It's the books, stupid!

Carville keeps the Clinton staff on track
photo credit: kipbot.com

      Hopefully, all of my students know enough about contemporary American history to know about "It's the economy stupid!"

      Bill Clinton was trying to keep things in perspective during his first presidential run.  He knew that while Bush and the GOP were trying to make the election about a number of different things (taxes, defense, etc.), what Americans really cared about, and still care about, is jobs and the economy.  James Carville, a young politico at the time, now a famous pundit, put it up in the war room to keep everyone on track.

      I have been inundated by similar distraction lately, and I want to get myself on track.  My distraction has taken the form of the following, amazing, game-changing items.  I highly recommend them, if you have the means...

   Number 1: Motorola's Droid X.  I am now as cool as my students.  It's a slight improvement over my old flip phone with a broken casing and no battery life.  It takes HD video.  The display is absurd.  I can upload pictures directly to the web.  I am constantly connected to both my e-mail accounts, twitter, facebook, and every piece of information in the world.  Disclaimer: battery life is very poor.

photo credit: wired.com

    Number 2: A new Samsung netbook.  This I really like.  It's exactly what I need: portability, the internet.   I'm really committing to "the cloud" so a piece of hardware that gives me access to that is perfect.  It's not going to run Fallout 3, but that's probably better for me and my students.

photo credit: slashgear.com

   Number 3: An HD Flip Cam.  Lots of applications, especially for school.  I'm thinking about recording some lectures/discussions, putting them on the wiki.  It's great for personal use too.  Portable, easy to use.  A great tool.

photo credit: focalpoint-studios.net

   So where does "It's the Economy, Stupid," and "Pee Herman's Technological Playground" meet?  Glad you asked.

   During the break I've also been reading a wonderful, startling, captivating book called The Book Thief.  No spoilers, but it's set in Nazi Germany, it's narrated by the Grim Reaper, and it's stylistically fascinating.

Photo Credit: thebooksmugglers.com

A quick excerpt.  Death writes about the holocaust:

Please believe me when I tell you that I picked up each soul that day as if it were newly born.  I even kissed a few weary, poisoned cheeks.  I listened to their last, gasping cries.  Their vanishing words.  I watched their love visions and freed them from their fear.

...

They were French, they were Jews, and they were you.

  Books like The Book Thief are why I love teaching.  A book that is so wonderful and terrible.  So beautiful and scary.

   A book should make you 10 years old.  It should make you wonder without shame or cynicism.  The Book Thief put me back to my childhood, trying to make sense of the world while staring through the glow-in-the-dark stars of my bunk bed.    

   Trust me, English class is about the books.  It's about experiencing a group of thoughts and words that stir something in you that is both transient and timeless.  It's about reading something that changes you.

   Technology and education is important to me.  Keeping my classroom  relevant is a priority.  Creating an educational environment that is about learning how to succeed tomorrow, and not yesterday, is critical.  Teaching a 16-17 year old in a way that makes him comfortable (rather than me), is a no-brainer. To do all of this, you need tools.    

   But, this is a reminder to myself.  And to you.  It's not the gadgets.  It's not being able to check my twitter (though communicating with Peter King and Laurie Halse Anderson is pretty cool).

 It's about the books, stupid.  It's always been about the books.  It always will be.

  I love Angry Birds, but it won't stir the soul...