Valerie's Soapbox

Coding in the new HTML5 and CSS3

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:06:29 PDT

I just posted another article in my Wyzant.com blog; read it now. I listed a set of very helpful sites that will get you started using the new HTML5. Since most browsers and many app engines and other media already are using HTML5, it will soon take over as the preferred basic website development code. It does not look hard to learn if you are already coding in XHTML. There are some new tags,

Valerie's WyzAnt Tutoring Blog -- 8/1/11

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:23:07 PDT

Valerie's WyzAnt Tutoring Blog I just wrote about tricks for teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten children to count and Kindergarten and first graders to begin to use simple fractions. Yep, I am tutoring a bit now.

Magnetic Putty and Slime: A K-12 Classroom Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:11:05 PDT

What if you could control the flow of slime across a table? What if your Silly Putty could curve toward, then stick to the side of the refrigerator? I just read about magnetic putty on Instructables, an online network for tinkerers and inventors. Looks like tons of fun. I thought that teachers might want to make some for demos and class activities. Also, the comments at Instructables offer many

A Flash Mob Story of 1947

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:48:35 PDT

When I see the commercial of the fellow at the station that breaks into a cheer only to find out the the Flash Mob has been rescheduled, I am reminded of a story my Dad tells. He and at least 8 other WWII vets returned home to MS to attend Southwest Junior College in Summit, MS, during the summer of 1947. They called themselves The Plowshare Boys. My Dad, Paul Smith, and Jerry Clower, renowned

Why Teach with Science Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 07:54:19 PST

I have posted 10 reasons for using science fiction to teach science to the blog Reading for the Future Reflections. The article is based on a paper I co-wrote years ago, but is still relevant today. There are many books on the value of Science Fiction. Of interest to school teachers are the works of Julie Czerneda that offer lessons on teaching with science fiction. Search Amazon.com for

Looking for Sci Fi by Women Authors?

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 19:06:13 PST

This cat sculpture by Sue Lannen reflects the severalsci fi cats featured in the list. This book list of YA science fiction features women authors. The types of sci fi ranges from military to romance to coming-of-age to epic to mixed types. Although suitable for YA, many are stories good enough for adults to enjoy, too. Enjoy a good read. Then give the book to a teenager.

The Courtesan Prince by Lynda Williams A Book Review by Valerie Coskrey

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:10:09 PST

I recently discovered a new science fiction universe to explore. The deftly built Okal Rel Universe is visited through the books of the Okal Rel Saga by Lynda Williams and her proteges. The central character of the saga is introduced in The Courtesan Prince as Von who is, well, a popular gigolo of the royal ladies of the court. He is also a young man who was stolen at birth and is just

My Article on Robert J. Sawyer and his Books Wake and Far-Seer

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:53:22 PST

I have posted an article on Robert J. Sawyer, science fiction author, on the RFF Reflections blog. I invite you to read it. He writes exciting tales of aliens and of computer networks. Of his books displayed on his website, these are the ones I want to read first. . .. Then I would want to read Calculating God followed by Illegal Alien. Then I would want to finish the trilogies and maybe

My Book Review for Krysia Anderson's Misfit Leaves Home

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:14:02 PST

Today I posted a book review for Misfit Leaves Home, a sci fi novella in Lynda William's Okal Rel Universe and written by teenager Krysia Anderson. The book review for this charming YA and middle school novella can be found in the Reading for the Future Reflections blog. Check it out. The book is hard to find and must often be specially ordered even at the larger bookstores Barnes & Noble and

Noah's Ark and Climate Change

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:57:29 PST

(c) W. Sterling Centuries ago, the Bible reports, Noah was told by God to get ready for a severe climate change. He was instructed to use technology to save himself, his family, and a boatload of animals from the ravages of an impending flood resulting from an extended period of excessive rain. Yes, he was told to prevent the disaster of drowning by building a huge boat. This is technology in

An Example of an Online Library Resource

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 09:14:41 PST

I was given the opportunity to share this passage with you since I am an affiliate. I figure all students need access to a quality library online. Hence I collect merchants to advertise that meet this need. That said, enjoy learning about a religious symbol or two. And do not forget about the affiliate disclosure in the side panel!

Using Literature to let the Abused know that You are Not Alone

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 09:17:44 PST

There are all kinds of classic literature out there that people with problems can read and see themselves in the reading. Hopefully, this is therapeutic; hopefully it accelerates the healing process. There are modern novels out there, too, that serve such a function. I read one such book last week. In a few pages it chronicled the stripping away of the ego of a victim in an abusive marriage.

The Wonderful Paper Dolls of Tom Tierney

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:13:30 PDT

Back around Labor Day on a visit to downtown Smithville, TX, during a family visit I discovered a store where the owner is Tom Tierney. Turns out he does paper doll books for Dover. That is he writes historical and factual commentary for the dolls and costumes that he illustrates. The books are published by Dover Publications. I bought a paper doll greeting card from a set that is no longer in

Book List for k-12 Designed to Motivate Reading using Science Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:43:55 PDT

Last month I made a book list of award-winning authors and their science fiction or fantasy books written especially for youth. The list has books categorized by grade levels K-12. I did this as a volunteer effort for Reading for the Future, which has since incorporated and is soon to be a non-profit organization. I used the Golden Duck Awards list, the Hal Clement Awards list and the Science

Typos

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 23:00:06 PDT

What do you do when you post a page full of typos? Somehow, they do not always get caught. I would like to say it is because I was interrupted and posted before I remembered to proof, or I was busy and rushed to post, whatever. But I really do not know. I seldom reread my work once I post it. Today I did, though. Oops! I just corrected several typos on the post http://soapboxbyval.blogspot.com/

Comments of a Frustrated Teacher and another Suggestion for Educational Reform

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:34:09 PDT

Today's post on Knee Jerk Reactions is by a teacher who is frustrated by the frequent push for educational reforms. Check it out.

Banned Books Week, a Celebration against Censorship

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:17:56 PDT

Librarians and others celebrate the freedom to read during the Banned Books Week, reports the American Library Association on its website. Mining the site takes one to the list of nearly 50 most challenged novels, with links to sources for a list of 100--and the reasons the books were challenged. The reasons span from foreign governments banning a book for political reasons to the inclusion of

Let's Keep Moving Forward, America!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:04:02 PDT

Election time is upon us. Since this blog is monetized with merchants that prefer not to be identified with political views, I wish to invite you to read the blog comments posted elsewhere. I also post comments on Facebook.

The Need for a New Grammar

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:03:38 PDT

I want to change the English language to make it easier for me to type. I want to spell Web as web; Web page as webpage; Web site as website; estore should be capitalized as eStore--as should all words with an e prefix that references something online; dates are more easily written as 23Aug10 or even 23aug10; caps should be seldom used; and sentences ending with URL's and email addresses should

You've Been Warned, a video on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:10:36 PDT

I have strong opinions about lots of things, but this blog is not politically- oriented. However, I have taken a political stance. To that effect, I invite you to read the latest posting on Knee Jerk Reactions.

A Global Warming Perspective for Today

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:25:04 PDT

I am watching the Documentary Channel (DOC) series Global Warming Solutions broadcast 4/4/10. I just had to stop and make these comments about the show. It is an excellent show. It presents great ideas. It talks about prevention and fixing climate change. It talks about green products. It was first aired years ago. Today I have a major shift in thinking. These are the points of the new

A Teacher Describes a Teachers Work

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:47:06 PST

Read one teacher's description of a typical workday. This was written in response to the news about the teachers in Pennsylvania that were fired this past week. It seems that the 7 hour work day for which teachers are paid is only the beginning of the teacher's tasks. There is a reason why teachers are salaried. We taxpayers could not afford to pay them an hourly wage!

Google's Beautiful Christmas Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:20:02 PST

Happy Holidays!! I just received the most beautiful Christmas/December Holidays card from Google. It included a picture of the Earth rotating on a stellar background--an image I would love to own or at least use. It also included a comment about Google's gift to the world: its charitable donations to a list of charities. Folks, we all owe Google a thank-you for its generosity and its internet

The Music of Twilight

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:49:34 PDT

Music has the value of memes in the emotion it evokes. For a discussion of the emotions of the music of Twilight, read these 2 articles from my History of Music in Movies series:image:Georgian Oak at Sunset by Sue Lannen modified by Valerie Coskrey © 2006; available as part of a Template Design SetTwilight and its Musical Roots by Mark Hare Memes of the Gothic Genre--Comments on Mark Hare's "

Barney Frank gets Heckled: Town Hall Meeting Totally Disrupted

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:36:10 PDT

Now we know why Bush refused to allow any dissenters into his public appearances. He only wanted one viewpoint heard. Unfortunately, he allowed this undemocratic attitude to infect those who see this divisive technique as proper in a town hall forum.This image is a flame called Turmoil by V. Coskrey (c)2008 Barney Frank's experience with public forum censors...ah, dissenters...show that