Nov 29 2008
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/custom/msn/careeradvice/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1265
The above link proposes to rid us of Bad Work Habits. I liked the problems listed and the tips to solve them. I do belive that we will all be better supervisors and employees if we heed the messages contained herein.
Nov 29 2008
‘He has deliberately destroyed education’, these words have been spoken by Raymond Majongwe, of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, after President Robert Mugabe, canceled the rest of the school year, citing violence and hyperinflation in that country.
So, do the teachers still get paid and if so, why not just leave schools to run?
What will the students do now that there is no school for them to attend? Will this not lead to more violence?
How is it that other nations including those in Africa and teachers unions not denounced the actions of this dictator? I did not read this in my local newspaper but would have liked to have.
This post is in tribute to 1 Zimbabwean student who attended University in Kenya in the 80s when Zimbabwe was such a promising young country just beginning to free itself from colonization.
Nov 29 2008
First set of Implications:
Nov 25 2008
John W. is very right in saying that if school is life, we should stress money management. This lesson is being forced down all our throats right now in light of the national financial crisis. With regard to the state of New York, our new Govenor, David Patterson is preparing us for the worst scenario in terms of educational planning and next year’s school budgets. If we teachers did not stress fiscal responsibility and money management before – we certainly will now. Economics is part of our Social Studies curriculum but youth and adults, never quite believed that we in the U.S. would be faced with an epidemic scale of fiscal choices that will dictate how we live, work and interact with each other. Sobering news for sombre times.
Nov 24 2008
For the month of November, our guest speaker for the High School, grades 11 and 12, was Jeff Eggleston (11/21), co-chair of the Democrats for Obama in Warren County. Jeff was introduced to our school program by BOCES CTE teacher Kelly Joslyn who also worked for the Obama campaign. Jeff described himself has a very non-descript student, one who fought the rules and bucked the system. Always questioning the status quo and not always getting answers that satisfied him – very much like the alternative and special needs high school audience who came out to hear his talk. Jeff is an independent computer specialist who designs his own work day and is his own boss. His creativity allows him the luxury of managing his time and his days.
Highlights of Jeff’s talk to our students’
1. He pointed out the “new age outreach” to our general populace – the use of 21st century skills and social networks to reach potential voters and allow for the dissemination of this candidates message to the people. Social networks like Twitter played a huge role in spreading the message of the party and attempted to answer questions posed by voters on key political debate topics. This campaign strategy has never been used before and has changed the way politics will be conducted in the future.
2. Jeff talked about how the campaign started in W. Pennsylvannia – a small group of people in a coffee shop all gathered together to share a common goal to vote a new man into the white house. The message of Obama was unique in that he brought a fresh new perspective to new voters in terms of his ideas.
3. Obama was not viewed by his supporters as a black candidate until the press nominated him such after the democratic caucus. Obama was always seen as a fresh face with a new, electrifying message CHANGE.
4. Students were told how local grassroots groups with no agenda logged on to Obama web sites to make contact with other like minded supporters who in turn got the attention of the national campaign for Obama. This outreach via the Internet led to suggestions, ideas and cross state dialogue with supporters throughout the country rallying behind a common person and cause.
5. This campaign was hard fought in the virtual world using 21st century skills. The MCain Campaign did not plug into this tapped market and hence did not garner the kind of support, across all age and ethnic groups that Obama’s campaign did.
6. Jeff and his democratic volunteers learnt grass roots campaign strategies from national figures in the Obama campaign; lessons and support for the message of this candidate were taught via the web.
7. Campaign volunteers will continue to work on behalf of the new president-elect and after he is sworn in, by being solicited via the Internet on issues that need to be voted on by congress and the senate. Outreach will occur prior to laws being passed and congressmen/women and senator will know first hand how the electorate feels prior to voting. The Internet will be used to influence legislators so that they vote with the feelings/interest of their voting public rather than for lobbying groups.
8. The greatest number of young voters have been affected by this election and outreach has been made to people who hiterto did not believe that their voice mattered in Washington. The Obama campaign has succeeded in interesting a very large spectrum of people who hitherto would not have believed in their ability to have a political voice/future. Jeff Eggelston mentioned that he himself might run for local office in Warren County, PA.
