Kandinsky's "Composition VIII," 1923. It makes sense to me that sound could be represented this way, but I'm curious to see if someone would perceive it as something more visually realistic. Maybe that doesn't make any sense.
American military deaths in Iraq have gone over 2,600 since March 2003. Ugh.
Over the weekend, a friend told me about a website (some additional media coverage) that allows for teachers to sell and pay for lesson plans made by other teachers. Personally, I think I'd have to be in a pretty desperate place to use plans from someone that I don't know, but I could see it working for something universal, like grammar or particular types of writing. In theory, it's no different than the shiny catalogs teachers get in the mail all the time touting brand new curricula, and you don't have any more guarantee of classroom success. It's a pretty good idea, actually, if done right. I kind of wish I knew about this earlier because, despite my short life in the profession, I have a whole bunch of handouts, lessons, and unit plans that were just sitting on my computer. It would've been nice to have some pocket money while looking for work, and offer something of value to somebody at the same time.
It does kind of violate the ethos of sharing teaching materials, since most teachers share for free with coworkers, but I suppose you can justify the cost if it's low enough (educators not being the richest people in the world). There are open source educational material projects out there. In theory, if a teacher is up late planning one night, and can't seem to come up with something, would paying a couple of dollars (the sellers can set their prices) for a grammar handout be worth it? It might be, for the convenience and the time saved. Another "macro" issue would be copyright; there's some contention as to whether teacher-produced materials belong to the author(s), or the school, or the district.
I've been following English Premier League soccer regularly, helped by a new laptop (which has been the bane of my productivity). The latest story involves defender William Gallas (shipped to Arsenal after a nasty spat with Chelsea) and how Chelsea alleges that he'd start kicking the ball into his own net if he didn't get transferred to another club. I love how ridiculous this is, if it's true. I can't even think of an equal counterpart in American sports. Euro soccer players pout like no other.
