Creativity and Imagination ...is it lacking?

Sphere: Related Content http://clauschronicles.blogspot.com/ Santa Claus Blog The above link provided the following creative use of imagination. What limits us and how we help others is the lack of imagination and creativity that we have...read the following noticing the creativity, the imagination and how the ordinary comes to life on the page! Then think about your use of imagination and creativity in your life or the lack of the use of it! Periodic Updates From North Pole, Inc. Chairman & CEO Santa Claus Thursday, December 27, 2007 Food Poisoning I am pretty sure it was the raisin pie I had in Greece. I thought I had made it through this year without any problems but it started to hit me last night, shortly after I posted my blog entry. Yep... "stomach issues". Nothing major I am sure but I am having some fever spikes and stomach cramps. About once every 5 years or so, I end up eating something that has "gone bad" during my Christmas Eve travels and I find myself with a bout of mild food poisoning. Frankly, I am a little surprised I don't end up with it every year. Don't worry though, I am drinking plenty of fluids and following doctors' orders.The silver lining is that its a good excuse for laying on the couch all day. I've been able to do nothing but read the papers, watch TV, surf the internet, email & text old friends, and catch up on my sleep. Not a bad day from that perspective. As long as I'm healthy in time for Mrs. Claus & I to leave on our annual Hawaii vacation in a couple of days, I am not going to worry about it or complain.My energy is dropping a little so I'm going to cut this short for now. Wishing you a safe and HEALTHY new year! at 9:07 PM 2 comments Wednesday, December 26, 2007 The Day After What a lazy day! I am almost ashamed to admit I did very little today. I slept in until after 10am and then went for a run. It was snowing heavily but it felt good to shake off the grogginess of a full nights sleep. Mrs. Claus met me with a full breakfast and a steaming hot pot of Christmas Blend coffee when I finished. We took our time over breakfast to talk... it seemed as though the first time we've really talked since last month given that we've both been burning the candle at both ends to get ready for the big Christmas Eve operation.After breakfast and a warm shower, I did go into HQ to meet with my extended leadership team for a couple of hours. We conducted a full debrief and after action review of the Christmas Eve operation. We do that every year.. and we try to do it as soon as possible... in order to capture our learnings (i.e. What went well, want could have been improved, and what was missign) and start to build a plan to apply them for the next year. Given the world's population growth, our margin for error is shrinking exponentially each year. So even though this year's operation went really well, we have to be even better next year.Other than that meeting, I didn't do much. I returned after the meeting and took a long nap on the sofa next to the fire while Mrs. Claus read. She said it had been about 30 days since she had a chance to read but that it felt like 30 years. After my nap, I tuned in to a few of the English Premier League Boxing Day matches. I am very excited my ManU club is back on top of the tables after Ronaldo put away the penalty kick. This evening, after Mrs. Claus and I had dinner with some friends we haven't seen since mid-November, I took a walk down to the Starbucks in the Village Square. It was as empty as I have seen it since the same time last year. The vast majority of elves and reindeer left by mid-day on vacations to sunny locales or to visit family during this Holiday season. Those that are still here are staying close to home so they can re-connect with their loved ones after working most of the waking hours for the past 30 days. I sipped my Egg Nog Latte... probably my last of this Season... and enjoyed the still and quiet of the Village Square at night. It was beautiful with the Christmas tree lit and snow lightly falling. We all work hard but it is times like those this evening in the Village Square that I realize I might just be the luckiest man on this planet. I hope all of you can find that same peace and contentment this Holiday season.Well... these lazy days are not going to last long. Nor would I want them to. But since they are here, I'm going to call it a night for now. Good night, everyone! at 11:37 PM 11 comments Tuesday, December 25, 2007 Christmas Night I hope it was a wonderful Christmas for all of you. I think this may have been my best overall.My Christmas day started about four hours after we landed back at the North Pole. Mrs Claus and I had to wrap up the Operations before we headed home for our traditional Christmas brunch. For some reason, having a nice, leisurely-paced breakfast with Mrs. Claus after the long night and even longer Christmas Eve preparations seems like a luxury. I really start to relax. As I always do, I took a quick nap after breakfast. But not too long... my senior staff came over for a Christmas Day celebration. Its an intimate little gathering... just 20 or so of us (including guests), good food & drink, and a Holiday-season's worth of stories to tell on each other. In past years, I have stepped away to give phone interviews but not this year. I decided this year to completely shut down until Mrs. Claus and the rest of the North Pole team were in bed.After everyone left, I fell asleep on the recliner as I do each year, next to a roaring fire, watching NBA basketball (Blazers vs. Sonics... I hear the Blazers won their 11th in a row). Mrs. Claus woke me up in the early evening hours so I wouldn't sleep the night away. We went for a walk, hand-in-hand, around the Village to enjoy the lights and the lightly falling snow. When we got back from our walk, Mrs. Claus made hot chocolate while I brought in more wood for the fireplace. Once we got settled, with the fire once again roaring and the hot chocolate in our mugs, we exchanged gifts. Last year I seemed to get every gift for Mrs. Claus wrong... things didn't fit or it was the wrong color or it was something. But this year I got it right. Everything was spot on. Yes, even I have problem giving gifts to my spouse! So don't feel bad if you find yourself in the returns line tomorrow morning.Well, Mrs. Claus has retired for the evening. I'm pretty tired but I wanted to check in with you before I take a 10 or 12 hour nap for the first time in a few months and wish you a very Merry Christmas before the day is over. I hope you have some time this week between Christmas and New Years Day to relax and re-energize for the new year ahead. If you do, take the time to focus on your blessings. If you find you are truly blessed... as I believe you will... make a point to share those blessings with someone else during these last days of the Holiday season.Merry Christmas, everyone! With Love, Santa at 11:59 PM 31 comments Merry Christmas ...and to all a Good Night! The last presents have been delivered, the last cookie eaten, the last glass of milk consumed, and the last stocking filled. Once we get the "all clear" signal from the North Pole Command Center, we'll point the sleigh due north and return home. I hope everyone has had as much fun this Christmas Eve as I have had tonight. Tomorrow is going to be the best Christmas ever!Good night, all! I will not update my log until late in the day to day as I plan on enjoying Christmas brunch with Mrs. Claus and taking a nap."And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21 at 2:23 AM 48 comments Aloha! I just left Nome, Alaska. Talk about cold! Brrr. But the best news is that I'm headed south to the Hawaiian Islands. I'll make a few stops between but I can shed the jacket for a few minutes and swap out my Starbucks Christmas blend coffee for some 100% Kona coffee. At least while I'm cruising through the Islands. Love it down there. Mrs. Claus and I will be back in the Islands for our annual vacation in a little more than a week. Can't wait!To all of you now awake across Europe, Asia, Africa, & Australia/Oceania... Merry Christmas! at 1:08 AM 7 comments Monday, December 24, 2007 Stuffed Thank you all for all of the snacks that you have left out! I have had some tremendous food this evening. I believe these are some of the best cookies, milk, egg nog, pie, etc. that I've ever had. There was some cheesecake I had in Vermont that was unbelievable. I had to call Mrs. Claus and tell her that I think someone finally outdid her on cheesecake. Until tonight, I didn't think it was possible. But.. wow!The reindeer also want to make sure that I pass on their thanks for all of the carrots, apples, and oats.Well... for you kids along the Pacific seaboard of North & South America, you need to be in bed. I'll be in your neighborhood very soon. at 10:05 PM 5 comments A Lot Like Home I am currently delivering presents in northern Canada. We are not too far from home but we still have a long ways to go tonight... about another 4 hours. The reindeer definitely feel much more at home in these environs. Though they were spooked briefly at a house a few minutes ago when they got the scent of a polar bear. We were airborne again though by the time we actually spotted the bear. at 9:01 PM 2 comments The ATL Merry Christmas, North America!I am currently just outside Atlanta, Georgia. We are running a little behind schedule as air traffic control at Hartsfield unexpectedly re-routed us. But you kids along the eastern seaboard of the US should go ahead and be getting to bed. I'm working my way north and will be at your house before you know it.All is well so far. The reindeer are doing well. Everyone is past their bout with air sickness and we're feeling good. See you soon! at 7:15 PM 7 comments Turbulence I am over Europe right now. We are back on schedule. This is despite a little turbulence we ran into earlier this evening. It was severe enough that Comet & Dasher both got air sick. Not a pretty sight! The elves washed them down at the last replenishment stop and they were able to eat and drink with the other reindeer. The turbulence also spilled coffee all over me. I had just poured a cup of steaming hot Starbucks Christmas blend. It's cold up here and I needed the coffee to stay warm & alert. I should have known better but I didn't put the cup back in the cup holder while I was closing up the thermos. Sure enough... that's when we hit the first big bump. Coffee went everywhere. Fortunately all the gifts were in my water-proof sack. Just as fortunately, I'm wearing thick clothing... no coffee burns. The legal folks at Starbucks can rest easy.Ok... all you kids across Europe, get to bed! at 1:56 PM 13 comments India Merry Christmas, Everyone. I am running a little behind schedule. Nothing to worry about though. We are currently in Indian airspace. We'll be setting down at our replenishment station in just a few moments. From there we'll cover the much of India & central Asia before stopping in the Middle East for yet another replenishment before heading down into Africa.We have been experiencing some communication issues. We are now using our back-up communications systems that I normally use to post blogs as the primary channel back to North Pole Flight Operations. As such, some of my posts may experience a bit of delay.Just a side note to the folks that called out the issue between the spelling of Donder vs. Donner (also, there is a Blixon vs. Blitzen debate). Donder & Blixon are the Norwegian spellings. Donner & Blitzen are the typical British & American versions. at 11:53 AM 6 comments Older Posts

Your Resolution to Succeed a Principle to Share

Sphere: Related Content MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY"Always bear in mind, that your own resolution to succeed is more importantthan any other thing."—Abraham Lincoln

How can we help students know what they do not know?

Below is an important article because many Adolescents and in particular the Special Ed students are over confident in their abilities. One does not want to devastate them and their self esteem but some how one wants to convey to them that there is a large amount of knowledge that they still need to learn to become self sufficient Adults after their years in school. Read below the article and let me know what you think would be ways that we could help students to understand their need for more knowledge but gaining a "true" accessment of their current abilities...testing does not do the job any more because that can be dismissed as a bad day or through some other type of rationalization! Let me know what you think...it is easier to help a Student now with obtaining knowledge than after graduation when they face the harsh reality that they are not ready to compete in the global job market. Middle School Students 'Extremely Overconfident' In Their Own Learning ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2007) — Given national mandates to ‘leave no child behind,’ grade-school students are expected to learn an enormous amount of course material in a limited amount of time. “Students have too much to learn, so it’s important they learn efficiently,” says Dr. John Dunlosky, Kent State professor of psychology and associate editor of Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. Today, students are expected to understand and remember difficult concepts relevant to state achievement tests. However, a major challenge is the student’s ability to judge his own learning. “Students are extremely over confident about what they’re learning,” says Dunlosky. Dunlosky and his colleague, Dr. Katherine Rawson, Kent State assistant professor of psychology, study metacomprehension, or the ability to judge your own comprehension and learning of text materials. Their research primarily focuses on fifth, seventh and eighth graders as well as college-aged students, and how improving metacomprehension can, in turn, improve students’ self-regulated learning. One way to improve this issue is to self-test, says Rawson. After reading or studying information, wait for a short time; then try to recall or summarize the information from memory. Next, check the information recalled against the original source material. Adds Rawson: “Our research consistently shows that without checking, people often believe they’ve remembered something correctly when in fact they haven’t.” Currently, Dunlosky and Rawson are developing a “study buddy” that combines accurate monitoring with effective schedules of learning. When the guide is completed, they hope to provide it to schools across the state of Ohio. Dr. John Dunlosky, Kent State professor of psychology, and his colleague, Dr. Katherine Rawson, Kent State assistant professor of psychology contributed to this work. It was funded by the US Department of Education. Adapted from materials provided by Kent State University

Jump Start.org Tips

What is the best way to help a good reader master the confusion they have with b's and d's? Here are some suggestions that approach the challenge of differentiating b from d in different ways: Practice the difference between the letters in a physical game. Let your child practice these letters by writing with their finger tips on different surfaces. Cover a counter top with whipped cream or chocolate pudding. Demonstrate the letters and let the child practice to their hearts content. Give your child a visual cue for each letter. The b can be drawn as a bat with a ball next to it. The d can be drawn as a dog with a tail. This visual will help your child to remember the shape of each letter and be connected to a picture that uses its sound. Play with sounds and hear the differences between the two letters. We recommend using the Letter Book inside My Cabin in JumpStart World. Your child can turn to any letter page and experience the letters by listening to the letter sounds, hearing the sounds in alliterative songs, recording the sounds and songs with their own voices, and finally decorating a letter page with stickers of words that all start with that beginning sound. Make a letter collage by finding pictures of words that start with the sound b or d. Draw the shape of the letter on a large sheet of paper. Then help your child find as many examples of words beginning with the sound as possible and paste them onto the letter collage. Hang the picture on the wall as a reward and a reminder. These ideas work for learning all letters and sounds, and especially the letters that look alike!

Providing New Opportunities Requires New Ways of Thinking

The rules of cycling also apply to life. Take care of yourself. Set goals. Learn from the experts. Share your wisdom. Be prepared." --Karen Bliss Livingston,Olympic cyclist

Published Online: October 26, 2007 Commentary Shift Happens Four crazy ideas that might burst the modern education paradigm. By Mark Weston Evidence suggests that our modern education paradigm, which does a terrific job of educating some students to high levels of learning, may be incapable of educating all students to equally high levels. Moreover, its inability to silence critics, support normal practice, and educate all the students persists despite efforts to the contrary. Have we reached a point where a new insight or fresh perspective might burst the old paradigm? Sound crazy? Consider three such insights from the past that contributed to much broader changes in the world. One insight, Benjamin Franklin’s idea for an American census, revealed that a few thousand British soldiers could not keep millions of colonists in line. It changed the way colonists saw their relationship with Britain and fomented a revolution. Another, Gandhi’s admonition that the peoples of India be “the change you wish to see in the world,” led to an unprecedented, nonviolent shift of power. In a third instance, Einstein’s insights into Newtonian physics demonstrated that space-time is one dimension, not two, which led to a range of new ideas, theories, and questions. In each case, a fresh perspective fueled a paradigm shift. Are there insights whose time may have arrived that would cause us to quit propping up the existing educational paradigm—with more money, more people, more everything—in favor of an alternative? Here are four present-day educational issues, each with a possibly paradigm-bursting twist. Increasing high-school-completion rates has been a goal of nearly every effort to improve education of the past three decades. What would happen if every child who is entitled to attend school, but not currently enrolled—about 30 percent of the school-age population—returned to school? Could the existing facilities accommodate the surge in students? Would instructors have the capacity to meet these students’ educational needs? Could the safety-net programs prevent them from falling through the cracks again? Would “adequate yearly progress” be attainable with so many more students attending school? Could class-size requirements be met? While all students may know that they have the right to attend school, few know that by simply doing so they might change the education system forever. If feedback from all stakeholders drove educational decisions, the nature of the conversation would certainly change, quite possibly for the better. When parents are engaged in their children’s schooling, students do better. Not surprisingly, getting parents engaged has been another widely embraced goal. With most homes and classrooms connected to the Internet, one form of engagement that warrants a deeper look is the use of e-mail. Infrequent—weekly, monthly, quarterly—now characterizes the e-mail exchanges between educators and parents. What would happen if every teacher and parent exchanged one e-mail per day, perhaps about a lesson that day and one for the next? With nearly $7 billion spent annually for educational technology, this is not an outlandish expectation. What would be outlandish is this once-a-day exchange causing havoc to the technological infrastructure of most schools. How confident are we that the system could handle the load? Would teachers have time to manage the e-mails? And if neither teachers nor infrastructure can handle an extra set of e-mails each day, then what makes us think more complex practices would be possible? In short, while engaging parents is the right thing to do, it is not clear that the current education system could withstand the consequences of that actually happening. Most everyone agrees that feedback about performance is an essential ingredient for improving instructional practice, student achievement, and management of limited resources. Not surprisingly, nowadays data-driven decisionmaking is in vogue. What would happen if we brought the feedback loop used in the current paradigm—instructors and administrators evaluating students via formal assessments, portfolios, quizzes, and tests and parents voting on the school board’s makeup—full circle? What if, that is, students provided feedback about the performance of their instructors, instructors about administrators, instructors about parents, and parents about instructors and administrators. Would student learning increase? Would instruction improve? Would parent engagement increase? If feedback from all stakeholders drove educational decisions, the nature of the conversation would certainly change, quite possibly for the better. School buildings throughout America—particularly those in urban areas—are in a state of decay. What would happen if, instead of simply viewing schooling as a place where students go to learn, with buildings to be repaired or replaced, we viewed school as a process through which students gained skills and acquired knowledge? Would giving computing devices to students spark the shift from place to process? Would doing so reduce the need for computer labs and classrooms? Would focusing on process lead to a learning day that produced greater achievement gains than a school day? Crazy ideas? Indeed. The insights of Franklin, Gandhi, and Einstein in their eras were undoubtedly viewed as equally crazy, and look what changes they wrought. So while the insights posited here raise the possibility that getting what we want—higher school-completion rates, engaged parents, data-driven decisions, and school building replacements—could lead to chaos, they also might set the stage for a paradigm shift that results in all children getting the education they deserve. Mark Weston, an education reformer and researcher living in Atlanta, is investigating the shifting educational paradigm in America. He can be reached at mkweston@comcast.net. Vol. 27 from Education Week

We are educating in a changing world with changing values

Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response." --Mildred Barthel, Teen Challenges Silence Law By AP/CARLA K. JOHNSON (Chicago) — A 14-year-old girl and her outspoken atheist father filed a federal lawsuit Friday challenging a new Illinois law requiring a brief period of prayer or reflective silence at the start of every school day. The lawsuit asks the court to declare the law unconstitutional, said attorney Gregory Kulis, who represents Dawn Sherman, a freshman at Buffalo Grove High School, and her father Robert Sherman, a radio talk show host. Kulis said the law is an attempt to inject religion into public schools in violation of the First Amendment. The suit also seeks a temporary restraining order to halt schools' obeying the law until the case is decided. A judge will consider that request at a hearing Monday. The lawsuit names Gov. Rod Blagojevich and officials of Township High School District 214 as defendants. School district spokeswoman Venetia Miles said schools will continue to comply with the law. Blagojevich spokesman Abby Ottenhoff said the law was passed over the governor's veto. "We don't believe requiring time for reflection is the role of government," Ottenhoff said. Sherman said he went to court after he asked the school board to ignore the law and was rebuffed. The school district informed him it would carry out the moment of silence during third period, beginning Tuesday, the lawsuit said. "What we object to is Christians passing a law that requires the public school teacher to stop teaching during instructional time, paid for by the taxpayers, so that Christians can pray," Sherman told The Associated Press. An Illinois law called the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act already allowed schools to observe a moment of silence if they wanted. A new measure changed just a single word: "may" observe became "shall" observe. The Illinois law originally passed during the spring legislative session, but Blagojevich vetoed it, saying he had doubts about its constitutionality. Lawmakers overrode the veto this month. It's not Sherman's first church-and-state lawsuit and not the first to involve his children. He has sought removal of religious symbols from city seals and a ban on Boy Scout meetings at public schools. Some school administrators have complained the law is too ill-defined and puts many teachers and some students in an awkward position. The Shermans may have legitimate concerns, but they are suing the wrong party when they target the school district, said Brian McCarthy, an attorney for the district. "The General Assembly — for better, worse, foolish or wise — passed this law and it's not up to school districts to pick and choose which laws they follow," McCarthy said. "He needs to go after the entity that enforces that law." http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1677066,00.html Copyright ? 2007 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

WWE Wrestler Benoit...Steroids or something else you decide...

Read about the WWE Wrestler Benoit and what do you think happened? June 26th, 2007 Do you think it was steroids? Read about Chris Benoit Authorities await autopsies in deaths of wrestler Chris Benoit, wife, 7-year-old son td.yspwidearticlebody By DEBBIE NEWBY, Associated Press WriterJune 26, 2007FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Pro wrestler Chris Benoit canceled a pay-per-view appearance at the “Vengeance” event in Houston because of “personal reasons” a day before he, his wife and their 7-year-old son were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide. Details of the deaths “are going to prove a little bizarre” when released to the public, Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Fayette County Coroner C.J. Mowell did not return calls seeking comment. The answering service for his funeral home said he was out of town.Authorities also declined to say whether drugs or steroids were found inside the house. “We’re not releasing any information as far as what was located inside the house,” sheriff’s Sgt. Keith Whiteside said Tuesday. Asked about the condition of the interior of the house, Whiteside said investigators found “nothing really out of the ordinary.” He said Benoit was found in the home’s weight room, his wife in an office and the son in an upstairs bedroom. Whiteside said toxicology tests could take up to a week or longer to complete. World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who received “several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning.” The WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., said it had been asked by authorities not to release further information on the deaths. Benoit was born in Montreal. He was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career. He was known by several names including “The Canadian Crippler.” “WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family’s relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy,” the company said in a statement on its Web site. Benoit had maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling. The Fayette County Tax Assessors Office lists the value of the house, situated on more than 8.5 acres, at nearly $900,000. The WWE canceled its live “Monday Night RAW” card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast. Benoit’s wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name “Woman,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing story line on World Championship Wrestling, the newspaper said. Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship. Benoit became a standout at an early age among wrestling prospects who trained in the dungeon basement of the house where fellow Canadians and professional wrestlers Owen and Bret Hart trained. Owen Hart was killed during a wrestling event in 1999. “He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard,” said Bret Hart, a five-time champion with the now-defunct World Wrestling Federation. Updated on Tuesday, Jun 26, 2007 11:37 am EDT This is something our teenagers and children follow. WWE and the characters that play on their USA Channel shows present a life or violence and steroids. Do you think this was a result of steroids also?