Life calling?

I am a mechanical engineer (BS from Penn State 1990) with 20 yrs of industry experience.  In the past 2 years my volunteering has turned into a passion.  I work with 5th graders in an afterschool technology class in an inner city.  I now realize that beyond all the rhetoric, unions, admin, budgets, standardized testing, etc;  an opportunity to make a real difference exists.  Some dyanamics:

- almost all elementary teachers come from a non technical bent (non STEM - Science, technology, engineering, and math).
- almost all STEM funding currently goes to HS and some to MS.  Its too late by the time this money reaches the kids.

I would love to be part of an initiative to change this.

Ask not what your (fill in the blank) can do for you...

JFK - Jan 20, 1961 Inaugural Address, last 3 paragraphs:

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."

Now in the winter of our discontent known as a US primary/presidential election I challenge myself.  What does the challenge consist of?

I challenge myself to rise above the rhetoric and accomplish something valuable.

I challenge myself to assess value from a heavenly perspective
                                                                          not based on Hollywood or Wall Street paradigms.

I challenge myself to be inspired by a school bus driver that purchases a wireless microphone from her own money                                                            not by who is trending on the internet.

I challenge myself to identify with the prodigal son
                                                                           not with the older son in judgement and entitlement.

I challenge myself to have a passion and innovate in a non-selfish manner (open source)
                                                                       not striving to become the next Facebook bazillionaire.

Nice work!

http://ewh.org/index.php/daladala/2011-dc-results/

Cell phone powered blood pressure monitoring!  Cool.

Dual model - removing the internet divide...

This is good stuff!

http://monkeybrains.net/

low cost healthcare! Moving towards open source!

http://venturebeat.com/2011/10/11/new-smartphone-ultrasound-device-is-finally-available/

Be Creative #26, Write it Down!

http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/29-ways-to-stay-creative/

So I have this idea.  People from industry can work alongside teachers to enrich their content and align it more with what industry needs from future employees.

Another idea from the above video is to create a framework...that is what I need to figure out.  What is the framework for this assign an industry employee to a teacher...I know what it looks like for my unique situation, but how do I back that out into a framework?

HAH!  Look at what I just found:

Institute for the Future of Learning (iFOL)

NCTAF is launching its Institute for the Future of Learning (iFOL) to mobilize a coalition of innovation leaders who are moving beyond reform to school transformation. Our national effort to improve education has reached a fork in the road. Fixing factory-era practices and reforming industrial-era policies is the path to the past. The path to the future lies in transforming the nation’s schools from teaching organizations into learning organizations that can develop the innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders our country needs to thrive in a global community. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to design an education system that will genuinely prepare every individual for college, careers, and civic affairs. An education system that supports deeper learning, more effective teaching, and higher impact community engagement. NCTAF is conferring with education innovators to guide and support iFOL’s launch. In the spring, we will convene a national leadership coalition to create an initial manifesto and media campaign that will lay the groundwork for a National Symposium on the Future of Learning in Washington, DC during the fall of 2011. We invite you to join us as we tackle this exciting challenge.

Please contact us at iFOL@nctaf.org

Coffee...

Deeper than a Coffee Cup
By Sean Brereton


"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. "
Proverbs 27:17 TNIV

THERE IS TOO MUCH in common with the community one finds among Christians and the community that is found at a Starbucks. Our addiction to brand name coffee unites us on a large level. We have something in common with millions of other people, because Starbucks are uniform across the country.
The depth of conversations in the Church has started to take on this surface level depth. This is for two big reasons; the first being that we change churches more than we change what we order at Starbucks.
Churches should really be our homes, where we encounter our family. You are more than a regular. You are involved. It's about more than you. It's about the family as a whole. Even past that, Church is about Jesus, it's not about us.
Christian community should have more depth with one another and more concern for one another. We are amazing at avoiding openness, honesty and depth.  If someone opens up or pries we are blindsided.
If we really want to change, we need to get out of being a "regular" and start being a family member. We need to be open and honest about our faults and be pushed toward Jesus, who can fix them.

Think of someone in your church family who you have a "regular" relationship with and attempt to bond with them this week.