Our classroom

This is going to be a great year.

This is my classroom for the new year. Tomorrow these seats will be filled (38 in my 6th period will do that!). I am so excited about seeing the new students that I will meet for the first time. And I am even more excited about seeing my former students and how much they have grown.

A look as you walk through the door. I am lucky to be back in the corner. Most people leave me alone. If you come through my door, well... you meant to do it. :)


I moved my desk to the back this year. I had it along that window there last year. It was hard to see the computer monitor and this gets more kids in the front of the class. I think that's a psych ploy by me to make them think they are better students. :)


Closer look at my desk. :)


A look at the front of the room. I am going to do more work with me teaching from the board this year. I know, old school. But, the kids get tired of power points and projections. We are going to add a little more light this year. :)

You can see my "Target Board" on the left side. It's where I post our learning targets, agenda, and notes to my 3 preps. Above the board are college pennants, hopefully reminding them of why we are learning what we are learning. This year I added a cut out of the Geiko "Money you would be saving if you switched to Geiko." I'll call it, "Money you could be saving if you prepare for a college education."


Our beautiful school. We are so lucky to call it home. Go Eagles!


Wishing a good first day to all the teachers and students out there.

AVID in college? It is at UTMB

UTPB to implement pilot AVID program

Very interesting article. I had heard that some California schools have AVID at the college level for freshmen, but never in Texas.

A progressive curriculum that has worked wonders at local public schools for at-risk, average-achieving students with college in their sights may soon be making its way up the educational ladder to the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

For the first time in the university’s history, the Advancement Via Individual Determination program — which is more popularly know by the acronym AVID — may have found a new permanent home among some of UTPB’s freshmen seminar classes.

Only two years after its implementation at Ector County Independent School District campuses, the program already has experienced explosive growth and success in local secondary schools by targeting at-risk students with average grades and helping them move toward their goals of going to college.

So AVID’s sonic boom has reverberated throughout the area, catching the attention of higher education officials in the northeast side of town.

Rey Lascano, special assistant to the president and director of continuing education and outreach at UTPB, said the university plans to implement a pilot program this fall semester in two of its freshmen seminar classes that utilizes many of the AVID curriculum’s hallmarks.

"This is a program that’s been successful just about everywhere that it’s been implemented," he said. "All you have coming from something like this is a win-win."

Very interesting.

AVID Syllabus Parent Letter

Here is the AVID Syllabus and parent letter. Students, please sure it is signed and returned to Mr. Duez as soon as possible. I will be inputting email addresses into my email system and using it as a form of communication.

Please note that there is also an assignment - "The College Essay." We will be working on it in class and I will tell you in class when it is due.

AVID Syllabus Parent Letter from Google Docs Share [download here if the preview below is not working

AVID Syllabus 09

Is this possible? Online classes better?

Department of Education: Online Education Beats Classroom
Key Findings

- Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.

- Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.

- Studies in which learners in the online condition spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition found a greater benefit for online learning.

- Most of the variations in the way in which different studies implemented online learning did not affect student learning outcomes significantly.

- The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types.

- Blended and purely online learning conditions implemented within a single study generally result in similar student learning outcomes.

- Elements such as video or online quizzes do not appear to influence the amount that students learn in online classes.

- Online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection.

I wonder what some of you who have taken online classes think about this report?

We saw last year when Courtney from Alabama came in as a guest speaker in AVID, a lot of her tests and papers are turned in online. So maybe that is a good thing? But, can the computer replace the things a teacher/professor can give as far as interaction?

College Degree is not enough

Posting this article is not meant to scare anyone. But, what you have to know is the truth and the reality. It is tough out there. Luckily it's less tough in the Houston area than most others in America.

Here is the beginning piece to the article: For class of 2009, degree doesn’t mean a job
Fewer than a fifth of graduating seniors even have offers, research finds

A college diploma has long been the ticket to a good job, but the deepest economic slump in decades has dampened the dreams of many college seniors.

Matt Dumont has been looking for work since May.

“I’ve had a couple times that I was told that I was one of the top applicants, went in for an interview, and then I just never heard back from them,” said Dumont, who graduated last spring from Abilene Christian University in Texas with a degree in English and minors in Spanish and the Bible.

Dumont was haunting the college’s Career Center last week, looking for leads and advice. But the prospects are not promising for him and thousands of other new college graduates: Employment counselors and job placement specialists say the class of 2009 faces a daunting task finding work in the worst economy since the Great Depression.

Labor statistics for July showed that 15.3 percent of Americans ages 20 to 24 were unemployed, up a tenth of a percentage point from June. That’s compared to the overall jobless rate of 9.4 percent.

Those figures don’t indicate how many were recent college graduates, but surveys by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, a professional organization of career counselors at more than 2,000 U.S. colleges and universities, show that the recession has been particularly tough on those entering the job market with a college degree.

More than half of graduates in the class of 2007 had job offers in hand when they finished school, the association said. That figure dropped to one-quarter of 2008 graduates — after the recession began in December 2007 — and for the class of 2009, it was fewer than one-fifth.

Graduates ‘frustrated,’ ‘scared’
Projections for the class of 2010 won’t be final until the fall, but the association said the picture next spring was likely to be even worse.

Please go to this link to read the rest: For class of 2009, degree doesn’t mean a job
Fewer than a fifth of graduating seniors even have offers, research finds

What do you think AVID? Are you worried? What can you do to better your job and career chances after college?

Very Interesting Ted Talk

I could see this being used as a teaching device in the future. Would love to test it out!

Thoughts from Lauren @ A&M

I wrote to Lauren and wished her much success at Texas A&M this year. She wrote back and said this:

Thank you Mr. Duez I am so excited!! And I will give you a call when I come home. However I do have a friday afternoon class this semester so it will probably be close to Christmas break before I can come back and see yall at school. But tell all my AVID kids good luck this year and to stay focused :)

Can't wait to see her near Christmas and find out how everything went. We will miss her tutoring expertise!

Cornell Notes & Philosophical Chairs

Today and tomorrow I am a presenter in my district for AVID Path Training in Social Studies. Basically it's two days of time with middle and high school teachers to present 'best teaching practices' to them. The great thing about the training is that we actually 'do' and model the work.

Today we focused on topics like Using Poetry, Cornell Notes, Jigsawing, Quick Writes, and Philosophical Chairs. Two things jump out to me and seemed to be significant. First, teachers really appreciate well-prepared and on task professional development. A teacher stopped me and my partner about an hour in and announced how excited he was that this training was going so well. He has been through three professional development experiences this summer and was stunned that we were on the ball. It was great to see how appreciative he and others were.

The other thing that stood out was how two techniques went over well with the teachers. The first was Cornell Notes. It may have been the best and most clearly designed Cornell Notes lesson that I have taught. (I might finally be getting the hang of this thing) Here is the power point that I used to introduce C Notes:
AVID HISTORY PATH: Cornell Notes

At the end of the power point, I distributed a sample of US History Cnotes with a grading rubric on the flip side. Then I had each of the participants grade it for themselves. Then we did "4 Corners" and had the teachers go to an A, B, and C corner (There were no Ds). After discussing it in their corner group, one person presented the faults they had with the notes.

This was a wonderful way of emphasizing with the teachers what good note taking is and how they could do this with their students to impart just how to take notes and what the teacher is looking for. I think it went over very well.

Also we did a wonderful Philosophical Chairs debate. The teachers got into it. The first thing I did was show my power point on PChairs to introduce the rules:
AVID HISTORY PATH: Philosophical Chairs PPT
Then we modeled Philosophical Chairs with this question:
Should the "Cash for Clunkers" program be continued by Congress?
The debate was split in 1/2 and was very lively, but well mannered. I think the teachers got a great feel for just how they can use it.

I am looking forward to presenting Engaging the Text, Document-Based Questions, Free Response Questions and Socratic Seminar tomorrow. This has been a wonderful group to work with. I can't believe that school starts in less than 2 weeks!

Teammates Carry On

It's a story about over coming obstacles, I guess. But, really... in the end it's about friendship. Do yourself a favor and watch it all the way to the end.



"I will show you my strength."

Campus Compare

I like this website. Very handy to compare 3 schools side by side.

Campus Compare

AVID SI Luncheon - Summer Institute Speeches

One of the highlights of AVID Summer Institute is the luncheon. The luncheon is in a huge ball room. There are about 2,000 people stuffed in there. And there are two luncheon days. They happen on Wednesday and Thursday. The food is good, but the speeches from AVID teachers and students are way better.

Here is an editorial from this week's Dallas Morning News. It gives an overview of the luncheon that I was at and also about how powerful it was.

Editorial: These kids prove college is achievable goal
05:25 PM CDT on Thursday, June 25, 2009

If only those naysayers who believe Texas puts too much pressure on kids, especially poor ones, to attend college could have been at the Dallas Hyatt Regency on Wednesday.

They would have heard straight talk from Monica Washington, an English teacher from Texarkana; Ron Rossingh, an Odessa Permian sophomore; Elizabeth Ruiz, a top Edinburg High School graduate; and Gerardo Venegas, a Lake Highlands grad headed for Baylor. These were some of the most determined students and teachers you could meet. They not only dream big, they fuel it with the passion to realize those dreams.

They spoke to a summer institute run by AVID, a nationwide elective program that gives elementary and secondary students an extra push toward a college future.

Washington was first. The thin, soft-spoken African-American woman stared into the 1,800 faces staring back and launched into an inspirational address rivaling something out of Barack Obama's mouth. She had every bit of the crowd's attention when she described hearing a student in her AVID class say, "If I go to college..."

She knew she had to change that to, "When I go to college..."

Rossingh, broad-shouldered and round-faced, offered an arresting personal story. He was brutally frank about his drug-addicted mother, his spiral into gang life and his grandparents and middle school teacher who helped him turn himself from a smart-mouthed C student to an inquisitive A student.

What did it? Part of it was realizing that "gangs don't hand out scholarships."

Then, he leaned over the podium and said in the steeliest voice, "And I will be a college graduate," as adults around the room reached for tissues.

This is what Rossingh and his peers represent: They prove we can overcome the achievement gap, that pernicious divide that separates wealthy and poor, white and minority. It will take effort, programs and money, but we can get there. Initiatives like AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) prove that, by believing that every student can get to college with rigor and support.

Yes, the same college that naysayers say is too hard for some kids to achieve. Try telling that to these students. They want to go places, and their teachers believe they can get there.

The rest of us should get out of their way.

Definitely a highlight of my week.

AVID Summer Institute 2009

AVID Summer Institute in Dallas was great! We got in early Monday morning. I rode up with the new AVID teacher at Summer Creek High. It was great to tell her all about the 3 students that she'll be getting from my class. :)

I also spent a lot of time with the folks that teach at Atascocita Middle and Timberwood Middle. They were great and it is really awesome to learn who they are and how they work. We are so lucky to have such great teachers in our district.

This summer my class was for "AVID College Readiness." This meant I was learning all about what we should be doing during the Junior year of AVID. I am excited to say that I am now ready with tons of lessons, plans, and ideas. During the session I was lucky enough to have a tremendous facilitator from Wichita North in Kansas. They have an amazing AVID program there. She helped me so much.

We will be spending a great deal of time on four essential skills that colleges look for:



We will be using a long term research and writing project around "Leaders" to accomplish our goals of learning these skills. We'll do the skills as a full group, in smaller groups and then finally individually.

Last spring we finished the year in a really strong way. I can't wait to get started in late August. It will be a huge year for my AVID juniors as they begin to take Advanced Placement and Dual Credit classes. Everyone says the Junior year is the toughest academic year. We will also be focusing on SAT and ACT preparation. Juniors will take the PSAT in the fall, and then SAT and ACT in the spring.

And for my sophomores it will be a big adventure. We'll need to replace a lot of students and continue to tweak the skills we learned as freshmen. I am also really excited about the project the sophomores will be doing. It's called "Road Trip Nation." Check out a little sample here:

Official Road Trip Nation Website



Follow Road Trip Nation on Twitter

The Graduates 2008

Last Year's "The Graduates 2008" from NBC News. Looking for this year's 2009 version. It aired tonight, but not available on the internet yet. Strange. But, enjoy. As soon as I find the latest one I will share it.

So looking forward to attending MANY of your college graduations, when that day comes!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Michelle Obama - Inspiration about Education

2009 Spring AVID Freshmen Video

Please leave a comment or email and I will send you the password if you'd like to see it.
It was a great semester! Thanks for the memories. Can't wait until the fall. We are interviewing tutors for next year already.

Spring 2009 AVID Sophomore Video from Mr. Duez on Vimeo.

Freshmen Spring 2009 Video

It was a great spring. I'm looking forward to recharging my batteries this spring and coming back ready to go in the fall. Thanks to everyone for their hard work, dedication and commitment to improving. It is all going to pay off!

I'll miss you guys that are going to Summer Creek High. And I will miss the bunch of you deciding not to take AVID next year. Although that saddens me very much, I also know that all the things that come to us we have to take in a positive way.

The video is password protected. If you would like to see it, please shoot me an email and I'll send you the password.

AVID Freshmen 2009 - Spring from Mr. Duez on Vimeo.

Spring video for my AVID Freshmen class in 2009. What a great spring.

Miss You Zach.

I really miss Zach. He passed away 3 years ago today. Zach was in my first period class. I'll never forget the last time I saw him... he had the BIGGEST smile on his face. When he was absent, I knew something must be up... because he was always there.
Zach passed because he came into contact with a a bat that had rabies.
More info can be ... Read Morefound on: For more info: ZachJonesMemorial.org

Miss you Zach. Your passing taught me to enjoy every day with my students. I always regret not having had a chance to see you grow.

Would You Want A Kindle?

Wall Street Journal: Amazon to release Kindle for texbooks

Would you trade your textbooks for a Kindle? The price would be a great deal smaller for a school district that would be purchasing thousands of them. Interesting.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com Inc. will release a larger — and more expensive — version of its Kindle electronic reading device that is geared toward periodicals and textbooks.

During a press event Wednesday at Pace University in New York, Amazon founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos showed off the $489 device. It has a grayscale screen that is 9.7 inches on the diagonal, up from 6 inches on the regular Kindle. The new Kindle DX also includes a QWERTY keyboard like the current Kindle.

The announcement comes three months after Amazon revealed a slimmer, updated version of the original $359 Kindle, which wirelessly downloads books. Some analysts have said the unit needed must-have content like textbooks to become more of a mainstream gadget.

Three textbook publishers said they have agreed to sell books on the device.

Would you want a Kindle instead of having to carry ALL of your textbooks?

Crisis of Credit - Understanding Why American is Having Economic Problems.

We watched part I of this video today in class. It does a great job of explaining in a straight forward way what the credit crisis in America is all about.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Comparing H1N1 to the Spanish Flu

Free Hugs

We watched this video today during the end of AVID class. Interesting phenomenom. One man - giving free hugs. Millions of people see the video.



You can see the video here:
Free Hug Campaign

Read the story in The Sydney Morning Herald:
Sydney Morning Herald Story - Free-hug man speaks out

Here is their official website:
Free Hugs Campaign dot org

Isn't it amazing that a video like this can result in world wide fame and change people's lives so much?

What did you think about the video? Leave a comment.

AVID Field Trip

Some of you may have been wondering, "Where was Mr. Duez on Tuesday?"


Yesterday we took our AVID freshmen class to Rice University. It was a great trip and a BEAUTIFUL day. Perfect weather. It is really an amazing university. The kids were blown away and exhausted when we got back to school.

This is a picture of me and my other AVID freshmen team member. She has a class of freshmen AVID as well. I am so lucky to work with such great people.



I told you it was a beautiful day. But, we are now 4 for 4 in beautiful days for field trips. We have had amazing luck with the weather over the past two years.

Juniata College, Where Mr. Duez went to school

This is Mr. Duez at his 10 year reunion at Juniata College. These are my two best friends from college. Your friends from college are like family.

I put this presentation together for AVID. The students have been doing their own college presentations. We've been taking cornell notes and practicing our note taking ability during the presentations. I put my college presentation together, too. This is all about Juniata College, where I went to school.

Juniata

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work college Juniata

Juniata College Website


Mr. Duez was #40. This was such a long time ago. I can't get that much "air" anymore. :)

Everything You Need to Know About Writing

Stephen King gives great advice in this piece: Everything You Need to Know About Writing in 10 Minutes

Stephen King (Stephen King.com) has published over 40 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.

King's advice begins with a story about editing. Upon editing a first draft - eliminate the unneeded. Be concise. Reduce.

I had been writing first drafts of stories which might run 2,500 words. The second drafts were apt to run 3,300 words. Following that day (a story about his first writing boss's advice), my 2,500-word first drafts became 2,200-word second drafts. And two years after that, I sold the first one.

Here is his advice quickly:
1) Be talented. (here he is talking about what it takes to get published)
2) Be neat. Type. Double space. Use heavy white paper.
3) Be self critical. "If you haven't marked up your manuscript a lot, you did a lazy job. Only God gets things right the first time. Don't be a slob."
4) Remove every extraneous word. Be concise.
5) Never look at a reference book on a first draft. Good advice to avoid writer's block - just let it flow.
...

9. How to evaluate criticism (I love this) Show your piece to a number of people - ten, let us say. Listen carefully to what they tell you. Smile and nod a lot. Then review what was said very carefully. If your critics are all telling you the same thing about some facet of your story - a plot twist that doesn't work, a character who rings false, stilted narrative, or half a dozen other possibles - change that facet. It doesn't matter if you really liked that twist of that character; if a lot of people are telling you something is wrong with you piece, it is. If seven or eight of them are hitting on that same thing, I'd still suggest changing it. But if everyone - or even most everyone - is criticizing something different, you can safely disregard what all of them say.

Smart advice from someone who knows.

Financial Aid Even at AHS - Thursday, March 26 7 pm.

College Financial Aid Event: Due to an overwhelming response to the first financial aid event hosted in January, the Humble ISD Student Support Services Department will host a second College Financial Aid Event for high school junior and senior students and their parents on Thursday, March 26, 2009, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Atascocita High School Performing Arts Center, 13300 Will Clayton Parkway. The evening will include an overview of college financial aid, the opportunity to complete the on-line Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the chance to speak to financial aid representatives from several universities including Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University, Sam Houston State University, Lonestar College Kingwood and possibly the University of Texas and the University of Houston. Sam Houston State University will have a mobile enrollment center available to provide additional on-line assistance. Please join us for this informative meeting to help students and parents gain a better understanding of college financial aid. For more information or for questions, please call 281-641-8405.

Private Houston Schools Making Recession Decisions

According to this Houston Chronicle article, Private Houston colleges taking steps to ward off recession, schools are making some serious changes. Here are a few:

HERE’S WHAT SCHOOLS ARE DOING

Private universities across Texas are coping with the recession in various ways. Here are steps some schools are taking:

Rice University: Will cut next year’s operating budget by 5 percent, while increasing financial aid. Hasn’t announced 2009-10 tuition.

Houston Baptist University: Will cut 10 percent of faculty. Applications and requests for financial aid both up. Tuition for next year up 6.2 percent.

University of St. Thomas: Will cut next year’s budget by an undetermined amount. Will add at least $250,000 to next year’s financial aid budget. Tuition for next year up 6.2 percent.

Baylor University: Applications up, but acceptance rates expected to drop. Tuition for next year up 7 percent.

Southern Methodist University: Will cut next year’s operating budget by 5 percent. Tuition for next year up 6 percent.

Texas Christian University: Will cut next year’s operating budget by 8 percent. Financial aid budget increased by 5 percent for 2009-10. Tuition for next year up 5 percent.

Is a smaller private school an option for you? According to the article be careful about deciding no too quickly:

“Without financial aid, I wouldn’t be here,” said Tammy Vo, a freshman at the University of St. Thomas.

Vo graduated from DeBakey High School in Houston last spring and applied to universities in and outside of Texas. She said the University of St. Thomas, a Catholic college in the Montrose area, proved a better deal than most public schools.

Private schools are making that argument more often in light of rising unemployment and a weak stock market.

“If you look at the sticker price, people say, ‘I can’t afford this,’ ” said Scott Moore, dean of scholarships and financial aid at the University of St. Thomas. “But you have to look at the sticker with the package you receive.”

The financial aid package is what matters. Not just the sticker price of tuition, room and board. What are those smaller private schools willing to give you? It may be increasing in this poor economy.

Some smaller and private Houston Colleges:
Houston Baptist University
Rice University
University of St. Thomas Houston

College for all?

Is Obama's dream of having every American attend college realistic? Could the US become a country that leads the world in percentage of college graduates?

Some interesting perspectives in this article:

College For All?

It is a collection of expert opinions on whether the President's goals can be reached. Many are pretty optimistic, but stop before saying the goal will be accomplished.

Reminds me a lot of AVID the whole way through the article. Our mission is so similar.

Longer school days, weeks, and years coming?

Education chief favors longer school days, weeks and years

"It doesn't matter how poor, how tough the family background, socioeconomic challenges," Duncan said. "Where students have longer days, longer weeks, longer years -- that's making a difference."

Do you agree?

This reminds me of the documentary 2 Million Minutes.

Inspirational Totes

Today we saw a video, read an article and did a socratic seminar on this topic.

From childhood wish to lasting legacy, Smith's charity specializes in smiles
Great article about a freshmen basketball player at Clemson who has touched MANY lives through his own charity.

Buoyed by the idea of helping kids the same age as Tanner, the family decided to gather things to brighten hospital rooms, and toys that would fill an otherwise lonely day. The Smiths put everything in tote bags so kids could carry their wares from treatment to treatment.

The first bags were as mom-and-pop as could be, printed by an uncle with a silk-screening business and filled by neighbors who, at the Smiths' request, came armed with loot to the family's annual Halloween party. In 2002, 12-year-old Tanner made his first delivery to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

"At first I wasn't sure it would matter," Tanner said. "I mean, what can colored pencils and modeling clay do? But we can't cure cancer right now. There isn't a medicine or a shot or a test that helps you cure it or prevent it. At least we can help somebody get through it.

"I remember when I was in high school, this girl got cancer. Her brother was in my class, and the year before he was helping me fill bags. Then all of a sudden we're delivering a bag to her. You just don't know."

You can see video of Tanner and his parents here on Hulu.com: This is an episode on HGTV that designed a room for Tanner

2009 AVID T-Shirts

First look at our new T-Shirts. What do you think?

I am one lucky teacher.

Teaching is not an easy job. But, with kids like this... I am pretty lucky to be a teacher.

Failure

Just remember... before you can succeed... sometimes you have failure. Just don't give up.

If an elephant can paint... you can go to college!

Elephant Artists Link

UnEmployment Rate. Ouch.

Unemployment Rate Link - MSNBC

Super (Bowl) Commercial

Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner and most of you know that Mr. Duez grew up in Pittsburgh. So here's another installment of essential Steeler history.

This year there will be a new #1 greatest super bowl commercial ever.

This is going to be great!



For those of you too young to remember the original...


Mean Joe is the man!

But maybe the very best version is the Sesame Street one:

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

We took a look at it today to begin our semester. And boy were we inspired!

Transcript:

Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you’re going to let it be the worst. And I guarantee a week won’t go by in your life you won’t regret walking out, letting them get the best of you. Well, I’m not going home. We’ve come too far! And I’m going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. You’re going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that’s fine, we’ll just get tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option. That’s how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time: you’ve got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You’re like a big bear, man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death… that’s the Chicago Way! Who’s with me? Clap! Clap! Don’t let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let’s fly! And gentlemen in England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our Independence Day!

This was indeed a lovely think to behold!

So what is your favorite inspirational speech? (leave a comment - hint, hint...)

Want to be a better writer?

How to Write (in a thousand words or less)

This is a great little blog post on some tips on writing. Here's a preview:

# Hook ‘em early. Start with the headline, which should say why I should read this. Then write a strong introduction that draws your reader in and makes them want to read on. Tell a story, make a bold statement, offer up a surprising fact. Don’t open with "According to Wikipedia…" or "According to Webster’s…". YAWN!
# Use topic sentences. Every paragraph should clearly say what it’s about. The topic sentence might not be the first sentence — it might even be the last sentence, or the first part of the third sentence. But somewhere in the paragraph there should be a line that, taken on its own, says what the paragraph is about.
# Have a conclusion. People fuss a lot over introductions, and slack on conclusions. Tell your reader why they bothered to read your piece. Remember, the conclusion is the part your reader is going away with — make it count.
# Explain yourself. Never assume your reader agrees with you. If you say someone’s bad because he barbecues puppies, you’d better explain why barbecuing puppies is a bad thing. Maybe your reader thinks puppies are delicious and nutritious — can you afford for that reader to completely miss the intent of your writing?
# Have a trusted reader. Whenever possible, get your work read by someone you trust to be honest with you. Listen intently to their responses, even when your reader tries to blunt their critique. For example, if they say they didn’t get a part, but that’s probably because they didn’t know anything about the topic, you need to rewrite that part so that, even knowing nothing about the subject, they do get it.

Pretty good advice and very well written (interestingly enough).

For me, writing is exploration; and most of the time, I'm surprised where the journey takes me.
Jack Dann

2008 - Goodbye

I thought these pictures were really striking:
NBC News 2008 Year in Pictures

2008 was a good year, but I am glad to say goodbye and welcome a great new year - 2009. Looking forward to the progress we will make this spring. :)

Christmas at the "Last House Standing"

Christmas at the last house standing

(CNN) -- The streets are dark and the town is deserted, but Pam and Warren Adams still put up Christmas lights outside their Gilchrist, Texas, home. It is one of the few remaining after Hurricane Ike devastated the area in September.

When Ike hit Gilchrist on September 13, it destroyed nearly everything in its path. Most of the 200 or so houses there were flattened by the storm surge, and the Adams home was the only one left standing on the Gulf Coast side of the town.

Now, the couple has returned to repair their battered home. Warren Adams is living in an RV trailer on their beachfront property. Pam Adams, 53, who spends the week at an apartment in Baytown, Texas, drives more than an hour to visit their home each weekend.

Life goes on, even when it seems like doesn't go on all around them. Everything inside the house is waterlogged, mud-coated, and it is a mess. It looks like it is going to be a very long time before it is completely livable. The couple plans on building elsewhere and using this home as a weekend house.

"I'm so proud my house survived," Adams said. "I didn't realize how much I loved the house until I moved into this apartment."

Adams said she and her husband would sit on their balcony and watch the ocean and sunset in the evenings. "I want everything back the way it was," she said. "I want my neighbors back."

That has to be hard. I can not imagine every house in my neighborhood being GONE. My house still standing. I was not surprised to hear that they haven't seen a dime of insurance money yet. This year there will be no present opening in Gilchrist, but 2009 should be much better.

There will be no presents or visits with friends and family. It didn't seem appropriate, Adams said. "Everything's so depressing. We didn't feel like we should be celebrating when everyone's suffering so badly."
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But the couple has big hopes for next year. "It'll be a big Christmas with the neighbors," Adams exclaimed. "We'll fry turkeys, and there will be a lot to celebrate."

Adams said she's looking forward to 2009. "I just want to get back home and watch all the structures go up in Gilchrist. We want to be the welcoming committee. We just want everyone to return."

Amazing. I am ready for 2009 as well.

Breakfast with Santa @ AHS

We had a Santa Breakfast at our school this morning, sponsored by the National Honor Society. Aidan had a nice time, but he was soooo shy. All the pretty girls in santa hats just set him off. He kept hiding behind my leg most of the time.





He had a nice time listening to the choir, orchestra and seeing all the other little kids there. But, he didn't go near Santa Claus. One of my former students was dressed up in the Red/White with the beard, pretty funny). We kept trying to get Aidan up there, but he refused. He was too shy. Such is the life of a 4 year-old.


I hope they do it again next year. They did a super job with it.

Let it Snow!

I told you it was cold!

It snowed tonight, and I mean REALLY snowed for the first time since we have lived here - since 1994. It is really amazing. I am still shaking my head about it. Aidan had a ball!


Snow balls! The snow was so perfect that it packed into snow balls. I couldn't believe it. Heavy, wet and perfectly 'packable.'



Aidan threw a snowball for the first time in his life. He said to me a few weeks ago, "Daddy, I want to see snow." I felt bad, but I said, "Son, I'm sorry. We don't live in a place that it snows. It may never snow in Houston in your lifetime." Guess Daddy isn't so smart! Less than a month later, he's licking snow out of the air. His comment was, "It tastes like lemons!" I'm not sure what that means.



Aidan said, "Daddy, it's just like Christmas Town." He was thinking about "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." It really made me smile.



A crazy night. We went to Target and bought an electric blanket. We have no heat because our heater isn't working. Dude is going to come and fix it tomorrow, but for tonight we wanted Aidan to be warm. So he's sleeping in our bed and we'll have a nice cuddly and warm blanket to keep us resting comfortably tonight. Tomorrow the heat will be fixed and we'll probably never need the blanket again!



What a night. We were driving back from Target and people were outside taking pictures on cell phones like crazy. It made me wonder if the cell phone companies saw a spike in texting and pic sending tonight! Tomorrow morning we have 'late arrival' for the kids. We always do on Thursday mornings. From 7 to 9 the teachers are in meetings, so the kids stay home until then. Then we have periods 2, 4 and 6. This gives teachers and opportunity to plan and meet. And tomorrow it'll give students the chance to get out in their yards, have snowball fights and they are going to be pretty wild come 9 am!

Pearl Harbor Day

December 7th is Pearl Harbor Day. We should never forget our wounded and fallen veterans. Last Friday in AVID we were lucky to have Sargent Brown visit us and explain how the military benefits system for education works. I came across this website this weekend and thought it made a lot of sense to look into:

Wounded Warrior Project.org

How can you get involved? What can you do? According to the site they mention what just a few have done here:

One gentleman and his two friends took three days to walkover 130 miles from Miami, FL to Key West, FL, not as a fundraiser but to simply raise awareness for Wounded Warrior Project. Decked out in WWP shirts, with a flag, literature, and stickers, they spread the word to drivers and locals passing by. On their walk they did receive checks for WWP, but more importantly were able to let more people know that there are opportunities through WWP to help take care of these young men and women when they return severely injured from war.

Little things mean a lot. You can also buy some gear - like backpacks - at the site. Proceeds go to help our wounded warriors.

Want to meet some of our wounded warriors: Meet the Wounded Warriors

Have any ideas on what we can do to help?

YouniversityTV.com - Great resource

YouniversityTV.com -- It's a great resource of college information!

Party Time!

All the tutoring, questions, hard work, and studying have paid off. We had a chance to celebrate a bit last Monday. So let's relive a little of the fun...





Grades for the second six week's period were GREAT. So last Monday we enjoyed a party to celebrate everyone's hard work. It was a lot of fun.







Keep up the good work! The only grade that matters in your classes is the one that you will get at the end of the semester. So don't sit around and rest on your laurels. We have finals waiting for us that will be 20% of your grade. We need to start preparing now. Good luck! It's going to be even more fun to celebrate in January when those semester grades are in the book and look great!

Higher Education Woes

There is a problem with this economy, less money all around. As the stock market plunges, higher educational institutions are finding that money that is usually there is lacking.

How can it effect you?
*Money for grants and loans for school
*Money for funding of campus housing and books.

The video below documents what is happening at many schools right now:



What can you do? Start saving now. Start looking for scholarships now. Plan, Plan, Plan. Also, start to widen your search of possible schools. Maybe the economy will not be great when you have to chose a school. So you might have to look at some state schools, local schools, or community colleges.

Aidan Says Thanks for the Party Hat!

Thanks Lexus and 7th Period AVID I Freshmen!

We had a great party today in 7th period. So much fun. Pictures to come later.

Socratic Seminar - "Good Boy Beau"

Tomorrow we are going to be doing our first Socratic Seminar of the year. We are going to use our tutors to facilitate the discussion in small tutoring groups. The text I have chosen is a column by Anna Quinlen of Newsweek Magazine. It is about her old dog Beau. It is a touching article that dives into the meaning of what it is all about to live life to it's fullest and then realize life has a way of wearing us all down.

I am hoping the article can pose a few questions about all of our humanity and make us realize that life is to be lived to the fullest.

Anna Quinlen's "Good Boy, Beau. Stay."
Put a pork roast in the oven, and the guy still breathes as audibly as an obscene caller. The eyes and ears are gone, but the nose is eternal.
By Anna Quindlen | Newsweek Web Exclusive

excerpt: I once had an editor who hated dead-dog columns. (I did one anyway.) This is a live-dog column. It's a shame that obituaries and eulogies come only after people are gone and unable to appreciate them. How many times after a memorial service have you said of the deceased, "She would have loved it"? Rumor has it that certain celebs, knowing The New York Times writes important obits well in advance, have tried to get a peek at their own. The expressed rationale is fact-checking, but I suspect it has more to do with self-esteem. Beau, of course, will have no idea what is said about him. But he does seem to know that a laptop in its case near the front door means a trip to the country, which even now, gimpy as he is, sends him into a fandango.

The life of a good dog is like the life of a good person, only shorter, more compressed. Beau started off wild and crazy. My most enduring memory of his youth is of him galloping around the yard, purloined needlepoint yarn streaming from his mouth. One summer he was skunked three times and spent weeks studded with spines after indulging his taste for advanced decomposition by rolling on a dead porcupine. He did not learn to swim until he realized it was the only way to keep geese off the pond.

But he also ran with his master every morning, posed in front of the fireplace in winter in a recumbent position like an insurance ad, and suffered the addition of a female yellow Lab to the household six years ago. He stayed off the furniture and did not jump on guests. People admired his self-control, on the street and at dinner parties, although one New Year's Eve he was discovered with his muzzle buried to the ears in a bowl of chocolate truffles.

What did you think of the article and our first Socratic Seminar? Would you like to do more?

Sam Houston State University

On Monday November 3rd, Mr. Duez's sophomores will head up I-45 and visit Sam Houston State U. Thought I would post a few tidbits before our trip.

Sam Houston State University official site
Facts:
Enrollment of approximately 16,416
Average class size of 31 students
Faculty:student ratio of 1:20
Beautiful 272-acre main campus
Every office, classroom and residence hall room is equipped with a high speed Internet connection
Located only 70 miles from downtown Houston in Huntsville
Nickname: Bearkat Since the animal in the saying was thought more mythical than real, the spelling settled upon was "Bearkat."
Moto: "The measure of a Life is its Service."
Alma Mater:
Hail to Sam Houston, School we love best,
Mighty in battle, True to the test.
Bearkats so loyal, Ever we’ll be.
Orange and white Will lead us to victory!

Hail, Alma Mater Hats off to you,
Ever you'll find us Loyal and true;
Firm and undaunted Ever we'll be,
Here's to the school we love
Here's a toast to thee.

Bearkat Fight Song:
Fight, Fight, you Bearkats!
Fight on through!
We're here in back of you!
You know again we're here to win,
so fight on to the end.

Fight Fight Fight
Loyal we'll ever be and true to SHSU
We'll fight and fight with all our might
for Sam Houston's Orange and White.