Happy Halloween

Halloween is celebrated on October 31 in the United States. Many people carve pumpkins, wear costumes, have parties, and take children trick or treating. This day’s origin comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain which was a pagan celebration to welcome harvest at the end of the summer. People would light bonfires and wear costumes to scare off ghosts. Pope Gregory III declared November 1 as All Saints Day and the evening before was now as All Hallows Eve which later became Halloween.

However you celebrate this day (or don’t), I hope you have a safe and fun day!

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/28/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Exhibition: Insects - “Giant deadly hornets, gorgeous fluttering butterflies and stealthy crawling stink bugs: readers cannot tear their eyes away from these fascinating creatures. They can discover these and more mesmerizing world insects in Expedition: Insects, an e-book written, illustrated and animated by the Smithsonian Science Education Center.Expedition: Insects is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for grades 3-5. In the book, readers travel around the world to visit six different types of insects in their natural habitats. The young explorers learn about how evolution is responsible for all the beauty, fearsomeness and awe found in nature’s insects. (L:E;SA:S)

The Descent of the Serpent - game from Google Arts and Culture; “Go back in time to ancient Mesoamerica and help save the world!” (L:E;SA:SS)

Halloween - wakelet curated by Terri Eichholz.

Safe Browsing site status - “Google’s Safe Browsing technology examines billions of URLs per day looking for unsafe websites. Every day, we discover thousands of new unsafe sites, many of which are legitimate websites that have been compromised. When we detect unsafe sites, we show warnings on Google Search and in web browsers. You can search to see whether a website is currently dangerous to visit.” (L:T;SA:A)

Is It Possible to Lose Weight Fast? - “In the wealthiest circles of Victorian England, dieters would swallow an unhatched tapeworm and let it grow inside them by consuming undigested meals. And while modern fad diets aren’t usually this extreme, they do promise similar results; specifically, losing weight fast. So, are there any fast diets that do work? And are any of them actually healthy for you? Hei Man Chan investigates.” (L:M,H;SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Geography Awareness Week

When I was in school, geography was taught specifically as a separate class in my educational career but today, geography is incorporated into lessons rather than taught separately. Now I meet students who have no idea how to read a paper map or know where specific cities, states, or even countries are located. I was happy to find this site talking about Geography Awareness Week.

November 14-19, 2022 is Geography Awareness Week.

“Everything happens somewhere, they say. For every “somewhere,” there are geographers exploring the how, why, and what of those places. Environmental conservation, population dynamics, political histories, medical mysteries: There is literally a world of possibilities for a career in geography.

The impressive array of career choices might be one of our discipline’s best-kept secrets. This year, AAG aims to change that. During the 35th annual Geography Awareness Week (#GeoWeek2022), we’re showcasing the work of geographers in strikingly diverse areas, from agriculture and food security to tracking illegal mining; from foregrounding the geographies of health to the work of correlating cancer and air quality and applying GIS to patterns of substance abuse; from assuring the integrity of population counts to safeguarding wildlife ecologies; from advising on climate resilience to protecting fair voting maps."

What activities do you plan to do to focus on geography? Please share.

Writing Your Biography

In Your autobiography from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin states,

“We write our own autobiography each day by deciding what to focus on, what to rehash, and what to worry about.”

Many times I ask my students to tell me about their family and their interests as it is today. I ask what matters to them now but wouldn’t it be fun to have them imagine the future?

I would have them write about themselves as if it was twenty years from now.

• What career do they have?
• What kind of family do they have?
• What do they like to do when they aren’t working?
• Where do they live?
• What kind of place do they live in (apartment or house) and what does it look like?
• Do they have pets and if so, what are they?
• What kind of car do they drive?

I think it is good to encourage students to imagine a better or different life than they have now. Looking towards the future will help guide them to better decision-making. It will help students see that some of the decisions they make now can impact what happens to them in the future. If they are only looking at the here and now, they don’t see that there are so many possibilities for them in the future.

What other questions would you ask? Please share.

Boats, Not Cars

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Boats, Not Cars, Rushton features Giethoorn, a town in the Netherlands, that doesn’t have any roads.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Back to the question about building a town from scratch: for it to be successful, you’d probably need to convince people to move there. What is it about the town that would make people choose to do so?

As you think about the kinds of things people might want in a town, can you think of things you and others could create or propose for your community that might make it a more attractive place for visits or investment?”

I think this would be a fun activity for students. Students could create their own town with characteristics that they would find appealing. They would need to think about the logistics of how it would affect the quality of life for people who live there. Then they would need to figure out a way to convince others to live there. Once they have their plan figured out, they would present it to the class and allow others to ask questions.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival

On Saturday I went to the Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival in Fletcher, NC (outside of Asheville, NC). I went with a group of knitting friends and it was a lot of fun. It was a 3-day event but we just went on one day and carpooled up there. There were workshops, livestock shows, a Fiber Arts Competition, and lots of vendors. It was fun to watch the people and see the different fiber art that everyone was wearing.

Please click here to see the pictures.

Things I Learned:

• Bring an external battery.
• Dress in layers because it is cold in the morning but it warms up.
• Bring a tote bag or backpack to hold goodies,
• Make sure you have stored the item you just bought and don’t leave it behind.
• Bring a snack in case you get hungry.
• Bring a bottle of water.
• Going with a group is a lot of fun.
• Make sure you know the pattern and designer of what you are wearing.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/21/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

The Best Sites to Learn About the Nobel Peace Prize - compiled by Larry Ferlazzo (L:T; SA:SS)

Institute of Play - Click on Learning Games; “Institute of Play game designers and curriculum specialists partnered with teachers to design, produce, playtest and refine games and other learning materials that engage students in exciting new ways. Here are some of the most popular resources, free for viewing and download.” (L:T; SA:A)

Is it possible to lose weight fast? - “In the wealthiest circles of Victorian England, dieters would swallow an unhatched tapeworm and let it grow inside them by consuming undigested meals. And while modern fad diets aren’t usually this extreme, they do promise similar results; specifically, losing weight fast. So, are there any fast diets that do work? And are any of them actually healthy for you? Hei Man Chan investigates.”(L:H; SA:S)

October Holidays and Celebrations - compiled by Terri Eicholz (L:T; SA:A)

You Choose the Challenge - 3 fitness challenges perfect for the month of October (L:G; SA:PE)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Devon Makes a Friend - A Book Review

I recently was sent the book Devon Makes a Friend by Jessica Davault by the author and I wanted to share my thoughts about this book. I am not being paid to write this review.

Sometimes it is really hard for some children to make friends. This book really breaks down the steps to take in order for a child to make a friend. Not only is this a fantastic book for parents to use with their children who have trouble making friends but I thought this would be an excellent book for an elementary school teacher to use in a classroom. It could be used as a class lesson and students could even give other suggestions that they think might be helpful. It would also help all students learn proper social skills. Teachers can also use it with individual students who may be struggling with this challenge. If students have a disability that causes them to struggle with social skills, this would be a perfect book for them!

I would highly recommend this book to teachers and parents. If you read it, please let me know what you think.

Acting Out Behaviors

Recently someone asked the following questions on an education forum that I participate in. I thought I would share my answer here.

“I am currently student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom. I have a student who often acts out for my attention, my mentors attention, our teacher assistants attention, and more often than not his peers attention. Often when the student acts out for his peers attention it takes away from the lesson that is being taught and it takes a while to regain everyones focus. The teacher assistant often pulls the student aside to complete a simple task when he starts acting out. However, he often yells across the room to get the students attention as well. How do I prevent these acting out behaviors from taking away from a lesson and the whole classes attention?”

I would start doing a functional behavior analysis and collect data on this behavior. Is it only happening when a new skill is being taught? Does it happen during other activities? Does the student gain attention which could be rewarding the behavior instead of diminishing it?

I would also contact the parents to see if the student has experienced any changes in his routine or life. Is the child acting out at home as well as in school? How do the parents handle his acting-out behaviors? Sometimes parents can give suggestions that might work in the school situation also.

Look for what may be causing the behavior and that might give you a clue on how to handle it. Maybe the student is anxious about learning a new skill. Maybe pairing the student with a buddy could help this anxiety if he knows he can ask a buddy for help.

Is there a behavior system implemented in the class? If not, one should be created for all of the students so that they are rewarded for appropriate behavior as well as consequences for inappropriate behavior. If there is one, is it being implemented consistently? I find that one of the hardest things for new teachers to follow through with because it is very time-consuming at the beginning but the pay off is worth it in the end.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Songs of Learning

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Songs of Learning, Rushton features Daniel and the Sea of Sound. Daniel uses technology to find his path.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Can you identify a moment when you knew you were really fascinated by something? Did you follow up on that moment by trying to learn more? If not, what keeps you from doing so now?”

It was interesting that this guy didn’t have any direction of where he planned to go but went to college with an open mind. It was this open mind that let him find new paths that he could possibly explore. I think sometimes we want students to know their direction before they’re ready; instead, we need to encourage the exploration of options.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Boy and His Stamp Collection

This First Day Cover was unique because the booklet was attached as well as the stamp. The 22¢ stamp on this First Day Cover is called Boy and His Stamp Collection (Scott # 2199) and the Booklet Cover that it was in (BC#34). The stamp is one of a pane of 4 in the booklet. It was issued on January 23, 1986. This booklet honored stamp collecting and it was the first time that US commemoratives were issued in booklet form.

The booklet started out from a friendly relationship between the postal departments of the US and Sweden. Swedish themes were shown on stamps in 1938, 1948, and 1983. Since these were so successful, US and Sweden began to talk about doing another joint issue. The president of the Swedish Post Office thought that the US and Sweden should issue stamps featuring philatelic subjects since both countries were going to host international stamp exhibitions in 1986 and celebrating important stamp anniversaries that year. Sweden was celebrating the 250th anniversary of its post office and the 100th year of the Swedish Philatelic Society. The US was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the American Philatelic Society and the 100th anniversary of the Smithsonian accepting stamps for the National Collection.

Printing was a challenge for this design. Using the D Press combined both intaglio and offset printing. In intaglio printing, an image is etched on a metal plate, covered with ink, and pressed on the paper but with offset printing, the image is created on a plate, transferred to a rubber blanket, and printed on paper. Many early stamps printed on the D Press had colors not lined up. Printing the Stamp Collecting pane was one of the most complex printing jobs the Bureau of Engraving and Printing had ever done.

There were 4 different designs in each US booklet. The first stamp pictured a block of 12 green 1887 2-cent Washington stamps with an 1886 cancel. The next stamp was a boy with a collection of dog stamps such as the 1983 Kitten and Puppy stamps and the 1984 American dogs stamps. The third features the 1938 commemorative that honored Swedish and Finnish settlement and the last was the picture of Presidential sheetlets that were being issued in May. It was the first US stamp to show a stamp that had not been issued yet.

The booklets were issued in Stockholm, Sweden, and State College Pennsylvania on January 23, 1986. Swedish representatives participated in the US ceremony and US representatives participated in the Swedish ceremony. The US booklets were only available for sale for sixty to ninety days.

Class Activities:

• Contact a local stamp collecting club and ask someone how to start collecting stamps. Maybe someone can come to speak to the class.
• Start collecting stamps off of envelopes and learn more about that specific stamp. Each student can share information about the stamp with the class.
• Learn more about the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and give a presentation to the class.
• Learn more about the American Philatelic Society and create a brochure.

Reference:
https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/2199/USA/

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/14/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Peter Pig’s Money Counter - “Learning about money is fun with Peter Pig. In this interactive game, kids practice identifying, counting and saving money while learning fun facts about U.S. currency. After completing the game, players are rewarded with a trip to the virtual store to buy accessories within budget and dress up Peter Pig in fun scenes.” (L:E; SA:M)

Top Ten Tools for Social Studies Teachers and Students - “here are my top ten tools for social studies teachers and students.”(L:G; SA:SS)

Football physics: The "impossible" free kick - “In 1997, Brazilian football player Roberto Carlos set up for a 35 meter free kick with no direct line to the goal. Carlos’s shot sent the ball flying wide of the players, but just before going out of bounds it hooked to the left and soared into the net. How did he do it? Erez Garty describes the physics behind one of the most magnificent goals in the history of football.” (L:H; SA:S)

Photos for Class - “Teachers have told us they need a place to access safe images that are available to be used in the classroom and for educational purposes. Plus, they want accurate image citations. We’ve heard you and created “Photos For Class” to meet your needs for images!” (L:G; SA:A)

Stain Solutions - “We have put together a comprehensive list of stain solutions. Each solution contains the supplies you will need and the preferred method for cleaning the stain. You can browse through the list below or use our search toolbar.” (L:T; SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Creative Storm 2022

Here is information about the Creative Storm 2022 Video Contest:

“Put a little creativity into a video teaching any concept one might encounter in elementary, middle, or high school, and keep it to 90 seconds or less. It can be about sculpture, negative numbers, supply and demand, alternative energy, adverbs, or anything else for which you have a clever insight. Read the full rules, and if you click in the right place, you can get some hints.

This is really three contests: one for students, one for teachers, and one for collaborations between the two (as when students plan and/or act and the teacher edits). These get judged separately, and we'll be passing out prizes to the finalists and winners of each.”

Deadline and Prize Info:

“Each video and its entry form(s) must be submitted by 11:59p on Friday, December 16, 2022. There is a small bonus in scoring for those videos submitted by 11:59p on Friday, November 18, 2022.

Certificates! Amazon cards! International glory! This last piece is a bit abstract, but hopefully of value to you. 8^)”

Check out the Next Vista for Learning Page for more information about this. There are sample videos and words of encouragement. I can't wait to see what is submitted!

National Stop Bullying Day

October 12, 2022, is National Stop Bullying Day.

When I was growing up, I was bullied at school. I was bullied because I was the only Chinese girl at school and I was different. I think children tend to treat those who are different badly unless they are taught not to do this. When I was in school, our country was getting into the Vietnam War and people did not treat Asians well. It was tough for me going through school but as I was repeatedly told, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

As I look back at those years, I wonder why no adult ever intervened. Maybe they believed that it would make me stronger. Maybe they quietly agreed with the bullying but I hope not.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that the topic of bullying began to be researched. By then I was ending my public school career and moving on to college. College was so much better and life was good. I didn’t experience any bullying in college, thank goodness.

I’m glad to see in today’s society we are teaching students not to bully and we are teaching those who are bullied to stand up for themselves. We are also teaching those who see bullying to stand up for those that need help.

I think it is essential to discuss this in class with all ages of students. It is important to identify acts of bullying and make a list of these. Students share their ideas of what they think bullying is. Then I would discuss what the person being bullied can do. Next, I would encourage students to talk about what should be done if they witness an act of bullying. The more these discussions happen, the easier it will be to stop bullying.

How do you teach about stopping bullying? Please share.

Photo by Ilayza on Unsplash

The Nature of Design

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In The Nature of Design, Rushton features a video about biomimicry. They imitate nature in order to solve some problems.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

"For you, which piece of the video and how it mentions the natural world was most interesting? Is there a connection between that part of the story, and your own experiences?

Often, people who are seen as successful are good at using what they have experienced and been fascinated by, and combining it with something else in a unique way.

What fascinates you, and how might you tie that to something you’d like to do in the future? If your answer is a little “out there,” you might be on the right track for creating a distinctive future."

I love the idea of connecting our students to nature. This video showed great examples and it would be interesting to see what other examples the students could come up with. It would also be fun to see what new ideas that students can come up with. Students can get in groups and pitch their ideas and come up with a group idea. Then each group can share it with the class and the class could vote on the best idea.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Showing Proof

Years ago, when I was a novice hiker, I was hiking with our local hiking group. After starting the hike, the temperatures dropped and it began to rain pretty hard. Another couple, Don and Jean Arthur, who was hiking with us, said they were not going to continue on the hike. They said that they didn’t need to prove anything to anyone so they were going to find a place to eat lunch and enjoy each other’s company.

Those words have meant a lot to me over the years and really shaped a lot of my decisions. They helped steer me in the right direction when I wavered over what I should do.

Many times, I had to make a hard decision and agonized over what I should do. I am the type of person that wants to please everyone else even if it causes trouble for me. I might not have the time or the skills actually to do what is asked of me but I have trouble saying no. Others knew that I had this problem so felt comfortable asking me to do things.

After hearing Don and Jean say this, I realized that I don’t have to prove myself to anyone either.

What a revelation that was to me!

Now, when I’m asked to do something, I think about those words. If it doesn’t feel right or I just don’t want to do it, I hear those words in my brain and I’m able to say no. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone except myself. I know if I’m doing my best at something and if I’m not, I’m just disappointing myself. If I don’t think it is right, then I shouldn’t do it because I’m accountable to myself.

Thanks to Don and Jean Arthur for making such an impact on my life!

This is what I want my students to learn. I want them to be accountable to themselves which helps them be independent. Don’t do something just because others are doing it. Do something because it is right for you. At the end of the day, if you can be proud of yourself, then you have made the right decisions. If you are miserable and unhappy, then maybe you have done things just to prove yourself to others and you should rethink your decisions.

When you remember this, you will be more successful in the classroom and in life!

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/07/22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Stem Outreach Activities - “This part of the toolkit contains helpful instructions for using Socratic questioning and the Scientific Method to engage kids and help them learn science concepts. Both of these methods have the additional benefit of helping children build literacy and reasoning skills..” (L:E; SA:S)

Penguin Watch - “Count penguin adults, chicks and eggs in far away lands to help us understand their lives and environment.” (L:G; SA:S)

USD Inflation Calculator - “Determine the inflation rate between two time periods.”(L:H; SA:SS, M)

Eye vs. camera - a TED-ed lesson; “Your eyes don’t always capture the world exactly as a video camera would. But the eyes are remarkably efficient organs, the result of hundreds of millions of years of coevolution with our brains. Michael Mauser outlines the similarities and differences between your eye and a video camera.:” (L:G; SA:S)

What is a Comet made of? - “See what interplanetary dust particles lurk inside a comet.” (L:H; SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

2022 Goals Review for September

September seemed to really go by fast. I went to a knitting retreat in the middle of September and we really overate during this time.

1. Lose 5 lbs. – No change since last month. I’m not sure I will accomplish this goal this year. 

2. Finish my national park blanket. - complete!

3. Year of the Gnome - knit at least one gnome a month. Completed 9 gnomes.

4. Knit a sweater. - Complete!

 

5. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – I started the Camp Along blanket, and a pair of socks this month but I really didn’t get anything finished.

-Yarn used - 7005 yds.

-Yarn bought - 10050 yds.

 

6. Design 3 new patterns. – Finished one sock design and a cowl design.

 

7. Learn something new. -  Complete! I’m mosaic crocheting a blanket and dabbling with watercolor painting. I also added embroidery this month which I haven’t done since I was a child.

 

8. Read 12 nonfiction books - read 10 books so far.         

-A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming by Kerri Rawson

-Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

-Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult by Catherine Oxenberg      

-That Time of Year: A Minnesota Life by Garrison Keillor

- The Cat I Never Named : A True Story of Love, War, and Survival by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, Laura Sullivan

-The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

by Erik Larson

-Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion, and Purpose by Sadie Robertson

-Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult by Robert Lacey

-The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan

-Going Solo by Roald Dahl

 

How is your progress towards your goals? Please share.

 

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash 

Student Video Contest

“CEE’s Student Video Contest in celebration of Economic Education Month (October 2022).

Give your students the chance to think about the many cool and interesting ways economics is part of their lives while showing off their economics smarts and creativity in CEE’s student video contest!

Submit videos (60 seconds or less) of your students answering the question: 

“How is economics part of my everyday life?”.

You and your students could win cash prizes and more!

• Entries must be submitted by teachers on behalf of their students.
• There is no limit on the number of videos a teacher may submit for their class.
• Videos may feature one or multiple students.

All entries are due: October 19, 2022, 11:59 PM ET.

Prizes: one winner will be chosen in each of the following grade bands: K-4; 5-8; 9-12.

• Teachers will each receive: $500 Amex gift cards
• Each student in the video will receive a $50 Amex gift card

Winners will be announced on Friday, October 28, 2022.

3-D Printing Homes

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In 3-D Printing Homes, Rushton features New Story, the non-profit company that built the first 3-D home in Austin, TX.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“What kind of changes could it bring to a community if nice, simple houses became far more affordable?

What does a home cost in your area? What would it mean for families to have the opportunity to buy homes like this?

Now consider the numbers above. What does $4000 really mean for these homes? Is that what they would sell for? If not, what would you have to know to get a better price point?

Take some time to talk with your family about costs of housing. What might you learn?”

I would like to think that if more people had access to affordable housing, there would be fewer homeless people. Yes, this had me asking a lot of questions. If housing was more affordable for people, would they be willing to do this? I know Habitat for Humanity has the recipients help with the building so they have sweat equity in the house, so if this house is “given” to people, would they have the same feeling about it? Would they care for it in the same way? How does this house stand up to harsh weather like heavy rains, snow, ice, and strong winds? How insulated would it be and what would the cost of heating and cooling be for this compared to standard houses? Would there be people wanting to make a bigger profit for this since the cost is low which would make this house not affordable for people?

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Happy Birthday to My Mother

Today would have been my mother’s 93rd birthday. I hope she is having a wonderful heavenly birthday! I still miss her even though it has been 33 years since she passed away. I love you, mommy! 

Original photo by Pat Hensley