Special Needs Children: parents in prison

Connie Driscoll, the director of Open Corridor Schools, mentioned an article from the New York Times Magazine, January 11, 2009. It appears on the end page, "Lives", under the title "Visiting Day". It highlights a segment of our student population desperately in need but under identified or not identified at all, youngsters whose parents are absent because of their incarceration. I think consideration of this situation should be an issue at future teacher development workshops.

Physics (Math) and Art

While presenting at an NCTM conference, "The Connection Between Mathematics and Modern Art", in Charlotte, NC considering the Salvador Dali masterpiece, "The Persistence of Memory", I declared that Dali like Picasso gave no credence to any influences on his genius. In the audience sat a mathematics professor from Brown University who corrected me and/or Dali by recalling that he was acquainted with many mathematians at her school. Most likely their discussions involved modern mathematics. By some coincidence my wife at her hair salon today found a copy of "Life" magazine, October 15, 1945. The "Letters to the Editors" column contained a letter from Dali refuting a previous letter that asserted that "Persistence" contained a saddle and Dali's subconscious love of horse racing. Dali's retort: "NEVER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE HAVE I ATTENDED A HORSE RACE STOP I PAINTED THE LIMP WATCHES WHILE PONDERING THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY.... I guess Dali had the last word for all of us.

Movie Connection To Curriculum

I recently saw "Happy Go Lucky" a diverting , most likely immemorial, British offering but with an interesting educational philosophy insert. A maladjusted, menacing driving instructor proffers his opinions on left-brain , right-brain assessment in the English public schools and the lack of critical thinking instruction. This sputtering high school dropout manages to synthesize a major issue in American pedagogy.

Good Evening

I've created this blog to make periodic pronouncements on the educational scene. From time to time I will comment on educational activity in the media, in my classrooms and from my associations. I hope a dialogue will develop to allow this place to become a sounding board for teachers that make lessons applicable and for teachers that are frustrated in this pursuit.