Author: Bryan Rossi

by

Learning

Thanks to MCIDS for the photo.

Learning has never stepped into the limelight as it has during this period of COVID-19 and social distancing. Learning, as we knew it, happened in classrooms located in schools. Of course, learning, like working and shopping, has been totally set upside down and turned inside out.

We are trying to teach and learn in ways that are so different, that we surprise ourselves by what we rejected, ridiculed, and resisted in the past. On-line learning, social distancing, and Zoom are trying to do what teachers used to do in a classroom in a school. No can do. All three defy what we used to practice and sharply focus on what we are supposed to do. And what are we supposed to do? Learning.

So often in classes that I attended, and that I taught, a hand would go up and the question was, “Is this going to be on the test?” In the classes I taught, the answer was, “Depends on if you use it in your project or presentation.”  

I taught French and piano and it becomes pretty apparent fairly quickly if you know your stuff; not multiple choice or fill in the blank but can you tell me (in French) about your family or can you play a 12-bar blues on the piano. This is competency based education and is based on what can you do with your learning.

Learning can be pretty well defined by Benjamin Bloom’s Domains of Learning and his Learning Taxonomy. We learn with our heart or attitude (affective domain), our brain or thinking skills (cognitive domain), and our body or physical skills (psychomotor domain).  The most effective learning involves all three simultaneously.

In the illustration below, I used Anderson’s (2000)adaptation of Bloom’s Taxonomy and then I flipped it upside down. I like this image because in the West, people read left-to-right and top-to-bottom. This view also allows the pyramid to represent traditional time usage in classrooms where we focused more time on memorizing and regurgitating and less time on analyzing and creating.

This is where I propose the trickle-up theory of learning. 

Let’s try this little demo, starting with:

  1. Creating – choose a topic important to you, let’s say, Climate Change, and how can you create or invent a solution to Climate Change (or some part of it).
  2. Evaluating – summarize and critique what Climate Change is and your idea to make it better.
  3. Analyzing – break down Climate Change and your idea into parts; compare/contrast those.
  4. Applying – using what you know about Climate Change, how can you do something about Climate Change? Make predictions and/or solve issues you learned about Climate Change. (Better recycling practices at school? Scheduling family car trips to minimize emissions? Water usage in your home and hygiene habits?)
  5. Understanding – Being able to explain your learning and your project goals and the science and principles behind Climate Change.
  6. Remembering – being able to recall, recite and report out what your project and its goals are about. Having an appropriate vocabulary to explain your project to a variety of audiences and present your discoveries/inventions to the community.

This trickle up theory might work in other areas as well.

by

Lucy

There are times when the darkness falls so slowly you barely notice the dimness. 

I spent a decade being so serious, so involved in my job, and so focused on a career that I missed springtime one year. That probably seems a bit hard to believe but I assure you, it was true.

It was a Sunday and I needed to get something at work straightened out. It is hard to work 60 to 80 hours a week without going in on the weekends so I often did just that, explaining that I can get so much more done without the noise and interruptions of the 9:00 to 5:00 work world.

As I returned home late that Sunday afternoon, I realized my wife had told me a little white lie. We had been thinking about getting another dog since our dear Sienna had departed some time ago. Our family has allergies so we were in the business of seeking a hypoallergenic breed. We had been introduced to Tibetan Terriers the summer before and my wife, Joan, was going to see a TT breeder. She wanted to meet the breeder and learn more about her and Joan assured me that she would not be coming home with a puppy since she wanted a female and the breeder only had male dogs left.

As I entered our home, I saw Joan at the top of the stairs. She had a glint in her eye and before I could utter, “You didn’t get a dog today, did you?” a little fuzzy stick of dynamite came around the corner, took one look at me, and then came flying towards me like a kamikaze. 

She was just a tiny thing but so full of joy and wonder and unconditional love that you would think you would need an ocean liner to contain it all. It was love at first sight. My whole world exploded and turned inside out. I never reminded Joan that she had promised to call me if she was getting a dog. And it turned out, a buyer had returned Lucy to the breeder and that’s how Joan got her female puppy.

We sure learned a lot about Lucy, dogs in general, and most importantly, about life itself. It was like I was living life with my eyes half-closed, my ears plugged, and a disposition so clouded I did not know joy. Little Lucy changed that.

If I find myself on cruise control down the highway of life letting “been there, done that”, start to dampen my outlook and sense of joy, I think of Lucy. All of a sudden, a BLT sandwich is ambrosia; a cliché song, a new masterpiece; and old friends like newfound soul mates who showed me and continue to show me the power of love.

Lucy, I’m home!

by

Precious Resources

Jimmy Carter and Greta Thunberg

There are two precious resources that our society is ignoring: our youth and our elders.

There are plenty of organizations that serve and develop these resources but it is an attitudinal shift that I am proposing. Our view of youth and seniors tends to down play their importance and potential. 

Youth are too young and inexperienced to be trusted in adult decisions, especially decisions about their own education, policy, and politics.

Elders and retirees are done with their contributions to the economy and civic life and are sent out to pasture. They deserve leisure and retirement from duties and obligations that framed their adult working life.

Of course the exceptions to the above are too numerous to mention. How should we look at youth and elders and what they and we should come to expect from them? We know societal needs are immense. We also know the talent of both groups is immense.

The stereotypes described above are typical enough and we can start looking at alternative perspectives. For starters, let’s look at the outliers. I suggest this because it took the outliers to pull us forward and turn extraordinary to ordinary. Like the 4-minute mile, from scientists to track enthusiasts, we were convinced that the human body could never run a mile under 4 minutes. Silly us. So, let’s talk about 14 year-old Greta Thunberg and 90 year-old Jimmy Carter.

You may be too old to emulate Greta and too young to identify with Jimmy. But, anyone can give back to society, serve a community, or support a cause. Being a Minnesotan by birth, I was curious to see Minnesota’s rank in volunteering and donating to charity. Minnesota ranks 3rd for volunteering and 4th in charitable giving according to WalletHub. It should be easily within our nature to accept the proposal below.

All citizens from the age of 5 to 95 should be conscripted into serving their country for at least 40 hours every year.  According to The National Commission on Service, about seventy-five countries have some form of mandatory service.

Each person that completes verified/certificated 40 hours of service will be eligible for a $200 contribution refund check from the Minnesota treasury for those service hours or, if you want to buy your way out, for a $200 donation to a tax-exempt charity. This is like the Minnesota Political Contribution Refund already in law. I do not endorse any penalty for not serving. 

Can you imagine show and tell? Bring back the draft. 

by

Law and Attitude

https://crazybusters.com/2016/09/03/the-man-behind-the-curtain/

Adding laws and changing laws is a messy business. But the tail doesn’t wag the dog no matter what people tell you. Laws don’t change people. People change laws. The legal system tends to follow popular belief, popular attitudes. Slavery was once viewed as part of the normal human condition. Same sex marriage was a sin and a transgression of the law. Marijuana was considered the gateway drug to heroin and debauchery; now it’s on mom’s grocery list.

Law and order may be perceived as an endorsement of the status quo and testimony to our most common attitudes but George Floyd opened our eyes to that. Like in the Wizard of Oz, we can no longer ignore the attitude behind the curtain. Reality, and America, is bigger than that.

Attitudes can be changed, though, that too, can be a messy business. Starting a new habit, like a new year’s resolution, requires dedication and repetition. It is said if you repeat a statement enough times, you will believe it. Take “fake news” or “alternative facts”. In November 2020, 75 million American voters endorsed the candidate of “fake news” and “alternative facts” as well as a “law and order” agenda. In an unending cavalcade of falsehoods and unsubstantiated claims by the losing candidate, many Americans choose to believe this alternative reality, assuming repetition reflects reality.

Law and attitude have a simple test. It involves examining compliance versus collaboration. One can try it at any four-way stop sign intersection. Ask yourself, “Am I stopping at this stupid sign because I have to” or is the question, “Am I stopping at this stupid sign because I am willing to collaborate for everyone’s safety, mine included.”

I remember a church “sermon” when I was a teenager delivered by an adult member of our church. It was a sincere and impassioned speech and quite a departure from usual Sunday services. It wasn’t a speech  about Christ, or the bible, or the Gospel. It was kind of like a sales pitch to inspire us sitting in the pews. His catch phrase was, “gotta wanna”; you have “got to want to” be involved, be inspired, and (I think) be a believer.

His “gotta” and his “wanna” sermon did get to me. I had a new dichotomy – “got to” or “want to”. As a teenager, “Nobody tells me what to do.” As an adult, “It’s all about attitude.”

Law and order may dictate a need for using lethal force on unarmed persons but law and attitude requires new ways of thinking.

by

The System Is Rigged

from Classic Sailor Magazine

The system is rigged. It’s always been rigged. They are called rules.

If you like the rules, then you think the system is fair. If you don’t like the rules, then you think the system is rigged. No matter what, you are right.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that nobody seems to like the system we have right now. From George Floyd to Donald Trump, the system has failed. 

We need to change the system so that more people have faith in America and what America can be. Make no mistake about it, America, like every organization, is a set of systems. Here is what we need to know about systems.

Systems are designed by humans to define who we are as humans. You might say, systems are designed in our own image. It follows that knowing humans are flawed, their systems are flawed, too. But hey, no one is perfect.

Systems are built to be self-sustaining and self-perpetuating. They don’t like change. Systems are meant to be rigid, rigorous, and the unerring standards are to be followed. Inevitably, the stakeholders in the system must find ways to keep the system relevant and its adherents satisfied. This is accomplished in several ways:

  1. Systems create hierarchies of loyalty. Like castes, or ranks, or titles, there is little confusion about who you are in the system.
  2. Systems create bureaucracies and functionaries to reinforce the system and its hierarchy.
  3. Bureaucracies and functionaries absorb resources (rewards) to maintain its perpetuation. Bureaucracies and functionaries also absorb malcontents and defuse dissatisfaction.
  4. In face of malcontents and dissatisfaction, the system will often co-opt those trying to change the system by offering them roles in the bureaucracies as functionaries to give the semblance of change without disrupting the system.
  5. Systems will argue that the system represents stability over chaos. Often system stakeholders will opt for complacency, inaction or even sabotage to circumvent change.
  6. The system will often react to pressure to change by using fear instead of logic to advance strategies to keep the status quo and avoid the “unknown” of systemic change. 

The foundational system of America is in its constitution. The genius of this system is in its self-awareness as a human document. Our founders knew that they and their document were inherently flawed and recognized it right out of the gate. The ink was barely dry on the Constitution when they decided that they needed clarification that resulted in the Bill of Rights, the first 10 of a subsequent 33 amendments to the original document.

No matter what the system, we know we can do better. It won’t be perfect but some things need to change. Now.

by

Youth Poll Workers

Youth poll workers can be excellent additions to precinct polling places as they can readily learn how to use electronic poll books, assist elderly and disabled voters and, in many states, do the same jobs as adult poll workers. While many states have expanded their laws to allow youth to work as poll workers, a number of these programs are organized at the local level and may be run in conjunction with high schools or community youth programs. Sometimes, counties and precincts can opt-out of establishing youth programs.

The National Conference of State Legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/election-poll-workers637018267.aspx

Youth poll worker programs are established in 45 states and the District of Columbia as a way for people younger than 18 to participate in Election Day procedures. These programs are often intended to encourage young citizens to engage in voting, registration and democracy.

Five states and five territories have no codified youth poll worker program:
American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.

by

Poll Workers Needed 16 years old and up

Youth poll workers can be excellent additions to precinct polling places as they can readily learn how to use electronic poll books, assist elderly and disabled voters and, in many states, do the same jobs as adult poll workers. While many states have expanded their laws to allow youth to work as poll workers, a number of these programs are organized at the local level and may be run in conjunction with high schools or community youth programs. Sometimes, counties and precincts can opt-out of establishing youth programs.

The National Conference of State Legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/election-poll-workers637018267.aspx

Youth poll worker programs are established in 45 states and the District of Columbia as a way for people younger than 18 to participate in Election Day procedures. These programs are often intended to encourage young citizens to engage in voting, registration and democracy.

Five states and five territories have no codified youth poll worker program:
American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.

Helping Youth Vote/Be Poll Workers
by

Helping Youth Vote/Be Poll Workers

(Expanded for the whole country)

So many young people, particularly high school students, have lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even worse, Minnesota is the only state that has a law barring high school students from collecting their duly-earned unemployment benefits.

Young people in nearly every state (see below) can earn some money and serve an immense civic duty by working as election judges. You get paid for two hours of training, which is offered before the election, and a shift on election day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020. 

The vast majority of election judges are senior citizen retirees, many of whom are reluctant to return due to health issues and the threat of COVID-19. This is a perfect opportunity for youth to fill the gap.

To apply in Minnesota and most states, contact a city or county election office in your voting area. This is a little goofy but a little patience and persistence will pay off. For example, at the website https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/get-involved/become-an-election-judge/#how-to-apply you will see that Minneapolis is listed but St. Paul is not. If you live in St. Paul (or anywhere in Ramsey County), you need to go to the Ramsey County election office and they will guide you through the process of becoming an election judge.

For Minnesota youth, if you have any questions or want support in navigating this process, call the appropriate office or call the Secretary of State: Metro Area: 651-215-1440 Greater MN: 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) or you can message me, bryan@hsra.org on FaceBook. I would be glad to help. 

Elsewhere around the country, there are many opportunities. Click on your state:

§  16 years old: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

§  17 years old: Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio or Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,

§  Age not specified: Arkansas, Illinois (junior or senior in high school), Virginia

§  18 years old: Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota

§  Vote by mail (no polling places open). Oregon, Hawaii, Washington

Youth poll workers can be excellent additions to precinct polling places as they can readily learn how to use electronic poll books, assist elderly and disabled voters and, in many states, do the same jobs as adult poll workers. While many states have expanded their laws to allow youth to work as poll workers, a number of these programs are organized at the local level and may be run in conjunction with high schools or community youth programs. 

Photo by Kai Tsurumaki
by

Cover

Some words are just funny.

Looking up cover, Merriam Webster’s first definition says, “to guard from attack” while the Oxford dictionary’s first entry is, “to put or spread something over something”.

A band will play cover tunes hoping enough people will pay the cover to cover the owner’s expense of hiring the cover band.

Teachers often have to cover a lot of ground at the end of the year to cover everything they are supposed to cover in their course syllabus.

And of course, we need insurance to cover for loss, enough salary to cover monthly expenses, and enough cash to cover the tip.

We must not forget cover-alls, cover ups, CYA, and you can’t judge a book by its cover.

The opposite is more interesting: uncover. Here Merriam Webster’s first definition says, “ to make known : bring to light” and Oxford’s first entry is., “to discover something secret or hidden”.

Discovery is something bright; an aha moment; EUREKA!

Discovery is different from invention. James Watt invented a steam engine. Marie Curie discovered the element, radium. Invention is creating something that did not exist before. Discovery is seeing something everyone else missed.

Missouri is the “Show me state” and they say, “Seeing is believing.” But not so fast. Denial has many shades and flavors. In legal terms, they say Willful Blindness is a deliberate failure to make a reasonable inquiry of wrongdoing. In not so legal terms, it is like, “Why didn’t we see this coming?”

Margaret Heffernan in her book, Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril, describes very well why we turn a blind eye in order to feel safe, to avoid conflict, to reduce anxiety, and to protect prestige. 

Most of us have a clear idea of right and wrong and decency and honesty. We also know very few of us step forward to blow the whistle on wrong doing. Think Vindman/Ukraine (and his brother’s dismissal as well), Gala Benefield/Libby, Montana, Joe Darby/Abu Graib, Cynthia Thomas/army/PTSD, and Dr. Steve Bolson/Bristol Royal Infirmary.

They even make movies about this stuff like Erin Brockovich.

Of course, safety for ourselves and our families is a huge motivator to use caution in what we say and use deference in what we see.

Heffernan says, ““Whistle blowers use the freedom that they have to take on the challenges and naysayers to prove their point – A determination not to be blind or silent. (Whistle blowers are) ordinary people exercising their freedom.”

We have choice and freedom in what to cover or uncover. See what I mean?

by

Clockwise

I think it is more clock “ways” than clock “wise”.

At Rochester STEM Academy it fell to me to teach the Engineering class and as a certified French teacher, principal, superintendent and professional musician, teaching engineering kind of seemed like a stretch. 

But where there’s a will, there’s a way… and I like to think I chose wise. I enlisted as much help as I could including IBM volunteers to help with LEGO robotics, solar energy enthusiasts to help with the solar boat, and junior college instructors and friends  to help with mechanics and underwater remote control vehicles.

The student population at Rochester STEM Academy was 95% Somali refugee background so even if they were born in America, they did not have the typical American experience of most youngsters and usually spoke Somali at home, at least with their elders.

This led to some interesting gaps. For example, I quickly discovered that our students did not know the names of basic tools such as screw driver, hammer, wrench, cutters or pliers; not to mention Philips/slot screw drivers; claw/ballpeen/ hammers or rubber mallets; Crescent/box/Allen and hex wrenches; and of course metal cutters, wire cutters, wire strippers, and soldering irons.

Many a final 3 minutes of class were spent playing tool identification games either on the peg board, the interactive white board, or on plain old paper Bingo sheets with pictures of our tools.

And then there is the clock. I quickly got rid of digital clocks and made sure that every room had an analog clock with three hands – distinctive hands – you know, BIG hand, Little hand, and wimpy second hand.

So, now we can see clock wise! 

Not so fast. Tightening a screw should be clockwise and loosening a screw should be counterclock wise – Righty tighty – Lefty loosey. Mmmm… (Every Good Boy Does Fine) (HOMES)

People learn in so many different ways and prove what they know in so many different ways. 

Being a good teacher and being a good student is all about time.