15 Wrong Ways to Implement the Common Core

<br /><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>guest post by Johnna Weller, Ed D. </b></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note from Vicki: As I was talking to Johnna from <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.discoveryeducation.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Discovery Education">Discovery Education</a> about this post, I started hearing her talk about districts who are struggling with Common Core. We thought that it would be helpful to know what people are doing to cause their districts to fail in implementation. Of course, if we learn from failure, we can fail forward into success. Thanks Johnna for this guest post. (See disclosures at the bottom.)</span></i></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbd8rc9ke9hjbTLfzD1pdb97G5ieFYB4-uEQa38SPu3GpwBnxAgaku1IvKbIATmqHXjwTKA3qwoasI6XfQ0h_s6zTugHxcuG-EGHBqHK-P-nJHv-KWy7CoHKbjqFuyezZWFYg-X7ojplL/s1600/image00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbd8rc9ke9hjbTLfzD1pdb97G5ieFYB4-uEQa38SPu3GpwBnxAgaku1IvKbIATmqHXjwTKA3qwoasI6XfQ0h_s6zTugHxcuG-EGHBqHK-P-nJHv-KWy7CoHKbjqFuyezZWFYg-X7ojplL/s1600/image00.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Answers to complex questions never<br />come in a box. A seal on a box does not<br />guarantee success.</td></tr></tbody></table><h2><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">15.  Expect that a packaged program will be the magic bullet.</span></h2><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">We’ve all seen the labels on the cover of teacher’s manuals that say (in bold print), “Aligned to CCSS.”  And, although the lessons might be matched to specific CC standards, and include quality examples of “close reading” or “text-based questions,” there is no program that can cause our students to be deep and critical thinkers.  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Of course, materials can be a helpful resource to teachers, but they are only as good as the teacher who uses them.   This is my mantra:</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">“Programs don’t teach kids, teachers teach kids.”  </span></blockquote><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">So, read the labels, and be a judicious consumer of what’s out there, but know that you can’t buy CCSS implementation in a box.</span></div><h2><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">14.  Expect that anything will be the magic bullet.</span></h2><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Despite what you may have seen or heard, there is no simple solution to implementing the </span><span class="c5 c1" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://commoncore.org/" style="text-decoration: inherit;">Common Core</a></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">.  Meaningful implementation is a process…a process of refining and reflecting instructional practice.  That process takes time, and various strategies (just like the way we want students to problem-solve).  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">No single product, event, or experience -- no matter how powerful -- will single-handedly flip the switch to Common Core.  Educators should be </span><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: blue;">strategic </span></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">in their implementation by designing a plan that includes a variety of high-quality ways to move toward  transforming their classrooms.  Such an implementation plan needs to address curriculum, assessment, and instruction.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifug8a1YiXge_XKGaSQeeR1rLYG1528U7K5SAEGFyqJWvWbeqkkunpyIgc2IxwK1MF2rIPQ3QlcPucSw_wRL5vYLm-z8nX8DYQoPauAyiMPRwX_pEMtHwxDFdCo42er81Yungrc8PUk7_Q/s1600/image01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifug8a1YiXge_XKGaSQeeR1rLYG1528U7K5SAEGFyqJWvWbeqkkunpyIgc2IxwK1MF2rIPQ3QlcPucSw_wRL5vYLm-z8nX8DYQoPauAyiMPRwX_pEMtHwxDFdCo42er81Yungrc8PUk7_Q/s1600/image01.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Technology is mentioned in the Common Core<br />State standards <b>40 times</b>! It is important but teachers<br />are still important.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">13.  Put all your eggs in the technology basket.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">There is no doubt that <b><span style="color: blue;">technology </span></b>has the power to transform teaching and learning.  Plus, <span style="color: purple;">it is mentioned in the CCSS no less than 40 times</span><span style="color: red;">.</span>  But, unto itself, technology/media/digital, etc will not guarantee that students question, connect, infer, analyze, and think.  That’s where teachers come in.  <i>(Remember, there’s no magic bullet.) </i> </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">The most powerful way to leverage technology, is to engage in ongoing professional development and collaboration to learn, practice, and infuse it meaningfully into instruction. <i>(These ideas are evident in </i></span><i><span class="c1 c9" style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;">Discovery Education’</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">s design of professional development that puts amazing technology in teachers’ hands, but recognizes that the power of its effectiveness is through instruction.)  </span></i></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1 c6" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">12.  Remove everything from your curriculum that isn’t attached to a Common Core standard.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Even the CCSS documents themselves say that the standards “…do not—indeed, cannot—enumerate all or even most of the content that students should learn. The Standards must therefore be complemented by a well-developed, content-rich curriculum consistent with the expectations laid out in this document.”  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">So, don’t forget about health.  And the arts.  And more. </span><span class="c10 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic;">(See </span><span class="c1 c8" style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2013/05/if-common-core-standards-become-our.html" style="text-decoration: inherit;">If Common Core Standards Become our Straight Jacket, we'll hate what education becomes</a></span><span class="c10 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic;"> for how this is happening in some schools already.)</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv0txOHJqo5fUcs6IDoxPIDxIXBMSF5lI7gojrwePNjZvQ4DtvB_9OJxUt0iZBgeQj-pOxSPafVMdOviJuT5vGYV5exckFb0D5RG6HtGkirm_5Ae9ZXlPcLPIcayktAedth8ZB3giVBEj/s1600/image02.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv0txOHJqo5fUcs6IDoxPIDxIXBMSF5lI7gojrwePNjZvQ4DtvB_9OJxUt0iZBgeQj-pOxSPafVMdOviJuT5vGYV5exckFb0D5RG6HtGkirm_5Ae9ZXlPcLPIcayktAedth8ZB3giVBEj/s320/image02.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<b>Creativity</b>" is listed in the Common Core<br />State Standards - even in math! How do you<br />get creative with math? </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">11.  Don’t empower the creative genius of students and teachers.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">You might be surprised to know that the word “<span style="color: blue;"><b>creativity</b></span>” appears in the Math CCSS (yes, math!).  We can value and nurture creativity by producing, not only consuming, a variety of information, ideas, texts, and media.  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ7LLWuCa3-pTY7lV2mswX7hx9ZVH6WOQzHEqZB1a0x9jCh90qHu4zUZj4CuiMy5CfABUchf9OhLZKAhFEuamvGc0AWvajawSNifhYRNkXWsouIWXV-ZAJyZ3bJp7jwueMW4EHMvkmeFC/s1600/image03.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ7LLWuCa3-pTY7lV2mswX7hx9ZVH6WOQzHEqZB1a0x9jCh90qHu4zUZj4CuiMy5CfABUchf9OhLZKAhFEuamvGc0AWvajawSNifhYRNkXWsouIWXV-ZAJyZ3bJp7jwueMW4EHMvkmeFC/s1600/image03.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You need a network. These Discovery Educator Network (DEN)<br />teachers are meeting to collaborate and learn from each<br />other. You can collaborate and connect for<br />mutual learning experiences wherever teachers<br />connect... on Twitter, Facebook, and face to face.<br />They are all vital parts of the savvy educator's PLN.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">10.  Go it alone.</span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">The positive impact of <span style="color: blue;"><b>collaboration </b></span>has been validated by researchers and practitioners.  As a profession, we must tap into and share our collective expertise to support our individual efforts. Teachers might be superheroes -- but even superheroes accomplish more when they work together.  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><i><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">(An example of a powerful electronic community of practice is </span><span class="c5 c1" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://community.discoveryeducation.com/" style="text-decoration: inherit;">Discovery Educator Network (DEN)</a></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">, where teachers from across the country share ideas.  Discovery also holds a variety of </span><span class="c9 c1" style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;">opportunities</span></i><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><i> for teachers to come together live and in person to learn and share with each other.) </i> </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">9. Focus only on outcomes and not processes.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Student learning</span>, aka deep thinking, is the goal of the Common Core.  Remember that learning is a process.  So, even though we look to our outcomes and data as measures of learning, we can’t ignore the process.  The same idea applies to teachers.  Teachers need opportunities to learn, plan, act, and reflect.  </span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvX7ytv_JL6nXpn458j2oT70aKnHBlhWvE8O8ec_P-Oip0vxei_CncA2tSDYf2CRZaRnEGTO_suwfkf7vB_qK7soICvJC_kOoHVvNkIHlGwNmHxXvx_q3wKQ7NAceN5baVpmkR34836k/s1600/iStock_000013746797XSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvX7ytv_JL6nXpn458j2oT70aKnHBlhWvE8O8ec_P-Oip0vxei_CncA2tSDYf2CRZaRnEGTO_suwfkf7vB_qK7soICvJC_kOoHVvNkIHlGwNmHxXvx_q3wKQ7NAceN5baVpmkR34836k/s320/iStock_000013746797XSmall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Beware of how you define rigor!<br />Giving kids harder math problems or more difficult books<br />to read doesn't increase the rigor. It only increases frustration.<br />Talk to your staff about what rigor is!</td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">8.  Equate complexity with difficulty.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Webster defines <span style="color: blue;"><b>complex </b></span>as</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">“having many parts, details, ideas, or functions.”  </span></blockquote><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">In our information-driven world, our students will need the ability to process, filter, and ponder many sources of information.  For this reason, the Common Core standards promote critical and complex thinking.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">That means that students need opportunities to learn, practice, and apply these skills.  So teachers need to demonstrate, model, and support students in these tasks.  That’s not the same as assigning difficult tasks.  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">Giving kids harder math problems and more difficult books to read doesn’t increase the</span><span class="c9 c6 c1" style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/ProfessionalLearning/DOK/default.htm" style="text-decoration: inherit;"> rigor</a></span><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">.</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">  It only increases frustration -- for the student and the teacher.  This takes us back to the importance of time for teachers to learn, plan, act, and reflect on ways to engage students in complex thinking.</span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">7.  Make it more about curriculum-alignment than instructional practice.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Obviously, a well-designed and cohesive curriculum is a part of CCSS implementation.  However, even</span><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"> the best curriculum delivered poorly is doomed. </span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="color: blue;"><b>Instructional practice</b></span> is </span><span class="c11 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;">the</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> key to creating classrooms where students are deep readers and writers who inquire, question, critique, and synthesize.   Research continually points to the impact of the teacher as the most powerful factor in student learning.  To continue that thought…</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">6.  Ignore the need for professional development.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">High-quality professional development is the best way to make the transition to the Common Core.  Consider a variety of options to include follow-up and collaboration.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">5. Don’t communicate with parents and the community.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">As we move forward into a model of school that looks different than sit and get (finally), parents need to understand that <span style="color: blue;">rote memorization</span> will be lessened, while <span style="color: blue;">inquiry </span>and <span style="color: blue;">problem-solving</span> will be increased. It’s true…this is not your grandmother’s classroom.  Technology allows the world to be our classroom.  To be successful, this shift will require the mutual support of school, home, community.  </span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTxDDBuuzStSRBR1YA-4x4s2ICUEaP9S8Xyql11VYnhlTsKsh6KGL_989dMpur0w08yOfkb8z_BJeiDOv5Di6x49Mur-kpWabMPHCcapoPYH77Q4mgT-tW6DROdjYh9H4L6iTHDtV2p_Y/s1600/bigstock-Teacher-And-Students-In-Art-Cl-3917340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTxDDBuuzStSRBR1YA-4x4s2ICUEaP9S8Xyql11VYnhlTsKsh6KGL_989dMpur0w08yOfkb8z_BJeiDOv5Di6x49Mur-kpWabMPHCcapoPYH77Q4mgT-tW6DROdjYh9H4L6iTHDtV2p_Y/s320/bigstock-Teacher-And-Students-In-Art-Cl-3917340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classrooms should always be improving and leveling up learning.<br />As a profession, we should be the premier learning organization.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">4. Say, “We do this already.”</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">No matter what you’ve “done” regarding Common Core, there is plenty more to learn and apply.  As a profession, we should be the premier learning organization.  Unfortunately, sometimes we are not.  The type of thinking that keeps us static will not help us get better.  Remember, if you’re not growing,</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> you’re dying.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">3.</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">Don’t network outside of your school.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">In the same line of thinking as #10, </span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">schools can’t thrive in a cocoon</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">.  The CCSS are a fabulous opportunity for educators across the country to be talking the same language, sharing ideas and generating synergy.  None of us is a smart as all of us.  It’s evident by the ideas on </span><span class="c9 c1" style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://pinterest.com/" style="text-decoration: inherit;">pinterest</a></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> and the discussions on </span><span class="c9 c1" style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://twitter.com/" style="text-decoration: inherit;">#ccchat</a></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> that we can be collective thought-partners.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">2. Be afraid.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Fear of change.  Fear of the unknown.  Why be afraid?  We c</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">ould learn from NASA </span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">-- which accomplishes historic feats by being open to change, curious about the unknown, and enticed by challenge.  This is an exciting time for society and education -- and most importantly, our students.  Let’s embrace the challenge and stretch ourselves.  The most powerful practices begin in the classrooms of <a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/11/classroom-is-flat-teacherpreneurs-and.html">teacherpreneurs </a>who study, apply, and reflect on their practice.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">1.  Don’t focus on kids.</span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Always remember why we do what we do.  Implementation of the Common Core with flying colors -- shiny curriculum, top-notch assessments, and even stellar instructional practices -- <span style="color: blue;">won’t mean anything if it’s not connected to your students.</span></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4CA6ZfHT8X5N8QD-RLB6itHD-PNuh4dq2QtXX9lAUsOWiUXuY00JPNl0joonnowkyzWAVq5CcJx5oU7anEOtfpQqRJGO1hpe8K1mn-TCk7MCsYnXwh11pNKkDdKO643k9MQQFnHvJGjQ/s1600/bigstock-happy-children-group-in-school-14834018+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4CA6ZfHT8X5N8QD-RLB6itHD-PNuh4dq2QtXX9lAUsOWiUXuY00JPNl0joonnowkyzWAVq5CcJx5oU7anEOtfpQqRJGO1hpe8K1mn-TCk7MCsYnXwh11pNKkDdKO643k9MQQFnHvJGjQ/s320/bigstock-happy-children-group-in-school-14834018+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Act to improve your classrooms.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">What you can do</span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">So, now that you know what NOT to do to implement the Common Core, here’s something that you can do: tap into the variety of options that </span><span class="c5 c1" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://www.discoveryeducation.com/" style="text-decoration: inherit;">Discovery Education</a></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> offers.  We don’t claim to be the magic bullet (there isn’t one, remember?).  But, they can provide a variety of tools to add to your implementation plan.  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">To help teachers and administrators implement Common Core well (and avoid pitfalls listed above), Discovery Education is providing </span><span class="c1 c5" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Common-Core-Academy/index.cfm" style="text-decoration: inherit;">professional development academies</a></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> in various location across the US this summer.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">Regardless of whether your school has access to Discovery products, these academies provide proven practices in instruction, curriculum, and assessment into classroom applications that support long-term planning and immediate classroom application.  </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">As a trusted educational partner, Discovery Education has worked with thousands of educators to transform teaching and learning.  They understand that successful implementation requires a focus on fundamentals: curriculum, instruction, assessment, and leadership.</span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">You can learn about the four academies at:</span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c9 c1" style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Common-Core-Academy/index.cfm" style="text-decoration: inherit;">http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Common-Core-Academy/index.cfm</a></span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div><div class="c0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; height: 10pt;"><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="c2" style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="c6 c1 c10" style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Disclosure of Material Connection</span><span class="c10 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic;">: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I have used personally. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s </span><span class="c1 c4" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="c7" href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2003-title16-vol1/content-detail.html" style="text-decoration: inherit;">16 CFR, Part 255</a></span><span class="c10 c1" style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic;">: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.</span><span class="c1" style="font-size: 14pt;">”</span></div><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=f8afdf17-de5e-43dd-b110-fc0989116c19" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

15 Wrong Ways to Implement the Common Core

guest post by Johnna Weller, Ed D. Note from Vicki: As I was talking to Johnna from Discovery Education about this post, I started hearing ...

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Join a free Western Cape Innovation workshop on Sat 11th or Sat 18th May

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IojTxlA65KA_TYqac8sm6JMP4PEyRKuUqRqSceyDEjQwfuMvFgRjhvKj9fdxmDALJ-KjM8l-mUcQBcUFdXfow_l86d4FGQGECKXDRr8QwE-J6YD8iHizzjVsOBt4DjSbvGV6PNR7kwA/s1600/microsoft+partners+in+learning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IojTxlA65KA_TYqac8sm6JMP4PEyRKuUqRqSceyDEjQwfuMvFgRjhvKj9fdxmDALJ-KjM8l-mUcQBcUFdXfow_l86d4FGQGECKXDRr8QwE-J6YD8iHizzjVsOBt4DjSbvGV6PNR7kwA/s1600/microsoft+partners+in+learning.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Microsoft is currently holding free workshops around the country to prepare teachers for the Microsoft Partners in Learning Innovative Educator Forum this year, and we are holding two in the Cape Town region over the next two Saturdays.  We would love you to attend one of them (the presenter at both workshops will be Fiona Beal).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Dates</b></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Saturday 11th May 2013</u> – Somerset House Preparatory School,  Drama Street, Somerset West from 8:30 – 4pm<br /><u>Saturday 18th May 2013</u> – St Cyprians School, Gorge Road, Oranjezicht, 8001 from 8:30 – 4pm<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert programme</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The format and requirements for the Microsoft Partners in Learning Forum have changed quite radically this year compared to previous years. Microsoft is introducing the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert programme recognising 250 innovative teachers from around the world (much like the Apple Distinguished Educator and the Google Certified Teacher) The Global Forum for this will take place in March 2014 (destination still to be announced), but entries still have to be in this year. There are two entry dates for this competition:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span style="font-size: 7pt;">        </span><!--[endif]-->By 3 June 2013 to win a trip to the SchoolNet Conference in Bloemfontein and be selected as a finalist at the South African Global Forum<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span style="font-size: 7pt;">        </span><!--[endif]-->By 31 July 2013 for another chance to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(The reason for  the two dates  is that teachers can still apply for the Microsoft Expert Educator programme up till the closing date at the end of July but would miss being recognised at the local forum in Bloemfontein.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teachers are now asked to upload a Learning Activity to the Partners in Learning Network (including a two-minute video) and they need to apply to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert. This is not as daunting as it sounds! How to apply is covered in the workshop, but attention is also paid to making sound use of digital tools, using social media for professional development and looking at examples of how other teachers have used digital tools in engaging or creative ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Workshop sessions</b></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The current Innovation Workshop is quite different from previous versions and feedback from sessions that have already been run has been very positive. Below are the session titles and what is covered:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Session 1: Teaching and Learning in a connected world</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using Social Media for educational purposes and your own professional development<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Session 2: Learning Activities that use Digital Tools</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See how other teachers have created or enhanced a lesson by incorporating free, easy-to-use tools<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Session 3: Getting ideas, mastering tools, creating Learning Activities</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Devise a Learning Activity that would teach a new concept to a group using a tool or technique<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Session 4: 21st Century Learning Dimensions</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learn about six dimensions that 21st Century teachers should aim towards and how to include them in your learning activities<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Session 5: Creating your own Learning Activity</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brainstorm ways of creating or enhancing a learning activity that you can use to develop 21st century skills<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Session 6: Applying to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Show your passion for using technology for education and you stand a chance of winning a spot at the SchoolNet ICT in the Classroom conference to present your Learning Activity and being selected to attend the Partners in Learning Global Forum<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We know that many teachers are creating creative and engaging learning activities and we would love to see these entries. It would be great if you could encourage colleagues to enter and could perhaps run a few sessions with them as part of your staff development programmes. More information about the Forum as well as the resources for the sessions can be found at the following link: 2013 South Africa and Lesotho Partners in Learning Discussion on the PiL Network at  <a href="http://www.pil-network.com/Discussion/488ae828-fa68-4ef5-83a0-faa249c866c4" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://www.pil-network.com/Discussion/488ae828-fa68-4ef5-83a0-faa249c866c4</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact fiona(at)schoolnet.org.za for further details. </span></div></div>

Microsoft Join a free Western Cape Innovation workshop on Sat 11th or Sat 18th May

Microsoft is currently holding free workshops around the country to prepare teachers for the Microsoft Partners in Learning Innovative Educa...

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this little light of mine

So, I got a new chandelier for the dining room.<br /><br />Would this be the dining room that just <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-youre-knob-and-tube.html" target="_blank">got a new chandelier last year</a>? Yep, that's the one.<br /><br />Now, before you go putting me in the loony bin for buying yet another lighting fixture for the dining room (this makes #3), let me state my case. It is a vintage bamboo chandelier at a wicked good price. I couldn't very well leave it behind once I saw it. What if someone bought it who wouldn't have taken care of it? There was a lady with a bedazzled purse and a scrunchie eyeing it at the same time my mom and I were fawning. I couldn't let this light go home with Mrs. Scrunchie, that's just mean. So really I rescued this light from certain doom. I'm a humanitarian. Me and Angelina.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWCfoSlBE05WxkOzDFXkB9axiTkEZiD7mu2tPOiMl5RfaDIyWi29FFRm5f5NNyFn7Gr1Q-76duqutYLklS2JCFoLMfkB9g6Y7fvB-rZNd-tJeewwijGqV6GxJnr4a9DlOOdJ8a08TO2FJ/s1600/BamboChandlier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWCfoSlBE05WxkOzDFXkB9axiTkEZiD7mu2tPOiMl5RfaDIyWi29FFRm5f5NNyFn7Gr1Q-76duqutYLklS2JCFoLMfkB9g6Y7fvB-rZNd-tJeewwijGqV6GxJnr4a9DlOOdJ8a08TO2FJ/s400/BamboChandlier.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><br />The only problem I had with it was the color. I am a card-carrying member of the black fan club but I've already got a lot of black in the <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/p/dining-room.html" target="_blank">dining room</a> and the walls are darker so adding this big and wonderful black light was just sucking the remaining light out of the room. And the black was hiding all of the great detail that made me love the light in the first place.<br /><br />I wavered between something sparkly and something with more pop. But while I wavered, I made myself useful and primed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m0WksvsrM5PuojAEdb78T8GNmBe2pT1BWEh1FiCuKrA4HdNg8YtCSTWxNuJLy1LQd1oGRLkKjaEk_lh41iHzohBUXFYa-8ui6yCYvy4FgtbSlKkloOpOxx9uwB_mP9gURRy0-TbVtzWG/s1600/BamboPrimed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m0WksvsrM5PuojAEdb78T8GNmBe2pT1BWEh1FiCuKrA4HdNg8YtCSTWxNuJLy1LQd1oGRLkKjaEk_lh41iHzohBUXFYa-8ui6yCYvy4FgtbSlKkloOpOxx9uwB_mP9gURRy0-TbVtzWG/s400/BamboPrimed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Sparkle took over and I went with gold. I think I had spent a few hours play dress up with the girls before hand, so that might have influenced my decision. But the subtle, glam, vintagey gold I was looking for didn't happen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuj8Zq5YiPNe3uadgRxZTTj0T8m0gua9btQZ1tnQnmd0XPaxk8CbGtiSuUNb0T6Y2hOaG3Dn9j3BZ9Ba_4EdafCO9dntG_Cf7srSlrdEEJaOVk4F1TxOm7gp6EcwNxSFbv5ueKxMIKXu1/s1600/goldbamboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuj8Zq5YiPNe3uadgRxZTTj0T8m0gua9btQZ1tnQnmd0XPaxk8CbGtiSuUNb0T6Y2hOaG3Dn9j3BZ9Ba_4EdafCO9dntG_Cf7srSlrdEEJaOVk4F1TxOm7gp6EcwNxSFbv5ueKxMIKXu1/s640/goldbamboo.jpg" width="481" /></a></div><br />Bust.<br /><br />It was a little too Golden Girls for my taste. I suppose I could have taken some rub n' buff to the thing to tone it done a bit, but have you taken a close look at this thing? It has no fewer than 47 sides. It's a mathematical anomaly. It was hard enough to spray it, I wasn't about to hand rub the sucker.<br /><br />I decided to go with what my gut had told me originally and go with my color pop. Why I ever tried to ignore you gut I don't know. My apologies. After something red, with a bit of orange in it, I went to Michaels to look thru the hard core arty spray paint and landed on <a href="http://www.liquitex.com/spraypaint/" target="_blank">Cadmium Red by Liquitex</a>.<br /><br />The color was perfect and the paint goes on wonderfully. It dries super fast and the odor is almost non-existant.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvJZ3_r-tyt8yrHKfmhMNHFrlGLh6DWoMIGTP8vHx8y5E-ltxrKIIggOEUVIpV-rbsdWtQNZcdEq437TmorwbVnWtHOj1-tt2Q0vloXGW1E7jfA8bVFaVbLv8hvocnSY-Kn4atKgIE8YL/s1600/bamboopainted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvJZ3_r-tyt8yrHKfmhMNHFrlGLh6DWoMIGTP8vHx8y5E-ltxrKIIggOEUVIpV-rbsdWtQNZcdEq437TmorwbVnWtHOj1-tt2Q0vloXGW1E7jfA8bVFaVbLv8hvocnSY-Kn4atKgIE8YL/s400/bamboopainted.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I will warn you though this stuff chips like a... it chips really bad. I wouldn't use this on anything that would get any sort of day to day use, but since people rarely touch my chandelier, I figure it will be safe.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3igkGxvjPPu0X_mvF6Drgq6lmv2EkmuXlouc7I_dQZW0K53YJBe6mYIbhR3ChQdcXVbjEERYkE7z5ogO3RBBu9Y4N4F3RjU1tcyDouDssNKBSgK8JgVyJuRyYlBquuziieJQNvM-VTnY6/s1600/diningroombamboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3igkGxvjPPu0X_mvF6Drgq6lmv2EkmuXlouc7I_dQZW0K53YJBe6mYIbhR3ChQdcXVbjEERYkE7z5ogO3RBBu9Y4N4F3RjU1tcyDouDssNKBSgK8JgVyJuRyYlBquuziieJQNvM-VTnY6/s640/diningroombamboo.jpg" width="529" /></a></div><br />So up she went, looking beautiful. All of her pretty details showing up so much better now in her bright red. But she was missing one last detail. This was the perfect piece to try out one of my favorite blogger 'I want to try that one day' DIYs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WR8zvjfGLzQHvTBv6Ht50JeTp-vSEN7bGoFjzGm18ri5zjzqKXWz6Ux6mRrgfyAGebg3z5E4zNhKHX1XChNZoymshTwbd8wB-9Rv3n-cSZoRFdBd6JTdYHBFgcsn1TbseE0yeKPQW_2L/s1600/bambochandlierred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WR8zvjfGLzQHvTBv6Ht50JeTp-vSEN7bGoFjzGm18ri5zjzqKXWz6Ux6mRrgfyAGebg3z5E4zNhKHX1XChNZoymshTwbd8wB-9Rv3n-cSZoRFdBd6JTdYHBFgcsn1TbseE0yeKPQW_2L/s400/bambochandlierred.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Yep, I followed <a href="http://www.recentlytheblog.com/2012/09/my-favorite-room-and-diy-candle-sleeves.html" target="_blank">Emily's</a> lead and added some polka dot fabric to my plain little candle sleeves. You can go to <a href="http://www.recentlytheblog.com/2012/09/my-favorite-room-and-diy-candle-sleeves.html" target="_blank">Recently</a> for the full DIY but I will tell you this was easy as can be. All you need is some fabric, scissors and Mod Podge and you'll be done in 10 minutes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb0EJRLSkL5JZSOXl75FqaUHBB9M25ddYZkRtPejp2lEClu2u_mvfxqb85knSuuar4TL8P33_C9DgjSuGq1yRNqsaccJFZt5Gs5WYtlKMRCt5gj7LamFm3hbEf4Jqtsya-2NC59Eedw16/s1600/redbamboochandlier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb0EJRLSkL5JZSOXl75FqaUHBB9M25ddYZkRtPejp2lEClu2u_mvfxqb85knSuuar4TL8P33_C9DgjSuGq1yRNqsaccJFZt5Gs5WYtlKMRCt5gj7LamFm3hbEf4Jqtsya-2NC59Eedw16/s400/redbamboochandlier.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love my little lady. She is bringing it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNy6inZCLTJRp18_VxHN48zR1U31PJlrmaKWVBmogyVuKlyMIflkh_enJb1imZnxbpgz2FDnJd3g_A29dMKXPYkwukrpwFJg2QIdKV3ChqyDF_580yvnkG0SVjvLIOjM6sLP5bXjFwle0d/s1600/diningroomuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNy6inZCLTJRp18_VxHN48zR1U31PJlrmaKWVBmogyVuKlyMIflkh_enJb1imZnxbpgz2FDnJd3g_A29dMKXPYkwukrpwFJg2QIdKV3ChqyDF_580yvnkG0SVjvLIOjM6sLP5bXjFwle0d/s400/diningroomuse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />So the moral of the story is this - ignore trends and always go with your gut. Your gut will never lie to you. And never pass up a good light because you already have one. There is always room for one more chandelier in your life.<br /><br />What about you? Have you added something to your house only to replace it with something else a year later? Painted anything with 47 sides? Watched Golden Girls lately?

this little light of mine

So, I got a new chandelier for the dining room. Would this be the dining room that just got a new chandelier last year ? Yep, that's the...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 05/08/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/06/the-problem-with-pearson-designed-tests-that-threatens-thousands-of-scores/">The problem with Pearson-designed tests that threatens thousands of scores</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">I agree. Students who got to read the passages ahead of time had an advantage - of course, is anyone looking to see if there was a "hit" on other textbook passages - is this luck or is it corruption. Either way - it smells like corruption. There is a conflict of interest if you're testing and selling textbooks to help kids do better on testing.  "students who read the Pearson test before seeing it on the state test had the opportunity to fill the gaps in their own knowledge—whether through class discussion or simply by reading and answering the questions provided in the curriculum—before they took the test. And that means that the validity of a test that aims to differentiate between “good” and “poor” readers is necessarily called into question. Unfortunately, it seems that New York education officials don’t realize how significant this problem is. Or even that it is a problem. (Meryl Tisch, New York Board of Regents chancellor, actually defended the quality of the assessments, boasting that, thanks to a rigorous new quality-control review, the Department of Education had avoided the kinds of problems that lead to last year’s now-famous pineapple scandal. And that failure to recognize what may be a far more serious and consequential challenge may be the biggest red flag that Common Core assessment decisions are in trouble in the Empire State."</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/pearson">pearson</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/testing">testing</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/standardizedtests">standardizedtests</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 05/08/2013

The problem with Pearson-designed tests that threatens thousands of scores I agree. Students who got...

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Signs of life

I've just started reading "Signs of life" by Natalie Taylor. So far it is surprisingly unputdownable (is this a word?!).<br /><br />It's not my usual read. It's a true story about a lady who, when 5 months pregnant, experiences the death of her husband. I am currently reading about the funeral and while very sad I am beginning to see the resilience of the writer. I think I am going to enjoy this book! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPX-BI-tnbHR8MOV9fLNc_-UD8o8SAZdTXBSc-6WaMzzvNnMoUxp-pxFLJo8aWcMGQ5vuuXMdCRvNMPrmNZLuw4Mvm7o93q9Hrobe9zvc4d9IJfWFIDgEtzvBgarwZWcmwi6o_i0-o3qeq/s640/blogger-image-1867538531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPX-BI-tnbHR8MOV9fLNc_-UD8o8SAZdTXBSc-6WaMzzvNnMoUxp-pxFLJo8aWcMGQ5vuuXMdCRvNMPrmNZLuw4Mvm7o93q9Hrobe9zvc4d9IJfWFIDgEtzvBgarwZWcmwi6o_i0-o3qeq/s640/blogger-image-1867538531.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZUNXlmLgUDvBEsBbxNqUg7_lMuPTBvmZXDFceeId2BzB3HR7FTH_19GoUD8ZiX8nYWyMtePuF5RZ60ob1nYtHjdrwRN_8o2WIYL9uZUEdXZGWjMiplcud-v_IhMhSfY7DJb65N9r1w-c/s640/blogger-image--1926667597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZUNXlmLgUDvBEsBbxNqUg7_lMuPTBvmZXDFceeId2BzB3HR7FTH_19GoUD8ZiX8nYWyMtePuF5RZ60ob1nYtHjdrwRN_8o2WIYL9uZUEdXZGWjMiplcud-v_IhMhSfY7DJb65N9r1w-c/s640/blogger-image--1926667597.jpg" /></a></div>

Signs of life

I've just started reading "Signs of life" by Natalie Taylor. So far it is surprisingly unputdownable (is this a word?!). It&#...

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Apple, mini ipad with Retina Display coming in Q3

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYXms5de0Crom4BpRQhdyGtiwB7fPgDjfu08piScNn80gRXZ7zHZdgzIm158xrECiLUXWJ9wrORE-fBhy1QSqui1awkrnIyt-9TG4vBT0LgHzaeZKiIDykf1_QS27P7hr8cz2xfWtg3M/s1600/Apple-ipad-mini-review-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYXms5de0Crom4BpRQhdyGtiwB7fPgDjfu08piScNn80gRXZ7zHZdgzIm158xrECiLUXWJ9wrORE-fBhy1QSqui1awkrnIyt-9TG4vBT0LgHzaeZKiIDykf1_QS27P7hr8cz2xfWtg3M/s320/Apple-ipad-mini-review-.jpg" width="320" /></a>A Retina display iPad mini see a release in the third quarter of this year if a prediction by an analyst is to be believed. Beautiful screen, powerful chip, HD cameras, amazing apps, 10-hour battery life. It’s every inch an iPad.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">The current generation iPad mini features a display that has a resolution of 768x1024 pixels, and pixel density of 163ppi.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">DisplaySearch had made a similar prediction. It had said that a new iPad mini with an upgraded display was likely to appear later in the third quarter or fourth quarter of the year, but a Nexus 7 with a very-high-resolution display might make an appearance soon.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">Paul Semenza, an analyst with the firm had said that it speculated that Retina version of the iPad mini with a resolution of 1536x2048 pixels, and pixel density of 324ppi, might go into production in the third quarter of 2013.</div><br /><br /><strong><u>Specifications:-</u></strong><br /><br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>     Resolution of 1536x2048 pixels</li><li>     Pixel density of 324ppi</li></ul>    <strong><em><u> Best specifications & features</u></em></strong><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A beautiful screen, powerful A5 chip, FaceTime and iSight cameras, amazing apps, and 10-hour battery life, make iPad mini every inch an iPad.</li><li> iPad mini, including resolution, height, weight, performance, battery life, and storage capacity — for Wi‑Fi and cellular models.</li><li>iPad mini with Wi‑Fi + Cellular connects to fast data networks around the world — up to LTE. So you can download, browse, and stream at amazing speeds.</li><li>Its easy-to-use interface, amazing features, and rock-solid stability, Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS, is the foundation of iPad mini.</li></ul><br /></div>Published by <br /><a href="https://plus.google.com/112865615030946176397" rel="author">Priyanka</a>

news Apple, mini ipad with Retina Display coming in Q3

A Retina display iPad mini see a release in the third quarter of this year if a prediction by an analyst is to be believed. Beautiful screen...

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Do We Really Need Ohio?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Hola y’all! Like most of you out there I have been glued to the TV mesmerized by the saga going on in Cleveland. No, not the fact that Indians, Cavaliers and Browns will all continue to suck for the next decade, but the Ohio Kidnapping Case! *insert dramatic music here* <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I just can’t stop watching the coverage of the story because it is the craziest kidnapping story I can ever remember. I would also like to take this time to invite Mr. Charles Ramsey onto <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid" target="_blank">IWS Radio</a> sometime. He seems like a fun guy. While watching all of this, a few thoughts suddenly struck me. Like … <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Is Ohio really necessary? Do we really need that state anymore? Could Ohio have outlived its usefulness for America? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Granted a few Ohioans have made very good contributions to America. People like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Jesse Owens and Phyllis Diller come to mind immediately. Unfortunately, Ohio also produced Charles Manson and Charles Keating, so it all balances out, right? It really seems as though, unlike the rest of America, Ohio’s best days are behind it. Hell, After Ohio produced presidents, statesmen and captains of industry back in the day, things got pretty slow. Right now the only person of note Ohio has produced is THIS GUY … <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBsfc8rtqg8NlinB1YVO9YvJT_RgCJiBHgalmKNE17vRO77g1Va9aAxuPjNaCukVBeHE22yc_9hiyS29qKK01-U-ya24LFqnUm2qFIksQXlKhY-7FjIN5QKIceJ3UqTGshA6pKF_MsKg/s1600/Matt-Man+Smoking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBsfc8rtqg8NlinB1YVO9YvJT_RgCJiBHgalmKNE17vRO77g1Va9aAxuPjNaCukVBeHE22yc_9hiyS29qKK01-U-ya24LFqnUm2qFIksQXlKhY-7FjIN5QKIceJ3UqTGshA6pKF_MsKg/s1600/Matt-Man+Smoking.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>IKNOWRITE? Dark days for the Buckeye State, my friends. Speaking of Buckeyes … OMG! We could totally live without THE Ohio State University and their obnoxious, delusional fans. You can’t tell me that America doesn’t become instantly better by getting rid of tOSU.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Did you know that Ohio actually went to war with Michigan once over TOLEDO? Seriously! They went to war to KEEP Toledo. That’s how whack Ohio is. I just don’t think American needs that kind of silliness anymore. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">My proposal is that we give Ohio to Canada. Think about it! We just gift Canada the entire state of Ohio as a gesture of goodwill and to further solidify the two country’s friendship. Canada gets both Cincinnati AND Cleveland. Both of those <strike>ghettos</strike> cities are way better than anything they have. Even though you have to give current (legal) Ohio residents the option of staying in America by moving to say, Morgantown, WV, Canada will still easily double its population, right? I mean, I haven’t run the numbers, but that seems right. AAAAAAND, Canada probably increases its number of black people by about 2,000% along with picking up a few Amish folks to boot! Diversity is a big deal to them.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Canada also adds TWO NFL teams, TWO MLB teams and an NBA team. You know they’ve been looking for a way to do that forever. They also get some farmland that isn’t frozen solid ten months out of the year. Most importantly Canada gets possession of the house that was used in “A Christmas Story” AND the Leg Lamp! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">No way Canada turns all this down. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">American on the other hand gets to rid ourselves of Ohio and the problems that state keeps bringing us. No more will we have to spend four solid years listening to MSNBC’s Chuck Todd droning on and on and on about how Ohio is the “most important state in the electoral college” while ignoring the fact that Colorado, Nevada and Virginia are actually ahead of Ohio on the “tipping point states” list. That combined with eliminating John Kasich and John Boehner as political figures and getting rid of tOSU fans makes this the best deal we could ever make. Maybe even better than the Louisiana Purchase. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I know there will be people out there who think Canada should probably pay us for Ohio. Or maybe Canada should swap Vancouver or possibly Windsor for Ohio. I say absolutely not. Besides, people who want compensation for Ohio forget that Canada has already given us something we can’t put a price tag on …. Celine Dion! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Giving them Ohio as payment for Celine Dion is the least we can do. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://facebook.com/Jayman68" target="_blank">Facebook.com/Jayman68</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS </a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>

Do We Really Need Ohio?

Hola y’all! Like most of you out there I have been glued to the TV mesmerized by the saga going on in Cleveland. No, not the fact that India...

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SYRIA AND ISRAEL, AIRSTRIKE REPERCUSSION

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5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCUMADlsSWPjlMLyQa90Rj8XYRMp1V8pJOh6U701-TVl-C0DLrMn_UxNKm_oFEQFH4gYKQsgLFVAfDvF2DOoDWV0wwVic_jkPHxeO-DE24piZEzb6-7IGrnU0EdrjlGYsr_UlDJAwOee9/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCUMADlsSWPjlMLyQa90Rj8XYRMp1V8pJOh6U701-TVl-C0DLrMn_UxNKm_oFEQFH4gYKQsgLFVAfDvF2DOoDWV0wwVic_jkPHxeO-DE24piZEzb6-7IGrnU0EdrjlGYsr_UlDJAwOee9/s400/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">FALLING INTO ASSAD'S TRAP?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Executive Summary: </span></b></span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Could it be that keeping Assad in power is maybe the exact intention of ISRAEL?</span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ISRAEL coping with a full scale civil war in SYRIA</span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Regime change in SYRIA, full score for ISRAEL?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bashar Assad will not respond directly to ISRAEL’S airstrikes in SYRIA,</span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From ISRAEL’S perspective, it is far better for the Alawites to maintain power in SYRIA</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why strike now when it’s a known fact that IRAN transferred missiles to Hezbollah via SYRIA’S smuggling routes for years? </span></b></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SYRIA has officially announced that it sees the ISRAELI strike as a declaration of war. It's safe to assume that Assad will not rush to direct his missile launchers towards ISRAEL. But the strike will definitely stabilize him in the eyes of his people. At times of an external crisis, the inclination of a nation – any nation – is to unite around its existing leader. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When the SYRIAN nation hears from its leaders about the graveness of the danger approaching the country from the direction of ISRAEL (which is setting warehouses on fire on its territory), even the rebels will take a break – and so the ISRAELI warplanes, which went on a mission beyond enemy lines, could be the ones connecting Assad to the governing breathing machine and allowing him to survive a bit more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Comment by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring</span></u></b><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">COULD IT BE THAT KEEPING ASSAD IN POWER IS MAYBE THE EXACT INTENTION OF ISRAEL? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(June 2012) ISRAEL’S INTERESTS……….</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This is almost certainly because the ISRAELI Prime Minister would, on balance, prefer the Assad regime to continue; it is a known quantity and any new regime could severely destabilize the effective balance-of-power between two uneasy neighbors’….. read entire article at:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-feasts-and-rites-of-confusion.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-feasts-and-rites-of-confusion.html</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Read related topic under:</span></b><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">ISRAEL COPING WITH A FULL SCALE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA</span> at</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-israel-iran-and-usa.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-israel-iran-and-usa.html</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">REGIME CHANGE IN SYRIA, FULL SCORE FOR ISRAEL?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/strait-of-hormuz-and-syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/strait-of-hormuz-and-syria.html </a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/syrias-destiny-sealed.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/syrias-destiny-sealed.html</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxt7zZrwwgxOvcUb9-kTigXbJuDsNS_goz-Isnxz85eVHxPy0ApNy9u7dEHEOhiXM9hitYNFTcDJHhAAdgL8ug2XfWs6Mko2vzRaraXk4rtb-PuZudIvfFbuvT6V8cqxRKkHBt-tiPaH2/s1600/amiri20130131202032640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxt7zZrwwgxOvcUb9-kTigXbJuDsNS_goz-Isnxz85eVHxPy0ApNy9u7dEHEOhiXM9hitYNFTcDJHhAAdgL8ug2XfWs6Mko2vzRaraXk4rtb-PuZudIvfFbuvT6V8cqxRKkHBt-tiPaH2/s400/amiri20130131202032640.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to IRANIAN press, ISRAEL struck SYRIAN Army units close to the Presidential palace, implying that above picture showcases this scenario. The Presidential Palace and smoke pillar seen in above picture are at least 5 km apart, thus noway within the close proximity of the Presidential Palace. In fact the smoke emerges most likely from the close proximity of the Army museum.  </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">ASSAD WILL NOT RESPOND DIRECTLY TO ISRAEL’S AIRSTRIKES IN SYRIA,</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for ISRAEL has been indirectly protecting the SYRIAN regime from falling for the last two years, because for ISRAEL, Assad is and always has been a known entity, where as a country ruled by Islamic Jihadist is like opening a Pandora’s box for ISRAEL .Also one should not forget that ISRAEL and the Alewites have closer ties then one might think. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></u></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Read related article:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FROM ISRAEL’S PERSPECTIVE, IT IS FAR BETTER FOR THE ALAWITES TO MAINTAIN POWER IN SYRIA THAN FOR A SUNNI REGIME TO TAKE CONTROL THERE</span></b></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">at: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/the-alawites-and-israel.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/the-alawites-and-israel.html</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WHY STRIKE NOW WHEN IT’S A KNOWN FACT THAT IRAN TRANSFERRED MISSILES TO HEZBOLLAH VIA SYRIA’S SMUGGLING ROUTES FOR YEARS? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IRAN regularly transfers missiles and ammunition to Hezbollah, and the smuggling route crosses SYRIA'S territory. Why did the ISRAELI government decide now of all times to attack the weapons which according to foreign reports are not the most dangerous arms to be transferred over the years from IRAN to Hezbollah? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just like it marked targets in Gaza in the past, it appears that ISRAEL is now marking them in SYRIA: Targeted killings around Damascus. Yet the difference is that Hamas in Gaza doesn't have an organized army, while Assad has thousands of missiles directed at Tel Aviv. In the current situation, Assad doesn't have much to lose as his regime is unstable. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A threatened leader usually acts out of madness rather than out of reason, and so ISRAEL'S military activities in SYRIA could easily turn into the match that will ignite the next war, even if that was not our intention. Within several days we could find ourselves inside mud which we didn’t plan and have been avoiding throughout the revolutions rising in the countries surrounding us. With such an explosive situation in SYRIA, there is no wonder that the UNITED STATES, as well as the rest of the countries of the free world, have decided to sit idly by and not to intervene for the time being, to sit and to plan a much more reasonable operation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Comment by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring</span></u></b><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In view of above comments we would like to reiterate that ISRAEL in most likelihood will not be drawn into a war with SYRIA nor will IRAN and SYRIA retaliate with missile attacks or other conventional war tactics. More likely ISRAEL will face terrorist attacks on foreign soil. See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/04/israel-iran-and-balkans.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/04/israel-iran-and-balkans.html</a></span></div>

SYRIA AND ISRAEL, AIRSTRIKE REPERCUSSION

FALLING INTO ASSAD'S TRAP? Executive Summary: Could it be that keeping Assad in power is maybe the exact intention of ISRAEL? ISRA...

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