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(based on 6 ratings in 2019)
"There's a great culture! Everyone is extremely friendly and sociable. While strict hierarchies are still present, they are not emphasised or overly prevalent."Second year trainee, London
"Everyone is very sociable and friendly."First year trainee, London
"People are very friendly and supportive."First year trainee, London
"Trainees are very sociable and the firm sponsors quite a few social events. If you have a good idea, you can generally get funding for it."Second year trainee, London
"There's a good level of socialising (I have strong ties with my cohort), a lovely and welcoming team (I have said hello to everybody) and no sense of hierarchy (I have met the partners in my team and have already been given work by one of them)."First year trainee, London
"The culture is very good. Everyone is friendly, there's an open-door policy and no face-time culture. It is hierarchical, as is any law firm, but there are plenty of social and charity events to get involved in as well as bi-annual parties and ad-hoc drinks with the team and cohort."Second year trainee, London
"Everyone at Sidley is extremely sociable and interested in interacting with their co-workers. This fosters a great working culture both in and out of office hours."First year trainee, London
"There's a very friendly culture, a strong sense of teamwork and colleagues who are always looking to socialise outside of work hours."Second year trainee, London
"The culture is generally relaxed in terms of hierarchy, openness and general approach. Small teams help engender a feeling of cooperation and a lack of hierarchy. Socialising could be improved but it is difficult when everyone works long and varied hours."Second year trainee, London
"We have a very friendly and open-door culture. You can find US-level work and independence without the overly competitive and aggressive culture that often comes with it."First year trainee, London
"There is a very open and relaxed atmosphere in the office with partners having an open-door policy where you can go in and talk to them or they will come round and talk to you. Associates and trainees organise drinks together as well."Second year trainee, London
"The working hierarchy is strict but cooperation and teamwork are very good. People are always accessible and amenable to giving or receiving assistance. There's no hierarchy in the socialising and people are friendly."Second year trainee, London
"The culture is mostly good, with most people being very supportive and friendly."Second year trainee, London
"There's a fairly noticeable hierarchy but this seems essential to law, with different pay grades offering different experience levels. We have a friendly culture outside of hours with people keen to attend drinks and get to know each other. There are good functions several times per year."First year trainee, London
"There's very much an open-door policy. In the kitchens and corridors, anyone from partner level down will stop to say hi and have a chat. It's very common that small teams of a trainee, an associate and a partner will work together on separate aspects to complete a project. There are regular drinks organised by the firm as well as firm-wide events in spring, summer and at Christmas."First year trainee,First year trainee, London,London
"Extremely friendly firm with a truly open-door policy. At the same time, everyone is very professional, which also contributes to a laid-back feel to the office."Second year trainee, London
"The culture is very friendly and fun, but the hours can be very long."First year trainee, London
"Very friendly firm. Partners are easy to talk to as our associates. There's a good social scene with lots of social events organized and sports teams to join. We work in teams very closely, which is nice. People acknowledge when you have done a good job, which is great as well."Second year trainee, London
"In the office we have a friendly, open-door policy and a top-down hierarchy. There's lots of teamwork on projects, both in the departments themselves and inter-departmental. After-hours are friendly and relaxed."First year trainee, London
"The partners are all very friendly and approachable. The hours can be very long and weekend work is quite common, but the team is always very appreciative. Outside of work, trainees socialise with each other and the associates also join in."First year trainee, London
"The firm is very professional, but very relaxed and friendly at the same time. Everyone makes an effort and there are no "jerks". Working with senior lawyers is, in general, a pleasurable experience. The firm makes an effort to organise regular social functions."First year trainee, London
"People are really nice. There is a sense of ambition without being overpowering. Social life is good, we get on very well. Structure depends on the department - in the smaller departments the culture is more likely to be dictated by the senior employees."First year trainee, London
"There is an 'open-door' policy, partners and associates are always available and eager to answer any questions we have."First year trainee, London
"There are lots of social events, ranging from internal charity fundraisers to sports events and drinks evenings."Second year trainee, London
"Most people are extremely approachable and friendly, including the Partners. Most trainees sit with Senior Associates or Associates and work gets passed down from the Partners to that Associate and then onto you. There is a great sense of teamwork in the firm. On the occasions where I have had to work long hours, I have always been supported by a great team, which makes working the hours that much better. There is a good social scene at the firm. There are often many internal drinks events throughout the year and then we always have a big firm-wide Christmas dinner, summer party and Halloween party."First year trainee, London
"This is a very friendly office with a good level of social events. Different groups have distinctly different cultures in relation to hierarchy, etc."First year trainee, London
"Periods of high stress have been uncommon for me during my training contract although there have been late nights and weekend work is common. Generally the groups work as a team but that can't be said for every department. Social scene is good - firm parties are common and departmental drinks and dinners happen from time to time."Second year trainee, London
"The working environment at Sidley is very collegiate and the people are genuinely friendly. I have typically worked between 9:00am-7:00pm and have yet to work on weekends. The social side is very good because the firm organises various parties, events and activities for its trainees and other employees."First year trainee, London
"Although of course there is a structure and hierarchy the firm operates an 'open-door' policy. This means that it is easy enough to approach anyone at any time. The only times the doors are closed are if someone is on the phone or very busy. People are friendly and happy to help answer questions. Teamwork is very important and the atmosphere encourages this. In terms of socials the ones the firm organises are usually amazing and fun. Socialising amongst trainees varies but we do get out of the office and have a good time together on occasion."First year trainee, London
"Everyone is really friendly and treated equally. People work well in teams and cooperate well. Trainees are keen to organise social events when possible."First year trainee, London
"The office has an 'open-door' policy, and there is no obvious hierarchy. There is interaction between people at all levels of the firm, and we all go to social events together."Second year trainee, London
Our 'Insider Reviews' are the comments and views of recent graduate recruits, giving you a view of what it may be like to work for an organisation. Copyright of all TARGETjobs Insider Reviews material lies solely with GTI Media.


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Our state of the art maternity service is up and running and located in our new purpose built unit on Level 4 of the new wing at Broomfield Hospital.
If you have a post or ante natal clinic or day assessment appointment at Broomfield Hospital, please enter the hospital through the main atrium, take the public lifts to the Level 4 of the new wing and follow the signs.
You will need to ring either the birthing suite or labour ward on 01245 513926.
There are two dedicated lifts situated at the south entrance, near the Accident and Emergency Department entrance which will take you directly to the labour ward entrance (please park on the top floor of the multi-storey car park)
Following your positive pregnancy test you can now contact your Midwife directly by telephoning: For Chelmsford Midwives - 01245 513040 (answerphone available), or click the link opposite (under contact Community Midwives) to contact a Midwife, put your answers to the questions on the email and send to the midwives, they will contact you to arrange your booking.
Maternity care is based on a system that focuses on women and their family, informed by your needs. All women in our care have access to primary maternity care services, which provide the basis for referral to other levels of maternity service. Across all levels of care, midwives, obstetricians and GPs work together to ensure all women have access to, and experience safe, satisfying maternity care. There are three levels of maternity service:
Midwife led care is available for women who experience an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth, and do not require ongoing specialist supervision or intervention. The service providers in this level are usually midwives, although GP's may also participate in providing maternity care in some locations.
This maternity service is for women who have or develop complications and require a doctor to see them during pregnancy or birth. Women are referred for medical care, provided at the same hospital or through transfer to another hospital during pregnancy or labour. Midwives are still involved, both during the antenatal period and in providing continued clinical care in labour and the postnatal period. We offer vaginal birth after caesarean with dedicated midwife clinic to advise and support you to obtain a normal birth.
Tertiary services are for women and babies with complex and/or rare medical conditions, who require a team of specialist care. Obstetricians are particularly essential in providing tertiary level care, with midwives still involved in providing continued clinical care, during labour and the postnatal period. Mid Essex has three hospitals that provide specialist maternity services.

subset: commoncrawl


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Well, it is time to start thinking and planning our flocks for 2011. The e-mails have started telling us that spring orders for chicks may now be placed. If you've read some of my past posts you'll know that for 2010 we got a variety of chicken breeds to see which of them suited our family and situation best. Looking at our hens we've found that the Orpingtons and Plymouth Rocks are two of our favorite breeds. For this blog I'm going to focus on the Plymouth Rock while we decide if this is one of the breeds which we will expand our flock with in 2011.
The Plymouth Rock breed is an American breed established sometime in the mid-1800s. The first color variation established was the Barred variety with White, Buff, Blue, Black, Silver Penciled, Partridge and Columbian coming later. They have single combs, yellow legs and lay brown eggs. They are large birds who tolerate confinement but enjoy free ranging and the winter does not slow down their egg production, they lay about 200 eggs per year. The average rooster weighs 9.5 pounds while a typical hen weighs 7.5 pounds. These birds are dual purpose birds good for both eggs and meat. In fact, the White Plymouth Rock Hen was crossed with Cornish Roosters to get the Cornish/Rock cross that dominates our American supermarkets today.
From our own experience we know that the Plymouth Rock is a very inquisitive bird with a friendly temperament. They are inquisitive but very quiet. These traits make them a perfect bird for backyard flocks, as they are not frightened by the hubbub of a household and they are quiet for the neighbors.
|Mini, our pet White Rock Hen
In fact, to pick our backyard pet chickens, as opposed to our farm chickens, we selected the friendliest, most curious chicks from our 25 chick variety pack to stay at our house. Of the four selected, three were Plymouth Rocks, two white and one barred. Mini, a White Plymouth Rock, is one of our favorite hens. She loves to run inside when we open the back door to let the dogs in; she has found that she can sneak in under the Golden Retriever and we don't even see her. She then systematically checks the house for crumbs that the dogs may have left behind. When my teenage son is home she follows him everywhere he goes.
At the farm one of our other favorite hens is Laverne, who is a Barred Plymouth Rock. She helps rule the roost and has established herself as one of the top hens and was the first one in her age group to start laying. Classified as recovering by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, it appears that this is a very popular breed for new backyard chicken keepers. I'm pretty sure we'll be ordering more soon!
|Laverne, our Barred Plymouth Rock
5 Comments
Do you sell chicks or where should I look to find some?
Most of our 2010 flock, Mini included, were hatched on June 7th.
Mini is beautiful! How old is your 2010 flock?
The White Rock hen is beautiful.. Too funny that it sneaks in with the dogs!
We have also been happy with our Barred Plymouth Rock hens. They are indeed very inquisitive, yet not flighty. The largest of them is the leader of our flock and keeps the other girls in line. I know that when we look to expand our flock at 1840 Farm, we'll be adding a few more Barred Plymouth Rocks to the mix.


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I'll give you a hint. He's an aged Hungarian-born billionaire and an unabashed former Nazi collaborator.
George Soros has called Trump a would-be dictator, a con-man, and an imposter who will fail at the presidency. Perhaps to ensure his failure, Soros has dumped millions into opposition groups and lawsuits.
Recently, there have been numerous lawsuits pertaining to Trump's immigration order which temporarily stays travel from seven countries in the Middle East. A federal judge has lifted the temporary ban.
Trending: Government Forces Churches To Perform Gay Marriage
The lawsuits largely stem from organizations bankrolled by billionaire leftist George Soros and Democratic state attorneys general.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who has carried out a political vendetta against Trump, led 15 other state attorneys general in a joint statement condemning what they called an "unconstitutional, un-American and unlawful executive order." The Democratic AGs also said, "Religious liberty has been, and always will be, a bedrock principle of our country and no president can change that truth," a curious statement from the party that targeted the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Last August, George Soros' son, Alex Soros, posted a picture of himself with Schneiderman on Instagram, and wrote, "Great to meet with #newyork attorney general @ericschneiderman who recognized that @realdonaldtrump was a fraud way before many and has courageously taken him on!"
Schneiderman, as well as Democratic attorneys general in Virginia and Massachusetts, intervened in existing lawsuits. The lawsuit brought by Washington State Attorney General Robert Ferguson has achieved the most success, bringing the case that blocked the order nationwide.
The lawsuit convinced a federal judge of the state's standing on the claim the order is "separating Washington families, harming thousands of Washington residents, damaging Washington's economy, hurting Washington-based companies and undermining Washington's sovereign interest in remaining a welcoming place for immigrants and refugees."
Outside of the politicians, Soros' Open Society Foundations, which advocates for open borders, is financing several advocacy groups that initiated litigation against the order.
Leading the way in these lawsuits in several states is the American Civil Liberties Union, which has gotten at least $35.5 million from the Open Society Foundations, according to the Capital Research Center, a Washington think tank that investigates nonprofits.
Soros also gave $4.6 million to the National Immigration Law Center, which has been involved in litigation, according to the CRC; and $621,000 to the Urban Justice Center, which has an appendage known as the International Refugee Assistance Project that has jumped into the lawsuits, according to the CRC.
Soros' Open Society Foundations gave $425,000 to the American Immigration Council from 2011 through 2013, according to the CRC, which shows Soros' group also gave at least $50,000 to the National Lawyers Guild.
The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by EagleRising.com


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Geeks With Blogs
Welcome to
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Subodh Nath Pushpak
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Subodh Pushpak
Technical musings on Win8, mobile (iOS / android / WP7) and WCF
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Html5 is like pajamas; and native app is like an Armani suit
I was doing some introspection on the work I have been doing last year and realized that I have some really strong opinion on stuff which wasn't there a year back. These opinion are mainly influenced by mobile technologies I have been working on including iOS, Android, Windows Phone and HTML5. First things first, a year back, as a developer who have worked on enterprise projects; everything was a program. It has to be workable, secure and rock-solid. Mobile world thought me a very important missing ......
Posted On
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 8:22 PM
C#, .NET 4.5 and Visual Studio 2012
While I continue my affair with iOS / Android (which is now my bread / butter literally ); I also have managed to keep myself excited enough for all of new windows Stuff. Thanks to Priti Pushpak (my wife) for all the amazing Windows Phone 7 apps she is creating and uploading on appHub… I kind of like refreshing feel of win8 and apps. I also have fair bit of exposure on iPhone / iPad; Mac apps and I do put my two cents for win8 as well. If not an instant hit; win8 apps surely grows on you. So eventually ......
Posted On
Friday, August 31, 2012 7:24 PM
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Electrical installation
(Water Plants - Industrial)
HR-Automation GmbH accompanies you from the planning to the commissioning of your system. To meet this "turnkey competence", we work with experienced and highly qualified partners together in the field of Electrotechnical assembly / installation for medium-voltage switchgear and industrial.
High Tension Electrical and CEO Alexander Simic can show best references in the electric installation / assembly of industrial equipment and do electrotechnical assemblies not only at a standstill and also in compliance with all safety regulations during the operation.
After completion of assembly works the plant is tested, and then handed over to the customer. On completion, each building site is also tested. Therefore, when commissioning an appropriate security log is created and the service technicians take inspections and logging facility.


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ADOTAS — Just as ad:tech 2013 was drawing to a close, Jim Harvey, SVP Advertising for Appia, stopped by for what would be our final interview of the conference.
Appia is the leading mobile user acquisition network, delivering mobile app downloads to over 1 billion users across more than 200 countries. Ranked #22 on the Wall Street Journal's 2012 Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies, Appia provides non-incentivized performance mobile ad solutions for developers, publishers and advertisers. With offices in San Francisco, New York City, and Durham, as well as global sales locations in the UK and Mexico, Appia has quickly become the largest, non-incentivized app install network. For more information, please visit www.appia.com.


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Title IX Proportionality Prong: Compliance of Division I FBS Universities01/01/2014
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX), enacted to protect individuals from discrimination based on gender in educational programs, is enforced by the Office for Civil Rights, In regard to collegiate sport, the enactment of Title IX has resulted in increased opportunities; however, sport organizations frequently fail to meet compliance with proportionality. The purpose of this study is to examine the compliance of Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference schools with the proportionality prong of the Title IX test. Results suggest that data from 2011-2012 for total athletes in all FBS conferences (M=4.59, SD=4.39) was significantly different from data in 2005 (M=9.2), N=11, t=-3.488, p=0.006. Additionally, data for unduplicated athletes (M=7.23, SD=4.63) was not significantly different from data in 2005 (M=9.2), N=11, t=-1.416, p=0.187. The actual number of Division I athletes, reflects no significant change in the proportionality gap since 2005. A positive correlation was found between female undergraduate percentage and the proportionality gap with total athletes (r= 0.760, p=0.007, α≤.05) and an even stronger positive correlation between female undergraduate percentage and the proportionality gap with unduplicated athletes (r=.0858, p=.001, α≤.05). Although changes are being made to improve gender equity within Division I, on-going consideration is needed of additional opportunities to improve gender equity in collegiate sports.


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CBN Invests N26bn in Sugar Production Companies – CBN Gov
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has disclosed that the apex bank has invested about N26 billion to build Sunti Golden Sugar factory in Sunti, Niger State.
Mr. Emefiele speaking at the weekend during the facility tour of the new completed project noted that project of such magnitude was embarked upon in order to encourage import substitution and backward integration strategy.
He assured genuine investors into Nigerian economy of cooperation and support towards self-sufficiency in local production of essential goods and the economic diversification drive.
According to the CBN Governor, such investments are geared towards self-sufficiency, generate employment and create of wealth. He therefore urged smallholder sugar cane farmers in the area to leverage on the presence of the factory to boost production, as the company would now buy all their produce.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Flour Mill of Nigeria Group, owners of Sunti Golden Sugar Company, Mr. John Coumantaros, profoundly expressed appreciation for the uncommon support, which the CBN been given to company without which the project wouldn't have been completed on schedule.
The chairman noted that the N45 billion sugar-refining project is expected to create over 15,000 jobs including 3,500 direct jobs, 3,000 small scale out-grower farmers and save over $50 million in foreign exchange for the country annually.
Mr. Coumantaros further stated that Nigeria presently produce 1.7 million metric tons of raw sugar which is just about two per cent of her needs whereas, countries like Benin Republic, Senegal and Mali currently produce 26 per cent, 48 per cent and 28 per cent of their local sugar needs.
As such, the planned one hundred thousand metric tons of raw sugar to be produced by Sunti Golden Sugar Company would augment the supply gap, create jobs and save foreign exchange for the country. This is in addition to generation of 10 megawatts of electricity, animal feeds and fertilizer from the sugar cane residue.
In his remarks the event, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello commended the management of the CBN for providing the much needed fund for the projects and the Nigeria Flour Mills for working hard to fulfill its obligations to the host community by providing access roads, boreholes, electricity and health facility in addition to the engagement of over 800 construction workers mostly from the host communities.
He urged the company to train the staff to be skilled for future expansion. He assured promised to work assiduously to make Niger State contribute towards making Nigeria self-sufficient in food production and become an exporting nation.
The Group Managing Director, Flour Mills PLC, Paul Gbedebo gave an assurance that farmers in Niger State, in particular, would no longer encounter the problem of searching for markets for their produce as the company would buy off everything, going forward.


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If today's Abraham could get God down to just one righteous politician, Britain would be saved – and we'd have Jacob Rees-Mogg to thank for it.
Britain – indeed the modern West – seems as moribund as Sodom once was, and for similar reasons: godlessness, decadence, hedonism, perversion, moral decrepitude.
Our politics reflects that state of affairs, with the electorates unerringly choosing those who reflect their own intellectual and moral failings. Gone are the times when it was accepted that statesmen should tower above the average man in every relevant trait.
Philistine modernity swears by the arithmetic average, with mediocrity seen as having redemptive value. Hence the average level predictably gets lower and lower, until it drops to the abysmal level of Tony-Dave-Jeremy.
We've become anaesthetised to the pain of modern politics. We expect politicians to be corrupt, unprincipled, self-serving and not very bright. To their credit, they seldom disappoint.
And then there is Rees-Mogg, who comes across as an envoy from a distant past, when states were governed by statesmen, not spivs. An interesting man, and what's also interesting is that he's an MP at all, especially one seen by many as a future Tory leader and perhaps even prime minister.
Not to put too fine a point on it, he's a conservative in a party that no longer is. He's also cultured, well-spoken, intelligent, decent, self-made rich and pious – and one would think any one of those qualities, never mind all of them together, would disqualify a man from a career in modern politics.
It certainly disqualifies him from being accepted by our governing politico-journalistic elite, who sputter venom every time Rees-Mogg opens his mouth. The latest occasion was provided by an interview in which he stated his unequivocal opposition to homomarriage and abortion.
Abortion, said Rees-Mogg, is tantamount to homicide because human life begins at conception. He then hedged his bets, proving he's still a politician. He feels that way, he explained, because he's a Catholic.
That's a bit of a copout. The implication is that an exponent of any other religion or none may be excused for having no such compelling reason to oppose infanticide.
Yet even a rank atheist would have to agree that conception is the only indisputable point at which life begins. Any other point is arbitrary and therefore spurious. Anyone arguing in its favour would have to explain why a foetus is still merely a part of a woman's body at 23 weeks (the legal limit for abortion in the UK), but an autonomous human being at 23 weeks plus one day.
Rees-Mogg seems to be confirming inadvertently the widespread falsehood that no absolute standards of morality exist. He, as a Catholic, rejects abortion; someone else may feel differently. De gustibus… and all that.
That, however, is a minor quibble swept aside by his reply to the next question that the interviewer posed with the perfidy of a practised agent provocateur. What about pregnancy resulting from incest or rape? Daddy rapes his little girl, she conceives, is she still supposed to keep the child?
Now 190,000 abortions are performed in Britain every year. I'd guess that no more than a few hundred of them involve rape or incest. Yet this kind of reductio ad absurdum always comes up, along with equally rare situations, such as the foetus showing signs of a mental or physical disorder. The interviewee is supposed to take that blow on the chin and go down for the count.
Rees-Mogg stayed upright. He rejects abortion, he repeated, under any circumstances. None would in his view justify the arbitrary taking of a human life.
The interviewer knew he had his man bang to rights. It was time to press his advantage. So what about same-sex marriage then? Are you opposed to that too?
I most certainly am, replied Rees-Mogg. Marriage is a sacrament and as such it's within the remit of the Church, not the state. And the Church states that marriage is a union between a man and a woman.
Let's forgive him his leaning yet again on the crutch of religion. Of course, marriage is a sacrament, but even a reasonably intelligent atheist (provided such an animal exists) could construct a purely rational argument to the same effect. He could, for example, cite the essential reproductive function of marriage. Or describe marriage as society's traditional cornerstone.
Referring to a man's cohabitation with any mammal of his choice as marriage renders the concept meaningless, thereby knocking the cornerstone out. Such playing fast and loose with millennia of tradition will always have dire social consequences – surely even any atheist with a three-digit IQ must see that?
But none of this is the point. The point is that Rees-Mogg challenged the new orthodoxy, thereby branding himself as a heretic.
Never mind that this part of the orthodoxy is of recent vintage, brought about by Dave Cameron. That only happened four years ago, but it doesn't take long for any legalised perversion to be enshrined in the new canon.
The interviewer flapped his wings in put-on amazement, and the resulting air movement set the wind turbines of malicious idiocy in motion, whipping up torrents of venom and spittle. An Independent hack, for example, wrote an article overflowing with those humours.
Among his many failings, he opined, Rees-Mogg "talks funny". Now Rees-Mogg talks the way all cultured people talked a few decades ago, and many still do. That's to say he speaks with a pronunciation that until recently was regarded as received.
This is erroneously associated not with culture but with class, but then everything is for exponents of the neo-orthodoxy. As always, they refute themselves.
Fellows, I thought diversity was the good thing. So can some of us be allowed to speak English properly without attracting derision? For diversity's sake? Now what if Rees-Mogg said that, say, John Prescott or Diane Abbott speaks funny, which to my ear they do? I can hear teeth gnashing all over Notting Hill.
Then comes another salvo in the class war: Rees-Mogg "cheerfully admits that he has never once bothered to change a single nappy or do a school run despite having six children." Crikey.
Well, you see, Rees-Mogg did the right thing. Before entering politics, he had made a fortune in the City, meaning he can now afford to hire people to do his menial chores. That also means that he doesn't regard his political career as a money spinner, the way those revolting Tony-Daves see it.
How dare he? He should be spending his time washing and ironing – even if he doesn't have to do it. That way he could establish his bogus credentials as a man of the people. And what's with that 'Jacob' business?
There is something fuddy-duddy about Jacob. Such names bespeak obtuse traditionalism; it's as if today's Philippe Egalité were to revert to Duc d'Orleans rather than progress to a more likely Phil. Call yourself Jake, Mr Rees-Mogg, to make The Independent happy.
The list of Jake's transgressions is long. Not only does he believe that Britain should be governed by her own parliament rather than Angie Merkel, but "he doesn't believe in green energy, he thinks international aid should be abolished in favour of people making charitable donations… and his views on economics are exactly what you'd expect from someone who used to be a slightly less cuddly investment banker."
The man has no shame. How dare he hold intelligent positions on every current issue? Rees-Mogg is "a throwback from about a century ago", who simply doesn't belong in a world where The Independent is a serious paper and Jeremy Corbyn is a mainstream party leader.
But that's where it really gets interesting. For Rees-Mogg not only belongs in this world but seems to be doing rather well in it. He's leading in the polls as the next Tory leader and, a throwback though he undeniably and laudably is, seems to attract a large following among many people who are impeccably up-to-date.
It may be just a fluke. The field is sown with transparent nonentities so densely that anyone with a bit of personality is bound to stand out. And what stands out must be cut back – modernity abhors the very diversity it professes to worship.
Then again, it's possible that Rees-Mogg's popularity is a sign of some tectonic shifts in public attitudes, a hint that perhaps another revolt of the masses is brewing, in Ortega y Gasset's phrase.
Such hints are being dropped all over the place. Britain votes for Brexit, confounding the polls. America elects Trump, which would have been impossible even 10 years ago. Extreme parties are making headway throughout Europe. Some EU members openly defy that pernicious contrivance.
Yet one thing about tectonic shifts is that they can't be controlled. Once those plates have slapped together, an earthquake may ensue, with devastating consequences.
An intelligent, likable young man like Rees-Mogg is someone who, given the chance, may prevent subterranean tremors from bringing the city down. If people are truly looking for an alternative to our corrupt and corrupting spivocracy, he may be able to convince them that such an alternative can only be conservative.
Rees-Mogg has many things going for him, not the least of which is the hatred he inspires in The Independent types. Godspeed to him.


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Cross-stitch Craziness…
Okay, these post titles just keep getting worse, but I'm tired. I made this bookmark for my friend, Brent, who just had open-heart surgery. He was joking around about how he would sing this song when he woke up, since, because he'll have an artificial heart valve, he'll be part robot. He's so awesome. I can't wait till school starts so I can give it to him!
And this is quite goofy, but I absolutely love it! It was started a couple years ago, when Eth & I lived together, but then I put it away after the big move. Since we're moving back in together, I thought I should finish it up so it can go on our living room wall somewhere. Some of the parts are from Jo Verso's books (She was fuckin' amazing! Rest in peace.) and others were things I made up.
Ruben really does have a heart on his side like that! I'm holding a cake & Eth is holding a stack of books. Up until recently, he's been a book-buying fool, but has weeded his collection down to a sane level.
Okay, that's all!
Amigurumi Overdose!
I sold a bunch of my amigurumi critters to my co-workers before Winter Break, so I was happy to make some more for presents. They're generally easy, as long as the pattern makes sense, & usually turn out pretty darn cute!
Like I said in the knitting post below, if you're not a member of Ravelry, the pattern links might not work. Some are directly from the creator's own website though.
Here is a giant bone I made for Ruben. He's on vacation at Eth's parents' house, so I can't wait to see what he does when I give it to him! It's from this pattern. I used many strands of white yarn, held together, along with a large hook. He is a Saint Bernard, after all!
Here are various crocheted flowers from Ravelry. I can't remember which patterns they were, but if you search under flowers, choose free crochet patterns w/pictures & a bunch will come up. I swear I am addicted to that place! I made more than this, but didn't take pictures of all of them. I sewed one of them onto my sister's green hat (that I gave her a year or so ago) & it's so cute!
Ethan gave me some pretty obvious "hints" that he would love a Donatello Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, so I made this one from Craftster (another amazing site!). I made the shell different though, because I didn't like how the small, circular one looked. I just fiddled around, but didn't keep track of how I did it. :oP The same lady that made the pattern also has a Splinter one on there, but I am not ready to tackle another one just yet!
This is a ginormous Chubby Fish, for our kitty, Yoda, filled with catnip! He's going to tear the shit out of it, I'm sure, so I had to take a picture of it in it's pre-fucked up state.
Here's a Little Ninja that I made for my friend, Chris, whose birthday was on Christmas Eve. Hopefully he's not checking my blog because I haven't seen him yet! Oh well. Hi Chris, if you read this! And I didn't realize how ninja-full my crocheting has been. Weird.
Felty Good Fun…
I've had a bunch of rainbow felt in my craft cupboard for years, so I browsed through Flickr for inspiration & came up with these ornaments. I hooked them onto the presents I gave out (& have yet to give out) & they turned out a lot better than I thought they would. Some are copied from Flickr people & some I just made up.
And here are a couple of examples of the packaging. Just simple tissue paper I'd had in a box, tied with scrap yarn & a recycled manila folder tag, along with the matching felt ornament.
Knitting Post…
I've been knitting & crocheting my ass off for presents this season for a few reasons: I love it, I'm broke, & I have a ton of horded crafty supplies up in here.
**WARNING** These items are made from wool yarn. I have a lot of it in my stash & also buy it at Goodwill & whatnot. I have major issues with acrylic because I think it is shitty for the environment & creepy. Please don't hate me!
If you knit and/or crochet, I highly recommend signing up with Ravelry, if you haven't already. It has an IMMENSE wealth of patterns (tons for free!), knowledge, & inspiration. The following link might not work if you are logged in to Ravelry.
I made a shitload of these fingerless mitts for people. I can do them without the pattern now too, which is a first for me! I kind of want some for myself, but feel my hands need some TLC & a vacation. They're really easy if you know how to use double pointed needles. Everything is really basic & even though they can be made in 3 different sizes, they're stretchy enough to allow a lot of wiggle room.
I also made another pair of blue ones & a teal pair that I didn't take a picture of, as well as a scarf for my friend, Sage, in Sweden. It's the first time I've sent something overseas, so I was really anal about packaging it up & getting it ready, then I realized I hadn't taken any photos of it. Oh well. Maybe she'll send me some of her wearing it!
I'm Finally Posting Again!
I hope everyone has had a nice holiday season & got through school, work, & "fun time" with your extended families, heh heh. Sorry I was gone so long. I have a HUGE backlog of pictures, but they're mostly crafty ones, as I was flat-ass broke for the past month. Ethan & I were watching a movie on my computer & he somehow gestured with his hand (which happened to be holding a glass of wine!) & splattered that red liquid all over my white bedspread & MacBook—the look on his face was so sad that I couldn't have possibly gotten angry. After the shock wore off, we took it to the Mac store & the dude said that it would cost $800 to send it away for fixing, or $1,000 for a new one. Sad, but I just bought a new one & he's paying me for part of it once our financial aid comes through, thank Christ.
Since my work is closed over any school holidays (it's at the university), I've been out of work for this month, so things have been sparse! That's why I didn't post my "gourmet" meals of beans & rice, pasta w/tomato paste, & other weird concoctions that I've survived on by raiding my pantry & freezer w/more desperation than I've had before. The whole experience has made me aware that I am very privileged & need to remember that. I also realized that I have a lot more food stored up than I knew & don't always need to run to the store when I have a specific craving. It's just silly. (Okay, PMS cravings don't count!!!) Creativity is key!
I also got the Thanksgiving "gift" of a notice that my already high rent is going up(for having an apartment w/out heat for a year–besides a space heater)—not something I'm thankful for!—so in one week I'm moving back in w/Ethan. We're so happy! I think we've both learned a lot since we've lived apart, and he said that his place hasn't felt like a home since I've been gone. Sweet, huh?! I wish the move could have taken place long before school was scheduled to start up again, but his current roommate couldn't move out earlier. Oh well. That's life! I'll try to post regularly & make more exciting foods than the tasty, but ugly, stuff I've been munching on.
I probably won't be able to deal with comments a whole lot, but I'll try to respond if you have questions for me. :o)
On Hiatus…
Hi folks. I'm going to be gone for a while. There was an incident with my computer, involving Ethan, red wine, and Planet of the Apes. Plus, work & school are pretty demanding. Until Winter Break…Adieu!
It's Still Halloween, Right?
Better late than never. I thought I would have time to post these earlier, but didn't. I made caramel apples for my friends/family this year. I used this recipe, from CHOW, but subbed in Earth Balance for the butter, French Silk Soy Creamer for the heavy cream, & brown rice syrup for the corn syrup. They turned out great! I rolled them in different things, combinations of pecans, peanuts, & chocolate chips.
And here are my friends' jack-o-lanterns. Matt's alien invaders are on the top & Ethan's creepy hacked-up face is on the bottom. Mine was mysteriously not documented. Darn.


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Unexpected events: Suicide and suicidal thoughts
Saturday afternoon, I found myself sitting in a church in downtown San Antonio. My husband and I were attending a memorial service for Mike – a fellow attorney my husband had known for the past fifteen years. As I sat on the pew, I was surprised that the family had the minister address the circumstances around his death.
Last Tuesday, Mike committed suicide. My husband who talked to Mike usually weekly was shocked. He knew Mike has been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer last year but had no idea that he had recently gone off his medication. What no one knew was Mike – who was a 75-year-old grandfather – was also fighting depression. On the days before he committed suicide, he was planning a vacation with his wife. That day, she spoke to him on the phone, and he said he was leaving right then to come home. But he never did.
Instead of shying away from the facts, his family let everyone know how he died. And as I said, it was addressed at the memorial service. The minister addressed depression. Mike always seemed so happy and upbeat that many were shocked that he was depressed. He kept it well hidden from church friends, his clients and even his family.
Our neighbor's father committed suicide two years ago. Again, it was unexpected. His wife spoke to him just moments before he took his life. Again, he had medical issues, but no one knew if his action was related to medication, or if he too was hiding his depression.
You just never know what is going on in someone else's life – even when they always seem happy. Take my 11-year-old daughter Lexie, for example. She is most of the time very happy and outgoing. As with every pre-teen girl, there is always some issue with friends, but it all seemed typical to me. It was definitely a surprise when I received a call from the school counselor. Lexie had written a note to a friend that indicated she might harm herself. I needed to come pick her up.
In the note, twice Lexie mentioned she wanted to die. Now she may have been being over dramatic, but the school must take these things seriously. They recommended we get Lexie counseling and had Lexie sign an agreement not to harm herself. They gave me a list of counselors and sent us on her way.
At home Lexie denied that she wanted to harm herself. But because she has some self-esteem issues and some anxiety, we still felt it would be worth it for her to see a counselor. The problem with the school list of counselors is that they covered every range of problem from child abuse and rape to a host of other specialties that didn't apply to Lexie. And many of the counselors were not located near us. So instead of using their list, I called Lexie's pediatrician and got recommendations from them.
I'll write more about Lexie and counseling in the upcoming weeks. But my point is that you never know what someone is thinking or how someone truly feels. People often say they are "fine" when they are not.
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"Apple CEO Tim Cook has responded to a MacRumors reader's email about the lack of a long-awaited MacBook Pro refresh, stressing that he 'loves the Mac' and that Apple is 'very committed' to it," Joe Rossignol reports for MacRumors.
"He told the customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, to 'stay tuned,' suggesting that updates to the Mac lineup are on the horizon," Rossignol reports.
"An update to the Mac lineup at some point is inevitable, and the bigger focus is now on when that will happen," Rossignol reports. "The latest word is that Apple will release new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with USB-C ports as early as October, while updated iMac models with an option for new AMD graphics chips are also in the works."
More info and the email in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: "Big-time" Mac doings are "in the near-term pipeline," a little birdy tells us.


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Eight months into 2017, the most famous postmodernist in America is no longer Thomas Pynchon, Paul Auster, or Charlie Kaufman, but Donald Trump. Chalk this superlative up to the "Against Postmodernism" think-piece machine, a decades-old genre supercharged by Trump's improbable ascendency. Its moves are familiar. We find, in each essay, postmodernism resurrected, blamed for the pitfalls of contemporary politics or culture, and, finally, exorcised. Refer, for example, to Jeet Heer, who in the New Republic claims that Trump's political emergence was only possible in a postmodern culture that privileges watching, staring, and shallow meanings. To Casey Williams in The New York Times and Salon's Conor Lynch, it was postmodern philosophy that put the "alternative" in "alternative facts." And for David Ernst in The Federalist (for God's sake), Trumpism represents a clever appropriation of the postmodern anti-hero, a character who knows the relativity of truth, the subjectivity of morals, and the power of narratives. If postmodernism had an avatar, it would be the zombie — more Shaun of the Dead than Dawn, though: a creature whose only purpose is to be beaten haphazardly back to the grave.
In the broader, post-election discourse, left-wing criticism has been doing its damndest to pinpoint the intellectual history of the alt-right. The most impressive of these projects are the most precise: in the Times, an investigation into the influence of Julius Evola — one of the few Nazi-affiliated philosophers not named Heidegger or Schmitt — on Richard Spencer and Steve Bannon; in The New Yorker, a triangulation of the political science department at Claremont McKenna College, the Heritage Foundation, and an anonymous online journal; in The Atlantic, an introduction to the ubiquity of conspiracy theories in American politics. But when it comes to Trump, a man who flaunts his aversion to books, there is no such thing as intellectual influence. And so, the postmodernism zombie.
It's easy to reject this genre as specious, a hot take on politics laden with academese. Which is, I think, why it's so useful for unpacking the state of cultural criticism. What the postmodernism zombie has to offer is insight into the very real pressures that dictate academically informed writing in the Trump era.
When it comes to Trump, a man who flaunts his aversion to books, there is no such thing as intellectual influence.
While it wasn't the first, the most successful piece to link postmodernism to right-wing skepticism was sociologist Bruno Latour's 2004 essay, "Why Has Critique Run Out of Steam?" The reverberations of Latour's essay are felt deeply in the recent discourse, especially in articles like Williams' and Lynch's. At the same time "global warming" was being stricken from EPA reports by the Bush administration, Latour questioned whether his distrust of "scientific fact" might have inadvertently enabled someone like Frank Luntz, the messaging consultant famous for rebranding "global warming" as the more palatable "climate change." "The mistake we made, the mistake I made," Latour wrote, "was to believe that there was no efficient way to criticize matters of fact except by moving away from them and directing one's attention toward the conditions that made them possible." What Latour describes here is a hallmark of what is now broadly defined as "postmodern theory." The postmodernist, rather than critiquing a given concept (usually of experience, culture, or knowledge) on its own merits, will show that it rests on a foundation too shaky to be trusted.
On this basis, the anti-postmodernists blame the French. The essays I've mentioned bring together a predictable cast of Derrida, Foucault, Baudrillard, Debord, and Lyotard, philosophers who all practiced, in varying and distinct ways, methodologies similar to the one described by Latour. Push the comparison too far, though, and you find that Trumpism fails to reflect any one thinker or school of thought. We are left instead with a bad impersonation of a "postmodern" disposition: a nihilism that is more The Big Lebowski than Nietzsche, a triumph of the imagination over reality, an edict that the best belief is a belief in nothing, that fact is a matter of choice.
This is nothing new — the postmodernism of public discourse has always been a Frankenstein's monster of cultural grievances. As soon as "postmodernism" made its way into popular criticism, it became a catchall for whatever it was Christians, curmudgeons, and conservatives were adjusting to. This isn't the error it sounds like, though. What the critique of postmodernism shows, in tandem with the scholarship, is that "postmodernism" is a descriptive term, one that simply names, depending on how you see it, an evolving or devolving culture. Rarely, if ever, has "postmodernism" been used to advocate the valueless, supremely relative society its critics fear. I have yet to meet a card-carrying postmodernist, and I don't expect to anytime soon.
Trumpism fails to reflect any one thinker or school of thought.
The "Against Postmodernism" essay challenges a culture represented by no one (no one, that is, besides the Postmodernist-in-Chief, whom I somehow can't imagine reading these things). It belongs to a genre so one-sided it cannot help but fail the "They say/I say" test of freshman comp. And yet, for all its limitations, the genre shows no signs of slowing. What gives?
The explanation is in academic priorities. Keep in mind, the postmodernism zombie owes its animation to journalists schooled in critical theory, early-career professors, and graduate students (like myself). The latter two occupy a universe of professional humanities research characterized by a scarcity of hirings and declining student enrollment. One repercussion of the ongoing "humanities crisis" has been a change in the nature of professional development. As more and more departments are looking to challenge the Ivory Tower stereotype, public intellectualism has become an increasingly sexy qualification. And for graduate students pondering life beyond the tower, writing for the public offers a new professional lifeline.
The return to public engagement is a good thing. I'm hardly alone in believing that if the humanities are to have a future, then public-first projects are vital. But a public profile has its risks. The wrong politics, captured in the wrong tweet, can cost you your job. Enter the postmodernism zombie, a monster sophisticated enough to be the target of intellectual critique, and one that everyone, left and right alike, is eager to see buried.
For the left, capital-T Truth (or "enlightenment values") is back in vogue. The feeling for progressives is that if democracy is under assault by alternative facts, then its survival may well depend on acts of truth-telling. Reza Ziai, a lecturer at City University of New York, is right to point out, as he did in Areo Magazine, that "The problem with having a negative attitude towards an empirical viewpoint is that doing so then makes it justifiable to limit people's rights." And with the U.S. still questioning its complicity in climate change, it's no exaggeration to call the fate of the planet a matter of facts. Never in American history has the idea of "speaking truth to power" been less metaphorical. So in battling postmodern factlessness, academics publicize their commitments not only to progressive causes, but also to the truth-based thinking at the heart of recent progressivism. At the same time, however, postmodernism veers its critics to the right. Zombie-slayers are eager to get political, but not so into the weeds of identity politics that they risk setting off the right's anti-higher ed tinderbox. According to a recent Pew poll, 58 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents think that colleges and universities are having a negative effect on the direction of the country. Central to this trend is an anti-political correctness mania that disguises critiques of diversity as defenses of free speech. For the anti-PCer, the humanities are one part useless, one part fanatical: a liberal playpen where socialists keep busy by policing each other's sentences. In 2015, Oklahoma Wesleyan University President Everett Piper earned himself a moment in the spotlight for suggesting as much in his letter to the student body "This is Not a Day Care. It's a University!" And then there's the Breitbart universe, where humanities scholarship amounts to a glut of unread papers written by professors claiming trans-species identities.
The crusade against political correctness is a continuation of the 'culture wars' of the 1990s and 2000s.
Arguments not far removed from these (though somewhat easier on the hyperbole) have been gaining traction in professorial circles, too. Columbia professor Mark Lilla, who's been making the rounds on left-leaning podcasts, attributes Democrats' alienation of white, working-class voters to an obsession with race, gender, and sexuality that is born and bred in higher education. He singles out, in his recent critique of identity politics, "An ideology institutionalized in colleges and universities that fetishizes our individual and group attachments, applauds self-absorption, and casts a shadow of suspicion over any application of a universal democratic 'we.'" Likewise, Frank Furedi, professor emeritus at the University of Kent, claimed in an Los Angeles Times op-ed that a "safe space" culture organized around lines of identity represents nothing less than "de facto cultural segregation" (check the comments section of any article in support of student politics to find the same sentiments). It was not the students, after all, who coined the term "Generation Snowflake."
In one sense, the crusade against political correctness is a continuation of the "culture wars" of the 1990s and 2000s. The recent firestorm ignited by a gender-neutral pronoun guide at the University of Tennessee is not far removed from the controversy that surrounded queer theorist Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's "Jane Austen and the Masturbating Girl," a 1989 conference paper that highbrow conservative commentator Roger Kimball called out in his thrice-reprinted Tenured Radicals. The long-standing enemy, for both anti-PCers and culture warriors, is a baseless, unrealistic, and unnatural thinking that seems awfully close to "postmodernism." It's worth recalling that well into the culture wars, the philosopher Richard Rorty used "postmodern professors" as shorthand for his colleagues in critical race theory, women's and gender studies, and the like. To describe postmodernism as an outmoded, senseless philosophy is also, then, to accept the right's caricature of the humanities. The critic of postmodernism is keen to suggest, "I'm not one of them."
Isn't it disheartening — how quick we are to sacrifice postmodernism at the altar of politics? Solipsistic thinking is a real danger, especially in the hands of a far-right government. I have a hard time disagreeing with Helen Pluckrose, a left-leaning critic of identity politics, who writes in Areo that "The freedom to 'interpret' reality according to one's own values feeds into the very human tendency towards confirmation bias and motivated reasoning."
Still, that doesn't sound like postmodernism to me; it's more Fight Club than Foucault. Postmodernism doesn't tell us that alt-facts are the same as facts; it tells us that both facts and alt-facts come from specific, real sites of production that deserve to be investigated. If postmodernism is guilty of anything as of late, it's telling us what is already, painfully, apparent. But at its best, postmodernism offers something essential: a key to mapping the complex terrain on which the many falsehoods of the Trump era are manufactured.


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51 Ways to Incorporate Student Voice
Student Voice means different things to different people. For some it means choice in the learning, others it means they have a prominent role in the structure and function of the classroom (student led classrooms) and others it means literally using student voice in demonstrating knowledge.
I think all of these are valuable to creating a classroom that empowers students and allows them to be successful. If students feel valued and their ideas are incorporated then they are more likely to become invested and do their best. I have also found that students often are better able to communicate their ideas through spoken language than they can in writing. Let's face it spoken language is the first method we utilize to communicate our wants and needs to others well before we learn to read and write. This system of communication is often under utilized in school as an acceptable manner of sharing knowledge and mastery by students because we often over emphasize writing.
My daughters who are in elementary school can tell me a story with vivid detail that would cover pages if they wrote it down. However if I had them write the story it would lose much of the detail and energy, tone and other aspects we encourage in storytelling because they would shift focus to the mechanics of writing, spelling and grammar.
The difficultly to share knowledge isn't just an issue facing elementary students, but that is an area where it can be most noticeable since they aren't yet equipped with the skills to transfer their ideas from thoughts to paper. The issue is prevalent throughout all grades and to varying degrees based on the student. I used to teach history and asked students to express their ideas through various projects that mostly relied on written documentation of knowledge. This could be an essay, persuasive paper, presentation, research paper, etc. What I found is that often students had ideas, sometimes really good ideas that they weren't able to convey on paper. They were able to explain them to me verbally but would get stuck in the process of writing.
Writing is important!
Recording Audio -
Green Screen Video
Reflections and Check ins
The following activities demonstrate student thinking and their levels of understanding.
- Record their thinking
- Ask students to reflect on where they currently are in their level of understanding.
- Ask students to reflect on their learning journey. What were some obstacles to learning and how did they overcome those obstacles? What if anything would they do differently if they were able to start the activity over again?
- Use one of the audio or video tools to record their thinking.
- Exit/Entrance Tickets
- Instead of written exit or entrance tickets ask students to record short responses to questions for check in.
- Hypothesis - what happens next
- I like to ask students to think about what would happen next.
- History - predicting the future - ask students what they think would be the result , or how will an event turn out. Example in the movie Glory stop the film before the last battle and ask students what happens next?
- Science - pick a point in the experiment or activity and ask students what they think will happen next? Create a hypothesis of what happens when 2 chemicals are mixed together, etc.?
- Selfie -
- I was at a conference when the presenter asked us to capture in a picture your current level of understanding of the topic. Students can use the camera on their chromebook or iPad or with older students the camera on their phone. Students can then share the pic with the teacher.
- Recap -
- This is a great new application that makes a lot of these activities much easier. Teachers create a class and assign students a question. Student respond by creating a video that saves in the app and is instantly shared with their teacher who can use it to check on student progress.
- BookSnaps or History Snaps
- Booksnaps is something relatively new. A teacher shared on Twitter #booksnaps an image with circles, highlights and bitmojis that show ideas the reader thought were important. The idea is to use the tools within the Snapchat app to create visual representations of their thinking. The idea of booksnaps has since been adopted for use in history class. Students can look at primary documents and using the app demonstrate their understanding of the passage. The snaps can be easily shared with classmates and conversations spring forward.
Show what you know
- Recording small group conversations
- Have you ever had students discuss in groups and by the time you got to all the groups they said they were done, or you got to hear the good ideas they had? Try using one of the audio recording apps and set up a device in the middle of a small group and record their conversation. Students dig deeper into conversations and it provides teachers a more detailed picture on their level of understanding.
- Peer or teacher feedback
- Students can use a screencasting tool or audio tool to review student work and provide detailed feedback on their peers' work product. To be successful teachers need to do a good job modeling providing feedback. Students giving and receiving feedback gain valuable experience looking at other's work and taking ideas back to refine their own project.
- Math tutorials
- Math isn't about getting the right answer it is about working through the process. Teachers can assign multiple math problems and check student work and still wonder if students are really understanding or they can have students explain their thinking. Students can create a screencast video using a whiteboard app or Google Drawing on a laptop or PC, (or use an app like explain everything) and solve the problem explaining the steps and thinking along the way.
- Teacher can use the best examples to create a library of tutorials much like Khan Academy where students are the experts.
- Student created tutorials
- Similar to the Math tutorial above, students create videos demonstrating their expertise in any number of areas. This could be academic, or skills like playing the piano or guitar where students are able to showcase their own talents.
- Directions
- A skill that I know I sometimes struggle with is providing clear and accurate directions. Think about how you can have students provide directions to their peers and explain concepts.
- Geography
- Students can create a map using Google My Maps, Google Earth, or draw a map and record themselves providing directions from one point to another.
- In school have students create directions written or recorded that direct a classmate from one point to another and then have students follow those directions and report back on how accurate the steps in the process were. Feedback and revision.
- Math
- This could be similar to the Math tutorial where students explain their thinking but here I was thinking students describe the steps in solving the problem. The focus on this one is more on providing step by step directions on how to solve a problem where they don't actually have to solve a specific problem. Another student can use the steps to work through a problem to see if the directions were accurate.
- Verbalize steps to something
- Ask students to explain a process to show their skills in communicating ideas. An example I have seen used is making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Students often take for granted the details of the process and watching students follow the directions can often be comical.
Real world products.
The other day I was on Twitter and came across a post from a young lady who had been making Vine Videos which I had used in the classroom but is now shutting down. Her message made me think more about what our students are doing online. In the past few months I have seen kid scientists and other videos that have not only been entertaining but also informative. I watched this young ladies video and shared a post about my thinking. Today I went back to find that video to use in this post but instead found the video below where she talks about dealing with the comments that others leave on her videos and social media. I am very impressed by her maturity because I know I take comments personally and sometimes focus on those too long. As recently someone called me a F@#kFace because I commented on another post about needing to do a better job teaching about injustices. Anyway that is a whole other conversation. I wanted to share her video because our kids are learning and engaging in conversations, content, learning and developing skills beyond our classrooms. The task for all of us is to find ways to tap into student interest beyond school and bring that to life within our classes.
video created by Em at https://twitter.com/uhhmmily.
- The use of a green or blue screen background can be a game changer for student projects. There are multiple posts about DoInk an iPad app that helps create videos using a green screen that is very user friendly and is used by elementary students. There are other options like WeVideo (paid) and iMovie (Mac) that you can also use. Students can create scenes or transport themselves to locations that they are then able to demonstrate their knowledge of.
- Students can use a multitude of tools to create travel brochures. The trifold paper model is effective, but students could use Google My Maps where they place pins in various locations and then add images and videos to demonstrate their knowledge. Students could also create a travel video where they travel to these locations via the green screen background and take you on vacation with them. Students could design the perfect vacation not just in modern times, but also to historic destinations where they travel back in time to ancient Rome, Egypt, etc. Here is an example lesson I created for a Travel Quest.
- students could create a video or product where they showcase the area they live. They could create a travel video of their school, local community or a local attraction. The end goal here would be to showcase this production by sharing it with a global audience. This could be shared with a class in another state or country like I did with our Culture Video project in Sociology. It could also be more real world if you connected with the local chamber of commerse or group in your community where students' products could be used by these organizations as a resource to promote the community. Imagine seeing the wonders of the community through the eyes of young people. There would be a lot of language skills utilized to make these products that would be infused into the final products.
Do your students want to try their hand in radio or TV?
- Radio Broadcast
- When I was in middle school we had to create a radio broadcast which included a playlist of songs, some DJ banter and the most fun, commercials. We had to design and perform commercials for our assigned products. It incorporated writing, collaboration and communication skills, and I still remember doing the project to this day.
- Sports reporter
- Recently the Twittersverse was consumed by people asking for Jo Buck to be replaced as the announcer for the World Series. Many of us can relate to the experience of bad broadcasters, but do we really know what it takes to call a game well? I have seen many students try to emulate their favorite ESPN anchors when doing projects. Let students tap into their interests and use those personalities to present their ideas.
- Newscaster
- Turn your current events, or basic presentation into a full blown news report. Let students work on their skills as a journalist and report the news. This is even better when used in conjunction with a green screen and the ultimate is by using Touchcast with this. Touchcast however is an app that you might have to look at terms of service- it can't be used by all age groups.
- Game show
- Students may or may not be jeopardy fans, but they could create their own learning activity by emulating a game show. I had students create contests that their classmates had to participate in that combined knowledge through answering questions and physical tasks like shooting a basketball to earn points. When you get a really fun example that students enjoy you steal it and make it your own for review or formative assessment activities.
- Talk show
- This can be similar to an interview activity. However my vision here is to have one student play the part of the host and the other role play a character, historical figure, expert, etc. who will answer questions to demonstrate knowledge of a topic or concept.
- Weather report
- This is not -"The weather today is..." but rather report on weather events. I have done this the past couple of years with 3rd grade students and a green screen. Students this year edited their own videos with assistance, but they did most of the work themselves.
- Let them record themselves doing one of these activities -on a topic of their choice--
- Similar to the Talk Show but in this activity they go out and find an expert or interesting person to interview. There are many activities where we ask students to talk with community members or their parents to learn about the world around them or their own culture. Providing students the tools to record these interviews allows students to edit it into something more visually appealing and interesting to view. (That is relative to the interview being written and the student writing up the conversation or verbally restating what the person they interviewed said).
Presentation alternatives
Public service announcements
- In Social Studies we often discuss social problems or issues facing our world. Students often develop a sense of injustice and a call to activism when they learn about some of these issues. I have found students to become very engaged in a cause when something connects to them personally. PSAs are a great way to let students have a voice about issues that can be local or global. Students are able to learn more about the problem and find ideas for action that their peers and community can take to make a difference. The PSA is information and a way to garner support.
- Start small for younger students - This could be creating PSAs for recycling, anti-bullying, conflict resolution, etc. The most successful projects are ones that provide recommendations for immediate actions to be taken by the audience.
- I have been promoting Choose Your Own Adventure story creation for awhile. I have created a Google Form with the structure and have seen it done with Google Slides or within Google Docs. I really like the activity because it provides creativity in the creation of the final product but more importantly it gives control to the audience. They get to choose where they want to go and the path they will take in their learning journey.
- An alternative to writing the story to create a CYOA is to create a video and then use YouTube to create annotations within the video that link to other videos or parts within the video that students created.
- A tool that I think is under used is the voiceover tool in video editors like iMovie or WeVideo. Students can add images or video clips to the video editor and then record their voice over the images. This can be done with a presentation by saving the slides as images and uploading them to the editor and then having students record their presentation. Think about not having to listen to presentation from every student for 3 days straight. Students can present their information and share the results with their classmates to watch on their own. I have found that I didn't need studetns to view every presentation to understand the concept we were studying. By providing this alternative students are able to practice and rerecord their ideas instead of winging it on the day of the presentation. We tend to see much better results of the presentation as a result.
- Screencasting is similar to the Voiceover presentation above except students are able to record their screens while they talk through what is happening on the screen. Students can show a presentation this way, could provide a tutorial, or explain their thinking on a math problems as they solve the problem on the screen. Students have used this for peer editing. They will record themselves talking through the highlights or edits they made on a partner's paper to help the writer better understand their comments or edits.
- Debating a topic to demonstrate your own knowledge isn't a new concept. It is one that I remember engaging in as a student. We debated issues like censorship, the strategic defense initative, gun control, etc. I remembering having to do a lot of research and even more preparation to break the topic down into talking points. Students not only share thier knowledge of a topic as they would in a paper, they need to be able to react to their opponent's ideas and think on their feet. One way I used the debate format was with the Renaissance Survivor and Most Important President activities. Students were provided opportunities to give their opening statements and then ask and answer questions of thier opponents. See more about this lesson here.
Vines, Snapchats - short videos
- Tell a story in 7 seconds. Vine, an app that is going away provided opportunity to tell a story either 7 seconds all at once or by combining short clips that equal 7 seconds. This can be useful to share what is happening in a classroom, or during an activity or lesson. I used it to show my students learning the charleston in US History. With Vine going away, you can replicate this concept by taking short video 1-2 second video clips and putting them together using wevideo or iMovie. Students and demonstrate concepts in these short video segments.
- Paperflip videos are a quick and easy way to show student knowledge. Students create the video by placing their ideas on multiple sheets of paper and stack them up with the last message being on the bottom. These videso can be created with the papers stacked on a table or someone holding the papers. There are several ways to create these videos. Students could video tape the stack of papers, holding the paper in frame for a few seconds, long enough for the viewer to see what is on the page, or waiting to flip the page until the student reads and explains the ideas on the image.
- The song "When I Was 7 Years Old" describes the events to the past and the potential future. I think of this song as having the potential to be a great learning activity. I wrote a long post about using this song in multiple ways. This particular method would be for students to create a message to themselves. This could be a message to their future self like a freshman to their senior self where they would view it upon graduation. It could also be used for a future self much further down life's path.
Act it out
All of the activies in this section, and throughout this post can be a success or an epic failure depending on how well you as a teacher roll out the activity. I found at times that I got so excited thinking students would love doing this that I lost sight of the fact they needed more guidance especially in how to incorporate the content. There is a fine line between allowing studetns to be creative and have freedom to imagine the activity as they envision and the academic merit of the final product. I there there needs to be expectations of a storyboard, script, and check-ins established when beginning the project to make sure the end results - the reality meets expectations.
Reenact scenes/skits
- Skits or acting out concepts is one great way to get students involved in the learning process. I used this in a number of ways, but one of my favorites was the middle ages presentation. Students also performed a skit on the Pelopenisian Wars that was not only a fun project but also demonstrated the major concepts of each of the battles as they brought them to life.
- I am not very good at Charades and my artistic ability is sketchy at best. I am no Matt Miller that is for sure. I have however found that providing opportunities for students to engage in short acting or drawing activities helps ramp up the excitement for the activity we are doing. There is not a heads up or charades app on both android and apple that allows you to create your own cards to help students review concepts.
- Speed Dating - Role playing can take many forms. One that I liked was having students take ownership of a historical figure or character in a book and then personify that person during an interview activity. I used the concept of speed dating to allow students to be interviewed by their classmates with a predeterminined timeframe established to promote focus on the task. Students could circle back to someone at the end if necessary but they were expected to collect information from the expert as they engaged in conversation.
The video below if from my class a few years ago. I had a great group of students who taught me so much. This video shows our project on whether or not hunter and gatherers should move to an agricultural lifestyle. The students in this video provide a great example of the need to use alternative forms of assessment and provide students a voice.
Connect to the world
- Bring the world into your classroom, or share your classroom with the world! Provide students with opportunities to make connections beyond school. You can use a number of technologies to achieve this goal. You could use Google Hangouts, Skype or even Periscope to share with the world.
- GHO or Mystery Skype- students run the show
- Connect with another classroom or an expert and let the students let their curiosity take over. Mystery Skype or Hangout is done by connecting to another classroom and letting the students play 20 questions to try to guess where the other students are from. This is the simpliest way to make the connection. Students work to learn about the other students by asking questions.
- Connect with another classroom or an expert and let the students let their curiosity take over. Mystery Skype or Hangout is done by connecting to another classroom and letting the students play 20 questions to try to guess where the other students are from. This is the simpliest way to make the connection. Students work to learn about the other students by asking questions.
- GHO book talks - recommendations
- Similar to Mystery Hangouts or Skype, students are able to connect to other classes and discuss the books they have read. Students can engage in conversation with other students discussing what they liked, or didn't about the book without spoiling the outcome for the other student. Students are able to learn about a number or different books in a short amount of time and are practicing their public speaking skills as they share with an unfamilar audience.
- Similar to Mystery Hangouts or Skype, students are able to connect to other classes and discuss the books they have read. Students can engage in conversation with other students discussing what they liked, or didn't about the book without spoiling the outcome for the other student. Students are able to learn about a number or different books in a short amount of time and are practicing their public speaking skills as they share with an unfamilar audience.
- GHO trial activities or debates
- A colleague shared her experience with a Trial Activity that is pretty ingenious. One aspect of trial activities I struggle with is what to do with the jury during the trial. How do you keep them engaged in meaningful learning while the other students are preparing for the trial? She came up with the idea of connecting to another classroom in a different state via Google Hangouts. Her class performed the trial while the other class served as jurors able to ask questions and come to a verdict. This allowed the second group to learn about the content while allowing the first class to demonstrate their understanding of the content.
- A colleague shared her experience with a Trial Activity that is pretty ingenious. One aspect of trial activities I struggle with is what to do with the jury during the trial. How do you keep them engaged in meaningful learning while the other students are preparing for the trial? She came up with the idea of connecting to another classroom in a different state via Google Hangouts. Her class performed the trial while the other class served as jurors able to ask questions and come to a verdict. This allowed the second group to learn about the content while allowing the first class to demonstrate their understanding of the content.
Writing Alternatives
Google Voice Typing
- Voice Typing is a tool included in Google Docs. Students and anyone else can use this tool to express their ideas. The tool, using the microphone, transfers the spoken word to written world. This is a dictation tool that allows students to turn their ideas into written documents.
- Work on pronunciation
- Students who are learning English or have some pronunciation issues can practice them using Voice Typing. I wouldn't recommend this as speech therapy as there are many other better methods, but have found students work hard to get Google to recognize their speech. I find myself sometimes having to slow down and annunciate for Google to understand me correctly. I have seen students work to get Google to record their ideas correctly with little signs of frustration but many proclamations of excitement when they were successful.
- Get ideas on paper especially for those who struggle with the writing process or typing.
- This tool is amazing for students who struggle with writing, especially our youngest students. We want students to share their ideas and create stories or written products, but many of our young students struggle to get the ideas from their minds to the page. Students have used this to create the text for their family culture projects or their children's storybooks.
Record Compositions
- Audio Stories
- One of the projects that really started me on the path to champion for audio projects was one where I asked the students "Were the colonists justified in rebelling against the British?" Students created audio files to respond to the question. One of the most amazing responses was a young woman who is very intelligent, but very quiet. She recorded her response in a British accent. She did an amazing job! It was so memorable that it changed the way I look at student responses. I wanted to create more opportunities for students to showcase their hidden talents.
- What if...
- I saw a colleague Chuck Taft share an example of students asking the question "What if..." As in What if Truman hadn't dropped the Atomic Bomb? Or What if Adolf Hitler had been accepted into art school. Students posed these questions to their classmates. What happens next is up to you. Do you have students debate the potential outcomes, discuss what could have been, or ask the student who asked the question present their own thinking. This could be done with book characters, scientific discoveries, or innovations. Students should be asked questions like this to engage their power of inquiry.
- Writing prompts-
- Many students struggle to get their ideas out. Let students record their thoughts as they brainstorm and organize their ideas. The initial steps in the writing processs can be a struggle and this could allow some writers to create meaningful works of literature. Students can play back their ideas and then put them on paper.
- Pen pal videos
- Pen pals have been around for a long time. They allow two people in remote locations to connect to each other and get to know each other better. For some students the writing process can be a obstacle in this activity. For others they want to express themselves in ways beyond writing. Student can use the webcam on their computers or their phones to create videos conversing with their pen pals. If time zones work out and students are over 13 they could connect live via Google Hangouts.
- Personal narrative
- Students are often asked to write a personal narrative about a personal experience. This is a great writing project. However as I hope is becoming apparent there are alternatives to writing that could be used. Using alternatives like audio recording, video projects, creating a Google Slide Show and screencasting the presentation are just a few examples of final products. Students can add visuals to their projects by using a slide show and screencasting or adding images and voice overing their project in WeVideo or iMovie. These create projects that add elements beyond the written paper. The audio recording is the simpliest way, but is a great fit for our youngest writers who have lots of details but struggle to get those ideas on paper.
- All about me project
- Teachers often begin the year with a project where students share a litte about themselves. They may share about their families, favorite music, books, TV shows, sports or activities, etc. This is a great way to get to know your students. In elementary school the students might be asked to do this for their one teacher. In secondary school, students may be asked to do this for each teacher they see each semester. While it is great for all teachers to learn about their students, if we turn this project into an electronic version, students or teachers are able to share these projects with all of their teachers. Students could create a Google Site, a Slide Presentation, a video, a GoAnimate, or any other product to showcase their individuality that is age appropriate to your students.
Audience alternatives
- Flip Presentations - don't make students view all presentations
- Students have created some amazing projects, now how do you share them with others? One thing I did early in my career was have all students present their work to all of their classmates. This often led to spending day after day listening to similar presentations. Often times with little expectation for students to do anything meaningful with the information they gained from the presentations. I learned from Reuben Hoffman a better way. He would have students share their work, in this case a children's storybook via a Google Form. He would share the responses with students and ask them to view their classmates. The students were asked to view classmates projects and vote for the best of various categories to provide students with feedback. When I did this students knew the purpose of their feedback and provided more specific constructive and positive comments than any other activity I had previously done.
- Another teaching point is to provide students with a purpose for viewing their classmates products. What do you expecte them to do with the information. If it is to take notes and take a test on a lot of facts you are setting the up for failure. You are asking them to determine what is important in each product and this is tough. Students struggle to determine what is important when listening to a teacher's lecture, so how can they do it for 30 different topics created by their peers. Create purpose in the entire project from the start- why are students creating the product and what will the audience do with this information.
- Gallery Walk
- Get students up out of their seats! Students create their products that demonstrate their learning and not need to share it with their classmates. If student products are electronic you could connect them to QR codes and post them in the hallways where others are able view them as they move from one to another.
- Adding student voice to this activity -
- Recently I worked with teachers who created a writer's faire where they invited different classes to come together to share their writing. Students were divided into two groups, presenters and readers. The presenters sat by their stories and shared a little about themselves and answered questions about their work. I have added this to Gallery Walks in the past to help the viewers better understand the concepts.
- Add QR codes next to paper or other student products. Have students create audio or video reflections or explanations on their projects. Imagine looking at a work of art on the wall and being able to watch a video of how it was created.
Book Projects
- Plot synopsis in 60 seconds
- George Couros shared the idea of 60 second plot synopsis in a blog post. The concept is to have students create short video posts summarizing the main idea of a book, story, historical event, etc.
- Book Reviews
- Similar to Plot synopsis, students create audio recordings or videos sharing their thoughts of a book or story they have read. I would love to see these recordings connected to QR codes and taped to the books in the Library, or create a board of QR codes where students can scan the codes and hear the recommendations of their peers.
- Book Trailers
- Similar to Book Reviews students work to create hype for a book. This could also be applied to historical event, scientific discovery, etc. Students could use iMovie's movie trailer function to create dynamic short video promoting their topic. If you want more detail or don't have iMovie you can use WeVideo or other video editing software. Students create short commercials hyping the story with key events of the story with video clips and even using their best narrator voice.
- Record their reading of stories-
- Read alouds are a great way to check student fluency and pronunciation skills. Reading out load is different than reading silently as the reader has to focus on how the word sounds and can quickly determine that the word they are saying doesn't match so they try again. I have worked with young readers recording their reading with iPads creating video projects, or using an audio recorder like Twistedwave.com to record themselves.
- Record reading of stories to create audio books/listening centers
- Teachers have used these recordings to gauge their students fluency and create listening centers for other students.
- Create their own stories and read alouds
- Students can write their own stories on Google Docs, Google Slides using a template like this. After students create their stories they can use one of the screencasting tools to record themselves reading it to bring their stories to life. Students can create their own voices for their characters to create a more dynamic experience.
- Create Your Own Song
- Music is an amazing teaching tool. We use it to teach students from an early age. Songs teach us about the alphabet, counting, cleaning up and many others are used to guide our behavior and teach us concepts. I have had students create their own songs for multiple projects. Students created songs for their middle ages project, others demonstrated concepts for pyschology or English. Students can use technology or no technology at all. The point of the activity is for students to demonstrate their understanding using their creativity.
- Autorap
- Autorap is an app that allows students to create their own rap songs. It can be done through spoken word so the students just have to speak their ideas and the app creates the magic. Students could turn their poetry into music using this app.
- Garageband
- For student more musically inclined, they could use Garageband to not only record thier own audio, but create music to go along with it. Garageband allows you to add instruments of your choice, layer them and select the tempo. It allows you to fine tune your track to create something unique. Full disclosure I have played with this but not very musical so I appreciate the products students create.
- Autorap
Back Channel
- Back channels
- are tools that help engage students in the conversation by allowing them to have a voice in the conversation. We all know there are quiet students in our classes who are connecting with what is going on in the classroom but don't want to be called up. Back channels like Today'smeet.com create a space where students are able to participate in the conversation without having the attention focus on them. Other students can use the tool to ask questions during the activity and allow other students to answer the question for their peers. This can be a powerful tool to help develop a stronger learning community where all students can have their ideas be hear.
Genius Hour
Ben Brazeau
Technology Integrator and former High School Social Studies Teacher
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao-tzu. So I am about to begin my journey of becoming a better educator and facilitator of knowledge for every student I encounter. My journey begins today!
Twitter @Braz74
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