WELCOME TO 

THE RAT PACK HOMEPAGE

OF

GIOVANNI SCOLARO

I. Biographical Summary of Professor: Born in Tampa's Ybor City. Educated at a Liberal Arts college in East Tennessee long, long ago. Completed graduate level study at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium before many of you were born. Married the right woman! Have 4 children (2 girls, 2 boys) old enough now to be my siblings. In the process of writing a book. Love yard work! Will even do windows! Will also work for food! Enjoy biking. Speak more than one language. Consider teaching my life. Have family in Europe, Canada, Asia, and South America. Am a wannabe writer, actor, poet, and radio commentator. Hoping that you will lower your guard, step up to the academic plate, take a swing with me, and hit a home run this session.   

                           WELCOME TO MY WORLD!

II. Philosophy of Education: Here's what I'd really like you to know about my own intellectual journey as long as you promise never to forget what I'm about to tell you. Promise? Cross your heart and...? O.K., then, here it is in a nutshell: My philosophy of education includes the following essential components: (1) Content, (2) Method, and (3) Dialogue. You'll discover more about how I've learned to apply these personal "notes" in my own symphony of life as the course unfolds. For now, I'd like you to remember the following simple axioms: "Be Yourself", "Don't Wear Your Feelings On Your Sleeve", "Learn To Appreciate Diversity", "Talk To Me, I Wanna Know", and "Put The Ideas You Encounter Into Your Own Words". If you can actually put any of this stuff into practice, you'll discover what took me a lifetime to learn: PRACTICE MAKES IMPROVEMENT!!! So, whatdayawait'nfo? The real answers are already inside of you!

III. Course Policies: This is really easier than skydiving and chewing bubblegum at the same time!  There are only four important points in this "score" to remember. Here they are: (1) Be here; (2) Do your work; (3) Talk to me; and (4) Respect others.

IV. Course Requirements: Your gonna have to read the course book(s) as well as complete the course requirements as specified in your course syllabus. Know what I mean? This will require a real effort on your part. Giving me a piece of your mind every time we come together for "show and tell" or the "dog and pony show" is more important than you or your mother could ever imagine. The rest will fall into place as the course unfolds or my grandmother's name wasn't Rosina!  

V. Important Spring Session 2-2007 Dates: Please consult Valencia's Academic Calendar/2006-07 for this information.   It'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask! I don't wanna hear about how you gotta miss class because friends of yours are flying in to the airport and you gotta be at the gate to pick'em up. Let'em walk! O.K.?

VI. Things To Remember: Here they are: (1) "Man Who Take Few Notes Now, Get Big Shock Later" [Confucius]; and (2) "The Important Thing Is Never To Stop Questioning" [Albert Einstein]. If you can find a way to store and retrieve these two insights as well as the other stuff in the five other paragraphs above, you'll be well on your way to a stellar performance of your own original symphony!

                                        BONA FORTUNA!   

Updated 01/04/07