E:P:N*

Zero charge?

2011-07-26T23:47:00.000-04:00

To do this most vital of all themes justice, let me first say a few things about neutrons having zero charge. I know it says zero and suggests no charge, but the truth is that when a neutron decays, it breaks up into a positron and a neutrino. That charge is not simply “put” there at the point of decay; it was already there. Because of its assigned job in an atom, neutrons add only weight, not strength . . . they can't because strengths are forces against opponents. Njut doesn't have opponents; she gives birth to opponents.

Of course, you can argue that not all strengths require interactions, but physics suggests otherwise. Newtonian physics states quite clearly that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Though arguable valid for the mental realms, it is more true than not here on earth.

I have to confess that I, too, used to think that the world would be a better place if we could only neutralize (do away with) undesirable strengths. But I’ve changed my mind. I now see the bigger picture. Ethnic cleansing is really not the answer, regardless of who is doing it. What needs changing is the way we think of opponents and contrasts . . . not to get rid of them.

For example, how much time do you and your favorite branch of the media waste every day in finding flaws with “the other side” . . . if you are a card-carrying republican or libertarian, probably many. The same can be said of those whom Neal Boortz calls moochers: the ones who either do nothing or spend most of their day in criticizing and scheming for ever more effective ways to steal back what, in their opinion, was taken from them in the form of inferior wages . . . an accusation made of American moguls such as Andrew Carnegie . . . forgetting that these same exploiters were also the world’s greatest philanthropists.

Geamikoj, we truly need to start learning about atoms and what they do to survive. None of them remain stable when their electrons, protons and neutrons cease to cooperate; nor can we. Regardless of our religious or political persuasion, we truly need one another; therefore, we need to learn to respect one another . . . at least with words. One more time: If nature is to be our role model, please let us stay as diverse as possible. Our collective survival depends on it.

An admission.

I know I may be wrong about who and what we are. We may not all be souls who were given a body. We may not even have full autonomy over our own actions. Too many of our habit patterns are influenced by our genes and our early training. And we may not all be equally capable of making wise choices. But I am convinced that we would be wise to study the trinities in atoms. They are role modeling what needs to be done to survive when the power of choice is not present. Eleko, Prot, Njut, what do you think?

Why Zamenhof?

Last, many of you have been asking why I brought in Dr. Zamenhof and his ingenious invention, Esperanto. Let me try to explain.

It was in the 1970’s, on one of my regular trips home to Austria, that I saw a green star and some names with phone numbers. When I curiously called, a local Esperantist, who happened to know that I came home quite often, suggested that I stop in Switzerland the following year to attend one of their yearly congresses. To make a long story short: My wife and I purposely arrived a day early to see what the vendors looked like while still off stage. Well, we liked what we saw . . . non-militant nice people with a spirit of global camaraderie. I decided then that in my retirement I would make myself useful in helping their cause of encouraging young people to learn Zamenhof’s structured mixture of Europe’s major languages. It is a composite language by far superior to any of the natural languages. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.

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Yes, but . . .

2011-07-26T23:40:00.000-04:00

Yes, you need to not only make sure you're going to get to where you wish to go, but also establish clearly the criteria by which you’ll measure your successes; because if you don’t, you might end up succeeding and not know it. I’m not kidding. Many a straight-A student ends up without confidence when s/he is raised in an environment that does not provide for celebrating successes along the way. Still worse, of course, is the “yes, but” environment where you work under the supervision of one who insist on pointing out that you still have a long way to go, thereby spoiling the fun of celebrating an interim accomplishment. “How will you know you've arrived” is the last of the five stages of a business plan. It needs to be clear and measurable to be of maximum value.

For the record, the five stages of the typical business cycle are: (1) Establish clearly where you are and what you have to work with. (2) State where it is you wish to go, what you want to do, and who you think will be benefited by it. (3) Decide on how you’re going to get there. (4) Decide on how you’ll make sure you’re going to get there. And (5), as stated above, how will you know you’ve arrived? That means celebrating at all measurable intervals.

I still clearly remember the smartest student I ever had . . . a young lady with virtually no confidence even though she had a Doctorate and taught anthropology. Why was she without confidence? In her words, “I’ve never heard my father say, ‘That’s good’; it was always, ‘That’s good, but . . .’.” She was literally starved for positive feedback without the redundant simultaneous reminder that there was yet more to be learned.

Had her father waited a day or two or even a few minutes before adding that devastating “but!” phrase, I bet she would have ended up not only just as smart but also a much happier person. For that reason, you can count on me helping you celebrate even the smallest of accomplishments, especially if you're like Eleko and need that sort of undiluted positive reinforcement.

Yes, But . . . and E:P:N

As just stated, Eleko is probably the most sensitive of the three about this need for unadulterated approval. Criticism destroys him. Prot, by contrast, has been criticized so much over the past many years that almost nothing bothers him. Njut is similar in that criticism does not destroy her, but she stops role modeling the behavior of a compassionate servant if she gets too many critical responses from someone she's helping. On this issue, Njut is more like Eleko.

So, if you're a parent of youngsters who are getting good grades but are not obvious proton souls, take it easy on them. The chances are that they'll not respond well to any kind of “Yes, but” feedback from you. Now, if a child is a real fighter, and it makes you feel better to point out the obvious, do it; but I doubt that even here it'll make a difference in the way s/he progresses. In general, Prot and Njut will learn with or without your criticism. Social learning, which includes learning from negative feedback, is necessary for both, but is not ideal for Eleko.

Dante (Purgatorio XIII: 112-114) 2006 03-15 LET THIS ALWAYS WEIGH DOWN YOUR FEET LIKE LEAD, TO MAKE YOU MOVE AS SLOWLY AS A WEARY MAN, TO REFRAIN FROM YES OR NO WHEN YOU DO NOT SEE. Kaj ĉiame lasu tion resti peze kiel plumbo sur viaj piedoj, por malrapidigu vin kiel laculo, por teni vin diri jes aŭ ne kiam vi ne povas kompreni.

This is an excellent example of metaphor, where “see” is used for “understand”; and Dante probably means this to be good advice for everyone, but I don’t think it will be heeded by all three of our mascots with equal caution. Do you?

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Xenophobic differences

2011-07-26T23:25:00.000-04:00

Social fears, especially the abnormal fears or hatred of the strange or foreign (WordWeb), are what comprise the field of xenophobia. My job is to first share the textbook definitions and then explore the extent to which E:P:N soul-level differences correlate to those terms. Let's see whether we can do this in a simple fashion.

The simplest definition is a fear of strangers (Dic. of Psychology). Two lengthier ones are: a deep-rooted antipathy towards foreigners (Oxford English Dictionary) and unreasonable fear or hatred of the unfamiliar, especially people of other races (Webster's). The question is whether Eleko, Prot and Njut differ in their interpretations of what the definitions mean to them.

Wikipedia.org tells us that “xenophobia can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an in-group towards an outgroup, including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity. Xenophobia can also be exhibited in the form of an “uncritical exaltation of another culture” in which a culture is ascribed “an unreal, stereotyped and exotic quality.”

The second form of xenophobia is primarily cultural, and the objects of the phobia are cultural elements which are considered alien. All cultures are subject to external influences, but cultural xenophobia is often narrowly directed, for example, at foreign loan words in a national language. It rarely leads to aggression against individual persons, but can result in political campaigns for cultural or linguistic purification. In addition, entire xenophobic societies tend not to be open to interactions from anything “outside” themselves, resulting in an “isolationism that can further xenophobia.”

Yesterday, I talked to both Eleko and Prot and came to conclude that only Eleko might ever feel xenophobic about something foreign. Prot and I thrive on meeting strangers, albeit for different reasons; he, because he considers all strangers to be possible customers and I, as you know, because I consider all foreigners to represent possible opportunities for using Esperanto, my favorite structured language.

The closest thing to xenophobia I've ever felt is at gatherings where the very young dance in a manner totally unfamiliar to me. On such occasions, I feel very lonely and out of place, especially when a pace has already been set that is not in keeping with my own idea of appropriate cultural interactions.

X-Factor issues

During the late 1950’s and during most of the 1960’s, this term dominated the sales industry, usually referring to a person’s “hot button”; meaning the one thing above all else that motivated the client in front of you to make drastic changes. Was it because they had strong feelings for something or against something? Were they irrational while hating or loving? Would they buy because they expected to enjoy the fun of dancing, or would they buy because they were afraid of ending up alone on weekends?

The problem was that those slightly xenophobic did not really want to change; they dreaded change . . . they just wanted what change would bring them. Those without xenophobic tendencies were much easier to sell but they usually had no longer the money to afford the luxury of private lessons. Not having been afraid of change in the past, they came to us already spent out. Only those who were in the habit of squirreling money away had it to spend . . . but were terribly reluctant to spend it.

The outcome: Eleko and his fellow squirrels, if properly handled, made excellent long-term students. Prot and his fellow entrepreneurs, if allowed to dictate their lesson plans, bought on their own accord. And Njut and her friends, if given the opportunity to help, made good students by bringing in guests.

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Wisdom: Three ways.

2011-07-26T23:17:00.000-04:00

Confucius once said, "Individuals gain wisdom in three ways: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

Depending on our age, nature and station in life, we may disagree on which of these three is the bitterest and easiest, but we are likely to agree that all three are legitimate choices for gaining wisdom. Our age and E:P:N nature are the key variables in this quest.

By Experience and Imitation

For example, if you were still young and a proton soul, you'd probably not consider learning by experience to be a bitter task. In fact, you'd probably insist on learning everything by exploring and discovering rather than by listening and learning from adults. Even adult protons are not likely to prefer imitating others over learning FIRSTHAND.

Likewise, if you were still young and a neutron soul, learning by experience (learning by exploring) is probably your way of life as well; you are not likely to consider that process to be a negative experience. Only adult neutrons start by first imitating (the accomplished) before they start to explore and discover on their own.

Electron souls, however, especially those who were not allowed to explore while young, do clearly fall into the category of those who Confucius was referring to. Learning through exploring and discovering (learning by experience) is not their first choice. They would do well to take the Confucian advice, meaning to imitate during most stages of their life. That would guarantee them better grades and, in most cases, a better life.

By Reflecting

As to reflecting, I hesitate to pass comment on this so-called “noblest” of ways because thinking in retrospect is as difficult as thinking ahead; it is the ability to reason, and reasoning is flawed until there has been an adequate amount of time spent at both firsthand and secondhand learning.

Jan, a new friend in Port Hardy, Canada, summarized her contribution, saying: “Wisdom is knowledge plus awareness. . . . Those traditions and practices which are universally available within all cultures, such as meditation, prayer, mystic knowing, bodywork, breathwork, and so forth, all seem to be means which promote greater awareness of self and others (or one can also say this as awareness of the ultimate oneness of self and others). This awareness coupled within knowledge would be my working definition of wisdom.” Jan and her husband also stressed that “awareness is experiential” and, therefore, attainable to all . . . if they have a long enough period of exploring and discovering the worlds in and around them.” And I agree.

In reflecting again on this issue of who is the wisest of them, so to speak, it becomes quite clear, at least to me, that wisdom is as relative as any other acquired trait. An action is not wise or foolish based on a single set of standards. If it were, our president would not be in a constant state of wondering what to do about the various kinds of crises that arise in areas where the government is small in number and its people diverse in their needs. The wise thing to do is seldom the most obvious one. Should the ruler be a wise utilitarian? A wise free-market advocate? Or a wise philosopher? Can you see why I fell in love with the E:P:N scenario? To me, stable nature, at the atom level, is a perfect example of applied wisdom. It consists of three sets of value systems functioning in a state of cooperation. Our job is to find the parallels that can be drawn between their subatomic relationships and our daily life.

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Volunteering facts

2011-07-26T23:11:00.000-04:00

Today, a Toastmaster friend gave a brilliant presentation on the field of volunteering. It was fascinating and eye-opening to hear the statistics on why people volunteer. I wish I had permission to share all seven of his key reasons for volunteering. The best summary might be, “People do it to bring balance to their own life.”

It was interesting to hear that there was no special look, age, or personality trait that leads people to volunteer. But the biggest surprise was that over 40 percent of all volunteers got started because . . . they were asked. Hmm! Our friend’s grand finale was a passionate appeal to join him and his mission to “GET MAD”--to Make A Difference . . . somewhere, somehow. It was a very memorable speech indeed.

Other facts from http://uwgnh.org/volunteer/10-over-10/10-facts-about-volunteering:

1. In 2008, 61.8 million Americans (26.4% of the population) contributed 8 billion hours of volunteer services worth an estimated 162 billion dollars.

2. The estimated dollar value of volunteer time is $20.25.

3. Despite the challenges of a tough economic situation, the volunteering rate held steady between 2007 and 2008, while the number of volunteers slightly increased by about one million.

4. Over 441,000 more young adults (age 16-24) volunteered in 2008 than 2007, representing an increase from about 7.8 million to more than 8.2 million.

5. Neighborhood engagement levels have risen sharply since 2007, with a 31% increase in the number of people who worked with their neighbors to fix a community problem and a 17 % increase in the number of people who attended community meetings.

Brought into the E:P:N scenarios:

Protons and electrons, being polar opposites, are not naturally seeking balance in life (outside of marriage) but they do feel more whole when they do. Both can be motivated to volunteer through emotional rhetoric and appeals such as GET MAD, whereas Njut just needs to be asked. In most cases, Prot needs to first experience the joy of giving back before he does it on a regular basis. He responds best when asked publicly by a friend. Therefore:

• Prot’s friends, when they do volunteer, they do it probably to please a friend, improve their bottom line through indirect advertising, or simply to sharpen their people skills.

• Njut and her friends, by contrast, volunteer whenever and wherever they are needed. Much like most mothers, they like to feel needed.

• To Eleko, community improvement and environmental issues are what appeal the most (as reasons for volunteering) . . . much more so than they do to Prot and Njut. To Eleko, volunteer encounters are prime opportunities for more recognition and spiritual development.

In looking for a job

During the job-hunting process, volunteering is one of the most productive ways of trying something on for size, meaning, to see how it feels before, during, and after doing that type of work. My advice: If it's not fun or rewarding in some way, don't do it for a living unless you have no other choices. Remember, working doesn't have to be a chore. My mom and dad never once complained about having to go to work . . . and they did basically menial work most of their life. To them, and me, volunteering was always a good first choice for making a new friend and keeping a good job.

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Utilitarian reasoning

2011-07-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

Randy Alcorn, in Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments (March 15, 2010) suggested that we not “marginalize” the pro-life point of view, but I believe his crusade has become such a pagan outcry, that I wish to counter it with the scriptural message that life is eternal: that abortion does not kill the real Self – the soul.

Ten years ago, the following was my intro to a 2,000-word essay project on a sensitive subject. As you can see, I did mine on abortion. Should you have to do something similar one day, the text and format at Hypocrisy might help you decide whether to also use this utilitarian approach formula.
©
It has been said we were given the power of choice so we would grow to treat each other with more civility—with compassion not present in the animal kingdom. I agree with that theory; it suggests that all of us know innately what is best for us . . . more so than other Primates and organisms. I suggest, therefore, that what we need is not legislation that reverses evolution but a large-scale education program on what it really means to be born in the image and likeness of a god.

What surprises me is that right to life advocates are generally Christians or similarly religious individuals. How they can justify defending the eternalness of life while passionately insisting that abortion kills the soul eludes me. It must be either ignorance or hypocrisy. The following intends to shed light on the subject by presenting both questions and answers to this dealing with abortion.

It should be noted that this "analyzer approach" has attracted formal objections but they are objections that help to make my point that this issue should be addressed from a higher perspective. Here are the objections followed by a partial utilitarian analysis:

1. No one should be put in the situation of having to play God. The courts should not presume to know better. To most, abortion is a moral issue; it should be neither legislated nor judged by anyone other than the ultimate utilitarian.

2. Even if we wanted to be fair and just (as a God would be), it is argued that none of us has enough time or expertise to calculate all of the consequences of an action beforehand (certainly a valid argument, especially on complex issues).

3. No one can accurately weigh the different kinds of good and evil that result from an action, especially since many of us learn more from mistakes than we do from successes. This being a world in which all things are relative, very few actions (if any) produce only good or only bad.

4. The utilitarian principle does not clarify whether we are to rule for the greatest aggregate of good or for the good of the greatest number of people; whatever one's narrow view, it can be countered. A dominant consideration such as the welfare of a leader or the life of a fetus are of great import to some, but is it really true that only a particular leader can bring welfare to a nation . . . that only a particular child can bring joy to a family? Is it not possible that a new leader or child could cause situations to be even better?

The Utilitarian Approach Formula.

I. Accurately state the action to be evaluated.
Abortion.

II. Identify all those who are directly and indirectly affected by the action.
1. The fetus or fetus to be
2. The soul who planned to use that fetus for its life's work
3. The biological mother
4. The part of the mother that is eternal
5. The father whose sperm fertilized the ovum
6. The father's spiritual self
7. The family and community that would be influenced by the fetus
[The rest are on page 124. My full paper is here.]

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Tips, traps, tales and treasures

2011-07-26T22:42:00.000-04:00

Let's consider this a summary of what we've said so far, starting with a quick review of what happens in primitive societies, all right?

First, what do primitive people do before they start collecting treasures? Yes, they hunt and gather edibles (with the aggressive or cunning ones among them—the human protons—choosing to be hunters and the rest doing the gathering). Together, they are like the seemingly ubiquitous hydrogen atom: which has only one proton and one electron (no neutron yet).

This simplest of all systems is soon enhanced by the addition of the service sector, as I call it. Together, these three are the beginning of all else on earth. They are now interdependent trinities, with the most stable groups consisting of an equal number of each of the three groups. For example, a productive group of six would have two members who daily go out to hunt, two who daily tend to growing or gathering, and two who would tend to whatever else needs to be done, including cooking, cleaning, and tending to the group.

From this still primitive stage onward, these three start to gather data on how to do each of the types of jobs more effectively. The Farmer's Almanac, for example, consisted of data gathered by farmers for farmers; “trapper” stories were passed on secretly by hunters for hunters; and the rest started to collect treasures for role modeling societal values. Eleko, Prot and Njut are the spokespeople for these three sectors.

What sector appeals to you? Where is your focus? What's your E:P:N ratio?

Look at your bookshelf (while you still have one). Do you see more books on tips, traps, tales, or treasures?

• If you see mostly almanacs, cookbooks and “How To” manuals, the chances are that you and Eleko have a lot in common.

• If you have collected a larger number of “How To Get Rich” books, biographies and war stories, talk to Prot. You two have a lot in common, I'm sure.

• And if your collection consists of an eclectic potpourri of treasures, talk to Njut; that's her world as well. You'll like her.

Second, let’s look at what humans can do that animals can’t; specifically, what it means to be human from the E:P:N perspective: Of the three, Eleko is intellectually the most competitive. He feels most human when he has an opportunity to show off his knowledge and skills. Prot, because of his entrepreneurial nature, feels most human while he is creative; resourcefulness is his stock-in-trade. And Njut feels most fully alive while serving a worthy cause. While these three have and do what they like best, they tend to be happy.

Back to the bookshelves

If the media announced their coming to your home to do a story on your life and insisted to do it against the background of your favorite books and treasures, what diplomas, books and treasures would you most likely want to bring out and talk about? Take your time; think about it. The chances are that whatever time you spend on this, will be time well invested.

WEB 2006 11-18 HAPPINESS IS EITHER THE PROGRESSIVE REALIZATION OF A WORTHY IDEAL, OR THE JOYFUL PURSUIT OF A SELF-CHOSEN TASK. Feliĉeco estas aŭ la progresiva efektivigo de inda idealo, aŭ la ĝoja sekvado de elektita tasko.

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Sports as character builders

2011-07-26T22:29:00.000-04:00

Sports, ranging from bettering your best sports like golf, athletics and baseball to brutal sock it to 'em sports like tennis and boxing (including the quasi sport of bullying) can be both character-building and devastating. The trick is to pick the sport you need for your particular stage of cyclical growth. The hard part is to figure out what tools you'll need to get to where you want to go.

It's a fact that, once children are hooked on lifelong learning, sports are no longer necessary for character development. Once sold on the fun of learning, they'll learn as fast as they can without external motivation. During the beginning stages, however, there's nothing better than sports to motivate youngsters to practice often enough to become that mental or physical champ each of them sometimes tends to dream about.

The three types of competitions:

1. Young electron souls, ranging from would-be blue- and white-color wage earners to salaried employees and technicians, need to amass diplomas to ready themselves for employment positions, to prove their worth to a company. Their competition is against a grade. Do you agree that they need to have high marks on their tests to make themselves look good on paper? Of course. Acquiring more and better diplomas needs to be their focus in order to be hired for well-paying jobs and positions.

2. By contrast, potential sales people or entrepreneurial small business operators, in other words proton-type souls, benefit more from engaging in the aggressive "Winning is everything" sports. Their competition needs to be against others. Their need is to explore and discover the type of territory they wish to control one day and the price associated with each choice. And leadership training is what they'll need to enhance their bullying tactics with winning strategies for making and keeping friends.

3. This leaves the service sector employees and sole proprietorship professionals, including coaches, private teachers and managers. To these neutron-type souls, competition means bettering their own [previous] best. To this group, playing is the major objective, not winning at all cost. True, on special occasions, these neutron souls can be as competitive as any human electron or proton but, since playing “fair” is their major trademark, they don't have the same deep need to win; their need is to play hard, feel useful, and have fun.

Sports and politics

One of the most redeeming actions Hitler took when he invaded our country was promoting sports at every level of the younger generation. Nothing was too good for us. He even caused an Olympic-size pool to be built in our small Alpine town. What was there not to like about him? Had he not gotten into trouble, he would certainly have been a hero to us. The question is, how does this passionate saying by Gibbons go with the apparent kindheartedness by not only Hitler but also by most other dictators across the globe?

Cedric Gibbons 2008 08-22 ALAS, SPORTS ARE ALL TOO REAL. WE HAVE BECOME A NATION (IF NOT A WORLD) OF GLADIATORS ... ONE OF THE LEADING INDICATORS OF A DECLINING CIVILIZATION!

Did these dictators promote sports to just raise a new crop of gladiators for their army, or did they have reasons beyond the obvious? Personally, I think sports are a lot like territorial languages (Mundart); both give poor people something to do and be proud of. And poor people who feel rich, don’t revolt.

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Ratios . . . Not Labels

2011-07-26T22:20:00.000-04:00

I've noticed that neither children nor adults like to be labeled, no matter what the label; and I'm sure you agree that most of us are either a lot more than can be verified and tested or a lot less than labels imply (and too embarrassed to admit it).

Over the last hundred years, we’ve had many sets of fashionable labels; but please note that E:P:N has never been, nor should it ever be, among them. That’s because “Electron, Proton & Neutron” are not labels given to humans by a scholarly authority on human nature; they are terms coined by physicists for the internal aspects of atoms. I simply use human similes for describing their respective characteristics.

As to self-labeling: Yes, I did label myself and so should you (label yourself), but neither of us should ever take the liberty of labeling another out loud, because we have no way of knowing (without asking) whether a person’s soul-level self is at the beginning of a new phase or at the end of an almost completed one.

The Bureau of Statistics states that people in the USA switch careers 6.3 times before they retire. It doesn’t state how many of these changes were voluntary, but I suspect that several of these changes were because people chose either the wrong job or they became bored with what they were doing, which could well have been what led to them leaving. It would be interesting to have accurate stats on this, but this data is usually collected at (un)employment agencies where the newly unemployed seldom tell the truth about why they left or got fired from their last (few) jobs. Some may have gotten fired for being too forceful and a threat to a superior; others may have lost their job because they were not forceful enough.

With this in mind, radio talk show host, Neal Boortz, says almost every morning that it is human nature to want to have power over others, but I think he is wrong unless he also recognizes “nature” to be an E:P:N trinity and that everything he says applies to only one third of us. The wanting to have power over others would be a valid statement for the one third, the proton-like souls, who have that innate need. The rest of humanity (electrons and neutrons) sport a “live and let live” attitude, which leads them to control mainly themselves.

Last, remember that we are dealing with a “ratio” at all levels of the E:P:N theorem. And that’s not because atoms have variable ratios and aspects; it’s because humans have variable amounts of each of the typical e:p:n characteristics. Oh, atoms vary slightly in their ratios when they merge with others; but humans vary in virtually all aspects because of genetics, their environment, recent training, and intrinsic motivation.

So, next time you think about bettering your best (in school or at work), first take inventory of your current E:P:N ratio before you reflect and determine whether and to what extent that ratio serves your present and future needs. I would also want to know which of the three sets of E:P:N characteristics gives me the most pleasure.

Of course, my assumption that we are in a process of cyclical development could be wrong, meaning there might be both annual and perennial souls . . . with only the latter privileged to learn forever. We’ll never know for sure.

WEB 2008 12-07 PEACE IS NOT ABOUT POWER AND WINNING, IT'S ABOUT COOPERATION. Paco ne estas pri povado kaj gajnado, ĝi estas pri kunlaborado.

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Questioning caveats

2011-07-26T19:46:00.000-04:00

Today’s Bell ringer was the task of interpreting the phrase, “The wise question themselves; the foolish others.” Though the original quote (by Confucius) was slightly different, either would have led me to make today’s Questioning caveat: Sayings crafted for proton souls do not necessarily apply to electron souls, and vice versa. In fact, they seldom do.

Case in point: If a company were to look for employees who resemble an encyclopedia of facts (learned electrons), would they hire so-called fools who are expert at learning second-hand and well able to regurgitate that knowledge, or would they hire the so-called wise who have focused on questioning themselves? I think they would hire the former—the fools, don't you agree? By contrast, if they were to hire employees for leadership positions (protons or neutrons), would they not choose those who can truly say, “I've been there and done that”?

So, before you allow wise sayings to influence your decision-making, you might want to ask yourself who a phrase was written for as well as who it was written by. Though some sayings are generic and apply to all, the majority were written for specific audiences. To learn leadership skills, make sure you listen to someone who's been there and done it.

To prove these E:P:N categories to yourself, attend a few conferences held for employees and a few held for entrepreneurs. You will find that their respective quotes are different in nature and intent. One stresses, “All things come to those who wait”; whereas the other points out that, “It is the early bird that catches the worms.” The third group, the neutron souls, probably would not use either of these sayings. That's because they focus on making sure that the first group keeps having the right to hunt for worms so they can build a business and that the second group doesn't start to make laws against hunting early.

As to E:P:N ratio: Radio talk show host, Neal Boortz, says almost every morning that it is “human nature” to want to have power over others, but I think he is wrong unless his definition recognizes the E:P:N trinity, which means that not all but only one third of all humans, the proton-like souls, have that innate need to control. The rest, electrons and neutrons, sport a “live and let live” attitude. Their need to control is confined to controlling themselves . . . maybe. Even among wild animals, that need to lead and assert power is not a common trait. A few of them have it, but the majority does not.

When you question anything, try to preface your question with a premise, meaning a reason for asking. When you’re trying to maintain a status quo, the answers to your questions are bound to be different than those given you for trying to initiate, maintain and sell change.

Even after mentally separating these two obviously different scenarios, there’s another bifurcation to consider on both sides.

• On the status quo side: Are you doing this because you prefer not to change or because your employer doesn’t want to see a variance in workmanship?

• On the issue of motivating people to change: Are they in the first, second or third stage of their makeover project?

President Obama, for example, is/was an effective change agent, albeit a change in the wrong direction for industrious and self-motivated Americans. The E:P:N slant to this eternal dilemma is, of course, to foster all choices simultaneously . . . much like stable atoms do.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Paradoxes and E:P:N

2011-07-26T19:35:00.000-04:00

PARADOX (Jan 1998) quotes Ron Van Dyke, saying: "Enlightenment is being a player, embracing the drama, exploring the paradox, facing the challenges with passion and gusto, and having fun. Above all, enlightenment is seeing the bigger picture. The wider the panorama of your vision, the more relaxed you can become. The more relaxed you are, the more you can accept the dramas. The more you can accept the dramas, the less you judge others. The less you judge others, the more you can love unconditionally. When you get to that stage, you're enlightened. . . ."

I rather like that, especially the phrase, Enlightenment is seeing the bigger picture. My E:P:N theorem is based on that same premise; it is seeing things as a creator or a god (by some name) would see them . . . in their full splendor of diversity rather than in sections with dysfunctional differences.

No, we may not all want to be “players” and we may not all want to label diversities with heavyhearted words such as “drama”, but we do owe it to ourselves, and to our creator, to eternally explore the paradoxes that surround human growth and interactions. Also, not all of us can correlate a wide panorama of vision with relaxation. Many of us are more relaxed and see more perfection or harmony while looking through a microscope than while in awe over the heavens, the mountains, or the ocean. But the rest is valid when one connotes love to mean Universal Love.

However, I doubt that more than one-third of us are capable of that kind of love. The majority (protons and electrons) lead most of their life battling contrasts and injustices and are, therefore, not likely capable of embracing all of creation with a feeling of love. However, as paradox as it may sound, if it were not for these contrasts, there could be no enlightened harmony.

My humble opinion

Since enlightenment is an illusive paradox, don’t wait to become so-called enlightened before you start having fun. Enlightenment will come (or not) on its own. If it comes, good; if it does not, it's probably because it can't . . . because you may be a young soul and not as yet ready for it. If rebirth advocates are right, you’ll get many more opportunities to seek enlightenment . . . for all kinds of reasons, including the enjoying of life's paradoxes.

Another Paradox

“Love expands. Fear contracts” were yesterday’s lead-in phrases to a spiritual discussion of the terms. Instantly, I said to myself, “Hmm! I thought love was blind!?”

Let’s see, if we talk about vision, love definitely shuts out much of what it sees. Am I right? It certainly narrows a lover’s vision by focusing on that which is loved. Fear, by contrast, broadens the field of vision. Those who are afraid usually see more than there really is. They are expanding their vision to include hallucinatory dangers. Am I wrong?

True, if Love is considered to be a universal/godly essence or frequency that is ours to join at will, then it could probably be said that Universal Love expands to the degree that we acknowledge or enhance it; but that presumes an evolutionary scenario, which I believe to be valid, but not valid for all.

For example, to those who believe that God is all there is, was, and ever will be, even an alluding to the possibility of Love expanding would be a form of sacrilege. Here’s what I overheard Prot (of Jewish descent) and Eleko (a devout Christian) say about this:

WEB 2009 12-04 WHAT A PARADOX: THERE THEY SIT BORED, PRAYING FOR IMMORTALITY. WHY DON'T THEY TAKE MERLIN'S ADVICE! Kia paradokso: Tie ili sidas teditaj, preĝante por ne-mortemo. Kial ili ne prenas la konsilon de Merlin!? (Lernu ion!)

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Outlawing bad behavior?

2011-07-26T19:24:00.000-04:00

Outlawing bullying is like legislating the stripping of protons from atoms: It is counter-productive at best, especially in a free-market society.

The Premise

There is no stable element that exists without contrasting forces. Contrasting forces are integral to life. Each element consists of an equal number of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons in a state of constant spin . . . much like a solar system’s sun (protons and neutrons) and its many planets (its quasi electrons). Likewise, there is no group of self-sufficient humans (in schools or the workplace) that can long exist in a state of stability without its contrasting group members interacting in a state of diverse strength.

Applied to the subject of bullying, yes, bullying needs to be addressed, but not outlawed. Maybe it is necessary to outlaw bullying in authoritarian institutions like prisons and the military (to maintain order), but institutions of learning and innovative work environments need to role model the Golden Rule, as Izzy Kalman, a pace-setting school psychologist, suggests in his materials at bullies2buddies.net.

His Promise and Mine

Izzy promises, with a money-back guarantee, that if you treat everyone like a friend and apply his eight simple rules, he or one of his independent agents can help you victim-proof your environment. I fully agree with him as well as all other philosophers who advocate(d) the use of the Golden Rule for role modeling desirable behaviors. I simply add to this the need for learning “from” atoms about the facts of life; meaning that stable units need to have a balanced set of contrasting forces to be uniquely alive. And I don’t mean the traditional contrasts between teachers and students (where teachers make the rules and students are made to follow them) but the innate contrasts between those who wish to lead one day (the future bullies of business and government) and those who would rather have clear rules to follow.

Also vital to this scenario is the role-modeled behavior of the neutrons in all complex elements. They stabilize the nucleus--the unit's leadership, yet they function outside of this natural power-struggle between electrons and protons. Therefore, I am convinced that if only human neutrons were allowed to manage classrooms, then the only poor role modeling children would encounter is that found in some homes, the streets, or on television.

From bullies2buddies.com

“Izzy Kalman's approach releases the "shame" factor. He teaches a student to develop the proverbial ‘duck's back’ for the water to pour off of. The student then develops an inner resiliency and sense of empowerment. He ‘allows’ his tormentors to torment to their hearts content - and by responding (not reacting) with a calm and reflective posture - disables the threatening nature of the verbal attacks.”

Another says, “Mr. Kalman's approach to bullying is a creative, intelligent way to handle the issue of bullying. His seminar is not only informing, but also interesting. I have shared his ideas with other colleagues as well, who have found it very useful. His ideas are definitely worth learning about.”

Details of this process are at his website and on my blog site.

Abigail Van Buren 2010 01-27 WHILE FORBIDDEN FRUIT MAY TASTE SWEETER, IT USUALLY SPOILS FASTER. Malpermesita frukto eble gustas pli dolĉa, sed kutime ĝi difektiĝas pli rapide.

Voltaire 2010 07-14 IT IS FORBIDDEN TO KILL; THEREFORE ALL MURDERERS ARE PUNISHED UNLESS THEY KILL IN LARGE NUMBERS AND TO THE SOUND OF TRUMPETS.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Neutrons are Centrists

2011-07-26T19:08:00.000-04:00

Neutron, defined as "an elementary particle with zero charge and a mass about equal to a proton," suggests, among other things, a heavy-weight entity (equal to a proton) without the one-sided passion of a typical risk-taking (proton-like) entrepreneur.

Applied to business:

Human neutrons are the centrists of a business. They are the ones who have learned to both lead and follow but feel their mission to be that of a peacekeeper between any set of opposing forces. In other words, they have learned to follow and they have learned to lead, but they derive much greater pleasure from role modeling a true centrist’s maturity on controversial issues. They encourage people to play fair. Directly or indirectly, they are the stabilizing force in their home and at work. When employed in a government sector, they often function as ombudsmen.

A small example: When a car dealer’s sales people (protons) forget to brag about the quality of their mechanics, and their mechanics (electrons) forget to brag about the integrity of their sales staff, that dealer will not prosper as fully as one whose employees remember to do that, which usually does not happen without employing supervisors and managers (neutrons) who regularly remind both camps about the importance of doing this. The result, of course, is that the sales and service departments end up working together toward a common goal, meaning, customer satisfaction.

On a larger scale, conglomerates with a Human Resource department (in charge of hiring, training, cross-training and managing their employees) are by far more successful than those who try to survive without the expense of maintaining such a department. The over- or under-staffing of any one of the three major departments results in reduced productivity and, in most cases, loss of goodwill. The three M’s (manufacturing, marketing, and managing) are like the links of a chain . . . all equally important in the larger scheme of things.

Applied to politics:

Though neutron souls are found in both major camps, they are usually more fully drawn toward a stable Independent party. When there is no third party, they obviously have to join the party that best represents their interests; meaning, while they work as employees, they tend to be registered as Democrats; while they work as employers or leaders of some type, they tend to be registered as Republicans. Doing the reverse is not necessarily counter-productive but it is counter-intuitive. Why would a centrist support unions and workers while they are trying to run a competitive business? Neither would it make sense if centrists supported management while trying to make a decent living on 40 hours a week.

Applied to our personal life:

While single, whether still living at home or already in a boarding house abroad, centrists shouldn't have any problems getting along. They’re not openly contentious, therefore not a threat to protons in the house. Nor are they in need of running the show, therefore not in the way of those wishing to become more assertive. Once married, centrists tend to get along regardless of whom they marry. Naturally, they tend to get along better with other nucleons (other neutrons or protons), but they tend to learn more if married to an electron.

My appeal for today:

Let’s learn “from” atoms, especially the stable ones that function as trinities. We already have two warring parties; let’s make them more effective by adding the centrist point of view to their arguments. If your political forum does not permit you to do this, join service clubs like Toastmasters International to become an effective stabilizer of warring hotheads.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Makeovers: Who needs them?

2011-07-26T18:56:00.000-04:00

Though Eleko, Prot and Njut share the same environment, they are as different as operating systems and central processing units. Even their file systems and search engines are different. Therefore, complete makeovers for these symbolic critters, if and when needed, are bound to be different as well. The question is, “Can we provide conditions for catering to these differences in our schools?” I think we can if we honestly try and, possibly, start early enough.

Let's first discuss the critters' choices and which one of them, if anyone, actually needs a complete makeover.

1. To Eleko, (representing electron-type souls who would rather make or create things than sell, supervise or manage), raising his E:P:N profile score from E-0 to E-4 means studying harder, wiser, and with increasingly reputable or visionary coaches on the subjects of vocational arts, crafts, math and technology. To Eleko, more is better, especially on his résumé or C.V. (curriculum vitae).

2. To Prot, a makeover from a score of P-0 to P-4 would mean having to change from peddling or crudely bullying to effectively leading others to make changes that permanently satisfy their clients' wants and needs. Therefore, to Prot, less is better since his objective is to soften his ways and add a touch of class to his strengths. In most cases, Proton-type learners get a makeover every time they change the size and location of their territory through winning or losing a string of competitive situations.

3. Njut, to advance from a low score of N-0 to a high of N-4 doesn't need so much a makeover as she needs practice. The most monumental change in her approach to teaching and managing occurs when she learns the craft of coaching, meaning the process of "allowing" learners to learn rather than "making" them or, worse still, bribing them to learn. Her personality, per se, doesn't need to change that much. Yes, high-scoring neutron souls take their smart phone or laptop even on vacation trips, but Njut's image of being a vacationing snail is true for the entire spectrum of her choices. She has a servant's heart and considers work to be fun. To her, quality counts more than quantity.

We can't do much about genetic differences (the past) and we can't do much about the ongoing hurdles that face adults (the future), but we can allow youngsters to try the E:P:N choices on for size in the classroom. That will help them now as well as later.

Elie Wiesel 2010 09-30 THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH IS NOT HERESY, IT'S INDIFFERENCE. La malo de fido ne estas herezo, ja estas apatio.

Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900) 2010 11-06 THE SUREST WAY TO CORRUPT A YOUTH IS TO INSTRUCT HIM TO HOLD IN HIGHER ESTEEM THOSE WHO THINK ALIKE THAN THOSE WHO THINK DIFFERENTLY.

Karl Righter on Bombproof Humor

“Humor is challenging enough without tipping off your audience that you are about to attempt it; why not surprise them and expertly weave it into your message? Oh, you can certainly break this rule and still get a laugh; but realize that when you do, your humor is no longer bombproof.”

Click on the image to see the workbook.

L.S.D. and E:P:N

2011-07-26T18:45:00.000-04:00

While discussing how to turn negative acronyms into constructive memory pegs, I coined the affirmation: “Daily, I listen to myself and at least one other, strengthen myself and at least one other, and do for myself and at least one other.”

Though listening (L), strengthening (S) and doing (D) mean different things to different people, each term’s essence is meaningful to one or more of my mascots. Eleko will probably focus more on L (listening to acquire more knowledge); Prot will probably focus more on S (strengthening to become more effective at selling); and Njut will probably focus more on D (doing to make sure things get done on time and as promised).

Is it enough to focus on just one of the three? In some cases, yes. The important thing is to become known for being dependably good at [at least] one of them.

For example, companies who need a specialist will probably be happy if you excel in one specialty -- the one they are looking for. By contrast, companies looking for a generalist need you to be good and credentialed at all three.

So, this being Christmas, the season for listening (to the God within), strengthening (one’s faith in self and others) and doing (for all dear to us), I hereby resolve to be and remain hooked on LSD – the only drug without harmful side effects.

Merry Christmas! Eine Fröhliche Weihnacht! Feliĉan Kristnaskon!

Opinions, everybody has them

Author unknown 2010 02-20 THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY ISN'T ALWAYS GOOD, ANY MORE THAN ITS OPINIONS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT. (#esperanto) La volo de la popolo estas nek ĉiam bona, nek siaj opinioj ĉiam pravaj.

Marcus Aurelius, philosopher (121 to180) 2010 10-23 I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED HOW IT IS THAT EVERY MAN LOVES HIMSELF MORE THAN ALL THE REST OF MEN, BUT YET SETS LESS VALUE ON HIS OWN OPINION OF HIMSELF THAN ON THE OPINION OF OTHERS.

Baruch Spinoza, philosopher (1632-1677) 2010 11-24 THE MOST TYRANNICAL OF GOVERNMENTS ARE THOSE WHICH MAKE CRIMES OF OPINIONS, FOR EVERYONE HAS AN INALIENABLE RIGHT TO HIS THOUGHTS.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Kinship: The law of attraction

2011-07-26T18:24:00.001-04:00

In his book, Prosperity through Thought Force, Bruce Mac Lelland (2007) summarized the “Law of attraction” with “You are what you think, not what you think you are.” I like that. It may not be a valid statement for those whose market value depends on what they know, including their confident awareness of what they know, but it certainly seems valid for those still growing or already retired. To me, "You are what you think about all day" refers to the creative process rather than that which it created.

A better analogy might be the difference between the acts of contemplating, wondering and exploring and one’s archives of accomplishments (C.V. or resume). The first are typically “ageless” qualities . . . qualities deemed likeable in youngsters and oldsters alike. The second, the preoccupation with “what you think you are,” makes you likeable only to those who truly like people at your age, knowledge, skills, or abilities level.

A humorous rebuttal (to the “you become what you think about all day”) once was: "If boys truly became what they thought about all day, they’d all be girls"; but, to me, that jesting remark more proves than disputes Mac Lelland’s saying.

What do you think? Do you relate better to people who still “wonder” about things or to those who seem to know or profess to know all the answers?

Of course, on the E:P:N scale of priorities, the kinship issue is a quasi farce to human electrons and protons because they are innately different. They can't have a true kinship. The only kinship the human electrons and protons are privy to enjoy is with members of their own group and with the human version of neutrons, nature's peacekeepers in atoms . . . the centrists (whom they usually consider to be inferior).

“You are what you think, not what you think you are” reminds us that two thirds of us are more than we think we are. What human electrons and protons think they are is only one third of the whole. It is our collective thoughts that shape the future.

Whenever you are wondering what other people have said about a subject, check out my Big Cheese quotes such as this:

(John Assaraf) 2007 03-17 HERE'S THE PROBLEM. MOST PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THEY DON'T WANT, AND THEY'RE WONDERING WHY IT SHOWS UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN. (#Esperanto) Jen estas la problemo: La plej multoj da homoj pensas pri kion ili ne volas, kaj ili miras pri kial tio aperas kaj reaperas.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Joys: The secret treasure

2011-07-26T18:12:00.001-04:00

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, they handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" ... She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. . . . Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said... "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

“I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

[Big Cheese: on “kind”] Kindness is the mark of faith . . . whoever has not kindness, has not faith. Ĝentileco estas signo de fido . . . kiu ajn ne havas ĝentilecon, ne havas fidon.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

I did it. So can you!

2011-07-26T18:04:00.000-04:00

While browsing through my eBook collection, I noticed that Dr. Wolff gave me credit for contributing to his revolutionary book on teaching English in China, titled, “Of The Students, By The Students, And For The Students: Time For Another Revolution.” Below is some of it. Let me know if you’d like to read the rest.

“The only magic process I've ever seen to work is the total immersion into L2 for at least a year (as I did). I started to seriously learn English at age 18, a few months before I emigrated from Austria to Canada. (True, we all had English for four years "in der Hauptschule" but with the same dismal success as China has now.)

“After arrival in Canada and observing what works and what doesn't, I decided to stay away from all German-spoken people for at least a year, which I did. Actually, I neither called nor wrote home to my family in Austria for almost two years with the result that I learned to sound like a native Canadian even without going to school. If the Chinese did something similar, meaning working in an English-only environment while living in an English-only community with a native roommate, they would also acquire English the way natives do . . . through copying what they hear (as I did).

“Can that be done without leaving China? I think it could in a convoluted sort of way, but the easier way would be to have a youngster commit to the use of "English only" for at least a year, somewhere, preferably in a vocational or industrial environment to learn a marketable skill (using English).

“Therefore, the second important solution: China needs to put more emphasis on the value of learning oral communication skills if she wants to remain a role model to the world. And if English is too difficult, why not set the pace and have everyone learn Esperanto. It might just be the easiest of all solutions. The West would not much appreciate this, but they’d have little choice but to follow suit.” 

[I modified the last paragraph to suit my Esperanto agenda, but the rest of the text is the same.]

Let me ask you:

Have you ever tried to become native-like in a foreign language? It can be done. I did it. However, comprehensible speech is more common among Esperantists than you’ll find among diverse English-spoken natives. Therefore, this collection of trialogues and worksheets will be only a second-best choice in the years to come. One a rainy day, try a few lessons in Esperanto. In fact, peak at this blog; I bet you’ll never stop once you start. What do you want to bet? Also, click HERE for a recent collection of Esperanto literature. It’s quite impressive to see how much has been done to further this now rapidly-growing global “gefratoj” culture.

On the lighter side

As mentioned in the last blog, Karl Righter lists ten distinct ways of being humorous. His second format, my favorite, he calls the Rule of Three. On page 91, he states: “Essentially, you have a three-part story. The first two parts of the humorous story set the tone and direction, like the train going down the track, and the third part, the punch line (or train wreck), throws a curve and supplies the element of surprise.”

He then gives the example of making two lists for something you owned, like your first car. On one list, write all the things that were good about it, on the other the things that were odd. Pick the two best and the worst (or most peculiar) and tell the story like this: “I loved my Beetle! It was so easy to park, got great gas mileage, and it had a spare tire under the hood!” Of course, this would not be funny to those who are proud owners of a Beetle. 

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Human annuals and perennials

2011-07-26T17:48:00.000-04:00

My E:P:N theorem has the underlying assumption that humans either ARE or HAVE a soul; meaning, they either are an integral part of a pace-setting perennial nucleus (a proton or neutron soul) or they have in some hierarchical way a temporal existence sustained by a nucleus.

In this context, the are's are presumed to have some measure of eternality, whereas the have's (the electron souls) are not considered to have that same type of potential continuity. Their respective innate motivations and reasons for living, therefore, tend to be different.

Most branches of Islam and Christianity presume all to be annuals. Most Eastern religions believe us to be perennials. To the are's, the [perennial] nucleons, life-long learning is natural; to the [annual] have's, it is not. The latter learn in order to get a job; they get a job to make money . . . to buy things . . . to make them happy.

What about you? Are you learning just to get a diploma or job or are you already learning for learning's sake? I bet if we asked Star-Trek's Mr. Spock, he would say, "To expect to have eternality without first developing a love for lifelong learning is illogical."

BTW, the unabridged Oxford Dictionary has over six full pages of definitions for the term "soul". Many of them, of course, deal with soul music, but the rest of the definitions deal with today's subject.

So, what's there to remember about this?

1. If you can subscribe to the concept of being a soul rather than having one, you are, by E:P:N definition, a perennial soul . . . one of the human nucleons; meaning a human proton or neutron . . . a growing amount of energy that may change its shape and character but is indestructible energy nevertheless . . . much as one would expect from a spark of divinity . . . to keep existing, if not growing, forever.

2. If you definitely cannot, or don't want to, subscribe to an eternal- or multiple-life concept, you could well be a person who just lives and then dies without any tangible eternality to look forward to . . . possibly an annual soul? . . . a human electron? If so, your only eternality would then be the one that is promised you by your spiritual leaders.

3. If you are unsure, or have never thought about this issue, you might be in transition from one stage to another. Why don’t you give it some thought; I promise it won’t hurt. 

Does it really matter?

I don’t think so, unless you are one type of soul and, foolishly, wish to be another every moment of your life without doing something about it. Wishing to be something we are not while watching artistic performances is a normal human emotion; but making this “wanting to be someone else” a daily preoccupation without the intent to change, makes that desire a devastating habit—a hell on earth. Soul-level desires must be rooted in both mind and heart and tended to daily in an affirmative manner, if they are to grow and materialize.

The next set of lessons will be my “Habits a la Carte” module. It was made in the late ‘70s while I tended to my Ministry in Orlando, Florida. Inspired by Glenn W. Turner’s Dare to be Great philosophy, this module attempts to be a rehab program for those who have become unemployable with their current set of habit patterns or who wish to be/have another type/caliber of soul.

It would be easier, of course, if everyone would just “bloom where they’re planted” regardless of whether they are an annual or perennial soul. “Bettering her best” is what nature does. She is a fine role model.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Grammar: Who needs it?

2011-07-26T16:36:00.000-04:00

Today's AWAD (A Word A Day from www.wordsmith.org) featured the saying, "Arguments over grammar and style are often as fierce as those over Windows versus Mac, and as fruitless as Coke versus Pepsi and boxers versus briefs. -Jack Lynch, English professor, author (b. 1967)."

To me, it was a timely statement because the TESL-L ListServe group had been bantering again over grammar and its place in the classroom. Let me tell you what they’re both playfully and passionately arguing about and why there are only conditional answers.

Firstly, the term grammar: It is a variable. Those who are against teaching grammar think of it as memorizing boring rules. Those in favor, consider grammar to be the essence of all language-related knowledge.

Are they both right? Yes, each for their own camp of believers, which, together, constitutes two-thirds of all learners. The rest of us, the neutron third, often wish they would save their breath for hot soup so to speak; because, like Jack Lynch, the quoted English professor, said fifty years ago, the argument is fruitless.

Proton souls want nothing to do with rules; electron souls thrive on them; and the rest of us don’t care, because if neutron learners get a dogmatic teacher they simply add what’s missing by either befriending a good dictionary or a native speaker of the target language. One or the other generally rounds out their/our need for having newly encountered data clarified and put to use.

Secondly, the term "research" is even more of a variable than the term grammar; which leads the structure-loving electrons to accuse their counterparts, the free-wielding human protons, of not having empirical research to back up their "common sense" version of prescriptive grammar. Their claim is that a proton’s research, such as that done by Stephen Krashen, is at best a priori, meaning, based on hypothesis or theory rather than experiment.

Personally, I separate the two camps into those who focus on FIRSTHAND learning (exploring and discovering in the real world) and those who focus on SECONDHAND learning (the learning that goes on in schools). Having been in the business of confidence training for most of my life, I am sold on the need for both if there is to be a level of mature confidence during social or mental interactions.

In fact, reasoning, as I see it, is flawed and in most cases useless or dangerous unless both of the first two cycles are completed on the subject to be reasoned. Computers may learn to reason based on secondhand knowledge alone, but we have not as yet learned to program computers to contemplate and, thereby, create new methodologies and products. So far, we are still superior to computers unless their name is “Watson”—the IBM Wunderkind that recently beat the best of the best at Jeopardy.

Back to grammar: Since the presence of grammar is a procedural asset, my vote is to teach it explicitly to all who care—to all whose economic future depends on them having a working knowledge of grammar—but, to the rest, I would not bother teaching it explicitly. Let them learn grammar like they learn most everything else: implicitly.

In a free society, “making” people learn is usually counterproductive. Letting or “allowing” youngsters to learn is by far more rewarding . . . for all involved, including the teachers.

Yes, grammar rules have changed over time, and they may continue to do so; but, to make a good impression, allow yourself to become curious about its effect on fruitful communication with those who are the source of your income. I bet you’ll find that learning a “usable” skill and learning to do it well, is always well rewarded.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Forensic trialogues

2011-07-26T16:25:00.000-04:00

[In response to a complaint by a friend] “See, Sam, it is this very issue of enlightened souls differing that led me to compare humans to atoms and their internal trinities, two of which are, of necessity, eternal opposites.

"For example, a proton soul and an electron soul will never see eye-to-eye; they can't. One sees things from the inside out and the other from the outside in. Neutrons, by contrast, can see the need for their differences and delight in both of them.

"On your reference to one-upmanship: it is felt only by electron and proton souls. They both feel they are right. In fact, both of them "are" right if there is to be eternal polarity. And the smart souls among them feel superior to, rather than intimidated by, those less enlightened (in their respective opinion).

"The reason I am collecting/creating forensic trialogues is to help readers see the need for trinities and, eventually, grow to relate more to one voice than the other two. Naturally, to the extent that people do that, they create for themselves a heaven on earth. At least, that’s how I see it.

"Example: If people feel more drawn toward right-wing rhetoric than liberalism, they'd be wise to study Jewish traditions or capitalism. If they relate more to left-wing talk, they should stick with reading the Bible or the Koran. Both of them were written to train followers. And if people feel drawn toward both or neither, they'd do well to study Buddhist writings. They were written for both hermits and teachers. Are you, yourself, comfortable enough to tell me which of these three you now relate to best?”

The angry letter from my New Thought colleague (to which this was a response) was unexpected, since most New Thought scholars don't take offense to criticism, especially when that criticism is in response to rhetoric that supports the need for contrasts . . . contrasts that he deemed undesirable.

Collectively, New Thought students, more so than most, should realize that neither nature nor humans can survive without opposing forces. Though, in ignorance, we have allowed the terms positive and negative to take on the meanings of good and bad; protons and electrons, though positive and negative in their respective charge, are not ever labeled good or bad in the vernacular of physics or E:P:N.

On the lighter side.

My longtime Toastmaster friend, Karl Righter, DTM, suggested I include humor in my blogs. I fully agree that I should. My problem is that I still have vivid memories of my early stages of learning English . . . understanding a funny joke was well beyond my reach. It really bothered me to be the only one not laughing. Let me do this: I’ll occasionally put one of Karl’s funny stories in this spot of the blog. You then discuss it with your group and “negotiate the meaning” of the story or joke, OK?

[From "The Best Way to End Your Speech . . . How To Win Your Audience With Bombproof Humor" (pg 74)] “. . . I used to laugh at the slapstick nature of many country songs. Now, I’ve learned the deeper meanings of the words. As I leave you tonight, I hope that you will invite me to visit with you again, but if it is not to be, I’ll reflect upon the words of my favorite country song, ‘If That Phone Don’t Ring, I’ll Know It’s You!’” [Note: In that song title, the use of “don’t” instead of “doesn’t” is a country version of standard English.]

Click on the image to see the workbook.

E.C.R.I.F.

2011-07-26T16:04:00.000-04:00

A European framework

Joshua Kurzweil and his colleagues developed and regularly use the E.C.R.I.F. framework for describing what happens while learning. E.C.R.I.F. stands for encounter, clarify, remember, internalize, and fluently use. Jointly they describe what effective learners do as they acquire knowledge or learn a skill.

I like it. That process parallels my own understanding of what happens in our brain regardless of personality or soul-level differences. True, the way we go about encountering and clarifying may vary, but the order in which the five stages need to happen is the same for all of us. The “fluent use” issue is of course nearly impossible for foreigners in places where they are among the few who speak the target language.

Think about it, can we clarify something without first having encountered it? or remember something before it is clear? or internalize something before we consciously know it? Of course not. In fact, we can’t do any of them out of order. If you can, please tell me how you do it.
Go to the E.C.R.I.F. website; it is as good as any site in describing the student-directed approach to managing a classroom. I am sure you will like it.

My version of that process (set to rhyme) is at LEARNING CYCLES.
My thesis on this subject is HERE.

Learning in general:

[Learning cycles] Both confidence and love for learning mature with each completed cycle of learning a new mental or physical task. Therefore, do not “teach”; let students learn (their way). In other words, “coach” . . . but let them first ask and then qualify (as we do with the new AVID program). See website.

[AVID website] “AVID students are students in the academic middle who have not previously succeeded in a rigorous college preparatory path but are capable of doing so. AVID program participants must choose to participate and demonstrate this choice by completing an application and interview process. If selected, AVID students enroll in rigorous academic classes and also in the AVID elective class for additional attention and academic support.”

[E.C.R.I.F.] The “C” in ECRIF is for clarifying the range of possibilities for using the new term or phrase in context. I did my clarifying of new words during the private lessons I gave in the dance studio. There, during the warm-up periods, I clarified the various shades of meaning each attached to the words I was learning that day. During free periods, I took or reviewed notes and then compared them to Webster’s definitions. I truly had fun. That process of clarifying suited my personality.

Last, Krashen’s input hypothesis of i+1, referring to a ratio of “95 : 5” between known and unknown words, is often used as the standard ratio for good teaching in a foreign language. However, newer research gives credence also to ratios of i+2 and i-2 . . . one being more challenging and the other a feel-good process for kindling and fostering a love for reading and learning. Almost all of my adult students have preferred that latter approach. Try it once by alternating these i+2 lessons with simple i-2 reading materials. If you have a youngster in the house or neighborhood, buy a few children’s books and treat them by reading to them at least once a week. It will do wonders for both of you, I promise.

Click on the image to see the workbook.

Do? Have? or Be?

2011-07-26T00:27:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been asked . . .

Have you ever been asked what you want to do, have, or be one day? Most of us were asked at least one of these during childhood. Do you, by chance, remember which one it was and what you answered?

And what about now: Would you be quicker at answering the first, second, or third?

If you were an electron soul, you’d probably have no trouble telling me a few of the things you wanted to DO one day. If you were quicker at telling me a few of the things you wanted to HAVE, I’d call you a proton soul. And if you had a clear picture in your mind about what you wanted to BE one day, you’d be right to call yourself a neutron soul.

Does it matter which of these you relate to best? Not really. However, you’d be wise to remember which one it is and then plan accordingly.

• If you are a natural DOER, one who enjoys making and creating things, by all means start doing them. Go to a vocational, trade or technical school if you wish, but try to do it while working in that industry, even if it’s just menial work. College grads without experience don’t have nearly as many advantages as do those who have industry-related work experience to include on their resume.

• If you are clear about what you want to HAVE one day, why not pursue a sales career in the industry that makes those things? Selling is a profession that will allow you to earn what you need in order to afford the things you want. Though it is said that all of us are selling ourselves every day of our life, it doesn’t change the fact that at least two thirds of us are not doing so well at selling ourselves . . . nor selling anything else.

• And if you have a servant’s heart and know what you want to BE one day, stay in school and learn as much as you can about contrasting philosophies, religions, and political isms so you can grow to appreciate their respective strengths and weaknesses. BEING may not be as productive as DOING or striving to HAVE, but wanting to be a compassionate servant (teacher or manager) will add a degree of nobility – a touch of class – to the business of living, at least for yourself.
©
Click HERE to listen to Andy Dooly on this same trio of terms; it just came in this morning. It's good, especially if you like RAP (Rhythm And Poetry).

Andy first makes the point that people always seem to want to be “over there.” They want to go there because they’re not happy “here”; but the problem is that you can’t get there from here, he says, unless you’re first happy here.

Because this is his main point, he belabors it; but he also weaves in the need for first knowing what you want to do, have or be, before you have a decent chance of getting “there”.

Click on image to see the workbook.

Coaching and the big white lie

2011-07-26T00:18:00.000-04:00

A true story

Coach Planko had to address the Track Team Coaches Convention at the Chicago Hilton during the summer of 1954 . . . soon after Sir Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile in England. The pressures were obvious. Equaling or outdoing Bannister had to be addressed and they were looking to him to do it . . . or at least initiate something that would do it. His plan was to share his secret weapon, the Big White Lie. But what made things awkward, this was a media event and he had no idea how he was going to keep reporters from lousing things up . . . conning kids, under whatever guise, was not an acceptable practice . . . and he knew it. But, to create the miracles they were looking for, he had to chance it . . . he had to sell at least a few of them on playing the game.

It was Saturday night. Plank sat with the officers of the Association . . . still convinced he could do the job and anxious to get started. Finally his introduction: ". . . Ladies and gentlemen, Chicago's favorite head coach . . . ready to again share new tricks and throw new challenges. Help me welcome, the coach of the year, George Planko."

The group roared as George jumped onto the stage. He shook hands, turned to scan the audience and responded with a warm: "Thank you, friends. It sure is great to be with you again. Today, I've got to reach you where it counts. In fact, why don't we do that first." Plank paused, took the mike off its stand and walked out from behind the lectern to the front of the stage. "Friends, I need some of you, about a dozen or so, to join me in a project. The payoff should be great if not phenomenal. Unfortunately, it could also backfire. It could trigger a lot of snide remarks. To tell you the truth, it could get a lot of people bent flat out of shape. But the concept of what I'm about to propose is something I personally have done for years and is something that maybe should now be tried on a larger scale. Who wants to hear about this proposition? Who wants to hear what I think has been the secret to my luck? Would you kindly raise your hands?"

Enough were raised, and many of them quite high, the coach continued: "It's been an acknowledged fact, and I am sure you agree that very few ever exceed their expectations. Very few even try to excel, unless some-thing or someone first sells them, dares them, or shames them into bettering their best; isn't that true?"

After pausing long enough to let others join in on nodding their head, he continues: "Do you agree that some of us coach better than others? That some methods of motivation actually work better than others? Do you agree that some of us make a lot more money than others who work just as hard?" Again a pause to make room for a few hearty laughs. "Which brings me to my challenge. Are you ready to hear it? Give me a 'Yea'. Are you ready to listen?" Coach Planko cupped his hand behind the ear. The crowd responded with a loud "Yea" which doubled in decibels when he asked the question again.

"Friends, here's the deal: I want to prove, through a documented joint venture, that long-distance runners can be groomed out of the worst of prospects. I want to prove to the world that the Big White Lie works, if you work it. My challenge to you is to join my team and learn to work it right . . . to learn to target and train long shots, and then watch 'em start beating the best." Plank paused for a long time . . . almost as though meditating . . . before he continued: "Let me first share with you a dream I had night before last. [continued at clozeonline.us/mylnn/papers/COACHING,TheBigWhiteLie.html]

Click the image to see the workbook.

Bullies and Buddies

2011-07-25T23:59:00.003-04:00

Why Bullies Bull

I am convinced that the practice of bullying started because of ancient religious beliefs, including those of the various Scriptures that insist that all of us are basically sinful and because the media spends too much time reporting on humans who copy the savage behavior of territorial animals. Also, if my assumption is right about human souls being similar to the constituents of atoms, we will have to get used to the fact that one third of any large group of people, when given the chance, will indeed try to bully their way through life to get what they want.

Like most, I used to think of this trait as being evil, but I have grown to realize that bullying, when done with implied consent and a touch of artistry, is as desirable a trait as any.

In simpler words: This old and most likely erroneous belief that all of us are basically savage and bad, along with the belief that a free market economy (meaning survival of the fittest) is the only desirable concept, has led life’s proton-like souls to be aggressive and combative (rather than cooperative) for a very long time. And I doubt that this will ever change. In fact, I hope it doesn’t because societies thrive best while they have a healthy mixture of aggressive, submissive, and nurturing souls.

A popular solution to this problem was and still is the preaching of Karmic evolution (over many lives), suggesting that the human soul evolves by “choosing” to do good over bad and that older souls are superior to the young. Unfortunately, this teaching is often misconstrued to mean “older people”; which has led youngsters to rebel because they saw the irony of this belief, saying, “How can we say we evolved if we insist that parents are forever wiser than their children?” That mindset inevitably has always led, and will always lead, to the dummying down of those who subscribe to that paradox.
A more permanent solution is to lead youngsters as early as possible to:
• discover their talents
• appreciate diversity
• understand the price of autonomy and freedom as well as the yoke of luxury and security
• experience the joy of helping, and
• understand that they have the innate potential to become superior to their parents . . . that they, in fact, have the responsibility to become smarter than their parents.

It’s been my observation and experience that bullies bull crudely only when their surroundings and superiors try to subdue them. Praise a bully and you’ll find that there’s a responsible young man or woman under that mask. Prot admits that he was quite a bully when he was young, but he outgrew his immature behavior while still in High School. By the time he started college he had already turned his bad habits into leadership skills.

Click the image to see the workbook.

Annotated bibliographies

2011-07-25T23:17:00.001-04:00

These July blogs are those I either lengthened or shortened from those published in 2010. Collectively, these 26 blogs are an integral part of the 2011 Workbook. ISBN: 9-781934-194560.
§
Below are the first two of fifteen books on language learning that I selected for a graduate project in 2004. I wrote these annotated bibliographies because they cover the vocabulary now used for turning students into learners and teachers into managers of vibrant classrooms. The rest are at epn101.blogspot.com, August 20, 2010.

The format to use for these alphabetized discussion topics is simple: After reviewing the previous topic (by restoring the missing characters): (1) If you’re teaching or lecturing, sell the subject. (2) Pre-teach the vocabulary. (3) Listen to and then read the blog page together. (4) Let the class read the same page alone. Repeat this format for the dialogs on pg 3. Finish with the brainstorming and writing exercises, which start individually and end with E:P:N-based teams (in order to negotiate meaning when and where required). If there is time, allow them to finish the C-Test review before handing this workbook back to you. A good alternate plan is to let them do the test-like review as homework using a private directory at clozeonline.us.

NOTE: Until students decide which of the three mascots they relate to best, simply have them take turns in playing each of the three roles. Eventually, let them contract for a specific role for a self-selected period of time. E:P:N paraphernalia are available on the website to accommodate this role playing process.
§
Azar, B. S. (1999). Understanding and using English grammar (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

UUEG is an eclectic developmental skills text for intermediate to advanced students of ESL/EFL. Its twenty chapters cover the whole spectrum of tenses, future time and adverb clauses of time; subject-verb agreement; all the major parts of speech and their clauses; modals, passive voice, gerunds and infinitives; conjunctions, connectives and reductions; conditional sentences, wishes and questions; plus supplemental units on terminology, contractions, combinations, and negatives. While focusing on grammar, it promotes the development of all language skills in a variety of ways. It functions principally as a classroom teaching text but also serves as a comprehensive reference text for students. The text supports the view that grammar-based and communicative approaches can advantageously co-exist in the same language program, the same class, and even the same lesson. This edition stresses interactivity but leaves it open for users to decide what degree of interactivity best suits their needs. Many exercises are free-response exercises and open-ended communication tasks. I can see why UUEG is the textbook of choice for the Aspect chain of language schools. Its broad spectrum of exercises makes learning fun and rewarding, even for graduate students. (20, 450)
§
Holt, R. & Winston. (2003). Odell, L., Vacca, R., Hobbs, R. & Warriner, J. E. (Eds.). Elements of language: Third course. Austin, TX: Harcourt Classroom Education.
With the help of literally dozens of obviously competent contributors (4 program authors, 9 program consultants, 14 critical reviewers, 13 teacher/student contributors, and 54 field test participants), Holt, Reinhart, & Winston compiled a 968-page textbook that needs virtually no supplements to ready students for tests and life in general. Its main parts consist of Communications (320 pages), Sentences and Paragraphs (50), Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (430), plus a Quick Reference Handbook for the last 168 pages. This last section is excellent. It covers everything from how to read a dictionary and design a document, to viewing, presenting, and writing . . . that is in addition to others, including “how to use a library/media center” and the “Grammar at a Glance” section. (24, 968)

Click HERE --> to see the workbook.

Xenophobia

2011-02-05T18:56:00.000-05:00

Social fears, especially the abnormal fears or hatred of the strange or foreign (WordWeb), are what comprise the field of xenophobia. My job is to first share the textbook definitions and then explore the extent to which E:P:N soul-level differences correlate to those terms. Let's see whether we can do this in a simple fashion.

The simplest definition is a fear of strangers (Dic.of Psychology). Two lengthier ones are: a deep-rooted antipathy towards foreigners (Oxford English Dictionary) and unreasonable fear or hatred of the unfamiliar, especially people of other races (Webster's). The question is whether Eleko, Prot and Njut differ in their interpretations of what the definitions mean to them.

Wikipedia.org tells us that “xenophobia can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an in-group towards an out-group, including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity. Xenophobia can also be exhibited in the form of an 'uncritical exaltation of another culture' in which a culture is ascribed 'an unreal, stereotyped and exotic quality'.

The second form of xenophobia is primarily cultural, and the objects of the phobia are cultural elements which are considered alien. All cultures are subject to external influences, but cultural xenophobia is often narrowly directed, for instance, at foreign loan words in a national language. It rarely leads to aggression against individual persons, but can result in political campaigns for cultural or linguistic purification. In addition, entire xenophobic societies tend not to be open to interactions from anything 'outside' themselves, resulting in an isolationism that can further xenophobia.”

Yesterday, I talked to both Eleko and Prot and came to conclude that only Eleko might ever feel xenophobic about something foreign. Prot and I thrive on meeting strangers, albeit for different reasons; he, because he considers all strangers to be possible customers and I, as you know, because I consider all foreigners to represent possible opportunities for using Esperanto, my favorite language. The closest thing to xenophobia I've ever felt is at gatherings where the very young dance in a manner totally unfamiliar to me. On such occasions, I feel very lonely and out of place, especially when a pace has already been set that is not in keeping with my own idea of appropriate cultural interactions.

Zero charge?

2011-02-05T18:48:00.002-05:00

To do this most vital of all themes justice, let me first try to change your mind about neutrons having zero charge. I know it says zero and suggests no charge, but the truth is that when a neutron decays, it breaks up into a positron and a neutrino, meaning two particles of opposite charge that, upon interaction, annihilate one another. That charge is not simply “put” there; it was already there. Because of its assigned job in an atom, neutrons add only weight, not strengths. They can't because strengths are forces against opponents. Njut doesn't have opponents; she gives birth to opponents.

Of course, you can argue that not all strengths require interactions, but physics suggests otherwise . . . Newtonian physics states quite clearly that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

I have to confess that I, too, used to think that the world would be a better place if we could only neutralize (do away with) undesirable strengths, much like Hitler did. But I changed my mind. I now see the bigger picture. Ethnic cleansing, whether it is in the form of Americans trying to kick out Mexicans, Austrians trying to kick out Turks or Muslims trying to kick out Jews, is really not the answer to the problem of misplaced preoccupation. What needs changing is the way we think of opponents and contrasts.

For example, how much time do you and your favorite branch of the media waste every day in finding flaws with “the other side”? If you are a card-carrying republican or libertarian, probably most of your waking hours. The same can be said of the moochers both in and out of homeless shelters; they also spend most of their day in criticizing the rich and scheming for ever more effective ways to steal back what, in their opinion, was taken from them in the form of inferior wages.

We truly need to start learning about atoms and what they do to survive. None of them remain stable when their electrons, protons and neutrons cease to cooperate; nor can we, regardless of our religious or political persuasion. We truly truly need one another. Therefore, we need to learn to respect one another . . . at least with words.

I know I may be wrong about who and what we are. We may not be souls who were given a body. We may not even have full autonomy over our own actions. Too many of our habit patterns are influenced by our genes and early training. And we may not all be equally capable of making wise choices. But I am convinced that we would be wise to study the trinities in atoms. They are role modeling what needs to be done to survive when the power of choice is not present. Even if we were all of the same substance of divinity, a quasi cell in the body of god, we would be wise to emulate its role-modeled diversity. Eleko, Prot, Njut, what do you think?

Tips, Traps & Treasures

2011-02-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

Let's consider this a summary of what we've said so far, starting with a quick review of what happens in any primitive society, all right?

First, what do people do before they start collecting treasures? Yes, they hunt and gather edibles, with the aggressive or cunning ones among them (the human protons) choosing to be hunters and the rest doing the gathering. Together, they are like the ubiquitous (everywhere present) hydrogen atom: with one proton and one electron (no neutron yet).

That simplest of all systems is soon enhanced by the addition of the service sector, as I call it. Together, these three are the beginning of all else in the universe: they are now interdependent trinities, with the most stable groups consisting of an equal number of each of the three groups. For example, a productive group of six would have two members who daily go out to hunt, two who daily tend to growing or gathering, and two who would need to tend to whatever else needs to be done, including cooking, cleaning, and tending to the group.

From this stage onward, these three start to gather data on how to do each of the sectors more effectively. The Farmer's Almanac, for example, consisted of data gathered by farmers for farmers; “trapper” stories were passed on secretly by hunters for hunters; and the rest started to collect treasures for role modeling societal values. Eleko, Prot and Njut are the spokes people for these three sectors.

What are you? Where's your focus? What's your E:P:N ratio?
Look at your bookshelf (while you still have one). Do you see more books on tips, on traps, or on treasures?

If you see mostly almanacs, cookbooks and How To Fix manuals, the chances are that you and Eleko have a lot in common.
If you have collected a larger number of How To Get Rich books, biographies, and war stories, talk to Prot. You two have a lot in common, I'm sure.
And if your collection consists of an eclectic potpourri of treasures, talk to Njut; that's her world as well. You'll like her.

While responding to the worksheet tasks, wear the hat of your actual E:P:N role, OK?

Coaching, a game?

2011-01-24T19:41:00.000-05:00

Coach Plankton had to address the Track Team Coaches Convention at the Chicago Hilton during the summer of '54 . . . soon after Sir Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile in England. The pressures were obvious. Equaling or outdoing Bannister had to be addressed and they were looking to him to do it . . . or at least initiate something that would do it. His plan was to share his secret weapon, the Big White Lie; but what made things awkward, this was a media event and he had no idea how he was going to keep reporters from lousing things up . . . conning kids, under whatever guise, was not an acceptable practice . . . and he knew it. But, to create the miracles they were looking for, he had to chance it . . . he had to sell at least a few of them on playing the game.

It was Saturday night. Plank sat with the officers of the Association . . . still convinced he could do the job and anxious to get started. Finally his introduction: ". . . Ladies and gentlemen, Chicago's favorite head coach . . . ready to again share new tricks and throw new challenges. Help me welcome, the coach of the year, George Plankton."

The group roared as George jumped onto the stage. He shook hands, turned to scan the audience and responded with a warm: "Thank you, friends. It sure is great to be with you again. Today, I've got to reach you where it counts. In fact, why don't we do that first." Plank paused, took the mike off its stand and walked out from behind the lectern to the front of the stage. "Friends, I need some of you, about a dozen or so, to join me in a project. The payoff should be great if not phenomenal. Unfortunately, it could also backfire. It could trigger a lot of snide remarks. To tell you the truth, it could get a lot of people bent flat out of shape. But the concept of what I'm about to propose is something I personally have done for years and is something that maybe should now be tried on a larger scale. Who wants to hear about this proposition? Who wants to hear what I think has been the secret to my luck? Would you kindly raise your hand."

Enough were raised . . . and many of them quite high . . . the coach continued: "It's been an acknowledged fact, and I am sure you agree, that very few ever exceed their expectations. Very few even 'try' to excel, unless something or someone first sells them, dares them, or shames them into bettering their best; isn't that true?"

After pausing long enough to let others join in on nodding their head, he continues: "Do you agree that some of us coach better than others? That some methods of motivation actually work better than others? Do you agree that some of us make a lot more money than others who work just as hard?"

[To read the rest, click on the title or HERE.]

Makeover Differences

2011-01-17T14:47:00.002-05:00

To Eleko, (representing electron-type souls who would rather make or create things than sell, supervise or manage), raising his E:P:N profile score from E-0 to E-4 means studying harder, wiser, and with increasingly reputable or visionary coaches on the subjects of vocational arts, crafts, math and technology. To Eleko, more is better, especially on his C.V. (curriculum vitae).
To Prot, a complete makeover from a score of P-0 to P-4 would mean having to change from peddling or crudely bullying to effectively leading others to make changes that permanently satisfy their clients' wants and needs. Therefore, to Prot, less is better since his objective is to soften his voice and add a touch of class to his strength. In most cases, Prot-type learners get a makeover every time they change the size and location of their territory.
Njut, to advance from a low score of N-0 to a high of N-4 doesn't need so much a makeover as she needs practice in the field. The most monumental change in her approach to teaching and managing occurs when she learns the craft of coaching, meaning the process of "allowing" rather than "making" learners learn. Her personality, however, doesn't need to change that much. Yes, high-scoring neutron souls bring their smart phone or laptop to a vacation spot, but Njut's image of being a vacationing snail is true for the entire spectrum of her choices. She's got a servant's heart. To Njut, neither more nor less has much meaning. To her, quality counts more than quantity.

NOTE: The gender assignment to my critters was arbitrary and actually not in keeping with scientific terms (which allocate maleness to protons and femaleness to electrons). But, since I grew up in a chauvinistic country where women were forced to grow more mature than men (if they wanted to survive), I felt it was the right choice to let Njut be the wiser of the three, especially on issues of survival.

Njut seeks and sees unity in diversity almost from birth. Eleko and Prot don't. In fact, they may not even be capable of embracing opposing points of view. Should they try? Of course, especially in free societies. Will they succeed? Probably not.

The E:P:N theorem suggest that we need an equally balanced diversity in all places of work and learning if we are to have the same stability as the stable atoms have in nature. One suggested approach to letting learners try each of the three roles is outlined at clozeonline.us/ebook. Click HERE to do your own full analysis.

Sports, both good and bad

2011-01-17T02:15:00.001-05:00

Sports, ranging from “bettering your best” sports like golf, athletics and baseball to brutal “sock it to 'em” sports like tennis and boxing, including the quasi sport of bullying, can be both character-building and devastating. The trick is to pick the right sport for your particular stage of cyclical development.

It's important to note that once children are hooked on lifelong learning, sports are no longer a requisite to character development. But during the rudimentary stages of character development there's nothing better than sports to motivate youngsters to practice often enough to become a mental or physical champ, at least by someone's standards.

The three types of competition:

Young electron souls, meaning the whole spectrum of blue- and white-color wage earners, including most salaried employees and technicians, need to amass diplomas to ready themselves for employment positions . . . to prove their worth to a company. Their competition is against a grade. They need to have high marks on their tests to make themselves look good on paper. Acquiring more and better diplomas needs to be their focus in order to be hired for well-paying jobs and positions.
Potential commissioned employees, sales personnel and entrepreneurial small business operators, in other words proton-type souls, actually benefit more from engaging in aggressive interactions and "Winning is everything" sports. Their competition is against others. Their need is to explore and discover the type of territory they wish to control and the price associated with each choice. Leadership training is what they need to change from bullying to making buddies.
This leaves the service sector employees and sole proprietorship professionals, including coaches, private teachers and managers. To them, competition means bettering their [previous] best. To this group, playing is the major objective . . . not winning at all cost. True, on special occasions, these neutron souls can be seen to be as competitive as any human electron or proton but, since playing fair is their major trademark, they don't have the same deep need to win; their need is to play hard, feel useful, and have fun.

Arguments over Grammar

2010-12-26T02:16:00.000-05:00

Today's AWAD featured the saying, "Arguments over grammar and style are often as fierce as those over Windows versus Mac, and as fruitless as Coke versus Pepsi and boxers versus briefs. -Jack Lynch, English professor, author (b. 1967)".

To me, it was a timely statement because the TESL-L ListServe group had been bantering again over grammar and its place in the classroom. Let me tell you what they’re arguing about and why there are only conditional answers.

First, the term ‘grammar’ is a variable: Those who are against teaching grammar think of it as memorizing boring rules; those in favor, consider grammar to be the essence of all language-related knowledge.

Are they both right? Yes, each for their own camp of believers, which constitutes two-thirds of all learners. The rest of us, the neutron third, often wish they’d save their breath for hot soup; because, like Jack Lynch, the quoted English professor, said fifty years ago, the argument is fruitless.

Proton souls want nothing to do with rules; electron souls thrive on them; and the rest of us don’t care. If neutron learners get a dogmatic teacher they simply add what’s missing by either befriending a good dictionary or a native speaker (of the target language). One or the other generally rounds out their/our need for having newly encountered data clarified and put to use.

Second, the term ‘research’ is even more of a variable then the term grammar; which leads the structure-loving electrons to accuse their counterparts of not having empirical research to back up their 'common sense'. Their claim is that a proton’s research, such as that done by Stephen Krashen, is at best a priori (based on hypothesis or theory rather than experiment).

Personally, I separate the two camps into those who focus on FIRSTHAND learning (exploring and discovering in the real world) and those who focus on SECONDHAND learning (the learning that goes on in schools). Having been in the business of confidence training for most of my life, I am sold on the need for both if there is to be a level of mature confidence.

That’s because those who learned just in schools will not be confident on the streets so to speak, and those who are just street smart will not have confidence conversing with scholars. These two groups may not speak different languages but they do speak at different levels of confidence. This dichotomy usually brings to mind Kipling's oft-quoted phrase about learning to walk with king without losing the common touch.

What do you prefer? Vote for Eleko if you like structured learning. Vote for Prot if you don’t. Vote for Njut if you like both.

LSD, the cure-all

2010-12-24T23:36:00.000-05:00

The Utilitarian Approach

2010-12-21T20:54:00.002-05:00

"Randy Alcorn, in Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments, suggested that we not 'marginalize' the pro-life point of view and I agree, but I believe his crusade has become such a pagan outcry, that I wish to counter it with the scriptural message that life is eternal ... that abortion does not kill the real Self--the soul. What surprises me the most is that even the sophisticated Republican party is openly promoting this irrational notion. I think it is preposterous and uncivilized that they are proposing a constitutional amendment to ban it."

Ten years ago, this was my intro to a 2,000-word essay project on a sensitive subject. As you can see, I did mine on abortion. Should you have to do something similar one day, the text and format at Hypocrisy might help you decide whether to also use the utilitarian approach formula.

My summary was:

Yes, abortion is a crime committed against the soul who may have painstakingly searched and finally found a fetus for its journey through life on earth. Aborting deprives that soul of that opportunity. But, I ask you, how do we know there are not parental spirits who intervene at certain times to lovingly redirect searching souls to possibly find a more suitable fetus for its life's work?

God knows, searching for an ideal environment is not an easy task; too many settle into marriages, jobs, and habit patterns without listening to parental advice. The truth is, most of us will never know for sure whether a chosen environment is right or wrong for the lessons we wish to learn. It is also true that taking away one set of genetic circumstances does not keep a soul from learning useful lessons in another.

The issue is, if we are to continue to progress from the physical to the spiritual, we must not allow laws to retard that process. If you are a conscientious objector (by whatever label) and loath abortion, you naturally should continue to voice your passion, but theists who believe in the eternalness of the soul should take the time to streamline their beliefs ... speaking with a forked tongue is not a noble spiritual practice.

ECRIF framework

2010-12-19T08:05:00.002-05:00

Joshua Kurzweil and his colleagues developed and use the E.C.R.I.F. framework for describing what happens while learning. ECRIF stands for encounter, clarify, remember, internalize, and fluently use. Jointly they describe what effective learners do as they acquire knowledge or learn a skill.

I like it. It parallels my own understanding of what happens in our brain regardless of personality or soul-level differences. The way we go about encountering, etc. may vary, but the order in which the five stages need to happen is the same for all of us.

Think about it, can we clarify something without first having encountered it? Or remember something before it is clear? Of course not. In fact, we can’t do any of them out of order. If you can, please tell me how.

Go to Joshua’s ECRIF website; it’s as good as any in describing the student-directed approach to managing a classroom. My version of that process (set to rhyme) is at LEARNING CYCLES, but I’m OK about switching to this new term. It’s just as valid.

In essence: Our confidence and love for learning mature with each completed cycle (of learning a new mental or physical task). Therefore, don’t “teach”; let students learn (their way). In other words, “coach” . . . but let them first ask and qualify (as we do with the new AVID program).

Wisdom three ways:

2010-12-13T00:05:00.001-05:00

Confucius said, "Individuals gain wisdom in three ways: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

Depending on age, nature, and station in life, we may disagree on which of the three is the bitterest, but we are likely to agree that all three are legitimate choices of gaining wisdom. Age and E:P:N nature are the key variables.

For example, while young and a proton soul, you’re not likely to consider learning by experience to be bitter. In fact, you probably insist on learning everything by exploring and discovering rather than listening and learning from adults. Even once you’re an adult proton, you’re not likely to prefer imitating others over learning FIRSTHAND.

Likewise, if you’re young and a neutron soul, learning by experience (learning by FIRSTHAND exploring) is probably your way of life; you are not likely to consider that process to be a negative experience. Only as an adult does a neutron soul start by imitating before exploring alternatives.

Only electron souls, especially those not allowed to explore while young, fall in the category of those who Confucius was talking about.

As to reflecting, I hesitate to pass comment on this “noblest” of ways because thinking in retrospect is as difficult as thinking ahead; it is the capacity of being able to reason, and reasoning is flawed until there has been an adequate amount of time spent at both FIRSTHAND and SECONDHAND learning. See my rhymes at Learning Cycles.

Enslavement and E:P:N

2010-12-05T21:55:00.000-05:00

Last week, while reviewing the court cases Plessey v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954), I said that all of us are slaves in one form or another during most periods of our life.

In retrospect, I wish to change “all” to “two thirds” because I forgot for a moment that the enslavers, proton souls, don’t consider themselves to be at the mercy of anyone for very long. I forgot that, when encountering someone who attempts to enslave them, they simply move on. Graphically speaking, when they find themselves to be a small and vulnerable fish in a large pond, they simply move to a smaller pond.The key definitions of enslave are “to bring into servitude” and “to subjugate”; meaning, those brought into servitude are at the mercy of those whom they serve.Let’s analyze the most obvious groups involved in the enslavement process: the employers and their employees – human protons and their largely dependent electrons. First, having been both employer and employee, I can say with conviction that employers are just as much at the mercy of their employees as employees are at theirs. This is especially true in professions where competence and diligence are necessary elements of the business model.

Even plantation owners and their slaves were not much different in their interdependency from present-day farmers and their migrant workers. Neither could long survive without the other. And if you ask hungry migrant workers who are en route to a new and treacherous job, I bet you’ll hear many of them say they wish they didn’t have to keep moving so often to stay alive. Plantation slaves were at least fed and housed.

The same can be said of teenager and parents, husband and wife, pet-owners and pets, the indigent and their care-givers, soldiers and those they protect, and even the ball players and their audiences. None of them can long survive or derive pleasure without help from their counterparts.

Of course, the common argument is, “All modern-day slaves can leave and go elsewhere; the slaves of old could not”; which is not quite true in today’s framework of civility and responsible commitment.

Yes, parents could leave their children unattended; children could leave their pets unattended; husbands and wives could leave a domineering spouse; soldiers could desert their platoon; caregivers could abandon their patients; and ballplayers could leave their team. But the responsible ones in each of these groups will not do those things because they feel obligated to uphold the spirit of the “until death do us part” clause in all vows of commitment, regardless of their nature.

Unfortunately, in a contract-driven society, such as ours, when the party who wishes to get out of a contract is prohibited from doing so, s/he is bound to feel enslaved by the terms of the contract, especially when the conditions of their contract were imposed rather than elected.

From the E:P:N perspective, the easiest way (for the rest of us) of never feeling enslaved is for us to want to have a servant’s heart. Neutrons already know they were born to serve; only the human electrons will need to “decide” to enjoy the process of serving . . . be it serving their Christ/Buddha within, their family, their pets, or even their bossy employer. If they don’t, they’ll be slaves . . . or at least not as happy as they could be.

Human annuals / perennials

2010-11-30T23:22:00.000-05:00

My E:P:N theorem has the underlying assumption that humans either ARE or HAVE a soul; meaning, they either ARE an integral part of a pacesetting perennial nucleus (a proton or neutron soul) or they HAVE in some hierarchical way a temporal existence sustained by a nucleus.

In this context, the ARE's are presumed to have an assured measure of eternality, whereas the HAVE's (the electron souls) are not considered to have that same type of continuity. Their respective innate motivations and reasons for living, therefore, are presumed to be different.

Most branches of Islam and Christianity presume all to be annuals. Most Eastern religions believe us to be perennials. To the ARE's, the [perennial] nucleons, life-long learning is natural; to the [annual] HAVE's, it is not.

What about you? Are you learning just to get a diploma or job or are you already learning for learning's sake? I bet if we asked Star-Trek's Mr. Spock, he would say, "To expect to have eternality without first developing a love for learning is illogical."

BTW, the unabridged Oxford Dictionary has over six full pages of definitions for the term "soul". Though many of them deal with soul music, the rest deal with today's subject.

E:P:N Ratios not Labels

2010-11-28T22:58:00.005-05:00

It’s been said that neither children nor adults like to be labeled no matter what the label, and I agree because most of us are either a lot more than can be verified or a lot less than labels imply (and too embarrassed to admit it).

Over the last hundred years, we’ve had many sets of fashionable labels; but please note that E:P:N has never been, nor should it ever be, among them. That’s because “Electron, Proton & Neutron” are not labels given by a scholarly authority to humans but they are terms coined by physicists for the internal aspects of stable atoms. I simply use human similes for their respective characteristics.

As to self-labeling: Yes, I did label myself (a neutron, in case you wonder), and so should you, but neither of us should ever take the liberty of labeling another because we have no way of knowing whether a person’s soul-level self is at the beginning of a new phase or at the end of an almost completed one.Of course, my assumption that souls are in a cyclical process of development is just that: an assumption. It could well be that there are both “annual” and “perennial” souls with only the latter being privileged to learn forever. Last, remember that we are dealing with a “ratio” at all levels of the E:P:N theorem. And that’s not because atoms have variable ratios; it’s because humans have variable amounts of each of the typical characteristics. Stable atoms vary only in the number of neutrons they have (in the nucleus); humans vary in all aspects (because of genetics, environments, and all aspects of their training).

So, next time you think about bettering your best (in school or at work), take inventory of your current E:P:N ratio. Which of the three sets of characteristics gives you the most pleasure?

Talking AT vs. WITH

2010-11-28T11:37:00.002-05:00

President Obama’s new appeal to politicians is to talk “not at” one another but “with” one another. Though a noble thought and great suggestion, this is not likely going to happen; politicians, comprised mostly of Proton souls, would be out of character to do that. Just look at Prot, does this crow look like s/he is willing to listen and talk “with” you? Just kidding! However, from the E:P:N perspective, Prot and Eleko are much better at preaching about their own point of view than they are at listening to their natural opponents with an open mind. Listening with compassion does not come natural to either of them. To the rescue comes Njut, the vacationing snail. Not being a threat to either of the quarrelling parties, Njut has become the balancing aspect of all complex atoms and groups. Therefore, by definition, it is Njut and her cohorts that are the hope of the world. Look at her! Doesn’t she look like she knows where it’s at so to speak? By E:P:N design, she makes a great mediator. Let’s use her whenever possible. Why do I give Njut the feminine gender? Because, in German, we say, ”Die” Schnecke, which is grammatically feminine. So, being also the nurturing aspect of life on earth, it seemed the reasonable choice. In classrooms, of course, the neutron aspect is role modeled by both males and females . . . as are the Prot’s and Eleko’s (the protons and electrons . . . the eternal opposites).

The Costume Effect

2010-11-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

If you’ve ever been to a costume ball or dressed up for a school play, you’re bound to remember that you behaved in ways other than normal, whatever “normal” meant to you at that time. Well, it’s a lot like that when you choose to play one of the E:P:N roles during class. “Learning from stable atoms” gives one third the obligation to be an electron follower (like a specialist catering to a specific assigned need), one third of the class the license to be a proton leader (like someone who decides what needs to be done and in what order), and one third the responsibility of making sure things get done on time and as promised. An important ground rule: Although E:P:N group learning is seldom done for an entire period, the E:P:N role modeling – meaning the wearing of an E, P or N costume so to speak – needs to be maintained for the entire period, day, week or month to be effective. Ideally, students contract for an increasingly longer period of time, so when the time comes to make employment decisions, role commitments are both logical and productive for all concerned. The simplest way to keep track of who is playing what role is to have stickers made for both chairs and desks. The ones I have state: Today, I promise to playthe characteristic role of anElectron/Proton/NeutronThen I let all students underline, circle or highlight their own stickers. During the later stages, students should sign actual contracts to get used to real-life expectations. For computer-related tasks, I have three students share a keyboard, with the electron role on first to bat so to speak. This is especially important during competitive tasks, to assure the highest degree of speed and accuracy. And whenever you outfit a new classroom, there’s no reason not to buy color-coded chairs. Let me close for today, saying: The more you stress the fun of role modeling, the more you’ll get done. Let them “dress for the occasion” whenever possible. If nothing else, use at least the colors from my image of the atom, with yellow being the electrons, red the proton, and blue the neutron. You have my promise that the Costume Effect will do more good than harm. Don’t most of us have a “lucky” shirt, suit or tie for special occasions like job interviews? Of course we do. It’s not like any one of the three roles/costumes is better than the others. In a stable and productive work unit all three are equally necessary. At the beginning, allow any of them to “think” that theirs is the most important role, and on certain projects they maybe right, but in nature at large, all aspects of an atom and all segments of the food chain are of equal import. That’s the essence of E:P:N training.

Care to help set the pace?

2010-11-24T22:11:00.006-05:00

A Happy Thankgiving! May your day be more than you expect. Much Love, Joe Click HERE to see what I've put together so far for my presentation to the Lake County school board. The PPT of it is at clozeonline.us/epn.ppt.

Questioning Caveats

2010-11-23T00:11:00.002-05:00

Sayings crafted for proton souls do not necessarily apply to electron souls, and vice versa. In fact, they seldom do.

Case in point: If a company were to look for employees who resemble a walking encyclopedia of facts (electrons), would they be hiring the so-called fools who are expert at questioning and regurgitating facts or would they hire the so-called wise who have questioned only themselves? Personally, I think they would hire the fools. By contrast, if they were looking for employees for leadership positions (protons), would their preferences not be reversed? So, before you allow wise sayings to influence your decisionmaking, you might want to ask yourself who a phrase was written for as well as who it was written by. Yes, some sayings are generic and apply to all, but the majority of them were written for specific audiences. To prove my point, attend a few conferences held for employees and a few held for potential entrepreneurs. You will find that their respective quotes are different in nature and intent. One stresses that, “All things come to those who wait,” whereas the other points out that “It is the early birds that catch the worms.”

Help the Poor?

2010-11-20T16:37:00.004-05:00

Today’s Forward from a friend, a criticism of our foreign aid policy, made me think about who should help whom when times are tough. That email questioned the logic behind supporting the poor of Haiti, Chile and Turkey when we don’t have enough money to support our own homeless and needy. Let me try to add a global point of view to this. First, our (Christian) Scriptures tell us that “the poor shall always be with us” (Mat 26:11, Mk 14:7 & Jn 12:8). Trying to change that fact is a hopeless beginning not only mathematically (because there will always be a bottom group) but also economically (because there will always be a large group that I call “worthless” from the E:P:N perspective). See my PPT. Yes, nationally and internationally, that lower segment needs to be taken care of but not by official governments; that’s what good neighbors and the various philanthropic groups are here to do (Deut 15:11). We, as the leading role model nation, have an obligation to help whenever and wherever there is a disaster, but not so much to help the poor as we need to help their economic engine. Think of it: When a country’s economic engine is temporarily broken, everyone loses. When they can neither import nor export, they have little chance of surviving, which generally turns its people into desperate thieves and worse. Therefore, during a crisis, we need to be and stay a nation that does what friends would do to help one another: We need to be and stay a nation that helps where it needs to, in order to preserve both present and future trading partners, even if it has to borrow in order to do that. So, as I see it, government money spent on feeding the poor or worthless is money wasted; government money spent on restoring an economic engine is (usually) money well invested. Let's try to separate the two when we crticize the actions of our government.

Fake it ‘til you make it

2010-11-15T20:47:00.003-05:00

Today, let’s try to understand why a onetime positive blogger would want to purposely turn away from the “fake it ‘til you make” concept of New Thought and criticize it, saying, “I’m not going to lie to myself . . . what I feel, I feel . . . [and] I have trouble believing that serious people have ever given it credibility as a path to wholeness.” First, our blogger is right that “fake it until you make it” is not an appropriate training process for all three soul types. Though it "works" for all, it is a more honest and necessary approach for protons and highly-paid professionals than it is for wage-earners and non-professionals. Low-paid workers are generally not expected to hide their feelings; professionals are! And why Protons more so than Electrons? Because those who live with change on their mind “have” to fake it. That’s how change is initiated. Change agents don’t have the luxury of having an established [honest] feeling to motivate them. Electrons, by contrast, meaning those who usually have change thrust upon them, are seldom happy about having to adapt to someone else’s pace, especially in a free country where very few feel good about change they did not request. To them, faking of any kind is a crime. Is that what caused these despondent remarks? Probably. I know our blogger wants to be a change agent but he’s obviously not a proton soul. If he were, he would not have criticized the concept. Remember, “The feeling for doing comes through doing.” That’s a fact of life.

Energy in Action (Life)

2010-11-14T21:34:00.012-05:00

To follow through on yesterday’s intro to pantheistic-type thinking, let me first quote Wikipedia’s second of three summaries: “Monist idealist Pantheism holds that there is only one type of substance, and that substance is mental or spiritual. Ultimate reality consists of a single consciousness. This version is common in Hindu philosophies and Consciousness-Only schools of Buddhism, as well as in some New Age writers such as Deepak Chopra.”Their first mentioned variety of pantheism is that of a physical universe being all there is and that God evolved along with the universe. This is the view held by the World Pantheist Movement; however, it is relatively pagan in that we know for sure that the universe is more than the sum of its parts (to again quote Einstein). The third variety is listed as dualist pantheism, suggesting that God is both physical and spiritual, but its spectrum of beliefs is too broad. It does not permit devout Christians or Muslims, for example, to consider it to be a scientific version of their own beliefs. So, let’s not include these two in our E:P:N study of soul-level differences. But first, one more reference: Under Recent Developments, Wikipedia states that pantheism has now been Hollywood’s religion of choice for several decades, and that movies such as Avatar best exemplify our kinship with nature. Another short summary: (at the physical level) God=Nature and Nature=God; (at the mental level) God=Mind and Mind=God. With this in mind: Yesterday I should have titled my blog, Conscious Energy at Rest rather than just “Energy at Rest (God)”; because there is no doubt in my mind that what we call life-force, which is “conscious and contemplative” at the human level, is the closest thing to a God any of us will ever know. The problem with Life/Energy being God is that life, of necessity, is polaric. It is energy in action, meaning, it is in a vortex-like state much like a miniature hurricane, with electrons whirling around a nucleus and photons. This dilemma of ubiquitous opposing forces being in a constant state of flux makes it difficult to find a benevolent God in these vortexes. So, if you are an electron or proton soul and have to have a physical God, get used to “your” god not always being fair or just (from your respective points of view). That’s not the way physical life works. (Neutron souls don’t usually have that problem of seeing only one side of an issue.) If you need a good God, I suggest you consider the pantheistic view that God is Mind (consciousness) or Spirit (much like photons in atoms). This way, you can choose to stay in the eye or periphery of the vortex – apart from all discord. Personally, I relate best to the concept of God being Consciousness . . . contemplative consciousness at the human level and omniscient consciousness at the God level. This permits me to stay in control of my attitude and, thereby, the degree of my happiness.

Energy at Rest (God)

2010-11-13T16:42:00.003-05:00

During last week’s science class the subject of evolution came up, which naturally led to the addressing of the god concept. Right or wrong, my standard answer to this is that a purely benevolent god would have to be energy at rest (rather than energy in action). Though there seems to be no such thing as energy at rest, this tends to make sense to inquisitive students, especially if the subject comes up after quoting Einstein saying that the universe is more than the sum of its parts, and that this moreness might as well be called God. Of course, Einstein was referring more to the life-force in matter rather than the state of its energy; but both analogies tend to appease the youngsters’ inquisitiveness without destroying their simultaneous need to belief in some sort of creation process. And the occasional question about the seven-days of creation I usually answer with the counter-question, “Are we talking about earth days or celestial days?” If they’ve ever seen and contemplated the vastness of our visible universe, including our inability to know for sure how long a celestial day might be in earth years, this question seldom weakens their Creation concept . . . largely because seven long enough days would, by definition, include evolution as we know it. Care to contribute to this?

FINDING NEMO & E:P:N

2010-11-13T11:12:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I forgot to add my E:P:N analogy. Let me do this by using the “Finding Nemo” plot: First, on his first day in school, Nemo wanted to learn FIRSTHAND through exploring the deep waters (by himself); his father, by contrast, was on the other end of that responsibility scale . . . trying to keep Nemo safe . . . wanting Nemo to first do a lot more SECONDHAND learning in a supervised environment. Nemo was the risk-taking Proton, the father the security-minded Electron. Second, at the end of this Disney film, the father apologizes for his overprotective behavior. Nemo, however, shows no remorse for being disobedient. (That’s because it is not in the nature of a proton soul to feel sorry for wanting to learn through trial and error. That’s what proton souls do . . . from the “terrible two’s” on up through their deathbed.) This leaves the analogy of the typical Neutron soul. In that story, the best example of a Neutron parent was the old turtle. That 150-year-old Papa was just as loving and caring as Nemo’s dad, but he exemplified the wisdom of the “older” soul by responding with You never know when asked about when to let go.

FIRSTHAND (RAP)

2010-11-13T02:12:00.003-05:00

Don't laugh! It's my first. I'll try to add a soundtrack soon so you can hear the cadence I intend it to have. The (a) is like an upbeat before the 1st and 5th measures. Do … you … (a) (1) allow kids the pleasure to stumble and fall, climb up and down stairs and chase pets down the hall? Did (2) you, yourself, not play chase in the trees, watch the birds build nests and get stung by the bees? So (3) why deprive others, your self and those dear from learning of life and wood and veneer FIRST (4) HAND, like Johnny and Jane and Frank and Big Red, who all, though rowdy, were always way (a) (5) ahead. It seems to hold true that the brave, rough and gruff end up healthy and happy as though made of good (6) stuff. It's true, and you and I know it only too darn well, that my quest for excitement is not (7) rooted in hell. That my natural way after fumbles and falls is to smile, then get up, and run (8) after the balls. So let’s hear it for learning for as long as we can FIRST HAND firsthand first hand.

Online shortcoming

2010-11-10T14:49:00.009-05:00

[DK, in rebuttal to criticism about online learning] “And yet it is curious that we rely on these very same electronic signals to communicate with each other, to relay our feelings and make impassioned appeals against electronic signals. TESL-L is not a face-to-face forum. Why should we deny our students electronic media?” Dave, that's the best point yet in favor of electronic learning. The only caveat is to remember that we, as a group, are not still in the process of learning FIRSTHAND or SECONDHAND; we are, for the most part, already at the REASONING stage/cycle. Though, to a certain degree, communicative learning is the process of combining these three from the start, we are still not advanced enough to provide an adequate firsthand learning environment online. Yes, my long-term goal is to develop one day a quasi "laptop psychiatrist" that allows learners to explore and discover their innate talents and strengths in the comfort of their own favorite spot, but until we (collectively) do, f2f interaction between peers is still the fastest way of accomplishing that most important first stage of the learning process. Yes? NO? Click HERE --> to one of my published pieces on the learning cycles.

“Of the Students …”

2010-11-07T18:06:00.003-05:00

Today, while browsing through my eBook collection, I noticed that Dr. Martin Wolff gave me credit for contributing to his revolutionary book on teaching English in China, titled, “Of The Students, By The Students, And For The Students: Time For Another Revolution.” Let me know if you’d like to read the rest of the original contribution to the book. In fact, since I helped edit quite a few of the chapters, I can send you some pertinent texts as well. (pg 49) “The only magic process I've ever seen to work is the total immersion into L2 for at least a year (as I did). I started to seriously learn English at age 18, a few months before I emigrated from Austria to Canada. (True, we all had English for four years "in der Hauptschule" but with the same dismal success [then] as China has now.) After arrival in Canada and observing what works and what doesn't, I decided to stay away from all German-spoken people for at least a year, which I did. Actually, I neither called nor wrote home to my family in Austria for almost two years . . . with the result that I learned to sound like a native Canadian, even without going to school. If the Chinese did something similar, meaning working in an English-only environment while living in an English-only community with a native roommate, they would also acquire English the way natives do . . . through role modeling what they hear (as I did). Can that be done without leaving China? I think it could in a convoluted sort of way, but the easier answer would be to simply have a youngster commit to the use of "English only" for at least a year, somewhere, preferably in a vocational or industrial environment to learn a marketable skill (using English). Therefore, the second important solution: China needs to put more emphasis on the value of learning “oral communication skills” if she wants to remain a role model to the world. And if English is too difficult, why not set the pace and have everyone learn Esperanto. It might just be the easier solution. The West would not much appreciate this, but they’d have little choice but to eventually follow suit.” Note: I modified the ending to suit my Esperanto agenda, but the rest is the same. Have you ever tried to become native-like in a foreign language? It’s not easy but it can be done, especially if the language is Esperanto.  Try it! I bet you’ll never stop once you start. What do you want to bet?

Student-centered Learning

2010-11-06T13:21:00.004-04:00

[response to yesterday's blog] " . . . suggested that the video entertainment world . . . makes our classrooms boring on the best day." Maybe, but that’s what E:P:N is for. Besides, TV Reality shows are gaining popularity! When we give students the chance to help create a winning game, they’re generally motivated to play it. In the spirit of my eBook, I’d probably say, "OK, kids, this is what we’ve got to learn this week: [go over list]. Can you think of a clever way of having fun accomplishing all (three) of these items? Maybe a Reality Show . . . a sort of competition maybe between similar or various-size teams? What do you think?" [pause] “We could have those of you who want to be leaders one day start building a resume . . . a resume that reflects some real-life accomplishments. Here’s what I’m talking about: We could have you run the show with me being your coach and referee rather than your teacher. It’s called “student-centered learning” and it’s been researched to work well once students are mature enough to implement it . . . which is not always the case in early grades such as this. I'm curious, how many potential leaders do we have in this class? Come up front.” If you have too many, hand out little slips and say, “Since there are too many of you, pretend you’re at a tribal council meeting and you’re expected to vote for a member to leave. Which of these volunteers would you rather not have as your leader?” [Conduct an anonymous vote.] The desired outcome, of course, is to have the team leaders be those who normally disrupt the class (regardless of whether they are smart). Once you have at least five accepted/appointed leaders, have them draw straws to establish the order in which they recruit their team members. This will give you a working formula for accomplishing your goal of the week; it'll teach the bullies to hone their skills as leaders, and teach the rest how to implement plans and/or follow effectively. It’s a win-win-win (E:P:N) solution; meaning, that’s what nature does in stable atoms. If this researched process works for you, please share your successes. Locally, VCC, the Valencia Community College, has switched to student-centered learning more than 20 years ago. With virtually no exceptions, this has worked very well for them . . . and the students, of course.

AVID Program WW

2010-11-04T23:50:00.004-04:00

What a difference negative selling can make! Today I subbed for a teacher who helps administer their High School’s AVID program, which stands for "Advancement Via Individual Determination." There was such a delightful difference between today’s four groups of students and those I encountered in conventional classrooms in the past. These groups cared. They tried. They produced. I still can’t believe it. Then it hit me: These students are subjected to constant negative selling, conventional students are not. One group has to prove that they have what it takes to qualify (in this case, the AVID program); the rest of them are bent on proving that they have rights, which includes the right to do nothing. It’s pathetic how many of the regular students wish they were elsewhere most of the day. AVID Worldwide is already offered in over 1500 schools. Check out their website to see what they do to make this positive difference. Their process is an old one, but it usually works. Even country clubs use it; meaning, the harder they make it for people to join, the more people are willing to pay and the more they do to stay in good graces with the members who are setting the pace. Yes, it is a game we (coaches) play with a person’s subconscious, but I’ve been comfortable playing it all of my life, probably because I was always “allowed” to help rather than “made” to help. And to clear my conscience about this issue, I’ve always solicited my students’ help in tricking their subconscious together. Besides, the process works best that way. That’s why I like the “individual determination” part of AVID. Is this process E:P:N related? A little, but not much. Negative selling works best on those who are ego-driven, meaning Proton souls, but even Neutron and Electron souls respond to it when they feel a need to prove something to someone, which is usually the case with all who had been reared in a critical or competitive environment. So, what can you do to win this game? The best way, I believe, is to turn your teachers into coaches. That means, at the simplest level, DO SOMETHING, PONDER OVER IT, AND THEN ASK FOR HELP.

E:P:N and Selling

2010-11-01T20:49:00.002-04:00

The terms Selling and Marketing have a long array of synonyms ranging from pitching, huckstering & peddling to vending, commercializing & merchandizing. This makes the field of marketing more than just a Proton’s preferred occupation or profession. In high-tech environments, technical people (comprised of trained electrons and neutrons) are now in the field of marketing as well. However, the proton aspect of this field is not the process of looking for a need and then professionally filling it, but the deliberate “creating” of a need for the purpose of enriching one’s bottom line. In Dr. Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese, the protons are the ones who keep moving the cheese. In Atlas Shrugged, protons are the risk-taking capitalists whom Ayn Rand so glorified. Whether you consider selling and marketing to be good or bad depends, of course, on whether you were helped or hurt by the process. Remember, good selling tends to lead people to spend more money than they have or buy things they can’t afford to maintain; therefore, the fiscally responsible worker usually does not appreciate being “sold”. The rest don’t seem to care. Overall, protons do more good than harm, even when they exploit the mentally weak and vulnerable. Maybe I should rephrase that, saying, “There would be very little progress if it weren’t for the successful entrepreneurs in the world.” Which leads to the question: “Is rapid progress good for all or just a few?” What do you think?

Growing Roses

2010-10-31T12:51:00.003-04:00

Early this morning, my toastmaster friend Ray wrote a very folksy letter about his and his wife’s new pastime: growing roses. It was fun to read because it brought back so many of my own memories of the processes involved in planting, grafting, and tending to them over a full year, including the winterizing. Dad was a great teacher, both out in the forests (of the Eastern foothills of the Alps) and on the strip of land right across the street from our apartment building. Out in the woods he showed me how to select the wild shoots that best lent themselves for hosting the grafts of eyes cut later from cultured tea roses. Back on the batch of land he expertly wielded an old razor-sharp pocket knife as he cut the “T’s” for the shield-shaped eyes that soon grew into replicas of the roses from which they were cut. What pleased me most was that he allowed me to make a graft of my own, including the sealing and binding of the grafted eye, and then trusted me to help tend to the roses throughout the year. I felt that these tree-roses (contrasted to conventional bush-roses) were always works of art. It helped that they were in direct sight from our first-story kitchen window. They were lovely. Thanks, Ray, for inspiring me to do a bit of reflecting of my own. It was fun. I must do this more often. As to how this sentiment for watching things grow fits into the E:P:N theorem: It seems to be the prominent trait of electron and neutron souls. Young proton souls, by contrast, focus more on manipulating people. Whether this is good or bad depends, of course, on whether one wants to become a leader or worker. To a farm worker, manipulating people is not a respectable skill; for city folk, it’s often the survival tool of necessity. Therefore, an E:P:N summary might be: Let’s first learn to do both. Then, those who turn out to be better at growing things, please move out into the country or investigate the prospects of starting and growing a service-oriented business. We need you the most . . . everywhere! However, if you turn out to be better at manipulating people, move into the city and put your competitive prowess to good use. It’s what progress is built on. And those of you who have learned to do both, go wherever you’re needed the most to keep things in balance. That’s what nature does. That’s what the good god (referred to in yesterday’s highlighted letter) would want us to do.

Never surrender.

2010-10-30T15:36:00.003-04:00

> Here is a story from a single mother in Ohio. She says "Never Surrender", and that is her "pen name". What do you think? It's an excellent article, George. Thanks for sharing it. Throughout most of it, I actually thought it was coming from "your" lips and pen . . . :-) From my E:P:N perspective, she's perfectly right for the one-third of humans who are protons, but it is counterproductive for the rest of us. Proton souls cannot (for long) surrender; they never have and they never will. She eloquently expresses the Jewish sentiment that "I AM" is the name of God (Ex 3:12-14) and that everyone innately knows what is good and just and proper. The problem, of course, was that even among the Jews there were as many electron and neutron souls as there are in any large group (at least by potential). They, in order to function, needed rules to live by; and if you study the various sets of (religious) rules, you'll find that they all include the codes of conduct that needed addressing by each group at that time. So, naturally, all of these dictates were crafted for the purpose of controlling. However, to "kill" all lies, as she recommends, would be a recipe for chaos, not order. I think we need to start learning from the "real" god's handiwork, meaning nature and its constituents: atoms. Until we do that, we will just keep lousing things up. She, probably being a proton soul, will never be able to grow to realize that what she is preaching is for no more than a third of humanity. Of the rest, half of them (electrons) have a "need" to "surrender"; that's what makes them feel safe. That's what electrons do. The rest, meaning neutrons like me, don't care one way or the other. They've got their hands full trying to keep the power-hungry hotheads from killing one another while enslaving the weak to fight their battles. The paradox is that she might be wanting to do the same thing I am: build a larger middle class, which I don't think we'll be able to do without learning FROM stable atoms. Click HERE --> to read her letter.

Secret Language

2010-10-28T21:36:00.002-04:00

Real or not, Sylvan Zaft’s Peter Jameson’s Secret Language is a touching story about several youngsters in grade school who wanted to learn a language no one would be able to understand. It is brilliantly narrated. Though it brings in Esperanto, a language banned by dictators, it manages not to moralize about its validity. Have a look and tell me what you think. web.me.com/sylvanzaft/Secret_Language/01.html

Do, Have, or Be?

2010-10-25T00:44:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been asked what you want to do, have, or be one day? Most of us were asked at least one of these. Do you, by chance, remember which of the three it was and what you answered? What about now: Would you be quicker at answering the first, second, or third? If you were an electron soul, you’d probably have no trouble telling me a few of the things you wanted to DO one day. If you were quicker at telling me a few of the things you wanted to HAVE, I’d call you a proton soul. And if you had a clear picture in your mind about what you wanted to BE one day, you’d be entitled to call yourself a neutron soul. Does it matter which of the three you relate to best? Not really, at least not in my book. However, you’d be wise to remember which one it is and then plan accordingly.

If you are a natural DOER, one who enjoys making and creating things, by all means start doing them. Go to a vocational, trade or technical school if you wish, but try to do it while working in that industry . . . even if it’s just menial work. College grads without experience don’t have nearly as many advantages as do those who have industry-related work experience to include on their resume.
If you are clear about what you want to HAVE one day, why not pursue a sales job in the industry that makes the things you want to have? Selling is one of the few professions that will allow you to earn enough money to afford buying them (if they are high-priced items).
And if you have a servant’s heart and know what you want to BE one day, stay in school for as long as you can. Learn as much as you can about contrasting philosophies, religions, and political isms so you can grow to appreciate their respective strengths and weaknesses. BEING may not be as productive as DOING or striving to HAVE, but wanting to be a compassionate servant (teacher or manager) will add a degree of nobility – a touch of class – to the business of living, at least for yourself.

Click on the title to listen to Andy Dooly on this same trio; it just came in this morning. It's good, especally if you like RAP.

Sample Trialogue

2010-10-24T22:33:00.004-04:00

The reason for this blog is to solicit other dialogues for the EFL language teaching industry. Care to pitch in? The only condition: you must agree to let your submissions be translated into Esperanto. Njut, Prot, and Eleko at lunch. “Come on, Prot, quit being so bossy. Slow down. Enjoy life. This Saturday, let’s go to the beach. There’s a fine café, great ambiance, plenty of strange people, and lots of good conversation. I bet our fair-weather friend here would go with us,” pointing at Eleko, who just walked in to join us for lunch. “No, I wouldn’t, whatever it is; but thanks for asking,” he said. “You know I’ve to work weekends these days. Money ‘s going out faster than it’s coming in. Can’t wait for June.” “What’s in June?” asked Prot. “Is that your annual lay-off period?” “Sort of. It’s when the plant closes and we get four weeks off . . . two with pay and two without.” “Better than nothing, I guess,” responded Prot. “But why don’t you start your own little business? It sure ‘d beat having to punch that card every day.” “Not for me. I’m OK with timecards. I like regular hours. And, unlike you, I get time and a half for overtime. Besides, from what your wife tells me, you work around the clock and don’t bring home any more than I do . . . or at least that’s what I assumed last month when you told us you had to borrow money for payroll.” “Come on, guys; don’t argue about that again. You already know you’ll never see eye-to-eye on who’s the better off. Prot will probably run some sort of business until he dies, and you’re probably not ever going to start one.” “Probably not.” “Not even if you won the lottery?” interjected Prot. “Why on earth would I want to do that? I wouldn’t want a business if you gave it to me. Getting that kind of dough would buy me a permanent fishing trip. Why would I want to buy myself headaches? I really can’t understand why anyone would want to do that. You couldn’t possibly enjoy working that much. Do you?” “Quit arguing; it’s time to order.” “I already know what I want. Here,” said Prot, handing the menu to Eleko. “You’re usually the slowpoke.” Today it didn’t take very long. Prot and Njut ordered the Special and Eleko decided to build himself a Super Sub at the salad bar. “While he’s gone, tell me honestly, do you ever ‘not’ think about the bottom line of your escapades?” “Not very often. I did start out peddling brooms and I’ve sold my share of lipsticks . . . two businesses that didn’t even have a bottom line.” “Very funny,” said Njut. “But other than those nightmare jobs, I’ve enjoyed my various businesses and, yes, I always have my mind on what matters. . . . Without paying attention to profits, there wouldn’t be any. What makes it so hard is that the competition is getting greater. It’s getting harder and harder to survive, but I don’t mind. In fact, I thrive on it.” Coming back with an impressive-looking sub, Eleko overheard the last and asked Njut, “Do you like to sell?” “Not really, unless teaching qualifies as selling. Does it?” looking at Prot. “In some businesses it does, but not in mine. You teachers are worse than Eleko’s bunch . . . a bunch of knowledge and not enough smarts to run a business. Both of you guys are hopeless in that department. You’ll never be rich . . . not even better off than you're right now.” “That maybe so, but the business part is neither fair nor accurate. Don’t all large businesses have HR departments? HRD is a legitimate business, don't you think?” “Developing staff and workers may be a business, but you’d all be unemployed if it weren’t for us salesmen.” “Good try, Prot, but in truth, Sales is no different than Human Resources or Eleko's production line. They all need one another, don't you think? Now, I think it’s great to have each department ‘think’ they’re the most important, but for the company’s sake, that opinion is best left unsaid. Eleko, don’t you and your friends think you’re the backbone of your company?” “Of course, we do. And we are!” “Enough said. The food’s here.”

Neutrons are Centrists

2010-10-24T20:12:00.006-04:00

Neutron, defined as "an elementary particle with zero charge and a mass about equal to a proton," suggests, among other things, a heavy-weight entity (equal to a proton) without the one-sided passion of a typical risk-taking (proton-like) entrepreneur.

Applied to business: Human neutrons are the centrists of a business; they are the ones who have learned to both lead and follow but feel their mission to be that of a peacekeeper between any set of opposing forces. In other words, they have learned to follow and they have learned to lead, but they derive much greater pleasure from role modeling a true centrist’s maturity on controversial issues. They encourage people to play fair. Directly or indirectly, they are the stabilizing force in their home and at work. When employed in a government sector, they often function as ombudsmen.

A small example: When a car dealer’s sales people (protons) forget to brag about the quality of their mechanics, and their mechanics (electrons) forget to brag about the integrity of their sales staff, that dealer will not prosper as fully as one whose employees remember, which usually does not happen without employing supervisors and managers (neutrons) who regularly remind both camps about the importance of doing this. The result, of course, is that the sales and service departments end up working together toward a common goal -- customer satisfaction.

On a larger scale, conglomerates with a Human Resource department (in charge of hiring, training, cross-training and managing their employees) are by far more successful than those who try to survive without the expense of maintaining such a department. Naturally, each industry requires a different E:P:N ratio, but the over- or under-staffing of any one of the three major departments results in reduced productivity and, in most cases, loss of goodwill. The three M’s (manufacturing, marketing, and managing) are like the links of a chain . . . equally important in the larger scheme of things.

Applied to politics: Though neutron souls are found in both major camps, they are usually more fully drawn toward a stable Independent party. When there is no third party, they obviously have to join the party that best represents their interests; meaning, while they work as employees, they tend to be registered as Democrats; while they work as employers or leaders of some type, they tend to be registered as Republicans. Doing the reverse is not necessarily counter-productive but it is counter-intuitive.

My appeal for today: Let’s learn “from” atoms, especially the stable ones that function as trinities. We already have two warring political parties; let’s make them more effective by adding the centrist point of view to all of their arguments.

Does that include compromising? YES, if the direction of the issue is toward benefiting all three segments of our society. But the answer is NO if the direction of the issue is to benefit just one of them. All three of the major classes (lower, middle, and upper) need to benefit from a proposal or the project needs to be tabled and revised. That’s the law of nature; meaning, all aspects of the food chain are of equal importance. I believe Emerson had that in mind when he said, “Nature will not be mismanaged for long.”

So, let’s hear it for all human neutrons! . . . but only for as long as they are an obvious minority. Once caught up, they should count no more than human protons or electrons. That's what atoms do.

Substitutes

2010-10-16T12:31:00.005-04:00

A few days ago, I started to think about whether my measly $80 per day (the fulltime pay for a person with a Master’s degree) was worth my while to put up with a class of 7th-graders that had little if any interest in learning that day. Since I don’t remember ever feeling this way, I did some soul-searching. Here are some thoughts and conclusions: First, the term subbing itself: I don’t like it; it suggests an activity that substitutes for the “real” thing, which may well be true in many cases, but this certainly is not true for all of us working after retirement. Many of us, I’d like to believe, have as much to contribute to the overall education of youngsters as do their fulltime teachers. Well, on that day, in that teacher’s classes, that attitude towards substitutes seemed to be the underlying problem of their rowdy behavior. To them, having a class with substitutes was an opportunity to play instead of learn. The assumption being that Subs will not report them. What seems to be the paradox variable is the strictness with which their regular teacher manages their classroom; meaning, the stricter their teacher, the more I've found them to act up . . . playfully but uncontrollably. What’s the answer? Maybe there isn’t one. Maybe we should accept the fact that a strict upbringing is not always the best environment for all children. True, electron souls need regimentation, they thrive on it; but the rest of us do better when left to explore and discover in an atmosphere of eternal curiosity. My suggestion to administrators and fulltime teachers is to build us up as real-life or industry experts. I bet that virtually all students would then respond better and learn more . . . even those literally starved for playful interactions.

Why some cheat.

2010-10-15T23:51:00.002-04:00

In countries such as China, where ancient knowledge is greatly revered, it is difficult to judge where traditional copying stops and cheating begins. That's because the thin line between the two, in my opinion, is definitely E:P:N-related; meaning, the temptation or need to cheat has to do with soul-level goals and preferences. For example, if a student's eventual market value will depend on trustworthy behavior and integrity, s/he is not likely to cheat. However, if someone’s intent is to become an employer or employee who does not deal directly with customers, they have nothing to lose by trying. Besides, copying and cheating are high-stake games our aspiring entrepreneurs better learn to win, or they'll never make it in the rat-race of outwitting competitors. Therefore, my hope is that we wake up one day and realize that we need at least two types of tests, preferably three: One for detail-oriented pursuits, one for aspiring entrepreneurs, and one for our future teachers; lumping them together is a dumb thing to do. If we ever did start to ask our high school students what they believe to be their long-term goals (on the E:P:N scale), we would save not only our state a lot of money (in unnecessary education expenses) but also them and us a lot of headaches . . . by not having to waste time in preparation for tests that currently are not measuring their competence for landing and keeping a desirable job nor are they measuring the guessing skills required to become successful leaders.

To test students who wish to become specialist (E’s), test their knowledge of details and expect them to score higher than 90/100.
To test our future risk-taking entrepreneurs (P’s), test for their ability to guess correctly . . . it’s what they’ll have to do when there’s no time to bring in the experts so to speak.
And to test students who wish to become teachers and managers one day (N’s), by all means keep using the tests we have; their generic nature is fine for this one-third of our population.

Desires & Attitudes

2010-10-03T23:37:00.006-04:00

Thomas Hobbes, the political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings, is quoted to have said, “Our nature is inseparable from desires, and the very word DESIRE—THE CRAVING FOR SOMETHING NOT POSSESSED—implies that our present felicity is not complete.” Hmm! Was he talking about all three types of human souls? Maybe. But if he did, I believe he was wrong. The above quote may well apply to the descendants of Abraham (who were told to be "perfect" -- forever growing), but Gautama, the Buddha, (a Neutron soul and probably the most popular of the Asian avatars) taught his people to divest themselves of all desires . . . and he largely succeeded. In fact, he has virtually as many followers as do Moses (a Proton soul) and Jesus (an Electron or neutron soul). The Koran seems to teach the same as the New Testament, meaning, the giving of one’s life obediently to the Spirit/God/Father within, which makes them both Electron-type religions. Click HERE, HERE, or HERE for earlier blogs on the subject. Convert this page to PDF)

Coincidences? Serendipity?

2010-10-02T15:54:00.005-04:00

This email text has virtually nothing to do with E:P:N, yet I decided to share it. Some of you will label these events coincidences, and I am sure some of them are, but a few of them might well have been Spirit-driven. What do YOU think?

As you might remember, the head of a company survived 9/11 because his son started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident.
One of them missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.
One's car wouldn't start.
One couldn't get a taxi.
The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work, but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today.

Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone ... all the little things that annoy me ... I think to myself, this is exactly where I need to be at this very moment. ...Call me foolish if you like, but a few happenstances in my own life fully convinced me that the Sprit world is real and that it is physical . . . maybe not like ours, buy physical nevertheless. Let me ask again, "What do YOU think?"

Life Skills

2010-10-02T12:25:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, in the process of answering questions from High School Seniors about what I coached, I was led to say, "Life Skills through learning from atoms" . . . and that was probably about as compact and true a statement as I have used over my 50+ years of teaching and coaching. Yes, in the past, I used the phrase "I do confidence training through helping people improve their mental and physical coordination," which was accurate and may have been more appropriate for teaching ballroom dancing, but as of late, the "Life Skills" term is definitely the better phrase. I wish I had coined it sooner, especially the last part about learning from atoms. Think of it: isn't it true that the only time people quit learning something is when they either no longer have to or want to? . . . when learning is either no longer required (for getting and keeping an income stream), or when learning has stopped to be fun? In my E:P:N scheme of things: Proton souls learn by doing; they are perfectly happy (they're having fun) as long as they have something to sell or organize. Neutron souls also are naturally happy as long as there is something to share, contemplate, and think about. It's only Electron souls that tend not to enjoy the learning process unless it leads to something that they truly want. My question to school administrators is: Why are you tailoring your entire focus on training this relatively small group of electrons? There are two thirds of us out there who are just as much in need of your help . . . and not in the form of dictatorial rules and regulations! You should know by now that the proton youngsters (erroneously called Bullies) do not respond to rules very well and those of us who are neutron souls don't need discipline. We are self-motivated. Please consider having more than one set of rules out there. Any one set of rules will not do it. I beg you: Let's all learn FROM atoms; the stable ones are fine role models. Electrons, protons and neutrons cannot be arbitrarily beaten into just one aspect of the whole. Thank you.

Marine Life & Politics

2010-09-30T23:02:00.003-04:00

Today, after showing the first of several marine life DVDs, I took the liberty of explaining the facts of life as they relate to food-chain issues and their political equivalents. I reminded them that they would soon have the opportunity to vote on whether and to what extent we all should follow nature’s food-chain protocol, meaning, “Let the fittest survive” and “Keep it intact at all cost.” Most of them almost instantly acted like adults and contemplated the pros and cons of (1) fighting to survive (using the protocols of free enterprise), (2) having government decide what type of diversity to permit (state capitalism), or (3) legislating equality (socialism by some name). Time will tell whether they’ll make the right choice (for America and its proton-like capitalism to continue to set the pace). If they are the normal mix of any large group, the odds are that one third of them will vote for choice one (P), one third will prefer choice two (E), and the other third will pick choice three (N). Is that better than all of them growing up to vote for the same “ISM”? I think so. That’s what atoms do; the stable ones are almost perfect trinities. Now, are we large enough to support three isms? Maybe not, but if we don’t learn to foster all three, the Chinese will surpass us . . . leaving us looking up their tailpipes. Our chances? They are fair to good if we unite the Americas, but they are poor if we don’t. At least that’s how I see it. Whenever the proton choice (free enterprise) is not permitted to thrive, it’s much like having a large inventory of goods and a large service department without marketing sharks. You’ve got to keep the big fish alive, because if you don’t, the medium fish will multiply to such staggering numbers that they’ll eat up the little fish faster than they can reproduce . . . turning humanity's fertile riffs into barren lands.

Punctuation and E:P:N

2010-09-30T19:06:00.003-04:00

Dave, a fellow English teacher, recently received this from his ex-wife. Your job is to add the punctuation you think was intended by the author. Include alternate choices if you can.

An English professor wrote the following words on the chalkboard: "A woman without her man is nothing" He then asked his students to punctuate it correctly. The male students in the class (supposedly) wrote: "A woman, without her man, is nothing." The females in the class wrote: "A woman: without her, man is nothing." Applied to E:P:N, my guess is that women selecting the first one only, are probably Electron souls. Females who choose only the second are probably just as much of a Proton soul as the men who pick only the first. And those of you who find both answers equally valid are, as I see it, typical Neutron souls . . . regardless of your gender.

Which are you?

Outlawing Bullying

2010-09-26T19:04:00.006-04:00

Outlawing bullying is like legislating the stripping of protons from atoms: It is counter-productive at best.

The Premise
There is no known element in the universe that exists without contrasting forces. In fact, no element can exist without contrasts; each consists of an equal number of heavy-weight protons and light-weight electrons in a state of constant spin . . . much like a solar system’s sun (protons and neutrons) and its many planets (its quasi electrons). Likewise, there is no group of self-sufficient humans (in schools or the workplace) that can long exist in a state of stability without its contrasting groups interacting in a state of diverse strength.

Applied to the subject of bullying, yes, bullying needs to be addressed, but not outlawed. Maybe it is necessary to outlaw bullying in authoritarian institutions like the military and prisons (to maintain order), but institutions of learning and innovative work environments need to role model the Golden Rule, as Izzy Kalman, a pacesetting school psychologist, suggests in his materials at BulliesToBuddies.net.

His Promise and Mine
Izzy promises, with a money-back guarantee, that if you treat everyone like a friend and apply his eight simple rules, he or one of his independent agents can help you victim-proof your environment. I fully agree with him and all other philosophers who advocated the use of the Golden Rule for role modeling desirable behaviors. I simply add to this the need for learning FROM atoms about the physical facts of life; meaning, that stable units need to have a balanced set of contrasting forces to be uniquely alive. And I don’t mean the traditional contrasts between teachers and students (where teachers make the rules and students are made to follow them) but the innate contrasts between those who wish to lead one day (the bullies of business, commerce and government) and those who would rather have clear rules to follow.

Also vital to this scenario is the role-modeled behavior of neutrons in all complex elements. They stabilize the nucleus--the unit's leadership; they function outside of this natural power struggle between electrons and protons. Therefore, I am convinced that if only human neutrons were allowed to manage classrooms, the only poor role modeling children might encounter is that found in some homes or on television.

Details of the Process
Izzy separates his training into three areas: (1) how students can learn not be become or remain a victim, (2) how teachers can learn to stop being law-enforcement officers and return to do what they were trained to do: teach, coach, serve, or manage, and (3) how parents, and bosses in general, can improve their working conditions and attitudes. All three groups are cleverly addressed in his various books, audio and video disks. They’re good.

In essence, he reminds his audiences that people, especially youngsters, have a need to play and win. I agree but only in part. Research has convinced me that only about one third has a need to play AND win (the human protons); one third is perfectly happy with just playing (the human neutrons); and the last third in any large group has neither a deep desire to win nor an innate desire to play in a competitive fashion. That last group (all potential victims), in my opinion, needs to be led to excel in subjects that the other groups consider unimportant . . . subjects considered to be unrelated to their needs as leaders . . . so they create for themselves a market value as technical experts and advisers to the leaders.

Izzy’s effectiveness as a Bullies2Buddies coach lies in his ability to cleverly role play the wrong and the right way of responding to bullies. His subjects range from playing the idiot game and group teasing to dealing with insults about gayness and racism and the subject of responding to those who spread rumors. In each case, he shows how quickly a bully is disarmed when the victim responds to him/her with kindness and appreciation. A proud Christian might say that Izzy teaches Christ’s main message of turning the other cheek, but, since this Golden Rule is an integral part of all Great Religions, it is not fair to give any one avatar or philosopher credit for this civil and effective approach to handling conflict. I recommend you watch at least one of his DVDs.

Practicing the Golden Rule “Treat others as you would like to be treated” is difficult at first, especially since bullies tend to try doubly hard when they find that yesterday’s insults no longer upset you. In fact, most will try for several days . . . and often with increased intensity/strength . . . before they give up and concede that they lost (that you won in stopping them). The trick, Izzy says, is to make up your mind to not ever again treat anyone as an enemy . . . that from now on, you will treat all bullies as (potential) buddies.

True, changing mean bullies to buddies doesn’t always work; but “bullying” these types of bullies doesn’t work at all. Our jails are full of bullies who can’t wait to get out so they can continue where they left off. Go to Izzy’s website and memorize at least his two magic phrases and the eight rules to bulletproofing victims. Our children, including yours, deserve to know the facts of life . . . that the illusion of giving in is the quickest and sometime only road to VICTORY.

Click HERE --> to check out Izzy's new website. His store is at

Lexical Gas

2010-09-12T12:17:00.003-04:00

(Martin McMorrow, NZ) . . . Could it be that in moving away from 'teacher-centred' / PPP style lessons (if that's the case) we might be taking our collective foot off the lexical gas? Good point, Martin. However, I believe it is not the moving away from a teacher-centered environment that is the problem; it is the having of a single-centered environment in the first place that causes the losing of those who are not catered to by only one particular focus. Don't you agree? If you want to put this to a test, start your next group of new students with a quick survey of “who wants to contribute what” to a school project of raising money during a celebratory day such as Grandparents Day. Let it be known that you'll need three different groups: One who "makes" things for sale, one who offers to sell them during the bazaar, and one who takes the responsibility of making sure things get done on time and as promised. Do this, and you'll find that in any normal large group of students, there'll be a different third who will offer (meaning prefer) to do one over the other two. With that normal (E:P:N) diversity in mind, can you be sure that any single approach will be as effective as a combination of the three most obvious ones, meaning inductive, collaborative, and cooperative learning during some part of every 3-hour session? To deal with this natural diversity, large companies offer cross-training opportunities for those who need either more less of the good stuff offered by single-focused teachers in the conventional classrooms. That means that those who prefer to be engaged in marketing rather than manufacturing, will get the chance to hone their leadership skills by being involved in communicative learning tasks, while those who prefer details and "making" in general will be given the opportunity to write some sort of executive summary of what happened in each of their groups that day . . . thereby training them to write user-friendly manuals for the things they create, which is not something that is happening right now. That same cross-training opportunity needs to be offered if not as early as Middle School then at least during the last years in High School. The third group (neutron souls), if allowed to help manage the classroom while young, will get to hone the skills they'll need later for helping the stragglers in the work place. Stable atoms almost always use that 1/3 : 1/3 : 1/3 ratio. It is my conviction that even if you'll have to assign roles to create that stability, you're better off than just hoping for the best. Stable atoms are great role models! Feel free to disagree; that’s how we learn.

Bullies are like Protons

2010-09-11T23:53:00.006-04:00

(Chris wrote) . . . The site is Bullies2Buddies. I would appreciate your checking it out. As an educator, your view and opinion would be very helpful. Chris, their message reflects precisely my own sentiment. Bullies, on my scale, are Proton souls, which makes them just as integral to the stability of the work/school unit as the other two constituents. When I sub, it's always the bullies I befriend first. My message to them is clear: "I don't expect you to stop bullying but I DO expect you to do it with a touch of class." To this I usually add, "I know that's not easy but it can be done. It's a skill worth learning. It's called effective leadership. Do you expect to become a leader one day?" Naturally, these words don't always come out in that order, but bullies can feel that I look up to them . . . of course, not for what they're doing now but for what they'll be capable of doing in the future. Should you ever need an outside speaker on this subject, feel free to call on me.

On Burning Scriptures

2010-09-10T23:33:00.002-04:00

As civilized people, we'd be wise to preserve controversial books rather than destroy them; however, to foster the promised environment of peaceful coexistence, I propose that all online versions of the holy books be required to take out their hostile passages, so global Love and peace will have a chance to grow and mature. If this is done through a world-wide referendum initiated by us and then sponsored by the U.N. and the International Council of Churches, instinct tells me that this would work. It may take another generation or two, but with the trend toward online learning, edited online Holy Books will soon be the only authority. Old warmongering hard copies would then become collectibles rather than books to be feared or burned. Would YOU sign a petition to edit out all hostile passages from YOUR sacred book?

Translation is . . .

2010-09-05T22:35:00.002-04:00

Today’s AWAD Thought was: “Translation is the art of erasing oneself in order to speak in another's voice” (David Cole, professor, author, and correspondent). I like that expression; but is it valid? Yes and no. Its validity depends on what you’re translating. Here’s what I mean (assuming you are a true bilingual living in America): If you are hired by an American firm wishing to do business in China and you are creating a multi-media ad for a Chinese audience, you’d be wise to take Professor Cole’s advice: erase your Western persona and speak with an Asian voice. However, if you are hired to translate (interpret) papers your boss needs to sign before being allowed to do business in China, you need to do the opposite . . . you need to read between the lines so to speak of the Chinese contracts and establish clearly what they mean to your boss. In this case, the art of hyper “dual” awareness is the essence of the craft.

Sticky Notes

2010-09-04T10:41:00.003-04:00

Whenever I see a collection of sayings, my mind does an automatic market research analysis on which of them might sell best at symposiums for technicians (E’s), which ones might sell best at conventions for entrepreneurs (P’s), and which ones should sell best at workshops for managers/teachers (N’s). This is how I rated this last batch of Sticky Notes: Electron-type groups:

If God is your co-pilot, swap seats.
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
Don’t put a question mark where God put a period.

Proton-type groups:

The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us.
You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him/her.
God doesn’t call the qualified; he qualifies the called.

Neutron-type groups:

Don’t give God instructions, just report for duty.
The will of God never takes you where the grace of God will not protect you.
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

All groups:

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

Which of these appeal best to you?

One Culprit for Sure

2010-08-24T23:40:00.007-04:00

If you’ve been wondering why so many teachers have a problem with integrated and communicative learning—the two latest trends—you are certainly not alone. My early conclusions, based on late 20th-century research, first led me to embrace eclecticism and then develop my E:P:N theorem (1990). Lately, however, I have come to realize that there are larger problems than soul-level differences to account for our stubborn, single-focus teacher attitudes. I am now convinced that the major underlying contributing problem is the way we teach the crafting of essays. Last night, during a critical review of the Florida Teacher Examination Certification Guidelines, I saw the culprit: On the FTCE Test Preparation Guide to the General Knowledge Test, one of the essay skills listed is, “Maintain a consistent point of view.” This well-meaning and seemingly logical advice may not be the only culprit but it certainly is a major contributor to problems related to student attitudes toward learning subjects deemed unrelated to what they think they’ll need to survive. Hear me out. First, there’s the issue of whether we should teach students to become specialists or generalists. If your vote is for specialists, ignore this blog. This blog encourages the use of integrated and communicative learning in order to develop self-sufficient generalists, meaning, entrepreneurs who have become street-smart with the help of coaches in a safe environment. Second, not all students are interested in becoming self-sufficient, but those who do, tend to progress naturally through three productive stages if we let them, meaning, the competitive stage, the creative stage, and the supportive stage. In fact, if we let student interact with one another in a collaborative as well as a cooperative manner while doing projects, they mature much more rapidly and usually learn to amalgamate these three stages from the onset . . . giving them a definite advantage over those who grow one stage at a time. Third, even the one third whom I call the "electron souls" are much better off learning in groups and become "experts" because they need, above all else, the confidence that comes from helping others not as book-smart as they are. My charts at clozeonline.us/ebook show the seating arrangements that are necessary for facilitating this integrated style of learning.

CALL symposium (Beijing)

2010-08-22T19:34:00.003-04:00

E:P:N Reflection (3 JUN 2006) Today, Mike Levy highlighted that the keywords (search words) in articles by opposing camps were mutually exclusive, meaning, what one considered valid and important, the other didn’t. Translated into my E:P:N vernacular, they probably were keywords of papers written by a proton and an electron soul respectively. Had they overlapped considerably, they would be presumed to have been written by a neutron soul. (Some overlap in keywords is sometimes found in extreme camps, but usually just out of courtesy or, more frequently, to criticize the other. POINT: Protons and electrons (in any complex environment) seem to be doomed to see only one side of an issue. Were it not for neutrons, atoms (and people) would destroy themselves. As teachers, we have the responsibility of being that neutron element. The E:P:N classroom will help us do that. (more to come)

On Employment: A Three-Lesson Plan for Highschool Seniors

2010-08-21T14:11:00.005-04:00

In preparation for training on Resume writing ESL Level: Intermediate This series was developed with help and inspiration from ESL-Xpress.com and an appeal from the State Employment Agency made to teachers to cover employment choices before teaching youngsters how to write resumes. The main reason for this appeal was one of longevity or, rather, the lack of it. Their 2002 report states that the average youngster goes through 6+ career changes before retirement. The reasons presumed to be responsible for this increasing trend included the socalled “generic” resume that often leads to jobs that are taken in desperation rather than by design. Please take a look at the teacher's notes before starting these three lessons. Index P 2 - Group Discussion - Intro to employment p 3 - Vocabulary development - occupations p 4 - Vocabulary development - personal qualities and employment p 5 - Vocabulary development - review of personal qualities p 6 - Reading - abbreviations, help wanted ads p 7 - Reading - help wanted ads p 8 - Pair work, info gap - application forms (student A) p 9 - Pair work, info gap - application forms (student 13) p 10 - Filling in an application form p 11 - Vocabulary development - application forms p 12 - Vocabulary development - employment related p 13 - Teacher's notes If you have any questions or comments regarding these theme-based lesson plans, send me an email anytime. tests@mindspring.com. On Employment: Vocabulary Development for Application Forms (Lesson Three). Match the expressions on the left with the correct meaning on the right. Scroll down.

___ 1. position desired	A. place you last worked
___ 2. surname	B. abilities, things you can do
___ 3. maiden name	C. not applicable, doesn't apply in this situation
___ 4. bondable	D. money earned per hour
___ 5. valid	E. late night work period
___ 6. previous employer	F. last name or family name
___ 7. legally entitled to work	G. money earned per month or year
___ 8. duties	H. no record; employer can insurance the employee
___ 9. skills	I. person applying for a job
___10. qualifications	J. effective, current, legal
___11. salary	K. woman's name before marriage
___12. wages	L. allowed by law to work
___13. graveyard shift	M. job wanted or applied for
___14. references	N. skills, experience, education needed for a job
___15. applicant	O. move to a different place
___16. job title	P. responsibilities, things employee must do at work
___17. relocate	Q. name of the work position
___18. N/A	R. people who can give positive opinions about you

On Employment Lesson Three, Vocabulary Worksheet on Employment Terms. Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list below. hire - fire - lay off - available - reference - resume - retire - asset - essential - bondable - train - shift - wage – benefits - union - qualifications - raise 1. His previous employer gave him a very good __________ because he was an excellent worker. 2. You don't need experience for that job. The company will __________ you. 3. You shouldn't hire a cleaning company to clean your home unless their workers are __________. 4. The restaurants will __________ many waiters when the tourist season is over. 5. When you write your __________ you should include your education, skills, and work experience. 6. Mario wants to quit his job. He doesn't like working the night __________. 7. When Joe applied at the store, the manager told him there were no jobs __________ at that time, but there would be some openings in about a month. 8. Knowing a second language is an __________ if you work in a hotel. 9. Besides a good salary, the company offers many __________ such as medical insurance, pension plan and a three-week paid holiday. 10. He works at a fast food restaurant. His hourly __________ is eight dollars. 11. He won't get the job. He doesn't have the necessary __________. 12. A __________ is an organization of workers. 13. It is __________ to have a car if you are a traveling salesman. 14. John earns $10.00 an hour, but his boss promised to give him a __________ in a few months. He'll probably be making $11.50 an hour then. 15. Most workers __________ by the age of 65-67. 16. You should apply to ABC Co. right away. I hear they are planning to __________ twenty new employees. 17. The boss is going to __________ John because he is always late. On Employment Teacher's Notes These activities are designed for low intermediate level adult ESL learners; however, with some modification (including flash cards), they may also be suitable for upper beginner through upper intermediate levels. Group Work – Discussion (Lesson One) Break the class into groups of three to discuss the questions in section A and to complete the chart in section B. There are some words you may need to teach in advance of these activities, ex. union, stressful, prestigious, retire, etc. Always teach the new words in context, using several examples, and ask students to give sentences of their own to illustrate meaning. Before the students do exercise B, ask them to make the questions for the highlighted words to ensure they are asking them correctly. After the students have completed both activities, you may have them report back to the whole class to share their ideas. (15-20 min.) Vocabulary Development on Occupations (Lesson One, Homework) This worksheet can be used as a review after occupations and job descriptions have been taught or started in class and then given as homework. Go over correct answers! Answers A: 1=j, 2=e, 3=g, 4=o, 5=m, 6=n, 7=h, 8=f, 9=k, 10=a, 11=l, 12=b, 13=c 14=I, 15=d Answers B: 1= florist 2= lawyer, judge, clerk, court reporter 3= baker, 4= nurse 5= security guard 6= pharmacist, druggist 7= veterinarian, 8= caretaker, janitor, custodian, 9= clergyman, priest, minister, rabbi, etc. 10= chef, cook Vocabulary Development on Personal Qualities (Lesson Two) Before beginning this worksheet, try to elicit vocabulary from the students. Ask them about qualities they think are important for certain jobs and why. Many of the words on the sheet may be new for the students; therefore, the matching exercise has been divided into groups of four. Ans.: 1=d 2=a 3=b 4=c; 5=g 6=h 7=e 8=f; 9=l 10=k 11=i 12=j; 13=o 14=n 15=m 16=p; 17=s 18=q 19=t 20=r; 21=v 22=x 23=w 24=u (10-15 min.) Exercise B may be done first in pairs or small groups, but the information should later be shared with the whole class. After the group discussion, have the students do the second vocabulary exercise on their own to ensure understanding. Correct with the class as a whole. (25-30 min.) Vocabulary Worksheet: a Review of Personal Qualities Answers: 1 = flexible, 2 = reliable, 3 = creative, 4 = accurate, 5 = well groomed, 6 = punctual, 7 = organized, 8 = motivated 9 = thorough, 10 = co operative, 11 = neat, 12 = resourceful, 13 = patient, 14 = energetic, 15 = mature, 16 = strengths Help Wanted Ads: Abbreviations and Reading Comprehension Abbreviations: Explain that want ads do not use sentences, but rather shortened forms and abbreviations. Explain the different ways abbreviations are made and give several examples. Have students take turns reading the words aloud to monitor pronunciation and check for comprehension. Have the students first read the want ads individually and then discuss them with a partner. (10-15 min.) Pair Work: Application Forms Pre reading: Ask the students if any of them have filled out any employment applications in English. Ask what types of questions are common. Pair Work Each student has the same application form, but half the information is missing from each. Have them ask each other questions in order to complete the form. Ensure the students understand the vocabulary before starting the exercise (ex. legally able to work in the country, bondable, valid driver's license, etc.). Review all the information with the class as a whole. Reading and Writing Application Forms After completing the information gap activity, have the students complete their own individual applications. Emphasize the importance of being neat, accurate and complete. Vocabularv Worksheet: Application Forms Answers: 1=m 2=f 3=k 4=h 5=j 6=a 7=l 8=p 9=b 10=n 11=g 12=d 13=e 14= r 15=i 16=q 17=o 18=c Vocabulary Worksheet: Employment Terms Before doing this exercise, you should have taught all the vocabulary in context. Answers: 1 = reference, 2 = train, 3 =. Bondable, 4 = lay off, 5 = resume, 6 = shift, 7 = available, 8 = asset. 9 = benefits, 10 = wage, 11 = qualifications, 12 = union, 13 = essential, 14 = raise, 15 = retire, 16 = hire, 17 = fire

THE E:P:N CONTRACT

2010-08-21T11:19:00.005-04:00

E:P:N ROLES: E’s are in charge of production/manufacturing (all technical tasks and labor).P’s are in charge of marketing/selling (fun, motivation, and leadership).N’s are in charge of management/HR development (making sure things get done).(T) Teacher Role (their regular teacher): Shows up, gives parameters (the range of tasks to be chosen from), then leaves the room. (That's in schools with an E:P:N lab.) (t) teacher role (the E:P:N classroom coach): The E:P:N teacher is an ombudsman . . . one who brings people together for the right reasons. His/her job is to make sure that the parameters (the tasks to be chosen from) are broad enough in scope and diversity to allow each of the four sets of power structures to choose a project not in competition with groups of a different size. Competitions are between groups of the same size. A classroom of 45 should have: 3 groups of 2 = 6 3 groups of 3 = 9 2 groups of 6 = 12 2 groups of 9 = 18 THE FOUR POWER STRUCTURES: This class is tailored for 45 learners and uses the first four atomic elements: hydrogen (E1:P1), deuterium (E1:P1:N1), helium (E2:P2:N2) and lithium (E3:P3:N3), as role models of behavior.

The three ‘H’ (hydrogen) groups are seated in the center of the room on the teacher’s table. Though sitting together, these three groups of two are not expected to get along or communicate with one another unless they want to.
The three ‘D’ (deuterium) groups, likewise, are not expected to talk to one another. Each group of three is autonomous (in charge of their own task). In fact, the N’s in these three groups are permitted to leave their group (any time they want to) to spy on any of the other groups. While spying, however, they are not allowed to openly interact with the group they are spying on.
The two ‘He’ (helium) groups are the ones who start role modeling that “two heads are, indeed, better than one.” The expectation here is not for E’s and P’s to agree. (In the real world, they seldom ever do.) The expectation is for the E’s to reach a consensus and the two P’s to reach a consensus. The N’s have no consensus to reach. They simply make sure that things get done on time. They also help the two P’s in their group to solicit goodwill from the nine other groups to get a favorable vote.
The two ‘Li’ (lithium) groups are the largest. Having three heads, so to speak, in each of the E:P:N categories, they are expected to perform the best and finish their task on time (since they have more input at all stages of a task). However, since “perception” is the name of the game on all objective-based tasks, there is no guarantee that this group’s advantages will automatically solicit peer approval during the final voting process.

NOTE:

All session start with each of the ten groups selecting a Big Cheese quote that they then ponder, discuss, and present to the class (during the last ten minutes of a session, using one minute each) as a “typical ‘E’, ‘P’, or ‘N’ quote.” One of the ‘helium’ groups then collects and distributes each group’s choice to everyone in class. If printing is not feasible, other forms of distribution need to be discussed and implemented.
The middle portion of each session is the problem-solving task of restoring the missing characters in any of the grade-level tests in the system. A rubric for strategically selecting the right difficulty level (of C-Tests) is posted at clozeonline.us/rubric.htm.
Those who finish early are invited to contribute to our “dialogs/trialogues” corpus, by constructing meaningful sentences and, eventually, meaningful paragraphs on subjects of controversy considered “topical” by the class.

My ESL Past, Present, and Future

2010-08-20T21:44:00.012-04:00

It was in December of 1955. I had just turned eighteen and, as many do in Europe at that age, I decided to emigrate … to somewhere, to any country that would pay my way, put me to work, teach me the language(s) I needed, and then send me back home (after an agreed-upon stint). Of the three choices for Austrians at that time (Australia, Brazil, and Canada), I qualified for only Canada . . . and that only if I could manage to recruit someone of age (21) to come with me. Well, I did, and we both signed up to go to Canada. In preparation, we both bought a Berlitz self-study course; and if I remember correctly, we both made it about halfway through the little booklet before departure on June 16, 1956. So far, so good. Aboard ship, however, it was instantly obvious that we had not been studying what we needed. It was so pathetic, it was funny. I remember starting the book over again and I believe my friend did the same. I studied very hard for the next ten days but soon realized that the vocabulary in that little book was not going to be enough to allow me to function. Fortunately, as a sandmoulder, I did not need to understand instructions; the work to be done was obvious and inherent in the professional training I received (at the “Schoeller Blackman” steel mill near where we lived). Nevertheless, my intent to learn on the job so to speak, didn’t work out too well. Oh, I was making progress using the Berlitz system, but not nearly enough to continue without additional help and a change of focus. I decided to regroup. That resolve led to my second scholastic language-related activity. I asked a boarding house friend for help in arranging an enrollment at some technical college for a correspondence course in drafting—a subject I already knew (from my schooling in Trade School) and a subject I needed anyway to get an engineering degree (my long-term goal). At its least, I expected the training to enhance my meager vocabulary and train me in a better system for structuring sentences. It was a good choice. Since the subject matter had already set up residence in my brain, I progressed rapidly; I just added new labels to those already stored and I learned to juxtapose some of the syntax. Pegging new information to what I already knew certainly worked for me. My third choice (related to learning English) occurred about five months after arrival and about halfway through my correspondence course at Chicago Tech. It was in response to a radio ad for the Arthur Murray Dance Studios. I figured, since I already danced, it wouldn’t be too hard to apply the system to learning/re-learning my social graces. That, too, was a good choice. The staff and students at Arthur Murray’s in Hamilton were patient, encouraging, and extremely helpful in my quest for learning the language. (I danced fairly well so they were glad to have me, even though I was a nuisance to contend with . . . some just couldn’t handle all my questions. :-) Since I really wasn’t prepared to change my learning style, enough of my colleagues and dance students adjusted to being asked to respond to my daily questions (written on a slip of paper in my shirt pocket). At first, I was overwhelmed by how many contrasting definitions I encountered, but then I realized that it wasn’t just the words that mattered in English . . . that context and semantics played an important role as well. It took quite a few months before the confusing quagmire of rules and exceptions gave way to some meaningful conversations (after wearing out at least two teachers and two dictionaries in the process). Actually, that early habit of questioning and looking up meanings is still with me. The difference is that now I know where to look and I have learned to guess at the rest. . . . To put it technically, my ears and brain had finally learned to recognize the forty-four English sounds that seemed so arbitrarily squeezed into twenty-six characters. It was not easy, especially since I had resolved to lose my accent and become a quasi native (of Canada at that time), but I was determined to hang in. Occasionally, I still look at a linguistic treasure that helped me realize it wasn’t just me—a composite of exceptions to standard English speech and grammar that was compiled by NATO employees now quite a few years ago. Some of the peculiarities apply to only British English but in this age of Globish (many Englishes), its eye-opening collection of oddities is meaningful . . . at least it was (and still is) to me. In fact, allow me to share the beginning of it. Scholastic protocols don’t usually permit the bringing in of criticisms; this “personal narrative” assignment might just be the only place I’ll ever have to bring in the dark side of my ESL experience. Yes, the following does parallel my views of English as an international language and, yes, it is also the very reason for my being in this program. How so? Because, if English is ever anointed to become the official international language, the TESOL machinery will need a lot of help! I am now readying myself to do my fair share of providing that help (from an ESL survivor’s point of view). This is an ESL treasure, introduction and all: English Is Tough Stuff (Author unknown) "Once you've learned to correctly pronounce every word in the following poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world. If you find it tough going, do not despair, you are not alone: Multi-national personnel at North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters near Paris found English to be an easy language . . . until they tried to pronounce it. To help them discard an array of accents, the verses below were devised. After trying them, a Frenchman said he'd prefer six months at hard labor to reading six lines aloud. Try them yourself." Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy. Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer. (For 12 more stanzas go to mylnn.net/UCF/EnglishToughStuff.html.) Does this exaggerate the chaos of English phonetics and grammar? Of course. But the point was well made, I believe, that foreigners have the right to be frustrated over having to learn these seemingly arbitrary differences. To the rescue comes latter-day TESOL and its army of researchers. Aided by linguistics and other related sciences, ESL researchers have managed to actually find order in this chaos. I, for one, can hardly believe how much we have learned about teaching foreign languages in general and English in specific. Had I had that knowledge in the 1950s, my struggles would have been fewer, I am sure. Here is how I expect some of this research to help me make an appreciable difference: Click on this image to read the rest of the paper. It's good.

Warm-up Examples (SIT)

2010-08-20T21:04:00.003-04:00

Our listening skills were tested by the teacher mounting her family tree on the wall and explaining in detail who everyone was, how old they were, and what they did. When she was finished, the group was invited to share items they remembered. It was quite amazing how many had listened effectively. The game was extended by making a double circle (inside facing out, outside facing in). Those on the outside were then asked to explain their own family tree to those in the center listening (for 4 minutes to the person in front of them, followed by only 3 minutes to the person on their left, and finished by condensing it even further and speaking for 2 minutes to the next person (or 3:2:1). After 9 (or 6) minutes, the listeners got to share what they remembered hearing. Naturally, the same would be done with the listeners now speaking and the previous speakers now listening. This could be on any subject drawn out of a hat. The prompting could be on “most interesting, memorable, unique, funny, etc.” The third learning activity suggested was that of a family reunion with role-play. Each was either mailed or given a “role” to play on arrival. The “who done it” theme is considered a favorite. Any diverse group gathering would do. During the gathering, the teacher walks around to listen in on conversations and then conducts the training targeted to those mistakes. To finish this 30-minute segment, the teacher asks, “What did you learn? What was difficult?” The same or similar theme could be used for “find someone who speaks three languages, dances the Tango, likes pizza, etc.” The index cards could have a space for signatures from those to whom you gave a positive response. NOTES: They are here to learn listening and speaking skills; let them learn to write and read on their own. In the same breath, however, it was said that, “we teach all four skills plus culture; everything needs to be integrated, not separated.” Culture is often easily introduced with questions such as, “what my mother likes to cook on holidays:” It was stressed that SIT uses the “counseling:learning” method. Other buzzwords were, “participatory, interactive, involving, and communicative.” Maslow’s triangle was used to explain the standard sequence of events for good lesson. The top (being first, in this case) is the first of two “P’s”: the PRE portion, the preparatory stage (the loading of the correct database). The second “P” is the production/practice stage; the issue was made that it needs to be controlled. The memory peg is “PPU”. The bottom (largest) portion of the time allotted to the learning cycle is the USE portion. This includes homework, group/chain work, etc. (The students, in this case, were teachers in training.) Experiential learning is a student’s responsibility. The teacher role-models methods to help students select a favorite. Dialogue journals are encouraged but not corrected; the emphasis is on fluency.

Annotated Bibliographies

2010-08-20T20:22:00.007-04:00

Azar, B. S. (1999). Understanding and using English grammar (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
UUEG is an eclectic developmental skills text for intermediate to advanced students of ESL/EFL. Its twenty chapters cover the whole spectrum of tenses, future time and adverb clauses of time; subject-verb agreement; all the major parts of speech and their clauses; modals, passive voice, gerunds and infinitives; conjunctions, connectives and reductions; conditional sentences, wishes and questions; plus supplemental units on terminology, contractions, combinations, and negatives. While focusing on grammar, it promotes the development of all language skills in a variety of ways. It functions principally as a classroom teaching text but also serves as a comprehensive reference text for students. The text supports the view that grammar-based and communicative approaches can advantageously co-exist in the same language program, the same class, and even the same lesson. This edition stresses interactivity but leaves it open for users to decide what degree of interactivity best suits their needs. Many exercises are free-response exercises and open-ended communication tasks. I can see why UUEG is the textbook of choice for the Aspect chain of language schools. Its broad spectrum of exercises makes learning fun and rewarding, even for graduate students. (20, 450)

Betta, L. & DuPaquier-Sardinas, C. (1998). NorthStar: Focus on reading and writing. (Intermediate). White Plains, NY: Longman.
An excellent textbook for intermediate ESL students. Its topics and formats are just right. They cover the subjects of advertising, telecommuting (travel), miracle cures (fraud), metamorphosis (insects), gender (language), breaking the surface (AIDS), passion or problem? (cars), always in fashion, crime and punishment, and the finding of a spouse (marriage). NorthStar’s series is a training course for the whole spectrum of learners with direct references to Longman’s Focus on grammar. The series is based on five principles: (1) meaning is all important, (2) ESL learners need and want to learn both form and content, (3) students need to be active learners, (4) feedback is essential, and (5) S:S and S:T relationships are important. Each unit contains from 5 to 8 hours of classroom materials, however, they are flexible in that assignments can be given as homework. (5, 216)

Celce-Murcia, M. & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book: An ESL/EFL teacher’s course (2nd ed.). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
This grammar book is almost an encyclopedia of empowering information written for teachers but with the students in mind. It has been Dr. Folse’s textbook of choice for several years and I think it was a wise choice. Everyone in our graduate class agrees. The book’s key aim is to move the learner from a mindset of anxiety to one of curiosity—to not learn “grammar” but to learn “grammaring.” This second edition was designed to not only enhance one’s understanding of grammar but also to expand the skills of linguistic analysis and develop a pedagogical approach to teaching grammar. Each chapter was designed to lead readers systematically from an understanding of the grammar structure to an ability to use that understanding in the classroom. After the introductory chapters, each subsequent chapter follows the format of (1) enhance each core presentation with descriptions and examples drawn upon the latest research and include discussions of problems that students regularly encounter, (2) suggestions for teaching, (3) exercises that help assess comprehension, (4) a list of references cited, and (5) suggestions for further reading (articles in keeping with newest research findings). Naturally, the book features also an extensive index with suggested answers to the chapter exercises. (35, 850)

Folse, Keith S. (1998). Clear grammar 1: Activities for spoken and written communication. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
This supplemental textbook comes complete with an answer key and a diagnostic test. Its 200 large-size pages cover the topics of beginning grammar terms, present tense of “be”, present tense of regular verbs, demonstratives, possessive adjectives, past tense of “be”, past tense of regular and irregular verbs, “wh~” questions, word order, present progressive tense, count vs. noncount, prepositions, and a thorough review followed by a comprehensive test. With 160 well-balanced exercises and activities, this book sets a fine pace for other textbooks of this kind. The structure of this book is 20 percent speaking/interactive exercises, 40 percent single-sentence practices, and 40 percent multi-sentence or multi-dialogue activities. Contextualized exercises were used wherever possible in this as well as all others in the Clear Grammar series. This was written for the beginning ESL student. (12, 200)

Folse, K. S. & Ivone, J. (2002). More discussion starters. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Like most of Dr. Folse's authored and co-authored books, this one is a keeper. Their introduction states that “the most important pedagogical point involved in using this book is that the teacher give the students the time and framework to think about their own ideas so they can form a coherent opinion.” To facilitate this point, the book’s activities, tasks, and topics are real situations from all over the world. They include even court cases (where students get to play judge and jury) and real problem-solving tasks. One even has a unique ending (in that it that it has none). Instructions are given for having students discuss possible endings and reasons for their choices. (As all texts in this book, this is an actual story.) The 20 subjects range from serious (corporal punishment and abortion) to light (on humor and culture). (20, 120)

Folse, K. S., Solomon, E. V. & Smith-Palinkas, B. (2004). Top 20: Great grammar for great writing. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
This newest of Folse’s masterworks is enhanced even further by some refreshing new insights and techniques from the co-authors, Solomon and Smith-Palinkas. Together they managed to create 300 action-packed pages for student at the intermediate to advanced ESL levels with a focus on editing. In particular, many of the exercises attempt to draw students’ attention to common grammatical errors and then teach them various ways to make corrections. Depending on the class level and the amount of writing and work that are done outside of class, the book states that there is enough material for 70 to 90 classroom hours. It also states that the Top 20 can be finished in half that time when working with a faster group. Its name refers to the top twenty areas of difficulty—the twenty most often taught subjects by advanced ESL teachers. The format of most of the chapters: (1) a corrected sentence (using editing symbols listed in Appendix 6), (2) Grammar Reviews and Explanations, (3) Exercise Types, (4) Original Sentences, (5) Selecting the Correct Form, and (6) the editing exercises at both the sentence and paragraph level. Where appropriate, the lessons also use conventional exercises. (20, 300)

Griffee, D. T. (1994). More hearsay: interactive listening and speaking. Japan: Addison-Wesley.
More Hearsay was designed to meet the need for earlier and better comprehension of spoken English. It is aimed at the upper elementary/lower intermediate student who wants practice in speaking and listening, wants to increase his or her vocabulary, and perhaps intends to travel to English-speaking countries. A typical unit consists of key words, slow and fast speech, pair work activities, fluency exercises, bubble vocabulary expansion, review questions, and a "how to" list for reviewing each unit. This 98-page booklet contains 15 units; each is based around a particular topic such as ordering in a restaurant or speaking on the telephone. Naturally, it includes an audio tape and a teacher's guide. It is the author's hope that "More Hearsay will prove both beneficial and enjoyable to all who use it.” (15, 98)

Holt, R. & Winston. (2003). Elements of literature: Third course (Fla. ed.). Austin, TX: Harcourt Education.
As the title implies, this is for intermediate level students. With the help of literally dozens of obviously competent contributors (5 program authors, 2 special contributors, 5 writers, 34 reviewers and consultants, 42 field test participants, and 3 student contributors), Holt, Reinhart, & Winston succeeded in providing a 1066-page textbook that needs few, if any, supplements to ready ESL students for tests and life in general. This Third Course is the middle of seven textbooks (Introductory through Sixth Course). Its contents: Four Short-Story collections, three Nonfiction collections, four poetry collections, one collection each in Modern Drama, William Shakespeare, and The Epic Collection. Like all Holt, Rinehart, & Winston textbooks, this work finishes with a Resource Center; this one provides a Handbook of Literary Terms, a Communications Handbook, a Language Handbook, and a Glossary. (14, 1066)

Holt, R. & Winston. (2003). Odell, L., Vacca, R., Hobbs, R. & Warriner, J. E. (Eds.). Elements of language: Third course. Austin, TX: Harcourt Classroom Education.
With the help of literally dozens of obviously competent contributors (4 program authors, 9 program consultants, 14 critical reviewers, 13 teacher/student contributors, and 54 field test participants), Holt, Reinhart, & Winston succeeded in providing a 968-page textbook that needs few, if any, supplements to ready ESL students for tests and life in general. Its main parts consist of Communications (320 pages), Sentences and Paragraphs (50), Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (430), plus a Quick Reference Handbook for the last 168 pages. This last section is excellent. It covers everything from how to read a dictionary and design a document, to viewing, presenting, and writing … that is in addition to others, including “how to use a library/media center” and the “Grammar at a Glance” section. (24, 968)

Hubbard, P., Jones, H., Thornton, B. & Wheeler, R. (2000). A training course for TEFL. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Though written for teachers of ESL/EFL, A Training Course for TEFL is likely to benefit the students even more than the graduate students it was written for ... not directly but by way of teachers' increased expertise in presenting, facilitating, coordinating, and providing counsel. This training course singles out the following four areas of use: (1) as a basic textbook for the non-native speaking teacher undergoing in-service (or initial) training in any EFL setting, (2) as a starting-point for the teacher trainer faced with the prospect of designing a course, (3) as an introduction to the theoretical principles of ESL/EFL for the native speaker undergoing initial training, and (4) as a source-book of practical suggestions for any teacher of ESL/EFL in any part of the world. The authors call this a "must" for new teachers.

Jamestown Publishers. (1998). English, yes!: Learning English through literature. (Introductory). Lincolnwood, IL: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group.
This first of a series is one of these rare books that come with no introduction and no instructions, yet it doesn’t really need them. English, Yes! covers 15 subjects over 150 pages and finishes with a score chart for the entire book. It is easy to follow, has diverse titles, and employs most of the popular teaching devices. The subjects range from lyrics such as those from John Lennon and Paul McCartney's "Hello, Good-bye" to classical tales about lions, roots, and green-eyed monsters … from thought-provoking topics such as "All in the Mind," "Sticks and Stones," and "Harvest Time" to treasures such as "Gifts," "All in the Mind," “The World is wrong, Not Me," and a two-part series on winning and ethics, titled, "Guilt and Grass." It has even contrasting creation stories. Though maybe not be the best choice for the public classroom, “English, Yes!” makes, I believe, an excellent addition to a home-school library. (15, 150)

Kessler, C., Lee, L., McCloskey, M. L., Quinn, M. E. & Stack, L. (1996). Making connections 1: an integrated approach to learning English. (Teacher's extended ed.). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.
This was written for the Middle and High School ESOL teacher who focuses on teaching the practical skills of (1) getting around school, (2) spending free time, (3) counting dollars and cents, (4) choosing clothes, (5) checking the weather, (6) making journeys, (7) solving problems, and (8) exploring diversity. The authors' goals: (1) reach for joy, literacy, community, access, and power—the joys in life and learning that will make students happy and successful life-time learners, (2) develop the ability to use reading and writing to accomplish amazing things, (3) impart the knowledge that they live in an accepting community where they have rights, responsibilities, and resources, (4) point to resources they need to accomplish their own goals (including access to technology), and (5) lead them to the power that can make their lives into whatever they choose.

McCloskey, M. L. & Stack, L. (2004). Visions: language, literature, content. Boston, MA: Thompson-Heinle.
With the help of many consultants (11) and Reviewers (31), McCloskey and Stack managed to create what is bound to become another classic for teaching reading, listening, and speaking at the intermediate level. This handsomely bound 420-page book has five sections with a total of 18 chapters. The format is standard in that each chapter gives a reading strategy (compare and contrast, read aloud to show understanding, describe mental images, compare text events with your own experiences, and identify cause and effect, for example, for unit 1 (traditions and cultures), but it also adds a uniform “Apply and Expand” section at the end of each unit. That format starts with a Listening and Speaking Workshop, is followed by a Viewing Workshop (comparing cultures in Unit 1) and a Writer’s Workshop (in this case, writing a personal narrative about a trip), and finishes with a section on Projects and suggestions for further reading. The other units are on Environment, Conflict and Cooperation, Heroes, and Explorations. (18, 420)

Naylor, L. (2002). Join the club. Idioms for academic and social success. U.S.A.: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary.
This two-book series approaches ESL teaching (low intermediate to advanced) in an ingenious new way—it teaches through idioms. And because idioms are not bound to academics, I resolved to use this Join the Club series for all our adult classrooms, regardless of how new or advanced. The chapter structure is simple, each has five parts: (1) Work it Out, (2) Information Gap, (3) It’s Halftime, (4) Tune In, and (5) The Chat Room. After every three chapters there is a clever Review. The substructures are as follows: Work it Out is comprised of four sections: Quick Fix, Cloze It, Sense or Nonsense, and Plug In. Information Gap, the trickiest part of the book, uses the three-group format of assigning five idioms to each group and then giving each the chance to both query and explain. The layout and design are self-explanatory and the instructions are clear. In addition to the 135 idioms so explained and practiced, each of the books has also an additional 100+ related expressions (explained in Part III of each chapter and used in context) plus a handy summary listing with reference to page numbers. These two are my favorite. Had I had these during my own struggles with English idioms, I would have fonder memories of learning them. (9, 190)

Redman, S. with Shaw, E. (2001). Vocabulary in use — intermediate: Self-study reference and practice for students of North American English (with answers). U.K.: Cambridge University Press.
A unique intermediate-level classroom or self-study book. It has 260 pages in an easy-to-read two-page format, actually 100 two-page units. The left-hand page explains new words and expressions (most units contain 25 new words or phrases), and the right-hand page gives you a chance to check your understanding through a series of exercises that practice the new vocabulary. The Answer Key (at the back of the book) provides not only for the "right and wrong" questions but also for those with multiple correct answers. I especially like the section that covers phonetic symbols and pronunciation problems. Even the index is superior in that it covers 3000 words in popular use, giving the current phonetic symbols for all of them. These are very helpful. The left-hand page gives first a short definition, e.g., unemployed [without a job], then a short explanation (using the word) followed by a synonym or opposite; the entry finishes with a paragraph that defines the meaning with a situation that enhances their comprehension. (14, 260)

No Quick Fix: (book report)

2010-08-20T18:58:00.007-04:00

Rethinking literacy programs in America’s Elementary Schools. Richard Allington, at the State University of New York at Albany, sets the stage for this excellent account of what is actually being implemented from the plethora of research that points to a better way of doing things by citing recent accomplishments in Vermont’s elementary schools. In their case, the implementation of new research turned out to be a good investment of time and money. I chose this book to review because we now have had a few years to monitor the reported changes. Early 1995, Richard and his colleagues set out to collect literacy data from the country’s best Elementary Schools, including their past, present, and future. In essence, he recounts that our nation’s schools, including even the best of the best, had become virtual “sorting machines” (Spring, 1989) designed to separate children into groups, through which they were offered curricular activities deemed “suitable” to their ability … a noble undertaking but one that turned out to have a devastating effect on youngsters started in the lower categories. Research reviewed and enhanced by McGill-Franzen and Allington (1991) showed that there was no need for all that sorting in the first grade … determining that “most children can become literate alongside their peers, not just a majority but virtually all.” It is true, Allington and Walmsley’s research was directed to primary education, but since all contributors to the research were specialists in teaching children with literacy difficulties, its applicability to our ESL industry is obvious. I am sure you agree that the learning of new linguistic survival skills is about as remedial a process as there ever was, is, or will be in any school. These are some of the findings as they relate to conventional (un-researched) mindsets:

Not all children can become literate with their peers.
We can measure children’s literacy aptitude.
Children learn best in homogenous groups.
Reading is a hierarchy of increasingly complex skills.
Some children need slowed-down and more concrete instruction.
We should use special teachers to meet the needs of some children.

These mindsets, help against the background of actual change (which there wasn’t any) and statistics that reveal, for example, that it now takes an average of 13.5 years of schooling to just bring home a paycheck (Smith & Lincoln, 1988), required closer scrutiny, and that scrutiny was initiated by J. Willinsky (1990) and further pursued by Rexford Brown (1991). Its upshot: “Back to Basics” was OK but it did not increase anything but the lower gap. The new target now was to be “thoughtful” literacy; the “basic” literacy concept had not done so well. Allington says, “It is about reading, writing, and THINKING. … Teacher interrogation of children needs to be replaced by discussion, reflection, revision, and analysis. Today’s fill-in-blank culture is not going to solve our problems.” The book continues enumerating the research on the matter of literacy but forewarns that there are no quick fixes, no one best way, and that all change will have to come from within … and not so much from within the students but from within the teachers. Allington stressed that the emphasis should be on what learners “should do” rather than on what difficulties they were having (201). Phrases such as, “Does it make sense …?” and “What would make sense?” should be used whenever possible. Likewise, saying, “What letter would you expect to see here?” would be much more constructive than just saying, “Sound it out!” The rest of the book dealt with success stories from the contributors and details about how they got this program of THOUGHFUL literacy, via the PIERS program, into Vermont’s depressed school system. Current data and news clippings show that it was a worthy project. REFERENCE Allington, R. L. & Walmsley, S. A. (1995). No quick fix: Rethinking literacy programs in America’s Elementary Schools. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Spring, J. (1989). The sorting machine revisited. New York, NY: Longman. McGill-Franzen, A. & Allington, R. L. (1991). Every child’s right: Literacy. Reading Teacher, 45, 86-90. Smith, R. C. & Lincoln, C. A. (1988). America’s shame, America’s hope: Twelve million youth at risk. Chapel Hill, NC: MDC, Inc. Willinsky, J. (1990). The new literac: Refining reading and writing in the schools. New York, NY: Routledge. JOE ANTHONY BLUM University of Central Florida. Orlando, FL. United States.

Allowing vs. Ordering

2010-08-04T01:50:00.006-04:00

It may well be a neutron trait to respond well to "being allowed" to do something, since most in our neighborhood considered it a part of good parenting to give children as many chores as possible . . . probably to teach them the facts of life as they saw them. My parents never learned to do that. I have no recollection of ever being told to do something. I had no “chores” to do. All I remember is “being allowed” to help. The question is, did I develop my habit of wanting to help because of how I was reared or did I come into this world with a different attitude toward doing things that needed to be done? In retrospect, I think it was the early exposure to a work ethic that never complained about “having” to work. Around our apartment, working was something you did without grumbling. I never heard about “Monday Morning Blues” and I never heard the term “Thank God it’s Friday.” Mom and Dad usually alternated and rotated two shifts (sometimes three), and Grandma was always home doing things. The rules were: “You’re allowed to help as long as you fix what you break and clean up what you spill.” My youngsters were raised the same way. They never got spanked for breaking or spilling things (as long as they fixed what they broke and cleaned up what they spilled). Again, the question is: did they develop their successful work habits or were they born with them? Regardless of the answer, counting my grandma, there are now five generations of service-minded souls in our family who don’t complain about “having” to go to work or school. They go to work and/or school because they “want” to. Naturally, like everything else in life, this characteristic comes with a price tag. None of us (so far) have risen to manage large groups of people. Our ingrained mindset of readily doing something that needs to be done makes delegating a difficult task. Yes, I am getting better at asking for help and delegating work, but neither of them are a natural first choice. Now tell me about your own childhood. I’d love to hear your story, especially if you turned out to be a successful and peace-loving individual.

Love and Power

2010-07-31T16:16:00.004-04:00

It’s been said that, “When the ‘power’ of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” However, on my E:P:N scale, that assertion is not as valid as it sounds. Here’s why: First of all, power is power, regardless of the type of gun or the nature of the bullet; meaning, powerful love is just as crippling as powerful leadership or oppression. It is effective and appreciated by many, but it cripples those who wish to mature in an environment of freedom. Christian Love does not “assert power”; it “turns the other cheek”; it does not passionately and jealously smother; instead, it turns the "power" OFF. Yes, proton and electron souls tend to view Love as a Power and they tend to delight in the act of asserting or succumbing to passionate love; but the divorce rate among them is high. In a free society, too many of them, especially electron souls, tend to get tired of being overpowered on a permanent basis. Second, Neutron souls thrive on balancing unequal power structures. That’s what neutrons do in an atom; that’s what human neutrons do in business and personal relationships. True, this innate need to neutralize power can take a lot of fun out of relationships, but their divorce rate is low. Most neutrons marry for life, regardless of whom they marry. They live to "preserve" opposing power strutures; they do not advocate a switch from one to the other. That's because Nature depends on balanced oppositions and they feel compelled to help preserve that diversity. So, since we can’t very well get rid of the trinity aspect of life, we’d be wise to let love be and remain a variable. Let the power of love reign supreme in the hearts of those who need it . . . while they need it, but let the submissive nature of love (role modeled so well by Jesus and Gandhi) be an equally bright beacon to guide us during crucial times.

Forensic Trialogues

2010-07-30T10:57:00.003-04:00

> . . . I do welcome honest dialog as long as we are not in a place of one-upmanship . See, Ron, it is this very issue of enlightened souls still differing to varying degrees that brought me to compare humans to atoms and, specifically, their internal trinities. A proton soul and an electron soul will never see eye-to-eye; they can't. One sees things from the inside out and the other from outside in. Neutrons, by contrast, can rise to see these contrasts and delight in both of them. Your reference to one-upmanship is felt only by electron or proton souls. They both feel they are right. In fact, both of them ARE right if there is to be eternal polarity. And the smart ones among them feel superior to (rather than intimidated by) those less enlightened (in their opinion). The reason I am collecting/creating forensic trialogues is to help readers see not only the need for trinities, but eventually grow to relate more to one voice than the other two. And, to the extent that people do that, they are creating for themselves a heaven on earth. Generally speaking, if a person feels more drawn toward right-wing rhetoric than liberalism, they'd be wise to study Jewish traditions or capitalism in general. If they relate more to left-wing talk, they should stick with reading the Bible or the Koran. Both of them were written to train followers. And if a person feels drawn toward both or neither, they'd do well to study Bhuddist writings. They were written for both hermits and teachers. Are you comfortable enough to tell me which of these three you now relate to best? Joe

Common Sense Obit.

2010-07-28T10:14:00.004-04:00

This oldie but goodie bemoans the passing of Common Sense. Click on the title to read it. Below is my response to the friend who shared it: "Dr. Graves had a good sermon on this every year, but with a twist: He had collected obits like this from other generations and peoples to point out that this dilemma has been with us for a very long time, if not from the beginning. It was actually this yearly sermon that gave rise to my E:P:N theorem (that we, as diverse souls, evolve slowly through the stages that resemble those of the atom's constituents). In physics they refer to this cycle as the shelf life (of an atom). In business we call it the business cycle, referring to the life and death of companies that refuse to change. In other words, that pathetic death of Common Sense is not quite as sad and permanent as it seems, at least not from the E:P:N perspective. See, just like hurricanes form, mature, and then die . . . leaving behind much devastation for those still working . . . we, too, mature, wither, and then die, leaving behind problems for others to solve and learn from. Common sense has not really died in everyone, only in those without a vision . . . without a place to go. You have common sense, Edith, because you're still going places. Keep it up! As long as you do, you'll be a beacon of hope and light to those who foolishly stopped. Yes, Common Sense dies daily, but only in some . . ."

Wearing masks

2010-07-27T18:05:00.007-04:00

Ron said, “. . . I am somewhat convinced that it is always better to tell the truth about how we really feel than it is to deny and pretend.” His concurrent use of ‘somewhat convinced’ and ‘always better’ makes it difficult to respond coherently, but let me try. First, if “Act the way you want to feel and you’ll soon feel the way you act” is considered to be a valid truth, the stating of anything ‘apparently’ true is not the best choice for a New Thought student. Second, healing is not even possible, or at least not recognized, while the apparent truth is accepted as real. Ron also said, “Even though some may be offended, I think telling the truth is much better than hypocrisy (wearing masks)." Well, wearing masks in a B movie suggests bad acting. However, good actors have learned to ‘become’ their mask. Their willful focus on the desired feeling has made that feeling become real. Good actors make roles come alive. They are hypocrites only during the short interim between acting a feeling and feeling it. Yes? No? To go to Ron's site, click HERE or on the title.

PS: It is common for electron souls to feel separated from the good and godly for extended periods of time. By contrast, the duration of the Hypocrisy period for proton and neutron souls is usually very brief. Ron, being probably a neutron soul, is likely already back to his vibrant self.

Three ISMs in a nutshell

2010-07-24T13:17:00.003-04:00

Thanks, Billy, for the article. As to your soap-box subject, in the over-all scheme of things, you are right about capitalism; but perfectionism, which I equate directly with expert production, is just as widespread and nurtured under socialism. You must admit that Germany and Switzerland, for example, produced exemplary products long before America did. See, in Europe, because of their socialistic government, no one cares (meaning workers) about what goes on politically. Their mind is on working, eating, drinking, and having family fun. And their range of expertise is just as broad and varied as ours. In fact, like I mentioned to you before about my many visits to Austria and the difficulty I had explaining to Dad's cronies why I was still living under a capitalistic regime. They don't think much of it. They consider it too vulture-like, which is also what the Middle-East objects to when we try to solicit them to follow our unique example. All things considered, I believe we need a world government that fosters, protects, and nurtures all three major isms. Remember, that's what atoms do. That’s what religions have preached. Triangulation, when applied to politics and policy, is superior to pagan dualistic behaviors, attitudes, and judgments. In a stable atom, there are an equal number of capitalists (protons), socialists (neutrons) and communists (electrons). Upset that balance by force and you destroy the whole unit. Neither you nor I want to see that happen. So, keep pounding away at the capitalistic drum. It needs good people like you to get the best sounds out of it. We’d be in mell of a hess if you ever stopped doing that. Likewise, I’ll continue being a neutron—a centrist in your scheme of things. Love ya. Joe

Note: In this stable atom, the central dot represents three protons and three neutrons, which jointly make up the atom's tiny but heavy nucleus. This image (of three electrons around a nucleus) depicts a lithium atom, the lightest of all metals. Think of this as a sun and three planets.

Research Format

2010-07-24T00:09:00.002-04:00

Last month, while subbing at a Lake County Middle School, I was pleased to see a collegiate-level summary of a typical research format in one of their classrooms. It used both the key terms of a science-based research paper (purpose, research, hypothesis, experiment, analysis, and conclusion) as well as the details of the process, meaning –

State the problem
Find out about the topic
Predict the outcome to the problem
Plan a procedure to test the hypothesis
Perform the experiment (including a control group)
Record the results of the experiment, and
Compare the hypothesis to the experiment’s conclusion

An involved procedure? Yes. A necessary format? Indeed. Therefore, as Njut may already have told you, “If you ever expect to win a scientific debate, you’d be wise to commit these stages to memory.”

Club growth: a Science

2010-07-22T23:36:00.008-04:00

Last week at the training session for VPMs, it was stressed that the building and maintaining of membership becomes easy when all officers assume a predictable role; meaning, for a club to be successful, each of the seven officers must elect to be either a

hugger
hand-shaker
shoulder-rubber
thanker, or a
smiler

In fact, it has been my experience that these predictable roles don’t even have to be positive. They can include roles such as club critic or grouch . . . as long as that officer is always a critic or grouch. Naturally, these assumed roles are meant to be only first- and last-impression roles. During the meeting, the agenda itself is to dictate the attitudes. Stressed also was the dress code for officers: They should always dress as though they were expecting “company” they hadn’t seen for a long time. I liked that. The lesson: That there’s a science to everything, including the growing of a club. The reason for roles: Eulogies reflect the major roles we’ve played and how well we’ve played them. My Role: I’ve been a “professional friend” for the last 50+ years. What may I say about you? Click on the title or picture to get a PPT presentation of notes taken at a recent workshop by Ed Tate & Darren LaCroix.

A case of Discrimination

2010-07-21T23:33:00.003-04:00

In the process of trying to vote on a fine article by Mark Johnson concerning prison problems, I was shut out from both voting and making a suggestion. The error message: "You need an organization-issued email address." Why are we shut out when it is we who are paying the bill? Please enlighten me! For the record, my suggestion was: "If we agree that the lack of social confidence is largely responsible for good people to start doing bad things, then any focused training that improves social confidence may warrant consideration. Two programs that could be easily implemented without any cost to the system are the teaching of public speaking, as administered by Toastmasters International, and the teaching of Esperanto, the bridging language taught in many countries as a first foreign language. Both dramatically influence self-confidence and both develop linguistic skills that may be required to land and keep a job . . . either here or abroad. During my period of working as both Case Manager and After Care Coordinator at Anthony House, I decided that I would spend my later years as a people broker, where I help people acquire the skills needed to land a meaningful job in a foreign country where they are far enough away from their old friends to not succumb again to doing unlawful things. To administer the language portion of that rehab training, feel free to call on me. I should be able to help you." Joe Anthony Blum, ACS MA TESOL at UCF http://gefratoj.org 407.761.1611 Click HERE --> to go to the page where you can't get in. Try it and then let me know how it felt to be shut out.

Better than Twice?

2010-07-12T00:15:00.003-04:00

Most training manuals have one thing in common: they stress that all materials must be read twice . . . that retentions is less than poor when materials are read just once. This was again stressed yesterday at a training session for VPM’s. The variance was only slight: “Do the first reading uninterrupted from beginning to end, wait for a week, then do the second reading with a highlighter in hand to extract the meat of it.” My question is, do all three of you agree? [N]: “That’s what I’ve always suggested to my students, but have I done it myself? Not if I could find a used textbook that was already highlighted. If it was, I started with the highlights.” [E]: “I don’t buy a used book because it was written in; I buy used because it’s cheaper that way.” [P]: “Smart. I’ve never thought about doing that.” [N]: “It could be that your business school doesn’t even use the same books every year, do they?” [P]: “I don’t know. Doesn’t that depend on the professor and the topic?” [N]: “Of course. What about today’s question, Prot; do you read everything twice?” [P]: “Not if I can help it. I always study the Table of Content and I read a book’s intro and summary, including the Chapter summaries, if there are any. How do you do it?” [N]: “Much the same with the exception of reading the Table of Content. I do that only before tests to refresh my memory of the topic’s keywords. Also, you didn’t mention where you start to read from; I usually start in the back. I’ve done that since I was a kid, but I don’t really know why. Just peculiar, I guess.” [E]: “You guys are peculiar, all right. How did you ever make it through school?” [P]: “Don’t get smart, Eleko; you can be replaced. Do you follow the advice of teachers about how to read textbooks?” [E]: “Well, for many years, I didn’t do much reading at all . . . certainly not twice; but since I decided to shape up and get my money’s worth, I’ve been using that formula. It seems to work for me. My grades are certainly improving.” [N]: “I don’t need help with my grades but I might try it one day. Maybe I’ll buy a new book next semester so I ‘have to’ mark it up myself. Good idea. Am curious to see how my brain will react to that.” [P]: “And I promise to buy a highlighter . . . might even try using it . . . “ [N]: “Let’s canvass our friends and see whether it is really just Eleko’s type this rule was made for.” [E]: “Make sure you first ask them what their grades are.”

Snakes Can be Deadly

2010-07-09T00:15:00.003-04:00

This is a funny story. Long but good. Enjoy. Joe GARDEN SNAKES CAN BE DANGEROUS... Yes, harmless snakes, also known as Garter Snakes, can be dangerous. Here's why: A couple in Sweetwater, Texas, had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze. It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants. When it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa. She let out a very loud scream. The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the sofa. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor. His wife thought he had had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance. The attendants rushed in, would not listen to his protests, loaded him on the stretcher, and started carrying him out. About that time, the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is still in the hospital. The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch.. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief. But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa. The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her. The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches. The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that the snake had bitten him. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat. By now, the police had arrived. Breathe here... They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little garden snake! The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife. Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the sofa and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes. The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car. Meanwhile, neighbors saw the burning drapes and called in the fire department. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the power, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out). Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world. A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night. And that's when he shot her. I bet it's been a long time since you laughed that hard . . . . it was for me. Click HERE --> for some sayings about humor.

Disney’s Four C’s

2010-07-08T14:18:00.003-04:00

Curiosity, confidence, courage, & constancy are said to be Walk Disney’s “Four C’s” for “making dreams come true” . . . with the greatest attribute being confidence. Do you guys agree with that?
[E]: “I’m good at what I do . . . maybe the best in the business, but I didn’t get there because of my confidence. In fact, I still get nervous before special events.” [N]: “So do I . . . even when I’m prepared.” [P]: “But Walt is right; confidence is the key . . . to everything! Even losing a few deals in a row has never shattered mine. I know the odds are in my favor.” [E]: “I could never be a sales rep. It would cripple me for life to lose a few deals in a row. How do you do it?” [P]: “It’s not a question of how; you just do it.” [E]: “Must be in the genes.” [N]: “Did you ever try to sell something or someone?” [E]: “A couple of times, back when I was a kid . . . but I couldn’t even sell girl scout cookies!” [N]: “Prot, do you think the chutzpa for selling can be learned?” [P]: “Probably not. Even in our best of families, there’s always a kid or two who just doesn’t make it.” [N]: “Is it really a Jewish tradition to set a kid up in business . . . and do it three times, if needed, to help the youngster succeed?” [P]: “I can’t speak for our people in general, but that was the custom in our neighborhood.” [N]: “I wonder whether that whole issue of confidence is actually genetic or just early training . . . like in the Suzuki approach. That sure brings out the best in youngsters. Have either of you ever read about it?” [E]: “That’s supposed to be a way of bringing out the genius in people, isn’t it?” [P]: “Their advertising says it puts the genius ‘into’ people, but I’m with you; I think they bring it out . . . if it’s there to start with.” [N]: “This is one issue we’ll probably never know for sure. Maybe confidence is the determining factor. If it is, you and yours will always be ahead of us.” [P]: “Why do you think so many have tried to do away with us?” [N]: “Yea, but I know too many instances where a shy person learned to outsell all the rest.” [P]: “Are you sure that ‘all the rest’ were people like me?” [E]: “We’ve got to go. Let’s settle this one some other time.” Click below to [Comment] or HERE --> to go to my site.

... can’t get better ...

2010-07-06T21:52:00.009-04:00

Andy Dooley said yesterday, “Your situation can’t get any better until you feel better about your situation.” And I agree; it tells it like it is . . . for at least two thirds of us. Can you tell for which of these critters it might not be true?
[E]: “That’s a bunch of bunk. How could I feel good about my situation?” [N]: “For one thing, Andy didn’t say ‘good’; he said ‘better’. That’s not the same.” [P]: “I agree with Njut; there’s a big difference between the two. Don't you agree?” [E]: “Oh, don’t start playing that word game again. You know I can’t stand that.” [P]: “Until you choose your words better, your situation hasn’t got a chance. I bet you don’t even know what we’re talking about. Do you?” [N]: “You know, Eleko might have a point. Do alcoholics get cured by feeling better about being a drunk?” [E]: “Of course they don’t. Once a drunk, always a drunk.” [P]: “That’s what we’re told at the AA meetings all right. Have either of you ever been in rehab?” [E]: “I have. Not for drinking, but the programs are much the same, from what I heard.” [N]: “If I remember right, all members have to openly admit being a chunky of some type; is that right?” [E]: “That’s what I said: Once a drunk, always a drunk . . . even when you’re on the wagon, meaning sober.” [N]: “See, I don’t believe that. It may be true for some but not for all. I, for one, am not a junky . . . at anything. Maybe you could call me a workaholic . . . if there were such a thing.” [E]: “Of course there is. Haven’t your kids ever complained about you working too hard?” [N]: “I don’t think that counts, does it?” [P]: “To me, it doesn’t. That’s what we do . . . 24/7. Has your family done that as well?” [N]: “They worked around the clock all right but not in the same way. They worked just eight-hour shifts, but they work around the house and garden and they went to the woods to gather berries and stuff. I spent all my days and evenings at the office or on the road.” [P]: “Same thing. I believe you call yours, ‘Protestant work ethic’; we call ours, 'doing what a man’s got to do--run a business!’ . . . What about your family, Eleko; were your parents workaholics?” [E]: “I don’t think that’s the right word. Please let’s leave them out of this, OK?” [N]: “Then let’s get back to the topic: Could your situation get better by you feeling better about it?” [E]: “I can't think how it could; I think Andy is wrong about that. If anything, it might have a chance of getting better if I dramatized the patheticness of it; don’t you agree?” [N]: “For me, it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. For you it might. Prot, what do you think?” [P]: “Even though Eleko and I are opposites on most everything; on this, I’m ashamed to say, we’re much the same: too narrowly focused! No offence, Eleko.” [E]: “None taken.” [P]: “I guess the difference between you and me is that you have to look back to be motivated and I have to look forward. . . . Njut, how does that fit into Andy's claim?" Please post your comments below.

Formula phrases

2010-07-05T17:30:00.006-04:00

Joe, how should I phrase my questions about what you or the critters are saying? Well, for example, you could say, “Yesterday (on the subject of . . .), Eleko said, ‘I pity you; how can you possibly be happy with such an assumption? Where’s the warmth in this?’ Are you sure a person like Eleko would follow the first question with that second one?” (I might respond with) “You’re right. It’s more likely that Prot and his clan will do that. But since the first question is really a rhetorical one, following it with a real question was almost necessary to have the conversation continue, don’t you think?” However, had you said, “Yesterday, Eleko said, ‘. . .?’ I think he’s wrong about that” (with or without a reason why), I would either leave your comment as a comment (where it is) or weave it into their future conversations on the subject . . . or do both. Generically speaking, conversations need several of the “formula phrases” to flow smoothly. As you can see, they start with headers such as Openers, Adding on, Keeping on, and Questioning and finish with Linking, Disbelief, Agreement, Disagreement, and the Changing of a subject. If you use phrases not already listed, please share them with me; I’d like my foreign students to have as many choices as possible. As to what language, it doesn’t matter whether you use English or its Esperanto equivalent. I’ll need both anyway, because both will be necessary if they are to be of value to the international community. Thanks for caring.

Another Paradox?

2010-07-03T01:37:00.005-04:00

“Love expands. Fear contracts” were yesterday’s lead-in phrases to a spiritual discussion of the terms. Instantly, I said to myself, “Hmm! I thought love was blind!?” Let’s see, if we talk about vision, love definitely shuts out much of what it sees. Am I right? It certainly narrows a lover’s vision by focusing on that which is loved. Fear, by contrast, broadens the field of vision. Those who are afraid usually see more than there really is. They are expanding their vision to include hallucinatory dangers. Am I wrong? True, if Love is considered to be a universal/godly essence or frequency that is ours to join at will, then it could probably be said that Universal Love expands to the degree that we acknowledge or enhance it; but that presumes an evolutionary scenario, which I believe to be valid, but not valid for all. For example, to those who believe that God is all there is, was, and ever will be, even an alluding to the possibility of Love expanding would be a form of sacrilege. Here’s what I overheard Prot and Eleko say about this: [Prot] “We don’t think of God as being ‘Love’, ever-expanding or not; we call God the ‘Great I Am’ (Ex. 3:12-14), so this whole issue is a non-issue for me. To me, God is not Love; God is Mind.” [Eleko] “I pity you; how can you possibly be happy with such an assumption? Where’s the warmth in this?” [Prot] “There’s plenty of warmth in our family, but that doesn’t mean God’s always there . . . unless some thinking’s going on in someone’s head.” [Eleko] “You’re a lot more into thinking and conniving than we are. Forget the conniving; I didn’t mean to say that.” What I meant to say was that you get your jollies from thinking; I get mine from not having to think. I do enough of that at work.” [Prot] “Good point. But didn’t your Scriptures say something like, ‘Let that mind be in you, which was also . . .’?” [Eleko] “Maybe so, but there are a lot more references to Love, in both of our Scriptures, than there are references to the act of thinking.” [Prot] “True, but thinking, even without love, leads to wealth; love, without thinking, does not.” [Eleko] “Maybe not, but if happiness is one’s aim, Love’s the better choice.” [Prot] “Remind me to remind you of that . . . the next time you borrow money.”

Volunteering Facts

2010-07-01T23:29:00.003-04:00

This week, Don Marx gave a brilliant presentation on the field of volunteering. It was fascinating and eye-opening to hear the statistics on why people volunteer. I wish I had permission to share all seven key reasons. The best summary might be, “People do it to bring balance to their life.” It was interesting to hear that there was no special “look” or personality trait that leads people to volunteering. But the biggest surprise was that over 40 percent of all volunteers got started because . . . they were asked. Hmm! Don’s grand finale was a passionate appeal to join his mission and [also] get MAD . . . to Make A Difference . . . somewhere, somehow. Very memorable indeed. Now, to bring this subject into my E:P:N scenarios:

Protons and electrons are not naturally seeking balance. They need to be motivated to do so.
Both Prot and Eleko respond to strong appeals such as GET MAD, whereas Njut just needs to be asked.
Until exposed to the joy of giving back, Prot can be shamed into doing so.
Prot’s friends also believe that volunteering will improve their bottom line through sharpening their people skills.
Njut and her friends volunteer whenever and wherever they’re needed. Much like mothers, they like to feel needed.
Community improvement and environmental issues are more likely to appeal to Eleko (as reasons for volunteering). So are the opportunity for more recognition and spiritual development.

Feel free to contradict me on this. These are the E:P:N mascots. You'll meet them more and more during the upcoming classes; in fact, you'll learn to speak on their behalf.

E:P:N Growing Cycles

2010-06-30T10:34:00.008-04:00

“Adversity causes some men to break and others to break records” (by William Arthur Ward) is a typical saying one needs to hear often during the second of four growing cycles, meaning the competitive stage, but I believe it is of little or no value to those in one of the other three stages of soul growth. This image leads to a PPT presentation made for language teachers, but it is generic enough to help make my point. It names the four growing cycles as:

worthless
competitive
creative
and supportive

I originally thought that all souls, eventually, might have to go through all four of these stages, and in this sequence; but I'm beginning to change my mind. If my new research is correct, Eleko and his friends might not have a worthless first stage, nor might Njut and her fellow servants. Similarly, Prot and his entrepreneurial clan might not be able to have a truly selfless supportive stage. True, there are worthless moochers in the first group and there are multimillionaires in Prot's group who become quite charitable during their latter years, but their respective reasons for becoming moochers or supporters are not always altruistic (referring to the latter) or valid (referring to the former). What do you think? '

Follow a Compass?

2010-06-30T01:44:00.009-04:00

The saying, “Put away the clock; pick up a compass.” was probably coined by a well-meaning proton soul for the purpose of giving a hard-working electron soul advice about how to live a richer life. I can just hear some hotshot promoter say with great passion, “Stop punching a clock. Get yourself a purpose in life, make meaningful goals, set a good compass or GPS, and then keep your eyes on it day and night so you won’t get lost.” Maybe you believe in generic advice such as that, but I’m here to tell you that this advice, no matter how valid for two thirds of us (meaning proton and neutron souls), is not valid for those who prefer stability, security, and time for family and fishing. Doing things faster and better needs to be their main purpose and goal. And for that, they need neither a compass nor a GPS . . . just a clock, proper guidance, and a structured environment.

E (electron souls) need a clock.
P (proton souls) need a compass.
N (neutron souls) function best when following their instinct.