Category: Uncategorized

A STONG DAY AND A SOLAR ECLISPE

NOTE: This was an old post that I had not updated on the day of the Solar Eclipse.  The date of this note is actually August 21, 2017

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Today I had what I would call a “strong” day.

It started out with my participation in a meeting with a student who was in a touch situation.  Details are withheld from this document!  I was a good emotional support and helped in bringing about a good solution.

I then met with Kevin Casey and we reviewed my method for managing course content through www.kvccdocs.com

That was a cool experience.

I got to go through the role of advocate representing a Faculty in a negotiation of an accommodation…that was cool.

And TODAY, America experienced a full solar eclipse…I got to borrow some glasses and was able to see it!  Very cool.

Here is the route that the eclipse took across the US.

We in Maine did not get a full eclipse but it was cool none-the-less.  And I got to see it though a set of special glasses, so I could look right up at the sun.

Nice.

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Mark K.

 

In Hebrew this s word means “upward journey”. Jews returning to the promised land would be said to be making their Aliyah.

As with any upward journey, the choice at every step is to go higher, remain where you are, or to go lower. The text describes the journey back to Israel of the Jews as a physical journey; one bound in the law and the people of God. 

As followers of Christ we are brought bro communion n with God’s people in a spiritual way rather than a physical one.  So our Aliyah is a spiritual journey, with spiritual decisions to go up, stay the same, or go down. 

From a spiritual reference, our Aliyah is our entire lives. If we are to join with God in the New Jerusalem, the City set on a Mountain, we are to day-to-day make the decision to go higher. 

We know how to act and live a good life. The law is written into our being as the tell tale brush technique of a great artist is easily seen. Every movement we are to submit to the law. To our inner compas. Careful that we continually compare our ways to the ways of Jesus and the Santa from the Bible. 

The struggles of our life Eva represent each step toward our meeting with God in his holy mountain. 

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Mark K

Recently I attended the wedding of Hannah (Tobias). Daughter of Mike and Carolyn Tobias. Great wedding. Played some tunes and the skipped over the ring part in the ceremony, which was so cool!

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Mark K.

OK, so we are very close to starting classes at KVCC…like, tomorrow!

I needed to get the CourseBook done for Interviewing and Counseling and I just submitted it for publishing.  I’m pretty excited about this one.  Each one I do is better than the last.

I was also inspired to do another book.  In Chapter 2 of this one, I went into some detail about the application of Development Theory to persons with mental illness (or for any disability, for that matter.)

The information just flowed and I found it fun to write and interesting to bring it all together into one place like that.  So…I’m going to set out to write a real book this time.

The Application of Developmental Theory to the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities.

How does that sound? (Actually, I talked about this in a previous post didn’t I…)

I’m pretty pumped up!

So, now I need a break from my computer.  Time to putter in the (eventual) Man Room!

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Mark K.

I’m writing the CourseBook for Interviewing and Counseling. I just completed a rather large section on developmental theory. 

This gives me a book idea. Rather than write a new developmental psychology text, I can write one about the application of developmental theories to treatment of persons with mental illness.  This could apply to all disabilities. 

“Applying the Developmental Perspective to the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities”

How does that sound?

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Mark K.

CELLO

I bought an electronic Cello!  Can’t even tune it yet!

Last night I figured out how to rosin the bow, found out the little tuner that came with it has a “cello” setting, and I broke a string trying to tune it!

I got some sound out of it though! You have to press the rosin kind of hard onto the bow strings to get the rosin on there. Who the heck can up with all this anyway?

Some notes sounded like a dying cat, other notes sounded like Yo Yo Ma killing a cat. I’m getting there!

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Mark K.

So, the battle continues to be able to keep integrating iPads into the mental health program at KVCC.  Yesterday I met with the admin and we discussed the proposal I had put together. 

While I’m essentially OK with the proposal, there is still the haunting reality that the admin has chosen to reach into the classroom and impact the selection of materials process. While they have asked that this agreement not set a precedence for other programs to repeat, it DOES set a precedence for the administration being able to influence and change aspects of the class that have been the sole purview of the Faculty. 

I’m anxious to see the memorandum that is supposed to come out of this and then talk with the folks at the Union. 

None-the-less, I’m nearly ready for the start of the semester. I think the entire institution is a bit chaotic right now, but we will see how it holds together. 

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Mark K

Today I had what I would call a “strong” day.

It started out with my participation in a meeting with a student who was in a touch situation.  Details are withheld from this document!  I was a good emotional support and helped in bringing about a good solution.

I then met with Kevin Casey and we reviewed my method for managing course content through www.kvccdocs.com.

That was a cool experience.

I got to go through the role of advocate representing a Faculty in a negotiation of an accommodation…that was cool.

And TODAY, America experienced a full solar eclipse…I got to borrow some glasses and was able to see it!  Very cool.

Here is the route that the eclipse took across the US.

We in Maine did not get a full eclipse, but a partial.  I saw something similar to the image I indicate above.  Very cool!

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Mark K.

 

So, this is the sort of thing that happens when Mara is here. She wants to go hiking. I’m not sure but I want the chance to get out with her and NOT work!

I agree. It is raining all day but we go anyway.

We hiked Eaton Mountain. This is not far from home but there are no real trails. We really bushwhacked our way through.

We started the hike up the old ski lift line.  This was the first view back to the base station of the lift.

This is the view looking up the hill.  Notice how overgrown this area is!

This is a LOT of what we walked through, though we did hike into the woods when it made sense.  The woods were a lot more clear due to the canopy.

Waist deep in ferns!

At the top of the mountain, Mara got to get on the ski lift!

There were a couple cell towers at the top and we took a round-about way to get back down.  Got a little lost (not really, because we had GPS) but we made it back.

We started at building A, walked up the D line and then came back down (approximately) following the #1 trail.

We were soaked. We arrived at home 5 minutes before dinner time!  Perfect timing!

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Mark K.

Wow, so today has been a busy and pristine day!

• Set up all the PSY 101 classes for Fall
• Set up MHT 104
• Set up all theiTunes U classes for Fall (at least they are ready to be edited)
• Chores
• Recycles
• Bank deposit
• Bought tickets to see Don Fedler, Styx, and REO Speedwagon this Sunday!  Going with Hannah and Mara!!

It was also a bit of a sad day as we said goodbye to Kell Clark.  Kelly was the culinary arts teacher at KVCC and she is moving to South Carolina. 

End note:  Mara totally got to bro a conversation about buying an RV to live in during the summers!  Wow. 

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Mark K.