Tuesday, March 31, 2009

build vocabulary and donate rice!

check out this website, it is awesome! I completely forgot about it until I saw Rayne playing it in class. For each correct answer to a question about vocabulary, 10 grains of rice will be donated to the UN World Food Program. 10 grains might not seem like much, but it all adds up in the end. check it out. not only is it fun and addicting, but it is helping a worthwhile cause. and... drumroll please... you can also change the subject so that it can test you on geography, math, famous paintings and more! pretty cool if you ask me...

enjoy

free rice game

Monday, March 30, 2009

power to wake the dead

okay, here is another scenario for you, always interesting to see the choices made. you could bring back ANYONE from death for an afternoon. It could be to share time, talk, sit quietly, debate, berate, break bread, anything. You can only choose three individuals though. Who would you choose, and more importantly why?

I'll go first.

1. My mom. she died way too young (only 50) and I really didn't get the chance to say many of the things I wish I could have to her, especially since I was living out of state at the time.

2. Theodore Roosevelt. I would definitely pick his brain on various topics and get his opinion on everything from hunting to land preservation to imperialism to life in general.

3. Winston Churchill. I would love to know his perspective on World War II outside of published comments. Additionally, he was such a witty, sarcastic fellow I would enjoy sitting and being captivated by some of his stories.

Those are my three, what are yours?

Friday, March 27, 2009

Best of the worst...

So thanks to Greer, I am going to post a link to a website that grades different fast food restaurants in regards to healthiness of menu items and another link to a whole host of different items that are really, really bad for you. Might open your eyes to what you put in your body.

In addition to looking at restaurants and food items, think about whether or not the restaurants have a responsibility to provide healthier foods. Sometimes what people want isn't what's best for them. Should we be allowed to eat a 3000 calorie appetizer? Don't we at some point pay for it whether it is personally in regards to health issues or in general in regards to the demand it places on the health care industry? Think about these things and let me know your thoughts, good and bad. Reference the table below to see what is recommended for your intake and then compare to some of the food items.

Based on a 2000 Calorie Intake; for Adults and Children 4 or More Years of Age)

NutrientUnit of MeasureDaily Values
Total Fat grams (g) 65
Saturated fatty acids grams (g) 20
Cholesterol milligrams (mg) 300
Sodium milligrams (mg) 2400
Potassium milligrams (mg) 3500
Total carbohydrate grams (g) 300
Fiber grams (g) 25
Protein grams (g) 50



restaurant report cards

worst foods out there

3 wishes

okay, here we go. you get three wishes, anything you want. However, there is a catch (isn't there always?). one must be personal with a description why. one must be on the local or state level with a description why. and the last must be on the national or international level with a description why. I guess since I am posting I will start.

#1: That I could stay teaching in Shelburne because I love the school, the students, the staff, the community and I really feel like it is just a dynamic place I want to be a part of.

#2: In the state, I would love to see actual work done to reform how education is organized and funded. Get away from property taxes which can unfairly punish homeowners and not include renters who also send children to school. Some sort of alternative tax or other formula method that does not rely so heavily on property taxes would be great. Along these same lines, I would love to see some of the school districts consolidated, do you know Vermont has like six times as many districts as Florida?

#3: I would love to see Muslims take back their faith from extremists and spread the true message of their belief system which is quite similar to judeo-christian beliefs in regards to love for humanity. If we could see the Muslim world rise up against extremists and modernize their perspective we would see a very different world.

These are my wishes, what are yours?

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

shift happens

Here is the video we watched in class for those of you interested. Share it with friends, family, and anyone else who might benefit from an eyeopening 5 minutes. Think about what this means for you, for your future, for Vermont, for the United States, for the World... Incredibly powerful and quite revealing in regards to the future and the impact of globalization.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

4.1, 8.3, 12.6

How many times have you said to yourself that school is a waste of time. Ever seen or heard this scenario go down?

student: school is dumb, it's a waste of time.

teacher: you might think that but you are making a difference for your future, trust me.

student: whatever. it's not like we get paid for this.

teacher: you are getting paid in a way though, the longer you go to school the more likely you are to be successful in life.

student: yeah, whatever.


Well here is something for you to ponder. associated press released unemployment statistics in a newspaper article saturday. Check this out and tell me what this tell you:

4.1 unemployment rate for college graduates

8.3 unemployment rate for high school graduates

12.6 unemployment rate for those without a high school diploma

I think those numbers speak for themselves. What do you think?