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May 2008 - Posts

the placebo effect

I read recently about a research study, where they created fake marketing for a painkiller. Researchers at MIT wanted to see how people responded to the placebo being offered. Surprisingly, participants reported a higher level of success when the retail Read More...
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2008 05 26

John Spencer

2 Comments

yearning for community

Many of my colleagues have enormous desk calendars where they mark each passing day with a large red oversized Sharpie. I don't have a desk calendar. (Sometimes I think there must have been a teaching class I missed; perhaps when I was ditching the lesson Read More...
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2008 05 21

John Spencer's Blog - A Billion Blogs of Solitude

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the real reason kids aren't motivated

I'm reading a book right now that describes the difference between market norms and social norms. Market norms are based upon supply and demand, wages and profit motives. Social norms are based upon social relationships and the expectations contained Read More...
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2008 05 18

John Spencer

6 Comments

Obama, Radiohead and My Classroom

A few months ago, I logged onto the Obama website for the first time. I expected to see the standard stream of videos, professional pictures and links asking me to give. Although the site had aspects of each, I found it to be welcoming, intuitive and Read More...
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2008 05 16

John Spencer

10 Comments

I've made a lot of mistakes in my mind

I'm listening to a soft, subdued version of "Chicago," but Sufjan Stevens. It's a life studio set taped on an indie station, KCRW, in Los Angeles. Somehow, with the lone guitar and trumpet, I can hear the words echoing the sentiments of this school year. Read More...
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2008 05 15

John Spencer

19 Comments

why more evangelicals are becoming Democrats

I read an article about why evangelicals are ditching the GOP . I feel like I fit into this category, though I see it in broader terms. It's not simply an issue of the War in Iraq or the economy. It's about taking care of the poor, being stewards of the Read More...
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2008 05 11

John Spencer's Blog - A Billion Blogs of Solitude

0 Comments

why I'm glad I don't teach in the suburbs

On Friday, during first hour, I yelled at the students. I mean, I really screamed at them. By the end of the period, I was calm and told them honestly, "I'm sorry for yelling. Anger has been a struggle for me my whole life. When I was your age, I was Read More...
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2008 05 11

John Spencer

8 Comments

on reading my twin brother's blog

I read my brother's blog yesterday. The topic was real estate in Mexico, which is his line of work. As I read it, I could almost hear my own voice in it. He had a decent number of people who comment, because the style is so casual and personal; even introspective. Read More...
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2008 05 10

John Spencer's Blog - A Billion Blogs of Solitude

6 Comments

Welcome to the Wiki World

Changes in education often occur when there is a convergence of new technology and a shift in the social context. Thus, the Enlightenment ideology coincided with the rise of the nation-state and the Guttenberg Press. The current system of education coincided Read More...
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2008 05 5

John Spencer's Blog - A Billion Blogs of Solitude

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5 things you won't see in my classroom

Sometimes I feel like an outcaste as a teacher. There is a certain sense that I relish in this status. I have a few close friends whom I trust. It's just that my personality doesn't fit the "teacher personality." It's not that the "teacher personality" Read More...
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2008 05 3

John Spencer

6 Comments

which is better?

In an attempt to redesign our class website, we have created two models. The class is split 50/50 on it. So, I was looking for more feedback. Which one do you think looks better: Option #1 Social Voice - Brown Option #2 Social Voice - Blue I really would Read More...

2008 05 3

John Spencer

10 Comments

the wisdom of crowds

When I was first beginning as a teacher, the lady said, "Check out Fred Jones. He's really good. So is Lee Canter for another side of discipline. But personally, I'm all over Harry Wong." I was the only one in the room who laughed. Could an educational Read More...
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2008 05 1

John Spencer

11 Comments