It’s time again for hearts and chocolate, poetry and romance—or what passes for romance in elementary schools. Perhaps it’s because those of us in the north are anxious to think about anything other than snow, rather than any great educational import, but many school halls are full of valentines these days. And lots of older … Continue reading
It seems I haven’t been watching enough Saturday morning television. If I had, I would not just now be learning about The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, with Mo Rocca. Innovation Nation is billed as “a weekly celebration of the inventor’s spirit,” and is full of fascinating stories. Fortunately for all of us, the stories are … Continue reading
If you could meet anyone in your community, who would you pick? Joe Rhatigan encourages young people to explore that question in his book, People You Gotta Meet Before You Grow Up: Get to Know the Movers and Shakers, Heroes and Hotshots in Your Hometown. I’ll admit that one of my favorite things about this … Continue reading
How would you represent a great person’s life work in a single symbol? What single image could represent the contributions of Martin Luther King? Abraham Lincoln? Srinivasa Ramanujan? The artist using the pseudonym Hydrogene tackles that question, while also creating art work focusing on STEM education and technology across cultures. The most recent additions to … Continue reading
Ever wish for a personal assistant who could instantly answer your questions about just about anything? Enter Wolfram Alpha. Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that uses a vast storehouse of expert knowledge to answer queries in a wide range of disciplines. What’s a computational knowledge engine? Here’s Wolfram’s explanation. You can get a … Continue reading
Happy New Year! The holidays are over and we’re all moving back into our work routines—and in Michigan, to our midwinter world of ice and snow. After our mild fall, we are back into the deep freeze and dark days—just the time when we need some creativity to raise our spirits. At this time of … Continue reading
What do you do on Thanksgiving after the pies are eaten and the dishes done? If you are surrounded by adventurous children and have a new (free) app to explore, you make movies! Lego Movie Maker isn’t really a new app, but it was new to me, as was my small collection of tiny LEGO … Continue reading
“Eat your vegetables!’ ‘Drink your milk!” “Don’t jump on the bed!” “But why?” David Wisniewskil had the answers and in The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups, he let us in on the secrets. This imaginative gem reminds us why his 2002 death was such a loss—and how he can continue to inspire. The book spoofs all … Continue reading
In the United States, it is almost time for Thanksgiving, our national celebration of gratitude and food. Last year at this time our household was recovering from a fire–nothing huge, but enough to fill the house with smoke and our lives with chaos for weeks. It reminded us of the many things we take for … Continue reading
Photographs have the power to communicate in ways words do not. A few days ago I hung some photos from last summer’s trip to Tibet in my office. When I look at them, the sights, sounds, and smells of that place come flooding back. And mine are ordinary cell-phone photos. Ruth Thomson takes the power … Continue reading
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