Month: September 2008

The Future of Education

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My First Long Form Blog
I’ve been writing down a few topics in draft form and adding to them as I have time. That may be good news or bad news, depending on if you like to read long posts.  Please know with all blog posts that my ideas are just that, ideas.  Society tends to want to think the way it has always been taught, but change is inevitable.  Bruce Barton said it best with his quote: “when you are through changing, you are through”.

My Educational Experiences
It is no secret I love technology, and sometimes you can’t help but wonder how it will continue to change our lives (for better or worse).  I look back at my education and the teachers who had the daunting task of trying to teach a dunce like me a thing or two.  I never really enjoyed school, in fact, the day I graduated from high school has to be one of the best days of my life. My wife and I have a son who is fifteen months old at the time of this writing.  After talking with a coworker who asked if I had started saving for his college, yet I replied I hadn’t but in the back of my mind I get a “spidey sense” I should.  Part of the reason I haven’t saved for my son’s college is because we have other financial priorities at the moment, but part of me also wonders what college will be like for him in another 17 years.  By not saving for his education, I am taking a calculated risk that in the future, education will be nothing like it is today.  After going through 12 years of public education in 7 schools, I hope it will be very different!

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Rolloff Farm Pictures 2008

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My parents, brother-In-Law Mike, my cousin Evan and sister Jennifer went to the Rolloff farm in Oregon today and my dad just sent the pictures.  If you are not familiar with the Rolloff’s, they are from the TV show Little People Big World.

The Great Gadzoni

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My dad emailed me this story so I Google’d his name hoping it was true but it doesn’t look like it is. Great story though, it can be applied to several things in life.

Several years ago the Great Gadzoni had just completed a challenging tightrope walk across Niagra Falls. The wind was howling and stinging rain pelted him as he inched across the rope. Met with enthusiastic applause on the other side the Great Gadzoni was wringing the water from his cape when an excited fan approached, urging him to make a return trip but this time pushing a wheelbarrow, which the fan just happened to have with him. The Great Gadzoni was hesitant, having barely made the first trip across in the high winds and pouring rain. But the spectator insisted stating that he knew the Great Gadzoni could do it. “You can do it. I know you can” the fan insisted. The Great Gadzoni thought for a moment. “You really believe I can do it?” “Yes, definitely” the fan responded. “OK said Gadzoni. Get in.”

Book: Predictably Irrational

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Kevin Rose recommended this book on this week’s Diggnation which sounds interesting. You can buy it on Amazon here.  Amazon’s description is: “Irrational behavior is a part of human nature, but as MIT professor Ariely has discovered in 20 years of researching behavioral economics, people tend to behave irrationally in a predictable fashion. Drawing on psychology and economics, behavioral economics can show us why cautious people make poor decisions about sex when aroused, why patients get greater relief from a more expensive drug over its cheaper counterpart and why honest people may steal office supplies or communal food, but not money.

According to Ariely, our understanding of economics, now based on the assumption of a rational subject, should, in fact, be based on our systematic, unsurprising irrationality. Ariely argues that greater understanding of previously ignored or misunderstood forces (emotions, relativity and social norms) that influence our economic behavior brings a variety of opportunities for reexamining individual motivation and consumer choice, as well as economic and educational policy. Ariely’s intelligent, exuberant style and thought-provoking arguments make for a fascinating, eye-opening read.”

Michael Moore’s “Slacker Uprising” Free Online Documentary

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SLACKER UPRISING Scene: Storytime With Mike: My Pet Goat

I love a little controversy every now and then (maybe more than I’ll admit).  Michael Moore’s previous films made me think and Bowling for Columbine was one where the movie ends and you want to really get into a good debate with someone.  I may not agree with everything he says but you have to like someone who stands up for what they believe in and who tries to get people to think differently.  If you want to watch the full movie you can do so here.

My Open Source Kid Gets His Ball Stolen at Gymboree!

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Just kidding, my little buddy Aarav, I like to joke around with your dad and give him a hard time about his Microsoft ways. 🙂  OK, that should finally get me some comments, where are all the commenters these days?  Comment it up Mott!  OK, I don’t have a Mott it is just me but people seriously WordPress (which powers this site) is “open source” so let’s open things up and chat here.  All my videos are riveting, aren’t they?  OK, no they probably aren’t, but I like ’em…