Paradox13VA just welcomed a new child to his family! May you have all the joy in the world, my dear friend!
h/t Dave, since I missed the announcement on FB.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
My thoughts on Bob McDonnell
Head, meet desk. Desk, head.
Ow.
His mother must surely be so very proud of her little rebel. I wish I could say that this here is a Macaca moment for our Governor, but I know it isn't.
Ow.
His mother must surely be so very proud of her little rebel. I wish I could say that this here is a Macaca moment for our Governor, but I know it isn't.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Changes
Over the Spring Break, some electronic white boards were permanently installed in a few classrooms in my son's school.
I do not know if these boards were bought by LCPS or by the PTA, so I will gloss over whether this was a good use of money.
I'm not even going to talk right now about whether this is a good use of technology in the classroom.
What I will talk about is my reaction to their actual installation:
The permanent boards are larger than the temporary boards that were flitting from class to class during the year. They take up less floor space (though they take over a foot deep of floorspace), because the projectors are mounted above them, but they take up more wall space than the teachers expected. In fact, the board takes up a substantial amount of space in the front of the class where there used to be room on a regular marker board.
Another regular marker board has been installed on one of the side walls, but it's not a convenient location for writing and it would have probably been a better place for the electronic white board to be installed instead.
The focal-point of the classroom before was the regular marker board. The marker board is magnetic, so it also held displays of the students' work from time to time. Kids and teachers could write on it, and it was not distracting if they stood in front of it to teach or to present reports.
Now the electronic white board is the focal-point of the room. I haven't seen it in use yet, but where it sits makes it the thing that the kids are focusing on all. day. long.
I don't WANT my son focussing on an electronic screen all day long (says the blogger, and computer tech worker). We work pretty hard at my house about limiting what we call screen-time. Our son plays his DS when we bring him along to meetings, but otherwise his DS is limited to an hour on weekends. TV time is limited, too. As is playing Wii games.
Limiting screen-time is why this blog goes so quiet on the weekends. I'm spending time with my son looking at stuff other than a screen, although sometimes we're looking at screen together.
School should not be a place where the focus is on a screen all day. Computers at the sides and back of a room? Sure. A TV mounted at the back of the room? Sure. But a computer monitor the size of a projector screen mounted permanently in the front of the classrom? Emphasizing the importance of what appears on a screen? I'm not so sure about that. I'm feeling very uncomfortable with it.
I will be writing more about what changes the board brings to the classroom, if any, and I promise that I will try to keep an open mind about it.
I do not know if these boards were bought by LCPS or by the PTA, so I will gloss over whether this was a good use of money.
I'm not even going to talk right now about whether this is a good use of technology in the classroom.
What I will talk about is my reaction to their actual installation:
The permanent boards are larger than the temporary boards that were flitting from class to class during the year. They take up less floor space (though they take over a foot deep of floorspace), because the projectors are mounted above them, but they take up more wall space than the teachers expected. In fact, the board takes up a substantial amount of space in the front of the class where there used to be room on a regular marker board.
Another regular marker board has been installed on one of the side walls, but it's not a convenient location for writing and it would have probably been a better place for the electronic white board to be installed instead.
The focal-point of the classroom before was the regular marker board. The marker board is magnetic, so it also held displays of the students' work from time to time. Kids and teachers could write on it, and it was not distracting if they stood in front of it to teach or to present reports.
Now the electronic white board is the focal-point of the room. I haven't seen it in use yet, but where it sits makes it the thing that the kids are focusing on all. day. long.
I don't WANT my son focussing on an electronic screen all day long (says the blogger, and computer tech worker). We work pretty hard at my house about limiting what we call screen-time. Our son plays his DS when we bring him along to meetings, but otherwise his DS is limited to an hour on weekends. TV time is limited, too. As is playing Wii games.
Limiting screen-time is why this blog goes so quiet on the weekends. I'm spending time with my son looking at stuff other than a screen, although sometimes we're looking at screen together.
School should not be a place where the focus is on a screen all day. Computers at the sides and back of a room? Sure. A TV mounted at the back of the room? Sure. But a computer monitor the size of a projector screen mounted permanently in the front of the classrom? Emphasizing the importance of what appears on a screen? I'm not so sure about that. I'm feeling very uncomfortable with it.
I will be writing more about what changes the board brings to the classroom, if any, and I promise that I will try to keep an open mind about it.
Friday, April 2, 2010
I live the Amendments, Part III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
I thank the Third Amendment, the least litigated one, for Griswold v. Connecticut, where it enjoyed a cameo appearance. Also, I thank it for the fact that most people don't remember what it says. I'd say it's working rather well.
For more information on the history of, and reasons for, the Third Amendment, go here. Quite fascinating, actually!
I thank the Third Amendment, the least litigated one, for Griswold v. Connecticut, where it enjoyed a cameo appearance. Also, I thank it for the fact that most people don't remember what it says. I'd say it's working rather well.
For more information on the history of, and reasons for, the Third Amendment, go here. Quite fascinating, actually!
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