I pulled out my camera to snap some pictures of the four-inch-thick family Bible my dad recently acquired from a distant cousin—second cousin once or twice removed, or something like that. This particular family Bible belonged to Dad's grandparents, but had been passed down another branch of the family tree. Until now. It recently leaped to our branch due to the generosity … [Read more...]
Curiosity Journal: July 13, 2011
Each Wednesday I’m recording a Curiosity Journal, a recap of the past week. Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. :::Some of you have mentioned that you're keeping a Curiosity Journal, as well. Leave your link in the comments so that we can visit and enjoy your weekly review. Reading I copied this down from Steven Pressfield's quick … [Read more...]
Curiosity Journal: June 8, 2011
I’m recording an occasional Curiosity Journal, a recap of the past week or so. Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. :::Some of you have mentioned that you may begin posting a Curiosity Journal, as well. I think Monica may start up her Curiosity Journals again. If not, I'll toss up a linky tool later today. … [Read more...]
End of an Era
We used to live in a town with a gorgeous library that I've used and loved since 1988. When we moved a few miles away to our new house eleven years ago, we discovered with shock and dismay that we're just over the line in another library's district. We loved and used our original library so much, we actually paid an annual fee that allowed us to continue using its … [Read more...]
Reward the Good and Ignore the Bad: Does It Work?
Not long ago I wrote about Destructive Criticism vs. Healthy Critique when working with writers. The post generated a variety of responses as the conversation continued in the comments. Shepherdsgrace, for example, had a terrific experience in a writing workshop that included input from the professor and classmates. She explained: when I was in college I had the … [Read more...]
Big Books and Mega Memory: The Stuff of Lifelong Learning
"Absent"? "Irreverent"? "Indifferent"?Found it!So that's what they mean!We hope to inspire lifelong learning with plenty of resources on hand like maps and dictionaries to help our kids figure things out.But that's not the only way. We also encourage lifelong learning by modeling it ourselves, demonstrating an interest in ideas, critical thinking, reading, and … [Read more...]
Virtual Pilot–Can You Land the Plane in the Right European City?
How well do you know your European geography?Let Lufthansa test you with this Virtual Pilot game.Each round is more challenging.First you're given 8 seconds to land the plane in the city cited after a ready-set-go countdown. They provide a map that shows countries outlined and dots representing city locations (but no labels).Next round: 6 seconds, countries only. No … [Read more...]