Monday, April 30, 2012

Education Ride 365: Progress Update One-Third Of The Way Through!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Education Ride 365: Momma (Earth) Said There'd Be Days Like This!

Wyoming is beautiful...yet can be harsh.  High winds, cold temperatures, and rain--more rain--and yet more rain greeted me.  The last time I rode through Wyoming (in 2007) it also rained much of the trip and I encountered a hail storm as well.  A good amount of time on Day 104 of Education Ride 365 was spent wondering which of the two rides was harsher.  At least there were wonderful snow-capped mountains like those above in view through long stretches.  I also had heated clothing on.  With these two consolations, I powered through the long ride, much of it on rural roads that were winding, hilly, and a bit slick. 

'Mom' and her climate challenged me on Day 104.  I didn't litter on her...but I did curse her a bit!  Some days riding across America on a motorcycle are like that!  Thank goodness I had my trusty Honda to blaze the trail through nature's travails!

---

Day 104---344.2 miles traveled, 6 hours and 5 minutes of moving time, 56.5 miles per hour average moving time, 3 hours and 28 minutes stopped time, 36 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 86 miles per hour.  Day 105---Much needed day of rest.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Education Ride 365: Make It To Class If You Want To Dance!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline

Friday, April 27, 2012

Education Ride 365: An Introduction To Alcohol Use Now Or Later When Never Is Unlikely

Raising children is a difficult task.  There is no script or playbook to follow.  Recently, when I came across the billboard below while crossing our country on Education Ride 365, I was reminded of one philosophical argument played out in a wealthy school district I worked for in Texas.

Some parents feel that it is wise for people under eighteen to be exposed to alcohol at home---in a controlled setting---before they go elsewhere (in an unsupervised setting) to experiment with it, either before graduating from high school and/or when they first experience living away from home with all the liberation and experimentation that often welcomes.  Tasting the 'forbidden fruit' early can remove some of the mystique and novelty, the thinking goes.

While opinions on the practice of allowing your own child to taste this 'forbidden fruit' at home will no doubt vary, one slippery slope outcome of the practice was an even more serious point of contention in the district I worked for.  Specifically, some adults were providing alcohol to other children in the community...without the consent of their parents.  Does anyone really believe this is acceptable?  Imagine how angry you would be if another parent provided alcohol to your child for use at a party.  Or if your child was served alcohol at the home of a friend (so they wouldn't go elsewhere to use it) and later operated a motor vehicle.  The consequences could be grave for themselves and others.

However widespread the practice was in the district where I worked, the debate on the local blog was lively indeed.  The billboard above indicates that other communities grapple with this issue too. 

Alcohol use by those under 21--> now or later when never is unlikely?

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Alcohol Use, Parenting

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Education Ride 365: The Devil Spit Up In Wyoming...It Was A Beautiful Sight To See!

Along my way to Montana I made a point to enjoy beautiful, if super windy, northeastern Wyoming.  In the picture directly below, you can pick out Devil's Tower in the distance at the top-left of this frame.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Education Ride 365: What Is Hidden In Those Words, Thoughts, And Actions?

In our country founded on individual freedoms---including a general freedom of expression---it has become increasingly common to hear folks use the terms "politically correct," "politically incorrect," or just simply the abbreviation PC to refer to approved/disapproved speech, actions, and ways of thinking.

Deviation from whatever any person or group deems appropriate often results in an indictment of the 'offenders' character, motives, or even basic sense of fairness.  Scorn and demonization commonly follow.

Wikipedia defines 'political correctness' in this way: "a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts, and, as purported by the term, doing so to an excessive extent.

It seems that we have quite a hyper-critical, intolerant culture for a country founded on tolerance and freedom of expression.  Small unintended slights become character judgements of the harshest sort.  Commonly offense is taken by perceived slights of the most innocuous nature.  Often attempts to control speech and behavior follow.

Perhaps I should be offended that Chief Standing Bear (last post on this blog) referred to the presidents above as "white" men, but himself as part of the "Red" men.  Did he intend disrespect by using lower case for one and upper case for the other?  Does he get a pass because the "white" men were the oppressors and the "Red" men the oppressed?

I have always striven to refer to people in whatever way they prefer.  This can be more difficult than it seems.  Call the wrong person "black" rather than "African-American" and offense may be taken.  Call another person of the same race "African-American" and offense may be taken...."I'm a 'black' American, not an African-American." 

Call a person of Mexican origin a "Mexican-American" and some 'white' people will object that he is just an "American" and calling him "Mexican-American" is some sort of false designation.  Huh?  Are we rejecting "Irish-American" these days too?

Maybe I prefer to be referred to as "Peach" man, rather than "white" man.  Should I take offense when others don't call me by this more anatomically correct name?!  Well of course not.  And I don't take offense to the "white" men vs. "Red" man distinction! 

I most recently got to thinking about all of this during my days riding through the Black Hills and Badlands region of South Dakota.  One day, as I rode alone, I stopped at the site of what once was referred to as the "Battle of Wounded Knee."  The sign below originally read that way, but now has a "Massacre" placard covering "Battle."  (You can see it in the photo if you look closely)  To be fair, it was more of a massacre than a battle. 

I met several Lakota youth at the site.  We visited and took the photo below.  They live on the site of the massacre, directly across the street from this sign.  We got to know each other, took a picture, exchanged "Facebook" information, and after learning about Education Ride 365 they invited me to stay at their place next time I am in the area.  Very nice young people.

Interestingly, the boys were proud of their school and the mascot that represents it as seen in the picture below.  This reminded me that the University of North Dakota "Fighting Sioux" are regularly criticized for their "politically incorrect" name.  In March, the school was banned by the NCAA from any reference to or imagery of their "Fighting Sioux" name and mascot when competing in any NCAA-sanctioned event.  This despite the fact that the name is required by North Dakota state law, a requirement that may eventually be challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court.  I don't know what to think about this one!

Incidentally, the mascot at one high school I taught at was a "Fighting Farmer."  To the best of my knowledge, no farmers ever took exception...or at least they overlooked the matter!

Before the ultra-uber-politically correct crowd attack my character, please note that the examples I have presented here are just offered for consideration...and a wee bit to provoke response.  We all know, I've barely scratched the surface of PC-related examples.  I really do strive to respect people's sensitivities and desires.  Nonetheless, there is a case to be made that these days, at times, political correctness is taken just a bit too far.

Case in point, perhaps: earlier this week the Lego Corporation came under attack for the "sexualization" of women after they announced a line of gender-specific Legos that are a bit less boxy and contain more pastel colors than the traditional Lego line.  After 55,000 signatures were gathered in protest, the company agreed to a high-level meeting with the group objecting.  A squeaky enough wheel gets oiled in our politically (correct) charged culture.

Click the photo below for more:

Are we a tolerant country that values freedom of expression?  Can condemnation of the thoughts, words, and actions of others lead us to Utopia and absolute correctness?  Do we just expect the worst of others and so must safeguard against any hint of it with protest, judgement, and condemnation?  Where is the line?

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Political Correctness

Monday, April 23, 2012

Education Ride 365: Badlands, Black Hills, Red Men, 'white' Men

The Badlands stretch for dozens of miles behind me in the picture below!

Any wonder why they earned their name?!  From Wikipedia:

The term badlands represents a consensus in North America. The Lakota called the topography "Makhóšica", literally bad land, while French trappers called it "les mauvaises terres à traverser" – "the bad lands to cross". The Spanish called it tierra baldía ("waste land") and cárcava ("gully"). The term badlands is also apt: badlands contain steep slopes, loose dry soil, slick clay, and deep sand, all of which impede travel and other uses. Badlands form in semi-arid or arid regions with infrequent but intense rain-showers, sparse vegetation, and soft sediments: a recipe for massive erosion.

We also explored the Black Hills region.  One interesting site I was unaware of is the 60-year old project to carve out a monument to 'Crazy Horse' intended to rival Mt. Rushmore.  The mountain carving will eventually resemble the figure on the motorcycle gas tank below, which is on a Harley Davidson covered in numerous other fancy airbrush scenes from the project's history. 

The Harley is on display in the visitor's center and is being raffled off later this year as a fundraiser for the Crazy Horse Memorial.  The project has been completely financed through private funds since it was launched in 1929.  Perhaps that explains why it has taken 60 years from the first blasting in 1948 to progress to the point you can see in my picture directly below.  Notice the outline for the horse's head and ear located near the edge of the rock at the right of the picture.

Below is a photo I snapped of an informational poster in the visitor's center.  It gives you a sense of the scale and ultimate appearance of the monument.

"Carve us a mountain so that the white man will know the Red man had great heroes also."  Chief Henry Standing Bear, 1939

The photo above is of Chief Standing Bear meeting with sculptor Korczak Ziólkowski, who made the project his life's work from the late-20s until his death in 1982.

Why do you think "Red" man is capitalized above, while "white" man is not?  Does it matter?  I will address the subject of 'political correctness' more generally speaking in my next post.

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Day 99---316.9 miles traveled, 4 hours and 51 minutes of moving time, 44 minutes of stopped time, 65.2 miles per hour average moving time, 56.6 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 84.4 miles per hour.  Day 100---317.5 miles traveled, 6 hours and 20 minutes of moving time, 50 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 74.8 miles per hour. 

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Political Correctness

Friday, April 20, 2012

Education Ride 365: Flipping Our Paradigm Can Benefit Students, Parents, & Teachers Alike!

• can watch the lesson as many times as they need to internalize the information.
• can pause the lesson when their attention begins to wane or they must, for instance, take a restroom break.
• can watch the complete lesson even on days when they might otherwise have missed it due to illness or other reason for absence.
• can review the information more thoroughly before an assessment or other related activity.
• can dig deeper into the lesson material at the time it is "presented" by, for instance, looking up unfamiliar words or accessing other resources that may enrich or explain the lesson further for someone with their learning style or level of interest.

• can have a better grasp of exactly what content---and in what manner---their child is learning in each class.
• can refresh their knowledge (or learn information) vital to helping their child with homework and otherwise extending & making connections between the content and the child's life outside of school.
• can actually further educate themselves as a sort of continuing education model.

• can become increasingly skilled at preparing tight, rich lessons that both maximize instruction time and are delivered consistently from class period to class period.
• can better adhere to the scope and sequence for their course, never losing pace provided they consistently practice proper lesson preparation.
• can expect all students to be up to speed, regardless of illness or other interruptions of the learning process (such as moves from school to school, teacher to teacher, or class to class).  This includes teacher absences, as well as student absences...for example.
  
• can better target comprehension issues and learning gaps in the classroom for individual students as well as select groups of students, while other students who are up-to-speed can be practicing and/or extending what they have learned.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Technology, Instruction, Flipped Clasrooms, Instruction, Homework, Parent Involvement, Technology

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Education Ride 365: The Spotlight Can Create Harsh Shadows And Illuminate Imperfections

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Technology, Instruction

Monday, April 16, 2012

Education Ride 365: Squeaking About Humoring Rather Than Teaching!

After the snow melted in Denver, on Day 96 I began a two day project up the road at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  What a beautiful campus and city!

Before I left my hotel each morning I enjoyed an exceptionally tasty and quality continental breakfast.  One morning this breakfast was less enjoyable due to a seemingly incessant squeaky-squeaky sound like that from a child or pet toy squeezed over and over and over.  On and on it went.  Its source was soon evident, but the end was much slower coming.

The noise shot from a toddler's shoes.  The shoes were designed to make that noise.  Back and forth she paced, hand in hand with supervising family members.  The contrast between the peaceful breakfast setting and the squeaky noise-making shoes seemed to bother everyone in the place.

Had the toddler just been passing through, the noise would have been almost 'cute.'  Instead, the walking was a means of keeping the toddler occupied over quite a length of time.  Back and forth they went.

This event really got me thinking about a complaint I've heard throughout my travels talking with citizens about the state of education in America.  Specifically, too many adults are too busy humoring young people to the point that too often we are not teaching them valuable lessons central to being part of a larger community of citizens working together to live in harmony.  I hear this perception a lot.

At one point the toddler's grandpa was holding her hand as they squeaked and squeaked away for more than ten minutes before I overheard him acknowledge how "annoying" the sound is to a fellow hotel quest before he smiled and stated "I just can't stand it."

It was clear that very few people in the place could stand it, but only this grandpa and his family could do anything about it.  Instead, because they valued humoring the toddler more than respecting their fellow citizens eating breakfast, the noise continued.

More bothersome than the noise was the acknowledged lack of respect for fellow citizens as a concession to humoring the child.  Granted, this is an isolated and limited example of what many express to me in my travels as their perception of a widespread problem in America.  Are adults in America too readily humoring young people to the point of not teaching them valuable lessons about being complementary citizens, rather than an overly-independent nuisance?  Are too many of us raising young people with an over-entitled freedom to do most anything short of breaking the law, even at the expense of their fellow citizens?

Educational institutions teach young people academic lessons first and foremost.  To a lesser degree they teach citizenship.  Increasingly our schools must teach basic citizenship because many young people are not learning these lessons where they are most appropriately learned----> at home.  School should be a place to practice citizenship, not the place to re-mediate basic lessons of citizenship that were never taught at home.

I thought about this incident my whole ride to Boulder.  I was discussing school discipline that day at the University of Colorado.  As I rode, I remembered times I watched shows like "Nanny 911" and "Super Nanny" thinking about the difficult task my colleagues somewhere in the country would have educating children out of these homes.  They were not learning the basics of citizenship where they should be learning them, at home.

I will revisit this topic in later posts.  For now I'll reiterate: The University of Colorado at Boulder is an inspiring, beautiful institution!  May we forever send them students who are prepared with academic readiness AND a respectable level of citizenship!

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Day 96---117.9 miles traveled, 2 hours and 55 minutes of moving time, 3 hours and 7 minutes of stopped time, 40.2 miles per hour average moving time, 19.5 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 80.3 miles per hour.  Day 97---49.27 miles traveled, 1 hour and 26 minutes of moving time, 34.2 miles per hour average moving time, and a max speed of 75.8 miles per hour.  Day 98---77.71 miles traveled, 1 hour and 47 minutes of moving time, and 43.4 miles per hour average moving time. 

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Discipline, Citizenship

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Education Ride 365: Dog Days Are Great Days!

Back in March I visited Hoover Dam and shared some photos from that visit.

One touching part of my visit was this remembrance and grave of the mascot adopted by workers who constructed the dam.

The Hoover Dam construction crew's mascot was found as a puppy by workers at the construction camp.  This dog traveled to and from the damsite with them and spent his days visiting the many work areas.  On February 21, 1941, the life of this devoted animal came to an end when a truck under which he was sleeping rolled over him.  The grave below was completed by workers later that same day.

Dogs are so special!  They move people.  They teach people.  They love people unconditionally.

If I could go back to being 18 again, I really think I'd find a career working with dogs...or at least one that would allow me to have a dog at work!  It is somewhat surprising that more high school vocational programs and/or magnet schools don't have vet and other animal care programs.  FFA is a notable exception.

I have learned so much over the years from dogs I've loved.  Sarge, Precious, Moose, Lady, and Conner.  During tough stretches in my life I've made it a point to "meet" a new dog each day.  Interaction with dogs is one of my very favorite activities in life.

Have dogs been important teachers in your life?  Feel free to share and honor these wonderful beings by leaving a comment below!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Education Ride 365: Plain Ole' Wind Blown & Snow Dusted A Mile High!

Ken & Heather went to middle school together in Alaska, but only reconnected last year!  They love each other, love to ride, and love their scaled back retirement lifestyle...though they are really just prepping for retirement.  Ken still owns a business in Tulsa that he is looking forward to selling so he and Heather can travel and play full-time!

After spending a great couple of days with Ken & Heather, I headed west bound for Denver CO.  Along the way I stayed in Wichita KS with another lovely couple, Wally & Sandy Shutt.  They are within weeks of buying a new (blue) Goldwing.  Lucky them!  Of further note, Sandy makes cinnamon rolls from an old family recipe that easily rival Cinnabon!  Yum!

On Day 93 I pulled out of Wally & Sandy's home for a 500-plus mile ride to Denver.  Typically I favor rural roads to the intestate system.  This day I elected to ride the roads less traveled, across Kansas and up into Colorado. 

It was a super windy day, only accentuated by the wide open plains where the winds blows completely free of obstruction.  For hundreds of miles the wind attempted to pull the helmet right off of my head.  I felt like I was leaning the cycle 45 degrees against the wind for hundreds of miles just to keep from being blown over.  There were times in Colorado when I wondered if I could continue.  I did not see even a single other motorcycle on this route--- all day.

When I left Kansas the temperature was in the mid-70s.  By the time I got within 70 miles of Denver, however, the temperature had dipped to 41 degrees.  It was windy...and cold!  I stopped for dinner by my hotel near the Denver airport and my fingers were frozen...so much so that I had trouble getting the key into my trailer lock.  Oh, mother nature gave me a real challenge on this day---> Day 93!

The "Cycle of Education" was part of a snow event the next day, Day 94!

Mother nature definitely presented me with quite a challenging 24 hours of motorcycle operation on Days 93 & 94!  Wind blown and snow dusted! 

That is how I spent April 2nd and 3rd, 2012!

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Day 89---234.4 miles traveled, 4 hours and 33 minutes of moving time, 3 hours and 30 minutes of stopped time, 51.5 miles per hour average moving time, 29.1 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 75.7 miles per hour.  Day 90---Day of rest.  Day 91---290.2 miles traveled, 4 hours and 54 minutes of moving time, 27 minutes of stopped time, 59.2 miles per hour average moving time, 54.2 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 86.1 miles per hour.  Day 92---4 miles traveled.  Day 93---514.2 miles traveled, 8 hours and 10 minutes of moving time, 52 minutes of stopped time, 61.6 miles per hour average moving time, 55.8 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 84.7 miles per hour.  Day 94---24 miles traveled.

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Education Ride 365: Educators Enabling Other Educators To Travel More For Less!

In their words:

"Educators Travel Network (ETN) was founded in 1986 by Hazel and Norm Smith, two retired teachers who were inspired to create a membership only travel club that was both affordable and rewarding.

The idea for “Educators Travel Network” originated from the way Norm and Hazel actually traveled. They were part of a group of educators who would travel somewhere every year to play tennis.  One year, sixteen members of the group went to Oxford, England.  A local professor allowed three couples to stay in his home while he was on vacation, and Norm and Hazel got to experience life as a “local.” They enjoyed becoming acquainted with the corner grocer and dining at the neighborhood restaurants.  This experience was the foundation on which ETN was built.  They had such a wonderful time – staying inexpensively in the home of a fellow educator and getting to have experiences that most tourists don’t. They decided to try to make it possible for other educators to do the same in cities worldwide.  It has turned out to be an idea that our members think is fantastic!"

This seems like a great service for educators and their families!  It links like-minded, professionally-oriented people into a network that makes travel more affordable and interactive.

I'm still learning about the Educators Travel Network!  Coming blog posts will feature more about how it works and my experiences using it throughout 2012 on "Education Ride 365!"

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Educators Travel Network

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Education Ride 365: Better Understand The World Around You!

Education Ride 365 leaves little opportunity for watching television.  That is not such a bad thing!  Nonetheless, a few nights ago I caught a NOVA special on PBS that may have taught me more about Physics and Chemistry in two-hours than I had ever learned before in total.  Granted, I never took either of those two classes in high school or college, but this special struck me as particularly engaging, visual, and accessible.  It seemed valuable viewing for any young person....really, for any person.

I decided to share it here in hopes you'd pass it along to Science teachers you know, show it to your own kids, or learn from it yourself!  The entire show can be viewed free of charge here!  There is also information on that page about ordering a DVD copy.

CHECK IT OUT!  PASS IT ON!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Science, Physics, Chemistry

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Education Ride 365: Eureka!!! Natural Beauty Gold In Them There Hills!

On Day 87, after leaving Edmond OK, I headed to Eureka Springs in the beautiful NW corner of Arkansas. 

Artists, musicians, and all sorts of folks who enjoy the great outdoors and a largely laid-back lifestyle live in this part of the country.  The hills, vegetation, and winding roads are simply amazing!

Pictures can't even begin to do the area justice.  I tried...and at a certain point I basically gave up!  Instead, I focused on enjoying my explorations and chatting with the locals about their schools and communities.

During my stay, I slept at the home/cycle shop of Larry and Julie Britton.  Larry (pictured above) runs a very well stocked motorcycle shop, which includes a fleet of dual sport motorcycles that can be rented by the hour or day.  Their business is called "Arkansas Adventure Rider" 

Railroad history is on display in downtown Eureka Springs.  You can even take a ride on a dining car if you visit at the right time of the year!

The entire Beaver Lake/Eureka Springs area is an ideal vacation spot!  The historic one-lane bridge pictured below can be found on one of the many scenic roads around the lake!

Everywhere I travel across our land I see creative amateur signage---> like the one I opened this post with, as well as the example below posted in front of a church in the area:

My faith was challenged as I was leaving the area headed to Tulsa via a scenic, roundabout route that included the highly recommended Arkansas Road 7.  On this road, in the Boston Mountains heading south toward the "Arkansas Grand Canyon," my cycle began to handle poorly in the curves.  There were many of these curves motorcyclists call 'twisties,' so it didn't take me long to figure out I had a real problem.  My rear tire was very soft and I quickly became stuck on a small shoulder up on the mountainside. 

After calling around to locate the tire I soon discovered only one shop in the area stocked, I called a tow company to deliver air because I thought my leaking tire might hold out the 18 miles I had to travel back off the mountain in order to get to the shop.  Luckily I asked the tow driver to follow me because 10 miles down the tire blew out, forcing us to then load the cycle and trailer onto his truck for the remaining 8 miles. 

It was a challenging afternoon! 

Much of that time I did not exactly have the smile you see on my face in the picture below, which was taken the day prior as I rode the twisty, undulating roads of beautiful NW Arkansas and SW Missouri!  All motorcycle riders should experience these wonderful roads!  Cabin-bound travelers will also enjoy them!  In fact, I could have added a third label to the map above that would say "Most Any Road On This Map Is Scenic & Fun!"

I really enjoyed the people & places I became acquainted with
during these few days of Education Ride 365!

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Riding Stats: Day 87---257.7 miles traveled, 4 hours and 29 minutes of moving time, 1 hour and 12 minutes of stopped time, 57.5 miles per hour average moving time, 45.3 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 84.6 miles per hour.  Day 88---165.8 miles traveled, 3 hours and 52 minutes of moving time, 4 hours and 4 minutes of stopped time, 42.7 miles per hour average moving time, 20.8 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 82.7 miles per hour.  Day 89---234.4 miles traveled, 4 hours and 33 minutes of moving time, 3 hours and 30 minutes of stopped time, 51.5 miles per hour average moving time, 29.1 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 75.7 miles per hour.  

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education

Friday, April 6, 2012

Education Ride 365: Another Great Tool For Locating And Seeing Places From Afar!

Another interesting tool many of you will enjoy is showmystreet.com

Enter any address and very quickly get a photo of the address embedded in a map you can zoom in and out with.  Think of the site as a simplified Google Earth, for quick reference!

Check it out by clicking here!  The interface could not be easier!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Maps, Travel Maps, Street Maps

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Education Ride 365: Represent Your Travels This Easily!

Many of you travel.  Travel is a rich experience resulting in lifelong memories.  Whether you travel by car, motorcycle, plane, bicycle, train, or whatever means, it can be fun to represent those travels on a map much like I did in my last post (April 3).

Beyond that, educators can use such a map creator with students. 

Accordingly, I thought I'd share the super easy tool I use to create my maps like those in the April 3rd post.  The site is free and it lets you create state maps for the United States and Mexico.  It also lets you create Canadian province and territory maps.  Unfortunately, I don't believe it enables the creation of world maps.

If you know of any great tools for creating travel maps, please share it with us all by leaving a comment below!

Click here to access the site I used in the April 3rd post.

Enjoy!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Maps, Travel Maps

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Education Ride 365: Progress Update One-Quarter Of The Way Through!

One-quarter (three months) of Education Ride 365 has happened! 

The objective of Education Ride 365 is to travel to all parts of the United States to interact with educators and other citizens about their perceptions and knowledge of continuous improvement in education.

The goal for Education Ride 365 is to travel 50,000 miles through 50 states on the "Cycle of Education" between January 1 through December 31, 2012.  I will sleep at least one night in each state. 

The journey is right on track!

During the first three months I rode in the 15 states displayed on the map above and slept at least a couple of nights in each, except Missouri.  I will return to Missouri for at least a night of sleep sometime down the road!

During the months of January, February, and March I road:

4157.21 miles in January

3989.26 miles in February

4292.61 miles in March

For a total of 12,429.08 miles in those three months!  That puts me a mere 72 miles under the goal of 50,000 for the year!

ONWARD!

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Incidentally, the map below represents all 22 states I have ridden the cycle in throughout the years.  All of these plus the ones I have never ridden in will eventually be visited as part of Education Ride 365!

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Education Ride 365: Priority One = All Teenagers Should Be Employed!

After a most enjoyable week in San Antonio with my daughter, she and I rode the Cycle of Education back 300 miles to the DFW area where she resumed school.  For my part, I continued north to Oklahoma bound for yet another childhood home and points beyond.  Incidentally, in my previous post I neglected to mention Skye's swimming obsession.  During our week in the Alamo City, she swam probably 15 hours in the indoor hotel pool and even ventured into the VERY cold outdoor pool pictured below for an hour or two!  Kids!

!

It was Day 86 when I arrived in Edmond, Oklahoma.  In my March 28th blog entry I mentioned a conversation I had during this stop with the current owner of a house my family first owned.  I would like to touch on this visit to Edmond again to briefly address the value and perils of minimum wage labor during childhood.  I'm torn on the topic.

From a really early age I worked to earn money.  My first jobs were car waxing, lawn care, and paper routes.  I did those things in middle school.  When I lived in the house above and turned 14, I qualified for a motorcycle license and could then work further from home.  Incidentally, I now think it is very unwise for a 14 year old boy to have a motorcycle license!  Street cycle danger exacerbated by a dose of teenage recklessness is a flirtation with the grim reaper!

My first restaurant job was as a bus boy at a restaurant called "Johnnie's."  I also worked at a "Schlotzsky's" during my couple of years living in this home.  Concurrently, I threw newspapers in the wee hours of the morning, before school.

There are definitely pros and cons to young people throwing newspapers before school (yea---I know---that is so 20th century), working at restaurants late into the night, and otherwise joining the workforce before completing high school.  Responsibility can be developed.  Skills can be learned.  Family budgets can be helped.  An appreciation for personal budgeting and the effort it takes to earn money can be gained.  These and other benefits may outweigh the cons.  I personally remain unsure.

Two cons bother me in particular:

1) School is the most important job people under 18 years old have.  In my mind, school should be priority number one.  I was always tired as a teenager.  Too many of my hours were spent working jobs other than my most important one---> getting a good education.  I slept through classes, rarely did my homework, and otherwise spent much more energy on jobs outside of school than on the job of getting a good education.

2) Some of the least savory individuals I've met in my life worked in these jobs.  There were, of course, many good people too.  Nonetheless, there were too many real counter-examples to success and healthy life habits!  Teenagers are impressionable.  They are often thankfully ignorant of the seedier aspects of life.  Give them a minimum wage job with a vehicle and an excuse to be away from home way after dark and they will receive a crash course in vice...often corrupting adult vice. 

I'm torn about publishing this because later on in high school I was lucky enough to get some more "professional" jobs that were very good experience for the enterprising young person I was.  That is a story for another day. 

Yet, still to this day, I have a heavy education loan burden due at least in part to my lack of focus on the real job of the teenage years----> a focus on getting educated and excelling in school. 

For me personally, both the pros and the cons were more numerous than I've suggested here.  What do you think?  Should teenagers work before finishing high school?  Is school their most important job?  Should it be their only job?  Or, should we just be more selective about which jobs (and what hours) we allow them to work?

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Riding Stats: Day 84 & 85---Preparation for the next leg of the journey.  Day 86---232.5 miles traveled, 4 hours and 19 minutes of moving time, 1 hour and 12 minutes of stopped time, 53.7 miles per hour average moving time, 42 miles per hour overall average, and a max speed of 78.7 miles per hour. 

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Keywords: Education Ride 365, EdClick, Cycle Of Education, Teenage Employment