Month: May 2022

Dinner with Friends

We had a terrific evening of dinner with friends. It’s really nice to be able to get together and learn about new people.

Weather

We get the weather for the entire state. This fascinates me as in my previous neighborhood, we got hyperlocalized weather.

Open Source

Coco Material. I found this site this week and I like it – a lot. Open source, hand drawn cartoons and resources that you (or kids) can modify easily. Free to use – even commercially.

Dine and Discuss

I’ve been invited to a conference called Dine and Discuss. I love this idea.

Crypto

I have some cryptocurrency.

MOOSE

Maine Opportunities for Online Sustained Education
I’ve worked more on MOOSE this week. I’ve got the Data Collection piece much closer to done. It was surprisingly hard to find good ideas for Data Collection. Most of the models that I found were focused on whole-class instruction. Since this has to be available for individual use as well as whole-class, I needed to create something that could be done individually.

I have also finished up the Food Waste section.

I’m getting used to the workflow for Drupal. It still takes a bit of thinking, but at least now I pretty much have the workflow down.

Chasing People Out

One of the side effects (and it’s intentional) of several of the laws that we are now seeing passed in certain parts of the country is to drive people out. The Washington Post posted an article about a Florida teacher who is leaving teaching. See the teacher is gay and married. She’s afraid to talk about her life and/or her marriage. Teachers have been encouraged to talk about their life in general. Teachers talk about their spouse (unless of course that spouse is the same sex).

Keep in mind, we have a teacher shortage. Keep in mind that kids need to see the real world. Having a teacher married to someone of the same sex is not going to change anything about the life partner choice that kid will make. However, it might just make that kid kinder, more respectful, more understanding, and more compassionate.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry

By Fredrik Backman

WOW. Fredrik Backman has done it again. Meet Elsa, a different almost eight-year-old. Elsa’s Grandmother is truly a character (and avid defender of Elsa). When Elsa’s Grandmother dies, she sends Elsa on a journey to learn about those around her. That journey involves delivering letters to tell those around that the Grandmother is sorry about things that she has or hasn’t done. The story is couched in the fairy tales that the Grandmother has told Elsa (some of which Elsa knows has been “lifted” from other writers). The fairy tales feature a wurse, drunks, monsters, and more. This is a powerful book that fills your heart and head. The story is extremely week crafted. Elsa may be different, but she is present in all of us. (I looked this up on Wikipedia, so I know it’s true – a reference to Elsa).

I’ve read several of Fredrik Backman’s books now, including A Man Called Ove, and Anxious People (both of which I loved). I’ll be reading the rest of his books soon. He has risen to be one of my favorite authors.

MOOSE

I’ve started working on converting some resources to MOOSE. I’ve been adding in Data Collection activities for kids to learn about Data Collection. I hope to work on converting this to MoodleNet as well.

I’ve also worked on a creating the Food Waste materials.

Board Meeting

This was a Board Meeting week as well. That means that Tuesday was a long day. However, the Board Meetings are very focused, productive, and timely.

Audiology Appointment

I had a disappointing audiology appointment. I wear hearing aids, kids, watch that level of music that you are pumping into your ears, and with the move needed to find a new audiologist. Unfortunately, all this turned out to be was a quick clean and sanitize. The audiologist didn’t take any readings or check anything at all. I may be finding a different audiologist.

Principal Conversation

I had a chance to have a conversation with the High School Principal. I really like him a lot. He’s got great ideas, is realistic, and looking out for the kids. I wish that we weren’t dealing with COVID so that I could have had more conversations with him.

Hostas

Thanks to NextDoor, I’ve picked up some Hostas from a neighbor. This also means that I met another neighbor. The Hostas are slated in part for behind the bench on the deck. I’ve cleaned out most of the area behind the bench, still have a bit of knotweed left to remove, and planted a couple of new flowers back there.

School Year

In many ways I can’t believe how close to the end of the year that it is. There is so much that I wanted to do but haven’t been able. Hopefully, COVID will be more manageable next school year. Currently, our elementary school is back to mandated masking. We’re really hoping to avoid returning to remote.