The coming School Year 2020-21

    Because of the spike in covid infections in my county, the new school year will start with the distance learning model. Schools in my state can apply for a waiver so that K - 3 students can have face to face instruction in a classroom.  Meanwhile, in San Diego, a conservative group is suing the governor over his closing the schools to prevent the spread of the virus. Either they don't have children or they just don't care about the health of others. 

    The textbook I use for instruction is 100% online, so the distance teaching thing will not be that much of a change, but classroom management, you know, attendance, grades, that sort of thing, might become a challenge. 

    Teachers will have the option of teaching from home, from the classroom or both. That is a good idea. Zoom will most likely be the platform of choice for 6 through 12 teachers and Google Meet for the others not teaching face to face. 

    The pandemic is forcing change, new ways of thinking about work, school and leisure are surfacing, the nature of interpersonal relationships is changing. The paradigm shift is in full swing.

I think, despite the politicization of the situation, good will come out of the suffering so many are going through.   

2020 - Yikes!!

    Well now. It's been three years since I have posted anything. My how time flies. This pandemic has really changed everything. More stay at home time, more eating, less exercise, more anxiety and stress. The every other day grocery shopping trip is now a big deal. It's the only time I get to be around other live human beings. In our state the Governor finally made it clear that schools will not open for face to face instruction in the counties that have covid spikes... and my county is one of those with increasing infections. Looks like distance learning for the time being, at least until Winter break.  

    Who would have thought that 2020 would be the year that a paradigm shift would be happening. Government Homeland Security police being turned into SS troops. A pandemic so badly handled by the president that the US is looked down on and pitied by countries that use to hold the United States in high esteem. Thousands of people dead, thousands more ill from covid19, supplies for testing, and keeping people alive are almost non-existent. There are more items that could be added to this list, but  thinking about them is making me really upset. 

    Today is a shopping day.... so that's a good thing. Supposed to be sunny and warm today (weatherspeak for hotter than hell) 

    Make sure that you are registered to VOTE.

Later

6/2017

What a year. Had a total hip replacement procedure. What a difference that made, but I developed an infection at the incision site and am now on antibiotics and have a wound vacuum to help clear things up. Its like being on house arrest. You can't go anywhere, and you have to take sponge baths because the wound vacuum can't get wet. Hopefully this will be over in a week or two. Till next time.... 

Man, where has the time gone? Since I last posted here, the city has paved many of the roads, instituted a water rationing scheme and school has started. It blows my mind that in less than 150 school days my charges will be in high school. Another post when I get a chance.

Oh well.

This summer is not turning out be as great as I had hoped. The student loan issue, the trial in Florida, the horrible events in my school district, the fire behind Hemet that is burning towards Palm Springs. More later.  

6 weeks to go!

We are on the final weeks of the school year. Hard to beleive how fast this year has gone by. STAR testing starts next week for my school. The kids seem ready for that massive interruption of their education. They are so tested out they really don't care that these tests determine what will happen to them in school for the next 4 years.
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the release of "A Nation at Risk", the report that started all of this testing stuff. This report had no data to back up its claims and it was created during the time of trickle down economics. That alone should indicate that it was most likely an attempt to disguise the fact that the economy was tanking and a scapegoat was needed.

Reality based food shows.... seriously????

The cooking channel, that Scripps-Howard cable TV network property, must be running out of things to broadcast. Extra Virgin, a show about the ups and downs of an Italian farm boy who marries an actress from New Jersey. Vapid is the only word I can use describe this program. Who cares if she is learning how to pluck a chicken or milk a goat while having perfect makeup, and dressed to the nines? One more reason not to watch too much TV. If I must... I use the DVR and edit what I subject myself to.

Algebra 1 for 8th graders gone....

Well the California state board of education finally did something positive. They removed the requirement that all 8th graders take algebra 1. This was done to align  the state standards with the common core curriculum that will be implemented soon.   Methinks many 8th graders will be very happy....

Its been a while... so many things have happened since I last posted here. New Years resolution is to be a bit more regular in keeping up this blog. Topics this year will include Food, Public education, and general observations of the human condition.

CST Security Breach....

Well it finally has happened. 442 images of the California State Standardized Test (The infamous CST, a high stakes test) were posted on Facebook and other social media. This will delay the CST results while an investigation as to who did what is completed. 11 districts were involved.  In California, most districts follow the guideline that it is ok to have cell phone on campus, but it must be out of sight and turned off. Trouble with this is who is going to check all of the students? Also it is hard to enforce a behavior when the administrators and teachers use their cell phones all the time during the school day, in classrooms, walking on campus, while students are doing "seat work." One of the first things taught in teacher ed classes is that you model the behavior you want to see in students. It was inevitable that a security breach would occur.  This makes me wonder about the viability of online education. Given the power of modern computers, you can have two windows open at the same time and then its a simple matter of "cut and paste" and that makes passing a class rather simple. Could it be that it is time to re-examine the works of John Dewey and see where America's educational system went wrong.... at least from a pedagogical standpoint.   

Conservative San Diego county appears not to want their children to learn about accounting, web design, or child development. What does this say about them? But then they gave us Pete Wilson, deregulated the electric industry and then were the first to cry when the rates went through the roof.  Read on.

The Huffington Post (7/18) reports that despite improvements in CTE education in recent decades, educators can still face trouble trying to "sell the concept of having all students take courses in CTE," citing parental protests in La Jolla, California, when the San Diego Unified School District "proposed new high school graduation requirements mandating two years of career and technical education courses-or two to four courses. The district would have been the first in the nation to have such a mandate, experts believe." The Post reports that near-universal parental opposition to the plan, even after "school officials spent hours in a meeting to assure hundreds of parents that courses like computerized accounting, child development and website design" could benefit all students-caught district officials flat-footed. The piece notes parenthetically that advocates for more CTE cite ED support for such programs. 

Another glorious morning in Redlands.  Been thinking about peoples use of language lately. In listening with a critical ear, I am amazed at how people communicate with each other. I usually hang out at an "alternative" coffee house. This one roasts its own coffee, and offers in-house baked goods with a smattering of stuff baked in San Marcos. (Down San Diego way) The customers range from retired professionals, to Loma Linda medical students. Middle aged weekend bicyclists (in full armor) to 20 somethings with children. Needless to say this place is filled with many characters. One of the groups that meets on a daily basis is from the local AA chapter. Talk about interesting conversation. They talk about fishing, TV shows, interpersonal relationships, not smoking, but they never mention anything about why they are in their group. Its like they just don't discuss their issues... I guess its about being in a group, knowing that each one has a problem with alcohol, and the mere fact of being together is helpful.

Does a good leader grasp Umwelt? I this it is imperative that they do.

Just read an article in the Economist about America's economy is on the mend. That's good news, but they mention that America's public schools are bogged down by heavy handed unions. The author must not be informed as the reason unions appear to be powerful. Just look at the history of abuse workers have had to endure in the past because of greedy and selfish management. Our country does not value teachers like Finland or Singapore does. These countries see educators as the builders of their countries and they treat them well. Those countries also just happen to have the highest test scores. We draw most of our teachers from the bottom 30% of the university graduates, the aforementioned countries draw from the top 20%.  Do you think there is a correlation between good working conditions, respect and good pay and job performance? Finland, Singapore and Canada would agree to that. Wake up America!

So I am sitting at my fav coffee shop, Stells. This patron is on POF (which I am told is a dating site) and he is constantly putting his hand up to cover the screen. I finally get it. He does not want anyone to see the photos that pop up. How weird is that? People are strange.... good observation Mr. Morrison.

Finally. Redlands has a hot dog cart. Its called Stray Dogs and can be found in the downtown area. I wonder if this will breed more food carts and possibly food trucks in our area.

Our changing language...

I have been watching Cooking Channel TV since it started several years ago. It is part of the Scripps Howard family of media outlets which include the DIY, HGTV, and Food Networks. After viewing many programs, trailers, and clips it has become clear to me how much the English language is changing. We as a country are getting lazy with our usage. One individual identified as a pizza cook, talks about a "pseudo theory" in which one judges each pizza eaten with the first pizza you ate. Really? A pseudo theory? I guess the individual really does not know what a theory is suppose to do. How about this one. "I want to help share out what I know." or "Vegetables that I grew out of my garden." I know these are little things, but they are played over and over making them acceptable usage for many.  Sigh. And people wonder why our culture is changing in a negative way.

Its been a while since I have posted here. Been doing lost of reading... more to come.

Eureka Burger again.

Well it looks like they have finally worked out the kinks.... Service is still spotty but they are working on it. Good beers.
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In Old Del Mar...

Ah yess. Where the turf meets the surf.... Craft Beer and horse racing.....
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