tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14798628771018751012024-03-09T01:48:44.654+09:00Skillet BloggingLike my homemade meals here in Korea -- a little of everything, all mixed together.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-83609561624547474802007-03-24T15:52:00.000+09:002007-03-24T16:09:12.947+09:00Yellow dustSo about this time every year, dust from the Gobi Desert area starts blowing through most of East Asia. I didn't really know about "yellow dust season" before I got to Korea, but boy have I gotten an introduction. While I haven't actually SEEN the dust, I've definitely felt it. Started last week with some wheezing -- I've used my fast-acting inhaler about once in the last year. As severe as my asthma was in childhood, it's mild to nonexistant these days, and I was naturally surprised to find I had breathing difficulties. I developed a slight cough and the breathing worsened, so Monday I went to the hospital.<br /><br />Korean medical care is interesting. I go see the general doctor, who speaks enough English, tell him I'm having breathing trouble and am asthmatic and all he does is listen to my lungs. It sort of freaks me out how they prescribe anything without taking a medical history, asking about possible interactions or even doing a real physical. Anyway, he gave a "Turbuhaler" to take twice a day and two doses of prednizone and that was that.<br /><br />My wheezing did get better, but I got sicker. I went back on Thursday and I've progressed to full-blown pneumonia. This time my "physical" consisted of listening to my lungs, temperature and a chest x-ray (this is the nice part of Korea: a $10 chest x-ray!). I got lots of drugs (they don't tell me what they are, and it's a convoluted process of looking up the insurance number on druginfo.co.kr and then googling the active ingredients). Hopefully, they're working.<br /><br />I did get Friday off work, though not if The Hagwon had had their way. I don't have any sick days left, because I used them both for India-related things, but even if I did the Korean view on illness isn't terribly pragmatic. They try to bargain with you, "well, maybe you can come just for this one class, because parents expect there is foreign teacher--"<br /><br />PNEUMONIA. NOT TEACHING ANYONE.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-45478545409225519622007-03-09T13:40:00.000+09:002007-03-13T19:19:01.162+09:00Again, the weaknesses of Hagwon educationAs I said, the new semester started last week (that's why I've been so busy). I've touched on some of the frustrations of teaching at a hagwon, but a couple things happened this week that really highlighted one of the major reasons my "school" can be counterproductive to actual learning.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Unrealistic expectations</span><br />Yesterday my coworker called a teacher meeting to discuss discipline. In the course of developing a sticker system to encourage homework completion and discourage, say, yelling in class, the issue of the textbooks came up. Without any consultation with the foreign teachers (or, for that matter, the Korean teachers), the school purchased books far too advanced for the classes. First graders with no experience in real classwork were being given Level 2 Dictation books for listening, and the speakers were at conversational speed.<br /><br />But they aren't willing to slow down or change. We just have to "make it work" because the parents expect more. As a coworker aptly put it, you can't go from arithmetic to physics in a week. You'd think that these parents, who are not by ANY means fluent (I've spoken to most of them) would realize how difficult it is to master a language, and yet they expect their small children to do it in a month? There's challenging students, but there's also going so far over their heads that they can't even reach.<br /><br />The same day, one of my B-level students' mother came in for a meeting and to observe. She was furious that her daughter (first grade) was in the second-level class -- even though two of the smartest kids in the grade are as well, and we use the same book as the A-level. She yelled and screamed and carried on and finally my boss decided just to move the girl up, after the mother called the kindergarten teacher to get confirmation that YW's English was in fact remarkable. The truth, of course, is that she belonged and was doing well in B-level. But it wasn't about the kid. It was about the mother, and the image of being in the top class.<br /><br />At least I have one sane parent, though! A former kindergarten student of mine who'd been placed into the C-level class was bumped up, and after a day his mother asked that he be moved back down to give him a chance to master the fundamentals. That kid will probably end up with better English than any of them!<br /><br />*<br />*<br />*<br /><br />Found a new website for general bookmarking: <a href="http://blog.lib.umn.edu/denis036/thisweekinevolution/">This Week in Evolution</a> summarizes a paper a week. So much of my reading is either on the mechanisms of evolution or the general evo-creo debate that it's nice to interject some current research in there. Keep an eye on it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-10408295290476647192007-03-02T22:29:00.000+09:002007-03-02T22:54:01.701+09:00It's a whole new year.Today was the opening of the new year for Korean schools, which means changes at The Hagwon too. We have a new crop of baby first graders coming in, which means everybody else is shuffled and pushed up an hour. Reshuffling of the afternoon teachers, too: one teacher got transferred out and another brought it; all of my wonderful classes were taken away from me and given to the disciplinarian teacher, who really should be doing, oh I don't know, the classes with <span style="font-style:italic;">discipline problems</span>. But that'd make too much sense for The Hagwon! In fact, in a stunning piece of reasoning, The Director is pointedly not giving the bad classes to Disciplinarian because if the boys can't spend English Hagwon time playing with their friends, they might quit.<br /><br />Sometimes you just have to shake your head and get on with it.<br /><br />So, my new and vastly unimproved schedule:<br /><br />2pm - first grade, mid-level. I had half of them in kindergarten. They're solid students and mostly good kids. I won't have any trouble with them; also, there's only six.<br />3pm - kill me. Rotating class (so, a different group MWF than TR), low level, no interest.<br />4pm - no, seriously. Big rotating class, equally low, much worse discipline-wise.<br />5pm - low level underacheivers, but small class size and only on MWF. I can do a little with these guys, anyway.<br />6pm - thank the hockey gods for this one. Our six smartest elementary kids in one room. I've got my 4th grade writing genius (more on her at a later date), two 4th graders who lived in the US for two years, a very talented 5th grader and one of the funniest kids I know, even if he is a bit behind the others and in 6th grade (he's the "daughter of a bitch" boy).<br /><br />Aside from losing all my kids that I've had since I started at this damn place, the big downsides are that I'm no longer teaching my 8-year-old math genius and my favorite first grader won't be with me anymore, either. <br /><br />This whole thing would be so much easier if I didn't care about my job or my kids.<br /><br />On a high note, I got to name a couple kids today. One was "Weasley" already, but I tagged two more "McKay" and "Carson." Cookies for whoever gets the reference.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-25986137736199619472007-02-26T12:39:00.000+09:002007-02-26T12:51:00.733+09:00Yes, yes, meme time...from <a href="http://chefjanice.blogspot.com/">All in a Day's Work</a>:<br /><br /><i>1. Grab the book closest to you.<br />2. Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence<br />3. Post the text of the following three sentences.<br />4. Name the author and book title.<br />5. Tag <strike>three</strike> two other people to do the same.</i><br /><br />Fourth full sentence? I'll go with that: <br />"But as I have already allowed, this does not rule out biological laws; it merely sets the burden of proof for those who want to propose any. And in the meantime, it gives us a framework for describing large and important classes of regularity we discover in the patterns in <i>our</i> biosphere.<br /><i>CHAPTER 5: Biological possibility is best seen in terms of accessibility (from some stipulated location) in the Library of Mendel, the logical space of all genomes.</i>"<br /><br />The closest book to me happens to be the one I'm reading, <u>Darwin's Dangerous Idea</u> by Daniel Dennett. I'm not actually to page 123, but I'm enjoying it thoroughly so far. It's my first non-Dawkins evo book in a while, and while I don't think anything can surpass <u>The Ancestor's Tale</u> as my favorite nonfiction of all time, Dennett is a bit more philosophical and willing to apply these concepts to humanity, which I guess makes sense since he's a director of cognitive studies.<br /><br />I tag <a href="http://tinybugblog.blogspot.com/">Bug Blog</a> and <a href="http://beautifulbiology.blogspot.com/">Beautiful Biology</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-43836158345701387292007-02-25T19:58:00.000+09:002007-02-26T13:23:34.625+09:00A splash of cultureI will admit that what passes for foreigner culture in Korea -- especially the smaller cities, such as mine -- is drinking. We drink a lot, and the teachers who DON'T drink have essentially no social life around here. But you actually learn a lot in the bars, and cultural exchange via alcohol can be the best kind, so here are a few of the things we tend to find continually amusing, no matter how long we're here:<br /><br />1. Soju. The official alcoholic beverage of Korea, this stuff is essentially vodka's weak little brother. It's made of rice (shock.) and tastes like diet lighter fluid, but it's only about 40 proof. We shoot it most of the time, but a lot of places make sawa, flavored soju, with fresh strawberry, kiwi, grape, etc., and that stuff is good.<br />2. Side dish. This isn't even just a drinking thing. When you go in a restaurant or bar, you are immediately showered with side dish (note: this is never plural), and I think it could be a federal law that kimchi be served with every meal. In bars, side dish tends to be the normal pretzel-peanut-salty fish combo. In some you have to order side dish with your alcohol, fruit, sausage, soups, omelette, that sort of thing. In soju tents and maccoli houses, side dish comes with your drinks and ranges from shrimp to squid to egg to veggies...<br />3. Soju tents. Open-air (in nice weather) permanent tent-thingies with plastic tables and chairs, usually a projection TV with soccer on, cheap-ass soju and good side dish. These places are wonderful.<br />4. The soju drinking game. So you know when you open a bottled drink, the circle of plastic that the cap seperates itself from on the initial twist? Well, on soju that circle is aluminum and breaks upon opening the bottle, but one end stays attached to the cap. You twist it tight and pass it around the table, with everyone taking a turn flicking it. The people on either side of the eventual person who flicks it off take shots. Then the winner looks at the number that's indented on the underside of the cap. It's always between 1 and 100, and you go around the table again guessing numbers (so if the number is 37 and the first person guesses 50, the caller will say "lower" and the next contestant's range is 1-50). Whoever gets the number takes a shot. Simple and elegant, as drinking games go, and built right into the bottle.<br />5. The two-hand thing. Ok, so, it's actually impolite not to do this when handing ANYTHING to anybody else, but especially money and alcoholic beverages. The basics, for drinking: a) always pour with your right hand. b) the left hand should either be on the bottle, on your right wrist, on your right elbow, or on your chest. c) always hold your glass with the same two-handed grip when someone is pouring for you. d) never pour your own drink. e) never let someone else's glass remain empty. Not following these rules results in bad luck for the people across from you, so says tradition.<br />6. Kombae! "Cheers" in Korean.<br />7. Nore bong. A fairly common post-bar/tent destination, the nore bong translates as "music (or song) room" and it's private karaoke. For like $15 you and all your friends can go croon drunkenly in your very own room. And you can bring beer.<br /><br />So now you know a bit about how to drink in Korea, which I'm sure will come in handy. I know that when I go home in five months (speaking of which, I was accepted to UAH for a second degree last week) I'll be pouring with two hands for <span style="font-style:italic;">months</span>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-61297608668450232732007-02-20T13:11:00.000+09:002007-02-20T13:27:18.378+09:00It's February!Which means pitchers and catchers report and the NCAA ping is sounding again. Forgive the diversion, but my Tar Heels are ranked number 1 by Baseball America for the first time in program history, and I'm pretty excited. Granted, Seton Hall (our first-weekend opponent for several years now) is not the most fearsome of teams, but a sweep and 27-4 outscoring in three games is a good start.<br /><br />Robert Woodard, who was awesome last year and will be awesome this year, took a perfect game into the 7th in the Friday season opener, retiring the first 20 batters and ending up with 7.2 scoreless, one-hit innings. Brilliant. I thought last year would be the best chance at a national championship for a while since Miller and Bard would be leaving, but I guess being an out away improves your recruiting. <br /><br />Among recent graduates (or draftees), Andrew Miller is looking really good at Tigers camp, looking like the best of the young arms, though he'll probably start the year at Lakeland. I doubt he'll be there long, as he managed to ascend to Detroit last year. Chris Iannetta's a shoe-in for a roster spot in Colorado, even though their signing Javy Lopez makes it a bit harder for him to earn the starter's role right off the bat. Still, .260 after his call-up last year's nothing to sneer at. <br /><br />I think those are the only two in camp so far, so it'll be a month or before I can check up on how the minor leaguers are doing and where they got assigned this season.<br /><br />Let's go Tar Heels!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-20642239469238932132007-02-16T13:02:00.000+09:002007-02-17T23:49:24.787+09:00Bigger lies and bad scienceYesterday we wrapped up a week and a half of kindergarten parent interviews. It wasn't too bad, fun to meet some of my kids' parents and to show off their reading, but there were parts that bothered me immensely. For instance, did you know that every child in my class is WELL above average? I know! Shocking! It was a reminder of what I do try to forget -- we aren't a school, we're a business, and keeping the parents happy comes before teaching the kids.<br /><br />The format of the meeting was pretty straightforward. We gave a powerpoint presentation on the elementary school program, then our director came in and bullet-pointed it in Korean, showed off the textbooks and explained the prices and schedules. We brought the kid in and had them do a reading rate test in a minute, told the parent the kid was unbelievably great and then asked a few questions to show off their listening and speaking skills. Of course, the questions were rehearsed and for half of them the reading was basically them saying "a" and "the" and "to" and us providing the rest.<br /><br />The reading rate test was shit, of course. We took first and second-grade level tests off a website that measured reading speed, but it was one with a start and stop button, so the passages weren't meant for a 1-minute timed test. However, without any supporting data, my coworker decided that the passages (which, remember, weren't made for a 1-minute test) weren't meant to be read in 1 minute, so the average must be about half the passage, in this case 20 words. So she persisted in telling EVERY parent whose kid churned out 45 words a minute -- the lowest "score" amongst our 7-year-old ESL students -- that he or she was well above the reading level of the average American first grader. Even after I explained that a) the passages we chose weren't intended for this sort of test, b) data on the topic shows first graders average 50-80 wpm according to a couple different studies and c) not knowing how to say a word SHOULD affect their score, she STILL didn't stop telling parents that.<br /><br />But the bad science for marketing ploy bothered me most. At my university, only one science major required a research methods class for graduation, and that was psychology. I imagine that part of the reason is that because of the nature of psych research, the variance, the difficulties in study design and the impossibility of generalizing most things to a whole population, it's more important that students be capable of distinguishing bad science from good, but whatever the reason, I did very well in the class and misrepresentation of psych research is a huge pet peeve of mine.<br /><br />So my fellow kindy teacher dug up some study showing that children who change schools have worse grades, while those who remained in the same school got better grades, went to university and got better jobs. First of all, university follows from having good grades and better jobs follow from being university educated, so I objected right off the bat to essentially telling parents that if they changed hagwons on us at age 7, their kid would be working at 7-Eleven in vocational high school.<br /><br />Then, the attached graph showed that of the kids who "stayed in the same school," 70% had an A average, about 25% were B students and the remainder were C or D students. The A-B-C/D-F breakdown for kids who "changed schools" was 25%-25%-35%-15%. I couldn't find the exact study, because she didn't cite it, but I did read some similar research for a class in development of social behavior last year. Most of the work seemed to be focused on grade spans, illustrating that the jump from elementary to middle and middle to high could affect grades, especially in students that were going through puberty at the same time as the change in schools. For all I know, the study was looking at at-risk sixth graders making the jump to seventh. Or it was examining the grades of students who changed schools midyear, or those who had changed schools more than once in a five-year period. I don't know, and neither did she, and neither did those parents.<br /><br />Of course, I can say with certainty that this study was not addressing the grades of 7-year-olds who are starting the first grade in public school ("changing schools") anyway and are only deciding whether or not they want to attend English academy in the same building that they attended kindergarten. And every time I had to explain that stupid graph, I thought about how I didn't deserve that A in Research Methods.<br /><br />I <span style="font-style:italic;">do</span> know that hagwons are first and foremost a business. It's why we can't give bad grades or bad comments, it's why 8 year olds have black belts in taekwondo. That didn't bother me at first, when I was teaching the kids who didn't want to learn English and never would. But now I'm teaching the really good kids, the ones who can be fluent, who can study abroad and go to college outside of Korea if they want to, and I do care more about what they learn than what their parents think they learn. These are bright, creative kids and they deserve better than the hagwon business, and I hate sitting in meetings being the only one on their side.<br /><br />So in honor of solnal, the lunar new year, a resolution: I get five more months of these students, and I get to teach 'em not just English reading, but creative writing, science and social studies. In my class, this isn't going to be about what the parents see, it's going to be about what my kids learn. What's wrong with this system that that isn't <span style="font-style:italic;">enough</span>?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-35897537008902494502007-02-13T12:43:00.000+09:002007-02-13T09:44:15.138+09:00Genius kids and DNAIn honor of Darwin Day, this is a writing sample from one of my favorite students. JS is about 9, just started the third grade and is a certifiable genius (btw, does anybody know of online IQ tests geared for children? He really wants to take one, and the kid scored 109 on an ADULT test. In his SECOND language). He routinely presents me with lists of mathematical operations to learn to say in English and his favorite phrase, since I taught it to him, is deoxyribonucleic acid. The assignment was a "personal narrative." They were supposed to write about an event in their life, fiction or nonfiction, in first person. Here's JS's contribution, a final draft, mistakes preserved:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">If I were a DNA molecule, I would make a pupil rainbow. This is not a joke, and I'm just saying what I want to do. And I'd make that rainbow-colored-pupil-person's head is on Deneb (1500 lightyear away). It'll be the tallest person ever, and he or she will be bald because I want to tease him or her. But it's not a joke! And he or she will be a good basket ball player. But it won't get a exact shot because he or she couldn't see! HeeHee...And I'll make his/her IQ hi-lo (high, low) If he wants to join a Mensa club, I'll make his/her IQ 157. Why 157? I like 169, but it's too high, so I like 13 to, because root(169)=13. And 169-13 makes 156. I don't like even numbers, so I changed the 13 to 3x4=12 so 169-12=157. I can make 155 changing 13 to 14, but I don't like 2 same numbers in a row even though it's easier to remember the number. Oh, back to the rainbow-colored-pupil-person story. Some of the story is about numbers, that's what I'll tell. He can be a prime checker. Like the prime calculator in the murderous maths site (www.murderousmaths.co.uk). Like some one say '101' and he'll say prime. If someone says 76001, he'll say prime. If some one says 68103491, he'll say "No. It's 197x523x661." And everyone will say "Wow! You're great!"</span><br /><br />Great indeed, JS.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-41402265418369542172007-02-13T09:31:00.000+09:002007-02-10T15:33:09.520+09:00Happy Darwin Day!So February 12 is Charles Darwin's birthday, and thus <a href="http://www.darwinday.org/">DARWIN DAY</a>! Some links in honor:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/pharyngula">Pharyngula</a>: My favorite evo-related blog!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.talkorigins.org/">Talk Origins</a>: The best resource out there. The FAQ break down the most common questions and misconceptions about what evolution is and how it works.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nuuf.org/darwin.html">Pocket Darwin</a>: A good, short primer on evolution.<br /><br /><a href="http://evolution.berkeley.edu/">Understanding Evolution</a>: From Berkeley, a wealth of resources for everyone (including teachers) with some interesting topics, such as "How does evolution impact my life?"<br /><br />Time for work for me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-18447786627219330832007-02-09T09:42:00.000+09:002007-02-08T23:14:56.040+09:00Sorry, sorry, just a meme.I don't normally do these, but I didn't have time for a good post yesterday, so this can fill in 'til I get a chance to write about my genius kids tomorrow...and also I love doing memes. Why? Because Richard Dawkins coined the term and I love so very much that it has become netspeak.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />1. What time did you get up this morning?</strong> Alarm went off at 9. I'm not really tired yet, but I think it's likely I will be during about the second spelling test today.<br /><br /><strong>2. Diamonds or pearls?</strong> I have one piece of jewelry, and it's diamond.<br /><br /><strong>3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?</strong> Blood Diamond, and it was awesome.<br /><br /><strong>4. What is your favorite TV show?</strong> Just one? I keep up with NCIS, House, Grey's Anatomy and Battlestar Galactica via download, but right now I'm hopelessly addicted to Stargate Atlantis.<br /><br /><strong>5. What do you usually have for breakfast?</strong> Sometimes Oatmeal, more often nothing<br /><br /><strong>6. Favorite restaurant?</strong> Memories, this German place in Seoul. My standards for good food are lower in Korea, but...so good.<br /><br /><strong>7. What is your middle name?</strong> That sort of thing makes it hard to stay anonymous, doesn't it?<br /><br /><strong>8. What food do you dislike?</strong> mushrooms<br /><br /><strong>9. What is your favorite CD at the moment?</strong> Kris Delmhorst, Strange Conversations<br /><br /><strong>10. What kind of car do you drive?</strong> Toyota Rav 4, when I'm in the US to drive it.<br /><br /><strong>11. Favorite sandwich?</strong> Fried egg, lately.<br /><br /><strong>12. What characteristic do you despise?</strong> Stupidity, vapidity, willful ignorance<br /><br /><strong>13. Favorite item of clothing?</strong> It's kind of cop-out to say my Thrashers jersey, isn't it.<br /><br /><strong>14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?</strong> Geez, how 'bout home? But no, I'd go back to St. Petersburg.<br /><br /><strong>15. What color is your bathroom?</strong> white-ish<br /><br /><strong>16. Favorite brand of clothing?</strong> I don't really have a favorite brand.<br /><br /><strong>17. Where would you retire to?</strong> I haven't really thought that far ahead, honestly.<br /><br /><strong>18.What was your most recent memorable birthday?</strong> My 21st. My sibs, mom and stepmom came to Chapel Hill and we drank a beer in the hotel lobby at midnight, then bloody marys at Sunday brunch the next day.<br /><br /><strong>19. Favorite sport to watch</strong>? baseball and hockey<br /><br /><strong>20. Farthest place you are sending this?</strong> I wouldn't know.<br /><br /><strong>21. Who do you least expect to do this?</strong> Uh. I don't know.<br /><br /><strong>22. Person you are tagging?</strong> I'm not compelling anyone else to do this.<br /><br /><strong>23. Favorite saying?</strong> Honestly.<br /><br /><strong>24. When is your birthday?</strong> 04/10<br /><br /><strong>25. Are you a morning person or a night person?</strong> Both.<br /><br /><strong>26. What is your shoe size?</strong> 260<br /><br /><strong>27. Pets?</strong> 2 dogs of my own (that's them on the sidebar), my family also has a dog and two cats<br /><br /><strong>28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? </strong> CAROLINA 79-DUKE 73<br /><br /><strong>29. What did you want to be when you were little?</strong> I went through phases of fireman, vet, roboticist, virologist, aerospace engineer and sport psychologist. Now I'm going to be an evolutionary biologist.<br /><br /><strong>30. How are you today?</strong> Very tired, because Korean soju is Not A Good Thing.<br /><br /><strong>31. What is your favorite candy?</strong> tictacs, which they don't have in Korea.<br /><br /><strong>32. What is your favorite flower?</strong> Don't have one.<br /><br /><strong>33. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?</strong> July 24.<br /><br /><strong>34. What church do you attend?</strong> Why do we assume I attend a church? I am an atheist, and we don't do organization.<br /><br /><strong>35. What is your full name?</strong> JeonjuTarHeel<br /><br /><strong>36. What are you listening to right now?</strong> The Thrashers laying a beatdown on the Avs.<br /><br /><strong>37. What was the last thing you ate?</strong> Galbi YanTanJip last night.<br /><br /><strong>38. Do you wish on stars?</strong> Nope.<br /><br /><strong>39. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?</strong> Orange<br /><br /><strong>40. How is the weather right now?</strong> 'bout 35 and cloudy<br /><br /><strong>41. Last person you spoke to on the phone?</strong> One of my friends<br /><br /><strong>42. Do you like the person who sent this to you?</strong> Well, I don't really know the person who's blog I took it from, but sure!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-32760641578485559402007-02-07T13:39:00.000+09:002007-02-07T19:14:45.998+09:00Curriculum changesLooks like a bit of an overhaul in The Hagwon's new year, starting in March. I was helping the other third year kindy teacher design a presentation for our kids' parents on the elementary program, since obviously we want them to send their graduating kindergartners to our elementary program, and there's all sorts of new stuff.<br /><br />The biggest thing is that we're going to start accepting MWF students (now every student is here M-F). This is a bit of a challenge for the teachers, since we have to get all the important stuff in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and still not get repetitive for the weeklong students on Tuesday or Thursday. So it appears that we're adding social studies and science to our English program. <br /><br />In some ways, I like this, since it really broadens the kids' vocabularies and their knowledge about the world and the English-speaking world (social studies is often American history and geography), but it does make things things a little more difficult when it comes to preperation. I already do more prep work than most hagwon teachers, because I write Wednesday worksheets and reading comprehension tests for my students. Now I've got to throw social studies and science lessons and homework in there too? Great...<br /><br />But maybe it'll work out, maybe The Hagwon will pull through with some good materials. Otherwise I'll have to network with some US first and second grade teachers for help, I think. And that's just me with the advanced kids, the teachers for the lower levels will have an even harder time.<br /><br />Back to work, then taekwondo. Wendesday is such a long day for me...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-89888972257716997372007-02-04T11:30:00.000+09:002007-02-04T11:52:34.013+09:00My religion......is a cold, icy early morning, with the moon still up and nearly full, making ending a Saturday night early to be up for it just that much better.<br /><br />...is finally pronouncing Hwasan Cheyukwan so the taxi driver understands it the first time.<br /><br />...is a freezing, dark arena, abandoned except for the basement rink.<br /><br />...is the slow, flickering awakening of the not-quite-bright-enough lights on rough ice, the red and blue of the new paint giving it a fresh look that it lacked for my first six months.<br /><br />...is the fumes given off by the kerosene heater as it sputters to life in the frigid locker room.<br /><br />...is the easy rhythm of dressing, pants-skates on-shinpads-skates tied-elbow pads-jersey-helmet-gloves, right to left, same every time.<br /><br />...is walking down a flight of stairs in skates.<br /><br />...is the first step onto the ice, the crunch of the blade echoing in the rink.<br /><br />...is my breath somehow adding to the haze that settles over the surface naturally.<br /><br />...sprinting blue line to blue line, remembering how much fun skating really is, somehow still novel every week.<br /><br />...is just feeling the puck on my stick.<br /><br />...is the eagle eyes of the players waiting to come on the ice, calling the one rule we actually enforce: "Offside-uh!"<br /><br />...is the moment I realize my toes and fingers are warm.<br /><br />...is sixty minutes of five on five and one shift off the ice.<br /><br />...is playing every position save goalie.<br /><br />...is an end-to-end rush, a breakout pass, defending a three-on-one, one-timers and tips and great breakaway saves and how they're all the same even if I can't hear a word of English to describe them.<br /><br />...is how good I feel after an hour of hockey, no matter how I played, no matter how much sleep I got the night before, even when I'm coughing up a lung.<br /><br />Who needs a god, when you've got hockey?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-2659633125297075952007-02-02T09:36:00.000+09:002007-02-02T09:45:43.000+09:00CursingThe nice thing about teaching ESL is that the potential for unintentional humor is quite high. One of my favorite examples comes from my best class, five conversational students ranging from third grade to sixth. The oldest student, SY, watches wrestling often and will come into class with questions about things he heard pretty frequently (I refuse to explain the shocker to him, no matter how many times he asks). So the other day, he asks if "son of a bitch" is a bad word. I told the class it was sort of a "medium" bad word, not too horrible but you wouldn't say it in front of your parents. I gave examples of using it as just a curse and of what it meant literally. SY seemed to absorb all this thoughtfully and we went on with class. The next day, he interrupted our definitions as if he'd just thought of something. <br /><br />"Teacher!"<br /><br />"Yes. SY."<br /><br />"Son of bitch is bad word, yes?"<br /><br />"We talked about that yesterday. Yes."<br /><br />"Well, if you say son of bitch, can you say...<span style="font-style: italic;">daughter </span>of bitch?"<br /><br />And really, why can't you?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-44893622206037048962007-01-29T21:43:00.001+09:002007-01-29T21:43:52.427+09:00Little lies...Every Monday, the kindergarten teachers at The Hagwon are required to write a "weekly diary" for each student as sort of a progress report for the parents (most of whom can't speak English anyway). We are not allowed to be negative in the least with our comments, so what I actually write corresponds with something far different in my head...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Speaking skills are coming along.</span> Your child continues to sound as if he hasn't used an f, th or short i in his entire life, despite the fact that it's his third year of English kindergarten.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Speaking will continue to improve as she gains confidence.</span> Your kid refuses to say a word of English. Ever.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Enthusiastic speaker!</span> Your little monster won't shut the hell up in Korean.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Initiating conversations in English</span>. Asked me if she could go to the bathroom.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Improving understanding. </span>Understands three English words: "playroom," "sketchbook" and "bathroom"<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Good at picking out key words</span>. Tells me every day is Tuesday.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A leader in the class</span>. Your evil daughter controls the classroom with an iron fist and is without a doubt the biggest bully I have ever encountered.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Vibrant and enthusiastic</span>. Finds staying in his seat akin to riding a bucking bronco. Eight seconds is about the limit.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">No behavioral problems</span>. Is only quiet when forced to stand in the corner with her hands in the air.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">No major behavioral problems</span>. Hasn't killed anyone yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Reads class materials with minimal prompting. </span>Needs prompting on every word longer than three letters.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Beginning to pick up sight words!</span> Can now read "I" and "a."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Understands the sound and usage of the letter p</span>. Can tell a p from a w.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Able to add two-digit numbers</span>. ...but still uses his fingers for 1 + 1<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Solid critical thinking skills</span>. Able to copy the answers off the board or her neighbor very effectively.<br /><br />This goes along with the weekly spelling test grading scale. They aren't actually allowed to have any wrong answers on the test; we have to erase things until they get every word right.<br /><br />6/6! -- 0 correct<br />Nice! -- 1 correct<br />Good! -- 2 correct<br />Very good! -- 3 correct<br />Great! -- 4 correct<br />Outstanding! -- 5 correct<br />Excellent! -- 6 correct<br /><br />The kids are wise to that one, though. They're always disappointed if I don't start scrawling an "Excellent."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-53812954211861881402007-01-29T20:58:00.000+09:002007-01-29T21:00:22.460+09:00So the unannounced hiatus -- not that anyone's reading anyway -- was due to a re-evaluation of the blog's purpose. I was going a little broad, I think. Pretty much the only unique insights I have here are related to teaching and living in Korea, so I'm going to stick to that from now on, with only the occasional forays off-topic. I'll leave the science mostly for a few months from now when, hopefully, I'll be enrolled in college again for a second degree in biology.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-69952951456924815192006-11-25T11:28:00.000+09:002006-12-01T22:03:52.492+09:00Back! Alive!Well, I'm mostly recovered from India after a course of Cipro and a few hours on a dextrose IV. I enjoyed myself anyway.<br /><br />Today's topic is education (shock.) in Korea and the US. I got into an argument with a coworker on Wednesday about the Korean education system versus that in the US. I'll admit that when I was at her point (1 month into my time here), I was a bit enamored with the Korean system too -- hell, their sixth graders actually KNOW their multiplication tables! But last week was my four-month anniversary, and I've had a bit more observation now and a couple differing opinions. I still like the hagwon system, which really does allow for instensive study in an area of particular interest to the student, though I'm sure parents abuse the system by keeping their poor, overworked kids in as many as 12 at a time.<br /><br />But what really bothered me was that her parting shot was, "Not everything in America is the best!"<br /><br />Well I certainly never said <span style="font-style: italic;">that. </span>It did, however, make me realize that she was arguing from personal experience. Now don't get me wrong. I was a student that would have absolutely excelled in the Korean system. The worst thing that could have happened to my grades was going to a high school where the emphasis was on how you thought, not memorizing facts, but I got a far better education for it. I don't regret the decision, and I'm not bitter that I'm in Korea now (saving a good amount of money at that). Unfortunately, she does seem to be a little bitter about the way her life has gone, and I'm afraid that colored the debate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Her:</span> I think the Korean system is great, kids have a chance to study exactly what they want and focus from a young age.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: </span>That's good for some, but they're also so test-intensive that if a middle schooler fails the wrong exam, he or she gets shuttled into the vo-tech track with no hope of escape.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Her: </span>Maybe that's where they should be, though. It means they don't have to waste time learning things they don't need and can just learn a career.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: </span>What if they <span style="font-style: italic;">want </span>to learn those things they don't need?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Her: </span>But at least they graduate with job opportunities, unlike <span style="font-style: italic;">our </span>system where you end up with people in their mid-twenties who have no idea what to do with their life!<br /><br />Which is when I backed off, as she has a masters and is teaching English to small children in Korea and was clearly talking about herself being failed by the US education system. I'm not sure how. Is it the school system's job to find the thing you're best at and train you in it to the exclusion of all else? Or is that your job? I admit that I don't know what I want to do, and after earning a BA in psychology and exercise science, I'm considering returning to school for a BS in biology.<br /><br />If I'd grown up in Korea, I'd probably be a medical student right now, but I wouldn't be nearly so educated.<br /><br />So which system IS the best? I've no idea, but I do know that different types of students would excel in Korea and the US. Many would excel in both, but they'd end up completely different thinkers as a result of their education. I wouldn't say one is better. But I think that the differences speak a great deal to the differences between the cultures themselves.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-39779974141857959792006-11-04T08:39:00.000+09:002006-11-04T08:40:46.773+09:00Bye...Sorry, no TWISH or links this week or next. I'm leaving in a few minutes for India for eight days, little to no internet access. Have a good week!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-48624524220317680392006-10-30T08:50:00.000+09:002006-10-30T09:32:49.662+09:00Kindergarten prowessI wrote earlier on immersion learning in preschoolers, and how the benefit of English-themed kindergarten doesn't actually teach them English so much as it primes them to learn it in school/hagwon throughout their lives. But there's a great deal more to kindergarten here than the English. Elementary school in Korea begins in the first grade, when kids are "8" years old. That deserves a bit of clarification, so to start, school here goes from the beginning of March to the end of November. That means that on January 1st, each child's age for school purposes is considered the age they turn during the school year. So a kid whose birthday is on December 31st will start school a full year younger than a kid with a January 1st birthday. In addition, Koreans consider the gestation period to be the child's first year of life, so the day a Korean child is born is his or her first birthday. When I say they start school at 8, well, most of them are really 6.<br /><br />So preschool, or kindergarten, is a private enterprise (there are general kindergartens, not just language-themed ones) that not all kids use. I wonder sometimes how far behind the kids who can't afford it are than their peers in the first grade...<br /><br />But that's beside the point. I really want to compare Korean kindy kids to their American counterparts. We start kindergarten at 5 years old (effectively 3, in some cases), but my class is the oldest, the 7-year-olds. However, I have the lower-level 7s, so due to crowding in the 6yo class, I have three kids that will have another year of kindergarten before they start school. Here are the textbooks we use in class:<br /><a href="http://www.schoolspecialtypublishing.com/products/1561899011.php">Spectrum Math - Grade 1</a> -- A book intented for first grade students. All of my students can add and subtract with ease and most of this book isn't challenging for most of them, even in English.<br />Super Easy Reading 1 -- I can't find much about this book, so I think it's used mostly for SLA. Very simple, but certainly very similar in structure and difficulty to some US kindergarten materials I've seen.<br /><a href="http://elementary-educators.schoolspecialtypublishing.com/first_grade/across_the_curriculum/critical_thinking/products/1561890510.php">Master Skills Thinking Skills Grade 1</a> -- Again, a textbook for first graders. This one is more of a challenge from the language barrier standpoint. There were definitely some problems with sequence, but they were all because of not knowing what "last" means, not because they truly don't know. Still, most of my kids do an excellent job with this book.<br /><a href="http://plgcatalog.pearson.com/program_single.cfm?site_id=12&discipline_id=807&subarea_id=998&parent_program_id=1044&program_id=2372">Modern Curriculum Press Phonics Level K</a> -- This one is intended for kindergartners, as to be expected.<br /><br />But that's in English. In Korean, every single one of my kids can read and write (as can the age group below us) in Korean. In this, they are ahead of the majority of American kindergartners, unless there have been some dramatic changes since my siblings and I were in those grades (of my siblings, I was the only one who was reading when I entered school).<br /><br />Further, I would put three of my fifteen kids into any US kindergarten right now and be completely confident that they would have no trouble with any of the material. Three more would probably be ok. And the teacher of the other 7yo class thinks all of her kids could do it. <br /><br />What's the difference? Why can my Koreans read and write in Korean far better than most American kids can at the same age? I don't have an answer, but perhaps there is an expectation that kids will already be able to read, write and be proficient in basic arithmetic here when they begin school when in the US, there is a pressure for the same but perhaps not an outright expectation. Another possibility is that hangul (the Korean writing system) is easier to learn. It's certainly easier to spell, but I don't see how matching sounds to symbols is really going to be different in Korean than in English. I certainly don't think Korean children are intrinsically smarter, but perhaps the expecatations do make all the difference. The testing begins the minute they enter school, so perhaps parents make sure their kids know the basics -- even before starting kindergarten.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-53063832642810141052006-10-27T17:55:00.000+09:002006-10-27T17:57:29.564+09:00Politics...Googlebomb the election. <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/clock">From A Blog Around the Clock</a>...Go <a href="http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/10/24/121757/70">here</a> and copy the text into your blog.<br /><br />--AZ-Sen: <a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2006-04-13/news/feature_full.html">Jon Kyl</a><br />--AZ-01: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Renzi&printable=yes#Controversies">Rick Renzi</a><br />--AZ-05: <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1022hayworth1022.html">J.D. Hayworth</a><br />--CA-04: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Doolittle#Controversies">John Doolittle</a><br />--CA-11: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pombo#Controversies_and_criticisms">Richard Pombo</a><br />--CA-50: <a href="http://www.kfmb.com/story.php?id=66505">Brian Bilbray</a><br />--CO-04: <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12054520/the_10_worst_congressmen/10">Marilyn Musgrave</a><br />--CO-05: <a href="http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1322626&amp;secid=1">Doug Lamborn</a><br />--CO-07: <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_5063243,00.html">Rick O'Donnell</a><br />--CT-04: <a href="http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_4509567">Christopher Shays</a><br />--FL-13: <a href="http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/15422371.htm?source=rss&channel=bradenton_local">Vernon Buchanan</a><br />--FL-16: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Foley_scandal">Joe Negron</a><br />--FL-22: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/campaign_diary/florida/archive/2006/10/the_foley_scandal_affects_the.htm">Clay Shaw</a><br />--ID-01: <a href="http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20060923/NEWS/60923003">Bill Sali</a><br />--IL-06: <a href="http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14988252/">Peter Roskam</a><br />--IL-10: <a href="http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=25835@wbbm.dayport.com">Mark Kirk</a><br />--IL-14: <a href="http://www.kcci.com/politics/10062284/detail.html">Dennis Hastert</a><br />--IN-02: <a href="http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060811/NEWS07/608110314">Chris Chocola</a><br />--IN-08: <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/04/21ky/B1-host0421i0-7412.html">John Hostettler</a><br />--IA-01: <a href="http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2005/12/09/news/local/doc439930283db6c088625962.txt">Mike Whalen</a><br />--KS-02: <a href="http://cjonline.com/stories/102306/loc_ryunboyda1.shtml">Jim Ryun</a><br />--KY-03: <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2002/08/29/ke082902s267079.htm">Anne Northup</a><br />--KY-04: <a href="http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/15533221.htm">Geoff Davis</a><br />--MD-Sen: <a href="http://www.gazette.net/stories/021006/montsta130223_31925.shtml">Michael Steele</a><br />--MN-01: <a href="http://www.hometown-pages.com/main.asp?SectionID=26&SubSectionID=186&ArticleID=12951&TM=48834.09">Gil Gutknecht</a><br />--MN-06: <a href="http://citypages.com/databank/27/1348/article14760.asp">Michele Bachmann</a><br />--MO-Sen: <a href="http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/politics/15174500.htm">Jim Talent</a><br />--MT-Sen: <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/07/28/news/state/20-burns.txt">Conrad Burns</a><br />--NV-03: <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/oct/22/566689009.html?porter">Jon Porter</a><br />--NH-02: <a href="http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Top+aide+to+Bass+resigns&amp;articleId=b65bcd02-f478-4a6d-801a-9a12761c3786">Charlie Bass</a><br />--NJ-07: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A23714-2003Apr3?language=printer">Mike Ferguson</a><br />--NM-01: <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Congresswoman_on_page_board_buried_file_1019.html">Heather Wilson</a><br />--NY-03: <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-usking0817,0,6911475,print.story?coll=ny-top-headlines">Peter King</a><br />--NY-20: <a href="http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=983">John Sweeney</a><br />--NY-26: <a href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/NEWS01/61004020/1002/NEWS">Tom Reynolds</a><br />--NY-29: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Kuhl#Personal">Randy Kuhl</a><br />--NC-08: <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/291/story/254053.html">Robin Hayes</a><br />--NC-11: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_H._Taylor#Controversies">Charles Taylor</a><br />--OH-01: <a href="http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/091906/chabot.html">Steve Chabot</a><br />--OH-02: <a href="http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/10/11/murtha_schmidt.html">Jean Schmidt</a><br />--OH-15: <a href="http://www.columbusdispatch.com/?story=217625">Deborah Pryce</a><br />--OH-18: <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1161257895268090.xml&coll=2">Joy Padgett</a><br />--PA-04: <a href="http://www.sharonherald.com/local/local_story_263230124.html?start:int=0">Melissa Hart</a><br />--PA-07: <a href="http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/28-10162006-727801.html">Curt Weldon</a><br />--PA-08: <a href="http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-01222006-601349.html">Mike Fitzpatrick</a><br />--PA-10: <a href="http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/15646184.htm">Don Sherwood</a><br />--RI-Sen: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/05/AR2006080500823.html">Lincoln Chafee</a><br />--TN-Sen: <a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/election/article/0,1406,KNS_630_5057450,00.html">Bob Corker</a><br />--VA-Sen: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/26/politics/main2039589.shtml">George Allen</a><br />--VA-10: <a href="http://www.nationalcenter.org/PRJTHGWolfEarmark1006.html">Frank Wolf</a><br />--WA-Sen: <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/283622_mcgavick02.html">Mike McGavick</a><br />--WA-08: <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/287797_reichertsideweb06.html">Dave Reichert</a><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-62837220893811184762006-10-25T21:28:00.002+09:002006-10-25T22:22:03.384+09:00This Week in Southern Hockey<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Atlanta</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">7-1-1 1st in the Southeast</span><br />Three games, three wins. The Thrash defeated Washington once and Florida twice in the past seven days, giving them a six-point cushion in the Southeast. Yes, it's early, but luckily the ol' "points count the same in October or February" adage comes true, and doubly so when most of those points are against SE opponents. The blazing start has been mostly attributed to Kari Lehtonen and rightly so. The kid's been outstanding and the extremely capable Johan Hedberg has seen exactly two seconds of ice time in 9 games. Look for him to play Thursday against Philadelphia, however, giving Kari a much-deserved rest before Atlanta heads up to Buffalo to take on the league's top team. Oh, yeah, and Kovalchuk's on track. His hat trick to beat the Cats came after saying in an intermission interview: "I'm doing my job. I'm plus-four!" <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> Four road games should really put the Thrashers' early hype to the test. Carolina's looking better, Philly will still have a pathetically slow defense but might be fired up with their sudden overhaul, Buffalo's 9-0-0 and Toronto is never an easy place to play. 6 out of 8 would be an excellent week.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carolina</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">3-4-2 T-3rd in the Southeast</span><br />Only two games, and the sole point came in an OT loss to the New York Islanders. However, they're still 3-1-1 in their last five, and the loss was to Buffalo, which isn't anything to be particularly ashamed of. They aren't getting shut out, either -- they put up four against the Sabres. Carolina's still got some significant injuries: Letowski and Stillman aren't ready, Andrew Ladd should be back for the Atlanta game and Wesley and Wallin are maybes. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> Atlanta will be a tough game, with the Thrashers looking to avenge the last-second loss back on Friday the 13th. Carolina follows up the Wednesday game with a home-and-home against the Bolts. They need four points.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Florida</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">4-5-1 2nd in the Southeast</span><br />Not such a good week for Florida, though they maintain their second-place spot by a point over the Canes and Bolts. They did defeat the Flyers 3-2 (but really, who hasn't), but fell to SE rivals Washington once and Atlanta twice in the meantime. Captain Jokinen continues to lead the team with four goals and 11 points, with Stephen Weiss just behind at 3-5-8. Mike Van Ryn leads the team with 8 assists. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> The schedule doesn't get any lighter. The Cats have another four-game week on tap, including the first three on the road at the Rangers, Devils and Isles, before returning home to host San Jose. And 1-3 isn't going to keep them from falling to double digits behind Atlanta.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nashville</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">4-3-1 1st in the Central</span><br />A prolific week for the Preds! Wins over the Rangers and Devils and a point gained in an overtime loss to Vancouver vaulted Nashville from fifth to first in the West's Central division. Sure, it's a one-point lead and nobody else is better than .500, but take what you can get, and all. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> Hosting the Sharks before it's out west to face Calgary and the Canucks. Four points would be a good way to enter November.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tampa Bay</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">4-4-0 T-3rd in the Southeast</span><br />Two games and two wins over Philadelphia and Washington bring the Bolts back to .500 and into a tie with the Canes behind Florida at third in the division. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> After a five-day break, Tampa plays three games in four days. Home-and-home with Carolina and then San Jose continues their southern tour. I don't see them taking more than two points this week.<br /><br />I write less and less as I go along. It's because as I type, I'm thinking of how I have to get up at 6 a.m. for a 14.5-hour day, nine of which are spent teaching.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-33011127400228429072006-10-22T10:25:00.000+09:002006-10-22T10:56:18.126+09:00Weekend Links<a href="http://img503.imageshack.us/my.php?image=caribbean1jj8.gif"></a><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061018/ap_on_fe_st/playground_tag_ban">Not it! Mass. elementary school bans tag - Yahoo! News</a><br />First kickball, now tag...I have studied and understand the need for inclusive and safe games in gym class, but limiting what kids do in free play? If tag is too dangerous, you may as well never let your kid out of the house.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.buckandmike.com/?p=109">Congressman dies, surviving spouse denied benefits for first time in U.S. history</a><br />A bit of politics.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.troyis.com/troyis.php?SES=6e8a4809c364ae306afc87aa430d3988">TROYIS™</a><br />A pretty damn addictive game. I only got to level 6 because I suck, but it's a good game.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday/">After Pat’s Birthday</a><br />Via <a href="http://www.deadspin.com/">Deadspin.</a> A scathing commentary from Kevin Tillman.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.addictinggames.com/50states.html">50 States - Presented by Addicting Games</a><br />And it is addictive! Try to put state cutouts in their place. I played five times and my best score was 96% with an average error of 4 miles. Part of it's luck of the draw...if you get a lot of border states first you do much better, if your first state is, say, Colorado, it's like impossible to get it exactly right.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-24355381270913738782006-10-20T12:54:00.000+09:002006-10-20T12:59:18.139+09:00Carnival of EducationMy post <a href="http://koreanskillet.blogspot%3cwbr%3e.com/2006/09/immersion-learning.html">Immersion learning?</a> is part of the 89th Carnival of Education at <a href="http://poorstarvingcollegestudent.blogspot.com/2006/10/89th-carnival-of-education.html"> Poor, Starving College Student</a>.<br /><br />On tap, hopefully this weekend:<br /><br />Cooking ramen<br />Dominance in preschoolers<br />BaseballUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-5667723082648599872006-10-18T12:51:00.000+09:002006-10-18T23:14:50.268+09:00This Week in Southern Hockey<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Atlanta</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">4-1-1, 1st in the Southeast</span> <br />Atlanta played three games in three days this week and didn't show signs of slowing. They beat Boston at home 4-1 and lost a tough 4-3 game to Carolina on Saturday night, but bounced right back to defeat the Caps in Washington in OT. Lehtonen continues to be outstanding. I'm a bit concerned that this early in the season Hartley has him playing back-to-back, but perhaps it was a confidence booster for the last-second goal against the Canes. Yes, Carolina scored with a second on the clock to send the Thrash to their only regulation defeat so far, but the bright spot in this game was that Atlanta battled back from 3-0 down. Last year, they'd have lost 5-1. Even more importantly, they went into Washington and came away with a tough victory on the road and Kovalchuk finally put one in the net. He's been playing outstanding hockey to start the season and it's about time one went in for him: and no better time than overtime! <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> More SE. Home against the Caps Thursday night and then home-and-home with the Panthers Saturday and Monday nights. They have to be looking for 6 points this week.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carolina</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">3-3-1, T-2nd in the Southeast</span> <br />The defending champs look to be back on track with three straight wins this week. The Thrashers proved to be their only test, requiring a last-second goal by Ray Whitney of "Where's Whitney" fame (a million points if you get this reference) after blowing a 3-0 lead in the last two periods, but two straight 5-1 wins over Pittsburgh and Tampa were just what the doctor ordered. The Pittsburgh game had its price: for the second straight match against the Pens, a Cane left the game on a stretcher. <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=8U6-d8frhko">Trevor Letowski was knocked out cold</a> by a seemingly clean, if fluky, open-ice hit from Colby Armstrong. I'm sure he'll miss some significant time, but luckily it wasn't a broken neck. Cam Ward's looking strong, with 25 saves against the Caps and 34 on the Pens. They seem to be spreading out the scoring, too, the league lead in goals is 7; the team lead is 3 and shared by Scott Walker, Eric Staal and Justin Williams (who tallied all three in the Pittsburgh game). But that's par for the course for the Canes. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> The final two games of this long road trip, at Buffalo and on the Island, back to back on Friday and Saturday nights.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Florida</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">3-2-1, T-2nd in the Southeast</span> <br />It was a good week for the supposed worst in the southeast. The Cats ran their home record to 4-0 by doubling up Carolina 6-3 and then beating the Bolts 3-2. They lost the second game of the back-to-back with Tampa by a 4-1 score, but four out of six points is certainly a good week for this team. It's probably not a coincidence that the loss was with Belfour in net. It took approximately no time at all for Auld to solidify himself as the starter. He's playing good hockey. Captain Olli Jokinen and young Stephen Weiss currently lead the team with 3 goals apiece and Weiss is also a +3 on the year. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck</span>: Four games this week: at Washington and home against Philly before the home and home with the Thrash.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nashville</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">2-3-0, 5th in the Central</span> <br />The rematch with the Blackhawks didn't go so well for Nashville, as Chicago handed them a third straight loss, but the Preds did pick up a couple of wins against Phoenix and the Islanders. Tomas Vokoun has continued to play well and seems to be the key to their team, not that that's news. Perhaps I was overenthuastic in my preview, but I'm not quite admitting it yet. Yes, they're in last place in the division, but it's only five games in, and they've won the last two. Scoring might be an issue: Steve Sullivan leads the team with 3 goals and Paul Kariya only has one. But again. It's early. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck: </span>We're off to face the East...Rangers and Devils on the road, then home against the Canucks.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tampa Bay</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">2-4-0, T-4th in the Southeast</span> <br />Another 1-and-2 week for the Bolts sinks them into a tie with Washington for last in the division. They split a home-and-home with the Panthers -- though the second game was against Belfour, which should be an automatic win for everyone -- and then were blown out by Carolina. Ryan Craig leads the team with 4 goals and 5 points, though he won't be the only one scoring for long. A great deal of the problem is that neither the power play nor the penalty kill have been effective: the Bolts are in the bottom third of the league in both. <span style="font-weight: bold;">On deck:</span> A light week in volume and opponents. Home against the Flyers on Thursday, at Washington Saturday.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(South) Korea: </span><span style="font-size:100%;">No inline this week on account of low numbers. No ice for me on account of my damn alarm didn't go off.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-77046528818882726242006-10-18T12:41:00.000+09:002006-10-18T12:50:35.167+09:00I'm in a book!I heard about the release of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Man-Watching-Biography-Dorrance-Architect/dp/158726434X">The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance, the Unlikely Architect of the Greatest College Sports Dynasty Ever</a> by Tim Crothers from a friend on Livejournal who posted a couple excerpts from the first chapter. It already looked like a fascinating book for a Tar Heel and sports fan, but I got a heads-up today that I'm actually in the book!<br /><br />I frequented Carolina soccer games as an undergraduate, usually standing at the bottom of the bleachers, leaning on the fence, at field level. The book has a picture section, one of which is a shot of the team singing the Alma Mater after a game from behind, so that you can see the student section. Front and center is me and one of my best friends! He's now a manager for the team, so it was taken during my sophomore year. He says you can definitely tell it's us, so I hope I can get my hands on a copy somehow...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479862877101875101.post-21627907789112491842006-10-14T11:53:00.000+09:002006-10-14T12:03:22.240+09:00Saturday Links<a href="http://www.worldonfire.ca/">Video - World on Fire by Sarah McLachlan</a><br />I'm sure this has made the blog rounds, but <i>I</i> just discovered it, so if anyone else is behind the curve, here you are. A lovely song and better sentiment.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/NEWS01/61009005/1002">It isn't bigotry when it's true</a><br /><blockquote>A Republican state lawmaker is criticizing Gov. Brian Schweitzer for comments he made to a newspaper here about the lawmaker‘s belief that the planet is not millions of years old.</blockquote><br />I've also seen this around, but the stupidity of the "anything I don't agree with is bigotry" worldview astounds me. <br /><br /><a href="http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/100906aac.html">Tar Heel Baseball - Fall WS draft</a><br /><blockquote>Woodard and Steed arrived with three sheets of paper, one of them meticulously printed on a computer, listing their draft board. The Blue Steel braintrust, meanwhile, decided they needed a piece of paper at 2:17--the draft was slated to begin at 2:15.</blockquote><br />This is why I love college baseball, and this team in particular.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jesusandmo.net/2006/10/11/park/">Jesus and Mo on atheism</a><br />This is rapidly becoming my favorite comic.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0