Zoo Animals: It's What's for Dinner

http://gu.com/p/2h6jx

Music For The Summer

When it comes to the summertime I listen to an absurd amount of music. I listen to it while reading, playing on my iPad, driving, mowing, sitting in the garage with the kids, etc. I have been listening to nothing but Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Mishka, and OAR lately and am looking for something new and fresh. So, I pose the question to you fellow nerd clansmen, "What have you been listening to this summer?"

Here is my suggested list of albums to check out

Dave Matthews Band - any Live Trax albums
O.A.R. - 4 disc live set titled Rain or Shine
Mishka - Guy with a Guitar
Jack Johson - To the Sea

Coffee For The Brain iPad App Review - Words HD

Skeleton Creek III

Skeleton Creek III cover just revealed at www.patrickcarman.com.

Badvertising: Nestlé

Badvertising: Nestlé

Two Brain Games

Here are two games to help your brain out. Good luck and post your scores.

Penguin Families

Math Lines

Book Review: Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve

WOW! I really enjoyed this book. I mean really enjoyed this book. From what I know this is a prequel so to speak to his Mortal Engines series. I have never read anything by Mr. Reeve before and actually never even heard of him which really surprised me considering how much I read and try to stay on top of the YA book world. I read this book for two reasons: 1. It was due back at the library soon and 2. I wanted to read a book for my Twitter book club that was something new and fresh.

To gain a sense of my thoughts while reading go ahead and check out my Twitter Book Club page to see my thoughts. Basically, this is a book about Fever Crumb. Fever is a girl with two different color eyes and is trying to find out who she is and where she is from as her adventure begins to unfold. She has grown up with Dr. Crumb and the Order of Engineers, which are a group of men who work on a variety of projects and are constantly tinkering with various objects. There is also a war brewing. In many ways this is a steampunk novel with the gadgets and different points of view. Some think Fever is a Scriven which is a new breed of humans who refer to themselves as Home Superior. Humans don't like Scriven due to a long history of not getting along and mistreatment.

The setting of the story is in the future. The apocalypse has already occurred and therefore they try to use the remains of the electronic devices and other gadgets that have survived. Despite being in the future and having some very cool machines and so forth it is still relatively primitive in the technology field.

I thought the novel was quite clever. I enjoyed the play on words with names, the subtle humor, and how once again we have a strong character trying hard to find her identity. The ending is left open, but I am sure that I read the other books in the Mortal Engine series it would all make sense as those books pick up where this leaves off. I give this book two thumbs up. I really enjoyed the storyline and now just need to track down the other novels in the series which I hear are even better than this book.

R.I.P. Manute Bol

The super tall NBA basketball player who is known for creating the phrase, "My bad" passed away the other day. He was not only an athlete, but a great person who dedicated much time and effort into Africa as well.

Here are some good articles about Manute
http://kottke.org/10/06/manute-bol-rip

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-zogby/manute-bol-the-real-nba-h_b_619435.html

ESPN Video clip

Infographic on we spend our time online

http://www.penn-olson.com/2010/06/20/how-the-world-spends-its-time-online-infographic/

No Joke! The best video you will watch this week

Alright, I have never been so blown away by such a simple task as throwing a plastic ball. Watch this video and please explain how they throw pitches like this. I want to throw like this and not harm my children nor my shoulder.

Send your face into space: http://tinyurl.com/272m6uv

Nutrition: Study Examines a Diet From TV Ads

Vital Signs: Study Examines a Diet From TV Ads http://nyti.ms/cjrhpL

Book Review: Why Boys Fail by Richard Whitmire

A few days ago I finished up reading Drive by Daniel Pink which really had my head turning with some new innovative ideas about what motivates us as people. I took copious notes and have been thinking about how to use that information in my life. You can read the review for more detailed information. Soon after that reading I picked up another research based book about why boys are not doing well in school anymore and how the gender gap continues to increase. This book left me stunned. Stunned because I feel that I am a good teacher who works extremely hard to help every student who comes my way. Stunned because even though I am aware of the struggles of boys in school(especially in middle school) I had no idea how scary the gender gap truly is in our nation. I think in my case the gender gap in my school is not quite as large, but now that I have read this book and took time to ponder I see this gap continuing to increase each year.

Our country has never funded a study or believe the gender gap to be an issue. The government has not spent any time or money on this topic. Yet, national data from tests show us that 1 in 4 white sons of college educated parents score below basic in reading achievement compared to 7% of girls. What does this mean? As the book states 1 in 4 boys graduate and cannot comprehend the newspaper.

Girls are doing better in math and science which was a long held belief that boys were better. I could go on and on with all the notes I took on this book. The author lays the foundation of several studies conducted that when the data was actually broken down for boys and girls, boys are way behind. The author then examines many factors that play into the problem, shows three schools that are trying new ideas and offers some solutions. The problem is that nothing has ever been done before here in our country so we are not sure what will work. Australia has been working on this now for a couple years, but they still have progress to make.

What is causing this problem? Is it due to the lack of boy reading materials in the YA section that is surrounded by all female decoration and covers? Is it a lack of male teachers? Is it not allowing boys to write about violence, fighting, death, etc. in schools due to the violence in schools lately even though this is what they enjoy? Video games? There is a very interesting section on video games. Are video games one of the reasons for lack of literacy or is it just an escape after many long years in school with little success or enjoyment? Is it that we are forcing literacy on boys too soon? We are having kids leave Head Start programs with skills that were not required until the end of first grade 30-40 years ago? Is this a smart move when the brain is just not simply wired correctly yet for boys to learn phonics and so forth. At the age of 5 for girls a boys brain is wired at 3.5 years of age. The research shows they balance out between 4-6th grades, but that is not always happening. Boys need to move and are wired to do that especially ages 0-5. The goal of preschool is not to teach them how to read and write. Is it that we simply not teaching them to read properly? Should we do more in middle school with reading skills? I know I am not qualified to do this, but should we do more of how to read instead of novels and book reports?

I am going to stop despite being able to go on and on. Overall, this book will create questions and force you to think about education and boys differently. I know that I am already thinking about my teaching practices and what to do different or continue to do. Not a fast read, but very engaging and one that I think parents and educators should read.

Here is a link to the website of the author and the book.

Logos with Hidden Symbols

I came across this site that has some logos that many of us have seen thousands if not millions of times. However, I have never taken the time to really study the logos because....well I did not really care. Upon further studying of the logos you will find some amazing and very creative logos with hidden meanings and ideas. Check these out. If you know of more please leave a comment as I am intrigued now by logos and will continue to look at them in new ways.

· Popular Logos With Hidden Symbolism (Six Revisions)

· 30 More Hidden Logos (Graphic Design Blog)

I need to create a logo for this blog and now I brainstorming how to embed a symbol within the logo. Have an idea? Send me an email or leave a comment. One more idea added to my list.

Kids then & Now - Were the good old days really so good?

Source of this article

Kids then & Now - Were the good old days really so good?

I have seen and heard much discussion regarding how different kids are today. I hear that they are lazy, not fit, disrespectful, they just won't do the things that kids did forty or fifty years ago. Since I am still involved in day to day coaching of high school athletes I also have given this issue much thought. I guess the perspective of coaching 41 years at all levels of competition gives me some insights that others who started later may not have. I also have been a classroom teacher, history and geography, a teacher of physical education and a coach of multiple sports. A few preparatory points are necesaary1) The older you get the easier it is to remember the good of the good old days and forget the bad. 2) We live in an entirely different world today than 41 years ago. Those points being made please indulge me as I attempt to explain what I see in kids today.


Lets look at then first:

Students rode bikes or walked to school

Kids had mandatory daily physical education

Most kids started playing three sports in elementary or middle school and then narrowed it down to two by high school

Family structure was still there

You seldom saw a latchkey kid

Less litigation

No high fructose corn syrup

No professionalization of youth and high school sports

Sports were centered in the schools and recreation departments

Parents were interested, but not directly involved

There were virtually no competitive opportunities for girls

Coaches were usually trained teachers, often physical education teachers

Coaches were the experts, because in many cases they were

Coaches did not specialize they coached multiple sports

A sporting event on TV was special because there was not many of them

No national high school or youth championships

You wore Converse or Keds, black or white was the choice of colors

There were strict transfer rules – no changing schools in midyear because you did not like the coach or you were not starting

Let look at now:

Students ride to school

No mandatory physical education and no recess

Kids specialize in one sport from an early age

Sports are centered outside the schools

Coaches are not trained as educators; in essence anyone can be a coach

Parents are involved; they run and have ownership of school and club programs because of fundraising

National championships in youth sports and high school sports

Sports are on television 24/7

Our diet is worse than most third world nations

Kids spend hours a day on computers and cell phones

The only time many kids play is at organized practice

We have more knowledge in sports medicine and sport science

We have significantly better facilities

Unlimited competitive opportunities for boys and girls

If you are not a starter or a star you either quit or transfer



So what the conclusion? First of all you cannot separate sport from society. I have always felt sport is a reflection and in some ways a magnification of what you see in society, both good and bad. We are a nation of consumers, instant gratification and fast money. So a logical step as a reflection of society is to use kids to make money and build reputations. The shoe and apparel companies really do not care about kids they are concerned with the bottom line. In your face ads and smack talking sport stars sell shoes. With sports on 24/7 the kids imitate their role models good and bad. We live in a throwaway world, national champion at 13, nobody at 16. Who cares? Essentially we - adults, parents, coaches and administrators have created a monster. What we see in today’s kids is the result of an over indulgent culture. We have lowered the bar, eliminated behavioral expectations and compromised sound educational principles to chase a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that is not here.



So is it all l that bleak, all gloom and doom? No way! We need to stop and take a long look at what we as parents, coaches, administrators, in short the adult authority figures need to do. We need to raise the bar, set a higher level of expectation for the kids in areas that matter. I see the kids that I work with day to day achieve at a very high standard, just like the kids I coached 40 years ago. I have the same standards and they know what they are and reach up to those standards. Lets stop blaming the kids and look at ourselves in the context of society. These kids are crying out for teaching, structure, and firm fair discipline, they want the special experience that real coaching can provide. Lets not cop out and blame the kids, we all need to look in the mirror and raise our standards.

Basketball Blog: The Index Finger… Use It and Abuse It | Point Guard College

Basketball Blog: The Index Finger… Use It and Abuse It | Point Guard College

Book Review: Drive by Daniel Pink

Stop whatever you are reading and go find this book. I am being serious. I find Daniel Pink and his research to be so fascinating and engaging. I have had the opportunity to hear him speak at a TAG conference and he was just as intriguing as his books. This latest book, Drive, has been mentioned on my blog several times in various postings, but this is the actual review. Dan has put together a book about what really and truly motivates us as human beings. Without getting into all the research and stats it basically comes down to the underlying concept that what most of us use as motivation in our daily lives and jobs does not work. As an educator I see the "If, then" reward system being used all the time. No wonder why things don't always work out. I think what I liked best about the book is that he did not just go and deliver research study after research study to support his claim and end the book. Rather, the whole second half of the book are ideas and strategies that we can use to work on motivation 3.0. There is a section for parents and teachers. I liked the whole homework concept that he has teachers ask themselves. I think it is a good reflection for us educators to use. However, I also realize that in a diverse school population you will never please everyone. Some parents don't want any homework because either A. They are not smart enough to help their child or B. It takes too much time away from sports, music, religion, etc. Some parents want endless hours of homework everyday because they value school and push their child(ren) to the extreme. Others just want that nice balance of their child learning and being engaged, but not being punished. I have my book post it note heavy with passages that I really liked(see image below). I want to end by sharing one quote that I really held on to in my head.


In the end this book has made an impact on me as a person, educator, and parent. I will not be combining allowance and chores as a parent. I am changing my ways of operating my classroom to try some new techniques that I brainstormed and borrowed from the book as an educator. I am changing myself and reflecting on my lifestyle and how I operate as a person. Read this book and let me know your thoughts. Did it have an impact on you? There were parts that I did read over quickly as was not really interested in certain research studies, but the overall impact of this book makes it a grade A book to read. I have also posted an interesting video clip of one of his speeches he made while a guy creates a visual to it.

Alright, now I am off to finish another mind-blowing read titled, Why Boys Fail and this book has me reciting passages out loud to my wife every 30 seconds.

Sanuk Post It

One of my Post It Notes that I had in this pile(I forgot to take an individual shot of the note) was to check out Sanuk shoes. I read about these shoes in Outside magazine and noticed some surfer dude wearing them and thought I must have a pair. I went to their website which is quite cool and was blown away by all of the shoes. I purchased a pair upon my first visit. They came in on Monday and won't take these off my feet. They are the best shoes ever. Well, they are technically sandals, but oh so comfy. I will be ordering another pair or two before summer is over. I purchased the Donny's.

50 Awesome Logos For The New BP

Book Review: The Art of a Beautiful Game

The Art of a Beautiful Game by Chris Ballard

The summer has begun which means I take a break from YA and read sports, adult, psychology, and other books that are not geared for a younger crowd. I just finished reading this book and I loved it. I have a new found appreciation for NBA players. Chris Ballard has taken the game and broken it down into several ideas/chapters. This is not a story. These are his insights into the game and probably just not articles he could publish in SI. Some of these chapters I read more than once and others I read quickly. It comes down to your interest. The first chapter on Kobe and what makes him a competitor is mind blowing. I love that chapter. I may buy this book for that chapter alone for all my players to read. I am not even a Kobe fan and yet I wanted to coach RIGHT NOW! I was pumped up and motivated. This book does have some foul language as the players speak like they normally do and nothing is edited. I liked this as it made it real for me. However, I mention this as I know my audience of this blog and just want you to be forewarned. The image of the NBA is what drives me away from the game at this level. However, after reading this book I realize that things are not easy and they don't just show up and play. They are devoted and this is a full time job. I appreciate their skills and abilities like never before after reading this book. Some of the other chapters I really enjoyed dealt with the defensive player mindset, Point Guard: Steven Nash can see the future, Pure Shooter: Steve Kerr, and Lebron James. If you like basketball then read this book. This will keep you engaged and have you appreciate these guys in a whole new way.

Nerd Factory - Random Thoughts 6.10.10

Early consumption of soda indicator of unhealthy diet, study finds

Early consumption of soda indicator of unhealthy diet, study finds

Coffee For The Brain Twitter Book Club

As many of you have hopefully noticed I have begun to change and update my online presence to better serve you and the internet world. I have been working on the design of my blog and have a basic foundation laid out. I still have some things I need to add, but I think it looks much nicer than before.

Another addition that I am adding is an online book club via Twitter. I have already begun this and you can see my comments over to the right in the sidebar. For the summer I have it open to anyone who wants to share what they are reading and their thoughts on the book. The challenge is that your Tweet is only 140 characters long so choose your words carefully. Just simply make sure we know what book you are writing about. As school starts up again I will be turning this into a place to talk about one book at a time like a true book club. So come join in the fun and share what you are reading. I am currently tweeting about Fever Crumb, then moving on to Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman and then The Short Second Life of Bree by Stephenie Meyer.

I am still looking for symbols and slogans and decorating ideas for the blog and the Nerd Factory as posted yesterday so feel free to offer suggestions. As always thanks to all of you who check the blog.

Time for your help again

I am in need of your help. I am working on redesigning and decorating the Nerd Factory(my office where the magic of this blog happens). I am a huge fan of Rhett and Link and there latest post features their new office along with two super cool rugs. Upon viewing their video I have decided that I am going to create some custom rugs also. So......here is where you come in.

I am compiling a list of ideas for the following concepts

1. I already know that the name of my office is the NERD FACTORY, but I need along with that a
2. Slogan - some catchy phrase to use in my videos, put up on my wall and my rug(s). I will also need a
3. Symbol or icon for the NERD FACTORY. We can always infuse the whole Coffee For the Brain or better yet let us do this.

Rug/Decoration Contest Idea #1: Nerd Factory
1. Slogan
2. Symbol/Icon

Rug/Decoration Contest Idea #2: Coffee For The Brain
1. Slogan
2. Symbol/Icon

We will create things for both. I will also gladly take any other ideas/suggestions such as things to hang up on my wall, maybe paint colors, etc. Feel free to offer me some guidance. If I like your idea I will send you some slap bracelets. Sound good? Alright, then be on your way to offer me advice. It is summertime and I plan to have this unveiled by the beginning of the school year.

Here is the Rhett and Link video to give you an idea of what inspired all of this.

Coffee For The Brain - iPad App Review - Super Juicy

Remaking Dark Crystal? Say What?

http://scifiwire.com/2010/05/cool-new-3-d-dark-crystal.php

Nerd Factory - 6.7.10

What Teachers Do In The Summer: Part 1

I thought it would be interesting to share with others what exactly a teacher does over the summer. I know that each teacher does his/her own thing, but I thought I would share how quickly time flies and actually rarely does time exist to just chill. This previous week was no exception as I did have school on Tuesday so that day was shot.

Wednesday: Mow the yard, clean the gutters, meet and prepare for Lego Robotics Camp all morning

Thursday: Began the painting process. I do this every year as my wife wants change all the time. I am painting our dining room in which I have painted two shades of red in the last three years and turning it a very light yellow. Yes, this will require several layers and then when the paint is done we will add beadboard.
Friday: Added second coat of yellow paint. Still needs another coat. This is the new Behr paint with the primer mixed in with it all. Summer cleaning has begun. Starting with our basement storage and sorting and trashing all the toys that need to go.


Saturday: Took Aiden and Addy to a fishing camp in Muscatine and even though we did not catch any fish, they both learned some things. Aiden also won a new fishing pole and I won a sleeping bag. Came home and painted the third coat of paint. We then proceeded to clean house from where we left off on Friday.

Sunday: Took time to do some reading in the morning. Helped get food and things around for family dinner.

I also ran 13.5 miles this week and did some weightlifting.

Now I just have to purchase and put up the beadboard before moving on to the kitchen.

What did you do last week?

Wonderful artwork to start your week

I'm Heavin' On A Jetplane: Top 10 Best Barf Bags

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Text 2.0

Vigorous Exercise Linked With Better Grades

Vigorous Exercise Linked With Better Grades (NY Times article) http://nyti.ms/b15t6f

Book Review: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

What a perfect book for grades 3-6. A little mix of Star Wars(Yoda), a little dash of humor, a little extra of a funny classic plot line and we have the book. The book tells the story of a boy named Dwight who is the classic nerdy kid who everyone picks on and makes fun of on a daily basis. The main character is a boy who hangs out with Dwight. Dwight has created an origami Yoda that speaks wisdom. The book moves along providing example after example of origami Yoda always providing the perfect advice and everyone believes Yoda is the go to paper finger puppet. The stories all lead up to the main purpose of the book which is.....well I won't tell you that. This is a great read. I enjoyed the book and found it to be a book that I would recommend students at middle who are reluctant or struggling readers. I would also recommend this highly to elementary students. I was not smart enough to make my own origami Yoda and am still working on making one based on the directions in the back of the book. So....go read this book and may the force be with you.

UPDATE

I just found this video online so I will try this video to see if I can make the Yoda



This is also an interesting post I found while doing a Google Search on the author and book

Is this really gold at the end of the rainbow?

As I was organzing my computer and trying to sort through all the files sitting on my desktop I found this. I apologize for not providing the link where I found this, but this picture is a good one.

Coffee For The Brain Tidbit

Do one thing at a time....when you multi-task you lose up to 25 minutes each time you switch gears

Another Golden Girl Bites The Dust

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant.

RIP Rue McClanahan

Article Source

I loved this show. I used to watch this all the time. It was one of the few moments where a bunch of older women could actually be funny. I still remember certain episodes pretty clearly. What a week of deaths in the Hollywood world!

Something to make you laugh

What is your addiction/hobby/collection?

Doodle Away My Good Friend

People who doodled while listening to a monotonous message recalled 29% more information than non-doodlers on a surprise memory test, according to a study in Applied Cognitive Psychology cited by blogger Eric Barker.

Source

Book Review: Meanwhile by Jason Shiga

This is my first video book review. I know what you are thinking...really, he has never made a book review on YouTube before? No, after making 78 videos, this one is my first. Go ahead and check it out and as always don't forget to vote and leave your feedback.



Here is the matrix of the book that I mentioned in the video. This comes from his website