In several months I will need to take the GRE for entry into my MSW next year. I thought that I had the choice between the GRE and the MAT. In reality, at least for my program, I do not get to choose as my program determines which they want. I have to take the GRE but I have the option of using MAT scores for the math section in lieu of the GRE's version. While some people are able to choose of which they have to take and/or can use one section in place of another, if desired, I decided to post a little informative post for those interested...click BenchPrep to see the enlarged version.
When I was young I read "Top 10 Shakespeare Stories" by Terry Deary along with "The Measly Middle Ages" where I got to read about some of the interesting facts and stories held in that time period. They did not look like 'history books' with the cartoon-like drawings in the front and the fun title name. Recently I found out that there is a television series called "Horrible Histories" based off of his books where historical facts are shown through fun skits, like: historical fashion fixes, wife swap, weather, shouty man, songs, commercials, historical iron chef, historical hospital, historical fairy tales, words we get from [...], and more.
It is a great way to introduce interesting facts of history in fun and interesting ways to help keep them memorable. I like the series and the books because I have always been one to favor fun methods to teaching history for the younger audience.
When I was younger I would also read the The Royal Diaries, Dear America, and the other diary series. I enjoyed historical fiction as I liked to see how someone would have lived during the time (ex. Little House on the Prairie, Catherine Called Birdy, Old Yeller, The Beaded Moccasins, The American Girls Series, and etc.) I also liked reading some of the stories that one would have grown up with from different cultures. I know I had mentioned before that I have a lack of historical knowledge at my disposal. This is because as a child it was the factual history books that were banned but historical fiction was not considered really learning history. While I did learn background information and some factual information I didn't learn to the extent as one should know until later when I got more access to other books. A lot more world history was allowed from the History Channel, National Geographic, Nova, and other movies that would produce things about Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and others. It was American history that was closed behind the iron curtain.
Today is National Learn to Swim Day and as a swimmer it is an important day to me. I remember in 2007 when USA Swimming started the Make a Splash foundation which strives to reduce the risk of drowning for people by providing them with the skill to swim. I was in Washington, DC for a swim meet where they handed out swim caps, pins, and shirts during their initial year and I still have the pin. Here is their video from their website.
Swimming is a skill that is taken for granted and it is shocking how many people are not able to swim even though most of the earth is covered in water. There are even other places around that world that try to raise the awareness for children to learn to swim, such as, SwimSafe. SwimSafe's mission is to prevent child drownings in Asia through teaching survival swim lessons.
Learn more about the Make a Splash organization and what you can do to help from the embedded links at the beginning of the blog.
I found this video on the internet, while browsing one day, and I loved the concept. I don't have a hard time talking to most strangers and I think that if more people expanded outside of their circle once in awhile that they would find it to be an interesting experience.
Here are just a couple of examples where higher education has ruined (or has arguably enlightened) my thoughts on a couple of commercials. Overall, it is has sucked the joy right out of it. This is how college has ruined me for at least a handful of them. While I can recognize, in a lot of commercials, the great creativity and work of a well done one there are a few where my "education" nags at me.
HTC First Phone
Okay, so the woman is immersed in art and culture in a museum and yet she can't seem to appreciate anything because her mind is consumed by technology. Her mind has been hindered by her technology and social media that her perception becomes so distorted she can only see the phones features being projected onto the artwork and even a museum employee. This commercial certainly gives an insulting priority gesture to art and culture while promoting the convenience, allure, and greatness of technological advances in social media.
AT&T
The AT&T commercials with the kids. I know that I am thinking wayyy too much into this and the concept is supposed to be that it is so simple that even children understand it....but that has been ruined for me, too.
Because of my degree, I work with children, that I will only summarize this and not get into some overly passionate dissertation.
I do not trust the children's concept in the commercial as it didn't speak out to me in the realm of "even a child can understand it." Instead, for me, it hinted to limiting concepts that you acquire as adults and how the man phrases things in simplistic terms to the children to sort of direct their answers.
More isn't always better than less - perception of quality vs quantity as well as what is "more" and what is "less." Piaget's Conservation Task.
2. Two things at one - perception of multitasking not as efficient....PBS link here.
Poptarts - The Smell of Success
Does anyone else besides me think that there are some Holocaust undertones? I was shocked to find that this commercial is a few years old and they had dug it up to play on the air again. I noticed that they played a "cleaner version" of the commercial a couple of weeks after they re-aired it. The girl no longer says "Ah, the smell of success" and the female poptart doesn't look as thematically hot as it seems they cut down the time she shows gestures that show you she is burning up.
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