Rothacker Reviews

Angela Maiers: Classroom Habitudes

Classroom Habitude - A combination of habits and attitudes.

In this article, fellow JJL neighbor and author, Angela Maiers, explains six different habitudes that are essential for 21st Century Learning. 

Everyone says imagination is important, but it's something we take away by forcing students to memorize and repeat rather than think and envision.  From a description of the habitude Imagination.

Check out this Mini-Lesson on Imaginative Reading:

Classroom Habitudes - Imaginative Reading

View more documents from angelamaiers.

Pick up a copy of Angel  Pick up a copy of Angela's book Classroom Habitudes today!

Happy July 4th!

Photo by Ladybugbkt - flickr

Kevin Skinner: Spellbound

Kevin Skinner is America's Susan Boyle...hopefully.  Hopefully Kevin isn't a ringer dressed down to look like Susan Boyle.

Don't we all love underdogs?  Why is that?  Because most of us didn't roll out of bed with a silver spoon in our mouth, we didn't do private school, Harvard and roll into some cushy CEO gig without breaking a sweat, we didn't roll into Hollywood and instant fame, we didn't go from garage rock band to the big time, we didn't go from garage geek gig to big time tech company founder.

Underdogs are like us, are us and we want to see us succeed.

So that's one attraction to the Kevin Skinner's of the world. 

Here's another.  Kevin turns embarrassing laughter into sweet, spellbound anticipation.  Take a good look at the two girls at 1:52 of the video.  Then take another look at them at 3:05.  A dollar bill can't produce that look.  A million bucks can't either.  Drugs can't produce that look and neither can alcohol.  Kevin Skinner's performance grabs hold of these two young girls' hearts, stops their world and mesmerizes them.

You can't buy that look, but it is sure is worth a million bucks! 

Video direct from You Tube

It's Not About The Money

People are losing jobs.  Pricing is undercut.  Houses are not selling and in foreclosure.  Companies are going bankrupt.  I get that times are tough.  Heck, I lost my own job.  But I absolutely refuse to buy into the media sky is falling message.

In tough times people dig deep to help others.  As a couple who have been fortunate enough over the last twenty years to help others, it has been a humbling experience for Rosemary and myself to accept help ourselves.  It inspires us to get out of our present hole and back to being in a position to help.

In tough times people help others with advice and stories of comfort and hope.  With an over abundant love and enthusiasm for methods of self-help, I am especially sensitive to this type of counsel.  There are words of supposed wisdom however, that I cannot stomach.  Actually it's not the words.  It's the people who are puking them from their gold-lined mouths.

It goes like this:  Millionaire dude in the midst of his opulence says, "It's not about the money."

This makes as much sense as a poor fellow extolling the virtues of a Lamborghini sports car. 

I realize there are many well intentioned, financially well off people who for them it isn't about the money.  Whatever it is, I think we'd be better off seeing them out there demonstrating, teaching, helping, doing, whatever...just don't tell us it isn't about the money.

Donna Byrne: 21st Century Cowgirl

Donna Byrne: "I'm worn down.  But I know cowgirls don't cry.  Ride, baby, ride.  But with Jay's death, it really took a toll on me.  I'm just tired."  From reporter Lindsay Peterson's article today in the Tampa Tribune.

Donna lost her job in Arcadia, Florida, back in February and was on her way to Amarillo, Texas, in search of work.  No big deal, right?  Many people are losing their jobs these days.  And they are moving to where ever they can find work.  The problem is that Donna's mode of transportation, Jay, died.  Jay was her horse.  Donna was making her way to Texas from Florida via horseback.  Here are some pictures of Donna and her horses.

The local media here in Tampa, has done a great job of chronicling Donna's progress and these folks have as well.

Donna is such an inspiration.  Her trip has nothing to do with publicity.  She is doing what she is doing because she must do it.  It's like a code that has been burned on the hard drive of her soul.  Donna is about grit, determination and the American way.  I think we can all learn something from this 21st Century American Cowgirl.

Fast Company

Is it just me, or did Fast Company get its groove back?  This observation today is about perception.  Not critical acclaim, not depth, not analysis-paralysis.  It's just a gut feeling.

 I first began to read the magazine in the late nineties.  And I got addicted - real bad, or good depending upon your relationship with its writers.   I've paid a peripheral awareness to its change of ownership, publishers, editors and writers over the years, but I really couldn't tell you who was there when I first noticed a decline - a lack of interesting stories.  The only thing I can tell you about its people is, Alan Webber and Bill Taylor were there when it really rocked. 

What do you think?  Did FC get its groove back?

The Technician Shop

The Technician Shop is a career, work, education and life resource for technicians.  A technician is a person who works in a residential or commercial setting to repair, replace, maintain or install various things.  From an A/C technician to a window cleaner to a landscaper with a million professions in between.

I created The Technician Shop to help technicians grab hold of their career, work, education and life.  So often I would hear, "my manager doesn't appreciate and recognize me for what I do."  While management should be held accountable for their inadequacies, I must ask, "are you doing everything necessary to be appreciated and recognized?"  Most likely, on this two way street, both parties are at fault.

My message is: Perform your work with passion, care and quality.  Design both a career and educational plan and follow them.  Do it to the point that you can hardly not be appreciated and recognized.  Take care of your health, family and life. 

I'll be reflecting more about this endeavor here at Rothacker Reviews. 

Stop over for a visit and let me know what you think.

My Doctor

Our general doctor recently quit practicing at USF and we had to get a new one...that sort of sounds like we had to go shopping for a used car.  Fortunately, our doctor shopping results were far more successful than any used car shopping adventures we've had to endure.

I saw my new doc for the first time in early May.  He checked me out and took the time to go through my entire record with me.  As a technician who might say when he cannot find a particular electrical problem within a system - "there is a ghost in the machine," - the doc obviously could see there is a ghost in Dave's machine (the two inch medical file was probably his first clue).  I think he became intrigued and truly wanted to help me - as opposed to processing me through the office like a head of cattle.

Shortly before finishing up the doc looked at me and said, "you and I are about the same age (funny, he didn't look twenty-five).  We aren't getting any younger and you want to enjoy your life as you get older.  You need to eat right and exercise."  He then recommended that I read the book Younger Next Year.

Here's the thing, the look in the doc's eyes as he told me this told me he'd told this to a lot of people before.  But when he told me, he told me like he really wanted to tell me.  And this impressed the heck out of me!  And this made me buy the book.  And I am going to get my body in order.  And that look still makes me think about my health.  And I am never going to forget that look. 

Thanks for what you've done for your profession doc and thanks for caring. 

Clive Thompson: The Future of Reading

Clive Thompson writes an article in the June 2009, issue of Wired magazine titled, The Future of Reading.  It centers around publishing books online and letting readers take it from there.  I clipped Clive's article, marked it up a tad and provide a link to it and also to Wired's version below.

I cannot imagine that there is a greater book lover on the planet than me.  I love the feel, the smell, the ability to mark up and write in books.  I love the idea of placing books online to be read!  I believe it would enhance my ability to connect with relevant content.  That is, the commentary by others about what they believe to be relevant would greatly help me.

I am an Amazon.com boy.  I love this company!  But for all of the hundreds of books that I've bought from them (I've financed a six inch piece of teak in Jeff's boat), I don't think I've once bought a book based on a customer's review.  (I have been influenced by the "Customers who bought this item also bought...")  And, for one of the three reviews that I wrote, I got spanked by a commenter for preaching.  I have bought quite a few books based on reviews from my colleagues at JJL.  Why?  Because these are folks who I've come to know.  Authors of personal Web sites that I follow, would no doubt make notes on content extracted from online books.  This has the ability to provide a spark to dry Kindling and cause me to visit Amazon once again (you can use this copy Jeff, I'll just need to initial that next piece of teak...)

Good stuff Clive!

Clive clipped by Dave:  Download The_Future_of_Reading

Clive at Wired

Illustration: Michael Bierut/Pentagram; book: Istock Photo

The Victor Marinello Family: Paying it Forward

Did you ever think about how important eating is to living?  Unless you haven't eaten for a while, probably not.  Did you ever think about how meeting certain people in your life is important to living?  Unless you haven't met someone for a while, who has made an impact, probably not.  The two acts are the same.  You get the eating part.  You should get the people part.  It's a matter of being open to teachable moments, acknowledging the teachers and placing the lesson in your shirt pocket - for life.  Please allow me to unfold this piece of paper from my pocket and share some notes.

First, I'd like to introduce you to the Marinello family.  Dad-Victor; Mom-Lyn; Daughter-Deanna; Son-Miles.  Victor is an Area Director for Applebees.  Lyn is a volunteer and author.  Deanna is a recent high school graduate and Miles is about to finish up his sophomore year in high school.

In third grade Miles was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis.  And one year later Deanna, while in sixth grade, was diagnosed with Scoliosis and had to wear a full torso body brace, sixteen hours a day for an entire year.   While receiving treatment at All Children's Hospital, The Children's Dream Fund approached Miles, he was told that he could request anything he could think of...like a trip to Disney or to meet a celebrity.  Miles requested his own personal library.  Along with Deanna, Miles wanted to repay this kind gesture and initiated the family Pay-It-Forward philanthropy.  Here are a few things they've accomplished:

• a car wash where they raised $900.00
• a Cosmic bowling event
• participated in their orthodontist's candy buy back program. He paid one dollar for every pound of candy turned in (and donated one dollar to charity). The first year they collected sixty-three pounds, the second year one hundred fifty pounds and the third year over one half ton of candy
• Miles was featured in the All Children's Hospital telethon when in fourth grade.  The family rasied $2,500.00 that year
• Miles was a Tuesday's Child and threw out a first pitch at a Ray's game
• Miles was a guest speaker at The Children's Dream Fund twenty-fifth birthday party
• Miles and a classmate helped a movie drive and turned in a van full of movies to the hospital
• He held a book drive and launched a Waiting Room Library
• Miles spoke on air to Lissette Campos of WFTS ABC Action News to help the ACH Tampa Branch Guild on a book drive
  
• Deanna and Miles have participated in All Children's Hospital telethons
• They were greeters at the Society Banquet
• They spoke at an All Children's estate planning event
• They participated on the first ever Radiothon event with Tampa's 103.5 crew
• They help out Mom as a ACH North Pinellas Branch Guild volunteer
• Deanna painted a picture on air for the ACH Tampa Branch Guild
• Deanna was a model patient for Dillard's Fashion at the Safety Harbor Spa Fashion Show
• The entire family went to Washington D.C. for Family Advocacy Days on behalf of All Children's Hospital to speak to Congressmen and Representatives
• The family routinely speaks to newly diagnosed patients to help soften the news and to answer any questions

What Deanna and Miles have accomplished is beyond awesome!  What has really impacted me however, is their family as a unit.  Deanna and Miles didn't just get beamed to Earth and instantly begin doing all this stuff.  Victor and Lyn created the right environment from which their kids' core values grew.  Lyn, and rightfully so, gushes over her kids and their accomplishments.  But I cannot look at Deanna and Miles without seeing Victor and Lyn's accomplishments.

Lyn tells me that they have become stronger, better and less judgmental people because of what they've been through.  I say that the world has become a better place because of who the Marinello family is and what they've been through.

If any of this has inspired you, please consider tuning into The All Children's Hospital Telethon this Sunday, May 31st, and plan to donate.  The Marinello's will be appearing at 10:00 a.m.  If you really get inspired, please consider joining one of the hospital's eight area Guild Branches.  Contact Avril Osborn today!