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Disney Heroes and Villains

Posted on October 30, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

The wonderful and magical world of Disney is filled with a variety of characters. Some of them could be easily classified as heroes you would love to call on in an emergency. Then, there are the Disney Villains that you simply love to hate. When traveling to Walt Disney World, you just never know who you may see. Here are some of the Disney style heroes and villains that we have seen on recent trips.

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Disney travel vacation

Advocacy on the Go

Posted on October 28, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Last Thursday, I spent five hours at a local middle school for a Common Core Forum with many government officials and Commissioner John King from the New York State Department of Education. It was nerve wracking leading up to the event because the media had made it seem like it would be horrible with crowds, traffic, and police present. These statements may have kept some of the people away. Of course, many may not have been able to make it simply because NYSED made the forum at 4 in the afternoon when many would still be at work, barely getting kids from school, and beyond.

Thanks to my father getting the boys at school, I was able to go early. I met up with a friend who had made some signs in case we wanted to use them for silent protest in our seats. When heading out to the event, I focused on wearing warm enough items to wait outside and taking a smartphone that would keep up with updating and live Tweeting. I finally decided this even would be a great test for my Motorola Droid Mini that I received as a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers.

We were at the school an hour and a half before the event started. When we finally got into the building, we each took a number in case we wanted to talk. In addition to this, we were given the rules for the Common Core Forum. These rules were not out there before the event because so much happened quickly after Commissioner King canceled the Town Hall Meetings with the NYS PTA and scheduled this forum with Assemblyperson Patricia Fahy.

While waiting for the Forum to begin, I was checking into places on my phone. I was able to share these ruled via Instagram, and also post on Facebook groups to let others see what was coming from NYSED. Then, as the crowds were still filling in, I was able to Tweet out to people to please come if they could because it seems to be very calm outside. Finally, it was time to begin.

While I only took a few pictures, I was Tweeting as much as I could. I also shared photos from time to time in various places. Thank goodness my phone was able to keep up with me. With all of the heavy use, it was just down to 30% battery after almost three hours of non-stop social media use.

As you can see from my Tweets, it was a powerful experience. It was wonderful to see that I was among countless other parents and educators that were upset and worried about the future of public education for our children. Thanks to my phone and the battery life, I was able to keep in touch with TechyDad, the boys, and post information about the meeting in real time while hardly worrying during the five hours of constant use. I have no doubt that this will only the be the first of many meetings that Minnie will be heading to with me while I fight to be a voice for fixing the educational reform that has damaged so many children already.

Some previous posts about the educational world:

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I received the Motorola Droid Mini to test out and share ways that I use it in my life. There was no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
Educational PSA school Technology

I Do Not Love the New York State Department of Education

Posted on October 24, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

There are days that I love New York, as the corny old slogan goes. Of course, recently there are a lot of days that I am not a proud citizen. The politics of education have always been there, but the true colors are showing more and more each and every day. As a teacher and parent, I am disgusted to see what is happening in the classrooms throughout the state, including the school that my boys attend. The level of frustration in children, parents, teachers, administrators, and dare I say even districts is becoming more and more clear.

Children are confused with instruction, crying thanks to over testing, and not learning skills that will be essential later on in life. The tears at school frequently continue at home when it is time to tackle homework that often looks like a foreign language and is almost always developmentally inappropriate. Parents are starting to question what is happening and to doubt the propaganda that is handed to us from NYSED (New York State Department of Education). It literally makes me ill because nothing is based on studies and most items were written by people that are not educators.

I feel horrible for the teachers currently in the classrooms of New York State. They see the horrified looks on little faces and must do what they are told or fear losing their jobs. Their new task is being an actor and pretending to be happy while teaching from scripted modules (engageNY). Gone are the days when you are a trusted professional who knows the needs of your students. Now your every move is watched and scored. Teaching to the test is required because the scores count against your new state rating. Forget authentic lessons that actively engage children to think outside of the box. This can not happen when Common Core driven sheets require all kids to follow the same steps for all work.

In recent weeks, I have skipped a few blog posts here and there. A lot of this is because I have been reading up and working on my new mission of Public School Advocacy. This is not a work of fiction, this is the reality that is happening in pretty much all schools in the Empire State. Thanks to Commissioner John King canceling Town Hall meetings after what he perceived as rude special interest groups (you know concerned parents), more parents are seeing the light. They see that it is time to stand up for our children and question what is happening in our schools. Since the local districts are required to follow items from NYSED, families want answers from Commissioner King and the NYS Board of Regents members. OF course, it really goes higher than this. Governor Cuomo is someone that also needs to answer some questions. He is the one that signed the fate that our children are now experiencing. He is the one that has set a state moratorium on schools that fail. Why? Well it is all about the privatization of public schools. There is a lot of money to be made in this business and the educational needs of our children are being sold by our elected officials.

Parents are once again being offered the opportunity to attend forums with Commissioner King. I fear that this is simply going to be a “pony show” where he tries to fix the bad PR from the last few weeks. I cringe that it will be even more scripted than the engageNY modules. NYSED and Governor Cuomo need to realize that we can see what is happening in the schools and we need answers. We need solutions to fix the mess that they have gotten our children into. They need to listen and get that we are not just rude and angry for no reason. Our reasons are the children we see missing out on their public education who are crying that they hate school and want to quit. I cringe and try not to think about what will happen if we do not change the items that are clearly not working and hurting our next generation of citizens.

Today I will be attending the first of the Common Core forum meetings with Commissioner King in Albany. I look forward to respectfully listening to him and then watching the power of parents. New York State families, we have the ability to make a difference and do something historic right now. Our children deserve this and we must not back down or give into political pressure at the expense of our kids. I know my kids will know that I fought for them and hope that one day they will understand why it was so very important.

Some previous posts about the educational world:

Categories:
Educational PSA school

Disney Letter P

Posted on October 23, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

I love looking at old photo memories from Walt Disney World. Now imagine focusing on a specific letter of the alphabet for this magical fun. That is what Focused on the Magic has asked us to do this week. So for Disney Letter P, I share with you Pooh hugs, Piglet kisses, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Pirate Stitch, Penguin, Pop Century, and Pluto. What Disney Letter “P” inspired moments come to your mind?

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Disney travel vacation

Seeking the Inner Voice of Autism

Posted on October 21, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

As a parent of a child with autism, I often wish I could understand how my son sees the world. There are differences and if I understood them more I could not only help NHL at home, but communicate this to others that work with him on a daily basis at school. For years before we had answers and our diagnosis, I struggled. The level of frustration for both NHL and me was clear and it hurt not knowing how to help my own child. The reality is that I can’t beat myself up because I simply did not understand and TechyDad and I searched high and low for medical professionals to give us more answers. Once we knew that we had an Aspie, we regrouped and started to parent differently. Each day, we put one foot in front of the other and take it one moment at a time. As I noted the other day, sometimes you just need to laugh or you will cry.

Several weeks ago, I remember seeing Jon Stewart mention a book that was flying off the shelves that he adored. Then my mother mentioned a post from my cousin on Facebook. Both were referencing the same book, The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida and introduction by David Mitchell. When I read that it was written by a 13 year old boy and was his inner voice as a child with autism, I knew that I had to read it.

I picked up the book at our local library the other day, but I have to tell you that I will be buying a copy. While I have not finished the book just yet, it is phenomenal. The introduction alone is a power house and then you begin reading the translation of this amazing young Japanese boy with autism. His words hit me hard. My son is just a few years younger than he is. I can imagine in time that these may be thoughts in his mind. More than anything, I stopped to think about our life, things that happen here, and how these words could be used. I envisioned making reminder cards for people and suggesting to some to read this rather short and powerful book. Higashida answers questions throughout the book like Q13 Do you prefer to be on your own? My heart broke reading his answer. Anxiety and knowing that things usually go wrong in social situations often make him (and likely my son) stay to themselves. Rather than be flustered, worry about what others think (causing them trouble as he says), and not knowing how to respond in a social situation they often end up on their own.

Here is part one of interview that Jon Stewart had with David Mitchell on The Daily Show that will give you a taste of what the book is really about.

As you can see, so many myths of autism are crushed thanks to this one amazing child. The level of empathy he has reminds me of my son and I have to admit I now worry that he sees too much in my world as an autism advocate. Forgive me for cutting this short, I am off to finish reading because I do believe there will be much more to share soon. I encourage everyone to take some time to read this book because it is a life changing book.