TCOBaG – kNow ThiNkIng AllOwEd

Here’s a little silly song I wrote while messing around after some conversations about the sometimes misguided and misinformed try their hand at the social media site Twitter.com

Some people get it, some people don’t. Some people forget that what they’re ‘saying’ is being read, and saved to be read (or found by SE’s later!).

Twitter is something I do use, participate in/with, but I’m by no means a maven. I like to think I’m pretty much the kind of user Twitter wants and works best for: someone who wants to have real time conversations about topics of interest with a wide variety of people that I have a connection, in some way, with, and to share a thing or two I find interesting/helpful/useful.

Anyway, here’s the video:

Feel free to leave a comment here, or at YouTube if you prefer, or pass this along.

Here’s the lyrics just in case my Kentucky accent got in your way

Tweet, tweet, twiddly-diddly-deet 3X

Maybe you’ve tried your hand,
At the latest net phenom.
In 140 strokes or less,
Share your life at twitter.com.
As long as you keep it clean,
Write anything at hand,
But some folks need to realize
“Don’t say it just because you can!”

Chorus

I don’t care about
the kind of coffee in your cup.
And I don’t give a hoot about
where your dog threw up.
Don’t send me links to sites
to help my organ grow.
Share something interesting
I might really like to know.

Chorus

Be careful who you follow,
and who follows you.
And telling everyone everything
in your day you do.
Just heed these words carefully,
or it could be your loss;
That silly @work follower,
Just might be your boss!

Chorus

But if you really get it,
and you’re none of the above,
you’ve got a life, but still some time,
then sign yourself up.
And if you think I’ve got some things,
you might like to see,
Then take some time to look me up,
And click the link to “Follow Me”

Chorus

Yes, I ‘sampled’ from a little J5 for the ‘twiddly-diddly-deet’ And yes, it’s hard to keep saying that without tripping over your tongue, hehheh.

And, oh yeah, if you want to follow me on Twitter…

http://twitter.com/PowerMeUp

Today I had last class for several classes at Chukyo University.

It was another very interesting and fun semester.

Today in last period (4th) I took a couple of photos of the group just before everyone left and wanted to post them so the students could share them as well.

Here they are. If you’re in this group (my OC V-VI 4th period) then feel free to copy them from here.

Last Class, hurrah

The real last hurrah! Thanks, gang!

I have some larger file versions as well so if you need or want them, you can get them from here:

http://www.tcobag.com/images/Chukyo-OC-V-VI-2008-9.JPG

http://www.tcobag.com/images/Chukyo-OC-V-VI-2008-9-2.JPG

See you guys later.

Here’s a little poke for those of you who are struggling with continuing to build, grow, invest in your small business. It’s written by a friend of mine, Jim Kukral (yes, of the birthday song fame). Here’s an excerpt, and a link to the rest:
*******
It’s rough out there right now, I know. You
’re losing your cool in this tough economic market. You’re trying to make ends meet, while at the same time, you’re trying to push ahead and be successful as an entrepreneur. You’re working your a#* off and it’s getting you by, but not getting you ahead …

read more | digg story

Okay, so I’m not always on time, but hey, this time (at least) it’s not (entirely) my fault!

Jim Kukral, a friend, and a good guy, sings Happy Birthday to anyone who asks, records it even in video, very nice thing to do, so I wanted to do that for him as he’s now approaching middle age kicking and screaming.

So, I set things up real quick, knock off a video, throw in a little something aimed just at him, drag it into my computer, open up YouTube and get hit with a “we’re doing maintenance” (at least I’m not a YouTube Junkie going nuts, but still…)

So, video is done, and is loading to my site now, but still can’t display it just yet.

It’s coming though, and may well be worth the wait, or not, hehheh.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Jim!

For now, maybe this link will work… edit, here’s the YouTube version.

This is on the deck right outside my home office. Yes, that’s my ‘good’ clothes for looking like the professional I am.

This was shot using my digital camera (Sony Cybershot). Just set it on my mini tripod, aimed it, and did it. There’s a slight glare from the sun off to my left, but hopefully the rest of the video is clear enough.

I’ll switch to a lighter/faster loading version asap, but for now YT is still doing maintenance and I don’t have the time to rework/edit this to make it smaller.

So some of you know, I have 2 boys, and they’re being raised in a trilingual household.

How’s that relevant?

Glad you asked

Since I work mostly from home while living in Japan, I am also mostly responsible for the English education of my boys. I am charged with teaching them all kinds of things outside of their regular Japanese public school curriculum.

I am a professional educator, so you’d think that wouldn’t be so hard, but I also am used to teaching university students (who, quite frankly, don’t differ much in their enthusiasm levels most of the times from my boys who are 8 and 6). It becomes paramount for me too that the ‘lessons’ be more than a classroom lecture.

NOTE: I also still teach English, mostly writing and advanced communications skills, to non-native English speakers.

Math is very similar in this way to learning English, or any language, first or second.

Without understanding ‘why’ the student is learning, or how it applies, or if it even really does, there’s no motivation to learn. (okay, to get a good grade, or avoid being in the doghouse – people still have those, right?)

Math, and language, are tools. Not ends.

Sitting around and learning (by learning I’m mispronouncing ‘parroting/memorizing for later regurgitation) rules and formulas is just not interesting, or engaging.

Using those things, math and English for example, as tools to do something else should be the ultimate goal.

If students can see and practice applying the things they are learning in an atmosphere or situation that doesn’t involve a test or score, they’re more likely to find it interesting and later retain the information.

The recently departed Randy Pausch termed this the ‘head fake’.

Good teaching should always incorporate the head fake.

• Use money for counting.
• use a variety of wooden blocks
• use license plate numbers on passing cars
• give them sets of numbers and ask them where the pattern is
• use the clock (great for introducing base number systems, counting by 5′s and 10′s and also introducing fractions

Use math to play games, to shop (pretend shopping is easier on the pocketbook ) or figure out how to build something fun.

Ask questions about how to get the information they need. Then just ‘do the math’ to get it. Maybe check that or test your answers as review, then get to the ‘doing’ part.

The same is true for language learning, or most learning for that matter. It’s always much more beneficial, interesting, and yes, fun, to be ‘doing’ than aaaarrrggghhh! studying something.

So, get to doing something now, ok?