Damn Tests
 

The idiot who came up with those questions was probably one the payroll of one of the big testing services - all the states pretty much contract with the same folks to provide their tests. And the test was likely reviewed at several levels by educational professionals, including a bunch from Massachusetts.

One of my teachers said it best, when he said the standardized tests were very good at figuring out whether students were at least as smart as the testers, but, then, what kind of fools choose to write tests for a living?

The idiot who pushing mandating the use of standardized tests to replace the teachers' judgment, well, you guys will be living down the last eight years of that guy for a while.

Damn Tests
 

I know Kennedy was complicit in this thing, too.

So how come the Rs are so fond of something Ted Kennedy signed onto?

Damn Tests
 

Nice Rush pastiche.

Maybe the feds could make themselves useful and mandate the teaching of evolution. Or at least a yearly showing of Smokey and the Bandit--the one with the chimp.

Sorry if this is PB material...

CDF

Damn Tests
 

remember, although not mandated, the schools have to take time to teach how cruel to animals meat is.

interweb parenting
 

Is anyone familiar with Kidzui? The FT made it sound like a pretty decent service:

• as the founders of Californian start-up KidZui (www._kidzui.com) realised, all filtering techniques have limitations. So instead of taking a “top down” filter or blacklist approach to the problem, they came up with a radically different ap_proach that combines elements of social networking and fun avatars to create a safe web surfing experience for children aged three to 12. Instead of blacklisting bad websites, the KidZui service, which is built on top of standard browser technology (Internet Explorer in the case of Windows machines, and Safari on Apple Macs), effectively “whitelists” the good ones – which have been identified and vetted by real people.
  
  KidZui launched last week after three years in development during which time it hired 200 teachers and parents from across the US to search the web for appropriate sites and content. So far, this team has identified 500,000 safe websites, still images and videos suitable for junior web surfers. Each piece of web content is categorised by appropriate age group and KidZui has an editorial team to keep its library up to date and expanding.
  
  KidZui has effectively built a child-friendly subset of the web that rewards curiosity. Unlike virtual worlds such as Club Penguin and Webkinz, KidZui makes use of existing web-based information and resources and complements school and other learning.
  
  Setting up the subscription-based service, which will cost parents $9.95 a month or $99.95 a year is easy. First, a parent downloads the software and signs up for the service. This is probably the best time to think about how you want your children to access the service.
  
  The safest option is a “locked down” mode that involves configuring the program so that when the PC is switched on the child has access only to the KidZui browser in full screen mode and cannot ac_cess the PC’s other features or software including other browsers. This digital playpen should protect most children, although a really determined older child could probably circumvent these restrictions.
  
  The child can choose from 8,000 content categories, including animals, hobbies, science or sports grouped into web, photo or video. The material alters depending on the child’s age. and parents can add or delete sites or subjects.
  
  It is easy to use even by the youngest children. For example, the home page displays both popular and most visited websites. Older children can also search the site by keyword using a search box or enter a web URL. The results are determined by a “kidrank” system that keeps track of how popular they are. If the web_site URL has not been approv_ed, the site is blocked pending review by the editorial team – something KidZui claims should happen within hours. Children are encouraged to rate content using a bank of “emoticons”, such as a smiley face, and to share their experiences with online buddies who are listed in a panel on the right-hand side.
  
  All friends must be ap_proved by parents and there is no messaging between friends; they can only share rated content and view other children’s points. They earn points by exploring the site and these points can then be used to kit out their Zui avatar.
  
  KidZui also sends weekly e-mails and online reports to keep parents up to date with their children’s online activities.
  
  The one truly certain way to protect young children from inappropriate content on the web is to keep them away from the internet altogether. KidZui provides perhaps the next best option for both parents and schools that want to enable children to explore the web safely and securely.

link (w/ more)

April Fool's Day
 

2 Questions: Any ideas for a mild April Fool's day joke for my 5 year old? I like this:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...4L._AA280_.jpg
but I know this will not go over well.

Second Question: Said 5 year old called me a "wussy". She doesn't know what it means, right?

Thanks.

April Fool's Day
 

Probably not.

However, when a 3 year-old calls you a "stupid poopyhead' and a "pottyhead", they have a pretty good idea.

S_A_M

P.S. I'd stay away from practical jokes on the little ones -- they may not get the concept and don't know the limits of a measured response. Also, I've been told that I need to tease them less, not more.

Damn Tests
 

I took AP Calc in HS just so that I would never have to take Calc (or any advanced math) in college.

But if you don't hate the subjects, your point is well-taken.

S_A_M

Damn Tests
 

I disagree with the assumption. There are no easy As in college calc, at least at a reputable college, because all the pre-meds are doing exactly what hank suggests. You're better off placing out of the basic calc classes and dealing with the engineers.

If you have a daughter you'll get a kick out of this.

Is the author really spending time railing against the gender inequality of Dr. Seuss? He should focus on the fact that in the Cat and the Hat, the parents left the two tykes alone, unsupervised for hours, and they let a stranger into the house to play with them. :rolleyes:

No, he's complaining about a sub-plot added to the movie version.

Haven't seen the flick. Perhaps the 96 daughters are shrill attention-whores?

Funny, but it does take a man like Peter Sagal to get worked up about this stuff.

There are much better examples that this movie. I think the Mayor is doing well if he remembers all 96 names.

S_A_M

I think the point is that (a) this movie is a current and popular release (b) with today's yout' and (c) the moviemakers added a sexist theme where (d) none existed in the original book (or the old TV cartoon, for that matter).

As for the recent bastardization/Jim Carreyization of the Dr. Seuss oeuvre, I blame Dr. Seuss's widow who has sold the brand up the river since his death.

you think that's the worst anti-woman aspect? hint: who gave birth to 97 kids?

The mayor has a harem?!

At a 16 week ultrasound, boys have something shaped like a turtle while girls have three straight lines (which your sonographer may or may not refer to as "labia, or 'girl parts.'")

No turtles, which coincidentally happens to be one of three phrases I know in ASL, not that it's done me any good yet, given the need for the extensive explanation that I cannot do in ASL.

Eta: I can probably communicate "three straight lines" in non-standard ASL if need be, but not "is a boy," at least with my pants up.

Danger! Danger Will Robinson!
 

We agreed to help run a birthday party for a mess of five-year-olds. Outdoor activities have been planned. Now the forecast is for rain, but we have no indoor Plan B. Help! What do to do entertain these kids during the 1:57 of the two hours when they won't be licking the frosting off the cake?

Danger! Danger Will Robinson!
 

pin the tail on the ____ . dinosaur, whatever your theme is.

crafts- buy a bunch of paper and ribbon and beads and crap.

when my kids were a bit older, around 7, I'd read them random atticus posts, and they'd pick out the parts they felt were creepy. 5 may be too young.

Danger! Danger Will Robinson!
 

Go classic like Hank suggests. Our two hour parties worked like this:

15 minutes of kids arriving and general running around.

20 minutes for craft (I have three girls so the crafts have been jewelry-making, picutre frame decorating, pumpkin decorating, etc.)

55 minutes of Games: musical chairs, pin the X on the Y (grin on the pumpkin, shell on the mermaid, tail on the pig), hot potato, bean bag toss, spoon races, if the kids are sophisticated enough Simon Says.

10 minutes of Pinata: they never break so each kid gets at least three swings

20 minutes of cake and Ice cream

Danger! Danger Will Robinson!
 

My parents were pretty good about moving the pinata inside for birthday parties when the weather wasn't cooperative.

Danger! Danger Will Robinson!
 

Crafts=good idea but I think it's best to have something specific to make or paint (yikes) or put together. A craft store will have a bunch of things to paint, some with "raised" features so it's easy to paint them, like containers with a removable top and the top is in the shape of a dinosaur, or ladybug or flipflops. If you don't paint inside, kid can make placemats, totebags, visors (hats). "Freeze Dance" is fun - put on music and then abruptly turn it off -kids still dancing are "out." If you have games, make sure to have cheap "prizes". I find it's too loud to do "kid bingo".

Danger! Danger Will Robinson!
 

I was at a party for a four-year-old on Saturday, and Duck Duck Goose was a big hit. Age of those in attendance (including some siblings) was 2.5-10, and everyone had fun. No equipment required, and no mess to clean up later.

tm

It didn't rain, so all was well.

L'il Ty is reading, in the sense that he can decipher sentences, but we're not quite over the hump, in the sense that while he can read sentences from a book, it's enough effort that he can't really pay attention to what's going on, and doesn't retain the plot (e.g.). So he's not quite into it yet. My thought is to find him age-appropriate graphic novels or something else with pictures that's age-appropriate and plot driven that he'll want to read on his own. Tintin is one though, though some of the vocabulary is a little advanced. Any other suggestions?

Note: I don't think either this suggestion or Tintin is particualrly age appropriate below, say 8 or 9, but they're so awesome, I'll recommend anyways.

Asterix. Lots of colors, lots of action, lots of funny pictures. It will take him YEARS to get get all of the puns and rather sophisticated cultural and historical jokes, but he'll like the magic and the dog and the just-plain-fun-ness of the series. Plus, he'll have a leg up on his peers when he starts learning about Roman history later on down the line.

And you'll laugh your ass off when you're helping him decipher names like "Cacofonix" (the village bard), "Fulliautomatix" (the village smith), and "Ekonomikrisis" (a random Phonecian merchant).

you must have a book store near you with a great kid's section. I remember just sitting with my kid and browsing around. most of what were my kids/our favorite books were stuff that was not around when we were kids.

Oh. Rosemary Wells' Max books are probably about that level. Max's Dragon Shirt.

There is really nothing more fun than giving a new reader free reign at the local book store. Let them pick what they want and they will read for fun. Try to pick it out for them and they will never understand why people read.

The best thing you can do is stand back a bit.

This is our rainy Saturday fall back plan. My kids probably think book stores are only open on rainy days, but that's OK. By the same logic, the public library is only open when the highs are in triple digits.

My son picks crap. In general, I agree with the principle, but with him in particular, he's wired to pick books that he's not interested in reading. The same thing happens at the library. I have some sense of what he'll like -- Tintin, The Wizard of Oz -- but left to his own devices at a bookstore or library he'll come home with stuff that he doesn't wan to read. Alas.

RT, I love Asterix, but I think it's a little harder to read than Tintin.

Formula
 

I checked the ingredients on the Target brand of formula ($13)and they're identical to the ingredients in Enfamil ($27). Is there any reason to continue using the name brand formula?

Formula
 

Nope.

Formula
 

Danke.

Formula
 

Of course, you're a failure because it's not breast milk.

Formula
 

There is still breast milk, but we are now supplementing w/the wife back at work.

Formula
 

how often do you check?

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.
 

PM me if you're interested in my blog about our recent addition. Regular posters only; no lurkers, please.

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.
 

Congrats. What did you have?

After months of discussing the pros and cons of finding out the gender, we just found out we are having a boy (we already have three girls).

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.
 

As it turns out, a mouse and a kitten.

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.