The Fiscal Cliff, what should we do?

It's coming!  Not Christmas, or New Years.  Taxes and the Fiscal Cliff!  It seems that with the House of Representatives controlled by Republicans but the White House and the Senate by Democrats that we are headed for gridlock and disaster through sequestration and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts enacted a decade ago.

What should Conservatives do?  I think that Republicans and Conservatives should give in.  I do think, however, that we should fight for a higher limit on taxable income such as $500,000 or $750,000 rather than the $250,000 that the White House wants.

Why?  Elections, we are told, have consequences.  So let's permit the Democrats to have their own way with the economy.  Then THEY OWN IT.  If their ideas and efforts succeed, we are wrong and the county is better off.  Hurrah!  If it fails, then we can legitimately say "We told you so!"  (Not that the media or the Democrats will listen.  They will still find a way to blame Conservatives.)

But, we should insist on a few things ourselves.

• a movie excise tax.  Since Obamacare placed a 2.3% excise tax on medical devises, we should insist that a similar tax be placed on movies.  and DVDs, and music, and video games.  It used to be a 20% excise tax.  2.3% doesn't seem so bad.
• and sports  All of it
• and a 75% tax on actors and sports figures who make over $1,000,000 a year.  After all, let them pay their fair share, since they don't do anything really important like the police, firefighters, nurses and teachers, right?  Or plumbers, and electricians, and everyone else who has real jobs.

Here are some more great tax the rich (friends of the Left) ideas:

http://www.humanevents.com/2012/11/09/taxing-big-blue

Contact your conservative congress people with the message above and the link as well.

Elections: Your side won, now what?

So, the election is just around the corner - mere days away.  In a week or less you will (we hope) go to bed knowing who won, or you will wake up the next day and find out.  (Unless it's really close.  I sure hope that doesn't happen!)

So  - your side won!  Congratulations!  (Maybe!)  Now what?

First, no gloating.  I'm writing this first draft about three weeks before the election, but I'm betting that at least 40% of the population will vote for the loser in the presidential election.  That means that four out of every ten people you might meet are delusional idiots - right?!  Hopefully not.  They may have different values than you, or be less informed, but their hopes are being dashed.  They are fellow Americans.  They are people you should care about.  Some of them even hold their views as a result of intelligent thought.  (Imagine that!)

Second, your candidate(s) won't solve all (or perhaps any) of the problems we're facing in this country.  Our problems are huge.  Support your candidate(s), but be aware that given the need to get laws through legislative bodies, special interests, changing circumstances and so on, that many of those hopes and promises will be modified or left unfulfilled.

Third, be humble.  Your ideas and values may be wrong.  You may be able to learn from those on the other side of the political spectrum.

Fourth, be loving toward those who lost.  Your turn to lose will come; I can guarantee it.

Fifth, don't forget to continue to support those who are newly elected.  Let them know when you support them and disagree with them.  Let them know why.  They are our servants, not our bosses.  Pray for them.

Sixth, don't write off your side if your candidates have to go against what they said they would do when they ran for office.  Sometimes politicians change their points of view or actions because they want to get political favors.  But sometimes the necessities of governing mean that they must do things they didn't want to do at one point.

Lastly, we must decrease the amount of distrust we Americans have for people who hold other political views.  "We must all strive for unity, peace, and a re-examination of how we can learn to live with each other better at both a national and international level."  (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/adrianwarnock/2012/10/us-presidential-elections-a-nation-divided/

As we pray for our leaders, let's also actively work toward being understanding and kind toward others.

Elections: Your side lost, now what?

So, the election is just around the corner - mere days away  (Won't you be glad when it's over!).  In a week or less you will (we hope) go to bed knowing who won, or you will wake up the next day and find out.  (Unless it's really close.  I sure hope that doesn't happen!)

So  - your side lost!  I'm sorry!  (Maybe!  Depends on whether I won, right?!)  Now what?

First, no nastiness toward the winners.  I'm writing the first draft of this about three weeks before the election, but I'm betting that at least 40% of the population will vote for the loser in the presidential election.  That means that four out of every ten people you might meet are delusional idiots - right?!  Hopefully not.  They may have different values than you, or be less informed, but they are fellow Americans.  They are people you should care about and treat with kindness and dignity.  Some of them even hold their views as a result of intelligent thought.  (Imagine that!)  Also, about four out of every ten people agree with you (more or less)!  Maybe next time your side will do better!

Second, your candidate(s) wouldn't have solved all (or perhaps any) of the problems we're facing in this country.  Our problems are huge.  Some, perhaps much, of what the winning side wants may not get done.

Third, be humble.  Your ideas and values may be wrong.  You may be able to learn from those on the other side of the political spectrum.

Fourth, be loving toward those who won.  Your turn to win will come; I can guarantee it, even if I don't like it.

Fifth, don't forget to continue to support those who are newly elected.  Let them know when you support them and disagree with them.  Let them know why.  They are our servants, not our bosses.  Pray for them.  Governing well is difficult.

Sixth, be glad that we live in a land where rulers and governors at all levels come and go and no one has to go into exile or is shot or imprisoned because they were on the losing side.

May that long continue.

Political Concept Group

Recently I've been having several discussions on Facebook with different people about politics, truth in politics, public policy and social issues.  Some of the people agree pretty closely with me, others are very (almost uncomfortably for me) liberal.  Once we get past the sloganeering that many (most?) of us are at times prone to do, we have some interesting discussions.  I learn a lot about how others think, and why they value what they do.  I learn that many of them share my concerns and that we could work together.  And then some idiot politician says something stupid, and I feel like we're back to square one.  So, I’ve been thinking about forming a new group on Facebook.

What I have in mind for this group is that we discuss truth and facts in the political and social realm and their implications for public policy.

I don’t want posts straight from either of the major parties.  I don’t want sloganeering, but rather questions and discussions about what is true and what isn’t true about what the candidates and parties claim.  I want us to discuss the implications of these truths and falsehoods related to such issues as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the debt, the deficit, defense spending, cultural values, (abortion, homosexual marriage) and so on.  I hope that even though we may disagree with each other we will at least understand where people we disagree with are coming from.  Most Conservatives and Republicans aren't evil or stupid.  Neither are most Liberals and Democrats.

I’m hoping that we can call out politicians on either side when they make stupid claims, statements, or utter falsehoods.  Or when they stretch the truth.  I hope that we can do it in such as a way that we aren’t playing “gotcha” with each other.  I would like us to link to articles that are thoughtful and fair.  We will try and present others’ views as fairly and accurately as possible and then discuss them.

One of my online Facebook friends/debaters suggested that we call such a group as this the “Concept Party”.  I ended up with “Political Concept Group - A Via Media.”

You may still believe that your party is better than mine, your candidates more ethical and better than mine.  Fine.  But let’s realize that we have many of the same goals for ourselves and for the country (for those in the USA.  For those who aren't there are still lots of common areas such as debt, poverty, abortion, homosexual marriage and so on).  We’ll treat each other with respect, and not be nasty about each other as people.  And we’ll try to not be nasty about positions that we disagree with.  We won’t call each other racists, Nazis, fundamentalists etc unless it’s really warranted.  If you think a policy has racist implications, then spell out those implications without assuming that the person is a racist.  Maybe the person who holds that view is a racist.  Maybe you see something he’s missed.  Maybe you’re missing something.

Some of us will be Christians, some not.  Let's all remember to treat each other as we would like to be treated.  Let's be up front about our own biases and positions.

Interested?  Know someone else who holds some of these same values?  Let me know.  I’ll moderate and control the group for a while at least.  People who engage in name calling or simple sloganeering will be gently admonished and given a chance to moderate their statements and/or apologize and interact with the group before being blocked.  Those who persist in acting this way will be blocked at some point.

Here’s an article that got me to sort of wanting to do something.
http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/lies-damn-lies-and

VSL Learners: Summary

Some last thoughts on the topic, right at the end of the grading period and before the elections!  It will be a relief to be done with the class, the elections, and getting grades in!  I will almost feel carefree!

The biggest thing I've learned is that there are people out there who really do think, learn, and store information in a very different way than I do.  Although, to be honest, I've been doing some self-reflection lately and I realize that I do store more information in pictures than I though.  People, maps to name a couple.  I also find myself moving more in the VSL direction as I age.  Is this a function of aging, or of the increasingly visual society that I am part of?  I don't enjoy reading as much (this could be because I've read all of the good books, though) as I used to.  My attention span isn't what it was.  and so on.  And my typing is getting worse and wlsrs.  or worse  or something.  slepping too.  I mean spelling.

The last few weeks as I teach I've come to realize how much I rely on speaking.  At times I can see my class   s  l  i  p  p  i  n  g  away from me.  I'm not always sure what to do to get them back, but I'm working on it!  Twenty-five years of teaching don't change over night!  I also wonder how much of middle school students' inability to follow verbal directions is because of their visual nature.  Their auditory learning ability isn't as well developed.  Anyway, I'm going to keep working on this area.  I play to use even more visuals, writing things down so they can see them.  I already have the students get up and move around after about 30 minutes of sitting, especially when they are taking notes.

I am, of course, fortunate that my students can move around so much because I don't have a very crowded room.  I also plan so that many days the students are actively doing things and after a few introductory minutes they are not sitting as much.  This teaching style is almost natural for me.

Many of the other suggestions I already do, but could do more of.  We have a cell rap - music for the parts of a cell - and I could have the students make their own in different content areas such as atomic makeup.  I try and give the students different options on how they present their knowledge.

Some criticisms of the class and the readings
My biggest criticism is that the bulk of the thoughts we interacted with came from Dr. Silverman either directly or indirectly.  This makes me wonder about its validity.  Is this VSL stuff just a fringe idea, or is it one that is new enough there isn't enough work and research?  Or were we not exposed to other scholars in the field?

Some of the suggestions of Dr. Silverman are over the top.  VS people aren't going to bring in a utopia, merely new combinations of strengths and weaknesses, good and evil.  And since people are on a continuum that describes how they learn, most people would be helped by the techniques we've studied, but it wouldn't be a revolution in society or education.  Nor does the workplace require a new set of skills, it probably requires additional skills on top of the old ones.

I've enjoyed reading all the notes and discussion from my colleagues at the school where I teach.  I wish I could share them all with you.  I hope that if you've read all of the other entries that you found them useful and interesting.  In case you haven't read them:


Part one:
Education post: Visual-Spatial Learners: Identification
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/09/education-post-visual-spatial-learners.html

Part two:
Education post: Visual-Spatial Learners: Gender Differences
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/09/education-post-visual-spatial-learners_12.html

Part three:
Education Post: VSL, Reading and Writing
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/09/education-post-vsl-reading-and-writing.html

Part four:
VSL Learners, Part 4 Handwriting difficulties
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/09/vsl-learners-part-4-handwriting.html

Part four: (second part)
This week we look at handwriting, spelling, and taking notes.
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/09/part-4-second-part.html

Part five:
VSL Learners Part 5, Math!
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/10/vsl-learners-part-5-math.html

Part six:
VSL Learners: Part six  Using Visual-Spatial Strengths to Learn New Material
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/10/vsl-learners-part-six-using-visual.html

Part seven:
VSL Learners: Part seven Organization!!  Yikes!
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/10/vsl-learners-part-seven-organization.html


Part eight:
VSL Learners: Part eight: Creating a visual-spatial classroom
http://peglermusings.blogspot.com/2012/10/vsl-learners-part-eight-creating-visual.html

VSL Learners: Part eight: Creating a visual-spatial classroom

Here's the assignment:

Create a blog with at least 8 entries to share resources and/or strategies with other educators, administrators, and/or parents. Be sure to include pictures, links, etc. in your blog. Make sure to describe how the resource or strategy might be useful to you and how it would impact VSLs.

We have come to our last lesson in the class.  I plan to write one more blog entry after this one, sort of  a summary of the class.

Use a variety of evaluation methods.

a prezi

• Allow students to show their learning in a variety of ways.  Papers, posters, prezis, powerpoints, movies, skits, oral tests and quizzes, and interviews are all methods of testing and evaluating.  All have their advantages and disadvantages.

Use a variety of teaching methods

• Lectures have only one major advantage.  A large amount of information can be disseminated in a short period of time.  When used, lectures should be accompanied by short quizzes (whether graded or not) that test what the students have just covered (clicker questions).  This allows for a change of pace and for a quick check on whether or not the students understand the material.  Lectures should incorporate discussion, pictures, sound and movies when possible.  Students should be allowed to stand up and move around periodically.  As a colleague says, "The mind cannot absorb what the butt cannot endure."

Keep the room comfortable and well lit and interesting.

I enjoy my room.  I try and keep the room at 70 F give or take two degrees.  If the temperature gets much over 72 F I start to feel sick.  Golon claims that this (70 F) is the optimal temperature for learning.

• Golon also claims that posting new items in the room is necessary to help retain interest.  I don't do so well  here.  I put up some posters and leave them.  Two of them (sequoia trees) have been up for years!  Golon also gives recommendations for wall colors and carpet color (p. 160).
• Natural light is preferable to artificial light.  My school was designed fairly well in this respect.  We have a lot of natural light.
• Although Golon claims that students do better listening to music, I disagree with letting students listen to ipods etc. in class.  I am listening to music now as I write this, and I have no problem in principle to students listening to music.  Many students, however, spend so much time playing with their music device that they get little work done.  
• Golon cites research as showing that certain smells such as peppermint help students learn and improve mental ability. (p. 161)

Other teaching ideas

• Present material visually as well as orally.
• Use maps, diagrams, charts, photos, etc.
• Use hands-on activities whenever possible.
• Give students enough time.
• Encourage color coding notes
• Venn diagrams
• Using fantasy  (I want to do this with my students this year by having them visualize the journey to the center of an atom.  I could do something similar as they explore a cell.)
• Use metaphors - How is a car/factory like a cell?  How is the body like a car/factory?  
• I've been thinking about having my Physical Science student create sentences, words and puns with the element symbols and names.  I usually just have them memorize the name and symbol, but results have been going down in the last few years compared to ten years ago.  Can you find He3 below?

Sources for images

• http://blogs.woodtv.com/2011/04/08/first-70-degree-day/
• http://g-o-v-t.wikispaces.com/E)+Comparison+Based+G+-+O+-+V+-+T+
• http://apreppyeducation.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html
• http://www.evidencesofcreation.com/dna02.htm
• http://chemistry-problems.tumblr.com/page/2
• http://uni-aza.blogspot.com/2011/10/forward-email-dd.html
• http://www.technospot.net/blogs/created-animated-non-linear-3d-slide-shows-prezi/

VSL Learners: Part seven Organization!! Yikes!

VSL Learners: Part Seven Organization!!  Yikes!

Here's the assignment:

Create a blog with at least 8 entries to share resources and/or strategies with other educators, administrators, and/or parents. Be sure to include pictures, links, etc. in your blog. Make sure to describe how the resource or strategy might be useful to you and how it would impact VSLs.

We begin with an article by Dr. Silverman, "Why All Students Need Visual-Spatial Methods."  In the article she points out that as the economy shifts to an information age and then a conceptual age, the needs of the marketplace will change and employers will require different skills.  She quotes

Tom West (1991), author of In the Mind’s Eye, suggests that in the 21st century employees will require strong visual skills: “ready recognition of larger patterns, intuition, a sense of proportion, imaginative vision, the original and unexpected approach, and the apt connection between apparently unrelated things” (p. 88).

and

Daniel H. Pink (2005), author of A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, proposes that, now that information is readily available on the Internet, success in today's world is dependent on empathy, intuition, spirituality and right hemispheric-directed abilities.

"In the United States, the number of graphic designers has increased tenfold in a decade; graphic designers outnumber chemical engineers by four to one. Since 1970, the United States has 30% more people earning a living as writers and 50% more earning a living by composing or performing music. ... More Americans today work in arts, entertainment and design than work as lawyers, accountants and auditors." (p. 55)

Silverman continues,

Success in school still depends upon:

• Following directions
• Turning in assigned work on time
• Memorization of facts
• Fast recall
• Showing steps of work
• Neat, legible handwriting
• Accurate spelling
• Punctuality
• Good organization; tidiness

What positions require the skills so heavily prized in school? These auditory-sequential skills are actually limiting the potential of all students to gain employment in today's world. Citizens of the 21st century are rewarded beyond school for:

• Ability to predict trends
• Grasping the big picture
• Thinking outside the box
• Risk-taking
• Problem-finding and problem-solving skills
• Combining one's strengths with others' to build a strong team
• Computer literacy
• Dealing with complexity
• Ability to read people well

So what do we make of this?

First, I don't think that it's a question of either/or.  We shouldn't get rid of following directions.  Society depends on people who can follow traffic and other laws.  And to employer's directions.  Besides, most young people won't start out in jobs where the second set of skills are valued.  They will work in fast food places, or retail and those requirements haven't changed in the years since the articles above were written.  These entry level job employers value the first set much more than the second (with the exception of the people skills). Eventually many of the young people (if they have the discipline and get the training) may go on to acquire or invent jobs that involve the second set as well.  The first set of skills are unlikely to go out of style.

So how do we help our VSL students acquire more of the first set of skills which many of them find difficult?
First, I would like to say that in my experience many, many students have organization problems.  I think that lack of organization is due to several factors including personality type and bent (including how one best learns), immaturity (a huge factor), lack of practice, and poor parenting.  I think that the last is a factor that is often ignored.  Parents don't have the energy or discipline themselves to help train their children.  I realize of course that certain personalities reinforce certain traits and habits, but could it also be that certain habits reinforce certain personalities?  I'm also amazed at how many nationalities don't seem to have trouble with organization and study skills.  Generally, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, and European students are very organized.  American students not so much.  Are there fewer VSL students from those other nationalities?  It would be interesting to see the research if there is any.  Or could it be that those other cultures value and stress good study habits and organization?

http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/Visual_Spatial_Learner/vsl.htm

Here's how to increase organizational skills.

1. First, realize that this is a long process.  It will not happen in a few weeks.  It will take months or years.  Persistence is necessary.  I have found that parents often lose patience and give up.  This is hard for some parents because they also lack (for whatever reason) those organizational skills and the discipline in their own lives.  It is therefore hard to transfer these skills to another person.
2. Second, what works for one student may or may not work for another.  This can be especially frustrating for parents who succeed with one method for an older child but who find that this method does not work for younger siblings.  Students should be encouraged to try different methods for a length of time to discover/develop what works for them.  They may change as they get older.  I used to be more of a stack person.  Now I'm more of a file/sprawl person, much to my wife's annoyance.
3. Planners and calendars  Students need to develop some sort of calendaring method to keep track of assignments.  We as adults use them, so the kids should too!  There are lots of options for this from paper to notebooks to software.  When placing items in the planner, it is helpful to write the assignment on the due date and also on several dates before that so that I am reminded that I need to work on it during the interval.  Families may also need to have a calendar at home where activities and assignments are written.
4. Folders  Students should be taught how to organize their material by subject and within subject by homework, completed assignments, notes, and whatever else may be important for that class.
5. Coloring coding notes and folders is another way of helping students interact with their notes enabling them to quickly review the important words and concepts.  Color coding folders increases the chances that materials will end up in the right place.
6. Routines  Putting one's belongings in one place helps reduce lost keys, glasses, and phones.  It also reduces the likelihood of leaving home with doors unlocked and stoves on!  In the classroom we should have routines as much as we can so that students know what to expect.  They will be more likely to deliver what we want from them.  (http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/PDF_files/Articles%20Archive/vsl/v9.pdf)
7. Modeling organization   One of the important factors for teaching students how to be organized is to show them organization.  That may mean that we go overboard to show them, because for many adults our organization is in our heads, on our phones etc. and isn't obvious to young people.  So we may have to put up assignments in several places, and repeat them often, and have the students write them down several times.  One of my colleagues at my school said that she doesn't assume that her Kindergarten students are able to pack their own backpacks before school starts. So she teaches them how to pack their backpacks!  I am so thankful for those who teach younger students these skills.  Hats off to you all!

Sources and Resources:

• http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/hints4helping_kids_organize.pdf
• http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/PDF_files/Articles%20Archive/vsl/v36.pdf
• http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Why_All_Students/
• http://www.inthemedievalmiddle.com/2009/02/note-worthy.html
• http://organizeclutter.com/?p=250
• http://www.cleansweepsupply.com/pages/item-smd11943.html
• http://www.tmssoftware.com/site/dbplanner.asp