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The apple is continuously an icon for education (Malloy, forthcoming [jk]). Here is my quick pro/con list to this video about apple textbooks and ibook author.

Pro:

1. the program looks and acts in attractive ways

2. it is a great digital step for textbooks (far better than scanned pages of traditional textbooks)

3. they are giving author free (which, I may try to use)

Con:

1. Classic publicity hype “tech as cure to schooling problems” oversell rhetoric. Easily could have changed the name of the item and had the same claims for over a hundred years.

2. Most importantly to me, the most this innovation will do make the traditional form of schooling a bit better. It fully ignores any constructivist (or critical) notion of learning. Notice it never mentioned students using author to make their own textbooks and the note-taking focuses on fact memory.

It follows the pattern of reform as bettering a given structure, which I think it could do well. It does not, in any way, challenge that structure or encourage students to do so, which is superficial reform and a shallow concept of education. This, like any technology, will not make huge changes in education.

That’s my take. Have I been fair?

Here is my draft visualized (top 60 words) at 10,033 words.

In our Sunday morning Bible study class we were discussing Micah, the book, not the new guy. We got talking about corporations who seem to “plot evil on [their] beds” and the obnoxious complexity of our globalized community that makes justice challenging. What I mean by that is it is hard to tell where our money goes when we put it in a bank, whether items made overseas or locally improve or degrade the quality of life for the communities involved, etc.

For me, personally, it is overwhelming and nearly debilitating since it’s so far over my head, but here’s, I think, a starting point:

We have to radically reorient our thought processes. Though few of us stay up plotting evil, we do spend a lot of time figuring out how to do or get what is best for us.

My suggestion for a start: Don’t take the best parking spot. Even if you see closer spots, just park farther away. Think about the fact that getting an awesome spot is not actually any kind of victory. Scratch that. Consider it a victory that someone else will enjoy. And take some time to think about that other person.

And then it keeps going.

Soon you aren’t hunting for deals, so you can get more clothes for less money. You are thinking about the effects your clothes have on other people. It may even effect how you educate your children if you have them.

Justice in our hyper-connected day is difficult. But apparently it has been difficult for every generation.

A conversation I just had with Asante:

Jake: Listening to your parents and obeying them is a way to show love and respect to them. How can parents show respect to their children?

Asante: You’ve got to let me have more responsibilities for myself

Jake: That’s insightful.

I love talking with my kids.

I don’t normally do “What I’m Doing” posts, but since I have hardly posted anything in so long, I wanted to remind myself that I have a blog.  For some much more enjoyable reading please check out tiffanymalloy.com

At this very minute I’m waiting for my fifth class to begin. I have a pretty exciting schedule.

Anthropology and Education

School and Society

History of American Education Reform

Statistics For Educational Research

Master’s Writing Seminar

Much like I felt at NEGST, I’m the reacher. My classmates are amazingly interesting people. I am pretty stoked to read most the books assigned and discuss with the professors and other students. Sometimes I wish I would have known how enjoyable studying could be before Grad school.

This has been an exciting week. After a slow month we are starting to meet people. We are still a long way from having friends, but it is starting.

Alright, back to the books.

Here’s a picture of one of my latest projects. These were Fathers’ Day gifts for my dad and Tiffany’s dad.  

The nails were bent just with hands and pliers and hot glued together. I couldn’t get the soldering to stick to the nails, so it took multiple hot glue efforts instead.

Boom

Goes the

Dynamite

Let’s celebrate

Tiffany has graduated, woo hoo.

Ripped apart and left longing
Every meeting treasured
Convictions compounded newness
Our faith found deepening
Circumstances challenged confidence
We persevered as a partnership

Developing professional partnerships
The normal we were longing
Finally living as confidants
The daily life treasured
Work and play deepening
Planning for life’s newness

Every year adds newness
And redefining partnership
Our community deepening
A great sense of belonging
Our firstborn son treasured
Parenting not bathed in confidence

Test again our confidence
In the land of newness
Experiences treasured
Producing transnational partnership
Still there is a longing
Our family continues deepening

Web of knowledge deepening
Confidants speak in confidence
A struggling sense of belonging
Failure brings hopeful newness
Always a short-term partnership
Yet every opportunity treasured

Imaginations and inventions treasured
Value of settling deepening
Ever adding more partnerships
But still limited confidants
One more bundle of newness
Oh, for roots still longing

Maiden voyage of our partnership Yoked across forever confidants
We enter cetus’ water deepening Intensest in a dynamic newness
Fujita brings no place treasured Eden more fully we are longing.

So much you have poured out for us,

Let your joy be the hope we own,

Our bridge to dreams built on your truss,

So much you have poured out for us,

We love you forever and thus,

Our gratitude always be known,

So much you have poured out for us,

Let your joy be the hope we own.

–For my trifecta mothers–

The US is not a fledgling any longer. I offer this suggestion to the people of the United States, including the current legislators: Drop all the demographic requirements for political offices. All those things middle school children should no longer be required to learn. If the people want to be governed by a seven year old Peruvian child, they should have the Constitutional right to do so. Such is true democracy. It is simply antiquated. Surely no one has a legitimate fear this will happen. When was the last time a president even came from outside the Two Parties? Not even the well-loved Teddy could get in after going Bull Moose. I don’t even think Justin Beiber could be elected; though it might force JR. to exercise his right. But truly, I think this amendment would express great faith in the people of the US and symbolize a coming of age as a nation.

Perfect once.
Glowing golden pigtails bouncing off the bus to change the world with a pencil.
In a flash, now changing a world of diapers, tying little brown pigtails, and teaching another to hold a pencil.
Then to now her world changed. Before she realized, she is
perfect once again.

A minisaga for your happy 28th.