Embedded Video - Thirty Day Challenge The Getting Of Ideas…

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On this first day of The Thirty Day Challenge, the Digital Natives had to get creative and generate ideas for a niche market.  Sounds very business-like, doesn’t it?

Hmm… I’ve been thinking that it sounds a lot like generating a thesis topic in school, but I won’t mention it to some of the writing-phobic Teens.

Anyway, we have no problem generating a huge, long list of interesting topics.  And, since we’ve been warned to turn off our internal editing monitors, we’re just going to leave it at that.

Now, since it’s Friday, and time for the weekly Friday Find, I’m going to share one of the coolest sites online to put you into a creative mood: Moodstream.

Spin a wheel to select music and images tailored to your mood, then add image and song selections to a mood board.  After customizing your mood board, save it to play whenever you need a little inspiration.

And, since the footage and photos are from Getty Images, you can be sure that they are gorgeous and often thought-provoking. 

Hopefully, you’ll stay focused on the task at hand, whatever it is, and you won’t be inclined to create an Ed Dale Tribute (like my daughter) or veer off into Change Me - The Power of Imagery To Create Change.  Oh, well, I’m sure there is value in tangential thinking. 

Yes, I know there is.  Don’t you think?

For more wired world ideas that you can share with your family, be sure to visit previous Friday Finds:

Zipcode Zoo - Identify the flora and fauna in any area, and learn lots about animals.

Green Dimes -  Stop unwanted junk mail and share ways to “green up” our world.

Kids Cooking Activities - Ideas and resources to inspire budding chefs.

Wordle - Turn your words into a work of art

Animoto - Create a music video with your photos.

Instructables - Discover instructions for all kinds of projects - from recipes to robots - or post your own.

Mr. Picassohead - Unleash your inner abstract artist.

Hulu - Watch a movie or catch up on your favorite TV shows on your computer.

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Tags: wired, writing, Friday Find

We missed the fireworks this Fourth of July, but caught an explosion of flavors at Coney Island instead.

Our only plan this weekend was to pick up a friend at JFK Airport.  That’s all.

However, if you know anything at all about my family, you’ll know that we would never pass up an opportunity to turn a simple road trip into an adventure.

My daughter has been fascinated by corn dogs for at least a week, but she had never actually tasted one.  Since we were going to be in NYC anyway, how could we pass up an opportunity to taste the quintessential corn dog - the Coney Island corn dog?

Of course, we had to sample corn dogs from a couple of vendors.  Who had the best corn dogs?  Fugetaboutit, it was no contest.  Dave preferred Nathan’s corn dogs, but the rest thought that the no-name brand corn dogs at the corner stand were tastier.

And how do you follow the corn dogs?  Italian ices in delicious flavors - almond, spumoni, cotton candy, and so many more - are the perfect accompaniment.

We loved the food, and the rides - an old-fashioned water flume and the historic Cyclone wooden roller-coaster - but it’s the incredible mix of people that make Coney Island a unique experience.

Where else would you get the chance to hear a young Puerto Rican carny hurl insults at a “shoot the freak” paint ball exhibit?

I found this a curious choice.  Freaks, by definition, are persons who appear unusual. 

That might include everyone at Coney Island.  It is such a fascinating mix of people from every corner of the world, and from every possible socioeconomic background.

It would be such a waste to lose the authentic flavor of this New York Institution; and yet, there are already plans to tear down Coney Island to build yet another generic condo mall.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love Starbucks.  I just would hate to lose the unique flavor of Coney Island for another gentrified shopping zone.  I can find that anywhere, but there is only one Coney Island.

If you want to learn more about Coney Island, and what you can do to save it, visit the following sites:

Coney Island History - The Coney Island History Project collects oral history interviews and preserves the legendary and colorful past of this vibrant neighborhood.

Save Coney Island - Grass roots campaign.

If you’re a NYC resident, contact your NYC government representative.  If not, consider contacting the mayor by e-mail or send a postcard to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Hall, New York, NY 10007.

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If I succeed in nothing else as a Girl Scout leader, I hope I open girls’ eyes to their own ability to change their world.

Photographer Chris Jordan shares a similar mission - but on a global scale.

He creates art exhibits that visually demonstrate the impact that each person has when multiplied by the many in America.

For example, it’s one thing to speak up about the growing epidemic of breast implants - even when it’s described as the gift of choice for graduating girls.

It’s another thing to see 32,000 Barbie dolls, equal to the monthly statistic of American breast implants, as the pixels in a canvas displaying a female torso.

You just can’t deny a direct correlation when you see it, and feel it.

That’s Chris Jordan’s goal, and he does a stellar job of achieving it.

Now, I just have to find a way to sneak in viewing this video into one of our Girl Scout meetings.

Tell me.  I really want to know.  What’s your gut reaction when you watch this video?  Do you feel a sudden desire to change your consumption habits? 

I’m discovering a renewed desire to renew, reuse, recycle.

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Each box that you mark on each test that you take,
Remember your teachers, their jobs are at stake.
Your score is their score, but don’t get all stressed.
They’d never teach anything not on the test.

From the lyrics to Not On The Test by Tom Chapin and John Forster

It’s a gentle song with a powerful punch.  And, despite the song’s digs at teachers, it’s intended in support of programs that help them reach their students.

Even as Secretary of Education Spellings is strengthening No Child Left Behind, Tom Chapin is gathering a groundswell of support  on notonthetest.com to speak up for keeping music, art, drama, and sports in education because:

It’s no secret that American industry has outsourced most factory jobs to other countries to take advantage of cheaper labor costs. So why are we putting so much effort into a form of education in which there is no creativity? This is the time that our youth should be taught to think ”out of the box,” not be put into a tighter one!

As some of my favorite public school teachers have described, NCLB is sucking the joy out of teaching (and learning.)

I’m signing up to act now for Not On The Test, but I’d love to hear a follow-up to this song that highlights how our nation’s brightest are being left behind.

The Fordham Institute’s latest report confirms that:

1. The nation’s top pupils have “languished” academically while the lowest-performing youngsters have gained dramatically.

2. Most teachers feel pressure to focus primarily on their lowest achieving students, and neglect the high achievers.

Any suggestions for a song title?  Here’s my lame song title attempt - Shut Up, Turn Off Your Mind!  Come on, I know you’ve got some good ones.  Share them in a comment.

More On Living By Learning articles on creativity and school:

In this TED Talks video, Sir Ken Robinson questions: Do schools kill creativity?

Advocating for change in education is a slow process.  In the meantime, creativity is one reason to homeschool.

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Imagine a world where the creative power of girls to make positive change has been unleashed.

Then, imagine that this positive change is replicated by thousands of girls.This is just what happened this past weekend in New York’s Capital District.Girls across the 16 counties that make up the Girl Scouts of the Northeastern New York Council - 14,000 girls strong - participated in a myriad of community service projects that formed the Mission Possible Weekend Event: a “celebration of all the POSSIBILITIES available to girls, adults and communities when they work together.” (GSNENY)

Some of the Mission Possible Projects:

• 9/11 Memorial Tile Project - Girls are building their very own”Reflection Wall,” a place for the community to reflect and remember those that gave their lives that day.
• Girls Bringing a Smile - Girls will tie-dye bandanas and decorate them as gifts for the adolescent patients of the Pediatric Oncology Unit of Albany Medical Center.
• Rotterdam Read-In - Girls will embark on 12 jam-packed hours of reading to raise literacy awareness and to gather donated books for their local libraries.
• PAWS (Pause) for a Cause - Girls are religiously hanging bags on local doors to collect animal supplies for donations to their local Animal Shelter.
• Bundles of Care - Girls are working with local businesses to prepare and deliver baskets filled with items for donation to needy families,
  children, and senior citizens.
• Comfort in a Time of Need - Girls are collecting old cell phones for
  donation to the “Stop Domestic Violence” Initiative, creating quilts to
  donate to local firehouses for gifts to families who have lost
  belongings in house fires and collecting cat food and litter for
  donation to the local feral cat program.
• Celebration of Music - Girls are organizing a used musical instrument
  collection to benefit their school district. A Music Festival will be
  held to celebrate the project’s collective efforts to increase the
  awareness of the visual and performing arts within the community.

For a complete list of projects take a look at our regional map.

Make Ends Meet - Mission Possible Project:

In our own Girl Scout Service Unit 133, based in North Greenbush, girls collaborated on a “Make Ends Meet” initiative to collect school supplies, birthday party supplies, and children’s books for the disadvantaged children who are served by Unity House of Troy, NY.

While Mission Possible is billed as a one weekend event; in reality, this celebration is just one element of a larger experience.

For our girls, Mission Possible originated with learning about hunger in our community.  Every year, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts learn about this issue while helping out at the Northeast Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY.

This year, all the girls in our service unit also participated in a Hunger 101 Patch Program, where they discovered how volunteers are helping the working poor in our community who are finding it increasingly more difficult to provide meals and other necessities for their families in the midst of rising food and fuel costs.

So, when the girls were asked to come up with a Mission Possible project to address needs in their community, they agreed that they wanted to help the working poor with a “Make Ends Meet” Initiative.

However, finding a way to involve over 50 girls - in 7 troops of various age levels -  in the planning was a challenge.  It was decided that we would let each troop determine exactly how they would contribute to this project.

It was also a challenge to decide who would receive our help. 

Initially, we brainstormed lots of ideas for ways to help expand the Mt. Ida Community Food Pantry, but many of these ideas were beyond our time and budget constraints for this year. 

Instead, one of our adult leaders suggested the Unity House in Troy.

Unity House provides various programs to children in Rensselaer County including: early intervention and developmental services for pre-school children; assistance for children of families living in poverty; and also services for children displaced by domestic violence.

When the adult leader contacted Unity House, she was informed that we could really help them out by collecting books for the pre-school kids in the Early Intervention Program, as well as the older children in their other programs.  Also, these children needed school supplies and supplies for birthday parties.

With these clear needs, we were able to go back to our troops to ask the girls how they wanted to help.

One troop decided that they wanted to collect the birthday supplies and school supplies.  Another decided to put together packets of toiletries for the Mt. Ida Community Food Pantry.  And several troops decided to collect books with various book drives.

Sunshine Stories Read Aloud Event and Book Drive

My Cadette Troop of 6th Grade Girl Scouts decided to host a Read Aloud Event to collect books for the children in the Early Intervention Program.

At an overnight event, some of the girls came up with the idea for a Read Aloud event.  Then, over several meetings, they planned all the elements of this program.

• They decided to invite author and illustrator Sylvie Wickstrom to be a featured reader.
• Then, they met with Parker School Principal, Meg Taylor, to ask for permission to hold this event at the school.
• While GSNENY provided templates for a flyer and press release, the girls had to create and distribute their promotional material.  They succeeded in putting up flyers in several public venues, and their event even made it into the Times Union’s Community Almanac.
• Over several meetings, they planned out the details of the program.  When they were done, one of the girls created a professional-quality program guide that was handed out at the event.
• Another girl decorated a beautiful book drive box that can be reused for future book drives.
• Before the Read Aloud, they set up all the materials - including a wall-sized “shoe tree” and a lovely display of Girl Scout cookies.
• And all of the girls participated in the introductions, reading poems, leading the activities, and moderating the Read Aloud event.

The Read Aloud was a fantastic, totally girl-led event where the kids truly enjoyed the readings and imaginative activities - and the adults stood back and enjoyed the show.

Mission Possible Celebration

Even though the Read Aloud was over in an our, the celebration continued with a visit to Stewart’s for ice cream sundaes. 

Stewart’s was one of several local businesses that sponsored the Mission Possible Event with various donations - including the very popular coupons for ice cream sundaes and the fashionable Mission Possible T-shirts.

The T-shirts were such a hit that our girls also wore them to school on Monday.

Mission Possible Continues

For our Service Unit, the Mission Possible project is not over.  In a couple of weeks, we’ll be delivering the books, school supplies, and birthday supplies to Unity House.  My girls will also read aloud to the children in the Early Intervention Program.

However, I also suspect that Mission Possible will continue beyond this as all girls discovered ways that they can have a positive impact in their communities.  And, they practiced skills that will enable them to make positive change in their world.

Our Files:

Learning About Hunger:

Learning About Hunger - Find out about a Cub Scout Den visit to the Regional Food Pantry, includes resource links.

Hunger 101: It’s The Season To Be Merry and Hungry! - Girl Scout Service Unit Patch Program.

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Childnet International, an organization dedicated to “working with others to make the Internet a great and safe place for children” has released a free video to “sensitize young people to the pain and hurt which can be caused by cyberbullying.”

The video is effective.  My daughter immediately responded by putting it on her Elferkid blog because it was “so sad.” Now, it’s making the rounds in her IM buddy list.

And there’s more. 

On the digizen.org, you’ll also find resource material that includes lesson plans and a documentary video about one student group’s response.

Show this video to your child, and help put a stop to cyberbullying.

More On Living By Learning articles about Online Safety:

Learn together and protect your children as you Explore The Wired World With Your Kids.

Does your child have an IM account or a cell phone texting?   It’s a popular way to connect with friends, but it’s not without significant risks.  Discover ways to keep your independent child safe in a Tween Virtual Party.

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“Branding, it’s like what they do to cattle, but on your mind.”

This was a perfect response to a request for a definition of branding in the media that was part of a Strong Girls! program.  An educator from the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood had posed the question to a group of 6th Grade Girl Scouts who had gathered to discuss media literacy, self-esteem, and healthy relationships.

And then, the effectiveness of media branding was demonstrated when the girls went on to correctly identify the logos from a long list of companies.  They were able to guess correctly even when it was just a small part of the logo, like the “NI” in Snickers.  And, they had no problem identifying brands like Ford, even though it will be many years before they can drive.

Obviously, these girls are very familiar with media content but in this workshop they were able to explore their understanding of media messages to help them differentiate between the positive or the negative.  Looking at various magazine ads, the group was able to observe the different ways in which men and women are portrayed.  Even as an adult observer, I was surprised at how many ads depict women as weak victims but men as powerful achievers.

I was surprised, but that’s probably because I rarely bother to look at fashion magazines.  It’s not that I don’t like fashion.  I do.  I love the beauty of well-designed clothes, but I’m not going to invest any money or energy on fashion.

As it is, when my daughter decided that she wanted to become a fashion model, I wasn’t too thrilled.  I kept suggesting that she might want to consider other, more worthy, ambitions.  Finally, I found the perfect way to curb this desire.  I let her look at several episodes of America’s Top Model. 

Now, I’m not suggesting that kids should watch reality TV.  Definitely not.  I’m not even sure what it was about those shows that persuaded her that she no longer wanted to be a model.  Was it the show, or was it my insightful running commentary as I pointed out the sleazy behavior and overall stupidity?  I don’t know.  I’m just glad that she no longer wants to be one of the girls in the ads.

Despite all the advances in the women’s movement, there is a heck of a long way to go before strong women are the media norm, and not the exception.

Resources:

Contact your local Planned Parenthood to schedule a free education program promoting women’s health and well-being.  Take a look at the wide variety of programs offered by the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood.

The Strong Girls! program was an excellent introduction to media literacy.  Now, I want to explore this subject in depth with my children.   We’ll be using a free resource from the Canadian Planned Parenthood, Youth Talk Back: Sex, Sexuality, and Media Literacy.  This pamphlet covers many media literacy topics including: culture, socialization, self-esteem and the mass media.  It includes bias detector tips and lots of discussion prompts.  And, it even includes many “Talk Back” suggestions for youth advocacy.

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Let the Make it a Hit! Girl Scout Cookie Sales Program begin.

Today is the first day that Girl Scouts in the Northeastern New York Council can start selling the much anticipated cookies. 

Much like the eggnog and peppermint bark in the winter, or the marshmallow peeps and Cadbury eggs in the spring, Girl Scout cookies are a seasonal treat that I look forward to all year.

In my home, we each have our favorites.  My son and I crave the chocolaty caramel goodness of the Samoas, while my daughter prefers the peanut butter cookies such as the Tagalongs or the Do-Si-Does.  We have also discovered the delights of Thin Mints in the freezer.  Yum!

Spreading joy with Girl Scout cookies should be sufficient reason to participate in the cookie sales program, but there is so much more behind the sweet facade.

Troop Fundraiser

Cookie sales are the primary source of our troop income.  The money that the girls raise pays for their activities, service projects, and trips.

As the girls get older, their projects and travel plans are more ambitious.  Our girls want to help renovate the local food pantry.  They also want to go to the Hershey Park Girl Scout Camp-O-Ree this Spring.   Next Winter, they’re talking about a trip to Puerto Rico. 

These ambitious trips will, hopefully, be funded by cookie sale income.   Our six girls have set a team goal of selling 1,500 boxes of cookies.  This is a big, audacious goal but I bet that that they will surprise themselves and surpass this number.

Entrepreneurial Training

The reason that I think that they will surprise themselves is that, for the first time ever, these girls will take full advantage of the Girl Scouts eEntrepreneur program.  Our troop will be using all the tech tools that are available to put the girls’ leadership into action:

• Excel Goal Action Planner - A tool for budgeting and tracking sales.
• Marketing Plan Guide - In six simple steps, the girls will create a marketing plan like the pros.
• PowerPoint template - This can be used to create a polished presentation to use when contacting businesses.
• Business card template - All serious professionals need business cards.
• eCards - A fun way to announce that it’s Cookie Season.

A Gift of Caring

The cookie program will help the girls develop the skills to succeed with their biggest, boldest ambition this year. 

Last year, Girl Scouts in southern California had a huge ceremony to celebrate sending the one millionth box of Girl Scout cookies to armed forces overseas as part of Operation Thin Mint - “A taste of home and a note to show we care.”

Girl Scout cookies are one of the most requested items by deployed American soldiers.  And Girl Scouts all over the USA are responding by collecting donations to send to these brave men and women through programs like Operation Taste of Home or Operation Gratitude.

The response has been staggering.  In Nevada, a huge shipment of 4,000 boxes went out in May, 2006.  Tens of thousands of boxes have gone out from Hawaii.  In Arizona, the Council’s goal is to send 250,000 boxes of cookies this year.

These huge goals are powered by a simple desire to offer comfort and gratitude to the Americans who are sacrificing so much.  The Arizona Daily Star recently interviewed a soldier in Afghanistan:

When Air Force Tech Sgt. Jim Fisher was stationed in Afghanistan from February to August, eating off base meant donning heavy body armor and taking a chance at getting blown up.

Troops ate on base only.

So when care packages made their way to them, Fisher acknowledges that he developed a slight addiction to the chewy, coconut-caramel Girl Scouts cookies known as Samoas.

My troop hasn’t come up with a catchy name for our Gift of Caring to deployed American soldiers.  The girls aren’t even thinking that they can collect donations of thousands of boxes.  But, why not?

Sometimes, it really is worthwhile to dream big.

Help Us Dream Big

Can you think of a catchy name for our Gift of Caring to the overseas military troops initiative?  And, what kind of cookies do you think we should send?  Which is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?  Post a comment to share your suggestions.

If you would like to donate cookies to deployed American soldiers, contact a Girl Scout troop or your local Girl Scout Council. 

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As a Scholastic Book Fair volunteer, I’ve helped raise thousands of dollars to purchase books for our school and classroom libraries. With my Girl Scout troop, I’ve collected gently used books to donate to less privileged schools during the annual Martin Luther King Literacy Drive.

Promoting literacy is my most personally rewarding volunteer work.

I vividly recall my first book. When I returned to the US at age 7, after three years in Argentina; I could barely speak English, much less read it. Still, I was thrilled when I was able to buy a gently used Clifford book at my school’s book fair for just 25 cents. This exciting opportunity fueled a life-long passion for reading and learning.

Two recent books - Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time and Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children - eloquently describe how determined volunteers are working to make the right to read and learn a global reality, despite the staggering number of people around the world who cannot read and who don’t have books.

One is the story of a hero who fosters peace, the other is a blueprint for successful activism. Both are inspiring reading for anyone who wants to make the world a better place.

Global Literacy

Access to education determines the opportunities available to individuals and communities.

UNESCO reports that 850 million people lack basic literacy. “One in five adults is still not literate (two-thirds of them women) while 72 million children are out-of-school.”

Literacy and educational opportunities impact: hunger and poverty; health; infant mortality; the spread of HIV/AIDS and other preventable diseases; gender equality; sustainable development; and peace.

Three Cups of Tea

My book club met last week to discuss Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Sharing our opinions over samosas and a variety of kabob entrees at the Afghan Grill, we were grateful for a meal that was far different from the meagre fare that can be expected in the villages described in this book.

Three Cups of Tea is the inspiring, true account of Greg Mortenson, a failed K2 climber and founder of the Central Asia Institute, that has built over 55 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In building these schools, Mortensen promotes peace by striking against the ignorance, lack of opportunities, and unbalanced madrassa education that fuels extremist terror. Greg Mortenson is a true hero.

Jahan, one of the Center for Asia Studies’ first scholarship recipients, says, “Before I met you, Dr. Gregg, I had no idea what education was…But now I think it is like water. It is important for everything in life.”

Greg Mortenson is a passionate humanitarian who succeeded in building schools, and bridges between the US and Central Asia, despite a complete lack of nonprofit or business skills. It is amazing to see what one person can accomplish through sheer perseverence and the willingness to listen to others.

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

John Wood shares Greg Mortenson’s passion to build schools and libraries in parts of the world that lack both. Unlike Mortensen, Wood decided early on that he wanted to tackle this problem on a global scale with the ambitious Room To Read nonprofit organization.

So, while Three Cups of Tea reads like the heroic account of one man’s struggle to beat insurmountable odds, John Wood’s Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children reads like a business plan for running a successful nonprofit organization.

John Wood’s Guide for Successful Nonprofits:

1. Making The Ask - Be prepared to sell your vision and expect to be rejected. If you don’t get rejected, you aren’t casting your net widely enough.
2. Sell hope and optimism, not doom and gloom.
3. Stop Talking, Start Acting Avoid listening to naysayers. Be willing to take on risks and take a leap of faith that you will accomplish your goal.
4. Think Big from Day One. Thinking big can be a self-fulfilling prophecy as you problem-solve to make your vision a reality.
5. Build a strong team, encourage debate, show loyalty by providing a positive work environment.
6. Be accountable for results. Provide tangible data on achievements.
7. Build a volunteer network of “super-empowered individuals” by providing opportunities for people to contribute without sacrificing their careers.

John Wood says, “If you ask people to reach deep, to think creatively, and to produce extraordinary results, they usually will. Too often in our modern world, they are simply not asked.”

What does it cost to fight illiteracy?

Mortensen and Wood demonstrate that, when you partner with the community; a school can be built, stocked with books, and run successfully for $10-12,000.00.

A penny can buy a pencil, and $1.00 can purchase a child’s education for one month.

How can you help? Contact:

Central Asia Institute - Help fund education and literacy, especially for girls, in Central Asia.

Pennies for Peace - Program where children can collect pennies to help fund education in Central Asia.

Room To Read - Donate, Volunteer, or Adopt a Project in Asia or Africa.

Students Helping Students - Kids can learn about global education and find ways to help.

Other Global Literacy Links:

Global Literacy Project, Inc.

The White House Conference on Global Literacy

Send Girls To School

Another Comparative Book Review:

Riches For Good: Three Cups of Tea

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