Moneygami Marvels

My spouse Helen recently stumbled across the fascinating world of moneygami, origami using paper money. Some of the more clever designs even highlight the portrait of the person on the bill.

It seems to be one of those niche hobbies that the Internet facilitates, although I am sure it far predates the Web. Helen has collected a number of moneygami links over at her site, though she usually deals with more serious financial matters. Check them out just for the clever designs, or try one of the how-to videos yourself or with the kids.

Helen suggests leaving tips in moneygami shapes. I’m thinking the next time the Tooth Fairy visits our son, she just might leave a tooth-shaped gift. (Or maybe a toothbrush. I could probably handle that.)

Details on Ben and Jerry’s “Hubby Hubby” Promotion

A followup to my post yesterday about Ben and Jerry’s renaming “Chubby Hubby” to “Hubby Hubby” in honor of the start of marriage equality in Vermont:

The ice cream maker has partnered with Freedom to Marry in order to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and to show its support. They will serve “Hubby Hubby” sundaes in Vermont Scoop Shops throughout the month of September.

From the press release: Read the rest of this post »

Kindergartens Under Pressure

Last week, I mentioned the demise of PBS Kids’ Reading Rainbow and the perils of teaching the mechanics of reading without the love of it. I also mentioned a New York Times editorial about some of the failings of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Seems like several papers are all over this issue as we start the school year. Last Sunday’s Boston Globe Magazine had a feature titled, “Pressure Cooker Kindergarten,” which explored how the NCLB-driven focus on testing has affected young children:

But increasingly in schools across Massachusetts and the United States, little children are being asked to perform academic tasks, including test taking, that early childhood researchers agree are developmentally inappropriate, even potentially damaging. If children don’t meet certain requirements, they are deemed “not proficient.” Frequently, children are screened for “kindergarten readiness” even before school begins, and some are labeled inadequate before they walk through the door.

This is a troubling trend to an experienced educator like [38-year veteran teacher Christine Gerzon], who knows how much a child can soak up in the right environment. After years of study and practice, she’ll tell you that 5-year-olds don’t learn by listening to a rote lesson, their bottoms on their chairs. They learn through experience. They learn through play. Yet there is a growing disconnect between what the research says is best for children—a classroom free of pressure—and what’s actually going on in schools.

Read the rest of this post »