"Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect." - Benny Hill

This course I'm taking online so I can teach online courses demands twice the time they said it would take. And some of it is driving me bonkers. One of the writing assignments I did this morning involved an analysis of two too-similar documents, one of which included this:

In constructivist theory, experience is the index and basis for meaning.  As a result, constructivists recognize the importance of placing the cognitive experiences in authentic activities.  Instruction should also attempt to focus the student on the ability to be able to construct and reconstruct plans for learning material in the real world (Applefield, Huber, & Moallem, 2000).

Seriously?? Who talks, or writes like that? Not me! And I'm supposed to write about how I'll implement that in my teaching methods. But I got 'er done, 'cause if a preacher's good at anything it's shoveling when necessary. 

Note: if they found out I dissed their doc here in my blog I'll get kicked out of class, so let's keep this between just us, OK?

I met my friend/colleague/former student Josh for breakfast this morning. The restaurant is located at the intersection of 51st and Bell Ave, but I got about two blocks away to find the street closed. After wandering through a neighborhood to find a back way in I saw the post-accident scene, met Josh, and we went inside. The hostess told us there had been a serious - perhaps fatal - accident there at 2 a.m. When we came out at 9:00 the street was still closed and the wrecked vehicles were still in place. Seven hours later they still weren't done. 

Tonight from 6:00-9:00 I'll go to the first of two sessions of "Restoration 1," with the second session tomorrow night. Looking forward to learning more and realizing how much I've forgotten from last week's classes. 

Today, 77F. Tomorrow, 80, and by Saturday we'll hit 88. This is good, because I've entered the VW in a local car show and I have to sit outside from about 8:30 until 3:30. They expect about 300 cars so I don't expect to win anything, but I hope to learn some things from the experience. Like how much reading I should take along to keep myself occupied for all that time. 

I sent this link to my adults this morning because it touches on a subject we're currently discussing in our second hour class. But you should read it, too. I told them last week - maybe not in my lifetime, but I'm cautiously optimistic about the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and this article illustrates why. It's getting too hard to deny the logic of life in the womb.

OK, this is short, but I have to eat some dinner and hit the road. With rush-hour traffic it's slow going to where this class meets.