It Is All About Culture

The meaning of culture leads to shared values, perspectives, beliefs, ethnicity and
historical lineage. Culture is a culmination of social structures that include shared
economic considerations, segregation of socioeconomic groups of people and political
alliances between generations.

Culture sets the stage for social, political, and economic continuity in our society. It is
the social anchoring of our existence. How we perceive different relationships in our
lives (personal emotional, financial and work-environment) determine our means and
our ability to alter life-fulfilling outcomes.

To be progressive is to house a mindset that originally stems from anarchism and is
later transformed into ideas for change. As quoted by Nathan Schneider in the book
Chomsky on Anarchism, “anarchists figured out how to organize themselves in a
functional egalitarian and sufficiently productive society”. Cultural norms are an outcome
of many perspectives by millions of people. It is fundamental to ensuring society’s well-
being and continuity.

Change is the upending of cultural norms as society becomes emboldened to act on the
inevitability of progress. Schools must deal with cultural norms across society. It is a
blend of generational thinking from Boomers, Generation Xer’s, Millennials, and
Generation Zer’s laying foundational guideposts for which schools can function as
educational institutions.

Classrooms provide the template of thinking and deliver learning environments that rise
to generational expectations. The collage of different thoughts, perspectives, and
expectations makes development of progressive educational initiatives, at times, at
odds with student needs. Students brought along a pathway of least resistance
established in schools and at home will deal poorly with developing their ability to foster
resiliency in their lives.

Differences in generational expectations, within school learning environments, cause
conflict in the deployment of curriculum. What cuts through this maze of competing
expectations is a consensus for fundamental concern of students’ well-being. Student
preparation in schools must deal with addressing development of the mental fortitude to
surmount challenges that they face in their lives and to develop their ability to work
collaboratively with peers and solve problems. This is the goal of education.

This intersection between school curriculum and school culture places educators in the
crosshairs of conflict. Divergent values, traditions, and identities clash with educational
goals. Curriculum can reflect the importance of knowledge, but multigenerational perspectives cause discourse in what is determined to be the most important to teach students. A multigenerational society will struggle when deciding desired educational outcomes and the legitimacy of presented pedagogy.

As a seasoned educator for 30 years, I see this struggle played out in classrooms.
Content may be eternal, but the delivery and expectations teachers have for students
becomes a collegial multigenerational interpretation. This decade of immense social,
economic and technological change will tax our education system to its breaking point.
Hopefully this crisis in social, environmental and economic foundational pillars of our
society will ultimately drive consensus among educational shareholders.

Corporate lawlessness, threats of fascism, unchecked executive governance and an
economy lacking resources to see to the needs of people lay the groundswell for an era
of crisis for our country. From Boomers to Generation Zer’s, the consequences of a
crisis faced by society call upon people, from their position of legacy experiences with
knowledge and understanding, to bring forth a commitment supporting and fostering
needed change. Education of our youth is the challenge, and change will require
empathetic relationships between educators that act as the rudders of a ship, thereby
helping to steer a progressive course through this tumultuous time in history.

 

Memories of a Dog

It is important to realize that the bonds we form with animals have real meaning.  It is, at times, the only thing in life that seems to be normal and consistent.  Relationships with family members and colleagues can be stressful and challenging as we go through life, but it is relationships with animals, like dogs, that provide refuge from these trying times.

I loved my dog. She was a companion that I had great affection for and I respected her presence in my life.  She died the day before Thanksgiving this year and I still feel her presence in our home.  For over 13 years she was part of our family. Her influence on our lives was positive and heartening. She was our family, and we very much appreciated what she brought to us in love, loyalty and affection.  She is now missing from our lives every day. Life continues without her with us here at home.

I have often written and published in this blog about the need to protect living species. It seems like this calling for me, at times, is like shouting into the wind, which is unsustainable and seemingly futile. Except now when you equate it to the love of a dog, I feel it has more meaning. That life, with all its complexities and mysteries, is an endless struggle for relevance. Love for family and for the influences in our life has meaning.  It gives meaning to us.

I have turtles, fish and a gecko in my home.  I watch birds flying overhead, engage with backyard garden-marauding rabbits and I witness high dexterity squirrels. I see flocks of soaring geese and I watch ducks land gracefully onto nearby ponds. The environment we have been given supports all living creatures so they can live their lives. This includes humans and how we navigate through what we do in life. It seems that living is more conceptual than ever. To live means to have cognition and a sense of being that becomes increasingly viral as complexities manifest themselves. To have life means to have beaten back the chaos of the universe for a time and to hold your ground as the cosmic orchestrations of existence plays out around you.

I want to express my love for life on this planet and my concern for its fragility. The complexity of it all can be taken away in an instant and it is part of what it means to be human to acknowledge this and to see the need to protect and preserve life-supporting ecosystems everywhere.

 

 

 

PUBLIC EDUCATION IS DEMOCRACY

From the book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, by Randi Weingarten;

“Public education is an idea as old as democracy and inextricably linked with it.  The radical idea that instead of being a nation that gives power and knowledge only to kings, we invest in education for all and the common good.

Fascists and autocrats fear what teachers do because they know their brand of greed, hierarchy, and extremism cannot survive in a democracy of diverse, educated citizens.”

Teacher pedagogy defines the vitality of learning experiences for students.  It is a foundational act of solidarity aligned with the beliefs of free people living within a democracy. 

Young minds experiencing learning opportunities in the classroom, that spur imaginative thought, will develop a zeal, within each student, to solve problems and think creatively.  Groups of students working on projects in the classroom can galvanize strong incentives to collaborate and cooperate on vexing issues and problems. Independent thought and collegial relationships are important outcomes that result when students work on project-based educational initiatives at schools.

Empowering students with a good education lends well to the boundless promise of a fulfilled life.  This gives students the potential and opportunity to reach their full capacity as citizens within our country.

Education leads to students being more resolute in their persistence to be engaged in critical thinking to solve real world problems.   Living a good life requires abilities of individuals to transverse nuances of life as we tread our way through the gray areas of the world with blurred boundaries. Education provides skill and abilities that are essential to the process of creating a society that addresses needs of the most vulnerable among us and creates equal opportunities for everyone.

Teachers need the support of the many shareholders in education such as parents, community leaders and administrative governance that can help enfranchise innovative and devoted talents necessary to get students to want to learn. The design and implementation of learning by teachers, taking place in creative learning environments, will produce outcomes that are rewarding to all students.

 

A Calling to Increase Learning Experiences in the Classroom: 

iEARN Project-Based Educational Initiatives.

(International Educational and Resource Network)

This week begins the Water is Life Project in iEARN (https://us.iearn.org/).

 It is scheduled to continue until the beginning of summer in June!

It is now an important time for teachers to commit time and effort of themselves and their students and become involved in this project.  The goal is to become involved in the methodology of doing this project by completing both the Introductions and Pathways posted in the project and obtaining achievable outcomes. The collaborative nature of this project will manifest itself as students share their ideas, analysis and solutions of real-world problems.

Commitment by educators to deliver scientific inquiry, as the means to construct learning experiences, does achieve greater understanding by students of fundamental concepts and increases in their development of analytical skills and abilities.

Recent educational surveys, given to students in middle school and high school, have presented a need for teachers to deliver curriculum that explains concepts in more understandable ways, which leads to increasing the number of highly motivated students doing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  Research has proven a direct relationship between inquiry-models of learning, within curriculum, and resulting increases in average grades achieved by students in the classroom.

Teachers who commit their time, effort and resources to involve students with iEARN projects will benefit by creating learning environments that are highly engaging and produce high-quality academic outcomes. There is no substitute for these hands-on collaborative learning opportunities delivered by teachers to students in the classroom.

I am looking forward to help orchestrate this effort to engage students in high-quality learning experiences within this international forum provided by iEARN.  I have years of experience conducting this effort in iEARN and I look forward to sharing my experience and insights to foster a tremendous learning experience for students around the world!

 

FREEDOM

Developing Sovereign Free People

To be sovereign and free means to be open to the needs of others.  It involves embracing an openness to new ideas and diverse thinking.  It means having an eye to see ways to improve life and to incorporate this thinking into living unpredictably, to have mobility in one’s life and have an insightful expectation for change. This is an advocation expressed by Timothy Snyder author of the book, On Freedom.

It is an extraordinary advocation for what makes us free.  The realization of our needs is a consequence of having critical thinking skills and abilities developed from the experience of excellence in education.  An education that develops investigative and analytical abilities, develops and open-mindedness for new ideas and a shared commitment for the protection and preservation of local ecosystems world-wide.

People in free societies have expectations for their own political, social, economic and spiritual discourse. An outcome of this discourse is the safeguarding of lives, preservation of resources and the delivery of a secure and prosperous future.

Education provides individuals the power to seize their chance for a better life for themselves and for those within their community.  Education develops a resistance to acceptance of bleakness.  The societal goal is to prevent the dissolution of values intended to prevent blaming victims and refuges for their own suffering.  Without sovereign thoughts of discourse by the populous, then solutions become nullified, and continual crisis becomes normalized.  It breeds contempt for others and fuels an unholy acceptance of climate catastrophe outcomes.

Climate catastrophe is not an inevitability.  It can be adverted by conscious action taken by sovereign and unpredictable people.  Educated people, with developed critical thinking skills, will enable individuals to acknowledge past catastrophes and create solutions more numerous than can be imagined. Our values can lead us into a prosperous future by first reflecting upon the past, then dealing with challenges of current realities and finally seizing the chance to develop a more fulfilling good life for everyone.

As this new school year begins, we face new challenges brought upon us by both internal and external forces.  As a society our ability to surmount these challenges and forge a more prosperous equitable future is dependent upon how we present education to our youth in the classroom.  The avenues available to educators to deliver learning opportunities must include a pathway to sovereignty.  This is the course of action that can deliver a lasting progressive impact on how we live, how we deal with each other and how we prepare ourselves for the future.

The vocation of teaching is the crucible from which a sovereign society can rise from and thereby seize the chance to make a better life for everyone.

 

The 2025 KidWind RECharge Academy

 

In the middle of July and summertime vacation, I joined a cohort of exceptional educators, to learn about wind turbines, solar energy and battery technology. The 2025 KidWind RECharge Academy provided the time and resources for teachers, from across the nation, to come together for one week of collaboration and share our love of science. Learning the mechanics of the KidWind program and its incredible learning opportunities for students is the primary goal for teachers attending this academy.

The beginning of the session dwelled into investigating designs of new green energy production systems and having discussions with several wind energy developers across the Midwest. Websites were presented that provide valuable information for delivering science curriculum that can be structured around conceptual understand, engineering practices and cross cutting concepts (Next Generation Science Standards Foundational Structure).

One of the field trips that I participated in, at a University of Minnesota research facility, was an exciting venture into the science of water flow research and the scientific process of unmasking quantitative analysis that leads to real-world applications. 

As part of this week-long session, several KidWind science kits and lesson plans were presented to teachers providing them with resources needed to implement green energy educational initiatives in school curriculums.

The opportunity to collaborate with other teachers is the hallmark of the 2025 KidWind ReCharge Academy. With such a wealth of experienced science educators at one location, this cohort provided an exceptional opportunity to share knowledge and understanding of teaching pedagogy and greater insight into the mechanics of the KidWind experiences in the classroom.  I have met with representatives from energy developers in the Midwest and discussed with them inquiries into potential sponsorship for KidWind projects into the future.

Wind turbine designs were constructed and tested in a wind tunnel as teachers hoped to optimize electric energy output and win a staged competition.  The stakes ran high as teachers turned their imagination into construction of wind turbine units delivering joules of electric energy from the mechanical motion of spinning blades and rotating generator. Wind energy was transformed into electric energy which can be used to run motors, produce light and charge batteries!  I now have access to wind turbine websites related to developed wind energy projects across the Midwest.  This information provides me with the means to solicit funds to support local KidWind projects in schools where I teach and for teachers that I mentor.

The solar energy presentations, at the KidWind ReCharge academy, dealt with establishing project-based learning environments that involve the use of solar cell technology and engineering designs. The goal is to transfer solar energy into the lighting of homes, making heat energy and running electric powered machines. Solar energy learning opportunities are designed to stimulate interest and inquiry thereby sustaining an openness by students to learn.

The development of solar lab experiments includes the physical aspects of conducting solar energy activities and dwelling into the physics of energy transformation.  Data analysis, by students involved in solar energy, results in the interpretation of graphical presentations which add to students’ skills and abilities in solving problems.  This can lead to students developing a “reason”, in their minds, to want to lean.

Fundamentally, the motivation of students helps provide the means to actively participate in project-based science experiences in the classroom, but the “wanting” comes from a more deeply embedded “reason” held by learners for participation in the first place.  

Understanding the benefit of knowledge gained from wind turbine research operations helps to model the physics needed to support engineering.  Maximizing power output, given the deluge of environmental and mechanical influences, is the primary challenge in wind turbine engineering.  Graphical presentations of output data provide crucial support to scientific analysis.  Students involved in KidWind come to appreciate these many factors impacting the production of electrical energy and they work, with the data, to draw out conclusions from experimentation and focus upon the need to maximize electrical energy output in joules!

The final day of the KidWind RECharge Academy was filled with presentations from wind turbine engineers, nuclear energy specialists and battery science curriculum experts.  The knowledge and understanding of energy producing systems was enhanced by this expert testimony. I believe that this opportunity of learning will produce tremendous educational dividends in the classroom. 

It has been a remarkable gathering of teachers bringing to the cohort a wealth of experience and commitment to real learning of science.  This program helped to both advocate and applaud teachers for their vocation as instructors and mentors to our youth.  The rarity of this type of professional development experience, for science teachers nationwide, is a testament to the need for more investment in science education along with greater commitment to preparing our youth for the challenges of a technological advanced future.

It’s been a truly rewarding time for everyone this week. I am very thankful to the leadership of KidWind for providing such an incredible event.  As teachers, we will utilize what we have learned and more effectively implement energy curriculum initiatives in the classroom. This process will lead to the development of problem-solving abilities in our youth with a lasting impact upon society into the future.

 

It is still all about project-based learning opportunities in the classroom

Project-based learning in the classroom includes inquiry and requires the dissemination of scientific facts and logic.  This is the basis and foundation for progressive learning in our school in the 21^st century.  Project-based science teaching is a driving force in curriculum, because it helps to solidify experiences, increase understanding and develop skills and abilities in the minds of students.

Given the media driven high-tech cultural and societal environment, the response by teachers grasping for the attention of students’ minds in the classroom becomes more challenging than ever. Students’ overall focus, in the classroom, on presented learning opportunities are at low levels.  Even with modern learning experiences implemented by teachers, such as digital real-time presentations, global interactions, in class- video creations and presentations and researched and collaborative peer driven projects, it is still a challenge to inspire and motivate students to want to learn.  The staggering wealth of alternatives that students’ attention can pursue as individuals is mind numbing.

Project-based science education is the solution to this vexing problem. To experience science in the classroom is to be given the opportunity to experiment and rationalize outcomes.  A desired learning opportunity presented by teachers encourages independent thinking and rewards critical thought.  Project-based models of learning provide this necessary wealth of scientific endeavor through collaboration, cooperation and measured experimental research leading to greater student engagement and understanding of important concepts and principles.

Cooperative and collaborative involvement with schools and peers across the planet, within academic digital platforms provided by iEARN (international educational and resource network), are essential resources that help build relationships from abroad, while providing real meaning to the work completed by students in the classroom.

Within this project-based learning environment, students focus upon relevant issues within their learned discipline.  Sharing experiences, ideas, completed work and plans of action create learning opportunities that are well suited to the development of the skills and abilities needed for success in the 21^st century.  Projects dealing with designing and constructing rockets, building wind turbines, designing green infrastructures for cities and advocating for regenerative agriculture are just some components in the mix of possibilities for projects in school.  Outcomes of these projects include prototype artifacts and detailed written accounts of learned experience. 

These projects make learning real for students.  It motivates them to want to learn more. Students can share what they have achieved with receptive peers worldwide. Students involved with this international cooperation and collaboration project will cherish this experience of creating and presenting new ideas and new ventures with students in other countries.

Climate change is the one big issue that can galvanize cross-disciplinary involvement helping to solve problems.  Tackling this issue requires the synthesis of conceptual understanding learned from physical science, life science and earth science.  This one big environmental issue transcends academic discipline and generations.  Each train of thought fostered by students from a multitude of science disciplines produces specific and unique solutions to this multifaceted problem.  Incorporating climate change into the science curriculum is now needed as a foundational emphasis in science education in America. It is the one issue that threatens human continued existence on Earth.  It is the one big issue needing a multitude of thought from massive numbers of people to grasp the meaning of staggering human engagement and then to act upon it!

The school year curriculum, scope and sequence, should frame the concern and issue of climate change for each area of scientific study. Each age group can apply their experience and abilities and bring it to the classroom to solve problems.  The ability to deliver the mechanics of problem solving using scientific inquiry and investigation is strengthened from this highly focused real-world and intrinsically collaborative way to learn in the 21^st century classroom.

The driving force in learning is dependent upon student motivation.  Tapping into the minds of students and their involvement with science education, in their lives, is the real challenge for educators today.  Couching learning environments around stimulating learning opportunities is the most important skill and ability that teachers can bring into the classrooms of schools.  This is why education is a vocation because the pursued cause is real and the outcomes sometimes seem marginal, but perseverance and resiliency are always constant.

 

 

 

 

 

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AND SCREAMING DINOSAURS

It is that time of year where students at St. Thomas the Apostle School reflect and take account of our position on this planet as a species, just out of the 100,000-year-old caves, now finding ourselves on the brink of global upheavals.  Earth Day is a celebration of life on planet Earth.  It is a call to action for humanity to work to protect and preserve local ecosystems (air, water and soil) worldwide.

On Earth Day, students, K-8, advocate to all society the imperative to protect and preserve the existence of, as Carl Sagen once described our pale blue dot in the galactic cosmos.  A picture of Earthrise, taken by the crew on the Apollo 8 spacecraft, dramatizes our position on a beautiful lifeful planet. The sight of Earth hanging in the blackness of eternal space is an exclamation on this call to act.

Earth day brings to the forefront the need for action to help protect plant and animal species from extinction and to mitigate climate-changing upheavals that tax the ability of living organisms to survive.

Screaming dinosaurs is the metaphorical presentation of the consequence of inaction by humans and continued status quo with respect to climate change. Screaming dinosaurs were eliminated, as a species, on Earth due to dire environmental consequences caused by volcanic activity and an asteroid striking the planet.  Expressed in a student play production called Screaming Dinosaurs, is the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on Earth's ecosystem and the parallel outcome of Earth dominating species (dinosaurs and humans) being wracked by climate change.  The one and only difference expressed in this play is that humans have brought this wrath upon themselves. Dinosaurs had climate change served to them, and they had to deal with unstoppable consequences.  Humans, in our day and age, have a choice.

So, with advocation as the overriding theme of the day, on Earth Day students will proceed through a litany of activities and challenges designed to spark enthusiasm and to galvanize a sense of responsibility to help save our world. 

Technology, research and critical thinking are driving forces in learning environments, and it produces tremendous positive outcomes in children’s lives.  Success for this day is reflected in the upswell of laughter, participation and achievement in the many challenging staged events. The measures of success, expressed by students involved with Earth Day merit reasoned thought and collaborative efforts.

On Earth Day the sight of screaming and excited children taking on new challenges and enjoying the benefits of a life-fulling ecosystem is in sharp contrast to the remains of once screaming dying dinosaurs on a forsaken planet. On Earth Day we can both acknowledge what has been given to us and we can commit to help preserve this God-given gift of a life-giving planet for future generations of plants and animal species on Earth.

Pale blue dot:  Earth

from nearly the edge of the solar system (3.7 billion miles away from Earth)

Earthrise taken by Apollo 8 Astronauts as they circled the moon on Christmas day 1968.

 

CATASTROPHE

Excessive extraction of natural resources in our current economic system, capitalism, exploits weaknesses in human society through the exploitation of labor and the degradation of Earth’s ecosystems.  Capitalism exploits foundational nature of Earths ecosystems for the benefit of the few.  On a global scale the top one percent of the wealthiest populations consumes fifty percent of the Earth’s natural resources. Resources provided by actions of extractive consumption and inequality in wealth distribution among the populations on the planet are a basic tenant of this economic system. Accountability for most of the global environmental degradation of planetary resources is markedly pinned on societies in the Global North.

Catastrophic droughts, fires, floods, excessive temperatures and rising sea levels are threats to human civilizations. Global warming and climate change have pushed environmental conditions from a Holocene geological epoch (Age of Man) to an Anthropocene geological epoch (human activity having significant impact on planet’s climate and ecosystem) that is not conducive to human life on this planet. The difference being defined by observed increased desertification world-wide, increased frequency of flooding big rain events, wind damaging storms and degradation of forests and vegetation in general.

The ruination of soil vitality, heating of Earth’s atmosphere from excessive carbon dioxide pollution and destabilization of climate patterns that nurtured our existence for the past 10,000 years are consequences of excessive consumption of planetary resources and extreme extraction of minerals, water, air and soil without efforts to ensure sustainability into the future. 

This decade, already half-spent, presents a critical moment in history where humanity can answer the call for action to impact change.  Action taken now will reduce the need for drastic economic retraction in the future. We are now facing catastrophic environmental consequences that are cascading toward the demise of our species on Earth.

In the classroom, we teach methodologies that can mitigate the impact of climate change on ecosystems.  Students take a deep dive into scientific, engineering and societal challenges that impact their future on our planet as it relates to climate change.  Student research and documented plans of action include the following: implementation of green infrastructure installations in the community, promotion of green sources of energy to reduce carbon dioxide pollution and advocating for regenerative agriculture methodologies to help sustain the vitality of soil in the ecosystem. This effort by students leads to reducing the degradation of our ecosystem and resulting impact of climate change on our way of life.

Models of education that focus on conceptual understanding of climate change and its impact upon all living creatures on Earth are crucial to help instill innovative and creative thinking in our youth.  It is important that this most impacted generation of people be given essential skills and abilities and means to solve problems and implement changes that will lead to a more sustainable way of living on this planet.

 

STUDENT EXCAHANGES AS A MODEL FOR 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION

It is an exciting time in science class as students prepare to engage with peers from across the planet.  Zoom real-time communication student exchanges, facilitated courtesy of iEARN (International Educational and Resource Network), delivered this experience to students in 8th grade physical science classes.

Science curriculum in our schools provides the means to share ideas, express concerns on issues related to the environment and help develop solutions to vexing problems. Students' middle school years at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Crystal Lake, Illinois has involved research, experimentation and concerted efforts to develop solutions that address the impact of climate change on local communities world-wide.

Conceptual understanding of Green Infrastructure, Regenerative Agriculture and Green Energy is a central focus in the science curriculum which addresses real concerns of the people living in local communities.  21st century technologies, embedded in educational models of learning, provide the catalyst for innovation and creativity that unleash human potential to solve problems. This young generation of learners have resources in school to help solve real problems and ultimately lend to the protection and preservation of local ecosystems world-wide.

At the international exchange meeting, students at St. Thomas the Apostle school discussed different aspects of their lives with peers from Moldova and Spain.  A former student in Pakistan also contributed to this discussion by expressing her feelings on the ability of collective thought to help solve problems.

Chicago sports, Moldova architecture and school environments were topics of interest as these students explored new friendships with people from abroad.   There is no greater attribute expressed by people than the ability to get along and be open-minded with each other, and to share life experiences.  The trust built from these student exchanges open the door to a better chance for developing collaborative and cooperative relationships into the future.

I believe it is education that changes the world.  People of all cultures and living experiences can unify by experiencing educational exchanges leading to greater appreciation for the diversity of human life and life as a gift from God that needs to be celebrated and cherished at all times.  The speed of communication displayed in these exchanges, in 21st century learning communities, reflect the speed of dynamics on issues we now face related to climate change.  The speed of development of solutions needs to match this speed of problem orientation.  The clock is running, and this classroom of young problem solvers must accelerate their learning and address issues that threaten our way of life and the lives of all plants and animals on Earth.  

 

JANUARY 2024

                                                               JANUARY 2024

This new year begins with an urgent need to revitalize education and fuel progressive efforts to safeguard schools, protect the environment and preserve our democracy and way of life.  Education is power, and with this power we can help bring forth a more just and equitable society.  When we revitalize education, we develop more effective means to generate needed changes in our world.

Methodologies employed to educate our youth have always been tightly associated with social, cultural and technological changes in our society.  It is the responsibility and duty of educators to keep pace with these changes and to develop curriculum that lends well to challenging and dynamic learning environments.

Inspirational engagement, motivated participation and challenging real-world problem solving are foundations of education that can deliver 21^st century learning in the classroom.  Student engagement in the learning process includes creative and critical thinking, effective communication of ideas and solutions and an open-mindedness to new ways of thinking and collaborative teamwork. 

Conceptual understanding of core principles in math, sciences and social sciences learned by students help solve real-world problems and inspire new ideas that address real-world concerns and issues.  Students embracing a purpose to learn, while also having intellectual resources to accomplish objectives, are fundamental elements for success at school.

Project-based models of learning provide the means for students to orchestrate and encapsule this learning process which helps them to become more learned individuals. In the 21^st century classroom it is important that students stay engaged and focused on this learning process.  Distractions in the classroom and non-school priorities are challenges faced by teachers and students that can inhibit learning.  Teachers and students committed to delivering project outcomes, dealing with real-world problems, provide the emphasis and direction necessary for students to remain focused and continue to be inspired, motivated and accepting of new challenges. 

Momentum in education and the learning process is an inspirational experience. It provides the means and opportunities for young people to challenge themselves, experience failures, embrace success and solidify a mindset of growth. Education is a unique experience that students truly rely upon as they grow intellectually with problem solving abilities in hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILDFIRES AND FADING MAJESTIC BLUE SKIES OVER CHICAGO

The sky across Chicago this summer is hazy. This phenomenon is caused by high altitude smoke drifting south out of central Canada.  This smoke causes deep blue skies over the Chicago skyline, on a sunny day, to turn opaque and take on a whiteish hue.   

Geoengineers once proposed dumping tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, at these same high altitudes, to turn the sky white and reflect quantities of solar radiation back to outer space.  Now, by default through nature’s actions, we are experiencing these same outcomes.

The cost of this wildfire event, to the ecosystem, is an increase in the tonnage of carbon dioxide gas spewing into the atmosphere from the burning of trees, the loss of vegetation sequestering carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and the reduced cooling effect these lost trees would have had upon terrestrial surface of our planet.

The deluge of smoke produced from the burning of the Boreal forests is a direct consequence of climate change and it is fueled by continued heating of Earth’s atmosphere. The proposed sulfur dioxide global experiment was intended to reduce the impact of climate change on the planet.  Nature’s actions like this burning of trees add to this crisis even as humans continually plan to resolve this problem by extraordinary means.  

If this is a race for the survival of the human species on Earth, with human effort trying to exceed nature’s consequences, then humans at this juncture are losing.

This afternoon I sat near a public pool and viewed another summer ritual, people swimming together in celebration of summer vacation. The sky is not as majestic blue as it once was, but people continue to live their lives.  The science tells us that we can expect that the number of wildfires, world-wide, to increase by factors of 4 times to 16 times as the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere pushes past a 2-degree Celsius increase heading to a 3-degree Celsius increase by the end of the century.

Today is now a historic inflection point, which is laid bare against an intensely red colored setting sun. It is a turning point where we live now on a planet that will no longer tolerate species that are excessively extractive of resources without showing regenerative efforts and that over consume well beyond any reasonable level of sustainability.

Maybe the consistent smoke clouded skies, this summer, will be a reminder to people, like when they write on posted notes, to make an engagement that is critical. You are telling yourself not to forget and do not just blow this off.  The consequences of not responding to this problem, with urgency, will only magnify the Earthly consequences we face from here on.

 

 

 

 

 

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AT SCHOOL

It was Kindergarteners’ that voiced the most emotion as we rallied-up after the Earth Day parade.  Chanting “Save the Planet” repeatedly as the voice of optimism amongst this future generation that will be most impacted by the rath of climate change.

It was the crescendo of a most exciting day at St. Thomas the Apostle School with students participating in multitude of activities and experiences that send the message loud and clear to save the planet!  Kindergarteners, caught up in the moment, sent the message to older generations to act now and help preserve and protect our life-giving ecosystem.

A play, presented to address the melting of artic habitat, Bingo games emphasizing environmental stewardship and the making of wind energy products and science experiment displays became the trappings of an extraordinary Earth Day celebration and advocation.

Students in Earth Science, Life Science and Physical Science worked the entire year on Earth Stewardship Projects that encompass regenerative agriculture, Green Infrastructure, experimental growth of organic crops and green energy alternatives to fossil fuels.

The foundation of the middle school science curriculum is grounded in environmental stewardship and personal value of being committed to and being held account for the well-being of others. The urgency of the environmental and social issues that will face this generation is taxing.  Taxing on educators working to prepare students for the reality of environmental change and taxing on learners wanting to be successful and prosperous in their lives.

The cry of Kindergarteners, from the rear of this generation, is a cry for unity and collaboration needed for success during trying times.  Emotions are first to be expressed and then not far behind comes intellectual understanding.  The marriage of these human traits will be the salvation of this generation as they forge a world that will support equity among everyone.

Students must be given opportunities to express themselves in ways that can be heard dealing with important real-world issues that impact their lives.  Abilities and skills can only be extended by implementing investigation and actions.  "Saving the Planet" is one of those urgent actions needed to help hone their talents.

 

                23^rd Year into the 21^st Century

 

Inspiration can be found in big and small measures throughout educational processes in schools.  These measures evolve from dynamic curriculum, motivating leadership and innovative thinking by teachers and school administrators.  This is aspirational thinking determined to create a safe environment, prosperous future and a fulfilling livelihood for everyone in our society.

Modeling resilience and fortitude by teachers to help students achieve goals and objectives, is a measure of inspiration that is part of the education process.  Educators bring forth learning opportunities, in the classroom, that lead to accomplishments in the real-world. It develops personal attributes like confidence, empathy and a sense of worth, while sustaining long-term educational gains.

Collaborative and cooperative learning opportunities provide another measure of inspiration as students access advanced world-wide digital platforms to communicate with peers and utilize interactive online software resources. The goal is to gather data, analyze experimental results and present conclusions or discoveries.

 It is the hallmark of 21^st century education to push the envelope of achievement by integrating a wealth of knowledge, online, and utilize this sophisticated scientific analysis to manage projects, develop experimentation, quantify outcomes and communicate results to international audiences.

Large measures of inspiration are based upon working toward achieving large goals. These goals are reached by experiencing learning opportunities in schools that provide challenges to solve real-world problems like climate change, desertification, availability of fresh water and food security into the future. Efforts by students to address these critical issues, while learning critical life experiences, is the foundation of 21^st century education.

Teachers and administrators that address inspirational measures in school classrooms acknowledge the need for developing critical thinking skills in all students.  These are developed skills and abilities that dictate success into the future for everyone. Analyzing data, questioning outcomes, recognizing problems and formulating solutions are the learned critical thinking skills that students must cognitively develop.  Group collaborative effort is the essential pedagogy needed in the classroom, and it is curriculum that delivers the means for students to become involved in this dynamic 21st century learning process.

I am looking forward to this inspirational and dynamic new year in our school!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

REFLECTION ON NATIONAL KIDWIND CHALLENGE 2022 IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

As I head home to Chicago, I wanted to share a reflection to the staff at KidWind, about the National KidWind Challenge and the experiences we had being involved with this event.

It was amazing to view such imaginative ingenuity of students and their products from elementary school through college.  Just witnessing the results of so many students’ mindsets to solve problems related to energy generation makes me more hopeful for our future.  The future of the human species on this pale blue planet.

The absolute wealth of imagination, ideas, and problem-solving, that I witnessed at this KidWind event, is a true testament to the powerful influence that KidWind, as an organization, has upon education in the 21^st century.  Your efforts to pull together such a dynamic and inspiring engineering-based project will resonate for years to come with these students, teachers, and their schools!

Even after months of research, testing and problem-solving at our school, we had to faced-down several obstacles and challenges in the performance of our machine in the testing tunnels on Tuesday and Wednesday.  My students, experienced in manipulating their machine, were quick to diagnosis and brainstorm solutions.  Students and coaches faced down these problems, but it does generate a stressful situation that can only be successfully addressed with a calm and thoughtful response.

This was our first venture to the National KidWind Event, and I must admit I was really stressed out for a good portion of the time.  Even after 3 years of involvement in KidWind, I feel like I still stumble and bumble along sometimes and just guess as to what to do next.  With time, I know that this process becomes less hectic and more manageable, but it really tries my patience at times, to the breaking point.  I have been teaching for 27 years with education at the doctoral level, but this process, from the regional competition and through the national competition, taxes my ingenuity to its limit! 

Last year, students at St. Thomas participated in the virtual national event with two teams of 6^th grade students (11 students), but this year I had high hope for my top-flight 8^th grade team of two students to do well at this in-person event.  This year, I felt was the real test to see how we measure up with teams from across the nation after participating for three years with KidWind.

I have time now to reflect and analyze what we could have done better and what worked well.  It is a sobering effort, but it needs to be done to get better for next year.  I saw teams with a lot of technology employed in their design and then I saw team with the similar technology that our team had, but they surpass these high-tech studs.  It gets down to finding the sweet spot in design that delivers maximum performance (energy), while integrating blade design and gear ratios.  At the event this week, I saw superior blade design exceed benefits of the size of gear ratios.  Once a team consistently reaches the maximum output possible for the small KidWind turbine, then they can focus on delivering a superior judge presentation and doubling down on knowledge and experience of the challenges.

Thanks again for all your efforts and the time commitment to the KidWind organization.  I look forward to participating next year with a new group of students that will stretch their imaginations to the limit.  These are the essential 21^st century skills and abilities that our students need to master to successfully solve problems we face in energy production and in dealing with the social issues of our time.

Educating the Mind in the 21^st Century

Across America the pandemic has amplified the deficits we face as a society.  From health care to the food we consume to income inequality and education the pandemic attacked with a level of stress and strain that our current capitalistic system of commerce and political democracy struggle to defend against.

 Just as the biology of the coronavirus exploits the immunological weaknesses of its victims, so too do these disruptions of our society, caused by social and economic turmoil, render segments of our communities damaged, unusable and unable to cope left to waste away.

Changes in our society can cause upheavals that will tax our ability to render judgement upon solutions or to clearly define acceptable pathways forward.  Education is in the cross-hairs of these demanding and challenging changes taking place, especially under the tyrannical rule of a killer virus.  Education is a foundational pillar helping to carry our nation forward with understanding and with the developed ability to think critically under extreme and chaotic situations like we face today.

Peoples abilities to solve problems come from their experience and opportunities to fail at trying. It is not enough to say that it OK to know but not OK to try.  What you have learned can only be valued by your increased ability to now use it creating judgement to solve problems.  The spread of knowledge is the first essential premise for any educated society, but without taking on and surmounting challenges that tax this understanding, then the effort becomes an exercise in distraction.

Projects in education critically matter.  It is a learning strategy for long-lasting methods of teaching with students being able to diagnosis and solve problems that are critical to the wellbeing of the community.  Students are given an opportunity to develop relationships and trust of other students, then implement inquiry-driven methods to explore and develop deep understand of science, social science and artistic and cultural expression.

Educational platforms like the International Educational and Resource Network (iEARN) provide educators with scaffolding that is necessary to bring forth 21^st century collaborative project-based educational initiatives the hallmark of modern education.  Projects help to ensure that students develop needed skills and abilities to be rational thinkers, develop logical and organized strategies for implementation of projects and to use their critical thinking skills to assess crucial experimental evidence.

 Pandemic and American Education

March 7, 2020 and the word comes down from the school administration that the school is closing for the indefinite future because of the encroaching national and global pandemic.  It is 2:00 pm and school ends in 40 minutes and we will not be coming back for the rest of the school year. The disorientation is immense, and students express a mixed feel of exhilaration, fear, anxiety and unsettledness.

Why not feel a bit disoriented?  It is a living situation not faced by nearly every living person on the planet.  It is our 21^st century epidemic, bringing to all of us, social, political and economic upheaval and death.

Every aspect of what you do from here on out will be from a distance.  You will physically distance yourself from humanity and Teachers will distance themselves from their students.  It is called distance-learning and everything you as an educator have fashioned together in your bag of curriculum and experience and projects will have to be digitized and placed “online”.

The conveying of experiences, knowledge, understanding and problem-solving to students will now be done at a digital distance with technology, programs, multimedia tools, internet websites and interactive programs.  As a teacher you have passed completely through the looking-glass of education and find yourself in an alternative universe.  Ways of measuring learning will forever be masked behind a computer screen and true understanding defaults to a measure how self-driven student are now more than ever before.   

Not that students were not self-driven in the physical classroom with direct human to human contact, they were motivated but with a healthy dose of humanity.  Now students gather digitally for learning sake and for understanding.  Student motivation to access resources on the Internet and within computerized programs has never been more important.  In fact, in this alternative universe of school, motivated self-directed student learning has taken command like a coup takes over a government.  It is complete.  Now, those most motivated and supported with the greatest access to technology will be the most successful.

If American schools, over the century, have held our society together in a form delivering prescribed commonality of things learned, with a good dose of systematic segregation, then this digital divide will clearly separate us to a far greater extent than can be comprehended.  Access to technology will dictate who are the winners and who are the losers.  Access, support, specialized teaching and enriching opportunities will go to the most well connect and in America that usually means those at the top of the financial economy.

LEARNING

To become more knowledgeable, more understanding, more enlightened is what it means to be a learned person.  That is an accepted premise, for me, as I begin the school year delivering an educational process designed to meet these expectations.

George Washington Carver, the famous American born-into-slavery botanist and inventor, who Time magazine in 1941 called the “Black Leonardo da Vinci.” He said: “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” The learning process that we call education is really a transitory means by which people fulfill their own expectations of themselves, while providing a pathway to become loving and loveable people within our society.

The diversity of students’ abilities to learn, comprehend and articulate is as widely dispersed as grains of sands on a beach.  To hold students accountable in the classroom to learn is like piling up buckets of sand with each new disbursement as impactful as the previous one and at the same time disruptive to final outcomes.  Each new idea, new concept and new resolution to problems leads to further questions, more changes in mindsets of people and increased intrinsic motivations to want to know more. Learning is a physiological and psychological disruptive process.

But it is learning. It is what we work toward for our children and for our own well-being.  To become learned opens doors of opportunities and it leaves us with a greater awareness of our measure in life with respect to all that has been given to us and with respect to the people that fill our lives.

The ability to think critically and solve problems is not innate.  It takes a certain level of both understanding and experience, together, to be able to perform when called upon to do so.  Education and the learning that takes place in the classroom lays a foundation for students to develop self-efficacy and move forward with confidence and with a sense of resoluteness.

Next generation science standards provide a framework for science teachers to operate and design curriculum with, but it is not a substitute for measuring real learning in the classroom. Real learning is a human endeavor as diverse as the population it serves.  Learning reflects the broad composition of human experiences with its complexities and its uniqueness.

Twenty-first century education models in science are doubling-down on standards-based curriculum as a method of documenting student performance, but it is the diversity of our student population, driven by social economic factors in our society, that ultimately determine true outcomes in student performance.

Learning is a human endeavor that demands continual vigilance and fortitude on the part of the teacher.  The goal is to deliver a curriculum to students that provide them the means and opportunity to develop and express understanding and knowledge, to solve problems and to increase their awareness of the universe that surrounds us all.

 Fate vs. Destiny

A quote by S.L. Scott, New York Times BestSELLING AUTHOR:

“Fate is the life you lead if you never put yourself in the path of greatness. That’s the direction your life moves in without any effort on your part. That’s your fate.”

“Destiny is your potential waiting to happen. It’s the top tier in the grand scheme of possibilities and where your dreams come true. You have to be willing to take that first step to reach your potential, even if it’s a risk.”

Fall always visually presents these two dynamics (fate vs. destiny) with me in my life.  The transformation witnessed every day, in the peak of the fall color season, is the fate of all vegetation progressing into the winter months.

Yet there is always a sense of renewal in the springtime and a feeling of hope.  That is the destiny I seek.  The possibility for change that nourishes the soul and stimulates the mind.

The fall colors, brilliant and stunning, leave me with a feeling of inevitability.  This course of events leads us into winter, and I witness these changes taking place in the environment as a bystander present outside of it without applying any effort.  That is fate.

The flood of colors in the peak fall season washes over us and it makes me rejoice over the beauty of life and the exquisite gift to be alive on this planet! 

Destiny provides the opportunity for all of us to live the fullest life possible in the shortest amount of time we have in this world. To truly appreciate the gift of life is to embrace destiny as a way of living every day.

EARTH STEWARDSHIP PROJECT

2019

The initial stages of the project is associated with students taking account of the soil in their community and its vitality as a means to grow crops.

Soil is a mixture of clay, silt, sand and organic material.  The composition of these substances determines soil composition and overall density.
It is important that students begin to scientifically evaluate the quality of the soil within the community.
Soil quality is critical not only for the production of food and also for dealing effectively with climate change.

Analysis of soil quality begins with both percent composition and resulting density.  Students will designate three locations outside the building and then begin to collect samples at each location.  

A. Enough mass of soil at each location is collected so each student can accumulate and test three 90 ml samples of soil.

B. Also students need to collect enough soil to fill at least three glass jars half-full so they can add another half-full of water and mix up the entire suspended mixture.  As the substances in the glass jars settle out they will move into specific layers (clay, silt, sand and organic matter).

The mass of soil in each cup (90ml) is measured to the nearest tenth of a gram of mass.
Knowing the volume and mass of each cup, students will be able to calculate the density of soil in each cup.  An average density is determined from analyzing these three cups.

• Students working in groups of 3 to 4 persons will collaborate, share their findings and determine an overall classroom density of soil.
• Good soil densities can range from 0.9  to 1.3 grams/ml.
• Students will be able to compare their findings of density of local soils to the range of known good soil densities.
• Once students become knowledgeable of soil densities they can create their own superior soil density samples.  These designed samples can be tested by planting basil and vegetables and allowing them to grow and prosper within their soils

Therefore there are many opportunities for students to investigate, test, analyze and create.  With knowledge and information comes power and increased self-efficacy of all students.  Students begin to think out of the box and pursue solutions to regenerate the soil in their community. Since students know the composition of good soils and they can look at environmental and societal impacts upon the soil in our community.

Students will begin to promote square foot gardening as the means to increase the urban agriculture to help support the community's food resilience into a climate change threatening future.  Square foot gardening at the local level is an essential final stage of this project to implement what has been learned and discovered and creating a viable productive facility to grow food.  Students can help manage the garden and they can continue to perform scientific studies and work to maximize the growth of these plants.