Quirky Corner of Common Sense

My husband 'makes fun' of my technological challenges (of which I admittedly have many)... including texting with cell phones. It takes me approximately 2 minutes to text a very simple message. I'd much rather make an actual phone call, talk to the person, hang up, and be done! But one thing I struggle with more than the idea of technology is how commonplace cell phones have become... and how 'acceptable' it seems to be to use them anywhere, anytime. In my classes at work, I've instituted a rule where trainees may bring cell phones with them, but if a call comes in they must excuse themselves to take the call. I find it disruptive, inconsiderate, and somewhat insulting that certain individuals find personal calls to be more important than work responsibilties. Don't get me wrong - I've kept my cell phone with me 24/7 when there were dire circumstances or potential emergency calls I was expecting. However, that is rare. Anyway, what about the perso...

I know a woman... who is a Republican... who LOVES Barack Obama... but won't vote for him because he is a Democrat. Really? Yes. Rather than list the things I find insulting about that scenario, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm finding that there are many people in America who plan to vote for their party line, even if they disagree with the current Presidential candidate for their party . Why is that? As a first-time voter, I probably have no room to talk. I've not used my right to vote since I turned 18; namely because I have been so turned off by political adds, political jokes, political bull malarky that I chose not to support the chaos we call elections. Now that I'm learning how important it is to voice my opinion by casting my vote, I'm learning that people abuse their right to vote each time. By abuse, I mean they don't think about why they are voting for a given candidate. They checked off a box when they first registered to vote... and f...

Have you heard about this act (NCLB) that was passed in 2002? I only know a little about it, but probably not enough to write a full blog. However, what I know has frustrated me to no end so I must 'get it out of my system', and I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic, too. SEC. 1001 of the NCLB Act states that ‘The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.’ Sounds pretty amazing, right? Do you know any teachers? I know a handful, and none of them supports this act because of how poorly it has been implemented within our nation's school systems. One of my friends is a special needs instructor for high school students. Many of her kids perform at a fifth grade math level ... yet they are REQUIRED to take the national math assessment at the 11th grade...