As parents, teachers,  we have travelled a path that our children will travel. 

We can be grateful to those who have built for us bridges that ease the way.

I dedicate this poem to all the bridge builders I've known.

The Bridge Builders Poem ... Click HERE

Creating A Movement. "Let's Get On The Metro with Big Fish!"

No money for big city school field trips, so what can we do?
We are gonna mine and map the LA Metro for its educational treasures. Parents and teachers will consult EDUCATION NAVIGATOR to find fascinating places to go and people to meet that are all buried in the State Standards (by that I mean: go on these field trips and you'll be learning what the state of California says will be on those important state tests). http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
Combine a folding bike, like BigFish, on the Metro, and you've increased your range from a Metro station. This is important since, most Metro stations do not have parking.

One more note, riders with folding bikes can board the Metro with their bikes during the full size bike restricted rush hours. Important, it is, to help youngsters create the habits that will serve them well throughout their lifetimes. Let's address our carbon footprint reduction by looking at the Metro Light Rail in Los Angeles as an example. To do the right thing, we can take our kids on outings via the Metro.

They'll in turn use the Metro for life, and that's an important part of this mobility initiative to put a million new user miles on the Metro. Kids can take their parents out too. I wonder what the world record is for logged Metro miles? The younger they start, the more miles they'll log and the greener our planet. It's a win/win situation, we can build family values and reduce pollution while on a day adventure!

To illustrate this click on the video contribution below. "Let's get on the Metro!" and "Metro: All Aboard" by a two year old learning about his responsibilities to his community.



Each new child rider on the LA Metro is a rider for life.

Bigfish folds into such a compact package, you can put it under your desk when you get to work.




Here's a contest: Name the Metro Station in each of the following photos.

New brain science is transforming our view of learning.

Common in the classroom is the belief that kids pretty much learn the same way. But new brain science is rapidly transforming our view of learning and child rearing. Each child comes to school with a unique neural architecture, a brain design that responds best to specific conditions for optimal learning.

While bridge architecture is obvious, neural architecture is not so visible. To see more, scroll up and click on: The Brain And Learning Blog.

Growing Wisdom

It's been said that wisdom comes with age, and while that is often true, it is also possible to grow wisdom along the way.

It's easy. Start by celebrating moral exemplars. I point to Atticus Finch in the book American Librarians name the best American novel of all time. Then there was Father Damien, another top moral exemplar in my book of life. Who are yours? Make a list. Tell your friends who and why people are on your list. Ask them for theirs nominees.

The Cheyenne teaching myth Jumping Mouse, celebrated moral courage. Go to:

http://www.hyemeyohstsstorm.com/sevenarrows/emouse2.htm/

So post your moral exemplars right here, tell us why. Sign on as a Follower and post your nominee. We'll help you spread the word.

What about those people that risked their lives to help slaves navigate the underground railroad? How about . . .


One more thought. I'd like to take you on a journey. One where the signposts are familiar and sometimes not. A jouney where we'll arrive at where we started and know ourselves for the first time.

This 3 minute video by Carl Sagan is a good way to put our journey into proper perspective.



If you think about it for just a moment, it's often the little things we do each day that make a difference. A thousand years from now, our remote descendants will look up into a sparkling starry night and be thankful for the little things you did that made such a pivotal contribution to our combined heritage. While they might not know the details of what you did, they will feel the pulse of your heartbeat and the goodness in your heart.



To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln in December of 1862:

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to our present challenges. The occasion is piled high with perplexity and we must rise with the occasion.
"As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew."

And act anew we will, starting with the changes about to be seen in how we educate our children.
At this point of departure, scroll up the right column to: The Brain and Learning Blog" where we will land in Italy for our first encounter.

FIELD TRIPS

I've just discovered LA's great Metro light rail system. What an adventure! The more I ride Metro, the more I see and the more I want to use the track already on the ground.  There's so much to see, so very much to learn.  Stick around and you'll end up with a Metro Ph.D.

Let's put one million new riders on the L.A. Metro Light Rail and take all those greenhouse gas producing trips off the charts.

Why?  That's one million trips that won't broadcast tons of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere (side effects: less traffic congestion, and you won't have to look for a parking spot when you arrive).  This is a great way to avoid the hostilities when someone zooms into the parking space you were just getting ready to take.  Then there are all those friendly people with whom to talk.  Let's get started!