"It's cool to be smart." was a quote from young Francois Rice, a student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County or UMBC.
It is one of many great quotes from a segment of my favorite television show, 60 Minutes, that aired last night. It was a rerun from last November. I missed it then, so it was new to me. If you have you not seen it, you will love it. At least, that is my opinion.
I believe it is a wonderful story about attitude, learning, passion, mentoring, the self-fulfilling prophecy
and many more lessons we can learn about ourselves, especially in
accomplishing goals.
I will not go on about it; you can view it by clicking on this website:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7411990n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox
What did you think?
As always, I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Showing posts with label 60 Minutes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 60 Minutes. Show all posts
Monday, June 18, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Education Is Changing
Once again 60 Minutes has introduced me to an incredible man who is making a huge difference in public education in America, and all over the world for that matter. With the help of teachers all over the world, thirty-five-year-old Sal Khan and the Khan Academy are teaching elementary students math.
This is just the beginning for this concept and it promises to be a major paradigm shift for the way schools go about teaching children in the future. Watch this segment and see what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxJgPHM5NYI&list=FLsN32BtMd0IoByjJRNF12cw&index=2&feature=plcp
I am having trouble embedding the video, so just click on this URL and you can view the video.
I have watched it three times already, and find something new each time.There are a lot of things I would like to write about it, but I believe the video speaks for itself.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
This is just the beginning for this concept and it promises to be a major paradigm shift for the way schools go about teaching children in the future. Watch this segment and see what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxJgPHM5NYI&list=FLsN32BtMd0IoByjJRNF12cw&index=2&feature=plcp
I am having trouble embedding the video, so just click on this URL and you can view the video.
I have watched it three times already, and find something new each time.There are a lot of things I would like to write about it, but I believe the video speaks for itself.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Technology And Autusm
I know this is a few days late, but if you saw the 60 Minutes homage to Steve Jobs Sunday night, you saw this piece on how the iPad is changing the way, as they put it "autistic people" are communicating with the new toy. I have two things I want to point out about it before I show you Lesley Stahl's piece.
First of all, most people in the people with disabilities community prefer "person first" language. Another words, Instead of referring to "autistic people," why not refer to them as "people with autism"? It may seem like a small thing to many of you, but a movement has been growing for many years to try and change the culture and that begins with language.
The other thing I had a problem with was the way they chose to jump from a laminated piece of paper with letters and phrases right to the wonderful new iPad. There have been many devices that have helped to bridge that gap for many years. Ms. Stahl failed to mention them.
That being said, please look at this piece and see what you think:
She starts out using person-first language, but quickly changes to using "autistic people." I find that interesting. When you finish watching the segment, read some of the comments. I found many of them fascinating.
The other two segments on Steve Jobs were enlightening to those of us who did not know much about his personality and life story. I know I could not have worked for him, but I certainly like using his computers!
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
First of all, most people in the people with disabilities community prefer "person first" language. Another words, Instead of referring to "autistic people," why not refer to them as "people with autism"? It may seem like a small thing to many of you, but a movement has been growing for many years to try and change the culture and that begins with language.
The other thing I had a problem with was the way they chose to jump from a laminated piece of paper with letters and phrases right to the wonderful new iPad. There have been many devices that have helped to bridge that gap for many years. Ms. Stahl failed to mention them.
That being said, please look at this piece and see what you think:
She starts out using person-first language, but quickly changes to using "autistic people." I find that interesting. When you finish watching the segment, read some of the comments. I found many of them fascinating.
The other two segments on Steve Jobs were enlightening to those of us who did not know much about his personality and life story. I know I could not have worked for him, but I certainly like using his computers!
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Lasting Effects Of 9/11
Like many of you, I just finished watching 60 Minutes and it's special on September 11, 2001. The segment I found particularly intriguing was the last one when Scott Pelley interviewed several survivors. They all talked about their respiratory problems and the long-term health effects they all are experiencing as a result of breathing in all of the toxic dust during their time at Ground Zero.
If you missed it, you can view it here:
I guess the two words none of them uttered that bothered me were asbestos and mesothelioma. The reason that bothered me so much is two-fold. One: The Twin Towers were coated with asbestos and much of that dust was that pulverized asbestos.
The second word which was not spoken was mesothelioma. Asbestos poisoning has a special meaning to me because my father died of mesothelioma in 2006. His lungs were full of asbestos he received from a second job he had for close to twenty years. The frustrating thing for me is knowing the two asphalt companies he worked for never told their so-called "Associates" were slowly killing themselves every day by exposing themselves to this toxic dust they were inhaling constantly as they blew and swept up from parking lots, driveways and rooftops. The insidious thing about asbestos is it can remain in our lungs for as long as forty years before it starts to manifest itself.
I also want to introduce you to one more survivor of 9/11. That is William Rodriguez. After hearing him speak, on October 9, 2007, I wrote about one of the true heroes of the 9/11 attacks. He was a maintenance worker in the North Tower and saved many lives. His story is very compelling. To learn more about him, I have a link to his website on that post. You can read it by clicking here.
We are going to see people dying from all sorts of respiratory ailments for decades to come!
As always, I welcome your comments.
Later,
Mike
P.S. To my Facebook friends who want to see this video, just go to my blog by clicking here. While you are there, please subscribe to it, follow the directions, you will receive an email every time I post, and you can check out some of my old posts. You will find some of them educational, entertaining and occasionally even humorous. Thank you.
If you missed it, you can view it here:
I guess the two words none of them uttered that bothered me were asbestos and mesothelioma. The reason that bothered me so much is two-fold. One: The Twin Towers were coated with asbestos and much of that dust was that pulverized asbestos.
The second word which was not spoken was mesothelioma. Asbestos poisoning has a special meaning to me because my father died of mesothelioma in 2006. His lungs were full of asbestos he received from a second job he had for close to twenty years. The frustrating thing for me is knowing the two asphalt companies he worked for never told their so-called "Associates" were slowly killing themselves every day by exposing themselves to this toxic dust they were inhaling constantly as they blew and swept up from parking lots, driveways and rooftops. The insidious thing about asbestos is it can remain in our lungs for as long as forty years before it starts to manifest itself.
I also want to introduce you to one more survivor of 9/11. That is William Rodriguez. After hearing him speak, on October 9, 2007, I wrote about one of the true heroes of the 9/11 attacks. He was a maintenance worker in the North Tower and saved many lives. His story is very compelling. To learn more about him, I have a link to his website on that post. You can read it by clicking here.
We are going to see people dying from all sorts of respiratory ailments for decades to come!
As always, I welcome your comments.
Later,
Mike
P.S. To my Facebook friends who want to see this video, just go to my blog by clicking here. While you are there, please subscribe to it, follow the directions, you will receive an email every time I post, and you can check out some of my old posts. You will find some of them educational, entertaining and occasionally even humorous. Thank you.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Gospel For Teens
Once again, my favorite TV Show, 60 Minutes, came through with another piece I feel compelled to share because of the lessons I learned from their expert journalism. Vy Higgenson is running a program in Harlem that is changing young lives through teaching them to not only sing Gospel, but the history of the music and how it can change their lives. I have always contended education is about opportunity, and good material taught by good teachers. Gospel for Teens fits that bill.
It is such a good piece with so much to learn, they took two segments of the show to tell the story. Granted, this is the Summer rerun season and this story originally ran this Spring, but it was new to me. If you have already seen it, just delete this post. But, if you missed it this Spring, check out these two video segments from tonight's show:
Segment Two:
I often say how my post material comes to me. I do not have to go looking for it. It has happened again tonight.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
P.S. To my Facebook friends who want to see the videos, just go to my blog by clicking here. While you are there, please subscribe to it, follow the directions, you will receive an email every time I post, and you can check out some of my old posts. You will find some of them educational, entertaining and occasionally even humorous. Thank you.
It is such a good piece with so much to learn, they took two segments of the show to tell the story. Granted, this is the Summer rerun season and this story originally ran this Spring, but it was new to me. If you have already seen it, just delete this post. But, if you missed it this Spring, check out these two video segments from tonight's show:
Segment Two:
I often say how my post material comes to me. I do not have to go looking for it. It has happened again tonight.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
P.S. To my Facebook friends who want to see the videos, just go to my blog by clicking here. While you are there, please subscribe to it, follow the directions, you will receive an email every time I post, and you can check out some of my old posts. You will find some of them educational, entertaining and occasionally even humorous. Thank you.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Bob Hurley's Commitment
Since my NCAA College Basketball Pool is shot, I want to go down a level of my favorite sport, basketball, and talk about high school basketball. Last Sunday 60 Minutes showed a piece I want to share.
Basketball is alive and well at tiny St. Anthony Catholic High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Coach Bob Hurley is running not only an incredibly successful winning basketball program, but turning out student/athlete leaders as well. The coolest part of this whole school is every student goes to college!
It is an incredible story! If you have not already seen it, check it out:
Do you agree with me? My favorite quote from Coach Hurley's interview was, "I think I'm where I'm supposed to be."
Can you say that about yourself? Are you where you are supposed to be? If you are, good for you. If you are not, what can you do to get there? Can you get there? There may become a time when I can say that about my current health situation, but not yet. However, When I am addressing an audience and they appear to be hanging on my every word, I can say, "I'm there!"
I know why I got hurt. I am supposed to try to make a difference in peoples' lives. Like teachers, I do not get a semester, or whole school year, or a lifetime like a parent does with her/his child(ren). I may only have a group for a half hour, an hour, or maybe more. So, I have to do a good job in my short time with them no matter their age.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Music In The Schools
The world is full of very creative and artistic people. Once again, one of my favorite television shows, 60 Minutes, did a piece on one of them tonight. Bob Simon's piece on Conductor Gustavo Dudamel shows what he is doing to give elementary students an opportunity to learn how to play an instrument in an orchestra. As this piece shows, and many experts will tell you, it is all about opportunity.
You can view the piece by clicking here if it doesn't show up on this video:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
As anyone who has anything to do with schools these days knows, funding is being cut in many areas, especially the arts. Often times, entire programs are being cut. My youngest brother is also doing something about it in elementary schools in Southern California. I will write about his program in another post.
Studies show how important involvement in school is for young people. I believe this video shows how this opportunity improves a young person's confidence, self-esteem and personal responsibility. Plus, it teaches them an entirely new set of skills. I cannot say it enough times, "It is all about opportunity."
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
P.S. I am sorry I have missed a few weeks. I just spent another thirty-eight days in the hospital. I am still a little weak, but I am back!
You can view the piece by clicking here if it doesn't show up on this video:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
As anyone who has anything to do with schools these days knows, funding is being cut in many areas, especially the arts. Often times, entire programs are being cut. My youngest brother is also doing something about it in elementary schools in Southern California. I will write about his program in another post.
Studies show how important involvement in school is for young people. I believe this video shows how this opportunity improves a young person's confidence, self-esteem and personal responsibility. Plus, it teaches them an entirely new set of skills. I cannot say it enough times, "It is all about opportunity."
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
P.S. I am sorry I have missed a few weeks. I just spent another thirty-eight days in the hospital. I am still a little weak, but I am back!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Rose By Any Other Name ...
You have all heard the quote, "A rose by any other name is still a rose." Am I correct? It seems the new terminology for what we referred to people who had extraordinary mental gifts like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man is no longer Idiot Savant, but rather the politically correct term is to put the person's gift in front of savant and refer to them by their gift. If Rain Man were made today, Raymond would be called a mathematical savant.
This piece ran on 60 Minutes a week ago and it has taken me a while to post. I must say, I despise using the term Idiot to describe anyone, and I believe we should call a rose a rose. According to Healthline.com, Savant Syndrome, (which is what we should be calling this form of autism), is Below normal intelligence combined with a special talent or ability in a specific area. You can read the rest of their piece by clicking here.
That being said, this is truly an amazing story about thirty-year-old Derek Paravicini:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
If the piece does not play, click here.
The human brain is truly unique. We are just beginning to understand it. One has to wonder just how an individual can do what Derek does musically and yet cannot figure out how to button his shirt or hold up three fingers.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
This piece ran on 60 Minutes a week ago and it has taken me a while to post. I must say, I despise using the term Idiot to describe anyone, and I believe we should call a rose a rose. According to Healthline.com, Savant Syndrome, (which is what we should be calling this form of autism), is Below normal intelligence combined with a special talent or ability in a specific area. You can read the rest of their piece by clicking here.
That being said, this is truly an amazing story about thirty-year-old Derek Paravicini:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
If the piece does not play, click here.
The human brain is truly unique. We are just beginning to understand it. One has to wonder just how an individual can do what Derek does musically and yet cannot figure out how to button his shirt or hold up three fingers.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Monday, December 7, 2009
Geoffrey Canada Is Making It Happen!
Once again, 60 Minutes has run a piece I just have to share. Last night they showed us what Geoffrey Canada is doing at the Harlem Children's Zone's Promise Academy in the middle of Harlem. If you missed the show, watch what is happening:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
According to the video, the achievement gap has closed for primary school students many adults had already given up on. It is always inspiring to watch what young people can do when given the opportunity to succeed.
Now, skeptics might say, "Everybody doesn't want or need to go to college." Others say things like, "This is nothing more than a private school for black children." To see some interesting viewpoints, read the comments by clicking here. In reading the comments, it amazes me how some people can see a positive story and turn it into a negative.
I think they miss the point. As I see it, the point is about taking a negative situation and helping young people turn their lives around by giving them an opportunity to get an education to work their way out of poverty. How can that be bad?
That being said, I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Watch CBS News Videos Online
According to the video, the achievement gap has closed for primary school students many adults had already given up on. It is always inspiring to watch what young people can do when given the opportunity to succeed.
Now, skeptics might say, "Everybody doesn't want or need to go to college." Others say things like, "This is nothing more than a private school for black children." To see some interesting viewpoints, read the comments by clicking here. In reading the comments, it amazes me how some people can see a positive story and turn it into a negative.
I think they miss the point. As I see it, the point is about taking a negative situation and helping young people turn their lives around by giving them an opportunity to get an education to work their way out of poverty. How can that be bad?
That being said, I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Monday, March 16, 2009
Alice's Restaurant
If you're a Baby Boomer like me, you probably remember Arlo Guthrie's 1967 song Alice's Restaurant. The Alice in the song was Alice Brock, a restaurant owner in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. If you're not a Boomer, and you want to learn a little about a fun, satirical piece of American music history, click here to see what Wikipedia has to say about Alice, Arlo Guthrie and the song.
But, Alice Brock is not the Alice I want to introduce you to today. As my regular readers know, I'm a big fan of 60 Minutes. Last night they ran a story on Alice Waters, and her World-famous, French bistro, Chez Panisse, which she started in 1971 in Berkeley, California.
In stark contrast to my February 17th post about the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona, which proudly serves artery-clogging burgers that "are worth dying for," Alice only sells locally-grown, organic food that is healthy for us. There's a great story on the CBS News website you can read by clicking here, or you can view the piece with corespondent Lesley Stahl here:
It is very refreshing to see such a positive story about how one woman is making a huge difference in her community and especially in a Berkeley middle school.
What could we do about the obesity problem we have if every middle school in the country were to offer the opportunity to learn about growing organic food, eating healthy and the effects it can have on their students' health?
To look on the other side of the coin, there are many areas of the country that can't grow their own food year-round. Nor, do they have the time to do so, or cook "slow food" as the piece calls it. It is a dilemma with no easy solutions.
As always, I welcome your comments.
Later,
Mike
But, Alice Brock is not the Alice I want to introduce you to today. As my regular readers know, I'm a big fan of 60 Minutes. Last night they ran a story on Alice Waters, and her World-famous, French bistro, Chez Panisse, which she started in 1971 in Berkeley, California.
In stark contrast to my February 17th post about the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona, which proudly serves artery-clogging burgers that "are worth dying for," Alice only sells locally-grown, organic food that is healthy for us. There's a great story on the CBS News website you can read by clicking here, or you can view the piece with corespondent Lesley Stahl here:
It is very refreshing to see such a positive story about how one woman is making a huge difference in her community and especially in a Berkeley middle school.
What could we do about the obesity problem we have if every middle school in the country were to offer the opportunity to learn about growing organic food, eating healthy and the effects it can have on their students' health?
To look on the other side of the coin, there are many areas of the country that can't grow their own food year-round. Nor, do they have the time to do so, or cook "slow food" as the piece calls it. It is a dilemma with no easy solutions.
As always, I welcome your comments.
Later,
Mike
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Thought Identification
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I cover a wide range of subjects and I am a firm believer in lifelong learning and change. You also know I like the subjects 60 Minutes addresses and have posted pieces from them on a number of occasions. Well, they had another exceptional piece last Sunday on a potentially very controversial subject neuroscientist Marcel Just refers to as "thought identification" which is basically what I discussed in my November 2, 2008 post entitled Imagine.
The difference in this segment and the Imagine piece is the application of the new technology. Dr. Just is just one scientist who is working on the technology that will allow us to determine what a person is thinking. Yes, you read it right. They are working on the technology to be able to tell what someone is thinking and it is advancing at a "stunning rate."
The implication for the new technology is incredible when we think about its application in the field of criminal investigations, getting information from potential terrorists, talking to employees about something in a business setting, getting information from your teenager, ... and the list goes on and on.
The application I find absolutely intriguing is the possible uses it has for people with disabilities, especially someone who cannot talk because of an injury, birth defect, disease, or any one of a number of disabling conditions. The possibilities are endless and the following video didn't even address disabilities.
One thing I found very interesting was the Comments section on the CBS News website following the transcript and video. There are obviously differing opinions about the entire idea of what some people might do with the technology. You can read the comments by clicking here.
If you haven't already seen the piece, I encourage you to watch Lesley Stahl's January 4th piece here:
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
The difference in this segment and the Imagine piece is the application of the new technology. Dr. Just is just one scientist who is working on the technology that will allow us to determine what a person is thinking. Yes, you read it right. They are working on the technology to be able to tell what someone is thinking and it is advancing at a "stunning rate."
The implication for the new technology is incredible when we think about its application in the field of criminal investigations, getting information from potential terrorists, talking to employees about something in a business setting, getting information from your teenager, ... and the list goes on and on.
The application I find absolutely intriguing is the possible uses it has for people with disabilities, especially someone who cannot talk because of an injury, birth defect, disease, or any one of a number of disabling conditions. The possibilities are endless and the following video didn't even address disabilities.
One thing I found very interesting was the Comments section on the CBS News website following the transcript and video. There are obviously differing opinions about the entire idea of what some people might do with the technology. You can read the comments by clicking here.
If you haven't already seen the piece, I encourage you to watch Lesley Stahl's January 4th piece here:
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Imagine
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I'm a big fan of 60 Minutes. Tonight they ran an extraordinary piece on new, cutting-edge technology I would like to share. They showed how an individual can now sit in front of a computer, and think, and the computer can tell what the person is thinking!
The ramifications and possibilities, especially for people with disabilities are truly amazing! One of the reasons I'm so excited is the possibilities it creates for people with a spinal cord injury. I won't say anything else, just watch this piece:
Watch CBS Videos Online
As with all new discoveries, there are many levels of development until it gets to a workable project. Obviously, this idea is in the beginning stages of human experimentation. It will be exciting to watch as this technology develops.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Watch CBS Videos Online
As with all new discoveries, there are many levels of development until it gets to a workable project. Obviously, this idea is in the beginning stages of human experimentation. It will be exciting to watch as this technology develops.
I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Monday, June 9, 2008
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
I am a big fan of 60 Minutes, and last night they ran a story on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and what a good story it was. Here is the piece:
The reason it was so exciting for me to see was the fact they are funding research projects which are studying embryonic stem cells and how they may help find a cure for spinal cord injury. They have no restrictions on their research because they receive no federal funding. If you want to learn more about the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, you can visit their website by clicking here.
If you didn't see 60 Minutes last night, I encourage you to watch the video. I am curious to read any comments you might have.
Later,
Mike
The reason it was so exciting for me to see was the fact they are funding research projects which are studying embryonic stem cells and how they may help find a cure for spinal cord injury. They have no restrictions on their research because they receive no federal funding. If you want to learn more about the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, you can visit their website by clicking here.
If you didn't see 60 Minutes last night, I encourage you to watch the video. I am curious to read any comments you might have.
Later,
Mike
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)