Rogue Commute Challenge

In the spirit of reducing our carbon footprint, of enhancing personal wellness and honoring the interdependent web of life, I’m asking co-workers if they'd be interested in forming “Rogue Commute Challenge” teams.

LinkedIn ProFinder locates freelance candidates

Setting aside the hyperbole of the headline (with media coverage by the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times and Dallas Morning News, it simply isn’t true that “nobody” noticed LinkedIn’s entry into the “freelancer-for-hire” marketplace), John Nemo offers an interesting analysis of the new LinkedIn ProFinder.

‘Bullying is a Pain in the Brain’

Humor is combined with comprehensive advice about bullying in Bullying is a Pain in the Brain by Trevor Romain (Free Spirit Publishing, May 2016).

This book addresses what I consider essential components to address bullying: including a message that the target of bullying is not at fault for being the victim of abuse, a dispelling of the myth or outdated belief that bullying is a normal part of childhood and an emphasis on the power of bystanders to defuse the bully’s power.

Romain’s text, which was originally copyrighted in 1997, is being released this May in a revised and updated edition.

What’s unique about this book (part of the Laugh & Learn Series) is the humor with which it addresses its subject, without ever weakening the important and serious message.

Steve Mark’s lively, full-color illustrations nicely enhance Romain’s text.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinion expressed is my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Oregon children’s favorite books for 2016

Winning titles were recently announced in two readers’ choice awards that I promoted in Bellview library.

From the Oregon Library Association came word that Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein was the 2016 winner, upper-elementary division, of the Oregon Reader’s Choice Award. And the Oregon Association of School Libraries announced that Charlie Bumpers vs. The Teacher of the Year by Bill Harley was top vote-getter for the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award.

The school community may be interested to know that these awards’ winning titles were favorites among Bellview students too.

Diagnostic ‘labels’: Don’t be so quick to discard

From blogger Gail Forsyth-Vail writing at Beacon Broadside, I learned about an argument by Enrico Gnaulati, for removing children’s diagnostic “labels.” By briefly sharing my background, I hope to explain why this idea makes me uncomfortable.

When I grew up, I was painfully aware that I was not like other people. It was continually made evident by classmates who taunted and rejected me.

From kindergarten onward, I was a school-wide outcast.

I grew up in a culture that seemed governed by hidden rules that were never explained. It was clear to me that everyone else had somehow “gotten the manual,” but no one ever offered any explanation of how and why I was different.