Monday, September 10, 2012

Random Thoughts

  • It’s hard to believe the September 11 terrorist attacks happened 11 years ago today.  I don’t have anything new to say or anything that hasn’t been said millions of times, but I did want to take a moment to remember. 
  • Most of Los Angeles County was plagued by a terrible stench yesterday.  We’ve had some funky hot and humid weather too, so going outside yesterday was just awful.  It smelled like an Andy Gump had exploded.  Turns out we had an extreme fish die-off in a dead lake several miles away that caused the odor.  So odd.
  • Kristen’s (my BFF) mom and dad just left on a trip to visit their hometown in Michigan and then are headed to the Carolinas.  When they reach North Carolina, Denny (Kristen’s dad) will have visited his 50th state.  That’s something isn’t it?  Upon counting, I’ve been to 36 states – some for a real visit, some just passing through on drives to/from New England.  The ones left haven’t really appealed to me for a visit (I’d much rather travel internationally) but hearing about Denny’s, would it be considered an accomplishment, it feels like maybe I should. 
  • Last week, I read an article about a new website that offers free college classes from some of the top universities – like Harvard, CalTech, Stanford, and Princeton.  According to their website, Coursera was created to give anyone around the world access to a top quality education, “We want to empower people with education that will improve their lives…”  It also sounds like there is the possibility for the creators to make gobs of money by being on the ground floor of this type of venture.  Anyhow, I’ve kinda been obsessed with checking out this website.  I love school, let me rephrase that, I love school when I get to choose the classes.  The last thing I have time for is a Harvard-like class, but I so want to enroll in one! 
  • We’ve got three public libraries in town.  The smallest one is closing and being reopened as a bigger and better library a few streets away.  Teachers have been invited to an open house in a couple of weeks.  It’s just a block away from my new school, and I can’t wait for it to open.  The old library is having a major book sale that started this weekend.  I can not tell you how badly I want to go.  I want to buy books for my classroom and for my own personal use.  But then reality sets in that I have books coming out my ears.  I don’t need anymore children’s books.  If I bought them, even high quality, library binding books at really cheap prices, I would have nowhere to put them.  Nowhere!  Every nook and cranny in my classroom and every shelf in my house is full.  I don’t need anymore books, and it’s killing me!

11 comments:

  1. Charity and 2nd-hand shops along with car boot sales are the bane of my existence where books are concerned. My only issue is that they have gotten too good at going on-line and pricing to amazon. All which mean that I've books I should read but at heart know never will probably.

    I'm doing a Coursera on finance. I didn't want to say until the thing was over but I don't think I'll pass the exam even though my average is 95% on the assignments. Wk 7 out of 10. That's my progress so far. It at a level of Masters/final year of Degree. But, while it's a very good notion and Harvard are doing something like it. It is intensely US orientated. So much so that the course book is a privately published work by a Prof at UCLA that from order to clatter of the letterbox we're talking 4 months one way or another. But the course is free.
    Yes, on Sept 11th, it's hard to think of anything new to say. I just think on that photo of the FDNY bringing Fr Judge out of the building.

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    1. I feel the same about books and with the likes of used book sales it can be something of an addiction. I haven't paid full price in years! I tend to use amazon's used service a lot because most of the time I'm looking for something specific.
      Did you have to buy the text book or is it downloadable? Also, are the courses go at your own pace or do you have to keep up with it in real time? It's sounds like you're doing quite well. Finance ain't my strong suit so I'd have to pass on that one, but there are a couple science and arts/humanities courses that sound interesting. Right now things are so busy and I feel like I've never ever taught before so I don't have the time. I'd like to try one eventually though.

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    2. I could only get three chapters on the net. So the rest of the concepts are reinforced from elsewhere. It's a bit of a pest, but doable.
      Frankly, having a think about it. The core problem would be the same in the US if one was a distance from a very good bookshop.
      And they weren't really truthful initially about what one needed. I had only the vaguest notion about excel. And while I've a bit of accounting and can read a cash flow statement it was far from sufficient. Now we've hit statistics.

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    3. Ugh! Statistics. I had a professor in grad school that made that class as clear as a bell. Otherwise, swoosh, right over my head.

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  2. Thank you for sharing that college info! I love it : ) I am going to share that with one of my truant students. She is so smart that she gets bored in school and doesn't go.

    I love books also. It is hard not to buy more. Very excited that a library is moving and reopening bigger and better! Around here it seems that not as many people are going to the library any more. It makes me sad.

    I hope you have a happy week!

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    1. I'm sure that kind of learning would be quite beneficial for those who don't like or do well in traditional high schools. I know so many teenagers who have just about flunked out of school when in fact they are probably smarter than their teacher. Our high school system doesn't do a very good job of differentiating for kids who learn differently which is a shame. I hope this site helps her.
      I'm thrilled about the library! The ability to read books on devices has definitely changed the need for the library. However we have a huge downloadable library within the system. I've read a few books, given to me, on my phone, but I don't think I'll ever be a total convert.

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  3. I have nightmares about not getting into a library.

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    1. Ha ha! I love that. Over the last year our city has taken over the three libraries from the County. They are fabulous now, and they cater to teachers...I don't think we've ever been catered to, so that's nice. :) I'm taking my class as often as possible when the new one opens.

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  4. There's always room for another book- or ten!

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    1. That mentality is what got me to this point in the first place. I'm not kidding, there is not room for another book in my classroom. Today it was fill-a-bag-for-$5 day. :(

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  5. I heard about the courses on the news too and would love to enroll for one. I'm going to bookmark your link.

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