A close call with a fallen tree

I enjoyed a weekend camping with my son and his cub scout pack in Northeast Jersey (alright, I'll let it out; I'm a cub master). On Saturday at around 7:30 PM, it started to pour, and then the winds kicked up.

The rain sounded like exploding popcorn kernels pelting the tent. My fitful sleep in the tent was interrupted by a the terrifying sound of a big tree splitting, falling, then crashing. The ground shook. And then it hit me.. Judging by the sound and location of the impact, the tree HAD to have fallen close to the tent inhabited by a man and his two young sounds. I listened for the sound of people in pain, praying that I wouldn't have to lift a tree off gravely wounded or mangled people.

I shined my flashlight out towards the direction of the fallen tree. WHEW. Their orange tent was still standing!

In the morning I surveyed the scene and saw that the dead tree had missed my fellow campers by about 15 feet.

You never know... You never know...

The Avalanche of Rain

Today during seventh period the rain battered the fair town of Lindenwold with a ferocious intensity. This marks what feels like the 76th consecutive day of rain and we just can't get a break.
I noticed how just before the deluge, I seemed to slow down, and my bones felt as if they were filled with concrete; when moisture saturates air, it has that effect on people, and most of us feel like burrowing into bed.
We're all growing impatient with the rain.

TEACHING MYSELF A NEW SKILL

Instead of sitting at my computer and comfortably typing this entry, I decided to do it in front of my students using the somewhat clunky keyboard on the SMART board screen. I'm now thinking of my students who text so effortlessly. If I keep practicing, I'll eventually get better and who knows---- perhaps I'll get just as fast as if I were on a regular keyboard.

BRUUUUUCE!!!!

Are you familiar with Bruce Springsteen's music? Can you identify him in a line up? If you are a high school student these days, the answer is probably "No," but nevertheless, he is an iconic rock n' roll figure, probably one of the top ten to ever live.

As a boy, I remember listening to the stereo for hours, waiting with agony for it to finally give up one of the Boss's songs. When the right song came on, I'd push the "RECORD" switch on my tape deck and let it sponge up the melody on what was then the magnetic cassette tapes (For the young 'uns, that's what we had before the increasingly out-of-date CDs). This is how we got our songs for free back in the late Seventies. No iTunes. No Limewire. No Youtube.

A couple nights ago, I saw the last concert that Bruce Springsteen will ever have at the Spectrum. I swear that this man must bathe in his own personal Fountain of Youth because he commanded that stage as a 30 year-old would, jumping, leaping, straining, sliding, kicking, and rock n' rolling like a man possessed. He sent bolts of musical electricity through the sold out show. Some people worship him as if he were some kind of religious deity. I suppose, for some, music is a kind of religion

Ding Dong

Today we started a public speaking component in Seminar. I thought I'd give the dictionary game a spin. Basically, a person has to open a dictionary to a random page, and without looking, that person has to nail a word with his or her index finger. The speaker then needs to talk extemporaneously about everything that word evokes, and one minute of time (for starters) needs to be filled with speech. It doesn't have to necessarily be meaningful, but it does need to be on topic.

DING DONG turned out to be my word my chooser selected!!!! Ding dong of all things. I thought fast.

I pulled it off, discussing the junk-food cake snack, doorbells, alliteration, and all I alluded to something that can't be discussed. here.

The students had a great time as they acquired valuable public speaking skills.

Book Purses

One reason why I love Senior Project Seminar has to do with how my students make me smarter. Normally I don't think much about purses (being a wallet-man myself), but a radio program on National Public Radio yesterday captured my attention because it made me think of Miss Salaam and how she mentioned that her fashion show will include custom made accessories, including purses.

An extremely creative woman named Caitlin Phillips uses the spines and covers of discarded books to make purses. Book lovers like me tell her that this seems sacrilegious, but she replies that she intercepts them from libraries, flea markets, and garage sales before they hit the dumpster. She admitted that she has given old bibles new life.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103327927

Because of my students' interests, I find myself absorbing media in new ways. I recently read a a fascinating article in The New York Times about how the ability of humans to use fire to cook their food enabled our species to evolve faster. Naturally, I thought of Enrique Gonzalez and his voracious interest in the origins of French cuisine. I would have overlooked this article if he were not in my class.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/science/21conv.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=evolution%20cooking&st=cse

More Students Using Blogger

Today, the rest of my seniors are test-driving Blogger. Adrianna, who deeply loves to write, impressed me with a busy blog filled with entries ranging back to January. Miss Mitchell, from the senior project seminar encouraged her to start one, and Miss McClendon has not looked back.
I think having my students blog can be useful for a few reasons.

1. Many students already keep a journal or have been looking for an excuse to start one because they want to preserved their words for posterity.
2. Blogging can actually help students improve their writing because they know others will read their entries. Who wants to look like a dope, showing off entries stuffed with silly errors that any second grader could fix.
3. Blogging enables students to respond to their peers' postings in what will hopefully be a cordial tone.
4. Students can share with others what they did over the weekend or on vacations, very much like keeping a digital scrapbook, complete with photos and commentary.
5. Blogging could enable students to find people from around the country or the immediate area who share their specific interests.
6. Those who decide be creative could take their blogs to the next level and make them look polished and professional. Blogger features many well-designed blogs in a "Favorites" column. Who knows, this could be part of a professional portfolio.
7. Blogging helps eliminate paper and helps me keep papers organized.