How to Fix Public Education - Self-directed Learning Centers

So, the problem with education is that young people are not invested in what they're being asked - or "forced" - to learn. If kids could just study what they want to study, then schools would be utopian laboratories of intellectual engagement. Just turn the kids loose to pursue their own natural interests and curiosities, and they will respond with enthusiastic learning.

Right?

Hmmmm.

The lack of engagement in their own learning is certainly at the heart of academic stagnation for millions of young people in this country. And, there's no doubt that people learn more easily when they are engaged and interested in the material. The child-centered approach to education, which is the foundation of Waldorf schools and the Montessori model, is nothing new in the education debate. However, the logistics of adapting that model to large systems is problematic at best.

Peter Gray, an educational researcher at Boston College, thinks we can change that. In several online essays and a new book, Gray argues "Schools Don't Have to Fail." The foundation of his argument - and his new book "Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self Reliant, and Better Prepared for Life"  - is that children will learn if they are allowed to choose their own course of study and basically follow their passion and their own creativity. And, there is certainly a lot of evidence and support to the idea that children are "naturally designed to learn."  That is the basis of much of the work of Sir Ken Robinson and his "creativity movement."

As a parent and educator, I firmly believe that Peter Gray and Ken Robinson are correct. However, as the pragmatic policy student, I have doubts about their theories. While we are naturally inclined to learn, we are also seemingly naturally inclined to waste hours, days, and years pursuing leisure instead. And that tendency is what leads so many astray. That is what requires a rigid requirement of some basics of education.

STEM to STEAM

The importance of the arts in education should be indisputable, as the humanities were the heart of the classical education that gave our country its earliest great leaders. Yet many continue to approach education as simply a utilitarian exercise focused entirely on potential wages years down the road. This is naive, if not dangerous for a civilization.  A study by a professor at Duke University looking at the degree majors for leaders in 500 companies in Silicon Valley found forty percent were in math, science, or engineering, but 60% were in the arts and humanities

Thomas Pynchon's Take on 9/11

Thomas Pynchon continue to be the one contemporary writer who can scare even the most erudite English professor. Yet, for those willing to wade into the madness and chaos that is a Pynchon novel, the intellectual rewards can be staggering. Now, in the new novel Bleeding Edge, Thomas Pynchon writes a detective novel - as much as his work can be considered via a genre - set against and written with Pynchon's uniquely focused lens on the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York City.

No, You Still Can't Tip a Cow ... Really.

Though I've posted on this before, a recent article on Slate reiterated the hard truth, answering the question that refuses to die: "Is Cow Tipping Real".  The consensus from farmers and scientists and anyone not gullible enough to believe such nonsense is that, in spite all the "rural legends," you can't "tip a cow." Everyone seems to "know someone" who has done it. And, of course, if you could hold a cow's legs lightly in place and stabilize the body while you applied the appropriate force above the center of gravity to "tip a cow," you could do theoretically do it.  But no one has actually done this because it can't in any practical sense be done.  The legend goes that cows sleep deeply standing up and that kids "in the sticks" entertain themselves by getting drunk and then sneaking up on a cow and pushing it over. But this doesn't happen because - for all the reasons the links above provide - you can't tip a cow.

Great Food Truck Race 2013 - Frankenfoota Goes Home

OK, let's face it - they heated up store-bought hot dogs and put toppings on them. Not much impressive culinary talent there. Thus, after slipping by for a couple weeks Mirlinda, Dana, and Victoria - the New York girls competing as Frankenfoota - finally ran out of luck.

In the third episode of the Food Network's Fourth Great Food Truck Race, the contestants found themselves in Pocatella, Idaho serving up their food to people who know the potato well. To make it interesting, host Tyler Florence first limited them from any starch - including potatoes - and then turned the tables requiring them to dig up their own potatoes and feature them as the signature dish.  All teams responded well to these challenges, though some clearly adapt better than others.

Once again the Hawaiian guys from Aloha Plate continued to best the competition. After losing out to the Bowled and Beautiful girls for the second time on race to a prize of extra cash for the till, the Aloha Plate truck still pulled in a huge hall. The thing that makes me love and root for these guys so much is how genuine they are. The comments they make about their heritage - and grandpa teaching them that "fruit is found in the mound - you walk in the trough" - are quite endearing and impressive. They are linked to their food in a very special way, and I would love to see them take a food truck back to the islands.

The other teams are engaging as well, though I feel the Food Network is not giving enough press or air time to the Slide Show truck. These accomplished chefs with a great story - and seemingly tasty food - are a bit of an enigma to me. They regularly sit in the middle of the pack, but I'm not sure why. Perhaps they will make a run to the front, or be dismissed soon. Also, this episode offered some interesting twists, with two teams being fined for "selling out of bounds" which is new one on me, and the Philly boys surviving despite trashing a sign with their truck. Fortunately, they only had to pay a $500 deductible.

So, the girls head back to Brooklyn. And perhaps a hot dog cart will be a good place to start.

Why Was Tim Tebow Cut by the Patriots?

By now the news is out that Tim Tebow did not "make the cut" with the New England Patriots. Thus, Tom Brady's team becomes the third NFL team in eighteen months to "cut ties" with the media darling and NFL quarterback wannabe. There many theories about why New England signed Tebow in the first place - but there's not much doubt about why Tim Tebow will never be an NFL quarterback.

Anderson Cooper Shocked that Miley Cyrus' Twerking Shockingly Shocks People

Something offensive happened at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, and the world was shocked by the audacity of the performance.  Well, not really. In fact, the only people who were shocked at Miley's hand gestures and the "twerking" of Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke are people who, according to Anderson Cooper, "probably shouldn't be watching the VMAs anymore." Truly, it was over-the-top. But what hasn't been at the VMAs?

In all honesty, I was quite ... put off? disappointed? concerned? disgusted? ... at the performance. It was really just too much, and rather sad for a young woman to exhibit such incredibly poor taste and behavior. That wasn't entertainment on the level of Madonna or even Gaga. That was quite simply a young girl trying to garner attention and show she's "the stuff," and instead just embarrassing herself.  People either were truly shocked and offended by Miley's behavior - I won't call it a performance - or they just felt bad for how poorly she portrayed herself.  

E.L James - Getting Rich Writing Fan Fiction and E-Books

In 2009 Erika Mitchell - aka E.L. James, author of popular "mommy porn" Fifty Shades of Grey - had never published a book or even written any fiction at all.  Now, she's near the top of Forbes list of top- earning celebrities, pulling in an astonishing $95 million this year.  Not bad for someone who began writing "fan fiction" after reading the Twilight Series, and then parlayed that into her own erotic novels which she initially self-published as e-books.  While the self-publishing route was long considered the last chance for narcissistic writers who weren't good enough to earn a publishing contract, it's now considered a more respectable avenue of publishing which bypasses the outdated restrictions the industry places on writers.  E-publishing and on-demand print publishing doesn't require huge investment from publishing companies, so there is virtually no risk and all profit. And for writers who find success independently first, the royalties are far superior to the traditional route.  So, how did E.L. James go from unpublished to multimillionaire in a very short time? Well, the story has been well documented numerous times, and it offers a blueprint for many aspiring writers.

Great Food Truck Race - Jersey Girl Goes Home

It will be remembered as the gooey duck episode.

On the night that "gooey duck" - or geoduck as it's formally known - entered the culinary lexicon of the nation, the Jersey girls of the Boardwalk Breakfast Empire lost their way and then lost the competition. The team from New Jersey that was competing to bring a food truck back to the Jersey Shore after losing their restaurant to Hurricane Sandy simply couldn't compete in the town of Portland, Oregon, despite offering some creative and impressive dishes on the second leg of the Food Network's Great Food Truck Race.

It was a mighty impressive win for the Hawaiian boys, cooking food on their truck Aloha Plate.  Despite not winning the token prize - and $500 added to their till -  the young cooks from Hawaii still racked up more than $2000 in sales, which nearly doubled the next closest competitors - the girls from Bowled and Beautiful who also won the contest prize. Tonight's episode and the weekend in Portland was a fairly entertaining and evenly balanced episode. The girls from Frankenfoota managed to hang around again, despite racking up a $60 parking ticket. I am still put off by their food - and their tough girl attitudes - and I won't be surprised when they lose out next week. Just nothing special about their truck.

The big surprise of the night was the poor performance from the Philly boys on truck Philly's finest Sambonis. Having won, walking away last week, the Sambonis had a very weak weekend, and they were in the bottom three with two other trucks that couldn't hold a propane flame to the top trucks. One huge difference between the Sambonis and the hot dog girls can be summed up in two words - french fries. I was completely put off by the Frankenfoota girls purchasing bags of Ore-Ida french fries, and I was quite pleased to see the Sambonis peeling potatoes and offering fresh cut fries. Quality counts, girls.

Overall, an enjoyable episode.  However, it wasn't a complete loss for the team from Jersey, as Tyler and the trucks of the Great Food Truck Race decided to donate the profits from the weekend to Sea Bright Rising, the charity started by the Jersey team to benefit those families struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy.  For some final thoughts from the Jersey Girl, check out Food Network's site.

Is Tim Tebow "Not Smart Enough" to Play in the NFL?

Despite claims of greatness from supporters like his own brother, Tim Tebow is certainly not making an impact on the pre-season roster of the New England Patriots. In the latest pre-season game against the Detroit Lions, Tebow didn't play a down. Thus, the question remains: is this finally the end of Tim Tebow's NFL career?

For those in the know in the NFL, the asking of questions may be the key to Tim Tebow's inability to successfully lead from the pocket.  Apparently, Tim Tebow was an incessant questioner of everyone on the field - practice or game day - from the minute he entered training day. And while asking questions and wanting to learn is often an admirable quality, Tebow's habit more likely indicates that he simply doesn't understand what's going on and lacks the confidence to call plays. Recent reports on Tebow's habit of questioning leaked out of Patriots' practices after reporters learned Tim Tebow was asking Tom Brady too many questions. Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels - who made the shocking decision to draft Tebow during McDaniel's ill-fated attempt to be the head coach of the Denver Broncos - explained "I'm not sure exactly the volume of questions that he asks per day, but I'm sure Tom probably puts a strict limit on that."

Curiosity is certainly a good thing ... in many situations.  But, the real reason Tim Tebow is not playing quarterback in the NFL may be that he's simply not smart enough to handle it. Stories from his playing days in Denver revealed that Tebow had a habit of hearing the play calls, and then repeatedly following up with OC Mike McCoy to make sure he was on the right page and understood the plan. This proved to be a frustrating habit that revealed doubts about Tebow's ability to understand pro offenses and play calling in the NFL.  In the story from ESPN, stories of doubts about Tebow's mental ability to handle surfaced, as even some in his own camp admitted he was probably done as an NFL quarterback.

More troubling for potential employers is that Tebow struggled badly with the mental side of the game, according to a league source. At age 7, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability that affects how he reads and processes information, such as a playbook or game plan. Tebow won a Heisman Trophy and two BCS titles and graduated from Florida with a 3.7 GPA. But he scored a below-average (for QBs) 22 on his Wonderlic test. As a kinesthetic learner, Tebow absorbs information better through using flash cards and hands-on repetitive experience than the traditional method of memorizing diagrams, notes and Polaroids from a playbook. That doesn't mean Tebow isn't smart or that he couldn't develop into a brilliant, quick-thinking quarterback. It just hasn't happened yet.

When the Broncos defense was on the field, offensive coaches would often tell Tebow the first series of plays they wanted to run when the team got the ball back. Tebow would nod, and they'd separate. And then, invariably, a short while later he'd ask for the information again. Sometimes this ritual would repeat right up until Tebow had to duck into the huddle and call the play. As a result, despite starting only 11 games in 2011, Tebow was flagged for delay of game an NFL-high seven times. Worse still was the fact that, according to scouts, Tebow almost never audibled because he struggled to quickly and properly read defenses. And of all the deadly sins Tebow committed against quarterbacking, this was the worst: lacking the self-awareness to recognize and fix these shortcomings.

Despite all the excuses from his supporters, the reality is that if Tim Tebow could effectively lead an NFL offense, he would be.

Tesla, Texas, and Elon Musk

If you don't yet know who Elon Musk is, you will soon.

Elon Musk is one of the great innovative minds and entrepreneurs of the past couple decades, and he has quietly gone about changing the world without bothering to ask anyone if he could. From the founding of PayPal to the pursuit of commercial space travel to the first significant and viable electric car of the twenty-first century, Elon Musk is changing the way we think about what's possible. Elon Musk is a man who conceives an idea, and then singlehandedly pursues it to fruition. And he is determined not to fail - so much so that he personally guarantees the resale value of all Tesla cars.  That, in a business sense, is crazy. Yet if anyone can break through on the sale of electric cars, it's a billionaire like Elon Musk.  This guy is an intellectual and technological rock star.

Of course,  some people - or even entire states and industries - aren't so impressed. Or rather they may be impressed, but are too frightened to admit it.  Apparently, the state of Texas has banned the sale of Teslas. This isn't too surprising, considering the state's dependence on oil revenue. However, it has as much to do with car dealerships as it does with the car's energy source. Apparently, Elon Musk's approach to car sales - similar to the way Apple sells computers - is a threat to car dealers who fear a breaking of the franchise rules that give them control of auto sales. The reality is that Elon Musk has built a better franchise system, and he seeks to expose the flaws of the current automotive sales system.

Good luck to him. And good fortune for us.

Great Food Truck Race Returns Tonight in Season 4

For Food Network fans coming down off the disappointing end to the Next Food Network Star reality show competition, there is hope for a more entertaining fix to fill that Sunday evening void. Season 4 of the Great Food Truck Race, hosted by celebrity chef Taylor Florence premieres tonight. The Great Food Truck Race is entertaining and enjoyable precisely because it's real world and real time with no reliance on the subjectivity of judges - which leads to the uneven choices of people like Rodney "Pie Style" Henry. Instead, the chefs and businesspeople manning the food trucks will win or lose based on their ability to successfully market - and actually sell - their culinary products.

If you have never watched the Great Food Truck Race, but you are a fan of culinary shows, then the GFTR is definitely worth your time. The premise is simple - eight food truck teams will compete in various cities across the country to sell their food, and the team that makes the least money in each city, loses and has to head home. In one season, aspiring owners were given a fully outfitted truck and were competing for the right to keep it. In other seasons, it has been established food truck businesses who were competing for cash prizes of up to $50,000 - which would enable them to upgrade and expand the business.

Like any good reality competition, there are unique challenges to each stage which give advantages and challenges beyond the normal practice of selling food off a truck. However, creating and successfully marketing quick, quality food is still at the heart of every episode. Certainly, there have been some disappointing food trucks in the past - and I do believe that on the Food Network with a high end chef like Tyler Florence, the contestants should be people who produce quality food off a truck. Food that is prepared quickly doesn't have to be fast food.

Regardless, the GFTR is an entertaining hour of culinary competition, and tonight's premiere should give us "a good taste" for what's to come.

Bring it on, Tyler.

** UPDATE:

And the first episode did not disappoint. Once again, the show features food truck novices and wannabe owners who are competing to keep their very own food truck and $50,000. While all the contestants have culinary and restaurant experience, they each have unique stories and seem like they will be successful entrepreneurs. Clearly, the opening bios created some favorites and some biases, and my early choices pretty much turned out as the winners.  Not surprisingly, the Philly's Finest Sambonis, selling the classic Philly Cheese Steak were the first leg winners. A cheesesteak is not a tough sell, and I would have a hard time walking past their truck.  I like their ideas and attitudes, and they will be tough competitors.  The women running The Bowled and the Beautiful came in second, and their menu offerings and business savvy have served them well so far. I also enjoyed TikkaTikaa Taco and the men from Hawaii. Not only do they have great stories - like the Hawaiian guy who saved a swimmer and was rewarded by being sent to culinary school - but their menus are unique and inviting. I expect them to go far - though Aloha Plate made some bad location decisions that could cost them if they don't get into a rhythm. The Slide Show - culinary people selling gourmet sliders - are also competitive, and they have the added story of losing a business to unfortunate circumstances.

The rest making up the bottom will struggle to knock off the top four, and it was tough to see the Irish family lose over a simple mistake - not knowing how to operate their propane valve. That is so sad, but hard to feel too sorry for them. If you want to have a food truck business, operating the hardware has to be second nature. And it was amazing that they only lost by $66 when they spent day two selling a pretty weak salad offering because they couldn't cook anything. And that doesn't really bode well for the hot dog girls. The Frankenfoota truck does sort of turn me off anyway. There's nothing special about their food, they aren't serving high quality sausages, and they come off a bit crass and unsophisticated to me. I'm not impressed with the low class trash talking they started the show with. And they can't truly compete with some of the other culinary talent out there.

Overall, a fine looking cast and show, and I can't wait for them to tackle Portland. It should be a great town for food trucks.