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Hour of Code

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“Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.”

— STEVE JOBS, THE LOST INTERVIEW

In order to raise awareness about Computer Science, Code.org is sponsoring a Hour of Code next week (December 9-15).   So far, over 4 million students across 166 countries have signed up to participate.  In addition, almost 10,000 schools have agreed to hold campus-wide events.  My home school, Piedmont High, is one of those institutions.  It is a thrill working with programming teacher Angie Medlin and her class.  Her programming students will be hosting the event and we have set up a Google Site to help everyone at the school take part: PMHS: An Hour of Code.

In many ways coding is becoming the new literacy of the 21st Century.  There will be great economic advantage for those that learn to write code.  In addition, coding teaches problem solving, engages students in other curriculum areas and leads to innovation.  Some countries, like Britain, have even gone as far to make it a part of their national curriculum.

Computer Science Stats

While the United States enjoys a competitive advantage in the technology sector with homegrown companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook, the competition to fill jobs and innovate is heating up across the globe.  The United States alone faces a 1 million person per job shortfall by 2020 if we do not begin to train students in the field of computer science.  Computer programming is a top paying job and the field is growing at twice the rate of other available occupations.   This, along with the field’s gender and racial equity gap, is reason for concern.  Participation in the Hour of Code is just one way to raise awareness and let students know that there are many benefits to pursuing the computer sciences.

To get involved you can visit Code.org’s Help page.  There you will find links on everything from signing up your school to making a financial donation to the non-profit.  If you want to try the different programming activities being used throughout the week you can visit Code.org’s Learn page.  There are activities for beginners and advanced users.  There are even several activities for people who do not have computers or an internet connection.

Best Core: Convince Your School or State (Hour of Code);  Computer Science is Fundamental (Hour of Code)

Duke Redhawks

Devilish Redhawks Will Play for ACC Championship

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The Duke Blue Devil’s secured a spot in the ACC Championship game with their thrilling 27-25 win over North Carolina.  The football game was one for the ages and culminated in Duke’s first-ever 10 win season.  While Tarheel fans are dismayed by this development, I have reason to cheer.

Two of my former U.S. History students, Jamison Crowder and Issac Blakeney, played prominent roles in the Duke victory.  These two gifted student-athletes have the entire Monroe High community beaming with Redhawk pride.   It has been a thrill watching them compete all season.  While Jamison and Issac’s names are relatively new to those that follow college football, many who know them from their high school days are not surprised by their success.  Their athletic abilities on the football field and basketball court has never been in doubt.  What makes the two men even bigger stars is that at Monroe High they always put student before athlete when it came to academic achievement.  They were two of my best history students.  In my classroom, they never once let their athletic development get in the way of their educational goals.  This is why I believe they were exceptional role models at Monroe High.

Their success is in large part due to the support of their parents and their high school coach, Johnny Sowell.  I have learned a lot over the years from Coach Sowell about building relationships and inspiring student athletes.  It is no surprise that the Monroe High football team finds itself again competing for a chance to win an elusive state football title.  A victory against Parkwood High this week will get them into the title game on December 13th in Chapel Hill.  It is my hope that Monroe High, and Coach Sowell, will add a football state championship to the basketball state title Jamison and Issac helped the school win in 2010.

Until then, there will be plenty of Redhawks in attendance as Duke takes on Florida State for the ACC title in Charlotte.  This is as close to a homecoming as one can get.  The excitement in the stands will be electric come December 7th.   While I cannot wait to see how Jamison, Issac and the Blue Devils perform, they are already legitimate heroes to the Monroe High community.  Go Redhawks!

Best Score:  Finally, a Duke-Carolina football game for the ages (Luke DeCock)

Shop Small Saturday

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The Saturday after Black Friday is reserved for small businesses.  The Shop Small Saturday tradition, amazingly enough, was started by American Express in 2010.  This year the credit card company has even set up a twitter feed where you can share your favorite local stores.  I will be adding three of my favorite businesses to the feed this morning.  With 52% of what you spend staying in your community, the act of purchasing from these type of stores is a no-brainer.  It’s a win for you, the local merchant and the community you love.

I am placing today’s post under Music Lines because two of the businesses I am highlighting are my go-to spots for music off the beaten path.  The third business offers a first class meal to go along with the music I enjoy.  Here are the three small businesses I will be celebrating today:

Ed McKay's Used Books and More     Edward McKay Greensboro NC

I can remember when Ed McKay’s was truly small.  My home town’s used book store was a hole in the wall that stacked books like a teetering Jenga puzzle.  I spent many teenage years finding books teachers did not want me to read and used CDs I could not afford to buy new.  Today, Ed McKay’s commitment to quality trade and customer service has led to a thriving business that now serves multiple locations (Greensboro, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Winston-Salem).   I still drive up to Greensboro on occasion to walk the store aisles looking for books by my favorite authors.   In addition to the best used book selection I have ever come across, Ed McKay trades/ sales used DVDs, music CDs, video games, video game consoles, eReaders and other electronics.

lunchbox records     Lunchbox Records Chralotte NC

It took me some time to find the last truly independent record store in Charlotte.  Growing up in Greensboro, I enjoyed shopping at the now long gone Record Exchange and School Kids Records and Tapes.  I thought that experience was lost forever.  Fortunately I was wrong.  The Lunchbox is the quintessential record store and offers a variety of music that is not available at big box retailers.  Last year, I went to the Lunchbox and bought my wife the new She & Him Christmas album.  To my surprise, the record came with its own wrapping paper, stickers and special Christmas pen.  From that point forward, I have tried to make the drive downtown anytime I was looking for a special CD and the packaging that comes with it.  My last purchase, Bob Dylan’s Another Self-Portrait, did not disappoint.

Fat Ninja Food Truck     Fat Ninja Truck Charleston SC

The last small business I would like to highlight belongs to a life long friend.  His food truck is approaching its first year anniversary and has become a popular destination for Charleston residents and tourists.  The Fat Ninja Food Truck focuses on modern Vietnamese food with a blend of Korean, Thai and Chinese.  Each dish’s presentation represents a modern interpretation of my best friend’s family recipes.   Needless to say, an ever-changing contrast of flavors, temperatures and textures is present in each delicious bite.  If you find yourself in Charleston, I urge you to check them out.  Our crew of Boone Goons (Appalachian State grads) will be doing just that when we travel down to celebrate the wedding of our fellow alum’s brother in December.  You can find the Fat Ninja Food Truck by checking their calendar on the Events page or by referring to a Charleston area map on their Driving Directions page.

Best Lines:  Small Business Saturday fosters mom-and-pop shopping (Jeff Ayers)

The Internet and J.D. Salinger

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This morning I awoke to news that three J.D Salinger stories were leaked online.  Within three minutes I was able to find a torrent link and download a copy for myself.  Surely, Mr. Salinger never anticipated the power of the Internet to undermine his publishing wishes.  I felt strangely at odds with myself over the download.  On one hand I wanted to respect the wishes of the revered author.  Despite myself, I also wanted to read something new from the man whose writing had considerable influence over my teenage years.  With Black Friday being the ultimate impulse shopping day, I relented and secured a copy.

J.D. Salinger's Ocean Full of Bowling Balls Screen shot

I look forward to reading the works once my baby-boy settles down for a nap.  I am a bit weary, however, given the fact that so little is published by Salinger.   For this reason, the reading does risk disappointment.  I had a very similar feeling when Nirvana released “You Know You’re Right.”  Fortunately, the posthumously released single did not disappoint.

Too often the Internet’s commenting class ruin these type of releases because they overly criticize, judge and rehash the past.  Check out the YouTube comments that go with the Nirvana link above for proof of this trend.   In actuality, it’s just a song.   It’s just a story.  I think J.D. Salinger’s Buddhist sensibilities would appreciate this approach.  For this reason I will let you all decide if the works are worth reading.  There is, however, reason for intrigue.  According to the Guardian Newspaper:

The stories include An Ocean Full of Bowling Balls, which has only been available under lock and key to scholars at Princeton library.

The tale is an early version, originally written for Harper’s Bazaar magazine but withdrawn before publication, of The Catcher in the Rye. The narrator is the older brother of Holden Caulfield, the teenage narrator of the later book.

The other stories, entitled Paula, and Birthday Boy, were held by the University of Texas under similar conditions.

Enjoy.

Best Block:  JD Salinger’s unpublished stories leaked online (Maev Kennedy)

John Lennon: The Bermuda Tapes

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John Lennon's Bermuda Tapes

The app I am sharing today is one of the best examples of why I believe the iPad is still the greatest tablet ever made.  Nowhere is the superior experience of the iPad more clear than in interactive album apps like John Lennon: The Bermuda Tapes.  The app itself is gorgeous and it sheds light on the last productive period of John Lennon’s life.  The experience is immersive as the user learns about the key inspirations behind Lennon’s last album, Double Fantasy.

App highlights include:

• Intimate demo recordings from John and Yoko
• Audio explorations that reveal John’s songwriting process
• A new interactive storytelling experience where users take the helm of the Megan Jaye, visit locations on Bermuda special to John, and listen to John and Yoko as they write the music of Double Fantasy.
• Newly discovered photos of John aboard the Megan Jaye
• Interviews of John and Yoko
• John’s hand written lyric sheets

This type of app would not be possible on another platform.  While Angry Birds can pretty much be downloaded from anywhere, users will only find unique content like The Bermuda Tapes on the iPad.  If you want to learn about the app’s creation check out the link at the bottom of today’s post.  If you need added incentive to buy the app, all proceeds go to WhyHunger.org.  With 1 in 6 Americans food insecure, I could not think of a better way to give 5 dollars to a worthy cause.

Another cool download for the holidays is the interactive children’s book  A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  The app is a lot of fun and brings back plenty of childhood memories.  If you enjoyed last year’s standout, A Charlie Brown Christmas, you will love the Thanksgiving app because it brings an interactive touch to an already classic story.  In addition to these two great children apps, the iPad product line is now even more compelling because Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Garage Band, iMovie and iPhoto are all free to those who buy new Apple devices.  This is a huge win for the Black Friday crowd and the Christmas shopping public.  No matter how you look at it, no tablet on the market can compete with such a sweet deal and cool user experience.

Best Core: John Lennon: The Bermuda Tapes – An interactive Album App by Design I/O