| Double Moon Shot was described on a TV interview with Thomas Friedman. Mr. Friedman's comments appear on a web site called www.WhatShouldStudentsLearn.com. A search on google.com of "double moon shot" revealed that Thomas Friedman might be the first person to use the phrase to mean "attempt two feats simultaneously as bold as the Space Race." It is in appreciation to Mr. Friedman that this web site is maintained to support the proposal made by Mr. Friedman: the USA needs two national efforts (as described below). This effort will pull the best out of each of us. Friedman's comments in the interview with Tim Russert form the spine or backbone of a workshop called "More Technology in the Classroom." Below are notes from a "preview" of the workshop... =============================================================== Double moon shot Reinvigorating education and finding alternative energy Proposed by Thomas L. Friedman This paragraph is the free 15-minute PREVIEW of the workshop. If you listen carefully, you’ll get about 70 percent of the workshop right here. The remainder (30 percent) comes from “profound knowledge” (through direct experience in the workshop), which you might be able to replicate by trying these simulations and demonstrations with a friend. Hands-on learning is what brought me to present this workshop. I hope that you don’t have to go down the blind alleys and dead ends that I experienced. There’s nothing secret or special about the workshop. The reason for holding a workshop is that most people learn by watching and then applying what they learned. Some of our learning comes by reading but most long-term knowledge comes from applying what we recently learned. (A researcher in Berkeley named Gopnik wrote on this subject). You can get a firm grounding in the theories behind this workshop by going to WhatShouldStudentsLearn.com and click on GATES SPEECH. This 15-minute preview will take you through 1. My REASON for this workshop 2. What you will cover in the workshop 3. How to interact with me (for efficient learning) 4. Some comments based on the role of schools in the Double Moon Shot (available on video tape or DVD -- write to mistermath@comcast.net) ============================================= 1. My REASON for this workshop I saw Thomas Friedman’s interview and got the message about the DOUBLEMOONSHOT.com. If a Sputnik-era effort to improve education and search for an alternative to petroleum were in place, what would I do differently? That’s why I’m giving this workshop. Embracing technology will help teachers reach the 7 learning styles more easily. Technology can help reduce anger in the classroom (see pat-Harris.com and listen to the audio letters) Technology can engage students who don’t see relevance in the school (see Gates speech and the Dennis Littky interviews). 2. What you will cover in the workshop As participants in the class, you will respond to what is presented in class. You will see statements from the videos, such as “Performances of Understanding” and “High schools are obsolete.” “Hey, that’s what Gardner said,” and “Bill Gates mentioned that.” The workshop will be videotaped. You can get a copy and show the result to colleagues and to your future self to remind yourself what you learned. We will ask “How would you use this item in your Some of the items that will be covered are: Videocameras Digital cameras Print cameras Scanners Computers, desktop, laptop, notebook Sidekick Mp3 players and recorders Microphones Editing systems The Easy Button (like in the Staples office supplies company) Tape recorder CD player Software (Apple IM, Yahoo IM, MSN IM) How to edit movies and audio files Email on blackberry and cellphones SMS What is your What else? You won’t learn to use all of these items. You will use the Technology Checklist for the Classroom to identify the items that you want to include in your teaching. The TCC will be your guide to making choices. What about lower tech? Paper notebook? The Design Notebook to capture “items that the right brain enjoys.” Put a Design FOLDER and a Reading FOLDER on your computer’s desktop. Save interesting photos (designs) in the design folder. Put interesting articles in the reading folder. Save items that feed your passions. Ask yourself daily: “Did I feed my passion today?” Ask others: “Did you feed your passion today?”SM That’s a service mark on that question. BACK UP! On CD? Make a video, drop it on a CD? How will you store it? How can students access the video? Dependent on you or independent access? External Hard drive DVD Drive RW or R The Reading Binder to capture items that you find interesting. The binder has clear plastic sleeves. Just slide the article into the sleeve. Not hole punches or glue. You capture articles that you can read later to “feed your passion.” Let’s ask the Passion Question again: “Did you feed your passion today?”SM What Technology do you want to use? If you fear it, bring it in. Bring your questions, we’ll find answers CAVEAT: I don’t know how to use a DAT tape machine. I don’t know how to use the Sony miniDisk recorder. I have never figured out the KORG CD recorder. I present here items that I have found to be easy-to-learn, easy-to-use, easy-to-share with students. THEN THE FOLLOWUP The three visits to your classroom will be the most important part of the course. The workshop evolves into a demonstration of your understanding. The classroom is your bulletin board. How do you change the bulletin board to display technology? 7 days 30 days 90 days later More visits if you feel you need it. 3. How to interact with me (for efficient learning) Call me 954 646 8246 Write to me talkinternational@yahoo.com Thoughtful people say: “Oh, it’s Sunday, I didn’t want to disturb you.” Kind teachers say: “Oh, I don’t want to bother you.” This is a national crisis. We teachers are part of the solution. I’m determined not be be part of the problem. In a national crisis, I plan to respond quickly and efficiently to a colleague’s genuine concern. And if you have a concern, it’s genuine. Performance of Understanding It’s important to show what you know. Let’s think of a variety of ways to show what you know. Talk about it Draw it Quote somebody Quote a musical Write about it How would you dance the information? Waltz, samba, foxtrot, tap dance? SUMMARY We just spent 15 minutes on a preview I gave you: 1. My REASON for this workshop Global competition. Seven Learning Styles Thomas Friedman. Brain styles. The Double Moon shot I gave you 2. What you will cover in the workshop Hands on use of equipment Worries that we have about using technology. You will participate in the workshop to come up with solutions that will work for you – and we’ll put those solutions to use in your classroom. We’ll support the changes with visits 7, 30 and 90 days after the workshop (plus additional follow up phone calls) I gave you two ways about 3. How to interact with me (for efficient learning) You have my phone and email address You need to make a POU with me before coming to the workshop. 4. Some other comments Why do I visit the classroom as a followup? Can’t I just followup by telephone? Sure, it’s your choice, I can call you to find out how you’re employing the information from the workshop. But I want to support you, not reduce you. I want to assist you, because you are at the front line. I’m just a support team member. You are training the future participants in the renewable energy world. Isn’t it exciting to be alive at this time in history? We’re at the decline of the Petroleum age, at the beginning of the Global Economic Era.. are we ready to make the transition.? For discussion: Erik Erikson Maslow’s levels of focus. We need slogans to inspire us in this work. Life is good. Life is just a bowl of cherries. They saw two lanterns in the North Church Tower They knew this was to be the fateful hour For a man to ride and to alarm , Every village and every farm To awaken them and call to arm , It was the ride of Paul Revere Ride, ride, though the night is cold , Ride, ride, till the truth is told Ride, ride like that man of old, Ride like Paul Revere I wonder if 200 years ahead , If we will ride or if we’ll stay in bed If our faith in freedom within us die , And then we hear the midnight cry And the hoofbeats crossing the moonlit sky , Will we ride with Paul Revere? In the midst of this left-brained, analytical approach, let us remember the power of visual images to alter our mindset and emotional state: Sweet thief, where did you steal your sweet smell If not from my love’s breath? The purple pride which in dwells In my love’s vein you have too grossly dyed. The lilies I condemned for your hand And buds of marjorem had stolen your skin. The roses fearfully on thorns did stand One blushing shame, another white despiar A third, neither red nor white had to his robbery annexed your scent. More flowers I noted, yet none could I see, but sweet or smell it had stolen from thee. Now, let’s go over the brochure so that you are clear about what’s going on here. Mr. Mac presents a 3-hour workshop to help teachers meet new challenges: More Technology In Your Class How to Use Technology in the Multiple Intelligence classroom to prepare students to compete with students in China and India A hands-on workshop with Pat Harris LMFT and Steve McCrea, SAT Tutor and videographer By the end of this 3-hour training, your teachers will have the mindset to prepare themselves and their students to find the right amount of technology for bringing Multiple Intelligences into the Curriculum. NOTICE -- This is a participatory workshop that requires input before the workshop begins. To be eligible for participation in the workshop, participants must read or listen to the materials and pass a “performance of understanding” before entering the workshop. Here’s Our Theory > Most workshops present useful information. > Most workshops do not have “follow-up” to ensure that the information is serving the teachers who took the workshops. > “Fear of Technology” requires participants to sign a pledge of participation and to complete the six-step process 1. Read and view the materials before the workshop 2. Attendance at the workshop or viewing the workshop videos 3. A post-workshop “performance of understanding” (speaking or email) 4. A follow-up visit to the teacher’s classroom(s) within one week (or as arranged with the workshop organizers) 5. A second follow-up 30 days later 6. A third follow up 90 to 120 days later. Reinforcement: one week, one month, one quarter, also known as 7-30-90 Using technology is like learning to ride a bicycle It’s okay to fall down and you might take a while to learn how to balance, but once you learn to ride a bicycle, you never forget how to do it. A behavior repeated seven times becomes a skill A skill repeated 21 times becomes a habit A habit repeated for 7 weeks becomes part of your life. To prepare for this workshop, visit the following web site: go to www.ResolveToHeal.com and click on “Fear of Technology” Performance of Understanding A central part of “Fear of Technology” is the concept of a “performance of understanding.” From Howard Gardner’s Intelligence Reframed… When it comes to probing a student’s understanding of evolution, the shrewd pedagogue looks beyond the mastery of dictionary definitions or the recitation of textbook examples. A student demonstrates or “performs” his understanding when he can examine a range of species found in different ecological niches and speculate about the reasons for their particular ensemble of traits. A student performs her understanding of the Holocaust when she can compare events in a Nazi concentration camp to such contemporary genocidal events as those in Bosnia, Kosovo or Rwanda in the 1990s. ... When students realize they will have to apply knowledge and demonstrate insights in a public form, they assume a more active stance to the material, seeking to exercise their “performance muscles” whenever possible. (p. 160, bold added) Structure of the Workshop Ask questions ? Did you see something cool on TV? ? How are you going to show it in your classroom? ? How can you organize your classroom and your students to make your job more interesting? ? How will these items (DVDs, audio cassettes, CDs, mp3 files, jpegs, web sites) be stored so students can easily find information? Practice with "role play" ? Imagine that you are a student who fears computers ? Imagine you are a teacher who fears computers ? Imagine that you are a student who has a negative self image about his or her weight and appearance. "We are going to videotape portions of our classes." Oh, no! ? Imagine that you are a student who does very well with written tests but you are camera shy or you feel that students who do poorly on tests are being given unfair compensations? Experience fear and breakthroughs The Project-Centered Curriculum: ? Imagine that every class builds toward completing an electric car or a computerized image of a robot or ???? you decide with your students. ? If you teach history, why not ask students to assemble speeches from 25 elections over the past and then illustrate the key issues in each election? ? Rudolf Steiner asked his teachers to create textbooks with the students. Why not ask each student to build a personal library on CD and DVD from resources found online and off TV? ? What would you bring into the classroom if cost were no object? ? How can you bring something similar through the Internet or video? What are your objections to technology? Worry 1. It's easier to do things the way we did them before. Worry 2. If there is a power outage, no class work can take place. Worry 3. We don't have enough computers and we have lots of textbooks. Worry 4. Everyone has to learn to do research in a book. You have to learn to read a chapter from start to finish. Worry 5. I have a concern about “appearing stupid.” I don’t want to show students that I don’t know something. I will look stupid and they will lose respect. There is no “one solution fitting all schools.” There is nothing new here. The results are based on common sense and using what we have at hand. This workshop and the follow-up sessions allow you to learn the theories of Learning Styles, Performance of Understanding and “looking at the big picture,” then apply technology in the way that works for you and your classroom. Pat Harris, LMFT 954 735 8721 Family Therapist www.Pat-Harris.com Free audio letters www.ResolveToHeal.com Steve McCrea, 954 646 8246 Instructor www.newFCAT.com, www.TeachersToTeachers.com www.LookForPatterns.com, www.VisualAndActive.com, www.MathForArtists.com P.O. Box 30555, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33303 mistermath@comcast.net Ask about the free “15-minute preview.” 954.646.8246 Call 954-646-8246 and get the essence of the workshop in 30 seconds, then ask, “How will this workshop help teachers prepare students for competition from China and India?” Thank you for your time. mistermath@comcast.net Ask for a free “introduction on video” ask for CD (to view on a standard computer) or videotape Outline of Workshop The week before Teachers receive two videotapes and a list of web sites to visit. Each teacher calls the instructor to “perform their understanding” of the material. The Day of the Hands-on WORKSHOP a. Introductions b. Review in class (by teachers) of the need for a “double moon shot” c. Review of Multiple Intelligences d. Teachers describe how to use technology to meet the various learning styles e. Role play f. Hands-on use of equipment g. Conclusions and appointments for the next week’s first “followup visit.” Are you ready? Call 954.646.8246 to reserve a workshop date for your school. Hands-on A wide variety of equipment Guidelines for watching the Thomas Friedman Video about “outsourcing” 1. Friedman gives a summary in the first 7 minutes. ACTION: Put the summary in your own words. 2. Listen to the rest of the interview (up to where Friedman calls for a double moon shot). ACTION: What are you feeling when he says that we need to improve education? 3. Write an answer to the following question: What burden as a teacher do you feel responsible to shoulder in achieving this moon shot? There are some interviews with Dennis Littky starting 62 minutes from the beginning of the tape. What are your reactions to statements that Littky makes about education in general and about how to motivate students? Acknowledgements Marshall Thurber – followup – we will build a network of teachers who encourage each other in building better classrooms. Dawn Elrad – walk around mall Barbara Townsend -- structure, structure, structure Daniel Pink -- the idea for the Design Trap Lee Brower – for his story about “my vision of the future sustains me in my present agonies.” (which is a rather somber way of saying, “I ride with Paul Revere.”) Dennis Yuzenas -- for 156 hours of training and idea-sharing. His site, WhatDoYaKnow.com, is a model for teachers. Linda Whitehead – for the importance of a well-created power point lecture with space for making notes. Paul Wagner -- for the idea that there is a competition for the minds of our youth. The other forces will win if we don’t use more tools available to us to show the best we can. There are others who will improve on this workshop and take it to more teachers. Good. This video is intended to help others build a better workshop. The format might change but the spirit of the workshop remains: a) there is global competition b) Bill Gates says that schools are obsolete in their current form c) Schools like BigPicture.org have the three Rs that Gates identified: Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Using more technology will make adding the 3Rs easier for you. d) The seven ways of learning are enhanced when you videotape your lessons (or highlights) and store the lessons on CD with easy access for all. e) Students can be part of the use of technology, thereby making your classes relevant to their lives. No Sour Attitudes We are SUNDIALS Some people might claim that there is no double moon shot yet. We all admit that there is a need for the double moon shot, but who needs to put this sort of effort into changing our classrooms? NOT: “Let’s wait until we have the funding.” INSTEAD WE SAY: “I’m going to act as if the nation has accepted the double moon shot as a top priority. I’m going to see abundant opportunities at hand. I will be a sundial and record the sunny hours.” Great things were accomplished in the 1930s to counter an economic Depression. Great things can be accomplished in your classroom. Thank you in advance for inviting me into your classroom so we can learn together about what can be done… and for helping me refine the Technology Checklist for the Classroom (TCC). Thank you. Now, call me and answer this question: “What you think about this workshop?” If you don’t have time for the workshop, and you just want to see a change in your classroom, hire me to sit with one of your teachers or colleagues – that person can be the Mr. Mac for your school and put into action what Mr. Y did for me. This workshop is not needed in your school if you have a person on your staff who can transfer to your teachers the basic elements of this workshop: Why does Thomas Friedman advocate a DOUBLE MOON SHOT? a) there is g_____l c_________n b) B__l G___s says that schools are o______e in their current form c) Schools like B___P____e.org have the three Rs that Gates identified: R___r, R_______e and R________ps. Using more technology will make adding the 3 Rs easier for you. d) The s___n ways of l_____ning are enhanced when you videotape your lessons (or highlights of your lessons) and store the lessons on C__ with easy access for a___. e) Students can be p____t of the use of technology, thereby making your classes r______t to their lives. Let’s repeat… a) there is global competition b) Bill Gates says that schools are obsolete in their current form c) Schools like BigPicture.org have the three Rs that Gates identified: Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Using more technology will make adding the 3Rs easier for you. d) The seven ways of learning are enhanced when you videotape your lessons (or highlights) and store the lessons on CD with easy access for all. e) Students can be part of the use of technology, thereby making your classes relevant to their lives. 954 646 8246 talkinternational @yahoo.com ========================================================= Bring More Technology Into the Classroom By Mr. Mac mistermath@comcast.net 954.646.8246 Call me with your questions www.ResolveToHeal.com click on “Technology” The Preparation Sheet Complete this sheet at least one week before the workshop takes place. “Fear of Technology” began when I assisted a teacher in making a web page on oocities.com. The lessons evolved into a three-hour workshop. This experience pulls in techniques by Dawn Elrad (a trainer for Broward County Public Schools) and Marshall Thurber and includes pep talks that I give when I coach teachers. I’ve coached four groups of teachers through the General Knowledge test. I’ve set up web pages for teachers and then showed them how to maintain those web sites using oocities.com and a Yahoo.com ID. I’ve taken videos of teachers while they teach so that they have a chance to evaluate themselves and give students an additional way of “taking notes” – the visual study aid of a video is enormously helpful to some students. The common element here is fear. Fear of change. Fear of looking bad. Your assignments are to 1. Watch the two videos (one about Thomas Friedman, the second about the Brain Game). 2. Make notes about three interesting things you learned. 3. Visit www.newfcat.com and click on PERFORMANCE OF UNDERSTANDING (it’s a short phrase that has a blue underline on the top of the page). 4. At some point, standing in a hallway or in a parking lot or while we walk together, you will “perform your understanding” of the videos and of something that you find on “newfcat.com.” The performance can be spoken, written, acted, mimed, drawn, whispered or you can quote musicals. You can also perform by telephone at 954 646 8246 or by email to mistermath@comcast.net. 5. Search the Internet and bring into the workshop training at least three web sites that you enjoy using. 6. Visit at least one of the following web sites and bring to the workshop a description of something interesting that you found on the web site: Visit www.WhatShouldStudentsLearn.com "Hey! Lighten up! It's just your life that you're preparing for! It’s not like it’s life or death." www.geographyolympics.com FREE SAT LESSONS BCC SAT FREEENGLISHLESSONS.COM ESOL teacher GRANDMOTHERSAYS.COM Kay Latona's ideas IHATETOREAD.COM Let's read graphic novels LOOKFORPATTERNS.COM Gifted students MATHFORARTISTS.COM math for artistic thinkers PAT-HARRIS.com If you don't like math, you might want to get over your anger to get the best results from math tutoring STEVEMCCREA.COM My marketing company TEACHERSTOTEACHERS.COM My first site with Cary Elcome, perhaps the most creative EFL teacher on the planet BUILDINGINTERNATIONALBRIDGES.COM My effort to build bridges by Internet through email DEMOCRACYBONDS.COM a response to Thomas Friedman's call for a "moon shot" effort for new energy sources. This web site connected to the proposal that is advocated by ThomasLFriedman.com, called DoubleMoonShot.com. FREEUSEFOREDUCATION.COM for middle school GLOBALCOOLINGCAMPAIGN.COM plant trees VISUALANDACTIVE.COM My teaching style WHATSHOULDSTUDENTSLEARN.COM don't let school get in the way of your education... GAIGLOBAL.ORG a non profit group in Peru PAT-HARRIS.COM Anger Management talks by Par Harris, LFMT Download her videos (no charge) RESOLVETOHEAL.COM Pat Harris, LFMT If you make a performance (POU) that is well-organized and confident, then you will be “eligible” (prepared) for the training and invited into the workshop. You should complete the POU at least one day before the workshop so that adequate materials can be included in the workshop. At this point in your reading, please call the instructor at 954.646.8246 to report that you are “on page 2 of the homework.” Exception: I will allow two people, selected at random or using the instructor’s discrimination, to make a POU just before the workshop begins. Anyone who wishes to join the workshop must complete a POU before joining a workshop that is in progress. These ground rules can be changed by the instructor. Here’s the difficulty: How do you know if you are one of those two people? Why not take fifteen minutes a day for the next two weeks to get this homework out of the way? The workshop is an opportunity for you to show yourself and the trainer that you understand the information on the tapes. The pre-workshop videos set the scene. When you are in the right frame of mind, then the hands-on learning can take place more quickly. You need to call the instructor, Mr. Mac, at least once before the workshop. 954 646 8246. Why not call right now!? “Hi, Mr. Mac, I’m on the right hand column of the second page!” NOTE: You will also need a YAHOO ID. (Go to www.yahoo.com). If you know how to make a web page, please bring a sample web page (a print out of at least two pages from your web site) to the workshop. If you don’t have a web page, please design one. The purpose of the site is for your students to visit the page and learn something extra. It might include a newspaper article or more. You’re the teacher, you decide. Cost of the workshop: $50 per teacher if there are at least 10 teachers (up to 15, materials fee is included) $75 per teacher if there are between 5 and 9 teachers (materials fee is included) $100 per teacher if there are fewer than 5 teachers (materials fee is included) $1000 for larger groups (up to 35 teachers) plus a materials fee of $9 per teacher. OUTCOME: You will leave the workshop with a CD that YOU created showing a short lesson on VIDEO that YOU created. You will also have a Design Trap and you will start asking about the “Care and Feeding of Passion.” Will you have time for all of this pre-workshop preparation? I bet you’ll get around to it. Take a deep breath. We can work this out. We’ll get more technology in your classroom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Comments by teachers (“what will students think when they hear me say this?”) Oh, I’m horrible at math. I will need some help. I don’t think I know anything above 9th grade math. And I have to pass the math section to get my teacher’s certificate. Feed your passion DoubleMoonShot.com Advocated by ThomasLFriedman.com Did you feed your passion today?SM "A designer gives to the world something it didn't know it was missing." Paola Antonelli, curator of design, MOMA An open letter to parents In Praise of Small Schools By Steve McCrea, Teacher Dear Parent: In February 2005, Bill Gates gave a landmark speech at a conference of governors praising small schools. I missed it, and chances are that you did, too, because the speech was overwhelmed by the media’s focus on the Michael Jackson trial and Terri Schiavo. Here’s the essence of what Gates said: “Successful schools are built on principles that can be applied anywhere. These are the new three Rs, the basic building blocks of better high schools: The first R is Rigor – making sure all students are given a challenging curriculum that prepares them for college or work. The second R is Relevance – making sure kids have courses and projects that clearly relate to their lives and their goals. The third R is Relationships – making sure kids have a number of adults who know them, look out for them, and push them to achieve.” Small Schools “The three Rs are almost always easier to promote in smaller schools. The smaller size gives teachers and staff the chance to create an environment where students achieve at a higher level and rarely fall through the cracks. Students in smaller schools are more motivated, have higher attendance rates, feel safer, and graduate and attend college in higher numbers.” If I were a parent, I would look around for a small school that receives public money. Charter schools have an agreement (a “charter”) with state government to operate as a nonprofit organization with fewer of the constraints of a public school. There’s no union, it’s easier to hire and fire teachers, and the school can respond flexibly to new situations. I’ve heard scores of complaints about charter schools: - "they don't have a football team" - "they don't have enough students" - "the students have to eat lunch in the classroom." - "they don't have a media center." - “they aren’t in a real building” (some charter schools are in shopping centers or churches) - "the students have to take a bus to get to a playground or recess area." ”And what does Bill Gates know about education and schools? He didn’t graduate from college. Has he ever operated a school?” Parents, you can find many reasons to “remain loyal” to the large school that your child currently attends. People will warn you to avoid underfunded charter schools. However, if you agree with Gates, then join the charter school movement. “Vote” for a smaller school -- where everyone knows your child's name. I know of a charter school that needs 130 students to have enough funds to hire two extra assistants and afford buses for field trips. The school currently has just over 90 students. Each student is “worth” about $400 a month or about $3000 a year in public money (that would otherwise go to a large public school). With 35 more students, the charter school would receive about $100,000 for much-appreciated additional resources. If you want to help reshape education while getting more attention for your child, consider the size of your child’s school. Your “vote” for a small school will use public money more effectively and send a message to state officials and the school district: Gates is right. We need more small schools. If you’re curious about how a small school operates, visit BigPicture.org and watch the videos online. The Met, a school in Providence, Rhode Island, is where the three Rs were developed. What to do with large schools? If I were a principal at a large school, I would learn how large schools in New York, L.A. and Chicago are being divided into several smaller schools. Why not apply that same effort to large schools here in your city? For parents wanting to heed Mr. Gates’ advice, however, switching to a small school is quicker than waiting for the transformation of large schools. A publicly funded charter school is an affordable way for your child to benefit from rigor, relevance and relationships. To find a charter school in your area, go to your school district’s web site and click on “School Information.” Then select Charters. Good searching. Steve McCrea is a teacher at a charter school in Fort Lauderdale. Steve McCrea Box 30555 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33303 954.646.8246 analyst@comcast.net www.teachersTOteachers.com www.LookForPatterns.com www.newFCAT.com I am a teacher who “discovered” that working with a family therapist leads to better learning conditions in a classroom. I’ve encouraged my friend and family therapist, Pat Harris, to create a series of columns based on her 10 points for “extending your child’s education.” If you would like to run this series in your newspaper, please contact me at 954 646 8246 or by email to mistermath@comcast.net |
| Take the FLAT CHALLENGE-- How much do you know about the 10 forces behind outsourcing of jobs to CHINA and INDIA? And where is Bangalore anyway? |
| HOME Visit India Visit China About Thomas Friedman FAQ Democracy Bonds Tasks Building Bridges (BIBBI) Contact us The FLAT Challenge How to earn a FLAT Certificate Gifted Children (LookForPatterns.com) VisualAndActive Letter to Congress (see below) Teacher's Lesson Plan: How to include Friedman's message ("The World Is Flat") in your curriculum REPLIES FROM CONGRESS (excerpts below) |
| The "Double Moon Shot" workshop about "Putting more technology into classrooms." DoubleMoonShot.com (see below) See videos about Building International Bridges and SAT Videos What should students learn? See what Bill Gates says about schools |
| DoubleMoonShot.com proposed by Thomas Friedman Author of The World is Flat 1) re-invigorate education and 2) reduce dependence on oil |
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| The workshop mentions Daniel Pink's work with "looking for shapes between letters." These are exercises that an analytical mind or style of thinking finds difficult. |
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| Comments by Thomas Friedman Presented here as an educational exercise Why are people in India taking jobs from people in the USA? What could inspire students to study harder? What is the proposed “Double Moon Shot?” The following is a transcription of comments by NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman from an interview with Tim Russert, April 2005 Friedman: A certain Democratic presidential hopeful named John Kerry came out with a blast against executives who outsource, calling them Benedict Arnold CEOs. So I decided to go to Bangalore, India, the capital of outsourcing. While I had been sleeping, covering the 9/11 story, I had missed the creation of a global flat economic platform where anyone can plug and play. That's why I call the book The World Is Flat. Russert: You were told that the world is a level playing field, and Americans are not ready for it. Friedman: Nandan Nilekani, the head of Infosys, told me, "The global playing field is being leveled, and you Americans are not ready. You are best when you are challenged, and you are being challenged.” If we don't get our own population up to speed when this tide rises, it's going to wash over us. Russert: What sort of challenge is outsourcing? Friedman: The first thing to understand is get the word OUTSOURCING out of your mind. Think of SOURCING. When the world is flat, you can source the work to the most efficient person in the world, either in India or North Dakota or San Francisco. Not everything is going to be outsourced. But there are more and more jobs that can fit into this category. Many jobs are outsourced to the past. The ticket agent at some airports has been replaced with an automatic ticket machine and that job has been outsourced to the past. The cameramen in the TV studio could be replaced by a robot camera. What's really scary is that more and more jobs at the high end will be outsourced to India and they won't be outsourced because of the wage difference. We're not producing enough cutting-edge talented people to fill these jobs in the US. That's the secret of outsourcing. Executives don't want to say this out loud. When they outsource a job, they don't just get a cheaper employee, they get a big boost in productivity. That's a very bad thing. Russert: Executives will say we get a highly skilled, highly motivated, highly disciplined English-speaking work force in India or Ireland and why shouldn't we go there? In the inner cities in the US, every other child doesn't graduate from high school. Friedman: Our leading industrial innovator, a guy named Bill Gates, told us that the high school education in America is obsolete. You probably didn't hear that, it might have slipped in between Terry Schiavo and Michael Jackson. This is something we should be talking about. Bill Gates said that this country is not producing enough skilled young people to fill the job vacancies. This is worthy of a national discussion. We need to focus on making more Americans employable and able to be educated for a flat world. Russert: What is the ambition gap? Friedman: The ambition gap is what you alluded to, Tim. There's one entitlement that we have to get rid of: We are NOT entitled to any job we want. I'm sorry to say this, there is no such thing as an American job. Finish your homework because people in India are working for your job. We have to up the ambition level. Young people are waiting for inspiration. Young women are not being inspired to go into science. There is such an analog to the moon shot waiting for our president to seize. A great national project: We need young people to be reenergized about going into science and engineering. It's the moon shot of our generation. It's to make America energy independent. Imagine if our president said, “This is going to be our national goal. I want every young person to go into math and science and make their contribution for hybrid vehicles and alternative energies.” You could energize a whole generation. George Bush could do it. It would be his Richard Nixon to China. Is there anything more important than delinking the connection to oil and Saudi Arabia, which gives money to madrasas, the religious schools? Maybe in a real world, we can't be totally energy independent. But we can reduce our dependence on oil. I would be happy if the President would read the book. I would love nothing more than to see the President of the United States taking up the agenda of making America energy independent and its young people economically skilled, empowered and enabled. We don't have three-and-a-half years to wait to maybe get a President who will pick up this agenda. I would love to be George Bush's biggest booster on an agenda to make America strong in a flat world. (This interview appeared on the CNBC cable television network. This flyer is distributed to encourage students to learn more about outsourcing. Where is Bangalore?) Activities: Please share this page with a teacher and a student. Ask the teacher, “Do you mention India in your classes?” Ask the student, “Have you written to the President to ask for a Moon Shot effort?” and “What part of your teacher’s job can be outsourced? 10%? 20%?” What can you do to prepare for an innovative world? 1. Read books by Daniel Pink. Free Agent Nation and A Whole New Mind describe how we can all become designers and innovators, not just producers and managers. BigPicture.org (an innovative school) 2. Participate in the discussion about “what happens in the new economy?” LookForPatterns.com Send your answers to these questions: newFCAT.com a. What does a worker in a U.S. car factory do if the factory cuts costs by cutting jobs? Can a factory worker become an owner of a bed-and-breakfast inn? Sell real estate? Teach? b. What jobs are currently in demand? c. What jobs will be in demand in the future? d. What skills do those jobs require? DoubleMoonShot.com e. How can you help retrain an out-of-work factory worker? (Everyone can teach something – what skill do you know?) Associated Web sites: WhatDoYaKnow.com Pat-Harris.com MathForArtists.com Learn about “Wet Math” and learning styles BuildingInternationalBridges.com Learn a new language via email and teach an international student about your culture. WhatShouldStudentsLearn.com You are invited to suggest topics that will help students move ahead in the Flat World. DemocracyBonds.com Winning the hearts and minds of people who are in zones of conflict. Take the “Flat Challenge” (10 questions). Send suggestions and comments to mistermath@comcast.net ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] R Barr of University of Texas Writing in the Miami Herald, 8/2005 Posted on Thu, Aug. 11, 2005 TECHNOLOGY U.S. needs more engineering students BY RONALD BARR rbarr@mail.utexas.edu This fall, more than 2.5 million young Americans are entering college for the first time. These freshmen will find themselves confronted with an array of new choices. But their most important decision will be what to study. If past years are any indication, the majority will flock to majors like business, psychology and liberal arts. I am here to argue for engineering. This diverse, dynamic field has some 1.3 million current practitioners in the United States. We must produce engineers in larger numbers to meet our security needs and maintain our competitive edge. Engineers are vital both to protecting this nation's key infrastructures from attack and to keeping our economy strong. The information revolution encircles us on a daily basis with instant access to almost any place on Earth. The world has shrunk, and China, India and others are becoming increasingly important technology players. As these countries strengthen their economic, industrial and technological clout, America must strive not just to keep up, but to excel. America's future Engineers are a driving force in a strong economy. Without a vibrant engineering community, America's productivity, essential to economic growth, would suffer. America's engineers are the most innovative in the world. Their ability to invent and create is what has set the United States apart. Without an innovative engineering workforce America's future is less secure. In 1999, the most recent year that figures are available, China graduated almost 200,000 engineers -- 44 percent of the undergraduate degrees -- according to the National Science Foundation. China has plans to eventually graduate a million engineers each year. In contrast, U.S. engineering schools churned out 73,000 engineers last year, totaling less than 5 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded. Our graduate schools are filled with foreign nationals who last year earned 58 percent of the engineering Ph.D.s awarded in the United States. This country relies heavily on these grads to fill our technological needs, but more and more U.S.-trained engineers are returning home after graduation. Why is America lagging? We must do a better job at the primary and secondary grades, which are crucial in terms of developing future engineers. Our students rarely come out on top in global comparisons, particularly in science and math, fields not considered attractive by many young people today. It's vital to get students excited about these subjects early on. Part of the problem lies outside the classroom. Many Americans have no idea what engineers do. Lawyers and doctors are usually depicted favorably in the media, but there are no television shows that feature engineers. If engineers are written into the script, it's often to play the part of a nerd. Efforts are under way to improve the perception of engineering among K-12 students. Many engineering colleges have initiated programs that send engineering professors into elementary, middle and high schools to introduce students to the field. The American Society for Engineering Education has just published the second edition of Engineering, Go For It!, a magazine aimed at high school students. Almost 600,000 copies of the publication have been distributed since 2003. Engineers in Congress More needs to be done. Women and minorities are still underrepresented in engineering. A recent Gallup poll reflects engineering's low profile. When a national sample of adults was asked what kind of career they would recommend to young women, medicine was the top choice. A scant 3 percent suggested engineering. America needs engineers in emerging fields such as the financial sector, homeland security, health systems and the entertainment industry -- and in Congress. All nine members of the central committee of the Communist Party of China are engineers by profession. In this country, only a handful of members of Congress and a few in top administrative posts have engineering degrees. Important scientific decisions are made all the time by people who don't fully understand their technical merit. America is facing global competition from countries whose political leaders understand the importance of engineering education in improving a nation's productivity and standard of living. Ronald Barr, president of the American Society for Engineering Education (www.asee.org), has taught mechanical engineering at the University of Texas-Austin for 27 years. |
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| If you want to participate in the MORE TECHNOLOGY workshop, your assignments are to
1. Watch the two videos (one about Thomas Friedman, the second about the Brain Game). 2. Make notes about three interesting things you learned. 3. Visit www.newfcat.com and click on PERFORMANCE OF UNDERSTANDING (it’s a short phrase that has a blue underline on the top of the page). 4. At some point, standing in a hallway or in a parking lot or while we walk together, you will “perform your understanding” of the videos and of something that you find on “newfcat.com.” The performance can be spoken, written, acted, mimed, drawn, whispered or you can quote musicals. You can also perform by telephone at 954 646 8246 or by email to mistermath@comcast.net. 5. Search the Internet and bring into the workshop training at least three web sites that you enjoy using. |
| Incomplete proof that Thomas Friedman may have introduced the phrase "double moon shot" into the US English language Here are the Google results Double Exposures with a Digicam: Image Techniques: Learn: Digital ... When you add two images together with a double exposure, all the light from the first image is overlaid ... My preference for the moon shot looks like this. ... www.dpreview.com/learn/?/ Image_Techniques/Double_Exposures_01.htm - 18k - Cached - Similar pages Photo This is way better "framing" for a moon shot than some mountain! ... I guess you can only see this double moon after drinking some illegal stuff brewed by ... www.photoblink.com/imageView.asp?ImageID=93732 - 95k - Cached - Similar pages Apollo 17 Last Moon Shot Apollo 17 Last Moon Shot. n 1865 Jules Verne predicted the invention of a space ... XL Premium Framed & Double Matted = $225.20, Maxisize Framed no mat ... www.skyimagelab.com/last-moonshot.html - 12k - Cached - Similar pages Dan Heller's Tutorial Series: Photographing the Moon Digital cameras don't do double-exposures, which are necessary for the ... Remember, the aspect ratio of the moon in a wide angle shot is such that it will ... www.danheller.com/moon.html - 64k - Aug 8, 2005 - Cached - Similar pages Apogee Photo Magazine: A Different Kind of Moon Shot. First, you can get pictures with the moon in the shot and light in the sky, ... Another approach you can take with full moon shots is to take double ... www.apogeephoto.com/mag4-6/mag4-6fullmoon.shtml - 12k - Cached - Similar pages Photo Tip: Moon Shot Hints -- ACD Digital Imaging Community Moon Shot Hints. Kris Butler. 06-21-03 ... Double Exposures: This traditional film technique as well as the digital double exposures you can do on your ... www.acdsystems.com/English/Community/ ColumnsArticles/PhotoTips/photo-2003-06-21.htm - 14k - Cached - Similar pages Surveyor6 The Lunascan Project Moon Shot Series ... On 10 November 1967 (GMT) it finally broke the double jinx by landing safely in Central Bay, next to a mare ridge. ... www.astrosurf.com/lunascan/Surveyor6.htm - 5k - Cached - Similar pages CastleJB Moon Shot page double blue vertical rule. Moon Shot. One August evening, around dusk, I noticed my husband setting up his 10 inch Newtonian telescope in our backyard. ... www.castlejb.com/jbpages/jbmoon.html - 8k - Cached - Similar pages Rays: Rookie's moon shot ends skid The Rays used their speed, a two-run two-out double by Carl Crawford and, ... Rookie's moon shot ends skid • Making news for all the wrong reasons ... www.sptimes.com/2005/07/ 10/Rays/Rookie_s_moon_shot_en.shtml - 30k - Cached - Similar pages |
| HOME Visit India Visit China About Thomas Friedman FAQ Democracy Bonds Tasks Building Bridges (BIBBI) Contact us The FLAT Challenge How to earn a FLAT Certificate Gifted Children (LookForPatterns.com) VisualAndActive Letter to Congress (see below) Teacher's Lesson Plan: How to include Friedman's message ("The World Is Flat") in your curriculum REPLIES FROM CONGRESS (excerpts below) |
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| Key Points about lower cost labor in Asia. 1. The USA and Europe can put up trade barriers or respond by innovating and creating new designs. (Barriers don't protect jobs in the long run.) 2. What can communities do? (a) get involved with schools (mentoring and creating many small schools) (b) insist on greater interaction with other cultures (c) insist on more use of technology (see the outline below) NEWSPAPER COLUMN |
| Let me send you the PowerPoint presentation by email...send your request to talkinternational@yahoo.com or to s2314@tmail.com or call 954 646 8246 |
| If you want to help reshape education while getting more attention for your child, consider the size of your child’s school. Your “vote” for a small school will use public money more effectively and send a message to state officials and the school district: Gates is right. We need more small schools.
If you’re curious about how a small school operates, visit BigPicture.org and watch the videos online. The Met, a school in Providence, Rhode Island, is where the three Rs were developed. See the DMS outline where Thomas Friedman uses the phrase "moon shot." |
| If you want to help reshape education while getting more attention for your child, consider the size of your child’s school. Your “vote” for a small school will use public money more effectively and send a message to state officials and the school district: Gates is right. We need more small schools.
If you’re curious about how a small school operates, visit BigPicture.org and watch the videos online. The Met, a school in Providence, Rhode Island, is where the new three Rs (rigor, relationships ane relevance) were developed. (see below) |
| What Is the DOUBLE MOON SHOT? OUTLINE |
| List of People who said, "Sure, I'll go visit a classroom and answer questions from students" or who said "I'll go look at the DoubleMoonShot web site." 9.2005 Tom at SlateandCopper.com |
| These are some companies that participate in outsourcing and in employing US workers. Bravo! It's possible to use outsourcing to improve choice in the market and create jobs in the USA through innovation (a key point made by Thomas Friedman in The World Is Flat). SlateAndCopper.com Erie, PA These names are nominated and are redcognized for their innovation. These companies do not have an official relationship with DoubleMoonShot.com |
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Who said this? “Successful schools are built on the new three Rs: Rigor – making sure all students are give a challenging curriculum that prepares them for college or work. Relevance – making sure kids have courses and projects that clearly relate to their lives and their goals. Relationships – making sure kids have a number of adults who know them, look out for them, and push them to achieve.”
Small Schools “The three Rs are almost always easier to promote in smaller schools. The smaller size gives teachers and staff the chance to create an environment where students achieve at a higher level and rarely fall through the cracks. Students in smaller schools are more motivated, have higher attendance rates, feel safer, and graduate and attend college in higher numbers.” (answer: see below) |
| There is no charge for the presentation. It is part of a national effort to re-focus communities on the opportunities that we have to respond to globalization. SEE THE OUTLINE |
| The Double Moon Shot is inspired by the writings and interviews of Thomas L. Friedman, NY Times columnist. He quotes some of the following: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Nandan Nilekani, the head of Infosys Clyde Prestowitz (3 Billion New Capitalists) Topics related to "reinventing education" and "reducing dependence on oil" are found in the writings of these authors: Ivan Illich Dan Pink (Free Agent Nation, A Whole New Mind), Dennis Littky (BigPicture.org), Can you perform your understanding of outsourcing, multiple learning styles and free market economics to 8th graders? Students need relationships and relevance and you, the adult in the workplace, can provide what many teachers can't provide: experience in the free market. |
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| Welcome: This page will inspire you to become a mentor and to reduce your dependence on oil. What is the DOUBLE MOON SHOT? |
| We need more small schools.
If you’re curious about how a small school operates, visit BigPicture.org and watch the videos online. |
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| On this page: The Russert Interview with Thomas Friedman Who created the phrase "double moon shot"? see below |
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| How does this logo show innovation? (Dan Pink tells us) |
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| Yes, you can invite Mr. Mac to present his 15-minute talk... |
| about the Double Moon Shot to your organization's next meeting. |
| What Is the DOUBLE MOON SHOT? OUTLINE |
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| What Is the DOUBLE MOON SHOT? OUTLINE |
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| What Is the DOUBLE MOON SHOT? OUTLINE |
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