Back to School Part 2

We inadvertently forgot to include this suggestion for improving education with the others:

From Sharon:"I've always thought that the grade school curriculum (at almost every level) would be much improved by having yearly themes from which individual subjects would draw and all would overlap. For example, if the theme was FOOD, a class might use actual recipes in math class and for science experiments--research regional dishes for history and sociology, write and produce a cookbook for an English and art project. I've always thought students would appreciate learning as a 'whole' experience more than they do the unrelated pieces of knowledge we sometimes seem to be handing out to our children."

Back to School

In addition to the ideas featured in this week's Ampolo video, we received several other thoughtful suggestions for improving education:

From Robin: "Smaller class size! My daughter is in a high school with 3,000 kids, and it's so easy to fall through the cracks that way, especially if you're a student that's 'no trouble.'"

From Libby: "Require every student to speak English; teach diagramming sentences and grammar; reward teachers and teachers’ unions for flunking students; make remedial/summer help required in order to advance.

From Alan: "Pay more money to teachers."

From Chuck: "Extranet sites filled with school news where teachers can post homework assignments, students can communicate with each other, and selected outside contributors can add content."

And from Bob: "I believe the key to establishing a quality education system throughout the country begins with quality teachers. Currently I don't see any correlation between what school districts spend on their teaching staffs and the teachers' performance. The longer a teacher works, the more the teacher is paid. This formula doesn't work, especially in the districts that need quality teachers the most. There's no incentive.

"Teachers' compensation should be tied to teaching results. Base initial salaries on a measurable, weighted formula, including school location, skills, etc. After one year, add test score results to the formula. In addition, bonuses should be paid to reward a particular school, programs within a school, a group of teachers, etc. By incentivizing teachers with higher salaries for performance, the higher paid teachers would be less likely to leave the schools they're currently at, including high need, inner city schools. The result would be retaining and adding quality teachers at the schools that need them most. Because teachers are paid according to a formula, if their results diminish, their salaries are reduced. If they fall below a certain formula guideline, they should be moved out and replaced. Finally, if they fall below a minimum standard, they should not be retained."

Thanks to all. We welcome more comments.

You Gotta Have Art

We hope you will enjoy this week’s episode, in which two viewers shared with us their favorite works of art—public and personal. We heard from others as well, and we’d like to direct you to their special pieces.

Darrell directed us to Franz Winterhalter’s Portrait of Countess Olga Shuvalova, 1858

Linda wrote: “The Song of the Lark by Jules Breton comes to mind. I’ve always loved that painting, and had a poster of it in my room. I must have identified with her peasant look: bandana, outfit, machete. Seriously, tho’, I find the painting serene and earthy.”

Howard reported: “I am now interested in a new artist, Cheryl Warrick, who is not too well known. I saw her work at the print fair in NYC in November.

And Adar wrote: “Two images came to mind immediately, both public art. One is a mural on a house in Belfast. It promotes the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Freedom Fighters. I saw this mural, amidst a wash of others, walking down Shankhill Road. A few days later, I saw a piece of stenciled graffiti art in Dublin. It looked similar to this.”

Nora is sitting in front of one of our favorite pieces of art. It is Issue #1 (by Miranda July) of The Thing, an object-based quarterly.

Power from the People

Hmm. I see a transportation theme developing these last few weeks. Episodes on tollway charity days and reduced-cost vehicle stickers for eco-friendly cars followed by episodes on bike lanes and, this week, a bike-powered work station. Clearly Ampolo is becoming a vehicle for social change.

Mileage Rewards

One of the rewarding things about doing Ampolo is that we get to meet with and then introduce our viewers to people devoted to making a difference in the community. In past weeks, you've seen Gabe Lyon, who along with husband Paul Sereno, is bring science to under-served high schoolers through Project Exploration. You've also seen Joan Brunwasser, who was way ahead of the curve in recognizing that we probably can't trust today's voting machines. This week we introduce you to Lali Watt, a village trustee in Wilmette, Illinois. As she explains, her novel, but remarkably simple idea to improve the environment is, at this point, largely symbolic. But she hopes, as do we, that what begins as a symbol can grow into a movement

Blogging As Art

As this week’s feature clearly demonstrates, whether it comes to fashion or fashioning blogs, Ampolo is cutting edge. You can visit Keiler’s blog directly by going to: simplewardrobe.blogspot.com.

As if further proof is needed is needed that Ampolo is au courant, we refer you to snippets from two recent articles in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune respectively.

Taxi TV, Brisk as the Traffic You’re Stuck In
By Alessandra Stanley
Where once there was only peeling vinyl, printed fare rates and the cabdriver’s ceaseless cellphone chatter, there is now a television screen.

Report: Ohio Needs New Voting Machines
By Julie Carr Smyth
Columbus, Ohio
The state’s top elections official recommended Friday that Ohio counties replace their touch-screen voting machines because the devices — in use for roughly two years — are vulnerable to manipulation.

Loyal Ampolo viewers will see the connection to two of our earlier episodes. In July, we suggested television sets be provided, not in taxis, but in subway/elevated cars. And last month, voting integrity expert Joan Brunwasser told you about the problem with the current generation of voting machines.

Finally, we have been soliciting ideas from you on particular subjects via email. Soon you’ll see episodes featuring your responses. In the meantime, here is viewer Tom’s response to our request for interesting websites. We checked it out and suggest you do, too:
“A great vocabulary game, and a socially responsible one you can do every day! Go to www.freerice.com and increase your knowledge and be a good person to boot!”

Reverse Verse

We hope this week's Ampolo idea for a children's book about things in the world that are backwards or in reverse inspires families and teachers to come up with their own investigation, or even a book. Later today or tomorrow, we'll share our book. In the meantime, feel free to post any backwards things that come to mind. And if you write a book, send it to us. We'll post it.