"Progress" at what cost?

I just finished reading an article entitled "A Planet Without Apes" in the December 12th issue of Upfront magazine. The article was written by John C. Mitani, an anthropology professor at the University of Michigan.

The article discussed the very real possibility that all of the world's ape populations will soon be extinct. Of the 40 types of apes that inhabited the world millions of years ago, only five now remain: the gorilla, bonobo, chimpanzee, orangutan, and gibbon. Habitat destruction, hunting, and deadly diseases are taking their toll on the remaining gorilla populations. In 2000, Congress authorized the Great Ape Conservation Act, which authorized spending $5 million of public money annually to help protect gorillas. This money was matched with private money to fund gorilla-saving projects in Asia and Africa. Although the act was reauthorized in 2005, concerns over the deficit might keep it from being reauthorized by Congress again.

I sometimes hear people say that protecting species of animals is not important. These folks say that people are more important than animals, and we need to continue to move forward and make progress. I disagree. The world and all the inhabitants in it are inextricably tied together. When our actions lead to the destruction of our natural environment and the extinction of animal species, humanity will suffer. The "progress" that we continue to move toward will eventually come back to bite us, and, unfortunately, gorillas may not be around by the time we realize how our actions have harmed our planet.

It is my hope that we will recognize the importance of all living creatures and work to save them before it's too late.

Interesting Student Posts

I require my students to blog, which means that I have to read a lot of blog entries. Sometimes I find them to be uninteresting and lacking in depth (how many entries about a person's weekend plans must one read?), but at other times, student blog posts are quite interesting, amusing, and even thought-provoking.

Some cases in point: 

Ashley wrote an odd little entry about the Trolololololololol song. Deep and meaningful? No, but it was amusing. And, I liked what it showed of her personality. Light-hearted with a hint of sarcasm. I enjoyed reading it. 

Another student, Chris, wrote an entry about Halloween and shared his penchant for haunted houses. I do not share his fascination with them. I want to go to a haunted house about as much as I want to swim with a shark, which is not at all. In fact, when I had an opportunity to swim with a shark, I swam the other way. I would do the same if faced with the prospect of going to a haunted house. However, I like the way Chris described the haunted houses and explained what he likes and doesn't like about them.

Meredith writes long, involved entries where she really shares how she feels about the topic at hand. In one post, she wrote about an elite musical ensemble that she was selected for. I am so proud of what she is doing and who she is becoming. I wish only the best for her in this endeavor.

Never without something to say, George wrote a blog entry about the Dumbing Down of Our Culture. Although I don't always agree with everything he writes, I always appreciate reading what he writes. Even with the occasional misspellings, George has something to say. His friend, Devin, read something George wrote on materialism and then posted her own response challenging what he'd said. I love to see students read, think, and respond to one another.

A "Day Off" with a Sick Kid...

In the middle of the night, Timothy (age 6) came in to my room crying because he felt sick. He couldn't tell me where he felt bad or how he felt sick, but he was clearly unhappy. We gave him some Motrin for his fever and spent quite a while after that dealing with his groaning and crying until he fell back asleep. At about 3:00AM, I called in sick, and I rushed in to school at 6:00AM to get everything ready for the sub I so unexpectedly needed.

I took Timothy to a doctor this morning and found out that he has an ear infection, strep throat, and a virus. After waiting a long time to get his antibiotics, I finally brought him back home and got him settled on the couch with some yogurt and "kid TV" (a term my kids use to differentiate shows they like from shows my husband or I prefer to watch). For the moment, both boys are settled and happy. Timothy isn't in pain right now, and Cameron hasn't yet gotten sick (the boys' doctor says he probably will in the next day or two). It's 1:00PM now, and I'm tired.

I recall being home sick from school when I was a kid, and it seemed like a relaxing experience. I would sit on the couch with my bowl of soup and watch television. I would read books or do puzzles. I didn't have any type of technology that is so readily available today: no laptop, no iPad, no iPod. But, since I'd never had those things, I didn't know to miss them. Those lazy sick days were great. Being home with a sick kid is a very different experience. It's not nearly as relaxing as my childhood sick days. It helps me really appreciate all my mom went through on her "days off" with my sisters and me when we were ill.

Timothy, Cameron, and I just finished watching an episode of the Berenstain Bears, and the lesson that Mama Bear shared was very profound: "Don't waste today wishing it was yesterday. Enjoy all that today has to offer." I look back fondly at my childhood, including my sick days, but I love the hectic and tiring adult life that I currently live. I have a job I enjoy, a husband I adore, and two perfect little people to spend my days with. Life with them is far better than I ever imagined it would be. Even when they're sick.

Young Love in Afghanistan... Parallels to Us?

I just read an article in the October 3rd issue of Upfront magazine entitled "The Price of Young Love" by Jack Healy. It is about the problems facing teens in Afghanistan who dare to buck the established system and date people they want rather than those who are chosen for them.

The article discusses a pair of teens named Rafi and Halima who are currently jailed because they dared to love each other. In their culture, parents arrange the marriages of their children. The groom's family pays a lot of money to the father of the bride when a marriage is arranged, so Rafi and Halima committed both a moral and a "financial transgression" (p. 7) by becoming romantically involved. They were in a car heading to the courthouse to get married when they were attacked by a mob. They were called adulterers and many, including their own families, think they deserve to be stoned.

I have a very difficult time understanding this situation. Rafi and Halima are teenagers in love; that seems to be the most normal thing in the world from my American viewpoint. I don't understand how parents who supposedly love their children can feel so strongly about and so harshly judge their children's choices that they think they should die because of a decision like this. It is easy for me to condemn their families as being backwards and perhaps even evil.

However, if I take a look at our own cultural experience, I can identify parallels in our culture. It wasn't all that long ago in the United States that persons of different races were forbidden to marry. I recall reading stories about black men who were charged with crimes or even killed because of romantic relationships they had with white women. Even though that is no longer illegal, there are still those who judge others involved in interracial relationships. Stoning may not be how it is addressed today, but the judgment can still be found in some places by some people.

Now, we are faced with a different kind of cultural taboo: same sex relationships and marriages. Although same sex couples in some places can publicly live their lives together and in some places can even marry, there are still many who feel that they must hide their relationships. Some hide their lives to avoid the scorn they might otherwise face; others wish to avoid the potential for physical violence. Either way, there are people in our midst who can't have an open relationship with the person they love.

I think the laws in Afghanistan need to change; people should be able to choose their marriage partner rather than have one assigned to them. However, I also think we need to do more right right here in the Land of the Free to make sure that all people are free to live the lives they wish with the people they love.

On the Record: I'm Overwhelmed!

You know how people ask you how you're doing, and the polite answer is to say you're fine (or some equivalent such as: "it's all good," "can't complain," or my personal favorte: "I'm hangin' in there")? What would happen if, instead of falling back on the trite phrases, we all started telling people how we are really doing? If you're doing great, say so. If things aren't going so great, say that as well. Would the world implode if we didn't tell everyone we're fine?

I'll go first: I'm overwhelmed.

The start of school is always hectic. Creating lesson plans, learning students' names, finding time to grade everything, and just getting back into the swing of things makes my days busy. This year seems worse, however. There are several reasons for this. First, my older son, Timothy, is now in first grade, which means daily checks of the backpack, packing lunch, getting him started on homework, searching frantically for the missing _____ which he is certain he left _____ but which now has inexplicably disappeared, etc. This will, of course, only get worse as he gets older and he has more stuff to keep track of. Cameron, my younger son, is also now in preschool, so I have another schedule to be aware of.

Second, because my kids are getting older, they are getting into more activities. Swim lessons on Mondays, soccer practice on Tuesdays, cub scouts on Thursdays. I am Timothy's den leader. Eventually, that will be fun. Right now, it kind of freaks me out. I know nothing about scouting, so I'm kind of stumbling along in the dark at this point.

Third, my life outside of teaching is growing more complicated. I am, for the third school year in a row, taking online graduate courses. This year, however, my coursework requires me to sit in on a live class via video conference on Wednesday evenings. (If you're keeping track, that leaves only Friday evenings and weekends free). And, I'm involved in scout and church activities that take some of my precious little weekend time.

It may sound like I'm whining; that is not my intent. I have a great life: a fantastic husband, two amazing kids, a family I'm close with, and a job I enjoy. On the whole, things are good. But sometimes I just wish I could take a break, take a breath, and savor life. Instead, I feel like I am constantly rushing from one thing to another, never fully able to enjoy where I am because I'm too busy anticipating where I'm going next.

So, how am I? I'm overwhelmed.

What about you?

Curiosity

I have always been curious. I love learning, exploring, and finding out new things. As a child I wanted to learn everything I could about cooking. I made my first solo cake when I was seven and I frosted it with purple frosting. As I recall, it looked pretty nasty. But, I was curious about what it would be like, so I tried it. As I got older, I became fascinated with learning about religion. I took several religion classes in college, and I'm still interested in spirituality.

Now, however, my life is so busy that I don't have time to explore stuff like I wish I did. Although I am still very curious, I find that most of my time is spent exploring things that have to do with teaching and education. I have recently been learning about mobile apps in education and other technological wonders of the 21st century. We really are living in an amazing age! I have also been doing a lot of reading as part of my master's program, and I have made a folder of all of the stuff I want to read more about that I haven't had time to do yet.

I've heard some people say that they aren't curious about anything and, frankly, I don't understand that. As human beings we are born with an innate desire to know. Have you ever watched a baby or a young child learning about his world? Children and babies are tiny bundles of pure curiosity. Yet, by the time they're 15, some kids have lost that spark of wonder that we're all born with. I don't understand how people can go through life not wanting to know more about the world and everything in it. See, that's something else I'm curious about.

To me, knowledge is a wonderful treasure. Our complex brains are a marvelous gift that have the capacity to do so much more than we even think possible. I'm curious to find out how much more my brain can do than it's already doing now. Maybe I'll do some exploring and try to figure it out.

Why Online Etiquette Matters to Me

As a teacher, I am supposed to teach students about online etiquette. So, I do. As part of our discussions, I have had some students challenge the conventional wisdom about online etiquette. The mandate about NOT WRITING IN ALL CAPS has some students bristling. Other students think it's okay to write in text-speak in online communications. Still others think the whole thing is just "stupid" and "pointless."

So, what do I think? I'll tell you. I believe that both what I say online and how I say it matters because it is a reflection of me. If I write something in texting shorthand or in all lowercase letters, I feel sloppy and to some people it will look sloppy. That's not the message I want to convey, so I don't do it. Sure, there are people out there who don't care, but there are also people who do care. I want what I post or send to look good no matter who reads it.

Also, I know that when people do something over and over again it becomes a habit. I know from personal experience that habits are hard to break. Some students are so used to writing everything in lower case that they fail to even capitalize their own names or the letter "i" when they write online. I went to college with a guy whose name was Tim which he wrote tqim. I wonder whatever happened to him? He didn't capitalize his name, but he was creating a "persona" for himself. (He also wasn't in high school where his teachers would dock his grades for failing to use capital letters).

I am okay with uniqueness and creativity -- done at the correct time and place -- but it bugs me when someone uses poor grammar for so long that he/she doesn't even realize its wrong. That's why I think online etiquette matters.

Equality

According to Aristotle, “The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” That sentiment is an apt way to describe the short story "Harrison Bergeron," which we discussed today in English class. 

As much as I believe in treating people equally, people aren't equal. I hope they never are. What I mean by that is that we all have unique talents, perspectives, and beliefs. I would hate to live in a world like the one portrayed in "Harrison Bergeron" in which people are forced into positions of complete equality. Graceful dancers, intellectual geniuses, beautiful people -- anyone whose natural ability might make them better than another -- were forced to be ordinary, average, the same. 

If Monet was equal to the rest of us in artistic talent, how much less beautiful the world would be! If Michael Phelps or Michael Jordan were equal to the rest of us athletically, how much less exciting athletic events would be. Our world is amazing because of our uniqueness, not in spite of it. So, while ALL people should be treated as the worthwhile, valuable people they are, we should not be equal. We never have been, and I hope we never are.

Cancer and Procrastination

I got a call from my dad about two hours ago telling me that he didn't have cancer. We didn't really expect him to have cancer, but he has had a number of tests recently, including a needle biopsy, to determine the cause of a pain in his kidney. We just learned today that cancer isn't the cause. As I said before, we didn't think it was cancer, but we were all still quite relieved to get the good news.

As I thought about that, I couldn't help reflecting on a friend who lost his battle with stage 4 colon cancer two days ago. His funeral was today. When he went to the doctor with complaints of stomach pain, he didn't expect to hear that he had cancer either. But that's the news that he got. He died at the age of 49, three years after his diagnosis. So young!  [I know that to a 15 year old that may not seem young, but to a 41 year old (me) it seems tragic.]

That brings me to the topic of procrastination. Tony procrastinated about going to the doctor when he started having symptoms, and it cost him his life. Could he have lived had he gone to the doctor earlier? We'll never know. But it likely would have helped.

Most of us procrastinate at one time or another. Yet, for me, life is so much sweeter when my work is done and I don't have "to do" lists hanging over my head during the day and swimming through my dreams at night. Does that mean I won't procrastinate any more? Probably not. However, I want to live my life to the very fullest each day. For me, that means focusing on what I need to do when I need to do it, so I can spend quality time doing the things I want to do with the rest of my time.

Tony used his diagnosis to do great things, including starting Friends of Tony, a charity for children's cancer research. He was a beautiful person and did great things with his life. I don't want to wait until I receive a terminal diagnosis before I make my life count. I want to get things done, so I can do what counts.

Goals for the Year

I asked my students to post a blog entry about their goals for the year, so it seems only fair that I do the same. I could rattle of tons off goals that I have, but, realistically, I know that I will not accomplish everything I'd like to during this year. So, I will list a few of the most important.

A goal that I have for myself for all of my classes is that I would like to finally get my Moodle courses organized in such a way that I don't feel the need to revamp them each quarter/semester. I spend too much time doing that, and time is something I don't have nearly enough of. If I accomplish this, I'd have more time to do other things to help my students learn more.

I have two goals for school. One goal is for the school I teach. I would like to write a curriculum map for my English class based on the work of Richard DuFour. This will be a challenge as it is something else I need to find time for. However, once I have done that, I believe my English curriculum will be much stronger. I have another goal for the school I attend. I am currently in my Master's program, and my goal is to finish all of my work for the program by the second week of June, even though the program doesn't end until the second week of July. I want to spend my summer with my boys, not doing school work.

A major goal for my personal life is to try to put my life in balance. Right now, I spend way too much time at school and not nearly enough time at home with my children. It's not healthy to have my life so far out of whack, and I want to be a good example to my children in all areas of my life so I need to fix this.