Lack of Rigour the culprit

At last someone who agrees with me. Often, I see ideas about education that are feel good but not necessarily what I consider appropriate. It is interesting because I still supply at a school that is predominately Chinese. The students do extremely well academically. They want rigour in the academic setting. They work hard and are not looking for less academic work but want to prove that they can do well and they are successful in this endeavour.
Katherine Birbalsingh, Canadian raised and Oxford trained had concluded that students need rigour in their education training. They are unable to spell or even look up words in the dictionary. These are only a few of the problems that she has noticed. Numeracy is also an issue. McDonald's has training in numeracy because employees have difficulty making change. Katherine has taught for 10 years so she has experience in the educational system.
I am pleased to see that there are those who have misgivings about the fun philosophy in education. Wonder if she will be able to turn things around in the school she is planning to start?

Seeds, the play

Last night, we went to the Distillery area to see a play put at the Young Centre for the Arts. It was put on in the theatre used by Soul Pepper. The play was Seeds by Annabel Solitar starring Eric Peterson of Corner Gas fame, and Lisa Repo-Martell who is one of favourite live actresses.
The issues was Monsanto and the Genetically Modified Seeds. Over the course of the play there were many issues raised. I would recommend that you do more reading about the issue or better yet go and see the play.

Whitney buried with Jewels

While I think that people should be buried with respect, I question that they should be buried with a fortune in jewels. Yesterday, I heard a report on the radio that Whitney Houston was buried with $500,000 in jewels. My goodness, what those jewels could do. Support her daughter for starters. Go to charity. Many things besides be buried with the star. What would the purpose have been to do this. I certainly hope that the story is incorrect.
What would you have done?

Music gets into your head

Neuroscientist Daniel Levitan likes to quote sheriff Andy Griffith when it comes to Classical Music: "Opera ain't nothin' but a bunch of hollering but it's high class hollering."
His mission is to demystify classical music and open it up to those who might have felt it was too distant or difficult for them to enjoy.
"I want to empower the listener to realize music is meaningful and interesting without any prior background," he says in an interview from Vancouver where he was made a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for "bring science to the public."
The McGill University professor of psychology and neuroscience is also a musician, playing the clarinet, sax, guitar and electric bass in both jazz and rock bands. It's been a natural progression to join the two interests in his research.
He returns to the Koerner Hall for a second session of Beethoven and Your Brain. Fascinating that people are interested and want to become involved.
Need to study more.

Double Chocolate Muffins

Yes, I am finally back to baking. Checked the freezer and nearly all the Double Chocolate Muffins are gone. Wow, they must be good.

Double Chocolate Muffins

You'll adore baking a basket of these delicious muffins. They're easy to make and are a gift for any chocolate lover.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes

Makes: 18 muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups (500ml) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (150 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk or yogurt
1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar
1/3 (75 mL) vegetable or Canola oil
2 eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (250 mL) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375oF (190oC). Grease or line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients.
4. Stir just until batter is combined. Add chocolate chips and gently mix into batter. Be careful not to over mix the muffin batter. Place batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake in preheated oven 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre of muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Tips:
1. Try mixing it up by using milk chocolate or white chocolate chips or a combination of any of your favourite.

Smucker Foods of Canada Corps: First Made February 16, 2012

Music's Power to heal the brain

Medieval churches were so convinced of music's mind altering powers that they forbade dissonant chords such as the tritone, the "Devil in Music". Although their fears were unfounded, the priests were right about one things: "Music really can rewire the brain."
Neuroscientists are studying music a medical intervention for patients with conditions such as stroke, speech loss and Parkinson's disease.
Unlike drug therapies and surgical brain implants, musical interventions are safe, enjoyable and noninvasive. "There is essentially no downside."
In the near future, Dr. Fujioka and colleagues throughout Ontario may combine their efforts at the University of Toronto's new Music and Health Research Collaboratory Operating within the Faculty of Music building, the initiative will bring together experts in medicine, neuroscience and psychology to decode how musical interventions work and explore the limits of their potential.
Music is complex and stimulates the brain in all kinds of ways, say Amy Clements-Cortes, a professor of music therapy at the University of Windsor. For example, her research has found that listening to live versus taped versions of the same music makes a difference in patients pain perception. "Live music was significantly more effective."
Will be interesting to find out where this research takes scientists.

Family Day!

It is Family Day. Must say after heading downtown that many people are enjoying the day. The subway was packed, more people than on a Saturday or week day during the middle of the day. The movie that we went to was very busy and again on a usual day even Sunday, there are not usually so many people.
People good for you for embracing this day. We need to get out and enjoy more time like this with friends and families.

Family Day Weekend

I think that people have finally accepted Family Day weekend decided to enjoy it. Yesterday, I took students to perform at Sunnybrook for the veterans and on the way traffic was already building up. At first, I did not understand why but after some thought realized that people were getting away early just like in the summer. This morning when we went to the market streets were empty. People were relaxing and sleeping in. We had somethings to find and luckily did at the market. Because we were up early decided that we would go out for breakfast which was most enjoyable. All was good.
The next two days we are going to sleep in. Monday, we will go to a movie and relax.
Sunday, I am going to meet a number of former students for dinner. Who knew that I would still meet students years after I taught them. Honoured that the students care enough to want to get together.
Hope that everyone is enjoying the Family Day Weekend.

Donations

Recently, the wife of a former colleague of Michael's passed away. She died of a stroke. Going to donate money to the Heart and Stroke foundation. Seems like the right thing to do. Flowers are nice but the flowers that were at the funeral were given to some of the attendees at the funeral. We were lucky recipients of an arrangement. How much better to give money to the foundation. Hopefully some of the money actually goes to research.
Think about what you can do.

Black Dressmaker: Slavery to White House

Recently, I noticed on a friend's blog posting an article about a Black Dressmaker who went from Slavery to the White House. Elizabeth Keckley was the former slave who bought her freedom and became the personal dressmaker, stylist and confidant to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. What an incredible story. This would be amazing today but in the early 1800's for a person to be born into slavery in 1818 and then to sew her way out of servitude and into the White House is an incredible story. One that we do not hear about.
Keckly who became skilled as a dressmaker managed to negotiate and arrange for her freedom paying it off in 1860. By 1861, she had a full atelier in Washington, D.C. She became the dressmaker and confidant to Mary Todd Lincoln.
You can read her story at www.styleite.com/media/elizabeth-keckly-black-history-month/
Maybe you will discover the story of others who deserve to have their story told.

Music motivates us

The other day, there was an article in the Globe and Mail by Mark Fenske about how to "Power up with music: How it motivates us". Music can be a powerful force. In fact, it is sometimes banned (along with steroids and stimulant drugs) to prevent athletes from gaining an unfair advantage during competitions. Why? Because of its capacity to energize and increase endurance.
The driving beats and locomotive thunder of bass-heavy dance music have undoubtedly fuelled many of running sessions.
One of music's energizing effects comes from its ability to engage the body's sympathetic nervous system. The activation of this system readies the body for action whenever we face a challenge in our environment.
Music is comprised of patterns of sounds that have been shown to affect levels of physical excitability. A simple increase in the pace of the music we listen can quicken our pulse and accelerate our breathing And this can be great for physical exercise or a boring task that might lull you to sleep.
The article suggests further ways that music motivates us. Wonderful.

My Pop Choir

I have been involved in music most of my life and it is with great pleasure that I see that others are finding an outlet in music. Recently, My Pop choir which seems to have modeled itself after Glee (however I do realize that the Glee choir is a course and probably auditioned- it is the repertoire that attracts singers)or choirs of that ilk is expanding. The choir costs $20 per session or $200 per ten week term. This means that the directors have found a means of making money. Interesting. It seems that the original session was a great success and all but two people signed up again. The two that did not sign up have headed south for the winter.
Hope that it continues because this is a wonderful outlet for people. The next step will be to put on some concerts. Wonder if that will happen?