I didn't even think about it, but that last post was #100! Happy 100 posts blog, keep up the good work!
In honor of post 100, I would like to share this video I found on Failblog. It made me laugh.
27 February 2012
Fun Stuff
Pictures of the last couple projects I did:
My Dinner Menu!
I've cut up at least 9 pairs of pants. I got through my last pair and counted, only to realize I need 12 MORE SQUARES. That's it. So I went back through my bag of scraps and cut out smaller squares that I can fit together. When I made it through my scraps I needed ONE MORE. That's it. An eight inch square of denim. It's not worth it to me to cut up an entire pair of pants, but I have no other choice that I can see. I can't make it appear out of thin air, and I used my scraps up to make the other 11 squares. So it looks like I will be cutting into another pair of pants. I'm going to have to buy a pair though, I don't have any left to donate to the cause. The good news is if I can find a yard sale I should be able to get them for a quarter :)
Off to pin some more, wish me luck!
My Dinner Menu!
Found the board at Hobby Lobby. I was going to use it for something else, but then that didn't work out (because I changed my mind about it at the last minute) so it sat in the closet for a few months until I had this idea. I was very proud of it. And I even use it most of the time. Chalkboard paint, then I painted the designs over the chalkboard paint and then I write the menu on with chalk (but you could have made that connection I'm sure). The only thing is, the chalk doesn't write well on there unless it's big so I either have to use abbreviations for everything or pick one word to describe the meal. Or write small and smudgy. I think if I were to do this over I would try sanding the wood more. It was already smoothed out, but I can definitely feel the grains when I try to write on it. I like it though. I am proud.
My other project that is never ending:
The Jean Quilt
Off to pin some more, wish me luck!
26 February 2012
Waiting for Superman (Long post ahead)
Evan and I switched our Netflix account from unlimited streaming to one DVD out at a time. We had been talking about this for a while, because we can stream some video. And with one DVD out, we can average two a week- or more if we get in the mail right away. So I finally switched it. One of the movies I put in the queue before Netflix did the big switchy switch in their prices was Waiting For Superman. So we finally watched it. I knew I was going to have some issues with it, but overall I think the message was ok. From what I had heard, I thought the documentary was all about how teachers aren't good at their jobs and that is the plight of the school system. This wasn't the focus, thank goodness. While there are teachers out there that are bad (even horrible) at their jobs, there are many that are good (even excellent). I would like to put myself in that category, if I ever get a job. I don't say it to be prideful, I just believe I was given the talents necessary to be successful as a teacher.
The documentary focuses a lot on the evils of the Teacher's Union and tenure. And I think they had a good point. It is incredibly hard to fire a teacher once they reach tenure (if offered in the state- Arkansas doesn't have tenure I recently found out). And to get tenure you just have to not be fired for the probation period (In Virginia it is three years). The union also protects teachers with an insane amount of power. There were two stories that really got me.
The first was in New York. Apparently, if a teacher is facing disciplinary hearing (for consistently being late, or assaulting a student, or anything that would cause them to not be able to have their job anymore) they go to a room where they sit and read, play cards, chat, etc, until their hearing. They can be in this room for UP TO THREE YEARS. And while they sit here, they still receive a full salary with benefits. Meanwhile, the district has replaced them with a new teacher who is also receiving a full salary with benefits. This costs the district millions of dollars each year. This was appalling to me. No wonder so many schools are failing, when the majority of your budget goes to paying soon-to-be ex-teachers to sit in an office all day, you can't put it toward things that matter. But they are protected by tenure and a union. They can't be fired until after the hearing.
The second was in DC. A new chancellor (superintendent) was hired and everyone was watching her. She was young, she didn't go through being a principal or any other administration, but she came in with a plan to reform the schools. Within a year she had closed 23 schools and fired a LOT of principals, and other personnel. She also distributed the funding to the schools and took it out of central office (where she said everything got mucked up). After this, she was able to say "For the first time in many years, every school in DC has a music teacher, art teacher, PE teacher and a nurse." And test scores and performance began to improve. She got results. She wanted to further reform the schools. She came up with an offer for the teachers to vote on. They could keep tenure and receive a modest raise over time (it capped at like 73k I think), OR they could get rid of tenure and get raises based on performance, with the opportunity to earn up to 140K. The union did not allow a vote to be held because the union says teachers cannot be compensated based on how well they do their jobs. To me, this seems to be overprotecting the underperforming. Who knows.
Now, another thing the documentary tells a lot about is charter schools. Charter schools are painted to be the answer to the problems with public schools. They give the statistic ONCE that only 1 in 5 charter schools are successful compared to the endless amount of talking about 'dropout factories' in the public school system. They focus on one charter school in particular- KIPP. These schools are in low income, low performing cities and were noted as 'bridging the achievement gap.' What did they do differently? Well, I'll tell you.
First, they lengthened the school day. Then, they added Saturdays to the school week. So everyone gets more time in school, which means more time to practice and study. This to the film makers said, "Well, obviously the problem does not lie in the neighborhoods. Because these schools are doing well." Here's what I think about it.
Yes, dedicated teachers can make a difference in low income schools. It is possible for some success. It takes a lot of strength and determination, but it can be done. One of the things about low income neighborhoods and schools that is different is the presence of parents. Often, these kids have one parent at home, or live with grandparents. In affluent neighborhoods there are two parents, and many times one of the parents only works part time or not at all. So, in affluent neighborhoods, there is a stronger parent presence. Parents come into the classroom, parents are at home to do homework to read to their children, to ask them about their day, to encourage them to be whatever they want to be and to help them achieve that goal. On the other end of the spectrum, parents don't come to school, they are home later, often they didn't finish school so can't offer much help to their children. They may not understand the purpose in school because they didn't finish and are getting by, so don't offer as much encouragement to their kids. This is, in my opinion, a large part of why low performing schools remain low performing. I think, in order to bridge the achievement gap, you gotta work on those families. Getting parents involved will make a world of difference. This is just my opinion though.
So, this charter school is painted as having found the answer. People are stating to believe it is not just the neighborhoods these kids come from that produce failing results, but the schools themselves. Here is where I am skeptical. Let's look again at what this school does. They lengthened the school day, so the students spend less time at home. They don't necessarily need their parents to be at home to help with homework because they have already spent an extra hour in school. They have less time at home, in the poor neighborhoods, less time in that negative environment. Then, they go to school on Saturday. So, they only have one day where they are at home all day. That is one day to be influenced by all of the negativity that is in their neighborhood (or can be, I don't want to overgeneralize). They have the students in school longer, but they also have them at home / in the neighborhoods less. Which side of the equation is more causal? I think those work together, but I think it is equally (or more) important to remember that they are less influenced by the nature of their at home lives, not just more influenced by good teachers.
In addition, these charter schools are not plentiful enough for everyone to go. So, by law the school has to hold a public lottery for anyone that wants to go. This means, parents apply for their students to be accepted, then go to a public drawing, and if they are chosen, the students get to go. Why is this important to note? Because, students who have parents that are involved enough to look into a better school and fill out an application and spend a night in a crowded gym waiting for their number to be called are already at an advantage academically. Their parents care about them and how they do in school. This is an advantage over parents that don't care at all. So these students have a better chance at success in the failing schools, which would be increased in the charter (where they are surrounded by others with similar support), but is still significant.
Is it possible that this formula could work for everyone? Yes. But in order to test that out, public schools would have to go to the same schedule. Longer days, and working on Saturdays. Will that ever happen? Probably not. Unions won't allow it for one, and if we were able to get past that, a lot of teachers would say 'no way' and parents would complain as well. It would cause a lot of riot in my opinion.
I think I am done with my rant. Overall, the movie was good and brought a lot of valid points across. If you haven't watched it, go check it out. However, I think it is important for people to realize you can't just change the teachers. There is a lot of accountability placed on teachers to make students be successful without the support of parents/families when the students get home. It is a team effort people! Let's work together.
The documentary focuses a lot on the evils of the Teacher's Union and tenure. And I think they had a good point. It is incredibly hard to fire a teacher once they reach tenure (if offered in the state- Arkansas doesn't have tenure I recently found out). And to get tenure you just have to not be fired for the probation period (In Virginia it is three years). The union also protects teachers with an insane amount of power. There were two stories that really got me.
The first was in New York. Apparently, if a teacher is facing disciplinary hearing (for consistently being late, or assaulting a student, or anything that would cause them to not be able to have their job anymore) they go to a room where they sit and read, play cards, chat, etc, until their hearing. They can be in this room for UP TO THREE YEARS. And while they sit here, they still receive a full salary with benefits. Meanwhile, the district has replaced them with a new teacher who is also receiving a full salary with benefits. This costs the district millions of dollars each year. This was appalling to me. No wonder so many schools are failing, when the majority of your budget goes to paying soon-to-be ex-teachers to sit in an office all day, you can't put it toward things that matter. But they are protected by tenure and a union. They can't be fired until after the hearing.
The second was in DC. A new chancellor (superintendent) was hired and everyone was watching her. She was young, she didn't go through being a principal or any other administration, but she came in with a plan to reform the schools. Within a year she had closed 23 schools and fired a LOT of principals, and other personnel. She also distributed the funding to the schools and took it out of central office (where she said everything got mucked up). After this, she was able to say "For the first time in many years, every school in DC has a music teacher, art teacher, PE teacher and a nurse." And test scores and performance began to improve. She got results. She wanted to further reform the schools. She came up with an offer for the teachers to vote on. They could keep tenure and receive a modest raise over time (it capped at like 73k I think), OR they could get rid of tenure and get raises based on performance, with the opportunity to earn up to 140K. The union did not allow a vote to be held because the union says teachers cannot be compensated based on how well they do their jobs. To me, this seems to be overprotecting the underperforming. Who knows.
Now, another thing the documentary tells a lot about is charter schools. Charter schools are painted to be the answer to the problems with public schools. They give the statistic ONCE that only 1 in 5 charter schools are successful compared to the endless amount of talking about 'dropout factories' in the public school system. They focus on one charter school in particular- KIPP. These schools are in low income, low performing cities and were noted as 'bridging the achievement gap.' What did they do differently? Well, I'll tell you.
First, they lengthened the school day. Then, they added Saturdays to the school week. So everyone gets more time in school, which means more time to practice and study. This to the film makers said, "Well, obviously the problem does not lie in the neighborhoods. Because these schools are doing well." Here's what I think about it.
Yes, dedicated teachers can make a difference in low income schools. It is possible for some success. It takes a lot of strength and determination, but it can be done. One of the things about low income neighborhoods and schools that is different is the presence of parents. Often, these kids have one parent at home, or live with grandparents. In affluent neighborhoods there are two parents, and many times one of the parents only works part time or not at all. So, in affluent neighborhoods, there is a stronger parent presence. Parents come into the classroom, parents are at home to do homework to read to their children, to ask them about their day, to encourage them to be whatever they want to be and to help them achieve that goal. On the other end of the spectrum, parents don't come to school, they are home later, often they didn't finish school so can't offer much help to their children. They may not understand the purpose in school because they didn't finish and are getting by, so don't offer as much encouragement to their kids. This is, in my opinion, a large part of why low performing schools remain low performing. I think, in order to bridge the achievement gap, you gotta work on those families. Getting parents involved will make a world of difference. This is just my opinion though.
So, this charter school is painted as having found the answer. People are stating to believe it is not just the neighborhoods these kids come from that produce failing results, but the schools themselves. Here is where I am skeptical. Let's look again at what this school does. They lengthened the school day, so the students spend less time at home. They don't necessarily need their parents to be at home to help with homework because they have already spent an extra hour in school. They have less time at home, in the poor neighborhoods, less time in that negative environment. Then, they go to school on Saturday. So, they only have one day where they are at home all day. That is one day to be influenced by all of the negativity that is in their neighborhood (or can be, I don't want to overgeneralize). They have the students in school longer, but they also have them at home / in the neighborhoods less. Which side of the equation is more causal? I think those work together, but I think it is equally (or more) important to remember that they are less influenced by the nature of their at home lives, not just more influenced by good teachers.
In addition, these charter schools are not plentiful enough for everyone to go. So, by law the school has to hold a public lottery for anyone that wants to go. This means, parents apply for their students to be accepted, then go to a public drawing, and if they are chosen, the students get to go. Why is this important to note? Because, students who have parents that are involved enough to look into a better school and fill out an application and spend a night in a crowded gym waiting for their number to be called are already at an advantage academically. Their parents care about them and how they do in school. This is an advantage over parents that don't care at all. So these students have a better chance at success in the failing schools, which would be increased in the charter (where they are surrounded by others with similar support), but is still significant.
Is it possible that this formula could work for everyone? Yes. But in order to test that out, public schools would have to go to the same schedule. Longer days, and working on Saturdays. Will that ever happen? Probably not. Unions won't allow it for one, and if we were able to get past that, a lot of teachers would say 'no way' and parents would complain as well. It would cause a lot of riot in my opinion.
I think I am done with my rant. Overall, the movie was good and brought a lot of valid points across. If you haven't watched it, go check it out. However, I think it is important for people to realize you can't just change the teachers. There is a lot of accountability placed on teachers to make students be successful without the support of parents/families when the students get home. It is a team effort people! Let's work together.
21 February 2012
Snow day in Arkansas
They were calling for snow last week. When the flakes started falling, there was a little panic and things started shutting down. At 7, UCA cancelled classes (So Evan got a day off). I went to look outside to see what the fuss was about.
By 10 it had changed to sleet, by 11 it was rain, by 12 there was no sign of snow at all. The roads never even got icy... but oh well. I was able to get things done and Evan got to sleep another day to nurse his cold. The weather for this week? 60s today and tomorrow, 70s Thursday and Friday. I'll take it!
By 10 it had changed to sleet, by 11 it was rain, by 12 there was no sign of snow at all. The roads never even got icy... but oh well. I was able to get things done and Evan got to sleep another day to nurse his cold. The weather for this week? 60s today and tomorrow, 70s Thursday and Friday. I'll take it!
Valentine's
I can't believe February is almost over. Really, I can't believe it's been almost a week since Valentine's day. Evan was sick the whole weekend before and spent most of his time in bed. I teased him and was generally unsympathetic. Then come the following Friday night, I was sick too. Thankfully, Evan isn't the type to hold a grudge. He is a swell guy :)
For Valentine's Evan was still getting over his cold, so instead of cooking for me he instead ordered some delicious take-out. Which was good because I was craving a steak like crazy (I must need more iron in my diet?), and he wanted chicken strips. So we went to Chili's to pick up our order and ate at home while we watched Evan's present- THOR. Apparently we didn't own that one, but now we do! Evan bought me the High Bohn expansion for Bohnanza, which we will play eventually. Once we can have some friends over! (Thank you Brockbanks for introducing us to that, we miss gaming with you for sure!)
We had every intention of watching the annual VCU vs George Mason Valentine game, but instead went to bed early (really early [like 8:30 early]). All in all, it was a great night to spend with each other, and I know I enjoyed every moment. I love you, Evan!
For Valentine's Evan was still getting over his cold, so instead of cooking for me he instead ordered some delicious take-out. Which was good because I was craving a steak like crazy (I must need more iron in my diet?), and he wanted chicken strips. So we went to Chili's to pick up our order and ate at home while we watched Evan's present- THOR. Apparently we didn't own that one, but now we do! Evan bought me the High Bohn expansion for Bohnanza, which we will play eventually. Once we can have some friends over! (Thank you Brockbanks for introducing us to that, we miss gaming with you for sure!)
The Valentine Spread
We had every intention of watching the annual VCU vs George Mason Valentine game, but instead went to bed early (really early [like 8:30 early]). All in all, it was a great night to spend with each other, and I know I enjoyed every moment. I love you, Evan!
06 February 2012
Being a nanny, I don't work regular hours. Some weeks, I only work three 12 hours day, and some weeks I work five 7 hour days. Mostly, I work four days a week. Three long ones and then a half day. Which means I typically have at least two days to myself every week. At first, this meant a lot of sleeping in, watching tv, then grocery shopping. Not all that productive. As time went on and it started to sink in that I wasn't just on summer vacation with a easy summer job that would be over in a few more weeks, I've become more productive.
I enjoy getting up with Evan (well, not with Evan because he wakes up at 5 usually. But I get up before 8 usually, as he is leaving for school.) and then have a leisurely breakfast, shower, then do laundry/dishes. Then I have time to do something fun! Such as baking, or prepping dinner for the night (or if there is a more difficult one during the week), or crafting!
So what have I been up to?
Well, I got a sewing machine for my birthday, and after the first night of fun winding bobbins and sewing lines down a scrap of fabric to see all the different stitches (14 different stitches! Good job, Evan) I decided to start with something easy- A quilt. HA! Actually, I think a blanket/quilt probably is easy to start with, if you go the simple route and just cut squares, sew strips, sew strips together. The back part is going to be tough I'm sure, but I'll get it. I'm about halfway through cutting squares, so it will be awhile yet. Though I should get quite a bit more done today after my cleaning duties :) I'll post pictures some day.
I also made a a cute chalkboard for our dinner menu (making a menu is the only way I can insure we eat dinner every night). And some other things.
ALSO I discovered Pinterest, which is like throwing gasoline on the craft fire. I can hardly finish one before I'm ready to start another. Luckily, I have enough self control to not let the whole house explode into odds and ends of fabric, paint, and ribbons.
I enjoy getting up with Evan (well, not with Evan because he wakes up at 5 usually. But I get up before 8 usually, as he is leaving for school.) and then have a leisurely breakfast, shower, then do laundry/dishes. Then I have time to do something fun! Such as baking, or prepping dinner for the night (or if there is a more difficult one during the week), or crafting!
So what have I been up to?
Well, I got a sewing machine for my birthday, and after the first night of fun winding bobbins and sewing lines down a scrap of fabric to see all the different stitches (14 different stitches! Good job, Evan) I decided to start with something easy- A quilt. HA! Actually, I think a blanket/quilt probably is easy to start with, if you go the simple route and just cut squares, sew strips, sew strips together. The back part is going to be tough I'm sure, but I'll get it. I'm about halfway through cutting squares, so it will be awhile yet. Though I should get quite a bit more done today after my cleaning duties :) I'll post pictures some day.
I also made a a cute chalkboard for our dinner menu (making a menu is the only way I can insure we eat dinner every night). And some other things.
ALSO I discovered Pinterest, which is like throwing gasoline on the craft fire. I can hardly finish one before I'm ready to start another. Luckily, I have enough self control to not let the whole house explode into odds and ends of fabric, paint, and ribbons.
03 February 2012
Smarty Smarty husband
For Evan's last semester in Undergrad, he applied to work on a research project with one of the VCU Professors (Dr. D). He got the position, and quickly gained more respect and trust than students that had been working on the project for years. He stayed on after he graduated in December and continued to help with the project, eventually getting the opportunity to write a section and becoming the only undergrad author.
I didn't know this, but apparently being an author as an undergrad is a big deal. So after the paper was written, it was sent off to be published, and a few months ago he got the news that is has been selected for a journal and will be published in the near future. It was a good experience, but not directly related to his field. And not really all that interesting, unless you really like to talk about people's feelings about coins. That's right, money. The research examined the reaction to the re-denomination of Ghana. Ghana went from coins to paper money and the research wanted to determine the attitudes towards the new money compared to the old money. It was tedious work. The paper combined four studies, so he spent hours entering data and writing citations. He wrote the "results and discussion of study three" (He did not right the Methods section. When I was clarifying I asked him if that was the section he wrote and he laughed. Apparently you get to write the methods section if you are really dedicated and the author wants to give you a small reward with the last author slot on the paper. Who knew. If I get my name in a journal I will write whatever section they ask!) He worked hard for that authorship.
This experience helped him to get into Graduate school and get onto ANOTHER research project. The semester hadn't even started yet when he caught wind of the topic- Prisoners and why they can't seem to get a job after they are released from prison. He thought, "That's my kinda research!" And had one of the second year's he had just met put in a good word for him at the department's pre-semester picnic. By the time school started he had been invited to work on the project. A position everyone else had to apply for.
By the end of the semester the professor leading the project (Dr. V - also, why does he end up working with people who have impossible names to spell?) said, "I want you to be second author. But you are a bad writer, so read these books over the break. I don't say that to be mean, everyone is a bad writer. I want you to be a good writer, so I am doing you a favor." And gave him a list of books to read over Christmas break. Apparently she doesn't hold back. She has some quirks.
SECOND AUTHOR. This is a very big deal. This means Evan is almost as important as the first author, his name will be recognized by people. ANNND he is third author on the second paper, which focuses on the same topic but with Juveniles. (There is another grad student that is third author on the first paper and second on this one) So he is now up to three (potential but likely) publications after one semester in graduate school.
This project is exploratory research that examines Prisoners and the jobs they had before being arrested, why they quit or were fired, and why they can't get a job (or choose not to) after they are released from prison. Evan likes it. He has been working hard with it.
When we got back from vacation, Dr. V told him she had submitted the paper to APA, hoping it would be chosen for the convention this summer. Evan texted me Wednesday with the good news. The paper was selected and he and a handful of the team will be going down to Orlando, FLorida to present the paper and research to a national audience. Now, he won't be one of the keynote speakers, his will be more like a booth that people can come up to and have discussions of the paper, but this is still an honor. Not everyone is chosen to present at the APA convention. They have over 150 thousand members- that's a lot of research going on!
I'm very proud of my husband. He works hard and loves his field- and it shows. Which is why he is selected to work on these projects, and given such responsibility.
GO EVAN!
I didn't know this, but apparently being an author as an undergrad is a big deal. So after the paper was written, it was sent off to be published, and a few months ago he got the news that is has been selected for a journal and will be published in the near future. It was a good experience, but not directly related to his field. And not really all that interesting, unless you really like to talk about people's feelings about coins. That's right, money. The research examined the reaction to the re-denomination of Ghana. Ghana went from coins to paper money and the research wanted to determine the attitudes towards the new money compared to the old money. It was tedious work. The paper combined four studies, so he spent hours entering data and writing citations. He wrote the "results and discussion of study three" (He did not right the Methods section. When I was clarifying I asked him if that was the section he wrote and he laughed. Apparently you get to write the methods section if you are really dedicated and the author wants to give you a small reward with the last author slot on the paper. Who knew. If I get my name in a journal I will write whatever section they ask!) He worked hard for that authorship.
This experience helped him to get into Graduate school and get onto ANOTHER research project. The semester hadn't even started yet when he caught wind of the topic- Prisoners and why they can't seem to get a job after they are released from prison. He thought, "That's my kinda research!" And had one of the second year's he had just met put in a good word for him at the department's pre-semester picnic. By the time school started he had been invited to work on the project. A position everyone else had to apply for.
By the end of the semester the professor leading the project (Dr. V - also, why does he end up working with people who have impossible names to spell?) said, "I want you to be second author. But you are a bad writer, so read these books over the break. I don't say that to be mean, everyone is a bad writer. I want you to be a good writer, so I am doing you a favor." And gave him a list of books to read over Christmas break. Apparently she doesn't hold back. She has some quirks.
SECOND AUTHOR. This is a very big deal. This means Evan is almost as important as the first author, his name will be recognized by people. ANNND he is third author on the second paper, which focuses on the same topic but with Juveniles. (There is another grad student that is third author on the first paper and second on this one) So he is now up to three (potential but likely) publications after one semester in graduate school.
This project is exploratory research that examines Prisoners and the jobs they had before being arrested, why they quit or were fired, and why they can't get a job (or choose not to) after they are released from prison. Evan likes it. He has been working hard with it.
When we got back from vacation, Dr. V told him she had submitted the paper to APA, hoping it would be chosen for the convention this summer. Evan texted me Wednesday with the good news. The paper was selected and he and a handful of the team will be going down to Orlando, FLorida to present the paper and research to a national audience. Now, he won't be one of the keynote speakers, his will be more like a booth that people can come up to and have discussions of the paper, but this is still an honor. Not everyone is chosen to present at the APA convention. They have over 150 thousand members- that's a lot of research going on!
I'm very proud of my husband. He works hard and loves his field- and it shows. Which is why he is selected to work on these projects, and given such responsibility.
GO EVAN!
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