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LAUSD Cancels Aeronautics Electives

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The LAUSD district choose to cancel the aeronautics elective school wide on a day that USA Today ran a cover story about the urgent need for up to 500,000 pilots globally in the next twenty years. There are at least two aeronautics programs citywide that have shown great success. John Burroughs Middle School teacher, Charlie Unkeless, was taking his students into the wild blue yonder before his class was cancelled leaving over 200 enthusiastic students grounded in their overcrowded classrooms. Unkeless taught aeronautics and computer technology to 7th and 8th graders at John Burroughs Middle School. He used Microsoft Flight Simulators hooked up with a Joystick and a classroom PC. A creative teacher who delivers content in unique ways, Unkeless has seen his Aviation class become one of the most popular elective courses offered at Burroughs. The past and present Principal at his school both supported his methodology. New rules put in place recently by the district will not allow the
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There are a thousand stories in the naked city. . . . . and mine is just one.

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Charlie Unkeless John Burroughs Middle School Technology Lab and Aeronautics Instructor Press Release Two weeks ago I received a Pink Slip along with 4500 other teachers in the LAUSD. I'm told that even if my RIF is rescinded, I won't be allowed back into the computer lab because the Principal will no longer be able to authorize my ability to teach technology. My credential is multi subject k-8, and I am deemed unqualified to teach a technology class. A Little History In 2003 I was recruited to teaching by the LAUSD District Intern Program. This program offered me a chance to become fully credentialed after a three year internship. LAUSD was recruiting professionals who wanted to bring their life experiences into the classroom. I had been a lighting designer for Oingo Boingo, led by Danny Elfman, for 20 years before he disbanded the group. I also worked as a lighting designer and operator for other artists including Barry Manilow, INXS, Debbie Gibson, and radio station
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Samba meets Jazz

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The fabulous Bill McHenry take a great solo at the concert Friday night, August 6.
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Sigraph Show LA - July 28

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Michael E. Goss, software engineer for Google, demonstrating Building Maker at the Sigraph show in Los Angeles July 27. Howdy, Charlie Reporting from the Sigraph show in Los Angeles this week. Picasa Gallery from Sigraph Sigraph is the yearly compendium of everything in visual computing including scientific, game, and special effects graphics. It was held in Los Angeles this year, only a couple of miles from my house. I could only wander the show for a day but Google had a booth. I met Michael Goss, software engineer for Google, who demonstrated,"Building Maker." What fun my 7th and 8th graders are going to have constructing buildings in Los Angeles. The area in which sets of oblique photos allow for the wrapping of geometry matches where most of my kids live. There are many other cities where the oblique views allow construction using the simple and intuitive tools Google has provided. Bravo! Check out Google's building maker: http://sketchup.google.com/ 3dwarehou
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Storm over the North Rim

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Rain curtains over the North Rim of the Grand Canyon shimmer and undulate with the afternoon light.
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Best Practices Conference

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Kinesthetic Learning

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