Sunday, September 26, 2010

week two assignment

I agree with weblogg-ed titled questions posted September, 22nd. He is asking why our kids spend time on things that won’t be a big part of our lives or careers. We should be spending more time on what we will or want to practice our adult life. His comments to bmason makes since. If we don’t need it we will forget it. It doesn’t matter how much of something you learn, if you don’t put it into practice and exercise it regularly than it is time that could be geared to something else.
A parents 2.0 back to school dilemma starts with talking about structure and leads to how to lecture teachers on teaching. I don’t whole heartedly agree with a lot of the arguments in this post. Sure there are the few that talk about communicating in a positive manner with teachers, but the ones that say they are concerned about engaging kids in bigger conversations, excusing them from homework that they understand and sending resource links to education personal is hard for me to agree with. I mean all that is great experience for our children. We should be the ones to build bonds through deeper conversations with our children. Lastly structure in the school environment teaches children how to focus.
Not what you know post asked if kids are being taught life skills that will help them with the hiring process. Well writing a great resume is a great life skill that needs to be taught. I don’t really agree with his thinking that a “knowledge test” is not as important as showcasing your skills. Tests make many nervous and feeling intimidated. Learning how to take a test is a great interviewing skill that teaches you how focus and pick out key concepts. No employer wants an employee who lacks confidence, even if his technology skills are awesome.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

I hope they learn something

http://www.ameinfo.com/199773.html
http://www.squidoo.com/top-6-reasons-hands-on-projects

Teach my students that it is far more important to know how to find an answer than it is to know an answer.  I admitted many times that I don’t remember all the formulas to a math equation but by reading and researching in the text I can figure it out within a few minutes.  I would like to teach my students to be self reliant and question everything and anything that they don’t fully understand.  I want them to be extremely comfortable and confident in their responses and completed assignments.  I want them to understand that an assignment may not be the traditional paper assignment but it also includes a task I give them.  I hope this will prepare them to compete in a healthy manner that will drive them to never be satisfied with only their idea of success.  I want them to not desire what someone else has simply because they can’t use their own imagination to come up with something great for themselves.  I want them to desire and achieve their own dreams, even if that dream means not living by the standard norm of being a millionaire or having a house full of material possessions. I love to do hands on, in person teaching because I feel that it not only excites the student but also the teacher.  I want my students to see that teachers get excited and moved by their student’s effort and genuine participation.  I want my students to see that their teacher has a genuine interest in their educational success which is a portal to their life success.    If they don’t not learn any of the above mentioned than I hope that they leave my class knowing that an education is not a right it is a privilege.  Especially for women who currently in other countries are denied education because they are not meant for anything other than child-birth, servitude and as an exchange for goods.  They should also realize at the time that an education does not automatically anyone better than someone, what betters you is how you use that education.  

Saturday, September 11, 2010