Power comes from authenticity

Greetings Starfighters,

I’m certain that the only way we can change our schools is to focus on creating authentic student learning experiences. The more I read and watch in the education world only solidifies that belief.

If we’re not focused on authentic learning, we betray the sacred trust given to us by families when they give us their very best every day. They want more for their kids.

They want more than scripted learning stuck in an industrial design that stifles creativity and individuality.

They want their kids to be their authentic selves. And that must be our commitment, our moral and ethical duty as educators.

If it’s not, we’re wasting our time.

Quote of the Day

“Habit is a mighty ally, my young friend. The habit of fear and anger, or the habit of self-composure and courage.” (Steven Pressfield, Gates of Fire)

Musical Interlude

Foxes and Fossils, one of my favorite YouTube cover bands, published a cover of Paul Simon’s “America,” and it is everything.

Have I mentioned that Paul Simon is one of my favorite musicians? No?

Long Read of the Day

I’m going to guess that most of us aren’t too worried about having clean clothes to wear when we leave the house (we’re not going to talk about summertime teacher lounging around the house wear…). However, clean clothes are a luxury for some students, and not having them can keep them away from school.

For most students, having clean clothes to wear to school is not a problem.

But for many families at 112th St. S.T.E.A.M. Academy in Watts, a pair of clean pants and a shirt is such a struggle that it has become one of the main contributors to chronic absenteeism, which is when students miss 15 or more days or classes…

In May, the school received a new washing machine and [dryer from the Rams NFL football team](https://abc7.com/post/la-rams-donate-washers-dryers-schools-resourced-communities/14867499/#:~:text=The Rams and Pacsun will,to 20 under-resourced schools.) and the Think Watts Foundation; along with $2 million in clothing to schools serving low income students. Earlier this year, LAUSD also announced a mobile laundry service for homeless students as part of the district’s attempt to combat chronic absenteeism.

Hernandez hopes the machines will ease the pressure on parents and make it easier for students to return to school.

Video of the Day

In this webinar, experts discussed what whole child design looks like and what it means for broader systems change. Local education leaders provided lessons learned from their whole child design efforts and discussed how state policy can accelerate or impede these efforts.

Final Thoughts

I talk about authentic learning experiences all the time—maybe too much, but it’s kind of my thing. We don’t have enough authentic learning experiences in our schools, but what is more concerning is that we don’t let our students be their authentic selves very much.

We put them in boxes of grade levels, achievement, lunch groups, pathways, etc., and fully expect them to thrive. There’s nothing authentic or personal about much of what we deem important in education.

Before we can see better outcomes for our students, we have to let them be authentic to what is inside them. I’m stuck on Steven Pressfield’s idea that the artistic journey is the “passage by which we re-invent ourselves as ourselves.”

We need to give our students a passage to reinvent themselves by discovering who they really are. It wouldn’t hurt to give our teachers the same experience, either.

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How to Obtain a YouTube Video Transcript: A Step-by-Step Guide

Getting the transcript for a YouTube video can be highly beneficial for various purposes, such as creating captions, summarizing content, or conducting detailed analysis. Here’s a detailed guide on how to obtain the transcript for any YouTube video.

Step 1: Open the YouTube Video

1. Navigate to YouTube: Open your preferred web browser and go to YouTube.

2. Search for the Video: Use the search bar at the top to find the video for which you want the transcript.

3. Open the Video: Click on the video thumbnail or title to open it.

Step 2: Access the Transcript Feature

1. Pause the Video: Working with the transcript feature is easier if the video is paused. Click the pause button or press the spacebar to pause the video.

2. Click on the Three Dots: Below the video, next to the like, dislike, and share buttons, you will see three vertical dots (also known as the ‘More options’ button). Click on these three dots.

Step 3: View Transcript

1. Select ‘Show Transcript’: In the dropdown menu that appears after clicking the three dots, select the option that says ‘Show transcript’. This will open a transcript panel on the right side of the video.

2. View the Transcript: The transcript will be displayed in a panel next to the video. Each line of the transcript is time-stamped, showing when it appears in the video.

Step 4: Copy the Transcript

1. Expand the Transcript (if needed): Sometimes, the transcript panel might show only a portion of the text. If there is a scrollbar, scroll through to view the entire transcript.

2. Highlight the Text: Click and drag your mouse to highlight the text of the transcript. Start from the beginning and drag down to the end.

3. Copy the Text: Once the text is highlighted, right-click and select ‘Copy’ from the context menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac) to copy the text.

Step 5: Paste the Transcript

1. Open a Text Editor: Open any text editor or word processing software where you want to save the transcript. Examples include Notepad, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.

2. Paste the Text: Right-click in the text editor and select ‘Paste’ from the context menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac) to paste the text.

3. Save the Document: Save the document with an appropriate name and location on your computer.

Additional Tips

• Language Options: If the video has subtitles in multiple languages, you can select the desired language from the transcript panel. There is a dropdown menu at the top of the transcript panel where you can choose the language.

• Turn Off Timestamps: If you do not need the timestamps, you can turn them off by clicking the three vertical dots in the transcript panel and selecting ‘Toggle timestamps’.

• Using Third-Party Tools: For videos without transcripts or for more advanced features, consider using third-party tools and software like transcription services that can automatically generate transcripts from video URLs.

Wes Anderson Directs & Stars in an Ad Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Montblanc’s Signature Pen

Wes Anderson, known for his meticulous craftsmanship in filmmaking, was chosen to direct Montblanc’s commercial for their hundred-year-old Meisterstück writing tool. Filmed in Germany, the short features Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, and Rupert Friend, who portray mountain climbers inspired by Montblanc’s products.

The ad transitions from the snowy Mont Blanc to a warm chalet, which required 50 takes. Anderson surprised Montblanc by presenting a prototype pen he designed, the Schreiberling, and requested its production. The company agreed to produce 1,969 pen copies, referencing Anderson’s birth year, 1969. Anderson’s career has evolved from his early days in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums to influencing film and luxury goods industries.

Happy Star Wars Day – Here’s a new trailer for The Acolyte

It’s May 4th, which means it’s Star Wars Day. This morning, I celebrated by watching Revenge of the Sith.

I got a little more hyped when I saw a new trailer drop for the next Disney+ Star Wars series, The Acolyte.

In Star Wars: The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems…

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Greetings Starfighters,

Among the treasures we discovered as we cleaned out my grandparents’ old home was a Hasselblad 500C/M camera. Some of you may know what that means, many of you likely don’t, just know that Ansel Adams used a Hasselblad 500 model at times in his career.

First, a word about my grandfather. The man was obsessed with gadgets, just like I am. He shelled out over $1200 for an early VCR, had every form of home video recording equipment, and even bought a light that was allegedly the same model used on the Space Shuttle to better stage our family Christmas movies. So, having a Hasselblad just sitting in the top of a closet collecting dust isn’t necessarily a surprise.

I’m playing around with it and hope to take some shots with it soon. I was a little surprised that you can still purchase film and even get it developed but I’m also watching some videos and looking for tools to develop at home if I need to.

Once more, the Internet proves that, with a little effort, you can find and learn how to do just about anything.

Quote of the Day

Without memory, it’s impossible to build the future. – Umberto Eco, A Library of the World

Musical Interlude

A number of years ago, Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates fame began a show recorded at his home studio with various guests. “Live from Daryl’s House” has had several homes over the years, but it seems they are uploading more and more to Daryl’s YouTube channel.

Here’s the episode with Lisa Loeb, including a great version of her classic, “Stay.”

Long Read of the Day

“In 1303 CE, a monstrous earthquake ripped through the Eastern Mediterranean. The trauma shook glittering casing stones loose from the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt—the most ancient of our Seven Wonders—and brought the remains of the youngest, the towering Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, crashing to the ground. The Great Pyramid embodied enormous effort for the sake of one, virtually omnipotent man. Alexandria’s Pharos Lighthouse had been a public beacon to keep travelers from four continents safe, and to announce a repository of all the knowledge that was possible for humankind to know.

But across that complex arc of experience, spanning nearly 4,000 years, from the vision of a single, almighty human to a network of human minds, no human-made Wonder could prove a match for the might of Mother Earth.”

What Makes a Wonder? On the Human Need to Map Out Monumental Greatness

Video of the Day

Final Thoughts

May 1 means that it’s very nearly Star Wars Day. If you haven’t heard, The Phantom Menace is returning to theatres this weekend. My kid and I have watched it I don’t know how many times here at home. Friday afternoon, we’ll catch it on the big screen. I was in the crowd on opening night 25 years ago, and I think I’m just as excited now as I was back then.

20 Minutes of Charles Schulz Drawing Peanuts Comics

Pardon me as I date myself, but I have loved and always will love the Peanuts comic strips. The cartoons were staples of my childhood, and I have no plans to stop watching them anytime soon.

I love to see creators create, so this 20-minute video of Charles Schulz creating his famous characters is a delight.

If you need more inspiration, here’s a video of Chuck Jones demonstrating how to draw Bugs Bunny and other characters.

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris – Real Live Roadrunning

In my estimation, Mark Knopfler doesn’t get the widespread acclaim he should as one of our most talented guitarists making music over the last few decades.

And Emmylou Harris is also an underappreciated gem.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy these two masters performing together in this concert from 2006.

That $20 fiddle has taken me everywhere…

Much of my teen years and into my twenties revolved around music. I played trumpet from 6th grade onward–and wasn’t too shabby–I eventually learned a bit of piano–I can chord and keep a rhythm like nobody’s business–and a bit of signing.

My wife has a music degree and is an excellent flautist. And my kiddo is already falling into the world of musical theatre with all her heart.

While I’m no longer actively involved in the music scene, I’ll always be a musician and hooked on the power of music. I love it and always will, and love sharing great music I stumble upon through my yearly playlists.

Music can bring us all together and inspire us to be more than we believe. For some, it can take you outside of your circumstances into a new world filled with sights and sounds beyond imagination. A new world of hope and promise.

I’m a huge believer in keeping arts programs in our schools. My time in the band kept me sane in my middle and high school experiences. Without the connections I made and the love of music that gave me a place to go and hide when things got rough, which happened regularly as a chubby, geeky kid in the late 80s and early 90s, I’m not sure what I would have done, but it probably wouldn’t have been great.

Los Angeles Unified School District is one of the last school districts in the country to provide freely repaired instruments to its students. The Oscar-winning documentary The Last Repair Shop takes us behind the scenes of that work.

More importantly, we learn the stories of a few individuals and what music and this instrument repair program mean to them.

From a mother who works to support her family to a man who caught the fiddle itch so bad he just had to have a $20 violin from a yard sale, these stories will inspire and make you weep.

By the way, that $20 violin took Duane Michaels and his band, Bodie Mountain Express, all the way to opening for Elvis on his biggest night ever and around the world, and then took him to repair woodwinds for LAUSD students.

From the film-

In a nondescript warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain over 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of the recording capital of the world. Watch “The Last Repair Shop,” directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers.

In less than 45 minutes, you’ll see these stories and some of the students touched by this program. Music has a unique power among the arts to unite so many, sometimes without words.

We must keep music in our schools, forever.

Star Wars Time Jumps with The Acolyte

Set some 100 years prior to the events of our beloved Skywalker Saga, The Acolyte provides a glimpse into the world of the High Republic.

I’m hoping this series compares well to the quality of Andor. Of course, we’re getting a Wookie Jedi, which might be worth it all.

Chill Music for Springtime Mornings

pink flower field — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

As we depart from the nonsense that is Winter and dive headlong into pollen-filled, sinus-breaking, gloriously sunny early days of Spring, you too may get the urge to sit outside on your back deck on a Saturday morning and just chill.

Back deck sitting is one of my favorite pastimes and often when I do some of my best reading and thinking.

Sitting and chilling in my world means there will be music in the background, preferably something with a chill vibe and mostly instrumental.

I’ve been jamming on Hermanos Gutiérrez for a bit now and just loving these brothers more and more each time I listen.

Here’s their NPR Tiny Desk concert from early 2013 to give you a good intro to their music.

After reading a comment on that particular video, I found another band with similar vibes called Khruangbin.

This trio from Houston, Texas, is heavily inspired by 1960s and ’70s funk and soul from, of all places, Thailand. That musical passion has taken them on a journey that, these days, incorporates music from Spain, Ethiopia, and the Middle East.

Yes, they exude cool.

Add these two groups to your early weekend morning chill vibe. You won’t regret it.