"Standards based learning, modeled on the belief that every student learns in their own way"
What a novel concept. You mean every child is different and has different needs and abilities? No way, it can't be!
Sounds to me like someone's finally getting things right. Adapting our horribly over-standardized education system to actually treat children as individuals, seems like common sense, right?
I can only imagine the progress teachers could make if they weren't always under the thumb of meeting testing results and pressure to keep funding...
There is much hope for the future of our education system when watching videos like these...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Molecular Science
Today was a frustrating day.
Sometimes I wonder if perhaps we were born with a certain amount of molecules (or cells or something to that effect) and each and every day one of them dies. Sometimes they die because it was their time, because we no longer needed them, or perhaps it was time for another to take its place. Somedays its more than one, maybe a handful, maybe more- sacrificed for the sake of experience or memory, or stolen by another being who's count is depleting at a speed higher than our own. Sometimes they go quietly, just a natural passage, the circle of life, other times they're torn from us, ripped away. Somedays we are completely unaware, just the passing of time, and others... well other days we feel each and everyone with the weight of the world. And at the end of it all is the last of our days, when the last of the molecules fade and we move from this life to whatever follows. Today was one of those days where too many molecules fell. It wasn't a vicious murder, a horrible traumatic separation. It was just one of those days that ended in a loss.
And I'm restless and tired and somewhat bitter about how todays molecules were spent.
Sometimes I wonder if perhaps we were born with a certain amount of molecules (or cells or something to that effect) and each and every day one of them dies. Sometimes they die because it was their time, because we no longer needed them, or perhaps it was time for another to take its place. Somedays its more than one, maybe a handful, maybe more- sacrificed for the sake of experience or memory, or stolen by another being who's count is depleting at a speed higher than our own. Sometimes they go quietly, just a natural passage, the circle of life, other times they're torn from us, ripped away. Somedays we are completely unaware, just the passing of time, and others... well other days we feel each and everyone with the weight of the world. And at the end of it all is the last of our days, when the last of the molecules fade and we move from this life to whatever follows. Today was one of those days where too many molecules fell. It wasn't a vicious murder, a horrible traumatic separation. It was just one of those days that ended in a loss.
And I'm restless and tired and somewhat bitter about how todays molecules were spent.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
To delete or not to delete...
So lately I've felt like this blog has just been staring at me like a reminder of all the things in life I've started and never finished. My intentions were sooo good when I began writing here. I was multi-posting, and mobile posting and photo-posting.... And then....? Well, life occurred. I guess I got caught up, busy. I tried to reset my resolve and promise myself that I'd begin writing, document my school experience, get reinvigorated. And that lasted all of one post. Yet I keep coming back. I'll sit and stare at an empty screen, and THINK about writing, but not just write. Thus, lately, I've been contemplating pushing delete. Just be done with it. Get rid of it so that the lack of effort will no longer be taunting me, reminding me. But you know what? F*#k that. Nothing else in life is easy, so why take an easy road with this? I'm keeping this blog. And, hopefully, I'll be writing much more and in more frequent intervals. And if not? So what. This is my blog. Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness, and you can just call me JR.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
It's a balancing act.
Well, it's official. I'm a big girl.
I'm two days in to my third week at CalState Long Beach. Also known as "Big Girl School".
It's bittersweet. Well, mostly sweet, but I definitely notice the age difference between myself and the vast majority of my peers. I can't really tell whether or not they notice as well, shit, I don't think I look THAT old... While I truly am proud of myself for finally making it to this point, there's definitely a part of me that wishes I'd done it sooner.
Two weeks down and I'm already feeling the crunch of pressure. Classes aren't difficult (yet) but they are time consuming. I'm still working 5-6 days a week (30+ hours/wk) and it feels like it never stops. School, work, school, work, school... It's a lot, that is, a lot more than I've been doing the last year or so. I haven't quite found my rhythm. I want to work less and study more but I'm nervous for finances. I was lucky enough to receive financial aid this semester, both grants and loans, but I just did my FAFSA for next year and I anticipate being a lot further down on that gift list next time around. So I'm trying to take advantage of that fact that my classes aren't yet difficult and work as much as possible and hopefully bank away some dinero. But I also want to make sure that I'm making school my number one priority. It took a long time to get here and I want to do it right. Get involved in campus life/politics/clubs, get connected with peers (young as they may be) and faculty, and, most importantly, straight A's. I'm paying for this education and I intend to get every last penny's worth, dammit.
I look forward to finding BALANCE, hopefully sooner than later.
As is the motto at my new school, GRADUATION BEGINS TODAY.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
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