December 7, 2004

• Topic: Ralph Nader on education
  http://www.issues2000.org/2004/Ralph_Nader_Education.htm

  
  

  
  Abandon standardized testing; focus on teaching civic skills

  
  

  Nader wants to abandon not only the standardized testing both Bush and Gore endorse, but to radically refocus schools. Students “should learn, as the core curriculum, developing civic skills, learning how to practice democracy,” he said, “and the arithmetic, reading and writing will be a byproduct.”

  
  Source: Scot Lehigh, Boston Globe, page D1 Oct 8, 2000
  

  
  

  
  Invest in K-12 education; that will reduce poverty

  
  

  Education is clearly a significant factor in enhancing the future of impoverished children. Education levels bear heavily on efforts to bring families out of poverty and in providing livable wages for low and moderate and middle-income families.

  
  

  We need to invest in the nation’s children. We must assure an adequate safety net, health care, higher quality and more plentiful child care and vastly better educational opportunities, particularly at Kindergarten through the 12th grade.
  

  Source: Statement on Child Poverty Jun 26, 2000
  

  
  

  
  Teach democratic principles & citizenship in schools

  
  

  Our country’s schoolchildren need to be taught democratic principles in their historic context and present relevance, with practical civics experiences to develop their citizen skills and a desire to use them, and so they will be nurtured to serve as a major reservoir of future democracy.

  
  Source: The Concord Principles, An Agenda for a New Democracy, #10 Feb 21, 2000
  

  
  

  
  Kick Channel One & commercialism out of class

  
  

  Would you want your children to see propaganda that glorifies reckless driving or that reinforces the poor body image of teenage girls? That’s exactly the kind of thing schoolkids are watching on Channel One, a so-called educational broadcast piped into classrooms. In essence, Channel One is run by a marketing company that uses the schools to deliver advertising to youngsters. Each school day, teachers turn on a TV show made up of two minutes of commercials and 10 minutes of “news.” Channel One’s lobbyists say that it’s “an old-fashioned newscast that often reflects traditional values.” Nice try. The “news” is just filler. What Channel One really conveys is materialism: that buying is good and will solve your problems, and that consumption and self-gratification are the goals of life. For real education reform that protects children, costs nothing, and increases productive class time, tell your school board to kick Channel One out of class.

  
  Source: “In the Public Interest” newspaper column May 12, 1999
  

  
  

  
  Focus on civic & consumer education

  
  

  Q: How would you manage the Department of Education differently?

  
  

  A: I would put a very high priority on getting schools to teach civic education and connecting the classroom with the community. Getting youngsters, even as young as the fifth and sixth grades, to learn how to practice democracy, to connect knowledge to action. To help people grow up civic instead of growing up corporate is an important function of the Department of Education.
  

  Our education system is becoming very vocational and very occupation-oriented, which is OK if it is not disproportionate and if it doesn’t squeeze out the most important role of education, which is civic.
  

  I also would emphasize consumer education. Children are spending more and more money directly — under 12 years of age they spent $ 12 billion last year, and they caused their parents to spend $ 150 billion. They need a consumer perspective, how to become a smart shopper.
  

  Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday Interview, p. 3/Z1 Oct 13, 1996
  

  Topic: pictures from austin city limits music festival

  
  

  

  
  

  you can’t see me, unfortunately, but the 3 guys w/ no shirts in the front row are my aussie friends from camp.  This is during Ben Harper’s set.

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  thtat’s ben harper,

  
  

  

  
  

  jack johnson, the man epitmozes chill

  
  

  

  
  

  the Roots…imagine listening to music and thinking you just drank 10 cans of Red Bull energy drink, that’s the roots

  
  

  

  
  

  here’s a better picture.  Guy in front row w/ no shirt on in the middle is Eugene, he’s my rock climbing friend from Cape Town, who i lived with for almost a month there, and we worked together as ropes course instructors this summer.  To his right in the light blue top is Hannah, who is gorgeous, and from Northern England.  To her right is Warren, another ropes course guy, also from South Africa.  Behind Eugene is my good friend Nick, an Aussie, and to his right, with the cowboy hat is James, also an Aussie.  There were 10 of us in all, I think when this picture was taken I was filling up water since it was 100 degrees out, and we actually had one of our friends leave w/ head stroke.  It was quite a mission pushing back through to get front row for Ben Harper.  We had to get there at 11am to get these seats, and were there till 10pm. I think there were about 70,000 people there.

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  This is Rachel Yamagata.  This chick rocks!!! I got to see her again when I was in St. Louis at a popular local bar called Blueberry Hill.  Instead of 70,000, there were less than 70.  and she’s damn sexy and has an amazing voice.

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  here’s Trey Anastasio, singer for Phish, although Phish has now broken up.

  
  

  

  
  

  G Love and Special Sauce

  
  

  

  
  

  here’s an aerial view of the festival. 

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  this is early in the day…man, what a good festival it was. hope you’re all able to view those pics

  • 10:55 am
  • 2 Comments