Comments and Spam

I really love getting comments on my blogs. Checking them is one of the first things I do every morning, after getting ready and dressed for work. So I hate to put a stumbling block in anyone's way, but I've had to turn on the "word verification" feature, where you must type in a word that is given to you each time you leave a comment. Someone who is trying to sell virus protection software has discovered my blogs, and is sending their automated spam in the form of comments. Boo to you, Spammer!

I hope this won't discourage any of you from leaving comments.

Over in the Meadow - Part 2

I spent some time today experimenting with styles for the Counting Book (see yesterday's post). I've discovered that I can photograph the origami "babies," and, using Photoshop Elements, paste them onto my background as many times as necessary. That means I won't have to make TEN frogs.

Here's a rough draft of pages one and two. By the way -- those are the toads, not the frogs. The toad isn't that difficult, but the frog is a bear! (How can a frog be a bear?)

You can click on the picture, to see it a little larger.

Over in the Meadow

Sweetpea's Book of Colors finally shipped from the printer. I'm not as thrilled with it as I was with Sweetpea's ABC Book, which I did first. But, it's done, and now I'm thinking of a counting book.

A few days ago I pulled all of my origami books out of the closet, so I could do some origami for my 366 Photos in 2008 blog, since "origami" is one of the themes. Most of these books were gifts from our Japanese exchange students, so they are not in English. For the most part, though, the diagrams are understandable without the text. I ended up folding some blossoms on a branch, and had a lot of fun with it. And that's when the idea came to me to try something different for Sweetpea's Counting Book. Instead of using photography, I thought I might do origami animals, to illustrate the traditional "Over in the Meadow" song.

Yesterday afternoon I started trying to fold the frog. What a disaster! I understood the directions, but my folds just didn't come out neat and clean like in the diagram. I must have tried six or seven times to fold a perfect frog, each time without success. I might, eventually, be able to fold one handsome frog, but, according to the song, I'll need "a green mother frog and her little froggies nine." That's TEN frogs! I probably should rethink this idea, but it's still intriguing to me, and I think I'll give it a little more time and effort before I abandon it. Wish me luck. I'll need it. After the frogs come "a gray mother spider and her little spiders ten."

Remedial Classes vs. Electives

(or It's My Blog so I'll Rant if I Want To #2)

On February 12, an editorial ran in the Albuquerque Journal. This paragraph, from the article, is in reference to Albuquerque Public Schools (APS):

“Last year 6,250 ninth- and 11th-graders tested as not proficient in English, 5,343 in math. This fall, high schoolers who don't test proficient in those core subjects will have to take remedial courses to get them up to speed. And unless schedules change, that remedial course will be in lieu of an elective.”

The editor goes on to express his opinion that this move is “vital . . . if all APS grads are going to become productive members of society.” His recommendation is for schools to switch to block schedules that would accommodate both remedial coursework and an elective of the student's choosing.

In today’s Journal there are eight student responses, from a social studies class at a local middle school. I understand these are middle school students, so I would not expect perfection in spelling, grammar, or logic. However, when I read their responses today, I was actually embarrassed for them, especially considering that they wrote these letters knowing that they would be published in the newspaper.

Their own letters to the editor, which were intended to dispute the proposed APS policy, are, instead, prime evidence for the policy’s necessity, in my opinion. Below are a few excerpts from the letters, with all spelling and grammar exactly as it was written. Of the eight letters, there were two that were well-written for middle-schoolers (one of which was the only one in favor of the new policy). Of the other six letters, the following excerpts are typical.

“Are teacher read this article on Monday and I and other kids in are class wasn’t very happy about it.”

“I didn’t like that they toke out are elective because I heard that there was really good electives in High School.”

“I think thats not fair to the kids that are chalened in those euents because what if they dont get a good score? What if you were that kid would you wont to have your eletive tooken away.”

“The “ALL WORK, NO PLAY” artical was a pice of crap.”

“If we have to do even more we are in trouble and so will our grades . . . Comeing from a kid myself belive me this wont help us, if anything it will get us more confused haveing to do like two math clases if we dont get such a good grade on that part of the test.”

Well . . .

What do you think? Might remedial coursework be in order?