Up North Progressive
Politics and commentary for Northern MichiganStaring At Pictures Without Context Helps Children Read: The Continuing Story of Dr Steve Ingersoll
Monday , 4, January 2016 Dr. Ingersoll, Section 16 1 Comment
While the federal circuit court in Bay City gives those of us paying attention to Steve Ingersoll’s sentencing hearing January blue balls, Miss Fortune continues to share what she’s learned from the testimony given during December court proceedings. Bay City Academy’s in debt so bad they sent an unapproved debt reduction plan to the state … but the Michigan Department of Education still doesn’t see any need to cut the failing school’s funding. We also learned that after Ingersoll’s conviction, he tried to secure a loan from a bank to start a new visual learning school program with his business partners, former LSSU Charter School office director Bruce Harger and Grand Traverse Academy board president Brad Habermehl.
But what really caught the Up North Progressive’s eye was the news that Steve Ingersoll and Mark Noss are still peddling their icon mapping software as a tutoring package through the Excel Institute in Traverse City. They’re not calling it Icon Curriculum Mapping anymore, they call it Icon Learning; any opportunity to get a glimpse of this enigmatic and elusive curriculum that’s supposed to revolutionize education, especially for students with learning disabilities can’t be missed!
The description of the method used is sufficiently vague enough to not give any real information on what the method actually is or how it’s going to help children learn, except to assure the reader that they are very successful in teaching children how to learn.
Our Method
The primary step of the icon Learning methodology is to teach students a learning technique that will improve performance across all academic subjects. We have reviewed the state of Michigan education requirements for all grade levels to ensure that our lessons correlate directly with the lessons the student receives at school.
Traditional teaching methods tend to start at the beginning of a subject and continue to introduce basic information details in a linear form. Through the icon Learning method, every time a new factor is introduced (e.g. a new U.S. president) we reference back to the word web so that students can properly place the information they receive into the order it belongs. (What?)
Our learning strategy has repeatedly proven to be successful, no matter what the lesson content has been. By reorganizing course content in ways that encourage visual learning, we have been able to teach children how to learn differently, ultimately correcting insufficiencies in learning habits.
Let’s take a look at the sample Social Studies lesson designed to help children read the US Constitution:
Okay, these symbols are supposed to have something to do with the preamble to the US Constitution? It’s hard to tell when there’s no context. Let’s see the next part:
This image includes a cat – thought bubble – letter U – onion. Oh wait, in order for the struggling reader to better understand the image designed to give him clues about the US Constitution, he has to READ THE WORD IN THE THOUGHT BUBBLE for the images to make sense.
But it doesn’t make any sense. What does purr U onion have to do with the preamble to the constitution? How does going through these mental gymnastics help the child read? Let’s take a look at a science lesson.
Here we have something that’s supposed to teach the student about conductive heat. If you needed more proof that Icon Learning is just repackaged Icon Curriculum Mapping, here it is. This image used to be on the Icon Curriculum Mapping website.
Con duck … get it? Burnt finger hot stove and that’s conductive heat kids. It gets better, what could they possibly do with something more complex, like atomic structures?
So here we have the symbol for American Atheists paired with a half-built outhouse. Below that is a politician, Newt politician, and a cat donut leaning against one of those big weights that falls on Loony Toons characters.
The biggest problem with this so-called curriculum is where is the context? How does a man named Ron who kids may or may not understand is running for election teach a child about atomic structures? A look at Bay City Academy’s science test scores answers that question.
Bonus image just for fun:
AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA No comment.
It’s horrifying that even after his conviction, Steve Ingersoll continues to come up with another business model where he can successfully scam desperate parents into paying for this “vision therapy curriculum”. Without context, how does a child really learn from Icon Mapping? Setting up children to fail using untested curriculum is abusive. Where is the evidence that Icon Learning is aligned with state curriculum standards?
Up North Progressive bets the answer to that question is never. If anyone have evidence that Ingersoll aligned Icon Learning to the state standards, pretty please share? Anyone willing to share more examples of IVL or Icon Learning are more than welcome to send an email.
Commit To Vote Blue In 2016 No Matter Who Wins The Primary
Thursday , 24, December 2015 Candidates, Elections, Presidential Primary 2016 2 CommentsComments to the most recent Up North Progressive article was expected. One commenter suggested the article be removed. Another commenter informed me I would have to change the name of the blog if I don’t support Bernie Sanders for president. Then someone did some cheer leading for Bernie Sanders on Up North Progressive’s Facebook page and so on.
Bernie Sanders does not hold any copyright or patent for the word, “progressive.” This blog has always been and will continue to be a voice for progressive issues. My criticism of Bernie Sanders supporters is still spot on, and still the reason why this very progressive blog will not be supporting him in any way. Bernie Sanders is 99.9% right on labor, economic, and civil rights issues. On foreign policy, defense and other issues the next president will have to address he is very weak. I’m glad he’s running for president in the primary. I’m still going to vote for the candidate who has a real chance of winning the White House in 2016. That candidate is Hillary Clinton.
Keep in mind the next president will likely be appointing at least 3 new Supreme Court Justices. Do you really want a Republican doing that? Here in Michigan, we face losing another congressional seat due to declining population caused by slow economic growth – because we’re drowning in Republicans who can’t do anything other than figure out more ways to rig the election to their advantage and poison entire cities with lead.
After the primary is over and you still insist you’re not voting Democratic party because your candidate didn’t win, you will be part of the problem right along with every other person who votes Republican party. We have to work together and put an end to the real problems created by Republicans in Michigan and the nation. Commit to voting blue in 2016.
What Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Have In Common
Tuesday , 22, December 2015 Candidates, Elections, Presidential Primary 2016 Leave a comment
Neither one of them will ever be nominated by any party to run for president. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s discuss why.
After 7 years of racism coming from the extreme and not so extreme fringe of the right, it’s no longer necessary to even put up a facade of decency on the campaign trail. On the GOP side, pure Republican Id Donald Trump says so many bigoted things one has to wonder why Jeb Bush even bothered hiding his racism with a Charles Murray dog whistle. Monday night in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Donald Trump once again jumped on the misogyny bandwagon by saying Hillary Clinton was “schlonged” by Barack Obama in 2008.
Bernie Sanders, like Donald Trump has an established history with misogyny. He also had the help of the NRA in getting elected to the House of Representatives. Sanders voting record on war in the Middle East leaves a lot to be desired too, but his fans don’t seem to care about any of that. They’re convinced Bernie has to be the next nominee, or else. Why are Sanders supporters so militantly demanding that everyone ‘feel the Bern’?
That’s the biggest problem with Bernie Sanders supporters and what they have in common with Donald Trump. It’s the creepy, Ron Paul worship vibe that comes off of the people who insist if The Donald/Bernie’s not the nominee they won’t vote at all. The echo chamber these people live in as they talk about their beloved candidate shields them from the reality of how their candidate is seen by the public. They honestly think their candidate is more popular because they refuse to notice anything else. Any protester who shows up at a Trump rally faces being physically assaulted by the crowd of knuckle-dragging mouth breathers assembled to hear their anointed one bark at them. Bernie Sanders also draws large crowds of people who are likewise fanatical about their candidate.
When the polls don’t validate what they believe to be true because polls have to rely on real data, then it’s the media/political party leader’s fault, and the conspiracy theories fly. Conspiracy theories about how the party chairperson is sabotaging the campaign so the preferred candidate wins is much easier to swallow than their candidate just isn’t as popular as they want to believe. It’s also easier to hate on Hillary Clinton because she’s a woman. The misogyny is just as bad with the Sanders hive mind as it is with Trump.
These are the kind of people who support Bernie Sanders. Just as hateful, bigoted and foul-mouthed as Donald Trump supporters. Trump is a carnival show. Sanders is the progressive Ron Paul. Both supported by the extreme radical edge of their party. The good news about these two is if the general election were today, Hillary Clinton would still win easily.
Until a couple of days ago, the links to both the Sanders and Clinton campaigns were on this blog, after encountering the misogynist Sanders hive mind, that link was removed. This is Up North Progressive, and progressive values will be preserved.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Announces January Public Land Sale in Eastern Upper and Northern Lower Peninsula
Tuesday , 15, December 2015 DNR, Environment, Upper Peninsula Leave a comment
Today the Michigan DNR announced “surplus” public land for sale by sealed-bid auction beginning January 12 to February 10, 2016. Available land includes parcels in the Eastern Upper Peninsula and the Northern Lower Peninsula.
Due to these parcels being isolated from other land managed by the DNR, they’re considered of little use for public recreation and inconvenient to maintain. Some parcels are as large as 240 acres; some have river or lake frontage. Counties where the land is located include Alpena, Arenac, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Crawford, Gladwin, Mackinac, and St. Clair. Six parcels of land in Adams Township of Arenac County being offered make up over 680 acres.
Information about the land for sale, the procedure for making a bid, conditions of sale, and the minimum bid can be found here. Property listings won’t be available until January 12, 2016. Printable bid forms will also become available at that time. Bids must be submitted by Midnight, February 10, 2016. The bids will be opened on February 22, 2016.
For more information, contact Patricia Harlow at 517-284-5940, or by email at harlowp@michigan.gov
So Far “Classical” Education Not Strong In History or English: Tea Party Charter School
Saturday , 12, December 2015 Section 16, Tea Party Charter School Leave a commentSo if I read this correctly, Islam won’t be a totalitarian theocracy if they have better breathing.
It’s funny when a guy promoting for-profit schools that will teach Americans are better off living in a religious totalitarian theocracy condemns a religious totalitarian theocracy.
Bill Schuette Job Security: Aramark Edition
Thursday , 3, December 2015 Aramark, Bill Schuette, Nerd Problems 6 Comments
Aramark may be long gone, but thanks to the Nerd’s failure at privatizing the state prison food service, the Michigan taxpayers are stuck with the bill of cleaning up Snyder’s mess. Today Bill “I wanna be the next governor” Schuette announced a conviction on one of the former employees of Aramark who tried to pay an inmate in cigarettes to assault another inmate at Kinross Correctional Facility in the Upper Peninsula.
27 year old Michael Robert Young was a supervisor for Aramark when he approached the inmate and offered him tobacco products in exchange for arranging the attack on another inmate housed in a different prison, serving time for murdering a relative of Young’s. The inmate instead reported Young and he was arrested following an investigation by the Michigan State Police and Michigan Department of Corrections.
While Schuette pats himself on the back for Young’s conviction, the real crime is that Aramark received the contract to provide food for Michigan Department of Corrections inmates at all. Since their short time serving up maggots, spoiled food, garbage, sex, drugs and plenty of other specialty items – like contract hits – Aramark built up their reputation as a basement bargain service provider that Snyder touted would save the state millions of dollars, but instead cost taxpayers more as the company violated state regulations and prison policies repeatedly. It took less than two years for the Nerd to kick Aramark to the curb, but instead of being a decent human and admitting he made a mistake, he hired another contractor than have the MDC take control of the food services for Michigan’s prisons again.
Micheal Robert Young faces up to five years in prison, but the person who really needs to answer for his crimes against the taxpayers of Michigan is Rick Snyder. He is the reason the Aramark fiasco happened, he needs to answer for it, as well as an ever growing list of failures since Michigan had the misfortune of electing him governor – twice.
For-Profit Charter School Bad News For Baldwin
Thursday , 3, December 2015 Dr. Ingersoll, Section 16 2 Comments
This comment was submitted to the Lake County Star in response to their story about for-profit charter school Gateway To Success Academy’s presentation to the Baldwin Community Schools board. The Lake County Star did not publish the comment.
Last week, the Lake County Star reported Jamie Bandstra presented the new for-profit charter school, Gateway To Success Academy, to the Baldwin Community Schools Board. This is the last thing Superintendent Stiles Simmons and the community need to welcome to Lake County.
Jamie Bandstra was the principal of Journey Junior Senior High School in Scottville, an alternative education program providing 125 at-risk students with a pathway to high school graduation. He took that opportunity away from those young people when he pursued his plan to create direct competition with real public schools in the region. This profit first business could potentially take students away from Baldwin Community Schools, and with them funding Baldwin schools need.
Journey Junior Senior High School closed at the end of the 2015 school year. The former students are not guaranteed admission into Gateway To Success Academy, they have to apply along with other students. None of the former Journey staff were offered jobs either. For-profit charter schools routinely pay their staff less money than public schools, with fewer benefits and without the job security public school teachers have.
Gateway To Success is modeled after High Tech High, a chain of for-profit charter schools in San Diego, California. Parent and student reviews about these schools are very mixed. Many cite having to take remedial classes in college because High Tech High didn’t provide enough core subject instruction needed to do well in higher education. Their claim that 100% of their graduates were accepted into college is accomplished by requiring all of their students to apply to community colleges. This is not the model of “school choice” we need in Lake County.
For-profit charter schools have received well-deserved negative press recently. In 2014, the Detroit Free Press published a week-long expose on the billions spent on for-profit charter schools with very little to show for the money the state of Michigan gives them. Last month, the Center for Media and Democracy published a study that showed the Michigan Department of Education handed out nearly $2 million to “ghost” charter schools that never opened. Charter school scandals in Muskegon Heights and Pontiac are both centered on missing taxpayer money. Steve Ingersoll, founder of Grand Traverse Academy and Bay City Academy will be sentenced on December 8 for federal felony fraud after depositing nearly half of a $2 million line of credit into his personal bank account in an attempt to cover up $3.5 million he embezzled from Grand Traverse Academy.
With so much evidence showing for-profit charter schools only cause more problems for Michigan communities, I hope Superintendent Simmons and Baldwin Community Schools carefully consider the problems a for-profit charter school competing with our public schools for funds will cause for the community. Lake County can’t afford for-profit education like Gateway To Success Academy.
Religious Fanaticism Has No Denomination: Stand With Planned Parenthood
Sunday , 29, November 2015 Community, Michigan Women, Religious Fundamentalism, Tea Party, Tealiban Leave a comment
… belief is the death of intelligence” – Robert Anton Wilson
On social media anti-choicers applauded Robert L. Dear for stopping the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood from murdering more babies while most of the GOP presidential candidates remain mute over the attack on the health care clinic. So far, Mike Huckabee exercised his lack of cognitive ability to parrot what he read on Twitter. It’s not like he has a chance of winning the GOP nomination, so we’ll give him a pass for opening his mouth.
We don’t know what procedures or services the health clinic were busy with on Friday, November 27, as Dear walked into the Planned Parenthood parking lot with his rifle and started shooting at people in cars and on the street. We do know he was never at any bank. The target was always Planned Parenthood. Once he was inside the building, he shot more people, wounding 9 and killing 3 before surrendering to the police. Dear shut the clinic down, but did he stop any abortions that day?
It’s more likely he stopped people from receiving STD testing and treatment, cancer screenings, prenatal care, or engaged couples having premarital tests. He likely stopped people from picking up their birth control, such as women needing hormone therapy, or married couples responsibly managing their family size. Most importantly, people needing health care services who can’t afford them elsewhere were there that day.
It’s obvious the hate speech directed at Planned Parenthood over the fake videos about selling baby parts – something Planned Parenthood has never done, but anti-choicers vehemently believe – is what led Robert Dear to shoot up the clinic. Hate speech repeated by politicians and the media to the point that even while people were being shot and killed, brainwashed anti-choicers continued to parrot that hate speech on the internet and still do it now.
The unfortunate truth about this tragedy is that no matter how much we share facts, belief will prevail. It does no good to tell anti-choicers the Operation Rescue-backed videos are fake, that Obamacare doesn’t pay for abortions, or that women seeking reproductive health care are not sluts. Anti-choicers are beyond understanding the facts and just don’t care. They believe they’re right, and that’s good enough for them.
Forget about anti-choicers. Those of us who know the truth need to support Planned Parenthood now more than ever. The work they do keeping Americans healthy must be protected so they can continue. The more work done to educate people about the truth, the sooner we can put an end to radical religious-fueled violence.