Gold Star Registry.com

I saw this on CBS...not sure which show it was, but it's worth sharing. GoldStar Registry is an online website that is a FREE registry for teachers. It works like a bridal and baby registry. Teachers log in and can choose from over 6,000 classroom items to create a classroom wish list. Community members can go online and help the teacher receive the materials he or she needs to assist in the instruction of the students.

http://www.goldstarregistry.com/

Detroit's Financial Czar's

Czar's, Czar's, everywhere in Detroit...the Big 3, and the Detroit Public School District. This AM while the CBS morning news played in the background of my morning routine, I heard "Detroit's Big 3 Car Czar..." My routine came to a halt and I tuned in. Last evening before heading to bed I read an article about how Michigan State Superintendent, Mike Flannagan, declared the district to be in a financial emergency. Now they, too, are in search of a "finance czar." Will this be a hot job title as we progress through the year? Are other industries and organizations utilizing this term in the same sense? A Czar is person of great power. Mayor Fenty of DC, has given power to Michelle Rhee to change the DC School District in ways she that she seems fit. This sure seems like a lot of power if you ask me. Could we call her a "czar" as well? Many people are surely not opening her decisions with open arms, so beware future "CAR CZAR" and "DPS Finance CZAR!" You now not only have to be in charge of changing an arena that is already a mess, but also deal with a ton of negative criticism as well, and I'm sure your every move will be scrutinized. Good luck to all!

21st Century Skills

I attended the Michigan Virtual University Symposium a few weeks ago, and people were discussing 21st Century Skills. I wasn't 100% sure of what they were talking about, but I was able to take an educated guess. This week, Jim Gates, sent me an article about 21st Century Skills that explained them in a little more detail. The article he sent me states:

Elena Silva, in her Education sector report, says that the many definitions have at their core the ability to “analyze and evaluate information, create new ideas and new knowledge from the information.” In short, the skills are not new, but they take on a new urgency in the 21st century. A report from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills also emphasizes the importance of creativity and critical thinking, but adds new knowledge to the definition. It includes global awareness, media literacy, information literacy, and other new content.

Check out the full article: http://snipr.com/7r075 and TEACHERS let me know what you think after reading it.

Iceberg Radio

People often talk about "being in their happy place." Well, you know what puts me in my happy place...without fail...80's hair bands. I'm not ashamed. I love them! When I was in PA and had cable (Comcast) I would constantly be listening to Arena Rock. I believe, if I recall correctly, that the Comcast channel is 412, 420, or 421. I'm drawing a blank, and am second guessing myself. Anyway, this week I was craving some 80's rock, but my cd's just weren't looking right, and I don't have cable...what was I to do? I connect to Iceberg Radio... icebergradio.com Years ago, one of my buddy's from the Burg, Chuck, exposed me to Iceberg Radio. I haven't used it in years, until this week. I've been rocking to the 80's all week and am LOVING IT! They've even added more channels...tons of genres available for all. If you are dying for the sounds of Motley Crue, The Cult, Skid Row, Whitesnake, Poison, Scorpions, White Lion, Tesla, or GNR, then you have to click on Metal, then 80's Hair Bands.

Help Detroit Area Children this Holiday Season

Do you remember what it felt like to wear your new clothes to school that you got for Christmas? Give what you can this holiday season to the Ruth Alden Children's Clothing Drive. The drive began back in 1935 when they collected dresses for little girls to where, so "no child should have to stay home from school because of nothing to wear." Readers responded overwhelmingly, and the Free Press handed the dresses off to the Goodfellows, who distributed them in their annual gift baskets to the delight of little girls who couldn't have felt more special.

Later on, dresses were replaced with warmer and more durable blue jeans in the Goodfellow gift packages, and now black jeans are the attire of choice for both boys and girls because they adhere to the uniform policy in the Detroit Public Schools.

Free Press Charities will continue to fully support the Ruth Alden Clothing Drive but is asking donors to send their funds directly to the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit.
As in the past, the clothing will be placed in gift packages that include toys, books and games. According to Klok-Schneider, each child will also receive a dental kit, including a toothbrush and toothpaste, donated by the Michigan Dental Foundation. Girls ages 5 through 11 will receive a beautifully dressed doll.

Please keep Ruth Alden's spirit of Christmas alive this year and give what you can to the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund. And smile knowing you made a child feel special.

DEBORA SCOLA is community affairs director of the Detroit Media Partnership. Contact her at 313-222-6895 or at dscola@dnps.com.

Read more and give what you can.
http://www.freep.com/article/20081209/OPINION02/812090328

Keyboard Shortcuts

After many years of computer experience I finally starting using keyboard shortcuts. I've used a few in the past year and really find them beneficial. I've been using the basics (CTRL X = Cut, CTRL V = Paste, and CTRL C = Copy). Due to the amount of increased computer usage and online/digital reading I've been doing, I picked up a few more that I thought I would share.

Not only have I gotten reading classes, but the CRTL + has become one of my best friends! CTRL + allows you to zoom in on your readings. No more eye straining! Yeah!

I'm not quite sure if it is my building's internet connection or my new laptop, but my pages are constantly NOT loading. Not quite sure who showed me this one or if I learned it on my own, but F5 will REFRESH your pages.

Google Alerts

Back in June I started using Gmail as my main email provider. I love it! At first I was overwhelmed by the number of gadgets it had available to it's users, but as time passes I become more comfortable with it and learn new things. I recently learned (Thanks Dr. Michael Barbour) about Google Alerts. You can set up criteria to have Google notify you , via email, when a specific topic is posted to the web. For example, I'm interested in Michelle Rhee and the work she is doing at the Washington DC Schools. I click on the more link at the top of my Gmail page, and find Alerts. Follow the instructions and it's that easy. Be sure to include a string of words in quotations. Some of my alerts include: "Michelle Rhee," "Detroit Public Schools," and "urban education." Try it out and let me know what you think. I just set mine up yesterday and don't know how I ever lived without them! :)

Webspiration

I was out checking some posts by Jim Gates at http://tipline.blogspot.com/ (he always has something neat to show, be sure to subscribe to his blog as well), and I found this post about Webspiration. It sparked my interests for a few reasons. First, my very first assignment for my very first real world job was to familiarize myself completely with Inspiration Software, because I was going to train on it. I remember taking my laptop with it installed and heading for a vacation with my Mom to Martha's Vineyard. I learned and played with Inspiration for two weeks before my first actual day on the job. The program is great and I really enjoyed training on it, and later using it with my students and for some of my own projects. Second, I'm currently taking an Educational Product and Program Evaluation Course, and I had to conduct a product evaluation. I evaluated Inspiration 8 Software for the course. '

I've been playing around in Webspiration, Inspiration but online, today and think you should give it a try. Jim states that this version allows kids to collaborate on the same document, which is nice because most schools are using Inspiration and are already familiar with its layout.

http://www.mywebspiration.com/index.php

Lifelong Learning

Every year my Mom buys me a "Page-A-Day" calendar. I really enjoy them. She's been buying them for years. My former co-workers LOVED it when I had the Spanish one! The one I have know is "The Purpose Driven Life." I really like it, and Wednesday thought is worth sharing. It fits so well into my current life situations. Here it is: Whatever gifts you have been given can be enlarged and developed through practice. For instance, no one gets the gift of teaching fully developed. But with study, feedback, and practice, a "good" teacher can become a better teacher, and with time, grows to be a master teacher. Don't settle for a half-developed gift. Stretch yourself and learn all you can.

Round 2 of DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee

I don't know if it is the determined approach she is taking to reforming the success of the children in Washington D.C. schools, her demeanor, or my own personal experience in working in and around urban school districts, but I'm a 100% supporter of Michelle Rhee. Obviously, something needs to happen. The current system is NOT working, and she was specifically brought to the district to create a positive change. LET HER DO IT! Give her plan, a different plan, "Plan B," a chance to be implemented and evaluated. If it does not show the measured results as compared to it's objectives, then dismiss it and come up with yet another plan. If you are unfamiliar with Michelle Rhee, read the previous blog and article I posted about her on August 18, 2008 titled: Fixing Washington D.C. Schools. When you are finished come back and read this follow-up article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100201672.html published in The Washington Post. Many thanks to my NEA email thread for keeping me up-to-date.

Sweet Dreamzzz

Sweet Dreamzzz Detroit is a non-profit organization committed to providing bedtime essentials and sleep education to at-risk children in preparation for classroom learning. Kathleen Donnelly took action after reading a 1996 article published in the Detroit Free Press about a boy living in a burned out building and sleeping under coats. Unfortunately, this story is repeated over and over again in Detroit. Many children don't have heat, beds, proper sleeping apparel, or adults that enforce a standard bedtime and the importance of a good nights sleep. Sweet Dreamzzz has stepped up to assist the Detroit students by providing a 45 minute instructional piece about the importance of sleep and how to prepare for a good nights rest. The program is implemented into grades K-8. The state of Michigan curriculum does not provide any sleep education until the 7th grade. Sweet Dreamzzz strongly believes that by that age students have already developed poor sleeping habits. At the conclusion of the sleep education segment, Sweet Dreamzzz provides each student with a 'SLEEP KIT.' The kit includes the following: Sleeping bag, Sweet Dreamzzz night shirt and activity book, crayons, socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, and Beanie Baby. The students are also allowed to pick one book of their choice to provide them an avenue to read and relax before falling asleep. Again, I cannot stress enough, SWEET DREAMZZZ IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. They operate completely on donations. This weekend, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, they are having a "SLEEP WALK" to help raise money and awareness about the program and the importance of sleep. They also will accept any donations of any of the items that are in the sleep kits. In the past week alone, I met two people who have a bunch of Beanie Babies they no longer want, so they are donating them to Sweet Dreamzzz. Have the kids moved out of the house and you have all of their childhood books taking up space in the attic or basement collecting dust? The answer is simple...donate them to Sweet Dreammzzz! Be sure to check out their website and see how you can increase the classroom learning of at-risk children in Detroit. http://sweetdreamzzzdetroit.org/home.html

Google and Cha Cha Text Feature

I don't know about you, but I'm a "constant texter," and I'm so excited to share this with you. Did you know that you can TEXT GOOGLE? Maybe I've been out of the loop, but you can send a question via text to Google or Cha Cha and receive an answer back to your cell. To text GOOGLE, simply type your text and send it to GOOGL (drop the E), or 46645. Cha Cha is another service that is similar to a search engine and can provide you answers for FREE via text or call. Here is the snip from their site:

ChaCha is like having a smart friend you can call or text for answers on your cell phone anytime for free! ChaCha works with virtually every provider and allows people with any mobile phone device - from basic flip phones to advanced smart phones - to ask any question in conversational English and receive an accurate answer as a text message in just a few minutes.
What’s your question?
Simply text your question to 242242 (spells ‘ChaCha’) or call 1-800-2ChaCha (800-224-2242) from your mobile phone to ask any question. What are you waiting for? Ask away!

I used both services this weekend and have stored both in my phone.

Robert "Dino" Comer

I was at the laundromat the other day and I met one of the most exciting and energetic people in my life, Robert "Dino" Comer. I was sitting at the table, and he just introduced himself to me, and we started talking. He was delivering a ton of positive vibes and you could tell he was a "regular" at the laundromat. Now that I think about it, I don't even think he was doing laundry? Anyway, his story is one to be shared with the world. Trust, I'm pretty sure he is sharing it, since he was sure that I left with a newspaper article (you have to read it) and the link to his little spot on YouTube, but maybe I can help him out even more. I'll sum it up for you...Dino did work in tv, motivational speaking, and worked in education. His mother became ill with cancer, and he left his job to be with her. She eventually lost her battle with cancer in 1999 and Dino lost his desire and passion for living. He has been homeless in Detroit for the past 7 years, but a had an eye opening moment. He took steps to get his life back on track, and he is now a student at WAYNE. He was so excited the other day when I met him because that very afternoon he was moving into his first apartment. He said, "I've owned 4 houses already, but never lived in an apartment." Be sure to check out his videos on YouTube and drop him a line or two. He'll love it! If you're looking for a motivational speaker be sure to consider Robert "Dino" Comer. I have his contact info. Feel free to ask. His book, Homeless Sweet Homeless, can be found in bookstores by the end of the year.

Rachel Ray, Jr. is back!

I love to cook and try new recipes, and this one turned out so well that I thought I would share it with you. Last week I ate at The Traffic Jam & Snug, and had this wonderful meal called: Calling the Dr. Bombay Salmon. It was fabulous, and during dinner I thought I could try my best to replicate it. Today was the day, and it was delicious! I really enjoy cooking, and since I've been living with my parents for the past 7 months, I didn't really have to cook because they always cooked. Come on now...who is going to pass up home cooked meals by parents? Back to the kitchen for me. I really enjoyed my experience of cooking this, and I hope you will too. My recipe is slightly different, but it is based on the same concept. Here is what you'll need:

2 serving size pieces of salmon
1/4 Red Pepper
1/4 Yellow Pepper
1/4 Orange Pepper
1 hot pepper
1/2 Red Onion
Olive Oil
3/4 cup Apricot Jelly
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper

I'm such a nerd that I took pictures while preparing it! :)

Slice your peppers and onions thin, because you are going to sauté them in olive oil. I put the peppers in first, since they are thicker and are going to take a little longer than the onions.

While that was in the skillet, I began to prepare the salmon for stuffing. Just slice it in the middle and make a little pocket. Be careful since the fish is flimsy.

When your veggies are finished, place them in a bowl to cool a bit, so you can handle them. As you wait for them to cool, mix together apricot jelly, (I just eyeballed the rest of these and didn't measure, so add at your liking), paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Drizzle olive oil slowly into the mix. It'll help thin out your glaze.

After mixing together the ingredients for the glaze, drizzle your skillet with olive oil and turn on high heat.
The veggies should be cool enough to handle. Stuff salmon pockets with veggies.

When your pan is hot, place each piece in gently. Cook for just about 1 minute on each side. Now, pour your glaze on and smell the goodness! I put, 1/4 of the glaze on each piece, flipped the fish, and then used the rest. It won't take long to cook. Somewhere around 5-8 minutes.

Here are some pics of the finale!

Try it and let me know what you think!

Randy Pausch: Last Lecture

Months ago I had two friends, Jim and Joey, email me information on viewing Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. Randy Pausch was a professor in the computer science department at Carnegie Mellon, and a pioneer in the field of virtual reality. I kept putting off watching the video because it's an hour and fifteen minutes long, and I was just 'way TOO busy' (smirk, smirk). Randy lost his life at the age of 47 to cancer, but has left us with a last lecture that will impact millions. I've been catching up this month on things I want to read, do, and watch, and I finally watched his "Last Lecture." The previous link will take you to an article that appeared in the April 6, 2008 issue of Parade Magazine, and the page also contains a link to the full video of his 'last lecture.' You may have some of the same thoughts I did, "I don't have time to watch it; I'll get to it later; how good can it really be, etc." Here's a tip for combating those thoughts: WATCH THE VIDEO IN INCREMENTS. It is WORTH your time! I opened the video and watch it in 10, or 20, or 5 minute increments, but every moment was worth it. Get over your "brick wall," and watch it.

Fixing Washington D.C.'s School System

While applying for a subscription to Fast Company today, I came across the following article: Fixing Washington D.C.'s School System. It is a must read if you have any interest in educational leadership. Michelle Rhee, 38-year-old chancellor of DC's public schools, is in charge of the district's 10,000 employees and a $1Billion budget. She is a very determined, stern, and inspirational leader. The article is very inspiring, so be sure to read it. It's 8 pages, so be sure to click next at the bottom of each page. Hooray for Michelle!

Driving in Michigan

One main advantage to living in the city is that you don't have to drive anywhere. Ok, I had to drive to Costco and Walmart, and Janelle takes me to softball. Back in January, when I came to visit WSU, I remember everyone talking about the suburbs, and it seemed that they all said "everything was 20 minutes away." I'm pretty sure they were right. I'm going into my 3rd week here in Detroit, and I haven't filled my tank since the gas station, across from the Bob Evans, along Rt. 46 somewhere in Ohio. Driving in Michigan has some odd, yet after researching and experiencing them first hand, understandable tricks to their driving system. First and foremost, the Michigan Left. Developed in the 60's the Michigan Left was designed to prevent inter-locking left hand turns on divided highways. I really can't give a complete description, so the only way of understanding (unless you've been, or live in Michigan) is by viewing this photo and checking out the Michigan Left link.

Image designed by Christopher Bessert and found on
http://www.michiganhighways.org/indepth/michigan_left.html

Basically, for those of you who don't want to read the website, you're unable to make a left hand turn at an intersection, so you drive ahead some feet where you make a legal U-Turn in the middle of the road. Make sense? :)

Sights Around Detroit this Week

This week I had many opportunities to explore Detroit, and it was great! I went for a bunch of walks, ate at some good restaurants, and experienced some activities along the Detroit River, and Mid and Downtown. I also learned a few interesting facts about Detroit and Michigan. Reading this post will give you some insight of some restaurants, little trivia facts, and the many places to visit in Detroit. I'm amazed that I have experienced so many places and cultural facets of Detroit in just a few short weeks. I look forward to the many more, and for my classes to begin.

Tuesday I was able to get out and about for a little walk around Midtown. A few of Midtown's attractions include gorgeous architecture and museums. Here are a few pics I took along my walk.



The Detroit Historical Museum is definitely on my list of places to check out.






The DIA, Detroit Institute of Arts, is probably one of my most favorite buildings to look at. It is surrounded by beautiful sculptures and water structures. Containing more than 100 galleries, and holding over 600,000 pieces, it is the 5th largest fine arts museum in the US. I'm going to try my hardest to hold off visiting the museum until one such said "bomb" friend of mine comes for a visit! When he does arrive I'll be sure to take him to the Traffic Jam and Snug, located on the corner of Canfield and 2nd Streets. I'm very picky about eating salmon, so I usually only eat my own recipe, but this recipe sounded so good that I had to try it. The
"Calling Dr. Bombay Salmon" is amazingly delicious! You have to go there just to try it!




The Museum of African American History has been serving students and teachers for over 35 years by providing speakers, exhibitions, and workshops. This weekend also brought the 2008 African World Festival to Detroit's Hart Plaza along the Detroit River. I attended it last evening, and it runs through Sunday. There are over 150 vendors, musical performances, and food. Last night's presentation, in my view it was a fashion show of some sorts, but the clothes were phenomenal and the music delightful. I was dancing! Here is a picture welcoming you to Hart Plaza. I had to take a pic especially after stumbling upon a website that is actually selling clothing about Detroit's Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. Not sure if you've heard, but he's recently run into some legal issues. I haven't been here long enough to fully understand the citizen's view of Kilpatrick, but I'm pretty sure I can guess the opinions and feelings of the clothing line designers. I remember watching an Ozzy Osbourne documentary that stated, 'there is no such thing as bad publicity.'


Also along the riverfront last night, I had the chance to experience beautiful scenery while listening to some free live classic rock. One of the local classic rock stations, 94.7 WCSX and GM present Rockin on the Riverfront, it's a FREE concert that is held every Friday throughout the summer. Last night's performers were Blue Oyster Cult. Next week, I'll definitely be there; the performer is Foreigner. Besides the cool, crowded, and loud atmosphere, I also witnessed one of the most beautiful scenes in my life. Boats filled the river during sunset as the band began to play around 8pm. It was gorgeous. I believe last night was a full moon which made it a breathtaking view.

Another day this week I took a stroll down Woodward Ave. to downtown. I LOVE downtown! The Riverwalk is obviously my favorite part, but downtown has a lot of cute little restaurants, HUGE buildings, and many different arenas and theaters. As I mentioned in my first blog, Detroit is a huge sports city, and the Tigers were at home this entire week, playing at Comerica Park, but I don't believe they witnessed too much success. Downtown though was packed every night!

A few of the downtown restaurants that I was able to dine at this week included: The Detroit Beer Pub, located on Broadway St. I had the Vegetarian Pizza which was excellent, but my friend, Matt had the Cajun Catfish, and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS! I'll definitely go back for it! I also ate thee best wings I've ever eaten! They were served at the Sweet Water Tavern, on Congress and were FABULOUS; not messy at all, and seasoned perfectly. I'm not a rib eater, but they looked great, too.

Also in Downtown Detroit, you'll find a cute little section called Greektown. It has many restaurants, but it's largest attraction is the casino. Currently they are adding on to the casino (see the big blue glass building). When I was here in January to visit WSU, I ate at two different places in Greektown: The Olympia, and Pizza Papilis. I found both to be tasty.


Campus Martius Park is also located downtown, and I find it to be gorgeous! The park area use to be very low and marshy, and was considered to be undesirable for building. 1999, former Detroit Mayor Dennis W. Archer set out to make it one of the most beautiful places on earth. The park came to fruition and was completed in 2004. There are tons of events that are held there and the view is great. Here is the pic I took from across the street. I then made my way over for a rest in one of the many seats provided. The water fountain structure brings a sense of peace.

Demolition and Adaptive Re-use in Detroit

I'm a big fan of the magazine, Next American City, and was looking around their site today. (By the way, the magazine is published in Philly and has been in existence since 2003) Just so happens a picture of Detroit's Museum of Contemporary Art shows up. The museum is only a 10 minute walk from my apartment. I passed it yesterday when I was out exploring the city and getting some exercise. The museum's building is super cool and I was dying to take a picture of it, but it's not in an area that I felt completely comfortable to pull out my camera and start snapping. After having my butt touched by a stranger, 2 guys following me commenting on my legs, and 3 people asking me for money, you may understand my feelings. I found this article to be right in line with a conversation I had with Matt, a friend of mine from PA who is here in Detroit on business this week, last evening. I mentioned to him that I wish I, or knew someone, who had the funds and an interest in the rehabilitation of buildings because this city is packed with a ton of opportunity. I've only been here for 2 weeks, but I'm in love with downtown! It's about a 30 minute walk from Midtown, the culture and arts district, where I live. This area is gorgeous too, containing beautiful architecture. Anyway, downtown becomes a zombie zone after 6pm during the week, unless there is a sports event occurring. (Comerica Park, Ford Field, and Joe Louis Arena are all located in Downtown Detroit) My parents were here the weekend I moved and we tried to go for breakfast on a Sunday morning, and nothing was open! I mean nothing! Not even a Starbucks or a bagel shop. McDonald's sure was though! Yuck! Matt mentioned how eerie it is walking through the city with these tall buildings and yet they are empty. I found the article to be quite timely with our conversation last evening, so I thought I would share.

Enjoy and please share!

http://americancity.org/magazine/article/everything-is-going-to-be-alright-demolition-and-adaptive-reuse-in-detroit/