Trying again - 'ch' lunch

I'm trying to post the cutest picture of Micah's class with their "ch" lunch menu (all foods on the menu have "ch" in them like cheddar cheese and chocolate chip cookies). For some reason, I am having absolutely no luck getting this picture to post!!!!!!

Micah's "ch" class lunch

Blended schooling

Some of you may have already heard that I've pulled Isaiah out of school to begin our adventure in alternative schooling (It is as shocking to me as it probably is to some of you!).  I technically am a home educator now and the state has recognized that we have a home education program.  But, home schooling is really the wrong name for what we are doing.  We are doing more blended learning -- we are following the scope and sequence of the public school but are able to self pace which for Isaiah means going much faster than school has let him go.  Though part of what we are doing involves one on one tutoring by me at home, we are also using Khan academy (see below), and are using the public school every day for things like band, Spanish, health, art, and music.  Over time, we plan to use a virtual leaning charter school (free to NH students) for classes that Isaiah will choose. In addition, because we are able to cover more curriculum in a shorter amount of time, this year, in addition to the public school curriculum, we will do an in depth study of ancient civilizations, learn latin, and do daily enrichment in math and writing.  

The article below, which was published on Tuesday (the day after we formally started) is worth a read!

 

Death Knell for the Lecture: Technology as a Passport to Personalized Education

By DAPHNE KOLLER

Our education system is in a state of crisis. Among developed countries, the United States is 55th in quality rankings of elementary math and science education, 20th in high school completion rate and 27th in the fraction of college students receiving undergraduate degrees in science or engineering.

As a society, we can and should invest more money in education. But that is only part of the solution. The high costs of high-quality education put it off limits to large parts of the population, both in the United States and abroad, and threaten the school's place in society as a whole. We need to significantly reduce those costs while at the same time improving quality.

If these goals seem contradictory, let's consider an example from history. In the 19th century, 60 percent of the American work force was in agriculture, and there were frequent food shortages. Today, agriculture accounts for less than 2 percent of the work force, and there are food surpluses.

The key to this transition was the use of technology—from crop rotation strategies to GPS-guided farm machinery — which greatly increased productivity. By contrast, our approach to education has remained largely unchanged since the Renaissance: From middle school through college, most teaching is done by an instructor lecturing to a room full of students, only some of them paying attention.

How can we improve performance in education, while cutting costs at the same time? In 1984, Benjamin Bloom showed that individual tutoring had a huge advantage over standard lecture environments: The average tutored student performed better than 98 percent of the students in the standard class.

Until now, it has been hard to see how to make individualized education affordable. But I argue that technology may provide a path to this goal.

Consider the success of the Khan Academy, which began when Salman Khan tried to teach math remotely to his young cousins. He recorded short videos with explanations and placed them on the Web, augmenting them with automatically graded exercises. This simple approach was so compelling that by now, more than 700 million videos have been watched by millions of viewers.

At Stanford, we recently placed three computer science courses online, using a similar format. Remarkably, in the first four weeks, 300,000 students registered for these courses, with millions of video views and hundreds of thousands of submitted assignments.

What can we learn from these successes? First, we see that video content is engaging to students — many of whom grew up on YouTube — and easy for instructors to produce.

Second, presenting content in short, bite-size chunks, rather than monolithic hourlong lectures, is better suited to students' attention spans, and provides the flexibility to tailor instruction to individual students. Those with less preparation can dwell longer on background material without feeling uncomfortable about how they might be perceived by classmates or the instructor.

Conversely, students with an aptitude for the topic can move ahead rapidly, avoiding boredom and disengagement. In short, everyone has access to a personalized experience that resembles individual tutoring.

Watching passively is not enough. Engagement through exercises and assessments is a critical component of learning. These exercises are designed not just to evaluate the student's learning, but also, more important, to enhance understanding by prompting recall and placing ideas in context.

Moreover, testing allows students to move ahead when they master a concept, rather than when they have spent a stipulated amount of time staring at the teacher who is explaining it.

For many types of questions, we now have methods to automatically assess students' work, allowing them to practice while receiving instant feedback about their performance. With some effort in technology development, our ability to check answers for many types of questions will get closer and closer to that of human graders.

Of course, these student-computer interactions can leave many gaps. Students need to be able to ask questions and discuss the material. How do we scale the human interaction to tens of thousands of students?

Our Stanford courses provide a forum in which students can vote on questions and answers, allowing the most important questions to be answered quickly — often by another student. In the future, we can adapt Web technology to support even more interactive formats, like real-time group discussions, affordably and at large scale.

More broadly, the online format gives us the ability to identify what works. Until now, many education studies have been based on populations of a few dozen students. Online technology can capture every click: what students watched more than once, where they paused, what mistakes they made. This mass of data is an invaluable resource for understanding the learning process and figuring out which strategies really serve students best.

Some argue that online education can't teach creative problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. But to practice problem-solving, a student must first master certain concepts. By providing a cost-effective solution for this first step, we can focus precious classroom time on more interactive problem-solving activities that achieve deeper understanding — and foster creativity.

In this format, which we call the flipped classroom, teachers have time to interact with students, motivate them and challenge them. Though attendance in my Stanford class is optional, it is considerably higher than in many standard lecture-based classes. And after the Los Altos school district in Northern California adopted this blended approach, using the Khan Academy, seventh graders in a remedial math class sharply improved their performance, with 41 percent reaching advanced or proficient levels, up from 23 percent.

A 2010 analysis from the Department of Education, based on 45 studies, showed that online learning is as effective as face-to-face learning, and that blended learning is considerably more effective than either.

Online education, then, can serve two goals. For students lucky enough to have access to great teachers, blended learning can mean even better outcomes at the same or lower cost. And for the millions here and abroad who lack access to good, in-person education, online learning can open doors that would otherwise remain closed.

Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

By using technology in the service of education, we can change the world in our lifetime.

Daphne Koller is a professor in the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

 

 

Yami Baker

Research Analyst, Fixed Income Division

Fidelity Investments

(603)791-7530 (phone)

(603)770-7600 (mobile)

(603)864-2507 (fax)

yami.baker@fmr.com

 

 

This e-mail, and any attachments hereto, are intended for use by the addressees only and may contain Fidelity Confidential Information and/or other proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately return the email, and permanently delete the original, any printouts and any copies -- including any attachments. Any dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this email is strictly prohibited. Fidelity Management & Research Co.

 

 

 

Miss Silin

A Rewarding Day

Subject: A rewarding day

Emet's a little bummed, but he did play up in the intermediate group and could have been in the novice group.

Sent from my iPad

Micah's first chess tourney

And he even won one!!

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:
Note from Yami:
>
> Here they are getting ready for their first round of the day. Unfortunately, everyone lost and Micah was a little upset, even though he went up against the highest ranked kid in the novice group. We are at a beautiful private school that runs through eighth grade called the Well School. Seems like a more egalitarian hybrid incorporating classical education with Some Waldorf elements. Very lucky kids that get to go here. BTW, they have an opening in 5th grade. I went on a tour with one of the directors and a very well spoken eight grader.
> Second round just began at 10:45. Going to be a while...
> Hope you guys are having fun.
> Love you!
>

Junk Fest

Victory

Swinging

What a difference 3 weeks makes!

Only 3 weeks between apple picking in 90degrees and then this!

 

Things 1&2

And its out - tooth #1

Tooth eviction notice

See what happens when u turn 6!! It's probably 1-2 days away from a
visit from the T.F.

Chalkboard in kitchen

Fwd: Kitchen photos--part II

>
>
>

Fwd: Kitchen photos

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: Iyamoro Baker <redmochi@mac.com>
Date: October 22, 2011 5:52:36 PM EDT
To: "drubin.baker@comcast.net" <drubin.baker@comcast.net>
Subject: Kitchen photos

Sent from my iPad

6 Times around the Sun

>

Fwd: Micah's birthday walk

> Micah had his birthday walk at school yesterday -- 6 times around the sun-- my baby is getting big...hurray and boo hoo......
>
>

Silin-bell is dressed for dinner

Fwd: Apple Picking!

IMG_1687

 

IMG_1689

 

IMG_1691

 

IMG_1694

 

IMG_1695

 

IMG_1700

 

Fwd: Look where Silin fell asleep!

Totally exhausted Silin fell asleep while sitting on bottom of our staircase-- she is literally asleep on the first stair--I guess this is what happens when a four year old needs a nap but refuses to nap -- I should point out that we are no strangers to this type of thing-- Isaiah fell asleep while eating on several occasions and one time he even fell asleep with a french fry hanging out of his mouth.....
>

M's first day on the soccer field

> .

Fwd: Look who we found!

Silin and Micah run into Moira, their babysitter, by surprise.....at the Fisher Cats game! So exciting......

> .

Fwd: Silin's surprising color choice

Daddy takes kids to the Fisher Cats and look what they have!!! (Amazingly, Silin chose blue (for the cotton candy) but she still has the pink skirt :)

> .

Auntie Hannah returns temporarily from Espana

Cousins are bueno!

Fwd: Boys at camp

Boys at camp See more photos from this SmugMug site. SmugMug sent this email on behalf of drubin.baker@comcast.net, a SmugMug visitor. [IP: 98.216.147.222]. SmugMug hates spam as much as you do. Please report any abuse or spam to SmugMug.

Fwd: Sweet Tooth

For those of you who know M, he has a major sweet tooth.  He loves brownies, cookies, ice cream, candy, you name it....the higher the concentration of sugar, the more he likes it.  I am careful with him to allow him to be a regular kid (i.e., I give him dessert) but on the other hand, I wonder if I've created a sugar addict.

Yesterday, M asked me, totally seriously, "when will my sweet tooth fall out?"  He was trying to figure out which tooth was his sweet tooth and calculated that when it finally fell out, he wouldn't like sugary treats so much.  If only it was so easy.....I would have had that tooth pulled a long time ago.  

Em with the Head of Gurim Girls

Em with the Head of Gurim Girls See more photos from this SmugMug site. SmugMug sent this email on behalf of drubin.baker@comcast.net, a SmugMug visitor. [IP: 98.216.147.222]. SmugMug hates spam as much as you do. Please report any abuse or spam to SmugMug.

Em b/f Shabbat

Em b/f Shabbat See more photos from this SmugMug site. SmugMug sent this email on behalf of drubin.baker@comcast.net, a SmugMug visitor. [IP: 98.216.147.222]. SmugMug hates spam as much as you do. Please report any abuse or spam to SmugMug.

Saddleback hike at camp

Saddleback hike at camp See more photos from this SmugMug site. SmugMug sent this email on behalf of drubin.baker@comcast.net, a SmugMug visitor. [IP: 98.216.147.222]. SmugMug hates spam as much as you do. Please report any abuse or spam to SmugMug.

Beautiful Letters from Dad

> Isaiah,
>
> It should be Monday when you read this and you are well into your second week at Camp Yavneh. We were able to see a lot of pictures from the weekend that were posted on the Yavneh website, including some of you and Emet, and it looks like it was quite a time. Its not easy being on your own for so long, but we hope that you are having some good experiences in this camp adventure.
> This Saturday, while Mom was enjoying "the Best Day Ever" at home, I went to the Pig Roast rugby game in Amherst with Micah and Silin. You will be happy to hear that your younger siblings enjoyed themselves and fit right in, with Silin finding plenty of other young girls to play with and Micah even organized a game of frisbee while I was playing rugby. The rugby was fun, too, as the old boys defeated the young UMASS team and your old man (me) managed to score a try! It was a long day and it was after 10pm when I carried Silin and Micah to to their beds back home.
> I had a baseball game today (Sunday), and you won't be surprised to hear that we lost again. Of course, I still had a great time playing, trying my best, and supporting my teammates. I hit a single and over the next couple of batters made it to third. This is when I made a play that I pretty much learned from watching you this season - I took my secondary lead and was ready to run to home when the pitcher missed the ball thrown back by the catcher. I was thinking of you when I crossed the plate. I am sad to report that my bamboo bat broke during the game - I swung at a pitch that was a little high and inside (a ball) and hit it off the handle causing it to crack just like the other bat.
> In the afternoon, we all drove down to Brookline for the Brit Milah of my rugby friend Jim Calmas' new baby boy. It was followed by a nice dinner in the temple and there were plenty of other rugby and work friends there. Max and Michael (Buzzie's sons) both told me to say hi to you. Can you believe that Michael is going off to college?
> We love getting your letters and I can't believe you heard Suzy Greenberg. I explained this to Mom and played the song for her over the phone. I'm still not sure she understands.... We did hear from one of the directors of the camp that you and Emet have had a few arguments. We want you and Emet to both have your own good experiences there and I don't think you want your memories of the camp to be about how you two fought with each other. We understand that brothers always have disagreements from time to time, but we hope and expect that you deal with these moments in a mature way, even if you feel that you are right. I know you are in the same bunk, but sometimes you both need to have your own space.
> Remember that we love you, are proud that you decided to go to camp, and that we are thinking of you all of the time.
>
> Love,
>
> Dad (and Mom, Micah, and Silin)
>

>
> Hi there Emet!
>
> You should be reading this on Monday, with your busy weekend already a memory. We are so happy that you are getting to have all of these new experiences. Hopefully, you are enjoying yourself and having a blast.
> I was thinking of you last night (Saturday), when I was eating some ice-cream from the bowl you made in the shape of a crown. I enjoyed knowing that you made it and felt close to you even though you are away at camp. King Emet! The ice-cream came after a long day in which i took Silin and Micah out to Amherst to play in the pig roast rugby game. They fit right in an found plenty of kids to play with while I played rugby. This time we got burritos instead of cooking on the barbecue like we did last time and I think this was a good call.
> i played baseball today (Sunday), and while we lost again, I still had a great time playing a sport I truly love. I thought you might be interested to hear that we had a pitcher on our team throw nothing but knuckle balls! Unfortunately, the other team scored 4 runs in one inning off of him, but he threw some great knucklers. After the game he showed me how Tim Wakefield throws his and I can't wait to try it out with you. Later in the day we saw Max and Michael, Buzzie's sons, whom you've played with many times at rugby games. They asked about you and told me to tell you they said hello.
> We understand from the camp directors that you and Isaiah have had a few disagreements. I know you can't agree on everything, but please try not to let disagreements grow into fights. We expect you two to deal with problems that come up between you two in a mature way and we understand that sometimes arguments are going to happen between brothers. Even if you think you are right, try to let it go or give the other person some space if you can. But overall, we were happy to hear from the directors that you are doing great. We love getting your letters and looking for photos of you on the Camp Yavneh website. Also, you write your name beautifully in Hebrew. Maybe you can teach us some of the Hebrew that you are learning.
> Anyway, we hope you have a great day filled with new experiences. Remember that we love you and are thinking about you all of the time. Also remember that we are proud of you for choosing to be a camper!
>
> Love,
>
> Dad (and Mom, Silin, and Micah)
>

Popsicles with Cousin E-lo!

> .

Smuggs photos-- trying again!