Apple's Apps

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "A Playland for Apps in a Tablet World." The article begins, "Apple's move to open up the iPhone to outside programmers in 2008 started a software-writing frenzy. Giant companies and bedroom tinkerers alike rushed to get their applications into the App Store and onto the phone's 3.5-inch touch screen.". It continues, "Now those developers are about to get a bigger stage - or at least a bigger screen."

Questions for Discussion:

1. Imagine that you worked at Microsoft, a software developer. What would this article make you think about? Why?

2. What three questions do you think that all software, or app, developers should ask before creating a product? Why?

3. If you were asked to invent one app that would promote high quality school learning, for any grade and subject area, what would you develop? Why?

4. If you could only have one, would you prefer to have your own tablet or iphone? Why? (You could have another phone, just not a smart phone.)

Questions for Younger Children and Everybody Else:

1. If you could make a computer that could do one thing for you what would you make the computer do? Why?

2. Do you prefer using large computers/games or small hand-held devices? Why? Is it possible that you like them both for different purposes? Explain!

3. Do you think that you would have fun making computers as an adult? Why or why not?

4. Think of one game that you like to play. What one rule would you create to make the game more fun? Why do you think that this rule would make the game more fun?

A Supreme Court Decision

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Lobbyists Get Potent Weapon in Campaign Finance Ruling." The article begins, "The Supreme Court has handed lobbyists a new weapon. A lobbyist can now tell any elected official: if you vote wrong, my company, labor union or interest group will spend unlimited sums explicitly advertising against your re-election." It continues, "'We have got a million we can spend advertising for you or against you — whichever one you want,’ a lobbyist can tell lawmakers, said Lawrence M. Noble, a lawyer at Skadden Arps in Washington and former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission."

Questions for Discussion:

1. Do you think that corporations should be allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money to support political candidates? Why or why not? Try and argue both sides of this question.

2. Imagine that you were a United States Congressman who did not want to be beholden to large corporations and lobbyists. What plan might you develop to ensure your re-election despite these powerful campaign funders?

3. Imagine that you were a board member of a powerful corporation. What three "business-smart" reasons might you have for not supporting corporate contributions to political campaigns?

4. Do you think that the Supreme Court of the United States should have the ability to overturn precedent decided by former supreme courts? Why or why not? Should this power be limited? If so, how? (Remember, in 1954 when the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were inherently unequal they overturned a previous decision.)

Questions for Younger Children and Everybody Else:

1. Describe a time in which you had to make a difficult decision? What did you decide? Why was this decision difficult?

2. What do you think are the most important things for a judge, or a sports referee or umpire, to keep in mind when they are doing their job? Why?

3. If you could tell people not to do one thing that many people do today, what would you tell them not to do? Why?

A 45 Million Dollar Joke

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "NBC: Conan O'Brien Reaches $45M Exit Deal." The article reports, "Under the deal, which came seven months after O'Brien took the reins from Leno, O'Brien will get more than $33 million, NBC said. The rest will go to his staff in severance, the network said in an announcement on the 'Today' show."

Questions for Discussion:

1. Why do you think that Conan O'Brien refused to move the Tonight Show one half hour later? Do you think he made the right decision? Why or why not?

2. Do you think that Jay Leno acted unfairly when he agreed to move his show to after the local news programs? Why or why not? See if you can argue both sides of this question!

3. Mr. O'Brien reportedly has more than 200 people working for him? What kinds of jobs do you think that so many people have to do to put on a nightly comedy show? Do you think that it would be interesting to work for a comedy show as a staff member? Why or why not?

4. Imagine that you were a network executive trying to fill time slots from 10:00pm to midnight with the understanding that local news shows run from 11:00-11:30pm. What types of shows would you place in these time slots? Why? How would you balance the need to keep the cost of producing shows down while bringing in as much advertising revenue as possible?

Questions for Younger Children and Everyone Else:

1. What is your favorite television show? What do you like about this show?

2. Give an example of something that you think is fair. Give an example of something that you think is not fair. Why do you think that this is not fair?

3. Imagine that you were creating your own television show. What would it be about? Who would be the main character? Make it up!!

Massachusetts' 41st

Newspapers and news programs around the United States are reporting on Scott Brown's victory over Martha Coakley in the election to replace deceased Senator Ted Kennedy. The New York Times is running an article entitled, "G.O.P. Senate Victory Stuns Democrats." The article states, "...his election was a sharp swing of the pendulum. The Senate seat held for nearly half a century by Mr. Kennedy, the liberal lion of the Senate, will now be held for the next two years by a Republican who has said he supports waterboarding as an interrogation technique for terrorism suspects, opposes a federal cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions and opposes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants unless they leave the country."

Questions for Discussion:

1. Senator-Elect Brown has referred to his senate seat at "the people's seat". What does this mean? Do you think that Mr. Brown really believes that his new seat is the people's seat? Why or why not?

2. Mr. Brown's pick up truck has attracted national attention, since he drove around the state during the campaign in it. Why do you think that he chose to drive around the state in his pick up truck? (He probably could have afforded a driver with a more prestigious car.)

3. Imagine that you were an advisor to President Obama. How would you recommend that he respond to Mr. Brown's victory? Remember that President Obama campaigned for Mrs. Coakley this past Sunday.

4. Perhaps Senator Kennedy knows what happened last night. If Senator Kennedy could say one thing to the American people today what do you think he would say? Why?

Questions for Younger Children and Everybody Else

1. Describe a time when you worked really hard to achieve a goal and were able to achieve it. What was the goal? What did you have to do to achieve it?

2. Do you think that every time people work hard to achieve a goal they will achieve it? Why or why not?

3. What one question would you ask President Obama if you had the opportunity to chat with him one on one?

Donating by Text

The New York Times is running an article entitled "A Deluge of Donations via Text Messages." Of course, this article refers to Haiti. The article states, "The Red Cross is the biggest relief organization with a system in place to receive such donations, which are sent by cellphone to 90999 and billed at $10 each to the cellphone account. The total raised, a small portion of which will be shared with other members of the Red Cross federation, puts the organization well ahead of other relief groups in fund-raising for operations in Haiti." Red Cross spokesperson Roger Lowe said, "I need a better word than 'unprecedented' or 'amazing' to describe what's happened with the text-message program."

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think that so many people have responded to the crisis in Haiti by donating through text message?

2. The article explains that the Red Cross has had management problems in the past. Do you think that this organization should be trusted with contributions for Haiti during this crisis? Why or why not?

3. Ten years ago nobody had ever sent a text message. What do you think that people will be able to do with a cell phone in ten years that they cannot do today?

4. Challenge yourself to do something to help the people of Haiti. Perhaps you can donate money? Perhaps you can run a campaign to encourage others to donate, as well.

Questions for Younger Children and Everybody Else:

1. What kinds of things do people need to buy to stay alive?

2. If you had no money to buy food and were very hungry what do you think that you would do to get food? Is there anything that you could do? Explain!

3. Do you think that people who have food should share with people who don't have food, even if that means that both will be a little hungry? Why or why not?

4. What kinds of things do you think that people will be able to do with cell phones in 100 years that they cannot do with them today?

The Massachusetts' 60th

The Boston Globe is running an article entitled, "Rivals Pull Out All the Stops," about tomorrow's Massachusetts' Senate election to fill Ted Kennedy's seat. The article begins, "President Obama, putting his political capital on the line, swept into town yesterday to bolster Martha Coakley’s campaign in the final days of an extraordinarily and unexpectedly tight US Senate race, saying that a Democratic victory tomorrow is vital to moving his agenda forward."

Massachusetts has not elected a Republican senator since 1972 and Democratic candidate Martha Coakley was an early favorite. However, Republican candidate Scott Brown has made the race too close to call.

Questions to Consider:

1. If you were voting in Massachusetts would you be tempted to base your vote on the issue of the health care legislation? Why or why not?

2. President Obama's position can be significantly weakened if Mr. Brown wins the election? (Why?). Do you think that his position can be strengthened if Ms. Coakley wins the election? Why or why not?

3. People say that the President of the United States of America is the most powerful person in the world. But yesterday he was appealing to common people, voters, so that Ms. Coakley could help him implement his agenda. Can the President be the most powerful person in the world if he depends on common people to implement his agenda? Why or why not?

4. What two questions would you ask the Senate candidates about their positions if you had the opportunity to speak to them, face to face? Why these two questions?

Questions for Younger Children and Everybody Else:

1. Do you think that it is important for people to vote in elections? Why or why not?

2. Do you you think that you might enjoy giving speeches in front of a lot of people? Why or why not?

3. Why do you think that somebody would interrupt somebody else's speech by shouting out?

The Presidents Respond

The Washington Post is running an article an article entitled, "Bush, Clinton: Haiti Response Not About Politics." The article begins, "Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and say the earthquake in Haiti offers a chance to put aside politics and help people in despair. Bush and Clinton appeared on five Sunday talk shows as part of their effort to lead private fundraising efforts for Haitian relief, including immediate needs and the long-term rebuilding effort. President Barack Obama asked them to lead the bipartisan effort."

Questions to Consider:

1. President Clinton explained that the disaster in Haiti reminds us of our "common humanity." What does the word humanity mean? Do people have responsibility towards fellow members of the human race? Why or why not? If people do have these kinds of responsibilities, what kinds of responsibilities do they have?

2. Imagine that there was a terrible earthquake in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda apparently keeps its headquarters. Would Western nations have a responsibility to help these people? Why or why not? What kinds of responsibilities would Western nations have towards these people?

3. Can any tangible benefit come to individuals who help those in need, in distant parts of the world? Why or why not? Can any tangible benefit come to individuals who help those in need in their own community? Why or why not?

4. According to the article, "(Rush Limbaugh) urged people not to donate and said he wouldn't trust that money donated to Haiti through the White House Web site would go to the relief efforts." Rush Limbaugh is considered a distinguished individual and leader of the Republican party, by many. What can we learn from his statement? If you were in a conversation with Mr. Limbaugh, how would you respond to him?

Questions for Younger Children and Anybody Else:

1. Is it possible for you to benefit by helping somebody else? Why or why not?

2. Can you think of any times when you should simply do what somebody else asks you to do and not question why they are asking you to do something? If so, when? Is it ever appropriate to question why somebody else is asking you to do something? Explain!

3. Do you think that you should help people who may dislike you when they need help? Why or why not?

4. Who should you help first, another person or an animal? Why?

A 21st Century News Story

Appropriately so, Haiti continues to dominate international news. I will not typically focus on the same story more than once, let alone three times. However in this case, it seems inappropriate not to do so. However rather than asking specific questions about a story, you will see that I have done something different.

These questions stem from the New York Times' homepage.

Questions to Consider:

1. If a single picture can tell a thousand words, look at these pictures and describe what you see. Do you think that a single picture really can tell a thousand words? Why or why not?

2. Open this Web page of missing people. What does Twenty First Century technology enable both newspapers and readers to do that never would have been possible without the development of this technology? Do you think that these technologies always fulfill a valuable purpose? Why or why not?

3. Consider the satellite images of Haiti available here. What can you actually see on these images? (Do not simply focus on the pictures, but also the words.) In what ways do you think that this technology might improve within the next 16 months?

4. Patiently watch the video contained on this page. In what ways is the learning experience from watching this video different from simply reading a newspaper article? Do you think that there will ever be a time when all news will be transmitted in video instead of in written text? Why or why not?

Questions for Younger Children and Everybody Else:

1. In 20 years how do you think that technology will be different than it is today?

2. Do you think it is important to know what is happening in far away places? Why or why not?

3. If you could invent one thing to help people know what is happening in places when they are not there what would you invent? Why?

An International Response to Haiti

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "Tens of Thousands Feared Dead after Earthquake as Rescue Teams Reach Haiti." The article states, "Early Thursday, an Air China plane carrying a search-and-rescue crew, medics, seismological experts and tons of supplies landed at the Port-au-Prince airport, followed by three French planes with aid and a mobile hospital, the Associated Press reported. A British relief team arrived in neighboring Dominican Republic... Brazil has sent three jets carrying 21 tons of equipment, and many countries have pledged money. Spain has sent planes with surgical teams. The Israeli army dispatched two planeloads of rescue personnel and equipment to set up a field hospital, the AP said."

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think it's often easier for countries to work together in times of catastrophe than at other times? What meaningful objectives do you think that the world might be able to accomplish if many countries could work together effectively all of the time? Why?

2. Not mentioned in this article, Pat Robertson explained that the Haitian earthquake was the rest of a pact that former slaves made with the devil, in the 1700s, to end slavery. Do you believe that something as terrible as this earthquake could be caused by the wrath of God? Why or why not? Is there a difference between believing that something could be caused by the wrath of God and believing that something is caused by this wrath? Explain!

3. If you could say one thing to the people of Haiti right now, in addition to "Hang in there" what would it be? Why? Think of something provocative that others have not already said.

4. Imagine that you were an advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or President Obama, what specific things should they be doing right now to help the people of Haiti? (Consider the fact that they each oversee huge bureaucracies and are therefore going to play leadership roles.)

5. Consider some of the pictures contained in this newspaper article and describe what you see.

Questions for Younger Children and Anyone Else:

1. Why do you think it is sometimes easier to not work with other people?

2. Do you think that it is ever important to work with other people? Why or why not?

3. Describe one thing that you have accomplished because you were working with other people.

4. Is there ever a time when you should not do what other people are doing? Explain!

Haitian Earthquake

News outlets around the world are reporting on the earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday. The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Haiti Chief Says Thousands May Be Dead." The article states, "The earthquake was the worst in the region in more than 200 years and left the country in a shambles, without electricity or phone service, tangling efforts to provide relief to an estimated 3 million people whom the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said had been affected by the quake."

Questions to Consider:

1. What one thing do you think that you and your class or you and your family could do to most effectively help the people of Haiti? How would this helping process work? (Meaning if you were to give money, how would the money ultimately work its way from you to the local people of Haiti?) If you don't have money to give what else could you give? Why would this help?

2. What do you think are the four most important things that a community needs to survive? Why?

3. Do you think that rescue workers are heroes? Why or why not? Perhaps they are just people doing a specific job?

4. What can a terrible important earth quake remind us about life? Do you think that it is important to be reminded of this? Why or why not?

5. Ask two questions about the scientific nature of earthquakes and try and find the answers?

6. Five hundred years from now do you think that earthquakes are still going to have the ability to kill thousands of people or will the scientific community have developed ways to avoid earthquakes? Support your answer thoughtfully.

Questions for Younger Children (or anybody):

1. When you are scared of something what one thing can you do to overcome your fear?

2. Is it important to help other people when they need help? Why or why not?

3. What one thing have you done to help somebody else? Why did this help?

Iranian Physicist Killed

Newspapers around the world are reporting on the assassination of Iranian physicist Masoud Ali Mohammadi. The Washington Post reports, "Masoud Ali Mohammadi was killed as he left his house in the north Tehran neighborhood of Qetariyeh. State television showed images of crying people and houses with broken windows as a burned-out motorcycle was taken away by security forces." The Iranian government has blamed the United States of America and Israel for this assassination.

(Note: I had originally planned on using a link to this BBC page to report this story. However, a video on the page was more graphic than most western videos, so I am only including it here.)

Questions to Consider:

1. Can we learn anything about Iran from the fact that they have blamed the U.S. and Israel very early into this investigation? Why or why not?

2. Do you think it is significant that Mr. Mohammadi's name was on a list of supporters of the political opposition in the last election? Why or why not?

3. Imagine that you were an advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.S. did not orchestrate this assassination. How would you recommend that the President respond to Iranian allegations? Why? What if the U.S. did orchestrate the assassination, how would you recommend that the President respond to the allegations? Why?

4. What three questions, other than "Who was behind the assassination" would you ask about this assassination in order to learn more about it? Why would you ask these three questions?

Questions for Younger Children

1. What is the appropriate way to behave towards somebody who you really dislike? Why?

2. Is it OK to really dislike somebody? Why or why not?

3. Do you think that it is ever OK to hit somebody? Why or why not?

4. What one nice thing would you like to say to somebody else today?

Obama's Dialect

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "In Reid's Comments, Hints of Obama's Own Words." According to the article, President Obama once said, "“We have a certain script in our politics, and one of the scripts for black politicians is that for them to be authentically black they have to somehow offend white people...And then if he puts a multiracial coalition together, he must somehow be compromising the efforts of the African-American community...To use a street term...we flipped the script.”

A previous New York Times article quotes Senator Harry Reid as saying, "Barack Obama could become the country’s first black president because he was 'light-skinned' and had 'no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.'" This statement has generated a great deal of controversy and even calls for Reid's resignation. President Obama quickly forgave his Democratic colleague for any potential offense.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think that Harry Reid's comments have generated controversy. Did he say anything rude or racial? Explain!

2. Do you think that people tend to speak in different ways in front of different audiences, or with different groups of people? Why would they do this?

3. Some people would argue that a sign of maturity is knowing how to behave in appropriate ways in different situations. Would you agree with this opinion? Why or why not? What does it mean to be mature?

4. Many have compared Senator Reid's comments to those made by Senator Trent Lott racially tinged comment made in 2002 when he said that the United States would be a better place if Strom Thurmond had won the Presidency. Strom Thurmond supported segregation when he ran for President years ago. Senator Lott was forced to step down from his position as majority leader because of his comment. Do you think that Senator Reid should suffer a consequence as a result of his statement? Why or why not?

5. Do you think that Republicans who are calling for Senator Reid to step down really believe that he did something terribly wrong? Why or why not?

Questions for Younger Children

1. Do you think that people should behave differently in different situations? Is it ever acceptable to run and scream? Why or why not? Is it ever unacceptable to run and scream? Why or why not?

2. Do you ever speak in different kinds of voices? Why might some people do this?

3. Have you ever done something and been punished for it but then seen somebody else do the same thing and not get punished? What did you do? Why do you think that you were punished but somebody else was not punished?

Gay Marriage

Newsweek is running an article entitled, "The Conscience of a Conservative." The subtitle asks, "The lifelong Republican who argued Bush v. Gore before the Supreme Court—and won—goes to court this week to overturn California's ban on gay marriage. Huh?"

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think that conservative friends have asked Mr. Olson when he decided that he was for gay marriage? Do all conservatives, or all liberals, have to agree on everything? Why or why not?

2. Think of a specific debatable issue? What are the different sides of that issue? If individuals are on the same side of the issue can there still be disagreements between them? What kinds of disagreements? (What does it mean intellectually to belong to a political party? What does it mean to take a particular side in a debate in the classroom? )

3. Define the term marriage? What are the most important things about a marriage? What parts of a marriage are unimportant? Why?

4. Do you think that there are things that a government should tell a person that he may or may not do? Why? In what kinds of ways, if any, should a government be able to govern the behavior of individuals? In what kinds of ways, if any, should a government not be able to govern the behavior of individuals?

5. The government of the United States allows married couples to receive certain tax benefits. Should homosexual people who marry be allowed to enjoy the same tax benefits as heterosexuals? Why or why not?

Gilbert Arenas

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "Who is Gilbert Arenas? Even He Doesn't Seem to Know." Earlier this week, NBA Commissioner David Stearn indefinitely suspended Arenas from playing in the professional basketball league because he pulled out several guns in the locker room. Sally Jenkins the author writes, "Arenas bears a series of tattoos on his legs that he calls Black Rushmore: images of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, and Barack Obama. When he first displayed them, they seemed nobler than the usual body art, more interesting than the inked tiger on his chest. They bespoke a guy who, beneath his teasing, was susceptible to meaning, conscious of things beyond himself. But now they just seem like costuming. The guy might as well have tattooed a feather boa onto his neck, for all the emblems seem to mean to him."

Questions to Consider

1. What do you think are the major reasons that people sometimes act foolishly?

2. If you could ask Gilbert Arenas one question in addition to "Why did you do it?" what would you ask him? Why?

3. Do you think that adults have tendencies to fall back on childish behaviors at times? Why or why not?

4. Do you think that professional athletes should be role models? See if you can answer this question from multiple perspectives.

Retail Stores Sales Up

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Retailers See Holiday Sales Rebound from Grim 2008." The article reports, "Retailers as varied as Costco and Saks posted robust year-over-year increases at stores open at least a year, a crucial measure of retail health known as same-store sales. Some chains — TJX Companies, Ross Stores and Aeropostale — reported double-digit increases. And a number of retailers raised their earnings estimates, suggesting the nation’s stores are in the early stages of a turnaround." However, the article also states, "Mid-priced department stores, a sector that has been struggling for a while, posted some of the month’s weakest numbers. Sales declined 7 percent at Dillard's, 3.8 percent at J.C. Penney, 2.6 percent at Bon-Ton Stores, and 2 percent at Stein-Mart."

Questions to Consider

1. Why do you think that sales typically increased at high end stores but stagnated or shrunk at mid-priced tiers?

2. Within your community have you seen any evidence that the economy is rebounding? Explain!

3. Explain the difference between discretionary spending and non-discretionary spending?

4. If you could do one thing to try and promote consumer spending what would you do? Why?