Blog
30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall – November 9, 1989 (Pt. 4)
I ended part 3 with a quick mention of the Solidarity Tax. The Solidaritätszuschlag, the Solidarity Tax, that was instated to rebuild East Germany is still being levied, which many people in the western states of Germany are skeptical about. Ingo, my German friend,...
30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall – November 9, 1989 (Pt. 3)
On another visit to Berlin, I stood at the Berlin Wall, along with others, chiseling away and collecting souvenirs of what amounted to chunks of mortar with gravel and splashes of paint. Did we realize the magnitude of what had just happened? Here are some facts on...
30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall Pt. 2 – November 9, 1989
Even though the Berlin Wall was open, the situation in East Berlin was still extremely tense. Shortly after the Berlin Wall was opened, I visited friends in East Berlin for an extended weekend, blissfully unaware of the tension that was still present. The East German...
30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall – November 9, 1989
I was working as an interpreter and translator in Cologne, West Germany, when the Berlin Wall came down 30 years ago. On November 9, 1989, I was waiting at a stoplight, two blocks from my apartment. Suddenly, the music on the radio stopped, and an announcer cut in...
When Should Students Take a Computer Coding Class?
Are Computer Coding Courses Right for Every Student? Most parents would agree that children should learn how to use computer applications such as word processing and spreadsheets. But what about computer coding, or programming? And just what is computer coding anyhow?...
The Top 10 Tips to Prepare Your Student for Art School
If you have an art student (or you are one), then I know why you are here. Perhaps you are getting a little nervous or confused as you look at the future of your budding art student. You may be concerned about how he/she will get into college or wonder what should...
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Was God Present in the Forming of Our Nation?
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: The Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the...
Filmmaking with a Global Vision
Filmmaking with a Global Vision In the middle of the spring semester, usually in April, I teach my filmmaking classes from somewhere outside of the U.S. Last spring it was from Thailand. This year Holland. I've taught my online classes from Turkey, Spain, Finland, and...
3 Reasons Students Should Travel
Research shows that educators consider travel a priority to raise students’ cultural awareness, and they believe that it has a positive impact on students’ lives. As an educator, but also as one who has traveled, I bring you my first-hand perspective of the benefits....
The Merit of Your Library
In some of my high school level classes, I require the use of outside sources during paper composition, and students often seem baffled when I require at least one source to be a book source. They ask, “Can’t we just use the internet? Where will we find a book to...
Dual Credit for Free: Why That Might Not be the Best Idea
Now that I am approaching my mid-50s, I find myself in a strange situation. I have become an experienced homeschooler and an experienced educator. In a blink of an eye, I have become a homeschool parent who has graduated three students as well as a teacher of hundreds...
Why Should We Embrace Learning Together?
Isolation limits accomplishment. Most people would agree that it would be silly to learn how to use a turn signal on your vehicle without learning how to drive-- just as it would be silly to learn every comma rule but miss out on how to put words together to form...
