Senior Dad

John C. Dvorak is an internationally renowned technology reporter and analyst. John joins us to tell us if you can expect your paper textbooks to be replaced by digital ones shortly.Distracted— this is a very popular word and it describes what is happening to many people in our modern world. We look at our children and see that they can't focus and we wonder whether this is caused by some medical condition or by the way we live. Commercials, technical devices, music and popular entertainment pull us in several directions. Are these the root causes of the distraction of our society? Maggie Jackson, the columnist for the Boston Globe has written a book called "Distracted". She explores this phenomena and discusses the coming dark age caused by distraction. Maggie joins me to discuss her book and explores the lives we live. Rarely will you find such an interesting and entertaining person as Maggie Jackson. It is easy to see why she has such a loyal following at the Boston Globe. Maggie Jackson—Distract

When school districts create short lists to evaluate their progress with their small schools, or want a road map to move toward small learning environments, or a coach or consultant to help them refine their small school directions, these short lists have one thing in common. That common element is Inquiry and Learning For Change, based in Oakland, California. John Watkins, Principal of the firm joins me to talk about small schools and a wide range of topics about how our schools and learning environments are changing and the political conditions that may help or inhibit this process. John Watkins- A thinking man’s perspective.Ellie Goldberg tells us about school food and allergiesA young reporter reveals the Tactile Dome

The Tenderloin district of San Francisco has the heaviest concentration of children in the City. It also had 2,000 violent crimes last month. Twenty-four liquor stores are in one four-block area, alongside sex shops, drug users, and the homeless. This is the playground for 3,500 children of the urban poor. When a new liquor store tried to get permitted, community activist Barbara Lopez energized the community and developed a broad based support against the permitting. Is this the turning point in the resurgence of the Tenderloin? Barbara Lopez joins me to update me on how the community came together. She helps me understand a world so different than the world that I live in that it could well have been the moon. Different issues. The safety of their child is a constant fear. Where to buy food, as there is no supermarket in the Tenderloin. Barbara Lopez stands up for this community every day. Hear about cooperation and hope in the Tenderloin.Mel levine talks of HomeworkEllie Goldberg tells us about field trips

I want to be happy. I want my kid to be happy. Sound familiar? Most of us want this but getting there is something else. How do we get our kids to expect to be happy? Christine Carter the author of “Raising Happiness” joins me to chat about how we can promote happiness in our children’s lives and our own.The greater autism community of New York State has been working on a new comprehensive autism insurance bill for two years. They gathered supporters and lobbied legislators. They had victory in sight and it all started unraveling before their eyes to become their worst nightmare. New bill less coverage. Michael Smith, Chairman and Northeast Regional Director of the Foundation for Autism Information and Research, Inc. and author of the discarded bill joins me to explain his view that Autism Speaks hired an insurance company lobbyist to replace his bill with one that is harmful to children and is designed to reduce coverage from today’s unsatisfactory levels. Is there something rotten in New York?Stan shares a

A few years ago when I was investigating different methods of teaching children I encountered a teaching method that was gentle yet effective. A small widespread school district in Alaska had adopted a method of teaching where every child learned at their own pace. The method had some elements of the Glasser system which includes a heavy reliance upon choice. The method that was used in Alaska, which I called the Chugach method after the school district that originated it, was a definite paradigm shift. It changed the factory model of education where time is the constant and learning is the variable to a model where learning is the constant and time is the variable. I spoke with Bob Crumley the superintendent of the district and learned about the program. In the ensuing years I have spoken to many people about this method of teaching. I have to confess after this period of time I am still in enamored with the method. Bob Crumley joins me again and we discuss his districts use of this IEP for all and everyone

When politicians and pundits were trying to understand the motivations of voters in “heartland” America in 2008 they read Joe Bageant's watershed book "Deer Hunting with Jesus.” Joe grew up in Winchester, Virginia, then moved away and became a journalist. When he returned years later to write his book, Joe delved into the psyche of those he grew up with. A keen and aware observer, Joe is able to add clarity to the motivations of the working poor. Joe's insight and understanding of people is not limited to those who he grew up with. He joins me today to discuss not only the people of the heartland but why many people around the world seem to dislike Americans and why Americans, in our own myopic way, seem to be clueless. Joe Bageant, Author, Lecturer, and Marxist.What is a learning disability?  Can you properly identify a learning disability? What should we do when our children seem to be behind in reading or math? Is it really a problem or is it just our imagination?  How do we get our children through t

During the 1980’s Todd Risley and Betty Hart conducted breakthrough research on how the number and type of words a child hears from birth to age three effects IQ and determines the child's vocabulary potential for life. I interviewed Todd in December 2006, he passed away in December 2008, and was impressed with the amount of time that was needed to tabulate the results. Now that we are in the computer age techniques are being developed to automate the process and use the results for autism detection as well as vocabulary development. The Lena Research Foundation has invested over $50 million dollars to date for this research. Last year I interviewed one of the team Steven Warren from the University of Kansas, who shared some of the implications of the research. Later in the year I spoke with Kim Ollier from the University of Memphis another key advisor to the Lena team about the results of this new research based the original Risley/Hart research. In this show we hear all three interviews that can form the ba