Why Sears is Failing - Speak Think Learn

Why is Sears failing? How can a once mighty business that once had a catalog in every home in America now fail?

My wife and I went shopping at Sears today and had a terrible experience.  On a clothing rack, it was clearly marked that it was buy one get one free.  All the clothes were also on clearance on the tack so it was a great deal. We get up to the checkout and they would not honor the but one get one free because it was on clearance even though the rack stated otherwise.  And then to make matters worse, they wouldn't take my cash rewards money I'd earned on purchasing an expensive bed there because that brand would not take the Sears rewards dollars. What?!  Double fail Sears.  You trick us in to almost buying two shirts and then won't take your own reward dollars.  That is why your business is failing. Don't trick your customers.  That does not make us want to return. Now I wish I had bought my expensive bed somewhere else.

Now it is your turn to Speak Think and Learn.  What is a business you don't like that you think will fail? Why is this business failing you?  What is a business you like?  Why is it successful for you?

Doctor Robot? Robot arms and legs? What would you like to see?

Robots are getting more and more advanced. What would you like to see?

Would you let a robot be your doctor?

Would you ever want a robotic arm, leg or eye?

What would you like to see robots do for you in the future?

Saving Lives by Stopping Gunman with Words (Speak! Think! Learn!)

Could you stop a gunman who wants to kill with words? Antoinette Tuff did.

Tuff worked at an elementary school outside Atlanta. A gunman entered the school and was ready to start shooting. She did some unexpected things that saved lives.

1. She changed the subject. She tried things that got the gunman thinking about other things. She treated him with respect and called him sir. She made a 911 call as requested (he wanted people to know he was going to kill). She asked if she could go to the bathroom which was unexpected and changed his train of thought. She asked if he was hungry and wanted a pretzel and even offered to feed it to him.

2. She stayed anchored and calm. She talked and reasoned with him to try and snap him out of his anger and even called him sweetheart and showed she cared, as a mother might care about a child.

3. She was open and listened to him and got him talking.

With students, you can discuss how you might deal with a gunman. What are some things you might say or do?

Next, discuss why someone could be upset and want to hurt others.

Finally, match up the things you might say or do with the reasons someone might hurt others. Which things can you do that might stop different types of gunman?

Invent a million dollar idea with Legos?! Speak! Think! Learn!

Do you think you could come up with a million dollar idea? One kid did out of Legos! 7 year old Jack McKenna decides to help his mom out by creating a Lego organizer for all her beauty products. Mom loves it so much she turns it in to a real product that has turned in to a million dollar business.

Think of a problem in your house that could be solved with an invention. Build a model for it with Legos. Share with the rest of your class and get some feedback on your future million dollar idea!

Living on Mars? Would you go? Speak! Think! Learn!

This is a new blog dedicated to speaking, thinking and learning. Teachers should always encourage their students to view the world around them with a critical eye and be able to form opinions about what they see and hear.

For the first topic, ask each other "would you live on Mars?"

There is a project called Mars One trying to do that. By 2024, they want to send colonies (and maybe reality TV stars) to Mars. Would you want to be part of this new adventure? Should reality TV people be part of it?

This could even be a great exercise for a classroom debate. Divide students in to two groups. One must support the Mars One project. The other group must argue against it.

This is a fun activity that teach science, social studies, art (make some posters for your side), drama, communications, speech, writing and more.

Get students Speaking, Thinking and Learning!