroach on the men's space or conversation until asked. That is why I feel that the relationship between Mrs. Hale and Lewis Hale needs to be determined. If Mrs. Hale is in fact Lewis Hale's wife then there is an even bigger reason why she feels guilty for not visiting; they were neighbors (pg. 915, 921). That might also explain how Mrs Hale knew intimate details about Mr. White's nature / personality (pg. 919). In this exchange of information Mrs. Hale says "yes...[pause] good; ...hard man." (pg. 919). She gave a pause which suggests to the audience that she is reluctant to agree good, qualifies  what she means or what exemplifies bad and then adds "but he WAS a hard man." (pg.919). Dead less than a day and already he [was, not is]..., she goes further with her verbal and non-verbal description of John White; she even introduces what Minnie might have wanted since she couldn't have children, a bird. This provokes the thought that if Minnie had a singing bird she might return the once happier version of herself and return to singing in the choir (pg.921), an activity that seemed to bring her and others a great deal of joy. This is why I think the women decide to cover up the evidence they find and somehow jump to the conclusion that if John Wright had indeed twisted the neck of a helpless little song bird to death, then he too deserved the same treatment. Make no mistake the women knew she was guilty of this crime and if the men found out they would punish her for it not be sympathetic or understanding. I understand the sense of compassion the women had and the need to expose their own desires for equality, but good reason or not does anyone really deserve to die? Is the quest for equality and recognition of intellectual prowess a good reason to commit a crime of omission? What are your thoughts? There is so much more to be said about this play; I may do another post from a different POV (point of view).

Monkey, Crosses the River

To Help the Monkey Cross the  River; by Thomas Lux This is a link to the poem so you can read this irony filled humorous poem if you have not. We are reading animal poems this week as a theme and this poem along with one about a fish I really like. We are also looking into the different types of irony, dramatic, situational, and verbal. Some irony is very overt and easy to identify and other times it is embedded deep within the poem or story itself. Some people will even identify irony that is specific to their own experiences or cultural norms, these will not be identifiable by you the reader, but if explained and supported by others are just as valid. The Irony starts right away with "I sit with my rifle on a platform," (4) this stirs the idea that the speaker is hunting or going to shoot the monkey. The speaker is not hunting the monkey but ironically helping the monkey by shooting at him (verbal irony here puts the emphasis on the word "at"). The speaker checks the river "looking up river first..."(8-11) for crocs and snakes, these are the true predators of the monkeys. They know the monkeys will be crossing the river "for fruit and nuts," (2). The river is wide and the young monkeys are not good strong swimmers yet, this makes it easy for the crocs and snakes to eat the young; the speaker makes this point "the monkey has hands like a child's," (25). Even though the speaker seems to be a champion for the monkeys, his acknowledging the prowess and hunting skills of the crocs and snakes doesn't go unmentioned. The speaker seems to admire how the crocs and snakes position themselves in the river, because they have learned when and where it is the most opportune time to catch a monkey by precise calculations (13-14). This animals doing math reference is a good example of dramatic irony, in that it uses a human learning concept and applies it to the instinctual hunting behavior of two predators hunting the same prey.  The speaker watches carefully to see if he needs to intervene, with the hope the monkey will make it on his own. If the monkey finds himself about to be eaten the speaker fires multiple shots just behind the monkey (19-21) to hurry him up little. I find that shooting these shots are two fold; first they serve to scare the monkey for he might feel as if the gunshots splashing in water are that of the snapping jaws of a croc; second they serve an even greater warning or scare tactic to the snakes and crocs which are or could be in very close proximity to the actual bullets hitting the water. Contrary to what most people think a bullet penetrates the water very little and is deflected sharply downward upon impact. The water absorbs almost all of the bullet's energy within the first foot of penetration. The crocodile has very thick skin and would require a well-placed shot to humanly kill it or stop it in its pursuit of a prey, monkey in the water. The snake, even a big snake is still a small target. The last bit of irony in this poem I want to talk about is the last line, "the smart ones, in a cage, can be taught to smile." (26) This is ironic because the caged monkeys seemly safe from snakes and crocs are not safe from predators, humans. The speaker spends a great deal of his time watching and helping the monkey survive and live the way they were intended to live, wild and free. This seems to be totally lost on the humans that argue "they are the ones truly keeping the monkeys safe by capturing them," and as an added bonus teaching them how to smile, not live wild and free.

The Joy found in BLACKberries

Blackberries: a poem by Yusef Komunyakaa. It is not long after you read this poem a few times that you hear the familiar racial overtones of the period and location of the author's childhood. It is through the carefully chosen words and their meanings that you find this to be true. The "old lime-covered history" refers to an all-white cultural setting for this poem no doubt written from past experiences as a child growing up in Louisiana. It also lends insight into what a poor young boy might be doing to help the economic status of his family. All of these points are important to the foundation of understanding this poem and reasons for calling attention to the social injustices, but are far from where the writer wants to take you. His usage of language that helps to transport you into the berry patch, picking and eating berries, conjures the very taste of past eaten berries. He speaks of a light hearted young boy full of vim and vigor ready to take on the bold world and life ahead. A young boy that has not yet been beat down by his circumstances or the society in which he lives. A young boy that is willingly at the berry patch picking berries to sell. A young boy that finds delight in all that is surrounding him as he picks the berries, realizing the stains on his hands, "hands like a printer's Or thief's before a police blotter" will remain long after the last berry has been picked. He has the companionship of his faithful dog seeking birds to chase and understands why the frogs hide from the sun. The young boy knows his labor will be rewarded when he sells his berries which seem to be a basis for his overall positive outlook. His joy is found in the wondrous beauty of morning, the smells, the sounds, the sights, all that morning is, the beginning of a new day. The young boy finds himself almost feeling guilty for having such an opportunity to pick berries and dream "Of pies and cobbler," joy full and complete often fills one with thoughts of wondering what you may have done to deserve this. But wait all of the young boy's joy is transformed into a bitter reminder of how the berry vines are full of thorns. His reminder does not come verbally, nor by a condescending adult, but by the simple sarcastic smirk of peers wallowing in the lavish comfort their circumstance. A circumstance that they have done nothing to earn, yet they stand "sit" and look down judging those beneath them. This poem can serve as reminder of how easily your attitude can change or how just a look reminds you of pain overlooked. It also provides an opportunity to teach a lesson; don't give others the power to steal your joy. If you can maintain focus on what is really important to you, others cannot take what you don't allow them to have, keep your joy, you do deserve it. Blackberries is able to teach us so many things, but we have to become seekers of what the author was really trying to convey. When we bring our own lens to view the poem, we need to be willing to have our lens honed so that we may see more clearly. I am certain I will never turn on the A/C in my car without thinking about "wintertime crawled out of the windows."  If you are not familiar with this poem click on either of the words blackberries to follow the link I hope you enjoy the read. I may not fully understand all Yusef wanted me to in this poem this time, and I may have more to add later in my life as my lens is honed and polished. This is truly the wonder of peoms; they reveal more to us each time we read them.

Excavator

Like an excavator I am ...

Like an Excavator I am ...

Like an Excavator I am ...

more explaination later...

The Newest Version of a Band of Brothers

Rafe, Zack, JM, Seth

We had a great golf outing at the beautiful Glade Springs Resort in Danials, WV. This is an annual event for us but our first trip to Galde Springs. The winner gets bragging rights for a year and for the first time a new champion has emerged, I won taking the honor from Zack. Both Zack and Seth were tied this year but Zack has won all the other years, I should note that I won by one point and a new scoring system. The golf cost few dollars, the meals a few dollars more, the lodging even more dollars, the time spent with my brothers priceless!!!! Thanks Brothers!! Below is the beautiful Woodhaven Course.

# 18 at Woodhaven Course

Seth

# 4 at Woodhaven Course

Par 3 way down

Fall 2011

The new semester is starting today, 22Aug2011. I have six classes and I'm looking forward to all of them. I had a most wonderful summer filled with travel and some work. My wonderful wife started her new job in the Harrison County system last week and today is really her first full day with students. She has a great classroom that we have spent hours setting up and making it inviting for her students, it looks great. We are both excited about this new school year and all that it has to offer. Look forward to future posts where I will share some summer pics and adventures.

The Older Version of a Band of Brothers

This is the one that launched a whole line of candid brother pics. There were of course many sittings in front of the photographer pics, there is only one more candid shot but not sure it just has us in it I have not seen this pic in long time, that is the pic of us in front of the church steps the day of Aunt Don's wedding. Wow That is a pic to see leisure suits and all. Try guessing the ages?? Good luck. I will tell the Beer is "Strohs"

Credit: Virgil "Mac" Mathias

Band of Brothers

There are few things that will actually stand the test of time, but the love and friendship I have with my three amazing brothers is something that will endure forever!!! We four are as different as we are the same, and the most amazing thing about that is we accept each other for the individuals we are and yet know we are bound by a bond stronger than anything known to man. There are a few pics similar to this one that have been taken throughout our lives, but this one hands down is my new favorite. Smiles that lend insight into happiness... need I say more, I think not... Brothers Forever!!!

Finals are Over

the second semester finals are in the books. this has been a great first year I have learned a lot of new things and revisited some old. the lit 1 class had a great selection of stories. the stories themselves had common threads and the authors not only had common ties to their work but also to each other. what better way to rediscover great literature than to look closer into the author's life, especially after you yourself have lived nearly 30 years past your first look at some of these classics. as the way college should be there were many challenges to overcome, but none more than the thrill of applying and being hired to teach 2 classes the second 8 weeks, while still keeping up with my 19hrs of studies. the opportunity to write the curriculum and teach 2 courses for Pierpont ctc was a great experience and reinforced my quest to become an educator. thanks to all that continue to support me in this quest.

The Last Week Before Finals

The furious pace to finish all that needs to be done before finals week and the close of the spring term is running full steam ahead. Vinn diagrams and questions???s
what WVpts / function does this class ( this blog) fit?
my choice is standard #4 Professional development. i would also point out the this is an ongoing endeavor and really fits other standards as well. Here is a link to my website portfolio.

Letter From the Secretary

Arne Duncan, the US Secretary of Education has written an open letter to all of the 3.2 million teachers in the United States. Here is a link to that letter read it for what its worth. I think he sounds genuine enough, just not sure the commitment to the kind of systemic changes needed to turn the educational system around can really be done by this administration. I think it will take all the stakeholders working toward the same goal... "Educating students"     ...Not Teaching Tests 

Portfolio

more work in designing the website to include a good representation of my electronic portfolio. there will be a great deal more added to this as time goes by more is learned. the educational process is an ongoing process that spans your entire life. as experiences are had and more knowledge is gained then your portfolio (Resume) grows and changes. here is the link to my website (Portfolio)  

Teacher Blogs with Students

this is a great link to a teacher that integrates blogs into the curriculum. learn more at Education Week

Portfolio Building

this is a work in progress look for continued additions until this document is complete. the learning supported for this activity covers,   the identification of the professional teaching standards, iste nets, professional develoment, technology training, and use of other internet tools.  Link

Video Sharing

we have been engaged in making videos and and movies over the past week or so, for what purpose some might ask???? well here is a goood example of what you may want to do with your future students in an attempt to help them share their learning and learn from others.   this link is to an article on Education Weekly
check it out

Movies

a photostory movie, a moviemaker movie, and new youtube video. there is also a downloaded youtube video that you may enjoy.   we learned several different applications today with media presentation and the power that movies have over power point is much greater wow factor. embedding is better done when you use the html tool so that you are in the correct format for reading your embedding code. again the iste nets that are covered are 1-4 on some level. the movie maker software has much better editing capabilities and the ability to add title and credit slides.the wp3 youtube link this software is has some good features but when you compare the videos, while they are similar the moviemaker software has potential for far more detail.  youtube link  to my video History of the Road Grader and a youtube link to related video  a motor grader at work. the moviemake embeded video is on top and the wp3.file is below. comment on which you think is better.

Prezi even the name sounds Jazzy

creating the Prezi presentation was a a lot more fun than doing just another power point. that is not to say that power points mat not have their place but this type of presentation is more engaging, it changes direction, zooms in and out, starts video links automatically, and allows you share online with any device that has web access. imagine a mini conference presentation on your smart phone??? That is technology at work and best of all at your finger tips. this prezi is based from my power point presentation but allowed me to incorporate working video links without hesitation. HEOP Prezi  this meets all 5 of the iste nets for teachers by including technology in instructional delivery, creativity, using technology to enhance learning, and many different research components.

HEOP 1102 on Prezi

Wordle WOW

the tools available to even those with little or no creativity are Great. the wordle like Picasohead is a gallery that will let your creativity bloom and your ability to express yourself not be held to your own limitations. here is a link to one of my wordles. there will be many more in my future. these can be used for teaching, in that it will force your students to look at familar text in a new a different way. this is a great poem by Robert Frost, What is the Title?
 this second one is teaching the Bill of Rights, the first two, there is word "third" and "fourth" in the wordle which is a direct copy of the articles. Why is the word Third and Fourth in the first two?  for those of you who don't know here is a link to find out... not the answer but a clue.  watch for future posts to get the answer if you still don't know. the wordle

Presenting the Presentation as a Movie?

most find it somewhat difficult to stand in front of people and deliver a presentation something that all teachers will do everyday, so being nervous or apprehensive is not an option. being able to access your presentation and not have a compatibility issue is paramount. saving your presentation as a power point show is a good way to avoid compatibility issues or the need to have a computer that has Microsoft operating system. saving as a pdf is a good idea too because adobe reader is a free download available to all that have an Internet connection and it always downloads the latest version of reader. it is also very cool to save your project as a movie, Via windows live movie maker which allows sharing in many different venues, like facebook, youtube, and others. i will be adding a link to facebook, and prezi for more viewing options.

The Power of Power Point

this project was to make an informative power point presentation, to the point and very powerful. a presentation should be just that a presentation, and if a picture is worth a thousand words then take the hint and don't over use words use pictures and graphics. i made a presentation that i will be presenting to my students in the HEOP preventive maintenance class. it is very basic information, yet very important to the safety of the operator and and the equipment because neither can do much without the other. i want to give you viewing options for this presentation, one will be with slideshare and the other will be a JING video capture, the slideshare will allow you to make comments so i recommend this viewing option. this project meets the iste nets on many levels, it has research, development, utilizing software, and uploading to public domain for viewing and comments. this type of presentation allows you to reach students that are more visual learners and provides you the instructor the freedom to deliver the talking points from anywhere in the room not just in front of the classroom at the chalkboard. you can even view here

Heop 1102.pptx instrtech

View more presentations from rjsnell82

You Can Edit a PDF File

there is a cool tool that will allow you to edit a PDF file. you first have to have a copy of the original PDF available to your desktop, then you will need to open MS word and follow the jing video intructions on this link. this process also allows you convert pdf to ms word and edit  then convert and save as a PDF again. you have to be sure to click "all files" in both the open box and under convert. this more than meets the iste nets for both students and teachers.

Linking our APA Project Learning

today's the assignment

• editing APA paper and saving to PDF format to share, this will be done via google docs. 
• with google docs you can't publish a PDF to the web, but you can share with all your contacts or anyone you choose
• posting video captures, 1st capture the how to add functions to Excel jing  video add ins, 
• 2nd capture data analysis tools for  Excel how to TTest jing video

this entire process has been very beneficial, from exploring new excel functions, to apa style research, and using the jing video capture to help teach others the "how to" add features and perform significnt difference testing. it is note worthy that the citation / reference tool bar available as a part of MS Word will not let yopu indent the second line as required in apa fromat.

Understanding TTest Function APA Format

The TTest function allows you to look a data from a statistical point of view. this view is not easily understood and needs a data analysis tool to decipher all the numbers (exponentially large numbers) into smaller easier to understand format. the main goal is interpreting data as it relates to your research outcomes. report data apa format with standard deviation (Stdev) and the Significant Difference (SD) if any. all this really pints to is whether the intervention or test scores increased by chance or because you actually made a difference. you may not be able to know exactly what made the difference without further investigation and more experiments that add only one variable at a time and tracks a separate control group. either way you look at this data you main goal is for students to always increase their learning of concepts and skills and for you as a teacher figure out what methods are best at achieving that goal. the iste nets are designed for you to integrate technology into your teaching and your own personal learning because if you are excited about learning then chance are so will your students.

APA Formatted Research

today we will start an APA style research paper. apa has their own preferences for formatting that everyone must adhere to when doing research and submitting the research for peer review or grading, this unique style of formatting insures uniformed data reporting. this uniformed style will typically lead to less confusion when interpreting the data presented. this lesson meets the ISTE Standards as they relate to doing different types of research and data collection. it also requires you to format your project or paper in a different style that you may not have been familiar with like MLA. when you work with outcomes on pre-test and post test analysis you need a converter to check significant difference (SD) <.05>(NSD) Link to converter this is a accomplished by using the TTEST function on excel data. now the task is writing all this work into an APA style research paper due by 29Mar2011.

Hyd Fracturing

Tsunami travelling across Pacific

this is an awesome graphic of the tsunami ripple across the pacific ocean. it should be noted that these waves don't crash on the shore like waves they travel across the land until the land becomes higher than the wave. i should also point out that the tsunami wave loses very little energy once it starts to come into contact with obstacles and is travelling at a very high rate of speed.

In The Beginning? (Introduction)

Not the beginning of time but rather the beginning of this class. we have a class outline that I looked through, admittedly a somewhat brief look, but upon further review I noticed a few bits of info that may be eluding some future and current teachers, and you know who you are. these bits of info deal with learning and teaching in the 21st century. there are a couple of good links #1 is to "21st century skills" I assure you these are not teaching students how to put pen to paper. the others are a series of  files that link to the WV Teaching Standards as they relate to the State BOE initiative Global 21. standard 1 , standard 2, standard 3, standard 4,and standard 5 everyone of these standards has important info that future and current teachers should know the content and directives contained in them. the other standards we use in class to self measure our daily learning activities are the ISTE NETS here you can find the links to standards for teachers and students. there is also a great deal more to be explored on this site.
a parting thought just a bit off the technology track is a great book which will make you think and rethink about education today is "the end of education" by Neil Postman. he has other books out there as well that i like such as "teaching as a subversive act" one that i have only previewed but is now on my read list. check them out but be warned they will make you think!

Why is Technology still lagging behind in some Classrooms?

This is a great article answering the question in the title of this post. This article appears in Education Week an online and hard copy magazine targeting all aspects of the Education arena. I mentioned this site in an earlier post. Here is a link to this specific article LINK  there are many more articles of interest and membership for online is free to students. While you are reading and contemplating this article you may want to find out what some of the classroom requirements are for students and teachers so here is a link to the ISTE NET standards. CLICK HERE  even if you don't agree with some of the content you should always have an open enough mind to at the very least consider what others are saying and writing about. Carl Rogers said, "that everyone should really try to understand the other side and by doing so you may actually become aware of weaknesses in your opinion and allow you to develop a more educated opinion through this new found ability to see a different point of view."

Research Excel Style

Today is a great new day and the lesson of the day will point to yet another time in the future when adding more technology to your teaching delivery and managing your time will be an even bigger a necessity. today we learned how use more of functions on the excel spreadsheet like "averageif" and other logic driven formulas, inserting graphs of varying types to better visualize the data totals. this exercise will better prepare us to gather data and make graphs for future research papers. all this fits the ISTE NETS Standards in that teaching is very often research based and you should guide your students into similar types of research and data gathering techniques. this will work with any subject. another good data collecting tool is surveys, these are a good way to have students fill in demographic information about themselves that you can chart, they will also learn how to collect data from these surveys too. there would be a link here to my Excel Spreadsheet but Google docs doesn't fully support Excel spreadsheets.

More gradebook magic

working with excel and developing a spreadsheet based gradebook is a good idea just for ease of making changes and adding data. this activity allowed for multiple functions on spreadsheet formulas by using the "countif" and "if" functions which will make connections to Logic math and Set theory math,when you begin to use math questions "like if and only if" and "if then." if you as a teacher have a good understanding of how you add these functions they will then have real time meaning to why your students need to know and understand this branch of math. click here to see my spreadsheet activity. i also added graphics to further emphasize the good grades. all these activities strengthen the ISTE NETS Standards in both utilizing online access for students and parents as well as strengthen researching techniques to find tips on how to better use Excel formulas.

diigo link

this is a link to diigo   more to come on this post link

Desert????

I sure didn't think the desert would look like this.

This is what the drive from Flagstaff, AZ to Sedona, AZ was like on monday February 21st, 2011 after a very snowy weekend. There will be more pictures to come and I will show you some that actually look more like desert.

RTI

Is RTI doing what it was intended to do? Here is a link to an article from Education Week and online and paper publication that I think has some very valuable and informative articles. I receive the online version free as a student majoring in Education, you should check it out and join if you are so inclined. You should check out this entire article if you are in anyway teaching in the classroom right now or will be in the future. Click for Link Post comments to let me know what you think about the article and if you are teaching right now if RTI is working in your classroom.

Graphs and Spreadsheets making them work for you.

The scale you use will determine the contrast or lack of contrast of the data. today we did a gradebook spreadsheet. this tool should help you keep parents infromed even before report cards come out. this will also allow students to see where they stand. while you would not publish your grade book you will be able to provide custom views to each parent and student. Link to spreadsheet  This is an activity that  meets the ISTE NETS standard # 3. It also helps to become more aware of the other gadgets or functions available in Excel.

More Coolness to Come>>>Jing Video

The more we learn  in this class about technology the more I really begin to see there is so much out there available to enhance blogging and research papers. Check out  Diigo and istall for free. Jing Video capture.

In this video capture I wanted to show a tip for how to add your name as the document's author. This is the screen cast tutorial  Click Here 

These tools and others aid students in How To types of learning that provide them with a tutor for a rpocess that can always have access too. This could be used with many different subjects but math really comes to mind especially on the days you introduce a new concept then have students do practice exercises at home with their screen cast How To video. This meets mulitple ISTE NETS standards.

Portrait of Love

link to the abstract version of this wonderful Photo.

I am a very fortunate Man to have this lovely lady as my wife.

Presidents Cool things to do with Jing

Early Presidents try to see how many you recognize. Then open the links below and answer some more Presidential trivia.
These three were very popular, which President was Garfield?  view Link   Hint you can use the links below to solve then post your answer.
Jing is going to be a valuable tool to help teachers satisfy the ISTE NETS standards. One of the standards for teachers and students is to promote exploration and research, Jing and other tools help to capture those results in a more creative way. Creativity is another standard, with the right prompt and a little imagination the possibilities are limitless, add some cool tools like Jing and Skype, and students have new motivation for learning. Communication and Collaboration is another standard, that has great potential on many levels, not only does it allow students and teachers to communicate with others but it could also be used for peer review scenarios of  projects. The research aspects should help students to narrow search options and also find new ways to search for data, it will also give librarians a opportunity to teach students about data bases vs. web searches and why data base searches are more reliable.

Link to the 1st 15 Presidential portraits

Link to the 2nd 15 Presidential portraits

Link to the  last 13 Presidential portraits

Post your answers in the comments of this post.

a brief thought of me by RJS; using the snipping tool

a brief thought of me by RJS: "Picassohead"

click here to view

who knew I was an abstract artist, the real task here was using the snipping tool as you can see I am a rookie, i know this because my frame is red all rookies have red frames because they don't know you have to change the outline frame color before you capture. this creation was done very quickly so it really lacks detail so i went back and did another picassohead could become addictive. Go and create have fun and share your art with the world. this exercise covers the standards in many ways it teaches the student and teacher creative ways engage students it is also a great segway into teaching art appreciation and history, how culture is enhanced by art the list goes on and on and on. it also introduces new software tools available.

To Empathize or Not ?

What does Empathy have to do with being a teacher? Well let's see... teachers are human... teachers have feelings...students are human... students have feelings... it might be a good idea for you, as a teacher, to be aware of how you project yourself to others and how well you can perceive others. Just because students are required, by law, to attend school doesn't mean you, as a teacher, don't have to meet them where they "are" in life. Physically students may be in your classroom but mentally may be miles away for various reasons. Some of these reasons may be beyond the control of the student...i.e. they may not just be day dreaming, they may be devising a survival plan for when they get back home or later on the playground. The ability to empathize with your students and their everyday life will enable you to create lesson plans that have enhanced meaning to the students in your classroom.
Teachers that can make a 'subject' come to life, with real time relevance and tangible understanding will enjoy greater student success. I find that I am usually comfortable in about any social situation, I think in part because I am actively aware of others and can usually tell if those around me are uncomfortable or relaxed. I scored a 43, (whatever that really means) on the empathy quotient exam which is one point higher than the average male, but well within the overall average. If you are interested in taking the exam for yourself just out of curiosity Click Here just remember to read carefully how the question is asked and just answer honestly, I know several of the questions are a bit vague but answer the best you can based on the question.
ISTE NETS (tech standards) "Educational technology standards are the road map to teaching effectively and growing professionally in an increasingly digital world," this comes direct from the website, technology is a tool available to a teacher just like many other resources, and I can't help but think that as teacher you should be your own greatest "tool." Meaning it is absolutely imperative that you have learned as much about yourself as you have your subject material... if you are afraid to laugh, then you will not inject humor into your lessons and that means you have potentially lost a great tool available to you to aid in classroom dynamics... the list goes on. All of what we do and learn is preparation for a time and task in the future no matter what field you find yourself in, so the question becomes Why wouldn't you want to learn everything about everything? especially all the things that make you uniquely YOU!

Guardians - "Inspector / Provider"

Well it seems I was correct in my hypothesis and that after taking the personality test they for free they would like very much for you pay for an even more in depth analysis of your results. I passed on this offer but was quite intrigued by the results they did give me and after further investigating the sub-categories of the Guardians I found that I most likely am a strong mixture of the "Inspector" and "Provider." I feel these qualities are a good fit for secondary / adult education because of several factors...i.e. social studies is a subject about cultures of the world, these cultures are full of traditions and intricate details, the "inspectors" and "providers" are all about the details. When it comes to working with fellow teachers "providers" are very cooperative and skilled at maintaining teamwork, and because of their hands on approach and dedication to seeing the task completed the job of supervising them should be easier. Because this type of personality is very friendly and outgoing they are as comfortable talking to strangers as old friends, but make no mistake they things done and done correctly, timely and with a great sense of pride. You can read more about these and other personality traits HERE   Knowing more about yourself will help you to interact better with others and knowing more about others will them interact better with you... the more you learn is well ...the more you want to learn.

What Type Are You? Personality Testing

     Personality tests spark the thought in everyone, what type am I? and what does that really mean? are the most common thoughts. The subsequent questions follow, like which type is better than the others? am I the best type? how do they know which I am? who decided that these are the types? all these question push us into a direction that many of us are not familiar with or maybe even uncomfortable with. Almost every psychologist that does this type of testing has their own "types" or general categories that they use. Some psychologists ask general questions and vague general category types; while others will ask very detailed questions and have detailed categories with multiple facets within the categories. TEAM is the one I am most familiar with... T-taskmaster, E-enthusiasts, A-analyst, M-mainstay, when I took that test it put me in the taskmaster group, that was over ten years ago, my guess is I will still be in a supervisor type category, since personality traits change very little over the course your life after your teens.
     Guardians is the group that I will most likely fall in but the Artisans category is the one I most identify with. This must come from the 30 plus years I have spent working with my hands and building things like roads, houses, welding projects and many other construction projects and art crafts. The Idealist would be my third choice mainly because that is where teachers are mentioned and that is my major. The Rationals is a group I can relate to as well since inventors fall into this category, and while I don't consider myself an inventor I have worked as a welder and machinist building other inventor's inventions, or have been involved in making alterations that improve the invention. When I get done testing I'll post my results...you could go to the WEBSITE and test yourself  or comment here which personality you think best describes you and me. I'll look forward to your comments.

Research Project: Using Surveys

Today we are going to start a research project using google docs and cloud computing. First thing you need to develop is your question, What do you need to know or want to know. Surveys are a great tool to gather data. Spreadsheets are a good tool for analyzing the data you gathered, most spreadsheets allow for ranking and sorting, also charts or graphs can be made based on specific data or cells in the spreadsheet. I aslo developed a survey form: Click Here to take survey. We also participated in a survey and worked with the spreadsheet one of the most interesting fact I found was this question "Who is your cell phone provider."

Job Resume Updated

It is always a good idea to have an up-dated copy of your resume or portfolio. This is not just so you can job hunt but because you need to update it to keep it current. If you haven't done anything in the last year or so note worthy enough to place in your resume / portfolio maybe what you really need to do is a self-assessment to find out why. I will admit there are times when our jobs become somewhat routine, but there should always be a note worthy tidbit to add, some of those tidbits may seem a bit trivial but when added all together can show a track record for attention to details. The last job I was hired for I didn't have to present a detailed resume only because my employer was intimately aware of my skill set, this was no excuse for not having an updated resume. As many of you may be aware I am currently changing my profession, thus the need for me to update my resume and very soon I will transform it into a portfolio (electronic). This is a COPY of my current resume. (click copy to view) I welcome your thoughts or comments.

Educational Philosophy

Educational Philosophy? What are your fundamental thoughts on education?
My fundamental thoughts on education are always growing. It has taken me 30 years since graduating high school to get to college and a lot has changed in that time, both education and myself. When I graduated there was ONE, that's right only one computer in my high school a TRS 80 (Tandy/Radio Shack). Now schools have multiple computer labs and almost every household has at least one computer, that's only one example of what has changed. This is why I said my philosophy is always growing, I feel you have to be open to new technology and new ideology in order to remain successful, this is true for educators too. There are however, some fundamental or core beliefs that do not really change, but are modified as you grow intellectually and gain experience. Click here to read more.

Riding the Train to Flagstaff

I will not be in class the week of 21Feb2011 - 25Feb2011.

Calendar

The calendar tool is part of th Google app suite. It allows me to develop and share information with a wider audience such as co-workers. My calendar is available through the hyper-link or embedded below.
click here to see my calendar.

2nd Week

The second week is in full swing. Lit I has me reading some "different" literary selections and shows signs of continuing down that path. It is a good path because I for one like stories that cause you to think about more than the story content. Some of the classes I have challenge me more than others but I guess that's what you get when you wait 30 years to come to College.

2nd Day

Today we started with gmail and ended up here posting blog spots, along the way we started a resume that was saved in google docs and learned how to publish it to the web, not hard stuff but interesting none the less.

Just Getting Started

Instructional Tech is going to be a very informative class. There is so much about tech that has changed and will continue to change, after all we don't know what we don't know YET!