Archive for October, 2007
“Her Mother & I”
As Karen and I reflect back upon the past 23 years we can only say “To God be the Glory” for the way he has clearly answered our prayer for a life long companion for our little girl. By saying “Her Mother and I” we are confirming:
1. God has answered our prayers for this day which we began presenting to the Lord even before Sara was born
2. God has been preparing both Sara and Caleb for this day
3. God has been preparing the Wooster and Reed families for this day
4. God’s model for the home – a father and a mother bringing up children to know, love and obey God
5. Caleb is now the God given authority over our little girl. It is with great joy and confidence in the Lord that we acknowledge this transfer. God says “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
By the grace of our Lord, we have taught Sara to make choices which honor her Creator. It is therefore our firm belief that she has followed the Lord’s leading in her marriage to Caleb; the one to whom she will submit to love, honor & obey. As a result it is our sincere belief that the Lord will continue the good word he began in Sara under our care, and she will become more Christ-like because of her relationship with Caleb as he aligns their home according to the truths presented in God’s Word.
Sara & Caleb it is the desire of “Your Mother and I” in the sight God and of our friends and family to yield our authority over you and pass it on to Caleb, whom God has been preparing to lead and provide for you until separated by death!
Dan & Karen
Sara & Caleb Wedding Presentation (pdf form – 18M)
In Memory of My Dad’s Best Friend
Life gives us many friends, but only a handful we can truly call our best friend. Don Holder was no doubt one of my Dad’s best friends!
One of my strongest memories of Don was the time he drove from Toledo to our home in Greenville, SC. My Dad was living with us and due to his illness was confined to a bed and a scooter. I really wanted Dad to be able to get out of the house and enjoy the beauty our Creator has put into the Fall season. So Don drove down one weekend and built a ramp that allowed Dad to ride the scooter in and out of our home anytime he wanted!
Don I shall forever remember you as my Dad’s best friend.
Teresa, Mom and I are praying for the God of all comfort, the Creator of the universe, and the personal Savior of all who accept his free gift of life through His Son, Jesus Christ, to comfort, encourage and strengthen you during this most difficult time, designed to draw to you closer to the One who created you!
With Love, Dan & Jeanette Wooster (Greenville, SC)
Did You Know?
Posted by admin in Education, Internship on October 15th, 2007
A couple weeks ago I watched an 8-minute presentation called “Did You Know?”. It presents some of the challenges which face education as we consider the impact computer & communication technology is having on our world. I would like to start a dialog among Christian school administrators and teachers concerning the information presented in this video. Watch this 8 minute video. If you want to verify the information I’ve also provided a link to a source list of the facts presented.
After watching the video, consider the following questions. Then post comments here on this blog space.
- What are your initial reactions to what you saw in the presentation?
- How are these changes manifesting themselves in your personal lives? professional lives?
- What do we think it means to prepare students for the 21st century? What skills do students need to survive and thrive in this new era?
- What implications does this have for our current way of doing things?
- Do we need to change? If so, how?
- How do we get from here to there?
- What challenges must we overcome as we move forward?
- What supports will we need as we move forward?
- What kind of training will we need to move forward?
- What kind of commitments will we need to make (with each other, our students, and our community) to move forward?
- What will we do next? What are some concrete actions that we can take in the near future?
- Is it possible for a teacher to be an excellent teacher if he/she does not use technology? [see this key questionfor another way to ask this]
- What is God’s purpose in allowing this type of technology to be developed? Is this simply another one of man’s attempts to “bring down God” (like the Tower of Babel)? Or Does God allow this technology for his ultimate glory? What impact should this have on our teaching of Christian young people?
GACS 2007 Computation Thinking Workshop
I presented this workshop at the 2007 Georgia Association of Christian Schools annual convention after one of my very best friends, Mike Bryant, encouraged me to participate. It was former GACS Director, Dr Malcom Cummings, year to “pass the baton” on to Mike. I wanted to be there to see him receive a much deserved honor for his years of service to the Christian school community in the AACS.
GACS Robotics Workshop
I presented this workshop at the 2007 Georgia Association of Christian Schools annual convention after one of my very best friends, Mike Bryant, encouraged me to participate. It was former GACS Director, Dr Malcom Cummings, year to “pass the baton” on to Mike. I wanted to be there to see him receive a much deserved honor for his years of service to the Christian school community in the AACS.
Welcome to My BlogSpace!
Here it is! My very first blogspace. I decided since I was trying to motivate Christian school administrators and teachers to consider the importance of including Web 2.0 technologies into their education processes, I better set an example! 
These are the thoughts I shared in my first GACS Workshop in “Preparing Students for the 21st Century with Computational Thinking Skills” in Macon, GA on October 11, 2007.
Here are the handouts for both presentations I gave.
- Computational Thinking Presentation Handout
- Computational Thinking Resources Handout
- Robotics Resources Handout
- Did You Know video
If you attended one of my GACS workshops, I would really appreciate hearing from you! Simply click on the comment link below. As the Lord leads, I would like to be more involved helping schools in the AACS in their efforts to prepare students for the Information Age for the glory of our Great Creator!
LEGO Mindstorms Popularity
Posted by admin in Education, Robotics4Kids on October 9th, 2007
Here are a few links which demonstrate the popularity of the LEGO Mindstorm kit for learning robotics:
Saving the world, one robot at a time – CNN article on the annual FIRST LEGO League World Festival
FIRST LEGO League – an international program for children ages 9-14 designed to inspire team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking.
LEGO Mindstorms used in middle school – American School in Japan
Mindstorms used on college level – University of Southern California uses Mindstorms in their introductory robotics course
Why Robotics in Education?
Posted by admin in Education, Robotics4Kids on October 9th, 2007
A few thoughts which motivated me to get into robotics using the Lego Mindstorm kits:
1. There has been a SHARP DECLINE (60%) in college students studying computer science between 2000 and 2004
2. The US Bureau of Labor predicts a SIGNIFICANT INCREASE (50%) in computer related jobs by 2012
3. Young people need something that will peek their interest in computer science
4. God desires His children to know Him and to glorify Him
5. Studying God’s power and intelligence in Creation is a wonderful way to glorify God (Rev 4:11)
6. Robotics is an excellent way for young people to get excited about computer science and to learn the beauty that is found in God’s Creation