Obsessing Over #17

Alternate title: Maybe I should lay off the caffeine.

I can't stop thinking about book #17.

• I spend too much time on the computer.
• I don't even have complete thoughts anymore.
• I think in bullet points.
• When I'm on the computer, it's not like I'm actually doing anything. 
• When I'm on the computer, I hop all over the place. (I even interrupted the writing of this post to look up the transcript of the Treaty of Hidalgo.)
• Anyhoo, a colleague asked to borrow the book and I happily lent it to him. Unfortunately, he also brought me a book (I do not borrow books, and I especially dislike when people loan me books I didn't even ask for...but that's for another post.)
• Now I'm reading A First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. (Please note: the link is not to the same edition I'm reading, but you get the picture.)

So I am obsessed with all the knowledge I don't know. I'm beginning to wonder if the sole purpose of my education was just to tease me. "Look! All this stuff you won't remember!" or "Hey, sure you know this, but what about this? And this? Oh, don't forget that!" The more I read, the more I realize I don't know and the more obsessed I become with "catching up."

I just farted around so much in high school. And now I see my students farting around and I just want to slap them...which I'm sure my teachers wanted to do to me. But I think there's a difference. I farted around because I didn't want to be bothered 'cause I preferred to read; granted, books of my own choosing but still.  For the most part I read the books my English teachers assigned. I didn't necessarily do all the assignments nor did I pay close attention to the discussions, but at least I can say I read most of the books (11th grade especially; I farted around the most in AP English.) My students don't want to be bothered because they prefer to do mindless crap. I wonder if 20 years from now they will realize what they don't know...or if they will even care that they are ignorant of so much.

Friday Fill-In 29/4/11

1. I love to read, knit and crochet...and laze about.

2. Have a coke and a smile.

3. It's how you treat people that matters.

4. I don't want to know what happens in season 6 of Supernatural; don't tell me! 

5. Well, would you mind not talking so much?.

6. Jeepers creepers? spring peepers.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Offspring's visit and trying to finish my April Craft-a-Poem project, tomorrow my plans include a lot of being lazy and Sunday, I want to continue to be lazy!

#18

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had trouble deciding how many stars to give this one. Really it's more like 4 3/4. Well, honestly I want to give it 5 stars...but I'm a little too embarrassed to admit that a teen novel (even one that has stood the test of time) is "amazing."

I read this a looooong time ago when I was 13 and loved it. I totally went for the angsty "the world doesn't understand/I'm different" kind of theme in this book. Apparently I still do. This book was just as good reading as an adult. As I read though, I couldn't help thinking about the movie that was made and I was struck by such nostalgia...Patrick Swayze played Darry and I find it hard to believe he has passed away.



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#17

The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future by Mark Bauerlein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sure, the title is sensationalist. Sensationalism sells. I'm sure some the stats were tweaked a little to fit the author's needs, but that doesn't hide the fact that kids do indeed spend too much time doing frivolous things on the computer. I dog-eared 20+ pages of this book. It seemed the author said something powerful every other page.

I teach high school and yes, there are still kids out there that read. In fact, just last week a student of mine said she was going to start reading more because her aunt told her it would build her vocabulary. The book she chose? Jackie Collins' Poor Little Bitch Girl...but I will cut her some slack. At least she's reading something. Unfortunately, most of my students aren't reading at all.

We can't deny the fact that as a nation we spend billions on technology, and our test scores are still lackluster. Maybe we could learn from Finland. They spend less money and score better than the US (according to the Program for International Student Assessment.)

Most of the folks that have reviewed this book found it dry and not as strong toward the end. I found it quite the opposite. I thought it was a very strong ending...even if it did scare the hell out of me. I'm worried about my own self now. I spend way too much time on the computer and not enough time delving into books and visiting museums.







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Friday Fill-In 22/4/11

1. Pardon me, I dozed off.

2. That sounds like good deal.

3. I was surprised to find that I really like asparagus.

4. TV is one of my favorite forms of entertainment. 

5. Hi, my name is Sara and I'm eagerly awaiting the end of the school year.

6. I like to take naps on summer afternoons.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Triunfo del Amor, tomorrow my plans include watching an International House Hunters marathon (hubadub recorded a bunch of episodes.) and Sunday, I want to tweak some lesson plans!

Ugh.

The day started with such promise. I had energy. My first class went well and then it went down hill from there. I got tired. I could tell the kids were tired, too. (And it's only Monday.)

Who the hell thought 103 minute classes for freshman was a good idea?
I break it up as much as possible, but guess what...it's still 103 minutes.

Ugh.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

How I Spent the Week-end- The Return of the MIsh Mash

• Friday was stormy, but luckily our area was not as hard-hit as other parts of the South.
• I started a crochet project. (Don't get excited. It's just a half granny square shawl.)
• Saturday was a gorgeous day. I walked with hub a couple times and was generally a lazy bum.
• I watched to archived webinars at the ACTFL site. You just can't beat "going" to a workshop in your jammies....and being able to pause and get a second cup of tea! 
• I picked up some great ideas from said webinars. Always a plus when a workshop is useful!
• I discovered prezi.com. Good-bye power point...that is if it prezi isn't blocked at school.
• I read a very little bit: Mujeres Asesinas and The Dumbest Generation.
• Bought matzah and horseradish. Just not Passover without them.

And that about wraps it up. Bring on the week!

Friday Fill-In 4/15/11

1. For me, it was love at third or fourth sight.

2. I shop at my local supermarket.

3. Behind the sound of the wind in the trees, I heard the birds.

4. Learn French is something I always wanted to do. 

5. When it was over, I went home.

6. I was home by myself a lot as a kid but I never felt alone.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Triunfo del Amor, Starbucks, reading and crafting, tomorrow my plans include a walk with hubadub and Sunday, I want to read and craft some more!

What I've Been Up To...

So when I wrote my little "should I or shouldn't I?" post, Vivianne left a comment and asked what I've been up to.

Not much.

work.home.sleep.repeat.

A new school and textbook always means more work. And I am the kind of teacher that gets a feel for the environment before really settling in...which often means flying by the seat of my pants and getting the wool pulled over my eyes. Sure there are headaches, but things are pretty good for the most part. You would think that I would be used to the new job by now, but really I'm not.

And the sad part is I will probably be pink-slipped in the next two weeks. It's standard operating procedure for the public schools in my community. Pink slips for the first three years. After that, tenure. Performance and experience doesn't matter a bit. Good thing Offspring got that fellowship. LOL. 90% of pink-slipped teachers get re-hired, but in this economy...

So, for the past 6 months or so I've been more or less in school mode.

Plus I can throw a little mid-life crisis into the mix. Can I confess something? Now that Offspring is starting her journey into adulthood, I've got time to think. I had her when I was 19. I've always wanted to be a teacher, but I pretty much got my Elementary Education degree in three years and went right to work. Later I added the Spanish certification (since teaching high school Spanish was my ultimate goal), but I only had a to pass a test to do it and have an administrator say I had three successful years of teaching it under my belt. Anyhoo. I sometimes feel inadequate. My husband has a doctorate. My child will have a Master's and she plans to get a doctorate. I only have a Bachelor's degree. Make no mistake, though. I do not actually want a Master's degree. I just want to audit the classes. Sounds strange, doesn't it? I don't want the paper. I want the knowledge. I know my Spanish could use a lot of work.

So what's stopping me?

The GRE. Specifically the math therein. Here's my résumé for math:

• Graduated high school 20+ years ago after barely passing Pre-Algebra and doing quite well in Geometry (talk about low standards.)
• Graduated from College almost 20 years ago with two math classes: Math for Elementary Education Majors 101 and Math For Elementary Education Majors 102. Yes that was the name of the class and no, it wasn't algebra.

So how in the world am I supposed to get a decent score on the GRE? I would actually have to take a math class (or two or three) before taking the GRE.

Oh, and here's a great story. I get a brochure in the mail at work this week. There is a fabulous online course beginning in the Fall at a nearby University. It is specifically designed for French and Spanish teachers currently teaching, not some youngun' (like mine) who is going straight from Bachelor's work to Master's work. All paperwork: transripts, GRE scores (NOT the MAT), three recommendations, résumé and a copy of my teaching certificate is due by June 15. Does that seem a little short notice to you? Or do I just plan too far out in advance? 

Please Forgive Me...

I am about to wax political. I avoid such talk because I hate extremes of any kind. Political talk often brings out people of both extremes. I have been biting my tongue for years.

No one. NO ONE in this country deserves to be criticized for the way they feel or think. I repeat NO ONE. I've seen too many people say really, really crappy and mean things to someone just because of a difference of opinion.

If you are as open-minded and as ethical as you say you are....


THEN PROVE IT AND BE NICE... NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.

Anyway...inspired by this post....I present to you my world view. Which I have often tried to hide.

*****

I look to the future for inspiration...

.....but I never forget the past and I strive to learn from it.

I prefer tradition...

...with a dash of innovation.

I believe we should all be skeptical

I taught my child to value ethics .... 

....sometimes over morals.

What I have belongs to anyone who needs it.

I want to inform myself and not let some profit-driven news source try to ram its opinion down my throat.

Teach a child to read and cipher.

An education is a life-long process...not a product to be sold and marketed.

I value open dialogue without name-calling.

I prefer a heterogeneous population.

In this country "Nothing" doesn't exist. Everyone can give something for the greater good.

And if everyone lived by that...

We would be a better country indeed.

PS: Sorry to shout.

Something to Blog About!!!

Omigosh! I got the best text EVER from Offspring today! She GOT THE FELLOWSHIP SHE APPLIED FOR!! Her graduate school tuition is paid for!!!!!!!!!!! And she's getting a stipend!!!!!!!!!! Woot!

To Blog or Not to Blog

Knit and Crochet Blog week was a fail for me.
No one reads this thing anyway.
I'm not knitting, so my content lately has been weak. About all I do is drop by and say "hey, I read a book." (And I haven't been reading much anymore either, so it looks like I may be completely content-less.)

Should I even bother keeping up with this thing?

Most of me says "no."

• After 6 years, I really don't have a lot of readers. I have fewer readers than some folks who have been blogging for 2 years or less.
• I'm lucky to get 5 comments on a post and I pretty much feel like I'm talking to myself.
• I offer nothing to the blog-sphere. No products. No patterns. No tutorials.

Some of me says "yes", but I can't think of any valid reasons to continue.

I guess I have a lot of thinking to do.

Crafting Poetry-April Entries

Post 'em here, folks!

A Finish-March Crafting Poetry

As you know, I have decided to craft twelve items inspired by poetry this year. This month my poet was Robert Frost and I really loved A Blue Ribbon at Amesbury and wanted to make something for it. I checked out ravelry and found Eggy.

Such a fine pullet ought to go
All coiffured to a winter show

I'm not willing to say the mojo is back, but it did feel good to finish something....even if it is far from perfect.

I've finished another book, too. Well, I wouldn't say I read it. It's more like I skimmed it.

#16
The Tongue Tied American
Written in 1980, I'm sure a lot of the statistics are pretty much useless (which is one of the reasons I just skimmed it.) It's kind of sad because here I am 30 years later and I don't think anything has changed in this country. We are just as behind the rest of the world in language education as always. (I really should write a post about it...)