My constant “being a teacher” struggle is keeping the balance between spontaneous combustion due to tiny apocalypses of real learning and fitting in what I think/know we need to cover on a particular subject.

Tomorrow we start the Periodic Table and I just want to throw my plans out the window and see what happens in each of my very different classes.

Excellent post (make sure to read the punchline at the end):

Frank Chimero – There is a Horse in the Apple Store: “There is a horse in the Apple Store and no one sees it but me.”

Lots of tiny horses out there if you stop to look.

I’m working on changing, though.

I’d love for our family to be a non-consumer family that rises above the morass of advertising culture.

Raising Minimalist Children in a Society of Excess: “When you choose to raise your children in a frugal, non-consumerism sort of way, you are going against a powerful advertising media. Images of the latest movie and its accompanying toys, video games, and action figures are all over the walls, cups, trays, and containers of fast-food restaurants. Television commercials tempt your children with compelling advertising, making your children think they just have to have the latest cereal, candy, video game, or toy.”

It’s a tough hill to climb. However, the strong dislike I harbor for advertising and the effects of consumerism on my children and students is the catalyst I need to turn to.

So, I’m working on this.

Via Kottke

Should be a great discussion, so come by if you’re in the area.

Hub-Bub.com – General Events: “Week 2: TECHNOLOGY: MEDIUM AND IMPACT
with guest panelists:

Sam Harrelson – Physical Science & Robotics Teacher, Spartanburg Day School
Andy McKee – Former Army Captain, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas & Tikrit, Iraq
Dr. Nick Wise – Chiropractor/Cranial Laser Technique Developer Wise Chiropractic/Wise Techniques,  www.wise chiropractic.com

For years in history as technology develops it changed how we make and do things, even in art.  From the invention of the printing press to the computer, the Internet, and digital photography artists have used new and emerging technologies as an art practice. This session will cover how technology impacts arts and culture with topics such as robotics, laser/water jet cutting, CNC routers, digital photography, scanners, video, the internet and all forms of new media.”

- 5 “bottles” of wine that will take 3 years to age and lots of grape juice and wonderful jelly from about 15 pounds of our concord grapes.

- More applesauce and apple butter than we could eat. We should make some cider as well.

- Fig preserves (not a huge amount but enough for a while).

- Pear preserves (about the same as the figs). We’re eating most of the pears right off the tree.

My goal next year is to increase our vegetable yield to match the fruit production.

Thanks to Anna for all of her hard work.

A few thoughts:

- I literally teared up when I saw the 9th graders sitting with the Upper School at our morning pep rally (my students from last year). We had an amazing year and I’ll miss them in my classroom. May the Cosmos shine upon them as they make their way down life’s road.

- That said, I’m so excited to get to know this year’s crop of 8th graders. They seem like a great bunch and I can’t wait to see how the year goes for us.

- I’m debating a pre-test for tomorrow? Thoughts?

- It’s going to be a crazy year with our reduced tech abilities given this is a transition year. Patience. Breath. Patience.

- Can I go the whole year without giving a graded test and instead relying on self and peer assessments?

More soon…

I turn 32 today. I’m halfway to 64 (will you still love me when I’m 64?).

Just some thoughts on this Sunday morning…

- I agree with Leo Laporte, although I’m “over” social media because all of this wonderful (or mundane) content we are creating is locked inside pretty boxes held by companies looking to use as as advertising/tracking/monetizing batteries.

NoScript for Firefox is a wonderful thing.

- School basically starts back tomorrow. My 8th graders will start class on Tuesday and Wednesday. I remember being so anxious and excited when I was going through the school process, so it’s always interesting being on “the other side” of the teacher/student relationship and seeing how much emotional time and energy teachers have already poured into the year before the students get there.

I can’t wait.

And no, there is no divide. That was a device.

- I wish I had more time to invest in projects like Thinking.FM or the array of ideas that flow through my head. Having this place as my hub is a good reminder to focus and keep things simple.

Between fatherhood and teaching (which feels like parenting dozens of kids sometimes), I have little time to decompress, let alone podcast.

I really want to do more podcasting, though.

- Advertising is a terrible business model.

- I’m using Ubuntu and projects like Firefox/Thunderbird much more these days. It feels great to be back on Ubuntu, which I’ve been using off and on since late 2005. I cannot believe it’s almost been five years since that first install. My how bits fly.

- Lou Pinella retired from the Cubs starting today. This after we traded Derek Lee on Monday. Stunning week for us Cubbies. However, like all things… change can be good. In this season of “school year” change, I’m hoping this leads to good things for us on the field. I especially hope Ryne Sandberg gets the coaching role.

- 32 is an odd age to be.

I still vacillate greatly on the issue of eBooks.

My concern has less (and less) to do with the experience of reading. I greatly enjoy reading on my Kindle DX or iPad or iPhone or my netbook or most anything.

I’m much more concerned about the long-term ramifications of DRM and content-lock-down (or editing) by corporations looking to monetize the reading experience even further.

Great post on the LibraryThing blog hashing out the same concerns…

Ebooks get better, print not. | Off-topic | LibraryThing: “But I question how publishers and authors will respond when piracy assumes music-industry levels, and then worse. One solution would be a return to the physical. Another would be the imposition of ever harsher DRM. But the most likely result is that the book industry can’t solve the problem, and we will gradually lose the ‘middle’ of the author community–the majority of authors who who aren’t Steven King (who could live on non-book revenue), but aren’t doing it just for the fun either.”

I feel that we’re at a major fork in the road. Of course eBooks will continue to gain popularity and adoption in this decade and will shortly outpace “real” books as the preferred mode of reading by the public (and in American schools).

However, I hope we don’t trade in rights for ease.