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September 2008 - Posts

the urgent and the important

This morning I will set up ten blog accounts for students (who couldn't follow directions the first time), reformat my lesson plans (into the district-mandated, heavy-handed format) and figure out how to turn in receipts the correct why (becuase I didn't Read More...

2008 09 30

John Spencer

0 Comments

being there

I'm re-reading Being There, by Jerzy Kosinski. The main premise is that the media takes a retarded gardner and makes him into a potential presidential candidate. He becomes an icon, a product of a culture of amusement. In many respects, it seems loosely Read More...
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2008 09 27

John Spencer

11 Comments

feeling better

On a side note ahead of time: I'm feeling better about teaching. I looked at the beginning and end of my students' work last year and I noticed a change. I noticed that they became better thinkers and better readers and better writers. If the cost for Read More...
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2008 09 27

John Spencer

0 Comments

what are high expectations?

Last year, the Solutions Team from the Department of Education offered a long analysis of why our school is failing. First on the list was "low expectations." Similarly, when the district hired a man to conduct a climate survey the previous year the number Read More...
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2008 09 26

John Spencer

3 Comments

feeling like giving up

I can handle the battle against standardization. I can deal with the fact that beauracrats treat me as if I am not a professional. However, I am sitting here grading assessments and feeling depressed. Part one of the assessment is a paragraph response. Read More...

2008 09 23

John Spencer

7 Comments

the house that Steinbrenner demolished

Of all the classic stadiums, Yankee Stadium is the least classic. Fenway Park retains its Green Monster, the awkward field dimensions and the traditional, non-technological scoreboard that gives it character. Wrigley Field remains an icon, embedded in Read More...
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2008 09 18

John Spencer

16 Comments

redneck elitism

I find it interesting that certain habits of mine automatically make me an elitist. I prefer a good Hefeweizen over a Bud Light. I think two dollars for the liquid happiness of Starbucks is actually a reasonable price. I listen to NPR constantly and my Read More...
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2008 09 18

John Spencer

3 Comments

wasted space

In our school, we have one principal and three assistant principals. It's a large middle school, so I can see the need for a large administration. However, we also have two Language Acquisition Specialists and two Curriculum Specialists. The sad thing Read More...

2008 09 14

John Spencer

18 Comments

teaching about 9-11

"How many of you remember September 11th?" About twenty hands go up, while another fifteen look around. "What can you tell me about it? What can you explain about that day?" Each kid begins telling the story of being in school and watching the planes Read More...
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2008 09 13

John Spencer

3 Comments

cursed madeline hunter

I'm sitting at home right now attempting to turn my own lesson plans into the heavy-handed, district-imposed, board-approved lesson plan format. Supposedly it follows the Madeline Hunter format (though I remember using her lesson plan format in college Read More...
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2008 09 12

John Spencer

17 Comments

wife swap

I rarely watch television. It's not for self-righteous reasons (though it began that way, after reading a few Neil Postman books). We don't have cable, which limits my three favorite shows: The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and CSPAN's BookTV. I wish Read More...
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2008 09 11

John Spencer

0 Comments

following recipes

My wife has a bookshelf full of recipe books and a big box where she keeps notecards with handwritten recipes (does she realize that we have the ability to create a recipe database or does she simply prefer the quaint traditions of handwritten, vanilla-stained Read More...
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2008 09 9

John Spencer

4 Comments

my thoughts on Chrome

I tried out Google's new web browser, Chrome, today. Here are my thoughts: Pros: Very fast: It was able to load up pages quickly, including multiple video, text, etc. Simple: I liked the simplicity of the toolbar. Each icon made sense and was located Read More...
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2008 09 3

John Spencer

3 Comments