A Smile as Big as the Moon: A Special Education Teacher, His Class, and Their Inspiring Journey Through U.S. Space Camp In A Smile as Big as the Moon, Kersjes explains how, with remarkable persistence, he broke down one barrier after another, from his own principal's office to the inner sanctum of NASA, until S
☛ eBooks Online
| Title | : | A Smile as Big as the Moon: A Special Education Teacher, His Class, and Their Inspiring Journey Through U.S. Space Camp |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.54 (783 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1250012627 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 288 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2012-01-17 |
| Genre | : |
Editorial : From Publishers Weekly From a magazine article, educator Kersjes learned that students from all over the country could spend six days training and living like astronauts at Space Camp, a 450-acre theme park, museum and educational center at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama. Knowing his high school students would relish visiting the facility, he pitched the idea to a colleague; she questioned his sanity. He mentioned it to his principal, who responded, "`You should be preparing these students for life beyond this school, not chasing some crazy dream.'" Why would an administrator be bitterly opposed to such an enriching experience? Because these students had developmental disabilities like Down's and Tourette's syndromes, as well as emotional problems. Despite the opposition, Kersjes was determined to give his students the experience of a lifetime. With co-teacher Robynn McKinney and parent chaperones, Kersjes loaded 20 students, age 14 through 17, onto a plane from Grand Rapi
Mike Kersjes always believed that his students could do anythingeven attend the prestigious Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, where some of America's best and brightest high school students compete in a variety of activities similar to those experienced by NASA astronauts training for space shuttle missions. The challenge was convincing everyone else that the kids in his special education class, with disabilities including Tourette's syndrome, Down's syndrome, dyslexia, eating disorders, and a variety of emotional problems, would benefit from the experience and succeed. In A Smile as Big as the Moon, Kersjes explains how, with remarkable persistence, he broke down one barrier after another, from his own principal's office to the inner sanctum of NASA, until Space Camp finally opened its doors. After nine months of rigorous preparation, Kersjes's class arrived at Space Camp, where they turned in a performance beyond everyone's expectations.
Though my focus is on digital photography, this book also focuses on the history of the modern art from different well known artists, and helps with how composition has developed over a number of years. When I purchased this book, I was afraid it might be overly academic and a bit "dry" for me (I admit it, I'm mostly a fiction reader). This is truly a dreadful book.
The author attempts to do something loosely along the lines of Samuel Eliot Morison's "Admiral of the Ocean Sea," a fascinating, though dated, book that combines Morison's knowledge of the sea and sailing with a biography of Columbus. Re-reading because of the details.. His story is the kind that I wish were retold over and over again on the evening news. If you are interested in Digital Art or Digital Photography, this is an awesome book. It's a matter of deciding what's best and making it happen, rather than making the best of what's happened already. However, I found it to be very engaging. I'd sure like to se
No comments:
Post a Comment