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Odyssey Review

Odyssey Review

Review the story The Odyssey, use the flashcards to challenge yourself, play the games, and then take the test to prepare for your Final Exam.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed Hunger Games, the first of the Suzanne Collins trilogy, Catching Fire increased in intensity. The story of Katniss Everdeen’s never-ending struggle to find freedom from the fate the Capitol has set for her continues with a lot of what seems to be teen angst coupled with a real threat of widespread revolt from abroad. The narrative starts slowly, painstakingly as we listen in on Katniss’ fears for the safety of those she loves.
The pace picks up quickly when the Quarterly Quell begins, with a cruel twist! More ensues than even she can imagine in her worst dreams, and she ends up caught up in a much larger movement that will conclude in the final episode.

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Sacred by Dennis Lehane

Sacred by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite Kenzie/Genarro story for Patrick Kenzie’s romanticist narrative and Angie’s ballsy tenacity. The duo are forced into a job for Trevor Stone, a powerful evil billionaire who wants them to find his missing daughter. The supposed shared grief that Angela sees in the dying Trevor convinces them to take the job. Nothing is what it seems in every aspect of the novel except the sacred bond between the two detectives.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-crafted thriller, the crisp dialog, the precise detail, and of course the protagonists who find what matters in stark contrast to the false promises and appearances of the powerful and corrupted.

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Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this young adult novel that speaks about bullying and family conflicts. The narrator is a likable young man who spends a lot of his time searching for his Granpa Harry who went to fight in Vietnam but never returned. This event and the fear of a bully named Nader motivate Lucky Linderman to seek a way out. He is also hounded for his involvement in a survey asking how people would like to die, which results in him being identified as emotionally disturbed and possibly suicidal.
You will like the character, as well as the small supporting cast in this book.

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TRMM Satellite Shows What’s Happening Under the Hood of Hurricane Irene’s Clouds

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TRMM Satellite Shows What’s Happening Under the Hood of Hurricane Irene’s Clouds,
originally uploaded by NASA Goddard Photo and Video.

Amazing images from Hurricane Irene

NextGen Teacher Training Almost Over

I can’t believe the BAVC NextGen Music Production class is almost over. It seemed like just yesterday that I was spending my mornings at the Architectural Foundation in the Financial District learning about IT issues and design.
Now it’s been three days into the teacher training and I can put together a beat. But I have reached the frustration level of trying to put together a melody to accompany the beat. I can play the scales, but I have difficulty stringing together a melody. And now we are supposed to create the verse of a song. I really need to get some help before tomorrow, our last day!

Googoo for google apps

Yesterday we had the rare opportunity to visit the Google campus in Mountain View. Besides the plethora of greenery and those cool red yellow and blue cruiser bikes that can be found everywhere, the Google campus seemed very apropos for a environmentally and socially conscious happy world-eater of a company. We couldn’t get into a building without a host.
Thanks to John Aultman and Linda Wells from Digipen Institute and SFUSD respectively, I had a chance to learn how to use the Google AppInventor and engage in a discussion about how it might be used in our classes. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, close to a Google Teacher Institute or a visit to the Apple campus.
Google AppInventor only works with Droid phones, so as cool as it is, iPhone users can only create apps that can be tested with an Emulator tool on your computer. After this session, I realized the reasons why google called for an open app development system while Apple continues to keep things controlled. From a computer science and education standpoint, creating apps for droid devices is much more open to educators and students.
We discussed many other issues such as the impact on computer science pathways, opportunities for student entrepreneurship and what teachers would need before they start using the app inventor in their classrooms.
There were people from Youth Radio in Oakland and Youth Lab in Washington DC. They were doing inspiring work with young people, getting them plugged in to creating programs that have meaning to them and come out of their own ideas. In a lot of cases, these experiences lead individuals to pursue a career in computer science when they might not have considered it through their regular school experiences.
Google is doing a series of these with different groups of educators, administrators and teaching-related organizations, but it feels like it’s only the beginning. I think one colleague from a high school in Oakland put it best when he made a comment at the end of the session: “So when is the next meeting?”

STEAM

I spent the morning with Will Fowler in the AFSF office. We planned to discuss the broadcast studio plans, and Will was as good a mentor for my plans. In his teaching days in Novato, he made it his own project to get a computer lab up and running from scratch. He talked about the resistance from colleagues, the many opportunities that are out there for grants and funding, and most importantly, getting connected with the right people. I would add that someone would have to have a strong unwavering vision of what it is he is doing to accomplish what Will has done so far.
It’s been a while since he left that school, but it’s taken a long non-conventional path to AFSF where it seems he’s truly found a place to fulfill his vision. The program that they run here is impressive on so many levels – from the connections they have with architecture and design firms to the impact they have had on the youth who come through their program. And with the ever-increasing demand for industry-ready graduates, BuildSF is way ahead of the curve.
But we did spend most of the time discussing my computer lab/broadcast studio. The key takeaways are: 1. begin designing with the electrical outlets in mind, 2. group students in teams managed by leaders that I could depend on and trust, 3. anything short of a student-based project-based class will fail.
We worked with Autodesk Revit software to create the design of the room. In the brief session, I learned the fundamentals to creating a room, modifying different properties, populating the space with components, and creating renderings of different views of the room. It is a most-impressive tool, and the more I work with the Autodesk software, I am seeing the future of our Academy curriculum, not just for AOIT.
The last thing Will showed me was the new Digital STEAM curriculum which is represented in the form of projects, links to educational and career pathway standards, teacher resources, and videos and demos of the lessons. Autodesk has been ramping up their products as a bridge between education and professional careers in design, animation and film, engineering and the sciences. STEAM, as you can see is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) adds the A that is art. I hope to learn more about the curriculum and possibilities that could take place in our classroom.

Leap of Faith

Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my favorite books in a long while. Halfway through reading, I hovered on every word and phrase to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Ms. Heiligman starts the book from the point in Charles Darwin’s life when he debates whether he should marry or not. He makes a list comparing the reasons for and against. He meets Emma who will become his companion for life, and knows right then that he wants to spend his whole life with her.
Right from the beginning, there is a problem. Mr. Darwin is working on his theory of evolution of species, which leads him to question the existence and role of God; and Emma has always been a devoted Christian especially from losing her closest sister in her youth. The issue of whether one believes in the after-life and where we all go looms large over the love between these two and the family and circle of friends who enter their lives.
The writing charmingly lets us into the private lives of these two, often quoting personal letters between Emma and Charles.
This is a beautifully written book.

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