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During the fourth week of school, the form came home, stuffed into my daughter's backpack:
Your student scored a XX on his/her DIBELS literacy test, administered this Fall/Summer. Based on this score, your child will be placed in Open Court Level XYZ [with] TEACHER A...
My partner and I knew when we selected this kindergarten that grouping wasn't just used in the school, it bordered on being a core value. A mandate to use ability grouping had been written into its original charter. This emphasis was a major negative for us, but a long list of positives more than balanced it out.
I thought I had made peace with it.
When the sheet finally came home though, I cried — and my response had nothing to do with how Zoe placed. Whatever way, I'm confident about my child's curiosity, desire to learn and willingness to work.
I was sad because I knew Zoe and her little homeroom peers worked really hard to get to know each other and create a new and shared community during those first weeks of school, and now they'd be divvied up for sizable parts of their day. I was sad, too, because these young children, just five years old, had entered the world of testing and assessment, and would probably never experience education without it again. It's a rite of passage that sometimes can suck the joy and love right out of learning.
There was a queasiness behind my tears, too, a queasiness that stemmed from the years I spent on staff at Teaching Tolerance developing tools help educators improve instructional practice, particularly with students of color like my daughter.
Ability grouping is among the practices the Initiative interrogates. Done badly, or too rigidly, (some researchers would say, done at all), it not only can stifle learning among students (regardless of their grouping level), but also can stigmatize children and bolster stereotyping.
Zoe's school embraces grouping for the right reasons. Its entire academic program is designed to challenge every learner and close the achievement gap. The administrators and teachers are dedicated to providing the best possible instruction for the children in their care. They believe grouping supports these goals.
Further, they're well aware that grouping is no panacea. They know the downsides and work to apply emerging research, and their own experiences, to better meet the needs of students. A recent change within the community, for example, was to abandon the term "ability grouping" in favor of "performance grouping."
Although this may seem a matter of semantics, it's an important shift. "Ability" conveys a fixed mindset: children come with innate and static capacities for learning and achievement. "Performance" recognizes that what teachers are actually doing is measuring students on how they are currently responding to a certain set of tasks.
This is a line of inquiry I certainly support, as a parent and as an educational advocate. And I trust these educators' motivations and respect them as professionals.
So why won't this queasiness in my stomach go away?
flexible and fluid groupings
flexible and fluid groupings should be the watchword of the day. kids learn differently, at different paces, with different strenghts and challenges. one could be high achieving in math but low achieving in reading. or comprehend more by listening to stories, or respond better to manipulatives to learn concepts of math. teachers who are multi-dimensional themselves 'get it'. keep the comminication flowing between home and school.
I'm a middle school teacher
I'm a middle school teacher in a school where the children have been divided up in to "honors" (anyone remotely near grade level) and "regular" (below grade level), and do we miss the days when the children were better mixed. The "regular" classes are barely functional. They are filled with struggling readers (some many, many years below grade level), and students who have been unsuccessful in school for years. The role models are gone. The students who did homework are gone. The students who participated in class are gone. They can only learn from one person (me) instead of each other now.
Much of what teachers are blamed for comes from the top down. I don't know any teacher who ENJOYS teaching a curriculum instead of teaching children, but we have very little choice in the matter these days. District pacing calendars dictate that all teachers in a given grade must be on the same page on the same day. All students must take common assessments which necessitates teaching common lessons. This is seen as a step forward in consistency, but I feel like I'm being held accountable to teach children in a manner in which I don't believe. It's a hard time to be a teacher. I don't know any teachers who think grouping based on a single test is a good idea, but I know schools where that is the program. So much of education is out of our hands-- from the way the children are scheduled, to the books that are purchased, and the assessments that are mandated ( and changed year to year).
My own child is in Montessori. 20 kids in the room, each working at their own level, each being challenged, but it is only possible because of the system and routines of the school. It is not something that could be replicated in one classroom.
I understand your problem,
I understand your problem, because I always have had the opposite problem. All three of my kids tested as gifted. Two of the three taught themselves to read before kindergarten. I have struggled to get the school to give them something that would challenge them. The teachers complain that they do their work too quickly and then want to talk. I asked one of my older son's first grade teachers to give him a higher level reader, and she said she couldn't do that, because it would be embarrassing to the other children. I ended up forcing the school to test him for grade advancement, which he passed with flying colors. He is now in middle school, and still at the top of his class, even though he is close to two years younger than the kids in his grade. Now my youngest son is in kindergarten and we are starting this process all over again.
Research the Open Court
Research the Open Court reading program! There are many negative aspects of that program, and many negative reviews that you will find, even with a simple internet search. I am a K-12 reading specialist and I would never recommend for a school to adopt that program. There are so many great programs out there. Teacher training is far superior to any scripted program that is available (and making lots of money). I find in incredibly sad when school districts waste their money on programs such as Open Court.
I also researched DIBELS during my graduate studies for an EdS in Literacy Leadership and found it disappointing. The advantages to the DIBELS is that it does not take a great deal of time to administer, the people who administer the test do not need a lot of training and the materials are inexpensive. In other words, IT IS CHEAP! To base a child's placement in a reading group on the sole basis of the DIBELS is a crime. Really what does a timed reading of nonsense words really tell us about the child's reading ability and comprehension.
Programs like Open Court can destroy a child's love of reading. Authentic, quality literature and skilled teachers of reading should be the basis of all reading programs. ALL our children, around the world, deserve no less than that.
Tracking hurts the 'smart'
Tracking hurts the 'smart' children as much, or if not more, than the 'lower' ones. I have little confidence in the educational expertise of anyone who supports tracking at the elementary level.
I can see where this test
I can see where this test goes off easily, for DIBELS itself has stated that it is not for tracking. Link is to the PDF that states that from the official DIBELS site.
What gets me about tracking sometimes is that it is the feeling of making kids cookie-cutters in learning...some will be bored to tears due to it being so simple and others will be screaming on the inside due to the sheer level of frustration and keeping them separate groups. Add the peer pressure mix in this, and it'll make failure the Hades kids will fear of being kicked out of the esteemed group to a lower one.
At that age range, kids need to learn it's okay to fail - no one's perfect - and have a teacher, tutor, or parent goes over the material and see where the 'snag' is to work out the kinks. It's when failure of comprehension leads to 'pretend to comprehend' versus getting the help learning is where the true tragedy lies. Elementary school, after all, is where all the basics are taught and built on later in education and socially too. Tracking may also be sending out a mix-message with kids too - it's okay to snub Joe for he's not as smart as us.
Don't mind me rolling my eyes here...chances are Joe is just as smart as they are - but due to learning differently he doesn't have the score to prove that. (Which I wonder if tracking takes that into account? Or is it all basically your traditional left-brained sytle learning?)
Levels appears to be very
Levels appears to be very similar to the tracking system that was popular in the 70's. The practice of tracking in the Rockford, IL schools effectively resulted in racial segregation of the schools. These decisions eventually resulted in a class action law suit in which "racism was "a new art form," according to the court's findings. The court action resulted in federal oversight and years of attempting to remedy the results of tracking.
To learn about raising the performance of all students, go to PSB.org and look for "The Principal's Story." It is a demonstration of what can and has been done for students.
As a parent I struggle with
As a parent I struggle with this same issue with my son. I opened my own school because of the label and blatant discrimination. I don't think the grouping is based on a child's ability or willingness to learn. It seems these tests have been put in place as a tool to separate those who don't meet standards deemed by the government. Meaning these tests are put in place to ween out those who can "figure out" things with little or no effort and those who can be distracted from the actual truth. Those who can be distracted are the one the can be taught how to become good test takers as oppose to actual scholars.
from Elaine part 2 I've read
from Elaine part 2
I've read all the reply postings. It's so true that there is a teacher and a parent side to this argument. From my part anyway I am not interested in blaming teachers or parents or in any argument that's about placing blame. At the same time, whether and how a teacher is adequately supported in the quest for differentiated instruction is a pivotal issue here. Your child is in school now, so a parent needs useful information and guidance, now. Have reviewed the peer reviewed lit on the subject and there's plenty of data that suggest big problems around predictive validity for the DIBELS. So the essence seems to be as I had guesstimated in my previous post- would be a good idea to watch things carefully, to see whether the teaching interventions used with your child are actually promoting and advancing her progress. To the teachers out there who are frustrated with Jennifer's response--I understand (I hope) what you're saying; at the same time too much of what is being done to address the broad range of learning differences in our youngest kids remains in the divide but not necessarily conquer the problem realm. Maybe that doesn't happen in your school, but it happens a lot.
As an educator we can always
As an educator we can always look for a way to make any child to be successful in life and in education. Maybe it will take a little bit more, but when a concerned parent is present, also, this will help a lot. Guided Assigments with the use of technology will help the learner and the parent.
One las comment our kids will excel if we ask them more and definetly they will learn because they are like sponges; they absorb everything, even when a teacher is not sensible and compasionate.
I can't know for sure,
I can't know for sure, obviously, why the queasiness hasn't gone away (despite the clarity and sincerity of your observations and comments) except to say that your reaction is part of being a loving mother; but I don't think it's only that. I need to review the research on ability grouping more carefully and more contemporaneously than I have to date. Whether we call it 'ability' or 'performance' grouping I don't think matters; I have strong doubts about the rationality of this practice and more serious doubts about this practice with regard to minority language children; concerns about the effects on teacher attitudes and of course, the kids, whether minority language or not. Ever since schools started abandoning the developmental (and largely empirically unchallenged) view of how children learn, there has been one rationale after another endorsing the practice of abilityg grouping. It was already routinely done when I was a k-12'er and that was in the late 50's and early 60's. There has always been a rationale. But I truly think they're mostly bogus. Whenever a subgroup of kids within (and that's important)a public school classroom are subdivided according to 'assessed' ability, the better to teach and promote the learning in each group, no one is fast-tracked or faster-tracked after that except for the kids in the 'optimal' literacy or reading group. This is the same thing that is done all the time with L/D kids. The education research also expresses strong reservations about literacy assessments. I will look at that literature again too,specifically the DIBELS literacy test; if you would like to compare notes, by all means, contact me at the email address above. I'm currently doing my graduate work in the assessment and literacy assessment area.
Watch and oversee carefully what happens with your child now that the grouping has been made. Do not assume that the approach being taken is research- based or that the teacher is fully aware of how her own responses are influenced by what is often undifferentiated, differential diagnosis of literacy. Your child is at the beginning of her school life; if she is your first, you are at the beginning of that experience as well. With my best wishes, Elaine Z
"you expect the struggling
"you expect the struggling learners to be supported and encouraged and the higher ability students to be challenged - get a grip."
What an attitude to have. As a high school teacher with classes of 30+ students in one of the most struggling school districts in the country, I have reading levels that range between 3rd grade and post-high school in the same class. I DO expect each student to succeed and be challenged in a way that is appropriate to him/her. Furthermore, it can be done. It simply requires hard work and dedication. Teaching is not a 9-5 job.
To learn more about
To learn more about differtiated instruction, check out this Teaching Tolerance activity.
I am sick unto death of
I am sick unto death of hearing about "research based" this and "research based" that. It is almost as if those in the education field believe that if they can label any type instruction with "research based" that it is a cure for all the evils in the public education system. Unfortunately, there are far too many problems and far too few solutions. I've read several comments with quite salient observations, and while Abby's comments may not have been "PC," it is one shared by a great number of current educators. Yes, the classes are too large - yes there are labels that go along with grouping - yes there is no answer for who is going to pay for anything that would be truly helpful - but whoever made the comment about it being the teacher's JOB sounds just like the parents that I could kick to the moon. Yes, it is my job to teach language skills, and I take my job with all of its inherent obligations and responsibilities very, very seriously. But the major burning question for me is when are the students and parents held accountable for their learning, or the lack thereof???? Teachers have become the latest scapegoat for all that is wrong with the public education system - which by the way is steadily turning into little more than a glorified juvenile detention center - and all the while, our classrooms are populated with lackwits and deviants that refuse to hold up their end of the bargain - to come to school and at least try to learn - only to have teachers take the beating for it. This rant could go on and on - but I will close with a recent comment made by our President - not that this is verbatim - but it was something on the order of "our students are currently advancing at a rate equal to the slowest child in the room." Those who pander to "differentiated instruction" - please, just how many things do you think one human is capable of doing at once???? In addition to individualizing instruction for 25-30 diverse learners, which by the way includes all manner of children with special needs - including those with such incredibly outrageous behavior that one person alone couldn't keep them under control - you expect the struggling learners to be supported and encouraged and the higher ability students to be challenged - get a grip. Perhaps you hadn't noticed, but this country is in no way shape or form a utopia. If all this research-based crap is soooooo great - why are test scores still so lame?
* My students are making
* My students are making wonderful gains.
* I spend an average of 11 hours a day at "work".
* I completely agree with your post.
Research can show what you
Research can show what you want it to show.
But the bigger problem is the educational bandwagon. Educators (or should I say administrators) jump from bandwagon to bandwagon without ever staying on one long enough to see if they actually like where it is heading. When a new piece of research comes out, the administration turns in that direction as if led by a carrot on a stick, until someone comes along with a bigger or better looking carrot, or perhaps a shorter stick that provides a faster or easier means to the carrot.
Parents should be involved in their child's education. I can't teach your kid how to read if he only gets opportunities to read for hour and a half I have in reading instruction time. But if you ask him to read at home, he will learn. Remember parents, you were his teachers long before I ever was, and just because he comes to school now doesn't mean that your jobs are over as teachers. Much of what I do as a special educator that is trying to undo bad parenting of kids with AND without disabilities.
My first response to this is
My first response to this is that your job is not to teach language arts, but to teach children. Second, I cannot undertand your opposition to research-based instruction. Would you expect any other profession to ignore the research? Why would you ask teachers, doing the most important job in the world, to ignore information on what works and what doesn't. Not all teachers belong in the profession. Perhaps the anger you express suggests a need for a different career path. I hold much greater respect for those who realize it isn't right for them and move on to other fields. As for test scores, try reading some research to understand all the complicating issues surrounding tests?
I understand where you are
I understand where you are coming from as a parent. I am currently a pre-service teacher and have foucused on ability groups in many of my classes. I think the term 'ability' does make parents feel as if their child is of a less ability, but you have to know that ALL children, especially young children, are at different learning levels. The purpose for the grouping is so that their zone of proximity is met. If all the students are sitting and learning all together, some children will not be learning because the material is too easy or too hard for them.
As for the child having to leave behind their friends, I think that they should be able to make friends and adjust very easily to the switch throughout the day.
Thank you for the
Thank you for the differentiation comment ("What's easier for the teacher isn't always best for the students"). So true! Part of being an educator is coming up with creative ways to push each student at an appropriate level. Whether that is incorporating literature circles into the classroom or creating a menu of assignment/assessment options for students, it is up to the teacher to make sure each student is being challenged at whatever level that may be. Every student, regardless of ability level, has a unique perspective and important ideas to share. By separating students into ability groups, we are doing a disservice to all our students.
"So why won't this queasiness
"So why won't this queasiness in my stomach go away?"
Because you probably never had the countervailing experience, as a student or a teacher, of watching a class flounder due to divergent levels of student comprehension.
In a mixed class, some students are way ahead of the material presented; they are bored and frustrated, and the class is wasting their time. Some students are right on the mark; they are learning at a comfortable speed, but they might pick up the bad habit of coasting. They also get little attention from the teacher even though s/he is ostensibly aiming for them. Why? Because there are several kids who *don't* understand the material and aren't ready for it. They're frustrated, always feeling rushed and inadequate, so that the teacher spends much of the time trying to help them get just far enough to pass the tests.
This does nobody any good. For best effect, education should be presented at a level that a child can learn capably ... and some assignments should be really challenging so children get a chance to stretch themselves. They should master current skills before moving on to the next set. Few schools actually achieve this.
I can see both sides. What
I can see both sides. What we're really debating is CLASS SIZE CLASS SIZE CLASS SIZE. I'm a teacher (high school) and a parent (5 yrs). I was also a new student in the first grade. We didn't have kindergarten. My older brother taught me to read. I was reading at a third grade level when I started school. The teacher decided to "challenge" me at my level. I was placed by myself with a stack of books instead of being included in a reading group with cool names like Bears and Lions. I'll never forget the feeling of alienation nor the incredible exultation when I was allowed to join a group and read out loud. My parents were both teachers and intervened to make that possible. We are more than intellects in the classroom. Turns out that I actually have a reading disability. I'm the slowest reader and test taker in my Social Studies dept. (perhaps in the whole faculty). I have other gifts and I'm a great teacher. I've been teaching for 15 years and love it. We just finished an in-service on differentiated instruction. The only thing stopping us is CLASS SIZE. That's the real issue that we're debating here.
It won't go away for you
It won't go away for you because you are aware how "ability groupings" have been used historically to separate and in many cases stigmatiaze students. This is not to say that the education community intentionally seeks these ends. Yet, the undeniable truth is that for many low income children, their educational careers are forever routed as a result.
You should I believe, have a certain queasiness regarding your daughter's placement in to a performance group. particularly considering her age. Good luck to you.
I know I just got here, and
I know I just got here, and am at this web site as part of an assignment, but as a parent, I can empathize with you and your concerns. We have never met, but I know how it feels the day it gets hammered home that someone is judging your child. And you are right to be concerned. A parent who is concerned keeps a keen eye on their child and school, and spots problems long before other parents. No matter which school your child goes to, having faith that a stranger will do what is right for your child does that child a disservice. You are the one who knows your child, and knows what is right for them. I applaud you.
You are not alone in your
You are not alone in your worry about the grouping. I worry about my three year old, he is not even in school yet and people are trying to make him feel worthless, all because he is not as vocal as other students.
As a future educator who is
As a future educator who is taking a class about the problems in public education today, I wasn't too surprised but was disappointed by Abby's comment. The resistance to change your methods as a teacher and resort to grouping is enforcing the hierarchy that leveling creates. I was in Honors and AP courses throughout my middle and high school careers, and I found that leveling caused students who were in the to think less of themselves and the "smart" students to look down on everyone else. That Abby would encourage leveling simply because it's easier and considering knowledge dangerous are two ideas that have caused public education to be in the state that it is in. Did you ever think that a change in class size would allow you to meet all of your students needs, those who know how to write their name and those who don't?
Who will pay for the change
Who will pay for the change in class size?
Abby is absolutely right. My
Abby is absolutely right. My son was reading on a second-grade level in kindergarten. There were a handful of other kids in the class who read above grade level. Did the teacher do anything that would help those kids advance at their own speed? Of course not. She forced them to do the same work as the kids who were still learning to read. As a result, my son and the other advanced students were bored out of their minds.
This is not some minor problem. Gifted students who become thwarted by well-meaning teachers and parents usually become serious discipline problems as they grow older. They also fail to learn good study habits. Why should they? They can coast through the baby work they're given. We solved the problem by moving schools. Not everyone can.
While this thinking might
While this thinking might seem legitimate on the surface, I would ask you to consider other alternatives as the answer to your concerns. Differentiation in a heterogeneous classroom for is one alternative I use in my kindergarten class. I, too, have children who excel in reading as well as other subjects. I also have struggling students. Flexible performance grouping within this heterogeneous classroom is not only effective but also what research tells us is "best practice" developmentally. While it is easy to see a "quick fix" to meeting the diverse needs of students-especially in kindergarten, one must always consider the development stages that children are going through at this age. There are trade offs to every educational model. The ill effects of homogeneously grouping children at this age are far greater than the minimal benefit that may be gained by a small number of students--including children who are performing at a high level. I agree that teaching needs to be at a level that enriches all children and meets their needs. The questions seems to be "how is this best accomplished?" Perhaps looking at research on this topic would shed some light. Unless we are educating in a way that looks at the "whole child" and what is developmentally appropriate, we have failed as educators. Children will NOT move forward without fundamental needs being met first. Such needs include a close relationship with a teacher and a sense of belonging and community within their classroom. This takes time and intentional effort on the part of the teacher. It has been my experience that, until these bonds are formed, children are not ready to move forward academically. Why, at this age, are we pushing children academically beyond what their development stages need? There is much to be said for teaching tolerance as well. This parent was right on target. As an educator, and a parent of 4 gifted children, I have always been a proponent of heterogeneous grouping with differentiation and/or flexible "fluid" groups based on performance in specific skills. It is critical that with this, there are frequent assessments to make sure that differentiation is done correctly. Is that possible with 1 teacher and growing class sizes? Yes, it is. A well managed classroom that is not primarily based on whole group instruction and where differentiation is embraced is quite possible. Does it take effort on the part of the teacher? Definitely! I use parent tutors for both intervention and enrichment. I train them and they are an excellent asset to our classroom. They work under my direct instruction. It works! I work with small groups, I use peer tutoring, and many other strategies to make this type model work. All children are being challenged. Is it perfect? No. Smaller class size would be much better. But the reality is that with State funds decreasing, smaller class sizes aren't a reality in the near future. Before you pose recommendations for models that homogeneously group children, please make sure that you read research already well documented. Let's look at the whole child--all of their needs..... not just whether or not their reading is being challenged. Do we really want fluent readers at the expense of other critical needs of children when we can serve the whole child with more appropriate models?
I had high-achieving
I had high-achieving kindergartners as well, but I still don't think Abby is "right" about this parent being a problem. I think we should all be a little queasy about this process because it does have some significant ramifications for our children.
When we expressed concern about our boys getting bored, the teacher said it would be OK in the end because they just came into school already knowing so much and that eventually in a few years, the other kids would catch up. Whoa. In other words, don't worry, your kid can suck his thumb until everyone has caught up.
By the same token, I hate the notion of kids being divided up on the basis of a test like the DIBELS. Especially in kindergartners, it's not as accurate as individual attention from the teacher.
The REAL problem for teachers isn't parents who are concerned about how their kids are divided up and what they do with their day. It seems to me, the problem is that we've got too many kids in a single kindergarten class for a teacher to adequately assess over four weeks -- so instead we rely on a standardized test that takes less than 10 minutes to administer.
As a second grade teacher and
As a second grade teacher and parent of young children I totally agree with the author's feeling of queasiness. As a teacher I know it is a challenge to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of a classroom with a wide range of ability, attitudes, preparation and skills. Especially because these difference in levels will not be consistent across content and context. I believe strongly that the idea of segregating children on one measurement for a significant amount of instruction is detrimental to children and teachers. For example, a child with low reading skills and early in the stages of applying spelling conventions may still be able to demonstrate to her peers how to develop writing stamina and creativity. Highlighting her abilities would benefit any of her peers, not just those "equal" to her in spelling or reading. How are we all to benefit from diversity and the surprising ways children learn from each other if we use only one measure to assess their "knowledge", "performance" and "ability"? We, as adults and educators, need to rise to the challenge of providing time and space to use flexible grouping, cooperative strategies, a variety of assessments and a range of teaching methods. It IS exhausting but worth it. I would hate to be in a workplace that tested me in my first days of the job and determined that I was to work at an x level job with the label, low, medium or highly skilled in the same cubicle with Boss X. If I knew that other coworkers were in different cubicles because they were "smarter" (and children do pick up on that), I would develop a pretty negative attitude toward clocking in. I doubt my work performance would improve.
Your queasiness is exactly
Your queasiness is exactly why my parents chose a Montessori school for me in the 1960s and why I chose Montessori for my own children. The recognition that each child is different and each deserves the chance to work to his full potential is the key for me. While some find Montessori too structured for their taste, I love walking into a busy (yet quiet!) Montessori classroom full of children fully absorbed in their own individual works. Both my children have thrived in an environment that allows them to take a certain amount of responsibility for their work and progress as they achieve understanding, rather than as a one-size-fit-all program dictates.
I am amazed at the thought
I am amazed at the thought that a teacher was angered at a parent for trying to educate herself and be involved. Quite simply put, all people learn differently. If we do not differentiate as educators, how can we expect all children to learn what we teach? Find what works for a child and go with it. It may be time consuming in the beginning, yet it will save you time and efforts in the end since you learn which way works with each child. Too many teachers are teaching strictly by a curriculum guide and not using their own brains and education. It's quite sad really, yet common sense could really help!
Abby, how can a parent be
Abby, how can a parent be "dangerous"? I would think a teacher would respond with a more factual and less emotional response.
There are so many
There are so many alternatives to "ability" grouping. As an educator, I advocate the classroom learning community in which pairs and groupings are fluid and flexible. Research in literacy instruction strongly supports these strategies. I thought that the response to the parent, stating that "she has just enough knowledge to be dangerous" was disrespectful of a parent who was voicing valid concerns. Ability grouping based on Dibels is not a practice I would support. I value the "FOUR BLOCKS" in which I, as a teacher, might have one group for developing skills and strategies in literacy at one time, but may group according to interest at another time. Another day I may have paired reading.....but at no time would I maintain a static group based on the reading score from Dibels.
Ellie, Could you describe
Could you describe your four blocks approach so we might make that strategy part of the Teaching Diverse Students Initative database?
The Teacher's Guide to the
The Teacher's Guide to the Four Block: A Multimethod, Mutlilevel Framework for Grades 1-3 by Patricia M. Cunningham, Dorothy P. Hall, and Cheryl m. Signon, Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc.
A guide is also produced for the intermediate grades.
I love the way the literacy program is organized.
The ideas are certainly adaptable to the Kindergarten setting. Thanks for checking. To me, this is a way to organize the classroom where all children thrive.
You are the kind of parent
You are the kind of parent that makes life difficult for me as an educator -- you have just enough information to be dangerous, but no real experience with the realities teachers actually face in the classroom. If we have children coming into kinder who don't even recognize letters, and others who are reading already, what can we do but group? We can't sacrifice the progress of high-achieving students, either.
Jennifer's reaction is how
Jennifer's reaction is how parents respond when they learn about this things; why take it personally? Also she has plenty of support for her concerns in the education research, which doesn't filter to the facts on the ground nearly fast or accurately enough. Also I would ask you to consider this-
the fact that academics have been pushed further and further down into the youngest levels of the curriculum is on developmental grounds hugely problematic though the education system has moved constantly in this direction anyway. There is a significant variation among kids in terms of reading readiness at the Kdg level anyway. We've changed the curriculum big-time, but kids brains have changed all that much in the last 500 years. Identifying kids as having a reading problem in kindergarten is potentially treating them for a problem that's in the curriculum, not in the kids. That doesn't mean we don't need differentiated instruction, but I would suggest that the other thing that needs some serious differentiation is the skills-drills, academic orientation in Kindergarten.
Wow, tracked vs. detracked
Wow, tracked vs. detracked schools and classrooms is still discussion fodder! I did a grad paper on this very subject and the "father of detracking" James E Rosenbaum in AFT's American Educator winter 1999-2000 "If Tracking Is Bad Is Detracking Better" says it best. Please go to this site and read on, http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/winter99-00/TrackingWint99_00.pdf
It's called Differentiated
It's called Differentiated Instruction, and it's our job as teachers. Sure, it's easier to teach kids when they are all in the same place in the learning process, but what's easier for the teacher isn't always best for the students.
I couldn't agree more.
I couldn't agree more.
Ask any Special Education
Ask any Special Education teacher and they'll tell you the same thing - differentiate. Observe any resource or self-contained classroom. Differentiation is just good teaching!
So what you are saying is
So what you are saying is that you should only worry about the students that you think can excel and ignore the others? And don't get me started about the job of a teacher, I am a teachers child and she was just like you, personally I believe that the students that are not excelling are struggling because of teachers like you, that only want to work with the child if part of your job has already been taken care of.
I agree. I tutor K-3
I agree. I tutor K-3 elementary school children in reading and language skills. A child I tutored was so far behind the rest of her class that she was completely lost, and miserable when she was forced to do mandatory testing. The teacher has only one full time teaching assistant, and now with perhaps a 10% budget cut, class sizes will increase. There's simply not enough time or resources available to avoid grouping
Wow Abby. Nice response to a
Wow Abby. Nice response to a parent who is actually involved. Guess those parents who didn't teach their children to recognize letters and numbers, read already or do basic addition have nothing to do with why your job is difficult. A little ironic for a teacher to advocate for the position that knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Isn't it the Teacher's JOB to
Isn't it the Teacher's JOB to teach children to recognize letters and numbers, read and do basic math in kinder...I thought that's what kindergarten was for. I thought early childhood education was all about finding creative ways to accomplish just that. Perhaps it isn't that the parent has just enough information to be dangerous but rather that the teacher has too little information to be effective. The point of the article is to suggest that the labeling which occurs in the context of grouping based on ability; creates a prejudicial preconception (created on paper) which can follow the student throughout their educational "career" causing them to achieve far less than they might be able to achieve and that it does not give the student the opportunity to learn from their "better equipped" peers (a child's BEST teacher next to their parent). When will we ever respect that there is much to learn from one another and that position is not necessarily reflective of intellect or ability? In the adult world labeling obviously has little to do with ability it is also effected by what it looks like on paper. I applaud the parent author's insight and effort to research her subject matter. Also LOVE the "knowledge is a dangerous thing" rebuttal. KUDOS!
Actually, there are other
Actually, there are other things you can do: differentiate instruction in the classroom and use flexible grouping, also read Bill Hawley's The Consequences of Tracking and 'Ability Grouping' in Racially and Ethically Diverse Schools
As an educator, I totally
As an educator, I totally agree with you that these are other things that can and should be done.
Thumbs down to the previous comment. Parents have every right to voice their concerns about their children's education.
I totally agree.Listening is
I totally agree.Listening is learning and being a teacher doesn't mean that your job is just teaching, not listening. By listening to others, parents as well as students,you can discover how to become a better educator or what works and what doesn't.


text:
Artwork to be on display at Shepherd
SHEPHERDSTOWN -During the month of April, the Shepherd University Department of Contemporary Art and Theater will present the graduating bachelor of fine art majors in graphic design, photography/digital imagery, painting, printmaking and sculpture in their senior exhibits. Contemporary art openings and events will be occurring every weekend featuring a variety of media, stylistic approaches, and conceptually driven art works by students whose next step may be graduate school or professional careers in the arts.
The senior exhibits are scheduled as follows:
7 to 10 p.m. today: photography by Lauren Hart and Katie Reeg, the War Memorial Building;
6 to 8 p.m., today to April 29: photography by Hillary Russell, Shepherd University's Scarborough Library;
5 to 8 p.m. Friday: painting by Chris Little and Amanda Mullins, Entler Hotel;
5 to 8 p.m. Friday: photography by Stefanie Mattens and Misti Walters, the War Memorial Building;
5 to 7 p.m. Friday to Sunday: painting by Nathan Loda, the Bridge Gallery;
6 to 9 p.m. Friday: photography by Rachel Molenda, Ashley Hoffman, and Cassie Lopez, at the Church;
6 to 9 p.m. Friday: photography by Angelina Beltrami, the Train Station;
4 to 7 p.m. Saturday: video and sculpture installation by Andrew White and Martin Burke, Terrapin Neck Sculptures;
6 to 9 p.m. Sunday: photography by LaBrell Guy, the War Memorial Building;
5 to 8 p.m. April 22: painting by Sarah G. Thomas and Hannah Kaufman, Harmony Healing Arts Center;
6 to 8 p.m. April 28: photography, mixed media, and performance by Anna Justice, Panhandle Ink in Martinsburg:
6 to 9:30 p.m. April 29: photography by Robin Colbert, the War Memorial Building.
The department and students within the programs at Shepherd have been recognized with regional and national awards and the program has been recognized as a Program of Distinction by the state of West Virginia.
For more information, call Rhonda Smith at 304-876-5294 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Belle Boyd House opens for season
MARTINSBURG -The Berkeley County Museum at the Belle Boyd House will reopen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
For more information, call the Berkeley County Historical Society at 304-267-4713 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Blossom Tours to begin
MARTINSBURG - Orr's Orchards and Farm Market will host its 2011 Blossom Tours in mid-April. Walking tour is $2 per person. No pets or strollers. Hayride tours are $6 per adult; $2 for children 3 to 17; and children 2 and younger ride for free.
For more information or reservations, call 304-263-1168 or visit www.orrsfarmmarket.com/page0014.html.
Cruise-in event to be held Friday
CHARLES TOWN -The public is invited to the Cruisin the Cone Zone in Charles Town.
The event starts Friday, from 6 until 9 p.m. at the Cone Zone in the Somerset Shopping Center.
Prize and cash drawings every hour.
All cars, trucks and bikes are invited.
World Tour stops in Emmitsburg, Md.
EMMITSBURG, Md. - The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will return for its fifth year at 7:30 p.m. Friday to Knott Auditorium at Mount St. Mary's University. Films include "Kranked Kids," "Crossing the Ditch," "Dream Result," "Into the Darkness" and more. Advance tickets are $14 for general admission and $10 for students.
The costs at the door is $17 for general admission and $14 for students.
For more information, call 301-447-7437 or visit the website at www.chestnutmtnproductions.com/banff/emmitsburghome.htm.
Festival to be held Saturday
SHEPHERDSTOWN - The Potomac Valley Audubon Society will hold its annual spring Wildflower Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at its Yankauer Nature Preserve. The event will feature guided wildflower walks, children's activities, refreshments and more. Admission is free.
Line dance lessons to be held Saturday
HANCOCK, Md. - The Hancock Arts Council will host an evening of line dance lessons, country/western couples and round dance lessons from 6:30 to 9:45 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $8 per person or $15 for a couple. Children 9 to 14 are free with a paying adult. Young adults 15 to 19 and college students with ID is $5 per person. The event is open to all singles and couples. Free refreshments will be provided. Please no sneakers or rubber-soled shoes.
The event will be held at the Hancock Town Hall and Community Center located at 126 W. High St. in Hancock, Md. For more information, call Steve Silver at 301-331-3616.
Alpaca Days set on Saturday
BOONSBORO, Md. - Alpaca Days '11 will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Washington County Agricultural Center, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike. The event will feature seven area alpaca farms, demonstrations, children events, raffles, seminars and more.
Art and Earth event set at park
MARTINSBURG - ArtBerkeley will sponsor its third annual "Art and Earth Festival" from 10 to 4 p.m. Saturday at War Memorial Park. Admission is free. The event will feature live entertainment, regional artists displaying their work, a recycled costume contest, children activities and more.
For more information, visit www.artberkeley.org.
'Clay Blossoms' to be on display
FREDERICK, Md. - The Potters' Guild of Frederick will display "Clay Blossoms" from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at The Potters' Guild gallery, 15 N. Market St.
For more information, visit www.pottersguildoffrederick.com.
Tour of chocolate shop set Saturday
MARTINSBURG - DeFluri's Fine Chocolates, 130 N. Queen St., will host its annual Easter chocolate factory tours Saturday. Tours will start at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tours are free, and reservations are not needed.
For more information, call 304-264-3698.
Celebrate Earth Day April 23
SHEPHERDSTOWN - The third annual Panhandle Earth Day celebration will be held from noon to 9 p.m. April 23 at Morgan's Grove Park. The event will feature music, art and crafts, food, demonstrations, children activities and more. Participants should feel free to bring a picnic lunch, lawn chairs, blankets and recreational equipment. No pets please. Cost is $10 per car; free to those on bike or foot. Part of the proceeds will benefit Morgan's Grove Park.
Easter parade set in Shepherdstown
SHEPHERDSTOWN - The Shepherdstown Easter Parade will be held at 11 a.m. April 23 on German Street. Families, children and pets are encouraged to participate. Prizes will be awarded. Signup begins at 10:15 a.m. at the corner of Church and German streets.
Apple Blossom Festival on tap
WINCHESTER, Va. - The 84th annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival will be held April 25 to May 1 throughout Winchester. Activities include a carnival, golf tournament, band competitions, circus, parade and more. Special guests include Chuck Wicks, Bobby Cunningham and the Canyon River Band, Possum Holler and more.
For a complete listing of activities, dates and times, visit www.TheBloom.com or call 540-662-3863.
Mark Twain, 100 years later event set
MARTINSBURG - Professional entertainer Dave Ehlert will portray one of America's greatest humorists, Mark Twain, at 7 p.m. April 26 at the Martinsburg Public Library. Program is free and open to the public.
Direct from Branson, Miss., and a Branson favorite for years, Ehlert's portrayal of Mark Twain centers on his many musings and famous quotations. Twain's life story wound around quips and he always placed a strong emphasis on literacy: "One who can read, but won't, has no advantage over one who can't."
Collage class slated to meet April 29
SHEPHERDSTOWN - The Collage Connection will meet April 29 and 30 at The Station. The Collage Connection is a master class in awakening creativity. Art, dance and meditation provide the cornerstones for this playshop, leading you to a treasure trove of inspiration, imagination and dynamic expression. Create a variety of tissue paper collages to work with and bring home. The Collage Connection offers a valuable gift of transformation and renewal. Cost is $150, which includes all art materials.
For more information, call 304-728-6757, email email@example.com or visit www.tissuepapercollage.net.
Fresh Feast dinner to be held April 30
CHARLES TOWN - A spring "Fresh Feast on the Farm" dinner will be held at 6 p.m. April 30 at Marty, Carol, Mark and Tyree Kable's Elmwood Farm. The event will provide a unique dinner experience that highlights delicious, locally produced foods. The cost is $560 for a table of eight; $150 for couples; and $80 per single. Space is limited and reservations are required.
For more information, call 304-725-4325 or visit www.FreshFeastontheFarm.com.
Lancaster, Pa., bus trip set for April 30
LANCASTER, Pa. - The public is invited to join the members and guests of the Pack Horse Ford Chapter on a historic bus trip to Lancaster, Pa., on April 30. Stops include the historic Rock Ford Plantation, a quilt museum and shopping at the market.
For more information, call Cheryl Brown at 304-876-3817 or Kathy Sholl at 304-876-1250.
Dance competition to be held at school
INWOOD - The dance competition, "Show Us You Can Dance," will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. May 7 at the Musselman High School auditorium.
Brews, barbecue event set in Md.
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Capitol Theatre will host a "Blues, Brews and Barbeque" event from 2 to 8 p.m. May 7 in the center's back lot.
The event will feature live bands, beer tasting and more. Cost is $10, which includes six beer tastings and commemorative beer glass; $5 for a designated driver.
For more information or advance tickets, call 717-263-0202 or visit www.thecapitoltheatre.org.
Virginia Gold Cup to feature races
MIDDLEBURG, Va. -The 86th Virginia Gold Cup will be held May 7 at Great Meadow. Gates open at 10 a.m., pre-race entertainment begins at 11 a.m. The event will feature five hurdle and timber horse races, Jack Russell Terrier races, hat contests, more than 30 vendor booths and more. General admission car passes are $85 and allows entry of car and up to six occupants.
For more information, call 540-347-2612 or visit www.vagoldcup.com.
Spring Festival to be held June 11
BUNKER HILL - The Morgan Cabin Spring Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 11 at Morgan Cabin. The event will feature Stoney Creek Bluegrass Band, celebrity goat milking, crafts, auction and more. Admission is $10, which includes a pit beef meal ($5 without); children under 6 enter for $6, which includes a meal ($3 without).
Craftspeople can pre-register, by sending $10 to Nancy Ricketts, 116 Prospect Ave, Bunker Hill, WV 25413.
Fine arts museum hosting exhibits
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts will host the following exhibits:
Friday to Sunday: Art in Bloom;
To Sunday: "Keepsakes of the Beloved" exhibit;
To April 24: Bruce Etchison Memorial Exhibition; and
To May 8: American Watercolor Society 143rd International Exhibition.
More information is available at 301-739-5727 or www.wcmfa.org.
Civil War museum open daily in Md.
FREDERICK, Md. - The National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $6.50 per adult; $6 for seniors, (60 and older), students with a valid ID and military personnel with a valid ID; $4.50 for children 10 to 16; and children younger than 10 enter for free.
For more information or to register for training workshops, call 301-695-1864 or visit www.civilwarmed.org.
Trivia Tuesday's set at locations
MARTINSBURG -Weekly trivia games are held every Tuesday in Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, Charles Town, Williamsport, Md., and Hagerstown, Md. Starting times vary.
For more information, visit www.triviatuesday.com or facebook.com/triviatuesday.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Where Oil and Water Mix
In booming Oslo, buyers find a safe harbor from Europe's turmoil and a haven for adventurous design
Blessed with wooded mountains and a pristine fjord, Oslo is an outdoor-sports paradise. But judging by the pulse of the city's real-estate market, it's the indoor sport of house hunting that has locals breathless.
Two decades of growing wealth and immigration have helped make Oslo one of Europe's fastest-growing cities. Developers are bringing ambitious housing and office projects to the city's vast waterfront. And buyers are "lining up" at showings, says Hedda K. Ulvness, managing director of Eie Eiendomsmegling, an Oslo-based nationwide realty network. A typical listing now sells in two weeks, Ms. Ulvness says, compared with a month or more a few years ago.
Photos: Foreign Correspondent
Across Norway, residential real-estate prices have tripled over the past 15 years, and every sector, aside from vacation homes, is seeing higher demand. In 1997, the average home cost around $147 per square foot, according to the Norwegian Association of Real Estate Agents. By 2002, that figure had risen to $240, and this year, it approached $500.
Situated outside the European Union and the precarious euro zone, oil-rich Norway has all but escaped the dark cloud hanging over much of the continent's economy. The oil industry, led by state-controlled giant Statoil ASA, STO -1.01 % has made the nation a magnet for a range of foreign professionals, while many more come to fill growing demand for everything from doctors to cabdrivers.
The real-estate boom is especially strong in the western city of Stavanger, Norway's energy hub. But it's most visible in greater Oslo, home to a third of the country's five million people and a budding creative scene that's establishing the capital as an exporter of cutting-edge architecture and design.
Professionals are drawn to Oslo's amenable work atmosphere, including high salaries paid in a stable currency and generous time off. Others see a chance at a fresh start: For German doctors, Swedish fitness trainers and Polish maintenance workers, Oslo represents the kind of opportunities that are drying up at home.
"Oslo has been in a transformation," says Gunnar B. Kvaran, Iceland-born director of a rehoused contemporary-art museum, who has lived in Oslo for over a decade. "It's gone from being introverted to becoming a new kind of cosmopolitan, extroverted city."
The biggest change in recent years has been the emergence of large-scale developments along Oslo's inner waterfront, part of a broad municipal plan to reinvent a vast stretch of harbor areas and shipyards. Often anchored by major new architectural works—such as the Oslo Opera House, opened in 2008—these projects will add thousands of new housing units, with easy access to the city center, once they're finished.
The centerpiece is the Barcode Project, a mixed-use development near the opera house boasting a dozen daringly designed towers, from 9 to 17 stories, lined up like vertical stripes. The project, which gives low-slung Oslo a distinctive skyline, will ultimately house some 400 high-end flats. Many offer views of the project's compelling new office towers, like the zigzag DNB tower, designed by Dutch firm MVRDV, and the Deloitte building, designed by Oslo firm Snohetta with an "ice crystal" façade.
Tjuvholmen, a former dockland area in the heart of Oslo, has already become a mixed-use neighborhood built around the new contemporary-art museum, the Astrup Fearnley Museet, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. The project features 935 apartments, ranging from about 1,000 to nearly 11,000 square feet.
Two-thirds have been finished and are fully sold. The rest are due to be finished by 2014. The light-filled apartments come with Scandinavian design elements, like pale wood floors. Sale prices have ranged from $525,000 to nearly $7 million, among the highest in Oslo. Statoil has picked up units there for its foreign staff.
The units aren't luxuriously appointed, but in costly Oslo, "a central location is luxury," says Gunnar Bøyum, CEO of Tjuvholmen KS, the Oslo company behind the project.
By that measure, perhaps the most luxurious is the 760-unit Sørenga development, a short walk from the Barcode. The Sørenga buildings, where units average about 840 square feet, will offer views out toward the fjord and back to the new urban landmarks, including a planned replacement for the Munch Museum. Building started in 2010 and is expected to finish in 2015. More than 500 apartments, finished and unfinished, have been put on the market; 90% have been sold.
Residents will have access to a new marina. Prices range from about $350,000 to $3.1 million.
Creative professionals gravitate to the gentrifying areas on Oslo's east side, says 30-year-old Brazilian graphic designer Renata Barros, who recently bought an east Oslo home with her husband, Norwegian architect Erlend Blakstad Haffner, 32.
The couple chose an $870,000 property in Lille Tøyen, which has its share of street crime but is "green and close to the city," says Mr. Haffner. Once it's remodeled, the house will contain two rental units and the family home, totaling about 3,000 square feet.
The symbol of east Oslo gentrification is Grünerløkka, north of the main train station, a once-working-class district that's now the center of city's thriving alternative night life.
But the west side, long home to the city's middle and upper classes, is still the costliest area. Western sections that command the highest prices include Frogner and Gimle, where large, century-old apartments sell for about $1,620 a square foot, and attic conversions help make up for the lack of new construction. Up-and-coming neighborhoods include Tåsen, northwest of the center.
The most desirable area for single-family homes is Bygdøy, where sparkling white villas, many built by the city's shipping elite in the early 20th century, offer spectacular views of the fjord. Magne Blindheim, Eie's co-founder and co-owner, says low mortgage rates and high costs for new construction have sustained interest in these older areas.
The government has tried to keep the market from overheating. Banks that once lent up to 100% of a home's purchase price—plus 10% for improvements—now require 15% down. Such measures are aimed at deterring first-time buyers from getting in over their heads on pricey starter flats.
Property sales in Norway work like a public auction, with the broker serving as auctioneer. Participants track bids by phone or text message. All bids are binding.
As in any booming market, most bidders come up empty-handed. Gary Bates, co-founder of Space Group, an Oslo architecture firm, says he has noticed that his staff's weekend showings lead to frantic Monday and Tuesday smartphone bidding, only to be followed by midweek heartbreak.
"I see guys bidding on stuff, and just sweating and crying in a corner, freaking out and losing a day of work," he says. "That's how the market is right now."
Norwegian Lines
$4.88 million
Tjuvholmen Penthouse
Fru Kroghs Brygge (Hus 81): 2 bedrooms, 1½ baths, plus garage space.
To be finished in the third quarter of 2014; sample apartment pictured
Location/Size: Seventh floor, 1,862 square feet.
Pros: A large terrace.
Cons: Winds blowing off the fjord in winter can be chilly
$1.65 million
Sørenga apartment
Sørenga A-701: 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms
Location/Size: Seventh floor, 1,248 square feet.
Pros: The large terrace has southern and western views over the fjord.
Cons: Ongoing construction of surrounding buildings.


text:
Maxine D. Elliott, 92, of Amarillo, formerly of Hooker, Okla., died Sunday, May 6, 2012.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in First Baptist Church in Hooker with Eddy Scoggins officiating. Burial will be in Hartville Cemetery, southeast of Hardesty. Arrangements are by Bunch-Roberts Funeral Home of Guymon.
Mrs. Elliott was born Jan. 30, 1920, in Marshall to James Ezra and Ethel Marie White Roberts. She married Ward Elliott on July 23, 1938.
Survivors include two sons, Brian Elliott of Amarillo and Greg Elliott of Hardesty; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
The family suggests memorials be to Hartville Cemetery Fund, in care of Bunch-Roberts Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1112, Guymon, OK 73942.
Amarillo Globe-News, May 8, 2012


text:
Proceeds from new Albuquerque home will go to Make-a-WishUPDATED 5:58 PM MDT Jul 09, 2013
Money will grant at least 6 'wishes'Video Transcript
MESA DEL SOL DEVELOPMENT IN ALBUQUERQUE... BUT THIS ONE WILL SERVE A SPECIAL PURPOSE. RACHEL MATTHEWS HOMES BROKE GROUND ON THE HOUSE TODAY. ONCE IT'S SOLD-- ALL THE PROCEEDS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION. IT WILL BE THE LARGEST SINGLE CORPORATE GIFT THE FOUNDATION HAS EVER RECEIVED--- THAT MONEY, GRANTING THE WISHES OF SIX TO EIGHT KIDS WITH LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS. SEVERAL WISH KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES WERE THERE FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT. you can't even explain what make a wish does for a child that has a condition. It just brings so much comfort to the entire situation. It's just completely comforting and rewarding RACHEL MATTHEWS HOMES HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 20 YEARS... AND HAS GIVEN AWAY THREE HOUSES.
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by shelley
September 30, 2014
These are the thinnest yoga pants I have ever worn. I made the mistake of wearing them to the gym and they were insanely see through before you even bend over. After a couple washes they lost all their shape and the butt, crotch, and legs all sag. They don't fit like yoga pants at all because they are so baggy. I bought two pairs and it was a complete waste of my money. Originally they felt soft and flexible similar to lululemon pants, but pay the difference and actually get lulu DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Only plus is that they have cute colors.
6 out of 10 people
found this review helpful.
by Sharon
December 20, 2013
I was really looking forward to getting these pants. I ordered them in purple and forrest green which are nice colors, especially in the AA leggings. These are by far the thinnest yoga pants I've ever bought. I kept them because I got them on sale and I wear them all the time around the house and to bed but I cannot wear them out. They are see-through before you even bend over. I can't image actually doing yoga in them.
6 out of 9 people
found this review helpful.
by Anne
December 13, 2013
I ordered the large and they fit great! There's no tightness at the waist, the leg is just as pictured, they're nice and thick. The leg is a little long, but I checked the size chart prior to purchasing and I knew they would be long on me. I'll probably take them up a couple inches. Otherwise they fit perfectly!
4 out of 6 people
found this review helpful.
by Julya
September 4, 2013
I have been buying these for years in both the flare and straight leg. They fit perfectly. They are thick enough not to be obscene in yoga class and the best feature of all is the roll down top. So if it's hot and you want to bare your midriff roll the top down (no photos of this but they look much better folded over) and if you want to keep your middle covered leave it up. Perfect. They have been put through hot yoga classes for years along with regular classes, running and the gym. I wash them on 30 degrees and they have maintained their shape. When they do eventually stretch and I'm talking years...I wear them for bed in the winter or I cut off the legs and wear them for slouching. I'm 5'3" (160cm) and 53Kg (118.8llbs). I also buy the bra camisole top in XS and S (My bust is 28F) and that is my yoga outfit sorted.
6 out of 8 people
found this review helpful.
by Emma
July 23, 2013
I ordered these pant in black and asphalt back in March of this year. I used to wear them while lounging at home and for my yoga classes, however, a small tear appeared in the inner thigh of my asphalt colored pant after a few days of wearing them at home. After that happened, I stopped wearing them at home and only used them when I do yoga. The black colored pant is still in good condition after doing yoga til this day. I think I received the less durable version of the asphalt pant, because my black pair is still in great condition... but I think there is a possibility that since it is made of cotton, the durability isn't comparable to the material used to make fitness wear like the Nike brand wear. I would still recommend this to a friend, and would continue to buy my yoga pant from here. I love the black colored ones! The fitting is perfect, and covers your underpants really well in the black. For the asphalt one, you can see the outlining of the underpants under direct light.
by Jessie
March 16, 2013
I bought one size up (now a medium) as i am 8 months pregnant and love them! The high waist band is super comfortable during pregnancy and the legs, bum etc are still super flattering!
3 out of 5 people
found this review helpful.
by S
June 14, 2012
I love these and deeply hope that you'll offer a 2pack soon!
5 out of 7 people
found this review helpful.
by Savannah
April 7, 2012
I got these in purple and blue! Theyre ridic and comfy, and casual enough to wear out. I got a size med and a large in blue and I fit well in both. The waist is stretchy as well. Also good pants for working out.
2 out of 4 people
found this review helpful.
by Pootles
January 16, 2012
So goddam comfortable it's ridiculous. I ordered SMALL in baby blue, and they're a bit transparent in the bum region.. but I think AA does a relatively good job at showing this in the photos. I'm 5'4", 110-116lbs on any random day, 25-26 waist, 35-36 hips, and the SMALL fits quite well. These definitely hug your curves, but very comfortably so due to the thinness and softness of the material. They do ride up a little at first, as I had to adjust them several times on the first day of wearing. The butt gets a little saggy after a few days of wear, but that's nothing a wash/dry can't cure. I washed them in cold water and dried them on the "automatic" setting with my usual load of laundry and didn't notice any huge amount of shrinkage.
December 13, 2011
I'm 5'6", about 105 lbs. The widest part of my hips/butt is 33" around, and my inseam is about 30". I was debating whether to get S or XS. I ended up ordering Forest and Purple, both in XS. I'm glad I did. Both fit very well, and I think S would have been too big. Both are SUPER flattering, very comfy and hit right at the ankle (not too long, not too short). I'm happy with my purchase, but just for the sake of accuracy I must mention that they're slightly different even though they're both XS. The Forest hits at the bottom of my belly button and gives no camel toe whatsoever. The Purple goes 2" or so above my belly button and gives some camel toe (but I'm not complaining, they ARE yoga pants after all). Overall, I'm satisfied.
December 3, 2011
i wear these pants almost daily. I try to wear other pants, but seriously, nothing is as comfortable. i'm 5'6'' 120 lbs and the M fits like a dream.
by Hugmedonkey
August 22, 2011
The best lounge pants ever, I have chucked all my other track pants cause these just look so amazing on, they are flattering yet comfy and versatile. I've got a womanly figure so some track pants can add bulk but these are really elegant. Worth the expense, American apparel needs to stock more of these in the stores!
by Alex
June 24, 2011
This is AMAZING.
Just got this loooong time ago but still love it like just got it!!!<333
It's comfy and the Evergreen is stunning!!<33
i guess i can wear it in any place,whatever Yoga or Life parts!!<33
Thank u American Apparel!!!
2 out of 4 people
found this review helpful.
by michela
May 24, 2011
these are the most comfortable pants ever. so soft and perfect. i have three pairs and live in them!! i am 5.7 and 125 lbs and got a medium: it fits perfectly, although i guess a small would have been ok too.
3 out of 5 people
found this review helpful.
by Vick
May 11, 2011
So these pants are amazing to sleep in. i have four pairs and I just love how soft they are.
by Marianne
March 27, 2011
nice pants - got two pairs! the part at the belly easily becomes loose, but I've started folding it down and it works!
Eventhough my pairs are the same size, one is bigger than the other.
by S
February 23, 2011
I have them in black and love them. I'd love to buy more but do not like the color selection. Can you make them in more colors please? Cranberry, olive, and brown would be great. I know a lot of people who are saying that they can't find these colors so there is a demand. I don't want to diss any of your colors but come on, how many people are going to buy baby blue, pink, evergreen, or slate colored yoga pants? I think more people would buy cranberry, olive, or brown.
4 out of 9 people
found this review helpful.
by R
January 8, 2011
I literally want to wear a pair every day of the week. They fit me perfectly and are very flattering and comfortable. The material is really nice and no, they don't tear easily at all. I've had a black pair for years and it never faded or tore, but I fell into paint with them so I had to get new ones! Now I want to get a couple more for sure as this smaller size I got is so sexy, it really flatters me and makes my butt look nice. The black is black enough to wear for evening, going out, with some heels and a cute belt and dressy top. Very sexy. Someone said if they would have to pick one pair of pants to wear for the rest of their lives, these would be the ones and I must agree! Comfy and sexy! I wish they had more colors like olive/military inspired greens and subtle prints. I'm not a big AA fan, but for yoga, walking, workout, shoping and lounging pants these are the way to go. I fold them over at the top though, I don't wear them all the way up. I like how they are not as tight as leggings at the bottom and yet not so wide like most yoga pants. PERFECT!
5 out of 7 people
found this review helpful.
by Britney Katelynn
December 30, 2010
These pants are so comfortable! and perfect for working out. I do alot of running and these pants fit perfectly and dont shift like alot of other pants do!! i only have one pair but i think i will be buying more soon!
by michela
November 25, 2010
these pants are the most comfortable ever! i have three and basically live in them. they're perfect for sports like and yoga and pilates where you have to bend a lot.. i will definitely buy more pairs. i am 5.7 and wear 28in jeans and the medium fits perfectly and comfortably (i could probably fit into an s, but i like them not to be supertight).


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Information about cheapest UK online stock brokers. Brokerline NatWest Stockbrokers share dealing accounts, details of share dealing rates, Natwest share dealing accounts, Natwest banking accounts, Natwest wealth management online banking, Natwest Self-Select ISA rates, Brokerline Natwest online stockbroking services.
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Things to watch for in choosing a stock broker
Info about Natwest stockbroking services - part of National Westminster Bank Plc. Trading shares on world stock markets with Nat West share dealing accounts. NatWest Stockbrokers reviews. How to open an account with Natwest online stockbrokers. Natwest SIPPs recommendations, Natwest share dealing accounts login, Natwest Self-Select ISAs, Natwest wealth management, Natwest online trading platforms and share trading systems - BrokerLine is provided by NatWest Stockbrokers Limited a joint venture between The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc and The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
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What a great week of football we had last week.
There were many surprises.
The Bills got their first win of the season. The Broncos finally beat a division foe at home in the Josh McDaniels Era.
The Patriots looked like the best team in the AFC. The Giants got blown out at home by the Cowboys.
As the season progresses, teams will start to separate themselves from the pack and show they are true playoff contenders.
Last week, I went 3-2 with my picks. That gives me an overall record of 21-19 this season for my upset picks.
This week it is a little harder to find some upsets, but I'm picking five teams that I believe can pull off the upset.


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Since finally giving in and purchasing an iPhone in November of 2011, I've become quite a shutterbug. I've absolutely fallen in love with taking and editing photos with my phone.
The photos can be viewed or purchased at instacanv.as/ericcoomer on canvas, framed, and on other items. You can always view them with the Instagram app with your iOS or Android device.
Here are some recent photos.


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Call for Abstracts
Eastern Michigan University will host the conference "Integrity & Inclusion: Diversity in the Academic Curriculum and Beyond" November 2-3, 2001, on its Ypsilanti campus, about 30 miles from Detroit, and 10 miles from Ann Arbor. The event aims at showcasing innovative projects now being developed and implemented to diversify curricula, at all levels, in terms of content, pedagogy, and application. Dr. Cornel West, of Harvard University, will give a keynote address in the evening of opening day.
Please send abstracts (250 words or less) for individual paper or poster presentations, or for entire sessions (4 speakers per session), to the Conference Chair, Dr. Liza Cerroni-Long at the address below. Deadline for abstracts: September 1, 2001. Registration fee, including lunch and dinner on opening day, is $70 ($95 after October 1, 2001). Send checks to the Conference Chair, payable to Eastern Michigan University. Visit the conference website (www.emich.edu/aaccd/conference) for further details.


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Wisdom of a 3-year-old
January 7, 2012 - Rick Kozlowski
The grandkids spent Thursday night at our house - which is always a delight. Our 3-year-old granddaughter gave us an extra delight Friday morning. Joslyn was asking about her Uncle Robbie, a West Virginia University senior who attended the Orange Bowl with three of his buddies and countless other Mountaineer fans who will surely say they were they - whether they were or weren't - to witness West Virginia's 70-33 thrashing of Clemson. "He's in Miami, honey," Grandma said. "He's coming home from Miami today," Pap Pap added Joslyn rose up and pronounced without hesitation to her grandfather, "That's not your-ami; it's her-ami," pointing to her grandmother. Jossi obviously interpreted Miami like "My - ami." Later, when her grandfather was talking to his son - her uncle - as the band of four just started their drive back to the Eastern Panhandle, relaying the store, the eavesdropping 3-year-old chimed in again, "That's Grandma's-ami, not your-ami." Am I ever going to convince her otherwise?
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Created using this Craftsy indie pattern
Attack Zombie Sock Monkey, crocheted hat »
by Crochet by Darleen Hopkins
Other projects made by DarleenHopkins:
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
What was your source for this crocheting project?
Online Photo or Website
Name of website or photo Zombie Sock Monkey Attacks Hat (with or without earflaps)
Oh my gosh I adore the zombie sock monkey! These hats are too cute!
Thanks! He's fun to make and even more fun to wear!
YIKES! Those teeth are reeeally scary...but cute. LOL


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Walking up and into the Carrier Dome for the pending SU-Buffalo football game reminded me more of covering an SU lacrosse game, with apologies to the hardcore Orange lax faithful. The walk up the hill an hour before kickoff was quiet and made mostly alone. Finally when I got to the Dome I saw a few fans filing inside. Once in the bowels of the building the familiar sights, sounds and smells of college football were absent. No noise, no hustle and bustle of vendors ready to hit the aisles with their wares, no smells of pizza and dogs. Zip.
It got me to wondering how many fans will actually show up. There are well under 10,000 here now with the clock ticking down to 20 minutes pre-kickoff. Then I got to wondering how Pittsburgh came back to defeat Cincinnati, how come UConn can signal for a fair catch and then return the ball for a touchdown without the refs seeing and, by the way, how good Buffalo is vs. Syracuse IF you consider that UB defeated Temple 42-7, Miami defeated SU 17-14 and Temple was pasting Miami this afternoon. Yikes.
And, in that same vein, UConn beats Pitt, Pitt beats Cincy, Louisville beats Cincy, SU beats Louisville . . . so SU beats UConn, Pitt and Cincy, right? Yeah, right.
Oh well, 9 minutes to KO, and we now have a decent crowd here . . . for an SU basketball game . . . OK, a December SU hoops game . . . OK, a December non-conference SU hoops game in sleet.


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I'm an Ozzie lover, so I'm biased in his favour, but if I'm going to have a complaint,it is that I have trouble hearing him. If my volume could go any higher, I'd crank it, but there's only one "loudest" setting. He has a quiet voice. He always had it in interviews, so it's not surprising he has it in the booth.
Good Canadian boy.


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Thank you for visiting our past auction result archives. If you have an item identical (or similar) to this auction lot, please call, write or contact us to discuss. We will be able to help you.
Lot # 678 (of 1560) < Previous Lot | Next Lot >
1953 Glendale Meats Advertising Booklet
Starting Bid - $1,000, Sold For - $23,500
This extremely rare twenty-eight-page promotional booklet, issued in 1953 by the Glendale Provision Co., features images of all twenty-eight baseball cards offered by the company that year. "Glendale Meats," as the set is commonly known, was a regional issue in the Michigan marketplace and cards could only be obtained in packages of the company's hot dogs. The set featured only Detroit Tigers players. This booklet pictures the front of each issued card. Each card is pictured on a separate page, below which appears the biographical data found on the reverse of the actual card (with the exception of the player's season stats and the contest offer for the chance to win a free trip for two to the World Series, which appear only on the cards). We have had this special booklet only once before (decades ago), and for all we know this is the very same one. It is not surprising that this Glendale booklet originates from the collection of Charlie Conlon, who lived in Michigan and was an avid collector of Glendale Meats cards for over thirty years. The booklet (3.75 x 5.5 inches) has a light water stain on the cover that permeates the first four pages (not affecting the card images). The remaining pages are clean and bright and the booklet is in overall Very Good condition. It is not known how this booklet was distributed, but we suspect that it was produced to be given away in very limited numbers, perhaps directly from Glendale Meats salesmen or distributors. The front cover reads "Compliments of Glendale Meats Provison Co.," and the back cover has the Glendale logo and reads Presented by Glendale "King of the Hot Dogs." The 1953 Glendale Meats set is one of the most popular and attractive of all 1950s regional issues. This an extraordinary rarity that all alone is the moral equivalent of a complete Glendale Meats set and would be the perfect compliment to any Glendale Meats collection, especially a complete high-grade set. Reserve $1,000. Estimate (open). SOLD FOR $23,500
(Click the smaller thumbnails to the left and right (if any) to cycle through each photo in the gallery of images for this lot.)


text: I already own Live. What are my upgrade options? Live Versions: 1 - 9 Operating System: ALL If you already own a version of Ableton Live, you can take advantage of our lower upgrade prices. Please log in to your User Account and visit our webshop to see your personal upgrade options and prices.


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The security of personal data such as name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address is a matter of great importance for us. We therefore operate our web activities in conformance with the laws relating to data protection and security.
Without your agreement, we do not in any way collect personal data via our websites. You alone decide whether or not you wish to share this data with us, for example when registering, making an enquiry, etc. In general, we use your personal data to respond to your enquiry, to handle your order, or to give you access to special information or offers. To maintain customer relations, it can additionally be necessary for us to store and work with your personal data, and for example, to share it with our subsidiaries, so that we can fulfil your wishes more completely, or improve our products and services. It may be necessary for us (or a third party acting on our behalf) to use this data to inform you of offers which will benefit your company, or to carry out online surveys so that we can satisfy your expectations to an even greater extent.
Should you so wish, we will of course respect your desire that your personal data is not used to support our customer relationship – in particular for direct marketing or market research. We will neither sell your personal data to third parties, nor market it in any other way.
When you access our websites, information is on occasion gathered automatically that is not linked to a specific person (e.g. the internet browser and operating system used, number of visits, average time of visit). We use this information to determine the attractiveness of our websites, and to improve their content. When you visit one of our websites, it may happen that we place information in the form of a "cookie" on your computer, so that it is recognised again automatically on your next visit. Cookies permit us, for example, to adapt a website to your interests, or to save your password so that you do not have to re-enter it on every visit. If you do not wish us to recognise your computer on each visit, please set your Internet browser so that it deletes cookies from its hard-drive, blocks all cookies, or warns you before a cookie is saved.
We take every possible measure to ensure the security of your personal data. Your data is scrupulously protected from loss, damage, falsification, manipulation, and from unauthorised access or disclosure.


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Ladies and gentlemen, the grand finale of the 2011-12 football season is just hours away. As we prepare for Super Bowl XLVI, let's take a look at five key matchups between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
These matchups will ultimately determine the winner of this much-anticipated rematch.


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Pool problems
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on July 30, 2014 1:46 PM
News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Bill Smith, owner of Bills Pool, Spa and Maintenance Service, also known as "Bill the Pool Man," holds a bottle of Algae Death which he uses to kill the influx of algae this summer. Smith works at Willow Run as well as other commercial and residential pools and has seen an increase in business due to the rain and hot weather.
Hot weather and high humidity have some Wayne County residents battling an unwanted green visitor in their pools and on their porch steps. Bill Smith, owner of Bill's Pool and Spa Maintenance Service, said he has received a lot...
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The 2011 NFL Free agency period is in full swing. Yesterday marked the start of the negotiating timeframe, which started slowly but picked up speed later in the day. Last evening and into last night, some of the premier players available at their positions started to agree in principle with teams.
Due to the unique offseason, there are certain unorthodox rules regulating free agency in place. For instance, all of the contracts agreed upon yesterday will not become official until Friday at 6 p.m. EST. Also, all the cuts that have been taking place across the league cannot actually take place until Thursday.
So, even though some sought-after players such as Charles Johnson and Marshall Yanda were locked up yesterday, what we saw is likely the calm before the storm. Today it could very well start pouring with free agent signings.
What teams will be most involved in this frenzy of free agency activity? Some teams have tons of cap space because of the more stringent salary floor. Other teams have lots of holes to fill. There are also teams with coaches who have to win this year or they will lose their jobs.
These are the teams that I think will make the biggest proverbial "splash" in this free agency period. Have any thoughts of your own or disagree with my opinions? Let me know either, in the comments or on Twitter (@JakeBRB).


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Soft and sumptuous, Monte's Como Glider is one you'll sink right into for rest and relaxation. It includes a calming and soothing glide, extra soft seat and back cushion, and beautifully tailored sides. The solid walnut base compliments the fabric tones and creates a sophisticated look. Rest your head back and enjoy this incredibly comfortable chair.
Important Notes:
Monte's chairs are handmade in Toronto, Canada. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. There is a mandatory shipping fee of $99 upon checkout. This is a custom item and is non-returnable.


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Circuit breakers are safety devices designed to keep an overload of electricity from occurring to a single device. If a circuit breaker trips, it can be due to a number of things, ranging from a small power surge to a serious electrical problem in the device on that breaker. That's why, if your circuit breakers starts to trip repeatedly when your heat pump is on, you should act immediately because there might be something wrong with the device.
Troubleshooting the Problem
Keep in mind that your circuit breakers are safety devices. They are there to protect the equipment and your home from shorts. If you continuously ignore the problem, it can eventually become much worse and put you and your family in danger. Too many trips and you could be dealing with melted lines and eventual electrical fires. To help in troubleshooting your breaker tripping issues, here are some common problems homeowners run into:
- Loose Connections – Because you have electrical lines going outside, they can expand and contract over time as the weather changes and eventually come loose. In this case, they just need to be tightened. Don't check or attempt to repair this problem without turning off the electricity to those wires, however. It is EXTREMELY dangerous.
- Electrical Short – A short in the wiring or the equipment will also cause the circuit breaker to trip repeatedly. If your breaker trips immediately whenever you turn on the device, this is probably the culprit. Leave the breaker off and call for service right away.
- Compressor Problems – If your compressor is aged and starting to work harder than it did before, it might be drawing extra electricity when the heat pump is turned on. If this happens, the circuit breaker will trip occasionally. Sometimes a capacitor needs to be replaced or the compressor serviced.
These are just three common reasons your circuit breaker might trip repeatedly when you turn on your heat pump. Other issues include a bad breaker, locked up motor, under sized wiring or breaker and more. If you cannot find and fix the problem safely, you should call an HVAC contractor to take a look and fix it for you. The risk of fire or damage to your heat pump is too great to ignore this kind of problem.
Tags: Heat Pump Repair, The Vintage, The Woodlands, Tomball


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and Deregulation
Analysis: IT Strengths and Weaknesses
Analysis: Impacts on the Business
Information Technology in Cuba
Analysis: Impacts on the Business
To this point, this report has focused primarily on the export of Cuba's IT products and services. However, one must consider the equally significant role of IT opportunities within Cuba for globally competing firms. One must evaluate the Cuban IT support services sector and infrastructure to determine whether Cuban FDI and economic growth initiatives have a prospect for success in the future.
For a non-IT company considering establishing a presence in Cuba, corporate executives must consider the following key issues (excluding non-IT issues):
Would you set up a sales office in the country? Would you expand it?
Geographically, Cuba has a prime strategic location in the Caribbean and is in position to provide a company with a regional sales base. However, while less than 100 miles away from the United States, current political sanctions limit potential trade opportunities. Any company that establishes a sales office in Cuba must focus on either trading in the Caribbean/Latin American basin or utilizing the inexpensive Cuban labor base to create an off-shore software development site. The Cuban citizenry is highly educated and is capable of operating in a global sales venture. However, the Cuban government's discouragement of capitalism may have created a less aggressive mindset in terms of sales and business expansion.
In addition, the role of the Cuban government in the operations of any firm operating on the island must be considered. Censorship is a regular government function, and firms may find sales and promotional efforts restricted. In terms of technology, the government's Interministerial Commission determines who receives online access, and to date, has not granted such access to many private endeavors. In addition, the Cuban government does not have significant resources with which to lure foreign companies. The government could concede tax reductions, but formal financial incentives are unlikely.
Economic difficulties on the island may make Cuban expansion difficult. The country lacks hard currency and operates in a currency that is not accepted on the global markets. Converting the Cuban peso will be a formidable task, not to mention finding purchasers who have the currency to buy a firm's products. Venture capitalism is a budding concept in Cuba, but no formal VC operations are available.
Would you set up a regional distribution center?
Cuba would not be a prime location for a regional distribution center unless a firm's focus is on the Caribbean and Latin American markets. Cuba's closest geographic neighbor is the United States; however, with the existing political sanctions, no Cuban-American trade is likely to occur in the immediate future. Using Cuba as a distribution site may prove advantageous to obtaining a market presence in the Latin marketplace, particularly to Argentina and Mexico, the largest Latin American consumer markets.
Would you set up a manufacturing center?
Cuba lacks the key economic resources and infrastructure found in many Caribbean and Latin American nations. Subsequently, it may be difficult to locate an appropriate existing location for a manufacturing center or to locate available resources with which to create a new center. However, the industry in which a prospective Cuban business entrant operates is key to determining the viability of a manufacturing center. Cuba does have thriving regional businesses in several key industry sectors, such as biotechnology, multimedia, and sugar and agricultural processing. Should a prospective company operate in one of these sectors, existing sites and resources may be available to effect an easy transition into the Cuban manufacturing sector.
Potential Cuban entrants should be aware that the Cuban government has not adopted ISO 9000 certification standards. For global firms operating in Europe or other locations which abide by this standard, products manufactured on the island may not be acceptable for trade in many global locations.
Support for Network Infrastructure: Availability of Infrastructure, Cost, Quality
One of the firm's primary considerations to the feasibility of Cuban operations would be the amount of communications traffic it must engage in on a daily basis, whether inside Cuba or to its home country and/or peripheral locations. The Cuban telecommunications infrastructure is still underdeveloped, with four phones per 100 citizens. Carlos Lage, Secretary of the Cuban Executive Council of Ministers, stated at a planning meeting of the Communist Party that "one telex can cost twelve dollars whereas the same message costs 75 cents in the form of a fax and 3 cents via the Internet" (95). Telecommunications costs may be significantly higher than in the firm's home country. Telecommunications professionals may also be scarce and dated in the knowledge they possess. In addition, given the recent restrictions on Cuban-American telecommunication, the company may be hampered if a significant portion of its operations is directed towards the United States.
Global firms may also be hindered by a national lack of Internet access. With few commercial or consumer users and high costs for computer equipment and infrastructure (one Windows-based, IP-ready computer costs approximately $1,000), firms may be restricted in the level of Internet communication they conduct. The domestic network infrastructure firms seek may not be present, and firms may subsequently incur increased telecommunications costs.
IS Professionals to Support IS: Training, Cost, Quality
Cuba does have a skilled IS workforce with which to support distribution and manufacturing operations. Many of the Cuban high-tech workers currently have little opportunity to utilize their skills outside of government positions and would likely be eager for an opportunity to accept a private company position. The average Cuban citizen receives a monthly income of $15 US. Assuming that a global firm would pay higher wages, the firm would likely have an adequate base of IS professionals from which to choose.
However, what Cuban IS professionals lack is a current knowledge and training skill set on par with the latest technologies. Most Cuban networks are operating on the X.25 protocol, which is rarely found in most developed countries.