Summertime Inspiriation!

It is July and everyone keeps asking me about next year. I've been trying to think about working on my Tan and when I can go camping but next year seems to be a popular question that must be answered. The answer to the question is I don't know! I simply don't know. Here is what I do know ... I've been looking for some inspiration for next year! Thanks to friends and family I have found a few great sources.

Here's one about William Kamkwamba a Malawian boy who at that age of 14 built a windmill to provide his family with power.He wanted his family to be able to irrigate their crops and he wanted to read at night. It is more amazing than I have words for you can watch what he did in his own words on the following websites. He appears at the TED conference which "Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world". It is a site that is easy to find inspiration from brilliant people around the world. But let's get back to William... his bamboo and bicycle parts...! Watch both links.. he makes 2 appearances on the TED stage.
Link 1

Link 2



Now I can only think of a few people on one hand who could read an old physics magazine and figure out how to build a windmill. Ingenuity born from necessity allows for the most creativity and seems to allow the time to learn and perfect an idea. This boy now a man definitely changed his own life, his families life, and his villages lives, you can read more about William and his continuing work for his people here:
Link 3

Isn't this a dream student? One who doesn't only believe the answers lie in learning but seeks to learn even on his own? After watching him I felt a inspired but a little deflated. I think we provide our students with too many answers and not enough questions. They need to be asking the questions and seeking the knowledge. Force feeding them knowledge... it just isn't working. They don't want it.. don't see the need for it. However.. maybe if we can help them to discover the possibilities..... what would change?


Here is a good ole American Girl who saw a need for change in Nepal. She helped get children off the streets and provided them with a home.
Meeting their basic needs for a roof over their head and food in their bellies. I bet this experience changed this young woman just as much if not more than it changed the lives of the children. Citizenship used to be something emphasized in the home, church, school, scouts, community, news, etc. To be a good citizen was high on the list of what makes a good person. Citizenship is still taught in school.. but something has changed. I don't want to get into what and why and how right now. I just think we've lost something really important in leaving that behind...that knowing and understanding of helping each other through life.

Here is something i know most of you have probably seen many times. I think maybe I should watch it once a month. If you aren't inspired by this you are one cold hearted person! There may be better links than this but you can find them easily on youtube.

Another thing I found really cool this summer was the following bridge. I know China didn't pick that bridge design and went with their own designers. However this bit of engineering is so simple and complex in its design it is engineering art.

Oh and here is the BEST NEWS OF THE SUMMER.... I got a KINDLE
Oh happy happy !!!! It is being shipped as we speak... I'm sure once this comes I will be so involved in BOOKS that writing will maybe even take a back seat to that camping trip.