tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49789533792734466452024-02-20T09:41:15.075-08:00An Educated Guess: why Harvard never calledandrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-53665115111616386982013-03-22T20:43:00.002-07:002013-03-22T20:52:02.233-07:00Being a hoop jumper or hoop builderThere is a ton to be discussed when it comes to education these days. Trying to get kids to compete with kids in far off lands whom they will probably never meet, deciding that first year teachers are better than teachers with experience, and a charter school enterprise trying to rob localities of money while only providing an education no better than the public schools they claim to be saving the kids from are some of the political battles that are being waged.<br />
<br />
There is one area that I have noticed over the years that is distressing to me however that is not really viewed as a problem, and I don't see it as a problem, I just have some philosophical differences with. That is the importance placed on Advanced Placement class.
While I am an elementary PE teacher, over the past nine years I have also coached high school tennis teams. Over those nine years I have coached girls and boys and at multiple schools. I have had many players over those years get accepted to highly selective college. One got into five Ivy League schools and Stanford. Others have gone to the University of Virginia, William and Mary, University of Mississippi, Washington and Lee to name a few.<br />
<br />
From many of those conversations I have had with them one thing they all talked about was their AP class load. Many of them started taking them in tenth grade and took a healthy dose of them their junior and senior years. They took them all, AP Chemistry, AP English, AP Government, AP Psychology. If there was an AP class available, they took it.<br />
<br />
Many told of stressed out nights of long homework for those classes, test prep, and reading an exorbitant amount of text in a short period of time. Many took three or four AP's in a semester at one time or another during their high school years.<br />
<br />
My question to them was always, "Why are you taking so many AP's?"<br />
I knew the real answer but I just wanted hear what they thought. In nine years I have yet to hear one person answer that question with anything other than, "It looks good on a college resume."<br />
<br />
"Do you enjoy the class?" I would ask.<br />
Answers would range from "Not really" to "Uggh, I hate that class." I have yet to get "I enjoy learning about...."<br />
<br />
I know college is competitive and everyone wants to do what they can to get an edge. What I notice through all of this is not necessarily what they gain by taking these classes but by what they miss out on by not taking other classes. While they are taking class after class in which they are not interested in they lose out on understanding that learning is a journey rather than a means to an end. Education becomes about hoop jumping.<br />
<br />
I cannot say that one way is better than the other and I understand the factors that play into wanting to get into a name brand college or university. What I am saying, is that while they are taking AP after AP, they miss out on classes that might be enriching and enjoyable to them. Maybe I am wrong about this and students and parents do not agree with me that a horticulture, woodworking, small engine repair, or photography class can have as much personal value as AP Western Civilization, but I do know that hands on work most definitely requires a tremendous amount of problem solving skills which will serve the student long after their school days are over.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-20710425863373123872013-01-08T19:12:00.002-08:002013-01-09T06:33:48.311-08:00"Come on Daddy...... Mommy could do it"This is my favorite commercial currently airing on television:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="323" scrolling="no" src="http://www.ispot.tv/share/7wTv" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
I love its message. A parent who is showing her son she has "skills." It is obvious she is a bit awkward but she is showing her son how much fun playing is.<br />
<br />
Let's get past the obvious retort of saying that its weird that we live in a society where the parent has to convince their child that playing is fun. Playing is great for physical, emotional and social development. Interaction with people is great for children. Play helps make connections and develop relationships based on commonalities. When children play with other children they begin to learn.<br />
<br />
However, while children are learning as they are play, playing with adults brings in a whole different element that is way to often overlooked: adults know how to play and can be a valuable teacher to their child. Not only that but adults spending time playing with kids creates a natural order in the world. It allows for kids to understand where they stand and reinforces that the adult teach their child so that they may fill their parents' spot one day.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TnEbepurf7I" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
When it comes to play parents bring a childhood worth of experiences to the table. They bring experience with risk taking. They bring an ability of how to model decision making. Parents who play with their children occasionally, do them just as much good than any play date can.<br />
<br />
Bill Cosby demonstrates, in a humorous manner, how beneficial playing with his son is. This is not new, its just been lost and needs to be found again.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-38073174515389967432012-12-16T11:53:00.000-08:002012-12-16T15:47:42.952-08:00Don't know what to thinkThere are no words for the tragedy. It's unimaginable. Every adjective in the English language over the past few days has been used to describe this horror, so I will not add to the list.<br />
<br />
I do not presume to have the answers like many on TV or Facebook have. Every social matter in this country is so intertwined with a million other issues we will never gain a consensus on what is good and decent. Everything is polarized. If you need to raise taxes to help others, one group goes nuts and if you take away funding for anything, another group goes nuts.<br />
<br />
Since no one can be apeaised we go into blame mode. In this case the blame has run the obvious gamut: guns, parents, schools, society, mental illness, media, etc. What becomes noticeable is if you listen to the pundits, message boards or other social media is that there are always a few "blame-ables" that seem to repeat themselves. If I were a classroom teacher I might even draw a venn diagram to see what shared opinions are voiced after each tragedy.<br />
<br />
If the answers are so obvious why are they not addressed? I'm not talking about knee jerk reactions that are short term solutions i.e. maximum security schools or for everyone to live in fear of their neighbors. What is the reasoning to not addressing societies ill's?<br />
<br />
Many leaders will tout Christian values but enact policies that hurt many people and benefit a select few. I can't understand why we have to have winners and losers. And before anyone calls me a socialist, I am not against someone with initiative making a lot of money, but rather in favor of policies that don't create an unequal playing field. If we looked after everyone and not a lucky few I wonder what our society would look like.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CemLiSI5ox8" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
This clip is what I believe our society could be. Many winners few losers.<br />
<br />
This is one area where teachers thrive. This is why I believe the teachers who perished are heroes. During their careers, they juggled all the factors that would bring each student down and managed to address them so that they might become a viable member of the classroom community. They understood, just like every other teacher in the world, that when everyone in the class succeeds individually, the classroom community thrives as well. Just like when a factory employs the entire town, everyone wins. Low unemployment, dedicated workers for the factory, many winners.<br />
<br />
There is little doubt that once the mourning period is over, everyone will go back to life as usual and nothing will be addressed to prevent the next tragedy and it will be second verse, same as the first.<br />
<br />
Two questions that frequently cross my mind when it comes to our society.<br />
<br />
1. Why does it take the death of a teacher, EMT, police officer or firefighter for people to take a step back and realize how valuable they really are to advancing our society?<br />
<br />
2. Why do we feel the exact opposite about many of our country's political and corporate leaders yet, as a population we give them so much influence?<br />
<br />
As a member of this American society who feels as though I have very little say, I guess I am looking to be inspired by our society. I am not sitting around waiting for something to happen. Being a parent, teacher and coach I play a role in our community but I don't feel our leaders care to know what affects our communities (good or bad).<br />
<br />
<br />
I think this song really sums up my thoughts, questions, and hopes for the future.
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G5uamDMoW4o" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
RIP to the heroes. Those who sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others<br />
RIP to the children who undoubtedly were able to light up their parents hearts just by smiling.<br />
<br />
<br />andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-71800425431234000562012-11-18T09:10:00.003-08:002012-11-18T13:08:53.074-08:00Everything I learned about education reform I learned from college footballThey say sports is a microcosm of society. Sports are big business. Big businesses have their own brand: Apple, Microsoft, Ford, Google, Walmart, Coke, Nike, to name a few.<br />
<br />
The NFL, NBA, MLB all are big corporations that have their brands that they will worship like the sacred cow and will go to war with anyone who will try to mettle with it.<br />
<br />
In the NBA, if a player or coach criticise a referee a huge fine is levied to the offender. Does anyone see this as an authoritative way of silencing free speech?<br />
<br />
The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell has been second guessed this season by he handling of a bounty scandal. He was the judge and jury and felt his brand of justice was enough.<br />
<br />
Professional sports show how society plays out social life and how corporate behaviors shape our ways of thinking.<br />
<br />
I feel the same is true about one of the biggest corporate reforms going on in this country being played out in the public eye, but not where you might think: the college football field.<br />
<br />
With standardized tests, Race to the Top, winner take all policies in education, schools will look like college football and that's not a compliment.<br />
<br />
In college football there is no playoff. To make it to the national championship (or a very lucrative BCS bowl) you have to be undefeated or a conference champion of one of the "Big 6" conferences. Immediately, right off the bat, exclusionary. If you are not a part of the "Big 6" ( ACC, Big East, SEC, Pac 12, Big 12, Big Ten) you are not given a fair opportunity to get in the money bowls. We have seen two teams in the past, Boise St and TCU get their opportunities but they are the exception, not the rule.<br />
<br />
One loss or two loss teams are not considered. A team that goes 10-0 and loses its last game of the season might get left out of an opportunity to play for the money. A 10-1 season should be celebrated but is now seen as a less than stellar.<br />
<br />
Improvement is not always taken into consideration. Look at pro sports and how they are different from college. The NY Giants won Superbowl's with a regular season record that allowed them to BARELY sneak into the playoffs both times. The St. Louis Cardinals MLB team hold the record for fewest regular season wins by a World Series Champion.<br />
<br />
In college, in many cases, unless you are Alabama, LSU, or Ohio State, one loss means you are out of the opportunity to win money, two losses for sure, and really, isn't that why major colleges field football teams; to get the money, grow the university, make it visible on a global scale. In short, grow the brand?<br />
<br />
When you think of Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, Florida St, one might recognize the school only because of the money spend on branding it.<br />
<br />
Research has <a href="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx/ncaa-championships-are-changing-the-game-of-college.pdf?c=jsas;idno=6776111.0002.108">shown</a> that a college football team that plays for a national championship will see an incredible jump in enrollment applications by students. An increase in applications means greater demand and higher tuition prices. The for profit corporations that are America's colleges and universities use their brand (in many cases their football teams) as the vehicle for attracting students. Remember, we have been seeing college grads who cannot get jobs yet the insistence for a college education is stronger than ever (corporate schooling mantra should be "pay the fee, get a B and that's all you'll see from me.")<br />
<br />
The cash grab of college football brings in a whole other world. The world of cheating. Cheating in recruiting, cheating in athletes grades, cheating of the law. The price of failure in college football is so high, coaches and athletes sometimes resort to doing things they otherwise would view as unethical or immoral. A running back who had a rough upbringing knows college football is an avenue to the pros and the pot at the end of the rainbow. Getting a tutor to take a test for them might not be what they would ever do, but they might see that as the way to stay in school and keep the cash grab dream alive.<br />
<br />
A coach wouldn't want to have to break recruiting rules, but in order to keep the multimillion dollar contract they have to win and win every year. In many cases donors have way too much control over a coaches fate. In too many cases the donors who influence coaching positions have no knowledge of football and should never have a say over football operations... but they overwhelmingly do.<br />
<br />
The worst of our fears this cash grab was realized last year at Penn State. The unlawful abuse of young boys was covered up so as not to hinder the school's ability to get their hands on the money. This showed us that the want of money by colleges and universities was so strong that not just the legal compass was compromised but so too was the moral compass.<br />
<br />
Parallels<br />
<br />
If you have been following education you are then aware of No Child Left Behind. A policy enacted to punish schools that do not have their students pass tests. If children do not pass their tests, the schools are punished with sanctions. If enough years go by without meeting the level of standards the powers that be decide to set, your school can be closed down. By 2014, if your school does not have 100% of students passing your school will be closed down. Knowing that this is an impossible mandate set by people with very little knowledge of education, cheating became the way to save your job or school. Scandals of cheating from some of the largest school districts in the country came to the surface: Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.<br />
<br />
To alleviate the impossible constrains of NCLB, schools could apply for a waiver to remove them from that policy. Instead they have to conform to the new reforms of Race to the Top (RTTT), corporate based approach to student achievement. Under the program RTTT you get merit pay (see: bonuses for wins), tying teacher effectiveness to students test results (see: contract extensions), and closing schools in favor of charter schools that rob localities of public monies (see: corruption).<br />
<br />
For teachers to keep their jobs, the teachers must win at all costs, always live in fear that their students won't perform well on "test day", no amount of improvement over the course of the year will matter, and all of these reforms have been decided by people who should never have a say in how education is run. Congrats to all the teachers out there, you now live the life of a college football coach. Or more accurately college coaches live the life of a public school teacher.<br />
<br />
You don't have to follow the education reform game to understand its absurdities and impossibilities. If you are an avid college football fan, you already know.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-51191573813463446352012-10-17T18:17:00.001-07:002012-10-19T08:34:08.483-07:00The Law of Above AverageI have two daughters. They are one and three years old. Life is like Lake Wobegon around our home; the women are strong, the men are all good looking (me of course) and all the children are above average.<br />
<br />
But all it took was a trip to the pediatrician for the first well baby check up to hear that our child was in the twenty-fifth percentile for height for their age to be made aware that already, there is something in their short existence they will never be above average in!<br />
<br />
Not only that but when the doctor was telling us the percentile result he did it with a softening blow in his voice as though we would not be able to handle the reality our kids are short, that they are not even in the fiftieth percentile.<br />
<br />
I was puzzled when he told us this not because I was shocked our kids would probably never see 5'5", but that he felt we might be distraught and blame ourselves based on the graph he showed us. My wife and I just sort of chuckled (we both passed the genetics unit of Biology in school to know that our kids would not be the tallest. In fact, if they did become giants I think some uncomfortable questions would have to be asked!).<br />
<br />
We left laughing about our short children not thinking much about it.<br />
<br />
Then one day we were visiting with another family with a small child. The conversation turned to check ups and wellness, etc. Then one of the parents said with GREAT PRIDE that their child is in the 90th percentile, as though it was something dealing with their parenting skills that made their kid tall.<br />
<br />
So naturally, I left over analyzing that and then started to think about average, mean, mode and all those other tools of measurement use to grade, classify or judge.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u>
<u><i><b>-The average person is above average-</b></i></u><br />
<br />
When I first started teaching PE, I would see some poorly behaved kindergarten and first grade students and think "Man, what is going to come of our community when these kids get older". But then they became second and third graders or even older and they "figured it out." It was then that I began to see that we all get to where we're going, we just get there at different speeds and sometimes different avenues.<br />
<br />
So is the kid who doesn't know their multiplication tables in third grade but learns it in fourth grade below average? Is the kid who reads on a fifth grade level while in first grade really above average?<br />
<br />
What does average mean? I compare rating students average with the way we rate adults middle class. The only reason we try to identify a middle is so we can establish an upper and thus ranking everyone for classification. Who gets to be labeled the top? Why are they labeled that way? Why do we give it such high importance? I joke with my wife sometimes when someone starts to list their young child's achievements such as how much they can read or how high they can count. I want to say, "I can do that, does that make me brilliant!" Doesn't make sense<br />
<br />
Remember the old story of Michael Jordan getting cut from his varsity high school team. Someone thought that the NBA's best player ever (I know, I know, when LeBron retires I will amend that last statement!) was a below average player as a 10th grader.<br />
<br />
On the subject of professional athletes, how many times has a professional athlete in general been labeled an "average" pro? Really? An athlete who is in a job that less than three percent of those who pursue that career even make it is considered average? It takes an exceptionally above average athlete to even have a chance at being an average pro. If that's the case, then the word average loses all its meaning doesn't it?<br />
<br />
What makes an average teacher? What makes an average banker? What makes an average construction worker?<br />
<br />
Average doesn't make sense to me? I was a below average student in high school. When it came time my senior year for Model General Assembly ( I think they do Model UN now) I was selected as Speaker of the House (a high honor in the county amongst the other participants). Many above average honor students were not happy I got the spot. None of them knew Parliamentary Procedure. I did. This below average student had a special skill set that the not one honors student had. Did that make me above average now? (Because I was still a crappy Latin student).<br />
<br />
To me average is a man made tool used for social grouping. We should do what we do because we are who we are. I am sure many people can attest that being above average in school does not always translate as being above average in all aspects of life.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-23971074926411168202012-08-16T20:57:00.000-07:002012-08-16T21:05:49.526-07:00Necessity is the mother of .....Reinvention?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Quick
story:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">I
was in our school's office this afternoon walking back to check my mailbox
before I left for the day. As I am walking past the principal office, I glance
in and notice that our superintendent is sitting in there with the principal
and another newly hired employee who will be working with the teachers in our
school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">As I
pass by and realize who is there I backtrack to poke my head in to say
"hi". Immediately I am invited in to chat and our superintendent -Pam
Moran- introduces me to Isabelle McLean our new instructional coach who is
assigned to work with us at our school for this year. As we were exchanging
pleasantries, Pam began to tell Isabelle about some of my minor
achievements over the past year year in the classroom and elsewhere in the
school system. I was very impressed that our superintendent knew so much about
me. But as I left the "party in the principal's office" I felt as
successful as I had ever felt and it had nothing to do with my job. The reason:
it proved to me that I have successfully reinvented myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">As a
kid I was “a golfer” That’s all everyone knew about me. I had success as a teen
on the golf course and so that’s who I unwillingly became. I wasn’t Andrew, a
kid who plays golf, I was a golfer named Andrew! (what gets lost amongst family and old friends is the fact I had a 33-5
career high school tennis singles record and played for the 1998 state
championship)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">College
comes and goes and since I’m not going pro as a golfer the question is “now
what?" How am I supposed to know what to do after parents and relatives have
benignly pigeonholed me into this identity?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Fast
forward to today and Pam is complimenting me on my acquired skills of teaching Physical Education, teaching
dance, photography, and coaching tennis. Not a single mention of golf. Proof positive of a complete reinvention. Why so happy? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 21px;">I
have successfully carved out a different path that I never saw for myself.
Rather than continue down a paved, unfulfilling road, I took a risk on a career
choice that for me had no trail blazed yet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">I
came upon the commencement speech for the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELC_e2QBQMk&t=16m36s">Dartmouth class of 2011</a>. The speaker
for the occasion was Conan O’Brien. While his speech was very humorous, he
spoke about how many of us as kids know exactly what we want to do with our
lives. How we have our life scripted out and we just need to get on with it.
But dreams and identities change over time and its OK. Our dreams at twenty-two
will undoubtedly be different than at thirty-two or forty- two and quite
possibly that change of career path might be the most rewarding thing we ever
do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">In my opinion the satisfaction comes not from the success of change but
knowing that change is a risk; especially when one is leaving something that
most likely was their “dream from such a young age” How do you tell yourself that
your dream was wrong for you? The courage to admit this and reinvent yourself
is a tremendous feat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-14831889159454349022012-07-23T11:18:00.000-07:002012-07-23T11:25:09.211-07:00Shame on meEver since the Penn State trial ended, I tried to wrap my head around how this could happen. I kept a keen ear out for the news and read every article pertaining to the scandal in hopes of understanding what Sandusky was thinking, what the coaches and administrators motives for not reporting, and why the cover up. While I believe I have enough info to answer those questions, (based solely on news that was reported. I am sure much more info has been kept under wraps) I still feel uneasy and can't seem to allow today's punishment handed down by the NCAA to provide me with closure for those feelings. What I have concluded about myself is that in some small way, I, along with millions of others, are slightly responsible for this scandal.<br />
<br />
Let me explain.<br />
<br />
I love sports. I have loved it since the very first time when I was five years old and picked up a baseball bat. From the first time I shot an airball. From the first time I played backyard football. I was over competitive, played as hard as I could and took it way to hard if I lost. Sports was a referendum of who I was as a person. It was much more than just a game in my mind.<br />
<br />
It is easy to assume that any sports team I followed, I had the same insane and unhealthy vigor for. I love college athletics. I worshipped them since as early as I can remember. I can remember the best ever Duke-UNC basketball games in the 80's or just about any ACC game or player from the 80's for that matter. My two favorite football teams as a kid were Virginia Tech (still fav) and University of Florida. I can still remember the Steve Spurrier era of the "Fun and Gun" offense. My sole purpose in life as a kid was Saturday afternoon, especially when it came to these two teams. My whole week revolved around Saturday. Any game of significance commanded my full concentration. Naturally as a kid I would engage anyone in an argument as to who was the best team and all that other nonsense that as I look back on now, had no bearing on anything. All it did was make us look like a bunch of jackasses to our teachers who knew we had no clue as to how irrelevant we sounded.<br />
<br />
I never owned jerseys or much apparel of my teams. Maybe a hat or a t shirt. But my loyalty to my teams was so deep, I would have run through hell with them if need be. When I see the PSU students guard the statue or defend Paterno, I don't judge them, because I know they know not what they are doing. I will bet in ten years those students who defended him will have a different take. I am sure when they are in their 30's with children they will regret what they did, hopefully understand why they did it, and swear to never hold anyone in such high regards again.<br />
<br />
I look back now and feel ashamed that while I bear no responsibility for any of the actions of Penn State I share responsibility along with millions of others for feeding into the frenzy of college athletics over the past twenty years. I share responsibility by allowing wins and loses of teams for which I have no control over to define who I was. Because of this irrational assessment of self worth I can see why others would have done their best to deny themselves the reality that their schools, coaches, and administration can let them down. A winning program will stay that way to keep the money coming in. A fan of a winning program will stay that way to keep his self image in tact.<br />
<br />
Shame on me. Thank goodness time has provided me with perspective but now I realize that not only does Penn State have to rebuild, so do I.<br />
<br />andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-3681298627430894092012-03-28T18:48:00.002-07:002012-03-29T03:12:45.775-07:00Mixed SignalsMixed messages. Say one thing, do another. Its gets <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/video-mixed-signals-why-is-the-usda-promoting-nutrition-and-pushing-cheese/5296/">confusing</a>.<br />
<br />
As elementary physical education teachers, my teaching partner and I also mix in a lot of teachings about good healthy habits and proper nutrition. My teaching partner, who does a great job researching information on what really goes into our foods, is a staunch advocate of teaching kids how to make healthy decisions even when most of the time that flies in the face of popular opinion.<br />
<br />
At school mixed messages are given quite often which sometimes when I hear them I wonder how the kids keep up with it all. Even more challenging is when a message in school is directly in conflict with social norms outside of school.<br />
<br />
A few examples that we have noticed in our school:<br />
<br />
1. When it comes to healthy choices, the government dictates what types of foods fit the food pyramid or the most recent initative, My Plate, yet then does not provide school cafeterias with food that falls under the nutritional values that it touts. When the government claims that pizza is a vegetable I want to do a hand smack to the face.<br />
<br />
2. Candy for prizes or rewards. Yet again, goes against the nutritional info spouted by just about anybody.<br />
<br />
3. Kids need to exercise/play for at least an hour a day. Every adult in the world will agree with this yet in school recess is being reduced and the older the child gets the more structured their day becomes with less emphasis on exercise and more on academics.<br />
<br />
4. Outside corporate ploys to get parents to buy unhealthy foods so the school can reap less than 5% of the total revenue which usually adds up to nothing more than enough money to buy new toner for a printer!<br />
Box Top for Kids comes to mind for this. Not only that but then the parent who is head of this fundraiser committee at the school bribes kids to make unhealthy food choices with an ice cream party to the class who can raise the most money.<br />
<br />
5. What about the idea of competition? In school we want to reduce the amount of competition. As a P.E. teacher I have found that providing a program that allows all to succeed and work at their own speed has become a successful teaching plan. Sometimes, however I wonder if we are setting them up for failure. Not too many places outside of school operate on the "get it when you get it" model. Its very competitive outside of school. I don't advocate for win at all costs nor ranking students but can we at least let kids know that school is the only place where people have to consider other's self esteem. The job I worked before I became a teacher demonstrated this very point. Also I have a friend in finance who told me stories about how early in his career his boss was always yelling and demeaning workers when they screwed up.<br />
<br />
Along with the mixed messages in school kids also receive many contradictions between what they are taught in school and what their parents tell them. Homework comes to mind as the leading issue.<br />
<br />
There is no utopia and nothing ever is perfect but the transition from the school world to the working world might be a bit smoother with more consistency.<br />
<br />
My views are from the lens of a Health and P.E. teacher. If you have any mixed message experiences from another area please leave a comment.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-46646617691532132072012-02-08T14:22:00.000-08:002012-02-08T14:22:08.029-08:00Better late than never!<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Many times when anyone is referenced to as an early or late bloomer it is usually in the context of physical development or when first noticing the opposite sex! Not to often is it conceptualized that someone can be an early or late bloomer cognitively. This doesn’t mean that a late bloomer’s brain isn’t fully developed by a certain age but more so of how a person views a goal and how quantify that goal being achieved.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Who are the early bloomers in school? The ones who when the teacher asks the class to create or write something, that student seems to put pen to paper or brush to canvas rather quickly. They have a vision and know how to turn that vision into a nice project or eloquent writing sample in a relatively quick period of time (or at least within the timeline of the assignment). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I would think many teachers run into students who have ideas but are not sure how to make them work right away. It takes many trial and errors before a direction is determined. This can take longer than the assignment period, which can make completing work by a deadline difficult (might even water down creation to fit the time allotted).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When people succeed early in either their childhood or early adult life the prodigy or genius label is used. When really what needs to be considered is how creativity flourishes inside all of us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A University of Chicago economist named David Galenson decided that creativity can be split into two groupings: conceptual and experimental.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This would help explain to early bloomer student model. They can conceptualize what they want, which helps them figure out how they want to perfect it. A late bloomer is most likely an experimental type. They will start out in one direction and finish in a completely different place. Their goals are not always focused and there are many stop and starting over periods. Not only does this take much more time but it also gives the appearance of failure. Galenson notes in his book “<i>Old Masters and Young Geniuses</i>” about late bloomers: “The imprecision of their goals means that they rarely feel they have succeeded and their career pursuits are often dominated by the pursuit by one single objective… They consider the production a process of searching, in which they aim to discover the image in the course of making it; they typically believe that learning is a more important goal than the finished product.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Being a late bloomer doesn’t mean being a late starter. Many people who are better later in their careers most likely have been at their craft for quite a while. There are many people who fit this category but one immediate actor comes to my mind. That actor is George Clloney. (Clooney did make it big on TV at age thirty three with his role on ER but it wasn’t until seven years later when he was 40 that he got his major breakthrough roles on the big screen. In 2000 and 2001 he had back to back to back hits with The Perfect Storm, O Brother, Where Art Thou? And Oceans Eleven. He<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>became an A-list actor who commands more money now than when he was younger. )</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some historical examples of early bloomers: </div><div class="MsoNormal">-Mozart wrote his masterpiece Piano Concerto No. 9 at twenty-one, </div><div class="MsoNormal">-Herman Melville wrote Citizen Kane at 25, Moby Dick at 31,</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Picasso painted Evocation: The Burial of Casagemas at 20.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some historical examples of late bloomers: </div><div class="MsoNormal">-Alfred Hitchcock directed Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Trouble with Harry, Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho between ages fifty four and sixty-one. </div><div class="MsoNormal">-Mark Twain published Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at forty-nine</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe at fifty-eight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Why this resonates with me is because I know that I am a late bloomer. Although I do not begin to imagine I am on the same level as any of the great achievers I have referenced in the piece, I do feel though that as time has passed I can agree with the objective of “searching” for an undetermined answer rather than “finding” a finished product. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For kids, school is the most important and all encompassing aspect of their lives. They operate on a carefully researched, evidence-based schedule which seems to be at times a one size fits all model. Development doesn’t happen on a socially engineered timetable. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I tell my wife many times when I am either reading something or learning about something new, that I don’t have expectations to grasp the concept immediately. Rather I prefer to read it, take it in and “let it swirl around a bit” (my own words). I know that testing is rigorous, and on a timetable. My hope is that for the late bloomers, the ones who are searching for understanding, that teachers can encourage and support those minds. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For the early bloomers who “get it”, my hope is that their teachers can help keep their shinning star from burning out too early; that they will know that while graduating from college is a noble goal, its not the finished product. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Reference:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Gladwell, Malcolm, “What the dog Saw: and other adventures” pgs. 295-305. 2009</div><!--EndFragment-->andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-29765908676284845492012-01-10T21:11:00.000-08:002012-01-10T21:11:21.754-08:00A few good menA question was asked to me and other male teachers on twitter this morning of why are there so few male teachers in elementary school. I think many male teachers all have their opinions of why but I am sure a repeating theme would deal with low pay, low status, or appearing weak. Teachers are already dogged by the dumb "those who can, do, those who can't, teach" saying (worse yet, "those who can't teach, teach gym") and anything that appears inferior might not be the career choice a male is looking for.<br />
<br />
Before I was a teacher, I worked as a retail manager of a small business. (I was a year or two removed from college and wasn't sure if I wanted to be a teacher. I had been swayed by all these ideas put in my head that we were all going to start off making a million dollars and live the lifestyle that we took for granted from which our parents provided for us. We were going to drive Beamers, live the country club life and vacation all over the world. That was waiting for us. The only catch -you can't be a teacher and do that. So all my housemates and other friends all went into the business administration field. Some concentrated in Finance, others Economics, whatever. I chose Physical Education.) One thing I learned from that experience was whether five or fifty, if you tell a customer "no" they will throw a fit. Most of my customers were men. This witness their behavior was so confusing to me. The grown ups who made hurtful comments to me when I wasn't able to give them a product that they seem they should get for a huge discount was mind blowing to me. I thought adults were supposed to be more mature than that!<br />
<br />
I left that job to become a teacher because I figured if I work with five and six year olds and they throw a fit, I can chalk it up to one reason that makes perfect sense: they are five and six years old.<br />
<br />
The three most popular reasons men don't go into elementary education according to Corrine Hess are:<br />
<br />
1. Low social status<br />
2. Low pay<br />
3. Appearing Weak<br />
<br />
Low Social Status<br />
Social status is one of those tricky areas. Working in an elementary school, I love that young kids are in love with the idea of growing up to be a policeman, firefighter, nurse, teacher, etc. Their reason for wanting to do so is because they want to help others. My question is, where in the course between the age of five and twenty do they stop wanting to do jobs that help others and why does that change? How is that decision influenced? Social status wouldn't be important in choosing a career if it wasn't made to be so important in this country; the land of "if some is good, more is better."<br />
<br />
I really struggle with those who view teachers as second class citizens. Not to be morbid, but in the history of the world, there are only but a handful of people who were so unique that we remember their accomplishments. What does a mortgage lender, financial advisor, or business owner do that is so much more deserving of social acclaim? Guess what, there were business owners and bankers in colonial times in this county and I bet no one reading this can name one.<br />
<br />
Low Pay<br />
What I have a problem most about this is not the pay, as much as the cost of the degree proportional to the the pay. A four year teaching degree will cost the same as a four year business degree, yet a business degree major has the opportunity to earn a living that can far exceed the costs of obtaining said degree.<br />
<br />
Why not get a master's degree in education then and make more money? True, but any worthwhile increase in pay to validate purchasing more education would mean moving into administration or higher and leaving the classroom. What if you don't want to leave the classroom? Being a teacher then becomes a job with no upward mobility.<br />
<br />
When my friends and I were in our mid twenties, we made similar starting pay jobs, but in just five years many of their salaries have more than doubled while while my pay is maybe a thousand or two thousand dollars higher than when I started. I enjoy what I do but there are times when I think I should look for a different career with a higher pay grade to help ensure that my kids get the same advantages that their peers in western Albemarle county will have. After all, a real man provides for his family. In this day and age that translates directly to one word: money<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Woman's work<br />
Men don't want to appear unmanly. And no matter what people say, there is still a perception that elementary education is for women and is glorified babysitting.<br />
<br />
Teaching did used to be a male dominated profession. Before public school became the norm, wealthy families would hire tutors who were usually male, to educate their children. Private schools were taught by men as well. Although some things never change, they were not paid a lot but many used their teaching career as a stepping stone to become a college professor. The advent of the industrial revolution is where you have men leaving the profession seeking higher paying, higher status jobs, leaving women to fill the void.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Teaching at one point, on one social level in this country was also viewed as a job that provided a second income. It was never viewed as a "real job" but a job that a woman did which wasn't necessarily needed for the family finances. It was something to do. </div><br />
<br />
<br />
Teaching young children is not viewed very highly because of low pay and the nurturing of young children is not as valuable of a skill. A macho attitude towards what is a man's job is still rampant and teaching young children isn't viewed as macho.<br />
<br />
These stereotypes are misguided and confusing to young men. Men these days are not nearly as industrious as their fathers and grandfathers. What it means to be a man is different that what it was in the past. The social definition of what it is to be a man lies increasingly in what job they have and their status in the community. This has been the case for a long long time but with suburban sprawl, media, and internet, this image gets perpetuated even in the most remote places in America, leaving men and boys to think this is the way everyone everywhere does it. Eliminating the jack of all trades image and replacing it with the man who makes enough money to pay someone to do these jobs is the new norm.<br />
<br />
A male teacher doesn't make the money a perceived "real man" makes. Playing with children all day is not macho. A status as a second class citizen is the mark of an inferior man. Why are there no male teachers again?andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-14061951226860928392011-12-02T17:03:00.000-08:002011-12-02T19:31:27.791-08:00What purpose did all the failing serveDuring my first year of teaching physical education, I had a kindergartner three times a week without fail always ask me "why are we doing this?" His question was rooted in genuine curiosity, not to necessarily bring attention to himself. When I think about this student, I smile at that memory because it made me a better teacher. I learned from him that whatever I teach, to whomever I teach it to, there needs to be a practical reason for it. If I have to stretch for an answer or cannot give an immediate real world application to them, then I need to improve my lesson.<br />
<br />
As a student I hated hearing my elementary school teachers telling me that we need to know something because "we might need to use it someday." Is telling a fourth grader that they need to know fractions because they "might need to use it someday" a great motivating tactic? How is it relevant to them today (other than for the standardized test)? Why would they want to try to learn about fractions?<br />
<br />
Too many classes in my time at school were required. A required course in my experience seemed to be set in isolation. You learn about grammar in English, how to spell, punctuation, etc but what is the immediate application? When I was in school it was implied that learning proper English was necessary so that people wouldn't judge you as poor. As an adult who has held a job of some sort since in I was sixteen, I can tell you that I have heard some of the most eloquent bullshit come out of people's mouth. What does that mean? Which is better for society, a well spoken liar or an honest person who makes the mistake of using "who" when it should be "whom?"<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While in college I noticed that each major had its own set of required courses. This makes sense when one is eighteen, nineteen or twenty for a parent, professor, or advisor to inform the student that if you want to follow a certain major you will need to achieve a designated level of math or science or whatever else to attain such a degree. There is a seemingly tangible reason as to why the student would want to learn the material. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I am very aware of the mantra from high school students today to take certain classes to get into a good college. To take a class to get into college is not really a real world application other than the application of being obedient. According to the students chronicaled in the book "The Overachievers" by Alexandra Robbins, some of these high achieving kids are more interested doing whatever it takes (including cheating on assignments they view as a waste of time) to receive an "A" than gaining actual knowledge. </div><div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
-----------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I had a dream recently that I was back in my high school Trigonometry class, but instead of being sixteen again, I was my current age of thirty-one. In this dream I was sitting at my desk listening to the teacher talk over my head about sine, cosine, and tangent. As I was sitting there I was very much trying to follow the teacher, like I did when I was sixteen. However this was not the nightmare I was used to having as a struggling student. I was aware of one very important thing: I already have a job and I do not need to be an expert at trig to do my job. That defies the "one day you are going to need to know this" argument. Not only that, I use very little if any Spanish in my daily activities. That was another "one day you are going to need to know this" class. In reality, I use Latin in my life more than Spanish and ITS A FREAKIN DEAD LANGUAGE!<br />
Just about every word we use is a derivative of Latin. Because of my knowledge of Latin, I am able to use context clues better when I come to a word I am not sure of while reading; something I do everyday.<br />
<br />
<br />
When I woke up from this dream it dawned on me, as poor of a student that I turned out to be, was all this failing necessary? What was the point of taking and subsequently failing classes that I didn't even need in the first place? Why was I (and others) required to take so many classes that translated very little into adult life? Of all the education I have received, my elementary education has served me the most as an adult. There were some higher level classes along the way that were beneficial however. I have found relevance from my history and geography classes. Taking economics and personal finance classes have served me very well too, for obvious reasons.<br />
<br />
I reflect about my educational experiences often because I have two girls who one day will go to school. I have fears that they will be like me in the fact that they will have to struggle needlessly throughout their entire educational career in courses not necessarily germane to real world experiences and then made to feel inferior only to realize how smart they are once they step out of the school doors.<br />
<br />
My other fear is that they will do SO well that their identity will be solely linked to academics and feel like the only place they fit in is school. If humans are living to be about seventy-six years old, two thirds of their lives will not be spent in school, the only place they identify with. What will they do then when their GPA's mean nothing?andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-40393046387735769732011-10-16T06:33:00.000-07:002011-10-16T06:33:48.147-07:00My take on the Occupy Wall Street movementI would like to express that I am very proud of those who are occupying Wall St. and other streets across the country. Those who are occupying Wall St. are people who are tired of being sold out by the banks and government, tired of being unemployed and unemployable because they are "overqualified." They are tired of being called lazy and free loaders and accused of sitting on unemployment, collecting a government check. What makes this movement give me hope is that it is not one group rallying for their own personal gain and all others be damned. This is a movement of people from all walks, industries, and cultures of life rallying under one common theme: equality. As Americans we are being told metaphorically to "go to the back of the bus" by our politicians and upper one percent. Equality is a fundamental right that people will let bend, but maybe we are seeing that we won't let that right break.<br />
<br />
Aside from the idealistic nature of the rally, another key ingredient of why I believe this movement will be successful is that it is a movement started and maintained by employed or formerly employed adults. This is not a handcuff yourself to a tree, or spray red paint on everyone who passes you who is wearing an animal product protest. This is not a college cause of the week, stage a protest and then go back to class. This is a protest that is born out of survival. When most people lose their jobs, survival skill number one is to find another job. These unemployed adults are up against something in finding a job that I might guess many have never experienced before in their life: discrimination. They can't be hired because they are too old, been unemployed for too long, or require too high of a salary based on their industry skills. For those that do have jobs, we are witnessing corporations and governments fighting to reduce pay and take away workers rights.<br />
<br />
From my young perspective, he is how I see this as different from the times of the sixties. These working adults are fighting for their and their families economic survival. The silent majority of those times were the working Americans who were annoyed with the antics and displays of young people who had no life experiences who supposedly felt they reflected their communities of which the majority if its citizens disagreed with. Today's silent majority is comprised of working adults who can see the corruption, disillusionment, and flat out lies in government to the point where they feel they have to do something about it.<br />
<br />
The overarching theme that ties this movement to the times of the sixties is money. While college kids of the sixties might not have had the financial aide that is given now, they also didn't have all the college debt. As a young employee with no debt, perhaps it might have been easier to disagree with the boss without fearing the loss of your job? Could that have possibly been an unofficial "checks and balance" in the workplace? Fast forward to today, where students are averaging 20-25k or more in college debt before even finding their first job, how much leverage is now controlled by the employer? Young workers are expected to put in 60-70 hours on low salaries and have very little voice. Because of student loan debt (which cannot be defaulted on in bankruptcy) a college grad must take any job they can. In the process, they lose their voice. They must make their payments on debts and speaking out at work could affect that. Thus corruption, worker's rights violations, or harassment, can run rampant (which we know is true with the implementation of the "whistleblower" law).<br />
<br />
The protesters of today still have loads of debt, unlike their young counterparts of the sixties. However the one common thread they share is the idea of equality. No amount of money in the world can adequately substitute for the lack of transparency, justice, or fair treatment of individuals.<br />
<br />
I hope this movement will allow us to come to certain conclusions:<br />
1. Consumerism didn't work. It dumbed us all down with thinking that products will make us smarter rather than depending on critical thinking.<br />
2. Our economy cannot stand on a service industry. The service industry requires few people selling to many. Many cannot buy when only a few have jobs. Production/manufacturing industry serves the needs of our citizens best.<br />
3. Education cannot be taken lightly, nor does paying tens of thousands of dollars to a college or university secure you enlightenment.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-14739656201964916212011-09-05T19:04:00.000-07:002011-09-05T19:10:34.003-07:00Experience is a must*Bloggers note*<br />
this is a long post but please stay with me. I hope the point will become clear at the end. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
An excerpt from "John Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections, On and Off the Court."<br />
<br />
<br />
The gym is a classroom.<br />
<br />
I felt that running a practice session was almost like teaching an English class in that I wanted to have a lesson plan. I knew the detailed plan was necessary in teaching English, but it took a while before I understood the same thing was necessary in sports. Otherwise you waste an enormous amount of time, effort and talent.<br />
<br />
I would spend almost as much time planning a practice as conducting it. Everything was listed on three- by-five cards down to the very last detail.<br />
<br />
Everything was planed out each day. In fact, in my later years at UCLA I would spend two hours every morning with my assistants organizing that day's practice session (even though the practice itself might be less than two hours long). I kept a record of every practice session in a looseleaf notebook for future reference.<br />
<br />
My coaches and managers also had three-by-five each day so they knew-to the exact minute- when we would need two basketballs at one end of the court for a drill, or five basketballs at mid court for a different drill, or three players against two players at a certain place and time, or the dozens and dozens of variations I devised.<br />
<br />
I kept notes with the specifics of every minute of every hour of every practice we ever had at UCLA. When I planned a day's practice, I looked back to see what we'd done on the corresponding day the previous year and the year before that.<br />
<br />
By doing that I could track the practice routines of every single player for every single practice session he participated in while I was coaching him. In those days freshmen were ineligible. Otherwise I would have gone back three years in reviewing the drills.<br />
<br />
It was very important that I learn about each player and then study that player so I would know if he needed a little more time on this or that particular drill. I needed to know which drill had greater application to this player or that player because individuals vary.<br />
<br />
So I devised drills for both individuals and the group and studied and analyzed them. Some drills would be good for all and some drills would be good for just certain players.<br />
<br />
I needed to understand how to apply these drills in practice. I learned I must not continue them too long. I must know as the season progressed how they were going to change and then devise new ones to prevent monotony, although there would be some drills we must do every single day of the year.<br />
<br />
All those things I had a responsibility to do to the utmost of my ability because they were things over which i had control.<br />
<br />
The pressure I created during practices may have exceeded that which opponents produced. I believe when an individual constantly works under pressure, he or she will respond automatically when faced with it during competition.<br />
<br />
I engaged in very little discussion. I'd talk while drills were going on, mostly to individuals rather than to the group. I did more individual coaching in that sense.<br />
<br />
Following the drills, I would make notes. Perhaps we needed two more minutes on this drill or less time to complete that drill.<br />
<br />
By reviewing and analyzing everything, we were able to get the very most out of our practice time. That was necessary to reach our goal: getting the very most our of our abilities.<br />
<br />
Then I would say, "Young men, you have a responsibility for the attainment and 'maintainment' of all the little details that we do in practice. Your responsibility begins each afternoon when practice ends, because you can tear down more between practices than we can possibly build up during practices. So please practice moderation in what you do"<br />
<br />
But it all began with attention to, and perfection of, details. Details. Details.<br />
<br />
Develop a love for details. They usually accompany success.<br />
<br />
-end<br />
<br />
I am moved by this because of a recent statement by Education Secretary Arne Duncan that he is worried about losing "great young talent" and view this passage as a great opportunity to voice why I think he is wrong.<br />
<br />
While, I am only entering my seventh year of teaching, each year that passes I get further away from my first days, with it I bring in more experiences, more management techniques, more teaching techniques and more confidence.<br />
<br />
I know it is popular to blame older teachers right now. They are at the higher end of the pay scales and young teachers are cheaper. No politician has proven yet that an older teacher is a hinderance to learning and that younger teachers are the answer.<br />
<br />
In Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers" he talks in great length about the "10,000 hour rule". It states that in the pursuit of acquiring a specific skill set, it takes in the ballpark of 10,000 hours of practice to master such skills. He goes on to demonstrate this with the efforts of the Beatles before they broke onto to scene. He chronicled Bill Gates' routine as a teenager of spending hours and hours of writing computer code also.<br />
<br />
10,000 hours generally falls into the ball park of 9-11 years of working at that skill. Compare the 15-20 year employee to the 5th year and it might be no contest who has the most expertise.<br />
<br />
To dump a teacher who has over 10,000 hours of experience and expertise in favor of a teacher with little or no hours of professional experience clearly shows the disconnect and hypocrisy of politicians who want "highly qualified teachers." Non of these pols would hire a person without any experience for their private company, but think that non experienced teachers will move education forward? This flip flop thinking is much like how an elected official will tout his/her level of public service experience when running a campaign against a younger opponent.<br />
<br />
I am not saying people don't deserve a shot to get that first job. We all have to get our start somewhere. But to claim the young and inexperienced are better teachers is not always true and officials must know that.<br />
<br />
To tie John Wooden into this whole mix, he was the greatest college basketball coach ever. This passage is proof of his level of competency and skill as a coach and teacher. However, John Wooden was hired in 1949, but didn't win his first national championship until 1964. For the math majors, that is a time span of fifteen years. His opportunity to gain expertise, and log in a multitude of hours over this time set him on the path for success for the rest of his career. In today's world he might have never made it that far in his contract, as he had a few seasons that were less than stellar. In continuing to pursue his craft, he turned his work ethic into something that will never be surpassed by any other college coach in my lifetime. (Im 31!)<br />
<br />
What if he was released after year ten for a younger coach who was cheaper? The greatest run by a college basketball program might never have happened. His team's run of ten national championships in twelve years happened after his 15th year at UCLA.<br />
<br />
This understanding of knowing the value of experience can be seen by looking at who UCLA hired in 1975 when Wooden retired: Gene Bartow. Years of head coaching experience prior to following Wooden: fifteen!<br />
<br />
<br />
andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-91179233988228033262011-08-13T19:02:00.000-07:002011-08-14T07:57:06.111-07:00At your serviceToday's economy is, by no hidden secret, driven by the service industry. It started gaining traction in the 1970's and made significant strides in the 1990's once the manufacturing industry successfully packed up and left the country.<br />
<br />
As a society we depend on services more and more in our daily lives. We pay for cable and internet service. Cell phone plans, bank "products" (i still don't know what those are), insurance, etc. We pay someone else to do something for us. We used to buy a lawnmower and cut grass every Saturday morning. Now you pay a HOA fee for someone to do it. Child care was a bartering system where parents took turns watching each others kids. Now, few let their kids get more than twenty feet away from them and pay a premium to a day care center to teach their one year old quadratic equations so they can "get ahead". <br />
<br />
The idea behind service is "don't do it yourself, pay me to do it". From there competing services blossomed and you get where we are today. One drawback as a society from this is a service industry allows us to shift the blame. If our grass isn't cut, rather than do it ourselves, we call and complain that someone else didn't cut it. Instead of going for that evening walk after dinner, we pay for expensive gym memberships. When our waistlines bulge we still find a way to excuse ourselves from responsibility by either complaining that the machines are always taken or that I have no time to exercise, or the fitness classes are not offered when it fits my schedule.<br />
<br />
Youth sports have taken to this as well. I have talked to parents who pay $150 for their three year old to play on a soccer team. My first question is "what can they teach your three year old about soccer that you can't teach them?" An afternoon with the child's friends in a backyard or park accomplishes the same thing. However, by paying, the parent is no longer liable for their child's perceived failure as a soccer player (lest we forget they're three year olds).<br />
<br />
With our daily lives surrounded by paying for someone else to take care of it, it shines a perspective on the education field that is misguided and dangerous for kids and the future of the country.<br />
<br />
When we count on someone else to do the work we get lazy as people and as parents. Too many times in the past two years education has been attacked by this attitude. When parents remind teachers that "we pay your salary" and "you work for me" it releases the parent from making sure their kid is educated. If a child comes out of school or even college with limited academic skills, from a non impoverished environment, my question is, how did the parent let that happen? By paying taxes and college tuition, that doesn't mean your job is done. Quite the contrary, if a parent does the work necessary to see that their child is properly educated, it might lessen that bill (no tutor fees, SAT Prep classes, possibly receive scholarship money,etc).<br />
<br />
I have a twenty month old little girl and my wife and I know that her learning her ABC's and how to read and write are not the sole responsibility of her teachers just because we pay taxes. If my child is not ready for the world when she is done with her education, that is a failure on my part, not the education system. The education system is responsible for facilitating learning for each child. The great teacher can motivate and inspire but that is above and beyond what they are called to do. It is my job as a parent to motivate my child to learn and behave correctly. It is my job as a parent to know the curriculum . If I only know how my child is doing by looking at her report card every quarter, then I have failed as a parent to educate my child. Her teacher will teach skills, units, or subjects and then report on progress. The teacher wants the children to learn and will do a tireless job until that happens. However, if my child fails at learning the material, that is on me. A child cannot fail if the parent is devout in making sure their child knows the material. If a child goes out into the world not knowing their multiplication facts, that is the parent's fault. If a child cannot write a coherent sentence, the parent has failed the child.<br />
<br />
Granted I will not expect my child to have to write like Hemmingway or be a math whiz, but if they cannot write an essay for their college admissions, or cannot do basic consumer math, I have set them up for failure as an adult.<br />
<br />
Many reformers want to make education a private service based industry. Parents need to know that by paying for an education doesn't mean its someone else's job. It is a field that takes a collaboration of at least three people to achieve success (parent, teacher, child). In the service field, if something breaks or doesn't work, you call and someone fixes the broken product. Children are not broken products that you can reboot or recall. We cannot allow education to join the ranks of the service industry. If it does, we will just see kids as a commodity and mine their brains for that commodity and throw the rest away. I say as a parent, this is one job that is a do-it-yourself project!andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-33199173876452254232011-05-27T20:59:00.000-07:002011-05-27T21:14:29.710-07:00Imagine That!Human brains are different from most other animals. Are you are now smarter for reading that last sentence? When comparing other animals, reptiles or amphibians brain structure, the differences are staggering. Not necessarily because of what exists but rather, what does not exist. Frogs have mainly just a brain stem. Their brains function on a survival only basis. A dog or cat brain is slightly larger allowing for functions of emotion.<br />
<br />
It is no secret that a human brain and monkey brain are similar. When viewed from the hindbrain, both have almost identical form. Functions of survival, emotion and social interactions are characteristics of both species.<br />
<br />
Human brains however, through evolution, became even more sophisticated.<br />
<br />
One of the coolest and underrated ways our brains are more evolved deals with our imagination. As humans we can see things that are not there (picture a glass of water on a table in your house.... while you are reading this! I bet you can do it). If you are older and have lived in the same place for a while, I bet you can still see landscapes that have since disappeared to development.<br />
<br />
What does this have anything to do with an educational blog? Plenty. First, in my experiences, I have found that all learning is sensory based. (I am disappointed that it has taken me thirty-one years before I learned this, but I was never mentally the first one to the party either!) However, in my pursuit to understand how students learn and how athletes think, I have found that when learning occurs through one of the senses, its sticks and develops meaning.<br />
<br />
In the summer of 2005, I worked as an intern at IMG academies in Florida. The IMG academies house some of the best young athletes in their sport. The Nick Bolliteri tennis school is there along with the David Leadbetter Jr. Golf academy. The U.S. U-20 soccer team trains there as well.<br />
While there I was exposed to seeing how the best athletes not only train physically, but also cognitively. Part of the players day always consisted of mental conditioning. This might consist of how to think positively, staying in the moment, and developing mental stamina.<br />
<br />
One aspect that was hammered home hard with these players was imagery -especially with the golfers. When I got to sit down with one of the sport psychologists to discuss competitive psychology, I was blown away with his findings on imagery. He was telling me of a study he was conducting in conjunction with USC on imagery. He showed me print outs of experiments of when he would hook electrodes up to people to measure brain and muscle function. The people who were hooked up, were asked to imagine themselves running while they were in a sitting position. What the print outs showed was that many of his athletes leg muscles showed small amounts of twitching. The brain was firing the necessary muscles to do what it imagined!<br />
<br />
As I continued my summer of work, I noticed how many teachers were instructing their students to see their shots (tennis, golf, basketball) until the ball stopped rolling, went in the hoop, or bounced on the other side of the net. They were teaching their students to "see". Their feedback was determined by what they saw and not what the coach said. These coaches were teaching them not only techniques on how to picture themselves succeeding, but also allowing the players to gain feedback from their senses. By teaching one how to use their senses, they were able to improve the training of a highly skilled athlete.<br />
<br />
Lots of kinesthetic methods are used, but is there is more than just touch? Is there a way we can teach kids how to use all of their senses to learn?andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-60620077072852210332011-01-25T17:35:00.000-08:002011-01-27T05:38:09.020-08:00Can you lead the way to achievement?<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/01/three-ways-to-help-people-get-things-done.html">http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/01/three-ways-to-help-people-get-things-done.html</a><br />
<br />
Here is an article from a blog by Seth Godin. In it he refers to three different management styles that are commonly used to get people to achieve. You can read the article in its entirety but I also would like to interject some personal experience as well.<br />
<br />
In Method 1 he refers to the old school sports coaching model. The days when yelling and screaming were seen as the effective ways to motive a person to succeed. A great point that Godin brings up with this model is, that perhaps while a player is on a team with a coach who applies a Bob Knight or Vince Lombardi-like model, he might achieve but only in the short term. When a player no longer is playing, there has been no foundation set for that player to achieve after the season is over. Players are more likely to be motivated by fear which allows them do learn "just enough" not to get yelled at. So much more learning and understanding is left on the table.<br />
<br />
In Method 2, the idea is to create competition amongst the group. I don't have a huge problem with this but I can see where this is not always the best way. Where I have a problem with this model is when it becomes result based only. Learning is a process and sometimes competition incidentally rewards shortcuts, i.e. cheating.<br />
Like the article also says, if a manager has one promotion to give between six people, five people will lose. One might say this is survival of the fittest. But what if there is not much difference that separates the first place winner and the second place winner? Do we really need to label one as a winner and one as a loser. Don't get me wrong, I am not an "everybody gets a trophy" person. If competition is done correctly it will have short term and long term incentives. This not only allows a person to improve and move up, but it also establishes personal measuring sticks for each one to be evaluated over the course of time.<br />
<br />
Method 3 would seem like the model we all would want to strive for as a leader. To facilitate achievement and then let each one work it out for themselves at their own pace. The teacher sets the expectation but then steps back while the student works towards achieving.<br />
<br />
From my experiences with participating in sports and coaching, I have seen all three models. Sports in many ways mirrors life. The competition can be fierce and many times yesterdays success is forgotten today. Coaches sometimes see players as pieces to be used to inflate their hopeful "hall of fame" careers.<br />
<br />
The best leaders (coaches, teachers, supervisors) I have had in my life found a balance between methods two and three. My best teachers followed method three perfectly. Guidelines were set as to when comprehension needed to be achieved. How you solved that problem was up to you. There was no absolute wrong answer as long as you could give an adequate response to how you came to your conclusions. During this process the teacher was readily available to provide any support and guidance.<br />
<br />
The best coaches I ever had were few and far between. The good ones, my 7th grade basketball coach, and my high school varsity basketball coach, each got involved in the process of achieving. I remember one coach saying to us all the time "If you get involved with the process of winning, the results will take care of themselves".<br />
When competition was applied to any situation, it was designed in a way to see how well each one has grasped concepts.<br />
<br />
The worst coaches I had, 9th grade JV basketball, 11th grade varsity basketball, college golf, applied methods one and two religiously and probably to this day have never heard of method three. Here are some sayings from these bad coaches<br />
- "some of you won't get to play much this year because you have to pay your dues"<br />
- "I'm not going to be positive with you guys until you give me something to be positive about"<br />
- " You guys are awful. This is one of the worst teams I have ever coached" (his face was beet red and screaming)<br />
While I was on those teams with those coaches, we never had winning record coincidentally. That made me a firm believer in method three. If we were going to lose each game, at least teach how to play. We might win a game or two more if we know why we suck, rather than just telling us we suck! One common trait of these teams: every player was utterly confused for the entire season as to what to do next. We were all on edge of hoping not to be the next one to make a mistake and get chewed out. Try learning when you are scared. Its hard to do.<br />
<br />
Sports are sometimes a different animal than the classroom or office simply because the timeline for achievement is much shorter. But I think regardless, method one and method two teachers, coaches or employers need to look at a bigger picture. The teacher who berates the kid will grow up and possibly have kids who hate school because the parent shares their negative experience. The athlete who played sports no longer plays and loses an outlet for enjoyment as an adult. The employer who yells and pits employees against each other could lose his/her best employees out to a competitor.<br />
<br />
Leading is not easy. Trying to get everyone to achieve is difficult. But if you can create an environment where people believe they are going to achieve, they will push themselves as far as they can go. This is what I want for myself as a teacher and a high school coach.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-65086408582451937672011-01-22T15:48:00.000-08:002011-01-22T15:48:00.502-08:00A man before his timeClick on the link to visit an interview with Issac Asimov. He was a writer and publisher of science fiction and history, among other genres. As well as being an author, he was a professor and an academic. In this interview from 1988 he shares what his vision of education for the future could be. What is truly amazing is that his vision for the future twenty three years ago is becoming a reality. His perspective on life after one's school career is complete is spot on. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJAIERgWhZQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJAIERgWhZQ</a>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-79203158723377616792011-01-13T18:42:00.000-08:002011-01-22T16:52:12.552-08:00Are we as bad as we are told?Check out this link to an article that explains why American schools, no matter how much a politician will try to convince you otherwise, are still pretty good.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2011/tc20110112_006501.htm">http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2011/tc20110112_006501.htm</a><br />
<br />
<br />
We seem to have this need to want to be like China, Japan, Thailand when it comes to math scores and academic "progress." What is always left out of the discussion is the difference of culture. Asian countries are mostly hierarchical societies where moving up the social ladder is mostly unheard of. A poor family will stay poor and a wealthy family will remain wealthy. A lower or middle class student who performs well in school will most likely continue their station in that society. A "B" student in America will have more opportunities available simply because of the social structure here. <br />
As pointed out in the article, the countries we compete against only report test results of a small population within their country and do not take into consideration all scores from across all socioeconomic backgrounds. We count the lowest of the low and highest of the high.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-57395310206029414662011-01-08T05:28:00.000-08:002011-01-08T05:28:22.699-08:00Are you plugged in or logged off?Technology is something for the younger generation, right? With Xbox, Wii, iphones, social networking, smart cars, and the millions of other gadgets have some crowds feeling disconnected, out of touch and at times frustrated by the sense that life has changed faster than they can keep up. Frustration leads to cop outs such as "all this technology has ruined our society. Kids are lazy and they don't know how to interact with others because everything is digital and done for them."<br />
<br />
Technology was destined to make all of us "lazy" in a way. That's why we invented it, to ease the stress and burden of everyday life and to enhance our living experiences. But before we scold people for being interested in gadgets and gizmo's, make sure everyone looks at technology in their daily lives. You might find so much technology you never considered because of the routine and ubiquitous nature of it.<br />
<br />
For as long as there have been people, there has been technology. It is not a new concept. So when I read about a teacher posing a challenge to their students to go one week without technology, I was excited to hear about their experiences! Many of them equated it as to living an alien existence. A few quit before the week was up. Not having access to their iphone was just too much to bear!<br />
<br />
My thought is, can you blame them? Has technology made us lazy? Perhaps -i no longer need to know how to spell anything anymore, thanks spell checker. Has technology increased our sedentary lifestyle which increases our overall health risks. Sure -but don't tell me that the mills, factories and coal mines of early 20th century industrialism provided a healthier work environment than sitting in a cubical staring at a screen.<br />
<br />
I won't defend being lazy and unhealthy. I will however say there is hardly anything in our daily lives that isn't touched by technology. For the critics of technology, see if you can eliminate these three staples from your day.<br />
<br />
1. Eliminate electricity. By doing so you now no longer can use:<br />
TV, radio, dvd,blueray, stove, dishwasher, washer and dryer, hair dryer, curling iron, blender, mixer, ipod, camera, video camera, refrigerator, freezer, thermostat, hot water, lamps, lights, ceiling fans, toaster, waffle iron, panini press, vacuum, computer, alarm clock, microwave or anything else that runs on an alternating current. In your new world of no electricity, the term "plugged in" does not exist.<br />
<br />
2. Eliminate the automobile. Hey at least this will save you gas and you will be doing your part to cut down on sprawl -if you live walking distance to work! If not, you might want to invest in a horse.<br />
<br />
3. Eliminate the telephone. The original social networking device.<br />
<br />
You might be able to do it for a day and might even find it to be a peaceful, but I would guess a day or two would be all you can do. There is no need to go backwards. There is technology for everyone. We don't have to embrace all of it. But to categorize it as wasted money, for kids, or detrimental to our health, is seeing the glass as half empty. Technology has also saved us money, provided adults to reconnect with childhood friends, and has saved lives.<br />
<br />
Technology has been around forever, it will be around as long as there are people. As long as we continue to have imaginations we will have new creations. The cool thing is, if you have an idea for something - a project for work, a way to watch TV more clearly, finding a way to deliver a presentation- thanks to technology, there's an app for that!andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-27605786590743254222010-12-29T17:23:00.000-08:002010-12-29T17:23:59.848-08:00Politics, Religion, and .....Education????The old rule while in a social setting is to avoid the topic of politics, religion and sex. The first two were, are, and always will be gunpowder looking for the spark of someone who has had too much wine. The last one would seem inappropriate as well.<br />
<br />
However, with the cultural revolution that this country has endured over the past forty or so years, it would seem not much is left in the ways of imagination when it comes to sexual content. So much so that the taboo has lost much of its virtue.<br />
<br />
But nature abhors a vacuum right? What will fill the void and become the next topic that will kill the mood at a dinner party? My guess is education.<br />
<br />
You don't really have to be at a high class social function to find this out. Play a round of golf. Go fishing or hunting. Meet some friends for lunch. All the while, bring up the topic of education at some point and you are guaranteed to solicit thoughts and feelings one way or another about it. It gets even better when there is a generational gap amongst those involved!<br />
<br />
Everyone generally agrees that education is valuable and should be taken seriously. But this is where the road then tends to fork. I am inclined to think, much like politics and religion, that people just don't know all the ins and outs of how the educational system works. It is because of this that people have the strongest opinions. If we all knew how things worked, then we can state everything as fact and move on to play corn hole in the back yard.<br />
<br />
The evolving nature of education has provided just about every generation alive today with different educational experiences. From disciplinary measures, interscholastic athletics, to rigorous testing. Grandparents can't relate to their grandkids in these terms, and many parents are too busy trying to make sure their kid is doing the best they can, that they don't always take the time to reflect on their experiences as a student which could provide valuable insight and perspective for their child. When a child hears their successful parent talk about mistakes they made as kids, it can remove a lot of pressure we all felt as teenagers to be perfect.<br />
<br />
One area that is always a stick of dynamite looking for a match, is the cost of public education. When the times were good (see economic progress) I heard many parents and community members express their view that teachers should be paid more. Those were definitely the "good ol days." Talk to people today and ask if teachers are paid enough. Those sentiments are gone with the wind. Read messageboards or online forums and an overwhelming majority will not only say that they are paid enough, but rather they are paid too much. Many comments are also made by taxpayers who don't want higher taxes to pay teachers. Fair argument to a point.<br />
<br />
One last observation is that we don't really concern ourselves with other people's education as much as our own. Former college professor now author Ken Robinson, observed that when asked, people will talk days on end about their education. They are very interested in telling you what they know.<br />
<br />
Education has become a divisive, economic and philosophic issue in which debaters will argue passionately in ways which they will strive to demonstrate their academic prowess in the process.<br />
Regardless how you feel about it, try bringing up education amongst friends or at a social gathering and see how long the conversation goes for. It is a ship sinking iceberg and needs to be regarded as taboo to talk about. And if someone does bring it up, the next three rounds should be on him, because your night is about to be ruined!andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-26689345900457620192010-12-27T19:20:00.000-08:002010-12-29T16:25:43.645-08:00How should an education be viewed?To start off, I will inform anyone who reads this that I am a teacher and so many of my thoughts are educationally based. Hopefully, however they will be broad enough to bring from many points of views from many fields.<br />
<br />
My question is "what is the purpose of education?" If it is so one can get a good job, then hasn't the past two years of job losses and lack of employment for highly educated people thrown this idea out the window a little bit? An education serves as a vehicle to gainful employment only if there is a employment to be had, correct?<br />
<br />
UNESCO has predicted that in the near future more people in the world will have a college degree than ever before. If everyone has a degree, it suddenly loses all its value. However, college has almost become compulsory, yet guarantees nothing in ways of job employment.<br />
So then, what is the purpose of education?<br />
Educational requirements at the beginning of the 1900's were to meet the needs of the industrial age of the time. Does that mean that today's education is to meet the needs of our service industries since manufacturing and agriculture have lost their market share in this country? Are banking, economics and insurance the only options our graduates have to chose from? If so, why not just teach to the service industry, like generations before did with manufacturing? Why is so much school needed before you go get a job with a company who then spends the next six months training you to work for them? Is a college degree really necessary to sell insurance?<br />
For me, my interpretation of the word education is broad. But I define it as gaining knowledge or information that enhances the living experience. Getting an "education" doesn't always just mean going to school and getting a very expensive piece of paper. When you visit a different city or country, you might get an education on culture. When you volunteer at a soup kitchen you might get an education on perspective. When you are able to struggle through an experience you might get an education on perseverance and attitude. <br />
What I see today is a country interested in having higher test scores than other countries. This serves no purpose, provides no future job training, and most certainly is not an education.<br />
<br />
If you are comfortable enough, please share your thoughts on what an education means to you and how you formulated your thoughts.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978953379273446645.post-58133348445589570842010-12-27T11:27:00.000-08:002011-01-22T17:27:22.875-08:00Why I am hereRaise your hand if you have ever been working alone or driving alone, or just had some time to yourself when a thought that seemed coherent and perhaps even philosophical jumped into your brain as if it was purposely put there for you to think about. The more the thought stuck in your head, the more you explored it using any knowledge you had to formulate your conclusion. As you summarized your thought, you are excited to share it with someone only to have them point out the holes in your logic and then go on to show you a completely different perspective on the same topic that never crossed your mind in the first place. You turn around to head back to what you were doing and you remind yourself, "this is why Harvard never called!"<br />
<br />
I have come to embrace sharing thoughts with others and risk being off base or even wrong. When I say wrong, I am not talking about moral convictions as much as misunderstanding cause and effect of stated facts and opinions. In conversations with others who share different experiences in different fields, I have discovered for myself that most answers have more than one right answer.<br />
<br />
From time to time when a thought catches my attention, I will post it here with the hopes of creating a "forum" where responders can provide their thoughts or experiences that will give a different answer to the same question. Readers are always encouraged to start a new thread as well if they like.<br />
<br />
Just a few rules of posting:<br />
-No threatening or foul language i.e. BE NICE. Form your critical thoughts carefully.<br />
-Remember that this blog is for encouraging thoughts and perspectives, not necessarily looking for right and wrong answers.<br />
-Humor is encouraged whenever and wherever it can be applied.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392628847777427940noreply@blogger.com0