posting techniques

I have been blogging for a while now and still can’t figure out a couple of things: 1. How do you create paragraphs in a blog?2.  How do you use the press it function on a mac? 3.   How do you make the hyperlinks blue?Ok, sorry to ask so late in the game, but I keep trying new things and thought I would eventually get it, but obviously not.  Any help? 

Purpose of Education

Ok Nate, you got me on this one.  I have looked and looked for the purpose, but they are all different or they don’t know.  Most of the sites agree that the purpose depends of the person you ask.  One of the sites states: “ The conventional answer is the acquisition of knowledge, the reading of books, and the learning of facts.” Another one of the sites states:  ”people’s beliefs in the purpose of education lie at the heart of their teaching behaviors.”  and the purpose of education is “to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of students.”  I have read other thing like:  getting the students to think and want to learn for themselves, become good citizens, and teaching students how to access and find out about things that they are interested in.  With that being said, I will give you my opinion which is that the purpose of education is to offer students the opportunity to learn to become life long learners or at least know how to find any information that they long to learn.  Ok, so I don’t have Webster’s mind, but that is my opinion.I do what to point out that we need to revamp our teaching systems in a major change as this articlepoints out: ”It is time for the focus of education to shift from what’s “out there—the curriculum, assessments, classroom arrangement, books, computers—to the fundamental assumptions about and definitions of education held by educators and policymakers. “

Preservation of Culture

Education has been defined by straight rows and children sitting and listening to a teacher for years.  Our culture expects students to go to school to learn how to read, write, and do arithmetic.  That is why we must keep our image of teacher standing in front of classroom telling the students what they need to know.  Our culture expects the teachers and the school systems to not only educate but make their students social creatures.  By that I mean, know how to speak and interact with students and adults in a school/work setting.  The education process is educationally accepted that the students would learn what they will need to learn academically for the rest of their lives.   Our culture has a simplistic old fashioned way of what they perceive education should do and provide.  Our new culture is a fast pasted digital world with students learning more on their own from video games than they do from their teachers.  I believe our culture is holding us back from progress.  The world is moving and changing at an exponential rate and we need to try to keep up.  That is that we need to educate our educators on how to educate in the 21st century.  We need to be using the technology that the students are using to help us to compete with the games that they are using to learn with. That brings me to the other question about “how does technology relate to learning”?The technology relates because that is how the students are learning now.  Technology is the new way of teaching and a better way to communicate with technology buff students.  Technology also relates to learning because that is the mean that most students learn with now.  We need to not only teach with technology innovations, but also show the students how to use technology to find any answers that they need to find.  So, technology relates in two ways.  One way is the process that they learn best in, hence they method that we need to be teaching with. Two is the world is using technology in all professions so we need to make sure our students are prepared for Skype, wordpress, video conferencing, googling, posting to youtube,  etc…  Our world revolves around communicating instantly with anyone all over the world, so we need to show students what is available to do that.

SNS

I have added a blog group in my SNS, myspace, that is for SNS talk.  I have invited the students from this class to join, but no I don’t know what to do and don’t know if I have done it right.  I can’t seem to post under that group.  I don’t know what I did.  Anyone with Myspace that can figure out how to post to a group, please let me know.  Especially if it is your own group.  I apologize to the ones that have already joined my group and haven’t heard from me. 

Solomon’s chapter 11

Since everyone is reading the same  book, I won’t go through what it is in it. I do want to say that I loved this chapter and think that this is the key to our success as teachers in the 21st century.  I think we need to develop professional social networks to turn to for ideas and help when we need it.  We also  need content intensive technology PD’s that show us what is available and how to incorporate it into our classrooms.  If you are like me, you need someone to show you examples of what they have done so you can tweak it a little and use it.  I think that a PD with nothing more than many educators of the same subject, talking in one room, would most beneficial.   

Home School or Public

I have not had a student come into my class from being home schooled that wasn’t more advanced than the ones that are in the public school system all their lives.  Usually when they come in they are more advanced, better prepared, and more mature.  I think being with their parents longer and having to do their own learning by making their own connections allows them to develop as a learner more than those who are taught how to learn.  I don’t think we will ever see a world with no teachers, but I do think we will see a growth of home schooled children with the push on testing.  I really do feel that the video I posted earlier with the Not on the test is true in most cases and we need to realize that if we teach to the world, the scores on the test will go up.   This will happen because they students  will be learning and hence remember it for the test. 

Not on the test

Well, my administrator just sent over a video that every teacher needs to watch.  It is nice to know some people understand what we are going through.  It is on youtube, under Not on the test.

2,000,000 minutes

Check out this video about how Americans are different than other students all over the world.  Our High school Prinicipal showed this video to the eighth graders yesterday to persuade them to do their best through high school in order to compete in the global market for jobs. 

So where are we?

I know we are talking about Why teach and with the week I’ve been having I wonder the same thing, but my question is what chapter in Solomon should we be reading for this week and the weeks to follow.  I started reading 9 but seems like we have already read that one.  So if anyone can help I would appreicate it since I delete all my emails.  I need to get me a calendar.  Should have done it earlier like people suggested to my last semester. 

Internet shutdown

I am really trying to get my work done, but the harder I try the more times my computer locks up.  I have been reading what I can of everyone’s posts before it locks up, but it is really frustrating to have to shut your computer down and restart after about 4 blogs.  It seems that everyone is posting really interesting stuff so I want to read all, but can’t.  I have 40 posts left to read last night so who knows how many by this morning.  Hopefully I can get out of town to purchase a new router soon.  We only have Walmart here to buy one and I would like to get a good brand that I know will work. 

So with that being said, I was reading about “why teach” and as I read about the homebound students and the” facebook is for cat pictures” ( (or something to that nature) posts, I began to wonder that myself, “why do we need teachers”.  From  my experience, homebound students that come to the public schools in the high school are usually farther advanced mentally then a regular high schooler.  They usually understand concepts and can teach others easier.  So, in my opinion, why don’t we guide instead of teach.  I don’t think that our profession is in danger quite yet, but I do feel that if we add anymore test and pressure, we won’t want to be teachers.