The economic crises is driving increased interest in “Alternate Route” teaching programs. http://bit.ly/BrGKZ
Jun 302008
Here are four video’s I recorded last Friday night at the Parc Des Princes in Paris. Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band put on a great performance. As one of my teenage sons observed afterwards “That was quite the show!”
First, the highlight of the show. Bruce plays solo piano for the first time since 2003, rendering a moving performance of “For You”, a 1973 classic filled with regret and longing. “It’s not your lungs this time, it’s your heart that holds your fate.” Just before the song, Bruce told the crowd “pour vous Paris” translation – “For You Paris.” I did not film the whole song as I had limited battery available and it was too hard to concentrate on the music while recording.
Janey Don’t You Lose Heart – a rare performance early in the concert.
With darkness descending on Paris, the stage lighting adds to the atmosphere as the band starts the encore with “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” from the Magic CD.
The intro to 10th Avenue Freeze Out – “ooooh, oooh, oooh..!”
Apr 122007
Places on the globe I’ve visited over the past 30 years.
Aug 032006
If last summer was the summer for early adoption of blog and podcast tools, in the web 2.0 world, this is the summer of voice messaging, skypecasting and video production. Three dimensional worlds such as Second Life are also gaining momentum, as the pace of change accelerates and just recent innovations such as music on IPODS, static web pages and discussion boards look very 2004.
Wagner James Au over at New World Notes points out an entertaining YouTube video, "Suzanne’s Guitar" which depicts the fast-forwarded step by step construction of a Second Life virtual guitar designed for Suzanne Vega. RobbieDingo, the creator of the guitar machinima, also authored a dramatic video, where actors play upon a three dimensional stage in Second Life. Have a look at the two videos. The first will stimulate your brain and the second may touch your heart.
July 20th, 2006
Vicki Davis at Cool Cat Teacher Blog reflects on educational lessons learned while on, of all places, a Disney cruise. This is one of the best posts I’ve read on teaching and the need for student engagement. Vicki was impressed with the way Disney cruise "educational" activities engaged the young cruise passengers, two of which were her children, ages 10 and 11. The "students" were excitedly participated in learning labs, science experiments, talent showcases and other learning activities. Teachers should strive to make their lessons as interesting as the Disney activities that Vicki describes. Can we achieve this level of student excitement in every lesson, every day throughout the school year? Of course not! But we should make it a goal nonetheless. I found myself thinking "Yeah…why not!" several times while reading the post. Love the idea of "changing classroom scenery" to disrupt the routine and foster interest. I’ve done this at times. Every year I take the students to our outdoor track with a hand held GPS to teach GPS systems. The students "relay" the GPS around the track to measure distance, then calculate their average speed and view a graphic of their route as seen from the satellite system. There are so many more opportunities however. Why not have a social studies class in the library, or even in the science classroom if it’s open and the topic involves science? Change is good!
