A writer's Random ramblings
Educating our children has its ups and downs, as does life itself. Often, figuring out how to create curriculum as they advance through the grades gives educators the biggest challenge. How can something as basic as math be made relevant to everyone? How can we inspire children to want to learn it when many, especially older ones, don’t see it as useful for what they want to do? The first half or so of the school years need to focus on teaching the basics and letting children explore many topics of mathematical study.
We must begin with early childhood and primary education. Preschool and Kindergarten students can learn numbers using the arts and games. As they become familiar with the numbers, teach them to count in the proper order, along with ordinal numbers to describe things. For example, one becomes first, two comes second, and so on up the number system. Once children master this, they can begin to add and subtract, using once again mnemonic devices based upon the arts or Montessori-style object-based learning. First and second grade youngsters who master these ideas can begin applying them to the use of money. Also, apply the basics of math to word problems as children grow to show how math meets the real world. In second grade and through the rest of elementary school, children can begin learning more complicated addition and subtraction. Then, demonstrate how multiplication makes repeated addition quicker, while its reverse, division, does the same for subtracting. Students at this level can also work on fractions and decimals by applying math functions to money and cooking. From third through fifth grade, pupils can add on how to recognize shapes and calculate basic knowledge such as area, perimeter, and small volumes. This can lead them into basic algebraic functions as they figure out the properties of shapes. The algebra and geometry then apply to real-world style word problems like dance or band formation, enlarging visual art products, and technology-related questions. Advanced fifth-graders, along with middle and high-schoolers, need flexibility while studying many mathematical subjects. Picking up where prior education left off gives them basic economic principles as individuals use them. Review the math needed to balance the books and set a budget. Let students participate in a week of applying the ideas to how life after school could unfold. Expand these ideas into financial literacy, using credit wisely, and securing and paying loans. As the money questions get more difficult, teach the use of pre-algebra and basic algebra to solve them. Tackle this and some more basic geometry, applying each concept to life after school, including the use of business math for everyone. Always keep classes at every level so students learn at a comfortable pace. College-bound youngsters will need at least Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 for admission. These classes need to be taught in ways that apply them not only to future mathematicians and scientists, but also arts and humanities people. After these courses, allow for electives covering higher math for engineers or math and science folks, economics and accounting for business majors, computerized math and practical courses like fiscal management for everyone. Senior-level math could then take principles of finance and tie those together with ways of making the other math studied throughout school practical to each student via an exit project in the capstone course. In these ways, we can create mathematical interest in the youngest children. Then, schools build upon basics year after year until graduation. Many people would stay interested in math longer if they saw how it relates to all aspects of life. This, in turn, feeds into a more functional whole society by creating understanding of a necessary subject many find scary.
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Have you always wanted to see what Sicily has to offer without the expense of a plane ticket? Do you like red wine that goes with nearly anything you choose to eat? How about one you can drink without food? Can one wine really do all of this? In short, yes…if you pick Cusumano Nero d’Avola.
What, you never heard of such a thing? Neither had I, until I watched Today with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. On February 13, 2019, their favorite Italian food family, the Scottos, brought them a variety of affordable wine and foods to pair. Having never tried anything from Sicily and always wanting to, I took note when they came to the Cusumano wine. The Scotto family paired this read wine with a seared scallop dish, a match I had not seen done on television. Thinking that only some forward-thinking Americans did this at home, the sight intrigued me. When I mentioned the story to my husband, he suggested we visit our local fine liquor shop. At Longmeadow Liquors here in Hagerstown, Maryland, the wine counter attendant found it in the back for us. He also gave us a basic primer on many of the Italian wines carried by the shop. We found a pleasant surprise that the wine clocked in at the roughly $12 per 750 mL bottle mentioned in the television spot. This bottle has a clever opening – not a typical cork or Stelvin closure. Instead, it features a twist- off glass stopper which carries the aroma of the wine very well under the foil. The wine comes in a green glass bottle with a ruby-red label written in a bold, white font to help the shopper find it easily. Cusumano Nero d’Avola presents as a read table wine with a very subtle blackberry undertone. The advertised cheery portion seemed lost to me as I tasted it. On the dryness spectrum, it falls on the slightly dry side, not as dry as Chianti, but nowhere near the fruity-sweet level one might expect. It has a very smooth, almost silky, mouth feel. For this reason, it can pair with many foods, including the scallops presented with it on Today, pasta with any type of sauce the diner prefers from tomato to cream, and any protein or vegetable. IN our experience, Cusumano Nero d’Avola worked well with a cold Italian-style sub, spicy Old Bay crab chips, and the caramel brownie chocolate truffle bar we ate for dessert. Thus, those who appreciate wine and only wish they could travel can learn about other nations. Wine, as with food, teaches us much about other cultures and what they value. Of course, wine comes in more accessible for those of legal drinking age than many traditional recipes of a given culture. An affordable wine, such as Cusumano Nero d’Avola can introduce people everywhere to the ways of Sicily at a doable price point. Many people agree that adults need to teach our children by example. How can school systems get in on the act and work on how to be proactive? Besides adjusting the school time by calendar, try being more mindful of people’s schedules as the weather affects them. Most schools do well in the category of sending children home early when inclement weather happens after school begins. Why not be more careful of starting times?
In some places, weather forecasters call several day ahead for severely cold weather or frozen precipitation. Sure, they could be wrong, but many times, the computers they use bring high accuracy. Keeping kids safe needs to be a priority. This includes not only being sure they don’t slip and fall in ice and snow, but that they don’t come to school or return home with frostbite. Many youngsters wait for the bus before the sun even appears in the morning. Coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and boots can help keep them warm. However, when the forecast calls for temperatures lower than freezing, prudent schools would delay the start. Sometimes, one hour could do the trick, while at other times, 2 hours late would be best. Not all parents drive, nor do all children want parents at the bus stop with them, so delays would benefit these families. It also helps those who walk be able to breathe better along their way since the air is not as cold once the sun comes up. Letting the people know the night before school that a delay is in order allows all families to plan in their best interest how to get the children to school. Yes, sometimes systems need to call school delays and closings at the last minute. However, these situations where inclement weather happens overnight tend to be rare. Only when surprise frozen precipitation events begin after midnight and don’t give road crews time to do their job should last-minute, early-morning delays or closings be used. For the most part, when weather reporters call for wind, cold temperature, or winter warnings by dinnertime the night before, counties or school districts could make the call then. Start with a delay set up the night before, then call the closing early in the morning if weather changes drastically. As noted earlier, sub-freezing temperatures, especially coupled with wind chills, need to be heeded. Children deserve to be comfortable while awaiting their transportation to school if we want them to be at their best in concentrating upon their studies. Keeping the buses off the road when it is frozen, particularly with ice and snow, helps the road dry out and become safe. This in turn keeps students safe since the bus would not be slipping down the street. For these reasons, we need to rewire how and when school systems call closures and delays. Children need safety and comfortable temperatures while getting to school. Showing them such respect could even be a good first step in teaching them subtly about respecting others before they arrive at the school door. Letting early schools open once the sun comes up gives them the opportunity to warm up with the sun as well as heating systems. |
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June 2020
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