Route 6, IOWA

Here in the East, we may have a "corny" notion of cornfed Iowa.  "It's so boring, there's nothing out there to do but watch the corn grow," said one city slicker (not me).  This is the self-same slicker who gets all sanctimonious about eating strictly organic "farm to table" cuisine and exhorts others to eliminate stress by "stopping to smell the roses."  I say - what's the difference between stopping to smell the roses and watching the corn grow?  Plus, where do you think a bunch of those "farm to table" farms are located?

I also know that stereotyping runs both ways.  And I'm out to prove that not all people from the Northeastern US are elitist snobs. Although I must admit,  I had some pre-suppositions about the midwest myself.

Readers, Iowa is surprising me, though I really shouldn't be TOO surprised.  Before planning my Route 6 itinerary,  I vaguely recognized the state's importance in the world of national politics.   For decades the Iowa Caucus has been the first electoral event in the country during each United States Presidential Campaign.  Members of the press swarm there every four years, not to watch the corn grow, but to interview a very politically astute population.

And I've had the Iowa Writer's Workshop - the Holy Grail for aspiring poets and writers - on my own radar for years.  Many Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning authors have graduated from this University of Iowa's Graduate School Department, set in an unexpectedly metropolitan Iowa City.

But I've been most impressed by Real Estate agent Rex Brandstatter - an enthusiastic booster, cheerleader, and one-man-tourist bureau for Coralville, a suburb of Iowa City.  His can-do positive personality shines through his multiple emails to me, and I can't wait to see what Iowa City and Coralville have on tap.

I'll be in Iowa only a few days, so I won't have time  to sit and watch the corn grow.  As much as I'd like to.

Learning to play and playing to learn

Chess: learning to play and playing to learn

8:13 PM, Apr. 12, 2011
Written by
Richard A. Couch
Guest Opinion

Newspaper articles on educational subjects are filled with listings of cuts in teacher positions, cuts in curriculum, loss of funding for programs, and falling scores. Isn't there any good news?

Well, yes there is -- if one looks at stories about area chess tournaments.

Weber Elementary in Iowa City recently conducted its annual chess tournament for players of all ability levels in grades K-6. The tournament attracted students from local schools, a Neighborhood Project in Iowa City, and schools and students from Cedar Rapids. About 150 students took part.

Were all these students the brightest of the bright? Chess certainly has the reputation of attracting the brightest students. But chess isn't for just the brightest students. Nor does it make a student "bright." It is widely accepted that chess promotes higher level thinking skills, but for the average person, what does that mean exactly?

Chess requires concentration and motivation. It requires some discipline and patience and penalizes impulsiveness. Making a move without considering what will happen next can result in a loss. At a time when teachers need help in finding ways to unlock a student's potential for learning, chess is a tool to stimulate skills essential for classroom learning. Not just for the brightest, but for everyone.

Chess teaches sportsmanship; rowdy players will be asked to leave a chess club or tournament. "Trash talk" or other forms of taunting an opponent are not allowed. There is no jumping up and down when a player wins. Yet, there is real reason for a growth in self-esteem when a player wins. A win is not just a victory in one game. A win signifies mastery of many skills. As a player progresses in his ability, he can easily see how his concentration, discipline and experience resulted in his victory.

Full article here.

Guiding the young minds

Chess master guides young players in WDM
December 2, 2010

Checkmate.

Or in this case - teach me, mate.

That's exactly what Ben Munson of Urbandale does. The officially rated chess expert travels to each of the West Des Moines elementary schools to teach the game he has mastered.

"It's fun," Munson said. "I can't imagine myself not doing it."

He's been coaching since 1966 and playing since 1956. Now, he's passing his decades worth of knowledge on to young kids.

Munson spends his mornings visiting the schools, watching students play against each other. He offers instruction after games and sometimes slips in some advice during them. Mostly, he tries to let the kids play.

"I don't want to interrupt what they're doing but I want them to be aware," he said.

And learn.

And they seem to be doing it.

Crestview Elementary School student Tyler Crawford, 11, of West Des Moines learned how to play chess from his dad, Doug. Tyler said he's now learning a lot, honing those skills with Munson, who visits Crestview each Tuesday morning from 7:30 to 8:05 a.m.

"What's fun about chess is the tension when you play," Tyler said. "You don't know what they're going to do and you don't know what you're going to do. It's exciting."

Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com