May 3, 2013 Photo of the day: "Trivial Pursuit"

There is a lot of talk in education about teaching students to think critically, to think "above the red line" (analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating). I agree that given their connection to technology, students can access factual knowledge any time, any where. They really don't need to memorize dates, poetry, or facts anymore because they carry access to that knowledge in their pockets rather than in their heads. Education is no longer about what students know but what they can do with what they learn.

I am 100% on board philosophically, and I am eager to support students' learning and teachers' teaching in my new role as tech coach. However, in my heart (or in my head), I still love facts! I have stored a wealth of entertaining, albeit useless, trivia and am happy to share it if the occasion arises. For example: Did you know that Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of spring, (Thanks, Dad!); or that the score of zero in tennis is called "love" because the French said "l'oeuf" or "egg" - the shape of a zero; or that the distress signal, "May Day" comes from the French "M'aidez!" ("Help me!")...?

Geek alert: In high school, we had a Trivial Pursuit tournament with teams consisting of two students and a teacher. Guess who won? Yes, that's right, I was the 1985 Trivial Pursuit champion! Over the years, my friends and family have refused to play with me because "it isn't fun anymore." By the way, that goes for Scrabble too, although there are a few who give me run for my money on Words With Friends.

Tonight, my nephews' school is sponsoring a trivia night fundraiser. Yipee - a legitimate reason to get my geek on!

(PS: Today's photo also represents a few other favorites: James Dean, Rodin, Paris, and starfish, and the answer to "What major league baseball team's fans are called Cheeseheads?" is the Milwaukee Brewers - Go Crew! :)