Test Preparation

As a former middle school teacher, I know that many students do not know how to study for tests.  The schools where I worked required me to distribute test outlines to allow students to know what material will be on the test.  This was a good step for me as teacher because it helped me frame what the test would look like.

Public schools, however, have their stance off balance.  My son knows quite a bit about the New York State ELA test (which he has been taking this week); however, he does not possess the skill necessary to study for a simple health test.  I suspect something has gone terribly wrong in public education when the student knows about the state test but does not carry away any knowledge that will help him in the future.

State tests have their place.  Still, it's the skills that need drilling, not the test itself.  Students lose about a week a year to tests.  Wouldn't it be nice to simply give the test and not have to prepare for it?  Or, if schools are concerned about the success of their students, shouldn't a more broad and applicable method of study be used? 

If a student has trouble with the ELA test because he needs help with writing, then more work on writing should be done.  This work should focus on and be framed by the skills needed to succeed as a writer: organization, spelling, depth, focus, audience, voice.  The information I receive as a parent is that my son may not receive as score of 3 as a result of his written performance.  That is meaningless information.  Further, it does not address my child's abilities head on. 

It's time to prepare students for real situations and get the tests aligned to skills.  When the test drives the curriculum, we all lose.

Bailouts

I feel bad for the people who were duped by the Madoff ponzi scheme.  However, I don't feel bad enough for them to consider using the billions for bailouts to help them.  Many people lost a significant amount of money, but they were taking risks -- as we all do when we invest our money -- and stood to earn quite a bit of cash in the transaction.  As it is, I have lost a significant portion of my 401K due to the drop in the Dow averages, but I don't hear anyone shouting to help me.

We are in this together but the government should only be using the money to keep the economy going.  I don't see how giving money back to those who lost big would even support the economy.  It's not as if those people, once they receive their million or so back, would then go out in a fit of joy and spend it all.  The money is going to be invested elsewhere.

Yes, I do understand that when big business has the money from those investments they will generate the economy.  Still, it's just white collar money.  Where this country is hurting is in the blue collar sector.  Sure the auto workers have to tighten their belts, but they also represent what makes this a good country.  I would like to be rich, but I don't necessarily want that to be what defines this country.  

We need to get back to basics.  Support the mom and pop shops if there are any left.  Buy a house to live in and have a vested interest in improving your neighborhood.  What the hell, take the time to know your neighbors.  We've allowed ourselves to be defined by the car in the driveway for too long.  It's time to define ourselves by the character of the people who live in the houses where those cars are parked.

We need to bailout with caution and care.  And try to be kind to one another.  In the crash of 1929 it wasn't the poor people who committed suicide; it was the rich as they contemplated life without money.  The poor just continued on and made a nation that many felt proud of.  Times are tough; they will get tougher.  We need to put individual interests aside and hope that those in charge will do what is necessary for the greatest number not just those with the greatest number of assets.

Snow

When everyone is home and safe, I love a good snow storm.  We just took the dog for a walk up the street and it was peaceful.  Snow is quiet; rain is loud.  There are even fewer people out when it's snowing.  I heard some people discussing their sadness that this storm has come on a weekend when there will be no school day, but I figure we are all safer this way.  Less people have to go to work and the roads are less congested.

When I was younger, I enjoyed snow regardless of whether or not I had to drive in it.  Now, I do not drive in snow.  In fact, when we were in Germany I was a little scared when we had to drive on slushy roads.  I have no idea what made me so paranoid about driving in the snow.  There was one episode when I thought the clutch of my car was going and I still drove home (it took 2 hours).  That was a hair raising experience but I got home with no harm done.  Why then can't I simply get a charge out of it?

Last year, due to my light schedule and the snow, I left work 15 minutes early.  I figured if the snow was beginning to accumulate there, my drive would be bad since I lived 36 miles north.  It's a good thing that I left.  Fifteen minutes later the road became quite slick and there were something like 70 car accidents on the street.  If I were a fearless driver, I might have been one of those accidents.  I guess my gut instincts are on target.

And the snow is really pretty when it's new and I don't have to worry about my family getting anywhere safely.

Go enjoy!

The Safety Net

My first car was a Ford Fiesta.  I owned it for about two months before we started noticing a problem with it.  Any time I sat idling, waiting for Rod to leave work, for example, I could see -- faintly -- steam rising from the car.  Initially I thought it was just the exhaust smoke swirling about.  Then, one day while sitting at a red light, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a massive about of smoke billowing from my exhaust.  It seems I had literally blown a gasket.  Because my father was involved in the purchase of this car, I had to buy it from a dealer.  More money but it came with peace of mind - we purchased a warranty.  So, back the car went to the dealer.  There was a problem, however, in that the dealer never filed the paper work that accompanied the warranty.  they would not be reimbursed for the repairs.  My car was with them for about two months.  (I was told not to complain -- after all, I was given a new Chrysler K car.)  The loaner car was nothing more that a set of wheels.  When one thinks of a new car, this loaner had no similarity.

Anyway, by the time I got my Ford back, the decision had been made to get rid of it.  This was sealed when the steam problem cropped up again.  It would prove to be a faulty radiator.  We fixed it and sold the car.  The guy who bought the car had it -- problem free -- for a while.  That experience showed me that owning an American car was not worth the money.

So, now the American car makers are in trouble.  Who saw that coming?  Back in 1984 (when I got my first car), Toyotas, Datsuns (yeah, they still had them back then), and VWs were the "hot" car; however, they cost more.  I wasn't allowed to look.  the other problem was mileage.  Over 100,000 was not to be looked at.  So, I got stuck with American crap.  (Flash forward 20 years -- Rod and I bought Julia a Toyota with over 100,000 miles.  that car is running like a gem two years later.)  

I guess my point is this.  For over 25 years we have known that American cars weren't worth the money they cost.  Even for those who bought them, the resale value was much lower than the foreign counterparts.  The availability of leases simply made things worse.  More people could continue to buy cars - even if they couldn't afford the car.  It's like the housing crisis.  The unions played a part here, too.  UAW fought with no foresight.  What good is a great pension plan if there is no company to pay for it?  What good is a job that pays 53 dollars an hour if there are no cars to make?  So, now we are in the biggest economic crisis in years and the American car companies want a bail out.

Should there be a safety net?

I heard on the news that one in ten people who work, work for the car industry.  Obviously, allowing the car companies to tank would have a massive impact on this country.  However, I can't help but think that this is just putting our finger in the dam.  Down the road another leak will bust through and then what?

I think it's the saddest thing that American car companies are facing dark days.  Still, the writing has been on the wall for many years and no one paid attention.  What guarantee is there that they will in the future?

small town life

I used to watch a show called Murder, She Wrote starring Angela Landsbury (how do you spell her name?) as a retired teacher now mystery writer named Jessica Fletcher.  I thought she led the greatest life, most notably because she lived in the jazzy town of Cabot Cove,Maine.  My friends used to joke that since I too was an English teacher I just too easily identified with her.  Anyway, despite the odd number of murders that cropped up in that little town, Cabot Cove seemed like a great place to live (TV producers never showed snowy weather that I can recall -- it always was summer or fall).  Anyway, to a certain degree I have my own version of Cabot Cove right here in the fort.

Yesterday I was taking my morning walk.  On my way back, some neighbors pulled up in their mini van and invited me to go for lattes.  I was more than willing to join them.  Once I got in the car, we drove two houses down and picked up another neighbor.  Arriving at our destination, we met more people from the community.  It was good fun with nice people on a chilly day in the neighborhood.

And no murder to investigate.   

Half a job done

So, one mitten is finished.  Although I had some trouble, I think it came out okay.  Now I need to get the second mitten finished.  It sure is nice to have time off to learn a new skill.

Knitting

I initially learned to knit when I was around 11.  However, I only knew how to knit flat things like scarves and blankets.  Now that I am unemployed, I have time to really learn how to knit.  I take a class on Wednesday afternoons which has improved both my skill and my confidence.  

A couple weeks ago I bought some truly ugly yarn from the dollar store.  As I was flipping through the book One Skein Wonders, I found a pattern for Easy Mittens.  I decided to take the plunge.  And you know what?  The mittens are really easy.  this morning I took a picture of my first mitten.  You can see where the thumb is supposed to eventually wind up.  

If my photo post works, I will keep you updated with my progress.