Roscoeteer

Why all the turmoil?

2011-03-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

As I listen to the news reports lately, I am amazed at how quickly certain groups of people are so quick to jump on the bandwagon for their own political agendas. It is almost downright disturbing when you really look and think about it.

For instance, I am all for teachers having rights and being able to settle for a descent wage, but not at the extreme expense of the taxpayer. It is high time that the government unions be broken down to size and remember that their employer is not the government, but we the taxpayers. How can a society continue to exist with such a heavy burdon of increased taxes so that government unions can fill their coffers and continue to push their ideological beliefs on the people because they "know what's best for the people." How about getting your hands off of our money and let us make those choices.

Then you have the recent events of Japan's earthquake, tsunami, and now they are facing a meltdown. Not even a week later and already our government and the "green-minded" liberals want to force a complete shutdown of our nuclear program along with all oil, natural gas, and coal commodities that are in overabundance in our own nation as they continue to break the American people and turn us from a free society into their socialistic utopia. Get over it people! Communisium and Socialism are dying horrible deaths! Just look what it has done to Europe, Greece, and Russia. These countries are failing left and right.

Thing #4--Searching the Web

2009-07-23T23:37:00.002-04:00

For this excercise, we were shown several different search engines like webcrawler.com, ask.com, and google.com. It was a great refresher course for me because I had totally forgotten about a few of them. Webcrawler used to be one of my favorite search engines long before Google was out on the market and I forgot how easy it is to use them. But more importantly that Webcrawler is a "metacrawler" or a meta search engine, which means it looks at three or four search engines instead of just one at a time. It then pulls the best info from those sites and gives you the top of the top of the lists.

So how do I plan to use this in the classroom? I am going to start showing the kids how to use the various search engines and their purposes along with teaching them how to use them wisely, especially the younger kids. I would hate for inappropriate material to come up in our Christian School setting.

One of the other tools I plan to use is to develop a web search exercise where they will have to use the various search engines to see how they work and what is the same and different about each one of them. This is a great way to rethink how we use the web!

Thing #3, iGoogle Suite

2009-07-05T00:03:00.001-04:00

Well, this is now my third thing to complete. I am really glad I have been doing the Clovis 23 things challenge this year. I have been learning a lot already about rethinking my teaching strategies for Computers and the classroom. I have students one day a week, but with this setup, I could teach my students 24/7/365.

The iGoogle suite has been very informative. I have already been "playing" with some of the materials, such as this blog and a few others I use, but not in the way that is being suggested here. I never thought of having the students create their own, iGoogle account in order to follow blogs, or share calendars, or other neat tools. I have seen the collaborative tools for the Google Docs before, but now I'm thinking that might just be a better way to do some things.

I have already sent this course info on to a few colleagues so it will be interesting to see how they respond. It would be great to have some of this in place by this fall, or at least start working with it. I have been reluctant to require the students to have an e-mail for several reasons, but I think I may be seeing the true benefits of this along with a personal iGoogle start page. Only time will tell.

Thing #2 My ??? Blog?

2009-06-30T01:45:00.002-04:00

Okay, so this was suppose to be my first blog, but that really isn't the truth. I have already been blogging for well over a year or two now. My wife and I post blogs on a pretty regular basis and certainly follow others as a way to stay in touch with friends and families. It is a great tool especially when some of your family is living in Bangladseh.

So far, this has been pretty introductory of some sorts but the rest of the course looks really cool. I have already learned how to create an Avatar for myself and a few other things. I am an online teacher of Latin through Sevenstar Academy and I teach computers at my local Christian school. So the things I am learning through this program are a way to help me learn how to be a better teacher.

Thing #1

2009-06-30T01:32:00.005-04:00

I recently signed up to learn more about WEB2.0 tools that are available as a teacher. This sounds like a really fun tool to learn new things to teach my students. Seeing as how I haven't been using my blog for several long months, I thought I would start with this one and see how things go from here. I am looking forward to this fun innovative adventure. The following link will take you back to the main website that this is based off.

http://clovis23things.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/register/

Above is one of the Avatars I created to represent myself as a Latin Teacher.

Already this is a pretty cool site.

Just a simple politicol thought...

2008-10-12T01:16:00.002-04:00

Does anyone truly understand that the President of the United States is not the one who got us into the trouble that we are in right now?

I know, many people would love to disagree right now, but many of you are forgetting your Government 101. It isn't the President who makes the laws, it is congress! That's right, Congress makes the laws that the President either vetoes or signs into law. It is congress that has been racking up the deficit with all the "pork" that they are so eager to create. It is congress and Nancy Pelosi who are eager to keep us from becoming independant from the oil nations by blocking our US Oil companies from drilling offshoe, or in Alaska, or even in the Rockies where there is enough oil for hundreds of years. But what about protecting the earth? With all of the modern advances in drilling safety, the animals are actually doing better where there are gas/oil pipelines now then ever before? Why? Because we are cleaning up these areas for the environment and helping the animals survive. But what about Global Warming? Get real people! Global warmin is cyclical! It gets warm, it gets cold. And while it may be true that the North Polar Ice Cap is shrinking, no one ever mentions that the South Polar Ice Cap is actually growing. Hmm. If it were melting, wouldn't we be lossing states like California? Not on your life. Not to mention that the science Al Gore used was faulty at best? Since when did a politician become a scientist?

Okay, so maybe I'm just rambling at moment, but mark my words, if the dem's have their way in November, this country will go down the tubes in a heartbeat. We need to really look at the issues and point the fingers at who is truly to blame for the mess we are in with our economy. Did you know that the second largest benefactor of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is Barrak Obama? Stop listening to the political bias of the news media and do some research yourself. It might shock you with the truth.

Death of a friend...

2008-03-15T23:37:00.004-04:00

Okay, so it may not exactly be the death of a real person, but it sure does feel like it. This weekend, I recieved an e-mail from a group that had been dedicated to saving the local Boy Scout camp I grew up with. Camp Avery Hand in Mansfield, OH has been on the chopping block for over a year or more now with the local Heart of Ohio Council. It is with much regret that the council board at the request of the Scout Executive, Barry Norris, has been wanting to rid the council of this beautiful camp and so succedded this past Thursday night.

So how do I feel about the situation? Well, yesterday was suppose to be a "happy birthday to me" kind of day. Today...well, things are just depressing to say the least. It is dissappointing that the people at the Scout office and board are so biased towards the other camp, that they can't see what they are doing to the people down here. Without going into much detail, there is a group of people up North who knew this was coming and so put Firelands Scout Reservation into a permament easement, meaning that that camp can never be sold pretty much. So now this council will once again loose another fine camp because of high overhead in the form of administration and other Scout execs in the area. Shame on you Barry Norris and the rest of the council board. Instead of saving Scouting in the area, you may have helped to put another coffin nail into it.

The most dissappointing thing for me at moment is the thought that I may never be able to take my son to the camp I played in or worked for 10 summers in. There are a lot of memories tied into that camp and now that will soon be all that is left, memories of some of the best years of our lives.

Another birthday....

2008-03-13T23:05:00.003-04:00

Well, I can hardly believe that I soon will be 43. Yikes, where has the year gone? I really don't have much to say at moment, but I will try to start blogging personally this year. I think it would be very thearaputic for me to do this. I'll start more tomorrow.

Eating humble pie...

2007-09-26T23:56:00.000-04:00

Not that I really have much to say tonight, but I thought it has been a while since I posted and would take a few moments to do so. For the last few weeks, I have been meeting with our youth director. Twice, he has missed a meeting or whatever, Yesterday, it was my turn. I completely forgot about our meeting for 7:00 a.m. Talk about eating your own words and having to apologize profusely over this. I normally pride myself for being on time, thanks to a loving wife who has shown me the error of my previous ways. I use a calandar to keep dates straight and times down, but for some reason, I missed my appointment altogether. I guess I needed to eat a little humble pie and remember I'm human just like anyone else is.

On a lighter note, I have been really enjoying my experiences of teaching Latin I and II to a super group of students. However, my students are not a part of a regular school, but an online academy. I have students now who are from Haiti, Africa, and several states here in the good ol' U.S. of A. What makes it really cool is that I can "Skype" them for free and talk in real time over the wonders of the internet. I made a "Skype call" tonight to my student, who is S. Korean but lives with her missionary parents in Africa. The call was remarkably clear and with little or no delays. We've talked on a regular phone with my sister-in-law in Bangledesh with some lag becasue of the satalite feeds. Wow, it amazes me just how far technology has brought us. It also shows me just how small our world really is, and what a Mighty God we serve is.

Other than that, not much else to report from the Eagle's Nest. Oh, I started a Thomas Kinkade puzzle last night with my wife. You know, one of those 1,000 piece puzzles? Why do I torture myself this way? Oh well, I love his art work and am looking forward to solving the puzzle.

TTFN

8 years ago...

2007-09-18T00:59:00.000-04:00

Every year about this time I find myself being a little depressed. I lost my mother 8 years ago to a very rare form of skin cancer. I can't help how much I miss my mother at times. Especially with her never seeing my own two children. I really don't have much to say about it at this time, I just thought I would share how I'm feeling today.

On an upbeat side, I went to visit my mother's graveside today and was trying to explain to HJ about why I miss my mommy and she told me she was sorry, but "God has given me a new mommy," She went on to explain that I now have Mom Bohrer and Grandma Sherri, not to mention Nana Shira. It was very comforting to hear my little one say such things. It even brought a tear to my eye. Thank God for his daily blessings! She also told me not to worry because "You'll see her again in Heaven." After the rough day we had today, it was nice to see my dd loving me as only she can.

Random thoughts...

2007-09-12T23:13:00.000-04:00

Tonight was my third Wednesday with Powerhouse, our church's youth group. This year I am taking over as the Jr. High director. It has been a real blessing so far. I finally feel like I'm being used by God in a setting I have been trained for. The down side is I'm not being paid for any of it. So what makes it so awesome! In a nutshell, GOD! Earlier this week one of my youth came over wanting to talk with me about his parents. His dad had taken them out to dinner and told them it was over and that he was going to start looking for a new place to live. Now this didn't happen out of the blue. I've known that the marriage has been on shaky ground for a while, but what really made me think about God being in the midst of it is that the young man trusted me enough to actually come over to my house and share openly with me about his feelings and knowing that I wouldn't violate his trust to anyone. This is one of those relationships I've been working on for a year or more with him personally and the family for almost four years. This kids are going through some pretty rough times, and yet I see some characteristics in them that I hope my own children pick up.

Now to contrast that with some other students in our group, last night I was at our staff meeting for Sr. and Jr. High youth staff. A few comments were made about some of our "student leaders" not showing up to events or even coming to PH anymore. Our youth director broached the subject with us in openly wondering if the church is even effective anymore with young people. Do they not care about church or God anymore? Or have their lives been crowded out by the business of life? AS my wife and I dedicate our lives to our children by homeschooling and raising them in light of God's Holy Scripture, I wonder how they themselves will turn out. Now the students I'm talking about come from families who are better off financially, active in sports, band, school, etc. So what does that say about parents in general or about us as a church. Are we indeed failing these kids? How can we minister to them effectively? I think the answer is somewhere in between. It isn't about the programs, church, or anything like that at all. It really is about the relationships as Josh McDowell often quotes, "Rules without relationships lead to rebellion." Ministry to youth without relationships leads to apathy. The students don't really need to know about God as much as they need to see God active in our lives. We must truly become the hands and feet of God.

So now that I'm rambling on about my thoughts of youth ministry, I wonder where God is taking our church this year. We have gone through so many things in a very short amount of time. One of our leaders had a public (church) confession of sin a few weeks ago and the entire church is feeling the ramifications of his private sin. He is still a part of our church, however during his restoration time, he has been removed from leadership. Our Youth Pastor is actually in the process of growing a campus using some youth from our church and other adults as a result of having a heart for a particular people in our community. They are from some of the poorest and broken families in our community. But that means we had to bring on a youth director to really cover his job. I see our church at a cross-roads with so many possibilities and wonder what God will do for us? But at the core of all this is a questioning of the church's dedication to God and following him. Are we truly following Him in all we do, or are we just being mediocre like some of our students? Are we being caught up in the business of life, family, sports, etc., or are we pursuing Him with everything we can?

I guess the only way we can really know where God is leading us or how to be better leaders is to really get down on our knees and cry out to Him. Prayer really is what we are called to do 24/7, but how many of us practice doing this? I'm certainly not going to say that I am, but I am seeing the need to be in constant prayer for my wife, my children, my church, my ministry, and our nation. If we continue to let the world dictate to us what is important, than sooner or later, we will fall into apathy, the worst kind of Christianity I know of. Lord, call us to a deeper sense of prayer. Teach us to follow after you with our whole heart and to pray for those around us. Amen.

More to come later.

Powerful video of Christ fighting for us!

2007-09-12T16:07:00.000-04:00

I saw this video earlier today. What a powerful video of Christ fighting for us when we get distracted by the world. You may have to pause it in order for it to download, but it is well worth watching.

Why does this have to happen?

2007-09-09T21:38:00.001-04:00

Recently, one of the guys in my d-group stopped by tonight because he needed to talk. My heart really goes out for him because his parents are splitting up. He is one of several children in the family. I don't know all the circumstances, but I'm sure God does. I think it is ironic that my parents went through some similiar tourmoil when I was this young man's age as well. It still doesn't make it any easier, but I at least know some of what he is going through. I must also admit that his visit made me feel pretty good in the fact that he wanted to come and talk with me. Obviously I can't give out names, but if you should read this, please keep this young man and his family in prayer. God knows who he is by name and will keep a watch over him. Thanks. John

Taking over Jr High PH...

2007-09-08T00:10:00.000-04:00

Tonight was my first meeting with my staff for Jr. High. Wow, I'm so excited about the possibilities God has in store for us this upcoming year. I am so looking forward to working with some really great staff and students. Our theme this year is on prayer as the foundation to PowerHouse. When you combine prayer with people who have a real heart for God, nothing is impossible!

Life in the fast lane...

2007-09-07T00:15:00.000-04:00

Well, not much else is new going on around here except that I started doing some online teaching. I can't believe that I will working with an online school to teach Latin II. I've been trying to do this for so long, and now I am finally able to do this, how awesome! I'm really looking forward to what the upcoming year will offer. As for my family, my dd has officially started her pre-k year of homeschooling. She is such a smart little girl. I sometimes forget that she really is just a little child and sometimes think more of her being 14-15 already. Ds is doing great as well and is on target for his speach. He was born with a cleft-lip/palette. It still amazes me what modern medicine can do for these kids. He is such a handsome little guy as well. :-) More later.

My first post...

2007-07-17T23:32:00.000-04:00

Okay, so nothing really exciting at moment. But I wanted to try this out and see what I thought about blogging. I'm a father of two wonderful kids and I have a lovely wife. I work as a substitute teacher for a local school system and do a lot of things with my church. Yeah, you might say I'm a "Jesus Freak" of sorts...or at least I'm trying to be one. I also maintain our youth groups website and work with the junior high staff. Not much else to say for tonight, but maybe I'll start posting daily thoughts or whatever comes to mind. Thanks for checking in with me.