It’s so much more than a game…
We need to listen to what Molly has to say. She packs a lot of truth into seven minutes–ironically, she was seven years old when she recorded this last year. She might be the youngest TED speaker ever. She’s definitely one of the best!
Don’t miss her quick demonstration on brain size. I was more correct than I knew when I titled “Small People — Big Brains.”
Or maybe we should start with a different question. Is it a coincidence that just last night–the day before Thanksgiving–I read an article on the topic of the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon?
Before your eyes glaze over, more common terms for it are “frequency illusion” or “cognitive bias.” We can bring it down to an even more manageable level by calling it the “Red Car Syndrome.” If you buy a new red car, you suddenly notice red cars everywhere.
The author of the article points that frequency illusion easily affects our memory, potentially creating a bias. When we’re talking about red cars, it’s not much of an issue. Well, until we discuss the popularity of colors with a friend who just bought a blue car.
This can also harm relationships when we start noticing behaviors in a person. “She’s so bossy…” might be an illusion because we’ve only noticed her domineering behavior.
Our view of the world dramatically impacts our attitude towards it and our feelings about it. Frequency bias will reinforce the way we feel. It can work against us, but it also can work for us.
What are we going to notice today? If we notice things we have to be thankful for, the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon suggests that we’ll see even more of them. It’s akin to seeing the roses instead of the thorns. Or it might even mean we are thankful for the thorns since they protect the roses.
The original article was published by “The Blackboard Bulletin,” a monthly newsletter written by and for Amish School Teachers. The author’s name is Sylvia. That’s all I know, really. Being a humble people, credits and copyrights aren’t much of an issue for them. I am thankful she wrote it!
We have a bit of a mess to deal with! Our recent technological disaster left us with both a mess and an opportunity.
We’re focusing on the opportunity and asking you to tolerate the mess while we design and build a “new” website. If you are here looking for something specific and can’t find it, let me know.
Some exciting changes are coming… for those who believe in karma, perhaps all this was meant to be! This won’t be one big change–it looks like there may be at least three major aspects to the site–they may appear gradually over the next few months. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!
Back by popular demand! After a successful workshop in September, Spruce Mountain Adult Ed in Livermore Falls is offering this one-day workshop again on November 29, 2022.
This fun program prepares people interested in serving as substitute teachers or ed techs. There will be plenty of “hands-on learning” that will include important classroom management techniques and teaching strategies. We’ll also cover some legal aspects and help you develop your own “sub pack” of resources and an action plan to get you started on the right foot! If you’ve been subbing, this is a great opportunity for a “refresher” and new ideas. Attendees will earn a certificate recognized by many local districts. One attendee comments, “…very engaging with a lot of real-life scenarios. I came away with new information even after subbing for a year.”
“How crazy?” you ask
“You don’t want to know,” I answer.
I’m not even totally sure when it started. But I’m confident it’s almost over. Well, sort of.
The short version is this site and two others I operate were hacked and blacklisted by Google. The good news is that this site is now safe, although Google may not consider it so for another seven days. The more good news is that some sophisticated software will ensure it remains safe.
The even more good news is I have learned a lot about malware and related issues. No, I will not be offering a course. I also got to practice my problem-solving skills and test my patience.
I’m not sure if it’s good news, but this site will be my only site for the foreseeable future. (This is what I meant by “sort of.”) That means some design work and it may take a while. Since I can over-simplify along with the best of them, the redesign will incorporate the former Abbot Village Press site and the real estate blog that was not actively maintained. (I’d left it up as a resource.)
I’m humming along with Frank Sinatra, “The best is yet to come...”
Stick around because even I’m not sure exactly what that means! Yet!