Favorites of the Year: 2008

[Connie Weber]

Hi Everyone,

I thought it'd be fun to start a forum in which anyone who wants to can tell about their "Favorite of the Year," a favorite book, paper, video, song, joke, cartoon, event, personality, quote... You name it!

(If you are recommending music: only legal postings of songs, please, mention it by name and people can get it at iTunes. Or link to it in some way approved by the artist.)

Ok: so in 2008, what was one of your Favorite Things? (It could have come from another year--no limits on the date of origin!) What influenced you, challenged or delighted you, brought you joy or laughter, changed your thinking?

[Or-Tal Kiriati]

My favorite of the year web sites are two: http://www.quotesdaddy.com/ and http://www.webook.com/.

[Or-Tal Kiriati]

My favorite blog post is Reuven Werber's blog here, on Fireside - On Terror and Twitter.

One of my favorite blogs - it's really hard to choose - is Sunni Brown's "Information Design and Visual Business" .

I am not including any Hebrew favorites here...

[Or-Tal Kiriati]

In reply to your message, Ian, I have tried to gather some of my Hebrew favorite.
I'll start with a children's book called, in free translation, "When the shark and the fish first met". It was written by Gilad Shalit, when he was 11. The production of the book is a collaborative work of various artists and the result is an amazing work of art to look at, not only a naive sweet story to read.

The book ends with "From this day the sharks and fish live peacefully". Hmmm.

There are also two books by Tamar Kochav about one about Galileo and the other about the Wright brothers. I think more are planned for this series. This is how the Galileo book cover looks like:
http://www.kinnblog.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/03/photo_2.jpg

As for online favorites in Hebrew:
One is an online game, beta phase. called ekoloko. It's actually both English and Hebrew, but the kids are very happy they finally get a game in their own language.
Another one, not a very new site, is Galim.org which is a source of fun and information for elementary school kids. It is used also for teaching kids at home. It's a favorite mainly because it got the kids' attention, and with school related topics.

[Ian Carmichael]

Wow! I'm glad I asked, Or-Tal! And even gladder that you responded!

[Anna Billings]

A book that had a huge impact for me is Al Gore's The Assault On Reason. A great blend of disturbing wake-up call along with inspiring possibility and optimism. Gore's message, in this as well as in his previous books, is that we CAN make a difference. "It's time to change the nature of the way we live together on the planet." And while he points to television, the one way (i.e. no conversation) distribution of information (and misinformation) as a major impediment to reason (and to democracy), he sees the emerging possibility for informed discourse via interactive medias. "... the reestablishment of a genuine democratic discourse in which individuals can participate in a meaningful way — a conversation of democracy in which ... ideas and opinions from individuals do, in fact, evoke a meaningful response."

Favorite new interactive community for sharing ideas, resources, and inspirations — Fireside Learning! :-)

[Luke King]

SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam by John L. Plaster. It's about the most elite Black Op military unit in the Vietnam War that incurred about 50-60% percent fatality rates annually. The would go behind enemy lines and if compromised, would take as many enemy with them as they could. The kill ratio averaged to about 600:1 by the end of the conflict. One battalion of Viet Cong died for every one member of SOG who died. Interesting read.

[Connie Weber]

Hi Luke!
Did you mean for this to go on Ed's post about the war briefing?

[Ed Jones]

I think Luke is citing this as a 2008 favorite book - it was reissued in 2008. And, you did say 'no limit on date of origin'!

[Luke King]

Ed got it right, favorite book of 2008.

[Ed Jones]

My favorite thing, above and beyond all in 2008, (thanks, Luke for getting me focused in the right place) is the US Army and the extraordinary soldiers therein. OK, Marines, you're included, too, just not sure how not to hurt your feelings here. OK, the airman and seebees on the ground, and all the rest.

I know, you'll all hate me for saying it...

Yet while I was sitting here in comfortable Ohio, in the nicest weather year of my life, on the most geologically and politically stable piece of ground in the universe, courted and cajoled by no less that a dozen visits nearby by presidential contenders; enjoying freedom of speech and lovely days building trails in parks and throwing public events and having a grand old time, US soldiers were tirelessly working in extreme hazard to bring some final peace and stability to the tired land of Mesopotamia, And, eventually, to the surrounding lands.

For those in Afghanistan, things got worse. For those back home training, the hope that peace in Iraq would bring a break in the labor were dashed with the news that the tribal lands of Pakistan have proven to succor more violence than we dared expect. To those, like Luke, who volunteered at a time of war, yet hoped perhaps that peace would be handed them, tis clear that no such luxury will arise.

And, I'm gonna say it, hate me though you will. One of my favorite things of 2008 remains their commander in chief, who will still be noted in history among the very greatest of the presidents. Reply to my personal wall, please, leave Connie's thread be.

Those are my favorite things, and my family and friends and customers, and the volunteers who helped with our projects locally. They made it a decent year for me personally. You asked. That's my story, and I'm stickin to it.

[Ellen Pham]

The "Christmas Truce" is a term used to describe several brief unofficial cessations of hostilities that occurred on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day between German and British or French troops in World War I, particularly that between British and German troops stationed along the Western Front during Christmas 1914. In 1915 there was a similar Christmas truce between German and French troops, and during Easter 1916 a truce also existed on the Eastern Front.

The truce began on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The Scottish troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols.

The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the "No Man's Land" where small gifts were exchanged — whisky, jam, cigars, chocolate, and the like. The soldiers exchanged gifts, sometimes addresses, and drank together. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Proper burials took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects. At one funeral in No Man's Land, soldiers from both sides gathered and read a passage from the 23rd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

The truce spread to other areas of the lines, and there are many stories of football matches between the opposing forces. The film Joyeux Noël suggests that letters sent home from both British and German soldiers related that the score was 3-2 in favour of the Germans.

In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, but in some areas, it continued until New Year's Day.

The truce occurred in spite of opposition at higher levels of the military. Earlier in the autumn, a call by Pope Benedict XV for an official truce between the warring governments had been ignored.

British commanders Sir John French and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien vowed that no such truce would be allowed again. (However, both had left command before Christmas 1915.) In all of the following years of the war, artillery bombardments were ordered on Christmas Eve to ensure that there were no further lulls in the combat. Troops were also rotated through various sectors of the front to prevent them from becoming overly familiar with the enemy. Despite those measures, there were a few friendly encounters between enemy soldiers, but on a much smaller scale than the previous year. (Wikipedia, Christmas Truce)

Here is an excerpt from the film, Joyeux Noël


And the experience put to song, A Silent Night {Christmas 1915} - Jerry Lynch

[Connie Weber]

Favorite Person of the Year

I choose Steve Hargadon, because he has made such a difference for so many. He's a visionary, laying out the tools for human connection, supporting people through their newness with the tools, helping people to gather together and share thoughts and resources that can--and often do--profoundly affect teaching and learning.

Classroom 2.0

Steve's blog