Monday, April 30, 2012

April 'Articles of Interest:' Tech Pivoting, Doodling for Dollars, Free Lunch for India's Students, & Tree Octopus vs. Dog Island


April 2012

Greetings Upper School Community:

April seems to have come and gone as quickly as a surprise rain shower.  Here’s the early spring edition of Articles of Interest to ease us into May and acknowledge our reaching the mid-term of spring trimester.

From the boom and bust world of technology, the WSJ addresses the adeptness of conceptual “pivoting for tech entrepreneurs, notably in the recent success of Instagram, which was purchased by Facebook for a reported $1 billion.    

With the great opening line, “put down that smartphone; pick up that crayon,” the article “Doodling for Dollars” depicts how companies encourage employees to re-connect with their marker-to-paper skills rather than being overly-obsessed with technological gadgets.

The Economist presents a compelling outline of a “third industrial revolution,” namely how digitization will continue to transform manufacturing, global resources, and the international “politics of jobs.”

From NPR’s “the Salt” Food Blog, the story of how Indian engineers strive to build a stronger society, starting with a low-cost but nutritious school lunch program.  The ambitious goal of providing freshly prepared meals to the poorest and most at-risk of India’s children now reaches over 1 million students a day, at an astonishing cost of less than a Quarter per meal.

In a story catharsis and rebirth, Bill “Chuck” Colson, notorious for his ruthlessness leading up to the Watergate scandal, discovered a new purpose in life while serving time in prison.  Colson dedicated the rest of his life to being an advocate for hope, fresh direction, and reform to convicts, in and beyond prison.  Colson died this month at the age of 80, having seen his outreach organization grow to include over 100 countries.   

And as a final April treat, here’s quick guide to “Google Jockeying,” modeling real-time research during interactive class discussions.  

Extra-credit can be earned for validating two of my favorite subjects:
The endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, and The pastoral sanctuary of Dog Island; Free Forever.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and feedback.  Happy reading and hope to see you soon at an up-coming MVS event.

With sincere regards,


Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School

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