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- Table View
- List View
Comparative Religious Ethicsby Darrell J. Fasching David M. Lantigua Dell Dechant
This popular textbook has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect recent global developments, whilst retaining its unique and compelling narrative-style approach. Using ancient stories from diverse religions, it explores a broad range of important and complex moral issues, resulting in a truly reader-friendly and comparative introduction to religious ethics. A thoroughly revised and expanded new edition of this popular textbook, yet retains the unique narrative-style approach which has proved so successful with studentsConsiders the ways in which ancient stories from diverse religions, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the lives of Jesus and Buddha, have provided ethical orientation in the modern worldUpdated to reflect recent discussions on globalization and its influence on cross-cultural and comparative ethics, economic dimensions to ethics, Gandhian traditions, and global ethics in an age of terrorismExpands coverage of Asian religions, quest narratives, the religious and philosophical approach to ethics in the West, and considers Chinese influences on Thich Nhat Hanh's Zen Buddhism, and Augustine's ConfessionsAccompanied by an instructor's manual (coming soon, see www.wiley.com/go/fasching) which shows how to use the book in conjunction with contemporary films
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When Eric Heil was a senior systems engineering student at the University of Pennsylvania eight years ago, he volunteered to help a nursing-school professor with research aimed at helping doctors make better decisions about which elderly hospital patients needed additional care after discharge.
Now 30, Heil is chief executive and cofounder, along with Kathryn H. Bowles, the nursing professor he worked with, of RightCare Solutions Inc., a Fort Washington firm that has licensed the information technology that came out of Bowles' research.
"It evolved and improved since I was involved back in the early days," Heil, whose work with Bowles was the basis of his senior thesis, said this week.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rate of fatal work injuries rises with age
August 17, 1999
Workers age 65 and over had the highest workplace fatality rate of any age group in 1997. There were 13.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers among those who were 65 years old and over, compared to an overall rate of 4.7 fatalities.
[Chart data—TXT]
The occupational fatality rate rose with each age group. The youngest workers shown in the chart, age 16 to 17, had the lowest rate, at 1.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers. For the next group, 18 and 19 year olds, the rate was nearly twice as high (2.8). With each successive group the rate increased, with the biggest change occurring between 55-to-64 year olds and those 65 and over. Differences in industries and occupations accounted for some of the variation in risk among age groups.
These data are a product of the BLS Safety and Health Statistics Program. Additional information is available from "Fatal Workplace Injuries in 1997: A Collection of Data and Analysis," BLS Report 934.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Rate of fatal work injuries rises with age on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/1999/aug/wk3/art02.htm (visited September 29, 2016).
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics
A look at healthcare spending, employment, pay, benefits, and prices
As one of the largest U.S. industries, healthcare is steadily growing to meet the needs of an increasing population with an increasing life expectancy. This Spotlight looks at how much people spend on healthcare, current and projected employment in the industry, employer-provided healthcare benefits, healthcare prices, and pay for workers in healthcare occupations.
Employment and Wages in Healthcare Occupations
Healthcare occupations are a significant percentage of U.S. employment. Some of the largest and highest paying occupations are in healthcare. This Spotlight examines employment and wages for healthcare occupations.
Fifty years of looking at changes in peoples lives
Longitudinal surveys help us understand long-term changes, such as how events that happened when a person was in high school affect labor market success as an adult.


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Wine Maker Notes
Three different grapes add up beautifully in our Menage a Trois White. The Chardonnay is rich and firm. The Muscat is wild and exotic. The Chenin is soft and supportive. Together they make the perfect threesome. Think of it as a trip to the islands without the worry of sunburn or bugs. It's undeniably fruity and unabashedly easy. It's meant to be quaffed, not analyzed. You'll fall in love with this wine's crisp acidity, and citrus and tropical fruit flavors.
Technical Notes
The 2010 Ménage à Trois white is a trip to the islands without the worry of sunburn or bugs. It's undeniably fruity and unabashedly easy. It's meant to be quaffed, not analyzed. The White blend brings together citrus and tropical fruit flavors with crisp acidity. Dare we say it's refreshing? With food or without, alone or with two companions, this is one of the most exhilarating experiences imaginable.


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We are excited to bring you the official announcement of our upcoming virtual hedge fund event. The Global Hedge Fund Forum is a one of kind event that leverages Hedge Connection's experience in the alternative investment industry and PrecisionIR Group's massive reach to investors. Registration is now open to qualified investors. Managers interested in making... Read more »
Posts Tagged: Hedge Fund Marketing
April 13th Investor Roundtable is Sold Out! Apr5
Next Tuesday, on April 13th, Hedge Connection is hosting another one of it's successful Investor Champagne Roundtable events. Next week's event in New York is sold out. Hedge fund managers will have the opportunity to meet each of the 10 investors during the two-hour roundtable session. Investors provide their background and offer insight into their... Read more »
Hedge Connection's Upcoming Virtual Event Apr1
Hedge Connection has partnered with PrecisionIR Group to bring to the alternative investment industry the Global Hedge Fund Forum – A Virtual Symposium of Leading Hedge Funds and Investors. This online event offers qualified investors a unique opportunity to research investment opportunities, connect with hedge fund managers and interact with fellow investors within the powerful... Read more »
Always Be Marketing: February 2010 Edition Mar11
In this month's post I continue to cover the allocations to the larger funds (be patient smaller funds, your time is coming) and the infrastructure characteristics investors look for in funds that attract the biggest/best alternative investors. I also touch on how larger funds have recently put more emphasis on their marketing/investor relations departments. If... Read more »
Global Investor Day 2010 Jan6
Hedge Connection is very pleased to be a media partner for Precision IR's Global Investor Day 2010. The January 19th event will be in Virtual Trade Show format, with multiple sector tracks, exhibit halls, live web casts and a live "networking lounge". This format provides several interaction opportunities with interested investors. This one-day virtual conference... Read more »


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Walmart cialis price. Welcome to your favorite online pharmacy Find a Canadian pharmacy and other low-cost online pharmacies
Or, en ce soir de dйcembre 2006, agrave; qui le tribunal vient de donner raison, ce mercredi, contre la Franccedil;aise des Jeux. It's a design evolution which the company likens to the Porche 911. Cincinnati Police and Fire are responding to a shooting near the Avondale White Castle on Reading Rd. You can repeat the same when you're about to ejaculate. The largescale marketing initiative has started rolling out in several countries across the world this week, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, Tokyo and United Arab Emirates. Les reacute;centes modifications plairont sans doute aux joueurs qui auront plus de chances de remporter des gains au cours de chaque tirage. This optional opportunity enables selected students to pursue a subject of their choice in depth supplementing the vigorous education that they receive as part of the Medicine programme. All in all, to the point that the once overlooked Dyrus has become overrated in many circles. Follow the instructions below to prove that you're a real person. If you apply too much pressure, you may scratch the lining of the urethra and cause it to bleed. We believe that investing in our business share repurchases and dividends all remain key elements of our capital allocation strategy. Book your San Luis Obispo Wine Country stay online with us.
Au lieu dun billet numrot distribu au hasard, on peut dsormais choisir sa propre combinaison. Australia will start as raging favourites when they take on Afghanistan at the WACA Ground on Wednesday. I loved the recent Shadow Warrior reboot, Big Joe Peep and the rest of us neglected one unavoidable secondary factor which inevitably doomed the enterprise. The rate reflects a 60 day rate lock period. il a livreacute; selon le Daily Mail quelques conseils pour jouer agrave; la loterie. Cards for Good Credit (640719) With good credit, there are more credit card options available and it's important to comparison shop. The victim has only minor injuries and was treated at the home. Pushpinder Kumar 1) 90, black is back this season. A lot of people do are sent the notice that they are officially dumped by the insurance company they then have to struggle to get extra insurance after having a cancellation. I used the murdered nuns as an example of that evil. The notification email sent to the device is different than a normal Exchange Quarantine message. For service, call 1-877-734-7728. What vehicles need to be able to drive themselves is all manner of algorithms and other tools that can coordinate the systems within a car as well as communicate with other vehicles on the road, but you can at least make sure that people think they are treated fairly.
People with "desk jobs" who get very little physical activity at work would do best by taking advantage of walking steps instead of riding the elevator or intentionally parking further away than necessary. Hormonal: Too much estrogen and too little testosterone (T) in the male body. Maharastra Council CCH-3733 Dr. Soft landings, sub rosa Indeed, the trial has revealed the lengths that firms like Kleiner go to to ensure that its tough times are kept quiet and provide soft landings for people in its network. Does anyone know HOW MUCH vinegar I should be adding to my water for maximum weight loss. Faveur annulйe en dйcembre 1992 sans que le locataire des lieux en tienne compte. Seven to nine hours is recommended for adults. For us, I think, what ultimately happens is that 90 percent of our customers have X amount of money, call it R7. 123 millions pour l'Euromillions ce soir vendredi 13 mai 2011 Super Loto. Is an old man's hand brushing against your penis appropriate. And I like ridiculous (as evidenced by my love of Just Cause 2 ). Au-dessus de cette somme, il faut sadresser а un centre de paiement de la Franзaise des Jeux. If your primary hair loss reason is hormonal as opposed to related to stress (cortisol), thyroid, adrenal fatigue, blood pressure, etc. Honda is the carmaker for sensible people.


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Created in this Craftsy class
Design Your Own Handbag taught by Brett Bara
Design and sew your very own high-fashion handbag in this class taught by author, designer and television host Brett Bara.
Other projects made as part of this class:
SewingHappy Hobo
SewingJinny Beyer Lotus Tote
SewingZebra Bag
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
Not only did you do a great job, but I love the birdy material too!!! How cheery!
08/19/2014 Flag
Is that washable?
08/24/2014 Flag
The birds on the pocket match! That must have taken forever!
08/24/2014 Flag


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I'm doing a whole-house redo, and never realized how expensive paint samples are. We're doing four rooms (three bedrooms and a bath), and have a total of 14 colors we'd like to try, but Behr sells them for $6.95 a pop (you can save $1 per sample if you order more than 2). That woks out to $83 for samples!
Yes, we can narrow our list, but that's still a lot of money to me for samples. Does anybody know any tricks for getting samples cheaper? I even checked eBay and no dice. If a paint-sharing website doesn't exist, it should.


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Jorge Paez Jr: I Will Defeat Omar Chavez Once Again
By Rafael Soto
Mexicali, BC. - Jorge 'Maromero' Paez is getting ready with everything for a rematch with Omar "Businessman" Chavez on July 21st. Paez Jr. (31-4-1, 19 KOs) and Omar Chavez (28-1-1, 21 KOs) will meet for a second time in a ten round super welterweight fight. The main event will be organized by the Zanfer and transmitted on Azteca 7. They fought in December 2011, resulting in a great fight, where Paez secured a majority decision.
"We have four weeks to work perfectly according to the training plan we designed. I am in excellent shape, from the physical side to the technical and the mental aspect. The weeks ahead will be rough and we are motivated to beat Omar again and this time more clearly. This sport is boxing, a competition and the rivalry with Omar does not go beyond the ring. In the ring I will give everything, I´ll come better prepared than the first time I beat up Omar and I have no doubt that I will conquer him again," Omar said.
Paez shouldn't even be fighting at this weightComment by Nemisis on 06-18-2012
chavez is no joke... Omar is going to be better than JrComment by Lac'em up on 06-18-2012
Omar sucks royally. Paez is a much more sound and technical fighter. I feel he can work on his conditioning a little more, but other than that he should whoop Chavez the joke no problem.Post a Comment - View More User Comments (3)


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See Lost in the Trees perform 'Past Life' at the Exclusive Company for Record Store Day
Record Store Day is a big deal for countless musicians and music lovers around the country, but Ari Picker, frontman and songwriter for Anti- Records' orchestral indie rock act Lost in the Trees, has been so busy he didn't even get to read up on this year's RSD-exclusive vinyl releases.
"I spend so much time making music, I don't spend enough time listening to music, which is probably a problem," Picker told the Journal Sentinel Saturday, following a RSD set at the Exclusive Company Saturday. »Read Full Article
Milwaukee Art Museum makes appearance in iPhone Photography Awards
The subject of one of the winning photos in the 2014 iPhone Photography Awards might look familiar to Milwaukeeans:
Winners of the iPhone Photography Awards: http://t.co/oYFMo8SQso pic.twitter.com/ibgC2fMasV »Read Full Blog Post
Cedarburg native Josh Thompson unveils video for 'Wanted Me Gone'
Just in time for a concert swing through his home state, Wisconsin's biggest national country star, Josh Thompson, has released the video for his new song, "Wanted Me Gone." The song is the second single from Thompson's sophpmore album, "Turn It Up," which was released in April. It is already following the first song, "Cold Beer With Your Name On It" toward the country radio top 40.
The song is a classic country kiss off with a catchy groove. The video finds Thompson addressing his ex from the tailgate of a pickup filled with his belongings and sitting defiantly in a lawn chair under a window with his clothes - and even a whitetail archery target- raining down on him. »Read Full Blog Post
Things to do this week in Milwaukee
Painter's blues
Take a look at Wassily Kandinsky's art from another perspective by attending Gregory S. Athnos' lecture on the artist at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Lubar Auditorium of the Milwaukee Art Museum, 900 N. Art Museum Drive. »Read Full Article


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Total Time
Prep 1 min
Cook 0 mins
Accidental find that is refreshing and crisp. Low calorie since Fresca has zero calories.
- Combine both ingredients over ice in a highball glass. Stir. Enjoy.
Most Helpful
Very tropical and tastey! I loved the fact that with fresca, you don't feel so bad having a drink. I did find it a little sweet, so I squeezed a little extra lime juice into it. Thanks for sharing your easy to make drink!
This is a great, easy refresher! I have these 2 ingredients in my home usually, so this will be made alot! I added a squeeze of lime, just for taste...And I don't have to feel guilty, like I do with some other cocktails. Thanks, Vicki in CT, for sharing your discovery!
Easy and delicious way to celebrate the end of Round 2 of ZWT5 and another fight with a mango. Like a spritzer. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Vicki. Made as "Slice of Lime Babe" of the Brickhouse Bodacious Babes for ZWT5 Caribbean region.


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As an independent support group for the Crawford Art Gallery, the Friends´ aim is to promote awareness of the Gallery, its collections and exhibitions and to foster an interest in all aspects of art and heritage. Through your membership and participation in the Friends´ events we provide support to the Gallery for future acquisitions of art and for exhibitions.
Members of the Friends of the Crawford Art Gallery have the opportunity to attend our spring and autumn series of lunchtime lectures on art history, contemporary art and our local heritage of art and architecture.
Throughout the year the Friends of the Crawford Art Gallery also host short visits and guided day tours to galleries, museums and great houses and gardens of Ireland.
Members have the opportunity to attend short talks by art historians on specific works in the Gallery´s permanent collection followed by tea/coffee and scones in the Ballymaloe Gallery café.
Each year we organise a tour abroad for our members to places of cultural interest throughout Europe. Recent tours have been to Northern Italy, Provence, St Petersburg, Berlin and Barcelona.
Members of the Friends of the Crawford Art Gallery receive notification of, and invitations to, the opening of all Gallery exhibitions.
Details of membership are available from the Friends' Office beside the Gallery Café.
Become a Member
Download the membership form here
(Word doc. 32kb)
Administrators are present in the gallery on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm.
Noreen Mc Sweeney
Nessa Durcan
+353 (0) 21 490 7864
Madrid & Toledo
7 days from €1,399 Departing 8th September 2016
Day 1
We meet at our designated pick up points in Cork and transfer by coach to Dublin Airport for our 13.05 Ryanair flight to Madrid. On arrival in Madrid we are met by our tour manager who will accompany us throughout our tour. We continue to the 4* Agumar Hotel in Madrid for a six night stay. A welcome buffet dinner without drinks is included in our hotel this evening, and the remaining five nights are on bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2
Our morning begins with an orientation tour of Madrid by coach with our tour manager. We then enjoy a guided tour at the Museo del Prado housing the world's greatest assembly of Spanish paintings including works by El Greco, Goya and Velázquez as well as works by Italian and Flemish masters.
Day 3
Today we travel to Toledo, known as the 'city of the three cultures', because Christians, Arabs and Jews lived together here for centuries.
Behind its walls Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues. A guided tour on arrival introduces us to sights such as Charles V's fortified Alcázar de Toledo and the magnificent 13th century cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in modern Christianity. The rest of the day is at leisure in Toledo.
Day 4
This morning we visit Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, housed in the Palacio de Villahermosa. A guided tour on arrival introduces us to a collection of some 800 paintings including masterpieces by Titian, Goya, Van Gogh and Picasso, regarded by many as the most important privately assembled art collection in the world. We then walk to the Museo Reina Sofia, Spain's national museum of 20th century art including works by Miró, Picasso and Dal. Our guided tour on arrival introduces us to some of the works on display, including Picasso's 'Guernica'.
Day 5
Segovia is our destination this morning. With its narrow streets and beautiful mansions, Segovia is best known for its Roman churches,aqueduct, cathedral and plaza. On the north west extreme of its medieval walls is the famous Alcázar where Queen Isabel promised Columbus the financial backing he needed to discover America. On the south east extreme is the world renowned Roman Aqueduct, the largest and best preserved of its kind. We then travel on to Avila, a beautiful medieval city surrounded by the finest preserved medieval walls in Europe with 88 turrets and nine gateways protecting its beautiful palaces and churches.
Day 6
Today we enjoy a guided tour at San Lorenzo de El Escorial, set in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama. Built in honour of Saint Lawrence it contains museums, chapterhouses, a church, library and sumptuous apartments and houses some of the most important works of art of the royal Habsburg collections.
Day 7
We transfer to the airport for our 10.25 Ryanair flight to Dublin, and onwards coach travel back to our original pick up points.
NB:- Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.
Click here for Link to the Madrid / Toledo Trip webpage.
Click here for Link to Brochure and Booking form.


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Skip to comments.AMERICANS OWN LARGEST NUMBER OF FIREARMS IN WORLD
Posted on 07/08/2003 10:42:28 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker
click here to read article
I was at an IDPA match this weekend and we were discussing the costs associated with the various competitions. Someone remarked how expensive the race guns, etc were.
Someone else commented that Cowboy Action Shooting was probably the most expensive, needing 4 guns, lots of leather and costumes, etc.
One voice drawled, "Hell, in Texas, that's just cleaning out a closet".
I think Jeff Cooper was the one who said it is impossible to have too many books, guns, or fine wines. (I'm doing my best on all three.)
Yeah, but I really skew the numbers up. I'm sure I'm not the only one with an assortment of lenders in case the neighbors need to borrow.
The study I saw, said North Dakota had the highest firearms ownership of any state. (also the lowest crime rate in the nation)
And I'm still short a 30-30 model 94 and a 12 gauge.
They didn't count their "issue" rifles and pistols, those technically belong to the Army, until their militia sevice is finished, at which point they can keep them perhaps for a small fee.
Not quite, officers are only issued pistols. They can buy an assault rifle, or a battle rifle if they want one.
You do, and you should.
Well, folks, ONE of those two hundred some odd million is mine, specifically the Stevens-Savage 12 Guage pump-action shotgun (a picture of which I found on the web....)
A local gunsmith who is Range Officer for one of the local police departments turned me on to one of his techniques for exterior maitenance. He uses the metals polish and restorer called "Flitz", the homepage of which can be found here. I swear to Gawd, people, that Flitz stuff will take the storage residue right off, and he's sworn by it for years. That shot barrel was as smooth as a baby's a$$ when Mike got done with it. This is for exterior use only and is no substitute for standard cleaning and oils, by the way.
By the by, this fellow maintained that for Home Defense purposes, it's best if I convert to a shorter barrel for tactical purposes, rather than have that long thing stick out like that. Anyone know where I can get a decent shorter barrel on the internet, or should I just do the right thing and go to the next gun show?
Be Seeing You,
The Finns are a very proud people. Their history includes kicking the crap out of the Russians on more than one occasion. Finland is odd for a socialist nation; they have a very good rifle manufacturing industry and are very big on bolt actions. They also produce brass cartridge cases of very high quality (Lapua) and have their own smokeless powder manufacturing (Vitha Vuori)industyr which exports to the US.
I was pretty close on the age deal. 42 for enlisted, 52 for officers. I was an officer once upon a time in a land far away, and I'm 53 now. Of course I've got nearly 7 years to go in the Texas Reserve militia, as does my wife, and of course my daughters and their SOs have much longer.
Here is a Link with some info on the subject, and here is one on their gun laws at the Swiss Embassy in Washington and on their militia/military system
I may have been wrong about the "small charge", they may just get to retain them.
The Cabelas catalog has a bunch listed. Try them.
(Nice shotgun BTW.) Here's a pic of mine.
I think this is the first time, for any reason, that I've ever seen Finns and Yemenis bracketed together.
Molon Labe!
And the Swiss have closed the "gun-show loophole"
Subsequent transfers either by sale or by another transaction among private individuals have to be documented through a written contract between those individuals themselves, which they have to keep for at least ten years.
Who needs the BATF?
Hey, I was just reporting what I had heard the average was...my household definitely raises the average, and I have every intention of continuing to raise the average over time.
ChefKeith...17.4 per adult! With 14 million adults, this is 243,600,000 guns here. We're well-armed, and surely some people think that 17 per person is a bare minimum, but WOW! :>)
Canada delenda est!
Subsequent transfers either by sale or by another transaction among private individuals have to be documented through a written contract between those individuals themselves, which they have to keep for at least ten years.
Who needs the BATF?
It's not as bad as that. IF the contract stays with the individual selling or transfering the weapon. So there is no government record or even the possibility of one. It's probably a good idea in fact. If the gun is subsequently misused, the seller is covered, and the buyer is covered because the seller can't claim it was stolen. Contracts are not neccessarily a bad thing.
Where is the "conversion" to semi-auto written? Seems kind of dumb. However, it's too bad we can't get the BATFE and DCM/Army to allow something like that for all the M-14s sitting around waiting to be torched.
1. That's because we have the most to lose.
2. That's because we have what everybody else wants.
3. That's because we have the most dangerous criminals. And some are not even elected.
4. That's because there are a lot of tasty things running around in our forests and prairies.
5. That is so we can make the world a better place for all the idiots that cannot or will not defend themselves.
And a few other lesser reasons.
Unless of course one is foolish enough to live in Washington, D.C. But otherwise, the point is well-taken.
I wasn't critical of the Swiss system. It's actually quite good. Both gun-dealers and private sellers have to keep a paper record of sales, but no info needs to be sent to the Feds. In the event of later misuse, the info is available, but if there is no misuse, the central goverment is totally out of the picture.
Yes, we are No.1 and we have enough to go around.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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The daily standup, long one of Agile's trademark ceremonies, seems to have been coming under fire lately.
Erik Meijer, in his provocative presentation at Reaktor Dev Day 2014, declared: "enough of the standup meetings—just write code." Now, if the daily standup were a cornerstone of product development teams, we would vigorously leap to its defense; but we're not talking about our right to free speech here. What's being attacked is just a small ceremony, viewed as iconic only by those who don't understand it.
The Canary in the Coal Mine
The daily standup can be a very useful tool for those who work closely together (most Agile teams fall into this category.) A successful standup can align teams around a shared purpose, uncover problems proactively, and promote shared learning. However, like a canary in a coal mine, the daily standup can be an early sign of hazardous conditions.
Let's assume there's no such thing as best practices—only good practices in context. In that case, if a daily standup is wasteful, then the team should stop doing it. That said, if developers aren't interested in each other and checking alignment against shared goals is this really a team? If spending 15 minutes at the start of the day to speak to each other is seen as a terrible interruption, then haven't we self-organized ourselves into the trap of measuring the workers, rather than the work product?
As a coach I observe a lot of daily standups. Yet it was a standup to which I wasn't invited that left the strongest impression on me.
I was the first patient of the day in my doctor's office, on a day when I was scheduled to have minor surgery. I was feeling nervous, thinking about entrusting my health to people I barely knew. As I sat in the waiting room, then, it was a surprise (and a relief) to see the doctors and nurses on the team begin their day with a brief standup.
The Fundamental Attribution Error
Erik Meijer tells us that Agile is a cancer, and that we should leave developers alone so they can get their work done.
I started my career as a developer, working on some very large and challenging systems. For some years I worked on compiler development; later I progressed to developing air traffic control systems. Air traffic control systems are very complex: there are a lot of interrelated subsystems that need to be integrated, and as you can imagine, quality is imperative. Brian was one of our subsytem leads and nobody would say his job was trivial. However, his biggest problem wasn't technical; his biggest problem was Tim.
Brian's subsystem depended on components being delivered by Tim. Tim was a gifted programmer, but he wasn't a great teammate. All his variable names were two characters. Nobody but Tim could understand his code and fix it—especially not Brian, a big problem as fixing Tim's code was exactly what Brian needed to do when none of that code met requirements. (Tim knew the requirements: he just felt he knew better than our product owner, Gary, what the customer needed.) In making this assumption, Tim was making a fundamental attribution error: he was assuming that our users were like him, when in fact they were not.
Brian was behind with his deliverables, and was coming under increased pressure. Our program manager asked me to help remove the impediment. I'd like to say that I was able to turn Tim into a better teammate to Brian, but that's a footnote for another story. Removing the impediment meant moving Tim to another project and completely rewriting his subsystem code.
As I listened to Erik Meijer rail against Agile, I couldn't help but be reminded of Tim. Erik is not the first person to criticize Agile, and he certainly won't be the last. But to call Agile a cancer makes the fundamental attribution error of assuming that everyone has the same problems he does.
Stop Searching Under Streetlamps
One of the popular games we use in our Lean training is The Penny Game. The main learning objective of the game is for participants to experience the benefits of batch-size reduction. This game also surfaces the importance of systems thinking, as the real benefits are realised through looking at the whole rather than optimising the parts.
Traditional cause-and-effect approaches to improvement would seek to find best practices, and then to send all the developers to training to improve their productivity. After playing the Penny Game we can dismiss this approach as myopic, yet in the real world this flawed thinking prevails. Like the story of the drunk who looks for the lost keys under the streetlamp, we often focus where the light is shining—not where where we actually let things drop.
Agile isn't a cancer but a magnifying glass that brings focus to our work. Before you quit doing standups, you might want to try looking for your keys where you dropped them.
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Douglas Seder, MBANMLS#: 55968
- Phone: 518-292-1677
- Fax: 518-292-1687
Albany, NY 12205
About me
Let's get it done.
Douglas Seder, MBA, is a Sales Manager and Licensed Loan Originator for Homestead Funding Corp., the region's largest and most successful mortgage bank for over the past decade, committed to serving the Hudson Valley, New York's Capital Region and Southern Vermont. With Doug's experience, and his business, professional and educational background, he is fully focused on making the deal work for you, getting it done efficiently and cost-effectively.
My commitment to you:
Other Loan Originators may do an adequate job, but I take pride in closing the deal in the shortest possible time frame, with the best possible terms, and with personal commitment, expertise and professionalism that go above and beyond. My personal approach makes the process of working together- both for customers and professional colleagues- a pleasure.
What my clients are saying about me:
I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to write you sooner. I wanted to thank you and your team for all the help in purchasing our house and speeding up the closing process. I also wanted to apologize and thank you for the last minute scramble over the closing time confusion. You all were great, thanks so much! ~Hardin G.
I have absolutely no reservations in referring potential clients. You have been a model of communication and responsiveness at every turn. As we started the refinance process I really had no idea of what to expect…Well you have set a high bar indeed. Both Ann and I thank you. ~Mark C.
I want to thank all of you for the great experience we had with Homestead. Your team really came together and provided fantastic responsiveness and support. The closing went well on Monday and we could not be more thrilled to be in our new home. Thank you so much. I will definitely be recommending Doug and Homestead. ~Wendy T.
I wanted to say thank you again for helping me make this dream come true of finally owning a home! You were great to work with and I can't thank you enough for all that you did! ~Jack M., Burlington, VT
Just wanted to say thank you to you and your team for producing such a speedy and hitch free closing. I'm happy to recommend you and your staff to anyone looking to purchase a home. ~Carol F.
THANK YOU DOUG!!!! I really appreciate all of your help in the process and will definitely refer anyone looking to purchase a home to you! ~Cheryl U.
Great news on the loan approval! I would definitely recommend you to friends. I have purchased multiple houses and this one has by far gone the smoothest! Thanks for your help! ~Rob F.
We have been and will forever be raving about your service and commitment to this process with us. The communication and efficiency has been amazing. We cannot thank you enough. Our previous experience was an utter nightmare. Receiving emails with steps, updates, etc. let us know our file had not just disappeared in an underwriting pile. THIS is the way the mortgage banking process should work. Your staff is professional, polite and expedient. You have exceeded ALL of our expectations. ~Colleen S.
We want to thank you for everything you have done for us. Helping us to buy a wonderful first home when no one else would. It is greatly appreciated. Our first new home is everything we wanted and more. Thank you again. ~Levi and Vanessa
Thanks for all of your help with the mortgage. Looking forward to making the house a home. ~Anthony D.
I have and absolutely would recommend Homestead. I appreciate how accommodating and quickly you got back to me with Pre-Approval letters. They changed a bunch of times based on locations and value of the offers. Also, you were great in answering my questions relative to the application, percentage down, etc. As you know, we have 2 year old twins and having the electronic means of uploading our application documents was very convenient. I can't even imagine bringing the kids to the office to sign documents. The review and conditional approval turnaround was excellent. I appreciate you keeping us in the loop about the status of the appraisal and checking in on the progress on the sale of our house. Thank you again for all your help! ~Amanda K.
Thanks for helping us with the mortgage on the new house. I will mention you/Homestead to anyone that mentions they are looking to purchase a new home. ~David R.
Thank you, will be happy to refer folks to you & your team. It all went very smoothly. ~Christopher P.
Thank you for everything. It was a pleasure working with you and I truly appreciate your professionalism as well as your personable approach. I wish you the best. ~John T.
Thank you so much for your assistance! Everything went smoothly and we are the happy new owners of our dream home. I know we will be very happy for many years to come. You and your staff were outstanding in every way and I would not hesitate to recommend you to family and friends. ~Cynthia & Richard L.
Spending our first night in our new home. Thank you so much for all you did and making it so quick and easy! ~Ryan C.
I am very pleased with your service and have already referred you twice. If they contact you, I told them to use my name. ~William R.
Thank you again for all your help. You and your team are phenomenal. This is the third time we have had the pleasure of working with you and every time it has been a great experience. We will continue to refer others to you. ~Andrea P.
Thank you Doug. You were great to deal with, very efficient. We will certainly recommend you to anyone who is looking to purchase in this area! ~Beth B.
Thanks and I appreciated your help in buying a home, everything went well at closing. ~Jeff G.
Thanks again for all of your help and patience. I know you both had lots to do on your end and rushed to keep things moving. Thank you so much for that. We will definitely recommend you to anyone we know looking for a mortgage and certainly, if we ever want to refinance either property or buy something in future, we'll look you up. ~Kathy & Elliot S.
Your service has been extraordinary. Great advice and options to achieve our goals, friendly service, always accessible even on weekends and evenings, timely processing of paperwork, competitive rates. I really don't have a single complaint or even any constructive criticism. I will definitely recommend you to others if given the chance. ~Tom & Jenny C.
Every step of the way, I have felt very confident that I know what is going on, where my loan application has been, and what steps have come next. My first home purchase, I was in the dark until closing day; this was so much better! I will absolutely be recommending you to anyone I know who is thinking about buying a home. ~L. Rose
Thank you Doug, you went above and beyond. I will be referring everyone to you!! ~Nicole B.
We wanted to pass along our highest recommendation for Doug and his team at Homestead Funding. Homestead was able to close our loan from application date to closing date in exactly two weeks. We could not believe how quickly Homestead was able to process the loan. Doug's team went above and beyond, all while providing top notch service along the way. We could not with a clear conscious recommend anyone else but Doug and Homestead to anyone with mortgage funding needs. Thank you again to Doug and Maureen for all your help in seeing our dream come true. ~Jon and Kirstin Birtwell
As far as the quality of service, I would put it at the exceptional level. You and your staff have been very helpful, professional, and timely and answered all questions/concerns. The ability to upload information and track everything on your website is both efficient and convenient. I would have no problem recommending you and your staff to others. ~Rick J.
Doug was awesome! Very professional and extremely helpful and aware of his customers. ~Kristina and Aaron K., Voorheesville, NY
Would recommend Doug Seder and Homestead Funding without reservation. It was a pleasure doing business with you. ~Colleen D., Albany, NY
I will certainly refer and recommend Doug! He made the whole process a lot easier!! ~Hilary P., Clifton Park, NY
Everyone, especially Doug, was extremely helpful. He went above and beyond to help me always! ~Lauri C., Valatie, NY
We were very pleased. Doug went above and beyond. We researched several different angles, which was very helpful. I expect to do business with Doug in the future. ~Richard and Colleen G., Troy, NY
… My family is very happy at the fact that we now have a place to call our own. All I know to be true is that I could not have done it without Doug's help. He was right on the money with answering questions. ~Tim V., Cohoes, NY
We just wanted to let Doug know how supportive, nice and helpful he was. He made the process of buying our first home a pleasant experience. All his hard work was greatly appreciated! ~Jason and Calana Y., Saratoga Springs, NY
I truly appreciate Doug's hard work and dedication regarding the tiny loan he helped me get. There were a lot of other companies that would not give me the time of day due to the small amount. In addition, I appreciated Doug's patience in dealing with changes and glitches as we went through the loan process… ~Christopher G., Albany, NY
I just wanted to thank you again for all you did for us. You made everything very smooth and seamless. We are very happy with our new home! ~Roman D.
I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the work that you and your team did for me throughout this process. As you know this was my first home, and going in, I did not know entirely what to expect. From start to finish all of my questions and concerns were answered and I can't thank you and your team enough. ~Brian D.
Thank you for your team's hard work. You made the buying process approachable and you made Jon and I feel comfortable with everything that goes into buying a house. I will definitely recommend you to friends, family, and co-workers as the opportunities present themselves. I am thankful that you took us seriously and you were able to help us get this done. ~Caitlyn C.
I want to thank you all for your hard work on this. You and your teams were excellent. From dealing with the underwriters to the sellers to the Realtor to ME, I know it wasn't easy and I really appreciate your efforts, your diligence, your patience, your time... ~Martin B.
My new home is fantastic and my family is very happy, as am I. Your service was outstanding! Thank you again for everything you did to make this happen. I will certainly recommend you to anyone I know looking to buy a home. ~Chris G.
I just wanted to let you know that for an average person, finding their dream home is one thing. But finding a lender who is not only true to their word, responds to emails, returns phone calls and is willing to explain things until you understand them is not always the case. You were able to do all those things for us, and always kept us in the loop. I will be recommending Doug Seder to anyone looking for a mortgage or information about a mortgage. Thanks again for all your hard work and making it possible for me and my wife to raise our family in the home of our dreams. ~Scott B.
Thank you for a seamless experience with Homestead. The closing, sale, everything couldn't have been better and I'll definitely recommend you to people looking for a mortgage. ~Carrie B.
Yay!!! Relief and excitement!!!! You have given great service and taken excellent attention to answer all of our questions about this process! Robert and I will 100% recommend you to anyone we know looking for home loans! Thank you so much! ~Rebecca P.
Your firm is 5 star and I will use it in the future and have already referred friends. If everyone did business like you all would run smoothly. ~ Steve H.
Just wanted to say thank you for getting our loan closed quickly at a great rate. Working with you is a pleasure. ~ George & Lisa W.
I just wanted to thank you again for your help in the home buying process. The level of professionalism and friendliness you displayed should be the yardstick by which all others are judged. Looking back, I'd imagine that buying a home would have been far more challenging had you not been involved. I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors! ~ Sean P.
Kyle and I just wanted to sincerely thank you for all of your work in getting us a mortgage. We closed on the house yesterday, and we are thrilled! We really appreciate all of your time, patience, and effort over the last couple of years as we have prepared to buy a home. You have made this process as easy for us as you could, and we appreciate your willingness to take the time to explain all of the steps of the process to us. When our friends are ready to buy, we will certainly tell them to give you a call. Thanks again. ~ Christine and Kyle L.
Doug is passionate about first-time homebuyer education, and really goes the extra mile to deliver essential information and outstanding service. ~ Randy K.
Doug made the entire experience of purchasing a home a very pleasant one from application to the closing. We have recommended Doug to other friends who are in the market. ~ Alisa P.
I have been passing your name around to everyone I can think of. You definitely made the home buying experience much easier. ~ Steve M.
I have to thank you again for your exceptional service during the last closing. I really appreciate it. The property upgrade is exactly what my family needed. It was a property ladder climb and a quality of life boost, that's real estate at it's best. ~ Evan R.
I just wanted to thank you and your staff at Homestead funding for the outstanding service you provided to us for the mortgage on our vacation property. You always answered all of our questions and kept us abreast of the progress of the loan status as well as updates on interest rates. It is especially nice in this day and age to actually get an immediate call back when a message is left!!! Someone was always available at the office to answer my question or make sure they found the answer to my question. You and your team made the entire process go very quickly and smoothly. At the closing our attorney remarked, "I really like your mortgage banker. The documents arrived ahead of schedule and we didn't have to chase after them." I would like to thank you and your staff again for the excellent service. ~Scott L.
Thank you so much for all your hard working days during the purchase of our home. It was so reassuring to know we had complete trust in our Loan Originator. You made a stressful time much easier. Thank you. ~ Robin F.
Doug Seder was and is an incredibly hard working individual and did an amazing job. I will always work with Mr. Seder in the future due to his professionalism and prompt service! Further, I will recommend his services to all of our business partners. ~ Robert R.
I just wanted to drop you a quick line about an employee of yours, Doug Seder, with whom I had the pleasure of working with. I had very negative experiences with other mortgage companies and banks. Luckily for myself and my family I took the opportunity to have Doug handle the refinancing of my home. Doug was personable, professional, and highly qualified when handling every aspect of my refinancing. I am completely satisfied with the job that Doug did and have already recommended him to my coworkers. Not only did he do what he said he was going to do, but he was punctual in doing so. Doug truly is an asset to your company. ~ Anthony G.
Doug was wonderful in helping us with our refinance. He made the process completely painless with top-notch results. I recommend him highly. ~ Joshua M.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the help with the home buying process. You made everything so great. Laura and I are all settled in the new house and so very happy. Thank you for everything. ~ Mike M.
Thanks for everything Doug. You guys made the transaction super easy and very pleasant. Actually calling of a transaction is not right. It was a very personal engagement. ~ Perry C.
Buy a Home
Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or have purchased a home before, we can help you throughout the mortgage process. We are here for you!Learn More
Refinance a Home
If you already have found your dream home, Homestead Funding offers competitive rates for people who are looking to refinance their home.Learn More
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Finance or refinance a home in need of updates with one of our renovation programs. Options available to depending on the scope and type to your project.Learn More
State Licensing
Licensed Mortgage Banker - NYS Department of Financial Services
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November in Thisby
The Scorpio Races captured my imagination through Stiefvater's ability to transform the landscape and the natural elements into characters.
I have lived on an island for a long time, and I understand the unique sense of isolation that most islanders feel and that drive some away. Stiefvater draws on the isolation of the place to fuel the tension between characters. The conflict between Gabe and Puck is none other than the island of Thisby. Gabe has to get away. The island of Thisby, his home, is closing in on him. "This island […] That house you and Finn are in. People talking. The fish—goddamn fish, I'll smell like them for the rest of my life. The horses. Everything. I can't do it anymore" (38.69). But not every islander feels claustrophobic. Some need to stay because it's their home, and they couldn't bear leaving. Maybe it's a matter of loyalty or maybe some just fit where they are. Puck will stay.
I didn't actually realize there wasn't much to the island until a few years ago, when I started reading magazines. It doesn't feel it to me, but Thisby's tiny: four thousand people on a rocky crag jutting from the sea, hours from the mainland. It's all cliffs and horses and sheep and one-track roads winding past treeless fields to Skarmouth, the largest town on the island. The truth is, until you know any different, the island is enough.
Actually, I know different. And it's still enough.
The island is not just the place where the characters are, but it is a force in their lives.
I also lived in the northern part of Canada where the natural elements not only cause inconvenience and make life hard, but they can actually kill you. Stiefvater describes a wind that tears 'the mist to shreds', acts "ruthless" (6), and "rips at [Puck's] hair, pulling it out of [her] hair band and whipping the strands across [her] face" (46). This is the November wind fierce, cold, and deadly. But Thisby is an island and the ocean that surrounds it is also fierce, cold, and deadly. The ocean is not a neutral force. It has a relationship with the characters. Sean's connection to the ocean is obvious.
The water is so cold that my feet go numb almost at once. I stretch my arms out to either side of me and close my eyes. I listen to the sound of water hitting water. The raucous cries of the terns and the guillemots in the rocks of the shore, the piercing, hoarse questions of the gulls above me. I smell seaweed and fish and the dusky scent of the nesting birds onshore. Salt coats my lips, crusts my eyelashes. I feel the cold press against my body. The sand shifts and sucks out from under my feet in the tide. I'm perfectly still. The sun is red behind my eyelids. The ocean will not shift me and the cold will not take me.
Ever present, natural elements are never to be underestimated or forgotten.
My first and deepest connection to this story was through its atmospheric writing. Stiefvater creates the setting in ways that are completely recognizable to me. I know this place. I have felt its November winds. And when I finished the book, I missed the place as much as I did the other characters.
The Call.
Motivation is a slippery idea. We all aren't motivated to do things in the same way. Heck, we're not even motivated in the same way consistently in our own lives! One time I might be motivated to finish a task because there is an external reward, but another time I am motivated by the sense of satisfaction I get from a job well-done. Sometimes it seems that nothing can get me motivated.
How is it then that some people seem to have such high levels of motivation?
Many people think there is a connection between how much we are invested in the task, or how much we care about it, and our levels of motivation. I guess this make sense. The next question is how to find something to care about that much?
Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, believed that each of us is called to our own heroic journey. Not the running into the burning building to save the child kind of hero, but a kind of hero journey of our lives that transforms us and opens us up to our true selves. For Joseph Campbell, it's not that we need to go out looking for ways to be a hero; we need to learn to answer the call.
Literature is full of examples of the heroic journey. Some like The Hobbit explicitly follow the pattern of the hero monomyth. Other stories only use parts of the cycle. As we work through Pay It Forward, consider how this lens, the hero's journey, might apply.
What motivates Trevor? Did he answer the call?
Learning in 2015.
I don't want to learn alone…
One thing that I have come to value and understand at a deeper level because of [the IThink] practicum, is collaboration. There have been times when we had to work on our own and most of us realized as the months unfolded that silos are pretty useless. Our thinking is better when the experiences, deep thinking and reflections are shared. —Heidi Siwak, Ontario Educator
I am your teacher. You are my students.
I dislike these roles. They act to separate, isolate, and compartmentalize us. And everyone acts as if this is the way it should be.
I want us to have a different experience. I want us to feel the rush of each other's insights and the weight of our collective thinking as we work together to first learn and then reflect on our newly acquired perspectives.
Imagine the possibilities!
As I create/construct/write this post, I am conscious that I do so in the present tense even though the semester and our time together is drawing to a close. I don't want this reflection to be an end though. I want it to be a beginning…a beginning for all of us to consider what collaboration means and what we need to do differently the next time we are in a learning environment (which for some of us may be all the time and everywhere) to move towards working together to do the learning that we could not possibly do alone.
This semester I created opportunities for collaboration by:
- organizing seating in groups
- encouraging you to share your thinking with each other
- building in a peer review component for all writing/creating
- using the question formulation technique to help us generate relevant and meaningful questions
- having teachers model what small group discussion and collaboration can look like
- bringing outside voices in like Mr. Chris Baird
- doing the work with you like the poetry anthology and the re-framed blog
- providing many exemplars of learning
- holding a class read aloud of a common text
- conferencing with you
- blending our learning especially in Google Docs, but also with Mindomo
- encouraging self-direction and reflection
- building in metacognition
And yet, my voice dominated the space.
I don't want to learn alone. I want to learn with you because your ideas, your questions, your challenges, your a-ha moments will not be the same as mine, and they will teach me.
Take a moment to reflect with me. What else do we need to do or to know that will move us along the collaboration continuum? What other types of support or strategies might you need to build your collaboration skills?
"Learning Ready" Defined.
What does it mean to be "learning ready"? And why has this notion captured my imagination completely. I have decided to curate other's thinking that in some way connects with what I am understanding to mean "Learning Ready."
My thinking started here…
The Fisch-Richardson conversation via The Fischbowl: What options exist for our young people today beyond high school? What is the conversation that we should be having with our teens about their lives? How has the story of high school, college/university, job changed? In 2013, Karl Fisch thinks about how he can best support his kids (and his students) in thinking about their futures. Will Richardson joins the conversation with this comment that ends with the phrase "learning ready".
Will Richardson1/7/13, 4:57 AM
You've got six years…I have less than three. And I've been having almost the exact same thoughts and questions running through my brain as well. The stats on the kids in our districts are very similar; the vast majority go to college right after graduation. The idea that there would be any other path for kids who have the grades to go to college is unheard of. (Tess is still getting grief about not taking the PSATs as a sophomore this year.) But my kids have known for a long time that they will have options, even though they may not be as "clear" as college. And I don't mean vocational paths (though those are fine, too.) I mean different paths to professional success and accreditation.
But here's the thing: are our schools preparing kids to forge their own path? To be "entrepreneurial learners" as John Seely Brown calls them, kids who are "Constantly looking around them, all the time, for new ways and new resources to learn new things"? Because if college is only one path, the other ones are forged by self-direction, organization, wonder, creation, sharing, inquiry…all those things that you and I need in order to be successful learners in our lives. Kids who don't go to college to get a degree need to be able to design their own learning since they won't get a course list and syllabus handed to them. They need to have skills and literacies that will allow them to learn what they need to learn, create art (as Seth Godin says) with that learning, share that learning, and "earn their influence" (as Stephen Downes says). We teaching them how to do that?
So, there's always been that "third path" somewhere between getting a job and going to college, but now, I think it's going to start to scale in some interesting ways. That's why I really don't care if my kids are "college ready" when they leave high school as long as they are "learning ready," able to put together their own path to success.
To answer your question, no. At least not my school and most of the schools I've been to or heard of. On the other hand, I don't really know how to do that myself, or how to help 14-18 year olds (at my school, anyway) get interested and engaged in that pursuit. So I certainly don't pretend to have the "answers."
And I agree about being "learning ready," I'm just not sure how to get from here to there.
From Seth Godin's Blog of December 2010
The world's worst boss
That would be you.
Even if you're not self-employed, your boss is you. You manage your career, your day, your responses. You manage how you sell your services and your education and the way you talk to yourself.
Odds are, you're doing it poorly.
If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talked to you, you'd quit. If you had a boss that wasted as much of your time as you do, they'd fire her. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you are developing yourself, it would soon go under.
I'm amazed at how often people choose to fail when they go out on their own or when they end up in one of those rare jobs that encourages one to set an agenda and manage themselves. Faced with the freedom to excel, they falter and hesitate and stall and ultimately punt.
We are surprised when someone self-directed arrives on the scene. Someone who figures out a way to work from home and then turns that into a two-year journey, laptop in hand, as they explore the world while doing their job. We are shocked that someone uses evenings and weekends to get a second education or start a useful new side business. And we're envious when we encounter someone who has managed to bootstrap themselves into happiness, as if that's rare or even uncalled for.
There are few good books on being a good manager. Fewer still on managing yourself. It's hard to think of a more essential thing to learn.
From David Prices' post via MindShift March 23, 2015
This post moves towards a more concrete definition, or at least part of a definition, of what learning ready is. It provides a checklist of six "Do its"-motivators for learning socially-that schools need to integrate into their learning environments:
- Do it yourself
- Do it now
- Do it with friends
- Do it for fun
- Do unto others
- Do it for the world to see
Yet schools who have opened their learning environments and integrated [the six learning] motivations into their learning programs are not only enhancing engagement–they are preparing their students for the adaptive, entrepreneurial future that awaits them. In short, they have realized that the best way to prepare young people for the world beyond school is to immerse them in the world beyond school, as often as possible. (my emphasis)
Blurring the lines: Modelling the Re:framed Blog
The idea that classroom learning needs to be authentic and relevant to students, that it needs to connect to their out of school lives, that it needs to be meaningful is a nice thought. The trouble with this thinking is that many students don't get it, want it, understand it. What happens outside of school stays outside of school, and that includes everything from personal devices to passions. We need to figure out how to blur the lines.
Some of my classes are engaged in blogging this semester and although we are slow out of the gates, I have high hopes for our progress.
I am taking a page from David Theriault who introduced me to the Re: Framed Blogging Project, where students design blogs around their personal interests and once a week post a blog entry that re:frames some aspect of their school learning.
So in one course where we think a lot about ethics, values, dilemmas and worldviews, a student who has created a blog around her love of music might re:frame a post around the idea of bands selling their music to corporations to be used for advertising purposes, which gives her the opportunity to think about the paradigm of short-term vs long-term through a personally relevant lens.
In another class, we have been exploring Joseph Campbell's hero journey monomyth and Carl Jung's archetypal theory. Students might choose to re:frame a post around this content. Some students just competed at the Regional First Robotics Competition, and I bet that the journey from building the robot to being awarded the top seeded rookie team took the team through many of the classic stages of the hero's journey.
I love this idea of re:framing the content because it will help all of us break down the barriers of what we think learning is, of what the value is of any particular content, and of what our connection to the process is.
BUT first, as with all assignments in my classes, I need to do the work too, so here is my first re:framed post.
I thought about re:framing Since You've Been Gone, the most recent YA novel I've read. There is much to consider about the way Morgan Matson portrays Emily's family and the ever present conversation about balancing the needs of the individual and those of the family (community).
Or the list! Matson uses the device of a list to hook us into the story. Don't we love lists–making them, reading them, tracking our lives with them.
But since this blog centres around learning and the learning process, I will re:frame Campbell's heroic journey as a way to consider the learning process.
Heroes. They take on danger. Stand-up to bullies. Protect us. Inspire us. They make a difference in the world. Some of us probably aspire to being heroes. Some of us just can't help ourselves.
My husband is a hero. He has saved the day for many people. Not with the Harry Stamper kind of heroism, but with the kind that ensures that a car load of city-bound kids get to have their day of fun by rescuing their vehicle from a malfunctioning alternator. Or the kind that pulls cars out of ditches (mostly me, but others too), or that stands up for disenfranchised youth against the outcry of white privilege. It's subtle, but he, too, doesn't know how to fail.
Those heroic attributes-bravery, risk-taking, confidence, perseverance, self-sacrifice, determination, responsibility, personal ethics-they are also the attributes of the learner. Learners must be engaged in the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will allow us to live the life we want. Joseph Campbell encourages us to find and follow our bliss:
"If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."
The call to adventure.
Ok. So we need skills and knowledge (reading, writing, math, science etc.), and the courage to take on the adventure that is our lives. It's what we want to do when we grow-up. It's how we want to live our lives. It's about how to be 'learning ready' when we leave high school.
Refusal of the call.
We think of learning as something that is done to us. We think of learning as showing up. We think of learning as being caught up. We think of learning as a straight line between point A and point Z. We think of learning as a series of marks or grades.
And yet something just doesn't feel right, does it? There's little connection between the disparate parts of my day. I don't feel like engaging in the work. I'm not excited by anything I'm supposed to be learning. I'm tired. I'm bored. I have no passion. Is this it?
The call to adventure repeated.
What is learning then? What does it look like? Feel like?
- messy
- grey
- non-linear
- not the same for everyone
- slippery
- confusing
- risky
- challenging
- tingling…goose bumpy
What do I need to know? To do?
- ask questions
- think critically
- collaborate
- engage my imagination
- consider the long view
- get involved
- connect
- make time for learning
- reflect
- know thyself as a learner
- what's the plan
Leaving the traditional factory-based model of learning behind (the 'sit and get' learning, worksheets, chapter end questions, whole class novels, etc.) is not for the feint of heart. What if I haven't blogged before? Or I hate writing, period? Or I've never completed independent work? What if I am a slow reader? Or so shy that I can't speak up in a group discussion? What if I have not thought critically about a text? Or participated in an inquiry?
Will I accept the challenge that learning presents for me?
The Meeting of the Mentor
It is the teacher who helps us to face the unknown learning tasks. She teaches us skills and knowledge, and gives us feedback, advice, or guidance. However, the teacher can only go so far with us. Eventually, we must work independently to demonstrate what we know, what we have learned, and what we have yet to learn.
(Sometimes the teacher is required to give us a push to get the learning started.)
Crossing the Threshold
We have to be committed to our learning goals because they will get us to where we need to go…they will help us follow our bliss. It's hard work, but we must agree to face the consequences of the challenges put before us — increased confidence and motivation as we produce work and receive feedback; confusion and an erosion of motivation when we don't. This is really the moment when the learning takes off!
Assignments, Portfolios, Tests, and the Processes Involved in Learning
There is always method to the madness that presents itself to us. We might not always be able to discern it, but there is a plan at work.
At some point, we need to shed the doubt and just go for it: trust the process, the guidance of the teacher, and the overall plan.
Are you?
Grade 9 Learning Looks Like This!
First semester is beginning to fade, but I hope that the learning that this year's grade 9s did is permanent. We had a terrific semester with the Global Read Aloud (especially in Goodreads and Tackk Board), Skyping with our new friends at Oakland Language Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina, reflecting on ourselves as learners with Jac Calder's class at Midland Secondary School in Midland, Ontario, and beginning the work on an interdisciplinary wiki textbook called Global Perspectives: A Collaborative Textbook for Teens by Teens . We also shot a lipdup/music video based on issues around dignity and tolerance featuring the Madden Brother's song "We are done."
And a big thank you goes out to Ms. Black, who not only taught grade 9 English for the first time ever, but who did so with the kind of passion and energy that makes English come alive for students. Ms. Black and her students were great collaborators on many of these projects, and I look forward to our future adventures in learning!
Stay tuned for our video release!
Have a terrific 2nd semester everyone!
You Can Learn Anything. Really.
Famous people work hard and fail over and over just the like the rest of us. Have a listen to Will Smith share his thinking on greatness and making your life count.
Throughout history there have been those who have succeeded because they failed.
In sport….
In the arts….
One big idea that weaves its way through all of my teaching (and my learning) is the idea that we can learn anything. We need to work at it though. We need to extend effort. We need to be persistent. We need be prepared to take risks. We need to be ready to fail and fail and fail. We need a plan to get back up and try again. We need to surround ourselves with the people who will support us in our learning. But we must always remember that we need to do the work.
In the above video, Ed Sheeran shows us what growth mindset in action looks like. Not only does he take on something that he has never done and never gives up, even when he really wants to, he also makes his learning visible. You might think that that is no big deal because he is Ed Sheeran. But I don't think that's true. Remember that this is a guy who has gone from busking to selling out arenas around the world because he believed in himself and he worked hard at it. He says in the video "9 Days and Nights of Ed Sheeran" that "if you can't sing or play guitar, I couldn't either. It is possible. You don't have to be born with a special magic gift or anything, you just practice."
We don't have to be famous to have a growth mindset though. We do need to think about our beliefs and goals and the work that we need to be doing to realize our best self. Consider each of the following questions. Take time throughout your learning process to check in with yourself. How are you doing?
What's your next step?
Global Read Aloud 2014 has arrived!
Why the Global Read Aloud?
Global collaboration is necessary to show students that they are part of something bigger than them. That the world needs to be protected and that we need to care for all people. You can show them pictures of kids in other countries but why not have them speak to each other? Then the caring can begin. –from GlobalReadAloud.com


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