English as a Second Language

This morning on my drive into work I heard a local news story on NPR (WLRN in Miami) about summer school for kids in elementary school (I believe it was 3rd grade). Thousands of children failed the reading comprehension portion of the FCAT. Most of these children come from homes where English is a second language. The children in this summer program scored a 1 (out of 5) and should be at around a level 3.

And it got me thinking...why are so many children failing these FCAT tests? Is it simply because the parents don't speak English? When I grew up in NY most of my friends were first generation American. Their parents were from Colombia, Israel, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan - I mean you name the country and I had a friend from there. But somehow we all excelled in reading comprehension despite the fact that our parents spoke a language other than English in the home.

So what is the difference? Is it simply that these kids aren't forced to speak English enough? Growing up in NY we didn't have an opportunity to use our parent's first language outside of the home - but I know that in Florida the case is exactly the opposite - you are encouraged to use Spanish every where you go.

So now that kids are being "left behind" and can't pass reading comprehension exams - is it time to make some changes? Change the test? Change how kids are raised?

Do You Want To Save The World?

It seems that saving the world is on everyone's lips lately. San Francisco just passed a law which would ban plastic bags to be used at supermarkets and other stores. A major solar power plant just opened in Portugal. Restaurants are refocusing their menus on local sustainable ingredients. Countless companies are going green. Biodiesel fuel is available for everyday use. And people are switching to energy saver lightbulbs.

Sounds like people are actually starting to realize the need for change.

Lori just posted a great piece on her blog about saving the planet one plate at a time. She talks about a book called Soul-Full Eating, written by Maureen Whitehouse. Maureen says:

“I’d like to offer people hope,” said Whitehouse. “To deliver the news that there are simple things you can do to affect global change for the better. Yes, responding to Al Gore’s call to action can start as simply as choosing different foods to put on your plate. And you can learn to make better choices more easily when you know how to eat in a way that resonates with your Soul.”

So what can you do today to save the world? Well, first you can go out and get Maureen's book and learn about buying organic local foods. Next, buy some reusable cloth bags to take to the grocery store which will cut down on plastic bag use. Try opening the windows instead of pumping the A/C. Shut off the lights when you leave a room. Find out if your local energy company has any reusable energy sources which you can help contribute towards. FPL recently started a new program called Sunshine Energy where you contribute $9.75 a month towards building reusable alternative energy sources in Florida.

So what else can you do right now? Please share some tips and help save the world!

Your IQ

What does your IQ mean in the long run? Does it effect your chance of getting divorced or your quality of life? This chart suggests that your IQ correlates to your career potential, poverty and incarceration, among other things. (From Digg)

And speaking of IQ....Chris Langan is supposed to have the highest IQ. He set the record on an IQ Test for having the highest IQ (190-210). Check out this You tube Video of Chris.

Wonder how smart you are? Check out this tricky Intelligence Test.

Don't let this IQ thing get you down - there is still hope for all of you! This site shows you how to get a FREE College Education Online. I know this sounds like a cheap advertisement but really it's not. Check out the site and you will see that tons of universities and colleges offer free online classes where you can learn things like sign language, mathematics, various languages plus way way more...you can even check out classes from Ivy League schools.