July is usually a slow month for me, so this year, I decided it would fun (and a good way to stay in shape for soccer season) if I tried to run a couple of Track events at the Sunflower State Games, which are held every year here in Topeka.
I was a bit disappointed by the turnout in my age group (19-29). There were only four of us (despite six signing up) in the 100 m, and the other three were obviously collegiate track runners because it seemed like they ran through 50 m in the time it took me to get out of the blocks. The competition was even more lacking in the 200 m. There were three of us, and the other two ran track at Wichita State. So, I was guaranteed a bronze there. Of course, I wasn't racing to win a medal, necessarily. I wanted to see how the State Games worked and to beat a certain time goal I had already set for myself. I accomplished both goals. I ran the 100 m in 13.17. In the 200 m, I did even better, running in 27.73. (I really enjoy running, the 200 m. It's such a perfect race. Just long enough to make you have to sustain a sprint, short enough that you don't kill yourself in the process.) It was fun to get out there and run. I hope there are some other competitors next year who are more in my league.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
Rambling: Teacher Education
As part of my Issues in Education class, I have had to read a couple of books in addition to the normal class reading. I've already discussed on in brief, The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Now, I'd like to provide a quick discussion of the other book I read, Teacher Education in America by Christopher Lucas.
Lucas, a professor of education at the University of Arkansas, writes a fascinating and compelling analysis of teacher education before proposing a ground-breaking plan to reform the teacher education curriculum. Well-written and mostly easily to read (except for one dry stastisical area), Lucas establishes his credibility with a survey of the history of teacher preparation in the U.S. Moreover, with an even-handed presentation of the modern controversial issues, he maintains his credibility. Finally, after discussing his own study of what teachers recommend, Lucas proposes a reform plan that I think has the potential to improve the quality of the teachers produced signficantly.
This book is must read for anyone interested in developing or improving teacher education programs. It is also a good read for anyone in education, as the first two chapters alone provide a solid context for many of the current debates. Overall, it is an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed!
Lucas, a professor of education at the University of Arkansas, writes a fascinating and compelling analysis of teacher education before proposing a ground-breaking plan to reform the teacher education curriculum. Well-written and mostly easily to read (except for one dry stastisical area), Lucas establishes his credibility with a survey of the history of teacher preparation in the U.S. Moreover, with an even-handed presentation of the modern controversial issues, he maintains his credibility. Finally, after discussing his own study of what teachers recommend, Lucas proposes a reform plan that I think has the potential to improve the quality of the teachers produced signficantly.
This book is must read for anyone interested in developing or improving teacher education programs. It is also a good read for anyone in education, as the first two chapters alone provide a solid context for many of the current debates. Overall, it is an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Rambling: No, I Am Not Thirty, Yet
For my birthday, the rest of my family went together and helped provide me with the resources to get a cat. After some searching, I was able to find a young Chocolate Point Siamese/Domestic mix. If you want to see a couple of pictures, you can go to here. Choose the "Pascal" album. Yes, the cat's name is Pascal. Give yourself extra credit if you know who it's named after....
No, I have not given up, if you know what I mean.
No, I have not given up, if you know what I mean.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Rambling: I Dislike Summer Colds
Wow! It's been a week since I posted anything. My apologies to all who have been checking. I've spent most of this past week fighting a cold, and I wasn't feeling too terribly loquacious. I don't have much else to say now, but I should have more to say in the next day or so. For now, it's good to have a quiet day of rest after a crazy week.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Rambling: Book Review
As part of a class I'm taking, I have to read two books of my choosing about (what else?) controversial issues in education. I've just written my review of the first one, and I thought I'd summarize a piece of it below in case you're looking for something to read.
The book is The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Its subtitle "How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Todays Students" tells you everything you need to know about the book. What follows is a sometimes rambling treatise on the state of university education in the 1980s. Sadly, things have not improved since then, as Bloom's critique of university students rings true today as it did 20 years ago. The book itself is a bit of a dry read, as Bloom shows the unfortunate habit of rambling off the main topic to unpack minor side details. Indeed, a reader with a basic background in philosophy could easily skip Part II and not miss much, as Bloom spends copious time dealing with the intricate details of the philosophical roots of the modern American university situation. Far more interesting are Parts I and III, which deal with Bloom's observations of the present.
Overall, this book is an interesting read for those interested in university education or in philosophy in general. Be warned, though, that it is not a light read.
The book is The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Its subtitle "How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Todays Students" tells you everything you need to know about the book. What follows is a sometimes rambling treatise on the state of university education in the 1980s. Sadly, things have not improved since then, as Bloom's critique of university students rings true today as it did 20 years ago. The book itself is a bit of a dry read, as Bloom shows the unfortunate habit of rambling off the main topic to unpack minor side details. Indeed, a reader with a basic background in philosophy could easily skip Part II and not miss much, as Bloom spends copious time dealing with the intricate details of the philosophical roots of the modern American university situation. Far more interesting are Parts I and III, which deal with Bloom's observations of the present.
Overall, this book is an interesting read for those interested in university education or in philosophy in general. Be warned, though, that it is not a light read.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Rambling: DSL Modem
It is with great sadness that I bid farewell to my DSL modem, which finally quit working two days ago at the ripe old age of 3 1/2. It was a good DSL modem, loved by its friends, respected by its peers, feared by its enemies. Doubtless this world will be a better placed because of the impact of DSL modem, and all who knew it will miss it greatly. :-)
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Rambling: Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton was a silent film actor and perhaps one of the most famous. His work was primarily comedic in nature, but it was all well-done, especially considering the state of movie making in the silent movie era. If you don't like silent films, don't read the rest of this post, but if you're curious, I have a little bit to say about a movie I saw last night.
The movie wasn't that long (just over an hour), and it had creative stunts, a good story, and great story telling with a minimum of dialogue. Modern movie makers could learn a lot from how the characters of people are revealed without dialogue to the audience. Instead of telling us who they are, we see who they are. It's a very effective way of doing it. The only weakness of the version I saw was the music. It was simply classical music laid down underneath the movie without much thought to what was happening in the movie. A good soundtrack added in can make all the difference in the world.
The movie wasn't that long (just over an hour), and it had creative stunts, a good story, and great story telling with a minimum of dialogue. Modern movie makers could learn a lot from how the characters of people are revealed without dialogue to the audience. Instead of telling us who they are, we see who they are. It's a very effective way of doing it. The only weakness of the version I saw was the music. It was simply classical music laid down underneath the movie without much thought to what was happening in the movie. A good soundtrack added in can make all the difference in the world.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Rambling: Hymns
I have a soft spot for old hymns. Not that I don't like modern worship music. Rather, I appreciate any song that has solid lyrics. Some of the hymns have lyrics just as devoid of any real meaning as a bad modern song. However, the good hymns, just the like the good modern songs, have both a solid message in the lyrics and a solid melody. I was visiting a website that has many hymns online, cyberhymnal.org, and I ran across one of my favorites: What a Friend We Have in Jesus. The story behind this hymn encouraged me tremendously. Read on to find out about it.
The lyrics, of course, are all about how we should go to the Lord in the midst of trouble, hardship, and trial. According to the cyberhymnal, Joseph M. Scriven wrote the hymn to comfort his mother, who was in Ireland while Scriven was in Canada. However, Scriven was not just writing platitudes. He was writing from experience. You see, prior to going to Canada, Scriven was engaged to be married. One the night before their wedding, his fiancee, while crossing a bridge, was thrown from her horse into the river and drowned. To make matters worse, Scrivner was waiting on the far side of the bridge and saw it all happen. However, that is not the end of the story. In Canada, Scriven met and became engaged to another young woman, who also died prior to their wedding. At some point after the death of his second fiancee, Scriven wrote the lyrics to this well-known him. He truly was writing a testimony to God's faithfulness in His life.
The lyrics, of course, are all about how we should go to the Lord in the midst of trouble, hardship, and trial. According to the cyberhymnal, Joseph M. Scriven wrote the hymn to comfort his mother, who was in Ireland while Scriven was in Canada. However, Scriven was not just writing platitudes. He was writing from experience. You see, prior to going to Canada, Scriven was engaged to be married. One the night before their wedding, his fiancee, while crossing a bridge, was thrown from her horse into the river and drowned. To make matters worse, Scrivner was waiting on the far side of the bridge and saw it all happen. However, that is not the end of the story. In Canada, Scriven met and became engaged to another young woman, who also died prior to their wedding. At some point after the death of his second fiancee, Scriven wrote the lyrics to this well-known him. He truly was writing a testimony to God's faithfulness in His life.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Rambling: Oops
I must confess, for all that I seem to be able to remember well, there is one thing that I am as absent-minded as anyone on: when eating at a restaurant, I invariable forget to take the leftovers home with me. The odd thing is that I usually have some leftovers, not being a huge eater, yet I forgot to take that little styrofoam container of delictable goodness with me. One of these days, I might actually remember something as important as food. I don't know why I forget, but I do. It's embarassing. Just call me the Absent-Minded Math Teacher.
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