ESP's 50th Anniversary Party (part of a mini-flurry of posts)

Much of my day today was spent in Cambridge, at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of what has become the MIT Educational Studies Program (<http://esp.mit.edu>. As I have been involved with it, at least peripherally, for more than 30 of those years, I was pleased to get to attend said function, though it was smaller than I know some people had envisioned it would be.

A number of things came out of it, but most especially a good time with old friends and some newer ones. It was good to see KC and Dale, and Valerie, and Lyman, and Brian, and Mary Anne and Steve, in particular. I see none of them often enough, though Valerie and I IM some. Lyman is in Cambridge, so I will make a point of seeing him in the Spring while I am HSSPing. Brian's wife and child were there, as well as Mary Anne and Steve's little charmer!

I got to talk with Kim Vandiver, whose time as a prof started about when mine as a hanger on did. More from him in the next post.

There was a sweet note from Lyman Hurd, not to be confused with Lyman Opie, who was present. And lots of folks who were very missed.

I had a good time.

MIT Open Course Ware - Secondary Education (part of a mini-flurry of posts)

One of the things we learned about from Kim Vandiver, while at the ESP Anniversary Party, was about some of the plans for OCW.

MIT is consciously expanding it to make it more useful to secondary students. At least two methods are currently planned.

1) OCW-AP is going to be a guide to the OCW which will key the MIT courses that are there to specific AP tests, to help users to see what relevant materials exist for each AP that you choose from a drop down menu. An additional part of that will be some of the Educational Studies Program's DELVE classes (which are AP prep) on video! Recording of this is an ongoing activity.

2) OCW-HSSP (which may not have those letters, but it is how I am thinking of it) is going to contain course ware from a variety of High School Studies Program courses! This will make it easier for teachers and students to replicate courses of that sort, just as the regular OCW allows that with college courses.

I think these are both really neat things!

Lessons Learned (part of a mini-flurry of posts)

There were several references to how I function among those who have known me for more than a year or two. Most went along the lines of lack of change, noting my punning or my loud voice ("when Josh retires, you guys might want to buy a megaphone." "We bought one." "Better watch out, Josh - your days are numbered!"), or my lack of subtlety.

In subsequent conversation with one of the younger current ESP folks, we talked about how one knows things, subtlety, and density. We agreed that those for whom being subtle is seldom a hallmark, that often they also miss it.

I think this is just true.

That said, if you clop me over the head long enough, there is a good chance I will get the point.









I think I have gotten the point.

The Book (part of a mini-flurry of posts)

A few years ago, on a mailing list to which I no longer belong and which shall not be named, an effort was made to gather material for a book. I wrote a chapter for said book, as did my mother.

Our chapters (which formed one whole) were accepted, but the suggestion was made that I make my submission under a pseudonym, for self-protection, as it was rather candid about my work/school difficulties.

I declined, claiming that nothing in there was something I felt the need to hide. A couple weeks after that, I was told that unfortunately, they would not be able to take our chapters.

Nearly 7 years after that initial inquiry, the book has finally come out.