Frog Talk: A Free Online Book for Early or Challenged Readers
Thought I'd post the first draft of my early/challenged-reader children's book here. The book demonstrates the day-to-day diversity and politeness among multiple species of frogs inhabiting the same space peacefully. If frogs can do it, so can we!? The educational/curriculum components of the book are discussed herein.
Hands-On STEM Curricula: Make a Portable, Indoor Water Garden for $0-10
Plan B has been to make water gardens at home with whatever big, clear plastic containers I can accumulate and give these to teachers at the elementary school. Two more teachers requested water gardens for their classrooms this week. I thought I'd take photos while I make them, so teachers, homeschoolers (aren't we all?), and kids of all ages can see how easy (and inexpensive) it is to do.
My Quote of the Day (well worth reading again)
…from Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), Intro to Ozark, Season 1: Sugarwood.
Looking for a GREAT documentary? Check out Wild Wild Country on Netflix
You HAVE to watch Wild Wild Country on Netflix. It's a multipart documentary regarding an Indian Buddhist leader named Baghwan Rajneesh, whose (largely American) followers planned and (literally) built an Ashram city (for upwards of 10,000 people) on 60,000 acres of ranch land they purchased in a tiny town in the middle of Oregon.
A Letter to my Teacher, a Children's Book Review
Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Carpenter’s picture book, A Letter to my Teacher, puts the mission of teaching squarely where it’s meant to be by appreciating the special teachers that have graced all of our lives, whether or not we’ve had children of our own. This is a must-give for that special teacher in your life. I bought a copy while on book tour with the illustrator (Stacy Fabbre) of my own children’s book this summer…
Inspiration at a Discount
Last Sunday, my teenage daughter and her younger brother walked to the Dollar General at Broad and West Markham near my home in Durham, NC, to buy some candy. When they went to check out, she thought she had left her wallet at home. They returned and we scoured the house; then she walked back to the DG, but they could find no wallet and none had been turned in…
Teaching the World to Love Again
It's a lot harder to make a person happy than it is to make someone miserable…
Breakfast at Tiffany's and Audrey Hepburn Closet Quotes
“If you don't incorporate quotes into your family's daily life, you should. You'll be surprised with the effects these subtle reminders have on your kids, your spouse, and you.”
Have Patience
You are a rational human being. Do not let another person's defensiveness make you defensive…
Hindsight Premonition: The Death of Kenny Batts
It’s eerie, the hindsight premonition that often follows a death, even a very sudden one. When I heard our friend’s ex-father-in-law Warren’s voice message around 9:30 last Friday night, I immediately thought something was wrong with Kenny. Then I checked my cell phone and saw that Kenny had called just a little while earlier…
Why You Should Have a Pond
Pond installation can be back- and time-consuming work, and a long-lasting one like mine can cost over $1000.00 (liner, pump, filter, rocks). But it doesn't have to be this way. You can purchase inexpensive, small-pond kits, or you can build a pond out of a plastic toddler swimming pool simply by…
Breaking up with the Republican Party:
Frazey Ford's song 'Done' sums up exactly how I feel about the Republican Party…
Money, Money, Money...
As a child, I wondered at the adults who spend most of their lives doing jobs they dislike so they can grow old and do next to nothing. Now that I’m an adult, I’m beginning to understand our addiction to money…
The Power to Change
Click on the link below to see my recent post in the Durham News (News and Observer). I do believe it's time for a change. But meaningful change can only come from within…
3 Days Before Election, Adams Persists
With 3 days before the election, these quotes from Founding Father John Adams (one of my favorite persons ever to have roamed the planet) are more pertinent than ever…
Thought for the Day
It's easy to forget to thank these special people in our lives. I'm making a conscious effort to improve in that regard. The older I get, the more I appreciate how difficult it is to be more than is expected of you. Words of appreciation help. A lot. …
Your Village
In organizing children’s events this summer, I’ve talked to several science museum directors and staff, mostly about how to ensure that people actually attend the events. It’s not a matter of young people wanting to be there. It’s a matter of their parents getting them there. Turns out it’s one of the biggest challenges for education directors across the country…
For the Love of BETC
… Polluted runoff is a leading cause of impairment in at least 40% of North Carolina's waterways, including all of Jordan Lake and a significant part of Falls Lake. Forty percent of America's rivers and 46% of America's lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life…
Welcome to my blog ...
... where you'll find articles pertaining to education and written for parents, caretakers, & teachers (traditional & home-school) regarding practical hands-on books, curricula, events, & opportunities. Other articles concern parenting, marriage, writing, & life in general, as well as local (Durham/Raleigh/Chapel-Hill), regional (Southeastern United States), and national issues and concerns.