A version of David Snowden’s birthday party story illustrating the differences among chaotic, ordered and complex systems is on YouTube. It isn’t the most compete rendition of the story but serves as a good introduction to some key terms of complexity theory. For a fuller account listen to one of his podcasts on the Cognitive [...]
Kids —
Category Archives: Kids
Frank Smith’s Learners’ Manifesto
The irritating, provocative Frank Smith included the manifesto on Page 62 of his book, Insult to Intelligence. It struck me as relevant when I first read it and I’ve had a copy posted on my bulletin boards ever since. It is not perfect and there are a couple of points with which I quibble. Nonetheless, [...]
The achievement gap: A look with a Southern view
Two researchers from the University of Georgia with a sociology bent make a case for recognizing the prevalency of the South when examining the White-Black achievement gap. They lay out their brief in the article, “Why study the US South? The nexus of race and place in investigating Black student achievement” in the Jan-Feb 2009 [...]
Haim Ginot on “the power of teachers”
Cleaning out file cabinets this weekend, I came upon this quote from the psychologist, psychotherapist, author popular in the 60s.
I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, [...]
Research notes from NOYS
The weekly newsletter from NOYS (National Organizations for Youth Safety) came this morning. It had these two notes on current research findings:
Survey finds that many teens and young adults use the Internet to exchange sexually explicit messages
A recent survey of teens and young adults ages 13-26, commissioned by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and [...]
Surveying homeless & runaway students
Last semester I had been asked to help facilitate a survey of homeless students in high schools. I dithered around and have just recently turned my full attention to it. I was reluctant because I did not sense the person asking to do the survey had a handle on either the cost in time spent [...]
Land of the free/home of the brave and e e cummings and hot dawgs
We had friends over last night with their kids for hot dawgs and pizza topped off with the fireworks from the Cumberland River. Here in upper Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood we are within a short walk to an ideal spot from which to watch the fireworks. And they were an “extravaganza.” There were lots of oohs and [...]
Nashville schools still need a Gene Kranz
Last night we caught a repeat episode in the series, “When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions,” on the Discovery Channel. “Friends and Rivals” dealt with the Gemini missions and the first space walks and orbital rendezvous. It was the first we had seen any of the series. Among the scenes were clips of young [...]