"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power." - Thomas Jefferson 1820

"There is a growing technology of testing that permits us now to do in nanoseconds things that we shouldn't be doing at all." - Dr. Gerald Bracey author of Rotten Apples in Education

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Friday, February 18, 2011

A Little Bit of Wisdom For The Weekend

Wisconsin's streets are filling with union protesters. Ohio is joining in, and is likely to be followed soon by New York and California. The middle east seems to be on the precipice of a meltdown. The seemingly slow devaluation of the US dollar is causing dramatic rises in prices elsewhere in the world adding fuel to the fire. It's easy enough to find bad news out there, so instead I thought I'd give you a break and share a little humor with you all from an e-mail about paraprosdokians making the rounds. Since this blog is about education and education is the passing on of life's wisdom from one generation to the next, here are some pieces of wisdom to brighten your weekend.
  • Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
  • We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
  • War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
  • Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
  • To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; To steal from many is research.
  • A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
  • Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
  • What most of us want is not a career, but rather pay checks.
  • Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "In an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR"..
  • I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
  • Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
  • A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
  • The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
  • Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.
  • A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.
  • Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
  • I discovered I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.
  • You're never too old to learn something stupid.
  • To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

1 comment:

  1. Well Done.... so I will leave you with a little of my humor. What is wrong with the Common Core Standards?


    Standards aren’t just precise mathematical descriptions they are directions that need to be given in a manner appropriate to the user.

    Standards that ignore who the users are may be written technically precise but that doesn’t mean they will be effective at accomplishing the goal; which is to get the user to the destination with as little confusion as possible.

    The Common Core Standards ignore the user and instead focus on a precision that in many cases simply makes them unusable for k-8 teachers and students.

    I have cited many specific examples from the CCSS on numerous occasions but here I will just leave you an example that should be understood by most stakeholders.

    How do you get to Safeway from here?

    Washington State Standards: Go down to the next light and take a left. Go about half a mile and you will come to Broadway. Turn right on Broadway and it’s a little ways down on your right.

    Common Core Standards: Push on the accelerator with 3.2 ft/lbs of pressure and accelerate your vehicle until you reach an average speed of 44 ft/sec. Slow down as necessary when you approach the first traffic light and turn your vehicle 90 degrees to the left to a heading of 72.45 degrees North by Northwest. Gradually increase your speed until you reach 51.333 ft/sec. Travel 2640 ft until your GPS reading is 450 35’ 9.86” N x 1220 24.06’ 41” W. Turn your vehicle 85.780 West and travel 476 ft. Look South by Southwest 88.50 and you will see a Safeway Store.

    Bob Dean

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