Kyle and other heroes and heroines

My oldest and I were watching TV Christmas evening and landed on a Larry King interview with Kyle Maynard. Kyle is a student-athlete (a wrestler at the University of Georgia) and motivational speaker. He's learned to live (and get around and take care of himself independently) with a rare birth disorder that left him with "only three major joints: a neck and two shoulders." The photos at his site illustrate his physical capabilities.

Kyle and his parents talked about faith and purpose, which seem to be intertwined. They spoke of his impact on other people, of his disorder leading to this purpose. Obviously, his parents were appropriately proud of his accomplishments and their family's ability to celebrate them in this spirit of faith.

As the interview continued, I became, like many viewers, curious about his girlfriend, whom he had met at a high school speaking engagement in Buffalo, NY. Larry told us that we would meet her, and I eagerly awaited this portion of the interview.

A few days before, I had visited a new friend, who had a baby about a month ago. She is bright, well-educated, fun, energetic, and hopeful, and has chosen as a life partner someone who is confined to a wheelchair. When she spoke of not being able to leave her child in the care of her husband due to his physical limitations, I could think only of the physical exhaustion that I would experience. Not being able to hand off my child when I was ready to sleep would be difficult. This, I'm guessing, is much what many moms and dads go through when one works an opposite shift or for some reason, is not at home.

Such a life commitment is tremendous-not just in the way it alters our life-goals but also in the way we live each hour, each day.

So I was especially intrigued by Kyle's girlfriend Elizabeth. She was young (about a year younger than Kyle, I think) but sure of her passion for this young man, not just of her romantic intentions. Her interest not just in him but how their lives could be shaped, and made better, by knowing each other was what most impressed me.

I think that is what we all should hope for: purpose; and people who not only love us but also help us become what we were made for.

"a joy to teach" and other pre-fab statements

A few years ago, my husband and I went to observe, at the Y's invitation, the last day of swim classes for my older son. The classes took place at the local YMCA taught by high-school and college-age instructors, full of energy and optimism. My son didn't learn how to swim that summer and didn't do all the swim-tricks the other kids did on this last day, meant for celebration. Still his teacher wrote a nice note, accompanying her evaluation that proclaimed him a "joy to teach." I peered at another child's evaluation (a close friend so that should be okay, right?) and saw that he too was a "joy to teach."

My husband and I laughed, and he wondered aloud if there was a "joy to teach" stamp hidden among the swim goggles, kickboards, and evaluation forms.

So, I have learned that there are generic, though valid and nice, evaluations.

I guess that in my most recent online, distance education class that some pre-fab suggestions were dispensed. They might include: "Try to enhance the content and design of your blog. As they say: 'The blog brings the voice and identity of its creator to the surface.' Keeps (sic) the content of your blog fresh and meaningful. This will help you turn your blog into a MICROPORTAL with fresh content that will keep readers coming back."

So I diligently enhanced the look of my blog; honestly, it needed work-there were a few design glitches that I had ignored but saw that they needed attention. I also decided that I should prioritize adding links of interest.

Still, when I read another student's mention of the changes she made to her blog based on instructor feedback, I was reminded of the "joy to teach" episode. The comments, I think, were very similar to the ones I received.

Should teachers stop being generic? Should they stop being kind? Certainly not; but they could mix up the words a bit: one kid could be a joy, another great fun. And students ( and parents) can be more discerning and judge whether the proverbial shoe fits.

comparing who? with what? on finding gifts

I was having a casual conversation with a couple of other moms a few weeks ago, and was alarmed at the reaction to my statement that I didn't compare the progress of my children; that is that I could not remember exactly what they were doing at three years old, when they became first showed phonemic awareness, etc. I am not NOT attuned to their cognitive development. It's just that I don't think that learning follows a linear path with milestones achieved evident at every quarter-mile.

I think that there is a bit of mystery in development that slowly reveals a child's gifts. It is only when they are past preschool, at least for mine it seems, that these gifts, some extraordinary, are made evident. So comparing a child with an aptitude for writing with a child with an aptitude for math (though not mutually exclusive, this is just an example) is harmful...and taken to the extreme borders on abusive. At least the attitude I witnessed seemed borderline to me.

If I compared either to each other, and each to the rest of the world, I would have been disappointed. It was hard when my oldest as a preschooler didn't talk much or express himself in a way that seemed normal. But now as a 10-year-old, he reads excessively (for those in the know regarding A/R points, he has 130+ this year, mid-way through the year), does well in math (except for geometry), and is adored for his good manners by his teachers.

Okay I admit it-I wonder why my other kid doesn't read more. And I wonder why he talks so much. Is something wrong with him? I do wish secretly that he read more. But he reads at and above grade level. He just doesn't read as voraciously as his big brother. But then, who does? Little brother, on the other hand, is an more-than-proficient writer who now aspires to be an author as well as a a pro baseball player.

Still I don't think I have compared in public, just privately. But, again, I admit that I have compared and become so misled in the process that I decided NOT to compare anymore.

Digital-Divide Solutions for Kids Could Mean Success for All

I've been studying digital-divide-bridging solutions funded by major U.S. technology corporations (Intel, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft Corporation). Lessons learned on designing and deploying programs in underserved communities can be applied to economic-development efforts in everyday communities, like my own in Winston-Salem, NC, USA for example-where industry is changing but conditions are still pretty good for most people.

How I did all of this:

I've chronicled my research on this blog.

I started reviewing online educational games and activities. Next, I studied current thought and practices on the use of technology, specifically Internet resources, in education. My findings: Internet technology is so new that although there are great uses for it, there are few models with proven results; some large corporations are funding non-profits or non-governmental organizations worldwide to provide programs not through the schools but other community centers. Next, I studied corporate initiatives and their guiding principles as well as programs implemented in Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation, Arizona; Chicago, Illinois; and Baltimore, Maryland, USA as well as Dublin, Ireland; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Helensville, New Zealand. I was limited by my language skills (English) so special thanks go to my South American friends who published websites in English.

I verified press releases on one website with information on other websites. For example, if Intel says they have a computer clubhouse in Dublin, then I would find the clubhouse website and also third-party verification via news articles. In many cases, I went back and forth to clarify what I had found and realized that some of my original "findings" were wrong. Typically my confusion resulted from multiple programs being funded in the same area--i.e., HP funded an Intel Computer Clubhouse at a Boys and Girls Club in its Baltimore Digital Village AND a computer center at another non-profit organization in the same village. Also the relationships between organizations got a bit confusing at times-there was so much going on in at The Digital Hub in The Liberties, I had to keep re-writing to make sure I presented each player and its role properly. Still I think my confusion due to the inter-relationships of the players proves the holistic community involvement.

I also contacted program directors and hope to get additional feedback from them. One felt that the program was so new not much could be said about it yet; funding for this program was made in 2004. The main thing that I had hoped to get from them was some verification or repudiation of whether cultural integrity, personal identify, and community values can be preserved through tech programs. From I could tell they were, but still would like to hear first-hand from directors.
My main sources were tech company websites and their beneficiary websites. When possible, I found third-party websites and included these.

My conclusions can be summarized as possible: everyone can participate, if invited and included, in the digital revolution; cultural and community values don't have to be compromised in this inclusion process; new ideas sparked from this inclusion can be good (profitable, desirable) for everyone.