Cest La Z is the latest addition to my blogroll. Penned by my fabulous spouse, it is currently addressing issues in Computer Science education with a, so far, single departure towards biking.
Mike is trying his hand out with blogging and we only ask that you give him a chance to figure out his spacing issues -- something to do with the script he is using to upload his text.
Mike has been tooling around cyberspace since he was in high school -- where he learned to program big IBM machines with punch cards. He and I were some of the earliest cyberdaters as we spent long hours chatting from our college computers -- his at home and mine in a computer lab on campus and later from a "dumb" terminal in my dorm room hooked up to a 200 baud modem that I had to stick my phone handset into.
He's taught computer science for most of his almost 20 year teaching career and has seen trends come and go. Opinionated and strong minded, he fights for what he believes is best for his students -- and given where so many of them have wound up, it works.
So go check him out -- but don't give up if computer science education is not your thing. I suspect that, come summer, there will be more travel, biking and history on tap.
Cest La Z!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
One Ball Down ...
I spun 11 skeins of the background color for Mike's new sweater. Each skein averages about 200 yards of sport weight yarn. The piece below measures about 13 inches (it looks smaller due to the curling that I didn't bother to eliminate for the photo). It has used, so far ...
ONE ball of yarn. Just a hunch here, I think I may have enough yarn for this thing ...
(And the entire sweater will not be this boring, just the back and arms. The front has some seriously exciting intarsia going on.)
ONE ball of yarn. Just a hunch here, I think I may have enough yarn for this thing ...(And the entire sweater will not be this boring, just the back and arms. The front has some seriously exciting intarsia going on.)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
A tale of Two Sweaters ...
One finished!*
And one begun!**
* Sweater for Little Squid. Generic Basketweave pattern stitch using the guidelines from Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns.**Sweater for Mike. Hand dyed, hand spun, roughly sport weight yarn. Construction guidelines will be from the same book, pattern will be one-of-a-kind. Look for the finished product sometime around October.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Yogurt
I've been looking for something really deep to post about and even had a huge monologue going on last night as I was trying to fall asleep. Unfortunately, it was all about work stuff which I really can't post about. Sorry! Let's just leave the work stuff with this: there was a public hearing regarding the fate of my school last week. It goes up for a vote on the 26th.
On the home front, I'm still plugging away on Little Squid's sweater -- front, back and right arm are done. Left arm is about halfway up his forearm. My rigid heddle loom is now clear of weaving and the final product will be run through the wash tomorrow. And I've started spinning the alpaca-merino blend that I bought at Rhinebeck.
I've also made some yogurt.
You may remember this post where Little Squid and I experimented with frozen yogurt using our homemade product. We never did master it but hey, that's what next summer is for. Right?
Meanwhile I have continued to make yogurt every week or two using the same method. Recently I've seen some posts on other blogs raving about a Crock-pot method of making yogurt.
I studied it, thought hard about it, and decided that I will stick with my method. It is fairly simple and only requires about 2 hours of my time depending on the temperature of my kitchen. In cooler weather the cooling processes occurs much more quickly then it does in the heat of summer.So, for those who are interested, this is my adaptation of Harold McGee's yogurt making technique as originally published in the New York Time on April 15, 2009.
First, heat the milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. I do this by heating about 12 ounces milk at a time on high in the microwave for 1 minute (in a 4 cup measuring cup) and then dumping it into a pot on the stove with the flame at a medium setting. (I make a gallon of yogurt at a time. You can easily make less.)
While it is heating, I monitor the temperature and twiddle my thumbs. This is actually why I microwave the milk. The one minute intervals keep me interested enough that I do not walk away and then forget that I have milk heating.
Once the milk reaches 180 degrees it is time to cool it. I do this in two or three or, when making 2 gallons at a time as I do during the summer, 4 bowls.
During the warmer weather I surround the bowls with reusable cold packs to help it cool faster. I also stir it frequently to increase the amount of milk that comes in contact with the cooler parts of the bowl (and the air).
When the temperature of the milk reaches 120 degrees, I take yogurt that I've set aside from the last batch (2 tablespoons of yogurt for every quart of milk used) and mix it with some of the warm milk to thin out the yogurt.
This yogurt-milk slurry then gets mixed into the warm milk and the mixture gets put into a large container. I use a gallon Tupperware pitcher that we've had forever.
The pitcher gets a lid (I have no idea where the official lid is these days) and then gets wrapped in towels.
Usually I use three towels but this time I used four -- one underneath the pitcher to insulate it from the cold counter. Our kitchen was really cold.
Then the wrapped pitcher of pre-yogurt sits on the counter for about 6 hours, more or less. More if you like it tarter, less if you like it more naturally sweet.
The neo-yogurt then chills overnight in the fridge and is ready for eating in the morning.
I, personally, take it one step further and strain the yogurt in a HUGE fine meshed strainer that we got at a restaurant supply store. Mike cut the handle off of it so that the strainer, sitting on top of a storage container, fits in the fridge. Half a gallon of yogurt fits in the strainer at a time.
One hour usually makes it thick enough for my taste but you can strain longer if you want. Half of the last batch strained overnight by accident. It is incredibly thick and smooth and luscious!
And there you go. A gallon of milk costs between $2.39 (Costco) and $3.50 (Whole Foods 365 brand). A quart of my previous favorite yogurt, Greek Goddess, costs $5.99 at Fairway -- more elsewhere. A gallon of milk makes 2.5 to 4 quarts of yogurt depending on how much you strain it. Monetarily it makes sense but that's not why I do it.
I do it because it is too easy and too good not to.
The only down-side is the cleaning of the pan. The stuck on milk can be tough to clean with a regular sponge or dishrag so I use this curly thing. It gets it right off and then I toss the curly thing into the dishwasher to get all the milk-curd crud out. Hey, it works.
On the home front, I'm still plugging away on Little Squid's sweater -- front, back and right arm are done. Left arm is about halfway up his forearm. My rigid heddle loom is now clear of weaving and the final product will be run through the wash tomorrow. And I've started spinning the alpaca-merino blend that I bought at Rhinebeck.
I've also made some yogurt.
You may remember this post where Little Squid and I experimented with frozen yogurt using our homemade product. We never did master it but hey, that's what next summer is for. Right?
Meanwhile I have continued to make yogurt every week or two using the same method. Recently I've seen some posts on other blogs raving about a Crock-pot method of making yogurt.
I studied it, thought hard about it, and decided that I will stick with my method. It is fairly simple and only requires about 2 hours of my time depending on the temperature of my kitchen. In cooler weather the cooling processes occurs much more quickly then it does in the heat of summer.So, for those who are interested, this is my adaptation of Harold McGee's yogurt making technique as originally published in the New York Time on April 15, 2009.
***
First, heat the milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. I do this by heating about 12 ounces milk at a time on high in the microwave for 1 minute (in a 4 cup measuring cup) and then dumping it into a pot on the stove with the flame at a medium setting. (I make a gallon of yogurt at a time. You can easily make less.)
While it is heating, I monitor the temperature and twiddle my thumbs. This is actually why I microwave the milk. The one minute intervals keep me interested enough that I do not walk away and then forget that I have milk heating.
Once the milk reaches 180 degrees it is time to cool it. I do this in two or three or, when making 2 gallons at a time as I do during the summer, 4 bowls.
During the warmer weather I surround the bowls with reusable cold packs to help it cool faster. I also stir it frequently to increase the amount of milk that comes in contact with the cooler parts of the bowl (and the air).
When the temperature of the milk reaches 120 degrees, I take yogurt that I've set aside from the last batch (2 tablespoons of yogurt for every quart of milk used) and mix it with some of the warm milk to thin out the yogurt.
This yogurt-milk slurry then gets mixed into the warm milk and the mixture gets put into a large container. I use a gallon Tupperware pitcher that we've had forever.
The pitcher gets a lid (I have no idea where the official lid is these days) and then gets wrapped in towels.
Usually I use three towels but this time I used four -- one underneath the pitcher to insulate it from the cold counter. Our kitchen was really cold.
Then the wrapped pitcher of pre-yogurt sits on the counter for about 6 hours, more or less. More if you like it tarter, less if you like it more naturally sweet.
The neo-yogurt then chills overnight in the fridge and is ready for eating in the morning.
I, personally, take it one step further and strain the yogurt in a HUGE fine meshed strainer that we got at a restaurant supply store. Mike cut the handle off of it so that the strainer, sitting on top of a storage container, fits in the fridge. Half a gallon of yogurt fits in the strainer at a time.
One hour usually makes it thick enough for my taste but you can strain longer if you want. Half of the last batch strained overnight by accident. It is incredibly thick and smooth and luscious!
And there you go. A gallon of milk costs between $2.39 (Costco) and $3.50 (Whole Foods 365 brand). A quart of my previous favorite yogurt, Greek Goddess, costs $5.99 at Fairway -- more elsewhere. A gallon of milk makes 2.5 to 4 quarts of yogurt depending on how much you strain it. Monetarily it makes sense but that's not why I do it.
I do it because it is too easy and too good not to.
The only down-side is the cleaning of the pan. The stuck on milk can be tough to clean with a regular sponge or dishrag so I use this curly thing. It gets it right off and then I toss the curly thing into the dishwasher to get all the milk-curd crud out. Hey, it works.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Goals: Update #4
Done! All of the goals that I posted at the start of break have been accomplished.
I'll try to get some pictures of the yarn posted later, and maybe the yardage if I manage to finish it off.
- Little Squid now has new, warm mittens
- Papa Squid has a big sack of homespun sweater yarn
- and we finished the puzzle.
- I'm almost done with the woven scarf(?) (might be 2 or 3, it seems to be taking forever!)
- I built another airlift hydroponic system
- I made a fresh batch of yogurt
- I figured out how I'm conducting my last 3 weeks of classes
- I graded the papers that I brought home
- I played lots of Wii with the kids and Mike
- I played a few board games with the kids (and Mike)
- I slept until 7 or (gasp!) later almost every day
- I started a major cleaning of the kitchen which will ultimately lead to a paint job during either February or Spring break (I'm taking it in small chunks so it is not too overwhelming. 15 - 20 minutes a night of serious cabinet and wall scrubbing.)
- and I ordered a big-girl Loom.
- To spend lots of time at work making sure that the student programs are ready to go on February 1.
I'll try to get some pictures of the yarn posted later, and maybe the yardage if I manage to finish it off.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Goals: Update #3
This was not one of my goals. Nor was it executed by my nimble fingers.
What is it? It's the mascot of the Stuyvesant Computer Science teachers. It does not have a name but there is a school-wide contest in full swing to name it.
And this handsome fellow is ared green velvet whoopie pie.
Mike and Squidette have been on a whoopie pie tear for about 2 weeks now. Yum!
Finally, I give you Little Squid who is mostly back to his fairly sunny and strange self.
I love my family!
(And as to my own goals -- more weaving has been done and the end of the road is in sight on the spinning front. I've even made some progress on Little Squid's sweater.)
What is it? It's the mascot of the Stuyvesant Computer Science teachers. It does not have a name but there is a school-wide contest in full swing to name it.And this handsome fellow is a
Mike and Squidette have been on a whoopie pie tear for about 2 weeks now. Yum!Finally, I give you Little Squid who is mostly back to his fairly sunny and strange self.
I love my family!(And as to my own goals -- more weaving has been done and the end of the road is in sight on the spinning front. I've even made some progress on Little Squid's sweater.)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Goals: Interrupted
On Friday the kids went skating and Mike and I settled in for a quiet morning along.
Then we smelled something plastic-y burning.
It took a good hour or more of sniffing about before we finally figured out that Little Squid's humidifier was melting down. Before we went to open up the window I grabbed a box and then went to grab Lynx from his habitat so that he would not get a chill.
I'm the one that got the chill.
Lynx was dead.
We have no idea why but suspect that the fumes may have dealt the final blow. He had been bruminating (kind of like hibernation but not quite) and was very thin from not eating. He had also just shed prior to starting brumination, a stressful activity for a lizard so we suspect that he was particularly vulnerable to any oddity like plastic fumes.
Lynx was a good pet. He was a "forever" pet and we expected to have him around for a very long time.
He is sorely missed by all of us but most of all, by Little Squid.
Rest in Peace, Lynx.
8/15/09 -- 12/25/09
Then we smelled something plastic-y burning.
It took a good hour or more of sniffing about before we finally figured out that Little Squid's humidifier was melting down. Before we went to open up the window I grabbed a box and then went to grab Lynx from his habitat so that he would not get a chill.
I'm the one that got the chill.
Lynx was dead.
We have no idea why but suspect that the fumes may have dealt the final blow. He had been bruminating (kind of like hibernation but not quite) and was very thin from not eating. He had also just shed prior to starting brumination, a stressful activity for a lizard so we suspect that he was particularly vulnerable to any oddity like plastic fumes.
Lynx was a good pet. He was a "forever" pet and we expected to have him around for a very long time.
He is sorely missed by all of us but most of all, by Little Squid.
Rest in Peace, Lynx.8/15/09 -- 12/25/09
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Goals: Update #2
Another project in progress ...
thick socks for me out of hand spun wool. I do not expect to finish them this break but did finish the first one yesterday while visiting friends.
Then there is Little Squid's sweater, back in the queue now that his mittens are finished. My first goal is simply to finish the front before the end of the week. And maybe a sleeve ...
And in the finished column ...
Ta Da! We all put some serious time in on it and finally finished it!
thick socks for me out of hand spun wool. I do not expect to finish them this break but did finish the first one yesterday while visiting friends.Then there is Little Squid's sweater, back in the queue now that his mittens are finished. My first goal is simply to finish the front before the end of the week. And maybe a sleeve ...
And in the finished column ...
Ta Da! We all put some serious time in on it and finally finished it!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Goals: Update #1
Yes, I know that break is only 24 hours (or so) old. But hey! I've had no obligations and my initial goals were modest.
We started on Tuesday with this partial mitten.
By last night we had this complete mitten (ends hidden and all) and this partial mitten.
As of 30 minutes ago we now have ...
one happy kid with warm hands!
The puzzle, meanwhile, has also seen some progress. Here we are Tuesday night ...
and last night ...
and tonight ...
Squidette has been rather obsessed with it today. I think I added about a dozen pieces in between weight lifting sets this morning.
There was also some weaving done. I took before and after pictures but they look the same! I think there is another 18 inches or so of warp on the loom so give me another day or three to finish it off.
We started on Tuesday with this partial mitten.
By last night we had this complete mitten (ends hidden and all) and this partial mitten.
As of 30 minutes ago we now have ...
one happy kid with warm hands!The puzzle, meanwhile, has also seen some progress. Here we are Tuesday night ...
and last night ...
and tonight ...
Squidette has been rather obsessed with it today. I think I added about a dozen pieces in between weight lifting sets this morning.There was also some weaving done. I took before and after pictures but they look the same! I think there is another 18 inches or so of warp on the loom so give me another day or three to finish it off.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Goals
Here are the first* of my winter break "want to finish" projects:
Mittens for Little Squid, who joined his mother in denial last year and wore mittens that were were very neat (double knit-neat) but a tad too small. We have both come to our senses and his new sweater is in time-out while I whip up a pair of too large double-stranded mittens using the same yarn. (I told you, I have a lot of it -- it came from a sweater that was too big on Mike even when he was 60 pounds heavier.)
Speaking of my husband ...
I intend to finish the spinning and plying for his new sweater. Six skeins of the main color are done and I think I have another 3-5 skeins yet to spin and ply. The contrast colors are done.
And then there is this puzzle ...
A 1000 piece, black and white opus of an Escher print. It's been in progress since before Halloween.
*By the first of, I do indeed mean that there are several more ...
Mittens for Little Squid, who joined his mother in denial last year and wore mittens that were were very neat (double knit-neat) but a tad too small. We have both come to our senses and his new sweater is in time-out while I whip up a pair of too large double-stranded mittens using the same yarn. (I told you, I have a lot of it -- it came from a sweater that was too big on Mike even when he was 60 pounds heavier.)
Speaking of my husband ...
I intend to finish the spinning and plying for his new sweater. Six skeins of the main color are done and I think I have another 3-5 skeins yet to spin and ply. The contrast colors are done.
And then there is this puzzle ...
A 1000 piece, black and white opus of an Escher print. It's been in progress since before Halloween. *By the first of, I do indeed mean that there are several more ...
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Performing in Public
It's performance season here at chez squid. At least for Squidette.
On Wednesday she performed with the New York City All-City High School Concert Band (All-City to those in the know) at the MetLife atrium.
As real New Yorkers know, the MetLife building is really the PanAm building but that is rather irrelevant to our tale.
The important thing, is that the atrium of the MetLife/PanAm building is a major entry way to Grand Central Station and hence a venue from which one can be seen by hundreds of people over the span of the concert.
While the families, and some lucky bystanders, got to sit, most of the commuters experienced the concert as they strolled by or above the venue. Many took video or pictures on their phones and most gave huge smiles to see and hear the teens performing classic concert band standards with a few classic holiday tunes tossed in for good measure.
I just thought it was awesome that so many people got a taste of what can happen when kids are taught to play and enjoy music.
And then I got sad as Mike told me that All-City was just so much bigger in his day.
We debated the reasons for this but my side is that fewer kids are being exposed to music in school. We spend so much time on reading and math that art and music, subjects that truly expand ones world view and exercise the brain in so very different ways, have gone by the wayside. And then I got sad when I thought of how badly these programs have been gutted financially.
Boro-wide (the junior high version of All-City) started at the very end of October this year instead of two weeks earlier so that the city could save the money on the instructors' salaries. And, there may not be a Carnegie performance for whichever boroughs were scheduled to play there this year because they couldn't get the down payment in on time. Again, due to budget cuts.
Makes me want to run a fundraiser for them. I already gave them money from my own wallet so it is time to get others to do the same. But after the holidays.
Meanwhile ... I give you Squidette and friends. No, she is not dating her stand partner (though he's a nice boy and I wouldn't object). And yes, he does kind of look (and act) like Little Squid (hence the reason she will probably never hook up with him). Doesn't really matter since she's not allowed to date until she's 30 ...
The performance, by the way, was awesome! And she has her first ever singing solo this Friday followed by a reprise of the MetLife performance at the All-City rehearsal school on Saturday.
And Little Squid? He auditioned for his school play last week and had a call back on Friday so you can expect some kvelling about him in the future.
Happy Hanuckah, folks!
On Wednesday she performed with the New York City All-City High School Concert Band (All-City to those in the know) at the MetLife atrium.
As real New Yorkers know, the MetLife building is really the PanAm building but that is rather irrelevant to our tale.
The important thing, is that the atrium of the MetLife/PanAm building is a major entry way to Grand Central Station and hence a venue from which one can be seen by hundreds of people over the span of the concert.
While the families, and some lucky bystanders, got to sit, most of the commuters experienced the concert as they strolled by or above the venue. Many took video or pictures on their phones and most gave huge smiles to see and hear the teens performing classic concert band standards with a few classic holiday tunes tossed in for good measure.
I just thought it was awesome that so many people got a taste of what can happen when kids are taught to play and enjoy music.
And then I got sad as Mike told me that All-City was just so much bigger in his day.
We debated the reasons for this but my side is that fewer kids are being exposed to music in school. We spend so much time on reading and math that art and music, subjects that truly expand ones world view and exercise the brain in so very different ways, have gone by the wayside. And then I got sad when I thought of how badly these programs have been gutted financially.
Boro-wide (the junior high version of All-City) started at the very end of October this year instead of two weeks earlier so that the city could save the money on the instructors' salaries. And, there may not be a Carnegie performance for whichever boroughs were scheduled to play there this year because they couldn't get the down payment in on time. Again, due to budget cuts.
Makes me want to run a fundraiser for them. I already gave them money from my own wallet so it is time to get others to do the same. But after the holidays.
Meanwhile ... I give you Squidette and friends. No, she is not dating her stand partner (though he's a nice boy and I wouldn't object). And yes, he does kind of look (and act) like Little Squid (hence the reason she will probably never hook up with him). Doesn't really matter since she's not allowed to date until she's 30 ...The performance, by the way, was awesome! And she has her first ever singing solo this Friday followed by a reprise of the MetLife performance at the All-City rehearsal school on Saturday.
And Little Squid? He auditioned for his school play last week and had a call back on Friday so you can expect some kvelling about him in the future.
Happy Hanuckah, folks!
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Baa!
Because Cookie asked nicely ...
One knitting sheep magnet.
Holding a reminder to make french toast for breakfast.
Because we had a staling loaf of homemade wheat bread.
Which the kids forgot about at breakfast time (the french toast, not the bread).
So we had it for lunch instead.
And froze the extras.
Intending them for breakfast over the next week or so.
Until the microwave oven died.
Oh wait, we toast french toast.
All in all, a quiet weekend.
(And we ordered a new microwave.)
Which I needed after this.
Yes, it means what you think it means.
One knitting sheep magnet.Holding a reminder to make french toast for breakfast.
Because we had a staling loaf of homemade wheat bread.
Which the kids forgot about at breakfast time (the french toast, not the bread).
So we had it for lunch instead.
And froze the extras.
Intending them for breakfast over the next week or so.
Until the microwave oven died.
Oh wait, we toast french toast.
All in all, a quiet weekend.
(And we ordered a new microwave.)
Which I needed after this.
Yes, it means what you think it means.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Garden!
In my last post I did mention building a mini hydroponic garden, but I failed to put up a photo due to the misplacement of my camera.
Today I'm back in action so here you go!
I have absolutely no idea what the top two plants are -- they're something interesting that we bought to fill out the garden until the seeds I ordered came in.
The bottom bottle has two tiny sprouts. So small, in fact, that I could not get a clear picture of them so you will just have to wait a few more days.
The plants do seem to be growing if the level of water in the reservoir is any indication. For the first few days it stayed pretty level but it's been steadily dropping since yesterday. This tells me that the grown plants have now recovered from the shock of transplanting and are taking up water and actually using it.
The system cycles water from the reservoir at the base to the top pop bottle where it drips first into a pill bottle (to muffle the sound of the air and water burbling in the tubing) and then into the top plant. As long as the media in the bottle is saturated, the excess water then drips into the next bottle and then the bottom one and finally back into the reservoir to be recycled.
I love it! I love it so much that tomorrow I'm building one in my office and planting some flowers and herbs to give a nice, natural, fragrance to my space.
Today I'm back in action so here you go!
I have absolutely no idea what the top two plants are -- they're something interesting that we bought to fill out the garden until the seeds I ordered came in.
The bottom bottle has two tiny sprouts. So small, in fact, that I could not get a clear picture of them so you will just have to wait a few more days.
The plants do seem to be growing if the level of water in the reservoir is any indication. For the first few days it stayed pretty level but it's been steadily dropping since yesterday. This tells me that the grown plants have now recovered from the shock of transplanting and are taking up water and actually using it.
The system cycles water from the reservoir at the base to the top pop bottle where it drips first into a pill bottle (to muffle the sound of the air and water burbling in the tubing) and then into the top plant. As long as the media in the bottle is saturated, the excess water then drips into the next bottle and then the bottom one and finally back into the reservoir to be recycled.
I love it! I love it so much that tomorrow I'm building one in my office and planting some flowers and herbs to give a nice, natural, fragrance to my space.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Long, Productive, Weekend
I'd love to show you what I've done this weekend but I keep losing my camera! It reappears, briefly, but disappears when I most want to photograph something. Like, say, the sweater that my mother-in-law made for Mike which I have now mostly ripped out in order to reknit the wool for a sweater for Little Squid.
(The sweater was huge on Mike, made when he was ... um ... huge. He is 60 pounds lighter then when the sweater was knit and mom never got around to reknitting it for him. And, since I am in the process of spinning and then knitting a new, custom sweater for Mike, Little Squid will reap the rewards of the recycled yarn.)
And you also don't get to see the weaving that I finally finished. And the rewarped loom, now set for scarves for holiday gifts. Or the gallon of yogurt that I made.
In addition, you do not get to see the wonderful cleaning and waxing job that I did on my Minstrel. She's so nice and shiny -- and no longer dusty and dingy. And spinning a bit better, too.
Nor do you get to see the lesson plan I wrote. Tho I suppose you could if you asked nicely. But it's really not that exciting -- thought it does include some neat pictures of nerve cells. (I love google docs! So easy to share things!)
And you really can't see the grades that I worked so hard on.
Oh wait ... I didn't actually work on those ... well, you won't get to see them after I finish them on Wednesday night ... right before they are due. Or maybe Thursday, well after they are due. Rank has it's privileges ...
And you also can't see the cute knitting sheep that the kids gave me for my birthday.
But I got a lot done. Really!
(The sweater was huge on Mike, made when he was ... um ... huge. He is 60 pounds lighter then when the sweater was knit and mom never got around to reknitting it for him. And, since I am in the process of spinning and then knitting a new, custom sweater for Mike, Little Squid will reap the rewards of the recycled yarn.)
And you also don't get to see the weaving that I finally finished. And the rewarped loom, now set for scarves for holiday gifts. Or the gallon of yogurt that I made.
In addition, you do not get to see the wonderful cleaning and waxing job that I did on my Minstrel. She's so nice and shiny -- and no longer dusty and dingy. And spinning a bit better, too.
Nor do you get to see the lesson plan I wrote. Tho I suppose you could if you asked nicely. But it's really not that exciting -- thought it does include some neat pictures of nerve cells. (I love google docs! So easy to share things!)
And you really can't see the grades that I worked so hard on.
Oh wait ... I didn't actually work on those ... well, you won't get to see them after I finish them on Wednesday night ... right before they are due. Or maybe Thursday, well after they are due. Rank has it's privileges ...
And you also can't see the cute knitting sheep that the kids gave me for my birthday.
But I got a lot done. Really!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Bells?
*** Tongue in Cheek Alert: Take the following VERY lightly!
My school finally has a working Public Address system. It's circa 1930 ... but it's working. We do not, however, have working bells.
That means, that our teachers are dependent on their watches and the occasional classroom clock to determine when to dismiss their classes.
This also means that when a teacher gets fed up with a class ... they sometimes dismiss them a little early.
We used to have a jury rigged bell system but someone cut the speaker wire, somewhere, and we have never been able to figure out how to rework it. Besides, it was the most annoying claxon I've ever had the displeasure to hear.
While researching the bell problem, I called my dear, darling husband for advice. After all, he does tinker in electronics.
He did not, however, have an electronic answer to my problem. He did, though, suggest an old time solution. One ala' Notre Dame.
Not the school, the cathedral.
He suggested a hunchback*.
The theory was, that we could hire a hunchback to roam the halls, ringing a bell at the start and end of each period. Hunchbacks are probably a title that is very much in excess** and so we should be easily able to get one.
And, in addition to being great bell ringers, hunchbacks can also, often, double as lab assistants, something else that we desperately need but cannot afford.
Sadly, the last hunchback retired from the New York City school system back when they retired bell towers, sometime in the early 2000s (which is also when they got rid of the last coal burning furnace).
It's so sad when something so classic is gone for good.
The topic re-arose this evening as I bragged about how well the public address system worked today (I literally jumped for joy when the other schools did not call to complain -- which means we really did isolate just our rooms).
Mike is still convinced that a hunchback is our best solution. He could even make the daily announcements!
* No offense meant to those with spinal problems, this is being written with my tongue firmly in my cheek!
** Title In Excess: a staffing line (a specific job like: teacher or aide or hunchback) that has more people than the school can afford. Those with least seniority in the line are placed into "excess" and hopefully picked up by another school.
My school finally has a working Public Address system. It's circa 1930 ... but it's working. We do not, however, have working bells.
That means, that our teachers are dependent on their watches and the occasional classroom clock to determine when to dismiss their classes.
This also means that when a teacher gets fed up with a class ... they sometimes dismiss them a little early.
We used to have a jury rigged bell system but someone cut the speaker wire, somewhere, and we have never been able to figure out how to rework it. Besides, it was the most annoying claxon I've ever had the displeasure to hear.
While researching the bell problem, I called my dear, darling husband for advice. After all, he does tinker in electronics.
He did not, however, have an electronic answer to my problem. He did, though, suggest an old time solution. One ala' Notre Dame.
Not the school, the cathedral.
He suggested a hunchback*.
The theory was, that we could hire a hunchback to roam the halls, ringing a bell at the start and end of each period. Hunchbacks are probably a title that is very much in excess** and so we should be easily able to get one.
And, in addition to being great bell ringers, hunchbacks can also, often, double as lab assistants, something else that we desperately need but cannot afford.
Sadly, the last hunchback retired from the New York City school system back when they retired bell towers, sometime in the early 2000s (which is also when they got rid of the last coal burning furnace).
It's so sad when something so classic is gone for good.
The topic re-arose this evening as I bragged about how well the public address system worked today (I literally jumped for joy when the other schools did not call to complain -- which means we really did isolate just our rooms).
Mike is still convinced that a hunchback is our best solution. He could even make the daily announcements!
* No offense meant to those with spinal problems, this is being written with my tongue firmly in my cheek!
** Title In Excess: a staffing line (a specific job like: teacher or aide or hunchback) that has more people than the school can afford. Those with least seniority in the line are placed into "excess" and hopefully picked up by another school.
Lesson Plans
As I've stated before, I put a lot of time into my lesson plans. The New York Times recently ran an article about how some teachers are now selling their lessons.
Gasp! You mean I could have been making money off these things? These lessons that are usually so very specific to the way that I teach?
Oh well.
For the curious, here's a sample of my lessons ... just a taste of my "what are enzymes and how do they function" plan.
The lesson went on from there and included a co-enzyme (someone who egged them on and helped the catalyst do it's work) and an inhibitor (the friend who stepped in and prevented it all from going down).
Will it work for someone else? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the teacher and on the class. Would I have paid for sample lessons to help me plan years and years ago? Probably not. I didn't make enough money to spare the buck for plans that friends were willing to share for free.
Did I ever use anyone's plan as if it were my own? Once. It was a disaster.
I have, however, taken elements from other people's lessons and adapted them to fit my class and my style. So, had I had the money back then, yes, I probably would have purchased plans, at least once I realized that they were resources, not plans that could be used "out of the box."
And ... in case that wasn't enough for you ... I used this video in class the other day.
*Names have been changed to protect my student's identities. I used the names of actual kids in the class (and in my actual plan) when I taught the lesson. It made it a bit more immediate and real to them.
Gasp! You mean I could have been making money off these things? These lessons that are usually so very specific to the way that I teach?
Oh well.
For the curious, here's a sample of my lessons ... just a taste of my "what are enzymes and how do they function" plan.
Example: Joe was mad at Janet for something stupid. He was planning on having an argument with her after school. Doris heard about this and decided to have some fun so he told Karen that Janet was talking trash about him. Karen texted Joe who got even more angry and stormed off to Janet's classroom to start the argument NOW instead of waiting until after school.
So, the argument would have happened anyway but Doris made it happen faster. Doris was the catalyst, the enzyme.
Now imagine that only Doris could have caused this argument to happen faster -- if Albert had said the same thing, it would not have worked because Joe and Doris are best buds but Joe and Albert are not. Joe will only believe what Doris tells him.
Joe and Janet are the substrates, Doris is the enzyme and the fight is the product. Doris made the fight happen.
The lesson went on from there and included a co-enzyme (someone who egged them on and helped the catalyst do it's work) and an inhibitor (the friend who stepped in and prevented it all from going down).
Will it work for someone else? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the teacher and on the class. Would I have paid for sample lessons to help me plan years and years ago? Probably not. I didn't make enough money to spare the buck for plans that friends were willing to share for free.
Did I ever use anyone's plan as if it were my own? Once. It was a disaster.
I have, however, taken elements from other people's lessons and adapted them to fit my class and my style. So, had I had the money back then, yes, I probably would have purchased plans, at least once I realized that they were resources, not plans that could be used "out of the box."
And ... in case that wasn't enough for you ... I used this video in class the other day.
*Names have been changed to protect my student's identities. I used the names of actual kids in the class (and in my actual plan) when I taught the lesson. It made it a bit more immediate and real to them.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Minty Fresh!
Remember that lab I was prepping for on Wednesday?
Well, I'm sitting here grading them and ... they all smell like tooth paste!
Yes, I had them test the pH of toothpaste.
Best smelling lab reports I've ever graded!
Well, I'm sitting here grading them and ... they all smell like tooth paste!
Yes, I had them test the pH of toothpaste.
Best smelling lab reports I've ever graded!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Acid Test
I spent much of yesterday working. Partly on my own class lessons and partly on the administrative stuff that makes up the rest of my work day.
Yes, yesterday was a school holiday. Yes, I was home. Remember that the next time someone criticizes teachers for having a short workday / year.
With my trip back to the classroom this year has come some seriously teachable moments at home. Yesterday, I was preparing red cabbage pH indicator and decided to run through the lab exercise with Squidette and Little Squid.
The deep purple in the lower left is the unadulterated cabbage extract. The bright red was extract plus lemon juice, the fuscia was vinegar, the green -- baking soda. The pale pink was some lemon-lime soda and the pale purple was milk. The sudsy one? Dish soap.
The rest of the extract was absorbed into melita filters, dried and sliced and readied for today's lab.
Yes, I did spend more time prepping the lab then my students will spend doing it.
We didn't, however, just spend the day in the house prepping my lab. A walk was taken uptown to see the U.S.S. New York.
The New York is an amphibious transport dock, the first I have ever seen in New York Harbor. Usually we see battle ships and aircraft carriers for the annual Fleet Week.
The New York has, incorporatated into it's structure, 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center.
Mike and Squidette were lucky enough to see her sailing upriver when she came to town. (She sailed right past their school after making a brief stop opposite the WTC to give a 21 gun salute.)
Yes, yesterday was a school holiday. Yes, I was home. Remember that the next time someone criticizes teachers for having a short workday / year.
With my trip back to the classroom this year has come some seriously teachable moments at home. Yesterday, I was preparing red cabbage pH indicator and decided to run through the lab exercise with Squidette and Little Squid.
The deep purple in the lower left is the unadulterated cabbage extract. The bright red was extract plus lemon juice, the fuscia was vinegar, the green -- baking soda. The pale pink was some lemon-lime soda and the pale purple was milk. The sudsy one? Dish soap.
The rest of the extract was absorbed into melita filters, dried and sliced and readied for today's lab.
Yes, I did spend more time prepping the lab then my students will spend doing it.
We didn't, however, just spend the day in the house prepping my lab. A walk was taken uptown to see the U.S.S. New York.
The New York is an amphibious transport dock, the first I have ever seen in New York Harbor. Usually we see battle ships and aircraft carriers for the annual Fleet Week.
The New York has, incorporatated into it's structure, 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center.
Mike and Squidette were lucky enough to see her sailing upriver when she came to town. (She sailed right past their school after making a brief stop opposite the WTC to give a 21 gun salute.)
Monday, November 02, 2009
Random Thoughts ...
If Squidette is going on a school trip that Mike is chaperoning, can he sign the permission slip or do I have to sign it?
The Department of Education has apparently renamed my school. It was The Academy of Environmental Science Secondary School (AESSS). It is now The Academy of Environmental Science Secondary High School (AESSHS). Huh?
(This is the last year that AES will have a middle school grade.)
If amillionaire billionaire buys an election in a forest and nobody hears the cash register ring, does he still win?
***
The Department of Education has apparently renamed my school. It was The Academy of Environmental Science Secondary School (AESSS). It is now The Academy of Environmental Science Secondary High School (AESSHS). Huh?
(This is the last year that AES will have a middle school grade.)
***
If a
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Halloween 2009
Help! My son's been eaten by a snake!
And my daughter is just so sweet ...
They did some decorating this year ...
and then some sorting and trading of the haul.
Me? I'm a little dizzy and my calves will be sore in the morning.
The dizzy part comes from our Urban Trick-or-Treating where you start on the top floor of a building and work your way down, floor by floor. Since our complex provides "trick-or-treat" posters to put on your door if you want to play, we quickly make our way down the stairs, pausing briefly to see if any doors have the signs up. This leads to us going in an almost constant, tight, spiral as we work our way downstairs.
The aching calves? Hey, we just walked down 42 flights of stairs!
Happy Halloween!
And my daughter is just so sweet ...
They did some decorating this year ...
and then some sorting and trading of the haul.Me? I'm a little dizzy and my calves will be sore in the morning.
The dizzy part comes from our Urban Trick-or-Treating where you start on the top floor of a building and work your way down, floor by floor. Since our complex provides "trick-or-treat" posters to put on your door if you want to play, we quickly make our way down the stairs, pausing briefly to see if any doors have the signs up. This leads to us going in an almost constant, tight, spiral as we work our way downstairs.
The aching calves? Hey, we just walked down 42 flights of stairs!
Happy Halloween!
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