Saturday, May 1, 2010

“Philosophy Lite: Writing gives a sense of accomplishment and productivity” plus 2 more

“Philosophy Lite: Writing gives a sense of accomplishment and productivity” plus 2 more

Philosophy Lite: Writing gives a sense of accomplishment and productivity

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 01:34 PM PDT

  • Originally published April 30, 2010 at midnight, updated April 30, 2010 at 4:45 p.m.

By Raymond Smith

I can't speak for other writers, but I know what I get out of writing, and I take this space to list several reasons why.

First, let me say that in earlier years, I could not imagine myself as a writer. But I have learned that over time, new interests and opportunities present themselves, and I simply decided to stretch my wings.

Writing gives a sense of accomplishment and productivity. Writers want to share their interests and discoveries. Writing helps a person develop his own philosophy. Like keeping a diary or journal, it helps the writer think through his feelings and develop a better self-expression. While some may enjoy writing fiction, I'm more of a realist and prefer to deal with the urgent matters of our faith.

We are living in precarious times, not terribly different from the days of the early church. They are exciting times. We see the church undergoing change as denominationalism is slipping and new independent churches are forming. New styles of worship are being encouraged.

Every writer gains more than his readers, as he does the research and develops his ideas. As I think through my ideas, my faith is deepened, and I more clearly understand what I believe. Beyond this, I expect that readers will be encouraged to deepen their thinking and clarify their beliefs.

The challenge in writing is to get the words right. The first draft may take only an hour or so, but improving the flow, choosing just the right word, checking spelling and punctuation and making sure the ideas come across plainly takes time. When we speak, we sometimes say things we regret, but writers can take time to think through their ideas and make corrections.

The computer makes writing easier. To be able to erase a word with the swipe of a mouse and to cut-and-paste words and whole paragraphs is extremely helpful.

One of the joys for me is the occasional idea that pops into my head when I least expect it. Sometimes, ideas may come when I lie in bed at night or when I'm walking around the neighborhood. I carry 3x5 cards so that I can write those inspirations down.

Hector Berlioz, the composer, once said that every writer and musician knows the anguish of forgetting a great idea when one had no opportunity to write it down.

I love quotations and have a dozen of those books. The ideas they contain have survived the years because of their profound truths. Many contemporary writers have insights, which I am pleased to share. I highlight important passages in the books I read for future use.

Lastly, one always hopes that his work has some influence on his readership; to think that in some way he can nudge the world in a better direction. To feel that one can influence others brings a sense of satisfaction; we all would like to feel that we have some influence in the world.

Raymond F. Smith is a deacon at Fellowship Bible Church in Victoria and President of Strong Families of Victoria.


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Philosophy 101 From an Octogenarian: New York, New Life, by Liz Smith

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 09:18 PM PDT

Today 12:00 am

Life

Philosophy 101 From an Octogenarian: New York, New Life, by Liz Smith

Our Gossip Girl shares her memories of her Big Apple beginnings, with the publication of My First New York.

It's both instructive and horrifying to look back on one's callow and naïve youth. I thought this in reading a new book, just published. It is titled My First New York, edited by David Haskell and Adam Moss. In it, 56 famous New Yorkers tell all about "the first time" – their first times in NYC as it were.

Dan Rather, Liza Minnelli, Nora Ephron, Tom Wolfe, Lorne Michaels, Parker Posey, Chuck Close, David Dinkins and Diane von Furstenberg are just a few who remember it well. And they have written fascinating word pictures of who they were then and what they did. But reading my own contribution, I was quite horrified to realize that, in my 20s, I was narrow-minded, provincial, even backward, intolerant, hopelessly stage struck, uninformed in spite of just having enjoyed a first-rate college education.

But I know David and Adam won't really mind if I show you here the total degree of my helpless younger self. Perhaps you will recognize some of yourself as a stripling. If not – congratulations!

"Gossip columnist. Arrived 1949"

New York had gone dark for the war – they had thought the city was going to be bombed during World War II – but by the time I arrived everybody was relieved and the city was electric with things. "South Pacific" and "Kiss Me, Kate" were opening. The theater was just booming. Of course, everything was new to me.

I had just gotten out of the University of Texas, having gone back to school after getting married and divorced. I arrived on a train, and at Penn Station a wandering vagrant tried to get into the phone booth with me. I was pretty staggered and thought, What the hell? What great beginning is this?

It was absolutely idiotic that Scotty, my friend from Texas, and her boyfriend, Floyd, were not there to meet me. Instead, I made my way to the hotel, and I remember how dark and unwelcoming the East 20s streets were and wondering if I had made a mistake. The next night, though, Floyd brought his car in from New Jersey, and we all drove up into Times Square. That was one of the most thrilling things that had ever happened to me.

I had been a terrible wife and the first in my family to get a divorce, but I arrived in New York and nobody even noticed. Scotty and I rented an apartment on 81st and Central Park West. We realized immediately that we couldn't afford it, so we looked in the newspapers for a roommate. We didn't like the one we found – she was just some nebbishy kid, I don't remember her name – poor thing – and three months later we were making enough money to throw her out.

I went to work as a typist for the National Orchestra Association. I only had about $50, but you could ride the subway for a dime and buy a ticket for a Broadway show for $2.50. I saw Carol Channing in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" one of the first months I was here. Still, I was bent on survival and went everywhere applying for better jobs. I showed them what a fabulous writer I was and what I'd done at the University of Texas, and they couldn't care less. I couldn't even get arrested.

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Plano school district plans to reshape its vision

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 08:33 PM PDT

Plano school officials plan to soon explore how to reshape the district's philosophy and vision on its schools, how students there learn and the role of teachers.

It's part of what they describe as an ambitious multi-year undertaking that they will embrace next school year when they begin to outline their specific goals. District educators want to design proposals that help place more technology in classrooms, create learning environments where students can easily share information with peers and offer more in-depth courses.

"It won't be an easy change," said Skip Jenkins, the school board president. "Our public education system is still based mostly on a model created in the early 19th century."

Yet Jenkins and others' vision of the district's future hasn't been fully embraced. He and other trustees shared their hopes for the district a few weeks ago with eight school board candidates. It was an attempt to ease the transition of the three new trustees who will join the board later this month.

"I thought it was more of an indoctrination," said candidate Paul P. Kaminsky. "I applaud them on their vision, but it's not necessarily our vision to climb on their bus and go someplace. Our vision might be different. Group thinking is not the way to run things."

The district's first step in the transition could come as early as the 2011-12 school year. That's when the district hopes to open a magnet school, possibly for high school students to take courses on subjects such as medicine. Officials say they hope it'll mark the first of possibly many such schools in the district.

At a crossroads

The idea of schools that offer in-depth curriculum is not new. Other North Texas school districts, such as Coppell and Frisco, have created similar schools recently. Private schools and more recently, charter schools, have done the same for years.

But Plano school officials say they see the district at a crossroads similar to ones previously faced by the Richardson and Garland school districts. Plano's enrollment growth has slowed to a trickle, student demographics have blurred, and school officials say they've become dissatisfied with how public education has operated for decades.

And to some extent, Plano officials said, they want to follow those districts' paths of offering more magnets and choices on where students can attend school.

"Public schools aren't the only option for parents," said Superintendent Doug Otto. "But I think to stay relevant, public schools have to transform. What we are talking about is a pretty long process, and we are taking baby steps now."

For now, most of the district's goals appear vague and ill-defined. For example, how does a school district better incorporate technology into classrooms? So a challenge for officials next school year will be turning the goals into specific changes, they said.

Moreover, some goals, such as offering more courses to students, won't come easily and without legislative help. Much of a student's course load is mandated by the state.

2008 report

A major impetus behind the district's vision comes from a 40-page white paper written in 2008 by several dozen Texas superintendents, including Otto. The superintendents formed a group called the Public Education Visioning Institute to brainstorm how public education could be improved.

The group was funded by the SHW Group, a Plano-based architectural firm, and headed by Keith Sockwell, Otto's former right-hand man who now runs an education consulting group owned by SHW.

The district has hired a member of Sockwell's firm, Cambridge Strategic Services, to moderate a committee that will suggest ideas of what Plano ISD's academy could look like. Cambridge will return in the fall to help rewrite Plano's strategic plan for its long-term vision.

Jenkins, the school board president, said the plans for the district are supported by the other trustees and administrators. And they don't want them to be derailed. So far, the biggest possible obstacle could be the arrival of the three new trustees in May.

Outreach to candidates

District officials reached out to the eight candidates in recent weeks and invited them to three open houses to see how Plano ISD operates. In the final session, Jenkins and two other trustees spent more than two hours explaining their long-term vision of the district.

The outreach will continue after the May 8 election. In June, the district will host two retreats for the new trustees.

"We are trying to focus on the model we have in place and making it better," Jenkins said. "There is going to be a certain contingent of naysayers, but we should and can do things differently."

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