Tuesday I'll grab the clam rake for the last time this year. Late Tuesday afternoon I'll wander over to an exposed tidal flat, and pull food out of the muck. I do not know who crafted the tines of my rake, but I know how it was done. I do not know where the tree grew that gave me the handle, but I know how it was done. I do know how the mead ...

Natural science has a funny way of bumping up against high tech. While we are way past the point of  rationally discussing whether we'd be better off without automobiles, industrialized agriculture, or Auto-Tune (I'd vote against all three), not all high tech gadgets are irreversibly entrenched in our culture. King Ludd--waiting for rain to wash ...

“Young students and old thrive on the tactile experience of manipulating with their fingers. And I definitely appreciate being able to interact with the content – how could teaching and learning get any more hands-on?” Katie Morrow, Technology Integration Specialist From SMART Board brochure Our fry are getting bigger--some have migrated to ...

With all the clitter clatter of folks rushing to toss out last week's toys for the new and improved 2.0 version, here are a few things now obsolete, but well worth bringing back: 1) Chalk You cannot draw well with markers; it's even harder to draw with an interactive whiteboard. Subtlety matters. While a 256 color Powerpoint of a beating ...

Whenever I post about the ludicrousness of using tools at inappropriately young ages, I get animated responses with similar themes. These replies are often anonymous, and often thoughtless. I got one from my previous post that was neither anonymous nor thoughtless, and I thought it was worth carrying the discussion out in the open. Thank you, ...

Just a quick peek in--it's the beginning of the year, and things are lovely, with the exception of a very local, very sad loss that will remain both local and sad--Bloomfield is a true community. We miss you, Michael. *** A few fish moved in this morning, a lot of roly polies will soon follow. I've brought back my wooden flute, seeds, a rattle ...

Slide rules still work. There are good reasons to prefer calculators to slide rules if you're using the tools for production. I get that. There are good reasons to prefer cars to horses if you're using them for transportation, or word processors to pencils if writing a novel. Pencils and horses and slide rules all still work, as good as ...