What you think does matter

Me on Live Radio, does my hair look good? Doing some volunteer work at our local radio station: 104.9 FM. Imagine, me on the air! The radio waves will never be the same. Today I and the kids spent some time at the local radio station: Voz de la Verdad. My mother-in-law works as a volunteer at the radio stations office and needing the help - my daughter was recruited by grandma to help with some much needed work. And I – well, I somehow was asked to join in on the fun, I mean work. I mean I was glad to help where ever I could. Of course being the kind of person that I am, I couldn’t help but think of and to start taking some pictures of me “pretending” to be on the air. Check out the picture – I look good don’t I? And that was even before I got my wonderful, I’m too sexy for my…. cool hair cut. But it all wasn’t fun and games. I did learn of few things: being on radio is not what everyone thinks it is. The kids and I learned today that running a radio station, be it sm

How to multiply negative – positive numbers ? Spending the summer getting my son ready for fourth grade math has been an interesting adventure in the amazing world of mathematics. I am not sure if I forgot most of the things I learned as a child or if math has changed so much over the years that I may be out of my depth. Re-learning or learning all this ‘Math’ as I go along has been an interesting series of events. Thank heavens the internet and YouTube are available because without these resources I would be in big, big doo doo. I’ve come to the realization that without the many math resources I have found on the internet or the good math tutorial videos I’ve found on YouTube – I would be lost. For instance I ran into something I completely forgot…. How on earth do you multiply negative and positive numbers? Granted, it’s not something I use in everyday life – but my son will be learning this and he will be expecting me to help him with his homework. My math is rusty – learn

Games can be powerful teaching tools. These dynamic, educational video games engage kids while teaching them important money skills. Money Metropolis allows kids ages 7–12 to navigate a multi-dimensional world, making life decisions that will affect whether their virtual bank account shrinks or grows. And in Peter Pig's Money Counter, kids ages 4–7 can practice sorting and counting coins with the help of wise Peter Pig. "Children love to play games, and these colourful, creative games teach financial skills in a motivational and meaningful way. " –Gary Rabbior, President of the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education Money Games Cash Puzzler Money Metropolis Peter Pig's Money Counter Road Trip to Savings For centuries, play was considered a diversion rather than a means for education. But in the early 20th century, scholars like Swiss philosopher Jean Piaget began challenging these notions. He pioneered an educational theory that people build knowledge

Always looking for interesting stories - here is a good one: 'Bare Knuckle Babe' wrestles in a 72-pound catfish Personally, I wouldn't stick my arm into a gigantic monster fish's mouth - at least not for fun or sport. Also not sure if the bikini calendar helps in moving women's rights forward? Lucy Millsap's bare-handed grab of monstrous flathead beats a field of about 200, mostly men, to claim prestigious Okie Noodling Tournament title! For years, Lucy Millsap kept her hidden talent as a catfish noodler to herself. “I went through my entire high school career and no one ever knew,” the 19-year-old Texan told The Oklahoman. But these days Millsap is anything but secretive about her passion, which entails wading through rivers and lakes and wrestling monstrous catfish from their cavernous dens—bare-handed. Millsap is a calendar girl for the Bare Knuckle Babes (Miss May 2014), and on Saturday she served the Babes proudly by wrestling a 72-pound flathead

7 Ways to Encourage Reluctant Readers Reading is a tremendously appealing, satisfying activity, and children will become hooked once the adults in their lives consistently build it into their daily schedules. The key is getting children started. The following seven strategies will help even the most reluctant reader become more enthusiastic about the endeavor. By employing the strategies described below, reading will become something that students do willingly, even eagerly, and the adults in their lives will not have to resort to trickery, bribery, manipulation, or any other tactic that will, at best, lead to temporary compliance. After all, we’re striving to make reading a joyous lifelong habit. 1. Start with the child’s passions. Children will be more excited about reading when they can choose books or magazines related to their interests. This suggestion is far and away the most powerful one when it comes to encouraging those who are reluctant to read. When kids own the choic

FaceBook wants me to “PAY” for likes? Considering that FaceBook is called a social network where the society of its members vote up or down by the votes they give people (votes as in –LIKES) I find it surprising and disturbing that I am bombarded with emails, notifications and the likes by FaceBook to pay for page "likes". Don’t get me wrong – I am all for business, capitalism – Go American entrepreneurism! I just find it odd that a website called a “social” website where people gather to share stuff is not only offering members to pay and purchase likes but it seems – at least by my test, to be restricting its members from sharing freely in order to entice people to advertise on what should be an open social site. For example: I currently have 57 likes on my FaceBook fan page. My understanding is that people who like your page will be able to see what you are posting “status update” – correct? My Page: www.facebook.com/dowellinschool But on numerous occasions I h

My kid is not perfect, I and my wife are not perfect parents – but I want, I desire a better future for my children and I believe most parents feel the same way. And it makes me feel good when I see the subtle positive changes in my children. I surprised a Teacher today. As I walked across the school campus a former fifth grader in daycare came up to me and gave me a hug. I asked her what she was doing and she quickly said: nothing, I’m bored. So I broke out the speech I give my own children with a twist, I asked her: Is this not a school? Practice your math, read a book, keep your brain active. This quickly prompted the teacher standing near us to say: Yes, why not read a book that is on your summer reading book list? The young girl gave her this – are you crazy look. I quickly reacted by explaining to my young friend that my nine year old son has been practicing his math everyday this summer – why, because I bribe him, no video games, TV, nothing if he doesn’t complete the m