Village Green/Town²

During the school year I teach Music and Movement classes to preschoolers with special needs in the Howard County Public School System. But last summer I traded my "Hot Potato" and "Hokey-Pokey" for a different tune altogether. As a Para Educator in Howard County's Comprehensive Summer School, my song went more like this: “Hat off, headphones off, put your phone away. Hats off, headphones off, and pull…up…your…pants!” My transition from Early Childhood to Adolescence was made possible by the supportive and knowledgeable Summer School team at Long Reach High School. At the heart of this team was the partnership of Rick Robb, CSS Principal, and Mr. Richard Ebb, Director of Security. They made sure that all of the Para Educators understood exactly why we were there: The mission of the Howard County Public School System is to ensure excellence in teaching and learning so that each student will participate responsibly in a diverse and changing...

There are noises in the air:  the jingle of spurs, the nervous whinny of a horse. Is that the sound of someone adjusting a gun in its holster? Or perhaps just tumbleweed rolling by in the breeze? The air is tense, crackling with animosity.  The Wild West lives again. Right here , that is.  At the Pre-Submission Community Meeting. One wonders if those GGP folks knew to expect The Paumier Gang to ride into town.  They might've suspected, but who could truly be ready for that relentless onslaught?  Even Miss Cindy, the Dance-Hall owner, took her best shots.  It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I can almost hear the heavy footsteps approaching.  "There ain't enough room in this town for the both of us, kid. I designed most of this town, and I don't 'low no competin' nor collaboratin'--you know what I mean?" In the Western showdowns of old, women and children knew to hide when danger was afoot.  They knew what was coming.  ...

As I hop around the hocoblogs neighborhood, I see how each blog creates its own little island for commentary and discourse. And some days I wonder if perhaps it isn't about the blogs at all, but about the comments. Consider: Why do some blogs produce good-natured give and take, while others bring out rude and ignorant trolling? Some blogs foster a gentle and supportive tone, some, a humorous one. And then there are the blogs which produce no...comments...at...all... (insert ominous music here.) Is this something to be feared? Are comments the mark of popularity or influence? That's a matter of personal preference. But, if blogging is seen as an open-ended form of communication with the reader, then a lack of comments can seem like living in a ghost town. Now, some bloggers take a blustery, pugnacious tone that may dissuade readers from making any comment. "Disagree with me? I'll bite your nose off!" But there are some blogs, and they can be quite good, ...