Live and Learn New Mexico!

We are starting on the next steps to our proposal for an XQ super school, which are 1) Discovery (youth input) and 2) Design. I will blog as we go along so that I can refer people to it if they are interested and won't need to repeat myself. It's also the best way to reach all those who are scattered around the state but are interested in the project. Youth Input I've set up a meeting next week in Los Alamos to talk about how people there can participate (Tuesday, Jan. 5, 3:30, at Time Out Pizza). I will be getting input from some of their (disenfranchised) youth, which is important, given the unique character of that community. I've also been working on getting input from the young people I know in the east mountain area , and we will be working on that as well at A New Awakening in Rio Rancho . I haven't heard from anyone who may have read my blog posts on Facebook but hope that people will at some point share their experiences in the comments section under

L&LNM's concept for a super school was reviewed and approved by the  XQ Super School Challenge  people, and we can now work on fleshing out our ideas and backing up our design with research. Our final design is due in February. Before we move on to the next phases, we should review the concept for our XQ Super School. Below are the questions we were asked and the answers we submitted in the first phase, the Concept phase: LIVE AND LEARN NEW MEXICO! SCHOOL CONCEPT Q:  A bold and compelling idea will be at the center of our school: what is your idea and why does it have the potential to transform high school learning? A.  L&LNM hopes to serve the whole state of New Mexico by using the technology available to make communication across distances easy and by using technology our young people use. We will use the internet as much as possible to run the program, communicate across sites, and plug into professional development and learning opportunities for staff, facu

I was waiting for an email that told me whether L&LNM has been approved to submit our idea for an XQ super school and then realized that I should look at the website, and sure enough, there it was. Our idea was approved. Now we have little time to get it all together and submit our super school design by February. I've been looking at some of the other concepts in NM communities that have been submitted and they all look great. There is a concerted effort to go global. I'm all for that but I think our twist on that concept -- going local to go global -- is unique. First, we want to help NM communities become stronger. We want to help create meaningful work in those communities. The global community is already happening with the internet, social media, news feeds, etc. We will tap into that without really trying. NEXT STEPS TO BE DONE ASAP  We can start working on the Discovery and Design phases of the XQ challenge at the same time. For Discovery, we need input from yo

Yesterday I made the mistake of commenting on an article I read on the LA (Los Alamos) Daily Post's Facebook page. It was about healthcare. I wanted to point out that for many of us, healthcare and how to obtain/afford it, was the cause of much stress, stress that caused health problems...a vicious circle. I appreciate the efforts being made to make healthcare available to everyone. I got replies and was thrilled. Most people disagreed with me but their comments made me think and rethink some of my beliefs. I thought we were having a spirited debate until one guy made the comment that I am an idiot. It bothered me all night. I don't believe him for a minute but still, my feelings were hurt. So, like I do sometimes when I can't shake it, I thought on it all night, and I came up with a response. I rehearsed it in my head and I will write it here. It will make me feel better so just humor me. Dear Mr. Mean Guy: You made two comments on our Facebook discussion yesterday

[This is a re-re-post. I just blogged about voting for Gary Johnson and learned so much from all the angry comments that ensued. I learned that I was right to vote not to vote. It was like watching people on meth, from day one when they experience it the first time (they decide on a candidate) to when they are hooked and they turn on each other in meth-induced anger. Except it is politics-induced anger. The more we "talk" the more competitive and angry we get.  I don't think politics should turn us all into meth monsters. Where's the conversation our democratic process is supposed to ensure? And why do we turn on each other?] Okay, so I watched yet another documentary that got me thinking further about the need to "flip" the way we think so we can solve real problems that we really care about in as non-political a manner as possible. First, let me say that I've learned by watching these documentaries that for many, the films are the only voice the

I have been thinking about my next step in the credit card war  I'm fighting and thought I would write an update. Since writing the first post, I've been paying for most things with my debit card and actual cash and using my two credit cards sparingly. I pay 2-3 times the minimum payment due each month on each credit card. I pay my bills early. I think that sounds pretty responsible. However, my credit score has plummeted 20 points. Here I am, stress free about my finances because I'm getting rid of my debt but my score goes down. I'm guessing it's because I don't have a "real" job. That's capitalism for you. I will say that Discover, when they learned I was moving last June, offered to defer my bill for a month. I didn't need to take them up on the offer. I wish, though, that they would lower the high interest that I've been living with for decades. I spent a long time getting my finances together but I will always be punished for

I have a friend from Ukraine, and when I saw that the movie Winter on Fire   was offered on Netflix, I thought I might watch it and learn a little more about where she comes from. Turns out, it was a very appropriate movie to watch, not only for that reason but also because what happened in the documentary ties in very well with L&LNM's ideas about the future of learning and the need to listen to our youth. We Are American! As proud American parents, we encourage our kids to question and challenge. We push them to think for themselves and be independent, to look to the future because they ARE the future. We want them to find their passion and fight for it. Other parents in other countries share the sentiment. But then our youth do just that -- they speak up. There is no malice or ill intent. All they want is to make positive change. Time and time again, it is government that can't take the criticism; it sees it as a loss of control/power, and it responds with viol

(This is a repost from 12.3.2015, changed up a little) For the past year, my daughter has been driving from Cedar Crest into Abq for her classes at UNM, and it is stressful for her, given the number of crazy stupid aggressive drivers out there. Every time Kelsey leaves for her class, I worry until she returns home. Often, she fights the traffic to class only to have it canceled. That is when I start to get angry about her unnecessary stress, traffic in Abq, and wasting my money on gas/mileage/parking/tuition so my kid can get to a canceled class. So let's revisit my (and many others') idea to bring learning to the local level and use online resources as well to redesign our kids' learning experiences and to reflect true life. Kelsey takes dance classes. That, of course, is a class best done in person, not online. One of her instructors has a dance studio in Edgewood but she drives to UNM each class to teach there. Why can't she have the class at her studio? Many s