Book Review - Car: A Drama of the American Workplace

Today's guest blogger/reviewer is Simon Hunsinger, also from Ms. Carr's first year English 9/10 class. This book sounds like a great choice for both youth and adults - I think my husband the engineer would really like it!


Car: A Drama of the American Workplace, a 346-page work by Mary Walton, follows the team at Ford Motor Company tasked with engineering the 1996 Ford Taurus. Walton, a former reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, followed the team’s engineers over a period of five years as they worked long hours in a damp basement, and the result is a deeply personal account of the people behind the making of a car.

The protagonist of Car is the Taurus team’s director, Dick Landgraff, a bad-tempered, dictatorial man who is completely dedicated to beating the Taurus’ Japanese competitors at Honda and Toyota. Landgraff runs the Taurus team with the ferocity of an Army sergeant. When he learns that the engineers from climate control had made their knobs a few dollars over budget, Landgraff shows no mercy.

“What’s the absolute cost of these teeny tiny knobs?” The knobs, he was told, accounted for $3. They were high-quality polycarbonate. “Who says we have to have polycarbonate?" he demanded. “How many warranty costs are we saving with polycarbonate?”…Of course they didn’t know. Landgraff knew they wouldn’t know. (Walton 138)

Walton describes with exquisite detail the conflicts between the engineers as they struggle over every aspect of their project, from headlights that weren’t bright enough to stopping the door moldings from falling apart. The incompetence of the engineers injects Dilbert-like humor into the tense mood, and the plot roars into a heated climax as the Taurus team rushes to complete their car as their deadlines loom ever closer.

Walton has made an otherwise dull business book into a fast-paced, wildly entertaining drama. Throughout the book, the reader can’t help but root for the Taurus engineers, flawed as they may be, as they struggle to deliver a competitive product. Car manages to be at once thrilling, very informative, and genuinely funny, a tough feat to pull off in journalism.

Book Review - The Search for WondLa

Today's guest blogger is Lydia Allabaugh, a first year ATYP  student in Ms. Carr's English 9/10 class, with a book recommendation for your holiday weekend, or as a gift idea for the reader in your life.

A Little Taste of The Search for WondLa

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi is an incredible and breathtaking fantasy novel. Some of the main characters include Eva Nine, Rovender Kitt, and Muthr. The beginning introduces Eva Nine, and her robotic mother Muthr. They live in a sanctuary, a house underground that has all the necessities to live, and have a peaceful life. The setting in the sanctuary is uneventful and prepares Eva Nine for life after she leaves the sanctuary. The reader realizes Eva Nine has never been above ground. After a day in Eva Nine’s regular life, the reader finds her in an unpleasant situation. A marauder has broken into her sanctuary. He destroys her sanctuary, and she is forced to run away from her home and her beloved Muthr. While on the run, she meets a creature that looks nothing like the animals, plants, and other humans she had seen in her holoshows, like television except shown in holograms. Once Eva Nine is out of the sanctuary she meets a new acquaintance, whose name is Rovender Kitt, Eva Nine begins to realize some thing she hadn’t before. The two things Eva Nine realizes are how much she loved Muthr and she was on Earth, but there was something changed about Earth.

There are amazing things included in The Search for WondLa. Throughout this novel, there are great lessons on friendship. Most of the friendships developed are nurtured throughout this novel and the two following it. There is so much action a person could sit down and read all the way through this novel without wanting to stand up and stop or put it down. The following two novels in the series are only worth reading after reading this first novel. Once the reader has read this novel, they will desperately want to read the rest of the series, too. The other two books in the series are called The Hero for WondLa and The Battle for WondLa. There is also a movie based on The Search for WondLa coming out in 2017.

Talking to Your Gifted Child About World Events

Is your gifted child highly sensitive and aware of what is going on in the world around them? Does he or she have a great concern for others and worry about issues such as social justice, world hunger, and the state of our planet? These tendencies are very common in this population of students, and so this election cycle has taken a toll on many. 

If your child has concerns, please address them as factually and objectively as you can. Reassure them that, although right now people are divided regarding the results of this election, we will get through it. Minority children especially - and those who have friends who are minorities - may worry about the future, but remind them that as long as we work together, our country can have a future as bright and wonderful as we make it. 

The tensions children see between family members, friends, and neighbors can be frightening. When you reach out to others, you set an example for children on how to agree to disagree, how to advocate for policies and laws in a respectful manner, and how to live in peace in the greater community. We must all be role models to our children - both in victory and in defeat - for how democracy works. 

For People Who Like to be Quiet

Dr. Kelly and I recently heard a speaker say that in the general population, 70% of people are considered extroverts and 30% of people are introverts, while in the gifted population, the split is more like 50/50. Some would argue that, at least anecdotally, those numbers may be even higher. What does this mean for you?

First, it helps to take a minute and think about what the difference is between an extrovert and an introvert. Extroverts draw their energy - renew their spirit - by being around others. Introverts need time alone to refocus, decompress, and recharge. You can see there's nothing here about being shy. You can be extroverted and shy - which might make the shyness very painful if you want to connect with other people, or you can be introverted and shy. But gifted people in much greater numbers need that space by themselves to think and gather themselves, and if that describes you then it's important that you know that about yourself.

One of the best ways to get an idea of what your personality type is is to take something like the Myers/Briggs Personality Inventory (look online for one that's quick and easy, such as http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.htm). It's not the same as going to a psychologist, but it will give you something to think about. 

Now, do you think you're an introvert? What does that mean for you? In the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, author Susan Cain discusses how American culture overvalues extroverts and undervalues introverts, leading to "a colossal waste of talent, energy, and happiness." You can also hear Cain discuss introverts in a great Ted Talk, https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts. 

What's the take away? Understand what makes you happy. Yes, you might still have to interact with people when you don't want to, but don't let others convince you that you have to be an extrovert to make something of yourself. Mark Zuckerberg, JK Rowling, Bill Gates, and Steven Spielberg, all famous introverts, can tell you that you can be wildly successful and still honor what you need to be at peace with yourself and the world.

Olympic Swimmer Exemplifies Balance

Many gifted students feel like they have to focus solely on academics, or worry that being labeled as gifted means they won't be able to pursue other interests, like sports, drama, or playing the guitar like Jimmy Hendrix. But that is absolutely not true.

Exhibit A: U.S. swimmer Maya Dirado, who won four medals last week at the 2016 Olympics: golds in the 200m backstroke and the 4 x 200 freestyle relay, a silver in the 400m individual medley, and a bronze in the 200m individual medley. Dirado also has her Master's in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford, and got a perfect score on the math section of the SAT at the age of 15. And skipped the second grade. Both her athletic ability and her brilliance are clearly visible. She has pursued both with vigor.

Potential ATYP students are always asking, "Can I do ATYP and be an athlete?" or "Can I do ATYP and act at the Civic?" and we always tell people that we will do what we can to help them participate in other activities. Sometimes it takes some flexibility by other parties, sometimes kids have to learn extreme organizational and time management skills, but if you are truly passionate about anything in life, you can find a way to make it happen.

You can balance your other interests while pursuing academic and intellectual pursuits - Maya is proof that it can be done. So don't limit yourself - find what you love and keep at it! You never know where chasing those dreams might take you.

Ms. Nan has an guest commentary in Bridge Magazine http://bridgemi.com/2016/06/training-teachers-to-nurture-gifted-students/. This article is all about what does and doesn't happen for gifted students in the state of Michigan, so we hope you'll read it and be aware of what you should be advocating for at your school and with your government representatives!

How to Raise an Adult - Part 2

Since finishing Julie Lythcott-Haims book, How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success, I have been thinking about one of her key points, which is essentially that college selection is a match to be made, not a game to be won.

Some things to consider: 

1. There are about 2,800 accredited four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. (plus community colleges, etc.). Approximately 100 of those are moderately to highly selective (admission rates under 33 percent). That means there are approximately 2,700 schools with average admission rates of 64%. And that means there is somewhere for everyone.

2.  Just because your child is gifted doesn't mean a highly selective school has to be their goal. Students choose a college based on a wide variety of reasons: program options, size, location, environment, cost. If selectivity is part of the discussion because your student wants to surround him/herself with other highly competitive students that's one thing - if they are looking at elite schools because of the name on the sweatshirt - that's another. This is as important for parents to consider as it is for the child.

3. The myth that only certain schools are good schools is a huge contributor to the current overparenting epidemic (and widely Lycott-Haims' concern). Parents don't want their kids to take risks or make mistakes because it means they might not get into Stanford. Kids are overscheduled to the point of exhaustion because they think they need to check all of these activities boxes to get into Yale. There is no time for part-time jobs, or hiking outdoors, or spending the day at the beach with friends - all valuable, lesson-learning, life-affirming activities - because every day is committed to homework and test prep so you can go to MIT. All the things we want them to do - discover new interests, learn from failure, be good friends - can be lost in the all-consuming pursuit of getting into the right school. But if you can't be yourself and get in, is it the right school for you?

4. There is no one right path to personal fulfillment. Parents need to take a step back and look at their own journey. Was it Step A, Step B, Step C = everlasting happiness? Or did you have to take a detour, circle back, start over? Was it steep, bumpy, muddy? Your student's path will not always be straight, and it may be full of potholes - but it's their path. Let them follow it - at the college that's right for them.





 

How to Raise an Adult - Part 1

Every once in a while you read a book and you want to share what you've read - and you're not even done with the book yet! I'm currently working on How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success, and I have to say, as a parent, it really makes you think. "What did I do wrong?" "Did I do ANYTHING right?" and "How screwed up are my kids?" have become familiar questions as I've worked my way through each chapter. 

While I don't agree with everything the author covers (sorry, I don't think I'm leaving my 8-year-old at home alone, and geez, could you talk to any normal person not in the 1%?), some of her points really hit home. Particularly as someone who spends a fair amount of time around college students, and who has college students, I am struck by her discussion of the three basic types of helicopter parents:

• The "I will do everything for you" parent
• The "the world is a scary place so I will protect you endlessly" parent
• The "I know what's best for you so you'll do exactly what I say" parent 

We all have a tendency to fall into these traps, for a variety of reasons, most of which stem from a place of love and caring but which leave us with children who struggle to live as adults on their own. Here at the university, we sometimes hear things like, "I didn't appreciate the discussion we had in class today. You can expect a call from my mother," and "Why did my child receive a "C" on this test?" If a student has issues such as these they should be speaking to professors or staff themselves. That they aren't demonstrates that we clearly have a problem.

Why should parents of gifted students care about this, perhaps even more than other parents? First, because your child may have a shot at one of the country's most selective colleges, which is great - except that the race to get into these schools is in large part driving the overparenting problem. Second, because they're working very hard in school to achieve success, we may be letting things like chores and other responsibilities slide, which means that when they have to work at something other than school, they might not know how. Third, gifted students sometimes come with other quirks - anxiety, perfectionism, etc. - that can make it difficult to function, and this makes it even more critical that we don't contribute to their problems. 

I encourage you to read the book, look for any of several online articles by Lythcott-Haims, or watch her TedTalk. I'll probably continue to post about more of her ideas as I get further into it. 

Digital Distractions...Again

For the last few years, we have spent much of September and October talking to our students about dealing with digital distractions. We give presentations to parents and educators. You'd think we knew what we were talking about. So guess what I did this weekend?

As you may or may not know, Dr. Kelly and I have both gone back to school to work on advanced degrees and yes, this weekend I had homework. I read my textbook while watching t.v., which took an hour and a half longer than it should have. I created flashcards, but kept my Facebook page open, so I constantly went there to see what my friends were saying, or reading interesting articles that popped up. And all this time I had my cell phone nearby, so I was repeatedly interrupted by daughters who had questions or needed to borrow something and others reporting weather conditions and debating politics. Needless to say, I wasn't very efficient, I didn't retain a lot of information, and everything took forever. I would give myself a "C". I got most of the work done, but I didn't do it very well.

Here's what I should have done:

• Finished my reading before or after my favorite t.v. show, not during. I could have finished it in 1/3 the amount of time and remembered a lot more of what I read.
• Closed all of the other tabs on my computer while working on my flashcards. Yes, ALL of them.
• Turned my cell phone off or put it on the other side of the room so I wasn't tempted to check it constantly.

If I had done these three things, I would have finished the work faster and more accurately, and probably have done better on my quiz the next day.
So parents, check to see not just if your child is doing his or her homework, but how they're doing it. And students, learn from my mistake. Next time you complain about how long your homework takes, think - is it the amount of homework, or the worker?

Do you have any suggestions for overcoming digital distractions? Share them below! It turns out that everyone - even Ms. Nan - could use a little help.

Are You A Maker?

Many gifted students are wildly creative, love to do puzzles, and have intense interests, sometimes in fields that a lot of people don't understand. Lately, some of those people have been banding together in something called the "Maker Movement." Makers are just that - people who like to make things: robots, electronics, 3-D printing, metalworking, woodworking...you name it. These folks share ideas on how to create things that interest them - sometimes ideas that lead to new inventions, careers, and a whole lot of fun!

Make Magazine, which launched in 2007, has been the impetus behind this movement, and says, "Many makers are hobbyists, enthusiasts or students (amateurs!)–but they are also a wellspring of innovation, creating new products and producing value in the community. Some makers do become entrepreneurs and start companies."

Make also hosts what they call "Maker Faire" at locations around the globe. One of the largest Maker Faires is held at the Henry Ford Museum near Detroit, this year scheduled for July 30-31. According to their website, "Maker Faire is like a three-ring circus of innovation. Robotics, electronics, rockets, food, music, fashion, science - if somebody makes it, we'll find a place for it at Maker Faire Detroit." There have also been Maker Faires of various sizes in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and other midwest cities.

If you have a passion for creating your own fun, this might be an activity you'd like to try - you can buy Make Magazine at Barnes and Noble, check out a Faire, and think about what you'd like to MAKE. There are also scores of YouTube videos with examples from other Makers, including this one, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Reimvk8D2Ho, where Joey Hudy shows President Obama how to use his marshmallow launcher and nearly gets tackled by the Secret Service.

If you end up making something cool, (or if you've already made something), share some photos! And if you launch a marshmallow at the principal - you didn't get that idea from us!