“New Tricks”

This morning I was using Google Classroom when one of my students stated, “I think it’s great that an older teacher like you can learn technology”.  While the comment was sincere and he meant well, it amazes me how little our young people have a grasp on the technology timeline. 

I was teaching a “Flipped” classroom back in 2002 using presentation software and Go To My PC online resources from my home, emailing in 1984 (Compuserve and BBS), had a cell phone in 1989 and have been using PowerPoint  since 1992 (albeit with a projector that required total darkness).  On the flipside, most high school students today can’t type 20 words a minute, can’t code (HTML, C, or BASIC) and they require a 2 day seminar on how to login to a wireless access point. 

Not only that, God forbid that you put a QR code on the board and ask them to scan it.   You will get more blank stares than a rat loose in a mortuary.  An administrator came in to my room during first semester and asked the students how they liked Google Classroom and the other technology oriented activities that were being asked of them.  Sadly, the overwhelming majority of these HCP (Honors College Prep. ) students made comments like, “I wish we could go back to pencil and paper, etc..).    

All of a sudden it hit me, we have intruded into their cyber paradise.  Though they can’t perform the simple before-mentioned task, students are perfectly capable of Snapchat, FB, Yik Yak, Instagram, Tumbler, Spotify, YouTube.  etc.. . When we ask them to adapt their technology to the classroom the fun is gone.   As educators we must change the dynamic.  The reason that many teachers are so good at technology is that when they went for their graduate degrees, they were FORCED to turn in assignments online, type papers, etc.. .

Unless we begin to REQUIRE active and productive use of technology, we will be producing a group of modern-day Luddites.

God Bless All Who gave up 60 seconds of their lives to read this email. Now, go out and POST THOSE ASSIGNMENTS  !!!

Today brings us one day closer to the most contentious election in recent years. As we ponder who or what we are voting for, we have to first acknowledge that neither of these candidates has all the answers.

Healthcare and the Middle East

What a week...the Middle East in turmoil, gas prices rising, and all we
have to talk about is Congress wasting our money on carrying out a charade of attempting to repeal a law they can't repeal. THis is the definition of insanity. Before I go any further, let me state that I wholeheartedly agree with the Federal Judge who declared mandated health insurance unconstitutional. I have always believed that that section of the law was unfair and made no sense. You don't help people by forcing them to buy insurance. Everyone with a calculator and a successful completion of a high school Economics course knows the best option is for a single-payer/catastrophic coverage plan administered by the government. Private insurance companies can still exist to pay for our office visits, routine checkups, etc.. but the government should regulate the cost of these plans. The Laws of Supply and Demand onlywork in an inelastic market when the economy is guided by a limited but effective government. Now on to the Middle East..regardless of whether or not you support the current regimes,extra-constitutional methods and violent protests are never the answer to overthrowing a government that you don't agree with. While the Western nations have democratic government in various forms, most places around the world are not capable nor deserving of it. Even our most staunch ally,
Israel, basically had a Coup de tat when Rabin was assassinated and replaced by a government aligned directly with his assassin. President Obama and the entire government needs to be careful in how we encourage "democracy" in this region. Is there anyone foolish enough to believe that Iraq is a better place now that we have replaced a Dictator, Saddam Hussien, with a Fundamentalist Islamic Republic.
While Saddam was no saint, Christians and other minorities who did not oppose him were accorded protection and even privilages under his regime. There were even Jewish members of the Iraqi parliament. Women were considered equal to men and fundamentalism was mocked and even discouraged. Today, women in "Democratic" Iraq are reduced to the same level in society as they hold in Saudi Arabia or Yemen. Few minorities are protected and Christians and Jews in particular are being persecuted. This is what "Democracy" brings to the Middle East. It is no accident that Syria is the only state in the Middle East other than Jordan where minority and women's rights are respected.
God Bless you and Have a Lovely Week

2010 Elections

From the Left of Center:

The 2010 Election has left many people wondering what went wrong. Was it health care, the economy, social issues,or simply a misunderstanding by many on the left about the importance of mid-term elections. The answer is of course “All of the Above”.

While 82% of all Americans (according to the Commonwealth Fund’s 2008 Survey) felt that our health care system needed fixing, no one was prepared for the cumbersome, compromise laden, expensive plan hashed out by the administration and further amended by Congress. A simple, single payer option with no one being required to purchase insurance of any type makes the most sense for the average American who pays up to 20% of their paycheck toward insurance premiums. However, what makes sense is not always what people want or think they want. All it takes is for someone to use the word “Socialism” or “Liberal” and working class Americans flock back to the same system that has burdened them for over a century. If Democrats ever plan on winning the health care debate, they must be prepared to give real numbers when discussing how much money is poured into private insurance by the average worker.

The economy is currently and always will be the single most important issue for Americans. Ironically it is the one area where the Executive branch and Legislative branch have little or no control. While Fiscal Policy (taxing and spending) is important, it can only alleviate the symptoms of the “Great Recession”, much like Roosevelt used it during the Great Depression. Roosevelt didn’t end the Depression, however, he made it bearable for most Americans through government programs such as the T.V.A., the C.C.C., and the N.R.A. (National Recovery Act). This was strongly criticized by Republicans and the rich, however, working people showed their approval by electing him for a record 4 times. While President Obama and the Democrats had the same opportunity, they balked. They were afraid of the reaction of conservative pundits who believe that the key to economic recovery is sacrificing the poor and the middle class to the failed “trickle down” coddling of the rich. This approach failed miserably under the Bush administration which destroyed a budget surplus in less than 2 years with corporate and upper class tax cuts. The tax cuts which were given to families who made less than 250,000 a year would not have made a dent in the surplus. Tax breaks to corporations and wealthy individuals are supposed to encourage growth through business spending and hiring. This theory failed. As a result, the economy almost collapsed. President Bush, to his credit, saw the need to propose the stimulus plan which along with President Obama’s plan has alleviated much of the suffering of the average American through un-employment payments and government assistance. President Obama needs to realize that the Republican party has simply did what he did in 2008, capitalize on peoples fears and ignorance. As a result, he needs to increase government spending at a G.O.P. like pace and allow the Federal Reserve to worry about the money supply and the National Debt. With more spending comes more jobs, with more jobs come more consumer spending, with more consumer spending comes greater sales, with greater sales come greater profits.

Mid-Term elections almost always see a decline in support for the “ruling” party. This is largely due to a misunderstanding by the people about the importance of these elections. We Americans, especially moderately conservative, mainstream, or liberal Americans, tend to believe that once we elect a President or Governor, the rest will take care of itself. As a result, the people who are discontented with the executive are much more likely to go to the polls while those who are satisfied tend to stay at home. The result is what appears to be a mandate for change.

President Obama must be aggressive where it is important and reserved where it is not. Many Americans would have not turned against the Democrats 30 years ago had it not been for its embracing of so many non-traditional social issues, abortion in particular. President Obama deserves a tremendous amount of credit for appointing a Pro-life Justice, Sotomayor. Hopefully this will help lead to a removal of the pro-choice language in the party platform. The President has also been adament in his defense of marriage as a man-woman institution. His reiteration of his support for President Clinton’s Defense of Marriage act has helped calm many moderate supporters. When necessary, President Obama has maintained the Democratic position on many social issues. What could be more patriotic than wanting to serve one’s country. His support for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was the correct thing to do even though it may bring about some negative reaction from the far right.

The 2010 elections were not a mandate, simply a reaction. As a result of this reaction, effective government will temporarily decline and a level of stalemate will occur. This stalemate would be tolerable in better economic times, however, it is not tolerable in today’s recessionary state.

Jacksonville State University Gamecocks

This year has been the epitome of "Build it and they will come". I am not a "Bandwagon" fan but I have no problem with those who are jumping on this wagon. The Stadium, the atmosphere, and the Product on the field make for a true College Football experience. I have grown up an Auburn fan but JSU is now and always has been my top priority..."Momma's Calling". Go Gamecocks

Arizona Immigration Law

The State of Arizona recently passed a law that requires local and state police to make people show proof of citizenship when stopped, etc.. The governor has yet to sign it and hopefully will veto this unbelievable unconstitutional piece of legislation.
The Arizona Immigration Law is probably one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation passed this year. Ok, first of all, this is a blatant violation of a principle that every American holds dear. Americans should never be required to carry ID. I was appalled when I talked to people from other countries who said they had to have their id or papers on them at all times. This is outrageous. While illegal immigration is a problem, BIG BROTHER is a more dangerous problem. Where are the Tea Party folks and conservatives on this one? AMERICANS required to show ID's while walking down the street? No more hiring people to cut your grass or rake leaves without proper ID? Welcome to the Peoples Communist Republic of Arizona...

Goals Instead of Resolutions, Now That's an Idea.

I don't know about the rest of you but I am a little put off by the term, Resolution. A resolution is usually something that binds us to a decision or at least states that we are definitely going to accomplish it. This is a great philosophy if it works, however, lets face it, most New Years Resolutions don't come to fruition. It is similar to when your coach used to say, "It's not if we win but when we win". Again, great motivation, but completely unrealistic. When the inevitable happened and your team lost, the coach lost a degree of legitimacy. Why not do something a little different this year; let's set some GOALS.

Goals are something you plan to achieve. Like most plans, they sometimes have to be changed. As an educator, I am constantly setting goals for myself and my students. For a goal to be valid it has to be measurable, therefore, I hereby proclaim 2010 the year of the New Year's Goals. These goals are not personal but simply my opinion on what our country needs to do to improve. Don't misunderstand me, our country, the United States of America, is still the greatest country on Earth and will be for a long time, however, this doesn't mean that we can't improve.

GOALS 2010

1. The government should continue to use its Fiscal and Monetary policies to steer the economy through rough times. Capitalism is great, however, even Adam Smith (The father of Economics) stated that government does have a role. These policies should benefit ALL Americans, not just the poor, rich or middle class. There is this belief that if you help the poor you have to harm the rich, that is completely inaccurate.

2. We should continue to fight terrorism and extremism wherever we find it. This includes all forms of extremism if it leads to terrorism or oppression.

3. Our country should change abortion laws. We should recognize that women's rights and the rights of the unborn are one in the same. A woman devalues herself as does her partner when they wantonly and willingly terminate the life of their offspring. While most women who have abortions are decent and even god-fearing people, they don't realize the gravity of this decision. There are of course reasons for early term abortions and I am not certain that first trimester abortions should be banned, however, 2nd Trimester and late term abortions are wrong and any civilized, modern nation must recognize this and put a stop to them.

4. Healthcare reform is more than an idea, it is a necessity. Democrats, Republicans, and Medical leaders have to fix this. Requiring people who don't have insurance to purchase it is not the answer. Not only is unconstitutional, its outrageous. That's like telling someone who is starving that they will be put in jail or fined if they don't eat, regardless of their ability or inability to pay.

5. We must solve the homeless problem. We should humanely enforce vagrancy laws and move people who are living in the streets into government or privately contracted shelters. No child should be forced to live in a refrigerator box or under a bridge because of the situation of their adult caregiver. These facilities should be located in or near the communities where homelessness is a problem in order to avoid life disruption as much as possible.

6. The Federal government should abandon the No Child Left Behind educational program. It is unrealistic and detrimental to the students it is supposed to serve. The Federal government should put forth a plan for states to reorganize education into career tracks beginning in the tenth grade. I will address the details at a later date.

7. We should build our alliances based upon a new philosophy, Unilateral Humanitarian Aid. The developed nations should aid the poor, downtrodden, and oppressed regardless of the cooperation of their government. This concept of "respecting the internal affairs" of other nations ends when they oppress or abuse their citizens. The United States cannot do this alone, however, an alliance of developed nations regardless of their political systems could easily implement this "Pax Humana".

8. Liberalism and Conservatism have to take their places behind Americanism and Humanitarianism. Liberals tend to reject the patriotic, religious, and military while Conservatives tend to reject humanitarianism, welfare, and social advancements. America is strong and great only because we are a nation which is strong militarily, socially, and most of all spiritually. We cannot allow our rightful separation of church and state to interfere with our relationship with God, regardless of sect or creed.

9 and 10 = Email me your Goals for our country at: messagefromthemiddle@gmail.com

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