Resolutions You Can Keep

 by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly Jan 6, 2010

As we turn over a new year, we resolutely make resolutions, all of which fail or are forgotten by the turn of the new month.

I believe this is because we focus on the ends rather than the means. When we want to lose weight, we misguidedly proclaim, “I will lose 20 pounds,” as if that were a waypoint to program on our life’s GPS. We forget that once we reach the fictional city of “Twentypoundia” we must continue traveling, else we wind up back at our starting point.

Better to pledge “I will enjoy eating my broccoli and kiwi, while I walk and talk with a friend each evening.” Isn’t that more appealing than your vision of standing on a scale?

In that vein, and with credit to a blog by Scott Young on www.lifehack.org, here are 10 steps to follow on your journey to improving your life through lifelong learning.

1) Keep a “To-Learn” List

We all have to-do lists. Try to also have a “to-learn” list. Maybe you would like to take up a new language, learn to dance, or read the works of Shakespeare. Whatever motivates you, write it down.

2) Get Smarter Friends

Start spending more time with people who think. Not just people who are smart. But people who actually invest much of their time in learning new skills. Their habits will rub off on you. Even better, they will probably share some of their knowledge with you.

3) Guided Thinking

Simply studying the wisdom of others isn’t enough; you have to think through ideas yourself. Spend time journaling, meditating or contemplating ideas you have learned.

4) Put it Into Practice

Skill based learning is useless if it isn’t applied. Studying painting isn’t the same as picking up a brush. If your knowledge can be applied, put it into practice.

5) Teach Others

Any teacher knows the best way to learn a subject is to teach it. At Club Ed, you can try out your class ideas and have fun doing it.

6) Learn in Groups

Lifelong learning doesn’t mean condemning yourself to a stack of dusty textbooks. Workshops and group learning events can make educating yourself a fun, social experience.

7) Start a Project

Set out to do something you don’t know. Forced learning in this way can be fun and challenging. If you don’t know anything about computers, try building one. If you have two left feet, learn the two-step.

8) Follow Your Intuition

Lifelong learning is like wandering through the wilderness. You can’t be sure what to expect and there isn’t always an end goal in mind. Letting your intuition guide you can make self-education more enjoyable.

9) Reap the Rewards

Learn information you can use. Understanding the basics of computing will help you join the rich online world, communicate with your family, or help you start a new business.

10) Make it a Priority

As I always told my students, no one can make you learn. The desire has to come from within. It is up to you to make lifelong learning a priority in your life.

As you’ve guessed, Club Ed addresses all 10 points. But even if you never take a class, my wish is that you use these tips to guide you on your learning journey.

xxx

The Spring 2010 Club Ed catalog is now online and in the mail. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Sayings I never understood

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & the Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly, Dec 30, 2009

We grew up hearing “sayings” gleaned from literature and history that are meant to impart great truths in few words. Phrases like “Man does not live by bread alone” and “I am my brother’s keeper.”

When you reexamine the source, you find many have morphed into meaning the opposite of the way they are used. Herewith are some examples:

You can’t have your cake and eat it, too

I never understood this one - it makes no sense. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it. In fact, that the only way to eat your cake is to “have” it first!

It makes sense only when it is stated accurately. The original phrasing is “You can’t EAT your cake and have it too.” Suddenly it makes sense. After you eat anything, you no longer have it to eat.

Man does not live on bread alone

I have heard this line quoted by sybarites to justify living the high life; that is, one need not subsist on mere bread and water. The Bible phrase actually means just the opposite - man is not meant to subsist entirely on material things of this world, but to seek spiritual nourishment, the opposite of living it up.

I am my brother’s keeper

Used by politicians to make us pay more taxes for welfare programs. The Biblical phrase has Jesus asking “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Again, this imparts the exact opposite meaning used today - I cannot control how my brother uses his time and gifts.

Money is the root of all evil

No no no, that is not what this other Bible phrase said. It is the love of money that is the root of evil. Big difference.

Steal from the rich; give to the poor (the Robin Hood argument)

The parable of Robin Hood actually makes the exact opposite argument than the one proposed by those who evoke it. It is used by usually by those who see Robin as a hero who takes money from the wealthy merchants and distributes to the poor common folk - redistributing wealth.

In reality, Robin is taking back the taxes and tariffs unfairly imposed upon the working man by the government. Who chases Robin? The Sheriff, on behalf of the government. So Robin Hood should be the hero of those who opposes oppressive taxes and government interference.

I laughed all the way to the bank.

Actually, Liberace, the flamboyant pianist, when asked how he felt after bad reviews by critics, said, “I cried all the way to the bank.”

My favorite might ring a bell for member s of the older generation. My mother often used the phrase, “Didn’t know s*** from Shinola,” and occasionally when talking about me as I recall. It was an alliterative and colorful phrase, but I never really got the reference. Only when I was an adult did I discovered that Shinola was a brand of boot polish, one whose consistency and color apparently bore a resemblance to the another substance beginning with the letter “s.” Suddenly all became clear.

Proving an Amish proverb that - more than ever - rings true, “We grow too soon old, and too late smart.”

XXX

Club Ed is the community education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Every session, Club Ed offers hundreds of classes for everyone in the Texas Hill Country. The Spring catalog is now in the mail. More information online at www.clubed.net.

A class in every town

by Phil Houseal, as seen in Community Journal (Kerrville TX) & Hill Country Weekly (Boerne TX) Dec 23, 2009

You’ve heard of a chicken in every pot; my Christmas wish is to put a community education program in every town.

Kerrville, you are fortunate having a program like Club Ed. That is not bravado; it is fact. For a town this size, there is probably not another program like it in the state or the country. Two times a year, you receive a catalog of hundreds of interesting and stimulating lifelong learning opportunities, from dance to computers to cooking to karate. This is not magic; the success is because your school district offers it and you support it by signing up for classes and by stepping up to teach.

But you may be surprised to learn there are fewer than 100 such community education programs in Texas. That is less than 10% of the more than 1100 or so school districts in the state that open up their facilities to the tax-paying citizens.

A little history. The concept of community education began in 1935 as a dream of Frank Manley, a physical education teacher in Flint, Michigan. He passionately believed in John Dewey’s philosophy that “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

With funding from the Mott Foundation, Manley led the way for schools to open their doors to the community. What better community center than the schools, which had quality facilities, central locations, and connected all parts of a community?

The concept spread across the country, and became established in Texas in 1971 through the Center of Community Education at Texas A&M. The initiative to place community education programs in towns was at first funded by the legislature, but that funding went away in the late 1980s. Since that time, community education programs are largely self-supporting, using a combination of user fees, grants, and local support.

In the 1990s, the Texas Community Education Association made repeated attempts to acquire funding to start new projects with funding from the legislature and the Texas Education Agency, but appropriations bills failed to get out of conference committee.

So that brings us to the current state of affairs. Community Education programs exist and thrive around the state. San Antonio is a center for the largest programs in the state, at North East and Northside ISDs. Several strong programs exist in the Metroplex, with the remainder based in small and medium sized communities such as Frederickbsurg, New Braunfels, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs, College Station, and Kerrville.

It is also important to note the community education is not just people doing line dances or taking basket weaving (although we have both in Club Ed). Community Education looks different in every community, which is a strength. Some programs focus on offering classes for senior citizens. Others offer more K-12 based programs, including after-school enrichment and extensive summer camps. Others focus on adult literacy and GED classes. That diversity is a strength, because the community education program should reflect the community.

Back to the dream. If you live in a town that does not yet offer community education, please consider taking steps to start one. It does not have to be large, or even based in the school district. One town offered computer classes in a bank’s basement; other towns used local libraries.

Our Club Ed program has taken a small step in this direction by offering “remote” classes in surrounding communities over the years, including in Junction, Bandera, Center Point, and Comfort. Currently we have branches in Boerne and Ingram.

But it is important that every town has a place for a lifelong learning program of its own, to accommodate the community’s needs and reflect the population’s personality.

Because one fact remains the same in every town - learning should never end.

xxx

For more information about starting a community education program, visit www.tcea.com or email info@tcea.com. Technical support and small grants are available.

New spring classes are online now. The catalog will be mailed to all hill country homes after Christmas. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Elena

by Phil Houseal, as published in the Community Journal (Kerrville TX) and Hill Country Weekly (Boerne TX) Dec 16, 2009

When I walked into the HEB Floral Shop to buy flowers for my wife for her birthday, I never expected to find an epiphany.

I was window shopping in the flower cooler, bewildered by the array of arrangements, when a young smiling clerk approached and asked what I needed.

She had a slight accent that was unusual for central Texas. When I explained the occasion of my wife’s birthday, she smiled bigger and said, “Then you don’t want these, you want these!”

She placed her hand on my arm, and gently but firmly “guided” me to the next cooler, holding the more elaborate vases. I stopped looking at flowers and instead turned my attention to this obviously confident salesperson.

I had to ask: “I notice by your accent you are not from around here.”

“No,” she admitted. “I am from Russia, and was adopted by a local family.”

A light snapped on. “Do you live in Stonewall?” I asked cautiously.

Now it was her turn to be surprised. She nodded yes.

“And you came here about 10 years ago?” Again she nodded. “I know you,” I said.

It was around 2001 that Galina Hopkins taught a Russian language class for Club Ed. I was surprised at the interest in learning the language here in the hills of Texas, so far from the steppes of Russia.

I particularly remember one lady from Stonewall who signed up. She and her husband were in the process of adopting a child from Russia, and were anxious to learn the language. There was no better place than in Galina’s class. The Ukraine native not only taught conjugation and tense, she taught her native culture. During class, that room filled with music, dance, and the smells of food from Russia. We were regularly called in to sample borscht, sweets, and songs.

That family completed the lessons and the adoption. I remember the day they brought in their beautiful daughter, who was around age 11. Though she could not yet speak English, she communicated her joy and curiosity with bright eyes and beaming smiles.

It was those smiles that I recognized 10 years later in HEB. Elena is now a young woman who had obviously learned not only the language, but had turned the tables and used her marketing skills on me.

Of course I chose the better flower arrangement. As Elena pulled the item from the cooler, her selling was not finished. “Naturally, you want a balloon to go with this.” It was not a question. It was a statement. “You will find the birthday balloons in this section,” she said, gesturing to a rack beside her. By the time we finished the transaction, she had also sold me a card and gift wrapping.

I never so enjoyed being “sold.”

I also enjoyed seeing yet another way that lifelong learning weaves its way through our lives. One never knows how a bit of knowledge picked up can have repercussions decades later. Club Ed literally touches and changes lives, in ways we can never know.

But on this day in the floral department of HEB, I was glad to see another unexpected wave started from a ripple in Club Ed.

XXX

The new spring Club Ed classes are now online at www.clubed.net! Catalog mailed after Christmas. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Don't be a Maxine

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly 12/9/2009

“Exactly when was it, Mom, that you become so afraid to try new things?”

That was the blunt but loving query I asked my 80-something mother, Maxine, during a recent, infrequent, phone conversation. I was chiding her for not getting on her computer and learning how to use a basic email or a Facebook account.

You see, my mom used to be an intrepid explorer. As a young girl, she was the oldest of five sisters living on a farm in Iowa. She left the farm in her teens to study business in the state capital, married a sailor, and raised nine kids. She chased down wild horses, cooked and canned, and tended a huge truck garden.

Her reply? “If I do get on email, will you talk to me more often?”

“Every day,” I said honestly. I am still waiting for her to do it.

But other seniors are not waiting. They quickly discover that computers are easy to use, and once on, they can not only correspond with their children, but they can see pictures and videos of their grandchildren, look up old classmates and war buddies, and make new friends who share their interests and hobbies around the world.

It is understandable that computers intimidate some from a generation that was born before airplanes, television, and indoor plumbing existed. If you are one of those who just don’t feel comfortable trying a computer, don’t worry. We have courses and instructors designed just for you. For 20 years we have offered Computers for Beginners, and trained hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds how to join the computer revolution. That course literally starts with learning how to turn on the machine and how to move the mouse. By the end of the course, students are playing games, writing letters, and emailing friends.

From there, the options are up to each student. Many go on to learn more about email, how to fix old photographs, how to use digital cameras, how to make greeting cards and signs, and how to use word processors and spreadsheets.

How about shopping online? It sure beats getting out in the crowds and traffic, and is completely safe. And shopping online doesn’t mean you bypass the local economy. There is probably not any local store that doesn’t have a web site you can use.

I like to listen to classic radio programs, with my favorite the George Burns & Gracie Allen Show. In the 1940s, advertisers mounted a mock campaign to increase safety in the home. They titled it “Don’t be a Gracie,” referring to Gracie being prone to accidents.

With all apologies to my mother, I plead with you non-computer users “Don’t be a Maxine.” If you are hesitant to use new technology, come in and sign up for a class. We promise to be gentle. And if you have someone in your life who shares my mother’s distrust of computers, urge them to try something new by getting them a gift certificate for a Club Ed class.

Who knows? The first person they email, might be you.

xxx

For a last minute gift, how about a gift certificate for a class in Club Ed? One lady gave her 70-year-old mother a certificate for sky diving! For information, call 830-895-4386 before Dec 18.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

Stress and class

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal & Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly Dec 2, 2009

Are you stressed? I might have a cure.

I recently attended a seminar on recognizing and dealing with stress.

It was valuable because the insidious thing about stress is that you don’t realize you have it. It’s that twitch in the eye, the shallow breathing, the waking up at 2 in the morning - little tics that have become patterns that you cannot remember not having.

This group ended the session by going around the room and offering examples of ways we each deal with stress - sharing activities that reduce the level of anxiety.

We covered all the Reader’s Digest points - better nutrition, reduced sugar and caffeine, exercise, finding your happy place, and so on.

The session was nearly over when suddenly I had a flash of insight.

“Take a class!” I blurted.

Everyone turned to me to see what I was going to say next. I wondered, too.

Then it just came spilling out. I realized the times in my life I feel least stressed are when I am learning something new. Right now, that includes learning how to play violin and how to tap dance (no, not at the same time).

When I am in that lesson, for one hour, I don’t worry about work, kids, job, cars, or money. My mind goes to a state of focus and concentration, where the sole purpose is to hit that G# or nail that shuffle ball change. As a bonus, I’m getting a physical workout and learning a new skill or hobby - another stress reducer.

It occurred to me that every day I get to see people come through our doors who want to learn something new, and they are the happiest, most well-adjusted people I know, regardless of their age. This fall I interviewed a gentleman who is learning to weld. He is 87. And he didn’t appear to be too stressed. We have had a 70-year-old lady jump out of an airplane. I imagine she had a little adrenaline pumping through her veins, but she landed and survived to jump another day. Stress didn’t kill her.

We all know you should eat better, exercise more, sleep eight hours, and take time for yourself. The biggest reason people gave for not doing these things is “not enough time.”

Taking a class makes you take time. It forces you to attend a specific place at a specific time. It is in your organizer. When you show up, you are immersed in a whole new group of supportive people who become your friends and allies as you push back the frontiers of ignorance and uncertainty.

It is a fact that learning something new - at any age - forges new neuron paths in the brain. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

Oh. They say that change is another stressor. Well... take a tap class, and you can embrace change - shuffle ball change.

XXX

For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.

No retiring from learning

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal and  Boerne TX Hill Country Weekly - Nov 25, 2009



What does a retired teacher do when she no longer teaches?

Learn, says Carol McMahon.

I always love to ask people why they sign up for any lifelong learning classes. Everyone is so busy, I wonder what motivates them to choose a class, register and pay for it, then carve out time to show up for each meeting. I’ve asked people from all backgrounds and of all ages, including a few folks in their 90s. The answers are always revealing.

In McMahon’s case, she retired to the hill country three years ago, after teaching public school for 25 years. She immediately got involved in tutoring college students and, in her spare time, taking Club Ed classes.

“These classes are wonderful - a godsend for people who want to get back up to speed on computer, or learn art or dance,” she said. “It is fantastic you have this program here.”

In a short time, McMahon has enrolled in a smorgasbord of courses. They include Cultures of the Hill Country, dance lessons, art lessons, watercolor, and several trips. She couldn’t name her favorite.

“They were all really, really good,” she said. She especially enjoyed the local history class, and started doing her own research into the area. “There are a lot of small towns, and people don’t know about them. It’s nice to know about where you are.”

McMahon is already planning her next session of classes. She has her eye on geology, Google Docs, and Yoga. How, I wondered, does she decide which ones to take?

“Everything I am interested in,” she replied. “I never had time during my working life to get into things I wanted to do. So it is a real pleasure for me to have time to do this.”

McMahon is especially enjoying her art classes. She finally has time to study this love, and often travels to her place in Port Aransas just to paint.

Her next frontier lies in taking more computer classes.

“I work on the computer all the time. You have to update your skills as software is always changing. I especially need work on digital photography. You have to use it or lose it!”

Losing it does not see to be an option for this lifelong learner. She tells all her friends - even the out-of-town ones - about Club Ed and encourages everyone to take a class.

“I do believe in education. These classes are wonderful, especially for seniors. Anyone can afford $20 for a yoga class. What a great addition it is to the community.”

xxx

For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com, or follow us on Twitter @clubedtx.