On October 15, 2015, Appleton's Paper Industry International Hall of Fame will be inducting six new figures into the hall of fame. One of them is a historical figure from China who can be considered China's answer to Gutenberg. Gutenberg is frequently cited in the West as one of the most important inventors of all time for giving us the world's first book printed with movable type, a remarkable achievement from around 1455. As with many inventions long thought to have had European origins, there's a touch of Eastern flavor in this one, for Gutenberg's Bible cam 142 years after the world's first mass-produced printed book made with movable type, the large Book of Farming (Nong Shu) from China, printed in 1313 by Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen was a Chinese official who recognized that vast amounts of agricultural technology scattered across China needed to be preserved to help all of China reduce famine and be more productive. He took a Chinese invention, movable type, and improved upon it to make a practical way to print an entire book. He used carved wooden blocks for each character, and developed a sophisticated way of arranging them on two rotating tables to allow typesetters to quickly find needed characters to place them in his press. The Nong Shu was printed and preserved many notable inventions in China, including an early form of a blast furnace driven with a reciprocating piston attached to water works, something long that to be a later European invention.

Recognizing Wang Zhen for his important role in the advance of printing is a fitting step for the Hall of Fame, and I look forward to many more Asian inventors, scientists, and business leaders being recognized in the Hall of Fame in future years. The historical contributions of China in numerous fields have received far too little attention, and I'm delighted to see folks in Appleton taking the lead in rectifying this problem. Kudos to the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame!

Labels: Appleton, China, hall of fame, paper, paper industry, printing

If you're part of the rapidly growing home-schooling movement, you'll be pleased to find a supportive and friendly home-schooling environment in Appleton and the Fox Valley. There are hundreds of families who are pursuing home schooling for a variety of reasons, and they are banding together and working with other organizations to provide social events, group outings, sports, and other activities that are often said to be the weakness of home schooling.

Home schooling can leave some important areas uncovered if you do it all by yourself in a cave. Fortunately, by cooperating with other families and organizations, you can provide many of the activities and social experiences that can supplement the academics your providing.

I spoke with one Appleton mother recently who is doing home schooling with her children and obtaining amazing academic results. I was surprised to learn how many activities their kids have with other families and organizations. A variety of local institutions treat home schoolers with respect and give them the same kind of discounts that other students get, adding to the fun and success that many serious home schooling parents are experiencing.

Yes, of course, Appleton has outstanding school with a lot of great opportunities. For those who care about academic success--often one of the concerns that leads some parents to prefer home schooling--there are places like the Classical School with a focus on academic excellence. But sometimes the available resources are inadequate, overloaded, or not what a family is looking for. Sometimes the social aspects of a school include bullying or exposure to other negative influences that lead some parents to favor home schooling. Whatever the reason, it's important to know that there are many serious and successful home-schooling families in the Fox Valley and a couple of different groups to choose from if you want to band with others for support. In fact, you can even put your home-schooled kids in a band in the Fox Valley. I'll provide some details in a future report.

Labels: education, families, home school, home schooling, parents