Calling Parents

If your school does not subscribe to teleparent, the next best thing is dialmycalls. It will call a bank of up to 25 numbers that you enter and you can have a thirty second recording. See the website dialmycalls.com for more info. It is a web 2.0 application and is currently free at the level that I described. Check it out!

First day of School

On the first day of school we cover a lot of school procedures. I am looking forward to my course intros which include reading the introduction to "Sounder" by William Armstrong. It is perfect for an anecdotal history survey course. I also like to cover the Leonidas story from Herodotus and the charge of Alexander in Quintus Curtius Rufus, I do dress up the Rufus a bit. Best of luck to all on their first day!

Iraq Reconstruction

There is an excellent documentary, No End In Sight, about the reconstruction of Iraq and the faults and foibles. It was interesting, factual and nominated for an Oscar. There is also a great book by Richard Haas, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, aptly named War of Necessity War of Choice. If you want an educated perspective using the facts about this war, you cannot pick better resources.

Discovery Educator Network, you should enroll and fufill the simple requirements!!!

http://community.discoveryeducation.com/messages/not_logged_in.cfm?CFID=8650969&CFTOKEN=78096552

"Waiting for Superman"

I fear that this documentary may advocate for the expansion of charter schools. Bill Gates and Michelle Rhee were both in the trailer. The studies available show that only twenty percent of charters actually perform better than the local public school. Most charters perform at the same level as local schools which is telling since they have smaller classes and more motivated students. It is not an apple to apple comparison. What happens to a student that brings drugs to school at a charter. They are expelled and never return. And at public school? That student will return to campus in about two months. Equal comparison? NO!

Amazon Reviews, Badass

I was wondering why people do not comment on positive reviews on Amazon but really go after negative reviews. My negative review of Hamilton's Curse has gotten some attention while most of my other reviews go largely unremarked. Anyhow, Badass by Ben Thompson is a welcome break from serious biographical studies. The style of writing is very colloquial. The author has a penchant for shredded faces and kicking balls all over the place. I really enjoyed the book and the website, badass of the week.
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Henry Clay, The Essential American

This exciting new biography looks to be very promising. It struck me as I was finishing the intro that Clay's political career stretched from Jefferson to the brink of the Civil War. What a significant time period! I am interested in seeing how these authors handle his repeated failed attempts to establish a dominant party and win the presidency. I will post a review here and on Amazon when I have finished. I have a dinner party to prep for today so I have limited reading time and, darn! I also have to finish a powerpoint and planning lessons for writing Civil war letters for my students. Well, I will read whenever I get the chance.

Isenberg's Burr Biography

After finishing the excellent Jefferson bio, I plunged into Nancy Isenberg's recent biography of Aaron Burr. I really do respect her effort to reclaim Burr from historical villainy but I remain unconvinced so far. While I do believe that Burr has been unfairly degenerated b many historians his character flaws cannot be cloaked in contemporary ethics and his honor reclaimed. She has produced a fine biography of Burr but has failed to show this reader a new face for Burr.

Jefferson New Biography by Bernstein

i found this single volume edition to be well researched and well written. If you want a good comprehensive short biography that is eminently readable, then this is it. Since I was reading some of Jefferson's original work that the time (Notes on the State of Virginia, Rights of British America Asserted and some exchanges of letters to Madison while he was at the Constitutional Convention)it actually felt some days that I had actually spoken to him. I know that sounds weird but this was the third Jefferson bio in a row that I had read not counting Jefferson's original work. I am working on the last volume in the biographical series by Dumas Malone.

More Summer Institutes

The Gilder Lehrman Institute has extended its deadline for applications for it summer teacher institutes. The seminars are impressive with the nation's leading historians teaching the course. I encourage qualified teachers to apply. I do not personally know anyone that has attended but the reputation of the seminars is impressive. www.gilderlehrman.org